Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Norovirus outbreak among primary schoolchildren who had played in a recreational water fountain.

BACKGROUND A gastroenteritis outbreak was associated with playing in a norovirus-contaminated recreational fountain. OBJECTIVE AND STUDY DESIGN A retrospective cohort study was performed to estimate the magnitude of the outbreak and identify its source. Epidemiological investigation included standardized questionnaires about sex, age, school, class, risk exposures, and illness characteristics. Stool samples and environmental water samples were analyzed for the presence of bacteria, viruses, and parasites. RESULTS Questionnaires were returned for 191 schoolchildren (response rate, 83%) with a mean age of 9.2 years, of whom 47% were ill (diarrhea and/or vomiting). Children were more likely to have been ill if they had played in the recreational fountain (relative risk, 10.4). Norovirus (Birmingham) was detected in 22 (88%) stool specimens from ill children and in 6 (38%) specimens from healthy children. The water sample from the fountain contained a norovirus strain that was identical to the RNA sequence found in stools. CONCLUSIONS Recreational water may be the source of gastroenteritis outbreaks. Adequate water treatment can prevent these types of outbreak.
Improved Malaria Case Management through the Implementation of a Health Facility-Based Sentinel Site Surveillance System in Uganda

Background Heath facility-based sentinel site surveillance has been proposed as a means of monitoring trends in malaria morbidity but may also provide an opportunity to improve malaria case management. Here we described the impact of a sentinel site malaria surveillance system on promoting laboratory testing and rational antimalarial drug use. Methodology/Principal Findings Sentinel site malaria surveillance was established at six health facilities in Uganda between September 2006 and January 2007. Data were collected from all patients presenting to the outpatient departments including demographics, laboratory results, diagnoses, and treatments prescribed. Between the start of surveillance and March 2010, a total 424,701 patients were seen of which 229,375 (54%) were suspected of having malaria. Comparing the first three months with the last three months of surveillance, the proportion of patients with suspected malaria who underwent diagnostic testing increased from 39% to 97% (p<0.001). The proportion of patients with an appropriate decision to prescribe antimalarial therapy (positive test result prescribed, negative test result not prescribed) increased from 64% to 95% (p<0.001). The proportion of patients appropriately prescribed antimalarial therapy who were prescribed the recommended first-line regimen artemether-lumefantrine increased from 48% to 69% (p<0.001). Conclusions/Significance The establishment of a sentinel site malaria surveillance system in Uganda achieved almost universal utilization of diagnostic testing in patients with suspected malaria and appropriate decisions to prescribed antimalarial based on test results. Less success was achieved in promoting prescribing practice for the recommended first-line therapy. This system could provide a model for improving malaria case management in other health facilities in Africa.
Advances in ureteroscopy

Ureteroscopy (URS) is a procedure which has been constantly evolving since the development of first generation devices 40 years ago. Progress towards smaller and more sophisticated equipment has been particularly rapid in the last decade. We review the significant steps that have been made toward improving outcomes and limiting morbidity with this procedure which is central to the management of urolithiasis and other upper urinary tract pathology.
A logic-based semantics for the verification of multi-diagram UML models

UML is a well-known and widely used design notation: it offers a rich set of modeling elements, but their behavior is often not properly defined. Many proposals have tried to provide UML with a formal semantics, but they often focus on a limited number of diagram types, and thus do not provide a viable solution for the actual verification of complex UML models. This paper addresses a significant and consistent set of UML diagrams, called MADES UML, and uses a metric temporal logic to ascribe a formal semantics to them. It also introduces a prototype verification tool based on a bounded model/satis ability checker. The verification of a car collision avoidance system gave encouraging results.
Digital pulse interval modulation for IR communication systems - a review

