Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Outbreak of Shigella sonnei infection traced to imported iceberg lettuce

In the period from May through June 1994, an increase in the number of domestic cases of Shigella sonnei infection was detected in several European countries, including Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. In all three countries epidemiological evidence incriminated imported iceberg lettuce of Spanish origin as the vehicle of transmission. The outbreaks shared a number of common features: a predominance of adults among the case patients, the presence of double infections with other enteropathogens, and the finding of two dominant phage types among the bacterial isolates. In Norway 110 culture-confirmed cases of infection were recorded; more than two-thirds (73%) were adults aged 30 to 60 years. A nationwide case-control study comprising 47 case patients and 155 matched control individuals showed that the consumption of imported iceberg lettuce was independently associated with an increased risk of shigellosis. Epidemiological investigation of a local outbreak incriminated iceberg lettuce from Spain, consumed from a salad bar, as the source. The presence of shigellae in the suspected food source could not be documented retrospectively. However, high numbers of fecal coliforms were detected in iceberg lettuce from patients' homes. Three lettuce specimens yielded salmonellae. The imported iceberg lettuce harbored Escherichia coli strains showing resistance to several antimicrobial agents, including ampicillin, ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. During the outbreak it is likely that thousands of Norwegians and an unknown number of consumers in other countries were exposed to coliforms containing antibiotic resistance genes.
Reliability, validity, and factor structure of the cognitive behavioral rating scale for stroke patients

The aim of this study was to explore the reliability, validity, and factor structure of a newly developed Cognitive Behavioral Rating Scale (CBRS), designed to assess cognitive function through observation. The study included 180 stroke patients and 58 orthopedic patients. The CBRS and the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) were administered. Data on discharge disposition were also collected. The inter-rater reliability, construct validity, concurrent validity, predictive validity, and factor structure of the CBRS were evaluated. The interclass correlation coefficient was 0.736 (P<0.0001). Cronbach’s &agr; for the CBRS was 0.92. Patients with stroke showed a significantly higher total CBRS score than those with orthopedic problems (P<0.0001). Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient (rs) was −0.70 (P<0.01) for the total FIM score and the CBRS, and −0.72 (P<0.01) for the cognitive FIM and the CBRS. The return-to-home group had a significantly lower CBRS total score than the not-to-home group (P<0.01). The CBRS comprised three factors: (i) ‘language and performance’, (ii) ‘control of performance’, and (iii) ‘space–self relation. ’ The CBRS appears to have a high reliability and validity for the assessment of cognitive function.
Passive hemagglutination test for antibody to hepatitis B core antigen

Available tests for antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) are complicated. A passive hemagglutination assay for anti-HBc was developed by sensitizing sheep erythrocytes with hepatitis B core antigen synthesized by a recombinant DNA technique. It was compared with a commercial passive hemagglutination assay and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for anti-HBc and showed good agreement with both. It is rapid, simple, and sensitive.
WEB INFORMATION MONITORING FOR COMPETITIVE INTELLIGENCE

The WWW has become one of the most important media for sharing information. Web information provides another emerging and important avenue and source of competitive intelligence (CI) for companies. CI is critical for companies to stay competitive in the marketplace. Apart from business users, there are other types of CI users such as technical users, casual users, news awareness users and others who would like to be kept informed on the latest development of their interested areas over the WWW. To discover web information, CI users need to constantly monitor certain web sites and web pages for related information. However, the dynamic nature of the web has made such monitoring task complicated and time-consuming. This paper proposes a web monitoring system, WebMon, to help users monitor specified web pages for latest changes and updates in information. Four monitoring functions including date monitoring, keywords monitoring, link monitoring and portion monitoring are supported by the system. The performance of these monitoring functions is also evaluated.
Rabbit liver L-arginase. Purification, properties, and subunit structure.

