Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Interlaboratory Comparison of Results of Susceptibility Testing with Caspofungin against Candida and Aspergillus Species

ABSTRACT Seventeen laboratories participated in a study of interlaboratory reproducibility with caspofungin microdilution susceptibility testing against panels comprising 30 isolates of Candida spp. and 20 isolates of Aspergillus spp. The laboratories used materials supplied from a single source to determine the influence of growth medium (RPMI 1640 with or without glucose additions and antibiotic medium 3 [AM3]), the same incubation times (24 h and 48 h), and the same end point definition (partial or complete inhibition of growth) for the MIC of caspofungin. All tests were run in duplicate, and end points were determined both spectrophotometrically and visually. The results from almost all of the laboratories for quality control and reference Candida and Aspergillus isolates tested with fluconazole and itraconazole matched the NCCLS published values. However, considerable interlaboratory variability was seen in the results of the caspofungin tests. For Candida spp. the most consistent MIC data were generated with visual “prominent growth reduction” (MIC2) end points measured at 24 h in RPMI 1640, where 73.3% of results for the 30 isolates tested fell within a mode ± one dilution range across all 17 laboratories. MIC2 at 24 h in RPMI 1640 or AM3 also gave the best interlaboratory separation of Candida isolates of known high and low susceptibility to caspofungin. Reproducibility of MIC data was problematic for caspofungin tests with Aspergillus spp. under all conditions, but the minimal effective concentration end point, defined as the lowest caspofungin concentration yielding conspicuously aberrant hyphal growth, gave excellent reproducibility for data from 14 of the 17 participating laboratories.
Rain forest classification based on SAR texture

This paper applies the concepts of optimized texture segmentation to the classification of SAREX-92 data from the Amazon rain forest. Initially, a simple scene is classified using both SAR texture and Band 5 Landsat TM imagery, yielding forest and not-forest joint probabilities of 97.8% and 96.5%, respectively. When the same procedure is applied to a more complicated scene, including regenerating areas, the equivalent results are 93.8% and 67.3%, When predictable corrections for shadowing and the presence of a highway are introduced, the not-forest joint probability is improved to about 78%. The residual discrepancy is then a consequence of the different ways in which the SAR texture and TM intensity respond to regenerating areas in the scene.
Young Adults Largely Depend on Vision for Postural Control When Standing on a BOSU Ball but Not on Foam

Abstract Lubetzky-Vilnai, A, McCoy, SW, Price, R, and Ciol, MA. Young adults largely depend on vision for postural control when standing on a BOSU ball but not on foam. J Strength Cond Res 29(10): 2907–2918, 2015—What happens at the sensory level when a person is balancing on compliant surfaces? Compliant surfaces such as both-sides-up (BOSU) balls are often used as a form of “proprioceptive exercises. ” Clinical theories in neurorehabilitation suggest that compliant surfaces disrupt the somatosensory contribution to balance and increase reliance on vision and vestibular input. Understanding the sensory aspects of compliant surfaces' exercises would have important implications for balance training of athletes and of people with somatosensory deficits such as people with recurrent ankle sprains. We tested this clinical theory in a sample of 30 healthy young adults and 10 adults with a history of repeated ankle sprains while they were standing on a BOSU ball, memory foam, or floor. We measured participants' center of pressure response to dots projected on a screen, moving mediolaterally at one of the 3 frequencies (0.4, 0.48, and 0.56 Hz). We calculated magnitude of the postural response (gains) and participants' primary frequency (PF) of sway and compared it between surfaces per frequency. In both groups, gains were significantly higher on the BOSU compared with floor or foam (p < 0.001) with no significant difference between floor and foam. The PF difference was significant (p < 0.001) with a clear peak matching of the visual stimulation frequency only on the BOSU. During a single session of stance on compliant surfaces, visual dependence was a dominant factor on a challenging condition. When prescribing BOSU exercises to young adults as specific balance training, trainers should consider its effect on increased visual dependence with respect to that session's goals.
Large-scale recovery of an endangered amphibian despite ongoing exposure to multiple stressors

