Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Asparagus IRX9, IRX10, and IRX14A Are Components of an Active Xylan Backbone Synthase Complex that Forms in the Golgi Apparatus1[OPEN]

Xylan biosynthesis in the Golgi apparatus is affected by IRX9, IRX10, and IRX14A in Asparagus. Heteroxylans are abundant components of plant cell walls and provide important raw materials for the food, pharmaceutical, and biofuel industries. A number of studies in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) have suggested that the IRREGULAR XYLEM9 (IRX9), IRX10, and IRX14 proteins, as well as their homologs, are involved in xylan synthesis via a Golgi-localized complex termed the xylan synthase complex (XSC). However, both the biochemical and cell biological research lags the genetic and molecular evidence. In this study, we characterized garden asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) stem xylan biosynthesis genes (AoIRX9, AoIRX9L, AoIRX10, AoIRX14A, and AoIRX14B) by heterologous expression in Nicotiana benthamiana. We reconstituted and partially purified an active XSC and showed that three proteins, AoIRX9, AoIRX10, and AoIRX14A, are necessary for xylan xylosyltranferase activity in planta. To better understand the XSC structure and its composition, we carried out coimmunoprecipitation and bimolecular fluorescence complementation analysis to show the molecular interactions between these three IRX proteins. Using a site-directed mutagenesis approach, we showed that the DxD motifs of AoIRX10 and AoIRX14A are crucial for the catalytic activity. These data provide, to our knowledge, the first lines of biochemical and cell biological evidence that AoIRX9, AoIRX10, and AoIRX14A are core components of a Golgi-localized XSC, each with distinct roles for effective heteroxylan biosynthesis.
Research of evaluation methods for software security

To evaluate the security of software effectively, we built an evaluation model for software security and presented a relative calculation method. We verified the proposed evaluation metrics and method by applying them to a real web application. The evaluation results indicated the security function weakness of the web application at different time and presented a direct measurable method for the entire evaluation of software security.
Bullying and symptoms among school-aged children: international comparative cross sectional study in 28 countries.

BACKGROUND There have been no large-scale international comparisons on bullying and health among adolescents. This study examined the association between bullying and physical and psychological symptoms among adolescents in 28 countries. METHODS This international cross-sectional survey included 123,227 students 11, 13 and 15 years of age from a nationally representative sample of schools in 28 countries in Europe and North America in 1997-98. The main outcome measures were physical and psychological symptoms. RESULTS The proportion of students being bullied varied enormously across countries. The lowest prevalence was observed among girls in Sweden (6.3%, 95% CI: 5.2-7.4), the highest among boys in Lithuania (41.4%, 95% CI 39.4-43.5). The risk of high symptom load increased with increasing exposure to bullying in all countries. In pooled analyses, with sex stratified multilevel logistic models adjusted for age, family affluence and country the odds ratios for symptoms among students who were bullied weekly ranged from 1.83 (95% CI 1.70-1.97) to 2.11 (95% CI 1.95-2.29) for physical symptoms (headache, stomach ache, backache, dizziness) and from 1.67 (95% CI 1.55-1.78) to 7.47 (95% CI 6.87-8.13) for psychological symptoms (bad temper, feeling nervous, feeling low, difficulties in getting to sleep, morning tiredness, feeling left out, loneliness, helplessness). CONCLUSION There was a consistent, strong and graded association between bullying and each of 12 physical and psychological symptoms among adolescents in all 28 countries.
Visceral Leishmaniasis Relapse in Southern Sudan (1999–2007): A Retrospective Study of Risk Factors and Trends

