Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Burden of community-acquired pneumonia in Italian general practice

To the Editor: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a major respiratory health disease with high prevalence in the general population, clinical heterogeneity and different degrees of severity. In both the USA and Europe, CAP is the most frequent cause of infection-related death. Its incidence varies from country to country and from study to study, and it is higher in very young children and elderly persons [1]. A recent UK study documented an increase of 34% in hospital admissions due to CAP over the past decade [2]. Despite the importance of its social impact, actual incidence of CAP in different settings is still under scrutiny. Thus, we aimed to explore the epidemiology of CAP in Italian general practice. We collected data from the Health Search - CSD Patient Database (HSD), an electronic general practice database, representative of the Italian general population, which was set up in 1998 by the Italian College of General Practitioners (Florence, Italy). The HSD contains data from approximately 1.2 million inhabitants under the care of 800 general practitioners (GPs), homogenously distributed across Italy. All clinical diagnoses are coded according to the International Classification of Diseases 9th Revision (ICD-9). Drugs are coded according to the Anatomical Therapeutic and Chemical classification system. The HSD has been extensively used for pharmaco-epidemiologic research [3]. Patients recruited between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2009 were eligible if aged ≥15 years with clinical records in the database spanning a minimum duration of 2 years and an ICD-9-based incident diagnosis of CAP. The first date of CAP diagnosis was defined as …
In Vitro and In Vivo Efficacy of β-Lactams against Replicating and Slowly Growing/Nonreplicating Mycobacterium tuberculosis

ABSTRACT Beta-lactams, in combination with beta-lactamase inhibitors, are reported to have activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria growing in broth, as well as inside the human macrophage. We tested representative beta-lactams belonging to 3 different classes for activity against replicating M. tuberculosis in broth and nonreplicating M. tuberculosis under hypoxia, as well as against streptomycin-starved M. tuberculosis strain 18b (ss18b) in the presence or absence of clavulanate. Most of the combinations showed bactericidal activity against replicating M. tuberculosis, with up to 200-fold improvement in potency in the presence of clavulanate. None of the combinations, including those containing meropenem, imipenem, and faropenem, killed M. tuberculosis under hypoxia. However, faropenem- and meropenem-containing combinations killed strain ss18b moderately. We tested the bactericidal activities of meropenem-clavulanate and amoxicillin-clavulanate combinations in the acute and chronic aerosol infection models of tuberculosis in BALB/c mice. Based on pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic indexes reported for beta-lactams against other bacterial pathogens, a cumulative percentage of a 24-h period that the drug concentration exceeds the MIC under steady-state pharmacokinetic conditions (%TMIC) of 20 to 40% was achieved in mice using a suitable dosing regimen. Both combinations showed marginal reduction in lung CFU compared to the late controls in the acute model, whereas both were inactive in the chronic model.
Direct phase determination of large macromolecular crystals using three-beam x-ray interference.

We report for the first time the direct determination of x-ray-reflection phases of a large-unit-cell volume, 350 000 A {sup 3}, macromolecular crystal using three-beam diffraction. The crystal polarity (enantiomorph) is determined unambiguously from the peak-intensity measurement. Quantitative analysis of phase angle, with a scaling scheme for intensities, is presented.
Formation of Self-Organized Mn3O4 Nanoinclusions in LaMnO3 Films

We present a single-step route to generate ordered nanocomposite thin films of secondary phase inclusions (Mn3O4) in a pristine perovskite matrix (LaMnO3) by taking advantage of the complex phase diagram of manganese oxides. We observed that in samples grown under vacuum growth conditions from a single LaMnO3 stoichiometric target by Pulsed Laser Deposition, the most favourable mechanism to accommodate Mn2+ cations is the spontaneous segregation of self-assembled wedge-like Mn3O4 ferrimagnetic inclusions inside a LaMnO3 matrix that still preserves its orthorhombic structure and its antiferromagnetic bulk-like behaviour. A detailed analysis on the formation of the self-assembled nanocomposite films evidences that Mn3O4 inclusions exhibit an epitaxial relationship with the surrounding matrix that it may be explained in terms of a distorted cubic spinel with slight (~9o) c-axis tilting. Furthermore, a Ruddlesden-Popper La2MnO4 phase, helping to the stoichiometry balance, has been identified close to the interface with the substrate. We show that ferrimagnetic Mn3O4 columns influence the magnetic and transport properties of the nanocomposite by increasing its coercive field and by creating local areas with enhanced conductivity in the vicinity of the inclusions.
Assessment of the Use of Theories within the Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning and the Contribution of the Family Financial Socialization Conceptual Model