Significance Human influences are causing the disappearance of species at a rate unprecedented in millions of years. Amphibians are being particularly affected, and extinctions of many species may be inevitable. The Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog (Rana sierrae) was once common in the mountains of California (United States), but human impacts have driven it near extinction. Repeated surveys of thousands of water bodies in Yosemite National Park show that the decline of R. sierrae has recently reversed and that population abundance is now increasing markedly in part because of reduced influence of stressors, including disease and introduced fish. These results suggest that some amphibians may be more resilient than is assumed, and with appropriate management, declines of such species may be reversible. Amphibians are one of the most threatened animal groups, with 32% of species at risk for extinction. Given this imperiled status, is the disappearance of a large fraction of the Earth’s amphibians inevitable, or are some declining species more resilient than is generally assumed? We address this question in a species that is emblematic of many declining amphibians, the endangered Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog (Rana sierrae). Based on >7,000 frog surveys conducted across Yosemite National Park over a 20-y period, we show that, after decades of decline and despite ongoing exposure to multiple stressors, including introduced fish, the recently emerged disease chytridiomycosis, and pesticides, R. sierrae abundance increased sevenfold during the study and at a rate of 11% per year. These increases occurred in hundreds of populations throughout Yosemite, providing a rare example of amphibian recovery at an ecologically relevant spatial scale. Results from a laboratory experiment indicate that these increases may be in part because of reduced frog susceptibility to chytridiomycosis. The disappearance of nonnative fish from numerous water bodies after cessation of stocking also contributed to the recovery. The large-scale increases in R. sierrae abundance that we document suggest that, when habitats are relatively intact and stressors are reduced in their importance by active management or species’ adaptive responses, declines of some amphibians may be partially reversible, at least at a regional scale. Other studies conducted over similarly large temporal and spatial scales are critically needed to provide insight and generality about the reversibility of amphibian declines at a global scale.
The young patient and the medial unicompartmental knee replacement.

Purpose : Younger patients with unicompartmental degenerative knee joint diseases present a therapeutic dilemma. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the long-term results of theOxfordphase III unicompartmental knee replacement through a minimally invasive approach in the young patient. Methods : We have studied a total of 51 patients (59 interventions) who underwent the Oxford Phase III Unicompartmental Knee Replacement. A clinical, radiographical and functional evaluation was performed twelve years after intervention. Results : According to the American Knee Society Score using Insall's criteria overall results of unicompartmental knee arthroplasty showed an excellent or good outcome for 53 knees (96.36%), fair for 1 (1.81 %) and poor for 1 (1.81%) in the postoperative long term. The survival rate of the implants was close to 95% at follow-up. Conclusions : twelve years follow-up results of UKA through a minimally invasive exposure in young patients demonstrate predictably good outcomes.
Sex Differences on a Computerized Mental Rotation Task Disappear with Computer Familiarization

The area of cognitive research that has produced the most consistent sex differences is spatial ability. Particularly, men consistently perform better on mental rotation tasks than do women. This study examined the effects of familiarization with a computer on performance of a computerized two-dimensional mental rotation task. Two groups of college students (N = 44) performed the rotation task, with one group performing a color-matching task that allowed them to be familiarized with the computer prior to the rotation task. Among the participants who only performed the rotation task, the 11 men performed better than the 11 women. Among the participants who performed the computer familiarization task before the rotation task, however, there were no sex differences on the mental rotation task between the 10 men and 12 women. These data indicate that sex differences on this two-dimensional task may reflect familiarization with the computer, not the mental rotation component of the task. Further research with larger samples and increased range of task difficulty is encouraged.
The surgeon as a prognostic factor.

