Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Studies on the immunogenicity of Streptococcus equi vaccines in foals.

The ability of either formalin-treated or heat-inactivated whole Streptococcus equi cell vaccines or partially purified M-protein of S. equi to give rise to protective antibody levels was studied in Standardbred foals by serological means. Two commercial preparations, i.e. a beta-propiolactone killed whole S. equi cell bacterin and a cell-free extract of S. equi cells were included in the study. The mean passive hemagglutination antibody titers (10 X log2) in sera of foals given either four doses of formalin-treated whole cell vaccine or an initial dose of formalin-treated followed by three doses of heat-inactivated vaccine with or without levamisole were significantly higher two weeks after the final dose. These passive hemagglutination antibody titers were higher in foals given formalin-treated whole cell vaccine (6.7 +/- 1.5) than given commercial bacterin (4.5 +/- 2.1). The passive hemagglutination antibody titers in all the groups decreased at 12 to 16 weeks after fourth dose of the vaccine. Foals given a commercial cell-free extract did not show a significant increase in passive hemagglutination antibody titers even up to four weeks after third dose. A group of six pony foals immunized with partially-purified M protein showed mean passive hemagglutination antibody titers lower than those observed in foals given whole cell vaccines. In a challenge experiment with S. equi, two of six foals vaccinated with partially-purified M-protein and all three controls developed clinical disease. The passive hemagglutination antibody of vaccinated foals increased after challenge, while at 28 days postchallenge the passive hemagglutination antibody titers of vaccinates and recovered controls were similar.
Minimally invasive versus the conventional open surgical approach of a radical cholecystectomy for gallbladder cancer: a retrospective comparative study.

BACKGROUND Laparoscopic surgery has traditionally been contraindicated for the management of gall bladder cancer (GBC). This study was undertaken to determine the safety and feasibility of a laparoscopic radical cholecystectomy (LRC) for GBC and compare it with an open radical cholecystectomy (ORC). METHODS Retrospective analysis of primary GBC patients (with limited liver infiltration) and incidental GBC (IGBC) patients (detected after a laparoscopic cholecystectomy) who underwent LRC between June 2011 and October 2013. Patients who fulfilled the study criteria and underwent ORC during the same period formed the control group. RESULTS During the study period, 147 patients with GBC underwent a radical cholecystectomy. Of these, 24 patients (primary GBC- 20, IGBC - 4) who underwent a LRC formed the study group (Group A). Of the remaining 123 patients who underwent ORC, 46 matched patients formed the control group (Group B). The median operating time was higher in Group A (270 versus 240 mins, P = 0.021) and the median blood loss (ml) was lower (200 versus 275 ml, P = 0.034). The post-operative morbidity and mortality were similar (P = 1.0). The pathological stage of the tumour in Group A was T1b (n = 1), T2 (n = 11) and T3 (n = 8), respectively. The median lymph node yield was 10 (4-31) and was comparable between the two groups (P = 0.642). During a median follow-up of 18 (6-34) months, 1 patient in Group A and 3 in Group B developed recurrence. No patient developed a recurrence at a port site. CONCLUSION LRC is safe and feasible in selected patients with GBC, and the results were comparable to ORC in this retrospective comparison.
Flow cytometric characterization of CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells in mobilized peripheral blood and bone marrow of cancer patients.

