Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Campylobacter jejuni strains coresistant to tetracycline and ciprofloxacin in patients with gastroenteritis in Croatia*

Abstract Background: Antibiotic-resistant Campylobacter jejuni strains are rapidly emerging worldwide. Here, we aimed to determine the antibiotic-resistance patterns and genetic structure of C. jejuni from stool samples of symptomatic patients in Dalmatia, the largest Croatian county. Methods: In a population-based laboratory surveillance programme for campylobacteriosis in Dalmatia from May 2012 to May 2013, C. jejuni (n = 76) were collected from stool samples of all the patients hospitalized with gastroenteritis and matched positive outpatients (n = 77). Antibiotic susceptibility testing and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) genotyping of isolates were performed. Results: Approximately 60% of the isolates were resistant to ciprofloxacin, whereas 24% of isolates were resistant to tetracycline; of the latter, 89% were also coresistant to ciprofloxacin. Resistance to erythromycin and gentamicin was infrequent (≤ 0.7%). Antibiotic-resistant strains were generally not associated with the need for hospitalization. However, the prevalence of coresistant strains increased sharply after 2010, and these coresistant strains were more prevalent in infections caused by clonal PFGE types, with distinct patterns of temporal occurrence and age distribution in infected patients. Conclusion: A high prevalence of coresistant TcR/CipR C. jejuni strains were detected in patients in Croatia. Strains were significantly associated with several clonal-type PFGE genotypes, shared common patterns of temporal occurrence, and showed distinct age distribution in infected patients, suggestive of newly identified strains. Since a high prevalence of coresistant TcR/CipR strains was also observed in other countries, further in-depth studies are essential to evaluate whether this phenomenon is linked to C. jejuni epidemiology in food animals and agricultural ecosystems.
Shilajit: A panacea for high-altitude problems

High altitude problems like hypoxia, acute mountain sickness, high altitude cerebral edema, pulmonary edema, insomnia, tiredness, lethargy, lack of appetite, body pain, dementia, and depression may occur when a person or a soldier residing in a lower altitude ascends to high-altitude areas. These problems arise due to low atmospheric pressure, severe cold, high intensity of solar radiation, high wind velocity, and very high fluctuation of day and night temperatures in these regions. These problems may escalate rapidly and may sometimes become life-threatening. Shilajit is a herbomineral drug which is pale-brown to blackish-brown, is composed of a gummy exudate that oozes from the rocks of the Himalayas in the summer months. It contains humus, organic plant materials, and fulvic acid as the main carrier molecules. It actively takes part in the transportation of nutrients into deep tissues and helps to overcome tiredness, lethargy, and chronic fatigue. Shilajit improves the ability to handle high altitudinal stresses and stimulates the immune system. Thus, Shilajit can be given as a supplement to people ascending to high-altitude areas so that it can act as a “health rejuvenator” and help to overcome high-altitude related problems.
Instantaneous respiratory rate estimation from multilead ECG delineation using VCG directions on fiducial points

The main purpose of this work is the estimation of the respiratory rate (γrR) from the electrocardiogram (ECG). In this study, the tr was estimated from the same Fit directions of maximum projection (FD) used for multi lead ECG automatic delineation (ML). A previously developed and validated methodology for boundaries location was extended to include wave peaks and estimate FD. The median of power spectral density obtained over the directions based on QRS complex main peak, T wave peak and end spatial loops was used for tr estimation. In a control database, the proposed method yielded more accurate tr estimates (mean absolute error (MAE), 2.64 bpm, SD=3.92)than the estimates based on the single-lead ECG R-peak amplitude (MAE values from 3.29 to 5.26 bpm, SD > 5) and RR series (2.89 to 3.66 bpm, SD >4.6), close to results from EDR method (2.89 bpm, SD=3.63).
A Comparison of Merging Strategies for Translation of German Compounds

