Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
EspA, an Orphan Hybrid Histidine Protein Kinase, Regulates the Timing of Expression of Key Developmental Proteins of Myxococcus xanthus

ABSTRACT Myxococcus xanthus undergoes a complex starvation-induced developmental program that results in cells forming multicellular fruiting bodies by aggregating into mounds and then differentiating into spores. This developmental program requires at least 72 h and is mediated by a temporal cascade of gene regulators in response to intra- and extracellular signals. espA mutants, encoding an orphan hybrid histidine kinase, alter the timing of this developmental program, greatly accelerating developmental progression. Here, we characterized EspA and demonstrated that it autophosphorylates in vitro on the conserved histidine residue and then transfers the phosphoryl group to the conserved aspartate residue in the associated receiver domain. The conserved histidine and aspartate residues were both required for EspA function in vivo. Analysis of developmental gene expression and protein accumulation in espA mutants indicated that the expression of the A-signal-dependent spi gene was not affected but that the MrpC transcriptional regulator accumulated earlier, resulting in earlier expression of its target, the FruA transcriptional regulator. Early expression of FruA correlated with acceleration of both the aggregation and sporulation branches of the developmental program, as monitored by early methylation of the FrzCD chemosensory receptor and early expression of the sporulation-specific dev and Mxan_3227 (Ω7536) genes. These results show that EspA plays a key role in the timing of expression of genes necessary for progression of cells through the developmental program.
Handbook of neuropsychological assessment : a biopsychosocial perspective

Constitutional and Demographic Factors: Perinatal E.K. Emory, et al. Childhood M.J. Cohen et al. Adult Development and Aging A. La Rue. Sex and Gender J.R. Matthews. Handedness and Lateralization P. Henninger. Socio-educational A. Ardilla, et al. Bilingualism S. Dupont, et al. Psychopathological Factors: Anxiety Disorders S.M. Orsillo, R.J. McCaffrey. Depressive Disorders P.J. Newman, J.J. Sweet. Schizophrenic Disorders E. Walker, et al. Pseudoneurological and Psychosomatic Disorders A.M. Horton. Deception and Malingering L. Binder. Biological and Environmental Factors: Pathology of the Peripheral Nervous System E. Delay, W. Isaac. Cardiovascular and Somatic Disorders T.S. Lorig. Neurosurgical Interventions B.P. Uzzell. Psychoactive Drugs in the Psychotic and Affective Disorders A. Medalia, J. Gold. Neuropsychological Toxicology D.E. Hartman. Summary and Conclusions R.J. McCaffrey, A.E. Puente. Index.
World modeling and position estimation for a mobile robot using ultrasonic ranging

The author describes a system for dynamically maintaining a description of the limits to free space for a mobile robot using a belt of ultrasonic range sensors. A model is presented for the uncertainty inherent in such sensors, and the projection of range measurements into external Cartesian coordinates is described. Line segments are then expressed by a set of parameters represented by an estimate and a precision. A process is presented for extracting line segments from adjacent collinear range measurements, and a fast algorithm is presented for matching these line segments to a model of the limits to free space of the robot. A side effect of matching observations to a local model is a correction to the estimated position of the robot at the time that the observation was made. A Kalman filter update equation is developed to permit the correspondence of a line segment to the model to be applied as a correction to estimated position. Examples of segment extraction, position correction and modeling are presented using real ultrasonic data. <<ETX>>
First-class state change in plaid

Objects model the world, and state is fundamental to a faithful modeling. Engineers use state machines to understand and reason about state transitions, but programming languages provide little support for building software based on state abstractions. We propose Plaid, a language in which objects are modeled not just in terms of classes, but in terms of changing abstract states. Each state may have its own representation, as well as methods that may transition the object into a new state. A formal model precisely defines the semantics of core Plaid constructs such as state transition and trait-like state composition. We evaluate Plaid through a series of examples taken from the Plaid compiler and the standard libraries of Smalltalk and Java. These examples show how Plaid can more closely model state-based designs, enhancing understandability, enhancing dynamic error checking, and providing reuse benefits.
Classification and epidemiology of orbital fractures diagnosed by computed tomography

