Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Epidemiological, clinical, and molecular features of norovirus infections in western India

The study was conducted to investigate the molecular epidemiology of noroviruses (NoVs) from western India. A total of 830 fecal specimens were collected during July 2005–June 2007 from children, ≤7 years of age suffering from acute gastroenteritis in Pune, Nagpur, and Aurangabad cities. All the specimens were subjected to RT‐PCR, sequencing and phylogenetic analysis for detection and characterization of Genogroup I (GI) and GII NoVs. NoV positivity varied between 6.3% and 12.6% in different cities with the predominance of GII (96.6%). NoV infections were very common in the patients ≤2 years of age. A majority (55%) of the patients suffered from severe disease, however, vomiting was not experienced in 35%. Coinfections with rotaviruses were found in 10% cases. Summer month seasonality supported NoV infections in western India. The phylogenetic analysis of partial RNA polymerase and VP1 (capsid) genes identified 2 GI (GI. 2 and GI.6) and 5 GII (GII.4, GII.6, GII.7, GII.8, and GII.14) genetic clusters with possible occurrence of “2007 new‐variant” of GII.4. Six different combinations of RdRp and capsid genes (GII.b/GII.3, GII.b/GII.4, GII.d/GII.3, GII.b/GII.18, GII.1/GII.12 and GII.3/GII.13) were also identified. GII.4 (52%) prevailed in 2005–2006 while the predominance of probable recombinant NoV strains (58%) was noted in 2006–2007 with the contribution of GII.b/GII.3 at 79% level. GII.b/GII.18 type identified in 37% infections in 2005–2006 was completely replaced by GII.b/GII.3 type in 2006–2007. This is the first report that highlights the norovirus epidemiology and strain diversity demonstrating possible circulation of new variants in patients with acute gastroenteritis from western India. J. Med. Virol. 81:922–932, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
OP‐1 (BMP‐7) Affects mRNA Expression of Type I, II, X Collagen, and Matrix Gla Protein in Ossifying Long Bones In Vitro

In long bone development, a regulating role of OP‐1 is suggested by the local correlated expression of both OP‐1 ligand and OP‐1 binding receptors in developing mouse hind limbs. OP‐1 is expressed in the interdigital mesenchyme, whereas OP‐1 binding receptors are found in the bordering perichondrium, and both OP‐1 ligand and receptors are present in the zone of (pre)hypertrophic chondrocytes. We investigated the role of OP‐1 in long bone development experimentally by treating organ cultures of embryonic mouse metatarsals with rhOP‐1. The mRNA expression patterns of type I, II, X collagen, and matrix Gla protein (MGP) were studied using in situ hybridization and cell proliferation using [3H]thymidine and BrdU labeling. In the epiphyseal perichondrium, treatment with 40 ng/ml OP‐1 enhanced cell proliferation after day 2, while 6‐day treatment caused a shift in expression from type I collagen to type II collagen mRNA. This supports previous histochemical findings that OP‐1 induced the transition of perichondrium into cartilage. In the center of the rudiment, OP‐1 inhibited the expression of type X collagen mRNA, indicating inhibition of chondrocyte hypertrophy. An arrest of differentiation at the prehypertrophic chondrocyte stage was also indicated by the large area of cells expressing MGP mRNA in the OP‐1–treated rudiments. We conclude that OP‐1 affected the expression of marker genes of chondrocyte differentiation by acting on two steps in endochondral ossification. First, cell proliferation was enhanced, particularly so in the perichondrium where cells started to express the chondrocyte phenotype. Second, the terminal differentiation of mature chondrocytes into hypertrophic chondrocytes was inhibited. These results, combined with the known pattern of OP‐1 ligand and BMP receptor expression in the embryo, suggest that OP‐1 plays a local role in the cascade of events during endochondral ossification.
Cognitive behavioral therapy for treatment of chronic primary insomnia: a randomized controlled trial.

