Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Analysis of the Life Cycle of the Soil Saprophyte Bacillus cereus in Liquid Soil Extract and in Soil

ABSTRACT Bacillus is commonly isolated from soils, with organisms of Bacillus cereus sensu lato being prevalent. Knowledge of the ecology of B. cereus and other Bacillus species in soil is far from complete. While the older literature favors a model of growth on soil-associated organic matter, the current paradigm is that B. cereus sensu lato germinates and grows in association with animals or plants, resulting in either symbiotic or pathogenic interactions. An in terra approach to study soil-associated bacteria is described, using filter-sterilized soil-extracted soluble organic matter (SESOM) and artificial soil microcosms (ASM) saturated with SESOM. B. cereus ATCC 14579 displayed a life cycle, with the ability to germinate, grow, and subsequently sporulate in both the liquid SESOM extract and in ASM inserted into wells in agar medium. Cells grew in liquid SESOM without separating, forming multicellular structures that coalesced to form clumps and encasing the ensuing spores in an extracellular matrix. Bacillus was able to translocate from the point of inoculation through soil microcosms as shown by the emergence of outgrowths on the surrounding agar surface. Microscopic inspection revealed bundles of parallel chains inside the soil. The motility inhibitor l-ethionine failed to suppress outgrowth, ruling out translocation by a flagellar-mediated mechanism such as swimming or swarming. Bacillus subtilis subsp. subtilis Marburg and four Bacillus isolates taken at random from soils also displayed a life cycle in SESOM and ASM and were all able to translocate through ASM, even in presence of l-ethionine. These data indicate that B. cereus is a saprophytic bacterium that is able to grow in soil and furthermore that it is adapted to translocate by employing a multicellular mode of growth.
Mortality and Reinfarction among Patients Using Different Beta-Blockers for Secondary Prevention after a Myocardial Infarction

Objectives: To study differences in the clinical efficacy of various brands of β-blocker in secondary prevention after a myocardial infarction (MI). Methods: All patients hospitalized with a first MI between 1995 and 2002 who were still alive 30 days after discharge and had had at least one prescription for a β-blocker filled were identified by individual-level linkage of nationwide registries of hospitalizations and drugs dispensed from pharmacies. A total of 32,259 MI patients were included in the study. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were used to analyze the risks of death and recurrent MI related to treatment with different β-blockers. Results: The risks for death and recurrent MI were similar in patients using different β-blockers, except that mortality from all causes among patients with a prescription for sotalol was higher. Subgroup analyses of high-risk patients with diabetes or congestive heart failure and of patients using comparable dosages of β-blockers did not show effects on the risk of death or recurrent MI. Conclusion: Except for sotalol, the different types of β-blocker had similar clinical efficacy in reducing mortality and the recurrence of MI. The equivalent efficacy remained when high-risk patients were analyzed separately.
Mutations Prevalent among Rifampin- and Isoniazid-Resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis Isolates from a Hospital in Vietnam

ABSTRACT Vietnam is ranked 13th among the WHO list of 22 high-burden countries, based upon estimated total number of tuberculosis cases. Despite having a model national tuberculosis program, consistently achieving and exceeding WHO targets for detection and cure, drug-resistant and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis cases continue to rise. Rapid multidrug-resistant tests applicable in this setting, coupled with effective treatment regimens, would be a useful tool in reversing this trend, allowing early identification of patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis and avoiding resistance-amplifying regimens. Sequencing of consecutive isolates identified by the National Tuberculosis Program showed 89% of isoniazid-resistant isolates could be detected by targeting just 2 codons, katG 315 and −15C→T in the inhA promoter, while rifampin resistance will be more complex to detect, with many different mutation and insertion events in rpoB. The most prevalent rifampin resistance-conferring mutations, as in other countries, were in rpoB codons 531 (43%), 526 (31%), and 516 (15%). However, a hybridization-based resistance test with probes targeting the 5 most common mutations would only detect 78% of rifampin-resistant isolates. Overall, these data suggest that rifampin resistance may be used as a surrogate marker for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis and that a sensitivity of between 70 to 80% may be possible for rapid molecular detection of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in this setting.
"Green" atom transfer radical polymerization: from process design to preparation of well-defined environmentally friendly polymeric materials.

