Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Influence of quality of recovery on patient satisfaction with anaesthesia and surgery: a prospective observational cohort study

Patient satisfaction and quality of recovery are important measures of quality. Whether, and to what extent, patient satisfaction is influenced by quality of recovery, however, is not clear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the additional influence of quality of recovery on total patient satisfaction with anaesthesia and surgery. In this prospective cohort study, we used a validated quality of recovery questionnaire and a multi‐item patient satisfaction questionnaire. Patients completed the quality of recovery questionnaire pre‐operatively and 24 h postoperatively. One to two weeks after discharge, a third quality of recovery questionnaire was sent out, together with the patient satisfaction questionnaire. If no response was received after 2 weeks, a reminder containing the quality of recovery and the satisfaction questionnaire were mailed. Seven hundred and thirty‐four patients were consecutively assessed for eligibility. Five hundred and seventy‐nine patients completed at least one questionnaire (recruitment rate 79%). Four hundred and sixty‐seven patients (81%) completed all four questionnaires. The total satisfaction score was high, with a mean (SD) of 94.6 (10.7) on a 0–100 scale. Correlation analysis between quality of recovery and total patient satisfaction showed correlations of 0.2–0.3. Testing different aspects of quality of recovery in models already containing the significant factors of patient satisfaction did not improve the model fit markedly. We conclude that quality of recovery has only a marginal additional effect on total patient satisfaction with anaesthesia and surgery.
Role of Calmodulin in the Effect of Guanyl Nucleotides on Rat Hippocampal Adenylate Cyclase: Involvement of Adenosine and Opiates

Abstract: The adenylate cyclase activity of rat hippocampal plasma membranes can be stimulated by vaso‐active intestinal polypeptide (VIP). Low concentrations (10−9 to 10−7M) of 5′‐guanylyl‐imido diphosphate (GppNHp) evoke a transient inhibition of the enzyme, which is followed by stimulation with increasing GppNHp concentrations (10−6 to 10−4M). Inclusion of ethyleneglycol ‐ bis ‐ (β ‐ aminoethylether) ‐ N,N′ ‐ tetraacetic acid (EGTA) during incubation abolishes the GppNHp inhibition while preserving GppNHp activation. The stimulation induced by GppNHp is amplified by VIP, but the inhibition is unaffected. Adenosine analogs and opiates are inhibitory ligands in the presence of GTP, and their effects can be reversed by the appropiate receptor antagonists, 3‐isobutyl‐1‐methylxanthine and naloxone. Treatment of membranes with trypsin abolishes the GppNHp‐induced inhibition without affecting the GppNHp stimulation. The inhibition induced by GppNHp is also abolished by EGTA treatment followed by washing, which coincides wtih a reduction in the adenosine‐ and opiate‐mediated, GTP‐dependent inhibition. The GppNHp inhibition can be restored in EGTA‐treated but not in trypsin‐treated membranes by addition of calcium‐calmodulin but not by Ca2+ or Mg2+. Calcium‐calmodulindepleted membranes lack calcium stimulation as well as GppNHp‐induced inhibition, whereas untreated membranes and calcium‐calmodulin‐depleted membranes plus exogenous calcium‐calmodulin showed calcium stimulation and GppNHp inhibition. These results suggest that calmodulin is involved in both Ca2+ stimulation and guanine nucleotide‐mediated inhibition of rat hippocampal adenylate cyclase.
Influence of water chlorination on the counting of bacteria with DAPI (4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole)