BACKGROUND Hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPC), identified by expression of the CD34 surface antigen, show morphological and phenotypic heterogeneity in bone marrow (BM) and peripheral blood (PB). METHODS CD34+ HPC subpopulations present in 18 PB leukaphereses after high-dose chemotherapy in cancer patients and in 11 BM samples from patients with stage IA lymphoma were characterized. In order to identify CD34+ HPC subsets within these two compartments, the expression of lineage- or activation-associated antigens and the c-kit gene product (CD117) was studied by flow cytometry, using a large panel of monoclonal antibodies (MoAb) in double labelling. RESULTS We observed a higher proportion of CD34+/CD13+ and CD34+/CD33+ cells (myeloid commitment) in harvested leukapheresis products than in BM. On the contrary, a higher percentage of CD34+/CD10+ and CD34+/CD19+ cells (B-lymphoid commitment) was found in BM. The percentage of the most immature subset of CD34+ HPC (CD38- and HLA-DR-) was also higher in BM than in mobilized PB. No differences in proportions were found with respect to the expression of CD14, CD15, CD45RA (myeloid commitment), CD2, CD5, CD7 (T-lymphoid commitment), CD117, CD71 and CD45RO antigens. In terms of absolute values, however, significantly higher amounts of CD34+ HPC co-expressing CD13, CD33, CD5, CD7, CD71, CD117, CD45RA, CD45RO were detected in leukaphereses than in BM. The absolute number of immature HPC (CD34+/CD38- and CD34+/HLA-Dr-) was also significantly increased in mobilized PB. CONCLUSIONS Our data confirm the heterogeneous phenotypic profile of HPC, thus supporting the hypothesis that different CD34+ subpopulations may have clinical relevance on the rapidity and long-term durability of engraftment in patients who undergo high-dose chemotherapy followed by rescue with HPC. We also demonstrated that mobilized PB is a particularly rich source of both primitive and committed HPC, more than BM.
Removal and prevention of dental plaque with d‐tagatose

Dental plaque develops when early bacterial colonizers adhere to the acquired pellicle (saliva‐derived proteinous coating on the tooth surface) followed by adhesion of late interspecies colonizers to form this type of biofilm (coaggregation). In developing a d‐tagatose‐based toothpaste, we examined 15 oral isolates, including both early colonizers (Streptococcus and Actinomyces) and late colonizers (Fusobacterium, Porphyromonas, Prevotella, Veillonella, Capnocytophaga, and Actinobacillus), and tested them for their ability to coaggregate with each other. We then tested the ability of d‐tagatose to reverse any such coaggregations. Coaggregation was examined visually and scored by using a system ranging from 0, for no visible coaggregation to 4, for maximum coaggregation. d‐Tagatose, at a concentration of less than 750 mm, completely reversed the coaggregation of 17 (60%) of 28 strongly coaggregating pairs (coaggregation score = 2 or higher) tested. In contrast, d‐sorbitol had little reversal effect. d‐Tagatose‐sensitive coaggregations were d‐galactose‐reversible as well. d‐Tagatose acted on both early and late colonizers; both groups, especially the late colonizers, were frequently involved in periodontal diseases. Thus, d‐tagatose has the potential for preventing and removing plaque development and for altering the subgingival microbiota. These effective qualities offer conservative control of gingival and periodontal disease.
The Community Integration Questionnaire - Revised: Australian normative data and measurement of electronic social networking.

BACKGROUND/AIM Consideration of the relationship between meaningful participation, health and wellbeing underpins occupational therapy intervention, and drives measurement of community integration following acquired brain injury (ABI). However, utility of community integration measures has been limited to date by lack of normative data against which to compare outcomes, and none examine the growing use of electronic social networking (ESN) for social participation. This research had four aims: (i) develop and pilot items assessing ESN to add to the Community Integration Questionnaire, producing the Community Integration Questionnaire-Revised (CIQ-R); (ii) examine factor structure of the CIQ-R; (iii) collect Australian CIQ-R normative data; and (iv) assess test-retest reliability of the revised measure. METHODS SETTING Australia. PARTICIPANTS A convenience sample of adults without ABI (N = 124) was used to develop and pilot ESN items. A representative general population sample of adults without ABI aged 18-64 years (N = 1973) was recruited to gather normative CIQ-R data. DESIGN Cross-sectional survey. MAIN MEASURES Demographic items and the CIQ-R. RESULTS The CIQ-R demonstrated acceptable psychometric properties, with minor modification to the original scoring based on the factor analyses provided. Large representative general population CIQ-R normative data have been established, detailing contribution of a range of independent demographic variables to community integration. CONCLUSION The addition of electronic social networking items to the CIQ-R offers a contemporary method of assessing community integration following ABI. Normative CIQ-R data enhance the understanding of community integration in the general population, allowing occupational therapists and other clinicians to make more meaningful comparisons between groups.
Application of Nonlinear Fracture Mechanics Parameter to Predicting Wire-Liftoff Lifetime of Power Module at Elevated Temperatures

