Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of Medical Education on Empathy in Osteopathic Medical Students

Abstract Context: Empathy is an integral component of the patient-physician relationship and involves a cognitive ability to connect with others in a meaningful fashion. Multiple longitudinal studies have shown that self-reported allopathic medical student empathy declines significantly during year 3. However, to date, only 4 cross-sectional studies have been published on osteopathic medical students’ empathy. Whereas studies of allopathic medical students reported a decline in empathy, similar results were not found in osteopathic studies. Objective: To investigate (1) self-reported empathy through years 1 to 3 of osteopathic medical students and (2) whether empathy declines during year 3. Design: Design included cross-sectional and test-retest data collection. Setting: Private osteopathic medical school in the Northeast region of the United States. Participants: Osteopathic medical students. Main Outcome Measure: The Jefferson Scale of Empathy medical student version. Results: Respondents (N=717) included 383 women (53%) and 334 men (47%). When empathy levels were examined by demographics, the only significant finding was that women reported significantly higher empathy levels than men (112.3 vs 109.3; P<.001). Cross-sectional results indicate that mean empathy levels were significantly lower for third-year students at the end of the year (108.7) compared with first- and second-year students at the beginning of the year (111.3 and 112.4, respectively; P<.05). Test-retest analyses of year 3 indicated significantly lower empathy levels from the beginning to the end of the academic year (111.2 and 108.7, respectively; P<.05). Conclusion: Osteopathic medical students’ empathy declined significantly during year 3, which is consistent with the findings from allopathic samples but differs from findings from osteopathic samples. More research is needed to build the data on osteopathic medical student samples and to achieve a better understanding of changes in empathy in osteopathic and allopathic medical students.
Importance of increased intestinal permeability after multiple injuries.

OBJECTIVE To find out if there was a relationship between increased intestinal permeability and the development of multiple organ failure (MOF) after multiple injuries, we correlated the extent of injury and MOF with intestinal permeability on the second and fourth day after injury. DESIGN Prospective open study. SETTING University hospital, Slovenia. PATIENTS 29 multiply injured patients, injury severity score (ISS) over 25, admitted shocked. INTERVENTION Intestinal permeability measured by giving lactulose and mannitol solution enterally on days 2 and 4. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The lactulose: mannitol ratio calculated from the urinary portion of the probe molecules. ISS and the acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE II) calculated on admission. RESULTS The median lactulose: mannitol ratio for five volunteers was 0.014 (range 0.008-0.017) and that for 29 patients was 0.03 (0.01-0.1). On day 2 it was 0.03 (0.02-0.1), on day 4 0.02 (0.01-0.2). The ratio calculated on day 2 correlated with average and late MOF scores (r = 0.41 R2 = 0.1681, p <0.03 and r = 0.38, R2 = 0.1444, p <0.04) and that measured on day 4 correlated with overall, early, and late MOF scores (r = 0.47, R2 = 0.2209, p <0.01; r = 0.51, R2 = 0.2601, p <0.005; r = 0.39, R = 0.1512, p <0.04). No correlation was found between ISS, transport time, shock index, APACHE II, and days in intensive care. CONCLUSIONS Even if intestinal permeability is invariably increased after injury, it seems to have some predictive value for MOF in multiply injured patients because it correlates with its development.
Coding Algorithms for Defining Comorbidities in ICD-9-CM and ICD-10 Administrative Data