This paper presents a brief review of infrared communications systems, modulation techniques and in particular, a digital pulse modulation scheme known as digital pulse interval modulation (DPIM) for infrared (IR) communication systems employing intensity modulation with direct detection (IM/DD). DPIM code characteristics, power spectral density and error probability in terms of the packet error rate are discussed. Performance comparison is made with that of on}o! keying (OOK) and pulse position modulation (PPM). For comparison, relevant expressions for both OOK and PPM are also presented. Using a threshold-detector-based receiver, we show that DPIM outperforms both OOK and PPM in terms of power e$ciency and PPM in terms of bandwidth e$ciency, by taking advantage of its inherent variable symbol duration. However, using a maximum-a posteriori (MAP) detector it provides marginally inferior error rate performance compared with PPM. Copyright ( 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Relevance of Norepinephrine–Dopamine Interactions in the Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder

Central dopaminergic and noradrenergic systems play essential roles in controlling several forebrain functions. Consequently, perturbations of these neurotransmissions may contribute to the pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric disorders. For many years, there was a focus on the serotonin (5‐HT) system because of the efficacy of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), the most prescribed antidepressants in the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD). Given the interconnectivity within the monoaminergic network, any action on one system may reverberate in the other systems. Analysis of this network and its dysfunctions suggests that drugs with selective or multiple modes of action on dopamine (DA) and norepinephrine (NE) may have robust therapeutic effects. This review focuses on NE‐DA interactions as demonstrated in electrophysiological and neurochemical studies, as well as on the mechanisms of action of agents with either selective or dual actions on DA and NE. Understanding the mode of action of drugs targeting these catecholaminergic neurotransmitters can improve their utilization in monotherapy and in combination with other compounds particularly the SSRIs. The elucidation of such relationships can help design new treatment strategies for MDD, especially treatment‐resistant depression.
Psychosocial and Environmental Correlates of Walking, Cycling, Public Transport and Passive Transport to Various Destinations in Flemish Older Adolescents

Background Active transport is a convenient way to incorporate physical activity in adolescents’ daily life. The present study aimed to investigate which psychosocial and environmental factors are associated with walking, cycling, public transport (train, tram, bus, metro) and passive transport (car, motorcycle, moped) over short distances (maximum eight kilometres) among older adolescents (17–18 years), to school and to other destinations. Methods 562 older adolescents completed an online questionnaire assessing socio-demographic variables, psychosocial variables, environmental variables and transport to school/other destinations. Zero-inflated negative binomial regression models were performed. Results More social modelling and a higher residential density were positively associated with walking to school and walking to other destinations, respectively. Regarding cycling, higher self-efficacy and a higher social norm were positively associated with cycling to school and to other destinations. Regarding public transport, a higher social norm, more social modelling of siblings and/or friends, more social support and a higher land use mix access were positively related to public transport to school and to other destinations, whereas a greater distance to school only related positively to public transport to school. Regarding passive transport, more social support and more perceived benefits were positively associated with passive transport to school and to other destinations. Perceiving less walking and cycling facilities at school was positively related to passive transport to school only, and more social modelling was positively related to passive transport to other destinations. Conclusions Overall, psychosocial variables seemed to be more important than environmental variables across the four transport modes. Social norm, social modelling and social support were the most consistent psychosocial factors which indicates that it is important to target both older adolescents and their social environment in interventions promoting active transport. Walking or cycling together with siblings or friends has the potential to increase social norm, social modelling and social support towards active transport.
Do Male Managers Increase Risk-Taking of Female Teams? Evidence from the NCAA

We analyze the effect of the coach's gender on risk-taking in women sports teams using data taken from National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) basketball games. We find that the coach's gender has a sizable and significant effect on risk-taking, a finding that is robust to several empirical strategies, including an instrumental variable approach. In particular, we find that risk-taking among teams with a male head coach is 5 percentage points greater than that in teams with a female head coach. This gap is persistent over time and across intermediate game standings. The fact that risk-taking has a significantly positive effect on game success suggests that female coaches should be more risk-taking.
Effects of the Oral Administration of Viable and Heat-Killed Streptococcus bovis HC5 Cells to Pre-Sensitized BALB/c Mice

