Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prevalence and characterization of coagulase negative staphylococci associated with buffalo mastitis

A total of 253 milk samples from different quarters of 64 apparently healthy Murrah buffaloes were collected aseptically from an organized farm at Hisar, Haryana. The prevalence of subclinical mastitis was determined following International Dairy Federation Criteria based on bacteriological examination of milk and somatic cell count. Staphylococcus spp. was found to be predominant pathogen (57.5%) followed by streptococci (40%) and E. coli (2.5%). All the isolated staphylococci were confirmed by 16S rRNA genus specific PCR and were found to be coagulase negative and novobiocin sensitive in the present study. In the order of frequency of isolation, various species of coagulase negative Staphylococci identified were S. epidermidis (7), S. capitis (6), S. hyicus (4), S. haemolyticus (2), S. chromogenes (2) and S. simulans (2). The Staphylococcus spp. isolated from udder infections were subjected to in vitro chemotherapeutic sensitivity using 17 antimicrobials by disc-diffusion method and and were found 100% sensitive to Chloramphenicol, Moxifloxacin, Cefoperazone, Amikacin, Gentamicin, Neomycin and Enrofloxacin.
Genotypes and antibiotic resistance of bovine Campylobacter and their contribution to human campylobacteriosis

SUMMARY Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli are the most important bacterial causes of human gastroenteritis. Chicken has been recognized as a major source for human infection, whereas cattle might also contribute to a lesser extent. However, there is a paucity of information available regarding Campylobacter in Swiss cattle and their role for human campylobacteriosis. To gain more information on genotypes and antibiotic resistance of bovine C. jejuni and C. coli and on their contribution to human disease, 97 cattle isolates were analysed. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and flaB typing were applied and the gyrA and 23S rRNA genes were screened for point mutations responsible for quinolone and macrolide resistance, respectively. A total of 37 sequence types (STs) and 44 flaB types were identified, including two sequence types and five flaB types not previously described. Most common sequence types were ST21 (21%), ST61 (12%) and ST48 (11%). Only one isolate was macrolide resistant while 31% (n = 30) were quinolone resistant. Source attribution indicated chicken as the main source of human infection with cattle being second. In conclusion, cattle should not be underestimated as a potential source of human campylobacteriosis.
Consanguineous Marriages in the Middle East: Nature Versus Nurture

Family is societal institution that is conceptualized as "Vital" and "Valid" its importance is emphasized by social conservatives across cultures. Consanguinity is usually socially motivated and can be genetically harmful; it is a state of being descended from a common ancestor. It has been practiced by many societies around the globe from time immemorial, and a part of most civilizations as far back as the Old Testament of the Bible, and in the Arab world before the emerging of the Islam, and therefore, it is not monopoly where Islamic faith prevails. We scrutinize the effect of consanguinity on family health, its benefits and its detriments, and how should be tackled on medical and policy levels. We also pursue the Islamic attitude and discourses on the marriage custom, law, ethics and principles. Attention is then drawn to the cultural influences and challenges in the Arab word.
The impact of socioeconomic status on foodborne illness in high-income countries: a systematic review

SUMMARY Foodborne illness is a major cause of morbidity and loss of productivity in developed nations. Although low socioeconomic status (SES) is generally associated with negative health outcomes, its impact on foodborne illness is poorly understood. We conducted a systematic review to examine the association between SES and laboratory-confirmed illness caused by eight important foodborne pathogens. We completed this systematic review using PubMed for all papers published between 1 January 1980 and 1 January 2013 that measured the association between foodborne illness and SES in highly developed countries and identified 16 studies covering four pathogens. The effect of SES varied across pathogens: the majority of identified studies for Campylobacter, salmonellosis, and E. coli infection showed an association between high SES and illness. The single study of listeriosis showed illness was associated with low SES. A reporting bias by SES could not be excluded. SES should be considered when targeting consumer-level public health interventions for foodborne pathogens.
1980 GEORGE SIMON MEMORIAL FELLOWSHIP AWARD

