Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of the ResistancePlus® MG FleXible assay for the detection of wild-type and 23S rRNA-mutated Mycoplasma genitalium

Antibiotic resistance in Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) is rising globally and resistance-guided 4 diagnostics can facilitate targeted and timely treatment. The ResistancePlus ® MG FleXible (RPMG Flex) assay for the detection of MG and macrolide-resistance mediating mutations (MRMM) was evaluated for analytical sensitivity, specificity, reproducibility, and 8 inhibition in the presence of interfering substances by simulating MG negative, pooled urine and swab 9 matrices with MG cultures. Furthermore, the clinical sensitivity of the assay was evaluated and 10 compared with a reference real-time PCR assay. The analytical sensitivity of Flex assay was 157 genomes/mL for wild-type (WT) and 387 13 genomes/mL for MRMM strains in both matrices. For clinical specimens, the RPMG assay had an 14 overall sensitivity of 96.1% (95% urine: 10/10 WT; 9/10 MRMM; 96.5% swab: 25/26 WT; 26/29 15 MRMM) compared to 85.7% for the MgPa/ MagNAPure24 assay (95% urine: 19/20; 87% swab: 16 48/57). Clinical specificity was 100% for urine and 98.5% for swab specimens respectively. No 17 inhibition due to the presence of any of the tested interfering substances was observed. The RPMG Flex assay was more sensitive than the reference MgPa assay, in particular for swab 20 specimens. The implementation of this assay may increase ease of use and considerably decrease 21 hands-on time for sample preparation when compared to a standard block-based assay. The RPMG 22 Flex assay for the GeneXpert® Dx system provides a much-needed platform for the simultaneous 23 detection of MG and MRMM and may thereby, facilitate resistance-guided therapy for MG infections.
Tools to Assist with Collection and Analysis of Ethical Reﬂections of Engineering Students

Ethical engineering practice is a global issue. However, cultural norms and social realities may result in differences in points-of-view on ethical practice. The present project seeks to facilitate discussion and analysis of ethical practices between undergraduate engineering students at our university and peers in partnering countries. Three major goals of the project are to develop a readily accessible website for student interactions, to develop partnerships with global participants, and to develop machine-based tools capable of identifying major topics in student contributions to the website and analyzing characteristics of students’ ethical reasoning. An undergraduate ethics course for engineering majors and the website http://reflectivechoices.ttu. edu are currently the primary channels through which this project is being developed and implemented. The results describe steps in developing the website, which is currently operational, progress developing partnerships and in recruiting participants, and an analysis and discussion of students’ submissions to the website from the first several months of operation.
for neurons in the and

The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) drives circadian rhythms in locomotion through coupled, single-cell oscillations. Global genetic deletion of the neuropeptide, Vip or its receptor Vipr2, results in profound deficits in daily synchrony among SCN cells and daily rhythms in locomotor behavior and glucocorticoid secretion. To test whether this phenotype depends on VIP neurons in the SCN, we ablated VIP SCN neurons in vivo in adult, male mice through Caspase3-mediated induction of the apoptotic pathway in cre-expressing VIP neurons. We found that ablation of VIP SCN neurons in adult mice caused a phenotype distinct from Vip- and Vipr2- null mice. Mice lacking VIP neurons retained rhythmic locomotor activity with a shortened circadian period, more variable onsets and decreased duration of daily activity. Circadian hormonal outputs, specifically corticosterone rhythms were severely dampened. In contrast, deletion of neonatal SCN VIP neurons dramatically reduced circadian gene expression in the cultured SCN, mimicking the effects of global deletion of Vip or Vipr2 . These results suggest that SCN VIP neurons play a role in lengthening circadian period and stimulating the daily surge in glucocorticoids in adults and in synchronizing and sustaining daily rhythms among cells in the developing SCN. circadian locomotor activity these VIP daily glucocorticoid work elucidate the relative roles of VIP daily in
Global patterns of b-diversity along the phylogenetic time-scale: The role of climate and plate tectonics

