Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of In-vitro Activities of Linezolid and Vancomycin against Staphylococcus aureus Isolated from A Tertiary Care Hospital.

BACKGROUND Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has emerged as one of the commonest cause of hospital acquired infections worldwide. Vancomycin is the antibiotic of choice for treatment of MRSA, but due to slow increase in vancomycin minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) (vancomycin creep),Vancomycin has become a suboptimal therapeutic option in critically ill patients. Linezolid has emerged as an alternative drug in the treatment of such cases. AIM To compare in vitro activities of linezolid and vancomycin against Staphylococcus aureus, in order to help in formulating a better treatment. METHOD 200 strains of Staphylococcus aureus were isolated from different clinical specimens between April 2010 to March 2011. Antibiotic sensitivity testing was performed by Kirby Bauer disc diffusion method and MICs of vancomycin and linezolid were determined for all 200 strains by agar dilution method by following CLSI guidelines. RESULTS Among 200 strains, MIC for linezolid was 4 μg/ml for 3 strains, MIC was 2 μg/ml for 71 strains, and MIC was 1 μg/ml for 126 strains, while for the same 200 strains of Staphylococcus aureus, MIC of vancomycin was 4 μg/ml for 8 strains, it was 2 μg/ml for 103 strains and it was 1 μg/ml for 89 strains. CONCLUSION Linezolid and vancomycin had similar in-vitro efficacies for Staphylococcus aureus in disc diffusion method, but the number of strains with higher ranges of MICs of vancomycin (1-4 μg/ml) were more as compared to those which had higher ranges of MICs for linezolid. So, we suggest that linezolid can be a good alternative for the treatment of multidrug resistant Staphylococcus aureus as compared to vancomycin.
Aquaglyceroporin AQP9: Solute permeation and metabolic control of expression in liver

Aquaglyceroporins form the subset of the aquaporin water channel family that is permeable to glycerol and certain small, uncharged solutes. AQP9 has unusually broad solute permeability and is expressed in hepatocyte plasma membranes. Proteoliposomes reconstituted with expressed, purified rat AQP9 protein were compared with simple liposomes for solute permeability. At pH 7.5, AQP9 proteoliposomes exhibited Hg2+-inhibitible glycerol and urea permeabilities that were increased 63-fold and 90-fold over background. β-Hydroxybutyrate permeability was not increased above background, and osmotic water permeability was only minimally elevated. During starvation, the liver takes up glycerol for gluconeogenesis. Expression of AQP9 in liver was induced up to 20-fold in rats fasted for 24–96 h, and the AQP9 level gradually declined after refeeding. No changes in liver AQP9 levels were observed in rats fed ketogenic diets or high-protein diets, but AQP9 levels were elevated in livers of rats made diabetic by streptozotocin injection. When blood glucose levels of the diabetic rats were restored to normal by insulin treatments, the AQP9 levels returned to baseline. Confocal immunofluorescence revealed AQP9 immunostaining on the sinusoidal surfaces of hepatocyte plates throughout the livers of control rats. Denser immunostaining was observed in the same distribution in livers of fasted and streptozotocin-treated rats. We conclude that AQP9 serves as membrane channel in hepatocytes for glycerol and urea at physiological pH, but not for β-hydroxybutyrate. In addition, levels of AQP9 expression fluctuate depending on the nutritional status of the subject and the circulating insulin levels.
A Cross-Cultural Study of Relationship Proneness and Its Implications for Relationship Marketing

