Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of feeding Original XPC™ to broilers with a live coccidiosis vaccine under industrial conditions: Part 2. Cecal microbiota analysis

&NA; Biological supplements in poultry feed are of continued interest due to the improvements in growth performance, protection from pathogen invasion, and benefits in overall host health. The fermentation metabolites of Diamond V Original XPC™ (XPC) have previously been shown to improve commercial performance and reduce Salmonella in poultry. The current study sought to characterize the cecal microbiota using culture‐independent analysis based on 16S rRNA gene in Coccivac‐D sprayed broilers supplemented with XPC and/or Salinomycin (SAL). Ross 708 male broilers (n = 640) were assigned to one of 4 treatments: Cocci‐vaccine (T1), Cocci‐vaccine + XPC (T2), Cocci‐vaccine + SAL (in the grower diet only) (T3), and Cocci‐vaccine + SAL (in the grower diet only) + XPC (T4). Analysis with a PCR‐based denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) indicated a shift in the microbial populations present at the various sampling ages — 16, 28, and 42 days. Phylogenetic analysis indicated further consistency in microbial communities directly related to bird age. Identification of microbial communities present and the assessment of their respective quantities using an Illumina MiSeq indicated treatment with XPC had no significant impact on microbial diversity (Chao1 index, observed operational taxonomic unit (OTU) and phylogenetic diversity (PD) whole tree). Sampling age revealed significantly greater diversity at 16 and 28 d (P < 0.05) as compared to the 42 d for the Shannon diversity index, while showing significantly decreased richness and diversity in the 42 d sampling age (Chao1 and observed OTU; P < 0.05). The results of the current study indicate that the chicken intestinal microbiota are impacted more by temporal changes rather than by the feed additive studied.
Influence of noisy channel on acoustic echo cancellation in mobile communication

In this paper, we investigate the influence of noisy channel on the performance of acoustic echo cancellation system. In the mobile communications, acoustic echo is mainly caused by the coupling between the loudspeaker and the microphone of the mobile device. So, an Acoustic Echo Canceller (AEC) should be used locally inside this device. This paper evaluates the performances of AEC, generally based on adaptive filtering, where the transmitted speech is encoded and decoded by AMRWB (Adaptive Multi-Rate Wide Band) speech codec. The encoded speech is transmitted over a transmission channel modeled by AWGN (Additive White Gaussian Noise) and Rayleigh fading channel. The simulation results show the strong degradation of the AEC performances, due to the noisy channel.
Adaptive backstepping control of hydraulic manipulators with friction compensation using LuGre model

This paper addresses the backstepping control of hydraulic manipulators with friction compensation. A third-order nonlinear dynamic model is used for the controller design while LuGre dynamic friction model with non-uniform friction force variations characterizes the friction forces. The controller is augmented with adaptation laws to compensate for parametric uncertainties in the system dynamics. Acceleration feedback is avoided by using an adaptive observer. Asymptotic stability of the whole control system is proven via Lyapunov analysis. Simulation and experimental results are presented verifying the effectiveness of the developed controller
Molecular and Quantum Dot Floating Gate Non-Volatile Memories by Hassen Abdu

Conventional Flash memory devices face a scaling issue that will impede memory scaling beyond the 50nm node: a reliability issue involving the tunneling oxide thickness and charge retention. A possible solution is to replace the continuous floating gate, where charge is stored, with a segmented charge storage film, so that leakage through defects in the tunneling oxide would be localized. We first explored using quantum dots as possible floating gate replacements. After conducting simulations, we established the need for the smallest possible segmented structures. This led us to the use of molecular films as floating gates in non-volatile flash memories. As an example, a single organic molecule of 3,4,9,10 -parylene tetracarboxylic dianhydride (PTCDA) occupies lnm2 in area and is capable of storing and retaining a single charge. If a defect is present in the tunneling oxide below the floating gate, only a few molecules of PTCDA would be affected due to poor lateral conduction between PTCDA molecules. We can, therefore, project that such molecular thin films of PTCDA are likely to meet demanding size and packing density requirements of advancing flash memory technology. Thesis Supervisor: Vladimir Bulovic Title: Professor
On the possibility of Priority-Based Road Traffic Control

