Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Phenylthiocarbamide(PTC) Taste Perception among Pulmonary Tuberculosis Patients in Southwest Nigeria

Understanding the genetic variation existing among individuals in relation to common diseases is necessary for classifying, comparing and managing them. In Nigeria, tuberculosis is common but we are not aware of any study on the association between phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) taste perception and tuberculosis. This present study was carried out to determine whether or not inability to taste PTC was associated with pulmonary tuberculosis. A total of 220 individuals comprising 113 tuberculosis patients (test group) and 107 apparently healthy subjects (control group) participated in this study. Tasters and non-tasters were determined among the participants using PTC taste strips. Of the 113 tuberculosis patients, 52 (46.0%) were tasters and 61 (54.0%) were non-tasters while 76 (71.0%) and 31 (29.0%) of the 107 control subjects were tasters and non-tasters respectively. Non-tasters of PTC were significantly more associated with tuberculosis patients than control subjects (χ 2 = 14.13, df = 1, p < 0.001). This study shows that inability to taste PTC is significantly associated tuberculosis.
Reducing the risks of new product development

New products suffer from notoriously high failure rates. Many new products fail, not because of technical shortcomings, but because they simply have no market. Not surprisingly, then, studies have found that timely and reliable knowledge about customer preferences and requirements is the single most important area of information necessary for product development. To obtain such data, many organizations have made heavy ? but often unsuccessful ? investments in traditional market research. The authors provide an alternative. Companies including Threadless, Yamaha and Ryohin Keikaku have begun to integrate customers into the innovation process by soliciting new product concepts directly from them. These firms also ask for commitments from customers to purchase a new product before the companies commence final development and manufacturing. This process ? called ? collective customer commitment? can help companies avoid costly product failures. In essence, collective customer commitment enables firms to serve a market segment efficiently without first having to identify that segment, and it helps convert expenditures in market research directly into sales.
A Single Phase Grid Connected DC/AC Inverter with Reactive Power Control for Residential PV Application

A Single Phase Grid Connected DC/AC Inverter with Reactive Power Control for Residential PV Application Xiangdong Zong Master’s of Applied Science Graduate Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering University of Toronto 2011 This Master of Applied Science thesis presents a single phase grid connected DC/AC inverter with reactive power (VAR) control for residential photovoltaic (PV) applications. The inverter, utilizing the voltage sourced inverter (VSI) configuration, allows the local residential PV generation to actively supply reactive power to the utility grid. A low complexity grid synchronization method was introduced to generate the parallel and orthogonal components of the grid voltage in a highly computationally efficient manner in order to create a synchronized current reference to the current control loop. In addition, the inverter is able to use a small long life film type capacitor on the DC-link by utilizing a notch filter on the voltage control loop. Simulations were performed on PSCAD/EMTDC platform and a prototype was also developed in the lab to prove the effectiveness of the controllers and the grid synchronization method.
Moral hazard, financial constraints and sharecropping in El Oulja

This paper develops a theory of sharecropping which emphasizes the dual role of moral hazard in the provision of effort and financial constraints. The model is compatible with a large variety of contracts as observed in the region of El Oulja in Tunisia. Using an original data set including financial data, various tests of the theory are undertaken. Production functions stressing the role of effort are estimated. The data support the theory which predicts lower efficiency when the tenant's share of output is lower. The role of financial constraints in explaining which type of contract is selected (as well as the implications that financial constraints have upon effort and therefore output) are supported by the data.
Eye Movement Patterns in Natural Reading: A Comparison of Monolingual and Bilingual Reading of a Novel

