Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Polymeric carrier-mediated intracellular delivery of phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-trisphosphate to overcome insulin resistance

Abstract Background: Phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-trisphosphate (PIP3) is a major lipid second messenger in insulin-mediated signalling towards the metabolic actions of this hormone in muscle and fat. Purpose: Assessing the intracellular transport of exogenous PIP3 attached to a polymeric carrier in an attempt to overcome cellular insulin resistance. Methods: Artificial chromatic bio-mimetic membrane vesicles composed of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine and polydiacetylene were applied to screen the polymeric carriers. PIP3 cellular localization and bio-activity was assessed by fluorescent and live-cell microscopy in L6 muscle cells and in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Results and discussion: We demonstrate that a specific-branched polyethylenimine (PEI-25, 25 kDa) carrier forms complexes with PIP3 that interact with the bio-mimetic membrane vesicles in a manner predictive of their interaction with cells: In L6 muscle cells, PEI-25/fluorescent-PIP3 complexes are retarded at the cell perimeter. PEI-25/PIP3 complexes retain their bio-activity, engaging signalling steps downstream of PIP3, even in muscle cells rendered insulin resistant by exposure to high glucose/high insulin. Conclusions: Inducing insulin actions by intracellular PIP3 delivery (PEI-25/PIP3 complexes) in some forms of insulin-resistant cells provides the first proof-of-principle for the potential therapeutic use of PIP3 in a “second-messenger agonist” approach. In addition, utilization of an artificial bio-mimetic membrane platform to screen for highly efficient PIP3 delivery predicts biological function in cells.
Agent-based modeling and strategic group formation: A refugee case study

Refugee flight presents a logistics problem for humanitarian aid workers anticipating ebbs and flows of arrivals. These migrations include travel over long distances with little advanced coordination and damaged social networks. The model presented here is based on these two fundamental premises: long distance and strategic en-route coordination. Assuming that over large distances, refugees attempt to construct groups that provide assistance or security as they navigate toward safety, the agent-based model incorporates cooperative game theory to investigate the impact of group formations on egress times. The modeled refugees make decisions based on individual utility functions informed by two factors, speed of the group and group size. Since groups accommodate slower members, they may reform as refugees choose their best available strategies to reach safety. The results indicate a tipping point in average group size as the slowest group members have more of impact in the utility function of the agents.
Characterization of a sar Homolog ofStaphylococcus epidermidis

ABSTRACT Coagulase-negative staphylococci are common nosocomial pathogens. A regulatory element, designated sar, partially controls exoprotein synthesis in coagulase-positive Staphylococcus aureus by modulating the expression of another regulatory locus, called agr. We report here the cloning of a sarhomolog in S. epidermidis. The major open reading frame within sar in S. epidermidis is highly homologous (84%) to the S. aureus SarA protein. Primer extension studies revealed three sar transcripts (0.64, 0.76, and 0.85 kb) initiated from three distinct promoters. The interpromoter region in S. epidermidis differs from itsS. aureus counterpart, possibly suggesting target gene differences and a disparate pattern for sar activation. Remarkably, the S. epidermidis sar homolog interacts with an agr promoter fragment of S. aureus in gel shift assays. Additionally, S. epidermidis sar fragments could restore hemolysin production in an S. aureus sarmutant. As typical virulence determinants controlled by sarin S. aureus are not present in S. epidermidis, an examination of functional and structural similarities and divergence of sar in staphylococci will be of major interest.
Object Properties and Frame of Reference in Spatial Memory Representations

Abstract Considerable evidence suggests that humans flexibly select reference frames for spatial memory based on qualities such as the shape of the environment, the configuration of elements, and one's own egocentric experience of the space. We propose that the elements, or objects themselves, may also convey useful information about salient reference orientations. In Experiment 1, participants viewed objects elongated along their front-back axis that were either all oriented in the same direction or oriented at 10 different randomly selected directions. Participants in the random orientation condition were most accurate at the orientation they visually experienced at learning, whereas participants in the shared orientation condition were most accurate at an orientation consistent with or orthogonal to the coincident object orientations. Experiment 2 replicated these effects using animals that were less elongated but had clear conceptual orientations. These results suggest that the principles governing spatial memory capitalize on a wide range of properties that likely interact to support an enduring representation.
A Theory of Super-Resolution from Short-Time Fourier Transform Measurements

