Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pneumonia caused by penicillin-nonsusceptible Streptococcus pneumoniae: clinical characteristics, prognostic factors, and outcomes.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Pneumococcal pneumonia caused by penicillin-nonsusceptible Streptococcus pneumoniae (PNSSP) is increasing worldwide. To better understand this infection, patients with pneumococcal pneumonia treated at National Taiwan University Hospital during a 5-year period were evaluated to determine the clinical characteristics, prognostic factors, and outcomes of the infection. METHODS Eighty-one patients with 81 episodes of pneumococcal pneumonia diagnosed from January 1993 to December 1997 were analyzed retrospectively. Patients were categorized into two groups according to susceptibility results. Differences between groups were evaluated with Student's t-test and the chi-square test. Univariate analysis was used to identify factors associated with mortality. RESULTS Infections were caused by penicillin-susceptible S. pneumoniae (PSSP) in 57 (70%) patients and by PNSSP in the remaining 24 (30%). Nosocomial acquisition was more common in PNSSP (25%) than in PSSP patients (10%) (p = 0.05), while the frequency of bacteremia (54% vs 60%) and the mortality rate (46% vs 32%) did not differ significantly between the PNSSP and PSSP groups. Among the 24 patients with pneumonia caused by PNSSP, those 65 years of age or older had a lower incidence of bacteremia (4/14, 29%) than those who were younger (9/10, 90%) (p = 0.03). In patients with pneumonia caused by PNSSP, the outcome was not significantly related to the treatment regimen (penicillin vs nonpenicillin beta-lactam antibiotics or vancomycin, 33% vs 47%; p = 0.4). The only factors associated with mortality from these infections were shock (p = 0.003) and multilobar consolidation (p = 0.01) at the time of admission. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that the clinical outcome of pneumococcal pneumonia is more closely related to the clinical condition at presentation than the susceptibility status of the pneumococcus.
Is the lack of EEG stationarity useful? The dynamics of metastable brain states under cognition

We developed a technique showing that non stationarities in EEG signal carry information about cognition. This technique was successfully tested in two different databases: a working memory database, and an Alzheimer disease database. We also provide evidence suggesting that EEG might not be even piecewise stationary. Therefore, as changes between different stationary regimes are linked to transitions between metastable states in the brain, transitions between those states might not occur in a discrete manner, after a short period of metastability, but rather in a continuous way. Transitions between neighbouring states would occur more often, whereas large transitions occur as well. Large transitions suggesting discreteness had been detected by other techniques, but small fluctuations are not noise, as they can be successfully used to infer aspects of cognition.
Improved Procedural Efficacy of Pulmonary Vein Isolation Using the Novel Second‐Generation Cryoballoon

The cryoballoon technology has the potential to isolate a pulmonary vein (PV) with a single energy application. However, using the first‐generation cryoballoon (CB‐1G) repeated freezing or additional focal ablation is often necessary. The novel second‐generation cryoballoon (CB‐2G) features a widened zone of optimal cooling comprising the whole frontal hemisphere. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of the novel design on procedural efficacy of cryoballoon PV isolation (CB‐PVI).
HIV/AIDS risks among South African men who report sexually assaulting women.

OBJECTIVE To examine HIV risks among South African men who report having been sexually assaultive. METHODS Men (N = 412) in Cape Town completed anonymous surveys. RESULTS Twenty-three percent reported a history of sexual assault. Men who had been sexually assaultive were younger, reported more sex partners, were more likely to have a history of genital ulcers, and more likely to have exchanged money for sex. Sexually assaultive men were also more likely to endorse rape myths. CONCLUSIONS Interventions that target men as the agents of change in reducing sexual assaults and HIV transmission are urgently needed.
The Precariat, Class and Progressive Politics: A Response

In a short article, it is impossible to respond to all the points made in the papers, especially as they have marked differences. I should begin by thanking the authors for engaging with the analysis, and apologising if I do not refer to every point they have made. What this note tries to do is trace the origins of the concept, and reiterate why I believe the precariat is a class-in-the-making and why it is a global, not “Eurocentric” or “Northern” phenomenon, as Ben Scully contends. Some of the points for the defence are similar to those given in response to an article by Jan Breman; several of the commentators cite his article, but not my two ripostes (Standing, 2014a, 2014b). To save space for other comments, I have tried not to repeat points made in those, but just make reference to them.
Antibiotic susceptibilities of Afipia felis in axenic medium and in cells

