Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Association of biological, psychological and lifestyle risk factors for eating disturbances in adolescents

We aimed to assess the association of several risk factors for eating disturbances in adolescents. Participants were 448 girls and boys aged 12–15 years. Being female, higher body mass index, internalisation of standard of appearance, perfectionism, body dissatisfaction, number of lifetime addictive behaviours and lower self-esteem were associated with higher eating disturbance scores, whereas frequency of sedentary behaviours and physical activity were not (R2 ⩾ 41%). Findings suggest the need to guide prevention efforts towards the broad spectrum of individual potentially modifiable factors. A non-specific comprehensive perspective may be adequate to prevent problems related to weight, body image and drug use.
Evolution of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Antimicrobial Resistance and Fitness under Low and High Mutation Rates

ABSTRACT Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a major cause of nosocomial and chronic infections, is considered a paradigm of antimicrobial resistance development. However, the evolutionary trajectories of antimicrobial resistance and the impact of mutator phenotypes remain mostly unexplored. Therefore, whole-genome sequencing (WGS) was performed in lineages of wild-type and mutator (ΔmutS) strains exposed to increasing concentrations of relevant antipseudomonal agents. WGS provided a privileged perspective of the dramatic effect of mutator phenotypes on the accumulation of random mutations, most of which were transitions, as expected. Moreover, a frameshift mutagenic signature, consistent with error-prone DNA polymerase activity as a consequence of SOS system induction, was also seen. This effect was evidenced for all antibiotics tested, but it was higher for fluoroquinolones than for cephalosporins or carbapenems. Analysis of genotype versus phenotype confirmed expected resistance evolution trajectories but also revealed new pathways. Classical mechanisms included multiple mutations leading to AmpC overexpression (ceftazidime), quinolone resistance-determining region (QRDR) mutations (ciprofloxacin), oprD inactivation (meropenem), and efflux pump overexpression (ciprofloxacin and meropenem). Groundbreaking findings included gain-of-function mutations leading to the structural modification of AmpC (ceftazidime), novel DNA gyrase (GyrA) modification (ciprofloxacin), and the alteration of the β-lactam binding site of penicillin-binding protein 3 (PBP3) (meropenem). A further striking finding was seen in the evolution of meropenem resistance, selecting for specific extremely large (>250 kb) genomic deletions providing a growth advantage in the presence of the antibiotic. Finally, fitness and virulence varied within and across evolved antibiotic-resistant populations, but mutator lineages showed a lower biological cost for some antibiotics.
A Nonlinear Optimal Control Approach Based on the Control-Lyapunov Function for an AC/DC Converter Used in Electric Vehicles

AC/DC converters used in electric vehicles generally consist of two stages: an input power factor correction (PFC) boost AC/DC stage that converts input AC voltage to an intermediate DC voltage and reduces input current harmonics injected to the grid, and a DC/DC converter that provides high-frequency galvanic isolation. Since there is a low-frequency ripple (second harmonic of the input ac line frequency) in the output voltage of the PFC AC/DC boost converter, the voltage loop in the conventional control system typically has a very low bandwidth to avoid distorting the input current waveform. This causes the conventional PFC controller to have slow dynamics against load variations. This paper presents a new control approach that regulates the input power of the converter instead of the output voltage by using an optimal nonlinear control approach based on the Control-Lyapunov Function (CFL). In this paper, it is shown that the proposed controller is able to eliminate the low bandwidth voltage control loop in the conventional PFC controller, thus allowing the front-end AC/DC boost PFC converter to operate with faster dynamic response than with the conventional controller approach. Experimental results from a 3 kW AC/DC converter are presented in the paper to validate the proposed control method and its superior performance.
Nitrotriazole-Based Compounds as Antichagasic Agents in a Long-Treatment In Vivo Assay

