Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Causes of death in a rural, population-based human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) natural history cohort in Uganda.

BACKGROUND While human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-related causes of death have been well documented in developed countries, in Africa data are scanty and mainly based on autopsy studies from city hospitals which are highly selective and may not represent causes of HIV-associated deaths in the general population. This study, from a rural population, describes the causes of death in HIV-positive people and their HIV-negative controls. METHODS A natural history cohort comprising HIV-1 infected participants and HIV-negative controls was established in rural Uganda in 1990. Causes of death were determined by reviewing the premorbid clinical and laboratory findings and from information obtained from relatives. Blindness to the deceased's HIV serostatus was maintained throughout. RESULTS In all, 78 deaths occurred over a 6-year period: 63 deaths occurred in the HIV-positive cases (53 prevalent and 10 incident cases) and 15 deaths in the HIV-negative controls. Of the prevalent cases, 56%, and 9% the incident cases enrolled died, compared with 7% of the HIV-negative controls. Of the 55 HIV-positive cases with sufficient data to establish cause of death, 52 (95%) were assessed as having HIV-associated deaths and 48 (87%) died in WHO stage 4 (AIDS). The main causes of death were wasting syndrome (31%), chronic diarrhoea (22%), cryptococcal meningitis (13%) and chest infection (11%). CONCLUSIONS Our results represent an unbiased selection of deaths in a rural area. The HIV-positive cases have high death rates and die of HIV-related pathologies. The main causes of death reflect the WHO clinical case definition of AIDS. Cryptococcal meningitis is also a common cause of death in this population.
The Impact of Fundamental Development Factors on Different Income Groups: International Evidence

We jointly analyze the causal effects of geography, trade integration, and institutional quality on different income groups for developing and developed countries from 1983 to 2012. Favorable geographic conditions tend to discriminate strongly between income groups as low incomes benefit whereas high incomes decline. Controlling for institutional quality and geography, trade integration has a negative effect which increases in absolute size and significance for higher income groups. Institutional quality strongly and positively affects all income groups, however, high income groups tend to profit relatively more than low income groups. These findings are robust for different specification tests and they are consistent over time.
School Closure Decisions Made by Local Health Department Officials During the 2009 H1N1 Influenza Outbreak

Abstract Objectives The goal of this study was to gain insights into the decision-making processes used by California public health officials during real-time crises. The decision-making processes used by California public health officials during the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic were examined by a survey research team from the University of California Berkeley. Methods The survey was administered to local public health officials in California. Guidelines published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had recommended school closure, and local public health officials had to decide whether to follow these recommendations. Chi-squared tests were used to make comparisons in the descriptive statistics. Results The response rate from local public health departments was 79%. A total of 73% of respondents were involved in the decision-making process. Respondents stated whether they used or did not use 15 ethical, logistical, and political preselected criteria. They expressed interest in receiving checklists and additional training in decision-making. Conclusions Public health decision-makers do not appear to have a standard process for crisis decision-making and would benefit from having an organized decision-making model. The survey showed that ethical, logistical, and political criteria were considered but were not prioritized in any meaningful way. A new decision-making tool kit for public health decision-makers plus implementation training is warranted. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2015;9:464–471)
PENGARUH BAURAN PEMASARAN (KUALITAS PRODUK, HARGA, PROMOSI DAN SALURAN DISTRIBUSI) TERHADAP KEPUTUSAN PEMBELIAN YAMAHA NMAX DI SEMARANG

