Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of introduction of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine on drug-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae.

BACKGROUND Five of seven serotypes in the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, introduced for infants in the United States in 2000, are responsible for most penicillin-resistant infections. We examined the effect of this vaccine on invasive disease caused by resistant strains. METHODS We used laboratory-based data from Active Bacterial Core surveillance to measure disease caused by antibiotic-nonsusceptible pneumococci from 1996 through 2004. Cases of invasive disease, defined as disease caused by pneumococci isolated from a normally sterile site, were identified in eight surveillance areas. Isolates underwent serotyping and susceptibility testing. RESULTS Rates of invasive disease caused by penicillin-nonsusceptible strains and strains not susceptible to multiple antibiotics peaked in 1999 and decreased by 2004, from 6.3 to 2.7 cases per 100,000 (a decline of 57 percent; 95 percent confidence interval, 55 to 58 percent) and from 4.1 to 1.7 cases per 100,000 (a decline of 59 percent; 95 percent confidence interval, 58 to 60 percent), respectively. Among children under two years of age, disease caused by penicillin-nonsusceptible strains decreased from 70.3 to 13.1 cases per 100,000 (a decline of 81 percent; 95 percent confidence interval, 80 to 82 percent). Among persons 65 years of age or older, disease caused by penicillin-nonsusceptible strains decreased from 16.4 to 8.4 cases per 100,000 (a decline of 49 percent). Rates of resistant disease caused by vaccine serotypes fell 87 percent. An increase was seen in disease caused by serotype 19A, a serotype not included in the vaccine (from 2.0 to 8.3 per 100,000 among children under two years of age). CONCLUSIONS The rate of antibiotic-resistant invasive pneumococcal infections decreased in young children and older persons after the introduction of the conjugate vaccine. There was an increase in infections caused by serotypes not included in the vaccine.
Validation Study of the Croatian Version of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS)

Validation studies established different cut-off points for the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) in different countries. The aim of this paper was to validate the Croatian EPDS against DSM-IV-TR for major and minor depression. A community sample of 272 women was followed from pregnancy to six weeks postpartum. They filled out the EPDS and STAI and were diagnosed using the SCID-I-RV. At the 8/9 cut-off score the sensitivity of the EPDS was 77.3% and its specificity was 82.4%. The principal component analysis with oblique rotation resulted in two correlated oblique factors, reflecting depressive and anxiety symptoms. Since the scree plot indicated that a one-factor solution would be appropriate, it is advised to treat the scale as one-dimensional. The Croatian version of the EPDS is a valid screening instrument and can be used by health practitioners for PPD screening.
[Trends in perinatal health in metropolitan France between 1995 and 2003: results from the National Perinatal Surveys].

OBJECTIVE To study trends in the main indicators of health, medical practice and risk factors in France. Population and method. A sample of all births during one week was set up in 1995 (N=13,318), 1998 (N=13,718) et 2003 (N=14,737). We compared data from these three years. RESULTS Between 1995 and 2003, there was an increase in maternal age, a development of some characteristics of care (HIV screening procedure, maternal serum screening of Down syndrome, in utero transfers) and an increase in the proportion of caesarean sections, epidurals and spinal anesthesia. The proportion of livebirths before 37 weeks of gestation and the proportion of newborns under 2,500 g slightly increased but the differences were mainly between 1995 et 1998. In 2003, obstetrician gynecologists were the main care providers during pregnancy. However 24.3% of women had their first visit with a general practitioner. For the following visits, 15.4% of women had seen a GP at least once and 26.9% had seen a midwife in maternity unit at least once. CONCLUSION Because of the trends in obstetrical practice and organisation of services, routine national perinatal surveys are useful to show major changes and yield quick answers to specific questions.
Equine anthelmintics: survey of the patterns of use, beliefs and attitudes among horse owners in the UK

