Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Clonal Spread of Hospital-Acquired NDM-1-Producing Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli in an Italian Neonatal Surgery Unit: A Retrospective Study

This article reports a rapid and unexpected spread of colonization cases of NDM-1 carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli in a neonatal surgical unit (NSU) at Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital in Rome, Italy. Between the 16th of November 2020 and the 18th of January 2021, a total of 20 NDM-1 carbapenemase-producing K. pneumoniae (n = 8) and E. coli (n = 12) were isolated from 17 out of 230 stool samples collected from neonates admitted in the aforementioned ward and time period by an active surveillance culture program routinely in place to monitor the prevalence of colonization/infection with multidrug-resistant Gram-negative microorganisms. All strains were characterized by antimicrobial susceptibility testing, detection of resistance determinants, PCR-based replicon typing (PBRT) and multilocus-sequence typing (MLST). All isolates were highly resistant to most of the tested antibiotics, and molecular characterization revealed that all of them harbored the blaNDM-1 gene. Overall, IncA/C was the most common Inc group (n = 20/20), followed by IncFIA (n = 17/20), IncFIIK (n = 14/20) and IncFII (n = 11/20). MLST analysis was performed on all 20 carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) strains, revealing three different Sequence Types (STs) among E. coli isolates, with the prevalence of ST131 (n = 10/12; 83%). Additionally, among the 8 K. pneumoniae strains we found 2 STs with the prevalence of ST37 (n = 7/8; 87.5%). Although patient results were positive for CPE colonization during their hospital stay, infection control interventions prevented their dissemination in the ward and no cases of infection were recorded in the same time period.
On the origin of oblique-incidence anisotropy in evaporated cobalt films

The main results obtained when studying a temperature dependence of the uniaxial anisotropy of oblique-incidence magnetic films of cobalt are given. It has been stated that when depositing the films onto a substratum heated to 350°C, the easy magnetization axis (EA) is perpendicular to the incidence plane of a molecular beam (a positive anisotropy). EA is in the incidence plane (a negative anisotropy) when the temperature of a substratum is 60 to 80°C. At intermediate temperatures of a substratum a positive anisotropy arises at small angles of deposition and a negative one is at great angles of deposition. Temperature dependences of the constant of the uniaxial anisotropy for samples with a positive or negative anisotropy distinguish between each other. In samples with a positive anisotropy this constant changes with the temperature as a square of magnetization; in samples with a negative anisotropy at less than room temperatures, this constant is approximately proportional to the anisotropy constant of a massive-cobalt single crystal. The obtained results have been considered from the theoretical point of view, and it has been concluded that a negative anisotropy in oblique-incidence films arises as a result of formation of very small grains stretching in the direction of the incidence plane and having a significant anisotropy of the magnetic energy in layers adjoining the boundaries (the Neel anisotropy). Observation of the typical temperature dependence of the anisotropy constant of these samples is a very convincing proof of existence of the Neel anisotropy.
Impacts of Mutations in the P-Loop on Conformational Alterations of KRAS Investigated with Gaussian Accelerated Molecular Dynamics Simulations

