Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Drought-Tolerant Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria Associated with Foxtail Millet in a Semi-arid Agroecosystem and Their Potential in Alleviating Drought Stress

The application of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) to agro-ecosystems is considered to have the potential for improving plant growth in extreme environments featured by water shortage. Herein, we isolated bacterial strains from foxtail millet (Setaria italica L.), a drought-tolerant crop cultivated in semiarid regions in the northeast of China. Four isolates were initially selected for their ability to produce ACC deaminase as well as drought tolerance. The isolates were identified as Pseudomonas fluorescens, Enterobacter hormaechei, and Pseudomonas migulae on the basis of 16S rRNA sequence analysis. All of these drought-tolerant isolates were able to produce EPS (exopolysaccharide). Inoculation with these strains stimulated seed germination and seedling growth under drought stress. Pseudomonas fluorescens DR7 showed the highest level of ACC deaminase and EPS-producing activity. DR7 could efficiently colonize the root adhering soil, increased soil moisture, and enhance the root adhering soil/root tissue ratio. These results suggest drought tolerant PGPR from foxtail millet could enhance plant growth under drought stress conditions and serve as effective bioinoculants to sustain agricultural production in arid regions.
Induction Effects of Ritonavir: Implications for Drug Interactions

Objective: To review the literature on the induction effects of ritonavir on the cytochrome P450 enzyme system and glucuronyl transferase and identify resultant established and potential drug interactions. Data Sources: Primary literature was identified from MEDLINE (1950–April 2008), EMBASE (1988–April 2008) and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (1970–April 2008) using the search terms ritonavir, cytochrome P450 enzyme system, enzyme induction, glucuronyl transferase, and drug interactions. Additionally, relevant conference abstracts and references of relevant articles were reviewed. Study Selection and Data Abstraction: All English-language articles and abstracts identified were reviewed. Data Synthesis: Ritonavir is a well-known inhibitor of the metabolism of numerous medications that are substrates of the CYP3A and CYP2D6 pathways. It also exhibits a biphasic, time-dependent effect on P-glycoprotein of inhibition followed by induction. Numerous pharmacokinetic studies suggested that ritonavir induces cytochrome P450 enzymes 3A, 1A2, 2B6, 2C9, and 2C19, as well as glucuronyl transferase. Additionally, several case reports described clinically significant subtherapeutic effects of drugs metabolized by these isoenzymes when coadministered with ritonavir. Both therapeutic and boosting doses of ritonavir appear to induce these enzymes: however, most of the studies of low-dose ritonavir involved a second protease inhibitor such as lopinavir, darunavir, or tipranavir. It is, therefore, difficult to distinguish the relative effects of additional medications unless well-designed, 3-way studies are conducted. Conclusions: At both therapeutic and boosting doses, ritonavir exhibits a clinically relevant induction effect on numerous drug-metabolizing enzymes. A decrease or loss of therapeutic effect may be observed when ritonavir is coadministered with medications that are substrates for these enzymes. It is important for clinicians to be aware of drugs potentially impacted by ritonavir therapy to Identify and manage these interactions.
Analysis of the Thermal Impact of Source-Code Transformations in Embedded-Processors

This paper makes use of a black box modeling approach to analyze the thermal behavior of microprocessor systems. Our goal is to study the impact of code transformations in the thermal behavior of the chip. The analysis of the thermal effect of the source code modifications can be included in a temperature-aware compiler which minimizes the total temperature of the chip, as well as the temperature gradients, according to these guidelines.
Generalized Hamming Weights for Linear Codes

