Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Antifungal Hydrolases in Pea Tissue : II. Inhibition of Fungal Growth by Combinations of Chitinase and beta-1,3-Glucanase.

Chitinase and beta-1,3-glucanase purified from pea pods acted synergistically in the degradation of fungal cell walls. The antifungal potential of the two enzymes was studied directly by adding protein preparations to paper discs placed on agar plates containing germinated fungal spores. Protein extracts from pea pods infected with Fusarium solani f.sp. phaseoli, which contained high activities of chitinase and beta-1,3-glucanase, inhibited growth of 15 out of 18 fungi tested. Protein extracts from uninfected pea pods, which contained low activities of chitinase and beta-1,3-glucanase, did not inhibit fungal growth. Purified chitinase and beta-1,3-glucanase, tested individually, did not inhibit growth of most of the test fungi. Only Trichoderma viride was inhibited by chitinase alone, and only Fusarium solani f.sp. pisi was inhibited by beta-1,3-glucanase alone. However, combinations of purified chitinase and beta-1,3-glucanase inhibited all fungi tested as effectively as crude protein extracts containing the same enzyme activities. The pea pathogen, Fusarium solani f.sp. pisi, and the nonpathogen of peas, Fusarium solani f.sp. phaseoli, were similarly strongly inhibited by chitinase and beta-1,3-glucanase, indicating that the differential pathogenicity of the two fungi is not due to differential sensitivity to the pea enzymes. Inhibition of fungal growth was caused by the lysis of the hyphal tips.
Data movement and aggregation in flash memories

NAND flash memories have become the most widely used type of non-volatile memories. In a NAND flash memory, every block of memory cells consists of numerous pages, and rewriting a single page requires the whole block to be erased. As block erasures significantly reduce the longevity, speed and power efficiency of flash memories, it is critical to minimize the number of erasures when data are reorganized. This leads to the data movement problem, where data need to be switched in blocks, and the objective is to minimize the number of block erasures. It has been shown that optimal solutions can be obtained by coding. However, coding-based algorithms with the minimum coding complexity still remain an important topic to study. In this paper, we present a very efficient data movement algorithm with coding over GF(2) and with the minimum storage requirement. We also study data movement with more auxiliary blocks and present its corresponding solution. Furthermore, we extend the study to the data aggregation problem, where data can not only be moved but also aggregated. We present both non-coding and coding-based solutions, and rigorously prove the performance gain by using coding.
Compound tincture of benzoin: A common contact allergen?

The results of patch testing to compound tincture of benzoin in 477 patients performed at the Contact Dermatitis Clinic at the Skin and Cancer Foundation in Melbourne during 1999 are presented. There have been fewer than 30 reported cases of contact allergy from compound tincture of benzoin, and none in the last decade. Our results showed 45 out of the 477 patients had a positive reaction to compound tincture of benzoin, which was the third most common allergen in our series. Of these 45 patients, 14 had strong positive reactions, but only two definitely recalled exposure to compound tincture of benzoin and these were clinically relevant. Twenty‐eight of these patients had cross‐reactions to similar allergens (fragrance mix, balsam of Peru, colophony and tea tree oil). Of the 14 patients with a strong positive reaction to compound tincture of benzoin, 11 had at least one other positive cross‐reaction to the above allergens. This may explain the high frequency of reaction to compound tincture of benzoin found in our study.
Crystal Structures of Three Crystalline Forms of Poly(vinylidene fluoride)

