Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ceftaroline versus Ceftriaxone in a Highly Penicillin-Resistant Pneumococcal Pneumonia Rabbit Model Using Simulated Human Dosing

ABSTRACT Ceftaroline (CPT) is a new cephalosporin exhibiting bactericidal activity against Gram-positive organisms, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and multidrug-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae (MDRSP), as well as common Gram-negative pathogens. This study investigated the in vivo efficacy of a 48-hour simulated human dose regimen of CPT compared with ceftriaxone (CRO) against isolates of S. pneumoniae with different susceptibilities to penicillin in a rabbit pneumonia model. Three S. pneumoniae strains were used: CRO-susceptible penicillin-susceptible S. pneumoniae (CRO-S PSSP), CRO-susceptible penicillin-intermediate S. pneumoniae (CRO-S PISP), and CRO-resistant penicillin-resistant S. pneumoniae (CRO-R PRSP). Animals were randomized to the control group (no treatment) (n = 22) or to a group given intravenous (IV) CPT human equivalent (HE) dosage (600 mg/12 h; n = 19) or IV CRO HE dosage (1 g/24 h; n = 19). The total doses needed to achieve the HE dosage were 71 and 82 mg/kg of body weight/24 h for CRO and CPT, respectively. One group of rabbits infected with the CRO-R PRSP strain received intramuscular (IM) administration of CPT (5 or 20 mg/kg twice daily; n = 5 for each). Evaluation of efficacy was based on bacterial counts in the lungs and spleen. For IV CPT and IV CRO, the mean areas under the concentration-time curves from 0 to 24 h (AUC0–24s) were 155 and 938 mg · h/liter, respectively, the maximum concentrations in serum (Cmaxs) were 20 and 158 mg/liter, respectively, and the minimum concentrations in serum (Cmins) were 1.3 and 6 mg/liter, respectively. Both agents effectively treated pulmonary infections caused by CRO-S PSSP or CRO-S PISP with complete bacterial eradication in the lungs and spleen after 2 days of treatment. Against PRSP, CPT demonstrated excellent bactericidal activity, reducing bacterial counts in the lungs and spleen by approximately 8 and 4 log units, respectively (P < 0.001); CRO treatment resulted in a 2-log-unit reduction in the bacterial counts in lungs that did not reach statistical significance. Twice-daily IM CPT (5 mg/kg) reduced the bacterial burden by approximately 6 log units in the lungs and 3 log units in the spleen, and the 20-mg/kg dosage effectively eradicated PRSP infection. These findings further validate the in vivo bactericidal activity of CPT against pneumococci.
Prediction at the Discourse Level in Spanish–English Bilinguals: An Eye-Tracking Study

In two experiments, we examine English monolinguals’ and Spanish-English bilinguals’ ability to predict an upcoming pronoun referent based on the Implicit Causality (IC) bias of the verb. In an eye-tracking experiment, the monolingual data show anticipation of the upcoming referent for NP1-bias verbs. For bilinguals, the same effect is found, showing that bilinguals are not slower than monolinguals at processing the information associated with the IC of the verb. In an off-line experiment, both groups showed knowledge of IC bias information for the verbs used in the eye-tracking experiment. Based on the findings of the two experiments, we show that highly proficient bilinguals have similar online and off-line predictions based on IC verb information than monolingual speakers.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains possess specific adhesins for laminin

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a major human pathogen known to infect tissues that have been previously damaged in some way. In wounded human respiratory tissues, P. aeruginosa cells were found attached to exposed basement membranes following epithelial denudation, suggesting that the affinity for extracellular matrix proteins may account for the bacterium's opportunistic character. By using microtiter wells coated with different P. aeruginosa strains, we demonstrated that laminin binds to both colonizing bacterial strains, isolated from asymptomatic carriers, and strains isolated from infected patients. Binding of soluble laminin to piliated P. aeruginosa PAK and to the nonpiliated isogenic mutant PAK/p--was shown to be saturable. Binding of laminin to the piliated PAK strain was not different from binding to th nonpiliated PAK/p--strain but was significantly higher than binding to the avirulent, nonpiliated PAK-N1 rpoN mutant. By transmission electron microscopy, we localized the laminin-binding sites on a loose material in the outermost layer of the bacteria. Western immunoblotting results suggested that 57- and 59-kDa nonpilus adhesins from the microbial outer membranes account for the binding of P. aeruginosa to laminin. We speculate that bacterial affinity for laminin may be of biological significance in the pathogenesis of P. aeruginosa infection of injured tissues.
[Significance of lung perfusion scanning with technetium labeled macroaggregated albumin and pulmonary function assay for diagnosis of early hepatopulmonary syndrome].

