Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Seasonal occurrence of Campylobacter spp. in surface waters and their correlation with standard indicator bacteria

Campylobacter jejuni, Campylobacter coli, and a Campylobacter-like organism were isolated from a number of natural water sources in central Washington, including ponds, lakes, and small mountain streams at elevations ranging from 1,460 to 5,400 feet (ca. 445 to 1,646 m) above sea level. At the two sites where extensive sampling was done, the bacteria were recovered throughout the year. Generally, the recovery rates were highest in the fall and winter months and lowest during the spring and summer months. Campylobacter density did not show significant correlation with microbiological (plate counts of fecal and total coliforms, fecal streptococci, and heterotrophic bacteria) or physical (water temperature, pH, and conductivity) parameters.
Isoflurane but not Fentanyl Causes Apoptosis in Immature Primary Neuronal Cells

Received: December 29, 2016 Revised: March 03, 2017 Accepted: March 09, 2017 Abstract: Background: Anaesthetics are widely used in new-borns and preterm infants, although it is known that they may adversely affect the developing brain. Objective: We assessed the impact of the volatile anaesthetic, isoflurane, and the intravenous analgesic, fentanyl, on immature and mature embryonic neuronal cells. Methods: Primary neuronal cultures from embryonic rats (E18) cultured for 5 (immature) or 15 days (mature) in vitro (DIV), respectively, were exposed to isoflurane (1.5 Vol.%) or fentanyl (0.8 200 ng/ml) for 24 hours. Experiments were repeated in the presence of the γamino butyric acid-A (GABAA) receptor antagonists, bicuculline or picrotoxin (0.1 mmol/l), or the pancaspase inhibitor zVAD-fmk (20 nmol/l). Cell viability was assessed by methyltetrazolium (MTT) metabolism or lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release. Results: Isoflurane reduced cell viability significantly in primary neuronal cells cultured for 5 DIV (Δ MTT -28 ±13%, Δ LDH +143 ±15%). Incubation with bicuculline, picrotoxin or zVAD-fmk protected the cells mostly from isoflurane toxicity. After 15 DIV, cell viability was not reduced by isoflurane. Viability of primary neurons cultured for 5 DIV did not change with fentanyl over the wide range of concentrations tested. Conclusion: Immature primary neurons may undergo apoptosis following exposure to isoflurane but are unaffected by fentanyl. Mature primary neurons were not affected by isoflurane exposure.
Evaluation de la sûreté de fonctionnement informatique. Fautes physiques, fautes de conception, malveillances

Les travaux resumes dans ce memoire ont pour cadre la surete de fonctionnement des systemes informatiques. Ils couvrent plusieurs aspects complementaires, a la fois theoriques et experimentaux, que nous avons groupes en quatre themes. Le premier theme traite de la definition de methodes permettant de faciliter la construction et la validation de modeles complexes pour l'analyse et l'evaluation de la surete de fonctionnement. Deux approches sont considerees : les reseaux de Petri stochastiques generalises et la simulation comportementale en presence de fautes. Le deuxieme theme traite de la modelisation de la croissance de fiabilite pour evaluer l'evolution de la fiabilite et de la disponibilite des systemes en tenant compte de l'elimination progressive des fautes de conception. Ces travaux sont completes par la definition d'une methode permettant de faciliter la mise en ? uvre d'une etude de fiabilite de logiciel dans un contexte industriel. Le troisieme theme concerne la definition et l'experimentation d'une approche pour l'evaluation quantitative de la securite-confidentialite. Cette approche permet aux administrateurs des systemes de suivre l'evolution de la securite operationnelle quand des modifications, susceptibles d'introduire de nouvelles vulnerabilites, surviennent dans la configuration operationnelle, les applications, le comportement des utilisateurs, etc. Enfin, le quatrieme theme porte d'une part, sur l'elaboration d'un modele de developpement destine a la production de systemes surs de fonctionnement, et d'autre part, sur la definition de criteres d'evaluation visant a obtenir une confiance justifiee dans l'aptitude des systemes a satisfaire leurs exigences de surete de fonctionnement, en operation et jusqu'au retrait du service.
User profile creation based on navigation pattern for modeling user behaviour with personalised search

