Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Inhibition of biofilms of Pseudomonas aeruginosa by Medihoney in vitro.

OBJECTIVE Pseudomonas aeruginosa has been linked to chronic wound infections, where its ability to form biofilms and to tolerate antimicrobial agents helps to facilitate its persistence. This study aimed to investigate the susceptibility of biofilms of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to Medihoney in vitro. METHOD Biofilms were cultivated in microtitre plates with and without a range of concentrations of Medihoney, and effects on biofilm were monitored by optical density (at 650nm), biomass (by staining with crystal violet), metabolic activity (using an esterase assay) and viability (by determining total cell counts). Structural effects on established biofilms were examined by scanning electron microscopy and epifluorescence following staining by LIVE/DEAD® BacLight, which also showed effects on vitality. RESULTS The lowest concentration of Medihoney found to prevent biofilm formation was 17%(w/v), whereas on average 35.5%(w/v) of Medihoney was required to inhibit established biofilms. Susceptibility did not vary with length of biofilm establishment between 24 and 72 hours. Extensive structural changes in established biofilms were seen in the sample with less than or equal to 30%(w/v) Medihoney using scanning electron microscopy and loss of viability was found in test samples with less than or equal to 20%(w/v) Medihoney concentration using fluorescent staining, together with loss of biofilm structure. CONCLUSION Using a range of methods to evaluate biofilm integrity, this study demonstrates that Medihoney inhibits Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms in vitro at concentrations that are attainable in clinical use. Whether Medihoney has the potential to disrupt Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms in cutaneous wounds must now be tested in patients. DECLARATION OF INTEREST This study was sponsored by Derma Sciences Inc, NJ. An unrestricted grant was provided and the sponsors were not involved in the design of the experiments or the preparation of this manuscript.
Impact of Inclusion into and Exclusion from the Shariah Index on a Stock Price and Trading Volume: An Event Study Approach

Does the inclusion or exclusion from the Shariah index have any effect on the performance of a stock? This study aims to examine the impact of stock inclusion (or exclusion) on the stock prices and trading volume of the firms. Based on the case of selected stocks in Bursa Malaysia, our sample consists of 107 additions and 95 deletions from the Financial Times Stock Exchange Bursa Malaysia EMAS Shariah Index in the period of June 2007 - June 2014. Event study methodology is used to estimate the abnormal returns and abnormal volumes in the days surrounding the announcement and change dates (CDs). The study finds the included stock shows significant and permanent excess returns and abnormal volumes. On the other hand, deleted stocks earn temporary significant negative returns and below normal volumes after the announcement and change dates
Automated Taxonomy Extraction from Semantic Business Process Models

Business process patterns, or generalised reusable process models, have the potential to reduce the effort and costs of developing new business processes or re-engineering existing ones. Identifying new patterns, however, requires an analysis of existing business data to uncover commonalities of processes within and across organisations. In previous work we developed a method to extract linguistic content from semi-structured data and generate a semantic repository of such content in a graph database. The method adopted a foundational ontology to semantically underpin the developed graph models. This paper is aimed at identifying commonalities within the process models stored in the semantic repository. We adopt a linguistic approach based on semantic similarity in order to compute the least common subsumers (LCS) of pairs of nodes in the semantic graph. Each LCS is then used to generate a generalised (supertype) node in the graph. The method is presented and evaluated.
Tuberculous meningitis in Greek children

