Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Proteus mirabilis mannose-resistant, Proteus-like fimbriae: MrpG is located at the fimbrial tip and is required for fimbrial assembly

The mannose-resistant, Proteus-like (MR/P) fimbria, responsible for mannose-resistant hemagglutination, is a virulence factor for uropathogenic Proteus mirabilis. Based on known fimbrial gene organization, we postulated that MrpG, a putative minor subunit of the MR/P fimbria, functions as an adhesin responsible for hemagglutination, while MrpA serves as the major structural subunit for the filamentous structure. To test this hypothesis, an mrpG mutant was constructed by allelic-exchange mutagenesis and verified by PCR and Southern blotting. The mrpG mutant was found to be negative for hemagglutination, while wild-type strain H14320 and the complemented mutant were positive. Western blots with antiserum raised against an overexpressed MrpG'-His6 fusion protein showed that MrpG was present in the fimbrial preparations of both the wild-type strain and the complemented mutant but absent in that of the mrpG mutant. The mrpG mutant was significantly less virulent in a CBA mouse model of ascending urinary tract infection. Western blots with antiserum to whole MR/P fimbriae showed that MrpA protein was also missing from the fimbrial preparation of the mrpG mutant. Using immunogold electron microscopy, we found that the normal MR/P-fimbrial structure was absent in the mrpG mutant, suggesting that MrpG is essential for initiation of normal fimbrial formation. In the wild-type strain, MrpG protein was localized to the tips of the fimbriae or at the surface of the cell when antiserum raised against overexpressed MrpG was used. Given the tip localization, MrpG may be required for initiation of assembly of MR/P fimbriae but does not appear to be the fimbrial adhesin.
The Role of Intact Frontostriatal Circuits in Error Processing

The basal ganglia have been suggested to play a key role in performance monitoring and resulting behavioral adjustments. It is assumed that the integration of prefrontal and motor corticostriatothalamocortical circuits provides contextual information to the motor anterior cingulate cortex regions to enable their function in performance monitoring. So far, direct evidence is missing, however. We addressed the involvement of frontostriatal circuits in performance monitoring by collecting event-related brain potentials (ERPs) and behavioral data in nine patients with focal basal ganglia lesions and seven patients with lateral prefrontal cortex lesions while they performed a flanker task. In both patient groups, the amplitude of the error-related negativity was reduced, diminishing the difference to the ERPs on correct responses. Despite these electrophysiological abnormalities, most of the patients were able to correct errors. Only in lateral prefrontal cortex patients whose lesions extended into the frontal white matter, disrupting the connections to the motor anterior cingulate cortex and the striatum, were error corrections severely impaired. In sum, the frontostriatothalamocortical circuits seem necessary for the generation of error-related negativity, even when brain plasticity has resulted in behavioral compensation of the damage. Thus, error-related ERPs in patients provide a sensitive measure of the integrity of the performance monitoring network.
Progressive restriction of otic fate: the role of FGF and Wnt in resolving inner ear potential

The development of the vertebrate inner ear is an emergent process. Its progression from a relatively simple disk of thickened epithelium within head ectoderm into a complex organ capable of sensing sound and balance is controlled by sequential molecular and cellular interactions. Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) and Wnt signals emanating from mesoderm and neural ectoderm have been shown to direct inner ear fate. However, the role of these multiple signals during inner ear induction is unclear. We demonstrate that the action of the FGFs and Wnts is sequential, and that their roles support a model of hierarchical fate decisions that progressively restrict the developmental potential of the ectoderm until otic commitment. We show that signalling by Fgf3 and Fgf19 is required to initiate a proliferative progenitor region that is a precursor to both the inner ear and the neurogenic epibranchial placodes. Significantly, we find that only after FGF action is attenuated can the subsequent action of Wnt signalling allow otic differentiation to proceed. In addition, gain and loss of function of Wnt-signalling components show a role for this signalling in repressing epibranchial fate. This interplay of signalling factors ensures the correct and ordered differentiation of both inner ear and epibranchial systems.
Comportamiento al corte de hormigones reforzado con fibras de acero

