Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Tailoring of recombinant FDH: effect of histidine tag location on solubility and catalytic properties of Chaetomium thermophilum formate dehydrogenase (CtFDH)

Abstract Several protein expression systems can be used to get enzymes in required quantities and study their functions. Incorporating a polyhistidine tag is a beneficial way of getting various enzymes such as FDHs for industrial applications. The NAD+ dependent formate dehydrogenase from Chaetomium thermophilum (CtFDH) can be utilized for interconversion of formate to carbon dioxide coupled with the conversion of NAD+ to NADH. In this study, N-terminal His tagged CtFDH (N-CtFDH) and C-terminal His tagged CtFDH (C-CtFDH) was constructed to learn the effect of His tag location on the activity and kinetic parameters of the enzyme. The solubility of proteins was not affected by tag position, however, an interference on the N-terminal region caused a deterioration in specific activity and the kinetic ability of enzyme. The obtained results indicated that the C-terminus of the enzyme is an appropriate region for tag engineering. The C-CtFDH has an approximately three-fold larger specific activity and two-fold higher catalytic efficiency than N-CtFDH. The results suggest that insertion of a His-tag at the N-terminal or C-terminal end of CtFDH has different effects on the protein and the N-terminal fragment of the protein is crucial for the function of CtFDH.
Effectiveness of Nd:YAG Laser on the elimination of debris and Smear Layer. A comparative study with two different irrigation solution: EDTA and QMix® in addition to NaOCl

Background The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness in dentin debris and smear layer removal from root canal walls using EDTA and QMix® alone and also activated with Nd:YAG laser. Material and Methods 50 single-rooted teeth were instrumented and divided in 5 groups according to irrigation protocol: 17% EDTA, QMix®, Nd:YAG laser alone, and combination of 17% EDTA - Nd:YAG laser and QMix® - Nd:YAG laser. Samples were evaluated using SEM. Statistical analysis was done using Chi-Square Fisher exact test and McNemar test. Results Dentinal debris analysis showed statistically significant differences when comparing 17% EDTA vs Laser and Laser vs QMix® in combination with Laser at the apical third. The Smear Layer analysis also showed statistically significant differences at the apical third when comparing 17% EDTA vs Laser, QMix® vs QMix® in combination with Laser and Laser vs QMix® in combination with Laser. Conclusions 17% EDTA was the most efficient irrigant showing the best results. Laser alone was not effective removing either dentinal debris or smear layer. Key words:Laser, endodontics, Smear Layer.
The testing of an artificial modified bacterial cellulose auricle skeleton in an animal model.

The aim of this study was to assess whether modified bacterial cellulose can be used for an artificial auricle skeleton. INTRODUCTION The auricle is a part of the external ear. It consists of skin, cartilage, muscles and adipose tissue. The cartilage gives shape to the structure. There are several indications for reconstruction, such as congenital anomalies, mechanical injuries, and burns, and a range of methods have been proposed for the complete reconstruction of the auricle. MATERIAL AND METHODS A bacterial cellulose membrane, at least 25 mm in thickness, was produced in vitro by Acetobacter xylinum culture. The entire artificial human auricle skeleton was made to scale to allow its implantation into an animal model - Wistar rats. Forty rats were divided into four groups of 10 animals. Each group was assigned a different resection time: 14 days, 30 days, 90 days or 720 days. After each resection, an examination of the artificial skeleton and the tissues surrounding it was conducted. The surgical procedure was based on the Nagata technique. RESULTS Resection after 14, 30, 90 and 720 days shows the progression of the healing process and integration of the artificial skeleton into the animal body. There are no signs of change in the shape or structure of the skeleton. DISCUSSION Several surgical techniques and biotechnological methods have been developed over the past few years to improve the results of facial reconstruction. Other approaches can be used to create auricle cartilage, based on scaffolds and chondrocytes. CONCLUSION My findings indicate that modified bacterial cellulose can be used to form an effective artificial auricle which appears to maintain its shape and elasticity, with no signs of degradation.
In vivo comparison of wound healing and scar treatment effect between curcumin–oligochitosan nanoparticle complex and oligochitosan-coated curcumin-loaded-liposome

