Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Up-Converting Phosphor Technology-Based Lateral Flow Assay for Detection of Schistosoma Circulating Anodic Antigen in Serum

ABSTRACT Schistosoma sp. circular anodic antigen (CAA) serum concentrations reflect actual worm burden in a patient and are a valuable tool for population screening and epidemiological research. However, for the diagnosis of individual imported schistosomiasis cases, the current enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) lacks sensitivity and robustness. Therefore, a lateral flow (LF) assay was developed to test CAA in serum for individual diagnosis of imported active schistosome infections. Application of fluorescent submicron-sized up-converting phosphor technology (UPT) reporter particles increased analytical sensitivity compared to that of the standard ELISA method. Evaluation of the UPT-LF test with a selection of 40 characterized epidemiologic samples indicated a good correlation between signal intensity and infection intensity. Subsequently, the UPT-LF assay was applied to 166 serum samples of Dutch residents (immigrants and travelers) suspected of schistosomiasis, a case in which group routine antibody detection frequently fails straightforward diagnosis. The UPT-LF assay identified 36 CAA-positive samples, compared to 15 detected by CAA-ELISA. In conclusion, the UPT-LF assay is a low-complexity test with higher sensitivity than the CAA-ELISA, well suited for laboratory diagnosis of individual active Schistosoma infections.
The Conceptual Motivation of Fictive Motion *

Beginning with Talmy’s work in the late 1970’s and early1980’s, cognitive linguists have argued that fictive motion—roughly, mentally simulated motion along a path or linear configuration—motivates the use and structure of a class of figurative uses of motion verbs. On this view, a motion verb describes an inherently static scene, as in The road runs along the coast or A trail goes through the desert, but evokes the simulation of “movement” or “scanning” along a trajectory through imagined space. The imagery is believed to be subjective in that the conceptualizer enacts the movement or scanning, and its purpose is believed to be functional— allegedly, simulating motion allows the language user to infer or convey information about the physical layout of a scene, especially the configuration and position of the path or trajectory (e.g., road). The goal of this chapter is to examine the linguistic behavior of fictive motion constructions (e.g., The road runs along the coast), and to discuss whether simulated motion and scanning motivates the use and comprehension of fictive motion constructions. Central to the discussion is relevant work from psychology, * Acknowledgments: Many thanks to Herb Clark, Dan Schwartz, and Leonard Talmy for many enlightening discussions, and to Ravid Aisenmann, Ben Bergen, Frank Brisard, Maria Cristobol, and Paul Maglio, for insightful comments on early drafts. Thanks also goes to Michel Achard, Adrian Bangerter, Alex Cozzi, and Pernilla Quarfordt for non-English linguistic examples, and to my research assistants Nicole Albert, Jeremy Elman, Kat Firme, Sydney Gould, Krysta Hays, and John Nolan, for helping with the experiments discussed in this paper. A special thanks is extended to Günter Radden, co-editor of the volume, who provided many helpful suggestions.
“This Is What Family Does”: The Family Experience of Caring for Serious Illness

Background: As the demographics of caregiving in United States evolve toward multigenerational, distributed family structures, the ways in which individuals and their families experience serious illness are changing. As part of a project to create an innovative model of supportive care for serious illness, a series of user interviews were conducted, forming the basis for this article. Objective: To understand the experience of caregiving for individuals with serious illness from an intergenerational family perspective. Methods: Twelve semistructured group interviews were conducted with patients, families, and professionals. Transcript data were analyzed with descriptive coding, looking for major themes and subthemes related to family experiences. Results: Seventy-three individuals participated in group interview sessions. While both families and individuals encountered caregiving challenges, the family unit experienced care in several unique ways. It accommodated differences in temperament and readiness, managed internal conflict, and strived to emerge as a cohesive unit. Individual struggles were often magnified or, more often, ameliorated by family context. Caregiving itself formed a legacy for future generations. Finally, care was seen as bidirectional, being tendered both by the family caregivers and in turn by the patient. Conclusions: When talking about care for serious illness, individuals report both rewards and challenges, often in a family context. The family enterprise manages a loved one’s care, negotiates the health-care system, and adjusts its own internal dynamics. Integrating the family narrative provides a more balanced view of the family system that provides the day-to-day care for individuals with serious illness.
All-optical control and metrology of electron pulses

