Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Transmission of the severe acute respiratory syndrome on aircraft.

BACKGROUND The severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) spread rapidly around the world, largely because persons infected with the SARS-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV) traveled on aircraft to distant cities. Although many infected persons traveled on commercial aircraft, the risk, if any, of in-flight transmission is unknown. METHODS We attempted to interview passengers and crew members at least 10 days after they had taken one of three flights that transported a patient or patients with SARS. All index patients met the criteria of the World Health Organization for a probable case of SARS, and index or secondary cases were confirmed to be positive for SARS-CoV on reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction or serologic testing. RESULTS After one flight carrying a symptomatic person and 119 other persons, laboratory-confirmed SARS developed in 16 persons, 2 others were given diagnoses of probable SARS, and 4 were reported to have SARS but could not be interviewed. Among the 22 persons with illness, the mean time from the flight to the onset of symptoms was four days (range, two to eight), and there were no recognized exposures to patients with SARS before or after the flight. Illness in passengers was related to the physical proximity to the index patient, with illness reported in 8 of the 23 persons who were seated in the three rows in front of the index patient, as compared with 10 of the 88 persons who were seated elsewhere (relative risk, 3.1; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.4 to 6.9). In contrast, another flight carrying four symptomatic persons resulted in transmission to at most one other person, and no illness was documented in passengers on the flight that carried a person who had presymptomatic SARS. CONCLUSIONS Transmission of SARS may occur on an aircraft when infected persons fly during the symptomatic phase of illness. Measures to reduce the risk of transmission are warranted.
Use of the American Academy of Ophthalmology Surgical Checklist and Implant Timeouts: An Online Survey of Connecticut Ophthalmologists

Objective: To characterize operating room practices among ophthalmologists in Connecticut pertaining to the use of the AAO surgical checklist and implant timeouts. Methods: Ophthalmologists in Connecticut were emailed an anonymous web-based 15-question survey to inquire about their practice settings, knowledge of the AAO checklist, surgical errors, use of surgical checklists and implant timeouts, as well as perceptions about barriers to the use of surgical checklists. Results: Of the 232 ophthalmologists contacted, 88 responded of which 16 were disqualified, leaving 72 surveys for analysis. The majority of the respondents belonged to private practice (85%) and had been practicing ophthalmology for >20 years (61%). More than 83% were unaware of the AAO sponsored ophthalmic surgical checklist. Approximately a third (36%) reported never using any surgical checklist and only 68% regularly used an implant timeout. At least 25% had one incident of a wrong implant/device or retained surgical item during their careers. Use of checklist was correlated with responder's belief that using a checklist would enhance patient safety (p=0.001) as well as with use of checklists during residency (p=0.02). There was no correlation between use of checklist and adverse events (p=0.26). Conclusion: Despite proven utility of surgical checklists and implant timeouts in other surgical specialties, their use remains limited among ophthalmologists. Further research establishing effectiveness of surgical checklists and implant timeouts, as well as emphasis on their use during residency training, is needed to encourage wider acceptance among ophthalmologists.
Trust your teammates or bosses? Differential effects of trust on transactive memory, job satisfaction, and performance

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine, in two studies, whether trust in teammates and trust in management influenced transactive memory and how strongly transactive memory, in turn, influenced perceived team performance and job satisfaction.Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected via questionnaires from two samples of employees (n1=383 and n2=40). Regression and mediational analyses were employed to test the hypotheses.Findings – Trust in teammates predicted transactive memory and transactive memory, in turn, predicted perceived team performance and job satisfaction. Trust in management did not predict transactive memory, but it did predict job satisfaction.Research limitations/implications – Data are cross‐sectional and cannot establish cause‐effect‐relationships. Furthermore, objective performance measures could not be obtained due to the nature of the studies. Thus, future studies need to use longitudinal or experimental designs and objective performance measures.Practical implica.
Distinctive Neural Mechanisms Supporting Visual Object Individuation and Identification

Many everyday activities, such as driving on a busy street, require the encoding of distinctive visual objects from crowded scenes. Given resource limitations of our visual system, one solution to this difficult and challenging task is to first select individual objects from a crowded scene (object individuation) and then encode their details (object identification). Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, two distinctive brain mechanisms were recently identified that support these two stages of visual object processing. While the inferior intraparietal sulcus (IPS) selects a fixed number of about four objects via their spatial locations, the superior IPS and the lateral occipital complex (LOC) encode the features of a subset of the selected objects in great detail (object shapes in this case). Thus, the inferior IPS individuates visual objects from a crowded display and the superior IPS and higher visual areas participate in subsequent object identification. Consistent with the prediction of this theory, even when only object shape identity but not its location is task relevant, this study shows that object individuation in the inferior IPS treats four identical objects similarly as four objects that are all different, whereas object shape identification in the superior IPS and the LOC treat four identical objects as a single unique object. These results provide independent confirmation supporting the dissociation between visual object individuation and identification in the brain.
Studies on the serum haptoglobin level in hemoglobinemia and its influence on renal excretion of hemoglobin.

