Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Van B Positive Vancomycin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus among Clinical Isolates in Shendi City , Northern Sudan

Background: Staphylococcus aureus is associated with different infections ranging from skin and soft tissue infections to endocarditis and fatal pneumonia. S. aureus is still the most common bacterial species isolated from inpatient specimens and the second most common from outpatient specimens. The aims of this project were out to estimate the prevalence of vancomycin resistant Staphylococcus aureus(VRSA) and also to determine which genes are responsible for VRSA phenomenon. Methods: A total of 123 methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA) were isolated from 200 clinical samples. The VRSA were tested using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. Results: Out of the 123 isolates, 6.5% were VRSA. The resistivity of S. aureusto other antibiotics was also adopted by Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. All of the 8 VRSA isolates were found to be resistant to nitrofurantoin, penicillin, ampicillin, kanamycin, clindamycin, ofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, erythromycin and gentamicin. All VRSA isolates were confirmed to carry vanB gene. Conclusion: The study concluded that PCR assay was rapid and accurate technique for the identification of vanB gene of VRSA strains as compared to the conventional methods since the time was taken is less and can help efficiently in controlling and management of the emergence of multi drugs resistant pathogen such as S. aureus.
A practical calibration process using partial information for a commercial Stewart platform

Most of the calibration methods proposed for the Stewart platform require complex computation or low noise data for the platform's accuracy to be determined. They are not suitable for practical use in a production environment, where the measurement and calibration method should be simple and robust. Using an external laser measuring device to determine the actual accuracy of a Stewart platform, a practical and simple leg length compensating calibration method, that improves the accuracy of the Stewart platform by a magnitude of around 7, is proposed. The procedures and computation algorithms of the calibration method are shown.
Association of the ADRB2 Gly16Arg and Glu27Gln polymorphisms with athlete status

Abstract The β-adrenergic receptors (β-ARs) have known functional roles in cardiovascular and pulmonary responses as well as the appropriate substrate metabolism required for athletic ability. Thus, the β-AR genes are plausible candidates for the variations observed in strength/power and endurance performance levels. The aims of the present study were to compare the frequency distribution of the ADRB2 Gly16Arg and ADRB2 Glu27Gln polymorphisms among athletes of sports with different metabolic and cardiopulmonary demands (endurance vs. strength/power) and to test the association between the Gly16Arg and Glu27Gln genotypes and athlete status. The study was performed in a group of 223 Polish athletes of the highest nationally competitive standard (123 endurance-oriented athletes and 100 strength/power athletes). Control samples were prepared from 354 unrelated, sedentary volunteers. The χ2 test of independence revealed that the frequencies of the Gly16 and Glu27 alleles were significantly higher in the strength/power athletes than in the controls (69.0% vs. 59.7%; df = 1, P = 0.017 and 51% vs. 41.5%; df = 1 P = 0.017, respectively). The study showed that ADRB2 Gly16Arg and Glu27Gln markers are associated with athlete status in Polish athletes. An excess of Gly16 and Glu27 alleles and the Gly16:Glu27 haplotype observed in the strength/power athlete subgroup suggests that the Gly16 and Glu27 alleles might increase the probability of becoming a strength/power athlete rather than an endurance-oriented athlete.
The role of pH on the resistance of resting‐ and active anammox bacteria to NO2− inhibition

