Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Targeted redox inhibition of protein phosphatase 1 by Nox4 regulates eIF2α‐mediated stress signaling

Phosphorylation of translation initiation factor 2α (eIF2α) attenuates global protein synthesis but enhances translation of activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4) and is a crucial evolutionarily conserved adaptive pathway during cellular stresses. The serine–threonine protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) deactivates this pathway whereas prolonging eIF2α phosphorylation enhances cell survival. Here, we show that the reactive oxygen species‐generating NADPH oxidase‐4 (Nox4) is induced downstream of ATF4, binds to a PP1‐targeting subunit GADD34 at the endoplasmic reticulum, and inhibits PP1 activity to increase eIF2α phosphorylation and ATF4 levels. Other PP1 targets distant from the endoplasmic reticulum are unaffected, indicating a spatially confined inhibition of the phosphatase. PP1 inhibition involves metal center oxidation rather than the thiol oxidation that underlies redox inhibition of protein tyrosine phosphatases. We show that this Nox4‐regulated pathway robustly enhances cell survival and has a physiologic role in heart ischemia–reperfusion and acute kidney injury. This work uncovers a novel redox signaling pathway, involving Nox4–GADD34 interaction and a targeted oxidative inactivation of the PP1 metal center, that sustains eIF2α phosphorylation to protect tissues under stress.
Screening of Different Probiotic Strains for Their In Vitro Ability to Metabolise Oxalates: Any Prospective Use in Humans?

Background: Oxalate is the salt-forming ion of oxalic acid and can generate oxalate salts combining with various cations, such as sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium. Approximately 75% of all kidney stones are composed primarily of calcium oxalate (CaOx) and hyperoxaluria, a condition involving high urinary oxalate concentration, is considered a primary risk factor for kidney stone formation, known as nephrolithiasis. Current therapeutic strategies often fail in their compliance or effectiveness, and CaOx stone recurrence is still common. After an initial stone, there is a 50% chance of forming a second stone within 7 years if the condition is left untreated. The potential therapeutic application of some probiotics, mainly lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, in reducing hyperoxaluria in vivo through intestinal oxalate degrading activity is compelling and initial reports are promising. This study was undertaken to screen different Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains for their capacity to degrade oxalate in vitro using reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Methods: The oxalate-degrading activity of 13 lactobacilli and 5 bifidobacteria was tested using a novel HPLC method after growth in a broth culture added with 10 mM ammonium oxalate. Experiments were repeated 3 times. Oxalobacter formigenes (DSM 4420) was used as positive reference to validate HPLC oxalate-degrading capability assays. Results: Lactobacillus strains were more efficient than bifidobacteria in degrading oxalates. L. paracasei LPC09 (DSM 24243) gave the best result, as 68.5% of ammonium oxalate was converted at the end of incubation, whereas the following best converters belong to the L. gasseri and L. acidophilus species. The relatively low conversion rate observed for most bifidobacteria can probably be attributed to intrinsic oxalate toxicity toward this genus. Conclusions: Humans lack the enzymes needed to directly metabolise oxalate, and this potentially toxic compound is, therefore, managed using alternative pathways. As oxalate-degrading bacteria are present in the endogenous microbiota of the human intestine, although with significant individual differences, it is possible to hypothesise that the administration of selected oxalate-degrading probiotics could be an alternative and innovative approach to reducing the intestinal absorption of oxalate and the resulting urinary excretion.
In vivo proton MRS to quantify anesthetic effects of pentobarbital on cerebral metabolism and brain activity in rat

