Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Short‐term effect of physiotherapy on variability of the lung clearance index in children with cystic fibrosis

Multiple breath washout (MBW) for measuring the lung clearance index (LCI) has been proposed as a non‐invasive tool for detecting early cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease. The LCI is highly repeatable and reproducible in healthy subjects. In patients with CF, within‐test variability is low. However, application of physiotherapy (PT) immediately preceding MBW may affect LCI variability in CF patients and thus interpretation of repeat measurements and treatment effects. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to prospectively assess the short‐term effect of PT on LCI in CF patients in order to address the question whether or not standardized timing of PT and MBW has to be considered when introducing MBW into clinical CF management. Twenty‐seven out of 32 patients (5.7–15.9 years) with CF successfully performed two technically acceptable MBW tests with the EasyOne Pro, MBW Module (ndd, Switzerland) at intervals of 1½ hr. Sixteen out of 27 received 30 min PT in between, whereas 11/27 did not.
Methodology for Sampling Questing Nymphs of Ixodes Ricinus (Acari: Ixodidae), the Principal Vector of Lyme Disease in Europe

Abstract To assess the Lyme borreliosis vector population density we set up a methodology for sampling the Ixodes ricinus L. population host questing on the vegetation. We focused on the collection of the nymphal stage, which is the principal stage of disease transmission to humans. This study was carried out in Rambouillet forest (Yvelines, France) where seven study areas were demarcated. These areas are maximally homogeneous for plant species using a finer scale than the phytosociological classification as defined by the method of landscape diagnostics. Out of 23 collections performed from March 1997 to May 1998, 2,906 I. ricinus nymphs were collected. The sampling technique chosen was the cloth lure technique. The technical parameters were studied and fixed (cloth type, cloth size, sample size, researcher position). It appeared that toweling was the best cloth type to optimize the number of ticks collected; the position of the researcher had no effect on tick samples. To satisfy the criteria for correct sampling, we studied representativity, randomness, and nonselectivity of our methodology. The spatial distribution of nymphs in a homogeneous area was close to random and thus very few subsamples were needed to obtain a relative density which was representative. No significant differences were found between random samples and following transect samples; and nonselectivity was totally satisfied because we only worked on questing nymphs. We grouped the samples that presented no significant differences to attribute a density index, which varied from 0 to 5. This methodology, applied with the same parameters, offers potential for producing comparable results from studies in different geographical areas and at different times of the years.
Prenatal Genetic Diagnosis Following Recurrent Early Pregnancy Loss

Recurrent pregnancy loss affects 1% of patients, an incidence higher than expected from the prevalence of spontaneous abortion in the general population. Some couples may show a tendency for aneuploid conceptions. Genetic counseling and amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling were offered to 305 couples with a history of two or more pregnancy losses and normal parental karyotypes, with no additional known risk factors for aneuploidy. Prenatal diagnostic procedures were performed in 96 pregnancies. Two hundred nine couples declined active intervention, and these pregnancies were followed to delivery. Five chromosomal abnormalities (1.6%) were diagnosed in the study group. A group of 979 prenatal diagnostic procedures performed in “lowrisk” pregnancies in Hutzel Hospital was used as controls, and three chromosomal anomalies (0.3%) were diagnosed. That the rate of aneuploid conceptions was statistically significantly (P = .02) higher in low-risk couples experiencing recurrent pregnancy loss than in controls points to a tendency for chromosomal aberrations in their offspring and suggests a place for prenatal diagnosis in subsequent pregnancies.
Drug resistance among tubercle bacilli from pulmonary tuberculosis cases in central India.

