Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of a dietary complex of humic and fulvic acids (FeedMAX 15) on the health and production of feedlot cattle destined for the Australian domestic market.

OBJECTIVE To examine the effects of a dietary humic and fulvic acid complex, FeedMAX 15, on the health, growth rate, feed conversion ratio, and carcase characteristics of feedlot cattle. DESIGN Cattle, in eight pens of 125 animals each, were fed either a diet containing a humic and fulvic acid complex (FeedMAX 15, FeedMAX Industries, Toowoomba, Queensland) or the same diet without the additive. Control or FeedMAX 15 diets were allocated to each pen at random. Individual cattle were allocated alternately to control or treatment pens based on order of presentation. Comparisons of disease incidence, mortality, feed intake, growth rate, feed conversion ratio, fat depth, dressing percentage, meat colour, fat colour and marbling were made at the conclusion of the feeding period. RESULTS No differences were found between cattle fed FeedMAX 15 and cattle not fed the additive in entry body weight (P = 0.99), exit body weight (P = 0.91), dressing percentage (P = 0.66), P8 fat depth (P = 0.57), meat colour (P = 0.67), marbling (P = 0.70), all diseases (P = 0.64), bovine respiratory disease (P = 0.91), or mortalities (P = 1.0). Cattle fed FeedMAX 15 reached the market specifications for body weight and fat depth in fewer mean days (P = 0.0001), had a greater average daily gain (P = 0.05), a lower feed conversion ratio (P = 0.05) and whiter fat (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS Feeding the humic and fulvic acid complex, FeedMAX 15, at 0.055 g per kg body weight per day, can increase growth rate and feed conversion efficiency in feedlot cattle.
Analysis of the Streptococcus downei gtfS gene, which specifies a glucosyltransferase that synthesizes soluble glucans

The complete nucleotide sequence was determined for the Streptococcus downei (previously Streptococcus sobrinus) MFe28 gtfS gene which specifies a glucosyltransferase (GTF-S) producing water-soluble glucan. A single open reading frame which encodes a mature protein with a molecular weight of 147,408 (1,328 amino acids) and a putative signal peptide 36 or 37 amino acids in length was detected. GTF-S shares extensive sequence similarity with GTF-I (gtfI) from S. downei and GTF-I (gtfB) and GTF-SI (gtfC) from Streptococcus mutans. GTF-S contains a highly conserved enzymatic domain and C-terminal repeated sequences which appear to be involved in glucan binding. Comparison of the deduced GTF-S protein sequence with other sequenced GTF genes of mutans streptococci revealed that these C-terminal repeats occurred in all cases, although the patterns of repeated sequences varied with respect to each other and to the glucan-binding protein of S. mutans. GTF-S contains four C-terminal repeat sequences ranging from 49 to 51 amino acids in length and a partial repeat of 13 amino acids. Nuclear magnetic resonance analysis of the glucan produced by GTF-S revealed that the product consisted of more than 90% alpha-1,6-linked glucosyl residues.
Fractionation and Structural Characterization of Arabinogalactan-Proteins from the Cell Wall of Rose Cells

Arabinogalactan-proteins (AGPs) have been purified from Paul's Scarlet rose (Rosa sp.) cell walls. As estimated by gel permeation chromatography, the apparent molecular masses of the two major cell-wall AGP fractions were 130 and 242 kD. Since the 130-kD AGP had a ratio of arabinose/glucuronic acid that was 12 times higher than that of the 242-kD AGP, the fractions were named cell-wall AGP1 (CW-AGP1) and glucuronogalactan-protein (GGP), respectively. CW-AGP1 and GGP contained predominantly t-arabinofuranosyl residues; 3-linked, 6-linked, and 3,6-branched galactopyranosyl residues; and 4-linked and t-glucuronopyranosyl residues. The 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of CW-AGP1 and GGP showed that the arabinofuranosyl and galactopyranosyl residues were predominantly in [alpha]- and [beta]-anomeric configuration, respectively, and that GGP contained a few O-acetyl residues. The protein moieties of CW-AGP1 and GGP were both rich in hydroxyproline and alanine but differed in the percentage of various amino acids, including hydroxyproline, alanine, serine, and glycine. Cell-wall AGPs bound to ([beta]-D-glucosyl)3 Yariv phenylglycoside, but the stoichiometry of binding was about 6 times greater in GGP than in other Rosa AGPs. GGP seems to be peculiar to the cell wall, since no similar molecule was found in the culture medium.
Exposure to warmer postoperative temperatures reduces hypothermia caused by anaesthesia and significantly increases the implantation rate of transferred embryos in the mouse

