Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Genetic Differences Between Invasive and Noninvasive Neonatal Group B Streptococcal Isolates

Background: Streptococcus agalactiae, also known as group B streptococcus (GBS), is the most common cause of neonatal sepsis and meningitis. To improve our understanding of the pathogenesis of neonatal GBS sepsis, better knowledge of clonal relatedness and diversity among invasive and noninvasive GBS isolates is critical. Methods: In a Germany-based study, invasive neonatal GBS isolates were compared with noninvasive isolates from neonates in whom sepsis was suspected, but whose blood cultures were sterile. The comparison was conducted by means of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and surface protein gene profiling. In addition, multilocus sequence typing was performed on invasive and noninvasive isolates of the most frequent invasive serotype III. Results: Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analysis of noninvasive GBS showed a remarkably more diverse fingerprinting pattern than that of invasive isolates. In contrast to invasive strains, noninvasive isolates did not show any clustering. Surface protein gene profiling also showed significantly different distribution patterns between the 2 panels of isolates. Multilocus sequence typing of invasive and noninvasive serotype III isolates revealed the same clonal complexes, but displayed different sequence types (ST); ST-17 was most common (68.6%) among invasive strains, whereas ST-389 (clonal complex-19) was predominant among noninvasive strains (47.8%). Conclusions: Our results illustrate a large molecular diversity among neonatal noninvasive GBS strains. Invasive strains, however, represent only a small proportion of the noninvasive GBS population. These findings suggest a selection process that prefers more virulent strains during invasion.
A Theoretical Investigation of Slot Waveguide Bragg Gratings

Bragg grating, structures based on dielectric slot waveguide, are investigated theoretically for potential applications as optical resonators and filters. Important device performance parameters, such as the reflection spectrum, the peak reflectivity, and the field confinement factor, are examined as functions of key waveguide and grating design parameters.
Localization of sites in periventricular forebrain mediating cardiovascular effects of gamma-aminobutyric acid agonists and antagonists in anesthetized cats.

Previous studies have shown that injection of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) antagonists such as bicuculline methiodide (BMI) into the forebrain (i.e., lateral and third) ventricular system elicits neurally mediated increases in blood pressure and heart rate and inhibits baroreflex bradycardia in anesthetized cats. Similar administration of muscimol, a GABA agonist, blocks or reverses the effects of BMI but has no effect on blood pressure or heart rate in untreated animals. These findings suggest that GABAergic inhibition may tonically suppress a forebrain mechanism capable of modifying autonomic outflow to the cardiovascular system. In the present study, we used a technique designed to restrict the distribution of intraventricularly administered drugs to varying degrees in order to better localize the relevant sites of drug action. Our findings show that BMI increases heart rate and blood pressure and that muscimol counters these changes by acting at a site that is accessible from the intermediate (as opposed to the rostral or caudal) region of the third ventricle. In contrast, these agents influence baroreflex bradycardia by acting at more rostral periventricular sites. These findings are consistent with the notion that the GABAergic mechanisms involved in the cardiovascular effects resulting from intraventricular administration of BMI and muscimol are located in the periventricular hypothalamus.
Revision of Diplocirrus Haase, 1915, including Bradiella Rullier, 1965, and Diversibranchius Buzhinskaja, 1993 (Polychaeta, Flabelligeridae)

