Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of transverse force on the performance of quartz resonator force sensors

This paper discusses the effect of transverse force on the performance of quartz crystal resonator (QXR) force sensors that use symmetrical incomplete circular QXRs as sensing elements. Based on Lee's vibration theory and the transverse force-induced stress distribution, frequency changes are derived. This result and finite element method (FEM) are applied to investigate the performance of two metal-quartz combined sensors under the action of transverse force. Analytical and experimental results show that transverse force affects the sensitivity and linearity of QXR force sensors.
Teicoplanin versus vancomycin for prophylaxis of experimental Enterococcus faecalis endocarditis in rats

Teicoplanin was compared with vancomycin for the prophylaxis of experimental Enterococcus faecalis endocarditis in rats. Single intravenous doses of teicoplanin (7 mg/kg of body weight) or vancomycin (15 mg/kg) were given 30 min before bacterial challenge. Two strains of E. faecalis (309 and 1209) isolated from patients with endocarditis were tested. Bacterial inocula ranged from 10(4) (i.e., the inoculum infecting 90% of the control rats [ID90]) to 10(7) CFU/ml. The MICs and MBCs of teicoplanin and vancomycin were, respectively, 0.25 to greater than 128 mg/liter and 2 to greater than 128 mg/liter for strain 309 and 0.5 to greater than 128 mg/liter and 0.5 to greater than 128 mg/liter for strain 1209. Vancomycin prevented endocarditis only in 60% (strain 309) and in 87% (strain 1209) of rats challenged with the smallest bacterial-inoculum size (ID90), whereas teicoplanin prevented endocarditis in 100% of rats challenged with the same inoculum (strain 309; P = 0.05), in 87% of rats challenged with 10 times the ID90 (strain 309; P = 0.02), and in 95% of rats challenged with 100 times the ID90 (strain 1209; P = 0.0003). The combination of teicoplanin plus gentamicin (4 mg/kg) extended the protection to inocula 100 times the ID90 (strain 309; 96% of sterile animals) and 1,000 times the ID90 (strain 1209; 100% of sterile animals). Prevention of endocarditis was likely to be due to a prolonged inhibition of bacterial growth by sustained levels of teicoplanin in serum and not to bacterial killing. Indeed, teicoplanin did not exhibit any bactericidal activity either in vitro (time-kill curves) or in vivo (serum bactericidal activity). Teicoplanin proved to be superior to vancomycin in the prophylaxis of experimental E. faecalis endocarditis in rats.
Effect of heat treatment parameters on the microstructure and microhardness of Ti-6Al-4V alloy

Ti-6Al-4V is a dual-phase (α+β) Ti-alloy which possesses potential series and complex microstructures. The coexistence of β-phase alongside α-phase in Ti-6Al-4V alloy enhances the heat treatment process. Precise adjustments of heat treatment parameters can lead to diversity of microstructures that can be transformed from equiaxed to fully lamellar to bi-modal. These microstructures have a critical impact on the mechanical properties. This work investigates the effect of altering the heat treatment parameters on both the microstructure and microhardness of Ti-6Al-4V alloy to elucidate alloy’s behaviour on the basis of microstructure - properties relations. Recrystallization annealing, solution treatment followed by aging, and β-annealing were performed on several samples to obtain various microstructures. The as-received sample exhibited fine equiaxed structure with a grain size of 1.78 µm. Recrystallization annealing of the fine equiaxed structure yielded considerable grain growth, resulting 7.29 µm larger globular grains. The bi-modal microstructure was obtained from the equiaxed structure through solution treatment followed by aging. The application of β-annealing treatment resulted in a lamellar microstructure. The microhardness readings were affected by variations in the heat treatment procedures. The highest and lowest hardness were 386.1Hv and 302.2 Hv for the lamellar and the equiaxed microstructures, respectively. The improvement in the microhardness was 27.8%. In comparison, the bi-modal microstructure demonstrated a balanced hardness.Ti-6Al-4V is a dual-phase (α+β) Ti-alloy which possesses potential series and complex microstructures. The coexistence of β-phase alongside α-phase in Ti-6Al-4V alloy enhances the heat treatment process. Precise adjustments of heat treatment parameters can lead to diversity of microstructures that can be transformed from equiaxed to fully lamellar to bi-modal. These microstructures have a critical impact on the mechanical properties. This work investigates the effect of altering the heat treatment parameters on both the microstructure and microhardness of Ti-6Al-4V alloy to elucidate alloy’s behaviour on the basis of microstructure - properties relations. Recrystallization annealing, solution treatment followed by aging, and β-annealing were performed on several samples to obtain various microstructures. The as-received sample exhibited fine equiaxed structure with a grain size of 1.78 µm. Recrystallization annealing of the fine equiaxed structure yielded considerable grain growth, resulting 7.29 µm large.
Increase in Human Endogenous Retrovirus HERV‐K (HML‐2) Viral Load in Active Rheumatoid Arthritis

