Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparative in vitro activity of moxalactam, cefotaxime, cefoperazone, piperacillin, and aminoglycosides against gram-negative bacilli

The in vitro activities of four new beta-lactam antimicrobial agents (moxalactam, cefotaxime, cefoperazone, and piperacillin) and the aminoglycosides against 744 recent clinical isolates of facultative gram-negative bacilli were compared simultaneously by the agar dilution method. The major in vitro difference of these newer beta-lactam compounds appeared to be their antipseudomonal activity; cefoperazone was the most active, whereas cefotaxime had the least potency. The aminoglycosides, however, had the most effective in vitro activity on a weight basis against Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Changes in HIV prevalence among differently educated groups in Tanzania between 2003 and 2007

Objective:HIV prevalence trends suggest that the epidemic is stable or declining in many sub-Saharan African countries. However, trends might differ between socioeconomic groups. Educational attainment is a common measure of socioeconomic position in HIV datasets from Africa. Several studies have shown higher HIV prevalence among more educated groups, but this may change over time. We describe changes in HIV prevalence by educational attainment in Tanzania from 2003 to 2007. Design and methods:Analysis of data from two large, nationally representative HIV prevalence surveys conducted among adults aged 15–49 years in Tanzania in 2003–2004 (10 934 participants) and 2007–2008 (15 542 participants). We explored whether changes in HIV prevalence differed between groups with different levels of educational attainment after adjustment for potential confounding factors (sex, age, urban/rural residence and household wealth). Results:Changes in HIV prevalence differed by educational attainment level (interaction test P value = 0.07). HIV prevalence was stable among those with no education (adjusted odds ratio 2007–2008 vs. 2003–2004 1.03, 95% confidence interval 0.72–1.47), whereas showing a small but borderline significant decline among those with primary education (adjusted odds ratio 0.85, 95% confidence interval 0.69–1.03) and a larger statistically significant decline among those with secondary education (adjusted odds ratio 0.53, 95% confidence interval 0.34–0.84). Discussion:Prevalent HIV infections are now concentrating among those with the lowest levels of education in Tanzania. Although HIV-related mortality, migration and cohort effects might contribute to this, different HIV incidence by educational level between the surveys provides the most likely explanation. Urgent measures to improve HIV prevention among those with limited education and of low socioeconomic position are necessary in Tanzania.
Effect of Peptichemio Exposure on Dna Synthesis in a Mammalian Cell System in Vitro 1

The effect of Peptichemio (PTC) on the survival and DNA synthesis in mouse L-cells was studied. Experimental data show that a typical dose-survival curve is obtained when L-cells are cultivated in the presence of PTC. Exposure of L-cells to various concentrations of PTC caused an inhibition in cellular ability to synthesize DNA which is evidenced by the decreased incorporation of 3H-thymidine. This inhibition is dependent on the concentration of PTC and the time of exposure.
REFINING CARBON SEQUESTRATION ESTIMATES OF SEAGRASS MEADOWS IN TAMPA BAY

As of 2012, there were an estimated 14,243 ha of seagrass meadows in Tampa Bay. Seagrass meadows are the dominant blue carbon habitat in Tampa Bay, compared to the estimated 6,127 ha of mangroves and 1,779 ha of saltmarsh. However, and unlike mangroves and saltmarshes, the entirety of carbon fixation, growth and decay in seagrass meadows occurs in a submerged environment. While rates of primary production in seagrass meadows rank among the highest for any ecosystem on the planet, the organic content of sediments below seagrass meadows is typically much lower than the organic content of soils associated with mangroves and saltmarshes. This paper compares bay-wide estimates of primary production of seagrass meadows in Tampa Bay to estimates of carbon sequestration via sediment burial alone. The much greater rates of primary production found, compared to rates of carbon sequestration via burial, leads to two main conclusions – either sequestration can occur via pathways other than burial alone, or a much smaller percentage of assimilated carbon is sequestered by seagrass meadows, compared to other blue carbon habitats. Based on a combined estimate of both physical and chemical sequestration processes and pathways, the seagrass meadows of Tampa Bay appear to be able to sequester approximately 41,731 Mg C / yr, which approximates the annual carbon output of ca. 32,000 typical cars.
Dynamic electromagnetic evasion-pursuit games with uncertainty

