Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
ISEcp1-mediated transposition of blaKPC into the chromosome of a clinical isolate of Acinetobacter baumannii from Puerto Rico.

Carbapenems are the last-resort antibiotics for the treatment of infections caused by multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacilli. Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC) hydrolyses β-lactam antibiotics including the carbapenems. KPCs have been detected in Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates worldwide associated with transposon Tn4401 commonly located in plasmids. Acinetobacter baumannii has become an important multidrug-resistant nosocomial pathogen capable of hydrolysing the carbapenem antibiotics. KPC-producing A. baumannii has so far only been reported in Puerto Rico. During a surveillance study, four KPC-producing A. baumannii with identical pulse type were identified in a single institution. The objectives of this study were to characterize the KPC genetic background and the allelic diversity of one of the isolates. Next-generation sequencing and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) were performed. Molecular characterization of the isolate demonstrated blaKPC in Tn4401b located in the bacterial chromosome within a 26.5 kb DNA fragment, which included a KQ-like element (18.9 kb) very similar to that described previously in a K. pneumoniae plasmid and a 7.6 kb DNA fragment with 98 % homology to a putative plasmid from Yersinia pestis strain PY-95. Our data suggested that the 26.5 kb DNA fragment harbouring blaKPC was integrated in the chromosome by a transposition event mediated by the transposase of ISEcp1 found in the KQ-like element. MLST showed a novel sequence type, ST250. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the identification of the genetic background of blaKPC in A. baumannii.
DSM-IV alcohol abuse due to hazardous use: a less severe form of abuse?

OBJECTIVE A majority of individuals that meet criteria for alcohol abuse based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV), do so by endorsing the hazardous use criterion. We used a large, nationally representative data set to investigate whether alcohol abuse due to hazardous use is distinct from abuse attributable to other abuse criteria and whether abuse due to hazardous use is a less severe form of alcohol abuse. METHOD Two waves of data, collected 3 years apart, from 34,653 individuals who participated in the National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions were used. Logistic regression was used to compare those with alcohol abuse due to hazardous use and those with alcohol abuse due to other criteria across several sociodemographic and psychiatric correlates at Wave 1 and across alcohol-related outcomes at the 3-year follow-up. Those with a lifetime history of alcohol dependence at Wave 1 were excluded. RESULTS Abuse due to hazardous use was more commonly noted in older individuals, those not living below the poverty line, and those without nicotine dependence and was more likely to be noted in White participants. Abuse due to hazardous use was also associated with lower rates of problematic drinking, alcohol dependence, and help seeking at 3-year follow-up. CONCLUSIONS Individuals endorsing hazardous use are at greater risk than those endorsing no abuse criteria, but abuse due to hazardous use may represent a less severe form of alcohol-use disorders. This is troubling, because current DSM conceptualizations allow for endorsement of hazardous use to denote alcohol-use disorders. Future classifications may wish to consider a higher threshold for alcohol-use disorders, particularly when hazardous use is endorsed.
Pharmacogenomic Determinants of the Cardiovascular Effects of Dalcetrapib

