Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
High prevalence of norovirus in children with sporadic acute gastroenteritis in Manaus, Amazon Region, northern Brazil

BACKGROUND Norovirus (NoV) is a major cause of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) worldwide, especially in children under five years. Studies involving the detection and molecular characterisation of NoV have been performed in Brazil, demonstrating its importance as an etiological agent of AGE. OBJECTIVES The objectives of this study were to investigate the frequency of human NoV and to genotype the strains isolated from 0-14-year-old patients of AGE in Manaus, Brazil, over a period of two years. METHODS A total of 426 faecal samples were collected between January 2010 and December 2011. All samples were tested for the presence of NoV antigens using a commercial enzyme immunoassay kit. RNA was extracted from all faecal suspensions and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for the NoV-polymerase partial region was performed as a trial test. Positive samples were then subjected to PCR with specific primers for partial capsid genes, which were then sequenced. FINDINGS NoV was detected in 150 (35.2%) faecal samples, for at least one of the two techniques used. NoV was detected in children from all age groups, with the highest positivity observed among the group of 1-2 years old. Clinically, fever was verified in 43% of the positive cases and 46.3% of the negative cases, and vomiting was observed in 75.8% and 70.8% cases in these groups, respectively. Monthly distribution showed that the highest positivity was observed in January 2010 (81.2%), followed by February and April 2010 and March 2011, when the positivity rate reached almost 50%. Phylogenetic analyses performed with 65 positive strains demonstrated that 58 (89.2%) cases of NoV belonged to genotype GII.4, five (7.7%) to GII.6, and one (1.5%) each to GII.7 and GII.3. MAIN CONCLUSIONS This research revealed a high circulation of NoV GII.4 in Manaus and contributed to the understanding of the importance of this virus in the aetiology of AGE cases, especially in a region with such few studies available.
A comprehensive and quantitative internal control index: construction, validation, and impact

We use a new method to better measure internal control quality. Specifically, we construct an internal control index for all public firms in China, because the lack of internal control regulations during our sample period presents an interesting setting, in which the diversity of internal control quality is preserved. Two distinctive features set our index apart from the information currently available under SOX 404 in the U.S. First, it comprehensively evaluates a firm’s internal control, based on the COSO framework. Second, it quantitatively measures a firm’s internal control, using the analytic hierarchy process designed for analyzing complex decisions. We proceed to validate our index by confirming the known relation between internal control quality and earnings management. Further, we theorize that our internal control index has a positive impact on the earnings response coefficient, and find that better internal control indeed makes financial reporting more credible to investors.
Slicing the Pie: Correlating HbA1c values with average blood glucose values in a pie chart form

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to define the correlation between HbA1c values and the percentage of home blood glucose (HBG) measurements within given ranges in a pie chart in three age-groups of subjects with type 1 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS HbA1c values were compared with HBG measurements in subjects who did at least three blood glucose tests per day over 30 days in three age-groups: 5–11, 12–16, and 17–35 years. The blood glucose values were arbitrarily divided into three groups, defined as the percentage of HBG measurements within, above, and below target range. Each range was then compared with the corresponding HbA1c value. Longitudinal data were also collected for 279 of the subjects after a mean of 139 days. RESULTS A strong correlation (P = 0.001) was found between HbA1c values and the average blood glucose, and also with the percentage of HBG measurements within, above, and below target range in each of the three age-groups (P < 0.001). Analyses of longitudinal data showed a strong correlation of the changes in HbA1c values to the changes in blood glucose values. CONCLUSIONS These data showed that a pie-shaped graph of the HBG data can be useful as a clinical parameter in helping patients and families attain desired HbA1c values.
Isometric contractile properties of sexually dimorphic forelimb muscles in the marine toad Bufo marinus Linnaeus 1758: functional analysis and implications for amplexus