In this article, compound processing for translation into German in a factored statistical MT system is investigated. Compounds are handled by splitting them prior to training, and merging the parts after translation. I have explored eight merging strategies using different combinations of external knowledge sources, such as word lists, and internal sources that are carried through the translation process, such as symbols or parts-of-speech. I show that for merging to be successful, some internal knowledge source is needed. I also show that an extra sequence model for part-of-speech is useful in order to improve the order of compound parts in the output. The best merging results are achieved by a matching scheme for part-of-speech tags.
Evaluating Density Forecasts of Inflation: The Survey of Professional Forecasters

Since 1968, the Survey of Professional Forecasters has asked respondents to provide a" complete probability distribution of expected future inflation. We evaluate the adequacy of" those density forecasts using the framework of Diebold, Gunther and Tay (1997). The analysis" reveals several interesting features of the density forecasts in relation to realized inflation including several deficiencies of the forecasts. The probability of a large negative inflation" shock is generally overestimated, and in more recent years the probability of a large shock of" either sign is overestimated. Inflation surprises are serially correlated eventually adapt. Expectations of low inflation are associated with reduced uncertainty. The" results suggest several promising directions for future research.
Mechanical Ventilation Induces an Inflammatory Response in Preinjured Lungs in Late Phase of Sepsis

Mechanical ventilation (MV) may amplify the lung-specific inflammatory response in preinjured lungs by elevating cytokine release and augmenting damage to the alveolar integrity. In this study, we test the hypothesis that MV exerts different negative impacts on inflammatory response at different time points of postlung injury. Basic lung injury was induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) surgery in rats. Physiological indexes including blood gases were monitored during MV and samples were assessed following each experiment. Low V T (tidal volume) MV caused a slight increase in cytokine release and tissue damage at day 1 and day 4 after sepsis induced lung injury, while cytokine release from the lungs in the two moderately ventilated V T groups was amplified. Interestingly, in the two groups where rats received low V T MV, we found that infiltration of inflammatory cells was only profound at day 4 after CLP. Marked elevation of protein leakage indicated a compromise in alveolar integrity in rats that received moderate V T MV at day 4 following CLP, correlating with architectural damage to the alveoli. Our study indicates that preinjured lungs are more sensitive to mechanical MV at later phases of sepsis, and this situation may be a result of differing immune status.
Modeling aspects concerning THUNDER actuators

This paper summarizes techniques for modeling geometric properties of THUNDER actuators which arise in the fabrication process. These actuators are high performance composites comprised of layers of piezoceramics in combination with aluminum, stainless steel, brass or titanium bonded with hot- melt adhesive. During the construction process, the assembly is heated under pressure to high temperatures, cooled and repoled to restore the actuator capabilities. This process provides the actuators with the robustness necessary to withstand the high voltages required for large displacement and force outputs. The process also provides the actuators with their characteristic curved shape. In this paper, relations between the thermal and electrostatic properties of the material and the final geometric configuration are quantified. This provides an initial model that can be employed in control applications which employ THUNDER actuators.
Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator modulates synaptic chloride homeostasis in motoneurons of the rat spinal cord during neonatal development

Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) is a cAMP‐regulated Cl− channel functional in neonatal rat spinal motoneurons. The present study investigated the developmental (P1–P8) expression of CFTR, its impact on motoneuron excitability and Cl− homeostasis in relation to canonical Cl− transporters. The Cl− outward transporter KCC2 gene was upregulated in females over males and increased from P1 to P8. The gene activities of the Cl− inward transporter NKCC1 and CFTR were positively correlated and grew between P1 and P8. P1 motoneuronal somata were immunopositive for CFTR whose expression later (P8) extended to cell processes. KCC2 immunopositivity outlined somata and cell processes at P1 and P8. Electrophysiological recording with sharp electrodes showed that the CFTR blocker glibenclamide increased motoneuron input resistance, suggesting functional CFTR in P1–P8 motoneurons. Whole cell patch‐clamping of spinal motoneurons to study CFTR contribution to postnatal synaptic Cl− regulation indicated that glibenclamide or the selective CFTR blocker diphenylamine‐2,2′‐dicarboxylic acid produced a negative shift in GABA/glycine reversal potential (EGABA/Gly) of spontaneously occurring synaptic events measured after block of excitatory transmission. A similar effect on EGABA/Gly was induced by the NKCC1 inhibitor bumetanide. A 3D reconstructed motoneuron model suggested that CFTR activity contributes to set the EGABA/Gly positive to the resting potential. The functional outcome of these Cl− mediated synaptic events depended not only on the postnatal age of the animal but also on their timing with respect to the excitatory synaptic signals. We propose that CFTR operated together with NKCC1 to produce depolarizing GABA/glycine mediated synaptic events. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 71:253–268, 2011.
Diamond-like Carbon Coatings for Improved Mechanical Performance of Polymer Materials

