Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reversion of the Glycopeptide Resistance Phenotype in Staphylococcus aureus Clinical Isolates

ABSTRACT The recent identification of glycopeptide intermediate-resistantStaphylococcus aureus (GISA) clinical isolates has provided an opportunity to assess the stability of the glycopeptide resistance phenotype by nonselective serial passage and to evaluate reversion-associated cell surface changes. Three GISA isolates from the United States (MIC of vancomycin = 8 μg/ml) and two from Japan (MICs of vancomycin = 8 and 2 μg/ml) were passaged daily on nutrient agar with or without vancomycin supplementation. After 15 days of passage on nonselective medium, vancomycin- and teicoplanin-susceptible revertants were obtained from each GISA isolate as determined by broth dilution MIC. Revertant isolates were compared with parent isolates for changes in vancomycin heteroresistance, capsule production, hemolysis phenotype, coagulase activity, and lysostaphin susceptibility. Several revertants lost the subpopulations with intermediate vancomycin resistance, whereas two revertants maintained them. Furthermore, although all of the parent GISA isolates produced capsule type 5 (CP5), all but one revertant tested no longer produced CP5. In contrast, passage on medium containing vancomycin yielded isolates that were still intermediately resistant to vancomycin, had no decrease in the MIC of teicoplanin, and produced detectable CP5. No consistent changes in the revertants in hemolysis phenotype, lysostaphin susceptibility, or coagulase activities were discerned. These data indicate that the vancomycin resistance phenotype is unstable in clinical GISA isolates. Reversion of the vancomycin resistance phenotype might explain the difficulty in isolating vancomycin-resistant clinical isolates from the blood of patients who fail vancomycin therapy and, possibly, may account for some of the difficulties in identifying GISA isolates in the clinical laboratory.
Epigenetic pathway targets for the treatment of disease: accelerating progress in the development of pharmacological tools: IUPHAR Review 11

The properties of a cell are determined both genetically by the DNA sequence of its genes and epigenetically through processes that regulate the pattern, timing and magnitude of expression of its genes. While the genetic basis of disease has been a topic of intense study for decades, recent years have seen a dramatic increase in the understanding of epigenetic regulatory mechanisms and a growing appreciation that epigenetic misregulation makes a significant contribution to human disease. Several large protein families have been identified that act in different ways to control the expression of genes through epigenetic mechanisms. Many of these protein families are finally proving tractable for the development of small molecules that modulate their function and represent new target classes for drug discovery. Here, we provide an overview of some of the key epigenetic regulatory proteins and discuss progress towards the development of pharmacological tools for use in research and therapy.
Current and Future Management of Bilateral Loss of Vestibular Sensation — An Update on the Johns Hopkins Multichannel Vestibular Prosthesis Project

Abstract Bilateral loss of vestibular sensation can disable individuals whose vestibular hair cells are injured by ototoxic medications, infection, Ménière's disease or other insults to the labyrinth including surgical trauma during cochlear implantation. Without input to vestibulo-ocular and vestibulo-spinal reflexes that normally stabilize the eyes and body, affected patients suffer blurred vision during head movement, postural instability, and chronic disequilibrium. While individuals with some residual sensation often compensate for their loss through rehabilitation exercises, those who fail to do so are left with no adequate treatment options. An implantable neuroelectronic vestibular prosthesis that emulates the normal labyrinth by sensing head movement and modulating activity on appropriate branches of the vestibular nerve could significantly improve quality of life for these otherwise chronically dizzy patients. This brief review describes the impact and current management of bilateral loss of vestibular sensation, animal studies supporting the feasibility of prosthetic vestibular stimulation, and a vestibular prosthesis designed to restore sensation of head rotation in all directions. Similar to a cochlear implant in concept and size, the Johns Hopkins Multichannel Vestibular Prosthesis (MVP) includes miniature gyroscopes to sense head rotation, a microcontroller to process inputs and control stimulus timing, and current sources switched between pairs of electrodes implanted within the vestibular labyrinth. In rodents and rhesus monkeys rendered bilaterally vestibulardeficient via treatment with gentamicin and/or plugging of semicircular canals, the MVP partially restores the vestibulo-ocular reflex for head rotations about any axis of rotation in 3-dimensional space. Our efforts now focus on addressing issues prerequisite to human implantation, including refinement of electrode designs and surgical technique to enhance stimulus selectivity and preserve cochlear function, optimization of stimulus protocols, and reduction of device size and power consumption.
The Clientele of a Child and Family Mental Health Agency: Empirically Derived Household Clusters and Practice Implications