Antimicrobial peptides have been suggested as an alternative to classical antibiotics in livestock production and bacteriocin-producing bacteria could be added to animal feeds to deliver bacteriocins in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract of ruminant and monogastric animals. In this study, viable (V) and heat-killed (HK) Streptococcus bovis HC5 cells were orally administered to pre-sensitized mice in order to assess the effects of a bacteriocin-producing bacteria on histological parameters and the immune response of the GI tract of monogastric animals. The administration of V and HK S. bovis HC5 cells during 58 days to BALB/c mice did not affect weight gain, but an increase in gut permeability was detected in animals receiving the HK cells. Viable and heat killed cells caused similar morphological alterations in the GI tract of the animals, but the most prominent effects were detected in the small intestine. The oral administration of S. bovis HC5 also influenced cytokine production in the small intestine, and the immune-mediated activity differed between V and HK cells. The relative expression of IL-12 and INF-γ was significantly higher in the small intestine of mice treated with V cells, while an increase in IL-5, IL-13 and TNF-α expression was only detected in mice treated with HK cells. Considering that even under a condition of severe challenge (pre-sensitization followed by daily exposure to the same bacterial immunogen) the general health of the animals was maintained, it appears that oral administration of S. bovis HC5 cells could be a useful route to deliver bacteriocin in the GI tract of livestock animals.
Increasing the uptake of long-acting reversible contraception in general practice: the Australian Contraceptive ChOice pRoject (ACCORd) cluster randomised controlled trial protocol

Introduction The increased use of long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs), such as intrauterine devices and hormonal implants, has the potential to reduce unintended pregnancy and abortion rates. However, use of LARCs in Australia is very low, despite clinical practice guidance and statements by national and international peak bodies advocating their increased use. This protocol paper describes the Australian Contraceptive ChOice pRojet (ACCORd), a cluster randomised control trial that aims to test whether an educational intervention targeting general practitioners (GPs) and establishing a rapid referral service are a cost-effective means of increasing LARC uptake. Methods and analysis The ACCORd intervention is adapted from the successful US Contraceptive CHOICE study and involves training GPs to provide ‘LARC First’ structured contraceptive counselling to women seeking contraception, and implementing rapid referral pathways for LARC insertion. Letters of invitation will be sent to 600 GPs in South-Eastern Melbourne. Using randomisation stratified by whether the GP inserts LARCs or not, a total of 54 groups will be allocated to the intervention (online ‘LARC First’ training and rapid referral pathways) or control arm (usual care). We aim to recruit 729 women from each arm. The primary outcome will be the number of LARCs inserted; secondary outcomes include the women's choice of contraceptive method and quality of life (Short Form Health Survey, SF-36). The costs and outcomes of the intervention and control will be compared in a cost-effectiveness analysis. Ethics and dissemination The ACCORd study has been approved by the Monash University Human Research Ethics Committee: CF14/3990-2014002066 and CF16/188-2016000080. Any protocol modifications will be communicated to Ethics Committee and Trial Registration registry. The authors plan to disseminate trial outcomes through formal academic pathways comprising journal articles, nation and international conferences and reports, as well as using more ‘popular’ strategies including seminars, workshops and media engagements. Trial registration number ACTRN12615001346561.
Small-Colony Variants of Staphylococcus aureus

