Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Molecular Mechanism of Tryptophan-Dependent Transcriptional Regulation in Chlamydia trachomatis

ABSTRACT Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that is required for normal development in Chlamydia species, and tryptophan metabolism has been implicated in chlamydial persistence and tissue tropism. The ability to synthesize tryptophan is not universal among the Chlamydiaceae, but species that have a predicted tryptophan biosynthetic pathway also encode an ortholog of TrpR, a regulator of tryptophan metabolism in many gram-negative bacteria. We show that in Chlamydia trachomatis serovar D, TrpR regulates its own gene and trpB and trpA, the genes for the two subunits of tryptophan synthase. These three genes form an operon that is transcribed by the major form of chlamydial RNA polymerase. TrpR acts as a tryptophan-dependent aporepressor that binds specifically to operator sequences upstream of the trpRBA operon. We also found that TrpR repressed in vitro transcription of trpRBA in a promoter-specific manner, and the level of repression was dependent upon the concentrations of TrpR and tryptophan. Our findings provide a mechanism for chlamydiae to sense changes in tryptophan levels and to respond by modulating expression of the tryptophan biosynthesis genes, and we present a unified model that shows how C. trachomatis can combine transcriptional repression and attenuation to regulate intrachlamydial tryptophan levels. In the face of host defense mechanisms that limit tryptophan availability from the infected cell, the ability to maintain homeostatic control of intrachlamydial tryptophan levels is likely to play an important role in chlamydial pathogenesis.
Grassmannian predictive coding for limited feedback multiuser MIMO systems

Grassmannian beamforming is an efficient way to quantize channel state information in multiple-input multiple-output wireless systems. Unfortunately, multiuser systems require larger codebooks since the quantization error creates residual interference that limits the sum rate performance. To reduce the feedback requirements in multiuser systems, we propose Grassmannian predictive coding to exploit temporal channel correlation. The proposed algorithm exploits the differential geometric structure of the Grassmann manifold. The difference between points, prediction, and quantization are defined using the tangent space of the Grassmann manifold. We show that with practical feedback rates, a significant sum rate improvement can be obtained as a function of the channel correlation.
The Brominated Compound Aeroplysinin-1 Inhibits Proliferation and the Expression of Key Pro- Inflammatory Molecules in Human Endothelial and Monocyte Cells

Aeroplysinin-1 is a brominated antibiotic used by some sponges for defense against bacterial pathogen invasion. Aeroplysinin-1 has a wide spectrum of anti-tumoral action and behaves as a potent anti-angiogenic compound for bovine aortic endothelial cells. In this study, we demonstrate anti-angiogenic effects of aeroplysinin-1 on human endothelial cells. Furthermore, the response of angiogenesis related genes to aeroplysinin-1 treatment was studied in human endothelial cells by using gene arrays. The major changes were observed in thrombospondin 1 (TSP-1) and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), both of which were down-regulated. These inhibitory effects of aeroplysinin-1 were confirmed by using independent experimental approaches. To have a deeper insight on the anti-inflammatory effects of aeroplysinin-1 in endothelial cells, cytokine arrays were also used. This experimental approach confirmed effects on MCP-1 and TSP-1 and showed down-regulation of several other cytokines. Western blotting experiments confirmed down-regulation of ELTD1 (EGF, latrophilin and seven transmembrane domain-containing protein 1), interleukin 1α and matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP-1). These results along with our observation of a dramatic inhibitory effect of aeroplysinin-1 on cyclooxygenase-2 protein expression levels in endothelial cells and a human monocyte cell line suggest that aeroplysinin-1 could be a novel anti-inflammatory compound with potential pharmacological interest.
Limitations of the Videolaryngoscope: An Anesthetic Management Reality.

