Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Detection and Analysis of Klebsiella pneumoniae causing Liver Abscess

Background: Compared with “classical” K. pneumoniae, hypervirulent variant of Klebsiella pneumoniae have the ability to cause serious, life-threatening community-acquired infection, including liver abscess, pneumonia, meningitis and endophthalmitis and the ability to metastatically spread. An objective diagnostic test suitable for routine use in the clinical microbiology laboratory is needed. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted in 240 patients with cultures positive for K. pneumoniae hospitalized in the Chinese PLA General Hospital from May 2013 to August 2014. The clinical and molecular data of the hypervirulent K. pneumoniae (hvKP) causing liver abscess were analyzed. Results: Among 240 strains of K. pneumoniae, hvKP accounted for 42.5% (102/240), hvKP causing liver abscess were 37 strains, accounting for 36.3% (37/102), patients with diabetes were 11 (11/37, 29.7%), 13 (13/37, 35.1%) patients were diagnosed as fever of unknown origin at first, 7(7/37, 18.9%) patients with tumor, the rest 6 (6/37, 16.2%) patients with postoperative infection or other site infection. Univariate analysis revealed the following risk factors for hvKP causing liver abscess: string test (odds ratio (OR), 11.306[95% confidence interval (CI), 3.579-35.711]), serotype K1 (OR, 3.109[95% CI, 1.338–7.222]) and fever of unknown origin (OR, 6.921[95% CI, 2.503–19.136]). The results detected by multiplex PCR were consistent with single PCR. 102 strains of hvKP were tested the sensitivity to 14-19 drug, 37 strains caused liver abscess were not found with ESBL. Conclusions: The detection of string test combined with rmpA and aerobactin can better identify hvKP. Patients with liver abscess generally were diabetes, but some patients didn’t have other disease. There is not much difference about the chance to be attacked by hvKP among male and female. ESBL was not detected among the hvKP causing liver abscess. Multiplex PCR assay could detect hvKP quickly.
Alzheimer pathology in Parkinson's disease

To the Editor: The series of thalamic infarctions reported by Drs. Bogoueelavsky et all raiees the issue of the location of aphasia-associated lesions within the left thalamus. We have recently reported 5 cases of left thalamic hematoma without aphasia in right-handed patientsz; in all casea the hemorrhage was located posteriorly within the thalamus, sparing its anterolateral region. In the series of Bogowlavsky,’ aphasia was present in all 4 patients with left tuberothalamic territory infarcts, on the other hand only 1 of the 4 patients with inferolateral infarcts had a “mild dysphasia,” and language disturbances were present in 1 of 5 patients with bilateral paramedian lesions. Taken together, these findings suggest an association between ventrolateral and anterior thalamic lesions and aphasia. While some pathologically verified exceptions to this correlation are on record:. ‘ most published cases with adequate localizing information support this hypothe~is. ~ The physiopathologic mechanisms by which thalamic lesions bring about language disturbances are debated. In recent years studies with functional imaging techniques such as single photon emission tomography and positron emission tomography in patients with subcortical lesions@-7 have suggested a possible association between neuropsychological deficits and cortical dysfunction. The transcortical motor features of the aphasia usually associated with thalamic lesions involving the anterior and ventrolateral nuclei8 may possibly be interpreted as a dysfunction of cortico-subcortical loops including the frontolimbic cortical areas. On the other hand, the inconstant association of aphasia with posterior thalamic lesions may perhaps reflect a comparatively minor role of reciprocal connections between these nuclei and temporoparietal cortical areas in language function.
The Wisdom Development Scale: Translating the Conceptual to the Concrete

In a previous study, a conceptual model of wisdom was created (Brown, 2004a) to better understand integrated learning outcomes. The purpose of this study is to develop a scale to measure this wisdom construct. This article discusses salient aspects of the extant professional literature regarding the measurement of wisdom and details the efforts to develop a valid and reliable Wisdom Development Scale (WDS) through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Six of the seven factors were validated and the scale had acceptable confirmatory factor analysis fit. The article concludes with limitations of the study, implications for future research, and potential applications in higher education.
Integrating Food into Urban Planning

