Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of urine-based screening strategies to detect Chlamydia trachomatis among sexually active asymptomatic young males.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the performances of diagnostic screening tests alone or in combination to detect asymptomatic chlamydial urethral infection in young males. DESIGN Comparisons of the performance profiles of the following chlamydia screening strategies were done: urethral culture; identification of polymorphonucleocytes (PMNs) on spun first-void urine (FVU); urinary leukocyte esterase test (LET) on unspun FVU; chlamydial enzyme immunoassay (EIA) applied to FVU sediment; combining LET on unspun FVU followed by EIA with or without direct fluorescent antibody (DFA) confirmation on FVU sediment; and combining PMNs on spun FVU followed by EIA with or without DFA confirmation. SETTING General clinics at a youth detention center, university-based teen clinic, college health service, and a military screening clinic. PATIENTS A total of 618 males aged 12 to 35 years (mean, 17 years) were recruited as a convenience sample; site participation rates ranged from 50% to 80%. Eligible subjects were sexually active, denied symptoms of urethritis, and had taken no antibiotics in the prior 2 weeks. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of each test strategy's ability to detect Chlamydia trachomatis infection, and cost to confirm each positive case. RESULTS With a 7% prevalence of chlamydial infection, tissue culture had a sensitivity of only 61%. However, two strategies yielded significantly better performance profiles compared with the others: EIA confirmed by DFA test with a sensitivity of 84%, a specificity of 100%, and a cost to identify each positive case of $434; and PMNs followed by EIA confirmed by DFA test with a sensitivity of 78%, a specificity of 100%, and a cost to identify each positive case of $199. The LET followed by EIA-DFA had a similar performance profile to the PMN test strategies. CONCLUSIONS A combination of a nonspecific screening of FVU for PMNs or LET followed by specific testing with EIA with DFA confirmation has superior clinical and cost-effective performance for detecting asymptomatic C trachomatis urethritis in young males compared with other strategies. However, an evaluation of the medical, fiscal, and psychological benefits and risks associated with a specific screening strategy for sexually transmitted diseases must be made before adopting a specific strategy for a particular population.
Relationship between Plasma Phospholipid Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Composition and Bone Disease in Renal Transplantation

To investigate the relationship between polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) and bone metabolism in renal transplant patients, plasma phospholipid (PP) PUFA levels, biochemical markers of bone turnover and bone mineral density (BMD) were determined in 22 recipients of a first renal allograft at baseline and after a mean 24.4 month follow-up. A significant increase in PP n-3 PUFA content, in the [n-3 PUFA/ arachidonic acid] ratio and in BMD values was observed, as well as a close correlation between the increase in PP n-3 PUFA content and femoral neck BMD. Multivariate regression analysis showed that BMD improvement was positively related to PP n-3 PUFA variation and baseline PP eicosapentaenoic acid levels, and negatively to PP arachidonic acid modification. Tacrolimus- versus cyclosporine-treated patients demonstrated a significant increase in femoral neck BMD and PP n-3 PUFA content. This is the first longitudinal study showing a link between PP-PUFA composition and bone disease in renal transplantation.
An analysis of a rotating, range-gated, fanbeam spaceborne scatterometer concept

A new simple scatterometer concept combines the advantages of both the fixed, multiple beam, sidelooking radar such as AMI-Wind (ERS-1/2) and NSCAT (ADEOS), and the conically scanning pencil-beam radar such as SeaWinds. A wide, fanbeam antenna is rotated around a vertical axis with a slow rotation rate. For a satellite at an altitude of 725 km,the antenna footprint sweeps a circular donut of 1500 km diameter. Such a slow conical scan combined with the motion of the satellite at 7 km/s ground speed results in highly overlapping successive sweeps such that an image pixel is revisited up to 10∼11 times during an overpass. The pixels in the radial direction are resolved by range-gating the radar echo. Depending on the across-track position of the imaged pixel, the measurement acquisitions during an overpass consist of a set of σ° at different combinations of the azimuth and incident angles. A preliminary optimization of the system resulted in a C-band radar concept with a 15 km multiple-look spatial resolution and global coverage in two days. A sketch of the developed concept, preliminary system design, and predicted performance are described.
Electronic cigarette aerosol particle size distribution measurements

