Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Increased reduction of nitrobule tetrazolium by neutrophils of newborn infants.

The spontaneous reduction of nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) was found to be significantly elevated in phagocytes of normal newborn in fants in the absence of infection. This was evident using both a simple histochemical test and a more elalborate quantitative test for NBT reduction. During phagocytosis of latex particles, the expected rise in NBT reduction was significantly greater in neonatal phagocytes than in phagocytes of control subjects. The increased NBT reducing activity of neonatal neutrophils makes it impossible to use the NBT histochemical test for tile detection of bacterial infection in that age group. However, NBT-reduction tests can be used with profit in the neonatal period to diagnose chronic granulomatous disease when a positive family history warrants such an investigation. [See pdf for the Figure]
Prevalence of subgroup 1, 2, and 3 rotaviruses in belgian children suffering from acute diarrhea (1978–1981)

The relative prevalence of human rotavirus subgroups was studied during a 3‐year period (1978–1981) by means of a sensitive complement fixation technique. Among 93 rotavirus isolates from children with acute gastroenteritis in Brussels, the prevalence of subgroups 1, 2, and 3 was, respectively 24, 17, and 32%. The remaining 27% of strains could not be typed, but no evidence for the existence of any new subgroup was found. The proportion of strains belonging to the different subgroups remained roughly constant during the study period, showing the simultaneous occurrence of the various subgroups of viruses, even during the annual winter peak of rotavirus gastroenteritis.
Sino-Nasal Characteristics in Asthmatic Patients

Objective The Unified Airways Hypothesis suggests an involvement of the upper airways in asthma. We aimed to evaluate the association between subjective sino-nasal complaints, nasal air flow, and sino-nasal quality of life (QOL) in patients with asthma compared with nonasthmatic subjects. Study Design Case-control study. Setting A tertiary referral center. Subjects and Methods Symptoms, quality of life, and nasal airflow were assessed in 91 asthmatics and 95 nonasthmatic controls with Visual Analog Scale (VAS, 0-100), Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-20), and Peak Nasal Inspiratory Flow (PNIF), respectively. Asthma and allergy status were assessed by Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ) and skin prick test or specific IgE. Results Asthmatic patients (men/women, 37/54; mean age, 43.7 years; range, 19-64 years) reported significantly more nasal obstruction (mean VAS, 37 mm; SD = 26, 95% CI, 32-43 vs 9 mm, SD = 11, 95% CI, 7-11, P < .001) and lower sino-nasal quality of life (mean SNOT-20, 1.3; SD = 0.8, 95% CI, 1.1-1.5 vs 0.4, SD = 0.5, 95% CI, 0.3-0.5, P < .001) than controls (men/women, 42/53; mean age, 43.8 years; range, 20-65 years). PNIF was significantly lower in asthmatic patients than controls (mean PNIF, 84 l/min; SD = 24, 95% CI, 79-89 vs 100 l/min SD = 24, 95% CI, 95-105, P < .001). Conclusion Both allergic and nonallergic asthma were associated with increased sino-nasal symptoms, reduced sino-nasal QOL, and reduced inspiratory nasal air flow compared to controls. This provides further evidence of the clinical importance of the upper airway in the diagnostic and therapeutic management of asthma patients beyond the scope of allergy.
Early stage software effort estimation using random forest technique based on use case points

Due to the increasing complexity of software development activities, the need for effective effort estimation techniques has arisen. Underestimation leads to disruption in the project's estimated cost and delivery. On the other hand, overestimation causes outbidding and financial losses in business. Effective software effort estimation techniques enable project managers to schedule the software life cycle activities appropriately. Correctly assessing the effort needed to develop a software product is a major concern in software industries. Random forest (RF) technique is a popularly used machine learning technique that helps in improving the prediction values. The main objective of this study is to precisely assess the software projects development effort by utilising the use case point approach. The effort parameters are optimised utilising the RF technique to acquire higher prediction accuracy. Moreover, the results acquired applying the RF technique is compared with the multi-layer perceptron, radial basis function network, stochastic gradient boosting and log-linear regression techniques to highlight the performance attained by each technique.
Happy Mothers, Successful Children: Effects of Maternal Life Satisfaction on Child Outcomes∗

