Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Influence of GATC sequences on Escherichia coli DNA mismatch repair in vitro

The effect of the number and position of DNA adenine methylation (dam) sites, i.e., d(GATC) sequences, on mismatch repair in Escherichia coli was investigated. The efficiency of repair was measured in an in vitro assay which used an f1 heteroduplex containing a G/T mismatch within the single EcoRI site. Both an increase in the number of dam sites and a shortened distance between dam site and mismatched site increased the efficiency of mismatch repair. The sequences adjacent to d(GATC) also affected the efficiency of methylation-directed mismatch repair. Furthermore, heteroduplexes with one extra dam site located close to either the 5' or 3' end of the excised base increased the repair efficiency to about the same extent. The findings suggest that the mismatch repair pathway has no preferred polarity.
Nursing students and teaching of codes of ethics: an empirical research study.

AIM To explore graduating nursing students' perception of nurse educators' teaching of codes of ethics in polytechnics providing basic nursing education in Finland. BACKGROUND Codes of ethics are regarded as an essential content in most nursing ethics curricula. However, little is known about how their teaching is implemented. METHODS Descriptive, cross-sectional design was used in this study. A total of 214 nursing students responded to a structured questionnaire with one open-ended question. The data was analysed statistically by SPSS and content analysis. FINDINGS Students perceived teaching of the codes as fairly extensive. The emphasis was on the nurse-patient relationship. Less attention was paid to nursing in wider social contexts. Educators' use of teaching and evaluation methods was narrow. Students whose teaching had been integrated into clinical training perceived that teaching had been more extensive. However, students did not perceive integration to clinical training as a much used teaching format. Students assessed their own knowledge and ability to apply the codes as mediocre. Those educators, whose knowledge about the codes students had assessed as adequate, were also perceived to teach the codes more extensively. CONCLUSIONS Regardless of the responding students' positive description of the teaching, the findings should be interpreted with caution, due to the students' limited interest to respond. In teaching ethics, particular attention should be paid to more versatile use of teaching and evaluation methods, organization of integrated teaching, educators' competence in ethics, and student outcomes so that the importance of ethics would come across to all nursing students.
A FUNDAMENTAL PLANE OF SPIRAL STRUCTURE IN DISK GALAXIES

Spiral structure is the most distinctive feature of disk galaxies and yet debate persists about which theory of spiral structure is correct. Many versions of the density wave theory demand that the pitch angle be uniquely determined by the distribution of mass in the bulge and disk of the galaxy. We present evidence that the tangent of the pitch angle of logarithmic spiral arms in disk galaxies correlates strongly with the density of neutral atomic hydrogen in the disk and with the central stellar bulge mass of the galaxy. These three quantities, when plotted against each other, form a planar relationship that we argue should be fundamental to our understanding of spiral structure in disk galaxies. We further argue that any successful theory of spiral structure must be able to explain this relationship.
Electrophysiological and functional evaluation of peroneal nerve regeneration in rabbit following topical hyaluronic acid or tacrolimus application after nerve repair

Aims and Objectives: To investigate and compare the effects of hyaluronic acid (HA), tacrolimus (FK-506) and saline on peripheral nerve regeneration in vivo after topical application at the site of nerve repair. Materials and Methods: In the present study, 48 adult male European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus), ranging in weight from 2.5 to 3 kg, were randomly assigned to three experimental groups: Group I (saline), Group II (HA) and Group III (FK-506). After transection and immediate repair of the right sciatic nerve of each rabbit, the nerve repair sites were wrapped with an absorbable gelatin sponge soaked that contained saline, HA and FK-506 in Groups I, II and III, respectively. The left hind leg was used as a control. To evaluate the effects of HA and FK-506 on nerve regeneration, electrophysiological measurements were acquired at 6 and 12 weeks after nerve repair and toe-spreading index (TSI) experiments were conducted at 4, 8 and 12 weeks after nerve repair. Results: Motor nerve conduction velocity (MNCV) was improved in Groups II and III compared to Group I, but no differences between Groups II and III were observed. After 12 weeks, however, the MNCV in Groups I, II and III was 40.04%, 51.16% and 50.42%, respectively, of that in the control group (100%). In addition, at 12 weeks, Grade 4 TSI scores were observed in Groups II and III. Conclusion: Electrophysiological analyses and functional evaluations based on the TSI indicate that HA and FK-506 exert similar, positive effects on nerve regeneration that are superior to those observed in response to saline treatment.
Prenatal detection of monosomy 21 mosaicism

We report a case of chromosomal mosaicism for monosomy 21 revealed in amniotic fluid cell culture. Ultrasound examination at 19 weeks' gestation showed in utero growth retardation and a complex cardiac malformation. A repeated amniocentesis confirmed the presence of monosomy 21 mosaicism. In view of the sonographically detected fetal abnormalities, termination of pregnancy was elected.
Bad Apples, Bad Barrel: Exploring Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse by Catholic Clergy in Australia

