Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
IncF plasmid diversity in multi-drug resistant Escherichia coli strains from animals in China

The purpose of this study was to characterize a collection of 103 multidrug resistance IncF plasmids recovered from Escherichia coli of food producing and companion animals between 2003 and 2012. A total of 103 incF plasmids were characterized using an established PCR-based IncF replicon sequence typing (RST) system to identify FII, FIA, and FIB (FAB) groups. Plasmids were also analyzed using-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). Antibiotic Resistance determinants blaCTX-M, plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) genes and rmtB and plasmid addiction systems (PAS) were identified by PCR screening. A total of 20 different RSTs from 103 IncF plasmids were identified. The groups F2 and F33 with the RST formulae A-: B- were the most frequently encountered types (63.1%). The antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) blaCTX-M, rmtB, and oqxB were carried by 82, 37, and 34 IncF plasmids, respectively. Most of these plasmids carried more than one resistance gene (59.2%, 61/103). The IncF plasmids also had a high frequency of addiction systems (mean 2.54) and two antisense RNA-regulated systems (hok–sok and srnBC) and a protein antitoxin-regulated system (pemKI) were the most prevalent. Not surprisingly, RFLP profiles among the IncF plasmids were diverse even though some shared identical IncF-RSTs. This is the first extensive study of IncF plasmid-positive E. coli isolates from animals in China. Our results demonstrate that IncF is the most prevalent plasmid family in E. coli plasmids and they commonly carry multiple resistance determinants that render them resistant to different antibiotic classes simultaneously. IncF plasmids also harbor addiction systems, promoting their stability and maintenance in the bacterial host, under changing environmental conditions.
The role of a defunctioning stoma for colonic and perianal Crohn’s disease in the biological era

Abstract Objective: A defunctioning stoma is a therapeutic option for colonic or perianal Crohn’s disease. In the pre-biologic era the response rate to defunctioning in our unit was high (86%), but intestinal continuity was only restored in 11–20%. Few data exist on the outcome of defunctioning since the widespread introduction of biologicals. Material and methods: All patients undergoing a defunctioning stoma for colonic/perianal Crohn’s disease since 2003–2011 were identified from a prospective database. Indications for surgery, medical therapy, response to defunctioning and long-term clinical outcome were recorded. Successful restoration of continuity was defined as no stoma at last follow up. Results: Seventy-six patients were defunctioned (57 with biologicals) and at last follow up, 20 (27%) had continuity restored. Early clinical response rate (<3 months) was 15/76 (20%) and overall response 31/76 (41%). Complex anal fistulae/stenosis were associated with a very low chance of restoring continuity (10% and 0%, respectively), while colitis was associated with a higher chance of restoring continuity (48%). Endoscopic or histological improvement in colitis after defunctioning was associated with a higher rate of restoring continuity (10/16, 63%) compared to no such improvement (4/15, 27%, p = 0.05). Those failing biologics had similar chance of restoration as those not receiving biologics, 15/57 (26%) and 5/19 (26%), respectively. Conclusion: Overall response to colonic defunctioning was 41%. Successful restoration of continuity occurred in 27%, but 48% in the absence of perianal disease. Response is appreciably less in the pre-biologic era, so patient and physician expectations need to be managed appropriately.
STUDIES ON THE RECOVERY OF THE IMMUNE RESPONSE IN IRRADIATED MICE THYMECTOMIZED IN ADULT LIFE

Experiments performed on CBA mice thymectomized in adult life, exposed to lethal doses of irradiation and given tissue therapy are described. Marrow, foetal liver, or spleen cells from syngeneic donors could protect the mice against the lethal effects of irradiation. Between 30 and 70 days' postirradiation, however, marrow-treated, thymectomized irradiated mice showed evidence of trophic disturbances, such as failure to gain weight, in contrast to sham-operated, irradiated, marrow-treated controls. The immune responses of experimental and control mice were tested up to 150 days' postirradiation by challenging with sheep erythrocytes and allogeneic skin grafts. Sham-operated irradiated controls, whether protected with marrow, foetal liver, or spleen cells, produced normal immune responses when challenged at 28, 60, or 150 days after irradiation. Neither foetal liver cells nor marrow cells, in doses of up to 40 million cells per mouse, enabled thymectomized irradiated mice to recover normal immune functions. Spleen cells, from normal donors but not from neonatally thymectomized donors, restored immunological capacity in such mice. It is concluded that immunologically competent cells are present in the spleen of normal adult donors and can function in the absence of the thymus. Bone marrow, on the other hand, does not contain an adequate population of such cells but has lymphoid precursor cells, the descendants of which can become immunologically competent only in the presence of a functioning thymus mechanism.
Vocabulary Intervention for Secondary-Level Youth

