Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The determination of serum magnesium by the molybdivanadate method for phosphate.

During the past decade there has been an increasing interest shown in the study of electrolyte balance. Magnesium, however, has played a minor r81e in these studies. There are perhaps two reasons for this; first, that serum magnesium levels remain fairly constant and, second, that magnesium determinations require special technique and equipment and are time-consuming procedures as well. There have been three major methods used for the determination of serum magnesium, the molybdenum blue, titan yellow, and hydroxyquinoline methods. Molybdenum Blue-Briggs (1) and Denis (2) simultaneously reported methods for the determination of serum magnesium based upon the precipitation of magnesium as magnesium ammonium phosphate, with subsequent estimation of the phosphate by the molybdenum blue method. The above procedures were employed in this laboratory with the modifications for phosphate determination used by Kuttner and Cohen (3) and Youngburg and Youngburg (4). The molybdenum blue method was abandoned chiefly because of instability of the color. A more complete discussion of this is given in a publication (5) in which the molybdivanadate method, as outlined by Kitson and Mellon (6), was used for the estimation of serum phosphate. Titan Yellou+The titan yellow method is based on the fact that magnesium imparts a pink color to an alkaline solution of the dye (7). The clinical method of Him&elder and Serles (8) and the modification of Haury (9) were used, but difficulty was encountered because of the mixture of pink and yellow colors. In addition, the color wss markedly affected by variations in pH and salt concentration. Hydrmyquinoline-Hahn (10) and Berg (11) introduced the use of 8-hydroxyquinoline for the determination of magnesium. The method was further modified by the bromination technique of Bomskov (12), Greenberg and Mackey (13), and Velluz (14). Hoffman (15) discarded the bromination method in favor of a calorimetric procedure in which hydroxyquinoline combines with ferric ions in weak hydrochloric acid
Polyacrylamide hydrogel (bulkamid®) in female patients of 80 or more years with urinary incontinence.

INTRODUCTION To assess the effectiveness of polyacrylamide hydrogel (Bulkamid®) in injection therapy for urinary incontinence in women of 80 or more years. MATERIALS AND METHODS Twenty consecutive women mean age 84.5 (range 80-87) with stress or mixed urinary incontinence were enrolled in this prospective study. All subjects were evaluated at baseline and re-evaluated 7 days, 6,12,18 and 24 months after treatment. A detailed clinical evaluation, physical examination, daily pad count, urodynamic investigation and evaluation of urethral mobility by trans-labial ultrasound were performed. RESULTS A statistically significant decrease in the number of pads was observed in the follow-up (p = 0.0002 after 24 months). Physical examination showed a statistically significant lack or reduced lost of urine with stress test (p = 0.0163 after 24 months). Urodynamic findings showed an increase of Valsalva leak point pressure, maximum urethral closure pressure and functional length. Maximum flow and post void residual were respectively observed to be significantly reduced and increased only after 7 days from injection therapy. Quality of life (QoL) assessed with the Incontinence Impact questionnaire short form (IIQ-7) showed a statistically significant improvement (p = 0.0001 after 24 months). Patient satisfaction assessed with the Visual Analogue Scale and Patient Global Impression of Improvement questionnaire respectively produced evaluation of ″satisfied″ and "much improved" even after 24 months. CONCLUSIONS Polyacrylamide hydrogel (Bulkamid®) is an effective treatment with low morbility in patients of 80 or more years.
An Empirical Assessment of the Swedish Bullionist Controversy

In the eighteenth century, a fierce political debate broke out in Sweden about the causes of an extraordinary depreciation of its currency. More specifically, the dete- riorating value of the Swedish daler was discretionarily blamed on monetary causes, e.g. the overissuing of banknotes, or nonmonetary causes, such as balance of payments deficits. This paper provides a comprehensive empirical assessment of this so-called "Swedish Bullionist Controversy". The results of vector autoregressions suggest that increasing amounts of paper money did give rise to in ation and a depreciation of the exchange rate. Conversely, nonmonetary factors were probably less important for these developments.
Team Production in International Labor Markets: Experimental Evidence from the Field

Coworkers are increasingly diverse in their nationality and skill sets. This paper studies the effect of diversity on how workers are organized using data from a field experiment conducted in an environment where diversity is pervasive. Findings show that team organization improves outcomes when workers are from the same country. The opposite is true when workers are nationally diverse. These results are more pronounced for teams of workers with specialized skills. Further investigation of the data suggests that nationally diverse teams have difficulty communicating.
Self-efficacy for Coping With Cancer in a Multiethnic Sample of Breast Cancer Patients: Associations With Barriers to Pain Management and Distress

