Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Antibody response to Campylobacter coli in children during intestinal infection and carriage

In the Central African Republic, etiological studies of diarrhea have shown that Campylobacter coli accounts for almost 40% of Campylobacter enteric isolations. This prompted us to investigate the antibody response to C. coli infection in children. As expected from the literature on Campylobacter jejuni infections, our results show that both infection and carriage elicited antibodies against glycine-extracted membrane antigens, flagella, and cholera toxin. The human antibody response to C. coli resembles the response to C. jejuni, and this similarity will allow comparative studies on larger numbers of infections, both symptomatic and asymptomatic. Anti-cholera toxin antibodies were directed against both the A and B subunits.
Characterization of an ECF sigma factor protein from Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

The PvdS protein is essential for synthesis of the siderophore pyoverdine by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. PvdS has some sequence similarity to a family of alternative sigma factor proteins (the ECF [extracytoplasmic factor] family) that direct bacterial RNA polymerases to transcribe genes encoding extracytoplasmic factors. PvdS was purified as a His-tagged protein (hPvdS) and this was used to test the hypothesis that PvdS is a sigma factor protein. The purified protein caused core RNA polymerase from Escherichia coli to bind specifically to the promoters of pyoverdine synthesis genes and enabled transcription from these promoters in vitro. In addition, PvdS was found to co-purify with RNA polymerase from P. aeruginosa, indicating that PvdS associates with RNA polymerase inside the bacteria. These results show that PvdS is a sigma factor protein.
RELATION BETWEEN MODEL FEEDBACK CONTROL SYSTEMS AND PARAMETERIZATION OF ALL STABILIZING CONTROLLERS

In the present paper, we examine model feedback control systems. Because model feedback control is simple, the model feedback control system has been applied in many applications such as the trajectory control of robot manipulators, serially connected tanks, etc. The control structure of the model feedback control system is limited, and nothing has been reported about whether or not model feedback control can represent all of the stabilizing controllers of a plant. The purpose of the present paper is to give a solution to the question as to whether or not all stabilizing controllers for a plant are expressible in the model feedback control structure. For strictly proper systems, the relation between model feedback control and the parameterization of all stabilizing controllers for minimum phase systems is shown. A simple design method to specify control characteristics is also presented.
Isolation and antigenic reactivity of Brucella ovis outer membrane proteins

Brucella ovis cell membranes were isolated from fractured and lysozyme-treated cells by ultracentrifugation. These preparations appeared to consist largely of outer membranes, as judged from the results of ultracentrifugation experiments in sucrose density gradients under conditions that are widely used to separate inner and outer membranes of gram-negative bacteria. The sequential detergent extraction of cell membranes yielded mainly lipopolysaccharide and three groups of outer membrane proteins. In immunoblotting, lipopolysaccharide had good antigenic reactivity with all sera from rams exposed to B. ovis (vaccination or natural infection), but some outer membrane proteins reacted strongly only with sera from immune (vaccinated) rams, not from infected rams, suggesting a possible diagnostic role for such proteins in predicting immunity or infection.
Ring-resonator branch-line coupler with unequal power division

A ring-resonator branch-line coupler with unequal power division is proposed in this paper. The branch-line coupler with four coupled ring resonators at ports has the equivalent coupled-resonator filter network. The coupler therefore exhibits good stopband rejection. By carefully designing the coupling coefficients between resonators, the required unequal power division ratio along with good return loss and isolation could be obtained. A 2-GHz bandpass branch-line coupler of 5 dB power division ratio has been designed and fabricated on a Roger RO4003C substrate for verification. 20-dB return loss and isolation were achieved. Good consistency between simulated and measured results was also obtained.
Threats to the estimation of benefit: are preference elicitation methods accurate?

