Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Non‐multiresistant methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia in Sydney, Australia: emergence of EMRSA‐15, Oceania, Queensland and Western Australian MRSA strains

Aims: To describe clinical features and molecular epidemiology of non‐multiresistant methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteraemia. Methods: Patients with non‐multiresistant MRSA isolated from blood at South Western Area Pathology Service from 1 January 1999 to 31 December 2001 were enrolled. Pulsed field gel electrophoresis, phage typing, and (selected instances) multilocus sequence and staphylococcal cassette chromosome typing was performed. PCR was used to detect Panton‐Valentine leukocidin (PVL), toxic shock syndrome toxin‐1 (TSST‐1), and enterotoxin genes. Results: Sixteen patients were detected: eight with UK EMRSA‐15 (ST22‐MRSA‐IV), three with Oceania (South‐West Pacific/Western Samoan phage pattern) (ST30‐MRSA‐IV), two with WA MRSA‐5 (ST8‐MRSA‐IV), and one each with WA MRSA‐1 (ST1‐MRSA‐IV), Queensland strain (ST93‐MRSA‐IV), and WA MRSA‐15 (ST59‐MRSA‐IV). Prior hospital admissions occurred with six of the eight patients with UK EMRSA‐15, none of the three with Oceania, and three of the five with other strains. Thirteen of 16 patients had underlying disease. Three of the three patients with Oceania strain bacteraemia were Polynesians; 11 of 13 of the others were Caucasians. PVL genes were detected in four of 16 isolates (all Oceania and Queensland strains). entC was detected in two EMRSA‐15 strains; entA in one Oceania, two WA MRSA‐5 and the WA MRSA‐1 strain, with entA and entB in the WA MRSA‐15 strain. tst was not detected. Conclusions: Multiple epidemic strains cause non‐multiresistant MRSA bacteraemia. Most patients had risk factors. Oceania and Queensland strains possess the PVL gene. Abbreviations: ccr, cassette chromosome recombinase; EMRSA‐15, epidemic methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus‐15 EMRSA‐16, epidemic methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus‐16; MLST, multilocus sequence typing; MRSA, Methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus; PCR, polymerase chain reaction; PFGE, pulsed‐field gel electrophoresis; PVL, Panton‐Valentine leukocidin; RFLP, restriction fragment length polymorphism; SCCmec, staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec; STx‐MRSA‐IV, multilocus sequence type x‐MRSA‐SCCmec type‐IV; SWP, South‐West Pacific; TSST‐1, (staphylococcal) toxic shock syndrome toxin‐1; WA MRSA, Western Australian MRSA; WSPP, Western Samoan phage pattern.
Comparison of the Hemostatic Activity of Quercus persica Jaub. & Spach. (Oak) With Ferric Sulfate in Bony Crypts

Effective tissue hemostasis in periapical surgical site is important in the procedures. Plants with large amount of tannins may act as a local hemostatic agent. We aimed to compare the hemostatic effect of the extract of Quercus persica with one of the common hemostatic material used in periapical surgery. Six standardized bone holes were prepared in the calvaria of 5 Burgundy rabbits. Two hemostatic medicaments were tested for their hemostatic effect and were compared with control defects: Group 1, cotton pellet soaked in 15.5% ferric sulfate solution; Group 2, cotton pellet soaked in pure ethanolic extract of Q. persica. Bleeding score between the groups was compared. The ferric sulfate group exhibited significantly less bleeding than the other 2 groups. Q. persica was found to cause more hemostasis than the control group at 4 and 5 minutes but there were no significant differences between normal saline and Q. persica extract in bleeding control.
An Economic Analysis of Attendance Demand for One Day International Cricket

The future of One Day International (ODI) cricket has come under scrutiny following increasing competition from other formats of cricket. We identify trends in attendance demand by examining over 540 ODI matches played in Australia and England between 1981 and 2015. We use fixed effects and Tobit random effects models to isolate key determinants of attendance demand for ODI cricket and, in particular, the impact of uncertainty of outcome. We find that team strength has little independent effect on ODI attendances, but the uncertainty of the match outcome, as measured by the relative strengths of the teams over a long period of time, increases demand for ODI matches in England. Further, organising the ODI as a day/night (floodlit) game has a large positive impact on attendance in Australia.
Endothelial Cells Support Survival, Proliferation, and Neuronal Differentiation of Transplanted Adult Ischemia‐Induced Neural Stem/Progenitor Cells After Cerebral Infarction