This paper considers constructions of institutional culture and power in the cover-up of child sexual abuse (CSA) by clergy in the Roman Catholic Church of Australia. The issue of cover-up has previously been considered in international inquiries as an institutional failing that has caused significant harm to victims of CSA by Catholic Clergy. Evidence given by select representatives of the Catholic Church in two government inquiries into institutional abuse carried out in Australia is considered here. This evidence suggests that, where cover-up has occurred, it has been reliant on the abuse of institutional power and resulted in direct emotional, psychological and spiritual harm to victims of abuse. Despite international recognition of cover-up as institutional abuse, evidence presented by Roman Catholic Representatives to the Victorian Inquiry denied there was an institutionalised cover-up. Responding to this evidence, this paper queries whether the primary foundation of cover-up conforms to the ‘bad apple theory’ in that it relates only to a few individuals, or the ‘bad barrel theory’ of institutional structure and culture.
Bit pattern length dependence of intrachannel nonlinearities in pseudolinear transmission

A dependence of nonlinear transmission penalty on bit sequence length in pseudolinear transmission is demonstrated and studied. It is shown that, for a realistic dispersion map, bit sequence lengths incorporating tens of thousands of bits or more may become necessary to accurately capture the nonlinear transmission penalty due to intrachannel nonlinear effects, especially at low bit-error ratio (<10/sup -5/).
Specific and Independent Recognition of U3 and U5att Sites by Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Integrase In Vivo

ABSTRACT The retroviral attachment (att) sites at viral DNA ends are cis-acting regions essential for proviral integration. To investigate the sequence features of att important for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) integration in vivo, we generated a series of 25 att mutants of HIV-1 by mutagenesis of the U3, U5, or both boundaries of att. Our results indicated that the terminal 11 or 12 bp of viral DNA are sufficient for specific recognition by HIV-1 integrase (IN) and suggested that IN might recognize each att site independently in vivo.
HAMR3: An autonomous 1.7g ambulatory robot

Here we present an autonomous 1.7g hexapod robot as a platform for research on centimeter-scale walking robots. It features six spherical five-bar linkages driven by high energy density piezoelectric actuators and onboard power and control electronics. This robot has achieved autonomous ambulation using an alternating tripod gait at speeds up to 0.9 body lengths per second, making this the smallest and lightest hexapod robot capable of autonomous locomotion.
Combined treatment of miltefosine and paromomycin delays the onset of experimental drug resistance in Leishmania infantum

Background Since miltefosine monotherapy against visceral leishmaniasis (VL) caused by Leishmania donovani has been discontinued in the Indian subcontinent due to an increase in the number of treatment failures, single dose liposomal amphotericin B is now advocated as a treatment option of choice. Paromomycin-miltefosine combination therapy can be used as substitute first-line treatment in regions without cold-chain potential. Previous laboratory studies in the closely related species Leishmania infantum have demonstrated that paromomycin monotherapy fairly rapidly selects for resistance producing a phenotype with increased fitness. Given the possible clinical implications of these findings for the current field situation, the present study aimed to identify the potential hazards of paromomycin-miltefosine combination therapy. Principal findings Drug interaction studies using the fixed-ratio isobologram method revealed an indifferent interaction between paromomycin and miltefosine. In hamsters infected with L. infantum, the combination resulted in cumulative efficacy in reducing parasite burdens in the liver, spleen and bone marrow. Selected resistant lines against the single drugs did not display cross-resistance. When the intracellular amastigote stage was repeatedly exposed to the paromomycin-miltefosine combination, either in vitro or in vivo, no significant susceptibility decrease towards either drug was noted. Conclusions These results suggest that implementation of paromomycin-miltefosine combination therapy indeed could represent a safe and affordable treatment option for L. donovani VL as miltefosine appears to overrule the anticipated rapid development of PMM resistance.
Optimal filterbanks for signal reconstruction from noisy subband components

Conventional design techniques for analysis and synthesis filters in subband processing applications guarantee perfect reconstruction of the original signal from its subband components. The resulting filters lose, however, their optimality when additive noise, due for example, to signal quantization, disturbs the subband sequences. In this paper, we propose filter design techniques that minimize the reconstruction mean squared error taking into account the second order statistics of signals and noise in the case of either stochastic or deterministic signals. A novel recursive, pseudo-adaptive algorithm is proposed for efficient design of these filters. Analysis and derivations are extended to two dimensional signals and filters using powerful Kronecker product notation. A prototype application of the proposed ideas in subband coding is presented. Simulations illustrate the superior performance of the proposed filter banks versus conventional perfect reconstruction filters. <<ETX>>
Heparin suppresses lipid raft‐mediated signaling and ligand‐independent EGF receptor activation