G12 mutations heavily affect conformational transformation and activity of KRAS. In this study, Gaussian accelerated molecular dynamics (GaMD) simulations were performed on the GDP-bound wild-type (WT), G12A, G12D, and G12R KRAS to probe mutation-mediated impacts on conformational alterations of KRAS. The results indicate that three G12 mutations obviously affect the structural flexibility and internal dynamics of the switch domains. The analyses of the free energy landscapes (FELs) suggest that three G12 mutations induce more conformational states of KRAS and lead to more disordered switch domains. The principal component analysis shows that three G12 mutations change concerted motions and dynamics behavior of the switch domains. The switch domains mostly overlap with the binding region of KRAS to its effectors. Thus, the high disorder states and concerted motion changes of the switch domains induced by G12 mutations affect the activity of KRAS. The analysis of interaction network of GDP with KRAS signifies that the instability in the interactions of GDP and magnesium ion with the switch domain SW1 drives the high disordered state of the switch domains. This work is expected to provide theoretical aids for understanding the function of KRAS.
Notch signaling: A potential target for the development of host-directed therapies against tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the preeminent causes of death among infectious diseases and remains a global threat to human health. Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) has coevolved with the human host and is an extremely successful pathogen by abusing the human system in different ways. Interestingly, Mtb can remain undetected in the human host for years as latent TB, so there is an urgent need to develop new therapies to combat Mtb. In the recent past, host-directed therapies have attracted the research community as a promising approach to combat TB, and thus novel host targets are of interest. In the present editorial, we have explored and suggested Notch signaling as a potential host target to develop a new therapeutic strategy against Mtb.
Seqrential point estimation in regression models with nonnormal errors

Sequential point estimation nf thc parameters of a regression model using least squares estimates and subject to the loss function of Mukhopadhyay (1974) and Finster (1983), is considered. Asymptotic risk efficiency is obtained under the assumption that the errors have finite moments of order higher than two and under a mild condition on the design matrix. Second order expansions for the risk of the sequential procedure, up to bounded terms that depend on the design, are obtained for symmetric. nonlattice errors with finite moments of order higher than six. These expansions require a stronger condition on the design matrix, but this condition typically is satisfied by optimal designs. An example involving an optimal design for simple linear regression is considered in detail. The results generalize the v,ork of hlukhopadhyay and Finster from the normal to the nonparanletric case. As in sequential estimation of the mean, arbitrarily large negative rerets are possible.
Bartlett correction in the stable second‐order autoregressive model with intercept and trend

This paper derives the Bartlett factors that can be used to obtain higher‐order improvements for testing hypotheses about the autoregressive (AR) parameters in the stable AR(2) model with possible intercept and linear trend. The factors are obtained for testing hypotheses about individual parameters (φ1 and φ2) as well as their sum. Moreover, the effect of deterministic terms on the correction factors is found explicitly. All corrections are non‐decreasing in the AR parameters. Furthermore, the Bartlett corrections for φ1 and φ2 tend to infinity as φ2 approaches 1, whereas the correction for φ1 + φ2 tends to infinity as φ1 + φ2 is close to 1. The effectiveness of these Bartlett corrections in finite samples is evaluated by simulations.
Families with Mentally Ill Parents and Their Partners: Overlaps in Psychiatric Symptoms and Symptom Coping

Partners in families with a mentally ill parent often experience psychiatric symptoms themselves. Recent studies indicate that there might be overlaps in disorder-specific symptom areas between partners and spouses. This study aimed at examining associations in psychiatric symptoms and symptom coping in partners in families with a mentally ill parent, e.g., having a psychiatric diagnosis according to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10). Furthermore, a moderation of the psychiatric symptoms of the parent with a mental illness on the association in symptom coping was assumed. Families with at least one parent with a mental illness were recruited into the longitudinal “Children of Mentally Ill Parents” (CHIMPS) trial at seven clinical centers in Germany and Switzerland. In total, 139 families were included in the current study. Psychiatric symptoms were assessed using the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI), Clinical Global Impression scale (CGI), Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF), and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ), while symptom coping strategies were measured using the Freiburger Fragebogen zur Krankheitsverarbeitung (FKV). Regression analyses have indicated an association in psychiatric symptoms between mentally ill parents and their partners concerning psychosocial functioning, somatic, and stress-related symptoms. Additionally, one symptom coping strategy of the partners was predicted by the same strategy of the parent with a mental illness. The results emphasize the importance of screening and providing support to parents burdened by the mental disorder of their partners, especially regarding the children in these partnerships.
Prostate Cancer: Advances in Genetic Testing and Clinical Implications