ABSTRACT 3-Nitrotriazole-based compounds belonging to various chemical subclasses were found to be very effective against Chagas disease both in vitro and in vivo after a short administration schedule. In this study, five compounds with specific characteristics were selected to be administered for longer periods of time to mice infected with the virulent Trypanosoma cruzi Y strain to further evaluate their effectiveness as antichagasic agents and whether or not potential adverse effects occur. Benznidazole was included for comparison purposes. Complete parasitemia depletion, weight gain, 100% survival, and a lack of myocardial inflammation were observed with four of the compounds and benznidazole administered intraperitoneally at 15 or 20 mg/kg of body weight/day for 40 days. There was a significant reduction in the number of treatment days (number of doses) necessary to induce parasitemia suppression with all four compounds compared to that required with benznidazole. Partial cures were obtained with only one compound tested at 15 mg/kg/day and on the schedule mentioned above but not with benznidazole. Taken together, our data suggest that these compounds demonstrate potent trypanocidal activity comparable to or better than that of the reference drug, benznidazole, when they are administered at the same dose and on the same schedule.
His224 Alters the R2 Drug Binding Site and Phe218 Influences the Catalytic Efficiency of the Metallo-β-Lactamase VIM-7

ABSTRACT Metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs) are the causative mechanism for resistance to β-lactams, including carbapenems, in many Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria. One important family of MBLs is the Verona integron-encoded MBLs (VIM). In this study, the importance of residues Asp120, Phe218, and His224 in the most divergent VIM variant, VIM-7, was investigated to better understand the roles of these residues in VIM enzymes through mutations, enzyme kinetics, crystal structures, thermostability, and docking experiments. The tVIM-7-D120A mutant with a tobacco etch virus (TEV) cleavage site was enzymatically inactive, and its structure showed the presence of only the Zn1 ion. The mutant was less thermostable, with a melting temperature (Tm) of 48.5°C, compared to 55.3°C for the wild-type tVIM-7. In the F218Y mutant, a hydrogen bonding cluster was established involving residues Asn70, Asp84, and Arg121. The tVIM-7-F218Y mutant had enhanced activity compared to wild-type tVIM-7, and a slightly higher Tm (57.1°C) was observed, most likely due to the hydrogen bonding cluster. Furthermore, the introduction of two additional hydrogen bonds adjacent to the active site in the tVIM-7-H224Y mutant gave a higher thermostability (Tm, 62.9°C) and increased enzymatic activity compared to those of the wild-type tVIM-7. Docking of ceftazidime in to the active site of tVIM-7, tVIM-7-H224Y, and VIM-7-F218Y revealed that the side-chain conformations of residue 224 and Arg228 in the L3 loop and Tyr67 in the L1 loop all influence possible substrate binding conformations. In conclusion, the residue composition of the L3 loop, as shown with the single H224Y mutation, is important for activity particularly toward the positively charged cephalosporins like cefepime and ceftazidime.
Wireless Sensor Network Configuration—Part II: Adaptive Coverage for Decentralized Algorithms

This is the second of a two-part investigation of the generation of wireless sensor network (WSN) configurations that: 1) maximize coverage of irregular shaped polygonal areas and 2) maintain a high degree of node connectivity. The first-part of the investigation presented centralized algorithms for the generation of mesh (wireless sensor) network configurations that maximize coverage and connectivity. In this second part, we present a decentralized and distributed approach using an Extended Virtual Spring Mesh (EVSM)-Adaptive Coverage Algorithm and Protocol (ACAP) algorithm. The EVSM-ACAP algorithm represents an extension of EVSM algorithm with the newly developed ACAP. ACAP provides adaptive coverage and configuration of the mesh network by dynamically adjusting the sensing range of sensor nodes. EVSM-ACAP is compared to centralized mesh generation algorithms (described in the part one of the investigation), as well as other decentralized algorithms from artificial physics, for the control of large numbers of physical agents in sensor networks. EVSM-ACAP is shown to produce a sensor network deployment with an average sensor spacing within 1.6% of the desired spacing, versus 5.75% for the best centralized algorithmic approach. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that these centralized mesh network configuration algorithms have been contrasted with the scalable, robust, decentralized algorithms of artificial physics and EVSM.
Younger British men’s understandings of prostate cancer: A qualitative study