Background—Dalcetrapib did not improve clinical outcomes, despite increasing high-density lipoprotein cholesterol by 30%. These results differ from other evidence supporting high-density lipoprotein as a therapeutic target. Responses to dalcetrapib may vary according to patients’ genetic profile. Methods and Results—We conducted a pharmacogenomic evaluation using a genome-wide approach in the dal-OUTCOMES study (discovery cohort, n=5749) and a targeted genotyping panel in the dal-PLAQUE-2 imaging trial (support cohort, n=386). The primary endpoint for the discovery cohort was a composite of cardiovascular events. The change from baseline in carotid intima-media thickness on ultrasonography at 6 and 12 months was evaluated as supporting evidence. A single-nucleotide polymorphism was found to be associated with cardiovascular events in the dalcetrapib arm, identifying the ADCY9 gene on chromosome 16 (rs1967309; P=2.41×10–8), with 8 polymorphisms providing P<10–6 in this gene. Considering patients with genotype AA at rs1967309, there was a 39% reduction in the composite cardiovascular endpoint with dalcetrapib compared with placebo (hazard ratio, 0.61; 95% confidence interval, 0.41–0.92). In patients with genotype GG, there was a 27% increase in events with dalcetrapib versus placebo. Ten single-nucleotide polymorphism in the ADCY9 gene, the majority in linkage disequilibrium with rs1967309, were associated with the effect of dalcetrapib on intima-media thickness (P<0.05). Marker rs2238448 in ADCY9, in linkage disequilibrium with rs1967309 (r2=0.8), was associated with both the effects of dalcetrapib on intima-media thickness in dal-PLAQUE-2 (P=0.009) and events in dal-OUTCOMES (P=8.88×10–8; hazard ratio, 0.67; 95% confidence interval, 0.58–0.78). Conclusions—The effects of dalcetrapib on atherosclerotic outcomes are determined by correlated polymorphisms in the ADCY9 gene. Clinical Trial Information—URL: http://www.clinicaltrials. gov. Unique identifiers: NCT00658515 and NCT01059682
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study on the Results of Surgery for Cervical Compression Myelopathy

The morphologic changes and signal intensity of the spinal cord on preoperative magnetic resonance images were correlated with postoperative outcomes in 74 patients undergoing decompressive cervical surgery for compressive myelopathy. The transverse area of the spinal cord on T1-weighted images at the level of maximum compression was closely correlated with the severity of myelopathy, duration of disease, and recovery rate as determined by the Japanese Orthopaedic Association score. In patients with ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament or cervical spondylotic myelopathy, the increased intramedullary T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging signal at the site of maximal cord compression and duration of disease significantly influenced the rate of recovery. A multiple regression equation was then developed with these three variables to predict surgical outcomes.
Bionic experiments based on autonomous operant conditioning automata

This paper proposes an autonomous operant conditioning (AOC) automaton that, designs a bionic autonomous learning control method, and constructs an operant conditioning learning system. AOC provides a recursive operation programme. AOC simulates biological operant conditioning mechanism, which has a bionic self-organising feature, including self-learning and adaptive capabilities, and can be used for description, simulation, and design of a variety of self-organising systems. The bionic autonomous learning control method can be used to describe and simulate a bionic autonomous learning process. The learning system can learn on line by interaction with environment, and achieve the best consequences. Based on the above, we apply the model to simulate Skinner-rat experiment to prove that AOC can simulate the learning mechanism of operant conditioning, and apply it to achieving the balancing control of two-wheeled self-balancing robots which shows that AOC can be used to design a variety of intelligent behaviour for robotic systems.
Distribution of osteo- and chondrogenic neural crest-derived cells and of osteogenically inductive epithelia in mandibular arches of embryonic chicks.

Mandibular arches of H.H. stage-22 embryonic chicks were divided into halves (lateral/medial; cephalad/caudal; or proximal/distal) and grafted to the chorioallantoic membranes of host embryos. All six halves formed both cartilage and membrane bone. Epithelial-mesenchymal recombinations performed between half mandibles showed (a), that the cephalad half of the mandible contained more chondrogenic cells than did the caudal half, (b), that the proximocaudal quarter of the mandible contained more osteogenic cells than the remainder of the mandible, and, (c), that the epithelium of the caudal half was more osteogenically inductive than was the cephalad epithelium. Differential distribution of mesenchymal cells and differentially inductively active epithelia are both components of this epithelial-mesenchymal interaction.
Students' perceptions of parent-adolescent closeness and communication about sexuality: relations with sexual knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors.

