Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Adverse Events in New Zealand Public Hospitals: Principal Findings from a National Survey

OBJECTIVES: To assess the occurrence, impact and preventability of adverse events recorded in New Zealand public hospitals. METHODS: A two-stage retrospective review was carried out on 6,579 medical records. These were selected by systematic list sample from admissions for 1998 occurring in thirteen public hospitals throughout New Zealand providing acute care and with over 100 beds, excluding specialist institutions. Following initial screening, medical records were subject to structured implicit review by a team of trained medical officers using a standardised protocol. RESULTS: The information available in the sampled medical records was of a quality that permitted the adequate identification and analysis of adverse events. The processes and instruments used in comparator studies internationally were applied in the New Zealand setting with little difficulty. Reliability and validity measures displayed only moderate levels of agreement, however. Analysis of the 850 adverse events identified revealed a distribution, impact, and clinical context comparable with other studies. Adverse events (which may have occurred either within or outside public hospitals) were associated with 12.9 per cent of admissions. Approximately 35% were classified as highly preventable. Although less than 15% of adverse events resulted in permanent disability or death, an average of over nine days per event was added to hospital stay. Nearly a fifth of events originated from outside public hospitals, only a quarter of which arose in another institutional context. Patient age was an important risk factor for an adverse event. There were distinct patterns according to clinical and administrative context. Systems errors featured prominently in the analysis of areas for the prevention of recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: The study provides the base parameters necessary to inform our understanding of patient safety and the quality of care in New Zealand public hospitals. These data have important managerial and clinical implications. Further work could be done on sub-groups of patients and on the clinical detail available in the data. The investigation provides a baseline for more targeted studies and for quality improvement interventions. It also points to the importance of similar research on the sources and characteristics of adverse events outside public hospitals.
Growth Performance and Survival of Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio Linnaeus, 1758) Fingerlings Fed with Protease Enzyme Supplemented Diet

Supplementation of feed with exogenous enzymes has been proved to improvise the growth performance of various food animals by improving digestion and utilisation of the feed. This study was carried out to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of a protease enzyme on growth performance and survival of fingerlings of common carp ( Cyprinus carpio Linnaeus, 1758). The indoor feeding experiment was conducted for 42 days of rearing period following complete randomized block design with four replicates for each treatment in a laboratory. Five experimental diets namely T0, T1, T2, T3 and T4 supplemented with 0.0 %, 0.1 %, 0.2 %, 0.3 % and 0.4 % of protease enzyme papain respectively were used. Maximum weight gain (191.04 %) and specific growth rate (2.54 %) were observed in fingerlings fed with T2 diet, and it was significantly higher ( P < 0.05) from those fingerlings fed with T0, T1 and T4 diets but not significantly different ( P > 0.05) from T3 diet. Maximum length gain (27.59 %) was observed in fingerlings fed with T2 diet, and it was significantly higher than only those fingerlings fed with T0 diet. The maximum survival (85.42 %) was recorded for fingerlings fed with T1 diet, and it was similar ( P > 0.05) to those fingerlings fed with control and other experimental diets. The study revealed that 0.2 % dietary supplementation of exogenous papain is effective for the better growth performance in terms of length gain, weight gain and specific growth rate of C. carpio fingerlings.
Neural signatures of loss of consciousness and its recovery by thalamic stimulation

We know that general anesthesia produces unconsciousness but not quite how. We recorded neural activity from the frontal, parietal, and temporal cortices and thalamus while maintaining unconsciousness in non-human primates (NHPs) with propofol. Unconsciousness was marked by slow frequency (∼1 Hz) oscillations in local field potentials, entraining local spiking to Up states alternating with Down states of little spiking, and decreased higher frequency (>4 Hz) coherence. The thalamus contributed to cortical rhythms. Its stimulation “awakened” anesthetized NHPs and reversed the electrophysiologic features of unconsciousness. Unconsciousness thus resulted from slow frequency hypersynchrony and loss of high-frequency dynamics, partly mediated by the thalamus, that disrupts cortical communication/integration.
Rationally designed oral vaccines can set an evolutionary trap for Salmonella Typhimurium

