Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of Mycoplasma suis (Eperythrozoon suis) infection in swine and swine-farm workers in Shanghai, China.

OBJECTIVE To determine the prevalence of Mycoplasma suis infection in swine, swine-farm workers, and swine veterinarians in Shanghai, China. SAMPLE POPULATION 172 swine and 65 workers and veterinarians from 19 commercial swine farms. PROCEDURES Blood samples were collected from all study subjects. Blood samples were examined for the presence of M suis by means of compound and scanning electron microscopy. A species-specific PCR assay was developed for detection of M suis DNA extracted from blood samples. Relationships between infection status of swine and sex, age, geographic location, and clinical signs of disease were evaluated by use of a C(2) test. The phylogenetic relationship between partial 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) sequences from swine and human isolates of M suis was determined. RESULTS 86% (148/172) of swine and 49% (32/65) of humans had positive PCR assay results for M suis infection. Swine infection status was not associated with any variable, with the exception of pyrexia and subcutaneous bleeding. The partial 16S rRNA sequences from human and swine isolates of M suis were 98% homologous and in the same phylogenetic cluster as a previously identified swine isolate of M suis. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE A large proportion of swine and humans in close contact with those swine were infected with M suis in Shanghai, China. The close phylogenetic relationship between swine and human isolates of M suis suggested possible interspecies transmission; however, additional research is required to better assess that possibility.
Inclusive Management: Building Relationships with the Public

A rich literature explores the potential benefits of public management directly engaged with the public to develop and implement programs with emphasis on the enhanced quality of public programs and the strengthening of democratic practices. Yet the two dominant models of public management over the past century have distanced public managers and the public. The “principal agent model” emphasizes direct accountability to elected officials, while the “expertise” model emphasizes the application of professional judgment on behalf of the public. The important dimensions of democratic governance—direct accountability to elected officials, the exercise of professional judgment, and direct public participation—are not mutually exclusive. This paper develops an alternative model of public management, “inclusive management,” that demonstrates all three concerns.
Mortality and cause of death among psychiatric patients: a 20-year case-register study in an area with a community-based system of care

Background Most mortality studies of psychiatric patients published to date have been conducted in hospital-based systems of care. This paper describes a study of the causes of death and associated risk factors among psychiatric patients who were followed up over a 20-year period in an area where psychiatric care is entirely provided by community-based psychiatric services. Method All subjects in contact with the South Verona Community-based Mental Health Service (CMHS) over a 20-year period with an ICD-10 psychiatric diagnosis were included. Of these 6956 patients, 938 died during the study period. Standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) and Poisson multiple regressions were used to assess the excess of mortality in the sample compared with the general population. Results The overall SMR of the psychiatric patients was 1.88. Mortality was significantly high among out-patients [SMR 1.71, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.6–1.8], and higher still following the first admission (SMR 2.61, 95% CI 2.4–2.9). The SMR for infectious diseases was higher among younger patients and extremely high in patients with diagnoses of drug addiction (216.40, 95% CI 142.5–328.6) and personality disorders (20.87, 95% CI 5.2–83.4). Conclusions This study found that psychiatric patients in contact with a CMHS have an almost twofold higher mortality rate than the general population. These findings demonstrate that, since the closure of long-stay psychiatric hospitals, the physical health care of people with mental health problems is often neglected and clearly requires greater attention by health-care policymakers, services and professionals.
Vertical handoff with predictive RSS and dwell time

In this paper, multiple handoff decision criteria to permit connectivity across UMTS and WLAN/WiMAX under the mobile IP regional registration (MIP-RR) are presented. Handoff decision is based on the predicted received signal strength (RSS) of neighbor networks and dwell time. The merit values of candidate networks are compared to select an optimal network. RSS prediction and handoff decision performances are evaluated. The results illustrate that the proposed vertical handoff decision algorithm and network selection outperforms the other two approaches in reducing voice and data packet delay and increasing the throughput of WLAN/WiMAX.
Energy-efficient relay selection for multicast traffic

