Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Excess Mortality, Hospital Stay, and Cost Due to Candidemia: A Case-Control Study Using Data From Population-Based Candidemia Surveillance

Abstract Objective: To determine the mortality, hospital stay, and total hospital charges and cost of hospitalization attributable to candidemia by comparing patients with candidemia with control-patients who have otherwise similar illnesses. Prior studies lack broad patient and hospital representation or cost-related information that accurately reflects current medical practices. Design: Our case-control study included case-patients with candidemia and their cost-related data, ascertained from laboratory-based candidemia surveillance conducted among all residents of Connecticut and Baltimore and Baltimore County, Maryland, during 1998 to 2000. Control-patients were matched on age, hospital type, admission year, discharge diagnoses, and duration of hospitalization prior to candidemia onset. Results: We identified 214 and 529 sets of matched case-patients and control-patients from the two locations, respectively. Mortality attributable to candidemia ranged between 19% and 24%. On multivariable analysis, candidemia was associated with mortality (OR, 5.3 for Connecticut and 8.5 for Baltimore and Baltimore County; P < .05), whereas receiving adequate treatment was protective (OR, 0.5 and 0.4 for the two locations, respectively; P < .05). Candidemia itself did not increase the total hospital charges and cost of hospitalization; when treatment status was accounted for, having received adequate treatment for candidemia significantly increased the total hospital charges and cost of hospitalization ($6,000 to $29,000 and $3,000 to $22,000, respectively) and the length of stay (3 to 13 days). Conclusion: Our findings underscore the burden of candidemia, particularly regarding the risk of death, length of hospitalization, and cost associated with treatment (Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2005;26:540-547).
The role of cultural capital in the achievement in TIMSS Grade 8 Science in respect of rural secondary schools (1995- 2003): a meta-analysis.

The conditions under which Science learners in poor rural socio-economic contexts learn Science is not necessary the same as their counterparts in well-resourced urban areas. At the centre of this, is the growing concern that their performance in the gateway subjects is comparatively lower than their equals in metropolitan areas. From the foregoing a study was undertaken to explore the role that cultural capital plays in the difference in achievement in the TIMSS Grade 8 Science test amongst the rural secondary schools of Mthwalume Circuit, Kwazulu-Natal. This exploratory study was guided by the following two critical research questions: 1. What is the achievement in the TIMSS Grade 8 Science test amongst rural secondary schools? 2. How do researchers and policy makers explain the relationship between learners’ achievements in the TIMSS Grade 8 Science test and their socio-cultural-economic background? The study combined both qualitative and quantitative methods to collect data. The study employed semi-structured interviews, a probe and TIMSS 1995, 1999 and 2003 secondary sources to generate qualitative data of the study. Statistical analysis of secondary documents from TIMSS studies as presented by the Human Science Research Council (HSRC) were used to generate quantitative data of the study. Pierre Bourdieu’s (1977) theory of cultural reproduction and social reproduction framed the theoretical lens adopted, while meta-analysis strengthened the study in responding to critical questions. The findings from the study revealed that the challenges faced by Science learners in poor, rural socio-economic contexts as compared to their counterparts in well-resourced urban schools are not only attributed to resources, but to other deep seated factors. The initial critical research question one yielded insufficient findings owing to inaccessibility of the quantitative data due to confidentiality and other ethical related issues. However, the revised critical one research question: how did South African Grade 8 learners perform in the TIMSS Science tests from 1995-2003 revealed that out of the 41 countries that participated in TIMSS 1995, South Africa came last. This was the case for TIMSS 1999 and 2003, in which 38 and 50 countries participated respectively. Throughout 1995 to 2003 South Africa’s Grade 8 learners’ performance fell below the international mean score of 474 points, with scores of 244, 243 and 244. When the TIMSS results were analysed according to the nine provinces, it was significant to note amongst the top
Dental caries status and treatment needs of 12-13-year-old children in Sichuan Province, southwestern China.

OBJECTIVE To update information on the dental caries status of children living in the Southwestern part of China for planning appropriate dental care services and to obtain information on caries level in rural areas. METHOD All first year students studying in seven secondary schools (two in urban, two in peri-urban and three in rural areas) in Sichuan Province were surveyed. The students were clinically examined in their schools using procedures and diagnostic criteria recommended by the World Health Organization. RESULTS A total of 1,542 children, 12-13 years of age, were examined of which 660, 519 and 363 were from the urban, peri-urban and rural schools respectively. The prevalence of caries experience was highest in urban children (30%), followed by peri-urban children (21%) and lowest in rural children (13%). The respective DMFT index scores for the urban, peri-urban and rural children were 0.62, 0.38 and 0.18. The differences were statistically significant (P < 0.001). The major component of the DMFT index was untreated decay (DT) in all three areas. CONCLUSION There was a clear trend of increasing prevalence and severity of dental caries in children as the survey sites moved from rural, through peri-urban to urban areas. Thus, estimates of dental caries in Chinese child populations of this age based on surveys conducted in urban areas will probably lead to gross over-estimation as over 80% of the people live in rural areas.
Laryngospasm and Diaphragmatic Arrest in Immature Dogs after Laryngeal Acid Exposure: A Possible Model for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

