Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The physicochemical basis of QSARs for baseline toxicity

The physico-chemical properties relevant to the equilibrium partitioning (bioconcentration) of chemicals between organisms and their respired media of water and air are reviewed and illustrated for chemicals that range in hydrophobicity. Relationships are then explored between freely dissolved external concentrations such as LC50s and chemical properties for one important toxicity mechanism, namely baseline toxicity or narcosis. The ‘activity hypothesis’ proposed by Ferguson in 1939 provides a coherent and compelling explanation for baseline toxicity of chemicals in both water- and air-respiring organisms, as well as a reference point for identifying more specific toxicity pathways. From inhalation studies with fish and rodents, narcosis is shown to occur at a chemical activity exceeding approximately 0.01 and there is no evidence of narcosis at activities less than 0.001. The activity hypothesis provides a framework for directly comparing the toxic potency of chemicals in both air- and water-breathing animals. The activity hypothesis is shown to be consistent with the critical body residue concept, but it has the advantage of avoiding the confounding effect of lipid content of the test organism. It also provides a theoretically sound basis for assessing the baseline toxicity of mixtures. It is suggested that since activity is readily calculated from fugacity, observed or predicted environmental abiotic and biotic fugacities can be used to evaluate the potential for baseline toxicity. Further, models employing fugacity or activity can be used to improve the experimental design of bioassays, thus possibly reducing unnecessary animal testing.
The Escherichia coli histone-like protein HU affects DNA initiation, chromosome partitioning via MukB, and cell division via MinCDE

Escherichia coli hupA hupB double mutants, lacking both subunits (HU1 and HU2) of the histone-like protein HU, accumulate secondary mutations. In some genetic backgrounds, these include mutations in the minCDE operon, inactivating this system of septation control and resulting in the formation of minicells. In the course of the characterization of hupA hupB mutants, we observed that the simultaneous absence of the HU2 subunit and the MukB protein, implicated in chromosome partitioning, is lethal for the bacteria; the integrity of either HU or MukB thus seems to be essential for bacterial growth. The HU protein has been shown to be involved in DNA replication in vitro; we show here that its inactivation in the hupA hupB double mutant disturbs the synchrony of replication initiation in vivo, as evaluated by flow cytometry. Our results suggest that global nucleoid structure, determined in part by the histone-like protein HU, plays a role in DNA replication initiation, in proper chromosome partitioning directed by the MukFEB proteins, and in correct septum placement directed by the MinCDE proteins.
Structural Dynamics and Epigenetic Modifications of Hoxc Loci along the Anteroposterior Body Axis in Developing Mouse Embryos

Hox genes are organized as clusters and specify regional identity along the anteroposterior body axis by sequential expression at a specific time and region during embryogenesis. However, the precise mechanisms underlying the sequential spatio-temporal, collinear expression pattern of Hox genes are not fully understood. Since epigenetic modifications such as chromatin architecture and histone modifications have become crucial mechanisms for highly coordinated gene expressions, we examined such modifications. E14.5 mouse embryos were dissected into three parts along the anteroposterior axis: brain, trunk-anterior, and trunk-posterior. Then, structural changes and epigenetic modifications were analyzed along the Hoxc cluster using chromosome conformation capture and chromatin immunoprecipitation-PCR methods. Hox non-expressing brain tissues had more compact, heterochromatin-like structures together with the strong repressive mark H3K27me3 than trunk tissues. In the trunk, however, a more loose euchromatin-like topology with a reduced amount of H3K27me3 modifications were observed along the whole cluster, regardless of their potency in gene activation. The active mark H3K4me3 was rather closely associated with the collinear expression of Hoxc genes; at trunk-anterior tissues, only 3' anterior Hoxc genes were marked by H3K4me3 upon gene activation, whereas whole Hoxc genes were marked by H3K4me3 and showed expression in trunk-posterior tissues. Altogether, these results indicated that loosening of the chromatin architecture and removing H3K27me3 were not sufficient for, but rather the concomitant acquisition of H3K4me3 drove the collinear expression of Hoxc genes.
ON LOW RANK PERTURBATIONS OF COMPLEX MATRICES AND SOME DISCRETE METRIC SPACES

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Systematic review of the epidemiology of systemic lupus erythematosus in the Asia‐Pacific region: Prevalence, incidence, clinical features, and mortality

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a chronic multisystem autoimmune disease with a wide spectrum of manifestations, shows considerable variation across the globe, although there is little evidence to indicate its relative prevalence in Asia. This review describes its prevalence, severity, and outcome across countries in the Asia‐Pacific region.
INCREASED ENDOTHELIN-1 ASSOCIATED WITH BACTERIAL INFECTION IN LUNG TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS1

