Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
In vitro susceptibility pattern of cephalosporin-resistant Gram-negative bacteria.

OBJECTIVE To determine the in vitro activity of various antimicrobial agents including ertapenem, imipenem, meropenem, fosfomycin, netilmicin, colistin, and piperacillin/tazobactam against clinical isolates of cephalosporin-resistant gram-negative bacteria. MATERIAL AND METHOD All clinical isolates of gram-negative bacteria obtained from patients receiving care at Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health (QSNICH), Bangkok, Thailand, from 2006-2007 were evaluated for antimicrobial susceptibility. Those resistant to all cephalosporins were further assessed for additional disc susceptibility and MIC test using E-tests. RESULTS Each of the fifty-five strains of extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producing K. pneumoniae and E. coli were tested. The results showed excellent in vitro activity of the studied drugs against ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae with percent susceptibility of 100, 100, 100, 89.8, and 92.7 for ertapenem, imipenem, meropenem, fosfomycin, and colistin, respectively. MIC90 of ertapenem, imipenem, meropenem, fosfomycin, and colistin against K. pneumoniae were 0.23, 0.09, 0.38, 59.2, and 0.75 microg/ml, respectively. Piperacillin/tazobactam inhibited 68.2% of the tested isolates of K. pneumoniae. All studied drugs, except netilmicin, exhibited good activity against ESBL-producing Escherichia coli with 100% sensitivity for carbapenem, fosfomycin, colistin and 95.8% for piperacillin/tazobactam. MIC90 of ertapenem, imipenem, meropenem, fosfomycin, and colistin against Escherichia coli were 0.177, 0.25, 0.064, 2.85, and 0.58 microg/ml, respectively. Six strains of cephalosporin-resistant P. aeruginosa were isolated and tested for MIC. The results showed percent susceptibility of 66.7 and 33.3 for piperacillin/tazobactam and colistin, respectively. MIC90 of piperacillin/tazobactam and colistin against P. aeruginosa were 256 and 8 microg/ml, respectively. Twenty-four strains of cephalosporin-resistant Acinetobacter spp. were isolated with percent susceptibility of 17.6 and 95.5 for piperacillin/tazobactam and colistin, respectively. MIC90 of piperacillin/tazobactam and colistin against Acinetobacter spp. were 256 and 1.4 microg/ml, respectively. CONCLUSION Carbapenems, fosfomycin, and colistin exhibited excellent in vitro activity against both ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae and E. coli. Piperacillin/tazobactam exhibited good in vitro susceptibility against ESBL- producing E. coli, but not K. pneumoniae. Colistin was the most potent in vitro activity of antibiotics against cephalosporins-resistant Acinetobacter spp. However, cephalosporin-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa remained problematic, we recommend performing in vitro susceptibility test to determine appropriate antibiotic uses. E-test methods have been shown to be more accurate than disc diffusion test for evaluating colistin susceptibility.
The Effects of Inhaled Corticosteroids on Growth in Children

Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are recommended as the first-line therapy for children with persistent asthma. These agents are particularly effective in reducing underlying airway inflammation, improving lung function, decreasing airway hyper-reactivity, and reducing intensity of symptoms in asthmatics. Chronic diseases, such as asthma, have growth-suppressing effects independent of the treatment, which inevitably complicates growth studies. One year studies showed a small, dose-dependent effect of most ICS on childhood growth, with some differences across various ICS molecules, and across individual children. Some ICS at the doses studied did not affect childhood growth when rigorous study designs were used. Most studies did not conform completely with the FDA guidance. The data on effects of childhood ICS use on final adult height are conflicting, but one recent well-designed study showed such an effect, clearly warranting additional studies. In spite of these measurable effects of ICS on childhood growth, it is important to understand that the safety profile of all ICS preparations, with focal anti-inflammatory effects on the lung, is significantly better than oral glucocorticoids.
Re-emergence of susceptibility to conventionally used drugs among strains of Salmonella Typhi in central west India.