ObjectivesThis study examined the interrelations of self-efficacy for coping with cancer, perceived barriers to pain management, distress, and pain outcomes in a multiethnic sample of breast cancer patients. The extent to which ethnicity (Black, Latina, or White), language (English or Spanish), and level of education and income predicted these variables was also assessed. MethodsParticipants were breast cancer patients with persistent pain (N=87) who were recruited from oncology clinics in New York City. Patients completed an assessment battery that included measures of self-efficacy for coping with cancer, barriers to pain management, distress, and pain outcomes. ResultsGreater self-efficacy for coping with cancer was associated with older age, less time since diagnosis, and less distress. In addition, less self-efficacy for seeking and understanding medical information, Spanish language preference, and greater distress predicted greater barriers to pain management. Average pain severity was higher among Spanish-speaking individuals and those with lower incomes. DiscussionFindings point to the potential importance of self-efficacy for seeking and understanding medical information and perceived barriers to pain management in understanding the psychologic well-being of breast cancer patients with pain, especially those who are Spanish-speaking.
Patterns of Blood Flow as a Predictor of Maturation of Arteriovenous Fistula for Haemodialysis

Purpose A palpable “thrill” is traditionally associated with success following arteriovenous fistula (AVF) surgery. A thrill typically characterizes turbulent flow and this is a paradox as turbulence is a driver of neointimal hyperplasia. Spiral laminar flow (SLF) has been described as normal and protective pattern of flow in native arteries and is associated with superior patency in bypass grafts that generate it. The aim of this study was to define the pattern of flow within AVFs immediately post-operatively and at follow-up to assess maturation. Methods Doppler ultrasound was used immediately post-operatively and at follow-up (6 weeks). Blood flow was assessed as SLF or non-SLF. Two blinded qualified observers analysed the images. Patients were followed up for 6 months. Maturation was statistically analysed against the type of flow. Results Sequential patients having AVF surgery (n=56) were assessed: 46 (82%) patients had a thrill, 3 patients had no flow and 7 patients had pulsatile flow without a palpable thrill. SLF was present in 80% of those with a thrill but not in any without a thrill (p<0.0001). At follow-up (n=51) 41, patients had a matured AVF (80%), of which 76% had SLF immediately post-operatively. Only one patient with SLF failed to mature. In the non-SLF group 5 of the 15 AVFs failed to mature (66%; p<0.005). Conclusions SLF was strongly supportive of successful fistula maturation. A “thrill” was characteristic of spiral rather than turbulence. The mechanism of this apparent beneficial effect of this pattern of flow requires further investigation.
'I love my work, but ... ': the 'best' and the 'worst' in nurse educators' working life in Finland.

The aim of this study was to investigate nurse educators' perceptions of the quality of their working life. Questionnaires were sent to 706 Finnish nurse educators and their spouses or other adult living with them. The results concerning the structured part of the questionnaire have been described in detail in an earlier paper (Harri 1995). This paper describes the data collected by means of semi-structured questions from 477 (68%) educators and 409 (58%) spouses) and open-ended questions (309 nurse educators and 167 spouses), analysed using content analysis. The seven categories that were identified as the best features of work were, in descending order of prevalence: students, freedom, challenges, teaching, miscellaneous, colleagues, and physical environment. Among the worst features of work, workload ranked first, followed by inadequacy of personal resources, administrative issues, changes, interpersonal relationships, miscellaneous, and physical environment. In the open-ended comments the nurse educators used 400 expressions to describe positive features of their working life, while they used 597 expressions to describe negative features. The spouses made 90 positive comments about the working life of their teacher spouse, and 425 negative comments. The importance of this kind of study was remarked on quite frequently both by nurse educators (22%) and their spouses (12%). The study provides important clues to understanding the present reality of nurse educators' working life. It is hoped that the findings of the study will help focus attention on ways of developing the quality of nurse educators' working life.
Financial Knowledge And Subjective Financial Risk Tolerance Among Students At A South African University

This study used a self-administered questionnaire to determine the effect of financial knowledge and other demographic variables on Financial Risk Tolerance (FRT) among South African University students. Descriptive statistics and a binary logistic regression model were used to analyse information from 330 participants selected from a South African University in the Gauteng province. The results indicated that the probability of being risk tolerant was high among students with financial knowledge compared to those without financial knowledge. Among demographic variables, monthly expenditure and religion were found to have a significant effect on Financial Risk Tolerance. The results of the study thus draw attention to a number of factors that can help investment managers in finding suitable financial products for their clientele.
Cerebral vasospasm in idiopathic thunderclap headache

