Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Microbiological profiling of food additives and evaluation of their antibacterial efficacy

Food additives are widely used to enhance the taste, texture, appearance and longevity of food items. The aim of this study is to determine the quality and antibacterial activity of different food additives and preservatives. In this study 8 categories of food additives were collected from different super shops in Dhaka city. Almost 90% samples were free from pathogenic microorganisms and a low number of total viable bacteria were found in all samples. Antibacterial activities of these samples were measured by agar diffusion method. Except food color, all remaining categories exhibited zone of inhibition against tested laboratory isolates between 8 mm and 22 mm in diameter. These findings indicate that adding food additives or preservatives in food item can reduce or prevent the growth of pathogenic microorganisms. Harmful effects of food additives to human health need to be evaluated before they are applied in food items. Stamford Journal of Microbiology, Vol.9(1) 2019: 23-26
Supervisees’ of differing genders and races perceptions of power in supervision

ABSTRACT In the current study, we examined the extent to which supervisees’ perceptions of power dynamics related to gender and race in a sample of 229 trainees. Overall, we did not find systematic differences in supervisees’ perceptions of power in clinical supervision based on their gender and race. However, utilizing differential item functioning (DIF) analyses, we found evidence that female and male supervisees perceived power differently for specific aspects of power in clinical supervision. Female supervisees perceived their supervisors as possessing more power in identifying goals of clinical supervision, conceptualizing client cases, and initiating discussions of the power dynamics in the supervisory relationship. Male supervisees perceived their supervisors as possessing more power in providing feedback about their clinical work and counseling skills. Regarding race, we found only slight-to-moderate DIF for one item, Item 10 (i.e. feedback on work with clients”). In light of small sample sizes for some groups, we also examined model-data fit for individual supervisees. These analyses allowed us to explore the degree to which individual supervisees interpreted power dynamics consistently with the larger sample. We identified individual supervisees for whom model estimates had different interpretations from the larger sample. Implications for supervisors and supervision scholars are discussed.
The relationship between digital technologies and internationalisation. Evidence from Italian SMEs

ABSTRACT The article empirically explores the role of e-business digital technologies in explaining the export propensity of Italian SMEs and focuses on the adoption and implementation of e-business technologies that enable firms to share information along the supply chain in order to take into account potential heterogeneities in paths of digitalisation. Our results, besides confirming the positive role of internet-based technologies already investigated in the current literature, show that e-business technologies have a positive impact on internationalisation only when they are embedded within process and organisational innovations and investments in digital skills have been made. This indirectly supports the argument that as the array of technological choices increases, the need for concurrent internal changes, as well as a detailed assessment of the connectedness between technological alternatives and specific business types, industries, or trading environment become increasingly important.
Oral infection, periodontal disease and cytokine production in adults with Down syndrome

AbstractIndividuals with Down syndrome (DS) are known to be highly susceptible to periodontal disease, exhibiting a rapid progression and increased severity in younger age. They are also at high risk for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) with certain risk derived from amyloid-β (Aβ) accumulation. Periodontal disease in DS individuals is related to an impaired immune system, poor oral hygiene, gingival tissue abnormalities, salivary factors, microbial factors and oxidative stress with high levels of radical oxygen resulting in genetic abnormalities. However, simultaneous assessments of these factors were not performed to clear risk factors to periodontal disease in DS individuals. This study investigated relationships among various parameters in oral and systemic diseases in DS and non-DS subjects.Thirty DS subjects and 38 non-DS subjects were enrolled in this study and their oral hygiene and oral disease status were examined. Unstimulated whole saliva and blood samples were collected to investigate the presence of periodontal bacteria, cariogenic bacteria and opportunistic pathogens; interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α saliva concentrations; and Aβ42 plasma concentrations. Among tested parameters, Aβ42 plasma concentrations, development of periodontal diseases, S. mutans rate, lactobacilli per total streptococci ratio, numbers of Candida and IL-6 and IL-8 saliva concentrations were significantly higher in DS subjects than in control subjects. Additionally, oral disease parameters, except for the decay-missing-filled index, were significantly higher in DS subjects than control subjects. However, no significant difference was observed in periodontal bacteria ratios between DS and control subjects.Our results demonstrate that DS subjects are more likely to develop periodontal diseases, produce inflammatory cytokines and become infected by opportunistic pathogens in the oral cavity than control subjects. This is likely due to poor oral hygiene and decreased host defense responses rather than infection of pathogenic bacteria or Aβ accumulation.
Organizational Capacity of Nonprofit Organizations in Rural Areas of the United States: A Scoping Review

ABSTRACT Rural America is facing a plethora of problems related to poverty, crime, health, and education. Nonprofit organizations serve a vital role in rural communities by providing services and advocacy to residents. Yet, it is unknown if rural nonprofits have the means to effectively address the complex issues before them. This study examines the results of scoping review which characterizes the state of empirical knowledge regarding the organizational capacity of rural nonprofits in the United States. Fifteen articles from the past decade uncovered challenges and strengths related to organizational capacity, though more research is necessary to inform funders and educators.
Auf deutsch, bitte! : Target language use among in-service teachers of German.

