Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Porphyromonas gingivalis: Genetic Repertoire, Global Phenotype, and Review of the Literature

The in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility of 29 strains of the major periodontal pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis and three P. gulae (as an ancestor) to nine antibiotics (amoxicillin, amoxicillin/clavulanate, clindamycin, metronidazole, moxifloxacin, doxycycline, azithromycin, imipenem, and cefoxitin) was evaluated by E-testing of minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) according to international standards. The results were compared with 16 international studies reporting MICs from 1993 until recently. In addition, 77 currently available P. gingivalis genomes were screened for antimicrobial resistance genes. E-testing revealed a 100% sensitivity of P. gingivalis and P. gulae to all antibiotics. This was independent of the isolation year (1970 until 2021) or region, including rural areas in Indonesia and Africa. Regarding studies worldwide (675 strains), several method varieties regarding medium, McFarland inoculation standards (0.5–2) and incubation time (48–168 h) were used for MIC-testing. Overall, no resistances have been reported for amoxicillin + clavulanate, cefoxitin, and imipenem. Few strains showed intermediate susceptibility or resistance to amoxicillin and metronidazole, with the latter needing both confirmation and attention. The only antibiotics which might fail in the treatment of P. gingivalis-associated mixed anaerobic infections are clindamycin, macrolides, and tetracyclines, corresponding to the resistance genes erm(B), erm(F), and tet(Q) detected in our study here, as well as fluoroquinolones. Periodical antibiotic susceptibility testing is necessary to determine the efficacy of antimicrobial agents and to optimize antibiotic stewardship.
Expression of mini-G proteins specifically halt cognate GPCR trafficking and intracellular signalling

Mini-G proteins are engineered thermostable variants of Gα subunits designed to specifically stabilise G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) in their active conformation for structural analyses. Due to their smaller size and ease of use, they have become popular tools in recent years to assess specific GPCR behaviours in cells, both as reporters of receptor coupling to each G protein subtype and for in-cell assays designed to quantify compartmentalised receptor signalling from a range of subcellular locations. Here, we describe a previously unappreciated consequence of the co-expression of mini-G proteins with their cognate GPCRs, namely a profound disruption in GPCR trafficking and intracellular signalling caused by the co-expression of the specific mini-G subtype coupled to the affected receptor. We studied the Gαs-coupled pancreatic beta cell class B GPCR glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) as a model to describe in detail the molecular consequences derived from this effect, including a complete halt in β-arrestin-2 recruitment and receptor internalisation, despite near-normal levels of receptor GRK2 recruitment and lipid nanodomain segregation, as well as the disruption of endosomal GLP-1R signalling by mini-Gs co-expression. We also extend our analysis to a range of other prototypical GPCRs covering the spectrum of Gα subtype coupling preferences, to unveil a widely conserved phenomenon of GPCR internalisation blockage by specific mini-G proteins coupled to a particular receptor. Our results have important implications for the design of methods to assess intracellular GPCR signalling. We also present an alternative adapted bystander intracellular signalling assay for the GLP-1R in which we substitute the mini-Gs by a nanobody, Nb37, with specificity for active Gαs:GPCR complexes and no deleterious effect on the capacity for GLP-1R internalisation.
The Use of Electroencephalographic (Eeg) Wearable Technology in Stress Management of Nursing Students: A Mixed Methods Study

People may encounter stressful situations daily. However, some persistently occurring stressors can detrimentally affect an individual’s quality of life. Lazarus RS & Folkman S [1] mentioned that stress occurs when people are not able to effectively adapt to environmental demands that can potentially impede their general well-being. For this study, nursing students were chosen as participants, as they can be perceived as individuals who encounter a significant amount of stress during their academic endeavors. According to Sawatzky JV [2], stress is a psychological factor that can have negative effects on nursing students’ academic performance and personal welfare.
All-optical XOR gate using semiconductor optical amplifiers without additional input beam