This research is aimed to identify the effect of marketing mix: product, price, promotion and distribution on Yamaha NMAX purchasing decission in Semarang whether as parcial effect and as simultan effect. The type of research is explanotory research with 97 respondents which calculated using purposive sampling technique. Instrument data collection technique is by questionnaire and interview. Data were analyzed using liner regression analysis by SPSS For Windows. This research concludes that product, price, promotion, and place have positive and significant influence on puchasing decission partially. Furthermore, marketing mix has a positive and significant influence on puchasing decission and product is the most siginificant variabel. Concumer perseption of product, price, promotion and distribution are in good category. Then, purchasing decission is in high level. So, advice that can be given for PT. Yamaha Motor Manufaktur Indonesia is to improve that good perception higher with variate the product, use brand ambassador, fullfill the need fast, and provide new distributions channel.
Pelvic lymph node count is an important prognostic variable for FIGO stage I and II endometrial carcinoma with high-risk histology.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether pelvic lymph node count is associated with patterns of recurrence or survival in patients with FIGO stage I and II endometrial cancer. METHODS Single institution retrospective study of 467 patients with FIGO stage I and II endometrial cancer treated with primary surgery including lymph node dissection. Analysis included pelvic lymph node count, histology, stage, age, race, BMI, year of surgery, depth of myometrial invasion, and adjuvant radiation. Kaplan-Meier life-tables were used to calculate survival; the Cox proportional hazards model was used to identify prognostic factors independently associated with survival. RESULTS Mean pelvic lymph node count was 12.6 (SD +/- 8). Distant recurrence was associated with decreased pelvic lymph node count, high-risk histology, and postoperative pelvic radiation. Pelvic lymph node count was not associated with survival by univariate analysis, however, overall (OS) and progression-free (PFS) survival were significantly better with pelvic lymph node counts >or=12 among women with high-risk histology (P < 0.001), but not among women with low-risk histology. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression identified increasing age, non-Caucasian race, and high-risk histology as independent negative prognostic factors for both OS and PFI. Among patients with high-risk histology, pelvic lymph node count remained an independent prognostic factor for both overall (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in the model, with hazard ratios of 0.28 and 0.29, respectively, when >or=12 pelvic lymph nodes were identified. Pelvic lymph node count had no association with OS or PFS in women with low-risk histology. CONCLUSION Pelvic lymph node count >or=12 is an important prognostic variable in patients with FIGO stage I and II endometrial cancer who have high-risk histology. Most likely, the association of survival and lymph node count in this group is the result of improved staging among patients with higher pelvic lymph node counts.
Does Satisfaction With Family-Friendly Programs Reduce Turnover? A Panel Study Conducted in U.S. Federal Agencies

This article sought to understand the association between employee satisfaction with several family-friendly programs and turnover in U.S. federal agencies. It also built on previous cross-sectional studies that examined the relationship between these benefits and both attitudes and outcomes. More specifically, this article used social exchange theory to develop hypotheses regarding the effect of telework, alternative work schedules, child care subsidies, elder care, employee assistance programs, and health and wellness programs on turnover. Furthermore, 4 years of panel data were obtained from the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey and FedScope to test the hypotheses. Consistent with social exchange theory, results from the balanced panel model indicate that satisfaction with family-friendly programs in general had a significant, negative effect on turnover at the . 10 level. The results also indicate that alternative work schedules, child care programs, and employee assistance programs reduced turnover. Child care and employee assistance programs were significant at the . 10 level. Telework, elder care, and health and wellness programs, on the other hand, were not found to have an impact on turnover. The implications the results have for theory and practice are discussed in the article.
Multiple biochemical markers in patients with gynecologic malignancies

Plasma levels of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), alpha‐fetoprotein (AFP), and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) were measured in 253 patients with gynecologic malignancies and in 317 patients with benign gynecologic diseases. Plasma concentrations of each of these antigens were elevated in a significantly (p < 0.001) greater number of patients with invasive gynecologic cancers than in the control population. Carcinoembryonic antigen was the most commonly elevated marker, followed by AFP and hCG. Prior to therapy, over 85% of patients with ovarian or cervical cancer had elevated plasma levels of one or more antigens. Specifically, CEA was most often elevated in patients with mucinous adenocarcinomas of the ovary and endocervix. Alpha‐fetoprotein was most often increased in patients with germ cell or stromal tumors of the ovary and in patients with large‐cell nonkeratinizing cervical cancers. In contrast, hCG concentrations were highest in patients with serous cystadeno‐carcinomas of the ovary and in patients with keratinizing squamous cell carcinomas of the cervix. Plasma antigen levels were directly related to tumor differentiation and stage of disease, and generally returned to normal eight to 12 weeks following therapy. Effective plasma and tumor antigen screening during initial evaluation of patients with gynecologic tumors should help to identify the most appropriate antigen for immunodetection procedures and for serial plasma determinations following therapy.
Medium Term Growth: The Role of Policies and Institutions

In this chapter we review the recent and growing literature on medium-term growth patterns. This strand of research emerged from the realization that for most countries economic development is a highly unstable process; over a course of a few decades, a typical country enjoys periods of rapid growth as well episodes of stagnation and economic decline. This approach highlights the complex nature of growth and implies that studying transitions between periods of fast growth, stagnation, and collapse is essential for understanding the process of long run growth. We document recent efforts to characterize and study such growth transitions. We also update and extend some of our earlier research. Specifically, we use historical data from Maddison to confirm a link between political institutions and propensity to experience large swings in growth. We also study the role of institutions and macroeconomic policies, such as inflation, openness to trade, size of government, and real exchange rate overvaluation, in the context of growth transitions. We find surprisingly complex effects of some policies. For example, trade makes fast growth more likely but also increases the frequency of crises. The size of government reduces the likelihood of fast miracle-like growth while at the same time limiting the risk of stagnation. Moreover, these effects are nonlinear and dependent on the quality of institutions. We conclude by highlighting potentially promising areas for future research.
Stated Choice Methods: Analysis and Applications