Abstract Rabbit liver arginase has been purified about 1,000-fold. The enzyme migrates as a single broad band during electrophoresis in disc gel, and gives a single precipitation line with specific antiserum when assayed by the immunodiffusion technique. However, chromatography of the purified enzyme on DEAE-cellulose columns reveals multiple active forms of identical molecular weight, which are eluted within a narrow range of molarity. The molecular weight determination by gel filtration yields a value of 110,000. The sedimentation coefficient is 5.9 S, as determined by sucrose gradient centrifugation. The rabbit arginase is almost completely inactivated after a long incubation in the presence of EDTA, without altering its immunoprecipitation pattern. It regains its initial activity when assayed in the presence of Mn++. Treatment of the rabbit liver arginase with 0.25% sodium dodecyl sulfate at pH 10, or incubation of the enzyme at pH 2, result in its rapid inactivation, when assayed in the absence of Mn++. However, when the inactivated enzyme is assayed in the presence of Mn++, a residual activity is observed, which corresponds to one component of 2.8 or 2.4 S after treatment with sodium dodecyl sulfate or at pH 2, respectively. The sodium dodecyl sulfate-dissociated enzyme has a molecular weight of 36,500, thus providing evidence for an oligomeric native structure, probably tetrameric, as previously reported for the rat liver arginase (Hirsch-Kolb, H., and Greenberg, D. M., J. Biol. Chem., 243, 6123 (1968)). The pH 2-dissociated enzyme migrates as two components of very close mobilities in 8 m urea gel electrophoresis, suggesting the occurrence of two kinds of subunits with similar molecular weight. This may account for the different chromatographic forms of the oligomeric native enzyme. The pH 2-dissociated enzyme regains at least 75% of its initial activity, when incubated at pH 8 in the presence of Mn++ and further assayed in the presence of Mn++. The reactivated enzyme appears to recover its native oligomeric structure, as suggested by its sedimentation coefficient (5.6 S), immunological properties, and electrophoretic mobility. If the pH 2-dissociated enzyme is incubated at pH 8 in the presence of EDTA, prior to assay, about 25% of the initial activity is observed, when assayed in the presence of Mn++. Under these conditions, the enzyme has a low sedimentation coefficient (2.7 S), like the dissociated enzyme, and gives rise to two bands migrating faster than the native enzyme in disc gel electrophoresis. Thus, the formation of the oligomeric structure seems to require manganous ions. Furthermore, the subunits are most probably active in the presence of Mn++, as suggested by the characteristics of the assay of dissociated enzymes and of enzyme reactivated at pH 8 in the presence of EDTA (high dilution, absence of lag period).
Secondary Market Behavior during College Football's Postseason: Evidence from the 2014 Rose Bowl and BCS Championship Game

Though there is reason to believe that college football bowl game administrators engage in inelastic ticket pricing, there is no academic literature that specifically examines this point. This seminal investigation of secondary prices in college football, which focuses on two bowl games that took place at the same stadium within a sixday span during the first week of 2014, sheds insight onto inelastic ticket pricing for college bowl games, secondary pricing comparisons across different online ticket resellers, the influence “pent-up” demand and distance traveled can have on secondary markups, and revealed consumer preferences towards seat quality and optimal “sightlines. ” Though dynamically pricing bowl games could yield larger gate revenues, various logistical reasons are discussed as to why this practice is uncommon for such games.
GPD 1 L links redox state to cardiac excitability by PKC-dependent phosphorylation of the sodium channel SCN 5 A

Carmen R. Valdivia,* Kazuo Ueda,* Michael J. Ackerman, and Jonathan C. Makielski Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin and Departments of Medicine, Pediatrics, and Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics/Divisions of Cardiovascular Diseases and Pediatric Cardiology and the WindlandSmith Rice Comprehensive Sudden Cardiac Death Program, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
Use of Admission Criteria to Predict Performance of Students in an Entry-Level Master's Program on Fieldwork Placements and in Academic Courses

The relationships among clinical outcomes, academic success, and predictors used to screen applicants for entrance into a Master in Occupational Therapy Program (MOT) were examined. The dependent variables were grade point average in occupational therapy courses (OT-GPA), client therapy outcomes at the clinic, and ratings of MOT students by Level II Fieldwork supervisors. Predictor variables included undergraduate GPA, scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), and an essay. Both undergraduate GPA and scores on the GRE were found to predict OT-GPA. The analytical section of the GRE was also positively correlated with fieldwork supervisors' ratings of students.
Data Warehouse for Business Process Evaluation Approach Opportunities and Challenges

During process enactment in business process management (BPM) lifecycle, information have been collected about execution plans are stored in the form of log files and database tables, using information systems (IS) and use, these data collected will be used in next phase of business process management lifecycle called evaluation phase . In the past decade has emerged a new approach based on apply Business Intelligence (BI) in business process management. Since it is the Data Warehouse (DW) technique is the backbone of the BI. For this reason, a large number of methods and studies that using DW that have been focused on this topic in an attempt to improve and organize the data in order to improve business process. In this paper, we will focus on the study of the opportunities and challenges have been faced by these studies in order to identify weaknesses that are experiencing these approaches, which ultimately will have a negative impact on business process evaluation. This will be through a review of these studies and conduct comparative analysis and propose alternative methods that will ultimately be a positive influence in the process of evaluating business process.
Tandem mass spectrometry of the B-type procyanidins in wine and B-type dehydrodicatechins in an autoxidation mixture of (+)-catechin and (-)-epicatechin.