While prior research on child development documents that children of two-parent, married families have better cognitive and noncognitive skills compared to other family structures, this literature has overlooked an input that can be directly linked to individual utility; happiness. In this paper, I examine if this positive marriage effect on child quality is actually a happiness effect. By treating life satisfaction and marital status as endogenous in the skill production process, I show that there is a distinct happiness and a distinct marriage effect; marriage increases cognitive skills and decreases conduct problems, while maternal happiness increases social and self-regulation skills to an equivalent of up to £38,000 per year. These tradeoffs between marriage and happiness suggest that they are both important in producing a wide array of child skills at early developmental stages. Thus, policies aiming at promoting healthy and happy marriages can be more effective than policies that just promote marriage, and life satisfaction is an avenue through which non-married mothers can produce high quality children.
Sik Expression in the Gastrointestinal Tract and in Colon Tumors 1

Clones encoding the breast tumor kinase BRK were isolated from a normal human small intestinal cDNA library that was screened with the cDNA encoding the mouse epithelial-specific tyrosine kinase Sik. Although BRK and Sik share only 80% amino acid sequence identity, Southern blot hybridizations confirmed that the two proteins are orthologues. Sik was mapped to mouse distal chromosome 2, which shows conservation of synteny with human chromosome 20q13.3, the location of theBRK gene. BRK expression was examined in the normal gastrointestinal tract, colon tumor cell lines, and primary colon tumor samples. Like Sik, BRK is expressed in normal epithelial cells of the gastrointestinal tract that are undergoing terminal differentiation. BRK expression also increased during differentiation of the Caco-2 colon adenocarcinoma cell line. Modest increases in BRK expression were detected in primary colon tumors by RNase protection, in situ hybridization, and immunohistochemical assays. The BRK tyrosine kinase appears to play a role in signal transduction in the normal gastrointestinal tract, and its overexpression may be linked to the development of a variety of epithelial tumors.
GPS constraints on Africa (Nubia) and Arabia plate motions

SUMMARY We use continuously recording GPS (CGPS) and survey-mode GPS (SGPS) observations to determine Euler vectors for relative motion of the African (Nubian), Arabian and Eurasian plates. We present a well-constrained Eurasia‐Nubia Euler vector derived from 23 IGS sites in Europe and four CGPS and three SGPS sites on the Nubian Plate (−0.95 ± 4.8 ◦ N, −21.8 ± 4.3 ◦ E, 0.06 ± 0.005 ◦ Myr −1 ). We see no significant (> 1m m yr −1 ) internal deformation of the Nubian Plate. The GPS Nubian‐Eurasian Euler vector differs significantly from NUVEL-1A (21.0 ± 4.2 ◦ N, −20.6 ± 0.6 ◦ E, 0.12 ± 0.015 ◦ Myr −1 ), implying more westward motion of Africa relative to Eurasia and slower convergence in the eastern Mediterranean. The Arabia‐ Eurasia and Arabia‐Nubia GPS Euler vectors are less well determined, based on only one CGPS and three SGPS sites on the Arabian Plate. The preliminary Arabia‐Eurasia and Arabia‐ Nubia Euler vectors are 27.4 ± 1.0 ◦ N, 18.4 ± 2.5 ◦ E, 0.40 ± 0.04 ◦ Myr −1 , and 30.5 ± 1.0 ◦ N, 25.7 ± 2.3 ◦ E, 0.37 ± 0.04 ◦ Myr −1 , respectively. The GPS Arabia‐Nubia Euler vector differs significantly from NUVEL-1A (24.1 ± 1.7 ◦ N, 24.0 ± 3.5 ◦ E, 0.40 ± 0.05 ◦ Myr −1 ), but is statistically consistent at the 95 per cent confidence level with the revised Euler vector reported by Chu & Gordon based on a re-evaluation of magnetic anomalies in the Red Sea (31.5 ± 1.2 ◦ N, 23.0 ± 2.7 ◦ E, 0.40 ± 0.05 ◦ Myr −1 ). The motion implied in the Gulf of Aqaba and on the Dead Sea fault (DSF) by the new GPS Nubia‐Arabia Euler vector (i.e. ignoring possible Sinai block motion and possible internal plate deformation) grades from pure left lateral strike-slip in the Gulf and on the southern DSF with increasing compression on the central and northern DSF with relative motion increasing from 5.6 to 7.5 mm yr −1 (± 1m m yr −1 ) from south to north. Along the northern DSF (i.e. north of the Lebanon restraining bend) motion is partitioned between 6 ± 1m m yr −1 left-lateral motion parallel to the fault trace and 4 ± 1m m yr −1 faultnormal compression. Relative motions on other plate boundaries (including the Anatolian and Aegean microplates) derived from the GPS Euler vectors agree qualitatively with the sense of motion indicated by focal mechanisms for large crustal earthquakes (M > 6). Where data are available on fault-slip rates on plate bounding faults (North Anatolian fault, East Anatolian fault, Dead Sea fault, Red Sea rift), they are generally lower than, but not significantly different from, the full plate motion estimates suggesting that the majority of relative plate motion is accommodated on these structures.
Effects of Dietary D‐Psicose on Diurnal Variation in Plasma Glucose and Insulin Concentrations of Rats