This paper examines relationship proneness of consumers in a cross-cultural setting; specifically, the relationship proneness between Chinese and U.S. consumers of Generation Y (born from 1976 to 1995) and its effects on relational satisfaction and relationship commitment. Based on previous research (e.g., De Wulf, OdekerkenSchröder, & Iacobucci, 2001) and cultural theories (e.g., Hofstede, 1980, 2001), nine hypotheses were developed involving the effects of relationship building tactics (i.e., direct mail, preferential treatment, communication, and tangible rewards) on relationship proneness, relational satisfaction and store loyalty. This quantitative study used a survey among two samples of consumers in China and the U.S. The final sample size was comprised of 349 student consumers. The findings of the research provide managerial implications for international retailers. Relationship proneness is a meaningful personal characteristic that can be used to describe or predict consumer behavior across cultures. A relationship marketing strategy that works for one culture may also work well in another culture. It is possible and appropriate, at least with generation Y consumers, to employ standardized approaches in relationship marketing across cultures.
A Comparative Analysis for the Accounting Reporting of ‘Employee Benefits’ Between IFRS and Other Accounting Standards: A Case Study for the Biggest Listed Entities in Greece

The main aim of this paper is to illustrate a comparative analysis for the accounting reporting of “employee benefits” between the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and other accounting reporting standards. The empirical analysis is carried out in accordance with the Greek Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GGAAP), with IFRS, following the implementation of International Accounting Standard (IAS) 19 "Employee Benefits" and with the U.S. Financial Accounting Standards (USFAS) 87. The sample consists of the 20 biggest listed entities in the Athens Stock Exchange (FTSE 20 index of the ASE). The contribution of the paper is to review the accounting reporting between different accounting standards, to a great extent, in order to find out the appropriate adjustments that have to be made for the treatment and presentation of employee benefits in the financial statements. The conclusions of the paper would be contributed to debate for the recognition of employee benefits on entities’ accounting statements in a more accurate way.
Classification and evaluation of Privacy Preserving Data Mining: A review

Due to advances in communication and storage technologies, there is recent exponential increase in data generated and collected. Data mining has become a necessity to enable easier and efficient means of data processing. Data mining is a process of harvesting previously unknown information from existing data and utilizing such insight for business decision making. However, in sectors such as health, exposure of sensitive information is not a trivial issue, despite benefits of data mining. Hence, researchers have proposed various approaches on seeking valuable insight from data but being cautious to protect private data and information. The purpose of this paper is to provide a conceptual review of approaches by researchers in Privacy-Preserving Data Mining (PPDM). This paper further presents a classification of PPDM techniques and provide a clear description of distinctions of one class of techniques from the other, guided by discussions in literature. Lastly, an evaluation criteria which can be used as a building block towards standardizing evaluation criteria for PPDM techniques is proposed.
Innovative marketing in SMEs: an empirical study

This paper considers the nature of innovative marketing in the context of SMEs (small to medium sized enterprises). Research was carried out to identify SME decision-makers' perspectives on innovative marketing and to compare these with the nature of innovative marketing practices actually carried out by the SMEs. An interpretivist methodology was adopted for this research using convergent interviewing and observation techniques to help build up a picture of SME owner/managers' perceptions in relation to innovative marketing and to develop an understanding of the nature and scope of their marketing in practice. Eight case SMEs were selected in accordance with a pre-determined set of criteria enabling a purposive selection of case companies which were ‘rich’ in information in the selected research area. The empirical findings demonstrated that innovative marketing pervades much of SME owner/managers' thinking and marketing activity with particular reference to the competitive market circumstances within which they operate.
Origin of surface motor unit potentials in hypothenar motor unit number estimation

Introduction: Far‐field potentials (FFPs) from muscles other than the abductor digiti minimi (ADM) may interfere with motor unit number estimation (MUNE) from that muscle. Methods: We identified the origin of each surface motor unit potential (SMUP) during hypothenar MUNE using the multiple point stimulation method in 20 control subjects by recording from individual ulnar‐innervated muscles with a common proximal reference (pref). Results: ADM SMUPs comprised 39.0% of the accepted SMUPs, followed by those from the fourth dorsal interosseous muscle (14.0%), the fourth lumbrical muscle (9.2%), and the second and third palmar interosseous muscles (8.8% each). The percentage of ADM SMUPs varied from 18% to 73% of accepted SMUPs among individual subjects. Accepted non‐ADM SMUPs were usually much smaller than ADM SMUPs, and many more non‐ADM SMUPs were excluded due to their small size. Conclusions: A large contribution from non‐ADM or non‐hypothenar SMUPs obscures the meaning of the MUNE value. Muscle Nerve, 48: 185–190, 2013
Securitisation: Instruments and Implications

