Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Associations between Virulence Factors of Shiga Toxin-ProducingEscherichia coli and Disease in Humans

ABSTRACT Associations between known or putative virulence factors of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli and disease in humans were investigated. Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis of a set of 237 isolates from 118 serotypes showed significant associations between the presence of genes for intimin (eae) and Shiga toxin 2 (stx2) and isolates from serotypes reported in humans. Similar associations were found with isolates from serotypes reported in hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic-uremic syndrome. The enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) hemolysin gene was significantly associated with isolates from serotypes found in severe diseases in univariate analysis but not in multivariate logistic regression models. A strong association between the intimin and EHEC-hemolysin genes may explain the lack of statistical significance of EHEC hemolysin in these multivariate models, but a true lack of biological significance of the hemolysin in humans or in disease cannot be excluded. This result warrants further investigations of this topic. Multivariate analysis revealed an interaction between the eae andstx2 genes, thus supporting the hypothesis of the synergism between the adhesin intimin and Shiga toxin 2. A strong statistical association was observed between thestx2 gene and severity of disease for a set of 112 human isolates from eight major serotypes. A comparison of 77 isolates of bovine origin and 91 human isolates belonging to six major serotypes showed significant associations of the genes for Shiga toxin 1 and EspP protease with bovine isolates and an increased adherence on HEp-2 cell cultures for human isolates, particularly from diarrheic patients and healthy persons.
What counts as evidence in evidence-based practice?

BACKGROUND Considerable financial and philosophical effort has been expended on the evidence-based practice agenda. Whilst few would disagree with the notion of delivering care based on information about what works, there remain significant challenges about what evidence is, and thus how practitioners use it in decision-making in the reality of clinical practice. AIM This paper continues the debate about the nature of evidence and argues for the use of a broader evidence base in the implementation of patient-centred care. DISCUSSION Against a background of financial constraints, risk reduction, increased managerialism research evidence, and more specifically research about effectiveness, have assumed pre-eminence. However, the practice of effective nursing, which is mediated through the contact and relationship between individual practitioner and patient, can only be achieved by using several sources of evidence. This paper outlines the potential contribution of four types of evidence in the delivery of care, namely research, clinical experience, patient experience and information from the local context. Fundamentally, drawing on these four sources of evidence will require the bringing together of two approaches to care: the external, scientific and the internal, intuitive. CONCLUSION Having described the characteristics of a broader evidence base for practice, the challenge remains to ensure that each is as robust as possible, and that they are melded coherently and sensibly in the real time of practice. Some of the ideas presented in this paper challenge more traditional approaches to evidence-based practice. The delivery of effective, evidence-based patient-centred care will only be realized when a broader definition of what counts as evidence is embraced.
Vliv korupčního prostředí na efektivitu firem v nových zemích Evropské unie

We study the effects of corruption on firm efficiency using a unique comprehensive dataset of private firms from 10 Central and Eastern European countries for the period from 2002 to 2013. We find that an environment characterized by a high level of corruption has an adverse effect on firm efficiency. This effect is amplified for firms with a lower propensity to behave corruptly, i.e. foreign-controlled firms, while domestically-owned firms are not penalized. At the same time, an environment characterized by considerable heterogeneity in perception of corruption is associated with an increase in fim efficiency.
VKORC1 -1639 G>A Polymorphism in Romanian Patients With Deep Vein Thrombosis