In this paper, we propose a priority-based road traffic control (PBC). PBC is a sort of multi-agent system, assuming autonomous vehicles as agents, in which road traffic should be controlled through interactions between the intelligent car agents. PBC protocol is the common protocol through which the car agents negotiate their priorities when their driving lines mutually interfere, in order to determine the order of crossing a given intersection. We applied genetic programming to evolve the dynamic formula of setting the priorities so that the PBC protocol allows for adaptive and efficient road traffic control even without traffic signals. The conducted simulations verify the efficiency of the proposed PBC, and compared the latter with some other methods. We generalize that the proposed PBC is quite efficient in that it improves the road traffic in an intersection even without the need of traffic signals.
Effects of β-glucan extracted from Saccharomyces cerevisiae on humoral and cellular immunity in weaned piglets

Abstract Twenty-four barrows were used to investigate the effects of β-glucan on immune function in weaned piglets. Pigs (8.09 ± 0.20 kg, 28 d of age) were fed a diet without or with supplemented β-glucan (50 mg/kg feed). All pigs were injected with ovalbumin (OVA) on day 14 to investigate their humoral immune response. On day 28, lymphocytes were isolated from all pigs to determine the effects of β-glucan on cellular immunity of pigs in vitro. Lymphocytes from six pigs of each group were incubated with 16 μg lipopolysaccharide (LPS) per ml culture medium, the remainder with an equivalent volume of culture medium alone. Samples were collected at 0, 3, 6, 12, 18, 24, and 48 h after LPS addition for determination of interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin-10 (IL-10). On day 31, six pigs of each group were injected with either LPS (25 μg/kg BW) or an equivalent amount of sterile saline. Blood samples were collected at 3 h after LPS injection for analysis of IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-10 in plasma. The results indicated that dietary β-glucan enhanced pig antibody response to OVA only in the first week after injection. In vitro, the increases of IL-6 and TNF-α in culture medium were partially dampened in pigs supplemented with β-glucan when their lymphocytes were incubated with LPS, whereas the increase of IL-10 was potentiated. In vivo, dietary β-glucan attenuated the increase of plasma IL-6 and TNF-α, and enhanced the increase of plasma IL-10 when pigs were challenged with LPS. These results demonstrate that β-glucan can improve the humoral immunity of pigs and modulate cellular immunity of pigs by mitigating the elevation of pro-inflammatory cytokines and enhancing the increase of anti-inflammatory cytokines after an immunological challenge.
Regulation of photolyase in Escherichia coli K-12 during adenine deprivation

DNA photolyase, a DNA repair enzyme encoded by the phr gene of Escherichia coli, is normally regulated at 10 to 20 active molecules per cell. In purA mutants deprived of adenine, this amount increased sixfold within 2 h. Operon fusions placing lacZ under transcriptional control of phr promoters indicated no change in transcription rate during adenine deprivation, and gene fusions of phr with lacZ showed a nearly constant level of translation as well. Immunoblot analysis indicated that the total amount of photolyase protein remained constant during enzyme amplification. On the other hand, treatment of cells with chloramphenicol during the adenine deprivation prevented any increase. DNA regions lying 1.3 to 4.2 kb upstream of the phr coding sequences were necessary for this amplification to occur and for this purpose would function in trans. These results suggest that adenine deprivation leads to a posttranslational change, involving synthesis of protein encoded by sequences lying upstream of phr, which increases photolyase activity. The amplification in activity was found to be reversible, for when adenine was restored, the photolyase activity declined before cell growth resumed.
Putative diazepam binding inhibitor peptide: cDNA clones from rat.

