Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Common, but Complex, Mode of Resistance of Plutella xylostella to Bacillus thuringiensis Toxins Cry1Ab and Cry1Ac

ABSTRACT A field collected population of Plutella xylostella (SERD4) was selected in the laboratory with Bacillus thuringiensis endotoxins Cry1Ac (Cry1Ac-SEL) and Cry1Ab (Cry1Ab-SEL). Both subpopulations showed similar phenotypes: high resistance to the Cry1A toxins and little cross-resistance to Cry1Ca or Cry1D. A previous analysis of the Cry1Ac-SEL showed incompletely dominant resistance to Cry1Ac with more than one factor, at least one of which was sex influenced. In the present study reciprocal mass crosses between Cry1Ab-SEL and a laboratory susceptible population (ROTH) provided evidence that Cry1Ab resistance was also inherited as incompletely dominant trait with more than one factor, and at least one of the factors was sex influenced. Analysis of single pair mating indicated that Cry1Ab-SEL was still heterogeneous for Cry1Ab resistance genes, showing genes with different degrees of dominance. Binding studies showed a large reduction of specific binding of Cry1Ab and Cry1Ac to midgut membrane vesicles of the Cry1Ab-SEL subpopulation. Cry1Ab-SEL was found to be more susceptible to trypsin-activated Cry1Ab toxin than protoxin, although no defect in toxin activation was found. Present and previous results indicate a common basis of resistance to both Cry1Ab and Cry1Ac in selected subpopulations and suggest that a similar set of resistance genes are responsible for resistance to Cry1Ab and Cry1Ac and are selected whichever toxin was used. The possibility of an incompletely dominant trait of resistant to these toxins should be taken into account when considering refuge resistance management strategies.
Allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell graft composition affects early T‐cell chimaerism and later clinical outcomes after non‐myeloablative conditioning

We have studied the influence of cell subsets [CD34, CD3, CD4, CD8, CD14, CD20, natural killer (NK; CD3−/CD56+), NKT (CD3+/CD56+), DC1, and DC2 cells] of granulocyte colony‐stimulating factor mobilized peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) on early T‐cell chimaerism and later clinical outcomes in 125 patients with haematological malignancies who received human leucocyte antigen (HLA)‐matched related grafts after non‐myeloablative conditioning. Conditioning consisted of 2 Gy total body irradiation (TBI) alone (n = 28), or 2 Gy TBI preceded by either 90 mg/m2 fludarabine (n = 62) or planned autologous haematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) (n = 35). Post‐transplant immunosuppression included mycophenolate mofetil and ciclosporin. Multivariate analysis showed that higher numbers of grafted NK cells predicted higher early T‐cell chimaerism (P = 0·03), while higher numbers of B cells were associated with better clinical outcomes and a higher risk for chronic graft‐versus‐host disease (P = 0·05). Higher numbers of CD14+ cells were associated with worse overall survival (P = 0·03), while higher numbers of CD34+ cells showed better survival (P = 0·03). The addition of fludarabine or autologous HCT predicted higher early T‐cell chimaerism (P = 0·001), while advanced donor age predicted lower chimaerism (P ≤ 0·02). Patients with aggressive diseases were at higher risk for relapse/disease progression, and shorter progression‐free and overall survival (P < 0·01). These results suggest that the dosing of certain cellular subsets of PBSC products can influence important outcomes post‐HCT after non‐myeloablative conditioning.
Multilocus Sequence-Based Analysis Delineates a Clonal Population of Agrobacterium (Rhizobium) radiobacter (Agrobacterium tumefaciens) of Human Origin

