Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparative Cost of Selective Screening To Prevent Transmission of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Compared With the Attributable Costs of MRSA Infection

The annual cost of a screening program to detect methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in a teaching hospital in Spain was €10,261. The average cost per MRSA infection was €2,730; therefore, the cost of the program would be covered if it only prevented 4 infections per year (11% of the total number of MRSA infections at our hospital).
Phenoloxidase activity and pathogen resistance in yellow dung flies Scathophaga stercoraria

Phenoloxidase (PO) is an important component of the insect immune system and is frequently used to measure an individual's immune defence ability. However, evidence documenting positive correlations between the immune assay and resistance against pathogens is scarce and contradictory. We used replicate lines of yellow dung flies Scathophaga stercoraria (L.) with different PO levels to investigate whether PO levels affect resistance against parasitic mites and entomopathogenic fungi. Prevalence of flies exposed to pathogens was the same in all selection regimes, although pathogens clearly negatively affected fitness. PO measurements alone therefore do not necessarily predict overall resistance against pathogens. Furthermore, under starvation lines selected for high PO levels did not survive longer than those selected for low PO levels, irrespective of exposure to pathogens. This suggests that even if elevated immune levels increase an individual's ability to combat pathogens, the benefits may not outweigh the costs of increased investment in immunity.
Physical diseases in university students.

Students are healthy people. Their arrival in the university indicates that they possess the stamina to withstand academic stress and the ability to take a degree. Despite this, studies on the 1968 and 1969 entrants to Nottingham University showed that, of 2923 undergraduates, 471 (160) failed to graduate on time and 340 (120%') failed to graduate at all. Men failed almost twice as often as women. Of those who failed, 22% had severe, or moderately severe, mental health problems compared with about 7% of all students. Physical ill health was the main cause of failure in less than 3%' of students and was of minor impor tance. During the academic year 1975-6 there were 5945 full-time registered students at Nottingham University, and 6704 individuals, both students and staff, saw the doctors or nursing sisters on 26 440 occasions. Table I shows the pattern of student morbidity. It was culled from the health service reports of various universities and was not specific to Nottingham University. The pattern repeats itself year after year, and variations between universities probably owe more to the diagnostic habits of doctors than to real differences in morbidity patterns.
Homicide/suspicious death statistics for cases submitted to the forensic science laboratory in the Republic of Ireland for 2004–2008

The purpose of this study was to examine the trends and patterns of homicide in the Republic of Ireland over a five-year period (2004–2008). In total, 293 cases are covered in the survey. The majority of the victims were men. The most common age group of victims was 20–29 years old. The majority of the suspects were also men. The most common age was also 20–29 years old. Stabbing was the most common method used to kill and this often featured multiple wounds to the head and body. Shooting and blunt force traumas were also common. Homicides are more likely to occur over the weekend period. This study also explored the relationship between the suspect and the victim, the motive and the location of the fatal assault. In the majority of cases, the victim and the perpetrator were known to each other. The site of the fatal assault was most likely to be a residence and the most frequent motive was an argument/quarrelling. A small number of cases involved multiple fatalities, often involving relatives. The figures were compared with other international studies; our findings are broadly in agreement with them.
Gel Matrix Vehicles for Growth Factor Application in Nerve Gap Injuries Repaired with Tubes: A Comparison of Biomatrix, Collagen, and Methylcellulose

The repair of nerve gap injuries with tubular nerve guides has been used extensively as an in vivo test model in identifying substances which may enhance nerve regeneration. The model has also been used clinical nerve repair. The objective of this study was to compare three different gel matrix-forming materials as potential vehicles for growth factors in this system. The vehicles included a laminin containing extracellular matrix preparation (Biomatrix), collagen, and a 2% methylcellulose gel. The growth factor test substance consisted of a combination of platelet-derived growth factor BB (PDGF-BB) and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I). An 8-mm gap in rat sciatic nerve was repaired with a silicone tube containing each of the vehicles alone or with a combination of each vehicle plus PDGF-BB and IGF-I. At 4 weeks after injury, the application of the growth factor combination significantly stimulated axonal regeneration when applied in methylcellulose or collagen, but not in Biomatrix. A similar trend was present between the vehicle control groups. By 8 weeks after injury, nerves repaired with methylcellulose as a vehicle had significantly greater conduction velocity than either collagen or Biomatrix. It was concluded that a 2% methylcellulose gel was the best of the three matrices tested, both in its effects on nerve regeneration and flexibility of formulation.
Genetic Learning Particle Swarm Optimization

