Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of Subinhibitory Concentrations of Antibiotics on Cross Walls of Cocci

Cultures of Staphylococcus aureus, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and Streptococcus bovis were incubated on membrane filters on agar containing antibiotics at one-third to one-fourth the minimal inhibitory concentration for the particular bacterial strain. S. aureus was grown in the presence of oxacillin, cephaloridine, or lincomycin. N. gonorrhoeae and S. bovis were grown in the presence of penicillin. The membranes were then incubated in drug-free agar, after which viability was determined and the cells were examined by electron microscopy. S. aureus exposed to oxacillin and cephaloridine grew into cells two to seven times larger than normal that contained thick multiple cross walls. S. aureus exposed to lincomycin grew into cells 1.5 to 2 times larger than normal, with multiple thick cross walls and periheral cell walls twice the normal thickness. N. gonorrhoeae cells exposed to penicillin were slightly larger than normal and had cross walls that were up to eight times thicker than normal. After transfer to drug-free agar, cells became smaller, and some normal organisms could be seen. S. bovis incubated in the presence of penicillin grew into filaments that contained no cross walls. Two hours after the return to drug-free agar, filaments with cross walls as well as normal cells were observed. Exposure to subinhibitory concentrations of penicillin did not affect the growth of the peripheral cell wall of S. aureus, N. gonorrhoeae, or S. bovis, but appeared to inhibit lysis of cross walls in S. aureus and N. gonorrhoeae and to inhibit the synthesis of cross walls in S. bovis; that is, the rates of peripheral and cross wall formation differed in their susceptibility to penicillin. These facts suggest that peripheral growth and cross wall formation in cocci are separable processes.
Emergence of multidrug-resistant Salmonella enterica serotype typhimurium DT104 infections in the United States.

BACKGROUND Strains of salmonella that are resistant to antimicrobial agents have become a worldwide health problem. A distinct strain of Salmonella enterica serotype typhimurium, known as definitive type 104 (DT104), is resistant to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, streptomycin, sulfonamides, and tetracycline and has become a major cause of illness in humans and animals in Europe, especially the United Kingdom. METHODS To characterize typhimurium DT104 infections in the United States, we analyzed data collected by local and state health departments and public health laboratories between 1979 and 1996 in national surveys of the antimicrobial-drug resistance of salmonella. Selected typhimurium isolates with the five-drug pattern of resistance were phage typed. RESULTS The prevalence of typhimurium isolates with the five-drug pattern of resistance increased from 0.6 percent in 1979-1980 to 34 percent in 1996. In 1994-1995, such isolates were identified in samples from 36 of the 46 surveillance sites (78 percent). Thirty-nine of 43 typhimurium isolates with the five-drug pattern of resistance identified in 1994-1995 and 1996 were phage type DT104 or a closely related phage type. CONCLUSIONS Multidrug-resistant typhimurium DT104 has become a widespread pathogen in the United States. More prudent use of antimicrobial agents in farm animals and more effective disease prevention on farms are necessary to reduce the dissemination of multidrug-resistant typhimurium DT104 and to slow the emergence of resistance to additional agents in this and other strains of salmonella.
Patients’ Needs for Contact With Their GP at the Time of Hospital Admission and Other Life Events: A Quantitative and Qualitative Exploration

PURPOSE Our goal was to explore patients’ anticipated needs for contact with their general practitioner (GP) at the time of hospital admissions and other life events. METHODS We undertook a questionnaire survey of 875 patients from 35 general practices spread throughout the Netherlands and a qualitative interview study with 30 patients. RESULTS Most patients expected to need contact with their GP if admitted to a hospital for a serious condition, such as a malignancy (98%) or a heart attack (97%). For minor conditions, such as a minor foot operation, contact was considered less important (33%). At the time of major life events, many patients anticipated needing contact as well: 81% in the case of a birth within the family, 90% in the case of a death in the family. In the quantitative analysis patients’ wants were related only to a minor extent to patient characteristics. The qualitative analysis, however, distinguished categories of patients with different needs. Some patients were more technical in their needs, others focussed primarily on the relationship. CONCLUSION Patients appear to have considerable need for contact with their physician at the time of hospital admission and other life events. The profession should reflect on this underexplored field and attempt to take a policy-making position toward initiating patient contact.
Conjugated Estrogen/Bazedoxifene Tablets for the Treatment of Moderate-to-Severe Vasomotor Symptoms Associated with Menopause

