Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Antifungal Agents: Mode of Action, Mechanisms of Resistance, and Correlation of These Mechanisms with Bacterial Resistance

SUMMARY The increased use of antibacterial and antifungal agents in recent years has resulted in the development of resistance to these drugs. The significant clinical implication of resistance has led to heightened interest in the study of antimicrobial resistance from different angles. Areas addressed include mechanisms underlying this resistance, improved methods to detect resistance when it occurs, alternate options for the treatment of infections caused by resistant organisms, and strategies to prevent and control the emergence and spread of resistance. In this review, the mode of action of antifungals and their mechanisms of resistance are discussed. Additionally, an attempt is made to discuss the correlation between fungal and bacterial resistance. Antifungals can be grouped into three classes based on their site of action: azoles, which inhibit the synthesis of ergosterol (the main fungal sterol); polyenes, which interact with fungal membrane sterols physicochemically; and 5-fluorocytosine, which inhibits macromolecular synthesis. Many different types of mechanisms contribute to the development of resistance to antifungals. These mechanisms include alteration in drug target, alteration in sterol biosynthesis, reduction in the intercellular concentration of target enzyme, and overexpression of the antifungal drug target. Although the comparison between the mechanisms of resistance to antifungals and antibacterials is necessarily limited by several factors defined in the review, a correlation between the two exists. For example, modification of enzymes which serve as targets for antimicrobial action and the involvement of membrane pumps in the extrusion of drugs are well characterized in both the eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells.
galev evolutionary synthesis models – I. Code, input physics and web interface

GALEV (GALaxy EVolution) evolutionary synthesis models describe the evolution of stellar populations in general, of star clusters as well as of galaxies, both in terms of resolved stellar populations and of integrated light properties over cosmological time-scales of ≥13 Gyr from the onset of star formation shortly after the big bang until today. For galaxies, GALEV includes a simultaneous treatment of the chemical evolution of the gas and the spectral evolution of the stellar content, allowing for what we call a chemically consistent treatment: we use input physics (stellar evolutionary tracks, stellar yields and model atmospheres) for a large range of metallicities and consistently account for the increasing initial abundances of successive stellar generations. Here we present the latest version of the GALEV evolutionary synthesis models that are now interactively available at http://www.galev. org. We review the currently used input physics, and also give details on how this physics is implemented in practice. We explain how to use the interactive web interface to generate models for user-defined parameters and also give a range of applications that can be studied using GALEV, ranging from star clusters, undisturbed galaxies of various types E–Sd to starburst and dwarf galaxies, both in the local and the high-redshift Universe.
Real-Time Human Ambulation, Activity, and Physiological Monitoring: Taxonomy of Issues, Techniques, Applications, Challenges and Limitations

Automated methods of real-time, unobtrusive, human ambulation, activity, and wellness monitoring and data analysis using various algorithmic techniques have been subjects of intense research. The general aim is to devise effective means of addressing the demands of assisted living, rehabilitation, and clinical observation and assessment through sensor-based monitoring. The research studies have resulted in a large amount of literature. This paper presents a holistic articulation of the research studies and offers comprehensive insights along four main axes: distribution of existing studies; monitoring device framework and sensor types; data collection, processing and analysis; and applications, limitations and challenges. The aim is to present a systematic and most complete study of literature in the area in order to identify research gaps and prioritize future research directions.
Serum Fatty Acids and Risk of Cutaneous Melanoma: A Population-Based Case-Control Study