Purpose. To characterize cases of orbital fractures diagnosed by computed tomography (CT) during a time period of one year at our Imaging Department. Materials and Methods. A cross-sectional descriptive study was performed. All cases of orbital fracture diagnosed during a period of one year (from June 2011 to June 2012) were identified. The analyzed variables were: patient age and sex, mechanism of fracture production, fracture location, and need for surgical management. EpiDat 3.1 was used for the data statistics processing. Results. Orbital fractures were diagnosed in 25 of the 167 patients who underwent orbital computed tomography during that period: 5 female (20%) and 20 male (80%). The mean age of the injured patients was 31 years (range 1 to 63 years). The fracture mechanisms were: falls (32%), physical aggression (44%), car accidents (8%), and other causes (16%). Fifteen cases (60%) required surgical management. As regards fracture distribution, 10 of them (40%) were isolated (just one orbital wall involved), while 15 (60%) were combined (2 or more orbital walls involved). Right orbital fractures were found in 11 cases (44%), while left and bilateral fracture locations were detected in 12 (48%) and 2 cases (8%), respectively. Conclusion. The most common types of isolated orbital fractures found in our study were those of the orbital floor and the medial orbital wall, which could be associated with their known anatomical weakness. Mean age and gender distribution of lesions were consistent with those reported by other studies.
Stages of Phonological Acquisition andError-Selective Learning

This paper presents an error-driven model of Optimality-Theoretic acquisition, called ErrorSelective Learning, which is both restrictive and gradual. It is restrictive in that it chooses grammars that can generate observed outputs but as few others as possible, using a version of Biased Constraint Demotion (BCD: Prince and Tesar, 2004). It is gradual, unlike a pure BCD learner, in that it requires numerous errors of the same kind to learn a new grammar. Together, these two properties provide a model that can derive many observed intermediate stages in phonological development, while still explaining how learners eventually converge on the target grammar. In this paper, I present evidence of two intermediate stages that are frequently observed in L1 acquisition (§2), and demonstrate how both can be captured with rankings that sit between the initial and final stages with respect to the position of their Markedness constraints. Section 3 introduces the notion of learning grammars from errors via the BCD algorithm, and shows how BCD learns too fast and efficiently to derive intermediate stages. I then introduce Error-Selective learning (§4), showing how this learner chooses the errors it learns from, and demonstrating how its choice of errors derives the attested intermediate stages. Section 5 provides some brief discussion, and section 6 concludes.
Doing Collective Biography: Investigating the production of subjectivity

'At last a book that not only describes what collective biography is but also explains how to use it! The book describes how to set up collective biography workshops in which participants examine how discursive structures and power relations have both enabled and limited the conditions of possibility for their lived experience. Focusing on a more complicated reflexivity than is usually described in social science research, collective biography, inspired by Frigga Haug and refined by Davies, will no doubt be used increasingly by researchers interested in the production of subjects in a postmodern world' - Elizabeth Adams St. Pierre, University of Georgia, USA. This book introduces the reader to collective biography, an innovative research methodology for use in education and the social sciences. The methodology of collective biography overcomes the theory/practice divide, by putting theory to use in everyday life, and using everyday life to understand and to extend theory. " Doing Collective Biography" provides guidelines for developing a collective biography project and demonstrates how these guidelines emerged from and were shaped by projects on such topics as subjectivity, power, agency, reflexivity, literacy, gender, and neoliberalism at work. Each chapter gives a detailed example of collective biography in practice, showing how a group of students and/or scholars can work collaboratively to investigate aspects of the production of subjectivity, and clearly demonstrates how poststructural theory can be elaborated and refracted through the experiences of ordinary everyday life. This is key reading for undergraduate and postgraduate students on Education and social science courses with a research element, as well as for academics and professionals undertaking research projects.
Effects of a novel ascorbate-based protocol on infarct size and ventricle function in acute myocardial infarction patients undergoing percutaneous coronary angioplasty