ABSTRACT The genus Agrobacterium includes plant-associated bacteria and opportunistic human pathogens. Taxonomy and nomenclature within the genus remain controversial. In particular, isolates of human origin were all affiliated with the species Agrobacterium (Rhizobium) radiobacter, while phytopathogenic strains were designated under the synonym denomination Agrobacterium tumefaciens. In order to study the relative distribution of Agrobacterium strains according to their origins, we performed a multilocus sequence-based analysis (MLSA) on a large collection of 89 clinical and environmental strains from various origins. We proposed an MLSA scheme based on the partial sequence of 7 housekeeping genes (atpD, zwf, trpE, groEL, dnaK, glnA, and rpoB) present on the circular chromosome of A. tumefaciens C58. Multilocus phylogeny revealed that 88% of the clinical strains belong to genovar A7, which formed a homogeneous population with linkage disequilibrium, suggesting a low rate of recombination. Comparison of genomic fingerprints obtained by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) showed that the strains of genovar A7 were epidemiologically unrelated. We present genetic evidence that genovar A7 may constitute a human-associated population distinct from the environmental population. Also, phenotypic characteristics, such as culture at 42°C, agree with this statement. This human-associated population might represent a potential novel species in the genus Agrobacterium.
A Novel Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Approach to Determine the Mechanism of Drug Transport by P-glycoprotein*

ATP-driven pumping of a variety of drugs out of cells by the human P-glycoprotein poses a serious problem to medical therapy. High level heterologous expression of human P-glycoprotein, in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, has facilitated biophysical studies in purified proteoliposome preparations. Membrane permeability of transported drugs and consequent lack of an experimentally defined drug position have made resolution of the transport mechanism difficult by classical techniques. To overcome these obstacles we devised a novel EPR spin-labeled verapamil for use as a transport substrate. Spin-labeled verapamil was an excellent transport substrate with apparent turnover number,K m and K i values of 5.8 s−1, 4 μm, and 210 μm,respectively, at pH 7.4 and 37 °C. The apparent affinities were ∼10-fold higher than for unlabeled verapamil. Spin-labeled verapamil stimulated ATPase activity ∼5-fold, was relatively hydrophilic, and had a very low flip-flop rate, making it an ideal transport substrate. The K m for MgATP activation of transport was 0.8 mm. By measuring the mobility of spin-labeled verapamil during transport experiments, we were able to resolve the location of the drug in proteoliposome suspensions. Steady state gradients of spin-labeled verapamil within the range ofK i /K m ratios were observed.
Multicore Erbium Doped Fiber Amplifiers for Space Division Multiplexing Systems

We report on the recent development of multicore fiber amplifiers suitable for amplifying space division multiplexed signals. We designed and constructed 7-core amplifiers, where the cores could be pumped individually or simultaneously through the cladding and studied the amplification and noise properties of these amplifiers. In the core-pumped amplifier, the net average gain was 25 dB, and noise figure was less than 4 dB. Using side-coupled cladding pumping, gain over 25 dB was obtained in each of the cores over a 40-nm bandwidth covering the C-band. We present results of numerical simulation that shows ways of further improvement of amplifier performance, including gain, noise figure, and power conversion efficiency (PCE) through optimization of fiber design.
A Video Browsing Tool for Content Management in Postproduction

We propose an interactive video browsing tool for supporting content management and selection in postproduction. The approach is based on a process model for multimedia content abstraction. A software framework based on this process model and desktop and Web-based client applications are presented. For evaluation, we apply two TRECVID style fact finding approaches (retrieval and question answering tasks) and a user survey to the evaluation of the video browsing tool. We analyze the correlation between the results of the different methods, whether different aspects can be evaluated independently with the survey, and if a learning effect can be measured with the different methods, and we also compare the full-featured desktop and the limited Web-based user interface. The results show that the retrieval task correlates better with the user experience according to the survey. The survey rather measures the general user experience while different aspects of the usability cannot be analyzed independently.
How spirituality is understood and taught in New Zealand medical schools

