Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Characterization of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Isolates Collected in 2005 and 2006 from Patients with Invasive Disease: a Population-Based Analysis

ABSTRACT This study characterizes 1,984 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates collected in 2005 and 2006 from normally sterile sites in patients with invasive MRSA infection. These isolates represent a convenience sample of all invasive MRSA cases reported as part of the Active Bacterial Core surveillance system in eight states in the United States. The majority of isolates were from blood (83.8%), joints (4.1%), and bone (4.2%). Isolates were characterized by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE); SCCmec typing; susceptibility to 15 antimicrobial agents; and PCR analysis of staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA) to SEH, toxic shock syndrome toxin 1, and Panton-Valentine leukocidin. Thirteen established PFGE types were recognized among these isolates, although USA100 and USA300 predominated, accounting for 53.2% and 31.4% of the isolates, respectively. As expected, isolates from hospital onset cases were predominantly USA100, whereas those from community-associated cases were predominantly USA300. USA100 isolates were diverse (Simpson's discriminatory index [DI] = 0.924); generally positive only for enterotoxin D (74.5%); and resistant to clindamycin (98.6%), erythromycin (99.0%), and levofloxacin (99.6%), in addition to β-lactam agents. USA300 isolates were less diverse (DI = 0.566), positive for Panton-Valentine leukocidin (96.3%), and resistant to erythromycin (94.1%) and, less commonly, levofloxacin (54.6%), in addition to β-lactam agents. This collection provides a reference collection of MRSA isolates associated with invasive disease, collected in 2005 and 2006 in the United States, for future comparison and ongoing studies.
Multichannel search for minimal supergravity at pp̄ and e + e - colliders

We examine the phenomenology of minimal supergravity models, assuming only that the low energy theory has the minimal particle content, that electroweak symmetry is radiatively broken, and that R parity is essentially conserved. After delineating regions of supergravity parameter space currently excluded by direct particle searches at CERN LEP and the Fermilab Tevatron we quantify how this search region will be expanded when LEP II and the Tevatron main injector upgrades become operational. We describe how various experimental analyses can be consistently combined within a single framework, resulting in a multichannel search for supersymmetry, but note that this analysis is sensitive to specific assumptions about physics at the unification scale.
Systemic Inflammation Impairs Mood Function by Disrupting the Resting-State Functional Network in a Rat Animal Model Induced by Lipopolysaccharide Challenge

Background Systemic inflammation impairs cognitive performance, yet the brain networks mediating this process remain to be elucidated. The purpose of the current study was to use resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to explore changes in the functional connectivity in a lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) induced systemic inflammation animal model. Materials and Methods We used the regional homogeneity (ReHo) method to examine abnormal brain regions between the control and LPS groups and then considered them as seeds of functional connectivity analysis. Results Compared with the control group, our study showed that (1) LPS impaired mood function, as reflected by a depression-like behavior in the forced swim test; (2) LPS induced significantly increased ReHo values in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and caudate putamen (CPu); (3) the ACC seed showed increased functional connectivity with the retrosplenial cortex, superior colliculus, and inferior colliculus; and (4) the right CPu seed showed increased functional connectivity with the left CPu. Linear regression analysis showed a LPS-induced depression-like behavior which was associated with increased ReHo values in the ACC and right CPu. Moreover, the LPS-induced depression-like behavior was related to increased functional connectivity between the right CPu and left CPu. Conclusion This is the first study to show that systemic inflammation impairs mood function that is associated with an altered resting-state functional network based on ReHo analysis, providing evidence of the abnormal regional brain spontaneous activity which might be involved in inflammation-related neurobehavioral abnormalities.
The Extended Likeability Framework: A Theoretical Framework for and a Practical Case of Designing Likeable Media Applications for Preschoolers

