Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impact of an online course on infection control and prevention competencies.

AIM This paper is a report of a study to examine the impact of an online course on nurses' and allied healthcare professionals' competency in infection prevention and control and the influence of organizational climate on knowledge transfer. BACKGROUND Nosocomial infection, globalization, international travel and bacterial resistance are among the factors contributing to heightened awareness of the importance of infection prevention and control in today's healthcare environment. An online course in infection control was developed to facilitate the delivery of standardized training to large numbers of health providers. METHOD A quasi-experimental, pre-and post-test study using questionnaires and open-ended questions was conducted in 2006 with a convenience sample of 76 healthcare professionals, the majority of whom were Registered Nurses. FINDINGS Participants made statistically significant increases in their perceptions of competency in infection control following the course. The majority were very satisfied with the course and reported that what they had learned was useful and relevant to their practice. Participants who worked in supportive organizations that were open to change reported a higher incidence of knowledge transfer activities. Two course design features in particular, video and interactive quizzes and games, motivated learners and enhanced the learning experience. CONCLUSION Online learning can provide ongoing, convenient and effective access to up-to-date information on best practices in infection control and prevention. This standardized delivery approach minimizes demand on limited training resources which are under strain and gives learners the opportunity to refresh 'rusty' infection control and prevention skills.
Exploiting Tree Decomposition for Guiding Neighborhoods Exploration for VNS

Tree decomposition introduced by Robertson and Seymour aims to decompose a problem into clusters constituting an acyclic graph. There are works exploiting tree decomposition for complete search methods. In this paper, we show how tree decomposition can be used to efficiently guide local search methods that use large neighborhoods like VNS. We propose DGVNS (Decomposition Guided VNS) which uses the graph of clusters in order to build neighborhood structures enabling better diversification and intensification. Second, we introduce tightness dependent tree decomposition which allows to take advantage of both the structure of the problem and the constraints tightness. Third, experiments performed on random instances (GRAPH) and real life instances (CELAR, SPOT5 and tagSNP) show the appropriateness and the efficiency of our approach. Moreover, we study and discuss the influence of the width of the tree decomposition on our approach and the relevance of removing clusters with very few proper variables from the tree decomposition.
Cell Surface Properties of Lactococcus lactis Reveal Milk Protein Binding Specifically Evolved in Dairy Isolates

Surface properties of bacteria are determined by the molecular composition of the cell wall and they are important for interactions of cells with their environment. Well-known examples of bacterial interactions with surfaces are biofilm formation and the fermentation of solid materials like food and feed. Lactococcus lactis is broadly used for the fermentation of cheese and buttermilk and it is primarily isolated from either plant material or the dairy environment. In this study, we characterized surface hydrophobicity, charge, emulsification properties, and the attachment to milk proteins of 55 L. lactis strains in stationary and exponential growth phases. The attachment to milk protein was assessed through a newly developed flow cytometry-based protocol. Besides finding a high degree of biodiversity, phenotype-genotype matching allowed the identification of candidate genes involved in the modification of the cell surface. Overexpression and gene deletion analysis allowed to verify the predictions for three identified proteins that altered surface hydrophobicity and attachment of milk proteins. The data also showed that lactococci isolated from a dairy environment bind higher amounts of milk proteins when compared to plant isolates. It remains to be determined whether the alteration of surface properties also has potential to alter starter culture functionalities.
Increased coherence among striatal regions in the theta range during attentive wakefulness

