Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Treatment of Candida glabrata Infection in Immunosuppressed Mice by Using a Combination of Liposomal Amphotericin B with Caspofungin or Micafungin

ABSTRACT While Candida albicans remains the most common Candida isolate, Candida glabrata accounts for approximately 15 to 20% of all Candida infections in the United States. In this study we used immunosuppressed mice infected with C. glabrata to investigate the efficacy of liposomal amphotericin B alone or in combination with the echinocandin caspofungin or micafungin. For monotherapy, mice were given six daily doses of liposomal amphotericin B (3 to 20 mg/kg of body weight), caspofungin (1 to 5 mg/kg), or micafungin (2.5 to 10 mg/kg). With concomitant therapy, mice received liposomal amphotericin B (7.5 mg/kg) in addition to caspofungin (2.5 mg/kg) or micafungin (2.5 mg/kg) for 6 days. For sequential therapy, liposomal amphotericin B was administered on days 1 to 3 and caspofungin or micafungin was given on days 4 to 6; conversely, caspofungin or micafungin was administered on days 1 to 3 and liposomal amphotericin B was given on days 4 to 6. Efficacy was based on the number of CFU per gram of kidney 21 days postchallenge. Monotherapy with liposomal amphotericin B (7.5 to 20 mg/kg) was significantly more effective than no drug treatment (control group) (P < 0.05) and demonstrated a dose-dependent response, with 20 mg/kg lowering the CFU/g from 6.3 to 4.2 (significantly different from the value for the control group [P < 0.001]). Monotherapy with all echinocandin doses lowered the CFU/g from 6.0 to 6.4 to 2.7 to 3.3 (significantly different from the value for the control group [P < 0.001]) with no dose-dependent response. Complete clearance of infection could be achieved only when liposomal amphotericin B was given either concomitantly with caspofungin or micafungin or if liposomal amphotericin B was given sequentially with caspofungin. In conclusion, the combination of liposomal amphotericin B with an echinocandin markedly improved the therapeutic outcome in murine C. glabrata systemic infection.
Exploring Reflective Practice Among College EFL Teachers in Saudi Arabia

During the past decade, there has been increasing interest in the role of reflection in professional development, especially amongst teacher educators in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Engaging in reflective practice means taking an active role in learning and recognizing one’s personal responsibility for one’s own lifelong learning. Despite its prevalence as an important topic in the educational field and the multidimensional plans that have been implemented to restructure the Saudi education system, there is little to guide EFL educators in Saudi Arabia on how to effectively develop reflective ability in themselves and consequently in their learners. This study intends to explore the perceptions of EFL teachers on reflective teaching as a tool for teacher development and its challenges in the higher education sector in Saudi Arabia. The study is qualitative in nature, whereby semi-structured interviews were conducted with four EFL college educators in Saudi Arabia. The findings of the study indicate that the participants are aware of the value of reflective practice, and use different models of reflection in order to reflect on their daily practice. However, some participants manifested some uncertainties regarding reflective practice and its multifaceted nature whereas others highlighted the constraints impeding the practice of reflective teaching, namely, fixed curricula and the absence of adequate professional training. Thus, the professional development staff should provide in-service teachers with professional training about reflective practice and work with college administrators to produce a culture of inquiry in their teacher-learners.
Effect of hyperbaric oxygen on human skin cells in culture and in human dermal and skin equivalents

