Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
BIOTECHNOLOGICALLY RELEVANT ENZYMES AND PROTEINS Purification and characterization of a highly thermostable α-L-Arabinofuranosidase from Geobacillus caldoxylolyticus TK4

The gene encoding an α-L-arabinofuranosidase from Geobacillus caldoxylolyticus TK4, AbfATK4, was isolated, cloned, and sequenced. The deduced protein had a molecular mass of about 58 kDa, and analysis of its amino acid sequence revealed significant homology and conservation of different catalytic residues with α-L-arabinofuranosidases belonging to family 51 of the glycoside hydrolases. A histidine tag was introduced at the N-terminal end of AbfATK4, and the recombinant protein was expressed in Escherichia coli BL21, under control of isopropyl-β-Dthiogalactopyranoside-inducible T7 promoter. The enzyme was purified by nickel affinity chromatography. The molecular mass of the native protein, as determined by gel filtration, was about 236 kDa, suggesting a homotetrameric structure. AbfATK4 was active at a broad pH range (pH 5.0– 10.0) and at a broad temperature range (40–85°C), and it had an optimum pH of 6.0 and an optimum temperature of 75– 80°C. The enzyme was more thermostable than previously described arabinofuranosidases and did not lose any activity after 48 h incubation at 70°C. The protein exhibited a high level of activity with p-nitrophenyl-α-L-arabinofuranoside, with apparent Km and Vmax values of 0.17 mM and 588.2 U/ mg, respectively. AbfATK4 also exhibited a low level of activity with p-nitrophenyl-β-D-xylopyranoside, with apparent Km and Vmax values of 1.57 mM and 151.5 U/mg, respectively. AbfATK4 released L-arabinose only from arabinan and arabinooligosaccharides. No endoarabinanase activity was detected. These findings suggest that AbfATK4 is an exo-acting enzyme.
Prebiotic preferences of human lactobacilli strains in co‐culture with bifidobacteria and antimicrobial activity against Clostridium difficile

To evaluate robustness, prebiotic utilization of Lactobacillus paracasei F8 and Lactobacillus plantarum F44 in mono‐ and co‐cultures with Bifidobacterium breve 46 and Bifidobacterium animalis sub sp. lactis 8 : 8 and antimicrobial activity of co‐culture against Clostridium difficile.
Continuity and quality of care for children with diabetes who are covered by medicaid.

BACKGROUND Poor and minority children with Type 1 diabetes mellitus are at increased risk of severe adverse outcomes as a result of their disease. However, little is known about the quality of care that these children receive and which factors are associated with better quality of care. OBJECTIVES Our objectives were as follows: 1) to describe the utilization of services associated with quality of care for children with Type 1 diabetes mellitus who are covered by Medicaid and 2) to test the hypothesis that increased continuity of primary care is associated with better care for these children. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study. METHODS Washington State Medicaid claims data for 1997 were used to determine what proportion of children with diabetes had 1) an inpatient or outpatient diagnosis of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), 2) a glycosylated hemoglobin (HgA1c) level that had been checked, 3) a retinal examination, and 4) thyroid function studies. Continuity of care was quantified using a pre-established index. RESULTS Two hundred fifty-two eligible patients were identified. During the observation year, 20% had an outpatient diagnosis of DKA, 6% were admitted with DKA, 43% visited an ophthalmologist, 54% had their HgA1c checked, and 21% had their thyroid function assessed. Children with high continuity of care were less likely to have DKA as an outpatient (0.30 [0.13-0.71]). Children with medium continuity of care and high continuity of care were less likely to be hospitalized for DKA (0.22 [0.05-0.87] and 0.14 [0.03-0.67], respectively). For preventive services utilization, high continuity of care was associated only with an increased likelihood of visiting an ophthalmologist (2.80 [1.08-3.88]). CONCLUSIONS The quality of care for Medicaid children with diabetes can be substantially improved. Low continuity of primary care is an identifiable risk factor for DKA.
Sampling Biases of the BG-Sentinel Trap With Respect to Physiology, Age, and Body Size of Adult Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae)