The integration of food into urban planning is a crucial and emerging topic. Urban planners, alongside the local and regional authorities that have traditionally been less engaged in food-related issues, are now asked to take a central and active part in understanding how food is produced, processed, packaged, transported, marketed, consumed, disposed of and recycled in our cities. While there is a growing body of literature on the topic, the issue of planning cities in such a way they will increase food security and nutrition, not only for the affluent sections of society but primarily for the poor, is much less discussed, and much less informed by practices. This volume, a collaboration between the Bartlett Development Planning Unit at UCL and the Food Agricultural Organisation, aims to fill this gap by putting more than 20 city-based experiences in perspective, including studies from Toronto, New York City, Portland and Providence in North America; Milan in Europe and Cape Town in Africa; Belo Horizonte and Lima in South America; and, in Asia, Bangkok and Tokyo. By studying and comparing cities of different sizes, from both the Global North and South, in developed and developing regions, the contributors collectively argue for the importance and circulation of global knowledge rooted in local food planning practices, programmes and policies.
Implications of the three-dimensional structure of astacin for the structure and function of the astacin family of zinc-endopeptidases.

Astacin, a zinc-endopeptidase from the crayfish Astacus astacus L. , represents a structurally distinct group of metalloproteinases termed the 'astacin family'. This protein family includes oligomeric membrane-bound proteins with zinc proteinase domains found in rodent kidneys (meprins A and B) and human small intestine (N-benzoyl-L-tyrosyl-4-aminobenzoate hydrolase). Another branch of this family comprises morphogenetically active proteins, which induce bone formation (human bone morphogenetic protein 1), or which play specific roles during the embryonic development of amphibians, fishes, echinoderms, and insects. The X-ray crystal structure of astacin has recently been solved to a resolution of 0.18 nm [Bode et al. (1992) Nature 358, 164-167]. This structure is different from hitherto known metalloendopeptidase structures and has been used in the present study to analyze the structures of the other members of the astacin protein family. Computer-assisted modelling of the proteolytic domain of the alpha-subunit of meprin A based on the astacin structure is possible if five single and one double residue deletions and three single residue insertions are implied. The proteinase domains of the other astacins can be included in the model-based sequence alignment by introducing additionally three insertions and one deletion. All of these insertions and deletions are observed in loop segments connecting regular secondary structure elements and should leave the overall structure unaltered. The topology of residues forming the zinc-binding active site of astacin corresponds to almost identical arrangements in all other astacins, suggesting that these are likewise metalloproteinases. Based on this similarity, it is proposed that the active-site metal ion of the astacins is penta-coordinated by three histidine residues, a tyrosine residue and a water molecule in a trigonal bipyramidal geometry. Other remarkable common features are a hydrophobic cluster in the N-terminal domain and a conserved, solvent-filled cavity buried in the C-terminal domain. Most interestingly, the amino-termini of all astacins can be modelled to start in a corresponding internal water cavity as seen in the astacin template, where the terminal alanine residue forms a water-linked salt bridge to Glu103, directly adjacent to His102, the third zinc ligand. Therefore, an activation mechanism for the astacins reminiscent of that of the trypsin-like proteinases had been suggested, which now seems to be probable also for the other astacins. Besides these common traits, there are some minor differences which may have important consequences on the function of the astacins. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Incidence and outcome of re-entry injury in redo cardiac surgery: benefits of preoperative planning.