The particle size distribution of aerosols produced by electronic cigarettes was measured in an undiluted state by a spectral transmission procedure and after high dilution with an electrical mobility analyzer. The undiluted e-cigarette aerosols were found to have particle diameters of average mass in the 250–450 nm range and particle number concentrations in the 109 particles/cm3 range. These measurements are comparable to those observed for tobacco burning cigarette smoke in prior studies and also measured in the current study with the spectral transmission method and with the electrical mobility procedure. Total particulate mass for the e-cigarettes calculated from the size distribution parameters measured by spectral transmission were in good agreement with replicate determinations of total particulate mass by gravimetric filter collection. In contrast, average particle diameters determined for e-cigarettes by the electrical mobility method are in the 50 nm range and total particulate masses calculated based on the suggested diameters are orders of magnitude smaller than those determined gravimetrically. This latter discrepancy, and the very small particle diameters observed, are believed to result from almost complete e-cigarette aerosol particle evaporation at the dilution levels and conditions of the electrical mobility analysis. A much smaller degree, ~20% by mass, of apparent particle evaporation was observed for tobacco burning cigarette smoke. The spectral transmission method is validated in the current study against measurements on tobacco burning cigarette smoke, which has been well characterized in prior studies, and is supported as yielding an accurate characterization of the e-cigarette aerosol particle size distribution.
Wear Analysis of the Bryan Cervical Disc Prosthesis

Study Design. In vitro wear testing of the Bryan® Cervical Disc prosthesis was performed in a cervical spine simulator. The biologic response was assessed in chimpanzee and goat animal models. Objective. Determine the wear characteristics of the Bryan disc. Summary of Background Data. Large joint arthroplasties fail most commonly by wear and consequent formation of particulate material, which induces an inflammatory response. Therefore, measuring the wear characteristics of the new spinal disc replacements is important. Methods. Six prosthetic assembles were tested to 10 or 40 million cycles by load and motion and 3 additional assemblies were tested by load only in a cervical spine simulator. Any debris was examined using ASTM standards. The local biologic response to the prosthesis was examined in two chimpanzees. Nine goats were used to assess the biologic response in both local and distant tissues. Arthrodesis was performed on three additional control goats that received an allograft and an anterior cervical plate. Results. Wear results: cervical spine simulators that applied the loads and motions associated with activities of daily living produced wear particulate at a rate of 1.2 mg per million cycles. Device height decreased 0.02 mm per million cycles with approximately 77% of this decrease due to gradual creep of the nucleus under the constant compressive load. Particles generated were granular in shape with a mean feret diameter of 3.9 &mgr;m. All animals tolerated placement of the Bryan disc. Wear debris was present in the periprosthetic and epidural spaces in some animals. However, no significant inflammatory response was observed. No wear material was found distant from the implant in draining lymph tissue, the liver, or the spleen. Conclusions. The Bryan disc has satisfactory wear characteristics and does not produce a significant inflammatory response.
An electronic survey of physicians using online clinical discussion groups: a brief report.

INTRODUCTION Online discussion groups are a relatively new form of informal communication among physicians. Physicians' Online, an Internet-based medical information and communication network with a current membership base that includes more than 200,000, United States physicians, contains extensive bulletin-board discussion areas with more than 47,000 topics posted to date. There are no published data available regarding the characteristics and behaviors of the individuals who participate in these discussions. METHODS To better characterize the users of these groups, in March 1998, we posted an eight-question, multiple-choice electronic survey on Physicians' Online's home page inviting users of the clinical discussion groups to participate. RESULTS We analyzed responses from 586 participants. The most common characteristics were: urban and Northeastern United States location, age less than 55 years, clinical practice of internal medicine or one of its subspecialties, private solo or single/multispecialty group practice, and reported weekly consultation with three or less colleagues. Most physicians were interested in specific clinical cases. Forty-one percent of the respondents chose to read discussion groups only but rarely or never initiated or responded. CONCLUSIONS Younger age, urban setting, private practice, and infrequent consultation with colleagues were the most common characteristics found among users of Physicians' Online's online clinical discussion groups. That specific clinical cases were the most common interest speaks to the notion that discussion groups may represent an attractive resource for helping to manage clinical cases. Future research should explore in greater depth the demographics of users, specific motivations for physician use, ways to improve active participation, and the impact on clinical practice.
Assessing the level of happiness across countries: a robust frontier approach

In this paper we propose an innovative approach based on life satisfaction to estimate efficiency measures for individuals considering how they convert their resources into higher levels of happiness. We use an extension of the conditional nonparametric robust approach which allows us to consider a mixed set of contextual variables that can affect the levels of life satisfaction. Our empirical analysis includes data about 31,854 individuals from 26 OECD countries participating in the last wave of the World Values Survey. Results obtained indicate that the most efficient individuals in achieving happiness tend to live in northern and central European countries whereas the less efficient individuals are found, in average, in Asian transitional economies. In addition, it is also found that most of the traditional determinants of wellbeing (e.g. age, marital status, religion or unemployment) also have a significant impact on efficiency measures.
Comparison of Three Methods for Extraction of Mycobacterium Avium Subspecies Paratuberculosis DNA for Polymerase Chain Reaction from Broth-Based Culture Systems