A research-translation project introduced a precision-teaching vocabulary intervention to 36 general and special education teachers through two workshops over a two-year period. (The teachers, in turn, introduced the approach to 694 students, 125 of whom were youth with learning disabilities). The goals of the project were threefold: (a) to determine if, after attending one-day training sessions, teachers were able to implement the vocabulary approach with their students; (b) to evaluate the degree to which the intervention influenced student performance, especially that of pupils with learning disabilities; and (c) to gather teacher and student reactions to the approach. Project outcomes revealed that (a) all but one teacher who received training implemented the approach and collected student performance data; (b) the majority of students, whether general or special education youth attending mainstream or special education settings, demonstrated increased accuracy and fluency on timed vocabulary quizzes; and (c) both teachers and students found the approach worthwhile and enjoyable.
Effects of Extracellular Calcium Ions, Verapamil, and Lanthanum on Active and Passive Properties of Canine Cardiac Purkinje Fibers

The effects of alteration of extracellular calcium ion concentration ([Ca++]o) were studied in isolated false tendons using microelectrode techniques. Several determinants of cellular excitability and conduction velocity were affected by extracellular calcium. Increasing [Ca++]o from 2 to 8 mm resulted in: (1) a progressive decrease in interelectrode conduction velocity (2) a 7-mV shift of the maximum upstroke velocity-membrane potential relation toward less negative potential, (3) an increase in rheobasic current, (4) a 14-mV shift of the voltage threshold for all-or-none depolarization to less negative potentials. (5) a 52% increase in internal longitudinal resistance per unit length, and (6) a 27% decrease in the capacitance filled by the foot of the action potential from 4.90 to 3.56 μF/cm2. Blockade of the slow inward current by Mn++ or verapamil did not alter the [Ca++]o-induced effects on the maximum upstroke velocity-membrane potential relation. Cable properties were determined during alteration of [Ca++]o in the presence of verapamil (3 × 10−6 and 1 × 10−5 M) or in the presence of La+++ (0.2 mm). Verapamil increased membrane resistance × unit length but did not affect internal longitudinal resistance per unit length. La+++ had no effects on either membrane resistance × unit length or internal longitudinal resistance per unit length. Verapamil did not block the increase in n induced by elevation of [Ca++]o. However, no change in r1 occurred during an increase of [Ca++]o when La+++ was present. The results suggest that [Ca++]o-induced changes in internal longitudinal resistance may occur by the influx of calcium ions through the Na+/Ca++ exchange mechanism.
Flavaglines: A group of efficient growth inhibitors block cell cycle progression and induce apoptosis in colorectal cancer cells

Flavaglines are flavonol–cinnamate‐derived cyclopenta[b]benzofurans, so far reported only for the genus Aglaia of the plant family Meliaceae. They represent a group of highly bioactive metabolites already known for their strong antileukemic activities. To assess their suitability as chemotherapeutic drugs in colorectal cancer, their cytostatic effects and the underlying mechanisms of action were analyzed in colorectal tumor cell lines. Aglaiastatin was the most active flavagline, inhibiting growth and inducing apoptosis at nanomolar concentrations in SW480 and HT29/HI1 carcinoma cells, while the premalignant adenoma cell lines VACO235 and LT97 as well as the normal intestinal epithelial cell line IEC18 were 1,000 times less sensitive (IC50 > 10 μM). In SW480 cells, aglaiastatin caused cell cycle block in early mitosis, demonstrated by a shift of cell cycle distribution 24 and 48 hr after addition of aglaiastatin and by an increased content of cyclin B after 6 hr together with a decreased level of cyclin A as early as 2 hr after exposure. In addition, induction of apoptosis could be shown by the characteristic morphology of apoptotic nuclei, loss of MMP and downmodulation of bclxl. Strong activation of p38 was observed after 2 hr of exposure, indicating that apoptosis may be induced via a p38‐mediated stress pathway. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Relations between Spatial Distribution, Social Affiliations and Dominance Hierarchy in a Semi-Free Mandrill Population