Objectives:Implementation of the International Statistical Classification of Disease and Related Health Problems, 10th Revision (ICD-10) coding system presents challenges for using administrative data. Recognizing this, we conducted a multistep process to develop ICD-10 coding algorithms to define Charlson and Elixhauser comorbidities in administrative data and assess the performance of the resulting algorithms. Methods:ICD-10 coding algorithms were developed by “translation” of the ICD-9-CM codes constituting Deyo's (for Charlson comorbidities) and Elixhauser's coding algorithms and by physicians’ assessment of the face-validity of selected ICD-10 codes. The process of carefully developing ICD-10 algorithms also produced modified and enhanced ICD-9-CM coding algorithms for the Charlson and Elixhauser comorbidities. We then used data on in-patients aged 18 years and older in ICD-9-CM and ICD-10 administrative hospital discharge data from a Canadian health region to assess the comorbidity frequencies and mortality prediction achieved by the original ICD-9-CM algorithms, the enhanced ICD-9-CM algorithms, and the new ICD-10 coding algorithms. Results:Among 56,585 patients in the ICD-9-CM data and 58,805 patients in the ICD-10 data, frequencies of the 17 Charlson comorbidities and the 30 Elixhauser comorbidities remained generally similar across algorithms. The new ICD-10 and enhanced ICD-9-CM coding algorithms either matched or outperformed the original Deyo and Elixhauser ICD-9-CM coding algorithms in predicting in-hospital mortality. The C-statistic was 0.842 for Deyo's ICD-9-CM coding algorithm, 0.860 for the ICD-10 coding algorithm, and 0.859 for the enhanced ICD-9-CM coding algorithm, 0.868 for the original Elixhauser ICD-9-CM coding algorithm, 0.870 for the ICD-10 coding algorithm and 0.878 for the enhanced ICD-9-CM coding algorithm. Conclusions:These newly developed ICD-10 and ICD-9-CM comorbidity coding algorithms produce similar estimates of comorbidity prevalence in administrative data, and may outperform existing ICD-9-CM coding algorithms.
Codetermination, R&D, and Employment

We examine whether the German system of codetermination affects output, industrial employment, and R&D when firm asymmetry relies on different governance structures due to codetermination. Under a decision-making process shaped by utilitarian management, an intermediate degree of codetermination enables the codetermined firm to produce more output, hire more labor, and undertake more R&D activities, but this is not ensured for any degree of codetermination. This contrasts with situations where codetermination goes forward through bargaining between shareholders and workers, where the codetermined firm is able to produce more output, hiring more labor, and undertaking more R&D investments.
Transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plants expressing a β-1,3-glucanase from sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) show reduced callose deposition and increased tolerance to aluminium toxicity.

Seventy-one cultivars of sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) were screened for aluminium (Al) tolerance by measuring relative root growth (RRG). Two contrasting cultivars, ROMA (Al tolerant) and POTCHETSTRM (Al sensitive), were selected to study shorter term responses to Al stress. POTCHETSTRM had higher callose synthase activity, lower β-1,3-glucanase activity and more callose deposition in the root apices during Al treatment compared with ROMA. We monitored the expression of 12 genes involved in callose synthesis and degradation and found that one of these, SbGlu1 (Sb03g045630.1), which encodes a β-1,3-glucanase enzyme, best explained the contrasting deposition of callose in ROMA and POTCHETSTRM during Al treatment. Full-length cDNAs of SbGlu1 was prepared from ROMA and POTCHETSTRM and expressed in Arabidopsis thaliana using the constitutive cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 35S promoter. Independent transgenic lines displayed significantly greater Al tolerance than wild-type plants and vector-only controls. This phenotype was associated with greater total β-1,3-glucanase activity, less Al accumulation and reduced callose deposition in the roots. These results suggest that callose production is not just an early indicator of Al stress in plants but likely to be part of the toxicity pathway that leads to the inhibition of root growth.
Detecting Level Shifts in Time Series

This article demonstrates the difficulty that traditional outlier detection methods, such as that of Tsay, have in identifying level shifts in time series. Initializing the outlier/level-shift search with an estimated autoregressive moving average model lowers the power of the level-shift detection statistics. Furthermore, the rule employed by these methods for distinguishing between level shifts and innovation outliers does not work well in the presence of level shifts. A simple modification to Tsay's procedure is proposed that improves the ability to correctly identify level shifts. This modification is relatively easy to implement and appears to be quite effective in practice.
The implications of economic inequality for social welfare and social conflict