I am highly honored to have been chosen to become the President of the European Surgical Association (ESA), a young yet prestigious and dynamic Association. The magic of the year 2000 brings an additional aura to this Presidency, although I am still trying to ascertain whether I am the last President of the old millennium or the first President of the new millennium.
Intrahepatic biliary anatomy of living adult liver donors: correlation of mangafodipir trisodium-enhanced MR cholangiography and intraoperative cholangiography.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of our study was to assess the usefulness of mangafodipir trisodium-enhanced MR cholangiography for evaluating intrahepatic biliary anatomy of adult living liver donors and to correlate the results with intraoperative cholangiography. CONCLUSION Mangafodipir trisodium-enhanced MR cholangiography accurately shows the biliary anatomy in the livers of donors. Noninvasive preoperative evaluation of the biliary anatomy in donor candidates is important for the detection of common anatomic variants that may require alternative graft-harvesting surgery.
Presynaptic inhibition of primary afferents by depolarization: observations supporting nontraditional mechanisms

Primary afferent neurotransmission is the fundamental first step in the central processing of sensory stimuli and is controlled by pre‐ and postsynaptic inhibitory mechanisms. Presynaptic inhibition (PSI) is probably the more powerful form of inhibitory control in all primary afferent fibers. A major mechanism producing afferent PSI is via a channel‐mediated depolarization of their intraspinal terminals, which can be recorded extracellularly as a dorsal root potential (DRP). Based on measures of DRP latency it has been inferred that this primary afferent depolarization (PAD) of low‐threshold afferents is mediated by minimally trisynaptic pathways with pharmacologically identified GABAergic interneurons forming last‐order axo‐axonic synapses onto afferent terminals. There is still no “squeaky clean” evidence of this organization. This paper describes recent and historical work that supports the existence of PAD occurring by more direct pathways and with a complex pharmacology that questions the proprietary role of GABA and GABAA receptors in this process. Cholinergic transmission in particular may contribute significantly to PAD, including via direct release from primary afferents.
M1 stage subdivision and treatment outcome of patients with bone-only metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

BACKGROUND The current M1 stage in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) does not differentiate patients based on metastatic site and number of metastases. This study aims to subdivide the M1 stage of NPC patients with bone-only metastases and to identify the patients who may benefit from combined chemoradiotherapy (CRT). METHODS Between 1998 and 2007, 312 patients diagnosed with bone-only metastasis at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center were enrolled. Various possible subdivisions of M1 stage were considered, including by the time order of metastasis (synchronous vs. metachronous), involvement of specific bone metastatic site, the number of metastatic sites, and the number of metastases. The correlation of the subdivisions of M1 stage with overall survival (OS) was determined by Cox regression. RESULTS The median OS was 23.4 months. Patients with more than three metastatic sites had significantly poorer OS than patients with three or fewer metastatic sites (16.2 vs. 32.4 months; p < .001). Metastasis to the spine was significantly associated with unfavorable OS (20.4 vs. 37.9 months; p < .001). Multivariate analysis showed that number of metastatic sites (more than three vs. three or fewer), spine involvement (present vs. absent), and treatment modality (CRT vs. chemotherapy or radiotherapy only) were independent prognostic factors for OS. In stratified analysis, compared with chemotherapy or radiotherapy alone, combined chemoradiotherapy could significantly benefit the patients with single bone metastasis (hazard ratio: 0.21; 95% confidence interval: 0.09-0.50). CONCLUSION Metastasis to the spine and having more than three bone metastatic sites are independent unfavorable predictors for OS in NPC patients with bone-only metastasis. Combined chemoradiotherapy should be considered for patients with single bone metastasis.
Pathogenicity of a QX strain of infectious bronchitis virus in specific pathogen free and commercial broiler chickens, and evaluation of protection induced by a vaccination programme based on the Ma5 and 4/91 serotypes

