Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Virulence factors as predictive tools for drug resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

P. aeruginosa is the fifth most frequent pathogen worldwide, the second in nosocomial pneumonia, the third in urinary infections, the forth in post-surgical infections and the seventh pathogen responsible for sepsis.1 It is also the major cause of mortality in cystic fibrosis patients and the most prevalent Gram-negative multidrug-resistant bacteria in the airway of mechanically ventilated patients2 and in pediatric patients hospitalized in intensive care units (ICU). 1 Infections by P. aeruginosa are diverse and difficult to treat due to its intrinsic ability to develop resistance under antibiotic pressure and to produce a variety of virulence factors (VF), like adhesins, proteases, phenazines and exotoxins.3 Several studies report that the presence or expression of virulence traits is related to resistance to antibiotics.2,4,5,6 Some suggest these relations are antagonistic5,6 while others report enhanced resistance in isolates with high levels of VF.2,4 Also, literature indicates that inhibitors of specific VF may be good therapeutic alternatives to treat P. aeruginosa infections.7,8 With present work, we intend to address possible associations between VF and antibiotic resistance in P. aeruginosa, aiming to provide information that may be useful for the development of alternative therapies using VF inhibitors.
Superantigen Immune Stimulation Evokes Epithelial Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein 1 and RANTES Production

ABSTRACT Bacterial superantigens (SAgs) have been implicated in inflammatory disease, and SAg-treated mice have increased jejunal T cells. Here we show that T84 cells (a human epithelial cell line) display increased MCP-1 and RANTES mRNA expression and protein production in response to conditioned medium from Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin B (SEB; a model SAg)-activated immune cells. Also, MCP-1 and RANTES mRNAs were increased in jejunal enterocytes isolated from SEB-treated mice. We suggest that T-cell recruitment to the gut following SAg immune activation could be partially due to epithelium-derived chemokines.
Electrical properties of rat dorsal root ganglion neurones with different peripheral nerve conduction velocities.

The electrical characteristics of individual rat dorsal root ganglion neurones were studied and related to the peripheral axon conduction velocity and morphological cell type. Neurones were divided into four groups based on the conduction velocity of their peripheral axons (A alpha, 30‐55 m/s; A beta, 14‐30 m/s; A delta, 2.2‐8 m/s and C less than 1.4 m/s). Electrophysiological parameters examined included membrane potential, action potential amplitude and duration, after‐potential height and duration, input resistance and the occurrence of time‐dependent rectification. The mean duration of the somatic action potentials was found to be characteristic for each of the conduction velocity groupings. However, there was considerable overlap between groups. The fast‐conducting (A alpha) and slowly conducting (A delta) myelinated fibres had short‐duration action potentials, within the ranges 0.49‐1.35 and 0.5‐1.7 ms at the base respectively. The A beta and C cells had somatic action potentials with durations in the ranges of 0.6‐2.9 and 0.6‐7.4 ms respectively. The longer action potential durations could be related to the presence of an inflexion on the repolarizing phase seen in a third of A beta neurones (called A beta I neurones) and in all C neurones. The action potential overshoot was larger in C neurones and A beta I neurones than in the other neurone groups. The mean duration of the after‐hyperpolarization was several times greater in C neurones than in A neurones. A delta neurones displayed the shortest and greatest amplitude after‐hyperpolarizations. Large, long‐lasting after‐hyperpolarizations were not limited to neurones displaying an inflexion. The electrophysiological properties of the soma membrane of A delta neurones closely resembled those of A alpha neurones, while in several respects those of C neurones resembled the A beta I neuronal properties. The input resistance was found to be much greater in C than in A cells, although there was no significant difference between specific membrane resistance values calculated for the different groups. A number of A cells exhibited time‐dependent rectification.
Breathing Movements of the Chest and Abdominal Wall in Healthy Subjects

BACKGROUND: Physical assessment of breathing is an important component of physical therapy evaluations. However, there are no standardized reference values of breathing movements available for use in clinical practice. The purpose of this study was to determine the 3-dimensional distances of observational points on the thorax and abdomen during breathing in healthy subjects and to assess the effects of age, posture, and sex on breathing movements. METHODS: We studied the 3-dimensional breathing movement distances of the thorax and abdomen in 100 healthy subjects (50 males, 50 females). Breathing movements were measured with a 3-dimensional motion system during quiet and deep breathing with subjects in supine and sitting positions. Thirteen reflective markers were placed on the upper (the clavicles, 3rd ribs, and sternal angle) and lower thorax (the 8th ribs, 10th ribs, and xiphoid process) and the abdomen (upper abdomen and lateral abdomen). Range of movement in both breathing conditions was measured as the 3-dimensional distance at half respiratory cycle. Respiratory rates were calculated based on the breathing movements analyzed. One-way analysis of variance, t tests, and multiple regression were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: The average marker distances for the thorax and abdomen during quiet breathing were less than one third of those during deep breathing. Upper thoracic movement was significantly decreased with age. There was less abdominal movement in females than in males, except during quiet breathing in the supine position. The distances between the thoracic markers were greater and those of the abdomen were less during quiet and deep breathing in the sitting position, compared with those in the supine position. CONCLUSIONS: We found that the observed breathing movements were related to the effects of age, sex, and posture. These findings are in agreement with those reported in previous studies. The results may be helpful in assessing breathing movement by physical examination.
Efficient Regular Expression Signature Generation for Network Traffic Classification

