Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Identification of mineral‐binding peptides that discriminate between chalcopyrite and enargite

Innovative approaches to the separation of minerals and subsequent extraction of metals are imperative owing to the increasing mineralogical complexity of ore deposits that are difficult or even impossible to separate into slurries or solutions containing only the minerals or metals of interest. Low recovery of metal is typical for these complex deposits leading to significant losses to tailings. In addition, the minerals often contain impurities, some toxic, which are difficult and costly to control or manage during the processing of a concentrate or other mineral product. One example of this complex situation is the significant economic and environmental costs associated with diluting and processing copper concentrates containing arsenic (in the form of the mineral enargite, Cu3AsS4) in the production of pure copper. To overcome these separation problems, we have utilized phage display to identify peptides that demonstrate selective recognition of enargite and the arsenic‐free copper sulfide, chalcopyrite. Screening of two random peptide phage display libraries resulted in the identification of an enargite‐selective peptide with the sequence MHKPTVHIKGPT and a chalcopyrite‐selective peptide with the sequence RKKKCKGNCCYTPQ. Mineral‐binding selectivity was demonstrated by binding studies, zeta potential determination and immunochemistry. Peptides that have the ability to discriminate between enargite and chalcopyrite provide a greener option for the separation of arsenic containing contaminants from copper concentrates. This represents the first step towards a major advance in the replacement or reduction of toxic collectors as well as reducing the level of arsenic‐bearing minerals in the early stages of mineral processing. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2017;114: 998–1005. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Natural Genetic Transformation: a Novel Tool for Efficient Genetic Engineering of the Dairy Bacterium Streptococcus thermophilus

ABSTRACT Streptococcus thermophilus is widely used for the manufacture of yoghurt and Swiss or Italian-type cheeses. These products have a market value of approximately $40 billion per year, making S. thermophilus a species that has major economic importance. Even though the fermentation properties of this bacterium have been gradually improved by classical methods, there is great potential for further improvement through genetic engineering. Due to the recent publication of three complete genome sequences, it is now possible to use a rational approach for designing S. thermophilus starter strains with improved properties. Progress in this field, however, is hampered by a lack of genetic tools. Therefore, we developed a system, based on natural transformation, which makes genetic manipulations in S. thermophilus easy, rapid, and highly efficient. The efficiency of this novel tool should make it possible to construct food-grade mutants of S. thermophilus, opening up exciting new possibilities that should benefit consumers as well as the dairy industry.
Reoperation Rates After Single-level Lumbar Discectomy

Study Design. Retrospective analysis of national insurance billing database. Objective. To examine trends in reoperation after single-level lumbar discectomy. Summary of Background Data. Lumbar discectomy is the most commonly performed procedure for treatment of radiculopathy caused by disc herniation. Randomized clinical trials have demonstrated the advantage of discectomy over nonsurgical treatment options, allowing for a more rapid reduction in symptoms. However, population-level data regarding reoperation after single level discectomy is limited. Methods. Data were collected using the commercially available PearlDiver software for patients billed with the Current Procedural Terminology code for our index procedure, hemilaminotomy and removal of disc material, between January 2007 and September 2014. The index group was then followed for up to 4 years for recurrent lumbar surgery, including spinal fusion, laminectomy, and additional discectomy. Results. Analysis of data obtained from 13,654 patient records revealed a rate of additional lumbar surgeries after single-level discectomy of 3.95% (539/13654) within 3 months and 12.2% (766/6274) within 4 years of the index procedure. Lumbar spinal fusion was performed on 5.9% (370/6274) of patients within 4 years. Patients who received a re-exploration discectomy within 2 years of the index procedure went on to receive lumbar fusion at a rate of 38.4% (48/125) within the 4 years after the re-exploration discectomy. The average additional cost of lumbar reoperation, as measured by insurance reimbursement, was approximately $11,161 per-patient per year. Conclusion. We report an overall 4-year reoperation rate of 12.2% after single-level discectomy. In addition, we report a rate of progression to lumbar fusion following re-exploration discectomy of 38.4% within 4 years of reoperation. Further studies are needed regarding the best treatment algorithm in patients with reherniation or iatrogenic instability after lumbar discectomy. This study should enhance the shared decision making process by providing surgeons and patients with valuable data regarding the frequency and nature of reoperations after discectomy. Level of Evidence: 3
The Effect of Implementing an Educational Program about Proper Body Mechanics on Low Back Pain and Activities of Daily Living among Patients with Disc Prolapse

