Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Identification by 16S rRNA Gene Sequencing of an Actinomyces hongkongensis Isolate Recovered from a Patient with Pelvic Actinomycosis

ABSTRACT A case of Actinomyces hongkongensis pelvic actinomycosis in an adult woman is described. Conventional phenotypic tests failed to identify the Gram-positive bacillus isolated from a fluid aspirate of a pelvic abscess. The bacterium was identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing and analysis using the SmartGene Integrated Database Network System software.
Cellular and Humoral Immunity against Vaccinia Virus Infection of Mice 1

Despite the widespread use of vaccinia virus (VV) as a vector for other Ags and as the smallpox vaccine, there is little information available about the protective components of the immune response following VV infection. In this study, protection against wild-type VV was evaluated in mice with respect to the relative contributions of CD8+ T cells vs that of CD4+ T cells and Ab. C57BL/6 mice primed with the Western Reserve strain of VV mount significant IgM and IgG Ab responses, specific cytotoxic T cell responses, IFN-γ responses in CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, and effectively clear the virus. This protection was abrogated by in vivo depletion of CD4+ T cells or B cells in IgH−/− mice, but was not sensitive to CD8+ T cell depletion alone. However, a role for CD8+ T cells in primary protection was demonstrated in MHC class II−/− mice, where depleting CD8+ T cells lead to increase severity of disease. Unlike control MHC class II−/− mice, the group depleted of CD8+ T cells developed skin lesions on the tail and feet and had adrenal necrosis. Adoptive transfer experiments also show CD8+ T cells can mediate protective memory. These results collectively show that both CD4+ and CD8+ T cell-mediated immunity can contribute to protection against VV infection. However, CD4+ T cell-dependent anti-virus Ab production plays a more important role in clearing virus following acute infection, while in the absence of Ab, CD8+ T cells can contribute to protection against disease.
routes of pathologic change toward regular or random patterns , which contribute to the differences in syndrome domains of psychosis in patients with schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is characterized by heterogeneous pathophysiology. Using multiscale entropy (MSE) analysis, which enables capturing complex dynamics of time series, we characterized MSE patterns of blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signals across different time scales and determined whether BOLD activity in patients with schizophrenia exhibits increased complexity (increased entropy in all time scales), decreased complexity toward regularity (decreased entropy in all time scales), or decreased complexity toward uncorrelated randomness (high entropy in short time scales followed by decayed entropy as the time scale increases). We recruited 105 patients with schizophrenia with an age of onset between 18 and 35 years and 210 ageand sex-matched healthy volunteers. Results showed that MSE of BOLD signals in patients with schizophrenia exhibited two routes of decreased BOLD complexity toward either regular or random patterns. Reduced BOLD complexity toward regular patterns was observed in the cerebellum and temporal, middle, and superior frontal regions, and reduced BOLD complexity toward randomness was observed extensively in the inferior frontal, occipital, and postcentral cortices as well as in the insula and middle cingulum. Furthermore, we determined that the two types of complexity change were associated differently with psychopathology; specifically, the regular type of BOLD complexity change was associated with positive symptoms of schizophrenia, whereas the randomness type of BOLD complexity was associated with negative symptoms of the illness. These results collectively suggested that resting-state dynamics in schizophrenia exhibit two Contract grant sponsor: Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan; Contract grant numbers: VGHUST100-G1-4-1; VGHUST102G1-2-1; V99ER3-004; V100C-013; Contract grant sponsor: the Taipei Veterans General Hospital-National Yang-Ming University Excellent Physician Scientists Cultivation Program; Contract grant number: 103-V-A-002; Contract grant sponsor: the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) of Taiwan; Contract grant numbers: MOST 101-2314-B-075-041-MY3; MOST 103-2320-B-008-001; Contract grant sponsor: the MOST support for the Center for Dynamical Biomarkers and Translational Medicine, National Central University, Taiwan; Contract grant number: MOST 103-2911-I008-001 *Correspondence to: Dr. Albert C. Yang; Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, No 201, Sec 2. Shi-Pai Rd. Taipei, 11217, Taiwan. E-mail: accyang@gmail.com Received for publication 1 October 2014; Revised 27 January 2015; Accepted 30 January 2015. DOI: 10.1002/hbm.22763 Published online 00 Month 2015 in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com). r Human Brain Mapping 00:00–00 (2015) r VC 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. routes of pathologic change toward regular or random patterns, which contribute to the differences in syndrome domains of psychosis in patients with schizophrenia. Hum Brain Mapp 00:000– 000, 2015. VC 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The effects of mindfulness interventions on prenatal well-being: A systematic review

