Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Peptidoglycan biosynthesis machinery: A rich source of drug targets

The range of antibiotic therapy for the control of bacterial infections is becoming increasingly limited because of the rapid rise in multidrug resistance in clinical bacterial isolates. A few diseases, such as tuberculosis, which were once thought to be under control, have re-emerged as serious health threats. These problems have resulted in intensified research to look for new inhibitors for bacterial pathogens. Of late, the peptidoglycan (PG) layer, the most important component of the bacterial cell wall has been the subject of drug targeting because, first, it is essential for the survivability of eubacteria and secondly, it is absent in humans. The last decade has seen tremendous inputs in deciphering the 3-D structures of the PG biosynthetic enzymes. Many inhibitors against these enzymes have been developed using virtual and high throughput screening techniques. This review discusses the mechanistic and structural properties of the PG biosynthetic enzymes and inhibitors developed in the last decade.
Green approach for nanoparticle biosynthesis by fungi: current trends and applications

In recent years, the green approach of nanoparticle synthesis by biological entities has been gaining great interest over various other physico-chemical methods, which are laden with many disadvantages. The important challenging issues in current nanotechnology include the development of reliable experimental techniques for the synthesis of nanoparticles of different compositions and sizes along with high monodispersity. Biological systems offer unique promising features to tailor nanomaterials with predefined properties. Fungi are the favorite choice of microorganisms due to the wide variety of advantages they offer over bacteria, yeast, actinomycetes, plants, and other physico-chemical techniques. The use of microorganisms for the deliberate synthesis of nanoparticles is a fairly new and exciting area of research with considerable potential for further development. This review describes an overview of the current green approaches for the synthesis of nanoparticles with particular emphasis on fungi, which are gaining worldwide popularity as nano-factories for the green synthesis of nanoparticles.
Attitudinal Barriers to Mammography Screening among Women in Tehran

Background and purpose: Breast cancer is one of the most prevalent malignancies among Iranian women and mammography screening is of great assistance in its early diagnosis. This study was conducted to determine attitudinal barriers to mammography screening in women attending some of the clinics affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 900 women aged >40 referring to selected clinics of Tehran University of Medical Sciences. The data was analyzed using SPSS ver.16 and P< 0.05 was considered statically significant. Results: Among the attitudinal barriers to mammography screening, 'having no symptoms of breast cancer' was reported as the greatest barrier (81.9%). Other barriers included 'lack of knowledge about breast cancer' (73.2%), 'lack of concern about breast cancer because of no family history' (71.8%), 'unnecessity of mammography' (62.3%), 'not concerned about health status' (27.4%), 'believe in fate' (24.8%) and 'no friends had mammograms' (17.6%). This study showed that attitudinal barriers are significantly correlated with age (P< 0.001), level of education (P= 0.023) and economic status (P= 0.006). Multiple regression analysis showed that age and economic status were highly correlated with attitudinal barriers. Conclusion: Regarding the attitudinal barriers of mammography screening, education and raising awareness about the importance of early detection of breast diseases is essential which could be done through screening programs especially mammography.
Hand hygiene compliance among healthcare workers in an accredited tertiary care hospital

Aim: We are using multimodal technique to improve hand hygiene (HH) compliance among all health care staff for the past 1-year. This cross-sectional observational study was conducted in the surgical ICU to assess adherence to HH among nurses and allied healthcare workers, at the end of the training year. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional observational study using direct observation technique. A single observer collected all HH data. During this analysis, 1500 HH opportunities were observed. HH compliance was tested for all 5 moments as per WHO guidelines. Results: Overall compliance as per WHO Guidelines was 78%. Nurses had an adherence rate of 63%; allied staff adherence was 86.5%. Compliance was 93% after patient contact versus 63% before patient contact. Nurses'compliance before aseptic procedures was lowest at 39%. 92% staff was aware of the facts viz. Diseases prevented by hand washing, ideal duration of HH, reduction of health care associated infections, etc. Conclusion: After 1-year of aggressive multimodal intervention in improving HH compliance, we have an overall compliance of 78%. It implies that sustained performance and compliance to HH can be ensured by ongoing training. Direct observation remains a widely used, easily reproducible method for monitoring compliance.
Carbapenem resistant Gram-negative bacteremia in an Indian intensive care unit: A review of the clinical profile and treatment outcome of 50 patients

