Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Alternatives for biosurfactants and bacteriocins extraction from Lactococcus lactis cultures produced under different pH conditions

Aims: Study of the potential of Lactococcus lactis CECT‐4434 as a biosurfactants and nisin (the only bacteriocin allowed to be used in the food industry) producer for industrial applications, exploiting the possibility of recovering separately both metabolites, taking into account that L. lactis is an interesting micro‐organism with several applications in the food industry because it is recognized as GRAS.
Combination Tree for Mining Frequent Patterns Based on Inverted List

In this paper, a combination-tree algorithm is presented for mining frequent patterns based on inverted list. Compared with Apriori algorithm and FP-growth algorithm, our algorithm has better efficiency. Our algorithm insert items one by one with inverted list to build frequent tree, then transfer count between branches in order to make branches independent, our algorithm need only scan data set twice, can share more common items of transactions, can omit the local infrequent items, at the same time, avoid lots of recursive operations. Our performance study and theory analysis show that it is efficient in both dense datasets and sparse datasets
De‐O‐acetylation of peptidoglycan regulates glycan chain extension and affects in vivo survival of Neisseria meningitidis

Peptidoglycan O‐acetylation is a modification found in many bacteria. In Gram‐positive pathogens, it contributes to virulence by conferring resistance to host lysozyme. However, in Gram‐negative pathogens, its contribution to physiology and virulence is unknown. We examined the contribution of patA, patB and ape1 to peptidoglycan O‐acetylation in the major human pathogen Neisseria meningitidis (Nm). Using genetic expression of all possible combinations of the three genes in Escherichia coli and Nm, we confirmed that PatA and PatB were required for PG O‐acetylation, while ApeI removed the O‐acetyl group. ApeI was active on all O‐acetylated muropeptides produced by PatA and PatB during heterologous expression in E. coli and was also active on several PG structures in vitro. Interestingly, in Nm, ApeI was found to preferentially de‐O‐acetylate muropeptides with tripeptide stems (GM3), suggesting that its activity is highly regulated. Accordingly, de‐O‐acetylation of GM3 regulated glycan chain elongation and cell size. Additionally, the virulence of Nm lacking ApeI was drastically reduced suggesting that regulation of glycan chain length by O‐acetylation contributes to bacterial fitness in the host. Altogether, our results suggest that ApeI represents an attractive target for new drug development.
Electromagnetic interference and radiation from wireless power transfer systems

Wireless power transfer (WPT) technology is becoming increasingly popular for wireless charging of mobile phones and electrical vehicles. Because high power energy is transferred via air, however, the problem of electromagnetic radiated emission from WPT systems is expected to be serious. In this paper, an electromagnetic interface (EMI) and radiation from WPT systems are discussed. Three example technologies for suppressing the electromagnetic-field (EMF) noise and EMI noise from WPT systems are presented. EMF noise from different receiving (RX) coil topologies is characterized and an EMF noise suppression technology using a ferromagnetic material and metallic shielding is analyzed. A handheld resonant magnetic coupling charger (HH-RMCC), a WPT system with very low EMI noise, is then introduced. The proposed technologies for suppressing EMF and EMI noise from a WPT system will be helpful to design engineers.
Design and efficacy of a multilingual, multicultural HPV vaccine education intervention

Abstract Background The human papillomavirus (HPV) is the precursor and the single, most important risk factor for cervical cancer. It is also the most commonly sexually transmitted infection in the United States. An estimated 20 million persons are currently infected with the virus, with an estimated 6 million new infections occurring annually and 12 000 new cervical cancer cases and 4 000 cervical cancer deaths annually. The HPV vaccine is thus an especially important preventive measure for racial/ethnic groups who bear an unequal burden of cervical cancer mortality. Purpose This study aimed to develop a culturally and linguistically appropriate intervention to educate and empower Latino and Korean American parents to make an informed HPV vaccination decision for their minor children. Methods A parent-focused HPV vaccine education DVD was developed through focus groups and cognitive interviews with Latino and Korean American parents of children ages 11–17. A randomized controlled efficacy trial was subsequently conducted with 708 Latino and Korean American parents to assess knowledge gains, decisional conflict, decision self-efficacy, and informed decision-making resulting from viewing the intervention DVD. Results Differences between treatment and control groups for pre-post changes in knowledge, informed decision-making, and decisional conflict were statistically significant among the parents exposed to the education intervention DVD. Conclusion The study demonstrated that a culturally and linguistically appropriate intervention DVD designed to educate parents about the risks and benefits of the HPV vaccine promoted informed decision-making regarding HPV vaccination among at-risk populations.
Influence of Smoking on the Pharmacokinetics and Toxicity Profiles of Taxane Therapy