Abstract Objectives: The objective of this research was to explore how spirituality is currently understood and taught in New Zealand Medical Schools. Methods: A mixed methods study was carried out involving interviews (n = 14) and a survey (n = 73). The first stage of the study involved recorded semi-structured interviews of people involved in curriculum development from the Dunedin School of Medicine (n = 14); which then informed a cross-sectional self-reported electronic survey (n = 73). Results: The results indicate that spirituality is regarded by many involved in medical education in New Zealand as an important part of healthcare that may be taught in medical schools, but also that there is little consensus among this group as to what the topic is about. Significance of results: These findings provide a basis for further discussion about including spirituality in medical curricula, and in particular indicate a need to develop a shared understanding of what ‘spirituality’ means and how it can be taught appropriately. As a highly secular country, these New Zealand findings are significant for medical education in other secular Western countries. Addressing spirituality with patients has been shown to positively impact a range of health outcomes, but how spirituality is taught in medical schools is still developing across the globe.
Challenges to the Practice of Evidence-Based Medicine during Residents’ Surgical Training: A Qualitative Study Using Grounded Theory

Purpose. To examine surgical trainees’ barriers to implementing and adopting evidence-based medicine (EBM) in the day-to-day care of surgical patients. Method. In 2000, 28 surgical residents from various subspecialties at a hospital affiliated with McMaster University Faculty of Health Sciences in Ontario, Canada, participated in a focus group (n = 8) and semistructured interviews (n = 20) to explore their perceptions of barriers to the practice of EBM during their training. Additional themes were explored, such as definitions of EBM and potential strategies to implement EBM during training. The canons and procedures of the grounded theory approach to qualitative research guided the coding and content analysis of the data derived from the focus group and semistructured interviews. Results. Residents identified personal barriers, staff-surgeon barriers, and institutional barriers that limited their ability to apply EBM in their daily activities. Residents perceived their lack of education in EBM, time constraints, lack of priority, and fear of staff disapproval as major challenges to practicing EBM. Moreover, the lack of ready access to surgical EBM resource materials proved to be an important additional factor limiting EBM surgical practice. Residents identified several strategies to overcome these barriers to EBM, including hiring staff surgeons with EBM training, offering coursework in critical appraisal for all staff, improving interdepartmental communication, and providing greater flexibility for EBM training. Conclusions. Surgical residents identified a general lack of education, time constraints, lack of priority, and staff disapproval as important factors limiting incorporation of EBM. Curriculum reform and surgeon education may help overcome these barriers.
Analysis of the bite force and mechanical design of the feeding mechanism of the durophagous horn shark Heterodontus francisci

SUMMARY Three-dimensional static equilibrium analysis of the forces generated by the jaw musculature of the horn shark Heterodontus francisci was used to theoretically estimate the maximum force distributions and loadings on its jaws and suspensorium during biting. Theoretical maximum bite force was then compared with bite forces measured (1) voluntarily in situ, (2) in restrained animals and (3) during electrical stimulation of the jaw adductor musculature of anesthetized sharks. Maximum theoretical bite force ranged from 128 N at the anteriormost cuspidate teeth to 338 N at the posteriormost molariform teeth. The hyomandibula, which connects the posterior margin of the jaws to the base of the chondrocranium, is loaded in tension during biting. Conversely, the ethmoidal articulation between the palatal region of the upper jaw and the chondrocranium is loaded in compression, even during upper jaw protrusion, because H. francisci's upper jaw does not disarticulate from the chondrocranium during prey capture. Maximum in situ bite force averaged 95 N for free-swimming H. francisci, with a maximum of 133 N. Time to maximum force averaged 322 ms and was significantly longer than time away from maximum force (212 ms). Bite force measurements from restrained individuals (187 N) were significantly greater than those from free-swimming individuals (95 N) but were equivalent to those from both theoretical (128 N) and electrically stimulated measurements (132 N). The mean mass-specific bite of H. francisci was greater than that of many other vertebrates and second highest of the cartilaginous fishes that have been studied. Measuring bite force on restrained sharks appears to be the best indicator of maximum bite force. The large bite forces and robust molariform dentition of H. francisci correspond to its consumption of hard prey.
Software-Defined Device-to-Device (D2D) Communications in Virtual Wireless Networks With Imperfect Network State Information (NSI)

