Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ferrioxamine-Mediated Iron(III) Utilization bySalmonella enterica

ABSTRACT Utilization of ferrioxamines as sole sources of iron distinguishesSalmonella enterica serotypes Typhimurium and Enteritidis from a number of related species, including Escherichia coli. Ferrioxamine supplements have therefore been used in preenrichment and selection media to increase the bacterial growth rate while selectivity is maintained. We characterized the determinants involved in utilization of ferrioxamines B, E, and G by S. enterica serotype Typhimurium by performing siderophore cross-feeding bioassays. Transport of all three ferric siderophores across the outer membrane was dependent on the FoxA receptor encoded by the Fur-repressible foxA gene. However, only the transport of ferrioxamine G was dependent on the energy-transducing protein TonB, since growth stimulation of a tonB strain by ferrioxamines B and E was observed, albeit at lower efficiencies than in the parental strain. Transport across the inner membrane was dependent on the periplasmic binding protein-dependent ABC transporter complex comprising FhuBCD, as has been reported for other hydroxamate siderophores of enteric bacteria. The distribution of thefoxA gene in the genus Salmonella, as indicated by DNA hybridization studies and correlated with the ability to utilize ferrioxamine E, was restricted to subspecies I, II, and IIIb, and this gene was absent from subspecies IIIa, IV, VI, and VII (formerly subspecies IV) and Salmonella bongori (formerly subspecies V). S. enterica serotype Typhimurium mutants with either a transposon insertion or a defined nonpolar frameshift (+2) mutation in the foxA gene were not able to utilize any of the three ferrioxamines tested. A strain carrying the nonpolar foxAmutation exhibited a significantly reduced ability to colonize rabbit ileal loops compared to the foxA+ parent. In addition, a foxA mutant was markedly attenuated in mice inoculated by either the intragastric or intravenous route. Mice inoculated with the foxA mutant were protected against subsequent challenge by the foxA+ parent strain.
Employability as mediator in the relationship between the meaning of working and job search behaviours during unemployment

Most of past research on job search has focused on the relationship between individual strategies and perceived quality of re-employment, focusing mostly on effort and intensity of job search behavior during unemployment. Few studies have investigated the role played by individual beliefs, values and representations of work in determining job search behavior during unemployment, while there is a lack of literature about the role of employability as a mediator in the relationship between the meaning of working and job search behavior. The aim of this paper was to explore if and to what extent employability activities can mediate the relation between the meaning attached to work, the participation in job activities and the strategies to develop job search behaviors in a group of unemployed. More specifically, the main hypothesis was that employability activities could mediate the relationship between the meaning of work and job search behavior. Data were gathered through public Employment Agencies. Participants (N = 385) were unemployed people living the South of Italy. Results showed that the relationship between the meaning of work and job search behavior was mediated by employability activities.
Predictive load balancing algorithm for cloud computing

Cloud computing is used to provide memory and processing unit over the internet on pay-per-use basis. During the initial stage, the cloud computing environment faced complex problems due to multiplexing number of requests with available resources. The current state of the art is researchers have numerous solutions to resolve issues in handling CPU and RAM but, to the best of our knowledge; they have not considered an important factor, bandwidth. Also, many load balancing algorithms dont consider burst-conditions, which are serious issues for Cloud computing service provisioners since increase in burst time overhead results poor service time and response time. In this paper, the solution for these aforementioned problems, by using an algorithm called Predictive Load Balancing Algorithm (PLBA) is presented. PLBA is as flexible as possible, it can be used in burst and non-burst periods with maintaining service quality and consumes less amount of energy. PLBA predicts the resources before-hand and avoids overheads in non-burst periods. Also, it uses Right Scale Algorithm (RSA) to consolidate Virtual Machines (VM) into fewer physical machines. In bursts it applies round robin, to cope with overheads. We show that, PLBA can adapt in burst and non-burst conditions, with optimum use of physical machines and maintains the Quality of Service (QoS) without violating the Service Level Agreements (SLA). The system predicts the response time and service time have improved in both burst and non-burst periods with better quality of service.
A ROBUST SPECTRUM SENSING IN COGNITIVE RADIO NETWORKS IN THE PRESENCE OF MALICIOUS ATTACK USING ENERGY DETECTION

