Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ribosomal Antibiotics: Contemporary Challenges

Most ribosomal antibiotics obstruct distinct ribosomal functions. In selected cases, in addition to paralyzing vital ribosomal tasks, some ribosomal antibiotics are involved in cellular regulation. Owing to the global rapid increase in the appearance of multi-drug resistance in pathogenic bacterial strains, and to the extremely slow progress in developing new antibiotics worldwide, it seems that, in addition to the traditional attempts at improving current antibiotics and the intensive screening for additional natural compounds, this field should undergo substantial conceptual revision. Here, we highlight several contemporary issues, including challenging the common preference of broad-range antibiotics; the marginal attention to alterations in the microbiome population resulting from antibiotics usage, and the insufficient awareness of ecological and environmental aspects of antibiotics usage. We also highlight recent advances in the identification of species-specific structural motifs that may be exploited for the design and the creation of novel, environmental friendly, degradable, antibiotic types, with a better distinction between pathogens and useful bacterial species in the microbiome. Thus, these studies are leading towards the design of “pathogen-specific antibiotics,” in contrast to the current preference of broad range antibiotics, partially because it requires significant efforts in speeding up the discovery of the unique species motifs as well as the clinical pathogen identification.
Factors affecting the Z-Width of a haptic display

This paper addresses the performance of force-reflecting interfaces ("haptic displays"). The authors suggest that an important measure of performance is the dynamic range of achievable impedances-"Z-Width"-and that an impedance is achievable if it satisfies a robustness property such as passivity. Several factors affecting Z-Width-sample-and-hold, inherent interface dynamics, displacement sensor quantization, and velocity filtering-are discussed. A set of experiments designed to evaluate these factors is described and experimental results are presented. A striking result is that inherent interface damping exerts an overwhelming influence on Z-Width. <<ETX>>
A transient stability assessment method using post-fault trajectories

Transient Stability Assessment (TSA) is the process in which the stability of a system is characterized qualitatively or quantitatively. The TSA algorithm presented in this paper is derived from the well-established Single Machine Equivalent (SIME) method and can thus be categorized as a hybrid direct-temporal method. The novelty of the proposed algorithm is that it derives a Transient Stability Index (TSI) with a single TimeDomain (TD) simulation for both stable and unstable cases. The resulting TSI is uniform in units and linear around the instability point. Results are reported for two sample power systems of 9 and 36 buses. The proposed algorithm has also been successfully employed to speed-up a Critical Clearing Time (CCT) determination algorithm.
Predicting numerical data entry errors by classifying EEG signals with linear discriminant analysis

Daily numerical data entry is subject to human errors, and errors in numerical data can cause serious losses in health care, safety and finance. Difficulty in detecting errors by human operators in numerical data entry necessitates an early error detection/prediction mechanism to proactively prevent severe accidents. To explore the possibility of using multi-channel electroencephalography (EEG) collected before movements/reactions to detect/predict human errors, linear discriminant analysis (LDA) classifier was utilised to predict numerical typing errors before their occurrence in numerical typing. Single trial EEG data were collected from seven participants during numerical hear-and-type tasks and three temporal features were extracted from six EEG sites in a 150-ms time window. The sensitivity of LDA classifier was revealed by adjusting the critical ratio of two Mahalanobis distances as a classification criterion. On average, the LDA classifier was able to detect 74.34% of numerical typing errors in advance with only 34.46% false alarms, resulting in a sensitivity of 1.05. A cost analysis also showed that using the LDA classifier would be beneficial as long as the penalty is at least 15 times the cost of inspection when the error rate is 5%. LDA demonstrated its realistic potential in detecting/predicting relatively few errors in numerical data without heavy pre-processing. This is one step towards predicting and preventing human errors in perceptual-motor tasks before their occurrence.
Self-Control, Discounting and Reward: Why Picoeconomics is Economics

