Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Proteolytic inactivation of the leukocyte C5a receptor by proteinases derived from Porphyromonas gingivalis

The anaerobic bacterium Porphyromonas gingivalis has been implicated as a primary causative agent in adult periodontitis. Several proteinases are produced by this bacterium, and it is suggested that they contribute to virulence and to local tissue injury resulting from infection by P. gingivalis. Cysteine proteinases with specificities to cleave either Arg-X or Lys-X peptide bonds (i.e., gingipains) have been characterized as predominant enzymes associated with vesicles shed from the surface of this bacterium. It has recently been demonstrated that these proteinases are capable of degrading the blood complement component C5, resulting in the generation of biologically active C5a. By using an affinity-purified rabbit antibody raised against residues 9 to 29 of the C5a receptor (C5aR; CD88), we demonstrate that noncysteinyl proteinases associated with vesicles obtained from P. gingivalis cleave the C5aR on human neutrophils. Proteolytic attack of the C5aR by enzymes from the P. gingivalis vesicles was inhibited by TPCK (tolylsullonyl phenylalanyl chloromethyl ketone), PMSF (phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride), and dichloroisocoumarin, suggesting that serine proteinases are primarily responsible for this degradative activity. The purified vesicle proteinase Lys-gingipain but not Arg-gingipain also cleaved the N-terminal region of the C5aR on the human neutrophils. Lys-gingipain activity was essentially resistant to these inhibitors but was inhibited by TLCK (Nalpha-p-tosyl-L-lysine chloromethyl ketone) and iodoacetamide. A synthetic peptide that mimics the N-terminal region of C5aR (residues 9 to 29; PDYGHY DDKDTLDLNTPVDKT) was readily cleaved by chymotrypsin but not by trypsin, despite the presence of two potential trypsin (i.e., lysyl-X) cleavage sites. The specific sites of cleavage in the C5aR 9-29 peptide were determined by mass spectroscopy for both chymotrypsin and Lys-gingipain digests. This analysis demonstrated that the C5aR peptide is susceptible to cleavage at both potential Lys-gingipain sites (i.e., between residues 17 and 18 [K-D] and 28 and 29 [K-T]) and at two chymotrypsin sites (between residues 14 and 15 [Y-D] and 20 and 21 [L-D]), respectively. These studies suggest that P. gingivalis contains at least two enzymes capable of cleaving the C5aR, Lys-gingipain and a second nontryptic serine proteinase that is distinct from either Arg- or Lys-gingipain.
A Stable and Tunable Linear-Polarization Fiber Ring Laser With a High SMSR by Using a Compounded Fiber Filter

A stable and tunable linear-polarization fiber ring laser with a high side-mode-suppression ratio (SMSR) is proposed and experimentally demonstrated by using a compounded fiber filter, which is composed of a dual-pass Mach-Zehnder interferometer filter incorporating one segment of polarization-maintaining fiber and a high finesse filter. By adjusting the polarization controllers, the output laser can be tuned from 1560.37 to 1568.56 nm and an SMSR as high as 72 dB is achieved. In addition, the peak power fluctuation and wavelength shift are monitored to be less than 0.08 dB and 0.02 nm over an hour. Due to the introduction of the compounded fiber filter as a wavelength selector, the side mode of lasing output can be effectively suppressed and mode competition can be weakened. As a result, the SMSR of lasing output is increased and power stability is improved.
Structural Changes in the Fibrin Network of a Pretoria Family with Dysfibrinogenemia: A Scanning Electron Microscopical Study

