Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sensitivity and specificity of two serological tests for the detection of ovine paratuberculosis.

OBJECTIVE To determine the sensitivity and specificity of an absorbed ELISA and an AGID test for the detection of clinical and subclinical paratuberculosis in sheep. DESIGN By testing a panel of sera from 1257 Australian Merino and crossbred sheep greater than 1 year of age, of which 1137 sheep were not infected with Mycobacterium avium subsp paratuberculosis and 120 sheep had paratuberculosis. PROCEDURE Sera were collected from 457 sheep in Victoria and 800 sheep in Western Australia. Presence of M a paratuberculosis infection in Victorian sheep was determined by histological examination of intestinal tissues, whereas sheep from Western Australia were presumed to be free of Johne's disease. The ability of an absorbed ELISA to discriminate between infected and uninfected sheep was described by test sensitivity and specificity, the distribution of ELISA OD, and the area under a receiver operating characteristic curve. RESULTS The absorbed ELISA had a specificity of 98.2 to 99.5% (CI) and a sensitivity of 35 to 54% (CI). In sheep from infected flocks in Victoria, the AGID test had a specificity of 99 to 100% (CI) and a sensitivity of 38 to 56% (CI). The sensitivity of serological tests was higher in sheep with a body condition representative of the lower quintile of their flock of origin. CONCLUSION The AGID test and absorbed ELISA are useful tests for the detection of ovine paratuberculosis. Although the tests had a similar accuracy, they detected different subpopulations of infected sheep with only moderate overlap. The AGID test had a higher specificity than the absorbed ELISA.
Characterization of Endogenous Protoporphyrin IX Induced by δ‐Aminolevulinic Acid in Resting and Activated Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes by Four‐Color Flow Cytometry

Lymphocytes treated with δ‐aminolevulinic acid (ALA) can accumulate the photoactive, fluorescent heme precursor, protoporphyrin IX (PpIX). With visible light illumination, PpIX can be used in photodynamic therapy (ALA‐PDT) to kill or functionally alter cells. The aim of this study was to characterize the effects of ALA and ALA‐PDT on resting and activated human peripheral blood T lymphocytes. Accumulation of PpIX depends inversely on the rate of its iron‐dependent conversion into heme. Activated, replicating lymphocytes have low intracellular iron levels, with corresponding increases in the transferrin receptor (CD71). Thus, we expected activated lymphocytes would preferentially accumulate PpIX. Using four‐color flow cytometry, we examined ALA‐induced PpIX levels in T‐cell subsets of resting and activated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells and the relationship between CD71 and PpIX. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells stimulated by phytohemagglutinin (PHA) were simultaneously phenotyped for PpIX, CD71 and the T‐cell markers CD3 and CD4 or CDS. In activated cells treated with 0‐6mM ALA for 4 h, PpIX fluorescence was maximal at 1 mM ALA. On a single cell basis, there was a strong correlation between PpIX ac‐cumulation and CD71 expression. The ALA‐treated, PHA‐stimulated, CD71+ lymphocytes had an eight‐fold greater mean PpIX fluorescence than nonactivated, CD71‐ cells. Approximately 87% of the CD4* and 85% of the CD8+ T cells accumulated PpIX. The PpIX levels of CDS+ cells were about 5% greater than CD4+ cells. In addition, mixed lymphocyte reaction‐stimulated cells treated with ALA accumulated more PpIX than controls. Thus, activated cells preferentially accumulate endogenous PpIX when exogenous ALA is administered. Cytotoxicity studies showed that the majority of the activated cells following ALA‐PDT were killed but resting cells were spared. Also, in examining activation markers by flow cytometry the number of cells that were positive for activation markers CD38 or CD71 dramatically decreased after ALA and light treatment in activated populations. The data suggest a role for ALA‐PDT as an immunomodulator or photocytotoxic agent targeting activated lymphocytes.
Does transcutaneous electric acupoint stimulation improve the quality of recovery after thyroidectomy? A prospective randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND We evaluated the effects of transcutaneous electric acupoint stimulation (TEAS) on the postoperative quality of recovery after thyroidectomy with general anesthesia in this prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. METHODS Eight-four American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status (ASA) I or II patients undergoing thyroidectomy were randomly allocated to TEAS or control groups. The primary outcome was the quality of recovery, which was assessed on the day before surgery and 24 h after surgery using the Quality of Recovery 40 questionnaire (QoR-40). Secondary outcomes included the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), postoperative pain intensity, duration of post anesthesia care unit (PACU) stay and patient's satisfaction. RESULTS Global QoR-40 score at 24 h after surgery was higher in the TEAS group (median [interquartile range], 183 [172-190]) compared with the control group (168 [154-183]) (P < 0.001). Compared with the control group, postoperative pain intensity and the cumulative number of opioids administered was lower in the TEAS group patients (P < 0.001). TEAS reduced the incidence of PONV and dizziness (P = 0.001), as well as the duration of PACU stay (P < 0.001). Simultaneously, the patient's satisfaction scores were higher in the TEAS group (P = 0.002). CONCLUSION Preoperative TEAS enhances the quality of recovery, postoperative analgesia and patient's satisfaction, alleviates postoperative side effects and accelerates discharge after general anesthesia for thyroidectomy.
Intact landmark control and angular path integration by head direction cells in the anterodorsal thalamus after lesions of the medial entorhinal cortex

The medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) occupies a central position within neural circuits devoted to the representation of spatial location and orientation. The MEC contains cells that fire as a function of the animal's head direction (HD), as well as grid cells that fire in multiple locations in an environment, forming a repeating hexagonal pattern. The MEC receives inputs from widespread areas of the cortical mantle including the ventral visual stream, which processes object recognition information, as well as information about visual landmarks. The role of the MEC in processing the HD signal or landmark information is unclear. We addressed this issue by neurotoxically damaging the MEC and recording HD cells within the anterodorsal thalamus (ADN). Direction‐specific activity was present in the ADN of all animals with MEC lesions. Moreover, the discharge characteristics of ADN HD cells were only mildly affected by MEC lesions, with HD cells exhibiting greater anticipation of future HDs. Tests of landmark control revealed that HD cells in lesioned rats were capable of accurately updating their preferred firing directions in relation to a salient visual cue. Furthermore, cells from lesioned animals maintained stable preferred firing directions when locomoting in darkness and demonstrated stable HD cell tuning when locomoting into a novel enclosure, suggesting that MEC lesions did not disrupt the integration of idiothetic cues, or angular path integration, by HD cells. Collectively, these findings suggest that the MEC plays a limited role in the formation and spatial updating of the HD cell signal. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Rotating leadership and collective responsibility in a grade 4 Knowledge Building classroom

Productive collaborative engagement in increasingly global, innovative enterprises requires feeling at home with complexity and knowledge creation. Knowledge Building aims to engage students directly in sustained creative work with ideas from the earliest years of schooling, with all students taking responsibility for advancing community knowledge. Knowledge Forum technology aims to make knowledge-creating interactions integral to day-today knowledge work and extensible to all students, creating opportunities for rotating leadership, a feature of collaborative innovation networks. In this study we examined social network patterns of rotating leadership in an elementary school class and the discourse moves associated with temporary leadership. We found a relatively decentralised student network, with 20 out of 22 students leading the group at different points in time by connecting unique ideas to the larger class discussion. Our findings are discussed within the context of education for the Knowledge Age.
Phase I study of an immunomodulatory thalidomide analog, CC-4047, in relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma.

