Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Changes in the epidemiology of pneumococcal bacteremia in a Swiss university hospital during a 15-year period, 1986-2000.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate changes in epidemiological characteristics and outcome of patients with pneumococcal bacteremia during a 15-year period in a Swiss university hospital. PATIENTS AND METHODS We reviewed the medical records of all hospitalized adults at the University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland, whose blood culture yielded Streptococcus pneumoniae from January 1, 1986, through December 31, 2000. RESULTS We analyzed 405 episodes of pneumococcal bacteremia in 394 patients. The mean annual incidence of 1.78 episodes per 1000 hospital admissions was inversely related to the mean atmospheric temperature of the area. During the study period, penicillin nonsusceptibility increased from 0% to 17%. The overall case-fatality rate was 25%, which decreased from 33% to 17% between the first and the second half of the study period (P<.001). The proportion of women with pneumococcal bacteremia increased from 37% to 52%. Independent risk factors for fatal outcome were coronary artery disease (P<.001; relative risk [RR], 4.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.4-5.1), neutropenia (P=.001; RR, 3.2; 95% CI, 1.9-4.8), and age 65 years or older (P=.001; RR, 2.9; 95% CI, 1.8-4.2), whereas prior respiratory tract infection (P=.03; RR, 0.3; 95% CI, 0.1-0.5) and the occurrence of pneumococcal bacteremia in the second half of the study period (P=.01; RR, 0.4; 95% CI, 0.2-0.6) were independent predictors of survival. The case-fatality rate in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients was significantly lower than in patients not infected with HIV or in those with unknown HIV status (9% vs 27%; P=.006), which correlated with the younger mean +/- SD age of HIV-infected patients (33.2+/-6.6 years) compared with patients not infected with HIV (63.1+/-18.1 years) (P<.001). CONCLUSIONS The case-fatality rate of patients with pneumococcal bacteremia decreased significantly between the first and second half of the study period, despite the increased prevalence of penicillin-nonsusceptible isolates. Independent risk factors for fatal outcome were coronary artery disease, neutropenia, and age 65 years or older, whereas prior respiratory tract infection and the occurrence of pneumococcal bacteremia in the second half of the study period were independent predictors of survival. HIV infection was a predisposing factor for pneumococcal bacteremia but was not a risk factor for fatal outcome.
Identifying psychosocial variables in patients with acute work-related low back pain: the importance of fear-avoidance beliefs.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Psychosocial factors are known to affect recovery from acute low back pain. The factors with the greatest influence and the optimal methods of measurement and interpretation have not been established. The purpose of this study was to examine baseline psychosocial variables and their ability to predict prolonged work restrictions. SUBJECTS The subjects were 78 people with work-related low back pain who were participating in a clinical trial (mean age=37.4 years, SD=10.4, range=18-58; mean duration of pain=5.5 days, SD=4.6, range=0-19). METHODS A baseline examination including measures of impairment, disability, and psychosocial variables was performed. All subjects had physical therapy interventions. Work status was assessed after 4 weeks. Sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratios were calculated for the prediction of work status by the use of psychosocial variables. Receiver operator characteristic curves and logistic regression were used to identify the variables that were most predictive of work status. RESULTS Twenty-two subjects (29%) had persistent work restrictions. The work subscale of the Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire was the strongest predictor of work status (negative likelihood ratio of 0.08 for scores less than 30, positive likelihood ratio of 3.33 for scores greater than 34). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION Fear-avoidance beliefs about work was the psychosocial factor that could best be used to predict return to work in patients with acute work-related low back pain. Examination of fear-avoidance beliefs may serve as a useful screening tool for identifying patients who are at risk for prolonged work restrictions.
A Dynamical Model for the Control of the Gonadotrophin‐Releasing Hormone Neurosecretory System