Inborn errors of fibrinogen structure are by definition congenital dysfibrinogenemias. The present study assesses the scanning electron microscope characteristics in the fibrin network morphology in a Pretoria family with an amino-acid substitution defect at position 139 on the γ chain where the cystein residue is replaced by tyrosine. This anomaly results in a disturbance of the interchain disulfide bond, an ultrastructural defect that interferes with fibrin polymerization. Clinical manifestations showed that 2 of the family members presented with thrombosis, as well as a bleeding tendency, while 2 were asymptomatic. Fibrin clot analysis revealed that in all 4 family members a tighter fibrin network with increased fibrin density and reduced pore size was present. The fibers showed a “stellate” appearance where they converge and some were fused longitudinally to form sheets of “matted” fibrin. Furthermore, there was a conspicuous absence of platelets. Fibrin dysfunction is associated with the development of vascular complications, while proneness to the formation of tight and rigid fibrin networks is independently associated with thrombotic disease. Although this does not explain the proneness of some family members who present with excess bleeding, bleeding might be related to the defective binding of fibrin to activated platelets, resulting in inadequate prothrombotic stimulus that is normally enhanced by the second wave of thrombin generation, which occurs on the platelet surface.
Destructive and Non-Destructive Testing of High Temperature Influence on Refractory Fiber Composite

The main aim of this contribution lies in the description of mechanical properties fiber cement composites after exposure to high temperatures. Destructive and non-destructive methods were used to investigate the influence of heat loading. The effect of refractory binder compared to common Portland cement binder was observed. Widespread non-destructive testing method can describe the changes of mechanical properties due to influence of external load e.g. high temperature at the level of 1000 °C. The tensile strength and compressive strength were investigated on specimens 40 x 40 x 160 mm. Before these destructive tests dynamic modulus of elasticity and tentative compressive strength were provided.
Inhomogeneous Deformation in Compression – Comparison of Two Bulk‐Metallic Glasses

The mechanical behavior of the work-hardening Cu(47.5)Zr(47.5)Al(5) bulk-metallic glass in compression was investigated and compared with that of Zr(55)Ni(5)Al(10)Cu(30) bulk-metallic glass. Two glassy alloys exhibit substantially different plastic-flow behaviors and shear-band patterns. Cu(47.5)Zr(47.5)Al(5) displays much smaller inhomogeneity of the plastic deformation both in time and in space than Zr(55)Ni(5)Al(10)Cu(30). The work-hardening capability of Cu(47.5)Zr(47.5)Al(5) may originate from deformation-induced nanocrystallization that may strengthen effectively a shear band.
Using Operating System Instrumentation and Event Logging to Support User-level Multiprocessor Schedulers

This work presents a novel approach to support multiprocessor scheduling at userlevel. We propose to use system instrumentation and event logging to obtain runtime information relevant for scheduling, from different system sources such as the hardware, operating system components, or application programs. We instrument the system components with event log handlers that record scheduling data in designated log files held in memory. The user-level scheduler can analyze and evaluate these log files to base its processor allocation policies on. Our approach allows for flexible, efficient, and scalable accumulation of scheduler-relevant run-time characteristics; it was designed to be applicable both to user-level components, and to the safety-critical operating system kernel. To demonstrate our approach, we have developed a prototype logging infrastructure within a real-world, microkernel-based, component operating system. We successfully extract several run-time scheduling characteristics from different components, including timing properties and communication patterns from the microkernel, and shared-memory usage from a user-level device driver subsystem. Measurements indicate an undramatic overhead for logging, with baseline logging costs between about 26 and 275 clock cycles on an Intel 2.2 GHz Xeon Processor, and application-level overhead on driver throughput of about 3.8 percent for logging kernel-based communication, and about 10.5 percent for logging shared memory usage.
ABUNDANCE OF SPIDERS AND INSECT PREDATORS ON GRAPES IN CENTRAL CALIFORNIA

We compared the abundance of spiders and predaceous insects in five central California vineyards. Spiders constituted 98.1% of all predators collected. More than 90% of all spiders collected were from eight species of spiders, representing six families. Two theridiids ( Theridion dilutum and T. melanurum) were the most abundant, followed by a miturgid (Cheiracanthium inclusum ) and an agelinid (Hololena nedra). Predaceous insects comprised 1.6% of all predators collected, and were represented by six genera in five families. Nabis americoferis (Heteroptera, Nabidae) was the most common predaceous insect, with its densities highest late in the growing season. Chrysoperla carnea, Chrysoperla comanche and Chrysopa oculata(Neuroptera, Chrysopidae) and Hippodamia convergens(Coleoptera, Coccinellidae) were most abundant early in the season. The dominance of spiders may be due to their more stable position in the vineyard predator community compared to predaceous insects. We also suggest that the low per- centage of predaceous insects (e.g., lacewings) may reflect the lack of preferred prey (e.g., aphids) on grapevines.
The Analysis of Complex Motion Patterns by Form/Cue Invariant MSTd Neurons

