Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Molecular epidemiology and virulence factors of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus trains in a Romanian university hospital

The aim of the present study was to analyze the clo nal relations and virulence profile of clinically r elevant MRSA strains collected during one year from pat ients admitted to clinical wards with high risk for nosocomial infections in a university hospital. One hundred and twenty two MRSA strains isolated from patients admitted to surgical and intensive care units during 2010 we re analyzed. Molecular characterization was perform ed using PFGE (pulsed-field gel electrophoresis), determinin g spa polymorphism and SCCmec type. The presence of genes encoding for virulence factors was assessed. W have identified 25 distinct pulsotypes clusterin g into 4 major clonal groups. Group A comprised 82% of MRSA strains (n=100), corresponding to spa type t030. Th ese strains harboured SCCmec type III and were positive for enterotoxin A genes. Fifteen percent of the st rains (n=18) belonged to group B representing spa types t 127, t015 and t321, carrying SCCmec type IV and gen es encoding for diverse enterotoxins. Groups C and D wer e r presented by one strain each, belonging to spa ty e t044 and t582, respectively. These strains were positive for genes encoding for Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL), enterotoxin G and toxic shock syndrome toxin. Two s trains were non-typeable by PFGE, these belonged to spa type t034, characteristic to livestock-associated M RSA (LA-MRSA) strains. The majority of MRSA strains were clonally related. Supported by epidemiological data , our findings point to the intrahospital origin of these strains. Community-associated MRSA strains (SCCmec type IV) were sporadically involved in infections. Strains with multiple virulence factors and new, emerging s trains (LA-MRSA) were detected.
Invariant approximations of the minimal robust positively Invariant set

This note provides results on approximating the minimal robust positively invariant (mRPI) set (also known as the 0-reachable set) of an asymptotically stable discrete-time linear time-invariant system. It is assumed that the disturbance is bounded, persistent and acts additively on the state and that the constraints on the disturbance are polyhedral. Results are given that allow for the computation of a robust positively invariant, outer approximation of the mRPI set. Conditions are also given that allow one to a priori specify the accuracy of this approximation.
N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors and protein synthesis are necessary for reinstatement of conditioned fear

Conditioned fear is extinguished if a conditioned animal receives the conditioned stimulus without an unconditioned stimulus. The extinguished fear response can be reinstated after the animal experiences a mild unconditioned stimulus. Although extensive studies on the neuronal circuitry and neurochemical mechanisms leading to fear acquisition and extinction have been carried out, few studies have focused on reinstatement. In this study, we investigated the effects of N-methyl-D-aspartic acid receptor (NMDAR) antagonists, protein synthesis inhibitors, cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1R) antagonists, and benzodiazepine on reinstatement of conditioned fear in mice. An intraperitoneal injection of the NMDAR antagonist MK-801 or the protein synthesis inhibitor anisomycin before the reminder shock attenuated fear reinstatement tested the next day. However, anisomycin had no effect on fear reinstatement tested 2 h after the reminder shock. CB1R antagonists, SR141716, and a benzodiazepine, diazepam, had no effect on fear reinstatement. These results suggested that NMDAR and protein synthesis-dependent plasticity contributed toward the reinstatement of conditioned fear and that protein synthesis was involved in consolidation of reinstated fear.
Perception of Rhythmic Similarity is Asymmetrical, and Is Influenced by Musical Training, Expressive Performance, and Musical Context

Rhythm is an essential part of the structure, behaviour, and aesthetics of music. However, the cognitive processing that underlies the perception of musical rhythm is not fully understood. In this study, we tested whether rhythm perception is influenced by three factors: musical training, the presence of expressive performance cues in human-performed music, and the broader musical context. We compared musicians and nonmusicians’ similarity ratings for pairs of rhythms taken from Steve Reich’s Clapping Music. The rhythms were heard both in isolation and in musical context and both with and without expressive performance cues. The results revealed that rhythm perception is influenced by the experimental conditions: rhythms heard in musical context were rated as less similar than those heard in isolation; musicians’ ratings were unaffected by expressive performance, but nonmusicians rated expressively performed rhythms as less similar than those with exact timing; and expressively-performed rhythms were rated as less similar compared to rhythms with exact timing when heard in isolation but not when heard in musical context. The results also showed asymmetrical perception: the order in which two rhythms were heard influenced their perceived similarity. Analyses suggest that this asymmetry was driven by the internal coherence of rhythms, as measured by normalized Pairwise Variability Index (nPVI). As predicted, rhythms were perceived as less similar when the first rhythm in a pair had greater coherence (lower nPVI) than the second rhythm, compared to when the rhythms were heard in the opposite order.
60 GHz time-variant shadowing characterization within an Airbus 340