The demand for genetic testing (GT) for prostate cancer (PCa) is expanding, but there is limited knowledge about the genetic counseling (GC) needs of men. A strong-to-moderate inherited genetic predisposition causes approximately 5–20% of prostate cancer (PCa). In men with prostate cancer, germline testing may benefit the patient by informing treatment options, and if a mutation is noticed, it may also guide screening for other cancers and have family implications for cascade genetic testing (testing of close relatives for the same germline mutation). Relatives with the same germline mutations may be eligible for early cancer detection strategies and preventive measures. Cascade family testing can be favorable for family members, but it is currently unutilized, and strategies to overcome obstacles like knowledge deficiency, family communication, lack of access to genetic services, and testing expenses are needed. In this review, we will look at the genetic factors that have been linked to prostate cancer, as well as the role of genetic counseling and testing in the early detection of advanced prostate cancer.
N-[2-(5-methoxy-1h-indole-3-yl)ethyl]acetamide may correct arterial hypertension in people with sleep problems

Introduction. Sleep disturbance is a frequent complaint of patients suffering from arterial hypertension (AH) for a long time. A hidden and uncontrolled increase in blood pressure (BP) makes the course of physiological processes more difficult, disrupts the regulation of biological rhythms, and increases the risk of cardiovascular complications even with a short duration of AH. At the same time, chronic sleep disorders contribute to the development of hypertension, defining the role of a new socially significant risk factor. An important role in the pathogenesis of insomnia is played by a deficiency in melatonin (MT) synthesis, which negatively affects the cardiovascular system (CVS). Aim. The aim of the paper was to study the features of central and vascular hemodynamics in patients with the 1st degree AH and to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of antihypertensive therapy with synthetic analog of prolonged-release MT at the onset of the disease. Methods. Instrumental examination included registration of an electrocardiogram, office measurement of blood pressure with an automatic tonometer, non-invasive automatic blood pressure monitoring for 24 hours. The severity of insomnia was assessed by somnological questionnaires. Representatives of the 1st group (n = 34) took monotherapy with the ACE inhibitor ramipril, participants of the 2nd group (n = 33) took the ACE inhibitor ramipril in combination with a synthetic analogue of melatonin. Results. The results of a randomized open prospective study including 78 participants reveal the activity of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS), hypersympathicotonia at night and desynchronosis due to a possible deficiency in the MT secretion. Pharmacological antihypertensive therapy with the addition of prolonged release MT analog was accompanied by a significant improvement in the clinical condition of hypertensive patients. Positive dynamics of indicators of systemic hemodynamics and functional arterial parameters of stiffness was noted. Conclusion. The article describes the probable benefits of melatonin as part of combination antihypertensive therapy in patients with early-stage hypertension and insomnia. Additional introduction of MT at the onset of the AN as a physiological regulator of circadian biological rhythms is substantiated.
Mitochondrial Calcium Nanoregulators Reverse the Macrophage Proinflammatory Phenotype Through Restoring Mitochondrial Calcium Homeostasis for the Treatment of Osteoarthritis