Counting bacteria in drinking water samples by the epifluorescence technique after 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) staining is complicated by the fact that bacterial fluorescence varies with exposure of the cells to sodium hypochlorite. An Escherichia coli laboratory-grown suspension treated with sodium hypochlorite (5 to 15 mg of chlorine liter-1) for 90 min was highly fluorescent after DAPI staining probably due to cell membrane permeation and better and DAPI diffusion. At chlorine concentrations greater than 25 mg liter-1, DAPI-stained bacteria had only a low fluorescence. Stronger chlorine doses altered the DNA structure, preventing the DAPI from complexing with the DNA. When calf thymus DNA was exposed to sodium hypochlorite (from 15 to 50 mg of chlorine liter-1 for 90 min), the DNA lost the ability to complex with DAPI. Exposure to monochloramine did not have a similar effect. Treatment of drinking water with sodium hypochlorite (about 0.5 mg of chlorine liter-1) caused a significant increase in the percentage of poorly fluorescent bacteria, from 5% in unchlorinated waters (40 samples), to 35 to 39% in chlorinated waters (40 samples). The presence of the poorly fluorescent bacteria could explain the underestimation of the real number of bacteria after DAPI staining. Microscopic counting of both poorly and highly fluorescent bacteria is essential under these conditions to obtain the total number of bacteria. A similar effect of chlorination on acridine orange-stained bacteria was observed in treated drinking waters. The presence of the poorly fluorescent bacteria after DAPI staining could be interpreted as a sign of dead cells.
Monitoring of pesticide residues in Egyptian fruits and vegetables during 1997

A total of 2318 domestic samples of different types of fruits and vegetables were collected from eight Egyptian local markets in six different regions of the country. All samples were examined for residues of 54 pesticides, including organophosphorus, organonitrogen, organohalogen and certain pyrethroides. However, dithiocarbamates were analysed in only 318 samples. Overall, 81.5% of the samples had no detectable pesticide residues. Of the contaminated samples, 18.5% contained detectable residues and 1.9% exceeded their maximum residue limits (MRLs). Root and leafy vegetables showed the lowest contamination rates (1.9 and 4.7%, respectively), slightly exceeding the MRLs in leafy vegetables. However, fruit samples showed a slightly higher proportion of contamination than vegetables (29 and 14.3%, respectively). Fruit also exhibited a higher level of violation than vegetables (2.3 and 1.9%, respectively). The contamination and violation rates were lower than the percentages recorded in previous years' monitoring studies. Dicofol and dimethoate were the most frequently occurring pesticide residues at 5.1 and 5.0%, respectively. Dimethoate showed higher violation levels (0.69%). However, dicofol showed a slight violation rate (0.09%) which indicates good agricultural practices for dicofol use. Dithiocarbamates residues were found in 21 of the 318 samples analysed, which when expressed as a percentage contamination was 6.6%, and only one sample exceeded the MRL.
Unlocking the value of real options: How firm-specific learning conditions affect R&D investments under uncertainty

Research Summary Why do some firms increase R&D investments in the face of uncertainty, while others do not? Contrary to common wisdom, this study posits that uncertainty prompts firms to invest in R&D. The value to invest under uncertainty is, however, bounded by a firm's learning conditions (i.e., human capital, relatedness of innovation activities, and industry maturity). An empirical test on a cross-industry panel of 551 business divisions of manufacturing firms reveals how organization-environment interactions determine the firm-specific value to invest in learning prior to full-scale commercialization. The insights help to bridge real options theory and the learning literature. Managerial Summary Uncertainty about the market environment makes investment decisions in R&D and the commercialization of new products a challenge: should firms “wait and see” until uncertainty resolves to avoid the risk of betting on the wrong product or commit further resources regardless? Our analysis suggests that manufacturing firms often take a mixed approach (“act and see”). While deferring investments in the commercialization of new products, they undertake further R&D to inform decision making by insights that would otherwise be unavailable. However, we find that the benefit of such practice depends on the learning conditions of the individual firm. What is risky for firms with disadvantages in human capital and technology development is value enhancing for firms with good foundations for learning through R&D.
Tropics, Germs, and Crops: How Endowments Influence Economic Development

