Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Long-Term Study of the Diversity of OXA-48-Like Carbapenemase-Producing Bacterial Strains in Infected Patients and Carriers.

PURPOSE Since their emergence at the beginning of the century, OXA-48 carbapenemases have spread in the community and in hospitals. To assess the diversity of OXA-48-producing bacterial strains and plasmids in the hospital setting, we studied the strains isolated from patients in three hospitals in the Paris area. MATERIALS AND METHODS All possible OXA-48-like strains were included in the study. OXA-48-like and extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-encoding genes were identified, and fingerprinting analysis was performed for all Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae strains. The backbones and close genetic environments of blaOXA-48 were assessed by amplifying genes that were specific to the pOXA-48a plasmid and PCR, encompassing the junctions between blaOXA-48 and its direct genetic environment. RESULTS Overall, 68 strains from 30 patients were studied. These strains belonged to seven different enterobacterial species. OXA-48, OXA-204, and OXA-401 were identified in 62, 3, and 3 isolates, respectively. Additional broad-spectrum beta-lactamases were identified in 34% (23/68) of the strains. The strain diversity was high between and within patients. Identical patterns were observed only within individual patients or among epidemiologically related patients. Plasmid mapping was performed in the 62 OXA-48-producing strains and the 3 OXA-405-producing strains, resulting in the identification of 5 different patterns. CONCLUSION Because of their ability to transfer between strains, OXA-48 carbapenemases have a high risk of dissemination and may become endemic in France.
Anti-Aging Effects of Betacyanins from Portulaca oleracea L.

Betacyanins from Portulaca oleracea markedly reversed the D-gal induced learning and memory impairment by behavioral tests. The activities of SOD, CAT, GPx and GR in D- galactose -treated mice were enhanced. Significant negative correlations were found between the latency to find the platform of mice and the activities of SOD, CAT GR and GPx in mice brain. These results suggest the neuroprotective effect of betacyanins against D-gal induced neurotoxicity might be caused, at least in part, by the increase in the activities of antioxidant enzymes.
Priorities in treating depression only

Physicians treating depression are, on the whole, not entirely satisfied with current antidepressant treatment options. There is a demand for improved therapies with a rapid symptom relief, a high remission rate and greater prevention of recurrence. The remission rate is particularly important since patients with depression not reaching remission have much poorer outcomes than those who do. Several studies have shown that the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and the serotonin and noradrenergic reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) have higher remission rates than other antidepressant medications. However, data from meta-analyses have suggested that venlafaxine shows higher remission rates than the SSRIs, fluoxetine, fluvoxamine and paroxetine. It is therefore important to examine how the more recently developed SSRIs compare with others in the same drug class and also with SNRIs with regard to symptom relief, remission rate and tolerability. Using data from three pooled studies, the new SSRI escitalopram was compared with the older SSRI citalopram. Escitalopram performed significantly better than citalopram and placebo in terms of percentage responders (defined as a ≥50% decrease of baseline Montgomery and Åsberg Depression Rating Scale [MADRS] score). Furthermore, in a flexible-dose study the remission rate with escitalopram treatment was higher than citalopram during 8 weeks. Remission (defined as MADRS ≤12 at endpoint) in a flexible-dose study was also investigated with escitalopram versus extended release venlafaxine. Overall, the remission rates were similar between the two medications at the end of week 8, but patients on escitalopram achieved sustained remission nearly a week earlier than those on venlafaxine. Higher remission rates were also found with escitalopram compared with venlafaxine in severely ill patients. Furthermore, escitalopram also offered important advantages over venlafaxine with regards to tolerability.
Ecología de la regeneración de Quercus ilex a escala de paisaje: importancia de los dispersores y depredadores de semillas para el reclutamiento

Puerta, C. (2008). Ecologia de la regeneracion de Quercus ilex a escala de paisaje: importancia de los dispersores y depredadores de semillas para el reclutamiento. Ecosistemas 17(3):155-160.
Polysyllabic shortening in Spanish-English bilingual children

