Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
PRE-SERVICE PRIMARY TEACHERS’ ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT AWARENESS: ARE THERE DIFFERENCES BASED ON GENDER, EDUCATIONAL LEVEL OF PARENTS, AND LONGEST LIVED PLACE OF RESIDENCE

The purpose of this research is to determine pre-service primary teachers’ level of ecological footprint awareness. The study also investigated whether there are differences in ecological footprint awareness based on gender, educational level of parents, and longest lived place of residence. “Ecological Footprint Awareness Scale” which was developed by Coskun & Sarikaya (2014) was employed to collect the data. The scale is a 5 point Likert type instrument which is composed of five dimensions related to food, transportation and residence, water consumption, energy consumption, and waste management. Seventy four pre-service primary teachers in their third year of study in Faculty of Education at a medium size University located at northeast part of Turkey participated in the study. Analysis of the data was performed by employing t-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) by utilizing SPSS statistical package. Results of the study revealed that the pre-service teachers’ awareness on ecological footprint is at a medium level; highest levels of awareness found in energy (X= 4,15) and water consumption(X= 3, 75) dimensions. Least level of awareness detected in food dimension(X=3,03) of the scale. Results of the study showed that pre-service teachers’ awareness level did not change based on gender with the exception of energy dimension of the scale (t=2,24, p <0.05) in favor of females. The results also showed that ecological awareness level of the pre-service teachers changed based on parents’ education in energy and food dimensions of the scale and did not change based on the place of residence. Article DOI: https://dx.doi. org/10.20319/pijtel.2019. 31.230244 This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-commercial 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA.
Sink or Swim: The Role of Workplace Context in Shaping Career Advancement and Human-Capital Development

We develop and test predictions on how early career challenges arising from the workplace context affect short- and long-term career advancement of individuals. Typically an organization’s decision to deploy a manager to one of several possible contexts is endogenous to unobservable factors, and selection makes it challenging to disentangle the effect of workplace context on individual career advancement. We work around this problem by studying an organization, the Indian Administrative Services, which deploys entry-level managers quasirandomly across India. We find that managers deployed to more challenging contexts early in their careers experience faster career advancement in the short term. We present suggestive evidence that this is because challenging contexts provide managers more opportunities to develop skills (“crucible experiences”), and a greater motivation to relocate out of the challenging context. We also find that managers deployed to a challenging context early in their careers continue t.
The effects of acute normovolaemic haemodilution on peri‐operative coagulation in total hip arthroplasty

Total hip arthroplasty results in substantial blood loss in the peri‐operative period. We evaluated the effects of acute normovolaemic haemodilution on blood coagulation and platelet function in 11 patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty. We performed acute normovolaemic haemodilution and haematological tests, rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM®) and whole‐blood impedance aggregometry. Blood samples were obtained at three time points: (i) before the initiation of acute normovolaemic haemodilution; (ii) 20 min after completion of acute normovolaemic haemodilution; and (iii) 20 min after retransfusion. After acute normovolaemic haemodilution, ROTEM parameters demonstrated hypocoagulability. Clot formation time of INTEM was increased by 31.6% (p = 0.016), whereas the α‐angle and maximum clot formation of INTEM decreased by 8.1% (p = 0.032) and 3.0% (p = 0.013) respectively, compared with baseline values. Clotting time and clot formation time of EXTEM were increased by 40.8% (p = 0.042) and 31.3% (p = 0.016), respectively, whereas the α‐angle and maximum clot formation of EXTEM were decreased by 11.9% (p = 0.020) and 9.5% (p = 0.013), respectively. The maximum clot formation of FIBTEM decreased by 35.1% compared with the baseline value (p = 0.007). Following retransfusion, ROTEM values returned to baseline; clot formation time decreased and the α‐angle and maximum clot formation increased. There were no significant changes in platelet aggregation during the study. At 20 min after the end of acute normovolaemic haemodilution, the international normalised ratio of prothrombin time was increased compared with the baseline value (p = 0.003). We conclude that acute normovolaemic haemodilution resulted in a hypocoagulable state compared with baseline values and that coagulation parameters returned to normal after retransfusion.
Myocardial angiotensin II receptor expression and ischemia-reperfusion injury

