Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A preliminary study of possible genetic influences on the susceptibility of sheep to Johne's disease.

OBJECTIVE To investigate possible genetic influences on susceptibility or resistance of sheep to Johne's disease. DESIGN A field and laboratory study of two fine-wool Merino flocks with a high prevalence of disease due to Mycobacterium avium subsp paratuberculosis infection. PROCEDURE Adult sheep were phenotypically classified as having severe, mild or no disease on the basis of clinical, pathological and cultural tests for paratuberculosis, and as positive or negative in tests for humoral immunity (agar gel immunodiffusion test) or cell mediated immunity (skin test for delayed type hypersensitivity). Correlations with phenotype were sought for polymorphisms at loci within selected immune function genes (NRAMP, MHC complex, IFN-gamma, lysozyme, leukaemia inhibiting factor). RESULTS Possible associations of particular NRAMP and MHC alleles with susceptibility or resistance to Johne's disease were detected. CONCLUSION If the results of this preliminary study are confirmed in further work, then the use of rams with "resistant" genotypes may assist in the control of Johne's disease in infected flocks.
Evolução da distribuição espacial dos casos novos de tuberculose no município de Patos (PB), 2001-2010

A tuberculose configura-se como problema de saude publica de relevância social e epidemiologica, presente na Agenda Estrategica da Secretaria de Vigilância em Saude (SVS), cujas acoes sao gerenciadas pelo Programa Nacional de Controle da Tuberculose (PNCT), que prioriza a descentralizacao das acoes de controle da doenca para Atencao Primaria a Saude. Este estudo teve como objetivo analisar a distribuicao espacial e a densidade de casos de tuberculose no periodo 2001 a 2010, na zona urbana do municipio de Patos (PB). O estudo, ecologico e descritivo, utilizou os casos novos de tuberculose notificados no Sistema de Informacao de Agravos de Notificacao, a tecnica de geoprocessamento para localizacao dos casos e o software ArcGis 10.0 para o processamento dos dados. Observou-se distribuicao da doenca com predominância em areas geograficas que apresentam carencia socioeconomica. No periodo de 2006 a 2010 houve maior distribuicao de abrangencia geografica da doenca, comparada com o periodo de 2001 a 2005. Acoes de saude e condicoes coletivas podem ter influenciado a distribuicao da doenca no territorio. Identificou-se areas geograficas prioritarias para o planejamento, o monitoramento e a avaliacao das acoes em saude que vislumbrem o combate a tuberculose.
Changes in marginal gap size of provisional resin crowns after occlusal loading and thermal cycling.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM Resin materials used for provisional crowns tend to develop enlarged marginal gaps over time. With the advent of new interim resin materials in dentistry that are used for longer clinical periods, controlled comparative analysis of the structural stability of these materials in the oral environment is required. PURPOSE This study analyzed marginal gap size changes resulting from occlusal loading and thermal cycling and related these results to material properties. MATERIAL AND METHODS Groups (n = 10) of provisional crowns were made using 4 resin materials (Jet-relined, Snap-relined, Snap-unrelined, Alike-unrelined). Specimens were first fabricated on a metal master die and fitted with and relined on the master die to standardize pretreatment marginal gap size. Custom die stems were fabricated from a low-fusing alloy (Cerroblend) and cemented with Tempbond cement. The samples were treated with occlusal loading (50,000 cycles, 40 N, 4 Hz) and thermocycling (8, 000 cycles, 5 degrees C to 60 degrees C). Measurements of marginal gaps were recorded before and after treatment. RESULTS The mean changes in marginal gap sizes were Jet-relined, 152.1 microm +/- 69. 6; Snap-relined, 548.9 microm +/- 168.3; Snap-unrelined, 446.6 microm +/- 91.8; and Alike-unrelined, 43.9 microm +/- 48.7. Two-way ANOVA revealed a significant difference between groups (F=51.758, df 3,1, P</=.0001). Tukey/Kramer (P </=.01 level) indicated a significantly larger gap increase for the Snap-relined and Snap unrelined groups. CONCLUSION There were significant differences between different brands of resin materials used for provisional crowns. Each must be evaluated individually for stability in the oral environment.
Intratracheal pulmonary ventilation and continuous positive airway pressure in a sheep model of severe acute respiratory failure.

