LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Antibiotic susceptibility patterns and prevalence of group B Streptococcus isolated from pregnant women in Misiones, Argentina

This study was performed to determine the susceptibility patterns and the colonization rate of Group B Streptococcus (GBS) in a population of pregnant women. From January 2004 to December 2006, vaginal-rectal swabs were obtained from 1105 women attending Dr. Ramón Madariaga Hospital, in Posadas, Misiones, Argentina. The carriage rate of GBS among pregnant women was 7.6%. A total of 62 GBS strains were randomly selected for in vitro susceptibility testing to penicillin G, ampicillin, tetracycline, levofloxacin, gatifloxacin, ciprofloxacin, quinupristin-dalfopristin, linezolid, vancomycin, rifampicin, trimethoprim- sulfametoxazol, nitrofurantoin, gentamicin, clindamycin and erythromycin, and determination of resistance phenotypes. No resistance to penicillin, ampicillin, quinupristin-dalfopristin, linezolid, and vancomycin was found. Of the isolates examined 96.8%, 98.3%, 46.8%, and 29.0% were susceptible to rifampicin, nitrofurantoin, trimethoprim-sulfametoxazol and tetracycline, respectively. Rank order of susceptibility for the quinolones was: gatifloxacin (98.4%) > levofloxacin (93.5%) > ciprofloxacin (64.5%). The rate of resistance to erythromycin (9.7%) was higher than that of other reports from Argentina. High-level resistance to gentamicin was not detected in any of the isolates. Based on our finding of 50% of GBS isolates with MIC to gentamicin equal o lower than 8 μg/ml, a concentration used in one of the selective media recommended for GBS isolation, we suggested, at least in our population, the use of nalidixic acid and colistin in selective media with the aim to improve the sensitivity of screening cultures for GBS carriage in women.
Effect of Pet Insects on the Psychological Health of Community-Dwelling Elderly People: A Single-Blinded, Randomized, Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND
There is evidence that animal-assisted therapy has positive effects on mental health, especially in elderly people. Caring for insects is easy, relatively inexpensive, and does not require much space.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this 8-week randomized, controlled, single-blinded study was to investigate the effect of pet insects on the psychological health of community-dwelling elderly people.


METHODS
Elderly subjects (≥65 years old) attending a community center in Daegu, Korea, were enrolled in the study between April and May 2014 and randomized at a 1:1 ratio to receive insect therapy and health advice or only health advice. The insect group received 5 crickets in a cage with sufficient fodder and a detailed instruction manual. At baseline and at 8 weeks, all subjects underwent psychometric tests via a direct interview [Beck Anxiety Inventory, Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), 36-Item Short Form Health Survey, Insomnia Severity Index, Fatigue Severity Scale, and Brief Encounter Psychosocial Instrument] and laboratory analyses of inflammatory and oxidative stress markers (erythrocyte sedimentation rate, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, biological antioxidant potential, and derivatives of reactive oxygen metabolites).


RESULTS
The insect-caring (n = 46) and control (n = 48) groups did not differ in baseline characteristics. The insect-caring group had significantly lower GDS-15 scores at week 8 (3.20 vs. 4.90, p = 0.004) and, after adjustment for baseline values, a significantly greater change in GDS-15 scores relative to baseline (-1.12 vs. 0.20, p = 0.011). They also had a significantly greater change in MMSE scores relative to baseline (1.13 vs. 0.31, p = 0.045). The two groups did not differ in terms of other psychometric and laboratory tests. No serious risks or adverse events were reported.


CONCLUSION
Caring for insects, which is cost-effective and safe, was associated with a small to medium positive effect on depression and cognitive function in community-dwelling elderly people.
Early decompressive craniectomy for patients with severe traumatic brain injury and refractory intracranial hypertension--a pilot randomized trial.

PURPOSE
The aims of this study were to test the feasibility and to assess potential recruitment rates in a pilot study preliminary to a phase III randomized trial of decompressive craniectomy surgery in patients with diffuse traumatic brain injury (TBI) and refractory intracranial hypertension.


MATERIALS AND METHODS
A study protocol was developed, inclusion and exclusion criteria were defined, and a standardized surgical technique was established. Neurologic outcomes were assessed 6 months after injury with a validated structured questionnaire and a single trained assessor blind to treatment group.


RESULTS
During the 8-month pilot study at a level 1 trauma center in Melbourne, Australia, 69 intensive care patients with severe TBI were assessed for inclusion. Six patients were eligible, and 5 (8%) were randomized. Six months after injury, 100% of patients received outcome assessments. Key improvements to the multicenter Decompressive Craniectomy study protocol were enabled by the pilot study.