SUMMARY It has been shown in the bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana Shaw 1802, that certain forelimb muscles in males have different contractile properties when compared with females, which may result from adaptation for amplexus. We extended this study to a distantly related species, Bufo marinus Linnaeus 1758, by testing the isometric contractile properties of three muscles, abductor indicus longus (AIL), and flexor carpi radialis (FCR) (both dimorphic muscles), and extensor carpi ulnaris (ECU) (non-dimorphic control). In males the dimorphic muscles had greater wet mass and cross-sectional area than in the females, and also produced significantly greater isometric force. As in bullfrogs, however, the maximum tetanic force per cm2 of muscle cross-section did not differ between the sexes. In spite of this similarity in maximum force, the two dimorphic muscles were much less fatigable in the males than in the females. Lower fatigability in males correlated with exceptionally elongated relaxation times that maintained high levels of force between stimulus trains. This sustained force was negligible in the females, suggesting that this feature may allow males to maintain amplexus for prolonged periods. The same sustained force response was observed in the earlier study of Rana catesbeiana. Because this response is similar in Bufo and Rana, muscular properties correlated with amplexus may be shared across anurans by inheritance of this response from a common ancestor.
The Occurrence and Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Salmonellae Isolated from Commercially Available Canine Raw Food Diets in Three Canadian Cities

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence and antimicrobial resistance patterns of Salmonella isolated from commercially available canine raw food diets in Canada. A total of 166 commercial frozen raw food diet samples were purchased from randomly selected local pet stores in three Canadian cities for a period of 8 months. All samples were evaluated for the presence of Salmonella, serotyped and tested for antimicrobial susceptibility. There was an overall Salmonella prevalence of 21%; chicken was an ingredient for 67% of the Salmonella‐positive diets. Eighteen different Salmonella serotypes were recovered, and resistance was observed to 12 of the 16 antimicrobials tested, with the majority of Ontario isolates exhibiting resistance to ampicillin and Calgary isolates to tetracycline. This study demonstrates the potential risk of raw food diets, especially for immunocompromised individuals, and stresses the need for implementing regulatory guidelines for the production of these diets in order to help control and ideally eliminate the bacterial risks associated with their use and consumption.
Parent–child conflict as an etiological moderator of childhood conduct problems: an example of a ‘bioecological’ gene–environment interaction

Background Prior research has suggested that, consistent with the diathesis–stress model of gene–environment interaction (G × E), parent–child conflict activates genetic influences on antisocial/externalizing behaviors during adolescence. It remains unclear, however, whether this model is also important during childhood, or whether the moderation of child conduct problems by negative/conflictive parenting is better characterized as a bioecological interaction, in which environmental influences are enhanced in the presence of environmental risk whereas genetic influences are expressed most strongly in their absence. The current study sought to distinguish between these possibilities, evaluating how the parent–child relationship moderates the etiology of childhood-onset conduct problems. Method We conducted a series of ‘latent G by measured E’ interaction analyses, in which a measured environmental variable was allowed to moderate both genetic and environmental influences on child conduct problems. Participants included 500 child twin pairs from the Michigan State University Twin Registry (MSUTR). Results Shared environmental influences on conduct problems were found to be several-fold larger in those with high levels of parent–child conflict as compared with those with low levels. Genetic influences, by contrast, were proportionally more influential at lower levels of conflict than at higher levels. Conclusions Our findings suggest that, although the diathesis–stress form of G × E appears to underlie the relationship between parenting and conduct problems during adolescence, this pattern of moderation does not extend to childhood. Instead, results were more consistent with the bioecological form of G × E which postulates that, in some cases, genetic influences may be most fully manifested in the absence of environmental risk.
Effects of a carbohydrate-protein beverage on cycling endurance and muscle damage.