To study the viral loads of human endogenous retrovirus HERV‐K (HML‐2) type 1 and type 2 in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), we measured the viral loads of HERV‐K (HML‐2) type 1 and type 2 using nucleic acid sequence‐based amplification (NASBA) technology. We analyzed plasma samples from RA patients (n = 79) and healthy volunteers (HV, n = 46) and synovial fluid samples from RA (n = 10) and osteoarthritis (OA, n = 10) patients. HERV‐K type 1 and type 2 viruses were detected and quantified for the majority of plasma and synovial fluid samples from RA patients. HERV‐K type 1 and type 2 viral loads were significantly elevated in RA patients compared with HV in plasma (P < 0.0001) and from RA patients compared with OA patients in synovial fluid (type 1: P = 0.0007; type 2: P = 0.023). Moreover, an association was observed between the HERV‐K type 1 viral load in plasma and the disease activity in RA patients (RA patients with low activity versus high activity P = 0.0129; RA patients with intermediate activity versus high activity P = 0.037). Our findings showed that HERV‐K (HML‐2) viral load can be detected in plasma samples from RA patients, with higher levels observed for those with active disease. There was an association of HERV‐K type 1 levels with the disease activity.
Insertional inactivation of dsbA produces sensitivity to cadmium and zinc in Escherichia coli

In a search for genes that produce hypersensitivity to cadmium salts in Escherichia coli, random transposon mutagenesis with TnphoA was used. One of the mutant strains obtained was sensitive to Cd2+ and Zn2+. Sequence analysis showed that the TnphoA insertion was located in the dsbA gene coding for a periplasmic protein required for disulfide bond formation.
Exposure to Gastric Acid–Suppression Therapy Is Associated With Health Care– and Community-Associated Clostridium difficile Infection in Children

Objective: The aim of the study was to determine whether gastric acid–suppression therapy is associated with Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) in both inpatient and outpatient pediatric populations. Methods: We conducted a retrospective case-control study at a 200-bed academic pediatric hospital and associated outpatient clinics during 2005–2010. We defined cases as children 1 to 18 years of age with a first positive test for C difficile toxin A/B, and matched each case to 2 controls without C difficile. We conducted chart review to elicit selected comorbidities and exposure to gastric acid–suppression therapy and antibiotics in the preceding 3 months of the infection or encounter date. We used bivariate and multivariable logistic regression to evaluate the association between antacid use and CDI, controlling for potential confounders. Results: We identified 138 children with health care– or community-associated CDIs and 276 controls. The use of any acid suppression therapy was more common in cases compared with controls (34% vs 20%, P = 0.002). When adjusted for demographic variables and comorbidities, gastric acid–suppression therapy remained significantly associated with CDI (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.8, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.0–3.1). Antibiotic use (aOR 1.7, 95% CI 1.1–2.7) and immunosuppressed state were also associated with CDI in our adjusted model (aOR 2.5, 95% CI 1.2–5.2). Conclusions: Gastric acid–suppression therapy was associated with both health care– and community-associated CDIs in children. Larger pediatric studies are necessary to determine the role of proton pump inhibitors specifically in causing CDI in children.
The Swine Plasma Metabolome Chronicles "Many Days" Biological Timing and Functions Linked to Growth