We consider the problem of multicasting from a single source to a set of destinations. We assume that the source cannot reach the destinations directly, but must forward its traffic through a set of relays. Under the performance objective of maximizing the common amount of information (number of bits) that the source sends to all destinations per Joule of the total energy spent, we wish to obtain a policy that identifies: a) which subset of the relays should be activated, b) for how long, and c) the respective destinations that each relay has to serve. We consider centralized policies with exact knowledge of the channel conditions. In the special case of a network with two relays we show that for any fixed assignment of destinations to relays the problem of maximizing the number of bits per Joule by choosing the duration that each relay should be activated can be formulated as a convex optimization problem. However, since the problem of assigning destinations to relays remains combinatorially complex, we then present an algorithm with reduced complexity that exploits the knowledge of the underlying channel conditions. Finally, we provide a set of numerical results to illustrate the optimal relay selection and assignment of destinations to relays corresponding to different channel conditions.
Oxidative stress contributes to gold nanoparticle-induced cytotoxicity in human tumor cells

Abstract Due to their exceptional properties, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have shown promising medical and technological applications in the treatment of cancer and the development of antimicrobial packaging and time–temperature indicators in the food sector. However, little is known about their cytotoxicity when they come into contact with biological systems. The aim of this work was to compare the effects of three commercially available AuNPs of different sizes (30, 50 and 90 nm) on human leukemia (HL-60) and hepatoma (HepG2) cell lines. AuNP-induced cytotoxicity was dose and time-dependent, with IC50 values higher than 15 μg/mL. Nanoparticle (NP) size and cell line slightly influenced on the cytotoxicity of AuNPs, although HL-60 cells proved to be more sensitive to the cytotoxic response than HepG2. N-Acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC) protected HL-60 and HepG2 cells only against treatment with 30 nm AuNPs. In both cell types, glutathione (GSH) content was drastically depleted after 72 h of incubation with the three AuNPs (less than 30% in all cases), while the reduction of superoxide dismutase activity (SOD) activity depended on cell line. HepG2, but not HL-60 cells, exhibited a decrease of SOD activity (∼45% of activity). The three AuNPs also caused a two-fold elevation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in both cell lines. Thus, protective effect of NAC, depletion of GSH and increase of ROS appear to be determined by NP size and indicate that oxidative stress contributes to cytotoxicity of AuNPs.
Pulsed NMR relaxometry of striated muscle fibers

The longitudinal (T1,) and transverse (T2,) proton (1H) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) relaxation of fast‐and slow‐twitch muscle fibers are examined using rat muscle tissues in which one fiber type predominates. Both continuum and discrete exponential component fits are made to Carr‐Purcell‐Meiboom‐Gill (CPMG) and inversion recovery pulse sequence measurements. In addition, experiments which illustrate the large sources of variability that have led to apparent conflicts in the literature are presented. Based on the results of this study, unique NMR features that distinguish fast‐ and slow‐twitch muscle fibers are presented. The feasibility of differentiating fast‐and slow‐twitch muscle fibers using magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is briefly discussed. © 1991 Academic Press, Inc.
Follicular stem cell marker PHLDA1 (TDAG51) is superior to cytokeratin‐20 in differentiating between trichoepithelioma and basal cell carcinoma in small biopsy specimens

Background: Biopsies submitted to dermatopathologists are becoming increasingly smaller in size and thus the available diagnostic material is reduced. The distinction between trichoepithelioma and basal cell carcinoma remains challenging, particularly if tissue is limited. Merkel cells, which can be highlighted by means of cytokeratin‐20 (CK20) immunostaining, are used as a surrogate marker for the diagnosis of trichoepithelioma, as Merkel cells commonly colonize trichoepithelioma but are generally lacking in basal cell carcinomas. In the current study, we examined the expression of a recently characterized follicular stem cell marker, PHLDA1 (pleckstrin homology‐like domain, family A, member 1), also known as TDAG51 (T‐cell death‐associated gene 51).
Nintedanib in combination with docetaxel for second-line treatment of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer

Non-small lung cancer (NSCLC) is a lethal malignancy when diagnosed in advanced stage. The evolution of chemotherapy and the development of agents targeting certain molecular pathways involved in tumor progression improved the prognosis. Nintedanib is a new tyrosine kinase inhibitor, which exerts its activity by blocking VEGF, FGF and PDGF receptors and inhibits the angiogenic signaling by preventing receptor dimerization. Several Phase I and II studies proved its safety and efficacy in diverse solid tumors. In patients with advanced NSCLC, the administration of nintedanib may offer an additional chemotherapy benefit in terms of response rate, progression-free survival and overall survival particularly in patients with adenocarcinoma histology, with manageable toxicity. Here, we present an analytical review of literature regarding nintedanib and we focus on its particular importance in NSCLC treatment.
The ecdysone response enhancer of the Fbp1 gene of Drosophila melanogaster is a direct target for the EcR/USP nuclear receptor

The transcription of the Drosophila melanogaster Fbp1 gene is induced by the steroid hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone and restricted to the late-third-instar fat body tissue. In a previous study we showed that the -68 to -138 region relative to the transcription start site acts as an ecdysone-dependent third-instar fat body-specific enhancer in a transgenic assay. Here we report that seven nucleoprotein complexes are formed in vitro on this enhancer when a nuclear extract from late-third-instar fat body is used in a gel shift assay. Accurate mapping of the binding sites of the complexes revealed a remarkably symmetrical organization. Using specific antibodies, one of the complexes was identified as a heterodimer consisting of the ecdysone receptor (EcR) and Ultraspiracle (USP) proteins. The binding site of the heterodimer as defined by mutagenesis and methylation interference experiments bears strong sequence similarity to the canonical hsp27 ecdysone response element, including an imperfect palindromic structure. The two elements diverge at three positions in both half-sites, indicating that the structure of an active EcR/USP binding site allows considerable sequence variations. In vivo footprinting experiments using ligation-mediated PCR and wild-type or ecdysteroid-deficient larvae show that occupancy of the Fbp1 EcR/USP binding site and adjacent region is dependent on a high concentration of ecdysteroids. These results provide strong evidence for a direct role of the EcR/USP heterodimer in driving gene expression in response to changes of the ecdysteroid titer during Drosophila larval development.
Controlled 3-year follow-up of a multidisciplinary pain rehabilitation program in primary health care

Purpose. The high prevalence of musculoskeletal pain generates significant costs for primary health care and the whole of society. The development of appropriate interventions is therefore necessary. The aim of this effectiveness study was to assess the long-term effects of a primary health care multidisciplinary rehabilitation program in Sweden. Methods. An experimental group comprising 89 patients from two primary health care units received individualised treatment interventions after a multidisciplinary investigation. A control group of 69 patients with the same inclusion criteria from four other primary health care units were treated according to routine. All participants completed questionnaires measuring pain, sick leave, quality of life, health care utilisation, drug consumption and psychosocial factors at baseline and at 3-year follow-up. Results. After 3 years, utilisation of primary health care was significantly lower in the experimental group and work capacity was slightly but not significantly higher. The control group showed a trend of having a higher risk of high consumption after 3 years compared to the intervention group. There was no significant difference between the two groups concerning remaining variables such as function, catastrophising and pain. Conclusion. Both groups demonstrated considerable improvement over the course of 3 years. The experimental group had lower health care utilisation and a reduced risk of using large amounts of medication at the 3-year follow-up, indicating that compared with participants in the control group they were coping in a better way with pain.
Electric Fields at the Active Site of an Enzyme: Direct Comparison of Experiment with Theory

The electric fields produced in folded proteins influence nearly every aspect of protein function. We present a vibrational spectroscopy technique that measures changes in electric field at a specific site of a protein as shifts in frequency (Stark shifts) of a calibrated nitrile vibration. A nitrile-containing inhibitor is used to deliver a unique probe vibration to the active site of human aldose reductase, and the response of the nitrile stretch frequency is measured for a series of mutations in the enzyme active site. These shifts yield quantitative information on electric fields that can be directly compared with electrostatics calculations. We show that extensive molecular dynamics simulations and ensemble averaging are required to reproduce the observed changes in field.
Serum anti-mullerian hormone concentrations are elevated in oligomenorrheic girls without evidence of hyperandrogenism.