Abstract Background: Tuberculous meningitis (TBM) is the most severe form of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. Our aim was to analyze the epidemiology, clinical features, diagnostic approach, and outcome of tuberculous meningitis in childhood. Methods: During a 25-y period (1984–2008), 43 children, aged 7 months to 13 y, were hospitalized in the Paediatric Department of the referral centre for infectious diseases in Thessaloniki, Greece with the diagnosis of TBM. The patients were classified according to the clinical findings on admission as per the UK Medical Research Council (MRC) staging: stage I, 16/43 (37.2%) children; stage II, 16/43 (37.2%); and stage III 11/43 (25.6%). Results: Twenty-seven of the 43 patients were Greek (63%) and none had been BCG-vaccinated. A family history of tuberculosis was identified in 18 cases (42%). 35 patients (81%) had a positive tuberculin skin test. An extrameningeal site of infection was identified in 14 children (33%); pulmonary tuberculosis in 14/43 patients (5/13 miliary tuberculosis) and spondylitis in 1. All patients were treated with anti-tuberculous drugs and 36 (84%) also received corticosteroids. Complications during hospitalization (coma, seizures, cranial nerve palsy, hydrocephalus) presented in 26 patients (60%). Two patients died (5%) and 6 (14%) had permanent neurological sequelae. Conclusion: TBM, although rare, remains a disease with significant morbidity and mortality. Early clinical diagnosis and appropriate treatment initiation are important for the prognosis.
Short-term impact of particulate matter (PM2.5) on respiratory mortality in Madrid

Objectives: This paper sought to quantify the particulate matter (PM2.5) pollutant's impact on short-term daily respiratory-cause mortality in the city of Madrid. Methods: As our dependent variable, we took daily mortality registered in Madrid from 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2005, attributed to all diseases of the respiratory system as classified under heads J00–J99 of the ICD 10 and broken down as follows: J12–J18, pneumonia; J40–J44, chronic diseases of the respiratory system except asthma; J45–J46, asthma; and J96, respiratory failure. Results: The relative risk (RR) for daily overall respiratory mortality was RR 1.0281 (1.0043–1.0520), with a proportional attributable risk (PAR) of 2.74%. This effect occurred in lag 1; respiratory failure, RR 1.0816 (1.0119–1.1512) and PAR 7.54% at lag 5; and pneumonia, RR 1.0438 (1.0001–1.0875) and PAR 4.19% at lag 6. Conclusions: Our results reflect the association that exists between PM2.5 concentrations and daily respiratory-cause mortality.
Purification of Giardia muris cysts by velocity sedimentation

Giardia muris cysts were separated from fecal contaminants in primary isolates by unit gravity velocity sedimentation. Crude isolates obtained by centrifugation over 1.0 M sucrose were overlaid onto a Percoll density gradient, 1.01 to 1.03 g/ml. G. muris cysts were well separated from faster-sedimenting fecal debris and slower-sedimenting Spironucleus muris and bacteria in 1.5 h.
The Influence of Quality Inspections on the Optimal Safety Stock Level

Due to yields of less than 50% during the production of curved glass for the displays on their new cell phone series, Samsung has to deal with higher than expected production costs of several million dollars. Where there is random yield, production costs as well as holding costs can be reduced by introducing quality inspections, in which defective items are discarded before further production. To achieve the greatest cost savings, it is important to determine the optimal number and positions of these inspections across the production process which, due to several influencing parameters, is not simple. We show how the positions of inspection within a production process influence the safety stock level that is required to buffer against uncertainties due to demand and yield randomness. Our approach is the first one, combining decisions about the number and positions of inspections with inventory control strategies in a warehouse. We achieve a maximum safety stock reduction of more than 30% in our examples, which can be even larger depending on the parameter setting. For a company like Intel, reporting inventories for finished goods of nearly 1.5 billion dollars in the 2014 annual report, this allows for significant savings.
Responses of Onondaga Lake, New York, to Early Stages of Rehabilitation: Unanticipated Ecosystem Feedbacks

