Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Current nursing practice of point-of-care laboratory diagnostic testing in critical care units.

BACKGROUND The development of user-friendly laboratory analyzers, combined with the need for rapid assessment of critically ill patients, has led to the performance of in vitro diagnostic testing at the point of care by personnel without formal laboratory training. OBJECTIVES To determine the range of laboratory testing performed by critical care nurses and their attitudes toward this role. METHODS A survey of critical care nursing consultants was conducted, using a modified Likert scale, to assess objective measures of point-of-care testing practice in critical care units and to determine nurses' attitudes toward the practice of point-of-care testing. Statistical analysis was performed to determine significant trends in responses. RESULTS Of the units responding to the survey, 35% used critical care nurses exclusively to perform point-of-care testing, 32.5% used laboratory technicians and critical care nurses, and 25% used other personnel. Of critical care nurses performing laboratory testing, 95.5% performed blood glucose analysis; 18.7%, arterial blood gas analysis; 4.5%, electrolyte analysis; 4.5%, hematology profiles; and 22.7%, other testing. Most agreed that stat tests were not reported promptly, thereby necessitating bedside testing. Respondents indicated that they would prefer that laboratory personnel operate in vitro diagnostic equipment and that requirements for critical care nurses to perform laboratory testing detracted from other patient care duties. CONCLUSIONS Most nurses who perform point-of-care testing responded that it was necessary and helpful in patient management. However, they would prefer, because of their other patient care responsibilities, that laboratory personnel take this responsibility.
Vascular Function of the Mesenteric Artery Isolated from Thyroid Hormone Receptor-E Knockout Mice

Objective: This study evaluated the consequences of thyroid hormone receptor-E (TRE) disruption on vascular reactivity. Methods: The activity of superior mesenteric arteries isolated from TRE knockout mice generated in the SV129 background (TRE0/0SV) or in a pure C57BL/6 background (TRE0/0C57) was compared to that of their corresponding wild-type strains (SV129 or C57BL/6 mice). Results: The wild-type SV129 mice exhibited an impaired acetylcholine (Ach)-induced mesenteric artery relaxation compared to C57BL/6 mice, associated with greater responses to angiotensin II (AII) and phenylephrine (PE). The disruption of TRE decreased the vascular response to sodium nitroprusside and PE in both the SV129 and C57BL/6 genetic backgrounds. Responses to Ach and AII were also blunted, but only in TRE0/0C57 mice. The administration of 3,3′5-triiodo-L-thyronine sodium salt (T3) elicited a vasodilatation in C57BL/6 mice even at the lowest concentration (10-9M); a maximal relaxation of more than 50% was observed with the concentrations between 10-9 and 10-8M. However, the response to T3 was nearly absent in TRE0/0C57 mice. Conclusion: TRE is essential for the control of vascular tone, particularly in thyroid hormone-mediated relaxation. The difference in response to Ach observed between the two wild-type mice should be taken into account for interpreting the vascular responses of genetically engineered mice. i 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel
Crimes of the Past: Defensive Temporal Distancing in the Face of Past In-Group Wrongdoing

Relegating past in-group transgressions to ancient history might deflect threat to collective identity. Germans (but not Canadians) judged the Holocaust to be more subjectively remote in time when they read only about German-perpetrated atrocities than when this threat was mitigated. Greater subjective distance predicted lower collective guilt, which, in turn, predicted less willingness to make amends (Study 1). Distancing under threat was more pronounced among defensive Germans who felt unjustly blamed by other nations (Study 2). In Study 3, the authors examined the causal role of subjective time. Nondefensive Germans induced to view the Holocaust as closer reported more collective guilt and willingness to compensate. In contrast, defensive Germans reported less collective guilt after the closeness induction. Taken together, the studies demonstrate that how past wrongs are psychologically situated in time can play a powerful role in people’s present-day reactions to them.
Why read Fairbairn?