CONTEXT Use of nonpharmacological behavioral therapy has been suggested for treatment of chronic primary insomnia, but well-blinded, placebo-controlled trials demonstrating effective behavioral therapy for sleep-maintenance insomnia are lacking. OBJECTIVE To test the efficacy of a hybrid cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) compared with both a first-generation behavioral treatment and a placebo therapy for treating primary sleep-maintenance insomnia. DESIGN AND SETTING Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial conducted at a single academic medical center, with recruitment from January 1995 to July 1997. PATIENTS Seventy-five adults (n = 35 women; mean age, 55.3 years) with chronic primary sleep-maintenance insomnia (mean duration of symptoms, 13.6 years). INTERVENTIONS Patients were randomly assigned to receive CBT (sleep education, stimulus control, and time-in-bed restrictions; n = 25), progressive muscle relaxation training (RT; n = 25), or a quasi-desensitization (placebo) treatment (n = 25). Outpatient treatment lasted 6 weeks, with follow-up conducted at 6 months. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Objective (polysomnography) and subjective (sleep log) measures of total sleep time, middle and terminal wake time after sleep onset (WASO), and sleep efficiency; questionnaire measures of global insomnia symptoms, sleep-related self-efficacy, and mood. RESULTS Cognitive behavioral therapy produced larger improvements across the majority of outcome measures than did RT or placebo treatment. For example, sleep logs showed that CBT-treated patients achieved an average 54% reduction in their WASO whereas RT-treated and placebo-treated patients, respectively, achieved only 16% and 12% reductions in this measure. Recipients of CBT also showed a greater normalization of sleep and subjective symptoms than did the other groups with an average sleep time of more than 6 hours, middle WASO of 26.6 minutes, and sleep efficiency of 85.1%. In contrast, RT-treated patients continued to report a middle WASO of 43.3 minutes and sleep efficiency of 78.8%. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that CBT represents a viable intervention for primary sleep-maintenance insomnia. This treatment leads to clinically significant sleep improvements within 6 weeks and these improvements appear to endure through 6 months of follow-up.
Hypoxic microenvironment as a cradle for melanoma development and progression

Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α, a global regulator of oxygen homeostasis, plays a crucial role in tumor cell adaptation to the hypoxic microenvironment through transcriptional regulation of its target genes. These genes in turn are involved in a plethora of biochemical as well as cell biological processes, including glucose metabolism, apoptosis, and angiogenesis. In melanoma, HIF-1α has been implicated in tumor progression with effects upon metastasis and angiogenesis. However, its role in malignant transformation by oncogenes has not been described. Bedogni et al. (Cancer Cell 2005, 8:443-454) report that the hypoxic microenvironment in the skin contributes to melanocyte transformation and tumor growth induced by oncogenes Ras and Akt, which are frequently activated in melanoma. HIF-1α activity was found to be required in Aktinduced melanocyte transformation and tumor growth and it was suppressed greatly by mTOR inhibition with rapamycin. Since mTOR regulates HIF-1α expression and its transcriptional activity, rapamycin was proposed as a promising hypoxia-related therapeutic approach in melanoma treatment. This study sheds light upon the role of HIF- 1α in the early stage of melanoma development and highlights the importance of the AktmTOR pathway in the regulation of HIF-1α.
Sparse evidence for equine or avian influenza virus infections among Mongolian adults with animal exposures

In recent years, Mongolia has experienced recurrent epizootics of equine influenza virus (EIV) among its 2·1 million horses and multiple incursions of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus via migrating birds. No human EIV or HPAI infections have been reported. In 2009, 439 adults in Mongolia were enrolled in a population‐based study of zoonotic influenza transmission. Enrollment sera were examined for serological evidence of infection with nine avian, three human, and one equine influenza virus strains. Seroreactivity was sparse among participants suggesting little human risk of zoonotic influenza infection.
Radiation responses of cancer stem cells

Recent experimental evidence indicates that many solid cancers have a hierarchical organization structure with a subpopulation of cancer stem cells (CSCs). The ability to identify CSCs prospectively now allows for testing the responses of CSCs to treatment modalities like radiation therapy. Initial studies have found CSCs in glioma and breast cancer relatively resistant to ionizing radiation and possible mechanisms behind this resistance have been explored. This review summarizes the landmark publications in this young field with an emphasis on the radiation responses of CSCs. The existence of CSCs in solid cancers place restrictions on the interpretation of many radiobiological observations, while explaining others. The fact that these cells may be a relatively quiescent subpopulation that are metabolically distinct from the other cells in the tumor has implications for both imaging and therapy of cancer. This is particularly true for biological targeting of cancer for enhanced radiotherapeutic benefit, which must consider whether the unique properties of this subpopulation allow it to avoid such therapies. J. Cell. Biochem. 108: 339–342, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Molecular investigations of cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) in the poultry red mite, Dermanyssus gallinae, in northern Europe and implications for its transmission between laying poultry farms