Chemical Reviews is published by the American Chemical Society. 1155 Sixteenth Street N.W. , Washington, DC 20036 “Green” Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization: From Process Design to Preparation of Well-Defined Environmentally Friendly Polymeric Materials Nicolay V. Tsarevsky, and Krzysztof Matyjaszewski Chem. Rev., 2007, 107 (6), 2270-2299• DOI: 10.1021/cr050947p • Publication Date (Web): 27 May 2007 Downloaded from http://pubs.acs. org on April 2, 2009
Effect of magnesium trisilicate on nitrofurantoin absorption

In vitro adsorption studies revealed that for an identical initial concentration of nitrofurantoin, magnesium trisilicate exhibited the greatest adsorptive capacity with bismuth oxycarbonate, talc, kaolin, and magnesium oxide exhibiting intermediate adsorptive powers, while aluminum hydroxide and calcium carbonate exhibited low or no adsorption properties. Trials to elute the drug with acidic or alkaline solution were unsuccessful. The in vivo absorption characteristics of nitrofurantoin and nitrofurantoin‐magnesium trisilicate combination were evaluated in 6 healthy males. Administration of magnesium trisilicate with nitrofurantoin reduced the rate and extent of its excretion reflecting decrease in both rate and extent of absorption. The time during which the drug concentration in the urine was above the minimum effective concentration of 32 µg/ml was also significantly reduced after administration of the antacid.
Understanding and analyzing the performance of MIMO systems from the microwave perspective

Multiple input multiple output (MIMO) wireless systems use multiple element antennas at the transmitter and receiver to offer improved capacity over conventional single antenna systems in a rich scattering environment. In this paper, the microwave perspective of operation of MIMO system is given. Following the new interpretation of operation, an electromagnetic model is introduced to assess the MIMO system transmission capacity. The proposed model is shown to provide good agreement with reported results in the literature.
Multi-level topology evaluation for ultra-efficient three-phase inverters

Multi-level topologies reduce the requirements on inductors and filters, however, given the high number of series connected semiconductors, it is still unclear if they are a suitable option to achieve ultra-high efficiency while maintaining a reasonable power density. For this purpose, an extensive quantitative evaluation of different topologies is carried out, to determine the required volume for a targeted 99.5% efficiency of a 10kW three-phase inverter. This includes the EMI noise filtering, where the Common Mode filter is placed on the DC-side to save losses and the impact of the upcoming EMI regulations covering the range from 2 kHz to 150 kHz is discussed. With an evaluation of multilevel topologies, it is shown that even if a high number of levels can reduce the size of the magnetic components by an order of magnitude, the volume and losses of the capacitive components required to create the multi-level voltage output have to be considered. An evaluation is done to quantify the performance of topologies ranging from two-level to seven-level topologies, and detailed designs of the three-level T-type and seven-level Hybrid Active Neutral Point Clamped converters are presented, achieving a relatively high power density of 2.2 kW/dm3 and 2.7 kW/dm3 respectively.
Topographic organization of the orientation column system in the striate cortex of the tree shrew (Tupaia glis). II. Deoxyglucose mapping

The topographic organization of the orientation column system in tree shrew striate cortex was examined by using 2–deoxyglucose autoradiography to map the cortical sites of increased metabolic activity produced by visual stimulation with stripes of a single orientation. Awake experimental tree shrews (freely moving, restrained, or paralyzed) were given injections of deoxyglucose label and then stimulated with vertical, horizontal, or oblique stripes for 45–75 min. Autoradiographs of coronal sections through the striate cortex revealed regularly spaced radial zones of increased deoxyglucose uptake 150–350 μm wide, extending from the cortical surface to the white matter, separated by interzone regions of lower uptake. The radial zones were most densely labeled and distinct in layers I–IIIb and least distinct in layer IV, which was continuously and densely labeled throughout both the radial zone and interzone regions. These radial zones, which were not present in control animals that viewed many orientations, reflect the locations of cortical cells activated by a single stimulus orientation.
Mutation of Walker‐A lysine 464 in cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator reveals functional interaction between its nucleotide‐binding domains