Embryo transfer (ET) is among the key factors determining the overall efficiency of transgenic technology in the mouse. A successful ET depends among other factors on the quality of the transferred embryos, foster mothers and anaesthetic reagents and on the transfer techniques. Anaesthesia-caused deaths and suboptimal ET procedures are factors which reduce the success of transgenic experiments and mouse colony maintenance. Here we compared the effects of two anaesthetic reagents—a ketamine/xylazine combination, and tribromoethanol (Avertin)—on the rates of implantation and development to term of mouse zygotes transferred into the oviducts of CD-1 foster mothers, and evaluated whether hypothermia caused by anaesthetics after the ET operation could be overcome by postoperative incubation of the foster mothers. We established two experimental groups of fosters, one of which was kept at room temperature (RT, 21°C) with the other in an incubator (33°C) overnight after ET. Rates of implantation, resorption and development to normal fetuses were evaluated by sacrificing the foster mothers on the 15th day of their pregnancy. Our results showed that regardless of the anaesthetic reagents used, the rates of implantation and of development to normal fetuses can be significantly improved by exposing the foster mothers to warmer temperatures (33°C) immediately after the ET operation. These results may have important implications in increasing the success rate of ET with micromanipulated embryos.
Prospective Hemorrhage Rates of Cerebral Cavernous Malformations in Children and Adolescents Based on MRI Appearance

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Current classifications of cerebral cavernous malformations focus solely on morphologic aspects. Our aim was to provide a morphologic classification that reflects hemorrhage rates. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively categorized 355 cavernous malformations of 70 children and adolescents according to their morphologic appearance on MR imaging and calculated prospective hemorrhage rates on the basis of survival functions for 255 lesions in 25 patients with a radiologic observation period of >180 days. RESULTS: Overall, there were 199 MR imaging examinations with 1558 distinct cavernous malformation observations during a cumulative observation period of 1094.2 lesion-years. The mean hemorrhage rate of all 355 cavernous malformations was 4.5% per lesion-year. According to Kaplan-Meier survival models, Zabramski type I and II cavernous malformations had a significantly higher hemorrhage rate than type III and IV lesions. The presence of acute or subacute blood-degradation products was the strongest indicator for an increased hemorrhage risk (P = .036, Cox regression): The mean annual hemorrhage rate and mean hemorrhage-free interval for cavernous malformations with and without signs of acute or subacute blood degradation products were 23.4% and 22.6 months and 3.4% and 27.9 months, respectively. Dot-sized cavernous malformations, visible in T2* and not or barely visible in T1WI and T2WI sequences, had a mean annual hemorrhage rate of 1.3% and a mean hemorrhage-free interval of 37.8 months. CONCLUSIONS: It is possible to predict hemorrhage rates based on the Zabramski classification. Our findings imply a tripartite classification distinguishing lesions with and without acute or subacute blood degradation products and dot-sized cavernous malformations.
Transforming Social Sector Auditing – They Audited More, But Scrutinized Less

The legitimacy of audit technologies is inevitably linked to a knowledge base. Even though it has been pointed out that the agreements on how to measure and verify certain operations are only temporal, empirical studies on change in audit are rare. This paper reports a detailed empirical study of change in performance audit within social services in Sweden. The paper complements previous research since this paper is not about making new things auditable but about challenging existing technologies within a field. We observe how the new ‘sharp’ control‐based model – realized through measures of prioritizing, focusing and standardizing – was related to new demands on ‘facts’ about the audit object. The effect was that many things in this new situation became unauditable; they audited more, but actually scrutinized less. The paper also contributes to existing literature on the role of ‘sharp’ control‐based audit in the social sector. With a ‘soft’ and ‘fuzzy’ object, as is often the case in many parts of the public sector, it is difficult to produce hard, convincing evidence that holds true in different settings.
Higher BMI in heart failure patients is associated with longer survival only in the absence of diabetes