Abstract This study aimed to compare the in vivo effectiveness between curcumin–oligochitosan nanoplexes (CUR–OCH nanoplexes) and oligochitosan-coated curcumin-encapsulated liposomes (OCH-Lip-CUR) with respect to wound healing and scar treatment. Firstly, CUR-OCH nanoplexes was prepared by drug-polysaccharide complexation method and OCH-Lip-CUR was prepared by a combining method of lipid-film hydration and sonication. Their in vitro cytotoxicity and in vivo wound healing and scar treatment effectiveness were evaluated using 3T3 cells and mice Mus musculus var. Albino, respectively. The resutls indicated that both of them were in nanosize with a moderate PDI (less than 0.3), and exhibited negligible cytotoxicity at low CUR concentration (0.01 mg/mL). Moreover, their application onto wounds resulted in faster healing and higher scar treatment effectiveness than control samples. Interestingly, OCH-Lip-CUR exhibited higher in vivo effectiveness than CUR-OCH nanoplexes. However, based on their own advantages, both of them were good candidates for a commercial formulation for wound healing and scar treatment.
Hypoalbuminemia and lymphocytopenia are predictive risk factors for in-hospital mortality in patients with tuberculosis.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to clarify the association between nutritional state on admission and in-hospital death in tuberculosis (TB) patients, including a high proportion of elderly patients. METHODS A retrospective cohort study of 246 TB patients was conducted. The serum albumin concentrations and peripheral blood lymphocyte counts were measured on admission, and the primary outcome of interest was in-hospital death. Patient mortality was categorized into two groups: TB death and non-TB death. A multivariate analysis was performed to evaluate the relationship between nutritional state on admission and in-hospital mortality in TB patients. RESULTS The median [interquartile range] patient age was 79 [69-83] years, and the in-hospital death rate was 20.73% (TB death: 26 patients; non-TB death: 25 patients). The multivariate analysis revealed that the serum albumin concentrations (OR: 0.21, 95% CI: 0.10-0.41; p<0.0001) and peripheral blood total lymphocyte counts (Category 2 [627.2-1,106.7/mm(3)] vs. 1 [<627.2/mm(3)]. OR: 0.28, 95% CI: 0.11-0.73; p=0.009, Category 3 [>1,106.7/mm(3)] vs. 1. OR: 0.24, 95% CI: 0.08-0.76, p=0.015) on admission were significantly associated with all in-hospital deaths in the TB patients. The serum albumin concentrations and peripheral blood total lymphocyte counts were also found to be associated with in-hospital deaths directly caused by TB. CONCLUSION Hypoalbuminemia and lymphocytopenia on admission are predictive risk factors for in-hospital mortality in TB patients. Nutritional defects should thus receive special attention in order to reduce TB patient mortality, particularly among elderly patients.
Repeating Fast Radio Bursts from Magnetars with Low Magnetospheric Twist

We analyze the statistics of pulse arrival times in fast radio burst (FRB) 121102 and demonstrate that they are remarkably similar to statistics of magnetar high-energy short bursts. Motivated by this correspondence, we propose that repeating FRBs are generated during short bursts in the closed field line zone of magnetar magnetospheres via a pulsar-like emission mechanism. Crustal slippage events dislocate field line foot points, initiating intense particle acceleration and pair production, giving rise to coherent radio emission similar to that generated near pulsar polar caps. We argue that the energetics of FRB 121102 can be readily accounted for if the efficiency of the conversion of Poynting flux into coherent radio emission is ∼10−4–10−2; values consistent with empirical efficiencies of radio emission in pulsars and radio-loud magnetars. Such a mechanism could operate only in magnetars with preexisting low twist of the magnetosphere, so that the charge density in the closed zone is initially insufficient to screen the electric field provoked by the wiggling of magnetic field lines and is low enough to let ∼1 GHz radio emission escape the magnetosphere, which can explain the absence of FRBs from known magnetars. The pair cascades crowd the closed flux tubes with plasma, screening the accelerating electric field, thus limiting the radio pulse duration to ∼1 ms. Within the framework of our model, the current data set of the polarization angle variation in FRB 121102 suggests a magnetic obliquity α ≲ 40° and viewing angle ζ with respect to the spin axis α < ζ < 180°–α.
The visibility problem in visual servoing