Background: Growing antimicrobial resistance and limited therapeutic options to treat carbapenem-resistant bacteremia prompted us to evaluate the clinical outcomes associated with healthcare-associated bacteremia. Methods: This was a retrospective observational study of carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteremia performed at a tertiary care facility in Chennai, India between May 2011 and May 2012. Results: In our study, patients had mean 11.76 days of intensive care unit (ICU) care and mean time to onset of bacteremia was 6.4 days after admission. The commonest organism was Klebsiella pneumoniae (44%). Patients with combination treatment had lower mortality (44.8%) compared with colistin monotherapy (66.6%); (P = 0.35). Conclusion: Carbapenem resistant bacteremia is a late onset infection in patients with antibiotic exposure in the ICU and carries a 30 days mortality of 60%; K. pneumoniae is the most common organism at our center. Two drug combinations appear to carry a lower mortality compared with monotherapy.
EVENING DAYLIGHT MAY CAUSE ADOLESCENTS TO SLEEP LESS IN SPRING THAN IN WINTER

Sleep restriction commonly experienced by adolescents can stem from a slower increase in sleep pressure by the homeostatic processes and from phase delays of the circadian system. With regard to the latter potential cause, the authors hypothesized that because there is more natural evening light during the spring than winter, a sample of adolescent students would be more phase delayed in spring than in winter, would have later sleep onset times, and because of fixed school schedules would have shorter sleep durations. Sixteen eighth-grade subjects were recruited for the study. The authors collected sleep logs and saliva samples to determine their dim light melatonin onset (DLMO), a well-established circadian marker. Actual circadian light exposures experienced by a subset of 12 subjects over the course of 7 days in winter and in spring using a personal, head-worn, circadian light measurement device are also reported here. Results showed that this sample of adolescents was exposed to significantly more circadian light in spring than in winter, especially during the evening hours when light exposure would likely delay circadian phase. Consistent with the light data, DLMO and sleep onset times were significantly more delayed, and sleep durations were significantly shorter in spring than in winter. The present ecological study of light, circadian phase, and self-reported sleep suggests that greater access to evening daylight in the spring may lead to sleep restriction in adolescents while attending school. Therefore, lighting schemes that reduce evening light in the spring may encourage longer sleep times in adolescents. (Author correspondence: figuem@rpi.edu)
Crosstalk Between Environmental Light and Internal Time in Humans

Daily exposure to environmental light is the most important zeitgeber in humans, and all studied characteristics of light pattern (timing, intensity, rate of change, duration, and spectrum) influence the circadian system. However, and due to lack of current studies on environmental light exposure and its influence on the circadian system, the aim of this work is to determine the characteristics of a naturalistic regimen of light exposure and its relationship with the functioning of the human circadian system. Eighty-eight undergraduate students (18–23 yrs) were recruited in Murcia, Spain (latitude 38°01′N) to record wrist temperature (WT), light exposure, and sleep for 1 wk under free-living conditions. Light-exposure timing, rate of change, regularity, intensity, and contrast were calculated, and their effects on the sleep pattern and WT rhythm were then analyzed. In general, higher values for interdaily stability, relative amplitude, mean morning light, and light quality index (LQI) correlated with higher interdaily stability and relative amplitude, and phase advance in sleep plus greater stability in WT and phase advance of the WT circadian rhythm. On the other hand, a higher fragmentation of the light-exposure rhythm was associated with more fragmented sleep. Naturalistic studies using 24-h ambulatory light monitoring provide essential information about the main circadian system input, necessary for maintaining healthy circadian tuning. Correcting light-exposure patterns accordingly may help prevent or even reverse health problems associated with circadian disruption. (Author correspondence: angerol@um.es)
A Randomized Clinical Trial of Kinesio-Taping on DASH in Patients with Subacromial Impingement Syndrome