STUDY OBJECTIVES Previously we have shown that optimal pulmonary gas exchange can be sustained at normal airway pressures in a model of severe acute respiratory failure (ARF), using intratracheal pulmonary ventilation (ITPV), with weaning to room air. In an identical model of ARF, we have now explored whether ITPV, combined with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), can sustain adequate ventilation, with weaning to room air. DESIGN Randomized study in sheep. SETTING Animal research laboratory at the National Institutes of Health. INTERVENTIONS ARF was induced in 12 sheep, using mechanical ventilation at peak inspiratory pressure of 50 cm H2O, but excluding 5 to 8% of lungs. Sheep were then randomized into two groups: the CPAP-ITPV group (n=6), in which ITPV was combined with a novel CPAP system; and a control group (n=6) in which the same CPAP circuit was used, but without ITPV. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS All sheep in the CPAP-ITPV group were weaned to room air in 38.7+/-14 h. PaO2/fraction of inspired oxygen (FIO2) progressively increased from 108.8+/-43 to 355.7+/-93.1; PaCO2 remained within normal range; respiratory rate (RR) ranged from 18 to 120 breaths/min, and tidal volume (VT) was as low as 1.1 mL/kg. All sheep in the control group (CPAP alone) developed severe respiratory acidosis and hypoxemia after 4.8+/-4 h. PaO2/FIO2 decreased from 126.6+/-58.2 to 107.2+/-52.5 mm Hg, with a final PaCO2 of 166.8+/-73.3 mm Hg. CONCLUSIONS All sheep treated with CPAP-ITPV maintained good gas exchange without hypercapnia at high RR and at low VT, with weaning to room air. All control animals treated with CPAP alone developed severe hypercapnia, respiratory acidosis, and severe hypoxemia, and were killed.
Is central auditory processing disorder present in psychosis?

PURPOSE The scope of this study was to trace central auditory processing issues in patients with first-episode psychosis using a psychoacoustic test battery approach. METHOD Patients (n = 17) and volunteer control subjects (n = 17) with no personal or family history of schizophrenia were included in the study on the basis of normal hearing sensitivity. The authors implemented a central auditory processing battery consisting of monaural and binaural tests with verbal and nonverbal stimuli. RESULTS Perceptual deficits in both nonverbal and verbal auditory stimuli are reported in this study, with temporal central auditory processing deficits and a mean left-ear advantage documented in the patient group. CONCLUSION This study points to the possibility of the existence of central auditory processing deficits in first-episode psychosis leading to schizophrenia. Audiologists should be aware of the psychiatric research pointing to enhanced verbal memory as a result of auditory training, linking bottom-up remediation with top-down improvement.
O-C2 Angle as a Predictor of Dyspnea and/or Dysphagia After Occipitocervical Fusion

Study Design. A retrospective clinical study. Objective. To confirm the impact of the O-C2 angle on dyspnea and dysphagia after posterior occipitocervical (O-C) fusion. Summary of Background Data. Dyspnea and dysphagia are complications of posterior O-C fusion with malalignment, and may be prolonged or occasionally serious. However, it is difficult to select a safe alignment during surgery, and no indicators of the appropriate alignment have been available to preclude these complications. Methods. The authors retrospectively reviewed 29 consecutive patients who had undergone O-C or occipitocervicothoracic fusion between 2003 and 2008. Data were analyzed for O-C2 angles on plain radiographs and the axial computed tomographic cross-sectional areas of the oropharynx just cranial to the epiglottis before and after surgery. The patients were grouped according to whether they developed postoperative dyspnea and/or dysphagia (group A) or not (group B). Results. After surgery, 4 patients complained of dysphagia, and 1 patient had dyspnea and dysphagia, although they had all undergone short O-C fusions. The difference in the O-C2 angle (dOC2A = postoperative O-C2 angle − preoperative O-C2 angle) and the percentage change in the cross-sectional area of the oropharynx (S) before and after surgery (% dS) were linearly correlated. Both dOC2A and % dS were significantly lower in group A than in group B. All patients with dOC2A of less than −10° showed % dS of less than −40%, and developed dyspnea and/or dysphagia after surgery. Conversely, no patients with positive dOC2A developed these complications. Conclusion. The O-C2 angle has considerable impact on dyspnea and/or dysphagia after O-C fusion. The O-C2 angle is easily measured during surgery and can be a practical index with which to avoid postoperative dyspnea and dysphagia.
Is Higher Education Ready for Transformative Learning?

