Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Molecular Basis of Non-β-Lactam Antibiotics Resistance in Staphylococcus aureus

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is one of the most successful human pathogens with the potential to cause significant morbidity and mortality. MRSA has acquired resistance to almost all β-lactam antibiotics, including the new-generation cephalosporins, and is often also resistant to multiple other antibiotic classes. The expression of penicillin-binding protein 2a (PBP2a) is the primary basis for β-lactams resistance by MRSA, but it is coupled with other resistance mechanisms, conferring resistance to non-β-lactam antibiotics. The multiplicity of resistance mechanisms includes target modification, enzymatic drug inactivation, and decreased antibiotic uptake or efflux. This review highlights the molecular basis of resistance to non-β-lactam antibiotics recommended to treat MRSA infections such as macrolides, lincosamides, aminoglycosides, glycopeptides, oxazolidinones, lipopeptides, and others. A thorough understanding of the molecular and biochemical basis of antibiotic resistance in clinical isolates could help in developing promising therapies and molecular detection methods of antibiotic resistance.
The Impact of Land Transportation Integration on Service Agglomeration in Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration

This study selected the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration as the research area, considering the current status of its transportation development to construct an urban agglomeration land transportation integration index system and to evaluate the development of the area’s transportation integration. The study examined the influence mechanism of transportation infrastructure on service industry agglomeration. The results were as follows: (1) From 2011 to 2020, the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration land transportation integration index showed a clear upward trend. (2) The development of the integration level of local transportation has a certain inhibitory effect on the agglomeration of local service industries. The transportation integration of the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration played an important role in promoting the agglomeration of local wholesale and retail industries and transportation, storage, and postal services. The labor force and market size also have a significant impact on service agglomeration. (3) The integration of land transport in the urban agglomeration affects the agglomeration of service industries through the knowledge spillover effect caused by the improvement of accessibility, and the impact is heterogeneous. The Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration needs to accelerate the construction of trans-provincial and trans-municipal transportation infrastructure and to further improve its connectivity level to promote the integrated development of high-quality transportation in this area.
Coexistence of oppositely flowing multi-φ currents: key to large toroidal magnetic fields within stars

We will show the importance of coexistence of oppositely flowing $\varphi$-currents for magnetized stars to sustain strong toroidal magnetic fields within the stars by an- alyzing stationary states of magnetized stars with surface currents which flow in the opposite direction with respect to the bulk currents within the stars. We have imposed boundary conditions for currents and toroidal magnetic fields to vanish outside the stars. It is important to note that these boundary conditions set an upper limit for the total current within the stars. This upper limit for the total current results in the presence of an upper limit for the magnitude of the energy for the toroidal magnetic fields of the stars. If the stars could have the toroidal surface currents which flow in the opposite directions to the internal toroidal currents, the positively flowing inter- nal toroidal currents can become stronger than the upper limit value of the current for configurations without surface toroidal currents. Thus the energies for the toroidal magnetic fields can become much larger than those for the magnetized stars with- out surface toroidal currents. We have also analyzed the same phenomena appearing in spherical incompressible stars for dipole-like magnetic fields with or without sur- face toroidal currents by employing the zero-flux-boundary method. We have applied those configurations with surface toroidal currents to magnetars and discussed their flares through which magnetic helicities could arise outside the stellar surfaces.
The Microbiome Structure of the Symbiosis between the Desert Truffle Terfezia boudieri and Its Host Plant Helianthemum sessiliflorum

