Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Antimicrobial Activity of Nanoconjugated Glycopeptide Antibiotics and Their Effect on Staphylococcus aureus Biofilm

In the era of antimicrobial resistance, the use of nanoconjugated antibiotics is regarded as a promising approach for preventing and fighting infections caused by resistant bacteria, including those exacerbated by the formation of difficult-to-treat bacterial biofilms. Thanks to their biocompatibility and magnetic properties, iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) are particularly attractive as antibiotic carriers for the targeting therapy. IONPs can direct conjugated antibiotics to infection sites by the use of an external magnet, facilitating tissue penetration and disturbing biofilm formation. As a consequence of antibiotic localization, a decrease in its administration dosage might be possible, reducing the side effects to non-targeted organs and the risk of antibiotic resistance spread in the commensal microbiota. Here, we prepared nanoformulations of the ‘last-resort’ glycopeptides teicoplanin and vancomycin by conjugating them to IONPs via surface functionalization with (3-aminopropyl) triethoxysilane (APTES). These superparamagnetic NP-TEICO and NP-VANCO were chemically stable and NP-TEICO (better than NP-VANCO) conserved the typical spectrum of antimicrobial activity of glycopeptide antibiotics, being effective against a panel of staphylococci and enterococci, including clinical isolates and resistant strains. By a combination of different methodological approaches, we proved that NP-TEICO and, although to a lesser extent, NP-VANCO were effective in reducing biofilm formation by three methicillin-sensitive or resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains. Moreover, when attracted and concentrated by the action of an external magnet, NP-TEICO exerted a localized inhibitory effect on S. aureus biofilm formation at low antibiotic concentration. Finally, we proved that the conjugation of glycopeptide antibiotics to IONPs reduced their intrinsic cytotoxicity toward a human cell line.
Thiostrepton-induced gene expression in Streptomyces lividans

Thiostrepton induced the expression of four proteins (17, 19, 30, and 56 kilodaltons) of unknown function in Streptomyces lividans. The chromosomal gene which encoded the 19-kilodalton protein (tipA) was cloned and sequenced. Transcription of the tipA promoter was induced at least 200-fold by thiostrepton. The tipA 200-fold by thiostrepton. The tipA transcriptional start site (located by S1 mapping and primer extension experiments) was preceded by a 45-base-pair imperfect inverted-repeat sequence which included the -10 and -35 regions of the promoter. Under noninducing conditions in vivo, this might form a cruciform structure which is not recognized by RNA polymerase. A 143-base-pair fragment including this region was cloned into a promoter probe vector, pIJ486. In this plasmid, pAK114, the thiostrepton-inducible tipA promoter controlled the expression of a kanamycin resistance gene encoding an aminoglycoside phosphotransferase. As little as 1 ng of thiostrepton spotted on a lawn of S. lividans(pAK114) induced kanamycin-resistant growth. Other thiostreptonlike antibiotics also induced tipA, but structurally unrelated antibiotics which inhibit translation had no effect. In S. lividans, the promoter could be induced by thiostrepton during either growth or stationary phase. The tipA promoter should be a valuable tool for expression studies in streptomycetes.
The dose at which neomycin and polymyxin B can be applied for selective decontamination of the digestive tract in mice

SUMMARY Oral treatment of mice with various doses of neomycin or polymyxin B was performed in order to determine which dose caused substantial suppression of aerobic gram-negative rods. In addition the effect of the various doses on Streptococcus faecalis and on other factors of the colonization resistance (CR) of the digestive tract were studied. It was found that polymyxin B was effective in suppressing sensitive gram-negative bacteria following daily doses of 3·2 mg/ mouse, and that even extremely high daily doses of 9·7 mg/mouse did not affect the CR. Neomycin was effective in suppressing Enterobacteriaceae species following oral daily doses of 5·4 mg/mouse. With this dose, however, the CR was somewhat decreased which was also evidenced by the increased concentration of beta-aspartyiglycine in the faeces and the increased size (weight) of the caecum in these animals. Suppression of Sir. faecalis was seen from doses of 24 mg/mouse on.
Diaschisis after thalamic stroke: a comparison of metabolic and structural changes in a patient with amnesic syndrome

