Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of Amino Acid Alterations in Penicillin-Binding Proteins (PBPs) 1a, 2b, and 2x on PBP Affinities of Penicillin, Ampicillin, Amoxicillin, Cefditoren, Cefuroxime, Cefprozil, and Cefaclor in 18 Clinical Isolates of Penicillin-Susceptible, -Intermediate, and -Resistant Pneumococci

ABSTRACT Amino acid alterations in or flanking conserved motifs making up the active binding sites of penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) 1a, 2b, and 2x of pneumococci were correlated with changes in affinities of penicillin, ampicillin, amoxicillin, cefditoren, cefuroxime, cefprozil, and cefaclor for these PBPs. Four penicillin-susceptible (PSSP), eight penicillin-intermediate (PISP), and six penicillin-resistant (PRSP) pneumococci were studied by DNA sequencing of the penicillin-binding sites of the pbp1a, -2x, and -2b genes of strains and by determining 50% inhibitory concentrations of the seven agents for PBP1a, -2x, and -2b. Two PSSP strains had alterations in PBP2x (L546→V) (one strain) or PBP2b (T445→A) (one strain). All eight PISP strains had at least two alterations--T338→P or A or H394→Y in PBP2X and T445→A in BPB2b. All PRSP strains had the same changes seen in PISP strains, as well as T371→A or S substitutions in PBP1a. The two most resistant PRSP strains had a second change in PBP2x (M339→F) in a conserved motif. The affinities of penicillin and ampicillin for all three PBPs were decreased for PRSP and most PISP strains. The affinity of amoxicillin for PBP1a and -2x was decreased only for PRSP. Cefaclor and cefprozil showed decreased affinity of PRSP but not PISP for all three PBPs. Cefuroxime showed decreased affinity of PISP and PRSP for PBP1a and -2x but no change for PBP2b. Cefditoren showed no difference in PBP affinity based on penicillin or cefditoren MICs, indicating a different PBP target for this agent. Overall, the MICs for and PBP affinities of the strains correlated with the changes found in the PBP active binding sites.
Average frequency dependence of polarization-mode dispersion

We present a numerical analysis of the average frequency dependence of a Jones matrix describing polarization-mode dispersion (PMD) with arbitrarily large differential group delay (DGD). Using a properly oriented autocorrelation matrix, we calculate the relative frequency dependence of the phase delays in the principal states of polarization (PSP) and of the cross coupling between the PSPs. Our results show that the averaged frequency dependence of these components scales with the product of the relative optical frequency times the average DGD. We also find a previously unknown correlation between the third-order PMD vector and the cross product of the first- and second-order PMD vector.
Institutions, Trade Policy and Trade Flows

This paper analyses to which extent domestic institutions affect trade flows. We use two complementary approaches, one focusing on the size of total trade flows and one focusing on bilateral trade patterns (gravity equation). Besides, we control for two other domestic policy variables: trade policy and domestic infrastructure. We find that the quality of institutions has a positive and significant impact on a country's level of openness. Domestic tariffs have no statistically significant impact on their own, but do affect total trade flows when combined with good institutions. Domestic institutions also have a positive and significant impact on bilateral trade flows, but the parameter of our institution variables is reduced by almost a half and may turn insignificant when the quality of domestic infrastructure is included in the regression.
Melody Morphing Method Based on GTTM

This paper describes a melody morphing method that generates an intermediate melody between a melody and another melody with a systematic order according to a certain numerical measure. Conventional music sequence software only operates on the surface structure of music, such as its notes and rests. The time-span tree, which is acquired from the music surface by using a music theory called GTTM (Generative Theory of Tonal Music), enables us to analyze the deeper structure. Our method makes it possible for one melody to be morphed into another melody by using a melody divisional reduction that applies meet and join operations to the GTTM timespan trees. Experimental results show that our morphing method makes it possible to generate intermediate melodies between two melodies.
Evaluation of wet-feeding wheat-based diets containing Saccharomyces cerevisiae to broiler chickens

1. This experiment investigated the effects of water and Saccharomyces cerevisiae added to wheat-based diets on gastrointestinal, blood and performance parameters of broiler chickens. 2. A total of 160 one-d-old male broiler chicks were given air-dry or wet diets, with or without S. cerevisiae supplementation (0 and 20 g/kg air-dry feed) ad libitum to 42 d. 3. Feeding broilers with a diet mixed with water in a ratio of 1·2 : 1·0 increased body weight, feed intake, abdominal fat, carcase weight, feed transit time and blood HDL (high density lipoprotein) (without yeast). Supplementation with S. cerevisiae increased DM digestibility but reduced ileal pH, ileal coliform population and abdominal fat content. 4. There was a significant interaction between S. cerevisiae and wet feeding, with S. cerevisiae supplementation inducing a significant increase in body weight and feed intake but a reduction of relative abdominal fat and ileal pH of broilers fed on wet diets. 5. It is concluded that wet feeding improved growth performance by increasing feed intake and that the addition of a culture of S. cerevisiae had a growth stimulating effect, as the inclusion of yeast in wet wheat-based broiler diets generated greater responses than yeast in dry-based diets.
Vision based hand gesture recognition using finite state machines and fuzzy logic