An online survey was conducted to establish horse owners' beliefs, attitudes and practices relating to the use of anthelmintic drugs. Out of a total of 574 respondents, 89 per cent described themselves as ‘leisure riders’, most of whom took part in a variety of activities including eventing, show jumping, dressage, hunter trials, hunting, driving, endurance and showing. Overall, respondents were generally aware and concerned about the issue of anthelmintic resistance. Less than 60 per cent of all respondents were comfortable with their existing anthelmintic programme, and 25 per cent would like to reduce the use of anthelmintics in their horses. Of all the respondents, 47 per cent used livery, and 49 per cent of those reported that the livery imposed a common anthelmintic programme for horses kept on the premises; 45 per cent of these respondents were not entirely happy with the livery yard's programme. Less than 50 per cent of all respondents included ‘veterinary surgeon’ among their sources of advice on worming.
Pharmacological Control of Estrus in Tropical Cattle, an Economical Assessment of Different Synchronization Protocols ——Economics of Estrus Control in Tropical Cows

To compare the fertility results and to assess the cost-effectiveness of several synchronization protocols applied under the conditions of beef cattle enterprises in Colombia, 1658 multiparous zebu crossbred cows mostly Brahman and Nelore ranging between 2 - 6 parities were used. Five protocols of pharmacological treatments varying in hormones used, dosage and the time of application were tested. All cows were inseminated at 52 h by appointment. Pregnancy diagnosis was undertaken over 45 d after insemination by rectal palpation. The total cost per cow and the total cost per gestation, for each protocol, were calculated. Taking a herd of one-hundred cows as baseline for calculations, it was estimated the cost of the total amount of pregnancies possibly obtained in each protocol; then, the excess between the costs of a pregnant cow and the cost of a treated cow was estimated. Additionally, the costs due to cows empty after four services were calculated. A total of 874 pregnancies were registered (52.7%), with pregnancies per protocol varying between 46.9% and 66.2% (p < 005). The cost per treated cow, varied between $64.08 and $97.47 and the cost per gestation from $126.01 to $177.26, without association between the cost of the treatment and the pregnancy rate. Protocol A was the best cost-effective with the lowest additional costs, the lowest amount of open days (2107.7 to 2231.7 d) and IA straws (average = 134), with an additional costs of $6940.00. Synchronization of estrus using pharmacological products seems to have a place in the management of cattle; however, caution should be called upon a careful assessment both from the part of the farm and the professional in charge of the enterprise to avoid using the technique indiscriminatively thus propitiating the use of a method that might not be cost efficient.
Product and Process Modularity's Effects on Manufacturing Agility and Firm Growth Performance

Modularity in product design has been hailed as a way to speed new product development (NPD), to reduce NPD cost, and to enhance customization possibilities for consumers. Modularity in process design may speed new product manufacturing setup times, reduce costs, and enhance the profitability of the lower volumes that customization often entails. However, empirical evidence is scarce that either product or process modularity—individually, jointly, or sequentially—actually produce these or other proposed benefits (e.g., performance growth). This study builds on general modular systems theory (GMST) by examining the theoretical relationship between product and process modularity and the effects of each on firm growth performance. Using structural equation modeling, partial versus complete mediation by manufacturing agility is also scrutinized. In one pair of models, product modularity and process modularity are separate direct antecedents to manufacturing agility, which is modeled to affect firm growth performance; in a second pair of models, product and process modularity are related antecedents to manufacturing agility, with product modularity preceding process modularity. Results from the best-fitting model show that product modularity directly and positively affects process modularity, manufacturing agility, and firm growth performance. Process modularity was unrelated to manufacturing agility, and neither process modularity nor manufacturing agility predicted growth performance. Consistent with GMST, the study provides empirical evidence of the power of one element of a modular system to orchestrate a fit between a firm’s product and manufacturing strategies and to directly drive system performance. Thus, modularity in product design is revealed as the key to understanding GMST effects concerning how changes in one system generate changes in other systems.
Estrogen Ameliorates Trauma-hemorrhage–induced Lung Injury via Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase-dependent Activation of Protein Kinase G