The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) chloride channel bears two nucleotide‐binding domains (NBD1 and NBD2) that control its ATP‐dependent gating. Exactly how these NBDs control gating is controversial. To address this issue, we examined channels with a Walker‐A lysine mutation in NBD1 (K464A) using the patch clamp technique. K464A mutants have an ATP dependence (EC50≈ 60 μm) and opening rate at 2.75 mm ATP (∼ 2.1 s−1) similar to wild type (EC50≈ 97 μm; ∼ 2.0 s−1). However, K464A's closing rate at 2.75 mm ATP (∼ 3.6 s−1) is faster than that of wild type (∼ 2.1 s−1), suggesting involvement of NBD1 in nucleotide‐dependent closing. Delay of closing in wild type by adenylyl imidodiphosphate (AMP‐PNP), a non‐hydrolysable ATP analogue, is markedly diminished in K464A mutants due to reduction in AMP‐PNP's apparent on‐rate and acceleration of its apparent off‐rate (∼ 2‐ and ∼ 10‐fold, respectively). Since the delay of closing by AMP‐PNP is thought to occur via NBD2, K464A's effect on the NBD2 mutant K1250A was examined. In sharp contrast to K464A, K1250A single mutants exhibit reduced opening (∼ 0.055 s−1) and closing (∼ 0.006 s−1) rates at millimolar [ATP], suggesting a role for K1250 in both opening and closing. At millimolar [ATP], K464A‐K1250A double mutants close ∼ 5‐fold faster (∼ 0.029 s−1) than K1250A but open with a similar rate (∼ 0.059 s−1), indicating an effect of K464A on NBD2 function. In summary, our results reveal that both of CFTR's functionally asymmetric NBDs participate in nucleotide‐dependent closing, which provides important constraints for NBD‐mediated gating models.
Moricin, a Novel Type of Antibacterial Peptide Isolated from the Silkworm, Bombyx mori(*)

A novel antibacterial peptide that shows antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from the hemolymph of the silkworm, Bombyx mori. The novel peptide consisted of 42 amino acids and was highly basic. This peptide indicated no significant similarity with other antibacterial peptides. The peptide showed antibacterial activity against several Gram-negative and -positive bacteria and had a higher activity against Gram-positive bacteria than cecropin B1, a major antibacterial peptide of B. mori. The novel peptide was inducible by bacterial injection. These results suggest that the peptide is responsible for the antibacterial activity in B. mori against Gram-positive bacteria. The effects of the peptide on bacterial and liposomal membranes showed that a target of the peptide is the bacterial cytoplasmic membrane. The results also suggest that the N-terminal portion of the peptide, containing a predicted α-helix, is responsible for an increase in the membrane permeability. We propose the name “moricin” for this novel antibacterial peptide isolated from B. mori.
A Unified Formula for Analysis of Some Network Reliability Problems

A topological formula is derived for solving a variety of network reliability problems such as vertex-to-vertex communication from a source to a terminal; from a source to some specified subset of the vertices or else all vertices; between any given vertex-pair; between all vertex-pairs within a given subset of the vertices; or else between all vertex-pairs. The formula applies to networks consisting of imperfect (unreliable) vertices and/or links, and with failure events s-independent or not. The formula explicitly characterizes the structure of both cancelling and noncancelling terms in the reliability expression obtained by Inclusion-Exclusion, and involves only noncancelling terms. Earlier topological formulas for the source-to-terminal problem and the source-to-all-vertices problem are shown to be special cases of this new one.
Assignment of the Absolute Configuration of P-Chiral 5′Mrna Cap Analogues Containing Phosphorothioate Moiety

Enzymatic cleavage of the P-chiral diastereoisomers of the 5′ mRNA cap analogue bearing phosphorothioate moiety in alfa position of 5′,5′-triphosphate bridge (m7Gppp S G D1 and D2) was performed by human Decapping Scavenger (DcpS) enzyme. Analysis of the degradation products allowed to estimate the absolute configuration at the asymmetric phosphorus atoms in examined compounds via correlation with the R P and S P diastereoisomers of guanosine 5′-O-(1-thiodiphosphate) (GDPαS).
Wood Texture Features Extraction by Using GLCM Combined With Various Edge Detection Methods