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the values of pulmonary function assay and dynamic pulmonary perfusion imaging with technetium labeled macroaggregated albumin ((99m)TcMAA) in the early diagnosis of hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS). METHODS The pulmonary function assay and (99m)TcMAA scans were performed in 28 patients with HPS, 30 cirrhotic patients (CP) without HPS, and 21 healthy controls (HC). RESULTS In the patients with HPS, PaO(2), SaO(2) and diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide of lungs (DLco) was significantly lower than that in CP (P<0.01) and HC (P<0.01), and alveolar-arterial gradient [P((A-a))O(2)] was significantly increased (P<0.001). Results from (99m)TcMAA scans showed that the radionuclides were distributed over the spleen, kidney, liver and brain, and the ratios of arterivenous shunt were significantly higher than that in CP (P<0.001) and NC (P<0.001). In cirrhotic patients, DLco significantly decreased (P<0.05), P((A-a))O(2) and shunt ratios increased (P<0.01 and 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Pulmonary function assay and dynamic pulmonary perfusion imaging with (99m)TcMAA are sensitive methods for diagnosis of the early HPS.
Tracking soccer players using the graph representation

In this work, we consider the problem of tracking soccer players during a game by using multiple cameras. The main goal consists in finding the position of the players on the pitch at each instance of time. The occlusion is treated by splitting segmented blobs and the tracking is performed using a graph representation, where nodes correspond to the blobs obtained by image segmentation and edges represent the distance between the blobs.
Early unilateral deprivation modifies olfactory bulb function

Unilateral olfactory deprivation during postnatal development produces significant structural and neurochemical modifications of the olfactory bulb. In the present report, we describe the functional consequences of such deprivation. Rat pups had a single naris occluded on postnatal day 2 (PN2) to deprive them of early olfactory stimulation. On PN20-22, the occluded naris was reopened, the previously open naris was sealed, and responses of the deprived olfactory bulb to odors were assessed using both single-unit recording from mitral/tufted cells and quantitative 14C-2-deoxyglucose (2-DG) autoradiography. While the response properties of individual odor-stimulated mitral/tufted cells were not altered by early deprivation, spontaneous activity was depressed, and there was a significantly higher incidence of odor-responsive mitral/tufted cells in deprived compared to nondeprived bulbs. In addition, odor-stimulated deprived bulbs demonstrated greater uptake of 2-DG than did non-deprived bulbs. Together, these data indicate that the olfactory system demonstrates an increased responsiveness to sensory cues following early deprivation.
Efficient rate-distortion estimation for H.264/AVC coders

In video coders, the optimal coding mode decision for each coding block can be achieved by exhaustively calculating the rate-distortion cost, which simultaneously considers the distortion performance and the coding bit consumption of all possible modes. The best mode is chosen from the one with the minimum Lagrange cost. To avoid the expensive computation of Lagrange costs, in this paper, we propose transform-domain bit-rate estimation and distortion measures, based on quantized and inverse quantized integer transform coefficients, for the inter-mode decision in H.264/AVC coders. With the proposed scheme, entropy coding, inverse transform, and pixel-reconstructions are not required in the process. With ignorable degradation in coding performance, simulations demonstrate that the proposed estimation method achieves about 40% reduced computation time of rate-distortion cost for the inter-mode decision and saves about 17% total encoding time while combining with fast motion estimation and fast mode decision algorithms.
A Multi-domain Corpus of Swedish Word Sense Annotation