To quantitatively investigate the effects of pentobarbital anesthesia on brain activity, brain metabolite concentrations and cerebral metabolic rate of glucose, in vivo proton MR spectra, and electroencephalography were measured in the rat brain with various doses of pentobarbital. The results show that (1) the resonances attributed to propylene glycol, a solvent in pentobarbital injection solution, can be robustly detected and quantified in the brain; (2) the concentration of most brain metabolites remained constant under the isoelectric state (silent electroencephalography) with a high dose of pentobarbital compared to mild isoflurane anesthesia condition, except for a reduction of 61% in the brain glucose level, which was associated with a 37% decrease in cerebral metabolic rate of glucose, suggesting a significant amount of “housekeeping” energy for maintaining brain cellular integrity under the isoelectric state; and (3) electroencephalography and cerebral metabolic activities were tightly coupled to the pentobarbital anesthesia depth and they can be indirectly quantified by the propylene glycol resonance signal at 1.13 ppm. This study indicates that in vivo proton MR spectroscopy can be used to measure changes in cerebral metabolite concentrations and cerebral metabolic rate of glucose under varied pentobarbital anesthesia states; moreover, the propylene glycol signal provides a sensitive biomarker for quantitatively monitoring these changes and anesthesia depth noninvasively. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Dissociation of Vegetative and Minimally Conscious Patients Based on Brain Operational Architectonics

Discrimination between patients in vegetative (VS) and minimally conscious state (MCS) is currently based upon the behavioral gold standard. Behavioral assessment remains equivocal and difficult to interpret as evidence for the presence or absence of consciousness, resulting in possible clinical misdiagnosis in such patients. Application of an operational architectonics (OA) strategy to electroencephalogram (EEG) analysis reveals that absence of consciousness in patients in VS is paralleled by significant impairment in overall EEG operational architecture compared to patients in MCS: neuronal assemblies become smaller, their life span shortened, and they became highly unstable and functionally disconnected (desynchronized). However, in a previous study, patients with different brain damage etiologies were intermixed. Therefore, the goal of the present study was to investigate whether the application of OA methodology to EEG could reliably dissociate patients in VS and MCS independent of brain damage etiology. We conclude that the observed EEG OA structure impairment in patients in VS and partial preservation in patients in MCS is a marker of consciousness/unconsciousness rather than physiological damage. Results of this study may have neuroscientific, clinical, and ethical implications.
Performance analysis of CSMA/CA adapted MIMO aware MAC for multi-user transmission in WLANs

Compared to the traditional SISO system, one of the major benefits of MIMO is to increase spectral efficiency employing spatial multiplexing. However, such an independently increased PHY layer capacity cannot be translated easily to MAC layer capacity gain unless special measures are taken in MAC protocols. For distributed WLANs with MIMO, subtle modifications in dominant MAC protocol CSMA/CA can give rise to a simple, yet practicable, MIMO aware MAC. When employing such MAC for single user spatial multiplexing, throughput is increased linearly with the antenna elements in use; leaving the delay constant. However, for multi-user multiplexing, requirement of more and extended control packets exchange leads higher overhead which ultimately decreases the performance compared to single user multiplexing. But nevertheless, during various network scenarios mutli-user multiplexing, multi-user transmission, is more preferable for its capability to transmit multiple streams of data destined to multiple receivers at one transmission opportunity. In this paper, based on the analytical modeling and derived expressions, we present the performance analysis of CSMA/CA adapted multi-user transmission supporting MIMO aware MAC in terms of average throughput and delay.
Cutaneous Adverse Reactions during Anti-Tnf Alpha Treatment for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: The Experience of the Dermatology Clinic of Cagliari