This paper proposes a finite state and fuzzy logic based approach to hand gesture learning and recognition. The location of 2D image positions of the hands of the user is obtained by Edge detection and vector extraction. These are used to identify the hand posture as well as the center of the hand of the user. We first learn the spatial information without data segmentation and alignment. Then the data is grouped into clusters that are associated with information for temporal alignment. The points thus obtained are clustered using Fuzzy c-mean clustering algorithm. These clusters of hand posture further determine the states of the Finite State Machine(s) through which the succeeding gesture has to be matched. To build a Gesture Recognizer (GR) the temporal information is integrated. Each hand gesture is defined to be an ordered sequence of states in spatial-temporal space i.e. FSM corresponding to it. The number of states/clusters in an FSM represents a trade-off between the accuracy of gesture recognizer and the amount of spatial-temporal data it stores.
Practical Strategies for Detecting and Confirming Vancomycin-Intermediate Staphylococcus aureus: a Tertiary-Care Hospital Laboratory's Experience

ABSTRACT The clinical microbiology laboratory plays a critical role in the detection of Staphylococcus aureus with decreased susceptibility to vancomycin. Staff education and rapid laboratory response are of utmost importance. We report on our laboratory's experience and provide recommendations for the identification and confirmation of vancomycin-intermediate S. aureus.
Fluticasone reverses oxymetazoline-induced tachyphylaxis of response and rebound congestion.

RATIONALE Chronic use of intranasal decongestants, such as oxymetazoline, leads to tachyphylaxis of response and rebound congestion, caused by alpha-adrenoceptor mediated down-regulation and desensitization of response. OBJECTIVES We evaluated if tachyphylaxis can be reversed by intranasal fluticasone propionate, and the relative alpha(1)- and alpha(2)-adrenoceptor components of tachyphylaxis using the alpha(1)-antagonist prazosin. METHODS In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover design, 19 healthy subjects received intranasal oxymetazoline, 200 microg three times a day for 14 days, followed by the addition of fluticasone, 200 microg twice a day for a further 3 days. At Days 1, 14, and 17, participants received a single dose of oral prazosin, 1 mg, or placebo with measurements made before and 2 hours later. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Outcomes evaluated were peak nasal inspiratory flow, nasal resistance, blood flow, and oxymetazoline dose-response curve (DRC). On Day 14 versus Day 1, inspiratory flow decreased (mean difference, 95% confidence interval) (-47.9 L x min(-1); -63.9 to -31.9; P < 0.001) and the DRC shifted downward (24.8 L x min(-1); 20.3-29.3; P < 0.001). On Day 17 versus Day 14, after fluticasone, inspiratory flow increased (45 L x min(-1); 30-61; P < 0.001) and the DRC shifted upward (26.2 L x min(-1); 21.7-30.7; P < 0.001). On Day 1, prazosin reduced inspiratory flow (-52.6 L x min(-1); -19.2 to -86) compared with baseline. This effect was abolished on Day 14 (7.9 L x in(-1); -41.3 to 25.5). CONCLUSIONS Oxymetazoline-induced tachyphylaxis and rebound congestion are reversed by intranasal fluticasone. Further studies are indicated to evaluate if combination nasal sprays of decongestant and corticosteroid are an effective strategy to obviate tachyphylaxis and rebound in rhinitis. Clinical trial registered with www.clinicaltrials. gov (NCT 00487032).
The everyday routines of families of children with autism

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the lived experience of how sensory-related behaviors of children with autism affected family routines. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with four primary caregivers regarding the meaning and impact of their child’s sensory-related behaviors on family routines that occurred inside and outside the home. Findings indicated that sensory behaviors are one factor that limited family participation in work, family and leisure activities; and that parents employed specific strategies to manage individual and family routines in light of the child’s sensory-related behaviors. This information has important implications for professionals who work with families of children with autism to decrease caregiver stress and to increase life satisfaction for the child and family.
Optical Measurements of Aerosol Size Distributions in Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Dry Aerosol Characterization