The purpose of this article is to assess and interpret the use of theory within the Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning from its inception in 1990 through 2012. During that time, only 39% of research articles explicitly identified a theoretical base to guide the study's research question. Almost half (48%) of the articles incorporating a theoretical base used some form of the economic life cycle hypothesis. Most of the frameworks used were cognitively and/or individually oriented. This focus represents an attribution error since most financial socialization occurs within the family context. The Family Financial Socialization (FFS) conceptual model with testable hypotheses was proposed as one conceptual model to use in beginning to address this attribution error. FFS contributes both contextual and socialization dimensions to the explanation of financial behavior and financial outcomes such as financial well-being. The FFS model proposes that the creation of desirable financial behavior and motivation for future financial behavior change emanate from family interaction and relationships and from purposive financial socialization both in childhood and across the life cycle.
The Prisoner’s Dilemma as a Two-Level Game: An Experimental Investigation

This paper extends the literature on individual versus group decision-making by combining a strategic inter-group game with an intra-group voting mechanism. The intergroup game is a simple Prisoners’ Dilemma, while we consider two versions of an intragroup voting mechanism—a form of representative democracy and a majority vote. Our results suggest that players tend to be more cooperative in the representative democracy treatment than in the individual Prisoner’s Dilemma. There are also important behavioral differences between the individual Prisoner’s Dilemma and the majority vote treatments—individuals embedded in groups are more inclined to cooperate than subjects making independent decisions. Classification Code: C92
Mutations in the Dimer Interface of Dihydrolipoamide Dehydrogenase Promote Site-specific Oxidative Damages in Yeast and Human Cells*

Background: Dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase (DLD) is an enzyme involved in energy metabolism also known to possess two cryptic enzymatic activities of as yet undefined significance. Results: DLD mutations that enhance these cryptic activities promote oxidative damage to specific mitochondrial targets. Conclusions: The cryptic activities of DLD stimulate production of reactive oxygen species. Significance: Oxidative damage may contribute to disease severity in patients with DLD mutations. Dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase (DLD) is a multifunctional protein well characterized as the E3 component of the pyruvate dehydrogenase and α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complexes. Previously, conditions predicted to destabilize the DLD dimer revealed that DLD could also function as a diaphorase and serine protease. However, the relevance of these cryptic activities remained undefined. We analyzed human DLD mutations linked to strikingly different clinical phenotypes, including E340K, D444V, R447G, and R460G in the dimer interface domain that are responsible for severe multisystem disorders of infancy and G194C in the NAD+-binding domain that is typically associated with milder presentations. In vitro, all of these mutations decreased to various degrees dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase activity, whereas dimer interface mutations also enhanced proteolytic and/or diaphorase activity. Human DLD proteins carrying each individual mutation complemented fully the respiratory-deficient phenotype of yeast cells lacking endogenous DLD even when residual dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase activity was as low as 21% of controls. However, under elevated oxidative stress, expression of DLD proteins with dimer interface mutations greatly accelerated the loss of respiratory function, resulting from enhanced oxidative damage to the lipoic acid cofactor of pyruvate dehydrogenase and α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase and other mitochondrial targets. This effect was not observed with the G194C mutation or a mutation that disrupts the proteolytic active site of DLD. As in yeast, lipoic acid cofactor was damaged in human D444V-homozygous fibroblasts after exposure to oxidative stress. We conclude that the cryptic activities of DLD promote oxidative damage to neighboring molecules and thus contribute to the clinical severity of DLD mutations.
Social Support and Occupational Stress among University Employees.

The negative impact of occupational stress can be observed both at the microand the macro-level, affecting not only employee quality of life, but also the overall productivity of an organization. This study investigated the role of two protective factors, social support and religiosity, on occupational stress among employees at a private Christian university in the southeast. The sample consisted of 72 employees, primarily female (N = 53), Caucasian (81%), and married (72%), and with a mean age of 40.4 years. Specifically, the study evaluated the relationship between workrelated social support (JCQ), nonwork-related social support (ISEL), and religious coping (RCOPE) on occupational stress (JCQ). A significant inverse relationship was found between work-related social support and occupational stress. The implications of these findings and the limitations of the study are discussed.
Is Syntax Separate or Shared Between Languages?