Introduction This study was designed to test the hypothesis that high-dose ascorbate prior to reperfusion followed by low chronic oral doses ameliorate myocardial reperfusion injury (MRI) in acute myocardial infarction patients subjected to primary percutaneous coronary angioplasty (PCA). Material and methods A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled and multicenter clinical trial was performed on acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients who underwent PCA. Sodium ascorbate (320 mmol/l, n = 53) or placebo (n = 46) was infused 30 min prior to PCA. Blood samples were drawn at enrolment (M1), after balloon deflation (M2), 6–8 h after M2 (M3) and at discharge (M4). Total antioxidant capacity of plasma (ferric reducing ability of plasma – FRAP), erythrocyte reduced glutathione (GSH) and plasma ascorbate levels were determined in blood samples. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) was performed at 7–15 days and 2–3 months following PCA. Ninety-nine patients were enrolled. In 67 patients, the first CMR was performed, and 40 patients completed follow-up. Results The ascorbate group showed significantly higher ascorbate and FRAP levels and a decrease in the GSH levels at M2 and M3 (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences in the infarct size, indexed end-systolic volume and ejection fraction at both CMRs. There was a significant amelioration in the decreased ejection fraction between the first and second CMR in the ascorbate group (p < 0.05). Conclusions Ascorbate given prior to reperfusion did not show a significant difference in infarct size or ejection fraction. However, it improved the change in ejection fraction determined between 7–15 days and 2–3 months. This result hints at a possible functional effect of ascorbate to ameliorate MRI.
Periodic limb movement disorder of sleep in children

To characterize periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD) in a cohort of prepubertal children we examined sleep‐related identifiable differences between children with PLMD and attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), PLMD alone, and age‐matched controls. Children were selected from a chart review of all children referred to a pediatric sleep medicine center and from a community survey of 5–7‐year‐old‐children. Polysomnography (PSG) and parental report data from all children identified as having periodic limb movement index (PLMI) >5 were reviewed and compared with a cohort of age‐matched controls. A total of 8.4% of children in the clinic‐referred sample, and 11.9% of the children recruited from the community had PLMI >5. Of those, 44.4% were identified as having ADHD. Children with PLMD had significantly lower percentage of rapid eye movement (REM) than control children (P < 0.001). Children in the PLMD/ADHD group had a significantly greater number of arousals associated with PLM (PLMa) than children with PLMD only (P < 0.05). While a relationship between ADHD and PLMD was observed, it was weaker than previous reports (Chervin, R. D. et al. Sleep, 2002; 25: 213; Chervin, R. D. and Archbold, K. H. Sleep, 2001; 24: 313; Picchietti et al. J. Child Neurol., 1999; 13: 588; Picchietti et al. Mov. Disord., 1999; 14: 1000; Picchietti and Walters Sleep, 1999; 22: 297). Children in the PLMD/ADHD group were more likely to have PLMas than were children with PLMD only. We postulate that rather than a direct relationship between ADHD and PLMD, this link may be mediated by the presence of reduced REM sleep and more importantly by the sleep fragmentation associated with PLM‐induced arousals.
A Herpes Simplex Virus 2 Glycoprotein D Mutant Generated by Bacterial Artificial Chromosome Mutagenesis Is Severely Impaired for Infecting Neuronal Cells and Infects Only Vero Cells Expressing Exogenous HVEM

ABSTRACT We constructed a herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2) bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clone, bHSV2-BAC38, which contains full-length HSV-2 inserted into a BAC vector. Unlike previously reported HSV-2 BAC clones, the virus genome inserted into this BAC clone has no known gene disruptions. Virus derived from the BAC clone had a wild-type phenotype for growth in vitro and for acute infection, latency, and reactivation in mice. HVEM, expressed on epithelial cells and lymphocytes, and nectin-1, expressed on neurons and epithelial cells, are the two principal receptors used by HSV to enter cells. We used the HSV-2 BAC clone to construct an HSV-2 glycoprotein D mutant (HSV2-gD27) with point mutations in amino acids 215, 222, and 223, which are critical for the interaction of gD with nectin-1. HSV2-gD27 infected cells expressing HVEM, including a human epithelial cell line. However, the virus lost the ability to infect cells expressing only nectin-1, including neuronal cell lines, and did not infect ganglia in mice. Surprisingly, we found that HSV2-gD27 could not infect Vero cells unless we transduced the cells with a retrovirus expressing HVEM. High-level expression of HVEM in Vero cells also resulted in increased syncytia and enhanced cell-to-cell spread in cells infected with wild-type HSV-2. The inability of the HSV2-gD27 mutant to infect neuronal cells in vitro or sensory ganglia in mice after intramuscular inoculation suggests that this HSV-2 mutant might be an attractive candidate for a live attenuated HSV-2 vaccine.
Diagnostic Delay in Pediatric Cancer in Enugu, Nigeria: A Prospective Study

