Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Clinical outcomes of nalidixic acid, ceftriaxone, and multidrug-resistant nontyphoidal salmonella infections compared with pansusceptible infections in FoodNet sites, 2006-2008.

BACKGROUND Nontyphoidal Salmonella causes an estimated 1.2 million infections, 23,000 hospitalizations, and 450 deaths annually in the United States. Most illnesses are self-limited; however, treatment with antimicrobial agents can be life-saving for invasive infections. METHODS The Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network and the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System collaborated on a prospective cohort study of patients with nontyphoidal Salmonella bloodstream and gastrointestinal infections to determine differences in the clinical outcomes of resistant compared with pansusceptible infections. Interviews were conducted within 85 days of specimen collection date. RESULTS Of 875 nontyphoidal Salmonella isolates, 705 (81%) were pansusceptible, 165 (19%) were resistant to at least 1 agent, and 5 (0.6%) had only intermediate resistance. The most common pattern, found in 51 (31%) of resistant isolates, was resistance to at least ampicillin, chloramphenicol, streptomycin, sulfisoxazole, and tetracycline (ACSSuT); 88% of isolates with this pattern were serotype Typhimurium or Newport. Fourteen (52%) of the 27 ceftriaxone-resistant isolates were also ACSSuT resistant. Adjusted for age and serotype, bloodstream infection was significantly more common among patients infected with strains resistant to only two, only three, or only five antimicrobial classes, to ACSSuT with or without other agents, to ACSSuT only, or to nalidixic acid with or without other agents than among patients with pansusceptible isolates. Adjusted for age, serotype, and bloodstream infection, hospitalization was significantly more common among patients infected with strains resistant to only three agents or to ceftriaxone (all ceftriaxone-resistant isolates were resistant to other agents) than among patients with pansusceptible isolates. CONCLUSION This study extends evidence that patients with antimicrobial-resistant nontyphoidal Salmonella infections have more severe outcomes. Prevention efforts are needed to reduce unnecessary antimicrobial use in patient care settings and in food animals to help prevent the emergence of resistance and infections with resistant nontyphoidal Salmonella.
AN UNUSUAL PRESENTATION OF CHOROIDAL SARCOIDOSIS AND ITS MULTIMODAL IMAGING.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to report a case of a Filipino woman with a history of breast cancer who presented with unilateral choroidal infiltration, which led to the diagnosis of sarcoidosis. METHODS Case report and literature review. RESULTS A 64-year-old Filipino woman with a history of breast cancer presented with unilateral choroidal nodules. Her blood tests were negative for common causes of choroidal infiltration (angiotensin-converting enzyme, lysozyme, Treponema pallidum particle agglutination), and Mantoux skin test and a chest x-ray were negative. Her diagnosis could only be made by biopsy of the two hypermetabolic paratracheal nodes seen on the positron emission tomography-computed tomography. CONCLUSION Choroidal infiltration may be the presenting feature of sarcoidosis even in ethnicities known to have very low incidence of the disease. If the chest x-ray is negative and the clinical suspicion warrants it, a CT or positron emission tomography-computed tomography of the thorax may be helpful in identifying nonhilar mediastinal lymphadenopathy. As in our case, fine-needle aspiration biopsy of these nodes may lead to confirmation of the diagnosis.
Neuropilin‐1 is required for endothelial tip cell guidance in the developing central nervous system

