Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The relationship between phylogenetic classification, virulence and antibiotic resistance of extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli in İzmir province, Turkey

Background Extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) is an important bacterium and responsible for many bloodstream infections, including urinary tract infections and even fatal bacteremia. The aim of this research was to investigate whether ExPEC strains isolated from Turkish blood cultures have a relationship between 16S rRNA based phylogenetic clusters and antibiotic resistance profiles, virulence factors or clonal lineages. Methods Phenotypically identified ExPEC blood culture isolates (n = 104) were included in this study. The 16S rRNA partial sequence analysis was performed for genotypic identification of ExPEC isolates. Antibiotic susceptibility and Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase testing of isolates were performed. Phylogenetic classification (A, B1, B2 and D), Multi Locus Sequence Typing analysis and virulence-associated genes were investigated. Results Based on 16S rRNA partial sequence analysis, 97 out of 104 (93.26%) ExPEC isolates were confirmed as E. coli. Ampicillin (74.22%) and cefuroxime axetil (65.97%) resistances had the highest frequencies among the ExPEC isolates. In terms of phylogenetic classification of ExPEC, D (38.14%, 37/97) was the most prevalent group after A (29.89%, 29/97), B2 (20.61%, 20/97), and B1 (11.34%, 11/97). The sequence types of the 20 ExPEC isolates belonging to the B2 phylogenetic group were analyzed by Multi Locus Sequence Typing. Ten isolates out of 20 (50.0%) were identified as ST131. The other STs were ST95 (n = 1), ST14 (n = 1), ST10 (n = 1), ST69 (n = 1), ST1722 (n = 2), ST141 (n = 1), ST88 (n = 1), ST80 (n = 1), and ST998 (n = 1). Of the ST131 strains, six (60%, 6/10) represented serogroup O25. The most common virulence factor genes were serum resistance factor gene, traT (55.7%) aerobactin siderophore receptor and yersiniabactin encoding genes iutA (45.3%) and fyuA (50.5%), respectively. In addition, PAI (41.2%), iroN (23.7%), hlyA (15.4%), kpsII (13.4%), ompT (13.4%), papG (12.4%), iss (9.3%), cnf1 (7.2%), ibeA (2.06%), and sfaS (2.06%) genes were present in the ExPEC isolates. Conclusion The 16S rRNA-based phylogenetic relationship tree analysis showed that a large cluster was present among 97 ExPEC isolates along with related reference strains. There were 21 main clusters with 32 closely related subclusters. Based on our findings, different clonal lineages of ExPEC can display different antibiotic susceptibilities and virulence properties. We also concluded that virulence factors were not distributed depending on phylogenetic groups (A, B1, B2, and D). The ExPEC isolates belonging to the same phylogenetic group and sequence type could display different resistance and virulence characteristics.
Perceived social support and quality of life of parents of children with Autism

Background: When examining the incidence of autism, however, children should not be considered independent of their parents, as this collection of disorders also affects the life of their family members. Having a disabled child affects the relationships with the family and friends, and the social and work life of families. The quality of life of these families is discussed in terms of financial aspects, health, support of family members, values, occupation, family relations, and individual support dimensions of developmental disabilities. However, there are very limited studies on the relationship between perceived social support and quality of life of parents of children with autism, and none of these has been conducted in Turkey. Aim: This study aimed to identify the perceived social support and quality of life of the parents of children with autism and to investigate the related factors. Study Design: The sample of the study consists of 90 parents who accepted to join the research studies. The participants enrolled in the study included 90 biological parents (31 mothers; 59 fathers). Eighteen children had both mother and father participate (all participants subsequently will be referred to as “parents”). Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study. A socio-demographic form, the EUROHIS Quality of Life Scale (EUROHIS QOL-8) and the Multi-Dimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) were used for data collection. Results: The mean score on the EUROHIS QOL-8 was 26.17 ± 4.91 and that on the MSPSS was 51.06 ± 20.6. A statistically significant relationship was found between the EUROHIS QOL-8 and MSPSS scores (r = 0.524, P = 0.000). There were significant differences on the average score on the EUROHIS QOL-8 and MSPSS based on fathers' job status. Conclusion: Our results provide important insights into the family experiences of parents of children with autism, and may aid the development of appropriate interventions to further support them. Providing support and understanding families of children with autism and their experiences, nurses, doctors and health professionals can positively affect their health outcomes. Healthcare professionals should focus on determining the needs of families to accordingly plan and implement appropriate programs.
Conceptual and Perceptual Dimensions of Word Meaning Are Recovered Rapidly and in Parallel during Reading

