Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Multicenter Evaluation of a Commercial PCR-Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay Diagnostic Kit (Onychodiag) for Diagnosis of Dermatophytic Onychomycosis

ABSTRACT We prospectively evaluated a new PCR-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit (Onychodiag; BioAdvance, France) for the diagnosis of dermatophytic onychomycosis by testing nail samples from 438 patients with suspected onychomycosis and from 108 healthy controls in three independent laboratories. In two laboratories, samples were collected by trained mycologists as close as possible to the lesions (proximal samples). In one laboratory, samples were collected by other physicians. All samples were processed by conventional mycological techniques and by Onychodiag, blindly to the mycological results. An additional distal sample, collected by clipping the nail plate, was obtained from 75 patients and tested with Onychodiag alone. In patients with culture-proven dermatophytic onychomycosis, the sensitivity of Onychodiag was 83.6% (87.9% including the gray zone) and ranged from 75 to 100% according to the laboratory and the sampling conditions. The specificity was 100% when healthy subjects were considered true negative controls. Onychodiag was positive on 68 patient samples that were sterile or yielded nondermatophyte species in culture. Based on the results of Onychodiag for mycologically proven positive samples and true-negative samples, these results were considered true positives, and the poor performance of mycology on these samples was attributed to inconvenient sampling conditions or to contaminants. When tested on distal samples, Onychodiag was positive in 49/53 (92%) cases of proven dermatophytic onychomycosis. Finally, with either proximal or distal samples, Onychodiag provided a diagnosis of dermatophytic onychomycosis within 24 to 48 h after sampling, and its sensitivity was close to that of mycological techniques applied to proximal samples.
Cognitive interviewing procedures and suggestibility in children's recall.

In this study the authors examine the effects of procedures adapted from the cognitive interview of R. E. Geiselman, R.P. Fisher, D.P. MacKinnon, and H.L. Holland (1985) on children's recall following exposure to misleading suggestions. Children aged 5-7 years and 9-11 years saw a videotaped story and were presented with misleading or neutral information concerning story details. All were later given free- and cued-recall tests preceded by standard interview instructions or instructions that reinstated the encoding context and encouraged exhaustive reporting. Increased recall accuracy was found following cognitive interview instructions. Both age groups were susceptible to misleading suggestions, but susceptibility was unaffected by interview type. The authors discuss the implications for interviewing child witnesses.
Analyzing Compensation Methods in Manufacturing: Piece Rates, Time Rates, or Gain-Sharing?

Economists have often argued that "pay for performance" is the optimal compensation scheme. However, use of the simplest form of pay for performance, the piece rate, has been in decline in manufacturing in recent decades. We show both theoretically and empirically that these changes are due to adoption of "modern manufacturing" in which firms produce a greater variety of products to a more demanding quality and delivery standard. We further develop a theory of the type of compensation system appropriate for this kind of production, in which there is a high return to "multi-tasking", where the same workers perform both easy-to-observe and hard-to-observe tasks and to "just-in-time" production, which entails a high cost of holding inventory. We test these predictions using detailed monthly information on firm outcomes and employee surveys from four plants in two companies that adopted modern manufacturing methods and changed their method of compensation from piece rates to either time rates or value-added gain-sharing. We find that time rates and gain-sharing are associated with reduced employee performance on easy-to-observe tasks, enhanced performance on hard-to-observe tasks, and improved firm profitability. Our analysis shows the importance of distinguishing types of incentive pay: we find that modern manufacturing is consistent with either group incentive pay (such as gain-sharing), or no incentives (such as hourly pay), but inconsistent with individual incentive pay (piece rates).
Distribution of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and peroxidase activities among Treponema pallidum and other spirochetes

Representative members of Spirochaetales were surveyed for their content of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, and peroxidase activities. Only Leptospira exhibited peroxidase activity. Obligately anaerobic cultivable Treponema and Spirochaeta possessed no SOD or peroxidative capabilities. Upon polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, Spirochaeta aurantia, Borrelia hermsi, and five Leptospira biflexa serovars showed SOD activity associated with one electrophoretic band which was inhibited by H2O2, suggesting that they were iron-containing dismutases. These spirochetes could be distinguished by differences in relative mobilities of their SODs. SOD activity, but not catalase activity, was induced aerobically in S. aurantia. All Leptospira interrogans serovars and two L. biflexa serovars lacked significant SOD activity. These SOD-deficient strains of Leptospira, with one exception, possessed high levels of catalase activity. The Nichols strain of virulent Treponema pallidum possessed SOD and catalase activities, but lacked peroxidase activity. The SOD in T. pallidum exhibited two electrophoretic bands containing copper and zinc, and its relative mobility was identical to that of purified rabbit SOD. Immunization of sheep with purified rabbit SOD resulted in antiserum which inhibited both rabbit SOD and T. pallidum SOD assayed by spectrophotometric analysis or activity staining following polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. In agarose gel diffusion, precipitin lines of identity were observed between purified rabbit SOD and cell extracts of T. pallidum. These data indicated that the SOD activity detected in T. pallidum was host derived.
Embryonic development of chicken (Gallus Gallus Domesticus) From 1st to 19th Day—ectodermal structures