Laryngopharyngeal reflux has been proposed as a possible cause of sudden infant death Syndrome (SIDS). We investigated the efferent laryngeal and diaphragmatic responses to acid exposure on the laryngeal mucosa using a neonatal canine model. Electromyographic (EMG) recordings from the thyroarytenoid muscle and the diaphragm were measured with hooked-wire electrodes. Reproducible laryngospasm responses occurred in all animals after laryngeal exposure to hydrochloric acid at pH 2.0 or less. Laryngospasm occurred in combination with tachypnea and increased diaphragmatic activity in most of the animals. Laryngospasm was associated with prolonged apnea and total cessation of diaphragmatic EMG activity in 1 animal, and in another, initial tachypnea was followed by erratic diaphragmatic activity and brief apnea. Laryngeal acid exposure (below pH 2.0) causes laryngospasm and may result in paradoxical apneic events in neonatal dogs. Acid-induce, laryngospasm-associated apnea may represent a potential cause of SIDS, and the immature dog appears to be an excellent model for further investigations.
Isolation of bovine respiratory coronaviruses from feedlot cattle and comparison of their biological and antigenic properties with bovine enteric coronaviruses.

OBJECTIVE To isolate bovine coronaviruses from the respiratory tracts of feedlot cattle and compare antigenic and biological properties of these strains with bovine enteric coronaviruses. ANIMALS 5- to 8-month-old mixed-breed cattle at 4 feedlots. PROCEDURE Samples were obtained from the nasal passages for testing. The 13 samples with the highest magnitude of positive values for bovine coronavirus (BCV) were cultured. Ten strains of bovine respiratory coronavirus (BRCV) were adapted successfully to serial passage. After observation of cytopathic effects (CPE) and confirmation of BRCV by immune electron microscopy and immunofluorescence testing, cell culture-adapted strains were cloned by limiting dilution. These isolates then were compared with a panel of bovine enteric coronaviruses (BECV), using hemagglutination (HA), receptor-destroying enzyme activity (RDE), hemagglutination inhibition (HI), and virus neutralization (VN) assays. Antigenic relatedness values then were calculated. RESULTS The BRCV were detected in 105 of 488 (21.5%) of the cattle tested. Of 13 strains tested, 10 were isolated in cell culture. Six of the BRCV strains were similar to 2 strains obtained from neonatal calves with diarrhea and 2 strains from adult cattle with winter dysentery. The other 4 BRCV isolates had high RDE activity against mouse erythrocytes but differed from other strains of BECV Nine of 10 BRCV isolates had properties similar to the 2 BECV subtypes. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE The BRCV can be isolated from nasal passages of cattle entering feedlots. Most BRCV were similar to BECV strains, although a few had unique properties. Vaccines developed to protect against enteric strains also may protect against respiratory tract strains.
Determinants of Sectoral Cost of Equity for an Emerging Market: The Case of Malaysian Firms

The use of capital asset pricing model (CAPM) in measuring cost of equity for emerging markets with the assumptions that the markets are either fully integrated or completely segmented has come under question. Among them, Harvey (1995) and Erb et al. (1996) found no significant relation between standard CAPM’s beta with expected returns. Hence, the current study proposes modifications to the CAPM so that the characteristic of partial integration of emerging markets into the world market is better reflected in the model. The downside risks proposed by Estrada (2000) were also considered. Annual estimates of cost of equity were obtained for 354 firms categorised into seven sectors in the stock exchange for the period 2001-2008. The results showed that the downside risk of the semi-deviation approach provides the most relevant measure for calculating cost of equity. In the second part of this study, semi-deviation estimates were employed to investigate determinants of cost of equity. Pooled, fixed-effect, randomeffect, and dynamic difference- and system-GMM panel models were considered. The results showed that the determinants of cost of equity are not necessarily the same across different sectors, thereby highlighting the importance of sectoral analysis. Several implications were derived from the results of this study.
Optimal Shipping Strategy and Return Service Charge Under No-Reason Return Policy in Online Retailing