The gonadotrophin‐releasing hormone (GnRH) neurosecretory system involves both endocrine neurones and associated brain cells responsible for the control of GnRH release into the pituitary portal blood. Alternation between a pulsatile regime and the pre‐ovulatory surge is the hallmark of GnRH secretion in ovarian cycles of female mammals. In previous studies, we have introduced a mathematical model of the pulse and surge GnRH generator and derived appropriate dynamics‐based constraints on the model parameters, both to reproduce the right sequence of secretion events and to fulfil quantitative specifications on GnRH release. In the present study, we explain how these constraints amount to embedding time‐ and dose‐dependent steroid control within the model. We further examine under which conditions the oestradiol‐driven surge may be withdrawn by pre‐surge progesterone administration and simulate both oestradiol and progesterone challenges in the pulsatile regime.
Epidemiological survey of dermatophytosis in Tehran, Iran, from 2000 to 2005.

BACKGROUND Cutaneous fungal infections are common in Tehran, Iran, and causative organisms include dermatophytes, yeasts and non-dermatophyte molds. The prevalence of superficial mycosis infections has risen to such a level that skin mycoses now affect more than 20-25% of the world's population, making them the most frequent form of infection. AIMS Our aim was to determine the prevalence of superficial cutaneous fungal infections especially dermatophytosis in our Medical Mycology Laboratory in the Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran. METHODS A total of 17,573 specimens were collected from clinically suspected tinea corporis, tinea cruris, tinea capitis, tinea faciei, tinea pedis, tinea manuum and finger and toe onychomycosis from 2000 to 2005. Patients were referred to our laboratory for direct examination, fungal culture and identification. The incidence of each species was thus calculated. RESULTS Dermatophytes remain the most commonly isolated fungal organisms, except from clinically suspected finger onychomycosis, in which case Candida species comprise >7% of the isolates. Epidermophyton floccosum remains the most prevalent fungal pathogen and increased incidence of this species was observed in tinea cruris. Trichophyton tonsurans continues to increase in incidence. CONCLUSION This study identifies the epidemiologic trends and the predominant organisms causing dermatophytosis in Tehran, Iran. These data can be used to ascertain the past and present trends in incidence, predict the adequacy of our current pharmacologic repertoire and provide insight into future developments. Consideration of the current epidemiologic trends in the incidence of cutaneous fungal pathogens is of key importance to investigational effort, diagnosis and treatment.
Establishment, survival, site selection and development of Leptorhynchoides thecatus in largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides

SUMMARY Establishment, survival and distribution of Leptorhynchoides thecatus (Acanthocephala) were investigated in largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides, fed 10, 25, or 40 cystacanths and examined at 1, 3 or 5 weeks post-infection. Worms established widely in the alimentary tracts of bass but by 5 weeks post-infection had localized in the pyloric caeca and intercaecal region. Other individuals moved to parenteral sites where they remained immature, though viable. In the 10- and 25-level exposures, establishment and survivorship in the alimentary tract were roughly proportional to the dose of cystacanths. After 1 week post-infection in the 40-level exposure class, numbers of worms in the alimentary tract decreased significantly and parenteral occurrence increased significantly. Total survival of L. thecatus appeared to be density-independent. Maturation of worms was retarded temporarily as intensity of infection increased, but by 5 weeks post-infection worms from all doses were at roughly the same stage of development within sex. The caeca and intercaecal area apparently did not differ in their suitability for maturation.
Evaluating Fund Capacity: Issues and Methods

We examine the issues and methods involved in evaluating the size that an equity fund might attain before it becomes unable to create additional value for investors. We discuss how capacity is defined, identify ten drivers and outline methods for conducting capacity analysis. We detail models that predict capacity, assuming that a fund adjusts the manner in which it trades and constructs portfolios as funds under management grow. We also provide an overview of transaction cost modelling, which is integral to predicting capacity. This study is primarily intended as an aid for investment industry participants who wish to evaluate the capacity associated with a given investment signal.
CYP2E1 PstI/RsaI polymorphism and colorectal cancer risk: a meta-analysis.