The novel design of an all-optical XOR gate by using cross-gain modulation of semiconductor optical amplifiers has been suggested and demonstrated successfully at 10 Gb/s. Boolean AB~ and A~B of the two input signals A and B have been obtained and combined to achieve the all-optical XOR gate. No additional input beam such as a clock signal or continuous wave light is used in this new design, which is required in other all-optical XOR gates.
A Multidisciplinary Look and Its Benefits Associated with the Gut Microbiota

Millions of microorganisms are present in regions of the human body that have access to the external environment, such as the oral cavity, gastrointestinal tract, respiratory tract, skin and sexual organ. Among these microorganisms are bacteria, fungi, viruses and protozoa [1]. The agglomeration of these microorganisms inhabiting a certain region of the body is called microbiota. The microorganisms that specifically inhabit the gastrointestinal tract make up the intestinal microbiota. It is in this environment that the greatest density and diversity of these microorganisms resides, which are mostly bacteria [2]. A healthy gut microbiota is characterized by its resilience, although diversity is also an implicit feature. It is also one that plays important roles in the human body, such as the production of short-chain fatty acids that have immunological, anti-inflammatory and metabolic actions. Certain bacteria have been associated with the production of these metabolites and are therefore considered health promoters [3].
Antibacterial, Immunomodulatory, and Lung Protective Effects of Boswellia dalzielii Oleoresin Ethanol Extract in Pulmonary Diseases: In Vitro and In Vivo Studies

Lung diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, and pneumonia are causing many global health problems. The COVID-19 pandemic has directed the scientific community’s attention toward performing more research to explore novel therapeutic drugs for pulmonary diseases. Herein, gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry tentatively identified 44 compounds in frankincense ethanol extract (FEE). We investigated the antibacterial and antibiofilm effects of FEE against Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria, isolated from patients with respiratory infections. In addition, its in vitro immunomodulatory activity was explored by the detection of the gene expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cycloxygenase-2 (COX-2), and nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). In addition, its anticancer activity against the A549 lung cancer cell line and human skin fibroblast (HSF) normal cell line was studied. Moreover, the in vivo lung protective potential of FEE was explored histologically and immunohistochemically in mice using a benzo(a)pyrene induced lung damage model. FEE exhibited antibacterial and antibiofilm activities besides the significant inhibition of gene expression of TNFα, IL-6, and NF-κB. FEE also exerted a cytotoxic effect against A549 cell line. Histological and immunohistochemical investigations with morphometric analysis of the mean area percentage and color intensity of positive TNF-α, COX-2, and NF-κB and Bcl-2 reactions revealed the lung protective activity of FEE. This study outlined the promising therapeutic activity of oleoresin obtained from B. dalzielii in the treatment of different pulmonary diseases.
Imbalanced folate and vitamin B12 in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy and its association with birthweight and child growth up to 2 years.

SCOPE Folic acid supplementation during pregnancy may lead to an imbalance when vitamin B12 intake is low (folate trap) and may affect child's growth. METHODS We studied the association between 3rd trimester maternal intakes of folate and B12 and birthweight and postnatal growth of 2,632 infants from the KOALA Birth Cohort Study. Plasma vitamin biomarkers were measured in 1219 women. RESULTS Imbalanced total intakes (folate > 430 μg/d combined with B12 < 5.5 μg/d) was not associated with birthweight [β adj (95%CI) = -14.87 (-68.87, 39.13)] compared with high intakes of both. Imbalanced intake was associated with a lower z score of weight at 1-2 years [β adj = -0.14 (-0.25, -0.03)]. Having red blood cell folate > 745 nmol/L and plasma B12 < 172 pmol/L was not associated with birthweight [β adj = -7.10 (-97.90, 83.71) g]. Maternal dietary B12 intake [β adj = -9.5 (-15.6, -3.3)] and plasma methylmalonic acid [β adj = 234 (43, 426)] were associated with birthweight. CONCLUSIONS Low maternal dietary B12 intake and elevated methylmalonic acid rather than imbalanced vitamins were associated with higher birthweight, suggesting that low maternal B12 could predispose the infants for later obesity. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Integrating spatial and social characteristics in the DPSIR framework for the sustainable management of river basins: case study of the Katari River Basin, Bolivia