Aims Obesity and diabetes are associated with an increased cardiovascular risk and mortality. Paradoxically, higher BMI is associated with longer survival in heart failure patients. The association between BMI and risk of death in heart failure patients depends on diabetes history. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study on 503 ambulatory systolic heart failure patients attending a heart failure clinic, based on abstraction of data from clinical records. Patients were compared according to diabetes history. BMI was analyzed as a continuous variable and dichotomized using 25 kg/m2 as cut-off. Patients’ follow-up was censored at 5 years and all-cause death was the endpoint under study. Results The median age was 69 years and 68% were men; 184 (36.6%) patients had diabetes upon referral. During follow-up, 95 nondiabetic and 69 diabetic patients died. Higher BMI was associated with longer survival in the whole sample, but this association was only reproduced in the subgroup of patients without diabetes [hazard ratio = 0.93; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.89–0.98 per kg/m2 vs. hazard ratio = 0.99; 95% CI: 0.94–1.04 in diabetic patients; P for interaction = 0.009]. BMI below 25 kg/m2 increased the risk of death by 1.90-fold (95% CI: 1.23–2.94) with a null association in diabetic patients (P for interaction = 0.012). The association between BMI and mortality in nondiabetic heart failure patients was independent of other predictors of prognosis. Conclusion The reported obesity paradox in heart failure can only be observed in nondiabetic patients.
Identification of β-haemolysin-encoding genes in Streptococcus anginosus.

Streptococcus anginosus is an emerging pathogen, but little is known about its virulence factors. To detect the genes responsible for β-haemolysis we performed genomic mutagenesis of the β-haemolytic S. anginosus type strain ATCC 12395 using the vector pGhost9:ISS1. Integration site analysis of 15 non-haemolytic mutants identified a gene cluster with high homology to the genes of the streptolysin S (SLS) encoding sag gene cluster of S. pyogenes. The gene cluster harbours 10 open reading frames displaying significant similarities to the S. pyogenes genes sagA-sagI, with the identities on protein level ranging from 38 to 87%. Complementation assays of S. anginosus sagB and sagD integration mutants with the respective genes confirmed their importance for β-haemolysin production and suggest the presence of post-translational modifications in S. anginosus SLS similar to SLS of S. pyogenes. Characterization of the S. anginosus haemolysin in comparison to the S. pyogenes SLS showed that the haemolysin is surface bound, but in contrast to S. pyogenes neither fetal calf serum nor RNA was able to stabilize the haemolysin of S. anginosus in culture supernatants. Inhibition of β-haemolysis by polyethylene glycol of different sizes was carried out, giving no evidence of a pore-forming haemolytic mechanism. Analysis of a whole genome shotgun sequence of Streptococcus constellatus, a closely related streptococcal species that belongs to the S. anginosus group, revealed a similar sag gene cluster. Employing a genomic mutagenesis strategy we were able to determine an SLS encoding gene cluster in S. anginosus and demonstrate its importance for β-haemolysin production in S. anginosus.
Importance of insulin content in infant diet: suggestion for a new infant formula

Oral insulin promotes intestinal maturation and may prevent diabetes in animal models. The aim of this study was to evaluate the concentration of insulin in human milk and in different infant formulas. Our results show that the concentration of insulin in human milk is significantly higher (60.23 ± 41.05 μU/ml mean ± SD) compared with cow's milk (16.32 + 5.98 μU/ml mean ± SD) and that insulin is hardly detectable in infant formulas.
Immune tolerance induction in haemophiliacs with inhibitor to FVIII: high‐ or low‐dose programme

