Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The role of bacterial cell wall hydrophobicity in adhesion

In this study, the adhesion of bacteria differing in surface hydrophobicity was investigated. Cell wall hydrophobicity was measured as the contact angle of water on a bacterial layer collected on a microfilter. The contact angles ranged from 15 to 70 degrees. This method was compared with procedures based upon adhesion to hexadecane and with the partition of cells in a polyethylene glycol-dextran two-phase system. The results obtained with these three methods agreed reasonably well. The adhesion of 16 bacterial strains was measured on sulfated polystyrene as the solid phase. These experiments showed that hydrophobic cells adhered to a greater extent than hydrophilic cells. The extent of adhesion correlated well with the measured contact angles (linear regression coefficient, 0.8).
A new NMOS temperature-stable voltage reference

An NMOS voltage reference has been developed that exhibits extremely low drift with temperature. The reference is based on the difference between the gate/source voltages of enhancement and depletion-mode NMOS transistors. The theoretical dependence of the reference voltage on both device and circuit parameters is analyzed and conditions for optimal performance are derived. The reference NMOS transistors are biased to the optimizing current levels by a unique feedback circuit. The measured output voltage drift in the integrated realization agrees well with theory and is less than 5 parts per million per degree Celsius over the temperature range -55/spl deg/ to +125/spl deg/C.
CitySearcher: A City Search Engine For Interests

We introduce CitySearcher, a vertical search engine that searches for cities when queried for an interest. Generally in search engines, utilization of semantics between words is favorable for performance improvement. Even though ambiguous query words have multiple semantic meanings, search engines can return diversified results to satisfy different users' information needs. But for CitySearcher, mismatched semantic relationships can lead to extremely unsatisfactory results. For example, the city Sale would incorrectly rank high for the interest shopping because of semantic interpretations of the words. Thus in our system, the main challenge is to eliminate the mismatched semantic relationships resulting from the side effect of the semantic models. In the previous case, we aim to ignore the semantics of a city's name which is not indicative of the city's characteristics. In CitySearcher, we use word2vec, a very popular word embedding technique to estimate the semantics of the words and create the initial ranks of the cities. To reduce the effect of the mismatched semantic relationships, we generate a set of features for learning based on a novel clustering-based method. With the generated features, we then utilize learning to rank algorithms to rerank the cities for return. We use the English version of Wikivoyage dataset for evaluation of our system, where we sample a very small dataset for training. Experimental results demonstrate the performance gain of our system over various standard retrieval techniques.
Estimating molecular phylogeny of some Indian termites combining partial COI sequences

To study the phylogenetic relationships of Indian termites (Insecta: Isoptera), mitochondrial DNA sequences of 334 bp of Cytochrome Oxidase subunit - I gene of nine species were subjected to MEGA 5.2. Phylogenetic trees were constructed using Neighbor-Joining and Maximum Likelihood methods. The results revealed the phylogenetic status of Indian termites with other species from different geographical locations. The results were also confirmed with additional molecular parameter, nucleotide composition and pairwise genetic distance.
Associations between biovar and virulence factor genes in Pasteurella multocida isolates from pigs in Spain

Two hundred and five isolates of Pasteurella multocida from pigs were phenotypically and genetically characterised by determining their biovar, capsular type, virulence-associated genes and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) profiles. All isolates were identified as P multocida subspecies multocida and most were assigned to biovar 3 (58 per cent) and biovar 2 (39.5 per cent). Biovar 1 represented 2.4 per cent of the isolates. According to the capsular type, the great majority of the isolates (79.0 per cent) belonged to capsular type A, 18.5 per cent belonged to capsular type D and 2.4 per cent were of capsular type F. All isolates harboured ompH, psl, oma87, ptfA, nanB, nanH, tonB, hgbA, sodA and sodC genes, while none of them possessed the transferrin-binding protein gene tbpA. The prevalence of toxA, pfhaA and hgbB genes was variable (7.8, 40.5 and 60.5 per cent of the isolates, respectively). After PFGE typing, isolates of biovar 2 and 3 were grouped in two different clusters (A and B) at a level of 45 per cent similarity. In addition, isolates of biovar 2 and 3 exhibited statistically significant differences (P<0.05) in the virulence-associated hgbB and pfhA genes (biovar 3 was hgbB+ pfhA–, while biovar 2 was hgbB– pfhA+).
The Contributions of W.D. Stevenson to the Development of Neurosurgery in Atlantic Canada