Background Risk factors associated with L. donovani visceral leishmaniasis (VL; kala azar) relapse are poorly characterized. Methods We investigated patient characteristics and drug regimens associated with VL relapse using data from Médecins Sans Frontières - Holland (MSF) treatment centres in Southern Sudan. We used MSF operational data to investigate trends in VL relapse and associated risk factors. Results We obtained data for 8,800 primary VL and 621 relapse VL patients treated between 1999 and 2007. Records of previous treatment for 166 VL relapse patients (26.7%) were compared with 7,924 primary VL patients who had no record of subsequent relapse. Primary VL patients who relapsed had larger spleens on admission (Hackett grade ≥3 vs0, odds ratio (OR) for relapse = 3.62 (95% CI 1.08, 12.12)) and on discharge (Hackett grade ≥3 vs 0, OR = 5.50 (1.84, 16.49)). Age, sex, malnutrition, mobility, and complications of treatment were not associated with risk of relapse, nor was there any trend over time. Treatment with 17-day sodium stibogluconate/paromomycin (SSG/PM) combination therapy vs 30-day SSG monotherapy was associated with increased risk of relapse (OR = 2.08 (1.21, 3.58)) but reduced risk of death (OR = 0.27 (0.20, 0.37)), although these estimates are likely to be residually confounded. MSF operational data showed a crude upward trend in the proportion of VL relapse patients (annual percentage change (APC) = 11.4% (−3.4%, 28.5%)) and a downward trend in deaths (APC = −18.1% (−22.5%, −13.4%)). Conclusions Splenomegaly and 17-day SSG/PM vs 30-day SSG were associated with increased risk of VL relapse. The crude upward trend in VL relapses in Southern Sudan may be attributable to improved access to treatment and reduced mortality due to SSG/PM combination therapy.
Human motion assessment in real time using recurrent self-organization

The correct execution of well-defined movements plays a crucial role in physical rehabilitation and sports. While there is an extensive number of well-established approaches for human action recognition, the task of assessing the quality of actions and providing feedback for correcting inaccurate movements has remained an open issue in the literature. We present a learning-based method for efficiently providing feedback on a set of training movements captured by a depth sensor. We propose a novel recursive neural network that uses growing self-organization for the efficient learning of body motion sequences. The quality of actions is then computed in terms of how much a performed movement matches the correct continuation of a learned sequence. The proposed system provides visual assistance to the person performing an exercise by displaying real-time feedback, thus enabling the user to correct inaccurate postures and motion intensity. We evaluate our approach with a data set containing 3 powerlifting exercises performed by 17 athletes. Experimental results show that our novel architecture outperforms our previous approach for the correct prediction of routines and the detection of mistakes both in a single- and multiple-subject scenario.
Localisation and Function of the Endocannabinoid System in the Human Ovary

Background Although anandamide (AEA) had been measured in human follicular fluid and is suggested to play a role in ovarian follicle and oocyte maturity, its exact source and role in the human ovary remains unclear. Methods and Findings Immunohistochemical examination of normal human ovaries indicated that the endocannabinoid system was present and widely expressed in the ovarian medulla and cortex with more intense cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2) than CB1 immunoreactivity in the granulosa cells of primordial, primary, secondary, tertiary follicles, corpus luteum and corpus albicans. The enzymes, fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) and N-acyclphosphatidylethanolamine-phospholipase D (NAPE-PLD), were only found in growing secondary and tertiary follicles and corpora lutea and albicantes. The follicular fluid (FF) AEA concentrations of 260 FF samples, taken from 37 infertile women undergoing controlled ovarian hyperstimulation for in vitro fertilisation and intracytoplasmic sperm injection with embryo transfer, were correlated with ovarian follicle size (P = 0.03). Significantly higher FF AEA concentrations were also observed in mature follicles (1.43±0.04 nM; mean±SEM) compared to immature follicles (1.26±0.06 nM), P = 0.0142 and from follicles containing morphologically assessed mature oocytes (1.56±0.11 nM) compared to that containing immature oocytes (0.99±0.09 nM), P = 0.0011. ROC analysis indicated that a FF AEA level of 1.09 nM could discriminate between mature and immature oocytes with 72.2% sensitivity and 77.14% specificity, whilst plasma AEA levels and FF AEA levels on oocyte retrieval day were not significantly different (P = 0.23). Conclusions These data suggest that AEA is produced in the ovary, is under hormonal control and plays a role in folliculogenesis, preovulatory follicle maturation, oocyte maturity and ovulation.
A Rapid and Reproducible Method for the Determination of Dry-Soil Resistance