Address for Correspondence Head of the Department, PG Student, Kamaraj College of Engineering and Technology, Virudhunagar, Tamilnadu India. ABSTRACT In this paper to propose an approach for detecting the presence of malicious attack which is commonly known as primary user emulation attack (PUEA), this type of attack act as the primary signal and delude the secondary user and occupy the whole frequency spectrum. The PUE attack sends fake signal similar to the primary signal in which it aware of whole spectrum. Then the cooperative spectrum sensing (CSS) OR rule is applied in cognitive radio network and spectrum sensing is based on energy detection scheme. The proposed method is simulated in AWGN channel, Rayleigh channel, Rician channel environment. The probability of error is minimize for different false alarming values in AWGN channel. ROC is drawn for validating the simulated results with analytical equations.
Effects of intravenous administration of pentoxifylline in pancreatic ischaemia-reperfusion injury.

BACKGROUND Therapeutic strategies to reduce the occurrence of pancreatic ischaemia-reperfusion (I-R) injury might improve outcomes in human pancreas and kidney transplantation. In addition to its haemorrheologic effects, pentoxifylline has an anti-inflammatory effect by inhibiting NF-κB activation. This group has previously demonstrated that pentoxifylline induces an anti-inflammatory response in acute pancreatitis and liver I-R models. This led to the hypothesis that pentoxifylline might reduce pancreatic and renal lesions and the systemic inflammatory response in pancreatic I-R injury. The aim of this experimental study was to evaluate the effect of pentoxifylline administration in a rat model of pancreatic I-R injury. METHODS Pancreatic I-R was performed in Wistar rats over 1 h by clamping the splenic vessels. The animals submitted to I-R were divided into two groups: Group 1 (n = 20, control) rats received saline solution administered i.v. at 45 min after ischaemia, and Group 2 (n = 20) rats received pentoxifylline (25 mg/kg) administered i.v. at 45 min after ischaemia. Blood samples were collected to enable the determination of amylase, creatinine, tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-10. Pancreatic malondialdehyde (MDA) content, pancreas histology and pulmonary myeloperoxidase (MPO) were also assessed. RESULTS Significant reductions in serum TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-10 were observed in Group 2 compared with Group 1 (P < 0.05). No differences in pancreatic MDA content or serum amylase levels were observed between the two groups. The histologic score was significantly lower in pentoxifylline-treated animals, denoting less severe pancreatic histologic damage. CONCLUSIONS Pentoxifylline administration reduced the systemic inflammatory response, the pancreatic histological lesion and renal dysfunction in pancreatic I-R injury and may be a useful tool in pancreas and kidney transplantation.
Graceful database schema evolution: the PRISM workbench

Supporting graceful schema evolution represents an unsolved problem for traditional information systems that is further exacerbated in web information systems, such as Wikipedia and public scientific databases: in these projects based on multiparty cooperation the frequency of database schema changes has increased while tolerance for downtimes has nearly disappeared. As of today, schema evolution remains an error-prone and time-consuming undertaking, because the DB Administrator (DBA) lacks the methods and tools needed to manage and automate this endeavor by (i) predicting and evaluating the effects of the proposed schema changes, (ii) rewriting queries and applications to operate on the new schema, and (iii) migrating the database. Our PRISM system takes a big first step toward addressing this pressing need by providing: (i) a language of Schema Modification Operators to express concisely complex schema changes, (ii) tools that allow the DBA to evaluate the effects of such changes, (iii) optimized translation of old queries to work on the new schema version, (iv) automatic data migration, and (v) full documentation of intervened changes as needed to support data provenance, database flash back, and historical queries. PRISM solves these problems by integrating recent theoretical advances on mapping composition and invertibility, into a design that also achieves usability and scalability. Wikipedia and its 170+ schema versions provided an invaluable testbed for validating PRISM tools and their ability to support legacy queries.
XMM-EPIC observation of MCG-6-30-15: direct evidence for the extraction of energy from a spinning black hole?