Disk prolapse is the most common cause of intolerable lower back pain and the potential for serious adverse neurological consequences. This study aimed to determine the effect of implementing an educational program about proper body mechanics on low back pain and activities of daily living among patients with disc prolapse. Subjects and methods: A quasi-experimental research design was conducted to meet the aim of the study . The study was conducted in neurology department of Shebin El koom University and Teaching hospitals at Menoufia governorate, Egypt. A purposive sample of 120 adult patients with a diagnosis of lumber disc prolapse were randomly assigned into control and study group of 60 patient each. Study group received a structured educational program and planned clinical supervision about applying good body mechanics when performing activities of daily living in addition to routine hospital care. Control group received only routine hospital care. The data gathering instruments were Bio sociodemographic and knowledge assessment form, visual analogue pain scale and oswestry low back pain disability questionnaire. The main findings of the study were that, there was statistically significant improvement in knowledge, Oswestry low back pain disability scores and visual analogue pain scale in study group more than their control (P<0.001). The study concluded that educational program about utilization proper body mechanics for patients with disc prolapse have shown beneficial improvement of knowledge and activities of daily living and reduction of low back pain. The study recommended that utilization of proper body mechanics should form an important component and should be included routinely in the management of patients with disc prolapse.
How self-reflection and self-certainty are related to neurocognitive functioning: an examination of cognitive insight in bipolar disorder

ABSTRACT Introduction. The pattern of associations between clinical insight, cognitive insight, and neurocognitive functioning was assessed in bipolar disorder patients. Methods. Data from 42 bipolar disorder patients were examined. Cognitive insight was measured using the Beck Cognitive Insight Scale (BCIS). The BCIS is a 15-item self-report instrument consisting of two subscales, self-reflectiveness and self-certainty. Clinical insight was measured by the use of the item G12 of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. Neurocognitive functioning was assessed using the International Society for Bipolar Disorders-Battery for Assessment of Neurocognition. Results. Correlation analyses revealed significant positive associations between self-reflectiveness and speed of processing, attention, working memory, visual learning, and reasoning and problem solving. The subscale self-certainty was negatively correlated to working memory, however, this correlation disappeared when we controlled for confounding variables. No correlations between clinical insight and neurocognition were found. In addition, there was no association between cognitive insight and clinical insight. Conclusion. Better neurocognitive functioning was more related to higher levels of self-reflectiveness than to diminished self-certainty.
Metabolic syndrome increases cardiovascular events but not hepatic events and death in patients with chronic hepatitis B