Social learning in particle swarm optimization (PSO) helps collective efficiency, whereas individual reproduction in genetic algorithm (GA) facilitates global effectiveness. This observation recently leads to hybridizing PSO with GA for performance enhancement. However, existing work uses a mechanistic parallel superposition and research has shown that construction of superior exemplars in PSO is more effective. Hence, this paper first develops a new framework so as to organically hybridize PSO with another optimization technique for “learning. ” This leads to a generalized “learning PSO” paradigm, the *L-PSO. The paradigm is composed of two cascading layers, the first for exemplar generation and the second for particle updates as per a normal PSO algorithm. Using genetic evolution to breed promising exemplars for PSO, a specific novel *L-PSO algorithm is proposed in the paper, termed genetic learning PSO (GL-PSO). In particular, genetic operators are used to generate exemplars from which particles learn and, in turn, historical search information of particles provides guidance to the evolution of the exemplars. By performing crossover, mutation, and selection on the historical information of particles, the constructed exemplars are not only well diversified, but also high qualified. Under such guidance, the global search ability and search efficiency of PSO are both enhanced. The proposed GL-PSO is tested on 42 benchmark functions widely adopted in the literature. Experimental results verify the effectiveness, efficiency, robustness, and scalability of the GL-PSO.
EXTRACTION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF CELLULOSE MICROFIBRILS FROM AGRICULTURAL WASTES IN AN INTEGRATED BIOREFINERY INITIATIVE

The compositional characteristics of rice straw, wheat straw, corn stalks and dhaincha were established in terms of lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose contents, to assess the suitability of agricultural wastes for the extraction of microfibrils. Cellulose microfibrils were prepared by sulphuric acid hydrolysis from these raw materials, which had previously been submitted to a fractionation process by formic acid/peroxyformic acid/peroxide. Cellulose, amounting to 37-43%, lignin (16-20%), hemicelluloses (20-33%) and other compounds were extracted. The extracted cellulose microfibrils were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and X-ray diffraction. All cellulose microfibril samples showed good thermal stability. The extracted microfibrils presented triclinic structure.
A randomized trial of edivoxetine in pediatric patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of edivoxetine (LY2216684), a selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, in pediatric patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). METHOD A fixed-dose, randomized, double-blind, 8 week study was conducted in patients 6-17 years of age, who were randomized by two strata: 1) Patients with prior stimulant use randomized to placebo, edivoxetine 0.1 mg/kg/day, 0.2 mg/kg/day, or 0.3 mg/kg/day arms in a 1:1:1:1 ratio; 2) Stimulant-naïve patients randomized to placebo, edivoxetine 0.1mg/kg/day, 0.2 mg/kg/day, 0.3 mg/kg/day, or osmotic-release oral system methylphenidate (OROS MPH) (18-54 mg/day based on body weight) arms in a 1:1:1:1:1 ratio. The primary efficacy measure was baseline-to-week 8 change of ADHD Rating Scale (ADHD-RS) total score for edivoxetine 0.2 mg/kg/day and 0.3 mg/kg/day. RESULTS A total of 340 patients were randomized to placebo (n=78); edivoxetine 0.1 mg/kg/day (n=76), 0.2 mg/kg/day (n=75), or 0.3 mg/kg/day (n=75); or OROS MPH (n=36). In the stimulant-naïve stratum, the positive control, OROS MPH, was significantly superior to placebo in mean ADHD-RS total score change at end-point (-19.46, p=0.015). The edivoxetine 0.2 mg/kg/day and 0.3 mg/kg/day arms had statistically significantly greater improvement than the placebo arm in mean ADHD-RS total score change at end-point (placebo -10.35; edivoxetine 0.2 mg/kg/day -16.09, p<0.010; edivoxetine 0.3 mg/kg/day -16.39, p<0.010) and Clinical Global Impressions-Improvement score (placebo 3.05; edivoxetine 0.1 mg/kg/day 3.01, p=0.860; edivoxetine 0.2 mg/kg/day 2.54, p=0.013; edivoxetine 0.3 mg/kg/day 2.53, p=0.013). In the overall efficacy-analyses data set (n=270), the effect size estimates for edivoxetine doses 0.1 mg/kg/day, 0.2 mg/kg/day and 0.3 mg/kg/day at the week 8 time point were 0.17, 0.51, and 0.54, respectively (for the stimulant-naïve stratum, the effect size estimate for OROS MPH was 0.69). Compared with placebo, edivoxetine treatment was associated with statistically significant increases in blood pressure and pulse (p<0.050), and a smaller increase or slight decrease in weight. CONCLUSIONS Edivoxetine at doses of 0.2 mg/kg/day and 0.3 mg/kg/day demonstrated efficacy in ADHD treatment, despite the presence of a sizeable placebo response. No unexpected adverse events were identified. Clinical Trial Registry identifier: NCT00922636.
Chromosome study in few species of Acridids (Acrididae: Tryxalinae): Karyotypic analysis and distribution patterns of constitutive heterochromatin

