Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impact of Fluoroquinolone Susceptibility Suppression on Discharge Prescribing for Acute Uncomplicated Cystitis

Abstract Background Fluoroquinolones (FQs) are associated with adverse effects and increasing resistance. However, uncomplicated cystitis remains a frequent reason for FQ use. Selective reporting involves withholding susceptibilities for select antimicrobial agents on microbiology reports, in hopes of dissuading use by providers. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of FQ susceptibility suppression on discharge prescribing for hospitalized patients with uncomplicated cystitis. Methods This retrospective quasi-experimental analysis was conducted among adult patients at a 350-bed academic medical center. Its aim was to compare the incidence of FQ prescribing for cystitis at hospital discharge, one year before and after implementation (1 March 2017–31 March 2019) of a policy to suppress FQ urinary susceptibility results for pansusceptible Klebsiella spp and Escherichia coli. FQ appropriateness and risk factors for FQ use were also examined. Results There was a relative risk reduction of 39% in discharge FQ prescribing when adjusted for discharge team (adjusted risk ratio, 0.61; 95% CI, .40–.93). Almost all FQ use was inappropriate, largely due to organisms’ susceptibility to a guideline-preferred agent (n = 61). In multivariate analysis, odds ratios of discharge FQ prescribing were 0.22 (95% CI, .12–.39) for insured patients, 0.43 (95% CI, .21–.86) for patients with antibiotic allergy, and 57.8 (95% CI, 13.7–244) for those receiving inpatient FQ. Discharge from a medicine team was protective against discharge FQ prescribing. Conclusions With multidisciplinary inpatient medicine services and avoidance of inpatient FQ use, suppression of FQ susceptibilities on pansusceptible urine isolates for Klebsiella spp and E coli may represent an attractive strategy for antibiotic stewardship at hospital discharge.
Uppermost Cretaceous to middle Oligocene carbon and oxygen isotope stratigraphy of Southwest Pacific: Holes 1121B and 1124C, ODP Leg 181

Abstract Oxygen and carbon isotopic ratios of bulk sediments from ODP Leg 181, Holes 1121B and 1124C, in the Southwest Pacific were measured. The isotopic signals are mainly contributed by calcareous nannofossils with minimal diagenetic alteration. A complete section of the late Paleogene age between 60.7 and 57.5 Ma was recovered from Hole 1121B. However, the Paleogene sedimentary sequence of Hole 1124C was truncated by three major hiatuses: late Paleocene to middle Eocene (59–42 Ma), middle Eocene to early Oligocene (40–33.5 Ma), and early Oligocene to middle Oligocene (31.3–27.5 Ma). The middle Eocene shows the most negative δ18O values (c. ‐0.8‰) compared to the early Paleocene (c. ‐0.2 to ‐0.3‰) and Oligocene (c. 0.6–0.9‰). The δ18O pattern is consistent with previous understanding of the Paleogene paleoclimate: a warmth optimum in the early‐middle Eocene followed by a major glaciation in the early Oligocene at c. 34 Ma. The hiatus of 33.5–40 Ma indicates that the Tasmanian Gateway had deepened enough by 33.5 Ma, allowing the breakthrough of cold, bottom water and consequently the formation of the Deep Western Boundary Current (DWBC). With the aid of independent biochronological and magnetochronological markers, the Paleocene carbon isotopic profiles were correlated with that of DSDP 577 in the North Pacific. Both sites record the early part of the Paleocene carbon isotopic maximum event, while only Hole 1124C extends back to the early Paleocene and latest Cretaceous. A short hiatus of 60.5–62.5 Ma age may exist. Although the Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary is not directly recorded, a significant cooling trend across the boundary is evident. The surface water became warmer after 64.5 Ma, and reached a stable warmth level during 64–59 Ma. A major cooling took place during c. 59–57 Ma in the late Paleocene. The temperature gradients between the two sites (ODP 1121 and 1124, paleolatitudes 64°S versus 53°S) are estimated to be c. 2°C. Together with the oxygen isotopic profiles of North Pacific (DSDP 577, paleolatitude 7°N) and eastern Indian Ocean (ODP 761B, paleolatitude 32°S), the overall pattern suggests that the temperature gradients between the high latitudes and the subtropics increased substantially during this cooling period.
Ageing in place or stuck in place: Preferred care setting for community-dwelling older persons in a low-resource country in Sub Saharan Africa