CONCLUSIONS
In patients with severe TBI and refractory intracranial hypertension, the frequency of favorable neurologic outcomes (independent living) was low and similar to predicted values (40% favorable). A future multicenter phase III trial involving 18 neurotrauma centers with most sites conservatively recruiting at just 25% of the pilot study rate would require at least 5 years to achieve an estimated 210-patient sample size. Collaboration with neurotrauma centers in countries other than Australia and New Zealand would be required for such a phase III trial to be successful.
Consequences of steel corrosion on the ductility properties of reinforcement bar

In all concrete constructions besides the common strength problems, in presence or not of seismic activity, serious problems from environmental attack may be presented which significantly decrease their durability and service lifetime. The most common case of construction deterioration is the corrosion of steel reinforcement. The initiation mechanisms leading to steel depassivation, such as concrete carbonation and chloride penetration, have been thoroughly studied and modeled in the past. However, for the corrosion propagation period still there are no acceptable models to simulate the corrosion rate and further to estimate precisely the time when the corrosion progress signals the end of the structure service life. In the present work, the main corrosion initiation mechanisms are shortly presented. Further, the propagation period and the main consequences on mechanical properties of steel and concrete are analyzed. The experimental results show that with increasing duration of exposure to a corrosive environment, the steel mass loss increases appreciably. This leads to a significant increase of the applied stress. In addition, a significant reduction of the tensile ductility of the material was observed. For laboratory salt spray exposure periods, some of the tensile properties of steel bars drop to values lying below the limits, which are set in the existing standards for using steels in reinforced concrete members. The experimental results from the accelerated corrosion tests on bare steel bars are in a good qualitative agreement with results from steel bars embedded in aged concrete. 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Selection of Support Vector Machines based classifiers for credit risk domain

This paper describes an approach for credit risk evaluation based on linear Support Vector Machines classifiers, combined with external evaluation and sliding window testing, with focus on application on larger datasets. It presents a technique for optimal linear SVM classifier selection based on particle swarm optimization technique, providing significant amount of focus on imbalanced learning issue. It is compared to other classifiers in terms of accuracy and identification of each class. Experimental classification performance results, obtained using real world financial dataset from SEC EDGAR database, lead to conclusion that proposed technique is capable to produce results, comparable to other classifiers, such as logistic regression and RBF network, and thus be can be an appealing option for future development of real credit risk evaluation models. 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Longitudinal computed tomography of the scaphoid: a new technique

Computed tomography is increasingly utilized for the evaluation of scaphoid fracture, nonunion, and deformity. We have developed a new technique of positioning patients while performing longitudinal computed tomography of the scaphoid. With the wrist positioned in radial deviation and neutral flexion, greater patient comfort is provided and immobilization of the wrist is not required. A reproducible image can be obtained with attention to the alignment of the scanning plane to the longitudinal axis of the scaphoid on the scout image, and verified with the “target sign”. High resolution images, which clearly demonstrate the abnormalities of the scaphoid, can be produced even if the patient has a cast on the wrist or if there is hardware in situ.
ONLINE, REVERSE AUCTIONS: ISSUES, THEMES, AND PROSPECTS FOR THE FUTURE* Invited manuscript forthcoming in the MSI/JAMS Special Issue on Marketing to and Serving Customers Through the Internet: Conceptual Frameworks, Practical Insights and Research Directions

Online, reverse auctions are increasingly being utilized in industrial sourcing activities. This phenomenon represents a novel, emerging area of inquiry with significant implications for sourcing strategies. However, there is little systematic thinking or empirical evidence on the topic. In this paper, the use of these auctions in sourcing activities is reviewed and four key aspects are highlighted: (i) the differences from physical auctions or those of the theoretical literature, (ii) the conditions for using online, reverse auctions, (iii) methods for structuring the auctions, and (iv) evaluations of auction performance. Some empirical evidence on these issues is also provided. ONLINE, REVERSE AUCTIONS: ISSUES, THEMES, AND PROSPECTS FOR THE FUTURE INTRODUCTION For nearly the past decade, managers, analysts, researchers, and the business press have been remarking that, “The Internet will change everything.” And since the advent of the Internet, we have seen it challenge nearly every aspect of marketing practice. This raises the obligation to consider the consequences of the Internet to management practices, the theme of this special issue. Yet, it may take decades to fully understand the impact of the Internet on marketing practice, in general. This paper is one step in that direction. Specifically, I consider the impact of the Internet in a business-to-business context, the sourcing of direct and indirect materials from a supply base. It has been predicted that the Internet will bring about $1 trillion in efficiencies to the annual $7 trillion that is spent on the procurement of goods and services worldwide (USA Today, 2/7/00, B1). How and when this will happen remains an open question. However, one trend that is showing increasing promise is the use of online, reverse auctions. Virtually every major industry has begun to use and adopt these auctions on a regular basis (Smith 2002). During the late 1990s, slow-growth, manufacturing firms such as Boeing, SPX/Eaton, United Technologies, and branches of the United States military, utilized these auctions. Since then, consumer product companies such as Emerson Electronics, Nestle, and Quaker have followed suit. Even high-tech firms such as Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Intel, and Sun Microsystems have increased their usage of auctions in sourcing activities. And the intention and potential for the use of these auctions to continue to grow in the future is clear. In their annual survey of purchasing managers, Purchasing magazine found that 25% of its respondents expected to use reverse auctions in their sourcing efforts. Currently, the annual throughput in these auctions is estimated to be $40 billion; however, the addressable spend of the Global 500 firms is potentially $6.3 trillion.
Integrating lens design with digital camera simulation