Electron pulses under control The ability to take snapshots of fast events can often provide insights into the dynamics of the processes involved: chemical reactions, electronic transport, structural transitions, and complex combinations involving of all of these processes. Kealhofer et al. describe an ultrafast optics approach for generating bunches of electrons and compressing them by more than an order of magnitude to just femtosecond time scales (see the Perspective by Ropers). The technique opens up the possibility of imaging ultrafast phenomena with atomic-scale spatial resolution. Science, this issue p. 429; see also p. 410 An ultrafast optics approach is used to generate and control ultrashort pulses of electrons. [Also see Perspective by Ropers] Short electron pulses are central to time-resolved atomic-scale diffraction and electron microscopy, streak cameras, and free-electron lasers. We demonstrate phase-space control and characterization of 5-picometer electron pulses using few-cycle terahertz radiation, extending concepts of microwave electron pulse compression and streaking to terahertz frequencies. Optical-field control of electron pulses provides synchronism to laser pulses and offers a temporal resolution that is ultimately limited by the rise-time of the optical fields applied. We used few-cycle waveforms carried at 0.3 terahertz to compress electron pulses by a factor of 12 with a timing stability of <4 femtoseconds (root mean square) and measure them by means of field-induced beam deflection (streaking). Scaling the concept toward multiterahertz control fields holds promise for approaching the electronic time scale in time-resolved electron diffraction and microscopy.
PREVALENCE AND ANTIBIOGRAM OF BACTERIAL PATHOGENS FROM SUBCLINICAL MASTITIS IN BUFFALOES

The present investigation was carried out to study the prevalence of bacterial pathogens responsible for subclinical mastitis in buffaloes and their antibiogram pattern to selected antibiotics. The study was carried out on lactating buffaloes maintained at the Cattle and Buffalo farm, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, India. Screening for subclinical mastitis was done by California Mastitis Test (CMT) and Somatic Cell Count (SCC) in milk. The buffaloes showing CMT score ≥ 2 and SCC ≥ 0.5 million/ml of milk were considered for isolation and identifi cation of bacterial pathogens by cultural examination and requisite biochemical tests. Fifteen out of 48 lactating buffaloes were found positive for subclinical mastitis, affecting one or two quarters, giving a prevalence of 31.25%. Out of them, 9 (60%) were found positive for Staphylococcus aureus, 3 (20%) positive for Streptococcus agalactiae, 1 (7.69%) for other streptococci and 2 (13.33%) for E. coli. The antibiogram of the bacterial isolates to standard antibiotic discs determined by disc diffusion method revealed the highest sensitivity to ciprofl oxacin and enrofl oxacin followed by cefotaxime, cloxacillin, erythromycin, amoxycillin in decreasing order and least sensitivity to penicillin G. Judicious use of antibiotics based on antibiotic sensitivity and pharmacokinetics in mastitis control may reduce the chances of treatment failure and the economic losses.
Topographic Changes After Excision Surgery of Primary Pterygia and the Effect of Pterygium Size on Topograpic Restoration

Objective: To assess the effect of pterygium size on time-course change of corneal topography after excision surgery of primary pterygium. Methods: Retrospective case series included eyes that underwent excisions of primary pterygium. Pterygium size was graded according to the advancing edge position: less than one third of corneal diameter (grade 1), outside the pupil (grade 2), and within the pupillary area (grade 3). Time-course changes in corneal refractive power, astigmatism, and irregularity (surface regularity and asymmetry indices) in corneal topographies over 12 months postoperatively were compared between the pterygium size grades. Results: Pterygium excision was performed on 562 eyes, consisting of 119, 338, and 105 eyes with grades 1 to 3, respectively. Grade 1 did not change in corneal irregularity, and there was no difference between grades 1 and 2, except for corneal astigmatism at 6 months. Grade 3 showed significantly higher corneal refractive power and irregularity than grade 1 until 3 and 6 months, respectively, whereas corneal astigmatism was higher over 12 months. Conclusions: Topographic changes after primary pterygium excision were associated with pterygium size. Pterygium advancing over the pupillary area required 6 to 12 months for corneal topography restoration, resulting in slow recovery of visual acuity.
Cross-sectional study of skeletal maturation in normal children from Nottingham and London.