Secretory antibody responses (Immunoglobulin A, IgA) against repetitive bacterial surface glycans, such as O-antigens and capsules, can protect against intestinal pathogenic Enterobacteriaceae. However, efficacy of such immune responses has been limited by rapid glycan evolution and phase-variation. Here, we track IgA-driven O-antigen variation in Salmonella Typhimurium, and use this to assemble an oligovalent oral vaccine which sets an evolutionary trap. IgA targeting all fitness-neutral O-antigen escape variants of Salmonella Typhimurium rapidly selected for mutants with very short O-antigen: a phenotype known to display major fitness costs and virulence attenuation in naive hosts. Evolutionary trap vaccination therefore represents an alternative concept in vaccine design. This approach capitalizes on the inevitable and rapid evolution of bacteria in the gut, and can combine protection of the individual with elimination of virulent enteropathogen reservoirs. One sentence summary By tracking vaccine-driven Salmonella evolution in the intestine, it is possible to rationally design oligovalent oral vaccines that generate an evolutionary trap.
Characterisation of fungal contamination sources for use in quality management of cheese production farms in Korea

Objective This study was conducted to determine the composition and diversity of the fungal flora at various control points in cheese ripening rooms of 10 dairy farms from six different provinces in the Republic of Korea. Methods Floor, wall, cheese board, room air, cheese rind and core were sampled from cheese ripening rooms of ten different dairy farms. The molds were enumerated using YM petrifilm, while isolation was done on yeast extract glucose chloramphenicol agar plates. Morphologically distinct isolates were identified using sequencing of internal transcribed spacer region. Results The fungal counts in 8 out of 10 dairy farms were out of acceptable range, as per hazard analysis critical control point regulation. A total of 986 fungal isolates identified and assigned to the phyla Ascomycota (14 genera) and Basidiomycota (3 genera). Of these Penicillium, Aspergillus, and Cladosporium were the most diverse and predominant. The cheese ripening rooms was overrepresented in 9 farms by Penicillium (76%), while Aspergillus in a single farm. Among 39 species, the prominent members were Penicillium commune, P. oxalicum, P. echinulatum, and Aspergillus versicolor. Most of the mold species detected on surfaces were the same found in the indoor air of cheese ripening rooms. Conclusion The environment of cheese ripening rooms persuades a favourable niche for mold growth. The fungal diversity in the dairy farms were greatly influenced by several factors (exterior atmosphere, working personnel etc.,) and their proportion varied from one to another. Proper management of hygienic and production practices and air filtration system would be effective to eradicate contamination in cheese processing industries.
Lithophyllum longense (Corallinales, Rhodophyta): a species with a widespread Indian Ocean distribution

Lithophyllum longense is characterized from Long Reef, Western Australia, Australia and from Chwaka Bay, Zanzibar Island, Tanzania. Both plastid markers psbA and rbcL confirm that L. longense is a distinct species despite its being morpho-anatomically nearly indistinguishable from several other fruticose Lithophyllum species, differing in only one (from L. atlanticum, L. platyphyllum, L. sublicatum, L. yemenense) or two (from L. affine, L. incrustans, L. kotschyanum, L. neocongestum, L. kaiseri, L. pseudoplatyphyllum, L. subreduncum) character states. This is only the second tropical Lithophyllum species and the fourth tropical species confirmed by DNA sequencing to be widely distributed in the Indo-West Pacific.
Strength of lower limb related to gait velocity and cadence in stroke patients

