Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Postantibiotic effect of penicillin plus gentamicin versus Enterococcus faecalis in vitro and in vivo

A persistent suppression of bacterial growth following a brief exposure to an antibiotic (postantibiotic effect [( PAE]) has been described for a variety of antibiotics and microorganisms. If a PAE is present in vivo, antibiotic levels in tissue at the site of infection may decrease below the MIC without bacterial regrowth in the latter portion of the dosing interval. In the present studies, a PAE was sought in vitro and in vivo for penicillin G plus gentamicin versus Enterococcus faecalis. The studies demonstrated that increasing concentrations of gentamicin caused an increased rate of bactericidal action and an increasingly prolonged PAE in vitro. The combination of penicillin and gentamicin, in addition to more rapid killing, exhibited a more prolonged PAE than did penicillin alone. However, unlike these in vitro findings, no PAE could be demonstrated in vivo in rats with experimental left-sided enterococcal endocarditis treated with penicillin plus gentamicin. This suggests that antibiotic vegetation levels should be maintained above the MIC throughout the dosing interval to prevent loss of efficacy as a result of bacterial regrowth.
MELD is superior to King's college and Clichy's criteria to assess prognosis in fulminant hepatic failure

Assessment of prognosis in fulminant hepatic failure (FHF) is essential for the need and appropriate timing of orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). In this study we investigated the prognostic efficacy of King's College criteria, Clichy's criteria, Model for End‐Stage Liver Disease (MELD), and Pediatric End‐Stage Liver Disease (PELD) in 120 consecutive patients with FHF. Survival with medical therapy (18%), death without OLT (15%), and receipt of a liver transplant were similar in adults (n = 64) and children (n = 56). MELD scores were significantly higher in patients who died compared to those who survived without OLT, both in adults (38 ± 7 vs. 26 ± 7, P = 0.0003) and children (39 ± 7 vs. 23 ± 6, P = 0.0004). Using logistic regression analysis in this cohort of patients, concordance statistics were significantly higher for MELD (0.95) and PELD (0.99) when compared to King's College (0.74) and Clichy's criteria (0.68). When data was analyzed in a Cox model including patients receiving transplants and censoring the time from admission, the concordance statistic for MELD (0.77) and PELD (0.79) remained significantly higher than that of King's College criteria but not higher than that of Clichy's criteria. In conclusion, this study is the first to show that MELD and PELD are superior to King's College and Clichy's criteria to assess prognosis in FHF. However, because data was generated from a single center and included a rather low number of patients who survived or died without OLT, further confirmation of our findings is required. Liver Transpl 13:822–828, 2007. © 2007 AASLD.
Multiplicity of vestibulospinal projections to the upper cervical spinal cord of the cat: A study with the anterograde tracer Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin

The distribution and frequency of vestibulospinal axons and boutons in the upper cervical spinal cord of the cat were investigated. The anterograde tracer Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin (PHA‐L) was injected into discrete regions of the vestibular nuclei, including the medial and descending nuclei, as well as small regions of the lateral vestibular nucleus along its medial border with the medial vestibular nucleus. In contrast to previous reports, labelled vestibulospinal axons were not found to be restricted to the ventromedial and ventrolateral funiculi, but were also observed bilaterally in the lateral funiculi, the dorsolateral funiculi and the dorsal columns. The diameter of these axons ranged from 0.5 to 7.4 μm. Labelled boutons were found bilaterally from lamina IV to IX as well as in lamina X. Contralateral to the injection site, boutons were frequently found as far dorsal as lamina II. Ipsilaterally, boutons were found this far dorsal in only one experiment. There was a dense projection to the contralateral central cervical nucleus, while very few, if any, boutons were observed in the ipsilateral central cervical nucleus. In each experiment, the density of boutons was greater in the rostral cervical segments than in more caudal segments. The “new” vestibulospinal projections to the dorsal horn and central cervical nucleus were confirmed in separate experiments using retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase.
The Envious Punisher: Understanding Third and Second Party Punishment with Simple Games