Abstract Diplocirrus Haase, 1915, includes flabelligerids having cylindrical to club-shaped bodies, with cirriform papillae, multiarticulate chaetae in both parapodial rami, 8 branchial filaments of two types (thick and rarely lamellate, or cirriform), gonopodial lobes in chaetigers 5 or 6, or multiple gonopores along some anterior chaetigers. Bradiella Rullier, 1965, has included only the type species: Bradiella branchiata Rullier, 1965, described from Eastern Australia. The original description has been overlooked and it lacked enough details on branchial and chaetal features. Diversibranchius Buzhinskaja, 1993, with Diplocirrus nicolaji Buzhinskaja, 1994, as the type species, was introduced for a similar species from the Japan Sea. These two monotypic genera share the same morphologic features with Diplocirrus, and are herein regarded as its junior synonyms. As herein redefined, Diplocirrus includes, besides its type species, Diplocirrus glaucus (Malmgren, 1867)from Scandinavia : Diplocirrus branchiatus (Rullier, 1965), comb. n. from Queensland, Australia, Diplocirrus capensis Day, 1961 from South Africa, Diplocirrus erythroporus Gallardo, 1968 from Vietnam, Diplocirrus hirsutus (Hansen, 1882) from Arctic and subarctic regions, Diplocirrus incognitus Darbyshire & Mackie, 2009 from South Africa, Diplocirrus kudenovi sp. n. from off Western Mexico, Diplocirrus longisetosus (von Marenzeller, 1890) restricted to the Bering Sea, Diplocirrus micans Fauchald, 1972 from deep water off Oregon and Western Mexico, Diplocirrus nicolaji (Buzhinskaja, 1994), comb. n. from the Japan Sea, Diplocirrus normani (McIntosh, 1908), comb. n. from Scandinavia, Diplocirrus octobranchus (Hartman, 1965), comb. n. from off New England, and Diplocirrus stopbowitzi Darbyshire & Mackie, 2009 from the Irish Sea.
Positive outcomes of participatory ergonomics in terms of higher comfort and productivity

Ergonomics sometimes has a negative connotation as it is seen to be connected to illness or guidelines that limit innovations. This paper is focused on the positive aspects of ergonomics in improvement of the working environment. It consists of a part that studies the literature on success factors in the process towards higher productivity and greater comfort, the formulation of a model and a hypothesis, which is illustrated by four cases. The model distinguishes the success factors in ‘goal’, ‘involvement’ and ‘process’. Goals: evidence is found in the literature that a positive approach has benefits in terms of shareholder value and productivity, and for comfort. Involvement: the literature shows that participation of end-users and management contributes to success. Process: in the process it is essential to have a good inventory of the problems, a structured approach, a steering group responsible for the guidance, and end-users involvement in testing of ideas and prototypes. It is hypothesized that the chance of success increases by empowerment (making the end-user responsible for deciding on the next step in the process) and positive experiences of end-users with the potential improvement (end-users feel or see the benefits). The four cases illustrate that the hypothesis can be used in evaluating cases.
Ocrelizumab: a step forward in the evolution of B-cell therapy

Recent advances in our understanding of B-cell dysregulation and its important link to autoimmunity have brought about a radical change in the management of autoimmune diseases. Over the past few years, encouraging data from several clinical trials of rituximab, a chimeric anti-CD20 antibody, have led to its approval for use in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). These data, regarding clinical efficacy, safety, improved patient-reported outcomes and cost-effectiveness with the use of rituximab in patients with RA, have led to the exploration of other agents targeting B-cell functions. Ocrelizumab, a novel humanized anti-CD20 antibody, has shown clinical efficacy and safety in a recently reported trial in patients with RA. Future clinical trials will help evaluate further the role of ocrelizumab in RA and its potential use in other autoimmune diseases. This review describes current understanding of B-cell therapy, the role of rituximab in the treatment of RA and the evolving role of ocrelizumab as a B-cell-targeted therapy.
Differential inhibition by allylsulfide of nitrification and methane oxidation in freshwater sediment

