Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Molecular Epidemiology of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci: A 2-Year Perspective

Abstract Objective: To determine the molecular epidemiology of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) at our medical center in order to identify the extent of strain clonality and possible transmission patterns of this pathogen. Design: An important facet of our infection control program includes molecular typing of all clinical and surveillance isolates of VRE to determine transmission patterns in the hospital. Molecular strain typing is performed by restriction endonuclease analysis (REA) of genomic DNA. REA patterns are visually compared to categorize VRE strains into type and subtype designations. Setting: A 588-bed, university-affiliated, tertiary-care hospital and a neighboring 155-bed rehabilitation facility. Results: From January 1995 through December 1996, 379 VRE isolates were collected from 197 patients. Thirty-three genotypes were determined by REA typing; 15 genotypes were implicated in 29 instances of potential nosocomial transmission. Three major clusters of VRE involving patients on multiple nursing units and two adjacent hospitals were identified. The remaining instances of nosocomial transmission occurred in small patient clusters. Conclusions: In conclusion, the VRE epidemic at this medical center is polyclonal. VRE transmission patterns are complex, and, while large clusters do occur, the usual pattern of nosocomial acquisition of this pathogen occurs in the setting of “mini-clusters”.
Birds of a Feather Tweet Together: Integrating Network and Content Analyses to Examine Cross-Ideology Exposure on Twitter

This study integrates network and content analyses to examine exposure to cross-ideological political views on Twitter. We mapped the Twitter networks of 10 controversial political topics, discovered clusters - subgroups of highly self-connected users - and coded messages and links in them for political orientation. We found that Twitter users are unlikely to be exposed to cross-ideological content from the clusters of users they followed, as these were usually politically homogeneous. Links pointed at grassroots web pages e.g.: blogs more frequently than traditional media websites. Liberal messages, however, were more likely to link to traditional media. Last, we found that more specific topics of controversy had both conservative and liberal clusters, while in broader topics, dominant clusters reflected conservative sentiment.
Vector management reduces marine organisms transferred with live saltwater bait

The global transfer of live bait creates a potent vector (mechanism) for invasion of marine species, including associated biota (“hitchhikers”) not intended for shipment. Unlike other vectors of non-native species transfer in coastal marine systems (e.g., ship ballast water), vector management strategies to reduce transport of associated biota with live bait are lacking. In this study, we experimentally tested whether simple, inexpensive treatment methods could reduce hitchhiker abundance and richness with live bait shipments, using the Maine live baitworm trade as a model. The Maine bait industry ships locally-harvested polychaete worms and packing algae to coastal regions of the United States, Europe, and Asia, and may unintentionally transfer associated hitchhikers, including known invaders. We exposed packing algae to three osmotic shock treatments (tap water, hypersaline water, and tap + hypersaline water), and measured abundance and richness of all live and dead macroinvertebrate taxa, as well as the condition of baitworms, after shipment to two locations (Maryland and California). Compared to controls, experimental treatments lowered average abundances by up to 99% and up to 93% for richness, and appeared to have no negative effects on bait or algae quality. The simplest treatment, tap water, was statistically as effective as more complicated treatments in reducing associated biota. We suggest that simple osmotic shock treatments on live packing algae prior to shipping could reduce the prevalence of hitchhikers associated with live trade vectors both nationally and internationally with little impact on the respective industries or their stakeholders.
Assessing the Usefulness of DNA Barcoding to Identify Oxycarenus hyalinipennis (Hemiptera: Oxycarenidae) in Florida, a Potentially Invasive Pest of Cotton

ABSTRACT Invasive insects present an ongoing challenge to the safety of U.S. agriculture. A current threat to the U.S. cotton industry is Oxycarenus hyalinipennis (Costa), commonly known as the cotton seed bug. Populations are found throughout most of the world except for North America, and the southeastern U.S. is believed to provide a favorable environment for its establishment. A major component in efforts to control the spread of invasive pests is the rapid and accurate identification of intercepted specimens. Unfortunately, O. hyalinipennis belongs to an incompletely characterized taxon where the assignment of species identity by simple morphological keys is often problematic. In this study, we assessed the potential of DNA barcoding to facilitate the identification of the cotton seed bug in field-collected specimens.
Verification of a mutual inductance calculation between two helical coils

