Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Time-kill studies on susceptibility of nine penicillin-susceptible and -resistant pneumococci to cefditoren compared with nine other beta-lactams.

Broth MIC and time-kill methodology was used to determine the activity of cefditoren relative to those of penicillin G, ampicillin, amoxycillin, WY-49605, cefuroxime, cefpodoxime, cefdinir, cefixime and cefaclor against three penicillin-susceptible, three intermediate and three penicillin-resistant pneumococci. MICs of all agents rose with those of penicillin G. Cefditoren was the most active agent (MICs 0.002-0.5 mg/L), followed by WY-49605 (0.008-1.0 mg/L), amoxycillin (0.015-2.0 mg/L), cefuroxime (0.015-4.0 mg/L), cefpodoxime (0.03-4.0 mg/L), ampicillin (0.015-8.0 mg/L), cefdinir (0.03-16.0 mg/L), cefixime (0.125-64.0 mg/L) and cefaclor (0.5-128.0 mg/L). All beta-lactams were bactericidal at the MIC after 24 h, and produced 90% killing after 12 h at concentrations above the MIC. Bactericidal concentrations of cefditoren, even for penicillin-resistant strains, were < or = 0.5 mg/L at 24 h. Additionally, cefditoren and WY-49605 were the only compounds that killed 99% of all strains after 6 h at > or = 4 x MIC. Cefditoren and amoxycillin killed 90% of all strains at 8 x MIC, and WY-49605 at 4 x MIC, after 4 h. Ampicillin had time-kill kinetics similar to those of amoxycillin, but MICs were 1-2 dilutions higher than the latter drug. Cefuroxime and cefpodoxime were the most active of other oral cephalosporins tested. Cefditoren and WY-49605 had the lowest MICs and most favourable time-kill kinetics of all beta-lactams tested.
Meningkatkan Ketahanan Ekonomi Nasional Melalui Pengembangan Ekonomi Kreatif

Ketahanan Ekonomi adalah kondisi dinamik kehidupan perekonomian bangsa yang berisi keuletan dan ketangguhan yang mengandung kemampuan dalam mengembangkan kekuatan nasional dalam menghadapi serta mengatasi segala ancaman, rintangan, gangguan, hambatan serta tantangan yang berasal dari luar negeri dan dari dalam negeri secara langsung maupun tidak langsung untuk menjamin kelangsungan hidup perekonomian bangsa dan negara Republik Indonesia yang berdasarkan kepada Pancasila dan UUD 1945. Salah satu upaya dalam meningkatkan ketahanan ekonomi dengan menggerakan roda ekonomi melalui ekonomi kreatif yakni sebuah konsep ekonomi di era ekonomi baru yang mengintensifkan informasi dan kreativitas dengan menciptakan ide dan gagasan yang bisa dikembangkan guna meningkatkan perekonomian.
Changes of cortical connectivity during deep anaesthesia.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS The aim of this study was to evaluate the frontal intracortical connectivity during deep anaesthesia (burst-suppression). METHODS Experiments were carried out on 5 adult Sprague Dawley rats. The anaesthesia was induced and maintained with isoflurane. Following the induction of anaesthesia, rats were placed in a stereotactic instrument. A hole was drilled in the skull over the frontal cortex and electrodes were inserted in order to record the local field potentials. Rats were maintained in deep level anaesthesia (burst-suppression). The cortical connectivity was assessed by computing the coherence spectra. The frontal intracortical connectivity was calculated during burst, suppression (non-burst) and slow wave anaesthesia periods. RESULTS The global cortical connectivity (0.5-100 Hz) was 0.61 ± 0.078 during the burst periods compared to 0.55 ± 0.032 (p < 0.05) during the suppression periods and 0.55 ± 0.015 (p < 0.05) during slow wave anaesthesia. CONCLUSIONS The global cortical connectivity increased during the burst periods compared to the suppression periods and slow wave anaesthesia. This increase in the cortical synchronization might be due to the subcortical origin of the bursts.
Energy-Efficient Context-Aware Matching for Resource Allocation in Ultra-Dense Small Cells