Addition of nitrapyrin, allylthiourea, C(inf2)H(inf2), and CH(inf3)F to freshwater sediment slurries inhibited CH(inf4) oxidation and nitrification to similar extents. Dicyandiamide and allylsulfide were less inhibitory for CH(inf4) oxidation than for nitrification. Allylsulfide was the most potent inhibitor of nitrification, and the estimated 50% inhibitory concentrations for this process and CH(inf4) oxidation were 0.2 and 121 (mu)M, respectively. At a concentration of 2 (mu)M allylsulfide, growth and CH(inf4) oxidation activity of Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b were not inhibited. Allylsulfide at 200 (mu)M inhibited the growth of M. trichosporium by approximately 50% but did not inhibit CH(inf4) oxidation activity. Nitrite production by cells of M. trichosporium was not significantly affected by allylsulfide, except at a concentration of 2 mM, when growth and CH(inf4) oxidation were also inhibited by about 50%. Methane monooxygenase activity present in soluble fractions of M. trichosporium was not inhibited significantly by allylsulfide at either 200 (mu)M or 2 mM. These results suggest that the partial inhibition of CH(inf4) oxidation in sediment slurries by high allylsulfide concentrations may be caused by an inhibition of the growth of methanotrophs rather than an inhibition of methane monooxygenase activity specifically. We conclude that allylsulfide is a promising tool for the study of interactions of methanotrophs and nitrifiers in N cycling and CH(inf4) turnover in natural systems.
Gender, professional and non-professional work, and the changing pattern of employment-related inequality in poor self-rated health, 1995-2006 in South Korea.

OBJECTIVES We examined gender differential changes in employment-related health inequalities according to occupational position (professional/nonprofessional) in South Korea during the last decade. METHODS Data were taken from four rounds of Social Statistical Surveys of South Korea (1995, 1999, 2003, and 2006) from the Korean National Statistics Office. The total study population was 55435 male and 33 913 female employees aged 25-64. Employment arrangements were divided into permanent, fixed-term, and daily employment. RESULTS After stratification according to occupational position (professional/nonprofessional) and gender, different patterns in employment - related health inequalities were observed. In the professional group, the gaps in absolute and relative employment inequalities for poor self-rated health were more likely to widen following Korea's 1997 economic downturn. In the nonprofessional group, during the study period, graded patterns of employment-related health inequalities were continuously observed in both genders. Absolute health inequalities by employment status, however, decreased among men but increased among women. In addition, a remarkable increase in relative health inequalities was found among female temporary and daily employees (p = 0.009, < 0.001, respectively), but only among male daily employees (p = 0.001). Relative employment-related health inequalities had clearly widened for female daily workers between 2003 and 2006 (p = 0.047). The 1997 Korean economic downturn, in particular, seemingly stimulated a widening gap in employment health inequalities. CONCLUSIONS Our study revealed that whereas absolute health inequalities in relation to employment status increased in the professional group, relative employment-related health inequalities increased in the nonprofessional group, especially among women. In view of the high concentration of female nonstandard employees, further monitoring of inequality should consider gender specific patterns according to employee's occupational and employment status.
Immunofluorometric Quantification of Human Kallikrein 5 Expression in Ovarian Cancer Cytosols and Its Association with Unfavorable Patient Prognosis

Human kallikrein 5 (hK5; encoded by the KLK5 gene) is a secreted serine protease expressed in hormonally regulated tissues, including the breast and ovary. We have previously reported regulation of the KLK5 gene by estrogens and progestins and its clinical value as a marker of poor prognosis in breast and ovarian cancers. We thus hypothesized that hK5 may represent a potential biomarker for ovarian carcinomas, at the protein level. Using a newly developed ELISA, hK5 levels were quantified (nanograms per milligram of total protein) in 22 low malignant potential (LMP) and 132 epithelial ovarian tumors and correlated with various clinicopathological variables and outcome [progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS)]. hK5 concentration in LMP tumors ranged from 0 to 2.3 ng/mg (mean = 0.24) and from 0 to 220 ng/mg (mean = 3.35) in ovarian tumor cytosols (p = 0.002). Using a cutoff value of 0.15 ng/mg, 60% of ovarian tumors were categorized as hK5 positive. We found a strong correlation between patients with hK5-positive tumors and disease stages III/IV and grade 3 tumors (all p < 0.05). Univariate survival analysis revealed that hK5-positive patients had a significantly shorter PFS and OS (p < 0.05). Kaplan-Meier survival curves further confirmed an increased risk of relapse and death in women with hK5-positive tumors (p = 0.015 and p = 0.019, respectively). Multivariate analysis indicated that the prognostic value of hK5 was not independent from other parameters in the entire group of patients. When stratified by tumor grade (G1/2 vs. G3) and debulking success (optimal vs. suboptimal), univariate and multivariate analyses demonstrated that hK5 was an independent indicator of poor prognosis for patients with grade 3 tumors and with optimal debulking (p < 0.05). In patients with disease stage I/II versus III/IV, hK5 positivity was independently associated with a shorter PFS (p = 0.046) and marginally decreased OS (p = 0.08), in multivariate analysis. Lastly, we observed a fairly weak, positive, but statistically significant correlation between the expression levels of tissue hK5 and tissue CA125 (rs = 0.297; p < 0.001). Our findings provide evidence for an association between hK5 and more aggressive forms of epithelial ovarian cancer.
A Virtual Document Approach for Keyword Search in Databases