A critical stage of cutaneous wound healing is the development and maturation of the epidermis. In the aged, and in certain pathologies, this repair process is compromised due to a variety of deficiencies, one of which is tissue oxygenation. Several phases of wound healing are dependent on adequate tissue oxygen levels, and hyperbaric oxygenation has been shown to transiently elevate these levels. The use of human cell monolayers, dermal equivalents and human skin equivalents provide excellent opportunities for studying wound healing using in vivo relevant models. The goal of this study was to examine the effect of hyperbaric oxygen on cell proliferation, differentiation, and matrix biosynthesis in monolayer cultures and epidermopoiesis in the developing skin equivalent. Normal human dermal fibroblasts, keratinocytes and melanocytes, dermal equivalents and skin equivalents were exposed to hyperbaric oxygen at pressures up to three atmospheres, for up to 10 consecutive daily treatments lasting 90 minutes each. Increase in fibroblast proliferation (cf., 30% at 1 atmosphere after 10 days treatment), was observed without a significant effect on proliferation of normal human melanocytes and glycosaminoglycan synthesis. Stimulation of collagen synthesis after two days of treatment was only significant at 1 atmosphere (about 20% increase) but this differential was not observed after 5 days of treatment. Hyperbaric oxygenation above 2 atmospheres, inhibited proliferation of fibroblasts and keratinocytes in cell monolayer cultures (e.g., a 10 day treatment at 3 atmospheres appeared cytostatic to keratinocytes). In contrast, hyperbaric treatment up to 3 atmospheres dramatically enhanced keratinocyte differentiation, and epidermopoiesis in the complete human skin equivalent. These results support the importance of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in wound healing, and should provide an insight into oxygen utilization during repair of peripheral human tissue. The results also show the utility of the human skin equivalent as a model for evaluation of parameters involved in wound healing. (WOUND REP REG 1999;7:53–64)
The Perceived Threats from Migrants and their Effects on Government Service Equality

ABSTRACT Governments market policies like “products,” hoping that they will receive public support. With the increasing opposition to migrants in many countries, governments face more pressure to enact laws that favor citizens over migrants, assuming that citizens desire preferential treatment. We challenge that assumption by investigating antecedents of Government Service Equality (GSE), which captures the extent to which citizens believe that migrants are entitled to the same level of quality when using government services. Utilizing the justification-suppression model of prejudice and acculturation theory as theoretical underpinning, the article highlights the role of perceived threat in legitimizing discrimination against migrants. The conceptual model distinguishes between two types of threats: symbolic and realistic. Furthermore, the article investigates the role of cosmopolitanism and tradition in driving both types of threats. Results obtained through SEM using 428 surveys collected from host country citizens indicate that both realistic threat (e.g., economy) and symbolic threat (e.g., culture) influence equality perceptions negatively. However, our results reveal that citizens could be divided into two segments: cosmopolitans and traditionalists. Traditionalists, unlike cosmopolitans, do perceive migrants as threatening. In addition, cosmopolitanism has a direct positive influence on GSE. We conclude with a discussion and agenda for future research.
Distribution and Phylogeny of Microsymbionts Associated with Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) Nodulation in Three Agroecological Regions of Mozambique

ABSTRACT Cowpea derives most of its N nutrition from biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) via symbiotic bacteroids in root nodules. In Sub-Saharan Africa, the diversity and biogeographic distribution of bacterial microsymbionts nodulating cowpea and other indigenous legumes are not well understood, though needed for increased legume production. The aim of this study was to describe the distribution and phylogenies of rhizobia at different agroecological regions of Mozambique using PCR of the BOX element (BOX-PCR), restriction fragment length polymorphism of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS-RFLP), and sequence analysis of ribosomal, symbiotic, and housekeeping genes. A total of 122 microsymbionts isolated from two cowpea varieties (IT-1263 and IT-18) grouped into 17 clades within the BOX-PCR dendrogram. The PCR-ITS analysis yielded 17 ITS types for the bacterial isolates, while ITS-RFLP analysis placed all test isolates in six distinct clusters (I to VI). BLASTn sequence analysis of 16S rRNA and four housekeeping genes (glnII, gyrB, recA, and rpoB) showed their alignment with Rhizobium and Bradyrhizobium species. The results revealed a group of highly diverse and adapted cowpea-nodulating microsymbionts which included Bradyrhizobium pachyrhizi, Bradyrhizobium arachidis, Bradyrhizobium yuanmingense, and a novel Bradyrhizobium sp. , as well as Rhizobium tropici, Rhizobium pusense, and Neorhizobium galegae in Mozambican soils. Discordances observed in single-gene phylogenies could be attributed to horizontal gene transfer and/or subsequent recombinations of the genes. Natural deletion of 60 bp of the gyrB region was observed in isolate TUTVU7; however, this deletion effect on DNA gyrase function still needs to be confirmed. The inconsistency of nifH with core gene phylogenies suggested differences in the evolutionary history of both chromosomal and symbiotic genes. IMPORTANCE A diverse group of both Bradyrhizobium and Rhizobium species responsible for cowpea nodulation in Mozambique was found in this study. Future studies could prove useful in evaluating these bacterial isolates for symbiotic efficiency and strain competitiveness in Mozambican soils.
The effects of tax reforms to address the debt-equity bias on the cost of capital and on effective tax rates