Background Ageing in Place is the emerging social policy drive for long-term care coordination of older persons globally. This decision may be the only viable option in many low- and middle-income countries like Nigeria. Nevertheless, the risk of older persons being ‘stuck in place’ is high if their preferences are not considered or other alternatives are neither acceptable nor available. This study determined factors associated with the preferred care setting among community-dwelling older persons and explored their views about their choices. Methods The study utilised a mixed-methods approach. Participants were older persons (≥ 60 years) in a selected rural and urban community in Oyo State, south-western Nigeria. Quantitative data were collected using an interviewer-administered, semi-structured questionnaire and analysed using Stata version 14 at p<0.05. Qualitative data collection involved 22 Focus Group Discussions (FGD). The discussions were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically using ATLAS.ti version 8. Selected quotations were used to illustrate themes. Results 1,180 participants (588 rural vs 592 urban) were interviewed with a mean age of 73.2 ±9.3 years. More rural participants preferred to AIP (61.6%) compared to urban participants (39.2%), p = 0.001. Factors associated with the decision for rural participants were older age [OR:2.07 (95%CI:1.37–3.14)], being male [OR:2.41(95%CI:1.53–3.81)] and having assistance at home [OR:1.79 (95%CI:1.15–2.79)]. In comparison, significant factors for urban participants were older age (≥70years) [OR:1.54(95%CI:1.03–2.31)] and home-ownership [OR:5.83 (95%CI:3.82–8.91)]. The FGD revealed that the traditional expectation of reciprocity of care mostly influenced the desire to AIP. Advantages include improved social connectedness, quality of care, community participation and reduced isolation. Interestingly, participants were not opposed to the option of institutional care. Conclusion Ageing in place is preferred and influenced by advanced age and home ownership in our setting. Information provided could guide age-friendly housing policies and community-based programmes for the care of older persons.
Assessment of online patient education material for eye cancers: A cross-sectional study

The objective of this study was to assess online American patient education material (PEM) related to eye cancers in order to determine the quality of the content and appropriateness of the contents’ reading level as it relates to the American population. PEMs were extracted from fifteen American cancer and ophthalmology associations and evaluated for their reading level using ten validated readability scales. PEMs then had all words extracted and evaluated for their difficulty and familiarity. The quality of the PEMS were assessed according to DISCERN, Heath On the Net Foundation Code of Conduct (HONCode), and JAMA benchmarks. Overall, online PEMs from the associations were written at a 11th grade reading level, which is above the recommended 6th grade reading level. The difficult word analysis identified that 26% of words were unfamiliar. Only one of the fifteen association held a HONCode certification while no organization met the standards of all four JAMA benchmarks. The average score for DISCERN was 2.4 out of a total of 5 for the fifteen questions related to treatment option information quality. Consideration should be made to create PEMs at an appropriate grade reading level to encourage health literacy and ultimately promote health outcomes. Associations should also focus on incorporating easily identifiable quality indicators to allow patients to better identify reputable resources.
Chapter 24 Late Ordovician zooplankton maps and the climate of the Early Palaeozoic Icehouse

Abstract Chitinozoans and graptolites are the main components of preserved Ordovician zooplankton. As with much of the modern plankton, the ‘first-order’ species distributions of Ordovician plankton reflect water masses defined on the basis of sea surface temperatures. For ‘time slices’ of less than a few million years, zooplankton distribution patterns can be used to infer latitudinal sea surface temperature gradients, key palaeoceanographical boundaries and the position of Ordovician climate belts. Here, using two Late Ordovician time intervals – the early Sandbian and Hirnantian – we review how zooplankton distribution patterns identify Late Ordovician cooling and reflect the development of severe icehouse conditions. Supplementary material: Additional information on methods and material is available at: http://www.geolsoc. org.uk/SUP18670
Foraminiferal associations in Wanganui Bight and Queen Charlotte Sound, New Zealand

Abstract Eight benthic foraminiferal associations are recognised in Wanganui Bight and Queen Charlotte Sound, New Zealand, based on cluster analysis of census data from 52 sediment samples. Distribution of the four associations in Wanganui Bight correlates with increasing water depth: Elphidium charlottense/Haynesina depressula/ Patellinella inconspicua association (17–27 m); Patellinella inconspicua/ Quinqueloculina suborbicularis association (20–42 m); Cassidulina carinata/Miliolinella subrotundata association (42–66 m); and Cassidulina carinata/Bulimina submarginata (72–109 m). The four associations in Queen Charlotte Sound are: Quinqueloculina seminula/Elphidium advenum/Haynesina depressula in sandy shallows (0.5–7 m); Epistominella vitreal Haynesina depressula in shallows of the outer Sound (4–12 m); Elphidium vellai/Haynesina depressula in the mouth of the Sound (9–25 m); and Nonionella flemingi/ Notorotalia finlayi in a muddy, sheltered basin (25–42 m). The most important physical factors influenci.
Self-consistent strain rate and heat flow modelling of lithospheric extension: application to Newfoundland-Iberia conjugate margins