Introduction– We present a patient with a left anteromedial thalamic lesion with an amnesic syndrome. The patient underwent neuropsychological testing, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analyses, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) [T2, flair, and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)] and [18F]‐2‐fluoro‐deoxy‐d‐glucose positron emission tomography (FDG‐PET) to assess indirect effects of thalamic lesions on cortical function.
An Angle-Based Crossover Tabu Search for the Traveling Salesman Problem

An improved tabu search - crossover tabu search (CTS), with the angle-based idea of the sweep heuristic to confirm neighborhood, is presented, which is applied for solving a well-known combinatorial optimization problem - the traveling salesman problem (TSP). The key strategies of the CTS are intensification strategy and diversification strategy. Intensification strategies, based on modifying choice rules to encourage move combinations, are used to enhance the efficiency of local search. Diversifications strategies are designed to drive the search into new regions, i.e., exploit the new search spaces. The CTS implement the crossover operator of the genetic algorithm (GA) as the diversification strategy, and the strategy of selecting elite solutions as the intensification strategy. CTS, standard TS, standard TS with intensification strategy and CTS with the angel-based idea of sweep heuristic are used to solve the same TSP problems which come from the library of TSP instances TSPLIB and other three TSP instances of Fogel's path. The results showed the angle-based CTS has better performances than other algorithms.
Media exposure and parental mediation on fast-food consumption among children in metropolitan and suburban Indonesia

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Fast-food companies have been reproached for rising obesity levels due to aggressive marketing tactics targeted at children. They have countered that parents should be held responsible considering their critical role as nutritional gatekeepers. This study examined the comparative effects of media exposure and parental mediation on Indonesian children's fast food consumption and how the effects compare in the metropolitan versus suburban areas. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN The sample consisted of 394 child-mother pairs comprising grade three and four children and their mothers from two schools each in Jakarta and Bogor representing 40.9% metropolitan sample and 59.1% suburban sample, respectively. The children completed a guided inclass survey, while the mothers completed a paper-and-pen survey at home. Measures comprised children's weekly media exposure to broadcast media, computer and mobile games, print media, and online and social media, active and restrictive parental mediation strategies, children's fast food consumption and nutrition knowledge. The relationship of media exposure and parental mediation with children's fast food consumption was analyzed using Structural Equation Modelling. RESULTS Fast food consumption was positively influenced by exposure to broadcast media among metropolitan children, and by exposure to online and social media among suburban children. Active parental mediation was related to lower fast food consumption, but only for suburban children. CONCLUSIONS Active parental mediation is critical in preventing fast food consumption. The media play a key role in influencing fast food consumption, and hence, literacy education is important to alleviate the adverse effects of exposure to junk food marketing.
An ethologic search for self-administration of hallucinogens.

It is well-known that Homo sapiens voluntarily learns to self-administer psychoactive drugs without additional reinforcement. The primary societal use of these self-administrations is social (Blum et al., 1969), while the motivation to repeatedly self-administer is considered a major factor in human drug abuse (cf. Weeks, 1971). Among the many drugs used in this way by man are the hallucinogens. Indeed, it is a traditional, albeit tacit, assumption of psychopharmacological thinking that Homo sapiens is the only species that will self-administer hallucinogens without additional rewards. Often, it is further assumed that the human use of hallucinogens is primarily social in nature (e.g., Linn, 1971; Smith, 1970) and is even related to increased social intimacy and closeness (Cheek, Sarett, and
Studies on bicarbonate transporters and carbonic anhydrase in porcine nonpigmented ciliary epithelium.