The striatum, the largest component of the basal ganglia, is usually subdivided into associative, motor and limbic components. However, the electrophysiological interactions between these three subsystems during behavior remain largely unknown. We hypothesized that the striatum might be particularly active during exploratory behavior, which is presumably associated with increased attention. We investigated the modulation of local field potentials (LFPs) in the striatum during attentive wakefulness in freely moving rats. To this end, we implanted microelectrodes into different parts of the striatum of Wistar rats, as well as into the motor, associative and limbic cortices. We then used electromyograms to identify motor activity and analyzed the instantaneous frequency, power spectra and partial directed coherence during exploratory behavior. We observed fine modulation in the theta frequency range of striatal LFPs in 92.5 ± 2.5% of all epochs of exploratory behavior. Concomitantly, the theta power spectrum increased in all striatal channels (P < 0.001), and coherence analysis revealed strong connectivity (coefficients >0.7) between the primary motor cortex and the rostral part of the caudatoputamen nucleus, as well as among all striatal channels (P < 0.001). Conclusively, we observed a pattern of strong theta band activation in the entire striatum during attentive wakefulness, as well as a strong coherence between the motor cortex and the entire striatum. We suggest that this activation reflects the integration of motor, cognitive and limbic systems during attentive wakefulness.
Turning Off Estrogen Receptor β-Mediated Transcription Requires Estrogen-Dependent Receptor Proteolysis

ABSTRACT Recent studies have shed light on the ligand-dependent transactivation mechanisms of nuclear receptors (NRs). When the ligand dose is reduced, the transcriptional activity of NRs should be downregulated. Here we show that a ubiquitin-proteasome pathway plays a key role in turning off transcription mediated by estrogen receptor β (ERβ). ERβ shows estrogen-dependent proteolysis, and its degradation is regulated by two regions in the receptor. The N-terminal 37-amino acid-region is necessary for the recruitment of the ubiquitin ligase, i.e., the carboxyl terminus of HSC70-interacting protein (CHIP), to degrade ERβ. In contrast, the C-terminal F domain protects ligand-unbound ERβ from proteolysis to abrogate proteasome association. Suppression of CHIP by interfering RNA inhibited this switching off of receptor-mediated transcription when the ligand dose was reduced. Our results suggest that after ligand withdrawal, the active form of the NR is selectively eliminated via ligand-dependent proteolysis to downregulate receptor-mediated transcription.
Sustained high-throughput polymerase chain reaction diagnostics during the European epidemic of Bluetongue virus serotype 8

A real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assay (PCR test) based on genome segment 10 of Bluetongue virus (BTV) was developed. The PCR test consists of robotized viral RNA isolation from blood samples and an all-in-one method including initial denaturation of genomic double-stranded RNA, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and real-time detection and analysis. Reference strains of the 24 recognized BTV serotypes, isolates from different years, and geographic origins were detected. Other orbiviruses such as African horse sickness virus, Epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus, and Equine encephalosis virus were not detected. Experimentally infected animals were PCR positive from 2 days postinoculation, which was earlier than fever, other clinical signs, or seroconversion. The diagnostic sensitivity and specificity were very close to or even 100%. The PCR test played a key role in the detection of BTV serotype 8 in August 2006 in The Netherlands. The outbreak in a completely naive ruminant population allowed for further evaluation of the PCR test with field samples. In 2006, the correlation between enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and PCR results was estimated to be 95%. In the following years, the PCR test was used for diagnosis of diseased animals, for testing of healthy animals for trade purposes, and for detection of BTV RNA in different species of the insect vector, Culicoides. In the autumn of 2008, BTV serotype 6 unexpectedly emerged in northwest Europe and was also detected with the PCR test developed in the current study. The performance in routine use over 5 years has been recorded and evaluated.
Design of Efficient Complementary Pass Transistor based Modified Booth Encoder Array Multiplier

paper a method to build a faster array multiplier based on Radix 4 Modified Booth Encoder - which is broadly used for the signed multiplication applications- with less area and power is presented. This is achieved by optimizing the overall interconnection delay in the partial product array and by scheming the most efficient Full Adder and Booth Encoder in Complementary Pass Transistor Logic approach. The proposed array multiplier's performance in terms of delay, power and area is compared with conventional as well as Baugh-Wooley Multiplier. In order to optimize the power and area of the multiplier, a CPL Based MBE with standard partial product array is proposed and designed in full custom style. The use of efficient 10 Transistor based Full adders based on CPL logic ensures that the entire design is in CPL logic, which provides a regular outline with less interconnection intricacy.
Abnormal Brain Dynamics Underlie Speech Production in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

