Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Antifungal activity of Satureja khuzestanica (Jamzad) leaves extracts

Introduction and objective: Opportunistic fungal infections have been a common cause of morbidity and mortality in the immunosupresed individuals such as AIDS and organ recipients. Treatment of these infections is a great challenge, thus antifungal therapy is playing a greater role in their health care. Traditional plants are a valuable source of novel antifungals. The aim of this study was to assess in vitro antifungal activity of the ethanolic extract of Satureja khuzestanica leaves. Materials and methods: In the current experimental study the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of the ethanolic extract of S. khuzestanica leaves was evaluated against saprophytic fungi isolates such as Aspergillus flavus, A. niger, Penicillium sp. , Fusarium sp. , Alternaria sp. , Rhizopus sp. , and Mucor sp. Antifungal susceptibilities were determined using the agar well diffusion method and amphotericine B was used as positive control as gold therapeutic agent. Results: Our findings showed that the ethanolic extract of S. khuzestanica leaves exhibited antifungal activity against all tested saprophytic fungi with MIC values (625-5000µg/ml). Conclusion: The Results demonstrated that this plant has strong antifungal potential against all tested fungi.
Automatic mesh generation for mobile network dimensioning using evolutionary approach

We focus on the dimensioning process of cellular networks that addresses the evaluation of equipment global costs to cover a city. To deal with frequency assignment, that constitutes the most critical resource in mobile systems, the network is usually modeled as a pattern of regular hexagonal cells. Each cell represents the area covered by the signal of a transmitter or base station (BS). Our work emphasizes on the design of irregular hexagonal cells in an adaptive way. Hexagons transform themselves and adapt their shapes according to a traffic density map and to geometrical constraints. This process, called adaptive meshing (AM), may be seen as a solution to minimize the required number of BS to cover a region and to propose a basis for transmitter positioning. The solution we present to the mesh generation problem for mobile network dimensioning is based on the use of an evolutionary algorithm. This algorithm, called hybrid island evolutionary strategy (HIES), performs distributed computation. It allows the user to tackle problem instances with large traffic density map requiring several hundreds of cells. HIES combines local search fast computation on individuals, incorporated into a global island-like strategy. Experiments are done on one real case representing the mobile traffic load of the second French city of Lyon and on several other traffic maps from urban fictive data sets.
Information Retrieval Meets Game Theory: The Ranking Competition Between Documents' Authors

In competitive search settings as the Web, there is an ongoing ranking competition between document authors (publishers) for certain queries. The goal is to have documents highly ranked, and the means is document manipulation applied in response to rankings. Existing retrieval models, and their theoretical underpinnings (e.g., the probability ranking principle), do not account for post-ranking corpus dynamics driven by this strategic behavior of publishers. However, the dynamics has major effect on retrieval effectiveness since it affects content availability in the corpus. Furthermore, while manipulation strategies observed over the Web were reported in past literature, they were not analyzed as ongoing, and changing, post-ranking response strategies, nor were they connected to the foundations of classical ad hoc retrieval models (e.g., content-based document-query surface level similarities and document relevance priors). We present a novel theoretical and empirical analysis of the strategic behavior of publishers using these foundations. Empirical analysis of controlled ranking competitions that we organized reveals a key strategy of publishers: making their documents (gradually) become similar to documents ranked the highest in previous rankings. Our theoretical analysis of the ranking competition as a repeated game, and its minmax regret equilibrium, yields a result that supports the merits of this publishing strategy. We further show that it can be predicted with high accuracy, and without explicit knowledge of the ranking function, whether documents will be promoted to the highest rank in our competitions. The prediction utilizes very few features which quantify changes of documents, specifically with respect to those previously ranked the highest.
The function of teeth chattering in male Barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus)

