Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
DISTRIBUTION AND PREVALENCE OF ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE AMONG GRAM-NEGATIVE ISOLATES IN INTENSIVE CARE UNITS (ICU) IN BELGIAN HOSPITALS BETWEEN 1996 AND 1999

Abstract Objective : to assess the distribution and prevalence of resistance rates among Gram-negative isolates in Belgian intensive care units (ICUs) between 1996 and 1999. Methods : During 1996-1997 and 1998-1999, over a total period of 10 and 9 months respectively, members of the NPRS Belgian Study group collected, on clinical indications, 3029 consecutive initial isolates of Gramnegative bacteria from patients admitted to 26 Belgian hospitals and performed minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) determinations by means of the E-test. Breakpoints were defined according to the criteria of the NCCLS. Results : The overall distribution of bacterial species was, in decreasing order of frequency : Pseudomonas aeruginosa >E. coli >E. aerogenes >K. pneumoniae >P. mirabilis >S. marcescens >E. cloacae >K. oxytoca >M. morganii >Stenotrophomonas maltophilia >Acinetobacter spp. All together these species and genera constituted about 90% of all isolates. The frequency of resistance for all the initial Gram-negative isolates in 1998-9 were : amoxicillin-clavulanic acid 60%, piperacillin 31%, piperacillin-tazobactam 20%, cefuroxime 58%, ceftriaxone 31%, ceftazidime 17%, aztreonam 23%, cefepime 10%, imipenem 13%, gentamicin 12%, amikacin 12% and ciprofloxacin 21%. Apart for an increase in multiple drug resistance among P. aeruginosa isolates, no significant trends were observed neither in species distribution nor in the overall prevalence of antimicrobial resistance among Gramnegative isolates from Belgian ICUs between 1996-7 and 1998-9. Conclusions : Among Gram-negative isolates in Belgian ICUs, a very high frequency of resistance was seen to amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and cefuroxime, and rather high frequencies of resistance to piperacillin, ceftriaxone and aztreonam. Taking into account the species distribution and the prevalence of resistance, cefepime, imipenem, amikacin and gentamicin appeared generally suitable for empirical therapeutic use in severe ICU-acquired Gram-negative infections in Belgium. However, the therapeutic strategy should be adapted according to the local ecology of resistance.
Association of SUMO4 M55V Polymorphism with Type 1 Diabetes in Chinese Children

ABSTRACT Objective: A functional polymorphism at codon 55 of the small ubiquitin like modifier 4 (SUMO4) gene (methionine to valine;M55V) was recently found to be associated with type 1 diabetes mellitus mainly in Asian populations (T1D). In the present study, we aimed to investigate whether this locus also contributes to the genetic susceptiblity to type 1 diabetes in Chinese. Research design and methods: A case-control study was performed using genomic DNA samples from 165 unrelated Chinese childhood T1D subjects and 160 normal blood donors. The SUMO4 M55V single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) was genotyped using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification followed by digestion with the restriction enzyme Mse I. Results: The frequencies of SUMO4 163G allele were significantly increased in T1D patients (38. 2% vs healthy control subjects 28. 7%, P<0. 05, OR=1. 51, 95% CI 1. 03-2. 13). SUMO4 163 GG genotype was also significantly increased in the T1D patients (17% vs healthy control subjects 8%, P<0. 05). Conclusions: This study indicates that the SUMO4 gene M55V variant is associated with the genetic susceptibility of T1D in Chinese children.
Topology-aware neighborhoods for point-based simulation and reconstruction

Particle based simulations are widely used in computer graphics. In this field, several recent results have improved the simulation itself or improved the tension of the final fluid surface. In current particle based implementations, the particle neighborhood is computed by considering the Euclidean distance between fluid particles only. Thus particles from different fluid components interact, which generates both local incorrect behavior in the simulation and blending artifacts in the reconstructed fluid surface. Our method introduces a better neighborhood computation for both the physical simulation and surface reconstruction steps. We track and store the local fluid topology around each particle using a graph structure. In this graph, only particles within the same local fluid component are neighbors and other disconnected fluid particles are inserted only if they come into contact. The graph connectivity also takes into account the asymmetric behavior of particles when they merge and split, and the fluid surface is reconstructed accordingly, thus avoiding their blending at distance before a merge. In the simulation, this neighborhood information is exploited for better controlling the fluid density and the force interactions at the vicinity of its boundaries. For instance, it prevents the introduction of collision events when two distinct fluid components are crossing without contact, and it avoids fluid interactions through thin waterproof walls. This leads to an overall more consistent fluid simulation and reconstruction.
Emergence Shapes the Structure of the Seed Microbiota