Regular expression signatures are most widely used in network traffic classification for trusted network management. These signatures are generated by the sequence alignment of the traffic payload. The most commonly used sequence alignment algorithm is Longest Common Subsequence (LCS) algorithm which computes the global similarity between two strings but it fails in consecutive character matches. This paper presents a new divide and conquer alignment algorithm for generating regular expression signature by rewarding contiguous character matches. The results indicate that the sequence alignment algorithm that used is the space efficient way and the algorithm outperforms LCS in terms of efficiency and accuracy.
Design and Analysis of Novel Hybrid-Excited Axial Field Flux-Switching Permanent Magnet Machines

The axial field flux-switching permanent magnet machine (AFFSPMM) is a novel brushless AC machine. The magnets and concentrated windings are both in the stator instead of the rotor. The short axial length is beneficial to save the place of electric vehicles (EVs). Furthermore, the AFFSPMM exhibits the advantages of high power density and torque density. However, it is difficult to regulate the air-gap field since the field is produced by magnets alone. The fault-tolerant capability needs to be enhanced in the application of a direct-drive EV. Hence, a novel hybrid-excited AFFSPMM is proposed, in which the air-gap field can be easily regulated and the mutual inductance is largely reduced. In this paper, the design parameters of the novel machine, such as the split ratio, the rotor pole numbers, the rotor pole width, etc., are optimized in order to attain a sinusoidal back-EMF waveform and low cogging torque. Moreover, the static performance including each phase flux-linkage, inductance, and torque is analyzed on the basis of the 3-D finite-element method (FEM).
Real-time digital forensic triaging for cloud data analysis using MapReduce on Hadoop framework

Cloud computing is a relatively new model in the computing world after several computing paradigms like personal, ubiquitous, grid, mobile, and utility computing. Cloud computing is synonymous with virtualisation which is about creating virtual versions of the hardware platform, the operating system or the storage devices. Virtualisation is omnipresent in the cloud environment that poses challenges to implementation of security as well as cybercrime investigation. Techniques used in traditional digital forensics may not be appropriate for timely analysis of large capacity virtual hard disk files. Hence, there is a need for reducing analysis time for cloud crime cases like child pornography, financial frauds, etc. In this paper, we designed and developed a new 'real-time digital forensic analysis process' to minimise the overall processing time of evidence. Using this approach, the investigator can search user specified patterns for example headers, footers, which can also be used for carving files from evidence data.
Effects of Discretization Methods on the Performance of Resonant Controllers

Resonant controllers have gained significant importance in recent years in multiple applications. Because of their high selectivity, their performance is very dependent on the accuracy of the resonant frequency. An exhaustive study about different discrete-time implementations is contributed in this paper. Some methods, such as the popular ones based on two integrators, cause that the resonant peaks differ from expected. Such inaccuracies result in significant loss of performance, especially for tracking high-frequency signals, since infinite gain at the expected frequency is not achieved, and therefore, zero steady-state error is not assured. Other discretization techniques are demonstrated to be more reliable. The effect on zeros is also analyzed, establishing the influence of each method on the stability. Finally, the study is extended to the discretization of the schemes with delay compensation, which is also proved to be of great importance in relation with their performance. A single-phase active power filter laboratory prototype has been implemented and tested. Experimental results provide a real-time comparison among discretization strategies, which validate the theoretical analysis. The optimum discrete-time implementation alternatives are assessed and summarized.
CD4+ T Lymphocytes from Anaplasma marginale Major Surface Protein 2 (MSP2) Vaccinees Recognize Naturally Processed Epitopes Conserved in MSP3

ABSTRACT Major surface protein 2 (MSP2) and MSP3 of the persistent bovine ehrlichial pathogen Anaplasma marginale are immunodominant proteins that undergo antigenic variation. The recently completed sequence of MSP3 revealed blocks of amino acids in the N and C termini that are conserved with MSP2. This study tested the hypothesis that CD4+ T cells specific for MSP2 recognize naturally processed epitopes conserved in MSP3. At least one epitope in the N terminus and two in the C terminus of MSP2 were also processed from MSP3 and presented to CD4+ T lymphocytes from MSP2-immunized cattle. This T-lymphocyte response to conserved and partially conserved epitopes may contribute to the immunodominance of MSP2 and MSP3.
A Robust Image Hiding Method Using Wavelet Technique