The main goal of this study was to explore how parent-adolescent closeness and communication about sexuality were associated with three aspects of adolescent sexuality (sexual knowledge, attitudes and behaviors). Participants were 157 boys and girls in grades 9 to 12 from two suburban high schools in the Midwest. Canonical correlation analyses revealed two significant combinations of variables. First, younger age and less maternal and paternal communication were related to less sexual behavior and less sexual knowledge. Second, being younger and female and receiving less maternal communication was related to less sexual knowledge and more conservative attitudes. Contrary to expectation, higher levels of parental closeness in conjunction with parental communication did not have a significant influence on these adolescents' sexuality. Given the importance of both age and parental communication in predicting adolescent's sexuality in this study, implications concerning the timing of communication become evident.
Thin film monitoring with silicon bulk acoustic resonators

This paper reports a single-crystal silicon mass sensor based on a square-plate resonant structure excited in the wine glass bulk acoustic mode at a resonant frequency of 2.065 MHz and an impressive quality factor of 4 million at 12 mtorr pressure. Mass loading on the resonator results in a linear downshift in the resonant frequency of this device, wherein the measured sensitivity is found to be 175 Hz cm2/mug. The silicon resonator is embedded in an oscillator feedback loop, which has a short-term frequency stability of 3 mHz (approximately 1.5 ppb) at an operating pressure of 3.2 mtorr, corresponding to an equivalent mass noise floor of 17 pg/cm2. Possible applications of this device include thin film monitoring and gas sensing, with the potential added benefits of scalability and integration with CMOS technology.
Elastic K-means using posterior probability

The widely used K-means clustering is a hard clustering algorithm. Here we propose a Elastic K-means clustering model (EKM) using posterior probability with soft capability where each data point can belong to multiple clusters fractionally and show the benefit of proposed Elastic K-means. Furthermore, in many applications, besides vector attributes information, pairwise relations (graph information) are also available. Thus we integrate EKM with Normalized Cut graph clustering into a single clustering formulation. Finally, we provide several useful matrix inequalities which are useful for matrix formulations of learning models. Based on these results, we prove the correctness and the convergence of EKM algorithms. Experimental results on six benchmark datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of proposed EKM and its integrated model.
Expansion of natural killer cells with lytic activity against autologous blasts from adult and pediatric acute lymphoid leukemia patients in complete hematologic remission.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Natural killer (NK) cells constitute an important area of research for hematologic malignancies. The anti-leukemic activity of NK cells against acute myeloid leukemia (AML) blasts has been described, but very few data are available for acute lymphoid leukemia (ALL). The present study was designed to investigate whether: (i) NK effectors could be expanded from adult and pediatric ALL patients in complete remission; (ii) the signal transduction machinery of these cells was preserved; (iii) NK cells showed cytotoxic activity against autologous blasts; (iv) interleukin (IL)-2, IL-12 and IL-15 were able to increase lytic activity in our in vitro model; (v) any differences in cytotoxic activity could be found between expanded effectors from adult and pediatric patients. DESIGN AND METHODS We co-cultured patients' peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) with the feeder cell line RPMI 8866 and analyzed the NK cells' expansion capacity by cell count and cytofluorimetric analyses. Signal transduction of expanded effector cells was evaluated by Western blot. 51Cr release assays, before and after stimulation with activating cytokines, were performed to analyze the cytotoxic potential of effector cells against tumor cell lines and autologous blast cells. Data were analyzed with t-tests for paired data. RESULTS We obtained an average 40-fold increase in NK cells. Signal transduction through the CD16 receptor was preserved. Patients' expanded cells showed cytotoxic activity against target cell lines comparable to that of normal donors. More significantly, these cells also exerted a lytic effect against autologous blasts. In addition, incubating these effectors for 24 hours with IL-2 + IL-15 significantly increased this cytotoxic function. No differences in expansion and cytotoxic activity were found between pediatric and adult patients. INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSIONS These findings document for the first time the possibility of expanding ex vivo cytotoxic effectors with autologous killing capacity from ALL patients in remission, and suggest a new potential immunotherapeutic strategy for the management of early disease recurrence or of residual disease.
ASSESSMENT OF GENETIC VARIATION IN ETHIOPIAN MUSTARD (BRASSICA CARINATA A. BRAUN) GERMPLASM USING MULTIVARIATE TECHNIQUES

