Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Variability of Burkholderia pseudomallei Strain Sensitivities to Chlorine Disinfection

ABSTRACT Burkholderia pseudomallei is a select agent and the causative agent of melioidosis. Variations in previously reported chlorine and monochloramine concentration time (Ct) values for disinfection of this organism make decisions regarding the appropriate levels of chlorine in water treatment systems difficult. This study identified the variation in Ct values for 2-, 3-, and 4-log10 reductions of eight environmental and clinical isolates of B. pseudomallei in phosphate-buffered water. The greatest calculated Ct values for a 4-log10 inactivation were 7.8 mg·min/liter for free available chlorine (FAC) at pH 8 and 5°C and 550 mg·min/liter for monochloramine at pH 8 and 5°C. Ionic strength of test solutions, culture hold times in water, and cell washing were ruled out as sources of the differences in prior observations. Tolerance to FAC was correlated with the relative amount of extracellular material produced by each isolate. Solid-phase cytometry analysis using an esterase-cleaved fluorochrome assay detected a 2-log10-higher level of organisms based upon metabolic activity than did culture, which in some cases increased Ct values by fivefold. Despite strain-to-strain variations in Ct values of 17-fold for FAC and 2.5-fold for monochloramine, standard FAC disinfection practices utilized in the United States should disinfect planktonic populations of these B. pseudomallei strains by 4 orders of magnitude in less than 10 min at the tested temperatures and pH levels.
Importance of Type II Secretion for Survival of Legionella pneumophila in Tap Water and in Amoebae at Low Temperatures

ABSTRACT Legionella pneumophila type II secretion mutants showed reduced survival in both tap water at 4 to 17°C and aquatic amoebae at 22 to 25°C. Wild-type supernatants stimulated the growth of these mutants, indicating that secreted factors promote low-temperature survival. There was a correlation between low-temperature survival and secretion function when 12 additional Legionella species were examined.
Variational image-based rendering with gradient constraints

Multi-view image-based rendering consists in generating a novel view of a scene from a set of source views. In general, this works by first doing a coarse 3D reconstruction of the scene, and then using this reconstruction to establish correspondences between source and target views, followed by blending the warped views to get the final image. Unfortunately, discontinuities in the blending weights, due to scene geometry or camera placement, result in artifacts in the target view. In this paper, we show how to avoid these artifacts by imposing additional constraints on the image gradients of the novel view. We propose a variational framework in which an energy functional is derived and optimized by iteratively solving a linear system. We demonstrate this method on several structured and unstructured multi-view datasets, and show that it numerically outperforms state-of-the-art methods, and eliminates artifacts that result from visibility discontinuities.
Interaction between 2,4-Diacetylphloroglucinol- and Hydrogen Cyanide-Producing Pseudomonas brassicacearum LBUM300 and Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis in the Tomato Rhizosphere

ABSTRACT We have previously demonstrated that inoculation of tomato plants with 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol (DAPG)- and hydrogen cyanide (HCN)-producing Pseudomonas brassicacearum LBUM300 could significantly reduce bacterial canker symptoms caused by Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis. In this study, in order to better characterize the population dynamics of LBUM300 in the rhizosphere of tomato plants, we characterized the role played by DAPG and HCN production by LBUM300 on rhizosphere colonization of healthy and C. michiganensis subsp. michiganensis-infected tomato plants. The impact of C. michiganensis subsp. michiganensis presence on the expression of DAPG and HCN biosynthetic genes in the rhizosphere was also examined. In planta assays were performed using combinations of C. michiganensis subsp. michiganensis and wild-type LBUM300 or DAPG (LBUM300ΔphlD) or HCN (LBUM300ΔhcnC) isogenic mutant strains. Populations of LBUM300 and phlD and hcnC gene expression levels were quantified in rhizosphere soil at several time points up to 264 h postinoculation using culture-independent quantitative PCR (qPCR) and reverse transcriptase quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) TaqMan assays, respectively. The presence of C. michiganensis subsp. michiganensis significantly increased rhizospheric populations of LBUM300. In C. michiganensis subsp. michiganensis-infected tomato rhizospheres, the populations of wild-type LBUM300 and strain LBUM300ΔhcnC, both producing DAPG, were significantly higher than the population of strain LBUM300ΔphlD. A significant upregulation of phlD expression was observed in the presence of C. michiganensis subsp. michiganensis, while hcnC expression was only slightly increased in the mutant strain LBUM300ΔphlD when C. michiganensis subsp. michiganensis was present. Additionally, biofilm production was found to be significantly reduced in strain LBUM300ΔphlD compared to the wild-type and LBUM300ΔhcnC strains. IMPORTANCE The results of this study suggest that C. michiganensis subsp. michiganensis infection of tomato plants contributes to increasing rhizospheric populations of LBUM300, a biocontrol agent, as well as the overexpression of the DAPG biosynthetic operon in this bacterium. The increasing rhizospheric populations of LBUM300 represent one of the key factors in controlling C. michiganensis subsp. michiganensis in tomato plants, as DAPG-producing bacteria have shown the ability to decrease bacterial canker symptoms in tomato plants.
The Team Physician's Handbook