Birds occupy a prominent place in the Brazilian economy not only in the poultry industry but also as an animal model in many areas of scientific research. Thus the aim of this study was to provide a description of macro and microscopic aspects of the ectoderm‐derived structures in chicken embryos / fetuses poultry (Gallus gallus domesticus) from 1st to 19th day of incubation. 40 fertilized eggs, from a strain of domestic chickens, with an incubation period of 2–19 days were subjected to macroscopic description, biometrics, light, and scanning microscopy. All changes observed during the development were described. The nervous system, skin and appendages and organs related to vision and hearing began to be identified, both macro and microscopically, from the second day of incubation. The vesicles from the primitive central nervous system—forebrain, midbrain, and hindbrain—were identified on the third day of incubation. On the sixth day of incubation, there was a clear vascularization of the skin. The optic vesicle was first observed fourth day of development and on the fifth day there was the beginning of the lens formation. Although embryonic development is influenced by animal line as well as external factors such as incubation temperature, this paper provides a chronological description for chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) during its embryonic development. Microsc. Res. Tech. 76:1217–1225, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Certified Public Accountant and Compensation: An Empirical Analysis

This paper investigates the relative importance of pertinent factors affecting the variability of the certified public accountant (CPA) income (salary) level based on 594 responses to a random survey—carried out with the assistance of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)—of 2422 CPAs in the US. A simple regression analysis reveals that auditing experience, level of college education obtained, being married and prior success in fraud detection have a positive and significant influence on CPA income, while female and minority CPAs in addition to CPAs working in public accounting firms have negative and significant association. Interestingly, the influence of educational achievement is more applicable for the larger firms and the inverse relationship between female and minority CPAs does exist even after adjustment for educational level. However, once adjusted for the number of years of experience, the statistical significance and magnitude of the gender and minority parameters diminish. Finally, additional professional accounting certification and the size of the firm did not have any significant impact on the salary level.
Does type D personality affect symptom control and quality of life in asthma patients?

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES This study aims to identify the effects of type D personality on symptom control and quality of life and to explore factors influencing quality of life among asthma patients in Korea. BACKGROUND Psychological factors such as depression and stress are well known to be related to medical outcomes and quality of life in asthma patients. People with type D personality are vulnerable to stress, show poor prognosis in disease and experience low quality of life. DESIGN A descriptive cross-sectional design was used. METHODS A total of 144 patients with asthma participated in this study. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using structured questionnaires: the Type D Personality Scale-14, Asthma Control Test and Asthma-Specific Quality of Life. RESULTS About 33% of participants were classified into the type D personality group. The type D personality group showed statistically significantly lower symptom control and asthma-specific quality of life compared to the non-type D personality group. Based on forward stepwise multiple regression, the most significant factor of quality of life was symptom control, followed by type D personality, hospitalisation within the previous one year, and lifetime hospitalisation experiences. CONCLUSIONS The prevalence of type D personality in asthma patients was high, and type D personality was significantly associated with poor symptom control and low quality of life. Psychosocial interventions might be beneficial to improve symptom control and quality of life in asthma patients with type D personality. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE Nurses should be aware of the high prevalence of type D personality and the effects on symptom control and quality of life in asthma patients. Nurses should also provide personality-specific interventions to improve quality of life in such patients.
Forecast performance of WASDE price projections for U.S. corn

We conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the season-average price projections for U.S. corn as published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE), an important issue given reduced resources and increased program scrutiny within the Federal Government. This study is the first in the literature to evaluate the WASDE corn projections relative to futures adjusted forecasts throughout the forecasting cycle using a lengthy evaluation period (1980/81–2012/13). We find that WASDE projections provide lower RMSEs relative to futures adjusted forecasts for 9 of the 16 forecast periods, 4 of which are statistically different. Encompassing tests show that WASDE projections often provide incremental information not present in the futures adjusted forecasts. Composite forecasts based on futures adjusted forecasts and WASDE projections reduced the RMSEs over all forecast periods by an average 12–16%. Favorable average trading profits may be generated for some forecast months using WASDE projections. Overall, our results suggest that WASDE projections of the U.S. corn season-average price provide useful information to the market and could enhance the efficiency of the agricultural sector.
Oscillation of gap junction electrical coupling in the mouse pancreatic islets of Langerhans.