AbstractWhile spike trains are obviously not band-limited, the theory of super-resolution tells us that perfect recovery of unknown spike locations and weights from low-pass Fourier transform measurements is possible provided that the minimum spacing, $$\Delta $$Δ, between spikes is not too small. Specifically, for a measurement cutoff frequency of $$f_c$$fc, Donoho (SIAM J Math Anal 23(5):1303–1331, 1992) showed that exact recovery is possible if the spikes (on $$\mathbb {R}$$R) lie on a lattice and $$\Delta > 1/f_c$$Δ>1/fc, but does not specify a corresponding recovery method. Candès and Fernandez-Granda (Commun Pure Appl Math 67(6):906–956, 2014; Inform Inference 5(3):251–303, 2016) provide a convex programming method for the recovery of periodic spike trains (i.e., spike trains on the torus $$\mathbb {T}$$T), which succeeds provably if $$\Delta > 2/f_c$$Δ>2/fc and $$f_c \ge 128$$fc≥128 or if $$\Delta > 1.26/f_c$$Δ>1.26/fc and $$f_c \ge 10^3$$fc≥103, and does not need the spikes within the fundamental period to lie on a lattice. In this paper, we develop a theory of super-resolution from short-time Fourier transform (STFT) measurements. Specifically, we present a recovery method similar in spirit to the one in Candès and Fernandez-Granda (2014) for pure Fourier measurements. For a STFT Gaussian window function of width $$\sigma = 1/(4f_c)$$σ=1/(4fc) this method succeeds provably if $$\Delta > 1/f_c$$Δ>1/fc, without restrictions on $$f_c$$fc. Our theory is based on a measure-theoretic formulation of the recovery problem, which leads to considerable generality in the sense of the results being grid-free and applying to spike trains on both $$\mathbb {R}$$R and $$\mathbb {T}$$T. The case of spike trains on $$\mathbb {R}$$R comes with significant technical challenges. For recovery of spike trains on $$\mathbb {T}$$T we prove that the correct solution can be approximated—in weak-* topology—by solving a sequence of finite-dimensional convex programming problems.
Violent events and security programs in California Emergency Departments before and after the 1993 Hospital Security Act.

INTRODUCTION Health care workers have long been recognized as having a high risk of work-related assault. In response to a growing threat of violence in hospitals, California implemented the Hospital Security Act (AB508) in 1993. This study compares surveys of emergency nurses before and after implementation of AB508. METHODS In 1990, the CAL/ENA surveyed emergency departments in California to enumerate violent events and describe security programs. Using the CAL/ENA membership directory, hospitals were resurveyed in 2000 to identify changes from the original survey. Surveys were mailed to the ED nurse manager or equivalent. Survey responses were anonymous. RESULTS Most hospitals reported fewer violent episodes after the implementation of AB508. However, 32% of hospitals reported that 5 or more verbal threats occurred monthly, and 5% reported that 5 or more violent injuries occurred monthly. Overall, hospitals reported improvements in security programs. The most notable increase was in employee training, which rose from 34% to 95.6% of reporting hospitals. However, almost a quarter of hospitals reported not having general violence prevention policies, and many believed that security personnel were inadequate. DISCUSSION Although results reported here cannot be directly attributed to AB508, the increase in security program components suggests that hospitals are responding positively to reduce violence. The high prevalence of threats and violent events reported indicates a persistent risk of violence against health care workers.
Today's DBMSs: how autonomic are they

The increasing complexity of database management systems (DBMSs) and the dearth of their experienced administrators make an urgent call for an autonomic DBMS that is capable of managing and maintaining itself. In this paper, we examine the characteristics that a DBMS should have in order to be considered autonomic and assess the position of today's commercial DBMSs such as DB2, SQL Server, and Oracle.
The dependence of the measured surface energy of graphene on nanosheet size