Recent evidence indicates that sprouting angiogenesis in the central nervous system (CNS) is a guided process similar to the guidance of axons and insect tracheal tubes. Specialized tip cells of vessel sprouts navigate in response to local depots or gradients of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF‐A). Neuropilin‐1 (Nrp‐1) is a transmembrane receptor with a repulsive function in axon guidance. Nrp‐1 also binds the VEGF‐A splice isoform VEGF165, stimulates angiogenesis, and is necessary for vascular development in the mouse. However, the morphogenetic events controlled by Nrp‐1 in angiogenesis have not been defined. Here, we analyzed endothelial tip cell guidance in the CNS of Nrp‐1–deficient mice. We focused our attention on the developing hindbrain, which is normally vascularized in a stereotyped manner. Initially, angiogenic sprouts extend along radial glia from the pial surface toward the ventricles, but in the subventricular zone (SVZ), they leave the radial path, turn laterally, and fuse to form a capillary plexus. Radial sprout elongation correlated with tip cell filopodia extensions along nestin‐positive radial glial processes, but in the SVZ, the tip cell filopodia also extended perpendicular to the glial tracks and made contact with filopodia of the neighboring sprouts. In Nrp‐1–deficient mice, the tip cell filopodia remained associated with the radial glia in the SVZ, which correlated with a failure of sprout turning and elongation across this region. As a result, the sprouts remained blind‐ended forming glomeruloid tufts in the SVZ. These observations suggest that Nrp‐1 plays an important role in allowing the endothelial tip cell filopodia to switch substrate and protrude in a new direction at a specific location in the developing brain. Developmental Dynamics 231:503–509, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Does Independent Advice to The Board A ect CEO Compensation ?

This paper investigates the role external advice plays in the board's determination of CEO compensation. Speci cally, I examine whether the Pay-Performance Sensitivity and the Relative Performance Evaluation component of a CEO's contract increase with the degree of compensation consultant independence. I use a unique sample of Canadian rms which allows me to directly measure the impact of non-compensation related consulting fees on compensation advice. For identi cation, I exploit a "quasi-natural experiment" provided by the creation of an independent consultant as a spin-o from an a liated consultant. Switching to an independent consultant is associated with relative increases of 22% in PayPerformance Sensitivity and 28% in Relative Performance Evaluation of CEO contracts. Despite the bene ts of independent advice, independent consultants may not be hired due to higher fees, the in uence of powerful CEOs, or because boards already possess adequate expertise. JEL Classi cation: G34; J33; J41; D86
Differential responses of migratory locusts to systemic RNA interference via double‐stranded RNA injection and feeding

The migratory locust, Locusta migratoria, is one of the most destructive agricultural pests and has been widely used as a model system for insect physiology, neurobiology and behavioural research. In the present study, we investigated the effects of RNA interference (RNAi) using two delivery methods for double‐stranded RNA (dsRNA) molecules, namely, injection and feeding, to develop a potential new pest control strategy. Our results showed that locusts have a sensitive and systemic response to the injection of dsRNAs in a dose‐dependent manner, but do not respond to the feeding of dsRNAs. Further experiments suggested that the ineffectiveness of dsRNA feeding was attributable to the rapid degradation of dsRNA, which was probably induced by nuclease enzymes in the locust midgut. Moreover, we identified almost all the homologous genes involved in the endocytosis‐mediated dsRNA uptake from the locust genome, which provided possible clues regarding the dsRNA uptake mechanisms from the intestine to the midgut epithelium. These findings reveal the differential response models of fourth instar locust nymphs to dsRNA delivery methods, contribute to the current understanding of insect RNAi mechanisms and provide important information for the further application of RNAi as a genetic tool and pest control strategy.
Interactive 3D Modeling - A Survey-based Perspective on Interactive 3D Reconstruction

3D reconstruction and modeling techniques based on computer vision show a significant improvement in recent decades. Despite the great variety, a majority of these techniques depend on specific photographic collections or video footage. For example, most are designed for large data collections, overlapping photos, captures from turntables or photos with lots of detectable features such as edges. If the input, however, does not fit the particular specification, most techniques can no longer create reasonable 3D reconstructions. We review the work in the research area of 3D reconstruction and 3D modeling with a focus on the specific capabilities of these methods and possible drawbacks. Within this literature review, the practical usability with the focus on the input data — the collections of photographs or videos — and on the resulting models are discussed. Upon this basis, we introduce our position of interactive 3D reconstruction and modeling as a possible opportunity of lifting current restrictions from these techniques, which leads to the possibility of creating CAD-ready models in the future.
The corticotropin-release inhibitory factor hypothesis: a review of the evidence for the existence of inhibitory as well as stimulatory hypophysiotropic regulation of adrenocorticotropin secretion and biosynthesis.