1. Pancreatic beta‐cells oscillate synchronously when grouped in islets. Coupling seems essential to maintain this oscillatory behaviour, as isolated cells are unable to oscillate. This allows the islet to be used as a model system for studying the role of coupling in the generation of oscillatory patterns. 2. Pairs of beta‐cells were intracellularly recorded in islets. beta‐Cells oscillated synchronously. Propagated voltage deflections were observed as a function of glucose concentration and of the distance between the recording electrodes. Space constants were smaller in the silent than in the active phases, suggesting a higher intercellular connection in the active phases. 3. Coupling coefficients and estimated coupling conductances were larger in the active than in the silent phases. 4. Coupling coefficients and coupling conductances changed dynamically and in phase with the membrane potential oscillations, pointing to an active modulation of the gap junctions. 5. We hypothesize a role for coupling in the generation of the oscillatory events, providing different levels of permeability dependent on the state of conductance during the oscillatory phases.
Pentoxifylline attenuates pulmonary macromolecular leakage after intestinal ischemia-reperfusion.

OBJECTIVE To assess the effects of pentoxifylline posttreatment on hemodynamic variables and acute pulmonary injury in the rat intestinal ischemia-reperfusion (I-R) model, using a recently developed method of fluorescent intravital pulmonary videomicroscopy. DESIGN Anesthetized male Sprague-Dawley rats were cannulated for measurement of mean arterial pressure, heart rate, cardiac output, arterial blood gas values, and hematocrit. Rats underwent isolation of the superior mesenteric artery for intestinal I-R (45 minutes of ischemia, 120 minutes of reperfusion) and right lateral thoracotomy for pulmonary videomicroscopy. Epi-illumination fluorescent videomicroscopy was used to quantitate leakage of intravascular fluorescently labeled albumin into alveoli, while hemodynamic variables were simultaneously recorded. In the treatment groups, pentoxifylline was administered after 30 minutes of intestinal ischemia. Data (mean +/- SEM) were recorded before and during intestinal ischemia and after reperfusion at 30-minute intervals. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE The appearance of fluorescently labeled albumin into alveolar airspaces was quantitated off-line by computer and reported as the alveolar leak index. RESULTS Intestinal I-R caused alveolar macromolecular leakage, marked by a 300% +/- 48% increase from baseline (P < .05) in the alveolar leak index. Intestinal I-R also produced systemic hemodynamic instability demonstrated by a decrease in the mean arterial blood pressure (-36% +/- 5% vs baseline, P < .05) and cardiac output (-42% +/- 6% vs baseline, P < .05), metabolic acidosis (final arterial pH of 7.17, P < .05 vs initial pH), and a 2.3-fold increase in the intravenous fluid requirement when compared with that in sham animals (P < .05). Treatment with pentoxifylline 30 minutes after intestinal ischemia attenuated pulmonary macromolecular leakage (P < .05 vs nontreated I-R) and reduced the decrease in cardiac output (-15% +/- 7% vs baseline, not statistically significant). Pentoxifylline treatment had no effect on the mean arterial blood pressure, heart rate, metabolic acidosis, or intravenous fluid requirement. CONCLUSIONS Pentoxifylline reduces alveolar capillary membrane injury and subsequent protein leakage and improves cardiac output when administered after 30 minutes of intestinal ischemia. These data suggest that pentoxifylline may be a possible candidate as a future therapy for acute pulmonary dysfunction. Further studies in human patients are necessary.
Limiting Compatibility in Two-sided Markets

In two-sided markets where the platform is composed of a set of components, a monopolist may have an incentive to foreclose competition in the complementary market. By introducing incompatibility, the monopolist can exclude its complementors, thereby capturing surplus from both sides of customers. This type of behavior lowers social welfare. Private contracts such as a payment for compatibility can help restore efficiency, but its effectiveness depends on the form of the contract. The model's relevance to Microsoft's controversial practice of extending industry standards with proprietary capabilities is discussed.
Misallocation and the Recovery of Manufacturing TFP after a Financial Crisis

The Chilean economy experienced a decade of sustained growth in aggregate out-put and productivity after the 1982 . nancial crisis. This paper analyzes the effects of resource misallocation on total factor productivity (TFP) of the manufacturing sector by applying the methodology of Hsieh and Klenow (2009) to the establishment data from the Chilean manufacturing census. We find that a reduction in resource misallocation accounts for about 46 percent of the growth in manufacturing TFP between 1983 and 1996. The improvement in allocative effciency, moreover, is essentially driven by a reduction in the cross-sectional dispersion of output distortion. In particular, a reduction in the least productive plants.output subsidies is the most important reason for the reduction in resource misallocation during this period.
Post-war reconstruction and the Golden Age of economic growth