Error control codes are widely used to increase the reliability of transmission of information over various forms of communications channels. The Hamming weight of a codeword is the number of nonzero entries in the word; the weights of the words in a linear code determine the error-correcting capacity of the code. The rth generalized Hamming weight for a linear code C, denoted by dr(C), is the minimum of the support sizes for r-dimensional subcodes of C. For instance, d1(C) equals the traditional minimum Hamming weight of C. In 1991, Feng, Tzeng, and Wei proved that the second generalized Hamming weight d2(C) = 8 for all double-error correcting BCH(2m, 5) codes. We study d3(C) and higher Hamming weights for BCH(2m, 5) codes by a close examination of the words of weight 5.
Chemical composition of the epicuticular and intracuticular wax layers on adaxial sides of Rosa canina leaves.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS The waxy cuticle is the first point of contact for many herbivorous and pathogenic organisms on rose plants. Previous studies have reported the average composition of the combined wax extract from both sides of rose leaves. Recently, the compositions of the waxes on the adaxial and abaxial surfaces of Rosa canina leaves were determined separately. In this paper, a first report is made on the compositions of the epicuticular and intracuticular wax layers of Rosa canina leaves. The methods described enable the determination of which compounds are truly available at the surface for plant-organism interactions. METHODS An adhesive was used to mechanically strip the epicuticular wax from the adaxial leaf surface and the removal was visually confirmed using scanning electron microscopy. After the epicuticular wax had been removed, the intracuticular wax was then isolated using standard chemical extraction. Gas chromatography, flame ionization detection and mass spectrometry were used to identify and quantify compounds in the separated wax mixtures. KEY RESULTS The epicuticular wax contained higher concentrations of alkanes and alkyl esters but lower concentrations of primary alcohols and alkenols when compared to the intracuticular wax. In addition, the average chain lengths of these compound classes were higher in the epicuticular wax. Secondary alcohols were found only in the epicuticular layer while triterpenoids were restricted mainly to the intracuticular wax. CONCLUSIONS A gradient exists between the composition of the epi- and intracuticular wax layers of Rosa canina leaves. This gradient may result from polarity differences, in part caused by differences in chain lengths. The outer wax layer accessible to the phyllosphere showed a unique composition of wax compounds. The ecological consequences from such a gradient may now be probed.
Lenalidomide plus dexamethasone vs. lenalidomide plus melphalan and prednisone: a retrospective study in newly diagnosed elderly myeloma

Background: The goal of this retrospective study was to compare the efficacy and toxicity of lenalidomide–dexamethasone (len/dex) vs. melphalan–prednisone–lenalidomide (MPR) as upfront therapy for newly diagnosed elderly patients with myeloma.
Hartman-Grobman theorems along hyperbolic stationary trajectories

We extend the Hartman-Grobman theorems for discrete random dynamical systems (RDS), proved in [7], in two directions: for continuous RDS and for hyperbolic stationary trajectories. In this last case there exists a conjugacy between travelling neighborhoods of trajectories and neighborhoods of the origin in the corresponding tangent bundle. We present applications to deterministic dynamical systems.
Familial Lung Cancer and Aggregation of Smoking Habits: A Simulation of the Effect of Shared Environmental Factors on the Familial Risk of Cancer

Background: Tobacco smoking is the principal cause of lung cancer. The risk of lung cancer in the offspring of lung cancer patients is about twice higher than the risk in the general population. The present study investigated the contribution of shared smoking habits to the familial clustering of lung cancer. Methods: We estimated the relative risk of lung cancer attributable to smoking according to the extent to which smokers transmit their smoking habits to the offspring (heritability of smoking), the prevalence of smoking in the general population, and the risk of lung cancer for smokers compared with nonsmokers. Findings: The relative risk of lung cancer for the offspring of lung cancer patients attributable to smoking was 1.19 when published data on smoking practice were modeled (i.e., assuming that the heritability of smoking was 0.5, the smoking prevalence 40%, and the odds ratio of lung cancer for smokers versus nonsmokers was 20). Interpretation: Most familial cases of lung cancer cannot be attributed to shared smoking habits. The example of smoking can be used for other familial cancers, for which no strong environmental risk factors are usually known, to infer the primary role for heritable genes.
The influence of water depth on kinematic and spatiotemporal gait parameters during aquatic treadmill walking

Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate kinematic and spatiotemporal variables of aquatic treadmill walking at three different water depths. A total of 15 healthy individuals completed three two-minute walking trials at three different water depths. The aquatic treadmill walking was conducted at waist-depth, chest-depth and neck-depth, while a customised 3-D underwater motion analysis system captured their walking. Each participant’s self-selected walking speed at the waist level was used as a reference speed, which was applied to the remaining two test conditions. A repeated measures ANOVA showed statistically significant differences among the three walking conditions in stride length, cadence, peak hip extension, hip range of motion (ROM), peak ankle plantar flexion and ankle ROM (All p values < 0.05). The participants walked with increased stride length and decreased cadence during neck level as compared to waist and chest level. They also showed increased ankle ROM and decreased hip ROM as the water depth rose from waist and chest to the neck level. However, our study found no significant difference between waist and chest level water in all variables. Hydrodynamics, such as buoyancy and drag force, in response to changes in water depths, can affect gait patterns during aquatic treadmill walking.
Sleep in the intensive care unit

ABSTRACT Poor sleep quality is a consistently reported by patients in the ICU. In such a potentially hostile environment, sleep is extremely fragmented and sleep architecture is unconventional, with a predominance of superficial sleep stages and a limited amount of time spent in the restorative stages. Among the causes of sleep disruption in the ICU are factors intrinsic to the patients and the acute nature of their condition, as well as factors related to the ICU environment and the treatments administered, such as mechanical ventilation and drug therapy. Although the consequences of poor sleep quality for the recovery of ICU patients remain unknown, it seems to influence the immune, metabolic, cardiovascular, respiratory, and neurological systems. There is evidence that multifaceted interventions focused on minimizing nocturnal sleep disruptions improve sleep quality in ICU patients. In this article, we review the literature regarding normal sleep and sleep in the ICU. We also analyze sleep assessment methods; the causes of poor sleep quality and its potential implications for the recovery process of critically ill patients; and strategies for sleep promotion.
Language Bootstrapping: Learning Word Meanings From Perception–Action Association

We address the problem of bootstrapping language acquisition for an artificial system similarly to what is observed in experiments with human infants. Our method works by associating meanings to words in manipulation tasks, as a robot interacts with objects and listens to verbal descriptions of the interactions. The model is based on an affordance network, i.e., a mapping between robot actions, robot perceptions, and the perceived effects of these actions upon objects. We extend the affordance model to incorporate spoken words, which allows us to ground the verbal symbols to the execution of actions and the perception of the environment. The model takes verbal descriptions of a task as the input and uses temporal co-occurrence to create links between speech utterances and the involved objects, actions, and effects. We show that the robot is able form useful word-to-meaning associations, even without considering grammatical structure in the learning process and in the presence of recognition errors. These word-to-meaning associations are embedded in the robot's own understanding of its actions. Thus, they can be directly used to instruct the robot to perform tasks and also allow to incorporate context in the speech recognition task. We believe that the encouraging results with our approach may afford robots with a capacity to acquire language descriptors in their operation's environment as well as to shed some light as to how this challenging process develops with human infants.
Factors are not the same for risk of stopping exclusive breast-feeding and introducing different types of liquids and solids in HIV-affected communities in Ghana

Abstract Exclusive breast-feeding (EBF) for 6 months supports optimal infant growth, health and development. This paper examined whether maternal HIV status was associated with EBF and other infant feeding practices. Pregnant women were enrolled after HIV counselling, and their babies were followed up for up to 1 year. Data on household socio-economics and demographics, maternal characteristics and infants’ daily diet were available for 482 infants and their mothers (150 HIV-positive (HIV-P), 170 HIV-negative (HIV-N) and 162 HIV-unknown (HIV-U)). Survival analyses estimated median EBF duration and time to introduction of liquids and foods; hazards ratios (HR) used data from 1–365 and 1–183 d, adjusting for covariates. Logistic regression estimated the probability of EBF for 6 months. Being HIV-P was associated with a shorter EBF duration (139 d) compared with HIV-N (163 d) and HIV-U (165 d) (P=0·004). Compared with HIV-N, being HIV-P was associated with about a 40 % higher risk of stopping EBF at any time point (HR 1·39; 95 % CI 1·06, 1·84; P=0·018) and less than half as likely to complete 6 months of EBF (adjusted OR 0·42; 95 % CI 0·22, 0·81; P=0·01). Being HIV-P tended to be or was associated with a higher risk of introducing non-milk liquids (HR 1·34; 95 % CI 0·98, 1·83; P=0·068), animal milks (HR 2·37; 95 % CI 1·32, 4·24; P=0·004) and solids (HR 1·56; 95 % CI 1·10, 2·22; P=0·011) during the first 6 months. Weight-for-age Z-score was associated with EBF and introducing formula. Different factors (ethnicity, food insecurity, HIV testing strategy) were associated with the various feeding behaviours, suggesting that diverse interventions are needed to promote optimal infant feeding.
Stochastic Optimization with Bandit Sampling

