Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase and extended spectrum β-lactamases co-producing isolates are high in community-acquired urinary infections in Assam as detected by a novel multiplex polymerase chain reaction assay

Background: The ability of microorganisms to evade antibiotic pressure is challenging in healthcare as patients have little or no drug treatment options. Detection of the prevalence of antibacterial resistance pattern helps towards improved antibiotic policy and empirical treatment. Objectives: We carried out antibiogram profiling and documented the prevalence and co-prevalence of New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM) and extended spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL) encoding genes in urinary Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumonia isolates. Materials and Methods: Antibiotic susceptibilities were tested for 241 isolates of E. coli and K. pneumoniae from urine samples collected from out- and hospitalised patients. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was carried out on isolates tested positive for phenotypic production of metallo-β-lactamase and ESBL. A multiplex PCR assay was designed to detect the genes. Results: Multiplex PCR assay designed had a limit of detection of 10 3 CFU/mL in vitro. NDM detected was significantly higher among K. pneumoniae compared to E. coli (69.2% vs. 18.2%; P = 0.001). Of 17, 14 NDM positive isolates also harboured ESBL genes. The co-production of CTX-M + TEM + NDM (3/9; 33.3% and 5/8; 62.5%) was most common in K. pneumoniae and E. coli, respectively while CTX-M + TEM + SHV + NDM was found in one isolate. Of the 156 phenotypically ESBL producing isolates, CTX-M, TEM and SHV was detected by PCR in 85, 53 and 24 isolates, respectively. Conclusion: NDM and ESBL co-producing isolates were both community (64.7%) and hospital (35.29%) acquired among E. coli. Antibiotic resistance can be effectively evaluated by a cost and time effective molecular method, such as the multiplex PCR used in this study, which complement culture and sensitivity tests.
PWM rectifier research based on sliding mode variable structure control

Proposed a three-phase voltage PWM rectifiers control plan based on the sliding mode variable structure control theory. After simulate confirmation we can see that the sliding mode variable structure control system has a good robustness and good dynamic performance. At the same time established the three-phase voltage PWM rectifiers control system based on PI algorithm. After simulate confirmation we can also know that its disturbance rejection performance is poor. After comparing the two plans, we can get the conclusion that the three-phase voltage PWM rectifiers control system based on sliding mode variable structure control theory is better than the system based on PI Algorithm.
Strain distribution in small blood vessels with zero-stress state taken into consideration.

The active and passive deformation of a blood vessel is related to the stress in it. Any analysis of stress and strain must begin with the zero-stress state. Recent reports on large blood vessels such as the aorta, pulmonary arteries, and vena cava have shown that, at zero-stress state, blood vessels are not tubes, but opens sectors. This report presents data on the zero-stress state of small blood vessels with lumen diameters down to approximately 50 microns. Zero-stress state of a vessel was obtained by cutting the vessel into rings and then the rings into sectors; each sector is characterized by an opening angle, alpha. In rat ileal and plantar arterioles, the opening angles are in the order of 100-250 degrees; those in the venules are in the order of 50-100 degrees. The effect of norepinephrine on the opening angle alpha is minor; it decreases alpha of the superior mesenteric artery, and increases alpha of the ileocecocolic and ileal arteries. EDTA has little effect on alpha of arteries greater than 100 microns in diameter, but decreases alpha of arteries less than 100 microns. The physiological meaning of the opening angle is demonstrated in terms of the residual strains in a vessel at the no-load state and homeostatic strains at normal blood pressure. The strains in real vessels are compared with those in hypothetical vessels having an opening angle of zero. It is shown that ignoring the opening angle will cause a large error in strain evaluation. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Personality and social context