The renin-angiotensin system plays an important role in myocardial ischemia-reper-fusion injury. Angiotensin II (Ang II) contributes to the evolution of ischemic coronary events through its hemodynamic, hemostatic and mitogenic effects. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and Ang II receptor antagonists have been shown to be cardioprotective in experimental animal models, with ischemia-reperfusion injury and in patients with congestive heart failure. Ang II receptors include at least two different subtypes, AT1 and AT2. Both AT1 and AT2 are expressed in the rat heart. Myocardial AT1 receptor density increases in association with ACE expression, and AT1 receptor activation is related to collagen formation following myocardial infarction in rats. Studies from the authors' laboratory have shown significant myocardial dysfunction in association with a concurrent increase in AT1 receptor expression in the rat myocardium immediately following a brief period of ischemia and reperfusion. Application of antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (AS-ODN) directed at AT1 receptor messenger RNA and AT1 receptor antagonist, losartan, significantly attenuates myocardial dysfunction induced by ischemia-reperfusion in the isolated rat heart. These observations suggest that myocardial AT1 receptor expression is involved in myocardial dysfunction following ischemia-reperfusion. Unlike losartan, which upregulates the plasma Ang II level, administration of AS-ODN does not affect plasma Ang II level. Although the reason for this is not clear, the difference in plasma Ang II levels implies that AS-ODN may be, at least theoretically, more beneficial than losartan in limiting ischemia-reperfusion-induced cardiac dysfunction. Apoptosis, or programmed cell death, also contributes to the outcome of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury. Recent studies from the authors' laboratory have demonstrated that Ang II induces apoptosis in cultured human coronary artery endothelial cells via activation of AT1 receptors and this can be blocked by losartan. These observations collectively underscore the importance of myocardial AT1 receptor expression in ischemia-reperfusion injury.
Physiological and molecular techniques for the study of bacterial community development in sausage fermentation

The development of the microbial community involved in the production process of Italian dry sausage was investigated using physiological analysis and molecular techniques for strain typing and taxonomical identification. A cycle of sausage production was followed collecting samples during the 2 months of ripening process. Microbiological analysis allowed the identification of the main bacterial groups responsible for the fermentation process as lactobacilli and coagulase‐negative staphylococci. The use of a polymerase chain reaction‐based technique of strain typing, RAPD fingerprinting, demonstrated that the environmental parameters interact to select a limited number of strains that dominate the fermentation process. The staphylococcal populations were characterized for their physiological properties and the two dominant strains were identified as Staphylococcus xylosus and Staph. sciuri. The use of 16S rDNA sequencing allowed the definition of the taxonomical position of the two dominant strains of lactic acid bacteria, as belonging to Lactobacillus sake and Lact. plantarum.
Modification of penicillin-binding proteins as mechanisms of beta-lactam resistance

Beta-lactam drugs must bind to specific targets located in the cytoplasmic membrane of bacteria to exert their inhibitory effect. These target proteins can be identified by their ability to covalently bind isotope-labeled penicillin and are termed penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs). The enzymatic functions of higher-molecular-weight PBPs are essential in cell wall peptidoglycan synthesis. Betalactams exert their initial bacteriostatic effect through inhibition of these high-molecular-weight PBPs as substrate analogs of the acyl-D-alanyl-D-alanine component of peptidoglycan (16, 39, 44). Resistance to beta-lactam antimicrobial agents can be acquired by alterations in the targets of these drugs, resulting in a decrease in amount or loss of affinity for beta-lactams of a crucial PBP(s). This mechanism of intrinsic resistance has been involved in the emergence of resistant strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa during therapy (18), and it is likely responsible for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, an emerging problem in hospitals (20, 26, 32). In a community outbreak involving non-beta-lactamase penicillinresistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates, resistance was also partly attributed to this mechanism (11). This review describes how PBP alterations are involved in the intrinsic resistance of both gram-positive and gramnegative bacteria and the clinical relevance of such mechanisms of resistance.
Ferroelectric Si-Doped HfO2 Device Properties on Highly Doped Germanium

Ferroelectric Si-doped HfO2 thin films are integrated into three different device stacks with a p+ Ge substrate, a p+ Si substrate, and a TaN bottom metal gate. The ferroelectric behavior of the Si-doped HfO2 thin films is strongly dependent on the bottom interfaces. The Si-doped HfO2 thin films have favorably improved ferroelectric properties on the p+ Ge substrate due to the lack of a dielectric interfacial layer between HfO2 and Ge. The low-voltage operation and cycling stability of Si-doped HfO2 ferroelectric thin films on Ge can lead to the realization of high performance, robust Ge ferroelectric field-effect transistors for nonvolatile memory applications.
Renal biopsy in elderly patients: clinicopathological correlation in 117 Korean patients.