Background Anti-tumour necrosis factor alpha are a well-documented class of disease-modifying therapy for inflammatory bowel diseases, including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. The monoclonal anti-TNFα antibody Infliximab and Adalimumab are the current approved drugs in Italy, showing high efficacy, but also variable clinically significant adverse effects. Method From 2012, an observational prospective study was activated at the Dermatology Clinic of Cagliari University, to screen all patients with inflammatory bowel diseases treated with Infliximab and Adalimumab for cutaneous adverse reactions and skin cancers. A basal visit, complete of melanocytic lesions digital image recording was performed in all patients referred from the Gastroenterology Unit of the same University Hospital. Subsequent visits were performed when new lesions or modification of the skin appearance occurred. All cutaneous adverse reactions associated with anti-TNF treatment were reported to the Italian Pharmacovigilance network. Results Ninety-one patients were included in the study: 58 (31 women and 27 men) patients affected by Crohn's disease, (the age range was between 16 and 69 years), and 33 patients with ulcerative colitis (15 women and 17 men; age range between 21 and 68 years). Proportion of patients treated with infliximab (52%) was similar to adalimumab (48%). Cutaneous adverse reactions were observed in 38 patients (42%): 20 were taking Infliximab (52%) and 18 Adalimumab (48%). Adverse reactions observed by frequency included: infections (32%), eczematous dermatitis (23%), infusion systemic reactions and at the injection site (5.7%), psoriasis paradoxical reaction (5.7%), followed by a mixture of different cutaneous reactions, including urticaria, photosensitivity, chronic lupus erythematosus, lichenoid eruption, alopecia areata, hypertrichosis. Benign skin tumors eruption (15%) and basal cell carcinoma (2.8%) occurrence were also noted. Patient with dysplastic melanocytic nevi (10%) at screening were regularly followed with digital dermoscopy, but no one showed changes in the study period. Conclusion Our sample of patients had a high rate of skin adverse reactions (42%), but considering severity, no case required definitive discontinuation of therapy. Dermatologist support might be critical to optimize biological agent management in inflammatory bowel diseases, performing a careful basal screening, strict monitoring of adverse reactions and prompt intervention, as well as educating the patient towards skin cancer prevention, considering the long-term drug exposure.
Theoretical Computer Science the Directed Hausdorff Distance between Imprecise Point Sets

We consider the directed Hausdorff distance between point sets in the plane, where one or both point sets consist of imprecise points. An imprecise point is modelled by a disc given by its centre and a radius. The actual position of an imprecise point may be anywhere within its disc. Due to the direction of the Hausdorff distance and whether its tight upper or lower bound is computed, there are several cases to consider. For every case we either show that the computation is NP-hard or we present an algorithm with a polynomial running time. Further we give several approximation algorithms for the hard cases and show that one of them cannot be approximated better than with factor 3, unless P = NP.
An effective MIMO detection scheme for future wireless HetNet based on MU-MIMO

Multi-user spatial multiplexing can significantly increase the performance of wireless networks, such as emerging 4G/5G cellular networks and so on. In this paper, we present and evaluate an effective sphere detection (SD) scheme based on MU-MIMO block diagonization (BD) for future wireless heterogeneous network (HetNet). The proposed scheme is proved to be effective in improving the system symbol error rate (SER) compared with other relative methods. Results also show that in proposed conditions the number of both antennas and users have a significant impact on the system performance.
New Interference Technique for Determination of Low Loss Material Permittivity in the Extremely High Frequency Range

In this paper a new interference technique for material permittivity determination in the extremely high frequency range using a vector network analyzer is described. The novelty of this technique is the absence of a reference interference channel and there is no need to rotate the experimental sample that simplifies the measurement process and increases its accuracy. In order to approve this technique, the respective experimental setup was designed. The setup structure and theoretical background of interference fringe minimum formation were described. Based on the quasi-optical principle of the setup operation, the formula for the calculation of the material permittivity was derived. Two different dielectric materials were subjected to test measurements using the created experimental setup. Obtained average values of permittivity in the 50÷70 GHz range are ε = 10.67 ± 0.09 and ε = 2.35 ± 0.03 for sapphire and optical glass, respectively. For the purposes of result verification, the time-domain processing technique was also applied to calculate the permittivity of these materials. Besides, the obtained data are compared with those reported in the literature.
Impact of social network on cardiovascular mortality in middle aged Danish men.