Background. Some observational studies have suggested that excess dietary intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids such as linoleic acid increases cutaneous melanoma risk. We aimed at examining the association between serum fatty acids and melanoma risk by conducting a population-based case-control study in a northern Italy community. Methods. The percentage composition of 12 fatty acids was determined in 51 newly diagnosed melanoma patients and 51 age- and sex-matched population controls by extracting total lipids from serum samples using thin layer and gas chromatography. Conditional logistic regression was used to estimate the relative risk of melanoma associated with tertiles of percentage composition of each fatty acid as well as groupings including saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Results. We found a slightly increased melanoma risk for stearic and arachidic acids proportion, with and without adjustment for potential confounders. For an n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, docosapentaenoic acid, we found a male-specific direct association with melanoma risk. No other associations emerged for the other saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids, individually or grouped by type. Conclusions. These findings do not suggest a major role of fatty acids, including linoleic acid, on risk of cutaneous melanoma, though their evaluation is limited by the small sample size.
The scaling of postcranial muscles in cats (Felidae) I: forelimb, cervical, and thoracic muscles

The body masses of cats (Mammalia, Carnivora, Felidae) span a ~300‐fold range from the smallest to largest species. Despite this range, felid musculoskeletal anatomy remains remarkably conservative, including the maintenance of a crouched limb posture at unusually large sizes. The forelimbs in felids are important for body support and other aspects of locomotion, as well as climbing and prey capture, with the assistance of the vertebral (and hindlimb) muscles. Here, we examine the scaling of the anterior postcranial musculature across felids to assess scaling patterns between different species spanning the range of felid body sizes. The muscle architecture (lengths and masses of the muscle‐tendon unit components) for the forelimb, cervical and thoracic muscles was quantified to analyse how the muscles scale with body mass. Our results demonstrate that physiological cross‐sectional areas of the forelimb muscles scale positively with increasing body mass (i.e. becoming relatively larger). Many significantly allometric variables pertain to shoulder support, whereas the rest of the limb muscles become relatively weaker in larger felid species. However, when phylogenetic relationships were corrected for, most of these significant relationships disappeared, leaving no significantly allometric muscle metrics. The majority of cervical and thoracic muscle metrics are not significantly allometric, despite there being many allometric skeletal elements in these regions. When forelimb muscle data were considered in isolation or in combination with those of the vertebral muscles in principal components analyses and MANOVAs, there was no significant discrimination among species by either size or locomotory mode. Our results support the inference that larger felid species have relatively weaker anterior postcranial musculature compared with smaller species, due to an absence of significant positive allometry of forelimb or vertebral muscle architecture. This difference in strength is consistent with behavioural changes in larger felids, such as a reduction of maximal speed and other aspects of locomotor abilities.
Thoracoscopic treatment of bullous emphysema in 3 dogs.

OBJECTIVE To report thorascopic partial lobectomy for treatment of bullous emphysema in dogs. STUDY DESIGN Prospective clinical study. ANIMALS Three dogs with spontaneous pneumothorax. METHODS Thoracoscopy without pulmonary exclusion was used to identify bulla. The thorascope was introduced into the thorax lateral to the xyphoid process, and instrument portals were made at different levels along the thoracic wall between the third and tenth intercostal spaces. The thorascope was passed through the mediastinum to view the opposite pleural cavity. After identification of bullae, the affected lung was excised using an endoscopic stapler, and the incision line was checked for air leakage. Thoracic drains were used for air aspiration for 2 days after surgery. RESULTS Bullae were confirmed histologically as emphysematous lesions. Lung inflation did not interfere with identification of bullae or with surgery. All dogs had full recovery without recurrence for 18 to 29 months after surgery. CONCLUSIONS Identification and ablation of bulla can be performed thoracoscopically without pulmonary exclusion in dogs. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Thoracoscopy offers several advantages compared with thoracotomy for treatment and diagnosis of idiopathic pneumothorax, including ease of identification of bullae and reduced postoperative pain and morbidity.
Assimilation of simulated network radar data of varied storm types using EnSRF for convective storm analyses and forecasts

