Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
CD4 T Cell Memory and Antibody Responses Directed against the Pneumococcal Histidine Triad Proteins PhtD and PhtE following Nasopharyngeal Colonization and Immunization and Their Role in Protection against Pneumococcal Colonization in Mice

ABSTRACT The present study was undertaken to understand the role of vaccine candidates PhtD and PhtE in pneumococcal nasopharyngeal (NP) colonization, their ability to induce CD4 T cell memory and antibody responses following primary NP colonization, and their contribution to protection against secondary pneumococcal colonization in mice. The study was also aimed at understanding the potential of immunization with PhtD and PhtE in eliciting qualitative CD4 T cell memory responses and protection against pneumococcal NP colonization in mice. PhtD and PhtE isogenic mutants in a TIGR4 background (TIGR4 ΔPhtD and TIGR4 ΔPhtE) were constructed and found to have a significantly reduced colonization density over time in the nasopharynges of mice compared to those of mice colonized with wild-type TIGR4. Mice with primary colonization by wild-type TIGR4, TIGR4 ΔPhtD, or TIGR4 ΔPhtE were protected against secondary colonization by wild-type TIGR4; nonetheless, the clearance of secondary colonization was slower in mice with primary colonization by either TIGR4 ΔPhtD or TIGR4 ΔPhtE than in mice with primary colonization by wild-type TIGR4. Colonization was found to be an immunizing event for PhtD and PhtE antigens (antibody response); however, we failed to detect any antigen (PhtD or PhtE)-specific CD4 T cell responses in any of the colonized groups of mice. Intranasal immunization with either PhtD or PhtE protein generated robust serum antibody and CD4 Th1-biased immune memory and conferred protection against pneumococcal colonization in mice. We conclude that PhtD and PhtE show promise as components in next-generation pneumococcal vaccine formulations.
Effect of Morning and Bedtime Dosing with Cilnidipine on Blood Pressure, Heart Rate, and Sympathetic Nervous Activity in Essential Hypertensive Patients

Cilnidipine has a blocking action against N-type calcium channels as well as L-type calcium channels. We studied the effect of morning and bedtime dosing on circadian variation of blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), and activity of the autonomic nervous system, using an open randomized crossover study in 13 essential hypertensive patients. An automated device allowed 24-hour monitoring of ambulatory BP and HR and the power spectrum of the R-R interval, at the observation period, the morning dosing regimen, and the bedtime dosing regimen. Morning dosing and bedtime dosing with cilnidipine reduced the average systolic BP over 24 hours, during daytime, and during nighttime. The average HR and the average LF/HF ratio over 24 hours, during daytime, and during nighttime, were similar for the three periods. Both morning and bedtime dosing reduced the maximum systolic BP in the early morning and suppressed the morning rise of BP, which were accompanied by partial inhibition of the increase in LF/HF ratio. Our results show that cilnidipine administered once daily is an efficient antihypertensive drug regardless of the time of dosing, without reflex tachycardia and increase in sympathetic nervous activity, and with partial inhibition of the morning activation of the sympathetic nervous system.
Flexion-Type Supracondylar Humeral Fractures: Ulnar Nerve Injury Increases Risk of Open Reduction

Background: The vast majority of displaced pediatric supracondylar humeral fractures can be treated successfully with closed reduction and percutaneous pinning. The need for open reduction is difficult to determine a priori and is typically due to the failure of closed reduction attempts or persistent limb ischemia. The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of flexion-type supracondylar humeral fractures, the rate of open reduction for flexion-type fractures, and the predictive impact of ulnar nerve injury on the need for open reduction for flexion-type supracondylar humeral fractures. Methods: We developed a database of consecutive pediatric supracondylar humeral fractures treated operatively at a tertiary care pediatric trauma center from 2000 to 2015. Data recorded included age, mechanism of injury, fracture type (open or closed), fracture pattern (flexion-type or extension-type), concomitant skeletal injury, neurovascular injury, treatment, and surgeon. Radiographs of all flexion-type supracondylar humeral fractures were reviewed in order to confirm the classification of the injury pattern. The rate of open reduction for fractures with a flexion-type injury pattern and for such fractures with and without ulnar nerve injury at presentation was assessed. Results: Of 2,783 consecutive pediatric supracondylar humeral fractures treated by surgeons at our center, 95 (3.4%) were flexion-type fractures. Ulnar nerve injury was noted for 10 (10.5%) of the 95 flexion-type fractures. Open injuries were identified at presentation in 3 (3.2%) of the 95 cases. Among closed fractures, 21 (22.8%) of 92 flexion-type fractures required open reduction compared with 50 (1.9%) of 2,647 extension-type fractures (odds ratio [OR] = 15.4; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 8.8 to 27.0; p < 0.001). Among closed flexion-type fractures, open reduction was performed in 6 (60%) of 10 fractures with associated ulnar nerve injury and in 15 (18.3%) of 82 fractures without ulnar nerve injury (OR = 6.7; 95% CI = 1.7 to 26.7; p = 0.003). Conclusions: Among closed supracondylar humeral fractures, the flexion-type injury pattern was associated with a 15.4-fold increase in the odds of open reduction. The presence of an ulnar nerve injury at presentation resulted in an additional 6.7-fold higher risk of open reduction among flexion-type supracondylar humeral fractures. Patients and families should be counseled regarding the high rate of open reduction for flexion-type supracondylar humeral fractures, particularly those with an associated ulnar nerve injury. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
The impact of SEC's segment disclosure requirement on bid-ask spreads