This paper deals about verification process of calculation of a mutual inductance between two helical coils. Nowadays, there are many procedures how to compute mutual inductance between two coils. The main approach of proposed paper is exact specification of the formula, which may be used for the determination of the mutual inductance. First the overview of mathematical derivation is described, and final formula for computation is being determined. Based on this formula, mutual inductance for two physical helical coils for wireless energy transfer is defined. The confirmation of validity of proposed formula is consequently verified with measurement.
Sodium Valproate‐induced hyperammonemia without clinical hepatic dysfunction

Three adults on unrestricted protein diets receiving valproic acid (VPA) developed gastrointestinal symptoms with enceph- alopathy and/or deteriorating seizure control associated with arterial hyperammonemia and normal liver function tests. The signs and symptoms did not directly correlate with VPA dosage and the arterial ammonium levels did not correlate with serum VPA concentrations. Two of the three patients had phenobarbital concentrations above the therapeutic range, but remission of neurologic or gastrointestinal symptoms was dependent on a reduction of the VPA concentration. In one case, rechallenge with VPA reproduced hyperammonemia.
Semiclassical microlocal normal forms and global solutions of modified one-dimensional KG equations

— The method of Klainerman vector fields plays an essential role in the study of global existence of solutions of nonlinear hyperbolic PDEs, with small, smooth, decaying Cauchy data. Nevertheless, it turns out that some equations of physics, like the one dimensional water waves equation with finite depth, do not possess any Klainerman vector field. The goal of this paper is to design, on a model equation, a substitute to the Klainerman vector fields method, that allows one to get global existence results, even in the critical case for which linear scattering does not hold at infinity. The main idea is to use semiclassical pseudodifferential operators instead of vector fields, combined with microlocal normal forms, to reduce the nonlinearity to expressions for which a Leibniz rule holds for these operators. Résumé. — La méthode des champs de Klainerman joue un rôle essentiel dans l’étude de l’existence globale de solutions d’équations aux dérivées partielles hyperboliques non-linéaires à données petites, régulières, décroissantes à l’infini. Toutefois, certaines équations issues de la physique, comme l’équation des ondes de gravité en profondeur finie, ne possèdent pas de champ de Klainerman. Le but de cet article est de développer, sur une équation modèle, un substitut à la méthode des champs de Klainerman, qui permette d’obtenir des résultats d’existence globale, même dans le cas critique pour lequel il n’y a pas diffusion linéaire à l’infini. L’idée essentielle est d’utiliser des opérateurs pseudo-différentiels semi-classiques au lieu de champs de vecteurs, combinés avec une méthode de formes locales microlocale, afin de réduire la non-linéarité à des expressions pour lesquelles une règle de Leibniz est valable pour de tels opérateurs. Introduction The goal of this paper is to develop a semiclassical normal forms method to study global existence of solutions of nonlinear hyperbolic equations
Banner advertisement and Web site congruity effects on consumer Web site perceptions

Of the many approaches to building a brand’s image on the Internet, a Web site is one of the most important tools for managers. An important decision made by Web site managers is whether to place banner advertisements on their brand’s Web site (e.g. The New Yorker Web site placing an ad for polo.com). While banner advertisements are widespread in the marketplace, it is unclear whether Web sites containing such advertisements may be harming themselves by such a practice. This study addresses this issue by investigating the impact of banner advertisement and Web site congruity on consumer attitudes toward a brand’s Web site. The results of an experiment indicate that if managers include such advertisements on their Web site, these advertisements should be consistent with the Web site brand and that certain consumer characteristics should be considered. Implications of the research for brand management and advertising on the Internet are provided.
The Use of Respirators to Reduce Inhalation of Airborne Biological Agents