PURPOSE Bicarbonate transport plays a role in aqueous humor (AH) secretion. The authors examined bicarbonate transport mechanisms and carbonic anhydrase (CA) in porcine nonpigmented ciliary epithelium (NPE). METHODS Cytoplasmic pH (pH(i)) was measured in cultured porcine NPE loaded with BCECF. Anion exchanger (AE), sodium bicarbonate cotransporter (NBC), and CA were examined by RT-PCR and immunolocalization. AH secretion was measured in the intact porcine eye using a fluorescein dilution technique. RESULTS Anion exchanger AE2, CAII, and CAIV were abundant in the NPE layer. In cultured NPE superfused with a CO(2)/HCO(3)(-)-free HEPES buffer, exposure to a CO(2)/HCO(3)(-)-containing buffer caused rapid acidification followed by a gradual increase in pH(i). Subsequent removal of CO(2)/HCO(3)(-) with HEPES buffer caused rapid alkalinization followed by a gradual decrease in pH(i). The rate of gradual alkalinization after the addition of HCO(3)(-)/CO(2) was inhibited by sodium-free conditions, DIDS, and the CA inhibitors acetazolamide and methazolamide but not by the Na-H exchange inhibitor dimethylamiloride or low-chloride buffer. The phase of gradual acidification after removal of HCO(3)(-)/CO(2) was inhibited by DIDS, acetazolamide, methazolamide, and low-chloride buffer. DIDS reduced baseline pH(i). In the intact eye, DIDS and acetazolamide reduced AH secretion by 25% and 44%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest the NPE uses a Na(+)-HCO(3)(-) cotransporter to import bicarbonate and a Cl(-)/HCO(3)(-) exchanger to export bicarbonate. CA influences the rate of bicarbonate transport. AE2, CAII, and CAIV are enriched in the NPE layer of the ciliary body, and their coordinated function may contribute to AH secretion by effecting bicarbonate transport into the eye.
Reliability analysis of full adder in Schottky Barrier Carbon Nanotube FET technology

The reliability of digital circuits designed in Schottky Barrier Carbon Nanotube Field Effect Transistor (SB-CNTFET) technology is investigated in this paper. We discuss factors that affect the height of the Schottky barrier and as a consequence the performance of circuits in SB-CNTFET. We then present a transistor-level analysis of reliability. The analysis is performed first for an inverter and a 2-to-1 multiplexer. It is then used to get an estimate of the probabilistic behaviour of a one-bit full-adder.
The neuromechanical adaptations to Achilles tendinosis

Achilles tendinosis is a localized degenerative musculoskeletal disorder that develops over a long period of time and leads to a compliant human Achilles tendon. We demonstrate that the compliant Achilles tendon elicited a series of adaptations from different levels of the human movement control system, such as the muscle–tendon interaction, CNS control and other muscles in the lower leg. These results illustrate the human body's capacity to adapt to tendon pathology and provide the physiological basis for intervention or prevention strategies.
Systematic review and meta-analysis of surgical outcomes in Marfan patients undergoing aortic root surgery by composite-valve graft or valve sparing root replacement.

Background A major, life-limiting feature of Marfan syndrome (MFS) is the presence of aneurysmal disease. Cardiovascular intervention has dramatically improved the life expectancy of Marfan patients. Traditionally, the management of aortic root disease has been undertaken with composite-valve graft replacing the aortic valve and proximal aorta; more recently, valve sparing procedures have been developed to avoid the need for anticoagulation. This meta-analysis assesses the important surgical outcomes of the two surgical techniques. Methods A systematic review and meta-analysis of 23 studies reporting the outcomes of aortic root surgery in Marfan patients with data extracted for outcomes of early and late mortality, thromboembolic events, late bleeding complications and surgical reintervention rates. Results The outcomes of 2,976 Marfan patients undergoing aortic root surgery were analysed, 1,624 patients were treated with composite valve graft (CVG) and 1,352 patients were treated with valve sparing root replacement (VSRR). When compared against CVG, VSRR was associated with reduced risk of thromboembolism (OR =0.32; 95% CI, 0.16-0.62, P=0.0008), late hemorrhagic complications (OR =0.18; 95% CI, 0.07-0.45; P=0.0003) and endocarditis (OR =0.27; 95% CI, 0.10-0.68; P=0.006). Importantly there was no significant difference in reintervention rates between VSRR and CVG (OR =0.89; 95% CI, 0.35-2.24; P=0.80). Conclusions There is an increasing body of evidence that VSRR can be reliably performed in Marfan patients, resulting in a durable repair with no increased risk of re-operation compared to CVG, thus avoiding the need for systemic anticoagulation in selected patients.
Tropomyosin and α-actinin cooperation inhibits fimbrin association with actin filament networks in fission yeast