The developing aortic arches and pulmonary vasculature of 200 mouse embryos (gestational age 11.5-18 days) were directly imaged by stereomicroradiography after perfusion fixation, endothelial staining, and critical point drying. At 11.5-days gestational age, symmetric third, fourth, and sixth aortic arches and proximal portions of the right and left pulmonary arteries were noted. At 12 days, rudimentary pulmonary arteries extended dorsocaudally from the middle portion of the left sixth arch, and there was loss of the dorsal component of the right sixth arch. Semilunar valve anlagen were noted at 12 days, and cusps formed during days 13 and 14. With continued growth, the lungs and pulmonary arteries enlarged and came to occupy a more cephalad position relative to the heart. Stereomicroradiographic techniques permit direct imaging of developing vascular systems in the mouse embryo. Information gained from these whole specimen studies serve to complement serial section and reconstruction studies and offer the potential for evaluating normal and abnormal vascular development.
Es Posible la Determinación de la Afinidad Racial a Partir del Análisis Biométrico de Cráneos Humanos

Del craneo humano se obtienen datos metricos para el diagnostico de sexo, edad y afinidad racial. El proposito de este estudio fue determinar, por medio de dimensiones lineales faciales y craneales, una funcion discriminante e identificar aquellas dimensiones mas utiles, para predecir el color de piel a partir de craneos. Se analizaron 208 craneos de la coleccion de la Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo, pertenecientes a individuos con afinidad racial para blanco, negro y mulato, de acuerdo al registro. Se determinaron las siguientes dimensiones: Bieurica, Glabela-Opistocraneo, Basion- Bregma, Nasion- Prostion, Bicigomatica, ancho maximo de la apertura piriforme y la distancia Nasion-Espinal. Se realizo un analisis estadistico con ANOVA de un factor, test de Bonferroni y Schaffe y se calculo la funcion discriminante. Solo el ancho maximo de la apertura piriforme presento diferencias estadisticas en los grupos segun color de piel. Al analisis por sexo, al grupo de craneos masculinos se agrego la longitud Nasion ­ Prostion. La funcion discriminante construida con el ancho maximo de la apertura piriforme, solo permitio clasificar correctamente el 53,8% de los craneos. La funcion discriminante calculada en esta muestra tiene una limitada utilidad y se hace necesario el analisis de otras dimensiones para poblacion brasilera.
Tumor Necrosis Factor-α and Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptors in the Failing Human Heart

Background Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) is a proinflammatory cytokine that produces negative inotropic effects in the heart. Recently, elevated levels of TNF-α have been reported in patients with advanced congestive heart failure. Although TNF-α is thought to exert its deleterious effects by binding to two cell surface receptors, TNFR1 and TNFR2, the level of expression and regulation of TNF receptors in the heart in cardiac disease states is not known. Methods and Results We examined mRNA and protein levels for TNFR1, TNFR2, and TNF-α in explanted hearts from organ donors as well as in patients with end-stage dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and ischemic heart disease (IHD). Northern blot analysis revealed that mRNA for TNFR1 and TNFR2 was present in nonfailing, DCM, and IHD hearts. TNFR1 and TNFR2 receptor protein levels, as measured by ELISA, were decreased 60% in DCM and IHD patients compared with nonfailing hearts (P<.005). To determine a potential mechanism for the decrease in TNF receptor expression.
Second-hand smoke and the risk of tuberculosis: a systematic review and a meta-analysis