STUDY OBJECTIVE--To estimate quantitatively (the aetiological fraction) the impact of poor social network on premature death from cardiovascular disease in middle aged, white men. DESIGN--The causality of the relationship has already been discussed in a large review, and it is assumed to be well documented. The numerical estimation of the impact was based on a review of all published cohort studies on the relationship between social network and mortality in white, middle aged men. RESULTS--The studies reviewed are all of high epidemiological quality and present a consistent and stable dose-response pattern. The aetiological fraction was estimated to be 30%, with a plausible range of 20-40%. CONCLUSIONS--Social network was an important, independent, risk factor for cardiovascular disease in white, middle aged men. It had a strong impact on mortality, comparable to that of traditional risk factors. Social network should have a more central role in future epidemiological research into cardiovascular disease. The factors that result in a strong social network should be identified and strategies applicable in preventive work should be developed.
Quantum network reduced-state synchronization part II-the missing symmetry and switching interactions

We consider reduced-state synchronization of qubit networks with the aim of driving the qubits' reduced states to a common trajectory. The evolution of the quantum network's state is described by a master equation, where the network Hamiltonian is either a direct sum or a tensor product of identical qubit Hamiltonians, and the coupling terms are given by a set of permutation operators over the network. The permutations introduce naturally quantum directed interactions. Part I of the paper establishes synchronization conditions for fixed quantum interactions. In this part of the paper, we further investigate the missing symmetry in the reduced-state synchronization from a graphical point of view. The information-flow hierarchy in quantum permutation operators is characterized by different layers of information-induced graphs, based on which a clear bridge between quantum and classical consensus dynamics is built. We show that the quantum synchronization equation is by nature equivalent to a cut-balanced consensus process. Then a necessary and sufficient condition is obtained for reaching quantum reduced-state synchronization in light of recent work by Hendrickx and Tsitsiklis [19].
A discrete event simulation model simplification technique

Cycle time-throughput curves (CT-TH), which plot the average cycle time versus start rate for a given product mix, are often used to support decisions made in manufacturing settings, such as the impact of proposed changes in start rate on mean cycle time. Discrete event simulation is often used to generate estimations of cycle time at a significant number of traffic intensities (start rates). However, simulation often requires long run lengths and extensive output analysis. In most manufacturing environments, the time and/or budget available for such simulations is limited. As demands for faster and more accurate results are required, alternative approaches to improving simulation efficiency must be investigated. This research seeks to develop a procedure for simplifying a detailed model into a fast (abstract) simulation model that achieves a statistically indistinguishable level of accuracy and precision. This technique has particular application in the simulation of semiconductor manufacturing facilities
Language as a Small World Network

Small world networks are graphs, which integrate the properties of random graphs and lattice graphs [5]. Several real networks can be modeled with a help of small worlds [1, 2, 6, 8]. As shown in this paper a word web has small world structure too. We have shown, that different languages, such as Slovak and English, have similar small world properties. As our second goal, we built a graph on the basis of kernel lexicon words, in order to test the scaling results of Cancho and Sol¿ [6]. We speculate that the differences between calculated and measured exponents of connectivity distribution are due to the node aging.
SIMULTANEOUS MULTI-WAVELENGTH OBSERVATIONS OF Sgr A* DURING 2007 APRIL 1–11