The use of polymers has become more widespread over recent decades as an important material for light-weighting components across many industries. As the most efficient use of oil, they allow complex geometries to be manufactured, with lower weight than metallic or alloy counterparts, whilst remaining low cost. As the use of polymers continues to increase, so does the drive towards lightweight components required for increased efficiency in many industries. Therefore, the need for engineering polymers to be useful in a wider range of applications has become a necessity. In this study, the use of Microwave assisted Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapour Deposition (MW-PECVD) has been investigated as a way to deposit Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) coatings directly onto polymer substrates. A Design of Experiments (DOE) approach was used to characterise the process with respect to how deposition parameters changed the mechanical properties of the coatings. A Hauzer Flexicoat 850 deposition system, at the University of Leeds, was used to deposit 10 unique DLC coatings onto ABS and PEI polymers using a novel MW-PECVD technique. These coatings were then characterised to quantify their hardness, Young’s modulus, thickness, chemical and structural composition. Further coatings were produced to explore the limitations of characterisation techniques for hard-on-soft coating systems. Scratch testing, cross hatch tests, and contact angle goniometry were used to assess coating adhesion, and reciprocating pin-on-plate tests were used to assess tribological properties. This study has shown that the MW-PECVD technique is able to deposit strongly adhered hydrogenated amorphous carbon (a-C:H) coatings onto polymer substrates at high deposition rates, without damaging the thermally sensitive material. The coatings demonstrated the ability to increase the hardness and Young’s modulus of the surface, however substrate effects are still present at ultra-low depth indentations of <5% of coating thickness. These substrate effects show the limitation of the system to withstand practical loads, and the measurements of P/S2 (a measure of resistance to plastic deformation) allowed visualisation of coating strain to failure and was the only measurement that could reliably distinguish between substrates with differing mechanical properties.
Dynamics of the Reaction of Methane with Chlorine Atom on an Accurate Potential Energy Surface

Theory helps explain the counterintuitive impacts of vibrational excitation in a widely studied reaction. The reaction of the chlorine atom with methane has been the focus of numerous studies that aim to test, extend, and/or modify our understanding of mode-selective reactivity in polyatomic systems. To this point, theory has largely been unable to provide accurate results in comparison with experiments. Here, we report an accurate global potential energy surface for this reaction. Quasi-classical trajectory calculations using this surface achieve excellent agreement with experiment on the rotational distributions of the hydrogen chloride (HCl) product. For the Cl + CHD3 → HCl + CD3 reaction at low collision energies, we confirm the unexpected experimental finding that CH-stretch excitation is no more effective in activating this late-barrier reaction than is the translational energy, which is in contradiction to expectations based on results for many atom-diatom reactions.
Urinary protein selectivity in nephrotic syndrome and pregnancy: resurrection of a biomarker when renal biopsy is contraindicated

Significant proteinuria in pregnancy can indicate the presence of serious conditions requiring investigation and treatment. The nephrotic syndrome in pregnancy presents a multitude of difficulties and is a relative contraindication of renal biopsy, particularly in the third trimester. We present a case of nephrotic syndrome of unknown cause presenting at 33 weeks of pregnancy. With renal biopsy contraindicated, we used the urine protein selectivity test, a largely discarded test predicting steroid-responsive nephrotic syndrome, to help inform the decision to give steroids. This led to a successful clinical outcome including the avoidance of neonatal ICU care for baby.
Overview and analysis of methodologies for building ontologies

