Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Postcholecystectomy surgical site infection by Salmonella enterica var. Weltevreden.

BACKGROUND Surgical site infections (SSI) are the most common complication of gastrointestinal surgery. The most common endogenous organisms encountered are the enteric pathogens. METHODS We report a rare case of S. enterica var. Weltevreden as a cause of SSI after cholecystectomy and common bile duct exploration. Pertinent literature is reviewed. RESULTS The infection was due to bile spillage and contamination during surgery. The organism was found to be sensitive only to imipenem, and the patient recovered following intravenous treatment with that carbapenem. CONCLUSIONS This case illustrates the fact that cholecystectomy with bile spillage is a definite risk factor for SSI. Although controversial, isolation of the pathogen from the bile and the surgical site must be made to allow this rare pathogen to be identified. Appropriate antibiotic could then be directed against the pathogen.
Hepatitis C Virus Nonstructural Protein 5A (NS5A) Is an RNA-binding Protein*

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) nonstructural protein 5A (NS5A) has been shown to antagonize numerous cellular pathways, including the antiviral interferon-α response. However, the capacity of this protein to interact with the viral polymerase suggests a more direct role for NS5A in genome replication. In this study, we employed two bacterially expressed, soluble derivatives of NS5A to probe for novel functions of this protein. We find that NS5A has the capacity to bind to the 3′-ends of HCV plus and minus strand RNAs. The high affinity binding site for NS5A in the 3′-end of plus strand RNA maps to the polypyrimidine tract, an element known to be essential for genome replication and infectivity. NS5A has a preference for single-stranded RNA containing stretches of uridine or guanosine. Values for the equilibrium dissociation constants for high affinity binding sites were in the 10 nm range. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis followed by Western blotting revealed the presence of unphosphorylated NS5A in Huh-7 cells stably expressing the subgenomic replicon. Moreover, RNA immunoprecipitation and NS5A pull-down experiments showed the capacity of replicon-derived NS5A to bind to synthetic RNA and the HCV genome, respectively. Deletion of all of the casein kinase II phosphorylation sites in NS5A supported stable replication of a subgenomic replicon in Huh-7. However, this derivative could not be labeled with inorganic phosphate, suggesting that extensive phosphorylation of NS5A is not required for the replication functions of NS5A. The discovery that NS5A is an RNA-binding protein defines a new functional target for development of agents to treat HCV infection and a new structural class of RNA-binding proteins.
Biocontrol efficacy of Trichoderma spp . against wilt of tomato caused by Fusarium oxysporum f . sp . lycopersici

Article history: Received on: 22/09/2013 Revised on: 6/10/2013 Accepted on: 18/10/2013 Available online:30/10/2013 The objective of this paper was to evaluate the efficacy of the native isolates of Trichoderma species to promote the growth and yield parameters of tomato and to manage Fusarium wilt disease under in vitro and in vivo conditions. The dominant pathogen, which causes Fusarium wilt of tomato, was isolated and identified as Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (FOL). Fifteen native Trichoderma antagonists were isolated from healthy tomato rhizosphere soil in different geographical regions. Under in vitro conditions, the results revealed that Trichoderma harzianum (ANR-1) isolate was found to effectively inhibit the radial mycelial growth of the pathogen (by 53%) when compared to all other isolates. Under greenhouse conditions, the application of Trichoderma harzianum (ANR-1) exhibited the least disease incidence (by 15.33%). Also tomato plants treated with Trichoderma harzianum (ANR-1) isolate showed a significant stimulatory effect on plant height (by 73.62 cm) and increased the dry weight (by 288.38 g) of tomato plants in comparison to other isolates and untreated control.
The course of PTSD in naturalistic long-term studies: High variability of outcomes. A systematic review