Stated preference methods are used to estimate the value that people place on health care. The data that emerges from these studies is used to guide health policy. However, relatively little is known about how individuals make decisions in a preference elicitation task. Two methods (willingness to pay and conjoint analysis) are considered within the context of the literature from psychology (and also environmental economics) regarding how people construct preferences, process information, and make decisions. There is substantial evidence that individuals employ heuristics (cognitive shortcuts) in order to simplify tasks they are presented with. The use of heuristics implies that people ignore much of the information they are presented with and make decisions which would not be considered rational in the economic sense. These stated preference methods assume that individuals trade between the different attributes of a good or service when making decisions - an assumption that other theories predict is wrong. The implications of this are discussed.
Phosphorylase activity of heart muscle under various conditions affecting force of contraction.

Phosphorylase activity was determined in a variety of experimental conditions affecting force of contraction of cardiac muscle. In the isolated guinea pig auricle calcium and K-strophanthin increased the per cent of phosphorylase a concomitant with their positive inotropic actions. However, excess concentrations of these agents which depressed force of contraction also gave rise to increased levels of phosphorylase a . A 3-hour period of 1 per second stimulation which produced no overt contractile depression in the isolated guinea pig auricle, lowered the per cent of phosphorylase a . Epinephrine increased force of contraction as well as the per cent of phosphorylase a in the isolated rat auricle. Depression of the isolated rat auricle with anoxia, quinidine or pentobarbital did not result in any significant change in phosphorylase a . "Failure" induced by prolonged high frequency stimulation of the isolated rat auricle resulted in significant lowering in per cent phosphorylase a . "Failure" induced in the intact cat by similar stimulation also produced a significant decline in per cent of ventricular phosphorylase a . Hemorrhagic hypotension in the intact cat did not alter ventricular phosphorylase a content. In the intact cat, digitoxin in sufficiently high doses to produce arrythmia did not significantly affect phosphorylase a activity. On the basis of all findings we conclude that, although in certain instances there may appear to be a parallelism between phosphorylase a activity and contractile force, a direct relationship does not obtain in all cases.
An SDN based hopping multicast communication against DoS attack

Multicast communication has been widely used in the Internet. However, multicast communication is vulnerable to DoS attack due to static router configuration. In this paper, HMC, a hopping multicast communication method based on SDN, is proposed to tackle this problem. HMC changes the multicast tree periodically and makes it difficult for the attackers to launch an accurate attack. It also decreases the probability of multicast communication being attacked by DoS and in the meanwhile, the QoS constrains are not violated. In this research, the routing problem of HMC is proven to be NP-complete and a heuristic algorithm is proposed to solve it. Experiments show that HMC has the ability to resist DoS attack on multicast route effectively. Theoretically, the multicast compromised probability can drop more than 0.6 when HMC is adopt. In addition, experiments demonstrate that HMC achieves shorter average multicast delay and better robustness compared with traditional method, and more importantly, it better defends DoS attack.
Dose‐dependent pharmacokinetics and disposition of bisphosphonic prodrug of diclofenac based on osteotropic drug delivery system (ODDS)

Rat pharmacokinetics and in vivo disposition of a novel bisphosphonic prodrug of diclofenac (DIC‐BP), synthesized with the aim of osteotropic delivery of diclofenac, were determined at whole body, organ and cellular levels in a dose range 0.32–10mg/kg. With an increase in injected dose, total body clearance was decreased while the distribution volume at steady state (Vdss) was reduced and plasma half‐life was prolonged. Over 50% of a dose of DIC‐BP was selectively transported into osseous tissues after intravenous injection into rats at doses up to 1mg/kg. As dose increased, the skeletal distribution decreased with hepatic and splenic accumulations increasing. The intrahepatic distribution at 10mg/kg revealed that liver macrophages play a significant role in hepatic uptake of DIC‐BP. This is consistent with general arguments that bisphosphonates themselves cannot distribute in soft tissues, but are taken up by the reticuloendothelial system as foreign substances when they form large complexes or aggregate with endogenous metals in plasma. Therefore, to optimize the osteotropic delivery of diclofenac via a bisphosphonic prodrug, the dosage regimen should be such that plasma concentration of DIC‐BP is maintained at a level lower than that required for precipitate formation of complexes, similar to the usage of other bisphosphonates. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Stochastic active contour for cardiac MR image segmentation