Summary. In 1993–94, 15 high responders were treated in our centre according to the Malmo protocol which was modified as follows: serial plasmapheresis was performed instead of extracorporeal adsorbtion to protein A for reducing inhibitor levels and, after the bolus dose to neutralize the inhibitor, factor VIII concentrate was administered by a continuous infusion. Thus, this regimen included continuous infusion of factor VIII(FVIII) for 1–4 weeks, iv cyclophosphamide for 2 days and orally for 8–10 days, and intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) from the fourth day for 5 days. All patients had been qualified for the treatment when the antibody level was < 15 BU mL−1. Tolerance was induced in 10 patients (66.6% very good and good results). The treatment failed in five cases in which, due to a high inhibitor level, it was not possible to maintain a measurable factor VIII:C concentration throughout the whole period of infusion. We compared these results with results of our low‐dose regimen: 25 IU FVIII kg−1 b.w. twice a week (1985–89, 11 high responders). The modified Malmo Protocol is much shorter than the low‐dose programme and this is a method of first choice in patients undergoing surgery in the near future.
Cryopreservation of sperm from patients with leukemia

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) allows pregnancies to be established with a single sperm, improving the chances for men with severely impaired sperm quality to cause a pregnancy. Men with leukemia typically are of reproductive age and their fertility is threatened by initially impaired semen quality and cytotoxic chemotherapy. The authors examined the feasibility of sperm cryopreservation in men with leukemia before treatment and whether the type of leukemia is related to prefreeze or postthaw semen quality.
California’s 2004 Workers’ Compensation Reform

The large excess fraction of difficult-to-diagnose injuries that occur on a Monday was originally thought to reflect employees’ use of workers’ compensation to cover weekend injuries. Evidence has not necessarily supported this notion, however. Substantial reforms in California in 2004 have made filing false workers’ compensation claims more difficult and less attractive because of reduced benefits. The author empirically tests the effects of the reforms using 2002 to 2006 workers’ compensation claims from a nationwide firm that contracts temporary staffing, an industry with pronounced asymmetric information. He finds strong evidence that claim rates and costs fell following the reforms, and that the fraction of claims on Monday for difficult-to-diagnose injuries dropped by 7 percentage points in California—with no change for the firm’s branches in other states. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that false claims explain a part of the Monday effect, at least in industries with substantial asymmetric information. That being said, when taking into account the effects of the reforms on claim costs and overall claim rates, the excess number of Monday claims makes up less than 4% of the cost reductions after the reforms.
Understanding Pension Liabilities: A Closer Examination of Discount Rates

The discount rate represents a critical choice in accounting for corporate defined-benefit pension plans due to the long-term nature of pension liabilities. U.S. GAAP and IFRS mandate the AA corporate bond rate. Their requirement is subject to much debate, with the risk-free rate and the expected return on pension assets (EROA) often proposed as alternatives. We examine which of these rates best fits pension values as perceived by equity- and debt-market participants. For equity values, the EROA rate dominates, while for credit ratings, the AA rate dominates. For financially healthy firms, however, discounting at the EROA produces the best fit for both equity values and credit ratings. In contrast, for firms nearing financial distress, discounting at the AA rate provides the best fit. We also find that the accumulated benefit obligation measure consistently dominates the projected benefit obligation in explanatory power for credit ratings. Overall, we find that market participants adjust GAAP-recognized pension obligations in both amount and discount rate, in a manner that appears consistent with firm-specific economic realities.
[Complete blood count reference values of donated cord blood from Korean neonates].

BACKGROUND In the public cord blood (CB) banks, only safe CB units with adequate cell doses are processed and stored. Complete blood count (CBC) of CB is crucial for estimating total nucleated cells (TNC) and screening suitable CB units without hematologic abnormalities. We analyzed CBC parameters of the donated CB from healthy Korean neonates to establish CBC reference values. METHODS A total of 2,129 Korean CB units, donated and processed during the period from August 2007 to December 2007, were enrolled. We measured hemoglobin (Hb), white blood cell (WBC) count, differential count of WBC, platelets and nucleated red blood cell (nRBC) count by XE-2100 automated hematology analyzer (Sysmex, Japan), and estimated reference value of each parameter by using parametric (Mean+/-2SD) and/or non-parametric methods (2.5-97.5 percentile). And also, we compared the result of each parameter in relation to sex of neonates and delivery method. RESULTS Because the differences of CBC values among different subgroups were not remarkable, we established the reference intervals as follows without subgroup division: Hb, 9.0-14.4 g/dL; WBC count, 5.6-18.5 x 10(3)/microL; differential count of WBC (neutrophils, 40.8-72.4%; lymphocytes, 17.2-46.7%; monocytes, 4.9-12.8%; eosinophils, 0.7-7.0%; basophils, 0.0-1.6%); platelet, 130-287 x 10(3)/microL; nRBCs, 0.0-13.1/100 WBC. CONCLUSIONS We established cord blood CBC reference values of healthy Korean neonates using a large-scale CB units. The established CBC reference values from our study will be useful as basic data for CBC interpretation and assessment of transplant suitability of donated CB.
Effect of menopause on plaque morphologic characteristics in coronary atherosclerosis.