It is clear that in recent years the amount of information available in a variety of data sources, like those found on the Web, has presented an accelerated growth. This information can be classified based on its structure in three different forms: unstructured (free text documents), semi-structured (XML documents) and structured (a relational database or XML database). A search technique that has gained wide acceptance for use in massive data sources, such as the Web, is the keyword based search, which is simple to people who are familiar with the use of Web search engines. Keyword search has become an alternative to users without any knowledge about formal query languages and schema used in structured data. There are some traditional approaches to perform keyword search over relational databases such as Steiner Trees, Candidate Networks and recently Tuple Units. Nevertheless these methods have some limitations. In this paper we propose a Virtual Document (VD) approach for keyword search in databases. We represent the structured information as graphs and propose the use of an index that captures the structural relationships of the information. This approach produce fast and accuracy results in search responses. We have conducted extensive experiments on large-scale real databases and the results demonstrates that our approach achieves high search efficiency and high accuracy for keyword search in databases.
Multidetector CT imaging of pleura: comparison of two contrast infusion protocols.

OBJECTIVES Imaging of the pleura by multidetector CT (MDCT) can be challenging. There is no clear evidence or guidelines on contrast infusion parameters for imaging pleura. We compared two contrast protocols for assessing pleural pathology on MDCT. METHODS This was a prospective study in which consecutive patients with MDCT for suspected pleural disease on chest radiograph were randomised into two groups. The first group received 150 ml of intravenous contrast at a rate of 2.5 ml s(-1) and the second group received 100 ml at 2 ml s(-1). Images were acquired after a 60 s delay. Hounsfield units of the pleura, thoracic aorta, main pulmonary artery, portal vein and superior mesenteric artery were measured and analysed by two independent readers. RESULTS 40 patients (20 in each group) who had pleural enhancement on MDCT were included for final analysis. The mean pleural enhancement value was 83 HU (Group A) vs 59 HU (Group B) (p = 0.0004). The mean aortic enhancement was 241 HU (A) vs 141 HU (B) (p<0.0001); main pulmonary artery enhancement was 208 HU (A) vs 139 HU (B) (p<0.0002); portal venous enhancement was 169 HU (A) vs 115 HU (B) (p<0.0001); and the superior mesenteric artery enhancement was 215 HU (A) vs 128 HU (B) (p<0.0001). CONCLUSION Enhancement of the pleura and major vessels was significantly higher in the group receiving more contrast at a greater infusion rate. This technique of a single scan through the entire pleural surface with a delayed acquisition is promising. When pleural disease is suspected, contrast infusion protocols should be modified to achieve the best results and clinicians should be encouraged to specifically request a "pleural CT".
A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Olanzapine in the Prevention of Psychotic Relapse