Respiratory protection devices are an important element of an overall contagion control strategy when infectious biological aerosols are potentially present in an occupational environment. In health care facilities, N95 class FFR certified by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) are typically the minimum class of respiratory protection recommended. (1,2) In contrast, studies exist that suggest that surgical masks normally used in health care settings may be equally effective in reducing disease transmission. (3,4) The “respirator versus surgical mask” debate continues in both health care and non-health care settings. This article describes and evaluates the findings of recent studies examining the role of respirators and surgical masks in reducing disease transmission. Established principles of evaluating respiratory protective device performance are used to explain inconclusive results. This article also makes recommendations to maximize respiratory protection from biological aerosols.
Rehabilitation of patients with venous diseases of the lower limbs: State of the art

Background To date, no document comprehensively focused on the complex issue of the rehabilitation of chronic venous diseases of the lower limbs. Method This article overviews and summarizes current strategies concerning venous rehabilitation of lower limbs. Results Venous rehabilitation is based on four main strategies: (1) lifestyle adaptations and occupational therapies; (2) physical therapies; (3) adapted physical activities; (4) psychological and social support. Rehabilitative protocols must be tailored to the specific needs of each patient, depending on the severity of chronic venous disease and on the location and pattern of venous lesion(s), but also on age, motor deficits, co-morbidities and psychosocial conditions. Conclusions Venous rehabilitation consists of non-pharmacologic and non-surgical interventions aiming at prevention of venous disease progression and complications, reduction of symptoms and improvement of quality of life. Well-designed clinical trials are required to evaluate the efficacy of the described rehabilitative protocols in influencing the evolution of venous disorders.
From passive to active: The impact of the flipped classroom through social learning platforms on higher education students' creative thinking

This study aimed to investigate the impact of the flipped classroom on the promotion of students' creative thinking. Students were recruited from the Faculty of Education at King Abdulaziz University in Saudi Arabia during the first semester of 2014. A multiple method research design was used to address the research questions. First, a two-group quasi-experimental design was implemented. The first group utilised the lecture-based strategy ( n = 28), while the second group utilised the flipped classroom ( n = 27). Second, a survey questionnaire was distributed to assess the students' views about the flipped classroom, its role in the promotion of creativity and the difficulties students experienced with this strategy. The findings suggest that the flipped classroom may promote students' creativity, especially with regard to fluency, flexibility and novelty. Furthermore, the students viewed the flipped classroom as an approach that may significantly facilitate their creativity. However, several difficulties were associated with the flipped classroom, especially the students' limited preparation for this strategy. Accordingly, students must be prepared to utilise the flipped classroom and be provided with adequate e-learning tools. In addition, it is important to consider students' study load and to provide meaningful in-class activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Netzwerke und symbolische Regeln im Spracherwerb: experimentelle Ergebnisse zur Entwicklung der Flexionsmorphologie

Dans cet article, l'A. propose les resultats issus d'une etude sur 70 enfants germanophones qui demontrent les distinctions qualitatives entre les suffixes de participes reguliers et irreguliers. Malgre les frequences similaires entre participes reguliers et irreguliers dans le test propose, les enfants ont tendance a utiliser massivement le suffixe -t. Ces resultats viennent conforter l'idee que les enfants acquierent des regles flexionnelles symboliques
The Israeli Annual FMF, Amyloidosis and Other Autoinflammatory Diseases Meeting (July 2011): a bridge spanning these entities.