Conventional and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays were used to measure the recovery of DNA from Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) extracted with 3 different methods (MagMAX™, DNeasy®, and phenol-chloroform) after growth in a broth-based culture system. Of the 304 samples tested, bacterial DNA was detected in 197 (65%) of samples after MagMAX, 156 (51%) after phenol-chloroform, and 123 (40%) after DNeasy extractions. By acid-fast stain, 177 (58%) of the samples yielded acid-fast–positive bacilli, of which 4 were PCR negative by the 3 extraction methods. The results demonstrated that the amplifiable MAP DNA, as evidenced by the number of PCR-positive cultures and amplicon intensity on ethidium bromide–stained agarose gel, was best for MagMAX, intermediate for phenol-chloroform, and least for DNeasy. When subjected to real-time polymerase chain reaction, the MagMAX extracts produced the best results, thereby making it an excellent kit for the efficient extraction of MAP DNA from the broth-based culture system.
Depressive symptoms in long-term care residents in Taiwan.

AIM This paper reports a study to investigate the prevalence of and risk factors for depressive symptoms in elders in long-term care facilities in Taiwan. BACKGROUND Depression has been identified as a major health concern and is very common among frail elders in Western nursing homes. It is under-diagnosed, and may be associated with eating difficulties and subsequent malnutrition, functional ability and sociodemographic factors. There have been no previous studies of these issues in Taiwan. METHODS Residents of 18 long-term care facilities were recruited. Those able to communicate in the Mandarin or Taiwanese dialect, resided in long-term care facilities including skilled nursing facilities and intermediate care facilities, and who scored three or above on the Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire were selected. Data were collected using the Geriatric Depression Scale, Barthel Index and Masticatory Index, and age, duration of institutionalization, and level of impaired swallowing were also measured. RESULTS The number of participants identified as depressed was 267 (52.05%). There was no significant difference noted relating to age, gender, duration of institutionalization, type of institution, mental status and masticatory ability between the depressed and non-depressed groups, but significant differences of functional status and impaired swallowing between the two groups were found. However, functional status, impaired swallowing, and type of institution were three independent factors associated with depressive symptoms after controlling for all other factors. CONCLUSIONS Future studies on the detection of symptoms of depression should use a validated observational measure to overcome under-reporting of symptoms by the frailest residents.
Determination of killer yeast activity in fermenting grape juice by using a marked Saccharomyces wine yeast strain

The Escherichia coli beta-glucuronidase gene has been used as a marker gene to monitor a killer Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain in mixed-culture ferments. The marked killer strain was cured of its M-dsRNA genome to enable direct assessment of the efficiency of killer toxin under fermentation conditions. Killer activity was clearly evident in fermenting Rhine Riesling grape juice of pH 3.1 at 18 degrees C, but the extent of killing depended on the proportion of killer to sensitive cells at the time of inoculation. Killer activity was detected only when the ratio of killer to sensitive cells exceeded 1:2. At the highest ratio of killer to sensitive cells tested (2:1), complete elimination of sensitive cells was not achieved.
L∞ performance analysis for singular Lipschitz systems with actuator saturation and actuator fault

The L∞ performance analysis problem for a class of singular Lipschitz systems in the presence of both actuator saturation and actuator fault is studied in this paper. Different from the previous result where the designed controller is of saturation avoidance form, a saturation allowance criterion is established to ensure the closed-loop system regular and impulse-free as well as the existence and uniqueness of the solution under actuator saturation and fault. It is shown that no information about the initial state is needed in such a case. The maximal disturbances tolerance capability and the disturbance rejection capacity can be obtained within the framework of the optimization problems with convex constraints. Finally, a numerical example is provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Entering the era of targeted therapy for chronic lymphocytic leukemia: impact on the practicing clinician.