The book's outline format is ideal for quick scanning and retrieval of needed information. Subjects which lend themselves to visuals, such as taping and bracing, are heavily illustrated and radiographs are supplied in several chapters. Fourteen new chapters in this edition cover setting up a high school sports medicine program, medical coverage for Special Olympics Games, high altitude training and competition, overtraining, exercise addiction, infection in athletes, anemia in athletes, renal and genitourinary problems, gastrointestinal problems, stress fractures, ice hockey, martial arts, and administration and medical management of mass participation endurance events.
Involvement of Multiple Loci in Quorum Quenching of Autoinducer I Molecules in the Nitrogen-Fixing Symbiont Rhizobium (Sinorhizobium) sp. Strain NGR234

ABSTRACT Rhizobium sp. strain NGR234 is a unique alphaproteobacterium (order Rhizobiales) that forms nitrogen-fixing nodules with more legumes than any other microsymbiont. Since we have previously described the complete genome sequence of NGR234, we now report on a genome-wide functional analysis of the genes and enzymes involved in autoinducer I hydrolysis in this microbe. Altogether we identified five cosmid clones that repeatedly gave a positive result in our function-based approach for the detection of autoinducer I hydrolase genes. Of these five cosmid clones, two were located on pNGR234b and three were on cNGR234. Subcloning and in vitro mutagenesis in combination with BLAST analyses identified the corresponding open reading frames (ORFs) of all cosmid clones: dlhR, qsdR1, qsdR2, aldR, and hitR-hydR. Analyses of recombinant DlhR and QsdR1 proteins by using high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) demonstrate that these enzymes function as acyl homoserine lactone (AHL) lactonases. Furthermore, we showed that these enzymes inhibited biofilm formation and other quorum-sensing-dependent processes in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Chromobacterium violaceum, and Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Finally, our experimental data suggest that competitive colonization of roots in the rhizospheres of cowpea plants is affected by DlhR and QsdR1.
Gay Men and HIV/AIDS Risk Management

This article presents a framework through which changes in the management of HIV/AIDS risks among British gay men may be conceptualized. Three distinct periods of risk management are outlined. First, a ‘confused’ period in which the aetiology of AIDS and its cultural impact were poorly understood. Second, a ‘somatic’ period is described in which discourses linking HIV risk to the body became prevalent (following the ‘discovery’ of the HIV virus). Finally a third, ‘technological’ period is described which stresses the impact of recent social and medical technologies in the contemporary management of both HIV and AIDS risks. The privatization, fluidity and development of HIV and AIDS ‘risks’ are discussed with particular reference to notions of surveillance medicine, processes of ‘othering’ and the attribution of both responsibility and blame.
Development of a patient-centered conceptual model of the impact of living with autism spectrum disorder