Metabolic syndrome is an independent risk factor of liver cirrhosis in chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Whether metabolic syndrome affects the long‐term prognosis of CHB patients in terms of hepatic events, cardiovascular events, and death remains unknown. We aimed to determine the incidences of hepatic events, cardiovascular events, and death in CHB patients with or without metabolic syndrome. From 2006 to 2008, we prospectively recruited 1,466 CHB patients for liver stiffness measurement (LSM) with transient elastography together with detailed metabolic profiling as baseline assessment. Patients were prospectively followed for any clinical events. The impact of LSM and metabolic syndrome on hepatic events, cardiovascular events, and death was evaluated. At baseline visit, the mean age was 46 ± 12 years, LSM value was 8.4 ± 6.3 kPa, and 188 patients (12.8%) had metabolic syndrome. At a mean follow‐up of 88 ± 20 months, 93 and 44 patients developed hepatic and cardiovascular events, respectively; 70 patients died. Patients with baseline LSM >8.0 kPa had higher cumulative probability of hepatic events than those with LSM ≤8.0kPa at 8 years (12.3% versus 3.1%, P < 0.001). Patients with metabolic syndrome had higher cumulative probability of cardiovascular events than those without (8.0% versus 2.1%, P < 0.001). High LSM had no impact on cardiovascular events; neither did metabolic syndrome on hepatic events. LSM >8.0 kPa but not metabolic syndrome was an independent risk factor of death, with adjusted hazard ratios of 1.9 (95% confidence interval 1.1‐3.2, P = 0.023) and 1.3 (95% confidence interval 0.8‐2.4, P = 0.310), respectively. Conclusions: Metabolic syndrome increased the risk of cardiovascular events but not hepatic events and death; LSM was the important risk factor of hepatic events and death in CHB patients. (Hepatology 2016;64:1507‐1517)
Medial efferent effects on auditory-nerve responses to tail-frequency tones. I. Rate reduction.

One way medial efferents are thought to inhibit responses of auditory-nerve fibers (ANFs) is by reducing the gain of the cochlear amplifier thereby reducing motion of the basilar membrane. If this is the only mechanism of medial efferent inhibition, then medial efferents would not be expected to inhibit responses where the cochlear amplifier has little effect, i.e., at sound frequencies in the tails of tuning curves. Inhibition at tail frequencies was tested for by obtaining randomized rate-level functions from cat ANFs with high characteristic frequencies (CF > or = 5 kHz), stimulated with tones two or more octaves below CF. It was found that electrical stimulation of medial efferents can indeed inhibit ANF responses to tail-frequency tones. The amplitude of efferent inhibition depended on both sound level (largest near to threshold) and frequency (largest two to three octaves below CF). On average, inhibition of high-CF ANFs responding to 1 kHz tones was around 5 dB. Although an efferent reduction of basilar-membrane motion cannot be ruled out as the mechanism producing the inhibition of ANF responses to tail frequency tones, it seems more likely that efferents produce this effect by changing the micromechanics of the cochlear partition.
Isolation of an agent of the spotted fever group rickettsia from tick eggs in Madrid, Spain

SUMMARY Ticks recovered from dogs in rural villages around Madrid (Spain) were processed to isolate rickettsiae. One sample containing mixtures of ticks and four containing eggs, in which rickettsiae had been detected by indirect immunofluorescence with a human serum highly reactive to Rickettsia conorii, were decontaminated, homogenized and inoculated onto Vero cells. Two egg samples yielded a cytopathic agent that reacted positively by immunofluorescence. One sample (14H) was successfully subcultured and identified as a member of the spotted fever group rickettsia. Tick eggs provide suitable material for isolation of rickettsia.
Analysis and experimental verification of a single‐switch high‐voltage gain ZCS DC–DC converter

This study proposes and analyses the integration of soft-switching technique with a single switch, non-isolated, coupled inductor DC-DC converter to achieve high efficiency and high step-up conversion ratio. The topology optimally integrates the coupled inductor and soft-switching technique using a parallel LC resonant tank circuit to maintain zero-current switching (ZCS) for on/off switching. The leakage inductance of the coupled inductor alleviates the reverse-recovery issue of diodes, and diodes can operate under ZCS condition. Moreover, the converter operates in a lower frequency range due to high step-up voltage gain. The principle of operation and steady-state analyses of the proposed converter are presented. A prototype validates the theoretical analysis and demonstrates a higher peak efficiency of 96.43% than the corresponding hard-switched converter.
Half-Transitive Group Actions on Finite Graphs of Valency 4