CONTEXT Serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels are significantly elevated in adolescents with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) compared to normal controls. Whether adolescents with oligomenorrhea have elevated AMH levels is unknown. OBJECTIVE This study was performed to assess serum AMH levels in oligomenorrheic (OLIGO) girls without evidence of hyperandrogenism. DESIGN This was a prospective study comparing AMH levels in OLIGO, PCOS, and normal control adolescents. SETTING The study was conducted through four tertiary academic medical centers. PARTICIPANTS The study groups were comprised of OLIGO (n = 24), PCOS (n = 153), and normal adolescent girls (n = 39), as well as PCOS (n = 73) and normal adult women (n = 36). INTERVENTIONS In each subject, serum AMH levels were assessed in the early to midfollicular phases for regularly menstruating subjects and on an arbitrary day for OLIGO or PCOS subjects. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Basal serum AMH levels were assessed among OLIGO, PCOS, and normal girls, in addition to PCOS and normal women. RESULTS OLIGO girls had serum AMH levels (5.33 +/- 0.47 ng/ml) that were significantly greater than the normal adolescents (3.05 +/- 0.31 ng/ml) and adults (2.33 +/- 0.22 ng/ml), but similar to values seen in the PCOS adolescents (5.28 +/- 0.26 ng/ml) and adults (6.36 +/- 0.47 ng/ml). Obese adolescents and PCOS women had significantly lower AMH levels compared to lean controls (P < 0.02). CONCLUSION In OLIGO adolescents, elevated serum AMH levels suggest increased antral follicle number similar to that observed in girls with PCOS.
Asthma control and health-related quality of life one year after inpatient pulmonary rehabilitation: the ProKAR Study

Abstract Objectives: Although pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is commonly used for asthmatics in many countries, so far there are no studies addressing the question of whether and for how long an improvement in asthma control (AC) is seen after rehabilitation. The ProKAR study (Prospektive Katamnesestudie Asthma-Rehabilitation) was performed to provide data concerning the short- and long-term impact of PR on AC. Methods: Two-hundred one adult patients with mild to severe persistent asthma were prospectively followed one year after completion of a 3-week PR program. AC, the primary outcome parameter, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) were monitored using the Asthma Control Test (ACT) and St. George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) at initiation (T0) and end of the PR (T1) and 3, 6 and 12 months thereafter. Pulmonary function, physical fitness (6MWD) and asthmatic inflammation (FENO) were measured at T0 and T1. Results: The proportion of patients with well-controlled asthma (ACT score ≥20) increased from 33.2% to 67.3% after PR and was still at 51% after 12 months. Slight but statistically significant improvements in pulmonary functions and an increase in 6MWD of nearly 60 m were reported at T1. One year after discharge 55.8% of the patients still showed a clinically relevant improvement of at least 4 points in the total SGRQ score. Conclusions: The multidisciplinary inpatient PR program resulted in significant short and long-term improvement in AC and HRQoL in adult asthmatic patients.
Demonstrating the efficacy of the FoneAstra pasteurization monitor for human milk pasteurization in resource-limited settings.

UNLABELLED Human milk provides crucial nutrition and immunologic protection for infants. When a mother's own milk is unavailable, donated human milk, pasteurized to destroy bacteria and viruses, is a lifesaving replacement. Flash-heat pasteurization is a simple, low-cost, and commonly used method to make milk safe, but currently there is no system to monitor milk temperature, which challenges quality control. FoneAstra, a smartphone-based mobile pasteurization monitor, removes this barrier by guiding users through pasteurization and documenting consistent and safe practice. This study evaluated FoneAstra's efficacy as a quality control system, particularly in resource-limited settings, by comparing bacterial growth in donor milk flash-heated with and without the device at a neonatal intensive care unit in Durban, South Africa. MATERIALS AND METHODS For 100 samples of donor milk, one aliquot each of prepasteurized milk, milk flash-heated without FoneAstra, and milk pasteurized with FoneAstra was cultured on routine agar for bacterial growth. Isolated bacteria were identified and enumerated. RESULTS In total, 300 samples (three from each donor sample) were analyzed. Bacterial growth was found in 86 of the 100 samples before any pasteurization and one of the 100 postpasteurized samples without FoneAstra. None of the samples pasteurized using FoneAstra showed bacterial growth. CONCLUSIONS Both pasteurization methods were safe and effective. FoneAstra, however, provides the additional benefits of user-guided temperature monitoring and data tracking. By improving quality assurance and standardizing the pasteurization process, FoneAstra can support wide-scale implementation of human milk banks in resource-limited settings, increasing access and saving lives.
Superoxide, hydroxyl radical, and hydrogen peroxide effects on single-diaphragm fiber contractile apparatus.