This study was undertaken to determine the relationship between two temporal components of gait (velocity and cadence) and the standardized static strength of seven lower extremity muscle groups of the paretic side of 20 patients who were hemiplegic following cerebrovascular accidents. Velocity and cadence were calculated from a timed gait trial over an eight-metre expanse of floor. Static strength was tested by a hand-held dynamometer, and the scores standardized against body weight. The muscles tested were hip flexors, extensors and abductors; the knee flexors and extensors; and the ankle dorsiflexors and plantar flexors. Correlations were significant (p < 0.05) between both gait variables and the standardized strength of the hip extensor, knee flexor, ankle dorsiflexor, and ankle plantar flexor muscle groups. Also significant were the correlations between cadence and the standardized strength of the hip abductor and knee extensor muscles. These relationships suggest that the strength of some muscle gro.
Bacterial community profiling highlights complex diversity and novel organisms in wildlife ticks

Ticks (Acari: Ixodida) transmit a greater variety of pathogens than any other blood-feeding arthropod. While numerous microbes have been identified inhabiting Australian Ixodidae, some of which are related to globally important tick-borne pathogens, little is known about the bacterial communities within ticks collected from Australian wildlife. In this study, 1,019 ticks were identified on 221 hosts spanning 27 wildlife species. Next-generation sequencing was used to amplify the V1-2 hypervariable region of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene from 238 ticks; Amblyomma triguttatum (n=6), Bothriocroton auruginans (n=11), Bothriocroton concolor (n=20), Haemaphysalis bancrofti (n=10), Haemaphysalis bremneri (n=4), Haemaphysalis humerosa (n=13), Haemaphysalis longicornis (n=4), Ixodes antechini (n=29), Ixodes australiensis (n=26), Ixodes fecialis (n=13), Ixodes holocyclus (n=37), Ixodes myrmecobii (n=1), Ixodes ornithorhynchi (n=10), Ixodes tasmani (n=51) and Ixodes trichosuri (n=3). After bioinformatic analyses, over 14 million assigned bacterial sequences revealed the presence of newly described bacteria ‘Ca. Borrelia tachyglossi’, ‘Ca. Neoehrlichia australis’, ‘Ca. Neoehrlichia arcana’ and ‘Ca. Ehrlichia ornithorhynchi’. Furthermore, three novel Anaplasmataceae species were identified including; a Neoehrlichia sp. in I. australiensis and I. fecialis ex quenda (Isoodon fusciventer) (Western Australia), an Anaplasma sp. from one B. concolor ex echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) (New South Wales), and an Ehrlichia sp. from a single I. fecialis parasitising a quenda (WA). This study highlights the diversity of bacterial genera harboured within wildlife ticks, which may prove to be of medical and/or veterinary importance in the future.
The life style parameters of schizophrenic clients in palestine

Background and Objectives: Studies have shown that people with schizophrenia die prematurely. Antipsychotic medications and clients' lifestyle seem to be the contributing factors to excess morbidity and mortality in these clients. The objective of this study was to investigate different lifestyle parameters, diet, body mass index, smoking, and unemployment, among schizophrenic clients in Palestine. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between August 2011 and February 2012 at the governmental primary psychiatric health care centers in Northern West Bank, Palestine. Two hundred and fifty clients were selected by a convenience sampling method and different lifestyle parameters were measured among the selected clients. Results : Regression analysis showed that smoking, obesity, and unemployment were significantly high among schizophrenia clients with the majority of clients having unhealthy lifestyles. Conclusion: The compromised health conditions of schizophrenic clients could be due to poor nutritional status and unhealthy lifestyle. These findings suggest that schizophrenic clients need nutritional follow-up as well as coaching to help them improve their lifestyle.
CD4+ T cell tolerance to tissue-restricted self antigens