This paper deals with the visibility problems occurring during the execution of a visual servoing task. First, a review of the scientific works related with the visibility are recalled and then the solution proposed by the authors is presented and extended to the case of the sudden disappearance of features on the center of the image. Experimental results demonstrate the improvements (stability and continuity) that can be obtained in the performance of the vision-based control task when the weighted features formulation is used. 1 THE VISIBILITY PROBLEM
Factors Influencing the One- and Two-Year Growth Response in Children Treated with Growth Hormone: Analysis from an Observational Study

To assess gender-, pubertal-, age-related differences in change from baseline height standard deviation score (), data from 5,797 growth hormone (GH) naïve pediatric patients (<18 years) with growth hormone deficiency (GHD), multiple pituitary hormone deficiency (MPHD), Turner syndrome (TS), small for gestational age (SGA), Noonan syndrome (NS), and idiopathic short stature (ISS) were obtained from the ANSWER (American Norditropin Studies: Web-enabled Research) Program registry. For patients with SGA, at year 1 was significantly greater for males versus females (), but no other gender differences were observed. For patients with GHD, was greater in prepubertal than in pubertal patients. Younger patients for both genders (<11 years for boys; <10 years for girls) showed a greater ( for GHD, MPHD, and ISS). Overall, positive were observed in all patients, with greater growth responses in younger prepubertal children, emphasizing the importance of starting GH treatment early.
OFFRP: optimised fruit fly based routing protocol with congestion control for UAVs guided ad hoc networks

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have gained a lot of attention from the researchers across the globe. Their autonomous capabilities provide vast range of applications such as disaster management, surveillance, border security and inter-civilian activities. UAV networks have a major issue regarding the data flow and routing. UAVs operate in different band as compared to the ground nodes. Hence, there is a chance of congestion that may fail the whole network. Prediction of such congestion states can provide continuous connectivity. For this, a new optimised fruit fly routing protocol (OFFRP) is proposed which uses the properties of existing fruit fly optimisation algorithm for finding appropriate routes. The search of food sources by fruit flies using their smell index forms the basis of the proposed protocol. The proposed protocol is evaluated using standard network simulations and is compared with all the major routing protocols as well as existing TCP-oriented congestion control algorithms.
[Is gluten the great etiopathogenic agent of disease in the XXI century?].

INTRODUCTION Gluten is a glycoprotein present in some cereals. The incidence of disorders related to gluten, including the EC, is increasing, even pathologies far from an etiology or treatment with GF D. AIMS Review the scientific literature related to the ingestion of gluten and pathogenesis of different diseases. METHODS A literature search in major scientific database. RESULTS We obtained from the following diseases, gluten ataxia, multiple sclerosis, autism spectrum disorder, schizophrenia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, depressive disorders, headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia, dermatitis herpetiformis and epilepsy, studies in which either a determination of gliadin was refered or a treatment, with/without gluten, was applied and evaluated. CONCLUSION The ingestion of gluten seems to be related to disease, when there is no EC, SGNC or wheat allergy. Suspicions about the benefit of GF D as a complementary treatment is borne in semi-clinical trials and cohorts, either as a causal factor in the pathogenesis, or improvement of symptoms.
Quotient Normalized Maximum Likelihood Criterion for Learning Bayesian Network Structures

