Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of vancomycin for therapy of adult pneumococcal meningitis

The emergence of pneumococci resistant to penicillin and other agents prompted us to evaluate intravenous vancomycin for the therapy of pneumococcal meningitis, which has an overall mortality of 30%. Eleven consecutive adult patients with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-culture-proven pneumococcal meningitis and positive initial CSF Gram stain were given intravenous vancomycin (usual dosage, 7.5 mg/kg every 6 h for 10 days). The MBCs of vancomycin ranged from 0.25 to 0.5 micrograms/ml. Early adjunctive therapy with intravenous dexamethasone, mannitol, and sodium phenytoin was also instituted. After 48 h of therapy, all 11 patients showed a satisfactory clinical response, although the CSF culture remained positive in one case; median trough CSF and serum vancomycin levels were 2 and 5.1 micrograms/ml, respectively, and trough CSF bactericidal titers ranged from less than 1:2 to 1:16. On day 3, one patient died of acute heart failure. Four patients had clinical failure at on days 4 (two patients), 7 (one), and 8 (one) of therapy; they all immediately responded to a change in antibiotic therapy. The remaining six patients were cured after 10 days of vancomycin therapy. At this point, median peak CSF and serum vancomycin levels were 1.9 and 18.5 micrograms/ml, respectively. A transient alteration of renal function occurred in two patients, and persistent slight hypoacusia occurred in three patients. In summary, 11 adults with pneumococcal meningitis were treated with vancomycin and early adjunctive therapy including dexamethasone. All patients initially improved, and 10 were ultimately cured of the infection. However, four patients experienced a therapeutic failure, which led to a change in vancomycin therapy.
Induction of Oxidative Stress by High Hydrostatic Pressure in Escherichia coli

ABSTRACT Using leaderless alkaline phosphatase as a probe, it was demonstrated that pressure treatment induces endogenous intracellular oxidative stress in Escherichia coli MG1655. In stationary-phase cells, this oxidative stress increased with the applied pressure at least up to 400 MPa, which is well beyond the pressure at which the cells started to become inactivated (200 MPa). In exponential-phase cells, in contrast, oxidative stress increased with pressure treatment up to 150 MPa and then decreased again, together with the cell counts. Anaerobic incubation after pressure treatment significantly supported the recovery of MG1655, while mutants with increased intrinsic sensitivity toward oxidative stress (katE, katF, oxyR, sodAB, and soxS) were found to be more pressure sensitive than wild-type MG1655. Furthermore, mild pressure treatment strongly sensitized E. coli toward t-butylhydroperoxide and the superoxide generator plumbagin. Finally, previously described pressure-resistant mutants of E. coli MG1655 displayed enhanced resistance toward plumbagin. In one of these mutants, the induction of endogenous oxidative stress upon high hydrostatic pressure treatment was also investigated and found to be much lower than in MG1655. These results suggest that, at least under some conditions, the inactivation of E. coli by high hydrostatic pressure treatment is the consequence of a suicide mechanism involving the induction of an endogenous oxidative burst.
The Pareto Law and the Distribution of Labour Income in Italy

This paper provides an empirical examination of the distribution of labour earnings in Italy. Using data drawn from the 2005 and 2006 waves of the Participation Labour Unemployment Survey, a database of information on the Italian labour market supply, we find the shape of the observed distributions to be right-skewed and display a long right tail, which is adequately described by a Pareto-type model. We also address the question of earnings dispersion by applying a nested decomposition procedure of the Theil inequality measure, which combines into a unified framework the standard decompositions by population subgroups and income sources. The empirical evidence obtained points to the key role played by the self-employees in shaping labour income inequality, especially at the upper extreme of the earnings distribution, and the emergence of non-standard forms of employment as an important feature of the contemporary workplace.
Morphometric study of cerebral arteries from spontaneously hypertensive and stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats

Objective: The importance of sympathetic innervation for the development of structural changes in the cerebral arteries of hypertensive animals was studied. Design: Sympathetic denervation was induced with combined treatment from birth of antibody against nerve growth factor and guanethidine. Previous studies from our laboratory showed that this procedure not only caused a permanent denervation of the mesenteric arteries, but also prevented the development of hypertension in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Methods: Morphometric measurement of the structural changes was carried out in the basilar, superior cerebellar, posterior cerebral and middle cerebral arteries from 28-week-old SHR, stroke-prone SHR, and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats. The results were compared with those obtained from cerebral arteries of sympathectomized rats. Results: Total vascular wall cross-sectional area was significantly larger in the basilar and superior cerebellar arteries from hypertensive rats compared with normotensives. The change was characterized by an increase in the number of smooth muscle cell layers. There were also differences between the two hypertensive groups in some arteries. Sympathetic denervation attenuated the development of hypertension and vascular changes in some arteries. There was a positive linear correlation between blood pressure and medial cross-sectional area, and between blood pressure and the number of smooth muscle cell layers for the four arteries analysed. Conclusion: Sympathetic nerves have a trophic influence upon the remodelling of some cerebral arteries during the development of genetic hypertension.
Hospital efficiency under global budgeting: evidence from Taiwan

Global budgeting sets a predetermined cap to restrain health expenditure, but the fixed budget for medical providers could result in less efficient services. This paper measures hospital efficiency under global budgeting using simultaneous stochastic frontier analysis, stressing that physicians and dentists within a hospital were under separate budgets in Taiwan. Empirical results show that hospital efficiency was not improved after global budgeting, and physicians were found to be less efficient than dentists. The physicians and dentists within the same hospital were also found to be less integrated after global budgeting. Empirical results show that a joint analysis improves the estimation efficiency from separate analysis and suggest that the aggregate inefficiency came mostly from physicians in hospitals that were small, public, non-teaching, located in small markets and had a low market share. Except for public hospitals, physicians and dentists in the above hospitals were also found to be less integrated.
Reducing periprosthetic joint infection: what really counts?

Abstract Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) remains one of the most challenging complications after joint arthroplasty. Despite improvements in surgical techniques and in the use of antibiotic prophylaxis, it remains a major cause of implant failure and need for revision. PJI is associated with both human host-related and bacterial agentrelated factors that can interact in all the phases of the procedure (preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative). Prevention is the first strategy to implement in order to minimize this catastrophic complication. The present review focuses on the preoperative period, and on what to do once risk factors are fully understood and have been identified.
Private Costs of Public Commitments or Public Costs of Private Commitments? Family Roles versus Political Ambition

Research on political ambition and recruitment has yet to consider seriously the role of private life and especially the family in a potential candidate's calculation of the costs and benefits of running for office. One reason is that men, who constitute the vast majority of candidates, are not usually identified as experiencing conflict between public and private roles. Using the Center for Political Studies (CPS) 1972 Convention Delegate Study, this article investigates the interrelationships of family roles, subjective conflict, and political ambition. Although many of the same features of family life conflict with men's and women's political life, the role these play in potential candidates' decisions is different for men and women.
Reactions to FDA-Proposed Graphic Warning Labels Affixed to U.S. Smokers' Cigarette Packs.

INTRODUCTION Graphic warning labels have been shown to be more effective than text-only labels in increasing attention and perceived health risks, but most U.S. studies have involved single exposures in laboratory or Internet settings. METHODS We recruited a convenience sample (N = 202) of U.S. adult smokers from population subgroups with higher rates of smoking and smoking-related deaths who had participated in a larger survey about graphic warning labels. Participants were randomized to get 1 of 9 graphic + text labels or a text-only label. Research staff affixed a warning label sticker to participants' cigarette pack(s) at enrollment. Color graphic labels covered slightly more than the lower half of packs. Black and white labels of current U.S. text-only warnings covered the existing side warning to prompt attention to the label (i.e., attention control). Participants received extra stickers of the same label for subsequent packs, and completed 3 telephone interviews in 1 week. RESULTS Participants reported low avoidance (<34%) and consistent use of the stickers (91%). Smokers consistently paid more attention to graphic than text-only labels. Only 5 of the 9 graphic warning labels were significantly associated with greater thoughts of health risks. Thinking about quitting and stopping smoking did not differ by label. Qualitative data illustrated differences in the "stickiness," self-referencing, and counterarguments of graphic warning labels. CONCLUSIONS U.S. smokers' reactions to graphic warning labels on their own packs were similar to other, more controlled studies. Qualitative findings underscore the need for warning labels that encourage self-referential processing without increasing defensive reactions.
Subjective Visual Vertical and Horizontal in Vestibular Migraine.