Objective:In this study, we tested the hypothesis that 17&bgr;-estradiol (E2) administration after trauma-hemorrhage reduces lung injury through a mechanism involving estrogen receptor (ER)-dependent activation of the endothelial nitric oxide (NO) synthase (eNOS)/protein kinase G (PKG)/vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP) pathway. Background:Estrogen provides protection after injury via activation of multiple signaling cascades, including the cyclic GMP-dependent PKG pathway. Phosphorylation of VASP at Ser239 (p-VASP) can be used to assess PKG signaling activity. Methods:Male Sprague-Dawley rats (275–325 g) underwent soft tissue trauma (midline laparotomy) and hemorrhagic shock (mean blood pressure 35–40 mm Hg for 90 minutes) followed by fluid resuscitation. Animals were pretreated with a nonselective NOS inhibitor (N&ohgr;-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester; 30 mg/kg), a soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) inhibitor [1H-(1, 2, 4) oxadiazolo (3, 4-&agr;) quinoxalin-1-one; 10 mg/kg] or an ER antagonist (ICI 182,780; 3 mg/kg) 30 minutes before E2 (100 &mgr;g/kg) or vehicle administration. Animals were killed at 2 hours after resuscitation. Results:Lung injury induced by trauma-hemorrhage is evidenced by edema (wet/dry ratio), neutrophil infiltration (myeloperoxidase activity), and with an increased expression of cytokines, chemokines, and adhesion molecules. E2 treatment after trauma-hemorrhage resulted in an increase in eNOS expression/phosphorylation, PKG-I activation, and VASP/p-VASP expression, which paralleled a decrease in lung injury. Inhibition of NOS and sGC abolished the E2-induced increase in PKG-I activity, VASP/p-VASP expression. Blockade of eNOS, PKG-I, and ER exacerbated lung inflammation and injury. Conclusions:These results collectively suggest that activation of the eNOS-PKG/VASP pathway by E2 protects against trauma-hemorrhage–induced lung injury.
Electromechanical delay ( EMD ) in symmetrical activity of the muscles stabilizing spinal column under static conditions

Electromechanical delay (EMD) is defined as the time between electrical excitation of a muscle and the onset of force generation. Duration of this delay for skeletal muscles ranges from 30 to 100ms. EMD has been reported to have effect on a number of mechanisms (Cavanagh and Komi 1979). Some studies report differences in EMD due to gender (Winter and Brookes 1991), age (Grosset et al. 2005), muscle fatigue (Zhou et al. 1996) and immobilization level (Kubo et al. 2000). Others authors have analysed its use for isometric (Kubo et al. 2001) or sprint training (Zhou et al. 1996). However, there are no reports which would relate this phenomenon to the analysis of symmetry in muscle activity. Therefore the authors focused on the investigations aimed at assessment and analysis of bioelectrical activity in the muscles which stabilize spinal column under static conditions. The assessment was made based on the analysis of EMG signal with particular consideration of the duration of electromechanical delay.
Working Without a Net: Leukemia and Lymphoma Survivors’ Perspectives on Care Delivery at End-of-Treatment and Beyond

This study explored survivors’ perspectives on care delivery and supportive care needs during reentry. Fifty-one individual interviews were conducted with adult leukemia and lymphoma survivors, 3 to 48 months from treatment cessation. Survivors reported poor continuity of care across the patient–survivor transition, difficulty finding appropriate information/services, lack of preparation, lack of support for survivorship issues, and inadequate or poorly timed follow-up as factors contributing to adjustment difficulties at end of treatment and beyond. Improved care coordination is needed after active treatment, including use of an exit interview and delivery of services that are more congruent and better timed to meet ongoing and emergent survivorship needs.
Secondary obsessive‐compulsive disorder related to diaschisis after pontine infarction, successfully treated with paroxetine

