Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Salmonella enterica Serovar Enteritidis Genes Induced during Oviduct Colonization and Egg Contamination in Laying Hens

ABSTRACT Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis is the predominant serovar associated with salmonellosis worldwide, which is in part due to its ability to contaminate the internal contents of the hen's egg. It has been shown that S. enterica serovar Enteritidis has an unusual tropism for the avian reproductive tract and an ability to persist in the oviduct and ovary. Factors allowing S. enterica serovar Enteritidis strains to contaminate eggs could be a specific interaction with the oviduct tissue, leading to persisting oviduct colonization. In vivo expression technology, a promoter-trap strategy, was used to identify genes expressed during oviduct colonization and egg contamination with S. enterica serovar Enteritidis. A total of 25 clones with in vivo-induced promoters were isolated from the oviduct tissue and from laid eggs. Among the 25 clones, 7 were isolated from both the oviducts and the eggs. DNA sequencing of the cloned promoters revealed that genes involved in amino acid and nucleic acid metabolism, motility, cell wall integrity, and stress responses were highly expressed in the reproductive tract tissues of laying hens.
Noninvasive prenatal diagnosis of aneuploidy using cell‐free nucleic acids in maternal blood: promises and unanswered questions

The discovery of cell‐free fetal (cff) DNA and RNA in the maternal circulation has driven developments in noninvasive prenatal diagnosis (NIPD) for the past decade. Detection of paternally derived alleles in cff DNA is becoming well established. Now much interest is focussing on NIPD of fetal chromosomal abnormalities, such as trisomy 21, which is a considerable challenge because this demands accurate quantitative measurements of the amounts of specific cff DNA or cff RNA sequences in maternal blood samples. Emerging strategies for distinguishing and quantifying the fetal nucleic acids in the maternal circulation promise continued development of the field, and pose a number of unanswered questions. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Typing method for N2‐fixing bacteria based on PCR‐F — application to the characterization of Frankia strains

DNA sequences of an intergenic spacer (IGS) and parts of genes in the nif cluster were amplified by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using two primers derived from nifD‐and nifK‐conserved sequences. The PCR products were cleaved by ten 4–base cutting restriction enzymes and the restriction patterns were used as fingerprints to type Frankia strains. The feasability of this PCR‐RFLP method for typing Frankia strains was investigated on Frankia reference strains belonging mainly to the Elaeagnaceae infectivity group but also on new Frankia isolates and on other N2‐fixing microorganisms. By modulating the stringency of the amplifications, we showed the method allowed to target either Frankia strains or the whole N2‐fixing microbial community. DNA digestion patterns were used to estimate the sequence divergence between the Frankia nifD‐K fragment. The estimated relationships deduced from these genotypic data correlated well with established Frankia taxonomic schemes.
Progressive diffuse pulmonary Langerhans cell histiocytosis improved by cladribine chemotherapy

Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a group of disorders characterised by monoclonal proliferation of histiocytic cells (Langerhans cells) producing tumour-like masses in multiple organs including the bone, skin, lymph nodes and central nervous system. In contrast to multiorgan LCH, pulmonary LCH (PLCH) usually involves only a single organ and presents as an infiltrative lung disease. PLCH is strongly correlated with smoking and presumably reflects reactive Langerhans cell proliferation triggered by some inhaled agent.1 In early cellular PLCH, Langerhans cells aggregate in multiple small bronchiolocentric granulomas which may further cavitate to form inflammatory thick-walled cysts, usually predominating in the upper lobes. With disease progression, PLCH may evolve towards irreversible lung destruction by cicatricial fibrotic thin-walled cysts, respiratory insufficiency and death or …
Shewanella putrefaciens Adhesion and Biofilm Formation on Food Processing Surfaces