OBJECTIVES Repeat sternotomy for redo cardiac surgery may be associated with catastrophic injuries to mediastinal structures. The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency of these injuries, associated outcome and if a preoperative computerized tomography (CT) scan reduces the risk of re-entry injury. METHODS Five hundred and forty-four patients who underwent redo cardiac surgery between 2001 and 2011 were identified by review of our unit's prospectively maintained cardiac surgery database. Demographic details, surgical strategy, re-entry injuries, hospital stay, in-hospital mortality and long-term survival were analysed. RESULTS The mean age was 61 years; 326 were male, 218 were female. Four hundred and eighty six patients underwent first time redo surgery, while 58 patients had multiple previous operations. The median logistic EuroSCORE was 11, in-hospital mortality rate was 9.5% and observed to expected mortality rate was 0.8. Re-entry complications occurred in 15 cases (2.7%). These included injuries to the aorta (n = 2), right atrium (n = 1), innominate vein (n = 2), internal mammary artery (n = 2), pulmonary artery (n = 2), lung parenchyma (n = 1), saphenous vein graft (n = 2), right ventricle (n = 2) and ventricular fibrillation (n = 1). The mortality rate in patients with re-entry injury was 26% (n = 4) compared with 9% (n = 48) in those without re-entry complications. Preoperative planning by CT scan was performed in 162 cases and adherence of vital structures to the sternum was found in 60 cases; the right ventricle, innominate vein and bypass grafts in 41, 11 and 8, respectively. The incidence rate of re-entry injury was 0.6% in these patients vs 3.6% in those who did not have a preoperative CT scan (P = 0.046). Peripheral arterial cannulation was carried out in 35 patients (6.4%) to establish cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) prior to sternotomy, and there were no mediastinal injuries observed in these cases. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed re-entry injury as one of the independent predictors of in-hospital mortality (P = 0.039). CONCLUSIONS The incidence of re-entry injury during repeat sternotomy is low; however, it is associated with a significant increase in the risk of in-hospital mortality. Preoperative planning using CT scan reduces the risk by identifying adherent structures, and, in selected patients, establishing CPB prior to sternotomy is a safe strategy in redo cardiac surgery.
Evaluation of peanut skin and grape seed extracts to inhibit growth of foodborne pathogens

Abstract Peanut skin extract (PSE) and grape seed extract (GSE) are derived from waste products in the wine and peanut industries, respectively. Both have high concentrations of polyphenols, known to possess antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. PSE primarily contains “A‐type” procyanidins, while GSE primarily contains “B‐type” procyanidins. These differ structurally, but are both isomers of epicatechin dimers. The objective of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial effects of PSE containing A‐type procyanidins and GSE containing B‐type procyanidins against select foodborne pathogens (Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Salmonella Typhimurium). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the two extracts on L. monocytogenes, E. coli O157:H7, and S. Typhimurium was determined using the pour plate method. GSE had a significantly lower MIC (p ≤ .05) than PSE for L. monocytogenes (GSE = 60.6 ppm, PSE > 68.2 ppm) and S. Typhimurium (GSE = 45.7 ppm, PSE = 60.6 ppm), but no difference in inhibition of E. coli O157:H7. Since GSE contributed to greater inhibition, GSE extract was fractionated into monomer‐rich (consisting primarily of catechins, epicatechins, and epicatechin gallates) and oligomer‐rich (consisting of dimers, trimers, tetramers, up to decamers) components. Growth curves of all three pathogens in the presence of full extract, monomer and oligomer fractions were compared separately. None of the extracts inhibited S. Typhimurium growth. Generally, the extract containing greater oligomer components inhibited growth of L. monocytogenes and E. coli O157:H7 when compared to the control. Results indicate that an extract with type B procyanidins higher in oligomers may have greater antimicrobial properties.
Compulsory Substance Abuse Treatment: An Overview of Recent Findings and Issues

