Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Chloramphenicol Resistance in the Typhoid Bacillus

Chloramphenicol resistance has been reported in individual strains of Salmonella typhi since 1950, but there had been no accounts of epidemics caused by resistant strains of the organism until 1972, when one occurred in Mexico. Two British patients have been infected in that country, and the organism isolated from them corresponds in all respects with the description of the Mexican epidemic strain of S. typhi: it is a degraded Vi strain resistant to chloramphenicol, streptomycin, sulphonamides, and tetracyclines. It owes its resistance to an R factor which can be transferred to Escherichia coli and thence to drugsensitive S. typhi. Although there is a negligible risk of dissemination of this strain in Britain the incident is a reminder of the need to restrict the use of drugs such as chloramphenicol to the serious diseases for which they are virtually specific.
Efficient reconstruction of sequences

We introduce and solve some new problems of efficient reconstruction of an unknown sequence from its versions distorted by errors of a certain type. These erroneous versions are considered as outputs of repeated transmissions over a channel, either a combinatorial channel defined by the maximum number of permissible errors of a given type, or a discrete memoryless channel. We are interested in the smallest N such that N erroneous versions always suffice to reconstruct a sequence of length n, either exactly or with a preset accuracy and/or with a given probability. We are also interested in simple reconstruction algorithms. Complete solutions for combinatorial channels with some types of errors of interest in coding theory, namely, substitutions, transpositions, deletions, and insertions of symbols are given. For these cases, simple reconstruction algorithms based on majority and threshold principles and their nontrivial combination are found. In general, for combinatorial channels the considered problem is reduced to a new problem of reconstructing a vertex of an arbitrary graph with the help of the minimum number of vertices in its metrical ball of a given radius. A certain sufficient condition for solution of this problem is presented. For a discrete memoryless channel, the asymptotic behavior of the minimum number of repeated transmissions which are sufficient to reconstruct any sequence of length n within Hamming distance d with error probability /spl epsiv/ is found when d/n and /spl epsiv/ tend to 0 as n/spl rarr//spl infin/. A similar result for the continuous channel with discrete time and additive Gaussian noise is also obtained.
Extrapontine Myelinolysis With Involvement of the Hippocampus in Three Children With Severe Hypernatremia

Central pontine myelinolysis is a disorder of unknown etiology linked to overly aggressive correction of hyponatremia. In addition to the typical location of demyelination with preservation of neurons and axon cylinders in the basis pontis, similar lesions have been described in extrapontine locations. Central pontine myelinolysis and extrapontine myelinolysis usually occur together, and are identified at autopsy rather than in life because symptoms of extrapontine myelinolysis are often masked in the critically ill patient. Central pontine myelinolysis is described in children, usually in the clinical setting of hyponatremic dehydration. Extrapontine myelinolysis has not been described in children previously. We report three children with severe hypernatremia and extrapontine myelinolysis involving various combinations of thalamus, basal ganglia, external and extreme capsules, and cerebellar vermis. All three had additional involvement of the hippocampus seen on T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. None of the three had detectable pontine lesions. Clinical features of the three cases were dehydration in a 28-month-old girl, respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis in a 14-month-old girl, and acute respiratory failure due to anaphylaxis after consumption of walnuts in a 3-year-old boy. Peak sodium values in each child were 195, 168, and 177 mmol/L, respectively; each received aggressive treatment for hypernatremia. We believe this to be the first report of extrapontine myelinolysis in children, the first report of extrapontine myelinolysis without central pontine myelinolysis in children, and the first report in children of hippocampal formation involvement. The pathogenesis of the central and extrapontine myelinolysis complex in children is more complicated than previously believed, and might differ significantly from that of adults. (J Child Neurol 1999;14:428-433).
The development of a model to predict the effects of worker and task factors on foot placements in manual material handling tasks