Abstract : We consider two player electromagnetic evasion-pursuit games where each player must incorporate significant uncertainty into their design strategies to disguise their intension and confuse their opponent. In this paper, the evader is allowed to make dynamic changes to his strategies in response to the dynamic input with uncertainty from the interrogator. The problem is formulated in two different ways; one is based on the evolution of the probability density function of the intensity of reflected signal and leads to a controlled forward Kolmogorov or Fokker-Planck equation. The other formulation is based on the evolution of expected value of the intensity of reflected signal and leads to controlled backward Kolmogorov equations. In addition, a number of numerical results are presented to illustrate the usefulness of the proposed approach in exploring problems of control in a general dynamic game setting.
THE FINANCIAL CRISIS: DID CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AFFECT THE PERFORMANCE OF PUBLICLY-TRADED U.S. BANK HOLDING COMPANIES?

In this paper, we look at the performance of publicly-traded U.S. banks before and during the financial crisis. Obviously, bank performance decreased dramatically during the financial crisis. This decrease occurred for all size banks. However, the biggest banks saw the largest losses. We also explore the extent to which corporate governance in the banking industry changed during the financial crisis and how corporate governance measures related to the performance of banks during the period of the crisis. We find that corporate governance, particularly CEO pay-forperformance sensitivity (PPS) and insider ownership, weakened significantly just before and during the financial crisis. Most interesting, we find that corporate governance variables had a significant impact on 2008 market returns for the largest banks and not as much for smaller banks, e.g., those banks with the strongest corporate governance controls performed best. However, just prior to the start of the financial crisis, some banks, particularly larger banks, weakened their corporate governance controls (i.e., PPS and insider ownership) in place which led to more severe drops in market returns. At a time when corporate governance would have been vitally important, these banks experienced decreases in management monitoring.
Factors associated with burnout of physical therapists in Massachusetts rehabilitation hospitals.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to determine the factors associated with burnout in physical therapists at rehabilitation hospitals. Burnout is a serious concern because it can lead to psychosomatic complaints, work-associated withdrawal behaviors, and a decreased quality of care. SUBJECTS Full-time, nonadministrative, nonsupervisory, staff physical therapists working in inpatient settings in rehabilitation hospitals in Massachusetts were surveyed. METHODS The survey included demographic data, the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), and questions designed to address attributes of the work environment and individual personalities. The MBI scores were calculated according to instructions provided by publishers to determine the degree of burnout experienced by this group. Questions involving personality and work environment were submitted to factor analyses. Multivariate analyses were done to determine the factors related to burnout. RESULTS Forty-six percent of the respondents scored high on the emotional exhaustion subscale of the MBI, 20% scored high on the depersonalization subscale, and 60% scored low on the personal accomplishment subscale. As a whole, the sample demonstrated moderate burnout. Three factors emerged from the factor analysis. The factors communication/connectedness, achievement, and time constraints accounted for 69% of the variability in emotional exhaustion and 73% of the variability in depersonalization and personal accomplishment. Burnout was not significantly associated with the therapists' number of years of practice, number of years on the job, or number of patients seen daily. CONCLUSION AND DISCUSSION Recognition of factors contributing to burnout may prove to be instrumental in the prevention of burnout in physical therapists and the problems that arise from it.
Fire-Sale Spillovers in Debt Markets