The desert truffle Terfezia boudieri is an ascomycete fungus that forms ect-endomycorrhiza in the roots of plants belonging to Cistaceae. The fungus forms hypogeous edible fruit bodies, appreciated as gourmet food. Truffles and host plants are colonized by various microbes, which may contribute to their development. However, the diversity and composition of the bacterial community under field conditions in the Negev desert are still unknown. The overall goal of this research was to identify the rhizosphere microbial community supporting the establishment of a symbiotic association between T. boudieri and Helianthemum sessiliflorum. The bacterial community was characterized by fruiting bodies, mycorrhized roots, and rhizosphere soil. Based on next-generation sequencing meta-analyses of the 16S rRNA gene, we discovered diverse bacterial communities of fruit bodies that differed from those found in the roots and rhizosphere. Families of Proteobacteria, Planctomycetes, and Actinobacteria were present in all four samples. Alpha diversity analysis revealed that the rhizosphere and roots contain significantly higher bacterial species numbers compared to the fruit. Additionally, ANOSIM and PCoA provided a comparative analysis of the bacterial taxa associated with fruiting bodies, roots, and rhizosphere. The core microbiome described consists of groups whose biological role triggers important traits supporting plant growth and fruit body development.
Lead Exposure in Infancy and Subsequent Growth in Beninese Children

Studies suggest that elevated postnatal blood lead levels (BLLs) are negatively associated with child growth. This study aimed to investigate the associations of childhood BLLs at age one year and growth outcomes at age six years (n = 661) in a cohort of children in Allada, Benin. The growth outcomes studied are weight-for-age Z-score (WAZ), height-for-age Z-score (HAZ), BMI-for-age Z-score (BMIZ), weight-for-height Z-score (WHZ), head circumference (HC), growth velocities, underweight, stunting, and wasting. Multivariable regression models examined the associations between BLLs and growth outcomes, with adjustment for potential confounders. The geometric mean BLLs was 59.3 μg/L and 82% of children had BLLs >35 μg/L at the age of 12.8 months. After adjusting for confounding factors, no overall association was found between BLL quartiles and HAZ, WAZ, BMIZ, WHZ, growth velocities, wasting, and underweight. However, boys in the highest quartile had a 1.02 cm lower HC (95% CI: [−1.81, −0.24]) as compared to the lowest quartile. Furthermore, an increased odds of being stunted was observed in children in the highest quartile of exposure compared to the first (OR: 2.43; 95% CI: [1.11–5.33]) which remained statistically significant only among girls in sex-specific strata. Blood lead was found to be associated with an increased risk of childhood stunting and a lower head circumference in a resource-limited setting.
On the Density profile slope of Clusters of Galaxies

The present paper extends to clusters of galaxies the study of Del Popolo (2012), concerning how the baryon-dark matter (DM) interplay shapes the density profile of dwarf galaxies. Cluster density profiles are determined taking into account dynamical friction, random and ordered angular momentum and the response of dark matter halos to condensation of baryons. We find that halos containing only DM are characterized by Einasto’s profiles, and that the profile flattens with increasing content of baryons, and increasing values of random angular momentum. The analytical results obtained in the first part of the paper were applied to well studied clusters whose inner profiles have slopes flatter than NFW predictions (A611, A383) or are characterized by profiles in agreement with the NFW model (MACS J1423.8+2404, RXJ1133). By using independently-measured baryonic fraction, a typical spin parameter value λ ≃ 0.03, and adjusting the random angular momentum, we re-obtain the mass and density profiles of the quoted clusters. Finally, we show that the baryonic mass inside ≃ 10 kpc, Mb,in is correlated with the total mass of the clusters, as Mb,in ∝ M 0.4 500 .
Effects of initial coherence on distinguishability of pure/mixed states and chiral stability in an open chiral system

We examine how initial coherences in open chiral systems affect distinguishability of pure versus mixed states and purity decay. Interaction between a system and an environment is modeled by a continuous position measurement and a two-level approximation is taken for the system. The resultant analytical solution is explored for various parameters, with emphasis on the interplay of initial coherences of the system and dephasing rate in determining the purity decay and differences in the time evolution of pure vs. mixed initial states. %the distinguishability and the decoherence process. Implications of the results on several fundamental problems are noted.
Natural Variation of Fatty Acid Desaturase Gene Affects Linolenic Acid Content and Starch Pasting Viscosity in Rice Grains