INTRODUCTION Typhoid fever (enteric fever) is a global health problem causing high morbidity and mortality, especially in endemic areas such as India. The problem is exacerbated as the causative agent, Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Typhi (S. Typhi), rapidly develops resistance to drugs used in treatment. However, non-responsiveness of S. Typhi to quinolones has been reported simultaneously with the re-emergence of susceptibility to chloramphenicol. The present study investigates the re-emergence of sensitivity to conventionally used drugs among strains of S. Typhi in the central west part of India. METHODOLOGY We evaluated 128 S. Typhi isolates received at the National Salmonella and Escherichia Centre for chloramphenicol, ampicillin and trimethoprim susceptibility using standard methods. Minimum inhibitory concentrations were also evaluated. RESULTS The proportion of S. Typhi isolates showing susceptibility to chloramphenicol, ampicillin, and trimethoprim was 95.3%, 94.5%, and 94.5%, respectively. These findings may help the health authorities in reconsidering the addition of these antimicrobial drugs into the treatment regime of typhoid fever and therefore may help combat the problem of increasing resistance to quinolones and cephalosporins. CONCLUSION The changing trends of S. Typhi resistance patterns necessitate reconsideration of conventionally used drugs in typhoid fever treatment in India. In the present study, S. Typhi strains exhibited increased susceptibility toward chloramphenicol, ampicillin and trimethoprim, therefore suggesting the possibility of their use for treatment of typhoid fever.
FACTORS AFFECTING ANCHORAGE BOND STRENGTH IN HIGH-PERFORMANCE CONCRETE

The objective of this investigation was to observe the effect of the compressive strength of concrete, reinforcing bar size, thickness of concrete cover, and amount of web reinforcement on the anchorage bond strength and on the bond behavior of reinforced high-performance concrete. For this purpose, eccentric pullout bond tests were conducted under monotonic loading on high-performance concrete specimens. Some of the specimens were reinforced by one and some by two deformed steel bars. Results indicated that the bond strength between reinforcement and concrete increased with increasing concrete strength, cover thickness, and amount of web reinforcement, while it decreased with increasing bar size. Using the test data, the variation in the average bond strength with respect to each of the stated parameters is formulated. The trend of variation for each parameter is compared with the associated trends inherent in the development length expressions of the American Concrete Institute Building Code and the Eurocode 2. An expression for the required development length, enveloping all the tested specimens, is presented.
Postexercise heart rate recovery accelerates in strength-trained athletes.

UNLABELLED The left ventricle morphologically adapts to endurance exercise training (eccentric cardiac remodeling) and strength exercise training (concentric remodeling). In addition, the acceleration of vagally mediated heart rate (HR) recovery after exercise is one of the functional adaptations of the heart in endurance-trained humans. However, the effect of strength training on HR recovery is unclear. PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to investigate whether postexercise HR recovery accelerates in strength-trained athletes. METHODS Subjects were young strength-trained athletes (ST; N = 12), endurance-trained athletes (ET; N = 12), and age-matched sedentary control men (C; N = 12). HR and oxygen uptake were measured during submaximal exercise (cycling exercise, 40% maximal oxygen uptake for 8 min) and 30 s after the exercise (the postexercise period). RESULTS Left ventricular end-diastolic dimension was higher in both types of athletes compared with C, but greater in ET than in ST (C, 4.3 +/- 0.1 cm; ET, 5.0 +/- 0.1 cm; ST, 4.8 +/- 0.1 cm). Left ventricular average wall thickness was greater in ST in comparison with ET, although it was higher in both trained men compared with C (C, 0.85 +/- 0.02 cm; ET, 0.90 +/- 0.02 cm; ST, 1.00 +/- 0.02 cm). The time constant of postexercise HR decay, an index of vagally mediated postexercise HR recovery, was lower in ST and ET compared with C (C, 94.4 +/- 9.2 s; ET, 65.9 +/- 4.3 s; ST, 69.1 +/- 4.0 s). Oxygen pulse was greater in ST and ET than in C (C, 9.4 +/- 0.6 mL per beat; ET, 13.0 +/- 0.9 mL per beat; ST, 12.8 +/- 0.4 mL per beat), and it results in increased oxygen debt for both types of athletes (C, 0.257 +/- 0.024 L; ET, 0.343 +/- 0.030 L; ST, 0.331 +/- 0.017 L). We did not find significant differences in these indices between ST and ET. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that the HR recovery immediately after exercise is accelerated in both strength- and endurance-trained athletes.
Learning in the Wild: Real-World Experiences Shape Children's Knowledge Organization