Social workers and other mental health professionals have developed and applied a number of typologies of family types in clinical practice, as well as for program planning. Most such taxonomies have emerged from theory and practice, but few are based on more than two or three dimensions or have been rigorously tested empirically. In this study of a representative sample of 625 households from which clients of a child and family mental health and social services agency come, inductive cluster analysis extracted eight discrete household clusters. The household types included (a) high-aversive households, (b) isolated (mostly single-adult) households, (c) multideficit households, (d) families experiencing circumscribed problems, (e) households with family problems but substantial external supports, (f) extremely isolated families, (g) seriously stressed families with significant strengths, and (h) significant family-functioning problems. Demographic factors and other stressors associated with these clusters were also examined Clinical and programmatic implications of these findings are presented, along with suggestions for further systematic replications in other settings.
Improving surface reconstruction in shape from shading using easy-to-set boundary conditions

Minimisation techniques are commonly adopted methodologies for retrieving a 3D surface starting from its shaded representation (image), i.e., for solving the widely known shape from shading (SFS) problem. Unfortunately, depending on the imaged object to be reconstructed, retrieved surfaces often results to be completely different from the expected ones. In recent years, a number of interactive methods have been explored with the aim of improving surface reconstruction; however, since most of these methods require user interaction performed on a tentative reconstructed surface which often is significantly different from the desired one, it is advisable to increase the quality of the surface, to be further processed, as much as possible. Inspired by such techniques, the present work describes a new method for interactive retrieving of shaded object surface. The proposed approach is meant to recover the expected surface by using easy-to-set boundary conditions, so that the human-computer interaction primaril.
Exposure to Palladium Nanoparticles Affects Serum Levels of Cytokines in Female Wistar Rats

Background Information currently available on the impact of palladium on the immune system mainly derives from studies assessing the biological effects of palladium salts. However, in the last years, there has been a notable increase in occupational and environmental levels of fine and ultrafine palladium particles released from automobile catalytic converters, which may play a role in palladium sensitization. In this context, the evaluation of the possible effects exerted by palladium nanoparticles (Pd-NPs) on the immune system is essential to comprehensively assess palladium immunotoxic potential. Aim Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Pd-NPs on the immune system of female Wistar rats exposed to this xenobiotic for 14 days, by assessing possible quantitative changes in a number of cytokines: IL-1α, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12, GM-CSF, INF-γ and TNF-α. Methods Twenty rats were randomly divided into four exposure groups and one of control. Animals were given a single tail vein injection of vehicle (control group) and different concentrations of Pd-NPs (0.012, 0.12, 1.2 and 12 μg/kg). A multiplex biometric enzyme linked immunosorbent assay was used to evaluate cytokine serum levels. Results The mean serum concentrations of all cytokines decreased after the administration of 0.012 μg/kg of Pd-NPs, whereas exceeded the control levels at higher exposure doses. The highest concentration of Pd-NPs (12 μg/kg) induced a significant increase of IL-1α, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12, GM-CSF and INF-γ compared to controls. Discussion and Conclusions These results demonstrated that Pd-NP exposure can affect the immune response of rats inducing a stimulatory action that becomes significant at the highest administered dose. Our findings did not show an imbalance between cytokines produced by CD4+ T helper (Th) cells 1 and 2, thus suggesting a generalized stimulation of the immune system with a simultaneous activation and polarization of the naïve T cells towards Th1 and Th2 phenotype.
Radicalizing Enactivism: Basic Minds without Content