Abstract This report describes a case of secondary obsessive‐compulsive disorder related to diaschisis after pontine infarction. A 71‐year‐old male developed obsessive images, after a pontine infarction. A brain magnetic resonance imaging scan showed a low intensity area in the right pons on T1‐weighted image, while brain single photon emission computed tomography showed low cerebral blood flow in the temporal lobe as well as the pons. In this case, infarction in the pons appeared to cause dysfunction in the temporal lobe via the neural projection network, an example of so‐called ‘diaschisis’. This case suggests that brainstem infarction and decreased temporal lobe perfusion can lead to secondary obsessive‐compulsive disorder.
Teach Workers about the Perils of Debt

The article reports on a study of U.S. consumers which found that the majority of respondents did not understand the concepts relating to compound interest, credit card fees, and debt. The study on debt literacy was conducted by the authors and the marketing research company TNS. The authors suggest that a component could be added to employee assistance programs that would educate them about financial choices. Statistics show the demographics of the debt literacy test which included a question about compounded annual interest rates.
Golden Handshakes: Rewards for Ceos Who Leave

This paper studies separation payments made when CEOs leave their firms. In my sample ofFortune 500 companies these packages are widespread and lucrative. Almost 80 percent of CEOs receive separation pay, and its mean present value exceeds $4.5 million. Severance is positively associated with future pay that CEOs might expect until age 65, and is higher when CEOs depart involuntarily. Shareholders react negatively when separation agreements are disclosed, but only in cases of voluntary CEO turnover. Some evidence suggests that severance pay acts as a bonding device between the board and CEO, while other evidence accords with theories of rent extraction.
A pseudojoint estimation of time delay and scale factor for M-wave analysis

A pseudojoint estimation of time scale and time delay between an unknown deterministic transient type signal and a reference signal is proposed. The method is based on the separation between the estimations of the two dependent parameters. The time autocorrelation function (TACF) preserves the time scale and is invariant with respect to the time delay between the signals. The time scale factor can, thus, be estimated independently from time delay using the TACFs of the two signals. After estimating the time scale factor, the signal can be scaled by the estimated amount. The time delay is then estimated without bias due to the time scale factor. To obtain high resolution joint estimates, the time scale factor is estimated in the scale domain from the scale transforms of the TACFs of the two signals. The proposed method has low computational cost. Moreover, the results on synthetic signals show good performance of the method with respect to the Cramer-Rao lower bound and the joint maximum likelihood estimation. A possible application of the technique to the analysis of electromyogram (EMG) signals detected during electrically elicited contractions is also presented. In a few representative cases, it is shown that the time scale estimate reveals myoelectric manifestations of muscle fatigue and is less affected by M-wave truncation than spectral EMG attributes.
Prognostic factors for acute kidney injury following transarterial chemoembolization in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

PURPOSE Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is an effective treatment for patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, acute kidney injury (AKI) is a severe complication that commonly occurs in patients undergo TACE. In this study, we aim to investigate the incidence and risk factors associated with AKI in HCC patients received TACE treatment. METHODS This study enrolled 380 HCC patients who received a total of 453 TACE treatments. The incidence, clinical outcomes and risk factors of AKI were examined. RESULTS The incidence of post-TACE AKI was 9.05% (41/453). Of these, 3 patients (7.3%) progressed to chronic kidney failure while 7 patients (17.1%) died within 1 month of TACE. The Child-Pugh score (OR=3.784, 95% CI 1.899-7.542, p=0.000), pre-operative serum uric acid (OR=1.450, 95% CI 1.202-1.750, p=0.000), and proteinuria (OR=2.393, 95% CI 1.139-5.031, p=0.021) were independent risk factors for the development of post-TACE AKI. CONCLUSION AKI is a common complication in HCC patients received TACE. The Child-Pugh score, preoperative serum uric acid and proteinuria may be used to predict the risk of post-TACE AKI in HCC patients undergo TACE.
Will elderly rest home residents wear hip protectors?