The TW2 method (Tanner et al. 1975) was used to evaluate skeletal maturation in 173 children from Nottingham and 120 children from London WC1 . All of the children from Nottingham had hand-wrist injuries and were attending the Accident and Emergency Department of the Children's Hospital, Nottingham. The London children were all a part of a longitudinal growth study, which started in 1952-1953. When compared with the TW2 centiles, the Nottingham children showed retardation, and the London children advancement in skeletal maturation.
PATCHY ACCRETION DISKS IN ULTRA-LUMINOUS X-RAY SOURCES

The X-ray spectra of the most extreme ultra-luminous X-ray sources—those with L ⩾ 1040 erg s−1—remain something of a mystery. Spectral roll-over in the 5–10 keV band was originally detected in the deepest XMM-Newton observations of the brightest sources; this is confirmed in subsequent NuSTAR spectra. This emission can be modeled via Comptonization, but with low electron temperatures (kTe ≃ 2 keV) and high optical depths (τ ≃ 10) that pose numerous difficulties. Moreover, evidence of cooler thermal emission that can be fit with thin disk models persists, even in fits to joint XMM-Newton and NuSTAR observations. Using NGC 1313 X-1 as a test case, we show that a patchy disk with a multiple temperature profile may provide an excellent description of such spectra. In principle, a number of patches within a cool disk might emit over a range of temperatures, but the data only require a two-temperature profile plus standard Comptonization, or three distinct blackbody components. A mechanism such as the photon bubble instability may naturally give rise to a patchy disk profile, and could give rise to super-Eddington luminosities. It is possible, then, that a patchy disk (rather than a disk with a standard single-temperature profile) might be a hallmark of accretion disks close to or above the Eddington limit. We discuss further tests of this picture and potential implications for sources such as narrow-line Seyfert-1 galaxies and other low-mass active galactic nuclei.
Psychopharmacologic treatment of schizophrenia.

Antipsychotic (neuroleptic) medications continue to be a critical component in the treatment of schizophrenia. Despite numerous advances in brain imaging, genetics, and neurochemistry, the pharmacologic agents routinely used to treat schizophrenia have not changed markedly over the last 30 years. The introduction of clozapine, however, represents an important step in drug development and has stimulated renewed activity in this area. In addition, its novel effects have had a heuristic value in efforts to better understand neuropharmacologic mechanisms. While we await further advances in treatment development, we are benefiting from clinical research focusing on improving our ability to use available pharmacotherapy in the most effective and least toxic manner. Recent studies reemphasize the potential value of using the minimum effective dosage for acute treatment (e.g., 10-15 mg/day of oral haloperidol) and provide needed data on the benefits and risks of long-term dosage reduction strategies (i.e., continuous low-dose or targeted/intermittent treatment).
Melatonin attenuates L‐cysteine‐induced seizures and lipid peroxidation in the brain of mice

Abstract: The effect of melatonin, a potent free radical scavenger, on L‐cysteine‐induced seizures and lipid peroxidation was investigated in mice. When L‐cysteine (1.25, or 5.0 μmol/animal) was injected intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v.) into mice, severe tonic seizures were observed for over 20 sec in 75% and 100% of the treated mice, respectively. However, when melatonin (20 or 100 mg/kg) was injected subcutaneously (sc) into mice 15 min before L‐cysteine injection (1.25 umol/animal, i.c.v.), the incidence of seizures was observed in only 35% and 20% of the treated mice, respectively. Furthermore, when L‐cysteine (1.25 or 5.0 (amol/animal, i.c.v.) was injected into mice, lipid peroxidation in whole brain 20 min after injection was significantly increased by 56% or 67% as compared to that of the control. However, when the seizures induced by L‐cysteine (1.25 μmol/animal) were abolished by preadminstration of melatonin, the increased lipid peroxidation induced by L‐cysteine was prevented. These results suggest that there may be a positive correlation between free radical formation and seizures induced by L‐cysteine and that melatonin affords protection against the seizures as well as against the associated lipid peroxidation.
Mortality, Major Cause of Moribundity, and Spontaneous Tumors in CD-1 Mice

