Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Separation of Mycobacterium bovis BCG from Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium bovis by using high-performance liquid chromatography of mycolic acids

Profile analysis of mycolic acid ester patterns of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mycobacterium bovis, and Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Gúerin (BCG) using high-performance liquid chromatography indicated that separation of BCG from M. tuberculosis and M. bovis by elution and relative retention times is possible. Mycolic acid patterns of BCG eluted from the column 0.5 min before M. tuberculosis or M. bovis, resulting in relative retention times for two peaks not seen in the pattern of M. tuberculosis or M. bovis. Identification was confirmed by phage typing, which has been the standard procedure for confirmation of BCG strains. These results showed that high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of mycolic acid esters can be used in the mycobacterial reference laboratory for separation of BCG from M. tuberculosis and M. bovis.
The Rush Memory and Aging Project: Study Design and Baseline Characteristics of the Study Cohort

The long-term objective of the Rush Memory and Aging Project is to identify the postmortem indices linking genetic and environmental risk factors to the development of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The overall study design involves a detailed assessment of risk factors for AD in older persons without known dementia who agree to annual clinical evaluation and organ donation at the time of death. In contrast to other clinical-pathologic studies which are conducted on special populations, the Rush Memory and Aging Project enrolled a cohort with much greater diversity in terms of educational attainment, in addition to gender, race, and ethnicity. From September of 1997 through April of 2005, more than 1,000 older persons without known dementia from more than 30 residential facilities across the Chicago metropolitan area agreed to participate. Their mean age was 81 years, about a third had 12 or fewer years of education, a third were men, and about 10% were members of a racial or ethnic minority group. More than 950 already have completed their baseline clinical evaluation.
Exploration and contextualization through interaction and concepts

Today's technology enables the continuous production of digital information. The abundance of available information provides researchers with the opportunity to ask new questions but also requires new research methods and tools. The traditional objects studied in the humanities have always been analogue records such as books, letters, and photographs. These objects are studied using analytical, critical, and interpretative approaches instead of computational ones. As the introduction of new technology and information sources is changing the way humanities researchers work and the questions they seek to answer, a new challenge arises for the development of tools and algorithms that support new practices as well as traditional ones. Particular challenges for humanities researchers raised by the abundance of available material are to gain insight in which materials to consider for a study through exploration and once chosen to obtain a holistic view of the research topic through contextualization. This thesis investigates two dimensions along which tools to support humanities researchers in dealing with the flood of information may be improved: by providing richer means of interaction with information systems and developing algorithms that allow discovery of information through relations between concepts. The results in this thesis show how both richer interactions and more effective related concept finding algorithms may be used to improve tools to support the research practices of humanities researchers. The insights from the work in this thesis may be used to inform the design and evaluation of future tools to continually support new needs and developments in the humanities.
Dynamic data integrity auditing for secure outsourcing in the cloud

Cloud servers provide cloud users with storage service and allow cloud users to access their files anytime. To guarantee security of the stored files, auditors need to periodically verify data block correctness. In the existing integrity verification schemes, there are few protocols to support the users' identity anonymity and the data block dynamic operation simultaneously. In this paper, we present an efficient and anonymous identity‐based integrity auditing protocol, which supports data dynamic operation and can be extended to support batch auditing in the multifile or multiuser setting. Our scheme not only resists forgery, replace, and replay attacks but also maintains users' anonymity, which is not discussed in other related techniques. The computation efficiency of auditor is improved a lot. Comparing with Zhang's efficient identity‐based public auditing scheme, our scheme is more suitable for actual application scenario with large‐scale storage system.
The comparison of the pull-out torque of permanent magnet couplings predicted theoretically with experimental measrements