The author offers a close reading of portions of Fairbairn’s work in which he not only explicates and clarifies Fairbairn’s thinking, but generates ideas of his own by developing concepts that he believes to be implicit in, or logical extensions of, Fairbairn’s work. Among the unstated or underdeveloped aspects of Fairbairn’s contribution that the author discusses are (1) the idea that the formation of the internal object world is always, in part, a response to trauma (actual failure on the part of the mother to convey to her infant a sense that she loves him and accepts his love); (2) the notion that the infant’s unceasing efforts to transform the internalized relationship with the unloving mother into a loving relationship – thus reversing the effect on his mother of his (imagined) ‘toxic love’– is the single most important motivation sustaining the structure of the internal object world; and (3) the idea that attacks on oneself for the way one loves, while self‐destructive, contain a glimmer of insight into one’s own self‐hatred and shame regarding one’s endless, futile attempts to change oneself (or the rejecting object) into a different person. The author, using his own clinical work, illustrates the way he makes use of his understanding of the ‘emotional life’ of internal objects to facilitate the patient’s emotional growth.
Identification of Mycobacterium Species by secA1 Sequences

ABSTRACT We describe a novel molecular method for the differentiation and identification of 29 mycobacterial species. The target is the secA1 gene that codes for the essential protein SecA1, a key component of the major pathway of protein secretion across the cytoplasmic membrane. A 700-bp region of the secA1 gene was amplified and sequenced from 47 American Type Culture Collection strains of 29 Mycobacterium species as well as from 59 clinical isolates. Sequence variability in the amplified segment of the secA1 gene allowed the differentiation of all species except for the members of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) complex, which had identical sequences. A range of 83.3 to 100% interspecies similarity was observed. All species could also be differentiated by their amino acid sequences as deduced from the sequenced region of the secA1 gene, with the exception of the MTB complex. Partial sequences of secA1 from clinical isolates belonging to nine frequently isolated species of mycobacteria revealed a very high intraspecies similarity at the DNA level (typically >99%; range, 96.0 to 100%); all clinical isolates were correctly identified. Comparison of the deduced 233-amino-acid sequences among clinical isolates of the same species showed between 99.6 and 100% similarity. To our knowledge, this is the first time a secretion-related gene has been used for the identification of the species within a bacterial genus.
Association of hormone therapy and incident gout: population-based case-control study

Objective:This study aims to assess the odds of developing incident gout in association with the use of postmenopausal estrogen-progestogen therapy, according to type, timing, duration, and route of administration of estrogen-progestogen therapy. Methods:We conducted a retrospective population-based case-control analysis using the United Kingdom–based Clinical Practice Research Datalink. We identified women (aged 45 y or older) who had a first-time diagnosis of gout recorded between 1990 and 2010. We matched one female control with each case on age, general practice, calendar time, and years of active history in the database. We used multivariate conditional logistic regression to calculate odds ratios (ORs) with 95% CIs (adjusted for confounders). Results:The adjusted OR for gout with current use of oral formulations of opposed estrogens (estrogen-progestogen) was 0.69 (95% CI, 0.56-0.86) compared with never use. Current use was associated with a decreased OR for gout in women without renal failure (adjusted OR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.57-0.87) and hypertension (adjusted OR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.44-0.87) compared with never use. Tibolone was associated with a decreased OR for gout (adjusted OR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.63-0.95) compared with never use. Estrogens alone did not alter the OR for gout. Conclusions:Current use of oral opposed estrogens, but not unopposed estrogens, is associated with a decreased OR for incident gout in women without renal failure and is more pronounced in women with hypertension. Use of tibolone is associated with a decreased OR for incident gout. The decreased OR for gout may be related to the progestogen component rather than the estrogen component.
The Impact of Migrant Remittances on Economic Growth in Arab Countries

