Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Development of a Quantitative Real-Time PCR Assay for Detection of Mycoplasma genitalium

ABSTRACT Mycoplasma genitalium is known to cause nonchlamydial, nongonococcal urethritis in men and to be associated with pelvic inflammatory disease in women. Specific and sensitive PCR methods are needed for diagnosis of this bacterium because it is very difficult to culture from patient samples. To determine the bacterial load in patients' specimens, a quantitative real-time LightCycler PCR was developed. The housekeeping gene gap encoding glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase was chosen as the target gene. The assay could consistently detect five genome copies per reaction. To evaluate the PCR, we tested 246 selected urethral swab samples from men attending a clinic for sexually transmitted diseases. Eighty-two of the samples were found positive for M. genitalium by a conventional 16S rRNA gene PCR assay, whereas 164 samples were randomly chosen among those tested negative. Of the positive samples, 78 (95.1%) were found positive, whereas 6 (3.7%) of the negatives were found positive by the LightCycler assay. The patient samples were also tested with a quantitative TaqMan assay, and the bacterial load was compared to the LightCycler results. A good linear correlation between the LightCycler and the TaqMan assays was found with a correlation coefficient of 0.89 and a slope of 0.99. Significantly more M. genitalium-positive men had urethritis, discharge, and dysuria than had M. genitalium-negative men. The M. genitalium DNA load in samples from patients with urethritis was significantly higher than in samples from those without (61 and 2.9 copies/μl, respectively [P = 0.0005]). This assay may prove useful in the monitoring of treatment and for optimizing sample preparation methods.
Ethnic density and depressive symptoms among African Americans: threshold and differential effects across social and demographic subgroups.

OBJECTIVES We examined the association between Black ethnic density and depressive symptoms among African Americans. We sought to ascertain whether a threshold exists in the association between Black ethnic density and an important mental health outcome, and to identify differential effects of this association across social, economic, and demographic subpopulations. METHODS We analyzed the African American sample (n = 3570) from the National Survey of American Life, which we geocoded to the 2000 US Census. We determined the threshold with a multivariable regression spline model. We examined differential effects of ethnic density with random-effects multilevel linear regressions stratified by sociodemographic characteristics. RESULTS The protective association between Black ethnic density and depressive symptoms changed direction, becoming a detrimental effect, when ethnic density reached 85%. Black ethnic density was protective for lower socioeconomic positions and detrimental for the better-off categories. The masking effects of area deprivation were stronger in the highest levels of Black ethnic density. CONCLUSIONS Addressing racism, racial discrimination, economic deprivation, and poor services-the main drivers differentiating ethnic density from residential segregation-will help to ensure that the racial/ethnic composition of a neighborhood is not a risk factor for poor mental health.
Corporate Governance and Auditor Quality Choice: Evidence from Palestinian Corporations

The aim of this study is to examine the impact of corporate governance mechanisms on auditor quality choice in Palestine. The relationship between corporate governance and auditor quality choice depends on whether Palestinian firms see the quality of auditor as a substitute or a complement to governance practices. The sample included 46 firms listed on the Palestine Stock Exchange (PSE) for the period from 2013 to 2015. Relevant data were collected from the annual reports of the sampled companies published at the PSE website. Auditor’s quality was assessed using audit firm size (Big 4 or non-Big 4). To achieve the objectives of this study, a binary logistic regression was used. The results revealed that companies with a high ownership concentration, larger board size and the existence of audit committee tend to hire a high quality auditor. In addition, results showed a significant positive tendency of higher total asset firms to hire a quality auditor while firms with higher leverage tend to choose less quality auditors. Furthermore, director ownership, board independence, CEO duality were found to have no effect on auditor’s quality choice. The study recommends that regulators need to encourage companies for more compliance with corporate governance instructions.
Mindfulness Training at School: A Way to Engage Adolescents with Sustainable Consumption?

A central challenge in research on education for sustainable consumption (ESC) is to develop new approaches to engage adolescents with sustainable consumption (SC) in a way that addresses not only the cognitive but also the socio-emotional and behavioral levels. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) that foster awareness, (self-)reflection, and ethical values could potentially leverage learning processes in ESC. The present study was the first one to investigate the potential effects of a consumption-specific MBI on sustainable consumption behavior (SCB) in the areas of nutrition and clothing. The eight-week long intervention was carried out with 15-year old adolescents (N = 85) directly at school. A randomized pre-post waitlist control group design with mixed methods was applied. The study revealed the strong effects of the adapted MBI on precursors of SCB and further effects not directly related to but potentially conducive for SCB. Actual behavioral effects were minor. Substantial inter-individual differences and inconsistencies between qualitative and quantitative results imply case-related effects that do not allow generalizable conclusions to be drawn. Nevertheless, the results of this pilot study indicate that combining mindfulness training with ESC formats appears to be a feasible and fruitful approach to engage adolescents with SC. Future practice and research should consider more diverse target groups, other consumption areas, and longer periods for interventions and their evaluation.
Listeriolysin O, a cytolysin derived from Listeria monocytogenes, inhibits generation of ovalbumin‐specific Th2 immune response by skewing maturation of antigen‐specific T cells into Th1 cells