Software-defined networking (SDN) and network function virtualization (NFV) are a promising system architecture and control mechanism for future networks. Although some works have been done on wireless SDN and NFV, recent advancements in device-to-device (D2D) communications are largely ignored in this novel framework. In this paper, we study the integration of D2D communication in the framework of SDN and NFV. An inherent challenge in supporting software-defined D2D is the imperfectness of network state information, including channel state information (CSI) and queuing state information, in virtual wireless (QSI) networks. To address this challenge, we formulate the resource sharing problem in this framework as a discrete stochastic optimization problem and develop discrete stochastic approximation algorithms to solve this problem. Such algorithms can reduce the computational complexity compared with exhaustive search while achieving satisfactory performance. Both the static wireless channel and time-varying channels are considered. Extensive simulations show that users can benefit from both wireless network virtualization and software-defined D2D communications, and our proposed scheme can achieve considerable performance gains in both system throughput and user utility under practical network settings.
The inverse problem in magnetic force microscopy—inferring sample magnetization from MFM images

Nanomagnetic structures have the potential to surpass silicon’s scaling limitations both as elements in hybrid CMOS logic and as novel computational elements. Magnetic force microscopy (MFM) offers a convenient characterization technique for use in the design of such nanomagnetic structures. MFM measures the magnetic field and not the sample’s magnetization. As such the question of the uniqueness of the relationship between an external magnetic field and a magnetization distribution is a relevant one. To study this problem we present a simple algorithm which searches for magnetization distributions consistent with an external magnetic field and solutions to the micromagnetic equations’ qualitative features. The algorithm is not computationally intensive and is found to be effective for our test cases. On the basis of our results we propose a systematic approach for interpreting MFM measurements.
Performance evaluation of wireless propagation models for long term evolution using NS-3

Long Term Evolution (LTE) is the 4G wireless broadband access technology aimed at providing multimedia services based on IP networks. It has been designed to improve system capacity and coverage, improve user experience through higher data rates and reduced latency, reduced deployment and operating costs, and seamless integration with existing communication systems. This paper concerns about the wireless propagation models, which plays a very significant role in planning of any wireless network. In this paper, a comparison has been presented among the different propagation models both in terms of path loss and computational complexity using the NS-3 simulator.
CAMPAIGN: an open-source library of GPU-accelerated data clustering algorithms

MOTIVATION Data clustering techniques are an essential component of a good data analysis toolbox. Many current bioinformatics applications are inherently compute-intense and work with very large datasets. Sequential algorithms are inadequate for providing the necessary performance. For this reason, we have created Clustering Algorithms for Massively Parallel Architectures, Including GPU Nodes (CAMPAIGN), a central resource for data clustering algorithms and tools that are implemented specifically for execution on massively parallel processing architectures. RESULTS CAMPAIGN is a library of data clustering algorithms and tools, written in 'C for CUDA' for Nvidia GPUs. The library provides up to two orders of magnitude speed-up over respective CPU-based clustering algorithms and is intended as an open-source resource. New modules from the community will be accepted into the library and the layout of it is such that it can easily be extended to promising future platforms such as OpenCL. AVAILABILITY Releases of the CAMPAIGN library are freely available for download under the LGPL from https://simtk.org/home/campaign. Source code can also be obtained through anonymous subversion access as described on https://simtk.org/scm/? group_id=453. CONTACT kjk33@cantab.net.
Determinants of Ethical Procurement Practices in Public Entities in Tanzania: A Case Study of the National Audit Office (NAO) Headquarters, Dar Es Salaam