With the explosive growth of mobile data traffic and rapidly rising energy price, how to implement caching at small cells in an energy-efficient way is still an open problem and requires further research efforts. In this paper, we study the energy-efficient context-aware resource allocation problem, which falls into the category of mixed integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) and is NP-hard. To provide a tractable solution, the MINLP problem is decoupled and reformulated as a one-to-one matching problem under two-sided preferences, which are modeled as the maximum energy efficiency that can be achieved under the expected matching. An iterative algorithm is developed to establish preference profiles by employing nonlinear fractional programming and Lagrange dual decomposition. Then, we propose an energy-efficient matching algorithm based on the Gale-Shapley algorithm, and provide the detailed discussion and analysis of stability, optimality, implementation issues, and algorithmic complexity. The proposed matching algorithm is also extended to scenarios with preference, indifference, and incomplete preference lists by introducing some tie-breaking and preference deletion rules. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm achieves significant performance and satisfaction gains compared with the conventional algorithms.
Plasminogen activator production by the granulosa layer is stimulated by factor(s) produced by the theca layer and inhibited by the luteinizing hormone surge in the chicken.

The stages of follicular maturation of a preovulatory follicle in the hen can be divided into an extended proliferative phase (prior to LH surge) and a brief ovulatory phase (after LH surge). Previous studies suggest involvement of plasminogen activator (PA) in both the proliferative and ovulatory phases. The goals of the present study were 1) to determine whether PA production by granulosa and theca is dependent upon interaction of the two cell layers; 2) to investigate whether the structural difference of the stigma (site of follicular rupture) and nonstigma regions of the theca layer affect PA production; 3) to determine whether there is a change in the ability of the granulosa layer and stigma or nonstigma regions of the theca layer to produce PA as the follicle makes the transition from the proliferative to the ovulatory phase; and 4) to characterize the type(s) of PA produced by the hen follicle. Equal proportions of the granulosa layer (10-mm diameter) and stigma or nonstigma regions of the theca layer (10 mg) obtained from the F1 preovulatory follicle 8 h before ovulation (before LH surge) or 2 h before ovulation (after LH surge) were incubated alone or in combination for 24 h. PA was measured in tissue homogenates and medium by use of the chromogenic substrate S-2251. The granulosa layer or stigma or nonstigma regions of the theca layer incubated alone and obtained either 8 h or 2 h before ovulation had very low amounts of PA activity in the medium and tissue homogenates. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Structural insight into the molecular mechanism of allosteric activation of human cystathionine β-synthase by S-adenosylmethionine

Significance Cystathionine β-synthase (CBS), the pivotal enzyme of the transsulfuration pathway, regulates flux through the pathway to yield compounds, such as cysteine, glutathione, taurine, and H2S, that control cellular redox status and signaling. Our crystal structure of an engineered human CBS construct bound to S-adenosylmethionine (AdoMet) reveals the unique binding site of the allosteric activator and the architecture of the human CBS enzyme in its activated conformation. Together with the basal conformation that we reported earlier, these structures unravel the molecular mechanism of human CBS activation by AdoMet. Current knowledge will allow for modeling of numerous pathogenic mutations causing inherited homocystinuria and for design of compounds modulating CBS activity. Cystathionine β-synthase (CBS) is a heme-dependent and pyridoxal-5′-phosphate–dependent protein that controls the flux of sulfur from methionine to cysteine, a precursor of glutathione, taurine, and H2S. Deficiency of CBS activity causes homocystinuria, the most frequent disorder of sulfur amino acid metabolism. In contrast to CBSs from lower organisms, human CBS (hCBS) is allosterically activated by S-adenosylmethionine (AdoMet), which binds to the regulatory domain and triggers a conformational change that allows the protein to progress from the basal toward the activated state. The structural basis of the underlying molecular mechanism has remained elusive so far. Here, we present the structure of hCBS with bound AdoMet, revealing the activated conformation of the human enzyme. Binding of AdoMet triggers a conformational change in the Bateman module of the regulatory domain that favors its association with a Bateman module of the complementary subunit to form an antiparallel CBS module. Such an arrangement is very similar to that found in the constitutively activated insect CBS. In the presence of AdoMet, the autoinhibition exerted by the regulatory region is eliminated, allowing for improved access of substrates to the catalytic pocket. Based on the availability of both the basal and the activated structures, we discuss the mechanism of hCBS activation by AdoMet and the properties of the AdoMet binding site, as well as the responsiveness of the enzyme to its allosteric regulator. The structure described herein paves the way for the rational design of compounds modulating hCBS activity and thus transsulfuration, redox status, and H2S biogenesis.
Single-bicycle crash types and characteristics