The accurate prediction of the pull-out torque for new permanent-magnet-coupling designs can only be made by extrapolation from earlier designs. The pull-out torque predicted by three methods has been calculated from measurements of the magnitude of flux density patterns and the dimensions of the couplings. These are the methods of C.J. Fellows (CME, June 1979), W. Baran and M. Knorr (2nd Int. Workshop on Rare-Earth Cobalt Permanent Magnets and Their Applic., 1976), and Y. Tamera et al. (2nd Int. Workshop on Rare-Earth Cobalt Permanent Magnets and Their Applic., 1976). These theoretical predictions are compared to the experimental pull-out torque. The use of the formulation due to Baran and Knorr is recommended if a manufacturer wishes to design a permanent-magnet coupling with a torque range below 1/3 N-m. >
VII. Historical Remarks on the introduction of the game of Chess into Europe, and on the ancient Chess-men discovered in the Isle of Lewis; by Frederic Madden, Esq. F.R.S. in a Letter addressed to Henry Ellis, Esq. F.R.S., Secretary

The origin of the Game of Chess, like the origin of Romance, has been the subject of frequent discussion, and for a long period seemed to be enveloped in nearly equal obscurity. But, in tracing the former, we possess one considerable advantage over those who have discussed the source of fiction in the middle ages—the acknowledged fact, that the game of Chess could not have been produced by more minds than one, although it may subsequently have been modified, improved, or altered, according to the genius and habits of the people by whom it was adopted. It is sufficient, therefore, at present to assume, on the authorities produced by the learned Dr. Hyde and Sir William Jones, that for the invention and earliest form of this game we mustlook to India, from whence, through the medium of the Persians and Arabs (as demonstratively proved by the names of the chessmen), it was afterwards transmitted to the nations of Europe.
Cancer risk among parents and siblings of patients with schizophrenia

Background A reduced risk of cancer has been noted among people with schizophrenia. Given that genetic causes have been proposed as an explanation of this finding, one would expect that the risk of cancer among first-degree relatives would be equally reduced. Aims To investigate the risk of cancer among the biological parents and full siblings of people receiving in-patient care for schizophrenia. Method Linkage analysis was conducted between national population, psychiatric and cancer databases. Standardised incidence ratios for all cancer sites were calculated by comparing the incident rates among first-degree relatives with national incidence rates. Results A reduced cancer risk was found across all groups examined. Among parents, whose numbers were adequately large, the findings reached statistical significance. For index cases and siblings – a markedly younger population – only a trend was elicited. Conclusions The genetic hypothesis – namely, the presence of a gene with the dual effect of reducing the cancer risk and disrupting neurodevelopment – is a plausible explanation for these findings.
A posteriori error estimates for nonlinear problems. $L^r$ -estimates for finite element discretizations of elliptic equations

On modifie le cadre abstrait de [18] tel qu'il est capable de fournir des estimations d'erreur a posteriori aussi en norme L r . Les resultats generaux sont appliques aux equations quasilineaires d'ordre 2 et aux questions de Navier-Stokes stationnaires et incompressible. On obtient des estimations d'erreurs a posterion qui ne depend que des donnees du probleme et de la solution numerique et qui fournissent des bornes superieures globales et inferieures locales pour la norme L de l'erreur.
Acute yellow-phosphorus poisoning.

Acute yellow-phosphorus intoxication has ceased to be a problem in the United States for some time. In Latin American countries, however, small epidemics tend to follow the Christmas and Independence Day celebrations, since the phosphorus-containing firecrackers constitute a cheap and accessible poison to use for suicidal purposes. Adolescent girls are specially addicted to this mode of self-destruction. The clinical picture of the intoxication varies in severity from the very acute case with death within 24 hours to the patients who present the three classic stages described over 20 years ago.1 The difference in the course is largely determined by the .
MetaQUAST: evaluation of metagenome assemblies