Chromosomes with detailed karyotypic information (nature, number, size, relative length, length of Xchromosome, nature of X-chromosome) and C-banding patterns of few species of grasshoppers belonging to sub-familiy Tryxalinae are discussed. The karyotypes comprises of acrocentric chromosomes with complement number 2n = 23 (male). Constitutive heterochromatin distribution was found at centomeric, interstitial, terminal sites along with thick and thin bands among all the species except in Acrida turrita which possessed only centromeric C-bands. The number and location of Cbands in Acridids exhibit intra specific variations. In the present communication the karyotypic analysis and C-banding patterns are analyzed for further differences between genera belonging to the same subfamily.
Linking autonomous agents to CPFR to improve SCM

Purpose – The standpoint of this research lies in the study of the CPFR process for trading partners (belonging to the same supply chain) who are willing to collaborate in exchanging sales and order forecast. This points out the need for providing a collaboration process with an intelligent tool to optimise negotiation.Design/methodology/approach – A literature review and classification has been carried out concerning autonomous agents used to manage supply chain processes. To evaluate the strengths coming from an intelligent system embedded within the CPFR process, several experiments in different conditions were conducted using simulation tool.Findings – The analysis of experimental results points out that the agent‐driven negotiation process (by comparison to CPFR without intelligent agents) benefits in terms of costs, inventory level, stock‐out level and sales.Research limitations/implications – The study represents a one‐to‐one scenario, in which only two trading partners collaborate. Further, resear.
Checklist and “Pollard Walk” Butterfly Survey Methods on Public Lands

Abstract Checklist and “Pollard Walk” butterfly survey methods were contemporaneously applied to seven public sites in North Dakota during the summer of 1995. Results were compared for effect of method and site on total number of butterflies and total number of species detected per hour. Checklist searching produced significantly more butterfly detections per hour than Pollard Walks at all sites. Number of species detected per hour did not differ significantly either among sites or between methods. Many species were detected by only one method, and at most sites generalist and invader species were more likely to be observed during checklist searches than during Pollard Walks. Results indicate that checklist surveys are a more efficient means for initial determination of a species list for a site, whereas for long-term monitoring the Pollard Walk is more practical and statistically manageable. Pollard Walk transects are thus recommended once a prairie butterfly fauna has been defined for a site by checklist surveys.
Illusory transformation from speech to song.