The paradigm of chronobiology is based almost wholly upon the daily biological clock, or circadian rhythm, which has been the focus of intense molecular, cellular, pharmacological, and behavioral, research. However, the circadian rhythm does not explain biological timings related to fundamental aspects of life history such as rates of tissue/organ/body size development and control of the timing of life stages such as gestation length, age at maturity, and lifespan. This suggests that another biological timing mechanism is at work. Here we focus on a "many days" (multidien) chronobiological period first observed as enigmatic recurring growth lines in developing mammalian tooth enamel that is strongly associate with all adult tissue, organ, and body masses as well as life history attributes such as gestation length, age at maturity, weaning, and lifespan, particularly among the well studied primates. Yet, knowledge of the biological factors regulating the patterning of mammalian life, such as the development of body size and life history structure, does not exist. To identify underlying molecular mechanisms we performed metabolome and genome analyses from blood plasma in domestic pigs. We show that blood plasma metabolites and small non-coding RNA (sncRNA) drawn from 33 domestic pigs over a two-week period strongly oscillate on a 5-day multidien rhythm, as does the pig enamel rhythm. Metabolomics and genomics pathway analyses actually reveal two 5-day rhythms, one related to growth in which biological functions include cell proliferation, apoptosis, and transcription regulation/protein synthesis, and another 5-day rhythm related to degradative pathways that follows three days later. Our results provide experimental confirmation of a 5-day multidien rhythm in the domestic pig linking the periodic growth of enamel with oscillations of the metabolome and genome. This association reveals a new class of chronobiological rhythm and a snapshot of the biological bases that regulate mammalian growth, body size, and life history.
A Specification-based Intrusion Detection Framework for Cyber-physical Environment in Electric Power System

The emergence of high-speed networks in electric power systems creates a tight interaction of cyber infrastructure with the physical infrastructure and makes the power system susceptible to cyber penetration and attacks. To address this problem, this paper proposes an innovative approach to develop a specification-based intrusion detection framework that leverages available information provided by components in a contemporary power system. A Bayesian network is used to graphically encode the causal relations among the available information to create patterns with temporal state transitions, which are used as rules in the proposed intrusion detection framework. This allows the proposed framework to detect cyber attacks and classify different substation scenarios. A case study is provided for the non-pilot directional over current relay protection scheme for a modified 2-bus 2-generator system taken from a section of the IEEE 9-bus 3-generator system. Nine power system scenarios were developed and implemented as part of the case study. Each scenario was implemented on a test bed and all scenarios were correctly classified by the IDS built using the proposed methodology.
Mixed miniature postsynaptic currents resulting from co‐release of glycine and GABA recorded from glycinergic neurons in the neonatal respiratory network

Inhibitory neurons are involved in the generation and patterning of the respiratory rhythm in the adult animal. However, the role of glycinergic neurons in the respiratory rhythm in the developing network is still not understood. Although the complete loss of glycinergic transmission in vivo is lethal, the blockade of glycinergic transmission in slices of the medulla has little effect on pre‐Bötzinger complex network activity. As 50% of the respiratory rhythmic neurons in this slice preparation are glycinergic, they have to be considered as integrated parts of the network. We aimed to investigate whether glycinergic neurons receive mixed miniature inhibitory postsynaptic currents (mIPSCs) that result from co‐release of GABA and glycine. Quantification of mixed mIPSCs by the use of different objective detection methods resulted in a wide range of results. Therefore, we generated traces of mIPSCs with a known distribution of mixed mIPSCs and mono‐transmitter‐induced mIPSCs, and tested the detection methods on the simulated data. We found that analysis paradigms, which are based on fitting the sum of two mIPSC templates, to be most acceptable. On the basis of these protocols, 20–40% of all mIPSCs recorded from respiratory glycinergic neurons are mixed mIPSCs that result from co‐release of GABA and glycine. Furthermore, single‐cell reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction revealed that 46% of glycinergic neurons co‐express mRNA of glycine transporter 2 together with at least one marker protein of GABAergic neurons. Our data suggest that significant co‐transmission occurs in the pre‐Bötzinger complex that might be involved in the shaping of synaptic inhibition of respiratory glycinergic neurons.
Sex differences in attitudes towards online privacy and anonymity among Israeli students with different technical backgrounds