An estimate of drug resistance is extremely important in the epidemiology and control of tuberculosis. Data on drug resistance among mycobacterial isolates from sputum samples analysed at Microbiology dept. of Choithram Hospital and Research Centre, Indore, M.P. is presented here. Drug sensitivity testing was carried out on 1426 Mycobacterial isolates by the method of proportion using critical concentration in Lowenstein Jensen medium. Resistance for Isoniazid, streptomycin, and pyrazinamide was found to be high (54.2%, 41.5% and 50% respectively) and was followed by resistance to rifampin (25%) and ethambutol (22%). Resistance for kanamycin, p-aminosalicylic acid, thiacetazone and ciprofloxacin was much lower (18%, 13%, 6.5% and 3.6% respectively). Only 12% of the isolates were sensitive to all the anti-TB drugs while resistance to two, three, and four or more drugs was in the range of 20-25%. Pattern wise, simultaneous resistance to INF and Rifampin with or without resistance to other drugs was observed in 8.1% while resistance for Isoniazid + pyrazinamide and Isoniazid + streptomycin was 11.9 and 11.5% respectively. Resistance for Isoniazid + ethambutol was the lowest (5.1%). Growing multiple drug resistance among tubercle bacilli warrant urgent attention in tuberculosis control programme.
The Effects on Health Behavior and Health Outcomes of Internet-Based Asynchronous Communication Between Health Providers and Patients With a Chronic Condition: A Systematic Review

Background In support of professional practice, asynchronous communication between the patient and the provider is implemented separately or in combination with Internet-based self-management interventions. This interaction occurs primarily through electronic messaging or discussion boards. There is little evidence as to whether it is a useful tool for chronically ill patients to support their self-management and increase the effectiveness of interventions. Objective The aim of our study was to review the use and usability of patient-provider asynchronous communication for chronically ill patients and the effects of such communication on health behavior, health outcomes, and patient satisfaction. Methods A literature search was performed using PubMed and Embase. The quality of the articles was appraised according to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) criteria. The use and usability of the asynchronous communication was analyzed by examining the frequency of use and the number of users of the interventions with asynchronous communication, as well as of separate electronic messaging. The effectiveness of asynchronous communication was analyzed by examining effects on health behavior, health outcomes, and patient satisfaction. Results Patients’ knowledge concerning their chronic condition increased and they seemed to appreciate being able to communicate asynchronously with their providers. They not only had specific questions but also wanted to communicate about feeling ill. A decrease in visits to the physician was shown in two studies (P=.07, P=.07). Increases in self-management/self-efficacy for patients with back pain, dyspnea, and heart failure were found. Positive health outcomes were shown in 12 studies, where the clinical outcomes for diabetic patients (HbA1c level) and for asthmatic patients (forced expiratory volume [FEV]) improved. Physical symptoms improved in five studies. Five studies generated a variety of positive psychosocial outcomes. Conclusions The effect of asynchronous communication is not shown unequivocally in these studies. Patients seem to be interested in using email. Patients are willing to participate and are taking the initiative to discuss health issues with their providers. Additional testing of the effects of asynchronous communication on self-management in chronically ill patients is needed.
Dynamic Association of the Replication Initiator and Transcription Factor DnaA with the Bacillus subtilis Chromosome during Replication Stress

ABSTRACT DnaA functions as both a transcription factor and the replication initiator in bacteria. We characterized the DNA binding dynamics of DnaA on a genomic level. Based on cross-linking and chromatin immunoprecipitation data, DnaA binds at least 17 loci, 15 of which are regulated transcriptionally in response to inhibition of replication (replication stress). Six loci, each of which has a cluster of at least nine potential DnaA binding sites, had significant increases in binding by DnaA when replication was inhibited, indicating that the association of DnaA with at least some of its target sites is altered after replication stress. When replication resumed from oriC after inhibition of replication initiation, these high levels of binding decreased rapidly at origin-proximal and origin-distal regions, well before a replication fork could pass through each of the regulated regions. These findings indicate that there is rapid signaling to decrease activation of DnaA during replication and that interaction between DnaA bound at each site and the replication machinery is not required for regulation of DnaA activity in response to replication stress.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Ruptured Plaques in the Rabbit with Ultrasmall Superparamagnetic Particles of Iron Oxide