There has been considerable interest among biologists in the phenomenon of non‐human animal personality in recent years. Consistent variations among individuals in their behavioural responses to ecologically relevant stimuli, often relating to a trade‐off between level of risk and reward, have been recorded in a wide variety of species, representing many animal taxa. Research into behavioural variation among individuals has major implications for our understanding of ecological patterns and processes at scales from the level of the individual to the level of the population. Until recently, however, many studies that have considered the broader ecological implications of animal personality have failed to take into account the crucial moderating effect of social context. It is well documented that social processes, such as conformity and facilitation, exert considerable influence on the behaviour of grouping animals and hence that isolated individuals may often behave in a qualitatively as well as quantitatively different manner to those in groups. Recently, a number of studies have begun to address aspects of this gap in our knowledge and have provided vital insights. In this review we examine the state of our knowledge on the relationship between individual personality and sociality. In doing so we consider the influence of the social context on individual personality responses, the interaction between the collective personalities of group members and the expression of those personalities in the individual, and the influence of the personalities of group members on group structure and function. We propose key areas of focus for future studies in order to develop our understanding of this fundamentally important area.
Interferon-α therapy and Type 1 diabetes mellitus in patients with hepatitis C: pathophysiologic insights

Chronic hepatitis C virus infection is associated with an increased risk for the development of Type 2 diabetes mellitus. Proposed mechanisms include increased insulin resistance, development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and direct infection of the pancreas by hepatitis C virus. However, the development of Type 1 diabetes mellitus is usually associated with interferon-α therapy for hepatitis C virus infection with development of anti-islet cell antibodies. The pathogenetic mechanisms underlying this autoimmune destruction of the pancreas are not completely understood. In this review the authors discuss hepatitis C virus and Type 1 diabetes, highlighting the role of interferon-α therapy in the development of Type 1 diabetes in hepatitis C virus-infected patients. The mechanisms of action of interferon-α related to the development of Type 1 diabetes in this patient population will also be discussed.
Heat Shock Protein 90 Associates with the Per-Arnt-Sim Domain of Heme-free Soluble Guanylate Cyclase

Background: hsp90β binds to heme-free sGCβ1 subunit to enable heme insertion during maturation, but the mechanism is unclear. Results: Their interaction involves the hsp90β M domain and the Per-Arnt-Sim (PAS) domain of apo-sGCβ1. Conclusion: hsp90β may modulate the apo-sGCβ1 through its PAS domain, suggesting a means to aid heme insertion. Significance: This work expands our knowledge of how hsp90 regulates PAS-containing client proteins like sGC. Heat shock protein 90 (hsp90) drives heme insertion into the β1 subunit of soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) β1, which enables it to associate with a partner sGCα1 subunit and mature into a nitric oxide (NO)-responsive active form. We utilized fluorescence polarization measurements and hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry to define molecular interactions between the specific human isoforms hsp90β and apo-sGCβ1. hsp90β and its isolated M domain, but not its isolated N and C domains, bind with low micromolar affinity to a heme-free, truncated version of sGCβ1 (sGCβ1(1–359)-H105F). Surprisingly, hsp90β and its M domain bound to the Per-Arnt-Sim (PAS) domain of apo-sGC-β1(1–359), which lies adjacent to its heme-binding (H-NOX) domain. The interaction specifically involved solvent-exposed regions in the hsp90β M domain that are largely distinct from sites utilized by other hsp90 clients. The interaction strongly protected two regions of the sGCβ1 PAS domain and caused local structural relaxation in other regions, including a PAS dimerization interface and a segment in the H-NOX domain. Our results suggest a means by which the hsp90β interaction could prevent apo-sGCβ1 from associating with its partner sGCα1 subunit while enabling structural changes to assist heme insertion into the H-NOX domain. This mechanism would parallel that in other clients like the aryl hydrocarbon receptor and HIF1α, which also interact with hsp90 through their PAS domains to control protein partner and small ligand binding interactions.
Characterization of the 70-kDa Peroxisomal Membrane Protein, an ATP Binding Cassette Transporter*

