Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Surveillance of Human Calicivirus in Spain

To the Editor: Human caliciviruses (HuCVs) are an important cause of acute viral gastroenteritis in young children worldwide (1,2). In Spain, norovirus infections are not subject to specific surveillance; few data exist about sporadic cases (3,4) and none about outbreaks across the country. We have conducted a surveillance study of acute gastroenteritis epidemics to determine the prevalence of HuCV infections. Our goal was to gain insight into the epidemiology of these infections in Spain and consider new directions to prevent them and control improvements in food and water quality and sanitary practices.
Simultaneous determination of three naphthoquinones in the leaves of Impatiens balsamina L. by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography.

INTRODUCTION Naphthoquinones; lawsone (1), lawsone methyl ether (2) and methylene-3,3'-bilawsone (3) are the main active compounds of Impatiens balsamina leaves. OBJECTIVE To develop and validate an HPLC method for simultaneous quantitative determination of 1-3 in I. balsamina leaf extracts. METHODOLOGY The method utilised a Supelco® C(18) column (5 µm, 4.6 × 150 mm) at 25°C with the mixture of 2% aqueous acetic acid : methanol (gradient elution as follows: 0-10 min, 25 : 75; 10-20 min, 32 : 68; 20-35 min, 55 : 45) as the mobile phase at a flow-rate of 1 mL/min, and UV detection at 280 nm. The parameters of linearity, repeatability, reproducibility, accuracy specificity and sensitivity of the method were evaluated. RESULTS The recovery of the method was 96-101% and linearity (r(2) ≥ 0.9995) was obtained for all naphthoquinones. A high degree of specificity, as well as repeatability and reproducibility (RSD less than 5%), were also achieved.
Identification and Quantification of the Antimicrobial Components of a Citrus Essential Oil Vapor

The anti-bacterial components of a citrus essential oil vapor were identified as linalool, citral and β-pinene using a bioautography method and quantified by GC-MS. Essential oil vapor release, monitored in real-time with Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Ionization – MS (APCI-MS), showed differences in the vapor release profile of limonene, β-pinene and linalool over 24 hours, while Solid Phase Micro-extraction (SPME) GC-MS demonstrated changes in composition of the vapor at 35°C. Fourteen isolates were tested in vitro for their susceptibility to the EO vapor and to linalool, citral and β-pinene vapors, both separately and in a mixture containing the three components in the amounts at which they occur in the EO vapor. All eleven Gram-positive strains tested were susceptible to the EO vapor, linalool, citral and β-pinene vapors separately and the mixture with zones of inhibition of 4.34 cm, 5.32 cm, 5.58 cm, 4.86 cm and 4.68 cm, respectively. Of the three Gram-negative strains tested, Pseudomonas aeruginosa 10145 was resistant to all the vapors. When bacteria inoculated onto stainless steel surfaces were exposed to either the EO vapor or a linalool/citral/β-pinene vapor mixture there was no significant difference in reduction for the Gram-positive isolates, while the Gram-negative isolates were resistant to both EO vapor and the linalool/citral/β-pinene mixture.
A Young Lady’s Entrance into the World