Background: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) enhanced with ultrasmall superparamagnetic particles of iron oxide (USPIO) has previously been evaluated in hyperlipidemic rabbits. The aim of this study was therefore to compare USPIO in ruptured and non-ruptured arteries in an atherosclerotic rabbit model. Methods: Atherosclerotic-like lesions were induced by the combination of endothelial abrasion and high-cholesterol diet in iliac rabbit arteries (n = 16). Rupture of atherosclerotic lesions was realized by oversized balloon angioplasty in one iliac artery, whereas the contralateral artery was used as control. USPIO (ferumoxtran-10: 1 mmol Fe/kg) was administered immediately (n = 10) or 28 days (n = 6) after injury. MRI and histological analysis were performed 7 and 35 days after injury and in control arteries. Results: In vivo MRI analysis showed extended susceptibility artifact with transluminal signal loss in all ruptured arteries 7 days after injury. In contrast, hyposignal was reduced 35 days following injury (i.e. after healing), and absent in non-ruptured arteries. Similarly, histological analysis of iron uptake was significantly increased 7 days after injury compared to healed-ruptured and control arteries. Conclusions: Accumulation ofUSPIO is significantly increased in ruptured as compared to non-ruptured arteries in the atherosclerotic rabbit model.
Biosynthesis of Silver Nanoparticles from Dental Caries Causing Fungi Candida albicans

A B S T R A C T The work is being carried out for the applications which would help in the prevention of human pathogens. We describe the synthesis of silver nanoparticles using fungi Candida albicans. A strong characteristic absorbance peak at around 400 nm was observed at different time intervals. Particle size analysis of these particles shows that they are 50-100 nm in range and also this paper deals with a thorough investigation on the characterization of the silver nanoparticles by UV Visible, XRD, SEM and FTIR analysis and result reveals that, the average grain size of the silver nanoparticles formed in the bioreduction process is determined by XRD pattern of the silver nanoparticles formed in the experiment and is estimated to be greater than 50 nm and spherical in shape. FTIR spectral analysis showed array of absorbance bands in 400 cm -1 -1500 cm -1 finally tested the biocompatibility by antimicrobial test against multi drug resistant human pathogens like Escherichia coli, Klebsiella sp, Salmonella sp, Pseudomonas sp and Staphylococcus aureus. The evaluation of agar diffusion test was made on the basis of zone of inhibition of bacteria around the test sample. The result reveals that the maximum antimicrobial activity was observed for Staphylococcus aureus. K e y w o r d s Silver nanoparticles, Candida albicans, Pathogens, Antimicrobial activity
Evidence for a central monoaminergic influence on urinary bladder control mechanism.

The aim of the present study was to investigate a possible central monoaminergic influence on the control mechanism of the urinary bladder in rats. A selective central nervous stimulation was accomplished by injection of monoaminergic precursor (L-dopa and 5-HTP) after enzymatic blockade of its peripheral metabolisation. The bladder response was recorded with a cytometric procedure. The central adrenergic stimulation with L-dopa resulted in a hyperactive bladder response, with higher intravesical pressure and more prominent detrusor contractions than in control rats. Injection of 5-HTP had no such effect. The hyperactive bladder response to L-dopa was abolished by prior administration of a central dopamine receptor blocking agent (spiroperiodol). This indicated that the central effect on the bladder was elicited by dopaminergic structures. Peripheral adrenergic stimulation with metabolites of L-dopa--dopamine and noradrenaline--gave no measurable bladder response. The study showed that activation of central adrenergic mechanisms influenced urinary bladder control, i.e. evoked a hyperactive bladder response.
Contact between rough surfaces and a criterion for macroscopic adhesion