The purpose of this study was to explore young British men’s understandings of prostate health and cancer of the prostate. A total of 16 White-British men between 31–50 years of age took part in interviews face-to-face or through computer-mediated communication. Thematic analysis broadly informed by grounded theory identified two key themes; ‘limited knowledge about the prostate’ and ‘early detection & unpleasant procedures’. Accounts are discussed with reference to implications for improving men’s understandings of prostate cancer, and likelihood of self-referral for prostate screening where necessary.
Detection of NDM-1-, CTX-M-15-, and qnrB4-Producing Enterobacter hormaechei Isolates in Brazil

Ana Paula D’Alincourt Carvalho-Assef, Polyana S. Pereira, Rodolpho M. Albano, Gabriela Casemiro Berião, Carolina Padilha Tavares, Thiago Pavoni Gomes Chagas, Elizabeth A. Marques, Loeci N. Timm, Renato C. F. Da Silva, Diego R. Falci, Marise D. Asensi Laboratório de Pesquisa em Infecção Hospitalar (LAPIH), Instituto Oswaldo Cruz-FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil; Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcântara Gomes, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil; Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil; Fundação Estadual de Produção e Pesquisa em Saúde (FEPPS IPB-LACEN-RS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Hospital Nossa Senhora da Conceição, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
Characterization of VCC-1, a Novel Ambler Class A Carbapenemase from Vibrio cholerae Isolated from Imported Retail Shrimp Sold in Canada

ABSTRACT One of the core goals of the Canadian Integrated Program for Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance (CIPARS) is to monitor major meat commodities for antimicrobial resistance. Targeted studies with methodologies based on core surveillance protocols are used to examine other foods, e.g., seafood, for antimicrobial resistance to detect resistances of concern to public health. Here we report the discovery of a novel Ambler class A carbapenemase that was identified in a nontoxigenic strain of Vibrio cholerae (N14-02106) isolated from shrimp that was sold for human consumption in Canada. V. cholerae N14-02106 was resistant to penicillins, carbapenems, and monobactam antibiotics; however, PCR did not detect common β-lactamases. Bioinformatic analysis of the whole-genome sequence of V. cholerae N14-02106 revealed on the large chromosome a novel carbapenemase (referred to here as VCC-1, for Vibrio cholerae carbapenemase 1) with sequence similarity to class A enzymes. Two copies of blaVCC-1 separated and flanked by ISVch9 (i.e., 3 copies of ISVch9) were found in an acquired 8.5-kb region inserted into a VrgG family protein gene. Cloned blaVCC-1 conferred a β-lactam resistance profile similar to that in V. cholerae N14-02106 when it was transformed into a susceptible laboratory strain of Escherichia coli. Purified VCC-1 was found to hydrolyze penicillins, 1st-generation cephalosporins, aztreonam, and carbapenems, whereas 2nd- and 3rd-generation cephalosporins were poor substrates. Using nitrocefin as a reporter substrate, VCC-1 was moderately inhibited by clavulanic acid and tazobactam but not EDTA. In this report, we present the discovery of a novel class A carbapenemase from the food supply.
The Spiroindolone KAE609 Does Not Induce Dormant Ring Stages in Plasmodium falciparum Parasites

ABSTRACT In vitro drug treatment with artemisinin derivatives, such as dihydroartemisinin (DHA), results in a temporary growth arrest (i.e., dormancy) at an early ring stage in Plasmodium falciparum. This response has been proposed to play a role in the recrudescence of P. falciparum infections following monotherapy with artesunate and may contribute to the development of artemisinin resistance in P. falciparum malaria. We demonstrate here that artemether does induce dormant rings, a finding which further supports the class effect of artemisinin derivatives in inducing the temporary growth arrest of P. falciparum parasites. In contrast and similarly to lumefantrine, the novel and fast-acting spiroindolone compound KAE609 does not induce growth arrest at the early ring stage of P. falciparum and prevents the recrudescence of DHA-arrested rings at a low concentration (50 nM). Our findings, together with previous clinical data showing that KAE609 is active against artemisinin-resistant K13 mutant parasites, suggest that KAE609 could be an effective partner drug with a broad range of antimalarials, including artemisinin derivatives, in the treatment of multidrug-resistant P. falciparum malaria.
A Fast-Converging MPPT Technique for Photovoltaic System Under Fast-Varying Solar Irradiation and Load Resistance