A robust wavelet-based image hiding methods, that hide still images, E, inside a covered image, C, to establish a composite image, P, are presented. We can hide up to three full-size embedded images inside a cover image while maintaining the quality of the composite image. The embedded images retain easily recognizable when extracted. The embedded images can be extracted fairly completely even when lossy compression or cropping is applied to the composite image. The proposed method does not require the original cover image to extract the embedded image.
Maggot therapy: a review of the therapeutic applications of fly larvae in human medicine, especially for treating osteomyelitis

ABSTRACT. In traditional medical practice, the larvae of some Diptera: Calliphoridae, notably Lucilia illustris (Meigen), L. sericata (Meigen) and Phormia regina (Meigen), have been employed for maggot therapy, i.e. to help clean lesions antiseptically, especially for treatment of chronic osteomyelitis. This mode of treatment remains appropriate for cases where antibiotics are ineffective and surgery impracticable.
A Truncated-Dose Regimen of Daclizumab for Prevention of Acute Rejection in Kidney Transplant Recipients: A Single-Center Experience

Daclizumab can decrease the incidence of acute rejection (AR) in renal transplant (RTx) recipients. In this prospective study, 52 RTx patients were divided into two groups according to the dose of daclizumab: 1 mg/kg on day 0 and every 14 days for five doses (group 1, n=30) or a truncated regimen of 2 mg/kg on day 0 and on the day of discharge (group 2, n=22). The following variables were recorded: demographics; delayed graft function; AR at 3, 6, and 12 months; time to AR; chronic allograft nephropathy (CAN); and serum creatinine. The overall incidences of AR were 23% and 27% (P=0.76) in groups 1 and 2, respectively, whereas at 6 months they were 21% and 18% (P=1.0). Median time to AR was 10 days in group 1 and 94 days in group 2 (P=0.09). The incidence of CAN was 6.6% in group 1 and 13% in group 2 (P=0.63). These data suggest that the truncated dose of daclizumab is as effective as the standard regimen for AR prophylaxis.
Systematic mapping of autonomously replicating sequences on chromosome V of Saccharomyces cerevisiae using a novel strategy

We have developed a new procedure for easy and rapid identification of autonomously replicating sequences (ARSs) and have applied it to the analysis of chromosome V of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The procedure makes use of the ordered λ phage clone bank of this chromosome that we have constructed, and includes transposition of a mini‐transposon and selection of transposon‐containing derivatives, isolation of their DNA and circularization at their cos‐ends, transformation of yeast cells with the circularized DNA, and scoring transformation frequency. The transposon used was derived from Tn5supF, contained the yeast LEU2 gene, and was placed, together with the hyperactive transposase gene, on a mini‐F plasmid for stable maintenance in Escherichia coli K‐12. Sixteen regions of chromosome V showing ARS activity were identified, of which 12 were newly found in this work. Thus, the procedure will be useful for systematic genomic scale analysis of ARSs in yeast and related organisms in which ordered clone banks have been established. The average distance between adjacent ARS‐containing regions was approximately 40 kb. Two‐dimensional gel electrophoretic analysis of chromosome replication indicated that one of the newly identified ARSs was functional as an actual in situ replication origin, at least under the conditions employed.
Brain correlates of functional retrograde amnesia in three patients.

Functional retrograde amnesia was studied with fMRI in three patients without structural brain damage. A paradigm was applied contrasting true and fictitious episodes before and after the onset of their amnesias. In all patients, no differential activation was detected contrasting true and fictitious episodes within the amnesic period, while comparing true and fictitious episodes outside the amnesic period revealed distinct and different brain activations. Contrasting true episodes outside and within the amnesic time, patient 1 showed left lateralised temporal activation, while patient 3 demonstrated right inferior frontal activity. In patient 2, there was no differential activity. We assume functional amnesia to be accompanied by deviant brain activation during retrieval of remote episodes. These deviations may reflect neuropsychological and psychiatric background of the amnesic conditions in the studied patients.
Principales factores que afectan la prolificidad del ganado vacuno en latinoamerica

Cruz Zambrano, Armando. Principales factores que afectan la prolificidad del ganado vacuno en latinoamerica. Revista Electronica de Veterinaria REDVET ®, ISSN 1695-7504, Vol. VII, no 10, Octubre/2006, Veterinaria.org ® Comunidad Virtual Veterinaria.org ® Veterinaria Organizacion S.L. ® Espana. Mensual. Disponible en http://www.veterinaria. org/revistas/redvet y mas especificamente en http://www.veterinaria. org/revistas/redvet/n101006.html 1 Principales factores que afectan la prolificidad del ganado vacuno en latinoamerica
Predicting transpiration of shaded and non-shaded tomato fruits under greenhouse environments