Listeriolysin O (LLO), a cholesterol‐dependent cytolysin derived from Listeria monocytogenes, is a potent inducer of interleukin (IL)‐12, IL‐18 and interferon (IFN)‐γ. We have shown that LLO facilitates development of T cells mediating protective immunity against L. monocytogenes through the induction of IFN‐γ production at an early stage. Based on this finding, it is postulated that LLO inhibits differentiation of Th2 cells and the Th2 immune response. By using a murine model of ovalbumin (OVA)‐induced allergic rhinitis, we investigated whether LLO has an ability to modulate the Th2‐type immune disorder. In mice sensitized intraperitoneally with ovalbumin (OVA)/alum and challenged intranasally with OVA, a large number of eosinophils migrated into the nasal tissue, and high titres of anti‐OVA IgE and IgG1 antibodies were detected in sera. However, LLO treatment during sensitization markedly inhibited the eosinophil infiltration and production of these anti‐OVA antibodies. A large number of T cells from mice sensitized and challenged with OVA produced high level of IL‐4 and IL‐5 but not IFN‐γ after stimulation with OVA. In contrast, OVA‐specific IFN‐γ‐producing T cells were preferentially induced in mice treated with LLO at the time of sensitization. In the absence of LLO administration, the expression level of GATA‐3 and SOCS‐3 in CD4+ T cells was enhanced after sensitization with OVA. LLO treatment resulted in a reduction of GATA‐3 and SOCS‐3 expressions but induced the transcription of T‐bet instead. Taken together, these data show clearly that LLO is capable of inhibiting Th2 immune response by skewing differentiation of antigen‐specific T cells into Th1 cells.
Insulin and Glucose: Relationships with Hassles, Anger, and Hostility in Nondiabetic Older Adults

Relationships of psychosocial factors (anger, hostility, hassles, and caregiving) with fasting insulin and glucose levels were examined.Samples included two groups of nondiabetic adults (mean age = 69.4 years): spouse caregivers (CG) of individuals with diagnoses of Alzheimer's disease (AD) (N = 78) and spouses of nondemented controls (CO) (N = 72) matched for age and gender. The groups were assessed twice with a 15- to 18-month hiatus. To obtain more stable assessments, all biopsychosocial measures were averaged over time. Psychosocial factors were associated with insulin and glucose, even after controlling for significant health variables: obesity, lipids, and cardiovascular disease. As hypothesized, CG with high anger-out/hostility (AOHO) had significantly higher glucose levels than all other group combinations. The glucose levels for subjects with high hassles or high AOHO were significantly higher than those for subjects who were low on both of these factors. For insulin, a three-way interaction occurred among AOHO, hassles, and genderhormone replacement therapy (HRT); in women taking HRT, no relationships occurred between insulin with AOHO and hassles. In women not taking HRT, those with high AOHO and high hassles had significantly higher insulin levels than the other three combinations, whereas in men, those with either high AOHO or high hassles had significantly higher insulin levels than men who were low on both of these factors. Given these results, future research should examine the degree to which interactions between metabolic processes with psychosocial variables, gender, and HRT have long term health consequences in nondiabetics.
What do citation counts count for in the field of addiction? An empirical evaluation of citation counts and their link with peer ratings of quality.

AIMS This study investigated the value of citation counts as an index of quality in the field of addiction and examined factors that contribute to papers being cited more or less frequently. DESIGN The number of times papers published by the journal Addiction in 1995-98 that had been cited up to May 2000 were counted using the Science and the Social Science Citation Indexes. Articles in nine of the monthly issues from 1997 were rated by two independent expert raters for quality. Factors related to citation counts were also examined including: country of origin of the paper, substance type, solicited versus unsolicited papers and methodology used. FINDINGS A total of 417 unsolicited research reports were included in the citation analysis, of which 79 were also subjected to quality ratings. The experts showed a moderate level of agreement in their ratings (intraclass correlation = 0.39. p < 0.001). However, there was no correlation between number of citations and expert ratings of article quality (R < 0.1). Papers from developing countries received significantly fewer citations than papers from other countries but substance type (e.g. nicotine, opiate, alcohol) and methodology (e.g. survey, treatment trial) were not related to number of citations. CONCLUSIONS This study involved just one journal but raised an important issue: the number of citations received by papers on addiction appears to reflect the geographical region of study rather than what experts would consider as 'quality'. If these findings are found to generalize they call into question the use of citation-related indices as measures of quality in this field and perhaps in others as well. To our knowledge our methodology has not been used before and could be adapted to study the value of citations more widely.
Effect of limb ischemic preconditioning on myocardial injury in patients undergoing mitral valve replacement surgery. -A randomized controlled trial-.