En este articulo se presentan los resultados de un estudio experimental a cerca de la influencia de la incorporacion de fibras de acero en el comportamiento del hormigon frente a esfuerzos de corte, medidos utilizando el ensayo JSCE - SF6, modificado. Usando los resultados de los ensayos realizados se evalua la capacidad de disipacion de energia del hormigon durante la rotura o tenacidad del hormigon reforzado con fibras en funcion del contenido y tipo de fibra utilizada. Con los resultados obtenidos, se puede concluir que la incorporacion de fibras como refuerzo al esfuerzo de corte aumenta la ductilidad del hormigon, permitiendo mayores deformaciones que un hormigon convencional. Se observa que la capacidad de absorber energia de los hormigones, cuantificada a traves de la tenacidad absoluta, se incrementa mas de tres veces cuando se incorporar fibras y no se tienen roturas fragiles. Por lo tanto, la incorporacion de fibras como refuerzo es una buena solucion para mejorar la respuesta del hormigon ante solicitaciones de corte. Por otra parte, se demuestra que el ensayo de corte propuesto por la recomendacion japonesa JSCE-SF6, levemente modificada, entrega resultados coherentes y reproducibles, permitiendo cuantificar diferentes propiedades del hormigon reforzado con fibras sometido a solicitaciones de corte. Rev. ing. constr. [online]. 2009, vol.24, n.1, pp. 74-94. ISSN 0718-5073. http://dx.doi. org/10.4067/S0718-50732009000100004
Antigen-43-Mediated Autoaggregation ofEscherichia coli Is Blocked by Fimbriation

ABSTRACT Antigen 43 (Ag43), the product of the flu gene, is a surface-displayed autotransporter protein of Escherichia coli. Ag43 is responsible for the autoaggregation and flocculation of static liquid cultures of many E. colistrains. The expression of Ag43 has been reported to be phase variable and controlled by the product of the oxyR gene. Type 1 fimbriae are thin adhesive thread-like surface organelles responsible for bacterial receptor recognition and tissue colonization. Like that of Ag43, the expression of type 1 fimbriae is phase variable. Interestingly, previous results have suggested that the expression of type 1 fimbriae and the expression of Ag43 are mutually exclusive. In the present report, we show, by use of well-defined mutants, that fimbriation abolishes Ag43-mediated autoaggregation but does not affect Ag43 expression. Autoaggregation is shown to require an intercellular Ag43-Ag43 interaction, and the physical presence of fimbriae on the cells seems to abrogate this interaction. The Ag43 or OxyR status does not appear to influence fimbria expression, and our results suggest that the expression of Ag43 and the expression of fimbriae are independent processes.
Vienna RNA secondary structure server

The Vienna RNA secondary structure server provides a web interface to the most frequently used functions of the Vienna RNA software package for the analysis of RNA secondary structures. It currently offers prediction of secondary structure from a single sequence, prediction of the consensus secondary structure for a set of aligned sequences and the design of sequences that will fold into a predefined structure. All three services can be accessed via the Vienna RNA web server at http://rna.tbi. univie.ac. at/.
Bmc Medical Informatics and Decision Making Design and Implementation of Grip: a Computerized Glucose Control System at a Surgical Intensive Care Unit

Background: Tight glucose control by intensive insulin therapy has become a key part of critical care and is an important field of study in acute coronary care. A balance has to be found between frequency of measurements and the risk of hypoglycemia. Current nurse-driven protocols are paper-based and, therefore, rely on simple rules. For safety and efficiency a computer decision support system that employs complex logic may be superior to paper protocols.
Oxcarbazepine: validation and application of an analytical method

Oxcarbazepine (OXC) is an important anticonvulsant and mood stabilizing drug. A pharmacopoeial monograph for OXC is not yet available and therefore the development and validation of a new analytical method for quantification of this drug is essential. In the present study, a UV spectrophotometric method for the determination of OXC was developed. The various parameters, such as linearity, precision, accuracy and specificity, were studied according to International Conference on Harmonization Guidelines. Batches of 150 mg OXC capsules were prepared and analyzed using the validated UV method. The formulations were also evaluated for parameters including drug-excipient compatibility, flowability, uniformity of weight, disintegration time, assay, uniformity of content and the amount of drug dissolved during the first hour.
Improved adequacy of endometrial tissue sampled from postmenopausal women using the MyoSure Lite hysteroscopic tissue removal system versus conventional curettage