ABSTRACT Currently, Aedes aegypti (L.) control strategies are being developed that involve manipulation of the vector at the adult stage (e.g., the use of the bacterial endosymbiont Wolbachia to shorten the life span of the vector population). These novel strategies demand adult sampling methods to measure changes in population size, structure (age, sex ratio), and, ultimately, the success of the program, Each sampling method presents certain biases. Once these biases are defined, methods used to estimate population size and structure can be calibrated accordingly, resulting in more accurate and complex estimates of the vector population. A series of mark-release-recapture experiments with adult Ae. aegypti were conducted in a large outdoor flight cage and an indoor setting in far north Queensland, Australia. The biases of the BG-Sentinel trap (BGS) were investigated across several categories, as follows: 1) mosquito age; 2) sex; 3) physiological status; and 4) body size. Biases were not detected across age groups or body sizes. A significant bias was detected across physiological groups: nulliparous females were recaptured at a significantly lower rate than all other groups except blood-fed parous females, which were also recaptured at a low rate by the BGS. Males were recaptured at a higher rate than all groups, but only a significant difference in recapture rates was observed between males and nulliparous females. Previous studies show that the BGS is a highly effective tool for Ae. aegypti surveillance. The BGS proves to be a reliable tool in Ae. aegypti surveillance with consistent sampling outcomes. The sampling bias of the BGS is measurable and can be used to generate more accurate estimates of the adult population and its attributes.
PTSD treatment for soldiers after combat deployment: low utilization of mental health care and reasons for dropout.

OBJECTIVE Limited data exist on the adequacy of treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after combat deployment. This study assessed the percentage of soldiers in need of PTSD treatment, the percentage receiving minimally adequate care, and reasons for dropping out of care. METHODS Data came from two sources: a population-based cohort of 45,462 soldiers who completed the Post-Deployment Health Assessment and a cross-sectional survey of 2,420 infantry soldiers after returning from Afghanistan (75% response rate). RESULTS Of 4,674 cohort soldiers referred to mental health care at a military treatment facility, 75% followed up with this referral. However, of 2,230 soldiers who received a PTSD diagnosis within 90 days of return from Afghanistan, 22% had only one mental health care visit and 41% received minimally adequate care (eight or more encounters in 12 months). Of 229 surveyed soldiers who screened positive for PTSD (PTSD Checklist score ≥50), 48% reported receiving mental health treatment in the prior six months at any health care facility. Of those receiving treatment, the median number of visits in six months was four; 22% had only one visit, 52% received minimally adequate care (four or more visits in six months), and 24% dropped out of care. Reported reasons for dropout included soldiers feeling they could handle problems on their own, work interference, insufficient time with the mental health professional, stigma, treatment ineffectiveness, confidentiality concerns, or discomfort with how the professional interacted. CONCLUSIONS Treatment reach for PTSD after deployment remains low to moderate, with a high percentage of soldiers not accessing care or not receiving adequate treatment. This study represents a call to action to validate interventions to improve treatment engagement and retention.
Broadband amplitude tapering for a linear W-band array antenna for Gaussian beam-shaping

A W-band horn array antenna is currently being developed for the Doppler reflectometry system on ASDEX Upgrade tokamak in Garching. The antenna is dedicated to radiate a well defined Gaussian beam over nearly the whole W-band (75GHz to 105GHz). As in-vessel moving parts have to be avoided, the underlying structure of the feed network is a series feed. This contribution examines a broadband coupling structure to couple a defined amount of power from the main feed line to the radiating elements. Its applicability is validated by measurements of a prototype coupling network and full-wave simulation of a 32-element series fed array antenna.
A Defective 1-D Photonic Crystal-Based Chemical Sensor in Total Internal Reflection Geometry

In this paper, we introduce and analytically demonstrate a novel chemical sensor based on defective 1-D photonic crystals in total internal reflection geometry, where a gradient refractive index (GRIN) defect layer is located at the end of the structure. This configuration creates an open sensing interface for real-time detection with ultrahigh sensitivity. Using the GRIN lens in the structure not only helps to tune the resonance wavelength to a desired value but also as a consequence of its special refractive index distribution function, a ring-shaped reflectance distribution appears on the output plane of the structure that plays a key role in finding the optimized refractive index of the defect layer and achieving the best resonance of the cavity modes. The resonance angle of the cavity modes is highly sensitive to the effective refractive index of the fluid flowing above the sensor. The refractive index variation of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\Delta n_{F}=10^{-8}RIU$ </tex-math></inline-formula> that causes <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\Delta \theta =3.2\times 10^{-6}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> degrees shift at the resonance angle can be detected by this sensor.
Randomized trial of neoadjuvant cisplatin, vincristine, bleomycin, and radical hysterectomy versus radiation therapy for bulky stage IB and IIA cervical cancer.