Many stochastic optimization algorithms work by estimating the gradient of the cost function on the fly by sampling datapoints uniformly at random from a training set. However, the estimator might have a large variance, which inadvertently slows down the convergence rate of the algorithms. One way to reduce this variance is to sample the datapoints from a carefully selected non-uniform distribution. In this work, we propose a novel non-uniform sampling approach that uses the multi-armed bandit framework. Theoretically, we show that our algorithm asymptotically approximates the optimal variance within a factor of 3. Empirically, we show that using this datapoint-selection technique results in a significant reduction in the convergence time and variance of several stochastic optimization algorithms such as SGD, SVRG and SAGA. This approach for sampling datapoints is general, and can be used in conjunction with any algorithm that uses an unbiased gradient estimation -- we expect it to have broad applicability beyond the specific examples explored in this work.
Temporal relationship between the sexually dimorphic spontaneous GH secretory profiles and hepatic STAT5 activity.

STAT5 transduces transcriptional responses to GH in liver and other tissues and is proposed to mediate the sexually dimorphic effects of plasma GH secretory profiles on rodent liver gene expression. Previous studies have suggested that STAT5 undergoes repeated activation in direct response to successive GH pulses in adult male rats, with STAT5 activation being desensitized in females by their more persistent pattern of GH exposure. These findings, however, were based on in vitro studies or single blood samples analyzed for GH in vivo. In view of the highly pulsatile nature of rat GH secretion, we presently examined these hypotheses by concurrent monitoring of spontaneous GH secretory profiles and hepatic STAT5 activity in conscious, free-moving adult male and female rats. Rats were killed at times associated with spontaneous peaks or troughs of the GH rhythm; livers were removed and analyzed for STAT5 DNA-binding activity. In males, liver STAT5 activity was highest during the initial phase (15-60 min) of a GH secretory episode (mean +/- SE relative STAT5 activity = 86.5 +/- 11.4; plasma GH = 146.7 +/- 22.4 ng/ml) and was significantly lower (P < 0.01) during the downswing of a pulse, 45-75 min after the GH peak (STAT5 = 26.1 +/- 1.7; GH = 33.3 +/- 13.1 ng/ml), consistent with a time-dependent down-regulation of GH signaling to STAT5. The lowest STAT5 activity was observed during the subsequent GH trough period (STAT5 = 3.6 +/- 1.1; GH = 2.6 +/- 0.1 ng/ml). In females, liver STAT5 activity was significantly lower (P < 0.05) than peak male levels during the initial phase of a GH secretory burst (STAT5 = 35.1 +/- 15.9; GH = 68.1 +/- 31.6 ng/ml) although similar to that of males during a plasma GH nadir (STAT5 = 11.0 +/- 2.6; GH = 8.4 +/- 2.2 ng/ml). We conclude that: 1) liver STAT5 is repeatedly activated by successive, spontaneous GH secretory episodes in intact adult male rats at approximately 3- to 3.5-h intervals; 2) time-dependent down-regulation of GH signaling to hepatic STAT5 in vivo begins by 45 min after GH peak stimulation; and 3) the lower level of liver STAT5 activation seen in adult female rats, compared with males, is a consequence of the sex-dependent differences in GH secretory patterns that characterize these animals (i.e. lower-amplitude GH pulses and lack of prolonged interpulse nadir of GH in the feminine, compared with masculine profile).
Effect of prolonged storage in controlled atmospheres on the conservation of the onion (Allium cepa L)quality