Self antigen-specific T cell development is influenced by how the self antigen is expressed. In this thesis, I explored this concept using a novel panel of mice in which a model self antigen is conditionally expressed in different tissues. We studied the steady state development of the unmanipulated endogenous self antigen-specific CD4+ T cell repertoire under these various conditions by using peptide:MHC II tetramers. We found that in some cases, self antigen-specific T cells were deleted efficiently in the thymus, while in others, they were partially deleted in peripheral lymphoid organs. Deletion specifically affected Foxp3conventional T cells (Tconv), and was biased towards high avidity clones in the thymus but not periphery. In contrast, Foxp3+ regulatory T cell (Treg) numbers were elevated in the periphery, and were preferentially comprised of high avidity clones. Self antigen-specific T cells surviving deletion exhibited tolerance to antigen stimulation, with Tconv cells exhibiting greater functional impairment than Tregs. Acute ablation of Tregs partially restored the proliferative ability of self antigen-specific Tconv cells, which demonstrated that, in addition to Tconv deletion, Treg development is important in maintaining tolerance. Although functionally impaired in the absence of Tregs, self-antigen specific
What carers of family members with mental illness say, think and do about their relative's smoking and the implications for health promotion and service delivery: a qualitative study

Few researchers have explored family carers’ perspectives of smoking by their family members with mental illness, despite smoking rates remaining high for people with mental illness. In-depth qualitative interviews with twelve South Australian family carers explored their experiences and views of providing care for people with mental illness who smoke. Data were analysed thematically. Around the central theme of the caring role within the context of mental illness and smoking, were three interrelated themes: (1) responsibility; (2) accommodation; and, (3) dissonance. Carers struggled physically, philosophically and emotionally with perceived responsibilities involving their family member's smoking. They felt isolated and asserted as there was limited support from service providers to assist them. Carers are important agents within the person's immediate environment who could potentially help them to improve their smoking cessation success. Community services aiming to support smoking cessation support for this population need to incorporate the role of family carers.
Active zone compaction for presynaptic strength

ABSTRACT Synaptic plasticity is considered to underly information processing and memory formation in the brain and stabilization of neurotransmission during plasticity likely includes reorganization of active zones (AZs). Here, we used localization microscopy and hierarchical density-based spatial clustering to probe AZ architecture at the Drosophila melanogaster neuromuscular junction. We observed distinct arrangements of the scaffold protein Bruchpilot (Brp) at AZs of high release probability type Is and low release probability type Ib boutons. Most remarkably, Brp proteins at type Is AZs were arranged more compact than at type Ib AZs. To ascertain whether adaptations of the AZ scaffold also occur in response to short-term demands, we used philanthotoxin (PhTx) to induce acute homeostatic plasticity. PhTx decreased AZ size, the distance between Brp subclusters and the AZ center, leading to compaction of the Brp scaffold. These changes only occurred at type Ib but not type Is AZs which, already compact, did not undergo structural rearrangement. In summary, our data describe a molecular compaction of the AZ scaffold reflecting the functional demands at high release probability synapses and during an acute homeostasic challenge.
Upon microbial challenge human neutrophils undergo rapid changes in nuclear architecture to orchestrate an immediate inflammatory gene program

Differentiating neutrophils undergo large-scale changes in nuclear morphology. How such alterations in structure are established and modulated upon exposure to microbial agents is largely unknown. Here, we found that prior to encounter with bacteria, an armamentarium of inflammatory genes was positioned in a transcriptionally passive environment suppressing premature transcriptional activation. Upon microbial exposure, however, human neutrophils rapidly (<3 hours) repositioned the ensemble of pro-inflammatory genes towards the transcriptionally permissive compartment. We show that the repositioning of genes was closely associated with the swift recruitment of cohesin across the inflammatory enhancer landscape permitting an immediate transcriptional response upon bacterial exposure. These data reveal at the mechanistic level how upon microbial challenge human neutrophils undergo rapid changes in nuclear architecture to orchestrate an immediate inflammatory gene program.
Multiple ribonuclease A family members cleave transfer RNAs in response to stress