This article briefly reviews the core literature on the Golden Age of economic growth and tests the explanatory power of alternative theories against one another, with particular emphasis on the reconstruction thesis as developed by Janossy. While previous empirical work on the subject relied on cross-sectional analysis, I employ panel-data techniques, which produce more robust estimates. I demonstrate that, for the core western industrialised nations, the rapidity and variety of economic growth during the 1950s and 1960s can mostly be explained by post-war reconstruction, the completion of which marked the end of the Golden Age. Labour-force expansion also made a very strong positive contribution. In the more peripheral countries of the OECD, however, rapid catching-up from the late 1950s was largely brought about by structural modernisation. Finally, human-capital accumulation has had a determining impact on long-run growth potentials, modelled here as time-constant country-fixed effects.
A microwell platform for the scale‐up of a multistep bioconversion to bench‐scale reactors: Sitosterol side‐chain cleavage

The microwell‐scale approach is widely used for screening purposes and one‐pot biotransformations, but it has seldom been applied to complex whole cell multistep bioconversions, requiring prolonged incubation periods. The present study aims to contribute to filling this gap. The side‐chain cleavage of sitosterol to androstenedione (AD) with Mycobacterium sp. NRRL B‐3805 cells was used as a model system, and focus was given to the screening of suitable bioconversion media with 24‐well microwell plates. Results show that to perform this particular bioconversion growing cells are preferred over resting cells due to higher conversion yields obtained in aqueous medium. The use of resting cells may nevertheless present an interesting approach provided catalytic activity is retained throughout successive runs. Maintaining suitable aeration levels (air flow of 1 mL/min) allowed minimizing the decay of catalytic activity typically observed alongside consecutive bioconversion runs with resting cells. Microwell plates with dedicated oxygen and pH monitoring capabilities proved effective in media development for complex multistep bioconversions using relatively slow‐growing bacteria. Under constant kLa (0.044/s) similar AD production and dissolved oxygen profiles were observed in microwell plates and in a bench‐scale reactor. Selection of a suitable kLa value proved critical, since under lower kLa values scale‐up proved unsuccessful. The same pattern was observed when other scale‐up criteria were evaluated to perform the scale‐up of this particular bioconversion. Results gathered seem to validate the proposed approach “from microwell plate to bench‐scale fermentor”.
The Dynamics of Managed Mental Health Care

Presented here is an exploration of the motivations involved in the development and application of managed mental health care to the private practice of outpatient psychotherapy. The interaction of management policy and psychotherapy is conceptualized in a dynamic model designed to provide insights into effective care policies. The model is described first, then the development of managed care, which appears defensive and is becoming symptomatic to the point of needing significant change. It is suggested that management policies providing choices of therapists and therapies will be the most effective in addressing ethical, fiscal, and psychological concerns of funders, consumers, and providers.
Response of HIV RNA to didanosine as a predictive marker of survival

Objective: To evaluate whether early changes in viraemia in response to didanosine (ddl) predict death and occurrence of new AIDS‐defining events. Methods: Forty‐three patients were followed during ddl treatment with sequential determinations of serum viraemia, mutations associated with drug resistance, CD4 counts and clinical evaluation. Patients were stratified into two groups of equal size, responders and nonresponders, using the median of individual changes in viraemia 1 month after initiation of ddl therapy. Results: After 1 month of ddl, mean viraemia decreased by 0.35 log RNA copies/ml of serum (P<0.001) in the population. A significant difference in survival (median, 14 and 35 months in nonresponders and responders, respectively; log rank, P=0.004) and in the delay to the occurrence of new AIDS‐defining events (median, 8 and 33 months in nonresponders and responders, respectively; log rank, P=0.018) was observed. After stratification for presence of AIDS before starting ddl, viraemia response at 1 month remained predictive of both overall and AIDS‐defining event‐free survival (log rank, P=0.0006 and P=0.01). After a similar stratification for initial CD4, viraemia response still predicted overall survival (log rank, P=0.009), but its predictive value for AIDS‐defining event‐free survival did not reach statistical significance (P=0.12). High initial levels of HIV RNA, presence of mutation 215 or previous duration of zidovudine therapy were not predictive of survival. Conclusions: In patients treated with ddl, changes in viraemia at 1 month predict survival independently of initial AIDS diagnosis and initial CD4 counts.