ABSTRACT The drivers–pressures–state–impact–responses (DPSIR) framework has been used widely to support environmental policy developments. However, we argue that DPSIR tends to oversimplify the complexity behind socio-ecological systems. Based on the Katari River Basin in Bolivia, we explore how the incorporation of spatial and social considerations may enhance DPSIR applications. The results reveal a spatial mismatch between driving forces/pressures and policy responses, and severe impacts on the vulnerable communities. Moreover, we also show that local levels tend to be neglected. The study concludes that integrating spatial and social characteristics in the DPSIR may result in valuable implications for river basin management practitioners.
Integration of GPS and Cellular Networks to Improve Wireless Location Performance

Wireless location is important because of the E-911 application. Both network-based solutions and GPS-based solutions have been proposed for this application. However, neither of them can handle the issues well because both approaches suffer from poor signal availability and low measurement accuracy problems in serious fading environments such as, urban canyons or inside buildings. In this paper, the poor signal availability of cellular networks is first discussed. To improve location performance, GPS and cellular networks are suggested to be used simultaneously. Three integration architectures are proposed. They are the epoch-by-epoch Least-Squares (LS)-based integration, the position domain Kalman filterbased integration, and the measurement domain Kalman filter-based integration. Simulated results demonstrate the effectiveness of these three integration schemes.
A planar microwave imaging system with step‐frequency synthesized pulse using different calibration methods

An experimental study of a planar microwave imaging system with step‐frequency synthesized pulse for possible use in medical applications is described. Simple phantoms, consisting of a cylindrical plastic container with air or oil imitating fatty tissues and small highly reflective objects emulating tumors, are scanned with a probe antenna over a planar surface in the X‐band. Different calibration schemes are considered for successful detection of these objects. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 48: 511–516, 2006; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.21395
Measurement of Bridge Dynamic Responses Using Network-Based Real-Time Kinematic GNSS Technique

AbstractThe network-based real-time kinematic (NRTK) global navigation satellite system (GNSS) technique was proposed for the first time to monitor the dynamic response of bridges. It could receive corrections from an established remote continuously operating reference station (CORS) network instead of a user-defined local reference station. To validate the feasibility of the NRTK-GNSS technique, laboratory and field experiments were both conducted at the University of Nottingham, U.K., and the Wilford suspension bridge, a footbridge close to the university’s campus. The conventional real-time kinematic (RTK)-GNSS and accelerometer techniques were synchronously considered for validating the accuracy of the NRTK-GNSS technique. A wavelet packet filtering scheme was designed to process full-scale experimental data according to the characteristics of NRTK-GNSS measurement noise. The dynamic displacements and vibration frequencies of the bridge were successfully identified from the NRTK-GNSS data with satisfa.
RFID+4D CAD for Progress Management of Structural Steel Works in High-Rise Buildings

This research presents a strategy and information system to manage the logistics and progress control of structural steel works under the integrated environment of radio frequency identification and four-dimensional computer-aided design (4D CAD). Considering the characteristics of the manufacturing and erection processes of structural steel works in high-rise building construction from a practical point of view, this research has developed a strategy to support successful application of these two state-of-the-art technologies and has developed an information system to support the logistics and progress management based on this strategy. The results of this research have been validated and verified through real-world applications in two high-rise building construction projects considering realistic constraints. Time study has been conducted to verify the efficiency of the proposed information system. In addition, lessons learned and issues identified through these real-world applications are described and discussed in this paper.
Highly sensitive fiber Bragg grating sensor interrogation system based on a Fourier domain mode-locked optoelectronic oscillator

