Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prolonged outbreak of Norwalk gastroenteritis in an isolated guest house

During November and December 1982, a persistent outbreak of gastroenteritis took place in an isolated guest house. An estimated 26% of the changing population of guests and staff developed symptoms. Laboratory studies implicated Norwalk agent as the cause of illness, although the original source of the outbreak could not be established. Information on clinical features of the illness, its mode of spread, and eventual control is presented.
Evaluation of composite measures of treatment response without acute-phase reactants in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVES To evaluate composite measures of response without acute-phase reactants in RA patients. Specifically, Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI)-derived response criteria were compared with the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) response criteria, and the modified ACR (mACR) response criteria were compared to the ACR response criteria. METHODS Data from 10 108 RA patients enrolled in the Consortium of Rheumatology Researchers of North America registry were examined, including 649 patients initiating DMARD therapy. CDAI cut-off points for disease activity levels and responses were derived using receiver operating characteristic curves with the DAS28 and EULAR response criteria as gold standards. The kappa-statistics were applied to assess agreement between CDAI-derived and EULAR-defined responses, as well as ACR20 and ACR50 with mACR20- and mACR50-defined responses, respectively. RESULTS For the components of the EULAR response, the derived CDAI cut-off points for DAS28 levels of 3.2 and 5.1 were 7.6 and 19.6, respectively. The derived CDAI cut-off points were 4.3 and 10.0 for DAS28 changes of 0.6 and 1.2, respectively. There were moderate to substantial agreements between CDAI-derived and EULAR responses (kappa = 0.57-0.71). Agreement of ACR20 and ACR50 with mACR20 and mACR50 responses, respectively, was excellent (kappa = 0.88-0.95). CONCLUSIONS Agreement between composite measures of response without acute-phase reactants and standard measures ranged from moderate to excellent. The mACR20 and mACR50 criteria as well as CDAI-derived response criteria, can serve as composite measures of response in clinical practice and research settings without access to acute-phase reactants.
Effect of Oral Administration of Dietary Antioxidant Supplements in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C

In a prospective, randomized and single-blinded clinical trial, we compared patients with Chronic hepatitis C (CHC) orally treated with sucrose diluted with water (1:2) twice a day for 56 days (control group), with patients orally treated with four antioxidant dietary supplements rich in vitamin B5, B9, C, D, citric, pyruvic, and tartaric acids and carbohydrates (CCEP: Citexivir, Citozym, Ergozym Plus and Propulzym). The efficacy of treatment was evaluated once a week for 8 weeks, by monitoring changes in the activities of circulating Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and Gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) as markers of liver damage. After a treatment of 84 days the viral title was evaluated through the HCV-RNA compared with the levels of anti-C100-3. The security and tolerability of the treatment were evaluated on the basis of clinical adverse events and results of laboratory tests. The experimental data obtained showed that the oral treatment of patients suffering from HCV infection of genotype 1, with CCEP, markedly influenced the values of the three enzymatic markers of hepatic disease. The data presented also showed the reduction of viral replication evidenced by the rate of HCV-RNA levels. As reported by others, we confirmed the low reliability of the research of anti-C100-3. This research is not meant to suggest the treatment reported as a therapy for the treatment of HCV infection, but data obtained may tend towards the possibility of administration of a dietary supplement such as CCEP in support of the official drug therapy of CHC in the nutritional care of HCV patients.
Applications of simple robots to encourage social receptiveness of adolescents with autism

This paper reports the preliminary research studies regarding the use of LEGO Mindstorms TM robots as a therapy for autistic young people. Most autistic people hardly communicate in a social environment, living in their own world. This is the first step in a broader project which aims to improve the autistic people social life and also their ability to communicate, using the robot as a social bridge between them and the surrounding environment/people. The target group is 17-19 years old having autism disorder and developmental disability. The trials consists of undemanding plays where the intervention of the autistic person is required, using simple inputs, such as voice commands, pressing a button or clapping hands. The presented work intends to evaluate the reaction of this particular target group to the introduction of a toy-like robot in their classroom daily life. The methodology applied, the detailed description as well as the analysis of the experiments are presented and discussed.
Superior vena cava and innominate vein reconstruction in thoracic malignancies: cryopreserved graft reconstruction.