Objective: Low well-being during pregnancy can have significant adverse outcomes for mother and child. The effects of mindfulness interventions on prenatal maternal well-being are increasingly examined but outcomes have yet to be systematically evaluated. The aims of the current paper are to systematically evaluate intervention effects and current research approaches with pregnant groups. Design: A systematic review of eight studies examining mindfulness intervention effects on prenatal well-being. Results: Findings indicate potential benefits of mindfulness interventions for reducing levels of depression, anxiety and negative affect during pregnancy. There is also evidence for improved self-compassion and perceived childbirth self-efficacy. Further, these effects may be more pronounced for vulnerable groups, such as women currently experiencing low prenatal well-being. Less consistent findings were observed for stress, and positive affect. Variations in research design, gestational characteristics, timing of assessments and outcome measurement may explain some inconsistencies in the extant literature. Conclusion: Mindfulness interventions present a potentially useful means to improve prenatal well-being but improved methodological quality is essential to rigorously examine intervention effects.
Effects of the Variation of Ferroelectric Properties on Negative Capacitance FET Characteristics

We study the effects of the variation of ferroelectric material properties (thickness, polarization, and coercivity) on the performance of negative capacitance FETs (NCFETs). Based on this, we propose the concept of conservative design of NCFETs, where any unintentional yet reasonable and simultaneous variation (~±3%) in ferroelectric parameters does not result in the emergence of hysteresis and causes only a reasonable variation in the ON-current (≤5%) and, within these constraints, the enhancement of ON-current due to the addition of the ferroelectric gate oxide, which is is maximized.
Role of epithelial hyperplasia in regression following photorefractive keratectomy.

AIM--To determine the relation between epithelial hyperplasia and regression of effect after photorefractive keratectomy (PRK). METHODS--Seventy unilaterally treated patients with PRK were examined. All eyes had been treated with the Summit excimer laser 27 (SD 7) months previously with zone diameters of 4.1 to 5.0 mm. The untreated fellow eyes served as controls. Epithelial thickness was measured centrally with a thin slit optical pachometer and manifest subjective refraction was performed. RESULTS--The epithelium was 21% thicker in the treated eye (p < 0.0001). The relation between refractive regression and epithelial hyperplasia was significant (r = 0.41; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS--Epithelial hyperplasia after PRK correlated with the myopic shift (including hyperopia reduction) after treatment with the Summit laser. A model is proposed suggesting that both subepithelial and epithelial layers contribute to regression in the Summit treated eyes with 18 microns of epithelial hyperplasia contributing each dioptre of regression.
Reliability and Validity of Hand Hygiene Measures

&NA; Hand hygiene is undoubtedly the most important strategy in combating the increasing incidence and debilitating effects of multidrug‐resistant organisms in healthcare. Research on effective approaches for increasing compliance with hand hygiene is imperative, but the first step is to identify how to reliably and validly measure hand hygiene. This article examines publications between the years 1990 and 2006 that address measures of hand hygiene. The findings indicate that further research is needed to identify reliable and valid measures of hand hygiene.
The value of CPOE in ambulatory settings.