Power modules are utilized for electric power control and play a key role in efficient energy conversion. A structural reliability problem of wire bonding, wire-liftoff, in power modules becomes important at high-temperature operation. Wire-liftoff is a thermal fatigue phenomenon caused by thermal stress due to mismatch of coefficients of thermal expansion between a wire and a chip material. According to experimental studies, a saturation phenomenon of wire-liftoff lifetime was observed in power modules above the maximum junction temperature of 200 °C. In this paper, we examine the failure models for predicting wire-liftoff lifetime proposed in the previous studies and also propose a new failure model based on the nonlinear fracture mechanics parameter <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$T^\ast $ </tex-math></inline-formula>-integral range <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\Delta T^\ast $ </tex-math></inline-formula>. Among various failure models, the proposed model is the best to represent a saturation phenomenon of wire-liftoff lifetime. For practical use of the failure model based on <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\Delta T^\ast $ </tex-math></inline-formula>-integral range, we propose a simple calculation method of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\Delta T^\ast $ </tex-math></inline-formula>-integral range that can be calculated by using the commercial finite element computer code such as Marc, Ansys, and so on.
[A survey on injuries among nurses and nursing students: a descriptive epidemiologic analysis between 2002 and 2012 at a University Hospital].

BACKGROUND Biological risk is the main occupational hazard in hospitals (40-50% of the total). More than 130,000 injuries occur every year in Italy and nurses are the most affected occupational category. OBJECTIVES This study evaluated the incidence of injuries related to biological risk in nurses and nursing students in the University Hospital of Ferrara, how they occur, the knowledge on the topic and on behaviour during the department's activity. METHODS A retrospective study involving a sample of 8 departments (selected for the occurrence of more than 30 biological injuries between 1st January 2002 and 31 December 2012) recorded injuries related to biological risk; subsequently a cross-sectional survey was carried out through a questionnaire administered to nurses and nursing students. RESULTS 909 biological accidents were reported (81.18% in nurses and 18.82% in students). Blood was the main biological material involved (83.72% of cases), mostly by percutaneous exposure (84.16%). According to the questionnaire, 53% of subjects reported having had at least one injury during their career, and 5.72% did not report it; 46% reported doing risky procedures (re-capping needles) and 95.45% that they had been informed about the correct use of PPE. CONCLUSIONS The lower percentage of injuries in students could be linked to good university training and to less risky procedures being performed. Re-capping needles remains one of the most dangerous manoeuvers practised. Ongoing training on the correct use of PPE is essential to train prepared and aware health professionals.
Geophysical Variables and Behavior: XIII. Comment on “Lunar Phase and Accident Injuries”: The Dark Side of the Moon and Lunar Research

Templer, Veleber, and Brooner in 1982 claimed that an excess number of injuries occur on nights with a full of new moon. In this note, we show that their claim is based upon trivial differences, on overlapping observations, possible violations of statistical assumptions, a failure to consider confounding between phases of the moon and days of the week when data cover short (6 mo. and 1 yr.) periods of time, and the possibility of an effect due to darkness during new moon nights.
Criminal Law on Domestic Violence: Promises and Limits

Domestic violence needs a coordinated and systemic response from the justice system. While Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code is one of the most significant criminal law reforms protecting women's rights, it is not enough. We need to remember that criminal law is indeed a blunt tool for it is difficult to change police culture; though the law may consider domestic violence against women an offence, the police may still not comply and implement it effectively. In order to move towards an effective working of Section 498A, it is crucial that we adopt a new model of policing - the victim empowerment model, which will put in place pro-arrest procedures and social service networks at the police station. It is also important to have civil law remedies to provide protection to women victims of domestic violence and the recently passed Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Bill, 2005 is significant in that context.
Deport or legalize? An Economic Analysis of US Immigration Reform