We propose a fiber Bragg grating sensor interrogation system based on a Fourier domain mode-locked optoelectronic oscillator (FDML-OEO). The FDML is achieved by synchronizing the period of the driving current of the laser with the round-trip time of the OEO loop. By employing a narrow band electrical filter with the central frequency located within the sweeping frequency of the FDML-OEO, pulsed microwave output can be obtained. The wavelength shift of the phase-shift fiber Bragg grating (PS-FBG) can be interrogated by measuring the pulse interval variation. The experimental results indicate that the pulse interval of the generated signal has a linear relationship with the axial strain applied to the PS-FBG and a sensitivity as high as 0.42 μs/με is achieved.
Intelligent Emotional Interface for Personal Robot and Its Application to a Humanoid Robot, AMIET

provide useful services to humans, it will be necessary for robots to understand human intentions. Consequently, the development of emotional interfaces for robots is an important expansion of human-robot interactions. We designed and developed an intelligent emotional interface for the robot, and applied the interfaces to our humanoid robot, AMIET. Subsequent human-robot interaction demonstrated that our intelligent emotional interface is very intuitive and friendly
Proton Spectroscopy Techniques to Examine Myocardial Metabolic State in Human Hearts Preserved for Transplantation

1 H MAS MRS to human hearts that were stored for long intervals either by conventional static storage or perfusion preservation. We hypothesized that these techniques could be used to determine the metabolic state of preserved hearts. This in turn may ultimately predict their suitability for heart transplantation after storage. Methods Human hearts unsuitable for transplantation (n=12) were obtained from potential donors throughout our local organ procurement organization. Eight hearts were flushed with University of Wisconsin Machine Perfusion Solution, connected to a perfusion device (Lifecradle®, Organ Transport Systems, Inc) and perfused at 10 mL/100g/min at 5 C for 12 hours with the same solution. Four hearts underwent conventional hypothermic, static storage in the same organ preservation solution at 0-4°C for 12 hours. Temperature, flow, and pressure were recorded in perfused hearts. After 12 hours of perfusion, Hearts were removed and weighed. Left atrial (LA) and left ventricular (LV) tissue samples were collected, frozen in liquid nitrogen and later analyzed by high resolution proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy on a Varian 14.1T Vnmrs spectrometer. 1 H MAS was carried out on small left ventricular cylindrical biopsies (approx 10mg) with a gHx nanoprobe on the same Varian 14.1T Vnmrs spectrometer. The lactate/alanine ratio in proton spectra was used to evaluate the metabolic state of stored hearts as previously described. 2 MAS spectra of perfused hearts and static storage hearts were compared to identify biomarkers that were indicative of the storage method. Data are reported as mean ± SEM. Differences between groups were determined by t-tests. A p-value < . 05 was considered significant. Results As in our prior study, total analysis time for MAS was brief, less than 15 minutes. Significant differences in the lactate/alanine ratios were noted between static and perfusion preservation strategies, confirming our previous findings. These differences were greatest in LV extract samples. Left atrial and LV MAS MRS data were more variable. See Table 1. The later analysis was limited by the predominance of fatty acid methyl protons in the analyzed spectral region. Examination of MAS spectra suggested that the peak peaking partial least squares algorithm utilized in our previous model may be a more powerful application for MAS data. See Figures 1 and 2 below.
New High Voltage Gain Dual-boost DC-DC Converter for Photovoltaic Power Systems

Abstract This article presents a new circuit topology of a high-voltage step-up boost DC-DC converter for photovoltaic power systems. The converter boosts the low-output voltage of the solar cell to the required voltage for the load. The proposed circuit has various advantages compared to the conventional boost converters, namely a higher boost rate with low duty cycle, lower voltage stress on components, and higher efficiency. The equations of a dual-boost converter are analyzed, highlighting the advantages of the new DC/DC converter circuit topology. The operation principle is explained using the operating intervals equivalent circuits and operation waveforms. Then, mathematical and theoretical analyses of continuous and discontinuous conduction modes of the converter are presented. Losses and thus efficiency of the proposed converter are calculated using MATLAB (The MathWorks, Natick, Massachusetts, USA). Calculations are used to compare the efficiency of the proposed topology with others available in the literature regarding the benefits of decreasing cost and complexity. A photovoltaic system simulation model is developed using PSIM (Powersim Inc., Woburn, Massachusetts, USA) to validate the proposed converter. The proposed high voltage gain boost converter has been implemented for a 100-W load and tested to verify the principle of operation.
Magnetic properties in axial 50 Hz fields of steel core wire for overhead-line conductors