Recent technical advances in the domains of anesthesia, cardiovascular and thoracic surgery, and synthetic materials manufacturing coupled with more oncological extended tumor indications have unlocked the door to the surgical treatment of pulmonary, mediastinal, or other rare tumors involving intrathoracic vessels. In 1987, Dartevelle et al1 first described a consecutive and large series of patients with mediastinal or lung malignancies and superior vena cava (SVC) involvement treated with SVC resection by using polytetrafluoroethylene tubular grafts for reconstruction. Open surgery requires a high level of technical expertise and vigilant attention to patient selection and perioperative management to minimize complications, which are reported even in highly specialized centers.1,2 During the past decade, operative mortality for these procedures has ranged between 0% and 7.7%, with long-term patency rates of about 70%-100%. 3-9 However, proper patient selection is critical for clinical success. We will outline the role of surgery for selected patients with locally advanced but completely resectable non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) or mediastinal tumors (MT) involving invading the SVC and/or the innominate vein (IV).
Optimization of naringenin and p‐coumaric acid hydroxylation using the native E. coli hydroxylase complex, HpaBC

Flavonoids are a growing class of bioactive natural products with distinct and interesting bioactivity both in vitro and in vivo. The extraction of flavonoids from plant sources is limited by their low natural abundance and commonly results in a mixture of products that are difficult to separate. However, due to recent advances, the microbial production of plant natural products has developed as a promising alternative for flavonoid production. Through optimization of media, induction temperature, induction point, and substrate delay time, we demonstrate the highest conversion of naringenin to eriodictyol (62.7 ± 2.7 mg/L) to date, using the native E. coli hydroxylase complex, HpaBC. We also show the first evidence of in vivo HpaBC activity towards the monohydroxylated flavan‐3‐ol afzelechin with catechin product titers of 34.7 ± 1.5 mg/L. This work confirms the wide applicability of HpaBC towards realizing efficient de novo production of various orthohydroxylated flavonoids and flavonoid derived products in E. coli. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog. , 32:21–25, 2016
Expression of 5‐lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase pathway enzymes in nasal polyps of patients with aspirin‐intolerant asthma

In aspirin‐intolerant subjects, adverse bronchial and nasal reactions to cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitors are associated with over‐production of cysteinyl‐leukotrienes (cys‐LTs) generated by the 5‐lipoxygenase (5‐LO) pathway. In the bronchi of patients with aspirin‐intolerant asthma, we previously linked cys‐LT over‐production and aspirin hyper‐reactivity with elevated immunoexpression in eosinophils of the terminal enzyme for cys‐LT production, LTC4 synthase. We investigated whether this anomaly also occurs in the nasal airways of these patients. Immunohistochemical expression of 5‐LO and COX pathway proteins was quantified in nasal polyps from 12 patients with aspirin‐intolerant asthma and 13 with aspirin‐tolerant asthma. In the mucosa of polyps from aspirin‐intolerant asthmatic patients, cells immunopositive for LTC4 synthase were four‐fold more numerous than in aspirin‐tolerant asthmatic patients (p = 0.04). There were also three‐fold more cells expressing 5‐LO (p = 0.037), with no differences in 5‐LO activating protein (FLAP), COX‐1 or COX‐2. LTC4 synthase‐positive cell counts correlated exclusively with mucosal eosinophils (r = 0.94, p < 0.001, n = 25). Co‐localisation confirmed that five‐fold higher eosinophil counts (p = 0.007) accounted for the increased LTC4 synthase expression in polyps from aspirin‐intolerant asthmatic patients, with no alterations in mast cells or macrophages. Within the epithelium, increased counts of eosinophils (p = 0.006), macrophages (p = 0.097), and mast cells (p = 0.034) in aspirin‐intolerant asthmatic polyps were associated only with 2.5‐fold increased 5‐LO‐positive cells (p < 0.05), while the other enzymes were not different. Our results indicate that a marked over‐representation of LTC4 synthase in mucosal eosinophils is closely linked to aspirin intolerance in the nasal airway, as in the bronchial airways. Copyright © 2006 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Three perspectives: if Markus' 1983 classic study, "power, politics, and MIS implementation, " were being reviewed today (panel)