BACKGROUND Coronary artery disease in women appears 10 to 15 years later than in men. To test the hypothesis that the effects of estrogen may manifest themselves as histologic differences in coronary plaques, we examined the hearts of premenopausal and postmenopausal women who died suddenly from coronary artery disease. METHODS We studied 51 cases of sudden coronary death and 47 deaths in women who died from noncoronary causes. Coronary deaths were classified on the basis of histologic features. The number of acute plaque ruptures, healed plaque ruptures, vulnerable plaques, and acute plaque erosions were compared between groups. Postmortem values of serum total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and thiocyanate were measured, and menopausal status was confirmed by calculating body mass index. RESULTS Women older than 50 years of age were much more likely to have a ruptured plaque than were younger, premenopausal women. Plaque rupture was significantly associated with elevated total cholesterol level. In the 51 women who died of coronary disease, the mean number of vulnerable plaques increased significantly as women advanced into the postmenopausal years. CONCLUSIONS Our data suggest that estrogen has an anti-inflammatory effect on atherosclerotic plaques, resulting in plaque stabilization. Plaque erosion, the major substrate for thrombosis in premenopausal women, does not appear to be inhibited by estrogen. Because plaque progression may result both from repeated rupture and repeated erosion, a better understanding of the effect of estrogen on atherosclerosis may yield insights into the nature of coronary artery disease.
Molecular Pathology in the Lungs of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Patients

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a novel infectious disease with disastrous clinical consequences, in which the lungs are the major target organs. Previous studies have described the general pathology in the lungs of SARS patients and have identified some of the cell types infected by SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV). However, at the time of this writing, there were no comprehensive reports of the cellular distribution of the virus in lung tissue. In this study, we have performed double labeling combining in situ hybridization with immunohistochemistry and alternating each of these techniques separately in consecutive sections to evaluate the viral distribution on various cell types in the lungs of seven patients affected with SARS. We found that SARS-CoV was present in bronchial epithelium, type I and II pneumocytes, T lymphocytes, and macrophages/monocytes. For pneumocytes, T lymphocytes, and macrophages, the infection rates were calculated. In addition, our present study is the first to demonstrate infection of endothelial cells and fibroblasts in SARS.
Evidence for lipid-protein interactions in the attachment of antigens to a low-density membrane fraction isolated from Trypanosoma rhodesiense

A putative Trypanosoma rhodesiense flagella pocket membrane fraction (FPM) was previously found to possess a range of antigenic components that were released after exposure to a detergent mixture containing 0.1% Zwittergent 3-12 and 0.4% Triton X-100. In the present investigation, and effort was made to determine the role of membrane lipid in binding FPM antigens, using phospholipases A2 and C as membrane probes. Exposure to the former was notable for the release of one antigen in particular that was only poorly extracted with the above detergents. Evidence was obtained suggesting that this release was not due to the detergent action of degradation products formed by the action of phospholipase A2 on membrane phospholipids. This phospholipase-released antigen, as were most other FPM antigens, was a glycoprotein, although the carbohydrate sequences do not appear to influence antigenicity. It was also possible to demonstrate the presence of a group of three cross-reacting FPM antigens that partitioned as hydrophobic membrane proteins by using Triton X-114 extraction. This was in contrast to the predominantly hydrophilic nature of most other FPM antigens.