Although the dynamical equations governing the atmosphere have been known for nearly two centuries, it was not until the advent of digital computers that it became possible to use these equations in numerical models to produce useful forecasts. As computing power increases, the forecasting ability (both in time and space) from such models also increases, and their threedimensional grid spacing significantly decreases. With the use of supercomputers, it is now possible to create 24hour forecasts for most of the continental United States in a few hours using 2–4 km horizontal grid spacing. For example, Kain et al. (2004, 2005) performed such model runs and initiated them by interpolating the analysis state from the operational Eta model (Black 1994; Janjić 1994) with 12–40 km horizontal grid spacing to finer model grid spacing. However, defining the initial conditions only from a coarser grid analysis is not optimal and likely handicaps model performance in certain cases. For example, a coarser grid will likely not capture small-scale features such as gust fronts that can be extremely important for storm-scale numerical weather prediction. Conventional data from surface observations, rawinsondes, and other instruments also are not available for model initialization or updates at or even near the same resolution as a convective storm model. As computing capabilities increase, data from denser observation networks such as radar are being used to initialize and update storm-scale numerical models. The assimilation of radar data in numerical models does come with a limitation: most of the model state variables (i.e., temperature, pressure, moisture, and condensate) are not observed directly by radar; only radial velocity and reflectivity are measured1. Thus, more advanced techniques are needed to retrieve quantities that are not directly observed. Models that use adjoint techniques, such as 4D-Var, have been very successful at retrieving initial conditions and assimilating radial velocity and/or reflectivity data into forecast models (e.g., Sun and Crook 1997; Gao
A reassessment of the infills and faunal assemblages of karst cavities known as ventarole in Salento (Apulia, Southern Italy): A multidisciplinary investigation on Cava Donno (Corigliano d'Otranto, Lecce)

The karstic areas of Apulia in SE Italy are characterized by fissures locally called ventarole, which are known to contain bones of Pleistocene mammals. These bone assemblages have been commonly associated to the Late Pleistocene, based on stratigraphic, geomorphological and biochronological observations. We undertook palaeontological, radiocarbon and isotope analyses to verify whether the animal remains from the quarry of Cava Donno, near Corigliano d’Otranto (Apulia), were all actually of Pleistocene age. Our study shows that the infills of the ventarole contain, along with Late Pleistocene bones attributable to the Melpignano Faunal Unit, Holocene vertebrate skeletal remains. The deeper red clay infill at Cava Donno contains fauna of Pleistocene age, whilst the upper dark-reddish clayey sands contain mainly the bones of domestic animals and of a modern human. The AMS radiocarbon date, obtained to establish the age of this human from the ventarola, coincides with the Neolithic period. Carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses on the same bone collagen suggest that the diet of this individual was similar to that of other Neolithic humans from Italy. The individual from Cava Donno had a balanced diet, centred upon terrestrial foods, with nutrients acquired both from vegetal and animal resources. The combined palaeontological, radiocarbon and isotopic data presented here suggest that crypto-solution processes occurred at Cava Donno both in the Last Interglacial and, to some extent, also around the Holocene Climatic Optimum. This implies that ventarole karst infills may contain vertebrate remains of Pleistocene and Holocene age and that, therefore, the assemblages from them probably need revising because they may not all date back to the early Late Pleistocene.
Coupled nominal similarity in unsupervised learning

The similarity between nominal objects is not straightforward, especially in unsupervised learning. This paper proposes coupled similarity metrics for nominal objects, which consider not only intra-coupled similarity within an attribute (i.e., value frequency distribution) but also inter-coupled similarity between attributes (i.e. feature dependency aggregation). Four metrics are designed to calculate the inter-coupled similarity between two categorical values by considering their relationships with other attributes. The theoretical analysis reveals their equivalent accuracy and superior efficiency based on intersection against others, in particular for large-scale data. Substantial experiments on extensive UCI data sets verify the theoretical conclusions. In addition, experiments of clustering based on the derived dissimilarity metrics show a significant performance improvement.
Severe Puumala virus infection in a patient with a lymphoproliferative disease treated with icatibant

