Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dissemination of Fluoroquinolone-Resistant Campylobacter spp. within an Integrated Commercial Poultry Production System

ABSTRACT While characterizing the intestinal bacterial community of broiler chickens, we detected ε-proteobacterial DNA in the ilea of 3-day-old commercial broiler chicks (J. Lu, U. Idris, B. Harmon, C. Hofacre, J. J. Maurer, and M. D. Lee, Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 69:6816-6824, 2003). The sequences exhibited high levels of similarity to Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli sequences, suggesting that chickens can carry Campylobacter at a very young age. Campylobacter sp. was detected by PCR in all samples collected from the ilea of chicks that were 3 to 49 days old; however, it was detected only in the cecal contents of chickens that were at least 21 days old. In order to determine whether the presence of Campylobacter DNA in young chicks was due to ingestion of the bacteria in food or water, we obtained commercial broiler hatching eggs, which were incubated in a research facility until the chicks hatched. DNA sequencing of the amplicons resulting from Campylobacter-specific 16S PCR performed with the ileal, cecal, and yolk contents of the day-of-hatching chicks revealed that Campylobacter DNA was present before the chicks consumed food or water. The 16S rRNA sequences exhibited 99% similarity to C. jejuni and C. coli sequences and 95 to 98% similarity to sequences of other thermophilic Campylobacter species, such as C. lari and C. upsaliensis. The presence of C. coli DNA was detected by specific PCR in the samples from chicks obtained from a commercial hatchery; however, no Campylobacter was detected by culturing. In order to determine whether the same strains of bacteria were present in multiple levels of the integrator, we cultured Campylobacter sp. from a flock of broiler breeders and their 6-week-old progeny that resided on a commercial broiler farm. The broiler breeders had been given fluoroquinolone antibiotics, and we sought to determine whether the same fluoroquinolone-resistant strain was present in their progeny. The isolates were typed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, which confirmed that the parental and progeny flocks contained the same strain of fluoroquinolone-resistant C. coli. These data indicate that resistant C. coli can be present in multiple levels of an integrated poultry system and demonstrated that molecular techniques or more sensitive culture methods may be necessary to detect early colonization by Campylobacter in broiler chicks.
ICI Plant Protection Division experience with direct drilling systems, 1961–1974

ICI Plant Protection Division (formerly Plant Protection Limited) has been developing the technique of direct drilling, based on the use of paraquat (‘Gramoxone’) as a contact herbicide, since 1961. Drills had to be designed suitable for a range of crops and soil conditions for sale to farmers and for inclusion in hire schemes, using the services of agricultural machinery contractors. The practice is expanding rapidly, even in the wet autumn of 1974.
Longitudinal characterization of synovial fluid biomarkers in the canine meniscectomy model of osteoarthritis

Damage to the meniscus can lead to posttraumatic osteoarthritis. Early markers of joint injury and tissue disease may be useful in developing and administering clinical treatment. We investigated the effects of total medial meniscectomy on biomarkers measured serially in synovial lavage fluid each month for 3 months. Following meniscectomv in dogs, four biomarkers were evaluated: cartilage oligomeric matrix protein, keratan sulfate epitope (5D4), the 3B3(−) neoepitope of chondroitin‐6‐sulfate, and the 3B3(+) chondroitinasegenerated epitope of chondroitin‐6‐sulfate. Meniscectomy led to statistically significant elevations of all four biomarkers, with levels peaking at 4 weeks. By 12 weeks, the level of the 5D4 epitope returned to the preoperative baseline level whereas that of cartilage oligomeric matrix protein, 3B3(−), and 3B3(+) remained above the baseline. Concentrations of these biomarkers in the knees not operated on did not change significantly from the baseline. The levels of cartilage oligomeric matrix protein and 3B3(−) relative to 3B3(+) remained constant in all knees. In contrast, the level of 5D4 relative to 3B3(+) declined over time in the knee operated on but remained constant in the knee not operated on. These results demonstrate a quantitative change in the molecular components of synovial fluid after meniscectomy, as well as a qualitative change evinced by an alteration in the relative proportions of these epitopes. Extensive analyses showed a strong correlation between serum levels of 3B3(−) from the femoral and cephalic veins; however, serum 3B3(−) was not correlated with synovial fluid 3B3(−). These findings support the hypothesis that the concentrations of select cartilage biomarkers in synovial fluid are altered following meniscectomy and are promising tools for objectively monitoring the induction of osteoarthritis in this model system.
Multiwavelength study of the high-latitude cloud L1642: chain of star formation