In this article, first, we show how equity considerations, in the guise of inequality of income, enters into a social welfare function. In this connection the important properties of a social welfare function are also discussed. Second, contrary to the popular belief, we contend that the degree of inequality is not an appropriate indicator of the degree of social discontent. Third, the appropriate indicator of social discontent is shown to be the level of social envy which is a non‐monotonic function of inequality. It is also demonstrated that the sociological term “relative deprivation” is equivalent to the economic definition of envy.
Intellectual capital reporting at universities – the Austrian approach

European higher education is in a state of transition. Universities are facing an increasingly competitive environment. Intellectual capital serves as a key resource for those organisations. The paper deals with intellectual capital reporting in the university context, presenting the Austrian approach. Austrian universities are required by law to report intellectual capital beginning in 2005. The paper illustrates the case of intellectual capital reporting at the Department of Management of the University of Innsbruck/Austria, which provides a three-year pilot of intellectual capital reporting in the higher education context.
Geoarchaeological Interpretation of the Canopic, Largest of the Relict Nile Delta Distributaries, Egypt

Abstract The Canopic branch, the largest relict Nile distributary, once flowed across the NW Nile delta of Egypt to the Mediterranean. This study focuses on the Canopic's evolution at the delta margin and in Abu Qir Bay seaward of the coast. Information from historic documents, integrated with data from geographical, geological, and archaeological exploration in the bay, indicates that the Canopic distributary was active from ∼4000 B.C. to the end of the 1st millennium A.D. Fluvial discharge persisted through pre-Dynastic, Dynastic, Greek, Roman, Byzantine and early Arabic time. The channel flowed to two sites, Herakleion and Eastern Canopus, established by the Greeks as navigational gateways for trade in the delta and surrounding region. Eastern Canopus functioned until the mid-8th century A.D. At that time, flow in the Canopic had decreased markedly, and Nile water was diverted to the east, through the Bolbitic-Rosetta branch. By the end of the first millennium A.D., Nile water was channeled in the Rosetta and Damietta distributaries, and the Canopic branch eventually converted to a canal and drain system. The Canopic promontory across which the branch flowed, and the 2 ancient sites located at the promontory coast near Canopic channel mouths, subsided beneath the waters of the bay after the 8th century. Submergence was a response to interaction of eustatic sea-level rise, annual floods, growth-faulting, soft-sediment deformation and other natural processes. As the Canopic promontory subsided, Abu Qir Bay attainted a marked concave-seaward shape and its shoreline shifted southward. This geoarchaeological investigation helps distinguish the long-term impact of natural events from that of increased human activity. This distinction is of practical importance for the highly populated and vulnerable delta margin that continues to experience submergence and erosion.
Services Trade Liberalisation Strategies for APEC Member Economies

A tribute to a member of our team: The work on measuring restrictions on trade in services would not have been possible without Kaleeswaran Kalirajan. KK, as he was known, was an extremely talented and energetic econometrician who worked tirelessly to develop new methodologies to measure the price and cost effects of restrictions on trade in services. KK died unexpectedly in 2003. He, and his pioneering contribution to this work, will not be forgotten. APEC member economies are moving forward with liberalising their services markets. They have agreed to free and open trade and investment by 2020. In achieving this goal, APEC member economies can benefit greatly from understanding the effects of removing certain types of restrictions. This article brings together, for the first time, comprehensive measures of restrictions on trade in services and their liberalisation effects. APEC member economies can use these measures and analysis to devise strategies to pursue further services trade liberalisation. Copyright © 2005 Asia Pacific School of Economics and Government, The Australian National University and Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.
Immunohistological analysis in diagnosis of plasma cell myeloma based on cytoplasmic kappa/lambda ratio of CD38-positive plasma cells