As universities begin to consider sustainability as a core value in education, there is a need to contemplate the role of transformative learning in higher education. Are current models of university education capable of facilitating action to promote ecological literacy and social change? This article outlines three models of group learning (cooperative, collaborative, and transformative) for use in higher education learning environments. It also examines the possibility (the potential benefits, drawbacks, and implications) of shifting university education from the current model toward a model for transformative learning and sustainability. Ultimately, this article raises a number of questions for academics to consider, including the possible outcomes and implications for implementing transformative education in university curriculum.
Effects of multi-scale and regular grid geometries on decaying turbulence

The influence of a multi-scale fractal based geometry on the decay of turbulence is investigated by comparing the turbulence produced by a square fractal element grid to that produced by two regular grids with similar physical properties. Comparison of the grid wakes at constant grid Reynolds number, $Re_{M}$ , identifies that in the far field both regular grids produce comparable or higher turbulence intensities and local Reynolds numbers, $Re_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D706}}$ , than the square fractal element grid. This result is illustrative of a limitation of multi-scale geometries to produce the oft-quoted high levels of turbulence intensity and $Re_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D706}}$ . In the far field, the spectra are approximately collapsed at all scales for all three grids at a given $Re_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D706}}$ . When a non-equilibrium near field spectrum with $\langle uv\rangle \neq 0$ is compared to a far field spectrum at the same $Re_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D706}}$ but with $\langle uv\rangle \approx 0$ , it is shown that their shapes are markedly different and that the non-equilibrium spectrum has a steeper slope, giving the appearance of being nearer $k^{-5/3}$ , although there is no theoretical expectation of an inertial range at such locations in the flow. However, when a non-equilibrium spectrum with $\langle uv\rangle \approx 0$ is compared to a far field spectrum at the same $Re_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D706}}$ , they are once again collapsed. This is shown to be related to non-zero Reynolds shear stress at scales that penetrate the scaling range for the present experiment, and hence the influence of shear is not limited to the largest scales. These results demonstrate the importance of local properties of the flow on the turbulence spectra at given locations in the inherently inhomogeneous flow found in the non-equilibrium region downstream of grids. In particular, how the presence of local shear stress can fundamentally change the shape of the spectra at scales that can be mistakenly interpreted as an inertial range.
Presence of angiographic coronary collaterals predicts myocardial recovery after coronary bypass surgery in patients with severe left ventricular dysfunction.

BACKGROUND Patients with coronary artery disease and left ventricular dysfunction (LVD) may have areas of hibernating myocardium that improve functionally after revascularization. Coronary collateral circulation may sustain ischemic, dysfunctional myocardium and favor myocardial recovery after revascularization. We evaluated the effect of angiographic coronary collaterals on myocardial functional recovery after coronary bypass graft (CABG) surgery in a group of patients with severe LVD. METHODS AND RESULTS Forty-one patients with multivessel coronary artery disease and advanced LVD (left ventricular ejection fraction [LVEF] 25 +/- 5%) undergoing CABG were identified from a prospective database. Preoperative coronary angiograms were evaluated for collaterals, which were graded according to Rentrop's classification (0 to 3), and a collateral index was calculated (collateral sum divided by 3). Preoperative and postoperative radionuclide ventriculograms provided global LVEF and regional ejection fractions. Of 123 regions evaluated, 120 were dysfunctional at baseline. Virtually all (122 of 123) regions were subtended by an artery with > or = 70% stenosis that was bypassed. Thirty-eight (81%) of 47 dysfunctional regions with grade 2 or 3 collaterals improved regional ejection fraction after surgery versus 38 (52%) of 73 dysfunctional regions with grade 0 or 1 collaterals (P = 0.0018). Global LVEF was 34 +/- 10% after surgery (P < 0.001 versus before surgery). Among patients with a global LVEF increase > or = 10%, collateral index was 1.81 versus 0.83 in those with an LVEF increase < 10% (P = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS In this population of patients with coronary artery disease with severe LVD, the presence of angiographic grade 2 or 3 collaterals predicted recovery of regional and global myocardial function after CABG.
Williams syndrome associated with complete atrioventricular septal defect

