Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Characterization and comparative genomics analysis of RepA_N multi-resistance plasmids carrying optrA from Enterococcus faecalis

Introduction This research aimed to investigate the antibiotic resistance of Enterococcus faecalis from swine farms in Zhejiang Province and the prevalence and transmission mechanism of oxazolidone resistance gene optrA. Method A total of 226 Enterococcus faecalis were isolated and their resistance to 14 antibiotics was detected by broth microdilution. The resistance genes were detected by PCR. Results The antibiotic resistance rate of 226 isolates to nearly 57% (8/14) of commonly used antibiotics was higher than 50%. The resistance rate of tiamulin was highest (98.23%), that of tilmicosin, erythromycin, tetracycline and florfenicol was higher than 80%, and that of oxazolidone antibiotic linezolid was 38.49%. The overall antibiotics resistance in Hangzhou, Quzhou and Jinhua was more serious than that in the coastal cities of Ningbo and Wenzhou. The result of PCR showed that optrA was the main oxazolidinone and phenicols resistance gene, with a detection rate of 71.68%, and optrA often coexisted with fexA in the isolates. Through multi-locus sequence typing, conjugation transfer, and replicon typing experiments, it was found that the horizontal transmission mediated by RepA_N plasmid was the main mechanism of optrA resistance gene transmission in E. faecalis from Zhejiang Province. Two conjugative multi-resistance plasmids carrying optrA, RepA_N plasmid pHZ318-optrA from Hangzhou and Rep3 plasmid from Ningbo, were sequenced and analyzed. pHZ318-optrA contain two multidrug resistance regions (MDR), which contributed to the MDR profile of the strains. optrA and fexA resistance genes coexisted in IS1216E-fexA-optrA-ferr-erm(A)-IS1216E complex transposon, and there was a partial sequence of Tn554 transposon downstream. However, pNB304-optrA only contain optrA, fexA and an insertion sequence ISVlu1. The presence of mobile genetic elements at the boundaries can possibly facilitate transfer among Enterococcus through inter-replicon gene transfer. Discussion This study can provide theoretical basis for ensuring the quality and safety of food of animal origin, and provide scientific guidance for slowing down the development of multi-antibiotic resistant Enterococcus.
Preliminary evidence that fatigue contributes to anhedonia in stable individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia

Objectives Anhedonia and fatigue are trans-diagnostic symptoms commonly observed in schizophrenia. Anhedonia is a core negative symptom with a strong relationship with depression and is associated with diminished global functioning. Similarly, fatigue is also associated to depression and research across psychiatric illnesses indicate that fatigue may persist even when primary symptoms are treated. Although fatigue is common in people diagnosed with schizophrenia, it is under studied within this population. The objective of this exploratory study was to investigate the association of fatigue and anhedonia by controlling for depression in a sample of individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia. Method Fifty-one stable individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia from the University Department of Adult Psychiatry in Montpellier took part in this study. Participants completed questionnaires on fatigue impact and depression, and were assessed for symptom severity. Following data collection, statistical analyses were conducted in order to explore associations between clinical variables and fatigue impact. Based on the results obtained, a hierarchical linear regression was conducted in order to investigate whether fatigue impact contributed to the variance of negative symptoms. Results The hierarchical linear regression indicated that when controlling for depression, fatigue impact contributes to ~20% of the variance of anhedonia. Together the social impact of fatigue and depression contribute to 24% of the variation of anhedonia. Conclusion To the best of our knowledge, this exploratory study is the first to investigate and show that fatigue impact may contribute to anhedonia. We recommend further research to investigate fatigue, its impact on symptomatology, and better categorization of negative symptoms in hopes of developing targeted fatigue treatment interventions.
A remark on distribution of zeros of solutions of linear differential equations