D‐Psicose, a C‐3 epimer of D‐fructose, is a “rare sugar” present in small quantities in commercial carbohydrate complex or agricultural products. In this study, we investigated the effects of supplemental D‐psicose in diet on diurnal variation in plasma glucose and insulin concentrations in rats. Forty‐eight male Wistar rats (4‐week‐old) were divided into four groups. Each group except the Control group was fed a diet with of 5% D‐fructose, D‐psicose, or psico‐rare sugar (3:1 mixture of D‐fructose and D‐psicose) for 8 weeks. Plasma glucose levels were lower and plasma insulin levels were higher at all times of day in the Psicose and Psico‐rare sugar groups than in the Control and Fructose groups. Final body weight and weight gain were significantly lower in the Psicose group than in the Control and Fructose groups. Energy intake, energy efficiency, abdominal adipose tissue weight and carcass fat content were lower in the Psicose group than in the other groups. Liver glycogen content, both before and after meals were higher in the Psicose group than in the Control and Fructose groups. These results suggest that supplemental D‐psicose can lower plasma glucose levels and reduce body fat accumulation. Thus, D‐psicose may be useful in preventing obesity or postprandial hyperglycemia in diabetic patients.
Basic Residues of β-Sheet A Contribute to Heparin Binding and Activation of Vaspin (Serpin A12)*

Many members of the serine protease inhibitor (serpin) family are activated by glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). Visceral adipose tissue-derived serpin (vaspin), serpin A12 of the serpin family, and its target protease kallikrein 7 (KLK7) are heparin-binding proteins, and inhibition of KLK7 by vaspin is accelerated by heparin. However, the nature of GAG binding to vaspin is not known. Here, we measured vaspin binding of various glycosaminoglycans and low molecular weight heparins by microscale thermophoresis and analyzed acceleration of protease inhibition by these molecules. In addition, basic residues contributing to heparin binding and heparin activation were identified by a selective labeling approach. Together, these data show that vaspin binds heparin with high affinity (KD = 21 ± 2 nm) and that binding takes place at a basic patch on top of β-sheet A and is different from other heparin-binding serpins. Mutation of basic residues decreased heparin binding and activation of vaspin. Similarly, reactive center loop insertion into sheet A decreased heparin binding because it disturbs the basic cluster. Finally, using vaspin-overexpressing keratinocyte cells, we show that a significant part of secreted vaspin is bound in the extracellular matrix on the cell surface. Together, basic residues of central β-sheet A contribute to heparin binding and activation of vaspin. Thus, binding to GAGs in the extracellular matrix can direct and regulate vaspin interaction with target proteases or other proteins and may play an important role in the various beneficial functions of vaspin in different tissues.
Thromboembolism prophylaxis in medical inpatients: effect on outcomes and costs.

