Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Proteins on the surface of the malaria parasite and cell invasion

SUMMARY The malaria parasite exists in an extracellular form at several stages in its life cycle. Within the vertebrate host, sporozoites and merozoites have to invade specific cell types. Proteins on the surface of the parasite or externalized from specialized organelles have been implicated as ligands for receptors on the host cell surface. Direct binding studies have identified parasite proteins that interact with the target cell surface. Examination of the deduced amino acid sequences has allowed the identification of primary structural motifs which may have roles in this process. On the sporozoite, the circum-sporozoite protein and sporozoite surface protein-2, a protein initially located within micronemes, have been found to contain an amino acid sequence thought to be involved in mediating recognition of sulphated polysaccharides on the surface of a liver cell. On the merozoite, merozoite surface protein-1 may be involved in the initial recognition of red blood cells; this protein undergoes a complex series of modifications in the time between its synthesis as a precursor molecule and successful erythrocyte invasion. Other merozoite proteins located at the apical end of the parasite have been identified as erythrocyte or reticulocyte binding proteins.
Amplitude increase of the multifocal electroretinogram during light adaptation.

PURPOSE To determine using the multifocal ERG technique whether there are any regional differences in the increase in the amplitude of cone electroretinograms (ERGs) during light adaptation. METHODS Multifocal ERGs were recorded with the Visual Evoked Response Imaging System from five normal subjects. Thirty-seven hexagonal stimulus elements and a recording time of 60 seconds were used. After 20 minutes of dark adaptation, multifocal ERGs were repeatedly recorded every 2 minutes over a period of 16 minutes. The amplitudes of the multifocal ERGs at different eccentricities were compared during the 16 minutes of light adaptation. RESULTS During the 16 minutes of light adaptation, the summed responses of the multifocal ERGs increased in amplitude an average of 36% and 47% for the negative and positive components, respectively. The magnitude of increase was minimal in the central retina at 22% and was significantly larger in the peripheral retina at 58%. The implicit time was slightly increased (<4%) with light adaptation, but there were no regional differences. CONCLUSIONS The results demonstrated that there are topographic variations in the amplitude increase of cone ERGs during light adaptation. This topographic variation indicates that the mechanism for the increase must be based on known regional differences in the retina.
Quantification of plasma microRNAs in a group of healthy smokers, ex-smokers and non-smokers and correlation to biomarkers of tobacco exposure

Abstract The stability of circulating miRNAs, their non-invasive sampling techniques and deregulation in diseases make them potential candidate biomarkers of biological effect. Here, we profiled the level of 84 plasma miRNAs in 30 smokers, 20 non-smokers and 20 ex-smokers. A robust statistical strategy was applied with replicate samples to account for reproducibility of the results. We identified differential expression of miR-124 and let-7a between the smoking and control groups. We further explored the dose–response relationship of miR-124 and let-7a with two biomarkers of tobacco exposure and found that this relationship was affected by adjustments based on age, pack-year and gender.
How often do patients with psychosis fail to adhere to treatment programmes? A systematic review

Background. Studies that assess the rates of psychotic patients who fail to adhere to treatment programmes have generated heterogeneous results, with estimates ranging from 24 to 90%. This paper presents findings from a systematic review on adherence to treatment by patients with psychosis. Its purpose is to provide an overall estimate of treatment non-adherence in community psychiatric services, and to analyse and study patient characteristics explaining the between-study heterogeneity in rates of non-adherence. Method. A systematic review of published studies that report rates of non-adherence with medication and scheduled appointments by psychotic patients in community settings has been undertaken. Results. A total of 103 studies were included in this systematic review. Eighty-six of these studies were suitable for data re-analysis. The overall weighted mean rate of non-adherence, calculated in a sample of 23796 patients, was 25·78%. A linear regression analysis of non-adherence rates on background characteristics showed that sample size was negatively associated with non-adherence rates, while first-contact cases and low-adherence cases, in comparison with ongoing cases, were associated with higher non-adherence rates. Factors associated with poor compliance included: lack of insight; positive symptoms; younger age; male gender; history of substance abuse; unemployment; and low social functioning. Conclusions. Approximately one in four patients with psychosis fails to adhere with treatment programmes. Preventive evidence-based clinical interventions should be routinely implemented in community settings to reduce patient non-adherence.
Outcome of International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics Stage IIB Cervical Cancer From 2003 to 2012: An Evaluation of Treatments and Prognosis

