Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Susceptibility Patterns of Candida Species Isolated From Urine Samples to Posaconazole and Caspofungin

Background: Candiduria is a rising condition among hospitalized patients and Candida albicans is the most common recovered agent. However, non-albicans Candida species (NACs) such as C. glabrata, C. krusei, C. parapsilosis, and C. tropicalis are also important. Although most Candida species especially C. albicans are sensitive to routinely used antifungals, an increasing trend in resistance has been observed among NACs. Objectives: The aim of the present study was to detect the susceptibility of Candida strains recovered from candiduria in hospitalized patients against posaconazole and caspofungin. Materials and Methods: A total of 120 urine samples were taken from patients hospitalized in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) (65) and urology (55) wards. All recovered yeasts were differentiated by using CHROMagar Candida medium and routine tests for identification of Candida species. Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of all isolates towards posaconazole and caspofungin were determined using the microdilution method with serial dilutions from 8 to 0.0625 µg/mL (posaconazole) and 4 to 0.03125 µg/ mL (caspofungin). Results: In total, 41.7% of urine samples were positive for Candida isolation, including C. albicans (46%), C. glabrata (24%), C. tropicalis (16%) and C. krusei (14%). The MIC of caspofungin for 90% of the tested isolates was lower than 2 µg/mL. Furthermore, 94% of the tested isolates were inhibited by posaconazole at lower than 2 µg/mL after 24 hours, whereas 6% of isolates had MICs of more than 4 µg/mL. Conclusions: This study demonstrates the importance of Candida species in urine samples from hospitalized patients in ICUs and urology wards. It showed that both tested antifungals had excellent effects on different species of Candida, however the strains from ICUs were found to be more sensitive to caspofungin than posaconazole.
Immunosuppression after Sepsis: Systemic Inflammation and Sepsis Induce a Loss of Naïve T-Cells but No Enduring Cell-Autonomous Defects in T-Cell Function

Sepsis describes the life-threatening systemic inflammatory response (SIRS) of an organism to an infection and is the leading cause of mortality on intensive care units (ICU) worldwide. An acute episode of sepsis is characterized by the extensive release of cytokines and other mediators resulting in a dysregulated immune response leading to organ damage and/or death. This initial pro-inflammatory burst often transits into a state of immune suppression characterised by loss of immune cells and T-cell dysfunction at later disease stages in sepsis survivors. However, despite these appreciations, the precise nature of the evoked defect in T-cell immunity in post-acute phases of SIRS remains unknown. Here we present an in-depth functional analysis of T-cell function in post-acute SIRS/sepsis. We document that T-cell function is not compromised on a per cell basis in experimental rodent models of infection-free SIRS (LPS or CpG) or septic peritonitis. Transgenic antigen-specific T-cells feature an unaltered cytokine response if challenged in vivo and ex vivo with cognate antigens. Isolated CD4+/CD8+ T-cells from post-acute septic animals do not exhibit defects in T-cell receptor-mediated activation at the the level of receptor-proximal signalling, activation marker upregulation or expansion. However, SIRS/sepsis induced transient lymphopenia and gave rise to an environment of immune attenuation at post acute disease stages. Thus, systemic inflammation has an acute impact on T-cell numbers and adaptive immunity, but does not cause major cell-autonomous enduring functional defects in T-cells.
A mathematical model of the dynamics for anti-HBV infection treatment with Peginterferon Alfa-2a

Based on the anti-HBV infection therapy clinical data of the Peginterferon Alfa-2a plus placebo for HBeAg-Positive chronic hepatitis B patients, this paper establishes a mathematical model consisting of three differential equation systems and aims to describe and understand the dynamics of host cells, viruses, the immune system, as well as predict the long term curative effects. The results of numerical simulations indicate that patients whose plasma HBV DNA levels equal the mean HBV DNA levels of all patients will need to prolong their treatment time to 19 years in order to completely eliminate the HBV virus in infected hepatocytes.
Medical Applications of Electronic Nose Technology: Review of Current Status