The present study investigates the use of German by teachers in GFL (German as a foreign language) classrooms in Dutch secondary education. It explores to what extent and in which classroom situations German is used, and whether a discrepancy exists between desired and actual use. Furthermore, this study aims to clarify what factors affect Target Language (TL) use including both hindering and fostering factors. In addition, we determine the impact of individual factors and discuss to what extent the curricular and linguistic situation of German in the Netherlands affects TL use. The results are based on a quantitative analysis of a questionnaire regarding their TL use, which was filled in by 32 GFL teachers. These teachers indicate that they speak German mainly when they give positive feedback, standard instructions, and general and individual orders or warnings, when they help during individual work, and when they discuss reading and listening texts. The complexity of the lesson content, students’ reactions to TL use, and the teachers’ own language proficiency are indicated as most important when deciding whether or not to use the TL. Desired and perceived TL use differ marginally.
Outcome of SWL for Lower Ureteric Calculi

Objective To determine the efficacy of extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy (SWL) in the treatment of lower ureteric calculi.Materials and methods Patients with lower ureteric calculi selected for treatment by SWL from July 2006June 2011 were analyzed retrospectively. Outcomes assessed were stone clearance, complications and retreatment including the need for ureteroscopy. Complications like sepsis, hydronephrosis and deterioration of renal function were documented. Indications for ureteroscopy included failure of fragmentation and failure to clear fragments at follow up. Results A total of 59 patients were studied. There were 51 males and 8 females with age ranging from 19 - 74 years (mean age 43 years). Thirty seven patients had left sided calculi, 21 right sided and one patient had bilateral lower ureteric calculi. The size of the calculi ranged from 5 to 15 mm (mean size 8.44 mm). The number of shocks ranged from 2000 to 8000 (mean no. of shocks 4449). The duration of follow up varied from 2 to 30 days (mean 11.4 days). Ureteroscopy was required in 11 patients. 44 of patients with stone size in the range 11-15 mm required ureteroscopy. Of the 11 patients, six had ureteroscopy for failure to fragment and five for failure of clearance. There was no reported UTI or deterioration of renal function during the study. Conclusion SWL is a safe effective treatment for lower ureteric calculi of size less than 10 mm. But for larger stones (10mm), the rates of failure and need for intervention is higher.
Assessing Treatment Effect Heterogeneity in the Citalopram for Agitation in Alzheimer’s Disease Clinical Trial: A Subgroup Analysis to Guide Personalized Treatment Selections.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a devastating neurodegenerative condition with symptoms of cognitive decline, behavioral disturbances, and ultimately mortality. As there is currently no cure, improvements for management of AD symptoms are desperately needed. The Citalopram for Agitation in Alzheimer’s Disease (CitAD) study examined off-label use of citalopram, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, for management of agitation symptoms. The primary analysis showed a greater average decrease in agitation symptoms and an increase in a potentially serious adverse event with citalopram compared to placebo. Physicians want to know if the treatment effect is heterogeneous, and if so, which patients have the greatest potential to benefit; given the risks, it may be unethical to prescribe the drug to patients with little chance of benefit. Subgroup analyses are employed to assess heterogeneity of effect across subgroups defined by categorical baseline covariates. This is typically done by calculating subgroup treatment effects in a stratified dataset and testing for the interaction between treatment and the baseline covariate. This approach is not very comprehensive, as it only examines one covariate at a time while patients hold multiple characteristics simultaneously. Another limitation of this approach is the use of parametric models which carry the assumption of correct mean model specification. For our subgroup analysis, we employed the two-stage estimation method developed by Cai et al. [3]. In the first stage, parametric working models are used to calculate
Liposomes in dermatological diseases

Liposomes are vesicles comprising of spherical phospholipids making them useful for topical applications of drugs. Liposome research has been expanded considerably and nowadays, it is possible to construct a wide range of liposomes varying in size, phospholipids composition and surface characteristics. In dermatological diseases, the topical application of liposomes has proven to be of high therapeutic value. Liposomes can be used as carriers for hydrophilic as well as lipophilic therapeutic agents because of their amphipathic character. They may improve stabilization of instable drugs by encapsulating them. They have the potential to target drugs into the pilosebaceous structures and hence have an advantage for treatment of hair follicle-associated disorders. Liposomal encapsulated drugs are found useful in the treatment of acne, atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, vitiligo, superficial vein thrombosis and hair removal etc
A Meta‐Analysis of Newsvendor Experiments: Revisiting the Pull‐to‐Center Asymmetry