The action of a subgroupGof automorphisms of a graphXis said to be 12-transitiveif it is vertex- and edge- but not arc-transitive. In this case the graphXis said to be (G, 12)-transitive. In particular,Xis 12-transitiveif it is (AutX, 12)-transitive. The 12-transitive action ofGonXinduces an orientation of the edges ofXwhich is preserved byG. LetXhave valency 4. An even length cycleCinXis aG-alternating cycleif every other vertex ofCis the head and every other vertex ofCis the tail of its two incident edges in the above orientation. It transpires that allG-alternating cycles inXhave the same length and form a decomposition of the edge set ofX(Proposition 2.4); half of this length is denoted byrG(X) and is called theG-radiusofX. Moreover, it is shown that any two adjacentG-alternating cycles ofXintersect in the same number of vertices and that this number, called theG-attachment number aG(X) ofX, divides 2rG(X) (Proposition 2.6). IfXis 12-transitive, we let theradiusand theattachment numberofXbe, respectively, the AutX-radius and the AutX-attachment number ofX. The caseaG(X)=2rG(X) corresponds to the graphXconsisting of twoG-alternating cycles with the same vertex sets and leads to an arc-transitive circulant graph (Proposition 2.4). IfaG(X)=rG(X) we say that the graphXistightly G-attached. In particular, a 12-transitive graphXof valency 4 istightly attachedif it is tightly AutX-attached. A complete classification of tightly attached 12-transitive graphs with odd radius and valency 4 is obtained (Theorem 3.4).
On Improving the Efficiency of the Fixed-Complexity Sphere Decoder

Fixed-complexity sphere decoder (FSD), which con- sists of ordering stage and tree-search stage, achieves a quasi- ML performance while requiring a fixed computational ef- fort independent of the noise power and channel conditioning. Nevertheless, it requires a specific signal ordering using the VBLAST algorithm which has a high complexity due to the iterative pseudo-inversion of the channel matrix. In this paper, we propose two schemes to reduce the complexity of FSD algorithm in the ordering and tree-search stages, respectively, while achieving quasi-ML performance. In the ordering stage, we propose QR-decomposition-based FSD signal ordering (FSD- SQRD) that requires only a few number of additional complex flops compared to the unsorted QRD. In the tree-search stage, we introduce a threshold-based complexity reduction approach for FSD depending on the reliability of the signal with the lowest received SNR. Numerical results show that in a 4×4 system, the proposed FSD-SQRD requires only 17.2% of the computational efforts required by a reduced-complexity VBLAST approach. Moreover, using 16-QAM, simulation results show that when the proposed threshold-based approach is employed, FSD requires only 69.5% of its full complexity.
Major Inhibitors of the Contact Phase Coagulation Factors

Peptide bond cleavage mediated by serine pro­ teinases regulates various biologic functions, among which are blood coagulation, kinin formation, fibri­ nolysis, complement activation, hormone matura­ tion, and fertilization. One of the mecha­ nisms that controls the activity of the proteolytic enzymes of these systems is enzyme inactivation by protein proteinase inhibitors. Normal human plasma contains a series of inhibitor molecules, such as α1-antitrypsin, antithrombin III, α2-antiplasmin, Cl inhibitor, and α2-niacroglobulin. Some of these molecules have established physio­ logic functions, and their target enzymes are identi­ fied. For example, deficiency of α1-antitrypsin with unregulated neutrophil elastase activity causes emphysema, whereas thrombosis because of unop­ posed action of thrombin occurs in patients with reduced levels of antithrombin III. The present article reviews selected aspects of the inhibition of the proteolytic enzymes of the contact system. Since this pathway is activated in patients lacking Cl inhibitor and having hereditary angioedema, special emphasis will be placed on this molecule.
Policy intermediaries and the reform of e-Education in South Africa