Most research on cyclist safety is focused on bicycle motor vehicle crashes. Only a few studies address single-bicycle crashes (i.e. a fall or obstacle collision), in spite of the fact that most cyclists admitted to hospitals are single-bicycle crash victims. This study developed a categorization of single-bicycle crash types. A draft categorization was developed based on the scarce literature that is available and theory on bicycle dynamics. This categorization was tested using a questionnaire study that was conducted among bicycle crash victims treated at an Emergency Care Department. The questionnaire contained open questions about the crash and closed questions on possible direct causes, crash characteristics, and circumstances. The results indicate that about half of all single-bicycle crashes are related to infrastructure: the cyclist rode off the road (I), or collided with an obstacle (II), the bicycle skidded due to a slippery road surface (III), or the rider was unable to stabilize the bicycle or stay on the bike because of an uneven road surface (IV). The first two categories happen due to the cyclist taking the wrong route, while the last two happen under more direct influence of the road surface conditions. Other types are loss of control at low speed (V), forces on the front wheel (VI), or poor or risky riding behaviour (VII). Bicycle defects (VIII) contribute to a small group of crashes. The study provides per crash type statistics on victims and circumstances.
Facial areas and emotional information.

After two decades of scattered research, there has been a resurgence of interest in the predictability and measurement of facial expressions of emotion. Current studies and reanalysis of older experiments have clearly shown that facial expressions can provide accurate information about emotion (10, Chapter 15). Recently consistent evidence also has been obtained to show that the morphology of facial expressions is pan-cultural for at least five or six emotions (cf. 5; 6, p. 7; 16). Coincident with and partly in response to these findings on accuracy and universality, there has been a renewed interest in the question of just where in the face one should look to find such information about emotion. There are two ways to ask this question; indeed, there have been two ways in which prior research on this matter has been conducted. The question can be asked in terms of which facial area to scrutinize (top or bottom, for example). Or the question can be put in terms of which particular muscular movement or facial component should be examined. (For example, within the top area there are a number of components, such as raised brow, lowered brow, drawn together brow, horizontal or vertical forehead wrinkles.) Researchers asking the question in terms of facial areas have
Multispectral detection of fecal contamination on apples based on hyperspectral imagery: Part II. Application of hyperspectral fluorescence imaging