Although there exist advantages to group-living in comparison to a solitary lifestyle, costs and gains of group-living may be unequally distributed among group members. Predation risk, vigilance levels and food intake may be unevenly distributed across group spatial geometry and certain within-group spatial positions may be more or less advantageous depending on the spatial distribution of these factors. In species characterized with dominance hierarchy, high-ranking individuals are commonly observed in advantageous spatial position. However, in complex social systems, individuals can develop affiliative relationships that may balance the effect of dominance relationships in individual's spatial distribution. The objective of the present study is to investigate how the group spatial distribution of a semi-free ranging colony of Mandrills relates to its social organization. Using spatial observations in an area surrounding the feeding zone, we tested the three following hypothesis: (1) does dominance hierarchy explain being observed in proximity or far from a food patch? (2) Do affiliative associations also explain being observed in proximity or far from a food patch? (3) Do the differences in rank in the group hierarchy explain being co-observed in proximity of a food patch? Our results showed that high-ranking individuals were more observed in proximity of the feeding zone while low-ranking individuals were more observed at the boundaries of the observation area. Furthermore, we observed that affiliative relationships were also associated with individual spatial distributions and explain more of the total variance of the spatial distribution in comparison with dominance hierarchy. Finally, we found that individuals observed at a same moment in proximity of the feeding zone were more likely to be distant in the hierarchy while controlling for maternal kinship, age and sex similarity. This study brings some elements about how affiliative networks and dominance hierarchy are related to spatial positions in primates.
Zur Messung des Berufsprestiges: Aktualisierung der Magnitude-Prestigeskala auf die Berufsklassifikation ISCO88

Empfohlene Zitierung / Suggested Citation: Christoph, Bernhard: Zur Messung des Berufsprestiges: Aktualisierung der Magnitude-Prestigeskala. In: Rehberg, Karl-Siegbert (Ed.) ; Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Soziologie (DGS) (Ed.): Soziale Ungleichheit, kulturelle Unterschiede: Verhandlungen des 32. Kongresses der Deutschen Gesellschaft fur Soziologie in Munchen. Teilbd. 1 und 2. Frankfurt am Main : Campus Verl. , 2006. ISBN 3-593-37887-6, pp. 2005-2020. URN: http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0168ssoar-144055
LiSens- A Scalable Architecture for Video Compressive Sensing

The measurement rate of cameras that take spatially multiplexed measurements by using spatial light modulators (SLM) is often limited by the switching speed of the SLMs. This is especially true for single-pixel cameras where the photodetector operates at a rate that is many orders-of-magnitude greater than the SLM. We study the factors that determine the measurement rate for such spatial multiplexing cameras (SMC) and show that increasing the number of pixels in the device improves the measurement rate, but there is an optimum number of pixels (typically, few thousands) beyond which the measurement rate does not increase. This motivates the design of LiSens, a novel imaging architecture, that replaces the photodetector in the single-pixel camera with a 1D linear array or a line-sensor. We illustrate the optical architecture underlying LiSens, build a prototype, and demonstrate results of a range of indoor and outdoor scenes. LiSens delivers on the promise of SMCs: imaging at a megapixel resolution, at video rate, using an inexpensive low-resolution sensor.
Gateways of Ventral and Dorsal Streams in Mouse Visual Cortex