The potential role that workers’ remittances are likely to play in promoting economic growth, especially in Arab countries, is currently attracting considerable attention. These remittances have an impact on the remitting economies as well. The Gulf region is considered one of the top sending countries of migrant remittances. In this study, empirical analysis is carried out with panel techniques using data over the last three decades for six Arab countries. Our results show that migrant remittances have a positive and significant impact on economic growth. This relationship is also significant when we use dynamic panel data. An indirect effect of remittances on economic growth is pointed out especially via the investment and the household final consumption expenditure channels. Policymakers in Arab countries should take appropriate policy actions to increase the outflow of workers. Developed capital markets, as well as a sound macroeconomic policy environment, would provide incentives for sustainable remittances transfers.
PENGEMBANGAN BUDAYA ORGANISASI DALAM LEMBAGA PENDIDIKAN

Organizational culture is a unity of values, systems, adopted and used as a common guideline of both individuals and groups in organizations or an institution.The organization or group will experience progress and development, if the organizational culture within an organization and the institution is organized and run well.In this paper, the authors find stages in the concept of organizational culture development and relevant to be applied in Islamic educational institutions, that is: Organizational culture concept, function and development of organizational culture, organizational culture type consist of open and participative culture; and closed and autocratic culture,The formation of organizational culture, the strategy of strengthening the organizational culture consists of (Mechanical solidarityand organic solidarity), as well as strategies in developing organizational culture. This, it is appropriate to be the focus of reference for Islamic educational institutions, especially in achieving the desired goals. Budaya organisasi merupakan satu kesatuan nilai-nilai, sistem, yang dianut dan dijadikan pedoman bersama baik individu maupun kelompok pada organisasi atau suatu lembaga. Organisasi atau kelompok akan mengalami perkembangan dan kemajuan, jika budaya organisasi dalam sebuah organisasi dan lembaga tersebut terorganisir serta berjalan dengan baik. Dalam tulisan ini, penulis menemukan tahap-tahap dalam konsep pengembangan budaya organisasi dan relevan untuk diterapkan dalam lembaga pendidikan Islam, yaitu: konsep budaya organisasi, fungsi dan pengembangan budaya organisasi, tipe budaya organisasi teridiri dari open and participative culture; danclosed and autocratic culture, pembentukan budaya organisasi, strategi memperkuat budaya organisasi terdiri dari (solidaritas mekanik dan solidaritas organik), serta strategi dalam mengembangkan budaya organisasi. Hal ini, sangat tepat untuk dijadikan fokus acuan bagi lembaga pendidikan islam khususnya dalam mencapai tujuan diinginkan.
A century of India’s economic transformation: a critical review

The objective of this study is to examine India’s transformation from a colonial to a modern economy on the basis of the macro-economic level changes that have occurred over the last century. This is important because it will help us to understand the associated growth performance and its impact on sectoral changes and employment in the wider context of developing economies such as India. The methodology to be followed here is derived from the aims of the study and comparisons of international statistics that provide the means by which to address the research questions and the objectives of this paper. The study found that during the colonial period, the Indian economy became subservient rather than sovereign in terms of policy matters. As a result, economic development was hampered by the removal of ‘surplus’, along with very high land rents and tribute charges. A densely populated country like India was drawn into the orbit of exploitation in the mid-18th century. Soon after independence in 1947, the Indian government took a number of initiatives to enhance industrial and agricultural development, but the biggest failure was that it did not make any real impression on the country’s huge unemployment problems.
Effect of work and recovery durations on W' reconstitution during intermittent exercise.

PURPOSE We recently presented an integrating model of the curvature constant of the hyperbolic power-time relationship (W') that permits the calculation of the W' balance (W'BAL) remaining at any time during intermittent exercise. Although a relationship between recovery power and the rate of W' recovery was demonstrated, the effect of the length of work or recovery intervals remains unclear. METHODS After determining VO2max, critical power, and W', 11 subjects completed six separate exercise tests on a cycle ergometer on different days, and in random order. Tests consisted of a period of intermittent severe-intensity exercise until the subject depleted approximately 50% of their predicted W'BAL, followed by a constant work rate (CWR) exercise bout until exhaustion. Work rates were kept constant between trials; however, either work or recovery durations during intermittent exercise were varied. The actual W' measured during the CWR (W'ACT) was compared with the amount of W' predicted to be available by the W'BAL model. RESULTS Although some differences between W'BAL and W'ACT were noted, these amounted to only -1.6 ± 1.1 kJ when averaged across all conditions. The W'ACT was linearly correlated with the difference between VO2 at the start of CWR and VO2max (r = 0.79, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS The W'BAL model provided a generally robust prediction of CWR W'. There may exist a physiological optimum formulation of work and recovery intervals such that baseline VO2 can be minimized, leading to an enhancement of subsequent exercise tolerance. These results may have important implications for athletic training and racing.
Alphabeticity Bias in 401(K) Investing