UNLABELLED During the past years we have witnessed the rapid development of new metagenome assembly methods. Although there are many benchmark utilities designed for single-genome assemblies, there is no well-recognized evaluation and comparison tool for metagenomic-specific analogues. In this article, we present MetaQUAST, a modification of QUAST, the state-of-the-art tool for genome assembly evaluation based on alignment of contigs to a reference. MetaQUAST addresses such metagenome datasets features as (i) unknown species content by detecting and downloading reference sequences, (ii) huge diversity by giving comprehensive reports for multiple genomes and (iii) presence of highly relative species by detecting chimeric contigs. We demonstrate MetaQUAST performance by comparing several leading assemblers on one simulated and two real datasets. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION http://bioinf.spbau. ru/metaquast CONTACT aleksey.gurevich@spbu.ru SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Detection of low copy numbers of HIV‐1 proviral DNA in patient PBMCs by a high‐input, sequence‐capture PCR (Mega‐PCR)

An internally controlled high‐input PCR method, termed HIV‐1 Mega‐PCR was developed to lower the detection limit of HIV‐1 DNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and to improve its value as a complementary diagnostic test. It is based on PCR amplification of two target sequences in the gag gene of HIV‐1 following the selective capture of the targeted sequence and removal of unselected DNA from up to 500 μg of DNA. Efficient selection and amplification was monitored by inclusion of two mimic plasmids. The method was evaluated with buffy coat cells from healthy blood donors which were spiked with blood from 106 different HIV‐1‐infected individuals, and with 107 HIV‐1 seronegative control buffy coats. All specimens from HIV‐infected individuals were positive by a PCR protocol using 1 μg of patient DNA. Amplification of 1 μg DNA of the 106 spiked, diluted samples resulted in 68 double positive, 14 single positive, and 24 double negative reactions. In the Mega‐PCR, the average input was 260 ± 84 μg DNA containing an estimated 1.1 ± 0.6% of spiked patient DNA. Of the 106 samples tested by Mega‐PCR, 102 were positive and three negative. One failed to select the mimic plasmid. Among the 107 negative buffy coat controls, none was false‐positive and four exhibited a failure of the internal reaction control. Application of HIV‐1 Mega‐PCR to clinical specimens from seroreverting newborns of HIV‐infected mothers and seroindeterminate, PCR‐negative specimens revealed no indication for HIV infection, whereas three samples from confirmed, HIV‐1‐infected but PCR negative individuals showed evidence of the presence of HIV‐1 DNA. Mega‐PCR lowers the detection limit of an individual analysis to approximately 0.01 HIV‐1 DNA copies/μg of applied DNA and may help to confirm or exclude HIV‐1‐infection in difficult situations diagnostic. J. Med. Virol. 72:1–9, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Implicit verification of structurally dissimilar arithmetic circuits

In this paper we present a method for verifying structurally dissimilar arithmetic circuits which does not depend on knowledge of the circuit's intended behavior. Rather than trying to prove that two outputs are equivalent, the method tries to find an implication of the form A/spl rarr/C where the consequent C states that the outputs are equivalent. If we then prove that the antecedent, A, of the implication is true, then our original outputs must be equivalent. Since the truth of A implies the truth of C, we call this method implicit verification. Unlike previously reported implication techniques, we allow the antecedent A to be the conjunction of many conditions rather than a single condition. In addition to allowing more general antecedents, we give a method for choosing them in a useful manner. Using this implicit verification technique, we have been able to verify a 32/spl times/32 array multiplier versus a 32/spl times/32 Wallace tree multiplier.
A Rapid Locating Protocol of Corrupted Data for Cloud Data Storage