BACKGROUND Hip fracture is a common cause of morbidity and mortality in elderly people, for whom osteoporosis, the risk of falling and direct trauma to the hip during the fall are the major risk factors. External hip protectors have been developed which reduce the risk of hip fracture after a fall. However, compliance with their use is uncertain. We addressed this issue in a sample of elderly Dorset rest home residents over a 3-month period. METHODS 31 rest homes agreed to participate. Of the 288 female subjects approached, 141 gave their informed consent and 101 were allocated to the intervention arm of the study. Their ages ranged from 64 to 98 years, and 44% reported a fall during the preceding 12 months. Each subject was fitted with three pairs of protector pads (Sahvatex, Denmark) sewn into specially designed undergarments. Randomly timed fortnightly visits were made to each subject to assess compliance for 12 weeks. FINDINGS 27 subjects were compliant for the whole study period; 54 wore the protector pads for less than a week, largely for reasons of poor fitting or discomfort; the remainder withdrew at varying intervals between 1 and 12 weeks. During the study period, there were nine recorded falls onto the hip, six of which occurred in women wearing protectors. None resulted in hip fracture. CONCLUSION Approximately 50% of elderly rest home residents who are mentally able would wear hip protectors in order to prevent hip fractures. Long-term compliance drops to about 30%. Compliance could be increased substantially if the pads and undergarments were modified to enhance their fit and to reduce the discomfort associated with their use.
Analysis of ΔP-ΔQ area of uncontrolled islanding in low voltage grids with PV generators

The large penetration of Distributed Energy Resources (DERs), especially PhotoVoltaic (PV), in Low Voltage (LV) distribution grids has raised the concern of unintentional islanding operations. The probability of unintentional islanding is increased due to the newly introduced standards with extended frequency and voltage thresholds and additional grid support functions, such as active and reactive power regulation using P/f and Q/V droop characteristics, which can make ineffective the anti-islanding provisions each PV is equipped with. Moreover, islanding operation due to faulty events at the Medium Voltage (MV) distribution level may be dangerous in presence of automatic reclosing procedure leading to out of phase reconnections. In this paper, an analysis of this phenomena is provided using a simplified characterization of the generators and the loads. Simulation results based on Matlab and DIgSILENT tools on a simplified LV distribution network are reported together with preliminary experimental results on a lab-scale prototype.
Defective Production of Interleukin-6 by Monocytes: A Possible Mechanism Underlying Several Host Defense Deficiencies of Neonates

ABSTRACT: Several deficiencies in antibacterial defense have been described in neonates. Among those best characterized are delayed maturation of B cells into antibody producing cells, deficient T-cell maturation, and delayed cycling of hematopoietic progenitor cells after an infectious challenge. No unifying theory has been forwarded, however, to explain the concomitance of these three developmental deficiencies. IL-6, a cytokine produced primarily by monocytes and macrophages in response to stimulation by IL-1, is involved in the regulation of these three processes. Thus, we postulated that defective production of IL-6 could be a mechanism underlying these immune deficiencies of neonates. Indeed, we observed that at peak production, cells of five term neonates produced only one half as much IL-6 (14 120 ± 2590 pg IL-6/108 monocytes) as those of five adults (28 940 ± 1680 pg, p < 0.001). Peak production was lower still by monocytes of six preterm neonates (7190 ± 1400 pg, p < 0.001 versus term). Production of IL-6 protein was inhibited by actinomycin D and the IL-6 mRNA content of monocytes from neonates, as assessed by competitive polymerase chain reaction, was less than that of adult monocytes. We speculate that defective IL-6 transcription might underlie some of the defects in immune regulation observed in neonates.
A Pecking Order of Venture Capital Exits

We develop a model of exits from venture capital backed companies based on post-exit moral hazard. It captures the trade-off between the two most important exit choices: IPOs and trade sales. The model shows that highly profitable companies that need few oversight will go public, while less profitable companies that require more control will be sold in a trade sale. This suggests that the common notion that IPOs per se are more profitable than sales is wrong and observed returns suffer from a measurement bias. This is consistent with empirical evidence that IPOs have indeed higher rates of return than trade sales.