Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The cost of resistance to colistin in Acinetobacter baumannii: a proteomic perspective

Colistin resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii, a pathogen of clinical concern, was induced in the susceptible strain ATCC 19606 by growth under increasing pressure of the antibiotic, the only drug universally active against multi‐resistant clinical strains. In 2‐D difference gel electrophoresis (DIGE) experiments, 35 proteins with differences in expression between both phenotypes were identified, most of them appearing as down regulated in the colistin‐resistant strain. These include outer membrane (OM) proteins, chaperones, protein biosynthesis factors, and metabolic enzymes, all suggesting substantial loss of biological fitness in the resistant phenotype, as substantiated by complementary experiments in the absence of colistin. Results shed light on the scarcity of widespread clinical outbreaks for resistant phenotypes.
Wind-Driven Mixing below the Oceanic Mixed Layer

This study describes the turbulent processes in the upper ocean boundary layer forced by a constant surface stress in the absence of the Coriolis force using large-eddy simulation. The boundary layer that develops has a two-layer structure, a well-mixed layer above a stratified shear layer. The depth of the mixed layer is approximately constant, whereas the depth of the shear layer increases with time. The turbulent momentum flux varies approximately linearly from the surface to the base of the shear layer. There is a maximum in the production of turbulence through shear at the base of the mixed layer. The magnitude of the shear production increases with time. The increase is mainly a result of the increase in the turbulentmomentumfluxatthebaseofthemixedlayerduetotheincreasein thedepthoftheboundarylayer. The length scale for the shear turbulence is the boundary layer depth. A simple scaling is proposed for the magnitude of the shear production that depends on the surface forcing and the average mixed layer current. The scaling can be interpreted in terms of the divergence of a mean kinetic energy flux. A simple bulk model of the boundary layer is developed to obtain equations describing the variation of the mixed layer and boundary layer depths with time. The model shows that the rate at which the boundary layer deepens does not depend on the stratification of the thermocline. The bulk model shows that the variation in the mixed layer depth is small as long as the surface buoyancy flux is small.
Growth and sectoral dynamics in the Italian regions

Regional differentials in per capita income and labour productivity in Italy is one of the most notable cases of regional inequality and have attracted attention from economists from all over the world since the 1950s. In this paper we first aim at yielding a comprehensive description of the pattern of regional inequality in Italy on the basis of a new dataset on the main regional variables for the period 1951-94. We use descriptive statistics and panel regression analysis, in order to allow direct comparisons with the impressive evidence available on a large number of national cases. Second, we offer our contribution to the debate about the sources of the persistence of a high degree of regional inequality in Italy. We concentrate on sectoral dynamics in order to assess how much of the initially high potential for convergence due to the dualistic structure of the poorer regions has been exploited, by which regions, under what regional policy regimes. Our analysis remarks that a limited convergence process has occurred over the years 1951-75; afterward the degree of inequality between Northern and Southern regions has increased again. Moreover, the regional distribution of per capita income presents a bimodal polarisation with a rich convergence club which includes most of northern regions, and a poor club made of a small group of non-adriatic southern regions. In the sectoral analysis we find that dual mechanisms play a role in aggregate convergence as long as the outflows of labour from the low productivity agriculture of the poorer regions are a source of expansion of these regions' industrial sector. Once this migration from agriculture to industry ends in some of these regions, the impact of dualistic mechanisms on convergence weakens significantly. Industrialisation, or its failure, still appears to be the key to understand why some of the lagging regions converge and others do not.
Compatibilisation of various PLA/thermoplastic elastomer blends with diisocyanate coupling agent

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is characterised by its inherent brittleness, a detrimental feature for the production of durable bioplastics. PLA has been toughened by a low amount (12 wt-%) of various thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) including poly(ether-b-ester) (PEEs), poly(ether-b-amide) (PEBA) and poly(ether-b-urethane) (PEU). PLA–TPE blends were prepared by using a twin screw extruder. Ductility and impact resistance can be slightly improved with the incorporation of TPEs but but PEBA appears the most efficient. Reactive compatibilisation has been performed with the addition in the melt of a low amount (2 wt-%) of 4,4-methylene diphenyl diisocyanate. All compatibilised blends exhibit high toughness with similar ductility. These blends preserve good stiffness and high tensile strength. Compatibilised PEBA blends can be considered as super tough poly(lactic acid) materials. This work confirms that the flexibility of the elastomer together with the quality of the interfacial adhesion between the rigid (PLA) and the soft (TPE) phases are the primary factors influencing the toughness.
Constrained beamforming for cyclostationary signals