Accurate prediction of foot placements in relation to hand locations during manual materials handling tasks is critical for prospective biomechanical analysis. To address this need, the effects of lifting task conditions and anthropometric variables on foot placements were studied in a laboratory experiment. In total, 20 men and women performed two-handed object transfers that required them to walk to a shelf, lift an object from the shelf at waist height and carry the object to a variety of locations. Five different changes in the direction of progression following the object pickup were used, ranging from 45° to 180° relative to the approach direction. Object weights of 1.0 kg, 4.5 kg, 13.6 kg were used. Whole-body motions were recorded using a 3-D optical retro-reflective marker-based camera system. A new parametric system for describing foot placements, the Quantitative Transition Classification System, was developed to facilitate the parameterisation of foot placement data. Foot placements chosen by the subjects during the transfer tasks appeared to facilitate a change in the whole-body direction of progression, in addition to aiding in performing the lift. Further analysis revealed that five different stepping behaviours accounted for 71% of the stepping patterns observed. More specifically, the most frequently observed behaviour revealed that the orientation of the lead foot during the actual lifting task was primarily affected by the amount of turn angle required after the lift (R 2 = 0.53). One surprising result was that the object mass (scaled by participant body mass) was not found to significantly affect any of the individual step placement parameters. Regression models were developed to predict the most prevalent step placements and are included in this paper to facilitate more accurate human motion simulations and ergonomics analyses of manual material lifting tasks. Statement of Relevance: This study proposes a method for parameterising the steps (foot placements) associated with manual material handling tasks. The influence of task conditions and subject anthropometry on the foot placements of the most frequently observed stepping pattern during a laboratory study is discussed. For prospective postural analyses conducted using digital human models, accurate prediction of the foot placements is critical to realistic postural analyses and improved biomechanical job evaluations.
Cytokine‐related syndrome following injection of anti‐CD3 monoclonal antibody: Further evidence for transient in vivo T cell activation

In vivo injection of the hamster anti‐murine CD3 monoclonal antibody 145 2C11 into BALB/c mice induces a massive systemic release of several cytokines. Very high circulating levels of tumor necrosis factor are detected both by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay and L‐929 bioassay 90 min following a single injection of 10 μg/mouse 145 2C11. Peak circulating levels of exclusively T cell‐derived products such as interferon‐γ, interleukin 2 and interleukin 3 are also detected 90 min to 8 h post‐injection. Importantly, this cytokine release is transient since none of these cytokines are still present 12 to 24 h post‐injection.
Safety and efficacy of a cohesive polydensified matrix hyaluronic acid for the correction of infraorbital hollow: an observational study with results at 40 weeks.

BACKGROUND Utilizing a soft-tissue filler that is more fluid and less resistant to deformation may be advantageous for correction of infraorbital hollows. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to determine the safety and efficacy of the latest hyaluronic acid filler, created with a cohesive polydensified matrix, with a low elasticity and viscosity, for infraorbital hollows correction. METHODS AND MATERIALS Subjects (49) with at least a grade 2 Merz infraorbital hollow scale in the Validated Assessment Scales for the mid face (0-4) of the right and/or left side were photographed and treated at baseline, and with a touch up treatment after 2 weeks if necessary. Subjects were also photographed at 2, 6, and 10 months after baseline, with optional retreatment at 6 months. The photographs were graded by a blinded sub-investigator. RESULTS Mean hollowness scores for both eyes, either individually or combined, at 2, 6, and 10 months were considerably improved compared to baseline (P<.001). No serious adverse events were reported. Of the 46 subjects completing the study, 31 (66%) did not request retreatment after 6 months. At 10 months, 27/31 (87%) still exhibited a hollowness improvement of at least 1-point from baseline. CONCLUSION Belotero Balance was safe and effective for the correction of infraorbital hollows.
Polymorphisms in the VKORC1 gene are strongly associated with warfarin dosage requirements in patients receiving anticoagulation

Background: Warfarin is a mainstay of therapy for conditions associated with an increased risk of thromboembolic events. However, the use of this common agent is fraught with complications and little is known regarding inter-individual variation in warfarin response. Objective: We tested for association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in VKORC1 and CYP2C9 and average weekly warfarin dose required to maintain patients at their desired anticoagulation target. Methods: The sample consisted of 93 European-American patients from anticoagulation clinics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Data on mean weekly warfarin dose were collected over a mean treatment period of 20.6 months. ANCOVA models were used and haplotype analysis was performed. Results: Three of six VKORC1 SNPs were found to be very strongly associated with the average warfarin dose required to achieve the target international normalised ratio (INR; p<0.0001). The mean weekly dose by genotype ranged from approximately 27 to 47 mg. There was no evidence for an association between either of the two CYP2C9 polymorphisms studied, CYP2C9*2 and CYP2C9*3. CYP2C9*3 was significantly (p = 0.05) associated with average warfarin dosage after adjustment for VKORC1*1173. Conclusions: These results are of considerable clinical interest and confirm recently published results regarding the role of these two genes in modifying warfarin metabolism and maintenance dosage. The consistent findings regarding the role of VKORC1 and CYP2C9 in warfarin metabolism and maintenance dosage represent a clinically useful proof of principal for the use of pharmacogenomic information in medicine and may lead to improved understanding of warfarin’s actions.
Características del Proceso de Decisión de Compra de Vino en la IX Región de la Araucanía, Chile