An image forming specific texture can be distinguished manually through the eye. However, sometimes it is difficult to do if the texture owned quite similar. Wood is a natural material that forms a unique texture. Experts can distinguish the quality of wood based texture observed in certain parts of the wood. In this study, it has been extracted texture features of the wood image that can be used to identify the characteristics of wood digitally by computer. Feature extraction carried out using Gray Level Co-occurrence Matrices (GLCM) built on an image from several edge detection methods applied to wood image. Edge detection methods used include Roberts, Sobel, Prewitt, Canny and Laplacian of Gaussian. The image of wood taken in LE2i laboratory, Universite de Bourgogne from the wood sample in France that grouped by their quality by experts and divided into four types of quality. Obtained a statistic that illustrates the distribution of texture features values of each wood type which compared according to the edge operator that is used and selection of specified GLCM parameters.
The Origin and Evolution of Enamel Mineralization Genes

Background/Aims: Enamel and enameloid were identified in early jawless vertebrates, about 500 million years ago (MYA). This suggests that enamel matrix proteins (EMPs) have at least the same age. We review the current data on the origin, evolution and relationships of enamel mineralization genes. Methods and Results: Three EMPs are secreted by ameloblasts during enamel formation: amelogenin (AMEL), ameloblastin (AMBN) and enamelin (ENAM). Recently, two new genes, amelotin (AMTN) and odontogenic ameloblast associated (ODAM), were found to be expressed by ameloblasts during maturation, increasing the group of ameloblast-secreted proteins to five members. The evolutionary analysis of these five genes indicates that they are related: AMEL is derived from AMBN, AMTN and ODAM are sister genes, and all are derived from ENAM. Using molecular dating, we showed that AMBN/AMEL duplication occurred >600 MYA. The large sequence dataset available for mammals and reptiles was used to study AMEL evolution. In the N- and C-terminal regions, numerous residues were unchanged during >200 million years, suggesting that they are important for the proper function of the protein. Conclusion: The evolutionary analysis of AMEL led to propose a dataset that will be useful to validate AMEL mutations leading to X- linked AI.
Genetic characterization of hepatitis C virus strains in Estonia: Fluctuations in the predominating subtype with time

During the last decade, there has been a dramatic increase in intravenous drug use in young adults in Estonia with an increased incidence of both hepatitis B and C as a consequence. Since genetic data are limited regarding hepatitis C virus (HCV) strains in Estonia, the aim of the study was to characterize HCV strains in different risk groups to determine their relatedness to strains from other geographical regions. Three hundred fifty‐three anti‐HCV positive sera collected during 1994–2004 from hospitalized patients, blood donors and health care workers were used as source of HCV RNA. Two hundred nine (59%) of the sera were positive for HCV RNA by PCR directed to the 5′‐UTR region. For 174 strains the HCV subtype was determined by analyses of the NS5B and/or the 5′UTR‐core regions. 1b (71%) was the most common subtype followed by 3a (24%), 2c (2%), 1a (1%), and 2a (1%). The 1b and 3a strains were similar to strains from other regions of the former USSR. Within genotype 1b there were several HCV lineages. However, for 3a there seemed to be two separate introductions into Estonia. There was a relative shift from subtype 1b to 3a in 1999–2000 with a further replacement of 3a with 1b in intravenous drug users in 2001 and onwards (P < 0.05). However, both subtypes were found to co‐circulate in the community independent of risk factors. One patient was infected with the 2k/1b recombinant presumed to originate from St. Petersburg being the first isolate of this recombinant recovered outside Russia. J. Med. Virol. 79:374–382, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Testing Theoretical Relationships: Factors Influencing Positive Health Practices (PHP) in Filipino College Students