Samples of Dermanyssus gallinae (DeGeer) (Acari: Dermanyssidae) from more than 49 Norwegian and Swedish laying poultry farms, and additional samples collected from Scottish, Finnish, Danish and Dutch layer farms, were compared genetically. Analysis of partial mitochondrial gene cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) sequences of mites from Norway and Sweden revealed 32 haplotypes. Only single haplotypes were found on most farms, which suggests that infections are recycled within farms and that transmission routes are few. Both Norwegian and Swedish isolates were found in the two major haplogroups, but no haplotypes were shared between Norway and Sweden, indicating little or no recent exchange of mites between these countries. There appears to be no link between haplotypes and geographical location as identical haplotypes were found in both the northern and southern Swedish locations, and haplotypes were scattered in locations between these extremes. The current data suggest that wild birds in Sweden are not a reservoir for D. gallinae infection of layer farms as their mites were genetically distinct from D. gallinae of farm layer birds. Transmission of the poultry red mite in Scandinavia is thus likely to depend on synantropic factors such as the exchange of contaminated material or infested birds between farms or facilities.
The relationship between drinking alcohol and esophageal, gastric or colorectal cancer: A nationwide population-based cohort study of South Korea

Background Epidemiologic findings of low-volume alcohol consumption in relation to gastrointestinal cancers including gastric cancer are inconsistent. Methods The association between alcohol intake and esophageal, gastric and colorectal cancer risk was examined in a population-based prospective cohort of 23,323,730 adults in Korea who had undergone a biennial evaluation provided by the National Health Insurance Corporation between the years 2009 and 2012. After median 5.4 years of follow-up, 9,171 esophageal, 135,382 gastric and 154,970 colorectal cancer cases were identified. Cox regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Results Light drinking as well as moderate to heavy alcohol consumption significantly increased the risks of the three gastrointestinal cancers (HR 1.51; 95% CI, 1.43–1.60; HR 1.08; 95% CI, 1.06–1.09; HR 1.12; 95% CI, 1.11–1.14) compared with non-drinkers after adjusting for age, sex, smoking, exercise, income, body mass index, and diabetes. The synergistically increased cancer risk between excessive amount of alcohol consumption and currently smoking or underweight individuals was observed only in the esophageal cancers. Conclusions Light drinking including even one alcoholic drink a day is associated with increased risks of esophageal, gastric and colorectal cancer.
Genetic contribution to rate of change in functional abilities among Danish twins aged 75 years or more.

In a previous cross-sectional study of twins, the authors found evidence of a substantial genetic influence on functional abilities among elderly women. It has been suggested that rate of change in functional abilities over time could underlie such findings and that rate-of-change phenotypes may have an even larger genetic component than "level" phenotypes (e.g., functional abilities per se). If so, rate-of-change phenotypes could be more powerful than level phenotypes in studies aimed at identifying specific polymorphisms of importance for aging. In 1995, the authors assessed a population-based sample of 2,401 Danish twins aged 75 years or more. The survivors were recontacted after 2 years and again after 4 years. Consistent mean-level declines, high within-person correlations over time, and substantial heritability in the female sample were observed for functional abilities. Nonetheless, structural-equation analyses revealed only a very modest and nonsignificant heritability for rate of change in functional abilities: 16% (95% confidence interval: 0, 35) for women and 9% (95% confidence interval: 0, 44) for men. This study had a large initial sample size, high participation rates, and a valid and reliable measure of rate of change in a phenotype that had previously shown substantial heritability in cross-sectional analyses in the same twin population. Still, the present study revealed only a modest and nonsignificant genetic influence on rate of change, which suggests that detection of polymorphisms influencing rate of change in functional abilities among the elderly may prove to be difficult.
Dissatisfaction Does Not Mean Rejection: A Theory of Reinvention of Applicable Technologies by Mindful and Unfaithful Users