Aim: The purpose of the research was to study the influence of several genetic factors, especially the -1693 G>A polymorphism of the VKORC1 gene, on the risk of acute unprovoked lower extremity deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Materials and Methods: The study included 127 patients (median age 63 [53.2; 72] years; 61 [48%] women and 66 [52%] men) who were diagnosed with acute lower extremity DVT and 114 controls (median age 62 [53; 73] years; 64 [56.1%] women and 50 [43.9%] men) without DVT. We recorded data regarding the history of DVT and the presence of varicose veins. We determined the genotypes for factor V Leiden (FVL) mutation, prothrombin G20210A mutation, VKORC1 -1639 G>A mutation, and PAI-1 -675 4G/5G polymorphism. Results and conclusion: Varicose veins were found in 67 (52.8%) patients and 29 (25.4%) controls (P < .001). FVL was present in 29 (22.8%) patients and 10 (8.8%) controls (P = .005). The VKORC1 (-1693 G>A) GG genotype was found in 42 (33.1%) patients and 41 (36%) controls, the GA genotype in 71 (55.9%) patients and 47 (41.2%) controls, and AA genotype in 14 (11%) patients and 26 (22.8%) controls (P = .020). Multivariate analysis showed that the presence of varicose veins, FVL, and VKORC1 -1639 G>A was independently associated with the risk of DVT. The VKORC1 (-1693 G>A) AA genotype was associated with fewer cases of DVT (odds ratio = 0.435; 95% confidence interval 0.205-0.991; P = .031).
Bureaucratic Speech: Language Choice and Democratic Identity in the Taipei Bureaucracy

This article illuminates the social nature of bureaucratic practice. Analyzing the everyday speech of bureaucrats in a polyglossic society reveals both their intensely interactive conduct and their recognition that the government they comprise is itself a participant in a social world of institutions and values. My ethnography shows how Taipei city government administrators mobilize ideologies associated with Taiwan’s two primary languages, and stereotypes associated with bureaucracy, to undermine both. Instead, they present themselves as a post-ethnonational and post-bureaucratic avant garde of their new democracy. In doing so, they draw on local values and tropes of legitimation, which place a premium on the personalistic relations and social imbrications of government actors — relations that democracy, for all its potential to spawn dangerous chaos, is seen to facilitate. They represent their government employer not by claiming a superordinate status for it, but by situating it as one participant within a complex of institutions, networks, and values. In illuminating both the internally and the externally social nature of government bureaucracy, I highlight the creative and progressive possibilities hidden within the drab government office.
How large and uncertain are costs of 2030 GHG emissions reduction target for the European countries? Sensitivity analysis in a global CGE model

In the paper we address the problem of parameters uncertainty of computable general equilibrium (CGE) simulation results concerning the economic effects of climate policy actions. Large scale CGE models utilize extensive, detailed databases on the structure of the economies (industry-specific technologies, international trade patterns etc.). At the same time, the behaviour of the economic system modelled in the CGE framework is largely driven by assumptions rooted in theory, with relatively little empirical content. It is therefore crucial to understand how assumptions affect outcomes of policy experiments. We employ a static global CGE model PLACE, representing 35 regions and 20 industries, with a focus on representing links between economic activities, energy use and CO2 emissions. Applying systematic sensitivity analysis based on Stroud's (1957) Gaussian quadratures approach we test how variation in elasticity parameters (values of which are subject to substantial uncertainty) affects economic assessment of emission reduction policies. Using as our workhorse simulation scenario the imposition of the European Commission's 40% greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction target (with respect to 1990) we find that the uncertainty of model simulation results driven by the uncertainty in assumed elasticities values is quite remarkable indicating that presenting only mean simulation results from CGE models is not sufficient.
3-Deoxyclocinnamox: the first high-affinity, nonpeptide mu-opioid antagonist lacking a phenolic hydroxyl group.

The C(3)-substituent in morphinan opioids is of critical importance; the 3-OH group is usually associated with very much higher affinity for mu-receptors than H or -OMe. However in this series of 14beta-cinnamoylamino derivatives the codeinones (e.g. methoclocinnamox, MC-CAM) had unexpectedly high mu-opioid receptor affinity, similar to that of the morphinone (clocinnamox, C-CAM). The current report relates to the synthesis and in vitro evaluation of deoxyclocinnamox (DOC-CAM) which acted as a high-affinity opioid antagonist similar to C-CAM but with greater mu selectivity. Thus it appears that the C(3)-substituent does not play a major role in the binding of the 14beta-cinnamoyl series and that the cinnamoyl group itself may in fact be the dominant binding feature.
Wideband High-Gain 60-GHz LTCC L-Probe Patch Antenna Array With a Soft Surface