Background. Endothelin-1 (ET-1) has fibrogenic and inflammatory properties. Its pathogenic role in pulmonary fibrosis and certain inflammatory airway diseases is now well known. Its production is, in part, triggered by infectious processes. Episodes of infection are suspected to be involved in the development of bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS), which is the main feature of chronic lung rejection and the major factor limiting the long-term survival of transplanted patients. We postulated that ET-1 is upregulated during infectious complications arising from the graft and that this could partly explain the remodeling of airway structures observed in BOS. We, therefore, set up this study to assess ET-1 expression in relation to complications of the graft in human lung transplant recipients. Methods. ET-1 mRNA was quantified by reverse transcription-competitive polymerase chain reaction in cells from 119 samples of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid from 17 lung transplant recipients. ET-1 and big ET-1 proteins were assessed in BAL cell culture supernatants by enzyme immunoassay. Transbronchial biopsies (n=21) were stained immunohistochemically for ET-1 receptors. Results. Episodes of bacterial infection strongly correlated with increased ET-1 mRNA and protein expression. ET-1 receptors were also upregulated during these episodes, especially on endothelial and smooth muscle cells. Five of the seven patients with the highest ET-1 levels subsequently developed BOS. Conclusions. These results raise the possibility that ET-1, part of whose production is triggered by infectious postgraft complications, might play a role in the development of BOS through its potential effects on airway remodeling.
An Improved Topology-Potential-Based Community Detection Algorithm for Complex Network

Topology potential theory is a new community detection theory on complex network, which divides a network into communities by spreading outward from each local maximum potential node. At present, almost all topology-potential-based community detection methods ignore node difference and assume that all nodes have the same mass. This hypothesis leads to inaccuracy of topology potential calculation and then decreases the precision of community detection. Inspired by the idea of PageRank algorithm, this paper puts forward a novel mass calculation method for complex network nodes. A node's mass obtained by our method can effectively reflect its importance and influence in complex network. The more important the node is, the bigger its mass is. Simulation experiment results showed that, after taking node mass into consideration, the topology potential of node is more accurate, the distribution of topology potential is more reasonable, and the results of community detection are more precise.
Association between infections with CagA-positive or -negative strains of Helicobacter pylori and risk for gastric cancer in young adults

OBJECTIVE:We assessed the association between infection with CagA-positive and -negative Helicobacter pylori and the risk of gastric cancer in young adults.METHODS:CagA IgG antibodies were measured in sera of subjects participating in a case-control study in Japan. The study subjects were 103 gastric cancer patients <40 yr of age, 100 inpatients with benign diseases, and 101 screenees younger than age 43 yr.RESULTS:Compared with the H. pylori-negative/CagA-negative (H. pylori-/CagA−) group, both the H. pylori-positive/CagA-negative (H. pylori+/CagA−) group and the H. pylori-positive/CagA-positive (H. pylori+/CagA+) groups showed elevated odds ratios for intestinal-type, diffuse-type, early, advanced, proximal, and distal gastric cancers. All the relationships were significant except for the H. pylori+/CagA− group in relation to proximal cancer. The overall odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for gastric cancer in the H. pylori+/CagA− and the H. pylori+/CagA+ groups were 15.0 (6.4, 35.2) and 14.6 (6.7, 31.9), respectively. Between these two groups, no significant difference was observed in risks for intestinal-type, diffuse-type, early, advanced, proximal, or distal gastric cancer.CONCLUSIONS:In those <40 yr of age, it is concluded that both CagA-positive and CagA-negative H. pylori infections are related to risks of intestinal-type, diffuse-type, early, advanced, and distal gastric cancers.
Extracellular Gelatinase of Enterococcus faecalis Destroys a Defense System in Insect Hemolymph and Human Serum

ABSTRACT We isolated Enterococcus faecalis from the body fluids of dead larvae of the greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella. Extracellular gelatinase (GelE) and serine protease (SprE), both of which are considered putative virulence factors of E. faecalis, were purified from the culture supernatant of E. faecalis. In an attempt to elucidate their virulence mechanisms, purified GelE and SprE were injected into hemolymph of G. mellonella and evaluated with regard to their effects on the immune system of insect hemolymph. As a result, it was determined that E. faecalis GelE degraded an inducible antimicrobial peptide (Gm cecropin) which is known to perform a critical role in host defense during the early phase of microbial infection. The results obtained from the G. mellonella-E. faecalis infection model compelled us to assess the virulence activity of GelE against the complement system in human serum. E. faecalis GelE hydrolyzed C3a and also mediated the degradation of the alpha chain of C3b, thereby inhibiting opsonization and the formation of the membrane attack complex resultant from the activation of the complement cascade triggered by C3 activation. In contrast, E. faecalis SprE exhibited no virulence effect against the immune system of insect hemolymph or human serum tested in this study.
RADIO AND MID-INFRARED IDENTIFICATION OF BLAST SOURCE COUNTERPARTS IN THE CHANDRA DEEP FIELD SOUTH