Objective: To determine if there is a cross-sectional association between homocysteine (tHcy) level and measures of gait and balance in elderly subjects. Methods: We studied 3,609 noninstitutionalized subjects aged 65 to 85 years from the Dijon (France) center of the Three-City Study. tHcy concentration was measured from fasting blood samples. Motor function was assessed by measuring walking speed and by using a modified version of the Tinetti scale. Results: After adjustment for confounders, mean maximum walking speed (MWS) decreased with increasing tHcy levels (p = 0.001). The odds ratio (OR) (95% CI) for having a MWS below the 40th percentile was 1.9 (1.4 to 2.5) in subjects with tHcy levels in the upper quintile compared with those in the lowest quintile. Compared with subjects in the lowest tHcy quintile, the OR for having a modified Tinetti score below 16 ranged from 1.0 (0.8 to 1.4) in the second quintile to 1.9 (1.3 to 2.6) in the upper quintile (p < 0.0001). Conclusions: Elevated homocysteine concentrations are associated with worse motor performances in the elderly. These findings support the hypothesis of a vascular contribution to motor function.
PMU data characterization and application to stability monitoring

This paper provides a methodology to characterize the accuracy of PMU data (GPS-synchronized) and the applicability of this data for monitoring system stability. GPS-synchronized equipment (PMUs) is in general higher precision equipment as compared to typical SCADA systems. Conceptually, PMU data are time tagged with precision better than 1 microsecond and magnitude accuracy that is better than 0.1%. This potential performance is not achieved in an actual field installation due to errors from instrumentation channels and system imbalances. Presently, PMU data precision from substation installed devices is practically unknown. On the other hand, specific applications of PMU data require specific accuracy of data. Applications vary from simple system monitoring to wide area protection and control to voltage instability prediction and transient stability monitoring. The paper focuses on the last application, i.e. transient stability monitoring. We propose an approach that is based on the energy functions (Lyapunov indirect method). Specifically, we provide a methodology for determining the required data accuracy for the reliable real time estimation of the energy function. When the data meet these requirements, the estimated energy function can be visualized and animated providing a powerful visual tool for observing the transient stability or instability of the system
The Effects of Leadership Styles on Employee Engagement in an International Bank with Substantial Operations in Kenya

v TABLE OF CONTENTS . vii LIST OF TABLES . ix LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS . xi CHAPTER ONE . 1 1.0 INTRODUCTION. 1 1.1 Background of the Problem . 1 1.2 Statement of the Problem . 4 1.3 Purpose of the Study . 5 1.4 Research Questions . 5 1.5 Importance of the Study . 6 1.6 Scope of the Study . 6 1.7 Definition of Terms. 6 1.8 Chapter Summary . 7 CHAPTER TWO . 8 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW . 8 2.
Association of pharmacological tests and study of 24-hour growth hormone secretion in the investigation of growth retardation in children: analysis of 257 cases.

Growth hormone (GH) secretion can presently be investigated by several methods: pharmacological provocative tests, study of 24-h GH secretion, measurement of somatomedin-C (Sm-C)/insulin-like growth factor (IGF) I, and the growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) test. In order to compare the results obtained, these methods were used in 257 children with growth retardation (169 boys, 88 girls). Their height SD was -2.7 +/- 0.2, chronological age 11 3/12 +/- 1 6/12 years, and bone age 8 4/12 +/- 1 4/12 years. Mean growth velocity was 4.5 +/- 1.5 cm/year. One hundred and thirty-eight boys and 80 girls were prepubertal, and 31 boys and 8 girls were pubertal (B2 G2). All children underwent the study of 24-h GH secretion (n = 257) and pharmacological provocative tests (two tests, n = 213; one test n = 44). Sm-C/IGF I was measured in prepubertal children (n = 131), and a GHRH test was carried out (n = 153). In addition, the mean integrated concentration of growth hormone secretion (IC-GH) was assessed in a control group of 23 children and was found to be 5.4 +/- 1.2 ng/ml/min. The IC-GH in the group as a whole was 2.6 ng/ml/min. The mean maximum peak during pharmacological tests varied considerably according to the test used, ranging from 7.8 ng/ml for the arginine test to 17.1 ng/ml for the glucagon and betaxolol test. The maximum peak and the 24-h IC-GH were not significantly correlated. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Polyomavirus Small t Antigen Prevents Retinoic Acid-Induced Retinoblastoma Protein Hypophosphorylation and Redirects Retinoic Acid-Induced G0 Arrest and Differentiation to Apoptosis