The crystal structures of three forms of poly(vinylidene fluoride) were studied by X-ray diffraction method. Although the structure of form I has been determined to be a fully extended planar zigzag by Lando, et al. [orthorhombic; a=8.58 Å, b=4.91 Å, and c(fiber axis)=2.56 Å; space group Cm2m(C2v14)], an alternately-deflected molecular structure was postulated in order to release the steric hindrance between the fluorine atoms along the chain. A satistically disordered packing of such deflected chains satisfies the observed fiber period and improves appreciably the structure factor agreement. Form II is monoclinic [pseudo-orthorhombic; a=4.96 Å, b=9.64 Å, c(fiber axis)=4.62 Å, and β=90°; space group P21/c(C2h5)], and its cell contains two molecular chains. The molecular conformation is essentially the TGTG type (internal rotation angles, 179° and 45°), and the glide plane of the molecular chain coincides with the c glide plane of the lattice. It is suggested that form III is monoclinic [a=8.66 Å, b=4.93 Å, c(fiber axis)=2.58 Å, and β=97°; space group C121(C23)], and the structural features similar to that of form I.
Internal Jugular Vein Valve Incompetence Is Highly Prevalent in Transient Global Amnesia

Background and Purpose— Transient global amnesia (TGA) is the inability to retain new information and to recall past events during a period of minutes or hours. Its etiology is unclear, and flow disturbances in the mesial temporal lobes secondary to venous congestion have been proposed as a potential cause. Ultrasonographic evaluation of the internal jugular vein (IJV) has demonstrated valvular insufficiency in TGA. The prevalence of valvular insufficiency in the IJV in patients with TGA was assessed. Subjects without TGA of similar sex, age, and vascular risk factor profiles served as controls. Methods— A group of 142 patients with a clinical diagnosis of TGA within 7 days of the clinical event and 40 controls were prospectively evaluated. Venous Doppler examination of both IJVs was performed at baseline and after a manometer-controlled Valsalva maneuver. Valvular insufficiency was diagnosed when there was reflux for >0.8 seconds during the Valsalva maneuver. Results— Valve insufficiency was found in at least one jugular vein in 113 of 142 patients with TGA (79.5%) and in 10 of 40 controls (25.0%), P<0.01. The right side was affected more often than the left side, P<0.01, and 26.8% of the patients had bilateral incompetence. Conclusions— Patients with TGA have a high prevalence of IJV valve insufficiency. This finding may have pathophysiologic implications. Doppler evaluation of the IJVs with dynamic maneuvers may help in the evaluation of this usually benign condition.
Haemosporida prevalence and diversity are similar in endangered wild whooping cranes (Grus americana) and sympatric sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis)

SUMMARY The population growth of endangered whooping cranes (Grus americana) is not consistent with species recovery goals, and the impact of parasite infection on whooping crane populations is largely unknown. Disease ecology and epidemiology research of endangered species is often hindered by limited ability to conduct invasive sampling on the target taxa. Accordingly, we hypothesized that sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) would be a useful surrogate species to investigate the health impacts of Haemosporida infection in whooping cranes. Our goal was to compare the prevalence and diversity of Haemosporida infection between whooping cranes and sandhill cranes. We detected an overall infection prevalence of 83·6% (n = 61) in whooping cranes and 59·6% (n = 47) and 63·6 (n = 22) in two sympatric sandhill crane populations captured in Texas. Prevalence was significantly lower in allopatric sandhill cranes captured in New Mexico (12·1%, n = 33). Haemoproteus antigonis was the most abundant haemoparasite in cranes, present in 57·4% of whooping cranes and 39·2% of sandhill cranes; Plasmodium and Leucocytozoon were present at significantly lower levels. The high prevalence of Haemosporida in whooping cranes and sympatric sandhill cranes, with shared parasite lineages between the two species, supports sandhill cranes as a surrogate species for understanding health threats to endangered whooping cranes.
The 3-D ionization structure of the planetary nebula NGC 6565

Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova, vicolo dell'Osservatorio 5, 35122 Padova, Italy Received 26 November 2001 / Accepted 21 January 2002 Abstract. A detailed study of the planetary nebula NGC 6565 has been carried out on long-slit echellograms (λ/∆λ = 60 000, spectral range = λλ3900-7750 ˚ at six, equally spaced position angles. The expansion velocity field, the c(Hβ) distribution and the radial profile of the physical conditions (electron temperature and density) are obtained. The distance, radius, mass and filling factor of the nebula and the temperature and luminosity of the central star are derived. The radial ionization structure is analyzed using both the classical method and the photo-ionization code CLOUDY. Moreover, we present the spatial structure in a series of images from different directions, allowing the reader to "see" the nebula in 3-D. NGC 6565 results to be a young (2000-2500 years), patchy, optically thick triaxial ellipsoid (a =1 0. 1a rcsec,a/b =1 .4, a/c =1 .7) projected almost pole-on. The matter close to major axis was swept-up by some accelerating agent (fast wind? ionization? magnetic fields? ), forming two faint and asymmetric polar cups. A large cocoon of almost neutral gas completely embeds the ionized nebula. NGC 6565 is in a recombination phase, because of the luminosity drop of the massive powering star, which is reaching the white dwarf domain (log T∗ � 5.08 K; log L∗/L� � 2.0). The stellar decline started about 1000 years ago, but the main nebula remained optically thin for other 600 years before the recombination phase occurred. In the near future the ionization front will re-grow, since the dilution factor due to the expansion will prevail on the slower and slower stellar decline. NGC 6565 is at a distance of 2.0 (±0.5) kpc and can be divided into three radial zones: the "fully ionized" one, extending up to 0.029-0.035 pc at the equator (0.050 pc at the poles), the "transition" one, up to 0.048-0.054 pc (0.080 pc), the "halo", detectable up to 0.110 pc. The ionized mass (� 0.03 M� ) is only a fraction of the total mass (≥0.15 M� ), which has been ejected by an equatorial enhanced superwind of 4 (±2) × 10 −5 Myr −1 lasted for 4 (±2) × 10 3 years.
Total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of apple pomace aqueous extract: Effect of time, temperature and water to pomace ratio

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of extraction time, extraction temperature and water to pomace ratio on the total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of apple pomace aqueous extracts. Pomace was extracted using water (20-90°C) for 5-60 min. The extracts were evaluated for their total phenolic content (Folin Ciocalteu assay) and antioxidant activity (DPPH, FRAP and ABTS assays). A methanol extract of the pomace was used as control. It was found that water to pomace ratio (p < 0.001), extraction temperature (p < 0.001) and time (p < 0.001) were significant factors in extracting the polyphenolics from apple pomace, with the optimum extraction conditions utilising water to pomace ratio of 20:1 at 90°C for 15 min yielding the most polyphenolic compounds (1148 μg g-1 fresh pomace Gallic Acid Equivalents). These results indicated that water was a good solvent for extracting polyphenolics from apple pomace, however, as compared to the methanol extract (control), the aqueous extracts had lower total phenolic content (63%) and antioxidant activity (73-80%).
Femoro-femoral versus atrio-aortic extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: selecting the ideal cannulation technique.

Veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) may be implanted using peripheral ECMO (pECMO) or central ECMO (cECMO) cannulation techniques. The aim of this study was to compare the outcome between these two cannulation techniques. A retrospective study was performed at Düsseldorf University Hospital from October 2009 through June 2011. Inclusion criteria were patients with veno-arterial ECMO support ≥24 h. Various pre- and postimplantation variables were investigated including postimplantation hemodynamic and ECMO parameters, oxygenation/ventilation parameters at 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, 72 h, as well as renal and liver function tests at first and third postoperative days following implantation. Outcome data of patients receiving pECMO were compared with those who received cECMO. The inclusion criteria were met by 37 patients (25 pECMO and 12 cECMO). There were no significant differences in baseline characteristics between these two groups except for younger age in pECMO patients (P=0.005). All postimplantation variables were comparable between the two groups except for higher PO2 and lower PCO2 values at the 3rd hour postimplantation in patients with pECMO (P=0.007 and 0.01, respectively). Eleven (44%) of the pECMO patients required re-exploration for bleeding versus 100% of patients with cECMO (P=0.01). Ischemic leg complication was observed in four pECMO and three cECMO patients. Thirty-day mortality in patients with pECMO and cECMO was 60% versus 67%, respectively (P=1.00). In this study, no particular oxygenation/ventilation, hemodymanic, or end-organ function advantage was observed with either cannulation technique. However, more bleeding and resternotomy complications were observed in cECMO patients.
The Frequency, Causes and Prevention of Needlestick Injuries in Nurses of Kerman: A Cross-Sectional Study.