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of KT on the disability of arm, shoulder and hand in patients with shoulder impingement syndrome. Mann-whitney test revealed that change in DASH after 1 week was significantly greater for treatment group than control group (P=0.01). The application of KT produces improvement in the disability of arm, shoulder and hand in patients with shoulder impingement syndrome.
Dipper and Non-Dipper Blood Pressure 24-Hour Patterns: Circadian Rhythm–Dependent Physiologic and Pathophysiologic Mechanisms

Neuroendocrine mechanisms are major determinants of the normal 24-h blood pressure (BP) pattern. At the central level, integration of the major driving factors of this temporal variability is mediated by circadian rhythms of monoaminergic systems in conjunction with those of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal, hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid, opioid, renin-angiotensin-aldosterone, plus endothelial systems and specific vasoactive peptides. Humoral secretions are typically episodic, coupled either to sleep and/or the circadian endogenous (suprachiasmatic nucleus) central pacemaker clock, but exhibiting also weekly, monthly, seasonal, and annual periodicities. Sleep induction and arousal are influenced also by many hormones and chemical substances that exhibit 24-h variation, e.g., arginine vasopressin, vasoactive intestinal peptide, melatonin, somatotropin, insulin, steroids, serotonin, corticotropin-releasing factor, adrenocorticotropic hormone, thyrotropin-releasing hormone, endogenous opioids, and prostaglandin E2, all with established effects on the cardiovascular system. As a consequence, physical, mental, and pathologic stimuli that activate or inhibit neuroendocrine effectors of biological rhythmicity may also interfere with, or modify, the temporal BP structure. Moreover, immediate adjustment to exogenous components/environment demands by BP rhythms is modulated by the circadian-time-dependent responsiveness of biological oscillators and their neuroendocrine effectors. This knowledge contributes to a better understanding of the pathophysiology of abnormalities of the 24-h BP pattern and level and their correction through circadian rhythm-based chronotherapeutic strategies. (Author correspondence: prf@unife.it)
Duration Until Nighttime Blood Pressure Fall Indicates Excess Sodium Retention

Impaired renal sodium excretion causes sodium retention, which prevents the nocturnal dip in blood pressure (BP); thus, high BP persists until excess sodium is excreted. The authors defined “dipping time” (DT) as the duration until the nocturnal BP falls below 90% of the daytime average. Diuretic (e.g., hydrochlorothiazide [HCTZ]) and angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) are able to eliminate sodium retention and restore the non-dipper BP rhythm. Reanalysis of two previous studies demonstrate that HCTZ and ARB shortened the DT. Shortening DT correlated directly with the increase in daytime urinary sodium excretion (Study 2). DT can be used as a preliminary indicator of sodium retention. (Author correspondence: m-fukuda@med.nagoya-cu.ac.jp)
Polypharmacy In Psychiatry: A Review

Psychiatric polypharmacy refers to the prescription of two or more psychiatric medications concurrently to a patient. It can be categorised as same-class, multi-class, adjunctive, augmentation and total polypharmacy. Despite advances in psychopharmacology and a better understanding of the principles of therapeutics, its practice is increasing rapidly. The prevalence of polypharmacy in psychiatry varies between 13%-90%. There are various clinical and pharmaco-economic factors associated with it. Dealing with polypharmacy requires an understanding of its associated factors. Education, guidelines and algorithms for the appropriate management of various conditions are effective ways to avoid irrational polypharmacy.
Relationships of Different Blood Pressure Categories to Indices of Inflammation and Platelet Activity in Sustained Hypertensive Patients with Uncontrolled Office Blood Pressure