Securitisation activity expanded spectacularly prior to the burst of the 2007/2008 credit turnmoil. New instruments were developed and were used by more agents in an unprecedented number of countries. These changes have altered the functioning of financial markets and the role of banks therein. The changing role of banks due to securitisation had implications on banks’ incentives and abilities to manage risks, grant credit and react to monetary policy impulses. The turnmoil in credit markets brought to the fore a number of features of the securitisation markets which could impair the functioning of credit markets in times of strain.
Intrathoracic mass in a 34 year old cystic fibrosis patient.

In 1988, a 29 year old man presented with recurrent purulent bronchitis and sinusitis; cystic fibrosis (CF) was diagnosed. Repeated sweat tests were compatible with the diagnosis of CF: Cl - was 83 (left) and 82 (right) mmol·L -1 , and Na + was 95 (left) and 94 (right) mmol·L -1 . Chest radiograph at that time was normal. A computed tomography (CT) scan revealed small, tubular bronchiectasis in both upper lobes. Ventilatory function tests showed a mild airway obstruction (forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) 81% predicted, and FEV1/forced vital capacity (FVC) 66%), with 15% reversibility. Residual volume (RV) was 132% predicted. Lung capacities and CO transfer factor were normal. The patient was atopic, (total immunoglobulin E (IgE) >1,000 kU·L -1 ; radioallergosorbent test (RAST) ++++ for Aspergillus fumigatus, +++ for D. pteronyssinus, ++ for Cladosporum herbarum, and + for grass pollen) and precipitation antibodies against A. fumigatus were present (two precipitation lines). Skin-prick tests were positive for D. pteronyssinus and D. farinae, and negative for all other aero-allergens, including Aspergillus fumigatus. The patient had azoospermia. Treatment consisted of aerosols (N-acetylcysteine, twice daily), and regular intake of antibiotics, combined with physical therapy in case of purulent bronchitis.
Product involvement/brand loyalty: is there a link?

In an empirical examination of the link between product involvement and brand loyalty, a convenience sample of 253 students were asked to complete a questionnaire relating to two products which had been found in preliminary qualitative research to be associated with contrasted levels of involvement. The factor structure of involvement was found to vary between the two product categories (sneakers and pens). Furthermore, the link between product involvement and brand loyalty was found to involve different aspects of product involvement for each of the products concerned. Hence, future researchers in the area should be mindful that product involvement and brand loyalty are not universal constructs: they should be examined within specific consumer and product parameters.
The Strategic Entry Behavior Choices of Firms under Minimum Quality Standard

In order to analyze the strategic entry behavior choices of firms under minimum quality standard, a basic model is made under the endogenous minimum quality standard. An industry’s competitiveness and the level of performance tend to be subject to the entry conditions and the ease of entry. For entrants, the basic entry technological constraint is the minimum quality standard. In differentiated products markets, when there is no minimum quality standard and the entry cost is small, the entrant’ profit is the same, whether they choose the high quality or low quality to enter the product market. While in the case of endogenous minimum quality standard, the incumbent may choose to produce low quality products, and the entrant may choose to produce high quality products, which lead to the lack of competition in product markets. Therefore, government should create an open and competitive market environment and efficient policy guidance for firms.
Inadequate fruit and vegetable intake in people with psychosis