We assess fire-sale spillovers empirically using a new approach to measure network linkages across financial institutions and rich micro data for the universe of open-end fixed-income mutual funds. We find evidence that flows are interdependent across funds with asset class overlap, consistent with the hypothesis that one fund's redemptions may spill-over on to those of other funds by leading to distressed sales that adversely impact other funds' performance. We use several strategies to identify the causal link between any given fund's flows and those of its peers, including a regression discontinuity (RD) design that exploits sharp changes in peer flows around Morningstar 5-star ratings. The source of identification of our RD approach is quasi-random variation in peer flows around the arbitrary performance cutoffs used by Morningstar to assign their 5-star ratings, which is plausibly unrelated to changes in common industry fundamentals. Consistent with a fire-sale mechanism, not just fund flows, but also fund performance and liquidity, as well as the pricing of corporate bonds sold by funds under peer pressure, are adversely affected. Our approach yields simple measures of vulnerability of a fund family to system-wide flow pressures, which can be used for policy evaluation of alternative financial stability tools.
Endoscopic third ventriculostomy has no higher costs than ventriculoperitoneal shunt.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the cost of endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) compared to ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) in the treatment of hydrocephalus in children. METHOD We studied 103 children with hydrocephalus, 52 of which were treated with ETV and 51 with VPS in a prospective cohort. Treatment costs were compared within the first year after surgery, including subsequent surgery or hospitalization. RESULTS Twenty (38.4%) of the 52 children treated with VPS needed another procedure due to shunt failure, compared to 11 (21.5%) of 51 children in the ETV group. The average costs per patient in the group treated with ETV was USD$ 2,177,66±517.73 compared to USD$ 2,890.68±2,835.02 for the VPS group. CONCLUSIONS In this series there was no significant difference in costs between the ETV and VPS groups.
Suicide and self-destruction among American Indian youths.

Suicide mortality among most tribes of American Indians has predominantly been a problem of the young. With the recent concern about teenage and youthful suicide in the general U.S. population, it is important to re-examine youthful suicide among Indians and to compare the Indian experience with that of the U.S. Using a variety of data sets, sources, and studies, this paper presents a brief overview of the nature of our knowledge of youth suicide, suicide attempts, and single vehicle crashes among various tribes. Included in the presentation is a brief history of the professional and governmental concern about suicide among Indians and a twenty year follow-up of suicide death at an Intermountain Indian reservation. The variety of prevention and intervention efforts undertaken at this particular reservation are described as positive examples which other communities and/or tribes might follow. Mental health professionals must continue to learn from the experience of tribes and communities who have suffered in the past from epidemics of self-destruction so that the future is more positive. Of great concern to all U.S. professionals in mental health and education fields is the fact that youth suicide rates have risen dramatically over the past three decades. During this era, the suicide rate among those aged 15-24 years tripled, going from 4.5 per 100,000 in 1958 to 12.1 in 1982 (U.S. Vital Statistics, 1967; National Institute of Mental Health, 1985). The numerical increase in this period was from 1000 to over 5000 deaths each year. A substantial increase has also been registered in suicide among youth aged 10-14 years, but rates in this age group might be more subject to changing definitions of the classification of suicide mortality than to an actual change in behavior. The increase in youth suicide is greatest among males, particularly white males, who in 1982 had a rate twice as high as black males in the ages 15 to 24 years (See Table 1). White females aged 15-24 have rates of suicidal death which are only one-fourth that of white males, and black females have a rate which is one-fifth that of black males and one tenth that of white males (NIMH, 1985). Therefore, from readily available data published by vital statistics on the two major color/ethnic groups in the U.S., the problem is greatest among whites, particularly males. The focus of this paper is a brief review of selected studies and data on suicide and self-destruction among American Indians of various tribes. While the above data summarize the trends among the largest American Indian and Alaska Native Mental Health Research, 1(1), June 1987, pp. 57-74. American Indian and Alaska Native Mental Health Research Copyright: Centers for American Indian and Alaska Native Health Colorado School of Public Health/University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus (www.ucdenver.edu/caianh)
Impact of Channel Orientation on Electrical Properties of Ge p- and n-MOSFETs With 1-nm EOT Al2O3/GeOx/Ge Gate-Stacks Fabricated by Plasma Postoxidation

