Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The yield of tuberculosis screening of undocumented migrants from the Horn of Africa based on chest radiography.

BACKGROUND Since 2006 more than 60,000 migrants arrived in Israel from the Horn of Africa (HoA: Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia). They were detained in prison and screened for tuberculosis (TB) by means of an interview and chest X-ray (CXR). OBJECTIVES To evaluate the yield of this screening process. METHODS This cross-sectional study evaluated the validity of CXR in a random sample of 1087 of the 5335 HoA migrants (20.4%) who arrived in 2009, and assessed its related costs. RESULTS Sixty-two migrants (5.7%) had CXRs with TB-suspicious findings, and 11 of them were finally diagnosed with TB (17.7% of all TB-suspicious CXRs). TB point-prevalence was 1000 cases per 100,000 migrants (1.0%). As no additional TB cases were diagnosed on arrival, CXR sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value were 100%, 96.1% and 17.7%, respectively. The interview did not contribute to the detection of migrants with TB. Direct costs related to the detection of single TB cases in prison was 17,970 shekels (US$ 4585), lower than the treating cost of 28,745 shekels ($7335). During 2008-2010, 88 HoA migrants who had been screened at the prison after crossing the border were later diagnosed with TB in the community. The average annual TB incidence was 132 cases/100,000 migrants. We traced 56 (63.6%) of the CXRs that were performed during detention. Of those, 41 (73.2%) were unremarkable, 8 (14.2%) were TB suspicious and 7 (12.5%) had non-TB-related abnormalities. CONCLUSIONS CXR-based screening is a valid and cost-saving tool for screening HoA migrants for TB; the interview has significant limitations.
Electron Microscopic and Immunohistochemical Localization of Marek's Disease (MD) Herpesvirus Particles in MD Skin Lymphomas

Skin lymphomas induced in 11 specific-pathogen-free chickens by inoculation at 1 day of age with Marek's disease virus (MDV) were biopsied weekly and examined by electron microscopy and immuno-histochemistry. In the sequentially biopsied lymphomas, immature MDV particles (abortive replication) were found only in the nuclei of necrotic lymphoblasts within necrotizing neoplasms. The necrotizing lymphomas were observed in two of the 11 experimental birds and were associated with prominent vascular endothelial cell injury, including fibrinoid necrosis of blood vessels. Nonnecrotizing lymphomas biopsied sequentially from the 11 experimental birds did not contain virus particles of any kind in the lymphoblasts and had no distinct vascular lesions. Immunohistochemically, MDV early antigen (pp38), but not late antigens (glycoproteins B and C), was detected only in the necrotizing lymphomas. These findings indicate that abortive MDV replication mainly occurred in necrotic lymphoblasts, which might have been induced by ischemia.
“What is the point of life?”: An interpretative phenomenological analysis of suicide in young menwith first‐episode psychosis

Lifetime risk of suicide in first‐episode psychosis far exceeds the general population, with the risk of suicide persisting long after first presentation. There is strong evidence to suggest that women more frequently attempt suicide, while men are at a greater risk of completing suicide. First‐hand experiential evidence is needed in order to better understand men's motives for, and struggles with, suicidality in early psychosis.
Constraints of Recreational Sport Participation: Measurement Invariance and Latent Mean Differences across Sex and Physical Activity Status

The purpose of the current study was to (a) examine the measurement invariance of the Constraint Scale of Sport Participation across sex and physical activity status among the undergraduate students (N = 630) in Hong Kong and (b) compare the latent mean differences across groups. Measurement invariance of the Constraint Scale of Sport Participation across sex of and physical activity status of the participants was examined first. With receiving support on the measurement invariance across groups, latent mean differences of the scores across groups were examined. Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the configural, metric, scalar, and structural invariance of the scale was supported across groups. The results of latent mean differences suggested that the women reported significantly higher constraints on time, partner, psychology, knowledge, and interest than the men. The physically inactive participants reported significantly higher scores on all constraints except for accessibility than the physically active participants.
Seed coating with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi as an ecotechnologicalapproach for sustainable agricultural production of common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