The aim of this study was to generate a patient-centered conceptual model of the impact of living with autism spectrum disorder, which can be used to support the selection of outcome measures for clinical trials. Following an initial literature review to identify preliminary concepts and inform an interview guide, in-depth face-to-face interviews were conducted with adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorder (IQ ⩾ 70) (n = 10), as well as parents of children, adolescents, and adults with autism spectrum disorder (IQ ⩾ 70) (n = 26). Data were analyzed using established qualitative research methods. The resultant conceptual model contains three interrelated domains reflecting core symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (communication deficits, socialization deficits, and restrictive, repetitive patterns of behavior), three domains reflecting associated symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (physical, cognitive, and emotional/behavioral), and three domains representing the impacts of living with autism spectrum disorder (impacts on activities of daily living, school/work, and social life). Interview respondents also cited social communication deficits as priority targets for new treatments. The conceptual model provides a patient-centered perspective of relevant concepts of autism spectrum disorder from the perspectives of people with autism spectrum disorder and their parents and offers a valuable tool for identifying valid patient-centered outcome measures for future clinical trials.
Associations between cooperation, reactive aggression and social impairments among boys with autism spectrum disorder

Cooperation is a fundamental human ability that seems to be inversely related to aggressive behaviour in typical development. However, there is no knowledge whether similar association holds for children with autism spectrum disorder. A total of 27 boys with autism spectrum disorder and their gender, age and total score intelligence matched controls were studied in order to determine associations between cooperation, reactive aggression and autism spectrum disorder–related social impairments. The participants performed a modified version of the Prisoner’s Dilemma task and the Pulkkinen Aggression Machine which measure dimensions of trust, trustworthiness and self-sacrifice in predisposition to cooperate, and inhibition of reactive aggression in the absence and presence of situational cues, respectively. Autism spectrum disorder severity–related Autism Diagnostic Interview-algorithm scores were ascertained by interviewing the parents of the participants with a semi-structured parental interview (Developmental, Dimensional and Diagnostic Interview). The results showed that albeit the boys with autism spectrum disorder were able to engage in reciprocation and cooperation regardless of their social impairments, their cooperativeness was positively associated with lower levels of reactive aggression and older age. Thus, strengthening inhibition mechanisms that regulate reactive aggression might make boys with autism spectrum disorder more likely to prefer mutual gain over self-interest in cooperation.
Distribution of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis in Soil of a Swiss Wetland Reserve after 22 Years of Mosquito Control

ABSTRACT Recurrent treatments with Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis are required to control the floodwater mosquito Aedes vexans that breeds in large numbers in the wetlands of the Bolle di Magadino Reserve in Canton Ticino, Switzerland. Interventions have been carried out since 1988. In the present study, the spatial distribution of resting B. thuringiensis subsp. israelensis spores in the soil was measured. The B. thuringiensis subsp. israelensis concentration was determined in soil samples collected along six transects covering different elevations within the periodically flooded zones. A total of 258 samples were processed and analyzed by quantitative PCR that targeted an identical fragment of 159 bp for the B. thuringiensis subsp. israelensis cry4Aa and cry4Ba genes. B. thuringiensis subsp. israelensis spores were found to persist in soils of the wetland reserve at concentrations of up to 6.8 log per gram of soil. Continuous accumulation due to regular treatments could be excluded, as the decrease in spores amounted to 95.8% (95% confidence interval, 93.9 to 97.7%). The distribution of spores was correlated to the number of B. thuringiensis subsp. israelensis treatments, the elevation of the sampling point, and the duration of the flooding periods. The number of B. thuringiensis subsp. israelensis treatments was the major factor influencing the distribution of spores in the different topographic zones (P < 0.0001). These findings indicated that B. thuringiensis subsp. israelensis spores are rather immobile after their introduction into the environment.
Protection of Arabidopsis thaliana against Leaf-Pathogenic Pseudomonas syringae by Sphingomonas Strains in a Controlled Model System