PURPOSE To compare the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) followed by radical hysterectomy with that of radiotherapy (R/T) for bulky early-stage cervical cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS Women with previously untreated bulky (primary tumor >/= 4 cm) stage IB or IIA non-small-cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix were randomly assigned to receive either cisplatin 50 mg/m(2) and vincristine 1 mg/m(2) for 1 day and bleomycin 25 mg/m(2) for 3 days for three cycles followed by radical hysterectomy (NAC arm) or receive primary pelvic radiotherapy only (R/T arm). The ratio of patient allocation was 6:4 for the NAC and R/T arms. Women with enlarged para-aortic lymph nodes on image study were ineligible unless results of cytologic or histologic studies were negative. RESULTS Of the 124 eligible patients, 68 in the NAC arm and 52 in the R/T arm could be evaluated. The median duration of follow-up was 39 months. Thirty-one percent of patients in the NAC arm and 27% in the R/T arm had relapse or persistent diseases after treatment, and 21% in each group died of disease. Estimated cumulative survival rates at 2 years were 81% for the NAC arm and 84% for the R/T arm; the 5-year rates were 70% and 61%, respectively. There were no significant differences in disease-free survival and overall survival. CONCLUSION NAC followed by radical hysterectomy and primary R/T showed similar efficacy for bulky stage IB or IIA cervical cancer. Further study to identify patient subgroups better suited for either treatment modality and to evaluate the concurrent use of cisplatin and radiation without routine hysterectomy is necessary.
A Multilevel Regression Model for Geographical Studies in Sets of Non-Adjacent Cities

In recent years, small-area-based ecological regression analyses have been published that study the association between a health outcome and a covariate in several cities. These analyses have usually been performed independently for each city and have therefore yielded unrelated estimates for the cities considered, even though the same process has been studied in all of them. In this study, we propose a joint ecological regression model for multiple cities that accounts for spatial structure both within and between cities and explore the advantages of this model. The proposed model merges both disease mapping and geostatistical ideas. Our proposal is compared with two alternatives, one that models the association for each city as fixed effects and another that treats them as independent and identically distributed random effects. The proposed model allows us to estimate the association (and assess its significance) at locations with no available data. Our proposal is illustrated by an example of the association between unemployment (as a deprivation surrogate) and lung cancer mortality among men in 31 Spanish cities. In this example, the associations found were far more accurate for the proposed model than those from the fixed effects model. Our main conclusion is that ecological regression analyses can be markedly improved by performing joint analyses at several locations that share information among them. This finding should be taken into consideration in the design of future epidemiological studies.
High-resolution Magnetic Resonance Vessel Wall Imaging for Intracranial Arterial Stenosis

Objective:To discuss the feasibility and clinical value of high-resolution magnetic resonance vessel wall imaging (HRMR VWI) for intracranial arterial stenosis. Date Sources:We retrieved information from PubMed database up to December 2015, using various search terms including vessel wall imaging (VWI), high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging, intracranial arterial stenosis, black blood, and intracranial atherosclerosis. Study Selection:We reviewed peer-reviewed articles printed in English on imaging technique of VWI and characteristic findings of various intracranial vasculopathies on VWI. We organized this data to explain the value of VWI in clinical application. Results:VWI with black blood technique could provide high-quality images with submillimeter voxel size, and display both the vessel wall and lumen of intracranial artery simultaneously. Various intracranial vasculopathies (atherosclerotic or nonatherosclerotic) had differentiating features including pattern of wall thickening, enhancement, and vessel remodeling on VWI. This technique could be used for determining causes of stenosis, identification of stroke mechanism, risk-stratifying patients, and directing therapeutic management in clinical practice. In addition, a new morphological classification based on VWI could be established for predicting the efficacy of endovascular therapy. Conclusions:This review highlights the value of HRMR VWI for discrimination of different intracranial vasculopathies and directing therapeutic management.
Effective Nonanatomical Endoscopy Training Produces Clinical Airway Endoscopy Proficiency