Methods: We analysed the current b-diversity patterns of birds and mammal assemblages at sequential depths in the phylogeny, that is, from the tips to deeper branches. This was done by slicing bird and mammal phylogenetic trees into 66 time slices of 1 Ma (from 0 to 65 Ma) and recording the branches within each slice. Using global distribution data, we defined the branches’ geographical distribution as the union of the corresponding downstream species distributions. For each time slice, we (a) computed pairwise b-diversity across all the grid cells for the whole world and (b) estimated the correlation between this b-diversity matrix and contemporary climatic and geographical distances, and past geological distances, a proxy for plate tectonics.
Recovery and Reuse of Spent LiFePO 4 Batteries

leaching kinetics and properties of regenerated FePO 4 and LiFePO 4 were studied. ABSTRACT LiFePO 4 has been widely used as cathode materials for lithium - ion battery with the development of electric vehicles and energy storage, which will cause a large quantities of spent batteries. Recycling of spent lithium - ion batteries can not only reduce impact on environment, while also bring some economic benefits. In this paper, parameters of recycling process were studied. The results showed that leaching efficiency of Iron ion was controlled by simultaneous interface chemical and surface diffusion reaction. The discharge specific capacities of resynthesized LiFePO 4 /C at 0.1C, 1C, 2C, 5C and 10C were 151.4, 141, 139.8, 132.4 and 115.6 mAh/g, respectively.
AN OBSERVATIONAL STUDY IN MALE CANCER PATIENTS OF TELANGANA REGION

from sources like patient case records, laboratory data, direct communication with patients (Questionnaire) and their care takers. Parameters such as demographics data, laboratory parameters (Histo-pathological reports, complete blood picture and results of radiology techniques) were collected and evaluated. Data collected is kept confidential and used exclusively for research. ABSTRACT Cancer death rates are the best measure of progress against cancer. In India, most of the population does not have access to a well-organized & well regulated cancer care system. A Prospective observational study was conducted in two private hospitals in Telangana state, in a period of six months. Patients with Head & Neck cancers & who were admitted to the department of Oncology were enrolled in the study. A Total of 103 cancer patients were found to be suffering with Head & Neck cancers. Staging describes the extent or spread of the cancer at the time of diagnosis. Proper staging is essential for optimizing therapy & assessing prognosis. Most of the patients were in stage IV due to lack of awareness & literacy. Many of them were suffering with Squamous cell carcinoma and were on mixed diet. Treatment regimen of cisplatin & 5-flurouracil are given. Commonly used treatment modality was chemotherapy & radiation therapy. Treatment was given as per NCCN Guidelines. Majority of the metastasis cases were reported at the lung region.
AIS Electronic

Wikis have attracted attention as a powerful technological platform on which to harness the potential benefits of collective knowledge. Current literature identifies different behavioral factors that modulate the interaction between contributors and wikis. Some inhibit growth while others enhance it. However, while these individual factors have been identified in the literature, their collective effects have not yet been identified. In this paper, we use the system dynamics methodology, and a survey of Wikipedia users, to propose a holistic model of the interaction among different factors and their collective impact on Wikipedia growth. The model is simulated to examine its ability to replicate observed growth patterns of Wikipedia metrics. Results indicate that the model is a reasonable starting point for understanding observed Wiki growth patterns. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first attempt in the literature to synthesize a holistic model of the forces underlying Wiki growth.
BIOMECHANICAL PROPRIETIES OF DECELLULARISED PORCINE COMMON CAROTID ARTERIES

To analyze the effects of decellularisation on the biomechanical proprieties of porcine common carotid arteries, decellularisation was performed by a detergent-enzymatic procedure, which preserves extracellular matrix scaffold. Internal diameter, external diameter and wall thickness were measured by optic microscopy on neighbouring histological sections before and after decellularisation. Rupture tests were conducted. Inner diameter and wall thickness were measured by echotracking during pressure inflation from 10 to 145 mmHg. Distensibility and incremental elastic modulus were computed. At 10 mmHg, mean diameter of decellularised arteries was 5.38 mm, substantially higher than controls (4.1 mm), whereas both decellularised and control arteries reached the same internal diameter value (6.7 mm) at 145 mmHg. Wall thickness decrease was 16% for decellularised and 32% for the normal arteries after pressure increase from 10 to 145 mmHg. Decellularised arteries withstood pressure above 2200 mmHg before rupture. At 145 mmHg, decellularisation reduced compliance by 66% and increased incremental elastic modulus by 54%. Removing cellular elements from media lead to changes in arterial dimensions. Collagen fibers engaged more rapidly during inflation, thus yielding a stiffer vessel. Distensibility was therefore significantly lower in decellularised vessels, reaching a factor three reduction in the physiological range of pressures. In conclusion, decellularisation yields vessels able to withstand high inflation pressures with, however, markedly different geometrical and biomechanical properties. This may mean that the potential use of a decellularised artery as a scaffold for the creation of xenografts may be compromised due to geometrical and compliance mismatch.
COUPLED FIELD ANALYSIS OF PIEZOELECTRIC CANTILEVER BEAM