I. Introduction II. Hypothalamic Stimulation of ACTH Release and Biosynthesis A. Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) B. Arginine vasopressin (AVP) C. The hypothalamic CRF and AVP neurons and their connections D. Studies of the secretion of CRF and AVP into the hypophysial-portal circulation E. Studies of the neural regulation of CRF and AVP secretion and biosynthesis III. Hypothalamic Inhibition of ACTH Release and Biosynthesis A. Historic studies B. Effect of hypothalamo-pituitary disconnection in adult and fetal sheep C. Effects of the opiate alkaloids and opioid peptides on the HPA axis D. The role of the posterior pituitary in the regulation of corticotropic function E. Hypothalamic ACTH release-inhibitory activity F. Definition of corticotropin release inhibitory factor (CRIF) IV. CRIF: A Consideration of Possible Candidates A. Somatostatin (SST) B. Dopamine C. Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) D. Prepro-TRH-(178–199) E. Other substances V. Future Directions
The associations between cervicovaginal HIV shedding, sexually transmitted diseases and immunosuppression in female sex workers in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire

Objective:To measure the frequency and associated factors of cervicovaginal HIV shedding and to determine the impact of sexually transmitted disease (STD) treatment on HIV shedding. Design:Cross-sectional study with 1-week follow-up. Setting:Confidential clinic for female sex workers in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. Participants:A total of 1201 female sex workers. Interventions:STD treatment based on clinical signs. Main outcome measures:HIV serostatus; cervicovaginal HIV shedding at enrolment and at 1-week follow-up; STD status at enrolment and at 1-week follow-up. Results:Cervicovaginal shedding of HIV-1 in HIV-1-seropositive women was more frequent (96 out of 404, 24%) than shedding of HIV-2 in HIV-2-seropositive women [one out of 21, 5%; odds ratio (OR), 6.2; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.0–261]. Among 609 HIV-1-seropositive or dually seroreactive women, HIV-1 shedding was significantly more frequent in immunosuppressed women [adjusted OR (AOR), 6.3; 95% CI, 3.4–11.9; and AOR, 2.9; 95% CI, 1.6–5.0 for CD4 < 14% and CD4 14–28%, respectively, versus CD4 > 28%], and in women with Neisseria gonorrhoeae (AOR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.2–3.0), those with Chlamydia trachomatis (AOR, 2.5; 95% CI, 1.1–5.8), and with a cervical or vaginal ulcer (AOR, 3.9; 95% CI, 2.1–7.4). HIV-1 shedding decreased from 42 to 21% (P < 0.005) in women whose STD were cured. Conclusions:These data help to explain the difference in transmissibility between HIV-1 and HIV-2 and the increased infectiousness of HIV in the presence of immunosuppression and STD. In addition, they lend biological plausibility to arguments for making STD control an integral part of HIV prevention strategies in Africa.
Asking Neutral Versus Leading Questions

Objectives: National surveys of older Americans routinely have included functional limitation items using either a leading approach (“how much difficulty do you have.”) or a neutral approach (“do you have any difficulty.”). This article evaluates the performance of scales based on these two approaches. Methods: Using responses from 595 randomly selected participants to the 1994 Health and Retirement Study, the authors compared prevalences and evaluated scales based on each approach with respect to the extent of missing data, face validity, reliability, predictive validity, convergent validity, and robustness of odds ratios in predictive models. Results: The authors found that leading questions provided higher estimates of functional limitations than neutral questions, but both approaches yielded scales with similar validity and reliability. However, for both approaches, scales incorporating degree of difficulty had better validity and reliability than those based on counts of tasks. All four approaches yielded substantially similar coefficients in a model predicting disability onset. Discussion: The authors conclude that, because they minimize survey time without compromising validity and reliability, items that explicitly capture degree of difficulty by asking “How much difficulty do you have. ” may be the optimal approach for survey designers.
Cholesterol embolism as a complication of aortic dissection.