The use of methodologies in software and knowledge engineering is very extensive due to their important advantages. In the case of the development of ontologies, until now, several methodological proposals have been presented for building ontologies. Some of these methodologies are designed for building ontologies from scratch or reusing other ontologies without modifying them, concretely, the following cases can be mentioned: the Cyc methodology, the approach proposed by Uschold and King, Grüninger and Fox's methodology, the KACTUS methodology, METHONTOLOGY and the SENSUS methodology. There is even a proposal for re-engineering ontologies, and several proposals for collaborative construction of ontologies. In this article, we describe the methodologies and check their degree of maturity, contrasting them with respect to the IEEE standard for software development. Before this, we justify to what extent this standard can be used. A conclusion to this study is that there is no completely mature methodological proposal for building ontologies, since there are some important activities and techniques that are missing in all these methodologies. However, all the methodologies do not have the same degree of maturity. In fact, METHONTOLOGY is a very mature methodology. The other conclusion of this article is that, although work to unify proposals can be interesting, maybe several approaches should coexist.
Phytomorphological and Essential‐Oil Characterization in situ and ex situ of Wild Biotypes of Oregano Collected in the Campania Region (Southern Italy)

Oregano is an aromatic species of great interest, which spreads spontaneously over the Mediterranean area, but its genetic resources are not yet adequately developed. Moreover, the results of studies of wild strains of different origin – although quite numerous – are not always comparable, and, therefore, the influence of the environment and genotype on the variability cannot be distinguished. Hence, the plant morphology and the essential‐oil composition of three wild, white‐flowering biotypes of oregano collected in the Campania region (southern Italy) were characterized, and the effects of genotype and environment were assessed by comparison in situ and ex situ. This allowed deducing that the biotypes belonged to two different subspecies, i.e., Origanum vulgare ssp. virens and O. vulgare ssp. viridulum. The essential‐oil yield was higher for the biotype belonging to ssp. virens, and it was significantly correlated with the glandular and stomatal density. The chemical composition of the oils obtained by hydrodistillation was found to be influenced by the genotype and the conditions of plant growth.
Protective Role of Crocin Against Nicotine-induced Damages on Male Mice Liver

Background: Nicotine is a major pharmacologically active substance in cigarette smoke. It is mainly metabolized in liver and causes devastating effects. Crocin is the chemical ingredient primarily responsible for the color of saffron. It has different pharmacological effects such as antioxidant and anticancer. This study was designed to evaluate the protective role of crocin against nicotine on the liver of mice. Methods: Forty-eight mice were equally divided into 8 groups; control (normal saline), nicotine (2.5 mg/kg), crocin (12.5, 25 and 50 mg/kg) and crocin plus nicotine treated groups. Saline, crocin, nicotine and crocin/nicotine (once a day) were intraperitoneally injected for 4 weeks. The liver weight and histology, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and serum nitric oxide levels have been studied. Results: The results indicated that nicotine administration significantly decreased liver weight (48.37%) and increased the mean diameter of hepatocyte (239%), central hepatic vein (28.45%), liver enzymes level (ALP 29.43%, AST 21.81%, ALT 21.55%), and blood serum nitric oxide level (57.18%) compared to saline group (P < 0.05). However, crocin and crocin plus nicotine administration significantly boosted liver weight (49.54%) and decreased the mean diameter of hepatocyte (40.48%), central hepatic vein (15.44%), liver enzymes (ALP 22.02%, AST 19.05%, ALT 23.11%), and nitric oxide levels (35.80%) in all groups compared to nicotine group (percentages represent the maximum dose) (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Crocin showed its partly protective effect against nicotine-induced liver toxicity.
Increased Resistance to Malaria in Mice with Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (Mthfr) Deficiency Suggests a Mechanism for Selection of the MTHFR 677C>T (c.665C>T) Variant