Electromechanical modelling efforts in the research field of vibration-based energy harvesting have been mostly focused on forms of vibrational input as in the typical case of harmonic excitation at resonance. However, ambient vibrational energy often has broader frequency content than a single harmonic. Piezoelectric energy harvesting is a promising technology for extracting the power from environmental vibrations. It generates the electrical power of few orders of amplitudes which is sufficient to drive several autonomous electrical devices. Such vibration-based energy harvester generates the most energy when the generator is excited at its resonance frequency. Simplest model to be started is of rectangular Aluminium cantilever beam with unimorph piezoelectric patch which is perfectly bonded to the substrate plate at the end. The resulting relative motion between the piezoelectric patch and the base produces stress on piezoelectric material, which is converted into electrical power by virtue of direct piezoelectric effect. The ability of piezoelectric material of different thickness to generate voltage at different frequency is explained in this paper. Its capability to work over a range of frequency is predicted by use of ANSYS software. The solid model is design and analyzed using finite element software.
Minireview: Autophagy in Pancreatic (cid:2) -Cells and Its Implication in Diabetes

Autophagy is a conserved system for the degradation of cytoplasmic proteins and organelles. During insulin resistance, in which insulin secretion is enhanced and (cid:2) -cell mass is increased owing to changes in the expression and function of various proteins in pancreatic (cid:2) -cells, autophagic activity appears to also be enhanced to adapt to the dynamic changes occurring in (cid:2) -cells. Indeed, defective autophagy in (cid:2) -cells recapitulates several features that are observed in islets during the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus. In addition, the dyregulation of autophagic activity appears to occur in the (cid:2) -cells of type 2 diabetic model mice and type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. These lines of evidence suggest that autophagic failure may be implicated in the pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes mellitus. In this review, we summarized the recent findings regarding how autophagy in (cid:2) -cells is regulated and how dysfunction of the autophagic machinery may lead to the dysfunction of (cid:2) -cells. ( Molecular Endocrinology 29: 338–348, 2015) conjugates form a multimeric complex with ATG16L1 through ATG7 and ATG10. The second system is the conjugation reaction of LC3, the mammalian homologue of ATG8. LC3-I is generated from pro-LC3 by the Atg4 protease. Then, through ATG7, ATG3, and the ATG12-ATG5-ATG16L complex, LC3 conjugates to the phospholipid phosphatidylethanolamine to form LC3- II. During the formation of the autophagosome from the preautophagosome, ATG12-ATG5 complexes are released from the membranes, and LC3-II localizes on them. reduced glucose tolerance with reduced insulin secretion. These data show that the role of (cid:3) -synuclein in (cid:2) -cells is more complex than predicted.
Ultra-thin ZrO2/SrO/ZrO2 insulating stacks for future dynamic random access memory capacitor applications

Aiming for improvement of the ZrO2-based insulator properties as compared to the state-of-the-art ZrO2/Al2O3/ZrO2 stacks beyond 20 nm dynamic random access memory (DRAM) technology applications, ultra-thin (5 nm) ZrO2/SrO/ZrO2 stacks with TiN electrodes deposited by physical vapor deposition are addressed. By replacing the Al2O3 interlayer with SrO, the effective dielectric permittivity of the stack can be increased as indicated by electrical analysis. At the same time, no degradation of the insulating properties of the SrO-containing stacks and minor changes in the reliability, compared to an Al2O3 interlayer, are found. These results are indicating the possibility of further reducing the effective oxide thickness of the ZrO2-based stacks to come close to 0.5 nm for future DRAM capacitors.
TREATMENT Supervised Disul ﬁ ram in Relapse Prevention in Alcohol-Dependent Patients Su ﬀ ering From Comorbid Borderline Personality Disorder — A Case Series