We provide a systematic comparison of punishment from unaffected third parties and affected second parties using a within-subject design in ten simple games. We apply the classification analysis by El-Gamal and Grether (1995) and find that a parsimonious model assuming subjects are either envious or selfish best explains the punishment from both third and second parties. Third and second parties punish richer co-players, even if they chose a socially or Pareto-efficient allocation or if they are merely bystanders who made no choice. Despite their unaffected position, we do not find that third parties punish in a more impartial or normativenmanner.
An Empirical Analysis of Istanbul Stock Exchange Sub-Indexes

This paper analyzes possible cointegration relations among the sub-indexes of the Istanbul Stock Exchange series - services sector, industry sector and financial sector - for the period from February 1, 1997 to September 24, 2003. The data is analyzed by using various methods initiated by Engle and Granger (1987), Johansen (1988) and Akdi (1995). The basic finding of this study is that none of these methods suggest the presence of cointegrating relationships among these indexes.
Preemptive therapy for cytomegalovirus

That preemptive therapy is superior to general prophylaxis is a view shared by the authors as well. We thank Rayes et al. for their interest in our commentary and for their correspondence with a clever title. “Symptom-triggered treatment” cannot truly be considered a preventive strategy as it involves treatment of established CMV disease. Using such an approach, 32% (8/25) of their patients were not treated until CMV disease (viral syndrome or tissue invasive disease) was documented. The authors rationalize the use of this approach by stating that only 20% of the patients with antigenemia developed CMV disease. A 20% incidence of CMV disease that is potentially preventable with preemptive therapy is excessive and unacceptable to us, and perhaps to others as well. An optimal threshold for antigenemia level for which treatment is warranted has not been defined. Using arbitrary cut-offs as criteria to initiate preemptive therapy have not proven wholly effective. In this regard, in the Italian study, 31% of the patients with “low-level” antigenemia received antiviral therapy for symptomatic infection or were ultimately treated upon progression of antigenemia level. Furthermore, subclinical and ongoing replication of CMV, particularly if prolonged, may be a contributor to CMV-associated morbidity that is not directly related to CMV disease. Nevertheless, we concur with Rayes et al. that preemptive therapy based on CMV assays that have high positive predictive value would be cost-effective compared to general prophylaxis. Finally, the authors state that the problem of CMV infection has already been solved in liver transplant recipients and that symptomatic CMV infection in these patients represents neither a frequent nor insolvable problem. In our opinion, this underestimates the enormity of the challenge that continues to be posed by CMV in the current era. Data in liver transplant recipients documenting an independently significant association between late-onset CMV and increased risk of mortality in the first post-transplant year (hazard ratio 14.0, P 0.0007) are a sobering reminder that this syndrome has emerged as a significant complication in organ transplant recipients receiving prophylaxis. Thus, while there indeed are many ways to Rome, the tenets of preemptive therapy are the basic principles discussed in our commentary that will sever the Gordian knot of CMV.
Vitamin E: antioxidant activity, biokinetics, and bioavailability.

Article de synthese sur la vitamine E. Etude de son activite antioxydante sous la forme de α-tocopherol et de son role dans la peroxidation des lipides, sur les radicaux libres. Cinetique et mecanismes d'action dans les organes et les tissus; forme active. Pour mesurer l'absorption et le transport de la vitamine E, utilisation d'un isotope stable marque et analyse par chromatographie gazeuse et spectrometrie de masse. Mesure de sa biodisponibilite. Transport de la vitamine E et lipoproteine chez l'homme
Comparative Research in Education: a mode of governance or a historical journey?