The verification of data integrity is an urgent topic in remote data storage environments with the wide deployment of cloud data storage services. Many traditional verification algorithms focus on the block-oriented verification to resolve the dispute of dynamic data integrity between the data owners and the storage service providers. However, these algorithms scarcely pay attention to the data verification charge and the users’ verification experience. The users more concern about the availability of accessed files rather than data blocks. Moreover, the data verification charge limits the number of checked data in each verification. Therefore, we propose a mixed verification protocol to verify the data integrity, which rapidly locates the corrupted files by the file-oriented verification, and then identifies the corrupted blocks in these files by the block-oriented verification. Theoretical analysis and simulation results demonstrate that the protocol reduces the cost of the metadata computation and transmission relative to the traditional block-oriented verification at the expense of little cost of additional file-oriented metadata computation and storage at the data owner. Both the opportunity of data extracted and the scope of suspicious data are optimized to improve the verification efficiency under the same verification cost.
Voltage-Gated Calcium Channel Antagonists and Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of death and disability in the United States. Despite more than 30 years of research, no pharmacological agents have been identified that improve neurological function following TBI. However, several lines of research described in this review provide support for further development of voltage gated calcium channel (VGCC) antagonists as potential therapeutic agents. Following TBI, neurons and astrocytes experience a rapid and sometimes enduring increase in intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i). These fluxes in [Ca2+]i drive not only apoptotic and necrotic cell death, but also can lead to long-term cell dysfunction in surviving cells. In a limited number of in vitro experiments, both L-type and N-type VGCC antagonists successfully reduced calcium loads as well as neuronal and astrocytic cell death following mechanical injury. In rodent models of TBI, administration of VGCC antagonists reduced cell death and improved cognitive function. It is clear that there is a critical need to find effective therapeutics and rational drug delivery strategies for the management and treatment of TBI, and we believe that further investigation of VGCC antagonists should be pursued before ruling out the possibility of successful translation to the clinic.
Outbreaks associated to bloodstream infections with Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase-negative Staphylococcus spp in premature neonates in a university hospital from Brazil

Staphylococcus aureus e Estafilococos coagulase-negativa (ECN) estao entre os patogenos hospitalares mais importantes em pacientes de unidades de terapia intensiva neonatal, principalmente em infeccoes da corrente sanguinea. O principal objetivo deste estudo foi determinar a ocorrencia de infeccoes hospitalares por estes microrganismos usando dois sistemas de vigilância (laboratorial e "National Nosocomial Infection Surveillance" - NNIS) e determinar os fatores de risco mais importantes durante o periodo de dois anos (2001-2002). Dois surtos por ambos S. aureus suscetivel a meticilina (1.5%) e ECN resistente a meticilina (1.0%) foram observados, de janeiro a fevereiro/02 e agosto a setembro/02. Taxas de incidencia endemica de 3.77% e 5.16% para S.aureus e ECN foram detectadas respectivamente. Fatores de risco incluiram idade £7 dias, hospitalizacao ³7 dias e utilizacao de cateter vascular central (CVC) de polietileno atraves de dissecacao de veia (flebotomia), mas, nenhum desses fatores independentes foram confirmados pela analise multivariada. Por outro lado, ECN resistente a oxacilina prevaleceu (66.0%) nos episodios epidemicos. Analise molecular atraves de gel de eletroforese em campo pulsatil mostrou a natureza policlonal das amostras de S. aureus. Em conclusao, nos identificamos dois surtos de etiologia mista por S. aureus suscetivel a meticilina e ECN resistente a meticilina associados a falta de material adequado (cateter vascular central) para neonatos, relacionados a procedimento invasivo. Os dois surtos foram controlados com a substituicao de CVC de polietileno pelo cateter central de insercao periferica.
Reproductive patterns and human-influenced behavior in brown bears: implications for the conservation of large carnivores