Abstract The accurate determination of cytoplasmic immunoglobulin (cIg) light chain (LC) expression is important to differentiate reactive plasmacytosis from a clonal plasma cell neoplasm such as plasma cell myeloma (PCM). Through retrospective analysis, we studied the cytoplasmic kappa/lambda ratio of CD38-positive plasma cells in the bone marrow from 19 PCM patients and 19 controls. To demonstrate cIg LC expression, the bone marrow was immunostained for IgA, IgG, IgM, kappa, and lambda. The kappa/lambda ratio was defined as the ratio of the kappa-positive cell to the lambda-positive cell in plasma cells. PCM cells were distinguished from normal plasma cells by cut-off levels between 0.59 and 4.0, a sensitivity of 94.7%, and a specificity of 94.7%. The detection of the cytoplasmic kappa/lambda ratio of CD38-positive plasma cells may be a useful tool in the diagnosis of PCM and the correct diagnosis of PCM may be achieved more simply.
Equity market valuation, systematic risk and monetary policy

This study examines the relationship between equity market valuation and risk indicators that portend economic downswings. The indicators are implied options volatility, Treasury-Eurodollar (TED) spread and exchange rate. While implied volatility captures market risk in that it reflects the fear factor embedded in the price of an option, TED spread reflects the default risk premium that is priced into a key short-term credit instrument. Equity markets often show a tendency to reflect the incidence of these risk factors. And because they provide valuable information about the health of the economy, many have argued that equity market valuation be taken into account in the formulation of monetary policy. Results of this study not only show a statistically significant inverse relationship between the stock market and these risk factors, but also evidence of a cointegration. In a variance decomposition of the series, we find that equity valuation is a major contributor to the forecast error variances of each of the risk indicators, a finding that lends tacit support to the argument that risk indicators associated with the equity market be considered in monetary policy decisions.
Modeling of information flows in natural gas storage facility

The paper considers the natural-gas storage valuation based on the information-based pricing framework of Brody-Hughston-Macrina (BHM). As opposed to many studies which the associated filtration is considered pre-specified, this work tries to construct the filtration in terms of the information provided to the market. The value of the storage is given by the sum of the discounted expectations of the cash flows under risk-neutral measure, conditional to the constructed filtration with the Brownian bridge noise term. In order to model the flow of information about the cash flows, we assume the existence of a fixed pricing kernel with liquid, homogenous and incomplete market without arbitrage.
Monitoring in Teams: Using Laboratory Experiments to Study a Theory of the Firm

Abstract. Alchian and Demsetz’s (1972) influential explana-tion of the classical business firm argues that there is need for a concentrated residual claim in the hands of a central agent, to motivate the monitoring of workers. We model monitoring as a way to transform team production from a collective action di-lemma with strong free riding incentives to a productivity-enhancing opportunity with strong private marginal incentives to contribute effort. In an experiment, we have subjects experience team production without monitoring, team production with a central monitor, and team production with peer monitoring, then vote on whether to employ the central monitor, who gets to keep a fixed share of the team output, or to rely on peer monitoring, which entails a coordination or free riding problem. Our subjects usually prefer peer monitoring but they switch to the specialist when unable to successfully self-monitor. We provide evidence for situations in which team members resist the appointing of a central monitor and succeed in overcoming coordination and free riding problems as well as for a situation in which an Al-chian-Demsetz-like firm “grows” in the laboratory. JEL Codes: C92, D20, D70, H41, J54, P12, P13 Keywords: monitoring, team production, free riding, coopera-tion, experiment.
Synergistic anticancer activity of curcumin and catechin: An in vitro study using human cancer cell lines

The most practical approach to reduce morbidity and mortality of cancer is to delay the process of carcinogenesis by usage of anticancer agents. This necessitates that safer compounds are to be critically examined for anticancer activity especially, those derived from natural sources. A spice commonly found in India and the surrounding regions, is turmeric, derived from the rhizome of Curcuma longa and the major active component is a phytochemical termed curcumin. Green tea is one of the most popular beverages used worldwide, produced from the leaves of evergreen plant Camellia sinensis and the major active ingredients are polyphenolic compounds known as catechins. In this study, synergistic anticancer activity of curcumin and catechin was evaluated in human colon adenocarcinoma HCT 15, HCT 116, and human larynx carcinoma Hep G‐2 cell lines. Although, both curcumin or catechin inhibited the growth of above cell lines, interestingly, in combination of both these compounds highest level of growth control was observed. The anticancer activity shown is due to cytotoxicity, nuclear fragmentation as well as condensation, and DNA fragmentation associated with the appearance of apoptosis. These results suggest that curcumin and catechin in combination can inhibit the proliferation of HCT 15, HCT 116, as well as Hep G‐2 cells efficiently through induction of apoptosis. Microsc. Res. Tech., 2011. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Consumption patterns by income groups and carbon-dioxide implications for India: 1990-2010.