Objective To compare the clinical outcomes of patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage IIB cervical carcinoma receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by radical hysterectomy (RH) with those of patients receiving chemoradiation therapy (CRT) alone. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients with FIGO stage IIB cervical carcinoma. A total of 621 patients were eligible for the study according to the surgery-based or radiotherapy-based treatment; 285 patients received cisplatin-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) followed by RH, and 336 patients underwent sequential or concurrent chemoradiation. The disease-free survival, overall survival, recurrence rates, and late complications were compared. Cox regression analysis was used to identify potential prognostic factors. Results Complete or partial response was seen in 77.6% (221/285) of the NACT-treated patients. Disease-free survival and overall survival rates of the patients who had NACT-sensitive responses were significantly higher than those who did not response (P = 0.021 and P = 0.008). Overall survival rates in the NACT + RH group were comparable with the concurrent chemoradiotherapy or chemoradiation groups (P > 0.05). Neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by RH significantly decreased the recurrence rate (22.6% vs 35.5%), resulted in fewer treatment-related complications, and ultimately improved survival when compared with concurrent CRT. A survival benefit was observed for 63.9% of the patients in the NACT + RH group without adjuvant radiotherapy or CRT. Conclusions Compared with concurrent chemoradiotherapy, NACT followed by RH achieved comparable survival outcomes for patients with FIGO stage IIB cervical cancer. This treatment method was significantly effective at reducing radiotherapy rates and complications, and it is worthy of recommending for younger patients.
Walking Through Mud; History of the Polish Methadone Maintenance Treatment From Its Stakeholders’ Perspective

This paper presents Polish methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) against the background of the dominant therapeutic community approach. The perspectives of various stakeholders—supporters and opponents—are examined as well as the barriers, facilitators, ideological conflicts, and financial interests influencing MMT policy and practice. In-depths interviews were carried out with 18 major stakeholders around 2012, almost two decades after the first MMT was launched. The interviews shed light on stakeholders’ inter- and intragroup conflicts as well as on their official and hidden agendas, but they also show the relevant wider international and national, economic, and political contexts.
Controlling PTEN (Phosphatase and Tensin Homolog) Stability

Phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) is a phosphoinositide lipid phosphatase and one of the most frequently disrupted tumor suppressors in many forms of cancer, with even small reductions in the expression levels of PTEN promoting cancer development. Although the post-translational ubiquitination of PTEN can control its stability, activity, and localization, a detailed understanding of how PTEN ubiquitination integrates with other cellular regulatory processes and may be dysregulated in cancer has been hampered by a poor understanding of the significance of ubiquitination at individual sites. Here we show that Lys66 is not required for cellular activity, yet dominates over other PTEN ubiquitination sites in the regulation of protein stability. Notably, combined mutation of other sites (Lys13, Lys80, and Lys289) has relatively little effect on protein expression, protein stability, or PTEN polyubiquitination. The present work identifies a key role for Lys66 in the regulation of PTEN expression and provides both an opportunity to improve the stability of PTEN as a protein therapy and a mechanistic basis for efforts to stabilize endogenous PTEN.
Receptive field mechanisms of cat X and Y retinal ganglion cells