Does economic development depend on geographic endowments like temperate instead of tropical location, the ecological conditions shaping diseases, or an environment good for grains or certain cash crops? Or do these endowments of tropics, germs, and crops affect economic development only through institutions or policies? We test the endowment, institution, and policy views against each other using cross country evidence. We find evidence that tropics, germs, and crops affect development through institutions. We find no evidence that tropics, germs, and crops affect country incomes directly other than through institutions, nor do we find any effect of policies on development once we control for institutions.
Motivational interviewing (MINT) improves continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) acceptance and adherence: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE Adherence to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy for obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is poor. We assessed the effectiveness of a motivational interviewing intervention (motivational interview nurse therapy [MINT]) in addition to best practice standard care to improve acceptance and adherence to CPAP therapy in people with a new diagnosis of OSA. METHOD One hundred six Australian adults (69% male) with a new diagnosis of OSA and a clinical recommendation for CPAP treatment were recruited from a tertiary sleep disorders center. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either 3 sessions of a motivational interviewing intervention (MINT; n = 53; mean age = 55.4 years) or no intervention (control; n = 53; mean age = 57.74 years). The primary outcome was the difference between the groups in objective CPAP adherence at 1-month, 2-month, 3-month, and 12-month follow-ups. RESULTS Fifty (94%) participants in the MINT group and 50 (94%) participants in the control group met all inclusion and exclusion criteria and were included in the primary analysis. The number of hours of CPAP use per night in the MINT group at 3 months was 4.63 hr and was 3.16 hr in the control group (p = .005). This represents almost 50% better adherence in the MINT group relative to the control group. Patients in the MINT group were substantially more likely to accept CPAP treatment. CONCLUSIONS MINT is a brief, manualized, effective intervention that improves CPAP acceptance and objective adherence rates compared to standard care alone.
CSR Performance, Financial Reporting, and Investors’ Perception on Financial Reporting

This study examines whether socially responsible firms behave differently from other firms in their financial reporting. Specifically, we question whether firms that are better in their corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance also behave in a responsible manner to maintain their financial reporting quality and whether the market rewards such responsible behaviors. Using data from S&P 500 US companies, we find that socially responsible firms are less likely to manage their earnings. However, we fail to find significant relationships between CSR and investors’ perceptions on earnings, measured by stock returns and earnings response coefficient. We interpret the results as investors not fully reflecting the benefits from CSR performance. Our findings are consistent with the notion that CSR activities are motivated by managers’ ethical incentives to serve the interests of stakeholders.
Phonological mismatch and explicit cognitive processing in a sample of 102 hearing-aid users

Rudner et al () showed that when compression release settings are manipulated in the hearing instruments of Swedish habitual users, the resulting mismatch between the phonological form of the input speech signal and representations stored in long-term memory leads to greater engagement of explicit cognitive processing under taxing listening conditions. The mismatch effect is manifest in significant correlations between performance on cognitive tests and aided-speech-recognition performance in modulated noise and/or with fast compression release settings. This effect is predicted by the ELU model (Rönnberg et al, 2008). In order to test whether the mismatch effect can be generalized across languages, we examined two sets of aided speech recognition data collected from a Danish population where two cognitive tests, reading span and letter monitoring, had been administered. A reanalysis of all three datasets, including 102 participants, demonstrated the mismatch effect. These findings suggest that the effect of phonological mismatch, as predicted by the ELU model ( et al, this issue) and tapped by the reading span test, is a stable phenomenon across these two Scandinavian languages.
Further evidence for the involvement of the spinoparabrachial pathway in nociceptive processes: A c‐Fos study in the rat

We have analysed in briefly anaesthetised rats (1% halothane for 18 minutes) the effects of innocuous and noxious heat, applied to the hindpaw, on evoked c‐Fos immunoreactivity at the levels of the parabrachial area (PB), spinal cord, and nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS). After anaesthesia recovery, animals were left to move freely for 2 hours.
Comparison of Shock Transmission and Forearm Electromyography Between Experienced and Recreational Tennis Players During Backhand Strokes