A large proportion of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have speech and/or language difficulties. While a number of structural and functional neuroimaging methods have been used to explore the brain differences in ASD with regards to speech and language comprehension and production, the neurobiology of basic speech function in ASD has not been examined. Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is a neuroimaging modality with high spatial and temporal resolution that can be applied to the examination of brain dynamics underlying speech as it can capture the fast responses fundamental to this function. We acquired MEG from 21 children with high‐functioning autism (mean age: 11.43 years) and 21 age‐ and sex‐matched controls as they performed a simple oromotor task, a phoneme production task and a phonemic sequencing task. Results showed significant differences in activation magnitude and peak latencies in primary motor cortex (Brodmann Area 4), motor planning areas (BA 6), temporal sequencing and sensorimotor integration areas (BA 22/13) and executive control areas (BA 9). Our findings of significant functional brain differences between these two groups on these simple oromotor and phonemic tasks suggest that these deficits may be foundational and could underlie the language deficits seen in ASD. Autism Res 2016, 9: 249–261. © 2015 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Uptake of nutrients and organic C in streams in New York City drinking-water-supply watersheds

Abstract Uptake of nutrients and organic C was measured once annually between 2000 and 2002 in each of 10 streams within the water-supply source areas for New York City. Nutrients (PO43– and NH4+) and organic C (glucose and arabinose) were injected into the streams for 1 to 2 h, and uptake lengths were estimated from the longitudinal declines in downstream concentration relative to that of a conservative tracer. Uptake lengths increased with stream size and were converted to uptake velocities, Vf, to remove scaling effects. Vf s of PO43– and NH4+ varied inversely with the ambient concentration of total dissolved P (TDP) and total dissolved N (TDN), respectively, and were described by a model based on Michaelis–Menten kinetics. However, Vf s of glucose and arabinose were unrelated to the concentrations of any solute. Vf s of PO43–, NH4+, arabinose, and (with less certainty) glucose varied positively with measures of ecosystem metabolism (24-h community respiration and gross primary productivity). Uptake flux (U) of NH4+ also varied positively with ecosystem metabolism, but Us of PO43–, glucose, and arabinose did not. The Vf s of PO43– and NH4+ were positively related to invertebrate species richness and % forest cover, and negatively related to molecular tracer concentrations (polyaromatic hydrocarbons and fecal steroids [PO43–-Vf], fragrance materials [NH4+-Vf]) and population density. Spiraling, as a measure of ecosystem function, was sensitive to human impacts, most clearly through responses to nutrient loadings, but very probably through responses to other impacts as well.
Lipin‐1 regulation of phospholipid synthesis maintains endoplasmic reticulum homeostasis and is critical for triple‐negative breast cancer cell survival