The field of behavioral operations has produced a rich tradition of experiments in newsvendor decision‐making. Our study provides a meta‐analysis of 24 papers in this research area; we confirm that the pull‐to‐center (PtC) effect, where average order quantities in a sample lie in between average demand and optimal order quantities, is a very stable observable phenomenon across studies. However, we also show that the asymmetry in the PtC effect between high‐margin and low‐margin conditions varies significantly from study to study; factors that allow predicting the extent and direction of the PtC asymmetry include the likelihood of obtaining losses, the way underage costs are presented to subjects, and the existence of a decision support system. We validate these factors using a controlled experiment. In conclusion, the PtC asymmetry appears less as a fundamental attribute of human behavior, but rather as a function of the design aspects of the experiment.
Proposed Reaction Mechanism of Chitosan-graft-Maleic from Chitosan and Maleic Anhydride

Chitosan (Ch), a natural polysaccharide derived from chitin is a widely used raw material in biomaterial research. Modification of chitosan using maleic anhydride (MA) have been done by several researchers with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and acetic acid as a common solvent. In the present work the chitosan was grafted with maleic anhydride using acetic acid and water as a solvent toward ecofriendly functionalization process. In addition, proposed mechanism of this grafting was further studied. The total acidic content and conversion of grafted films were calculated with varying concentration of MA:Ch ratio and temperature. The success of chitosan grafting with maleic was verified by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis. FTIR analysis showed the appearance of new ester group and shifting of amide group from FTIR spectra which indicates that the esterification and amidation occurred in this grafting process.
The Comparison of Four Different Regimens Used for Neonatal Umbilical Cord Care

OBJECTIVE: There is no consensus on the regimens used for umbilical cord care. The purpose of this study is to compare the effectiveness of different regimens used for umbilical cord care. STUDY DESIGN: Dry cord care, alcohol, povidone-iodine, or eosine were applied to 173 healthy fullterm neonates. Periumbilical swab samples were taken on the first, third and the tenth days after delivery. Chi square and frequency analysis were applied. RESULTS: There was no difference between the effectiveness of the four different regimens. The differences between the groups for percentage of colonization and the colonized species, and the separation times of umbilical cord were not significant. CONCLUSIONS: Dry care is a suitable method for umbilical cord care as antimicrobial agents have no superiority in healthy fullterm babies.
Patients' safety in intensive care units in an academic hospital in Gauteng

The purpose of this study was to assess any deviations from protocols and standards of patients’ care in different constructs of nursing care and to compare the deviations with the level of nursing expertise in five ICUs of one Academic hospital in Gauteng in order to make recommendations for nursing practice, education and future research. The study was conducted at one university-affiliated, public sector tertiary hospital in Johannesburg in Gauteng Province. A quantitative, prospective non-experimental design by random application of Critical Nursing Situation Index (CNSI) was used to assess adherence to nursing protocols. This Instrument was developed and validated by Binnekade in 2001 to assess the rate of occurrence of observable nursing errors in Intensive Care Units in the Netherlands. Data was analysed with the use of descriptive and inferential and results were presented as frequencies, graphs, means and standard deviations. Kruskal-Wallis and Cronbach’s reliability coefficient were also used to test the reliability of the tool and relationship between various variables respectively. The statistical significance level was 0.05 (p<0.05). Regarding the 100 patients whose care was assessed, and out of the eight domains of care, basic ICU nursing care was found to be associated with most deviations in relation to recording of patient’s length and body weight (100%, n=100), risk of pressure sore assessment (77%, n=77) and keeping patient’s relatives records (55%, n=55). Six hourly fluid assessment (100%, n=100) and adequate adjustment of alarms for cardiac rhythm (60%, n=60) were also among the areas of care with more than half of the deviations. These two fall under fluid administration and care of the cardiac rhythm and circulation respectively. Moreover, there was a statistically significant difference in occurrence of deviations in fluid administration and nurse’s qualifications. Recommendations were made to address these deviations in relation to patient assessment, risk identification and record keeping all to ensure patient’s safety.
The clinico-epidemiological profile of atopic dermatitis in residential schoolchildren: A study from South Chhattisgarh, India