A73-year-old man was admitted to the hospital because of severe back pain. CT and MRI (Figure 1⇓) revealed aortic dissection. Transesophageal echocardiography (Figure 2⇓) showed a thickened intimal tear of the thoracic aorta. The patient was treated with calcium blockers (cilnidipine and diltiazem) and a β-blocker (metoprolol). One month …
Effect of Long-Term, Low-Dose Aspirin Therapy on Renal Graft Function.

OBJECTIVES Despite improvements in immunosuppressive protocols for renal transplant, long-term success of renal transplant is still limited by the occurrence of interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy. Some studies have shown that aspirin decreases the severity of kidney ischemia-reperfusion injury and the development of tubular atrophy in animal models. This study aimed to assess the effects of aspirin therapy started at the time of transplant on long-term graft function. MATERIALS AND METHODS We compared renal graft function of 82 patients on low-dose aspirin 75 mg once daily who underwent renal transplant between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2010 from a single center with 65 patients not taking aspirin. For each patient, the following measurements were collected: age, sex, creatinine level, type of donor, cold ischemia time, occurrence of acute allograft rejections, number of HLA mismatches, first transplant, intake of statins, number of antihypertensive medications, and number of days posttransplant. Patients were excluded from the study who were on aspirin before transplant or who had coronary artery disease. RESULTS Multilevel modelling was used to compare renal allograft function, as measured by serum creatinine levels, between patients taking and not taking aspirin after kidney transplant. Aspirin was not significantly associated with creatinine levels (P = .59) after adjusting for other relevant variables. CONCLUSIONS Low-dose aspirin started at the time of transplant has a negligible effect on renal allograft function over the 15-year study period posttransplant.
Misdiagnosis of spontaneous intracranial hypotension.

BACKGROUND Spontaneous intracranial hypotension is an important cause of "new daily persistent headaches" but is not a well-recognized entity. The misdiagnosis of spontaneous intracranial hypotension can have serious consequences. METHODS The clinical course in 18 consecutive patients with spontaneous intracranial hypotension who were evaluated for definitive surgical treatment of the underlying spontaneous spinal cerebrospinal fluid leak from January 1, 2001, through June 30, 2002, was investigated by correspondence with the patients and physicians. RESULTS Seventeen patients (94%) initially received an incorrect diagnosis, and the diagnostic delay ranged from 4 days to 13 years (median, 5 weeks; mean, 13 months). Migraine, meningitis, and psychogenic disorder were the most commonly entertained diagnoses. Diagnostic or therapeutic procedures for disorders that mimicked spontaneous intracranial hypotension included cerebral arteriography in 2 patients, craniotomies for Chiari malformation in 2 patients, craniotomy for evacuation of subdural hematomas in 1 patient, and brain biopsy in 1 patient. CONCLUSIONS Patients with spontaneous intracranial hypotension are commonly misdiagnosed, causing a significant delay in the initiation of effective treatments and exposing patients to the risks associated with treatment for disorders that mimic intracranial hypotension. Increasing the awareness of this spontaneous type of intracranial hypotension is required to decrease the high rate of misdiagnosis.
Associations between microbial species in subgingival plaque samples.

Samples of subgingival plaque were taken from 275 active and inactive sites in 35 subjects with destructive periodontal diseases. The predominant cultivable microbiota was determined in each of the samples by characterizing 50 randomly selected isolates recovered on anaerobically incubated Trypticase soy agar supplemented with 5% sheep blood. Microbial associations between species were determined by computing the odds ratio of a site being infected by a “target” species in the presence of an “effector” species. Data are presented for 22 numerically dominant “effector” species and 8 “target” species which consisted of suspected periodontal pathogens. These included Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Bacteroides forsythus, Bacteroides gingivalis, Bacteroides intermedicus, Bacteroides melaninogenicus, Peptostreptococcus micros, Streptococcus intermedius and Wolinella recta. Positive associations were considered to be relationships in which the odds ratio of detecting a “target” species was >2:1 in the presence of the “effector” species, while negative associations were defined as those in which the odds ratio of detecting the “target” species was < 0.5:1 in the presence of the “effector” species. In general, species of streptococci, an unnamed Actinomyces sp. and Propionibacterium acnes showed a negative association with the 8 suspected pathogens, while many Gram-negative species tended to show a positive association with these suspected pathogens. There appeared to be specificity in the associations observed. For example, S. intermedius was positively associated with Streptococcus mitis and Streptococcus sanguis I, but negatively associated with Bacteroides forsythus. In contrast, W. recta was negatively associated with S. mitis and Streptococcus sanguis I, but positively associated with Bacteroides forsythus. S. sanguis II, Streptococcus uberis, P. acnes, Capnocytophaga ochracea and an unnamed Actinomyces sp. showed negative associations with 4 of the suspected periodontal pathogens, while B. gingivalis, Fusobacterium nucleatum and the Eubacterium sp. showed only positive or “neutral” associations with the “target” species. Data from this and other investigations suggest that microbial associations might play an important role in controlling the composition of subgingival plaque and, thus, be a major determinant of health or destructive periodontal diseases.
A Study of Application of Data Mining and Analytics in Education Domain