Pathogenic E. coli contamination in unpasteurized apple juice or cider is thought to originate from animal feces, and fecal contamination of apples has been recognized by the FDA as an important health issue. In a companion article, reflectance imaging techniques were shown inadequate for the detection of thin smears of feces applied to apples. The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of fluorescence imaging techniques to detect fecal contamination on apple surfaces. A hyperspectral imaging system based on a spectrograph, camera, and UV light source was used to obtain hyperspectral images of Red Delicious, Fuji, Golden Delicious, and Gala apples. Fresh dairy feces were applied to each apple as both a thick patch and as a thin smear. Results indicate that multispectral fluorescence techniques can be used to effectively detect fecal contamination on apple surfaces. Both principal component analysis and examination of emission maxima identified the same four multispectral bands (450, 530, 685, and 735 nm) as being the optimal bands to allow discrimination of contaminated apple surfaces. Furthermore, the simple two-band ratio (e.g., 685 to 450 nm) reduced the variation in normal apple surfaces while accentuating differences between contaminated and uncontaminated areas. Because of the limited sample size, delineation of an optimal detection scheme is beyond the scope of the current study. However, the results suggest that use of multispectral fluorescence techniques for detection of fecal contamination on apples in a commercial setting may be feasible.
Use of neuromuscular electrical stimulation to preserve the thickness of abdominal and chest muscles of critically ill patients: A randomized clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate and compare the effects of neuromuscular electrical stimulation combined with conventional physical therapy on muscle thickness in critically ill patients. DESIGN Double-blind, randomized controlled trial. PATIENTS Twenty-five patients participated in the study. METHODS Patients on mechanical ventilation for 24-48 h were randomized to an intervention group (neuromuscular electrical stimulation + conventional physical therapy) or a conventional group (sham neuromuscular electrical stimulation + conventional physical therapy). Primary outcome was thickness of the rectus abdominis and chest muscles, determined on cross-sectional ultrasound images before and after the intervention. RESULTS Eleven patients were included in the intervention group and 14 in the conventional group. After neuromuscular electrical stimulation, rectus abdominis muscle thickness and chest muscle thickness were preserved in the intervention group, whereas there was a significant reduction in thickness in the conventional group, with a significant difference between groups. There was a significant difference between groups in length of stay in the intensive care unit, with shorter length of stay in the intervention group. CONCLUSION There was no change in rectus abdominis and chest muscle thickness in the intervention group. A significant decrease was found in these measures in the conventional group.
Timing of Triggering in Relation to the Cardiac Cycle in Nonelite Rifle Shooters

Abstract This study investigated the timing of the trigger pull in relation to the cardiac cycle during air rifle shooting. Electrocardiogram) was recorded from 20 male nonelite rifle shooters in two separate testing sessions. The testing was conducted at an indoor shooting range using an optoelectronic shooting system. Each participant fired a shot in the standing position at a distance of 10 m from the target. The results showed that compared to random triggering, the shooters fired more often during the phase of 10–50% of the R wave-to-R wave (R-R) interval and less often during the phase of 50–90%. With regard to performance accuracy, the participants exhibited average or above average performance, when the shot occurred in the beginning (0–50%) and in the end (70–99%) of the R-R interval. The less optimal range for the triggering was located within the 50–70% phase of the R-R interval. The length of R-R interval (i.e., heart rate) did not affect the relation of shot placement within the cardiac cycle to the accuracy of shooting performance. The present results extend previous findings by showing that in air rifle shooting the optimum firing time within the cardiac cycle may be located in the systolic phase. It is argued that the systole-diastole dichotomy is not a sufficiently accurate way to investigate the effects of shot placement in the cardiac cycle. Further research is needed to examine the extent to which the relationship between the timing of triggering within the cardiac cycle and shooting performance depends a shooter's skill level.
Secondary malignant tumors of the parotid gland: not a secondary problem!

PURPOSE To present the clinical features of patients with parotid gland metastasis, and compare the results with previously published series. Most of the relevant literature arises from case reports, while there are only few series reported, as secondary neoplastic lesions of the parotid gland are uncommon. METHODS The medical records of patients with parotid gland metastasis, treated at the ENT Department of the University Hospital of Ferrara, between January 1st 1965 and December 31th 2014, were retrospectively reviewed. Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) and biopsy results were compared. Localization of the primary tumor was searched in all cases. Lymphomatous lesions have been excluded from the study. RESULTS A total of 66 patients with parotid gland metastasis were evaluated. There were 53 males and 13 females with mean age 68.2 ± 13.5 years. Histopathologic analysis of the lesions revealed that 47 (71.2%) were parotid gland metastasis from cutaneous head and neck tumors, 8 (12.1%) from the upper aero-digestive tract, 7 (12.1%) from locations out of facial-cervical region, 1 from a conjunctival melanoma, while in 3 (4.5%) cases the primary tumor origin remained unknown. FNAC results were compared with the final histopathologic diagnosis, showing an overall concordance of 71.9%. CONCLUSION The present study is one of the largest series of parotid gland metastasis available so far. During the diagnostic work-up of a parotid tumor, the possibility of a metastasis should also be considered. FNAC can be a useful tool for the preoperative assessment of parotid lesions.
Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt versus distal splenorenal shunt--a comparative study.

