Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Isolation, characterisation and identification of lactobacilli focusing mainly on cheeses and other dairy products

During the last fifteen years, the Lactobacillus genus has evolved and contains to date more than 80 species. They are present in raw milk and dairy products such as cheeses, yoghurts and fermented milks. Quality assurance programmes associated with research, development, production and validation of the health or technological benefits of these bacteria require their relevant isolation, counting and identification. This review presents the different selective media to isolate lactobacilli, and the numerous different available tools to characterise lactobacilli at genus, species or strain level using either culture-dependent methods: phenotypical, molecular or global methods, or using new culture-independent advanced molecular methods. Enzymes used for PFGE, hybridisation probes and PCR-based method primers are listed in seven tables. In conclusion, the main advantages and disadvantages associated with these techniques are presented. Lactobacillus / media / PFGE restriction enzyme / probe / primer / cheese / dairy product Résumé – Isolement, caractérisation et identification des lactobacilles des produits laitiers. Durant les quinze dernières années, le genre Lactobacillus a subi de nombreux remaniements et compte actuellement plus de 80 espèces. Les lactobacilles sont présents dans le lait cru, les produits laitiers tels que les fromages, les yaourts et les laits fermentés. Pour s’inscrire dans une démarche qualité visant au développement de lactobacilles à effet santé ou d’intérêt technologique, l’isolement, le comptage et la caractérisation parfaite de ces bactéries sont nécessaires. Cette analyse bibliographique présente les différents milieux sélectifs pour isoler les lactobacilles, ainsi que les outils disponibles à ce jour pour caractériser les lactobacilles au niveau du genre, de l’espèce ou de la souche, aussi bien par des méthodes culture dépendantes : phénotypique, moléculaire, globale, que par les nouvelles méthodes se réalisant à partir d’échantillons bruts. Les enzymes utilisées en PFGE, les sondes d’hybridation et les oligonucléotides utilisés pour les différentes techniques de PCR sont répertoriés en sept tableaux. En conclusion, les avantages et inconvénients de ces techniques sont présentés. Lactobacillus / milieu sélectif / enzyme PFGE / sonde moléculaire / amorce PCR / fromage / produit laitier * Correspondence and reprints E-mail: vernoux@ibba.unicaen. fr 270 V. Coeuret et al.
Xylella fastidiosa Afimbrial Adhesins Mediate Cell Transmission to Plants by Leafhopper Vectors

ABSTRACT The interactions between the economically important plant-pathogenic bacterium Xylella fastidiosa and its leafhopper vectors are poorly characterized. We used different approaches to determine how X. fastidiosa cells interact with the cuticular surface of the foreguts of vectors. We demonstrate that X. fastidiosa binds to different polysaccharides with various affinities and that these interactions are mediated by cell surface carbohydrate-binding proteins. In addition, competition assays showed that N-acetylglucosamine inhibits bacterial adhesion to vector foregut extracts and intact wings, demonstrating that attachment to leafhopper surfaces is affected in the presence of specific polysaccharides. In vitro experiments with several X. fastidiosa knockout mutants indicated that hemagglutinin-like proteins are associated with cell adhesion to polysaccharides. These results were confirmed with biological experiments in which hemagglutinin-like protein mutants were transmitted to plants by vectors at lower rates than that of the wild type. Furthermore, although these mutants were defective in adhesion to the cuticle of vectors, their growth rate once attached to leafhoppers was similar to that of the wild type, suggesting that these proteins are important for initial adhesion of X. fastidiosa to leafhoppers. We propose that X. fastidiosa colonization of leafhopper vectors is a complex, stepwise process similar to the formation of biofilms on surfaces.
Nitric oxide release is induced by dopamine during illumination of the carp retina: serial neurochemical control of light adaptation