The study aims to determine the extent of genetic variability and relationships among the Brassica carinata germplasm using agro-morphological characters. The germplasm assayed comprised 134 accessions acquired from abroad and collected locally from diverse ecologies of Pakistan. All the genotypes were characterized for 33 agro-morphological characters ranging from seedling emergence to crop maturity. The data were analyzed by numerical taxonomic techniques using 2 complementary procedures: cluster and principal component analyses. A considerable level of variability was noticed for a number of agro-morphological traits. The largest variation was observed in seed yield (kg/ha) whereas a moderate variability was observed in plant height, main raceme length, silique/main raceme, glucosinolate contents and erucic acid. Hierarchical cluster analysis categorized the 134 accessions into seven main clusters. First three principal components (PCs) accounted for a total of 39.03% of variability among the accessions using agro-morphological traits. PC1 had 17.79% of total variation in agro-morphological traits; PC2 depicted 11.45% of total morphological variability, while PC3 accounted for 9.80% of the total variation. On the basis of greater yield potential, seed yield per plant, 1000-seed weight, oil contents, protein contents and oleic acid four promising genotypes (25939, 25942, 25994 and 26190) have been identified for future breeding and variety development programs.
Pulmonary Vasodilator Effects of Nitroglycerin and Sodium Nitroprusside in Canine Oleic Acid‐induced Pulmonary Hypertension

The hemodynamic effects of nitroglycerin (TNG) and sodium nitroprusside (SNP) were studied in a canine model of pulmonary hypertension. Oleic acid administration resulted in pulmonary hypertension with a 133% increase in pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR), a 40% increase in mean pulmonary artery pressure (MPAP), and a 28% decrease in cardiac output (CO). In this model, subsequent TNG administration increased CO 40%, decreased PVR 43%, and decreased MPAP 12%; pulmonary hemodynamics during TNG administration were not significantly different from those prior to oleic acid administration. SNP produced systemic hypotension but did not alter either PVR or MPAP and increased CO only 14%. The efficacy of TNG in this model may relate to its ability to dilate preferentially the pulmonary vascular bed.
Obstetric Hemorrhage

Purpose: The mission of the California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative is to eliminate preventable maternal death and injury and to promote equitable maternity care in California. This article describes California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative’s (CMQCC’s) statewide multistakeholder quality improvement initiative to improve readiness, recognition, response, and reporting of maternal hemorrhage at birth and details the essential role of nurses in its
Topography of principal fibers.

— The purpose of this investigation was to study the topography of the principal bundles of the periodontal membrane. Untreated human premolars removed in conjunction with orthodontic treatment were fixed in 4% formaldehyde. The principal fiber bundles remaining on the root surface were examined. The fibers embedded in cementum were investigated by examining mineralized sections or sections progressively demineralized in 5.2% HNO3. In addition, conventional 5 μm, demineralized, paraffin embedded sections were employed. All specimens were coated under continuous tilting and rotation with a thin layer of carbon and gold-palladium and finally examined in a scanning electron microscope. The principal fiber consisted of smaller, morphologic entities. In the cementum, the fiber bundles were discerned as individual structures and they exhibited a regular arrangement transversing the total width of the cementum. The fiber bundles branched towards the C-D junction, rendering an irregular border between dentin and cementum. Within the fiber bundles smaller fibers connected longitudinal fibers at 90°.
Comparison of Giardia lamblia and Giardia muris cyst inactivation by ozone

Inactivation of Giardia lamblia and Giardia muris cysts was compared by using an ozone demand-free 0.05 M phosphate buffer in bench-scale batch reactors at 22 degrees C. Ozone was added to each trial from a concentrated stock solution for contact times of 2 and 5 min. The viability of the control and treated cysts was evaluated by using the C3H/HeN mouse and Mongolian gerbil models for G. muris and G. lamblia, respectively. The resistance of G. lamblia to ozone was not significantly different from that of G. muris under the study conditions, contrary to previously reported data that suggested G. lamblia was significantly more sensitive to ozone than G. muris was. The simple Ct value for 2 log unit inactivation of G. lamblia was 2.4 times higher than the Ct value recommended by the Surface Water Treatment Rule.
Adaptive aperture control for image acquisition