We present XMM-Newton European Photon Imaging Camera (EPIC) observations of the bright Seyfert 1 galaxy MCG 6-30-15, focusing on the broad Fe Kline at � 6keV and the associated reflection continuum, which is believed to originate from the inner accretion disk. We find these reflection features to be extremely broad and red-shifted, indicating its origin from the very most central regions of the accretion disk. It seems likely that we have caught this source in the "deep minimum" state first observed by Iwasawa et al. (1996). The implied central concentration of X-ray illumination is difficult to understand in any pure accretiondisk model. We suggest that we are witnessing the extraction and dissipation of rotational energy from a spinning black hole by magnetic fields connecting the black hole or plunging region to the disk.
Online SLAM in dynamic environments

In this paper, we propose a novel online algorithm for simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) in dynamic environments. We first formulate the problem with two interdependent parts: SLAM and multiple target tracking (MTT). To pursue online performance, we propose a hierarchical hybrid method to solve SLAM: locally by maximum likelihood (ML) with occupancy grid map, and globally by extended Kalman filter (EKF) with feature-based map. Meanwhile we apply a straightforward nearest neighborhood (NN) algorithm based on Euclidean metric to address MTT. In order to track multiple moving objects reliably, we propose an enhanced fuzzy clustering (EFC) method to segment 2D range images and reliably group objects. Experiments validated on Pioneer 2DX mobile robot with SICK LMS200 demonstrate the capability and robustness of the proposed algorithm
Sensitivity to Missing Data Assumptions: Theory and an Evaluation of the U.S. Wage Structure

This paper develops methods for assessing the sensitivity of empirical conclusions regarding conditional distributions to departures from the missing at random (MAR) assumption. We index the degree of non-ignorable selection governing the missingness process by the maximal Kolmogorov-Smirnov (KS) distance between the distributions of missing and observed outcomes across all values of the covariates. Sharp bounds on minimum mean square approximations to conditional quantiles are derived as a function of the nominal level of selection considered in the sensitivity analysis and a weighted bootstrap procedure is developed for conducting inference. Using these techniques, we conduct an empirical assessment of the sensitivity of observed earnings patterns in U.S. Census data to deviations from the MAR assumption. We find that the well-documented increase in the returns to schooling between 1980 and 1990 is relatively robust to deviations from the missing at random assumption except at the lowest quantiles of the distribution, but that conclusions regarding heterogeneity in returns and changes in the returns function between 1990 and 2000 are very sensitive to departures from ignorability.
Tularaemia outbreak in Bulgaria

During the last 40 y, 2 large tularaemia outbreaks occurred in Bulgaria. We report the second outbreak, in 1998–2003, including a total of 262 laboratory confirmed cases. The majority of the patients presented with oropharyngeal tularaemia (89.7%). Less common were the glandular, pulmonary and oculoglandular forms. The diagnosis of tularaemia was confirmed serologically. In 5 cases, F. tularensis was detected by immunofluorescent assay in lymph node biopsies. By PCR, all 5 samples yielded successful amplification of the tul4 gene and the feredoxin gene of F. tularensis. Cultivation of the biopsies resulted in 2 F. tularensis isolates. Three additional F. tularensis isolates were obtained from an open well, a dead hare and a tick. All 5 isolates were identified as F. tularensis subsp. holarctica seu palaearctica. F. tularensis was detected by PCR amplification of the tul4 gene in spleen samples from 9 (21%) of 42 captured rodents. Our study indicated food and water contamination by rodents as important sources of human infection. The high prevalence of the oropharyngeal form of tularaemia supported the assumption that humans contracted the infection by alimentary route.
Spatial Mode Diversity for Robust Free-Space Optical Communications