ABSTRACT Polyomavirus small t antigen (ST) impedes late features of retinoic acid (RA)-induced HL-60 myeloid differentiation as well as growth arrest, causing apoptosis instead. HL-60 cells were stably transfected with ST. ST slowed the cell cycle, retarding G2/M in particular. Treated with RA, the ST transfectants continued to proliferate and underwent apoptosis. ST also impeded the normally RA-induced hypophosphorylation of the retinoblastoma tumor suppressor protein consistent with failure of the cells to arrest growth. The RA-treated transfectants expressed CD11b, an early cell surface differentiation marker, but inducible oxidative metabolism, a later and more mature functional differentiation marker, was largely inhibited. Instead, the cells underwent apoptosis. ST affected significant known components of RA signaling that result in G0 growth arrest and differentiation in wild-type HL-60. ST increased the basal amount of activated ERK2, which normally increases when wild-type cells are treated with RA. ST caused increased RARα expression, which is normally down regulated in RA-treated wild-type cells. The effects of ST on RA-induced myeloid differentiation did not extend to monocytic differentiation and G0 arrest induced by 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D3, whose receptor is also a member of the steroid-thyroid hormone superfamily. In this case, ST abolished the usually induced G0 arrest and retarded, but did not block, differentiation without inducing apoptosis, thus uncoupling growth arrest and differentiation. In sum, the data show that ST disrupted the normal RA-induced program of G0 arrest and differentiation, causing the cells to abort differentiation and undergo apoptosis.
Pediatric Intensive Care in South Africa: An Account of Making Optimum Use of Limited Resources at the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital*

Objective: To develop explicit criteria for patient admission in order to optimize utilization of PICU facilities in the face of increasing demand outstripping resources. Setting: Multidisciplinary PICU in a university-affiliated referral hospital in Cape Town, South Africa. Design: Retrospective description of policy development and implementation Patients: All patients referred to the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit of the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital. Interventions: Development and application of admission policy. Measurements and Main Results: In consultation with clinicians at the hospital, principles for utilization of PICU resources were established and then translated into specific policies for prioritization of admission of particular groups of patients. The hospital team developed and implemented: criteria for intensive care admission; prioritization for certain categories of patients (including those scheduled for elective surgery); processes for refusing intensive care admission to other categories of patients; and processes to review implementation. These criteria and procedures were made explicit to clinicians, administrators, and managers and eventually agreed to by them. It was challenging to obtain “buy-in” from all potential stakeholders in the process and also to implement such policies under conditions of high stress. Conclusion: Development and implementation of explicit policies for utilization of PICU resources provide a “reasonable” process for fair and equitable utilization of scarce resources. The factors that have to be considered while developing these policies may extend beyond the priorities of individual patients. Implementation is still fraught with problems. Development of explicit admission policies that consider the needs of individual patients and also the longer term development of healthcare services may enable the retention of small but essential services.
Temperature sensitivity of injection-locked vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers

The dynamics of injection-locked vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) are studied as a function of temperature. The temperature dependence of the slave VCSEL's parameters is used in a rate-equation analysis and parametric maps in the injection strength K- and frequency detuning /spl omega/-planes are calculated in order to investigate the temperature dependence of the system's stability. We demonstrate that, as we increase temperature for the range where the linewidth enhancement factor /spl alpha/ starts to stabilize, approximately 10 K above the temperature of where the minimum of the threshold carrier density occurs, the locking region tends to be suppressed and the nonlinearities to grow due to the increase of the relaxation resonance frequency /spl omega//sub R/ and the total loss rate /spl Gamma//sub 0/. Below that range, the opposite route is followed due to the enhanced value of the linewidth enhancement factor /spl alpha/, and the results are sensitive to the intraband relaxation time /spl tau/. It is finally concluded that, to take advantage of the stable locking region and to avoid the nonlinearities, it is better for the VCSEL device to have a minimum carrier density of 40 K-50 K below room temperature, thus allowing a good operating tolerance in the range /spl plusmn/20 K around room temperature.
Corruption and electoral accountability in Brazil

This dissertation examines how voters react towards candidates with records of misuse of public funds in the context of sub-national elections in Brazil. Its contribution to the extant literature on corruption and electoral accountability is twofold. First, it is the first study to inquire whether voters punish candidates with malfeasance records running for both executive and legislative office in the same electoral context and whether a number of contextual factors affect electoral accountability in these offices. Second, it presents and tests new hypotheses on the type of motivation that ground voters’ rejection towards corrupt candidates. In chapter 2, I examine whether voters punish candidates for mayor and city councilman with accounts rejected by the Brazilian Audit Courts and whether additional contextual factors affect electoral accountability. In particular, I study whether electoral accountability decreases as candidates (for mayor) have better records of social provision; whether local media promotes electoral accountability; and whether candidates with negative antecedents receive fewer campaign donations and are less likely to re-run. I combine large-N observational analysis, using an original dataset with candidates’ accounts rejection records, with interviews with Brazilian Audit Court members and local politicians. In chapter 3 I use three online survey experiments