Failure to decrease blood pressure (BP) normally during nighttime (non-dipping) in hypertension is associated with higher cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. In addition, non-dipping BP is associated with increased platelet activity and inflammatory response; however, there has been no study to evaluate the relationship of non-dipping BP to indices of platelet activity and inflammation in uncontrolled hypertensive patients. In the present study, hypertensive subjects with uncontrolled office BP were firstly divided into three groups: 84 subjects with white coat effect and 365 subjects with true uncontrolled hypertension. Then, true uncontrolled hypertensive patients were divided into two groups: 158 patients with dipping and 207 patients with non-dipping. Mean platelet volume (MPV), uric acid (UA), γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT), C-reactive protein (CRP), and high-sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP) levels were studied. The general characteristics and risk factors for coronary artery disease (CAD) of the study population were similar among the groups. MPV, UA, GGT, CRP, and hs-CRP levels were significantly higher in non-dipper group than both dipper and white coat effect groups, and were significantly higher in dipper group than in white coat effect group (MPV: 9.1 ± 1.3, 8.7 ± 1.1, and 8.0 ± 0.9 fL; UA: 6.9 ± 1.2, 5.9 ± 1.4, and 4.1 ± 0.8 mg/dL; GGT: 38.9 ± 11.1, 33.6 ± 14.9, and 25.2 ± 9.2 U/L; CRP: 7.1 ± 2.4, 6.2 ± 1.9, and 3.9 ± 0.8 mg/dL; hs-CRP: 3.8 ± 1.5, 3.3 ± 1.2, and 2.0 ± 0.6, non-dipper, dipper, and white coat effect groups, respectively, all p values <0.01). All study parameters strongly correlated with each other. In conclusion, in hypertensive patients with uncontrolled office BP, presence of non-dipping BP is associated with increased platelet activity and inflammation, which can be one of the underlying plausible mechanisms of non-dipping BP status.
What Makes People Healthy, Happy, and Fulfilled In The Face Of Current World Challenges?

Recent research on the relations of personality to well-being shows that the people who are most healthy, happy and fulfilled are those who are high in all three of the character traits of self-directedness, cooperativeness, and self-transcendence as measured by the Temperament and Character Inventory. In the past, the healthy personality has often been considered to require only high self-directedness and high cooperativeness. However, now the self-centred behaviour of people who are low in self-transcendence is degrading the conditions needed for sustainable life by all human beings. Consequently, human beings need to and can develop their capacity for self-transcendence in order to maintain their individual and collective well-being.
The Relationship Between Breakfast Skipping, Chronotype, and Glycemic Control in Type 2 Diabetes

Breakfast skipping is associated with obesity and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Later chronotypes, individuals who have a preference for later bed and wake times, often skip breakfast. The aim of the study was to explore the relationships among breakfast skipping, chronotype, and glycemic control in type 2 diabetes patients. We collected sleep timing and 24-h dietary recall from 194 non-shift-working type 2 diabetes patients who were being followed in outpatient clinics. Mid-sleep time on free days (MSF) was used as an indicator of chronotype. Hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C) values were obtained from medical records. Hierarchical linear regression analyses controlling for demographic, sleep, and dietary variables were computed to determine whether breakfast skipping was associated with HbA1C. Additional regression analyses were performed to test if this association was mediated by chronotype. There were 22 participants (11.3%) who self-reported missing breakfast. Breakfast skippers had significantly higher HbA1C levels, higher body mass indices (BMI), and later MSF than breakfast eaters. Breakfast skipping was significantly associated with higher HbA1C values (B = 0.108, p = 0.01), even after adjusting for age, sex, race, BMI, number of diabetes complications, insulin use, depressive symptoms, perceived sleep debt, and percentage of daily caloric intake at dinner. The relationship between breakfast skipping and HbA1C was partially mediated by chronotype. In summary, breakfast skipping is associated with a later chronotype. Later chronotype and breakfast skipping both contribute to poorer glycemic control, as indicated by higher HbA1C levels. Future studies are needed to confirm these findings and determine whether behavioral interventions targeting breakfast eating or sleep timing may improve glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Über Selbst-Konfiguration zur Überwachung von IT Netzwerken in industriellen Prozessleitsystemen. Automatisierte Konfiguration und Verwaltung von Netzwerk-Geräten in industriellen Automatisierungssystemen