Context. L1642 is one of the two high galactic latitude (|b| > 30°) clouds confirmed to have active star formation. Aims. We examine the properties of this cloud, especially the large-scale structure, dust properties, and compact sources at different stages of star formation. Methods. We present high-resolution far-infrared and submillimetre observations with the Herschel and AKARI satellites and millimetre observations with the AzTEC/ASTE telescope, which we combined with archive data from near- and mid-infrared (2MASS, WISE) to millimetre wavelength observations (Planck). Results. The Herschel observations, combined with other data, show a sequence of objects from a cold clump to young stellar objects (YSOs) at different evolutionary stages. Source B-3 (2MASS J04351455-1414468) appears to be a YSO forming inside the L1642 cloud, instead of a foreground brown dwarf, as previously classified. Herschel data reveal striation in the diffuse dust emission around the cloud L1642. The western region shows striation towards the NE and has a steeper column density gradient on its southern side. The densest central region has a bow-shock like structure showing compression from the west and has a filamentary tail extending towards the east. The differences suggest that these may be spatially distinct structures, aligned only in projection. We derive values of the dust emission cross-section per H nucleon of σ_e(250 μm) = 0.5−1.5 × 10^(-25) cm^2/H for different regions of the cloud. Modified black-body fits to the spectral energy distribution of Herschel and Planck data give emissivity spectral index β values 1.8–2.0 for the different regions. The compact sources have lower β values and show an anticorrelation between T and β. Conclusions. Markov chain Monte Carlo calculations demonstrate the strong anticorrelation between β and T errors and the importance of millimetre wavelength Planck data in constraining the estimates. L1642 reveals a more complex structure and sequence of star formation than previously known.
Scientists’ attitudes toward agricultural GM technology development and GM food in China

Purpose Previous studies have mainly focused on public opinions regarding genetically modified (GM) technology and GM food. The purpose of this paper is to assess scientists’ attitudes on whether China needs to develop its national agricultural GM technology and their willingness to buy GM food. Design/methodology/approach A stratified sampling method was used to select and interview 806 scientists from six major agricultural universities and 20 research institutes under two national academies in China in 2013. Based on these data, the authors use both descriptive statistics and multivariate regression analysis to examine scientists’ attitudes toward agricultural GM technology and food, using GM soybean oil as an example of GM foods. Findings The survey results show that nearly three-quarters of scientists agree that China needs to develop its agricultural GM technology, but their attitudes differ largely. Only 29 percent of scientists are willing to buy GM soybean oil, similar to urban consumers (25 percent) in China. The knowledge of biology is extensive for some scientists but varies significant among scientists and correlates positively with their attitudes toward agricultural GM technology and GM soybean oil. Younger and male scientists with higher professional titles, and those involved in GM research are more in favor of China’s GM technology compared to other scientists. Female scientists, scientists with lower professional titles, those that have never engaged in GM research or are from non-agricultural scientific disciplines are less willing to buy GM soybean oil. Interestingly, their low willingness to buy GM soybean oil is inconsistent with the fact that it is the most common edible oil in China. Originality/value This study is the first to examine scientists’ attitudes toward GM technology and food in China. The results of this study contribute to understanding the current debates on GM technology and the relevance of research, based on the willingness to buy GM food, for decision making regarding the commercialization of GM technology.
The relationships between the factors affecting perceived service quality, satisfaction and behavioral intentions among theme park visitors

Theme parks have many contributions to their destination, local and regional economies, tourism, etc. If they meet the changing demands of theme park visitors, more satisfied and revisiting visitors are acquired. This study attempted to determine the dimensions that influence theme park visitors’ perceived service quality, satisfaction and behavioral intentions. In this context, this study aims to analyze the dimensions of servicescape and experiential quality and determine the influence of these dimensions on visitors’ service quality perception, satisfaction and behavioral intentions. The data of this study were collected through a questionnaire applied to 301 visitors of a theme park operating in the city of Istanbul. Descriptive statistics and the factor analysis were used for analyzing the data obtained, and path analysis was utilized for testing of the theoretical model. Study results revealed that “communicative staging” was the variable which best represented the dimension of servicescape, while “surprise” was the variable which best represented the dimension of Experiential Quality. There is also a significant relationship between the dimensions of “servicescape” and “experiential quality”, on the one hand, and “perceived service quality”, on the other. Finally, a significant relationship was found among “perceived service quality”, “satisfaction” and “behavioral intentions”. In general, this study contributes to the managers of the tourism and leisure industries.
Europe’s Other Democratic Deficit: National Authoritarianism in a Democratic Union