The impact of surface orientations on electrical characteristics of Ge pand n-channel MOSFETs with ultrathin equivalent oxide thickness Al2O3/GeOx/Ge gate-stacks is systematically investigated. It is found that (100), (110), and (111) GeOx/p-Ge metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) interfaces have a similar interface trap density (Dit) level, but (100) GeOx/n-Ge MOS interfaces exhibit the lowest Dit. As a result, the highest peak mobility is obtained in (110) Ge pMOSFETs for holes and in (100) Ge nMOSFETs for electrons. The higher interface state density is observed inside valence band of Ge for (110) GeOx/Ge MOS interface and inside conduction band of Ge for (110) and (111) GeOx/Ge MOS interfaces, leading to the significant effective mobility reduction in high normal field for (110) Ge pMOSFETs, and (110) and (111) Ge nMOSFETs. It is also confirmed that decrease of plasma oxidation temperature is also effective in reduction of the interface roughness at (100) to (111) GeOx/Ge interfaces, resulting in clear enhancement of both hole and electron mobility in high normal field region.
Astragali and Angelica protect the kidney against ischemia and reperfusion injury and accelerate recovery.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the role of Astragali and Angelica (A&A) of Chinese herbs in acute renal ischemia/reperfusion injury, and the related intracellular signal transduction mechanism. METHODS Acute ischemic renal injury in rats was induced by clamping in renal pedicel for 45 minutes. Rats in therapy group were given a single dose (2 ml/day) of A&A for 3 days before clamping, and then continued for another 3 days. Forty-five minutes after clamping and at different reperfusion time, serum creatinine (Scr) and renal pathological changes were taken and compared in both groups. The proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) positive cells were detected by immunohistochemistry. Extracelluar regulating kinase (ERK) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) activity was assayed by specific substrate phosphorylation with immunoprecipitation. RESULTS At the 24th hour of reperfusion, Scr was lower in A&A group than that in the control. Much less necrotic tubular cells, casts, and more PCNA-positive cells were found in A&A group. ERK activity decreased after clamping, and recovered at 5 minutes of reperfusion. There was no difference between the two groups. JNK activity did not change after ischemia, but increased at 5 minutes and peaked at 20 minutes of reperfusion. JNK activity was significantly higher in A&A group than that in the control group. CONCLUSION A&A protected kidney against ischemic insult and accelerated both functional and histological recovery after acute renal ischemia/reperfusion injury, which may associate with the change of JNK signaling pathway.
A rapid colorimetric method for the determination of phenylglyoxylic and mandelic acids: Its application to the urinalysis of workers exposed to styrene vapour

Ohtsuji, H. , and Ikeda, M. (1970). Brit. J. industr. Med.,27, 150-154. A rapid colorimetric method for the determination of phenylglyoxylic and mandelic acids. Its application to the urinalysis of workers exposed to styrene vapour. A rapid colorimetric method has been developed for the determination of the styrene metabolites, phenylglyoxylic and mandelic acids, in urine. Ether extracts of acidified urine containing the two acids were evaporated to dryness in a test tube, and a mixture of sulphuric acid and formalin (100:1, v/v) was added for colour development. Factors necessary to convert optical extinction to gravimetric units were determined. When urinesamples from workers exposed to up to 30 ppm of styrene were analysed for phenylglyoxylic and mandelic acids together with hippuric acid, it was found that the phenylglyoxylic acid level provided the most sensitive index of styrene exposure and that the optical extinction at 350 nm was practically proportional to phenylglyoxylic acid concentration. No significant increase in hippuric acid levels was observed.
Knowledge, Attitude and their Effect on the Recently Graduated Employees’ Financial Management Practices and Satisfaction