The U.S. healthcare system faces enormous cost and quality challenges, and information technology is an essential tool that can address these challenges. One particularly critical area is computerized provider order entry (CPOE), considered to be the best technology for enabling providers to apply clinical evidence at the point of care. Accordingly, a groundswell of research, policy support, and business pressure is working to increase adoption of this technology in our hospitals. At the same time, the majority of care is now delivered in ambulatory clinical settings, where practices are typically owned by physicians. Yet physicians generally have been wary of adopting clinical systems due to concerns about return on investment, impact on clinical workflow, and the stability of vendors. To evaluate the efficacy of ambulatory computerized provider order entry (ACPOE), we need a clear understanding of its value proposition – the clinical, financial, and organizational return on investment – for practices of various sizes. Only then will we know whether providers should invest in clinical systems that provide outpatient order entry and whether vendors should invest in developing them. With this goal, we at the Center for Information Technology Leadership (CITL) undertook research to determine the value of ACPOE. What we found validates assumptions about quality improvement and challenges myths about financial benefits for providers.
Ca2+ coordination controls sonic hedgehog structure and its Scube2-regulated release

ABSTRACT Proteolytic processing of cell-surface-bound ligands, called shedding, is a fundamental system to control cell-cell signaling. Yet, our understanding of how shedding is regulated is still incomplete. One way to increase the processing of dual-lipidated membrane-associated Sonic hedgehog (Shh) is to increase the density of substrate and sheddase. This releases and also activates Shh by the removal of lipidated inhibitory N-terminal peptides from Shh receptor binding sites. Shh release and activation is enhanced by Scube2 [signal sequence, cubulin (CUB) domain, epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like protein 2], raising the question of how this is achieved. Here, we show that Scube2 EGF domains are responsible for specific proteolysis of the inhibitory Shh N-terminus, and that CUB domains complete the process by reversing steric masking of this peptide. Steric masking, in turn, depends on Ca2+ occupancy of Shh ectodomains, unveiling a new mode of shedding regulation at the substrate level. Importantly, Scube2 uncouples processing of Shh peptides from their lipid-mediated juxtamembrane positioning, and thereby explains the long-standing conundrum that N-terminally unlipidated Shh shows patterning activity in Scube2-expressing vertebrates, but not in invertebrates that lack Scube orthologs. Summary: Different sheddases specifically and dynamically distinguish between multiple substrates expressed on the same cell, in a process regulated by Ca2+ coordination of the Shh substrate.
Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media in Cleft Palate: Microorganism Etiology and Susceptibilities

Objective: To investigate the microbial etiology of suppurative chronic otitis media (SCOM) in patients with complete cleft lip and palate and isolated cleft palate and to determine the sensitivity of isolated microorganisms to antibiotics by drug diffusion from impregnated discs in agar and the minimum inhibitory concentration of each drug to these microorganisms by drug dilution in agar. Design/Patients: Effusion samples of SCOM obtained from 40 patients with cleft lip and palate registered at the Hospital for Rehabilitation of Craniofacial Anomalies, University of São Paulo, at Bauru, Brazil, were bacteriologically analyzed by cultures. The isolated bacteria were submitted to an in vitro susceptibility test to clinically used drugs. Results: Positive cultures were obtained in 100% of studied cases. Among the 57 strains observed, the most frequent were Pseudomonas aeruginosa (35%), Staphylococcus aureus (15.5%), Enterococcus faecalis (14%), and Proteus mirabilis (12%). The frequency of Gram-negative bacilli (enterobacteriaceae and nonfermentative bacilli) was 67%. Pseudomonas aeruginosa presented the highest sensitivity to ciprofloxacin, and enterobacteriaceae exhibited the highest sensitivity to gentamicin. The strains of S. aureus and E. faecalis presented the highest sensitivity to imipenem and sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim, respectively. Conclusion: Patients with cleft lip and palate presenting with SCOM exhibited 100% positive cultures, with the highest frequency of Pseudomonas and enterobacteriaceae. With regard to the action of antibiotics, imipenem was effective against the four species of isolated microorganisms, followed by ciprofloxacin, which was effective against 75% of isolated species.
The use of growth factors, CD34+ cells and fibrin for the management of chronic venous ulcers