ABSTRACT The exploitation of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi has become of great interest in agriculture due to their potential roles in reducing the need for agrochemicals, while improving plant growth and nutrition. Nevertheless, the application of AM fungi by dispersing inocula in granular form to open agricultural fields is not feasible because nontargeted spreading of inocula over large surface areas results in high cost per plant. Seed coating has the potential to significantly reduce the amount of inoculum needed, resulting in cost reduction and increased efficiency. The aim of this study was to assess whether seed coating with AM fungal inoculum is a feasible delivery system for production of common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Wheat seeds were coated with inoculum of Rhizophagus irregularis BEG140 and grown under different fertilization conditions: (1) none, (2) partial, or (3) complete. Data indicated that mycorrhizal inoculation via seed coating significantly increased the dry weight of shoot and seed spikes of wheat associated with reduced fertilization. Assessment of nutritional status of wheat showed that plants inoculated with R. irregularis via seed coating displayed enhanced stem concentrations of potassium (K), sulfur (S), and zinc (Zn). There were no significant differences in root colonization between plants conventionally inoculated with R. irregularis in soil and those inoculated via seed coating. Seed coating with AM fungi may be as effective as conventional soil inoculation and may contribute to reduce the utilization of chemical fertilizers. The application of AM via seed coating is proposed as an ecotechnological approach for sustainable agricultural wheat production.
The clinical and metabolic effects of subgingival application of xanthan-based chlorhexidine gel in Type 2 diabetic patients with chronic periodontitis

Background: There is a two-way relationship between periodontal disease and diabetes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical and metabolic effects of a xanthan-based chlorhexidine (CHX) gel used as an adjunct to nonsurgical periodontal therapy in Type II diabetic patients with chronic periodontitis. Materials and Methods: Sixty-eight diabetic patients with moderate to advanced periodontitis and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) ≥6% were selected. The test group (n = 34) received scaling and root planning (SRP) plus xanthan-based CHX gel. The control group (n = 34) received single SRP. Fasting blood sugar (FBS) and HbA1c tests were done at the baseline and after 3 and 6 months. Data from the study were analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean ± standard deviation and frequency), ANOVA test by SPSS.15 software (SPSS Inc. Chicago, IL, USA). P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Patients in test group exhibited a decrease in FBS from the baseline (227 ± 64.97) to the 3 and 6 months follow-up (208 ± 61.95 and 201 ± 61.33; P < 0.001). HbA1cb levels decreased from 7.72 ± 0.99 to 6.20 ± 0.97 and 6.06 ± 1.04 after 3 and 6 months follow-up (P < 0.001), respectively. Reduction of FBS and HbA1c was statistically significant after 3 and 6 months in the control group (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Considering the limitations of this study, the application of CHX gel might improve the effects of nonsurgical periodontal treatment in diabetic patients with periodontitis.
Mast cell control: likely modus operandi of panhaematin in experimental pancreatitis

In the May 2011 issue of Gut , Habtezion and colleagues report that panhaematin treatment ameliorates experimental acute pancreatitis (AP) by reducing neutrophil infiltration, and they propose that the drug may resolve the therapeutic impasse in clinical AP.1 I see the study results as further evidence of mast cell pathology. The limited number of citations permitted in ‘letters’ precludes a full bibliography, which can be provided on request. Haem preparations induce haem oxygenase-1 (HO-1), which then degrades haem to generate bilirubin (via biliverdin) and carbon monoxide: the enzyme—which is transported in blood plasma from liver, spleen and other sites—and both end-products are antioxidants/anti-inflammatory agents. HO-1 is up-regulated by a …
Estimation of premorbid IQ in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease using Japanese ideographic script (Kanji) compound words: Japanese version of National Adult Reading Test

Abstract The National Adult Reading Test (NART) is widely used as a measure of premorbid IQ of the English‐speaking patients with dementia. The purpose of the present study was to develop a Japanese version of the NART (JART), using 50 Japanese irregular words, all of which are Kanji (ideographic script) compound words. Reading performance based on JART and IQ as measured by the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale–Revised (WAIS‐R) was examined in a sample of 100 normal elderly (NE) persons and in 70 age‐, sex‐, and education‐matched patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The NE group was randomly divided into the NE calculation group (n = 50) and the NE validation group (n = 50). Using the NE calculation group, a linear regression equation was obtained in which the observed full‐scale IQ (FSIQ) was regressed on the reading errors of the JART. When the regressed equation computed from the NE calculation group was applied to the NE validation group, the predicted FSIQ adequately fit the observed FSIQ (R2 = 0.78). Further, independent t‐tests showed that the JART‐predicted IQs were not significantly different between the NE and AD groups, whereas the AD group performed worse in the observed IQs. The reading ability of Kanji compound words is well‐preserved in Japanese patients with AD. The JART is a valid scale for evaluating premorbid IQ in patients with AD.
Genetic evidence for an association of the TOR1A locus with segmental/focal dystonia

Polymorphisms in the TOR1A/TOR1B region have been implicated as being associated with primary focal and segmental dystonia. In a cohort of subjects with either focal or segmental dystonia affecting the face, larynx, neck, or arm, we report a strong association of a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), the deletion allele at the Mtdel SNP (rs3842225), and protection from focal dystonia. In contrast, we did not find an association of either allele at the D216H SNP (rs1801968) with focal or segmental dystonia in the same cohort. © 2010 Movement Disorder Society
Irving Fisher's rejection of the «so-called business cycle»