ZUSAMMENFASSUNG Angesichts der zunehmenden Anzahl, Komplexität und Funktionalität von Netzwerk-Geräten wird auch die Konfiguration, Diagnose und Wartung von Netzwerken als Bestandteile industrieller Automatisierungssysteme immer komplizierter. Damit verbunden sind höhere Kosten und eine größere Wahrscheinlichkeit von Fehlern bei Konfiguration und Betrieb. Industrielle Automatisierungssysteme müssen aus unserer Sicht also lernen, sich selbst zu konfigurieren, zu reparieren und so autonom wie möglich zu arbeiten. Mit Bezug auf selbst-organisierende verteilte Systeme beschreiben wir unseren Beitrag zu diesem Themengebiet anhand des IndustrialIT 800xA Systems, schlagen dafür eine neue autonome Komponenten-Architektur vor und zeigen zukünftige viel versprechende Ansätze auf.
Hypoglycemia in Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes: Physiology, Pathophysiology, and Management

IN BRIEF The threat and incidence of hypoglycemia is the major limiting factor in intensive glycemic control for both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. This article reviews the physiology of the normal counterregulatory responses to hypoglycemia and the deficient counterregulatory defenses that occur in patients with diabetes. Treatment paradigms for establishing good glycemic control while limiting hypoglycemia are also discussed.
Infrastructures for a Smart Earth – The Swiss NCCR-MICS initiative –

ABSTRACT The Swiss National Competence Center for Research in Mobile Information and Communication Systems (NCCR MICS or MICS) is a research initiative sponsored by the Swiss National Science Foundation to promote long term research projects in areas of vital strategic importance for Switzerland. The NCCR MICS covers a wide spectrum of topics in the area of mobile information and communication systems, ranging from information theory related to ad-hoc sensor networks to business models for pervasive computing, including network and routing issues, software and application development, and actual deployments of sensor networks. In this paper, we briefly present MICS as a whole, describe a major application in the area of environmental monitoring and discuss in some detail the hardware and software platforms developed in the Center.
Analyseverlagerung in IDS-Overlaynetzen

ZUSAMMENFASSUNG Attacken im Internet werden heute häufig hochgradig verteilt ausgeführt, indem tausende fremd kontrollierte Rechnersysteme, die zu so genannten Botnetzen zusammengefasst wurden, genutzt werden, um Rechner gezielt anzugreifen bzw. in ihrer Funktion zu hindern. Die Nutzung verteilter Ansätze im Intrusion Detection, z.B. durch die Nutzung von Multiagentenoder Peer-to-Peer-Technologien, stellt eine logische Konsequenz zur Abwehr solcher Angriffe dar. Bisherige derartige Ansätze nutzen bisher nur die Möglichkeiten der Kooperation zur Verteilung von Analyseresultaten, z.B. Angriffswarnungen. Die dynamische Verteilung der Auditdatenanalyse wurde dagegen bisher kaum untersucht. Ein weiteres Problem moderner Intrusion Detection Systeme ist das rapide ansteigende Aufkommen an Auditdaten. Viele Intrusion Detection Systeme verwerfen daher in Überlastsituationen Daten oder verzögern die Erkennung von Sicherheitsverletzungen so signifikant, dass Gegenmaßnahmen nur noch eingeschränkt möglich sind. Als Lösungsansatz bietet sich die Auslagerung von Analysen an. Diese Problematik einschließlich der Korrelation von Teilergebnissen der verteilten Analyse in einem Peer-to-Peer Intrusion Detection System sollen in diesem Beitrag diskutiert werden.
Morningness–eveningness and the environment hypothesis – A cross-cultural comparison of Turkish and German adolescents

Individuals differ in morningness–eveningness, which is their preferred time for intellectual and physical activities. Although it is a basic human trait, cross-cultural comparisons are scarce but interesting because they help to determine the influence of exogenous factors, such as ambient temperature, climate and photoperiod. We here compare a large sample of German and Turkish adolescents (N = 26 465) by using the Composite Scale of Morningness and the Morning Affect Factor. First, we show that the Morning Affect Factor and Morningness scores are equivalent in both countries and we report country differences with Turkish adolescents scoring higher on morningness (F1,26 038 = 1293.313, p < 0.001) and in the morning affect (F1,26 038 = 133.833, p < 0.001). This fits into the environment hypothesis suggesting that populations near the equator should be more morning oriented. Meanwhile, gender differences were small and adolescents showed a lower morningness and a lower morning affect with increasing age.