Data Mining techniques and algorithms have been used on a large scale in almost all the sectors which range from computer science, manufacturing industry, and healthcare industry. A recently introduced concept of academic analytics uses the data mining algorithms on the educational data of students and gives certain insights about the expected performances of the students, expected retention rate of students and percentage of resources properly utilized. These results also help administrators in decision making and answering certain questions like whether the faculty v/s student’s ratio is giving satisfactory results or there is a change needed in the teaching methodology. Educational Data Mining is also another upcoming field and is an allied field of Academic analytics, but it focuses on the data mining algorithm outputs being given back to the faculties in order to properly assess the student’s performance. Educational data mining basically helps the tutors modify their teaching strategies if the results with the current teaching model are not satisfactory. This paper basically is a study of certain research experiments which aim to apply data mining algorithms to educational data and contribute to the field of Academic analytics and Educational Data Mining.
Education and the cognitive decline associated with MRI-defined brain infarct

Objective: To assess whether educational attainment, a correlate of cognitive reserve, predicts the amount of cognitive decline associated with a new brain infarct. Methods: The Cardiovascular Health Study is a population-based, longitudinal study of people aged 65 years and older. Cognitive function was measured annually using the Modified Mini-Mental State Examination (3MS) and the Digit-Symbol Substitution Test (DSST). The authors tested whether education level modified 1) the cross-sectional association between cognitive performance and MRI-defined infarct and 2) the change in cognitive function associated with an incident infarct at a follow-up MRI. Results: In cross-sectional analysis (n = 3,660), MRI-defined infarct was associated with a greater impact on 3MS performance in the lowest education quartile when compared with others (p for heterogeneity = 0.012). Among those with a follow-up MRI who had no infarct on initial MRI (n = 1,433), education level was not associated with the incidence, size, or location of new brain infarct. However, a new MRI-defined infarct predicted substantially greater decline in 3MS scores in the lowest education group compared with the others (6.3, 95% CI 4.4- to 8.2-point decline vs 1.7, 95% CI 0.7- to 2.7-point decline; p for heterogeneity < 0.001). Higher education was not associated with smaller declines in DSST performance in the setting of MRI-defined infarct. Conclusions: Education seems to modify an individual's decline on a test of general cognitive function when there is incident brain infarct. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that cognitive reserve influences the impact of vascular injury in the brain.
Teaching Anatomy and Physiology Online Using Problem-Based Learning

Within all aspects of healthcare education, the teaching and learning of anatomy and physiology is regarded as the singularly most problematic area of the curriculum. This paper outlines a project currently in development to create an online tool that utilizes problem-based learning strategies to contextualize anatomy and physiology education; basing the learning on real-world scenarios will aim to promote understanding and retention.
Comparison of the stratum corneum thickness measured in vivo with confocal Raman spectroscopy and confocal reflectance microscopy

Thickness measurement of the outermost layer of the skin, the stratum corneum (SC), is essential for in‐vivo measurement of the cutaneous bioavailability of topically applied drugs and cosmetics. Our aim was to compare SC thickness calculated from confocal Raman spectroscopy (CRS) data with results of SC thickness based on confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) measurements and with literature data, to validate CRS data with CLSM data and vice versa.