Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Application of Lactobacillus johnsonii expressing phage endolysin for control of Clostridium perfringens

Clostridium perfringens is frequently found in food and the environment and produces potent toxins that have a negative impact on both human and animal health and particularly on the poultry industry. Lactobacillus johnsonii FI9785, isolated from the chicken gastrointestinal tract, has been demonstrated to exclude Cl. perfringens in poultry. We have investigated the interaction of wild‐type Lact. johnsonii FI9785 or an engineered strain expressing a cell wall‐hydrolysing endolysin with Cl. perfringens in vitro, using a batch culture designed to simulate human gastrointestinal tract conditions. Co‐culture experiments indicated that acid production by Lact. johnsonii is important in pathogen control. The co‐culture of the endolysin‐secreting Lact. johnsonii with Cl. perfringens showed that the engineered strain had the potential to control the pathogen, but the ability to reduce Cl. perfringens numbers was not consistent. Results obtained indicate that survival of high numbers of Lact. johnsonii will be essential for effective pathogen control.
Insulin-like growth factors and their binding proteins in plasma and milk after growth hormone-stimulated galactopoiesis in normally lactating women.

We performed a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial of recombinant human growth hormone (hGH) in normally lactating women (N = 8 per group) to investigate the endocrine mode of action of the galactopoietic effect of this hormone. Insulin-like growth factors I (IGF-I) and II (IGF-II) and their binding proteins (IGFBP-1, IGFBP-2 and IGFBP-3) were measured by radioimmunoassay in plasma and milk samples collected throughout the study. All assays were validated for human plasma and milk. Human GH treatment (0.1 IU.kg-1 body wt.day-1 for 7 days) increased plasma concentrations of IGF-I from 22.1 +/- 1.3 nmol/l (mean +/- SEM) to 59.7 +/- 2.5 nmol/l (p < 0.01). At the end of the study the increase in plasma IGF-I correlated significantly with the increase in milk volume (r = 0.67, p < 0.005, N = 16). The IGF-I levels were considerably lower in milk, with 0.14 +/- 0.03 nmol/l before and 0.31 +/- 0.04 nmol/l after hGH treatment. The increase in milk IGF-I levels (134.0 +/- 14.5%) with hGH treatment was significant (p < 0.01) and plasma and milk IGF-I concentrations correlated significantly when considering all samples of the study (r = 0.45, p < 0.001, N = 56). The concentrations of IGF-II were not changed significantly with hGH treatment in plasma (52.5 +/- 2.5 nmol/l before and 42.6 +/- 3.9 nmol/l after treatment) or milk (2.1 +/- 0.29 nmol/l before and 2.3 +/- 0.49 nmol/l after hGH treatment). (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Assessing the effects of a parent-implemented language intervention for children with language impairments using empirical benchmarks: a pilot study.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which a parent-implemented language intervention improves language skills in toddlers at risk for persistent language impairment (LI) as compared with a group of typically developing toddlers. METHOD Thirty-four children with LI between 24 and 42 months of age were randomly assigned to a treatment or nontreatment experimental condition. Participants in the treatment group received 24 biweekly 1-hr sessions for 3 months. An additional sample of 28 age- and gender-matched children with typically developing language (TL) was also included. Norm-referenced child assessments and observational measures were used to assess changes in children's language growth. RESULTS Results from multilevel modeling indicate that children in the treatment group made greater gains than children in the control group on most language measures. Whereas children in the treatment group had lower language scores than children with TL at the end of intervention, the rate of language growth was not significantly different between groups. Child receptive language and parent use of matched turns predicted expressive language growth in both children with and without LI. CONCLUSION The results of this preliminary study indicate that parent-implemented interventions may be an effective treatment for children with expressive and receptive LI.
Positive and negative affect and risk of coronary heart disease: Whitehall II prospective cohort study

Objective To examine the associations between positive and negative affect and subsequent coronary heart disease events independently of established risk factors. Design Prospective cohort study with follow-up over 12 years. Setting 20 civil service departments originally located in London. Participants 10 308 civil servants aged 35-55 years at entry into Whitehall II study in 1985. Main outcome measures Fatal coronary heart disease, clinically verified incident non-fatal myocardial infarction, and definite angina (n=619, mean follow-up 12.5 years). Results In Cox regression analysis adjusted for age, sex, ethnicity, and socioeconomic position, positive affect (hazard ratio=1.01, 95% confidence interval 0.82 to 1.24) and the balance between positive and negative affect, referred to as the affect balance score (hazard ratio=0.89, 0.73 to 1.09), were not associated with coronary heart disease. Further adjustment for behaviour related risk factors (smoking, alcohol consumption, daily fruit and vegetable intake, exercise, body mass index), biological risk factors (hypertension, blood cholesterol, diabetes), and psychological stress at work did not change these results. However, participants in the highest third of negative affect had an increased incidence of coronary events (hazard ratio=1.32, 1.09 to 1.60), and this association remained unchanged after adjustment for multiple confounders. Conclusions Positive affect and affect balance did not seem to be predictive of future coronary heart disease in men and women who were free of diagnosed coronary heart disease at recruitment to the study. A weak positive association between negative affect and coronary heart disease was found and needs to be confirmed in further studies.
Detection of bacteria in platelet concentrates prepared from spiked single donations using cultural and molecular genetic methods