The main purpose of this paper is to prove a sharp estimate of the order p(w) of a transcendental solution w in the complex plane of an n th-order linear differential equation with polynomial coefficients in terms of the distribution of its Stokes rays, under the assumption that zero is not a Nevanlinna deficient value of w . If, in addition, there are only two Stokes rays and if all the solutions of the equation have order at most p(w), then we can conclude that the coefficients of the equation are all constants.
Effects of protected sodium butyrate and reduced energy content in diets for broiler chickens

Effects of protected sodium butyrate (PSB) in broiler diets with reduced metabolizable energy (ME) content on production performance, intestinal histomorphometry and nutrient metabolizability were evaluated in two experiments. In one experiment, 384 one-day-old male chicks with an average weight of 44 ± 0.2 g were distributed into four treatment groups in a completely randomized design with six replications of 16 birds. The treatments consisted of i) a basal diet without reduced ME or PSB (BD); ii) BD with a 100 kcal/kg reduction in ME, without PSB; iii) BD with a 100 kcal/kg reduction in ME + 105 g/t PSB; and iv) BD with a 100 kcal/kg reduction in ME + 225 g/t PSB. Performance and carcass yield were evaluated. In the second experiment, 280 one-day-old male chicks were also distributed into four treatment groups in a completely randomized design with seven replications of 10 birds to evaluate metabolizability coefficients and intestinal development. The birds that received diet 3 had the best feed conversion ratio (FCR), final weight (FW) and weight gain (WG). Inclusion of PSB (105 and 225 g/t) in reduced-ME diets increased the metabolizability of crude protein coefficient at 35 days old. Birds that received diet 3 also had greater jejunal villus height at 21 and 35 days old. It is recommended to feed 105 g/t of PSB with a 100 kcal/kg reduction in ME until broilers were 35 days old.
On X-ray variability in ROSAT-PSPC observations of F7-K2 stars

We have analyzed the X-ray variability of dF7-dK2 stars in the solar neighborhood detected with the pointed ROSAT-PSPC observations. Our data base is the sample of all stars listed in the CNS3 catalog (Gliese & Jahrei β 1991) having a $B-V$ color between 0.5 and 0.9; it includes 70 pointed observations of 40 distinct stars or multiple systems. We have applied the unbinned Kolmogorov-Smirnov test on all X-ray photon time series of our sample: only 10 observations relative to 8 distinct stars are variable at a confidence level greater than 99% and 4 of them belong to multiple systems. For the subsample of 9 stars observed both at the beginning and at the end of the mission, we can study the variability on time scale of years and compare amplitude variations at short and long time scales. Our analysis suggests that, for these stars, the X-ray variability is more likely on longer time scale. All the stars variable on long time scale, and not on short time scale, are relatively quiet and similar to the Sun, suggesting that the variations may be due to cycles. The comparison of our results with those previously obtained for dM stars shows that the amplitude of variability of X-ray emission from dF7-dK2 stars is smaller than that observed in dM stars.
Clinical impact of a multidisciplinary discussion group on the diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in Colombia

Introduction: idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is an interstitial lung disease (ILD) with a poor prognosis, considered an orphan disease in Colombia. An accurate diagnosis has implications for the patient and healthcare costs. Multidisciplinary discussion groups (MDGs) are considered the gold standard for diagnosis. There are no prior studies in Colombia on the experience of an MDG. Objectives: to evaluate the impact of an MDG in a quaternary care institution in Bogotá on the change in the diagnosis of patients with ILD and the concordance between the initial and final diagnosis of IPF. Materials and methods: patents with ILD evaluated from 2015-2018 by the MDG made up of pulmonologists, a radiologist, a pathologist and rheumatologists. The ATS/ERS/JRS/ALAT diagnostic criteria for IPF. A description of changes in the diagnosis and the agreement between the initial diagnosis and the MDG diagnosis of IPF. Results: out of 165 patients with ILD, the diagnosis was changed in 32.5%. The MDG confirmed IPF in 77.3% of patients with an initial diagnosis of ILD and 6.7% of those with a different initial diagnosis. When IPF was ruled out, the main diagnoses were chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis (24.8%) and nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (23.5%). The Kappa index between the initial and final IPF diagnoses was 0.71 (0.60-0.82). Conclusions: the MDG on ILD had a significant clinical impact evidenced by a high percentage of change in the referral diagnosis. The initial diagnosis of IPF was ruled out in a significant percentage of patients and confirmed in a smaller group which did
Airborne Doppler Observations of the Inner-Core Structural Differences between Intensifying and Steady-State Tropical Cyclones

