Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Antibiotic resistance of Gram-negative benthic bacteria isolated from the sediments of Kardzhali Dam (Bulgaria)

The aim of the present study was to carry out a preliminary assessment for the occurrence of bacterial strains resistant to frequently used antibiotics in the sediments beneath the sturgeon cage farm in Kardzhali Dam (Bulgaria). Samples were taken from the top 2 cm of sediments under a fish farm and from a control station in the aquatory of the reservoir in the period July–October 2011. Surveillance of bacterial susceptibility to 16 antimicrobial agents was performed for 160 Gram-negative strains (Pseudomonas mandelii – 100 strains; Hafnia alvei – 30 strains; and Raoultella ornithinolytica – 30 strains). No significant differences in the resistance to the tested antibiotics were observed between the strains isolated from the two stations (analysis of variance, P > 0.05). Widespread resistance to penicillins and certain cephalosporin antibiotics was observed in both stations. None of the studied strains showed resistance to the aminoglycoside antibiotics gentamicin and amikacin, or to ciprofloxacin. Minimal Inhibitory Concentrations (MIC) were determined for five of the tested antimicrobial agents by the microdilution antibiotic sensitivity assay. The data indicate that amikacin, tetracycline and ciprofloxacin effectively suppress the growth of the tested micro-organisms. The isolates from genus Pseudomonas showed the highest MIC and were characterized by the highest percentage of antibiotic resistance.
Observations of fibrous fracture modes in a prestrained low-alloy steel

AbstractCrack-opening displacement (COD) tests have been performed on prestrained QIN (HY-80) low-alloy steel. In specimens containing fatigue precracks the COD is largely insensitive to prestrains below 0.17, but a significant reduction in COD occurs at higher prestrains. Measurements of the yield-stress variation with tensile strain have enabled the effects of prestrain on fracture toughness to be estimated. Apart from a small initial increase, the general effect of prestrain is to reduce fracture toughness. The decrease in toughness with prestrain is accompanied by the development of zig-zag fractures. Crack growth appears to be intermittent and occurs by a process of shear decohesion along paths corresponding to either the spiral slip-lines emanating from a blunted cracktip, or, at lower displacements, the straight slip-lines emanating from a sharp crack.
Effects of physical and morphological properties of roots on fracture resistance

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine how physical and morphological properties affect the fracture resistance of roots, and which criteria are important for root specimen standardization in fracture resistance studies. Materials and Methods: Seventy-five freshly extracted human canine teeth were selected. Crowns were sectioned from the cement-enamel junction and the root lengths were set at 16 mm. Then they were prepared up to ProTaper F3 file. Each root was numbered and data were obtained by measuring mesiodistal and buccolingual dimensions, volume, weight, and density. Tests for fracture strength were performed using an Instron Testing Machine (Instron Corp. MA, USA). The force was applied axially, angled at 45 degrees with a constant speed of 1 mm/min. For each sample, the force at the time of fracture was recorded in Newtons. Results were evaluated statistically using linear regression analysis. Results: Volume and weight of the roots had more effect than mesiodistal or buccolingual dimensions on root fracture resistance. Conclusions: In root fracture resistance studies, volume or weight of the roots must be standardized when distributing roots to groups.
Demosaicing of color images using pixel level data-dependent triangulation

Single-chip digital cameras use an array of broad-spectrum charge-coupled devices (CCD) overlayed with a color filter array. The filter layer consists of transparent patches of red, green and blue, such that each CCD pixel captures one of these primary colors. To reconstruct a color image at the full CCD resolution, the 'missing' primary values have to be interpolated from nearby samples. We present an effective color interpolation using a simple pixel level data-dependent triangulation. This interpolation technique is applied to the commonly-used Bayer colour filter array pattern. Results show that the proposed method gives superior reconstruction quality, with smaller visual defects than other methods. Furthermore, the complexity and efficiency of the proposed method is very close to simple bilinear interpolation, making it easy to implement and fast to run.
Towards massive-MIMO transmitters: On the effects of deploying increasing antennas in fixed physical space

This paper examines effects of deploying increasing numbers of antennas in fixed physical space. We focus on the resulting performance of large-scale multiple input multiple output (MIMO) transmitters using low complexity closed form precoding techniques. Towards this end, we explore the effects of adding antenna elements in fixed physical spaces, by reducing the antenna spacing. In particular, we investigate the combined effect of reducing the distance between the antenna elements with increasing the number of elements in a fixed transmitter space. This gives rise to two contradicting phenomena: the reduction of spatial diversity due to reducing the separation between antennas and the increase in transmit diversity by increasing the number of elements. To quantify this tradeoff, we investigate densely deployed uniform linear antenna arrays modeled in the CST Microwave Studio. The simulations show the somewhat surprising result that, by reducing the separations between the antennas to significantly less than the transmit wavelength to fit more antennas, improved performance is obtained.
Influence of Permeability and D33 on Fega/PZT/Fega Magnetoelectric Effect