A theoretical framework and practical case for designing likeable interactive media applications for preschoolers in the home environment are introduced. First, we elaborate on the theoretical framework. We introduce the uses and gratifications paradigm (U&G). We argue that U&G is a good approach to researching likeability of media applications. Next, we complete the U&G framework with expectancy-value (EV) theory. EV theory helps us move from theoretical insights to concrete design guidelines. Together, the U&G framework and the EV model form the foundation of our extended likeability framework for the design and evaluation of interactive media applications, for preschoolers in the home environment. Finally, we demonstrate a practical case of our extended likeability framework via the research project CuTI. The CuTI project aims at revealing those particular user gratifications and design attributes that are important to support playful behaviour and fun activities of preschoolers in the home environment.
Murine Gammaherpesvirus 68 Cyclin D Homologue Is Required for Efficient Reactivation from Latency

ABSTRACT Murine gammaherpesvirus 68 (MHV68) is a gammaherpesvirus that was first isolated from murid rodents. MHV68 establishes a latent infection in the spleen and other lymphoid organs. Several gammaherpesviruses, including herpesvirus saimiri, human herpesvirus 8, and MHV68, encode proteins with extensive homology to the D-type cyclins. To study the function of the cyclin homologue, a recombinant MHV68 has been constructed that lacks the cyclin homologue and expresses β-galactosidase as a marker (MHV68cy−). MHV68cy− grows in vitro with kinetics and to titers similar to those of the wild type. BALB/c mice infected with mixtures of equivalent amounts of the wild type and MHV68cy− show deficient growth of the MHV68cy− in an acute infection. Infection of SCID mice with virus mixtures also showed decreased MHV68cy−virus growth, indicating that the deficiency is not mediated by T or B cells. Although mice infected with mixtures containing 100 times as much MHV68cy− had greater splenic titers of the mutant virus than wild-type virus in acute infection, at 28 days postinfection splenocytes from these mice reactivated primarily wild-type virus. Quantitative PCR data indicate that equivalent genomes were present in the latent state. Reinsertion of the cyclin homologue into the cyclin-deleted virus restored the wild-type phenotype. These results indicate that the MHV68 cyclin D homologue mediates important functions in the acute infection and is required for efficient reactivation from latency.
Omnidirectional Circularly Polarized Dielectric Resonator Antenna With Logarithmic Spiral Slots in the Ground

A new omnidirectional circularly polarized (CP) cylindrical dielectric resonator (DR) antenna (DRA) is excited by four open-ended logarithmic spiral slots in the ground plane. Radiated <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$E_{\theta }$ </tex-math></inline-formula> and <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$E_{\phi }$ </tex-math></inline-formula> components are obtained from the TM<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$_{01\delta }$ </tex-math></inline-formula> mode of the DR and the slotted ground plane, respectively. Omnidirectional CP fields can be obtained when <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$E_{\theta }$ </tex-math></inline-formula> and <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$E_{\phi }$ </tex-math></inline-formula> are equal in magnitude but different in phase by 90°. This CP technique does not require any special shape or treatment of DR, greatly facilitating the design. To demonstrate the idea, a prototype using a glass DR was fabricated. It is a dual-function DRA that also serves as the cover of light sources. The prototype has a measured bandwidth of ~6.2%, covering the entire 2.4-GHz WLAN band.
Assistive Technologies and Techniques for Web Based EGOV in Developing Countries

Electronic government (eGov) is intended to serve the whole spectrum of the population. To be able to access services and thus benefit from eGov, many users require assistive technologies and techniques (ATT). This demand is implied by auditory, visual or other impairments but also by low literacy skills. Thus, in the context of this paper the term ATT is interpreted in a broader sense compared to the classic definitions of the term “assistive technology” that relate to impairments or other special needs. This paper explores the range of ATT on the background of the special conditions found in developing countries. We investigate which types of users benefit from ATT in which ways and discuss which categories of users have requirements that are not yet covered by the current stage of development of ATT. The reasons for the remaining problems regarding access may be due to factors related to the country context or due to current technological limitations. Some lessons learned from our findings will be presented which indicate directions for further research.
Nano-imaging of the lymph network structure with quantum dots