Conjugated estrogen/bazedoxifene (CE/BZA) therapy represents a new, progestin-free treatment in the management of postmenopausal health. CE/BZA pairs CE with the selective estrogen receptor modulator, BZA. The rationale for the development of CE/BZA was that BZA, acting primarily as a selective estrogen receptor degrader in uterine and breast tissue, would sufficiently inhibit the proliferative effects of CE on the endometrium. The absence of a progestin would reduce the incidence of uterine bleeding, breast pain and increased breast density associated with progestin-containing hormone therapy. CE/BZA has been evaluated in five multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, and active-controlled Phase III trials known as the SMART trials. CE/BZA has been shown to maintain the established benefits of estrogen therapy for treatment of vasomotor symptoms and prevention of a loss in bone mineral density (bone mass), while minimizing certain estrogenic effects, particularly in the uterine endometrium and breast.
The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety Disclosing Errors to Patients: Perspectives of Registered Nurses

Yet, health care is a complex enterprise delivered by interprofessional teams, in which nurses share in the culpability for errors but also potentially play a vital role in promoting effective communication with patients about errors. Disclosure of harmful medical errors to patients is strongly endorsed by patients and is advocated by the codes of ethics for all health care professionals and the organizations they work within. 3‐12 Yet, recent studies indicate that disclosure occurs for only about 30% of patients who experience a harmful error.
Clovis and Western Stemmed: Population Migration and the Meeting of Two Technologies in the Intermountain West

The Intermountain West is rarely included in discussions of the North American Paleoindian record, largely because there is so little evidence for Clovis in that region. What has been ignored in these discussions is the presence of an early record in the region associated not with Clovis, but with a different technology, the main diagnostic of which is the large, contracting stemmed projectile point. Dates associated with this technology are comparable to the earliest Clovis dates on the Plains. An examination of the spatial and temporal distributions of Clovis diagnostics suggests that elements of this technology arrived relatively late in the Intermountain West, apparently the termination of a diffusion (or migration) process that began in the southern Plains or Southeast, moved northward along the Rocky Mountain front, and eventually onto the Columbia Plateau. We argue that initial colonization of the intermountain region most likely involved groups moving inland from the Pacific coast carrying a non-Clovis technology, which was already in place by the time Clovis technology arrived.
Peristalsis is impaired in the small intestine of mice lacking the P2X3 subunit

P2X receptors are ATP‐gated cation channels composed of one or more of seven different subunits. P2X receptors participate in intestinal neurotransmission but the subunit composition of enteric P2X receptors is unknown. In this study, we used tissues from P2X3 wild‐type (P2X3+/+) mice and mice in which the P2X3 subunit gene had been deleted (P2X3−/−) to investigate the role of this subunit in neurotransmission in the intestine. RT‐PCR analysis of mRNA from intestinal tissues verified P2X3 gene deletion. Intracellular electrophysiological methods were used to record synaptic and drug‐induced responses from myenteric neurons in vitro. Drug‐induced longitudinal muscle contractions were studied in vitro. Intraluminal pressure‐induced reflex contractions (peristalsis) of ileal segments were studied in vitro using a modified Trendelenburg preparation. Gastrointestinal transit was measured as the progression in 30 min of a liquid radioactive marker administered by gavage to fasted mice. Fast excitatory postsynaptic potentials recorded from S neurons (motoneurons and interneurons) were similar in tissues from P2X3+/+ and P2X3−/− mice. S neurons from P2X3+/+ and P2X3−/− mice were depolarized by application of ATP but not α,β‐methylene ATP, an agonist of P2X3 subunit‐containing receptors. ATP and α,β‐methylene ATP induced depolarization of AH (sensory) neurons from P2X3+/+ mice. ATP, but not α,β‐methylene ATP, caused depolarization of AH neurons from P2X3−/− mice. Peristalsis was inhibited in ileal segments from P2X3−/− mice but longitudinal muscle contractions caused by nicotine and bethanechol were similar in segments from P2X3+/+ and P2X3−/− mice. Gastrointestinal transit was similar in P2X3+/+ and P2X3−/− mice. It is concluded that P2X3 subunit‐containing receptors participate in neural pathways underlying peristalsis in the mouse intestine in vitro. P2X3 subunits are localized to AH (sensory) but not S neurons. P2X3 receptors may contribute to detection of distention or intraluminal pressure increases and initiation of reflex contractions.
Influences of Fascicle Length During Isometric Training on Improvement of Muscle Strength