A rapid and reproducible method is described for measurement of adsorption of particulate solids on fabrics or films and evaluation of dry-soil resistance. An Accelerotor drives the soil and samples along a circular path within a chamber. Impingement and degree of soiling can be continuously varied by changing the speed of the Accelerotor, the duration of soiling, and the amount of soil. Soiling values of the new method correlate with soil resistance data obtained by other soiling methods involving me chanical work, such as tumbling and rubbing. A correlation exists also with nonabrasive soiling of stationary fabrics, unless the construction of the fabrics is markedly different or the transport of soil to the fiber surface determines soiling. Simultaneous soiling of different fabrics was found to be competitive. Fabrics with the least soil resistance were preferentially soiled at the expense of the more soil-resistant fabrics. This alternative procedure has been used to enhance soil-resistance differences for visual evaluation. It is shown that the resistance of a fluoropolymer-trealed fabric to oily particulate soil is not a function of its oil repel lency, but depends upon the nature of the polymeric finish, the substrate, and surface coverage.
Modeling Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in the Human AKR1C1 and AKR1C2 Genes: Implications for Functional and Genotyping Analyses

Enzymes encoded by the AKR1C1 and AKR1C2 genes are responsible for the metabolism of progesterone and 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT), respectively. The effect of amino acid substitutions, resulting from single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the AKR1C2 gene, on the enzyme kinetics of the AKR1C2 gene product were determined experimentally by Takashi et al. In this paper, we used homology modeling to predict and analyze the structure of AKR1C1 and AKR1C2 genetic variants. The experimental reduction in enzyme activity in the AKR1C2 variants F46Y and L172Q, as determined by Takahashi et al., is predicted to be due to increased instability in cofactor binding, caused by disruptions to the hydrogen bonds between NADP and AKR1C2, resulting from the insertion of polar residues into largely non-polar environments near the site of cofactor binding. Other AKR1C2 variants were shown to involve either conservative substitutions or changes taking place on the surface of the molecule and distant from the active site, confirming the experimental finding of Takahashi et al. that these variants do not result in any statistically significant reduction in enzyme activity. The AKR1C1 R258C variant is predicted to have no effect on enzyme activity for similar reasons. Thus, we provide further insight into the molecular mechanism of the enzyme kinetics of these proteins. Our data also highlight previously reported difficulties with online databases.
Distinct populations of hypothalamic dopaminergic neurons exhibit differential responses to brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and neurotrophin‐3 (NT3)

We have previously demonstrated that differentiation of hypothalamic dopaminergic (DA) neurons can be induced in culture by their pituitary intermediate lobe target cells, through both membrane and diffusible factors. We also showed that subpopulations of DA neurons from the arcuate nucleus only, not the periventricular area, can respond to the target. Here we investigated the possibility that both neuronal subsets could also respond differentially to brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) or neurotrophin‐3 (NT3). Addition of NT3, but not BDNF, enhanced growth and branching of neurites, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) as well as increasing levels of cultured arcuate DA neurons. Conversely, BDNF, but not NT3, affected the same parameters in cultured periventricular DA neurons. The neurotrophins thus affect DA neurons in a structure and neuronal type‐selective manner, since general neuronal markers were not affected by either neurotrophin. Neurotrophin effects were reversed by addition of specific antibodies directed against them or their respective receptors, TrkB or TrkC. By themselves, the antibodies inhibited development of DA neurons below that of control cultures, suggesting involvement of endogenous neurotrophins. BDNF and NT3 were indeed found in both arcuate and periventricular neurons and in the intermediate lobe. BDNF was always present as the mature peptide. The mature form of NT3 was only detected in the periventricular area; a precursor‐like heavier form was present in all tissues studied. The present data suggest that NT3, but not BDNF, could participate in the differentiating action of intermediate lobe cells on arcuate DA neurons.
Ibuprofen use during extreme exercise: effects on oxidative stress and PGE2.