Objective To compare the diagnostic suitability of endometrial tissues obtained from postmenopausal women using the MyoSure Lite tissue removal system versus conventional curettage. Materials and methods Endometrial tissue was sampled in hysteroscopically normal extirpated uteri from seven postmenopausal women (65.9±6.6 years old) using both hysteroscopicguided morcellation and curettage (two quadrants/uterus with each method). Endometrial sampling was performed immediately after hysterectomy for benign reasons unrelated to uterine pathology. Retrieved endometrial tissue samples were evaluated for volume and diagnostic suitability by a pathologist who was masked to the sampling technique used. Results Endometrial tissue sampling times were similar for morcellation (44±23 s) and curettage (47±38 s). Mean tissue volume retrieved with MyoSure (1,411±775 mm3) was significantly greater than with curettage (1±2 mm3; p=0.0004, two-tailed t-test), with larger intact tissue fragments retrieved with morcellation. Both specimen volume and quality obtained by MyoSure Lite were deemed to be significantly better for histologic assessment than the tissues obtained with curettage (p=0.0006 by Fisher’s exact test and p=0.0137 by chi-square test, respectively). With dilation and curettage, samples were frequently too scanty for evaluation. Diagnostic concurrence between MyoSure Lite/dilation and curettage samples and histopathology of full-thickness samples taken afterward was also significantly better with MyoSure Lite than with curettage (p=0.0210). Conclusion Endometrial tissue sampling using the minimally invasive MyoSure Lite hysteroscopic tissue removal system may provide larger volumes of higher-quality endometrial tissue specimens for pathology assessment compared to specimens obtained using conventional curettage, in postmenopausal women.
Crystal clear insights into how the dynein motor moves

Summary Dyneins are motor proteins that move along microtubules. They have many roles in the cell. They drive the beating of cilia and flagella, move cargos in the cytoplasm and function in the mitotic spindle. Dyneins are large and complex protein machines. Until recently, the way they move was poorly understood. In 2012, two high-resolution crystal structures of the >2500-amino-acid dynein motor domain were published. This Commentary will compare these structures and integrate the findings with other recent studies in order to suggest how dynein works. The dynein motor produces movement in a manner that is distinct from myosin and kinesin, the other cytoskeletal motors. Its powerstroke is produced by ATP-induced remodelling of a protein domain known as the linker. It binds to microtubules through a small domain at the tip of a long stalk. Dynein communicates with the microtubule-binding domain by an unconventional sliding movement of the helices in the stalk coiled-coil. Even the way the two motor domains in a dynein dimer walk processively along the microtubule is unusual.
A comparison of sequence and structure protein domain families as a basis for structural genomics

MOTIVATION Protein families can be defined based on structure or sequence similarity. We wanted to compare two protein family databases, one based on structural and one on sequence similarity, to investigate to what extent they overlap, the similarity in definition of corresponding families, and to create a list of large protein families with unknown structure as a resource for structural genomics. We also wanted to increase the sensitivity of fold assignment by exploiting protein family HMMs. RESULTS We compared Pfam, a protein family database based on sequence similarity, to Scop, which is based on structural similarity. We found that 70% of the Scop families exist in Pfam while 57% of the Pfam families exist in Scop. Most families that occur in both databases correspond well to each other, but in some cases they are different. Such cases highlight situations in which structure and sequence approaches differ significantly. The comparison enabled us to compile a list of the largest families that do not occur in Scop; these are suitable targets for structure prediction and determination, and may be useful to guide projects in structural genomics. It can be noted that 13 out of the 20 largest protein families without a known structure are likely transmembrane proteins. We also exploited Pfam to increase the sensitivity of detecting homologs of proteins with known structure, by comparing query sequences to Pfam HMMs that correspond to Scop families. For SWISSPROT+TREMBL, this yielded an increase in fold assignment from 31% to 42% compared to using FASTA only. This method assigned a structure to 22% of the proteins in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, 24% in Escherichia coli, and 16% in Methanococcus jannaschii.
Use of Outpatient Preoperative Evaluation to Decrease Length of Stay for Vascular Surgery