Abstract Early identification of patients at risk of a severe course of hantaviral disease and lack of effective medication represent a global challenge in the treatment of this emerging infection. We describe a 67-year-old female patient with a history of chronic lymphoproliferative disease involving the spleen and an extremely severe acute Puumala hantavirus infection. She was treated with the bradykinin receptor antagonist icatibant and recovered. She is the second patient with a spleen abnormality and severe Puumala infection treated with icatibant in our hospital. We suggest that patients with spleen abnormalities may be more susceptible to severe hantavirus disease. The activation of the kinin-kallikrein system and the formation of bradykinin in hantavirus-infected endothelial cells indicate that the role of bradykinin receptor antagonist icatibant in the treatment of hantavirus disease is worth studying.
SEX RATIO OF RUMEX HASTATULUS: THE EFFECT OF ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS AND CERTATION

Mechanisms of sex determination in dioecious seed plants are such that female and male progeny in a population are expected in approximately equal proportions (Lloyd, 1973). However, deviations from equality are known for many species (Lewis, 1942; Godley, 1964, 1976; Lloyd, 1973, 1974). Several prezygotic and postzygotic mechanisms may produce unequal sex ratios. Meiotic drive (Sandler and Novitski, 1957; Hamilton, 1967) and differential mortality or competitive ability of gametophytes carrying predominantly maleor female-determining genes are mechanisms whereby sex ratios are biased at the time of fertilization. Differential growth or mortality of sporophytes and sexual phenotype plasticity are mechanisms that can influence sex ratio after fertilization. Correns (1928) showed that the sex ratios of Silene alba and Rumex acetosa progenies could be manipulated by controlling the amount of pollen experienced by female partners. This phenomenon, termed certation, was explained by Correns as resulting from the differential growth of pollen tubes carrying femaleand male-determining gametes. Under low pollen densities, the sex ratio was near equality or slightly male-biased while at high pollen densities, the sex ratio was greatly female-biased. Evidently, pollen tubes carrying female-determining gametes reach the egg sooner than pollen
An intrinsic parameters self-calibration technique for active vision system

This paper presents a new camera intrinsic parameters self-calibration technique for an ordinary active vision system. By controlling a pan-tilt-translation camera platform to do a sequence of specially designed motions, called a camera motion configuration, we rigorously proved that the camera intrinsic parameters can be determined linearly under such two configurations: 1) regulating the camera's orientation by 3 tilts, at each camera's orientation, controlling the camera to translate twice along 2 orthogonal directions; 2) regulating camera's orientation by 1 pan and 2 tilts, at each camera's orientation, controlling the camera to translate twice along 2 orthogonal directions. It is shown that the configuration 2 is robust, whereas the configuration 1 is numerically unstable and sensitive to noise. Experiments with real data were carried out and the calibration results have been verified by a stereo vision experiment. A comparison with other camera calibration approaches is also reported.
Obscuration of the Parsec-Scale Jets in the Compact Symmetric Object 1946+708

We present results of VLA and VLBA observations of the 1.420 GHz neutral hydrogen absorption associated with the compact symmetric object 1946+708 (z = 0.101). We find significant structure in the gas on parsec scales. The peak column density in the H I [NH I ≃ 2.2 × 1023 cm-2 (Ts/8000 K)] occurs toward the center of activity of the source, as does the highest velocity dispersion (ΔVFWHM ≃ 350 km s-1). In addition, we find that the continuum spectra of the various radio components associated with these jets strongly indicate free-free absorption. This effect is particularly pronounced toward the core and inner components of the receding jet, suggesting the presence of a screen local to the source, perhaps part of an obscuring torus.
Label embedding for text recognition