Abstract Tanaka, H, Ikezoe, T, Umehara, J, Nakamura, M, Umegaki, H, Kobayashi, T, Nishishita, S, Fujita, K, Araki, K, and Ichihashi, N. Influences of fascicle length during isometric training on improvement of muscle strength. J Strength Cond Res 30(11): 3249–3255, 2016—This study investigated whether low-intensity isometric training would elicit a greater improvement in maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) at the same fascicle length, rather than the joint angle, adopted during training. Sixteen healthy women (21.8 ± 1.5 years) were randomly divided into an intervention group and a control group. Before (Pre) and after (Post) training, isometric plantarflexion MVCs were measured every 10° through the range of ankle joint position from 20° dorsiflexion to 30° plantarflexion (i.e., 6 ankle angles). Medial gastrocnemius fascicle length was also measured at each position, using B-mode ultrasound under 3 conditions of muscle activation: at rest, 30%MVC at respective angles, and MVC. Plantarflexion resistance training at an angle of 20° plantarflexion was performed 3 days a week for 4 weeks at 30%MVC using 3 sets of twenty 3-second isometric contractions. Maximum voluntary contraction in the intervention group increased at 0 and 10° plantarflexion (0°; Pre: 81.2 ± 26.5 N·m, Post: 105.0 ± 21.6 N·m, 10°; Pre: 63.0 ± 23.6 N·m, Post: 81.3 ± 20.3 N·m), which was not the angle used in training (20°). However, the fascicle length adopted in training at 20° plantarflexion and 30%MVC was similar to the value at 0 or 10° plantarflexion at MVC. Low-intensity isometric training at a shortened muscle length may be effective for improving MVC at a lengthened muscle length because of specificity of the fascicle length than the joint angle.
Comparison of thick-and thin-film technology using wafer probes

In this paper, a newly-designed thick-film low-cost probe for on-wafer S-parameter measurements is described and compared with a thin-film version. Test results show that the thick-film probe compares well with the thin-film version and that it can be used in measurements at up to 18GHz with little loss in performance. In addition to describing the thick-film probe, this paper describes the materials and fabrication aspects which influence high-frequency thick-film behaviour.
Innate Immunity and the Etiology of Late-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease

Background: Neuropathological studies supported by experimental animal studies show that the constituents of the innate immunity are intimately involved in the early steps of the pathological cascade of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Objectives: To show the evidence that constituents of the innate immunity contribute to the etiology of late-onset AD. Methods: Evaluation of the relationship between the constituents of the innate immunity and genetic risk factors for late-onset AD. Results: Complement activation and activated microglia are early neuropathogical events in AD brains. Genome-wide association studies have demonstrated gene loci that are linked to the complement system. The production capacity for inflammatory cytokines is under genetic control and the offspring with a parental history of late-onset AD have a higher production capacity for inflammatory cytokines. Conclusion: Epidemiological and genetic data suggest that the innate immunity is involved in the etiology of late-onset AD.
EUROPEAN ENERGY CROPS : A SYNTHESIS