Responses of polluted Onondaga Lake, New York, to early stages of a phased program to rehabilitate the lake from the effects of domestic waste inputs are documented. The analysis is based on more than 10 years of paired monitoring of the effluent (total ammonia and total phosphorus) of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) that discharges to the lake as well as the lake itself (including total ammonia, nitrite, total and dissolved forms of phosphorus, plankton biomass and composition, Secchi disc transparency, and zebra mussel density). Major reductions in total ammonia and total phosphorus loading relative to the preceding decade are reported for the WWTP for the November 1998 through October 1999 interval. Dramatic and, in some cases, unanticipated changes in the lake's water quality and biota in response to the reductions in loading are documented for the April to October interval of 1999 including: (1) major decreases in total ammonia concentrations and improved status with respect to ammonia toxicity standards, (2) development of dense populations of zebra mussels, (3) decreases in fall concentrations of nitrite and improved status with respect to the related toxicity standard, (4) decreases in total phosphorus and total dissolved phosphorus concentrations, and (5) a severe Microcystis (phytoplankton) bloom that caused nuisance conditions and poor clarity. The zebra mussel invasion is attributed to the reductions in total ammonia concentrations to below toxic levels. The Microcystis bloom was probably related to the abrupt increase in the zebra mussel population. Additional reductions in phosphorus loading from the WWTP will be required to limit phytoplankton production and avoid the potential for continued nuisance conditions. Potential complications in resolving lake responses to future reductions in loading associated with the zebra mussel invasion are considered.
Infidelity in the structure of ectopic transcripts: A novel exon in lymphocyte dystrophin transcripts

Ectopic (or “illegitimate”) transcripts have recently become popular as a means of facilitating the study of transcripts normally considered to have a pattern of expression restricted to one or a few tissues. It has been generally assumed that the structure of an ectopic transcript faithfully represents that of its tissue‐specific counterpart. We describe here the inclusion of a novel exon in 50% of ectopic dystrophin transcripts from human peripheral blood lymphocytes. The novel sequence resembles a conserved region in the 3′ untranslated region of members of the carcinoembryonic antigen gene family and lies within the first intron of the human dystrophin gene. This constitutes a significant departure from the expected in vivo splicing behaviour in an ectopic transcript and suggests that there may be exceptions to the assumption that ectopic transcripts are processed in a similar way to their tissue‐specific counterparts. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
High early mortality rate from acute pancreatitis in Scotland, 1984–1995

Death from acute pancreatitis within the first week after admission is usually a consequence of multiple organ dysfunction. Reports from specialist centres suggest that, with improvements in resuscitation and supportive care, such deaths are becoming uncommon but it is unclear if this is reflected in a decrease in early mortality rate from acute pancreatitis in the general population.
Phosphorylation of Transcription Factor Sp1 during Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Infection

ABSTRACT The expression of most herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) immediate-early (IE) and early (E) genes decreases late in productive infection. IE and E promoters contain various binding sites for cellular activators, including sites for Sp1, upstream of the TATA box, while late gene promoters generally lack such sites. To address the possibility that Sp1 function may be altered during the course of infection, the modification state and activity of Sp1 were investigated as a function of infection. Sp1 was quantitatively phosphorylated in HSV-1-infected cells without a significant change in abundance. The kinetics of accumulation of phosphorylated Sp1 immediately preceded the decline in E gene (thymidine kinase gene [tk]) mRNA abundance. Phosphorylation of Sp1 required ICP4; however, the proportion of phosphorylated Sp1 was reduced during infection in the presence of phosphonoacetic acid or in the absence of ICP27. While the DNA binding activity of Sp1 was not greatly affected by phosphorylation, the ability of phosphorylated Sp1 isolated from HSV-infected cells to activate transcription in vitro was decreased. These studies suggest that modification of Sp1 may contribute to the decrease of IE and E gene expression late in infection.
Effects of typical and atypical antipsychotics on neuropeptide Y in rat brain tissue and microdialysates from ventral striatum