Introduction: Atopic dermatitis is a chronic, inflammatory, relapsing skin disorder with early age of onset in infancy and early childhood. Objective: The present study was conducted to study the clinico-epidemiological profile of atopic dermatitis among children of residential schools of naxal-infested South Chhattisgarh. Materials and Methods: Ninety children (4.6%) of atopic dermatitis were pooled out from a previous study by the same authors on 1943 children of eight residential schools. The various clinico-epidemiological factors were studied and analyzed using relevant statistical tools. Results: Out of ninety children having atopic dermatitis, boys:girls ratio was 1:1.73. The mean age of onset was 2.14 ± 0.52 years, and the mean duration of illness was 1.71 ± 0.38 years. The personal history of atopy was present in 34 (37.8%) children whereas a family history of atopy was seen in 47 (52.2%) children. Among clinical presentation, chronic type (n = 56, 62.2%) was most common, followed by subacute (n = 24, 26.2%) and acute (n = 10. 11.1%). Flexor (n = 42, 46.7%) was the most common site affected followed by extensor and face (n = 24, 26.7%) each. Mild severity was seen in 76 (84.4%) children followed by moderate severity (n = 12, 13.4%) and severe (n = 2, 2.2%) children. Sweating (n = 53, 58.9%) was the most common aggravating factor followed by seasonal (n = 51, 56.7%), wool (n = 24, 26.7%), stress (n = 15, 16.7%), dust (n = 10, 11.1%), physical exercise (n = 8, 8.9%), and food (n = 2, 2.2%). Conclusions: Atopic dermatitis of chronic type with mild in severity is more common in community.
When Does Altruism Trump Self-Interest? The Moderating Role of Affect in Extrinsic Incentives

Extensive use of incentives in practice suggests that they play a key role in motivating behavior. However, conflicting findings have emerged about the effectiveness of various types of incentives (e.g., a cash incentive vs. a donation to charity). We propose a theoretical framework to explain when and why different types of incentives may be more effective. We posit that motivational efficacy of an incentive is jointly determined by its cognitive and affective value. Thus, an incentive offering a donation to charity can be more motivating than an equivalent cash incentive for the self when the incentive amount is low because, although both lack a motivating cognitive valuation, superior affective valuation of the prosocial incentive can increase its relative effectiveness. Consistent with this account, we demonstrate that low-amount self-benefiting incentives become more motivating when their affective value is enhanced, and low-amount prosocial incentives become less motivating as their affective value is attenuated.
Comparative Analysis of Material Fluctuation Response based on Data Set Groups

Multi spectral capacitive sensor (MSCS) is a sensor that is formed based on the concept of white noise impedance spectroscopy. This concept utilizes the spectral noise frequency approach of the frequency domain signal resulting from the field effect on the dielectric. As a sensor, the consistency results obtained is stable, so that it can facilitate analysis. In this study, we tried to compare data groups, starting with 100 data sets and 300 data sets from a total of 600 data sets for H2O and H2O mixed with NaOH materials and H2O mixed with HCl using a new transformation, namely Tamsir statistical transformation (TST). Furthermore, grouping data uses the total amplitude value of each data set obtained. We obtain the results in the form of differences between groups of data with fluctuations in response patterns that are close together which are shown in 2D graphics. Hence, we can implement the data groups as a reference pattern of fluctuations in a material.
Congenital pneumonia with empyema at birth; a rare presentation

Pneumonia presenting at birth or occurring within first 48 hours of life is most commonly caused by E. coli, Streptococci, Klebsiella aerobacter or Enterococci. Empyema thoracis is not a well-known entity in the neonates. Empyema thoracic is characterized by presence of pus or microorganism in the pleural fluid. It is fulminant with rapid progression with a high mortality. Herin we present a newborn with neonatal empyema.
When Relationships Meet Situations: Exploring the Antecedents of Employee Communication Behaviors on Social Media

Grounded in the relationship management theory and the situational theory of publics, this study examines the effects of employees’ perceived relationships with their organization on their situational perceptions and how these perceptions influence their communication behaviors on social media. An integrated model of situational organization–employee relationship is proposed and tested. The study was based on a national survey of 449 employees working at large organizations in the United States. Organization–employee relationships were found to facilitate employees’ problem recognition and level of involvement and to weaken their constraint recognition. Employees with low constraint recognition and high levels of involvement were more likely to seek, process, and share information on social media, whereas those with high problem recognition tended only to process information. This study is one of the first to integrate the relational perspective with the situational perspective. It also offers practical suggestions for large organizations on how to build and maintain quality relationships with employees and improve their communication behaviors on social media.
Investigating Expressions of Pain and Emotion in Authentic Interpreted Medical Consultations

This descriptive study, which is based on a PhD research conducted at the University of Zurich and at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences, explores the activity of interpreters. At first sight, the interactions between patients and doctors seem to be fluently and smoothly interpreted. Yet, a closer look at the transcripts of the consultations reveals various conversational difficulties. A striking issue in this data set are the patients' complaints about pain and anxieties which do not always reach the doctors or the nurses, because the interpreters cut out affective parts in their renditions. In such cases, the patients' concerns may simply be lost which prevents doctors or nurses from responding on the emotional level. In other situations, however, the doctors or the nurses miss the opportunity to address the patients' feelings, even if the interpreters convey the patients' concerns to them.