Williams syndrome is a genetic disorder associated with characteristic facies, supravalvar aortic stenosis, peripheral pulmonary stenosis, mental retardation, hypertension, premature aging of skin, and congenital cardiac defects. Many cardiac defects such as bicuspid aortic valve, mitral valve regurgitation, coarctation of the aorta, and ventricular or atrial septal defects are linked to the syndrome. Complete atrioventricular septal defect has rarely been associated with Williams syndrome and only one necropsy case has been reported in the literature. The long term follow up of Williams syndrome associated with complete atrioventricular septal defect is reported. During a 10 year follow up period, the pressure gradient in the ascending aorta did not increase despite narrowing of the ascending aorta as identified on an aortogram.
Recent progress in adjuvant discovery for peptide-based subunit vaccines

Peptide-based subunit vaccines are of great interest in modern immunotherapy as they are safe, easy to produce and well defined. However, peptide antigens produce a relatively weak immune response, and thus require the use of immunostimulants (adjuvants) for optimal efficacy. Developing a safe and effective adjuvant remains a challenge for peptide-based vaccine design. Recent advances in immunology have allowed researchers to have a better understanding of the immunological implication of related diseases, which facilitates more rational design of adjuvant systems. Understanding the molecular structure of the adjuvants allows the establishment of their structure-activity relationships which is useful for the development of next-generation adjuvants. This review summarizes the current state of adjuvants development in the field of synthetic peptide-based vaccines. The structural, chemical and biological properties of adjuvants associated with their immunomodulatory effects are discussed.
Effect of the asymmetry of the dielectric permittivity distribution in the filter response of dielectric frequency-selective surfaces

The main aim of this paper is to analyze the effect of the asymmetric distribution of the dielectric permittivity in DFSS with periodicity in one dimension. In order to proceed, we have introduced additional dielectric slabs inside a basic periodic cell (formed by two dielectric media). The electromagnetic analysis of such structures has been performed employing a recently developed full modal method Coves et al. (2003, 2004), considering the incidence of a plane-wave under three-dimensional incidence. The new structure shows an asymmetric permittivity distribution with respect to the center of the periodic cell. At normal incidence, it involves the splitting of the reflection peak into two different resonance peaks associated with the rupture of degeneracy of the +1 and -1 leaky modes due to the asymmetry of the relative permittivity distribution. Nevertheless, when we introduce an additional dielectric in the periodic cell in a symmetric way, the reflection response of the filter shows again a single resonance peak. We also analyze the angular response of the filters at three-dimensional TE incidence at the resonance frequency.
Recalls of foods and cosmetics due to microbial contamination reported to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

In the U.S., food product recalls serve as an important intervention in stemming the consumption of food products contaminated with infectious disease agents. We summarize the number and nature of foods and cosmetics recalled as a result of microbial contamination reported to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the period 1 October 1993 through 30 September 1998. During this period, microbial contamination of food and cosmetic products was the leading cause for recalls, accounting for a total of 1,370 recalls (36% of all products recalled). Listeria monocytogenes accounted for the greatest number of food products recalled because of microbial contamination, whereas Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the most common microbe associated with recalls of cosmetic products. Dairy products, followed by seafood and pastry items, were the types of products most often associated with recalls due to microbial contamination. The FDA was the entity most often responsible for detecting microbial contamination of foods and cosmetics (33% of all such recalls), followed by state regulatory agencies (24%), and manufacturers/retailers (21%). Nineteen percent of recalls were associated with at least one reported case of illness. Salmonella was the pathogen most often implicated in reports of illness associated with these recalled products.
Patch-Clamp Recording from Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes: Improving Action Potential Characteristics through Dynamic Clamp