Objective: The objective of this study was to identify factors associated with poor dietary intake (less than four servings of fruit and vegetables daily) in a large nationally representative sample of adults with psychotic disorders. Methods: The sample comprised 1286 adults aged 18–64 years who took part in the second Australian national survey of psychosis. Dietary information was obtained using a standardised questionnaire; all participants provided fasting blood samples. Variables that may be related to diet and nutritional intake were investigated; these included demographics, physical health outcomes, physical activity, substance use, symptom severity and financial difficulty. Dietary status was explored by sex, age and body mass index using univariate analyses, while a multivariate analysis was performed to identify predictors of low nutritional intake. Results: Approximately 74% of participants ate less than four servings of fruit and vegetables daily. This was associated with a lower body mass index (p<0.05), lower levels of physical activity (p<0.05), sedentary behaviour (p<0.05), substance use (p<0.001), more negative symptoms (p<0.05), eating less frequently (p<0.001), consuming whole fat milk compared to low fat milk (p<0.05), adding salt to food (p<0.05) and financial difficulty (p<0.05). Male sex and younger age (18–34 years) were also associated with lower fruit and vegetable intake (p<0.001). A multivariate regression analysis showed that current smoking (p<0.001) and alcohol (p<0.01) and cannabis abuse (p<0.05) were risk factors for lower fruit and vegetable intake. Conclusion: The findings suggest that poor diet in people with psychosis, as reflected by less than four servings of fruit and vegetables daily, is accompanied by other unhealthy behaviours, which has important implications for the development of effective interventions. Importantly, current smoking is a significant predictor of dietary inadequacy.
China in the international fragmentation of production: Evidence from the ICT industry

This paper investigates the position of China in the international fragmentation of production in the ICT industry, the most dynamic and globally dispersed sector in the world economy. The evidence shows that during the 1990s China dramatically increased its market shares in ICT products and now ranks among the top three world exporters. Moreover, China has upgraded from mere assembly of imported inputs to the manufacturing of high-tech intermediate goods. As a result, import dependence has declined and the domestic value added of exports has increased. This supports the hypothesis that industrial upgrading occurred in some tradable sectors through technological learning associated with processing trade. Therefore, a pattern of specialization initially dominated by processing trade could be favourable to a country's long-term development, to the extent that entering at the lower end of high-tech sectors is promotive of catching up in more sophisticated technology-intensive production
Anxiety among acute schizophrenics and temporal lobe patients.

EEG records of acute psychiatric patients obtained routinely on admission to hospital revealed a high percentage of temporal lobe abnormalities. The clinical signs were of behavioural disturbance rather than a tendency to fits. Personality testing using Cattell's 16 PF test, showed them to be indistinguishable from acute schizophrenics (without EEG abnormality) and twenty patients with temporal lobe abnormality (none diagnosed as acute schizophrenics) confirmed that the disturbance is essentially similar and of comparable intensity. The most significant common feature was a high anxiety level.
Effects of intranasal 17beta-estradiol on bone turnover and serum insulin-like growth factor I in postmenopausal women.