The establishment of a neurosurgical department in Halifax in January 1948 marked the beginnings of the first dedicated neurosurgical service in Atlantic Canada. The development of neurosurgery in Halifax occurred in a receptive place and time. The Victoria General Hospital, the region’s largest tertiary care centre, and the Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine were in a period of growth associated with medical specialization and departmentalization, changes inspired in part by the Flexner Report of 1910. Atlantic Canadians during this period were increasingly looking to specialists for their medical care. Although this social environment encouraged the establishment of surgical specialty services, the development of neurosurgery in Halifax, as in other parts of Canada, was closely associated with the efforts of individual neurosurgeons, such as William D. Stevenson. After training with Kenneth G. McKenzie in Toronto, Stevenson was recruited to Halifax and established the first neurosurgical department in Atlantic Canada. From the outset and over his twenty-six years as Department Head at the Victoria General Hospital and Dalhousie University, Stevenson worked to maintain the department’s commitment to clinical practice, medical education, and research. Although Stevenson single-handedly ran the service for several years after its inception, by the time of his retirement in 1974 the neurosurgery department had grown to include five attending staff surgeons who performed over two thousand procedures each year. This paper highlights the importance of Stevenson’s contributions to the development of neurosurgery in Atlantic Canada within the context of the social and medical environment of the region.
Discovery of a novel class of potent coumarin monoamine oxidase B inhibitors: development and biopharmacological profiling of 7-[(3-chlorobenzyl)oxy]-4-[(methylamino)methyl]-2H-chromen-2-one methanesulfonate (NW-1772) as a highly potent, selective, reversible, and orally active monoamine oxidase B i

In an effort to discover novel selective monoamine oxidase (MAO) B inhibitors with favorable physicochemical and pharmacokinetic profiles, 7-[(m-halogeno)benzyloxy]coumarins bearing properly selected polar substituents at position 4 were designed, synthesized, and evaluated as MAO inhibitors. Several compounds with MAO-B inhibitory activity in the nanomolar range and excellent MAO-B selectivity (selectivity index SI > 400) were identified. Structure-affinity relationships and docking simulations provided valuable insights into the enzyme-inhibitor binding interactions at position 4, which has been poorly explored. Furthermore, computational and experimental studies led to the identification and biopharmacological characterization of 7-[(3-chlorobenzyl)oxy]-4-[(methylamino)methyl]-2H-chromen-2-one methanesulfonate 22b (NW-1772) as an in vitro and in vivo potent and selective MAO-B inhibitor, with rapid blood-brain barrier penetration, short-acting and reversible inhibitory activity, slight inhibition of selected cytochrome P450s, and low in vitro toxicity. On the basis of this preliminary preclinical profile, inhibitor 22b might be viewed as a promising clinical candidate for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
Tumor Detection by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance

Spin echo nuclear magnetic resonance measurements may be used as a method for discriminating between malignant tumors and normal tissue. Measurements of spin-lattice (T1) and spin-spin (T2) magnetic relaxation times were made in six normal tissues in the rat (muscle, kidney, stomach, intestine, brain, and liver) and in two malignant solid tumors, Walker sarcoma and Novikoff hepatoma. Relaxation times for the two malignant tumors were distinctly outside the range of values for the normal tissues studied, an indication that the malignant tissues were characterized by an increase in the motional freedom of tissue water molecules. The possibility of using magnetic relaxation methods for rapid discrimination between benign and malignant surgical specimens has also been considered. Spin-lattice relaxation times for two benign fibroadenomas were distinct from those for both malignant tissues and were the same as those of muscle.
Brain aging and neurodegeneration: from a mitochondrial point of view