The reputation of Frances Burney (1752-1840) was largely established with her first novel, Evelina. Published anonymously in 1778, it is an epistolary account of a sheltered young woman's entrance into society and her experience of family. Its comedy ranges from the violent practical joking reminiscent of Smollett's fiction to witty repartee that influenced Austen. The Broadview edition is based on the second edition of the novel (1779), which incorporates Burney's revisions and corrections. Its appendices include contemporary reviews of Evelina as well as eighteenth-century works on the family and on comedy
Possible hemostatic effect of synthetic liposomes in experimental studies under flow conditions.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES The possibility of developing synthetic platelet substitutes is a subject of current interest. We explored the possible hemostatic effect of synthetic phospholipid incorporated in multilamellar vesicles (MLVs) or intermediate unilamellar vesicles (IUVs) using a well-characterized experimental system with circulating human thrombocytopenic blood (10 min, 250 s(-1)). DESIGN AND METHODS The ability of the liposomes containing different combinations of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and dipalmitoylphosphatidylserine (DPPS) to promote fibrin formation (%F) on the damaged subendothelium was morphometrically evaluated. Generation of thrombin in the system was monitored through prothrombin fragment F1+2 determination. RESULTS IUV liposomes containing DPPC, 1DPPS:9DPPC, 1DPPS:3DPPC, 1PE:1DPPC increased fibrin deposition on the subendothelium (53.87 +/- 11.0%; 39.76 +/- 6.75%; 40.69 +/- 10.54% and 32.22 +/- 7.35%, respectively vs. thrombocytopenic blood 11.5 +/- 1.2%; p<0.05), while 9PE:1DPPS IUV liposome failed to promote a procoagulant effect. MLV liposomes containing DPPC alone, 1DPPS:3DPPC and 1PE:1DPPC showed a positive effect on fibrin deposition (85.50 +/- 5.95%, 59.86 +/- 11.55% and 43.73 +/- 7.84% respectively; p<0.05). However, no effect was observed in those experiments performed with liposomes containing 3DPPS:1DPPC. After perfusion experiments, the coagulation system became activated, but differences were not statistically significant vs. control experiments, except for MLV liposomes containing DPPC alone (p<0.05). INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSIONS These results confirm that, at an experimental level, liposomes containing phospholipids could potentially be used to improve hemostasis in patients with quantitative or qualitative platelet disorders.
The Prevalence of CTX-M-15 Extended-spectrum β-Lactamases Among Salmonella spp. and Shigella spp. Isolated from three Iranian Hospitals

Bacterial antimicrobial resistance mediated by the production of extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) is considered a major threat for treatment of Salmonella and Shigella infections. This study aimed to investigate antibiotic resistance patterns of Salmonella and Shigella spp. and presence of CTX-M from three teaching hospitals in Iran. In the present study, 58 clinical Shigella and 91 Salmonella isolates were recovered between 2009 and 2013 from 3 teaching hospitals in Iran. After culture and antimicrobial susceptibility testing, ESBL-positive isolates were subjected to further investigations. These included polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and DNA sequencing of blaCTX-M-15 encoding plasmid. In both genera, high sensitivity to gentamicin and amikacin, but high resistance to ampicillin, tetracycline, and trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole, was found. Molecular investigation showed that 31.8% isolates of Salmonella spp. and 34.48% isolates of Shigella spp. were CTX-M positive and all of them were also positive for ISEcpI. Protein translation, comparing with reference sequences, showed that all CTX-M isolates belong to CTX-M-15. The present study suggests that the resistance of ESBLs-producing Salmonella and Shigella spp. in Iran hospitals is very serious. Therefore, strategies to minimize the spread of ESBL-producing isolates should be implemented.
Computationally accessible method for estimating free energy changes resulting from site‐specific mutations of biomolecules: Systematic model building and structural/hydropathic analysis of deoxy and oxy hemoglobins