ABSTRACT Aerosol size distributions were measured during the summertime 1995 Southeastern Aerosol and Visibility Study (SEAVS) in Great Smoky Mountains National Park using an Active Scattering Aerosol Spectrometer (ASASP-X) optical particle counter. We present an overview of the experimental method, our data inversion technique, timelines of the size distribution parameters, and calculations of dry accumulation mode aerosol density and refractive index. Aerosol size distributions were recorded during daylight hours for aerosol in the size range 0.1 < Dp < 2.5 u,m. The particle refractive index used for the data inversion was calculated with the partial molar refractive index approach using 12-hr measured aerosol chemical composition. Aerosol accumulation mode volume concentrations ranging from 1 to 26 u,m3 cm-3 were observed, with an average of 7 ± 5 u,m3 cm-3. The study average dry accumulation mode geometric volume median diameter was 0.27 ± 0.03 u,m, and the mean geometric standard deviation was 1.45 ± 0.06. Using an internally mixed aerosol model, and assuming chemical homogeneity across the measured particle distribution, an average accumulation mode dry sulfate ion mass scattering efficiency of 3.8 ± 0.6 m2 g-1 was calculated.
Voluntary Disclosures Regarding Open Market Repurchase Programs

This paper studies voluntary disclosures that firms have suspended, resumed, or completed their open market repurchase programs. Voluntary disclosures of repurchase status updates are common and value‐relevant. They also inform subsequent repurchase activities: voluntary disclosers are more likely to complete their repurchase programs and to initiate new repurchase programs than firms with undisclosed repurchase status changes. Moreover, firms that disclose repurchase suspensions experience larger returns to subsequent repurchase authorizations, consistent with a reward for establishing a reputation for transparency via voluntary bad news disclosure. Finally, exploiting a change in repurchase reporting requirements, we document that voluntary updates are less frequent when mandatory disclosure increases. An important exception, however, is when macroeconomic uncertainty is high, such as during the Great Recession and the COVID‐19 pandemic.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Alternating rhythmic activity induced by dorsal root stimulation in the neonatal rat spinal cord in vitro

1 Electrical stimuli applied to a single dorsal root (DR) of the neonatal rat spinal cord in vitro were used to test the possibility that the central pattern generator responsible for locomotion could be activated by synaptic inputs. 2 Brief pulse trains evoked oscillatory patterns recorded from pairs of lumbar ventral roots. These patterns alternated rhythmically between the left and right sides and between predominantly flexor and extensor motoneuronal pools on the same side, thus displaying properties similar to the fictive locomotor pattern elicited by bath‐applied excitatory transmitter agonists like NMDA and serotonin. 3 Usually pulse trains rather than single pulses were necessary to induce these patterns, the period of which was independent of stimulation frequency (1‐10 Hz) and only moderately dependent on stimulus intensity. 4 Patterns reached a steady rhythm during the stimulus train, lasted for 50 ± 20 s with gradual period lengthening and finally ceased. 5 Since DR stimuli activated the central pattern generator for locomotion in the rat isolated spinal cord, it is suggested that sensory inputs from the periphery can reach the spinal locomotor network and trigger its operation.
A robust SIFT-based descriptor for video classification

Voluminous amount of videos in today’s world has made the subject of objective (or semi-objective) classification of videos to be very popular. Among the various descriptors used for video classification, SIFT and LIFT can lead to highly accurate classifiers. But, SIFT descriptor does not consider video motion and LIFT is time-consuming. In this paper, a robust descriptor for semi-supervised classification based on video content is proposed. It holds the benefits of LIFT and SIFT descriptors and overcomes their shortcomings to some extent. For extracting this descriptor, the SIFT descriptor is first used and the motion of the extracted keypoints are then employed to improve the accuracy of the subsequent classification stage. As SIFT descriptor is scale invariant, the proposed method is also robust toward zooming. Also, using the global motion of keypoints in videos helps to neglect the local motions caused during video capturing by the cameraman. In comparison to other works that consider the motion and mobility of videos, the proposed descriptor requires less computations. Obtained results on the TRECVIT 2006 dataset show that the proposed method achieves more accurate results in comparison with SIFT in content-based video classifications by about 15 percent.
Molecular Weight Dependence of Exciton Diffusion in Poly(3‐hexylthiophene)

A joint experimental and theoretical study of singlet exciton diffusion in spin‐coated poly(3‐hexylthiophene) (P3HT) films and its dependence on molecular weight is presented. The results show that exciton diffusion is fast along the co‐facial π–π aggregates of polymer chromophores and about 100 times slower in the lateral direction between aggregates. Exciton hopping between aggregates is found to show a subtle dependence on interchain coupling, aggregate size, and Boltzmann statistics. Additionally, a clear correlation is observed between the effective exciton diffusion coefficient, the degree of aggregation of chromophores, and exciton delocalization along the polymer chain, which suggests that exciton diffusion length can be enhanced by tailored synthesis and processing conditions.
TRANSPORT PLANNING. IN: HANDBOOK OF TRANSPORT SYSTEMS AND TRAFFIC CONTROL