PURPOSE Chemoimmunotherapy has been the standard of care for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). However, the introduction of B-cell receptor (BCR) kinase inhibitors such as ibrutinib has the potential to eliminate the role of chemotherapy in the treatment of CLL. How to best incorporate old and new therapies for CLL in this landscape is increasingly complex. METHODS This article reviews current data available to clinicians and integrates these data to provide a strategy that can be used to approach the treatment of CLL in the era of BCR signaling inhibitors. RESULTS Current strategies separate patients based on age or functional status as well as genetics [presence or absence of del(17)(p13.1)]. In the era of targeted therapy, this will likely continue based on current available data. Phase III studies support chemoimmunotherapy as the initial standard therapy for patients without del(17)(p13.1). Choice of chemotherapy (fludarabine plus cyclophosphamide, bendamustine, or chlorambucil) and anti-CD20 antibody (rituximab, ofatumumab, or obinutuzumab) varies based on regimen and patient status. For patients with del(17)(p13.1), no standard initial therapy exists, although several options supported by phase II clinical trials (methylprednisolone plus alemtuzumab or ibrutinib) seem better than chemoimmunotherapy. Treatment of relapsed CLL seems to be best supported by ibrutinib-based therapy. Completion of trials with ibrutinib and other new agents in the near future will offer opportunity for chemotherapy-free treatment across all groups of CLL. CONCLUSION Therapy for CLL has evolved significantly over the past decade with introduction of targeted therapy for CLL. This has the potential to completely transform how CLL is treated in the future.
Targeting the renin–angiotensin system for the reduction of cardiovascular outcomes in hypertension: angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers

Agents that counteract the negative impact of the renin–angiotensin–-aldosterone system (RAAS) are effective antihypertensives and reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. Contrary to common perception, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors do not share the apparent benefit of angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) in reducing risk of cardiovascular-disease outcomes, particularly stroke, in randomised clinical trials. RAAS agents, especially ARBs, are well tolerated. Use of ARBs alone or in combination with other classes of antihypertensive agents to lower blood pressure and/or medications to control other conditions (e.g., insulin sensitivity) reduces risk of cardiovascular disease outcomes and Type 2 diabetes with excellent tolerability. Selected issues related to use of RAAS agents as antihypertensive therapies (e.g., Type 2 diabetes, global risk management, multiple drug therapy and coronary heart disease) are addressed.
Gram Staining

Named after Hans Christian Gram who developed the method in 1884, the Gram stain allows one to distinguish between Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative bacteria on the basis of differential staining with a crystal violet‐iodine complex and a safranin counterstain. The cell walls of Gram‐positive organisms retain this complex after treatment with alcohol and appear purple, whereas gram‐negative organisms decolorize following such treatment and appear pink. The method described here is useful for assessing bacterial contamination of tissue culture samples or for examining the Gram stain status and morphological features of bacteria isolated from mixed or isolated bacterial cultures.
Business cycle synchronization across U.S. states

Abstract We use wavelet analysis to conclude that individual U.S. states’ business cycles are very well synchronized. We also find evidence of a strong and significant correlation between business cycle dissimilitudes and the distance between each pair of states, consistent to gravity type mechanisms where distance affects trade. Trade, in turn, increases business cycle synchronization, while a higher degree of industry specialization is associated with a higher dissimilitude of the state cycle with the aggregate economy. Finally, there is evidence that business cycle dissimilitudes have been decreasing with time, consistent with the previous findings coupled with the idea that information and communications technology make distances smaller.
Clinical manifestations of mental disorders among Sesotho speakers

Objective. The goal of this study was to compare four Sesotho-speaking clinical groups in South Africa concerning the manifestation of mental disorders. Methods. The participants were Sesotho speakers suffering from major depressive disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders and substance abuse. The participants (N=407) were assessed and diagnosed by a multi-professional team. A clinical interview was then conducted with each participant and the symptomatology compared with the DSM-IV-TR criteria. Results. Differences among the four clinical groups were found regarding age, gender, marital status, substance abuse and aggressive behavior. Although the symptomatology of all four groups overlapped with that of their counterparts in Western cultures, some differences were noted. For example, delusions and hallucinations seem to be more prevalent in the Sesotho speakers with major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders than in Westernized groups. Traditional medicine remains the first treatment of choice for a significant number of the participants. It is recommended that traditional medicine should be incorporated into the national health system. Conclusion. In multicultural societies such as South Africa, further research regarding cultural differences in the clinical manifestation of mental disorders is urgently needed in order to make the necessary provision for cultural uniqueness.
A pathogen-inducible endogenous siRNA in plant immunity

RNA interference, mediated by small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), is a conserved regulatory process that has evolved as an antiviral defense mechanism in plants and animals. It is not known whether host cells also use siRNAs as an antibacterial defense mechanism in eukaryotes. Here, we report the discovery of an endogenous siRNA, nat-siRNAATGB2, that is specifically induced by the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae carrying effector avrRpt2. We demonstrate that the biogenesis of this siRNA requires DCL1, HYL1, HEN1, RDR6, NRPD1A, and SGS3. Its induction also depends on the cognate host disease resistance gene RPS2 and the NDR1 gene that is required for RPS2-specified resistance. This siRNA contributes to RPS2-mediated race-specific disease resistance by repressing PPRL, a putative negative regulator of the RPS2 resistance pathway.