Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Characteristics of beta hemolytic streptococci associated with acute glomerulonephritis in Trinidad, West Indies.

Abstract Twenty-seven strains of beta hemolytic streptococci from patients with acute glomerulonephritis and 212 strains from school children were isolated in Trinidad during an epidemic of nephritis involving over 1,000 patients. Sixty-two per cent of the 27 strains from nephritic patients and 3 strains from school children belonged to an apparently new serotype referred to here as Trinidad type A. Type-specific antibodies against this type were found in 50 per cent of 56 patients 1 to 3 months after acute glomerulonephritis. Six of the 10 remaining strains from patients with nephritis and 34 strains from school children were characterized as a second new Trinidad type B. This strain contained M protein of provisional type Schoenborn isolated from pyoderma in Red Lake, Minnesota. It also contained a second antigen found in some type 41 strains of streptococci. Studies of temperate bacteriophage related to these strains suggested a possible association with nephritis in a negative way. With one exception, streptococcal strains from nephritic patients were not lysogenic, while antiphage activity was observed in sera from 72 per cent of 50 patients. Moreover, 33 per cent of 86 strains from school children in areas where nephritis was occurring were lysogenic, while only 3 of 46 strains from areas without nephritis contained bacteriophage.
Neutrophil infiltration and activation in bronchiolitic airways are independent of viral etiology

Hospitalization with bronchiolitis is linked to the development of early childhood chronic wheeze and asthma. Viral etiology and severity of inflammation are potential contributing factors. Previously we observed reduced airway neutrophil infiltration in breastfed bronchiolitic infants, with a corresponding reduction in disease severity. This study aimed to examine whether respiratory viral etiology and co‐infection alters the pattern of neutrophil influx, and the inflammatory mediator profile, resulting in epithelial damage in bronchiolitis.
Cell Type-Specific, Presynaptic LTP of Inhibitory Synapses on Fast-Spiking GABAergic Neurons in the Mouse Visual Cortex

Properties and plasticity of inhibitory synapses on fast-spiking (FS) GABAergic (FS-GABA) interneurons in layer II/III of the mouse visual cortex were examined in cortical slices by whole-cell recordings of IPSCs or IPSPs evoked by activation of presynaptic FS or non-FS GABAergic interneurons. Unitary IPSCs (uIPSCs) evoked by action potentials of FS-GABA neurons have shorter onset latency, faster rising slope, higher peak amplitude, and faster decay time than those evoked by action potentials of non-FS-GABA neurons. Tetanic activation of presynaptic FS-GABA neurons induced long-term potentiation (LTP) of uIPSCs, whereas that of presynaptic non-FS-GABA neurons did not induce LTP, indicating that long-term plasticity of inhibitory synapses on FS-GABA neurons is pathway specific. For further analysis of inhibitory synaptic plasticity, IPSPs evoked by electrical stimulation of an adjacent site in the cortex were recorded from FS-GABA neurons. Theta burst stimulation induced LTP of IPSPs in 12 of 14 FS-GABA neurons. The paired-pulse stimulation protocol and coefficient of variation analysis indicated that this form of LTP may be presynaptic in origin. Filling postsynaptic cells with a Ca2+ chelator did not block the induction of LTP, suggesting no involvement of postsynaptic Ca2+ rise. Also, this form of LTP was dependent neither on metabotropic glutamate receptors nor voltage-gated Ca2+ channels of the L and T types. Further pharmacological analysis indicated that voltage-gated Ca2+ channels other than the P/Q type, such as N and R types, were not involved in LTP, suggesting that P/Q-type channels are a candidate for factors inducing LTP of inhibitory synapses between FS-GABA neurons.
Analyzing the Effects of Knowledge Sharing on Innovation and KMS Success: A Case Study of The International Cooperation and Development Fund