The aims of this study were firstly to evaluate the pathogenicity of an Italian isolate of the QX strain of infectious bronchitis (IB) virus using 1-day-old female specific pathogen free chicks (layer type) and 1-day-old female commercial broiler type chickens, and secondly to assess the level of protection induced in these birds by a vaccination programme including the IB Massachusetts and 4/91 serotype live attenuated vaccines. Unvaccinated birds showed clinical signs of varying severity, predominantly affecting the upper respiratory tract. Vaccinated birds appeared healthy, with the exception of a very mild conjunctivitis affecting a limited number of the broilers. Vaccination fully protected specific pathogen free birds, since no histopathological lesions were observed, nor was virus detected following challenge. In broilers, replication of the challenge virus was not prevented but was significantly reduced. This study confirms that vaccination at 1 day old and at 14 days of age using the Ma5 and 4/91 IB vaccines may be instrumental in reducing the economic impact of QX IB virus infections in layer and broiler farms.
Voices on adherence to ART in Ethiopia and Uganda: a matter of choice or simply not an option?

Abstract This paper explores HIV patients’ adherence to antiretroviral treatment (ART) in resource-limited contexts in Uganda and Ethiopia, where ART is provided free of charge. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with 79 patients, 17 peer counselors, and 22 providers in ART facilities in urban and rural areas of Ethiopia and Uganda. Interviewees voiced their experiences of, and views on ART adherence both from an individual and a system level perspective. Two main themes emerged from the content analysis: “Patients’ competing costs and systems’ resource constraints” and “Patients’ trust in ART and quality of the patient–provider encounters. ” The first theme refers to how patients’ adherence was challenged by difficulties in supporting themselves and their families, paying for transportation, for drug refill and follow-up as well as paying for registration fees, opportunistic infection treatment, and expensive referrals to other hospitals. The second theme describes factors that influenced patients’ capacity to adhere: personal responsibility in treatment, trust in the effects of antiretroviral drugs, and trust in the quality of counseling. To grant patients a fair choice to successfully adhere to ART, transport costs to ART facilities need to be reduced. This implies providing patients with drugs for longer periods of time and arranging for better laboratory services, thus not necessitating frequent revisits. Services ought to be brought closer to patients and peripheral, community-based healthworkers used for drug distribution. There is a need for training providers and peer counselors, in communication skills and adherence counseling.
New insights into sexually dimorphic skin glands of anurans: The structure and ultrastructure of the mental and lateral glands in Hypsiboas punctatus (Amphibia: Anura: Hylidae)

Many anuran species are characterized by sexually dimorphic skin glands. These glands often are concentrated on specific areas, such as the mental region, flanks, or the nuptial pads. We studied the histology and histochemistry of mental and lateral glands in Hypsiboas punctatus, and compared them to skin from other body regions. We describe four types of dermal glands, two types of mucous and two types of serous glands. The mucous glands are formed by a single layered epithelium. The mucocytes surrounding a central lumen are filled with polyhedral granules. Ordinary mucous glands are small sized glands with cubical epithelium, mucoid content, and small granules. Specialized mucous glands are characterized by a larger size, a columnar epithelium, a proteinaceous content and larger granules. Both types of serous glands are syncytial and share some structural features including size, shape, and morphology of secretory granules. However, ordinary and specialized serous glands differ in their histochemical properties, size and appearance of secretory granules, and glandular outlets. The specialized type of mucous glands in H. punctatus resembles most SDSGs described in anurans, whereas the presence of specialized serous glands that are sexually dimorphic is less common. Both specialized glands occur only in mental and lateral regions of males, whereas ordinary mucous and ordinary serous glands occur in males and females. J. Morphol. 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
FIBROBLAST GROWTH FACTOR 1 AND FIBROBLAST GROWTH FACTOR 2 IMMUNOREACTIVITY IN GASTROINTESTINAL TUMOURS