Chronic venous ulceration represents a very common event. Current standard treatment includes local wound care with the application of compression. We report the effects of platelet‐rich plasma in patients with chronic venous ulcers, which is able to stimulate fibroblasts, macrophages and mesenchymal cells and growth factors in order to achieve re‐epithelialisation and neovascularisation within the microenviroment of the wound. We also documented the efficacy of this method as the sole treatment without surgical procedures.
The massive end of the luminosity and stellar mass functions and clustering from CMASS to SDSS: evidence for and against passive evolution

We describe the luminosity function, based on Sersic fits to the light profiles, of CMASS galaxies at z ~ 0.55. Compared to previous estimates, our Sersic-based reductions imply more luminous, massive galaxies, consistent with the effects of Sersic- rather than Petrosian or de Vaucouleur-based photometry on the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) main galaxy sample at z ~ 0.1. This implies a significant revision of the high mass end of the correlation between stellar and halo mass. Inferences about the evolution of the luminosity and stellar mass functions depend strongly on the assumed, and uncertain, k+e corrections. In turn, these depend on the assumed age of the population. Applying k+e corrections taken from fitting the models of Maraston et al. (2009) to the colors of both SDSS and CMASS galaxies, the evolution of the luminosity and stellar mass functions appears impressively passive, provided that the fits are required to return old ages. However, when matched in comoving number- or luminosity-density, the SDSS galaxies are less strongly clustered compared to their counterparts in CMASS. This rules out the passive evolution scenario, and, indeed, any minor merger scenarios which preserve the rank ordering in stellar mass of the population. Potential incompletenesses in the CMASS sample would further enhance this mismatch. Our analysis highlights the virtue of combining clustering measurements with number counts.
Cleaning the Null Space: A Privacy Mechanism for Predictors

In standard machine learning and regression setting feature values are used to predict some desired information. The privacy challenge considered here is to prevent an adversary from using available feature values to predict confidential information that one wishes to keep secret. We show that this can sometimes be achieved with almost no effect on the qual- ity of predicting desired information. We describe two algorithms aimed at providing such privacy when the predictors have a linear operator in the first stage. The desired effect can be achieved by zeroing out feature components in the approximate null space of the linear operator.
Markers and mapping: we are all geneticists now

summary This is a review of genetic mapping with molecular markers aimed at the non-specialist who wishes to use, or at least grasp the concepts behind, this powerful analytical tool. Restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) are defined and used to illustrate the different aspects of mapping. The principles of segregation, recombination and linkage are considered and related to the idea of a molecular marker map. A description of a typical mapping population and how it is analysed follows. Traits to be mapped are divided into those controlled by ‘major’ genes and those governed by quantitative trait loci (QTLs). Exploitation of the map for marker-assisted selection, gene cloning and synteny comparisons is discussed, as are some of the limitations to the usefulness of molecular marker maps. Finally other marker systems are introduced, namely minisatellites or variable number tandem repeats (VNTRs); randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPDs); microsatellites or simple sequence repeats (SSRs); and amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs).
Cytomegalovirus antigen detection in peripheral blood leukocytes after allogeneic marrow transplantation.