Purpose: Cigarette smoke is known to interact with the metabolism of several anticancer drugs. It may also affect the incidence and severity of adverse events and efficacy of chemotherapy. The main objective of this study was to examine the effects of smoking on the pharmacokinetics and toxicities of patients treated with docetaxel or paclitaxel. Experimental Design: Smoking status, toxicity profiles, and pharmacokinetic parameters (calculated by nonlinear mixed-effect modeling population analysis) were determined in 566 patients (429 nonsmokers and 137 smokers) treated with docetaxel or paclitaxel. Results: Smokers treated with docetaxel showed less grade IV neutropenia (35% vs. 52%; P = 0.01) than nonsmokers. Smokers treated with paclitaxel had less grade III–IV leukopenia than nonsmokers (12% vs. 25%; P = 0.03), and the white blood cell (WBC) nadir was lower in nonsmokers (median, 2.7 × 109/L; range, 0.05 × 109 to 11.6 × 109/L) than in smokers (median, 3.3 × 109/L; range 0.8 × 109 to 10.2 × 109/L; P = 0.02). Of interest, significantly lower WBC counts and absolute neutrophil counts at baseline were seen in nonsmoking patients treated with paclitaxel (P = 0.0001). Pharmacokinetic parameters were similar in smokers and nonsmokers for both taxanes. Conclusion: Cigarette smoking does not alter the pharmacokinetic determinants of docetaxel and paclitaxel. Smokers treated with docetaxel and paclitaxel have less neutropenia and leukopenia, but further research is warranted to elucidate this potential protective effect. Clin Cancer Res; 18(16); 4425–32. ©2012 AACR.
A CMOS Smart Thermal Sensor for Biomedical Application

This paper describes a smart thermal sensing chip with an integrated vertical bipolar transistor sensor, a Sigma Delta Modulator (SDM), a Micro-Control Unit (MCU), and a bandgap reference voltage generator for biomedical application by using 0.18μm CMOS process. The npn bipolar transistors with the Deep N-Well (DNW) instead of the pnp bipolar transistor is first adopted as the sensor for good isolation from substrate coupling noise. In addition to data compression, Micro-Control Unit (MCU) plays an important role for executing auto-calibration by digitally trimming the bipolar sensor in parallel to save power consumption and to reduce feedback complexity. It is different from the present analog feedback calibration technologies. Using one sensor, instead of two sensors, to create two differential signals in 180° phase difference input to SDM is also a novel design of this work. As a result, in the range of 0°C to 80°C or body temperature (37±5°C), the inaccuracy is less than ±0.1°C or ±0.05°C respectively with one-point calibration after packaging. The average power consumption is 268. 4μW with 1.8V supply voltage.
Admiration and adoration: Their different ways of showing and shaping who we are

Admiration and adoration have been considered as emotions with the power to change people, yet our knowledge of the specific nature and function of these emotions is quite limited. From an interdisciplinary perspective, we present a prototype approach to admiration and what has variously been labelled adoration, worship, or reverence. Both admiration and adoration contribute to the formation of personal and collective ideals, values, and identities, but their workings differ. We offer a detailed theoretical account of commonalities and differences in the appraisal patterns and action tendencies associated with the two emotions. This analysis reveals that admiration motivates the internalisation and emulation of ideals embodied by an outstanding role model. Adoration motivates adherence to the teachings and expectations of a meaning maker and benefactor perceived as superhuman or sacred. Thus, the primary function of admiration is to promote individual learning and change, whereas adoration primarily serves to bind communities together.
Plasticity of T‐cell phenotype and function: the T helper type 17 example