A single word (the noun “elephant”) encapsulates a complex multidimensional meaning, including both perceptual (“big”, “gray”, “trumpeting”) and conceptual (“mammal”, “can be found in India”) features. Opposing theories make different predictions as to whether different features (also conceivable as dimensions of the semantic space) are stored in similar neural regions and recovered with similar temporal dynamics during word reading. In this magnetoencephalography study, we tracked the brain activity of healthy human participants while reading single words varying orthogonally across three semantic dimensions: two perceptual ones (i.e., the average implied real-world size and the average strength of association with a prototypical sound) and a conceptual one (i.e., the semantic category). The results indicate that perceptual and conceptual representations are supported by partially segregated neural networks: Whereas visual and auditory dimensions are encoded in the phase coherence of low-frequency oscillations of occipital and superior temporal regions, respectively, semantic features are encoded in the power of low-frequency oscillations of anterior temporal and inferior parietal areas. However, despite the differences, these representations appear to emerge at the same latency: around 200 msec after stimulus onset. Taken together, these findings suggest that perceptual and conceptual dimensions of the semantic space are recovered automatically, rapidly, and in parallel during word reading.
Forecast on Bus Trip Demand Based on ARIMA Models and Gated Recurrent Unit Neural Networks

Bus is the most basic trip mode in public transport system. Precise bus trip generation forecast indicates the short-term number of passengers in each bus station, providing passengers information to optimize trip strategy. The ARIMA models and gated recurrent unit neural networks were developed to predict bus trip demand in different intervals including the 30-minute, 1-hour, 2-hour and 4-hour intervals based on the I C card data in Shenzhen, China. Time series data was structured by the IC card record, where one record was viewed as a passenger in this station. The comparison results suggested that the GRU NN models provide better prediction accuracy than the ARIMA model for different time intervals. The developed GRU NNs can be further used to guide the bus network optimization and urban planning.
Eating with a smaller spoon decreases bite size, eating rate and ad libitum food intake in healthy young males

Abstract There is a paucity of data examining the effect of cutlery size on the microstructure of within-meal eating behaviour or food intake. Therefore, the present studies examined how manipulation of spoon size influenced these eating behaviour measures in lean young men. In study one, subjects ate a semi-solid porridge breakfast ad libitum, until satiation. In study two, subjects ate a standardised amount of porridge, with mean bite size and mean eating rate covertly measured by observation through a one-way mirror. Both studies involved subjects completing a familiarisation visit and two experimental visits, where they ate with a teaspoon (SMALL) or dessert spoon (LARGE), in randomised order. Subjective appetite measures (hunger, fullness, desire to eat and satisfaction) were made before and after meals. In study one, subjects ate 8 % less food when they ate with the SMALL spoon (SMALL 532 (SD 189) g; LARGE 575 (SD 227) g; P=0·006). In study two, mean bite size (SMALL 10·5 (SD 1·3) g; LARGE 13·7 (SD 2·6) g; P<0·001) and eating rate (SMALL 92 (SD 25) g/min; LARGE 108 (SD 29) g/min; P<0·001) were reduced in the SMALL condition. There were no condition or interaction effects for subjective appetite measures. These results suggest that eating with a small spoon decreases ad libitum food intake, possibly via a cascade of effects on within-meal eating microstructure. A small spoon might be a practical strategy for decreasing bite size and eating rate, likely increasing oral processing, and subsequently decreasing food intake, at least in lean young men.
Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis Catheter Insertion Technique: A Comparative Study of Percutaneous versus Surgical Insertion

Continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) is a standard renal replacement therapy, but there is a lack of consensus for catheter insertion method and type of catheter used. We retrospectively analyzed 140 peritoneal dialysis catheters (PDC) inserted in 139 CAPD patients by two methods; percutaneous (Group “P,” n = 47) and surgical mini laparotomy (Group “S,” n = 93) technique over a 39-month period, with cumulative experience of 2415 catheter-months: 745 catheter-months for Group “P” and 1670 catheter-months for Group “S. ” Break-in period was shorter in Group “P” (P = 0.002) whereas primary nonfunction rate was comparable (P = 0.9). The mean catheter survival was better in Group “S” (17.95 ± 10.96 months vs. 15.85 ± 9.41 months in “P” group, P = 0.05) whereas the death-censored and overall catheter survival was comparable in both groups. PDC removal due to refractory peritonitis was also comparable. Mechanical complications were more in “P” group (P = 0.049), leading to higher catheter removal (P = 0.033). The peritonitis rates were higher in “P” group (1 episode per 24.8 catheter-months vs. 1 episode per 34.8 catheter-months in “S” group, P = 0.026) and related to a higher number of rural patients in the group (P = 0.04). Patient survival was comparable. There was no effect on episodes of peritonitis in those CAPD patients who had diabetic etiology or prior hemodialysis catheter-related sepsis, age, and PDC insertion method.
Pharmacokinetics and Safety of Single Intravenous Doses of Ceftolozane/Tazobactam in Children With Proven or Suspected Gram-Negative Infection

Background: Drug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria are a growing threat to children; thus new antibiotics are needed to treat infections caused by these pathogens. Ceftolozane/tazobactam is active against many Gram-negative pathogens and is approved for treatment of complicated intra-abdominal and urinary tract infections in adults, but has not been evaluated in children. Methods: This phase 1, noncomparative, open-label, multicenter study characterized the pharmacokinetics (by noncompartmental analysis), safety, and tolerability of single intravenous doses of ceftolozane/tazobactam in pediatric patients (birth [7 days postnatal] to < 18 years of age) with proven/suspected Gram-negative infection or receiving perioperative prophylaxis (clinicaltrials.gov NCT02266706). Patients were enrolled into 1 of 6 age groups to receive a single, age-based ceftolozane/tazobactam dose, with timed blood sample collection for determining plasma concentrations of ceftolozane and tazobactam. Safety and tolerability were also evaluated. Results: Thirty-seven patients received study drug; 34 were included in the pharmacokinetic population. Ceftolozane and tazobactam pharmacokinetic parameters were generally comparable for patients 3 months to < 18 years of age. Patients from birth (7 days postnatal) to < 3 months of age had lower clearance than older children, likely due to the immature renal function of these young infants. No deaths, study drug-related serious adverse events, or clinically significant laboratory abnormalities were observed after administration of ceftolozane/tazobactam. Conclusions: The doses evaluated in this study yielded ceftolozane/tazobactam exposure levels generally comparable with those in adults. Single doses of ceftolozane/tazobactam were well-tolerated, and no safety concerns were identified. These data informed pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic models to derive pediatric dose recommendations for phase 2 ceftolozane/tazobactam clinical trials.
Overexpression of quality control proteins reduces prion conversion in prion-infected cells