Abstract Background: With a lifetime prevalence of 8% posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the most common mental disorders; nevertheless, its longitudinal course is largely unknown. Aims: Our aim was to conduct a systematic review summarizing available findings on the prospective, naturalistic long-term course of PTSD and its predictors. Methods: Databases MEDLINE and PsycINFO were searched. Main selection criteria were: 1) naturalistic cohort study with a follow-up period of at least 3 years, 2) adult participants with observer-rated or probable PTSD at baseline. Results: Twenty-four cohorts (25 studies) were retrieved (14 with observer-assessed, 10 with probable PTSD). In total, they comprised about 10,500 participants with PTSD at baseline that were included in the long-term follow-ups. Studies investigating patient populations with observer-assessed PTSD found that between 18% and 50% of patients experienced a stable recovery within 3–7 years; the remaining subjects either facing a recurrent or a more chronic course. Outcomes of community studies and studies investigating probable PTSD varied considerably (remission rates 6–92%). Social factors (e.g. support) as well as comorbid physical or mental health problems seem to be salient predictors of PTSD long-term course and special focus should be laid on these factors in clinical settings. Conclusions: Included studies differed notably with regard to applied methodologies. The resulting large variability of findings is discussed. More standardized systematic follow-up research and more uniformed criteria for remission and chronicity are needed to gain a better insight into the long-term course of PTSD.
Effect of hospital volume and teaching status on outcomes of acute liver failure

Acute liver failure (ALF) often requires multidisciplinary support. Higher hospital volumes have been associated with better outcomes for surgical procedures, but whether such a relationship exists for ALF has not been explored previously. In this study, our aim was to examine if hospital volume affects mortality from ALF. Using data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample for the years 2001 to 2004, we identified cases by the presence of a primary discharge diagnosis of ALF (International Classification of Diseases, 9th revision, Clinical Modification code 570.x). Hospitals were divided into low‐, medium‐, and high‐volume hospitals on the basis of 1 to 5, 6 to 20, and more than 20 annual ALF discharges. There were 17,361, 6756, and 1790 discharges with ALF from low‐, medium‐, and high‐volume hospitals, respectively. There was no difference in adjusted mortality between low‐ and high‐volume hospitals (odds ratio 0.94, 95% confidence interval 0.68‐1.28). Teaching hospitals had a trend toward lower mortality among patients with hepatic encephalopathy (odds ratio 0.69, 95% confidence interval 0.47‐1.01). High‐volume centers had a higher rate of orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) primarily because they were transplant centers, had better in‐hospital post‐OLT survival, and showed a trend toward a shorter time to OLT. In conclusion, patients with ALF receiving care at teaching hospitals and high‐volume centers tend to be sicker. However, teaching hospitals and high‐volume centers have equivalent in‐hospital survival despite caring for this more severely ill cohort. Liver Transpl 14:1347–1356, 2008. © 2008 AASLD.
Will Reduction of Antibiotic Use Reduce Antibiotic Resistance?: The Pneumococcus Paradigm

Community-acquired respiratory infections in general, and those caused by S. pneumoniae in particular, are the main reason for prescribing antimicrobials in young children. Antibiotic drug abuse is common. This is the basis for the initiative for the reduction in antibiotic use. However, failure to consider that not all antibiotics are similar in their effect on promotion of resistance has led to continuous emerging resistance. In the present article, the trends in prescribing antibiotics in young children and their interrelation with antibiotic resistance among clinical respiratory isolates of S. pneumoniae in children will be reviewed, along with theoretical considerations and research evidence that led to concluding that among antibiotics, the least resistance-promoting drug for S. pneumoniae is amoxicillin (+/− clavulanate), whereas oral cephalosporins and azithromycin demonstrate a higher resistance-promotion potential in the individual population in the community. Although antibiotics differ in their resistant-promotion potential, all still do promote resistance.
Conceptualising the linkage between professional scepticism and auditor independence