Teeth chattering is seen in many primate species and has been proposed to have a range of social functions. This observational study tested specific hypotheses relating to the function of teeth chattering in a semi‐free‐ranging group of Barbary macaques, Macaca sylvanus. During focal watches of males, the outcome of male–male dyadic social interactions in which teeth chattering was present or absent was compared. Using these data, we tested the predictions of four hypotheses: teeth chattering functions as a signal of submission, appeasement, affiliation or reassurance. Support was found for all four hypotheses. In addition, in some contexts, an exchange of teeth chattering appeared to have a greater impact on the outcome of interactions than one male alone giving this signal. These findings suggest that teeth chattering serves an important role in coordinating the social interactions of male Barbary macaques. Am. J. Primatol. 69:1179–1188, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Backing environmental innovations through information technology adoption. Empirical analyses of innovation-related complementarity in firms

AbstractThe paper tests empirically whether various types of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) adoption and other innovation practices (techno-organisational change and training courses) are complementary inputs with respect to the adoption of specific environmental innovations (EI). The analysis is based on original survey data for a large industrial Italian region (Emilia-Romagna), which offer various views on ICT and EI relationships. This survey contains information on the adoption of environmental innovations and some detailed information on ICT issues and other technological-organisational processes. Our main findings suggest that, overall, complementarity does not seem to characterize the relationship between ICT and other innovation processes as a force behind environmental innovation, but some important exceptions emerge. Complementarities exists, for instance, between technological innovation and both adoption of ICT management systems and ICT for cooperation with clients. Interes.
A Hemodynamic Study of the Effects of Arterial Anastomoses With Interrupted Simple Versus Horizontal Mattress Sutures on Rat Epigastric Flap Perfusion

The effects of interrupted simple versus horizontal mattress sutures and of the internal diameter of the arterial pedicle at the level of the anastomosis on rat epigastric flap perfusion were investigated. In the first group, a microclip was applied to the femoral artery for 30 minutes. In the second group, the artery was cut, and a classic 7- to 8-suture microarterial end-to-end anastomosis was performed. In the third group, the artery was cut, and a microarterial end-to-end anastomosis with 3 horizontal mattress sutures at 120-degree intervals was performed. Perfusion was measured using a laser Doppler flowmeter (Periflux 2B, Perimed, Sweden) at 3 zones of the flap at 30 and 60 minutes and at 21 days after the procedure. Internal vascular diameters were measured histopathologically. Perfusion was better in the control group than in the experimental groups. However, the internal vascular diameters were greater with the classic method than with the new method, and the perfusion did not differ statistically in the anastomosis groups. In conclusion, even when significant narrowing develops at the anastomosis, flap viability is not affected.
Metabolic and transcriptional response of recombinant Escherichia coli to elevated dissolved carbon dioxide concentrations

The effect of dissolved carbon dioxide (dCO2) concentration on the stoichiometric and kinetic constants and by‐product accumulation was determined for Escherichia coli cells producing recombinant green fluorescent protein (GFP). Constant dCO2, in the range of 20–300 mbar, was maintained during batch cultures by manipulating the inlet gas composition. As dCO2 increased, specific growth rate (µ) decreased, and acetate accumulation and the time for onset of GFP production increased. Maximum biomass yield on glucose and GFP concentration were affected for dCO2 above 70 and 150 mbar, respectively. Expression analysis of 16 representative genes showed that E. coli can respond at the transcriptional level upon exposure to increasing dCO2, and revealed possible mechanisms responsible for the detrimental effects of high dCO2. Genes studied included those involved in decarboxylation reactions (aceF, icdA, lpdA, sucA, sucB), genes from pathways of production and consumption of acetate (ackA, poxB, acs, aceA, fadR), genes from gluconeogenic and anaplerotic metabolism (pckA, ppc), genes from the acid resistance (AR) systems (adiA, gadA, gadC), and the heterologous gene (gfp). The transcription levels of tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle genes (icdA, sucA, sucB) and glyoxylate shunt (aceA) decreased as dCO2 increased, whereas fadR (that codes for a negative regulator of the glyoxylate operon) and poxB (that codes for PoxB which is involved in acetate production from pyruvate) were up‐regulated as dCO2 increased up to 150 mbar. Furthermore, transcription levels of genes from the AR systems increased as dCO2 increased up to 150 mbar, indicating that elevated dCO2 triggers an acid stress response in E. coli cells. Altogether, such results suggest that the increased acetate accumulation and reduction in µ, biomass yield and maximum GFP concentration under high dCO2 resulted from a lower carbon flux to TCA cycle, the concomitant accumulation of acetyl‐CoA or pyruvate, and the acidification of the cytoplasm. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2009; 104: 102–110 © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Matrix metalloproteinases vary with airway microbiota composition and lung function in non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis.

RATIONALE Despite growing evidence for the roles of airway remodeling and bacterial infection in the progression of non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis, relationships between collagen-degrading proteases and chronic airway infection are poorly understood. OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to determine which matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are elevated in bronchiectasis, whether these MMP levels vary based on patients' dominant infective microbe, and how these levels correlate with clinical measures of disease severity. METHODS We determined concentrations of nine MMPs and four tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) in induced sputum from 86 patients with bronchiectasis and 8 healthy control subjects by Luminex protein assay. Concentrations were then assessed in relation to lung function, inflammatory markers, and airway microbiota composition, determined by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Airway microbiota composition was classified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa-dominated, Haemophilus influenzae-dominated, or dominated by another species. MMP-8 and MMP-9 activity levels were also measured in a subset of patients. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS MMP-1, -3, -7, -8, and -9 and TIMP-2 and -4 levels, as well as MMP-8/TIMP-1 and MMP-9/TIMP-1 ratios, were significantly higher in patients with bronchiectasis than in healthy control subjects (all: P < 0.001, except MMP-7: P < 0.05). Patients with bronchiectasis with H. influenzae-dominated airway infections demonstrated higher MMP-2 levels (P < 0.01) and MMP-8 activity (P < 0.05) than those with P. aeruginosa-dominated airway infections. Among patients with bronchiectasis, there were significant inverse correlations between FEV1 as a percentage of predicted value, MMP-8 and MMP-1 levels, and MMP-8/TIMP-1 and MMP-9/TIMP-1 ratios (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS Increased MMP levels (particularly MMP-8 and MMP-1) and MMP/TIMP ratios in patients with bronchiectasis compared with healthy control subjects correlated with lower lung function and higher levels of inflammatory markers. Further, MMP profiles differed in patients with bronchiectasis according to the dominant pathogen determined by gene sequencing, raising the possibility of differential airway remodeling according to airway microbiology.
Decreased delta sleep ratio and elevated alpha power predict vulnerability to depression during interferon-alpha treatment

Objective Although poor sleep accompanies depression, it is unknown which specific sleep abnormalities precede depression. This is similarly the case for depression developing during interferon-α (IFN-α) therapy. Because vulnerability becomes evident in those who slept poorly before IFN-α, we prospectively determined which specific aspect of sleep could predict subsequent depression. Methods Two nights of polysomnography with quantitative electroencephalogram (EEG) were obtained in 24 adult, euthymic subjects – all subsequently treated with IFN-α for hepatitis C. Every 2 weeks, a Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) score was obtained, and the maximal increase in BDI-II from pre-treatment baseline – excluding the sleep question – was determined. Results The delta sleep ratio (DSR; an index of early-night restorative delta power) was inversely associated with BDI-II increases (p<0.01), as was elevated alpha power (8–12 Hz; p<0.001). Both delta (0.5–4 Hz) and alpha power exhibited high between-night correlations (r=0.83 and 0.92, respectively). In mixed-effect repeated-measure analyses, there was an interaction between alpha power and DSR (p<0.001) – subjects with low alpha power and elevated DSR were resilient to developing depression. Most other sleep parameters – including total sleep time and percentage of time in slow wave sleep – were not associated with subsequent changes in depression. Conclusions Both high DSR and low alpha power may be specific indices of resilience. As most other aspects of sleep were not associated with resilience or vulnerability, sleep interventions to prevent depression may need to specifically target these specific sleep parameters.
TEACHER’S VOCATION AND STUDENTS’ ATTITUDES TOWARDS A CHOICE OF TEACHER’S VOCATION