summary Bacteria show differences in their growth kinetics depending on the type of blood component. On to storage at 22 °C, platelet concentrates (PCs) seem to be more prone to bacterial multiplication than red cell concentrates. Knowledge of the potential for bacterial proliferation in blood components, which are stored at a range of temperatures, is essential before considering implementation of a detection strategy.
A miniaturized truncated ground plane concentric ring shaped UWB antenna for wireless applications

A novel method of miniaturizing an antenna using concentric slots is discussed in this research. Initially, a circular Ultrawideband (UWB) antenna is designed with −10dB impedance bandwidth of 115%. This antenna is miniaturized by using concentric ring like slots in the radiating patch to a dimension of 0. 32λo × 0. 32λo × 0. 014λo (at lower resonant band of 2.84 GHz) with −10dB impedance bandwidth of about 125%. These concentric slots increases the inductance and line capacitance of circular patch thereby maintaining the UWB characteristics even though the conventional antenna is miniaturized. The proposed design has a good impedance matching, radiation pattern at the entire UWB operation. The proposed design is intended for the use of various wireless application such as WLAN, WiMAX, WiFi etc.
Presentation of Pediatric Celiac Disease in the United States: Prominent Effect of Breastfeeding

Childhood celiac disease (CD) is considered rare in the United States. Consequently there are few data concerning its clinical presentation. A validated questionnaire was distributed to families of children with CD. One hundred forty-one children with biopsy-proven CD were included in the study. We found significant differences in the clinical spectrum of children based on their infant feeding history. Exclusively breastfed children were significantly less likely to report failure to thrive (69% vs 88%, p<0.05) and short stature (37% vs 62%, p<0.05), and had a higher rate of “atypical” symptoms (p<0.01). Breastfeeding alters the presentation and contributes to atypical presentations of CD and diagnostic delay. Pediatricians need to be aware of the diverse manifestations of celiac disease to reduce diagnostic delay.
Three essays on heterogeneity in sectoral price flexibility

This thesis focuses on the heterogeneity of price flexibility among sectors. For instance, does a multi-sector model in which the frequency of price changes differs among sectors predict radically different dynamics for aggregate variables following a monetary policy shock than a one-sector model in which sectors are assumed to be homogenous in their frequencies of price changes? Is there any relative price effect of the shocks to monetary policy in the United States? If there is, can this relative price effect be related to the heterogeneity of the frequency of price changes among sectors? What insights can be gained if dynamic stochastic open-economy models are elaborated by including the heterogeneity of price flexibility among sectors? These questions are among the types of the questions that I address in this thesis. This thesis consists of three papers. The first paper studies the effects of a monetary policy shock on output, inflation and the real wage in the United States. Next, the dynamics of these aggregate variables as predicted by the one- and multi-sector dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (DSGE) models are compared. The main finding is that the dynamics predicted by the multi-sector model are quite similar to those predicted by the one-sector model. The second paper focuses mostly on the effects of shocks to the federal funds rate on disaggregated sectors' prices in the United States. The two main empirical findings in this chapter are the substantial heterogeneity in sectoral price responses to these shocks and that the price responses in sectors are only weakly associated with their frequency of price changes. The third paper, jointly written with Emek Karaca, is concerned with the effects of positive monetary shocks on output, the real exchange rate and the price level in developing countries which have adopted an inflation targeting regime. We find that such shocks are associated with a temporary rise in output; a temporary depreciation in the real exchange rate and a sizable contemporaneous increase in the price level in those economies.
Learning with Convex Loss and Indefinite Kernels

We consider a kind of kernel-based regression with general convex loss functions in a regularization scheme. The kernels used in the scheme are not necessarily symmetric and thus are not positive semidefinite; l1−norm of the coefficients in the kernel ensembles is taken as the regularizer. Our setting in this letter is quite different from the classical regularized regression algorithms such as regularized networks and support vector machines regression. Under an established error decomposition that consists of approximation error, hypothesis error, and sample error, we present a detailed mathematical analysis for this scheme and, in particular, its learning rate. A reweighted empirical process theory is applied to the analysis of produced learning algorithms, which plays a key role in deriving the explicit learning rate under some assumptions.
Effects of synthetic gestagens on fish reproduction

