Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of left ventricular volume and mass with breath-hold cine MR imaging.

Left ventricular (LV) volumes and mass were evaluated in 10 healthy volunteers with breath-hold cine magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. The results were compared with those obtained with conventional cine MR imaging. The breath-hold studies showed no ghosting artifact, and cardiac edges were clearly identified because of the reduced blurring. Measurements of LV end-diastolic volume (LVEDV), LV end-systolic volume (LVESV), and LV mass obtained with breath-hold cine MR imaging showed close correlation with those obtained with conventional cine MR imaging (r = .98, .97, and .99, respectively). The interobserver variabilities for LVEDV, LVESV, and LV mass determined with breath-hold cine MR imaging (4.0%, 8.0%, and 3.7%, respectively) were equal to or less than those determined with conventional cine MR imaging (4.0%, 8.6%, and 5.0%, respectively). The authors conclude that breath-hold cine MR imaging is highly useful because an accurate assessment of cardiac function is obtained in less than 5 minutes.
Towards the global elimination of brain damage due to iodine deficiency--the role of the International Council for Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders.

762 International Council for Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders, C/Centre for Health Promotion, Women’s and Children’s Hospital, 72 King William Road, North Adelaide, SA 5006, Australia. E-mail: iccidd@a011.aone. net.au made up of scientists and public health professionals from a range of disciplines available to assist national programmes; (iii) The development of effective national programmes through the UN System.
Beyond the Crystal Structure: Insight into the Function and Vaccine Potential of TbpA Expressed by Neisseria gonorrhoeae

ABSTRACT Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the causative agent of the sexually transmitted infection gonorrhea, is not preventable by vaccination and is rapidly developing resistance to antibiotics. However, the transferrin (Tf) receptor system, composed of TbpA and TbpB, is an ideal target for novel therapeutics and vaccine development. Using a three-dimensional structure of gonococcal TbpA, we investigated two hypotheses, i.e., that loop-derived antibodies can interrupt ligand-receptor interactions in the native bacterium and that the loop 3 helix is a critical functional domain. Preliminary loop-derived antibodies, as well as optimized second-generation antibodies, demonstrated similar modest ligand-blocking effects on the gonococcal surface but different effects in Escherichia coli. Mutagenesis of loop 3 helix residues was employed, generating 11 mutants. We separately analyzed the mutants' abilities to (i) bind Tf and (ii) internalize Tf-bound iron in the absence of the coreceptor TbpB. Single residue mutations resulted in up to 60% reductions in ligand binding and up to 85% reductions in iron utilization. All strains were capable of growing on Tf as the sole iron source. Interestingly, in the presence of TbpB, only a 30% reduction in Tf-iron utilization was observed, indicating that the coreceptor can compensate for TbpA impairment. Complete deletion of the loop 3 helix of TbpA eliminated the abilities to bind Tf, internalize iron, and grow with Tf as the sole iron source. Our studies demonstrate that while the loop 3 helix is a key functional domain, its function does not exclusively rely on any single residue.
Presence of Dalbulus maidis (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) and of Spiroplasma kunkelii in the Temperate Region of Argentina

ABSTRACT “Corn stunt” is one of the main corn (Zea mays L.) diseases in the Americas and Dalbulus maidis (DeLong & Wolcott) is the key vector of the pathogen Spiroplasma kunkelii Whitcomb. In Argentina, the corn-producing area is in the temperate region, where vector and pathogen prevalence levels are unknown. In this study, the prevalence and distribution of D. maidis and S. kunkelii in the temperate region of Argentina and D. maidis overwintering ability in this region were determined. Surveys were conducted in 2005–2006 and 2006–2007 seasons to determine D. maidis and S. kunkelii presence, and in winter 2006 to determine the vector overwintering ability. The highest S. kunkelii prevalence and incidence levels were found in the transition area from the temperate to the subtropical region, related to the highest D. maidis prevalence and insects sampled per location. D. maidis adults were found in volunteer corn plants and spontaneous vegetation in autumn and winter months, which were inoculative for the pathogen S. kunkelii. This overwintering ability was related to detection of D. maidis insects in corn crops at early growth stages in the following growing season. This work emphasizes that corn stunt disease is present in the temperate region of Argentina, and this highlights the need to develop proper agronomic practices like monitoring insect vector populations and controlling voluntary plants. This study also indicates that further research is needed to understand the potential yield reduction caused by this pathogen on symptomless plants and population dynamics of the insect vector.
Designing visual interactive systems in the e-government domain