A 4<formula formulatype="inline"><tex Notation="TeX">$\,\times\,$</tex> </formula>4 L-probe patch antenna array using multilayer low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) technology is presented for 60-GHz band applications. The proposed antenna array is designed with a high gain in the impedance bandwidth by introducing a novel soft-surface structure. The soft-surface structure comprised of metal strips and via fences reduces the losses caused by severe surface waves and mutual coupling between adjacent elements to improve the radiation performance. The proposed antenna array is convenient for integrated applications. The fabricated antenna array excluding the measurement transition has dimension of 14.4<formula formulatype="inline"><tex Notation="TeX">$\,\times\,$</tex> </formula>14.4<formula formulatype="inline"><tex Notation="TeX">$\,\times\,$</tex> </formula>1 mm<formula formulatype="inline"><tex Notation="TeX">$^{3}$</tex> </formula>. The simulated and measured impedance and radiation performance are studied and compared. Good agreement is achieved between simulation and measurement. The proposed antenna array shows a wide simulated impedance of 29% from 53 GHz to 71 GHz for <formula formulatype="inline"><tex Notation="TeX">$\vert {S}_{11}\vert < {-}10$</tex></formula> dB, measured broadband 3-dB gain bandwidth of 18.3% from 54.5 GHz to 65.5 GHz and the gain up to 17.5 dBi at 60 GHz, respectively.
MRI follow-up of posttraumatic bone bruises of the knee in general practice.

OBJECTIVE Our purpose was to study the natural course of bone bruises in posttraumatic knees and to describe possible determinants of this course. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Prospective MRI follow-up data were gathered for patients with bone bruises after sustained knee trauma. Follow-up ceased when the bone bruise could no longer be discerned or after 1 year of follow-up. For each patient we studied the relationships between time to healing of all bone bruises and the explanatory variables age, sex, obesity, workload, sports load, number of bone bruises, osteoarthritis, and concomitant knee lesions using survival analyses. We also investigated the relationships between resolution of individual bone bruises and lesion type, size and location, and the explanatory variables at 6 months and at 12 months separately, using logistic regression analyses for repeated measurements and generalized estimating equations. RESULTS In 80 patients, 157 bone bruises were found. The estimated median healing time was 42.1 weeks. Healing was prolonged in patients having a higher number of bone bruises and in the presence of osteoarthritis. Resolution of individual bone bruises was prolonged in the presence of osteoarthritis and greater age. Reticular lesions were less likely to be present after 6 months than other bone bruise types. None of the remaining tested variables had prognostic value. CONCLUSION Median healing time of bone bruises is 42.1 weeks. Prognosis is particularly influenced by the presence of osteoarthritis. Age, type of bone bruise, and number of bruises also have prognostic value.
Regulation of sodium/iodide symporter and lactoperoxidase expression in four human breast cancer cell lines.

BACKGROUND Agents capable of increasing radioiodine concentration by stimulating the sodium/iodide symporter (NIS) expression have been extensively investigated for the treatment of certain well-differentiated breast cancers. AIM In this study, we analyzed the regulation of the NIS and lactoperoxidase (LPO) gene expression in 4 different human breast cancer cell lines, representative of different histotypes of breast cancer. METHODS MCF-7, T-47D, MDA-MB231, and HCC-1937 (the latter carrying the BRCA-1 mutation) were exposed to different stimulators and the levels of NIS and LPO mRNA measured by a quantitative RT-PCR. RESULTS All-trans-Retinoic Acid (RA), Dexamethasone (DEX), Trichostatin A (TSA), and Sodium Butyrate (NaB) induced the expression of NIS mRNA in MCF-7 and T-47D cell lines, whereas HCC-1937 and MBA-MB231 were slightly responsive only to the histone-deacetylase inhibitors TSA and NaB. Minor stimulatory effects were detected on LPO mRNA in MCF-7 and T-47D treated with TSA and NaB or RA only in MCF-7, while no effect was detectable in the other two cell lines. CONCLUSIONS These data indicate that retinoic acid, alone or in combination with DEX, as well as HDAC-inhibitors are very promising agents for a radioiodine- based therapy in a large spectrum of breast cancers, including neoplasms from both basal and ductal cells, especially for the well-differentiated estrogen-dependent tumors. Other molecules or other drug combinations should be tested to extend the same strategy to the less differentiated and more aggressive tumor cells, including those carrying the BRCA mutation.
Side-Channel Attack on Flipped Scan Chains