SUMMARY There is limited evidence and lack of consensus whether second-hand smoke (SHS) increases risk of tuberculosis (TB), which has substantial implications for unrestricted smoking indoors and TB control policies. We aimed to establish the association between SHS and the risk of acquiring and worsening of TB in non-smokers. We identified 428 articles in the initial search and 12 comparative epidemiological studies met our inclusion criteria. Exposure to SHS was found to have a higher risk of TB infection [risk ratio (RR) 1·19, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0·90–1·57] compared to non-exposure; however, this did not reach statistical significance. There was marked variability (I 2 = 74%, P = 0·0008) between studies’ results, which could be explained by the differences in the diagnostic criteria used. Exposure to SHS was found to be statistically significantly associated (RR 1·59, 95% CI 1·11–2·27) with the risk of TB disease. There was significant heterogeneity (I 2 = 77%, P = 0·0006) between studies’ results, which was sourced to the internal characteristics of the studies rather than combining different study designs. We did not find any studies for SHS and TB treatment-related outcomes. Thus, we conclude that SHS exposure may increase the risk of acquiring TB infection and progression to TB disease; however, the evidence remains scanty and weak.
Risk of haemolytic uraemic syndrome caused by shiga-toxin-producing Escherichia coli infection in adult women in Japan

SUMMARY Shiga-toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) infections usually cause haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS) equally in male and female children. This study investigated the localization of globotriaosylceramide (Gb3) in human brain and kidney tissues removed from forensic autopsy cases in Japan. A fatal case was used as a positive control in an outbreak of diarrhoeal disease caused by STEC O157:H7 in a kindergarten in Urawa in 1990. Positive immunodetection of Gb3 was significantly more frequent in female than in male distal and collecting renal tubules. To correlate this finding with a clinical outcome, a retrospective analysis of the predictors of renal failure in the 162 patients of two outbreaks in Japan was performed: one in Tochigi in 2002 and the other in Kagawa Prefecture in 2005. This study concludes renal failure, including HUS, was significantly associated with female sex, and the odds ratio was 4·06 compared to male patients in the two outbreaks. From 2006 to 2009 in Japan, the risk factor of HUS associated with STEC infection was analysed. The number of males and females and the proportion of females who developed HUS were calculated by age and year from 2006 to 2009. In 2006, 2007 and 2009 in adults aged >20 years, adult women were significantly more at risk of developing HUS in Japan.
Neuroaudiological Results from Split-Brain Patients

Section of Otolaryngology and Audiology, Department of Surgery, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Hanover, New Hampshire, and the Department of Communication Disorders, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts The corpus callosum (CC) or great cerebral commissure, is the largest fiber tract in the brain and provides the major pathway for communication between the two cerebral hemispheres. The sectioning of this structure, in whole or part, in an effort to control intractable epilepsy, has provided a fascinating group of subjects on whom to perform sensory perception research. Until recently, the majority of published studies have centered upon visual and tactile perception in these patients (Gazzaniga, 1977; Sperry et al, 1969). Although there have been a few studies demonstrating impressive trends in terms of postsurgical auditory processing in this population (Sparks and Geschwind, 1968; Milner et al., 1968; Springer and Gazzaniga, 1975; Risse et al., 1978), further documentation of auditory function is needed, especially for comparison to preoperative data. The concept of sectioning the CC in an effort to control the spread of epileptic seizure activity from a focus in one hemisphere to the other hemisphere is attributed to William Von Wagenen in the early 1940s (Springer and Deutsch, 1981). The medical and psychological test findings from ten of his patients were negative and inconclusive. This led to the disuse of the procedure until 1962, when its interest was revived by Gazzaniga, et al. (1963). Their results with two series of patients were more encouraging. Sensory testing of these patients demonstrated the subtle, yet stable "disconnection effects'' that occur when transfer of information from one hemisphere to the other is interrupted by commissurotomy. Because only mixed results were achieved in seizure control with these patients, Bogen and his colleagues discontinued use of the commissurotomy procedure. Since that time, however, sensory research on their splitbrain subjects has flourished. When Donald Wilson and Alexander Reeves of our medical center renewed the use of the commissurotomy procedure, it provided the present authors with the opportunity to study auditory function in a new series of split-brain patients.
Potential Regulatory Functions of MicroRNAs in the Ovary