This paper proposes an approach to improve the work practice currently adopted by a local municipality to create e-government services. The approach is based on meta-design and end-user development. These paradigms allow empowering domain experts, namely civil servants with competencies in government procedures, to design and develop e-government applications to be used by citizens and administrative employees. This requires, on the one hand, to pay attention on the visual interaction aspects of the tools designed to support domain experts, and, on the other hand, to create suitable mechanisms for the automatic generation of user interfaces, application logic and databases. These goals are achieved by conceiving meta-design as a participatory design activity aimed at creating meta-models of e-government applications and suitable tools exploiting such meta-models for code generation.
Resistance to vancomycin and teicoplanin: an emerging clinical problem

Vancomycin and teicoplanin are glycopeptides active against a wide range of gram-positive bacteria. For 30 years following the discovery of vancomycin in 1956, vancomycin resistance was not detected among normally susceptible bacteria recovered from human specimens. Since 1986, however, bacteria resistant to vancomycin or teicoplanin or both have been described. Strains of the genera Leuconostoc, Lactobacillus, Pediococcus, and Erysipelothrix seem inherently resistant to glycopeptides. Species and strains of enterococci and coagulase-negative staphylococci appear to have acquired or developed resistance. There are at least two categories of glycopeptide resistance among enterococci, characterized by either high-level resistance to vancomycin (MIC, greater than or equal to 64 mg/liter) and teicoplanin (MIC, greater than or equal to 8 mg/liter) or lower-level vancomycin resistance (MIC, 32 to 64 mg/liter) and teicoplanin susceptibility (MIC, less than or equal to 1 mg/liter). The two categories appear to have similar resistance mechanisms, although genetic and biochemical studies indicate that they have arisen independently. Among coagulase-negative staphylococci, strains for which vancomycin MICs are up to 20 mg/liter or teicoplanin MICs are 16 to 32 mg/liter have been reported, but cross-resistance between these glycopeptides varies. The selective advantage accorded to glycopeptide-resistant bacteria and the observation that high-level resistance in enterococci is transferable suggest that such resistance may be expected to increase in incidence. Clinicians and microbiologists need to be aware of this emerging problem.
The potential association between fruit intake and body weight – a review

Both national and international bodies recommend an increased intake of fruits and vegetables in order to decrease the risk of overweight and obesity. However, there is a rationale to investigate the separate role of fruits. The aim of this paper was to systematically review and analyse published human intervention, prospective observational and cross‐sectional studies on fruit intake and body weight in adults. We identified three intervention, eight prospective observational and five cross‐sectional studies that explored this relationship. Two of the intervention studies showed that fruit intake reduced body weight, five of the prospective observational studies showed that fruit consumption reduced the risk of developing overweight and obesity, and four of the cross‐sectional studies found an inverse association between fruit intake and body weight. Important methodological differences and limitations in the studies make it difficult to compare results. However, the majority of the evidence points towards a possible inverse association between fruit intake and overweight. Future intervention and prospective observational studies examining the direct and independent role of fruit in body‐weight management in free‐living individuals are needed. Moreover, important determinants such as energy density, energy content, fruit and vegetable consumption, physical form of fruit and preparation methods need to be included in future studies.
An ensemble learning-based fault diagnosis method for rotating machinery