We introduce an information theoretic criterion for Bayesian network structure learning which we call quotient normalized maximum likelihood (qNML). In contrast to the closely related factorized normalized maximum likelihood criterion, qNML satisfies the property of score equivalence. It is also decomposable and completely free of adjustable hyperparameters. For practical computations, we identify a remarkably accurate approximation proposed earlier by Szpankowski and Weinberger. Experiments on both simulated and real data demonstrate that the new criterion leads to parsimonious models with good predictive accuracy.
Discounting Credibility: Doubting the Testimony and Dismissing the Experiences of Domestic Violence Survivors and Other Women (Author Manuscript)

than the betrayal by an intimate partner. But the violations of promises implied by their standing in the community—the promise to protect, or heal, or provide for children’s welfare—are no less devastating than a partner’s betrayal. Melissa Platt, Jocelyn Barton & Jennifer J. Freyd, Domestic Violence: A Betrayal Trauma Perspective, in VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN FAMILIES AND RELATIONSHIPS: MAKING AND BREAKING CONNECTIONS 185, 201–202 (Evan Stark & Eve Buzawa eds., 2009). 49 Discounting Credibility matter. I myself must have no value. ” This too replicates abuse dynamics: He has no empathy for me as a human being. I am worthless in his eyes. Finally, survivors develop a sense of self-doubt, as the machinery of credibility discounting lurches into gear: “They are twisting my story, casting doubt, maybe I didn’t remember it right, maybe it didn’t happen as I think it did. I must be crazy. ” This dynamic is well illustrated by the 1944 film Gaslight, in which a man manipulates his wife’s routine experiences in a concentrated effort to create opportunities to discredit her and convince her that she is insane. He does this so effectively that she eventually comes to doubt her own perceptions and memory, and ultimately accepts his story that she is delusional and mentally unsound. Abusive men gaslight their women partners when they express love and affection on the heels of a violent episode, or deny that certain promises or commitments were ever made; or simply deny that events took place. Over time, these small incidents build until, like the wife in Gaslight, survivors may come to doubt their own memory, perceptions, and experience. Judy Herman explains: After every atrocity one can expect to hear the same predictable apologies: it never happened; the victim lies; the victim exaggerates; the victim brought it on 193 In the Massachusetts Family Court Study, one participant described her experience of betrayal by the family court judge: “You think that somebody’s coming, is going to enter the picture that will help you. You’re so desperate and when you’re let down, it’s. And I you know, there’s some that are like, ‘I don’t even want to live anymore. I don’t want to live anymore. ’” MASSACHUSETTS FAMILY COURT STUDY, supra note 190. 194 The National Domestic Violence Hotline website warns survivors to pay attention to this sort of dynamic: “You’re crazy – that never happened. ” “Are you sure? You tend to have a bad memory. ” “It’s all in your head. ” Does your partner repeatedly say things like this to you? Do you often start questioning your own perception of reality, even your own sanity, within your relationship? If so, your partner may be using what mental health professionals call
Post-Quantum EPID Group Signatures from Symmetric Primitives

Group signatures are used extensively for privacy in anonymous credentials schemes and in real-world systems for hardware enclave attestation. As such, there is a strong interest in making these schemes post-quantum secure. In this paper we initiate the study of group signature schemes built only from symmetric primitives, such as hash functions and PRFs, widely regarded as the safest primitives for post-quantum security. We present two constructions in the random oracle model. The first is a group signature scheme satisfying the EPID group signature syntax and security definitions needed for private hardware attestation used in Intel’s SGX. The second achieves significantly shorter signatures for many applications, including the use case of remote hardware attestation. While our group signatures for attestation are longer than standard (nongroup) post-quantum signatures, they are short enough for applications where the data being signed is large, such as analytics on large private data sets, or streaming media to a trusted display. We evaluate several instantiations of our schemes so that the costs and benefits of these constructions are clear. Along the way we also give improvements to the zero-knowledge Merkle inclusion proofs of Derler et al. (2017).
Schistosomicidal, antifibrotic and antioxidant effects of Cucurbita pepo L. seed oil and praziquantel combined treatment for Schistosoma mansoni infection in a mouse model