Electronic noses, or artificial sensors of odorants, have been developed over the last ten years to perform a variety of identification tasks in various industries. This powerful technology is only beginning to be introduced in the field of medicine, but is promising in its potential to assist in diagnosis. This article reviews electronic nose technology and some initial investigations of potential applicability of the technology in the field of medicine.
The structure of CrgA from Neisseria meningitidis reveals a new octameric assembly state for LysR transcriptional regulators

LysR-type transcriptional regulators (LTTRs) form the largest family of bacterial regulators acting as both auto-repressors and activators of target promoters, controlling operons involved in a wide variety of cellular processes. The LTTR, CrgA, from the human pathogen Neisseria meningitidis, is upregulated during bacterial–host cell contact. Here, we report the crystal structures of both regulatory domain and full-length CrgA, the first of a novel subclass of LTTRs that form octameric rings. Non-denaturing mass spectrometry analysis and analytical ultracentrifugation established that the octameric form of CrgA is the predominant species in solution in both the presence and absence of an oligonucleotide encompassing the CrgA-binding sequence. Furthermore, analysis of the isolated CrgA–DNA complex by mass spectrometry showed stabilization of a double octamer species upon DNA binding. Based on the observed structure and the mass spectrometry findings, a model is proposed in which a hexadecameric array of two CrgA oligomers binds to its DNA target site.
Short‐latency somatosensory responses in multiple sclerosis

Cervical and cortical somatosensory evoked potentials were measured in 80 patients with suspected or established multiple sclerosis (MS). The cervical response was a more sensitive diagnostic indicator than the cortical response, and was abnormal in 86.7 percent of patients with definite MS and in 40.9 percent of MS suspects. The complementary value of measuring both responses was greatest (89.3 percent) in early probable or latent MS. Comparing the responses obtained from stimulation of the left and right extremities increased the overall diagnostic yield by 25 percent. Abnormal responses were frequently obtained from clinically normal limbs.
Classification of torasemide based on the Biopharmaceutics Classification System and evaluation of the FDA biowaiver provision for generic products of Class I drugs

The biopharmaceutical properties of an in‐house developed new crystal modification of torasemide (Torasemide N) were investigated in comparison with the most well known crystal modification form of torasemide (Torasemide I) in order to classify the drug according to the Biopharmaceutics Classification System (BCS), and to evaluate the data in line with current US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidance (with biowaiver provision for Class I drugs) to determine if the biowaiver provision could be improved. The solubility profiles of Torasemide I and Torasemide N were determined, and tablets prepared from both forms of the drug were studied for in‐vitro release characteristics in media recommended by the current FDA guidance for biowaiver of generic products, and in other media considered more appropriate for the purpose than the ones recommended by the FDA. Two separate bioequivalence studies in healthy humans (following oral administration) were performed with two test products (both prepared from Torasemide I) against a single reference product (prepared from Torasemide N). The absorption profiles of the drug from the tablets were determined by deconvolution for comparison with the in‐vitro release profiles to determine the appropriateness of some dissolution media for predicting in‐vivo performance and to determine the comparative rate and extent of absorption. The drug was absorbed from the tested products quickly and almost completely (about 95% within 3.5 h of administration). However, one test product failed to meet the bioequivalence criteria and had a significant initial lower absorption rate profile compared with the reference product (P ≤ 0.05), whereas the other product was bioequivalent and had a similar absorption profile to the reference product. A dissolution medium at pH 5.0, in which torasemide has minimum solubility, was found to be more discriminatory than the media recommended by the FDA. Torasemide has been classified as a Class I drug according to the BCS up to a maximum dose of 40 mg and the data suggest that the current FDA guidance could be improved by giving more emphasis to selection of appropriate dissolution media than is given in its current form for approving biowaiver to generic products of Class I drugs.
Azithromycin therapy for neutrophilic airways disease: myth or magic?