— Aims: Disul ﬁ ram is widely used to prevent alcoholic relapse. However, due to the intended adverse reaction with ethanol, some believe that its use is dangerous for patients with personality disorders or psychiatric comorbidities because of their increased risk of impulsivity or suicidal behaviour. We examined the safety and e ﬃ cacy in relapse prevention of a series of alcoholics with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Methods: Case history study of patients diagnosed with BPD, prescribed disul ﬁ ram in a dose of 1.5 – 2.5 g/ week, supervised by a physician in up to three brief contacts per week. Results: Two out of eight patients remained completely ab- stinent during the supervised disul ﬁ ram therapy over a mean period of 9.25 months. Adherence to treatment was 18.44 ± 21.78 months. The ﬁ rst relapse occurred after 1.38 ± 1.41 months. The cumulated time of abstinence was 16.88 ± 20.48 months. The overall toler- ability was considered to be high; dizziness and fatigue appeared in all patients at the beginning of the therapy but did not persist. No serious adverse events or ethanol – disul ﬁ ram interactions were observed. No suicidal behaviour was reported. Conclusions: Although case observations should be interpreted with caution, supervised disul ﬁ ram seems to deserve further investigation in patients with comorbid BPD, for whom it appears to help prevent alcoholic relapse.
2019 Quasinormal Modes and Hawking-Unruh eﬀect in Quantum Hall Systems: Lessons from Black Hole Phenomena

In this work, we propose the quantum Hall system as a platform for exploring black hole phenomena. By exhibiting deep rooted commonalities between lowest Landau level and spacetime symmetries, we show that features of both quantum Hall and gravitational systems can be elegantly captured by a simple quantum mechanical model, the inverted harmonic oscillator. Through this correspondence, we argue that radiation phenomena in gravitational situations, such as presented by W. G. Unruh and S. Hawking, bears a parallel with saddle-potential scattering of quantum Hall quasiparticles. We also ﬁnd that scattering by the quantum Hall saddle potential can mimic the signature quasinormal modes in black holes, such as theoretically demonstrated through Gaussian scattering oﬀ a Schwarzschild black hole by C. V. Vishveshwara. We propose a realistic quantum Hall point contact setup for probing these temporally decaying modes in quasiparticle tunneling, oﬀering a new mesoscopic parallel for black hole ringdown.
Searching for Fixed Point Combinators by Using Automated Theorem Proving : a Preliminary Report

In this report, we establish that the use of an automated theorem- proving program to study deep questions from mathematics and logic is indeed an excellent move. Among such problems, we focus mainly on that concerning the construction of fixed point combinators--a problem considered by logicians to be significant and difficult to solve, and often computationally intensive and arduous. To be a fixed point combinator, THETA must satisfy the equation THETAx = x(THETAx) for all combinators x. The specific questions on which we focus most heavily ask, for each chosen set of combinators, whether a fixed point combinator can be constructed from the members of that set. For answering questions of this type, we present a new, sound, and efficient method, called the kernel method, which can be applied quite easily by hand and very easily by an automated theorem-proving program. For the application of the kernel method by a theorem-proving program, we illustrate the vital role that is played by both paramodulation and demodulation--two of the powerful features frequently offered by an automated theorem-proving program for treating equality as if it is ''understood. '' We also state a conjecture that, if proved, establishes the completeness of the kernel method. From what we can ascertain, this method--which relies on the introduced concepts of kernel and superkernel--offers the first systematic approach for searching for fixed point combinators. We successfully apply the new kernel method to various sets of combinators and, for the set consisting of the combinators B and W, construct an infinite set of fixed point combinators such that no two of the combinators are equal even in the presence of extensionality--a law that asserts that two combinators are equal if they behave the same. 18 refs.
ROSEMARY, MARJORAM AND GINGER AS A FEED ADDITIVES AND ITS INFLUENCES ON GROWTH PERFORMANCE TRAITS OF NZW RABBITS UNDER SINAI CONDITIONS

