Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of ribotyping and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis for subspecies differentiation of strains of Enterococcus faecalis

Hybridization of EcoRI- and HindIII-digested chromosomal DNAs from 41 isolates of Enterococcus faecalis with probes for rRNA genes was performed (ribotyping). The ability of ribotyping to distinguish strains at the subspecies level was compared with results previously determined by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). With EcoRI, seven ribopatterns (usually differing by only one band) were found, while PFGE had previously shown 25 clearly different patterns plus six related variants. Digestion with HindIII generated a few additional patterns but still failed to differentiate some strains that had very different PFGE patterns. Ribotyping with BscI has also been reported to be inadequate for subspecies strain differentiation (L. M. Hall, B. Duke, M. Guiney, and R. Williams, J. Clin. Microbiol. 30:915-919, 1992). Although ribotyping with other restriction endonucleases may perform better in distinguishing different strains, at present PFGE appears to be superior for strain differentiation.
Fast neutron absorbed dose distributions in the energy range 0.5-80 MeV - a Monte Carlo study

Neutron pencil-beam absorbed dose distributions in phantoms of bone, ICRU soft tissue, muscle, adipose and the tissue substitutes water, A-150 (plastic) and PMMA (acrylic) have been calculated using the Monte Carlo code FLUKA in the energy range 0.5 to 80 MeV. For neutrons of energies ⩽20 MeV, the results were compared to those obtained using the Monte Carlo code MCNP4B. Broad-beam depth doses and lateral dose distributions were derived. Broad-beam dose distributions in various materials were compared using two kinds of scaling factor: a depth-scaling factor and a dose-scaling factor. Build-up factors due to scattered neutrons and photons were derived and the appropriate choice of phantom material for determining dose distributions in soft tissue examined. Water was found to be a good substitute for soft tissue even at neutron energies as high as 80 MeV. The relative absorbed doses due to photons ranged from 2% to 15% for neutron energies 10-80 MeV depending on phantom material and depth. For neutron energies below 10 MeV the depth dose distributions derived with MCNP4B and FLUKA differed significantly, the difference being probably due to the use of multigroup transport of low energy (<19.6 MeV) neutrons in FLUKA. Agreement improved with increasing neutron energies up to 20 MeV. At energies >20 MeV, MCNP4B fails to describe dose build-up at the phantom interface and penumbra at the edge of the beam because it does not transport secondary charged particles. The penumbra width, defined as the distance between the 80% and 20% iso-dose levels at 5 cm depth and for a 10×10 cm2 field, was between 0.9 mm and 7.2 mm for neutron energies 10-80 MeV.
The Effect of Cyclooxygenase-2 Inhibitors on Spinal Fusion

Background: Spine surgeons discourage the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs following spine arthrodesis because of their inhibitory effect on bone-healing. To our knowledge, there are no data on the effects of the new cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors on bone-healing. We undertook this study to determine the effects of these more selective nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on spinal fusion in a rabbit model. Methods: Seventy-two New Zealand White rabbits underwent a posterolateral intertransverse process arthrodesis with use of autologous iliac crest bone. Sixty-six rabbits survived the surgical procedure and the perioperative period and had an uneventful postoperative course. These rabbits were randomly divided into three groups. One group received 10 mg/kg of celecoxib orally, the second group received 10 mg/kg of indomethacin orally, and the third group (the control group) received 1 cm 3 of saline solution orally. The rabbits received the treatment daily for eight weeks, after which they were killed and the lumbar spine was harvested. The specimens were palpated for motion, radiographed, and prepared for histological analysis. The quality of the fusion was graded at each level by assigning a histological score of 0 to 7. Results: Gross inspection and palpation revealed that 64% (fourteen) of the twenty-two control spines and 45% (ten) of the twenty-two spines in the rabbits treated with celecoxib were fused. With the numbers available, this difference was not significant (p = 0.224). Of the twenty-two spines in the indomethacin-treated rabbits, 18% (four) were fused, and this percentage was significantly different from the control value (p = 0.002). On radiographic assessment, the spine segment was deemed to be fused in 82% (eighteen) of the twenty-two controls, 86% (nineteen) of the twenty-two rabbits treated with celecoxib, and 41% (nine) of the twenty-two indomethacin-treated animals. Only the difference between the indomethacin-treated and control groups was significant (p = 0.004). The histological scores averaged 5.2, 4.8, and 3.5 for the control, celecoxib, and indomethacin groups, respectively. There was a significant difference between the control and indomethacin groups (p = 0.002) but not between the celecoxib and control groups (p = 0.161). Conclusions: These results suggest that celecoxib does not significantly inhibit the rate of spinal fusion in rabbits. They also suggest that the inhibitory effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on bone-healing are likely mediated by inhibition of cyclooxygenase-1 and that celecoxib is the better choice if treatment with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs is deemed necessary following spinal arthrodesis.
Comparison of Visual 24-Hour and Spectrophotometric 48-Hour MICs to CLSI Reference Microdilution MICs of Fluconazole, Itraconazole, Posaconazole, and Voriconazole for Candida spp.: a Collaborative Study