FeGa/PZT/FeGa magnetoelectric device was prepared and the ME effect examined. FeGa alloys was made by different processing method. The results showed that the domains and texturing of FeGa had a great impact on both magnetic and ME performance. The permeability and d33 (the differential of magnetostrictive coefficient) of FeGa differed with processing. It was found that FeGa rolled sheets had good toughness, d33 could reach 2.7 ppm/Oe, and magnetic permeability reached 180 H/m. The device made of FeGa rolled sheets also had a large output (18 V/cm Oe) and low bias field (~ 96 Oe).
Microwave assisted solvent-free synthesis and biological activities of novel imines (Schiff bases)

Twelve new ortho-Hydroxyketimines were synthesized by conventional as well as microwave method and evaluated for their antinemic activity against Meloidogyne incognita [(Kofoid and White) Chitwood]. Conventional methods for synthesis of Schiff bases require refluxing at 140°C of the reactants in different solvents for at least 24 h or more, where as the microwave-assisted synthesis has brought down the reaction time from 24 h to 1 minute. The procedure reported is simple as it does not require any organic solvents and the time has been reduced to only 1 minute. Comparative yields of all compounds by different methods revealed that the yield was low in conventional method (79–87%) as compared to microwave assisted synthesis (94–97%). The bioassay revealed that all the test compounds exhibited promising nematicidal activity; N-propyl-2-hydroxypropiophenonimine being the most effective with LC50 value of 74.46 mgL−1 followed by N-hexyl-2-hydroxyacetophenonimine with LC50 value of 99.60 mgL−1 after 72 h of exposure. The results obtained from bioassay indicated that this class of compounds has not only given a lead with regard to potential of Schiff bases in pest control, but has suggested that a carbon chain length of 6 atoms in the side chain is optimum on the basis of structure activity relationship (SAR).
The Many Forks in FOXO's Road

The FOXO family of transcription factors constitute an evolutionarily conserved subgroup within the larger family known as winged helix or Forkhead transcriptional regulators. Building upon work in the nematode, researchers have uncovered a role for these proteins in a diverse set of cellular responses that include glucose metabolism, stress response, cell cycle regulation, and apoptosis. At the organismal level, FOXO transcription factors are believed to function in various pathological processes ranging from cancer and diabetes to organismal aging. A number of studies have also shed light on the signaling pathways that regulate FOXO activity in response to external stimuli and have identified multiple FOXO target genes that mediate this varied set of biological responses. Many biological processes require the expression of new genes. A cell's ability to express new genes is controlled by proteins called transcription factors. One such family of transcription factors is the winged helix or Forkhead family of transcriptional regulators, of which the FOXO transcription factors are a subgroup. The FOXO subfamily of transcription factors can control various biological processes, including glucose metabolism, stress response, cell cycle regulation, and cell death, by regulating gene expression. At the organismal level, the regulation of gene expression by FOXO transcription factors is believed to play a role in pathological processes ranging from cancer and diabetes to organismal aging. A number of studies have shed light on how the FOXO transcription factors themselves are regulated and have also identified the gene targets controlled by FOXO transcription factors.
Managerial Efficiency in German Top League Soccer: A Stochastic Frontier Analysis of Club Performances on and Off the Pitch

This study applies stochastic frontier analytic techniques in the estimation of sporting production functions. As ex ante input factors, we use pre-seasonal estimates of wage bills of players and coaches that are transformed during the production process of a season into ex post pecuniary revenues and sporting success. While in the case of athletic output we find a robust pattern of technical efficiency over subsequent seasons, the estimates based on economic output highlight the instability of the German soccer industry.
The Gelation Study of Silk Fibroin for Biomedical Application

Silks are the biomaterials that have been used for a century. Most of them are related to the biomedical applications especially silk fibroin. Since the gelation process of silk fibroin was affected by many factors for example the concentration of silk fibroin protein, pH, temperature and cross-linking agent. These factors also influence on the mechanical properties of the silk gel. This study is then focused on making silk fibroin gel by using poly vinyl alcohol (PVA) as a cross-linking agent and physical induced by ultrasonic. The structure of SF/PVA gel was examined by Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR). The two main effects of ultrasonic and PVA to the silk fibroin gelation are the gelation time and the gel structure. The more ultrasonic power and PVA amount can make the silk fibroin solution becomes a gel faster. For the gel structure, both ultrasonic and PVA affect to the Amide I and Amide II structure which lead to the gel characteristic used as a wound dressing in the future.
Prediction of the Effect of Defect Parameters on the Thermal Contrast Evolution during Flash Thermography by Finite Element Method