We describe the characterization of the B-type procyanidins in wine and the B-type dehydrodicatechins (dimeric flavan-3-ols) obtained for the autoxidation of (+)-catechin and (-)-epicatechin by tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) coupled to reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The MS/MS analysis demonstrates that the interesting major fragments derive from the dissociations of the C-ring on the catechin or epicatechin unit, such as retro-Diels-Alder reactions. The two kinds of dimers give completely different fragmentations because of the striking effect of the C-C interflavan linkage (IFL). For the natural dimers in wine, a catechin or epicatechin unit linking to the C-4 position stabilizes the product ions by forming a large pi-pi hyperconjugated system, whereas a similar pi-pi system is formed within dehydrodicatechin B through the C-C IFL. Thus dissociation in MS/MS experiments was inhibited. Apparently, the fragmentations of the dimers differ from that of the monomer, which is very important in the study of the gas-phase ion behaviour of the polymeric flavan-3-ols. In addition, two specific fragment ions at m/z 451 for native dimers and at m/z 393 for autoxidation species in HPLC/MS/MS were found to be very useful for analysing mixtures of B-type procyanidins and B-type dehydrodicatechins in food and beverages.
Mutations in Genes Encoding Sorting Nexins Alter Production ofIntracellular and Extracellular Proteases in Aspergillus nidulans

XprG, a putative p53-like transcriptional activator, regulates production of extracellular proteases in response to nutrient limitation and may also have a role in programmed cell death. To identify genes that may be involved in the XprG regulatory pathway, xprG2 revertants were isolated and shown to carry mutations in genes which we have named sogA-C (suppressors of xprG). The translocation breakpoint in the sogA1 mutant was localized to a homolog of Saccharomyces cerevisiae VPS5 and mapping data indicated that sogB was tightly linked to a VPS17 homolog. Complementation of the sogA1 and sogB1 mutations and identification of nonsense mutations in the sogA2 and sogB1 alleles confirmed the identification. Vps17p and Vps5p are part of a complex involved in sorting of vacuolar proteins in yeast and regulation of cell-surface receptors in mammals. Protease zymograms indicate that mutations in sogA-C permit secretion of intracellular proteases, as in S. cerevisiae vps5 and vps17 mutants. In contrast to S. cerevisiae, the production of intracellular protease was much higher in the mutants. Analysis of serine protease gene expression suggests that an XprG-independent mechanism for regulation of extracellular protease gene expression in response to carbon starvation exists and is activated in the pseudorevertants.
Drought‐induced tree death in savanna

Increasing densities of woody plants in savannas has been attributed to both elevated atmospheric CO2 and reduced burning with grazing management, such that the biome could represent a substantial carbon sink. However, we show that extreme droughts (less than two‐thirds expected rainfall over 3 years) occur in the drier half of the savanna biome and can cause substantial tree death. An Australian case study reveals that a net increase in tree cover over five decades of above‐average rainfall was offset by sudden tree death during drought. The relationship between woody cover change and rainfall is moderated by competition with growth being facilitated by low woody cover and drought‐induced death more likely as the woody component of savanna increases. The results are not supportive of a sustained increase in the woody component of xeric savannas resulting from CO2 fertilization or land management. Extensive tree death in savanna regions will become a stark consequence of climate change if predictions of increasing severity and frequency of drought are realized.
Clinical and Magnetic Resonance Imaging–Based Outcomes to 5 Years After Matrix-Induced Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation to Address Articular Cartilage Defects in the Knee