Estrogen therapy, using either oral or transdermal routes, decreases bone turnover and prevents postmenopausal bone loss. It has been suggested that oral and transdermal 17beta-estradiol (E2) may have different effects on serum insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), a potent bone-forming growth factor. In this study we investigated the effects of a new route of administration, the intranasal E2 spray (S21400), on bone turnover and circulating IGF-I and IGF-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3). Four hundred and twenty early postmenopausal women (<5 yr since menopause; mean age, 52 yr) were enrolled in a 3-month, double blind, placebo-controlled study of four doses of intranasal E2 (100, 200, 300, and 400 microg/day), two doses of oral E2 valerate (1 or 2 mg/day), and placebo. One hundred and twelve women were further treated for 12 months with intranasal E2 (300 microg/day, i.e. the dose that has been shown to be adequate for the majority of postmenopausal women). Markers of bone resorption (urinary type I collagen C telopeptides) and formation [serum osteocalcin, serum type I collagen N-terminal extension propeptide (PINP), and serum bone alkaline phosphatase (BAP)] were measured at baseline, 1 month, 3 months, and 15 months. Serum IGF-I and IGFBP-3 were measured at baseline, 1 month, and 3 months. Urinary type I collagen C telopeptides decreased significantly in all active treatment groups as soon as 1 month (P<0.001 vs. placebo) and continued to decrease at 3 months with a dose effect for intranasal E2. Serum osteocalcin and PINP did not change at 1 month for oral E2 (1 and 2 mg), but decreased significantly at 3 months. In contrast, formation markers increased significantly at 1 month for the two highest doses of intranasal E2 (P<0.01 vs. placebo for osteocalcin and BAP) and did not decrease at 3 months. Oral E2 induced a marked decrease in circulating IGF-I as early as 1 month, which was amplified at 3 months (-29% and -32% for 1 and 2 mg, respectively), whereas no significant change from placebo was observed for intranasal E2 during the 3-month period. Changes in circulating IGF-I correlated significantly (P<0.01) with changes in osteocalcin, PINP, and BAP at 3 months. Oral and intranasal E2 did not induce any significant change from placebo in serum IGFBP-3 at both 1 and 3 months. After 1 yr of treatment with intranasal E2 (300 microg/day), both resorption and formation markers decreased, reaching the levels in premenopausal women, regardless of the type of treatment during the first 3 months. We conclude that E2 administered by this new nasal route normalizes bone turnover to premenopausal levels. The delayed decrease in bone formation observed with intranasal E2 compared to oral E2 may be related to different effects on serum IGF-I levels.
Accelerated thrombolysis for pulmonary embolism: will clinical benefit be ULTIMAtely realized?

Over the past 25 years, thrombolytic therapy has consistently demonstrated improvement in hemodynamic parameters in patients with pulmonary embolism (PE)1. Clinically, while resulting in reduced mortality in patients with massive PE2 thrombolytic therapy is not beneficial in unselected PE patients3. Major societal guidelines support systemic thrombolysis for massive PE, and recommend catheter-based interventions for rescue therapy in centers with appropriate expertise4-6. For patients with submassive PE, selected guidelines suggest considering systemic thrombolysis in a limited population of PE patients4,5, while others recommend against its use in these patients6. Recently, several studies have addressed thrombolytic therapy in patients with submassive PE. The Pulmonary Embolism International Thrombolysis (PEITHO) trial reported a substantial reduction in the combined endpoint of early mortality or hemodynamic collapse in patients receiving systemic thrombolysis (as compared to heparin alone) at the expense of a significant increase in major hemorrhage (including intracranial hemorrhage). This was particularly evident among elderly patients over the age of 757. In the much smaller TOPCOAT study (Tenecteplase or Placebo: Cardiopulmonary Outcomes At Three Months), which was terminated prematurely, the composite primary outcome (5 day survival to hospital discharge without shock, intubation, or major hemorrhage; 90 day rate of normal right ventricular (RV) function, 6 minute walk distance>330 meters, no dyspnea at rest, and no recurrent PE or deep vein thrombosis) was positive in the patients randomized to thrombolysis as compared to the low molecular weight heparin patients8. Another small study comparing thrombolytic therapy to heparin alone demonstrated a decrease in the composite endpoint of death, recurrent venous thromboembolism, RV dysfunction and major hemorrhage at 6 months in the group randomized to thrombolytic therapy9. In the MOPPETT trial, half-dose systemic thrombolytic therapy resulted in long-term reduction in the incidence of pulmonary hypertension compared to anticoagulation alone without excess bleeding10.
An exploration of corporate attitudes to the significance of environmental information for stakeholders

This paper reports on a questionnaire survey sent to environmental managers in quoted UK firms from environmentally sensitive sectors. A total of 58 usable responses was received, with most but not all being returned by environmental managers. While contextual information regarding perceptions of their companies' environmental sensitivity and management systems was sought, the main focus of the questionnaire was on respondents' views about stakeholder concerns. There was broad agreement that external stakeholders attached importance to environmental communications. The results indicate that respondents' perceptions of these issues were associated with the formality of their internal management systems and with the role of the respondents within their firms. It was also found that shareholders were thought to be the least interested stakeholder group. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.