A short survey is given of the literature on haptoglobin, the hemoglobin-binding serum protein, its properties and biologic variations. The principles of an electrophoretic method for quantitative determination of the serum haptoglobin are described. Electrophoretic studies showed that haptoglobin has a high affinity for hemoglobin at physiologic pH and that every haptoglobin molecule can bind at least 2 hemoglobin molecules. Observations made following the intravenous injection of hemoglobin showed: that hemoglobin administered intravenously is bound by the haptoglobin; that free hemoglobin is not demonstrable until more hemoglobin has been injected than can be bound by the haptoglobin; that the complex hemoglobin-haptoglobin is eliminated from the plasma after intravascular hemolysis or intravenous administration of hemoglobin without being excreted in the urine; that the hemoglobin-haptoglobin complex is removed from the plasma at a constant rate during the major part of the elimination period; that the haptoglobin level will fall to nil within 24 hours, if the amount of hemoglobin injected is sufficient to bind all the haptoglobin available. During the following days the rate of formation of haptoglobin can be studied. From the data available it can be concluded that hemoglobinuria cannot appear until the amount of hemoglobin administered intravenously or the amount liberated intravascularly exceeds the binding power of the haptoglobin and the reabsorption capacity of the tubules. The variation observed by earlier authors in the so-called renal threshold for hemoglobin on intravenous injection of hemoglobin can be explained among other things by the variation in the haptoglobin content in one and the same subject, i.e., if the haptoglobin level is low, the threshold value will also be low, and vice versa.
Appendix to : Reasoning About Strategies : On the Model-Checking Problem

Classic objects. We consider N as the set of natural numbers and [m,n] , {k ∈ N : m ≤ k ≤ n}, [m,n[ , {k ∈ N : m ≤ k < n}, ]m,n] , {k ∈ N : m < k ≤ n}, and ]m,n[ , {k ∈ N : m < k < n} as its interval subsets, with m ∈ N and n ∈ N̂ , N ∪ {ω}, where ω is the numerable infinity, i.e., the least infinite ordinal. Given a set X of objects, we denote by |X| ∈ N̂ ∪ {∞} the cardinality of X, i.e., the number of its elements, where∞ represents a more than countable cardinality, and by 2 , {Y : Y ⊆ X} the powerset of X, i.e., the set of all its subsets.
Dual-Color Fluorescence Imaging of EpCAM and EGFR in Breast Cancer Cells with a Bull’s Eye-Type Plasmonic Chip

Surface plasmon field-enhanced fluorescence microscopic observation of a live breast cancer cell was performed with a plasmonic chip. Two cell lines, MDA-MB-231 and Michigan Cancer Foundation-7 (MCF-7), were selected as breast cancer cells, with two kinds of membrane protein, epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), observed in both cells. The membrane proteins are surface markers used to differentiate and classify breast cancer cells. EGFR and EpCAM were detected with Alexa Fluor® 488-labeled anti-EGFR antibody (488-EGFR) and allophycocyanin (APC)-labeled anti-EpCAM antibody (APC-EpCAM), respectively. In MDA-MB231 cells, three-fold plus or minus one and seven-fold plus or minus two brighter fluorescence of 488-EGFR were observed on the 480-nm pitch and the 400-nm pitch compared with that on a glass slide. Results show the 400-nm pitch is useful. Dual-color fluorescence of 488-EGFR and APC-EpCAM in MDA-MB231 was clearly observed with seven-fold plus or minus two and nine-fold plus or minus three, respectively, on the 400-nm pitch pattern of a plasmonic chip. Therefore, the 400-nm pitch contributed to the dual-color fluorescence enhancement for these wavelengths. An optimal grating pitch of a plasmonic chip improved a fluorescence image of membrane proteins with the help of the surface plasmon-enhanced field.
Pragmatic drum motion capture system

The ability to acquire and analyze a percussion performance in an efficient, affordable, and non-invasive manner has been made possible by a unique composite of off-the-shelf products. Through various methods of calibration and analysis, human motion as imparted on a striking implement can be tracked and correlated with traditional audio data in order to compare performances. Ultimately, conclusions can be drawn that drive pedagogical studies as well as advances in musical robots.
Plasmid transcriptional repressor CopG oligomerises to render helical superstructures unbound and in complexes with oligonucleotides.