Over the past decade, there have been three great changes in the requirements placed on transport planning: (1) the large growth in car ownership and congestion; (2) the withdrawal of the state from the provision of transport services through regulatory reform and privatization; and (3) the new environmental debates. This article reviews recent developments in land-based passenger transport from 1990-2000 and describes the new agenda and the key role of transport planners in promoting sustainable development. Transport planning has been transformed from a technical activity based on the simple assumption of predict and provide to a more complex approach with the underlying principle of demand management. This new approach places transport planning in the context of economic, environmental and social policy objectives of sustainable development. Planning has a new role to play in the creation of a strategic framework within which the market can operate. Real integration of land use and development decisions, together with an assessment of their transport impacts, is the most important contribution the transport planner can make in the long term. The article ends with a look at how transport planning will change in the future.
International market entry : determinants of Australian exports and direct investment to the United Kingdom

Australia and the UK are both prominent economies in the international arena and share a strong trade and investment relationship. Interestingly, the UK while being a significant destination for Australian exports is an even more significant destination for Australian direct investment, a case anomalous to international trends. Analysis of this case elicits the question as to what factors differentiate between the firms that export and those that FDI. It is imperative to understand the differentiating factors between exports and direct investment as market entry decisions are decisive to the success of firms in international markets. A number of theories of international market entry have developed over the last quarter century, the ownership, location, and internationalisation model (OLI) is used in this study. The importance of the variables developed in this model are identified, and assessed as to their relevance to entry of Australian firms into the UK market through FDI or Exports. Qualitative information is used to support initial quantitative profiling. Results of the investigation indicate that while some variables were at times decisive, they were not predictive at all in other situations. The full interaction of the variables in the model was therefore concluded to be essential to fully differentiate between exports and FDI in all cases.
A new voltage-balancing method for split-capacitor inverters using split-output front-end rectifiers in AC-DC-AC applications

In this paper, a new method to balance the DC bus capacitor voltages of two-stage AC-DC-AC converters with split-capacitor inverters is proposed. Converters use such split-capacitor inverters for various reasons such as cost, improved harmonic content and lower switch voltage stresses than those of conventional two-level, six-switch inverters, but the effectiveness of such inverters is limited by the need to perform voltage balancing. The proposed method frees the inverter from having to do such voltage balancing by using a novel approach that involves the front-end AC-DC converter. The paper introduces the new method, explains its basic operating principles and show how certain potential drawbacks are avoided. The feasibility of the proposed voltage balancing method is confirmed with results obtained from an experimental prototype.
Total quality control and management : the Japanese approach

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IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME : ROLE OF GUT BACTERIA AND BACTERIAL TOXINS

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common condition affecting 10-15% of the population. While the precise aetiology remains unknown, our group has focused on the contributions of altered gut flora to IBS, including links between acute gastroenteritis and post-infectious IBS (PI-IBS) and the role of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). Breath testing and culture of small intestinal aspirates indicate that SIBO is present in over one-third of IBS subjects and almost two-thirds of diarrhoea-predominant IBS (D-IBS) subjects, but only one-tenth of non-IBS subjects. The success of antibiotic therapies in impacting IBS phenotypes also supports a bacterial role in IBS. Four large-scale multi-centre trials indicate that rifaximin significantly reduces SIBO and non-constipation IBS with little bacterial resistance or reduction of benefit in successive retreatments. To elucidate the mechanisms underlying PI-IBS, we developed a rat model using Campylobacter jejuni, the most common identified cause of acute gastroenteritis. This model mirrors many findings in human IBS subjects, including altered stool form more than three months after clearing initial infection, SIBO, increased intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs), reductions in deep muscular plexus interstitial cells of Cajal (DMPICCs), required for normal intestinal motility, and increases in specific mucosal defence mediators. Common to all pathogens causing gastroenteritis is cytolethal distending toxin (Cdt). We developed a rat model using a mutant C. jejuni lacking Cdt, which demonstrated significantly ameliorated bowel phenotypes including SIBO and IELs and no reduction in DMP-ICCs, strongly implicating Cdt in the development of IBS phenotypes. Further, early exposure to C. jejuni appears to mitigate the acute effects of second infections, which suggested immunity might play a role in IBS development. Our recent data indicating molecular mimicry between Cdt and neural elements of the gut support this hypothesis and may form the basis for future biomarkers and potential therapies directed at the underlying causes of IBS.
Control of an open-end winding induction machine via a two-output indirect matrix converter

In this paper an Indirect Matrix Converter (IMC) with two output stages feeding an open-end winding induction machine is presented. The IMC has the advantage of having nobulky energy storage elements and with the two output stages up to 1.5 times the input phase voltage can be obtained across the windings of the machine, without overmodulation. A vector control scheme for the machine currents is used along with a modulation strategy for the converter two-output stages to reduce the common mode voltage and compensate the phase zero sequence currents. Simulation results showing the performance of the controlscheme and the reduction of zero sequence and common mode voltages are presented and discussed.