Cancer cells reprogram their metabolism to increase the synthesis of macromolecules for rapid proliferation. Compared to fatty acids, much less is known about the synthesis of phospholipids, which is essential for membrane biogenesis in cancer cells. We found that LPIN1, which encodes lipin‐1, a phosphatidic acid phosphatase (PAP) controlling the rate‐limiting step in the phospholipid synthesis pathway, is highly up‐regulated in basal‐like triple‐negative breast cancer (TNBC). Moreover, high LPIN1 expression correlates with the poor prognosis of these patients. Knockdown of LPIN1 increases apoptosis in basal‐like TNBC cell lines, whereas it has minimal or less effect on normal human mammary gland epithelial cells (HMECs) and estrogen receptor‐positive breast cancer cell lines. Fatty acid incorporation and lipidomics analyses showed that LPIN1 knockdown blocks phospholipid synthesis and changes membrane lipid compositions that ultimately induce the activation of 1 of the 3 branches of unfolded protein responses, the inositol‐requiring enzyme‐1α pathway. We also show for the first time, to our knowledge, that lipin‐1 knockdown significantly inhibits tumor growth in vivo using an orthotopic xenograft breast mouse model. Our results suggest that lipin‐1 is a potential target for cancer therapy. —He, J., Zhang, F. , Tay, L. W. R. , Boroda, S. , Nian, W. , Levental, K. R. , Levental, I. , Harris, T. E. , Chang, J. T. , Du, G. Lipin‐1 regulation of phospholipid synthesis maintains endoplasmic reticulum homeostasis and is critical for triple‐negative breast cancer cell survival. FASEB J. 31, 2893–2904 (2017). www.fasebj. org
Longitudinal study of lymphocyte subsets and major histocompatibility complex-class II expressing cells in mammary glands of sows.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether there is variation attributable to reproductive stage in lymphocyte subsets and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II expressing cells in mammary glands of sows. ANIMALS 8 healthy primiparous crossbred sows that had been nursing piglets for 30 to 35 days. PROCEDURE Needle biopsy of the mammary gland was performed after parturition, at midlactation, and after weaning. Various lymphocyte subsets and MHC class II expressing cells were detected immunohistochemically, using monoclonal antibodies. RESULTS The number of CD8+ cells was significantly lower after parturition than after weaning but not significantly lower than at midlactation. The number of IgA-bearing cells was lower after parturition and after weaning than at midlactation. There were more B cells at midlactation than after weaning. There was no change over time in the number of CD4+ cells or MHC class II expressing cells. Immunohistochemically positive cells were detected only in interalveolar tissue. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Certain lymphocyte subsets in mammary glands of sows are affected by reproductive stage. The data do not support the hypothesis that development of postparturient coliform mastitis may be the result of impaired mammary immune defenses at parturition.
A prototype of a real-time solution on mobile devices for heart tele-auscultation

The accessibility of the health service is often criticized by patients whose clinical or geographical conditions make their transfer to health facilities problematic. This paper shows how the use of technology can help individual to exercise their right to healthcare by offering healthcare services that lead to an improved quality life for the patient. A prototype of a mobile tele-auscultation solution developed in this study could meet this need and relieve the patient from the burden of having to reach the appropriate health facilities to undergo a specialist examination. Patients equipped with an electronic stethoscope can self-monitor their health in any place and can start a live tele-auscultation session with a remote doctor.
A pilot study of the possible role of familial defects in anticoagulation as a cause for terminal limb reduction malformations

Terminal limb deficiency defects affect between three and eight babies per 10 000 births and are an important cause of disability. Established causes for these malformations include single gene disorders, chromosome abnormalities, teratogens, and amniotic bands. However, the etiology remains unknown in a significant proportion of cases. Several authors have hypothesized that vascular accidents, either bleeds or vessel occlusions, may underlie a substantial number of cases; but, for the most part, the origin of such events remains obscure. Over the past several years, an increasing number of genetic thrombophilias have been recognized and have been associated with increased risks of peri‐ and post‐natal occlusive disease, and with higher rates of recurrent pregnancy loss. The hypothesis to be examined in this pilot study was whether the inherited thrombophilias might be associated with a vascular cause of some terminal limb deficiency defects. Towards that end, protein C, protein S, antithrombin III, factor V Leiden mutation, prothrombin (G20210A) variant, methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase variant, plasma homocysteine, anticardiolipin IgM and IgG antibodies, and lipoprotein (a) were measured in 24 mother–child pairs in which the child had a terminal limb defect. The results provided some evidence that there may be an excess of thrombophilias present in such families and that they may play some etiological role in a subset of these types of limb malformations.
Correlation versus prediction in children's word learning: Cross-linguistic evidence and simulations

Abstract The ontological distinction between discrete individuated objects and continuous substances, and the way this distinction is expressed in different languages has been a fertile area for examining the relation between language and thought. In this paper we combine simulations and a cross-linguistic word learning task as a way to gain insight into the nature of the learning mechanisms involved in word learning. First, we look at the effect of the different correlational structures on novel generalizations with two kinds of learning tasks implemented in neural networks—prediction and correlation. Second, we look at English- and Spanish-speaking 2-3-year-olds' novel noun generalizations, and find that count/mass syntax has a stronger effect on Spanish- than on English-speaking children's novel noun generalizations, consistent with the predicting networks. The results suggest that it is not just the correlational structure of different linguistic cues that will determine how they are learned, but the specific learning mechanism and task in which they are involved.
Gene expression profile of human trabecular meshwork cells in response to long-term dexamethasone exposure.