The anti-inflammatory potential of macrolides was first appreciated with the successful use of erythromycin in the treatment of diffuse panbronchiolitis, a disease principally affecting the Japanese, and characterised by a persistent neutrophilic inflammatory infiltrate of the bronchi. While there are only limited data on the efficacy of other macrolides in treating this condition,1 the observation has generated considerable interest in examining the role of macrolides in other respiratory diseases where chronic airways inflammation is a prominent feature. Azithromycin (AZM) is a 15-membered macrolactam ring macrolide which, in randomised controlled studies, has demonstrated a beneficial role in the treatment of cystic fibrosis (CF)2–5 despite its lack of direct bactericidal or bacteriostatic activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa . More recent (albeit smaller) studies have suggested a role for AZM in the treatment of bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS)6 and asthma,7 with a common finding in both being its ability to reduce airway neutrophilia. Such observations have focused attention on understanding how AZM and other macrolides may modulate host-pathogen interactions in chronic lung infection and their role as an immunomodulatory agent in both respiratory and non-respiratory settings. Clinical studies have usually been designed to study an individual macrolide agent, but it is likely that the findings in such trials represent a “class effect”. Although some in vitro experiments have suggested subtle differences between individual class members, the in vivo significance of these observations is uncertain. The direct antimicrobial activity of macrolides against Gram-positive bacteria results from inhibition of bacterial protein synthesis. Although AZM has little direct activity against Gram-negative organisms, it has been shown to modulate bacterial virulence factors and thus affect the outcome of chronic infections with organisms such as P aeruginosa . Quorum sensing is a sophisticated mechanism whereby pathogen-derived molecules act as auto-inducers and trigger a …
An Uncommon Site of Streptococcus pneumoniae Colonization Leading to Recurrent Pneumococcal Disease

Abstract This report describes a case of relapsing pneumococcal peritonitis. The postulated source of infection was vaginal colonization and secondary adherence of pneumococci to an intrauterine contraceptive device. After immunization with a conjugate pneumococcal vaccine, her antibody levels were observed. She remained infection free at the 2-year follow-up investigation.
Characterization of nitric oxide–stimulated ADP‐ribosylation of various proteins from the mouse macrophage cell line ANA‐1 using sodium nitroprusside and the novel nitric oxide‐donating compound diethylamine dinitric oxide

We examined the ability of nitric oxide (NO) to stimulate the ADP‐ribosylation of proteins from the mouse macrophage cell line ANA‐1. To demonstrate a specific effect of NO, we used a novel compound named diethylamine dinitric oxide (DEA/NO; l,l‐diethyl‐2‐hydroxy‐2‐nitrosohydrazine, sodium salt; [Et2NN(O)NO]Na), which releases NO in aqueous solution at neutral pH. DEA/NO stimulated the ADP‐ribosylation of at least three cytosolic proteins (Mr = 28,000, 33,000, and 39,000) from ANA‐1 macrophages. The effect of DEA/NO on the ADP‐ribosylation of the predominant target p39 was dose dependent (EC50 = 80 μM). Moreover, the effect of DEA/NO was attributed specifically to released NO rather than diethylamine or nitrite. Sodium nitroprusside (SNP) also stimulated the ADP‐ribosylation of cytosolic proteins from ANA‐1 mouse macrophages. However, SNP exhibited different time‐ and dose‐dependent effects on the modification of p39. NO synthesized via the activity of interferon‐γ plus lipopolysaccharide‐induced NO synthase also enhanced the ADP‐ribosylation of p39, confirming that the effects of DEA/NO and SNP could be attributed to NO or reactive nitrogen oxide species. Neither pertussis toxin nor cholera toxin stimulated the ADP‐ribosylation of p39; however, cholera toxin stimulated the ADP‐ribosylation of proteins with approximate molecular weights of 28,000 and 33,000. These data suggest that the induced expression of NO synthase in tumoricidal macrophages may be associated with autocrine and paracrine effects of NO that include the ADP‐ribosylation of various proteins. Moreover, these results indicate that DEA/NO and related compounds may be useful as pharmacologic tools for investigating the effects of NO and reactive nitrogen oxide species on macrophages. J. Leukoc. Biol. 57: 152–159; 1995.
FUNCTIONALLY LAYERED CODING FOR RIVER MONITORING