ObjectiveTo test the hypothesis that recreational tennis players transmit more shock impact from the racket to the elbow joint than experienced tennis players during the backhand stroke. Also, to test whether recreational tennis players used higher electromyographic (EMG) activities in common wrist extensor and flexor around epicondylar region at follow-through phase. DesignA repeated-measure, cross-sectional study. SettingNational College of Physical Education and Sports at Taipei, Taiwan. ParticipantsTwenty-four male tennis players with no abnormal forearm musculoskeletal injury participated in the study. According to performance level, subjects were categorized into 2 groups: experienced and recreational. Main Outcome MeasurementsImpact transmission and wrist extensor-flexor EMG for backhand acceleration, impact, and follow-through phases were recorded for each player. An independent t test with a significance level of 0.05 was used to examine mean differences of shock impact and EMG between the 2 test groups. One-way ANOVA associated with Tukey multiple comparisons was used to identify differences among different impact locations and EMG phases. ResultsExperienced athletes reduced the racket impact to the elbow joint by 89.2%, but recreational players reduced it by only 61.8%. The largest EMG differences were found in the follow-through phase (P<0.05). Experienced athletes showed that their extensor and flexor EMGs were at submaximal level for follow-through phase, whereas recreational players maintained their flexor and extensor EMGs at either supramaximal or maximal level. ConclusionsOur results support the hypothesis that recreational players transmit more shock impact from the racket to the elbow joint and use larger wrist flexor and extensor EMG activities at follow-through phase of the backhand stroke. Follow-through control is proposed as a critical factor for reduction of shock transmission. Clinicians or trainers should instruct beginners to quickly release their grip tightness after ball-to-racket impact to reduce shock impact transmission to the wrist and elbow.
Population Pharmacokinetic Modeling of the Unbound Levofloxacin Concentrations in Rat Plasma and Prostate Tissue Measured by Microdialysis

ABSTRACT Levofloxacin is a broad-spectrum fluoroquinolone used in the treatment of both acute and chronic bacterial prostatitis. Currently, the treatment of bacterial prostatitis is still difficult, especially due to the poor distribution of many antimicrobials into the prostate, thus preventing the drug to reach effective interstitial concentrations at the infection site. Newer fluoroquinolones show a greater penetration into the prostate. In the present study, we compared the unbound levofloxacin prostate concentrations measured by microdialysis to those in plasma after a 7-mg/kg intravenous bolus dose to Wistar rats. Plasma and dialysate samples were analyzed using a validated high-pressure liquid chromatography-fluorescence method. Both noncompartmental analysis (NCA) and population-based compartmental modeling (NONMEM 6) were performed. Unbound prostate tissue concentrations represented 78% of unbound plasma levels over a period of 12 h by comparing the extent of exposure (unbound AUC0–∞) of 6.4 and 4.8 h·μg/ml in plasma and tissue, respectively. A three-compartment model with simultaneous passive diffusion and saturable distribution kinetics from the prostate to the central compartment gave the best results in terms of curve fitting, precision of parameter estimates, and model stability. The following parameter values were estimated by the population model: V1 (0.38 liter; where V1 represents the volume of the central compartment), CL (0.22 liter/h), k12 (2.27 h−1), k21 (1.44 h−1), k13 (0.69 h−1), Vmax (7.19 μg/h), kM (0.35 μg/ml), V3/fuprostate (0.05 liter; where fuprostate represents the fraction unbound in the prostate), and k31 (3.67 h−1). The interindividual variability values for V1, CL, Vmax, and kM were 21, 37, 42, and 76%, respectively. Our results suggest that levofloxacin is likely to be substrate for efflux transporters in the prostate.
Risk of Parkinson's disease among first-degree relatives

Objective: To determine the relative risk (RR) and cumulative incidence of idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) in first-degree relatives of PD patients compared with relatives of controls from the same geographic region. Design: A family history questionnaire was used to obtain information on all first-degree relatives of cases and controls. A subset of these first-degree relatives was also examined. A Cox proportional hazards model with double-censoring techniques for missing information was used to model the RR for PD, adjusting for gender, ethnicity, and relationship to proband. Results: A total of 1,458 first-degree relatives of 233 PD patients were 2.3 times as likely (95% CI = 1.3 to 4.0) as 7,834 relatives of 1,172 controls to develop PD. The cumulative incidence of PD to age 75 among first-degree relatives of PD patients was 2% compared with 1% among first-degree relatives of controls. The risk in male first-degree relatives was higher than in female relatives (RR = 2.0, 95% CI = 1.1 to 3.4) and the risk in relatives of Caucasians was higher than in African-Americans and Hispanics (RR = 2.4, 95% CI = 1.4 to 4.1). Risk for siblings and parents of probands was similar. Conclusions: Susceptibility to PD is increased in first-degree relatives of both sporadic and familial cases. The pattern of inheritance and the relationship between genetic and environmental risk factors warrant further study. NEUROLOGY 1996;47: 155-160
The Effects Of Remittances On Economic Growth: Reexamining The Role Of Institutions