We studied the effectiveness of two nonanatomical endoscopic dexterity training models: “Choose the Hole” and Dexter™. Effectiveness was assessed in terms of time spent training, subjective rating, performance on an anatomical manikin, and clinical performance on fellow participants who acted as awake subjects. Forty-three anesthesia specialists, trainees, and technicians volunteered. Performances were videotaped, timed, and scored with a Global Rating Scale (GRS) from 1 (very poor) to 5 (clearly superior). The Dexter™ group spent more time training than the Choose the Hole group (median time [range], 152 min [70–510 min] versus 75 min [17–281 min]; P < 0.01). Subjective ratings were better in the Dexter™ group. In clinical bronchoscopy, the Dexter™ group was faster (30.7 s [17.1–43.5 s] versus 36.6 s [22.8–105.1 s]; P = 0.02) and had higher GRS scores (mean [SD]: 3.0 [0.4] versus 2.6 [0.6]; P = 0.04), indicating superior performance. Clinical and manikin performance (GRS scores) were significantly correlated (ρ = 0.62; P = 0.0001). Benchmark levels of clinical bronchoscopic performance can be anticipated from bench model performance without a clinical learning curve. Dexter™ is a more effective model for learning endoscopic dexterity than the Choose the Hole model. Airway topicalization with lidocaine in a dose range consistent with published series (490–980 mg or 7.14–14.77 mg/kg) resulted in a frequent incidence of side effects. No major adverse events occurred.
Viremia and antibody response in green monkeys (Chlorocebus aethiops sabaeus) infected with dengue virus type 2: A potential model for vaccine testing

The increasingly limited availability and high cost of the hitherto most commonly used monkey species in dengue vaccine research has augmented the importance of identifying alternative suitable models for these studies. In this study we examined the capacity of green monkeys (Chlorocebus aethiops sabaeus) to develop dengue viremia, and thus provide a potential model for dengue vaccine testing. Monkeys were inoculated with two different doses of dengue virus type 2. All animals in both groups became viremic after inoculation of the virus. In the lower dose group, mean viremia duration of 5.66 days was detected, whereas in the group that received the 106 PFU dose, viremia had a mean duration of only 1.66 days. Antibody titers were similar to those obtained in previous experiments with rhesus and cynomolgus macaques. We conclude that green monkeys develop viremia and antibody responses and therefore provide a potential model for the preclinical evaluation of novel candidates for dengue vaccines.
Health‐related fitness in adolescents: underweight, and not only overweight, as an influencing factor. The AVENA study

This study investigated differences in health‐related fitness (20‐m shuttle run, handgrip, bent arm hang, standing long jump, shuttle run 4 × 10 m and sit and reach tests) in 2474 Spanish adolescents (1196 boys and 1278 girls; age 13–18.5 years) classed as underweight, normal weight, overweight or obese according to body mass index. Body fat and fat‐free mass were derived from skinfold thickness. The prevalence of underweight was higher than obesity in girls (4.8% vs 3.0%, respectively; P<0.05) and the opposite in boys (3.9% vs 5.8%, respectively; P<0.05). Underweight was associated with a higher performance in the bent arm hang test in girls (P<0.05) and a lower performance in handgrip in both genders (P<0.01) compared with normal weight. Overweight and obese adolescents presented a lower performance in 20‐m shuttle run, bent arm hang, standing long jump and shuttle run 4 × 10 m tests (P<0.001), but a higher performance in handgrip strength (P<0.001) compared with normal weight. In weight‐bearing tests, the association became non‐significant after adjusting for fat mass. In conclusion, not only overweight and obesity but also underweight seem to be determinants of health‐related fitness in adolescents. The associations could be related to differences in body composition.
A 86 MHz–12 GHz Digital-Intensive PLL for Software-Defined Radios, Using a 6 fJ/Step TDC in 40 nm Digital CMOS