A new type of layered coding system for use of river monitoring is proposed. The bit stream produced by a sensor node of the system is functionally separated into three layers. The first layer contains band signals, decomposed by the Haar transform, effective for water level detection. The second layer contains band signals for thumb-nail video. These layers are transmitted at low bit rate for regular monitoring. The third layer which contains additional data necessary for decoding original video signal is transmitted when the necessity arises. Experimental results show which band signals should be included into the first layer for water level detection based on the maximum likelihood estimation. It becomes possible to reduce power consumption in a sensor node by distributing computational load via internet and by sharing the temporal and spatial basis function decomposition between "compression" and "recognition".
Robust 3D Reconstruction With an RGB-D Camera

We present a novel 3D reconstruction approach using a low-cost RGB-D camera such as Microsoft Kinect. Compared with previous methods, our scanning system can work well in challenging cases where there are large repeated textures and significant depth missing problems. For robust registration, we propose to utilize both visual and geometry features and combine SFM technique to enhance the robustness of feature matching and camera pose estimation. In addition, a novel prior-based multicandidates RANSAC is introduced to efficiently estimate the model parameters and significantly speed up the camera pose estimation under multiple correspondence candidates. Even when serious depth missing occurs, our method still can successfully register all frames together. Loop closure also can be robustly detected and handled to eliminate the drift problem. The missing geometry can be completed by combining multiview stereo and mesh deformation techniques. A variety of challenging examples demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Synergistic TLR2/6 and TLR9 Activation Protects Mice against Lethal Influenza Pneumonia

Lower respiratory tract infections caused by influenza A continue to exact unacceptable worldwide mortality, and recent epidemics have emphasized the importance of preventative and containment strategies. We have previously reported that induction of the lungs' intrinsic defenses by aerosolized treatments can protect mice against otherwise lethal challenges with influenza A virus. More recently, we identified a combination of Toll like receptor (TLR) agonists that can be aerosolized to protect mice against bacterial pneumonia. Here, we tested whether this combination of synthetic TLR agonists could enhance the survival of mice infected with influenza A/HK/8/68 (H3N2) or A/California/04/2009 (H1N1) influenza A viruses. We report that the TLR treatment enhanced survival whether given before or after the infectious challenge, and that protection tended to correlate with reductions in viral titer 4 d after infection. Surprisingly, protection was not associated with induction of interferon gene expression. Together, these studies suggest that synergistic TLR interactions can protect against influenza virus infections by mechanisms that may provide the basis for novel therapeutics.
Mutant Cu/Zn-Superoxide Dismutase Proteins Have Altered Solubility and Interact with Heat Shock/Stress Proteins in Models of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis*

Mutations in the Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD-1) gene are responsible for a familial form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. In humans and experimental models, death of motor neurons is preceded by formation of cytoplasmic aggregates containing mutant SOD-1 protein. In our previous studies, heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) prolonged viability of cultured motor neurons expressing mutant human SOD-1 and reduced formation of aggregates. In this paper, we report that mutant SOD-1 proteins have altered solubility in cells relative to wild-type SOD-1 and can form a direct association with HSP70 and other stress proteins. Whereas wild-type human and endogenous mouse SOD-1 were detergent-soluble, a portion of mutant SOD-1 was detergent-insoluble in protein extracts of NIH3T3 transfected with SOD-1 gene constructs, spinal cord cultures established from G93A SOD-1 transgenic mouse embryos, and lumbar spinal cord from adult G93A transgenic mice. A direct association of HSP70, HSP40, and αB-crystallin with mutant SOD-1 (G93A or G41S), but not wild-type or endogenous mouse SOD-1, was demonstrated by coimmunoprecipitation. Mutant SOD-1·HSP70 complexes were predominantly in the detergent-insoluble fraction. However, only a small percentage of total cellular mutant SOD-1 was detergent-insoluble, suggesting that mutation-induced alteration of protein conformation may not in itself be sufficient for direct interaction with heat shock proteins.
Comparison of Inferior and Superior Conjunctival Autograft for Primary Pterygium