Aims and objectives: Polysyllabic shortening is thought to contribute to the perception of stress-timed rhythm in some languages. Little is known about its use in the speech of children exposed to a language that incorporates it more frequently (e.g. English) and one that incorporates it less frequently (e.g. Spanish). The purpose of the current investigation was to explore polysyllabic shortening in bilingual children’s two languages compared to monolingual Spanish and English comparison groups. Method/Design: We performed a group-level, cross-sectional study comparing the magnitude of polysyllabic shortening for monolingual English- and Spanish-speaking children and Spanish-English bilingual children. Data/Analysis: Sixteen monolingual English speakers, 23 monolingual Spanish speakers, and 16 Spanish-English bilingual speakers produced two- and four-syllable words in English only, Spanish only, or both English and Spanish, respectively. Ages ranged from 4;5 to 7;7 (M = 5;10, SD = 7 months). English and Spanish words had the same syllable shapes and primary stress locations. Articulation rate was measured by syllables per second. A language history questionnaire and standardized vocabulary test were also administered. Comparisons were made both between and within groups. Results: Both monolingual English and Spanish speakers utilized polysyllabic shortening to similar degrees. Bilingual children produced polysyllabic shortening in English and Spanish to the same degree as their monolingual peers, but they produced it to a greater degree in their own Spanish than in their own English. Conclusion: Polysyllabic shortening might be a universal feature of speech that results from universal phonetic constraints. For the bilingual children, greater use of polysyllabic shortening in Spanish than English may be related to better Spanish than English articulatory control.
Is Sex Necessarily a Risk Factor to Depression?

“To isolate and quantify possible determinants of any increased prevalence of depressive disorders in women we studied a select group of men and women, initially similar in terms of a number of putative social determinants of depression, and reviewed the sample five years later when social role diversity was anticipated. We used the Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS) to generate DSM–III and RDC diagnoses to estimate lifetime depressive disorders, and established (via corroborative reports) the likely accuracy of those data. Despite lifetime depression being a relatively common experience, no significant sex differences in depressive episodes were demonstrated, suggesting the possible irrelevance of biological factors in determining any sex difference. As there was not major social role divergence over the five year study, we interpret the lack of a sex difference as a consequence, and suggest that findings support the view that social factors are of key relevance in determining any female preponderance in depression described in general population studies. ”
Broadband Small Antenna for Portable Wireless Application

A broadband compact antenna is implemented by modifying the full ground plane metamaterial antenna. The strip matching ground is used to enhance the impedance matching by 800% compared to the full ground plane case while maintaining its compact size as 1/10 lambda0 by 12 size of antenna ground plane. Planar inverted F antenna (PIFA) is also known for its compact size and its capability to easily operate at multiple frequencies. The simulated and measured results demonstrate that the proposed antenna should be a potential candidate to use in the modern wireless communication system.
Interrelated overexpression of endothelial and inducible nitric oxide synthases, endothelin‐1 and angiogenic factors in human papillary thyroid carcinoma

Objective Nitric oxide (NO) and endothelin‐1 (ET‐1) are involved in carcinogenesis. Overexpression of the ET‐1 axis has been demonstrated in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). This study investigated the expression of NO synthases (NOS) and their relationship with expression of ET‐1 and angiogenic markers in PTC.
Regional systems of entrepreneurship: the nexus of human capital, knowledge and new firm formation

This article focuses on entrepreneurship in economic geography and aims at a systematic investigation of regional variation in knowledge-based entrepreneurial activity. We develop and test a three-phase structural model forregional systems of entrepreneurshipafter introducing a systems approach to entrepreneurship. The model is built upon the absorptive capacity theory of knowledge spillover entrepreneurship that identifies new knowledge as one source of entrepreneurial opportunities and human capital as the major source of entrepreneurial absorptive capacity. Based on data of US metropolitan areas, we find that entrepreneurial absorptive capacity is a critical driving force for knowledge-based entrepreneurial activity. We also find that high technology and cultural diversity contribute to the vibrancy of regional systems of entrepreneurship.
ERP adoption factors: the effect of institutional- and economic-based theory