Sustained response to antipsychotic therapy is an important outcome measure for patients with psychotic disorders. Placebo control in studies of relapse prevention contributes valuable information yet provokes much debate. This study, using placebo as a control, evaluated olanzapine’s efficacy in preventing a psychotic relapse. Participants were stable minimally symptomatic outpatients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. The study included 4 phases: (1) 4-day to 9-day screening/evaluation (N = 583), (2) 6-week conversion to open-label olanzapine (N = 493; 10-20 mg/d), (3) 8-week stabilization on olanzapine (N = 458; 10-20 mg/d), and (4) 52-week randomized (2:1), double-blind maintenance with olanzapine (N = 224; 10–20 mg/d) or placebo (N = 102). Primary relapse criteria were clinically significant changes in the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) positive item cluster or rehospitalization due to positive symptoms. Statistical methodology allowed sequential real-time estimation of efficacy across blinded treatment groups and multiple interim analyses, which permitted study termination when efficacy was significantly different between treatments. A significant between-treatment difference emerged 210 days after first patient randomization to double-blind treatment. Thus, 151 (46.3%) of the randomized patients were discontinued early and 34 (10.4%) of the planned patient enrollment were not required. The olanzapine group had a significantly longer time to relapse (P < 0.0001) than the placebo group. The 6-month cumulative estimated relapse rate (Kaplan-Meier) was 5.5% for olanzapine-treated patients versus 55.2% for placebo-treated patients. The design of this study enabled appropriate statistical testing of the primary hypothesis while minimizing exposure of patients to a less effective treatment than olanzapine. In remitted stabilized patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder, olanzapine demonstrated a positive benefit-to-risk profile in relapse prevention.
Service Use Among Adolescents With Comorbid Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders

Using the National Adolescent and Treatment Study (NACTS; Greenbaum et al., 1996) longitudinal database, this study explored whether adolescents with comorbidity had different service utilization rates than those with only a mental health disorder. Participants were 668 children (75% male, aged 9-17 years at the beginning of the study [M = 13.44, SD = 2.27], 72% white, 20% African American, and 8% Hispanic and other) and their caretakers. Receipt of 11 different services from the following five service areas were examined: (a) mental health (i.e., psychological testing, individual counseling, family counseling, group therapy, alcohol and drug counseling, psychotropic medication), (b) education (i.e., special education classes, speech therapy), (c) vocational rehabilitation, (d) nonroutine health care (e.g., doctor visits, emergency room), and (e) criminal justice (i.e., police contact). Logistic regression analyses indicated significantly (p < .05) higher rates of alcohol and drug counseling among the co-occurring group. However, in absolute terms, only slightly more than half (i.e., 54%) of those with co-occurrence obtained at least one alcohol or drug counseling service during the entire 6-year study period. Increased contact with law enforcement also was found among those with co-occurrence. Finally, little support was found for systems-related barriers to receiving services.
Genome‐wide transcriptional analysis in S. cerevisiae by mini‐array membrane hybridization

Access to the powerful micro‐array analytical methods used for genome‐wide transcriptional analysis has so far been restricted by the high cost and/or lack of availability of the sophisticated instrumentation and materials needed to perform it. Mini‐array membrane hybridization provides a less expensive alternative. The reliability of this technique, however, is not well documented and its reported use has, up to this point, been very limited. Our objective was to test whether or not mini‐array membrane hybridization would reliably identify genes whose expression was controlled by a specific set of genetic and/or physiological signals. Our results demonstrate that mini‐array hybridization can correctly identify genes whose expression is known to be controlled by the GATA‐factor regulatory network in S. cerevisiae and in addition can reliably identify genes not previously reported to be associated with this nitrogen control system. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Lack of evidence for increased genetic loading for autism among families of affected females

Both the broad and narrow phenotypes of autism have been consistently observed in family members of affected individuals. Additionally, autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) present four times more often in males than in females, for reasons that are currently unknown. In this study, we examined whether there were differences in familial loading of ASD among families of male versus female probands. Analyses were conducted with existing data from two distinct samples. The first sample contained 417 individuals with autism and Asperger's disorder and included information on the ASD diagnoses of their first- and second-degree relatives. The second sample consisted of 405 sibships participating in the Autism Genetic Resource Exchange, of which one or more siblings had an ASD diagnosis. Results from both samples did not suggest significant differences in the prevalence of ASD among relatives of affected males versus females.