nous amphotericin B lipid complex (5 mg/ kg per day), which was then switched to liposomal amphotericin B (5 mg/kg per day). There was no surgical intervention. For the first 7 days of hospitalization, the patient remained unwell in the intensive care department, with ongoing fever, profuse diarrhea, and abdominal tenderness. There was then a steady recovery. After 3 weeks, the patient had stabilized and had no gastrointestinal symptoms. Amphotericin B lipid preparations were administered for a total of 6 weeks. The patient remained healthy at follow-up 3 months later. Gastrointestinal mucormycosis is an uncommon disease. It has most often been described in patients with diarrhea and malnutrition, infants with low birth weight, patients receiving peritoneal dialysis, and patients with solid organ transplants [1, 2]. It occurs most commonly in the stomach (60% of cases) and the colon (30% of cases), with half of the colonic cases occurring in the cecum and ascending colon [3]. The infection is thought to be acquired through direct ingestion of the pathogen [4]. The case presented here illustrates the rapid clinical onset and rapid clinical deterioration with which gastrointestinal mucormycosis often presents. Mucor indicus (previously known as Mucor rouxii) has been reported to cause human disease 4 times previously [4–7]. Three of these cases involved the gastrointestinal tract, suggesting a possible predilection of this particular species for the gastrointestinal tract. Two of the 4 patients were immunocompetent, and 3 survived the infection. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of mucormycosis fungemia demonstrated by blood culture results. The mortality rate for all reported cases of gastrointestinal mucormycosis is 85%. In 40% of reported cases, gastrointenstinal mucormycosis infection was disseminated, and this was associated with 190% mortality. Optimal treatment has not been established, but the combination of surgery and amphotericin B therapy may be better than either of these alone [1, 8]. This case demonstrates the uncommon situation of gastrointestinal Mucor indicus infection presenting with fungemia, followed by successful treatment with intravenous amphotericin B lipid preparations but not surgery.
A fully liquid DTPw-HepB-Hib combination vaccine for booster vaccination of toddlers in El Salvador.

OBJECTIVES To compare the safety and immunogenicity of a booster dose of a fully liquid diphtheria-tetanus-whole cell pertussis-hepatitis B-Haemophilus influenzae type b (DTPw-HepB-Hib) vaccine to the separate administration of commercially available DTPw and Hib vaccines in healthy toddlers. METHODS An open-label, randomized, parallel-group, Phase III study conducted at six centers in San Salvador, El Salvador, during February-June 2006. Toddlers (15-24 months of age) were eligible to participate if they had received primary immunization at 2, 4, and 6 months of age with a commercial DTPw-HepB/Hib vaccine requiring reconstitution. Participants received either one booster dose of DTPw-HepB-Hib fully liquid vaccine or DTPw and Hib vaccines administered separately. Blood samples were taken immediately prior to and at 1 month post-vaccination. For a 5-day period following vaccination, solicited adverse events were collected in subject diaries and assessed. RESULTS The combined DTPw-HepB-Hib fully liquid vaccine was non-inferior to the separately administered DTPw and Hib vaccines, in terms of seroprotection/seroconversion rates for all antigens evaluated. The combination vaccine elicited a strong booster response as demonstrated by a large increase in antibodies against all vaccine antigens. The geometric mean concentrations (GMCs) of all antibodies in the DTPw-HepB-Hib group exceeded the seroprotection/seroconversion thresholds by very large margins, although for some antigens they were somewhat lower than the corresponding titers in the comparator group. With the combination vaccine, considerably fewer solicited local and systemic adverse events, such as fever and irritability, were reported than with the comparator vaccines. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates that the fully liquid combined DTPw-HepB-Hib vaccine is highly immunogenic and has a favorable safety profile when given as a booster vaccination to toddlers who have received a primary vaccination course with a different pentavalent vaccine that requires reconstitution.
Securing Their Future? Entry and Survival in the Information Security Industry

In this paper we study how the existence of a functioning market for technology differentially conditions the entry strategy and survival of different types of entrants, and the role of scale, marketing ability and technical assets. Markets for technology facilitate entry of firms that lack proprietary technology and increase vertical specialization. However, they also increase the relative advantage of downstream capabilities, which is reflected in the relatively improved performance of incumbent Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) firms compared to startups. We find that diversifying entrants perform better relative to startups. Contrary to earlier studies, we find that spin-offs do not perform any better than other startups. Moreover, firms founded by serious hobbyists and tinkerers, whom we call hackers, perform markedly better than other startups. These findings reflect the non-manufacturing setting of this study, as well as the distinctive nature of software technology.
Proposal of comparative evaluation with the correspondence analysis: comparative evaluation of degree of satisfaction of patients and doctors