Transplantation of neural stem cells (NSCs) has been proposed as a therapy for a range of neurological disorders. To realize the potential of this approach, it is essential to control survival, proliferation, migration, and differentiation of NSCs after transplantation. NSCs are regulated in vivo, at least in part, by their specialized microenvironment or “niche. ” In the adult central nervous system, neurogenic regions, such as the subventricular and subgranular zones, include NSCs residing in a vascular niche with endothelial cells. Although there is accumulating evidence that endothelial cells promote proliferation of NSCs in vitro, there is no description of their impact on transplanted NSCs. In this study, we grafted cortex‐derived stroke‐induced neural stem/progenitor cells, obtained from adult mice, onto poststroke cortex in the presence or absence of endothelial cells, and compared survival, proliferation, and neuronal differentiation of the neural precursors in vivo. Cotransplantation of endothelial cells and neural stem/progenitor cells increased survival and proliferation of ischemia‐induced neural stem/progenitor cells and also accelerated neuronal differentiation compared with transplantation of neural precursors alone. These data indicate that reconstitution of elements in the vascular niche enhances transplantation of adult neural progenitor cells. STEM CELLS 2009;27:2185–2195
Qualitative and quantitative interpretation of computed tomography of the lungs in healthy neonatal foals.

OBJECTIVE To qualitatively describe lung CT images obtained from sedated healthy equine neonates (≤ 14 days of age), use quantitative analysis of CT images to characterize attenuation and distribution of gas and tissue volumes within the lungs, and identify differences between lung characteristics of foals ≤ 7 days of age and foals > 7 days of age. ANIMALS 10 Standardbred foals between 2.5 and 13 days of age. PROCEDURES Foals were sedated with butorphanol, midazolam, and propofol and positioned in sternal recumbency for thoracic CT. Image analysis software was used to exclude lung from nonlung structures. Lung attenuation was measured in Hounsfield units (HU) for analysis of whole lung and regional changes in attenuation and lung gas and tissue components. Degree of lung attenuation was classified as follows: hyperinflated or emphysema, -1,000 to -901 HU; well aerated, -900 to -501 HU; poorly aerated, -500 to -101 HU; and nonaerated, > -100 HU. RESULTS Qualitative evidence of an increase in lung attenuation and patchy alveolar patterns in the ventral lung region were more pronounced in foals ≤ 7 days of age than in older foals. Quantitative analysis revealed that mean ± SD lung attenuation was greater in foals ≤ 7 days of age (-442 ± 28 HU) than in foals > 7 days of age (-521 ± 24 HU). Lung aeration and gas volumes were lower than in other regions ventrally and in the mid lung region caudal to the heart. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE-Identified radiographic patterns and changes in attenuation were most consistent with atelectasis and appeared more severe in foals ≤ 7 days of age than in older neonatal foals. Recognition of these changes may have implications for accurate CT interpretation in sedated neonatal foals with pulmonary disease.
Effect of integrated nutrient management on yield and nutrient balance in maize (Zea mays)

A field study was conducted during the rainy (kharif) seasons of 1997 and 1998 on sandy-loam soil at the Main Research Station, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, to study the effect of integrated nutrient management on yield and nutrient balance in maize (Zea mays L.). The study comprised 7 treatments, consisting of recommended dose of inorqanic fertilizer, combination of 50 and 75% recommended dose with FYM and vermicompost and only FYM and vermicompost. Combined application of 50 or 75% recommended dose of fertilizer with 12 tonnes/ha FYM or 2.7 tonnes/ha vermicompost caused higher productivity of maize compared with the application of either only inorganic fertilizer or organic sources. Integrated nutrient management resulted in better uptake and less loss of nutrients from the soil.
Prognostic Impact of Plasma N-Terminal Pro–Brain Natriuretic Peptide in Severe Chronic Congestive Heart Failure: A Substudy of the Carvedilol Prospective Randomized Cumulative Survival (COPERNICUS) Trial