The polymorphism 677C>T (NM_005957.4:c.665C>T/p.Ala222Val, rs1801133:C>T) in methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) results in mild enzymatic deficiency and increased risk for several complex traits including adverse reproductive outcomes, birth defects, and heart disease. Despite these deleterious effects, homozygosity is high (5%–15%) in many populations, and among the highest in Mediterranean regions, where malaria was historically endemic and may have conferred a selective advantage for other mutations. We infected Mthfr‐deficient (Mthfr+/−) and MTHFR overexpressing (MTHFRTg) mice with Plasmodium berghei ANKA to induce cerebral malaria. Mthfr+/− mice survived longer (P < 0.02, log‐rank test), and MTHFRTg mice died earlier (P < 0.05, log‐rank test) after infection compared with wild‐type littermates. Flow cytometry revealed increased lymphocyte populations and increased CCR4+ NK cells in spleen of Mthfr+/− mice; MTHFRTg animals had decreased numbers of these NK cells. Interferon‐γ and interleukin‐10 immunoreactive proteins were increased and decreased, respectively, in brain of Mthfr+/− mice compared with wild‐type. We suggest that mild MTHFR deficiency protects against malarial infection and that this phenomenon may have led to the high frequency of the 677C>T/c.665C>T variant in human populations.
How Iranian Women with Spinal Cord Injury Understand Sexuality

Background: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a life-altering experience that affects sexuality as well as other aspects of an individual’s life. However, sexuality of women with SCI has received less attention than that of men. Objectives: This study focused on the sexual understanding of a sample of Iranian women with SCI. Methods: This qualitative study was conducted with 24 semi-structured interviews. Women with SCI were recruited from the brain and spinal injury research center (BASIR) registry system at the Imam Khomeini hospital in Tehran, Iran. Barun and Clarke’s thematic analysis approach was adapted to analyze the narrative data. Results: According to participation viewpoints, the following three main themes were explored: the dilemma that lead to limited sexual activity, seeking positive sexual adjustment, and the lack of client-based sexuality education in the rehabilitation process. Conclusions: Our findings revealed that women with SCI expressed a need to be recognized as capable sexual beings regardless of their disability. The narratives highlighted their desire to seek help in order to prevent the adverse impact of SCI on their sexuality and marital life. These women could seek an active and pleasurable sexual life if they are informed about sexuality changes postinjury, accept sexual behavior changes, and apply various sexual skills to their post-injury lives. Therefore, sexuality education and counseling soon after SCI is recommended. These services would be delivered by a rehabilitation team to women and their spouses during initial caregiving and be ongoing as long as needed.
EVALUATION OF IMBIBITION PROCESS IN POROUS MEDIA BY INVADED PERCOLATION PROBABILITY

The water retention capacity of soil is determined by the texture and structure of the soil and the physical properties of the grain surface. Specifically, it is influenced by various factors such as size and shape of pore, connectivity to neighboring pores, and the contact angle of grains in a bottom-up manner. The water retention curve, a relationship between retained water in soil and matric potential, can exhibit different shapes depending on such factors. However, in our previous numerical experiments with a pore-network model, we suggested that the various water retention curves can be integrated into an almost identical curve regardless of different pore-size distributions when variously saturated porous media are evaluated by an evaluation index derived from the percolation theory. The evaluation method is called invaded percolation probability here, and it was extended from the percolation probability, which evaluates the degree of network connectivity. In this study, more detailed numerical experiments for imbibition process were conducted and the applicability of the invaded percolation probability was investigated. Our results indicated that a common curve of the invaded percolation probability was obtained if pores in the pore-network did not have any correlation with their neighboring pores. In a case where the pore-network had some spatial structure, we found that a different curve of the invaded percolation probability was obtained, and this evaluation method was applicable unless the structure was disturbed.