ABSTRACT Seeds carry complex microbial communities, which may exert beneficial or deleterious effects on plant growth and plant health. To date, the composition of microbial communities associated with seeds has been explored mainly through culture-based diversity studies and therefore remains largely unknown. In this work, we analyzed the structures of the seed microbiotas of different plants from the family Brassicaceae and their dynamics during germination and emergence through sequencing of three molecular markers: the ITS1 region of the fungal internal transcribed spacer, the V4 region of 16S rRNA gene, and a species-specific bacterial marker based on a fragment of gyrB. Sequence analyses revealed important variations in microbial community composition between seed samples. Moreover, we found that emergence strongly influences the structure of the microbiota, with a marked reduction of bacterial and fungal diversity. This shift in the microbial community composition is mostly due to an increase in the relative abundance of some bacterial and fungal taxa possessing fast-growing abilities. Altogether, our results provide an estimation of the role of the seed as a source of inoculum for the seedling, which is crucial for practical applications in developing new strategies of inoculation for disease prevention.
Chelator-Enhanced Lead Accumulation in Agropyron Elongatum cv. Szarvasi-1 in Hydroponic Culture

Hydroponic culture was applied to compare the efficiency of K2EDTA and citrate in mobilizing Pb for accumulation in Agropyron elongatum cv. Szarvasi-1 and their effects on some physiological characteristics of the plants. The plants were grown in nutrient solutions containing 0, 10, and 100 μM Pb(NO3)2 combined with chelating agents added to the nutrient solutions after 21 days of growth, in 3 concentrations (0, 100, and 500 μM). The effects were measured after eight days. The energy grass proved to be greatly resistant to the treatments, as was reflected in the slight inhibition of growth, the resistance of the photosynthetic electron transport chain and the chlorophyll composition and the lack of change in the malone-dialdehyde content. Fundamental differences can be identified between the effects of EDTA and citrate. Citrate had only a little effect on the physiological parameters, which may be due to the strongly increasing lead accumulation with increasing concentration of Pb in the nutrient solution. Additionally, citrate ensured a higher biomass yield with higher shoot Pb accumulation compared to EDTA in almost all treatments. Concerning biomass reduction, 10 μM Pb applied together with K2EDTA has the most deleterious effects on energy grass. The effects correlated with the concentration of EDTA.
A personal particulate matter exposure monitor to support household air pollution exposure and health studies

Household air pollution (HAP) emitted from solid fuel combustion for cooking and heating is responsible for 4.3 million premature deaths annually. Those most affected include women and young children in resource-limited countries. The current standard practice for reducing HAP exposure is to replace traditional cookstoves with more efficient improved stoves. However, the relationship between exposure reduction and potential health benefits has been quantified at limited levels. Accurate personal exposure data have not been available from conventional monitoring technologies, burdensome for both study participants and researchers. The RTI MicroPEM™, a low-burden particulate matter (PM) personal exposure monitor, was used by local researchers to assess HAP exposures of 6 and 26 week old children in 319 rural Malawian households. The MicroPEM collects both real-time and gold-standard integrated filter PM data. The on-board accelerometer informs participant compliance to the study protocol that the mother moves the monitor with the child throughout the 48-hour measurement period and wears it while carrying the child. Valid data were collected in 92% of homes, and the MicroPEM was moved or worn during 45% of waking hours. More than 80% of the participants were exposed to the PM levels greater than the WHO guideline during at least a half of the 48-hour monitoring period. Parallel personal and indoor kitchen samples at 15 households showed 13 times higher PM levels indoors. These early data indicate the MicroPEM allows local researchers to collect high quality personal exposure data for very young and the most at-risk children.
Research of wall thickness of left and right ventricles in patients with arterial hypertension basing on postmortem examination