The 70-kDa peroxisomal membrane protein (PMP70) is one of the major components of rat liver peroxisomal membranes and belongs to a superfamily of proteins known as ATP binding cassette transporters. PMP70 is markedly induced by administration of hypolipidemic agents in parallel with peroxisome proliferation and induction of peroxisomal fatty acid β-oxidation enzymes. To characterize the role of PMP70 in biogenesis and function of peroxisomes, we transfected the cDNA of rat PMP70 into Chinese hamster ovary cells and established cell lines stably expressing PMP70. The content of PMP70 in the transfectants increased about 5-fold when compared with the control cells. A subcellular fractionation study showed that overexpressed PMP70 was enriched in peroxisomes. This peroxisomal localization was confirmed by immunofluorescence and immunoelectron microscopy. The number of immuno-gold particles corresponding to PMP70 on peroxisomes increased markedly in the transfectants, but the size and the number of peroxisomes were essentially the same in both the transfectants and the control cells. β-Oxidation of palmitic acid increased about 2–3-fold in the transfectants, whereas the oxidation of lignoceric acid decreased about 30–40%. When intact peroxisomes prepared from both the cell lines were incubated with palmitoyl-CoA, oxidation was stimulated with ATP, but the degree of the stimulation was higher in the transfectants than in the control cells. Furthermore, we established three Chinese hamster ovary cell lines stably expressing mutant PMP70. In these cells, β-oxidation of palmitic acid decreased markedly. These results suggest that PMP70 is involved in metabolic transport of long chain acyl-CoA across peroxisomal membranes and that increase of PMP70 is not associated with proliferation of peroxisomes.
A practical strategy to layout adjustment of mobile robot based reconfigurable material handling system

The reconfiguration process, i.e. the layout adjustment, of a reconfigurable material handling system (RMHS) plays an important role in the planning of a reconfigurable manufacturing system (RMS). This paper gives a new definition of RMHS, and presents a novel method based on graph theory and logic calculus for configuration modelling of a robot-based RMHS. The method is developed with full consideration of the reconfigurablility of robot and the system respectively at machine-level and system-level. To tackle the reconfiguration problem of a RMHS, an indirect method including two stages is developed. Firstly according to the material handling task, the optional configurations can be deducted by adopting first-order logic calculus. Secondly the discrete dynamic programming with a novel stage partition strategy is investigated to select appropriate configurations for the completion of the reconfiguration process of the RMHS. Numerical study demonstrates that the robot-based RMHS of practical sizes can be effectively and rapidly reconfigured to accommodate transportation changes.
Field oriented control with space vector modulation for induction machine fed by diode clamped three level inverter

In this work a field oriented control (FOC) method is used, in combination with a multilevel inverter, in order to control the speed of an induction machine. A three level diode clamped inverter (DCI) is used, instead of a cascaded multilevel inverter which is the usual solution. A direct stator flux oriented control scheme has been implemented in order to achieve fast and accurate control. Also, the use of the control system to eliminate the impact of the DC link voltage unbalance on the torque of the induction machine is examined. In order to investigate the performance of the proposed system, a detailed model, in SIMULINK, has been developed.
Vibration-Induced Nystagmus: A Biomarker for Vestibular Deficits - A Synopsis

A review of more than 20 years of experience with vibratory stimulation in vestibular diseases is given. Vibrations in a frequency frame of 30-60 Hz are applied on the mastoid during 20 s. Eye movements are recorded by video-oculography to detect a vibration-induced nystagmus (VIN). A VIN occurs in cases of a side difference between the peripheral vestibular receptors beating to the side of better excitability. In patients with central lesions, a VIN does not appear generally, only exceptionally if the lesion is located laterally in the brain stem. In healthy subjects, a VIN does not occur. The VIN can be considered as an additional tool to detect a peripheral side difference and can reduce the need for caloric stimulation.
Molecular genetic analysis of non‐astrocytic gliomas

Oligodendroglial tumours follow genetic pathways different from but overlapping with those of astrocytic tumours. The aim of this study was to examine whether major genetic events such as loss of chromosome 10 and p53 mutation found in astrocytic gliomas are also involved in the development and anaplastic transformation of non‐astrocytic gliomas and to correlate the findings with histopathological subtypes of these tumours.
Better parameters of ventilation-CO₂output relationship predict death in CHF patients.