AbstractDifferences in the inner-core structure of intensifying [IN; intensity increase of at least 20 kt (24 h)−1, where 1 kt = 0.51 m s−1] and steady-state [SS; intensity remaining between ±10 kt (24 h)−1] tropical cyclones (TCs) are examined using composites of airborne Doppler observations collected from NOAA P-3 aircraft missions. The IN dataset contains 40 eyewall passes from 14 separate missions, while the SS dataset contains 53 eyewall passes from 14 separate missions. Intensifying TCs have a ringlike vorticity structure inside the radius of maximum wind (RMW); lower vorticity in the outer core; a deeper, stronger inflow layer; and stronger axisymmetric eyewall upward motion compared with steady-state TCs. There is little difference in the vortex tilt between 2 and 7 km, and both IN and SS TCs show an eyewall precipitation and updraft asymmetry whose maxima are located in the downshear and downshear-left region. The azimuthal coverage of eyewall and outer-core precipitation is greater for IN TCs.
Radiative widths and splitting of cyclotron lines in superstrong magnetic fields

The radiative line widths of the Landau levels in a superstrong magnetic field are calculated and simple analytic expressions and fits are given for these which are valid over a wide range of the principal quantum number and the magnetic field strength. If QED corrections are not taken into account, all levels but the first are doubly degenerate, corresponding to the two possible spin projections. However, the interaction with the QED vacuum removes this degeneracy, leading to an energy splitting of each level which exceeds the radiative linewidth for low Landau levels if the magnetic field is not too large (B is less than approximately 10 exp 13 G). Estimations are presented of the splitting in various limits as a function of field strength and Landau number. The possibility of observing this splitting in accreting X-ray pulsars and in gamma-ray bursters is discussed.
Accelerations of Zhao's methods for the numerical inversion of Laplace transform

Zhao recently presented two accurate and universal approaches to the numerical inversion of the Laplace transform. Both approaches are based on irregularly spaced intervals. Compared with the conventional approach by Durbin, the computational burden of Zhao's approaches is significantly heavier. In this report, the author proposed refinements by which the efficiency of Zhao's approaches can be improved significantly. This is achieved by subdividing the entire integrating range into several sub‐bands, but the sampling interval in each sub‐band is constant. In this way, the computation is accelerated by either applying Clenshaw's recurrence or the Chirp‐Z transform. The efficiency of both accelerating approaches is verified numerically by three examples, which makes Zhao's two approaches practicable. In addition, the history of applying the fast Fourier transform to the Laplace transform is reviewed briefly. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Stimulated emission in nanocrystalline silicon superlattices

We studied the conditions under which optical gain is measured in nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si) using the variable stripe length method. Waveguide samples have been produced by magnetron sputtering of alternating layers of Si and SiO2, followed by high temperature annealing. No optical gain was observed under continuous wave pumping conditions. Under high intensity pulsed excitation, a superlinear fast (10 ns) recombination component yielding an optical gain up to 50 cm−1 has been independently measured in two different laboratories. A control experiment confirmed that the presence of nc-Si is necessary to achieve gain in our structures.
XTBCFE: Stata module to perform bootstrap-corrected Fixed Effects estimation and inference in dynamic panel models