Structural factors which cause irrational investment in defined contribution savings plans are of great concern. Using a proprietary database of 401(k) plans we show that alphabeticity – the order that fund names appear when listed in alphabetical order – significantly biases participants’ investment allocation decisions. While we show a larger impact as the number of funds in the plan increases, this bias is strong even when relatively few funds are available in the plan menu. Importantly, our findings suggest that a more strategic ordering of funds could result in favorable outcomes for participants.
Nerve conduction and temperature: Necessary warming time

The purpose of this study was to estimate the time needed to warm an extremity prior to measuring nerve conduction. In 8 normal subjects tibial and sural nerve conduction variables were measured during cooling and warming of the leg in water of 18°C and 36°C, respectively. During cooling, nerve conduction velocity (NCV) decreased and distal motor latency (DML), duration, and area of the compound muscle action potentials (CMAP), and compound nerve action potentials (CNAP) increased. The reverse occurred during warming. During cooling or warming the change in these variables became progressively smaller with time. The time course could therefore be described by an exponential relation, the parameters of which were determined. On the basis of these data, correlations were calculated between the skin temperature at the start of the investigation and the warming time needed to obtain a good estimate of nerve conduction variables at 36°C. The use of correction factors, instead of actual warming, yielded acceptable errors only for NCV and not for the other variables. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Live Attenuated Shigella dysenteriae Type 1 Vaccine Strains Overexpressing Shiga Toxin B Subunit

ABSTRACT Shigella dysenteriae serotype 1 (S. dysenteriae 1) is unique among the Shigella species and serotypes in the expression of Shiga toxin which contributes to more severe disease sequelae and the ability to cause explosive outbreaks and pandemics. S. dysenteriae 1 shares characteristics with other Shigella species, including the capability of causing clinical illness with a very low inoculum (10 to 100 CFU) and resistance to multiple antibiotics, underscoring the need for efficacious vaccines and therapeutics. Following the demonstration of the successful attenuating capacity of deletion mutations in the guaBA operon in S. flexneri 2a vaccine strains in clinical studies, we developed a series of S. dysenteriae 1 vaccine candidates containing the fundamental attenuating mutation in guaBA. All strains are devoid of Shiga toxin activity by specific deletion of the gene encoding the StxA subunit, which encodes enzymatic activity. The StxB subunit was overexpressed in several derivatives by either plasmid-based constructs or chromosomal manipulation to include a strong promoter. All strains are attenuated for growth in vitro in the HeLa cell assay and for plaque formation and were safe in the Serény test and immunogenic in the guinea pigs. Each strain induced robust serum and mucosal anti-S. dysenteriae 1 lipopolysaccharide (LPS) responses and protected against wild-type challenge. Two strains engineered to overexpress StxB induced high titers of Shiga toxin neutralizing antibodies. These candidates demonstrate the potential for a live attenuated vaccine to protect against disease caused by S. dysenteriae 1 and potentially to protect against the toxic effects of other Shiga toxin 1-expressing pathogens.
Urine albumin/creatinine ratio for the assessment of albuminuria in pregnancy hypertension