The prevailing view in IS research considers technology users as passive actors in the innovation diffusion process who face only two possible behaviors regarding the technology they receive - i.e., either use or nonuse. According to this view, individuals either accept the technology as it is presented to them or outright reject it. We contest this view and propose that a third behavior more accurately characterizes the landscape of post-adoption behaviors - that is, IT reinvention. We argue that reinvention is important for post-adoption IS research and propose a new theory. By tracing a path from IT dissatisfaction to technology reinvention, this paper makes several contributions to IS research and practice. First, it sheds lights on a complex phenomenon - that is, the consequences of IT dissatisfaction. Second, the paper informs managers on how to view IT dissatisfaction as a possible occasion for technology reinvention, with potentially positive outcomes.
Community-acquired urinary tract infections in Southern Turkey: etiology and antimicrobial resistance.

In this study, we compared the distribution and antibiotic susceptibility patterns of bacterial strains isolated from patients with community-acquired urinary tract infections in Southern Turkey, Hatay, during 2004 and 2005. The majority (82.3%) of the isolates were from women while the remaining (17.7%) were from men. Of all samples tested, 49% were culture-positive with a bacterial pathogen. The most frequently isolated bacterial species were Escherichia coli (45.1%), coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (CNS) (15.5%) and Klebsiella spp. (10.9%). E. coli was more prevalent in women (p < 0.05) while Klebsiella spp. , Proteus spp. and Pseudomonas spp. were found more prevalent in men (p < 0.05). Increasing resistance to gentamicin, amikacin and cefazolin, and decreased resistance to ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, levofloxacin and cotrimoxazole were observed in E. coli isolates over the 2 years. While the lowest resistance rates for E. coli occurred in 2004 (26.0%) and 2005 (20.5%) for cefuroxime, the highest resistance rates occurred in 2004 (81.3 and 47.9%) and 2005 (61.3 and 49.6%) for ampicillin and amoxicillin-clavulanate, respectively. The results of this study stress that antibiotic usage policies, especially empirical therapies, should be based on antimicrobial resistance surveillance studies.
Quantitative cytology of nasal secretions under various conditions

Quantitative cytology was performed in nasal secretions of normal control (NC), seasonal allergic rhinitis in season (SAR), perennial allergic rhinitis (PAR), chronic sinusitis with mucoid secretion (MS), and chronic sinusitis with mucopurulent secretion (MPS). The majority of inflammatory cells were neutrophils in NC, MS, and MPS; the majority were eosinophils in SAR and PAR. The concomitant appearance of inflammatory cells in nasal secretions was found, i.e., there were significant correlations between neutrophil and eosinophil counts in MPS, and between eosionophil and basophil counts in SAR. The eosinophil/neutrophil ratio was more than 0.1 in SAR and PAR, but the ratio was less than 0.1 in all NC, all MPS, and in 93% of MS; this indicates that 0.1 in eosinophil/neutrophil ratio is the critical value between allergic and nonallergic nasal diseases.
A 14-day regimen of esomeprazole 20 mg/day for frequent heartburn: durability of effects, symptomatic rebound, and treatment satisfaction

ABSTRACT Objectives: Esomeprazole 20 mg once daily has been shown to be effective for treating frequent heartburn over 14 days in subjects who are likely to self-treat with over-the-counter medications. These analyses were conducted to assess durability of effects and symptomatic rebound after cessation of treatment, treatment satisfaction, and rescue antacid use with esomeprazole 20 mg once daily for 14 days. Methods: Adults with frequent heartburn (≥ two days/week in the past four weeks) were randomly assigned to 14 days of double-blind treatment with esomeprazole 20 mg or placebo in two identical multicenter studies. All subjects entered a 1-week single-blind placebo follow-up period after treatment. The results of the primary efficacy endpoints were reported previously. The percentage of heartburn-free days during the 1-week follow-up, use of rescue antacids, and treatment satisfaction, measured with the Global Assessment Questions instrument, are described. Results: The percentage of heartburn-free days was maintained during the 1-week follow-up period; the proportion was 43% among esomeprazole subjects in these studies, suggesting no evidence of symptomatic rebound. Rescue antacid use generally decreased compared with the run-in period in the 14-day treatment and 1-week follow-up periods. Significantly more subjects taking esomeprazole were “very satisfied” or “satisfied” with treatment versus placebo (Study 1: 78% vs. 63%, respectively, P = 0.0038; Study 2: 81% vs. 60%, respectively, P = 0.0002). Conclusions: Subjects who are likely to self-treat their frequent heartburn with over-the-counter medications reported satisfaction with esomeprazole 20 mg. Esomeprazole’s treatment effect was maintained for ≥ one week after treatment ended, with no sign of symptomatic rebound. These trials were registered at ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01370525; NCT01370538.
No . 1101 Identifying Spillover Effects From Enforcement of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards

In this paper, I examine the effect of county-level air quality regulatory status on polluting behavior across counties. Ozone is regulated subject to the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) of the Clean Air Act. When a county is out of compliance (or out of attainment) for the ozone standard, the state implements a strict plan for reducing the concentrations of precursors to ozone which are volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides (NOx). I use county-level attainment status for 1-hour ozone as a proxy for air quality regulatory regime. Regulation of ozone creates a tighter regulatory climate that could spill over and lead to reduced emissions of a large range of pollutants (both regulated and unregulated), primarily those tracked by the EPA’s Toxics Release Inventory. The results provide support for the existence of spillovers as evidenced by the reduction of non-VOC emissions associated with nonattainment status of 1-hour ozone.
The effects of the degree of cure of anisotropic conductive films (ACFs) on the contraction stress build-up of ACFs and ACF joints stability for chip-on-flex (COF) applications

In this paper, the effects of the degree of cure of an anisotropic conductive film (ACF) on the material properties and the contraction stress build-up of the ACF and ACF joints stability were investigated. The degrees of cure of the ACF as a function of bonding times were quantitatively obtained by a dynamic DSC study and an attenuated total reflectance/Fourier transform infrared (ATR/FT-IR) analysis. According to the results, the thickness expansion rate of the ACF as a function of temperature decreased and the storage modulus increased as the degree of cure increased. In addition, the contraction stress of partially cured ACF with the degree of cure below 40% was much smaller than that of fully cured ACF. The ACF contact resistances decreased and the ACF peel adhesion strengths increased as the degree of cure of the ACF increased. In particular, poor electrical contact was observed when the degree of cure of ACFs was below 40 %. The ultimate tensile strengths (UTSs) of the ACF increased as the degree of cure increased, and they were closely related to the ACF peel adhesion strengths. Furthermore, the ACF joints with the degree of cure below 40% were more unstable than those with the degree of cure over 90% during 85 °C and 85% relative humidity test (85 °C/85% RH).
Global finite-time stabilization of memristor-based neural networks with time-varying delays via hybrid control

In this paper, the problem of finite-time stabilization for a class of memristor-based neural networks with time-varying delays is investigated by using hybrid impulsive and nonlinear feedback controllers. Based on the theory of the differential equations with discontinuous right and Lyapunov function approach, several sufficient conditions are derived to guarantee the finite-time stabilization of memristor-based neural networks. Especially, the existing criteria are improved since the impulsive control is introduced in the convergence time. Finally, the effectiveness of the obtained results is illustrated by two numerical examples.
The impact of European Cohesion Policy in urban and rural regions

ABSTRACT The impact of European Cohesion Policy in urban and rural regions. Regional Studies. This paper presents an evaluation exercise on the impact of European Cohesion Policy on the economic performance of the most disadvantaged European areas (Objective 1 regions) for the programming period 2000–06. By performing the analysis at NUTS-3 rather than NUTS-2 level to exploit the exogeneity of the treatment status in the context of a regression discontinuity design (RDD), the analysis shows that European Cohesion funds have positively contributed to generating economic growth in lagging areas. However, their effect is mainly driven by the successful performance of rural areas close to the main urban agglomerates. Favourable geography and the progressive suburbanization of the rural landscape created new opportunities for rural areas close to cities, thus boosting the effect of the policy.