Introduction and Method This paper presents a corpus of sentence level eye movement parameters for unbalanced bilingual first language (L1) and second-language (L2) reading and monolingual reading of a complete novel (56 000 words). We present important sentence-level basic eye movement parameters of both bilingual and monolingual natural reading extracted from this large data corpus. Results and Conclusion Bilingual L2 reading patterns show longer sentence reading times (20%), more fixations (21%), shorter saccades (12%) and less word skipping (4.6%), than L1 reading patterns. Regression rates are the same for L1 and L2 reading. These results could indicate, analogous to a previous simulation with the E-Z reader model in the literature, that it is primarily the speeding up of lexical access that drives both L1 and L2 reading development. Bilingual L1 reading does not differ in any major way from monolingual reading. This contrasts with predictions made by the weaker links account, which predicts a bilingual disadvantage in language processing caused by divided exposure between languages.
Brainstem Auditory Evoked Responses with Duration of Type-II Diabetes Mellitus

Background: Global incidence of Type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and the detrimental effects that it has on the hearing ability of individuals causes pathophysiological changes. With the help of evoked potential techniques, the brain stem auditory response represents a simple procedure to detect both acoustic nerve and central nervous system pathway damage. Objective: The present study was to investigate hearing function by brainstem evoked response audiometry (BERA) in well characterized type 2 Diabetic patients, with the role of potentially relevant factors such as duration of its disease and was target, these finding might help to determine early subclinical hearing impairment in these patients. Method: In clinical and laboratory setting, participants were divided randomly into following groups. Group I-(n=50) - control group and the study group were diabetic Individuals such as patients having diabetes less than or equal to five years ≤ 5 years) (n=29) and patients having diabetes more than five years ( > 5 years) (n=21) and were examined for BERA abnormalities (for 70, 80 and 90 db. Result: We observed a significant difference (‘p’<0.05) in BERA abnormalities (for 70, 80 and 90 db), in study group when compare to control. There were statistically significant delayed in absolute latencies of respective wave in both left ear and right ear, however interpeak latency side was comparable in both left and right ear. Conclusion: This study suggests that duration of diabetes may play a significant important role in the occurrence of diabetes mellitus associated hearing loss and patients may suffer from hearing impairment sooner or later, however if detected early further deterioration in auditory function can be prevented if not treated and also suggested that BERA testing may include in the routine screening procedures that are of vital importance in diabetic patients, wherever it is possible.
The Structural Basis for T-antigen Hydrolysis by Streptococcus pneumoniae

Streptococcus pneumoniae endo-α-N-acetylgalactosaminidase is a cell surface-anchored glycoside hydrolase from family GH101 involved in the breakdown of mucin type O-linked glycans. The 189-kDa mature enzyme specifically hydrolyzes the T-antigen disaccharide from extracellular host glycoproteins and is representative of a broadly important class of virulence factors that have remained structurally uncharacterized due to their large size and highly modular nature. Here we report a 2.9 Å resolution crystal structure that remarkably captures the multidomain architecture and characterizes a catalytic center unexpectedly resembling that of α-amylases. Our analysis presents a complete model of glycoprotein recognition and provides a basis for the structure-based design of novel Streptococcus vaccines and therapeutics.
Allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation in myelodysplastic syndromes

Purpose of review Allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation remains the only curative treatment for myelodysplastic syndrome. We highlight the various issues to consider in the pretransplant, transplant and posttransplant periods with emphasis on the management of relapse following transplant. Recent findings Cytogenetic and molecular characteristics are becoming more important in predicting transplant outcome. Hypomethylating agents are effective in the pretransplant setting to reduce disease burden. Haploidentical and umbilical cord blood donations may be valid transplant options for patients without human leukocyte antigen-identical sibling or match unrelated donor options. A preemptive management approach to patients at high risk of relapse is more effective. Adjusting the timing and dose of donor lymphocyte infusion reduces the risk of graft-versus-host disease without jeopardizing the graft-versus-leukaemia effect of donor lymphocyte infusion. Summary Allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation is curative in up to 40% of myelodysplastic syndrome patients. Appropriate patient selection, modification of conditioning regimes and donor selection should be considered carefully. A preemptive approach for the management of patients at high risk of relapse should be employed following transplant, with the use of immune modulating therapies such as donor lymphocyte infusion and azacitidine.
A Phase II trial of docetaxel and estramustine in patients with refractory metastatic breast carcinoma