Fruit water balance is determined by entry of sap through xylem and phloem, and losses due to back̄ow from fruits to other organs, and to transpiration. The latter, which may vary according to growing and climatic conditions, plays a signi®cant role in fruit water balance. To better understand and predict tomato fruit transpiration, measurements of the transpiration rate of shaded and nonshaded fruits were carried out under a wide range of climatic conditions in two greenhouse compartments with different levels of air vapour pressure de®cit (VPDair). Linear models relating transpiration and either air VPD (VPDair) or fruit-to-air VPD (VPDfr-air) were proposed and their parameters were identi®ed. The best ®t was always obtained when using the explicative variable VPDfr-air. The model using VPDair as variable ®ts moderately well in the case of shaded fruits, but is not adequate for non-shaded fruits. Values of cuticular conductance, gc deduced from our measurements appeared to depend (i) on the growth-VPD regime and (ii) on the prevailing values of VPDfr-air. Our results suggest that, as for leaf transpiration, VPD between the evaporating surface and the air is the variable that drives the fruit transpiration rate, and that more realistic models could be based on the hypothesis of a variation of gc vs.VPD. # 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Injury surveillance in multi-sport events: the International Olympic Committee approach

Background: The protection of athletes’ health by preventing injuries is an important task for international sports federations. Standardised injury surveillance provides not only important epidemiological information, but also directions for injury prevention, and the opportunity for monitoring long-term changes in the frequency and circumstances of injury. Numerous studies have evaluated sports injuries during the season, but few have focused on injuries during major sport events such as World Championships, World Cups or the Olympic Games. Objectives: To provide an injury surveillance system for multi-sports tournaments, using the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing as an example. Methods: A group of experienced researchers reviewed existing injury report systems and developed a scientific sound and concise injury surveillance system for large multi-sport events. Results: The injury report system for multi-sport events is based on an established system for team sports tournaments and has proved feasible for individual sports during the International Association of Athletics Federations World Championships in Athletics 2007. The most important principles and advantages of the system are comprehensive definition of injury, injury report by the physician responsible for the athlete, a single-page report of all injuries, and daily report irrespective of whether or not an injury occurred. Implementation of the injury surveillance system, all definitions, the report form, and the analysis of data are described in detail to enable other researchers to implement the injury surveillance system in any sports tournament. Conclusion: The injury surveillance system has been accepted by experienced team physicians and shown to be feasible for single-sport and multi-sport events. It can be modified depending on the specific objectives of a certain sport or research question; however, a standardised use of injury definition, report forms and methodology will ensure the comparability of results.
The tangential organization of dendrites and axons in three auditory areas of the cat's cerebral cortex.

Neurohistologists from Cajal to Sholl and others have concerned themselves mainly with the organization of the cerebral cortex in radial planes. In principle, such studies could provide a picture of the 'whole' organization, but recently tangential sections have yielded most useful information. Thus, in the cephalopod, Octopus vulgaris, studies of the optic lobes in tangential sections have provided the basis for hypotheses explaining the behaviour of that animal in visual discrimination (Young, 1960; Sutherland, 1964). A study of the visual cortex in cats, rats and monkeys (Colonnier, 1964) has made possible the correlation of certain features of tangential organization in the cortex with studies of the receptive fields of single neurons by microelectrode techniques (Hubel & Wiesel, 1959, 1962). The present work investigates similar aspects of the tangential organization of three areas in the cat's auditory cortex. Woolsey (1961) reviewed the organization of the auditory areas in the cat's cerebral cortex. The original concept of a dual projection of the cochlea upon the cerebral cortex, put forward by Woolsey & Walzl (1942), has undergone considerable change. Indeed, Woolsey's (1961) map shows that the cochlea is completely represented in at least five situations. Further physiological studies were concerned with activities of single neurons (e.g. Erulkar, Rose & Davies, 1956; Katsuki, Watanabe & Maruyama, 1959; Evans & Whitfield, 1964). By contrast the anatomical organization of the cat's auditory cortex has been little investigated in recent years. Apart from the cytoarchitectonic study by Rose (1949) no other recent work has appeared. Rose (1949) used a Nissl stain and divided up the auditory cortex according to qualitative characteristics of the appearances in radial sections. The present work extends the quantitative approach to the study of cortical organization (Sholl, 1956).
DNA Bridging: a Property Shared among H-NS-Like Proteins

ABSTRACT The nucleoid-associated protein H-NS is thought to play an essential role in the organization of bacterial chromatin in Escherichia coli. Homologues, often with very low sequence identity, are found in most gram-negative bacteria. Microscopic analysis reveals that, despite limited sequence identity, their structural organization results in similar DNA binding properties.