The European Energy Crops Overview (EECO) project was carried out with 20 partners from fourteen EU countries during 1996. The EECO-project provides the state-of-the-art on energy crops activities in Europe. More than 30 potential energy crop species have been investigated in Europe, but only a few have achieved commercial status so far. The introduction of energy crops in agriculture is relatively easy in the case of well-known agricultural crops such as rape and grain crops, but new crops are hampered by both technical and non-technical barriers Production, pre-treatment and use of woody and herbaceous energy crops for power and heat generation is still mainly in the pilot to demonstration phase, while use of sugar and oil rich crops for transport purposes has been developed at a commercial scale already. Production, pre-treatment and use of SRC is fully developed in Sweden and in the pilot to demonstration phase in the north-west European countries. Herbaceous crops are tested up to a large scale in the Scandinavian countries, Germany, Austria and the Netherlands. Biodiesel is produced on a commercial scale in France, Germany, Austria and Italy, while bioethanol is produced at a commercial scale in France. In southern Europe, emphasis is on the production aspects of energy crops; only a limited number of efforts on use of energy crops have been realized so far. T 1997 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. Keyword-Energy crops; production: pre-treatment: processing: use; power; heat; transport fuels: Europe.
Postoperative nausea and vomiting and BIS monitoring.

In a recent publication (1), Nelskylä and colleagues have reported that titration of sevoflurane using the bispectral index (BIS) monitor decreased postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) after outpatient gynecologic laparoscopic surgery (1). Although the authors’ state that the “BIS helps to optimize the administration of volatile anesthetics,” they failed to demonstrate any anesthetic-sparing effect in the BIS-guided group. Interestingly, the BIS group had a “shorter emergence time” which they attributed to more precise administration of sevoflurane. The author’s were apparently unaware of a study published in 1997 by Song et al. (2) which demonstrated that titration of sevoflurane (or desflurane) using the BIS monitor produced an anesthetic-sparing effect which resulted in a faster emergence after ambulatory anesthesia. More disturbing, are the inconsistencies between the current study and an earlier study published in 1999 by the same group of investigators (3). Consistent with our earlier findings (2), Yli-Hankala and colleagues (3) reported that “BIS monitoring decreased consumption of both propofol and sevoflurane” and hastened the immediate recovery after anesthesia. While the investigators hypothesize that “patients receiving too large and too small concentrations of sevoflurane” were at increased risk of PONV, they failed to provide any data regarding difference in the intraoperative variability of the end-tidal anesthetic concentrations or the BIS values between the two study groups. Although the use of postoperative opioids was allegedly similar in the two study groups, they did not provide information on the exact dosages of parenteral (and oral) opioid analgesics used during the perioperative period. Without this information, it is unclear how these investigators ruled out this potentially confounding variable. They also dismissed differences in smoking history as an explanation for their findings. However, it is worth noting that 31% of the patients in the BIS group had a history of smoking compared to only 13% in the control group, and the incidence of PONV in the smokers was less than half that of the non-smoking patients. Given the well-known association between opioid usage, smoking history and PONV (4,5), it would seem that the authors’ findings could have been explained by factors (e.g., opioid usage, demographic characteristics) unrelated to BIS monitoring.
Exploring the prevalence and phenomenology of repetitive behaviours and abnormal sensory processing in children with Williams Syndrome.

BACKGROUND A small amount of research with individuals who have Williams Syndrome (WS) suggests that children with the condition may be vulnerable to sensory processing abnormalities and present with repetitive and restricted behaviours. METHODS Parents of 21 children with WS aged 6-15 years completed a semi-structured interview designed to elicit the form, frequency, impact and developmental course of a range of sensory processing abnormalities and repetitive behaviours. RESULTS Findings indicate that sensory processing difficulties are predominantly characterised by hypersensitivities, particularly in relation to vestibular, auditory, gustatory and proprioceptive functioning. Parents also reported the presence of a range of restricted and repetitive behaviours, which were often associated with their child's sensory symptoms. CONCLUSIONS This study makes a significant contribution to our understanding of sensory functioning and repetitive behaviours in WS. It also highlights the need for a multidisciplinary assessment of the difficulties experienced by children with the disorder.
The projection from the superficial to the deep layers of the superior colliculus: an intracellular horseradish peroxidase injection study in the hamster