ABSTRACT The formation of highly extended continental margins is much debated and it remains unclear whether these margins form by uniform or depth-dependent stretching of lithosphere. The existence and form of depth dependency at deep-water margins is of considerable importance to hydrocarbon exploration. Recent discussion has centred on the amagmatic Newfoundland-Iberia conjugate margins where dense seismic wide-angle and deep reflection surveying has yielded well-resolved images of the crust and lithospheric mantle. We have tackled the problem of depth-dependency in three steps. First, we have reconstructed water-loaded subsidence histories by making simple assumptions about changes in water depth through time. Secondly, we have used these reconstructed subsidence histories to determine the spatial and temporal variation of lithospheric strain rate. Crucially, we make no prior assumptions about the existence and form of depth dependency. Inverse modelling has yielded excellent fits to both reconstructed subsidence and crustal thickness observations. Strain rate distributions are depth-dependent, suggesting that lithospheric mantle thins over a wider region than the crust. In order to avoid generating substantial volumes of syn-rift melt, crustal strain rates greatly exceed lithospheric mantle strain rates beneath highly-extended parts of the crust. These strain rate distributions control the growth and heat flow history of the conjugate margins through space and time.
The Impact of Class Attendance on Student Performance : Evidence from the Tropics

This paper investigates the impact of class attendance on student performance in an Intermediate Microeconomics class at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona. No other study has explored this relationship in this area of the world. The author controls for a comprehensive number of student characteristics as well as the university characteristic class size. Because of well known endogeneity issues, both OLS and 2SLS are used to estimate the model. The results indicate that class attendance does have a positive impact on the student's grade, and that it is possible to find suitable proxies for motivation and ability.
Protein and Chlorophyll Contents of Solanum melongena on Diesel Oil Polluted Soil Amended with Nutrient Supplements

The study investigated the remediation effect of nutrient amendments of diesel oil polluted soil on protein and chlorophyll contents of eggplant (Solanum melongena). Soil samples were polluted and amended separately with different weights of poultry waste, pig waste, cow dung and inorganic fertilizer. Soil samples were also polluted with diesel oil without amendment to achieve 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10% pollution. Samples were analyzed at two weeks interval for sixteen weeks. The plant protein and chlorophyll were affected adversely by the diesel oil pollution and the higher the level of pollution, the more the effect. The nutrient amendments were able to remedy the effect of the diesel oil pollution. The remediation effect was nutrient weight dependent and the best remediation effect was observed in poultry waste amended samples. This study has shown that diesel oil contaminated soil may have adverse effect on the protein and chlorophyll contents of plants, but this can be remedied by addition of organic nutrient supplements especially poultry waste.
Multi‐instrument observations of soft electron precipitation and its association with magnetospheric flows

[1] We present a multi-instrument study on the variations of optical auroras and ionospheric electron densities during an interval of a series of fast earthward flows in the magnetotail on 3 March 2009. The flow-related auroral signatures include intermittent higher-latitude (>68° magnetic latitude) intensifications manifested in green and blue line auroras and more latitudinally extended red line auroral intensifications and expansions. During the same interval the Poker Flat incoherent scatter radar (PFISR) detected F region ionospheric electron density enhancements which, together with the red line auroral intensifications, give evidence for soft electron (<1 keV) precipitation associated with fast magnetospheric flow activity. We demonstrated the southward motion of ionospheric electron density patches in correspondence to individual earthward flow bursts and auroral activations. By virtue of the multibeam technique of PFISR we construct the altitudinal profile of the density patches and estimate that the characteristic energies of the precipitating electrons were on order of a few hundred eV, comparable to the observed electron temperature in the near-Earth central plasma sheet (CPS). We propose that the fast flows give rise to enhanced ELF wave activity, which causes strong pitch angle diffusion of the soft electron population in the CPS via wave-particle interactions. The precipitation may be further aided with a moderate field-aligned potential drop comparable to or smaller than the CPS electron temperature. When the flows penetrate into the inner plasma sheet, the adiabatic drift motion of soft electrons may lead to a decreasing trend of electron energy with decreasing radial distance, which is manifested in PFISR observations as an ascending trend of the altitude range of the density patches toward the equatorward auroral border.
On the roles of function and selection in evolving systems

Significance The universe is replete with complex evolving systems, but the existing macroscopic physical laws do not seem to adequately describe these systems. Recognizing that the identification of conceptual equivalencies among disparate phenomena were foundational to developing previous laws of nature, we approach a potential “missing law” by looking for equivalencies among evolving systems. We suggest that all evolving systems—including but not limited to life—are composed of diverse components that can combine into configurational states that are then selected for or against based on function. We then identify the fundamental sources of selection—static persistence, dynamic persistence, and novelty generation—and propose a time-asymmetric law that states that the functional information of a system will increase over time when subjected to selection for function(s).
Peatlands and the carbon cycle: from local processes to global implications - a synthesis