AIM In the elderly with renal disease, the clinical presentations are frequently inconsistent with the pathologic findings. We tried to clarify the differences in pathological findings between the young and the elderly, in Korea and in Western countries, and the usefulness of a percutaneous renal biopsy in the elderly with renal disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS We analyzed the clinical presentations and spectrums of renal histopathology by reviewing medical records and renal biopsy reports retrospectively in 117 Korean patients aged 60 years or more with renal disease. RESULTS 85 patients had primary renal disease. The remaining 32 patients had renal diseases associated with systemic conditions. Out of the 85 patients with primary renal disease, 61 cases presented as idiopathic nephrotic syndrome. Compared with renal biopsy results of younger adult patients (age 15-59, n = 1,908), membranous nephropathy, crescentic glomerulonephritis, membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis, amyloidosis, light chain disease, and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura were more prevalent, but IgA nephropathy and lupus nephritis were less common in the elderly patients. In clinical presentation, nephrotic syndrome and rapidly progressive renal failure were more prevalent, but asymptomatic urinary abnormality was less common in elderly patients. The responsiveness to treatment was good in elderly patients with minimal-change lesion (complete remission in all patients) but poor in crescentic glomerulonephritis, IgA nephropathy, and membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis. From the above findings, the clinical presentation, patterns of histopathology and responsiveness to treatment of elderly Korean patients were similar to those of the younger Korean control group and the Western elderly group. CONCLUSION Percutaneous renal biopsy is a useful diagnostic aid and can be used as a therapeutic guideline even in elderly patients with renal disease.
Predictors of incident albuminuria in the Framingham Offspring cohort.

BACKGROUND Predictors for incident albuminuria are not well known in population-based cohorts. The purpose of this study is to identify predictors of incident albuminuria in an unselected middle-aged population. STUDY DESIGN Observational cohort study. SETTING & PARTICIPANTS Framingham Offspring Study participants who attended both the sixth (baseline; 1995-1998) and eighth (2005-2008) examination cycles. PREDICTORS Standard clinical predictors were used. Predictors of incident albuminuria were identified using stepwise logistic regression analysis with age and sex forced into the model. OUTCOMES & MEASUREMENTS Albuminuria was defined as urine albumin-creatinine ratio (UACR) ≥ 17 mg/g (men) or ≥ 25 mg/g (women). Individuals with albuminuria at baseline were excluded. RESULTS 1,916 participants were available for analysis (mean age, 56 years; 54% women). Albuminuria developed in 10.0% of participants (n = 192) during 9.5 years. Age (OR, 2.09; P < 0.001), baseline diabetes (OR, 1.93; P = 0.01), smoking (OR, 2.09; P < 0.001), and baseline log UACR (OR per 1-SD increase in log UACR, 1.56; P < 0.001) were associated with incident albuminuria in a stepwise model. An inverse relationship with female sex (OR, 0.53; P < 0.001) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol level (OR, 0.80; P = 0.007) also was observed. Results were similar when participants with baseline chronic kidney disease (n = 102), defined as estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min/1.73 m(2), were excluded from the model. Age, male sex, low HDL cholesterol level, smoking, and log UACR continued to be associated with incident albuminuria when baseline diabetes (n = 107) was excluded. Age, male sex, and log UACR correlated with incident albuminuria after participants with baseline hypertension were excluded (n = 651). LIMITATIONS Causality may not be inferred because of the observational nature of the study. One-third of participants did not return for follow-up, potentially attenuating the observed risks of albuminuria. CONCLUSIONS The known cardiovascular risk factors of increasing age, male sex, diabetes, smoking, low HDL cholesterol level, and albuminuria within the reference range are correlates of incident albuminuria in the general population.
An Alternative Approach to Predicting Corporate Bond Ratings

In Empirical Research in Accounting: Selected Studies, 1966, James Horrigan described a study of the power of accounting data to predict corporate bond ratings.1 As a discussant of this paper, I criticized several aspects of Horrigan's methodology and went on to suggest that a somewhat different approach to the problem of predicting corporate bond ratings-an approach that made less use of accounting data-might prove to be more accurate.2 Indeed, my discussion concluded with the statement that I would be "very surprised if this approach did not materially improve on Professor Horrigan's ability to predict bond ratings. " 3 The purpose of this paper is to present the results obtained from applying this alternative approach to the bond rating problem. Before describing this approach and how it fared in comparison to Horrigan's methodology, I will first briefly review his study and some of my original criticisms.
Effects of family history and comorbidity on the neuropsychological performance of children with ADHD: preliminary findings.