We previously discovered that competition between fission yeast actin binding proteins (ABPs) for association with F-actin helps facilitate their sorting to different F-actin networks. Specifically, competition between actin patch ABPs fimbrin Fim1 and cofilin Adf1 enhances each other’s activities, and rapidly displaces tropomyosin Cdc8 from the F-actin network. However, these interactions don’t explain how Fim1, a robust competitor, is prevented from associating equally well with other F-actin networks. Here, with a combination of fission yeast genetics, live cell fluorescent imaging, and in vitro TIRF microscopy, we identified the contractile ring ABP α-actinin Ain1 as a key sorting factor. Fim1 competes with Ain1 for association with F-actin, which is dependent upon their residence time on F-actin. Remarkably, although Fim1 outcompetes both contractile ring ABPs Ain1 and Cdc8 individually, Cdc8 enhances the bundling activity of Ain1 10-fold, allowing the combination of Ain1 and Cdc8 to inhibit Fim1 association with contractile ring F-actin.
Unexpected buckled structures and tunable electronic properties in arsenic nanosheets: insights from first-principles calculations

Using dispersion-corrected density functional theory calculations, we investigate the structural and electronic properties of arsenic (As) nanosheet, which is a cousin of phosphorene. We find that the black-phosphorus like structure is dynamically unstable for As, which has an out-of-plane soft mode from its flat As zigzag lines. Hence different from phosphorene, the stable As monolayer possesses a unique buckling along the zigzag direction, which leads to a surface corrugation of 0.20 Å and a robust dynamic stability. The zigzag buckling alters the band feature of As nanosheet, transforming it from an indirect band gap semiconductor to a direct one for the buckled structure. Strain engineering can further tune the surface corrugation and band structure of As nanosheet, for which the direct or indirect gap feature can be switched by the zigzag-directional strains, while the strains along armchair direction could modulate the band gap and induce a metallic behaviour. Prominent anisotropic Dirac-like electronic structures and orientation-dependent elastic behaviours with a remarkable negative Poisson ratio are both found in the As nanosheets, enabling the system promising applications for nano-electrics and devices.
Aspects on Music, Conceptuality, Systemicity and Education

Two cardinal principles of the nature of music and related musicology have not yet been widely understood: (1) Music and the conceptuality of it is not the same thing, although in practise these two are considered cognitively equal. The ontic essence of music and its ontological definitions, therefore, are mixed up resulting in the common mistake of normative simplification of musicological phenomena. (2) Musicological conceptuality presented in traditional music theory and analysis is systemized but not systemic. These theoretical essays challenge the limits of traditional musicology. At the same time they aim at a presentation of general scientific value, of possibilities of understanding how the ontological reality, or conceptuality, “exercizes power” on the ontic reality. This interdisciplinary paper focuses on finding surprising conceptual, theoretical and philosophical links between paradigms and research fields that have to do with conceptuality. These essays stress the importance of systems thinking and abductive systemic approach and introduce various possibilities of systemicity and its creative use. They speculate how complex systemicity theoretically appears in cybernetics and systems sciences as projected to fields dealing with concepts, terms, language and communication. These relate to theories, or paradigms of terminology science, feature theories of categorization, and of semiotics. Musicological conceptuality serves as test material of conceptual–systemic research findings.
Deviation from Developmentally Appropriate Self-Care Autonomy: Association with diabetes outcomes