Although peatlands cover only 3% of the Earth's land surface, boreal and subarctic peatlands store about 15? 30% of the world's soil carbon as peat. Despite their potential for large positive feedbacks to the climate system through sequestration and emission of greenhouse gases, peatlands are not explicitly included in global climate models and therefore in predictions of future climate change. In April 2007 a symposium was held in Wageningen, the Netherlands, to advance our understanding of peatland C cycling through integration across disciplines and research approaches and to develop a more synthetic picture of the present and future role of peatlands in the global C cycle and their interactions with the climate system. This paper aims to synthesize the main findings of the symposium, focusing on (i) small-scale processes, (ii) C fluxes at the landscape scale, and (iii) peatlands and climate. The paper concludes with a summary of the main drivers of the C balance of peatlands, and proposes directions for new research to reduce key uncertainties in our knowledge of C cycling in peatlands in order to facilitate the explicit inclusion of these ecosystems in a new generation of earth system models.
Sex Differences in Vital Organ Support Provided to ICU Patients*

OBJECTIVES: Critically ill women may receive less vital organ support than men but the mortality impact of this differential treatment remains unclear. We aimed to quantify sex differences in vital organ support provided to adult ICU patients and describe the relationship between sex, vital organ support, and mortality. DESIGN: In this retrospective observational study, we examined the provision of invasive ventilation (primary outcome), noninvasive ventilation, vasoactive medication, renal replacement therapy, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), or any one of these five vital organ supports in women compared with men. We performed logistic regression investigating the association of sex with each vital organ support, adjusted for illness severity, diagnosis, preexisting treatment limitation, year, and hospital. We performed logistic regression for hospital mortality adjusted for the same variables, stratified by vital organ support (secondary outcome). SETTING AND PATIENTS: ICU admissions in the Australia and New Zealand Intensive Care Society Adult Patient Database 2018–2021. This registry records admissions from 90% of ICUs in the two nations. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: We examined 699,535 ICU admissions (43.7% women) to 199 ICUs. After adjustment, women were less likely than men to receive invasive ventilation (odds ratio [OR], 0.64; 99% CI, 0.63–0.65) and each other organ support except ECMO. Women had lower adjusted hospital mortality overall (OR, 0.94; 99% CI, 0.91–0.97). Among patients who did not receive any organ support, women had significantly lower adjusted hospital mortality (OR, 0.82; 99% CI, 0.76–0.88); among patients who received any organ support women and men were equally likely to die (OR, 1.01; 99% CI, 0.97–1.04). CONCLUSIONS: Women received significantly less vital organ support than men in ICUs in Australia and New Zealand. However, our findings suggest that women may not be harmed by this conservative approach to treatment.
Toward improving student motivation and performance in introductory programming learning by Scratch: The role of achievement emotions

This study investigated the differences in programming novices’ intrinsic motivation and performance within a Scratch-based programming learning environment using a pretest–posttest intervention design. Specifically, this study aimed to examine what and how achievement emotions were aroused to impact learners’ academic success during Scratch implementation processes by employing regression analyses. One hundred and seventy-two undergraduates (Mage = 20.44, SDage = 1.09, 55.8% female) were voluntarily recruited to participate in a Scratch-based instruction workshop during a 6-week period. The workshop was structured with regard to preparation, Scratch-based programming learning and projects, and assessment activities and questionnaire implemented both before the instructional period and after the workshop. The results suggested that the Scratch-based intervention significantly increased students’ overall motivation and examination performance. Concerning achievement emotions, the outcome emotion of hopelessness first negatively predicted students’ motivation and performance. Anxiety then replaced hopelessness as a negative predictor, while enjoyment was the strongest predictor of motives and performance. Taking eight emotions together, the arousal of activity and outcome emotions within visual programming environments facilitated students’ emotion dynamics that impacted motivation and performance. The discussion and contributions concerning the mechanism behind the effectiveness of visualization and the emotion-performance relationship are presented herein.
Squirt flow in fully saturated rocks

We estimate velocity/frequency dispersion and attenuation in fully saturated rocks by employing the squirt‐flow mechanism of solid/fluid interaction. In this model, pore fluid is squeezed from thin soft cracks into the surrounding large pores. Information about the compliance of these soft cracks at low confining pressures is extracted from high‐pressure velocity data. The frequency dependence of squirt‐induced pressure in the soft cracks is linked with the porosity and permeability of the soft pore space, and the characteristic squirt‐flow length. These unknown parameters are combined into one expression that is assumed to be a fundamental rock property that does not depend on frequency. The appropriate value of this expression for a given rock can be found by matching our theoretical predictions with the experimental measurements of attenuation or velocity. The low‐frequency velocity limits, as given by our model, are identical to those predicted by Gassmann’s formula. The high‐frequency limits may sign.