OBJECTIVE To assess the functional status of the otolithic pathway in vestibular migraine by comparing the results of static and dynamic subjective visual vertical and horizontal [subjective visual vertical (SVV) and subjective visual horizontal (SVH)] testing in patients with vestibular migraine with that of normal individuals. MATERIALS AND METHODS This hospital-based prospective study was conducted in 82 normal adults and 66 adults with vestibular migraine. The SVV and SVH angles were measured under static and dynamic conditions using a software-based test protocol. The arithmetic mean of six readings in each situation was considered. The results were further analyzed by stratifying cases and controls into two age groups 20-40 years and 41-60 years and into gender. RESULTS The clinical profile of the patients with vestibular migraine was comparable to the available literature. The dynamic SVV and SVH in both age groups and the static SVH in the 41-60 years age group were significantly higher compared to normal individuals (p<0.05). The dynamic SVV and SVH were significantly higher in the cases compared to controls among both males and females (p<0.05). CONCLUSION There is evidence of otolithic pathway abnormalities in individuals with vestibular migraine. The inclusion of SVV and SVH testing for the evaluation of patients with vestibular migraine may be useful in the interpretation and rehabilitation of symptoms in these patients.
Cholesterol, transferrin saturation, and the development of dementia and Alzheimer's disease: results from an 18-year population-based cohort.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Oxidative stress plays a role in Alzheimer's disease (AD), and iron and cholesterol together have been linked to oxidative stress. This study examined the relationship between transferrin saturation (TS) and cholesterol to see if both are necessary to increase the risk for the subsequent development of AD. METHODS We analyzed data from US adults (ages 40-74 years at baseline) followed from baseline in 1971-1974 to 1992 (n=6,558) in the cohort study, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey I Epidemiologic Followup Study (NHEFS). RESULTS The unadjusted relative risk of developing AD when both TS and cholesterol were at the 75th percentile was 3.19 (95% CI, 1.31-7.75). In adjusted models when only one marker was elevated, there was no significant increased risk for AD. The risk of AD increased as both markers increased. Even at the 85th percentile, individuals had no significant risk of AD when only having elevated cholesterol (>280 mg/dl) but not elevated TS (39.6%). Findings were similar for individuals with elevated TS but not elevated cholesterol. CONCLUSIONS In this population-based cohort, the risk of developing AD when one has both elevated cholesterol and elevated TS is much larger than the risk associated with elevation of either of these factors alone.
Radio Spectrum Valuation by Using Censored Regression Method

Currently, the mobile markets in every country all around the world have been developing rapidly. The adoption of 3G and 4G services will greatly benefit the economy. Consumers will receive fast and quality telecommunication system and their quality of life will improve. Such development will be beneficial to the production of goods and service in countries raising overall competitiveness both domestically and internationally. Radio spectrum is scarce and invaluable telecommunication resource. Spectrum auction should determine spectrum value as consistent to its actual value. In order to ensure that spectrum is efficiently assigned, spectrum is priced to reflect the value it can add to help promote economic and technical efficiency with users who have bid for it. Putting a price on spectrum not only ensures spectrum management efficiency, but also can add revenue for the government which will in turn cover the cost of spectrum. This paper presents a radio spectrum valuation method by using censored regression method. The contributions in this paper could assist telecom policy makers to gain more understanding in development of radio spectrum valuation.
On the Importance of Gravity in DNAPL Invasion of Saturated Horizontal Fractures