The anaerobic oxidation of ammonium (anammox) uses nitrite as terminal electron acceptor. The nitrite can cause inhibition to the bacteria that catalyze the anammox reaction. The literature shows a great divergence on the levels of NO2− causing inhibition. Moreover, the conditions influencing the resistance of anammox bacteria to NO2− inhibitory effect are not well understood. This work investigated the effect of the pH and the concentration of nitrite on the activity and metabolism of anammox granular sludge under different physiological conditions. Batch activity tests in a range of pH values were carried out in which either actively metabolizing cells or resting cells were exposed to nitrite in the presence or absence of the electron donating substrate ammonium, respectively. The response of the bacteria was evaluated by analyzing the specific anammox activity, the accumulation of nitric oxide, and the evolution of the ATP content in the biomass. Additionally, the effect of the pH on the tolerance of the biomass to single substrate feeding interruptions was evaluated in continuous anammox bioreactors. The results show that the influence of the pH on the NO2− inhibition of anammox bacteria is greater under non‐metabolizing conditions than during active metabolism. The exposure of resting cells to NO2− (100 mg N L−1) at pH values below 7.2 caused complete inhibition of the anammox activity. The inhibition was accompanied by accumulation of the intermediate, nitric oxide, in the gas phase. In contrast, just mild inhibition was observed for resting cells exposed to the same NO2− concentration at pH values higher than 7.5 or any of the pH values tested in assays with actively metabolizing cells. ATP initially increased and subsequently decreased in time after resting cells were exposed to NO2− suggesting an active response of the cells to nitrite stress. Furthermore, bioreactors operated at pH lower than 6.8 had greater sensitivity to NO2− during an ammonium feed interruption than a bioreactor operated at pH 7.1. The results suggest that the ability of resting cells to tolerate NO2− inhibition is seriously impeded at mildly acidic pH values; whereas actively metabolizing biomass is resistant to NO2− toxicity over a wide range of pH values. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2014;111: 1949–1956. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Compensatory role for Rad52 during recombinational repair in Ustilago maydis

A single Rad52‐related protein is evident by blast analysis of the Ustilago maydis genome database. Mutants created by disruption of the structural gene exhibited few discernible defects in resistance to UV, ionizing radiation, chemical alkylating or cross‐linking agents. No deficiency was noted in spontaneous mutator activity, allelic recombination or meiosis. GFP‐Rad51 foci were formed in rad52 cells following DNA damage, but were initially less intense than normal suggesting a possible role for Rad52 in formation of the Rad51 nucleoprotein filament. A search for interacting genes that confer a synthetic fitness phenotype with rad52 after DNA damage by UV irradiation identified the genes for Mph1, Ercc1 and the Rad51 paralogue Rec2. Testing known mutants in recombinational repair revealed an additional interaction with the BRCA2 orthologue Brh2. Suppression of the rec2 mutant's UV sensitivity by overexpressing Brh2 was found to be dependent on Rad52. The results suggest that Rad52 serves in an overlapping, compensatory role with both Rec2 and Brh2 to promote and maintain formation of the Rad51 nucleoprotein filament.
Contribution of Calcium Ions to P2X Channel Responses

Ca2+ entry through transmitter-gated cation channels, including ATP-gated P2X channels, contributes to an array of physiological processes in excitable and non-excitable cells, but the absolute amount of Ca2+ flowing through P2X channels is unknown. Here we address the issue of precisely how much Ca2+ flows through P2X channels and report the finding that the ATP-gated P2X channel family has remarkably high Ca2+ flux compared with other channels gated by the transmitters ACh, serotonin, protons, and glutamate. Several homomeric and heteromeric P2X channels display fractional Ca2+ currents equivalent to NMDA channels, which hitherto have been thought of as the largest source of transmitter-activated Ca2+ flux. We further suggest that NMDA and P2X channels may use different mechanisms to promote Ca2+ flux across membranes. We find that mutating three critical polar amino acids decreases the Ca2+ flux of P2X2 receptors, suggesting that these residues cluster to form a novel type of Ca2+ selectivity region within the pore. Overall, our data identify P2X channels as a large source of transmitter-activated Ca2+ influx at resting membrane potentials and support the hypothesis that polar amino acids contribute to Ca2+ selection in an ATP-gated ion channel.
Robust hand gesture recognition with kinect sensor