The organization of knowledge according to relations between concepts is critically involved in many cognitive processes, including memory and reasoning. However, the role of learning in shaping knowledge organization has received little direct investigation. Therefore, the present study investigated whether informal learning experiences can drive rapid, substantial changes in knowledge organization in children by measuring the effects of a week-long Zoo summer camp versus a control camp on the degree to which 4to 9-year-old children’s knowledge about animals was organized according to taxonomic relations. Although taxonomic organization did not differ at pre-test, only Zoo camp children showed increases in taxonomic organization at post-test. These findings provide novel evidence that informal, real-life learning experiences can drive rapid knowledge organization change.
Frequency of FRAX risk factors in osteopenic postmenopausal women with and without history of fragility fracture

ObjectiveFractures associated with bone fragility represent a major public health concern. Although the risk of bone fracture is higher among patients with osteoporosis, the number of fractures is usually higher among patients with osteopenia due to its higher prevalence. MethodsThis is an observational case series study that compares the frequencies of nonskeletal risk factors for osteoporotic fractures in osteopenic postmenopausal women with previous clinical fragility fractures (FFs) and osteopenic postmenopausal women without previous FF. Risk factors included in the FRAX algorithm and other selected risk factors, including asymptomatic vertebral fractures, were evaluated. ResultsA total of 735 (50.3% with prior FF and 49.7% without prior FF) postmenopausal women were evaluated (median age, 60 y; mean bone mineral density [BMD] femoral neck T score of −1.67). The frequency of the following risk factors was significantly higher among women with FF—FRAX algorithm: age, use of corticosteroids, and BMD femoral neck T score; other factors: Hispanic ethnicity, falls during the last year, and BMD lumbar T score. In addition, the frequency of previously undetected asymptomatic vertebral fractures was four times higher among women with a history of FF. ConclusionsThe results of the present study support the need to assess the presence of asymptomatic vertebral fractures and BMD T scores in osteopenic postmenopausal women. The risk evaluation of this subpopulation can be accomplished by using some of the risk factors included in the FRAX algorithm combined with other conventional risk factors.
Comparison of dynamic shear properties of styrene-butadiene vulcanizates filled with carbon black or polymeric fillers

The dynamic shear behavior of SBR 1500 vulcanizates filled with polymeric fillers of 24.6, 40.2, and 74.7 nm diameter and various filler loading up to 100 phr (parts per 100 parts of rubber), and its dependence of strain amplitude up to 14%, have been investigated. The results are compared with carbon-black-filled vulcanizates. The reinforcement ability of polymeric fillers is comparable to that of carbon black, depending on filler particle diameter. As expected, the smaller particles have a higher reinforcement effect than larger particles. The Payne effect, that is, the decrease of storage shear modulus G′ with increasing strain amplitude and the appearance of a loss modulus G″ maximum at strains of a few percent, has also been observed in vulcanizates with polymeric fillers. The loss modulus maximum of vulcanizates filled with polymeric fillers is at higher strain amplitudes and is less pronounced than for carbon-black-filled vulcanizates. The results are discussed shortly in terms of recent models based on the idea of filler networking within the rubbery matrix. The experimental G′ data are adjusted with the deagglomeration–reagglomeration Kraus model (1984). © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 73: 495–503, 1999
Deriving use cases from business processes: a goal-oriented transformational approach