Although it is well known that estrogenic steroidal hormones are able to affect the sexual development and reproduction of fish at low concentrations, no data on environmental effects of the class of progestogenic hormones are available yet. Synthetic gestagens (progestins) are a component in oral contraceptives. Upon their use, a fraction of the progestins will be excreted via urine into the aquatic environment. On the basis of their pharmacological action in mammals, it is supposed that fish reproduction is the most sensitive endpoint for the progestin treatment. In order to test this assumption, the effects of two progestins currently marketed in contraceptive formulations, levonorgestrel (LNG) and drospirenone (DRSP), were investigated in adult fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) following an Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development 21‐d fish reproduction screening assay draft protocol with additional end points. Levonorgestrel was tested at measured concentrations of 0.8, 3.3, and 29.6 ng/L, and DRSP at concentrations of 0.66, 6.5, and 70 μL. Both tested progestins caused an inhibition of reproduction. For LNG, this occurred at concentrations of 2:0.8 ng/L, no no‐observed‐effect concentration (NOEC) could be defined. Higher concentrations resulted in masculinization of females with de novo synthesis of nuptial tubercles. Drospirenone treatment, however, affected the reproductive success of fathead minnow at concentrations of 6.5 μL and higher with a clear dose‐response relationship and a NOEC of 0.66 μL, which is above environmentally relevant concentrations.
Hybrid Integration and Interconnect Design Platforms of Planar Circuit and Non-Radiative Dielectric (NRD) Guide for Millimeter-Wave Integrated Circuits and Systems

This paper presents a class of hybrid integration techniques (HITs) of planar circuits and non-radiative dielectric (NRD) guide proposed for low-cost and high-performance millimeter-wave integrated circuits (ICs) and systems. Such platforms are in fact consistent with interconnect concepts of two dissimilar building blocks, which are developed on the basis of co-layered and multilayered arrangements of planar circuits and NRD-guide. Technical merits and design aspects of each integration scheme are discussed. Future research and development on this topic are also indicated with emphasis on a potential monolithic integration of the planar and non-planar geometries.
Reyranella terrae sp. nov., isolated from an agricultural soil, and emended description of the genus Reyranella.

A novel strain designated 11G32T was isolated from an agricultural soil cultivated with Chinese cabbage in Korea. The cells were Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, non-motile and rod-shaped. The strain grew at 15-28 °C (optimum, 20 °C), pH 5.0-7.0 (optimum, pH 5.0-6.0) and without NaCl. Phylogenetically, the strain was found to be closely related to members of the genus Reyranella and showed 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities of 97.18, 96.76 and 95.99 % with Reyranella graminifolii Wo-34T, Reyranella massiliensis 521T and Reyranella soli KIS14-15T, respectively. The major fatty acids were C19 : 0 cyclo ω8c, C16 : 0, summed feature 8 (C18 : 1ω7c and/or C18 : 1ω6c) and 11-methyl C18 : 1ω7c. The predominant ubiquinone was Q-10. The polar lipids profile revealed the presence of phosphatidylmonomethylethanolamine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, unidentified aminolipids, unidentified phospholipids and unidentified lipids. On the basis of data presented, strain 11G32T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Reyranella, for which the name Reyranella terrae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is 11G32T (=KACC 18486T=NBRC 111476T).
Preoperative Frailty in Older Surgical Patients Is Associated with Early Postoperative Delirium

We investigated whether preoperative frailty among older noncardiac surgical patients provides information about the development of postoperative delirium that is in addition to traditional geriatric risk factors. One-third of patients had a frailty score ≥3, which is considered “frail” in others' research. Twenty-five percent of patients developed postoperative delirium, which was measured using the confusion assessment method. Multivariable logistic regression showed that age, activities of daily living dependence, instrumental activities of daily living dependence, and cognitive functioning did not contribute significantly to the prediction of postoperative delirium. Only preoperative symptoms of depression (odds ratio = 1.42; 95% confidence interval = 1.06–1.91; P = 0.018) and the frailty score (odds ratio = 1.84; 95% confidence interval = 1.07–3.1; P = 0.028) were independently associated with the development of postoperative delirium.
Effects of calcium-BAPTA buffers and the calmodulin antagonist W-7 on mouse egg activation.