Knowledge is considered as a key organization resource and as a result its preservation has become one of the primary interests of organizations. Additionally, not only should organizations be preserving knowledge but they should also find ways to facilitate its distribution and accessibility for all organizational members by encouraging knowledge sharing. Sharing knowledge is not only important in enhancing organization innovation but is also recognized as a crucial key success factor for organization knowledge management system (KMS). As both KMS and innovation are essential to ensure organization sustainability, knowledge sharing is a must. However, knowledge sharing cannot be taken as given, organization contexts shape individuals’ knowledge sharing behavior. Therefore understanding the impact of organization contexts on knowledge sharing is essential in ensuring KMS and innovation success. This research aims to measure the effect of knowledge sharing on KMS and innovation by surveying 90 full time employees working at a Taiwanese nonprofit organization known as The International Cooperation and Development Fund (Taiwan ICDF). Partial least square and hierarchical regression analyses are used to study the direct effect and the mediating effect of knowledge sharing on KMS and innovation. The results show that organization contexts have a positive and significant effect on knowledge sharing, KMS and innovation. In addition, the findings indicate that knowledge sharing has positive effect on KMS and innovation and that knowledge sharing has a mediating effect on the relationship between organization contexts and KMS and on the relationships between organization contexts and innovation.
Effects of exemestane and tamoxifen on bone health within the Tamoxifen Exemestane Adjuvant Multicentre (TEAM) trial: results of a German, 12-month, prospective, randomised substudy.

BACKGROUND Adjuvant treatment of hormone receptor-positive breast cancer in postmenopausal women with aromatase inhibitors may be associated with increased bone loss. PATIENTS AND METHODS Two hundred patients were randomised to receive exemestane or tamoxifen as adjuvant treatment of hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. Bone mineral density (BMD) was assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry at baseline and after 6 and 12 months treatment. RESULTS One hundred and sixty-one patients were assessable. Tamoxifen treatment resulted in a 0.5% increase from baseline in BMD at the spine, which was maintained at 12 months. Exemestane-treated patients experienced a 2.6% decrease from baseline in BMD at the spine at 6 months and a further 0.2% decrease at 12 months. There were significant differences in the changes in BMD between tamoxifen and exemestane at 6 and 12 months (P = 0.0026 and P = 0.0008, respectively). The mean changes in BMD from baseline at the total hip were also significantly different between exemestane and tamoxifen at 6 and 12 months (P = 0.0009 and P = 0.04, respectively). There was no difference between tamoxifen and exemestane in mean changes in BMD from baseline at the femoral neck. CONCLUSIONS Exemestane treatment resulted in an increase in bone loss at 6 months; bone loss stabilised after 6- to 12-month treatment.
Balanced phase and polarization diversity coherent optical receiver

A balanced phase and polarization diversity receiver employing a compact bulk optical 90 degrees hybrid and a silicon bipolar multiplier IC is described. The compact bulk optical hybrid provides all required optical signals with well-defined phase relations in a single unit and is therefore a good solution of the problems associated with the complex structure of the optical part of the receiver. The multiplier IC has a dynamic range of at least 15 dB. It guarantees that variations of the signal power in the different detection branches of the receiver cause negligible degradation in both diversity operations. The receiver has been tested in a 565-Mb/s DPSK transmission system. <<ETX>>
An overall evaluation of public R&D subsidy on private R&D expenditure in absence or in combination with R&D tax credit incentives

This study analyzes the effect of public R&D subsidy on private R&D expenditure in a sample of French firms during the period 1993-2009. We evaluate whether there is input additionality of public R&D subsidy by distinguishing between R&D tax credit recipient and non-recipient firms, i.e. we test the complementary of such policy tools. In addition, combining difference-in-differences with propensity score and exact (both simple and categorical) matching methods, we assess the effect of R&D subsidy between treated (subsidy recipients) and controls (subsidy non-recepients) as well as between differently treated (small, medium and large subsidy recipient) firms. Furthermore, we implement a dose-response matching approach to determine the optimality of public R&D subsidy provision. We find extensive evidence of either no additionality or substitution effects between public and private R&D expenditure.
Quality Risk and Contract Manufacturing: Theory and Empirical Evidence