Fault diagnosis is a major concern of the prognostics and health management of rotating machinery. Current practice in fault diagnosis is often challenged by the non-normality, multimodality, and nonlinearity of machinery health monitoring signals and their extracted features. A single classifier used in fault diagnosis fails when all these challenges exist. Thus, in this paper a hybrid ensemble learning method is developed to combine the capability of different classifiers to address the challenges. Diversity among classifiers is desired because diversified classifiers lead to uncorrelated classifications, which improve classification accuracy. In this paper two methods are used to increase the diversity. First, different algorithms compatible with rotating machinery data are included in the decision ensemble to get the diversity among algorithms. Second, multiple bootstrap samples are generated to increase the diversity among training data. Each algorithm is trained by multiple bootstrap samples to get multiple classifiers. At the end, classifiers are trained from different combinations of algorithms and bootstrap samples. A final classification result is obtained from the majority voting of the classifiers. The method was evaluated by the classification of simulated data and through the fault diagnosis of experimental data of bearings. Results show the method works when the challenges exist and the performance of the method is better than that of individual classifiers.
Exposure of Cord Blood to Mycobacterium bovis BCG Induces an Innate Response but Not a T-Cell Cytokine Response

ABSTRACT Despite routine vaccination with Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) soon after birth, tuberculosis in babies and adults remains epidemic in South Africa. The immune responses of the naïve newborn child and how they are affected by vaccination with BCG are as yet not fully understood. Immunity during pregnancy and in healthy human newborns may be skewed toward type 2 cytokine production; however, it is type 1 cytokines that are required for protection against M. tuberculosis infection. To better understand neonatal cytokine responses prior to and following exposure to mycobacteria, we have collected cord blood and peripheral blood samples and evaluated the cytokine response following ex vivo incubation with BCG. Gamma interferon (IFN-γ), interleukin 10 (IL-10), IL-12, and low levels of IL-13 and IL-5 but no IL-4 were secreted into the culture supernatant of cord blood mononuclear cells. Intracellular staining showed that IL-10 and IL-12 were produced by monocytes and that IFN-γ was produced by natural killer (NK) cells but not by CD4+ or CD8+ T cells. In contrast, in the peripheral blood samples collected from babies 13 weeks post-BCG vaccination, IFN-γ was detected within CD4+ and CD8+ cells. Taken together, the data suggest a central role for Th1 cytokines in naïve as well as BCG-vaccinated neonates in the protective immune response to tuberculosis. NK cell-derived IFN-γ produced in naïve neonates likely plays a key protective role via monocyte activation and the priming of a subsequent adaptive Th1 response.
[Biological effects of soluble CD40 ligand on lung cancer cell line A549 and its mechanism].

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE Although the roles of CD40 in B cells have been intensively studied, little is known on the function of CD40 in lung cancer cell lines. This study was to investigate biological effects of soluble CD40 ligand (sCD44L) on lung cancer cell line A549 (CD40 positive), and its possible mechanism. METHODS A549 cells were co-incubated with sCD40L, cell proliferation was detected by MTT assay and 3H-TdR incorporation method. Immunofluorescence technique and flow cytometry (FCM) were used to evaluate changes in cell phenotypes and cell cycle. Cell apoptosis, and expression changes of Bcl-2 and Bax were observed by FCM, reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and Western blot. RESULTS Compared with control cells, proliferation of A549 cells co-incubated with sCD40L was inhibited (P< 0.05). Positive rates of cell surface molecules, CD49e, CD54, TNFRI, and CD95L, in A549 cells co-incubated with sCD40L for 72 h were (61.2+/-4.8)%, (31.2+/-6.1)%,(42.7+/-5.9)%, and (38.2+/-3.4)%, respectively, while those in control cells were (34.7+/-2.1)%, (7.1+/-1.6)%, (15.2+/-4.1)%, and (10.1+/-2.3)%, respectively (P< 0.05). However, positive rate of TNFRII in A549 cells co-incubated with sCD40L[(8.7+/-0.8)%] was lower than that in control cells [(58.1+/-3.6)%] (P< 0.05). G1 phase of A549 cells treated with sCD40L for 72 h was (76.0+/-9.1)%, more than that of control cells [(56.7+/-6.9)%], while S phase of sCD40L-treated A549 cells [(10.3+/-5.7)%] was less than that of control cells [(32.7+/-5.5)%]. No significant apoptosis of A549 cells was observed after co-incubated with sCD40L for 72 h, but Bax expression was up-regulated. CONCLUSION sCD40L may inhibit cell proliferation, cause changes in phenotype and cell cycle of A549 cells, and alter expression of apoptosis-associated gene, such as Bax.
Helping Communal Breeding in Birds: Ecology and Evolution