The similarity between the mechanism of action between docetaxel and estramustine generated the hypothesis of synergistic antimicrotubule effects and cytotoxicity when the two agents are combined. In addition, it has been demonstrated that estramustine binds P‐glycoprotein in vitro and, thus, may prevent the efflux of taxanes in tumors that over‐express P‐glycoprotein. To further evaluate the combinations clinical efficacy and safety, a trial was performed in heavily pretreated patients with metastatic breast carcinoma (MBC).
COMPLEXITY, INTERACTION, AND EPISTEMOLOGY: MIXTECS, ZAPOTECS, AND OLMECS IN EARLY FORMATIVE MESOAMERICA

Abstract Interaction between the Gulf Coast Olmecs and various regions of Early Formative Mesoamerica remains debated and poorly understood. In Oaxaca, models have been dominated by neoevolutionary epistemology; interaction between the Valley of Oaxaca and San Lorenzo has been characterized by emulation or peer polity models. Data from the Valley of Oaxaca, the Nochixtlán Valley, and the Gulf Coast demonstrate that San Lorenzo was at a different level of sociopolitical complexity than its contemporaries. Previous comparisons between Olmec-style pottery in the Gulf Coast and Valley of Oaxaca are found to be problematic, and have led to the impression that Oaxaca villagers produced more of this pottery than did the Olmecs. Neutron activation analysis demonstrates the Gulf Coast Olmecs exported ceramics to Mixtecs and Zapotecs in Oaxaca, while receiving few if any pots in return, suggesting that new models and theoretical perspectives must be applied to understanding the relationships between Oaxacan chiefdoms and the nascent Olmec state at San Lorenzo. An agency perspective explores what Mixtec, Zapotec, and Olmec groups may have taken from these interactions and relationships and acknowledges both local and Gulf Coast understandings of “Olmec. ” Such relationships may be characterized more by acquisition between regions, with San Lorenzo as a superordinate center.
Gone but Not Forgotten: The Transient Nature of Retrieval-Induced Forgetting

Recent research has demonstrated that the act of remembering can prompt temporary forgetting or, more specifically, the inhibition of particular items in memory. Extending work of this kind, the present research investigated some possible boundary conditions of retrieval-induced forgetting. As expected, a critical determinant of temporary forgetting was the interval between guided retrieval practice and a final recall test. When these two phases were separated by 24 hr, retrieval-induced forgetting failed to emerge. When they occurred in the same testing session, however, retrieval practice prompted the inhibition of related items in memory (i.e., Experiment 1). A delay of 24 hr between the encoding of material and guided retrieval practice reduced but did not eliminate retrieval-induced forgetting (i.e., Experiment 2). These findings are considered in the wider context of adaptive forgetting.
Improved survival in psoriatic arthritis with calendar time.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether there has been a change in mortality rates over the last 3 decades in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) whose cases were followed prospectively. METHODS Patients receiving followup care according to a standard protocol at the University of Toronto PsA Clinic between 1978 and 2004 were included. Information on patient deaths was collected prospectively. Mortality data for the general population of Ontario, Canada, stratified by 5-year age bands, sex, and calendar year from 1978 to 2004, were used to calculate the reference rates. Standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) were calculated through use of Poisson regression models for the number of observed deaths. Time trend analyses were performed through the use of 10-year "rolling-average" SMRs and followup period-specific SMRs stratified by the period of entry into clinic. RESULTS Of 680 patients with PsA, 106 (15.6%) (55 women and 51 men) have died. Major causes of death were disease of the circulatory system, neoplasms, diseases of the respiratory system, diseases of the gastrointestinal system, injuries/poisoning, and unknown. The overall SMR for the period 1978-2004 was 1.36 (95% confidence interval 1.12, 1.64). The estimated number of life-years lost by the PsA patient cohort overall was 2.99 years (95% confidence interval 1.14, 4.77). For patients who entered the cohort during the years 1978-1986, the SMRs were 1.89, 1.83, and 1.21 for followup periods 1978-1986, 1987-1995, and 1996-2004, respectively. For patients who entered the cohort during the years 1987-1995, the SMRs were 0.55 and 0.82, while the SMR for those who entered during 1996-2004 was 0.56. CONCLUSION The drop in SMRs in this PsA clinic population suggests that the mortality risk has improved over time. This improved survival may reflect disease severity at presentation in the earlier cohort as well as earlier diagnosis and more aggressive treatment in the more recent followup period.
Cardiovascular disease and stroke in women: role of radiology.