Web Usage Mining (WUM) is the process of extracting knowledge from Web users access data by exploiting Data Mining techniques. It mines the secondary data (web logs) derived from the user interaction with the web pages during certain period of Web sessions. In the present research work, a hybrid method is proposed, which uses the ant-based clustering and LCS classification methods to find and predict user's navigation behaviour. Thus user profile can be tracked in dynamic pages. Personalized search can be used to address challenge in the web search community, based on the premise that a user's general preference may help the search engine disambiguate the true intention of a query. Each user can view searching history along with ranking. In this paper, how a search engine can learn a user's preference automatically based on area of interest and how it can use the user preference to personalize search results.
Inhibition of cystathionine- -synthase activity during renal ischemia-reperfusion: role of pH and nitric oxide

Prathapasinghe GA, Siow YL, Xu Z, O K. Inhibition of cystathionine-synthase activity during renal ischemia-reperfusion: role of pH and nitric oxide. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 295: F912–F922, 2008. First published August 13, 2008; doi:10.1152/ajprenal.00040. 2008. —Our recent study (Prathapasinghe GA, Siow YL, O K. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 292: F1354–F1363, 2007) indicates that homocysteine (Hcy) plays a detrimental role in ischemia-reperfusion-induced renal injury. Elevation of renal Hcy concentration during ischemia-reperfusion is attributed to reduced activity of cystathionine-synthase (CBS) that catalyzes the ratelimiting step in the transsulfuration pathway for the metabolism of the majority of Hcy in the kidney. However, the mechanisms of impaired CBS activity in the kidney are unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of pH and nitric oxide (NO) on the CBS activity in the kidney during ischemia-reperfusion. The left kidney of a Sprague-Dawley rat was subjected to ischemia-reperfusion. The CBS activity was significantly reduced in kidneys subjected to ischemia alone (15–60 min) or subjected to ischemia followed by reperfusion for 1–24 h. The pH was markedly reduced in kidneys upon ischemia. Injection of alkaline solution into the kidney partially restored the CBS activity during ischemia. Further analysis revealed that reduction of CBS activity during reperfusion was accompanied by an elevation of NO metabolites (nitrate and nitrite) in the kidney tissue. Injection of a NO scavenger, 2-phenyl-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide (PTIO), restored the CBS activity in the kidneys subjected to ischemia-reperfusion. Treatment with PTIO could abolish ischemiareperfusion-induced lipid peroxidation and prevent cell death in the kidney. These results suggested that metabolic acidosis during ischemia and accumulation of NO metabolites during reperfusion contributed, in part, to reduced CBS activity leading to an elevation of renal Hcy levels, which in turn, played a detrimental role in the kidney.
Auditor-Relevant Congressional Committees and Audit Quality

We investigate whether the supply of audit quality is associated with auditors’ incentives to avoid political costs from audit failure. We find that in states with powerful political representation on U.S. congressional committees charged with auditor oversight responsibilities, auditors supply higher quality audited earnings, issue more going concern and internal control weakness opinions, and are less likely to be associated with fraud-related regulatory enforcement action. In addition, two distinct exogenous shocks to auditors’ exposure to politically motivated audit failure costs affect the supply of audit quality. Our results are robust to the inclusion of firm fixed effects, and controls for the presence of political connections. Our paper is among the first to examine the disciplinary role of U.S. congressional committees on auditors’ real actions, and to show that auditors’ politically related incentives to supply audit quality are distinct and incremental to well-established reputation and litigation related incentives.
[Prevalence of genital Chlamydia trachomatis infection in the age group 18-29 years in Oslo].