Hand gesture based Human-Computer-Interaction (HCI) is one of the most natural and intuitive ways to communicate between people and machines, since it closely mimics how human interact with each other. In this demo, we present a hand gesture recognition system with Kinect sensor, which operates robustly in uncontrolled environments and is insensitive to hand variations and distortions. Our system consists of two major modules, namely, hand detection and gesture recognition. Different from traditional vision-based hand gesture recognition methods that use color-markers for hand detection, our system uses both the depth and color information from Kinect sensor to detect the hand shape, which ensures the robustness in cluttered environments. Besides, to guarantee its robustness to input variations or the distortions caused by the low resolution of Kinect sensor, we apply a novel shape distance metric called Finger-Earth Mover's Distance (FEMD) for hand gesture recognition. Consequently, our system operates accurately and efficiently. In this demo, we demonstrate the performance of our system in two real-life applications, arithmetic computation and rock-paper-scissors game.
Partial update PNLMS algorithm for network echo cancellation

The Proportionate Normalized Least Mean Square (PNLMS) algorithm has been proposed for network echo cancellation to take advantages of the sparseness of the echo path impulse responses. The PNLMS algorithm has fast initial convergence but slows down dramatically after the initial period. In this paper, a novel algorithm to combine the PNLMS algorithm with the technique of partial update is proposed. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm can achieve faster overall convergence with less computation.
Some Enumerations on Non-Decreasing Dyck Paths

We construct a formal power series on several variables that encodes many statistics on non-decreasing Dyck paths. In particular, we use this formal power series to count peaks, pyramid weights, and indexed sums of pyramid weights for all non-decreasing Dyck paths of length $2n. $ We also show that an indexed sum on pyramid weights depends only on the size and maximum element of the indexing set.
Automatic Quantification of Speech Intelligibility of Adults with Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Objective: It has been the aim of the present study to introduce a novel automatic technique for the objective and quantitative assessment of speech intelligibility to the evaluation of postoperative outcome. Patients and Methods: Forty-six patients with oral carcinomas, mean age 59.8 ± 10.1 years, and an age-matched control group of 40 subjects without oral diseases. Recordings of a standard text read by the patients and the control group were analyzed by an automatic speech recognition system. Results: For the patients, automatic speech recognition yielded word recognition rates between 8 and 82% (mean 49 ± 19%), for the control group between 60 and 91% (76 ± 7%). Automatic evaluation closely correlated with the experts’ perceptual evaluation of intelligibility (r = –0.93; p < 0.01). The multi-rater kappa of the experts alone (0.55) differed only slightly from the multi-rater kappa of the experts and the speech recognition system (0.58). Conclusion: For adults with speech disorders, automatic speech recognition may serve as a valuable tool to assess global speech outcome after treatment of oral squamous cell carcinoma objectively and quantitatively for clinical and research purposes.
Experimentally induced antipredator responses are mediated by social and environmental factors

Abstract Nest predation is a common cause of reproductive failure for many bird species, and various antipredator defense behaviors have evolved to reduce the risk of nest predation. However, trade-offs between current reproductive duties and future reproduction often limit the parent’s ability to respond to nest predation risk. Individual responses to experimentally increased nest predation risk can give insights into these trade-offs. Here, we investigate whether social and ecological factors affect individual responses to predation risk by experimentally manipulating the risk of nest predation using taxidermic mounts in the cooperative breeding Seychelles warbler (Acrocephalus sechellensis). Our results show that dominant females, but not males, alarm called more often when they confront a nest predator model alone than when they do so with a partner, and that individuals that confront a predator together attacked more than those that did so alone. Dominant males increased their antipredator defense by spending more time nest guarding after a presentation with a nest predator, compared with a nonpredator control, but no such effect was found for females, who did not increase the time spent incubating. In contrast to incubation by females, nest guarding responses by dominant males depended on the presence of other group members and food availability. These results suggest that while female investment in incubation is always high and not dependent on social and ecological conditions, males have a lower initial investment, which allows them to respond to sudden changes in nest predation risk.
FPGA Design and Implementation of an Improved 32-bit Binary Logarithm Converter