CopG is a 45 amino acid residue transcriptional repressor involved in the copy number control of the streptococcal plasmid pMV158. To do so, it binds to a DNA operator that contains a 13 bp pseudosymmetric DNA element. Binding of CopG to its operator results in repression, at the transcriptional level, of its own synthesis and that of the initiator of replication protein, RepB. Biochemical experiments have shown that CopG co-operatively associates to its target DNA at low protein:DNA ratios, completely protecting four helical turns on the same face of the double helix in both directions from the inverted repeat that constitutes the CopG primary target. This has been correlated with a CopG-mediated DNA bend of about 100 degrees. Here, we show that binding of CopG to DNA fragments containing the inverted repeat just at one end led to nucleation of the protein initiating from the inverted repeat. Nucleation extended to the entire fragment, with CopG-DNA contacts occurring on the same face of the DNA helix. The protein, the prototype for a family of homologous plasmid repressors, displays a homodimeric ribbon-helix-helix arrangement. It polymerises within the unbound crystal to render a continuous right-handed protein superhelix of homodimers, around which a bound double-stranded (ds) DNA could wrap. We have solved the crystal structure of CopG in complex with a 22 bp dsDNA oligonucleotide encompassing the cognate pseudosymmetric element. In the crystal, one protein tetramer binds at one face of the DNA with two parallel beta-ribbons inserted into the major groove. The DNA is bent about 50 degrees under compression of both major and minor grooves. A continuous right-handed complex helix made up mainly by protein-protein and some protein-DNA interactions is observed. The protein-protein interactions involve regions similar to those observed in the oligomerisation of the native crystals and those employed to set up the functional tetramer. A previously solved complex structure of the protein with a 19 bp dsDNA had unveiled a left-handed helical superstructure just made up by DNA interactions.
The Ontolingua Server: a tool for collaborative ontology construction

Reusable ontologies are becoming increasingly important for tasks such as information integration, knowledge-level interoperation and knowledge-base development. We have developed a set of tools and services to support the process of achieving consensus on commonly shared ontologies by geographically distributed groups. These tools make use of the World Wide Web to enable wide access and provide users with the ability to publish, browse, create and edit ontologies stored on anontology server. Users can quickly assemble a new ontology from a library of modules. We discuss how our system was constructed, how it exploits existing protocols and browsing tools, and our experience supporting hundreds of users. We describe applications using our tools to achieve consensus on ontologies and to integrate information.The Ontolingua Server may be accessed through the URLhttp://ontolingua.stanford. edu
Expanded Double Negative T Cells in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Produce IL-17 and Infiltrate the Kidneys1

Double negative (DN) T cells are expanded in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and stimulate autoantibody production as efficiently as CD4+ T cells. In this study, we demonstrate that DN T cells from patients with SLE produce significant amounts of IL-17 and IFN-γ, and expand when stimulated in vitro with an anti-CD3 Ab in the presence of accessory cells. Furthermore, IL-17+ and DN T cells are found in kidney biopsies of patients with lupus nephritis. Our findings establish that DN T cells produce the inflammatory cytokines IL-17 and IFN-γ, and suggest that they contribute to the pathogenesis of kidney damage in patients with SLE.
Tailoring Adjuvant Endocrine Therapy for Postmenopausal Breast Cancer: A CYP2D6 Multiple-Genotype-Based Modeling Analysis and Validation

Purpose Previous studies have suggested that postmenopausal women with breast cancer who present with wild-type CYP2D6 may actually have similar or superior recurrence-free survival outcomes when given tamoxifen in place of aromatase inhibitors (AIs). The present study established a CYP2D6 multiple-genotype-based model to determine the optimal endocrine therapy for patients harboring wild-type CYP2D6. Methods We created a Markov model to determine whether tamoxifen or AIs maximized 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) for extensive metabolizer (EM) patients using annual hazard ratio (HR) data from the BIG 1-98 trial. We then replicated the model by evaluating 9-year event-free survival (EFS) using HR data from the ATAC trial. In addition, we employed two-way sensitivity analyses to explore the impact of HR of decreased-metabolizer (DM) and its frequency on survival by studying a range of estimates. Results The 5-year DFS of tamoxifen-treated EM patients was 83.3%, which is similar to that of genotypically unselected patients who received an AI (83.7%). In the validation study, we further demonstrated that the 9-year EFS of tamoxifen-treated EM patients was 81.4%, which is higher than that of genotypically unselected patients receiving tamoxifen (78.4%) and similar to that of patients receiving an AI (83.2%). Two-way sensitivity analyses demonstrated the robustness of the results. Conclusions Our modeling analyses indicate that, among EM patients, the DFS/EFS outcome of patients receiving tamoxifen is similar to that of patients receiving an AI. Further prospective clinical trials are needed to evaluate the value of the CYP2D6 genotype in the selection of endocrine therapy.
Activation of Ca2+-dependent proteolysis in skeletal muscle and heart in cancer cachexia