We have identified radio and/or mid-infrared counterparts to 198 out of 350 sources detected at ⩾5σ over ∼9 deg2 centered on the Chandra Deep Field South by the Balloon-borne Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope (BLAST) at 250, 350, and 500 μm. We have matched 114 of these counterparts to optical sources with previously derived photometric redshifts and fitted spectral energy distributions to the BLAST fluxes and fluxes at 70 and 160 μm acquired with the Spitzer Space Telescope. In this way, we have constrained dust temperatures, total far-infrared/submillimeter luminosities, and star formation rates for each source. Our findings show that, on average, the BLAST sources lie at significantly lower redshifts and have significantly lower rest-frame dust temperatures compared to submillimeter sources detected in surveys conducted at 850 μm. We demonstrate that an apparent increase in dust temperature with redshift in our sample arises as a result of selection effects. Finally, we provide the full multiwavelength catalog of ⩾5σ BLAST sources contained within the complete ∼9 deg2 survey area.
Invisible formal methods for embedded control systems

Embedded control systems typically comprise continuous control laws combined with discrete mode logic. These systems are modeled using a hybrid automaton formalism, which is obtained by combining the discrete transition system formalism with continuous dynamical systems. This paper develops automated analysis techniques for asserting correctness of hybrid system designs. Our approach is based on symbolic representation of the state space of the system using mathematical formulas in an appropriate logic. Such formulas are manipulated using symbolic theorem proving techniques. It is important that formal analysis should be unobtrusive and acceptable to engineering practice. We motivate a methodology called invisible formal methods that provides a graded sequence of formal analysis technologies ranging from extended typechecking, through approximation and abstraction, to model checking and theorem proving. As an instance of invisible formal methods, we describe techniques to check inductive invariants, or extended types, for hybrid systems and compute discrete finite state abstractions automatically to perform reachability set computation. The abstract system is sound with respect to the formal semantics of hybrid automata. We also discuss techniques for performing analysis on nonstandard semantics of hybrid automata. We also briefly discuss the problem of translating models in Simulink/Stateflow language, which is widely used in practice, into the modeling formalisms, like hybrid automata, for which analysis tools are being developed.
Recognition of the presence and severity of newborn jaundice by parents, nurses, physicians, and icterometer.

OBJECTIVE To determine how well parents, nurses, physicians, and an Ingram icterometer can detect the presence and the severity of jaundice in newborns. SETTING Normal newborn nursery in a 340-bed teaching hospital. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS Nurses and physicians caring for nursery infants and parents of the infants. INTERVENTIONS Physicians and nurses examining newborns documented whether they detected jaundice in the infants and, if so, the estimated bilirubin level and the extent of cephalocaudal progression of the jaundice. An assistant taught the parents how to examine the infants for jaundice and determine its cephalocaudal progression. The assistant also obtained icterometer readings. Bilirubin testing was performed according to usual clinical practice. OUTCOME MEASURES Nurse and physician estimates of bilirubin levels; parent, nurse, and physician assessment of the presence of jaundice and its cephalocaudal progression; icterometer readings; bilirubin levels. RESULTS There was moderate agreement about the presence of jaundice in the infants (pairwise kappa, 0.48) However, all infants with bilirubin levels >12 mg/dL were correctly identified as jaundiced by all examiners. The parents' assessment of cephalocaudal progression and the icterometer readings were most highly correlated with serum bilirubin levels (adjusted Pearson correlations, 0.71 and 0.57, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Many parents can be taught to accurately assess cephalocaudal progression of jaundice in the hospital. The icterometer is a useful tool for assessing jaundice severity. Both parent assessment and the icterometer were more highly correlated with bilirubin levels than physician and nurse estimates in this study. Additional research is needed to determine how accurate these methods of clinical assessment are at the higher bilirubin levels that typically occur after hospital discharge.
Immunization with Varicella-zoster virus glycoprotein E expressing vectors: Comparison of antibody response to DNA vaccine and recombinant vaccinia virus.

Immunization with DNA vaccines expressing Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) glycoprotein E (gE) induced formation of specific antibodies in mice. The antibody response correlated with the level of in vitro gE expression if the plasmid was inoculated intradermally (i.d.) with a gene gun but not if intramuscular (i.m.) injection was used. The i.d. vaccination produced a higher antibody level than the i.m. one even though a 100-fold amount of DNA was administered. A plasmid expressing a truncated form of gE was less immunogenic. The magnitude of antibody response induced by immunization with recombinant vaccinia viruses (rVVs) was equivalent to the gene gun vaccination. Administration of DNA by i.m. route or Vaccinia virus (VV) gE by i.d. mute resulted in predominance of IgG2a in the response while the gene gun plasmid inoculation usually elicited similar levels of IgG1 and IgG2a. The antibody response elicited by DNA vaccine was boosted by a secondary immunization with rVV. The boosting effect was highest if the virus was administered intraperitoneal (i.p.).
Clinical signs and left atrial size in cats with cardiovascular disease in general practice.