Aging is defined as a progressive time‐related accumulation of changes responsible for or at least involved in the increased susceptibility to disease and death. The brain seems to be particularly sensitive to the aging process since the appearance of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, is exponential with the increasing age. Mitochondria were placed at the center of the ‘free‐radical theory of aging’, because these paramount organelles are not only the main producers of energy in the cells, but also to main source of reactive oxygen species. Thus, in this review, we aim to look at brain aging processes from a mitochondrial point of view by asking: (i) What happens to brain mitochondrial bioenergetics and dynamics during aging? (ii) Why is the brain so sensitive to the age‐related mitochondrial impairments? (iii) Is there a sex difference in the age‐induced mitochondrial dysfunction? Understanding mitochondrial physiology in the context of brain aging may help identify therapeutic targets against neurodegeneration.
Behavioral and pharmacological therapies for late-life insomnia: a randomized controlled trial.

CONTEXT Insomnia is a prevalent health complaint in older adults. Behavioral and pharmacological treatments have their benefits and limitations, but no placebo-controlled study has compared their separate and combined effects for late-life insomnia. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the clinical efficacy of behavioral and pharmacological therapies, singly and combined, for late-life insomnia. DESIGN AND SETTING Randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial, at a single academic medical center. Outpatient treatment lasted 8 weeks with follow-ups conducted at 3, 12, and 24 months. SUBJECTS Seventy-eight adults (50 women, 28 men; mean age, 65 years) with chronic and primary insomnia. INTERVENTIONS Cognitive-behavior therapy (stimulus control, sleep restriction, sleep hygiene, and cognitive therapy) (n = 18), pharmacotherapy (temazepam) (n = 20), or both (n = 20) compared with placebo (n = 20). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Time awake after sleep onset and sleep efficiency as measured by sleep diaries and polysomnography; clinical ratings from subjects, significant others, and clinicians. RESULTS The 3 active treatments were more effective than placebo at posttreatment assessment; there was a trend for the combined approach to improve sleep more than either of its 2 single components (shorter time awake after sleep onset by sleep diary and polysomnography). For example, the percentage reductions of time awake after sleep onset was highest for the combined condition (63.5%), followed by cognitive-behavior therapy (55%), pharmacotherapy (46.5%), and placebo (16.9%). Subjects treated with behavior therapy sustained their clinical gains at follow-up, whereas those treated with drug therapy alone did not. Long-term outcome of the combined intervention was more variable. Behavioral treatment, singly or combined, was rated by subjects, significant others, and clinicians as more effective than drug therapy alone. Subjects were also more satisfied with the behavioral approach. CONCLUSIONS Behavioral and pharmacological approaches are effective for the short-term management of insomnia in late life; sleep improvements are better sustained over time with behavioral treatment.
A Novel Coil-Less Lorentz Force 2D Scanning Mirror Using Eddy Current

This paper reports a novel micro scanning mirror driven by coil-less Lorentz force using eddy current. The eddy current is easily induced in ferromagnetic material like Nickel by solenoid. Thus, the complicated coil routing and insulation layer deposition for current is prevented. Moreover, the fabrication is simplified and easy to integrate with micromachining and CMOS processes. In application, this study demonstrated a bulk micromachined 2D scanning mirror with 20 mechanical scan angles when operated at 100mV and 0.016mA.
Integrated Polarized Skylight Sensor and MIMU With a Metric Map for Urban Ground Navigation

This paper presents a novel multi-sensor navigation system for the urban ground vehicle. The integration system can combine the measurements from a polarized skylight sensor, an inertial sensor, and a monocular camera. Utilizing the polarized skylight sensor, we propose a robust orientation algorithm with the total least squares to provide the orientation constraint for the integrating system. In our algorithm, the ambiguity problem of polarized orientation is solved without any other sensor. In order to enhance the algorithm’s robustness in the urban environment, we also propose a real-time method that uses the gradient of the degree of the polarization to remove the obstacles. With a monocular camera, we build a metric map and recognize places in the map to provide the position constraint for the integrating system. We develop the Kalman filter to integrate these constraints with the inertial navigation results to estimate the orientation and position for the ground vehicle. The results demonstrate that our proposed system outperforms other vision-based navigation algorithms–the RMSE of the position error is 2.04 m (0.01% of the travelled distance) and the RMSE of the orientation error is 0.84°. Finally, we present interesting insights gained with respect to the further work in sensors and robotics.
catena-Poly[[diformatocopper(II)]-μ-1,4-bis(imidazol-1-yl)benzene]