Securing the airway has always been a challenging task. It requires the development of the anesthesiologist’s psychomotor skills and continuous assessment of existing equipment due to technologic advances. Endotracheal intubation has evolved since the introduction of the Macintosh and Miller blades in the 1940s. The technique has changed from the classic concept of obtaining a line of sight by aligning oral, laryngeal, and pharyngeal axes using conventional direct laryngoscopy (DL) to development of alternative indirect tools that capture the glottic view through a small camera at the tip of the blade, transmitting it to a video screen independent of the line of sight. Because of a large array of videolaryngoscope (VL) designs available in practice, one cannot generalize regarding the similarities of these videoscopes. Each VL has its own design features, specifications, and indications. Late in 2001, Dr Pacey and his team in Canada introduced the innovative GlideScope (GS). Great effort by equipment designers, manufacturers was put into the development of a reliable and reproducible intubation tool. High success rates, low failure rates, decreased number of attempts, shorter intubation time, and reducing the airway complication rate were the ultimate goals of the device. The GS is a widely adopted and an intensely studied device. It possesses several features superior to other types of VLs. These features include a wide-angle lens, central insertion of the blade without the need for tissue displacement, and the presence of the camera remote from the glottis creating a wide visual field. Theoretically, these features should
Fibrinogen concentrate substitution therapy in patients with massive haemorrhage and low plasma fibrinogen concentrations.

BACKGROUND Patients experiencing massive haemorrhage are at high risk of developing coagulopathy through loss, consumption, and dilution of coagulation factors and platelets. It has been reported that plasma fibrinogen concentrations may reach a critical low level relatively early during bleeding, calling for replacement fibrinogen therapy. Cryoprecipitate has been widely used in the past, but more recently, a pasteurized fibrinogen concentrate has become available. We audited the effects of fibrinogen concentrate therapy on laboratory and clinical outcome in patients with massive haemorrhage. METHODS We identified 43 patients over the previous 2 yr to whom a fibrinogen concentrate had been administered as treatment for hypofibrinogenaemia during serious haemorrhage. Platelet count, P-fibrinogen, activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), prothrombin time (PT), D-dimer, and volume of blood lost were obtained from medical and laboratory records. Numbers of units of red blood cells (RBC), fresh frozen plasma (FFP), and pooled platelet concentrates were recorded before and after fibrinogen substitution. RESULTS A significant increase in plasma fibrinogen concentration was observed after fibrinogen concentrate therapy. Platelet counts and fibrin D-dimer values remained unchanged, whereas the APTT and PT improved significantly. Requirements for RBC, FFP, and platelets were significantly reduced. Blood loss decreased significantly. CONCLUSIONS Off-label substitution therapy with a fibrinogen concentrate generally improved global laboratory coagulation results and as supplementary intervention, appeared to diminish the requirements for RBC, FFP, and platelet substitution in this patient cohort.
Relationship between Blood Stasis Syndrome Score and Cardioankle Vascular Index in Stroke Patients

Blood stasis syndrome (BSS) in traditional Asian medicine has been considered to correlate with the extent of atherosclerosis, which can be estimated using the cardioankle vascular index (CAVI). Here, the diagnostic utility of CAVI in predicting BSS was examined. The BSS scores and CAVI were measured in 140 stroke patients and evaluated with respect to stroke risk factors. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to determine the diagnostic accuracy of CAVI for the diagnosis of BSS. The BSS scores correlated significantly with CAVI, age, and systolic blood pressure (SBP). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that CAVI was a significant associate factor for BSS (OR 1.55, P = 0.032) after adjusting for the age and SBP. The ROC curve showed that CAVI and age provided moderate diagnostic accuracy for BSS (area under the ROC curve (AUC) for CAVI, 0.703, P < 0.001; AUC for age, 0.692, P = 0.001). The AUC of the “CAVI+Age,” which was calculated by combining CAVI with age, showed better accuracy (0.759, P < 0.0001) than those of CAVI or age. The present study suggests that the CAVI combined with age can clinically serve as an objective tool to diagnose BSS in stroke patients.
Biomimetic strategies for targeted nanoparticle delivery