As a result of the spiralling of the power-frequency current around the core of a steel-cored overhead-line conductor, a longitudinal alternating magnetic flux is set up in the steel core. This flux produces active and reactive power losses, which give rise to increases in the effective resistance and inductance of the conductor. Results are given of experimental work to determine the effects of conditioning, galvanisation, preforming, stranding, temperature and tensile stress on the magnetic characteristics of three sizes of 85ton grade 0.55%-carbon-steel wire. It is shown how the increase of resistance and inductive reactance of the conductor can be calculated for conditions in service.
Bounded tracking control of a wheeled mobile robot

The stabilization problem for nonholonomic systems has recently attracted considerable attention of many researchers, see the survey paper [3] and referenced cited therein. A major obstacle to the asymptotic stabilization of these systems is that there is no smooth, nor even continuous, time-invariant state-feedback stabilizing control law since these systems fail to satisfy Brockett’s necessary condition for feedback stabilization [1]. A particular example of a nonholonomic system is the kinematic model of a two wheel mobile robot: ˙ x = cos( ) ˙ y = sin( ) ˙ = ! Apart from the stabilization problem, the from an engineering point of view very interesting tracking problem for mobile robots has been addressed quite rarely. We consider the problem of tracking a desired trajectory (xd,yd, d) while keeping the applied inputs within in advance specified bounds, that is | (t)| max and |! (t)| ! max for all t 0. Using Lyapunov’s direct method we were able to show semi-global convergence to the reference trajectory while satisfying the input constraints. This result will be illustrated by means of some simulation examples.
High-speed rail and air passenger transport: A comparison of the operational environmental performance

Abstract This paper presents an overview of the environmental performance of high-speed rail (HSR) and air passenger transport (APT) in the European Union (EU). This performance embraces the direct environmental burdens/emissions such as energy consumption, air pollution, noise, land-take and land use, safety and congestion. A comparison of the marginal values of particular burdens/emissions and their costs (externalities) is carried out. The results have shown that significant mitigation of the impacts and savings of costs could be achieved by substitution of air passenger transport by high-speed rail. The substitution can be carried out through competition and complementarity of operations of both modes.
Lycopene Ameliorates Liver Inflammation and Redox Status in Mice Exposed to Long-Term Cigarette Smoke

Cigarette smoke (CS) is the major cause of preventable death worldwide, and it can also cause damage to extrapulmonary organs, such as the liver, mainly due the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The liver is an essential organ for human survival since it is mainly responsible for the body metabolism and among other things and it is the place where many endogenous and exogenous substances undergo biological transformation. Lycopene is a nonprovitamin A carotenoid found in red fruits and vegetables, and its role as a potent antioxidant is well known. In this study, we hypothesized that lycopene could protect mouse liver against long-term CS exposure. Thirty C57BL/6 mice were exposed to twelve cigarette smoke (12 cigarettes per day) for 60 days and pretreated with 25 mg/kg/day or 50 mg/kg/day of lycopene via orogastric gavage. After euthanasia, the hepatic tissue was collected for histopathological, antioxidant defense, oxidative stress, inflammatory, and collagen deposition analysis. Our analysis demonstrated that lycopene results in a suitable outcome to ameliorate the pathological changes, inflammatory and antioxidant profile in a mouse model of long-term CS exposure, and collagen accumulation in the hepatic extracellular matrix. This study demonstrates for the first time that supplementation of lycopene can be a possible pharmacological tool for the treatment of hepatic damage caused by exposure to long-term CS.