The prevalence of undocumented workers in the United States is a sensitive issue for U.S. policy makers with numerous policy responses contemplated by several different administrations. This paper examines the impact of possible reforms to U.S. immigration policy with respect to undocumented workers on the U.S. and Mexican economies. Using a global trade and migration model that considers undocumented workers, we find that undocumented workers have a positive impact on the U.S. economy and on the agricultural sector. Legalization of these undocumented workers emerges as the preferred option, although additional considerations may be required to assist the agricultural sector. Keywords: U.S. immigration policy reform, undocumented workers, general equilibrium model JEL classification: J61, C68
Spirometric airflow obstruction in Bangkok school children: prevalence and risk factors.

OBJECTIVE Determine the prevalence of airflow obstruction in schoolchildren in Bangkok and identify its risk factors. MATERIAL AND METHOD Schoolchildren, aged 6 to 18 years, were randomly selected from six schools in central Bangkok. Parents of the children completed a questionnaire. Standard spirometry was performed Children were classified as having airflow obstruction if FEV/FVC ratio was < 0.8. Children with FEV1/FVC ratio > or = 0.8, matched by sex, age, weight, and height, were randomly selected and classified as having no airflow obstruction. Risk factors were identified by univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS Among 1,065 children assessed by spirometry, 43 (4%) demonstrated airflow obstruction. Only three factors including wheezing apart from cold in the past 12 months (OR, 12.82; 95% CI, 1.3-126.5), family history of allergic rhinitis (OR, 2.54; 95% CI, 1.21-5.32), and starting infant formula since birth (OR, 2.47; 95% CI, 1.21-5.04) were shown to be significant risk factors associated with airflow obstruction. CONCLUSION The prevalence of airflow obstruction in schoolchildren is lower than those reported in most adult studies. Asthma and family history of allergic rhinitis are important risk factors associated with airflow obstruction. Exclusively breastfeeding since birth might be another helpful measure to prevent the development of airflow obstruction in children.
Impact of Pretreatment Neutrophil Count on Chemotherapy Administration and Toxicity in Dogs with Lymphoma Treated with CHOP Chemotherapy

Background Prechemotherapy absolute neutrophil count (ANC) cutoffs are arbitrary and vary across institutions and clinicians. Similarly, subjective guidelines are utilized for the administration of prophylactic antibiotics in neutropenic dogs. Objectives To evaluate the impact of various ANC cutoffs on chemotherapy administration in dogs with lymphoma treated with CHOP chemotherapy and to determine whether an association between prechemotherapy ANC and subsequent toxicity exists. The secondary objective was to evaluate a currently used ANC cutoff to indicate prescription of prophylactic antibiotics. Animals Dogs diagnosed with lymphoma treated with CHOP chemotherapy (n = 64). Methods Six hundred and fifteen ANCs were stratified into 6 classes. The 3 ANC cutoffs 1.5 × 103/μL, 2.0 × 103/μL, and 2.5 × 103/μL were assessed. The presence of an association between prechemotherapy ANC class and toxicity was determined. Afebrile neutropenic dogs with ANC <1.5 × 103/μL but above the criteria for prophylactic antibiotics were evaluated. Results Chemotherapy was not administered in 7% of visits with an ANC cutoff of 1.5 × 103/μL; chemotherapy would not have been administered in 10% and 16% of visits with an ANC cutoff of 2.0 × 103/μL or 2.5 × 103/μL, respectively. There was no association among the 3 lower prechemotherapy ANC classes and toxicity. All dogs with ANC 0.75–1.5 × 103/μL recovered spontaneously without medical intervention. Conclusion and Clinical Importance The number of dose delays was minimized with a prechemotherapy ANC cutoff of 1.5 × 103/μL, and the prechemotherapy ANC class 1.5–1.99 × 103/μL was not associated with an increased toxicity. Further investigation of an ANC cutoff near 0.75 × 103/μL in which to prescribe prophylactic antibiotics is indicated.
Evaluating the clinical accuracy of two continuous glucose sensors using continuous glucose-error grid analysis.