PURPOSE Oxidative stress was examined with use (N = 29) or nonuse (N = 25) of ibuprofen in ultramarathoners after the Western States Endurance Run. METHODS Oxidative stress was assessed by measuring plasma and urinary F2-isoprostanes, plasma nitrite, and plasma urate. A urinary prostaglandin E2 metabolite (PGE-M) was used as an end point to assess ibuprofen use. Ibuprofen users consumed 600 and 1200 mg of ibuprofen the day before and on race day, respectively, and nonusers avoided all antiinflammatory medications. Blood and urine were collected in the morning before the race and immediately after the race. RESULTS Use compared with nonuse of ibuprofen significantly increased plasma (P <or= 0.001) and urinary (P <or= 0.01) F2-isoprostanes after the race. Ibuprofen use was associated with reduced PGE-M (P = 0.016). Ibuprofen was not associated with changes in any other variables. CONCLUSION Ibuprofen use compared with nonuse by athletes competing in a 160-km race was associated with significantly increased oxidative stress.
Using Optimal Dependency-Trees for Combinatorial Optimization: Learning the Structure of the Search Space

Many combinatorial optimization algorithms have no mechanism for capturing inter-parameter dependencies. However, modeling such dependencies may allow an algorithm to concentrate its sampling more effectively on regions of the search space which have appeared promising in the past. We present an algorithm which incrementally learns pairwise probability distributions from good solutions seen so far, uses these statistics to generate optimal (in terms of maximum likelihood) dependency trees to model these distributions, and then stochastically generates new candidate solutions from these trees. We test this algorithm on a variety of optimization problems. Our results indicate superior performance over other tested algorithms that either (1) do not explicitly use these dependencies, or (2) use these dependencies to generate a more restricted class of dependency graphs.
On the Utility of Large High-Resolution Displays for Comparative Scientific Visualisation

In many disciplines, such as computer aided drug design, multiple simulation runs are performed with varying parameters, yielding ensembles of data sets. Comparative visualisation of these simulation results can help understanding the influence of different parameters. However, researchers might need to compare large numbers of variants. Single desktop monitors often do not have the resolution and screen size required for showing a whole ensemble at once with sufficient detail. Wall-sized high-resolution displays can be a solution for this problem. Although a number of studies has been conducted on how large high-resolution displays affect the speed and accuracy of certain tasks, only few of them are related to actual scientific visualisation tasks. We built a system for comparative visualisation of simulation results that can be used with conventional desktop monitors and with large high-resolution displays. We conducted a study using biochemical simulation data to evaluate the impact of screen size and 3D stereo display on a comparison task.
Ten years’ experience with a pyrocarbon prosthesis replacing the proximal interphalangeal joint. A prospective clinical and radiographic follow-up

We prospectively assessed the subjective, objective, and radiographic results at 1, 2, and 5 years in 65 patients who had pyrocarbon proximal interphalangeal prostheses inserted between 2001 and 2010. Further operations were done on 10 of the 89 joints (four for prosthetic extraction and arthrodesis, two for component changes, and four for soft tissue procedures). At 1 year, the visual analogue scale score for pain at rest had improved to 0 cm from a pre-operative 4 cm, pain at activity from 6 to 1.8 cm, and Disability of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand score from 40 to 25. Range of movement and grip strength were unchanged. At 5 years, 31 joints (21 patients) had a complete radiographic follow-up. Seven proximal and 12 distal components showing zones of osteolysis at 1 year had stabilized and were inert or integrated at 5 years. Three proximal and three distal components had osteolytic zones at 5 years. Forty-seven of 59 patients were pain-free at rest at 1 year, and 19 of 21 at 5 years. No late revisions or loosening occurred.
The dielectric properties of fibre reinforced epoxies under the influence of humidity

Fibre reinforced epoxies absorb water by diffusion processes. Since the dielectric properties may be badly wasted by moisture, more knowledge on the mechanism of interaction is needed On the basis of molecular quantities like polarizability and dipole moment, a first approach for the calculation of humidity influence on the permittivity of pure epoxy resins is presented. Experimental results confirm the mathematical approach. <<ETX>>
An Actin Homolog of the Archaeon Thermoplasma acidophilum That Retains the Ancient Characteristics of Eukaryotic Actin

