Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Antimicrobial susceptibility patterns among bacteria isolated from intensive care units of the largest teaching hospital at the northwest of Iran

This study was conducted to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility patterns among common pathogens in the intensive care units (ICUs) of a university hospital in northwestern Iran. A retrospective study was done on laboratory records of patients with nosocomial infection who were admitted to five ICUs of Imam Reza Hospital during a 21-month period from March 2010 to January, 2012. A total number of 556 isolates from 328 patients were evaluated. The most common sites of infections included respiratory (51.7%), urinary (24.8%), and blood (10.4%). The most frequently isolated microorganisms were Enterobacter aerogenes (50.6%) followed by Escherichia coli (16.7%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (7.5%). Staphylococcus aureus was the most frequent pathogen among gram-positives (39.7%). The rate of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was 87.5%. Multidrug-resistant (MDR) gram-negative bacteria were documented in 25.8% of Acinetobacter, 20% of Klebsiella, and 16.6% of Pseudomonas. The most active antimicrobials were vancomycin (93.5%) followed by amikacin (71.5%) and gentamicin (46%). The overall antibiotic susceptibility was as follows: 36% ciprofloxacin, 19% imipenem, 20% trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, 20.5% ceftazidime, and 12% ceftriaxone. Due to the high rate of antimicrobial resistance in the ICU setting, more surveillance and control of the use of antimicrobials is needed to combat infections.
Analysing density profile characteristics of surface densified solid wood using computational approach

In this study, solid Scots pine was surface densified in an open press using different moisture contents (9·6 and 12·4%), temperatures (150 and 200°C), press closing times (0·5 and 5 min), holding times (1 and 10 min) and compression ratios (6·7 and 25%). The characteristics of the formed density profiles were defined and their correlations to the process parameters and Brinell hardness and elastic recovery were analysed. Compression ratio and closing time had the strongest effect on the formation of the density profile, as well as the hardness and elastic recovery. The amount of localised deformation (peak area) did not have significant effect on the Brinell hardness or elastic recovery, whereas, the highest density achieved (peak density) and its location (peak distance) dominated the effect. Brinell hardness and elastic recovery were found to correlate well with each other.
Low dietary magnesium increases supraventricular ectopy.

BACKGROUND Magnesium has been suggested to be beneficial in counteracting all phases of the processes that lead to ischemic heart disease, including terminal events such as arrhythmia and sudden death. OBJECTIVE We tested the hypothesis that an intake of magnesium considerably below the recommended dietary allowance can produce chemical and physiologic evidence of depletion. DESIGN Twenty-two postmenopausal women were maintained in a metabolic unit and ate a diet of conventional foods containing less than one-half of or more than the recommended dietary allowance for magnesium (320 mg/d). Dietary assignments were random and double blind in a crossover design. Magnesium concentrations were measured by spectroscopy and ion-specific electrolyte analysis, and Holter electrocardiograms lasting approximate 21 h were recorded. RESULTS Magnesium concentrations in erythrocytes, serum (total and ultrafilterable), and urine were significantly lower when dietary magnesium was lower. Holter monitors showed a significant increase in both supraventricular and supraventricular plus ventricular beats when the dietary magnesium concentration was low. Hypomagnesemia, hypocalcemia, and hypokalemia were not found. CONCLUSIONS The magnesium requirement was defined with the use of biochemical and electrophysiologic criteria. The recommended dietary allowance of 320 mg/d seems correct; 130 mg is too little. Persons who live in soft water areas, who use diuretics, or who are predisposed to magnesium loss or ectopic beats may require more dietary magnesium than would others.
Effects of cocoa powder and dark chocolate on LDL oxidative susceptibility and prostaglandin concentrations in humans.

BACKGROUND Flavonoids are polyphenolic compounds of plant origin with antioxidant effects. Flavonoids inhibit LDL oxidation and reduce thrombotic tendency in vitro. Little is known about how cocoa powder and dark chocolate, rich sources of polyphenols, affect these cardiovascular disease risk factors. OBJECTIVE We evaluated the effects of a diet high in cocoa powder and dark chocolate (CP-DC diet) on LDL oxidative susceptibility, serum total antioxidant capacity, and urinary prostaglandin concentrations. DESIGN We conducted a randomized, 2-period, crossover study in 23 healthy subjects fed 2 diets: an average American diet (AAD) controlled for fiber, caffeine, and theobromine and an AAD supplemented with 22 g cocoa powder and 16 g dark chocolate (CP-DC diet), providing approximately 466 mg procyanidins/d. RESULTS LDL oxidation lag time was approximately 8% greater (P = 0.01) after the CP-DC diet than after the AAD. Serum total antioxidant capacity measured by oxygen radical absorbance capacity was approximately 4% greater (P = 0.04) after the CP-DC diet than after the AAD and was positively correlated with LDL oxidation lag time (r = 0.32, P = 0.03). HDL cholesterol was 4% greater after the CP-DC diet (P = 0.02) than after the AAD; however, LDL-HDL ratios were not significantly different. Twenty-four-hour urinary excretion of thromboxane B(2) and 6-keto-prostaglandin F(1)(alpha) and the ratio of the 2 compounds were not significantly different between the 2 diets. CONCLUSION Cocoa powder and dark chocolate may favorably affect cardiovascular disease risk status by modestly reducing LDL oxidation susceptibility, increasing serum total antioxidant capacity and HDL-cholesterol concentrations, and not adversely affecting prostaglandins.
Tracking brain arousal fluctuations with fMRI