The classical linearly constrained minimum variance (LCMV) beamformer corresponds, in the general case, to the linear, time invariant (TI) and spatio-temporal (ST) complex filter, the output power of which is minimized under some linear constraints. Optimal for stationary signals, this beamformer becomes sub-optimal for (quasi)-cyclostationary observations for which the optimal complex filters are (poly)-periodic (PP) and, under some conditions of widely linear non-circularity. Using these results and the fact that PP filtering is equivalent to FREquency SHifted (FRESH) filtering, the purpose of this paper is to present a first extension of the classical LCMV beamformer, taking into account the potential (quasi)-cyclostationarity and non-circularity properties of the observations. This new cyclic LCMV beamformer is shown to have an equivalent cyclic generalized sidelobe canceller (GSLC) structure. The performance computation of this new cyclic beamformer shows the interest of the latter in cyclostationary contexts and opens a reflection about the optimal constraint choice.
Outcome predictors of Gamma Knife surgery for melanoma brain metastases. Clinical article.

OBJECT To evaluate the role of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) in the management of brain metastases from melanoma, the authors assessed clinical outcomes and prognostic factors for survival and tumor control. METHODS The authors reviewed 333 consecutive patients with melanoma who underwent SRS for 1570 brain metastases from cutaneous and mucosal/acral melanoma. The patient population consisted of 109 female and 224 male patients with a median age of 53 years. Two hundred eleven patients (63%) had multiple metastases. One hundred eighteen patients (35%) underwent whole-brain radiation therapy (WBRT). The target volume ranged from 0.1 cm(3) to 37.2 cm(3). The median marginal dose was 18 Gy. RESULTS Actuarial survival rates were 70% at 3 months, 47% at 6 months, 25% at 12 months, and 10% at 24 months after radiosurgery. Factors associated with longer survival included controlled extracranial disease, better Karnofsky Performance Scale score, fewer brain metastases, no prior WBRT, no prior chemotherapy, administration of immunotherapy, and no intratumoral hemorrhage before radiosurgery. The median survival for patients with a solitary brain metastasis, controlled extracranial disease, and administration of immunotherapy after radiosurgery was 22 months. Sustained local tumor control was achieved in 73% of the patients. Sixty-four (25%) of 259 patients who had follow-up imaging after SRS had evidence of delayed intratumoral hemorrhage. Sixteen patients underwent a craniotomy due to intratumoral hemorrhage. Seventeen patients (6%) had asymptomatic and 21 patients (7%) had symptomatic radiation effects. Patients with ≤ 8 brain metastases, no prior WBRT, and the recursive partitioning analysis Class I had extended survivals (median 54.3 months). CONCLUSIONS Stereotactic radiosurgery is an especially valuable option for patients with controlled systemic disease even if they have multiple metastatic brain tumors.
Effect of l-glutamic acid supplementation on performance and nitrogen balance of broilers fed low protein diets.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of protein reduction and supplementation of l-glutamic acid in male broiler diets. A total of 648 chicks of the Cobb 500 strain were distributed in a completely randomized design with six treatments and six replications with eighteen birds per experimental unit. The study comprised pre-starter (1-7 days), starter (8-21 days), growth (22-35 days) and final (36-45 days) phases. The first treatment consisted of a control diet formulated according to the requirements of essential amino acids for each rearing phase. The second and third treatments had crude protein (CP) reduced by 1.8 and 3.6 percentage points (pp) in relation to the control diet respectively. In the fourth treatment, l-glutamic acid was added to provide the same glutamate level as the control diet, and in the last two treatments, the broilers were supplemented with 1 and 2 pp of glutamate above that of the control diet respectively. The reduction in CP decreased the performance of broilers and the supplementation of l-glutamic acid did not influence performance when supplied in the diets with excess of glutamate. The lowest excreted nitrogen values were observed in the control diet, and treatments 2 and 3, respectively, in comparison with treatments with the use of l-glutamic acid (5 and 6). Retention efficiency of nitrogen was better in the control diet and in the treatment with a reduction of 1.8 pp of CP. It was verified that the serum uric acid level decreased with the CP reduction. A reduction in CP levels of up to 21.3%, 18.8%, 18.32% and 17.57% is recommended in phases from 1 to 7, 8 to 21, 22 to 35 and at 36 to 42 days, respectively, with a level of glutamate at 5.32%, 4.73%, 4.57%, 4.38%, also in these phases.
The in vitro and in vivo anti-inflammatory activities of alphitonin-4-O-β-D-glucopyranoside