It is widely held that the spatial processing functions underlying rodent navigation are similar to those encoding human episodic memory (Doeller et al., 2010). Spatial and nonspatial information are provided by all senses including vision. It has been suggested that visual inputs are fed to the navigational network in cortex and hippocampus through dorsal and ventral intracortical streams (Whitlock et al., 2008), but this has not been shown directly in rodents. We have used cytoarchitectonic and chemoarchitectonic markers, topographic mapping of receptive fields, and pathway tracing to determine in mouse visual cortex whether the lateromedial field (LM) and the anterolateral field (AL), which are the principal targets of primary visual cortex (V1) (Wang and Burkhalter, 2007) specialized for processing nonspatial and spatial visual information (Gao et al., 2006), are distinct areas with diverse connections. We have found that the LM/AL border coincides with a change in type 2 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor expression in layer 4 and with the representation of the lower visual field periphery. Our quantitative analyses also show that LM strongly projects to temporal cortex as well as the lateral entorhinal cortex, which has weak spatial selectivity (Hargreaves et al., 2005). In contrast, AL has stronger connections with posterior parietal cortex, motor cortex, and the spatially selective medial entorhinal cortex (Haftig et al., 2005). These results support the notion that LM and AL are architecturally, topographically, and connectionally distinct areas of extrastriate visual cortex and that they are gateways for ventral and dorsal streams.
Retrieval of Textual Song Lyrics from Sung Inputs

Retrieving the lyrics of a sung recording from a database of text documents is a research topic that has not received attention so far. Such a retrieval system has many practical applications, e.g. for karaoke applications or for indexing large song databases by their lyric content. In this paper, we present such a lyrics retrieval system. In a first step, phoneme posteriorgrams are extracted from sung recordings using various acoustic models trained on TIMIT and a variation thereof, and on subsets of a large database of recordings of unaccompanied singing (DAMP). On the other side, we generate binary templates from the available textual lyrics. Since these lyrics do not have any temporal information, we then employ an approach based on Dynamic Time Warping to retrieve the most likely lyrics document for each recording. The approach is tested on a different subset of the unaccompanied singing database which includes 601 recordings of 301 different songs (12000 lines of lyrics). The approach is evaluated both on a song-wise and on a line-wise scale. The results are highly encouraging and could be used further to perform automatic lyrics alignment and keyword spotting for large databases of songs.
Digoxin derivatives with selectivity for the α2β3 isoform of Na,K-ATPase potently reduce intraocular pressure

Significance Glaucoma is associated with increased pressure in the eye, which can be alleviated by increasing outflow from the eye or reducing inflow of aqueous humor produced in the ciliary epithelium. A special form of Na,K-ATPase (α2β3 isoform), the ion pump that maintains electrochemical gradients of Na+ and K+ across animal cell membranes, powers production of aqueous humor. We describe derivatives of a classical Na,K-ATPase inhibitor, digoxin, with selectivity for the α2β3 isoform over the common α1β1 isoform and show that topical application of α2β3-selective derivatives to rabbit eyes efficiently reduces either pharmacologically raised or basal intraocular pressure. This work confirms the importance of α2β3 in production of aqueous humor and may provide a novel approach for glaucoma drug therapy. The ciliary epithelium in the eye consists of pigmented epithelial cells that express the α1β1 isoform of Na,K-ATPase and nonpigmented epithelial cells that express mainly the α2β3 isoform. In principle, a Na,K-ATPase inhibitor with selectivity for α2β3 that penetrates the cornea could effectively reduce intraocular pressure, with minimal systemic or local toxicity. We have recently synthesized perhydro-1,4-oxazepine derivatives of digoxin by NaIO4 oxidation of the third digitoxose and reductive amination with various R-NH2 substituents and identified derivatives with significant selectivity for human α2β1 over α1β1 (up to 7.5-fold). When applied topically, the most α2-selective derivatives effectively prevented or reversed pharmacologically raised intraocular pressure in rabbits. A recent structure of Na,K-ATPase, with bound digoxin, shows the third digitoxose approaching one residue in the β1 subunit, Gln84, suggesting a role for β in digoxin binding. Gln84 in β1 is replaced by Val88 in β3. Assuming that alkyl substituents might interact with β3Val88, we synthesized perhydro-1,4-oxazepine derivatives of digoxin with diverse alkyl substituents. The methylcyclopropyl and cyclobutyl derivatives are strongly selective for α2β3 over α1β1 (22–33-fold respectively), as determined either with purified human isoform proteins or intact bovine nonpigmented epithelium cells. When applied topically on rabbit eyes, these derivatives potently reduce both pharmacologically raised and basal intraocular pressure. The cyclobutyl derivative is more efficient than Latanoprost, the most widely used glaucoma drug. Thus, the conclusion is that α2β3-selective digoxin derivatives effectively penetrate the cornea and inhibit the Na,K-ATPase, hence reducing aqueous humor production. The new digoxin derivatives may have potential for glaucoma drug therapy.
Requirement for Matrix Metalloproteinase Stromelysin-3 in Cell Migration and Apoptosis during Tissue Remodeling in Xenopus laevis

The matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) stromelysin-3 (ST3) was originally discovered as a gene whose expression was associated with human breast cancer carcinomas and with apoptosis during organogenesis and tissue remodeling. It has been shown previously, in our studies as well as those by others, that ST3 mRNA is highly upregulated during apoptotic tissue remodeling during Xenopus laevis metamorphosis. Using a function-blocking antibody against the catalytic domain of Xenopus ST3, we demonstrate here that ST3 protein is specifically expressed in the cells adjacent to the remodeling extracellular matrix (ECM) that lies beneath the apoptotic larval intestinal epithelium in X. laevis in vivo, and during thyroid hormone–induced intestinal remodeling in organ cultures. More importantly, addition of this antibody, but not the preimmune antiserum or unrelated antibodies, to the medium of intestinal organ cultures leads to an inhibition of thyroid hormone–induced ECM remodeling, apoptosis of the larval epithelium, and the invasion of the adult intestinal primodia into the connective tissue, a process critical for adult epithelial morphogenesis. On the other hand, the antibody has little effect on adult epithelial cell proliferation. Furthermore, a known MMP inhibitor can also inhibit epithelial transformation in vitro. These results indicate that ST3 is required for cell fate determination and cell migration during morphogenesis, most likely through ECM remodeling.
Effect of magnetic pulses on Caribbean spiny lobsters: implications for magnetoreception

ABSTRACT The Caribbean spiny lobster, Panulirus argus, is a migratory crustacean that uses Earth's magnetic field as a navigational cue, but how these lobsters detect magnetic fields is not known. Magnetic material thought to be magnetite has previously been detected in spiny lobsters, but its role in magnetoreception, if any, remains unclear. As a first step toward investigating whether lobsters might have magnetite-based magnetoreceptors, we subjected lobsters to strong, pulsed magnetic fields capable of reversing the magnetic dipole moment of biogenic magnetite crystals. Lobsters were subjected to a single pulse directed from posterior to anterior and either: (1) parallel to the horizontal component of the geomagnetic field (i.e. toward magnetic north); or (2) antiparallel to the horizontal field (i.e. toward magnetic south). An additional control group was handled but not subjected to a magnetic pulse. After treatment, each lobster was tethered in a water-filled arena located within 200 m of the capture location and allowed to walk in any direction. Control lobsters walked in seemingly random directions and were not significantly oriented as a group. In contrast, the two groups exposed to pulsed fields were significantly oriented in approximately opposite directions. Lobsters subjected to a magnetic pulse applied parallel to the geomagnetic horizontal component walked westward; those subjected to a pulse directed antiparallel to the geomagnetic horizontal component oriented approximately northeast. The finding that a magnetic pulse alters subsequent orientation behavior is consistent with the hypothesis that magnetoreception in spiny lobsters is based at least partly on magnetite-based magnetoreceptors. Summary: Exposure to a strong magnetic pulse altered the orientation behavior of Caribbean spiny lobsters, a finding consistent with the hypothesis that lobsters have magnetoreceptors based on the magnetic mineral magnetite.
Performance Analysis of Cooperative NOMA with Dynamic Decode-and-Forward Relaying

Non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) is a promising multiple access technique, which exploits the power domain to enhance the spectral efficiency of the fifth generation (5G) wireless networks. In this paper, we propose a dynamic decode-and-forward (DDF) based cooperative NOMA scheme for downlink transmission to enhance the reception reliability of spatially random users. In DDF-based cooperative NOMA, the user closer to the base station decodes the superimposed mixture of the users' signals received from the base station based on partial reception, and then forwards the signal intended for the far user. To avoid the need for instantaneous channel state information at the base station, we consider random user pairing, where the users are randomly paired for NOMA transmission. Tools from point process theory are utilized to derive the outage probability of the proposed DDF-based cooperative NOMA scheme. Simulation results validate the performance analysis and demonstrate the performance gains of the proposed DDF-based cooperative NOMA scheme over conventional NOMA and cooperative NOMA.