We develop an energy based automatic image segmentation algorithm using a novel active contour scheme. The algorithm overcomes some unique challenges arising in cardiac MR images. Two features are particularly relevant. The first is that it uses region-based information captured by a stochastic model. As a result, our method is robust to assumed initial conditions and can be applied to a large range of images, particularly when the contrast is low. The second feature is the incorporation of prior knowledge on the shape of the organ to be segmented. For cardiac image segmentation, it is sufficient to assume that the shape resembles an ellipse.
E-reverse auction design: critical variables in a B2B context

Purpose – This paper attempts to provide an empirical cross‐industrial study on critical success factors impacting on “price” and “process” performance in business‐to‐business (B2B) e‐reverse auction design.Design/methodology/approach – Based on an online survey to a panel of academic experts and practitioners, the paper presents the empirical validation of a previous conceptual model using a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) approach.Findings – Results demonstrate that a multi facet construct consisting of six main dimensions impacts on e‐auction performance. Moreover, these dimensions differently impact on price and process performance.Research limitations/implications – Because of the complexity of the framework, the sample size and the qualitative nature of experts' observations, results should be seen as more indicative than conclusive and therefore generalization should be additionally tested.Practical implications – Findings provide useful information for the formulation of managerial decisions in.
Dynamic Risk Factors: The Kia Marama Evaluation

Risk assessment is an essential part of clinical practice. Each of the three aspects of risk (static, stable, and acute dynamic) are important at various points of contact between the man and the systems that are responsible for providing service. Dynamic factors, the typical treatment and supervision targets, have received less research attention than static factors. This paper examined the extent to which pretreatment, posttreatment and change scores were associated with reoffending among men incarcerated for sexually molesting. The results were generally supportive of change in prooffending attitudes as the key to not reoffending and suggested that the perspective-taking component of empathy and the use of fantasy may be important mechanisms. Affect scales generally failed to show any relationship with reoffending, outside decreases in trait and suppressed anger. Moreover, these data suggest that we could improve our assessments and treatment through increased sensitivity to offense pathways.
Feature extraction of manufactured parts in the presence of spurious surface reflections

In the application of image processing techniques for feature selection in manufactured parts, the generation of spurious features due to strong reflections from illuminated surfaces (particularly metal parts) has presented problems in the proper analysis of features for quality control purposes. Such spurious features most frequently appear as bright regions on a dark background and when image thresholding is performed for the purpose of feature detection, such regions appear as genuine features of the surface, causing ambiguities in the feature detection. This paper proposes a simple and effective technique for eliminating such features through an efficient border-following technique followed by linear scanning f the interiors. The effectiveness and the usefulness of the technique is demonstrated by considering a piston (in particular the surface of the piston head) of the internal combustion engine of an automobile.
Evaluation of the Implementation of the e-Citizen in Kenya

Information Communication Technology (ICT) can make a valuable contribution towards the operations of and the services offered to citizens by a government. While the benefits of e-Government initiatives and projects in Kenya cannot be disputed, there are key issues about their successful implementation. A survey about e-Government initiatives in developing countries by [1] show that 50% have partially failed, 35% have totally failed and only 15% have been successful. This research was based on a case study whose aim was to assess the implementation of the Kenya e-Citizen project. Data was collected through interviews and questionnaires from four ministries and the general users/citizens. The questionnaires and interview guides were created based on the six dimensions of the DeLone and McLean Information Systems Success Model. An enhanced model for assessing successful implementation of ICT projects is presented. In addition to the dimensions of the model, stakeholder engagement, has been suggested. The paper concludes by emphasizing the need of stakeholder engagement during the life of any government ICT project. A strategy that would oversee awareness campaigns would be required. Other strategies required would address communication, change management and training.
Multiplex Detection of IgM and IgG Class Antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii, Rubella Virus, and Cytomegalovirus Using a Novel Multiplex Flow Immunoassay