Several groups have proposed that area MSTd of the macaque monkey has a role in processing optical flow information used in the analysis of self motion, based on its neurons’ selectivity for large-field motion patterns such as expansion, contraction, and rotation. It has also been suggested that this cortical region may be important in analyzing the complex motions of objects. More generally, MSTd could be involved in the generic function of complex motion pattern representation, with its cells responsible for integrating local motion signals sent forward from area MT into a more unified representation. If MSTd is extracting generic motion pattern signals, it would be important that the preferred tuning of MSTd neurons not depend on the particular features and cues that allow these motions to be represented. To test this idea, we examined the diversity of stimulus features and cues over which MSTd cells can extract information about motion patterns such as expansion, contraction, rotation, and spirals. The different classes of stimuli included: coherently moving random dot patterns, solid squares, outlines of squares, a square aperture moving in front of an underlying stationary pattern of random dots, a square composed entirely of flicker, and a square of nonFourier motion. When a unit was tuned with respect to motion patterns across these stimulus classes, the motion pattern producing the most vigorous response in a neuron was nearly the same for each class. Although preferred tuning was invariant, the magnitude and width of the tuning curves often varied between classes. Thus, MSTd is form/cue invariant for complex motions, making it an appropriate candidate for analysis of object motion as well as motion introduced by observer translation.
A DNA Barcoding Approach to Characterize Pollen Collected by Honeybees

In the present study, we investigated DNA barcoding effectiveness to characterize honeybee pollen pellets, a food supplement largely used for human nutrition due to its therapeutic properties. We collected pollen pellets using modified beehives placed in three zones within an alpine protected area (Grigna Settentrionale Regional Park, Italy). A DNA barcoding reference database, including rbcL and trnH-psbA sequences from 693 plant species (104 sequenced in this study) was assembled. The database was used to identify pollen collected from the hives. Fifty-two plant species were identified at the molecular level. Results suggested rbcL alone could not distinguish among congeneric plants; however, psbA-trnH identified most of the pollen samples at the species level. Substantial variability in pollen composition was observed between the highest elevation locality (Alpe Moconodeno), characterized by arid grasslands and a rocky substrate, and the other two sites (Cornisella and Ortanella) at lower altitudes. Pollen from Ortanella and Cornisella showed the presence of typical deciduous forest species; however in samples collected at Ortanella, pollen of the invasive Lonicera japonica, and the ornamental Pelargonium x hortorum were observed. Our results indicated pollen composition was largely influenced by floristic local biodiversity, plant phenology, and the presence of alien flowering species. Therefore, pollen molecular characterization based on DNA barcoding might serve useful to beekeepers in obtaining honeybee products with specific nutritional or therapeutic characteristics desired by food market demands.
Combustion Characteristics and Synergistic Effect of Halogen-Free Flame-Retarded EVA/Hydrotalcite Blends with Expandable Graphite and Fumed Silica

The synergistic effect of hydrotalcite with EG and fumed silica in halogen-free, flame-retardant EVA blends have been studied by limiting oxygen index (LOI), UL-94 test, cone calorimeter test (CCT), and TGA. The EG is a very effective synergist in raising LOI and reducing the heat release rate (HRR) and SEA of the blends. The UL 94 tests show that samples with 2–15 wt% EG can exceed the V-0 rate. The CCT data show that 15 wt% higher expansible ratio EG shows maximum decreases for the pk-HRR and av-SEA values of the EVA/hydrotalcite blends. The fumed silica have no obvious synergistic effects with hydrotalcite.
Cancer Incidence Among Danish Workers Exposed to Trichloroethylene