This text is not a research paper, nor an epistemological reflection about the field of comparative education. It is an essay in the literal meaning of the word—‘an attempt, trial, that needs to be put to test in order to understand if it is able to fulfil the expectations’—in which we introduce an interpretation of the current condition of the field of comparative education. In the introduction to this essay we discuss the current phenomenon of a regained popularity of comparative educational research. We believe that this situation has both positive and negative consequences: it can contribute to the renewal of the field or it may be no more than a brief fashion. Our reflections focus on the uses of comparative research in education, not on any precise research question. Even so, only for illustrative purposes, we present some examples related to the European Union. We then go on to discuss current comparative practices, arguing that comparative educational studies are used as a political tool creating educational policy, rather than a research method or an intellectual inquiry. In the two main sections of this text we define two extreme positions: comparison as a mode of governance and comparison as a historical journey. We do recognise that between these two extremes there is room enough to imagine different positions and dispositions. But our intention is to separate very different traditions of the comparative field analytically. Throughout the article we build a case in favour of a comparative-historical approach. Nevertheless, we argue that the reconciliation between ‘history’ and ‘comparison’ will only be possible if we adopt new conceptions of space and time, and of space-time relationship. This is a condition required for the understanding of comparative research in education as a historical journey.
Identification and classification of skin sensitizers: identifying false positives and false negatives

The first step in regulatory evaluation of substances involves the identification of their intrinsic hazards, including the potential for skin sensitization. This is, quite properly, entirely different from assessment of the risks to human health, which might arise from incorporation of substances in products. EU guidance on regulations concerning the classification of skin sensitizers suggests a range of sources of information be deployed in the hazard identification process. These include chemical structure, predictive animal tests, and various types of human data. Where the information is clear‐cut, then uncertainties rarely arise. However, for some materials, discordant information arises, perhaps because the substance is on the borderline of test sensitivity and classification (sensitizing materials of insufficient potency do not classified according to the EU scheme), due to conflicting results in predictive tests or for other reasons. In this study, we review data on a number of substances where a classification decision is complicated by such discordances and seek to use these examples to demonstrate how best to make a weight of evidence decision on whether a substance should, or should not, be classified as a skin sensitizer.
Tobacco survey among youth in South India.

BACKGROUND Smoking of cigarettes and, particularly, of "bidis" (which consist of about 0.2-0.3 gm of tobacco rolled up in the leaf of another plant (temburni) has been widespread for many decades among men in India. There have, however, been no substantial studies on the prevalence of tobacco use among youth in India. Hence a Global Youth Tobacco Survey was conducted in schools in Tamil Nadu as part of on-going Global Youth Tobacco survey in over 150 countries in the world. METHODS The two-stage cluster sample method was used to select 100 schools with standards 8, 9 and 10 in Tamil Nadu. The survey used self administered questionnaires, which consisted of 88 multiple choice questions. RESULTS A total of 4820 students participated (a response rate of 90.1%) in the 99 of 100 schools selected for the survey. About 10% of students aged 13-15 in Tamil Nadu had ever used tobacco. Significantly higher percentages of current tobacco users (one in three students) compared to never tobacco users thought smoking or chewing tobacco makes a boy or girl more attractive. About 3 in 4 current smokers expressed a wish to stop smoking and a similar proportion have already tried to quit the habit. About 80% of students considered using tobacco (smoking or chewing tobacco) to be harmful to their health. Only about half of the students reported that they have been taught in school the health effects of tobacco use during the year preceding the survey. Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke and pro-tobacco advertisements is high. CONCLUSIONS The tobacco prevalence among girls is alarming. The results of the survey show the need to increase awareness about health hazards of tobacco use among students. Tobacco control programs focusing on youth are essential in order to reduce the burden of tobacco related diseases in India. Repeat surveys would help in monitoring the tobacco epidemic in the school and to evaluate the efficacy of state level tobacco control programs.
The Influence of Acceptance Goals on Relational Perceptions

ABSTRACT We examined whether relational perceptions (social involvement, relational value, interaction experience) differ depending on interaction acceptance goals (establish, maintain, or repair). Results indicated that relational perceptions were more positive in the maintain condition compared to the establish condition, which in turn was more positive than the repair condition. The data also supported a moderated mediation model: the indirect effects of social involvement and relational value on the relationship between acceptance goals and participant’s interaction experience were contingent on self-esteem. These findings identify boundary conditions that influence the impact of acceptance goals on how much people experience an interaction positively. The findings provide an integrated framework outlining the potential relationship between acceptance goals, relational perceptions, interaction experience, and self-esteem.
Evidence for Positive Epistasis in HIV-1

