Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Utility of the antigen-specific interferon-γ assay for the management of tuberculosis

Purpose of review The tuberculin skin test, now over a century old, is prone to reader variability, and outcomes are influenced by cross-reactivity with environmental mycobacteria, previous bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccination, and anergy in immunosuppressed individuals. More recently, T-cell-based interferon-γ responses to Mycobacterium tuberculosis - specific antigens have been investigated for their role in diagnosing latent tuberculosis infection. Recent findings We review the evidence supporting the utility of the interferon-γ assay for the diagnosis of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in low-prevalence countries. We discuss the principle of the test, technical factors related to performance, and its utility in active tuberculosis, in specialised subgroups such as immunocompromised patients, and its applicability in developing countries. Summary Compared with the tuberculin skin test, the antigen-specific interferon-γ assay, when used in a standardised protocol (overnight incubation assay using a combination of two antigens) for the diagnosis of LTBI, has greater specificity in BCG-vaccinated individuals, displays a stronger association with exposure, and is less biased by environmental mycobacteria such as Mycobacterium avium. Prospective studies are required, however, to confirm that treating LTBI, as defined by the interferon-γ assay, will reduce the tuberculosis burden in low-prevalence countries and whether interferon-γ responses are predictive of those who have a high risk of progression to active tuberculosis. Further studies are required to address the utility of the interferon-γ assay in specialised subgroups of patients, in developing countries, and as a marker of disease activity.
[Results of orthopedic and surgical treatment of mallet finger by subcutaneous rupture of the extensor tendon. Apropos of a series of 216 cases].

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY To assess the late results of orthopaedic and surgical treatment for mallet finger, two groups of patients were reviewed in a retrospective study. MATERIAL AND METHODS 156 fingers (Group I) had conservative treatment and 60 fingers (Group II) some form of surgical treatment. RESULTS In Group I, a dorsal custom-made perforated splint maintained the distal interphalangeal joint (DIP) in extension for an average of 54 days (st13). The mean delay of presentation was 22 days (st36). Initial lack of extension was 35 degrees (st13). After an average follow-up of 154 days (st240), the lack of extension was only 7 degrees with an active range of flexion of 61 degrees (st11). 68 of these patients were reviewed for a long-term assessment (61 months). At this time, lack of extension and range of flexion were not different (respectively 5 degrees- st10 and 61 degrees- st16). In Group II, 45 per cent of patients had initially some form of orthopaedic treatment. Delay between injury and consultation was 118 days (st250). Review with a mean follow-up of 5.6 years demonstrated a lack of extension and a DIP joint flexion of 12 degrees and 53 degrees for tenodermodesis (14 cases), 2 degrees and 59 degrees for the Thompson and Littler procedures (14 cases), 1 degree and 55 degrees for the Fowler tenotomy (10 cases). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION Orthopaedic treatment gave good functional results even in cases with delay of presentation. Surgery is only indicated in failure of conservative treatment. In absence of swan-neck deformity, tenodermodesis is a simple and effective technique. When a swan-neck is present, if the DIP deformity is corrected by PIP stabilization, the Fowler tenotomy is used. Otherwise, the Thompson and Littler operation allows to fully correct the deformity.
Impact of first-responder defibrillation in an urban emergency medical services system.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the impact of adding first-responder defibrillation by fire-fighters to an existing advanced life-support emergency medical services system. DESIGN Nonrandomized, controlled clinical trial with periodic crossover. SETTING Memphis, Tenn, a city of 610,337 people, which is served by a fire department-based emergency medical services system. All city ambulances provide advanced life support. PATIENTS Adult victims of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest due to heart disease. INTERVENTION Twenty of 40 participating engine companies were equipped with an automated external defibrillator and ordered to apply it immediately in all cases of cardiac arrest. The other 20 companies were ordered to start cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) immediately and wait for paramedics to arrive. Every 75 days, group roles were reversed. Care otherwise proceeded according to 1986 American Heart Association guidelines. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Return of spontaneous circulation in the field, survival to hospital admission, survival to hospital discharge, and neurological status at discharge. RESULTS During the 39-month study interval, 879 patients were treated by a project engine company. Four hundred thirty-one (49%) of these were found in ventricular fibrillation. Bystander CPR was started in only 12% of cases. Overall, firefighters reached the scene a mean of 2.5 minutes faster than simultaneously dispatched paramedics. Although our automated external defibrillators proved to be reliable and efficacious for terminating ventricular fibrillation and pulseless ventricular tachycardia, patients treated by an automated external defibrillator-equipped engine company were no more likely than CPR-treated controls to be resuscitated (32% vs 34%, respectively), to survive to hospital admission (31% vs 29%), or to survive to hospital discharge (14% vs 10%). Neurological outcomes were also similar in the two treatment groups. CONCLUSIONS In a fast-response, urban emergency medical services system served by paramedics, the impact of adding first-responder defibrillation appears to be small. Early defibrillation alone cannot overcome low community rates of bystander CPR. Careful attention to every link in the "chain of survival" is needed to achieve optimal rates of survival after cardiac arrest.
Wnt/Ryk signaling contributes to neuropathic pain by regulating sensory neuron excitability and spinal synaptic plasticity in rats