Interventions that decrease perioperative length of stay can result in considerable cost-savings. This study assesses the impact of same-day admission using outpatient preoperative evaluation on the lengths of stay and hospital costs for patients who underwent carotid endarterectomy (CEA) or lower extremity revascularization (LER). Patient characteristics and length of stay were compared for two 1-yr periods before and after outpatient preoperative evaluation had been implemented. There were no significant differences before and after the initiation of outpatient preoperative evaluation in the CEA and LER groups in mean age and ASA physical status distributions. The average preoperative length of stay decreased significantly from 7.0 to 1.9 days in the CEA group and from 9.0 to 2.8 days in the LER group. This reduction in the length of stay was associated with a cost-savings of $900 per patient and did not have an adverse effect on patient outcome. We conclude that outpatient preoperative evaluation clinics reduce the cost and length of stay in vascular surgery patients. Implications: We found that outpatient preoperative evaluation and same-day admission were associated with a decrease of 4.5 days in the preoperative length of stay for carotid endarterectomy and lower-extremity revascularization. This was not accompanied by increased mortality and led to hospital cost-savings of approximately $900 per patient. (Anesth Analg 1997;85:1307-11)
On the Weiss Conjecture for Analytic Semigroups

Let T(t) be an analytic semigroup with generator A on some Banach space. Le Merdy in [12] showed the validity of the so-called Weiss conjecture : C ∈ L(D(A), Y ) is an admissible observation operator if and only if {‖C(λI − A)−1‖ Reλ ≥ α for some α > 0} is a bounded set, is equivalent to the finite-time admissibility of the fractional power (−A)1/2 for A. The proof was essentially based on the H∞-functional calculus. Here, we give a new (and a much short) proof of this result and does not make any recourse to the H∞functional calculus. Next we show that the analyticity assumption of T(t) cannot be omitted. Finally we give a new proof for the Weiss Conjecture for analytic and normal semigroups on Hilbert spaces.
Effectiveness of programs for reducing the stigma associated with mental disorders. A meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials

The stigma associated with mental disorders is a global public health problem. Programs to combat it must be informed by the best available evidence. To this end, a meta‐analysis was undertaken to investigate the effectiveness of existing programs. A systematic search of PubMed, PsycINFO and Cochrane databases yielded 34 relevant papers, comprising 33 randomized controlled trials. Twenty‐seven papers (26 trials) contained data that could be incorporated into a quantitative analysis. Of these trials, 19 targeted personal stigma or social distance (6,318 participants), six addressed perceived stigma (3,042 participants) and three self‐stigma (238 participants). Interventions targeting personal stigma or social distance yielded small but significant reductions in stigma across all mental disorders combined (d=0.28, 95% CI: 0.17‐0.39, p<0.001) as well as for depression (d=0.36, 95% CI: 0.10‐0.60, p<0.01), psychosis (d=0.20, 95% CI: 0.06‐0.34, p<0.01) and generic mental illness (d=0.30, 95% CI: 0.10‐0.50, p<0.01). Educational interventions were effective in reducing personal stigma (d=0.33, 95% CI: 0.19‐0.42, p<0.001) as were interventions incorporating consumer contact (d=0.47, 95% CI: 0.17‐0.78, p<0.001), although there were insufficient studies to demonstrate an effect for consumer contact alone. Internet programs were at least as effective in reducing personal stigma as face‐to‐face delivery. There was no evidence that stigma interventions were effective in reducing perceived or self‐stigma. In conclusion, there is an evidence base to inform the roll out of programs for improving personal stigma among members of the community. However, there is a need to investigate methods for improving the effectiveness of these programs and to develop interventions that are effective in reducing perceived and internalized stigma.
In situ cardiac perfusion reveals interspecific variation of intraventricular flow separation in reptiles