The scan-based design provides a structural way to deal with the testing problem in modern VLSI circuits. With the help of scan chains, sequential elements become both observable and controllable. On the flip side, the scan chain also becomes a back door for reverse-engineering attack. It has been proved that scan-based side-channel attack can glean secrete information in encryption circuits implemented with linear operations. Many methods have been proposed to improve the security of scan chains, and it is suggested that a non-linear layer can be included to resist the attack. In this paper, we demonstrate that the modified scan chains can be neutralized even though non-linear operations are employed in the protection mechanisms. The attack is achieved through analyzing the distribution of 0's and 1's in the output response under given input stimuli, from which one can conjecture the true scan chain structure. Experimental results show that the proposed method can be used to attack non-linear circuits equipped with flipped scan chains.
Efficiency enhancement of a new two-motor hybrid system

A new two-motor hybrid system is developed to maximize powertrain efficiency. Efficiency of the system is drastically enhanced without any driving performance sacrifices by switching driving modes from "Hybrid Drive" to "EV (Electric vehicle) Drive" or "Engine Drive" according to the driving condition, along with the application of a series hybrid based system to make full use of high flexibility of engine operating points. Basic concepts of the maximization of powertrain efficiency including an applied system configuration and control technologies are discussed in this paper. Along with this system, a high capacity Li-ion battery and an on-board charger are installed in 2014 Honda Accord Plug-In to add practical plug-in HEV capabilities. Superior fuel economy is achieved with values of 46 MPG (Miles Per Gallon) in CS (Charge Sustaining) mode, 115 MPGe (Miles Per Gallon equivalent) in CD (Charge Depleting) mode and 13miles of AER (All Electric Range). MPGe is a unit of fuel economy for the alternate fuel vehicles such as plug-in hybrid electric vehicles or electric vehicles. The ratings are calculated by converting used electric energy into equivalent amount of gasoline.
Experience of parents with head and neck cancer who are caring for young children.

AIM This paper is a report of a study exploring the experience and support needs of parents with head and neck cancer, who are also caring for their young children. BACKGROUND The incidence of head and neck cancer is steadily rising in the younger age groups (under 50 years). As a direct consequence, more parents of young children are being diagnosed with this cancer. METHODS Using a qualitative descriptive design, 12 patients with young children under the age of 16 were interviewed during 2008. The data were analysed using cognitive mapping. FINDINGS At diagnosis, parents experienced the fear of missing milestones in the life of their children and fear of telling the children about their diagnosis. During treatment, parents' inevitable stays in hospital led to separation from the children and the need to prepare their children for the first hospital visit. Parents experienced many debilitating effects of treatment, which had an impact on family activities, especially those that involved eating. There was often changing roles within the family. After treatment, the experience of living with cancer for parents resulted in the desire to get back to day-to-day life. Parents had an increased appreciation of life but were also living with uncertainties. The most important support networks for parents were their spouse, family and friends. CONCLUSION Oncology nurses are in an excellent position to offer support and guidance to parents with cancer who have children, and should encourage them to explore with the family the best way of managing role change during treatment.
Nietzsche's Great Politics