The main goal of this study was to investigate effects of typical (haloperidol) and atypical (risperidone) antipsychotic drugs on brain regional neuropeptide Y (NPY)‐like immunoreactivity (‐LI) tissue concentrations and on release of NPY‐LI in freely moving rats. An additional aim was to explore the effect of d‐amphetamine on NPY‐LI release following pretreatment with typical and atypical antipsychotics. During a 4‐week period, male Wistar rats were fed chow to which vehicle, risperidone (1.15 mg/100 g food or 2.3 mg/100 g food), or haloperidol (1.15 mg/100 g food) were added. In one series of experiments, the animals were sacrificed on day 30 with focused microwave irradiation, the brain regions dissected and extracted for radioimmunoassay of NPY‐LI. In another experimental series, probes were inserted into the ventral striatum. The perfusates were collected at 60‐min intervals; NPY‐LI was determinated by radioimmunoassay. Haloperidol significantly increased NPY‐LI in hypothalamus and the occipital cortex. In contrast, haloperidol decreased tissue levels of NPY‐LI in striatum. Moreover, haloperidol and risperidone also significantly decreased extracellular NPY‐LI concentrations in the ventral striatum. d‐amphetamine (1.5 mg/kg) significantly increased extracellular NPY‐LI in the vehicle group. Both haloperidol and risperidone pretreatments abolished the effect of d‐amphetamine. The results show that d‐amphetamine as well as haloperidol and risperidone selectively and specifically affect NPY‐LI concentrations in brain tissue and microdialysates and that the effect of d‐amphetamine is abolished by both typical and atypical antipsychotics. J. Neurosci. Res. 61:458–463, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Digital in vivo 3D atlas of the antennal lobe of Drosophila melanogaster

As a model for primary olfactory perception, the antennal lobe (AL) of Drosophila melanogaster is among the most thoroughly investigated and well‐understood neuronal structures. Most studies investigating the functional properties and neuronal wiring of the AL are conducted in vivo, although so far the AL morphology has been mainly analyzed in vitro. Identifying the morphological subunits of the AL—the olfactory glomeruli—is usually done using in vitro AL atlases. However, the dissection and fixation procedure causes not only strong volumetric but also geometrical modifications; the result is unpredictable dislocation and a distortion of the AL glomeruli between the in vitro and in vivo brains. Hence, to characterize these artifacts, which are caused by in vitro processing, and to reliably identify glomeruli for in vivo applications, we generated a transgenic fly that expresses the red fluorescent protein DsRed directly fused to the presynaptic protein n‐synaptobrevin, under the control of the pan‐neuronal promotor elav to label the neuropil in the live animal. Using this fly line, we generated a digital 3D atlas of the live Drosophila AL; this atlas, the first of its kind, provides an excellent geometric match for in vivo studies. We verified the identity of 63% of AL glomeruli by mapping the projections of 34 GAL4‐lines of individual chemosensory receptor genes. Moreover, we characterized the innervation patterns of the two most frequently used GAL4‐lines in olfactory research: Orco‐ and GH146‐GAL4. The new in vivo AL atlas will be accessible online to the neuroscience community. J. Comp. Neurol. 523:530–544, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Prevalence of different HIV-1 subtypes in sexual transmission in China: a systematic review and meta-analysis

SUMMARY Sexual transmission has become the primary route of HIV transmission in China. Therefore, a comprehensive overview of HIV-1 subtype distribution is necessary for the prevention and control of the HIV epidemic. The present study aimed to provide a comprehensive prevalence estimate of different HIV-1 subtypes in sexual transmission in China. We conducted a systematic literature review for studies of HIV-1 subtypes in English and Chinese through several databases. Eligible articles were screened and selected by two authors independently. Random-effects model were applied to calculate the pooled prevalence of different HIV-1 subtypes, and subgroup analyses examined prevalence estimates across time, locations, and populations. A total of 130 eligible studies were identified, including 18 752 successfully genotyped samples. The pooled prevalence of CRF01_AE, subtype B, CRF07_BC, CRF08_BC, and subtype C were 44·54% (95% CI 40·81–48·30), 18·31% (95% CI 14·71–22·17), 16·45% (95% CI 13·82–19·25), 2·55% (95% CI 1·56–3·73), 0·37% (95% CI 0·11–0·72), respectively. The prevalence of subtype B in sexual transmission decreased, while the prevalence of CRF01_AE and CRF07_BC in sexual transmission, and CRF08_BC in heterosexual transmission increased. There is significant variation in HIV-1 subtype distribution between regions. The distribution of HIV-1 subtypes and circulating recombinant forms have changed significantly. The high genetic variability of HIV-1 poses a significant challenge for disease control and surveillance in China.
From Europeanization to Africanization: The Complexities of the Technological Encounter in the Colonial Era