Invasion percolation (IP) models of dense non‐aqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) invasion into saturated horizontal fractures typically neglect viscous and gravity forces, as it is assumed that capillarity dominates in many situations. An IP model simulating DNAPL invasion into saturated horizontal fractures was modified to include gravity as a local effect. The model was optimized using a genetic algorithm, and demonstrated that the inclusion of gravity is important for replicating the architecture of the DNAPL invasion pattern. The optimized gravity‐included simulation showed the DNAPL invasion pattern to be significantly more representative of the experimentally observed pattern (80% accuracy) than did the optimized gravity‐neglected simulation (70% accuracy). Additional simulations of DNAPL invasion in 360 randomly generated fractures were compared with and without gravity forces. These simulations showed that with increasing fracture roughness, the minimum difference between simulations with and without gravity increases to 35% for a standard deviation of the mid‐aperture elevation field (SDz) of 10 mm. Even for low roughness (SDz = 0.1 mm), the difference was as high as 30%. Furthermore, a scaled Bond Number is defined which includes data regarding DNAPL type, media type and statistical characteristics of the fracture. The value of this scaled Bond Number can be used to determine the conditions under which gravity should be considered when simulating DNAPL invasion in a macroscopically horizontal fracture. Finally, a set of equations defining the minimum and maximum absolute percentage difference between gravity‐included and gravity‐neglected simulations is presented based on the fracture and DNAPL characteristics.
Influence of polymorphisms for apolipoprotein B (ins/del, Xbal, EcoRI)and apolipoprotein E on serum lipids and apolipoproteins in a Javanese population

A total of 231 healthy subjects from a central Javanese population were investigated for the distribution of three apolipoprotein B (apo B) polymorphisms (ins/del, XbaI, and EcoRI), as well as apolipoprotein E (apo E) polymorphism in relation to serum lipid and apolipoprotein concentrations. The frequencies of the rarer alleles (del, 0.09; X+, 0.1; and R−, 0.06) were lower than have been found for some Asian and European populations. Distribution of genotypes was in Hardy‐Weinburg equilibrium for all the polymorphisms. A linkage disequilibrium was observed only between the ins/del and XbaI site polymorphisms of apo B (χ42 = 25.3; P < 0.001) consistent with that observed in some other population studies. No polymorphism of the apo B gene had an association with serum lipid or apolipoprotein concentrations in this population except for XabI, which appeared to be associated with serum TG (as the log transform: R2 = 8.3; F = 4.8; P < 0.01). The apo E4 allele was found to be associated with significantly higher serum total cholesterol (TC) and low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC). Apo E polymorphism explained 5.9% of the sample variance of serum LDLC (F = 5.4; P < 0.01). © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Beyond tenured: analysis of the influence of department chair role conflict, stress, job satisfaction and their likelihood to serve for another term

This study examines the influence of job stress, role conflict, and job satisfaction on department chairs’ likelihood to serve for another term. Analyzing factors that affect department chairs’ decisions to serve for another term is important. The results of this analysis not only revealed the struggles faced by the department chairs, but they also provided university central administrators with the feedback to address the department chairs’ needs and to attract faculty members for this middle manager position. The participants of this study were the department chairs of seventy land grant universities, specifically those who serve in the fields of agriculture, engineering, and science. Four research questions guided the study, they are: (1) According to the department chair what are the factors that cause significant stress? (2) How do the factors that cause stress vary among department chairs at different disciplines, i.e., Agriculture, Science, and Engineering? (3) How do gender differences affect the issues surrounding department chairs role, i.e., stress, role conflict, and job satisfaction? (4) Are there any relationships between department chair’s perceived stress, job satisfaction, and likelihood to serve for another term? In order to answer the research questions I used factor analysis, MANOVA, Pearson correlation, and multiple regressions as the statistical methods. This study found increased workload and insufficient time for scholarship and/or research were two factors that ranked as the highest with regard to factors that cause stress to department chairs in all three fields (i.e., agriculture, engineering, and science). In addition, this finding indicated that department chair’s work is similar, regardless of the disciplines. The tasks of department chairs are not discipline-dependent. However, unlike the disciplines variable, gender variable shows significant difference in terms of its
Good deals in markets with friction