INTRODUCTION The purpose of this study was to determine whether endurance cycling performance and postexercise muscle damage were altered when consuming a carbohydrate and protein beverage (CHO+P; 7.3% and 1.8% concentrations) versus a carbohydrate-only (CHO; 7.3%) beverage. METHODS Fifteen male cyclists (mean (.-)VO(2peak) = 52.6 +/- 10.3 mL x kg x min) rode a cycle ergometer at 75% (.-)VO(2peak) to volitional exhaustion, followed 12 - 15 h later by a second ride to exhaustion at 85% (.-)VO(2peak). Subjects consumed 1.8 mL x kg BW of randomly assigned CHO or CHO+P beverage every 15 min of exercise, and 10 mL x kg BW immediately after exercise. Beverages were matched for carbohydrate content, resulting in 20% lower total caloric content per administration of CHO beverage. Subjects were blinded to treatment beverage and repeated the same protocol seven to 14 d later with the other beverage. RESULTS In the first ride (75% (.-)VO(2peak)), subjects rode 29% longer (P < 0.05) when consuming the CHO+P beverage (106.3 +/- 45.2 min) than the CHO beverage (82.3 +/- 32.6 min). In the second ride (85% (.-)VO(2peak)), subjects performed 40% longer when consuming the CHO+P beverage (43.6 +/- 12.5 min) than when consuming the CHO beverage (31.2 +/- 8.7 min). Peak postexercise plasma CPK levels, indicative of muscle damage, were 83% lower after the CHO+P trial (216.3 +/- 122.0 U x L) than the CHO trial (1318.1 +/- 1935.6 U x L). There were no significant differences in exercising levels of (.-)VO(2), ventilation, heart rate, RPE, blood glucose, or blood lactate between treatments in either trial. CONCLUSION A carbohydrate beverage with additional protein calories produced significant improvements in time to fatigue and reductions in muscle damage in endurance athletes. Further research is necessary to determine whether these effects were the result of higher total caloric content of the CHO+P beverage or due to specific protein-mediated mechanisms.
The influence of intense Tai Chi training on physical performance and hemodynamic outcomes in transitionally frail, older adults.

BACKGROUND Few data exist to evaluate whether Tai Chi (TC) training improves physical performance and hemodynamic outcomes more than a wellness education (WE) program does among older fallers transitioning to frailty. METHODS This 48-week randomized clinical trial was provided at 10 matched pairs of congregate living facilities in the Atlanta metropolitan area to 291 women and 20 men, who were transitionally frail, >or=70 years old, and had fallen at least once within the past year. Pairs of facilities were randomized to either TC exercise (n = 158) or WE (control) interventions (n = 153) over 48 weeks. Physical performance (freely chosen gait speed, reach, chair-rises, 360 degrees turn, picking up an object from the floor, and single limb support) and hemodynamic outcomes (heart rate and blood pressure) were obtained at baseline and after 4, 8, and 12 months. RESULTS Mean percent change (baseline to 1 year) for gait speed increased similarly in both cohorts (TC: 9.1% and WE: 8.2%; p =.78). However, time to complete three chair-rises decreased 12.3% for TC and increased 13.7% for WE (p =.006). Baseline to 1 year mean percent change decreased among TC and increased within WE cohorts for: body mass index (-2.3% vs 1.8%; p <.0001), systolic blood pressure (-3.4% vs 1.7%; p =.02), and resting heart rate (-5.9% vs 4.6%; p <.0001). CONCLUSIONS TC significantly improved chair-rise and cardiovascular performance. Because TC training reduced fall occurrences in this cohort, factors influencing functional and cardiovascular improvements may also favorably impact fall events.
Modified sphygmomanometer test for the assessment of strength of the trunk, upper and lower limbs muscles in subjects with subacute stroke: reliability and validity.