The introduction of the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system in the early 1990s was perceived as a new way of managing a business that could lead to better management of an organisation and improve its efficiency. However, studies have repeatedly reported a low success rate in ERP system adoption. This encouraged various research studies that sought to uncover factors that could have contributed to the system failure. A poor decision-making process has been stated as one of the main reasons for ERP system failure. Clear objectives and good justification could, we believe, increase the ERP system adoption success rate. Hence, in this study, we extend the existing research on ERP by exploring the effect of institutional pressures and economic benefits on the decision-making process of the management. Specifically, we investigate the influence of external pressures and internal needs in ERP adoption decisions. Empirical analyses in this study are based on survey data obtained from 136 Malaysian companies. Overall, our findings indicate that only operational benefits and mimetic pressure have significant influence on ERP system adoption decisions. Other economic benefits such as managerial benefits and strategic benefits have no significant impact on the management’s decision to adopt the system. Similarly, institutional pressures, coercive pressures and normative pressures yield non-significant results. These results are important because the evidence highlights that the management’s decision to adopt the ERP system is based on the felt need for the organisation to improve its operational efficiency, and the influence of mimetic pressures further accentuates the importance for the organization of being competitive in its technological capabilities.
The costs of stunting in South Asia and the benefits of public investments in nutrition

Abstract South Asia is home to the largest number of stunted children worldwide: 65 million or 37% of all South Asian children under 5 were stunted in 2014. The costs to society as a result of stunting during childhood are high and include increased mortality, increased morbidity (in childhood and later as adults), decreased cognitive ability, poor educational outcomes, lost earnings and losses to national economic productivity. Conversely, investing in nutrition provides many benefits for poverty reduction and economic growth. This article draws from analyses conducted in four sub‐Saharan countries to demonstrate that investments in nutrition can also be very cost‐effective in South Asian countries. Specifically, the analyses demonstrate that scaling up a set of 10 critical nutrition‐specific interventions is highly cost‐effective when considered as a package. Most of the interventions are also very cost‐effective when considered individually. By modelling cost‐effectiveness of different scale‐up scenarios, the analysis offers insights into ways in which the impact of investing in nutrition interventions can be maximized under budget constraints. Rigorous estimations of the costs and benefits of nutrition investments, similar to those reported here for sub‐Saharan countries, are an important next step for all South Asian countries in order to drive political commitment and action and to enhance allocative efficiency of nutrition resources.
Effect of mechanical closure of dead space on seroma formation in modified radical mastectomy

Seroma is an important complication of breast surgery. This study investigated the effects of fixation of the flaps and obliterating the dead space on seroma formation. Materials and methods: Patients undergoing modified radical mastectomy were separated into 2 random groups of 50 according to wound closure methods: either flap fixation/mechanical obliteration or standard wound closure group. The fluid that collected under the flaps assessed at the physical examination after the drains were removed was accepted as seroma. The patients' characteristics, duration of the operation, drainage amount, removal time of the drains, flap necroses, and infection were recorded. The groups were compared via chi-square and Levene tests. Significance was determined for P
Primary tumour genetic alterations and intra‐tumoral heterogeneity are maintained in xenografts of human colon cancers showing chromosome instability