60 GHz systems are recently targeted as a Giga-bit short range communication solution for in-flight-entertainment (IFE) systems. The time-variant shadowing by human bodies (TVSHB) is one of the most harmful propagation effects for these applications. In this paper is presented an experimental characterization of the TVSHB at 60 GHz based on real-time wideband measurement campaigns performed within an Airbus-340 aircraft cabin, using redundant cell configurations and different antenna patterns. The fading-rate in dB/ms, fading-depth, and depth-duration when passengers were walking, blocking and standing up were considered for the statistical analysis. The TVSHB distributions and its parameters have shown remarkable differences according to the chosen antennas. Besides, to the authors' knowledge, first results about both the TVSHB autocorrelation and site-to-site TVSHB cross-correlation are presented in this paper, showing useful results for the applicability of power-control, macro-diversity, handover, or beamforming as optional system enhancements at 60 GHz.
Efficient SIE/VIE scattering analysis of ferroelectric inhomogeneous materials with high permittivity for microwave applications

Ferroelectric materials have been gaining much interest over the last decades due to the unique operational characteristics they demonstrate, when a dc electric field is applied. This paper investigates the scattering analysis of electromagnetic waves from materials with high permittivity that follows a linear spatial variation along one axis. The surface integral equation (SIE) and volume integral equation (VIE) methods are invoked to compute the currents and the radar cross section (RCS). The number of unknowns for the VIE is, as expected, larger than for the SIE method. The RCS and the induced current are associated in such a way that one can approximate the linear variation with relatively few elements (unknowns).
Learning coherent Granger-causality in panel vector autoregressive models

We consider the problem of forecasting multiple time series across multiple cross-sections based solely on the past observations of the series. We propose to use panel vector autoregressive model to capture the inter-dependencies on the past values of the multiple series. We restrict the panel vector autoregressive model to exclude the cross-sectional relationships and propose a method to learn models with sparse Granger-causality structures coherent across the panel sections. The method extends the concepts of group variable selection and support union recovery into the panel setting by extending the group lasso penalty (Yuan & Lin, 2006) into matrix output regression setting with 3d-tensor of model parameters.
Familial Mediterranean fever: the potential for misdiagnosis of E148V using the E148Q usual RFLP detection method

To the Editor: Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is a recessively inherited disease affecting mostly Mediterranean populations (1). Presently, 21 mutations (2–12) have been reported in the gene responsible for the disease, MEFV, mostly in exons 2 and 10. Previous studies on Lebanese and Jordanian FMF patients showed that these populations are genetically highly heterogeneous (13,14). In the present study, 342 Lebanese and Jordanian FMF patients were diagnosed according to Heller’s criteria (15). They willingly filled in an information form and donated blood. DNA was extracted from leucocytes by standard techniques (16). Sequencing of exons 2 (primers E2A: 5ƒAACTTTAATATCCAAGGGGATTC-3ƒ and E2B: 5ƒ-TTCTCTGCAGCCGATATAAAGTA3ƒ) and 10 (primers E10-1F: 5ƒ-AGAAGAACTACCCTGTCCCTG-3ƒ and E10-3R: 5ƒTAGTCACGGAATGCCGACTAG-3ƒ) using the ABI 310 genetic analyzer led to the identification of rare and novel mutations. Allelic frequencies of mutations M694V, V726A, M694I, M680I and E148Q were similar to those previously reported (13,14), whereas rare mutations, such as A744S (1 patient), R653H (2 patients), R761H (8 patients), M694del (1 patient) and E148V (1 patient), were encountered in the Lebanese series. New single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) corresponding to silent substitutions, such as G764 GGG/GGT in exon 10 and L142 CTG/CTT in exon 2, were
Formation control based on second-order feedback linearization