BACKGROUND Whether limb ischemic preconditioning (LIPC) is beneficial for patients undergoing mitral valve replacement (MVR) surgery is unknown. METHODS AND RESULTS Seventy-five adult patients undergoing MVR surgery were randomly assigned to 3 groups: control group (n=25), LIPC group I (3 × 5-min cycles of right upper arm ischemia and 5-min reperfusion; n=25) and LIPC group II (3 × 5-min cycles of right upper arm ischemia and 5-min reperfusion combined with 2 × 10-min cycles of right upper leg ischemia and 10-min reperfusion; n=25). Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) time, cross-clamp time, cardiac index, cumulative postoperative dosage of dobutamine, intensive care stay, postoperative hospital stay were not statistically different. Although the cumulative postoperative dosage of dobutamine was not different, there was a significantly lower inotropic requirement in LIPC II compared with the control group at 4 and 8h after surgery. Plasma levels of cardiac troponin-I in the 3 groups significantly increased during CPB and peaked at 4h after surgery. Levels of cTnI in LIPC II were significantly lower than in the control group at each time point after surgery. CONCLUSIONS Myocardial injury is obvious after MVR surgery. LIPC can protect the myocardium from ischemia-reperfusion injury and decrease the inotropic requirement after surgery. The data also confirmed the requirement for the preconditioning stimulus to cross a threshold.
Clinical application of objective perimetry using multifocal visual evoked potentials in glaucoma practice.

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the role of objective perimetry using multifocal visual evoked potentials (mVEPs) in glaucoma practice, and to assess its utility in patients with inconclusive standard automated perimetry findings. Method A retrospective case series of 436 consecutive subjects referred for glaucoma investigation who underwent testing with the AccuMap V1.3 mVEP system (ObjectiVision Pty, Ltd, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia) within a defined 12-month period. Sensitivity was determined by comparing this testing with that of standard automated perimetry and that used in a subgroup in whom masked stereoscopic optic disc photographs were used as an alternative reference standard. Overall clinical diagnostic outcomes were assessed. RESULTS The mVEP changes were correlated with the stage of disease and Humphrey mean deviation (r = 0.78). The overall sensitivity for detecting glaucoma with established subjective field loss was 97.5% (early glaucoma, 95.0%), whereas 92.2% of low-risk suspects had normal mVEPs. When masked disc assessment alone was used for diagnosis of abnormality, sensitivity of mVEP (80.6%) and Humphrey visual field results (81.9%) were similar, but mVEP specificity was better (89.2% vs 79.5%). The mVEP was particularly useful in assessing excessive subjective field loss (45 eyes) by showing a much closer correlation with the clinical picture. CONCLUSIONS Multifocal VEP is an effective method for detecting visual field loss in glaucoma. It provides a valuable aid to the clinician in categorizing patients with unreliable, variable, unconfirmed, or excessive subjective field loss.
Legal System and Trade Credit: Evidence from Emerging Economies

ABSTRACT Using a large-scale, firm-level dataset from 68 emerging economies for the period of 2002–2006 compiled by the World Bank, we find that legal systems have a positive and significant impact on the provision of trade credit. This result is robust to the inclusion of conventional controls used in the literature, to alternate specifications that address endogeneity and measurement error problems, and to different measures of trade credit and legal systems. Legal systems have a larger impact on trade credit for firms with overdraft facilities than for those without overdraft facilities, and the impact of legal systems on trade credit is significant in more developed countries but not in less developed countries.
China's SOE Executives: Drivers of or Obstacles to Reform?

Drawing on a database tracking the career of 1,250 top Chinese executives from 1,084 publicly-listed state-owned enterprises (SOEs), this article analyzes differences in career incentives for subsidiaries controlled by the central government compared to those controlled by local governments. It also considers the differences for executives in listed companies close to the parent group compared to those that are heads in distant subsidiaries. We find that in both SOEs and their publicly listed subsidiaries, administrative experience or political connections appear to increase the likelihood of promotion. However, in the case of central SOE subsidiaries, leaders are more likely to be promoted based on financial performance. For both central and local 'direct' SOE groups age is a significant negative factor for promotion, whereas tenure is a significant positive factor.
Percutaneous transvenous mitral commissurotomy versus surgical commissurotomy in the treatment of mitral stenosis