Heparin is well known to suppress vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation, and attempts to exploit this therapeutically have led to recognition of multiple pathways for heparin's anti‐mitogenic actions. At low concentrations (ca. 1 µg · ml−1), these suppressive effects may reflect physiological activities of endogenous heparan sulfates, and appear to be rapid responses to extracellular or cell surface‐associated heparin. Because heparin has been shown to influence expression of caveolin proteins, and caveolae/lipid rafts are critical structures modulating cell signaling, we examined the effect of heparin on signaling involving cholesterol‐rich membrane microdomains. The VSMC line PAC‐1 activates the MAP kinase Erk in response to the cholesterol‐sequestering agents methyl‐β‐cyclodextrin and nystatin. This follows a temporal sequence that involves Ras‐GTP activation of MEK, and is independent of PKC, Src, and PI3 kinase. However, ligand‐independent phosphorylation of the EGF receptor (EGFR) by removal of cholesterol precedes Ras activation, and the EGFR kinase inhibitor AG1478 blocks Erk phosphorylation, supporting occurrence of the signaling sequence EGFR‐Ras‐MEK‐Erk. Phosphorylation of EGFR occurs predominantly in caveolin‐rich microdomains as identified by Western blotting of fractions from density gradient centrifugation of membranes prepared under detergent‐free conditions. In these situations, heparin inhibits phosphorylation of EGFR on the Src‐dependent site Tyr845, but not the autophosphorylation of Tyr1173, and decreases Ras activation and Erk phosphorylation. We conclude that heparin can suppress Erk signaling in VSMC with effects on site‐specific phosphorylation of EGFR localized in caveolin‐enriched lipid rafts. J. Cell. Physiol. 211: 205–212, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Exploring Internal Simulations of Perception in a Mobile Robot using Abstractions

This thesis investigates the possibilities of explaining higher cognition as internal simulations of perception and action at an abstract level. Relatively recent findings in both neuroscience and psychology indicates that both perception and action can be internally simulated by activating sensory and motor areas in the brain in absence of sensory input and without any resulting overt behavior. An investigation was conducted in order to test the hypothesis that perception can be simulated in a mobile robot using abstractions. The result from this investigation showed that this was indeed the case but that the accuracy was limited. The simulations allowed the robot to anticipate long chains of future situations but were not good enough to support any overt behavior. To further improve the results there is a need for better training techniques and/or a more complex architecture.
Adjustment Is Much Slower Than You Think

In most instances, the dynamic response of monetary and other policies to shocks is infrequent and lumpy. The same holds for the microeconomic response of some of the most important economic variables, such as investment, labor demand, and prices. We show that the standard practice of estimating the speed of adjustment of such variables with partial-adjustment ARMA procedures substantially overestimates this speed. For example, for the target federal funds rate, we find that the actual response to shocks is less than half as fast as the estimated response. For investment, labor demand and prices, the speed of adjustment inferred from aggregates of a small number of agents is likely to be close to instantaneous. While aggregating across microeconomic units reduces the bias (the limit of which is illustrated by Rotemberg's widely used linear aggregate characterization of Calvo's model of sticky prices), in some instances convergence is extremely slow. For example, even after aggregating investment across all establishments in U.S. manufacturing, the estimate of its speed of adjustment to shocks is biased upward by more than 80 percent. While the bias is not as extreme for labor demand and prices, it still remains significant at high levels of aggregation. Because the bias rises with disaggregation, findings of microeconomic adjustment that is substantially faster than aggregate adjustment are generally suspect.
Marriage and Educational Attainment: A Dynamic Approach to First Union Formation*

The article looks at the relationship between partnership formation and women's education in the Czech Republic. Education can serve as a proxy for cultural capital and earning potential. Therefore, it is expected to play a sig- nificant role in partnership formation. Analyses of data from the Family and Fertility Survey show that the level of education has an impact on the timing of the first union. However, when school enrolment is controlled, education does not play a significant role in the tendency to enter into marriage or cohabitation. It is not possible to demonstrate that the accumulation of human capital itself has an impact on union formation in the Czech Republic. Nor do data confirm the expectation that the influence of education should increase after the collapse of communism and the introduction of the market economy. Sociologický casopis/Czech Sociological Review, 2003, Vol. 39, No. 6: 841-863 During the second half of the 20th century, the family as one of the most important social institutions underwent some fundamental changes. Family-related norms and behaviour changed, and the previously standard model of starting a family - marriage, setting up a household, having a child - transformed, and lost its imper- ative character. 1 A significant number of people now give preference to a different order of events or choose not to enter into a marriage at all. The more or less toler- ated, and at a certain time of life even preferred, form of partnership has become cohabitation. The Czech Republic experienced a rapid demographic transition in the 1990s. The total number of new marriages declined by one-third (from 81 000 in 1989 to 55 000 in 2000). The mean age at the time of marriage for first marriages has risen from 24.6 to 28.9 for men and from 21.8 to 26.5 for women. Similarly, the fertility rate has declined. While in 1989 the total fertility rate (TRF) was 1.89, at the end of
Skin CD4+ Memory T Cells Play an Essential Role in Acquired Anti-Tick Immunity through Interleukin-3-Mediated Basophil Recruitment to Tick-Feeding Sites