Image processing strongly relies on the quality of the input images, as images of good quality can significantly decrease the development effort for image processing and analysis algorithms. A flexible acquisition system for image enhancement, which is able to operate in real time under changing brightness conditions, is suggested The system is based on controlling the aperture of the lens, which makes it useable in combination with all types of image sensors. The control scheme is based on an adaptive image quality estimator and can be used for full images and regions of interest within images. We demonstrate the real-time performance of our approach for different static and dynamic in- and outdoor test scenarios with and without region of interest.
IMMUNOLOGIC COMPONENTS IN HUMAN MILK DURING THE SECOND YEAR OF LACTATION

Because of the recognition of the uniqueness of human milk and the protection it affords to the nursing infant (I), we initiated a series of studies of the development of the immunologic system in human milk. These studies confirmed and extended past investigations (2-4). The concentrations of the components in milk from women who delivered after full-term pregnancies under-went certain changes in the first year of uninterrupted lactation (5). The number of leukocytes fell from a maximum in colostrum to undetectable levels at eight weeks of lactation. The concentrations of IgA, principally secretory IgA (SIgA), and of lactoferrin are also highest in colostrum and fell during the first few months of lactation. Substantial levels of these proteins, were maintained throughout the remainder of the first year of lactation. In addition, there was evidence of production of SIgA antibodies to enteric bacteria during that period. The pattern of lysozyme levels was unusual. Mean levels of lysozyme in colostrum were about 85-90 pg/ml. The level fell to about 25 pg/ml at 2-4 weeks and then rose steadily to 250 pg/ml by 6 months. Those levels were maintained throughout the remainder of the first year of lactation. The effects of gradual weaning at G 9 months of lactation upon the concentrations of these immunologic factors in human milk were also investigated (6). The only effect detected was a modest rise in SIgA. These investigations have been extended through the second year of lactation. The research was approved by the institutional review boards of both medical schools. Women who completely breast-fed their infants during the first 6-12 month of lactation and who are partially breast-feeding during the second year were recruited. The criteria for subject selection and the method of milk collection were as previously reported (7). In this cross-sectional study, five different women were selected to donate milk for separate periods (12, 13-15, or 16-24 months of lactation). One specimen was collected from each women by emptying a breast of milk by means of a low pressure electric pump. Viable leukocytes were identified by trypan blue exclusion (7). Lactofemn and lysozyme were quantitated by electroimmunodiffusion (7); total and secretory IgA were measured by fluorescent immunosorbence (7). Secretory IgA antibodies to a pool of Escherichia coli somatic antigens were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbence (7). The results are summarized in Table 1. No leukocytes were detected in any specimen. The concentrations of total and secretory IgA, lactoferrin and lysozyme were similar to those
Diversity of Carotenoid Synthesis Gene Clusters from Environmental Enterobacteriaceae Strains

ABSTRACT Eight Enterobacteriaceae strains that produce zeaxanthin and derivatives of this compound were isolated from a variety of environmental samples. Phylogenetic analysis showed that these strains grouped with different clusters of Erwinia type strains. Four strains representing the phylogenetic diversity were chosen for further characterization, which revealed their genetic diversity as well as their biochemical diversity. The carotenoid synthesis gene clusters cloned from the four strains had three different gene organizations. Two of the gene clusters, those from strains DC416 and DC260, had the classical organization crtEXYIBZ; the gene cluster from DC413 had the rare organization crtE-idi-XYIBZ; and the gene cluster from DC404 had the unique organization crtE-idi-YIBZ. Besides the diversity in genetic organization, these genes also exhibited considerable sequence diversity. On average, they exhibited 60 to 70% identity with each other, as well as with the corresponding genes of the Pantoea type strains. The four different clusters were individually expressed in Escherichia coli, and the two idi-containing clusters gave more than fivefold-higher carotenoid titers than the two clusters lacking idi. Expression of the crtEYIB genes with and without idi confirmed the effect of increasing carotenoid titer by the type II idi gene linked with the carotenoid synthesis gene clusters.