With this work is proposed a methodology of comparative evaluation of the opinions of members of two or more different teams, as for criteria which are formulated in scales "Likert". The proposed methodology is recommended in the manufacture of special table of "coincidences", that we name 'table of comparative evaluation' and in its statistical analysis with the method of correspodence analysis. We determine the centre of weight of the table of comparative evaluation and we calculate the inactivity of its points of columns proving that it is gravimetric medium inactivities of its subtables, that corresponds to the teams between which is attempted the comparative evaluation, when they are analyzed separately. Finally, it follows an application of the method of comparative evaluation of degree of satisfaction of patients and doctors in the General Hospital of Thessaloniki "AGIOS DIMITRIOS" in data that resulted from their answers in questions of form of scales of evaluation.
Plasma Tau Levels in Cognitively Normal Middle-Aged and Older Adults

Using an ultra-sensitive technique, an immunomagnetic reduction assay, the plasma tau level can be measured to a limit of quantification of pg/ml. In total 126 cognitively normal middle-aged and older adults (45–95 years old) were recruited. The plasma tau levels were significantly higher in the older group (aged 65–95 years) 18.14 ± 7.33 pg/ml than those in the middle-aged group (aged 45–64 years) 14.35 ± 6.49 pg/ml when controlled gender and ApoEε4 carrier status (F = 3.102, P = 0.029). The ApoEε4 carriers had higher plasma tau levels than the non-carriers when controlled age and gender (F = 6.149, P = 0.001). Men had higher plasma tau levels than their women counterparts when controlled ApoEε4 carrier status and gender (F = 6.149, P = 0.001). The plasma tau levels were found to be positively associated with their ages (r = 0.359, P < 0.001). Regression analysis showed that age explained approximately 13% of the variance in the plasma tau levels, and explained more than 10% of the variance in the volumes of the hippocampus and white matter hypodensity (R2 change 0.123~0.167, all P < 0.001), and explained less than 10% of the variance in the volume of the amygdala, and central part of the corpus callosum (R2 change 0.085~0.097, all P = 0.001). However, the plasma tau levels do not further explain any residual variance in the volume of brain structures. In conclusion, the effect of age on the plasma tau levels should always be considered in clinical applications of this surrogate biomarker to middle-aged and elderly subjects.
A genomic footprint of hybrid zone movement in crested newts

Speciation typically involves a stage in which species can still exchange genetic material. Interspecific gene flow is facilitated by the hybrid zones that such species establish upon secondary contact. If one member of a hybridizing species pair displaces the other, their hybrid zone would move across the landscape. Although theory predicts that moving hybrid zones quickly stagnate, hybrid zones tracked over one or a few decades do not always follow such a limitation. This suggests that hybrid zones have the potential to traverse considerable distances over extended periods of time. When hybrid zones move, introgression is predicted to result in biased gene flow of selectively neutral alleles, from the receding species into the advancing species. We test for such a genomic footprint of hybrid zone movement in a pair of crested newt species (genus Triturus) for which we have a priori support for westward hybrid zone movement. We perform a multilocus phylogeographical survey and conduct Bayesian clustering analysis, estimation of ancestry and heterozygosity, and geographical cline analysis. In a 600 km wide area east of the present day hybrid zone a genomic footprint constitutes empirical evidence consistent with westward hybrid zone movement. The crested newt case suggests that hybrid zone movement can occur over an extensive span of time and space. Inferring hybrid zone movement provides fundamental insight into historical biogeography and the speciation process, and we anticipate that hybrid zones will prove to be far more mobile than currently appreciated.