cDNA clones corresponding to the polypeptide that has been shown to be an endogenous diazepam binding inhibitor and may act as a physiological ligand for the benzodiazepine/beta-carboline receptor have been isolated from bacteriophage lambda recombinant libraries from rat hypothalamus, total brain, and liver. The clones contain an open reading frame corresponding to 87 amino acids. A signal sequence is not present. In addition to high levels of mRNA in various brain regions, RNA blot analysis reveals an abundance of diazepam binding inhibitor mRNA in many peripheral organs (e.g., testes, kidney, liver, and heart) that are known to be rich in peripheral benzodiazepine recognition sites. The size of the mRNA in all tissue examined is approximately 0.7 kilobase. Southern blot analysis of genomic DNA suggests the presence of about six genes in the rat, some of which may be pseudogenes.
Energy and the protection of the atmosphere

The essay reviews major environmental problems of energy development within a broader development and sustainability context. The role of energy in human development and major historical trends as well as their implications for carbon dioxide emissions are discussed. After summarising the scientific understanding of current and possible future climate change, the paper reviews available mitigation and adaptation options including energy efficiency improvements, fuels switching, zero-carbon energy options, emission abatement and disposal at large point sources, enhancement of natural sinks, and adaptation measures. Specific circumstances of developing versus industrialised countries are outlined. The essay concludes with a review of policy instruments that could reconcile protection of the atmosphere with human development and sustainability objectives.
Explaining medical disputes in Chinese public hospitals: the doctor–patient relationship and its implications for health policy reforms

Abstract In recent years China has witnessed a surge in medical disputes, including many widely reported violent riots, attacks, and protests in hospitals. This is the result of a confluence of inappropriate incentives in the health system, the consequent distorted behaviors of physicians, mounting social distrust of the medical profession, and institutional failures of the legal framework. The detrimental effects of the damaged doctor–patient relationship have begun to emerge, calling for rigorous study and serious policy intervention. Using a sequential exploratory design, this article seeks to explain medical disputes in Chinese public hospitals with primary data collected from Shenzhen City. The analysis finds that medical disputes of various forms are disturbingly widespread and reveals that inappropriate internal incentives in hospitals and the heavy workload of physicians undermine the quality of clinical encounters, which easily triggers disputes. Empirically, a heavy workload is associated with a larger number of disputes. A greater number of disputes are associated with higher-level hospitals, which can afford larger financial settlements. The resolution of disputes via the legal channel appears to be unpopular. This article argues that restoring a healthy doctor–patient relationship is no less important than other institutional aspects of health care reform.
Simple Lactate Measurement in Horses Using a Portable Lactate Analyzer with Lancet Skin Punctures under Field Conditions

The following items were investigated to measure blood lactate in horses under field conditions using portable lactate analyzers recently developed for human athletes. 1) The precision of two types of portable lactate analyzer and the standard analyzer using the immobilized enzyme method, and correlation among the lactate concentrations measured by the three lactate analyzers. 2) The correlation between the lactate concentrations in peripheral blood collected by lancet puncture and jugular venous blood using Lactate-pro (L-pro). The study was performed in Thoroughbreds under training for races, using Accusport (AC) and L-pro as portable lactate analyzers and YSI1500 (YSI) for the standard analyzer using the immobilized enzyme method. The intra- and inter-assay coefficients of variation (CV) of L-pro was lower than AC at low and middle lactate concentrations. The precision of L-pro is better than AC when the blood lactate level is lower than 10 mmol/l, and hematocrit (Ht) is 57% or lower. The lactate concentration using L-pro in peripheral blood collected by lancet puncture through the neck skin was similar to the level in jugular venous blood. No infection or inflammatory symptom occurred after blood sampling and the examination is relatively safe. These findings suggest that blood lactate measurement using L-pro by lancet puncture through the neck skin under field conditions is simple and safe, requiring no blood sampling from the jugular vein, and it can be used for evaluation of aerobic capacity and intensity of exercise in daily submaximal training.
Prophylaxis of infection for elective colorectal surgery.