We review efforts by economists to capture the qualitative predictions of picoeconomics – that is, accounts of willpower based on hyperbolic discounting of future rewards – using so-called quasi-hyperbolic or β-δ functions. We find that these models do not predict the full suite of phenomena associated with reward bundling, the re-framing of discrete sequences of choices into series. External, specifically social, structures often promote such bundling; thus willpower is not a strictly internal process based on management of visceral influences. We then present an experiment that demonstrates manipulation of dispositions to bundle in a group of nicotine addicts. Non-smokers in the experiment are not similarly influenced, which may reflect the fact that people who avoid addiction have generally learned to bundle without specific cueing or suggestion.
LibRec: A Java Library for Recommender Systems

The large array of recommendation algorithms proposed over the years brings a challenge in reproducing and comparing their performance. This paper introduces an open-source Java library that implements a suite of state-of-the-art algorithms as well as a series of evaluation metrics. We empirically find that LibRec performs faster than other such libraries, while achieving competitive evaluative performance.
What determines treatment satisfaction of patients with type 2 diabetes on insulin therapy? An observational study in eight European countries

Objective Patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) on insulin therapy are less satisfied with their diabetes treatment than those on oral hypoglycaemic therapies or lifestyle advice only. Determinants of satisfaction in patients with T2DM on insulin therapy are not clearly known. The aim of this study was to determine the association of treatment satisfaction with demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with T2DM. Design For this study we used data from the GUIDANCE (Guideline Adherence to Enhance Care) study, a cross-sectional study among 7597 patients with T2DM patients from Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, the Netherlands and the UK. The majority of patients were recruited from primary care. Treatment satisfaction was assessed by the Diabetes Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire (DTSQ, score 0–36; higher scores reflecting higher satisfaction). To determine which patient characteristics and laboratory values were independently associated with treatment satisfaction, a linear mixed model analysis was used. Participants In total, 1984 patients on insulin were analysed; the number of included patients per country ranged from 166 (the Netherlands) to 384 (Italy). Results The mean DTSQ score was 28.50±7.52 and ranged from 25.93±6.57 (France) to 30.11±5.09 (the Netherlands). Higher DTSQ scores were associated with having received diabetes education (β 1.64, 95% CI 0.95 to 2.32), presence of macrovascular complications (β 0.76, 95% CI 0.21 to 1.31) and better health status (β 0.08 for every one unit increase on a 0–100 scale, 95% CI 0.07 to 0.10). Lower DTSQ scores were associated with more frequently perceived hyperglycaemia (β −0.32 for every 1 unit increase on a seven-point Likert scale, 95% CI −0.50 to −0.13), and higher glycated haemoglobin (β −0.52 for every percentage increase, 95% CI −0.75 to −0.29). Conclusions A number of factors including diabetes education, perceived and actual hyperglycaemia and macrovascular complications are associated with treatment satisfaction. Self-management education programmes should incorporate these factors for ongoing support in patients with T2DM.
Telomerase Activity, Telomere Length, and Apoptosis: A Comparison between Acquired Cholesteatoma and Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Background Cholesteatoma disease is characterized by accumulation of keratinizing epithelium. Several molecular markers of tumor formation have been found in cholesteatoma (e.g. upregulation of matrix metalloproteinases, c -myc, and activation of angiogenesis). Other molecular findings clearly distinguish between cholesteatoma and malignant tumors (e.g., lack of chromosomal instability, intact checkpoint responses). To further distinguish the molecular mechanisms in cholesteatoma from malignant tumors, the authors determined telomerase activity and telomere length in both tissue types. Methods To evaluate the role of telomerase activation and telomere length in cholesteatoma, 29 cholesteatoma samples and 9 squamous cell carcinomas were analyzed for telomerase activity and telomere length. In addition, the rate of apoptosis was determined in both groups, using the TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labeling technique. Results As previously described, a high proportion of squamous cell carcinoma exhibited telomerase activity (6/9, 66%). By contrast, a significantly lower rate of telomerase activity was found in cholesteatoma samples (1/29, 3.4%, p = 0.0002). Despite the differences in telomerase activity, the telomere length was similar in cholesteatoma (mean length 7.43 kb) and in squamous cell carcinoma (mean length 7.99 kb; difference not significant, p = 0.1364). The low rate of telomerase activity in cholesteatoma was accompanied by significantly higher rates of apoptosis in cholesteatoma (mean 30%) compared with squamous cell carcinoma tissue (mean 3%, p = 0.0031). Conclusions Taken together, these data show that telomerase activation is a rare event in cholesteatoma and that the absence of telomerase activity is accompanied by high rates of apoptosis in cholesteatoma. It is proposed that the absence of telomerase limits the proliferative capacity of cholesteatoma by induction of apoptosis, whereas the presence of telomerase allows immortal growth of squamous cell carcinoma.
Neuroimaging in Psychiatry: From Bench to Bedside