: The study sought to determine factors influencing ethical procurement practices in public entities in Tanzania with specific reference to the National Audit Office Headquarters in Dar es Salaam. Specifically the study determined the effect of fairness on procurement ethical practices; investigated the effect of transparency on procurement ethical practices; assessed the effect of integrity on procurement ethical practices; and finally evaluated the effect of code of ethics and conduct on procurement ethical practices. A case study design adopted in which 23 (twenty three) employees were selected and served with questionnaires whereas 7 (seven) employees were purposively sampled for a face to face interview, thus making a total of 30 (thirty) respondents. Quantitative data were analyzed through descriptive analysis, whereas qualitative data were analyzed through thematic and content analysis. The study findings indicate that adherence to code of ethics and conduct, fairness, transparency and integrity in the procurement process; have positive influence on the level of ethical practices achieved by the entity in its procurement process. The study concludes that enhanced ethical practices coupled with compliance with rules and regulations will close rooms for procurement corruption and fraud in the public entities.The study further recommends that ethical procurement practices should consistently be monitored and evaluated so as to ensure that procurement activities are conducted in a fair, transparent and in compliant manner with the applicable legal and regulatory framework.
Prognosis of ankle syndesmosis injury.

PURPOSE Ankle syndesmosis injury has been associated with persistent pain and prolonged recovery; however, no predictors of prolonged recovery have been identified. The aims of this study were to establish prognosis for ankle syndesmosis injury compared with a lateral ankle sprain and to explore factors associated with prolonged recovery. METHODS Participants (n = 63) age 21 ± 3.2 yr, with acute ankle ligament injuries (diagnosed through magnetic resonance imaging), were recruited from 10 sport clubs and sports medicine and physiotherapy clinics in two Australian cities. Follow-up was until full recovery and with preinjury activity level. Time to return to play was compared between injury types using Kaplan-Meier survival curves. Secondary analysis investigated putative factors that increased risk of prolonged recovery. For this analysis, participants unrecovered at 2 wk completed the following: Fear Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (FABQ); Star Excursion Balance Test, weight-bearing lunge, and vertical jump (VJ). These variables were correlated with time to recovery using bivariate Pearson's r correlation coefficient. RESULTS The median recovery time for conservatively treated ankle syndesmosis injury was 62 and 15 d for lateral sprain. The sport-specific subscale scores of the FABQ were significantly higher (P = 0.017) for the ankle syndesmosis group, whereas vertical jump height was lower for this group, (P = 0.052). No baseline variables were strong predictors (r ≥ 0.6) of recovery. Moderate correlations were found for VJ (r = -0.471, P = 0.004) and the sport-specific subscale of the FABQ (r = 0.463, P = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS Conservatively treated ankle syndesmosis injuries took four times longer to recover than lateral ankle sprain. Tests such as VJ and FABQ may identify individuals at risk of prolonged recovery and allow health professionals to determine realistic and appropriate time to recovery.
High latent drug administration error rates associated with the introduction of the international colour coding syringe labelling system1

Background and objectives: The potential for increased drug administration errors during the transition to the International Colour Coding syringe labelling system has been highlighted. The purpose of this study was to assess the potential effects before their introduction into our department. Methods: Thirty‐one anaesthetists, 19 with no previous practical experience of the new labelling system (Group 1), and 12 with previous experience (Group 2), volunteered to induce general anaesthesia for a standardized simulated patient in a designated theatre. They were presented with a scenario designed to suggest the need for a rapid sequence induction and provided with drug syringes labelled with the International Colour Coding system. All drug administrations were recorded. Active error was defined as the injection of the wrong drug. Latent error was defined as the selection of a syringe in error but stopping short of administering the drug. Results: In Group 1 a total of 107 drug injections were recorded of which 1 (0.9%) was an active error and 16 (15%) involved latent errors. Eleven anaesthetists (58%) performed at least one latent error. Group 2 had an error rate of 3%, a 6.9 (1.3‐26.7) fold reduction in the rate of error (P = 0.023). Conclusions: Although only one drug was given in active error, latent errors occurred in 15% of drug administrations. The only factor conferring protection against error was prior experience of the new labelling system. The period of transition to the International Colour Coding syringe labelling system represents a time of increased risk of drug administration error.