[Main objectives] Corporate income tax systems usually discriminate between the different sources of finance: They favour debt over equity financing since interest costs are deductible for tax purposes whereas there is no equivalent relief for equity-financed investments. This unequal treatment might cause economic problems such as excessive leverage in the corporate sector and an associated increased vulnerability to economic crises, disadvantages for firms with restricted access to external funds and profit shifting incentives. To achieve an equal treatment of debt and equity financing, either an additional deduction for equity financing could be granted or the current deduction for interest expenses could be disallowed. A disallowance of interest expenses could be achieved by the interest deduction limitation rules which are already employed in several Member States. Other far-reaching, fundamental tax reforms to address the current debt bias are represented by the Comprehensive Business Income Tax (CBIT), Allowance for Corporate Equity (ACE), Allowance for Corporate Capital (ACC) and Cost of Capital Allowance (COCA). The present study provides an in-depth analysis of the effects of these different reform options on effective tax burdens in the EU28 Member States. Moreover, the study gives guidance to which extent current income tax rates at corporate and personal level would have to be adjusted for a revenue neutral implementation of fundamental tax reforms. On the basis of stylised model computations, this study informs about whether different fundamental tax reforms could, in principle, manage to address the debt bias and promote investment, possibly in a revenue neutral way. The main objectives of the study can be summarised as follows: * Analyse current interest deduction limitation rules in the EU28 Member States and assess the effect of interest deduction limitation rules on effective tax rates; * Provide insights on the effects of the fundamental tax reform options on current tax systems; * Consider a revenue-neutral implementation of the reforms and possible consequences for the level of investment in the EU28 Member States.
Routine Surveillance Care After Cancer Treatment With Curative Intent

Background:Many consensus guidelines recommend routine surveillance to detect recurrent disease among cancer survivors. We compare surveillance care receipt to guideline recommendations. Methods:Cohorts of patients aged 30 years or older diagnosed with breast, colorectal, endometrial, lung, or prostate cancer between 1990 and 1995 and treated with curative intent were identified (n = 100 per site). Receipt and indications for examinations and procedures were abstracted from medical records for as long as 5 years after treatment. Kaplan-Meier product estimates were used to estimate time to initial and subsequent service receipt. Results:Most cancer patients received the recommended minimum number of physical examinations after treatment. In fact, a sizable number of cancer survivors received physical examinations at a frequency in excess of what is currently recommended. Similarly, most of these cancer survivors received recommended testing for local recurrence. Yet, less than two thirds of colorectal cancer patients received recommended colon examinations in the initial year after treatment. Among colorectal, lung, and prostate cancer patients who received recommended initial local recurrence testing, repeat testing tended to occur more frequently than what is currently recommended. The use of testing for metastatic disease that is not recommended in guidelines is also commonplace among these cancer survivors. Conclusions:Among cohorts of cancer patients, we found wide variation in the use of surveillance care, including patterns of care receipt reflective of both underuse and overuse relative to guideline recommendations. Clinical reasons for these variations and the cost and health implications deserve further study.
Chemoprevention of head and neck cancer with aspirin: a case-control study.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the chemopreventive potential of aspirin against head and neck cancer. DESIGN Hospital-based case-control study. SETTING National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center. Patients Individuals who received medical services at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, between 1982 and 1998 and who completed a comprehensive epidemiologic questionnaire. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Aspirin use among 529 patients with head and neck cancer and 529 hospital-based control subjects matched by age, sex, and smoking status. RESULTS Aspirin use was associated with a 25% reduction in the risk of head and neck cancer (adjusted odds ratio, 0.75; 95% confidence interval, 0.58-0.96). Consistent risk reductions were also noted in association with frequent and prolonged aspirin use. Further, a consistently decreasing trend in risk was noted with increasing duration of aspirin use (P(trend) = . 005). Risk reduction was observed across all 5 primary tumor sites, with cancers of the oral cavity and oropharynx exhibiting greater risk reduction. When analyzed by smoking and alcohol exposure levels, participants moderately exposed to either showed a statistically significant 33% risk reduction (adjusted odds ratio, 0.67; 95% confidence interval, 0.50-0.91), whereas participants exposed to both heavy smoking and alcohol use did not benefit from the protective effect of aspirin. The reduction in risk was relatively more significant in women. CONCLUSIONS Aspirin use is associated with reduced risk of head and neck cancer. This effect is more pronounced in individuals with low to moderate exposure to cigarette smoke or alcohol consumption.
When farm work disappears: labor and environmental change in the Brazilian sugar-ethanol industry