This paper investigates quality risk and contract manufacturing. Contract manufacturers (CMs) produce products to another firm’s specifications, whereas internal plants (IPs) produce products to their own firm’s specifications. While CMs are being increasingly used in many industrial sectors, there is a dearth of empirical information regarding their potential for producing nonconforming products relative to IPs. Drawing heavily from agency theory, we argue that CMs will have a tendency to operate with a higher quality risk than IPs, controlling for measurable plant characteristics (i.e., size, product type, etc.) as long as the finished product cannot be perfectly tested for all quality defects. Based primarily on this theoretical lens, we also articulate plant-level characteristics which may moderate this effect. We test our hypotheses using a plantlevel measure of quality risk based on Food and Drug Administration (FDA) inspection data on a sample of 152 plants considered as drug manufacturers by the FDA. Our results provide some empirical evidence that, in this setting, CMs operate at a higher level of quality risk than internally-owned facilities, on average and controlling for plant characteristics. We also find that the relationship between contract manufacturing and quality risk is significantly moderated by several factors in ways that are consistent with extant theory. These moderating factors imply that the quality risk differences between CMs and IPs are reduced or eliminated when the CMs primary product line is subject to more intense regulation (and therefore face more scrutiny from regulators), are larger (and therefore are more frequently inspected by customers), and are older (and therefore have developed capabilities through experience with multiple customers).
The habituation and recovery of aggressive display in Betta splendens.

Five Betta splendens were exposed to a mirror for ten days. The mirror was then removed for a recovery period, replaced for 48 hours, removed for a second recovery period, and so on in such a manner that each fish was given recovery periods of 15 minutes, 6 hours, 24 hours, 48 hours and 4 days in an order counterbalanced across subj ects. In most subjects the threat display increased during the first few minutes of mirror exposure (Fig. I). It decreased rapidly during the first 24 hours and then more slowly to a level which was low but above zero (Fig. 2). The recovery data indicate gradual recovery over the first 1-2 days after removal of the mirror; further recovery was either non-existent or very slow, and no subject showed a full return to the initial level.
Associations Between Relative Value Units and Patient-Reported Back Pain and Disability

Objective: To describe associations between health care utilization measures and patient-reported outcomes (PROs). Method: Primary data were collected from patients ≥65 years with low back pain visits from 2011 to 2013. Six PROs of pain and functionality were collected 12 and 24 months after the index visits and total and spine-specific relative value units (RVUs) from electronic health records were tabulated over 1 year. We calculated correlation coefficients between RVUs and 12- and 24-month PROs and conducted linear regressions with each 12- and 24-month PRO as the outcome variables and RVUs as predictors of interest. Results: We observed very weak correlations between worse PROs at 12 and 24 months and greater 12-month utilization. In regression analyses, we observed slight associations between greater utilization and worse 12- and 24-month PROs. Discussion: We found that 12-month health care utilization is not strongly associated with PROs at 12 or 24 months.
Vonoprazan prevents low-dose aspirin-associated ulcer recurrence: randomised phase 3 study