ABSTRACT Diverse bacterial taxa live in association with plants without causing deleterious effects. Previous analyses of phyllosphere communities revealed the predominance of few bacterial genera on healthy dicotyl plants, provoking the question of whether these commensals play a particular role in plant protection. Here, we tested two of them, Methylobacterium and Sphingomonas, with respect to their ability to diminish disease symptom formation and the proliferation of the foliar plant pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 on Arabidopsis thaliana. Plants were grown under gnotobiotic conditions in the absence or presence of the potential antagonists and then challenged with the pathogen. No effect of Methylobacterium strains on disease development was observed. However, members of the genus Sphingomonas showed a striking plant-protective effect by suppressing disease symptoms and diminishing pathogen growth. A survey of different Sphingomonas strains revealed that most plant isolates protected A. thaliana plants from developing severe disease symptoms. This was not true for Sphingomonas strains isolated from air, dust, or water, even when they reached cell densities in the phyllosphere comparable to those of the plant isolates. This suggests that plant protection is common among plant-colonizing Sphingomonas spp. but is not a general trait conserved within the genus Sphingomonas. The carbon source profiling of representative isolates revealed differences between protecting and nonprotecting strains, suggesting that substrate competition plays a role in plant protection by Sphingomonas. However, other mechanisms cannot be excluded at this time. In conclusion, the ability to protect plants as shown here in a model system may be an unexplored, common trait of indigenous Sphingomonas spp. and may be of relevance under natural conditions.
Effectiveness of β-carotene in cancer chemoprevention

: This article reviews the current knowledge on the cancer-preventive potential of beta-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A, and plentiful in fruits and vegetables, which has been studied widely as a promising chemopreventive agent in reducing the risk of cancer in humans. Several retrospective and prospective epidemiological investigations have demonstrated that a diet rich in micronutrients such as vitamins, carotenoids and selenium, could prevent the arising, in 'high-risk' patients, of precancerous and neoplastic lesions of specific sites, particularly of the upper aerodigestive tract. Numerous in vitro expressions have been performed in order to verify the true role played by this agent on cell proliferation and differentiation; until now, findings have been very encouraging, uniformly showing the beta-carotene can affect carcinogenesis, particularly in early stages, through an antigenotoxic action. Antioxidant functions, immunomodulatory effects and control of intercellular messages via gap junctions are possible action mechanisms of the ability of beta-carotene to block the carcinogenetic process. In vivo animal studies partially confirm the results obtained in vitro showing that beta-carotene is able to reduce the induce cancer development; moreover, the association of the carotenoid with other microelements, such as vitamins E, C and glutathione often appears to be more effective than each agent used alone. From a clinical point of view, beta-carotene appears an 'ideal' agent to be used in chemoprevention trials in humans, although optimal doses and intake methods need to be better defined; its almost zero toxicity permits the long-term administration of the drug, a vital condition for its anti-cancer activity, with good patient compliance. Human intervention studies performed so far, both randomized and uncontrolled clinical trials, have showed positive findings in specific cancer sites such as oral cavity, head and neck and colon; less consistent or negative are results on skin, lung and oesophagus cancer. The ongoing studies will provide more answer on these issues. A definitive evaluation of the ability of beta-carotene to prevent cancer in human requires further controlled trials; studies on a larger spectrum of cancer sites and different stages of disease must be encouraged. In addition, further investigation on biomarkers related to cancer risk and cancer incidence are necessary, particularly focused on the measurements for genotoxic damage, eg micronuclei, that may provide a valid and 'easy' marker for early stage carcinogenesis.
Oral assessment of children with autism spectrum disorder in Rawalpindi, Pakistan

Comparison of oral health status, dental needs and dietary habits of children with autism and their healthy siblings. In this cross-sectional study, oral hygiene measures, sugar consumption and dental examination of 58 Pakistani children with autism spectrum disorder were assessed and compared to 27 of their siblings without autism spectrum disorder. Questionnaires were distributed to their parents regarding oral hygiene measures, dietary habits and past dental experiences. Clinical examination for the presence of dental caries, periodontal disease or parafunctional habits was carried out and findings were associated with the mother’s education. Children with autism had a higher incidence of caries (50%) as compared to their healthy siblings (22.2%). Significant differences were observed between the groups regarding frequency of brushing and independent brushing. Dental plaque was observed on anterior teeth in 24% children with autism spectrum disorder as compared to 14% in the control group. Trauma due to self-injurious behaviour and bruxism was also recorded and compliance during clinical examination was noted in children with autism spectrum disorder. There was no significant difference in sugar consumption between children with autism spectrum disorder and their healthy siblings. Children with autism had greater dental needs and were more prone to developing dental problems as compared to their healthy siblings.
An integrated approach for robot training using Kinect and human arm kinematics