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the real-world use of venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis among medical inpatients and the impact of VTE prophylaxis on outcomes and cost. STUDY DESIGN Retrospective analysis of patientlevel administrative claims data for medical inpatients at risk of VTE and linked outpatient data. METHODS Data were analyzed from patients admitted to the hospital from 2005 to 2007 (calendar years) with a primary diagnosis of chronic heart failure, thromboembolic stroke, severe lung disease, acute infection, or cancer (index hospitalization), according to whether they received VTE prophylaxis or not. The number of VTE events, time to VTE event, length of hospital stay, and number of major or minor bleeding events were analyzed from the index date until the end of follow-up (180 days postdischarge) or death. RESULTS Overall, 7127 of 13,293 patients (53.6%) received VTE prophylaxis. Prophylaxis significantly reduced the incidence of VTE compared with no prophylaxis (0.06% vs 3.44%, respectively; P <.00001) and increased the median time to VTE (182 vs 27 days, respectively). Prophylaxis also significantly reduced the incidence of VTE in the 180 days postdischarge. Readmission rates were similar between groups. Major bleeding occurred in 1.57% of patients receiving low molecular weight heparin + warfarin versus <. 6% receiving any other form of prophylaxis. The development of VTE or major or minor bleeding events significantly increased total medical costs versus no VTE events (P <.0001) or no bleeding events (P <.0003). CONCLUSIONS This real-world analysis showed that thromboprophylaxis was underutilized in medical patients, even though the clinical and economic impact of VTE was significant.
Measurement and Application of Link Reliability for Wireless Mobile Networks

Radio channel characteristics of mobile nodes are quite different compared with the traditional stationary base station to mobile radio channel. Wireless link reliability estimation is necessary for self-organization of wireless mobile multihop networks. In this paper, we measure narrowband path loss measurements in a typical mobile-to-mobile radio environment. For application, we proposed a method to incorporate link reliability into path reliability evaluation and selection for multipath routing in wireless mobile networks. Simulations show that the proposed method has better performance.
Effects of Vernonia amygdalina on Biochemical and Hematological Parameters in Diabetic Rats

Subacute toxicity studies were carried out on the fraction of the methanol leaf extract of Vernonia amygdalina in diabetic rats. Nine fractions (F1-F9) were obtained from the MEOH leaf extract of V. amygdalina and screened for antihyperglycemic activity in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. The most potent hypoglycemic fraction (F6) was administered daily to normal and diabetic rats for 28 days at doses of 80, 160 and 320 mg/kg. Blood glucose level, body weight, food and liquid intake, and some biochemical and hematological indices were monitored over the treatment period. At these doses, fraction F6 significantly (p<0.05) increased food intake and body weight and decreased water intake in the diabetic rats. The fraction significantly (p<0.01) decreased the levels of triglycerides, l ow density lipoprotein cholesterol, very low density lipoprotein cholesterol, and increased high density lipoprotein cholesterol level in the diabetic rats. Treatment with fraction F6 (160 and 320 mg/kg) significantly (p<0.05) increased the lymphocyte count and elect rolytes level s bu t lowered the levels of urea and creatinine. The elevated levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and alkaline phosp hatase in the diabetic rat s were significantly (p<0. 01) lowered. The histopathological studies revealed no significant abnormalities in the vital organs in both F6 and chlorpropamide treated rats. These results suggest that fraction F 6 of V. amygdalina is a potent hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic agent which is safe and capable of normalizing biochemical and hematological abnormalities associated with the pathophysiology of diabetes mellitus.
Impact of the 2008 US Preventive Services Task Force recommendation to discontinue prostate cancer screening among male Medicare beneficiaries.

For clinical evidence to have an impact on the health of populations, guideline recommendations must be rapidly and widely disseminated and physicians and other health care professionals must act responsively. Recommendations to discontinue care may be even more challenging. Recently, the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommended that no man receives prostate-specific antigen (PSA)-based screening for prostate cancer.1 While the impact of this recommendation will not be immediately understood in practice, the impact of the USPSTF’s August 2008 recommendation to discontinue PSA-based prostate cancer screening for men 75 years and older may inform expectations.2
Comment re: Premenopausal mammographic density and hormone levels.