Human evidence regarding the carcinogenicity of the animal carcinogen trichloroethylene (TCE) is limited. We evaluated cancer occurrence among 803 Danish workers exposed to TCE, using historical files of individual air and urinary measurements of TCE-exposure. The standardized incidence ratio (SIR) for cancer overall was close to unity for both men and women who were exposed to TCE. Men had significantly elevated SIRs for non–Hodgkin’s lymphoma (SIR = 3.5;n = 8) and cancer of the esophagus (SIR = 4.2;n = 6). Among women, the SIR for cervical cancer was significantly increased (SIR = 3.8;n = 4). No clear dose-response relationship appeared for any of these cancers. We found no increased risk for kidney cancer. In summary, we found no overall increase in cancer risk among TCE-exposed workers in Denmark. For those cancer sites where excesses were noted, the small numbers of observed cases and the lack of dose-related effects hinder etiological conclusions.
Distinct Pattern of Commensal Gut Microbiota in Toddlers with Eczema

Background: Recent studies have demonstrated differences in the composition of gut microbiota in infants with and without allergic diseases, particularly eczema. Methods: A case-control study involving 21 toddlers (age 3.0 ± 0.5 years) with and 28 age-matched toddlers without eczema was conducted. Four groups of aerobic gut microbiota were identified and quantitated in stool samples grown on selective media. Three groups of anaerobes were enumerated by fluorescent in situ hybridization followed by quantitative flow cytometry. We also performed molecular typing of lactic-acid-producing bacteria (LAB) and enterococcal isolates to facilitate detailed analysis at species level by bacterial 16S rDNA sequencing. Results: Toddlers with eczema harbored significantly lower counts of Bifidobacterium [(median 0.14 (25th and 75th percentile: 0.04 and 0.47) vs. 0.71% (0.16, 1.79) of cells acquired, p = 0.003)] and Clostridium [(0.28 (0.09, 0.78) vs. 0.83% (0.35, 1.82) of cells acquired, p = 0.012)] but significantly higher counts of total LAB [7.3 (6.1, 8.5) vs. 5.7 (4.4, 7.3) log CFU/g, p = 0.006] in particular enterococci [6.3 (4.8, 7.4) vs. 5.0 (3.4, 6.4) log CFU/g, p = 0.018]. There was no significant correlation between eczema severity score and bifidobacterial counts. Conclusion: The results further confirm previous reports that the gut microecosystem differs between children with and without eczema and extend them beyond infancy.
Towards optimizing global mincut partitioning

Mincut algorithms have received much attention in the past for treating the placement problem in layout synthesis. The paper introduces a new class of mincut partitioning algorithms (SQP) meeting global minimization requirements. The new class of algorithms in its different variations is empirically compared with the classical mincut procedures as well as with recent extensions. The new algorithms have shown a significant (10 to 40%) improvement in the overall netlength compared with known algorithms. Moreover, the new class of algorithms is proved to have a linear time complexity. <<ETX>>
Effect of Thermal Fatigue Property of Hot Strip Mill Work Roll Materials on the Rolled-in Defects in the Ultra-low Carbon Steel Strips

This work was carried out to prevent the rolled-in defects originated from the roll surface deterioration through the investigation of the effect of the thermal fatigue property of hot strip mill work roll materials on the roll surface deterioration and subsequent surface defects in the cold-rolled ultra-low carbon steel strips. The thermal fatigue property was estimated by conducting the thermal fatigue test for an existing nickel-grain iron and a candidate high speed steel in the temperature range of 200 to 600°C, and its result was interpreted on the base of the microstructures, the mechanical and physical properties of the roll materials. It was found that the high speed steel had much better thermal fatigue property than the nickel-grain iron, which was attributed to a lower carbide content, a higher tensile and compressive strength and a higher thermal conductivity. And then, the effect of the roll materials on the rolled-in defects in the ultra-low car-bon steels was investigated by inspecting the work roll surface deterioration in actual hot strip mill and subsequent surface defects in cold-rolled strips. The high speed steel roll with an excellent thermal fatigue property showed much higher resistance against roll surface deterioration than the nickel-grain iron roll, which led to prevention of the surface defects in the cold-rolled ultra-low carbon steel strips.
Antipsychotics use in children and adolescents: An on-going challenge in clinical practice