Arterial hypertension (AH) remains one of the most common diseases, cause of premature death and disability of patients. Heart is one of the main target organs in AH. The processes of cardiac remodeling in hypertension have been taken much attention recent years, as it is shown that left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease and sudden death [1-3]. Studying the processes of cardiac remodeling in hypertension is one of the important issues of modern cardiology [4-6]. Most researches of heart remodeling in AH are devoted to the study of the left ventricle. A number of studies [7-9] shows that at early stage of changes occur more in the right ventricle, and in patients with stage I or II significant signs of hypertrophy of the right half of the heart are detected early enough. The studies about cardiac remodeling in AH is mainly related to studies of changes in left ventricular (LV) and all received data are automatically interpolated to the right ventricle (RV). Analysis of long-term clinical experience has allowed A.L. Myasnikov in 1965 to conclude that some patients with AH signs of right heart failure advance the development of left ventricular failure; and in some patients with AH hypertrophy occurs not only in left but also in the right ventricle. However, nowadays there are few researches about the changes in RV in AH, because its study in the clinic represents significant methodological difficulties [10,11]. In this regard, the aim of our study was to study remodeling of the left and right ventricles of the heart in patients who died suffering from AH during the lifetime.
The differential expression of lamin epitopes during mouse spermatogenesis

The presence of lamin proteins in mouse spermatogenic cells has been examined by using an anti‐lamin AC and an anti‐lamin B antisera which recognize somatic lamins A and C, and somatic lamin B, respectively. Anti‐lamin B binds to the nuclear periphery of all cell types examined, including Sertoli cells, primitive type A spermatogonia, preleptotene, leptotene, zygotene and pachytene spermatocytes, and round spermatids. In sperm nuclei, the antigenic determinants are localized to a narrow domain of the nucleus. However, after removing the perinuclear theca, anti‐lamin B localizes to the entire nuclear periphery in a punctate pattern, suggesting that it is binding to determinants previously covered by the theca constituents. On immunoblots anti‐lamin B reacts with a ∼ 68 kD polypeptide in all germ cells and, to a lesser extent, with four additional polypeptides present only in meiotic and post‐meiotic nuclear matrices. Anti‐lamin AC also reacts with the perinuclear region of the somatic cells in the testes, in particular, those of the interstitium and also the Sertoli cells of the seminiferous epithelium. In contrast to anti‐lamin B, anti‐lamin AC does not bind to the germ cells at any stage of spermatogenesis. In addition, nuclear matrix proteins from isolated spermatogenic cells do not bind anti‐lamin AC on immunoblots, suggesting the lack of reactivity is not due to the masking of any antigenic sites. These data demonstrate that germ cells contain lamin B throughout spermatogenesis, even during meiosis and spermiogenesis when the nuclear periphery lacks a distinct fibrous lamina. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Biometrical approach in the pelvis surgical reconstructive treatment

The surgical reconstructive treatment in the pelvis area is induced mostly by the bone tumour resection. This paper presents a new method for computer-assisted reconstructive surgery-planning based on the pelvis statistical shape model. A clinical pelvis reconstruction case will demonstrate the usefulness and robustness of the statistical shape models in the oncologic surgery planning. In addition, a quantitative evaluation of the matching quality will be given. By creating the statistical shape model, we get a mathematically defined mean pelvic geometry. Knowledge about the statistical pelvic shape can have wide application in pelvimetry.
True metabolisable energy, heat increment and net energy values of two high fibre foodstuffs in cockerels

1. The yields of true metabolisable energy (TME) and net energy (NE) from chaya leaf meal and wheatfeed were measured in tube-fed cockerels. 2. TME, 5.76 MJ/kg, from chaya leaf meal was lower than from wheatfeed, 8.39 MJ/kg. The total heat increment attributable to the feeding of chaya leaf meal was 1.7 times greater than that of wheatfeed. 3. The net efficiency of utilisation of ME (k) from chaya leaf meal was 0.64, while that from wheatfeed was 0.86. The role of different chemical composition, especially the high fibre content of the materials, is discussed. 4. The metabolisable energy and net energy values derived from chaya leaf meal represented 0.34 and 0.23 respectively of its gross energy content. The combination of lower TME and lower net efficiency of utilisation led to chaya having a NE value, 3.86 MJ/kg, which was only 0.53 that of wheatfeed.
An Improved Experimental Model for Understanding the Impact of Sperm DNA Fragmentation on Human Pregnancy Following ICSI