Most of what humans do and experience is best understood in terms of dynamically unfolding interactions with the environment. Many philosophers and cognitive scientists now acknowledge the critical importance of situated, environment-involving embodied engagements as a means of understanding basic minds -- including basic forms of human mentality. Yet many of these same theorists hold fast to the view that basic minds are necessarily or essentially contentful -- that they represent conditions the world might be in. In this book, Daniel Hutto and Erik Myin promote the cause of a radically enactive, embodied approach to cognition that holds that some kinds of minds -- basic minds -- are neither best explained by processes involving the manipulation of contents nor inherently contentful. Hutto and Myin oppose the widely endorsed thesis that cognition always and everywhere involves content. They defend the counter-thesis that there can be intentionality and phenomenal experience without content, and demonstrate the advantages of their approach for thinking about scaffolded minds and consciousness
The Influence of Dopamine Replacement on Movement Impairments During Bimanual Coordination in Parkinson’s Disease (PD)

The purpose of the current thesis was to investigate the influence of dopamine replacement on performance during bimanual coordination in individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) There has been conflicting research on the cause of movement impairments such as coordination deficits, slowed switching and upper limb freezing that occur during coordinated movements It is unclear whether decreased function of the dopaminergic system after withdrawal from dopamine replacement is responsible for these deficits Healthy age-matched control participants were compared to PD participants in two experiments to determine the movement impairments that occurred during three-dimensional wrist flexion-extension bimanual coordination as a result of PD In addition, individuals with PD were compared without ('off) and with ('on') dopamine replacement in both experiments to determine whether modulation of the dopaminergic system influenced coordinated movements In Experiment 1, continuous bimanual coordination was performed in m-phase (simultaneous wrist flexion and extension) and anti-phase (flexion of one wrist while extending other wrist) with movements externally paced with increasing across seven cycle frequencies (0 75 to 2 Hz) Visual feedback was also manipulated in one of three sensory conditions no vision, normal vision or augmented vision Visual feedback, phase and cycle frequency manipulation was performed to determine whether other deficits (e g sensory and/or attentional deficits) may influence coordinated movements Despite reduced amplitude of movements in both limbs of individuals with PD (PD 'off), coordination deficits were not observed in PD compared to healthy control participants
Blowing the whistle on workplace sexual harassment : Examining the role of harasser status and types of sexual harassment

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate service workers’ intention to report the “customer harasses colleague” and “colleague harasses customer” problems, and how the intention is influenced by the service workers’ perception of conflict, company integrity and criminal evidence. Design/methodology/approach – Questionnaires were used as the research instrument, and full-time life insurance salespeople were taken as a research sample. The research design helps us to see to what extent the respondents rely on the harasser's status and the types of sexual harassment to form their whistle-blowing intention. Findings – The main findings showed that: sexual harassment problems are likely to be evaluated from a “who is the harasser” perspective. The respondents appeared more tolerant of the “colleague harasses customer” problems as opposed to the “customer harasses colleague” problems. The respondents exhibited higher intention to report the hostile environment sexual harassment as opposed to quid p.
Qualitätsindikatoren in der Praxis