Antipsychotic medications (APs) are a well-established pharmacological treatment in adults with serious mental health problems. However, many adult mental health disorders have their origins and onset in childhood or adolescence. The understanding that neuropsychiatric conditions of childhood are in part biologically determined, led to an increase in the number of clinical trials supporting evidence on the efficacy of antipsychotic agents as first-line treatment for childhood psychotic disorders and therapeutic augmentation of nonpsychotic conditions. In recent years the use of antipsychotics in children and adolescents for neurodevelopmental, behavioural and psychiatric disorders has significantly increased while the age of prescription has decreased. These trends have not been matched by advances in the understanding of APs’ safety profile in this group of patients. It is therefore crucial that current and future practice is informed by up-to-date synthesis of the evidence and clinical guidelines about the use and monitoring of these treatments in paediatric populations, since the effectiveness of early therapeutic interventions in children can affect positively the long-term outcome.
Respiratory symptoms and undiagnosed airflow obstruction in middle-aged adults: the Korean Health and Genome Study.

BACKGROUND The prevalence of undiagnosed airflow obstruction is difficult to measure since it requires screening in population-based samples to identify individuals free of clinical symptoms. The purpose of this report is to examine the prevalence of undiagnosed airflow obstruction and its relation with respiratory symptoms in middle-age adults in the Korean Health and Genome (KHG) Study. METHODS The KHG study is an ongoing population-based study of Korean adults aged 40 to 69 years. The current report includes 8,140 men and women without a pulmonary disorder or obstructive lung disease. In this sample, undiagnosed airflow obstruction was defined on the basis of spirometric testing and in the absence of a medical history or a recognized pulmonary disorder. Respiratory symptoms included chronic cough, chronic phlegm, wheezing, and shortness of breath. RESULTS Undiagnosed airflow obstruction was observed in 12.4% of the men (470 of 3,806 subjects) and in 3.5% of the women (152 of 4,334 subjects). In men, the age-adjusted prevalence of undiagnosed airflow obstruction increased consistently with increasing number of respiratory symptoms. In those who smoked, there was a 2.3-fold excess in its prevalence when three or more symptoms were present, as compared to when they were absent (27.4% vs 12.0%, p < 0.001). A 2.4-fold excess (20.6% vs 8.5%, p = 0.004) was observed in nonsmoking men, in whom respiratory symptoms were consistently less common than in those who smoked. Respiratory symptoms were unrelated to undiagnosed airflow obstruction in women smokers, although only 3.9% smoked cigarettes. In women who were nonsmokers, the prevalence of undiagnosed airflow obstruction increased from 2.3% in those without a respiratory symptom to 6.0% when three or more symptoms were present (p = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS Findings suggest that undiagnosed airflow obstruction is common in Korea with several respiratory symptoms. Whether respiratory symptoms with associations with undiagnosed airflow obstruction can be used to design early intervention strategies that prevent or delay the onset of COPD and its disabling consequences warrants further study.
SynGrasp: A MATLAB Toolbox for Underactuated and Compliant Hands

SynGrasp is a MATLAB toolbox for grasp analysis of fully or underactuated robotic hands with compliance. Compliance can be modeled at contact points in the joints or in the actuation system, including transmission. It is possible to use a graphical user interface (GUI) or directly assemble and modify the available functions to exploit all of the toolbox features. Grasps can be described either using the provided grasp planner or by directly defining contact points on the hand with the respective contact normal directions. Several analysis functions have been developed to investigate the main grasp properties: 1) controllable forces and object displacement, 2) manipulability analysis, and 3) grasp stiffness and quality measures. The functions for the graphical representation of the hand and object as well as the main analysis results are provided. The toolbox is freely available at http://syngrasp.dii. unisi.it.
The quest for information retrieval on the semantic web

Semantic search has been one of the motivations of the Semantic Web since it was envisioned. We propose a model for the exploitation of ontology-based KBs to improve search over large document repositories. The retrieval model is based on an adaptation of the classic vector-space model, including an annotation weighting algorithm, and a ranking algorithm. Semantic search is combined with keyword-based search to achieve tolerance to KB incompleteness. Our proposal has been tested on corpora of significant size, showing promising results with respect to keyword-based search, and providing ground for further analysis and research.