BACKGROUND Earlier Norwegian prevalence studies of genital C. trachomatis infection have mainly been carried out among women and in selected patient groups. We decided to do a population-based prevalence study among young men and women in Oslo. The study was done within the framework of the new Norwegian list patient system, in which each citizen is assigned to one particular doctor. METHODS Cross-sectional study. All patients 18-29 years old listed with a group practice in Oslo received a personal letter of invitation. We asked each person to submit a urine sample and fill in a questionnaire. The urinary samples were tested by means of a DNA amplification method. Non-respondents received one reminder. RESULTS 685 persons were invited to participate, 234 responded (36%); 169 females (43%) and 65 males (25%). A total of 6 respondents (3%, 95% CI 1.2-5.5) tested positively, 4 of them were males. At least 51% of the females and 25% of the males had previously been examined for C. trachomatis, and at least 18% of the females and 8% of the males had received treatment. A total of 70% stated that they would see their doctor if they suspected a genital chlamydial infection. INTERPRETATION Opportunistic testing for C. trachomatis infection should be offered more frequently to young men. A national prevalence study of genital chlamydial infection should be carried out. The new list patient system offers new opportunities for research in primary medical care in Norway.
Randomized Controlled Trial of a Novel Device for Tinnitus Sound Therapy During Sleep.

Purpose The aim of this study was to determine if a customized stimulus from the Otoharmonics Levo System reduces tinnitus perceptions and reactions for people with bothersome tinnitus. Method Sixty participants were randomized to 1 of 3 groups that used sound therapy devices during sleep that differed in their acoustic stimulus: (a) tinnitus-matched (TM), (b) noise stimulus (NS), and (c) bedside sound generator (BSG). Outcome measures were the Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI), numeric rating scale of tinnitus loudness, and tinnitus loudness match. A Bayesian hierarchical model was fit to estimate the differences in treatment efficacy among groups. Results Average tinnitus reactions and perceptions improved across treatment groups. We are at least 87% certain that treatment with TM or NS reduces mean TFI compared to treatment with BSG, with an estimated relative efficacy of 4.5-5 points greater reduction. We are at least 95% certain that treatment with TM results in greater reduction in mean numeric rating scale (NRS) of tinnitus loudness compared to the other groups, with an estimated relative efficacy of about 0.75 points greater reduction. Conclusions This study offers some support for greater average improvement in reactions to tinnitus with TM or NS devices compared to the BSG device. The TM group, compared to the BSG and NS groups, showed a greater reduction in ratings of tinnitus loudness on the NRS on average. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.5545759.
The split anterior tibial tendon transfer in the treatment of spastic varus hindfoot of childhood.

The authors take the lateral half of the anterior tibia1 tendon, transferring it first proximally and subsequently laterally into the cuboid for spastic varus deformities, which have been brought to a plantigrade position by preoperative casts. Sometimes additional surgery, to achieve plantigrade posture, had to be performed at the time of this procedure. Sixteen patients with 21 transfers had gait improvement in all cases, with one failure of transfer function. The procedure was designed on the basis of kinesiology EMG studies, finding the anterior tibia1 tendon to be shown in appropriate hyperactivity. This preoperative EMG screening constitutes a distinct surgical indication for this approach. -Anthony H. Alter
Locating Optimal Electrodes Placement via Microelectrode Recording in General Anesthetic Patients During Deep Brain Stimulation

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is one of promising therapy to treat advanced Parkinson's disease. During DBS operation, general anesthetic induction has been shown an alternative procedure to avoid patient's discomfort under local anesthesia. Meanwhile, microelectrode recording (MER) is a guide of optimal placement in the brain. However, the inhibition of power of neural spiking is assumed by the general anesthesia during the process. Therefore, we use median nerve stimulation (MNS) to enhance them. At the same time, the power of background noise is also enhanced. Then, it makes MER be poor to determine the optimal electrode placement. In this study, we present a methodology including spike detection, fast Fourier transformation and power spectrum analysis for analyzing MER. Through these results, MER data can be successfully utilized for tracking dorsolateral sub thalamic nucleus (STN) to ensure optimal electrode location.
Covariation in Oxidative Stress Markers in the Blood of Nestling and Adult Birds