What factors drive labor substitution in the biofuels sector? Can labor substitution engender positive environmental outcomes, such as decreasing carbon emissions? Using the Brazilian sugar–ethanol industry as a case study, this article examines the motivations and consequences of substituting machine harvesters for cane-cutters and ending field burning. Not only does this article interrogate key claims from techno-optimistic and sociological theories of environmental change on how and why producers adopt new practices, but it also highlights the role of labor in processes of environmental change. Using a multi-sited ethnographic method, I collected data in 3 ethanol-producing states in Brazil, where I interviewed 61 mill managers, variety breeders, consultants, and producer syndicate officials and conducted observations at 9 mills. Two main findings emerge. First, labor challenges with farmworkers, not environmental authority, were the primary motivations for changing production practices. Second, although new practices generated positive environmental effects locally, such gains are likely to vanish at the regional level since an expanding industrial sector, with its new employment opportunities, undergirded and made viable mechanization in the biofuels sector. Overall, this article is an empirical account of how an emerging market economy seeks to balance climate change mitigation with an active development agenda.
Determinants of Women s Labor-Force Participation: An Econometric Analysis for Five Countries

Addresses three hypotheses which may help to explain the differences in the observed labour-force participation rates of women and which can be examined using micro-data from LIS. These include: the importance of income needs, the role of marriage patterns, and the effects of children. Identically-specified probit equations were estimated on five rich industrialized countries to test these hypotheses.
Epididymal cystadenomas and epithelial tumourlets: effects of VHL deficiency on the human epididymis

Although epididymal cystadenomas (ECAs) are among the most frequent VHL disease‐associated tumours, fundamental questions about their pathogenesis have remained unanswered. Classification of ECAs is controversial, and the cell of origin is unknown. It is also unknown whether ECAs—like other VHL disease‐associated tumours—arise as a result of VHL gene inactivation, and whether ECAs exhibit subsequent activation of hypoxia‐inducible factor HIF. Moreover, the morphological spectrum of earliest ECA formation is unknown. In a detailed molecular pathological analysis of a series of epididymides collected from VHL patients at autopsy, we found that ECAs are true neoplasms that arise secondary to inactivation of the wild‐type copy of the VHL gene, followed by early and simultaneous activation of HIF1 and HIF2 associated with up‐regulation of downstream targets, including CAIX and GLUT‐1. The observations also indicate that ECA formation evolves from a variety of microscopic epithelial tumourlets, and that these tumourlets are confined to the efferent ductular system. Although genetic and immunohistochemical analysis of precursor structures consistently revealed VHL gene inactivation and activation of HIF in the precursor lesions, only a small subset appears to progress into frank cystadenoma. Thus, ECA tumorigenesis in VHL disease shares fundamental principles with tumorigenesis in other affected organ systems. Copyright © 2006 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Understanding and Mitigating Sources of Teacher Dissatisfaction

iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . v TABLE OF CONTENTS . vi LIST OF FIGURES . x LIST OF TABLES . xi LIST OF ACRONYMS . xii CHAPTER 1: A RESEARCH BASED CONCEPTUALIZATION OF SCHOOL CLIMATE . 1 The Problem and Guiding Question . 1 School Climate as an Umbrella of Concerns . 5 Meaning and Significance of Dissatisfaction . 11 Philosophy of Dissatisfaction . 12 Tools for Teachers to Address Domains of Dissatisfaction. 13 Dissertation in Practice Outline . 14 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW: UNDERSTANDING DOMAINS OF DISSATISFACTION AND WAYS TO IDENTIFY AND ADDRESS THEM . 15 Design-Based Problem Solving . 15 Review of “Teacher Dissatisfaction” in the Literature . 20 Framework of Leadership . 22 Justification of Domains . 23 Classroom Management Solutions . 24 Frames of Understanding . 26 Political Frame . 26 Structural Frame. 28 Human Resource Frame . 30 Symbolic Frame . 31 Domains of Dissatisfaction . 33 School Operations/ Management . 34
Asset Pricing Model Uncertainty: A Tradeoff between Bias and Variance

This paper draws a parallel between model combination and the mean–variance tradeoff in Modern Portfolio Theory (Markowitz 1952) and proposes a bias–variance tradeoff framework. Building on the bias–variance tradeoff framework, the paper proposes a Model Portfolio Approach (MPA) and a Global Minimum Variance(GMV) weighting scheme to mitigate asset pricing model uncertainty. Using a well-conditioned pricing covariance estimator, the proposed approach improves out-of-sample pricing performance over six widely used asset pricing models, a model selection method and two most popular benchmarks in existing model combination studies, that is, the simple arithmetic average (“1/N”) and Ordinary Least Square (OLS) weighting methods.
Distribution of materials in construction and demolition waste in Portugal

It may not be enough simply to know the global volume of construction and demolition waste (CDW) generated in a certain region or country if one wants to estimate, for instance, the revenue accruing from separating several types of materials from the input entering a given CDW recycling plant. A more detailed determination of the distribution of the materials within the generated CDW is needed and the present paper addresses this issue, distinguishing different buildings and types of operation (new construction, retrofitting and demolition). This has been achieved by measuring the materials from buildings of different ages within the Portuguese building stock, and by using direct data from demolition/retrofitting sites and new construction average values reported in the literature. An attempt to establish a benchmark with other countries is also presented. This knowledge may also benefit industry management, especially that related to CDW recycling, helping to optimize procedures, equipment size and operation and even industrial plant spatial distribution. In an extremely competitive market, where as in Portugal low-tech and high environmental impact procedures remain the norm in the construction industry (in particular, the construction waste industry), the introduction of a successful recycling industry is only possible with highly optimized processes and based on a knowledge-based approach to problems.
An integrative framework for sustainable supply chain management practices in the oil and gas industry

This paper proposes a framework for understanding the contextual factors of sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) practices in the O&G industry. It is based on a literature review of studies related to SSCM of O&G topics. The review reveals that there is a lack of SSCM research specific to the industry. Present studies focus on individual stages of its supply chain and do not consider all dimensions of sustainable development, namely economic, environmental and social factors. In addition, existing frameworks lack important contextual aspects of the industry's business and organizational environment. To address these gaps, our research develops an overarching framework operationalizing the internal and external contextual factors of the O&G industry environment that can influence the outcome of its SSCM practices. The proposed framework is useful as a tool in the formulation and implementation of SSCM strategy that enables alignment of a company's internal capabilities with its external environment.