A 3D model based on the finite element method (FEM) was built to simulate the infrared thermography (IRT) inspection process. Thermal contrast is an important parameter in IRT and was proven to be a function of defect parameters. Parametric studies were conducted on internal defects with different depths, thicknesses, and orientations. Thermal contrast evolution profiles with respect to the time of the defect and host material were obtained through numerical simulation. The thermal contrast decreased with defect depth and slightly increased with defect thickness. Different orientations of thin defects were detected with IRT, but doing so for thick defects was difficult. These thermal contrast variations with the defect depth, thickness, and orientation can help in optimizing the experimental process and interpretation of data from IRT.
Kauffman's adjacent possible in word order evolution

Word order evolution has been hypothesized to be constrained by a word order permutation ring: transitions involving orders that are closer in the permutation ring are more likely. The hypothesis can be seen as a particular case of Kauffman's adjacent possible in word order evolution. Here we consider the problem of the association of the six possible orders of S, V and O to yield a couple of primary alternating orders as a window to word order evolution. We evaluate the suitability of various competing hypotheses to predict one member of the couple from the other with the help of information theoretic model selection. Our ensemble of models includes a six-way model that is based on the word order permutation ring (Kauffman's adjacent possible) and another model based on the dual two-way of standard typology, that reduces word order to basic orders preferences (e.g., a preference for SV over VS and another for SO over OS). Our analysis indicates that the permutation ring yields the best model when favoring parsimony strongly, providing support for Kauffman's general view and a six-way typology.
Worm Meets Beehive

Internet worms continue to plague the Internet infrastructure with wider and deeper impact since the Morris Worm in early 1988. It has been further shown that better-engineered worms like Warhol worms and Flash worms could spread across the Internet in minutes or even tens of seconds rather than hours. Such virulent spreading invalidates any manual counter-measures and poses an extremely serious threat to the safety of the Internet. To address this challenge, this paper proposes a novel worm-curtailing scheme, i.e., beehive, which is able to fightback worm propagation by actively immunizing any encountered worm-infected node. More specifically, by owning a portion of the unused but routable IP space that is open to infection attempts of different worms, a beehive not only attracts and traps these attempts, but also defensively gives a security shot to each attempting worm-infected node. The security shot will immunize the infected node so that the node will not be able to infect others. Our formal analysis shows that even one beehive network with a reasonable IP address space can effectively mitigate active spreading of worms among a million nodes. This paper presents both analysis and simulation results of beehive evaluation. Particularly, our results show that for a random-probing worm, a /13 beehive network or 8 class B networks are able to reduce the maximum worm infection coverage to as low as 13%. To the best of our knowledge, no such worm fightback mechanism has been proposed and analyzed before. Finally, a beehive prototype is presented to demonstrate its practicality.
Evolutionary programming based on uniform design with application to multiobjective optimization

Pareto-optimality is one of the important methods to solve multiobjective optimization problems. It is desirable to find as much as possible Pareto-optimal solutions, and it is also highly expected to find the ones scattered uniformly over the Pareto frontier such that a variety of compromise solutions can be provided to the decision maker. For this purpose, an evolutionary programming algorithm, called evolutionary programming based on uniform design (UDEP), is proposed in this paper. Uniform design technique is used to define some fitness functions which can guide the search evenly toward the Pareto frontier. In order to overcome premature and provide as much as possible candidate solutions evenly scattered in the whole search space, uniform design technique, variable region search, as well as niche technique are used. Uniform design makes it possible to explore the search space evenly, while variable region search and niche technique help to keep diversity of the population. Their combination improves the search ability of EP (evolutionary programming) significantly. Many numerical experimental results show the usefulness of the proposed method.
Flexibility in Embodied Language Understanding

Do people use sensori-motor cortices to understand language? Here we review neurocognitive studies of language comprehension in healthy adults and evaluate their possible contributions to theories of language in the brain. We start by sketching the minimal predictions that an embodied theory of language understanding makes for empirical research, and then survey studies that have been offered as evidence for embodied semantic representations. We explore four debated issues: first, does activation of sensori-motor cortices during action language understanding imply that action semantics relies on mirror neurons? Second, what is the evidence that activity in sensori-motor cortices plays a functional role in understanding language? Third, to what extent do responses in perceptual and motor areas depend on the linguistic and extra-linguistic context? And finally, can embodied theories accommodate language about abstract concepts? Based on the available evidence, we conclude that sensori-motor cortices are activated during a variety of language comprehension tasks, for both concrete and abstract language. Yet, this activity depends on the context in which perception and action words are encountered. Although modality-specific cortical activity is not a sine qua non of language processing even for language about perception and action, sensori-motor regions of the brain appear to make functional contributions to the construction of meaning, and should therefore be incorporated into models of the neurocognitive architecture of language.
Node allocation in Peer-to-peer overlay networks based remote instrumentation with smart devices