Abstract Nanoparticle‐based drug delivery and imaging platforms have become increasingly popular over the past several decades. Among different design parameters that can affect their performance, the incorporation of targeting functionality onto nanoparticle surfaces has been a widely studied subject. Targeted formulations have the ability to improve efficacy and function by positively modulating tissue localization. Many methods exist for creating targeted nanoformulations, including the use of custom biomolecules such as antibodies or aptamers. More recently, a great amount of focus has been placed on biomimetic targeting strategies that leverage targeting interactions found directly in nature. Such strategies, which have been painstakingly selected over time by the process of evolution to maximize functionality, oftentimes enable scientists to forgo the specialized discovery processes associated with many traditional ligands and help to accelerate development of novel nanoparticle formulations. In this review, we categorize and discuss in‐depth recent works in this growing field of bioinspired research.
The Ctf18RFC Clamp Loader Is Essential for Telomere Stability in Telomerase-Negative and mre11 Mutant Alleles

The function of the replication clamp loaders in the semi-conservative telomere replication and their relationship to telomerase- and recombination mechanisms of telomere addition remains ambiguous. We have investigated the variant clamp loader Ctf18 RFC (Replication Factor C). To understand the role of Ctf18 at the telomere, we first investigated genetic interactions after loss of Ctf18 and TLC1 (the yeast telomerase RNA). We find that the tlc1▵ ctf18▵ double mutant confers a rapid >1000-fold decrease in viability. The rate of loss was similar to the kinetics of cell death in rad52▵ tlc1▵ cells. However, the Ctf18 pathway is distinct from Rad52, required for the repair of DSBs, as demonstrated by the synthetic lethality of rad52▵ tlc1▵ ctf18▵ triple mutants. These data suggest that each mutant elicits non-redundant defects acting on the same substrate. Second, interactions of the yeast hyper-recombinational mutant, mre11A470T, with ctf18▵ confer a synergistic cold sensitivity. The phenotype of these double mutants ultimately results in telomere loss and the generation of recombinational survivors. We observed a similar synergism between single mutants that led to hypersensitivity to the DNA alkylating agent, methane methyl sulphonate (MMS), the replication fork inhibitor hydroxyurea (HU), and to a failure to separate telomeres of sister chromatids. Hence, ctf18▵ and mre11A470T act in different pathways on telomere substrates for multiple phenotypes. The mre11A470T cells also displayed a DNA damage response (DDR) at 15°C but not at 30°C while ctf18▵ mutants conferred a constitutive DDR activity. Both the 15°C DDR pattern and growth rate were reversible at 30°C and displayed telomerase activity in vivo. We hypothesize that Ctf18 confers protection against stalling and/or breaks at the replication fork in cells that either lack, or are compromised for, telomerase activity. This Ctf18-based function is likely to contribute another level to telomere size homeostasis.
In situ TEM imaging of CaCO3 nucleation reveals coexistence of direct and indirect pathways

Watching nucleation pathways in calcite The initial stage of crystallization, the formation of nuclei, is a critical process, but because of the length and time scales involved, is hard to observe. Nielsen et al. explored the crystallization of calcium carbonate, a well-studied material but one with multiple nucleation theories. Different calcium and carbonate solutions were mixed inside a fluid cell and imaged using a liquid cell inside a transmission electron microscope. Competing pathways operated during nucleation, with both the direct association of ions into nuclei from solution and the transformation of amorphous calcium carbonate into and between different crystalline polymorphs. Science, this issue p. 1158 Calcium carbonate crystal nucleation occurs via direct formation from solution and transformation from less stable phases. Mechanisms of nucleation from electrolyte solutions have been debated for more than a century. Recent discoveries of amorphous precursors and evidence for cluster aggregation and liquid-liquid separation contradict common assumptions of classical nucleation theory. Using in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to explore calcium carbonate (CaCO3) nucleation in a cell that enables reagent mixing, we demonstrate that multiple nucleation pathways are simultaneously operative, including formation both directly from solution and indirectly through transformation of amorphous and crystalline precursors. However, an amorphous-to-calcite transformation is not observed. The behavior of amorphous calcium carbonate upon dissolution suggests that it encompasses a spectrum of structures, including liquids and solids. These observations of competing direct and indirect pathways are consistent with classical predictions, whereas the behavior of amorphous particles hints at an underlying commonality among recently proposed precursor-based mechanisms.
Decentralized Targeting of an Anti-poverty Program