ABSTRACT Actin, a central component of the eukaryotic cytoskeleton, plays a crucial role in determining cell shape in addition to several other functions. Recently, the structure of the archaeal actin homolog Ta0583, isolated from the archaeon Thermoplasma acidophilum, which lacks a cell wall, was reported by Roeben et al. (J. Mol. Biol. 358:145-156, 2006). Here we show that Ta0583 assembles into bundles of filaments similar to those formed by eukaryotic actin. Specifically, Ta0583 forms a helix with a filament width of 5.5 nm and an axial repeating unit of 5.5 nm, both of which are comparable to those of eukaryotic actin. Eukaryotic actin shows a greater resemblance to Ta0583 than to bacterial MreB and ParM in terms of polymerization characteristics, such as the requirement for Mg2+, critical concentration, and repeating unit size. Furthermore, phylogenetic analysis also showed a closer relationship between Ta0583 and eukaryotic actin than between MreB or ParM and actin. However, the low specificity of Ta0583 for nucleotide triphosphates indicates that Ta0583 is more primitive than eukaryotic actin. Taken together, our results suggest that Ta0583 retains the ancient characteristics of eukaryotic actin.
Ultrahigh, ultrafast and large response size visible-near-infrared optical position sensitive detectors based on CIGS structures

CIGS-based heterostructures have been demonstrated to achieve superior high absorption and photovoltaic effects theoretically and experimentally, making them extremely attractive for realizing optoelectronic devices. However, the applications of CIGS are mainly focused on solar cells. In this work, the lateral photovoltaic effect (LPE) is firstly observed in the CIGS film with a glass/Mo/CIGS/CdS/ZnO/ITO structure, indicating its great potential for application in position sensitive detectors (PSDs). LPE measurements reveal that this structured PSD exhibits ultrahigh sensitivity and excellent linearity even to a very large working distance of 28 mm in the visible-near-infrared range with the position sensitivity up to 431.6 mV mm−1. Notably, the detector shows ultrafast response speed with a rise time of 8.3 μs and a fall time of 7.7 μs, and capability to work stably under air conditions for a very long time. The unprecedented performance could be attributed to the good quality of this CIGS structure, as well as the unique optical properties of the CIGS layer and the excellent conductivity of the ITO layer. These findings suggest that the glass/Mo/CIGS/CdS/ZnO/ITO structure has great potential for application in the field of visible-near-infrared optical position sensitive detection and might be used as elements for the construction of high-speed integrated optoelectronic sensor circuitry.
Viewpoint: Central adjudication of myocardial infarction in outcome-driven clinical trials – Common patterns in TRITON, RECORD, and PLATO?

Summary Central adjudication in randomised controlled outcome-driven trials represents a traditional approach to maintain data integrity by applying uniformed rules for assessment of clinical events. It was the purpose of this investigation to determine the patterns of myocardial infarction (MI) adjudication in the TRITON, RECORD, and PLATO trials. We were matching centrally-adjudicated MI’s (CAMI’s) from the official trial publication with the site-reported MI (SRMI’s) count from the Food and Drug Administration’s secondary analyses for the investigational compounds prasugrel (TRITON), rosiglitazone (RECORD), and ticagrelor (PLATO). CAMI numbers showed a remarkable discrepancy to SRMI’s by more than a doubling of the difference: from 72 to 145 events in TRITON favoring prasugrel (from a hazard ratio [HR]=0.76, p=0.08; to a HR=0.76, p<0.001), and from 44 to 89 events in favour of ticagrelor in PLATO (from a HR=0.94, p=0.095; to a HR=0.84, p<0.001). In contrast, in the RECORD trial, the CAMI count was less than the SRMI count (from 24 to 8 events, from a HR=1.42, p=0.93; to a HR=1.14, p=0.96), in this case diminishing cardiovascular hazards in favour of rosiglitazone. In conclusion, central adjudication in the TRITON, the RECORD, and the PLATO trial turned out to have a critical impact on study outcomes. Trial publications should in the future include site-reported major efficacy and safety endpoints to preserve data integrity. The regulatory authorities should consider independent audits when there is a major disagreement between centrally adjudicated and site reported events influencing the results of a major clinical trial.