Sentinel lymph node diagnosis contributes to operative strategy in cancer surgery. During lymph node metastasis, cancer cells first reach the sentinel lymph node (SLN) via lymph flow. To perform SLN biopsy effectively, it is important that cancer cells are detected with high sensitivity in SLN connected to the tumor site. Here we present a method to visualize a high-risk area in the SLN for lymph node metastasis with a high degree of accuracy. Quantum dots (QDs), bright fluorescent nanoparticles, were endoscopically injected into the gastrointestinal wall of pigs, and their signal was specifically detected in the SLN with a laparoscopic device. Single-particle imaging under a confocal microscope showed that the QDs were distributed heterogeneously in the SLN and that their distribution marked the inflow locus of afferent lymphatic vessels where lymph node metastasis begins. Moreover, we developed a method using cellular marker conjugated QDs that visualizes specific cells in SLNs, suggesting that this method can be applied for the detection of cancer cells in sentinel lymph nodes using tumor-specific-molecular conjugated QDs. These results show that our method might significantly increase the detection rate of cancer metastasis in SLNs.
Use of live video overlay on 3D data for distributed collaborative review

Using everyday skills, such as pointing and drawing freehand sketches, facilitates effective communication when reviewing visual information. However, for sharing three-dimensional (3D) data, it is difficult to support such approaches of using hands and real ink in a seamless way. This thesis proposes a new system design called AnnoScape as an approach to performing a remote collaborative review of 3D digital data using a live video overlay of the desktop image on the viewports of the 3D scene. The system's virtual viewports are controlled with tangible handles and can be left spatially in the 3D data space. The viewports can be shared with remote collaborators both asynchronously and in real time. The system allows distributed users to navigate shared 3D space individually or jointly (synchronizing the viewport); generate an overlay of the live video of hand drawings, physical objects, and printed images from the desktop surface with the viewport; and control the legibility of the visual contents. This spatial video overlay technique in the 3D data space allows distributed users to share the live annotations over the synchronized viewports. We report the prototype design and initial experiments to explore AnnoScape's possibilities through the scenario of having remote collaborators review the exterior site and interior reconfiguration of an existing architectural setting. Thesis supervisor: Hiroshi Ishii Title: Jerome B. Weisner Professor of Media Arts and Sciences, Program in Media Arts and Sciences
Simple MMSE equalizers for CDMA downlink to restore chip sequence: comparison to zero-forcing and RAKE

This work focuses on the forward link in a CDMA based multiuser communication system experiencing frequency dependent multipath fading. The mobile handset is assumed to have two antennas, either spatially separated or having diverse polarizations. Previous work on linear equalizers to restore orthogonality of the Walsh-Hadamard channel codes in this scenario led to a comparison of zero-forcing (ZF) equalizers and the RAKE receiver. A chip-rate MMSE equalizer is derived that minimizes the MSE between the synchronous "sum signal" of all the users from a given base station and the equalized chip sequence; this equalizer is followed by correlation with the desired user's spreading code times the base-station's long code. In this MMSE derivation, the sum of chip sequences of all the users is modeled as an i.i. d. random sequence. This leads to a "simple" MMSE equalizer that does not depend on the Walsh-Hadamard spreading codes, or the long code, currently employed at the base station. For further improvement, the "best" equalizer delay is chosen to minimize the MSE. Theoretically, the MMSE equalizer approaches the RAKE receiver at low SNR and the ZF equalizer at high SNR. Simulation results show that the ZF equalizer's average performance is dominated by a very small percentage of "bad channels" with close to common zeroes, while the MMSE equalizer is resistant to this pathological noise gain problem. The end result is that the MMSE's average BER performance is dramatically better than that of both ZF and RAKE (even though only moderately better than ZF for most well behaved channels).
Analysis of Social Media Sentiment to Predict Product Sales