We describe a method for integrating information from lens design into image system simulation tools. By coordinating these tools, image system designers can visualize the consequences of altering lens parameters. We describe the critical computational issues we addressed in converting lens design calculations into a format that could be used to model image information as it flows through the imaging pipeline from capture to display. The lens design software calculates information about relative illumination, geometrical distortion, and the wavelength and field height dependent optical point spread functions (PSF). These data are read by the image systems simulation tool, and they are used to transform the multispectral input radiance into a multispectral irradiance image at the sensor. Because the optical characteristics of lenses frequently vary significantly across the image field, the process is not shift-invariant. Hence, the method is computationally intense and includes a number of parameters and methods designed to reduce artifacts that can arise in shift-variant filtering. The predicted sensor irradiance image includes the effects of geometric distortion, relative illumination, vignetting, pupil aberrations, as well as the blurring effects of monochromatic and chromatic aberrations, and diffraction.
Pathway and morphological transformation of liposome nanocarriers after release from a novel sustained inner-ear delivery system.

AIM
To validate a novel sustained delivery system of liposome nanocarriers for inner-ear therapy and to investigate the transport pathway for their delivery.


MATERIALS & METHODS
Liposome nanocarriers containing gadolinium-tetra-azacyclo-dodecane-tetra-acetic acid (LPS+Gd-DOTA) were developed for MRI tracking the in vitro release profile and for in vivo uptake studies.


RESULTS
Encapsulating Gd-DOTA did not modify the liposomes. The LPS+Gd-DOTA nanocarriers were slowly released from a miniature osmotic pump. The LPS+Gd-DOTA moved along the ossicular chain toward the oval window after an epitympanic injection, whereas they traveled directly to the round window after a mesotympanic injection. However, the round window membrane was the major pathway for the LPS+Gd-DOTA to enter the inner ear. LPS+Gd-DOTA were visualized on both sides of the cochlea within 6 days of in vivo delivery via the osmotic pump.


DISCUSSION
The novel sustained inner-ear delivery system induced liposome nanocarriers into the inner ear efficiently without causing obvious adverse effect. There is the potential of using the system to administrate therapeutics in treating inner-ear diseases in the clinic.
Valuing the Surrender Options Embedded in a Portfolio of Italian Life Guaranteed Participating Policies : a Least Squares Monte Carlo Approach ∗

We price the surrender option embedded in two common types of guaranteed participating Italian life contracts and we adopt the Least Squares Monte Carlo approach following Longstaff and Schwartz (2001) giving a comparative analysis with the results obtained through a Recursive Tree Binomial approach according to Bacinello (2003). We present an application to a major Italian life policies’ portfolio at two different market valuation dates. We use a Black&Scholes-CIR++ economy to simulate the reference fund; we estimate the fair value of portfolio’s liabilities according to De Felice and Moriconi (2001), (2002) and Pacati (2000) extending the framework to price the embedded surrender options. JEL: C63, G13, G22 IME: IM12, IE50, IB11
Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus isolates from equine infectious endometritis belong to a distinct genetic group

Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus is the pathogen most commonly isolated from the uterus of mares. S. zooepidemicus is an opportunistic pathogen and part of the resident flora in the caudal reproductive tract. The aim of this study was to investigate whether a genotypically distinct subpopulation of S. zooepidemicus is associated with endometritis in the mare, by genotyping and comparing uterine S. zooepidemicus strains with isolates from the vagina and clitoral fossa. Mares with (n=18) or without (n=11) clinical symptoms of endometritis were included. Uterine samples were obtained using a guarded endometrial biopsy punch, whereas a swab was used to recover samples from the cranial vagina and the clitoral fossa. If S. zooepidemicus was present, up to three colonies were selected from each anatomical location (max. 9 isolates per mare). Bacterial isolates were characterized by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). S. zooepidemicus was isolated from the endometrium of 12 mares. A total of 88 isolates were analyzed by PFGE: 31 from the endometrium, 26 from the cranial vagina and 31 isolates from the clitoral fossa. For MLST 21 isolates were chosen. Results demonstrated a higher genetic similarity of the isolates obtained from infectious endometritis compared to isolates obtained from the caudal reproductive tract. In conclusion, we demonstrate for the first time that a genetically distinct group of S. zooepidemicus is associated with infectious endometritis in the mare.
Early prediction of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection relapse in nonresponders to primary interferon therapy by means of HCV RNA whole-blood analysis.