Researches on financial management practices still seems to be in its embryonic stage, particularly in the context of Nepal where studies taking Nepalese sample are in trivial number though this issue has received an increased attention internationally. This study carries in its womb the objectives of determining the effect of financial knowledge and attitude on the financial management practices and satisfaction with the financial status by taking a total of 110 recently graduated employees as sample respondent. The Family Resource management model originally conceptualized by Deacon and Firebaugh (1988)has been the inspiration for the conceptual framework so constructed for this study. The more positive financial attitudes, longer the job experience and stronger the family’s financial background, the better was the financial management practices among the recently graduated employees. Likewise, wealthy financial background of the respondent’s family, their longer job experience and sound financial management practices adopted by them were related to higher satisfaction with financial status. However, financial knowledge possessed by them was found to be insignificant in predicting their financial management practices as well as satisfaction with their financial status. Economic Literature Vol.12 2014: 69-81
Effects of Ambiguous Common Uncertainty on Employee Preference for Relative Performance Contracts

We distinguish ambiguous common uncertainty (with unknown probability distribution) from risky common uncertainty (with known probability distribution) and examine how employee preference for relative performance contracts differs between the two conditions. Using economics and psychology theory in decision making under uncertainty, we hypothesize that (i) preference for relative performance contracts is low (high) when common uncertainty is ambiguous (risky); and (ii) confidence mediates the relation between ambiguity and preference for relative performance contracts. Results from a controlled laboratory experiment support these predictions. A follow-up experiment provides evidence that the direct effect of ambiguity and the mediating effect of confidence disappear if the contract is based on independent performance measures. Our study contributes to the literature on performance measurement, employee contract preference, and decision making under uncertainty.
The Development of an Efficient Multipurpose Bean Pod Mottle Virus Viral Vector Set for Foreign Gene Expression and RNA Silencing1[C]

Plant viral vectors are valuable tools for heterologous gene expression, and because of virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS), they also have important applications as reverse genetics tools for gene function studies. Viral vectors are especially useful for plants such as soybean (Glycine max) that are recalcitrant to transformation. Previously, two generations of bean pod mottle virus (BPMV; genus Comovirus) vectors have been developed for overexpressing and silencing genes in soybean. However, the design of the previous vectors imposes constraints that limit their utility. For example, VIGS target sequences must be expressed as fusion proteins in the same reading frame as the viral polyprotein. This requirement limits the design of VIGS target sequences to open reading frames. Furthermore, expression of multiple genes or simultaneous silencing of one gene and expression of another was not possible. To overcome these and other issues, a new BPMV-based vector system was developed to facilitate a variety of applications for gene function studies in soybean as well as in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris). These vectors are designed for simultaneous expression of multiple foreign genes, insertion of noncoding/antisense sequences, and simultaneous expression and silencing. The simultaneous expression of green fluorescent protein and silencing of phytoene desaturase shows that marker gene-assisted silencing is feasible. These results demonstrate the utility of this BPMV vector set for a wide range of applications in soybean and common bean, and they have implications for improvement of other plant virus-based vector systems.
Differential modulation of macrophage membrane markers by interferon: analysis of Fc and C3b receptors, Mac-1 and Ia antigen expression.

The role of interferon (IFN) as a specific modulator of macrophage receptor and cell surface antigen expression has only recently been established. We previously demonstrated that macrophages derived from thioglycollate-treated C3H/HeJ mice provide an extremely sensitive model for analyzing the induction of enhanced Fc receptor capacity on treatment with IFN. Macrophage cultures treated with murine β IFN or γ IFN preparations were found to exhibit a dose-dependent increase in the ability to bind and phagocytose sheep erythrocytes coated with rabbit IgG antibodies (EAIgG). We have since found that highly purified β IFN (5 x 108 U/mg) induced an increase in both the number and density of IgG Fc receptors which correlates well with the enhanced ability of IFN-treated cells to bind and phagocytose sheep erythrocytes opsonized with either monoclonal IgG2a or IgG2b antibodies. These findings were confirmed using recombinant α IFN. We have also examined the ability of IFN to modulate other macrophage surface mar.