Introduction. In this exploratory study, we proposed an experimental framework to investigate and model male/female differences in attitudes towards online privacy and anonymity among Israeli students. Our aim was to comparatively model men and women's online privacy attitudes, and to assess the online privacy gender gap. Method. Various factors related to the user's online privacy and anonymity were considered, such as awareness of anonymous threats made online, concern for protecting personal information on the Internet, online privacy self-efficacy, online privacy literacy and users' tendency to engage in privacy paradox behaviour, i.e., personal data disclosure despite the awareness of anonymity and privacy threats. Analysis. A user study was carried out among 169 Israeli academic students through a quantitative method using closed-ended questionnaires. The subjects' responses were analysed using standard statistical measures. We then proposed a summarized comparative model for the two sexes' online privacy behaviour. Results. We found that a digital gap still exists between men and women regarding technological knowledge and skills used to protect their identity and personal information on the Web. Interestingly, users' tendency to engage in privacy paradox behaviour was not higher among men despite their higher level of technological online privacy literacy compared to women. Conclusions. Women's relatively high online privacy self-efficacy level and their low awareness of technological threat do not match their relatively low technological online privacy literacy level. This leads to a lower ability to protect their identity and personal information as compared to men. We conclude that further steps should be taken to eliminate the inter-gender technological gap in online privacy and anonymity awareness and literacy.
Cytokine-Induced Nuclear Factor Kappa B Activation Promotes the Survival of Developing Neurons

Ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF), leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), cardiotrophin-1 (CT-1), and interleukin 6 (IL-6) comprise a group of structurally related cytokines that promote the survival of subsets of neurons in the developing peripheral nervous system, but the signaling pathways activated by these cytokines that prevent neuronal apoptosis are unclear. Here, we show that these cytokines activate NF-κB in cytokine-dependent developing sensory neurons. Preventing NF-κB activation with a super-repressor IκB-α protein markedly reduces the number of neurons that survive in the presence of cytokines, but has no effect on the survival response of the same neurons to brain-derived neurotrophic factors (BDNF), an unrelated neurotrophic factor that binds to a different class of receptors. Cytokine-dependent sensory neurons cultured from embryos that lack p65, a transcriptionally active subunit of NF-κB, have a markedly impaired ability to survive in response to cytokines, but respond normally to BDNF. There is increased apoptosis of cytokine- dependent neurons in p65 −/− embryos in vivo, resulting in a reduction in the total number of these neurons compared with their numbers in wild-type embryos. These results demonstrate that NF-κB plays a key role in mediating the survival response of developing neurons to cytokines.
Ilioinguinal/Iliohypogastric Blocks in Children: Where Do We Administer the Local Anesthetic Without Direct Visualization?