ABSTRACT A multicenter (six-center) study evaluated the performance (interlaboratory reproducibility, compatibility with reference methods, and categorical agreement) of 24-h visual and 48-h spectrophotometric MICs. MICs of fluconazole, itraconazole, voriconazole, and posaconazole were compared to reference 48-h microdilution broth visual MICs (CLSI [formerly NCCLS] M27-A2 document) for 71 isolates of Candida spp. that included 10 fluconazole-resistant strains. Twenty readings (5%) were reported as showing no growth at 24 h, mostly for Candida dubliniensis and from a single center. The overall interlaboratory agreement of 24-h visual readings and 48-h spectrophotometric MICs, as well their compatibility with reference values, were excellent with the four triazoles for most of the species (93 to 99%, within 3 dilutions). The categorical agreement between the investigational reading conditions and reference values was good with fluconazole and voriconazole (93 to 97%) but lower with itraconazole (86 to 88%), due primarily to minor errors. There were only 0 to 3% very major errors with these three triazoles; the number of substantial errors (more than three dilutions) was also low (<2%) with posaconazole. These data suggest that the performance of both investigational MIC readings gives results similar to those of reference MICs. Since spectrophotometric MICs are more objective and the 24-h time period would shorten the MIC determination of azoles, the description of either of these two reading conditions in the M27-A2 document should be considered by the CLSI subcommittee in addition to or instead of the longer, less practical, and more subjective 48-h visual MIC reading.
Performance evaluation of a mode-stirred reverberation chamber using the finite difference time domain (FDTD) simulation

The spectral field data on an observation plane inside a mode-stirred chamber describe the directional dependence of all supported modes in the reverberation chamber. Correlation coefficients are computed to evaluate the efficiency of the mode-stirrer for three different sizes of stirrers. The spectral characteristics of the stirring effects in a reverberation chamber are compared with the conventional statistical results about the uniformity of the spatial electric fields.
Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth as an uncommon cause of false positive lactose hydrogen breath test among patients with diarrhea‐predominant irritable bowel syndrome in Asia

It has been reported that small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) may lead to false positive diagnoses of lactose malabsorption (LM) in irritable bowel syndrome patients. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of SIBO on lactose hydrogen breath test (HBT) results in these patients.
Abnormal Returns and Idiosyncratic Volatility Puzzle: Evidence from the Chinese Stock Market

ABSTRACT The well-documented idiosyncratic volatility anomaly indicates the stocks with higher idiosyncratic volatility tend to have lower returns. Using different models to estimate abnormal return (i.e. alpha), we show that in the Chinese stock market, the IVOL-return relation is negative among stocks with negative abnormal returns but positive among stocks with positive abnormal returns. A possible explanation is that when we take the expected return as the reference point, different signs of abnormal returns can be viewed as gains and losses. Under prospect theory, distinct risk attitudes in the domain of gains and losses lead to different IVOL-return relations.
Quantitative optimization of solid freeform deposition of aqueous hydrogels