We describe the word sense annotation layer in Eukalyptus, a freely available five-domain corpus of contemporary Swedish with several annotation layers. The annotation uses the SALDO lexicon to define the sense inventory, and allows word sense annotation of compound segments and multiword units. We give an overview of the new annotation tool developed for this project, and finally present an analysis of the inter-annotator agreement between two annotators.
When Does Gender Matter in Negotiation

We propose that two situational dimensions moderate gender effects in negotiation. Structural ambiguity refers to potential variation in a party’s perception of the bargaining range and appropriate standards for agreement. Gender triggers are situational factors that make gender salient and relevant to behavior or expectations. Based on a review of field and experimental data and social psychological theory on individual difference, we explain how structural ambiguity and gender triggers make negotiations ripe for gender effects.
Complex adaptive systems: concept analysis.

AIM The aim of this paper is to explicate the concept of complex adaptive systems through an analysis that provides a description, antecedents, consequences, and a model case from the nursing and health care literature. BACKGROUND Life is more than atoms and molecules--it is patterns of organization. Complexity science is the latest generation of systems thinking that investigates patterns and has emerged from the exploration of the subatomic world and quantum physics. A key component of complexity science is the concept of complex adaptive systems, and active research is found in many disciplines--from biology to economics to health care. However, the research and literature related to these appealing topics have generated confusion. A thorough explication of complex adaptive systems is needed. METHODS A modified application of the methods recommended by Walker and Avant for concept analysis was used. FINDINGS A complex adaptive system is a collection of individual agents with freedom to act in ways that are not always totally predictable and whose actions are interconnected. Examples include a colony of termites, the financial market, and a surgical team. It is often referred to as chaos theory, but the two are not the same. Chaos theory is actually a subset of complexity science. Complexity science offers a powerful new approach--beyond merely looking at clinical processes and the skills of healthcare professionals. CONCLUSION The use of complex adaptive systems as a framework is increasing for a wide range of scientific applications, including nursing and healthcare management research. When nursing and other healthcare managers focus on increasing connections, diversity, and interactions they increase information flow and promote creative adaptation referred to as self-organization. Complexity science builds on the rich tradition in nursing that views patients and nursing care from a systems perspective.
A multicentre study to evaluate the impact of timing of caspofungin administration on outcomes of invasive candidiasis in non-immunocompromised adult patients.

OBJECTIVES Candida non-albicans species cause an increasing proportion of invasive candidiasis (IC). Prompt initiation of effective antifungal therapy has been shown to positively impact the outcomes of IC. Caspofungin is often reserved as a second-line agent after suboptimal response to initial therapy. We determined the impact of the timing of caspofungin administration on outcomes of IC. METHODS Medical records were reviewed on all hospitalized adults who received >or=72 h of caspofungin for IC (isolation of Candida species from blood, intra-abdominal or other sterile sites). Clinical data were extracted from medical charts and recorded. Patients were classified based on delayed initiation (DI; >3 days) versus early initiation (EI; <or=3 days) of caspofungin relative to the time the culture was obtained. RESULTS A total of 169 patients received caspofungin for IC; Candida glabrata (n = 78, 46%) was the most common cause, followed by mixed species (n = 36, 21%), Candida albicans (n = 36, 21%), Candida parapsilosis (n = 9, 6%), Candida tropicalis (n = 6, 3%), Candida krusei and other species (n = 4, 2%). Infection sites were bloodstream related (n = 119, 71%), intra-abdominal (n = 44, 26%) and other sterile sites (n = 6, 3%). DI of caspofungin was associated with a lower response rate (35/62, 56% versus 82/107, 77%; P = 0.006), longer time to achieve clinical stability (10 versus 4 days; P = 0.002) and longer length of stay after isolation of the organism (28 versus 21 days; P = 0.007), compared with EI (n = 107). CONCLUSIONS Non-albicans Candida species accounted for the majority of IC in caspofungin-treated patients. Improved outcomes were observed for patients initiated with caspofungin within 72 h of positive culture compared with those who received delayed therapy.
The Structure and Dynamics of Luminous and Dark Matter in the Early-Type Lens Galaxy of 0047–281 at z = 0.485