BACKGROUND:Ultrasonographic observation of peripheral nerve blocks enables direct visualization of the spread of local anesthetic around the targeted nerves. Similarly, ultrasonography may be used to determine the site of local anesthetic placement when landmark-based techniques are used. We performed a study to determine the actual location of local anesthetic when ilioinguinal/iliohypogastric nerve blocks are performed using landmark-based techniques in children in an attempt to explain a failed block. METHODS:After induction of general anesthesia (1 minimum alveolar anesthetic concentration halothane and laryngeal mask airway), 62 children scheduled for inguinal surgery received an ilioinguinal/iliohypogastric nerve block based on standard anatomical landmarks. Ultrasonography was then used to determine the actual location of local anesthetic placement. The anesthesiologist performing the block was blinded to the ultrasonographic investigation. Successful blocks were recorded either when the local anesthetic surrounded the nerves or were based on clinical signs after skin incision. RESULTS:In 14% of the blocks, the local anesthetic was administered correctly around the nerves resulting in successful blocks. In the remaining 86%, the local anesthetic was administered in adjacent anatomical structures (iliac muscle 18%, transverse abdominal muscle 26%, internal oblique abdominal muscle 29%, external oblique abdominal muscle 9%, subcutaneous 2%, and peritoneum 2%), and 45% of these blocks failed. CONCLUSION:Accurate placement of local anesthetic around the ilioinguinal/iliohypogastric nerves in children is seldom possible when landmark-based techniques are used. In the majority of patients, the local anesthetic was inaccurately placed in adjacent anatomical structures with unpredictable block results.
Laterality enhances cognition in Australian parrots

Cerebral lateralization refers to the division of information processing in either hemisphere of the brain and is a ubiquitous trait among vertebrates and invertebrates. Given its widespread occurrence, it is likely that cerebral lateralization confers a fitness advantage. It has been hypothesized that this advantage takes the form of enhanced cognitive function, potentially via a dual processing mechanism whereby each hemisphere can be used to process specific types of information without contralateral interference. Here, we examined the influence of lateralization on problem solving by Australian parrots. The first task, a pebble-seed discrimination test, was designed for small parrot species that feed predominately on small seeds, which do not require any significant manipulation with the foot prior to ingestion. The second task, a string-pull problem, was designed for larger bodied species that regularly use their feet to manipulate food objects. In both cases, strongly lateralized individuals (those showing significant foot and eye biases) outperformed less strongly lateralized individuals, and this relationship was substantially stronger in the more demanding task. These results suggest that cerebral lateralization is a ubiquitous trait among Australian parrots and conveys a significant foraging advantage. Our results provide strong support for the enhanced cognitive function hypothesis.
Regulation of Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Responsiveness in Developing Rat Sympathetic Neurons by Retinoic Acid and Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2

There are several lines of evidence suggesting that, in addition to neurotrophins, member(s) of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) family play important roles in the development of sympathetic neurons. However, the mechanism regulating the responsiveness of the neurons to GDNF family members is not known. Previously, we reported on the cooperative roles of bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP2) and retinoic acid (RA) in the enhancement of neurotrophin-3 (NT3) responsiveness in cultured sympathetic neurons dissociated from perinatal rat superior cervical ganglia (SCG). In the present study, we further examined the effects of BMP2 and RA on the regulation of the responsiveness of SCG neurons to GDNF family members. Consequently, we found that RA alone induced the responsiveness of SCG neurons specifically to GDNF by upregulating the ligand-specifying receptor for GDNF (GFRα-1) at both the mRNA and protein levels. The expression levels of mRNAs for other ligand-specifying receptors for GDNF family (GFRα-2 and GFRα-3) were unaffected by RA. Although the upregulation of signal-transducing receptor Ret by the RA treatment was rather small, this treatment significantly increased the efficacy of tyrosine phosphorylation of Ret by GDNF. Experiments using synthetic retinoids suggested that RA acts through α-type of nuclear retinoic acid receptor to exert the induction of GDNF responsiveness. On the other hand, BMP2, which had no significant effect by itself on the GDNF responsiveness, promoted the action of RA to upregulate GFRα-1 and enhance the GDNF responsiveness. These results indicate that RA and BMP2 play important roles in the induction of GDNF responsiveness, as well as NT3 responsiveness, of developing SCG neurons.