OBJECTIVE Because ADHD is heterogeneous with respect to psychiatric comorbidity, familiality, and learning disabilities, it was hypothesized that such features might influence the severity and pattern of neuropsychological function in ADHD. METHOD Subjects were 9- to 20-year-old males with DSM-III-R ADHD (n = 65) and normal controls (n = 45). Information on neuropsychological performance was obtained in a standardized manner, blind to the proband's clinical status. RESULTS ADHD probands were significantly impaired on neuropsychological functions compared with controls irrespective of composite psychiatric comorbidity status, and those with a family history of ADHD were most impaired. ADHD probands with learning disabilities showed a pattern suggestive of reduced motor dominance and extremely slow reading speed. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that neuropsychological performance in ADHD is significantly affected by familial status and presence of learning disabilities. The similarity of findings between ADHD children with and without comorbid psychiatric disorders suggests that the neuropsychological impairments in our sample were associated with ADHD. These findings raise the possibility of alterations of cerebral dominance and of frontal networks in ADHD. Further research is needed to replicate these findings in larger samples, to clarify the role of specific comorbid psychiatric disorders, and to assess directly cerebral functioning in subjects with ADHD.
Financial Hegemony, Diversification Strategies and the Firm Value of Top 30 FTSE Companies in Malaysia

This study investigates the relationships between financial hegemony groups, global diversification strategies and firm value of the Malaysia’s 30 largest companies listed in FTSE Bursa Malaysia Index Series during 2009 to 2012 period. We chose Malaysia as an ideal setting because the findings contribute to the phenomenon of the diversification–performance relationship in the Southeast Asian countries. We apply hegemony stability theory to explain the importance of financial hegemony groups in deciding international locations for operations. By using panel data analysis, we find that financial hegemony groups are significantly important in international location decisions. Results reveal that the stability of financial hegemony in BRICS and G7 groups enhances the financial value of the Malaysia’s 30 largest companies, whereas the stability of financial hegemony in ASEAN groups is able to enhance the non-financial value of the firms. Overall, this paper suggests that in order to diversify globally, it is necessarily for the manager in the guest country to evaluate and fully understand the host country’s geopolitical situation and its financial stability.
Peripheral endothelium-dependent flow-mediated vasodilatation is associated with left ventricular mass in older persons with hypertension.

BACKGROUND Increased left ventricular (LV) mass is associated with greater cardiovascular disease risk. Recent studies have also shown an association of increased LV mass with attenuated endothelium-dependent coronary flow reserve. Less is known about the association between LV mass and endothelium-dependent flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) in peripheral arteries, a noninvasive measure of endothelial function. METHODS Sixty-two subjects with untreated mild hypertension, aged 55 to 75 years and otherwise healthy, were examined. Resting blood pressure was obtained by the average of 4 to 5 visits, each at least 1 week apart. LV mass was determined from magnetic resonance imaging and was indexed by body surface area, height and height(2.7). Body composition was assessed with dual energy x-ray absorptiometry. FMD was measured as the percent change of brachial artery diameter during reactive hyperemia by use of high-resolution ultrasound. RESULTS Median LV mass index was 63 g/m2 (interquartile range, 58-73). In bivariate analysis, LV mass was correlated to lean body mass (r = 0.63, P <.001), diastolic blood pressure (r = 0.35, P <.01), and FMD (r = -0.27, P <.05). In multivariate analysis, 44% of the variance in log-LV mass was explained by lean body mass. An additional 6% of the variance was explained by FMD (P <.05). For each 1% point decrease in FMD, LV mass increased by 1.1%. CONCLUSIONS In addition to the expected influences of body size, impairment of brachial artery FMD was independently related to LV mass in elderly subjects with mild hypertension who did not yet have LV hypertrophy. Whether mild hypertension is the common mechanism linking LV mass and endothelial function has yet to be determined.
Wavelet Threshold De-noising of Power Quality Signals

It is an important application of wavelet analysis in power system to de-noise power quality (PQ) signals so as to detect and locate the disturbing points. At present soft threshold and hard threshold de-noising methods are widely used. To improve the de-noising effect of PQ signals, an improved algorithm based on soft threshold and hard threshold de-noising methods is put forward. The key factor of wavelet thresholding de-noising is how to construct thresholding function and select the threshold. The method could combine the advantages of hard and soft threshold methods, and then achieve better access to estimate the threshold of wavelet coefficients by adjusting the parameters properly, making the improved threshold function between the soft and hard threshold functions. It could not only overcome the shortcomings of poor de-noising effect while using hard threshold method,but also effectively solve the difficult problem that leads to signal distortion within soft threshold method beacause of too smooth. The simulation results show that this method can reduce the loss of information while de-noising. The enhancement of SNR and the reduction of the RMSE indicate that the performance of our method is better than soft threshold and hard threshold de-noising methods.
Cultural Competence in Nursing: New Meanings

Shortages of nurses challenge the provision of health care in developed countries including those in the European Union (EU), but there has been no upward trend in recruitment of nurses from EU countries with a surplus. A remedy is to facilitate migration of nurses around Europe. However, the importance of the concept of cultural competence has been overlooked within EU health care systems. Migrant nurses from EU countries employed in the United Kingdom indicate that they have experienced problems arising from a variety of issues related to cultural diversity. Countries such as the United Kingdom could benefit from introducing enculturation courses for migrant nurses.