A practical computational method for the molecular modeling of free‐energy changes associated with protein mutations is reported. The de novo generation, optimization, and thermodynamic analysis of a wide variety of deoxy and oxy hemoglobin mutants are described in detail. Hemoglobin is shown to be an ideal candidate protein for study because both the native deoxy and oxy states have been crystallographically determined, and a large and diverse population of its mutants has been thermodynamically characterized. Noncovalent interactions for all computationally generated hemoglobin mutants are quantitatively examined with the molecular modeling program HINT (Hydropathic INTeractions). HINT scores all biomolecular noncovalent interactions, including hydrogen bonding, acid–base, hydrophobic–hydrophobic, acid–acid, base–base, and hydrophobic–polar, to generate dimer–dimer interface “scores” that are translated into free‐energy estimates. Analysis of 23 hemoglobin mutants, in both deoxy and oxy states, indicates that the effects of mutant residues on structurally bound waters (and visa versa) are important for generating accurate free‐energy estimates. For several mutants, the addition/elimination of structural waters is key to understanding the thermodynamic consequences of residue mutation. Good agreement is found between calculated and experimental data for deoxy hemoglobin mutants (r = 0.79, slope = 0.78, standard error = 1.4 kcal mol−1, n = 23). Less accurate estimates were initially obtained for oxy hemoglobin mutants (r = 0.48, slope = 0.47, standard error = 1.4 kcal mol−1, n = 23). However, the elimination of three outliers from this data set results in a better correlation of r = 0.87 (slope = 0.72, standard error = 0.75, n = 20). These three mutations may significantly perturb the hemoglobin quaternary structure beyond the scope of our structural optimization procedure. The method described is also useful in the examination of residue ionization states in protein structures. Specifically, we find an acidic residue within the native deoxy hemoglobin dimer–dimer interface that may be protonated at physiological pH. The final analysis is a model design of novel hemoglobin mutants that modify cooperative free energy (ΔGc)—the energy barrier between the allosteric transition from deoxy to oxy hemoglobin. Proteins 2001;42:355–377. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Concise Survey of Staphylococcus Aureus Virulence Factors that Promote Adhesion and Damage to Peri-Implant Tissues

Staphylococcus aureus is the leading cause of infection in orthopedic implants and of osteomyelitis consequent to it. Here we focus on the wide array of virulence factors that endow S. aureus with its abilities to colonize peri-prosthesis tissues and to attack and damage them. Following an infective strategy orchestrated by agr locus, Staphylococcus aureus first deploys virulence factors for adhesion to the prosthesis and peri-prosthesis tissues and then launches its attack by delivering destructive factors.
Oral and general health behaviours among Chinese urban adolescents.

OBJECTIVES The objectives of this study were to measure the association of general and oral health-related behaviours with living conditions and to explore the interrelationships between general and oral health-related behaviours in Chinese urban adolescents. METHODS A cross-sectional survey of 2662 adolescents was conducted in eight Chinese provincial capitals. The response rate was 92%. The study population was selected through multistage cluster sampling and comprised three age groups: 11, 13 and 15 years. Data on oral and general health, lifestyles as well as living conditions were collected by means of self-administered structured questionnaires. Several additive indices were constructed from answers to the questions on specific behaviour, and participants were categorized according to scores on each component of health-related behaviour for statistical analyses by frequency distributions, regression analyses and factor analyses. RESULTS Oral health-related behaviours among adolescents were associated with socioeconomic status of parents, school performance and peer relationships. The odds of a dental visit was 0.63 in adolescents of poorly educated parents and the corresponding figure for regular oral hygiene practices was 0.62. Odds of tobacco use was 3 for adolescents with poor performance in school while odds of consuming sugary foods/drinks was 1.3. Adolescents with high levels of preventive oral health practices also demonstrated general health-promoting behaviours. In factor analysis of general and oral health-related behaviours, three factors were isolated: (a) risk behaviours (loadings 0.48-0.66), (b) health-promoting behaviours (loadings 0.60-0.64) and (c) help-seeking behaviours (loadings 0.56-0.67). CONCLUSION The findings support a multidimensional model of health behaviour. Several approaches and multiple methods should be applied in oral health education in order to modify behaviours that affect oral health.
Molecular Mechanisms by Which rRNA Mutations Confer Resistance to Clindamycin

ABSTRACT The mechanisms by which rRNA mutations confer clindamycin resistance were examined in Mycobacterium smegmatis strains containing homogeneous populations of ribosomes with base substitutions at nucleotides A2058 and A2059. Computer graphic predictions based on structural studies correlate with the resistance phenotypes for six of seven strains with unique rRNA mutations.
Combined Analysis and Single-Step Detection of GAD65 and IA2 Autoantibodies in IDDM Can Replace the Histochemical Islet Cell Antibody Test