Background—The utility of N-terminal proBNP (NT-proBNP) to predict the occurrence of death and hospitalization was prospectively evaluated in the COPERNICUS study, which enrolled patients with an ejection fraction <25% and symptoms of chronic congestive heart failure at rest or on minimal exertion. Methods and Results—Baseline plasma concentrations of NT-proBNP were measured in a subgroup of 814 men and 197 women with symptoms at rest or on minimal exertion who were enrolled in the COPERNICUS study and were randomized to placebo (n=506) or carvedilol (n=505). Values of NT-proBNP were markedly increased despite the requirement that patients be euvolemic before the start of treatment (mean±SD, 3235±4392 pg/mL; median, 1767 pg/mL). By univariate Cox regression analysis, NT-proBNP was found to be a powerful predictor of subsequent all-cause mortality (relative risk [RR], 2.7; 95% CI, 1.7 to 4.3; P=0.0001 for above versus below median) and all-cause mortality or hospitalization for heart failure (RR, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.8 to 3.4; P=0.0001 for above versus below median). The predictive value of NT-proBNP was similar when both placebo and carvedilol patients were analyzed separately. No significant interaction was found between NT-proBNP and treatment group (P=0.93 for above- versus below-median NT-proBNP). Conclusions—NT-proBNP was consistently associated with increased risk for all-cause mortality and for all-cause mortality or hospitalization for heart failure in patients with severe congestive heart failure, even in those who were clinically euvolemic. This marker therefore may be a useful tool in risk stratification of patients with severe congestive heart failure.
Impact of Gender on General Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients with Chronic Sinusitis

Background The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of gender on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with chronic sinusitis Methods A prospectively administered survey was performed. For measuring HRQOL, we used the German versions of the Short Form 36 (SF-36; eight subscales) and the European Quality of Life—5 Dimensions (EQ-5D) (two subscales). For all SF-36 subscales we used norm-based scoring of the general German population. Results One hundred twenty-three patients (45 women and 78 men) underwent HRQOL evaluation at baseline (preoperatively) and 3 months after endonasal sinus surgery. Compared with male patients, female patients scored a significantly worse baseline in all SF-36 and one EQ-5D subscales and 3 months later in only one SF-36 subscale. Compared with the norm-based scores, both women's and men's SF-36 scores reached normal levels in seven subscales after 3 months. Conclusion Compared with men, women assessed preoperative HRQOL as being worse. Most women's and men's SF-36 subscales reached normal levels at the 3-month follow-up.
The Role of Quantitative Risk Assessments for Characterizing Risk and Uncertainty and Delineating Appropriate Risk Management Options, with Special Emphasis on Terrorism Risk

The purpose of this article is to discuss the role of quantitative risk assessments for characterizing risk and uncertainty and delineating appropriate risk management options. Our main concern is situations (risk problems) with large potential consequences, large uncertainties, and/or ambiguities (related to the relevance, meaning, and implications of the decision basis; or related to the values to be protected and the priorities to be made), in particular terrorism risk. We look into the scientific basis of the quantitative risk assessments and the boundaries of the assessments in such a context. Based on a risk perspective that defines risk as uncertainty about and severity of the consequences (or outcomes) of an activity with respect to something that humans value we advocate a broad risk assessment approach characterizing uncertainties beyond probabilities and expected values. Key features of this approach are qualitative uncertainty assessment and scenario building instruments.
Nosocomial pneumonia in patients receiving continuous mechanical ventilation. Prospective analysis of 52 episodes with use of a protected specimen brush and quantitative culture techniques.