In this paper we attempt to model and analyze social media sentiments information embedded within reviews content to predict the behavior of sales statistics. We apply Auto Regressive Moving Average (ARMA) modelling technique to data from carsales online platform. The details of the method to construct the model and the background are given, including data acquisition, data processing, modelling and results and evaluation. Results show that sales forecasting models based on emotion in the sales forecast of nearly two years gave an average relative error of 27.2% and a stable absolute error for 142 units of sale. Compared with prior methods the model has higher accuracy and greater space for improvement.
Entity-relationship modeling

The entity-relationship (ER) model and its accompanying ER diagrams are widely used for database design and systems analysis. Many books and articles just provide a definition of each modeling component and give examples of the pre-built ER diagrams. As a result, beginners in data modeling have a great deal of difficulty learning how to approach a given problem, what questions to ask in order to build a model, what rules to use while constructing an ER diagram, and why one diagram is better than another. The authors present step-by-step guidelines, a set of decision rules proven to be useful in building ER diagrams, and a case study problem with a preferred answer as well as a set of incorrect diagrams for the problem. These guidelines and decision rules have been successfully used in their beginning database management system course.
Protein Supplementation for the Prevention and Management of Sarcopenia in the Elderly

Correspondence author: Jie Liu, Dietician, MPH, Department of Clinical Nutrition, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Changjiangzhilu 10, Yuzhong District, Chongqing 400042, China: Tel: +86 23 6875 7668; Email: dbdnajie@qq.com Introduction Skeletal muscle loss, sarcopenia, occurs in patients with a variety of physiological and pathological conditions, such as chronic heart failure (CHF), chronic kidney disease (CKD), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), malignancy and so on, as well as during the natural aging process [1,2]. Sarcopenia mainly manifests as a reduced skeletal muscle mass, decreased muscle strength, and decreased quality of life [3]. Research has shown that the muscle mass, strength and physical function of the elderly are closely related to nutrition, which means that nutrition plays an important role in the prevention and treatment of sarcopenia. However, it has been estimated that 15% to 38% of older men and 27% to 41% of older women do not reach the recommended protein intake [4]. Taking in sufficient energy and protein, combined with active exercise, are effective methods for preventing and managing muscle loss [5,6]. The main purpose of the present article is to discuss the key role of protein supplementation for the prevention and management of sarcopenia, especially in the elderly.
Apocalmodulin and Ca2+-Calmodulin Bind to Neighboring Locations on the Ryanodine Receptor*

Calmodulin (CaM) binds to the ryanodine receptor/calcium release channel of skeletal muscle (RyR1), both in the absence and presence of Ca2+, and regulates the activity of the channel activity by activating and inhibiting it, respectively. Using cryo-electron microscopy and three-dimensional reconstruction, we found that one apoCaM binds per RyR1 subunit along the sides of the cytoplasmic assembly of the receptor. This location is distinct from but close to the location found for Ca2+-CaM, providing a structural basis for efficient switching of CaM between these two positions with the oscillating intracellular Ca2+ concentration that generates muscle relaxation/contraction cycles. The locations of apoCaM and Ca2+-CaM at a critical region for RYR1-dihydropyridine receptor interaction are suggestive of a direct role for CaM in the mechanism of excitation-contraction coupling.
Using clustering algorithms to identify subproblems in design processes

Designers work in teams to design complex systems. They separate the design problem into subproblems and solve the smaller, more manageable subproblems. Because this affects the overall quality of their design, it is important to understand how teams decompose system design problems, which will ultimately enable future research on how to design better design processes. We studied teams of experts solving two different facility design problems. We developed a novel approach that combines qualitative and quantitative techniques. It records a team's discussion, identifies the design variables using qualitative coding techniques, and groups these variables into subproblems. A subproblem is a set of variables that are considered together. We evaluated four clustering algorithms that group the coded variables into subproblems. This paper discusses the data collection, the clustering algorithms, and the evaluation techniques. The the algorithms generated similar but not identical clusters, and no algorithm's clusters consistently out-performed the others on quantitative measures of cluster quality. The clusters do provide insights into the subproblems that the design team solved.
Current profile data aided positioning for autonomous underwater vehicles