Reproductive strategies such as sexual reproduction and recombination that involve the shuffling of parental genomes for the production of offspring are ubiquitous in nature. However, their evolutionary benefit remains unclear. Many theories have identified potential benefits, but progress is hampered by the scarcity of relevant data. One class of theories is based on the assumption that mutations affecting fitness exhibit negative epistasis. Retroviruses recombine frequently and thus provide a unique opportunity to test these theories. Using amino acid sequence data and fitness values from 9466 human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) isolates, we find in contrast to these theories strong statistical evidence for a predominance of positive epistasis in HIV-1.
BI-RADS-MRI: a primer.

OBJECTIVE Variations in breast MRI techniques and descriptions of morphologic findings led to the development of a breast MRI lexicon. This lexicon, the American College of Radiology's BI-RADS-MRI, includes terminology for describing lesion architecture and enhancement characteristics. We show the use of these descriptors on breast MR images obtained at our institution. CONCLUSION BI-RADS-MRI is a common language with which to report MRI findings of studies from different institutions.
AN ACCOUNTING OF THE DUST-OBSCURED STAR FORMATION AND ACCRETION HISTORIES OVER THE LAST ∼11 BILLION YEARS

We report on an accounting of the star-formation- and accretion-driven energetics of 24 μm-detected sources in the Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey-North field. For sources having infrared (IR; 8–1000 μm) luminosities ≳3 × 1012 L☉ when derived by fitting local spectral energy distributions (SEDs) to 24 μm photometry alone, we find these IR luminosity estimates to be a factor of ∼4 times larger than those estimated when the SED fitting includes additional 16 and 70 μm data (and in some cases mid-IR spectroscopy and 850 μm data). This discrepancy arises from the fact that high-luminosity sources at z ≫ 0 appear to have far- to mid-IR ratios, as well as aromatic feature equivalent widths, typical of lower luminosity galaxies in the local universe. Using our improved estimates for IR luminosity and active galactic nucleus (AGN) contributions, we investigate the evolution of the IR luminosity density versus redshift arising from star formation and AGN processes alone. We find that, within the uncertainties, the total star-formation-driven IR luminosity density is constant between 1.15 ≲ z ≲ 2.35, although our results suggest a slightly larger value at z ≳ 2. AGNs appear to account for ≲18% of the total IR luminosity density integrated between 0 ≲ z ≲ 2.35, contributing ≲25% at each epoch. Luminous infrared galaxies (LIRGs; 1011 L☉ ⩽ LIR < 1012 L☉) appear to dominate the star formation rate density along with normal star-forming galaxies (LIR < 1011 L☉) between 0.6 ≲ z ≲ 1.15. Once beyond z ≳ 2, the contribution from ultraluminous infrared galaxies (LIR ⩾ 1012 L☉) becomes comparable with that of LIRGs. Using our improved IR luminosity estimates, we find existing calibrations for UV extinction corrections based on measurements of the UV spectral slope typically overcorrect UV luminosities by a factor of ∼2, on average, for our sample of 24 μm-selected sources; accordingly we have derived a new UV extinction correction more appropriate for our sample.
INCIDENCE OF UVEITIS IN NORTHERN FINLAND

The incidence of uveitis was studied among the 613426 inhabitants of northern Finland in the year 1969. 120 new cases of uveitis were found with a total incidence rate of 19.6 per 100 000 population. The incidence was high in the age groups 20–59 years but low in the young and in older patients. The onset of uveitis was independent of seasonal changes and the occupation of the patients. The aetiology of uveitis remained undetermined in 81% of cases. Of the 120 patients 105 had anterior, 10 posterior and 5 generalized uveitis. The high incidence of anterior uveitis was in accordance wit the high frequency of the histocompatibility antigen B27 among Finns.
1 A Plea for Minimally Biased Empirical Philosophy