The surface energy of graphene nanosheets is surprisingly poorly known, probably due to size effects and energetic heterogeneities. Here we use finite-dilution inverse gas chromatography to measure the surface energy of liquid-exfoliated, few-layer graphene nanosheets of different sizes as a function of probe coverage. In all cases, the surface energy falls with probe coverage from a defect-controlled, low-coverage value to a value that approaches the basal plane surface energy at high coverage. We find an intrinsic basal plane dispersive surface energy of 61 ± 4 mJ m−2, close to the value of 63 mJ m−2 found for graphite. By comparison with similar data measured on graphite and using simple models, we can use the length dependence of the low coverage surface energy to differentiate between the effects of edge and basal plane defects, finding these to contribute ∼130 and 180 mJ m−2 to the surface energy respectively. From this data, we estimate a basal plane defect content of ∼6 × 1014 defects m–2 for both graphite and graphene in reasonable agreement with Raman data. This work shows that, in terms of surface energetics, few-layer graphene nanosheets behave exactly like graphite with the only differences associated with platelet dimensions.
Predicting survival after treatment for fracture of the proximal femur and the effect of delays to surgery

Background and Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognosis after treatment for femoral neck fracture, to assess the impact of delay to surgery, and to devise a clinical prediction rule and score. Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted in which 1780 patients treated surgically in two teaching hospitals between 1 November 1997 and 31 October 1999 were followed over 12 months. Logistic regression was used to distinguish the effects of predictor variables on survival. Using a probit transformation of the predicted posterior probabilities of death, a prognostic score was devised with scores constrained so that a nominal score of approximately 90 represented a 50:50 chance of survival over 12 months. Results: Mortality was 30.1% in men and 19.5% in women. Increasing age, male gender, longer pre-operative delay, a higher American Society of Anesthesiology score, a lower Mental Test score, and a lower activities of daily living (Barthel) score were associated with increased risks of death. Of those waiting between 1 and 5 days for surgery, approximately 8 medium-risk and 17 high-risk patients (with prognostic scores of 90 and 120, respectively) would have to have their delay reduced to 24 hours to yield one additional survivor. Conclusion: The application of prediction rules must be guided by ethical, social, and scientific concerns. 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Co-Relation between Virulence Factors and Antibiotic Resistance of E. coli, With Special Reference to Uropathogenic E. coli

Escherichia coli is a part of normal intestinal flora. When it enters into unnatural sites, it can cause infections such as urinary tract infections (UTI), wound infections, lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) etc. This is achieved by some virulence factors such as production of beta-haemolysin, biofilm & extended spectrum beta lactamase (ESBL) which endow its ability to survive, multiply & cause disease. This study was done to isolate E. coli from extraintestinal clinical samples, to assess their virulence factors such as β-haemolysin & biofilm production and to determine antibiotic susceptibility pattern & ESBL production by phenotypic method. A total of 52 E. coli isolates were obtained from urine(28), pus(22) & sputum(2) samples. All isolates were identified as per standard procedures. Beta-haemolysis using 5% sheep blood agar & biofilm production by tube method were determined. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was done by Kirby Bauer disc diffusion method. ESBL production was evaluated by screening and phenotypic double disc synergy test as per CLSI guidelines. Out of 52 isolates, 13(25%) produced Beta-haemolysis of which 8(61.5%) were from urine samples. 38(73%) produced biofilms of which 21(55.2%) were from urine samples. 28(53.8%) produced ESBL of which 14(50%) were from urine samples. Most isolates were sensitive to amikacin and resistant to cefotaxime. It concludes that biofilm producing organisms are difficult to treat as they are resistant to commonly used antibiotics. Evaluation of Beta-hamolysin, biofilm and ESBL production should be employed in routine evaluation of E. coli isolates for early detection and prompt treatment. Keywords -Beta haemolysis, Biofilm, Extended spectrum beta lactamase, Escherichia coli.
Effects of exercise rehabilitation program on heart rate recovery in patients with chronic heart failure