Prion diseases are fatal infectious neurodegenerative disorders in humans and other animals and are caused by misfolding of the cellular prion protein (PrPC) into the pathological isoform PrPSc. These diseases have the potential to transmit within or between species, including zoonotic transmission to humans. Elucidating the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying prion propagation and transmission is therefore critical for developing molecular strategies for disease intervention. We have shown previously that impaired quality control mechanisms directly influence prion propagation. In this study, we manipulated cellular quality control pathways in vitro by stably and transiently overexpressing selected quality control folding (ERp57) and cargo (VIP36) proteins and investigated the effects of this overexpression on prion propagation. We found that ERp57 or VIP36 overexpression in persistently prion-infected neuroblastoma cells significantly reduces the amount of PrPSc in immunoblots and prion-seeding activity in the real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) assay. Using different cell lines infected with various prion strains confirmed that this effect is not cell type– or prion strain–specific. Moreover, de novo prion infection revealed that the overexpression significantly reduced newly formed PrPSc in acutely infected cells. ERp57-overexpressing cells significantly overcame endoplasmic reticulum stress, as revealed by expression of lower levels of the stress markers BiP and CHOP, accompanied by a decrease in PrP aggregates. Furthermore, application of ERp57-expressing lentiviruses prolonged the survival of prion-infected mice. Taken together, improved cellular quality control via ERp57 or VIP36 overexpression impairs prion propagation and could be utilized as a potential therapeutic strategy.
The effect of auriculotherapy on the severity and duration of labor pain

INTRODUCTION: Pain is a common phenomenon and an inevitable part of the labor process. Labor pain is one of the most severe pains. Auriculotherapy is one of the nonpharmacological aspects of relieving pain, reduces the intensity of pain, and improves its compatibility. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of auriculotherapy on labor pain in primiparous women. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This clinical trial was performed on 84 pregnant women aged between 18 and 35 years, who referred to Isfahan Shahid Beheshti Hospital in 2017. This study was carried out between two groups: control group (receiving routine hospital care) and interventional group (20 min for auriculotherapy). We used the McGill Short-Form Standard questionnaire with Visual Analog Scale. Data were analyzed by SPSS software using paired t-test and ANOVA. RESULTS: The results showed that there was no significant difference between demographic variables in the two groups. Statistical analysis also showed that the severity of labor pain in the interventional group (auriculotherapy) was lower than that of the control group (P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Auriculotherapy reduces the severity of labor pain in primiparous women. Due to the easy, inexpensive, and noninvasive nature of this method, its use has been recommended in these cases.
Metabolomics Study of the Biochemical Changes in the Plasma of Myocardial Infarction Patients

Myocardial infarction (MI) is a common and multifactorial disease that has the highest morbidity and mortality in the world. Although a number of physiological, pathological, and functional parameters have been investigated, only scarce information regarding the changes of small metabolites in the plasma has been reported, and this lack of information may cause poor MI diagnosis and treatment. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the metabolic profiles of plasma samples from MI patients to identify potential disease biomarkers and to study the pathology of MI. Metabolic profiles of the plasma of 30 MI patients and 30 controls were obtained using ultra-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization quadruple time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The resulting data were processed using pattern recognition approaches, including principal component analysis and partial least squares-discriminant analysis, to identify the metabolites that differed between the groups. Significant differences in the plasma levels of the following 10 metabolites were observed in the MI patients compared with the controls: phosphatidylserine, C16-sphingosine, N-methyl arachidonic amide, N-(2-methoxyethyl) arachidonic amide, linoleamidoglycerophosphate choline, lyso-PC (C18:2), lyso-PC (C16:0), lyso-PC (C18:1), arachidonic acid, and linoleic acid. The changes in these 10 biomarkers indicated perturbations of energy metabolism, phospholipid metabolism, and fatty acid metabolism in the MI patients. These findings hold promise to advance the treatment, diagnosis, and prevention of MI.
Analysis of a One-Dimensional Continuous Delay-Tolerant Network Model

The packet speed and transmission cost are examined, for a single packet traveling along a simple one-dimensional, continuous-time network, using a combination of wireless transmissions and physical transports. We assume that the network consists of two nodes moving at constant speed on a circle, and changing their direction of travel after independent exponential times. The packet wishes to travel in the clockwise direction as fast and as far as possible. It travels either by being physically transported on a node's buffer, or by being wirelessly transmitted to the other node when the two are in the same location. We derive exact, explicit expressions for the long-term average packet speed (in the clockwise direction), and also for the average wireless transmission cost. These results can be viewed as initial steps towards the development of analogous exact expressions for the speed and cost, in more realistic, two-dimensional wireless delay-tolerant network models.
A Unified Level Set Framework Combining Hybrid Algorithms for Liver and Liver Tumor Segmentation in CT Images