Cytoplasmic islet cell antibodies (ICAs) are the classical serological markers for diagnosis and prediction of IDDM, but high technical demands have limited the widespread use of the histochemical ICA test. To investigate whether combined analysis of autoantibodies to two defined islet antigens can replace the histochemical ICA test, we established quantitative radioimmunoassays for autoantibodies to glutamate decarboxylase (GAD65-A), the tyrosine phosphatase IA2/ICA512 (IA2-A), and the cytoplasmic part of IA2 (IA2C-A). The GAD65-A and IA2C-A profiles of 920 sera from healthy individuals and from patients with IDDM, other organ-specific autoimmune diseases, and polyendocrine autoimmune syndrome were compared with the ICA profiles from these same individuals. Combined analysis of GAD65-A and IA2C-A detected 93–100% of the ICA+ sera, and, at equal specificity, improved the diagnostic sensitivity (85%) for IDDM compared with that of ICA (74%). This effect was especially pronounced in children with disease onset before 16 years of age (91% sensitivity). To replace ICA testing in risk assessment for IDDM, we designed a strategy adapted to study groups with low antibody prevalence. A combined radioimmunoassay for single-step detection of GAD65-A and IA2C-A was developed, and positive sera were reanalyzed to define their single autoantibody specificity. We identified 93% of the ICA+ sera from 204 first-degree relatives of IDDM patients. Single-step detection reduced costs and effort by more than 40% compared with separate testing, allowing an efficient large-scale screening of sera for GAD65-A and IA2C-A in IDDM. In sum, GAD65-A and IA2C-A detected much ICA reactivity, and their combined evaluation and detection is suitable to replace the histochemical ICA test.
Thyroid Cancer in Patients with Hyperthyroidism

Objective: The coexistence of hyperthyroidism and thyroid cancer is considered a rare event. With the aim of assessing the clinical relevance of this association, we have retrospectively analyzed the incidence of thyroid cancer in 425 hyperthyroid patients seen and treated by surgery in our institutions. Methods: Among these hyperthyroid patients, we observed 241 (56.7%) cases of multinodular toxic goiter, 120 (28.3%) of uninodular toxic goiter and 64 (15%) cases of Graves’ disease. Results: Thyroid cancer was diagnosed in 7 (1.65%) hyperthyroid patients. Histological examination revealed the presence of papillary carcinoma in 5 cases and follicular carcinoma in 2 cases. Neoplasia was detected in 4 patients with nodular toxic goiter and in 3 with uninodular toxic goiter. None of the patients with Graves’ disease had thyroid cancer. During the follow-up of 74 months (range 4–154), there were no deaths or any recurrences. Conclusion: Although the occurrence of thyroid cancer in hyperthyroid patients is a rare event, the presence of a ‘cold’ nodule in a hyperfunctioning thyroid should be carefully evaluated to exclude the presence of concurrent malignancy.
Zerotree pattern coding of motion picture residues for error-resilient transmission of video sequences

This paper describes a compression scheme for difference-image residues in video coding. Structured spatial patterns are used to map residue pixel values into a quadtree structure, which is then coded in significance order with the SPIHT algorithm. Thus the wavelet coefficient values of standard zerotree coding are replaced by untransformed (but carefully positioned) residue pixel values. The new zerotree pattern coding method compresses as well as zerotree wavelet coding and much better than DCT coding (as in MPEG) over error-free channels. Over noisy channels, zerotree pattern coding provides built-in error resilience, allowing transmission of residue data without error control overhead. A simple postprocessing technique provides additional error concealment.
RP1 is required for the correct stacking of outer segment discs.