This paper contrasts Irving Fisher’s monetary analysis of Xuctuations in output and employment with the competing cyclical approach to analysing such Xuctuations, with particular attention to a series of articles in the 1920s in which Fisher challenged the widely prevailing notion that truly periodic economic cycles existed. The response to Fisher by Wesley Mitchell, the leading business cycle researcher of the time, is also examined.
An analysis of athletic expenditures in New Jersey schools

OF THE DISSERTATION This study investigates school district athletic expenditures as a consequence of local taxpayer demand. A data set was created of all New Jersey school districts for a five year period, 2001-2005. The data included each school district‟s demographic and educational spending information. Income was not an important predictor of athletic spending. Abbott districts spent significantly (p<.01) less than non-Abbott districts spent per pupil on athletics. District factor group A had the lowest per pupil athletic expenditures of all the district factor groups. District factor groups GH, I, and J had the highest per pupil athletic expenditures, spending significantly (p<.01) more than district factor group A spent per pupil on athletics. Asians favored significant (p<.01) increases in total education spending but favored significant (p<.05) decreases in athletic spending. African Americans favored significant (p<.01) increases in total education spending but were negatively associated with athletic spending. Hispanics were negatively associated with total education spending and favored significant (p<.01) decreases in athletic spending. Elderly persons favored significant (p<.01) decreases in total education spending but were positively associated with athletic spending. Tax share was significantly (p<.01) related to less total education spending but was positively associated with increased athletic spending. The data suggest that school district athletic expenditures are a consequence of local taxpayer demand.
Therapeutic guidelines for prescribing antibiotics in neonates should be evidence-based: a French national survey

Objective This survey aims to describe and analyse the dosage regimens of antibiotics in French neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Methods Senior doctors from 56 French NICUs were contacted by telephone and/or email to provide their local guidelines for antibiotic therapy. Results 44 (79%) NICUs agreed to participate in this survey. In total, 444 dosage regimens were identified in French NICUs for 41 antibiotics. The number of different dosage regimens varied from 1 to 32 per drug (mean 9, SD 7.8). 37% of intravenous dosage regimens used a unique mg/kg dose from preterm to full-term neonates. Doses and/or dosing intervals varied significantly for 12 antibiotics (amikacin, gentamicin, netilmicin, tobramycin, vancomycin administered as continuous infusion, ceftazidime, cloxacillin, oxacillin, penicillin G, imipenem/cilastatin, clindamycin and metronidazole). Among these antibiotics, 6 were used in more than 70% of local guidelines and had significant variations in (1) maintenance daily doses for amikacin, imipenem/cilastatin, ceftazidime and metronidazole; (2) loading doses for continuous infusion of vancomycin; and (3) dosing intervals for gentamicin and amikacin. Conclusions A considerable inter-centre variability of dosage regimens of antibiotics exists in French NICUs. Developmental pharmacokinetic–pharmacodynamic studies are essential for the evaluation of antibiotics in order to establish evidence-based dosage regimens for effective and safe administration in neonates.
A photosensory two-component system regulates bacterial cell attachment

Flavin-binding LOV domains are blue-light photosensory modules that are conserved in a number of developmental and circadian regulatory proteins in plants, algae, and fungi. LOV domains are also present in bacterial genomes, and are commonly located at the amino termini of sensor histidine kinases. Genes predicted to encode LOV-histidine kinases are conserved across a broad range of bacterial taxa, from aquatic oligotrophs to plant and mammalian pathogens. However, the function of these putative prokaryotic photoreceptors remains largely undefined. The differentiating bacterium, Caulobacter crescentus, contains an operon encoding a two-component signaling system consisting of a LOV-histidine kinase, LovK, and a single-domain response regulator, LovR. LovK binds a flavin cofactor, undergoes a reversible photocycle, and displays increased ATPase and autophosphorylation activity in response to visible light. Deletion of the response regulator gene, lovR, results in severe attenuation of cell attachment to a glass surface under laminar flow, whereas coordinate, low-level overexpression of lovK and lovR results in a light-independent increase in cell–cell attachment, a response that requires both the conserved histidine phosphorylation site in LovK and aspartate phosphorylation site in LovR. Growing C. crescentus in the presence of blue light dramatically enhances cell–cell attachment in the lovK–lovR overexpression background. A conserved cysteine residue in the LOV domain of LovK, which forms a covalent adduct with the flavin cofactor upon absorption of visible light, is necessary for the light-dependent regulation of LovK enzyme activity and is required for the light-dependent enhancement of intercellular attachment.
Is obesity associated with poor sleep quality in adolescents?