Mature T helper type 1 (Th1) and Th2 cells antagonize the development of the opposing subset to sustain lineage‐specific responses. However, the recent identification of a third distinct subset of helper T cells – the Th17 lineage – collapses the established Th1/Th2 dichotomy and raises intriguing questions about T‐cell fate. In this review, we discuss the Th17 subset in the context of the effector and regulatory T‐cell lineages. Initial studies suggested reciprocal developmental pathways between Th17/Th1 subsets and between Th17/regulatory T‐cell subsets, and identified multiple mechanisms by which Th1 and Th2 cells antagonize the generation of Th17 cells. However, recent observations reveal the susceptibility of differentiated Th17 cells to Th1 polarization and the enhancement of Th17 memory cells by the Th1 factors interferon‐γ and T‐bet. In addition, new data indicate late‐stage plasticity of a subpopulation of regulatory T cells, which can be selectively induced to adopt a Th17 phenotype. Elucidating the mechanisms that undermine cross‐lineage suppression and facilitate these phenotype shifts will not only clarify the flexibility of T‐cell differentiation, but may also shed insight into the pathogenesis of autoimmunity and cancer. Furthermore, understanding these phenomena will be critical for the design of immunotherapy that seeks to disrupt lineage‐specific T‐cell responses and may suggest ways to manipulate the balance between pathogenic and regulatory lymphocytes for the restoration of homeostasis.
Esophageal pressure and apnea hypopnea index in sleep‐disordered breathing

Severity of negative esophageal pressure (Pes) and apnea hypopnea index (AHI) were investigated in six cases of upper airway resistance syndrome (UARS) and 11 cases of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). The severity of negative Pes was represented by the highest peak (Pes Max) and the number of increased episodes (more than 13.5 cmH2O) per h (NPesI13.5). There was no significant correlation between Pes indices and AHI. Pes Max and NPesI13.5 were not different among severe OSAS (AHI > 30), mild OSAS (AHI < 30) and UARS. Apnea hypopnea index failed to represent the severity of negative Pes, which is an important aspect of the pathophysiology of sleep‐disordered breathing.
Equine Motor Neuron Disease in a Knabstrupper Horse

ABST RACT A case of equine motor neuron disease (EMND) is described in a twelve-year-old, Knabstrupper gelding with a three-month history of fatigue and weight loss. Shivering, increased sweating, weight-shifting, muscle fasciculations, base-narrow stance, excessive recumbency and gluteal muscle atrophy were also observed. Serum vitamin E and selenium levels were found to be below normal. A sample from the gluteus medius muscle was obtained by open biopsy. The muscle appeared to be relatively normal with the routine stains. ATPase reaction showed type I and type IIA atrophy and excessive fibre size variation in type I, IIA and IIX fibres. A diagnosis of EMND was made based on clinical signs, laboratory findings, history of poor access to green forage and muscle biopsy. The horse was treated with vitamin E/selenium oral supplements. A significant improvement was observed by the owner in the following months, but muscle atrophy was still noticeable. Due to the the sporadic occurrence of EMND, many of clinical signs associated with the condition are nonspecific, therefore this case demonstrates that the described clinical signs warrant consideration of EMND as a possible cause, and it is useful for clinicians to be aware of this. While EMND has been diagnosed in several breeds, espeically in Quarter horses and Thoroughbreds, this case is the first report of this condition in Knabstrupper horses. Most useful diagnostic tests included determination of vitamin E concentration in serum and muscle biopsy. Besides, our findings we confirm the feasibility of diagnosing EMND by means of gluteus medius muscle biopsy.
Evaluation of Bottlenecks in the Late Stages of Protein Secretion in Bacillus subtilis