This perspective considers the present and the future role of different neuroimaging techniques in the field of psychiatry. After identifying shortcomings of the mainly symptom-focussed diagnostic processes and treatment decisions in modern psychiatry, we suggest topics where neuroimaging methods have the potential to help. These include better understanding of the pathophysiology, improved diagnoses, assistance in therapeutic decisions and the supervision of treatment success by direct assessment of improvement in disease-related brain functions. These different questions are illustrated by examples from neuroimaging studies, with a focus on severe mental and neuropsychiatric illnesses such as schizophrenia and depression. Despite all reservations addressed in the article, we are optimistic that neuroimaging has a huge potential with regard to the above-mentioned questions. We expect that neuroimaging will play an increasing role in the future refinement of the diagnostic process and aid in the development of new therapies in the field of psychiatry.
Frequency of constitutional MSH6 mutations in a consecutive series of families with clinical suspicion of HNPCC

A large majority of constitutional mutations in hereditary non‐polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) are because of the MHL1 or MSH2 genes. In a lower fraction of cases, another gene of the mismatch repair (MMR) machinery, MSH6, may be responsible. Families with MSH6 mutations are difficult to recognize, as microsatellite instability (MSI) may not be detectable and immunohistochemistry (IHC) may give ambiguous results. In the present study, we proposed (i) to determine the frequency of MSH6 mutations in a selected population of colorectal cancer patients obtained from a tumor registry, (ii) to assess whether IHC is a suitable tool for selecting and identifying MSH6 mutation carriers. One hundred neoplasms of the large bowel from suspected HNPCC families were analyzed for MSI (BAT25 and BAT26 markers) and immunohistochemical expression of the MSH6 protein. We found on 12 tumors (from different families) showing instability or lack of MSH6 expression. Among these, four potentially pathogenic MSH6 mutations were detected (del A at 2984; del TT at 3119; del AGG cod 385; and del CGT cod 1242) by direct gene sequencing. These represented 12.9% of all families with constitutional mutations of the DNA MMR genes. Thus, some 5% of all HNPCC families are featured by constitutional mutation of the MSH6 gene. This appears, however, as a minimum estimate; routine use of IHC and the study of large numbers of individuals and families with little or no evidence of Lynch syndrome might reveal that mutation of this gene account for a large fraction of HNPCC.
Observations of Air‐Sea Momentum Flux Variability Across the Inner Shelf