F amilial Mediterranean fever is an autosomal recessive disease caused by mutations in the MEditerranean FeVer gene (MEFV), located on chromosome 16. Being mutated, the MEFV gene product, pyrin protein, becomes pro-inflammatory through engagement in the production of the cytokine interleukin-1 beta in an excessive amount. Clinically, FMF1 is characterized by recurrent short-lived bursts of serous inflammation accompanied by high fever. The most serious manifestation of FMF is AA amyloidosis, caused by a long period of unopposed systemic inflammation (sometimes subclinical). The most common presentation of AA amyloidosis is renal, manifested as proteinuria at an early stage, followed by nephrotic syndrome and end-stage renal failure at an advanced stage. Clinical involvement of other organs, such as the heart, thyroid, colon or small bowel may occur, but only at a very late phase of the disease. Colchicine is the drug of choice, but some patients (10%) are resistant to colchicine and continue to suffer from the entire spectrum of FMF manifestations. Targeted therapy by IL-1β2 blockade holds promise as a specific and effective treatment for FMF, especially in patients who do not respond to colchicine. Although there is always some skepticism regarding resistant patients’ adherence to colchicine treatment, it was previously shown by Lidar et al. [1] that usually this is not the case since the level of colchicine in the serum of non-responders is comparable to that of responders. Therefore, drugs acting through a mechanism different from that of colchicine are needed. To date, only
Did the Tobacco Control Act Amendment in 1995 affect daily smoking in Finland? Effects of a restrictive workplace smoking policy.

BACKGROUND This study examined changes in adult daily smoking in 1981-2005 in Finland, in order to evaluate the impact of the 1995 Tobacco Control Act Amendment (TCAA) and accompanying measures on the proportion of daily smokers. The main focus of the TCAA was to prohibit smoking at workplaces (designated rooms excluded) in order to protect workers from environmental tobacco smoke. METHODS The study was based on data from annual postal surveys among 15- to 64-year-olds in 1981-2005 (average response rate 73%). The data set for this study comprised men and women aged 25-64 years (n = 73 471). Logistic models were used to test the effect of the 1995 TCAA across employment status while controlling for the effect of changes in the real price of tobacco and in gross domestic product per capita, and adjusting for age, education, secular trend and prevalence of ever-smokers in each birth cohort. RESULTS Controlling for confounding factors, the odds ratio (OR) for daily smoking after 1995 among employed men was 0.83 (95% CI 0.73-0.94) compared with the OR (1.0) for the period ending 1994. The corresponding figure for employed women was 0.78 (95% CI 0.68-0.91). The results can be interpreted as a positive effect of the 1995 TCAA on employees' daily smoking. Moreover, a similar decrease in daily smoking was not seen among those not targeted by the TCAA (including farmers, students, housewives, pensioners and the unemployed). CONCLUSION Smoking behaviour was and can be influenced by national tobacco policy measures.
The Influence of Two Different Hydroxyethyl Starch Solutions (6% HES 130/0.4 and 200/0.5) on Blood Viscosity

We performed the current study to investigate the influence of 2 different hydroxyethyl starch (HES) solutions, the novel medium molecular weight HES 130/0.4 (6%) and HES 200/0.5 (6%), on plasma and whole blood viscosity in vitro and ex vivo in patients with severe head injury. For the in vitro experiments, blood was incubated with increasing concentrations (0%–50% vol/vol plasma) of either 6% HES 130/0.4 or 6% HES 200/0.5 solution. Plasma viscosity and whole blood viscosity (hematocrit [Hct] 45%) at high (94.5 s−1) and low (0.1 s−1) shear rates were determined. Both HES solutions increased plasma viscosity, but HES 130/0.4 to a lesser extent than HES 200/0.5. Whole blood viscosity was significantly less with HES 130/0.4 than with HES 200/0.5 at concentrations of 37.5% and larger. In the ex vivo study on 31 patients with severe cranio-cerebral trauma treated randomly with either HES 130/0.4 or HES 200/0.5 over several days, frozen plasma samples were thawed and plasma viscosity was determined. Blood was reconstituted with normal erythrocytes (0, Rh neg, Hct 45%) for whole blood viscosity measurements. In both groups plasma and blood viscosity tended to increase over time without statistical significance. Although the prominent effects found in vitro are not in keeping with the ex vivo data, they are likely to reflect the true clinical situation during repetitive, large-dose HES administration. We therefore conclude that HES 130/0.4 may have hemorheological advantages over conventional HES 200/0.5 when used in large quantities.
Investigation of Metals Accumulation in Some Vegetables Irrigated with Waste Water in Shahre Rey-Iran and Toxicological Implications