A 86 MHz-12 GHz digital-intensive reconfigurable PLL frequency synthesizer is presented with 100 kHz to 2 MHz bandwidth. It leverages a 6 fJ/step 5.5 ps, 14b coarse-fine TDC and a 6-12 GHz dual-VCO set. Several simple calibration schemes are proposed that enable the proper performance of the highly efficient TDC in the PLL. The 0.28 mm2 synthesizer, which is appropriate for use in a Software-Defined Radio, features noise cancellation and digital phase modulation and consumes less than 30 mW.
Stochastic Electronics: A Neuro-Inspired Design Paradigm for Integrated Circuits

As advances in integrated circuit (IC) fabrication technology reduce feature sizes to dimensions on the order of nanometers, IC designers are facing many of the problems that evolution has had to overcome in order to perform meaningful and accurate computations in biological neural circuits. In this paper, we explore the current state of IC technology including the many new and exciting opportunities “beyond CMOS. ” We review the role of noise in both biological and engineered systems and discuss how “stochastic facilitation” can be used to perform useful and precise computation. We explore nondeterministic methodologies for computation in hardware and introduce the concept of stochastic electronics (SE); a new way to design circuits and increase performance in highly noisy and mismatched fabrication environments. This approach is illustrated with several circuit examples whose results demonstrate its exciting potential.
Projective synchronization of complex delayed dynamical network via hybrid feedback control

This Letter introduces hybrid feedback control scheme to design controller for the synchronization of complex delayed dynamical networks. Based on Lyapunov stability theory, hybrid feedback controller and synchronization criteria are designed. Compared with the existing results, our synchronization strategy is still useful when the existing synchronization methods become invalid. Moreover, it is very convenient to use. An example of the complex dynamical network is finally used to verify the proposed theoretical result.
Male‐to‐male transmission in Laurin–Sandrow syndrome and exclusion of RARB and RARG

We report on a father and a son with nasal and limb defects characteristic of Laurin–Sandrow syndrome (LSS) excluding for the first time X‐linked inheritance in this rare condition. Based on a search for genes expressed late during nose formation and early in limb formation we identified retinoic acid receptor B (RARB) and retinoic acid receptor G (RARG) as possible candidate genes and sequenced bidirectionally including all exons and intron–exon bounders. We identified a single nucleotide substitution in intron 2 of RARB, which is conserved in human, chimp, dog, mouse, rat, and chicken. However, it was located 83 bp from exon 2, suggesting it is a rare polymorphism which does not account for the phenotype. No other mutations were found. This suggests that another yet unknown gene is responsible for the condition. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Biometric Jammer: Preventing surreptitious fingerprint photography without inconveniencing users

As fingerprint authentication technology becomes more advanced, it is being used in a growing range of personal devices such as PCs and smartphones. On the other hand, it has been pointed out that digital cameras can be used to capture people's fingerprints remotely, leaving them at risk of illegal log-ins or identity theft. This article shows how photographs can be processed to facilitate illegal fingerprint authentication. To prevent this from happening, we also propose a method that defeats the use of surreptitious photography to replicate fingerprints from photographs while still allowing contact-based fingerprint sensors to respond normally. We have verified that an implementation of the proposed method called Biometric Jammer can be worn to effectively prevent the illegal acquisition of fingerprints by surreptitious photography without inconveniencing the user or preventing the use of legitimate fingerprint authentication devices.
Dynamic Computation Offloading for Low-Power Wearable Health Monitoring Systems

Objective: The objective of this paper is to describe and evaluate an algorithm to reduce power usage and increase battery lifetime for wearable health-monitoring devices. Methods: We describe a novel dynamic computation offloading scheme for real-time wearable health monitoring devices that adjusts the partitioning of data processing between the wearable device and mobile application as a function of desired classification accuracy. Results: By making the correct offloading decision based on current system parameters, we show that we are able to reduce system power by as much as 20%. Conclusion: We demonstrate that computation offloading can be applied to real-time monitoring systems, and yields significant power savings. Significance: Making correct offloading decisions for health monitoring devices can extend battery life and improve adherence.