Afipia felis, one of the putative agents of cat scratch disease (CSD), is a facultative intracellular bacterium. Although CSD is considered not to be susceptible to antibiotic therapy, sporadic case reports indicated that aminoglycosides may be effective. We determined the in vitro antibiotic susceptibilities of three A. felis strains in axenic medium and in a cell model. In axenic medium, A. felis was susceptible to imipenem, aminoglycosides, and rifampin when using either the broth dilution technique or the agar technique. When grown in HeLa cells, A. felis was susceptible to amikacin and tobramycin but was resistant to the other compounds tested. Despite its intracellular location, A. felis can apparently be reached by aminoglycosides. Thus, the in vitro data presented here are in accord with the clinical data obtained in patients suffering CSD.
Gabapentin As A Drug Therapy of Intractable Hiccup Because of Vascular Lesion: A Three-Year Follow Up

Background: Persistent and intractable hiccups indicate multiple neurologic and extraneurologic disorders. Chronic hiccup is not so rare in patients suffering from stroke: its impact on quality of life and on rehabilitation management is substantial, and it may be closely related to aspiration pneumonia, respiratory arrest and nutritional depletion. Review Summary: Intractable hiccups can be associated with potentially fatal consequences and safe management may require inpatient rehabilitation. It has been suggested that hiccups could be a form of myoclonus, caused by repeated and abnormal activity of the solitary inspiratory nucleus. Because of this cause we decided to treat intractable hiccups in patients with ischemic lesions of the medulla with a short course of gabapentin. Conclusions: The results were promising, with the immediate disappearance of the hiccups, and the complete absence of side effects. The 36-months follow up was favorable to all the patients, who, after 6 days of treatment remain asymptomatic.
Multiple Sclerosis and Infectious Childhood Diseases

To examine a possible relationship between infectious diseases and multiple sclerosis (MS) an enquiry was carried out among 606 MS patients in Switzerland. The data concerning their infectious childhood diseases were compared with epidemiological data for the normal Swiss population obtained from the Swiss Federal Health Office and from the Institute of Medical Statistics. The mean age of the MS patients was 50.7 years and the mean age at onset of multiple sclerosis was 33.8 years, significantly earlier in women (33.2 years) than in men (35.4 years, p < 0.05). In 18.8% multiple members of the family were affected. In comparison with persons of the control population, MS patients had measles infection at a later age (6.4 vs. 7.5 years). The curve of the age at which several infectious childhood diseases occurred was shifted to higher ages for MS patients (p < 0.005) compared to normal controls for mumps (80.2% for MS vs. 64.1% for controls in the age group 5–14 years), rubella (64.3% for MS vs. 48.4% for controls in the age group 5–14 years) and varicella (81.9% for MS vs. 39.0% for controls in the age group 5–19 years). For pertussis, however, there were more cases among those who later developed MS in the age group 1–9 years, which was earlier than in controls (86.0 vs. 56.7%). These results are compatible with the hypothesis that the risk of developing multiple sclerosis may be associated with acquiring certain infectious childhood diseases at a later stage in comparison to normal controls.
Alveolar bone resorption following coronal versus apical approach in a mucoperiosteal flap surgery procedure in the rat mandible.

BACKGROUND In several publications, we have reported that a distinct resorptive phase of alveolar bone developed during 3 weeks following elevation of a mucoperiosteal flap in rats by a coronal surgical approach. In the present study, we compared the alveolar bone loss after mucoperiosteal flap surgery by a coronal approach (COR) to a surgical approach incising the mucosa close to the tooth apices and separating the mucoperiosteum toward the tooth crown (apical approach, AP). METHODS Eighteen Wistar rats were divided into 2 experimental groups; each group consisted of 9 rats. In the first group, COR was performed on both buccal and lingual aspects on the right side of the rat mandible, while the left side served as a sham-operated control. In the second experimental group, AP was performed. RESULTS In the AP group, the outer aspect (buccal or lingual) of the alveolar bone was slightly resorbed usually at the level where the mucosa was incised. In many sections, extensive modeling of new trabecular bone was seen, coronal to the surgical incision. On the contrary, the coronal surgical approach revealed an extensive resorptive phase, mainly of the periodontal aspect of the alveolar bone. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study show that periodontal surgery by a coronal surgical approach stimulates a burst of remodeling of the alveolar bone in a very specific pattern.
Movement-Related Sensorimotor High-Gamma Activity Mainly Represents Somatosensory Feedback

Somatosensation plays pivotal roles in the everyday motor control of humans. During active movement, there exists a prominent high-gamma (HG >50 Hz) power increase in the primary somatosensory cortex (S1), and this provides an important feature in relation to the decoding of movement in a brain-machine interface (BMI). However, one concern of BMI researchers is the inflation of the decoding performance due to the activation of somatosensory feedback, which is not elicited in patients who have lost their sensorimotor function. In fact, it is unclear as to how much the HG component activated in S1 contributes to the overall sensorimotor HG power during voluntary movement. With regard to other functional roles of HG in S1, recent findings have reported that these HG power levels increase before the onset of actual movement, which implies neural activation for top-down movement preparation or sensorimotor interaction, i.e., an efference copy. These results are promising for BMI applications but remain inconclusive. Here, we found using electrocorticography (ECoG) from eight patients that HG activation in S1 is stronger and more informative than it is in the primary motor cortex (M1) regardless of the type of movement. We also demonstrate by means of electromyography (EMG) that the onset timing of the HG power in S1 is later (49 ms) than that of the actual movement. Interestingly, we show that the HG power fluctuations in S1 are closely related to subtle muscle contractions, even during the pre-movement period. These results suggest the following: (1) movement-related HG activity in S1 strongly affects the overall sensorimotor HG power, and (2) HG activity in S1 during voluntary movement mainly represents cortical neural processing for somatosensory feedback.
Inducible chromosomal translocation of AML1 and ETO genes through Cre/loxP‐mediated recombination in the mouse