An overview of the extensive and frequently controversial literature on communally breeding birds developed since the early 1960s, when students of evolution began to examine sociality as a product of natural selection. Jerram Brown provides original data from his own theoretical and empirical studies and summarizes the wide array of results and interpretations made by others.Originally published in 1987.The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These paperback editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.
Improvement of predictive models of risk of disease progression in chronic hepatitis C by incorporating longitudinal data

Existing predictive models of risk of disease progression in chronic hepatitis C have limited accuracy. The aim of this study was to improve upon existing models by applying novel statistical methods that incorporate longitudinal data. Patients in the Hepatitis C Antiviral Long‐term Treatment Against Cirrhosis trial were analyzed. Outcomes of interest were (1) fibrosis progression (increase of two or more Ishak stages) and (2) liver‐related clinical outcomes (liver‐related death, hepatic decompensation, hepatocellular carcinoma, liver transplant, or increase in Child‐Turcotte‐Pugh score to ≥7). Predictors included longitudinal clinical, laboratory, and histologic data. Models were constructed using logistic regression and two machine learning methods (random forest and boosting) to predict an outcome in the next 12 months. The control arm was used as the training data set (n = 349 clinical, n = 184 fibrosis) and the interferon arm, for internal validation. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for longitudinal models of fibrosis progression was 0.78 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.74‐0.83) using logistic regression, 0.79 (95% CI 0.77‐0.81) using random forest, and 0.79 (95% CI 0.77‐0.82) using boosting. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for longitudinal models of clinical progression was 0.79 (95% CI 0.77‐0.82) using logistic regression, 0.86 (95% CI 0.85‐0.87) using random forest, and 0.84 (95% CI 0.82‐0.86) using boosting. Longitudinal models outperformed baseline models for both outcomes (P < 0.0001). Longitudinal machine learning models had negative predictive values of 94% for both outcomes. Conclusions: Prediction models that incorporate longitudinal data can capture nonlinear disease progression in chronic hepatitis C and thus outperform baseline models. Machine learning methods can capture complex relationships between predictors and outcomes, yielding more accurate predictions; our models can help target costly therapies to patients with the most urgent need, guide the intensity of clinical monitoring required, and provide prognostic information to patients. (Hepatology 2015;61:1832–1841)
Second surgery for recurrent glioblastoma: advantages and pitfalls

Deciding upon the therapeutic approach for patients with recurrent glioblastoma is a challenge. Although second surgery may provide effective palliation, it has yet to be established whether it prolongs survival and/or improves quality of life; nor have data been reported in literature to demonstrate that repeat surgery is indicated for patients with recurrence. The few studies investigating this issue are retrospective and have been conducted on small series, and their data sets are not homogeneous. The aim of the present study was, therefore, to analyze predictors of outcome in patients with recurrent glioblastoma and to make a critical of review of data in literature with a view to comparing the effect on outcome of second surgery against well-known prognostic determinants.
A Qualitative Analysis of Minority Students' Educational Experiences