SYNOPSIS AND INTRODUCTION: Lev (1988) asserts that reducing inequities among investors should result in thicker markets with smaller bid-ask spreads and greater liquidity of securities. He claims that fuller disclosure should decrease inequities among investors by decreasing information asymmetries through equal access to information. It is argued that reducing information asymmetries should result in lower transaction costs as reflected in the bid-ask spread. This paper provides evidence on the effect of accounting disclosure on the size of the relative bid-ask spread. This study differs from previous studies in that it examines the effects of disclosure regulation on the market microstructure, not on earnings or risk predictability. The SEC's 1970 segment disclosure requirement is chosen because of the added information content due to more finely partitioned data being presented. Previous research on segment disclosure showed improved predictive accuracy of earnings forecasts (Kinney 1971; Barefield and Comiskey 1975; Collins 1976; Baldwin 1984), an increase in price variability surrounding the release of 10-K reports, and a decrease in divergence of beliefs (Swaminathan 1991). A random sample of firms listed on the NYSE as of fiscal year end 1970 is used. The results indicate that the relative bid-ask spread decreased more significantly in the period subsequent to the filing of the 1970 10-K reports for those firms reporting such information for the first time than for either a control group of firms
Defaults and Returns in the High Yield Bond Market: The Year 2005 in Review and Market Outlook

Dr. Altman has earned an international reputation as an expert on corporate bankruptcy, high yield bonds, distressed debt and credit risk analysis. In this article, Altman and his team provide a comprehensive review of the 2005 high yield bond market. The article provides detailed long-term analysis of the US market, as well as trends in default, bankruptcy, recovery and returns for investors. Against this historical backdrop, the article offers some guidance on expected default rates and market performance in the burgeoning high-yield distressed bond market.
[Access to information by women with HPV, cervical dysplasia and cancer in situ].

OBJECTIVE To present a relational analysis of how women who are diagnosed with the human papilloma virus (HPV), cervical dysplasia or cervical neoplasia receive or seek information, and how they experience this process within their immediate relationships. MATERIALS AND METHODS In 2008, 34 qualitative interviews were carried out with women at two Secretary of Health colposcopy clinics in Hermosillo, Sonora. Analysis was based on grounded theory. RESULTS There is a patent analogy between cervical cancer and death, much disinformation about HPV and dysplasias, and a persistent lack of timely and clear information given to patients by doctors. There is a stigma attached to HPV infection which affects women's immediate relationships. CONCLUSION Despite patients' need to obtain information, they do not demand it from their doctor, which contributes to their anguish and distrust.
Absorption edge in silica glass

Measurements of optical absorption in the v-UV range in a variety of silica glass are used to determine the width of the absorption edge (Urbach energy). Measured values range from 60 meV up to 180 meV. So high a variability over silica types is tentatively ascribed to the different disorder degree, which characterizes different materials.
Structures of the Arm-type Binding Domains of HPI and HAI7 Integrases*

The structures of the N-terminal domains of two integrases of closely related but not identical asn tDNA-associated genomic islands, Yersinia HPI (high pathogenicity island; encoding siderophore yersiniabactin biosynthesis and transport) and an Erwinia carotovora genomic island with yet unknown function, HAI7, have been resolved. Both integrases utilize a novel four-stranded β-sheet DNA-binding motif, in contrast to the known proteins that bind their DNA targets by means of three-stranded β-sheets. Moreover, the β-sheets in IntHPI and IntHAI7 are longer than those in other integrases, and the structured helical N terminus is positioned perpendicularly to the large C-terminal helix. These differences strongly support the proposal that the integrases of the genomic islands make up a distinct evolutionary branch of the site-specific recombinases that utilize a unique DNA-binding mechanism.
The Effect of Global-Scale Map-Projection Knowledge on Perceived Land Area