BACKGROUND/AIMS No general consensus exists regarding the proper surgical management of recurrent variceal bleeding due to hepatic cirrhosis. Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt and distal splenorenal shunt are increasingly being performed in the management of these patients. The present study was undertaken to compare the efficacy, complications and survival rate of these two procedures. METHODOLOGY Sixty-seven patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis of Child-Pugh's class A (n = 22) and class B (n = 45) with recurrent variceal bleeding not controlled by conservative means underwent either transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt placement (n = 35) or a distal splenorenal shunt operation (n = 32). These patients were followed for a mean of 887 +/- 189 days. Both groups were compared with respect to the rates of survival, recurrence of gastrointestinal bleeding, encephalopathy, ascitis, shunt blockade and other relevant biochemical parameters. RESULTS Patients who underwent a distal splenorenal shunt operation had lower rates of recurrence of gastrointestinal bleeding (6.25% vs. 25.71%), encephalopathy (18.75% vs. 42.86%) shunt blockade (6.25% vs. 68.57%) and lower mean fasting blood ammonia levels (56.70 +/- 7.10 mumol/L vs. 61.70 +/- 5.70 mumol/L). However the rate of ascitis was higher amongst these patients (40.63% vs. 11.43%). There was no significant difference in the midterm survival rates between these groups (81.25% vs. 80.00%). Both procedures were effective in controlling functional renal failure, splenomegaly and features of hypersplenism. CONCLUSIONS Distal splenorenal shunt operation is a better therapeutic option than transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt placement for control of recurrent variceal bleeding due to hepatic cirrhosis.
The Internal quality assurance as an instrument for the integration and improving of higher education

L'objectiu d'aquest treball es identificar els determinants que influeixen en la implementacio i desenvolupament de sistemes d'assegurament de la qualitat en les institucions d'educacio superior (IES) i comparar diferents regions amb canvis similars. En un escenari aixi, es necessari comprendre els processos que han portat a l'actual politica educativa aixi com al canvi de visio que han experimentat al llarg del temps en la comunitat europea (CE). En aquest ordre d'idees, l'educacio superior en particular i l'educacio en general han passat a ocupar el centre de les preocupacions a la gran majoria del mon. El treball aqui presentat es divideix en sis capitols. El primer explora els antecedents i les dinamiques iniciades en les IES europees en termes dels processos de canvi i reforma que van enfrontar abans, durant i despres d'un dels principals acords intergovernamentals anomenat; proces de Bologna. Aixi mateix es plantegen els objectius i les preguntes de recerca que guien l'estructura d'aquest treball. El capitol 2 comenca amb una analisi de la literatura sobre els diferents conceptes i visions de qualitat, particularment en l'ambit de l'educacio superior. En els capitols 3 i 4 s'estableix una estrategia de recerca empirica en dues fases; un estudi de casos multiple i un estudi de casos en profunditat, respectivament. En el tercer s'analitzen les definicions sobre tres dels principals conceptes utilitzats en aquest estudi: qualitat (Westerheijden 2010), assegurament de la qualitat (Vlǎsceanu et al. 2007) i sistema intern d'assegurament de la qualitat [SIAQ] (Cheng 2003). Aixi mateix s'explora la forma en que els SIAQ s'implementen i desenvolupen. El quart capitol comenca amb una primera aproximacio cap a un marc conceptual que permet veure el tema de la qualitat com un domini de politiques a partir de la proposta de *Perellon (2007). Aquest capitol conclou preguntant sobre l'efectivitat dels SIAQ i intenta comparar processos d'implementacio paral·lels entre universitats en termes de possibles convergencies o divergencies. En tots dos apartats es descriu el proces i els criteris utilitzats per a la seleccio dels casos. En el capitol 5 es presenta una discussio dels resultats de la recerca empirica i s'intenta contestar a les preguntes de recerca 2, 3 i 4. Finalment, en el capitol 6 es resumeix i exposen alguns punts per a futures linies de recerca.