Several lines of indirect evidence have suggested that nitric oxide may play an important role during light adaptation of the vertebrate retina. We aimed to verify directly the effect of light on nitric oxide release in the isolated carp retina and to investigate the relationship between nitric oxide and dopamine, an established neuromodulator of retinal light adaptation. Using a biochemical nitric oxide assay, we found that steady or flicker light stimulation enhanced retinal nitric oxide production from a basal level. The metabotropic glutamate receptor agonist l‐amino‐4‐phosphonobutyric acid, inhibited the light adaptation‐induced nitric oxide production suggesting that the underlying cellular pathway involved centre‐depolarizing bipolar cell activity. Application of exogenous dopamine to retinas in the dark significantly enhanced the basal production of nitric oxide and importantly, inhibition of endogenous dopaminergic activity completely suppressed the light‐evoked nitric oxide release. The effect of dopamine was mediated through the D1 receptor subtype. Imaging of the nitric oxide‐sensitive fluorescent indicator 4,5‐diaminofluorescein di‐acetate in retinal slices revealed that activation of D1 receptors resulted in nitric oxide production from two main spatial sources corresponding to the photoreceptor inner segment region and the inner nuclear layer. The results taken together would suggest that during the progression of retinal light adaptation there is a switch from dopaminergic to nitrergic control, probably to induce further neuromodulatory effects at higher levels of illumination and to enable more efficient spreading of the light adaptive signal.
What is Di ff erent About Urbanization in Rich and Poor Countries ? Cities in Brazil , China , India and the United States ⇤

Are the well-known facts about urbanization in the United States also true for the developing world? We compare American metropolitan areas with analogous geographic units in Brazil, China and India. Both Gibrat’s Law and Zipf’s Law seem to hold as well in Brazil as in the U.S., but China and India look quite different. In Brazil and China, the implications of the spatial equilibrium hypothesis, the central organizing idea of urban economics, are not rejected. The India data, however, repeatedly rejects tests inspired by the spatial equilibrium assumption. One hypothesis is that spatial equilibrium only emerges with economic development, as markets replace social relationships and as human capital spreads more widely. In all four countries there is strong evidence of agglomeration economies and human capital externalities. The correlation between density and earnings is stronger in both China and India than in the U.S., strongest in China. In India the gap between urban and rural wages is huge, but the correlation between city size and earnings is more modest. The cross-sectional relationship between area-level skills and both earnings and area-level growth are also stronger in the developing world than in the U.S. The forces that drive urban success seem similar in the rich and poor world, even if limited migration and difficult housing markets make it harder for a spatial equilibrium to develop. JEL Codes: O15 O18 R12 R23.
Proposing a new method for ontology population

With the advent of the Semantic Web aims to inject a meaning in the current Web, application of ontology as one of its layers, emerged more than past. Lack of the necessary tools and researches in this field reveals the need of this work. Due to problems with the methods based on syntactic — lexical patterns, the need for this research in order to find a method, based on ranking of the concepts is more visible. Method presented in this paper, could be applied in the fields of, information retrieval, text mining, query systems developers, developing semantic dictionaries such as WorldNet and etc. In this paper a new method for assigning instances to the concepts in ontology will be presented.
Applicability of the Suns-V$_{\rm OC}$ Method on Organic Solar Cells

The Suns-VOC technique is used to acquire pseudocurrent-voltage (JV) characteristics of solar cells which are unaffected by their series resistance and, therefore, only reflect generation and recombination. It is well established for inorganic solar cells. In this study, the applicability of the Suns-VOC method on organic solar cells is investigated. In the first part, the necessary assumptions on which the method is based are reviewed. It is discussed to what extent transient effects are caused by long charge carrier lifetimes, and capacitive effects have to be considered. Experiments show that this measurement technique can be successfully applied on organic solar cells based on blends of poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT) and phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM). By comparing pseudo-JV curves and JV curves measured under standard conditions, the series resistance can be extracted. It is composed of an ohmic contribution of the circuitry Rcirc and an injection dependent part caused by the transport of the charge carriers through the photoactive layer Rtransp. The results clearly indicate that the relative contribution of Rtransp is significantly larger than in inorganic solar cells due to the low charge carrier mobilities. By comparing different organic solar cell designs, qualitative information about the recombination processes is acquired.
Immune evasion by human cytomegalovirus: lessons in immunology and cell biology.