The acquisition and conceptualization of spatial knowledge are important topics in human spatial cognition. At the global scale, maps are our primary graphic source of information; however, they distort the size and shape of geographic features. If a distorted reference is used and the reader assumes it to be accurate, it may inappropriately influence decision making and, possibly, the shape of our global-scale cognitive maps. This paper examines trends in perception of land area, using equal-area and non-equal-area references, as well as investigating how map-projection knowledge can influence interpretation of land area. Results from the land-area studies show that map readers attempted compensation for projection distortion only when using the Mercator projection as a reference, and only for certain regions displayed on the Mercator projection. For other reference materials there is no attempted compensation for perceived distortion, even when participants believe that the reference is distorting land .
The Influence of Cultural Habits on the Changing Pattern of Functional Dyspepsia

Dyspepsia is a common gastroenterological problem with an estimated global prevalence between 7 and 40%. Functional dyspepsia (FD) is a major economic burden to patients and healthcare systems and significantly affects patient quality of life. The ROME III definition of FD divides it into two subgroups, epigastric pain syndrome and postprandial distress syndrome, the former being more associated with reflux disease and the latter with gastric dysmotility. The global incidence and prevalence of FD continues to rise, but the reason for this is not clear. Rising global obesity and gastroesophageal reflux disease rates may be contributing to the rise in FD. Socioeconomic and cultural demographic changes such as changing dietary habits and rapid urbanization, particularly in the developing countries, are likely to be influencing the course of FD and the way it presents.
Corporate Governance and Extraordinary Earnings Repatriations: Evidence from the American Jobs Creation Act

The American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 temporarily reduced the repatriation tax rate on U.S. multinational firms' foreign earnings by 85%. Consequently, approximately $300 billion previously held as cash in foreign subsidiaries were repatriated to the U.S. -- about five times more than in prior years. This study employs this tax holiday and the resulting cash windfall as a natural experiment to study the effect of agency problems on acquisition decisions by firms. I find that shareholders of weakly-governed multinational U.S. firms -- unlike those of well-governed companies -- reacted negatively to the passage of the Act. After the tax holiday, acquisitions by weakly-governed repatriating firms (relative to their well-governed peers) significantly increased. Compared to well-governed firms, acquisitions by weakly-governed firms were more likely to be diversifying and were accompanied by lower abnormal announcement returns. These results are consistent with empire-building models of managerial behavior and suggest that managers protected by more anti-takeover provisions may have used a significant fraction of the repatriated funds to indulge in corporate expansion plans with limited benefits to their shareholders.
A dual effect of repetitive stimulation on post‐tetanic potentiation of transmitter release at the frog neuromuscular junction.

1. End‐plate potentials (e.p.p.s) were recorded with a surface electrode from frog neuromuscular junctions blocked with high Mg and low Ca to study post‐tetanic potentiation(potentiation). 2. Potentiation is found to decay exponentially over most of its time course. 3. The time constant tsu(H) characterizing this exponential decay is a function of the previous history (frequency and duration) of stimulation. For example, tsu(H) increased from about 20 sec following a few impulses to over 70 sec following more than 1000 impulses. 4. A new method is presented to obtain estimates of the rise of potentiation (uncontaminated by facilitation or an intermediate facilitatory process) during repetitive stimulation. It is found that potentiation is present following short trains of impulses and continually increases in magnitude with the duration of the conditioning stimulation. Potentiation was at a maximum immediately following the conditioning trains. 5. The relationship between P(T), the magnitude of potentiation immediately following repetitive stimulation, and tsu(H), the time constant for the decay of this potentiation, is given by tsu(H)=Ae‐P(T)/B, where A=19‐8 plus or minus 5‐1 sec (mean plus or minus S.D. of an observation) and B increases from 2.2plus or minus 2‐1 to 5‐7 plus or minus 2‐7 as the stimulation rate increases from 5 to 30/sec. 6. The value of A in the above equation can be considered to represent the minimal time constant for the decay of potentiation‐‐that is, the time constant for decay after a simgle impulse. 7. Evidence is presented for a afacilitatory process with a time constant of decay of about 3 sec which is intermediate in duration between facilitation and potentiation. 8. It is suggested that repetitive stimulation has a dual effect on potentiation; each impulse (1) adds an increment of potentiation and (2) increases tsu(H), the time constant for the decay of potentiation.
Soccer injuries in Saudi Arabia