Many soft tissues exhibit complex anatomical geometry that is challenging to replicate for regenerative medicine applications. Solid freeform fabrication (SFF) has emerged as an attractive approach for creating 3D tissues, but a detailed understanding of how specific fabrication parameters affect accuracy and viability has not been established to date. In this study, we evaluate the effects of printing parameters of the Fab@Home 3D printing system on accuracy using alginate, photocrosslinkable polyethylene-glycol diacrylate (PEG-DA) and gelatin as commonly used model hydrogel materials. Print accuracy and resolution along the length, width and height were determined based on quantitative image analysis. The effects of extrusion parameters on cell viability were assessed using porcine aortic valve interstitial cells (PAVIC) as a model cell type. We observed that pressure, pathheight and pathspace all significantly affected print accuracy and resolution. Printing conditions did not affect PAVIC viability within the ranges applied. We predicted that optimal pressure, pathheight and pathspace values would be increased linearly with increasing nozzle diameter, and we confirmed that the predicted values generate accurate 3D geometries while poorly chosen parameters yield inaccurate, unpredictable geometries. This systematic optimization strategy therefore improves the accuracy of 3D printing platforms for biofabrication and tissue engineering applications.
Specific leaf area explains differences in leaf traits between congeneric savanna and forest trees

Summary 1 Leaf traits are commonly associated with the life history, distribution and resource requirements of a species. To improve our understanding of the ecological and physiological differences between tropical savanna and forest trees, we compared leaf traits of species native to savanna and gallery (riverine) forests in the Cerrado region of central Brazil. 2 Congeneric species pairs from 14 different taxonomic families were studied, each with a savanna species and a forest species present at the study site. Only individuals growing in savanna conditions under full sun were studied. We measured foliar nutrients, δ13C, δ15N and specific leaf area (SLA: leaf area per unit leaf mass). We used phylogenetically independent contrasts to compare savanna and forest species and to test for correlations among species traits. 3 Overall, leaves of forest species had 17% higher N concentration, 32% higher P concentration, and 37% higher K concentration, despite growing in similar soils. Concentrations of all three elements were strongly and positively correlated with SLA. 4 Forest species had 52% greater SLA, on average, than savanna species, which accounts for the higher foliar nutrient concentrations of these species. 5 Savanna species had higher δ13C values than forest species, indicating higher water-use efficiency. The SLA was negatively correlated with δ13C, suggesting that SLA may also account for the higher water-use efficiency of savanna species. 6 There was no difference in foliar δ15N between savanna and forest species, but foliar δ15N was negatively correlated with soil pH. 7 These results contribute to recent studies showing that tropical savanna and forest species represent two distinct functional types, with large differences in ecology and physiology, that have important consequences for the dynamics of savanna–forest boundaries.
Aging biology: a new frontier for drug discovery

Introduction: The prevalence of age-related pathologies, such as cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative disease and diabetes type II, has increased dramatically with the rising average age of populations. Antiaging molecules and appropriate animal models need to be developed to prevent and or delay alterations that occur during aging and are manifested as age-associated illnesses. Areas covered: This review covers the main experimental models used in aging research, from invertebrates up to nonhuman primates. The authors discuss studies of the biochemical pathways involved in dietary restriction, which has been associated with life span extension. The authors also describe the implications of sirtuin 1, insulin growth factor, mTOR (the mammalian target of rapamycin) and AMPK activation, which are well-characterized antiaging pathways. All these pathways are highly conserved from invertebrates to nonhuman primates. Although some invertebrate models are used to study the antiaging properties of drugs, mice models and nonhuman primates are more suitable, as the study of changes in memory loss is critical. The review highlights the conservation of the aging pathways between species. Expert opinion: Further studies on aging should focus on two ways: i) improving animal models, for example, the genetically heterogeneous mice and ii) drug research. It is almost impossible to evaluate clinically the efficacy of antiaging drugs. Moreover, caloric restriction currently constitutes the most effective antiaging pathway. Thus, the strategy is to study drugs for aging-associated diseases, such as diabetes, that also have antiaging effects.
Initiation of Protein Synthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae Mitochondria without Formylation of the Initiator tRNA