Cachexia is a syndrome characterized by profound tissue wasting that frequently complicates malignancies. In a cancer cachexia model we have shown that protein depletion in the skeletal muscle, which is a prominent feature of the syndrome, is mostly due to enhanced proteolysis. There is consensus on the views that the ubiquitin/proteasome pathway plays an important role in such metabolic response and that cytotoxic cytokines such as TNFα are involved in its triggering (Costelli and Baccino, 2000), yet the mechanisms by which the relevant extracellular signals are transduced into protein hypercatabolism are largely unknown. Moreover, little information is presently available as to the possible involvement in muscle protein waste of the Ca2+-dependent proteolysis, which may provide a rapidly activated system in response to the extracellular signals. In the present work we have evaluated the status of the Ca2+-dependent proteolytic system in the gastrocnemius muscle of AH-130 tumour-bearing rats by assaying the activity of calpain as well as the levels of calpastatin, the natural calpain inhibitor, and of the 130 kDa Ca2+-ATPase, both of which are known calpain substrates. After tumour transplantation, total calpastatin activity progressively declined, while total calpain activity remained unchanged, resulting in a progressively increasing unbalance in the calpain/calpastatin ratio. A decrease was also observed for the 130 kDa plasma membrane form of Ca2+-ATPase, while there was no change in the level of the 90 kDa sarcoplasmic Ca2+-ATPase, which is resistant to the action of calpain. Decreased levels of both calpastatin and 130 kDa Ca2+-ATPase have been also detected in the heart of the tumour-bearers. These observations strongly suggest that Ca2+-dependent proteolysis was activated in the skeletal muscle and heart of tumour-bearing animals and raise the possibility that such activation may play a role in sparking off the muscle protein hypercatabolic response that characterizes cancer cachexia. © 2001 Cancer Research Campaign
Exploring School Mathematics as a Source for Pedagogic Reflections in Teacher Education

An initiative of professional development was set up with/for secondary mathematics teachers in order to offer them opportunities to engage in deep explorations of school mathematics content. This article reports on how, through these mathematical explorations, teachers did much more than develop their mathematical knowledge as they also engaged unexpectedly in rich pedagogical considerations and reflections about their teaching of mathematics (in this case, the volume of solids). These pointed to a strong connection existing between the teachers’ mathematical knowledge and their “teaching” knowledge, as developing mathematical understandings led them to developments about their teaching. This interconnection is further explored through excerpts where teachers’ teaching orientations and mathematical knowledge appear inextricably intertwined, one influencing the other in a dynamic relationship, leading to enriched comprehensions of the interplay existing between teachers’ knowledge of content and of pedagogy. RésuméUne initiative de développement professionnel a été mise sur pied avec et pour des enseignants des mathématiques, afin de leur offrir la possibilité d’explorer en profondeur les contenus des mathématiques scolaires. Cet article montre que, au cours de ces explorations, les enseignants ne se sont pas limités à perfectionner leurs connaissances mathématiques. En effet, sans qu’on s’y attende ils se sont également engagés dans des considérations pédagogiques et des réflexions détaillées sur leur enseignement (dans le cas qui nous occupe, sur le volume des solides). Ceci pointe sur la présence d’un lien très étroit existant entre les connaissances mathématiques des enseignants et leurs connaissances sur l’enseignement de cesmathématiques, alors que l’approfondissement des concepts mathématiques a déclenché des réflexions et des développements significatifs concernant leur enseignement. Cette interconnexion est analysée à travers des extraits dans lesquels les orientations pédagogiques et les connaissances mathématiques des enseignants semblent inextricablement liées, menant à une compréhension plus approfondie de l’interaction réciproque existant entre les connaissances des contenus des enseignants et leur enseignement de ces mêmes contenus.
Spatial navigation—a unique window into physiological and pathological aging

Spatial navigation is a skill of determining and maintaining a trajectory from one place to another. Mild progressive decline of spatial navigation develops gradually during the course of physiological ageing. Nevertheless, severe spatial navigation deficit can be the first sign of incipient Alzheimer's disease (AD), occurring in the stage of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), preceding the development of a full blown dementia. Patients with amnestic MCI, especially those with the hippocampal type of amnestic syndrome, are at very high risk of AD. These patients present with the same pattern of spatial navigation impairment as do the patients with mild AD. Spatial navigation testing of elderly as well as computer tests developed for routine clinical use thus represents a possibility for further investigation of this cognitive domain, but most of all, an opportunity for making early diagnosis of AD.
A Memetic Approach to Fuzzy Job Shop Based on Expectation Model

In the sequel we consider a job shop problem with uncertain processing times modelled using triangular fuzzy numbers. A scheduling model based on the expected value of the makespan is introduced. Later, a genetic algorithm based on codification of permutations with repetitions, a decoding algorithm to generate possibly active schedules and a local search schema are defined in order to solve the job shop problem. Experimental results illustrate the potential of the proposed methods.