There is no doubt that percutaneous transvenous mitral commissurotomy (PTMC) in experienced centers is associated with a low risk of major complications and yields excellent immediate and long‐term outcome. Although previous observational studies on both PTMC and surgical commissurotomy have indicated similar outcome between the two treatment strategies in terms of valve area improvement and risk of major complication (death, thromboembolism and significant resultant mitral regurgitation), it was not until recently that several prospective randomized trials comparing the two procedures and involving >470 patients with favorable valve characteristics (pliable, noncalcified valve with mild sub‐valvular disease and no or mild mitral regurgitation), have confirmed that PTMC is indeed just as, if not more, effective as surgical commissurotomy. The late restenosis rate at up to 3‐year follow‐up appears comparable. Furthermore, PTMC has other additional benefits. It is nontraumatic, may be repeated without additional risk, and has been shown to be an extremely useful and efficacious palliative tool in those with end‐stage mitral stenosis or with unfavorable valve anatomy who refuse surgery, and in certain subset of patients at high surgical risk because of medical comorbidities.
The Effect of Loss of Visual Input on Muscle Power in Resistance Trained and Untrained Young Men and Women

Abstract Killebrew, SS, Petrella, JK, Jung, AP, and Hensarling, RW. The effect of loss of visual input on muscle power in resistance trained and untrained young men and women. J Strength Cond Res 27(2): 495–500, 2013—Visual impairment has been shown to reduce muscle power when compared with that in sighted individuals. The purpose of this study was to assess whether the loss of visual input affects lower limb muscle power production in sighted men and women who are resistance trained and untrained. Twenty-seven college-aged participants (19–23 years) performed a seated double-leg press with and without visual input (resulting from being blindfold) in 2 separate counterbalanced trials. Lower limb concentric power was calculated by measuring the distance and time a leg press footplate was displaced while lifting 60% of 1-repetition maximum as quickly as possible. Loss of visual input reduced power output by 22.8 W (−6.4%) in all participants (p < 0.01). When resistance training status was taken into account, resistance trained participants (n = 12, trained >2× per week) did not lose power output (4.4 W, −1.1%, p = 0.90), whereas untrained men and women (n = 15) had significantly less power when visual input was removed via blindfold (37.6 W, −11.7%, p < 0.01). Untrained women experienced the greatest decrease in power when blindfolded (39 W, −15.9%, p < 0.01). Muscle power decreases in the absence of vision, but a regular strength training program attenuates this occurrence in young men and women. In practical application, strength training interventions may be successful in protecting individuals from losses in muscle power when visual input is removed.
Negotiating ‘ares,’ ‘cans,’ and ‘shoulds’ of being and becoming in English language teaching: two teacher accounts from one Japanese university

Abstract This study, utilizing narrative inquiry underpinned by poststructural theory, explores the lived experiences of two university-level English language teaching (ELT) professionals negotiating ‘borders’ of essentialized and idealized being and becoming, in seeking to account for the movement, hybridity, and diversity characterizing identity and interaction in and beyond ‘Japan. ’ These borders relate to essentialized and idealized ‘ares,’ ‘cans,’ and ‘shoulds’ of ‘Japaneseness,’ juxtaposed against ‘Otherness’ predicated on ‘nativeness’ in English. In negotiating positionality, the two teachers choose to both discursively ‘trouble’ and not trouble who they, their colleagues, and their students ‘are,’ ‘can,’ and/or ‘should’ be or become, in complex and seemingly ‘contradictory’ ways. The study notes that the creation, limitation, and elimination of space for identity in ELT is sociohistorically, contextually, and fluidly connected to the local’global construction, maintenance, and/or challenging of borders of identity and community membership in the settings in which learning, use, and instruction take place.
Embryoscopic diagnostics of endometrial defects in missed abortion after IVF

Abstract High incidence of missed abortion induces to search for its causes. Apart from genetic and anatomic uterine factors, the state of the decidual endometrium and implantation zone of chorionic structures of the gestational sac are of particular interest. Direct visualization of the intact decidual endometrium is possible with embryoscopy, however, there is lack of presented data of normal and pathological signs of the endometrium during pregnancy. This paper describes the changes of the endometrium in missed abortion obtained by hysteroscopy in 160 women with nonprogressive pregnancy after ART protocols. High incidence of vascular disorders is determined, namely perivascular hemorrhage (70%), thrombosis of small-caliber endometrial vessels (36.9%), necrosis of the decidual endometrium and areas of the endometrium ejection beyond the implantation zone as a source of vaginal bleeding (10%). In addition, a high incidence of capsular decidual membrane defects are detected, namely, dystrophy, thinning and necrosis (60.6%).