Los objetivos de esta tesis fueron 1) mejorar un metodo de seguimiento de poblaciones de oso pardo (Ursus arctos) basado en el conteo de osas con crias, incluyendo un estudio sobre patrones de reproduccion, y 2) explorar algunos efectos de actividades humanas sobre el comportamiento de los grandes carnivoros, con los osos como especie modelo. Seis de los trabajos fueron descriptivos, basados en datos empiricos, y sus resultados esenciales, en relacion con los objetivos expuestos, son los siguientes: 1) En relacion a las osas con crias, el estudio mejoro los criterios basados en distancias entre observaciones para distinguir grupos familiares, y resalto la necesidad de interpretar con cautela tendencias de la poblacion basadas en el conteo de osas con crias. Ademas, los resultados mostraron la existencia de un patron espacial y temporal de la reproduccion, sugiriendo que las interacciones entre individuos y el comportamiento en carnivoros solitarios pueden jugar un papel mas importante en las dinamicas poblacionales de lo que se viene suponiendo. 2) Los osos mostraron una respuesta comportamental concreta a las actividades humanas, tanto a escala estacional como diaria, que recuerda a las sensibles respuestas de las presas respecto a sus predadores. Parece que los osos utilizan la cobertura de la vegetacion y la distancia a asentamientos humanos como medios para evitar encuentros con gente, y modifican sus patrones de movimiento cuando comienza la temporada de caza. El ultimo manuscrito liga perspectivas demograficas y de comportamiento de la persecucion humana sobre los grandes carnivoros, discutiendo que esta afecta no solo a los carnivoros, sino probablemente tambien al papel regulador que ellos pueden desempenar en los ecosistemas
Characteristics of primary and late latent syphilis cases which were initially non-reactive with the rapid plasma reagin as the screening test

Summary The aim of the study was to determine the characteristics of primary and late latent syphilis cases that were non-reactive on initial screening by rapid plasma reagin (RPR) but reactive by treponemal tests. RPR test results of all primary and late latent syphilis cases in the province of Alberta, Canada during 1980–2001 were compiled. The proportion of syphilis cases that were non-reactive by RPR testing was compared with reactive cases. Multiple logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with non-reactive RPR results. Among primary syphilis cases, 224 (26%) were non-reactive on initial RPR and were compared with 639 reactive primary cases. Independent factors associated with a non-reactive result were male gender (odds ratio, [OR] = 1.99 [1.22–3.26]), Caucasian ethnicity (OR = 1.77 [1.20–2.61]) and diagnosis during the 1980–1986 syphilis outbreak period in Alberta (OR = 3.13 [1.45–6.74]). Of the late latent cases, 512 (39%) were non-reactive by RPR and 791 were reactive. A non-reactive test for late latent cases was associated with male gender (OR = 2.91 [2.15–3.94]), Canadian Aboriginal (OR = 2.91 [1.59–5.32]), Caucasian (OR = 1.87 [1.35–2.58]), black ethnicity (OR = 1.76 [1.28–2.42]) and diagnosis during the 1980–1986 Alberta syphilis outbreak (OR = 1.67 [1.29–2.16]). RPR testing alone is insufficient to diagnose primary and late latent infections under certain conditions and patient characteristics. Case detection was lower for late latent syphilis when compared with primary syphilis based on the properties of the RPR. Further studies are needed to inform the optimal use of the RPR test in laboratory testing algorithms for the diagnosis of syphilis and to determine the cost effectiveness of better screening tests for syphilis.
An Efficient Renewable Energy Management and Sharing System for Sustainable Embedded Devices

We present the design and evaluation of a capacitor-driven efficient renewable energy management and sharing system, called REMS system, that is designed to replace battery-based energy storage units. We first identify potential applications and requirements of the REMS system. Then we describe the design of REMS system which aims at minimizing the energy leaked away and providing accurate and fine-grained energy sharing between embedded devices. We extensively evaluate our system under different real-world settings. Results indicate that our charging and discharging control can effectively minimize the energy leaked away. Moreover, the energy sharing design can efficiently share renewable energy among multiple devices and significantly extend the lifetime of a system.
Modeling Topological Characteristics of BitTorrent-Like Peer-to-Peer Networks

This letter presents a complex network model for the BitTorrent; the most popular peer-to-peer network. Three important topological characteristics; (i) degree distribution, (ii) clustering coefficient and (iii) average path length of this network are analytically modeled. The analytical computations are confirmed by simulations. Moreover, the accuracy of the proposed model was confirmed by exploiting a BitTorrent simulator.