Abstract The anti-inflammatory compound, alphitonin-4-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (1), has previously been isolated in the leaves of Artokapus tonkinensis and synthesised from taxifolin. This study aimed to investigate the inhibitory effect of this compound on inflammatory cytokines, including tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6 and IL-10, in RAW264.7 macrophages and in an arthritis animal model. Compound 1 dose-dependently decreased the production of TNF-α, IL-1 and IL-6 in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. In contrast, the level of anti-inflammatory IL-10 increased. In a collagen antibody-induced arthritis BALB/c mouse model, compound 1 at a dose of 125 and 250 mg/kg body weight significantly decreased arthritis incidence in comparison with dexamethasone.
Silicone Allergies and the Eye: Fact or Fiction?

Objective: The purpose of this manuscript was to review the evidence concerning the role of an allergic reaction to silicone as the basis for the reported increase in contact lens–associated infiltrates in wearers of silicone hydrogel contact lenses. Methods: A literature review was undertaken to investigate the antigenic properties of silicone and the causes of contact lens–associated inflammatory reactions. Results: Immune cells cannot interact with silicone directly but can interact with antigens on these lenses. These antigens could be due to tear film deposits, microbial contamination, or components of care systems used with these lenses. Conclusions: Inflammatory reactions associated with silicone hydrogel contact lens wear are not caused by an allergic reaction to silicone alone.
Global Seismic Oscillations in Soft Gamma Repeaters

There is evidence that soft gamma repeaters (SGRs) are neutron stars that experience frequent starquakes, possibly driven by an evolving, ultrastrong magnetic field. The empirical power-law distribution of SGR burst energies, analogous to the Gutenberg-Richter law for earthquakes, exhibits a turnover at high energies, consistent with a global limit on the crust fracture size. With such large starquakes occurring, the significant excitation of global seismic oscillations (GSOs) seems likely. Moreover, GSOs may be self-exciting in a stellar crust that is strained by many randomly oriented stresses. We explain why low-order toroidal modes, which preserve the shape of the star and have observable frequencies as low as ~30 Hz, may be especially susceptible to excitation. We estimate the eigenfrequencies as a function of stellar mass and radius, as well as their magnetic and rotational shiftings/splittings. We also describe ways in which these modes might be detected and damped. There is marginal evidence for 23 ms oscillations in the hard initial pulse of the 1979 March 5 event. This could be due to the 3t0 mode in a neutron star with B ~1014 G or less, or it could be the fundamental toroidal mode if the field in the deep crust of SGR 0526-66 is ~4 × 1015 G, in agreement with other evidence. If confirmed, GSOs would give corroborating evidence for crust-fracturing magnetic fields in SGRs: B ≳ 1014 G.
A direct competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for rapid detection of anilofos residues in agricultural products and environmental samples