INTRODUCTION The needlestick injuries can cause the transmission of infectious diseases. Compared to other members of the community of health care nurses are at great risk of needle stick injury because of their frequent performance with vein punctures and taking care of patients suffering from different infectious diseases. AIM The main aim of this study was to assess Prevalence, causes and preventive of Needle Sticks injuries among nurses in Kerman (south of Iran). MATERIALS AND METHODS This cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2014 to March 2015 on 240 nurses employed in two hospitals of Kerman. Sampling was performed through simple random sampling. Data gathered through a researcher made questioner. Data analysed by use descriptive analytical testes. RESULTS From the nurses' perspective the main physical and human causes of needlestick injuries were syringe needles (82) and crowded wards (74). The majority of the nurses believed the most effective method to prevent needlestick were training (82). CONCLUSION Due to the high prevalence of injuries caused by sharp objects in nurses, needlestick injuries are suggested to be recorded in special forms and their causes to be checked by the Infection Control Committee. Since syringe needle heads and angiocatheter are the main causes of needlestick injuries, providing safe medical equipment should also be emphasized.
Sympathetic glial cells and macrophages develop different responses to Trypanosoma cruzi infection or lipopolysaccharide stimulation

Nitric oxide (NO) participates in neuronal lesions in the digestive form of Chagas disease and the proximity of parasitised glial cells and neurons in damaged myenteric ganglia is a frequent finding. Glial cells have crucial roles in many neuropathological situations and are potential sources of NO. Here, we investigate peripheral glial cell response to Trypanosoma cruzi infection to clarify the role of these cells in the neuronal lesion pathogenesis of Chagas disease. We used primary glial cell cultures from superior cervical ganglion to investigate cell activation and NO production after T. cruzi infection or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) exposure in comparison to peritoneal macrophages. T. cruzi infection was greater in glial cells, despite similar levels of NO production in both cell types. Glial cells responded similarly to T. cruzi and LPS, but were less responsive to LPS than macrophages were. Our observations contribute to the understanding of Chagas disease pathogenesis, as based on the high susceptibility of autonomic glial cells to T. cruzi infection with subsequent NO production. Moreover, our findings will facilitate future research into the immune responses and activation mechanisms of peripheral glial cells, which are important for understanding the paradoxical responses of this cell type in neuronal lesions and neuroprotection.
A combined drama-based and CBT approach to working with self-reported anger aggression.

BACKGROUND A drama-based programme, called 'Insult to Injury', was designed to explore the processes of anger, aggression and violence. The aim of the programme was to enable offenders to identify and generate strategies and skills for dealing with potentially volatile situations, and to provide a safe and supportive environment in which to practice and evaluate these strategies. AIMS An active drama-based approach combined with cognitive-behavioural techniques was used to explore issues such as masculinity, power and control, pride and shame and victim awareness. Reductions in anger were hypothesized. METHOD A single group pre/post design assessed the levels of anger before and after the course. RESULTS Sixty-two adult male offenders from six prison establishments in the UK took part in the nine-day course. As hypothesised, significant reductions in anger were found in pre- to post-course assessment. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that a drama-based approach may be a promising adjunct to traditional anger management programmes for violent offenders.
Average Case Analysis of Multichannel Sparse Recovery Using Convex Relaxation