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the direct linkage between professional scepticism and auditor independence. Design/methodology/approach The study reviews the extant literature on professional scepticism, auditor independence, conflict of interest and unconscious bias. Findings Auditor independence is a fundamental antecedent to professional scepticism. However, auditor independence is impossible due to the auditor–client structure and conscious and unconscious personal bias. The threats to auditor independence are powerful incentives that reduce professional scepticism, making it difficult to exercise professional scepticism while making professional judgement. Practical implications An understanding of the direct link between professional scepticism and auditor independence is necessary to appreciate the context and meaning of professional scepticism in relation to the greater body of literature and ongoing concerns of audit regulators. This paper, which conceptualises the linkage between professional scepticism and auditor independence, provides a platform for future research to be conducted to examine the validity of the discussions and how a discourse in a moral framework embedded within accounting education may assist in improving auditor independence and professional scepticism. Social implications It is insufficient for audit regulators to assess professional scepticism by audit outputs. Threats to independence should be brought into the assessment. To ensure auditor independence is not compromised, auditors should be made aware of the ethical dimensions of their decisions and reminded constantly to monitor virtue ethics behaviours. Originality/value This paper brings into mainstream accounting and auditing literature and research a psychological perspective of auditor independence in the discussion of professional scepticism that is seldom examined.
Lifelog Agent for Human Activity Pattern Analysis on Health Avatar Platform

Objectives To provide accurate personalized medical care, it is necessary to gather individual-related data or contextual information regarding the target person. Nowadays a large number of people possess smartphones, which enables sensors in the smartphones to be used for lifelogging. The objective of the study is to analyze human activity pattern by using lifelog agent cooperating with the Health Avatar platform. Methods Using the lifelog measured by accelerometer and gyroscope in a smartphone at a 50 Hz rate, the agent reveals how long the user walks, runs, sits, stands, and lies down, and this information is summarized by hours. The summaries are sent to the Health Avatar platform and finally are written in the Continuity of Care Record (CCR) format. Results The lifelog agent is successfully operated with the Health Avatar platform. In addition, we implement an application that displays the user's activity patterns in a graph and calculates the metabolic equivalent of task based calorie burned by hour or by day using the lifelog of the CCR form to show that the lifelog can be used as medical records. Conclusions The agent shows how lifelogs are analyzed and summarized to help activity recognition. We believe that our agent demonstrates a way of incorporating lifelogs into medical care and a way of exploiting lifelogs in a medical format.
Mortality in HIV-seropositive versus -seronegative persons in the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy: implications for when to initiate therapy.

BACKGROUND The optimal time to initiate highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) remains unclear. METHODS Five hundred eighty-three human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-seropositive and 920 HIV-seronegative injection drug users (IDUs) were followed from 1997 to 2000. HIV-seropositive participants were categorized according to receipt of HAART (either initiated or switched to HAART) and initial CD4 cell count. Survival analysis that included delayed-entry and Cox proportional-hazards models was used to evaluate the effect of HAART, with adjustments for factors associated with access to HAART. RESULTS Compared with HIV-seronegative participants, overall survival was similar in HIV-seropositive participants who received HAART at >350 CD4 cells/microL, but mortality was higher both in participants with >350 CD4 cells/microL who did not receive HAART and in participants who received HAART at 200-350 CD4 cells/microL (mortality rates, 19.9, 24.0, 43.0, and 50.5/1000 person-years, respectively). In proportional-hazards models in which HIV-seronegative participants were the reference group and in which age, sex, race, frequency of drug use, substance-abuse treatment, and health-care utilization were adjusted for, hazard ratios were 1.01 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.41-2.45), 2.28 (95% CI, 1.38-3.78), and 2.09 (95% CI, 1.07-4.10) for the latter 3 groups. In HIV-seropositive participants, HAART significantly improved survival when initiated at CD4 cell counts < 200 cells/microL. CONCLUSIONS Survival of HIV-seropositive participants receiving HAART approximated that of HIV-seronegative participants only when therapy was given at CD4 cell counts > 350 cells/microL. These data, restricted to IDUs, suggest initiating or switching to HAART at higher CD4 cell levels than are currently recommended.
No direct mitogenic effect of sex hormones on antlerogenic cells detected in vitro.