This paper highlights consumption pattern differences across income classes in India, namely the top 10%, middle 40% and bottom 50% of the population in rural and urban areas. The analysis is based on an input–output (I–O) model that uses consumption expenditure distribution data from various sources. It examines direct and indirect demand on resources and carbon–dioxide emissions due to consumption of each of these income classes. Out of a total of 167 mtC of carbon emissions in 1989–90, 62% was due to private consumption, 12% from direct consumption by households and remaining 50% due to indirect consumption of intermediates like power, steel and cement, while the rest was attributed to investment, government consumption and exports. The analysis reveals that the consumption of the rich is oriented more towards energy using sectors like electricity and transport, and uses relatively more resources in the form of minerals and metal products. The net effect is that the rich have a more carbon intensive lifestyle. The per capita direct and indirect emission level of the urban rich is about 15 times that of the rural poor and yet about the same as the world average. In a scenario where private consumption expenditure is expected to reach twice the 1990 level by 2010, carbon–dioxide emissions are projected to rise to 502 mtC. The low purchasing power of the poor results in their dependence on nature and the environment. This points to the conclusion that poverty is unsustainable.
African Union and Intra-State Conflict Resolution: A Return to the Libyan Crisis (2011)

This paper looked at the performance of the African Union (AU), in the resolution of intrastate conflicts in Africa. The study necessitated a revisit to the Libyan crisis. It is acknowledged in the study that conflicts pervade human relations. In the case of Africa, the study further shows that Africa has never experienced a lasting peace. The theoretical framework of games theory has been adopted in the study, to describe the character of African conflicts and to proffer solutions for the minimization of the level and number of such intrastate conflicts. The Libyan conflict typified the character of intrastate conflicts in Africa and was used for illustration in the study. The study concluded that the AU has made significant contributions toward the resolution of intrastate conflicts in Africa but there are still shortcomings of the AU and impediments to the efforts of the African Union, toward the resolution of such crises.
Intermale competition in sexually mature arctic charr: effects on brain monoamines, endocrine stress responses, sex hormone levels, and behavior.

Sexually mature Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) males were allowed to interact in pairs for 4 days in the absence of females. Agonistic behavior was quantified, and at the end of the experiment, plasma levels of glucose, cortisol, testosterone (T), 11-ketotestosterone (11-KT), and 17alpha,20beta-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one (17alpha, 20beta-P) were determined alongside brain concentrations of serotonin (5-HT), 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA, the major 5-HT metabolite), dopamine (DA), and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC, a major DA metabolite). Plasma cortisol and glucose were significantly elevated in subordinate fish, and the number of aggressive acts received showed positive correlations with plasma levels of glucose on day 1, during the development of the dominance relationship, and of cortisol on day 4, when the dominance relationship was established. In contrast, plasma concentrations of T and 11-KT were significantly higher in dominant than in subordinate males, and there was a similar tendency in plasma concentrations of 17alpha,20beta-P. Further, plasma levels of these gonadal steroids were correlated with the number of aggressive acts performed on day 4, but not with the number of aggressive acts received. The plasma cortisol concentrations did not correlate with either 5-HIAA:5-HT or DOPAC:DA ratios in any of the brain parts analyzed. Plasma glucose levels showed positive correlations with brain 5-HIAA:5-HT ratios. Negative correlations were observed between 5-HIAA:5-HT ratios in the optic tectum and between plasma levels of T, 11-KT, and 17alpha,20beta-P. Telencephalic DOPAC/DA ratios displayed a negative correlation with plasma levels of T, 11-KT, and 17alpha,20beta-P, but only in dominant males.