Zusammenfassung Hintergrund: Zur Erfassung der psychiatrischen Versorgungsqualität bedarf es geeigneter Qualitätsindikatoren. Diese sollten neben der klinischen Relevanz die Perspektiven von Behandler und Patienten berücksichtigen, verschiedene Dimensionen der Behandlung abdecken und sich auf veränderbare Versorgungsaspekte beziehen. Ziel der Studie war die Entwicklung und Erprobung von Qualitätsindikatoren zur Erfassung von Prozess- und Ergebnisqualität in der stationären Depressionsbehandlung. Diese Indikatoren wurden für den systematischen Qualitätsvergleich zwischen den Kliniken (Benchmarking) genutzt. Methode: Eine Multicenter-Studie wurde von Oktober 2001 bis April 2004 in 10 psychiatrisch-psychotherapeutischen Kliniken durchgeführt. Ergebnisse: Die Behandlung von über 2000 depressiven Patienten wurde mittels BADO dokumentiert, die depressionsspezifisch modifiziert wurde. Die Ergebnisse für verschiedene Qualitätsindikatoren werden dargestellt und diese bezüglich Relevanz, Praktikabilität und Validität für die stationäre Depressionsbehandlung beurteilt. Diskussion: Die Ergebnisse bestätigen die in der Literatur diskutierten methodischen Schwierigkeiten von Qualitätsindikatoren. Für die stationäre Depressionsbehandlung werden sinnvolle Qualitätsindikatoren empfohlen. Ein Ausblick über den Nutzen der Qualitätsindikatoren und eines Krankenhausvergleichs wird gegeben.
Design of a highly reliable wireless module for ultra-low-latency short range applications

Current radio systems are currently optimized for capacity and range. However, certain applications of wireless systems require fast and reliable communication over short distances. The challenge of these systems is to communicate with a minimum time delay (latency) while at the same time being very reliable and resilient to interference. This paper describes the concept and the proposed abstract architecture of a wireless technology that allows highly reliable and ultra low latency transmission of data between moving units over a few meters, the applications of which can be found in multitude of domains such as Train Communicaion Networks (TCNs), Truck/Tractor — Trailer Communication, Platooning, and in smart industry in the form of co-ordinating machines. The paper also describes the set of novelties that were planned to be realized as part of the final demo hardware.
Organochlorine and organophosphorus pesticide residues in fodder and milk samples along Musi river belt, India

Aim: The present study was conducted to find the organochlorine pesticide (OCP) and organophosphorus pesticide (OPP) residues in fodder and milk samples along Musi river belt, India. Materials and Methods: Fodder and milk samples collected from the six zones of Musi river belt, Hyderabad India were analyzed by gas chromatography with electron capture detector for OCP residues and pulsated flame photometric detector for the presence of OPP residues. Results: The gas chromatographic analysis of fodder samples of Zone 5 of Musi river showed the residues of dicofol at concentration of 0.07±0.0007 (0.071-0.077). Among organophosphorus compounds, dimetheoate was present in milk samples collected from Zone 6 at a level of 0.13±0.006 (0.111-0.167). The residues of OCPs, OPPs and cyclodies were below the detection limit in the remaining fodder and milk samples collected from Musi river belt in the present study. Conclusion: The results indicate that the pesticide residues in fodder and milk samples were well below the maximum residue level (MRL) values, whereas dicofol in fodder and dimethoate in milk were slightly above the MRL values specified by EU and CODEX.
Blood flow, oxygen and nutrient supply, and metabolic microenvironment of human tumors: a review.

The objective of this review article is to summarize current knowledge of blood flow and perfusion-related parameters, which usually go hand in hand and in turn define the cellular metabolic microenvironment of human malignancies. A compilation of available data from the literature on blood flow, oxygen and nutrient supply, and tissue oxygen and pH distribution in human tumors is presented. Whenever possible, data obtained for human tumors are compared with the respective parameters in normal tissues, isotransplanted or spontaneous rodent tumors, and xenografted human tumors. Although data on human tumors in situ are scarce and there may be significant errors associated with the techniques used for measurements, experimental evidence is provided for the existence of a compromised and anisotropic blood supply to many tumors. As a result, O2-depleted areas develop in human malignancies which coincide with nutrient and energy deprivation and with a hostile metabolic microenvironment (e.g., existence of severe tissue acidosis). Significant variations in these relevant parameters must be expected between different locations within the same tumor, at the same location at different times, and between individual tumors of the same grading and staging. Furthermore, this synopsis will attempt to identify relevant pathophysiological parameters and other related areas future research of which might be most beneficial for designing individually tailored treatment protocols with the goal of predicting the acute and/or long-term response of tumors to therapy.
The Familial Predisposition toward Tearing the Anterior Cruciate Ligament