ABSTRACT The goal of this study was to evaluate the BioPlex 2200 Toxoplasma, rubella, and cytomegalovirus (CMV) (ToRC) IgG and IgM multiplex immunoassays (Bio-Rad Laboratories, Hercules, CA) and compare the results to those of conventional testing by enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and enzyme-linked fluorescent assay (ELFA). Serum specimens (n = 600) submitted for routine ToRC IgG and IgM testing by EIA (SeraQuest, Doral, FL; Diamedix, Miami, FL) or ELFA (Vidas; bioMérieux, Durham, NC) were also tested by the BioPlex ToRC multiplex immunoassays. Samples showing discordant results were retested by both methods, with further discrepancies being arbitrated by a third assay. Following repeat testing, the BioPlex Toxoplasma, rubella, and CMV IgG assays demonstrated agreements of 98.7 (592/600 specimens), 93.3 (560/600 specimens), and 98.3% (590/600 specimens), respectively, while the ToRC IgM assays yielded agreements of 91.2 (547/600 specimens), 87.3 (524/600 specimens), and 95.2% (571/600 specimens), respectively. The BioPlex ToRC IgG assays provided results comparable to EIA/ELFA results, with kappa coefficients showing near-perfect agreement for the Toxoplasma (κ = 0.94) and CMV (κ = 0.97) IgG assays and substantial agreement for the rubella IgG assay (κ = 0.66). The BioPlex ToRC IgM assays showed lower specificity with only slight agreement for Toxoplasma IgM (κ = 0.07), poor agreement for rubella IgM (κ = −0.03), and moderate agreement for CMV IgM (κ = 0.55). Both the BioPlex IgG and IgM assays reduced turnaround time (1.7 h versus 5.5 h by EIA/ELFA for 100 specimens) and eliminated the necessity to manually pipette or aliquot specimens prior to testing.
Cape buffalo mitogenomics reveals a Holocene shift in the African human–megafauna dynamics

Africa is unique among the continents in having maintained an extraordinarily diverse and prolific megafauna spanning the Pleistocene–Holocene epochs. Little is known about the historical dynamics of this community and even less about the reasons for its unique persistence to modern times. We sequenced complete mitochondrial genomes from 43 Cape buffalo (Syncerus caffer caffer) to infer the demographic history of this large mammal. A combination of Bayesian skyline plots, simulations and Approximate Bayesian Computation (ABC) were used to distinguish population size dynamics from the confounding effect of population structure and identify the most probable demographic scenario. Our analyses revealed a late Pleistocene expansion phase concurrent with the human expansion between 80 000 and 10 000 years ago, refuting an adverse ecological effect of Palaeolithic humans on this quarry species, but also showed that the buffalo subsequently declined during the Holocene. The distinct two‐phased dynamic inferred here suggests that a major ecological transition occurred in the Holocene. The timing of this transition coincides with the onset of drier conditions throughout tropical Africa following the Holocene Optimum (∼9000–5000 years ago), but also with the explosive growth in human population size associated with the transition from the Palaeolithic to the Neolithic cultural stage. We evaluate each of these possible causal factors and their potential impact on the African megafauna, providing the first systematic assessment of megafauna dynamics on the only continent where large mammals remain abundant.
Quaternary 2D Transition Metal Dichalcogenides (TMDs) with Tunable Bandgap

Alloying/doping in 2D material is important due to wide range bandgap tunability. Increasing the number of components would increase the degree of freedom which can provide more flexibility in tuning the bandgap and also reduces the growth temperature. Here, synthesis of quaternary alloys MoxW1−xS2ySe2(1−y) is reported using chemical vapor deposition. The composition of alloys is tuned by changing the growth temperatures. As a result, the bandgap can be tuned which varies from 1.61 to 1.85 eV. The detailed theoretical calculation supports the experimental observation and shows a possibility of wide tunability of bandgap.
Structural basis for abrogated binding between staphylococcal enterotoxin A superantigen vaccine and MHC‐IIα