The interactions between ovarian germ and somatic cells and expression of several intraovarian autocrine/paracrine regulators are major contributing factors in the ovary. These intraovarian mediators regulate various ovarian cellular activities including cell growth, differentiation, and apoptosis, which are critical in follicular development. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as key components of posttranscriptional gene expression. Recent evidence generated in mice implicates the regulatory function of miRNAs in oocyte maturation and ovarian follicular development. In the human, miRNAs may target specific gene expression in granulosa cells and participate in establishment and progression of ovarian cancer. Here, we review the currently available information on the expression and potential regulatory functions of miRNAs in the ovary under normal and pathologic conditions. Understanding the underlying mechanisms of how ovarian germ cell and somatic cell miRNAs are regulated and identifying their specific target genes and their functions may lead to the development of strategies to achieve target-specific gene regulation for the prevention and treatment of various ovarian disorders.
Case-fatality risk of pregnant women with acute viral hepatitis type E: a systematic review and meta-analysis

SUMMARY It is of great concern that pregnant women with acute viral hepatitis (AVH) type E have serious consequences. This study aimed to estimate the case-fatality risk (CFR) and potential risk factors of pregnant women with AVH type E. We searched the PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases for studies containing data on CFR in pregnancy with AVH type E. A pooled estimate of CFR was calculated using a random-effects model. Potential sources of heterogeneity were explored using subgroup analysis, sensitivity analysis, and meta-regression. We identified 47 eligible studies with a total African and Asian population of 3968 individuals. The pooled CFRs of maternal and fetal outcomes were 20·8% [95% confidence interval (CI) 16·6–25·3] and 34·2% (95% CI 26·0–43·0), respectively. Compared with these, the pooled CFR was highest (61·2%) in women with fulminant hepatic failure (FHF). Community-based surveys had lower pooled CFR (12·2%, 95% CI 9·2–15·6) and heterogeneity (25·8%, 95% CI 20·1–32·0) than hospital-based surveys. Univariate analysis showed that hospital-based surveying (P = 0·007), and patients in the third trimester of pregnancy or with FHF (P < 0·05), were significantly associated with CFR. Intrauterine fetal mortality (27·0%) was statistically higher than neonatal mortality (3·9%). Control measures for HEV infection would reduce feto-maternal mortality in Asia and Africa.
[First results of PET / CT-guided secondary lymph node surgery on patients with a PSA relapse after radical prostatectomy].

PURPOSE CT and MRT are not applicable for the early detection of lymph node (LN) recurrence in prostate cancer. The PET / CT ((11)C-, (18)F-choline) technique can detect lesions >or= 5 mm and allows their topographic localisation. We have analysed positive (11)C-choline PET / CT LN findings in the case of a PSA increase after radical prostatectomy (RPE) histologicaly and documented the developing of PSA. MATERIALS AND METHODS 8 patients with PSA relapse after RPE and lymphadenedtomy (LA) were diagnosed as having LNM by means of (11)C-choline PET / CT. Using PET / CT, metastasis suspicious and nearby LN were openly dissected. Histological and PET / CT results were compared and the postoperative PSA-development was examined. RESULTS Of the metastasis suspicious LN (11) 9 were histologically reconfirmed. All additionally removed LN (12) were correct negative. LNM were mostly (7 of 9) located in the iliaca interna area and pararectal. 6 of 7 patients with histological metastasis detection showed a PSA response. 3 of 6 patients with single metastasis had complete PSA remission (< 0.01 ng / ml, maximum follow-up: 28 months) without adjuvant therapy. CONCLUSIONS (11)C-choline PET / CT could detect LNM with high specificity in our collective. These often lie beyond standard LA area, where they were primarily only resected by use of extended or sentinel LA. Because 3 patients with single LNM reached a complete PSA remission (< 0.01 ng / ml) without adjuvant therapy, the selected collective seems to benefit from secondary LN surgery. Whether or not individual patients can be cured by this surgery has to be demonstrated in a longitudinal study. However, an optimal imaging and experience in LN surgery have to be assured.
Role of gut microbiota in a zebrafish model with chemically induced enterocolitis involving toll-like receptor signaling pathways.