Objective Compare efficacy and safety of vonoprazan and lansoprazole for secondary prevention of low-dose aspirin (LDA)-associated peptic ulcers in a 24-week study and long-term extension therapy in separate study. Design Double-blind, randomised, non-inferiority study; single-blind extension study at 104 Japanese sites, including 621 patients (439 in extension) with a history of peptic ulcers who required long-term LDA therapy. Randomised (1:1:1, computer generated) patients received lansoprazole 15 mg (n=217), vonoprazan 10 mg (n=202) or vonoprazan 20 mg (n=202) once daily for 24 weeks (double blind) and ≤2 years (extension). The following measurements were made: 24-week (primary outcome; double blind) and 12-week peptic ulcer recurrence rate, 24-week GI bleeding rate, cumulative incidences of peptic ulcer recurrence and GI bleeding, treatment-emergent adverse events, laboratory results, serum gastrin and pepsinogen I/II concentrations. Results The 24-week peptic ulcer recurrence rate was 2.8%, 0.5% and 1.5% in the lansoprazole 15 mg, vonoprazan 10 mg and vonoprazan 20 mg groups, respectively. Vonoprazan was non-inferior (Farrington and Manning test: margin 8.7%, significance level 2.5%) to lansoprazole. In the post hoc analyses of the extension study, peptic ulcer recurrence rates were significantly lower with vonoprazan 10 mg (log-rank test, P=0.039), but not vonoprazan 20 mg (P=0.260), compared with lansoprazole 15 mg. GI bleeding rates were higher with lansoprazole compared with two doses of vonoprazan in both 24-week study and extension study. Conclusion Vonoprazan (10 and 20 mg) was as effective as lansoprazole (15 mg) in preventing peptic ulcer recurrence during LDA therapy, had a similar long-term safety profile and was well tolerated. Trial registration numbers NCT01452763; NCT01456247.
Cardiovascular function in individuals with incomplete spinal cord injury: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND There is a clear relationship between the neurological level of spinal cord injury (SCI) and cardiovascular function; however, the relationship between completeness of injury and cardiovascular function is less straightforward. Traditionally completeness of injury has referred to neurological (motor/sensory) completeness. Recently, a number of studies have started to investigate autonomic completeness of injury. OBJECTIVE To investigate the relationships between cardiovascular function and neurological and autonomic completeness of injury. METHODS A literature search was conducted in November 2012 through MEDLINE, Embase, and CINAHL. Twenty-one studies were included in this review. RESULTS In acute SCI, there is no clear consensus about whether resting heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP), or prevalence of BP abnormalities differs between neurologically complete and incomplete SCI. In chronic SCI, there is limited evidence that there is less prevalence of autonomic dysreflexia and improved heart rate variability in response to provocation in neurologically incomplete SCI; however, resting HR and BP appear similar between neurologically complete and incomplete SCI. There is growing evidence that BP and HR at rest and during orthostasis is enhanced in autonomically incomplete SCI. Numerous studies report that neurological completeness does not agree with autonomic completeness of injury. CONCLUSIONS For acute SCI, there is no clear consensus whether cardiovascular function differs between complete and incomplete. For chronic SCI, the studies to date suggest that autonomic completeness of SCI is more strongly related to cardiovascular function than neurological completeness of injury. Thus, clinicians and scientists should account for autonomic completeness of injury when assessing cardiovascular function in SCI.
Debt Sustainability Framework in Hipcs: A Critical Assessment and Suggested Improvements

This paper presents an assessment of the external debt literature related to the IMF-World Bank HIPC Initiative and proposes to extend the present debt sustainability framework. We argue that a comprehensive debt sustainability analysis requires a fully-fledged government budget constraint, which includes not only the external position, but also public domestic debt and the feedback effects of the choices on deficit financing. We also suggest to consider uncertainty and the risk of default, to carefully evaluate the resource required to finance poverty reduction policies, and to develop a legal framework to deal with private creditors. As a result, debt relief should be tailored on specific country needs and it should be part of a more comprehensive development policy, aimed at reducing poverty, built on the fully-fledged government budget constraint and designed for providing a permanent exit from debt dependence and an incentive to strengthen institutions and policies.
Global Liquidity and Asset Prices: Measurement, Implications, and Spillovers

Much recent commentary suggests that global liquidity has influenced financial conditions in the major international markets to an important degree, and that excess liquidity in one financial center can influence financial conditions elsewhere. Little formal research has addressed these issues, however. In this paper, we use three indexes of liquidity (money growth) in the Group of Seven industrial countries to explore the international dimension of the relationship between liquidity and asset returns. Evidence suggests that an increase in G-7 liquidity is consistent with a decline in G-7 real interest rates and an increase in G-7 real stock returns. There is also evidence of liquidity spillovers across countries.
Physical controls of Southern Ocean deep‐convection variability in CMIP5 models and the Kiel Climate Model