Abstract Objective: To examine variables influencing the positive health practices (PHP) of Filipino college students to gain a better understanding of health practices in this ethnic/racial group. Cross-sectional study tested theoretical relationships postulated among (a) PHP, (b) social support (SS), (c) optimism, and (d) acculturation. Participants: A sample of Filipino college students (N = 226) aged 18 to 21 was obtained in June 2009. Methods: Participants completed 4 instruments. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 16.0. Results: Positive correlations were found between PHP and SS (r = .39, p = .01) and optimism and PHP (r = .36, p = .01). No correlation was found between PHP and acculturation. Optimism and SS predicted performance of PHP (R 2 = .18, F[2, 221] = 24.927, p < .001). A difference was found in acculturation levels between participants who grew up in the United States (t[223] = 4.5, p < .001) and those who did not. Conclusions: Findings help health practitioners and educators to better understand the underlying factors that influence PHP in this population.
Ultra compact, quadratic power proxies for multi-core processors

Per-core power proxies for multi-core processors are known to use more than 40 hardware activity monitors to achieve a 2% accuracy on core power estimation. These activity monitors are typically not accessible by the user, and even if they were accessible, there is a significant overhead in using them at the kernel or OS level for power monitoring or control. Furthermore, when scaled up to hundreds of cores per chip, such power proxies become a computational bottleneck for power management operations such as chip power capping. In this paper, we show that a 4% accuracy or better for per-core power estimation can be achieved using a power proxy based on a hybrid set of only four user-accessible parameters, namely core frequency, core temperature, instruction-per-cycle and active-state residency. We illustrate the accuracy of the model using the full suite of the SPEC CPU 2006 benchmarks on a 12-core processor.
Lifetime Exposure to Traumatic Events among a Sample of City Bus Drivers

Lifetime exposure to traumatic events was assessed retrospectively among a representative sample of city bus drivers (228 men and 54 women) from Montreal, Canada. Among them, 68.1% reported at least one exposure to a traumatic event of any type. Among the 68% exposed, 70.4% reported multiple traumatic exposures (M = 2.6, SD = 1.67), with ratings ranging from 0 to 12. This report underlines the fact that the prevalence of traumatic events is not yet well known. Epidemiological research should devote more effort to assess fully the lifetime prevalence of traumatic events and not only cases of PTSD.
Application of an Improved Technique for Assessing the Performance of Single-Pole Reclosing Schemes

This paper discusses the problem of predetermining practicable dead-times for use in single-pole-switched schemes. The work is of particular importance to the design and planning of such schemes. Details of digitally simulating the behaviour of secondary arcing to a higher degree of realism than has hitherto been possible are given. The results of field test validation studies are summarised and the paper concludes with an application study relating to a power system being engineered for the Botswana Power Corporation.
Interrater reliability for sleep scoring according to the Rechtschaffen & Kales and the new AASM standard

Interrater variability of sleep stage scorings has an essential impact not only on the reading of polysomnographic sleep studies (PSGs) for clinical trials but also on the evaluation of patients’ sleep. With the introduction of a new standard for sleep stage scorings (AASM standard) there is a need for studies on interrater reliability (IRR). The SIESTA database resulting from an EU‐funded project provides a large number of studies (n = 72; 56 healthy controls and 16 subjects with different sleep disorders, mean age ± SD: 57.7 ± 18.7, 34 females) for which scorings according to both standards (AASM and R&K) were done. Differences in IRR were analysed at two levels: (1) based on quantitative sleep parameter by means of intraclass correlations; and (2) based on an epoch‐by‐epoch comparison by means of Cohen’s kappa and Fleiss’ kappa. The overall agreement was for the AASM standard 82.0% (Cohen’s kappa = 0.76) and for the R&K standard 80.6% (Cohen’s kappa = 0.68). Agreements increased from R&K to AASM for all sleep stages, except N2. The results of this study underline that the modification of the scoring rules improve IRR as a result of the integration of occipital, central and frontal leads on the one hand, but decline IRR on the other hand specifically for N2, due to the new rule that cortical arousals with or without concurrent increase in submental electromyogram are critical events for the end of N2.
The Use of Ketotifen, a Mast Cell Blocker, for Treatment of Oligo‐ and Asthenozoospermia *

Summary: Treatment of idiopathic oligo‐ and asthenozoospermia by the mast cell blocker Ketotifen leads to a very moderate, but statistical significant improvement of sperm count and sperm motility. However, pregnancy rate was within the range of spontaneous conceptions. To evaluate the possible significance of this new treatment approach fürther research is mandatory to elucidate the relationship between mast cell proliferation and dysfunction of the blood‐testis barriere.