The onion is a low perishability product, but in long-term storage, postharvest losses occur due to some phytopathological and sprouting factors. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of storage in controlled atmospheres (CA) on onion cultivar “Sierra Blanca” for seven months. The onions were subjected to three treatments: 1 % O2 + 1 % CO2 (T1), 3 % O2 + 5 % CO2 (T2), both at 2.5 °C and 60-75 % relative humidity (RH), and in environmental atmosphere (control treatment, CT) at 2.5 °C without controlled RH. Changes in enzymatic pyruvic acid (EPA) content, total soluble solids (TSS), dry matter (DM), firmness and sprouting during storage were evaluated. The results showed effect (p≤0.05) of treatment and storage time on all parameters. Changes in preserved bulbs in CA were minimal compared to those in the CT. The EPA was reduced on T1 onions while in T2 and CT onions it was increased at the end of storage. The TSS and firmness decreased in the three treatments, DM remained constant in T1 and T2 onions and in CT onions decreased in the sixth month by 19 %. T1 and T2 onions showed no sprouting, while CT onions, presented internal sprouts in 20 % of sampled bulbs, reaching 100 % from the third month till the end of storage. In conclusion, storage in CA is the best way to preserve the quality of onion “Sierra Blanca” for seven months, which is evidenced by the positive changes in quality.
Multidecadal Changes of the Upper Indian Ocean Heat Content during 1965–2016

Ocean heat uptake is the primary heat sink of the globe and modulates its surface warming rate. In situ observations during the past half century documented obvious multidecadal variations in the upper-ocean heat content (0–400 m; OHC400) of the Indian Ocean (IO). The observed OHC400 showed an increase of (5.9 ± 2.5) × 1021 J decade−1 during 1965–79, followed by a decrease of (−5.2 ± 2.5) × 1021 J decade−1 during 1980–96, and a rapid increase of (13.6 ± 1.1) × 1021 J decade−1 during 2000–14. These variations are faithfully reproduced by an Indo-Pacific simulation of an ocean general circulation model (OGCM), and insights into the underlying mechanisms are gained through OGCM experiments. The Pacific wind forcing through the Indonesian Throughflow (ITF) was the leading driver of the basin-integrated OHC400 increase during 1965–79 and the decrease during 1980–96, whereas after 2000 local wind and heat flux forcing within the IO made a larger contribution. The ITF heat transport is primarily dictated by Pacific trade winds. It directly affects the south IO, after which the signatures can enter the north IO through the meridional heat transport of the western boundary current. The prevailing warming of the western-to-central IO for 2000–14 was largely induced by equatorial easterly wind trends, Ekman downwelling off the equator, and northeasterly wind trends over the west Asia–East Africa coastal region. The increasing downward longwave radiation, probably reflecting anthropogenic greenhouse gas forcing, overcame the decreasing surface shortwave radiation and also made a significant contribution to the rapid upper-IO warming after 2000.
Bloodstream Infections among Solid Organ Transplant Recipients: Eight Years' Experience from a Turkish University Hospital.

BACKGROUND Bloodstream infections (BSI) are frequently seen after solid organ transplantation. The incidence of bloodstream infections differs among the types of transplantation. The microbiological features and antimicrobial resistance patterns change from centre to centre. AIMS To evaluate the incidence and spectrum of aetiological agents of bloodstream infections among solid organ transplantation recipients. STUDY DESIGN Retrospective descriptive study. METHODS Medical records of solid organ transplant recipients in the period between January 1(st) 2004 and August 15(th) 2012 were assessed retrospectively. The study population comprised 927 (64 heart, 556 kidney, 307 liver) consecutive recipients. Bloodstream infections were divided into three groups according to the onset time of bloodstream infections after transplantation: early, mid-term and late. The incidence and microbiological features of bloodstream infections were evaluated. RESULTS The number of bloodstream infection episodes was 317 in 191 recipients which was distributed as 228 (72%) in liver, 70 (22%) in kidney and 19 (6%) in heart transplantation. Ninety-eight 98 (30.9%) of the episodes were diagnosed within the early period, 134 (42.3%) within the mid-term and 85 (26.8%) in the late period. Early and mid-term bloodstream infections were seen statistically more often in liver than in kidney or heart transplantation (p=0.01 and p=0.031, respectively). Late bloodstream infections were also common in liver transplant recipients which was not statistically significant (p=0.229). CONCLUSION Liver transplant recipients are at the highest risk for developing BSI after transplantation in early, mid-term and late periods.