Under fast-varying solar irradiation and load resistance, a fast-converging maximum power point tracking (MPPT) system is required to ensure the photovoltaic (PV) system response rapidly with minimum power losses. Traditionally, maximum power point (MPP) locus was used to provide such a fast response. However, the algorithm requires extra control loop or intermittent disconnection of the PV module. Hence, this paper proposes a simpler fast-converging MPPT technique, which excludes the extra control loop and intermittent disconnection. In the proposed algorithm, the relationship between the load line and the I-V curve is used with trigonometry rule to obtain the fast response. Results of the simulation and experiment using single-ended primary-inductor converter showed that the response of the proposed algorithm is four times faster than the conventional incremental conductance algorithm during the load and solar irradiation variation. Consequently, the proposed algorithm has higher efficiency.
Novel Engineered Peptides of a Phage Lysin as Effective Antimicrobials against Multidrug-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii

ABSTRACT Acinetobacter baumannii is a Gram-negative bacterial pathogen responsible for a range of nosocomial infections. The recent rise and spread of multidrug-resistant A. baumannii clones has fueled a search for alternative therapies, including bacteriophage endolysins with potent antibacterial activities. A common feature of these lysins is the presence of a highly positively charged C-terminal domain with a likely role in promoting outer membrane penetration. In the present study, we show that the C-terminal amino acids 108 to 138 of phage lysin PlyF307, named P307, alone were sufficient to kill A. baumannii (>3 logs). Furthermore, P307 could be engineered for improved activity, the most active derivative being P307SQ-8C (>5-log kill). Both P307 and P307SQ-8C showed high in vitro activity against A. baumannii in biofilms. Moreover, P307SQ-8C exhibited MICs comparable to those of levofloxacin and ceftazidime and acted synergistically with polymyxin B. Although the peptides were shown to kill by disrupting the bacterial cytoplasmic membrane, they did not lyse human red blood cells or B cells; however, serum was found to be inhibitory to lytic activity. In a murine model of A. baumannii skin infection, P307SQ-8C reduced the bacterial burden by ∼2 logs in 2 h. This study demonstrates the prospect of using peptide derivatives from bacteriophage lysins to treat topical infections and remove biofilms caused by Gram-negative pathogens.
Analysis and implementation of packet preemption for Time Sensitive Networks

A standard priority-queuing system is capable of arranging packets with different traffic classes to guarantee a relatively low latency for the high priority traffic. However, in practical cases, severe delay may be caused by starting a large, low-priority frame ahead of a time-critical frame. In this paper, interspersed express traffic is evaluated, which enables preemption of non-time-critical transmission, in particular, the preemptive queuing system allows the cut-through transmission for critical traffic and minimizes the jitter. We analyse the performance of packet preemption through a system level simulation in Riverbed Modeler. The simulation is complemented by numerical analysis which provides the average queuing delay for both types of traffic (preemptable and express). Furthermore, the paper describes an approach to implement the packet preemption solution on an FPGA in VHDL, which illustrates the complexity of hardware implementation.
Immunoassay Analysis of Kanamycin in Serum Using the Tobramycin Kit