ABSTRACT Protein synthesis in eukaryotic organelles such as mitochondria and chloroplasts is widely believed to require a formylated initiator methionyl tRNA (fMet-tRNAfMet) for initiation. Here we show that initiation of protein synthesis in yeast mitochondria can occur without formylation of the initiator methionyl-tRNA (Met-tRNAfMet). The formylation reaction is catalyzed by methionyl-tRNA formyltransferase (MTF) located in mitochondria and usesN10-formyltetrahydrofolate (10-formyl-THF) as the formyl donor. We have studied yeast mutants carrying chromosomal disruptions of the genes encoding the mitochondrial C1-tetrahydrofolate (C1-THF) synthase (MIS1), necessary for synthesis of 10-formyl-THF, and the methionyl-tRNA formyltransferase (open reading frame YBL013W; designated FMT1). A direct analysis of mitochondrial tRNAs using gel electrophoresis systems that can separate fMet-tRNAfMet, Met-tRNAfMet, and tRNAfMet shows that there is no formylation in vivo of the mitochondrial initiator Met-tRNA in these strains. In contrast, the initiator Met-tRNA is formylated in the respective “wild-type” parental strains. In spite of the absence of fMet-tRNAfMet, the mutant strains exhibited normal mitochondrial protein synthesis and function, as evidenced by normal growth on nonfermentable carbon sources in rich media and normal frequencies of generation ofpetite colonies. The only growth phenotype observed was a longer lag time during growth on nonfermentable carbon sources in minimal media for the mis1 deletion strain but not for thefmt1 deletion strain.
Systematics, diversity and forage value of indigenous legumes of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland

The diversity of legumes, indigenous to South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland is reported using recorded descriptive and distribution data. A total of 24 tribes, 118 genera and 1662 species were documented with the majority of genera belonging to subfamily Faboideae, tribe Phaseoleae, and the majority of species to tribe Crotalarieae. In terms of distribution patterns, most species were present in the Savanna Biome and Central Bushveld Bioregion. Even though most tribes contain species with secondary metabolites (mainly non-protein amino acids), tribes containing poisonous species are far fewer. Herbs are the key growth form, followed by shrubs, dwarf shrubs and trees. The majority of species are perennials. A map representing the collection intensity for the study area showed that the majority of legumes species were collected in the Fynbos, Savanna and Grassland Biome. It is concluded that indigenous South African legumes are extremely diverse and this denotes the importance of further investigating their forage potential or use in other agricultural practices.
Increased incidence of sporadic Creutzfeldt‐Jakob disease on the island of Crete associated with a high rate of PRNP 129‐methionine homozygosity in the local population

Since the spring of 1997, when the Neurology Department of the University Hospital of Crete admitted its first patient, 9 cases (8 neuropathologically confirmed and 1 probable) of sporadic Creutzfeldt‐Jakob disease (sCJD) have been recorded. This represents an annual incidence five‐fold higher than expected based on the island's population (0.54 million). Molecular analysis of the prion‐protein gene (PRNP) showed no mutations in any of the seven CJD cases studied. Five patients (ages 64–88 years) were homozygous for methionine‐129 of PRNP and showed the classic sCJD triad (subacute dementia, myoclonus, periodic electroencephalogram). Brains contained Type 1 (unglycosylated 21.5 kDa band) protease‐resistant prion protein (PrPres). Two patients (ages 56 and 57 years), both homozygous for valine‐129, showed cerebellar ataxia and later dementia not associated with periodic electroencephalogram; brain PrPres was Type 2. Genotyping of 205 Cretan controls showed that methionine‐129 homozygosity, a susceptibility factor for sCJD, was significantly higher in this population than in other Caucasian populations (57.0%, n = 205 versus 41.5%, n = 859. These data are the first to relate a high regional incidence rate for sCJD to the distribution of PRNP 129 genotypes in the local population; however, additional factors may be operational.
Ceftazidime and Aztreonam Resistance inProvidencia stuartii: Characterization of a Natural TEM-Derived ExtendedSpectrum β-Lactamase, TEM-60