Mortality, major causes of moribundity, and spontaneous tumors in CD-1 mice were studied in 891 males and 890 females, which were used as controls in 11 different 2-year chronic and oncogenicity studies during the past 5 years. Average mortality of males and females at 83 weeks of age was 32.6% and 28.6%, respectively, and at 109 weeks of age was 66.4% and 63.3%, respectively. Mortality was significantly lowered in males and females born after 1980 in accordance with an abruptly decreased occurrence of systemic amyloidosis in these animals. The major cause of death or moribundity included systemic arteritis, systemic amyloidosis, auricular thrombosis, glomerulosclerosis, lymphoma, and pulmonary adenocarcinoma in both sexes. Dysuria and hepatocellular carcinoma in males and mammary adenocarcinoma in females were also critical lesions. The major tumors occurring at more than 3% incidence were systemic lymphoma, adenoma/adenocarcinoma of the lung, adenoma/carcinoma of the liver and adenoma/adenocarcinoma of the Harderian gland for males, and systemic lymphoma, adenoma/adenocarcinoma of the lung, adenoma/carcinoma of the liver, leiomyoma/leiomyosarcoma of the uterus, adenoma/adenocarcinoma of the pituitary (anterior), adenoma/adenocarcinoma of the mammary gland and adenoma/adenocarcinoma of the Harderian gland for females. Intra-laboratory heterogeneities in the incidence were recorded as follows: systemic lymphoma in 1 of 11 control groups (1/11) and adenoma/adenocarcinoma in 1/11 for males, and systemic lymphoma in 3/11, adenoma/adenocarcinoma of the lung in 2/11, adenoma/adenocarcinoma of the liver in 1/11, and adenoma/adenocarcinoma in 1/11 for females.
General Smile Asymptotics with Bounded Maturity

We provide explicit conditions on the distribution of risk-neutral log-returns which yield sharp asymptotic estimates on the implied volatility smile. We allow for a variety of asymptotic regimes, including both small maturity (with arbitrary strike) and extreme strike (with arbitrary bounded maturity), extending previous work of Benaim and Friz [Math. Finance 19 (2009), 1-12]. We present applications to popular models, including Carr-Wu finite moment logstable model, Merton's jump diffusion model and Heston's model.
Comparison of Morphine, Ketorolac, and Their Combination for Postoperative Pain: Results from a Large, Randomized, Double-blind Trial

Background:Meta-analyses report similar numbers needed to treat for nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and opioids. Differences in baseline pain intensity among the studies from which these numbers needed to treat were derived may have confounded the results. NSAIDs have an opioid-sparing effect, but the importance of this effect is unclear. Therefore, the authors sought to compare the proportions of subjects who obtain pain relief with ketorolac versus morphine after surgery and to determine whether the opioid-sparing effect of an NSAID reduces the magnitude of opioid side effects. Methods:The study was a double-blind, randomized controlled trial. The authors randomly assigned 1,003 adult patients to receive 30 mg ketorolac or 0.1 mg/kg morphine intravenously. They calculated the proportion of subjects who achieved at least 50% reduction in pain intensity 30 min after analgesic administration. Further, so long as pain intensity 30 min after analgesic administration was 5 or more out of 10, patients received 2.5 mg morphine every 10 min until pain intensity was 4 or less out of 10. The authors assessed the presence of opioid-related side effects. Results:Five hundred patients received morphine and 503 received ketorolac. Fifty percent of patients in the morphine group achieved pain relief, compared with 31% in the ketorolac group (difference, 19%; 95% confidence interval, 13–25%). The ketorolac–morphine group required less morphine (difference, 6.5 mg; 95% confidence interval, −5.8 to −7.2) and had a lower incidence of side effects (difference, 11%; 95% confidence interval, 5–16%) than the morphine group. Conclusions:Opioids are more efficacious analgesics than NSAIDs, although historic data for these two drugs yield similar numbers needed to treat. Adding NSAIDs to the opioid treatment reduces morphine requirements and opioid-related side effects in the early postoperative period.
The water content of bone. I. The mass of water, inorganic crystals, organic matrix, and CO2 space components in a unit volume of the dog bone.