Reactive oxygen species contribute to diaphragm dysfunction in certain pathophysiological conditions (i.e., sepsis and fatigue). However, the precise alterations induced by reactive oxygen species or the specific species that are responsible for the derangements in skeletal muscle function are incompletely understood. In this study, we evaluated the effect of the superoxide anion radical (O(2)(-). ), hydroxyl radical (.OH), and hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) on maximum calcium-activated force (F(max)) and calcium sensitivity of the contractile apparatus in chemically skinned (Triton X-100) single rat diaphragm fibers. O(2)(-). was generated using the xanthine/xanthine oxidase system;. OH was generated using 1 mM FeCl(2), 1 mM ascorbate, and 1 mM H(2)O(2); and H(2)O(2) was added directly to the bathing medium. Exposure to O(2)(-). or.OH significantly decreased F(max) by 14.5% (P < 0.05) and 43.9% (P < 0. 005), respectively.OH had no effect on Ca(2+) sensitivity. Neither 10 nor 1,000 microM H(2)O(2) significantly altered F(max) or Ca(2+) sensitivity. We conclude that the diaphragm is susceptible to alterations induced by a direct effect of.OH and O(2)(-). , but not H(2)O(2), on the contractile proteins, which could, in part, be responsible for prolonged depression in contractility associated with respiratory muscle dysfunction in certain pathophysiological conditions.
A broadly cross-protective monoclonal antibody binding to Escherichia coli and Salmonella lipopolysaccharides

During the last decade, episodes of sepsis have increased and Escherichia coli has remained the most frequent clinical isolate. Lipopolysaccharides (LPS; endotoxin) are the major toxic and antigenic components of gram-negative bacteria and qualify as targets for therapeutic interventions. Molecules that neutralize the toxic effects of LPS are actively investigated. In this paper, we describe a murine monoclonal antibody (MAb; WN1 222-5), broadly cross-reactive and cross-protective for smooth (S)-form and rough (R)-form LPS. As shown in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and the passive hemolysis assay, WN1 222-5 binds to the five known E. coli core chemotypes, to Salmonella core, and to S-form LPS having these core structures. In immunoblots, it is shown to react with both the nonsubstituted core LPS and with LPS carrying O-side chains, indicating the exposure of the epitope in both S-form and R-form LPS. This MAb of the immunoglobulin G2a class is not lipid A reactive but binds to E. coli J5, an RcP+ mutant which carries an inner core structure common to many members of the family Enterobacteriaceae. Phosphate groups present in the inner core contribute to the epitope but are not essential for the binding of WN1 222-5 to complete core LPS. Cross-reactivity for clinical bacterial isolates is broad. WN1 222-5 binds to all E. coli clinical isolates tested so far (79 blood isolates, 80 urinary isolates, and 21 fecal isolates) and to some Citrobacter, Enterobacter, and Klebsiella isolates. This pattern of reactivity indicates that its binding epitope is widespread among members of the Enterobacteriaceae. WN1 222-5 exhibits biologically relevant activities. In vitro, it inhibits the Limulus amoebocyte lysate assay activity of S-form and R-form LPS in a dose-dependent manner and it neutralizes the LPS-induced release of clinically relevant monokines (interleukin 6 and tumor necrosis factor). In vivo, WN1 222-5 blocks endotoxin-induced pyrogenicity in rabbits and lethality in galactosamine-sensitized mice. The discovery of WN1 222-5 settles the long-lasting controversy over the existence of anti-core LPS MAbs with both cross-reactive and cross-protective activity, opening new possibilities for the immunotherapy of sepsis caused by gram-negative bacteria.