Formation control using feedback linearization is developed in this paper. The purpose of the work is that the relative trajectory between follower and leader is linearized in velocity coordinate system in order to accurately control its dynamic process. Considering not all states of the leader which are necessary for complete linearization can be measured in some cases, both full state feedback and non-full state feedback are discussed for the formation control. When the relative trajectory is affected by the unmeasured states in non-full state feedback case, the bounded position error caused by the disturbance can be guaranteed and the formation controller still works well. Simulation results are presented to demonstrate the formation control performance even if the course angle of the leader is changeable.
Evidence That Cholesteryl Ester Transfer Protein-mediated Reductions in Reconstituted High Density Lipoprotein Size Involve Particle Fusion*

It is well established that cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) changes the size of high density lipoproteins (HDL) during incubation in vitro It has been suggested that HDL·CETP·HDL ternary complex formation is involved in these changes. The present results, which are consistent with CETP changing the size of spherical reconstituted HDL (rHDL) by a mechanism involving fusion, support the ternary complex hypothesis. When rHDL containing a core of cholesteryl esters and either three molecules of apolipoprotein (apo) A-I/particle, (A-I)rHDL, or six molecules of apoA-II/particle, (A-II)rHDL, were incubated individually with CETP, their respective diameters decreased from 9.4 to 7.8 nm and from 9.8 to 8.8 nm. The small (A-I)rHDL and (A-II)rHDL contained, respectively, two molecules of apoA-I/particle and four molecules of apoA-II/particle. As all of the rHDL lipids and apolipoproteins were quantitatively recovered at the end of the incubations, it was apparent that there was a 50% increase in the number of particles. This increase in the number of particles can be explained as follows: (i) sequential binding of two rHDL to CETP to generate a ternary complex, (ii) fusion of the rHDL in the ternary complex, and (iii) rearrangement of the fusion product into three small particles. Various spectroscopic techniques were used to show that the small rHDL were structurally distinct from the original rHDL. These results provide the first evidence that CETP mediates the fusion of spherical rHDL.
DNA identification and morphological description of the first confirmed larvae of Hetaeriinae (Coleoptera: Histeridae)

Abstract. Using DNA sequences of nuclear ribosomal (18S) and mitochondrial (cytochrome oxidase I) genes (a modified DNA barcoding approach), we positively identify, for the first time, larvae of hetaeriine Histeridae. Species in this subfamily occur as obligate associates of social insect colonies, particularly those of neotropical army ants. Of several larval specimens collected from bivouacs of Eciton burchelli, we identify the two larval instars of Paratropinus scalptus, and discuss a quite different first instar larva near Euxenister. The larvae are described and illustrated, with attempts to homologize all chaetotaxy to other known histerid larvae. Phylogenetic trees for 18S and cytochrome oxidase I, for over twenty hetaeriine taxa, are compared with each other and with a previous hypothesis of relationships in the subfamily.
Recent advances in human behaviour understanding: A survey

In our daily life we are trying to merge information and communication technology with our existing infrastructure to get right information at the right time. One way to reach this goal is to understanding human behaviour by capturing and analyzing real life data. Human behaviour understanding is an important issue to the researchers which is based on the various factors like human actions, activities, number of individuals, facial expressions, body posture and gestures, vocal characteristics, distance between the individuals, different weather conditions, work places, interactions and age groups. Different tools and technologies like geometric shape matching, artificial neural network, colour space analysis, Bayesian models, hidden Markov model, Gaussian mixture model, support vector machine and deep learning can be used individually or can be combined together to solve this purpose. The concept can be applied in home, healthcare, transport, education, safety aid, entertainment, sports and many other places. This paper focuses on the evolution of technologies used for human behaviour understanding, divide them into different stages, find out the advantages and disadvantages and also discuss the important open research issues.
Synchrony of spontaneous calcium activity in mouse neocortex before synaptogenesis