Introduction Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic degenerative joint disease accompanied by an elevated macrophage proinflammatory phenotype, which is triggered by persistent pathologically elevated calcium ion levels in mitochondria. However, existing pharmacological compounds targeting the inhibition of mitochondrial calcium ion (m[Ca2+]) influx are currently limited in terms of plasma membrane permeability and low specificity for ion channels and transporters. In the present study, we synthesized mesoporous silica nanoparticle-amidated (MSN)-ethylenebis (oxyethylenenitrilo)tetraacetic acid (EGTA)/triphenylphosphine (TPP)-polyethylene glycol (PEG) [METP] nanoparticles (NPs), which specifically target mitochondria and block excess calcium ion influx. Methods m[Ca2+] overload in OA mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) was detected by a fluorescence probe. A tissue in situ fluorescence colocalization assay was used to evaluate METP NP uptake by macrophages. BMDMs from healthy mice were pretreated with a concentration gradient of METP NPs followed by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation and detection of m[Ca2+] levels in vitro. The optimal METP NP concentration was further applied, and the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and cytoplasm calcium levels were detected. The inflammatory phenotype was measured by surface markers, cytokine secretion and intracellular inflammatory gene/protein expression. A Seahorse cell energy metabolism assay was performed to elucidate the mechanism by which METP NPs reverse the BMDM proinflammatory phenotype. Results The present study identified calcium overload in BMDM mitochondria of OA mice. We demonstrated that METP NPs reversed the increased m[Ca2+] levels in mitochondria and the proinflammatory phenotype of BMDMs, with both in vivo and in vitro experiments, via the inhibition of the mitochondrial aspartate-arginosuccinate shunt and ROS production. Conclusion We demonstrated that METP NPs are effective and highly specific regulators of m[Ca2+] overload. In addition, we demonstrated that these METP NPs reverse the macrophage proinflammatory phenotype by restoring m[Ca2+] homeostasis, thereby inhibiting the tissue inflammatory response and achieving a therapeutic effect for OA.
Soot Reduction Strategy: A Review

The aim of study is soot reduction strategy by using microwave radiation. As a first step toward the aim is a review. This study provides a review of soot particles generation and their influence on air pollution and illustrates the diesel particulate matter emission regulation, composition, and characterization including size, shape, process, and oxidation. The paper also discusses the effect of temperature, pressure, air/fuel ratio, exhaust flow rate, fuel type on soot process and heat release from soot combustion. The use of filter regeneration strategies for reducing soot emission from vehicles, stationary plants and factories due to the burning of diesel fuel have been presented with advantage and disadvantage of each method. The various strategies include catalyst, fuel injection, electric heating, engine operation condition control, non-thermal plasma, and absorbed microwave energy. The practical feasibility for soot oxidation by microwave heating technique has been explained depending on soot material property. The proposed new technique utilizing the reflected and absorbed energies of microwave for soot reduction strategy is presented to develop a new emission after-treatment system. The new system will be modeled and simulated using appropriate software. The simulation results will be validated experimentally. © 2012 Asian Network for Scientific Information.
Exploring recent advances and limitations in CAR-T therapy for glioblastoma multiforme

Glioblastoma is among the most devastating brain tumors, with a high prevalence in all primary brain tumors. The rapid progression nature of malignant glioma with resistant relapse in current treatment leads to a low survival rate. Chimeric antigen receptor T therapy has the clinical potential to show groundbreaking success in many hematological malignancies convincingly. This scoping review aims to investigate the application of CAR-T-based immunotherapy on delaying the progression of glioblastoma multiforme and explore potential obstacles when conducting clinical trials. This study discusses key emerging factors that may contribute to treatment resistance and reported toxicities are observed in current clinical trials. Despite remaining questions in this innovative immunotherapy field, the encouraging response in multiple clinical trials paves a road for researchers to bring up new strategies to overcome these challenges.
Crossing the divide : closing the cognitive and affective gaps that prevent successful reading in the upper elementary years

Significant numbers of children experience reading difficulty in the intermediate school years. Inexperience with expository text may partially explain this difficulty. While much of the extant research has focussed on the delivery of effective early interventions, investigation of efficacious practices with intermediate level struggling readers continues to require investigation. A case study that documents a research-based intervention with two struggling intermediate students is presented in this thesis. It explores a methodology that combines decoding and comprehension strategy instruction with fluency training, primarily utilizing expository text from children's popular literature. The strong positive results obtained are thought to be linked to the balancing of skill and strategy instruction with affective considerations. Phonological core deficits appear to have been addressed through oral repeated reading preceded by listening-previewing and accompanied by a "switched-on" self-monitoring for comprehension strategy. The findings suggest harmful effects may occur with some struggling readers from the use of fluency training that employs unengaging text and emphasizes speed over accuracy, expression and construction of meaning.
A Putative Receptor for Ferritin in Mollusks: Characterization of the Insulin-like Growth Factor Type 1 Receptor