xtbcfe is a bootstrap-corrected fixed effects (LSDV) estimator for dynamic panel data models of general order. It estimates the specified model with the fixed effects estimator and corrects its small T bias (see Nickell, 1981) using a simplified but extended version of the approach presented in Everaert and Pozzi (2007). The algorithm evaluates the bias of the fixed effects estimator in a numerical way to avoid the use of analytical correction formulas. xtbcfe is therefore also applicable to higher order (more than one lag of the dependent variable) models with a potential non-standard error structure. With an appropriate choice of the resampling scheme, xtbcfe can take into account several heteroscedasticity and cross-sectional dependence patterns that would invalidate the standard (analytical) correction methods. Inference can be performed using either parametric or non-parametric bootstrap.
Maskless Lithographic Fine Patterning on Deeply Etched or Slanted Surfaces, and Grayscale Lithography, Using Newly Developed Digital Mirror Device Lithography Equipment

In the trial and research phases, the fabrication of micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS) devices and integrated circuits (ICs) is both lengthy and costly, owing to the demands imposed by the use of photomasks. Maskless lithography techniques, such as electron beam (EB), laser scanning, and digital mirror device (DMD) lithography techniques, are widely used. In the MEMS field, submicron and wiring patterns are often created on uneven structures. We have developed a maskless lithography technique by modifying a DMD with two automatically switchable lenses. The first lens with a magnification power of 10× and a numerical aperture (NA) of 0.3 was used to rapidly expose wide areas, and the second lens with a magnification power of 100× and an NA of 0.9 was used for fine patterning. In the present study, we fabricated submicron patterns, wiring patterns, and alignment marks on slanted and deeply etched surfaces, and three-dimensional photoresist structures using our developed DMD lithography technique.
Efficient Tests of Nonstationary Hypotheses

Abstract This article proposes tests for unit root and other forms of nonstationarity that are asymptotically locally most powerful against a certain class of alternatives and have asymptotic critical values given by the chi-squared distribution. Many existing unit root tests do not share these properties. The alternatives include fractionally and seasonally fractionally differenced processes. There is considerable flexibility in our choice of null hypothesis, which can entail one or more integer or fractional roots of arbitrary order anywhere on the unit circle in the complex plane. For example, we can test for a fractional degree of integration of order 1/2; this can be interpreted as a test for nonstationarity against stationarity. “Overdifferencing” stationary null hypotheses can also be tested. The test statistic is derived via the score principle and is conveniently expressed in the frequency domain. The series tested are regression errors, which, when the hypothesized differencing is correct, are w.
Broadband field rotator based on acoustic metamaterials

We have theoretically designed and experimentally realized a metamaterial-based acoustic field rotator that can be tailored to rotate the acoustic wavefront by a certain angle. For airborne sound, the designed field rotator simply comprises an array of identical plastic plates. The rotation effect and the broadband functionality of the resulting device have been demonstrated both numerically and experimentally. Excellent agreement is observed between the numerical simulation and experimental results. The realization of acoustic field rotator has offered possibility of acoustic manipulation and may have potential application in situations in need of special controls of acoustic wave.
Image Denoising Based on Membrane Energy Filter

The traditional image denoising methods could effectively remove the noise. But the useful information in the detail abundant areas would be thrown off, and the edge appears mistiness. The search for efficient image denoising methods is still a valid challenge in image processing. This paper proposes a method for removing noise with keeping image detail in smoothness areas and detail abundant areas. The main focus of this paper is to define a general mathematical and experimental methodology to compare and classify classical image denoising algorithms. A bivariate rational interpolation with parameters is used in the algorithm. An interpolation surface is constructed using an image data as the interpolation data. According to the maximum and minimum membrane energy value of the interpolation surface, the noise pixel is detected. If it is a noise point, the value is replaced by the rank-ordered mean of the filter window and the membrane energy during noise removal. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms other conventional methods and recently proposed methods in reducing noise and retaining details.
New theoretical and practical aspects of electromagnetic soundings at low induction numbers