: This study was carried out to evaluate the effects of either rosemary, marjoram or ginger on digestibility coefficients and growth performances traits of New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits under Sinai conditions. Seventy five weaned NZW rabbits were used in growth trial while, fifteen adult bucks were used in digestibility trials. The rabbits were divided into 5 similar and equal groups. The 1 st group fed control (CO) diet without medicinal plants, while those in the 2 nd , 3 rd , 4 th and 5 th groups were fed the pelleted diet containing 3% rosemary, 3% marjoram, 1.5% ginger root and 2.5% mixture (1%, 1% and 0.5%) of these medicinal plants, respectively. Daily body weight gain, feed conversion and dressing percentage improved (P<0.05) by 11.63, 1.73 and 3.01% due to rosemary diet; 17.83, 22.66 and 4.01% due to marjoram diet; 15.70, 11.35 and 3.51% due to ginger diet and 22.56, 7.53 and 3.51 % due to mixture diet, respectively. Digestibility coefficients of DM, OM, CP and EE were increased (P<0.05) by 9.10, 6.36, 6.57 and 11.69 % due to rosemary diet; 7.61, 6.66, 7.18 and 11.50 % due to ginger diet and 7.41, 6.06, 6.14 and 9.61 % due to mixture diet, respectively. The digestibility coefficients of CF and NFE were not significantly affected by supplemented medicinal plants. The nutritive values of TDN increased (P<0.05) arid and semiarid conditions their addition within the limits recorded in this study is practically applicable, safe and beneficial.
EFFECT OF CERTAIN POLYMERS ON PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF TENOXICAM.

Tenoxicam is a widely used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). It is practically insoluble in water 14.1mg/ml, it is sparingly soluble in methylene chloride, very slightly soluble in ethanol and dissolves in solutions of acids and alkalis. The work in this study was performed in order to investigate the effect of certain polymers (Eudragit RL100, EudragitRS100 and methyl cellulose) in different drug to polymer ratios on the dissolution of tenoxicam in acidic as well as alkaline pH values. Solid dispersion technique was the technique of choice for preparing microbeads. FT-IR and X-ray diffraction were performed in order to investigate the interaction - if any-between the drug and the polymers.
Astrocytes refine cortical connectivity at dendritic spines you.

During cortical synaptic development, thalamic axons must establish synaptic connections despite the presence of the more abundant intracortical projections. How thalamocortical synapses are formed and maintained in this competitive environment is unknown. Here, we show that astrocyte-secreted protein hevin is required for normal thalamocortical synaptic connectivity in the mouse cortex. Absence of hevin results in a profound, long-lasting reduction in thalamocortical synapses accompanied by a transient increase in intracortical excitatory connections. Three-dimensional reconstructions of cortical neurons from serial section electron microscopy (ssEM) revealed that, during early postnatal development, dendritic spines often receive multiple excitatory inputs. Immuno-EM and confocal analyses revealed that majority of the spines with multiple excitatory contacts (SMECs) receive simultaneous thalamic and cortical inputs. Proportion of SMECs diminishes as the brain develops, but SMECs remain abundant in Hevin-null mice. These findings reveal that, through secretion of hevin, astrocytes control an important developmental synaptic refinement process at dendritic spines. the dendritic spines often have multiple synapses when the animal is young, but many are lost as the brain matures so that only a single synapse remains in each dendritic spine. However, multiple synapses persist in the dendritic spines of mice lacking hevin, which could lead to competition between short and long distance synapses and may contribute to neurological diseases. These results indicate that astrocytes are crucial for controlling the formation of synapses in dendritic spines. In humans, defects in hevin have been implicated in autism, schizophrenia and other neurological conditions. Future studies will seek to determine the precise role of astrocytes in these conditions, which may help us to develop new therapies. these findings show that hevin function is required for the proper maturation and localization of excitatory synapses in the cortex. were sucrose ASCF Slices recovered carboxygenated standard ACSF a of 1 Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings of excitatory postsynaptic (mEPSCs) were recorded at 30°C in ACSF supplemented with tetrodotoxin (Tocris, UK) and picrotoxin (Sigma), with a continuous perfusion rate of 2–3 ml/min. Membrane potential was held at −70 mV. Recording pipette internal solution CsOH, D-gluconic acid, NaCl, TEA-Cl, HEPES, EGTA, Lidocaine N-ethyl chloride, ATP-Mg, GTP-Na, 2 2 4