Much research in bilingualism has addressed the question of the extent to which lexical information is shared between languages. The present study investigated whether syntactic information is shared by testing if syntactic priming occurs between languages. Spanish-English bilingual participants described cards to each other in a dialogue game. We found that a participant who had just heard a sentence in Spanish tended to use the same type of sentence when describing the next card in English. In particular, English passives were considerably more common following a Spanish passive than otherwise. We use the results to extend current models of the representation of grammatical information to bilinguals.
Understanding Autistic Artwork

Inspired by personal work with autistic children and the pursuit for more knowledge, the research in this study contributes significant findings to the field of art and autism. In this book, the artworks and processes of autistic and typically developing students were compared and analyzed. Using a unit and lesson inspired by the bold shapes and colors found in the selected paintings of Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser, the study analyzes the artwork produced by both typically developing and autistic students in kindergarten, first, and fourth grade. Throughout the study, research not only analyzes these similarities and differences, but also places a strong emphasis on answering why certain results occurred. This comprehensive approach does not isolate the findings of each grade level, but goes on to examine patterns and themes that emerge across the grade levels. In the following chapters, the researcher’s methods and motivation are detailed. The results are carefully analyzed and important conclusions that affect educators in every field are explained.
G Protein-coupled Receptor Kinase Regulates Dopamine D3 Receptor Signaling by Modulating the Stability of a Receptor-Filamin-β-Arrestin Complex

In addition to its postsynaptic role, the dopamine D3 receptor (D3R) serves as a presynaptic autoreceptor, where it provides continuous feedback regulation of dopamine release at nerve terminals for processes as diverse as emotional tone and locomotion. D3R signaling ability is supported by an association with filamin (actin-binding protein 280), which localizes the receptor with G proteins in plasma membrane lipid rafts but is not appreciably antagonized in a classical sense by the ligand-mediated activation of G protein-coupled receptor kinases (GRKs) and β-arrestins. In this study, we investigate GRK-mediated regulation of D3R·filamin complex stability and its effect on D3 R protein ·G signaling potential. Studies in HEK-293 cells show that in the absence of agonist the D3R immunoprecipitates in a complex containing both filamin A and β-arrestin2. Moreover, the filamin directly interacts with β-arrestin2 as assessed by immunoprecipitation and yeast two-hybrid studies. With reductions in basal GRK2/3 activity, an increase in the basal association of filamin A and β-arrestin2 with D3R is observed. Conversely, increases in the basal GRK2/3 activity result in a reduction in the interaction between the D3R and filamin but a relative increase in the agonist-mediated interaction between β-arrestin2 and the D3R. Our data suggest that the D3R, filamin A, and β-arrestin form a signaling complex that is destabilized by agonist- or expression-mediated increases in GRK2/3 activity. These findings provide a novel GRK-based mechanism for regulating D3R signaling potential and provide insight for interpreting D3R autoreceptor behavior.
Design and Optimization of a Broadband Waveguide Magic-T Using a Stepped Conducting Cone

The design of a broadband waveguide magic-T was accomplished using a genetical swarm optimization (GSO) technique. A multi-stepped, off-centered conducting cone was used to enhance the bandwidth performance of the conventional magic-Ts. The geometrical parameters of the stepped cone were optimized by GSO, and the optimized magic-T for X-band application was fabricated and tested. Measured scattering parameters are shown to be in good agreement with the computed results. The optimized design exhibits -20 dB reflection bandwidth over 20.0% at all waveguide ports.
Effects of Oral N-Acetylcysteine on Plasma Homocysteine and Whole Blood Glutathione Levels in Healthy, Non-pregnant Women

Abstract Oral N-acetylcysteine supplementation in nine young healthy females induced a quick and highly significant decrease in plasma homocysteine levels and an increase in whole blood concentration of the antioxidant glutathione. N-acetylcysteine impresses as an efficient drug in lowering homocysteine concentration and might be beneficial for individuals with hyperhomocysteinemia who are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
The effect of digitalis on the renal tubular transport of glucose in normal and in heartless dogs.

The effect of ouabain and acetylstrophanthidin on the renal transport of glucose and sodium has been measured in dogs in which all cardiac activity has been replaced by a mechanical intrathoracic pump ("heartless dog"). The drug activity on the heart is thus eliminated, and the effect of high concentrations is open to study. Both ouabain and acetylstrophanthidin depress the tubular reabsorption of glucose. Digitalis in very high doses produces complete renal shutdown. It is suggested that, as in the intestine, the sodium and sugar pumps are mutually dependent on pump adenosinetriphosphatase and that digitalis is effective through inhibiting this common mechanism. The heartless dog with circulation supported by a mechanical pump has proven to be a valuable pharmacologic preparation when cardiac activity must be differentiated from peripheral effects.
Obturator neuropathy caused by an aneurysm of the hypogastric artery. A case report.