Free-space communication links are severely affected by atmospheric turbulence, which causes degradation in the transmitted signal. One of the most common solutions to overcome this is to exploit diversity. In this approach, information is sent in parallel using two or more transmitters that are spatially separated, with each beam therefore experiencing different atmospheric turbulence, lowering the probability of a receive error. In this work we propose and experimentally demonstrate a generalization of diversity based on spatial modes of light, which we have termed modal diversity. We remove the need for a physical separation of the transmitters by exploiting the fact that spatial modes of light experience different perturbations, even when travelling along the same path. For this proof-of-principle we selected modes from the Hermite-Gaussian and Laguerre-Gaussian basis sets and demonstrate an improvement in Bit Error Rate by up to 54%. We outline that modal diversity enables physically compact and longer distance free space optical links without increasing the total transmit power.
Performance Measurements of Feature Tracking and Histogram Based Traffic Congestion Algorithms

In this paper, feature tracking based and histogram based traffic congestion detection systems are developed. Developed all system are designed to run as real time application. In this work, ORB (Oriented FAST and Rotated BRIEF) feature extraction method have been used to develop feature tracking based traffic congestion solution. ORB is a rotation invariant, fast and resistant to noise method and contains the power of FAST and BRIEF feature extraction methods. Also, two different approaches, which are standard deviation and weighed average, have been applied to find out the congestion information by using histogram of the image to develop histogram based traffic congestion solution. Both systems have been tested on different weather conditions such as cloudy, sunny and rainy to provide various illumination at both daytime and night. For all developed systems performance results are examined to show the advantages and drawbacks of these systems.
Adaptation to visual or auditory time intervals modulates the perception of visual apparent motion

It is debated whether sub-second timing is subserved by a centralized mechanism or by the intrinsic properties of task-related neural activity in specific modalities (Ivry and Schlerf, 2008). By using a temporal adaptation task, we investigated whether adapting to different time intervals conveyed through stimuli in different modalities (i.e., frames of a visual Ternus display, visual blinking discs, or auditory beeps) would affect the subsequent implicit perception of visual timing, i.e., inter-stimulus interval (ISI) between two frames in a Ternus display. The Ternus display can induce two percepts of apparent motion (AM), depending on the ISI between the two frames: “element motion” for short ISIs, in which the endmost disc is seen as moving back and forth while the middle disc at the overlapping or central position remains stationary; “group motion” for longer ISIs, in which both discs appear to move in a manner of lateral displacement as a whole. In Experiment 1, participants adapted to either the typical “element motion” (ISI = 50 ms) or the typical “group motion” (ISI = 200 ms). In Experiments 2 and 3, participants adapted to a time interval of 50 or 200 ms through observing a series of two paired blinking discs at the center of the screen (Experiment 2) or hearing a sequence of two paired beeps (with pitch 1000 Hz). In Experiment 4, participants adapted to sequences of paired beeps with either low pitches (500 Hz) or high pitches (5000 Hz). After adaptation in each trial, participants were presented with a Ternus probe in which the ISI between the two frames was equal to the transitional threshold of the two types of motions, as determined by a pretest. Results showed that adapting to the short time interval in all the situations led to more reports of “group motion” in the subsequent Ternus probes; adapting to the long time interval, however, caused no aftereffect for visual adaptation but significantly more reports of group motion for auditory adaptation. These findings, suggesting amodal representation for sub-second timing across modalities, are interpreted in the framework of temporal pacemaker model.
Association of a Penicillin Resistance Gene with a Tetracycline Resistance Plasmid (PTP–2) in Staphylococcus aureus