Background. An accurate method to assess albuminuria in pregnancy is mandatory to diagnose pre‐eclampsia. Twenty‐four‐hour urine collection is still the only universally accepted method. This is, however, a cumbersome and inconvenient method. Therefore, the present study aimed at assessing the accuracy of a spot urine albumin/creatinine ratio in pregnant women with hypertension. Material and methods. In 54 pregnant women with blood pressure ≥140/90 mmHg, 24‐h albumin excretion and subsequent albumin/creatinine ratio on morning spot urine were analyzed in the individual patients. Altogether 75 paired samples were included. Receiver operating characteristic curves, relating different albumin/creatinine ratio cut‐off values to 24‐h albumin excretion >300 mg were constructed. Correlations were assessed by Spearman rank correlation tests. Results. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.985. At the optimal cut‐off albumin/creatinine ratio value of 27 mg/mmol the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value for detecting albuminuria >300 mg/24 h were: 95, 100, 100 and 86% respectively. There was a close correlation between albumin/creatinine ratio and 24‐h albumin excretion values (r = 0.95; p<0.001). Conclusions. It is suggested that in most cases the more cumbersome 24‐h urine collection can be replaced by the more convenient albumin/creatinine ratio on spot urine.
Pharkacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of furosemide after direct administration into the stomach or duodenum

The pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of furosemide were compared after an oral administration or a direct administration of Lasix into the duodenum in humans (40 mg). Furosemide was absorbed quickly after a direct administration of Lasix into the duodenum; the peak plasma concentration of furosemide was reached within 1 h in both routes of administration, and the peak concentration was higher in all four subjects after a direct administration into the duodenum than after an oral administration. Furosemide was absorbed considerably after a direct administration of Lasix into the duodenum; the values of the area under the plasma concentration–time curves of furosemide from time zero to 4 h (AUC0–4 h, 93·6 versus 122 μg min mL−1, p <0·123) and the cumulative amounts of the dose excreted in 8 h (10 600 versus 15 000 μg, p <0·0185) and 24 h (11 300 versus 15 400 μg, p <0·0192) urine as unchanged furosemide were significantly higher after a direct administration into the duodenum than after an oral administration. However, the amounts excreted in urine as glucuronide conjugates, a metabolite of furosemide, tended to increase after an oral administration (4030 versus 1670 μg as expressed in terms of furosemide, p <0·0858) when compared to a direct administration into the duodenum, possibly due to the increased gastric first‐pass metabolism of furosemide. The 8 h urine output and 8 h urinary excretion of sodium did not increase significantly after a direct administration of Lasix into the duodenum, despite the significantly greater amount of the drug delivered to the active site after a direct administration into the duodenum. This could be explained by the fact that the urinary excretion rates of furosemide after a direct administration into the stomach were closer to the values of maximally efficient urinary excretion rate of furosemide during the 8 h experimental period than after a direct administration into the duodenum. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Electrically Enhanced Percutaneous Delivery Of δ-Aminolevulinic Acid Using Electric Pulses and a DC Potential¶

Abstract Selectivity of photodynamic therapy can be improved with localized photosensitizer delivery, but topical administration is restricted by poor diffusion across the stratum corneum. We used electric pulses to increase transdermal transport of δ-aminolevulinic acid (ALA), a precursor to the photosensitizer protoporphyrin IX (PpIX). ALA-filled electrodes were attached to the surface of excised porcine skin or the dorsal surface of mice. Pulses were administered and, in some in vivo cases, a continuous DC potential (6 V) was concomitantly applied. For in vitro 14C ALA penetration, 10 μm layers parallel to the stratum corneum were assayed by liquid scintillation analysis, and 10 μm cross sections were examined autoradiographically. As the electrical dose (voltage × frequency × pulse width × treatment duration) increased, there was an increase in penetration depth. In vivo delivery was assayed by measuring the fluorescence of PpIX in skin samples. A greater than two-fold enhancement of PpIX production with electroporative delivery was seen versus that obtained with passive delivery. Superimposition of a DC potential resulted in a nearly three-fold enhancement of PpIX production versus passive delivery. Levels were higher than the sum of PpIX detected after pulse-alone and DC-alone delivery. Electroporation and electrophoresis are likely factors in electrically enhanced delivery.