Research published by Eurydice in 2015„Teaching Profession in Europe: Practices, Perceptions, and Policies” indicates to the significance of teaching vocation in a sustainability-oriented learning environment, but at the same time there is an indication of a low prestige of teaching vocation in Latvia. The situation in Latvia reveals a significant problem teacher trainers need to deal with. There are very high standards set for teachers’ profession, on the other side, the politics of the country is oriented towards a motivation of young specialists to choose teacher’s vocation. In order to train competent teachers this is essential to explore a motivation of learners to acquire teaching profession and to make a decision to work at school and in the kindergarten. The aim of this study is to explore reasons why youth in Latvia choose to study in the educational programs and to explore changes in students’ attitudes during their learning process in teacher training institutions.
What Drives the Potential Supply of Timber Residues from Private Lands in the Northern Tier of the Great Lakes

Timber residues, a wood production byproduct, are a low cost source of biomass that avoids the environmental and food market consequences of other feedstocks. We studied the effect that price, acreage owned, environmental amenities, and disamenities have on the decision to harvest for non-commercial private forest owners in northern Michigan and Wisconsin. Over 60% of landowners were willing to provide timber residues at timber harvest or stand improvement (tree thinning) at prices starting at just $15 per acre. Important drivers of willingness to supply timber residues include the price offered for timber residue, single-species forest acreage owned, bioenergy attitudes, and the aversion to disamenities, but the price effect is relatively small. The propensity to supply timber residues was highest among owners of larger scale, single-species forest and ones favoring bioenergy.
Patients’ Expectations of the Health Advice Conversation With the Diabetes Nurse Practitioner

Type 2-diabetes usually makes its first appearance in adult age. In order for patients to feel in control of the disease, they need support and information that can easily be understood and which is relevant for the individual. By educating and supporting them, patients can conduct self-care and take control. The aim of this study was to highlight the expectations that patients with type 2-diabetes have of the health advice conversation with the nurse practitioner. A qualitative method using interviews was conducted and the data material was analysed according to manifest and latent content analysis. Three categories emerged in the results. Firstly, providing good accessibility to the diabetes nurse practitioner is of importance. Secondly, there is a demand for group activities in which patients have the opportunity to talk with other individuals who have diabetes. Finally, knowledge about self-care means that the patients themselves are able to change the intake of medication, their eating habits, and exercise according to need, as this leads to increased independence and self-management. The latent content demonstrates that the patient is striving towards competence and self-confidence in order to achieve a balance between lifestyle and the normalisation of blood sugar levels, which means empowerment. In addition, the informants expressed a demand for group activities where they can discuss the disease with others in the same situation. A combination of knowledge about the disease, receiving individual advice, and participation in groups can be beneficial in order to motivate the informants about lifestyle changes and to gain the ability to manage the disease.
Nerve regeneration across cryopreserved allografts from cadaveric donors: a novel approach for peripheral nerve reconstruction.