Detection of cytomegalovirus (CMV) antigenemia was compared with shell vial centrifugation cultures for rapid detection of CMV infection. In a prospective study, 59 CMV seropositive patients were monitored weekly during the first 100 days after allogeneic marrow transplantation for virus excretion from urine, throat, and blood and for antigenemia by direct staining of peripheral leukocytes using an antibody pool directed against pp 65. Antigenemia was present in 21 of 22 patients with culture-proven CMV infection and in 3 of 37 without culture-proven CMV infection (sensitivity 95%, specificity 91%). The median time of onset of antigenemia and shell vial cultures was day 47 and 55 after transplant, respectively (P = .0006). Among patients who developed CMV disease without preceding cultures, antigenemia was detected in all patients with CMV pneumonia (N = 6) and in two of three patients with gastrointestinal disease by a median of 10 and 7 days, respectively, before the onset of disease (P = .0002). Levels of antigenemia were significantly higher in patients with disease or viremia than in patients with excretion from urine or throat (P less than .05). Whether the antigenemia assay is more sensitive than rapid culture methods to focus antiviral prophylaxis in marrow transplant patients must be determined in controlled studies.
When Does Transparency Backfire? Putting Jeremy Bentham's Theory of General Prevention to the Experimental Test

Jeremy Bentham brought enlightenment to criminal policy. He argued that the primary purpose of criminal sanctions should be deterring future crime. To that end he advocated complete transparency. This article investigates Bentham's intuition in a public goods lab experiment by manipulating how much information on punishment experienced by others is available to would&#8208;be offenders. Compared with the tone that Jeremy Bentham set, the result is unexpected: when would&#8208;be offenders learn about punishment of others at the individual level, they contribute much less to the public project. This is due to an inevitable side effect. Information about punishment is only meaningful together with information about the infraction.
Is there a geographical pattern in the breeding system of a complex of hermaphroditic slugs (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Carinarion)?

Allozyme analyses of the hermaphroditic slugs Arion (Carinarion) fasciatus, A. (C.) circumscriptus and A. (C.) silvaticus have suggested that the three species in North America and north-west Europe predominantly reproduce uniparentally, most probably by selfing. We used allozyme electrophoresis to investigate the population genetic structure of these species throughout a larger part of their native European distribution. Our results show that the previously reported ‘species’ specific allozyme markers are no longer valid if populations from central Europe are investigated, and A. fasciatus and A. silvaticus appear to be ‘paraphyletic’ taxa. In contrast to the general belief that selfing organisms show low gene diversities, the high selfing rates in N-NE European Carinarion do not necessarily result in low gene diversities. Moreover, our data suggest a geographical pattern in the prevalence of outcrossing, at least in A. fasciatus, with selfing in N-NE Europe and a mixed breeding system (i.e. selfing and outcrossing) in central Europe. Possible scenarios for the disjunct distribution of breeding systems in Carinarion are discussed.
β-Cell-targeted Overexpression of Phosphodiesterase 3B in Mice Causes Impaired Insulin Secretion, Glucose Intolerance, and Deranged Islet Morphology*

The second messenger cAMP mediates potentiation of glucose-stimulated insulin release. Use of inhibitors of cAMP-hydrolyzing phosphodiesterase (PDE) 3 and overexpression of PDE3B in vitro have demonstrated a regulatory role for this enzyme in insulin secretion. In this work, the physiological significance of PDE3B-mediated degradation of cAMP for the regulation of insulin secretion in vivo and glucose homeostasis was investigated in transgenic mice overexpressing PDE3B in pancreatic β-cells. A 2-fold overexpression of PDE3B protein and activity blunted the insulin response to intravenous glucose, resulting in reduced glucose disposal. The effects were “dose”-dependent because mice overexpressing PDE3B 7-fold failed to increase insulin in response to glucose and hence exhibited pronounced glucose intolerance. Also, the insulin secretory response to intravenous glucagon-like peptide 1 was reduced in vivo. Similarly, islets stimulated in vitro exhibited reduced insulin secretory capacity in response to glucose and glucagon-like peptide 1. Perifusion experiments revealed that the reduction specifically affected the first phase of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. Furthermore, morphological examinations demonstrated deranged islet cytoarchitecture. In conclusion, these results are consistent with an essential role for PDE3B in cAMP-mediated regulation of insulin release and glucose homeostasis.