Abstract: This paper argues for a radical recasting of the democratic deficit debate concerning the European Union (EU). Critics have long argued that the EU suffers from a democratic deficit and that growing EU power undermines national democracy. The recent slide toward autocracy in Hungary and the EU’s efforts to stop it – remind us that, whatever the EU’s flaws, democratic deficits can also exist at the national level and the EU may have a crucial role to play in safeguarding democracy and the rule of law. This issue of Europe’s “other democratic deficit” is not confined to Hungary, as other EU member states have also experienced backsliding on democracy and the rule of law. This paper will place the EU’s struggles with democratic deficits in its member states in comparative perspective, drawing on the experience of other democracies – including Mexico, to Argentina, to the United States in the era of the “Solid South” – which have struggled with pockets of subnational authoritarianism. Comparative analysis suggests that legal levers alone are unlikely to safeguard democracy at the subnational (or in EU’s case, national) level: so long as political leaders are willing to put partisan interests above democratic values, they may allow local pockets of autocracy to persist for decades within otherwise democratic political systems.
Substantia nigra neuromelanin magnetic resonance imaging in de novo Parkinson's disease patients

Depigmentation of the substantia nigra (SN) and locus coeruleus (LC) is a conspicuous pathological feature of Parkinson's disease (PD) and is related to the loss of neuromelanin, whose paramagnetic properties result in high signal on specific T1‐weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Recent studies have suggested that neuromelanin decrease in the SN and LC of PD patients may emerge as a possible diagnostic biomarker. The SN neuromelanin signal in de novo and early stage PD patients was studied to assess its diagnostic accuracy. This is the first study based on a semi‐automated MRI analysis of the neuromelanin signal in de novo PD patients.
Weighted Fuzzy Observer-Based Fault Detection Approach for Discrete-Time Nonlinear Systems via Piecewise-Fuzzy Lyapunov Functions

The main focus of this paper is on the analysis and integrated design of $\mathcal {L}_2$ observer-based fault detection (FD) systems for discrete-time nonlinear industrial processes. To gain a deeper insight into this FD framework, the existence condition is introduced first. Then, an integrated design of $\mathcal {L}_2$ observer-based FD approach is realized by solving the proposed existence condition with the aid of Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy dynamic modeling technique and piecewise-fuzzy Lyapunov functions. Most importantly, a weighted piecewise-fuzzy observer-based residual generator is proposed, aiming at achieving an optimal integration of residual evaluation and threshold computation into FD systems. The core of this approach is to make use of the knowledge provided by fuzzy models of each local region and then to weight the local residual signal by means of different weighting factors. In comparison with the standard norm-based fuzzy observer-based FD methods, the proposed scheme may lead to a significant improvement of the FD performance. In the end, the effectiveness of the proposed method is verified by a numerical example and a case study on the laboratory setup of continuous stirred tank heater plant.
Exploring Conspicuous Luxury Consumption In Iran: The Role Of Individual Factors and Consumer Knowledge

This research tested a conceptual model predicting the propensity to engage in two distinct forms of conspicuous consumption (bandwagon and snob consumption) that was developed by Kastanakis and Balabanis (2014) in a collectivistic Iranian context. This study found that this conceptual model was more successful in accounting for the variance in bandwagon consumption (i.e., conformity seeking conspicuous luxury consumption) than snob consumption (i.e., uniqueness seeking conspicuous luxury consumption) in the Iranian context. In addition to status seeking, it was found that consumer susceptibility to normative influence (CSNI) and consumer need for uniqueness (CNFU) mediates the influence of self-concept on bandwagon consumption. This finding suggests that the relationship between snob consumption and CNFU may differ in the Iranian context. Results also show that the relationships between CSNI, unpopular counter choice conformity (a sub-construct of CNFU) and status seeking with bandwagon consumption were all negatively moderated by consumer knowledge for fashion luxury goods. These findings extend the original conspicuous consumption model and provide some insight for the development of marketing strategies in Iran. Conspicuous luxury consumption in Iran iii Table of
Chlorhexidine decreases the risk of ventilator-associated pneumonia in intensive care unit patients: a randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE The aim was to evaluate whether oral swabbing with 0.2% chlorhexidine gluconate (CHX) decreases the risk of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS Sixty-one dentate patients scheduled for invasive mechanical ventilation for at least 48 h were included in this randomized, double-blind, controlled study. As these patients were variably incapacitated, oral care was provided by swabbing the oral mucosa four times/d with CHX in the CHX group (29 patients) and with saline in the control group (32 patients). Clinical periodontal measurements were recorded, and lower-respiratory-tract specimens were obtained for microbiological analysis on admission and when VAP was suspected. Pathogens were identified by quantifying colonies using standard culture techniques. RESULTS Ventilator-associated pneumonia developed in 34/61 patients (55.7%) within 6.8 d. The VAP development rate was significantly higher in the control group than in the CHX group (68.8% vs. 41.4%, respectively; p = 0.03) with an odds ratio of 3.12 (95% confidence interval = 1.09-8.91). Acinetobacter baumannii was the most common pathogen (64.7%) of all species identified. There were no significant differences between the two groups in clinical periodontal measurements, VAP development time, pathogens detected or mortality rate. CONCLUSION The finding of the present study, that oral care with CHX swabbing reduces the risk of VAP development in mechanically ventilated patients, strongly supports its use in ICUs and indeed the importance of adequate oral hygiene in preventing medical complications.
India’s Demographic Dividend: A Sceptical Look