BACKGROUND
Routine analysis of serum and/or plasma specimens for hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA does not always correctly reflect the response to antiviral therapy. Analysis of whole-blood specimens for detection of viral RNA should provide more-accurate prognostic information.


METHODS
Whole-blood, serum, and plasma specimens (268 sample sets) were obtained from 56 patients who did not respond to initial interferon (IFN)- alpha 2b monotherapy (5 MU every 2 days for 3 months). Specimens were analyzed for HCV RNA by 4 different types of reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) (Cobas Amplicor HCV-2.0 [Roche], LightCycler real-time PCR [Roche], and 2 in-house RT-PCRs) to determine whether specimen type can predict the rate of virologic response to high-dose treatment with IFN (10 MU every 2 days) and ribavirin (1-1.2 g/day).


RESULTS
Of the 56 patients who provided specimens, serum and plasma obtained from 18 tested negative for HCV RNA at the end of treatment, indicating a complete virologic response. In contrast, analysis of whole-blood specimens obtained at the same time revealed the presence of viral RNA in 12 of these 18 patients. All 12 subjects had relapse of HCV in serum and plasma: 11 relapsed a median of 4 weeks after the end of treatment, and 1 relapsed 20 weeks after the end of treatment. None of these 12 patients--all of whom consistently had whole-blood specimens that tested positive and plasma and serum specimens that tested negative for HCV RNA up to 20 weeks before the end of treatment--showed a sustained virologic response (P=.0002).


CONCLUSIONS
Results of whole-blood tests for detection of HCV RNA were highly predictive of viral relapse (positive predictive value, 100%) and thus may be useful tools for monitoring and tailoring IFN/ribavirin therapy. Testing of only serum or plasma specimens underestimates the true circulating HCV load and leads to an overestimation of antiviral response rates.
Evaluating Usability of E-Learning Systems in Universities

The use of e-learning systems has increased significantly in the recent times. E-learning systems are supplementing teaching and learning in universities globally. Kenyan universities have adopted e-learning technologies as means for delivering course content. However despite adoption of these systems, there are considerable challenges facing the usability of the systems. Lecturers and students have different perceptions in regard to the usability of e-learning systems. The aim of this study was to evaluate usability attributes that affect elearning systems in Kenyan universities. The study had two fold objectives; determining status of e-learning platforms and evaluating usability issues affecting e-learning adoption in Kenyan universities. The research took a case study of one of the public universities which has implemented Moodle e-learning system. The usability attributes evaluated were user-friendliness, learnability, technological infrastructure and policy. The research made recommendations which could help universities accelerate the adoption of e-learning systems. Keywords—e-learning; moodle; usability; learnability
The effect of low-level laser in knee osteoarthritis: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION
Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) is thought to have an analgesic effect as well as a biomodulatory effect on microcirculation. This study was designed to examine the pain-relieving effect of LLLT and possible microcirculatory changes measured by thermography in patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA).


MATERIALS AND METHODS
Patients with mild or moderate KOA were randomized to receive either LLLT or placebo LLLT. Treatments were delivered twice a week over a period of 4 wk with a diode laser (wavelength 830 nm, continuous wave, power 50 mW) in skin contact at a dose of 6 J/point. The placebo control group was treated with an ineffective probe (power 0.5 mW) of the same appearance. Before examinations and immediately, 2 wk, and 2 mo after completing the therapy, thermography was performed (bilateral comparative thermograph by AGA infrared camera); joint flexion, circumference, and pressure sensitivity were measured; and the visual analogue scale was recorded.


RESULTS
In the group treated with active LLLT, a significant improvement was found in pain (before treatment [BT]: 5.75; 2 mo after treatment : 1.18); circumference (BT: 40.45; AT: 39.86); pressure sensitivity (BT: 2.33; AT: 0.77); and flexion (BT: 105.83; AT: 122.94). In the placebo group, changes in joint flexion and pain were not significant. Thermographic measurements showed at least a 0.5 degrees C increase in temperature--and thus an improvement in circulation compared to the initial values. In the placebo group, these changes did not occur.


CONCLUSION
Our results show that LLLT reduces pain in KOA and improves microcirculation in the irradiated area.
Schubert's Poets and the Making of Lieder

Introduction 1. 'The Sappho of Vienna': Gabriele von Baumberg and the disasters of war 2. The lyre and the sword: Theodor Korner and the lied 3. Chromatic melancholy: John Mayrhofer and Schubert 4. En route to Winterreise: Ernst Schulze and the sisterly muses, or a study in Romantic psychopathy.