This paper presents a theoretical yet practical study of electromagnetic (EM) soundings at low induction numbers for vertical and horizontal magnetic dipoles. The physical model is a heterogeneous half‐space with arbitrary vertical conductivity variations. The study comprises a novel approach for solving forward problems, analytical formulas for inversion, and a practical algorithm for recovering conductivity variations from field measurements. The basis of the theoretical approach is a series representation of the EM field in terms of ascending powers of frequency. At low induction numbers only two terms are required. When substituted into Maxwell's equations, one term in the series can be obtained in terms of the other. Furthermore, if the electrical conductivity varies only with depth, the imaginary part of the field can be obtained from its real part through a differential equation. The real part, which corresponds to zero frequency, plays the role of a distributed source for the frequency‐dependent i.
Field impact insulation testing: Inadequacy of existing normalization methods and proposal for new ratings analogous to those for airborne noise reduction

The field test method for determining the Field Impact Isolation Class (FIIC) rating of a floor/ceiling assembly, prescribed in ASTM E 1007, requires an estimation of the receiving room absorption and the normalization of the receiving room sound pressure levels based on a standard quantity of room absorption. Normalization is intended to remove the effects of receiving room acoustical characteristics, but an analysis of field impact testing indicates that this method has a limited engineering value. The normalization correction is strongly dependent on receiving room volume, does not correlate with the normalization used in airborne sound isolation testing, and can be unreasonably large under certain conditions. The current test method leads to potential errors in engineering judgment, as illustrated by example field tests. By contrast, airborne noise reduction ratings (prescribed in ASTM E 336) are either non-normalized or normalized to a standard reverberation time, which provides significant advantage.
Hepatic failure in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis treated with methotrexate: A case report

Introduction: Chronic liver damage from methotrexate (MTX) is not uncommon, and fatal outcome is rare. We experienced a case of hepatic failure leading to death. We considered the cause of death through this case and proposed a method to prevent the progression of this liver injury. Patient concerns: We report the case of a patient with rheumatoid arthritis treated with MTX for 15 years. Diagnosis, interventions, and outcomes: A liver biopsy revealed histological changes similar to those of advanced nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), most likely induced by MTX. MTX was discontinued after 4 years. Two years after the discontinuation, the patient died of irreversible hepatic failure. Her obesity, complicated by type 2 diabetes mellitus, might have aggravated MTX-induced NASH-like liver injury. Conclusion: Early diagnosis and immediate MTX discontinuation following NASH diagnosis and strict type 2 diabetes mellitus control might have prevented the irreversible progression of liver injury.
Prediction of Visual Impairment in Epiretinal Membrane and Feature Analysis: A Deep Learning Approach Using Optical Coherence Tomography

Purpose: The aim was to develop a deep learning model for predicting the extent of visual impairment in epiretinal membrane (ERM) using optical coherence tomography (OCT) images, and to analyze the associated features. Methods: Six hundred macular OCT images from eyes with ERM and no visually significant media opacity or other retinal diseases were obtained. Those with best-corrected visual acuity ≤20/50 were classified as “profound visual impairment,” while those with best-corrected visual acuity >20/50 were classified as “less visual impairment. ” Ninety percent of images were used as the training data set and 10% were used for testing. Two convolutional neural network models (ResNet-50 and ResNet-18) were adopted for training. The t-distributed stochastic neighbor-embedding approach was used to compare their performances. The Grad-CAM technique was used in the heat map generative phase for feature analysis. Results: During the model development, the training accuracy was 100% in both convolutional neural network models, while the testing accuracy was 70% and 80% for ResNet-18 and ResNet-50, respectively. The t-distributed stochastic neighbor-embedding approach found that the deeper structure (ResNet-50) had better discrimination on OCT characteristics for visual impairment than the shallower structure (ResNet-18). The heat maps indicated that the key features for visual impairment were located mostly in the inner retinal layers of the fovea and parafoveal regions. Conclusions: Deep learning algorithms could assess the extent of visual impairment from OCT images in patients with ERM. Changes in inner retinal layers were found to have a greater impact on visual acuity than the outer retinal changes.