AIM To clarify the association between CYP2E1 PstI/RsaI polymorphism and susceptibility to colorectal cancer. METHODS A meta-analysis based on 10 eligible case-control studies involving 4979 cases and 6012 controls was carried out to summarize the data on the association between CYP2E1 RsaI/PstI polymorphism and colorectal cancer risk. RESULTS In comparison of the homozygote c2c2 and c2 carriers (c1c2 + c2c2) and the homozygous wild-type genotype (c1c1), no association was found between CYP2E1 RsaI/PstI polymorphism and colorectal cancer risk [odds ratio (OR) = 1.24 (95% CI: 0.93-1.66) for c2c2; OR = 1.02 (95% CI: 0.88-1.19) for c2 carriers]. In stratified analysis, Caucasians with c2c2 homozygote appeared to have an increased risk of colorectal cancer (OR = 2.67, 95% CI: 1.03-6.89, P = 0.043), no significant associations were found in other groups. CONCLUSION c2c2 homozygote of CYP2E1 PstI/RsaI polymorphism may be associated with the increased risk of colorectal cancer in Caucasians, which needs further investigations.
EVOLUTIONARY RADIATION OF “STONE PLANTS” IN THE GENUS ARGYRODERMA (AIZOACEAE): UNRAVELING THE EFFECTS OF LANDSCAPE, HABITAT, AND FLOWERING TIME

Abstract Recent phylogenetic evidence suggests that the extraordinary diversity of the Cape Floristic Kingdom in South Africa may be the result of widespread evolutionary radiation. Our understanding of the role of adaptive versus neutral processes in these radiations remains largely speculative. In this study we investigated factors involved in the diversification of Argyroderma, a genus within the most spectacular of the Cape radiations, that of the Ruschioid subfamily of the Aizoaceae. We used amplified fragment length polymorphisms and a suite of morphological traits to elucidate patterns of differentiation within and between species of Argyroderma across the range of the genus. We then used a matrix correlation approach to assess the influence of landscape structure, edaphic gradients, and flowering phenology on phenotypic and neutral genetic divergence in the system. We found evidence for strong spatial genetic isolation at all taxonomic levels. In addition, genetic differentiation occurs along a temporal axis, between sympatric species with divergent flowering times. Morphological differentiation, which previous studies suggest is adaptive, occurs along a habitat axis, between populations occupying different edaphic microenvironments. Morphological differentiation is in turn significantly associated with flowering time shifts. Thus we propose that diversification within Argyroderma has occurred through a process of adaptive speciation in allopatry. Spatially isolated populations diverge phenotypically in response to divergent habitat selection, which in turn leads to the evolution of reproductive isolation through divergence of flowering phenologies, perhaps as a correlated response to morphological divergence. Evidence suggests that diversification of the group has proceeded in two phases: the first involving divergence of allopatric taxa on varied microhabitats within a novel habitat type (the quartz gravel plains), and the second involving range expansion of an early flowering phenotype on the most extreme edaphic habitat and subsequent incomplete differentiation of allopatric populations of the early flowering group. These results point to adaptive speciation in allopatry as a likely model for the spectacular diversification of the ice-plant family in the dissected landscapes of the southern African winter rainfall deserts.
A Compact, Single-Layer Substrate Integrated Waveguide (SIW) Cavity-Backed Active Antenna Oscillator

This letter presents the design and implementation of a single-layer, cavity-backed antenna oscillator based on substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) technology. The proposed antenna topology is particularly suitable for two-dimensional array configurations. The active circuit and the radiator are placed on opposite sides of the substrate and within the cavity area, allowing for a compact implementation. An X-band prototype was designed and fabricated, and it features frequency-tuning capability introduced by employing a varactor diode in the active circuit. The measurements showed 11.87-12.36 GHz tuning range, phase noise better than - 107 dBc/Hz at 1 MHz offset, and 7% DC-to-RF conversion efficiency.
Impact of intensive care unit organ failures on mortality during the five years after a critical illness.