ABSTRACT:The extant literature is unclear about the effects of remittances on economic growth and the role of governance institutions. This study contributes to knowledge by investigating how domestic institutional capacity determines the ability of developing countries to benefit from remittance inflows. We employ data for 106 developing countries over a 13-year period (1996 to 2013) to test two related hypotheses. First, we test the hypothesis that countries with weak institutions will 'import' growth in the form of international remittances, to make up for any loss in growth arising from the 'bad' institutions. We call this the growth importation hypothesis. Second, we test the hypothesis that the synergetic growth value of the interaction between weak institutions and remittances will be positive due to the fact that the urgency to apply remittances efficiently in countries with weak institutions is high because of limited alternatives (that is, the opportunity cost of misapplying remittance proceeds is high). We call this the urgency hypothesis. We find strong evidence of the existence of both hypotheses. Specifically, we find that remittances stimulate economic growth in the full sample and in low income and lower middle income countries, but do not foster growth in upper-middle and high-income countries. On their own, domestic institutions in low income and lower middle-income countries do not promote growth unless they are combined with remittances. However, in upper middle and high-income countries, institutions, on their own, are strong enough to promote growth, and, in doing so, act as substitutes to remittances in economic growth. It is clear from the positive effect of institutions, physical capital and inflation on growth in upper-middle-income and high-income countries that, the strengthening of institutions, the rapid accumulation and effective utilization of physical capital, and the pursuit of macroeconomic stability are vital for promoting growth in these countries. For low income and lower middle-income countries, they must upgrade their institutions to reduce market imperfections, and ensure investments in growth enhancing projects. But until then, low income and lower middle-income countries must facilitate remittance inflows in order to spur growth.
Contribution of systemic blood pressure to myocardial remodeling in uremic rats.

Left ventricular hypertrophy with diffuse intermyocardiocytic fibrosis is a feature of uremia. The role of blood pressure and/or other cardiovascular uremic risk factors in cardiac remodeling is still uncertain. To determine the extent to which improvement of kidney function and the control of uremia-related risk factors are associated with a reduction of myocardial injury, we evaluated the effect of dietary protein restriction or the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor lisinopril on cardiac structure in remnant kidney rats. One week after subtotal nephrectomy, Wistar rats were allocated to receive drinking water solution (group 1), 5 mg/kg per day lisinopril (group 2), or a low-protein diet (6%) (group 3) for 12 weeks. Group 2 and 3 showed a comparable efficacy in preventing the expected rise in creatininemia, urinary protein excretion, and glomerulosclerosis. However, hypertension development was prevented only in group 2. Groups 1 and 3 developed a significant (P < .01) increase in left ventricular weight (2.45 +/- 0.1 and 2.5 +/- 0.5 mg/g body wt, respectively) compared with group 2 (1.9 +/- 0.06 mg/g body wt). Cardiac hydroxyporline concentration was also lower in group 2 compared with group 1 (2.07 +/- 0.16 versus 2.73 +/- 0.17 mg/g left ventricular weight, P < .05) but not compared with group 3 (2.59 +/- 0.19 mg/g left ventricular weight). The effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition on left ventricular mass and intracardiac collagen content appeared to be dissociated from anemia, sympathetic activity, and hyperlipidemia. There was a close relationship between systolic pressure and left ventricular mass; however, no relationship between the degree of cardiac fibrosis and systolic pressure could be determined. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)