An illusion is explored in which a spoken phrase is perceptually transformed to sound like song rather than speech, simply by repeating it several times over. In experiment I, subjects listened to ten presentations of the phrase and judged how it sounded on a five-point scale with endpoints marked "exactly like speech" and "exactly like singing. " The initial and final presentations of the phrase were identical. When the intervening presentations were also identical, judgments moved solidly from speech to song. However, this did not occur when the intervening phrases were transposed slightly or when the syllables were presented in jumbled orderings. In experiment II, the phrase was presented either once or ten times, and subjects repeated it back as they finally heard it. Following one presentation, the subjects repeated the phrase back as speech; however, following ten presentations they repeated it back as song. The pitch values of the subjects' renditions following ten presentations were closer to those of the original spoken phrase than were the pitch values following a single presentation. Furthermore, the renditions following ten presentations were even closer to a hypothesized representation in terms of a simple tonal melody than they were to the original spoken phrase.
Probiotic‐mediated competition, exclusion and displacement in biofilm formation by food‐borne pathogens

The objective of this study was to examine the inhibitory effect of probiotic strains on pathogenic biofilm formation in terms of competition, exclusion and displacement. Probiotic strains (Lactobacillus acidophilus KACC 12419, Lact. casei KACC 12413, Lact. paracasei KACC 12427 and Lact. rhamnosus KACC 11953) and pathogens (Salmonella Typhimurium KCCM 40253 and Listeria monocytogenes KACC 12671) were used to evaluate the auto‐aggregation, hydrophobicity and biofilm formation inhibition. The highest auto‐aggregation abilities were observed in Lact. rhamnosus (17·5%), Lact. casei (17·2%) and Lact. acidophilus (15·1%). Salm. Typhimurium had the highest affinity to xylene, showing the hydrophobicity of 53·7%. The numbers of L. monocytogenes biofilm cells during the competition, exclusion and displacement assays were effectively reduced by more than 3 log when co‐cultured with Lact. paracasei and Lact. rhamnosus. The results suggest that probiotic strains can be used as alternative way to effectively reduce the biofilm formation in pathogenic bacteria through competition, exclusion and displacement.
Beam diversity techniques based on Integrated Lens Antennas fed by beam-switching linear and planar printed antenna sub-arrays

The feasibility of reconfiguring the radiation performance of integrated lens antennas (ILAs) has been studied numerically for the first time, by considering a standard version of ILAs (namely, an extended hemispherical substrate lens) illuminated by printed sub-arrays of variable size. The proposed concept is based on a ldquoone beam per sub-arrayrdquo approach in which switching from one sub-array configuration to another one enables one to control the radiation characteristics of the lens. This concept has been demonstrated only for on-axis radiation assuming the lens is excited by symmetric linear or surface arrays. The results for off-axis reconfiguration will be presented during the conference.
Undescended testes: an update

Purpose of review This article summarizes the latest evidence on the risk factors, management and outcomes of undescended testes (UDTs). Recent findings UDTs remain common, with increasing evidence that acquired UDT or the ascending testis syndrome should be considered part of the spectrum of this disease. Prompt diagnosis and early referral for surgical evaluation and treatment would seem most likely to result in an optimal functional and cosmetic outcome. Hormonal treatment, rather than orchidopexy, remains popular in some centers, despite a lack of good evidence to support its efficacy, although it may have an important adjunct role in optimizing fertility. Although often performed, ultrasound does not generally assist in the diagnosis and management of UDT, with enhanced education of primary care physicians more likely to facilitate early referral. The testis, rather than quiescent, appears biologically active in the male infant, with increasing evidence of an adverse impact on future spermatogenesis and fertility in men with a UDT. Summary Male infants with a UDT should be diagnosed and referred early for surgical evaluation. It seems likely that the optimal timing for surgery should be before the boy's first birthday. There remains a need for high-quality, long-term outcomes data to guide optimal management.
Treating acute pancreatitis: what’s new?