Staphylococcal enterotoxins (SEs) are superantigenic protein toxins responsible for a number of life‐threatening diseases. The X‐ray structure of a staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA) triple‐mutant (L48R, D70R, and Y92A) vaccine reveals a cascade of structural rearrangements located in three loop regions essential for binding the α subunit of major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC‐II) molecules. A comparison of hypothetical model complexes between SEA and the SEA triple mutant with MHC‐II HLA‐DR1 clearly shows disruption of key ionic and hydrophobic interactions necessary for forming the complex. Extensive dislocation of the disulfide loop in particular interferes with MHC‐IIα binding. The triple‐mutant structure provides new insights into the loss of superantigenicity and toxicity of an engineered superantigen and provides a basis for further design of enterotoxin vaccines.
Correlation between CXCR4/CXCR7/CXCL12 chemokine axis expression and prognosis in lymph‐node‐positive lung cancer patients

The CXCR4/CXCR7/CXCL12 chemokine axis plays important roles in the migration of tumor cells during cancer development by modulating site‐specific distant metastasis including to regional lymph nodes. We investigated the correlation of these chemokine expressions to prognosis in lymph‐node‐positive non‐small‐cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. A total of 140 surgically resected specimens of primary site (PS) and metastatic lymph nodes (MLN) of NSCLC involving hilar and/or mediastinal lymph nodes (N1‐2) were collected. CXCR4, CXCR7 and CXCL12 expressions were evaluated. Cox regression analysis was performed to determine whether these chemokines were independent prognostic factors in N1‐2 NSCLC. High expression of CXCR4 in PS and CXCL12 in MLN was associated with poor overall survival (OS) (P = .025 and .033, respectively). Significant correlations between CXCR4 expression in PS and CXCL12 expression in MLN were observed (P = .040). There was significant difference in OS between 2 groups according to expressions of CXCR4 in PS and CXCL12 in MLN (P = .0033). Expression of CXCL12 in MLN was identified as an independent prognostic factor (HR 1.79, 95% CI 1.08‐3.04, P = .023). CXCL12 in MLN was mainly expressed by tumor cells compared with stromal cells (56% vs 25%, respectively, P < .0001). CXCR4/CXCL12 may play roles in tumor progression in MLN and is associated with poor prognosis of lymph‐node‐positive NSCLC patients.
DEVELOPMENT OF 20 IEER ROOFTOP UNITS - A SIMULATION STUDY

Based on detailed steady-state system and component modeling, we developed a rooftop unit system design, which is able to achieve IEER (Integrated Energy Efficiency Ratio) higher than 20. We modeled fin-&-tube and micro-channel heat exchangers using segment-to-segment approach, and use ARI 10-coefficient compressor map to simulate compressor performance. The system modeling is based on a component-based modeling approach, which facilitates flexible simulation of complicated system configurations. Starting with a baseline system having IEER of 16.6, we extensively investigated numerous technical options, i.e. varying compressor sizes, heat exchanger fin densities, fin-&-tube or micro-channel heat exchanger, suction line heat exchanger, desiccant wheel, tandem compressor, variable-speed compressor, and condenser evaporative pre-cooling; and developed an innovative system configuration combining a tandem compression system with a variable-speed compression system. The combined system can achieve high IEER as well as process the outdoor ventilation air over an extensive range. We successfully evaluated the design concept for a 20-ton unit as well as a 10-ton unit. All the selected components are readily accessible on the market, and we validated the performance predictions against existing RTU products at the rating condition. This paper illustrates a potentially cost-effective high IEER RTU design.
A Theoretical Study of the Steady‐State Model for Measuring Regional Cerebral Blood Flow and Oxygen Utilisation Using Oxygen‐15

There is a growing interest in the tomographic measurement of regional cerebral blood flow and oxygen utilisation using continuous inhalation of C15O2 and 15O2. This paper examines the influence of certain assumptions in the underlying steady-state model. Estimations are made for possible errors in the actual measurement of these quantities in grey and white matter.