During stress, changes in gene expression are critical for cell survival. Stress-induced tRNA cleavage has been implicated in various cellular processes, where tRNA fragments play diverse regulatory roles. Angiogenin (ANG), a member of the RNase A superfamily, induces cleavage of tRNAs resulting in the formation of tRNA-derived stress-induced RNAs (tiRNAs) that contribute to translational reprogramming aiming at cell survival. The role of other stress-induced RNases in tRNA cleavage is poorly understood. Using gene editing and biochemical approaches, we show that other members of the RNase A family are capable of targeting tRNAs in stress-responsive manner. We show that in the absence of ANG, these RNases also promote the production of tiRNAs. Moreover, specific stresses (such as treatment with sodium arsenite) activate cleavage of universal 3’-CCA termini of tRNAs in ANG-independent fashion in living cells. We conclude that multiple RNase A family members are capable of targeting tRNAs in a stress-specific manner in vivo.
A Horticultural Medium Established from the Rapid Removal of Phytotoxins from Winery Grape Marc

Grape (Vitis vinifera L.) marc has long been utilized as a compost feedstock. However, this process takes an extended period of time due to the phytotoxic chemical composition of the marc. Removal of these compounds presents an opportunity to utilize the grape marc as a growing medium. Following a water-based extraction procedure to remove polyphenolic compounds of interest, analysis of the depleted marc showed a decrease in the content of these compounds, and in nutrient and trace element levels. Carrot (Daucus carota L.) and corn (Zea mays L.) seedling emergence in the depleted marc and blends with compost were not adversely affected, demonstrating its effectiveness for growing plants at all ratios. A 50:50 blend of compost and depleted grape marc resulted in plant growth equivalent to the compost alone. This combined with the observed water holding capacity suggests that depleted grape marc, when blended with compost, can be a suitable alternative to peat or coconut coir for seedlings.
Characterisation of macrophage migration inhibitory factor homologues in plasmodium species

Malaria is responsible for 1-3 million deaths per year worldwide, with half the global population at risk of infection. Plasmodium falciparum is the parasite responsible for severe malaria and accounts for almost all fatal cases. The Plasmodium falciparum genome sequencing project identified a putative protein that shares sequence homology with the cytokine macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF). MIF has been shown to have a wide range of functions including the modulation of inflammatory responses. The major objective of this project was to characterise the potential MIF homologue in P. falciparum (PfMIF) and to test the hypothesis that this protein may influence the host immune system during the course of P. falciparum infection. Sequence analysis and modelling techniques were used to show that PfMIF shares important structural similarities to other MIF species. Studies of parasites in culture demonstrated that PfMIF mRNA and protein are expressed during ring and trophozoite stages of the parasite life cycle. Furthermore, PfMIF was found to be exported into the cytosol of the infected erythrocyte, and released upon schizont rupture, thus providing an opportunity for PfMIF to interact directly with the host immune system. Recombinant PfMIF protein was generated and used to treat monocytes in vitro. These experiments showed that PfMIF inhibits the random migration and chemotaxis of monocytes and influences surface molecule expression, as evidenced by a decrease in TLR2, TLR4 and CD86. Access to a cohort of children in Kenya allowed examination of patient antibody responses to PfMIF, which showed a pattern of expression similar to antibody responses to other malaria antigens previously examined. In conclusion, these studies suggest that PfMIF could be an important molecule involved in the interaction between the parasite and the host immune system during the course of P. falciparum infection.
The Brassica napus Wall-Associated Kinase-Like (WAKL) gene Rlm9 provides race-specific blackleg resistance

In plants, race-specific defense against microbial pathogens is facilitated by resistance (R) genes which correspond to specific pathogen avirulence (Avr) genes. This study reports the cloning of a blackleg R gene from Brassica napus (canola); Rlm9, which encodes a wall-associated kinase-like (WAKL) protein, a newly-discovered class of race-specific plant RLK resistance genes. Rlm9 provides race-specific resistance against isolates of Leptosphaeria maculans carrying the corresponding avirulence gene AvrLm5-9, representing only the second WAKL-type R gene described to date. The Rlm9 protein is predicted to be cell membrane-bound yet appears to have no direct interaction with AvrLm5-9. Rlm9 forms part of a distinct evolutionary family of RLK proteins in B. napus, and while little is yet known about WAKL function, the Brassica-Leptosphaeria pathosystem may prove to be a model system by which the mechanism of fungal avirulence protein recognition by WAKL-type R genes can be determined.