Con el proposito de caracterizar el proceso de decision de compra de vinos en la ciudad de Temuco y determinar la importancia del tipo de vino (tinto o blanco), el tipo de envase y variaciones en los niveles de precio en este proceso, se genero informacion primaria al respecto a partir de una muestra representativa de la composicion en sexos y grupos de edades de la poblacion de la IX Region de La Araucania. Se obtuvo que el proceso de decision de compra de vino se ajusta a las caracteristicas de los bienes de conveniencia. La eleccion del vino es efectuada preferentemente por el jefe de hogar, evaluando pocas alternativas para ello, siendo marcada la preferencia por cepas de vino tinto. Utilizando la tecnica multivariante de analisis conjunto, se determino que el factor con mas peso para decidir la compra de un vino, elegido previamente el tipo, corresponde al precio existiendo una asociacion positiva entre un mayor nivel de este factor y una mejor calidad del producto. Predominan los consumidores ocasionales de vino asociados a eventos especiales y una tendencia a elegir vinos de mayor calidad. Existe una proporcion considerable de consumidores que no experimenta lealtad hacia marcas especificas, hecho que facilita la entrada de nuevos productos al mercado.
Changes in the lumbar cerebro-spinal fluid during air-encephalography.

In 85 air encephalograms the cell count, protein and glucose concentrations have been observed and compared in two specimens of C.S. F. from each patient, the first obtained before the introduction of air into the lumbar theca and the second collected at the end of the procedure about 30 minutes later. There is often a significant rise in the cell count after the introduction of air and a less conspicuous but often significant fall in the protein concentration. No significant difference was found in the glucose concentration in the two specimens. The observations are considered to be consistent with the view that desquamation of arachnoid cells and entry of ventricular fluid into the lumbar theca occurs during A.E.G. The observation is clinically important as C.S. F. obtained at the end of A.E.G. procedure, and for at least a week afterwards is not suitable for laboratory examination as its composition cannot be compared with the lumbar C.S. F. as usually obtained.
Assessing Victim Empathy in Sexual Offenders Using the Victim Letter Task

In attempting to enhance victim empathy, it is common to have sexual offenders write an apology letter to their victim. This task is thought to reveal the level of empathy that the sexual offender has for his victim. However, until now there has been no reliable method for judging the quality of empathy revealed in the victim letter. This paper reports the development and evaluation of 2 templates to score letters written to child victims and adult victims, respectively. An acceptable level of interrater reliability was obtained for the templates. Deficits revealed by the templates did not correlate with scores on a generic empathy measure but did correlate with scales measuring minimization and denial. The measures were also sensitive to change following empathy training.
The Use of Precomputed Triangle Clusters for Accelerated Ray Tracing in Dynamic Scenes

In this paper we present a hybrid algorithm for building the bounding volume hierarchy (BVH) that is used in accelerating ray tracing of animated models. This algorithm precomputes densely packed clusters of triangles on surfaces. Folowing that, a set of clusters is used to rebuild the BVH in every frame. Our approach utilizes the assumption that groups of connected triangles remain connected throughout the course of the animation. We introduce a novel heuristic to create triangle clusters that are designed for high performance ray tracing. This heuristic combines the density of connectivity, geometric size and the shape of the cluster.
Protein Engineering of the Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP-1) Inhibitory Domain

Studies of the structural basis of the interactions of tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) may provide clues for designing MMP-specific inhibitors. In this paper we report combinations of mutations in the major MMP-binding region that enhance the specificity of N-TIMP-1. Mutants with substitutions for residues 4 and 68 were characterized and combined with previously studied Thr2 mutations to generate mutants with improved selectivity or binding affinity to specific MMPs. Some combinations of mutations had non-additive effects on ΔG of binding to MMPs, suggesting interactions between subsites in the reactive site. The T2L/V4S mutation generates an inhibitor that binds to MMP-2 20-fold more tightly than to MMP-3(ΔC) and over 400-fold more tightly than to MMP-1. The T2S/V4A/S68Y mutant is the strongest inhibitor for stromelysin-1 among all mutants characterized to date, with an apparentK i for MMP-3(ΔC) in the picomolar range. A third mutant, T2R/V4I, has no detectable inhibitory activity for MMP-1 but is an effective inhibitor of MMP-2 and -3. These selective TIMP variants may provide useful tools for investigation of biological roles of specific MMPs and for possible therapy of MMP-related diseases.
An Efficient Implementation of Non Symmetric Lanczos Algorithm

Abstract : Lanczos vectors computed in finite precision arithmetic by the three-term recurrence tend to lose their mutual biorthogonality. One either accepts this loss and takes more steps or re-biorthogonalizes the Lanczos vectors at each step. For the symmetric case there is a compromise approach. This compromise, known as maintaining semi-orthogonality, minimizes the cost of re-orthogonalization. This paper extends the compromise to the two-sided Lanczos algorithm, and justifies the new algorithm. The compromise is called maintaining semi-duality. An advantage of maintaining semi-duality is that the computed tridiagonal is a perturbation of a matrix that is exactly similar to the appropriate projection of the given matrix onto the computed subspaces. Another benefit is that the simple two-sided Gram-Schmidt procedure is a viable way to correct for loss of duality. Some numerical experiments show that our Lanczos code is significantly more efficient than Arnoldi's method.
Whiteflies stabilize their take-off with closed wings