The medical treatment of acute pancreatitis continues to focus on supportive care, including fluid therapy, nutrition, and antibiotics, all of which will be critically reviewed. Pharmacologic agents that were previously studied were found to be ineffective likely due to a combination of their targets and flaws in trial design. Potential future pharmacologic agents, particularly those that target intracellular calcium signaling, as well as considerations for trial design will be discussed. As the incidence of acute pancreatitis continues to increase, greater efforts will be needed to prevent hospitalization, readmission and excessive imaging in order to reduce overall healthcare costs. Primary prevention continues to focus on post-endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) pancreatitis and secondary prevention on cholecystectomy for biliary pancreatitis as well as alcohol and smoking abstinence.
Philosophy of mathematics: What numbers could not be

THE attention of the mathematician focuses primarily upon mathematical structure, and his intellectual delight arises (in part) from seeing that a given theory exhibits such and such a structure, from seeing how one structure is "modelled" in another, or in exhibiting some new structure and showing how it relates to previously studied ones . But . the mathematician is satisfied so long as he has some "entities" or "objects" (or "sets" or "numbers" or "functions" or ''spaces" or ''points") to work with, and he does not inquire into their inner character or ontological status.
Hemostatic Changes After Crystalloid or Colloid Fluid Administration During Major Orthopedic Surgery: The Role of Fibrinogen Administration

BACKGROUND:To explore whether disturbed fibrin polymerization is the main problem underlying dilutional coagulopathy and can be reversed by fibrinogen administration, we conducted a prospective study using modified thrombelastography (ROTEM®). METHODS:Sixty-six orthopedic patients randomly received modified gelatin solution, hydroxyethyl starch 130/0.4, or exclusively Ringer lactate solution. ROTEM® analysis was performed, concentrations of coagulation factors and markers of thrombin generation were measured. Fibrinogen concentrate (Hemocomplettan®) was administered (30 mg/kg) when thrombelastographically measured fibrinogen polymerization was critically decreased. RESULTS:The α angle, clot firmness, and fibrinogen polymerization (median [min to max]) significantly decreased in the patients receiving hydroxyethyl starch (area under the curve minus baseline (−5 [−9 to −2]), followed by gelatin solution (−3 [−8 to 0]), with the least reductions seen for Ringer lactate solution (−2 [− 4 to 1]) (colloids versus Ringer lactate P < 0.0001). Thirteen patients in the colloid groups but none in the Ringer lactate group needed fibrinogen concentrate to maintain borderline clot firmness. Activity of FVII, FVIII, FIX, and von Willebrand ristocetin activity decreased significantly with colloids. Thrombelastographically measured coagulation time, molecular markers of thrombin generation, and activity of all other coagulation factors were comparable in all groups. CONCLUSION:Disturbance of fibrinogen/fibrin polymerization is the primary problem triggering dilutional coagulopathy during major orthopedic surgery. The magnitude of clot firmness reduction is determined by the type of fluid used, with hydroxyethyl starch showing the most pronounced effects. These undesirable effects of intravascular volume therapy can be reversed by increasing fibrinogen concentration by administering fibrinogen concentrate, even during continuing blood loss and intravascular volume replacement.
Prevalence of Behavior Problems and Mental Health Utilization among Encopretic Children: Implications for Behavioral Pediatrics

The psychiatric literature traditionally has viewed encopretic children as having severe and characteristic behavior problems. Current psychiatric views as expressed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 3rd Edition (DSM-III), and in the pediatric literature, however, tend to regard the behavior problems of encopretic children as being rather mild or secondary to the consequences of the encopresis itself. Using a behavioral checklist with empirically derived factors (the Child Behavior Checklist), 55 children presenting for medical treatment of their encopresis have been assessed. Numerous behavior problems are reported on parental ratings, but the overall severity of behavior problems in this group of children falls below that found in children with behavior problems who are referred for mental health services. Most children presenting for medical management of encopresis have not been seen or evaluated by mental health services. Encopresis is a disorder in which psychological evaluation and intervention by the pediatrician may be advisable. J Dev Behav Pediatr 7:293-297, 1986.