Utilising a JOUR study approach and backward mapping principles to policy implementation, this study set out to explore how well district and province's e-learning officials are equipped for the task of implementing the national e-Education policy. Qualitative methods were employed to capture data through interviews and document analysis. Data were analysed using grounded theory methods. Analyses of e-learning official's constructions about information and communication technology implementation in schools yielded patterns in their understandings of policy implementation. Findings were fourfold. First, district and provincial e-learning leaders superficially understood the e-Education policy, missing policy intent of their role as policy intermediaries. Second, they perceived their role mainly as policy conduits focusing on the dissemination of the policy to schools. Third, the compartmentalisation of directorates performing the same function lacked communication, interaction and coherence. Fourth, district's capacity and lack of competence impacted negatively on their ability to implement policy and support schools. This study suggests that for intermediaries to be effective implementers of policy, they need to become teachers of policy. In order to achieve this, it becomes necessary and crucial for them to participate in the process of policy formulation, appropriation, interpretation and the learning of policy. However much policy makers may have wished the districts to be able to perform what official policy aspired to, the reality is otherwise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
The renin receptor: the facts, the promise and the hope

Purpose of reviewThe renin-angiotensin system plays a major role in the control of blood pressure and of salt balance, but it is also involved in physiological and pathological processes, development, inflammation and cardiac hypertrophy. A concept has emerged suggesting that these effects are due to a local activation of the renin-angiotensin system. The search for a receptor of renin was based on the idea that tissue (pro)renin is taken up from the circulation and on data suggesting that renin per se has cellular effects independent of angiotensin II. Recent findingsEndothelial cells and cardiac myocytes bind (pro)renin via the mannose-6-phosphate receptor, mainly a clearance receptor as no cellular effect has been specifically attributed to prorenin binding. A functional receptor was cloned recently. It mediates intracellular signalling by activating the mitogen activated protein kinases, extracellular signal regulated kinases 1 and 2, and acts as a co-factor by increasing the efficiency of angiotensinogen cleavage by receptor-bound (pro)renin. The receptor is abundantly expressed in heart, brain, placenta and eye, compared with a lower expression in liver and kidney. In normal human kidney and heart, it is localized in the mesangium and in the coronary and kidney artery, associated with smooth-muscle cells and co-localized with renin. SummaryThis receptor provides a functional role for prorenin and may help to understand the physiological and pathological role of elevated levels of prorenin and of local activation of the renin-angiotensin system. From a practical point of view, it questions the need for a pharmacological compound blocking (pro)renin binding and activity as an alternative to the classical inhibitors of the renin-angiotensin system.
Bone density and depression in premenopausal South African women: a pilot study.

OBJECTIVE It is posited that the effect of depression on BMD is dependent on the severity of depression. Conflicting evidence exists regarding this possible association. This study investigated the association between depression and low bone mineral density (BMD). METHODS The hypothesis was investigated in a random sample of volunteers (n=40) and in premenopausal female psychiatric patients (n=5) diagnosed with recurrent severe major depression. The outcome measures were BMD (DEXA); depression (Beck Depression Inventory and Psychological General Well-being Scale) and 24-hour saliva cortisol levels (ELISA). In a comparison of women (4 of the 40 i.e. "control" subjects) with negligible symptoms of depression and the five patients with severe recurrent major depression- BMD, depression, saliva cortisol and bone turnover markers were measured and compared. Pro-inflammatory status (IL-1 and TNF-alpha) was investigated in the psychiatric patients only. RESULTS In the random - non clinical - sample of women (n=40), 26 exhibited normal BDM and 14 exhibited low BMD. Drepressive symptoms and cortisol level were not significantly different between these two groups. Women with severe recurrent major depression (n=5)exhibited lower median BMD T-scores, higher overall bone turnover and higher 24-hour cortisol levels compared to "control" subjects (n=4). The psychiatric patients also exhibited elevated IL-1 levels. CONCLUSION The effect of depression on BMD may be dependent on the depression severity, IL-1 and cortisol are possible mediators in depression-induced BMD loss.