On transduction with a lysogenic strain of Straphylococcus aureus isolated from a clinical specimen and having tetracycline (TC)-penicillin (PC)-chloramphenicol (CP)-resistant plasmids, the three-drug-resistant strain was frequently obtained. By repeatedly transducing from this strain, a strain (TP-2) having stable resistance to TC and PC could be obtained. In transformation with the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) of TP-2 as donor, all of the transformants obtained by selecting with either TC or PC were both TC and PC resistant. According to electron microscopy study of the covalently closed circular DNA of TP-2, the plasmid DNA size was 1.37 ± 0.03 μm (2.84 × 106 daltons). The plasmid (PTP-2) is presumed to be a new plasmid in which the PC resistance gene was integrated into the TC-resistant plasmid.
Gray Hausdorff distance measure for comparing face images

Human face recognition is considered to be one of the toughest problems in the domain of pattern recognition. The variations in face images due to differing expression, pose and illumination are some of the key issues to be addressed in developing a face recognition system. In this paper, a new measure called gray Hausdorff distance (denoted by Hpg) is proposed to compare the gray images of faces directly. An efficient algorithm for computation of the new measure is presented. The computation time is linear in the size of the image. The performance of this measure is evaluated on benchmark face databases. The face recognition system based on the new measure is found to be robust to pose and expression variations, as well as to slight variation in illumination. Comparison studies show that the proposed measure performs better than the existing ones in most cases
Annotation Error in Public Databases: Misannotation of Molecular Function in Enzyme Superfamilies

Due to the rapid release of new data from genome sequencing projects, the majority of protein sequences in public databases have not been experimentally characterized; rather, sequences are annotated using computational analysis. The level of misannotation and the types of misannotation in large public databases are currently unknown and have not been analyzed in depth. We have investigated the misannotation levels for molecular function in four public protein sequence databases (UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot, GenBank NR, UniProtKB/TrEMBL, and KEGG) for a model set of 37 enzyme families for which extensive experimental information is available. The manually curated database Swiss-Prot shows the lowest annotation error levels (close to 0% for most families); the two other protein sequence databases (GenBank NR and TrEMBL) and the protein sequences in the KEGG pathways database exhibit similar and surprisingly high levels of misannotation that average 5%–63% across the six superfamilies studied. For 10 of the 37 families examined, the level of misannotation in one or more of these databases is >80%. Examination of the NR database over time shows that misannotation has increased from 1993 to 2005. The types of misannotation that were found fall into several categories, most associated with “overprediction” of molecular function. These results suggest that misannotation in enzyme superfamilies containing multiple families that catalyze different reactions is a larger problem than has been recognized. Strategies are suggested for addressing some of the systematic problems contributing to these high levels of misannotation.
Leaf recognition for plant classification using GLCM and PCA methods

In this paper, the image processing techniques has been used in order to classify the plants by applying on the leaves images. To extract the leaves texture features, the Gray-Level Co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) algorithms have been considered. The Algorithms are trained by 390 leaves to classify 13 kinds of plants with 65 new or deformed leaves images. The result indicates that the accuracy for the GLCM method is 78% while the accuracy for the PCA method is 98%.
Improving early cycle economic evaluation of diagnostic technologies

The rapidly increasing range and expense of new diagnostics, compels consideration of a different, more proactive approach to health economic evaluation of diagnostic technologies. Early cycle economic evaluation is a decision analytic approach to evaluate technologies in development so as to increase the return on investment as well as patient and societal impact. This paper describes examples of ‘early cycle economic evaluations’ as applied to diagnostic technologies and highlights challenges in its real-time application. It shows that especially in the field of diagnostics, with rapid technological developments and a changing regulatory climate, early cycle economic evaluation can have a guiding role to improve the efficiency of the diagnostics innovation process. In the next five years the attention will move beyond the methodological and analytic challenges of early cycle economic evaluation towards the challenge of effectively applying it to improve diagnostic research and development and patient value. Future work in this area should therefore be ‘strong on principles and soft on metrics’, that is, the metrics that resonate most clearly with the various decision makers in this field.