Soccer injuries which were seen at the King Fahd University Hospital over a period of 12 months were analyzed. The majority of the patients were under 20 years of age. Two-thirds of the injuries involved soft tissue, while those to the bone and joint comprised one-third. The lower extremity was involved in 59%. Sixteen percent of the injuries were considered severe enough to require inpatient treatment. We feel the high incidence of injuries can be reduced by better guidance and coaching at school and other training levels. At present, these patients are seen in the emergency room of our hospital and subsequently in the orthopaedic and fracture clinics. A specialized sports injury clinic staffed with medical and paramedical personnel with special interest in sports medicine would enable early and effective treatment returning athletes to play without undue delay.
Tracking and regulation in linear multivariable systems: A frequency domain approach

This paper outlines a constructive procedure for the synthesis of linear multivariable systems subjected to constant reference input and constant disturbance in the partial state. The synthesis procedure is capable of producing a stable desired closed loop transfer matrix which can be expressed as the product of an open loop transfer matrix and any proper rational transfer matrix, assuming that the given system has no zeros at the origin. The closed loop transfer matrix is realized via integral feedforward compensation with asymptotic state estimation while simultaneously eliminating the effect of steady state disturbance at the output and track a constant reference input. The conditions for achieving a variety of specific design goals such as (1) closed loop stability, (2) static decoupling with complete and arbitrary closed loop pole placement, and (3) dynamic decoupling subjected to step disturbance is also determined. The compensation scheme is presented in the frequency domain and is equivalent to the type 1 servo design in the time domain when the plant has no integrator.
Managing Media Companies: Harnessing Creative Value

Preface.Advisory board.About the authors.Acknowledgements. Chapter 1. Introduction.Media: one or many industries? Current state of the industry.Focus and scope of the book.Chapter 2. Rebalancing the media value chain.Current practices mostly historically grown.Fundamental changes still ahead. Consequences for management of media companies.Fundamental rethinking of future business models needed? Key takeawaysGruppo Mediaset case study.Trinity Mirror plc case study.Case study: EMI Group.Chapter 3. Creating and leveraging innovative content.Future role of (blockbuster) content.Should content be redefined? Management of the content generation process.Key takeaways.RTL Group case study.Chapter 4. The fight for customer attention: intelligent mass marketing and cautious niche strategy.The increasing need to understand customers.Marketing strategies for advertising-based players.Marketing strategies for subscription-based players.Marketing strategy for niche and thematic offerings.Key takeaways.CANAL+ Group case study.Telenet case study.Chapter 5. End-to-end supply chain management.Achieving operational excellence in supply chain management.Improvement levers for standardized processes in the media industry.Improvement levers for nonstandardized processes in the media industry.Managing the transition to digital platforms.Key takeaways.Axel Springer AG case study.Chapter 6. Ways out of the advertising commodity trap.Traditional advertising under increasing pressure.Systematic use of B2B marketing approaches.Effective sales force management.Key takeaways.Schibsted SCA case study.Media Capital case study.Chapter 7. Corporate strategy in media.The current media landscape in Europe.Future portfolio logic.Key takeaways.SanomaWSOY case study.Lagardere Media case study.Chapter 8. The future role of digital media.A brief history of the digital media bubble.From opportunism to strategic thinking - current digital media models.The future is broad(er) band.New business models.Future winners of the broadband value chain.Key takeaways.United Global Commmunications Europe case study. T-Online case study.Hubert Burda Medien case study.Chapter 9. People management in media companies: creative managers or managed creativity? Current people-management practices in the media industry.Media companies have to deal with 'creators' and 'transformers'. Implications for people-management processes.Management of transformers.Management of creatives.Content creators and content transformers will have to cooperate more closely in the future.Outlook and open questions.Key takeaways.References. British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) case study: managing HR for Change.Epilogue. Index.
Changing central nervous system control following intercostal nerve transfer.

OBJECT The goal of this study was to find which central nervous system (CNS) pathways are involved in volitional control over reinnervated biceps or pectoral muscles. METHODS Intercostal nerves (ICNs) were coapted to the musculocutaneous nerve (MCN) or the medial pectoral nerve (MPN) in 23 patients with root avulsions of the brachial plexus to restore biceps or pectoral muscle function. The facilitatory effects of respiration and voluntary contraction on cortical motor-evoked potentials of biceps or pectoral muscles were used to study CNS control over the reinnervated muscles. The time course of the facilitatory effect of respiration and voluntary contraction differed significantly. In the end stage of nerve regeneration, the facilitatory effect of voluntary contraction was significantly larger than that of respiration, indicating that the CNS control network over the muscle comes to resemble that of the recipient nerve (MCN or MPN) rather than that of the donor nerve (ICN). CONCLUSIONS The strengthening of previously subthreshold synaptic connections in a CNS network connecting ICN to MCN or MPN neurons may underlie changing excitability.