BACKGROUND Influenced by the key results of the clinical trials conducted in the early 1970s by Condon, Nichols, and Gorbach, surgeons have adopted the routine use of mechanical bowel prep and antimicrobial prophylaxis prior to elective colorectal procedures as a widely established practice. Recent clinical trial data, however, led us to reexamine the benefits of mechanical bowel preparation, methods of antimicrobial prophylaxis and to assess the role of new, specific risk factors for surgical site infection after colorectal operations. METHODS Pertinent studies on antimicrobial prophylaxis for elective colorectal surgery were identified from a Medline search of English language publications since 1966. RESULTS We found credible clinical trial data that mechanical bowel preparation prior to elective colorectal surgery may not be essential. Timing of the administration of prophylactic antimicrobials is often inaccurate in current practice and suggests the need for a long-acting, broad-spectrum agent that would deemphasize precision in time of preoperative infusion. New risk factors have been identified that increase infection after colorectal surgery, including patient core temperature and tissue oxygenation. Independent observers identify postoperative surgical site infection at a higher rate than physician self-reporting and should be incorporated into future clinical trials. CONCLUSION The once settled area of antimicrobial prophylaxis for colorectal surgery is again controversial. Cooperative clinical trials will be needed to resolve key questions such as the efficacy for bowel preparation and how to obtain effective timing of antimicrobial prophylaxis.
The Ime2 Protein Kinase Enhances the Disassociation of the Sum1 Repressor from Middle Meiotic Promoters

ABSTRACT Meiotic development in Saccharomyces cerevisiae (sporulation) is controlled by the sequential transcription of temporally distinct sets of meiosis-specific genes. The induction of middle genes controls exit from meiotic prophase, the completion of the nuclear divisions, and spore formation. Middle promoters are controlled through DNA elements termed middle sporulation elements (MSEs) that are bound by the Sum1 repressor during vegetative growth and by the Ndt80 activator during meiosis. It has been proposed that the induction of middle promoters is controlled by competition between Ndt80 and Sum1 for MSE occupancy. Here, we show that the Sum1 repressor can be removed from middle promoters in meiotic cells independent of Ndt80 expression. This process requires the phosphorylation of Sum1 by the meiosis-specific cyclin-dependent kinase-like kinase Ime2. The deletion of HST1, which encodes a Sir2 paralog that interacts with Sum1, bypasses the requirement for this phosphorylation. These findings suggest that in the presence of Ndt80, Sum1 may be displaced from MSEs through a competition-based mechanism but that in the absence of Ndt80, Sum1 is removed from chromatin in a separate pathway requiring the phosphorylation of Sum1 by Ime2 and the inhibition of Hst1.
Cepstral analysis synthesis on the mel frequency scale

This paper presents a new technique of cepstral analysis synthesis on the mel frequency scale, the log spectrum on the mel frequency scale (the mel log spectrum) is considered to be an effective representation of the spectral envelope of speech. This analysis synthesis system uses the mel log spectrum approximation (MLSA) filter which was devised for the cepstral synthesis on the mel frequency scale. The filter coefficients are easily obtained through a simple linear transform from the mel cepstrum defined as the Fourier cosine coefficients of the mel log spectral envelope of speech. The MLSA filter has a low coefficient sensitivity and a good coefficient quantization characteristics. The spectral distortion caused by interpolation of the filter parameters of two successive frames is small. Accordingly, the data rate of this system is very low. The same quality speech is synthesized at 60-70 % of data rates in the conventional cepstral vocoder or the LPC vocoder.
Molecular characterization of a fimbrial adhesin, F1845, mediating diffuse adherence of diarrhea-associated Escherichia coli to HEp-2 cells

A fimbrial adhesin, designated F1845, was found to be responsible for the diffuse HEp-2 cell adherence of a diarrheal Escherichia coli isolate. The genetic determinant of F1845 was cloned, and the order of the genes necessary for production of F1845 was determined by maxicell analysis. Five polypeptides with apparent sizes of 10, 95, 27, 15.5, and 14.3 kilodaltons (kDa) were found to be encoded in that order by the F1845 determinant. The nucleotide sequence of the 14.3-kDa subunit gene was determined and found to share extensive homology in its signal sequence with the gene encoding the structural subunit of the AFA-1 hemagglutinin of a uropathogenic E. coli strain (A. Labigne-Roussel, M.A. Schmidt, W. Walz, and S. Falkow, J. Bacteriol. 162:1285-1292, 1985) but not in the region encoding the mature protein. Southern blot hybridizations indicated that the F1845 determinants are of chromosomal origin. Hybridization studies using a probe from the region encoding the 95-kDa polypeptide indicated that related sequences may be plasmid associated in some strains and chromosomal in others. Additional hybridization studies of E. coli isolates possessing sequence homology to the F1845 determinant suggest that the sequences in the 5' region of the F1845 structural subunit gene are more highly conserved than sequences in the 3' region.
Balance of Nitric Oxide and Reactive Oxygen Species in Myocardial Reperfusion Injury and Protection