Patients who have pain in the thigh and groin are cornmonly evaluated and treated in orthopaedic practice. If the pain is caused by a radiculopathy, it most commonly origmates from pathological changes involving the spinal canal’. Extraspinal causes, including a fracture of the ischial tuberosity7, sciatic neurilernorna8, pagetic bone3, myositis ossificans ofthe biceps femoris5, migration of an intrauterine device4, and traumatic pseudoaneurysm of the superior gluteal artery9, have been reported in the orthopaedic and surgical literature and must be considered in the differential diagnosis . The present report documents the case of a patient who had pain in the lower extremity and dysfunction as a result of an aneurysm of the hypogastric artery.
Viral aetiology and clinico-epidemiological features of acute encephalitis syndrome in eastern India

SUMMARY This study reports clinico-epidemiological features and viral agents causing acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) in the eastern Indian region through hospital-based case enrolment during April 2011 to July 2012. Blood and CSF samples of 526 AES cases were investigated by serology and/or PCR. Viral aetiology was identified in 91 (17·2%) cases. Herpes simplex virus (HSV; types I or II) was most common (16·1%), followed by measles (2·6%), Japanese encephalitis virus (1·5%), dengue virus (0·57%), varicella zoster virus (0·38%) and enteroviruses (0·19%). Rash, paresis and cranial nerve palsies were significantly higher (P < 0·05) with viral AES. Case-fatality rates were 10·9% and 6·2% in AES cases with and without viral aetiology, respectively. Simultaneous infection of HSV I and measles was observed in seven cases. This report provides the first evidence on viral aetiology of AES viruses from eastern India showing dominance of HSV that will be useful in informing the public health system.
Low Voltage ECG in Myocarditis: Peripheral Edema as a Plausible Contributing Mechanism

A 24‐year‐old woman was hospitalized with acute myocarditis that led to multiple organ, including heart, failure, with fluid retention. An echocardiogram showed left ventricular ejection fraction ∼10%, and her electrocardiogram (ECG) revealed low voltage. She rapidly recovered and was discharged 15 days after admission. On evaluation at 1, 10, and 22 weeks after discharge, she was asymptomatic, with unlimited exercise tolerance. An echocardiogram 11 weeks after discharge from the hospital showed left ventricular ejection fraction of ∼60%. Correlations of weights with ECG QRS voltage parameters in the hospital revealed r = 0.80 and 0.83, with P = 0.021 and 0.029, suggesting that ≥64% of the attenuation of the QRS potentials could be accounted for by the corresponding gain in weight.
Visible difference amongst children and adolescents: Issues and interventions

Whether present at birth or acquired later in life, a visible difference (disfigurement) can have considerable psychological ramifications for children and adolescents. Whilst many young people adapt to the demands placed upon them and appear relatively unaffected, others report difficulties including adverse effects on body image, quality of life, self-esteem and difficulty with social encounters. This review examines the issues experienced by those affected, summarizes the factors identified as exacerbating or ameliorating any difficulties, then considers the particular pressures associated with developmental stages and the issues for family members. The current provision of care, the potential benefit of psychosocial interventions and the challenges faced by researchers in this area are explored.
THE ONTOGENY OF CEREBRAL DOMINANCE

It has long been known that in most people the language function depends on the activity of the left cerebral hemisphere. It is clear that language develops from a base state of no language. But does language lateralization analogously develop from a base state of no lateralization? It has been generally assumed that this is so. The child at the very beginning of language development is regarded as using both cerebral hemispheres for this purpose. Differences of opinion have related more to the time frame within which lateralization occurs (Lenneberg, 1967; Krashen, 1972) than to the question of whether lateralization develops at all.
GDC-0449 in patients with advanced chondrosarcomas: a French Sarcoma Group/US and French National Cancer Institute Single-Arm Phase II Collaborative Study.

BACKGROUND Pre-clinical data have suggested a therapeutic role of Hedgehog (Hh) pathway inhibitors in chondrosarcoma. METHODS This phase II trial included patients with progressive advanced chondrosarcoma. They received GDC-0449 150 mg/day (days 1-28, 28-day cycle). The primary end point was the 6-month clinical benefit rate (CBR) defined as the proportion of patients with non-progressive disease at 6 months. A 6-month CBR of 40% was considered as a reasonable objective to claim drug efficacy. RESULTS Between February 2011 and February 2012, 45 patients were included. Twenty had received prior chemotherapy. Thirty-nine were assessable for efficacy. The 6-month CBR was 25.6% (95% confidence interval 13.0-42.1). All stable patients had grade 1 or 2 conventional chondrosarcoma with documented progression within the 6 months before inclusion. All but one with available data also had overexpression of the Hh ligand. Median progression-free and overall survivals were 3.5 and 12.4 months, respectively. The most frequent adverse events were grade 1 or 2 myalgia, dysgeusia and alopecia. CONCLUSIONS GDC-0449 did not meet the primary end point of this trial. Results suggest some activity in a subset of patients with progressive grade 1 or 2 conventional chondrosarcoma. Further studies assessing its role in combination with chemotherapy are warranted. CLINICALTRIALSGOV IDENTIFIER NCT01267955.