ABSTRACT Laboratory model systems were developed for studyingShewanella putrefaciens adhesion and biofilm formation under batch and flow conditions. S. putrefaciens plays a major role in food spoilage and may cause microbially induced corrosion on steel surfaces. S. putrefaciens bacteria suspended in buffer adhered readily to stainless steel surfaces. Maximum numbers of adherent bacteria per square centimeter were reached in 8 h at 25°C and reflected the cell density in suspension. Numbers of adhering bacteria from a suspension containing 108 CFU/ml were much lower in a laminar flow system (modified Robbins device) (reaching 102 CFU/cm2) than in a batch system (reaching 107 CFU/cm2), and maximum numbers were reached after 24 h. When nutrients were supplied, S. putrefaciens grew in biofilms with layers of bacteria. The rate of biofilm formation and the thickness of the film were not dependent on the availability of carbohydrate (lactate or glucose) or on iron starvation. The number of S. putrefaciens bacteria on the surface was partly influenced by the presence of other bacteria (Pseudomonas fluorescens) which reduced the numbers of S. putrefaciens bacteria in the biofilm. Numbers of bacteria on the surface must be quantified to evaluate the influence of environmental factors on adhesion and biofilm formation. We used a combination of fluorescence microscopy (4′,6′-diamidino-2-phenylindole staining and in situ hybridization, for mixed-culture studies), ultrasonic removal of bacteria from surfaces, and indirect conductometry and found this combination sufficient to quantify bacteria on surfaces.
Association of the 98T ELAM-1 polymorphism with increased bleeding after cardiac surgery.

OBJECTIVE Hemorrhage continues to be a major problem after cardiac surgery despite the routine use of antifibrinolytic drugs, with striking inter-patient variability poorly explained by already known risk factors. The authors tested the hypothesis that genetic polymorphisms of inflammatory mediators and cellular adhesion molecules are associated with bleeding after cardiac surgery. DESIGN Prospective, observational study. SETTING Single, tertiary referral university heart center. PARTICIPANTS Adult patients undergoing aortocoronary surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. INTERVENTIONS Patients (n = 759) had 10 mL of blood drawn preoperatively and genomic DNA isolated then genotyped for 17 polymorphisms in 7 candidate genes: tumor necrosis factor, interleukins 1beta and 6, interleukin 1 receptor antagonist, intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), P-selectin and endothelial leucocyte adhesion molecule-1 (E-selectin). Multivariate analyses were used to relate clinical and genetic factors to bleeding and transfusion. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS The 98G/T polymorphism of the E-selectin gene was independently associated with bleeding after cardiac surgery (p = 0.002), after adjusting for significant clinical predictors (patient size and baseline hemoglobin concentration). There was a gene dose effect according to the number of minor alleles in the genotype; carriers of the minor allele bled 17% (GT) and 54% (TT) more than wild type (GG) genotypes, respectively (p = 0.01). Carriers of the minor allele also had longer activated partial thromboplastin times (p = 0.0023) and increased fresh frozen plasma transfusion (p = 0.03) compared with wild type. CONCLUSIONS The authors found a dose-related association between the 98T E-selectin polymorphism and bleeding after cardiac surgery, independent of and additive to standard clinical risk factors.
Nutrient Metabolism The Ratio of Insoluble to Soluble Fiber Components in Soybean Hulls Affects Ileal and Total-Tract Nutrient Digestibilities and Fecal Characteristics of Dogs 1

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of soybean hulls (SH) containing varying ratios of insoluble:soluble fiber (I:S) on nutrient digestibilities and fecal characteristics of dogs. Ileally cannulated dogs (n 5 6) were fed seven diets in a 6 3 7 Youden square arrangement of treatments. The seven diets included five SH-containing diets with I:S of 1.9, 2.7, 3.2, 5.2 or 7.2 and two diets containing either beet pulp (BP) or no supplemental fiber (control). Ileal digestibilities of DM, OM, CP, total dietary fiber (TDF), fat and gross energy (GE) were lower (P , 0.05) for dogs fed diets containing supplemental fiber compared with dogs fed the control diet. Fiber inclusion had a modest negative effect (P , 0.05) on total-tract DM, OM, fat and GE digestibilities compared with the control diet. Ileal digestibilities of DM and OM by dogs fed the SH treatments responded quadratically (P , 0.05) to I:S, with digestibility coefficients decreasing as the I:S approached 3.2. Highest ileal digestibilities were observed for diets with an I:S of 1.9 and 7.2. Similarly, a quadratic response (P , 0.05) was observed for digestibility of total amino acids at the ileum. Fecal outputs were lower (P , 0.001) when dogs consumed the control diet vs. fiber-containing diets. Among the SH-containing diets, there was a linear increase in fecal output as I:S increased (P 5 0.031). The I:S in the diet affects DM and OM digestibilities at the ileum and affects fecal output, indicating that optimization of this ratio is desirable. J. Nutr. 131: 1978–1985, 2001.
Synchronization of oestrus in Hamdani ewes: the use of different PMSG doses