PURPOSE To assess the safety, efficacy, and immunomodulatory effects of CC-4047 (Actimid; Celgene, San Diego, CA) in patients with relapsed or refractory myeloma. PATIENTS AND METHODS Twenty-four relapsed or refractory patients were treated with a dose-escalating regimen of oral CC-4047. Clinical responses and adverse effects were identified, and peripheral T-cell subsets, serum cytokines, and proangiogenic factors were evaluated. RESULTS CC-4047 was tolerated with no serious nonhematologic adverse events. All patients were eligible for analysis. Toxicity criteria during the initial 4 weeks of study were used to define the maximum-tolerated dose (MTD). During this period, one patient withdrew with a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) probably caused by an undiagnosed primary melanoma with lymphadenopathy in the groin, one patient withdrew because of progressive disease (PD), and three patients discontinued with neutropenia. Nineteen of 24 patients continued on treatment beyond 4 weeks to PD or development of a serious adverse event. Three further patients developed a DVT at 4, 9, and 11 months. Treatment resulted in a greater than 25% reduction in paraprotein in 67% of patients, 13 patients (54%) experienced a greater than 50% reduction in paraprotein, and four (17%) of 24 patients entered complete remission. The MTD was 2 mg/d. All patients showed increased CD45RO expression on CD4(+) and CD8(+) cells, with a concomitant decrease in CD45RA(+) cells. CC-4047 treatment was associated with significantly increased serum interleukin (IL)-2 receptor and IL-12 levels, which is consistent with activation of T cells and monocytes and macrophages. CONCLUSION This study demonstrates the safety and efficacy of CC-4047. The MTD of CC-4047 orally was 2 mg/d. This is the first report demonstrating in vivo T-cell costimulation by this class of compound, supporting a potential role for CC-4047 as an immunostimulatory adjuvant treatment.
Employment Protection and SME Capital Structure Decisions

This study examines the effect of employment protection (EP) on the capital structure of SMEs. We argue that EP is linked to both the level of leverage and leverage adjustments because of its impact on financial distress costs and a firm's operational leverage. Data on employment contract types allow us to compose company specific measures of exposure to EP using a panel data set of 14,858 Belgian SMEs between 2000 and 2012. Our results show that the leverage ratio of firms is higher and that firms are more likely to adjust leverage levels when they are subject to fewer EP obligations.
Day-Hospital and Community Treatment for Acute Psychiatric Illness

Findings on the efficacy of day-hospital and community treatment for acutely ill psychiatric patients have been contradictory. This review confirms the methodological problems previously noted, but highlights the variation in feasibility of day care: staffing levels and the attitudes of staff appear to have been responsible, along with the severity and chronicity of illness. The comparison of day and in-patient care to see which is 'superior’ has been unrewarding, and further research is needed. Day-hospital treatment is unlikely to be more widely used for acutely ill patients until: (a) there is clear evidence that certain patients are best treated in this way; (b) the social and clinical characteristics of such patients are defined; (c) adequate staffing is achieved (i.e. day care is not regarded as a cheap option); and (d) day centres are available for chronic patients.
Impact of Emitter-Sensor Geometry on Accuracy of Received Signal Strength Based Geolocation

The Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB) is derived for the miss distance of an emitter geolocation system using received signal strength (RSS) measurements from spatially dispersed sensors. This result can be written as the product of several factors, one of which completely characterizes the effect of the emitter-sensor geometry on geolocation accuracy. This particular factor, which depends only on the relative positions of the emitter and sensors, is referred to as the geometric dilution of precision (G) in this paper. The properties of G can be analyzed using a combination of computer simulations and statistical analysis. These results provide useful insights into the problem of optimal sensor placement with respect to the area of interest for RSS based geolocation.
Research on Women in International Business and Management: Then, Now, and Next

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to address the paradox that represents a shortage of women in management and senior leadership positions around the world, while research has consistently shown that having women in positions of influence leads to noteworthy organizational benefits, as guest editors for this special issue, the authors provide an overview of four key streams of cross-cultural research on gender – women in international management, anthropology and gender, women’s leadership, and women’s entrepreneurship – which have been fairly well-developed but remain underexplored. Design/methodology/approach Each author led the review of the scholarly literature stream that aligned most with personal research areas of expertise, while particularly focusing each literature review on the status of each body of work in relation to the topic of women and gender in international business and management. Findings The authors encourage future work on the role of women and gender (including gay, lesbian, and transgender) in cross-cultural management, and the influence of cross-cultural matters on gender. In addition to new research on obstacles and biases faced by women in management, the authors hope to see more scholarship on the benefits that women bring to their organizations. Practical implications New research could aim to provide specific evidence-based recommendations for: how organizations and individuals can work to develop more gender diversity in management and senior positions around the world, and encourage more women to start and grow bigger businesses. Social implications Scholars can lead progress on important gender issues and contribute to quality information that guides politicians, organizational leaders, new entrants to the workforce. Originality/value This is the first paper to cover these topics and review the body of work on cross-cultural research on women in international business and management. The authors hope it serves as a useful launch pad for scholars conducting new research in this domain.
Working Environment for Women Entrepreneurs in Developing Countries: An Empirical Study of Bangladesh