PURPOSE Topical use of dexamethasone has long been associated with steroid induced-glaucoma, although the mechanism is unknown. We applied a strict filtering of comparative microarray data to more than 18,000 genes to evaluate global gene expression of cultured human trabecular meshwork cells in response to treatment with dexamethasone. METHODS Three human trabecular meshwork cell primary cultures from nonglaucomatous donors were incubated with and without dexamethasone for 21 days. Relative gene expression was evaluated by analysis of U133A GeneChip and the results validated using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR). RESULTS Application of strict filtering to include only genes with statistically significant differences in gene expression across all three trabecular meshwork cell cultures produced a list of 1,260 genes. Significant changes in signal level were observed, including 23 upregulated and 18 downregulated genes that changed greater than three fold in each of three cell cultures. Using quantitative PCR we found changes greater than a thousand fold for two genes (SLP1 and SAA2) and changes greater than a hundred fold for another five genes (ANGPTL7, MYOC, SAA1, SERPINA3, and ZBTB16). CONCLUSIONS Expression changes in trabecular meshwork cells in response to dexamethasone treatment indicate that a group of actins and actin-associated proteins are involved in the development of cross-linked actin networks that form in response to dexamethasone. A trend was identified toward decreased expression of protease genes accompanied by an increased expression of protease inhibitors. Such a trend in nonproteasomal proteolysis conceivably affects gene product levels above the level of transcription. Only two genes, MYOC and IGFBP2, showed significantly elevated expression after dexamethasone treatment in our study and the other three previously published reports of primary culture trabecular meshwork cell gene expression.
A Novel Fucose-binding Lectin from Photorhabdus luminescens (PLL) with an Unusual Heptabladed β-Propeller Tetrameric Structure*

Photorhabdus luminescens is known for its symbiosis with the entomopathogenic nematode Heterorhabditis bacteriophora and its pathogenicity toward insect larvae. A hypothetical protein from P. luminescens was identified, purified from the native source, and characterized as an l-fucose-binding lectin, named P. luminescens lectin (PLL). Glycan array and biochemical characterization data revealed PLL to be specific toward l-fucose and the disaccharide glycan 3,6-O-Me2-Glcβ1–4(2,3-O-Me2)Rhaα-O-(p-C6H4)-OCH2CH2NH2. PLL was discovered to be a homotetramer with an intersubunit disulfide bridge. The crystal structures of native and recombinant PLL revealed a seven-bladed β-propeller fold creating seven putative fucose-binding sites per monomer. The crystal structure of the recombinant PLL·l-fucose complex confirmed that at least three sites were fucose-binding. Moreover, the crystal structures indicated that some of the other sites are masked either by the tetrameric nature of the lectin or by incorporation of the C terminus of the lectin into one of these sites. PLL exhibited an ability to bind to insect hemocytes and the cuticular surface of a nematode, H. bacteriophora.
Modified Grey-level Models for Active Shape Model Training

Active Shape Model (ASM) is a popular statistical shape model for objects localization. It combines a Point Distribution Model (PDM) and local grey-level model of each landmark point to achieve reliable and accurate result in image interpretation. However, in 2D images, the one-dimensional profile grey-level models will lose information in other directions. In this paper, we modeled the grey-level information of the ktimesk square neighbor region around each point, hoping to take more information into account. Yet, further works should be done in order to compare the searching results obtained by square grey-level models with those by one-dimensional profile grey-level models