1. The densities of dog bone specimens both when hydrated and dry have been reported. Although a trend toward correlation of these two characteristics appears in the material used, such correlation is not to be expected in all bone specimens. 2. The water content of the bone has been correlated with the density of the hydrated specimen. 3. The dry-substance content of the bone has been correlated with the density of the dry specimen. The mass of the dry Specimen largely represents calcified osteoid. Variations in dry density represent in large part more or less complete calcification of the osteoid. 4. In specimens from normal puppies, those with a very low density when hydrated have a slightly lower density when dry and a slightly smaller ratio of ash + carbon dioxide space to organic component. 5. Variations in these relationships probably exist in bones from animals of different species and in disease states affecting bones of animals of any one species.
Antimicrobial resistance in urinary bacterial isolates from pregnant women in rural Tanzania: Implications for public health

Treatment of asymptomatic bacteriuria and urinary tract infections in pregnancy can prevent adverse outcome for mother and child. However, antimicrobial resistance can impede effective chemotherapy. From April 1995 to March 1996, urine specimens from 5153 pregnant women in a rural area in northern Tanzania were inoculated on dip slides. Bacterial isolates from 101 positive dip slides were identified and tested for susceptibility to antimicrobial agents by disc diffusion. In total, 107 bacterial isolates were recovered, 71 Gram-negative and 36 Gram-positive. The most frequent isolates were Escherichia coli (n=27) and enterococci (n=15). E. coli isolates showed low rates of resistance to ampicillin (17%), mecillinam (9%), cefalexin (0%), nitrofurantoin (4%), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (0%), trimethoprim (13%) and sulfamethoxazole (0%). Other Gram-negative bacteria displayed higher rates of resistance to these drugs. All enterococcal isolates were sensitive to ampicillin and only 2 were resistant to nitrofurantoin. Growth of E. coli from urine culture was correlated with adverse outcome of pregnancy (relative risk 4.13, 95% confidence interval 1.50–11.38). Antimicrobial susceptibility prevails in urinary isolates of E. coli and enterococci from rural areas of northern Tanzania. Susceptibility data from both rural and urban areas should be taken into account when planning antibiotic policies.
Formal and Informal Institutional Distance, and International Entry Strategies

The effects of "distance" between organizational units have been a prime concern of scholars aiming to explain international business strategies. We expand this line of research to distinguish formal and informal aspects of the institutional frameworks, which have different implications for businesses. Formal (regulatory) differences are generally transparent and require clearly discernable adjustments. In contrast, informal differences are harder to understand and require experiential learning processes. Thus, aspects of distance vary in their impact on foreign investors' costs of benefits of cooperating with local partners. In consequence, business strategies may be affected in opposite ways by formal and informal institutional distance. Moreover, firms already familiar with the local context may have developed internal practices that mitigate certain impacts of distance, and thus adapt differently to institutional differences. Hypotheses derived from this line of argument are tested on a unique dataset of foreign direct investment in six emerging economies that incorporates multiple host as well as multiple home countries. We find that formal and informal distances have opposite effects on entry mode choice, and that experience moderates the effects of informal distance.
A novel modified PAIR technique using a trocar catheter for percutaneous treatment of liver hydatid cysts: a six-year experience.

PURPOSE We aimed to demonstrate the success and reliability of a novel puncture, aspiration, injection, and reaspiration (PAIR) technique in liver hydatid cysts. METHODS Percutaneous treatment with ultrasonographic guidance was performed in 493 hepatic hydatid cysts in 374 patients. Patients were treated with a new PAIR technique by single puncture method using a 6F trocar catheter. The results of this novel technique were evaluated with regards to efficacy and safety of the procedure and complication rates. RESULTS Out of 493 cysts, 317 were Gharbi type I (WHO CE 1) and 176 were Gharbi type II (WHO CE 3A). Of all cysts, 13 were referred to surgery because of cystobiliary fistulization. Recurrence was observed in 11 cysts one month later. Therefore, the success rate of the PAIR technique was 97.7% (469/480). Minor complications (fever, urticaria-like reactions, biliary fistula) were seen in 44 treated patients (12%, 44/374); the only major complication was reversible anaphylactic shock which was observed in two patients (0.5%, 2/374). CONCLUSION This novel modified PAIR technique may be superior to catheterization by Seldinger technique due to its efficiency, easier application, lower severe complication rate, and lower cost. Further comparative studies are required to confirm our observations.