Evaluation of the role of clonal heterogeneity in colon tumour sensitivity/resistance to drugs and/or in conferring metastatic potential requires an adequate experimental model in which the tumour cells maintain the initial genetic alterations and intra‐tumoral heterogeneity through maintenance of the genetic clones present in the initial tumour. Therefore, we xenografted subcutaneously into nude mice seven human colonic tumours (from stages B1 to D) that showed chromosome instability and transplanted them sequentially for up to 14 passages. Maintenance after xenografting of the genetic alterations present in the initial tumours was scored by allelotype studies targeting 45 loci localized on 18 chromosomes. We show that xenografting does not alter the genetic or the histological profiles of the tumours even after 14 passages. Screening of the entire genome of one tumour by comparative genome hybridization also showed overall stability of the alterations between the initial and the xenografted tumour. In addition, intra‐tumoral heterogeneity was maintained over time, suggesting that no clonal selection occurred in the nude mice. The observation that some loci showed partial allelic imbalance in the initial tumour but loss of heterozygosity after the first passage in nude mice when all the normal cells were lost may allow identification of interesting genetic defects that could be involved in tumour expansion. Thus, sequential xenografts of colon tumours will provide a powerful model for further study of tumour clonality and for the identification of genetic profiles responsible for differential resistance to therapeutic treatments. Our data also suggest that tumour expansion can result from alterations in several distinct genetic pathways. Copyright © 2006 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Comparison of oral Midazolam-Ketamine and Midazolam-Promethazine as sedative agents in pediatric dentistry

Background: Investigation was designed to evaluate the behavioral changes in children receiving dental treatment while they have been administered combination of Midazolam/Ketamine or Midazolam/Promethazine. Materials and Methods: This was a randomized double blind clinical trial with cases being selected from those uncooperative children aged 2 to 6 years from those referred for treatment under general anesthesia. Anxiety score of all cases were recorded before any attempt using Frankel's anxiety scoring system with those in negative category being included. Cases with at least a pair of similar size cavities on similar teeth were selected with each tooth being randomly allocated for one sedative regimen group. To avoid sequence effect, half of the patients received one regimen at the first visit while the other half received the other regimen as the first. Each case served as control for him or herself to reduce influencing factors. Child's reaction was recorded before, during, and at the end of dental procedure. SO2 as well as Pulse rate were recorded as the most critical vital signs. Collected data were then analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and paired t-test. Results: Patients’ mean age was 3.5 years with 43% being male. Only 10% of the Ketamine/Midazolam group showed considerable amount of change in their behavior with a statistical significant difference being presented (P=0.029). Conclusion: Under the current circumstances, Ketamine/Midazolam combination provided sufficient sedative effect in lower doses. However, Midazolam/Promethazine combination did not produce similar results.
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service March 2004 EFFICACY OF AIRCRAFT LANDING LIGHTS IN STIMULATING AVOIDANCE BEHAVIOR IN BIRDS

Aircraft collisions with wildlife (primarily birds) are costly in terms of injury or loss of human life, loss of the animals involved, damage to property and business, and the use of lethal control of wildlife at airports worldwide. One potential nonlethal technique to reduce bird–aircraft collisions—pulsed white and wavelength-specific aircraft-mounted light—has been considered for nearly 3 decades, but the efficacy of the technique has not been evaluated quantitatively. We tested the hypothesis that during daylight, captive birds exposed to an approaching ground-based vehicle exhibiting pulsing 250-W white aircraft landing lights would initiate avoidance behavior more quickly than birds experiencing an oncoming vehicle with nonpulsing (steady) or no lights (control). In experiments involving captive brown-headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater), Canada geese (Branta canadensis), European starlings (Sturnis vulgaris), herring gulls (Larus argentatus), and mourning doves (Zenaida macroura), only cowbirds exhibited a response to the landing lights, but not consistently. Specifically, cowbird groups (9 groups/treatment, 6 birds/group) responded more quickly to pulse versus control treatments, equating to a greater distance (x– ± SE) of the approaching vehicle from mid-cage per reacting bird (control: 35.8 ± 9.7 m, pulse: 50.5 ± 10.9 m; P = 0.015). However, in a subsequent experiment involving the exposure of cowbirds to control, pulse, and steadylight treatments, we observed no difference in response among treatment groups. Although 250-W white landing lights pulsed at 45 cycles/min influenced behavior of captive birds in response to an oncoming ground-based vehicle, the avoidance response was inconsistent across experiments with cowbirds, and we observed little or no avoidance behavior in experiments with other species. We suggest that further research is needed to investigate avian response to specific light wavelengths and pulse frequencies. JOURNAL OF WILDIFE MANAGEMENT 68(3):725–732
Weber (Slope) Analyses of Timing Variability in Tapping and Drawing Tasks