The 1983 study by M. Lynne Markus, “Power, Politics, and MIS Implementation,” is a classic in the study of information technology in organizations. The web version of the Social Science Citation Index shows that over 200 other published studies have cited Markus’ classic since 1993 (the earliest year covered by the web version of the SSCI). Furthermore, its universal appeal is evident in its being regarded as an exemplar of not only positivist research (Lee 1989), but also interpretive research (Walsham 1993).
Influence of grape variety and the biological defense system of vineyards on grape microbiota

A three year sampling plan was designed in order to evaluate the influence of different agronomic parameters on the biodiversity of fermentative grape yeasts. Thus, two vineyards with different biological defense systems (organic and conventional), with three different grape varieties (Shiraz, Grenache and Barbera) were chosen. A total of 27 samples were collected from the two vineyards. Spontaneous fermentation occurred in 24 and 12 of the samples from the conventional and organic vineyards respectively. These results indicated a clear influence on grape associated yeast biodiversity of the phytosanitary treatment used in the vineyard.
Comparison of the Buschke Selective Reminding Test and the California Verbal Learning Test-Second Edition in a stroke population

ABSTRACT There are many tests of learning and memory; however, not all yield analogous results and thus are not interchangeable. This study examined the relationship between the California Verbal Learning Test–Second Edition (CVLT-II) and the Buschke Selective Reminding Test (SRT) in a stroke population. Data from stroke inpatients (N = 102) referred for rehabilitation were collected from medical records. Both tests were administered, as part of a larger neuropsychological assessment. Analyses were conducted on Z-scores from the List Total, Learning, and Long Delay Free Recall (LDFR) subscales of the two tests. SRT and CVLT-II scores were significantly correlated (r = .34 to .52, all p values <.001). However, scores were significantly worse on the SRT compared to the CVLT-II (d = −.90 to − 1.46, all p values <.001). Left hemisphere strokes performed worse than right hemisphere strokes on both tests; however, this trend was not significant. The SRT appeared to be more sensitive to impairment than the CVLT-II; thus, the two tests may not be interchangeable in a stroke population.
Heparin and Heparan Sulfate Disaccharides Bind to the Exchanger Inhibitor Peptide Region of Na+/Ca2+ Exchanger and Reduce the Cytosolic Calcium of Smooth Muscle Cell Lines

Heparin and heparan sulfate fragments, obtained by bacterial heparinase and heparitinases, bearing an unsaturation at C4-C5 of the uronic acid moiety, are able to produce up to 80% reduction of the cytosolic calcium of smooth muscle cell lines. Unsaturated disaccharides from chondroitin sulfate, dermatan sulfate, and hyaluronic acid are inactive, indicating that, besides the unsaturation of the uronic acid, a vicinal 1 → 4 glycosidic linkage is needed. An inverse correlation between the molecular weight and activity is observed. Thus, the ED50 of the N-acetylated disaccharide derived from heparan sulfate (430 Da) is 88 μm compared with 250 μm of the trisulfated disaccharide (650 Da) derived from heparin. Except for enoxaparin (which contains an unsaturation at the non-reducing end and 1 → 4 glycosidic linkage), other low molecular weight heparins and native heparin are practically inactive in reducing the cytosolic calcium levels. Thapsigargin (sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase inhibitor), vanadate (cytoplasmic membrane Ca2+-ATPase inhibitor), and nifedipine and verapamil (Ca2+ channel antagonists) do not interfere with the effect of the trisulfated disaccharide upon the decrease of the intracellular calcium. A significant decrease of the activity of the trisulfated disaccharide is observed by reducing extracellular sodium, suggesting that the fragments might act upon the Na+/Ca2+exchanger promoting the extrusion of Ca2+. This was further substantiated by binding experiments and circular dichroism analysis with the exchanger inhibitor peptide.
A theoretical study Of electrostatic properties Of 〈100〉 uniaxially strained silicon n-channel MOSFET