Results of numerous experiments indicate that the transient rise in intracellular Ca2+ following sperm-egg fusion is essential for the subsequent events that constitute egg activation. Some events of egg activation, e.g., cortical granule exocytosis, however, appear more sensitive to intracellular Ca2+ than other events, e.g., cell cycle resumption. To examine if specific events of egg activation have different thresholds for Ca2+, we manipulated buffered intracellular Ca2+ concentrations by microinjecting Ca2+-BAPTA buffers and then examined the effect on the cortical granule exocytosis, recruitment of maternal mRNAs, and cell cycle resumption. We find that whereas cortical granule exocytosis occurs over a narrow threshold range of injected free Ca2+ concentrations between 0.5 and 1.0 microM, recruitment of maternal mRNAs is only partially stimulated at injected free Ca2+ concentrations of 2.5 microM, and no evidence for cell cycle resumption was observed (up to 2.5 microM Ca2+). Although the Ca2+- and phospholipid-dependent protein kinase, protein kinase C, is implicated in aspects of egg activation, calmodulin is also a potential target for the transient increase in Ca2+ that occurs following fertilization. Whereas incubation of eggs in the presence of the calmodulin antagonist W-7 followed by insemination does not block cortical granule exocytosis, cell cycle resumption, as assessed by the metaphase-to-anaphase transition, a decrease in histone H1 kinase activity and the time course for the emission of the second polar body are significantly delayed/inhibited.
A heat wave forecast system for Europe

We introduce a Heat Wave Forecast System (EHWP) useful for detecting incoming heat waves in Europe at a high-medium spatial-temporal resolution. Historical and forecast temperatures feed a heat wave detection algorithm whose outcomes on duration and intensity of incoming heat waves within the next 14 days. The model has been empirically validated with numerous official sources on the hottest European heat wave in 2017 ('Lucifer'). The EHWP is a novel tool for emergency alert warnings both for local and European scale.
Coverage analysis for millimeter wave uplink cellular networks with partial zero-forcing receivers

Cellular networks operating at millimeter wave (mmWave) frequencies are able to achieve multi-gigabit-per-second data rates due to the large bandwidth available. However, the data transmission range will be shorter and significant signal power difference will be observed between line-of-sight (LOS) and non-line-of-sight (NLOS) links. This paper considers interference management and useful signal enhancement in the uplink transmission of small-cell mmWave networks. Taking blockages into account, we analyze the coverage performance of the partial-zero-forcing (PZF) receiver which utilizes a number of antennas to cancel out the strongest uplink interferers and uses the rest of the antennas for boosting the useful signal. Using stochastic geometry, we derive analytical expressions for the coverage probability of the PZF receiver under a LOS probability function based path loss model. For a broad range of parameter settings, the maximum coverage probability is achieved by using most antennas for array gain and only canceling a few strongest interferers. Particularly, compared to zero-forcing, the PZF scheme can improve the coverage probability significantly.
Periodic Prompts and Reminders in Health Promotion and Health Behavior Interventions: Systematic Review

Background Health behavior interventions using periodic prompts have utilized technology, such as the Internet, that allows messages to be sent to participants in cost-effective ways. To our knowledge, no comprehensive evidence review has been performed specifically to evaluate the effectiveness of communicating regular messages and to examine how characteristics of the prompts change the effectiveness of programs aimed at reminding people to adopt healthy behaviors, maintain those they already practice, and cease unhealthy behaviors. Objective A systematic literature review was performed to investigate the effectiveness of limited contact interventions targeting weight loss, physical activity, and/or diet that provided periodic prompts regarding behavior change for health promotion. The review sought to identify specific characteristics of these interventions that may be associated with superior results. Methods Electronic literature searches were performed between February and April, 2008. Articles were included if periodic prompts were used as an intervention or a component of an intervention, a behavioral or biological outcome measure was used, and an ongoing health promotion behavior was targeted. A rating system was applied to each study to provide a quantitative representation of the quality of the evidence provided by each article. Results There were 19 articles with a combined sample size of 15,655 that met the inclusion criteria, and 11 studies reported positive findings regarding the utility of periodic prompts. Several articles showed enhanced effectiveness when prompts were frequent and personal contact with a counselor was included. Long-term behavior change and health improvements were not examined by this review because of a lack of long-term follow-up in the literature. Conclusions In light of promising results of most studies, additional research on limited contact interventions targeting health behaviors including weight loss, physical activity, and/or diet is merited that utilizes rigorous methods including control groups; follow-up data collection; and testing of prompt frequencies, specific intervention components, or prompt characteristics. Future research would be especially valuable if it improves understanding of the most effective types of periodic prompts for fostering long-term behavior change in order to maximize use of this tool in limited contact health promotion programs. Specifically, various types of communication technology should be used and evaluated to expand and refine their use.