ABSTRACT A plasmid-encoded β-lactamase produced from a clinical strain ofProvidencia stuartii has been purified and characterized. The gene coding for the β-lactamase was cloned and sequenced. It appears to be a new natural TEM-derived enzyme, named TEM-60. Point mutations (Q39K, L51P, E104K, and R164S) are present with respect to the TEM-1 enzyme; the mutation L51P has never been previously reported, with the exception of the chromosomally encoded extended-spectrum β-lactamase PER-1. Kinetic parameters relative to penicillins, cephalosporins, and monobactams other than mechanism-based inactivators were related to the in vitro susceptibility phenotype.
Emotional Durability Design Nine—A Tool for Product Longevity

: How can we develop products that consumers want to use for longer? The lifetime of electrical products is an ongoing concern in discussions about the circular economy. It is an issue that begins at an industry level, but that directly inﬂuences the way in which consumers use and discard products. Through a series of workshops and knowledge exchange sessions with Philips Lighting, this paper identiﬁes which design factors inﬂuence a consumer’s tendency to retain their products for longer. These were distilled into a guiding framework for new product developers—The Emotional Durability Design Nine—consisting of nine themes: relationships, narratives, identity, imagination, conversations, consciousness, integrity, materiality, and evolvability. These nine themes are complemented by 38 strategies that help in the development of more emotionally engaging product experiences. We propose that the framework can be applied at multiple points during the new product development process to increase the likelihood that ‘emotion building’ features are integrated into an end product.
OPTIMIZING MICROWAVE-ASSISTED SOLVENT EXTRACTION (MASE) OF PESTICIDES FROM SOIL

Microwave-assisted solvent extraction (MASE) was investigated as an alternative for extraction of parathion (O,O-diethyl O-4-nitrophenyl phosphorothioate), methyl parathion (O,O-dimethyl O-4-nitrophenyl phosphorothioate), p,p′-DDE [1,1′-dichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethane], hexachloro-benzene (HCB), simazine (6-chloro-N 2,N 4-diethyl-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine) and paraquat dichoride (1,1′-dimethyl-4,4′-bipyridinium) from two different soils and from an earthworm-growing substrate. The matrices were fortified with 14C-radiolabeled pesticides and extracted with various solvent systems under different microwave conditions. Recoveries of more than 80% could be obtained depending on the used microwave conditions and solvent, except for paraquat whose recovery was generally less efficient. Thus, MASE can be successfully used to extract pesticides from environmental and biological samples and could be a viable alternative to conventional extraction methods. The technique uses smaller amounts of organic solvents, thereby minimizing the costs of the analysis and the disposal of waste solvent.
Powerful VR stroke rehabilitation therapy developments - key issues

Rehabilitation therapy development is a long-term, multi-step, multi-professional activity. Starting point for any development is the patients¿ perspective. Information about clinical epidemiology, the current status of therapeutic clinical evidence, the neuroscience background, and the technical options are all relevant for the development. When these aspects have been reflected, the stage is set for designing a new, potentially more effective training strategy. After prototype testing has been finalized clinical evidence is sought to determine the therapy¿s efficacy and effectiveness in representative clinical populations, preferably by large well-designed RCTs contrasting two active treatments. When clinical evidence supports the new therapy, systematic dissemination strategies are warranted.