Abstract Treating neuropathic pain continues to be a major clinical challenge and underlying mechanisms of neuropathic pain remain elusive. We have recently demonstrated that Wnt signaling, which is important in developmental processes of the nervous systems, plays critical roles in the development of neuropathic pain through the &bgr;-catenin–dependent pathway in the spinal cord and the &bgr;-catenin–independent pathway in primary sensory neurons after nerve injury. Here, we report that Wnt signaling may contribute to neuropathic pain through the atypical Wnt/Ryk signaling pathway in rats. Sciatic nerve injury causes a rapid-onset and long-lasting expression of Wnt3a, Wnt5b, and Ryk receptors in primary sensory neurons, and dorsal horn neurons and astrocytes. Spinal blocking of the Wnt/Ryk receptor signaling inhibits the induction and persistence of neuropathic pain without affecting normal pain sensitivity and locomotor activity. Blocking activation of the Ryk receptor with anti-Ryk antibody, in vivo or in vitro, greatly suppresses nerve injury-induced increased intracellular Ca2+ and hyperexcitability of the sensory neurons, and also the enhanced plasticity of synapses between afferent C-fibers and the dorsal horn neurons, and activation of the NR2B receptor and the subsequent Ca2+-dependent signals CaMKII, Src, ERK, PKC&ggr;, and CREB in sensory neurons and the spinal cord. These findings indicate a critical mechanism underlying the pathogenesis of neuropathic pain and suggest that targeting the Wnt/Ryk signaling may be an effective approach for treating neuropathic pain.
Influence of donor/recipient HLA‐matching on outcome and recurrence of hepatitis C after liver transplantation

The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) matching on outcome, severity of recurrent hepatitis C and risk of rejection in hepatitis C positive patients after liver transplantation (LT). In a retrospective analysis, 165 liver transplants in patients positive for hepatitis C virus (HCV) with complete donor/recipient HLA typing were reviewed for recurrence of HCV and outcome. Follow‐up ranged from 1 to 158 months (median, 74.5 months). Immunosuppression consisted of either cyclosporine‐A‐ or tacrolimus‐based quadruple induction therapy including or an interleukin 2‐receptor antagonist. Protocol liver biopsies were performed after 1, 3, 5, 7, and 10 years and staged according to the Scheuer scoring system. The overall 1‐, 5‐, and 10‐year graft survival figures were 81.8%, 69.11 and 62%, respectively. There was no correlation in the study population between number of HLA mismatches and graft survival. The number of rejection episodes increased significantly in patients with more HLA mismatches (P < 0.05). In contrast to this, the fibrosis progression was significantly faster in patients with 0–5 HLA mismatches compared to patients with a complete HLA mismatch. In conclusion, HLA matching did not influence graft survival in patients after LT for end‐stage HCV infection, however, despite less rejection episodes, the fibrosis progression increased in patients with less HLA mismatches within the first year after LT. Liver Transpl 12:644–651, 2006. © 2006 AASLD.
Use of online social media networking sites: An exploration of the impact on a major law enforcement agency

The popularity of social media sites has grown exponentially over the past few years. However there is limited research regarding the impact that online social media networking sites have on a major law enforcement agency. This study investigates whether the use of online social media networking sites impact the actions and behaviors of police officers within the Edmonton Police Service (EPS). Six participants from the EPS were interviewed for this research project using a semi-structured, in-person interview methodology. Findings were analyzed under an exploratory approach in order to determine the connection between social media sites and the impacts on the individual participants interviewed. The results of this study find that online social media networking sites do have a direct impact on the actions and behaviours of police officers. The study identified three distinct themes; 1 – the police value social media as an investigative tool and communication channel, 2 – the general public’s use of social media sites are predominately used negatively toward the police, and 3 – some police officers intentionally alter their actions or behaviours due to the high probability of being captured on video. An awareness and understanding of the use of online social media networking sites, by the police and the general public, highlight the impacts on the behaviours and actions of police officers within the EPS.
School Violence in the Eyes of the Beholders: An Integrative Aggression-Victimization Perspective