Abstract Despite the seriousness of schistosomiasis, its treatment depends only on praziquantel (PZQ), which has begun to lose its efficacy against the emergent Schistosoma mansoni-resistant strains. Therefore, the discovery of a novel schistosomicidal drug is an urgent priority. This study was designed to evaluate treatment with Cucurbita pepo L. (pumpkin) seed oil (PSO) alone and combined with PZQ against S. mansoni in experimentally infected mice. The study involved five groups: GI was the normal control; GII was the infected control; GIII was treated with an oral dose of PZQ of 500 mg/kg/day for two successive days, starting in the sixth week post infection; GIV was treated with an oral dose of PSO of 50 mg/kg/day for four weeks, starting in the fourth week post infection; and GV was treated with combined PSO–PZQ. Worm burden, tissue egg load and oogram pattern were estimated, and the ultrastructure alterations were examined. Histopathological examination of granuloma diameters, collagen deposition (Picro Sirius red stain), and angiogenesis (immunohistochemical expression of CD34+) was conducted and serum liver enzymes were measured to assess the liver condition. Moreover, the oxidative stress was evaluated by determining the amounts of malondialdehyde and superoxide dismutase in liver homogenates. The results revealed significant changes in all the assessed parameters with PSO administration. However, PZQ was significantly more effective as an antiparasitic agent, whereas PSO was better in terms of fibrosis and oxidative stress. The most significant results were obtained in group V, which may be attributed to a synergy between PZQ and PSO, with antiparasitic, antioxidant and antifibrotic properties.
Machine Reading as a Process of Partial Question-Answering

This paper explores the close relationship between question answering and machine reading, and how the active use of reasoning to answer (and in the process, disambiguate) questions can also be applied to reading declarative texts, where a substantial proportion of the text's contents is already known to (represented in) the system. In question answering, a question may be ambiguous, and it may only be in the process of trying to answer it that the "right" way to disambiguate it becomes apparent. Similarly in machine reading, a text may be ambiguous, and may require some process to relate it to what is already known. Our conjecture in this paper is that these two processes are similar, and that we can modify a question answering tool to help "read" new text that augments existing system knowledge. Specifically, interpreting a new text T can be recast as trying to answer, or partially answer, the question "Is it true that T? ", resulting in both appropriate disambiguation and connection of T to existing knowledge. Some preliminary investigation suggests this might be useful for proposing knowledge base extensions, extracted from text, to a knowledge engineer.
Probiotics are effective at preventing Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is the leading cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea. CDI has increased in incidence and severity over the past decade, and is a growing worldwide health problem associated with substantial health care costs and significant morbidity and mortality. This meta-analysis examines the impact of probiotics on the incidence of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD) among children and adults, in both hospital and outpatient settings. Methods A comprehensive literature search of all published randomized control trials (RCTs) assessing the use of probiotics in the prevention of CDAD in patients receiving antibiotic therapy was conducted, and the incidence of CDAD was analyzed. Results Twenty-six RCTs involving 7,957 patients were analyzed. Probiotic use significantly reduced the risk of developing CDAD by 60.5% (relative risk [RR] =0.395; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.294–0.531; P<0.001). Probiotics proved beneficial in both adults and children (59.5% and 65.9% reduction), especially among hospitalized patients. Lactobacillus, Saccharomyces, and a mixture of probiotics were all beneficial in reducing the risk of developing CDAD (63.7%, 58.5%, and 58.2% reduction). Conclusion Probiotic supplementation is associated with a significant reduction in the risk of developing CDAD in patients receiving antibiotics. Additional studies are required to determine the optimal dose and strain of probiotic.