OBJECT The use of allografts from cadaveric donors has attracted renewed interest in recent years, and pretreatment with cryopreservation and immunosuppression methods has been investigated to maximize axonal regrowth and minimize allograft rejection. The authors wanted to assess the outcome of treatments of brachial plexus stretch injuries with cryopreserved allografts from cadaveric donors in nonimmunosuppressed patients. METHODS Ten patients with brachial plexus lesions were submitted to electromyography (EMG) testing 1 and 3 months after a traumatic event and 1 week before surgery to localize and identify the type of lesion. Intraoperative EMG recordings were performed for intraoperative monitoring to select the best surgical strategy, and postoperative EMG was used to follow up patients and determine surgical outcomes. If nerve action potentials (NAPs) were present intraoperatively, neurolysis was performed, whereas muscular/nerve neurotization was performed if NAPs were absent. Cryopreserved allografts obtained from selected cadaveric donors and provided by the tissue bank of Treviso were used for nerve reconstruction in patients who were not treated with immunosuppressive drugs. RESULTS The surgical strategy was selected according to the type and site of the nerve lesion and on the basis of IOM results: 14 cryopreserved allografts were used for 7 muscular neurotizations and for 7 nerve neurotizations, and 5 neurolysis procedures were performed. All of the patients had regained motor function at the 1- and 2-year follow-ups. CONCLUSIONS Some variables may affect functional recovery after allograft surgery, and the outcome of peripheral nerve reconstruction is more favorable when patients are carefully evaluated and selected for the surgery. The authors demonstrated that using cryopreserved allografts from cadaveric donors is a valid surgical strategy to restore function of the damaged nerve without the need for any immunosuppressive treatments. This approach offers new perspectives on procedures for extensive reconstruction of brachial and lumbosacral plexuses.
Evidence of Connective Tissue Involvement in Acupuncture

Acupuncture needle manipulation gives rise to “needle grasp,” a biomechanical phenomenon characterized by an increase in the force necessary to pull the needle out of the tissue (pullout force). This study investigates the hypothesis that winding of connective tissue, rather than muscle contraction, is the mechanism responsible for needle grasp. We performed 1) measurements of pullout force in humans with and without needle penetration of muscle; 2) measurements of pullout force in anesthetized rats, with and without needle rotation, followed by measurements of connective tissue volume surrounding the needle; 3) imaging of rat abdominal wall explants, with and without needle rotation, using ultrasound scanning acoustic microscopy. We found 1) no evidence that increased penetration of muscle results in greater pullout force than increased penetration of subcutaneous tissue; 2) that both pullout force and subcutaneous tissue volume were increased by needle rotation; 3) that increased periodic architectural order was present in subcutaneous tissue with rotation, compared with no rotation. These data support connective tissue winding as the mechanism responsible for the increase in pullout force induced by needle rotation. Winding may allow needle movements to deliver a mechanical signal into the tissue and may be key to acupuncture's therapeutic mechanism.
Scaling the CBRAM Switching Layer Diameter to 30 nm Improves Cycling Endurance

Control of cation injection into the switching layer of conductive-bridge random access memory (CBRAM) during switching is a critical factor for CBRAM reliability. Although extrinsic approaches such as the insertion of a transistor in series have proven effective, solutions intrinsic to the CBRAM itself, which are desired for high density cross-point or 3-D vertical memory arrays, are quite limited. In this letter, we show the significant improvement of cycling endurance for Cu-based CBRAM by scaling the switching layer area down to 30 nm in diameter. Further study suggests that the injection of excessive Cu ions into the switching layer is suppressed owing to spatial limitation during the formation of the conductive filament. These results indicate that the area scaling of the switching layer is an effective solution for achieving highly reliable CBRAM devices.
A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of extracorporeal photopheresis in chronic progressive multiple sclerosis

Extracorporeal photopheresis is a safe therapy for cutaneous T-cell lymphoma and may have efficacy in certain autoimmune disorders. We performed a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial of monthly photopheresis therapy in 16 patients with clinically definite multiple sclerosis (MS). All patients had progressed during the preceding year with entry Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores between 3.0 and 7.0. Patients received photopheresis or sham therapy for 1 year and were followed for an additional 6 to 12 months. Patients were clinically evaluated by three disability scales: (1) EDSS; (2) Ambulation index and (3) Scripp's quantitative neurologic assessment. No serious side effects occurred in either group. There were no differences between the photopheresis and sham therapy groups by the disability measures. Additionally, there were no differences in progression of MRI plaque burden or evoked potential latencies. In this limited study, photopheresis was found to be safe but did not significantly alter the course of chronic progressive MS.