Five experiments explored, within the framework of functional measurement, the importance assigned by 3rd and 4th graders (n = 117) to expectations of potential perpetrators from their potential victims. Each participant was requested to imagine potential incidents of school violence where four familiar classmates were presented as protagonists (i.e., perpetrator and victim). An orderly manipulation of the combination of the level (high or low) of aggressiveness and susceptibility to victimization in each protagonist was made. The participants were informed whether or not the victim was about to deliver tangible rewards, display signs of suffering, or retaliate (2*2*2=8 conditions). For each potential incident, the participant estimated the likelihood that an attack will take place. The following order of importance was found: Reward > Retaliation > Suffering. Victim’s aggressiveness was slightly effective. From an applied perspective, most notable is the tendency to lower the likelihood of violence when the educator knows about the incidents.
Noise Reduction in AC-Coupled Amplifiers

AC-coupled amplifiers are noisier than dc-coupled amplifiers because of the thermal noise of the resistor(s) in the ac-coupling network and the increased contribution of the amplifier input noise current in. Both contributions, however, diminish if the corner frequency fc of the high-pass filter observed by the signal is lowered, the cost being a longer transient response. At the same time, the presence of large resistors in the ac-coupling network suggests that the use of FET-input amplifiers will be advantageous because in is smaller than in bipolar amplifiers. However, the noise floor, defined as that for a dc-coupled amplifier, can be larger for FET-input amplifiers because of their higher input voltage noise. Therefore, there is no clear criterion to decide which amplifier type is quieter. In this paper, we propose the quotient between the high-pass frequency of the signal bandwidth ( fL) and fc (K = fL/fc) as quantitative design parameter to reduce the additional noise contributed by a first-order ac-coupling network as compared with dc coupling. Using this parameter noise is greatly reduced without unnecessarily lengthening the transient response that results from the use of common qualitative design criteria. We demonstrate that relatively large K values yield total noise closer to the noise floor, hence it is better not to determine fL at the front amplifier stage but later on in the signal chain. Furthermore, a large K value permits bipolar op-amps to achieve lower noise than FET amplifiers even for capacitive signal sources, provided amplifier biasing is guaranteed.
Characterizing the gut (Gallus gallus) microbiota following the consumption of an iron biofortified Rwandan cream seeded carioca (Phaseolus Vulgaris L.) bean-based diet

Biofortification is a plant breeding method that introduces increased concentrations of minerals in staple food crops (e.g., legumes, cereal grains), and has shown success in alleviating insufficient Fe intake in various human populations. Unlike other strategies utilized to alleviate Fe deficiency, studies of the gut microbiota in the context of Fe biofortification have not yet been reported, although the consumption of Fe biofortified staple food crops has increased significantly over time. Hence, in this study, we performed a 6-week feeding trial in Gallus gallus (n = 14), aimed to investigate the alterations in the gut microbiome following administration of an Fe biofortified bean-based diet (biofortified, BFe) versus a bean based diet with poorly-bioavailable Fe (standard, SFe). Cream seeded carioca bean based diets were designed in an identical fashion to those used in a recent human clinical trial of Fe biofortified beans in Rwanda. We hypothesized that the different dietary Fe contents in the beans based diets will alter the composition and function of the intestinal microbiome. The primary outcomes were changes in the gut microbiome composition and function analyzed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. We observed no significant changes in phylogenetic diversity between groups. There were significant differences in the composition of the microbiota between groups, with the BFe group harboring fewer taxa participating in bacterial Fe uptake, increased abundance of bacteria involved in phenolic catabolism, and increased abundance of beneficial butyrate-producing bacteria. Additionally, depletion of key bacterial pathways responsible for bacterial viability and Fe uptake suggest that improvements in Fe bioavailability, in addition to increases in Fe-polyphenol and Fe-phytate complexes due to biofortification, led to decreased concentrations of cecal Fe available for bacterial utilization. Our findings demonstrate that Fe biofortification may improve Fe status without negatively altering the structure and function of the gut microbiota, as is observed with other nutritional methods of Fe supplementation. These results may be used to further improve the efficacy and safety of future biofortification efforts in eradicating global Fe deficiency.
An experiment of influence of sports games on 3–6 years old young children's social behaviors

Social behaviors is the attitude, language, and behavioral responses that people show to others or an event in communication activities. This study combines questionnaire and experimental approach together, taking sports games as the training factors, from two dimensions of young children competency evaluation and problem behavior evaluation, to explore the effective ways and means of young children's social behaviors development. The results show that sports games can promote young children's social behaviors development; sports games influence the dimensions of young children's social behaviors in different degrees; different age stages of young children's social behaviors development have critical periods.
Financial market fragmentation and monetary transmission in the euro area: what do we know?