The experiment was performed on 130 Hamdani ewes and 12 Dorset rams were used. The ewes were randomly divided into 4 groups. Intra-vaginal sponges, containing 40 mg of FGA, were left in the vagina of groups 1, 2, and 3 for 14 d. Immediately after removal of the sponges, PMSG hormones at the doses of 500 IU in group 1, 600 IU in group 2, and 750 IU in group 3 were administered intramuscularly. The group 4 served as control. Animals in groups 1, 2, and 3 were inseminated with 0.25 cm3 of fresh semen 72 and 96 h after PMSG administrations. Ewes in the control group were artificially inseminated during their spontaneous oestrous period. The percentages of ewes showing oestrus in the first 3 groups and control were determined as 100% and 97.05%, respectively. The conception rates in groups 1, 2, 3, and 4 were found as 90.62%, 93.75%, 100% and 79.4%, respectively. The conception rate was higher in groups 2 and 3 than in control and in group 3 than in groups 1 and 2 (P<0.05). The mean litter size in groups 1, 2, 3 and 4 were 1.06±0.09, 1.25±0.11, 1.40±0.12 and 0.88±0.09, respectively. The mean litter size in groups 2 and 3 was higher (P<0.05) than in group 4. The gestation period in groups 1, 2, 3, and 4 was 152±1.89, 151±1.33, 149±0.95, and 160±2.95 days, respectively. A significant difference (P<0.05) between 4 groups with regard to the gestation period was found. It was concluded that FGA and PMSG administration in the Hamdani ewes in the breeding season may be useful to condense oestrus and parturition and in order to increase pregnancy rate.
An Energy efficient WSN with cooperative relaying technique

Some of the vital issues that need to be addressed in wireless sensor network (WSN) based applications are improving the network lifetime without replacing the batteries of node and diminution of energy imbalanced hotspots in the network. Many protocols are proposed for energy efficient cluster based sensor network. In this paper, energy efficient Adaptive number of Frames per Round (AFR) protocol is proposed for a WSN where cluster heads are evenly distributed. The proposed AFR protocol combined with the cooperative Multiple Input Single Output (MISO) technique is extended for dual-hop wireless sensor networks to improve the network lifetime. The selection of the cooperative relay then explored so that the unexpected partition in network is avoided. Different cooperative relay positions have been investigated for decreasing and balancing the energy consumption in the network. Comparison is made for AFR protocol with and without dual-hop cooperative MISO scheme as well as with some other existing protocols.
Statistical Approaches to the Analysis of Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) Curves

In this article we review published and some unpublished work in statistical analyses of ROC curves. We describe both single and joint indices and indicate the approaches that have been taken to consider between-reader variations and correlations, within-reader variations, and variations and correlations between cases. We then discuss in detail a single index, the TP ratio at a fixed FP ratio (designated TPFP), or the FP ratio at a fixed TP ratio (designated FPTP). We show how to calculate confidence limits around any point on the curve; we further show, using the conventional Dorfman and Alf program and the jackknifing technique, how to calculate these confidence limits for multiple curves derived from the same sample of patients.
A Phase II Trial of Salirasib in Patients with Lung Adenocarcinomas with KRAS Mutations