The human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) has dedicated a significant part of its genome to genes encoding molecules that modulate the host immune response. Many of these genes have homologues in the host genome. Others, however, are unique in the sense that no obvious primary sequence identity is found in the available databases. The HCMV gene products interfere with the activation of MHC class I and class II restricted T cells and NK cells, modify the function of cytokines and their receptors, interact with complement factors and modulate signal transduction and transcription factor activity, in addition to interference with many other cellular functions. Investigation of these evasion strategies has not only improved our understanding of HCMV pathogenesis, but has also provided unexpected, novel insights into basic cell biological and immunological processes.
FMR1 Alleles in Parkinson's Disease: Relation to Cognitive Decline and Hallucinations, A Longitudinal Study

Carriers of expanded alleles of the fragile X mental retardation (FMR1) gene may display parkinsonism, cognitive decline, and behavioral changes. The authors screened 2 male groups of patients affected with Parkinson's disease (PD) (n = 137). One group (n = 56) was followed longitudinally for up to 12 years. Length of CGG repeats in PD patients was compared with healthy controls (n = 310). In addition, the association of the number of CGG repeats with cognitive decline or hallucinations was studied in the longitudinally followed PD group. The authors found no repeats in the premutation range (55-200 CGG repeats) and no significant difference in the proportion of intermediate-size (41-54 CGG repeats) carriers between the PD and the control groups. Using linear regression, the number of CGG repeats was not related to motor or cognitive progression. However, the marked cognitive decline in 2 patients carrying intermediate-size alleles points to a possible association. More studies with larger PD samples are warranted. (J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol 2007;20:89-92)
Muscle activation in coupled scapulohumeral motions in the high performance tennis serve

Objective: To evaluate muscle activation patterns in selected scapulohumeral muscles in the tennis serve. These patterns of muscle activation have not been evaluated in other studies of the tennis serve. Fine wire and surface EMG was used to calculate onset and offset timing of muscle activation. Design: Controlled laboratory study. Setting: Biomechanical laboratory. Subjects: 16 tennis players (age 18–40) with rated skills (National Tennis Rating Program (NTRP) rating 4.5–6.5; club tournament level or higher) were subjects. Main outcomes measure: Dependent variables of muscle activation onset and offset as well as sequencing of the stabilising muscles of the scapula (upper trapezius, lower trapezius, serratus anterior; the muscles that position the arm) anterior deltoid and posterior deltoid; and the muscles of the rotator cuff muscles (supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor) during the tennis serve motion. Results: Patterns of muscle activation were observed during the tennis serve motion. The serratus anterior (−287 ms before ball impact) and upper trapezius (−234 ms) were active in the early cocking phase, while the lower trapezius (−120 ms) was activated in the late cocking phase just before the acceleration phase. The anterior deltoid (−250 ms) was activated in early cocking, while the posterior deltoid (−157 ms) was activated later. The teres minor (−214 ms) was activated early in the cocking phase. The supraspinatus (−103 ms) was activated in late cocking. The infraspinatus (+47 ms after ball impact) was activated in follow-through. All muscles except infraspinatus were activated in duration of more than 50% of the service motion. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that there are patterns of activation of muscles around the scapulohumeral articulation in the normal accomplished tennis serve. Rehabilitation and conditioning programs for tennis players should be structured to restore and optimise the activation sequences (scapular stabilisers before rotator cuff), task specific functions (serratus anterior as a retractor of the scapula, lower trapezius as a scapular stabiliser in the elevated rotating arm) and duration of activation of these muscles.
Field-Validated Load Model for the Analysis of CVR in Distribution Secondary Networks: Energy Conservation