Women entrepreneurship is a very thorny task in Bangladesh like other developing nations. Generally, women entrepreneurs are facing number of hindrances during start-up to operating their enterprises though they have enormous contribution to the national economic growth and employment generation. The aim of this research study is to scrutinize the working environment for women entrepreneurs in Bangladesh. To conduct the study 752 sample has been considered and examined to get research outcome. The research results reveal that Bangladeshi women entrepreneurs generally have very limited financial capabilities to initiate their business as well as inadequate of collateral facilities leads to discourage the financial institutions to offer credit facilities to them. Also women entrepreneurs face other social constrains to operate and manage their business those can be connected with gender discrimination, undermining as economic means, legal constrains and imperfect view by financial institutions that women are unable to manage their business.
Evolutionary Model and Oscillation Frequencies for α Ursae Majoris: A Comparison with Observations

Inspired by the observations of low-amplitude oscillations of α Ursae Majoris A by Buzasi et al. using the WIRE satellite, a grid of stellar evolutionary tracks has been constructed to derive physically consistent interior models for the nearby red giant. The pulsation properties of these models were then calculated and compared with the observations. It is found that, by adopting the correct metallicity and for a normal helium abundance, only models in the mass range of 4.0-4.5 M⊙ fall within the observational error box for α UMa A. This mass range is compatible, within the uncertainties, with the mass derived from the astrometric mass function. Analysis of the pulsation spectra of the models indicates that the observed α UMa oscillations can be most simply interpreted as radial (i.e., l = 0) p-mode oscillations of low radial order n. The lowest frequencies observed by Buzasi et al. are compatible, within the observational errors, with model frequencies of radial orders n = 0, 1, and 2 for models in the mass range of 4.0-4.5 M⊙. The higher frequencies observed can also be tentatively interpreted as higher n-valued radial p-modes, if we allow that some n-values are not presently observed. The theoretical l = 1, 2, and 3 modes in the observed frequency range are g-modes with a mixed mode character, that is, with p-mode-like characteristics near the surface and g-mode-like characteristics in the interior. The calculated radial p-mode frequencies are nearly equally spaced, separated by 2-3 μHz. The nonradial modes are very densely packed throughout the observed frequency range and, even if excited to significant amplitudes at the surface, are unlikely to be resolved by the present observations.
Light cigarette smoke‐induced emphysema and NFκB activation in mouse lung

Light cigarette (LC) exposure is supposed to be less hazardous with a decreased incidence of cancer and tobacco‐associated diseases. C57BL/6 mouse groups were subjected to smoke from 3, 6 or 12 LC for 60 days and compared with mice exposed to ambient air (EAA) in order to study lung injury by morphometrical and biochemical methods. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) analysis and histology and stereology were performed. Tissue from the right lung was used for measuring thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and Western blot analysis. One way anova was performed followed by the Student–Newman Keuls post‐test (P < 0.05). The cellular content of BAL was 95% alveolar macrophages in all groups except in mice exposed to 3 LC, where 23% neutrophils were observed. Emphysema was not observed in three and 6 LC, but it was found in 12 LC parallel to increased volume density (Vv) of airspaces from 61.0 ± 0.6 (EAA) to 80.9 ± 1.0 (12 LC) and decreased Vv of elastic fibres from 17.8 ± 0.9 (EAA) to 11.8 ± 0.6 (12 LC). All exposed groups to LC showed low TBARS levels compared with mice EAA. Lung tissue from animals exposed to 12 LC showed decreased tissue inhibitor of metalloprotease‐2 and increased matrix metalloprotease‐12 detection, which suggests an imbalance in extracellular matrix (ECM). Increased tumour necrosis factor‐α and nuclear factor‐κB detection were observed in exposed groups to LC when compared with mice EAA. The data suggest that LC is so dangerous to lungs as full‐flavour cigarettes inducing ECM imbalance and emphysema.
Does Intraocular Pressure Increase During Laparoscopic Surgeries? It Depends on Anesthetic Drugs and the Surgical Position