BACKGROUND Limitations in activities have been related to weakness of the upper limbs (UL), lower limbs (LL) and trunk muscles after stroke. Therefore, the measurement of strength after stroke becomes essential. The Modified Sphygmomanometer Test (MST) is an alternative method for the measurement of strength, since it is cheap and provides objective values. However, no studies have investigated the measurement properties of the MST in sub-acute stroke. AIM To investigate the test-retest and inter-rater reliabilities and criterion-related validity of the MST for the measurement of strength of the UL, LL, and trunk muscles in subjects with sub-acute stroke, and verify whether the number of trials would affect the results. DESIGN Diagnostic accuracy. SETTING Local community, out-patient clinics, and university laboratory. POPULATION Sixty- five subjects with sub-acute stroke (62±14 years) participated of the present study. METHODS The strength of 36 muscular groups was measured with the MST and dynamometers (criterion standard). To investigate whether the number of trials would affect the results, analysis of variance was applied. For the test-retest and inter-rater reliabilities and criterion-related validity of the MST, intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC), Pearson correlation coefficients, and coefficients of determination were calculated. RESULTS Similar results were found for all muscular groups and number of trials (0.01≤F≤0.14; 0.87≤p≤0.99) with significant and adequate values of test-retest (0.57≤ICC≥0.98) (exception: first trial of the non-paretic ankle dorsiflexors) and inter-rater (0.50≤ICC≥0.99) (exception: non-paretic ankle plantar flexors) reliabilities and validity (0.70≤r≥0.95; p≤0.001). The values obtained with the MST were good predictors of those obtained with the dynamometers (0.54≤r2≤0.90). CONCLUSIONS In general, the MST showed adequate reliabilities and criterion-related validity for measuring strength of subjects with sub-acute stroke, and only one trial, after familiarization, provided adequate values. CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT The MST can be used by health professionals within several clinical contexts to objectively measure strength of the UL, LL, and trunk muscles in subjects with sub-acute stroke. Besides providing objective, reliable, and valid strength measures, the MST is also feasible. The aneroid sphygmomanometer used for the MST assessment is portable, easily found worldwide, and commonly acquired by health professionals. Furthermore, its adaptation is simple, reversible, and cheap.
Doxycycline use in patients with lymphangioleiomyomatosis: safety and efficacy in metalloproteinase blockade.

OBJECTIVE Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is characterized by lung cysts, whose development is associated with matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) hyperactivity, principally that of MMP-2 and MMP-9. Our objective was to compare LAM patients and controls in terms of the levels of these MMPs, as well as to determine the safety and efficacy of treatment with doxycycline, a potent MMP inhibitor. METHODS Prospective clinical study involving female LAM patients who received doxycycline (100 mg/day) for six months. Urine and blood samples were collected for the quantification of MMP-2 and MMP-9 before and after the treatment period. Samples from 10 healthy women were also collected. RESULTS Of the 41 LAM patients who started the treatment, 34 completed the protocol. Serum and urinary MMP-9 levels were significantly lower in the controls than in the LAM patients (p < 0.0001). Comparing pre- and post-treatment values, we found that the median level of MMP-9 in serum decreased from 919 ng/mL to 871 ng/mL (p = 0.05), whereas that of MMP-9 in urine decreased from 11,558 pg/mL to 7,315 pg/mL (p = 0.10). After treatment, the median level of MMP-2 in serum was significantly lower (p = 0.04) and urinary MMP-2 levels were undetectable. Nausea, diarrhea, and epigastric pain were the most prevalent adverse affects and were often self-limiting. There was only one case in which the patient discontinued the treatment because of side effects. CONCLUSIONS We have demonstrated, for the first time, a decrease in serum and urine levels of MMPs in LAM patients treated with doxycycline, which proved to be a safe medication, with mild and well-tolerated side effects.
From quality assurance to total quality management: how can quality assurance result in continuous improvement in health professions education?

CONTEXT Quality assurance is a hot topic in many institutes for higher education. Quality assurance is a cyclic process, consisting of three steps: measuring, judging and improving. Many institutes in higher education collect data about the quality of their educational programme on a regular basis and with proper frequency, but these evaluative data are not always used to improve the quality of the programme. PURPOSE The aim of this article is to demonstrate which conditions need to be fulfilled to ensure that quality assurance is a cyclic process resulting in continuous improvement. CONCLUSIONS Quality assurance can only be successful, i.e. result in continuous improvement, if three conditions are met: the evaluation activities are carried out in (1). a systematic and (2). structural fashion and (3). are integrated in the organization's regular work patterns. Parts of the system for quality assurance at the Maastricht Medical School are presented to demonstrate how the three conditions can be realized in practice.
Evaluation of cannabinoids concentration and stability in standardized preparations of cannabis tea and cannabis oil by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