This paper presents a field-validated load model for the calculation of the energy conservation gains due to conservation voltage reduction (CVR) in highly meshed secondary networks. Several networks in New York City are modeled in detail. A time resolution of one hour is used to compute the energy savings in a year. A total of 8760 power flow runs per year for voltage reductions of 0%, 2.25%, 4%, 6%, and 8% from the normal schedule are computed. An equivalent ZIP model is obtained for the network for active and reactive powers. The most important finding is that voltage reductions of up to 4% can be safely implemented in the majority of the New York City networks, without the need of investments in infrastructure. The networks under analysis show CVR factors between 0.5 and 1 for active power and between 1.2 and 2 for reactive power, leading to the conclusion that the implementation of CVR will provide energy and economic savings for the utility and the customer.
Colloid osmometry.

Complications related to intravascular fluid resuscitation and maintenance can become life-threatening. Overhydration and underhydration can lead to significant perfusion abnormalities and can delay or prevent recovery. A working knowledge of transcapillary fluid dynamics gives the veterinarian the basis for evaluating the cause of alterations that make up Starling's forces. By combining this knowledge with patient assessment and laboratory diagnostics, the veterinarian can make a logical decision about the best treatment to correct the Starling's force alteration. Colloid osmometry is a particularly useful tool for assessing a patient's colloid osmotic pressure. It allows the veterinarian to distinguish between reduced oncotic pressure and increased hydrostatic pressure as a cause for intravascular fluid loss or edema formation.
Tandem duplication of the FLT3 gene is found in acute lymphoblastic leukaemia as well as acute myeloid leukaemia but not in myelodysplastic syndrome or juvenile chronic myelogenous leukaemia in children

We examined mRNA expression and internal tandem duplication of the Fms‐like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3) gene in haematological malignancies by reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) and genomic PCR followed by sequencing. By RT‐PCR, expression of FLT3 was detected in 45/74 (61%) leukaemia cell lines and the frequency of expression of FLT3 was significantly higher in undifferentiated type (B‐precursor acute lymphoblastic leukaemia; ALL) than in differentiated type cell lines (B‐ALL) (P = 0.0076). Using the genomic PCR method, 194 fresh samples including 87 acute myeloid leukaemias, 60 ALLs, 32 myelodysplastic syndromes (MDSs) and 15 juvenile chronic myelogenous leukaemias (JCMLs) were examined. Tandem duplication was found in 12 (13.8%) AMLs and two (3.3%) ALLs. Sequence analyses of the 14 samples with the duplication revealed that eight showed a simple tandem duplication and six a tandem duplication with insertion. Most of these tandem duplications occurred within exon 11, and two duplications occurred from exon 11 to intron 11 and exon 12. No tandem duplications of FLT3 gene were detected in MDS or JCML. The frequency of tandem duplication of FLT3 gene in childhood AML was lower than that in adult AML so far reported. All of the 12 AML patients with the duplication died within 47 months after diagnosis, whereas two ALL patients with the duplication have survived 44 and 72 months, respectively. These two ALL patients expressed both lymphoid and myeloid antigens and were considered to have biphenotypic leukaemia. These results suggest that tandem duplication is involved in ALL in addition to AML, but not in childhood MDS or JCML, and that childhood AML patients with the tandem duplication have a poor prognosis.
Human islet transplantation: lessons from 13 autologous and 13 allogeneic transplantations.