Significance Macroscopic objects rarely stick together, yet the van der Waals interactions between surface atoms produce attractive pressures that are orders of magnitude larger than atmospheric pressure. This “adhesion paradox” has been linked to surface roughness, which reduces the area of intimate atomic contact to summits on the rough landscape. This paper presents a parameter-free theory that captures the interplay between elasticity, interatomic attraction, and surface roughness. It predicts how adhesion changes contact area and when surfaces are sticky. The results offer a simple explanation for why tape sticks to our desktops but a sheet of paper does not, and may aid in the design of adhesives and in engineering surface roughness to enhance or eliminate adhesion. At the molecular scale, there are strong attractive interactions between surfaces, yet few macroscopic surfaces are sticky. Extensive simulations of contact by adhesive surfaces with roughness on nanometer to micrometer scales are used to determine how roughness reduces the area where atoms contact and thus weakens adhesion. The material properties, adhesive strength, and roughness parameters are varied by orders of magnitude. In all cases, the area of atomic contact is initially proportional to the load. The prefactor rises linearly with adhesive strength for weak attractions. Above a threshold adhesive strength, the prefactor changes sign, the surfaces become sticky, and a finite force is required to separate them. A parameter-free analytic theory is presented that describes changes in these numerical results over up to five orders of magnitude in load. It relates the threshold adhesive strength to roughness and material properties, explaining why most macroscopic surfaces do not stick. The numerical results are qualitatively and quantitatively inconsistent with classical theories based on the Greenwood−Williamson approach that neglect the range of adhesion and do not include asperity interactions.
Concept and optimization of an effective packet scheduling algorithm for multimedia traffic over HSDPA

The Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) is already realizing its ability to provide a rich tapestry of media to mobile users, including audio, video, data, and a combination of these termed `multimedia'. The high speed downlink packet access (HSDPA) solution within UMTS can greatly enhance bit rates on the downlink; however, given HSDPA using a shared channel, carefully considered scheduling of packet transmissions at HSDPA-enabled base stations is important. Hence in this paper, we present an effective inter-user and inter-class multimedia packet scheduling algorithm for HSDPA. We optimize the traffic class weightings that are central to the packet prioritization approach of the scheduling algorithm. Finally, we show our optimized algorithm to perform well through simulations of complex multimedia sessions being concurrently transmitted to users over the HSDPA link in a single cell
A Theoretical Model for Blood Flow in Small Vessels

A two-fluid model consisting of a core region of suspension of all the erythrocytes (particles) in plasma (fluid) assumed to be a particle-fluid mixture and a peripheral layer of cell-free plasma (Newtonian fluid), has been proposed to represent blood flow in small diameter tubes. The analytical results obtained in the proposed model for effective viscosity, velocity profiles and flow rate have been evaluated numerically for various values of the parameters available from published works. Quantitative comparison has shown that present model suitability represents blood flow at hematocrit ( 40%) and in vessels up to 70m in diameter. Using experimental values of the parameters, the flow rate for normal and diseased blood has been computed and compared with corresponding values obtained from a well known experimentally tested model in the literature.
A Modified Massey-Omura Parallel Multiplier for a Class of Finite Fields

A Massey-Omura parallel multiplier of finite fields GF(2/sup m/) contains m identical blocks whose inputs are cyclically shifted versions of one another. It is shown that for fields GF(2/sup m/) generated by irreducible all one polynomials, a portion of the block is independent of the input cyclic shift; hence, the multiplier contains redundancy. By removing the redundancy, a modified parallel multiplier is presented which is modular and has a lower circuit complexity. >
Drug‐Induced Permeabilization of S. cerevisiae

Budding yeast are not permeable to many drugs. This unit provides a protocol in which polygodial is used to permeabilize the cell membrane, thereby allowing budding yeast cells to be treated with drugs that otherwise would be ineffective. Curr. Protoc. Mol. Biol. 92:13.2B. 1‐13.2B. 4. © 2010 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Identification of a Glycosyltransferase from Mycobacterium marinum Involved in Addition of a Caryophyllose Moiety in Lipooligosaccharides

ABSTRACT Deletion of Mycobacterium marinum MMAR2333 resulted in the loss of three of four subclasses of lipooligosaccharides (LOSs). The mutant was unable to extend an intermediate (LOS-II*) by addition of caryophyllose. These data and the predicted domain structure suggest that MMAR2333 is a glycosyltransferase involved in the generation of a lipid-linked caryophyllose donor.
Anatomy of a pressure-induced, ferromagnetic-to-paramagnetic transition in pyrrhotite: Implications for the formation pressure of diamonds