This paper studies a portfolio choice problem such that the pricing rule may incorporate transaction costs and the risk measure is coherent and expectation bounded. We will prove the necessity of dealing with pricing rules such that there are essentially bounded stochastic discount factors, which must be also bounded from below by a strictly positive value. Otherwise good deals will be available to traders, i.e., depending on the selected risk measure, investors can build portfolios whose (risk, return) will be as close as desired to (- infinite, + infinite) or (0, infinite). This pathologic property still holds for vector risk measures (i.e., if we minimize a vector valued function whose components are risk measures). It is worthwhile to point out that essentially bounded stochastic discount factors are not usual in financial literature. In particular, the most famous frictionless, complete and arbitrage free pricing models imply the existence of good deals for every coherent and expectation bounded measure of risk, and the incorporation of transaction costs will no guarantee the solution of this caveat
Essays on sustainable supply management

The growing concern for organizations’ social responsibility and sustainable behavior has been accompanied by considerable awareness of how organizations manage their supply chains. For many organizations, a large proportion of their sustainability impact comes from their inbound supply chain, an area that is addressed by Sustainable Supply Management (SSM). SSM aims to integrate the triple bottom line of environmental, social and economic elements in supply management processes. Advances in SSM have mainly been realized through self-regulation, which refers to the commitment of organizations to control their own conduct beyond what is required by law. The merits and effectiveness of self-regulation are the subject of debate, since a potential downside of self-regulation is that too much freedom can tempt firms to opportunistically choose to change as little as possible. This dissertation consists of three different studies, each of which aims to provide deeper insights into the mechanisms that operate between SSM self-regulation and the incorporation of sustainability in supply management processes. Drawing on research on, among others, dynamic capabilities, management innovation and institutional theory, these studies represent a further contribution to the existing SSM knowledge base.
Intake consumption of ginsenoside Rg3, profiling of selected cytokines, and development of rectal polyps

Background: Rectal polyps is a major risk factor for rectal cancer. There is a need to explore a panel of preventive measures, as well as reliable biomarkers for screening of rectal polyps. Patients and methods: We conducted a case control study which aimed to explore the effects of regular consumption of ginsenoside Rg3, profiling of selected cytokines, and development of rectal polyps in a Chinese population. Results: Significantly higher levels of IL-4, MIP-1β, FasL, TGF-β1, and RANTES were detected in rectal polyp cases. Further, we found significant dose-response relationships between quartile-categorized levels of IL-4, MIP-1β, FasL, and TGF-β1, and risk of rectal polyps. The strongest associations for IL-4, MIP-1β, FasL, and TGF-β1 were observed for the highest quartile vs the lowest quartile with an OR of 1.78, 2.70, 1.49, and 2.36, respectively. Compared with non-Rg3 consumers, regular Rg3 consumers had a significantly lower risk of rectal polyps (OR =0.71; 95% CI: 0.55–0.92; P=0.009). We also found that Rg3 consumers had significantly lower levels of IL-4, MIP-1β, FasL, and TGF-β1 than non-Rg3 consumers, in both rectal polyp cases and healthy controls. Conclusion: These results indicate that regular consumption of Rg3 might prevent the occurrence of rectal polyps through decreasing the serum level of selected cytokines, including IL-4, MIP-1β, FasL, and TGF-β1. Further clinical trials and prospective cohort studies with larger sample sizes are warranted to validate the anti-inflammatory activity and the anti-tumorigenic role of Rg3.