In this paper, an accurate and efficient one dimensional self-consistent numerical solution of <100> uniaxially strained n-MOS structure is presented based on finite element method. The solution is developed using FEMLAB considering wave function penetration effect into gate oxide. Significant change occurs in the eigen energies and the electron occupancies, intrinsic carrier concentration, inversion layer penetration and gate capacitance because of <100> uniaxial tensile stress. The consequences of these changes due to strain are explained.
Evaluation of protective effects (antioxidant and antimutagenic) of methanol extract of seeds of Chlorophytum borivilianum Sant. et Fernand

Chlorophytum borivilianum Sant. et Fernand. is known in the world market as 'White Gold' and tubers of this plant are used as an aphrodisiac in Ayurvedic medicines. In the present investigation, experiments were designed to evaluate the antioxidant and antimutagenic potential of methanol extract of seeds of C. borivilianum through various standard in vitro assays. Antioxidant activities of the seed methanol extract were determined through DPPH free radical scavenging assay, lipid peroxidation, deoxyribose degradation (site-specific and non-site specific), reducing power, and chelating power assays. The antimutagenic activity of the seed methanol extract was evaluated by employing plate incorporation assay. The extract showed significant free radical scavenging activity in 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, while low to moderate inhibitory potential in all the other antioxidant assays. The methanol extract showed significant antimutagenic effect in Ames assay in both co-incubation and pre- incubation modes in the presence as well as absence of S9. The results of the present study indicate that seed of C. borivilianum can be used as a good source of antioxidant and antimutagenic compounds.
Decomposability and Frequency in the Hindi/Urdu Number System

Hindi/Urdu (HU) numbers 10–99 are highly irregular, unlike the transparent systems of most languages. I investigate the morphological decomposability of HU numbers using a series of computational models. While these models classify most forms accurately, problems are encountered in high-frequency forms of low cardinality, suggesting that some HU numbers are more transparent (i.e., morphologically decomposable) than others. These results are compatible with a dual-route access model proposed for the processing of numeral forms.
Genomics of Ovarian Cancer Progression Reveals Diverse Metastatic Trajectories Including Intraepithelial Metastasis to the Fallopian Tube.

Accumulating evidence has supported the fallopian tube rather than the ovary as the origin for high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC). To understand the relationship between putative precursor lesions and metastatic tumors, we performed whole-exome sequencing on specimens from eight HGSOC patient progression series consisting of serous tubal intraepithelial carcinomas (STIC), invasive fallopian tube lesions, invasive ovarian lesions, and omental metastases. Integration of copy number and somatic mutations revealed patient-specific patterns with similar mutational signatures and copy-number variation profiles across all anatomic sites, suggesting that genomic instability is an early event in HGSOC. Phylogenetic analyses supported STIC as precursor lesions in half of our patient cohort, but also identified STIC as metastases in 2 patients. Ex vivo assays revealed that HGSOC spheroids can implant in the fallopian tube epithelium and mimic STIC lesions. That STIC may represent metastases calls into question the assumption that STIC are always indicative of primary fallopian tube cancers. SIGNIFICANCE We find that the putative precursor lesions for HGSOC, STIC, possess most of the genomic aberrations present in advanced cancers. In addition, a proportion of STIC represent intraepithelial metastases to the fallopian tube rather than the origin of HGSOC. Cancer Discov; 6(12); 1342-51. ©2016 AACR.See related commentary by Swisher et al., p. 1309This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 1293.
Planktonic growth and biofilm formation profiles in Candida haemulonii species complex.