An overview of research trends and issues in the area of compulsory substance abuse treatment is presented, using a sample of 170 English-language articles obtained from a search of 4 databases (Medline, PubMed, Embase, PsychINFO, supplemented by a manual search). About half (51%) of these articles were non-empirical (i.e. literature reviews, policy proposals, legal and ethical commentaries on compulsory treatment). A subsample of empirical studies published since 1988 (n = 71) was coded to summarize research trends in relation to 3 key issues: (1) how compulsory treatment was studied (country of origin; type of compulsory treatment; treatment population), (2) the evidence base for judging effectiveness of compulsory treatment (research design; sampling; type, timing and results of outcome measures), and (3) the relationship between compulsory treatment and coercion (measurement strategies). Directions for future research are discussed.
What Makes Cooperatives Successful? Identifying the Determinants of Their Organizational Performance

Abstract In comparison with other organizational forms, cooperatives have been found to offer poor product quality and suffer from low reputation. The main reasons discussed in the literature are information asymmetries, which leads to adverse selection and moral hazard, as well as the absence of profit orientation due to poorly specified and diluted property rights. However, although, in reality, many cooperatives indeed perform poorly, and some are apparently able to completely avoid or at least reduce the problems that are considered prototypical for this hybrid organizational form. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to identify the characteristics required to reduce the problems resulting from poorly specified property rights and information asymmetries and, hence, to successfully compete in the market. The data we use to identify the characteristics that separate “good” and “bad” cooperatives encompass 136 organizations in Austria, Germany, and northern Italy. Our logistic regression estimations show that older and larger cooperatives (in terms of acreage) have a significantly higher probability to be listed in at least one of two highly respected wine guides. Moreover, German cooperatives have a significantly lower probability of being listed than either Austrian or northern Italian cooperatives. The findings suggest that differences in performance can be explained by the management of cooperatives. (JEL Classifications: D23, D82, D86, J54, L22, L25, L66, P13, Q13)
Kinetics of exercise‐induced neural activation; interpretive dilemma of altered cerebral perfusion

Neural activation decreases cerebral deoxyhaemoglobin (HHbC) and increases oxyhaemoglobin concentration (O2HbC). In contrast, patients who present with restricted cerebral blood flow, such as those suffering from cerebral ischaemia or Alzheimer's disease, and during the course of ageing the converse occurs, in that HHbC increases and O2HbC decreases during neural activation. In the present study, we examined the interpretive implications of altered exercise‐induced cerebral blood flow for cortical oxygenation in healthy subjects. Both O2HbC and HHbC (prefrontal cortex) were determined in 11 healthy men using near‐infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). Middle cerebral artery mean blood velocity (MCA Vmean) was determined via transcranial Doppler ultrasonography. Measurements were performed during contralateral hand‐grip exercise during suprasystolic bilateral thigh‐cuff occlusion (Cuff+) and within 2 s of cuff release (Cuff–) for the acute manipulation of cerebral perfusion. During Cuff+, both MCA Vmean and O2HbC increased during exercise, whereas HHbC decreased. In contrast, the opposite occurred during the Cuff– manipulation. These findings highlight the inverse relationship between cerebral blood flow and cerebral oxygenation as determined by NIRS, which has interpretive implications for the kinetics underlying exercise‐induced neural activation.
Monolithic Antenna Array for Epidermal 5G Backscattering Communications

5G network is expected to sensibly boost the diffusion of personal area networks for health and wellness monitoring purposes, especially with regard to battery-less devices and backscattering based communications. To overcome the power path-loss, however, high efficiency radiating elements are mandatory, especially for the highest frequencies. Here, the feasibility of adopting monolithic grid antenna arrays directly adhering onto the human skin is investigated. Numerical parametric analysis are performed to evaluate the backscattering link budget of the proposed epidermal devices and to derive their upper-bound performances. Early results demonstrate the reasonability of the approach and the possibility to reach communication distances ranging from $20 cm$ to $1 m$ in case of sub-grid structures are adopted.
Aldosterone in Cystic Fibrosis: Measurement in Saliva and Correlation with Disease Severity