In the title compound, [Cu(CHO2)2(C12H10N4)], the CuII ion lies on an inversion center and is coordinated by two formate O atoms and two N atoms from two 1,4-bis(imidazol-1-yl)phenyl ligands (L), forming a square-planar coordination environment. The linear molecule L acts as a bidente bridging ligand, connecting the metal atoms into a chain along [101].
The acquired vitamin K‐dependent γ‐carboxylation deficiency in hepatocellular carcinoma involves not only prothrombin, but also protein C

Protein C, one of the vitamin K‐dependent plasma proteins synthesized in the liver, was measured immunologically in normal subjects (n = 20), patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (n = 60), liver cirrhosis (n = 60), acute hepatitis (n = 16), chronic hepatitis (n = 19), malignant neoplasms other than hepatocellular carcinoma (n = 35) and patients on warfarin treatment (n = 20). We also assayed γ‐carboxyglutamic acid‐complete (carboxylated) protein C in these population by using a monoclonal antibody directed against human protein C, JTC‐1, which recognizes the γ‐carboxyglutamic acid domain‐related conformational change induced by metal ions. We demonstrated that the plasma of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma contains considerable amounts of γ‐carboxyglutamic acid‐incomplete protein C, evidenced by the significantly reduced protein C:γ‐carboxyglutamic acid/protein C:antigen ratios in hepatocellular carcinoma as compared to those seen in normal controls, other liver diseases and other malignant neoplasms (p < 0.01). In two patients with hepatocellular carcinoma with the reduced protein C:γ‐carboxyglutamic acid/protein C:antigen ratios, successful treatment (transcatheter hepatic arterial embolization or lipiodolization of antitumor agent) led to the very rapid normalization of the ratios. Intravenous administration of vitamin K, however, induced no such effects in three other patients with hepatocellular carcinoma with the abnormality. We conclude that the impaired vitamin K‐dependent γ‐carboxylation observed in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma involves not only prothrombin, but also protein C, and that the impairment is not due to vitamin K deficiency.
Impact of Age-Related Cerebral White Matter Changes on the Transition to Disability – The LADIS Study: Rationale, Design and Methodology

Age-related white matter changes (ARWMC) on brain MRI have been associated with cognitive, motor, mood and urinary disturbances. These factors are known to contribute to disability in elderly people, but the impact of ARWMC and of their progression on the transition to disability is not determined. The LADIS (Leukoaraiosis and Disability in the Elderly) study aims at assessing the role of ARWMC as an independent predictor of the transition to disability in initially nondisabled elderly (65–84 years). Subjects who are not impaired or impaired on only 1 item of the Instrumental Activity of Daily Living (IADL) scale, presenting with different grades of ARWMC severity, were enrolled. Eleven European centers are involved. All the patients were assessed at baseline using an extensive set of clinical and functional tests including global functioning, cognitive, motor, psychiatric and quality of life measures. MRI studies were performed at baseline and will be repeated at the end of the follow-up period to evaluate changes of ARWMC and other lesions. ARWMC were categorized into mild, moderate or severe using the scale of Fazekas et al. For each ARWMC severity class, the primary study outcome is the transition to disability defined as an impairment on 2 or more IADL scale items. Secondary outcomes are the occurrence of dementia, depression, vascular events or death. Six-hundred and thirty-nine subjects (mean age 74.13 ± 5.0 years, M/F: 288/351) were enrolled in a hospital-based setting and are being followed up for up to 3 years. The large and comprehensive set of measures in LADIS enables a comprehensive description of their functional and clinical features to be examined in relation to different morphological patterns and severity of ARWMC. The longitudinal design will give insight into the possible role of ARWMC and their progression as an independent contributor to disability in the elderly, eventually helping to develop preventive strategies to reduce the burden of disability in late life. The study results may also help to standardize, on an international basis, tools and criteria to identify early stages of disability.
Apoptotic mechanism in pemphigus autoimmunoglobulins-induced acantholysis—possible involvement of the EGF receptor