Using donor oocytes of proven fertility, the effect of sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) and motility on reproductive success was examined in 70 couples undergoing ICSI. Both SDF and sperm motility were assessed at the time of sperm injection and using the same sperm sample that was processed for ICSI. While there was no difference in the fertilization rate, cleavage rate, embryo quality, or sperm motility between pregnant and nonpregnant couples, the SDF of nonpregnant couples (SDF = 23.9%) was higher than that of pregnant couples (SDF = 17.0%; U Mann-Whitney 347; P = .002). Using a combination of the sensitivity and specificity measures from the production of ROC (receiver–operating characteristic) curves and the Youden index, we determined a threshold SDF value for our data set of 17% for predicting pregnancy (77.8% sensitivity and 71.1% specificity). Our results suggest that proven donor oocytes in combination with SDF assessment at the time of sperm injection represent a useful experimental model for reducing the confounding influences of sperm DNA repair by the oocyte and iatrogenic sperm damage.
A serosurvey for HTLV-I among high-risk populations and normal adults in Egypt

SUMMARY The prevalence of antibodies to human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-1) was determined in high-risk groups and normal adults in Egypt. Among 647 individuals tested, 6 (0·9%) were confirmed positive by western blot analysis. These included 2 (0·7%) of 279 drug addicts, 1 (3·3%) of 30 patients with sexually transmitted diseases, and 3 (2·2%) of 133 healthy individuals. Antibody was not detected in 47 blood recipients or 158 prostitutes. There was no correlation between sex or geographical location and HTLV-I infection. Fifty-three of the 647 sera (8%) were initially reactive by ELISA, but only 12 sera were repeatedly reactive. Since only 4 of these repeatedly reactive sera were confirmed by the western blot, the frequency of false positives using the DuPont screening ELISA was 1·2% (8/643). Two additional sera, confirmed positive by western blot, had been reactive, but not repeatedly, by ELISA. In comparison to the prevalence of HTLV-I antibody among risk groups in many parts of the world, the prevalence in Egypt was low.
GaN-Based Robust Low-Noise Amplifiers

In this paper, an overview of recently reported low-noise amplifiers (LNAs), designed, and fabricated in GaN technology is provided, highlighting their noise performance together with high-linearity and high-robustness capabilities. Several SELEX-ES GaN monolithic technologies are detailed, providing the results of the noise characterization and modeling on sample devices. An in-depth review of three LNAs based on the 0.25- μm GaN HEMT process, marginally described in previous publications, is then presented. In particular, two robust and broadband 2-18-GHz monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) LNAs are designed, fabricated, and tested, exhibiting robustness to over 40-dBm input power levels; an X-band MMIC LNA, suitable for synthetic aperture radar systems, is also designed and realized, for which measurement results show a noise figure ~ 2.2 dB with an associated gain and robustness up to 41-dBm input power level.
Local and regional anesthetic and analgesic techniques in the dog and cat: Part II, Infiltration and nerve blocks.