1. Choosing as a way of life Appendix A1. Choosing a residential telecommunications bundle 2. Introduction to stated preference models and methods 3. Choosing a choice model Appendix A3. Maximum likelihood estimation technique Appendix B3. Linear probability and generalised least squares models 4. Experimental design 5. Design of choice experiments Appendix A5. 6. Relaxing the IID assumption-introducing variants of the MNL model Appendix A6. Detailed characterisation of the nested logit model Appendix B6. Advanced discrete choice methods 7. Complex, non-IID multiple choice designs 8. Combining sources of preference data 9. Implementing SP choice behaviour projects 10. Marketing case studies 11. Transportation case studies 12. Environmental valuation case studies 13. Cross and external validity of SP models.
Is non-executive directors’ pay or industry expertise related to takeover premiums, abnormal returns and offer price revisions?

We examine the association between various takeover outcomes and bidding firm non-executive directors’ (NEDs) compensation and expertise in the target firm industry. In our sample of 272 acquisitions by ASX listed firms between 2004 and 2011, we find that NEDs’ relative compensation and industry expertise have a negative association with the bid premium. We also find that NEDs’ relative compensation is positively associated with the bidding firm’s market reaction to the takeover announcement, and NEDs’ industry expertise is associated with a lower likelihood of an increase in the offer price, particularly for M&As viewed negatively by the market. These results are consistent with higher NEDs’ relative compensation and industry expertise leading to more effective board monitoring and advising.
Expression of the Rhodobacter sphaeroides hemA and hemT genes, encoding two 5-aminolevulinic acid synthase isozymes

The nucleotide sequences of the Rhodobacter sphaeroides hemA and hemT genes, encoding 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) synthase isozymes, were determined. ALA synthase catalyzes the condensation of glycine and succinyl coenzyme A, the first and rate-limiting step in tetrapyrrole biosynthesis. The hemA and hemT structural gene sequences were 65% identical to each other, and the deduced HemA and HemT polypeptide sequences were 53% identical, with an additional 16% of aligned amino acids being similar. HemA and HemT were homologous to all characterized ALA synthases, including two human ALA synthase isozymes. In addition, they were evolutionarily related to 7-keto-8-aminopelargonic acid synthetase (BioF) and 2-amino-3-ketobutyrate coenzyme A ligase (Kbl), enzymes which catalyze similar reactions. Two hemA transcripts were identified, both expressed under photosynthetic conditions at levels approximately three times higher than those found under aerobic conditions. A single transcriptional start point was identified for both transcripts, and a consensus sequence at this location indicated that an Fnr-like protein may be involved in the transcriptional regulation of hemA. Transcription of hemT was not detected in wild-type cells under the physiological growth conditions tested. In a mutant strain in which the hemA gene had been inactivated, however, hemT was expressed. In this mutant, hemT transcripts were characterized by Northern (RNA) hybridization, primer extension, and ribonuclease protection techniques. A small open reading frame of unknown function was identified upstream of, and transcribed in the same direction as, hemA.
Echinoid facilitates Notch pathway signalling during Drosophila neurogenesis through functional interaction with Delta

The Notch intercellular signalling pathway is important throughout development, and its components are modulated by a variety of cellular and molecular mechanisms. Ligand and receptor trafficking are tightly controlled, although context-specific regulation of this is incompletely understood. We show that during sense organ precursor specification in Drosophila, the cell adhesion molecule Echinoid colocalises extensively with the Notch ligand, Delta, at the cell membrane and in early endosomes. Echinoid facilitates efficient Notch pathway signalling. Cultured cell experiments suggest that Echinoid is associated with the cis-endocytosis of Delta, and is therefore linked to the signalling events that have been shown to require such Delta trafficking. Consistent with this, overexpression of Echinoid protein causes a reduction in Delta level at the membrane and in endosomes. In vivo and cell culture studies suggest that homophilic interaction of Echinoid on adjacent cells is necessary for its function.
Effectiveness and safety of short vs. long duration of antibiotic therapy for acute bacterial sinusitis: a meta-analysis of randomized trials.

WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THIS SUBJECT Treatment guidelines generally support that a 10-14-day antibiotic regimen should be administered to uncomplicated acute bacterial sinusitis patients. However, the level of evidence for such a recommendation is rather weak. Treatment of such duration may have disadvantages compared with a shorter duration but equally effective regimen, including the promotion of bacterial drug resistance, poorest patient compliance, higher toxicity, and a greater overall economic burden. WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS The findings of this meta-analysis suggest that short-course antibiotic treatment has similar effectiveness to longer-course treatment for patients with acute uncomplicated bacterial sinusitis, when treatment is warranted. However, we should underscore the importance of the clinician's own assessment, so that antimicrobial therapy should not inappropriately be curtailed in a patient not adequately responding to the regimen administered. We sought to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of short-course antibiotic treatment for acute bacterial sinusitis (ABS) compared with longer duration treatment. We performed a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), identified by searching PubMed and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. We included RCTs that compared short-course (up to 7 days) vs. long-course therapy (> or =2 days longer than short-course), with the same antimicrobial agent, in the same daily dosage, for patients with ABS. Twelve RCTs (10 double-blinded) involving adult patients with radiologically confirmed ABS were included. There was no difference in the comparison of short-course (3-7 days) with long-course treatment (6-10 days) regarding clinical success [12 RCTs, 4430 patients, fixed effect model (FEM), odds ratio (OR) 0.95, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.81, 1.12]; microbiological efficacy; relapses; adverse events (10 RCTs, 4172 patients, random effects model, OR 0.88, 95% CI 0.71, 1.09); or withdrawals due to adverse events. In the sensitivity analysis comparing 5- vs. 10-day regimens, clinical success was similar, although adverse events were fewer with short-course treatment (5 RCTs, 2151 patients, FEM, OR 0.79, 95% CI 0.63, 0.98). Although antibiotics for acute sinusitis should be reserved for select patients with substantial probability of bacterial disease, accurate clinical diagnosis is often difficult to attain. Short-course antibiotic treatment had comparable effectiveness to a longer course of therapy for ABS. Shortened treatment, particularly for patients without severe disease and complicating factors, might lead to fewer adverse events, better patient compliance, lower rates of resistance development and fewer costs.
Predictors of Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine by Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Survivors and Relationship to Quality of Life

Hypotheses. This study hypothesized that non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) patients who used complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) would have higher health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and a greater perceived sense of control than nonusers. However, since CAM may predict HRQOL, and perceived control may be both associated with CAM use as well as being an independent predictor of HRQOL, the authors also sought to test whether perceived control mediated the relationship between CAM use and HRQOL. Study design. This was a cross-sectional study design. NHL survivors diagnosed between June 1, 1998 and August 31, 2001 were selected from the population-based SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results) cancer registry for Los Angeles County and were mailed a survey in 2003 that assessed CAM use and predictors of CAM use. The response rate was 54.8%; 319 provided complete data for analysis. Methods. Categories of CAM were defined according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine guidelines. The authors measured survivors’ cancer-related control using the Perceived Personal Control scale, a 4-question scale that was adapted from previously validated scales. HRQOL was measured using the mental component summary and physical component summary scores from the SF-36 v2.0. Bivariate and multivariable logistic and linear regression models were used to assess factors associated with CAM use and the association of CAM use with psychosocial health outcomes, respectively. Results. Sixty-one percent of respondents reported using at least one CAM modality within the past 4 weeks, and 40% did so after excluding personal prayer and support groups. Younger age and higher education were significantly associated with greater CAM use as were higher perception of cancer-related control (P = .004) and more positive mental functioning (P = .016). Perception of control significantly mediated the association between CAM use and mental functioning (P < .001). Conclusions. CAM use may be related to more positive mental health–related quality of life by increasing patients’ perception of perceived control over their health; however, cause and effect cannot be determined. Physicians should be aware that cancer survivors have a need to take an active role in improving their health.
Profiles and cognitive predictors of motor functions among early school-age children with mild intellectual disabilities.

BACKGROUND The purpose of the study was to describe sensorimotor profile in children with mild intellectual disability (ID), and to examine the association between cognitive and motor function. METHODS A total of 233 children with mild ID aged 7 to 8 years were evaluated with measures of cognitive, motor and sensory integrative functioning. RESULTS Children with mild ID performed significantly less well on all test measures. 44.2% of children scored in the impaired range on seven out of 22 sensorimotor measures. They had weaker fine motor skills than gross motor skills. Sensory integrative functions were only mildly impaired. Total IQ substantially predicted overall performance on each motor test. Specifically, verbal comprehension and processing speed indexes were significant predictors of gross and fine motor function. CONCLUSIONS Sensorimotor dysfunctions were found to be very frequent in children with mild ID. Early identification of sensorimotor impairments is essential to prompt early intervention and facilitate better integration into regular school settings.