2 Abstract: Vegetables grown at environmentally contaminated sites in Sahre Rey could take up and accumulate metals at concentrations that are probably toxic to human health. This study was conducted to analyze the metal contents of some vegetables in Sahre Rey-Iran with emphasis on their toxicological implications. Recently matured leaf and fruit samples of Shahre rey vegetable farms were sampled and analyzed to determine heavy metals. Data showed that metal uptake differences by the vegetables are attributed to plant differences in tolerance to heavy metals and vegetable species. The lead concentration in all vegetable samples was more than maximum permitted concentrations, while Cd pollution was observed in radish, Cress, Dill, spinach and eggplant. Data showed that Zn concentration in Celery, Mint, Dill, Spinach and Green pepper were more than Zn permitted level. There was no evidence about Cu contamination in vegetables. Data also showed that the intake of most of the metals constitutes less than the TMDI (theoretical maximum daily intake) at present and hence health risk is minimal. But with increase in vegetable consumption by the community the situation could worsen in the future. Treatment of industrial effluents and phyto-extraction of excess metals from polluted environments could reduce health risk.
Peptic ulcer bleeding today: risk factors and characteristics of the disease.

This study was undertaken to ascertain whether the modern effective anti-ulcer drugs have had any influence on the natural history of hemorrhagic peptic ulcer disease and other acid-related gastroduodenal bleeding disorders. In the prospective part of the study the anamnestic data of all 73 patients admitted to our hospital with a bleeding ulcer or related disease during the year 1989 were compared with the data of 73 patients subjected to elective upper GI tract endoscopy for abdominal symptoms other than bleeding, paying special attention to potential risk factors. There were no differences in previous ulcer history or operations for ulcer disease between these two groups. Cigarette smoking and coffee consumption were not different, but the bleeders consumed alcohol more often, and, in particular, they used ulcerogenic drugs or other hemorrhagic diathesis-provoking agents significantly more frequently than controls. In the retrospective part of the study these 73 patients were compared with the medical records of all 87 patients admitted to our hospital in 1976 for a bleeding peptic ulcer disease, to ascertain whether introduction of H2-blocking agents had had any influence on the nature of the patient population, characteristics of the disease, and severity of bleeding. The patients had become slightly older, and male preponderance was seen in both groups. The proportion of gastric ulcer had decreased, and duodenal ulcer had increased. In general, the bleeding seemed to become less severe but was more severe among women in both groups. In 1989 almost all patients were treated with H2 antagonists, and seven patients received additional medical therapy (vasopressin, somatostatin, or tranexamic acid). (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Mixed human/entity games and the anomalous effects of misattributing strategic agency

People sometimes make better decisions either by treating inanimate objects like strategic reasoners or by treating other reasoners as if they were inanimate objects. I advance “strategic agenthood attribution” as a psychological mechanism for modulating economic behavior. From a design perspective, inducing or suppressing the attribution of strategic abilities can influence aggregate social outcomes. Drawing from experiments in behavioral and institutional economics, developmental and social psychology, and human–robot interaction, I document human strategic reasoning in environments that mix typical adult humans with other kinds of entities. I then discuss anomalous misattributions of strategic agenthood and non-agenthood, with special attention to settings in which two types of error—either attributing strategic reasoning abilities to objects that can’t think, or failing to attribute such abilities to typical human subjects—actually led to better economic outcomes. Because over- and under-mentalizing are endemic to human decision-making processes, game theory can be applied to improve interaction design, whether or not a given interaction is a game. I show that the flexible nature of human agenthood attribution increases the scope of game theory in some places, reduces it elsewhere, and generally introduces behavioral economics as a promising source of theory for human interactions with equivocal agents.