Infiltration anesthesia Small wounds can be repaired after using infiltration anesthesia. Local anesthetic solutions are deposited around the area to be desensitized by multiple ID and/or SC injections. Lidocaine (0.5% to 2%) is often used; care should be taken to ensure that the toxic dose of 10 mg/kg BW is avoided. After the first needle insertion and deposition of solution, subsequent needle insertions can be made through desensitized tissue, so that the patient only feels the first needle insertion. Care should be taken not to contaminate needles with infected tissue when placing local anesthetic solution around abscesses. The volume of lidocaine to be used depends on the area, but generally 2 to 5 mg/kg BW of lidocaine may be used. If epinephrine is used with lidocaine, the total dose can be increased to 5 to 8 mg/kg BW. To decrease the concentration and, therefore, increase the volume, lidocaine can be diluted with sterile saline, but not sterile water. The total dose should be reduced by 30% to 40% in geriatric, sick, or cachectic dogs. Local anesthetics with epinephrine should not be injected into tissues supplied by end arteries, such as those of the ears or tail. The vasoconstrictor should also be avoided in dogs with thin skin. As well as occasioning the risk of severe vasoconstriction and tissue necrosis, epinephrine may also cause cardiac arrhythmias, especially if cardiac sensitizing anesthetics, such as halothane, are used concurrently. Avoid making subfascial and intra-arterial injections of epinephrine-containing solutions. Intradermal lidocaine injections may cause initial discomfort, but this can be avoided if sodium bicarbonate is added to the lidocaine in a 1:9 ratio (bicarbonate:lidocaine).
Development of a High‐Performance Boiling Heat Exchanger by Improved Liquid Supply to Narrow Channels

Abstract: A two‐phase flow loop is a promising method for application to thermal management systems for large‐scale space platforms handling large amounts of energy. Boiling heat transfer reduces the size and weight of cold plates. The transportation of latent heat reduces the mass flow rate of working fluid and pump power. To develop compact heat exchangers for the removal of waste heat from electronic devices with high heat generation density, experiments on a method to increase the critical heat flux for a narrow heated channel between parallel heated and unheated plates were conducted. Fine grooves are machined on the heating surface in a transverse direction to the flow and liquid is supplied underneath flattened bubbles by the capillary pressure difference from auxiliary liquid channels separated by porous metal plates from the main heated channel. The critical heat flux values for the present heated channel structure are more than twice those for a flat surface at gap sizes 2 mm and 0.7 mm. The validity of the present structure with auxiliary liquid channels is confirmed by experiments in which the liquid supply to the grooves is interrupted. The increment in the critical heat flux compared to those for a flat surface takes a maximum value at a certain flow rate of liquid supply to the heated channel. The increment is expected to become larger when the length of the heated channel is increased and/or the gravity level is reduced.
World Glaucoma Day, 6 March 2008: tackling the glaucoma pandemic

W e have all heard many times that ‘Glaucoma is the second most common treatable cause of blindness worldwide’. Glaucoma is a significant public health concern, being the leading cause of irreversible vision loss and consistently ranking among the leading causes of blindness in virtually every nation (Quigley & Broman 2006). This is mainly due to low awareness of the disease and its implications. Indeed, it is estimated that only half of those affected by glaucoma in developed nations are aware that they have the disease (Sommer et al. 1991) while as many as 90% of persons with glaucoma in developing countries are unaware of having it or even having heard of it. Despite our better understanding of risk factors for glaucoma, we have yet to see an improvement in these numbers. Although glaucoma occurs in all age groups, it is more common in older adults; with our ageing population, estimates of glaucoma prevalence are increasing. It has been predicted that by 2020, 79.6 million people worldwide will have glaucoma, 11.2 million of whom will be bilaterally blind, up from the current 4.5 million (Quigley & Broman 2006). Recent years have seen considerable progress in the diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma. Technological advances in optic nerve and retinal nerve fibre layer imaging and visual field testing make it possible to diagnose glaucoma in earlier stages, when treatment can significantly improve the prognosis. Medical treatment is available and effective in controlling glaucoma for most patients (Feiner & Piltz-Seymour 2003), while for those uncontrolled, laser and surgical interventions are often successful. Optic nerve and visual field damage are irreversible. Because damage progresses gradually, often unnoticed by the patient, early detection and treatment are of paramount importance to prevent blindness. For individuals with known risk factors for glaucoma – particularly elevated intraocular pressure, increasing age, African descent, family history of glaucoma, vasospasm, low blood pressure and high myopia – the importance of routine examinations cannot be understated. Also, despite strong evidence that lowering intraocular pressure can delay the onset and progression of glaucoma (AGIS Investigators 2000; Heijl et al. 2002; Kass et al. 2002), reported rates of non-compliance with glaucoma therapy range from 5% to 80% (Olthoff et al. 2005). This high variability results from different definitions of non-compliance and the way in which it is measured.