Over the open ocean, the aerodynamic drag coefficient is typically well predicted; however, the impact depth-limited processes have on the drag remains underexplored. A case study is presented here where winds, waves, and currents were simultaneously observed from a mobile platform that repeatedly transected the inner shelf of Monterey Bay, CA. Eddy covariance-derived drag coefficients were compared to several bulk parameterizations, including all of the roughness variations of COARE 3.5 and two explicitly depth-limited models. The analysis demonstrated that the drag was underestimated by O(2–4) times and the variability with wind speed or cross-shore distance was not well predicted. The drag based on a recent depth-limited roughness length model performed substantially better than the rest of the bulk estimates, which were all within 15% of each other and effectively equivalent given typical operational uncertainties. The measured friction velocity was compared to a wave-dependent parameterization and generalizing the model to arbitrary water depth significantly improved the mean observation-model difference to within 30%. Latent variability in the observation-model comparison was associated with stability, wind direction, and wave steepness. The wind stress angle variability was also analyzed. Stress veering was correlated with the alongshore surface current within 2 km from shore (r2 = 0.7–0.95, p < 0.05); offshore of this margin, consistent wind stress veering was observed and may be attributable to a secondary, low-frequency swell system. These results demonstrate that it remains a persistent challenge to accurately predict wind stress variability in the nearshore, especially at locations with complex wave and current fields. Plain Language Summary As the wind blows over the ocean surface, the atmosphere experiences friction, or drag, as the air and water molecules interact. Small waves increase the roughness of the surface, which augments the drag felt by the atmosphere as the air flows over the waves. This physical interaction between atmosphere and ocean facilitates the exchange of energy and material (e.g., gas) across the ocean surface, as well as drives upper ocean currents. In the presence of large waves, or swell, this interaction becomes more complicated. The impact swell has on the atmosphere changes as these large waves travel into shallow water, thereby growing taller and steeper, however our understanding of this process is limited. We present an observational study that took place within Monterey Bay and our results suggest that typical models used to predict the ocean surface drag do not perform well in the nearshore zone. In fact, applying a shallow water model did not significantly improve model-observation comparison. We demonstrate that the mechanisms that characterize air-sea interaction in deep water, may not apply near shore. While coastal zones are limited, compared to the global ocean, their impacts on and response to human activity are profound and should be better understood.
Capacity Bounds and Mapping Design for Binary Symmetric Relay Channels

Capacity bounds for a three-node binary symmetric relay channel with orthogonal components at the destination are studied. The cut-set upper bound and the rates achievable using decode-and-forward (DF), partial DF and compress-and-forward (CF) relaying are first evaluated. Then relaying strategies with finite memory-length are considered. An efficient algorithm for optimizing the relay functions is presented. The Boolean Fourier transform is then employed to unveil the structure of the optimized mappings. Interestingly, the optimized relay functions exhibit a simple structure. Numerical results illustrate that the rates achieved using the optimized low-dimensional functions are either comparable to those achieved by CF or superior to those achieved by DF relaying. In particular, the optimized low-dimensional relaying scheme can improve on DF relaying when the quality of the source-relay link is worse than or comparable to that of other links.
Rate-Distortion Optimization for Stereoscopic Video Streaming with Unequal Error Protection

We consider an error-resilient stereoscopic streaming system that uses an H.264-based multiview video codec and a rateless Raptor code for recovery from packet losses. One aim of the present work is to suggest a heuristic methodology for modeling the end-to-end rate-distortion (RD) characteristic of such a system. Another aim is to show how to make use of such a model to optimally select the parameters of the video codec and the Raptor code to minimize the overall distortion. Specifically, the proposed system models the RD curve of video encoder and performance of channel codec to jointly derive the optimal encoder bit rates and unequal error protection (UEP) rates specific to the layered stereoscopic video streaming. We define analytical RD curve modeling for each layer that includes the interdependency of these layers. A heuristic analytical model of the performance of Raptor codes is also defined. Furthermore, the distortion on the stereoscopic video quality caused by packet losses is estimated. Finally, analytical models and estimated single-packet loss distortions are used to minimize the end-to-end distortion and to obtain optimal encoder bit rates and UEP rates. The simulation results clearly demonstrate the significant quality gain against the nonoptimized schemes.
High spin baryon in hot strongly coupled plasma