Transgenic mice have been used to explore the role of chromosomal translocations in the genesis of tumors. But none of these efforts has actually involved induction of a translocation in vivo. Here we report the use of Cre recombinase to replicate in vivo the t(8;21) translocation found in human acute myeloid leukemia (AML). As in the human tumors, the murine translocation fuses the genes AML1 and ETO. We used homologous recombination to place loxP sites at loci that were syntenic with the break points for the human translocation. Cre activity was provided in mice by a transgene under the control of the Nestin promoter, or in cultured B cells by infecting with a retroviral vector encoding Cre. In both instances, Cre activity mediated interchromosomal translocations that fused the AML1 and ETO genes. Thus, reciprocal chromosomal translocations that closely resemble rearrangements found in human cancers can be achieved in mice.
The correlation between NF‐κB inhibition and disease activity by coadministration of silibinin and ursodeoxycholic acid in experimental colitis

NF‐κB is one of the most important nuclear factors responsible for overexpression of proinflammatory cytokines. This is demonstrated by increased NF‐κB activity and other dependent immune factors in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Anti‐inflammatory effects of silibinin and ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) along with their NF‐κB inhibitory property are thought to be beneficial in colitis. Trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid was used to induce colitis rat models. After instillation, 48 rats were treated with oral silibinin, UDCA alone or a combination of both. Intraperitoneal dexamethasone was used in the control group. After 12 days of treatment, colonic samples were tested for the severity of mucosal damage macroscopically and microscopically. The levels of activated NF‐κB, IL‐1β, TNF‐α, myeloperoxidase, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), protein carbonyl, and the antioxidant power of the bowel homogenates were determined. The results indicated a significant reduction in NF‐κB activity as well as the levels of IL‐1β, TNF‐α, TBARS, protein carbonyl, myeloperoxidase activity, and an improvement in antioxidant power of colitis in treated rats. Combination therapy resulted in a more prominent improvement in bowel antioxidant power and myeloperoxidase activity. In conclusion, combination of silibinin and UDCA by inhibition of NF‐κB and other relevant inflammatory factors of colitis is a good candidate for management of Crohn’s disease.
Optimal Trading Algorithm Selection and Utilization: Traders’ Consensus versus Reality

We study the usage patterns of traders employing execution algorithms with the goal of statistically minimizing implementation shortfall. Based on widely accepted concepts, algorithms are categorized into scheduled, participation, dark, and dynamic types. We present the consensus patterns that emerge in the trading behavior and offer insight into how to improve performance. Our goal is to help improve implicit trade cost by studying the right context in which traders use algorithms. We use the mean, standard deviation, skewness, and kurtosis of the distribution of trade cost against arrival price to quantify expected cost and risk. We quantitatively characterize the relationship between trade cost and order size, participation rate, average daily volume, algorithm duration, limit price, and algorithm type. We find that for a given market condition and order requirement, selecting the right algorithm and tuning its parameters could significantly affect execution performance. Implementation shortfall algorithms exhibit superior performance for small orders, and dark algorithms perform better even in high-participation-rate scenarios. Scheduled algorithms are most sensitive to participation rate and order size, and dark algorithms are least sensitive. The use of limit price and lower participation rate in algorithms greatly reduces the unattractive positive skewness of trade cost distribution and thus improves performance. We also offer insight into setting optimal participation rate and limit prices.
Toward a Theory of Market Value of Risky Assets