This paper presents an improved 32-bit binary logarithm converter, which is optimized according to the characteristics of Xilinx Virtex4 series FPGA. The implementation in FPGA denotes that our improved method not only costs less resources but also has much higher speed. Meanwhile a novel and simple error correction method is proposed. It reduces the converter error to only one half of the Metchell's method. The analytical results of the approximation error are confirmed by numerical simulation results.
A priori error analysis for optimal distributed control problem governed by the first order linear hyperbolic equation: hp-streamline diffusion discontinuous galerkin method

Abstract In the current paper, we derive the a priori error analysis (hp version) of the streamline diffusion DG finite element approximation for optimal distributed control problem governed by the first order linear hyperbolic equation. We present the stability of such method, obtain the a priori error upper bound for the state and the control approximation, and prove the convergence of numerical method. For the optimal control problem, these estimates are apparently not available in the literature.
Development and evaluation of an interactive humanoid robot "Robovie"

In this paper, we report about a new interaction-oriented robot, which communicates with humans and will participate in human society as our partner. For realizing such a robot, we have started a new collaborative work between cognitive science and robotics. In the way of robotics, we have developed a humanoid robot named "Robovie" that has enough physical expression ability. On the other hand, through cognitive experiments, we obtained important ideas about the robot's body property. To incorporate these ideas, we have developed software architecture and implemented autonomous interactive behaviors to the robot. Further, we have evaluated the robot's performance of the interactive behaviors through psychological experiments. The experiments reveal how humans recognize the robot.
Suppression of the Nrf2-Dependent Antioxidant Response by Glucocorticoids and 11β-HSD1-Mediated Glucocorticoid Activation in Hepatic Cells

Background Nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2) is a key transcription factor regulating a plethora of detoxifying enzymes and antioxidant genes involved in drug metabolism and defence against oxidative stress. The glucocorticoid receptor (GR) is a ligand-induced transcription factor involved in the regulation of energy supply for metabolic needs to cope with various stressors. GR activity is controlled by glucocorticoids, which are synthesized in the adrenal glands and regenerated mainly in the liver from inactive cortisone by 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase-1 (11β-HSD1). Methods and Principal Findings Using transfected HEK-293 cells and hepatic H4IIE cells we show that glucocorticoids, activated by 11β-HSD1 and acting through GR, suppress the Nrf2-dependent antioxidant response. The expression of the marker genes NQO1, HMOX1 and GST2A was suppressed upon treatment of 11β-HSD1 expressing cells with cortisone, an effect that was reversed by 11β-HSD1 inhibitors. Furthermore, our results demonstrate that elevated glucocorticoids lowered the ability of cells to detoxify H2O2. Moreover, a comparison of gene expression in male and female rats revealed an opposite sexual dimorphism with an inverse relationship between 11β-HSD1 and Nrf2 target gene expression. Conclusions The results demonstrate a suppression of the cellular antioxidant defence capacity by glucocorticoids and suggest that elevated 11β-HSD1 activity may lead to impaired Nrf2-dependent antioxidant response. The gender-specific differences in hepatic expression levels of 11β-HSD1 and Nrf2 target genes and the impact of pharmacological inhibition of 11β-HSD1 on improving cellular capacity to cope with oxidative stress warrants further studies in vivo.
Development and validation of HPLC method for estimation of propranolol HCl in human plasma

This study presents a rapid, sensitive and accurate high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method for determination of propranolol HCl in human plasma. Human plasma samples were subjected to protein precipitation by methanol and protein free plasma samples were directly injected into HPLC C18 column. Mobile phase consisting of a mixture of acetonitrile: pH 4.5 phosphate buffer (35:65) was delivered at a flow rate of 1 ml/min. A good separation of propranolol HCl and diltiazem HCl as internal standard was achieved with retention times of 6.6 min and 9.9 min respectively. Linearity was obtained for propranolol (conc. range 20-280 ng/ml) and followed regression equation, Y= 0.0162 X – 0.0515. Peak areas were reproducible as indicated by low coefficient of variation (< 2.13%).
Microvascular approach to scalp replantation and reconstruction: A thirty‐six year experience