This article critically examines the assumptions behind the demographic dividend hypothesis and tries to assess to what extent India is in a position to tap the potential demographic dividend. It argues that the assumptions underlying the demographic dividend hypothesis are weak. The benefits flowing from an increasing proportion of working-age population are not an irrefutable law but depend upon the empirical situation that may differ from country to country. In the conditions prevailing in India, the high optimism about India’s ability to reap the demographic dividend found among the scholars and the official circles seems to be misplaced. The quality of Indian labour force leaves much to be desired in terms of its education, skill base and health status.
Sequential Immunotherapy by Vaccination With GM-CSF–expressing Glioma Cells and CTLA-4 Blockade Effectively Treats Established Murine Intracranial Tumors

Malignant glioma is an incurable disease with a relatively short median survival. Several clinical trials have demonstrated that immunotherapy with vaccination is a safe and possibly effective way of prolonging survival. Antibody-based blockade of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4) ligation on T lymphocytes is associated with enhanced antitumor immunity in animal models of cancer and in patients with advanced melanoma. We hypothesized that sequential therapy with granulocyte-macrophage–colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF)–expressing whole–glioma-cell vaccination and CTLA-4 blockade is an effective strategy for treating established intracranial gliomas. GL261 glioma cells were injected into the right frontal lobes of syngeneic C57/BL6 mice. At days 3, 6, and 9 after tumor implantation, mice were treated with subcutaneous injection of irradiated GM-CSF–expressing GL261 cells. Mice were also treated with intraperitoneal injection of anti-CTLA-4 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), either at days 3, 6, and 9 or days 12, 15, and 18. Animals were followed for survival. Splenocytes were harvested at day 22 for use in enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot assays. Early treatment of established intracranial gliomas with high-dose CTLA-4 blockade was associated with increased survival in GL261-bearing mice. Later treatment with anti-CTLA-4 monoclonal antibodies did not significantly improve survival compared with control-treated mice. Early vaccination followed by subsequent CTLA-4 blockade was associated with significantly improved survival versus either treatment alone and intensified tumor-specific immunity as measured by interferon-&ggr; enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot assay. Sequential immunotherapy with GM-CSF–expressing irradiated glioma cells and CTLA-4 blockade synergistically prolongs survival in mice bearing established intracranial gliomas.
High-Relaxivity Magnetic Resonance Imaging Contrast Agents Part 2: Optimization of Inner- and Second-Sphere Relaxivity

Rationale and Objectives:The observed relaxivity of gadolinium-based contrast agents has contributions from the water molecule(s) that bind directly to the gadolinium ion (inner-sphere water), long-lived water molecules and exchangeable protons that make up the second-sphere of coordination, and water molecules that diffuse near the contrast agent (outer-sphere). Inner- and second-sphere relaxivity can both be increased by optimization of the lifetimes of the water molecules and protons in these coordination spheres, the rotational motion of the complex, and the electronic relaxation of the gadolinium ion. We sought to identify new high-relaxivity contrast agents by systematically varying the donor atoms that bind directly to gadolinium to increase inner-sphere relaxivity and concurrently including substituents that influence the second-sphere relaxivity. Methods:Twenty gadolinium-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclo-dodecane-N,N′,N″,N′″-tetraacetato derivatives were prepared and their relaxivity determined in presence and absence of human serum albumin as a function of temperature and magnetic field. Data was analyzed to extract the underlying molecular parameters influencing relaxivity. Each compound had a common albumin-binding group and an inner-sphere donor set comprising the 4 tertiary amine N atoms from cyclen, an &agr;-substituted acetate oxygen atom, 2 amide oxygen atoms, an inner-sphere water oxygen atom, and a variable donor group. Each amide nitrogen was substituted with different groups to promote hydrogen bonding with second-sphere water molecules. Results:Relativities at 0.47 and 1.4 T, 37°C, in serum albumin ranged from 16.0 to 58.1 mM−1s−1 and from 12.3 to 34.8 mM−1s−1, respectively. The reduction of inner-sphere water exchange typical of amide donor groups could be offset by incorporating a phosphonate or phenolate oxygen atom donor in the first coordination sphere, resulting in higher relaxivity. Amide nitrogen substitution with pendant phosphonate or carboxylate groups increased relaxivity by as much as 88% compared with the N-methyl amide analog. Second-sphere relaxivity contributed as much as 24 and 14 mM−1s−1 at 0.47 and 1.4 T, respectively. Conclusions:Water/proton exchange dynamics in the inner- and second-coordination sphere can be predictably tuned by choice of donor atoms and second-sphere substituents, resulting in high-relaxivity agents.