BACKGROUND A series of 13 islet autotransplantations and 13 islet allotransplantations performed between 1992 and 1999 at the University Hospital of Geneva are presented. Factors affecting the outcome are analyzed. METHODS Islet autotransplantation has been performed in seven patients with chronic pancreatitis and in six patients with benign tumors undergoing extensive pancreatectomy. Islet allografts were performed in C-peptide-negative patients simultaneously or after a kidney or lung transplantation. Each recipient received islets from one to four donors. Panel-reactive antibodies were monitored by microlymphocytotoxicity test. RESULTS Eleven of 13 patients who underwent autotransplantation maintained insulin independence for 6 months to 5 years. Two years after autologous islet transplantation, five of nine patients were insulin independent with an glycosylated hemoglobin of 5.9%. Three late islet failures occurred in patients with chronic pancreatitis. Islet yield was significantly lower in patients with chronic pancreatitis than in patients with benign tumors (2044 equivalent islet number/gram resected pancreas versus 5184 equivalent islet number/gram; P=0.037). In islet allotransplantation, no early graft loss was found. All 13 patients who underwent allotransplantation had basal C-peptide levels above 0.3 nmol/L for 3 months to 5 years. Mean glycosylated hemoglobin decreased from 9.1% before transplantation to 5.5% at month 3. Insulin independence was achieved in two type I diabetic patients. In four of six patients with graft failure, the graft had induced panel-reactive antibodies. CONCLUSIONS In islet autotransplantation, the reduced number of islets that can be isolated from fibrotic pancreata may be the major limiting factor. In islet allotransplantation, early graft function can now be consistently achieved. Islet allografts seem to be highly immunogenic, and chronic islet failure cannot be prevented consistently by conventional immunosuppression.
Sentiment Analysis: Applicazione in un Dominio Psico-Forense

English. This study aims to apply the sentiment analysis to a psycho-forensic context through the analysis of narrative transcriptions related to the crimes committed by violent detainees. We investigate the presence of psychopathy through the Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Revised (PPI-R). Psychopathy is a personality disorder that is characterized by emotional detachment, the lack of empathy and it is often found in the prison population for the brutality of committed crimes. Our study explores possible associations between psychopathy and emotional content present in the narratives. Results show a neutral polarity for both psychopathic and not psychopaths offenders, however it is possible to identify significant emotional characteristics that diversify the narrative transcriptions. Italiano. Il presente studio ha l’obiettivo di applicare la sentiment analysis ad un contesto psico-forense attraverso l’analisi di resoconti narrativi relativi ai crimini commessi da detenuti, autori di reati violenti. Attraverso lo strumento Psycopathic Personality Inventory-Revised (PPI-R), è stata indagata la presenza di psicopatia, disturbo di personalità che si caratterizza per il distacco emotivo, l’assenza di empatia e lo stile di vita antisociale riscontrabile nella popolazione carceraria per l’efferatezza dei crimini commessi, al fine di esplorare eventuali associazioni tra il disturbo e i contenuti emotivi presenti nelle narrazioni. Dai risultati emerge un tono affettivo neutro sia per gli offender psicopatici sia per gli offender non psicopatici, tuttavia è possibile individuare peculiarità emotive significative che diversificano i resoconti narrativi.
Volumetric Method of Moments and Conceptual Multilevel Building Blocks for Nanotopologies

On the basis of the relationship between charge dimensionality and singular field behavior, it is proven that in a volumetric description of a volume current carrying topology, half rooftops of different binary hierarchical level are allowed without introducing numerical difficulties. This opens the possibility to use a very efficient multilevel hierarchical meshing scheme in a volumetric method-of-moments (V-MoM) algorithm. The new meshing scheme is validated by numerical calculations and experiments. It paves the way toward a much more efficient use of MoM in the description of arbitrarily shaped nanostructures at infrared and optical frequencies.
The role of burnout syndrome as a mediator for the effect of psychosocial risk factors on the intensity of musculoskeletal disorders: a structural equation modeling approach

This study examined the hypothesis that burnout syndrome mediates effects of psychosocial risk factors and intensity of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among hospital nurses. The sample was composed of 415 nurses from various wards across five hospitals of Iran's Hamedan University of Medical Sciences. Data were collected through three questionnaires: job content questionnaire, Maslach burnout inventory and visual analogue scale. Results of structural equation modeling with a mediating effect showed that psychosocial risk factors were significantly related to changes in burnout, which in turn affects intensity of MSDs.