ABSTRACT The transition from ground to air in flying animals is often assisted by the legs pushing against the ground as the wings start to flap. Here, we show that when tiny whiteflies (Bemisia tabaci, body length ca. 1 mm) perform take-off jumps with closed wings, the abrupt push against the ground sends the insect into the air rotating forward in the sagittal (pitch) plane. However, in the air, B. tabaci can recover from this rotation remarkably fast (less than 11 ms), even before spreading its wings and flapping. The timing of body rotation in air, a simplified biomechanical model and take-off in insects with removed wings all suggest that the wings, resting backwards alongside the body, stabilize motion through air to prevent somersaulting. The increased aerodynamic force at the posterior tip of the body results in a pitching moment that stops body rotation. Wing deployment increases the pitching moment further, returning the body to a suitable angle for flight. This inherent stabilizing mechanism is made possible by the wing shape and size, in which half of the wing area is located behind the posterior tip of the abdomen. Summary: Take-off jumps send whiteflies into the air rotating forward. Air resistance on the wings, in resting position, slows down and even stops the rotation of the body, prior to wing deployment and flapping.
Acoustic correlates of emotional dimensions in laughter: Arousal, dominance, and valence

Although laughter plays an essential part in emotional vocal communication, little is known about the acoustical correlates that encode different emotional dimensions. In this study we examined the acoustical structure of laughter sounds differing along four emotional dimensions: arousal, dominance, sender's valence, and receiver-directed valence. Correlation of 43 acoustic parameters with individual emotional dimensions revealed that each emotional dimension was associated with a number of vocal cues. Common patterns of cues were found with emotional expression in speech, supporting the hypothesis of a common underlying mechanism for the vocal expression of emotions.
β-cell autoantibodies in children with type 2 diabetes mellitus: subgroup or misclassification?

Background: In adults, a fraction of diabetic individuals with β-cell autoantibodies has initially non-insulin requiring diabetes clinically appearing as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), named latent autoimmune diabetes in adulthood (LADA). The occurrence of β-cell autoantibodies in European children and adolescents with T2DM has not been reported so far. Methods: The frequency of β-cell autoantibodies (anti-GAD, anti-IA-2, and anti-ICA) was determined in 7050 diabetic children and adolescents. The type of diabetes was classified by paediatric diabetic specialists based on the clinical presentation. Children with non-insulin dependent T2DM over a one year period were studied separately. Results: A total of 6922 children were clinically classified as having type 1 diabetes (T1DM) and 128 children as having T2DM. Thirty six per cent of the children with T2DM had at least one detectable β-cell autoantibody. These children did not differ significantly from the children with T2DM and without autoantibodies in respect of age, gender, weight status, lipids, blood pressure, C-peptide, glucose, and HbA1c at manifestation, as well as frequency of anti-thyroidal antibodies and insulin treatment during follow up. In the subgroup of the 38 children with T2DM without insulin requirement over a one year period, autoantibodies occurred in 32%. These 12 children were predominantly obese (67%), female (67%), and in the pubertal age range. Conclusion: β-cell autoantibodies were detectable in a subgroup of initially non-insulin dependent diabetic children and adolescents with the clinical appearance of T2DM. Following the terminology “latent autoimmune diabetes in adulthood (LADA)”, this subgroup might be classified as “LADY” (latent autoimmune diabetes in youth).
Few-View Projection Reconstruction With an Iterative Reconstruction-Reprojection Algorithm and TV Constraint

In applications of tomographic imaging, insufficient data problems can take various forms, such as few-view projection imaging which enables rapid scanning with lower X-ray dose. In this work, an iterative reconstruction-reprojection (IRR) algorithm with total variation (TV) constraint is developed for few-view projections. The IRR algorithm is used to estimate the missing projection data by iterative extrapolation between projection and image space. TV minimization is a popular image restoration method with edge preserving. In recent studies, it has been successfully used for reconstructing images from sparse samplings, such as few-view projections. Our method is derived from this work. The combination of IRR and TV achieves both estimation in projection space and regularization in image space, which accelerates the convergence of the iterations. To improve the quality of the image reconstructed from few-view fan-beam projections, a short-scan type IRR is also approached to reduce the redundancy of projection data. An improved weighting function is proposed for few-view short-scan projection reconstruction by the filtered backprojection (FBP) algorithm. Numerical simulations show that the IRR-TV algorithm is effective for the few-view problem of reconstructing sparse-gradient images.