Background: Pneumoperitoneum in the pelvic laparoscopic surgery induces a rise in the intraocular pressure (IOP). This study investigated whether IOP changes were different depending on the surgical position (Trendelenburg vs. reverse Trendelenburg) and the anesthetic drugs (propofol vs. desflurane). Methods: A total of 100 patients scheduled for pelvic laparoscopy or laparoscopic cholecystectomy were enrolled. They were randomly allocated into the propofol group or the desflurane group. In the desflurane group, anesthesia was given with thiopental and desflurane. The propofol group was anesthetized with propofol. IOP, mean blood pressure, heart rate, and peak airway pressure were measured at the following time points: awake-supine position, induction of anesthesia, after position change, 5, 10, and 20 minutes after pneumoperitoneum. IOP was measured with the handheld tonometer (Tono-penXL). Results: In all the groups, IOP decreased after anesthesia was initiated (17±2 to 11±2 mm Hg). In laparoscopic cholecystectomy, a low IOP was maintained during the period of pneumoperitoneum, independent of anesthetic drugs. In pelvic laparoscopy, the head-down position produced a rise in IOP (11±2 to 14±3 mm Hg). Further, pneumoperitoneum in addition to the head-down position raised the IOP highly in the desflurane group, and the average IOP value was over the normal limit (22±4 mm Hg). In contrast, propofol kept IOP similar to the preoperative level during the whole period of pneumoperitoneum (18±3 mm Hg, P<0.001 vs. desflurane). Conclusions: Impact of anesthetics on IOP during laparoscopic surgery may change depending on the surgical position. For the laparoscopic surgery performed in the head-down position, propofol may be more helpful in preventing ocular hypertension.
Metastatic Carcinoma to Skeletal Muscle: A Report of 15 Patients

The records of 15 patients with metastatic carcinoma to skeletal muscle treated between 1979 and the present were reviewed. Fourteen patients were referred with a diagnosis of soft tissue sarcoma and one with suspected infection. There was a previous diagnosis of carcinoma in eight patients but seven patients had no prior diagnosis of a known malignancy. Primary tumors were lung (eight), melanoma (two), gastrointestinal (one), kidney (one), and bladder (one). No primary tumor could be identified in two patients. Local control of metastatic lesions was achieved by radiotherapy in 11 patients as an initial measure. Two patients underwent wide excision and one declined treatment for local tumor control. Eight patients died within 12 months of presentation and survival analysis indicated a 25% overall survival at 60 months. Two patients remained free of disease at 132 months and 72 months. From this study and a review of 52 cases reported in the literature, the authors are unable to find any clinical or radiographic characteristics that distinguish metastatic carcinoma to muscle from soft tissue sarcomas. Surgical resection can be reserved for cases in which radiation does not provide local control.
Genetic and Phenotypic Diversity of Quorum-Sensing Systems in Clinical and Environmental Isolates of Vibrio cholerae

ABSTRACT Vibrio cholerae is the causative agent of cholera, a severe and devastating diarrheal disease. V. cholerae lives naturally in various aquatic habitats during interepidemic periods. Recent studies reveal that quorum-sensing systems, which exist in many bacteria and help them monitor their population densities and regulate various cellular functions, control V. cholerae pathogenesis, biofilm formation, and protease production. In this study we surveyed quorum-sensing systems in 16 geographically diverse V. cholerae strains from epidemic-causing O1 and O139 strains as well as non-O1/non-O139 and environmental isolates and discovered an unexpectedly high rate of dysfunctional components. We also found that a functional quorum-sensing system conferred a survival advantage on bacteria in biofilms when the bacteria were exposed to seawater, though quorum sensing was less important to survival in a planktonic state under the same conditions. These findings suggest that variations in quorum-sensing systems are due to environmental selective pressures and might be beneficial to V. cholerae's fitness under certain conditions found in its natural reservoirs.