Interest in the imbalance between the production of reactive oxygen species and the state of the antioxidant machinery—that is, oxidative stress—has recently grown among comparative physiologists and evolutionary/behavioral ecologists. The number and types of markers used to estimate oxidative stress is, however, under debate. The study of covariation among these markers is necessary to better interpret the information content of each independent variable. Here, the covariation in levels of 10 blood parameters in a group of zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) as nestlings and adults was analyzed across a large data set. Total glutathione levels in erythrocytes were negatively correlated with plasma carotenoid values in nestlings only, supporting the implication of carotenoids in the antioxidant machinery during a particularly stressful period of life. Plasma lipid levels (triglycerides [TRGs]) as well as plasma antioxidant capacity—the latter tested with and without control for uric acid levels—showed individual consistency with age. Plasma TRG and uric acid levels were strongly correlated with plasma lipid peroxidation and antioxidant capacity, respectively, suggesting an influence of recent intake or mobilization of energy stores on these variables. The meaning of oxidative stress markers, whether corrected or uncorrected for levels of nutritional metabolites, remains to be explored. Experiments manipulating diet composition and oxidative stress are necessary to confirm or reject the hypothesized causalities.
HPV-Positive Cervical Cancer Cells Show Generally Reduced Levels of IFN-Alpha

Cervical cancer is typically induced by the presence of Human papillomavirus, or HPV, the most common viral sexually transmitted infection in the United States. The presence of HPV has been shown to reduce the body’s antiviral response by decreasing the levels of IRF-3, which is a transcription factor that controls the Interferon (IFN) antiviral proteins, within infected human cells. As an extension of these studies, we compared IFN-α levels in HPVpositive and HPV-negative cervical cancer cell lines. ELISA analysis was used to determine IFN-α protein levels in supernatants from cultured cell lines. Consistent trends suggest that HPV-positive cervical cancer cells show a reduction in IFN-α secreted when compared to HPV-negative cervical cancer cells, though significance was not found between the two cell lines. A reduction in IFN-α by HPV suggests HPV’s ability to evade the body’s immune response to viral infections. Understanding this mechanism may provide further insight into the development of cervical cancer.
Development of a Bayesian Network for the Prognosis of Head Injuries using Graphical Model Selection Techniques

Abstract: The assessment of a head-injured patient’s prognosis is a task that involves the evaluation of diverse sources of information. In this study we propose an analytical approach, using a Bayesian Network (BN), of combining the available evidence. The BN’s structure and parameters are derived by learning techniques applied to a database (600 records) of seven clinical and laboratory findings. The BN produces quantitative estimations of the prognosis after 24 hours for head-injured patients in the outpatients department. Alternative models are compared and their performance is tested against the success rate of an expert neurosurgeon.
GM2‐gangliosidosis with total hexosaminidase deficiency

CEREBRAL G~,-GANGLIOSIDOSIS had been considered a biochemically uniform entity since the discovery of the stored material, ganglioside, by Klenkl and since subsequent characterization of Tay-Sachs ganglioside ( GM2) by Svennerholmz and Ledeen and Salsman.3 However, in 1968, Sandhoff et aL4 and Pilz et a1.6 reported “an exceptional case of Tay-Sachs disease” in which hexosaminidase (in this paper used as a generic term for both N-acetyl-betaglucosaminidase and N-acetyl-beta-galactosaminidase) was almost completely absent in brain and visceral organs. Total hexosaminidase is normal or even increased in classical TaySachs disease, when measured in whole tissue without electrophoretic separation into subcomponents. Another biochemical feature of this exceptional case was storage of a globoside in visceral organs, a kature not recognized in other cases of G,,-gangliosidosis. O’BrienG briefly mentioned a similar case with total hexosaminidase deficiency, but no details were given. We recently had the opportunity to study the third known case of this disease. In this paper, we report clinical, morphological, and biochemical findings, which confirm most of the findings in the original case415 and provide additional information.
Multisine excitation for ACPR measurements