The positioning problem of current profile data aided dead reckoning (DR) for autonomous underwater vehicle is addressed in this paper. Various types of instrumentations have been developed for ocean exploring, including conductivity temperature and depth (CTD), multi-beam sonar (MBS) and side scan sonar (SSS). During the measurement, the displacement which is going to be generated by DR, global position system (GPS), inertial navigation system (INS), or long baseline (LBL) must be considered seriously, because an ocean diagram measured by these sensors need this information badly. The doppler velocity log (DVL), which plays an important role in generating a reliable displacement, may be out of work sometime. In order to deal with the dropout or failure of DVL, the current track velocity measured by acoustic doppler current profilers (ADCP) is proposed to substitute for the bottom track velocity, which is going to be used by DR algorithm. The post-processing experiment demonstrates that the proposed DR position solution is not only low-cost, but also accurate.
Bifurcations and chaos in H-bridge DC chopper under peak-current control

H-bridge converter, an important topology which is widely used in power electronics, has complex nonlinear phenomena. It has important theoretical and practical significance to explore the mechanism of nonlinear behaviors in H-bridge converter. Bifurcation and chaos phenomena in H-bridge DC chopper under peak-current programmed are studied in this paper. First, iterative map of H-bridge DC chopper is derived. Then, fixed pointspsila stability is investigated, and the parameters region of steady state operation is schemed. The evolvement and mechanism of border-collision bifurcations are analyzed in details, and the analytical expression of borderline is derived. Results show the limitation of duty cycle in switching converters is the root cause of border-collision bifurcations. Finally, simulations and experimental results are presented for verification purposes.
PROGRAMMED CELL DEATH AS A TOOL FOR REMOVAL OF CELLS FROM MAMMARY GLAND

Apoptosis  programmed cell death (PCD) type I is physiological process responsible for cell loss during mammary gland involution after natural weaning or litter removal in rodents, after weaning in sow and during drying off in goat and cow. The regulation of mammary epithelial cell (MEC) apoptosis in bovine mammary gland occurs at three levels. The first level comprises intracellular regulatory proteins, e.g. Bcl-2 family death promoters and inhibitors. The second level is represented by intramammary inductors of apoptosis, e.g. FIL, IGFBPs, Fas ligand, TGF-βs. The expression and activity of these auto/paracrine inductors of apoptosis is controlled and modulated by the third level factors, e.g. systemic galactopoetic hormones, nutrition, reproductive status and milking management. Our recent study proved that apoptosis in involuting bovine mammary gland is accompanied by increased intensity of autophagy, regarded as a cytoprotective process but in advanced stage as a PCD type II. Moreover, we have reported for the first time the ability of TGF-β1 to induce both apoptosis and autophagy in bovine BME-UV1 MEC. Much more pronounced heterogenity of PCD was observed when breast cancer cells were exposed to anticancer drugs. The primary responses of breast cancer MCF-7 cells to camptothecin (CPT) are apoptosis and autophagy (as a cytoprotective process). In this case autophagy occurs in cells which are resistant to apoptosis as a tool of cancer cell survival. The fail-safe responses of breast cancer cells to persisting CPT-induced stress are apoptosis accompanied by morphological and biochemical features of autophagy or type II PCD with advanced subcellular degradation. The threshold between autophagy as a cytoprotective process (reversible) or PCD (irreversible) is difficult to establish and probably depends on the extent of degradation of cellular components. Proapoptotic protein Bid may serve as a molecular switch between apoptosis and autophagy. Bid knock down in MCF-7 cells exposed to CPT leads to a shift of cell death from apoptosis to autophagy. Since bid and other proapoptotic genes undergo mutations in malignant cells, the ability of cancer cells commitment to autophagy may have important therapeutic implications.