Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hazards of laundry products used in the newborn nursery.

Published reports and unpublished communications to the Committee on Drugs of the American Academy of Pediatrics indicate that substances potentially hazardous to the premature and full-term newborn infant continue to be used in the laundering of clothing, diapers, and bedding for hospital nurseries. In 1962 the Subcommittee on Accidental Poisoning called attention to occurrences of methemoglobinemia in premature and full-term newborn infants whose diapers were autoclaved after a final laundry rinse with the bacteriostatic agent, 3-4-4' trichlorocarbanilide (TCC). 1 Subsequent reports in the pediatric literature confirmed and added to these "epidemics" of neonatal methemoglobinemia2-4 and suggested that aniline–a wellknown cause of methemoglobinemia5–resulting from the break-down of TCC during autoclaving, was absorbed from diapers and other nursery clothing through the skin of the infants. Although direct proof of the etiologic role of TCC is lacking, the association is of sufficient concern that the forthcoming Academy manual, Standards and Recommendations for Hospital Care of Newborn Infants, Second Edition, makes reference to the hazards of using TCC. Although a limited and informal survey of hospital nurseries in the United States and Canada indicates that most hospital laundry procedures have abandoned TCC in treating clothing and bed linens of newborn infants, sporadic instances of neonatal methemoglobinemia associated with exposure to this substance still come to the attention of local, state, and national health agencies, manufacturers, and the Committee on Drugs. In 1967, deaths and severe illness occurred in epidemic form in the newborn nursery of a small Midwestern maternity hospital.6 Investigation revealed that the sodium salt of pentachlorophenol (PCP)— which was present in the antimicrobial neutralizer product used in the final rinse of the laundry process for diapers, infant undershirts, and crib linens for the nursery–intoxicated babies by percutaneous absorption.7
Avian Influenza

Forgotten People, Forgotten Diseases is an interesting and highly informative book about the global status of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Author Peter Hotez introduces NTDs by describing them in general, their historical importance and global impact, and their shared characteristics. According to Hotez, NTDs are among the most common infections from antiquity and occur in the world’s poorest people. Their distribution and health and economic effects are similar to those of AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis. NTDs, however, are much less well known than these diseases and frequently display high rates of illness but few deaths, promote poverty, and create profound social stigma. Twelve well-illustrated chapters address the important NTDs, including soil-transmitted helminth infections, schistosomiasis, filariasis, onchocerciasis, trachoma, mycobacterial infections, trypanosomiasis, leishmaniasis, dengue, leptospirosis, and rabies. Hotez discusses what these diseases are, where they occur, and who they affect. The final chapters focus on prospects to prevent and control NTDs and the need for additional advocacy. Hotez emphasizes the need for new safer and more effective drugs, as well as for so-called “anti-poverty vaccines,” which by promoting health will open doors to economic advancement and stability, goals that have been all but impossible in developing countries, largely because of NTDs. Few people are more qualified to write such a book than Hotez, president of the Sabin Vaccine Institute and a pioneer in hookworm molecular genetics, physiology, immunology, and pathogenesis. This easy-to-read and up-to-date text undoubtedly will prove useful to graduate students, volunteers, advocates, healthcare professionals, and others interested in global health and equality. Forgotten People, Forgotten Diseases is an essential read for every serious student of tropical medicine and global infectious diseases.
The simulation research on electric arc furnace combined model based on MATLAB

This paper first briefly introduces several kinds of typical model of electric arc furnace model and its scope of application, including the harmonic voltage source model, energy balance model and the time-varying resistance model, then build the simulation model and analysis its operating characteristics for each model in MTALAB/Simulink simulation. finally, this paper puts forward a kind of electric arc furnace combination model based on different models, combines the advantages of each model and the feasibility of the model is verified by practical example simulation.
Controlling Mammalian Gene Expression by Allosteric Hepatitis Delta Virus Ribozymes

We engineered small molecule responsive allosteric ribozymes based on the genomic hepatitis delta virus (HDV) ribozyme by replacing the P4-L4 stem-loop with an RNA aptamer through a connector stem. When embedded in the 3′ untranslated region of a reporter gene mRNA, these RNA devices enabled regulation of cis-gene expression by theophylline and guanine by up to 29.5-fold in mammalian cell culture. Furthermore, a NOR logic gate device was constructed by placing two engineered ribozymes in tandem, demonstrating the modularity of the RNA devices. The significant improvement in the regulatory dynamic range (ON/OFF ratio) of the RNA devices based on the HDV ribozyme should provide new opportunities for practical applications.
Internet and eBusiness

There are few things in the world, which had a mayor influence on the economy. The introduction of electricity was one - eBusiness and the Internet might be the next. The new economy, as it is called, is constantly changing and challenging organizations. Globalization, cost reduction, customer relationship management and the faster changing markets have a strong impact on companies. Enterprises need to adapt to change faster than ever to stay competitive and face the transition to the e-economy. Many people only see in eBusiness the selling and marketing of products and services via the Internet. But reality shows that this opinion does not hold any ground. The purpose of this paper is to give an overview about eBusiness including definitions, perceptions and models. The main part of this work addresses the importance of the whole value chain and defined business processes within an organization. Michael E. Porter' value chain model will be used to provide a general idea about value chains within an organization. The second part brings the "basic" value chain in relation to eBusiness and illustrates the importance of it for companies and organizations.
The prevalence of overweight and obesity among undergraduate health sciences students.

PURPOSE The purposes of this study were to (1) determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity among female health science college students, and (2) determine if there is a relationship among certain socio-demographic characteristics and overweight and obesity in this population. RESEARCH DESIGN A descriptive correlation design was used to conduct this study. METHODS A convenience sample of 151 undergraduate health science students officially enrolled in College participated in the study. A socio-demographic questionnaire, a digital bathroom scale and a standard tape measure were used for data collection. The socio-demographic questionnaire will be used to obtained demographic data and self report weight and height. The digital bathroom scale and the tape measure were use to obtain measured weight and height respectively, was used to obtain the measured weight and the standard tape measure will be used to obtain the measured height. True body weight will be determined using the Body Mass Index (BMI). DATA ANALYSIS Descriptive statistics including frequencies, percentages and means will be used to describe the characteristics of the sample and to determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity in the sample. Spearman Rho Correlation analysis was conducted to determine the relationship among socio-demographic characteristics and overweight and obesity. ANOVA was calculated to determine if there were differences in BMI based on grade level. FINDINGS The majority of the sample was female, African American and ranged in age from 18-49 years of age. Over 40% of the sample was overweight or obese (42.8%): 24.3% were classified as overweight with a BML from 25.1 to 29.6 and 18.4% were classified as obese with a BMI over 30. There was no significant difference in BMI among the participants based on grade level. Family history and age were positively correlated with BMI. CONCLUSION The results of this study indicate important if not conclusive evidence that overweight and obesity exist among the sample of predominantly female, African American undergraduate health science students. More research is needed in this area and should include other variables such as childhood obesity, and dietary patterns. IMPLICATIONS Obesity is associated with many significant health problems. Health care providers should screen for obesity using the body mass index.
Association between ENOS gene polymorphism and cardiovascular events in nondiabetic hemodialysis patients: a prospective study.

BACKGROUND Synthesis of nitric oxide by endothelial nitric oxide synthase (ENOS) plays a key role in the atherosclerotic process. Several polymorphisms of the gene encoding ENOS are now known and have been investigated with respect to their influence on cardiovascular disease risk in the general population. The authors prospectively investigated whether ENOS gene polymorphisms determined the risk of cardiovascular complications in a cohort of hemodialysis patients. METHODS A total of 335 nondiabetic hemodialysis patients were genotyped for 3 ENOS polymorphisms (T-786-->C, intron 4, and Glu298Asp polymorphism) and were followed up prospectively for a mean of 44.2 +/- 9.0 months. The end-points of the study were major cardiac, cerebrovascular, or peripheral vascular events. RESULTS Two ENOS polymorphisms were associated with cardiovascular events: a T to C substitution at position -786 of the promoter and a deletion-insertion in intron 4 (the a allele having 4 repeats of a consensus sequence and the b allele having 5 repeats). A total of 84 subjects were -786C carriers (CC+TC), and 15 (18%) suffered from cardiovascular events compared with only 13 of 251 TT patients (5%). The relative risk of cardiovascular events was higher for -786C carriers compared with noncarriers (relative risk: 2.05, P = 0.0003). It was also higher for a allele carriers (intron 4 polymorphism) compared with noncarriers (relative risk: 1.97, P = 0.0005). CONCLUSION T-786-->C polymorphism and intron 4 polymorphism, but not Glu298Asp polymorphism, of the ENOS gene can influence the risk of cardiovascular events in Japanese nondiabetic hemodialysis patients.
Semi-invasive attacks: a new approach to hardware security analysis

Semiconductor chips are used today not only to control systems, but also to protect them against security threats. A continuous battle is waged between manufacturers who invent new security solutions, learning their lessons from previous mistakes, and the hacker community, constantly trying to break implemented protections. Some chip manufacturers do not pay enough attention to the proper design and testing of protection mechanisms. Even where they claim their products are highly secure, they do not guarantee this and do not take any responsibility if a device is compromised. In this situation, it is crucial for the design engineer to have a convenient and reliable method of testing secure chips.
3-Pentanone 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazone

Crystals of the title compound, C11H14N4O4, were obtained from a condensation reaction of 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine and 3-pentanone. In the crystal structure, the molecule, except one methyl group, displays a nearly planar structure. The imino group links to the adjacent nitro group via intramolecular hydrogen bonding. The partially overlapped arrangement and face-to-face separation of 3.410 (9) Å between parallel benzene rings indicate the existence of π–π stacking between adjacent molecules. The crystal structure also contains weak intermolecular C—H⋯O hydrogen bonding.
Barbarians in Chains - Takeover Regulation and Minority Shareholder Wealth

This article proposes a model that formalises the trade-off minority shareholders of corporate raiders face with respect to the adoption of a mandatory tender offer after a shift in control. Under reasonable distributional assumptions about control and security benefits the model suggest that minority shareholders profit from the adoption of the mandatory bid rule. A subsequent empirical study supports this Takeover Code, which introduced the mandatory bid rule in 1995. A fully efficient maximum likelihood estimator is derived for a trivariate regression model that estimates characteristics of corporate acquirers, takes account of the endogeneity of the acceptance decision, and explains the abnormal event-period returns.
Lupus and Pregnancy

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) disproportionately affects women in their reproductive age years. Pregnancy in this systemic autoimmune disease has long been associated with poor obstetric outcomes. However, the frequency of pregnancy loss in lupus has dropped to a level commensurate with that of the general US population. The outcomes of lupus pregnancies are better if conception is delayed until the disease has been inactive for at least 6 months, and the medication regimen has been adjusted in advance. Pregnancy in lupus is prone to complications, including flares of disease activity during pregnancy or in the postpartum period, preeclampsia, miscarriage, stillbirth, intrauterine growth retardation, and preterm birth. Active lupus nephritis poses the greatest risk. The recognition of a lupus flare during pregnancy may be difficult because the signs and symptoms may mimic those of normal pregnancy. Monitoring should include baseline and monthly laboratory tests, serial ultrasonography, fetal surveillance tests, and fetal m-mode echocardiography for mothers with SS-A (Ro) or SS-B (La) antibodies. In the absence of any signs or symptoms of active SLE, affected patients require no specific treatment during pregnancy. If hydroxychloroquine was in use before conception, it should be maintained throughout pregnancy. If a woman with SLE has antiphospholipid antibodies, prophylactic treatment with aspirin and/or low-molecular weight heparin is indicated to prevent fetal loss. Lupus flares during pregnancy are generally treated with hydroxychloroquine, low-dose prednisone, pulse intravenous methylprednisolone, and azathioprine. High-dose prednisone and cyclophosphamide are reserved for severe lupus complications but are associated with significant pregnancy-related complications and poor obstetrical outcomes. Target Audience: Obstetricians and Gynecologists and Family Physicians Learning Objectives: After completing the CME activity, physicians should be better able to provide preconception counseling to a woman with lupus, differentiate signs of a lupus flare from symptoms of pregnancy, differentiate preeclampsia from a flare of lupus nephritis, and differentiate the serious medical complications of pregnancy in a lupus patient.
Involvement of trypsin-like activity in binding of mouse spermatozoa to zonae pellucidae.