Deer pedicles, antecedents of antlers, develop from a specialized periosteum (antlerogenic periosteum) which overlies the lateral crest of the deer frontal bone. The initiation of pedicle growth is triggered by androgen hormones. Thus far, it is not known whether pedicle initiation is caused by direct stimulation of androgen hormones on the antlerogenic periosteum or whether some intermediate mechanisms are necessary. The present study took an in vitro approach to investigate whether sex hormones have direct mitogenic effects on primary cultured antlerogenic periosteal cells (antlerogenic cells). Antlerogenic cells were obtained from two 5-month-old red deer calves. The cells were passaged twice and then treated with testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, and estradiol. The proliferation assays showed that no direct mitogenic effects on the second passage antlerogenic cells could be detected with any of the sex hormone treatments (P > 0.05). Testosterone-binding studies showed that at the second passage, specific testosterone-binding sites were present in the antlerogenic cells. Therefore, we conclude that androgens do not have mitogenic effects on antlerogenic cells in vitro. Our results suggest that pedicle formation may not be the result of direct stimulation of androgen hormones on antlerogenic tissue. Instead, androgen hormones may only allow the process to proceed by increasing the sensitivity of antlerogenic cells to mitogens, e.g., some growth factors.
The role of sodium and calcium ions in the hypothalamus in the control of body temperature of the unanaesthetized cat

1. Isolated regions of the anterior, posterior and other areas of the hypothalamus of the unanaesthetized cat were perfused by means of push‐pull cannulae lowered through permanently implanted guide tubes. Each site was perfused for a 30 min interval at a rate of 50 μl. /min. Concentrations of sodium, calcium, potassium and magnesium ions in the perfusate were altered selectively.
Sequential expression of cell surface C3bi receptors during neutrophil locomotion

Fluorescence microscopy has been used to study the cell surface distribution of the complement receptor for C3bi (CR3) on human neutrophils during locomotion. CR3 is an integral membrane protein that participates in cell attachment phenomena including chemotaxis. Fluorescein‐ and rhodamine‐conjugated monoclonal IgG or Fab fragments were used to label CR3. We have previously shown that CR3 is uniformly distributed on unstimulated cells. During cell locomotion the fluorescent labels redistribute to the uropod and retraction fibers. To better understand the role of CR3 in chemotaxis, we have performed sequential two‐color labeling experiments in conjunction with fluorescence microscopy. Double‐labeling experiments were conducted by labeling adherent neutrophils with fluorescein‐conjugated anti‐CR3 followed by chemotaxis in a gradient of FMLP (10‐7 M). The cells were then labeled again with rhodamine‐conjugated anti‐CR3. The uropod and distal training filopodia were labeled with fluorescein, whereas the cell body and occasionally proximal filopodia near the uropod were labeled with rhodamine. When neutrophils were fixed and permeabilized prior to the second CR3 labeling, the second fluorescent label was localized to a granule‐like compartment(s), often near the lamellipodium. The results suggest a flow of CR3 from intracellular granules → lamellipodia and cell body → uropod → trailing filopodia during chemotaxis.
Measuring the Intercondylar Shelf Angle Using Radiographs: Intra‐ and Inter‐Observer Error Tests of Reliability

Abstract: This study presents a test of intra‐ and inter‐observer measurement error rates of the intercondylar shelf angle of the distal femur, as measured on lateral radiographs. This measurement is the central element of a method to determine racial affiliation from the distal femur. Four observers independently radiographed a set of 33 complete and partial femora from collections housed at the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, Central Identification Laboratory. Each observer then measured the intercondylar shelf angles in each radiograph, following the original method’s guidelines. A supplementary inter‐observer error test was conducted by four additional observers on one set of radiographs. Statistically significant differences were found for both intra‐ and inter‐observer error based on the results of Student’s t‐tests, paired samples t‐tests, and ANOVA analyses. The results of this study indicate that further experimentation should be undertaken in order to develop refined measurement techniques that may help improve standardization and reduce the observer error rates.
Throughput optimisation of inter- and intra-domain autonomous systems traffic engineering