Little consensus has emerged over how to interpret Nietzsche’s political statements and, indeed, whether he has a coherent politics at all. While the dominant contention remains that Nietzsche is apolitical, an individualist concerned with self-overcoming and self-creation, there has been an increasingly lively debate between those who want to appropriate aspects of his thought to enrich democratic theory (Mark Warren, William Connolly, Lawrence Hatab, David Owen), and those who argue that he is best interpreted as offering an aristocratic challenge to democratic politics (Frederick Appel, Bruce Detwiler). In Nietzsche’s Great Politics, Hugo Drochon argues that writers on both sides of this debate have increasingly divorced Nietzsche’s political statements from their context, failing to adequately grasp the meaning of these statements by situating them in relation to contemporary democratic theory (p. 73). It is timely, therefore, to return to ‘what politics meant for him’ (p. 2). Drochon’s overall claim is that having satisfactorily outlined his philosophy, Nietzsche was embarking on a ‘complementary political phase’, pursuing his own discernible political agenda of ‘great politics’ (p. 140). This account of great politics involved the creation of an international movement, composed of a master caste of ‘ascending life’, which would assume power across Europe and initiate a new age of high culture (pp. 161, 168). Seldom has a book’s success hinged more on a positive evaluation of its methodological assumptions; its reception will largely be determined by how convincing one finds the three claims that Drochon makes (p. 19), which I will address in turn. The first claim is that to ‘correctly understand’ Nietzsche’s politics it must be placed within its own historical context (p. 19). Drochon succeeds in offering valuable insights into Nietzsche’s political statements in the published texts by contextualising them, utilising letters, notes and historical sources to vividly depict his exasperation at the contemporary political situation, especially Bismark’s version of great politics. In general, Nietzsche’s Great Politics is most successful when it is on firmly historical ground. Drochon’s commitment to recovering the context in which Nietzsche was writing leads him to refreshingly present his ideas without cherry-picking them to match democratic sensibilities or
Prenatal stress alters circadian activity of hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis and hippocampal corticosteroid receptors in adult rats of both gender.

Prenatal stress impairs activity of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in response to stress in adult offspring. So far, very few data are available on the effects of prenatal stress on circadian functioning of the HPA axis. Here, we studied the effects of prenatal stress on the circadian rhythm of corticosterone secretion in male and female adult rats. To evaluate the effects of prenatal stress on various regulatory components of corticosterone secretion, we also assessed the diurnal fluctuation of adrenocorticotropin, total and free corticosterone levels, and hippocampal corticosteroid receptors. Finally, in the search of possible maternal factors, we studied the effects of repeated restraint stress on the pattern of corticosterone secretion in pregnant female rats. Results demonstrate that prenatal stress induced higher levels of total and free corticosterone secretion at the end of the light period in both males and females, and hypercorticism over the entire diurnal cycle in females. No diurnal fluctuation of adrenocorticotropin was observed in any group studied. The effects of prenatal stress on corticosterone secretion could be mediated, at least in part, by a reduction in corticosteroid receptors at specific times of day. Results also show that prepartal stress alters the pattern of corticosterone secretion in pregnant females. Those data indicate that prenatally stressed rats exhibit an altered temporal functioning of the HPA axis, which, taken together with their abnormal response to stress, reinforces the idea of a general homeostatic dysfunction in those animals.
Chronic stretching and running economy

Research demonstrates an inverse relationship between the range of motion of selected joint movements (flexibility) and running economy. Since stretching exercises have been shown to increase joint range of motion, stretching exercises may be contraindicated for endurance running performance. Hence, this study investigated the influence of a 10‐week program of stretching exercises on the oxygen costs of a 10 min sub‐maximal (approx. 70% peak VO2) treadmill run. Thirty‐two (16 female, 16 male) physically active, treadmill accommodated, college students participated in the study. All participants maintained their current activity level, with half the participants (8 female, 8 male) adding a 40 min, 3 days per week session of thigh and calf muscle stretching exercises. After 10 weeks, the stretching group (STR) exhibited a significant (P<0.05) increase (3.1±2.2 cm) in the sit‐and‐reach, while the non‐stretching group (CON) experienced no significant (P>0.05) change (0.0±0.4 cm). However, neither the STR nor the CON exhibited a significant (P>0.05) change in the O2 cost for the submaximal run. It is concluded, therefore, that a chronic stretching program does not necessarily negatively influence running economy.