OBJECTIVE Measures of ventilation-CO₂output relationship have been shown to be more prognostic than peak O₂uptake in assessing life expectancy in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). Because both the ratios (VE/Vco₂) and slopes (VE-vs-Vco₂) of ventilation-co₂ output of differing durations can be used, we aim to ascertain which measurements best predicted CHF life expectancy. METHODS Two hundred and seventy-one CHF patients with NYHA class II-IV underwent incremental cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) and were followed-up for a median duration of 479 days. Four different linear regression VE-vs- Vco₂ slopes were calculated from warm-up exercise onset to: 180 s, anaerobic threshold (AT), ventilatory compensation point (VCP); and peak exercise. Five VE/Vco₂ ratios were calculated for the following durations: rest (120 s), warm-up (30 s), AT (60 s), lowest value (90 s), and peak exercise (30 s). Death or heart transplant were considered end-points. Multiple statistical analyses were performed. RESULTS CHF patients had high lowest VE/Vco₂ (41.0 ± 9.2, 141 ± 30%pred), high VE/Vco₂ at AT (42.5 ± 10.4, 145 ± 35%pred), and high VE-vs-Vco₂ slope to VCP (37.6 ± 12.1, 126 ± 41%pred). The best predictor of death was a higher lowest VE/Vco₂ (≥ 42, ≥ 141%pred), whereas the VE-vs-Vco₂slope to VCP was less variable than other slopes. For death prognosis in 6 months, %pred values were superior: for longer times, absolute values were superior. CONCLUSION The increased lowest VE/Vco₂ ratio easily identifiable and simply measured during exercise, is the best measurement to assess the ventilation-co₂output relationship in prognosticating death in CHF patients.
Understanding the Causes and Prevention of Menstrual Migraine: The Role of Estrogen

Menstruation increases the risk of migraine in susceptible women. In a subpopulation of women with menstrual migraine, headaches occurring in association with onset of menses may be more severe and of longer duration than headaches experienced by the same woman at other times of her menstrual cycle. Although menstrual migraines share many clinical characteristics of other types of migraines, their occurrence is predictable provided that the patient has regular menstrual cycles. Therefore, short‐term prevention regimens can be considered for women whose headaches are not adequately managed with acute therapies.
Glutamate Acts as a Partial Inverse Agonist to Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor with a Single Amino Acid Mutation in the Transmembrane Domain*

Background: Conformational change of transmembrane domain of mGluR upon glutamate binding is unknown. Results: Moderate steric hindrance between helices VI and VII of mGluR caused constitutive activation and severe steric hindrance caused deactivation. Conclusion: Proper outward movement of helix VI is a critical determinant of activation of mGluR like rhodopsin. Significance: Underlying activation mechanism is common across families of GPCRs. Metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR), a prototypical family 3 G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), has served as a model for studying GPCR dimerization, and growing evidence has revealed that a glutamate-induced dimeric rearrangement promotes activation of the receptor. However, structural information of the seven-transmembrane domain is severely limited, in contrast to the well studied family 1 GPCRs including rhodopsins and adrenergic receptors. Homology modeling of mGluR8 transmembrane domain with rhodopsin as a template suggested the presence of a conserved water-mediated hydrogen-bonding network between helices VI and VII, which presumably constrains the receptor in an inactive conformation. We therefore conducted a mutational analysis to assess structural similarities between mGluR and family 1 GPCRs. Mutational experiments confirmed that the disruption of the hydrogen-bonding network by T789Y6.43 mutation induced high constitutive activity. Unexpectedly, this high constitutive activity was suppressed by glutamate, the natural agonist ligand, indicating that glutamate acts as a partial inverse agonist to this mutant. Fluorescence energy transfer analysis of T789Y6.43 suggested that the glutamate-induced reduction of the activity originated not from the dimeric rearrangement but from conformational changes within each protomer. Double mutational analysis showed that the specific interaction between Tyr-7896.43 and Gly-8317.45 in T789Y6.43 mutant was important for this phenotype. Therefore, the present study is consistent with the notion that the metabotropic glutamate receptor shares a common activation mechanism with family 1 GPCRs, where rearrangement between helices VI and VII causes the active state formation.
Dose-volume histogram analysis for risk factors of radiation-induced rib fracture after hypofractionated proton beam therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma

Abstract Background. Radiation-induced rib fracture has been reported as a late complication after external radiotherapy to the chest. The purpose of this study was to clarify the characteristics and risk factors of rib fracture after hypofractionated proton beam therapy (PBT). Material and methods. The retrospective study comprised 67 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who were treated using PBT of 66 Cobalt-Gray-equivalents [Gy (RBE)] in 10 fractions. We analyzed the patients’ characteristics and determined dose-volume histograms (DVHs) for the irradiated ribs, and then estimated relationships between risk of fracture and several dose-volume parameters. An irradiated rib was defined to be any rib included in the area irradiated by PBT as determined by treatment-planning computed tomography. Results. Among the 67 patients, a total of 310 ribs were identified as irradiated ribs. Twenty-seven (8.7%) of the irradiated ribs developed fractures in 11 patients (16.4%). No significant relationships were seen between incidence of fracture and characteristics of patients, including sex, age, tumor size, tumor site, and follow-up period (p ≥ 0.05). The results of receiver operating characteristic curve analysis using DVH parameters demonstrated that the largest area under the curve (AUC) was observed for the volume of rib receiving a biologically effective dose of more than 60 Gy3 (RBE) (V60) [The equivalent dose in 2 Gy fractions (EQD2); 36 Gy3] and the AUCs of V30 to V120 (EQD2; 18–72 Gy3) and Dmax to D10cm3 were similar to that of V60. No significant relationships were seen for DVH parameters and intervals from PBT to incidence of fracture. Conclusion. DVH parameters are useful in predicting late adverse events of rib irradiation. This study identified that V60 was a most statistically significant parameter, and V30 to V120 and Dmax to D10cm3 were also significant and clinically useful for estimating the risk of rib fracture after hypofractionated PBT.
Passive smoking alters lipid profiles in adolescents.

Although cigarette smoking is associated with elevation of plasma lipid levels and changes in lipoprotein distribution, it is not known whether passive smoking is associated with an alteration in lipid profiles. The relation between plasma cotinine, a marker of exposure to tobacco smoke, and lipid profiles was studied in healthy adolescents from a suburban New York high school district who were undergoing preparticipation sports physicals. Forty-four percent of the adolescents reported that one or both parents currently smoked. Eleven percent of the adolescents had plasma cotinine concentrations greater than or equal to 2.5 ng/mL, the level considered indicative of exposure. Adolescents with two smoking parents had significantly higher plasma cotinine concentrations after adjustment for other factors than adolescents whose parents did not smoke. Plasma cotinine concentration greater than or equal to 2.5 ng/mL was associated with an 8.9% greater ratio of total cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P less than .003) and a 6.8% lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P less than .03). These results suggest that passive smoking, like active smoking, leads to alterations in lipid profiles predictive of an increased risk of atherosclerosis.
Multichannel linear and quadratic adaptive filtering based on the Chandrasekhar fast algorithm

A new fast algorithm for multichannel linear and quadratic adaptive filtering using the Chandrasekhar equations is presented. Based on the shift-invariance property, the multichannel linear model could be described by a time-invariant state-space model to which we apply the Chandrasekhar factorization technique, which provides interesting numerical properties. Furthermore, a new method for nonlinear filtering is given where the multichannel Chandrasekhar algorithm is applied on the second-order Volterra (SOV) filter after suitable transformations.
Targets for Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction

Heart failure (HF) with preserved ejection fraction (HFPEF) is responsible for half of all HF cases and will be the most common form of HF within the next 5 years. Previous studies of pharmacological agents in HFPEF have proved neutral or negative, in part due to phenotypic heterogeneity and complex underlying mechanisms. This review summarizes the key molecular and cellular pathways characterized in HFPEF as well as current and future therapies that target these mechanisms.