Internet has become a world-wide data network that is used for mission critical applications. The global internet implies several important challenges. The first challenge is the size of the internet which grows enormously in a rapid rate. Hence the traffic on the internet work also increases day to day. Traffic engineering is performed by means of a set of techniques that can be used to better control the flow of packets inside an IP network. This paper proposes a throughput optimisation of both inter- and intra-autonomous systems traffic engineering. Also the optimisation concepts are compared by implementing in various strategies such as sequential, nested and integrated techniques.
Impact of alternative electrical stunning parameters on the ability of broilers to recover consciousness and meat qualityc1

ABSTRACT Broilers in the United States are typically electrically stunned using low voltage‐high frequency (12‐38 V, ≥400 Hz) DC or AC water bath stunners. In the European Union, however, broilers are required to be electrocuted using high voltage‐low frequency (50‐150 V, 50‐350 Hz) AC. Low voltage stunned broilers regain consciousness in the absence of bleeding. In contrast, high voltage stunned broilers die due to induction of cardiac fibrillation. For birds stunned with low voltage systems, concerns have been raised regarding animal welfare during bleeding. This work evaluated the impact of extended DC stunning duration and alternative stunning methods (DC+AC combination) on the recovery of bird consciousness and meat quality. In the absence of bleeding, broilers that were DC stunned for extended times (60, 90, or 120 s), 63, 10, or 0% of broilers, respectively, were able to recover consciousness. Alternative stunning protocols included water bath stunning broilers at 15 or 25 V DC for 10 s followed by plate stunning at 100, 110, or 120 V AC for 5 s. Prior to shackling, live body weight and shank width were measured and during stunning, maximum mA for both DC and AC stuns were recorded. All of the alternative stunning protocols (DC+AC) resulted in non‐recoverable stunning. The maximum mA recorded during both DC and AC stunning were moderately/strongly (r = 0.54‐0.81) correlated to body weight and poorly/moderately (r = 0.27‐0.74) correlated to shank width. No significant differences for carcass or meat quality characteristics (hemorrhages, red wing tips, broken clavicles, pH, cook loss, a* and b* color values, and MORS shear energy) were detected between control (15 or 25 V DC only) and treatment groups (DC+AC combination stunning). The only significant different meat quality parameter was L* values where the lowest voltage group (15 V DC) had the darkest fillets (53.27) and the 15 V DC+100 V AC group had the lightest fillets (55.61) with all other groups intermediate. These data indicate that stunning parameters combining DC and AC stunning may be viable protocols when a stun‐to‐death is desired.
The Zinc Finger Protein Ynr046w Is Plurifunctional and a Component of the eRF1 Methyltransferase in Yeast*

Protein release factor eRF1 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, in complex with eRF3 and GTP, is methylated on a functionally crucial Gln residue by the S-adenosylmethionine-dependent methyltransferase Ydr140w. Here we show that eRF1 methylation, in addition to these previously characterized components, requires a 15-kDa zinc-binding protein, Ynr046w. Co-expression in Escherichia coli of Ynr046w and Ydr140w allows the latter to be recovered in soluble form rather than as inclusion bodies, and the two proteins co-purify on nickel-nitrilotriacetic acid chromatography when Ydr140w alone carries a His tag. The crystal structure of Ynr046w has been determined to 1.7 Å resolution. It comprises a zinc-binding domain built from both the N- and C-terminal sequences and an inserted domain, absent from bacterial and archaeal orthologs of the protein, composed of three α-helices. The active methyltransferase is the heterodimer Ydr140w·Ynr046w, but when alone, both in solution and in crystals, Ynr046w appears to be a homodimer. The Ynr046w eRF1 methyltransferase subunit is shared by the tRNA methyltransferase Trm11p and probably by two other enzymes containing a Rossman fold.