ABSTRACT The ventricles of non-crocodilian reptiles are incompletely divided and provide an opportunity for mixing of oxygen-poor blood and oxygen-rich blood (intracardiac shunting). However, both cardiac morphology and in vivo shunting patterns exhibit considerable interspecific variation within reptiles. In the present study, we develop an in situ double-perfused heart approach to characterise the propensity and capacity for shunting in five reptile species: the turtle Trachemys scripta, the rock python Python sebae, the yellow anaconda Eunectes notaeus, the varanid lizard Varanus exanthematicus and the bearded dragon Pogona vitticeps. To simulate changes in vascular bed resistance, pulmonary and systemic afterloads were independently manipulated and changes in blood flow distribution amongst the central outflow tracts were monitored. As previously demonstrated in Burmese pythons, rock pythons and varanid lizards exhibited pronounced intraventricular flow separation. As pulmonary or systemic afterload was raised, flow in the respective circulation decreased. However, flow in the other circulation, where afterload was constant, remained stable. This correlates with the convergent evolution of intraventricular pressure separation and the large intraventricular muscular ridge, which compartmentalises the ventricle, in these species. Conversely, in the three other species, the pulmonary and systemic flows were strongly mutually dependent, such that the decrease in pulmonary flow in response to elevated pulmonary afterload resulted in redistribution of perfusate to the systemic circuit (and vice versa). Thus, in these species, the muscular ridge appeared labile and blood could readily transverse the intraventricular cava. We conclude that relatively minor structural differences between non-crocodilian reptiles result in the fundamental changes in cardiac function. Further, our study emphasises that functionally similar intracardiac flow separation evolved independently in lizards (varanids) and snakes (pythons) from an ancestor endowed with the capacity for large intracardiac shunts. Summary: Non-crocodilian reptiles have an undivided ventricle, but some (pythons, varanid lizards) robustly separate blood flow, whereas others (turtles, anacondas, bearded dragons) show a large capacity for cardiac shunting.
Inherited cancer syndromes and the thyroid: an update

Purpose of review Knowledge related to hereditary thyroid cancer syndromes has expanded enormously. This review identifies contributions that have changed approaches to diagnosis and broadened treatment options for patients with hereditary medullary and nonmedullary thyroid cancers related to multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 (MEN2), Cowden syndrome, and familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). Recent findings A new risk-stratification scheme based on type of RET gene mutation informs the age at which prophylactic thyroidectomy and diagnostic screening for MEN-associated endocrine diseases should occur. Two new US Food and Drug Administration-approved targeted medical therapies are now available for medullary thyroid cancer. There is better understanding of more aggressive clinical features and increased lifetime cancer risks for patients with well differentiated thyroid cancers as part of families with and without Cowden syndrome or FAP. This has led to a clearer appreciation for the role and timing of thyroid ultrasound screening in these populations. It has also informed the appropriate extent of thyroid surgery and the circumstances in which prophylactic thyroidectomy is reasonable to consider as part of hereditary syndromes other than MEN2. Summary Recognition and early diagnosis of these syndromes allows for comprehensive medical care and may improve thyroid cancer-related outcomes. Ultrasound-based screening programs to detect thyroid disease are advised for patients and family members with hereditary cancer syndromes.
The Contributing Factors to Divorced and Separated Mothers in Taiwan: A Test of the Economic Independence Hypothesis

This paper examines the contributing factors to the increase in the numbers of divorced and separated mothers in Taiwan since the end of 1980s. In particular, it tests the hypothesis of women's economic independence. Data from the Survey of Family Income and Expenditures is used; women's potential earnings are used as the measure of their economic independence. A probit model is employed to examine the effect of predicted earnings (economic independence) on the probability of being a divorced or separated mother. The findings indicate that the rapid increase in women's education substantially raises their economic independence, and the increase in women's economic independence and the decrease in the number of children contribute greatly to the increase in the numbers of divorced and separated mothers. These results suggest that economic independence not only enables women to be less dependent on marriage for economic security but also makes divorce and separation more affordable.