Spontaneous calcium activity can be detected in embryonic mouse cortical slices as fluorescence intensity variations, in the presence of a fluorescent calcium indicator. Current methods to detect and quantify these variations depend heavily on experimenters whose judgement may interfere with measurement. In the present work, we developed new software called CalSignal for automatic detection and tracking of cellular bodies and quantification of spontaneous calcium activity on time‐series of confocal fluorescence images. Analysis of 28 neocortical slices revealed that 21.0% of detected cells displayed peaks of fluorescence corresponding to spontaneous activity, with a mean frequency of one peak per 4 min. This activity was blocked in the absence of extracellular calcium but was not modified after depletion of calcium stores with thapsigargin or blockade of voltage‐gated calcium channels with Ni2+. Further, statistical analysis of calcium activity revealed concomitant activation of distant cells in 24 slices, and the existence of a significant network of synchrony based on such coactivations in 17 slices out of 28. These networks enclosed 84.3% of active cells, scattered throughout the neocortical wall (mean distance between cellular bodies, 111.7 µm). Finally, it was possible to identify specific cells which were synchronously active with more neighbouring cells than others. The identity of these nodal cells remains to be investigated to fully comprehend the role of spontaneous calcium activity, before synaptogenesis, in shaping cortical neurogenesis.
Thyrotoxic Atrial Fibrillation: Factors Associated with Persistence and Risk of Ischemic Stroke

Background Atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the commonest cardiovascular manifestations of thyrotoxicosis. A significant proportion of patients have persistent AF which may have long term consequences, for example, ischemic stroke. Methods We performed a retrospective cohort study in a regional hospital from January 2004 to June 2016 to examine the clinical characteristics and outcomes of thyrotoxic patients who presented with atrial fibrillation and to investigate possible factors associated with persistent atrial fibrillation and ischemic stoke. Results Among 1918 patients who had a diagnosis of thyrotoxicosis, 133 (6.9%) patients presented with AF. Spontaneous sinus conversion occurred in 89 (66.9%) patients in which 85 (94%) patients developed sinus conversion before or within 6 months after having achieved euthyroidism. The remaining 44 (33.1%) had persistent AF. The rate of ischemic stroke was numerically higher among patients who had persistent AF than those with spontaneous sinus conversion (15.9% versus 10.1%; log-rank 0.442, p = 0.506). Patients who sustained an ischemic stroke were older (71 ± 11 years versus 62 ± 16 years, p = 0.023) and had a trend towards higher CHA2DS2-VASc score (2.9 ± 1.7 versus 2.3 ± 1.7, p = 0.153). History of smoking (adjusted odds ratio 4.9, 95% CI [1.8,14.0], p = 0.002), a larger left atrial diameter (adjusted odd ratio 2.6, 95% CI [1.2,5.5], p = 0.014), and a relatively lower free thyroxine level at diagnosis (adjusted odd ratio 2.1, 95% CI [1.2,3.5], p = 0.008) were associated with persistence of AF on multivariate analysis. Conclusion Persistence of thyrotoxic AF occurred in one-third of patients and spontaneous sinus conversion was unlikely after six months of euthyroidism. High rate of ischemic stroke was observed among patients with persistent thyrotoxic AF and older age. Patients with factors associated with persistent AF, especially older people, should be closely monitored beyond 6 months so that anticoagulation can be initiated in a timely manner to reduce risk of ischemic stroke.
Evaluation of a hospitalist-run acute care for the elderly service.