RATIONALE The relationship between organ failure during critical illness and long-term survival is uncertain, especially among intensive care unit (ICU) survivors. OBJECTIVES To describe the relationship between individual organ failures, total organ failure burden, and mortality during the 5 years after an episode of critical illness. METHODS We studied a cohort of sequential admissions to 10 Scottish ICUs (n = 872). Logistic regression was used to explore independent associations between organ failures and mortality over a 5-year time horizon, adjusting for potential confounders. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Daily Sequential Organ Failure Assessment scores described organ dysfunction during ICU stay. The sum of the worst scores at any time point during the ICU stay for each organ system except neurological dysfunction was used to calculate total organ failure burden. Mortality was obtained from the national death register. Five-year mortality was 58.2%; 34.4% of deaths occurred within 28 days. In adjusted analyses, cardiovascular (odds ratio [OR], 2.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.8-3.7), liver (OR, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.1-5.0), and respiratory failure (OR, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.3-3.5) were independently associated with 5-year mortality. Organ failure burden was strongly associated with mortality; 81% of patients in the highest tertile died during follow-up (OR, 6.3 relative to lowest tertile; P < 0.001). Patients surviving more than 12 months post-ICU were still more likely to subsequently die if they experienced greater organ failure burden in the ICU (OR, 2.4; P = 0.02, highest vs. lowest tertile). CONCLUSIONS Cardiovascular, respiratory, and liver failures during critical illness strongly predict subsequent 5-year survival. Acute organ failure burden is associated with long-term mortality even among patients who survive up to 1 year after ICU admission.
Location and Entrepreneurship: Insights from a Spatially‐Explicit Occupational Choice Model with an Application to Chile

Occupational choice and heterogeneous managerial ability enter a spatial Dixit-Stiglitz setting, linking location, wages and regional entrepreneurship rates. Market potential has a positive partial effect and wages a negative partial effect on the regional supply of entrepreneurs, both balancing in equilibrium with endogenous wages. Market potential increases profits, but also the opportunity cost of entrepreneurship. In the long-run equilibrium with perfect mobility, the cut-off level of ability determining selection into entrepreneurship will be the same across regions; moreover, regional differences in entrepreneurship rates depend only in differences in average fixed costs of firms. An empirical application is provided for Chile.
Scar on my heart: effects of unemployment experiences on coronary heart disease

The aim of the present work is to study the impact of unemployment on coronary heart diseases (CHD) in Italy on a sample of male manual workers in the private sector. We investigate the association between CHD and different unemployment experiences (ever unemployed; short, mid and long cumulative unemployment), exploiting a large Italian administrative database on careers and health. We designed a 12-years pre-treatment period, on which to balance individuals’ characteristics; a 7-years treatment period to measure the unemployment occurrence; a 5-years follow up to observe CHD. The workers characteristics and the probability of receiving the treatment are balanced by means of Propensity Score Matching. Standard diagnostics on the balancing assumption are discussed and satisfied, while the robustness to violations of the unconfoundedness assumption is evaluated by a simulation-based sensitivity analysis. We find a significant increase of CHD probability for workers who experience more than three years of unemployment (RR=1.91, p
Playing the Vertical Power Game: The Impact of Local Authorities in Cantonal Parliaments on the Financing of Special Schools

This study analyses the effect of local authorities in the Swiss cantonal parliaments on the allocation of special school costs. The empirical findings show that a higher share of local authorities in the cantonal legislature leads to a higher share of special school costs borne by the cantonal authorities. The effect is stronger for mayors compared to all members of local governments. Hence, mayors have a strong connection with their home municipality and use the political power of the accumulation of mandates for shifting undesirable costs from the local up to the cantonal level. This specific finding does not depend on the overall national constitutional framework, as the introduction of the NFA (Neuer Finanzausgleich) – in the course of which the federal state fully withdrew from financing special schools - has not changed the magnitude of this effect.
Inosine induces presynaptic inhibition of acetylcholine release by activation of A3 adenosine receptors at the mouse neuromuscular junction

The role of inosine at the mammalian neuromuscular junction (NMJ) has not been clearly defined. Moreover, inosine was classically considered to be the inactive metabolite of adenosine. Hence, we investigated the effect of inosine on spontaneous and evoked ACh release, the mechanism underlying its modulatory action and the receptor type and signal transduction pathway involved.
Risk Predictors and Causes of Technique Failure Within the First Year of Peritoneal Dialysis: An Australia and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant Registry (ANZDATA) Study.