OBJECTIVE Treatment of IDDM in youth emphasized balancing children's self-care autonomy with their psychological maturity. However, few data exist to guide clinicians or parents, and little is known about correlates of deviations from this ideal. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS In this cross-sectional study, IDDM self-care autonomy of 100 youth was assessed using two well-validated measures. Three measures of psychological maturity (cognitive function, social-cognitive development, and academic achievement) were also collected for each child. Composite indexes of self-care autonomy and of psychological maturity were formed, and the ratio of the self-care autonomy index to the psychological maturity index quantified each child's deviation from developmentally appropriate IDDM self-care autonomy. Based on these scores, participants were categorized as exhibiting constrained (lower tertile), appropriate (middle tertile), or excessive (higher tertile) self-care autonomy. Between-group differences in treatment adherence, diabetes knowledge, glycemic control, and hospitalization rates were explored. RESULTS Analysis of covariance controlling for age revealed that the excessive self-care autonomy group demonstrated less favorable treatment adherence, diabetes knowledge, hospitalization rates, and, marginally, glycemic control. Excessive self-care autonomy increased with age and was less common among intact two-parent families but was unrelated to other demographic factors. CONCLUSIONS The findings indicate caution about encouragement of maximal self-care autonomy among youth with IDDM and suggest that families who succeed in maintaining parental involvement in diabetes management may have better outcomes.
Comparison of analysis techniques of diabetic cardiac action potential propagation

Diabetes is known to cause a variety of cardiovascular complications. One of the effects of the diabetic state is that the conduction velocity of the action potential front may be delayed in the myocardium. Current methods of measuring this effect have included optical mapping methods, from which the time required for activation of the ventricular surface can be measured. It has been proposed that the same information could be obtained from the ECG. This paper examines whether the current optical methods correlate with the proposed ECG-based method. To do this, an ECG measurement algorithm was written and results compared to those of the optical method. The data suggest that the new ECG method is correlated with the existing optical methods. However, the data also suggest that this correlation is highest when the measurement is made during sinus rhythm, rather than in response to a pacing stimulus.
Short-cycle-free interleaver design for increasing minimum squared Euclidean distance

This paper introduces interleaver constraints to eliminate low squared Euclidean distance (SED) error events for a specific serially concatenated code (SCC). These interleaver constraints eliminate specific multiple error events as well as single error events. Factor graph representations of the interleaver allows to view multiple error events as short cycles in a graph. Interleaver construction rules which eliminate short cycles for an interleaver graph representation also eliminate the minimum SED error events for this SCC.
Arbitrage Free Dispersion

We develop a theory of arbitrage-free dispersion (AFD) that characterizes the testable restrictions of asset pricing models. AFD measures Jensen’s gap in the cumulant generating function of pricing kernels and returns. It implies a wide family of model-free dispersion constraints, which extend dispersion and co-dispersion bounds in the literature and are applicable with a unifying approach in multivariate and multiperiod settings. Empirically, the dispersion of stationary and martingale pricing kernel components in the benchmark long-run risk model yields a counterfactual dependence of short- vs. long-maturity bond returns and is insufficient for pricing optimal portfolios of market equity and short-term bonds.
Dual-band directional/omni-directional liquid dielectric resonator antenna designs using characteristic modes

Compact and low-cost dielectric resonator antennas (DRAs) at low frequency are preferred in many applications. In this work, we propose to design compact dual-band directional/omni-directional DRAs by properly exciting the characteristic modes (CMs) of a water filled glass bottle. Because the water has a very high permittivity of εr = 81, the resulted DRA is much smaller than other DRAs reported for 2 GHz band. By exciting the CM at the natural resonant frequency, the radiation efficiency is maximized. By introducing a resonant slot under the DRA, a dual-band operation is realized. Both the directional/omni-directional radiation patterns are obtained in this design. The antenna gain in the broadside radiation is higher than 5 dBi, which is the largest value reported for a water antenna.