Significance Changes in vigilance and arousal levels can interfere with the study of brain function with functional MRI (fMRI). However, the difficulty of tracking and modeling arousal state during fMRI typically precludes the assessment of arousal-dependent influences on fMRI measurements. Here, we present evidence that continuous variations in arousal level may be monitored from fMRI data alone and validate this approach with a combination of fMRI, intracortical electrophysiology, and a behavioral measure of arousal. We describe a spatial pattern whose time-varying expression in the fMRI data is found to track both electrophysiological and behavioral arousal fluctuations. These findings have implications for increasing the sensitivity of fMRI as a cognitive and clinical biomarker. Changes in brain activity accompanying shifts in vigilance and arousal can interfere with the study of other intrinsic and task-evoked characteristics of brain function. However, the difficulty of tracking and modeling the arousal state during functional MRI (fMRI) typically precludes the assessment of arousal-dependent influences on fMRI signals. Here we combine fMRI, electrophysiology, and the monitoring of eyelid behavior to demonstrate an approach for tracking continuous variations in arousal level from fMRI data. We first characterize the spatial distribution of fMRI signal fluctuations that track a measure of behavioral arousal; taking this pattern as a template, and using the local field potential as a simultaneous and independent measure of cortical activity, we observe that the time-varying expression level of this template in fMRI data provides a close approximation of electrophysiological arousal. We discuss the potential benefit of these findings for increasing the sensitivity of fMRI as a cognitive and clinical biomarker.
East Asian Monsoon and paleoclimatic data analysis: a vegetation point of view

First we review several syntheses of paleodata (pollen, lake-levels) showing the climate variations in China and Mongolia from the last glacial maximum to Present and in particular the precipitation increase at mid Holocene related to enhanced monsoon. All these results concur to a much enhanced monsoon on most of China during the first half of the Holocene. Second we present, in some details, a temporal study of a core (Lake Bayanchagan, Inner Mongolia) located in an arid region at the edge of the present East Asian Monsoon (EAM) influence and then sensitive to climatic change. This study involves pollen data together with other macro-remains and stable isotope curve to obtain a robust climate reconstruction. This study shows a long wet period between 11 000 and 5000 years BP divided in two parts, a warmer one from 11 000 and 8000 (marked by large evapotranspiration) and a cooler one more favourable to forest expansion. Third, we present a spatial study based on pollen data only and covering all China and Mongolia at 6000 years BP, but using a mechanistic modelling approach, in an inverse mode. It has the advantage to take into account environmental context different from the present one (lower atmospheric CO 2 , different seasonality). This study shows temperature generally cooler than present one in southern China, but a significant warming was found over Mongolia, and a slightly higher in northeast China. Precipitation was generally higher than today in southern, northeast China, and northern Mongolia, but lower or similar to today in northwest China and north China. Enhanced EAM was then found in the southern half of China and in northeast China.
Drop simulation and experimental validation of TFT-LCD monitors

The study aims at developing a reliable procedure for evaluating the performance of TFT-LCD monitors in drop circumstances. The effective simulation model is completed by comparing with experimental validation. Additionally, three component-modification proposals are verified to prevent: (1) the detachment of TFT-LCD and housing modules; (2) the plastic deformation of the top plastic housing; and (3) the plastic deformation on the fastening point of the TFT-LCD module and bottom plastic housing, for fulfilling the IEC drop-test regulations.
Early environment and child-to-adult growth trajectories in the 1958 British birth cohort.