Abstract: Depending on their concentrations, both nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) take part either in myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury or in protection by ischemic and pharmacological preconditioning (Ipre) and postconditioning (Ipost). At the beginning of reperfusion, a transient release of NO is promptly scavenged by ROS to form the highly toxic peroxynitrite, which is responsible for a further increase of ROS through endothelial nitric oxide synthase uncoupling. The protective role of NO has suggested the use of NO donors to mimic Ipre and Ipost. However, NO donors have not always given the expected protection, possibly because they are responsible for the production of different amounts of ROS that depend on the amount of released NO. This review is focused on the role of the balance of NO and ROS in myocardial injury and its prevention by Ipre and Ipost and after the use of NO donors given with or without antioxidant compounds to mimic Ipre and Ipost.
Gender-dependent bimanual task performance.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Many studies have suggested that each hand has a different special talent; however, there is a lack of data in the area of goal-directed bimanual hand coordination and its dependence on gender. The aim of this paper was to investigate gender-dependent bimanual speed-accuracy task performance. MATERIAL AND METHODS Twelve healthy young males and twelve healthy young females (all right-handed) performed protractile movements with both arms simultaneously by pushing joysticks toward two targets as quickly and accurately as possible. RESULTS Though no significant difference was observed in the reaction time during a unimanual speed-accuracy task between the left and right hands as well as men and women, during a bimanual task, the reaction time of both the hands was significantly longer in women than men. There was no significant difference in the velocity of both the hands during a bimanual speed-accuracy task between men and women, while the accuracy of the left hand was significantly greater in men than women. There was no significant difference in intraindividual variability in the reaction time, maximal velocity, and path of movement between men and women as well as the left and right hands, but variability in the average velocity of the right hand both in women and men was significantly greater compared with their left hand. CONCLUSIONS Whereas people typically look at the target location for a reaching movement, it is possible that two objects are simultaneously fixated.
Gastrointestinal Neuromuscular Pathology in Alpers Disease

Alpers disease is a recessive mitochondrial disorder caused by mutations in POLG1 and characterized primarily by progressive neurological and hepatic degeneration. Intestinal dysmotility is a frequent symptom, but it is often overshadowed by other clinical manifestations. The onset and progression of Alpers disease vary; however, most patients die during childhood, often before a specific diagnosis has been established. The gastrointestinal neuromuscular pathology of 4 patients, obtained largely from postmortem specimens, showed distinctive eosinophilic cytoplasmic granules in a subset of enteric ganglia and patchy atrophy of small intestinal muscularis externa. The cytoplasmic inclusions corresponded to abnormal mitochondria, which have been reported previously in another mitochondrial disorder (mitochondrial neurogastrointestinal encephalomyopathy) but not in Alpers disease. Recognition of these distinctive light microscopic findings, in an appropriate clinical setting, should prompt the evaluation of an underlying primary mitochondriopathy.
Optical Analysis of Small Pixel Liquid Crystal Microdisplays

A finite-element beam propagation method is applied to the optical analysis of small pixel liquid crystal (LC) (micro)displays. It is shown that the near-field profile is affected in these devices by diffraction, even for the ideal case of homogeneous pixels. The influence of the pixel size on the diffraction profile is shown and a fundamental contrast limit is demonstrated. The importance of LC materials with high birefringence is confirmed for small pixel LC devices as these improve the contrast for a fixed pixel size. Simulation of the pixel walk-off phenomenon in gray pixels due to anisotropy in the longitudinal direction illustrates the importance of including the full dielectric tensor in optical modeling of small pixel devices.