Candida haemulonii species complex have emerged as multidrug-resistant yeasts able to cause fungemia worldwide. However, very little is known regarding their physiology and virulence factors. In this context, planktonic growth and biofilm formation of Brazilian clinical isolates of Candida haemulonii (n = 5), Candida duobushaemulonii (n = 4), and Candida haemulonii var. vulnera (n = 3) were reported. Overall, the fungal planktonic growth curves in Sabouraud dextrose broth reached the exponential phase in 48 h at 37°C. All the clinical isolates formed biofilm on polystyrene in a time-dependent event, as judged by the parameters evaluated: biomass (crystal violet staining), metabolic activity (XTT reduction), and extracellular matrix (safranin incorporation). No statistically significant differences were observed when the average measurements among the three Candida species were compared regarding both planktonic and biofilm lifestyles; however, typical isolate-specific differences were clearly noticed in fungal growth kinetics.
A Randomized Clinical Trial Comparing Nelfinavir Or Nevirapine Associated to Zidovudine/Lamivudine in HIV-Infected Naive Patients (The Combine Study)

Background Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor-containing regimens may be a valid alternative to protease inhibitor-containing regimens for initial antiretroviral therapy, but to date few studies comparing these two strategies have been performed. Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of nelfinavir or nevirapine associated to zidovudine/lamivudine in HIV-infected naive patients. Design Randomized, open-label, multicentre trial. Setting Twelve centres in Spain (9) and Argentina (3). Patients One hundred and forty-two HIV-infected naive patients without AIDS. Interventions Patients received combivir (zidovudine 300 mg/lamivudine 150 mg, twice-daily) plus either nelfinavir (1250 mg) twice-daily (zidovudine/lamivudine/nelfinavir, n=70) or nevirapine (200 mg) twice-daily (zidovudine/lamivudine/nevirapine, n=72), and were followed for 12 months. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients with a plasma HIV-1 RNA (pVL) of less than 200 copies/ml by PCR at 12 months. pVL of less than 20 copies/ml (PCR), changes in CD4 counts, clinical progression and adverse events were also evaluated. Efficacy was assessed using intent-to-treat (ITT) (missing=failure) and on-treatment analysis. Results At 12 months in the ITT analysis the proportion of patients with pVL below 200 copies/ml was 60% (95% CI 48.5–71.5) in the zidovudine/lamivudine/nelfinavir arm and 75% (95% CI 65–85) in the zidovudine/lamivudine/nevirapine arm (P=0.06), and the proportion below 20 copies/ml was 50% (95% CI 38.3–61.7) and 65% (95% CI 54.2–76.2), respectively (P=0.06). No differences were found when comparing the subgroup of patients with baseline pVL of more than 100 000 copies/ml. A gain of +173 and +162 CD4 cells/mm3, respectively, was observed. Zidovudine/lamivudine/nelfinavir was discontinued in 21% of patients, and zidovudine/lamivudine/ nevirapine in 25%, due to toxicity (P>0.2). Conclusions Our results suggest that zidovudine/ lamivudine/nevirapine is at least as effective as zidovudine/lamivudine/nelfinavir as first-line therapy for HIV disease.
Hybrid dual phase shift control of DC micro-grid coupled DAB DC-DC converter for storage application

This paper presents a new hybrid control for control of Dual Active Bridge (DAB) based DC-DC converter for interfacing of storage systems(batteries) with the DC microgird having bidirectional power flow capabilities to regulate the network voltage. A comparative analysis has been done to illustrate the advantages of the proposed hybrid control under MATLAB/Simulink environment. Under the hybrid control, the problems faced by the batteries such as accelerated ageing, high temperature of operation, slow dynamic response, abrupt changes in charging/discharging rate and circulating currents has been addressed. The effectiveness of the proposed control has been demonstrated through results.