Background Heart rate recovery (HRR1) immediately after exercise reflects parasympathetic activity, which is markedly attenuated in chronic heart failure (CHF) patients. The aim of our study was to examine both continuous and interval exercise training effects on HRR1 in these patients. Design The population study consisted of 29 stable CHF patients that participated at a rehabilitation program of 36 sessions, three times per week. Of the 29 patients, 24 completed the program. Patients were randomly assigned to interval {n = 10 [100% peak work rate (WRp) for 30 s, alternating with rest for 30 s]} and to continuous training [n = 14 (50%WRp)]. Methods All patients performed a symptom-limited cardiopulmonary exercise test on a cycle ergometer before and after the completion of the program. Measurements included peak oxygen uptake (VO2p), anaerobic threshold (AT), WRp, first degree slope of VO2 during the first minute of recovery (VO2/t-slope), chronotropic response [% chronotropic reserve (CR) = (peak HR - resting HR) × 100/(220 - age - resting HR)], HRR1 (HR difference from peak exercise to one minute after). Results After the completion of the rehabilitation program there was a significant increase of WRp, VO2p, AT and VO2/t-slope (by 30%, P=0.01; 6%, P=0.01; 10%, P=0.02; and 27%, P=0.03 respectively for continuous training and by 21%, P≤0.05; 8%, P=0.01; 6%, P=NS; and 48%, P=0.02 respectively for interval training). However, only patients exercised under the continuous training regime had a significant increase in HRR1 (15.0±9.0 to 24.0±12bpm; P=0.02) and CR (57±19 to 72±21%, P=0.02), in contrast with those assigned to interval training (HRR1: 21 ± 11 to 21 ± 8 bpm; P=NS and CR: 57 ± 18 to 59 ± 21%, P=NS). Conclusions Both continuous and interval exercise training program improves exercise capacity in CHF patients. However, continuous rather than interval exercise training improves early HRR1, a marker of parasympathetic activity, suggesting a greater contribution to the autonomic nervous system.
MMW Antenna in IPD Process for 60-GHz WPAN Applications

This letter presents an on-chip millimeter-wave (MMW) Yagi-Uda antenna implemented by the integrated passive device (IPD) process. This antenna consists of a half-wavelength dipole element and two director elements to achieve higher directivity than conventional wire dipole antennas and is excited using a micro-strip via-hole balun structure. Measurements indicate that the on-chip antenna achieves the bandwidth of 18% (53.8-64.8 GHz), a peak gain of 6 dBi. The simulated front-to-back ratio and radiation efficiency are 15 dB and 93%, respectively. Compared to the CMOS process, the characteristics of the designed antenna are much better. Thus, this 60-GHz chip antenna obtains a compact size of 1.5 × 1.8 mm2, high efficiency, and high-gain advantages.
Long-term follow-up of patients with moderate aplastic anemia and pure red cell aplasia treated with daclizumab

Background Pure red cell aplasia and moderate aplastic anemia are marrow failure states with an immune pathogenesis. Previously, we described short-term improvements in blood counts in two pilot studies treating moderate aplastic anemia (mAA) and pure red cell aplasia (PRCA) patients with daclizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody to the interleukin-2 receptor; we now report our long-term experience with a larger cohort of patients. Design and Methods After a median follow-up period of 4.8 years, 19 of 45 (42%) evaluable mAA patients and 10 of 26 (38%) patients with PRCA responded by three months and 2 additional mAA patients responded by six months following administration of the drug. Results Seven of 28 (25%) mAA patients achieved long-term packed red blood cell PRBC transfusion independence, and all PRCA responders achieved long-term transfusion PRBC transfusion independence. Conclusions Red cell transfusion-independence prior to treatment in mAA patients predicted response. The only significant adverse treatment-related events were transient rashes and arthralgias. Daclizumab is safe and effective, and produces lengthy remissions in patients with PRCA and mAA.
Interspeaker variability in hard palate morphology and vowel production.