Childhood cancer is a leading cause of childhood mortality in developed countries though ranks lower than infections in developing countries. Most patients with malignancies present late to hospital with consequent adverse outcome. Early diagnosis, therefore, is an important requirement in pediatric oncology as delayed diagnosis is associated with poor prognosis and huge economic cost. The study aims to identify factors associated with delay in the diagnosis of childhood cancer at University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu.Children aged 0–17 years with admitting diagnosis of cancer which was histologically confirmed were reviewed prospectively over a 3-year period. An interviewer structured questionnaire was administered to patients or parents/caregivers to obtain information on patients’ biodata, their symptoms as well as visit to health professionals or alternative health care providers before presentation at this hospital.Ninety patients were confirmed to have cancer. Overall median lag time (LT) was 15.7 weeks. Major contributors to delay were parents and the type of cancer patients presented with. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) had the shortest median LT of 4.2 weeks while Hodgkin's disease had the longest median LT of 53.6 weeks (p = 0.01, Mann-Whitney test, 2-tailed). The median parent's delay was 12.3 weeks and health system delay was 3.6 weeks showing a significant difference in the two categories of delay (p < 0.0001, Mann-Whitney test, 2-tailed). The median treatment delay was 5 days.Public awareness and health system reform is imperative in reducing the delay in diagnosis of childhood cancer in our environment.
The cytotoxic evaluation of mineral trioxide aggregate and bioaggregate in the subcutaneous connective tissue of rats

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare the cytotoxic effects of ProRoot MTA and DiaRoot BA, a bioceramic nanoparticulate cement, on subcutaneous rat tissue. Study Design: Fifty Sprouge Dawley rats were used in this study. Polyethylene tubes filled with ProRoot MTA and DiaRoot BioAggregate, along with a control group of empty, were implanted into dorsal connective tissue of rats for 7, 15, 30, 60, and 90 days. After estimated time intervals the rats were sacrificed. The specimens were fixed, stained with hematoxylin and eosin, and then evaluated under a light microscope for inflammatory reactions and mineralization. Results: All groups evoked a severe to moderate chronic inflammatory reaction at 7 and 15 days, which decreased with time. Both the MTA and BioAggregate groups showed similar inflammatory reactions, except at 90 days when MTA showed statistically significant greater inflammation (p>0.05). The MTA group showed foreign body reaction at all times. Compared to BioAggregate, MTA showed significantly more foreign body reaction at 60 and 90 days (p<0.0001). After 30 days foreign body reaction of BioAggregate decreased significantly. Both MTA and BioAggregate groups showed similar necrosis at 7 and 15 days (p=0.094 and p=0.186 respectively). No necrosis was observed after 15 days. Similarly there was no fibrosis after 30 days for both MTA and BioAggregate groups (p>0.05). Conclusions: Since DiaRoot BioAggregate showed significantly better results than MTA, we can conclude that it is more biocompatible. However, further studies are required to confirm this result. Key words:Biocompatibility, mineral trioxide aggregate, bioAggregate.
Accumulation of hedgehog-responsive progenitors parallels alcoholic liver disease severity in mice and humans.