Through an examination of three case studies, this paper reviews the complexities of the technological encounter in various settings in Africa in the colonial era. Technology played a role in fostering many colonial conflicts, but also enabled many connections, collaborations and opportunities. Together with its destructive role, it was also constructively transformed by local African populations to serve needs that had not been initially anticipated by the colonial administration and agents. In discussing the case studies of guns, railways and bicycles, the paper shows how technology became a site of struggle and negotiation between colonial and local needs, with local populations ultimately investing their own meaning into various technologies. Guns became a valued commodity for trade and livelihood as well as taking on cultural symbolisms; railways presented an opportunity for development, enhanced urbanization and supported new elites; and bicycles were turned into a mark of prestige and social status as well as enablers of entrepreneurship. Thus, while all technologies embody meanings and predetermined usages by those who introduced them to various settings in colonial Africa, once on the ground, these technologies took on range of new meanings and usages that were both functional and conceptual. It will be seen that technologies initially intended to further the colonial agenda ultimately became viable objects for serving local needs and aspirations.
Presence and Emotions in Playing a Group Game in a Virtual Environment: The Influence of Body Participation

This study assesses the influence of body participation on the sense of presence and emotions, and the relationship between the two dependent variables in playing a group game in a virtual environment. A total of 56 volunteers were asked to play a virtual game in a 360-degree stereoscopic immersive interactive visualization environment using either body movement or a joystick. Presence was measured with the post hoc SUS Presence Questionnaire. The pictorial tool of Self-Assessment Manikin was employed for measuring emotions of arousal and valence. Both arousal and valence positively correlated with presence. However, body participation did not significantly affect reported presence or the above-mentioned emotions.
Destination familiarity and favorability in a country-image context: examining Taiwanese travelers’ perceptions of China

ABSTRACT Building on international marketing research on the country-of-origin image effect, this research examines how people evaluate a culturally familiar country as a tourist destination. Derived from a sample of 710 Taiwanese travelers, research findings showed that when evaluating China as a tourist destination, respondents relied on both their general image of the country (country image) as well as tourism-specific perceptions (destination beliefs), while a few respondents with low familiarity with China relied only on their general image of the country to evaluate the destination. The research also showed that respondents with high levels of familiarity with China had more positive destination beliefs, resulting in more favorable destination evaluations; however, country image was found to be persistent and difficult to be changed by destination promoting materials and/or actual visits. The paper concludes with recommendations for destination marketing in the context of international tourism.
A Comprehensive Program Assessment Of The Persistence And Pursuance Of Graduate Degrees Of Undergraduate Research Students At The University Of Texas At El Paso

The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) is an urban, regional university that serves a primarily Hispanic student population. UTEP has developed an academic model that includes curricular and co-curricular activities. A major component of the project, the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program, is a centralized effort providing funding for selected science and engineering undergraduates to participate in research projects under the guidance of a faculty mentor. Program assessment includes qualitative and quantitative assessment and the longitudinal tracking of student participants. The results from this comprehensive study demonstrate that the large majority of students who have participated in this program persist and graduate in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines. To date, 88 percent of the 303 participants have graduated, 6 percent are still enrolled in either the College of Science or College of Engineering (undergraduate), and only 5 percent have stopped out. More than a third (37%) have either earned an advanced degree or are currently pursuing a graduate degree.
The application of simple errors in variables model on real data

The Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) method is the most widely used method to estimate the parameters of regression model. One of the critical assumption of the OLS estimation method is that the regression variables are measured without error. However, in many practical situations this assumption is often violated, whereby both dependent and independent variables are measured with errors. In these situations the OLS estimates lead to inconsistent and biased estimates. Consequently, the parameter estimates do not come closer to the true values, even in very large sample. To remedy this problem, instrumental variables (IV) estimation technique is utilized. In this article we examine some interesting numerical examples which are related to measurement errors. The results show that the IV estimates is more appropriate than the OLS estimates in such situations.