Pemphigus is an autoimmune cutaneous disease characterized by circulating autoantibodies that cause blistering and erosions on skin and mucous membranes. Circulating autoantibodies bind to epidermal cell membrane and cause cell–cell detachment (acantholysis), leading to epidermal tissue damage and cell death. The principal target of pemphigus vulgaris autoantibodies (PV-IgG) is desmosomal cadherin desmoglein 3 (Dsg3), a constituent of desmosomes, mediating cell–cell adhesion. Several hypotheses for the mechanisms of acantholysis induction by PV-IgG exist, but the actual mechanism is not clear as yet. We have previously reported on apoptosis induction in PV-IgG-mediated epidermal tissue and cell damage as a possible mechanism of acantholysis and cell death (Wang et al. 2004, Apoptosis, 9:131–143). In this study we investigated the involvement of the EGFR and intracellular signal transduction pathways in the PV-IgG-induced apoptosis. We show here that PV-IgG induced activation/autophosphorylation of EGFR in cultured keratinocytes in vitro. The specific tyrosine kinase inhibitor AG1478 abrogated EGFR autophosphorylation, cell death, FasL appearance and acantholysis, all induced by PV-IgG, in parallel, confirming the involvement of EGFR in this Fas apoptotic cascade. Activation of EGFR was followed by phosphorylation of its downstream substrates, MAP kinase ERK and transcription factor c-Jun, and internalization of EGFR. Pharmacological inactivation of the EGFR and ERK kinase activities, by use of specific inhibitors AG1478 and PD98059 respectively, blocked PV-IgG-induced phosphorylation of EGFR, ERK and c-Jun and cellular apoptosis, measured by flow cytometry and caspase 3 activity. Prolonged activation of EGFR by PV-IgG led to dramatic internalization of this receptor, possibly reducing the ability of the cell to perform survival signals. This suggests that activation of EGFR, followed by its internalization, is pivotal for intracellular apoptotic signal transduction via ERK/c-Jun pathways, leading to acantholysis. Our experimental data indicate that the EGFR is instrumental in transducing apoptotic/acantholytic signals in keratinocytes cultures in response to PV-IgG treatment. The acantholytic effect caused by PV-IgG binding to cell surface receptors begins with and depends on cell surface receptor (EGFR) activation of intracellular signaling pathways (ERK pathway) and apoptosis induction (FasR pathway), which later lead to major cell–cell separation (acantholysis) and cell death.
Thermodynamic limit of density matrix renormalization.

The density matrix renormalization group discovered by White is investigated. In the case where renormalization eventually converges to a fixed point we show that quantum states in the thermodynamic limit with periodic boundary conditions can be simply represented by a ``matrix product ground state'' with a natural description of Bloch states of elementary excitations. We then observe that these states can be rederived through a simple variational ansatz making no reference to a renormalization construction. The method is tested on the spin-1 Heisenberg model.
Buyer–supplier relationship and optimisation model in a dynamic collaborative network with shortages allowed

To remain competitive, enterprises must build and manage product/service customisation and dynamic collaborative networks to respond to market needs in a flexible manner with competitive price and high product/service quality. This study deals with the emerging research problem of optimally dynamic combined decisions: retail price, stock depletion time/service level (SL) and replenishment schedule/quantity in a decentralised two-echelon perishable product collaborative network comprising a single supplier and a single retailer (buyer) over a finite multi-period planning horizon. Analytical solutions are derived using calculus with dynamic programming under two different trading policies, namely retailer-managed inventory with price-only (RMIPO) mode and vendor-managed inventory with consignment contract (VMICC) mode. In both models, shortages are allowed and are fully backlogged. The validity of the proposed approach is demonstrated using the case of a simple supply chain comprising a regional seafood supplier and a local branch store of a national retail chain. The results show that the VMICC policy yields lower retail price, larger replenishment quantity, higher SL and greater channel-wide profit than the RMIPO policy and achieves a win-win situation for both parties in the supply chain. Additionally, consumers benefit from lower retail price and higher SL in the VMICC policy.