BACKGROUND Comprehensive care for frail older inpatients may improve selected outcomes and reduce harm. OBJECTIVE To evaluate a Hospitalist-run Acute Care for the Elderly (Hospitalist-ACE) service. DESIGN Quasi-randomized, controlled trial. SETTING Urban academic medical center. PATIENTS Medical inpatients age ≥70 years. INTERVENTION Hospitalist-ACE service components: 1) selected hospitalist attendings; 2) daily interdisciplinary rounds; 3) standardized geriatric assessment; 4) clinical focus on mitigating harm and discharge planning; 5) novel inpatient geriatrics curriculum. MEASURES The primary outcome was recognition of abnormal functional status by the primary medical team. Secondary outcomes included: recognition of abnormal cognitive status and delirium by the primary medical team; use of physical restraints and sleep aids; documentation of code status; hospital charges, length of stay, readmission rates, discharge location, and falls. RESULTS One hundred twenty-two Hospitalist-ACE patients were compared to 95 usual care patients. Hospitalist-ACE patients had significantly greater recognition of abnormal functional status (65% vs 32%, P < 0.0001), and abnormal cognitive status (57% vs 36%, P = 0.02), and greater use of "Do Not Attempt Resuscitation" orders (39% vs 26%, P = 0.04). There were no differences in use of physical restraints, or sleep aids, falls, or discharge location. Hospitalist-ACE patients and usual care patients had similar mean lengths of stay in days (3.4 ± 2.7 vs 3.1 ± 2.7, P = 0.52), mean charges ($24,617 ± $15,828 vs $21,488 ± $13,407, P = 0.12), and 30-day readmission rates (12% vs 10%, P = 0.50). CONCLUSIONS A Hospitalist-ACE service may improve care processes without significantly increasing resource consumption. No impact on key clinical outcomes was observed.
A Simple and Efficient RNA Extraction Method from Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vent Chimney Structures

RNA-based microbiological analyses, e.g., transcriptome and reverse transcription-quantitative PCR, require a relatively large amount of high quality RNA. RNA-based analyses on microbial communities in deep-sea hydrothermal environments often encounter methodological difficulties with RNA extraction due to the presence of unique minerals in and the low biomass of samples. In the present study, we assessed RNA extraction methods for deep-sea vent chimneys that had complex mineral compositions. Mineral-RNA adsorption experiments were conducted using mock chimney minerals and Escherichia coli total RNA solution, and showed that detectable RNA significantly decreased possibly due to adsorption onto minerals. This decrease in RNA was prevented by the addition of sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP), deoxynucleotide triphosphates (dNTPs), salmon sperm DNA, and NaOH. The addition of STPP was also effective for RNA extraction from the mixture of E. coli cells and mock chimney minerals when TRIzol reagent and the RNeasy column were used, but not when the RNeasy PowerSoil total RNA kit was used. A combination of STPP, TRIzol reagent, the RNeasy column, and sonication resulted in the highest RNA yield from a natural chimney. This indirect extraction procedure is simple, rapid, inexpensive, and may be used for large-scale RNA extraction.
CpG Oligodeoxynucleotides Stimulate Protective Innate Immunity against Pulmonary Klebsiella Infection1

Bacterial pneumonia is a leading cause of mortality in the United States. Innate immune responses, including type-1 cytokine production, are critical to the effective clearance of bacterial pathogens from the lung. Synthetic oligodeoxynucleotides (ODN) containing unmethylated CpG dinucleotide motifs (CpG ODN), which mimic the effects of bacterial DNA, have been shown to enhance type-1 cytokine responses during infection due to intracellular pathogens, resulting in enhanced microbial clearance. The role of CpG ODN in modulating protective innate immunity against extracellular pathogens is unknown. Using a murine model of Gram-negative pneumonia, we found that CpG ODN administration stimulated protective immunity against Klebsiella pneumoniae. Specifically, intratracheal (i.t.) administration of CpG ODN (30 μg) 48 h before i.t. K. pneumoniae challenge resulted in increased survival, compared with animals pretreated with control ODN or saline. Pretreatment with CpG ODN resulted in enhanced bacterial clearance in lung and blood, and higher numbers of pulmonary neutrophils, NKT cells, γδ-T cells, and activated NK1.1+ cells and γδ-T lymphocytes during infection. Furthermore, pretreatment with CpG ODN enhanced the production of TNF-α, and type-1 cytokines, including IL-12, IFN-γ, and the IFN-γ-dependent ELR− CXC chemokines IFN-γ-inducible protein-10 and monokine induced by IFN-γ in response to Klebsiella challenge, compared with control mice. These findings indicate that i.t. administration of CpG ODN can stimulate multiple components of innate immunity in the lung, and may form the basis for novel therapies directed at enhancing protective immune responses to severe bacterial infections of the lung.