The standard approach to recognizing text in images consists in first classifying local image regions into candidate characters and then combining them with high-level word models such as conditional random fields (CRF). This paper explores a new paradigm that departs from this bottom-up view. We propose to embed word labels and word images into a common Euclidean space. Given a word image to be recognized, the text recognition problem is cast as one of retrieval: find the closest word label in this space. This common space is learned using the Structured SVM (SSVM) framework by enforcing matching label-image pairs to be closer than non-matching pairs. This method presents the following advantages: it does not require costly preor post-processing operations, it allows for the recognition of never-seen-before words and the recognition process is efficient. Experiments are performed on two challenging datasets (one of license plates and one of scene text) and show that the proposed method is competitive with standard bottom-up approaches to text recognition.
The polynomial $X^2+Y^4$ captures its primes

This article proves that there are infinitely many primes of the form a^2 + b^4, in fact getting the asymptotic formula. The main result is that \sum_{a^2 + b^4\le x} \Lambda(a^2 + b^4) = 4\pi^{-1}\kappa x^{3/4} (1 + O(\log\log x / \log x)) where a, b run over positive integers and \kappa = \int^1_0 (1 - t^4)^{1/2} dt = \Gamma(1/4)^2 /6\sqrt{2\pi}. Here of course, \Lambda denotes the von Mangoldt function and \Gamma the Euler gamma function.
The CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP): What’s in a name?

Depts. of a Epidemiology and b Pathology, GROW-School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands; c; Dept. of Mathematical Modeling, Statistics and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; d; Dept. of Surgery, Orbis Medical Center, Sittard-Geleen, the Netherlands; e ; Dept. of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands; f; Dept. of Neurology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Erasmus University, Rotterdam,The Netherlands; g; The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
Concepts and properties in word spaces

Properties play a central role in most theories of conceptual knowledge. Since computational models derived from word co-occurrence statistics have been claimed to provide a natural basis for semantic representations, the question arises of whether such models are capable of producing reasonable property-based descriptions of concepts, and whether these descriptions are similar to those elicited from humans. This article presents a qualitative analysis of the properties generated by humans in two different settings, as well as those produced, for the same concepts, by two computational models. In order to find high-level generalizations, the analysis is conducted in terms of property types, i.e., categorizing properties into classes such as functional and taxonomic properties. We discover that differences and similarities among models cut across the human/computational distinction, suggesting on the one hand caution in making broad generalizations, e.g., about “grounded” and “amodal” approaches, and, on the other, that different models might reveal different facets of meaning, and thus they should rather be integrated than seen as rival ways to get at the same information.
Rab35 establishes the EHD1-association site by coordinating two distinct effectors during neurite outgrowth

Summary Endocytic recycling is a process in which molecules that have been internalized are recycled back to the plasma membrane, and although it is crucial for regulating various cellular events, the molecular nexus underlying this process remains poorly understood. Here we report a molecular link between two gatekeepers for endocytic recycling, the molecular switch Rab35 and the molecular scissors EHD1, that is mediated by two distinct Rab35 effectors during neurite outgrowth of PC12 cells. Rab35 forms a tripartite complex with MICAL-L1 and centaurin-&bgr;2/ACAP2 and recruits them to perinuclear Arf6-positive endosomes in response to nerve growth factor stimulation. MICAL-L1 and centaurin-&bgr;2 then cooperatively recruit EHD1 to the same compartment by functioning as a scaffold for EHD1 and as an inactivator of Arf6, respectively. We propose that Rab35 regulates the formation of an EHD1-association site on Arf6-positive endosomes by integrating the functions of two distinct Rab35 effectors for successful neurite outgrowth.
A Joint Optimization Framework of Sparse Coding and Discriminative Clustering

Many clustering methods highly depend on extracted features. In this paper, we propose a joint optimization framework in terms of both feature extraction and discriminative clustering. We utilize graph regularized sparse codes as the features, and formulate sparse coding as the constraint for clustering. Two cost functions are developed based on entropy-minimization and maximum-margin clustering principles, respectively, as the objectives to be minimized. Solving such a bi-level optimization mutually reinforces both sparse coding and clustering steps. Experiments on several benchmark datasets verify remarkable performance improvements led by the proposed joint optimization.