This paper considers recovery of jointly sparse multichannel signals from incomplete measurements. Several approaches have been developed to recover the unknown sparse vectors from the given observations, including thresholding, simultaneous orthogonal matching pursuit (SOMP), and convex relaxation based on a mixed matrix norm. Typically, worst case analysis is carried out in order to analyze conditions under which the algorithms are able to recover any jointly sparse set of vectors. However, such an approach is not able to provide insights into why joint sparse recovery is superior to applying standard sparse reconstruction methods to each channel individually. Previous work considered an average case analysis of thresholding and SOMP by imposing a probability model on the measured signals. Here, the main focus is on analysis of convex relaxation techniques. In particular, the mixed l 2,1 approach to multichannel recovery is investigated. Under a very mild condition on the sparsity and on the dictionary characteristics, measured for example by the coherence, it is shown that the probability of recovery failure decays exponentially in the number of channels. This demonstrates that most of the time, multichannel sparse recovery is indeed superior to single channel methods. The probability bounds are valid and meaningful even for a small number of signals. Using the tools developed to analyze the convex relaxation technique, also previous bounds for thresholding and SOMP recovery are tightened.
Relationships: computational thinking, pedagogy of programming, and Bloom's Taxonomy

This study explores the relationship between computational thinking, teaching programming, and Bloom's Taxonomy. Data is collected from teachers, academics, and professionals, purposively selected because of their knowledge of the topics of problem solving, computational thinking, or the teaching of programming. This data is analysed following a grounded theory approach. A computational thinking taxonomy is developed. The relationships between cognitive processes, the pedagogy of programming, and the perceived levels of difficulty of computational thinking skills are illustrated by a model. Specifically, a definition for computational thinking is presented. The skills identified are mapped to Bloom's Taxonomy: Cognitive Domain. This mapping concentrates computational skills at the application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation levels. Analysis of the data indicates that abstraction of functionality is less difficult than abstraction of data, but both are perceived as difficult. The most difficult computational thinking skill is reported as decomposition. This ordering of difficulty for learners is a reversal of the cognitive complexity predicted by Bloom's model. The plausibility of this inconsistency is explored. The taxonomy, model, and the other results of this study may be used by educators to focus learning onto the computational thinking skills acquired by the learners, while using programming as a tool. They may also be employed in the design of curriculum subjects, such as ICT, computing, or computer science.
The future history of geriatrics: geriatrics at the crossroads.

C ONTEXT Geriatrics has had a hard time deciding just what it wants to be when it grows up. An early concept of geriatrics equated it primarily with caring for persons in long-term care (1). A major effort to predict the need for geriatrically trained personnel envisioned geriatrics as primarily consisting of specialists who would handle complex cases on referral and provide oversight and advice otherwise (2). A decade later, as managed care was gaining strength and the demand for primary care seemed insatiable, geriatrics redefined itself as a primary care specialty (3). Today one hears geriatricians describe themselves as those who deal with end-of-life care. During the era of managed care, geriatrics did not enhance its credibility when it often appeared to be making contradictory promises. To managed care organizations, it promised to decrease the need for other specialists by employing improved primary care methods, while it also promised its parent medical centers, which were anxious to build their patient base for technologically intensive (and expensive) services, increased referrals of older patients who needed just such care. In many ways, geriatrics might be defined as the synthesis of gerontology and chronic care. The core of geriatric practice consists of addressing geriatric syndromes such as falls, dementia, and incontinence; emphasizing the resultant functional changes that accompany chronic illness; recognizing atypical presentations of common diseases; and managing multiple, simultaneous interaction problems, which require medical attention and coordination of the work of various other disciplines. The basic principles of chronic illness care (i.e., using interdisciplinary team care, recognizing the need for care investments that will bear fruit later, promoting active involvement of patients in their own care, distinguishing care episodes from events, and being sensitive to the context of care as well as the immediate problems presenting) are the hallmarks of geriatric care. Essentially, geriatrics is the epitome of good chronic care. S UPPLY