Epidemiologic studies of nosocomial bacterial pneumonia in patients requiring mechanical ventilation have been limited because of the poor reliability of diagnosis procedures in this setting. To determine prognostic and descriptive factors of ventilator-associated (V-A) pneumonia, we prospectively studied 567 patients who had been receiving mechanical ventilation for more than 3 days in our unit. Fiberoptic bronchoscopy using a protected specimen brush (PSB) was performed on each patient suspected of having pneumonia because of the presence of a new pulmonary infiltrate and purulent tracheal secretions. The diagnosis of V-A pneumonia was retained only if PSB specimens yielded greater than 10(3) cfu/ml of at least one microorganism, unless this result was established to be a false positive result on follow-up. V-A pneumonia developed in 49 patients for a total of 52 episodes (9%). The actuarial risk of V-A pneumonia was 6.5% at 10 days, 19% at 20 days, and 28% at 30 days of ventilation. Patients with pneumonia were significantly older (65 versus 57 yr of age, p less than 0.01) and more frequently had severe underlying illnesses (24 versus 10%, p less than 0.01) than did patients without pneumonia. A total of 84 microorganisms (51 gram-negative and 33 gram-positive) were isolated in significant concentrations from PSB specimens. Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus were involved in 31 and 33% of these pneumonias, respectively. Forty percent of all specimens yielded a polymicrobial flora with more than one potential pathogen. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Fluoro amino acids: A rarity in nature, yet a prospect for protein engineering

Fluoro amino acids are highly valuable compounds constantly gaining relevance in diverse fields of the biosciences as well as in the pharmaceutical industry. The value of these compounds can be attributed to the properties of the extremely electronegative fluorine atom. This atom forms a highly polarized bond of extraordinary strength with carbon. The formation of the fluorine–carbon bond is challenging: its chemical synthesis demands harsh reaction conditions and to date only one class of enzyme has been found capable of introducing the fluoride ion into an organic compound. Most of these fluorinating enzymes participate in the biosynthesis of 4‐fluoro‐L‐threonine, the only fluoro amino acid of natural origin discovered so far. Despite their scarcity in nature, fluoro amino acids are valuable tools to fluorinate proteins. The fluoro protein variants often show improved stability and folding as well as altered activity and fluorescence characteristics. This review details the biosynthesis of 4‐fluoro‐L‐threonine with a special focus on the fluorinating enzymes. Moreover, we elaborate on the application of fluoro amino acids as building blocks for fluorinated protein variants. Insight into different techniques to incorporate fluoro amino acids into proteins is also provided. We highlight prospects and the current relevance of fluoro amino acids as a tool to engineer proteins with novel traits.
Naproxen concentrations in plasma and synovial fluid and effects on prostanoid concentrations.

OBJECTIVE To test the hypothesis that unbound concentrations of naproxen in synovial fluid (SF) and plasma (P) are equal over a drug dosage interval at steady state or after a single dose of drug. The relationship between plasma and SF concentrations of naproxen, respectively, and prostaglandin concentrations were also examined. METHODS Paired, sequential, total, and unbound naproxen concentrations were determined in plasma and SF in 2 groups of 6 patients. A single dose group was given naproxen 500 mg. The chronic dose group was given 500 mg bd for 7 days before collection of blood and SF samples. The effect of naproxen on prostanoid production by clotting whole blood (thromboxane B2, TXB2) and in SF (PGE2, 6-keto-PGF1 alpha) was determined by radioimmunoassay. RESULTS Average area under the curve (AUC) of unbound (U) naproxen concentrations against time in plasma and SF were the same over a dosage interval at steady state (ratio AUCU,SF/AUCU,P, 1.12 +/- 0.18; p = 0.108), but not after a single acute dose (AUCU,SF/AUCU,P, 1.34 +/- 0.32; p = 0.044). Data from the single dose study revealed that the mean (+/- SD) of the concentrations required for 50% inhibition (EC50) of platelet derived TXB2 by total naproxen was 7.7 +/- 4.4 micrograms/ml (n = 5) and for unbound drug 25.4 +/- 22.0 ng/ml (n = 5). SF prostanoid concentrations after both acute and chronic dosing were low, as expected, but temporal and dose relationships of prostanoid concentrations with SF naproxen could not be discerned. However, this may reflect study design. CONCLUSIONS The AUC of unbound naproxen in SF and plasma were similar at steady state. Plasma concentrations correlated with inhibition of TXB2 generation by platelets. There was sustained depression of PG concentrations in SF beyond the time suggested by plasma drug concentrations.
Can added-mass variation act as a thrust force?