Rice, as one of the main food crops, provides a vital source of dietary energy for over half the world’s population. The OsFAD3 gene encodes fatty acid desaturase, catalyzing the conversion of linoleic acid (LA) to alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) in rice. However, the genetic characterization of OsFAD3 and its role in the conversion of LA to ALA remains elusive. Here, we validated the effects of two homologous genes, OsFAD3-1 and OsFAD3-2, on the ALA and LA/ALA ratio in rice grains using near-isogenic lines. Two major haplotypes of OsFAD3-1 are identified with different effects on the ALA and LA/ALA ratio in rice germplasm. High expression of OsFAD3-1 is associated with high ALA accumulation and eating quality of rice grains. Overexpression of OsFAD3-1 driven by a seed-specific promoter increases the ALA content up to 16-fold in the endosperm. A diagnostic marker is designed based on an 8-bp insertion/deletion in the OsFAD3-1 promoter, which can recognize OsFAD3-1 alleles in rice. These results indicate that OsFAD3-1 is a useful target gene in marker-assisted breeding programs to improve varieties with high ALA and appropriate LA/ALA ratio in brown rice.
The HEAO A-1 X-Ray Source Catalog (Wood+, 1984)

The catalog of X-ray sources detected during the NRL Large Area Sky Survey (LASS) with the HEAO 1 satellite is presented. The catalog is derived from the first six months of data from HEAO 1 and includes sources detected during one full scan. Positions and intensities for a total of 842 different sources are included, with a limiting flux of 250 nJy at 5 keV. The catalog is more than 90 percent complete at a flux level equivalent to 1.5 microjoules at 5 keV for a Crab-like spectrum. Cross-references with published literature are provided and coincidental identifications are proposed for some of the sources which have been never studied before. A cross-sectional line drawing of the sensor module of HEAO I is also provided.
CONTINUUM VARIABILITY OF DEEPLY EMBEDDED PROTOSTARS AS A PROBE OF ENVELOPE STRUCTURE

Stars may be assembled in large growth spurts; however the evidence for this hypothesis is circumstantial. Directly studying the accretion at the earliest phases of stellar growth is challenging because young stars are deeply embedded in optically thick envelopes, which have spectral energy distributions that peak in the far-IR, where observations are difficult. In this paper, we consider the feasibility of detecting accretion outbursts from these younger stars by investigating the timescales for how the protostellar envelope responds to changes in the emission properties of the central source. The envelope heats up in response to an outburst, brightening at all wavelengths and with the emission peak moving to shorter wavelengths. The timescale for this change depends on the time for dust grains to heat and re-emit photons and the time required for the energy to escape the inner, optically thick portion of the envelope. We find that the dust response time is much shorter than the photon propagation time and thus the timescale over which the emission varies is set by time delays imposed by geometry. These times are hours to days near the peak of the spectral energy distribution and weeks to months in the sub-mm. The ideal location to quickly detect continuum variability is therefore in the mid- to far-IR, near the peak of the spectral energy distribution, where the change in emission amplitude is largest. Searching for variability in sub-mm continuum emission is also feasible, though with a longer time separation and a weaker relationship between the amount of detected emission amplitude and change in central source luminosity. Such observations would constrain accretion histories of protostars and would help to trace the disk/envelope instabilities that lead to stellar growth.
A Tale of Two Lobsters—Transcriptomic Analysis Reveals a Potential Gap in the RNA Interference Pathway in the Tropical Rock Lobster Panulirus ornatus