BACKGROUND & AIMS Improving outcomes in alcoholic liver disease (ALD) necessitates better understanding of how habitual ethanol (EtOH) consumption alters normal regenerative mechanisms within the liver. Hedgehog (Hh) pathway activation promotes expansion of progenitor populations in other tissues. We evaluated the hypothesis that chronic EtOH exposure activates Hh signaling in liver. METHODS Hh signaling, liver progenitors, transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta induction, and liver damage were compared in mice fed chow, high-fat diets (HF), or HF + EtOH for 4 weeks. Susceptibility to TGF-beta-mediated apoptosis was compared in Hh-responsive liver cells (eg, immature cholangiocytes and oval cells) and mature hepatocytes (which are unresponsive to Hh). Hepatic accumulation of Hh-responsive cells were compared in controls and ALD patients and correlated with a discriminant function (DF) that predicts subacute mortality. RESULTS Hh signaling and numbers of Hh-responsive cells were increased in HF mice and greatest in HF+EtOH mice. In both, progenitor and stromal cell populations harbored Hh-responsive cells. More ductular-type progenitors and fibrosis markers were noted in HF+EtOH mice than in HF mice. The former also expressed more TGF-beta-1. TGF-beta-1 treatment selectively promoted the viability of Hh-responsive immature liver cells and caused mature hepatocytes that survived to produce Hh ligands. Hh-responsive cells were increased in ALD patients. Lobular accumulation of Hh-responsive immature ductular cells was greater in those with a DF >32 than those with a DF <32. CONCLUSIONS Hh signaling is increased in ALD and may influence ALD outcomes by promoting hepatic accumulation of immature ductular cells.
Extinction probability in a birth-death process with killing

We study birth-death processes on the non-negative integers where $\{1,2,\ldots\}$ is an irreducible class and $0$ an absorbing state, with the additional feature that a transition to state $0$ may occur from any state. We give a condition for absorption (extinction) to be certain and obtain the eventual absorption probabilities when absorption is not certain. We also study the rate of convergence as $t\to\infty$ of the probability of absorption at time $t$, and relate it to the common rate of convergence of the transition probabilities which do not involve state $0$. Finally, we derive upper and lower bounds for the probability of absorption at time $t$ by applying a technique which involves the logarithmic norm of an appropriately defined operator.
Exact Conservation Laws of the Gradient Expanded Kadanoff–Baym Equations

Abstract It is shown that the Kadanoff-Baym equations at consistent first-order gradient approximation reveal exact rather than approximate conservation laws related to global symmetries of the system. The conserved currents and energy–momentum tensor coincide with corresponding Noether quantities in the local approximation. These exact conservations are valid, provided a Φ derivable approximation is used to describe the system, and possible memory effects in the collision term are also consistently evaluated up to first-order gradients.
Residual Prolapse in Patients with III-IV Degree Haemorrhoids Undergoing Stapled Haemorrhoidopexy with CPH34 HV: Results of an Italian Multicentric Clinical Study

CPH34 HV, a high volume stapler, was tested in order to assess its safety and efficacy in reducing residual/recurrent haemorrhoids. The clinical charts of 430 patients with third- to fourth-degree haemorrhoids undergoing SH in 2012-2013 were consecutively reviewed, excluding those with obstructed defecation (rectocele >2 cm; Wexner's score >15). Follow-up was scheduled at six and 12 months. Rectal prolapse exceeding more than half of CAD was reported in 341 patients (79.3%); one technical failure was reported (0.2%) without any serious untoward effect; and 1.3 stitch/patient (SD, 1.7) was required to achieve complete haemostasis. Doughnuts volume was higher (13.8 mL; SD, 1.5) in patients with a large rectal prolapse than with smaller one (8.9 mL; SD, 0.7) (P value <0.05). Residual and recurrent haemorrhoids occurred in 8 of 430 patients (1.8%) and 5 of 254 patients (1.9%), respectively. A high index of patient satisfaction (visual analogue scale = 8.9; SD, 0.9) coupled with a persistent reduction of constipation scores (CSS = 5.0, SD, 2.2) was observed. The wider prolapse resection well correlated with a clear-cut reduction of haemorrhoidal relapse, a high index of patient satisfaction, and clinically relevant reduction of constipations scores coupled with satisfactory haemostatic properties of CPH34 HV.