Soft tissue defects of the scalp may result from multiple etiologies and can be challenging to reconstruct. We discuss our experience with scalp replantation and secondary microvascular reconstruction over 36 years, including techniques pioneered at our institution with twin–twin scalp allotransplant and innervated partial superior latissimus dorsi (LD) for scalp/frontalis loss.
Accumulation and Oriented Transport of Ampicillin in Caco-2 Cells from Its Pivaloyloxymethylester Prodrug, Pivampicillin

ABSTRACT Pivampicillin (PIVA), an acyloxymethylester of ampicillin, is thought to enhance the oral bioavailability of ampicillin because of its greater lipophilicity compared to that of ampicillin. The fate of PIVA in intestinal cells and the exact location of its conversion into ampicillin have, however, never been unambiguously established. Polarized Caco-2 cells have been used to examine the handling of PIVA and the release of ampicillin from PIVA by the intestinal epithelium. Experiments were limited to 3 h. Cells incubated with PIVA (apical pole) showed a fast accumulation of ampicillin and transport toward the basolateral medium, whereas PIVA itself was only poorly accumulated and transported. Cells incubated with free ampicillin accumulated and transported only minimal amounts of this drug. Release of ampicillin from cells incubated with PIVA was unaffected by PEPT1 and OCTN2 inhibitors but was sharply decreased after ATP depletion or addition of bis(4-nitrophenyl)-phosphate (BNPP; an esterase inhibitor). PIVA incubated with Caco-2 lysates released free ampicillin, and this release was inhibited by BNPP. Efflux studies showed that the ampicillin that accumulated in cells after incubation with PIVA was preferentially transported out of the cells through the basolateral pole. This efflux was decreased by multidrug resistance-associated protein (MRP) inhibitors (probenecid, MK-571) and by ATP depletion. A phthalimidomethylester of ampicillin that resists cellular esterases failed to cause any significant release (cell lysate) or transport (polarized Caco-2 cells) of ampicillin. These results show that when PIVA is given to Caco-2 cells from their apical pole, ampicillin is released intracellularly and that ampicillin is thereafter preferentially effluxed into the basolateral medium through an MRP-like transporter.
Chronical cervical infections and dysplasia (CIN I, CIN II): Vaginal vitamin D (high dose) treatment

In a small praxis/ambulance study we evaluated data of 200 women with chronical recurrent cervical infections and with a cervix dysplasia (CIN 1, CIN 2) who got after the primary therapy a treatment with vitamin D vaginal suppositories (12500 IU, 3 nights a week, for 6 weeks). We found that—when compared with the lactobacillus vaginal suppositories—the high dose vitamin D vaginal treatment might be more effective. Vitamin D showed very good anti-inflammatory effects. In the survey after six weeks therapy, 79% of the women had “less vaginal problems,” “less discharge,” and “less problems with the sexual intercourse. ” Objectively, after six weeks therapy, only 7% of the patients still had bacterial and/or fungal vaginal infections that required a treatment. We found that vitamin D is reabsorbed by the vaginal mucosa, but the reabsorption may be individually very different. In the CIN 1 group we found six weeks after treatment good antidysplastic effects, in the CIN 2 group we often found no or only temporary antidysplastic effects. So this vaginal vitamin D treatment method might be an option for the therapy and prevention of chronical cervical infections and maybe of a cervic dysplasia CIN 1 (good anti-inflammatory effects, antidysplastic effects). This small study is not representative. We need much bigger studies with much more dates and with a longer follow up. Caution: At the moment, we do not know if the vaginal vitamin D treatment with 12500 IE is possible in pregnancy. We have no experience. Therefore we recommend an effective contraception during the application.