OBJECTIVES To evaluate population characteristics, clinical signs and simple echocardiographic measurements of a general practice population of cats, in identifying characteristics that reliably distinguish cats with heart disease from others, including those with respiratory disease, using widely available techniques. METHODS Cats presented with heart disease (n=103), respiratory disease (n=19) and a normal group (n=29) were prospectively recruited. All cats were subject to full clinical examination, echocardiography and additional diagnostic procedures as appropriate to establish definitive diagnosis. Cats were classified as Group 1: no heart disease ± respiratory disease; Group 2: heart disease with no clinical signs; Group 3: heart disease with clinical signs. Murmur, gallop sound and arrhythmia prevalence and left atrial size were compared between the groups. RESULTS Low heart rates prevailed in Group 3. Murmurs were prevalent in Group 2, but in Group 3 prevalence was significantly lower. Dyspnoea, gallop sounds, arrhythmias and left atrial diameter were significantly different between groups. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE Heart rate is unreliable for diagnosing heart failure in cats. Absence of murmur is prevalent in cats with clinical signs of heart failure, but arrhythmia and gallop sounds are prevalent. Echocardiographic measurement of left atrial diameter >16.5 mm may distinguish heart failure from respiratory disease in general practice.
A dual-beam 3D searchlight BSSRDF

classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. Copyrights for third-party components of this work must be honored. For all other uses, contact the Owner/Author. SIGGRAPH 2014, August 10 – 14, 2014, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. 2014 Copyright held by the Owner/Author. ACM 978-1-4503-2960-6/14/08 A Dual-Beam 3D Searchlight BSSRDF
Repoussé: automatic inflation of 2D artwork

We describe a new system for the interactive enhancement of 2D art with 3D geometry. Repoussé creates a 3D shape by inflating the surface that interpolates the input curves. By using the mean curvature stored at boundary vertices as a degree of freedom, we are able to control the inflated surface intuitively and efficiently using a single linear system. Repoussé handles both smooth and sharp position constraints. Position constraint vertices can also have curvature constraints for controlling the inflation of the local surface. We show the applications of our system in font design, stroke design, photo enhancement and freeform 3D shape design.
Anthropometric study of the nasal index of bekwara ethnic group of cross river state , nigeria

Nasal anthropometry can be employed in identification of the race and sex of individuals whose identity cannot be ascertained since the normal nose morphology is dependent on ethnic, gender and environmental influences.This study is aimed at deriving normal standard values for the Nasal Index (NI) in adults of the Bekwara ethnic group in Cross River state of SouthSouth Nigeria. One hundred (100) subjects (50 males and 50 females) aged 21-45 years were recruited for this study of which the nasal height, nasal length and nasal breadth were determined . Sexual dimorphism was noted (P <0.05) as higher values were observed in males in Nose width and Nasal indices (P < 0.05). Applying the international Nose anthropometric methods to assess and compare Nasal morphological characteristics, both males and female have platyrrhine (broad and short) Nose type since their nasal index was revealed to be 94.65 and 90.33 respectively. This study clearly buttresses the African origin of the Bekwaras, it also confirms that anthropometric variation in the nose parameter employed in the calculation of the nasal index does exist. These measurements in healthy subjects are useful for dysmorphologist in the early identification of some dysmorphic syndromes like cleft lip associated with nose disorders, it will also be relevant in forensic medicine,rhinoplastic surgery and physical anthropology.
Taking the bite out of culture: The impact of task structure and task type on overcoming impediments to cross-cultural team performance

Summary Research on the effect of cultural diversity on team performance remains inconclusive. We propose to resolve the competing predictions of the information/decision making versus the social categorization theories by integrating two task-related theories, the situational strength theory and the circumplex model of group tasks. We propose that high task specificity enables similar interpretations and shared understanding among team members, which is needed for effective “execute” (convergent) tasks, is characterized by team cooperation and interdependence. Low task specificity, in contrast, is beneficial for “generate” (creative) tasks, because it does not place constraints on generating original ideas and does not require tight coordination among the team members. We tested the effects of situational strength and task type on the relationship between cultural diversity and team performance in two experiments with 86 and 96 dyads in the first and second experiments, respectively. In both experiments, heterogeneous (Israeli–Singaporean) and homogeneous dyads (Israeli–Israeli and Singaporean–Singaporean) worked under low or high task specificity. In Study 1, dyads performed convergent execution tasks, and in Study 2, they performed creative idea-generation tasks. The impediment of multiculturalism was reduced in execute (convergent) tasks under high task specificity and in generate (divergent) tasks under low task specificity. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.