We report the detection of variable emission from Sgr A* in almost all wavelength bands (i.e., centimeter, millimeter, submillimeter, near-IR, and X-rays) during a multi-wavelength observing campaign. Three new moderate flares are detected simultaneously in both near-IR and X-ray bands. The ratio of X-ray to near-IR flux in the flares is consistent with inverse Compton scattering of near-IR photons by submillimeter emitting relativistic particles which follow scaling relations obtained from size measurements of Sgr A*. We also find that the flare statistics in near-IR wavelengths is consistent with the probability of flare emission being inversely proportional to the flux. At millimeter wavelengths, the presence of flare emission at 43 GHz (7 mm) using the Very Long Baseline Array with milliarcsecond spatial resolution indicates the first direct evidence that hourly timescale flares are localized within the inner 30 × 70 Schwarzschild radii of Sgr A*. We also show several cross-correlation plots between near-IR, millimeter, and submillimeter light curves that collectively demonstrate the presence of time delays between the peaks of emission up to 5 hr. The evidence for time delays at millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths are consistent with the source of emission initially being optically thick followed by a transition to an optically thin regime. In particular, there is an intriguing correlation between the optically thin near-IR and X-ray flare and optically thick radio flare at 43 GHz that occurred on 2007 April 4. This would be the first evidence of a radio flare emission at 43 GHz delayed with respect to the near-IR and X-ray flare emission. The time delay measurements support the expansion of hot self-absorbed synchrotron plasma blob and weaken the hot spot model of flare emission. In addition, a simultaneous fit to 43 and 84 GHz light curves, using an adiabatic expansion model of hot plasma, appears to support a power law rather than a relativistic Maxwellian distribution of particles.
Genetic polymorphism of N-acetyltransferase 2 in patients with esophageal cancer

OBJECTIVE:N-Acetylation polymorphism is a representative genetic trait related to an individual's susceptibility to several cancers. However, there remains a controversy and no consensus concerning whether there is a true association between esophageal cancer and N-acetylation polymorphism.METHODS:To analyze the distribution of N-acetyltransferase 2 polymorphism in Japanese patients with esophageal squamous cell cancer, a molecular genotyping method using a polymerase chain reaction-based restriction fragment length polymorphism was used.RESULTS:Based on an analysis of 71 Japanese patients with esophageal squamous cell cancer and 329 healthy control subjects, the distribution of the slow acetylator phenotype was significantly higher in esophageal cancer patients than in the controls (19.7% and 9.4%, respectively, p = 0.040). The odds ratio of esophageal cancer for the slow phenotype was 2.55 (95% CI = 1.15–5.65, p = 0.023) compared with the rapid type. Furthermore, a significant difference between the distribution of acetylator phenotype and the incidence of lymph node metastasis and lymphatic involvement was found based on the clinicopathological features of these cancers. Esophageal cancer patients with a higher smoking exposure history tended to have the rapid acetylator phenotype.CONCLUSION:These results suggest that N-acetylation polymorphism may be implicated as a genetic trait affecting an individual's susceptibility and biological behavior of esophageal squamous cell cancer.
Soil microbial community structure is unaltered by plant invasion, vegetation clipping, and nitrogen fertilization in experimental semi-arid grasslands

Global and regional environmental changes often co-occur, creating complex gradients of disturbance on the landscape. Soil microbial communities are an important component of ecosystem response to environmental change, yet little is known about how microbial structure and function respond to multiple disturbances, or whether multiple environmental changes lead to unanticipated interactive effects. Our study used experimental semi-arid grassland plots in a Mediterranean-climate to determine how soil microbial communities in a seasonally variable ecosystem respond to one, two, or three simultaneous environmental changes: exotic plant invasion, plant invasion + vegetation clipping (to simulate common management practices like mowing or livestock grazing), plant invasion + nitrogen (N) fertilization, and plant invasion + clipping + N fertilization. We examined microbial community structure 5–6 years after plot establishment via sequencing of >1 million 16S rRNA genes. Abiotic soil properties (soil moisture, temperature, pH, and inorganic N) and microbial functioning (nitrification and denitrification potentials) were also measured and showed treatment-induced shifts, including altered NO−3 availability, temperature, and nitrification potential. Despite these changes, bacterial and archaeal communities showed little variation in composition and diversity across treatments. Even communities in plots exposed to three interacting environmental changes were similar to those in restored native grassland plots. Historical exposure to large seasonal and inter-annual variations in key soil properties, in addition to prior site cultivation, may select for a functionally plastic or largely dormant microbial community, resulting in a microbial community that is structurally robust to single and multiple environmental changes.