We have measured the kinematic profile of the early-type (E/S0) lens galaxy in the system 0047-281 (z = 0.485) with the Echelle Spectrograph and Imager (ESI) on the W. M. Keck II Telescope, as part of the Lenses Structure and Dynamics (LSD) Survey. The central velocity dispersion is σ = 229 ± 15 km s-1, and the dispersion profile is nearly flat to beyond one effective radius (Re). No significant streaming motion is found. Surface photometry of the lens galaxy is measured from Hubble Space Telescope images. From the offset from the local fundamental plane (FP), we measure an evolution of the effective mass-to-light ratio (M/L) of Δ log = -0.37 ± 0.06 between z = 0 and 0.485, consistent with the observed evolution of field E/S0 galaxies. (We assume h65 = 1, Ωm = 0.3, and ΩΛ = 0.7 throughout.) Gravitational lens models provide a mass of ME = × 1011 h M☉ inside the Einstein radius of RE = h kpc. This allows us to break the degeneracy between velocity anisotropy and density profile typical of dynamical models for E/S0 galaxies. We find that constant-M/L models, even with strongly tangential anisotropy of the stellar velocity ellipsoid, are excluded at more than 99.9% CL. The total mass distribution inside RE can be described by a single power-law density profile, ρt ∝ r, with an effective slope γ′ = 1.90 (68% CL; ±0.1 systematic error). Two-component models yield an upper limit (68% CL) of γ ≤ 1.55 on the power-law slope of the dark matter density profile and a projected dark matter mass fraction of 0.41(0.54)() (68% CL) inside RE, for Osipkov-Merritt models with anisotropy radius ri = ∞ . The stellar M*/L values derived from the FP agree well with the maximum allowed value from the isotropic dynamical models (i.e., the "maximum-bulge solution"). The fact that both lens systems 0047-281 (z = 0.485) and MG 2016+112 (z = 1.004) are well described inside their Einstein radii by a constant-M*/L stellar mass distribution embedded in a nearly logarithmic potential—with an isotropic or a mildly radially anisotropic dispersion tensor—could indicate that E/S0 galaxies underwent little structural evolution at z ≲ 1 and have a close-to-isothermal total mass distribution in their inner regions. Whether this conclusion can be generalized, however, requires the analysis of more systems. We briefly discuss our results in the context of E/S0 galaxy formation and cold dark matter simulations.
The Role of Ultrahigh Resolution Fourier Transform Mass Spectrometry (FT-MS) in Astrobiology-Related Research: Analysis of Meteorites and Tholins

It is an important but also a challenging analytical problem to understand the chemical composition and structure of prebiotic organic matter that is present in extraterrestrial materials. Its formation, evolution and content in the building blocks (“seeds”) for more complex molecules, such as proteins and DNA, are key questions in the field of exobiology. Ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometry is one of the best analytical techniques that can be applied because it provides reliable information on the chemical composition and structure of individual components of complex organic mixtures. Prebiotic organic material is delivered to Earth by meteorites or generated in laboratories in simulation (model) experiments that mimic space or atmospheric conditions. Recent representative examples for ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometry studies using Fourier-transform (FT) mass spectrometers such as Orbitrap and ion cyclotron resonance (ICR) mass spectrometers are shown and discussed in the present article, including: (i) the analysis of organic matter of meteorites; (ii) modeling atmospheric processes in ICR cells; and (iii) the structural analysis of laboratory made tholins that might be present in the atmosphere and surface of Saturn’s largest moon, Titan.
Adenosine Attenuates Human Coronary Artery Smooth Muscle Cell Proliferation by Inhibiting Multiple Signaling Pathways That Converge on Cyclin D