Work from a number of laboratories has shown that fertilization is blocked in the presence of protease inhibitors, although the specific site of inhibition has not been identified. The present experiments were designed to discriminate between sperm binding to zonae pellucidae as opposed to sperm penetration through zonae, so as to assess the effect of protease inhibitors on these two distinct events. Exposure of capacitated mouse spermatozoa to a variety of protease inhibitors directed against trypsin blocked sperm binding to zonae in a concentration-dependent manner. A chymotrypsin-directed inhibitor was not capable of blocking sperm binding to zonae. The trypsin inhibitors did not affect sperm penetration though zonae nor gamete membrane fusion if the sperm had established a firm association with the zona surface before addition of the inhibitors. Previous incubation of zona-intact eggs with the inhibitors did not lead to a reduction in sperm binding, indicating that the activity affected by the inhibitors is borne by spermatozoa. Interaction between spermatozoa and the zona surface appeared to be the specific locus of inhibition; sperm binding to zona-free eggs (i.e., binding to the egg plasma membrane) was unaltered by the trypsin inhibitors. These results suggest a reevaluation of the function of proteases in fertilization focusing on their role in initial sperm contact with the zona pellucida.
Sequence analysis of hepatitis C virus isolated from a fulminant hepatitis patient *

Although hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of non‐A non‐B hepatitis, its pathogenic role in fulminant hepatitis remains controversial. A 32‐year‐old man contracted hepatitis. Serum ALT concentration was reached to 6,970 IU/L, the lowest prothrombin time value was 16% and jaundice and stage II encephalopathy were developed. HCV RNA was detected in this patient by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction in sera at the acute phase, and it was undetectable during the remission phase when anti‐HCV was found. The entire genome of infected HCV was recovered, cloned, and sequenced from this patient, and compared with the clones of six other chronic hepatitis patients. Phylogenetic analysis revealed a clustering around genotype 2a and a deviation from the other 2a chronic hepatitis strains. Calculating the genetic distance in each subgenomic region revealed that the 5′untranslated region (5′UTR), core, nonstructural (NS) 3, and NS5A were severely deviated. Of 20 clones of the hypervariable region (HVR), 17 showed an identical sequence with the others showing a difference of only one amino acid. HCV was isolated from a fulminant hepatitis patient and its entire genome was recovered; a clustering around genotype 2a was observed, but the sequence deviated especially in 5′UTR, core, NS3, and NS5A; and monoclonality of the HVR sequence was found not only in the fulminant hepatitis patient but in a certain percentage of chronic hepatitis patients. J. Med. Virol. 64:334–339, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Fetal inflammation associated with minimal acute morbidity in moderate/late preterm infants

Objective To determine whether exposure to acute chorioamnionitis and fetal inflammation caused short-term adverse outcomes. Design This is a prospective observational study: subjects were mothers delivering at 32–36 weeks gestation and their preterm infants at a large urban tertiary level III perinatal unit (N=477 infants). Placentae and fetal membranes were scored for acute histological chorioamnionitis based on the Redline criteria. Fetal inflammation was characterised by histological diagnosis of funisitis (umbilical cord inflammation), increased cord blood cytokines measured by ELISA, and activation of the inflammatory cells infiltrating the placenta and fetal membranes measured by immunohistology. Maternal and infant data were collected. Results Twenty-four per cent of 32–36-week infants were exposed to histological chorioamnionitis and 6.9% had funisitis. Immunostaining for leucocyte subsets showed selective infiltration of the placenta and fetal membranes with activated neutrophils and macrophages with chorioamnionitis. Interleukin (IL) 6, IL-8 and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor were selectively increased in the cord blood of preterm infants with funisitis. Compared with infants without chorioamnionitis, funisitis was associated with increased ventilation support during resuscitation (43.8% vs 15.4%) and more respiratory distress syndrome postnatally (27.3% vs 10.2%) in univariate analysis. However, these associations disappeared after adjusting for prematurity. Conclusions Despite fetal exposure to funisitis, increased cord blood cytokines and activated placental inflammatory cells, we could not demonstrate neonatal morbidity specifically attributable to fetal inflammation after adjusting for gestational age in moderate and late preterm infants.
Corporate Governance in Banking: A Conceptual Framework

In the wake of far reaching financial system reforms, almost three fourths of the member countries of the IMF experienced significant episodes of systemic crisis and associated bank failures. Notably absent in the ensuing debates on the correlation between financial system reforms and systemic crisis was discussion of corporate governance in the affected banks and the role it may have played in the provoking financial crisis. Consideration of corporate governance in banks is, however, apparently easier said than done. While there is a great deal of empirical research on corporate governance, very little of it concerns the behaviour of owners and managers of banks; all of it assumes that banks conform to the concept of the firm used in Agency Theory. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the limitations of that assumption and to propose an alternative conceptual framework more suitable to its analysis. We argue that commercial banks are distinguished by a more complex structure of information asymmetry arising from the presence of regulation. We show how regulation limits the power of markets to discipline the bank, its owners and its managers and argue that regulation must be seen as an external force, which alters the parameters of governance in banks.
The etiology and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of microorganisms in acute community-acquired lung abscess.

OBJECTIVE To determine the spectrum and antibiotic susceptibility patterns of microorganisms causing acute community-acquired lung abscess. DESIGN A prospective survey. SETTING Medical emergency department and wards of a tertiary teaching hospital. PATIENTS Thirty-four adult patients with both clinical and radiologic features compatible with a diagnosis of acute community-acquired lung abscess who had received less than 48 h of antibiotic therapy. INTERVENTIONS Microbiologic specimens obtained by percutaneous lung aspiration and with a protected specimen brush via fiberoptic bronchoscopy were submitted for aerobic and anaerobic culture. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Identification of all microorganisms, including anaerobes, and determination of antibiotic susceptibility. RESULTS A mean of 2.3 bacterial species per patient was isolated, anaerobes alone being isolated in 44% of cases, aerobes alone in 19%, and mixed aerobic and anaerobic isolates in 22%. Aerobic Gram-negative pathogens were uncommon. In seven patients, Mycobacterium tuberculosis was identified; in two it was associated with other bacteria. In four patients, no organisms were isolated. All the nonmycobacterial isolates were susceptible to amoxicillin-clavulanate and in addition the anaerobes were all susceptible to chloramphenicol and almost all to a combination of penicillin and metronidazole. Among the anaerobes, the level of resistance to penicillin, metronidazole, and clindamycin individually was 21%, 12%, and 5%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Community-acquired acute lung abscess is usually caused by multiple anaerobic and less frequently aerobic Gram-positive microorganisms, which should respond to empirical therapy with amoxicillin-clavulanate, chloramphenicol, or a combination of penicillin and metronidazole. Tuberculosis, which may be indistinguishable from an acute lung abscess, occurred in 21% of patients in our study. Most bacterial pathogens are sensitive to conventional antimicrobial therapy and further investigation with percutaneous lung aspiration or bronchoscopy is indicated only when there is lack of early response to therapy or there is the presence of atypical clinical features.