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the U.S. and more developed countries, particularly so among adolescents. A substantial impact on public health could be achieved if other factors causing obesity besides the conventional ones of diet and physical activity could be identified and acted upon. The present study investigates whether there is a link between low sleep quality and obesity in a tri‐ethnic, cross‐sectional sample (n = 383) of male and female adolescents ages 11–16 years old (Heartfelt Study). Sleep quality was expressed as two variables, total sleep time and sleep disturbance time obtained by 24‐hour wrist actigraphy. Percent body fat and body mass index (BMI) were used together to define obesity. The potential influence of demographic and behavioral confounders were considered in models that described the relation of sleep to obesity occurrence. Obese adolescents experienced less sleep than nonobese adolescents (P < 0.01). For each hour of lost sleep, the odds of obesity increased by 80%. Sleep disturbance was not directly related to obesity in the sample, but influenced physical activity level (P < 0.01). Daytime physical activity diminished by 3% for every hour increase in sleep disturbance. The above observations were independent of potential confounding variables. Inadequate and poor sleep quality in adolescents may be important factors to consider in the prevention of childhood obesity. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 14:762–768, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Hops (Humulus lupulus L.) Bitter Acids: Modulation of Rumen Fermentation and Potential As an Alternative Growth Promoter

Antibiotics can improve ruminant growth and efficiency by altering rumen fermentation via selective inhibition of microorganisms. However, antibiotic use is increasingly restricted due to concerns about the spread of antibiotic-resistance. Plant-based antimicrobials are alternatives to antibiotics in animal production. The hops plant (Humulus lupulus L.) produces a range of bioactive secondary metabolites, including antimicrobial prenylated phloroglucinols, which are commonly called alpha- and beta-acids. These latter compounds can be considered phyto-ionophores, phytochemicals with a similar antimicrobial mechanism of action to ionophore antibiotics (e.g., monensin, lasalocid). Like ionophores, the hop beta-acids inhibit rumen bacteria possessing a classical Gram-positive cell envelope. This selective inhibition causes several effects on rumen fermentation that are beneficial to finishing cattle, such as decreased proteolysis, ammonia production, acetate: propionate ratio, and methane production. This article reviews the effects of hops and hop secondary metabolites on rumen fermentation, including the physiological mechanisms on specific rumen microorganisms, and consequences for the ruminant host and ruminant production. Further, we propose that hop beta-acids are useful model natural products for ruminants because of (1) the ionophore-like mechanism of action and spectrum of activity and (2) the literature available on the plant due to its use in brewing.
Enhancing the Knowledge and Skills of Advisory and Extension Agents in Mental Health Issues of Farmers

Objectives: The aim of this study was to increase knowledge and skills of Advisory and Extension Agents (AEAs) in recognizing the symptoms of mental disorders, providing initial help, and offering the referral pathway for appropriate professional help. Method: Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training was provided to AEAs and knowledge and skills pre-training were compared to 6-months post-training. Results: The MHFA training improved the AEAs’ ability to recognize a mental disorder, it increased their confidence level in providing help to someone with a mental health problem, it decreased social distances and positively changed their beliefs about treatment. Conclusion: MHFA training is effective in enhancing the mental health knowledge and skills of AEAs. The agents, who are a main line of contact of farmers, are able to recognize mental disorders of people and help them appropriately. They are more willing to work with stigmatized people and know who to refer people to for help.
What we can learn from a comparison of the schooling systems of South Africa and Argentina

An existing accounting framework to describe an education system is elaborated and used as a framework for understanding and comparing the resource allocation policies of the South African and Argentinean schooling systems. The comparison highlights how, by paying fewer teachers more (relative to GDP per capita), South Africa is structurally forced to deal with relatively large class sizes. Both countries have attempted to use production function studies to understand ways of improving pupil performance, and in both countries the utilisation of education human resources appears particularly important. The economic case for expanding secondary schooling is perhaps not as strong as the policies, especially those in Argentina, suggest. Whilst rates of return to secondary schooling do not appear to offer concrete policy direction, a cross-country analysis that takes into account a secondary school completion ratio (a statistic calculated for this analysis) suggests that more policy emphasis should go towards improving the quality of secondary schooling.
Measuring the bullwhip effect in the supply chain

Increased demand variability in supply chains (the bullwhip effect) has been discussed in the literature. The practical measurement of this effect, however, entails some problems that have not received much attention in the literature and that have to do with the aggregation of data, incompleteness of data, the isolation of demand data for defined supply chains that are part of a greater supply web. This paper discusses these conceptual measurement problems and discusses experiences in dealing with some of these problems in an industrial project. Also presents empirical results of measurements of the bullwhip effect in two supply chains.