Global climate models exhibit large biases in the Southern Ocean. For example, in models Antarctic bottom water is formed mostly through open‐ocean deep convection rather than through shelf convection. Still, the timescale, region, and intensity of deep‐convection variability vary widely among models. We investigate the physical controls of this variability in the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean, where most of the models simulate recurring deep‐convection events. We analyzed output from 11 exemplary CMIP5 models and four versions of the Kiel Climate Model. Of the several potential physical control parameters that we tested, the ones shared by all these models are as follows: Stratification in the convection region influences the timescale of the deep‐convection variability; i.e., models with a strong (weak) stratification vary on long (short) timescales. Also, sea ice volume affects the modeled mean state in the Southern Ocean: Large (small) sea ice volume is associated with a nonconvective (convective) predominant regime.
Inter‐organisational collaboration for the digital economy

Purpose – This paper was intended to explore the concept of learning in networks using recent literature from this emerging field. In order to do so, it takes as a case study a pan‐European e‐learning project, which required collaborative working and learning within a distributed team.Design/methodology/approach – The approach has been qualitative and exploratory. Data have been collected via interviews with project partners and participant observation of the steering group meetings. Analysis has similarly been qualitative in nature.Findings – Analysis suggests that there are links with earlier literature on inter‐organisational learning networks, particularly around culture, management style and leadership in virtual collaboration. Interestingly, even supposed “experts” in the field of e‐learning technologies showed a preference to work face‐to‐face.Research limitations/implications – The research to date has been exploratory and small‐scale. More work is required to test the findings in a wider context.
Socioeconomic disparities of periodontitis in Koreans based on the KNHANES IV.

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to identify the socioeconomic factors associated with the prevalence of periodontitis in Koreans. METHODS Cross-sectional data from 12 763 subjects, 15 years old and above, who underwent periodontal examinations were obtained from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey IV (2007-209). Multivariate linear and logistic regression analyses were applied to estimate the association between socioeconomic indicators and prevalence of periodontitis. RESULTS A significant association was found between increasing age and periodontitis. Participants with higher income were less likely to have periodontitis (aOR = 0.9 and 95% CI = 0.78-0.98, and aOR = 0.7 and 95% CI = 0.60-0.80 in the middle and highest quintiles of monthly household income, respectively). In addition, participants living in rural areas were less likely to have periodontitis (aOR = 0.9 and 95% CI = 0.81-0.99), and current smokers were more likely to have periodontitis (aOR = 1.7 and 95% CI = 1.49-1.89). The analysis of comorbidities revealed that individuals with diabetes mellitus (DM) were significantly more likely to have periodontitis (aOR = 1.4 and 95% CI = 1.18-1.68). CONCLUSIONS In a rapidly increasing Korean population, the lower socioeconomic groups as well as individuals with DM were significantly more likely to present with periodontitis.
Insights into type IV pilus biogenesis and dynamics from genetic analysis of a C‐terminally tagged pilin: a role for O‐linked glycosylation

Type IV pili are surface organelles essential for pathogenicity of many Gram‐negative bacteria. In Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the major subunit of type IV pili, PilE, is a target of its general O‐linked glycosylation system. This system modifies a diverse set of periplasmic and extracellular gonococcal proteins with a variable set of glycans. Here we show that expression of a particular hexa‐histidine‐tagged PilE was associated with growth arrest. By studying intra‐ and extragenic suppressors, we found that this phenotype was dependent on pilus assembly and retraction. Based on these results, we developed a sensitive tool to identify factors with subtle effects on pilus dynamics. Using this approach, we found that glycan chain length has differential effects on the growth arrest that appears to be mediated at the level of pilin subunit–subunit interactions and bidirectional remodelling of pilin between its membrane‐associated and assembled states. Gonococcal pilin glycosylation thus plays both an intracellular role in pilus dynamics and potential extracellular roles mediated through type IV pili. In addition to demonstrating the effect of glycosylation on pilus dynamics, the study provides a new way of identifying factors with less dramatic effects on processes involved in type IV pilus biogenesis.