BACKGROUND Genetics and environmental conditions early in life are known to influence height. However, evidence is restricted to studies conducted at a specific age, and thus the effect on the entire growth trajectory has been neglected. OBJECTIVE The objective was to determine when parental height and factors early in offspring life start to affect offspring height, when these variables have the strongest effect, and whether these variables persist to adulthood. DESIGN Longitudinal data from the 1958 British birth cohort (all of whom were born during 1 wk in March 1958), including height measurements at 7, 11, 16, and 33 y of age, were analyzed by using multivariate multilevel response models. RESULTS Parental height, birth weight, maternal smoking during pregnancy, breastfeeding, parental divorce, and socioeconomic factors were all significantly associated with childhood height, but their effects differed thereafter. Parental height and birth weight were most strongly associated with offspring height, and their effects persisted (adjusted increase in adult height: 2 cm for 1 SD of maternal or paternal height, or 1 kg of birth weight). Socioeconomic disadvantage (manual social class, large family size, and overcrowded households) was associated with substantial deficits of 2-3 cm (adjusted estimates) in height at 7 y. Catch-up growth was apparent but was insufficient to overcome the initial insult on growth; the adjusted deficit was as high as 1 cm in adulthood. CONCLUSIONS Children from disadvantaged backgrounds have a delayed pattern of growth before the pubertal spurt, which is followed by catch-up growth. The health consequences of this pattern of growth need to be examined in future studies.
A method to design biomimetic scaffolds for bone tissue engineering based on Voronoi lattices

ABSTRACT In regenerative medicine, 3D scaffolds are used to sustain the regeneration of tissues in removed or damaged parts of the human body. As such practices are being widely experimented in clinical applications, the design, the materials and the manufacturing process to obtain efficient 3D biocompatible lattices are being significantly investigated. Nevertheless, most of the proposed designs are based on regular 3D shapes obtained from the repetition of unit cells disposed in a three-dimensional array. This approach does not exploit the whole potential of computer-aided design tools coupled with manufacturing capabilities for freeform shapes. In this paper, we propose a method to model biomimetic lattices controlling the porosity and the pores size of scaffolds to be integrated with the anatomical shape of the defect. The method has been implemented in bone tissue case study and implements a generative design approach based on Voronoi diagrams.
Yearly stepwise increments of the growth hormone dose results in a better growth response after four years in girls with Turner syndrome. Dutch Working Group on Growth Hormone.

To optimize the growth promoting effect of growth hormone (GH), 65 previously untreated girls with Turner syndrome (TS), chronological age (CA) 2-11 yr, were randomized into 3 dosage regimen groups: A, B, and C, with a daily recombinant-human GH dose during 4 study years of 4-4-4-4, 4-6-6-6, and 4-6-8-8 IU/m2 b.s. The first GH dosage increase in groups B and C resulted in a significantly higher mean height velocity (HV) compared with constant dose group A. During the third year, when the dose was raised again only in group C, mean HV was significantly higher in groups B and C than in group A, and in group C compared with group B. In year 4 only group C mean HV remained significantly higher than group A. The pattern of change in HSDSCA (Dutch-Swedish-Danish Turner references) was identical; however, in year 4 mean delta HSDSCA in group B also remained significantly higher than group A. After 4 yr GH treatment, the following was determined. 1) The mean delta HSDSCA was significantly higher for groups B and C compared with group A, but not significantly different between groups B and C. 2) Although significantly higher compared with estimated values for untreated Dutch girls with TS, bone maturation of the GH treated girls was not significantly different between groups. 3) It was positively related with the degree of bone age (BA) retardation at start of study and negatively with baseline CA. 4) Both the modified Index of Potential Height (mIPHRUS) and a recently developed Turner-specific final height (FH) prediction method (PTSRUS), based on regression coefficients for H, CA, and bone age, showed significant increases in mean FH prediction, without significant differences between groups. PTSRUS values were markedly higher than the mIPHRUS values. Dose dependency could be shown for the area under the curve (AUC) for GH, but delta HSDSCA was not linearly related with AUC. Baseline GH binding protein (BP) levels were in 84% of the cases within the normal age range; the decrease in mean levels after 6 months GH was not significant. Mean insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and IGFBP-3 plasma levels increased significantly, without significant differences between groups. delta HSDSCA during GH was dependent on IGF-I plasma levels at baseline and during the study period, beta-0.002 and beta-0.0004. Thus, a stepwise GH-dosing approach reduced the "waning" effect of the growth response after 4 yr treatment without undue bone maturation. FH prediction was not significantly different between treatment groups. Irrespective of the GH dose used, initiation of GH treatment at a younger age was beneficial after 4 yr GH when expressed as actual cm gained or as gain in FH prediction, but was not statistically significant when expressed as delta HSDSCA over the study period.
The Effect of Bank Supervision on Risk Taking: Evidence from a Natural Experiment

In this paper, we exploit a natural experiment in which thrifts in several states witnessed an exogenous reduction in supervisory attention to assess the effect of supervision on financial institutions' willingness to take risk. We show that the affected institutions took on much more risk than their unaffected counterparts in other districts that were subject to identical regulations. Subsequent to the emergency enlistment of examiners and supervisors from other parts of the country two years later, additional risk taking by the affected thrifts ceased. We find that the expansion in risk taking resulted in a higher incidence of failure as well as more costly failures. None of these patterns are present in commercial banks subject to a different primary supervisory agent but otherwise similar to the thrifts in our sample.
EVALUATION OF INTERGRANULAR CORROSION SUSCEPTIBILITY OF 11Cr FERRITIC STAINLESS STEEL BY DL-EPR METHOD