PURPOSE Mutations in RP1 are a common cause of dominant retinitis pigmentosa (RP), but the mechanism by which the identified mutations lead to photoreceptor cell death and blindness has not been determined. To investigate the function of the RP1 protein in photoreceptors and gain insight into the mechanism of disease, gene-targeting techniques were used to produce mice with a mutant Rp1 allele that mimics the truncation alleles found to cause disease. METHODS RT-PCR was used to amplify illegitimate RP1 transcripts from lymphoblasts. Gene targeting was used to create mice with a mutant Rp1-myc allele. Confocal immunofluorescence microscopy was used to identify the location of the mutant Rp1-myc protein in photoreceptors. The structure of the photoreceptors in the resultant Rp1-myc mice was studied by light and electron microscopy. The retinal function of the mutant mice was investigated using analysis of full-field ERGs. RESULTS Wild-type and mutant RP1 mRNA were both detected in lymphoblasts from patients with RP1 disease. Rp1-myc mice produced a truncated version of the Rp1 protein, containing the N-terminal 662 amino acids, which localized correctly to the axoneme of the photoreceptor outer segments. Mice homozygous for the mutant Rp1-myc allele underwent a rapid-onset retinal degeneration characterized by incorrectly oriented outer segment discs that failed to stack properly into outer segments. In contrast, the photoreceptors of heterozygous mice remained relatively healthy. CONCLUSIONS The presence of mutant RP1 mRNA in lymphoblasts from patients with RP1 disease implies that the mutant message can escape nonsense-mediated mRNA decay and that a truncated RP1 protein may be produced in the retina. The truncated Rp1-myc protein appears to be nonfunctional, and not to exert a dominant negative effect in the photoreceptors of heterozygous mice. Results from homozygous Rp1-myc mice indicate that RP1 is required for the correct orientation and higher order stacking of outer segment discs.
Effects of apple pomace proportion levels on the fermentation quality of total mixed ration silage and its digestibility, preference and ruminal fermentation in beef cows.

Four Japanese black beef cows were used in a 4 × 4 Latin square to evaluate the fermentation quality, digestibility, ruminal fermentation and preference of total mixed ration (TMR) silages prepared with differing proportions of apple pomace (AP). Experimental treatments were the control (no AP added, CAP), 5% (low, LAP), 10% (medium, MAP) and 20% (high, HAP) of TMR dry matter (DM) as AP. All TMR silages were well preserved. Ethanol was produced in silages containing AP and the amount increased with the proportion of AP (P < 0.05). Nutrient digestibility with LAP, MAP and HAP treatment was lower than that with CAP treatment (P < 0.05). The ruminal molar proportion of acetic acid increased (P < 0.05), but the ruminal ammonia-N concentration decreased (P < 0.05) as the proportion of AP increased. The preference of the animals was highest for HAP, followed by MAP, CAP and LAP. This study demonstrates that decrease in nutrient digestibility might be related to the ethanol produced naturally from AP. Therefore, the proportion of AP in TMR silages should be less than 5% of dietary DM.
Neuroticism and Negative Affect Influence the Reluctance to Engage in Destructive Obedience in the Milgram Paradigm

ABSTRACT The present study employed a variation of Milgram's (1963, 1965, 1974) obedience paradigm that required undergraduate participants (N = 33) to administer noise blasts rather than electric shocks. We found that the individuals who were the most reluctant to obey the commands of the experimenter to continue with the procedure were those with low levels of neuroticism who reported the highest levels of negative affect during the session. This suggests that our procedure may offer a relatively benign means for examining the mechanisms underlying destructive obedience as well as individual differences in the willingness to obey authority.
Nickel‐containing alloys and platings and their ability to cause dermatitis

Summary A broad range of nickel‐containing alloys and coatings used in jewellery, watches and clothes, were patch tested in 100 nickel‐sensitive subjects and in 20 nickel‐negative controls. Three non‐plated stainless‐steel alloys tested caused no patch‐test reaction. Nickel interliners under gold, silver or chromium plating, as well as nickel‐silver and some white‐gold alloys, caused positive patch‐test reactions. Ear ornaments, wristwatches and buttons were the objects most frequently causing dermatitis. Half the nickel‐sensitive participants suspected that they had been sensitized before the age of 20. The results of the study have been used as the basis for developing clinically relevant analytical methods for nickel release. The methods are proposed as European Standards and will be used in the Nickel Directive, an EC regulation aiming at the prevention of nickel allergy.