It is now common for central governments to delegate authority over the targeting of anti-poverty programs to better informed—but potentially less accountable—community organizations, while the center retains control over how much goes to each locality. We model the interconnected behavior of the various actors in such a setting. The model's information structure provides scope for econometric identification. Results for Bangladesh's Food-for-Education Program indicate that within-village targeting improved with program size, and with lower land inequality, less remoteness, fewer shocks, and less private redistribution. Power in community decision making clearly mattered to the outcomes. However, there is little sign that the center's program placement took account of village attributes conducive to reaching the poor.
Haptic Object Recognition: How Important are Depth Cues and Plane Orientation?

Raised-line drawings of familiar objects are very difficult to identify with active touch only. In contrast, haptically explored real 3-D objects are usually recognised efficiently, albeit slower and less accurately than with vision. Real 3-D objects have more depth information than outline drawings, but also extra information about identity (eg texture, hardness, temperature). Previous studies have not manipulated the availability of depth information in haptic object recognition whilst controlling for other information sources, so the importance of depth cues has not been assessed. In the present experiments, people named plastic small-scale models of familiar objects. Five versions of bilaterally symmetrical objects were produced. Versions varied only in the amount of depth information: minimal for cookie-cutter and filled-in outlines, partial for squashed and half objects, and full for 3-D models. Recognition was faster and much more accurate when more depth information was available, whether exploration was with both hands or just one finger. Novices found it almost impossible to recognise objects explored with two hand-held probes whereas experts succeeded using probes regardless of the amount of depth information. Surprisingly, plane misorientation did not impair recognition. Unlike with vision, depth information, but not object orientation, is extremely important for haptic object recognition.
A Model-Driven Development Approach Focusing Human Interaction

Human interaction like entering some data, making decisions etc. has to be dealt with as an integral part of today's business processes and the supporting IT likewise. Hence, human interaction leads to an increased complexity in software development and software systems. Current business- and model-driven development approaches provide promising means to deal with this complexity. Diverse aspects of the business process and the supporting software system are captured in models and automatically transformed to the source code of a desired platform. In the context of human interaction however, there remains a lack of precise models for specifying human interaction aspects. Thus, an extensive manual development and configuration effort is necessary leading to expensive software, badly configured interfaces and frustratedusers. In this article, we therefore demonstrate a model-driven development approach focusing on human interaction as an integral part of business processes and software systems likewise. A case study fortifies the applicability of our approach.
Numerical analysis of the transport phenomena across clothing

Flow and heat transfer in clothing microclimates close to the skin have been numerically investigated. Simulations were performed considering a horizontal impermeable cylinder (human limb) surrounded by a porous layer (fabric) and exposed to cool external air. The main purpose of this study is to analyse the local and average effects of varying the air gap thickness, the permeability of the fabric, and the emissivity of the inner surface of the fabric. Such a study is relevant, for instance, for protective clothing applications (e.g. CBRN clothing), for which the local variations in temperature and/or heat fluxes may cause discomfort and health-related problems for the user, rendering space-averaged approaches inadequate. A second goal of this project is to assess the relative importance of natural convection. Transient-state simulations were conducted for a 2D cross-section of the clothed limb using COMSOL Multiphysics, in which Reynolds number was kept constant at 3900 (turbulent flow). Results reveal that increasing the air gap thickness causes substantial changes in the temperature and heat flux fields, due to the increased importance of natural convection. Decreasing fabric permeability or emissivity is shown to overall decrease the local heat fluxes. It was further concluded that the role of natural convection is non-negligible, and in some cases central, to local flow and heat transfer. The present study demonstrates that the magnitude (and relative importance) of the various heat transfer mechanisms can be altered, by varying the mentioned parameters. This means that heat transfer is significantly influenced by the fit and physical properties of the clothing, which can be engineered to reduce its adverse effects.
Capon- and APES-Based SAR Processing: Performance and Practical Considerations