Introduction: KRAS mutations are present in 30% of lung adenocarcinomas. Salirasib prevents Ras membrane binding thereby blocking the function of all Ras isoforms. This phase II study determined the activity of salirasib in patients with advanced lung adenocarcinomas with KRAS mutations. Methods: Two cohorts of patients with stage IIIB/IV lung adenocarcinoma were eligible: patients with tumors with KRAS mutations who were previously treated with chemotherapy and patients receiving initial therapy who had ≥15 pack-year smoking history. Salirasib was given orally from days 1 to 28 of a 35-day cycle. The primary end point was the rate of nonprogression at 10 weeks. Results: Thirty-three patients were enrolled. Thirty patients had KRAS mutations (23 patients who were previously treated and 7/10 patients who had no prior therapy). Of the previously treated patients, 7 of 23 (30%) had stable disease at 10 weeks, and 4 of 10 (40%) previously untreated patients had stable disease at 10 weeks. No patient had a radiographic partial response (0% observed rate, 95% confidence interval 0–12%). The median overall survival was not reached (>9 months) for previously untreated patients and it was 15 months for patients who received prior chemotherapy. Diarrhea, nausea, and fatigue were the most common toxicities. Conclusions: Salirasib at the current dose and schedule has insufficient activity in the treatment of KRAS mutant lung adenocarcinoma to warrant further evaluation. The successful enrollment of 30 patients with tumors with KRAS mutant lung adenocarcinoma over 15 months at a single site demonstrates that drug trials directed at a KRAS-specific genotype in lung cancer are feasible.
Information systems outsourcing satisfaction: some explanatory factors

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyse Information Systems outsourcing success, measuring the latter according to the satisfaction level achieved by users and taking into account three success factors: the role played by the client firm’s top management; the relationships between client and provider; and the degree of outsourcing. Design/methodology/approach – A survey was carried out by means of a questionnaire answered by 398 large Spanish firms. Its results were examined using the partial least squares software and through the proposal of a structural equation model. Findings – The conclusions reveal that the perceived benefits play a mediating role in outsourcing satisfaction and also that these benefits can be grouped together into three categories: strategic; economic; and technological ones. Originality/value – The study identifies how some success factors will be more influent than others depending which type of benefits are ultimately sought with outsourcing.
Bacteremic pneumococcal pneumonia in HIV-seropositive and HIV-seronegative adults.

STUDY OBJECTIVES To compare the demographic, clinical, laboratory, and microbiological data, and the hospital course and outcome of HIV-seropositive and HIV-seronegative adults with bacteremic pneumococcal pneumonia. DESIGN Retrospective observation study conducted over a 2-year period. SETTING Academic teaching hospital attached to the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. PATIENTS Consecutive patients with bacteremic pneumococcal pneumonia were identified on the basis of positive blood culture results. INTERVENTIONS All available demographic, clinical, routine laboratory, radiographic, and microbiological data were recorded retrospectively for each of the patients, and the combined data for the HIV-seropositive patients were compared with those of the HIV-seronegative patients. MEASUREMENT AND RESULTS A total of 112 patients (31 HIV-seropositive and 81 HIV-seronegative patients) were entered into the study. The HIV-seropositive patients were significantly younger than the HIV-seronegative patients (32.8 vs 39.6 years old) and had lower admission hemoglobin (11.8 vs 13.4 g/dL), WBC count (10.3 vs 14.3 x 10(9)/L), serum albumin (31 vs 36 g/L), sodium (129 vs 132 mmol/L), and potassium (3.0 vs 3.5 mmol/L), respectively. Although the HIV-seropositive patients appeared to have more multilobar pulmonary consolidation on the chest radiograph than the HIV-seronegative patients (60% vs 34%), this did not quite reach statistical significance. In addition, the HIV-seropositive patients had significantly more infections (48.4% vs 20.8%) with pneumococcal serogroups/serotypes (serogroups 6, 19, 23, and serotype 14) that are found more commonly in children, and they also had more penicillin-resistant isolates (13% vs 2.5%) than the HIV-seronegative patients, respectively. Similarly, it was noted that when these data were analyzed according to gender (irrespective of HIV status), women had significantly more infections than men (47% vs 21%) with serogroups/serotypes that are usually found in children, more penicillin-resistant isolates (15% vs 1%), and more co-trimoxazole-resistant isolates (21% vs 5%), respectively. There were no differences noted in any of the other parameters, including initial APACHE (acute physiology and chronic health evaluation) II score, PaO2/fraction of inspired oxygen ratio, duration of temperature, duration of IV therapy, duration of hospitalization, complications, and outcome, when comparing HIV-seropositive and HIV-seronegative patients. Two patients in each group died. CONCLUSIONS The clinical features of bacteremic pneumococcal pneumonia are similar in HIV-seropositive and HIV-seronegative patients. Although differences are noted in various laboratory and microbiological parameters, they do not appear to have an impact on outcome.
Contribution of FliC to Epithelial Cell Invasion by Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O113:H21