ABSTRACT Despite a high capacity for secretion of homologous proteins, the secretion of heterologous proteins by Bacillus subtilis is frequently inefficient. In the present studies, we have investigated and compared bottlenecks in the secretion of four heterologous proteins: Bacillus lichenifomis α-amylase (AmyL),Escherichia coli TEM β-lactamase (Bla), human pancreatic α-amylase (HPA), and a lysozyme-specific single-chain antibody. The same expression and secretion signals were used for all four of these proteins. Notably, all identified bottlenecks relate to late stages in secretion, following translocation of the preproteins across the cytoplasmic membrane. These bottlenecks include processing by signal peptidase, passage through the cell wall, and degradation in the wall and growth medium. Strikingly, all translocated HPA was misfolded, its stability depending on the formation of disulfide bonds. This suggests that the disulfide bond oxidoreductases of B. subtiliscannot form the disulfide bonds in HPA correctly. As the secretion bottlenecks differed for each heterologous protein tested, it is anticipated that the efficient secretion of particular groups of heterologous proteins with the same secretion bottlenecks will require the engineering of specifically optimized host strains.
Development of the central nervous system in guinea pig ( Cavia porcellus , Rodentia , Caviidae )

Silva F.M. O. , Alcantara D. , Carvalho R.C. , Favaron P.O. , Santos A.C. , Viana D.C. & Miglino M.A. 2016. Development of the central nervous system in guinea pig (Cavia porcellus, Rodentia, Caviidae). Pesquisa Veterinária Brasileira 36(8):753-760. Departamento de Cirurgia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Dr. Orlando Marques de Paiva 87, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP 05508270, Brazil. E-mail: fernanda_fmos@hotmail.com This study describes the development of the central nervous system in guinea pigs from 12th day post conception (dpc) until birth. Totally, 41 embryos and fetuses were analyzed macroscopically and by means of light and electron microscopy. The neural tube closure was observed at day 14 and the development of the spinal cord and differentiation of the primitive central nervous system vesicles was on 20th dpc. Histologically, undifferentiated brain tissue was observed as a mass of mesenchymal tissue between 18th and 20th dpc, and at 25th dpc the tissue within the medullary canal had higher density. On day 30 the brain tissue was differentiated on day 30 and the spinal cord filling throughout the spinal canal, period from which it was possible to observe cerebral and cerebellar stratums. At day 45 intumescences were visualized and cerebral hemispheres were divided, with a clear division between white and gray matter in brain and cerebellum. Median sulcus of the dorsal spinal cord and the cauda equina were only evident on day 50. There were no significant structural differences in fetuses of 50 and 60 dpc, and animals at term were all lissencephalic. In conclusion, morphological studies of the nervous system in guinea pig can provide important information for clinical studies in humans, due to its high degree of neurological maturity in relation to its short gestation period, what can provide a good tool for neurological studies.
Structural Characterization of Peptide-Mediated Inhibition of Porphyromonas gingivalis Biofilm Formation