Under no-reason return policy in an online setting, online retailers must determine whether to offer free shipping services when delivering products to consumers, and how to charge consumers for returns. To address such decision-making challenges, we develop a theoretic model to derive the optimal shipping strategy and return service charge (RSC) for an online retailer under two decision scenarios, in which decisions on shipping strategy and RSC are made either jointly or separately. We find that the retailer is better off in joint decision scenario than in separate decision scenario; a shipping free strategy is usually accompanied by a higher RSC, while a shipping fee strategy is typically accompanied by a lower RSC. We also find that, market parameters (e.g., the base return quantity, product price, consumers’ sensitivities of shipping fee on demand, RSC on demand and return quantity) have important effects on the retailer’s decisions on shipping strategy and RSC. Our findings suggest that the retailer can benefit from taking positive actions toward influencing the market to determine the favorable shipping strategy and RSC. Furthermore, our results can provide theoretical explanations for widely used shipping strategies and RSCs within the context of no-reason return policies in online settings. In particular, our analytical results explain why some real-world online retailers offer both free shipping and free return services to certain consumers.
Systemic manifestations during eruption of primary teeth in infants.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to describe the most frequent objective clinical manifestations found during the eruption of primary teeth and to assess the correlation between those symptoms and the eruption of various groups of teeth. METHODS The study was conducted in the Clinica Infantil Colsubsidio in Bogota, Colombia. Five hundred and eighty-five children participated in the study. One-hundred and forty-five children ages 4 to 36 months who had at least 1 erupting tooth were included in the study group. The other 357 children served as a control group. Parents were asked to complete a short questionnaire and children were then checked by one of the authors. Chi-square analysis was performed to analyze information obtained for the 2 groups. Level of significance was set at P < . 05. RESULTS There were 81 girls (56%) and 64 boys (44%) in the study group, and 183 girls (54%) and 157 boys (46%) in the control group. The most frequent clinical manifestations were: drooling (15%), diarrhea (13%) and drooling-diarrhea (8%). The presence of fever and fever-diarrhea was shown in a lower percentage (8%). In the study group, boys demonstrated a higher prevalence of diarrhea than girls (P < .05). No statistical significance regarding other clinical manifestations and gender were observed. In the control group, 93% of the children did not show any clinical manifestation. CONCLUSIONS An association has been shown between general objective manifestations like drooling (the most prevalent), fever and diarrhea, and the eruption of primary teeth. Most manifestations appeared during the eruption of the primary incisors.
US REITs capital structure determinants and financial economic crisis effects

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to identify the capital structure determinants through an analysis of 74 All-Equity REITs listed in the US market from 2005 to 2014. Furthermore, the paper aims at understanding the impact of the financial economic crisis (FEC) among the identified explanatory variables. Design/methodology/approach - A fixed effect panel regression model is performed based on Trade-off Theory (TOT) and Pecking Order Theory as a starting point to provide expectations on the relationships incurring among the identified variables. Findings - First, while tangibility of assets and crisis evidenced a positive relationship with REITs’ financial leverage, operating risk and growth opportunities variables displayed a negative relationship. Meanwhile, size and profitability did not appear to influence the capital structure. Second, it appears that the positive effects of tangibility of assets and profitability variables on US REITs’ capital structure increased as a consequence of the FEC. Operating risk and growth opportunities variables slightly increased their negative relationship with US REITs’ capital structure after the FEC. The TOT prevails when explaining the economic reality underlying US REITs. Practical implications - The paper contributes to the understanding of US REITs’ financing decisions within the US market. The FEC also had a substantial indirect impact on the financial leverage determinants of US REITs, the latter being nowadays more oriented to maintaining a flexible capital structure. Originality/value - The paper provides a comprehensive view of the medium-term effect of the FEC on US REITs’ capital structure.
Relationship of transformational leadership with employee creativity and organizational innovation

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine how creative self-efficacy and physical work environment mediate and moderate the relationship of transformational leadership with employee creativity and organizational innovation. Design/methodology/approach The data were collected from 254 managers working in two major automotive manufacturing units in India. The survey response rate was 81.9 percent. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Findings The study findings suggest that transformational leadership augments employee creativity. The authors show that employee creative self-efficacy acts as a mediator and physical work environment as a moderator in the relationship between transformational leadership and employee creativity. Originality/value The study contributes by examining mediating and moderating influences in the relationship between transformational leadership and employee creativity. The data were collected from an important industry in a large, emerging economy that has received much less research attention relative to its size and significance.
Phototargeting Oral Black-Pigmented Bacteria