ABSTRACT Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O113:H21 can invade epithelial cells. In this study, we found that invasion but not adherence was inhibited by anti-FliCH21 specific antibodies. In addition, deletion of fliCH21 from EHEC O113:H21 resulted in an eightfold decrease in invasion that was restored upon transcomplementation with fliCH21 but not with fliCH6. These results suggested that FliC plays an important role in the pathogenesis of infections caused by EHEC O113:H21 by allowing bacteria to penetrate the intestinal epithelium.
Modeling and shape estimation of smart structures for active control

Piezoelectric materials allow the transformation of electric constraints into mechanical constraints and vice versa. They are used as controllers or sensors in the industrial field. The analysis of the behavior of piezoelectric materials lays within the use of these materials in structures whose form or modes of vibration are to be controlled. The need for these studies is crucial. From a general point of view, the need for stability of structures has become increasingly important with the development of technologies related to telecommunications and microtechniques. Adaptive structures are the only means to achieve the requisite stability in the face of diverse situations. The objective of this research is to model the effect of electro- mechanical coupling and to estimate the shape of the adaptive structures for active control. Ideal models were developed for various adaptive structures. These models make it possible to determine the static and dynamic behavior of these structures. The model behavior was compared with experimental results and the, numerical, finite elements and the Rayleigh-Ritz methods. Results obtained from all of the above approaches reveal good agreements among them. For a possible application of active control, the analysis of substructures in commercial FEA software ANSYS is used to extract the mass, the rigidity and input matrices. In order to evaluate at real time the shape of the flexible or composite structures, an algorithm was developed to determine the forms of the structures under arbitrary loads and different boundary conditions. The results obtained by this method were compared with those obtained from numerical, the finite elements and experimental methods. The results also, show that the developed algorithm makes it possible to correctly estimate the structures.
A hierarchical Bayesian approach to online writer identification

With the explosive growth of the tablet form factor and greater availability of pen-based direct input, online writer identification is increasingly becoming critical for person identification, digital forensics as well as downstream applications such as intelligent and adaptive user environments, search, indexing and retrieval of handwritten documents. Extant research has approached writer identification by using writing styles as a discriminative function between writers. In contrast, the authors model writing styles as a shared component of an individual's handwriting. They develop a theoretical framework for this conceptualisation and model it by using a three-level hierarchical Bayesian model (Latent Dirichlet Allocation). In this text-independent, unsupervised model each writer's handwriting is modelled as a distribution over finite writing styles that are shared among writers. They test their model on a new online handwriting dataset IBM_UB_1 and also offer benchmark comparisons by using the IAM-OnDB database. Their experiments show comparable results to the current benchmarks and demonstrate the efficacy of explicitly modelling the shared writing styles.
Notice of RetractionEffect of Elevated Air Temperature on Photosynthesis in a Subtropical Forest Tree, Ficus concinna

The photosynthetic characteristics of under high temperature stress were studied in a subtropical forest tree seedling, Ficus concinna. Net photosynthetic rate decreased to 21% of the control after high temperature stress, and thus the absorption of photon energy exceeded the energy required for CO2 assimilation. The efficiency of excitation energy capture by open PSII reaction centers (Fv'/Fm'), photochemical quenching (qP), and the electron transport rate (ETR) were significantly lower after high temperature stress. These results indicated that high temperature stress causes a decrease in the photochemical efficiency of PS II, thereby depressing the linear electron transport and photosynthetic rate. Nevertheless, the non photochemical quenching (qN) was significantly higher under such conditions, thus helping to dissipate excess photon energy non-radiatively.