Previous studies have demonstrated that added-mass variation can play a significant role on thrust generation. In this respect, a simplified mechanical system such as an aquatic shape-changing linear oscillator lends itself to this study because it allows to segregate the contribution of added-mass variation from other terms. We present the design of an experimental apparatus which highlights the capability of a deformable oscillator to drive sustained resonance by exploiting the thrust produced by shape-change alone. These results will have significant implications in aquatic propulsion and in the design of deformable, self-propelled underwater vehicles.
Towards a Systemic Approach in Financial Communication Research: Evidence from Exploratory Case Studies

Accounting literature adopts a variety of approaches to the analysis of financial communication, mainly focusing on determinants, attributes and effects of specific kinds of disclosure and documents. This study adopts a framework based on information theory elements taking the perspective that financial communication is a bidirectional and multi-channel process, which can be conveniently analysed as a complex system.The primary purpose of this paper is to explore that system shifting the focus on the corporate perspective and on activities carried out to prepare messages to be disclosed to the financial community. The analysis of that topic involves actors’ roles and corporate procedures, which seem of particular interest in order to advance the current understanding of financial communication. In particular, the paper investigates activities related to preparation and issue of specific documents and other financial messages so to understand whether these operations are managed as a coordinated process. This could shed light over an issue little investigated by existing literature and deliver insight into corporate financial reporting policies, providing a basis for further research. The communication process is explored adopting the case study method, which is a not common choice in disclosure studies even though it is a highly suitable strategy when research is aimed at achieving in-depth understanding of complex phenomena.
Financial Development, Remittances and Economic Growth: Evidence Using a Dynamic Panel Estimation

This study examines how remittances can influence economic growth under different levels of financial development. Using a dynamic panel estimation of 33 top remittance-recipient developing countries from 1979 to 2011, the results suggest that financial development neither works as a substitute nor a complement for the remittance–growth nexus. While remittances are effective in promoting economic growth, the influence of financial variables is found to be insignificant. More developed financial systems may attract more remittances; however, the interaction effect of financial development and remittances is not growth enhancing. Promoting financial literacy, reducing the cost of sending remittances through banks and encouraging the overall use of formal financial institutions may induce a stronger remittance–growth nexus. JEL Classification: F24, F41, F63, F68
Geomagnetic field effect on cardiovascular regulation

The goal of the present research was try to explain the physiological mechanism for the influence of the geomagnetic field (GMF) disturbance, reflected by the indices of the geomagnetic activity (K, Kp, Ak, and Ap indices), on cardiovascular regulation. One hundred forty three experimental runs (one daily) comprising 50 min hemodynamic monitoring sequences were carried out in rabbits sedated by pentobarbital infusion (5 mg/kg/h). We examined the arterial baroreflex effects on the short term blood pressure and heart rate (HR) variabilities reflected by the standard deviation (SD) of the average values of the mean femoral arterial blood pressure (MAP) and the HR. Baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) was estimated from blood pressure/HR response to intravenous (i.v.) bolus injections of vasoconstrictor (phenylephrine) and vasodilator (nitroprusside) drugs. We found a significant negative correlation of increasing GMF disturbance (Kp) with BRS (P = 0.008), HR SD (P =0.022), and MAP SD (P = 0.002) signifying the involvement of the arterial baroreflex mechanism. The abrupt change in geomagnetic disturbance from low (K = 0) to high (K = 4–5) values was associated with a significant increase in MAP (83 ± 5 vs. 99 ± 5 mm Hg, P = 0.045) and myocardial oxygen consumption, measured by MAP and HR product (24100 ± 1800 vs. 31000 ± 2500 mm Hg · bpm, P = 0.034), comprising an additional cardiovascular risk. Most likely, GMF affects brainstem and higher neural cardiovascular regulatory centers modulating blood pressure and HR variabilities associated with the arterial baroreflex. Bioelectromagnetics 25:92–101, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The intertemporal choice of households under incomplete markets in general equilibrium

Consumption and unsecured credit are correlated in the data. This fact has created a hypothesis which argues that stochastically varying liquidity constraints – or credit shocks – matter for aggregate consumption. According to the hypothesis, there are a significant number of households who are liquidity constrained and, therefore, they change the level of consumption according to the availability of credit. However, I conclude in a general equilibrium framework that credit shocks are not quantitatively important for the aggregate economy. Hence, typical fluctuations in credit do not matter for the dynamics of aggregate consumption, but the existence of fixed liquidity constraint, combined with other shocks, dominate the dynamics of aggregate consumption. JEL Codes: E21, E32, E44 ,E51