Dear Editor, We thank Lagiou and colleagues for their insightful letter in which they discuss indirect evidence in support of a possible negative association between circulating levels of IGF-II and breast cancer risk. There is insufficient direct evidence to determine whether or not IGF-II levels influence the risk of breast cancer. To our knowledge only two small prospective studies have examined the role of IGF-II levels on breast cancer risk with inconsistent results1-2. Similarly, few studies have examined the role of IGF-II on mammographic density. Lagiou et al. discussed our finding of an unexpected negative association between IGF-II levels and density in pre-menopausal women but, as we highlighted in our paper, this finding should be interpreted with caution as the association disappeared upon adjustment for body mass index (BMI). Moreover, no association between IGF-II levels and density was found in another study of pre-menopausal women3 although findings from studies conducted among post-menopausal women are more consistent with a possible inverse association3-4. Lagiou et al. reported higher levels of umbilical cord blood IGF-II in Asians compared to Caucasians. Interestingly, cross-sectional studies suggest that such ethnic gradients may not persist into adulthood, with young adult Asians having significantly lower circulating levels of this growth factor than Caucasians5, perhaps reflecting ethnic differences in body composition and other lifestyle variables. Similarly, Afro-Caribbean post-menopausal women, known to have a lower breast cancer risk than Caucasians, have been shown to have lower levels of IGF-II6. In fact, ethnic difference in circulating levels of IGF-II, as well as in levels of IGF-I, IGFBP3 and sex steroid hormones, explained little of the ethnic gradient in mammographic density which, as expected, was higher among Caucasian than Afro-Caribbean women6. Unfortunately, no similar comparisons have been carried out among pre-menopausal women. We agree with Lagiou et al. that the associations between IGF-II, mammographic density and breast cancer risk have so far been vastly overlooked, and based on the findings of studies of IGF-I and IGFBP3, they should be investigated separately in pre- and post-menopausal women.
Turán's Extremal Problem in Random Graphs: Forbidding Even Cycles

For 0 0, there exists a real constantC=C(l, η), such that almost every random graphGn, p withp=p(n)≥Cn−1+1/2l satisfiesGn,p→1/2+ηC2l+1. In particular, for any fixedl≥1 and η>0, this result implies the existence of very sparse graphsG withG→1/2+ηC2l+1.
Colonization and Infection With Multiple Nosocomial Pathogens Among Patients Colonized With Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus

Abstract Objective: To test the hypothesis that patients colonized with vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) have a higher frequency of colonization or infection with other nosocomial pathogens than do patients who are not colonized with VRE. Design: A rectal swab culture survey was conducted to determine the point-prevalence of stool colonization with ceftazidime-resistant gram-negative bacilli in hospitalized patients with or without VRE stool colonization. For a 6-month period, the frequency of Clostridium difficile diarrhea and isolation of antibiotic-resistant (ie, ceftazidime-, piperacillin/tazobactam-, levofloxacin-, or trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole-resistant) gram-negative bacilli, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and non-albicans Candida species from clinical specimens other than stool was examined. Setting: A Department of Veterans Affairs medical center. Patients: All patients hospitalized in the acute care facility and one nursing home unit during a 1-week period in February 2001. Results: VRE-colonized patients had a higher point-prevalence of rectal colonization with ceftazidime-resistant gram-negative bacilli than did patients not colonized with VRE (17% vs 4%; P = .026). During a 6-month period, the VRE-colonized patients were more likely to have Clostridium difficile–associated diarrhea (26% vs 2%; P = .001), MRSA infection (17% vs 4%; P = .017), or colonization or infection with gram-negative bacilli resistant to 4 different antibiotics. Conclusion: VRE-colonized patients in our institution have a higher frequency of colonization or infection with other nosocomial pathogens than do patients who are not colonized with VRE. This suggests that isolation measures implemented to control VRE could help limit the dissemination of other, coexisting pathogens.
Crossbreeding in dairy cattle

The aim of this literature review is to give an overview of the differences between pure- and crossbreeding systems. Crossbreeding is a mating system with individuals of different lines or breeds. It is one of several breeding strategies in dairy production used to increase the economic profit. The use of crossbreeding increases due to changes in the dairy market and an increase of inbreeding among purebred Holstein. The main benefit of crossbreeding is heterosis, which is the improvement in genetic level in a hybrid offspring above the average of the parent breeds. Results from several studies have shown that crossbreeding is the most profitable breeding strategy, with a high level of heterosis for traits associated with fertility, health and overall fitness along with only a slightly reduced milk production. Even if more research is needed to give accurate conclusions, the most profitable breeding system, according to this review, was the three way rotational crossbreeding system.