The goal of this study was to determine whether and how adenosine affects the proliferation of human coronary artery smooth muscle cells (HCASMCs). In HCASMCs, 2-chloroadenosine (stable adenosine analogue), but not N6-cyclopentyladenosine, CGS21680, or N6-(3-iodobenzyl)-adenosine-5′-N-methyluronamide, inhibited HCASMC proliferation (A2B receptor profile). 2-Chloroadenosine increased cAMP, reduced phosphorylation (activation) of ERK and Akt (protein kinases known to increase cyclin D expression and activity, respectively), and reduced levels of cyclin D1 (cyclin that promotes cell-cycle progression in G1). Moreover, 2-chloroadenosine inhibited expression of S-phase kinase–associated protein-2 (Skp2; promotes proteolysis of p27Kip1) and upregulated levels of p27Kip1 (cell-cycle regulator that impairs cyclin D function). 2-Chloroadenosine also inhibited signaling downstream of cyclin D, including hyperphosphorylation of retinoblastoma protein and expression of cyclin A (S phase cyclin). Knockdown of A2B receptors prevented the effects of 2-chloroadenosine on ERK1/2, Akt, Skp2, p27Kip1, cyclin D1, cyclin A, and proliferation. Likewise, inhibition of adenylyl cyclase and protein kinase A abrogated 2-chloroadenosine’s inhibitory effects on Skp2 and stimulatory effects on p27Kip1 and rescued HCASMCs from 2-chloroadenosine–mediated inhibition. Knockdown of p27Kip1 also reversed the inhibitory effects of 2-chloroadenosine on HCASMC proliferation. In vivo, peri-arterial (rat carotid artery) 2-chloroadenosine (20 &mgr;mol/L for 7 days) downregulated vascular expression of Skp2, upregulated vascular expression of p27Kip1, and reduced neointima hyperplasia by 71% (P<0.05; neointimal thickness: control, 37 424±18 371 pixels; treated, 10 352±2824 pixels). In conclusion, the adenosine/A2B receptor/cAMP/protein kinase A axis inhibits HCASMC proliferation by blocking multiple signaling pathways (ERK1/2, Akt, and Skp2) that converge at cyclin D, a key G1 cyclin that controls cell-cycle progression.
Cognition and Talk: The Relationship of Semantic Units to Temporal Patterns of Fluency in Spontaneous Speech

This paper reports two studies concerning the relationship of temporal rhythms in speech fluency to the ideational content of the discourse. Action assembly theory is employed to advance the prediction that when subjects are not allowed to prepare speech in advance of actual production, there will be a tendency for ideational boundaries to be associated with a decrease in speech fluency. This relationship was hypothesized to be attenuated, however, when the structure of the discourse (as opposed to the content) has been prepared in advance. The first prediction was borne out in Experiment 1 in that five of seven ideational boundaries were found to be associated with a decrease in speech fluency (at p < 0.10). Experiment 2 showed that this relationship was, indeed, attenuated under conditions of structural preparation in advance of speech.
Vitamin B12 in low back pain: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

OBJECTIVES The objective of this double-blind randomised, placebo-controlled study was to examine the efficacy and safety intramuscular vitamin B12 (Tricortin 1000) in the treatment of low back pain in patients with mechanical or irritative lumbago. METHODS 60 patients aged between 18 and 65 years with lumbago or sciatic neuritis of mechanical origin without need for surgical procedures were enrolled. Patients had to present with a proven medical history for back pain (lasting from 6 months to 5 years) and a pain intensity [as evaluated with a Visual Analogic Scale (VAS)] equal or greater than 60 mm. Efficacy primary end-point was evaluated by means of a visual analogic scale (VAS) and a Disability Questionnaire (DQ). Consumption of paracetamol during the study period was the secondary efficacy end-point. RESULTS Both treatment groups experienced a sharp decrease in pain and disability. However, comparison between groups at the end of the treatment period showed a statistically significant difference in favour of the active treatment both for VAS and DQ (p < 0.0001 and p < 0.0002, respectively). Consumption of paracetamol proved significantly higher in the placebo group than in the active treatment (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS The efficacy and safety of parenteral Vitamin B12 in alleviating low back pain and related disability and in decreasing the consumption of paracetamol was confirmed in patients with no signs of nutritional deficiency.