BACKGROUND Concern regarding technique failure is a major barrier to increased uptake of peritoneal dialysis (PD), and the first year of therapy is a particularly vulnerable time. STUDY DESIGN A cohort study using competing-risk regression analyses to identify the key risk factors and risk periods for early transfer to hemodialysis therapy or death in incident PD patients. SETTING & PARTICIPANTS All adult patients who initiated PD therapy in Australia and New Zealand in 2000 through 2014. PREDICTORS Patient demographics and comorbid conditions, duration of prior renal replacement therapy, timing of referral, PD modality, dialysis era, and center size. OUTCOMES Technique failure within the first year, defined as transfer to hemodialysis therapy for more than 30 days or death. RESULTS Of 16,748 patients included in the study, 4,389 developed early technique failure. Factors associated with increased risk included age older than 70 years, diabetes or vascular disease, prior renal replacement therapy, late referral to a nephrology service, or management in a smaller center. Asian or other race and use of continuous ambulatory PD were associated with reduced risk, as was initiation of PD therapy in 2010 through 2014. Although the risk for technique failure due to death or infection was constant during the first year, mechanical and other causes accounted for a greater number of cases within the initial 9 months of treatment. LIMITATIONS Potential for residual confounding due to limited data for residual kidney function, dialysis prescription, and socioeconomic factors. CONCLUSIONS Several modifiable and nonmodifiable factors are associated with early technique failure in PD. Targeted interventions should be considered in high-risk patients to avoid the consequences of an unplanned transfer to hemodialysis therapy or death.
Inhibition of a penetration-enhancing factor of Toxoplasma gondii by monoclonal antibodies specific for rhoptries

The anterior organelles of the coccidian parasite Toxoplasma gondii have long been suspected of playing a role in the ability of this organism to actively penetrate a wide range of host cells. A series of four monoclonal antibodies (produced by spleen cells from mice immunized with whole, killed T. gondii fused with Sp 2/0-Ag14 myeloma cells) recognized anterior organelles of T. gondii in indirect immunofluorescence assays. These antibodies (Tg 13, Tg 31, Tg 49, and Tg 112) were of the immunoglobulin G (IgG) class, had different enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay titers, and partially competed with each other in a solid-phase immunoassay with whole, dried T. gondii as the antigen. It was observed by immunofluorescence that all antibodies detected anterior structures, which under some conditions of fixation and extraction appeared to be multiple rodlike organelles resembling rhoptries. As determined by ultrastructure immunocytology, Tg 49 recognized electron-dense bodies consistent with rhoptries or micronemes in parasites that had been fixed in 2% paraformaldehyde and extracted with Triton X-100 to allow antibody penetration. An assay of penetration enhancement, in which conditioned medium (from fibroblast monolayers completely lysed by T. gondii) increased the number of plaques produced by a standard inoculum of T. gondii on fresh monolayers, was inhibited by equal amounts of all four monoclonal antibodies, in degrees closely related to their enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay titers. These antibodies appeared to link a penetration-enhancing factor with the rhoptries of T. gondii.
How Does Social Capital Influence Online P2P Lending? A Cross-Country Analysis

Online People-to-People (P2P) lending marketplace allows individuals to lend and borrow directly among each other without the mediation of a creditor bank institution. Prior literature has examined how social capital influences P2P loan performance, but has largely been limited to the Western context. This paper thus explores how social capital influences P2P lending in the U.S. and China. Based on the archival data of Prosper and PPDai, we compare the influence of social capital in different communities and different cultures. The empirical results show that social capital is not equally important in different cultures. Social capital seems to be more influential for likelihood of getting funded in China than in the U.S. In contrast, social capital has influence on interest rate in the U.S. only. Our study thus extends current understanding about how social capital influences online communities in a global perspective.