Ticks, blood-sucking arthropods, serve as vectors for transmission of infectious diseases including Lyme borreliosis. After tick infestation, several animal species can develop resistance to subsequent infestations, reducing the risk of transmission. In a mouse model, basophils reportedly infiltrate tick-feeding sites during the second but not first infestation and play a crucial role in the expression of acquired tick resistance. However, the mechanism underlying basophil recruitment to the second tick-feeding site remains ill-defined. Here, we investigated cells and their products responsible for the basophil recruitment. Little or no basophil infiltration was detected in T-cell-deficient mice, and adoptive transfer of CD4+ but not CD8+ T cells reconstituted it. Il3 gene expression was highly upregulated at the second tick-feeding site, and adoptive transfer of interleukin-3 (IL-3)-sufficient but not IL-3-deficient CD4+ T cells conferred the basophil infiltration on T-cell-deficient mice, indicating that the CD4+ T-cell-derived IL-3 is essential for the basophil recruitment. Notably, IL-3+ resident CD4+ memory T cells were detected even before the second infestation in previously uninfested skin distant from the first tick-feeding site. Taken together, IL-3 produced locally by skin CD4+ memory T cells appears to play a crucial role in basophil recruitment to the second tick-feeding site.
Applying PCA for Traffic Anomaly Detection: Problems and Solutions

Spatial Principal Component Analysis (PCA) has been proposed for network-wide anomaly detection. A recent work has shown that PCA is very sensitive to calibration settings. Unfortunately, the authors did not provide further explanations for this observation. In this paper, we fill this gap and provide the reasoning behind the found discrepancies. We revisit PCA for anomaly detection and evaluate its performance on our data. We develop a slightly modified version of PCA that uses only data from a single router. Instead of correlating data across different spatial measurement points, we correlate the data across different metrics. With the help of the analyzed data, we explain the pitfalls of PCA and underline our argumentation with measurement results. We show that the main problem is that PCA fails to capture temporal correlation. We propose a solution to deal with this problem by replacing PCA with the Karhunen-Loeve transform. We find that when we consider temporal correlation, anomaly detection results are significantly improved.
Changes in the Maternal Hypothalamic‐Pituitary‐Adrenal Axis During the Early Puerperium may be Related to the Postpartum ‘Blues’

Most women experience time‐limited and specific mood changes in the days after birth known as the maternity blues (Blues). The maternal hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal (HPA) axis undergoes gradual changes during pregnancy because of an increasing production of placental corticotrophin‐releasing hormone (CRH). The abrupt withdrawal of placental CRH at birth results in a re‐equilibration of the maternal HPA axis in the days post‐delivery. These changes may be involved in the aetiology of the Blues given the central role of the HPA axis in the aetiology of mood disorders in general, and in perinatal depression in particular. We aimed to test the novel hypothesis that the experience of the Blues may be related to increased secretion of hypothalamic adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) secretagogue peptides, after the reduction in negative‐feedback inhibition on the maternal hypothalamus caused by withdrawal of placental CRH. We therefore examined hormonal changes in the HPA axis in the days after delivery in relation to daily mood changes: our specific prediction was that mood changes would parallel ACTH levels, reflecting increased hypothalamic peptide secretion. Blood concentrations of CRH, ACTH, cortisol, progesterone and oestriol were measured in 70 healthy women during the third trimester of pregnancy, and on days 1–6 post‐delivery. Blues scores were evaluated during the postpartum days. Oestriol, progesterone and CRH levels fell rapidly from pregnancy up to day 6, whereas cortisol levels fell modestly. ACTH concentrations declined from pregnancy to day 3 post‐delivery and thereafter increased up to day 6. Blues scores increased, peaking on day 5, and were positively correlated with ACTH; and negatively correlated with oestriol levels during the postpartum days, and with the reduction in CRH concentrations from pregnancy. These findings give indirect support to the hypothesis that the ‘reactivation’ of hypothalamic ACTH secretagogue peptides may be involved in the aetiology of the Blues.