We provide a survey on the literature examining financial market fragmentation in the euro area and discuss the policy options how to reduce it. The fragmentation has increased markedly since the outbreak of the global financial crisis in 2007. It declined somewhat from late 2012 onwards, but is still above the pre-crisis level. Interest rate pass-through has become less efficient primarily because of increased mark-ups and, to a certain extent, the lower responsiveness of bank interest rates to policy rates. The effectiveness of interest rate pass-through has become more heterogeneous across euro area countries, making a common monetary policy more difficult. The unconventional monetary policy conducted by the European Central Bank has reduced financial market fragmentation notably; however, this policy was not without side effects. Enhancing financial and fiscal stability in the euro area is key for the efficient functioning of the monetary transmission mechanism.
Near optimum array geometries for indoor MIMO systems in a highly correlated environment

A deterministic ray-tracing model was used to investigate the performance of modified linear arrays for multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) systems. The environment considered was one in which the various signal components were likely to be highly correlated for many channel instances. The array modifications were done to improve the spectral efficiency of the channel in such circumstances. The modified arrays were found by using an iterative process based on the Metropolis algorithm. Results are presented which show that some configurations provide a general improvement in system performance compared to the non-adjusted case for most channel realisations in the model and are near optimum.
The gene for human lymphocyte homing receptor is located on chromosome 11

The mouse monoclonal antibody Hermes‐3 recognizes the human lymphocyte homing receptor. A panel of mouse‐human T lymphocyte hybrids, carrying all mouse chromosomes and a limited number of human chromosomes, was analyzed for expression of human homing receptor by indirect immunofluorescence and immuno‐precipitation of radiolabeled cell lysates with Hermes‐3 antibody. Karyotypic analysis of the tested clones showed that the expression of human homing receptor correlated to the presence of human chromosome 11 in all but one clone. However, con‐canavalin A induced a weak to moderate expression of the homing receptor in this clone, but not in a chromosome 11‐ clone. Another clone, heterogeneous for the expression of homing receptor, was separated into a Hermes‐3 and a Hermes‐3‐ fraction with a fluorescence‐activated cell sorter. Karyotypic analysis performed after sorting showed human chromosome 11 to segregate with the Hermes‐3 antigen. To confirm these data we correlated the expression of two chromosome 11‐coded antigens, Trop‐4 and Leu‐7, with the expression of the homing receptor. In our hybrid clones these three antigens were expressed concordantly. The gene coding for the human lymphocyte homing receptor recognized by Hermes‐3 is thus assigned to chromosome 11.
A qualitative study of the perceptions of public school teachers and administrators on the teachers' association and the collective bargaining process in an Iowa urban school setting

Previous studies have looked at collective bargaining and teachers’ associations and their impact on student achievement, but the results are mixed. Absent from the literature are studies that analyze data gathered after the passage of the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. The focus of this study was to explore urban Iowa public school administrators’ and teachers’ current perceptions of the relationship between teacher associations and collective bargaining. It is the intent of this research to understand what the administrators and teachers in this study perceive about teacher associations and collective bargaining and why they maintain these perceptions. For this study, semi-structured interviews were used to understand the perceptions of school administrators and teachers on collective bargaining and teacher associations in an urban Iowa school district. These interviews were designed to explain current teacher and administrative perception on this research topic. The research offers a number of implications for educators at all levels. The data collected from this study could assist school administrators and public school teachers in understanding the perceptions of others prior to entering collective bargaining negotiations. The various groups could use this information to provide professional development for each group to support working together and ensuring actions that serve the best interest of the students, all while protecting their own professional interests. A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF THE PERCEPTIONS OF PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS ON THE TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION AND THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING PROCESS IN AN IOWA URBAN SCHOOL SETTING A Dissertation Submitted In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Education Approved: _______________________________________ Dr. Victoria Robinson, Chair _______________________________________ Dr. Nadene Davidson, Committee Member _______________________________________ Dr. Denise Schares, Committee Member _______________________________________ Dr. Dianna Briggs, Committee Member _______________________________________ Dr. Greg Reed, Committee Member Eric J. Gjerde University of Northern Iowa July 2016