PURPOSE Differences in vocal tract morphology have the potential to explain interspeaker variability in speech production. The potential acoustic impact of hard palate shape was examined in simulation, in addition to the interplay among morphology, articulation, and acoustics in real vowel production data. METHOD High-front vowel production from 5 speakers of American English was examined using midsagittal real-time magnetic resonance imaging data with synchronized audio. Relationships among hard palate morphology, tongue shaping, and formant frequencies were analyzed. Simulations were performed to determine the acoustical properties of vocal tracts whose area functions are altered according to prominent hard palate variations. RESULTS Simulations revealed that altering the height and position of the palatal dome alters formant frequencies. Examinations of real speech data showed that palatal morphology is not significantly correlated with any formant frequency but is correlated with major aspects of lingual articulation. CONCLUSION Certain differences in hard palate morphology can substantially affect vowel acoustics, but those effects are not noticeable in real speech. Speakers adapt their lingual articulation to accommodate palate shape differences with the potential to substantially affect formant frequencies, while ignoring palate shape differences with relatively little acoustic impact, lending support for acoustic goals of vowel production.
Cancer of the breast and breast‐feeding: Study of 279 porous women and matched controls

Patients with cancer of the breast who were referred to the two radiation therapy centers in Lebanon for cobalt radiotherapy during a 2‐year period were interviewed. Information was sought on parity, duration of breastfeeding, age at first childbirth, and on other relevant variables. Controls were selected from among patients presenting for treatment of cancer of sites other than breast. A second control group was selected from non‐cancer hospitalized patients. Matching was done for age, parity, treatment class, nationality, and religion. A total of 389 patients with cancer of the breast was seen; 309 (79.4%) of these were parous, and, of this group, 279 (90.3%) were interviewed. There were virtually no differences in reported duration of breast‐feeding between the cases and other cancer controls or non‐cancer hospital controls. There was also no difference in average duration of breast‐feeding a child between Lebanese and Syrian, or Christian and Moslem mothers. Age at first childbirth was earlier for the control group than for the cases.
The Holon Framework and Software Process Improvement: A Radiotherapy Project Case Study

This paper discusses the Holon Framework, which aims to control and improve the software development process. It is an interdisciplinary approach that is derived from software engineering and the systems movement. We outline key characteristics of software process control and improvement. Criticisms of the orthodox algorithmic cost models are identified to justify the use of alternative mathematical techniques such as system dynamics. We argue that mathematical techniques used in planning can be linked with hard systems thinking. Therefore, the essence of hard systems thinking is highlighted, and a serious weakness identified, to explain the development of soft methodologies and soft systems thinking. A significant limitation of soft systems methodology is highlighted to substantiate the need to combine it with the goal/question/metrics methodology. We justify the case study approach given the nature of the investigation. An overview of the Holon Framework is provided. The soft part of the framework, which is linked to improvement, is employed to identify relevant problems and generates a baseline metrics programme. The research design of the case study is used to evaluate our findings. Finally, we outline future work in employing the hard part of the framework, which is linked to control; this will complete the full cycle of the approach. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Small RNA interactome of pathogenic E. coli revealed through crosslinking of RNase E

RNA sequencing studies have identified hundreds of non‐coding RNAs in bacteria, including regulatory small RNA (sRNA). However, our understanding of sRNA function has lagged behind their identification due to a lack of tools for the high‐throughput analysis of RNA–RNA interactions in bacteria. Here we demonstrate that in vivo sRNA–mRNA duplexes can be recovered using UV‐crosslinking, ligation and sequencing of hybrids (CLASH). Many sRNAs recruit the endoribonuclease, RNase E, to facilitate processing of mRNAs. We were able to recover base‐paired sRNA–mRNA duplexes in association with RNase E, allowing proximity‐dependent ligation and sequencing of cognate sRNA–mRNA pairs as chimeric reads. We verified that this approach captures bona fide sRNA–mRNA interactions. Clustering analyses identified novel sRNA seed regions and sets of potentially co‐regulated target mRNAs. We identified multiple mRNA targets for the pathotype‐specific sRNA Esr41, which was shown to regulate colicin sensitivity and iron transport in E. coli. Numerous sRNA interactions were also identified with non‐coding RNAs, including sRNAs and tRNAs, demonstrating the high complexity of the sRNA interactome.