Accurate and reliable segmentation of liver tissue and liver tumor is essential for the follow-up of hepatic diagnosis. In this paper, we present a method for liver segmentation and a method for liver tumor segmentation. The two methods are grounded on a novel unified level set method (LSM), which incorporates both region information and edge information to evolve the contour. This level set framework is more resistant to edge leakage than the single-information driven LSMs for liver segmentation and surpasses many other models for liver tumor segmentation. Specifically, for liver segmentation, a hybrid image preprocessing scheme is used first to convert an input CT image into a binary image. Then with manual setting of a few seed points on the obtained binary image, the following region-growing is performed to extract a rough liver region with no leakage. The unified LSM is proposed at last to refine the segmentation result. For liver tumor segmentation, a local intensity clustering based LSM coupled with hidden Markov random field and expectation-maximization (HMRF-EM) algorithm is applied to construct an enhanced edge indicator for the unified LSM. With this development, expected segmentation results can be obtained via the unified LSM, even for complex tumors. The two methods were evaluated with various datasets containing a local hospital dataset, the public datasets SLIVER07, 3Dircadb, and MIDAS via five measures. The proposed liver segmentation method outperformed other previous semiautomatic methods on the SLIVER07 dataset and required less interaction. The proposed liver tumor segmentation method was also competitive with other state-of-the-art methods in both accuracy and efficiency on the 3Dircadb database. Our methods are evaluated to be accurate and efficient, which allows their adoptions in clinical practice.
Toward an Integrative Framework for Studying Human Evaluation: Attitudes Toward Objects and Attributes

Evaluation is central to human experience, and multiple literatures have studied it. This article pulls from research on attitudes, human and nonhuman mating preferences, consumer behavior, and beyond to build a more comprehensive framework for studying evaluation. First, we distinguish between evaluations of objects (persons, places, things) and evaluations of attributes (dimensions, traits, characteristics). Then, we further distinguish between summarized attribute preferences (a valenced response to a direction on a dimension, such as liking sweetness in desserts) and functional attribute preferences (a valenced response to increasing levels of a dimension in a set of targets, such as the extent to which sweetness predicts liking for desserts). We situate these constructs with respect to existing distinctions in the attitude literature (e.g., specific/general, indirect/direct). Finally, new models address how people translate functional into summarized preferences, as well as how attribute preferences affect (a) subsequent evaluations of objects and (b) situation selection.
Advantages of CAD/CAM versus Conventional Complete Dentures - A Review

BACKGROUND: The introduction and evolution of CAD/CAM technology into complete dentures fabrication brought high expectations in improving disadvantages associated with conventional methods. AIM: The purpose of this review was to analyse the existing literature on computer-engineered complete dentures and to determine their advantages over the conventional dentures. MATERIAL AND METHODS: An electronic search of the English literature from January 1994 to March 2018 was performed in PubMed/MEDLINE, using the following keywords: CAD/CAM complete dentures, computer-engineered complete dentures, complete digital dentures, complete milled dentures, and rapid prototyping dentures. RESULTS: A total of 179 English language titles were obtained from the database, and 14 were relevant to fulfil the purpose of this review. A review of 7 articles is summarized in 2 tables for presenting a comparison between CAD/CAM and conventional dentures in clinical and laboratory studies. CONCLUSION: Following the review of articles that discussed the comparison between CAD/CAM and conventional complete dentures in clinical studies, it can be concluded that the main advantages of CAD/CAM dentures are the reduced clinical chair time and the number of visits, digital archiving, significantly higher retention, and more favorable clinical and patient-centered outcomes. As a result of the review of laboratory studies, superior mechanical and physical properties in CAD/CAM dentures were revealed, concerning enhanced accuracy of fit of milled denture bases, less denture tooth movement and increased toughness, ultimate flexural strength, and higher elastic modulus.