We use a simulator to compare adjacent-channel power ratio (ACPR) measurements of a nonlinear device excited with various multisine signals to ACPR measurements of the same device excited with pseudorandom digital modulation. We examine four common types of multisine excitation, each with identical numbers of tones, tone-spacings, and nominal power levels, but with different magnitude and phase relationships between tones. We show that use of some common multisines may result in significant overestimation of the actual ACPR from the digitally modulated nonlinear device.
Helical domains that mediate lipid solubilization and ABCA1-specific cholesterol efflux in apolipoproteins C-I and A-II[S]

Many of the apolipoproteins in HDL can elicit cholesterol efflux via ABCA1, a critical initial step in HDL formation. Recent work has indicated that omnipresent amphipathic helices play a critical role, and these have been studied intensively in the most common HDL protein, apolipoprotein (apo)A-I. However, little information exists about helical domain arrangement in other apolipoproteins. We studied two of the smallest apolipoproteins known to interact with ABCA1, human apoA-II and apoC-I, in terms of ability to reorganize phospholipid (PL) bilayers and to promote ABCA1-mediated cholesterol. We found that both proteins contained helical domains that were fast and slow with respect to solubilizing PL. ABCA1-medated efflux required a minimum of a bihelical polypeptide comprised of at least one each of a slow and fast lipid reorganizing domain. In both proteins, the fast helix was located at the C terminus preceded by a slow helix. Helical placement in apoC-I was not critical for ABCA1 activity, but helix swaps in apoA-II dramatically disrupted cholesterol efflux, indicating that the tertiary structure of the longer apolipoprotein is important for the pathway. This work has implications for a more complete molecular understanding of apolipoprotein-mediated cholesterol efflux.
Forensic Psychiatric Patients’ Perspectives on Their Care: A Narrative View

PURPOSE The purpose of this study is to describe forensic psychiatric patients' experiences of and perspectives on forensic psychiatric treatment. DESIGN AND METHODS Eight forensic psychiatric patients were interviewed, and the resultant research material was analyzed by narrative analysis. FINDINGS Patients' narratives contain different themes telling different things and the personnel need to pay attention to these. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS The findings of the present study should direct the forensic psychiatric personnel's attention to the notion that forensic psychiatric patients' experiences of their treatment can improve the quality of patient-centered care and reduce bureaucracy.
Multifractional Processes in Finance

There is a growing consensus that fundamental financial theory based on the assumption that markets are complete is not sustainable when financial markets become increasingly complex. Traditional models fail to capture many of the stylized facts and biases identified by recent financial developments that have sought to explain financial prices when markets are incomplete. These approaches, and in particular behavioral finance, in turn, do not formalize and quantify the assumptions their approaches are based on, which are required for financial calculations and assets pricing. One of the open questions is therefore whether a model exists that is able to deduce the overall equilibrium stated by the current paradigm as a sequence of balancing disequilibria. To this aim, a class of stochastic models - the multifractional processes - is suggested and presented in this paper. Multifractional processes are defined as a generalization of fractional Brownian motion, providing a parsimonious mechanisms for modeling real financial markets. This approach includes temporary departures from equilibrium triggered by investors' biases.
Differential thermosensitivity in mixed syndrome cardiac sodium channel mutants

The E1784K mixed syndrome mutant of the cardiac voltage‐gated sodium channel, NaV1.5, responds differently to temperature changes compared to the R1193Q mutant and wild‐type (WT) NaV1.5. In E1784K, elevated temperature causes a larger increase in persistent current; there is also an increase in use‐dependent inactivation at 1 Hz, which is not apparent at 3 Hz. WT NaV1.5 and R1193Q channels respond similarly to temperature changes. Action potential modelling (from extrapolated temperature coefficient (Q10)values) predicts the effects of differential temperature sensitivity on the cardiac action potential: greater attenuation of the epicardial action potential occurs in E1784K as temperature shifts from hypothermic to hyperthermic conditions, and when transient outward potassium currents are increased. The results from the action potential model predict that, at febrile temperatures, E1784K channels results in a larger transmural voltage gradient. Hyperthermia exacerbates the Brugada syndrome 1 (BrS1) phenotype, which may be arrhythmogenic in E1784K mutants.