by Craig William French This paper reprints an edited version of Jack Treynor's famous 1962 manuscript. The author's facsimile of the original mimeograph was obtained thanks to the kind generosity of Professor Elroy Dimson of the London Business School. Edits in the present version, which differ from the original Rough Draft, include minor typographical corrections and minor notation differences for some variables in the formulae. Specifically, where Mr. Treynor used a bar or curve over a variable, I use an underscore, and I have omitted the upper and lower limits (and their index) above and below all Sigma summation signs as the nature of the summations is clear. Pagination is as in the original. I have otherwise attempted, in this replica, to preserve the vintage character of the document, including font style, spacing, margins and a reproduction reminiscent of the days prior to the invention of photocopy machines and modern portfolio theory. Unfortunately, I could not replicate the wonderful mimeo aroma. Mr. Treynor points out that many minor changes will be evident to anyone who compares the Craig French version to the version in Robert Korajczyk's book, Asset Pricing and Portfolio Performance, Risk Books, London, 1999 [Chapter 2, pp. 15-22]. Mr. Treynor considers all French's changes improvements. A more complete description of the development of the Treynor CAPM may be found in French, Craig W. , “The Treynor Capital Asset Pricing Model”. Journal of Investment Management, Vol. 1, No. 2, pp. 6072, 2003. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=447580. ROUGH DRAFT TOWARD A THEORY OF MARKET VALUE OF RISKY ASSETS The objective of this paper is to lay the groundwork for a theory of market value which incorporates risk. We consider a highly idealized model of a capital market in which it is relatively easy to see how risk premiums implicit in present share prices are related to the portfolio decisions of individual investors. In a real market institutional complexities, frictions, taxes, and certain other complications which are absent in our model may have a significant effect on share prices. The aim of the paper, however, is not to present a fully developed apparatus for computing the cost of capital in practical problems. The present aim is merely: 1. to show that, under our assumptions, optimal portfolio – balancing behavior by the individual investor leads to Proposition I of the famous Modigliani-Miller paper; 2. to explore the manner in which risk affects investment value; 3. to introduce the concept of insurability. Insurable risks have a negligible effect on the cost of capital. We will develop a mathematical definition of insurability based on the assumptions of our market model, according to which whether a risk is insurable or uninsurable is a matter of degree; nevertheless, we shall argue that it is often useful to treat risk as falling cleanly into one class or the other.
Perceptions of the limit of viability: neonatologists' attitudes toward extremely preterm infants.

Although recent technologic advances have dramatically improved the survival of preterm infants, little information exists regarding the attitudes of neonatologists toward their smallest patients, infants born at the "limit of viability. " In this pilot study we sent a single mailing of a 25-question survey designed to provide information about the medical treatment of extremely preterm infants (< 22 to 27 weeks' gestational age) to 3056 neonatologists practicing in the United States in September 1992. The 1131 (37%) respondents were well distributed geographically and by nature of practice (i.e., academic, academic affiliate, and community hospitals). Most of the respondents counseled parents that all infants < or = 22 weeks' gestational age die and that at least 75% of infants born at 23 weeks' gestation die. Only for infants born at > or = 26 weeks' gestational age did most of the neonatologists counsel parents that mortality is < or = 50%. Nonintervention or compassionate care in the delivery room was believed to be appropriate for infants less than 23 weeks' gestational age by virtually all neonatologists, by 52% of respondents for infants 23 weeks' gestational age, and by only 1% of respondents for infants 25 weeks' gestational age. Approximately two thirds of neonatologists considered parental wishes regarding resuscitation, and one quarter considered parental parity/fertility history in their medical decision making for infants born at 23 to 24 weeks' gestation. If an infant who had been previously resuscitated decompensated in spite of maximal medical treatment, most of the neonatologists were not willing to provide full resuscitation for infants born at any gestation less than 27 weeks. However, the number of neonatologists who would actively encourage withdrawal of support in a decompensating infant decreased markedly for infants born at > or equal 25 weeks' gestation. Neonatologists who responded to this survey in 1992 considered 23 to 24 weeks of gestation the limit of viability and had great concerns regarding medical decision making for these infants.
Interaction of Bartonella henselae with endothelial cells results in rapid bacterial rRNA synthesis and replication

Bartonella henselae is a slow‐growing microorganism and the causative pathogen of bacillary angiomatosis in man. Here, we analysed how interaction of B. henselae with endothelial cells might affect bacterial growth. For this purpose, bacterial rRNA production and ribosome content was determined by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) using rRNA‐targeted fluorescence‐labelled oligonucleotide probes. B. henselae grown on agar plates showed no detectable rRNA content by means of FISH, whereas B. henselae co‐cultured with endothelial cells showed a rapid increase of rRNA production within the first 18 h after inoculation. The increased rRNA synthesis was paralleled by a ∼1000‐fold intracellular bacterial replication, whereas bacteria grown on agar base showed only a ∼10‐fold replication within the first 48 h of culture. Pretreatment of host cells with paraformaldehyde prevented adhesion, invasion, intracellular replication and bacterial rRNA synthesis of B. henselae. In contrast, inhibition of host cell protein synthesis by cycloheximide did not affect bacterial adhesion and invasion, but prevented intracellular replication although bacterial rRNA content was increased. Inhibition of actin polymerization by cytochalasin D did not affect adhesion, invasion, increased rRNA content or intracellular replication of B. henselae. These results demonstrate that rRNA synthesis and replication of B. henselae is promoted by viable host cells with intact de novo protein synthesis.