Abstract Background: Cannabis has been used since ancient times to relieve neuropathic pain, to lower intraocular pressure, to increase appetite and finally to decrease nausea and vomiting. The combination of the psychoactive cannabis alkaloid Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) with the non-psychotropic alkaloids cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabinol (CBN) demonstrated a higher activity than THC alone. The Italian National Institute of Health sought to establish conditions and indications on how to correctly use nationally produced cannabis to guarantee therapeutic continuity in individuals treated with medical cannabis. Methods: The evaluation of cannabinoids concentration and stability in standardized preparations of cannabis tea and cannabis oil was conducted using an easy and fast ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) assay. Results: Extraction efficiency of oil was significantly higher than that of water with respect to the different cannabinoids. This was especially observed in the case of the pharmacologically active THC, CBD and their acidic precursors. Fifteen minutes boiling was sufficient to achieve the highest concentrations of cannabinoids in the cannabis tea solutions. At ambient temperature, a significant THC and CBD decrease to 50% or less of the initial concentration was observed over 3 and 7 days, respectively. When refrigerated at 4 °C, similar decreasing profiles were observed for the two compounds. The cannabinoids profile in cannabis oil obtained after pre-heating the flowering tops at 145 °C for 30 min in a static oven resulted in a complete decarboxylation of cannabinoid acids CBDA and THCA-A. Nevertheless, it was apparent that heat not only decarboxylated acidic compounds, but also significantly increased the final concentrations of cannabinoids in oil. The stability of cannabinoids in oil samples was higher than that in tea samples since the maximum decrease (72% of initial concentration) was observed in THC coming from unheated flowering tops at ambient temperature. In the case of the other cannabinoids, at ambient and refrigerated temperatures, 80%–85% of the initial concentrations were measured up to 14 days after oil preparation. Conclusions: As the first and most important aim of the different cannabis preparations is to guarantee therapeutic continuity in treated individuals, a strictly standardized preparation protocol is necessary to assure the availability of a homogeneous product of defined stability.
Differential Regulation of NMDA Receptor-Mediated Transmission by SK Channels Underlies Dorsal-Ventral Differences in Dynamics of Schaffer Collateral Synaptic Function

Behavioral, physiological, and anatomical evidence indicates that the dorsal and ventral zones of the hippocampus have distinct roles in cognition. How the unique functions of these zones might depend on differences in synaptic and neuronal function arising from the strikingly different gene expression profiles exhibited by dorsal and ventral CA1 pyramidal cells is unclear. To begin to address this question, we investigated the mechanisms underlying differences in synaptic transmission and plasticity at dorsal and ventral Schaffer collateral (SC) synapses in the mouse hippocampus. We find that, although basal synaptic transmission is similar, SC synapses in the dorsal and ventral hippocampus exhibit markedly different responses to θ frequency patterns of stimulation. In contrast to dorsal hippocampus, θ frequency stimulation fails to elicit postsynaptic complex-spike bursting and does not induce LTP at ventral SC synapses. Moreover, EPSP-spike coupling, a process that strongly influences information transfer at synapses, is weaker in ventral pyramidal cells. Our results indicate that all these differences in postsynaptic function are due to an enhanced activation of SK-type K+ channels that suppresses NMDAR-dependent EPSP amplification at ventral SC synapses. Consistent with this, mRNA levels for the SK3 subunit of SK channels are significantly higher in ventral CA1 pyramidal cells. Together, our findings indicate that a dorsal-ventral difference in SK channel regulation of NMDAR activation has a profound effect on the transmission, processing, and storage of information at SC synapses and thus likely contributes to the distinct roles of the dorsal and ventral hippocampus in different behaviors. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Differences in short- and long-term plasticity at Schaffer collateral (SC) synapses in the dorsal and ventral hippocampus likely contribute importantly to the distinct roles of these regions in cognition and behavior. Although dorsal and ventral CA1 pyramidal cells exhibit markedly different gene expression profiles, how these differences influence plasticity at SC synapses is unclear. Here we report that increased mRNA levels for the SK3 subunit of SK-type K+ channels in ventral pyramidal cells is associated with an enhanced activation of SK channels that strongly suppresses NMDAR activation at ventral SC synapses. This leads to striking differences in multiple aspects of synaptic transmission at dorsal and ventral SC synapses and underlies the reduced ability of ventral SC synapses to undergo LTP.