A direct competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (dc-ELISA) was developed to measure anilofos levels in agricultural and environmental samples. The ELISA was developed using rabbit polyclonal antibodies against a hapten-protein conjugate of anilofos-bovine serum albumin. The limit of detection was 0.1 μg L−1, and there was no cross-reactivity with other related pesticides or structurally similar compounds. The matrix effects of rice (aromatic rice, white rice, brown rice), corn, barley, wheat and soil were measured and removed by extraction and dilution with phosphate buffered saline with 0.05% Tween-20. For water samples (tap water and river water), the matrix effects were also removed by dilution with phosphate buffered saline with Tween-20. The detection limits for anilofos in authentic samples (aromatic rice, white rice, brown rice, corn, barley, wheat, soil, tap water and river water) were 2, 2, 2, 3, 2, 2, and 2 μg kg−1, and 0.5 and 1 μg L−1, respectively. The anilofos recovery ranged from 81.0–116.0% with a coefficient of variation of 1.7–9.0%. The method was validated using GC, and the results showed good correlation with the dc-ELISA data (r2 = 0.9795). Forty-two cereal samples were randomly collected from different supermarkets and analyzed using the developed dc-ELISA. No anilofos was found in these products. The developed immunoassay is suitable for rapid quantitation of anilofos residues.
Medication Safety in Neonates

Abstract Newborn intensive care units (NICUs) are high-risk areas of care, where complex medical interventions are performed, and are recognized as a resource for improved outcome in premature and low-birth-weight infants or those presenting with acute conditions. This critical environment, along with the vulnerable nature of the population it serves, places patients at risk for medication errors, which can result in permanent harm or death. Promoting safe medication practices requires participation of all individuals involved in the medication use process (e.g., physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, pharmacists, respiratory therapists, pharmacy technicians). The following recommendations, organized in accordance with the Institute for Safe Medication Practices' Key Elements of the Medication Use System™, will focus on significant areas of concern within the NICU. All individuals caring for neonates, supported by administrators and organizational leaders, should recognize themselves as active partners responsible for the safety of this fragile patient population by participating in the design and sustainment of a safe and efficient medication use system.
CHALLENGES OF FINANCING HEALTH CARE IN GHANA: THE CASE OF NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE SCHEME (NHIS)

The study examined the challenges of financing health care in Ghana. It also identified various funding mechanisms available to finance health care in Ghana. A combination of primary and secondary sources was used to collect data for the study. Stratified sampling technique was employed to select 250 respondents for the study. It was found out that inadequate funding sources, and insufficient premium were some of the challenges of financing health care delivery in Ghana. It was concluded that National health insurance should be seen as an important mechanism for removing financial barrier to achieving equitable access to health care for all citizens. Health care utilization should no longer be restrained by finance, given that one enrols onto the scheme. The study recommended that for increase uptake and effective risk pooling, mandatory enrolment on the national health insurance scheme should be instituted as is done for motor. Again relatively richer persons should pay higher premium for health insurance to help subsidize for the relatively poorer persons who would not have otherwise been able to purchase health insurance. Among the funding mechanisms recommended by the study was medical savings account.
DNA methylation of microRNA genes in gastric mucosae of gastric cancer patients: Its possible involvement in the formation of epigenetic field defect

Accumulation of aberrant DNA methylation in normal‐appearing gastric mucosae, mostly induced by H. pylori infection, is now known to be deeply involved in predisposition to gastric cancers (epigenetic field defect), and silencing of protein‐coding genes has been analyzed so far. In this study, we aimed to clarify the involvement of microRNA (miRNA) gene silencing in the field defect. First, we selected three miRNA genes as methylation‐silenced after analysis of six candidate “methylation‐silenced” tumor‐suppressor miRNA genes. Methylation levels of the three genes (miR‐124a‐1, miR‐124a‐2 and miR‐124a‐3) were quantified in 56 normal gastric mucosae of healthy volunteers (28 volunteers with H. pylori and 28 without), 45 noncancerous gastric mucosae of gastric cancer patients (29 patients with H. pylori and 16 without), and 28 gastric cancer tissues (13 intestinal and 15 diffuse types). Among the healthy volunteers, individuals with H. pylori had 7.8–13.1‐fold higher methylation levels than those without (p < 0.001). Among individuals without H. pylori, noncancerous gastric mucosae of gastric cancer patients had 7.2–15.5‐fold higher methylation levels than gastric mucosae of healthy volunteers (p < 0.005). Different from protein‐coding genes, individuals with past H. pylori infection retained similar methylation levels to those with current infection. In cancer tissues, methylation levels were highly variable, and no difference was observed between intestinal and diffuse histological types. This strongly indicated that methylation‐silencing of miRNA genes, in addition to that of protein‐coding genes, contributed to the formation of a field defect for gastric cancers. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Pretreatment with Albuterol versus Montelukast for Exercise‐Induced Bronchospasm in Children