We consider a strings-junction holographic model of a probe baryon in the finite-temperature supersymmetric Yang-Mills dual of the AdS-Schwarzschild black hole background. In particular, we investigate the screening length for a high spin baryon composed of rotating N-c heavy quarks. To rotate quarks by finite force, we put a hard infrared cutoff in the bulk and give quarks a finite mass. We find that N-c microscopic strings are embedded reasonably in the bulk geometry when they have finite angular velocity omega, similar to the meson case. By defining the screening length as the critical separation of quarks, we compute the omega dependence of the baryon screening length numerically and obtain a reasonable result which shows that baryons with high spin dissociate more easily. Finally, we discuss the relation between J and E-2 for baryons.
Endocrine health problems detected in 519 patients evaluated in a pediatric cancer survivor program.

CONTEXT Many pediatric cancer survivors have endocrine conditions. Surveillance for late effects is recommended by national guidelines. Endocrine surveillance is recommended after alkylating agents, steroids, methotrexate, and radiation. OBJECTIVE The objective of the study was to describe the endocrine outcomes in patients followed up in a program that uses national screening guidelines. DESIGN The design of the study was a medical records review. SETTING The study was conducted in the Comprehensive Cancer Survivor Program, an academic pediatric oncology program. PARTICIPANTS The study included 519 pediatric and young adult survivors of noncentral nervous system childhood malignancies between January 1, 2001, and December 15, 2005. INTERVENTION Patients were evaluated with history, physical examinations, and evaluations recommended in the Children's Oncology Group's Long-Term Follow-Up Guidelines for Survivors of Childhood, Adolescent and Young Adult Cancers. OUTCOME MEASURES The frequency and types of endocrine conditions were measured. RESULTS Four hundred eighty endocrine conditions were observed in 299 survivors (57.6% of survivors). The most common types of endocrine conditions were problems with weight and gonadal function. In a Cox regression model, stem cell transplant, radiation, and older age at cancer diagnosis were associated with higher hazard of an endocrine condition. Radiation, stem cell transplant, and sarcoma diagnosis were associated with growth problems. CONCLUSIONS Endocrine disorders were common after pediatric cancers. Endocrinologists should be aware of national guidelines, anticipate referral of pediatric cancer survivors, and participate in further research to optimize screening for and treatment of endocrine effects of cancer therapy.
13-week subchronic toxicity study of a novel ginsenoside composition from ginseng leaves in rats

UG0712 is a new ginsenoside extract processed from ginseng leaves. A subchronic toxicity study of UG0712 was conducted in male and female SD rats. Rats were treated with UG0712 at doses of 100, 400 and 1,600 mg/kg/day for 13 weeks, and observed followed by 4-week recovery period at a highest dose. No-treatment-related effects were observed regarding the mortality, ophthalmic examination, urinalysis and histopathology. Although the changes in clinical sign, body weight, organ weight, hematology, and serum biochemistry were observed, they were temporal and pharmacological effects. Based on the present experiment conditions, the no observed adverse effect level was considered to be more than 1,600 mg/kg/day in both sexes of rats.
Topology guaranteeing manifold reconstruction using distance function to noisy data

Given a smooth compact codimension one submanifold <i>S</i> of <i>R<sup>k</sup></i> and a compact approximation <i>K</i> of <i>S</i>, we prove that it is possible to reconstruct <i>S</i> and to approximate the medial axis of <i>S</i> with topological guarantees using unions of balls centered on <i>K</i>. We consider two notions of noisy-approximation that generalize sampling conditions introduced by Amenta & al. and Dey & al. Our results are based upon critical point theory for distance functions. For the two approximation conditions, we prove that the connected components of the boundary of unions of balls centered on <i>K</i> are isotopic to <i>S</i>. Our results allow to consider balls of different radii. For the first approximation condition, we also prove that a subset (known as the λ medial axis) of the medial axis of <i>R<sup>k</sup></i>\<i>K</i> is homotopy equivalent to the medial axis of <i>S</i>. We obtain similar results for smooth compact submanifolds <i>S</i> of <i>R<sup>k</sup></i> of any codimension.