OBJECTIVE The purposes of this review are to describe the clinical presentation and diagnostic test characteristics in the care of women with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease and to discuss the role of newer imaging modalities in improving diagnostic accuracy in the detection of these diseases. CONCLUSION Despite major advances in both diagnostics and therapeutics, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases remain two of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality among women worldwide. More research is needed into sex differences in these diseases, particularly to discern whether accurate imaging can lead to early diagnosis, change in clinical management, and overall improvement in patient outcomes.
Effects of Four Weeks of Strength Training on the Corticomotoneuronal Pathway

Purpose Neural adaptations to strength training have long been recognized, but knowledge of mechanisms remains incomplete. Using novel techniques and a design which limited experimental bias, this study examined if 4 wk of strength training alters voluntary activation and corticospinal transmission. Methods Twenty-one subjects were randomized into strength training (n = 10; 7 females, 3 males; 23.5 ± 7.5 yr; mean ± SD) and control groups (n = 11; 2 females, 9 males; 23.0 ± 4.2 yr). Strength training involved 12 sessions of high-force isometric contractions of the elbow flexors. Before and after training, voluntary activation of the elbow flexors was assessed via transcranial magnetic stimulation. Also, for the first time, magnetic stimulation of corticospinal axons was used to examine spinal-level adaptations to training. The evoked responses, termed cervicomedullary motor-evoked potentials (CMEPs), were acquired in resting biceps brachii in three arm postures. Muscle adaptations were assessed via electrical stimulation of biceps. Results Compared with the control group, the strength training group exhibited greater increases in maximal strength (12.8% ± 6.8% vs 0.0% ± 2.7%; P < 0.001), biceps electromyographic activity (27.8% ± 25.9% vs −5.2% ± 16.8%; P = 0.002), and voluntary activation (4.7% ± 3.9% raw change vs −0.1% ± 5.2%; P = 0.034). Biceps CMEPs in all arm postures were unchanged after training. Biceps twitch characteristics were also unchanged. Conclusions Four weeks of isometric strength training of the elbow flexors increased muscle strength and voluntary activation, without a change in the muscle. The improvement in activation suggests that voluntary output from the cortex was better able to recruit motoneurons and/or increase their firing rates. The lack of change in CMEPs indicates that neither corticospinal transmission nor motoneuron excitability was affected by training.
Personalized Remedial Intensive Training of One Medical Student in Communication and Interview Skills

Background: Medical students found to be deficient in communication and interview skills pose a difficult remediation challenge. There is no standard way to address such deficiencies. The authors describe the development and implementation of an intensive remedial curriculum. Description: A 2nd-year student found deficient in communication skills was held back for a year and paired with a clinical preceptor for intensive skills training, including a weekly precepted clinic, structured readings, standardized patient (SP) exercises, communications workshops, and end-of-year standardized clinical evaluations. Evaluation: The student's self-assessment and the preceptor's assessments of communication skill gradually improved over the year. The student improved through a progression of SP exercises focusing on specific communication skills. The student passed a final evaluation exercise with an excellent rating from the SP and the preceptor. Conclusions: This multistrategy approach to improve communication skills can be applied to other students and in other institutions. Based on the Bayer Institute communication workshops and integrated coaching techniques, the material forms a framework to help deficient students to become proficient in communication and interviewing skills.
Conducting a Feasibility Study in Women’s Health Screening Among Women in a Pacific Northwest American Indian Tribe