Purpose A study of 171 surgical cases and 171 matched controls was conducted to investigate whether a familial predisposition toward tearing the anterior cruciate ligament of the knee exists. Study Design Case control study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods Patients who were diagnosed with an anterior cruciate ligament tear were matched by age (within 5 years), gender, and primary sport to subjects without an anterior cruciate ligament tear. All 342 subjects completed a questionnaire detailing their family history of anterior cruciate ligament tears. Results When controlling for subject age and number of relatives, participants with an anterior cruciate ligament tear were twice as likely to have a relative (first, second, or third degree) with an anterior cruciate ligament tear compared to participants without an anterior cruciate ligament tear (adjusted odds ratio = 2.00; 95% confidence interval, 1.19-3.33). When the analysis was limited to include only first-degree relatives, participants with an anterior cruciate ligament tear were slightly greater than twice as likely to have a first-degree relative with an anterior cruciate ligament tear compared to participants without an anterior cruciate ligament tear (adjusted odds ratio = 2.24; 95% confidence interval, 1.24-4.00). Conclusions Findings are consistent with a familial predisposition toward tearing the anterior cruciate ligament. Clinical Relevance Future research should concentrate on identifying the potentially modifiable risk factors that may be passed through families and developing strategies for the prevention of anterior cruciate ligament injuries.
Determination of Temporal Expression Patterns for Multiple Genes in the Rat Carotid Artery Injury Model

Vascular injury induces extensive alteration to the extracellular matrix (ECM). These changes contribute to lesion formation and promote cell migration and proliferation. To elucidate ECM response to arterial injury, we used real-time polymerase chain reaction monitoring to quantitate the expression levels of 81 genes involved in the synthesis and breakdown of ECM as well as receptors and signaling proteins that communicate and respond to ECM molecules. The temporal regulation of gene expression in the carotid was measured at 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 14, and 28 days postinjury. Among the 68 genes that showed detectable expression by our method, 47 (69%) were significantly induced or repressed over time, confirming the extensive ECM gene response in this model. More ECM-related genes (31) were regulated at day 1 than at any other time point, and the number of regulated genes decreased over time. However, 14 of the genes were still induced or repressed at day 28, indicating that return to preinjury expression patterns did not occur and no new steady state was achieved over 28 days. In spite of the large number of changes in gene expression, only a small number of expression patterns was observed, suggesting that ECM-related genes could potentially be coregulated.
Peut-on faire mentir les chiffres ?

Cet article s’interesse aux fondements des pratiques de comptabilite creative, ou comptabilite d’intention, mises en œuvre dans certaines entreprises, en soulignant notamment l’opportunisme du dirigeant. A travers une etude de cas menee dans le secteur automobile francais, il montre les effets de ces pratiques sur l’espace discretionnaire des dirigeants et la communication financiere des entreprises non cotees. L’article explique comment la comptabilite d’intention, parfois a la limite de la fraude, implique une modification de la realite percue par les parties prenantes.
Muscle Stiffness Determined from Canine Left Ventricular Pressure‐Volume Curves

We measured pressure-volume curves in nine excised dog ventricles and stress-strain curves in two to five muscle specimens from each ventricle to verify a derived formula that relates muscle stiffness to the ventricular pressure-volume curve. The assumptions underlying this formula are: (1) the ventricle is a uniform spherical shell, (2) all muscle fibers carry average stress and deform as if they were at the midwall, (3) static equilibrium exists, (4) internal pressure induces the only load, and (5) the muscles exhibit an exponential stress-strain curve given by the equation σ(&egr;) = α(eβ* &egr; - 1), where σ = stress, &egr; = strain, and α and β are constants. There was no significant difference between the stiffness constant, β*, inferred from the left ventricular pressure-volume curves (14 ± 4.3 [sd]) and that measured directly from the muscle stress-strain curves (16 ± 2.8).