RNA interference (RNAi) has been widely utilised in many invertebrate models since its discovery, and in a majority of instances presents as a highly efficient and potent gene silencing mechanism. This is emphasized in crustaceans with almost all taxa having the capacity to trigger effective silencing, with a notable exception in the spiny lobsters where repeated attempts at dsRNA induced RNAi have demonstrated extremely ineffective gene knockdown. A comparison of the core RNAi machinery in transcriptomic data from spiny lobsters (Panulirus ornatus) and the closely related slipper lobsters (Thenus australiensis, where silencing is highly effective) revealed that both lobsters possess all proteins involved in the small interfering and microRNA pathways, and that there was little difference at both the sequence and domain architecture level. Comparing the expression of these genes however demonstrated that T. australiensis had significantly higher expression in the transcripts encoding proteins which directly interact with dsRNA when compared to P. ornatus, validated via qPCR. These results suggest that low expression of the core RNAi genes may be hindering the silencing response in P. ornatus, and suggest that it may be critical to enhance the expression of these genes to induce efficient silencing in spiny lobsters.
Elliptic curves and cryptography

ELLIPTIC CURVES AND CRYPTOGRAPHY by Senorina R. Vazquez In this expository thesis we study elliptic curves and their role in cryptography. In doing so we examine an intersection of linear algebra, abstract algebra, number theory, and algebraic geometry, all of which combined provide the necessary background. First we present background information on rings, fields, groups, group actions, and linear algebra. Then we delve into the structure and classification of finite fields as well as construction of finite fields and computation in finite fields. We next explore logarithms in finite fields and introduce the Diffie-Hellman key exchange system. Subsequently, we take a look at the projective and affine planes and we examine the action of the general linear group of degree 3 (over K) on the points of the projective plane P (K). We then explore the geometry of the projective plane with Desargues Theorem. Next, we study conics, quadratic forms, and methods of counting intersection of curves. Finally, we study forms of degree 3 and we are able to explore cubics and the group law on an elliptic curve which leads us to our ultimate goal of examining the role of elliptic curves in cryptography.
The Role of MARCKS in Metastasis and Treatment Resistance of Solid Tumors

Simple Summary Cancer metastasis is a critical event in the progression of solid tumors and is invariably associated with adverse outcomes and mortality. Understanding novel mechanisms or molecules that promote cancer metastasis will facilitate the development of new strategies for cancer treatment. Recently, MARCKS has been studied extensively in several cancers and has been implicated in tumor progression and metastasis. This review summarizes recent advances in the understanding of MARCKS on cancer metastasis, stemness, and therapeutic resistance and provides prospects on targeting MARCKS therapeutically. Specifically, we review the molecular mechanisms and multiple signaling pathways by which MARCKS contributes to the progression and metastasis in solid tumors. Abstract The myristoylated alanine-rich C-kinase substrate (MARCKS) is a membrane-associated protein kinase C (PKC) substrate ubiquitously expressed in eukaryotic cells. MARCKS plays important roles in multiple cellular processes, including cell adhesion and motility, mucin secretion, exocytosis, and inflammatory response. Aberrant MARCKS signaling has been observed in the development and progression of multiple cancer types. In addition, MARCKS facilitates cancer metastasis through modulating cancer cell migration and invasion. Moreover, MARCKS contributes to treatment resistance, likely by promoting cancer stem cell renewal as well as immunosuppression. In this review, we describe MARCKS protein structure, cellular localization, and biological functions. We then discuss the role of MARCKS in cancer metastasis as well as its mechanisms of action in solid tumors. Finally, we review recent advances in targeting MARCKS as a new therapeutic strategy in cancer management.
Indoor UWB positioning technology research based on the NLOS identification

In view of the fact that the global satellite positioning system cannot be applied to the indoor environment, it is of great practical significance to carry out research on the positioning problem in the complex indoor environment. UWB (Ultrawide Band) positioning technology has a good application prospect in the task of the armed police force, but due to the complexity of the indoor environment, the UWB application environment is usually a NLOS environment (Non-Light of Sight), and there are a large number of obstacles blocking the line of sight of the signal. This paper firstly introduces the mainstream indoor positioning methods according to the required reference points, and introduces the research status, technical principles, TOA (Time of Arrival) estimation algorithm, NLOS identification and compensation algorithm of UWB positioning technology in detail. Using the relatively simple and classic support vector machine learning algorithm to deal with the problem of NLOS channel identification.
Microturbulent velocity from stellar spectra: a comparison between different approaches