Human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) hold great promise for studying inherited cardiac arrhythmias and developing drug therapies to treat such arrhythmias. Unfortunately, until now, action potential (AP) measurements in hiPSC-CMs have been hampered by the virtual absence of the inward rectifier potassium current (IK1) in hiPSC-CMs, resulting in spontaneous activity and altered function of various depolarising and repolarising membrane currents. We assessed whether AP measurements in “ventricular-like” and “atrial-like” hiPSC-CMs could be improved through a simple, highly reproducible dynamic clamp approach to provide these cells with a substantial IK1 (computed in real time according to the actual membrane potential and injected through the patch-clamp pipette). APs were measured at 1 Hz using perforated patch-clamp methodology, both in control cells and in cells treated with all-trans retinoic acid (RA) during the differentiation process to increase the number of cells with atrial-like APs. RA-treated hiPSC-CMs displayed shorter APs than control hiPSC-CMs and this phenotype became more prominent upon addition of synthetic IK1 through dynamic clamp. Furthermore, the variability of several AP parameters decreased upon IK1 injection. Computer simulations with models of ventricular-like and atrial-like hiPSC-CMs demonstrated the importance of selecting an appropriate synthetic IK1. In conclusion, the dynamic clamp-based approach of IK1 injection has broad applicability for detailed AP measurements in hiPSC-CMs.
Load balancing with multiple token policy

In distributed systems, uneven arrivals of tasks may overload a few hosts, whereas some of the hosts are lightly loaded. This load imbalance prevents a distributed system from delivering performance to its capacity. Load balancing has been advocated as a means of improving the performance and reliability of distributed systems. A new load balancing approach has been proposed by the authors (1998) to deal with this problem. In this paper, we extend this model with multiple tokens. With some parameters in the algorithm set to intelligent values, the algorithm promises better load balancing results.
Tubulointerstitium as Predictor of Progression of Glomerular Diseases

The majority of authors have assumed, until recently, that the pathological changes in the glomerulus are responsible for the progression to chronic renal failure in diseases involving primarily this structure and that the tubulointerstitial changes accompanying them were trivial. Three groups of investigators in London [1], Seattle [2, 3] and Tübingen [4, 5] have shown that in glomerular diseases the impairment of the glomerular filtration rate correlated better with the extent of tubulointerstitial damage than with the degree of the glomerular damage and suggested that the major events which determine the outcome of these diseases probably occur in the interstitium. In these last 15 years, the importance of tubulointerstitial involvement for the progression of renal damage in glomerular diseases has been supported by a continuously increasing amount of clinical and experimental data, emerging mainly from two types of studies: (1) studies of natural history of large cohorts of patients, showing correlations between single clinical or histological features and progression, and (2) studies based on molecular biology and immunohistochemistry of biopsy specimens, showing the expression of the mRNA and/or the protein of single cytokines or growth factors in the epithelial tubular cells, in the leukocytes infiltrating the interstitium and in the resident interstitial fibroblasts. We will discuss separately the results of the two types of studies.
Rapid T Cell Receptor Delineation Reveals Clonal Expansion Limitation of the Magnitude of the HIV-1–Specific CD8+ T Cell Response

TCRs mediate CTL specificity, but TCRs recognizing the same epitope often differ between persons due to their stochastic derivation. The role of this variability in the pathogenesis of virus infections and malignancies has been technically difficult to study. We apply an adaptation of TCR spectratyping to study HIV-specific CTLs, defining the clonal breadth and sequences of epitope-specific TCRs from PBMCs without cellular sorting or molecular cloning. Examining 48 CTL responses in 12 persons reveals a mean of 4.5 ± 2.7 clones per response, of both public and private clonotypes. The number of identified epitope-specific TCRs correlates with CTL frequency across epitopes, suggesting that clonal breadth limits the magnitude of the CTL response against HIV-1 in vivo. HLA A- and B-restricted CTLs are similar in their TCR breadth in this small cohort, preliminarily suggesting that qualitative differences may account for their disparate impacts on pathogenesis. Overall, these findings demonstrate that the magnitude of the CTL response in chronic HIV-1 infection is constrained by TCR clonal breadth, suggesting maximal expansion of CTLs in response to chronic antigenic stimulation.