ABSTRACT Porphyromonas gingivalis is a periodontal pathogen whose primary niche is the anaerobic environment of subgingival dental plaque, but initial colonization of the oral cavity is likely to occur on supragingival surfaces that already support robust biofilm communities. Our studies have shown that P. gingivalis adheres to Streptococcus gordonii through interaction of the minor fimbrial antigen Mfa1 with a specific region of the streptococcal SspB polypeptide (residues 1167 to 1193) designated BAR. We show that a synthetic peptide comprising the BAR sequence potently inhibits P. gingivalis adherence to S. gordonii (50% inhibitory concentration = 1.3 μM) and prevents the development of P. gingivalis biofilms. However, a retroinverso peptide that possessed the same side chain topology as that of BAR was inactive, suggesting that interactions of Mfa1 with the peptide backbone of BAR are important for binding. A conformationally constrained analog of BAR inhibited P. gingivalis adherence and biofilm formation but at a lower specific activity than that of BAR. Therefore, to further define the structural features of the Mfa1-BAR interaction, we functionally screened combinatorial libraries of BAR in which active site residues (Asn1182, Thr1184, and Val1185) were replaced with each of the 19 common amino acids. Peptides containing positively charged amino acids at position 1182 or hydrophobic residues at position 1185 bound P. gingivalis more efficiently than did control peptides containing Asn and Val at these positions, suggesting that electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions may contribute to Mfa1-SspB binding. In contrast, replacement of Pro or Gly at these positions was detrimental to adherence, suggesting that perturbation of the BAR secondary structure influences activity. The net effect of substitutions for Thr1184 was less pronounced either positively or negatively than that at the other sites. These results define physicochemical characteristics of the interacting interface of Mfa1 and SspB and suggest that peptides or peptidomimetics with greater specific inhibitory activity than that of BAR can be developed. These compounds may represent potential therapeutics that target some of the first molecular interactions that allow P. gingivalis to colonize the oral cavity.
Treatment of fibromyalgia with antidepressants: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND Fibromyalgia is a common, poorly understood musculoskeletal pain syndrome with limited therapeutic options. OBJECTIVE To systematically review the efficacy of antidepressants in the treatment of fibromyalgia and examine whether this effect was independent of depression. DESIGN Meta-analysis of English-language, randomized, placebo-controlled trials. Studies were obtained from searching MEDLINE, EMBASE, and PSYCLIT (1966-1999), the Cochrane Library, unpublished literature, and bibliographies. We performed independent duplicate review of each study for both inclusion and data extraction. MAIN RESULTS Sixteen randomized, placebo-controlled trials were identified, of which 13 were appropriate for data extraction. There were 3 classes of antidepressants evaluated: tricyclics (9 trials), selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (3 trials), and S-adenosylmethionine (2 trials). Overall, the quality of the studies was good (mean score 5.6, scale 0-8). The odds ratio for improvement with therapy was 4.2 (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 2.6 to 6.8). The pooled risk difference for these studies was 0.25 (95% CI, 0.16 to 0.34), which calculates to 4 (95% CI, 2.9 to 6.3) individuals needing treatment for 1 patient to experience symptom improvement. When the effect on individual symptoms was combined, antidepressants improved sleep, fatigue, pain, and well-being, but not trigger points. In the 5 studies where there was adequate assessment for an effect independent of depression, only 1 study found a correlation between symptom improvement and depression scores. Outcomes were not affected by class of agent or quality score using meta-regression. CONCLUSION Antidepressants are efficacious in treating many of the symptoms of fibromyalgia. Patients were more than 4 times as likely to report overall improvement, and reported moderate reductions in individual symptoms, particularly pain. Whether this effect is independent of depression needs further study.
Systematic difference in the methylation of ribosomal ribonucleic acid from gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria

A survey of gram-positive and gram-negative organisms was performed to compare the distributionof N6-methylated adenine. It was found that (i) all the gram-positive strains tested, Staphylococcus aureus, Sarcina lutea, Bacillus stearothermophilus, Bacillus subtilis, and Bacillus megaterium, contain neither N6-monomethyl adenine (m6A) nor N6-dimethyladenine (m26A) in 23S ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA). In the case of S. aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes, strains which are clinically resistant to erythromycin contain m26A. (ii) The gram-negative strains Salmonella typhimurium, Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Klebsiella pneumoniae all contain m6A but not m23A in 23S rRNA. These observations suggest the existence of at least one systematic structural difference between the ribosomes of the two classes of bacteria. Because of the demonstrated relationship between N6-dimethylation of adenine in 23S rRNA and clinical resistance to macrolide, lincosamide, and streptogramin B-type antibiotics in staphylococci and streptococci, the observed systematic differences found in rRNA methylation combined with greater cellular permeability may be related to the relatively greater efficacy of macrolide, lincosamide, and streptogramin B-type antibiotics in treating infections caused by gram-positive organisms.
Dynamic virtual reactive power plant in active distribution networks

In recent years the penetration of renewable energy based resources has increased significantly. This development has a high impact on the network control behavior. The renewable energy sources can be used to contribute to the ancillary services for enhancing the quality of service and the resilience of the power system. In the current study, an approach of applying a reactive power management using renewable energy based decentralized generators is introduced. A virtual reactive power plant algorithm was developed in order to perform reactive power balancing. The proposed approach was implemented in a MV distribution network simulation. The impacts off high reactive power infeed on the network shell be investigated and general questions on reactive power pricing are discussed.