Intracellular recording and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) injection techniques were employed to examine the projections of superficial layer [stratum griseum superficiale (SGS) and stratum opticum (SO)] superior collicular (SC) neurons in the hamster that sent axon collaterals into the deep laminae (those ventral to the SO) of this structure. Sixty-nine neurons were studied, selected from a sample of over 185 HRP-filled superficial layer cells on the basis of having heavily stained axons. Of the 69 cells included in the study, 43.4% (n = 30) sent at least one axon collateral to the deep laminae. Not all cell types in the superficial layers contributed equally to this interlaminar projection: 78.6% (n = 11) of the recovered wide-field vertical cells, 55.0% (n = 11) of the narrow-field vertical cells, 16.7% (n = 2) of the stellate cells, 40.0% (n = 2) of the marginal cells, 18.2% (n = 2) of the horizontal cells, and 28.6% (n = 2) of neurons we could not classify on the basis of their somadendritic morphology projected to the deep layers. Within a given cell class, there were no significant morphological or physiological differences between the neurons that possessed deep axon collaterals and those that did not. The deep axon collaterals of most of the interlaminar projection neurons were restricted to the stratum griseum intermediate (SGI). In this layer, the largest segment of the axon arbor was located lateral to a projection line that was orthogonal to the SC surface and that passed through the soma of the cell in question. These results, along with those of a previous study (Mooney et al., 1984), which demonstrated that the dendrites of deep layer cells may extend through the SO and into the SGS, indicate that there is an extensive anatomical substrate by which sensory information may be communicated from superficial to deep layer SC neurons.
Whole Exome Sequencing of Distant Relatives in Multiplex Families Implicates Rare Variants in Candidate Genes for Oral Clefts

A dozen genes/regions have been confirmed as genetic risk factors for oral clefts in human association and linkage studies, and animal models argue even more genes may be involved. Genomic sequencing studies should identify specific causal variants and may reveal additional genes as influencing risk to oral clefts, which have a complex and heterogeneous etiology. We conducted a whole exome sequencing (WES) study to search for potentially causal variants using affected relatives drawn from multiplex cleft families. Two or three affected second, third, and higher degree relatives from 55 multiplex families were sequenced. We examined rare single nucleotide variants (SNVs) shared by affected relatives in 348 recognized candidate genes. Exact probabilities that affected relatives would share these rare variants were calculated, given pedigree structures, and corrected for the number of variants tested. Five novel and potentially damaging SNVs shared by affected distant relatives were found and confirmed by Sanger sequencing. One damaging SNV in CDH1, shared by three affected second cousins from a single family, attained statistical significance (P = 0.02 after correcting for multiple tests). Family-based designs such as the one used in this WES study offer important advantages for identifying genes likely to be causing complex and heterogeneous disorders.
Exploring Past Ontologies: Bodies, Jugs and Figurines from the Phoenician-Punic Western Mediterranean

This paper focuses on ideas of body construction in the Phoenician-Punic western Mediterranean. I concentrate on the study of ‘bottle-shaped’ terracottas and examine their connections with anthropomorphized and zoomorphic jugs and the bottle-shaped idol, a symbol engraved on the stelae of tophets. Exploring the Phoenician-Punic isomorphism between jugs, figurines and bodies introduces us to the study of the creation of a specific body world in terms of fluids: a world in which bodies were perceived as containers of liquids. I argue that this way of defining bodies is materialized in the figurines in two ways: first, via the transformation of the body into a bottle-shaped form, and second, via the emphasis on representing mouths, noses, breasts or genitalia, all parts of the body through which fluids circulate. I also examine the social and ritual contexts of the figurines and discuss issues of personhood and relational identities.