Background: The availability remains limited of midterm clinical and radiologic results into matrix-induced autologous chondrocyte implantation (MACI). Outcomes are required to validate the efficacy of MACI as a suitable surgical treatment option for articular cartilage defects in the knee. Hypothesis: A significant improvement in clinical and magnetic resonance imaging–based (MRI-based) outcomes after MACI will exist throughout the postoperative timeline to 5 years after surgery. Furthermore, patient demographics, cartilage defect parameters, and injury/surgery history will be associated with patient and graft outcome, whereas a significant correlation will exist between clinical and MRI-based outcomes at 5 years after surgery. Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: A prospective evaluation was undertaken to assess clinical and MRI-based outcomes to 5 years in 41 patients (53 grafts) after MACI to the knee. After MACI surgery and a 12-week structured rehabilitation program, patients underwent clinical assessments (Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score, SF-36, 6-minute walk test, knee range of motion) and MRI assessments at 3, 12, and 24 months, as well as 5 years after surgery. The MRI evaluation assessed 8 previously defined pertinent parameters of graft repair, as well as a combined MRI composite score. Results: A significant improvement (P < .05) was demonstrated for all Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score and SF-36 subscales over the postoperative timeline, as well as the 6-minute walk test and active knee extension. A significant improvement (P < .0001) was observed for the MRI composite score, as well as several individual graft scoring parameters. At 5 years after surgery, 67% of MACI grafts demonstrated complete infill, whereas 89% demonstrated good to excellent filling of the chondral defect. Patient demographics, cartilage defect parameters, and injury/surgery history demonstrated no significant pertinent correlations with clinical or MRI-based outcomes at 5 years, and no significant correlations existed between clinical and MRI-based outcome measures. At 5 years after surgery, 98% of patients were satisfied with the ability of MACI surgery to relieve knee pain; 86%, with improvement in their ability to perform normal daily tasks; and 73%, with their ability to participate in sport 5 years after MACI. Conclusion: These results suggest that MACI provides a suitable midterm treatment option for articular cartilage defects in the knee. Long-term follow-up is essential to confirm whether the repair tissue has the durability required to maintain long-term patient quality of life.
DC dielectric strength of epoxy/Si3N4 nanocomposites

The influence of silicon nitride (Si<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>) nanoparticles is studied on the DC dielectric strength of an epoxy-based nanocomposite. Si<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> nanofillers are interesting due to good both electrical insulation and thermal conduction properties. To obtain an increase in the breakdown field, the manufacturing process parameters are optimized to reduce the presence of aggregates in the final nanocomposites. The influence of a surface functionalization of the nanofillers in ethanol solvent was studied based on both surfactant and coupling agent treatments. An optimized electrophoretic stability of the Si<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> nanofillers was obtained in ethanol for acid pH. The epoxy/Si<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> (1 vol.%) nanocomposites show an improvement of the dielectric strength compared to neat epoxy. Surface coupling agent treatment of Si<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> nanofillers shows an additional improvement of the dielectric strength.
Building laboratory capacity to support HIV care in Nigeria: Harvard/APIN PEPFAR, 2004–2012

Introduction From 2004–2012, the Harvard/AIDS Prevention Initiative in Nigeria, funded through the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief programme, scaled up HIV care and treatment services in Nigeria. We describe the methodologies and collaborative processes developed to improve laboratory capacity significantly in a resource-limited setting. These methods were implemented at 35 clinic and laboratory locations. Methods Systems were established and modified to optimise numerous laboratory processes. These included strategies for clinic selection and management, equipment and reagent procurement, supply chains, laboratory renovations, equipment maintenance, electronic data management, quality development programmes and trainings. Results Over the eight-year programme, laboratories supported 160 000 patients receiving HIV care in Nigeria, delivering over 2.5 million test results, including regular viral load quantitation. External quality assurance systems were established for CD4+ cell count enumeration, blood chemistries and viral load monitoring. Laboratory equipment platforms were improved and standardised and use of point-of-care analysers was expanded. Laboratory training workshops supported laboratories toward increasing staff skills and improving overall quality. Participation in a World Health Organisation-led African laboratory quality improvement system resulted in significant gains in quality measures at five laboratories. Conclusions Targeted implementation of laboratory development processes, during simultaneous scale-up of HIV treatment programmes in a resource-limited setting, can elicit meaningful gains in laboratory quality and capacity. Systems to improve the physical laboratory environment, develop laboratory staff, create improvements to reduce costs and increase quality are available for future health and laboratory strengthening programmes. We hope that the strategies employed may inform and encourage the development of other laboratories in resource-limited settings.
$T$ – $\Omega $ Formulation for Eddy-Current Problems with Periodic Boundary Conditions

This paper presents a novel technique to perform the topological pre-processing needed in formulations based on an electric vector potential and a magnetic scalar potential when the eddy-current problem being solved is subject to periodic boundary conditions. In this case, in fact, all the techniques to produce the generators for the first cohomology group introduced in the literature cannot be used directly on the input mesh. The novel technique is very fast and it is used to model cables for power delivery.