Naturalistic philosophers rely on literature search and review in a number of ways and for different purposes. Yet this article shows how processes of literature search and review are likely to be affected by widespread and systematic biases. A solution to this problem is offered here. Whilst the tradition of systematic reviews of literature from scientific disciplines has been neglected in philosophy, systematic reviews are important tools that minimize bias in literature search and review and allow for greater reproducibility and transparency. If naturalistic philosophers wish to reduce bias in their research, they should then supplement their traditional tools for literature search and review by including systematic methodologies.
Decidability and undecidability of extensions of second (first) order theory of (generalized) successor

We study certain first and second order theories which are semantically defined as the sets of all sentences true in certain given structures. Let be a structure where A is a non-empty set, λ is an ordinal, and Pα is an n(α)-ary relation or function4 on A. With we associate a language L appropriate for which may be a first or higher order calculus. L has an n(α)-place predicate or function constant P for each α < λ. We shall study three types of languages: (1) first-order calculi with equality; (2) second-order monadic calculi which contain monadic predicate (set) variables ranging over subsets of A; (3) restricted (weak) second-order calculi which contain monadic predicate variables ranging over finite subsets of A.
Revascularisation plus supervised exercise is superior to supervised exercise alone for the treatment of intermittent claudication

Commentary on: Fakhry F, Spronk S, van der Laan L, et al. Endovascular revascularization and supervised exercise for peripheral artery disease and intermittent claudication: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA 2015;314:1936–44. [OpenUrl][1][CrossRef][2][PubMed][3] Intermittent claudication (IC) is the most frequent symptomatic manifestation of peripheral artery disease and is estimated to affect 20–40 million people worldwide.1 Previous underpowered comparative effectiveness studies of treatment modalities arrived at mixed conclusions about the combined effect of supervised exercise and revascularisation.2 ,3 This study was a multicentre (10 sites), parallel-design randomised controlled trial of supervised exercise plus endovascular revascularisation versus supervised exercise alone for IC.4 Patients with IC and one or more stenotic lesions at the aortoiliac and/or femoropopliteal level amenable to endovascular therapy were eligible. Supervised … [1]: {openurl}? query=rft.jtitle%253DJAMA%26rft.volume%253D314%26rft.spage%253D1936%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1001%252Fjama.2015. 14851%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F26547465%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/external-ref? access_num=10.1001/jama.2015. 14851&link_type=DOI [3]: /lookup/external-ref? access_num=26547465&link_type=MED&atom=%2Febmed%2F21%2F3%2F91.atom
Heterologous Expression of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Ring-Hydroxylating Dioxygenase Genes from a Novel Pyrene-Degrading Betaproteobacterium

ABSTRACT A betaproteobacterium within the family Rhodocyclaceae previously identified as a pyrene degrader via stable-isotope probing (SIP) of contaminated soil (designated pyrene group 1 or PG1) was cultivated as the dominant member of a mixed bacterial culture. A metagenomic library was constructed, and the largest contigs were analyzed for genes associated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) metabolism. Eight pairs of genes with similarity to the α- and β-subunits of ring-hydroxylating dioxygenases (RHDs) associated with aerobic bacterial PAH degradation were identified and linked to PG1 through PCR analyses of a simplified enrichment culture. In tandem with a ferredoxin and reductase found in close proximity to one pair of RHD genes, six of the RHDs were cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. Each cloned RHD was tested for activity against nine PAHs ranging in size from two to five rings. Despite differences in their predicted protein sequences, each of the six RHDs was capable of transforming phenanthrene and pyrene. Three RHDs could additionally transform naphthalene and fluorene, and these genotypes were also associated with the ability of the E. coli constructs to convert indole to indigo. Only one of the six cloned RHDs was capable of transforming anthracene and benz[a]anthracene. None of the tested RHDs were capable of significantly transforming fluoranthene, chrysene, or benzo[a]pyrene.