Breast and cervical cancers continue to contribute to high cancer mortality rates in American Indian/Alaska Native women; culturally appropriate interventions are needed to influence screening behaviors and to reduce delays in obtaining care. In a pilot feasibility study designed to influence Pacific Northwest American Indian/Alaska Native women’s health screening knowledge and behaviors (breast and cervical), we employed a community-based participatory research approach. Data from interviews with study participants, those involved in implementation of the study and observations were included in the analysis. Study questions focused on training of staff, recruitment of participants, and implementation of the protocol and data management. The complexities of translational, transcultural research and the importance of reporting pilot feasibility studies to the advancement of transcultural research are highlighted in the findings of this research effort.
Lactococcus garvieae subsp. bovis subsp. nov., lactic acid bacteria isolated from wild gaur (Bos gaurus) dung, and description of Lactococcus garvieae subsp. garvieae subsp. nov.

A taxonomic investigation was performed on a Gram-stain-positive coccus, designated strain BSN307T, isolated from gaur (Indian bison, Bos gaurus) dung based on phenotypic and molecular approaches. Based on the biochemical tests, cellular morphology and 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity, this strain was found to be a member of the genus Lactococcus and closely related to Lactococcus garvieae ATCC 49156T (99.6 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity) and L.actococcus formosensis 516T (99.0 %). However, DNA-DNA hybridization studies showed that the level of relatedness between strain BSN307T and L. garvieae ATCC 49156T was 75.8 %, suggesting that it represented a novel subspecies of L. garvieae. The inability to grow in brain heart infusion (BHI) medium at pH 9.6, in tryptic soy agar (TSA) with 4 % (w/v) NaCl and at 42 °C (MRS agar) clearly differentiated BSN307T from L. garvieae ATCC 49156T. Rep-PCR fingerprint patterns, substantial differences in summed feature 8 (C18 : 1ω7c/C18 : 1ω6c), C19 : 0 cyclo ω8c and C16 : 0 also differentiated strain BSN307T from the reference strain of L. garvieae. Moreover, analysis of the housekeeping genes pheS and rpoA revealed sequence similarities that were at the limit for species differentiation (92.2 and 97.8 %, respectively). Combined genotypic and phenotypic data indicate that strain BSN307T represents a subspecies of L. garvieae for which the name Lactococcus garvieae subsp. bovis subsp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is BSN307T (=DSM 100577 T=MCC 2824T=KCTC 21083T).
Efficacy of Treatment for Somatoform Disorders: A Review of Randomized Controlled Trials

Objective: To review the evidence from randomized clinical trials (RCTs) that have focused on the treatment of patients with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition (DSM-IV) somatoform disorders. Although somatoform disorders are among the most common mental disorders presenting in the general medical setting, the strength of evidence for specific treatments has not been well synthesized. Methods: MEDLINE search of articles published in English from 1966 to 2006, using the following search terms: randomized clinical trial, somatoform disorders, somatization disorder, undifferentiated somatoform disorder, hypochrondriasis, conversion disorder, pain disorder, and body dysmorphic disorder. Results: A total of 34 RCTs involving 3922 patients were included. Two thirds of the studies involved somatization disorder (n = 4 studies) and lower threshold variants, such as abridged somatization disorder (n = 9) and medically unexplained symptoms (n = 10). Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) was effective in most studies (11 of 13), as were antidepressants in a small number (4 of 5) of studies. RCTs examining a variety of other treatments showed benefit in half (8 of 16) of the studies, the most consistent evidence existing for a consultation letter to the primary care physician. Effective treatments have been established for all somatoform disorders except conversion disorder (1 of 3 studies showing benefit) and pain disorder (no studies reported). Conclusion: CBT is the best established treatment for a variety of somatoform disorders, with some benefit also demonstrated for a consultation letter to the primary care physician. Preliminary but not yet conclusive evidence exists for antidepressants. BDD = body dysmorphic disorder; CBT = cognitive behavioral therapy; DSM-IV = Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition; PCP = primary care physician; RCT = randomized clinical trial; SD = somatization disorder; USD = undifferentiated somatoform disorder.