OBJECTIVE To compare the clinical accuracy of two different continuous glucose sensors (CGS) during euglycemia and hypoglycemia using continuous glucose-error grid analysis (CG-EGA). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS FreeStyle Navigator (Abbott Laboratories, Alameda, CA) and MiniMed CGMS (Medtronic, Northridge, CA) CGSs were applied to the abdomens of 16 type 1 diabetic subjects (age 42 +/- 3 years) 12 h before the initiation of the study. Each system was calibrated according to the manufacturer's recommendations. Each subject underwent a hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp (blood glucose goal 110 mg/dl) for 70-210 min followed by a 1-mg.dl(-1). min(-1) controlled reduction in blood glucose toward a nadir of 40 mg/dl. Arterialized blood glucose was determined every 5 min using a Beckman Glucose Analyzer (Fullerton, CA). CGS glucose recordings were matched to the reference blood glucose with 30-s precision, and rates of glucose change were calculated for 5-min intervals. CG-EGA was used to quantify the clinical accuracy of both systems by estimating combined point and rate accuracy of each system in the euglycemic (70-180 mg/dl) and hypoglycemic (<70 mg/dl) ranges. RESULTS A total of 1,104 data pairs were recorded in the euglycemic range and 250 data pairs in the hypoglycemic range. Overall correlation between CGS and reference glucose was similar for both systems (Navigator, r = 0.84; CGMS, r = 0.79, NS). During euglycemia, both CGS systems had similar clinical accuracy (Navigator zones A + B, 88.8%; CGMS zones A + B, 89.3%, NS). However, during hypoglycemia, the Navigator was significantly more clinically accurate than the CGMS (zones A + B = 82.4 vs. 61.6%, Navigator and CGMS, respectively, P < 0.0005). CONCLUSIONS CG-EGA is a helpful tool for evaluating and comparing the clinical accuracy of CGS systems in different blood glucose ranges. CG-EGA provides accuracy details beyond other methods of evaluation, including correlational analysis and the original EGA.
A Multi-Fuel Structural Model for the Electricity Market Applied to CHP Generation

This paper presents an analytical structural model for the electricity price process driven by stochastic load as well as stochastic marginal generation costs in a multi-fuel stack framework covering the entire fuel switch dynamics. Moreover, the random character of available generation capacity in the merit order is included. The embedded random variables for load and fuels are presumed to be normally distributed. We present closed-form expressions for the forward curve as well as for European contingent claims written on electricity for the general case of N fuels embedded in the power supply stack (esp. for N>2). Additionally, we compile a useful collection of analytical formulas for probabilities and transition probabilities. The structural model is applied to a combined heat and power (CHP) generation unit. On the back of different fictitious market scenarios for a five fuel generation stack, the expected revenues for the two CHP operation modes -- the heat driven as well as the power driven dispatch -- are explored.
Corporate governance mechanisms and cost of debt

Purpose - – The purpose of this study is to determine whether there is any difference in the association among the board of directors, audit committee effectiveness and the cost of debt between the family- and non-family-owned companies in the Sultanate of Oman. Design/methodology/approach - – This study uses a panel data set that has multiple observations on the same economic units. Each element has two subscripts: the group identifier, i (68 companies listed on the Muscat Securities Market), and within the group index denoted by t, which identifies time (2005-2011). The regression model of this study is based on the random effects model, which, according to the Hausman and Breusch-Pagan (LM) (Breusch and Pagan, 1980) tests, is an appropriate model. Findings - – This study finds that the association between a board of directors’ effectiveness and cost of debt is negative and significant for the full sample and non-family firms. This relationship, however, is weak and not significant for family firms. Additionally, this study indicates that audit committee effectiveness has a significant effect on the cost of debt based on the full sample and family firms, but is not significant for non-family firms. Originality/value - – This study examines firms in the Sultanate of Oman, where family ownership control is common. Based on a framework conceptualized according to the agency theory, using data from Oman enables a comparison between family and non-family firms with respect to the effect of the board of directors’ and audit committee’s characteristics as a composite measure. This composite measure captures their combined effect on the propensity of the cost of debt.