Context. The classical method to infer microturbulent velocity in stellar spectra requires that the abundances of the iron lines are not correlated with the observed equivalent widths. An alternative method, requiring the use of the expected line strength, is often used to bypass the risk of spurious slopes caused by the correlation between the errors in abundance and equivalent width. Aims. Our aim is to compare the two methods, describe their respective advantages and disadvantages, and show how they apply to the typical practical cases. Methods. We performed a test with a grid of synthetic spectra, including instrumental broadening and Poissonian noise. For these spectra, we derived the microturbulent velocity by using the two approaches and compared the results with the original value with which the synthetic spectra were generated. Results. The two methods provide similar results for spectra with SNR≥ 70, while for lower signal-to-noise (SNR) both approaches underestimate the true microturbulent velocity, depending on the SNR and the possible selection of the lines based on the equivalent width errors. Basically, the values inferred by using the observed equivalent widths better agree with those of the synthetic spectra. Indeed, the method based on the expected line strength is not totally free from a bias that can heavily affect the determination of microturbulent velocity. Finally, we recommend to use the classical approach (based on the observed equivalent widths) to infer this parameter. For a full spectroscopical determination of the atmospherical parameters, the difference between the two approaches is reduced, which leads to an absolute difference in the derived iron abundances of less than 0.1 dex.
AC Loss Characteristics of HTS Novel Twisted Cables Composed of Soldered-Stacked-Square (3S) Wires

Compared with traditional cables, superconducting multi-stage cables have the natural advantages of greater transmission power and less energy loss, which have gradually attracted attention. However, conventional multi-stage cables are based on low temperature superconducting (LTS) technology and there is considerable scope for improvement in their performance. In this paper, a novel structure of the multi-stage high temperature superconducting (HTS) twisted cable prepared by the soldered-stacked-square (3S) wire is proposed. The AC loss characteristics of the twisted cable are deeply studied by experiments and simulation. Through the experiment, the influence of the voltage-leads on the AC loss measurement accuracy is eliminated, and frequency dependent is shown in the AC loss of the twisted cable. Besides, the simulated value of AC loss is consistent with the experimental value, which verifies the accuracy of the simulation. The AC loss of twisted cable is only 20% of that of the thin strip model, which reveals its outstanding advantages in AC loss.
Robust stability of fuzzy logic control systems

An approximate method is formulated for analyzing the performance of a broad class of linear and nonlinear systems controlled using fuzzy logic. It is assumed that an approximate model of the nominal plant is available. Stability in the presence of small, bounded parametric uncertainty and external disturbance of a known origin is considered. The method is based on an appropriate formulation of a performance measure as a Lyapunov-like function of the nominal plant. A heuristic measure of the system's error sensitivity with respect to the parameters of interest is incorporated into this performance expression which is to be minimized. By applying a Lyapunov-like stability condition, the robustness of the system is analyzed by observing a definiteness condition of a simple matrix. The theory is developed in two parts. First, it is assumed that the states are decoupled in the sense that a parameter perturbation in a particular state has no effect on other states. The main robust stability result is developed based on this assumption. In the second part, some interaction is allowed to exist between states as a result of parameter variation. Estimates of the measure of the interactions are derived on stability grounds. A more general result for robust stability is then given. The point of stability convergence is the system's specified target point. Thus, stability convergence to this point, in the presence of parameter perturbations and external load inherently addresses the robust stability of the closed-loop system. Finally, inequality bounds are derived for the sensitivity, error deviation and parameter deviations in terms of fuzzy quantities. A measure for robustness is then formulated using singular values. A fuzzy automotive engine idle speed controller is used to illustrate the methodology.