ABSTRACT Kanamycin is one of the aminoglycosides used in the treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. Blood concentrations of kanamycin are predictive for the treatment efficacy and the occurrence of side effects, and dose adjustments can be needed to optimize therapy. However, an immunoassay method for the quantification of kanamycin is not commercially available. We modified the existing tobramycin immunoassay to analyze kanamycin. This modified method was tested in a concentration range of 0.3 to 80.0 mg/liter for inaccuracy and imprecision. In addition, the analytical results of the immunoassay method were compared to those obtained by a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analytical method using Passing and Bablok regression. Within-day imprecision varied from 2.3 to 13.3%, and between-day imprecision ranged from 0.0 to 11.3%. The inaccuracy ranged from −5.2 to 7.6%. No significant cross-reactivity with other antimicrobials and antiviral agents was observed. The results of the modified immunoassay method were comparable with the LC-MS/MS analytical outcome. This new immunoassay method enables laboratories to perform therapeutic drug monitoring of kanamycin without the need for complex and expensive LC-MS/MS equipment.
The Incidence and Clinical Features of Penetration in Peptic Ulceration

Penetration beyond the alimentary wall, characterized by dense fibrous adhesion or confined perforation, was found at operation in 139 of 350 peptic ulcers. The pancreas was the commonest site of penetration. This complication of peptic ulcer disease, often associated with medical intractability, is best recognized not in the laboratory but rather in the changing pattern of symptoms described by the patient.
Big Data Analytics : Risk and Operations Management for Industrial Applications

B IG DATA research has been a popular research topic over the last few years. It not only generates enormous attention compared with other research trends in the past, but also covers diverse and wide disciplines in its applications. This probably leads to the fact that the growth of this community is unparalleled, and attention being drawn to this research “buzzword” is growing at an explosive pace. It is simply not a business jargon! Above assertion can be supported by Table I, which summaries the number of publications in recent years. The data were obtained by searching the term “big data” via three common scholarly databases. The search is simple and no screening was conducted, but the numbers are very representative and impressive. One reason big data research is so popular is owing to the fact that the data are generated from real-life environment or applications. For example, many smartphone applications can help track countless transactions for making business-related decisions [6]. Internet of Things can help collect data on a real-time basis literally without any physical boundary [8]. In this connection, the usages or applications of big data seem unbounded as well. The challenge, however, is that the size of such data generated nowadays is huge, making it meaningless to talk about how much data are generated every day, as the figure keeps changing. If a number is quoted here, it will be different after you finish reading this editorial! In this connection, handling data is difficult, and how many applications or companies can truly utilize the value hidden in those data is worth studying (e.g., [11]). Above backdrop leads to the development of this Special Section, which focuses on the exploitation of data collected via industrial sensor networks (be it wireless or not) [7], Internetbased applications [12], or so, for industrial applications. For the sake of this Special Section, the guest editors label such data “industrial big data. ” In analyzing these industrial big data, we rely on the advances in technology to collect data. Nevertheless, latest development of the technology is out of the scope of this Special Section. This Special Section focuses more on the handling and analysis of the collected data. It is expected that analyzing the data can improve the reliability of industrial systems by predicting the occurrence of potential risks and then rectification can be made accordingly. Such risks are inevitably linked to uncertain factors hidden in the systems that can be revealed by the data analysis process. Fig. 1 helps depict this. The major difference between Fig. 1(a) and (b) is the nature of data for the control mechanism. In Fig. 1(a), which illustrates traditional control systems, shows how the monitoring system
Extended abstract: The butterfly PUF protecting IP on every FPGA

IP protection of hardware designs is the most important requirement for many FPGA IP vendors. To this end, various solutions have been proposed by FPGA manufacturers based on the idea of bitstream encryption. An alternative solution was advocated in (E. Simpson and P. Schaumont, 2006). Simpson and Schaumont proposed a new approach based on physical unclonable functions (PUFs) for IP protection on FPGAs. PUFs are a unique class of physical systems that extract secrets from complex physical characteristics of the integrated circuits which along with the properties of unclonability provide a highly secure means of generating volatile secret keys for cryptographic operations. However, the first practical PUF on an FPGA was proposed only later in (J. Guajardo et al., 2007) based on the startup values of embedded SRAM memories which are intrinsic in some of the current FPGAs. The disadvantage of these intrinsic SRAM PUFs is that not all FPGAs support uninitialized SRAM memory. In this paper, we propose a new PUF structure called the butterfly PUF that can be used on all types of FPGAs. We also present experimental results showing their identification and key generation capabilities.