Many software systems are being developed to help with business processes, which typically involve a number of (human) tasks in achieving organizational goals. However, aligning a software system well with its intended business process has been challenging, since the tasks in a business process usually lacks formal definitions and can be performed via multiple different allocations of resources. In this paper, we propose a goal-oriented transformational approach to deriving use cases, as requirements on the software system, from a business process which is modeled in BPMN (Business Process Model and Notation). In this approach, a business process is modeled not only in terms of the functionally-oriented BPMN but also non-functional business goals, and the target software requirements are also modeled in terms of functionally-oriented use cases together with non-functional requirements. Those tasks to be performed by a software system are transformed into use cases, in consideration of multiple alternative interpretations of business tasks, different allocations of software functionality and the granularity of the target requirements guided via similarity and granularity. Additionally, an intermediate model is utilized in the 2-step transformation process to deal with the ontological gap and the many-to-many relationships between the source and the target. This process is facilitated by context-aware transformation rules and a supporting tool. A study of a quote flow business process shows that our goal-oriented transformational approach helps produce more cohesive, correct and comprehensive use cases.
Flight Dynamics of an Articulated Rotor Helicopter with an External Slung Load

The paper presents a study of the flight dynamies of an articulated rotor helicopter carrying a suspended load. The aircraft model includes rigid body dynamics, individual flap and lag blade dynamics, and i d o w dynamics. The load is a point mass with a single suspension point. Results were obtained for load masses of up to 2000 kg, with load-to-helicopter mass ratios of up to 28%, cahle lengths from 3 to 8 m, turn rates of up to 16 degsec, and advance ratios of up to 0.3. The load affects trim primarily through the overall increase in the weight of the aircraft; the influence of cahle length is negligible. Substantial coupling can occur between the Dutch roll and theload modes. Becauseof this coupling, the Dutch roll damping can decrease with a deterioration of handling qualities. Theeffects on the ~hueoidarevervsmall. A susoendedload modifies - . the roll frequency response by adding a notch to the gain curves and a 180-degree jump in the phase curves at the pendulum frequencies of the load. The changes in bandwidth and phase delay are small.
Sex Differences in Lopinavir and Ritonavir Pharmacokinetics Among HIV‐Infected Women and Men

The authors compared the pharmacokinetics of lopinavir (LPV) and ritonavir (RTV) between women and men. This 2‐step, multicenter, pharmacokinetic study enrolled human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)–infected adults on lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/r) capsules (400/100 mg bid) plus 1 or more nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors. All participants underwent 12‐hour pharmacokinetic sampling. The pharmacokinetic sampling was repeated in participants receiving the LPV/r tablet formulation. Step 1 enrolled 37 women and 40 men; step 2 included 42 participants from step 1 plus 35 new participants (39 women and 38 men). LPV pharmacokinetics in women and men were not significantly different with either formulation. Women had significantly higher median RTV AUC0–12 h with both the soft‐gel capsule (SGC) and tablet formulations (SGC: 5395 vs 4119 ng·h/mL, P = .026; tablet: 5310 vs 3941 ng·h/mL, P = .012), higher median Cmax (SGC: 802 vs 635 ng/mL, P = .032; tablet: 773 vs 570 ng/mL, P = .006), and lower median CL/F (SGC: 18.54 vs 24.31 L/h, P = .026; tablet: 18.83 vs 25.37 L/h, P = .012). RTV CL/F was slower in women after weight adjustment with both formulations. The pharmacokinetics of LPV in the SGC and tablet formulations are comparable in HIV‐infected patients. Women had higher RTV AUC0–12 h and lower CL/F with both formulations. The mechanism of the sex difference in RTV CL/F warrants elucidation.
Apparent spatial arrangement and perceived brightness.

The problems of brightness constancy (e.g., the constancy of perceived object color under different illumination conditions), and of the perceptual constancies in general, arise from the fact that changed sensory stimuli frequently elicit unchanged responses (and vice versa) which follow more closely the variations of distal stimuli (objects) than of the sensory-surface stimulus distributions. This raises difficulties for any formulation of a one-to-one correspondence between stimulus and experience (confusingly called the "constancy hypothesis," [5, p. 86]), which at first sight would seem essential to psychological prediction. Such findings have been used in attempted ("nativistic") refutation of the constancy hypothesis and its associated stimulus-sensation units of analysis (5), and to demonstrate the importance of nonstimulus organizational "forces. " Empiricist "inferential" explanations, on the other hand, retain the constancy hypothesis in sensation, and ascribe the obtained discrepancies to the effects of past experience in perception. Objections to the nativistic position are: (a) some evidence suggests that the accuracy of the perceptual constancies depends on past experience (1); (b) no well-defined analytic units have been presented to supplant the old "sensations," and in their absence precise prediction is difficult despite the considerable heuristic value of the more or less intuitive Gestalt "laws. " General objections to the empiricist positions have been: (a) it is not possible to distinguish between AND JACOB BECK
Multi-objective design optimisation and pareto front visualisation of radial-flux eddy current coupling for a wind generator drivetrain