Study Objectives. To compare pretreatment with albuterol versus montelukast added to the current asthma regimen for protection against exercise‐induced bronchospasm in children with mild‐to‐moderate asthma, and to determine whether cysteinyl leukotriene (Cys‐LT) concentrations measured in the exhaled breath condensate correlated with response to montelukast.
The fast life of holographic mesons

Holographic techniques are used to study the dispersion relation of meson quasiparticles moving through a thermal plasma in super-Yang–Mills theory with Nc colours and coupled to Nf flavours of fundamental matter in the regime Nf/Nc 1. The meson states are destabilized by introducing a small quark density nq. Holographic spectral functions are used to investigate the dispersion relation and widths of these quasiparticles. In a low-momentum regime , the quasiparticles approach an asymptotic velocity that can be significantly less than the speed of light. In this regime, the widths of the quasiparticles also rise dramatically as the momentum approaches . The spectral functions do not display isolated resonances for . However, by studying the dual quasinormal modes one can extend the dispersion relation into this regime. We give a qualitative argument suggesting that the group velocity rises to the speed of light for .
AS03(A)-Adjuvanted influenza A (H1N1) 2009 vaccine for adults up to 85 years of age.

BACKGROUND Vaccination of high-risk groups was started shortly after the emergence of the influenza A (H1N1)2009 pandemic virus. METHODS Healthy adults were enrolled into 2 age strata: 18-60 years and 160 years, and received monovalent influenza vaccine containing 3.75 microg of A/California/2009 (H1N1) hemagglutinin antigen, adjuvanted with AS03A. Hemagglutination inhibition assay-based antibody titers against H1N1 vaccine were assessed after 1 vaccine dose(primary endpoint), after which subjects were randomized 1:1 to receive no further vaccination or a second dose.Immunogenicity endpoints were European licensure criteria for influenza vaccines. Exploratory analyses assessed the effect of previous seasonal influenza vaccination on responses to the H1N1 vaccine. RESULTS Licensure criteria for immunogenicity were fulfilled after 1 dose of H1N1 vaccine (N=240). For subjects 18-60 years of age, previous vaccination against seasonal influenza within the preceding 2 seasons resulted in significantly lower geometric mean titers (adjusted for baseline antibody titer) after 1 or 2 doses of H1N1 vaccine (P <.001 and P=.003, respectively). Transient mild or moderate injection-site pain was reported by 87.5%and 65.0% of subjects 18-60 years of age and >60 years of age, respectively, after the first dose, and in 63% of subjects overall after the second dose. CONCLUSIONS A single dose of 3.75 microg hemagglutinin antigen, AS03A-adjuvanted H1N1 2009 vaccine was immunogenic and well tolerated in adults. In exploratory analyses (of subjects 18-60 years of age), postvaccination antibody titers were lower in subjects who had previously received seasonal influenza vaccination, compared with those who had not. This phenomenon warrants further investigation. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION NCT00968526.
Nitrosomonas Nm 143-likeammonia oxidizers andNitrospira marina-likenitrite oxidizers dominate thenitri ¢ er community ina marineaquaculture bio ¢ lm

Nitrosomonas Nm143-likeammonia oxidizers andNitrospira marina -likenitrite oxidizers dominate thenitri¢er community ina marineaquaculture bio¢lm Bärbel U. Foesel, Armin Gieseke, Carsten Schwermer, Peter Stief, Liat Koch, Eddie Cytryn, José R. de la Torré, Jaap van Rijn, Dror Minz, Harold L. Drake & Andreas Schramm Department of Biological Sciences, Microbiology, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark; Department of Ecological Microbiology, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany; Microsensor Group, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany; The Volcani Center, Institute for Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences, ARO, Bet-Dagan, Israel; Faculty of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Quality Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel; and Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA