Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Factors influencing the use of registered nurse overtime in hospitals, 1995-2000.

PURPOSE To assess nurse overtime in acute care general hospitals and the factors that influence overtime among various hospitals and in the same hospitals from year to year. METHODS Staffing data from 1995 to 2000 from 193 acute general hospitals in New York State were used to examine hospital characteristics (size, location, RN unionization, hospital ownership, and teaching status) to determine whether they were associated with nurse overtime. RESULTS The average weekly overtime RNs worked was 4.5% of total hours, varying from almost none to 16.6%. At mean overtime levels, nurses were working less overtime than the mean for manufacturing workers, but, at the extreme, nurses were working more than 6 hours overtime per week. Significant differences were observed in the use of overtime by hospital ownership and by union status. Nurses in government hospitals worked less overtime than did those in nongovernment hospitals. Nurses in unionized hospitals worked slightly more overtime than did nurses in nonunionized hospitals. CONCLUSIONS Hospitals varied dramatically in their overtime use. That some categories of hospitals (e.g., government-owned) used little overtime indicates that hospital management can find substitutes for overtime to meet fluctuating staffing needs. The finding that hospitals with similar characteristics varied greatly in their number of overtime hours also supported this conclusion.
Impact of the Human Egalitarian Syndrome on Darwinian Selection Mechanics

With nothing more than kin selection and reciprocal altruism theories to work with, the selection basis of human degrees of altruism and cooperation is often difficult to explain. However, during our prehistoric foraging phase, a highly stable egalitarian syndrome arose that had profound effects on Darwinian selection mechanics. The band's insistence on egalitarianism seriously damped male status rivalry and thereby reduced the intensity of selection within the group by reducing phenotypic variation at that level, while powerful social pressure to make decisions consensual at the band level had a similar effect. Consensual decisions also had another effect: they increased variation between groups because entire bands enacted their subsistence strategies collectively and the strategies varied between bands. By reducing the intensity of individual selection and boosting group effects, these behaviors provided a unique opportunity for altruistic genes to be established and maintained. In addition, the egalitarian custom of socially isolating or actively punishing lazy or cheating noncooperators reduced the free‐rider problem. In combination, these phenotypic effects facilitated selection of altruistic genes in spite of some limited free riding. This selection scenario remained in place for thousands of generations, and the result was a shift in the balance of power between individual and group selection in favor of group effects. This new balance today is reflected in an ambivalent human nature that exhibits substantial altruism in addition to selfishness and nepotism.
A Clinical investigation of the Effects of Aqueous Iodine Solutions

T1J7HE clinical effects of several types of dilute aqueous iodine solutions have been investigated. This was done to see whether the differences in chemical composition, antibacterial activity, and toxicity that have been reported by several investigators could be related in any way to clinical observations. Chemical Nature of Iodine Solutions. -An aqueous solution of elemental or diatomic iodine contains small quantities of other species of iodine. This can be seen from the equations: (1) I, + HO = HIO + H+ + I-. and (2) 12 + I=I,. The hydrolysis constant' for equation (1) is:
Business versus Technology: Sources of the Perceived Lack of Cyber Security in SMEs

There is increasing concern about the standard of cyber security in SMEs, voiced by governments and the large companies who interface with them, yet many past initiatives seem to have failed to have a significant impact on the sector. In this paper, we report upon a study in which Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) were surveyed to establish what barriers they might face in terms of cyber security. The results were combined with publicly available information to identify how stakeholders in the SME cyber security ecosystem interact, and establish whether the perceived lack of uptake of cyber security measures in SMEs was accurate. The paper concludes by discussing how the refined understanding of the barriers faced by SMEs might influence development of future SME security solutions.
Mental Health Services for Two Issues Identified in School Adolescents Medellin Colombia

The purposes of the study was identifying the perceptions of mental health services and determine the distribution of depressive symptoms and alcohol use among adolescent students in the northwestern area of Medellin, 2010. Methods: a mixed study is done by selecting a random sample of 605 high school students and interview four directors of health institutions in the Social State Enterprise -Metrosalud and the Mental Health director of the Health Department of Medellin. Findings: problematic prevalence in depressive symptoms and consumption of alcoholic beverages are evident. There statistical association between the two. Only these issues are addressed in the crisis. Conclusion: There is no definite offer mental health services for adolescents; these issues are addressed in consideration when the crisis appears.
Inflammatory bowel disease: An uncommon problem in Singapore

Fifty patients with inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis, 40; Crohn's disease, seven; indeterminate colitis, three) treated in one gastroenterology unit in Singapore over a 10 year period were reviewed. Clinical features were similar to those described in Western patients. Of the three main races of Singapore it was found that Indians are more susceptible to these diseases than Chinese or Malays. A survey of all gastroenterologists in Singapore indicated a possible prevalence of 8.6 per 100 000 people for ulcerative colitis and 1.3 per 100 000 people for Crohn's disease. These prevalence rates are much lower than those reported for Western populations.
Processes and components participating in the generation of intrinsic optical signal changes in vitro

Imaging of intrinsic optical signals has become an important tool in the neurosciences. To better understand processes underlying changes in intrinsic optical signals, we studied electrical stimulation at varying strengths in hippocampal slices of adult Wistar rats. Following serial stimulation we observed an increase in light transmittance in all tested slices. During antidromic stimulation at minimum stimulation strength the increase in light transmittance was 75 ± 8% (P < 0.05), and during orthodromic minimum stimulation 19.6 ± 5.6% (P < 0.001) in the stratum pyramidale of the CA1‐region. During orthodromic stimulation no significant difference between submaximum, maximum and supramaximum stimulation was found, indicating saturation. In contrast, submaximum antidromic stimulation yielded 56.2 ± 12% (P < 0.05) of maximum stimulation strength, indicating recruitment. In a further set of experiments serial stimulation was carried out under glial blockade with fluoroacetate (FAC) or blockage of mitochondrial function. Amplitude and slope of the intrinsic optical signal significantly decreased in the presence of FAC (amplitude: 36 ± 6%, P < 0.01; slope: 37 ± 11% as compared with baseline conditions, P < 0.05). This suggests a glial participation in signal generation. Rotenone, an inhibitor of mitochondrial complex I, yielded decreased amplitudes of the intrinsic optical signal (27 ± 7% after 40 min, P < 0.01). Our data indicate that the intrinsic optical signal change reflects type and strength of neuronal activation and point to glia and mitochondria as important participants in signal generation.
New Bidirectional Intelligent Semiconductor Transformer for Smart Grid Application

This paper proposes a new bidirectional intelligent semiconductor transformer (BIST) for the smart distribution system and smart grid. The proposed BIST consists of high-voltage high-frequency ac/dc converter, bidirectional low-voltage dc/dc converter, and hybrid-switching dc/ac inverter. It features 1) input-to-output isolation with a high-frequency transformer; 2) bidirectional power flow; 3) small size and light weight; 4) capability of compensating voltage sag and/or swell; and 5) realization of three-phase structure based on single-phase module. The operational feasibility of proposed transformer was verified not only by computer simulation with PSCAD/EMTDC software but also by a hardware prototype with rating of 1.9 kV/127 V, 2 kVA, allowing a three-phase transformer of 3.3 kV/220 V, 6 kVA with three-phase construction.
Influence of Atorvastatin on Apolipoprotein E and AI Kinetics in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

Atorvastatin reduces both plasma cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations in patients with type 2 diabetes, but mechanisms underlying triglyceride decrease and the effect of atorvastatin on high density lipoprotein (HDL) still remain unclear. Apolipoprotein (apo) E plays a crucial role in modulating production and clearance of triglyceride-rich very low density lipoprotein (VLDL). The main effect of apoAI is to modulate HDL metabolism. The aim of this work was to study the influence of atorvastatin on apoAI and apoE kinetics and to determine whether its hypocholesterolemic and hypotriglyceridemic effects could be related to changes in this apolipoprotein metabolism. Plasma VLDL-apoE, HDL-apoE, and HDL-apoAI were studied in seven patients with diabetes with mixed hyperlipidemia using a stable isotope labeling technique ([2H3]leucine-primed constant infusion) and monocompartmental model before and after 2 months of treatment with 40 mg/day of atorvastatin. Plasma apoE concentration was significantly reduced (44.1 ± 19.1 versus 32 ± 11.6 mg/l, p < 0.05) after treatment. This decrease was associated with a diminution of HDL-apoE concentration (17.46 ± 6.71 versus 13.37 ± 6.05 mg/l, p < 0.05) and production rate (0.202 ± 0.085 versus 0.119 ± 0.047 mg/kg/day, p < 0.05), whereas an increase in VLDL-apoE concentration (6.44 ± 2.16 before versus 9.23 ± 4.02 mg/l after, p < 0.05) and production rate (0.827 ± 0.367 versus 1.524 ± 0.664 mg/kg/day, p < 0.05) was observed. No significant difference was observed after treatment for apoAI parameters. We conclude that atorvastatin treatment promotes different apoE distribution between HDL and VLDL, favoring VLDL apoE content. The increased number of apoE per VLDL particle suggests that atorvastatin could enhance the direct catabolism of triglyceride-rich VLDL through apoE receptor pathways.
Interleukin-2 stimulation activates mesothelial cellular functioning against autologous tumor cells.

BACKGROUND The present study was designed to determine the different effects of cytokines or antibodies (IL-2, IL-4, IL-7, IL-10, IL-12, alphaCD3) in stimulating the cellular functions of mesothelial cells isolated from malignant pleural effusion. METHODS Mesothelial cells were isolated from 27 patients with malignant pleural effusion. The cultured cellular interferon-gamma (IFNgamma) and IL-10 production, proliferative response, and cytolytic activity against autologous tumors and K-562 cells were measured. RESULTS Stimulation with IL-2 alone significantly increased the mesothelial cells' proliferative response (p < 0.001) and cytolytic activity against autologous tumors (p = 0.025). The further addition of other cytokines did not increase these functions. The IFNgamma/IL-10 ratio data showed that the T-helper (Th) pathway was shifted from the Th-2 pathway to the Th-1 pathway (increase of IFNgamma/IL-10 ratio) when mesothelial cells were stimulated with IL-2. Further stimulation with IL-2 plus IL-12 or alphaCD3 shifted the Th pathway further in the Th-1 direction, but without statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS The mesothelial cell proliferative response is enhanced with IL-2 stimulation alone. The T-helper pathway is also shifted from the Th-2 to the Th-1 response (increase of IFNgamma/IL-10 ratio) after IL-2 stimulation of mesothelial cells. Mesothelial cells had cytolytic activity against tumor cells, and this activity could be augmented by IL-2 stimulation.
Fairness and Frictions: The Impact of Unequal Raises on Quit Behavior

We analyze how separations responded to arbitrary differences in own and peer wages at a large US retailer. Regression-discontinuity estimates imply large causal effects of own-wages on separations, and on quits in particular. However, this own-wage response could reflect comparisons either to market wages or to peer wages. Estimates using peer-wage discontinuities show large peer-wage effects and imply the own-wage separation response mostly reflects peer comparisons. The peer effect is driven by comparisons with higher-paid peers—suggesting concerns about fairness. Separations appear fairly insensitive when raises are similar across peers—suggesting search frictions and monopsony are relevant in this low-wage sector. (JEL D63, J31, J42, J62, L81)
Human TOB, an Antiproliferative Transcription Factor, Is a Poly(A)-Binding Protein-Dependent Positive Regulator of Cytoplasmic mRNA Deadenylation

ABSTRACT In mammalian cells, mRNA decay begins with deadenylation, which involves two consecutive phases mediated by the PAN2-PAN3 and the CCR4-CAF1 complexes, respectively. The regulation of the critical deadenylation step and its relationship with RNA-processing bodies (P-bodies), which are thought to be a site where poly(A)-shortened mRNAs get degraded, are poorly understood. Using the Tet-Off transcriptional pulsing approach to investigate mRNA decay in mouse NIH 3T3 fibroblasts, we found that TOB, an antiproliferative transcription factor, enhances mRNA deadenylation in vivo. Results from glutathione S-transferase pull-down and coimmunoprecipitation experiments indicate that TOB can simultaneously interact with the poly(A) nuclease complex CCR4-CAF1 and the cytoplasmic poly(A)-binding protein, PABPC1. Combining these findings with those from mutagenesis studies, we further identified the protein motifs on TOB and PABPC1 that are necessary for their interaction and found that interaction with PABPC1 is necessary for TOB's deadenylation-enhancing effect. Moreover, our immunofluorescence microscopy results revealed that TOB colocalizes with P-bodies, suggesting a role of TOB in linking deadenylation to the P-bodies. Our findings reveal a new mechanism by which the fate of mammalian mRNA is modulated at the deadenylation step by a protein that recruits poly(A) nuclease(s) to the 3′ poly(A) tail-PABP complex.
Histogram analysis of small solid renal masses: differentiating minimal fat angiomyolipoma from renal cell carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE The objective of our study was to retrospectively determine whether minimal fat renal angiomyolipoma can be differentiated from clear cell or papillary renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in small renal masses using attenuation measurement histogram analysis on unenhanced CT. MATERIALS AND METHODS Twenty minimal fat renal angiomyolipomas were compared with 22 clear cell RCCs and 23 papillary RCCs using an institutional database. All masses were histologically confirmed and all minimal fat renal angiomyolipomas lacked radiographic evidence of macroscopic fat. Using attenuation measurement histogram analysis, two blinded radiologists determined the percentage of negative pixels within each renal mass. The percentages of negative pixels below attenuation thresholds of 0, -5, -10, -15, -20, -25, and -30 HU were recorded. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and receiver operator characteristic curves for the diagnosis of minimal fat renal angiomyolipoma were generated for each threshold. The Student t test was used to compare radiologists and cohorts. Previously published attenuation and pixel-counting thresholds reported as having a specificity of near 100% for discriminating between minimal fat renal angiomyolipomas and RCCs were analyzed. RESULTS The mean maximal transverse lesion diameter was 1.8 cm for minimal fat renal angiomyolipomas (SD, 0.5 cm; range, 1.1-3.0 cm), 2.1 cm for clear cell RCCs (SD, 0.5 cm; range, 1.0-2.9 cm), and 2.1 cm for papillary RCCs (SD, 0.7 cm; range, 1.3-3.9 cm). No significant difference in the percentage of negative pixels was found between minimal fat renal angiomyolipomas and clear cell RCCs or between minimal fat renal angiomyolipomas and papillary RCCs at any of the selected attenuation thresholds for either radiologist (p = 0.210-0.499). Radiologist 1 and radiologist 2 used significantly different region-of-interest sizes (p < 0.001), but neither radiologist could differentiate minimal fat renal angiomyolipoma from RCC. No previously published threshold allowed discrimination between minimal fat renal angiomyolipoma and RCC with 100% specificity. CONCLUSION Attenuation measurement histogram analysis cannot reliably differentiate minimal fat renal angiomyolipoma from RCC.
Retrieval blocks in episodic and semantic memory.

A retrieval block refers to impaired accessibility in retrieving target information when semantically related information is presented (or retrieved) prior to target retrieval. Research concerning retrieval blocks is reviewed in this paper. Evidence for such blocks occurs in a variety of situations, including both episodic and semantic memory tasks. Retrieval blocks have been most thoroughly studied in the part-list cuing paradigm in episodic recall, but similar principles seem to operate in other situations including the A-B, A-D interference paradigm, episodic recognition, the tipof-the tongue situation, and other semantic memory tasks. The evidence for such retrieval blocks is problematic for theories postulating automatic spreading activation among associated nodes in memory. We review theories accounting for such retrieval blocks and discuss difficulties with the various approaches. Further research on the nature of retrieval blocks may help illuminate similar phenomena, such as the effects of Einstellung in thinking and problem solving. R£SUME Revue de documentation sur les bloquages du processus de recouvrement. II y a bloquage du recouvrement lorsque I'acces a une information cible est diminue par la presentation (ou le recouvrement), avant le recouvrement de la cible, d'une information qui lui est semantiquement reliee. De tels bloquages existent dans une variete de situations reliees aux memoires episodique et semantique. Bien que ces bloquages aient ete etudies de maniere plus approfondie par I'intermediaire du paradigme des indices de liste partielle dans le rappel episodique, des principes analogues semblent etre a I'oeuvre dans d'autres situations telles que I'interference A-B, A-D, la recognition episodique, les situations de 'motssur-le-bout-de-la-langue et d'autres taches de memoire semantique. L'existence de tels blocages fait probleme aux theories qui postulent une propagation automatique de I'activation a travers les differents noeuds associatifs de la memoire. La revue porte sur les theories qui rendent compte de tels bloquages du recouvrement et la discussion touche aux difficultes soulevees par diverses perspectives. De plus amples recherches sur la nature de ces bloquages pourront aider a la comprehension de phenomenes analogues tei I'effet d'Einstellung dans les situations de resolution de problemes. Retrieval blocks refer to experiences in which target information available in the memory store is temporarily blocked from retrieval by the retrieval of *The writing of this paper and some of the research reported here was supported by Grant ROI HD15054 from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Address reprint requests to Henry L Roediger, III, Department of Psychology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, U.S.A.
TGF‐β1 expression in wound healing is acutely affected by experimental malnutrition and early enteral feeding

Malnutrition is associated with the delay or failure of healing. We assessed the effect of experimental malnutrition and early enteral feeding with standard diet or diet supplemented with arginine and antioxidants on the levels of mRNA encoding growth factors in acute, open wound healing. Standardised cutaneous dorsal wounds and gastrostomies for enteral feeding were created in malnourished (M, n = 27) and eutrophic control (E, n = 30) Lewis male adult rats. Both M and E rats received isocaloric and isonitrogenous regimens with oral chow and saline (C), standard (S) or supplemented (A) enteral diets. On post‐trauma day 7, mRNA levels of growth factor genes were analysed in wound granulation tissue by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR). M(C) rats had significantly lower transforming growth factor β(TGF‐β1) mRNA levels than E(C) rats (2·58 ± 0·83 versus 3·53 ± 0·57, P < 0·01) and in comparison with M(S) and M(A) rats (4·66 ± 2·49 and 4·61 ± 2·11, respectively; P < 0·05). VEGF and KGF‐7 mRNA levels were lower in M(A) rats than in E(A) rats (0·74 ± 0·16 versus 1·25 ± 0·66; and 1·07 ± 0·45 versus 1·79 ± 0·89, respectively; P≤ 0·04), but did not differ from levels in E(C) and M(C) animals. In experimental open acute wound healing, previous malnutrition decreased local mRNA levels of TGF‐β1 genes, which was minimised by early enteral feeding with standard or supplemented diets.
Prevalence of Undiagnosed HIV Infection in Patients With Ocular Surface Squamous Neoplasia in a Tertiary Center in Karnataka, South India

Purpose: To evaluate the prevalence of undiagnosed and asymptomatic human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in patients with ocular surface squamous neoplasia (OSSN) in a referral hospital in Karnataka, South India. Methods: A consecutive series of patients presenting with OSSN were evaluated in an academic center during January 2009 to June 2010. A detailed history was obtained and physical examination in 25 consecutive patients with OSSN was performed. Twenty-three patients (88%) agreed to undergo serological HIV testing. Of these, 2 were excluded from the current study because they had xeroderma pigmentosa, a known predisposing factor for OSSN. Results: Of the 21 patients, 6 (29%) patients were HIV positive. None of the patients had previous HIV testing. The median age of presentation among HIV-positive patients was 36 years, whereas it was 54 years among HIV-negative patients. The mean CD4 count in HIV-positive patients was 133 cells per mm3, and all patients were started on antiretroviral treatment. Conclusions: The conjunctival tumor may be the primary and the only apparent manifestation of HIV in patients presenting with OSSN, and the ophthalmologist needs to be aware of this association.