In this paper the design optimisation of a 2.2 kW, double rotor, radial axis eddy current coupling operating at 97 % efficiency, designed for a wind turbine drive train application is described. A computationally efficient finite element analysis in conjunction with gradient (MMFD) and population (NSGA) based design optimisation algorithms is used in order to obtain an optimal coupling design. The two optimisation algorithms are evaluated in terms of speed and accuracy. The comparison between copper and aluminium conductor materials revealed that the aluminium is the preferred material in terms of mass and cost. A gradient-based analysis method with regard to the input parameters of the genetic optimisation algorithm's pareto curve is proposed.
TraNS: realistic joint traffic and network simulator for VANETs

Realistic simulation is a necessary tool for the proper evaluation of newly developed protocols for Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks (VANETs). Several recent efforts focus on achieving this goal. Yet, to this date, none of the proposed solutions fulfil all the requirements of the VANET environment. This is so mainly because road traffic and communication network simulators evolve in disjoint research communities. We are developing TraNS, an open-source simulation environment, as a step towards bridging this gap. This short paper describes the TraNS architecture and our ongoing development efforts.
Follicular lymphomas

Sir: We found the study of the distinction of follicular non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas and follicular hyperplasia by Ashton-Key et al. very interesting. However, we were surprised by the authors’ contention that all of the germinal centre cells expressing bcl-2 protein were T lymphocytes. The precise role of bcl-2, and the stages at which it acts, within the normal germinal centre reaction remain unresolved. However, the in vitro evidence that many of the signals mediating germinal centre B-cell survival induce bcl-2 protein expression suggests that bcl-2 protein would be identifiable in centrocytes surviving the negative and positive selection processes in the apical light zones of germinal centres. In our routinely stained lymphoid tissues, we believe that at least some bcl-2 positive germinal centre cells show typical centrocyte morphology. More convincingly, however, double-labelling immunohistochemistry has shown that the bcl-2 positive germinal centre cells co-express CD22 but not CD3.
DOMUS: DOppler MUltiple-Scattering Simulator

Multiple scattering (MS) strongly affects CloudSat's W-band cloud-profiling radar (CPR) reflectivity when the satellite is overpassing moderate and heavy precipitation systems. With the upcoming deployment of W-band Doppler radars in space-Earth Clouds, Aerosols, and Radiation Explorer's CPR in primis-and the goal of retrieving vertical motions within convective systems, there is an urgent need to assess the impact of MS onto the Doppler signatures. A Monte Carlo code capable of simulating the reflectivity enhancement due to higher orders of scattering has been extended to include the Doppler effects. This paper presents the main guidelines for the inclusion of the Doppler analysis into the Monte Carlo scheme. To our knowledge, this simulator is the first one capable of simulating realistic Doppler signals in the presence of MS. The case studies are first presented in uniform beam-filling conditions for the profiles extracted from a cloud-resolving model simulation of deep convection (i.e., 1-D profiles are used to characterize a stratified atmosphere). The simulations demonstrate that, at ranges where MS contributions affect the overall radar signal, two main features appear as the following: 1) The Doppler spectrum tends to broaden with increasing MS enhancement, adding up to the single-scattering (SS) Doppler fading due to the satellite motion; and 2) the mean Doppler of the backscattered signal departs from the mean Doppler determined by the combined effect of the vertical-wind and hydrometeor-terminal velocities at all range bins below the altitude where the MS contribution significantly overcomes the SS. The simulator can be run in nonuniform-beam-filling conditions as well (i.e., a 3-D field is used to characterize the atmosphere at scales smaller than the radar resolution). With its cutting-edge capabilities, it provides a unique tool for the evaluation of the performances of the upcoming high-frequency spaceborne Doppler radars.