ABSTRACT. Aldosterone was measured in the saliva of 20 patients with cystic fibrosis and a group of 20 normal children matched for age and sex. Mean levels were higher in the patient group but overall differences were small and statistically not significant. For the first time a link between aldosterone level and disease severity in patients with cystic fibrosis was established using a simple scoring system to assess disease activity. Urinary and salivary electrolytes were similar in the two groups. The results do not support the proposed hypothesis that the salivary glands of patients with cystic fibrosis are insensitive to aldosterone.
Greengram Livelihood Security in Pali District through Front Line Demonstrations

Pulses are important food crops for human consumption and animal feed. Being leguminous in nature, they are considered to be important components of cropping systems because of their viability to fix atmospheric nitrogen, add substantial amounts of organic matter to the soil and produce reasonable yields with low inputs under harsh climatic and soil conditions. Moongwheat cropping system is predominant and is continuously International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 7 Number 04 (2018) Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas. com
Utilizing Natural and Man-made Resources for Economic Development: What Are the Mechanisms and Why?

UTILIZING NATURAL AND MAN-MADE RESOURCES FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH: WHAT ARE THE MECHANISMS AND WHY? by Linh Pham The University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, 2017 Under the Supervision of Professor Itziar Lazkano This dissertation studies the roles of natural resources in determining economic outcomes such as innovation, investment, profitability and economic growth. The first chapter studies the ease of substitution between energy and other production inputs over time and across countries. Improvements in energy efficiency over the past decades have substantially decreased the amount of energy used per unit of capital. Yet, previous literature often assumes a constant elasticity of substitution between capital and energy. In this chapter, we develop a Solow growth model with a variable elasticity of substitution (VES) between production inputs and show that the long-run growth rate directly depends on the behavior of this VES over time. Next, using country-level data from 108 countries between 1971 and 2011, we provide the first empirical evidence for a capital-energy VES. Specifically, the elasticity of substitution between capital and energy positively relates to a country’s level of economic development and environmental protection efforts. Our results imply that growth-enhancing policies can ease the substitution between capital and energy, which in turn can foster long-run economic growth. In the second chapter, I study the risk and return behavior of green bonds, a new financial instrument that supports green projects around the world. Since its inception in 2007, the green bond market has experienced a compound growth rate of 50% annually. In 2014, green bond issuance totaled USD 36.6 billion, more than threefold its previous year’s level of USD 11 billion. This paper is the first to analyze the volatility behavior of the green bond market using data on
Component Rotation and Anterior Knee Pain After Total Knee Arthroplasty

All patients undergoing cruciate-retaining primary total knee arthroplasty for degenerative osteoarthritis at one center were studied prospectively. Clinical and radiographic followup was obtained at a minimum 5 years in 102 knees in 73 patients. Patients were asked specifically about the presence of the pain in the anterior aspect of the knee in the vicinity of the patella and rated the severity of the pain on a visual analog scale. Significant anterior knee pain rating at least 3 of 10 on the visual analog scale was present in 16 knees (13 patients). Eleven patients with 14 symptomatic knees agreed to undergo computed tomography scanning to accurately determine the rotation of the tibial and femoral components. The epicondylar axis and tibial tubercle were used as references using a previously validated technique. A control group of 11 asymptomatic patients (14 knees), matched for age, gender, and length of followup also underwent computed tomography scanning. All patients in both groups had normal axial alignment. There was a highly significant difference in tibial component rotation between the two groups with the patients with anterior knee pain averaging 6.2° internal rotation compared with 0.4° external rotation in the control group. There also was a significant difference in combined component rotation with the patients with anterior knee pain averaging 4.7° internal rotation compared with 2.6° external rotation in the control group. There was no significant difference in the degree of radiographic patellar tilt or patellar subluxation between the two groups. Patients with combined component internal rotation were more than five times as likely to experience anterior knee pain after total knee arthroplasty compared with those with combined component external rotation. Component malrotation is a significant factor in the development of anterior knee pain after total knee arthroplasty.