Abstract Purpose: To determine the postoperative symptom by using inferior conjunctival autografting (ICA) rather than superior conjunctival autografting (SCA) after excision of pterygium. Methods: This prospective randomized control study evaluated 80 eyes of 80 consecutive patients undergoing primary pterygium surgery. Patients in each subgroup were then randomized into the ICA (n = 40) or SCA (n = 40) group. All patients were asked to return for follow up on days 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, and 14 then at months 1, 3, 6, and 12 postoperatively. Outcome measures were postoperative patient discomfort, corneal epithelial healing time, complications and recurrence rate. Results: Fluorescein staining revealed complete corneal epithelial healing time was 3.1 ± 0.5 d (range 2–4) in the ICA group and 3.3 ± 0.6 d (range 2–4) in the SCA group (p = 0.11). Pain scores were significantly less in the ICA group than the SCA group on follow-up days 3 and 5 (p < 0.05). Postoperative foreign body sensation scores on follow-up days 5 and 7 were significantly lower in the ICA group than the SCA group (p < 0.05). Epiphora scores were significantly less in the ICA group than the SCA group on follow-up days 3, 5, and 7 (p < 0.05). No statistically significant differences between two groups were found for the overall (conjunctival and corneal) recurrence rates (5% versus 7.5%, p = 0.64). No serious complications were encountered. Conclusion: Pterygium excision with ICA led to less postoperative discomfort for patients with primary pterygium.
Comparative Evaluation of Changes in Brain Activity and Cognitive Function of Edentulous Patients, with Dentures and Two-Implant Supported Mandibular Overdenture-Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND The relationship between brain and prosthesis was previously assessed either by improving denture function or in fixed implant retained, wherein brain function was assessed only after crown placement. PURPOSE To prospectively analyze the changes in brain activity and cognitive function of completely edentulous patients in edentulous state, with dentures and two-implant supported mandibular overdenture before and after loading, along with the effect of mastication in the change - a pilot study. MATERIALS AND METHOD Ten completely edentulous (CE) non-denture wearers were selected. The mandibular prosthesis was loaded with two 3.3 mm × 13 mm myriad snap fit implants. To assess the brain activity and cognitive function, Electroencephalogram (Neurofax EEG 1000 Ver 05-90, Nihon Kohden corporation, Tokyo, Japan) and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) questionnaire, respectively, were taken during the process of rehabilitation. EEG assessment was analyzed using Matlab 2011A 7.9 signal processing tool box. The results were statistically analyzed with SPSS 17.0 version using Wilcoxon signed rank and Friedman test RESULTS Amplitude, power of alpha waves and cognitive scores increased gradually with highest mean rank for implant supported overdenture (IOD). The bivariate analysis between two groups showed there was significant difference between all the groups (p < 0.05) except for groups CE-I (completely edentulous - implant placement) and CD- I (complete denture insertion - implant placement) in amplitude of alpha waves while in group CD-I with respect to power of alpha waves. MMSE revealed the mean of cognitive scores in Complete Edentulous was 17.40, Complete Denture was 18.30 and finally with Implant Overdenture was 23.80. CONCLUSION The present study has enlightened the significance of two implant supported mandibular overdenture in improving the mental state of an individual and that the enhancement was due to functional improvement with prosthesis when loaded with implants and not due to mere existence of implant without any function.
Localization by Co-observing Robots

This paper proposes three methods to improve the accuracy of the estimation of robot's self-state by observing other robots mutually. Many methods have been proposed to enable the autonomous robots estimate their states, such as the methods of SLAM (simultaneous localization and mapping). But those methods usually need high precision sensors (e.g. laser range finder) or high computing power. Robots that use low precision sensor and actuator can cover their low performance by using mutual observation of other robots. In this paper we propose to combine three methods for accurate robot's estimation of their states by using mutual observation of other robots. Each of three methods has advantages and drawbacks. We propose to switch the methods depending on situations.