Abstract Timing variability in continuous drawing tasks has not been found to be correlated with timing variability in repetitive finger tapping in recent studies (S. D. Robertson et al., 1999; H. N. Zelaznik, R. M. C. Spencer, & R. B. Ivry, 2002). Furthermore, the central component of timing variability, as measured by the slope of the timing variance versus the square of the timed interval, differed for tapping and drawing tasks. On the basis of those results, the authors posited that timing in tapping is explicit and as such uses a central representation of the interval to be timed, whereas timing in drawing tasks is implicit, that is, the temporal component is an emergent property of the trajectory produced. The authors examined that hypothesis in the present study by determining the linear relationship between timing variance and squared duration for tapping, circle-drawing, and line-drawing tasks. Participants (N = 501 performed 1 of 5 tasks: finger tapping, line drawing in the x dimension, line drawing in the y dimension, continuous circle drawing timed in the x dimension, or continuous circle drawing timed in the y dimension. The slopes differed significantly between finger tapping, line drawing, and circle drawing, suggesting separable sources of timing variability. The slopes of the 2 circle-drawing tasks did not differ from one another, nor did the slopes of the 2 line-drawing tasks differ significantly, suggesting a shared timing process within those tasks. Those results are evidence of a high degree of specificity in timing processes.
Gene Expression Profile of Herpesvirus-Infected T Cells Obtained Using Immunomicroarrays: Induction of Proinflammatory Mechanisms

ABSTRACT Herpesvirus infections can frequently lead to acute inflammation, yet the mechanisms regulating this event remain poorly understood. In order to determine some of the immunological mechanisms regulated by human herpesvirus infections, we studied the gene expression profile of lymphocytes infected with human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) by using a novel immunomicroarray. Our nylon-based immunomicroarray contained more than 1,150 immune response-related genes and was highly consistent between experiments. Experimentally, we found that independently of the HHV-6 strain used to infect T cells, multiple proinflammatory genes were increased and anti-inflammatory genes were decreased at the mRNA and protein levels. HHV-6 strains A and B increased expression of the genes for interleukin-18 (IL-18), the IL-2 receptor, members of the tumor necrosis factor alpha superfamily receptors, mitogen-activated protein kinase, and Janus kinase signaling proteins. As reported previously, CD4 protein levels were also increased significantly. Specific type 2 cytokines, including IL-10, its receptor, and IL-14, were downregulated by HHV-6 infection and, interestingly, amyloid precursor proteins and type 1 and 2 presenilins. Thus, T cells respond to HHV-6 infection by inducing a type 1 immune response that may play a significant role in the development and progression of diseases associated with HHV-6, including pediatric, hematologic, transplant, and neurologic disorders.
Generation of Sokoban Stages using RecurrentNeural Networks

Puzzles and board games represent several important classes of AI problems, but also represent difficult complexity classes. In this paper, we propose a deep learning based alternative to train a neural network model to find solution states of the popular puzzle game Sokoban. The network trains against a classical solver that uses theorem proving as the oracle of valid and invalid games states, in a setup that is similar to the popular adversarial training framework. Using our approach, we have been able to verify the validity of a Sokoban puzzle up to an accuracy of 99% on the test set. We have also been able to train our network to generate the next possible state of the puzzle board up to an accuracy of 99% on the validation set. We hope that through this approach, a trained neural network will be able to replace human experts and classical rule-based AI in generating new instances and solutions for such games.