Acidic and basic fibroblast growth factors (FGF‐1 and FGF‐2) are mitogenic polypeptides that may play a role in autocrine and paracrine growth control of malignant tumours. We have examined the expression of FGF‐1 and FGF‐2 in a series of 41 colorectal tumours (24 adenomas, 17 adenocarcinomas) and 50 gastric adenocarcinomas (23 intestinal, 27 diffuse), using immunohistochemistry. Whereas the FGF‐1 distribution was cytoplasmic, FGF‐2 was restricted to the nuclei of the epithelial cells. FGF‐1 immunoreactivity was detected in all samples (100 per cent), whereas FGF‐2 immunoreactivity was seen in 17 adenomas (71 per cent), 13 colorectal carcinomas (76 per cent), and 29 gastric carcinomas (58 per cent). Compared with the normal mucosa, FGF‐1 was overexpressed in 42 per cent of colorectal adenomas, 76 per cent of colorectal cancers, and 54 per cent of gastric cancers. Conversely, FGF‐2 expression was reduced in 16 (66 per cent), 8 (47 per cent), and 40 (80 per cent) adenomas and colorectal and gastric samples, respectively. We found a significant correlation only between reduced FGF‐2 and gastric tumour grade. These data indicate that FGF‐1 overexpression occurs in a large proportion of human colorectal and gastric cancers. This may play a role in the progression of these tumours. The topographic variation in FGF‐2 expression between normal (nuclear) and tumour (cytoplasmic) cells implies a corresponding functional change that may in turn facilitate tumour growth. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Criteria for the existence of equivariant fibrations on algebraic surfaces and hyperkähler manifolds and equality of automorphisms up to powers: a dynamical viewpoint

Let X be a projective surface or a hyperkähler manifold and G⩽Aut(X) . We give a necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of a non‐trivial G ‐equivariant fibration on X . We also show that two automorphisms gi of positive entropy and polarized by the same nef divisor are the same up to powers, provided that either X is not an abelian surface or the gi share at least one common periodic point. The surface case is known among experts, but we treat this case together with the hyperkähler case using the same language of hyperbolic lattice and following Ratcliffe or Oguiso.
Molecular diagnosis of Burkitt's lymphoma.

BACKGROUND The distinction between Burkitt's lymphoma and diffuse large-B-cell lymphoma is crucial because these two types of lymphoma require different treatments. We examined whether gene-expression profiling could reliably distinguish Burkitt's lymphoma from diffuse large-B-cell lymphoma. METHODS Tumor-biopsy specimens from 303 patients with aggressive lymphomas were profiled for gene expression and were also classified according to morphology, immunohistochemistry, and detection of the t(8;14) c-myc translocation. RESULTS A classifier based on gene expression correctly identified all 25 pathologically verified cases of classic Burkitt's lymphoma. Burkitt's lymphoma was readily distinguished from diffuse large-B-cell lymphoma by the high level of expression of c-myc target genes, the expression of a subgroup of germinal-center B-cell genes, and the low level of expression of major-histocompatibility-complex class I genes and nuclear factor-kappaB target genes. Eight specimens with a pathological diagnosis of diffuse large-B-cell lymphoma had the typical gene-expression profile of Burkitt's lymphoma, suggesting they represent cases of Burkitt's lymphoma that are difficult to diagnose by current methods. Among 28 of the patients with a molecular diagnosis of Burkitt's lymphoma, the overall survival was superior among those who had received intensive chemotherapy regimens instead of lower-dose regimens. CONCLUSIONS Gene-expression profiling is an accurate, quantitative method for distinguishing Burkitt's lymphoma from diffuse large-B-cell lymphoma.
Global and Local Processing in Williams Syndrome, Autism, and Down Syndrome: Perception, Attention, and Construction

Global and local processing was studied in Williams Syndrome (WS), autism (AS), and Down Syndrome (DS) using perception, attention, and construction tasks. Past research has suggested an abnormal bias toward global processing in DS and, in contrast, an abnormal local bias in both WS and AS. Until now, no study has investigated whether the local processing bias in WS and AS has a different or similar underlying cause. Findings here suggest a common underlying mechanism, namely a bias in attention toward local processing. Results also indicate a global bias in attention in DS. This study finds no evidence to support predictions of the hierarchical deficit theory (Mottron & Belleville, 1993) as an explanation of hierarchical processing deficits in AS or DS, but does find support for hierarchical deficit theory in a subset of WS individuals. This study finds evidence of cognitive heterogeneity in WS, consistent with Porter and Coltheart (2005).