In this paper, a new approach based on amalgamation of Kinect based motion sensing system and human arm kinematics is proposed for motion control of an industrial robot. The proposed approach makes use of the human arm motion during task demonstration to attain positional control over robot motion. To achieve this, the human arm configurations from demonstration workspace are mapped to the robot workspace by integrating the incremental inverse kinematic models of the human arm and robot with the Kinect. The proposed method is implemented on an industrial robot showing hand path imitation in real time. The performance of the proposed approach is evaluated on the basis of reproduction of the geometrical path and repeatability in task imitation. The experimental results obtained indicate that the method provides a consistent way to control robot motion by utilizing natural motions of the human arm.
Communities of clinical practice: the social organization of clinical learning

The social organization of clinical learning is under-theorized in the sociological literature on the social organization of health care. Professional scopes of practice and jurisdictions are formally defined by professional principles and standards and reflected in legislation; however, these are mediated through the day-to-day clinical activities of social groupings of clinical teams. The activities of health service providers typically occur within communities of clinical practice. These are also major sites for clinical curriculum delivery, where clinical students learn not only clinical skills but also how to be health professionals. In this article, we apply Wenger's model of social learning within organizations to curriculum delivery within a health service setting. Here, social participation is the basis of learning. We suggest that it offers a powerful framework for recognizing and explaining paradox and incongruence in clinical teaching and learning, and also for recognizing opportunities, and devising means, to add value to students' learning experiences.
Two Novel Alkane Hydroxylase-Rubredoxin Fusion Genes Isolated from a Dietzia Bacterium and the Functions of Fused Rubredoxin Domains in Long-Chain n-Alkane Degradation

ABSTRACT Two alkane hydroxylase-rubredoxin fusion gene homologs (alkW1 and alkW2) were cloned from a Dietzia strain, designated DQ12-45-1b, which can grow on crude oil and n-alkanes ranging in length from 6 to 40 carbon atoms as sole carbon sources. Both AlkW1 and AlkW2 have an integral-membrane alkane monooxygenase (AlkB) conserved domain and a rubredoxin (Rd) conserved domain which are fused together. Phylogenetic analysis showed that these two AlkB-fused Rd domains formed a novel third cluster with all the Rds from the alkane hydroxylase-rubredoxin fusion gene clusters in Gram-positive bacteria and that this third cluster was distant from the known AlkG1- and AlkG2-type Rds. Expression of the alkW1 gene in DQ12-45-1b was induced when cells were grown on C8 to C32 n-alkanes as sole carbon sources, but expression of the alkW2 gene was not detected. Functional heterologous expression in an alkB deletion mutant of Pseudomonas fluorescens KOB2Δ1 suggested the alkW1 could restore the growth of KOB2Δ1 on C14 and C16 n-alkanes and induce faster growth on C18 to C32 n-alkanes than alkW1ΔRd, the Rd domain deletion mutant gene of alkW1, which also caused faster growth than KOB2Δ1 itself. In addition, the artificial fusion of AlkB from the Gram-negative P. fluorescens CHA0 and the Rds from both Gram-negative P. fluorescens CHA0 and Gram-positive Dietzia sp. DQ12-45-1b significantly increased the degradation of C32 alkane compared to that seen with AlkB itself. In conclusion, the alkW1 gene cloned from Dietzia species encoded an alkane hydroxylase which increased growth on and degradation of n-alkanes up to C32 in length, with its fused rubredoxin domain being necessary to maintain the functions. In addition, the fusion of alkane hydroxylase and rubredoxin genes from both Gram-positive and -negative bacteria can increase the degradation of long-chain n-alkanes (such as C32) in the Gram-negative bacterium.