ABSTRACT We have found that broadband light (380 to 520 nm) rapidly and selectively kills oral black-pigmented bacteria (BPB) in pure cultures and in dental plaque samples obtained from human subjects with chronic periodontitis. We hypothesize that this killing effect is a result of light excitation of their endogenous porphyrins. Cultures of Prevotella intermedia and P. nigrescens were killed by 4.2 J/cm2, whereas P. melaninogenica required 21 J/cm2. Exposure to light with a fluence of 42 J/cm2 produced 99% killing of P. gingivalis. High-performance liquid chromatography demonstrated the presence of various amounts of different porphyrin molecules in BPB. The amounts of endogenous porphyrin in BPB were 267 (P. intermedia), 47 (P. nigrescens), 41 (P. melaninogenica), and 2.2 (P. gingivalis) ng/mg. Analysis of bacteria in dental plaque samples by DNA-DNA hybridization for 40 taxa before and after phototherapy showed that the growth of the four BPB was decreased by 2 and 3 times after irradiation at energy fluences of 4.2 and 21 J/cm2, respectively, whereas the growth of the remaining 36 microorganisms was decreased by 1.5 times at both energy fluences. The present study suggests that intraoral light exposure may be used to control BPB growth and possibly benefit patients with periodontal disease.
The Mechanism and Physiological Function of Macroautophagy

With regard to cell biology, one area of focus that has shifted back and forth over the years has been the relative emphasis on catabolic versus anabolic processes: the breakdown of glucose, the synthesis of DNA, the oxidation of pyruvate, the biogenesis of membranes, protein degradation, and protein synthesis. Historically, the majority of studies concerned with degradation dealt with the production of energy; however, the analysis of the ubiquitin-proteasome system revealed the importance of protein degradation for controlling various aspects of cell physiology. The ubiquitin-proteasome system is limited primarily to targeting individual proteins for destruction, but cells also have to deal with larger structures that are damaged, potentially toxic or superfluous, and these substrates, including entire organelles, are the purview of autophagy. As a general definition, autophagy encompasses a range of processes in which the cell degrades parts of itself within the lysosome (or the analogous organelle, the vacuole, in yeast and plants), followed by the release and reuse of the breakdown products. Thus, autophagy is in part a mechanism for cellular recycling, but such a definition belies the importance of the different autophagic processes in cell and organismal function and homeostasis. Indeed, defects in autophagy are associated with many human diseases and metabolic disorders. Here, we provide a brief overview of the mechanism of autophagy and some of the physiological roles in which this process is involved.
Regular/irregular is not the whole story: the role of frequency and generalization in the acquisition of German past participle inflection*

ABSTRACT The acquisition of German participle inflection was investigated using spontaneous speech samples from six children between 1 ; 4 and 3 ; 8 and ten children between 1 ; 4 and 2 ; 10 recorded longitudinally at regular intervals. Child-directed speech was also analyzed. In adult and child speech weak participles were significantly more frequent than strong participles. Children's errors involved all elements of participle marking. All error types, including over-regularization, occurred from the beginning alongside correct forms. Errors decreased significantly over age. Over-regularization in the sense of -t affixation on strong verbs was significantly more frequent than erroneous -en suffixation on weak verbs but not than prefix and suffix omission. On participles with stem vowel change erroneous stem vowel was significantly more frequent than correct stem vowel with suffix error alone. Error patterns are explained in terms of frequencies, and participle inflection being learned as part of general verb inflection.
Effects of berberine on the pharmacokinetics of losartan and its metabolite EXP3174 in rats and its mechanism

Abstract Context: Losartan and berberine (BBR) are often simultaneously used for the treatment of senile diabetic nephropathy in clinics. However, the potential herb–drug interaction between losartan and BBR is unknown. Objective: This study investigates the influence of BBR on the pharmacokinetics of losartan and EXP3174, and investigates the effects of BBR on the metabolic stability of losartan. Materials and methods: The pharmacokinetic profiles losartan and EXP3174 of orally administered losartan (10 mg/kg) with and without pretreatment with BBR (20 mg/kg) within 24 h were determined in Sprague-Dawley rats. The inhibitory effects of BBR on the metabolic stability of losartan were investigated using rat liver microsomes. Results: The Cmax (1.26 ± 0.37 versus 1.96 ± 0.45 mg/L) and the AUC(0–t) (8.25 ± 0.89 versus 12.70 ± 1.42 mg h/L) of losartan were significantly (p < 0.05) increased by BBR compared to the control, while the Cmax (0.97 ± 0.15 versus 0.77 ± 0.06 mg/L) of EXP3174 was significantly decreased compared to the control (p < 0.05). The Tmax of losartan was prolonged from 0.41 ± 0.12 to 0.52 ± 0.18 h, but the difference was not significant. However, the Tmax of EXP3174 was decreased significantly (p < 0.05) from 8.14 ± 0.36 to 3.33 ± 0.28 h. The metabolic stability of losartan was increased from 37.4 to 59.6 min. Discussion and conclusion: We infer that BBR might increase the plasma concentration of losartan and decrease the concentration of EXP3174 through inhibiting the activity of CYP3A4 or CYP2C9.