Smart devices networks make the backbone of many Internet of Things (IoT) applications. The performance of these systems can be depended on many factors including response time or latency between them and the ability to interconnect between devices. In this paper, a Peer-to-peer (P2P) overlay network is discussed that can be used for real-time end-to-end remote instrumentation for IoT applications. P2P overlay networks are used for various purposes from content distribution through to media sharing. But in contrast to traditional P2P systems, IoT systems can be highly sensitive to network latency. The main contribution of this paper is a distributed algorithm to create the overlay network that assigns peer nodes to super-peer nodes in the network containing large numbers of smart devices with the aim of minimizing system wide network latency. Other constraints regarding the nodes ability to become a super-peer node such as connectivity and limited processing capacities of the smart devices are also considered in context of a P2P remote instrumentation system. The algorithm has been validated through simulation.
Growth inhibition of clonogenic leukemic precursor cells by minor histocompatibility antigen-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes

Minor histocompatibility (mH) antigens appear to play a major role in bone marrow transplantation (BMT) using HLA-identical donors. Previously, we reported the isolation of major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-restricted mH antigen-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) from patients with graft-vs.-host disease or rejection after HLA- identical BMT. We have demonstrated that mH antigens can be recognized on hematopoietic progenitor cells, and residual recipient CTL specific for mH antigens expressed on donor hematopoietic progenitor cells may be responsible for graft rejection in spite of intensive conditioning regimens in HLA-identical BMT. Here, we investigated whether mH antigen- specific CTL directed against the mH antigens HA-1 to HA-5 and the male- specific antigen H-Y were capable of antigen-specific inhibition of in vitro growth of clonogenic leukemic precursor cells. We demonstrate that mH antigen-specific CTL against all mH antigens tested can lyse freshly obtained myeloid leukemic cells, that these mH antigen-specific CTL can inhibit their clonogenic leukemic growth in vitro, and that this recognition is MHC restricted. We illustrate that leukemic (precursor) cells can escape elimination by mH antigen-specific CTL by impaired expression of the relevant MHC restriction molecule. We suggest that mH antigen-specific MHC-restricted CTL may be involved in vivo in the graft-vs.-leukemia reactivity after BMT.
Distinguishing Trees in Linear Time

A graph is said to be $d$-distinguishable if there exists a $d$-labeling of its vertices which is only preserved by the identity map. The distinguishing number of a graph $G$ is the smallest number $d$ for which $G$ is $d$-distinguishable. We show that the distinguishing number of trees and forests can be computed in linear time, improving the previously known $O(n\log n)$ time algorithm.
Multiscale Modeling Electrospun Nanofiber Structures

The carbon nanotube (CNT) structure is a promising building block for future nanocomposite structures. Mechanical properties of the electrospun butadiene elastomer reinforced with CNT are analyzed by multiscale method. Effective properties of the fiber at microscale determined by homogenization procedure using modified shear-lag model, while on the macro scale effective properties for the point-bonded stochastic fibrous network determined by volume homogenization procedure using multilevel finite element. Random fibrous network was generated according experimentally determined stochastic quantificators. Influence of CNT reinforcement on elastic modulus of electrospun sheet on macroscopic level is determined.
Biological Micro- and Nanotribology: Nature’s Solutions

Introduction. - Physical Principles of Micro- and Nanotribology. - Biological Frictional and Adhesive Systems. - Frictional Devices of Insects. - Microscale Test Equipment. - Nanoscale Probe Techniques. - Microscopy Techniques. - Samples, Sample Preparation and Tester Setup. - Case Study I: Indentation and Adhesion. - Case Study II: Friction. - Case Study III: Material Properties. - Outlook. - Appendix
Saccharomyces boulardii in Crohn's disease: effect on anti-Saccharomyces cerevisiae antibodies and intestinal permeability.

To the Editor: Van Ranst et al found that being born in June is associated with a reduced risk of the later development of Crohn’s disease. They mentioned seasonal infection rates as a possible cause. There is an additional possibility that might be worth considering. Vitamin D modulates the immune system. The hormonally active form of vitamin D, 1,25(OH)2D3, binds to the vitamin D receptor (VDR), which in turn regulates gene expression through vitamin D responsive elements (VDREs) in the promoter regions of target genes. Many different types of immune cells contain VDRs, enabling 1,25(OH)2D3 to play multiple roles in the regulation of the immune system. This includes the development of self-tolerance. The modulation of the immune system by 1,25(OH)2D3 may play a role in susceptibility to Crohn’s disease, as evidenced by the findings of a linkage between a VDR polymorphism and the risk of developing Crohn’s disease. Individuals born in June might get higher than average exposure to sunlight during the first few months after birth. This might play a role in the development of self-tolerance with respect to susceptibility to Crohn’s disease.