[1] Meteorites and diamonds encounter high pressures during their formation or subsequent evolution. These materials commonly contain magnetic inclusions of pyrrhotite. Because magnetic properties are sensitive to strain, pyrrhotite can potentially record the shock or formation pressures of its host. Moreover, pyrrhotite undergoes a pressure-induced phase transition between 1.6 and 6.2 GPa, but the magnetic signature of this transition is poorly known. Here we report room temperature magnetic measurements on multidomain and single-domain pyrrhotite under nonhydrostatic pressure. Magnetic remanence in single-domain pyrrhotite is largely insensitive to pressure until 2 GPa, whereas the remanence of multidomain pyrrhotite increases 50% over that of initial conditions by 2 GPa, and then decreases until only 33% of the original remanence remains by 4.5 GPa. In contrast, magnetic coercivity increases with increasing pressure to 4.5 GPa. Below ∼1.5 GPa, multidomain pyrrhotite obeys Neel theory with a positive correlation between coercivity and remanence; above ∼1.5 GPa, it behaves single domain–like yet distinctly different from uncompressed single-domain pyrrhotite. The ratio of magnetic coercivity and remanence follows a logarithmic law with respect to pressure, which can potentially be used as a geobarometer. Owing to the greater thermal expansion of pyrrhotite with respect to diamond, pyrrhotite inclusions in diamonds experience a confining pressure at Earth's surface. Applying our experimentally derived magnetic geobarometer to pyrrhotite-bearing diamonds from Botswana and the Central African Republic suggests the pressures of the pyrrhotite inclusions in the diamonds range from 1.3 to 2.1 GPa. These overpressures constrain the mantle source pressures from 5.4 to 9.5 GPa, depending on which bulk modulus and thermal expansion coefficients of the two phases are used.
A general multi-domain LED model and its validation by means of AC thermal impedance

Operating parameters of power LEDs are strongly coupled and are mutually dependent. There have been lots of attempts to provide with different kinds of multi-domain LED models with different complexity. This paper gives an overview of recently published models and suggests a practical approach in which the forward current is split into two parts in a straightforward manner. One current component is derived from the LED's measured radiant flux directly, the other component is calculated as the difference of the net forward current and this current component associated with light emission. Parameters of the proposed model can be identified by usual means. The paper proposes an AC measurement technique to validate the full implementation of the model.
The epidemiology of trachoma in Eastern Equatoria and Upper Nile States, southern Sudan.

OBJECTIVE Limited surveys and anecdotal data indicate that trachoma is endemic in the states of Eastern Equatoria and Upper Nile in southern Sudan. However, its magnitude and geographical distribution are largely unknown. We conducted surveys to ascertain the prevalence and geographical distribution of trachoma, and to identify targets for control interventions. METHODS Population-based cross-sectional surveys were conducted in nine sites in southern Sudan between September 2001 and June 2004. Two-stage random cluster sampling with probability proportional to size was used to select the sample. Trachoma grading was done using the WHO simplified grading system. FINDINGS A total of 17 016 persons were examined, a response rate of 86.1% of the enumerated population. Prevalence of signs of active trachoma in children aged 1-9 years was: TF=53.7% (95% confidence interval (CI)=52.1-55.3); TI=42.7% (95% CI=41.2-44.2); TF and/or TI=64.1% (95% CI=62.5-65.5). Prevalence of trichiasis (TT) in children aged less than 15 years was 1.2% (95% CI=0.9-1.4), while TT prevalence in persons aged 15 years and above was 9.2% (95% CI=8.6-9.9). Women were more likely to have trichiasis compared to men (odds ratio (OR)=1.57; 95% CI=1.34-1.84). Tentative extrapolation to the states of Eastern Equatoria and Upper Nile estimates that there is a backlog of 178,250 (lower and upper bounds=156,027-205,995) persons requiring surgery and the entire population, estimated to be over 3.9 million, is in need of the SAFE strategy to control blinding trachoma. CONCLUSION Trachoma is a public health problem in all nine of the study sites surveyed. The unusually high prevalence of active trachoma and TT in children points to the severity of the problem. There is urgent need to implement trachoma control interventions in trachoma endemic regions of southern Sudan.