Ferritic stainless steel (FSS) containg (11%~13%)Cr with low C and N has excellent comprehen- sive performances and thus can be widely applied in extensive fields such as automobile exhaust systems, contain- ers, buses and so on. Among them, 409L steel containing 11%Cr has been increasingly used in applications for tail pipes in the cold end parts of automobile exhaust systems because of its good corrosion resistance and moderate price. During the manufacture process for these tail pipes, improper heat treatments and welding operations cause the precipitation of some detrimental phases such as carbides, nitrides, which leads to a reduction on the resistance to intergranular corrosion (IGC) due to the presence of Cr-depleted zone in the grain boundaries. In this work, the precipitates in grain boundaries of 409L steel aged at 600 ℃ were investigated using TEM, EDS and SAED. The
Genetic calibration of species diversity among North America's freshwater fishes

Freshwater ecosystems are being heavily exploited and degraded by human activities all over the world, including in North America, where fishes and fisheries are strongly affected. Despite centuries of taxonomic inquiry, problems inherent to species identification continue to hamper the conservation of North American freshwater fishes. Indeed, nearly 10% of species diversity is thought to remain undescribed. To provide an independent calibration of taxonomic uncertainty and to establish a more accessible molecular identification key for its application, we generated a standard reference library of mtDNA sequences (DNA barcodes) derived from expert-identified museum specimens for 752 North American freshwater fish species. This study demonstrates that 90% of known species can be delineated using barcodes. Moreover, it reveals numerous genetic discontinuities indicative of independently evolving lineages within described species, which points to the presence of morphologically cryptic diversity. From the 752 species analyzed, our survey flagged 138 named species that represent as many as 347 candidate species, which suggests a 28% increase in species diversity. In contrast, several species of parasitic and nonparasitic lampreys lack such discontinuity and may represent alternative life history strategies within single species. Therefore, it appears that the current North American freshwater fish taxonomy at the species level significantly conceals diversity in some groups, although artificially creating diversity in others. In addition to providing an easily accessible digital identification system, this study identifies 151 fish species for which taxonomic revision is required.
Synthesis, characterization, and stability study of desloratadine multicomponent crystal formation

This study describes the formation of multicomponent crystal (MCC) of desloratadine (DES). The objective of this study was to discover the new pharmaceutical MCC of DES using several coformers. The MCC synthesis was performed between DES and 26 coformers using an equimolar ratio with a solvent evaporation technique. The selection of the appropriate solvent was carried out using 12 solvents. The preview of the MCC of DES was performed using polarized light microscopy (PLM). The formation of MCC was confirmed using powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The accelerated stability of MCC at 40 °C and relative humidity of 75% was investigated using PXRD and FTIR. Depending on the prior evaluation, DES and benzoic acid (BA) formed the MCC. PLM and SEM results showed that crystal habit of combination between DES and BA differed from the constituent components. Moreover, the diffractogram pattern of DES-BA was distinct from the constituent components. The DSC thermogram showed a new peak which was distinct from both constituent components. The FTIR study proved a new spectrum. All characterizations indicated that a new solid crystal was formed, ensuring the MCC formation. In addition, DES-BA MCC had both chemical and physical stabilities for a period of 4 months.
Exploration of the Use of New Psychoactive Substances by Individuals in Treatment for Substance Misuse in the UK

Substance misuse services need to meet the growing demand and needs of individuals using new psychoactive substances (NPS). A review of the literature identified a paucity of research regarding NPS use by these individuals and UK guidelines outline the need for locally tailored strategies. The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify and explore key themes in relation to the use of NPS by individuals receiving community treatment for their substance use. Electronic records identified demographics and semi-structured interviews were undertaken. A thematic analysis of transcripts identified a variety of substance use histories; 50% were prescribed opiate substitutes and 25% used NPS as a primary substance. All were males, age range 26–59 years (SD = 9), who predominantly smoked cannabinoids and snorted/injected stimulant NPS. The type of NPS used was determined by affordability, availability, side-effect profile and desired effects (physical and psychological: 25% reported weight loss as motivation for their use). Poly-pharmacy, supplementation and displacement of other drugs were prevalent. In conclusion, NPS use and associated experiences vary widely among people receiving substance use treatment. Development of effective recovery pathways should be tailored to individuals, and include harm reduction strategies, psychosocial interventions, and effective signposting. Services should be vigilant for NPS use, “on top” use and diversion of prescriptions.