Despite recent attempts to increase the diversity of nurses, minority nurses remain underrepresented. This may be due in part to failure to progress in nursing programs as well as low admission rates. Barriers to admission have been found to be related to poor preparation for college level work, lack of financial resources to pay for college education and lack of interest in the nursing major (AACN, 2013). After admission to university, barriers to progression have been identified: feelings of social isolation and a lack of peer bonds, stress and anxiety, financial concerns and a dearth of role models (Murray, 2016). Proposed Cycle
TORC1 Inhibition Induces Lipid Droplet Replenishment in Yeast

ABSTRACT Lipid droplets (LDs) are intracellular structures that regulate neutral lipid homeostasis. In mammals, LD synthesis is inhibited by rapamycin, a known inhibitor of the mTORC1 pathway. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, LD dynamics are modulated by the growth phase; however, the regulatory pathways involved are unknown. Therefore, we decided to study the role of the TORC1 pathway on LD metabolism in S. cerevisiae. Interestingly, rapamycin treatment resulted in a fast LD replenishment and growth inhibition. The discovery that osmotic stress (1 M sorbitol) also induced LD synthesis but not growth inhibition suggested that the induction of LDs in yeast is not a secondary response to reduced growth. The induction of LDs by rapamycin was due to increased triacylglycerol but not sterol ester synthesis. Induction was dependent on the TOR downstream effectors, the PP2A-related phosphatase Sit4p and the regulatory protein Tap42p. The TORC1-controlled transcriptional activators Gln3p, Gat1p, Rtg1p, and Rtg3p, but not Msn2p and Msn4p, were required for full induction of LDs by rapamycin. Furthermore, we show that the deletion of Gln3p and Gat1p transcription factors, which are activated in response to nitrogen availability, led to abnormal LD dynamics. These results reveal that the TORC1 pathway is involved in neutral lipid homeostasis in yeast.
Influence of bio-attapulgite on dissolved organic matters (DOM) removal in dynamic membrane reactor

Membrane bioreactor (MBR) fouling is influenced not only by the concentration of dissolved organic matters (DOM) but by their characteristics. This paper examined the effect of bio-attapulgite on DOM removal mechanisms in a dynamic membrane bioreactor (DMBR). Results indicated the dissolved organic matters (DOM) in the attapulgite-added DMBR system decomposed obviously faster than in the DMBR system. Hence, the attapulgite-added DMBR system had a higher DOM removal rate in term of DOC and UV254 concentration. Due to the hybrid effect of adsorption and co-precipitation on dissolved organic matters after the addition of attapulgite, the positive effects of attapulgite adjunction allowed mitigation of membrane fouling. The characteristics of DOM in the two bioreactors considerably differed as excitation-emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence spectroscopy revealed. The molecular weight distribution analyzed by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) was affected by attapulgite-addition. The microorganisms and their extracellular polymer substances could bind attapulgite particles tightly to form bio-attapulgite particles. The attapulgite-added DMBR system could more effectively remove the hydrophilic fraction of dissolved organic matters than the DMBR system.
The impact of management leadership on quality performance throughout a supply chain: an empirical study

Today, quality has become the essence of competitive advantage for all enterprises. As competition moves beyond a single firm into the supply chain, the focus is shifted from the management of internal quality practices alone to integrating these practices with those of external supply chain partners. All quality management models strongly emphasise the importance of leadership in a company’s top management to success in quality improvement and business excellence. Modern leadership theories have focused on transformational and transactional types of leadership. The literature suggests that the leadership capability in the form of the transformational style is the key determinant to success in all quality management practices and business excellence models. This empirical study investigates the influence of managers’ transformational leadership (TL) style on a firm’s quality performance from a supply chain perspective. An online survey of quality-related managers of enterprises operating in Turkey is conducted to measure the TL characteristics of managers and their impact on firms’ quality performance. A proposed research model and hypothesis are tested by using a Structural Equation Model. The results show that the level of the TL style of managers has a significant and positive impact on a firm’s supply chain quality performance.