The ferritin secreted by mammals has been well documented, with the protein capable of localizing to cell membranes and facilitating the delivery of iron to cells through endocytosis. However, the presence of ferritin in the circulatory fluid of mollusks and its functions remain largely unknown. In this study, we aimed to investigate the potential interacting proteins of ferritin in the ark clam (SbFn) through the use of a pull-down assay. Our findings revealed the presence of an insulin-like growth factor type 1 receptor (IGF-1R) in ark clams, which was capable of binding to SbFn and was named SbIGF-1R. SbIGF-1R was found to be composed of two leucine-rich repeat domains (L domain), a cysteine-rich domain, three fibronectin type III domains, a transmembrane domain, and a tyrosine kinase domain. The ectodomain of SbIGF-1R was observed to form a symmetrical antiparallel homodimer in the shape of the letter ‘A’, with the fibronectin type III domains serving as its ‘legs’. The mRNA expression of SbIGF-1R gene was detected ubiquitously in various tissues of the ark clam, with the highest expression levels found in hemocytes, as determined by qRT-PCR. Using a confocal microscopic and yeast two-hybrid assays, the interaction between SbIGF-1R and SbFn was further verified. The results showed that SbFn co-localized with SbIGF-1R on the cell membrane, and their interaction was expected to occur on the FNIII domains of the SbIGF-1R. In conclusion, our findings highlight the identification of a putative receptor, SbIGF-1R, for SbFn, demonstrating the versatility of IGF-1R in ark clams.
Probability theory

We collect in this chapter some basic notions and methods from probability theory. Our aim is to give a brief exposition of results that are repeatedly used in the analysis of randomized algorithms. The treatment is not exhaustive and cannot replace any standard text on probability theory. Typically, we will skip all proofs and merely remind the reader of basic definitions and useful theorems. §1 Basic Definitions If a coin is tossed, then there are two possible outcomes: heads and tails. Statements such as 'the chance that the outcome will be heads is 50%' are formalized in probability theory, giving a better way to reason about the odds of a certain outcome of an experiment. The possible outcomes of an experiment are called the sample space. For example, the sample space of the coin tossing experiment is Ω = {head, tail}. Certain subsets of the sample space are called events, and the probability of these events is determined by a probability measure. For instance, if we roll a dice, then one of its six face values is the outcome of the experiment, so the sample space is Ω = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}. An event is a subset of the sample space Ω. The event {1, 2} occurs when the dice shows a face value less than three. The probability measures describes the odds that a certain event occurs, for instance Pr[{1, 2}] = 1/3 means that the event {1, 2} will occur with probability 1/3. A probability measure is not necessarily defined on all subsets of the sample space Ω, but just on all subsets of Ω that are considered events. Nevertheless, we want to have a uniform way to reason about the probability of events. This
An In-Depth Review of the Benefits of Antibiotic Use in the Treatment of Borreliosis in Pregnancy

Evidence of congenital transmission of Lyme disease from mother to fetus has been investigated since the 1980s. This study reports the results of a retrospective analysis of 31 studies described in 27 papers published in a 2018 review article. Analysis of these identified statistically probable transmission in 13 (42%) of the 31 studies and possible transmission in 2 (6%). Most studies included mothers who had been treated with antimicrobials. When no antimicrobials were used, 74% of the pregnancies had adverse outcomes. When oral antimicrobials were used, 29% of pregnancies had adverse outcomes. When intravenous (IV) antimicrobials were used, adverse outcomes dropped to 12% of the pregnancies. This is a six-fold reduction in risk compared with no antimicrobial treatment. Some studies did not define whether oral or IV antimicrobials were used. When these results were included, adverse outcomes were 30 times higher for untreated mothers. Adverse outcomes included deaths, heart anomalies, and preterm births.