This paper discusses the use of Capon's minimum-variance method (MVM) and Amplitude and Phase EStimation (APES) spectral-estimation algorithms to synthetic aperture radar range-azimuth focusing. The rationale of the algorithms is discussed. An implementation of a Capon or APES processing chain is explained, and processing parameters such as chip-image size, resampling factor, and diagonal loading are discussed. For multichannel cases, a joint-processing approach is presented. A set of Monte Carlo simulations are described and used to benchmark Capon- and APES-based processing against conventional matched-filter-based approaches. Both methods improve the resolution and reduce sidelobes. APES yields generally better estimates of amplitude and phase than Capon but with worse resolution. Results with RADARSAT-2 quad-polarization data over Barcelona are used to qualitatively study the real-life performance of these algorithms.
GR 20263, a new broad-spectrum cephalosporin with anti-pseudomonal activity

GR 20263 is a new broad-spectrum injectable cephalosporin which is stable to most beta-lactamases. Its in vitro activities were of the same order as those of cefotaxime against most gram-negative bacteria, were clearly inferior to cefotaxime against Staphylococcus aureus, but were significantly more active against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Against the 25 strains used, GR 20263 was significantly more active than any of the other agents tested: piperacillin, azlocillin, gentamicin, amikacin, and carbenicillin. GR 20263 protected mice against experimental infections with P. aeruginosa more effectively than other beta-lactam antibiotics; its general effectiveness in this test was comparable with gentamicin. Studies on human volunteers showed that it produces high, long-lasting blood levels, with much of the antibiotic being recovered in the urine. Intramuscular and intravenous injections were well tolerated by the volunteers, and there were no untoward side effects.
Cyclic Bis-1,3-dialkylpyridiniums from the Sponge Haliclona sp.

Eight novel cyclic bis-1,3-dialkylpyridiniums, as well as two known compounds from the cyclostellettamine class, were isolated from the sponge Haliclona sp. from Korea. Structures of these novel compounds were determined using combined NMR and FAB-MS/MS analyses. Several of these compounds exhibited moderate cytotoxic and antibacterial activities against A549 cell-line and Gram-positive strains, respectively. The structure-activity relationships of cyclostellettamines are discussed based on their bioactivities.
An experimental study of gender and cultural differences in hue preference

This paper investigates the influence of both gender and culture on color preference. Inspection of previous studies of color preference reveals that many of these studies have poor control over the colors that are shown—the chromatic co-ordinates of colors are either not noted or the illuminant that colors are shown under is not controlled. This means that conclusions about color preference are made using subjective terms for hue with little knowledge about the precise colors that were shown. However, recently, a new quantitative approach to investigating color preference has been proposed, where there is no need to summarize color preference using subjective terms for hue (Hurlbert and Ling, 2007; Ling and Hurlbert, 2007). This approach aims to quantitatively summarize hue preference in terms of weights on the two channels or “cardinal axes” underlying color vision. Here I further extend Hurlbert and Ling’s (2007) approach to investigating color preference, by replicating their study but with Arabic and English participants, and to answer several questions: First, are there cultural differences in the shape of the overall preference curve for English and Arabic participants? Second, are there gender differences in the shape of the overall preference curve for English and Arabic participants? Thirty eight British and 71 Saudi Arabian (Arabic) participants were compared. Results revealed that Arabic and English preference curves were found to differ, yet there was greater similarity for Arabic and English males than Arabic and English females. There was also a sex difference that was present for both Arabic and English participants. The male curve is fairly similar for both samples: peak-preference is in the blue-green region, and a preference minimum is in the red-pink/purple region. For Arabic females the preference peak appears to be in the red-pink region, whilst for English females it is shifted toward purple/blue-green.