BACKGROUND/AIMS It is believed that inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) involves a breakdown in interactions between the resident commensal microbiota and the host immune response. Recent studies have revealed that gut physiology and pathology relevant to human IBD can be rapidly modeled in zebrafish larvae with a number of advantages compared with murine models. The objective of this study was to evaluate the role of gut microbiota in zebrafish models with IBD-like enterocolitis. METHODS IBD-like enterocolitis was induced by exposing larval zebrafish to 2, 4, 6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS). Assays were performed using larval zebrafish collected at 8 and 10 days postfertilization (dpf ). RESULTS In the absence of gut microbiota, the TNBS-induced enterocolitis was less extensive. The expression of toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) and the TLRs signaling pathway molecules MyD88 and TRIF, the activation of NF-κB, and the production of inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor-α were stimulated in TNBS-treated zebrafish but there was no corresponding alteration in germ-free fish. With microbial colonization, all results reverted to a pattern similar to that observed in conventionally reared zebrafish. CONCLUSION We described the key role of gut microbiota in the etiology of a chemically induced larval zebrafish IBD-like model, showing an involvement of TLR signaling pathways.
MRI Monitoring of Cartilage Repair in the Knee: A Review

Various treatment options for deep cartilage defects are presently available. The efficacy of bone marrow stimulation with microfracture, of mosaicplasty and of various autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) techniques has been subject to numerous studies recently. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has gained a major role in the assessment of cartilage repair. The introduction of high-field MRI to clinical routine makes high resolution and three-dimensional imaging readily available. New quantitative MRI techniques that directly visualize the molecular structure of cartilage may further advance our understanding of cartilage repair. The clinical evaluation of cartilage repair tissue is a complex issue, and MR imaging will become increasingly important both in research and in clinical routine. This article reviews the clinical aspects of microfracture, mosaicplasty, and ACI and reports the recent technical advances that have improved MRI of cartilage. Morphological evaluation methods are recommended for each of the respective techniques. Finally, an overview of T2 mapping and delayed gadolinium-enhanced MR imaging of cartilage in cartilage repair is provided.
Epidemic host community contribution to mosquito-borne disease transmission: Ross River virus

SUMMARY Most vector-borne diseases infect multiple host species, but disentangling the relative importance of different host species to transmission can be complex. Here we study how host species’ abundance and competence (duration and titre of parasitaemia) influence host importance during epidemic scenarios. We evaluate this theory using Ross River virus (RRV, family Togaviridae, genus Alphavirus), a multi-host mosquito-borne disease with significant human health impacts across Australia and Papua New Guinea. We used host contribution models to find the importance of key hosts (possums, wallabies, kangaroos, horses, humans) in typical mammal communities around five Australian epidemic centres. We found humans and possums contributed most to epidemic RRV transmission, owing to their high abundances, generally followed by macropods. This supports humans as spillover hosts, and that human–mosquito and possum–mosquito transmission is predominant during epidemics. Sensitivity analyses indicate these findings to be robust across epidemic centres. We emphasize the importance of considering abundance and competence in identifying key hosts (during epidemics in this case), and that competence alone is inadequate. Knowledge of host importance in disease transmission may help to equip health agencies to bring about greater effectiveness of disease mitigation strategies.
Health in hostels: a survey of hostel dwelling women

Direct access residents in an inner London homeless women9s hostel were interviewed and asked to provide information on medical, personal and social history. For each a DSM-III-R diagnosis, General Health Questionnaire, CAGE and Global Assessment Scale score was assigned, and their views on future housing were sought. The effect of severe mental illness (SMI) and age on dependent variables was examined. A third of the sample ( n =14) suffered from SMI, and a further quarter from other mental illness ( n =10). A quarter had a DSM-III-R substance misuse disorder. The prevalence of SMI was similar across age groups. Younger women had a different pattern of service needs, with greater levels of psychological distress, substance misuse and residential instability, than older residents.