We investigated receptive field properties of cat retinal ganglion cells with visual stimuli which were sinusoidal spatial gratings amplitude modulated in time by a sum of sinusoids. Neural responses were analyzed into the Fourier components at the input frequencies and the components at sum and difference frequencies. The first-order frequency response of X cells had a marked spatial phase and spatial frequency dependence which could be explained in terms of linear interactions between center and surround mechanisms in the receptive field. The second-order frequency response of X cells was much smaller than the first-order frequency response at all spatial frequencies. The spatial phase and spatial frequency dependence of the first-order frequency response in Y cells in some ways resembled that of X cells. However, the Y first-order response declined to zero at a much lower spatial frequency than in X cells. Furthermore, the second-order frequency response was larger in Y cells; the second-order frequency components became the dominant part of the response for patterns of high spatial frequency. This implies that the receptive field center and surround mechanisms are physiologically quite different in Y cells from those in X cells, and that the Y cells also receive excitatory drive from an additional nonlinear receptive field mechanism.
Genetic algorithms and experimental discrimination of SUSY models

We introduce genetic algorithms as a means to estimate the accuracy required to discriminate among different models using experimental observables. We exemplify the technique in the context of the minimal supersymmetric standard model. If supersymmetric particles are discovered, models of supersymmetry breaking will be fit to the observed spectrum and it is beneficial to ask beforehand: what accuracy is required to always allow the discrimination of two particular models and which are the most important masses to observe? Each model predicts a bounded patch in the space of observables once unknown parameters are scanned over. The questions can be answered by minimising a ``distance'' measure between the two hypersurfaces. We construct a distance measure that scales like a constant fraction of an observable. Genetic algorithms, including concepts such as natural selection, fitness and mutations, provide a solution to the minimisation problem. We illustrate the efficiency of the method by comparing three different classes of string models for which the above questions could not be answered with previous techniques. The required accuracy is in the range accessible to the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) when combined with a future linear collider (LC) facility. The technique presented here can be applied to more general classes of models or observables.
The TRAP100 component of the TRAP/Mediator complex is essential in broad transcriptional events and development

The multisubunit TRAP/Mediator complex is a mammalian counterpart of the yeast Mediator that shows diverse coactivation functions. Genetic ablation of the murine TRAP100 component of this complex has revealed that it is not essential for cell viability per se. However, null mutant mice die at an early developmental stage with severe malformations, and cultured TRAP100‐deficient cells exhibit attenuated functions of a wide variety of transcriptional activators on ectopic reporters. The TRAP100‐deficient TRAP/Mediator complex also lacks TRAP95 and TRAP150β/SUR2, which together with TRAP100 may form a submodule, and contains a reduced amount of SRB10/CDK8. Nevertheless, the residual complex shows unaltered binding both to RNA polymerase II and, with the exception of the oncoprotein E1A, to various activators. These findings suggest that TRAP/Mediator is broadly involved in transcription and that a TRAP100‐containing submodule plays a secondary role, beyond primary activator interactions and RNA polymerase recruitment by the TRAP complex, in magnifying effects of activators on the general transcriptional machinery.
The onset of cluster formation around Herbig Ae/Be stars

The large body of near infrared observations pre- sented in Testi et al. (1997; 1998) are analysed with the aim of characterizing the young stellar clusters surrounding Her- big Ae/Be stars. The results confirm the tendency of early Be stars to be surrounded by dense clusters of lower mass "com- panions", while Ae stars are never found to be associated with conspicuous groups. The transition between the different envi- ronments appears to occur smoothly from Ae to Be stars without a sharp threshold. No correlation of the richness of the stellar groups detected is found with the galactic position or the age of the central Herbig Ae/Be star. The stellar volume densities estimated for the groups sur- rounding pre-main-sequence stars of intermediate mass show the transition from the low density aggregates of T Tauri stars and the dense clusters around massive stars. Only the most massive stars (10-20 M) are found to be as- sociated with dense ( 10 3 pc 3 ) stellar clusters. This is exactly the mass regime at which the conventional accretion scenario for isolated star formation faces theoretical problems. Thus our findings strongly supports the idea that the formation of high- mass stars is influenced by dynamical interaction in a young cluster environment.
Prognosis for patients with CML and >10% BCR-ABL1 after 3 months of imatinib depends on the rate of BCR-ABL1 decline.

In chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients, a breakpoint cluster region-Abelson (BCR-ABL1) value >10% at 3 months of therapy is statistically associated with poorer outcome, yet many of these patients still achieve satisfactory outcomes. We investigated 528 first-line imatinib-treated patients to determine whether patients with the poorest outcome can be better discriminated at 3 months. All outcomes were significantly superior for the 410 patients with BCR-ABL1 ≤10% at 3 months (P < .001). However, the poorest outcomes among the 95 evaluable patients with BCR-ABL1 >10% at 3 months were identified by the rate of BCR-ABL1 decline from baseline, assessed by estimating the number of days over which BCR-ABL1 halved. Patients with BCR-ABL1 halving time <76 days (n = 74) had significantly superior outcomes compared with patients whose BCR-ABL1 values did not halve by 76 days (n = 21; 4-year overall survival, 95% vs 58%, P = .0002; progression-free survival, 92% vs 63%, P = .008; failure-free survival, 59% vs 6%, P < .0001; and major molecular response, 54% vs 5%, P = .008). By multivariate analysis, the halving time was an independent predictor of outcome in this poor risk group. Our study highlighted that the rate of BCR-ABL1 decline may be a critical prognostic discriminator of the patients with very poor outcome among those >10% at 3 months. The International Randomized IFN vs STI571 (IRIS) trial was registered at http://www.clinicaltrials. gov as #NCT00006343. The Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Optimization and Selectivity (TOPS) trial was registered at http://www.clinicaltrials. gov as #NCT00124748. The Therapeutic Intensification in DE-novo Leukaemia (TIDEL) I trial was registered at http://www.ANZCTR. org.au as #ACTRN12607000614493. The TIDEL II trial was registered at http://www.ANZCTR. org.au as #ACTRN12607000325404.
Biosensors Based on Graphene Modified Screen-Printed Electrodes for The Detection of Catecholamines

This work reports tyrosinase based electrochemical biosensors using graphene modified screen-printed carbon based electrodes for the determination of catecholamines. The enzyme has been immobilized onto the graphene modified carbon working electrodes by cross-linking with glutaraldehyde. The detection has been performed by measuring the cathodic current due to the reduction of the corresponding quinone a low potential, 0.025 V for dopamine and -0.025 V for epinephrine, respectively. The experimental conditions for the tyrosinase immobilization and the main variables that can influence the cathodic current have been optimized. Under optimum conditions, the electrochemical biosensors have been characterized. A linear response range from 0.2 up to 25 M of dopamine and from 1 to 27.5 M of epinephrine was obtained. The detection limits are in the range 2.42×10 -7 - 6.56×10 -7 M for developed biosensors. The biosensors construction was highly reproducible. Finally, the developed biosensors have been applied to the determination of dopamine and epinephrine content in pharmaceutical formulation samples.
Aflatoxin: A Risky Menace for African’s Food Commodities

Aflatoxins contamination of African food and food commodities exhibits a serious threat to human and animal health over the past few decades. To protect the safety of food commodities, regular monitoring for afltoxins has began to implicate in developing countries. The food contaminating species Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus are responsible for production of aflatoxins. Various studies have followed ELISA, TLC, HPLC, immunoassay, etc for quantification of aflatoxins. The data from different reports demonstrate that staple foods in most countries are particularly vulnerable to attack by aflatoxigenic fungi and found contaminated with aflatoxins. In our study from Ethiopia, we have utilized a quick and precise biosensor and thin layer chromatography method to measure contamination of aflatoxins in maize. Our data revealed that all the samples tested were greater than the safety level of aflatoxins as recommended by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Union (EU). Utilization of internationally developed biosensor for presence of fungal toxin in food samples is the first approach that was applied in the developing country like Ethiopia. In the end, we conclude that fungal contaminants and there toxic products are potential threat to the agro and food industry in Africa and require immediate control measures.
Survival of Kidney Transplantation Patients in the United States After Cardiac Valve Replacement

Background— Few published studies address the survival of kidney transplantation patients after valve surgery, and none address relative outcomes related to tissue versus nontissue prosthesis. This study aimed to assess survival of US kidney transplantation patients after cardiac valve replacement and to compare associations of valve selection. Methods and Results— Of 1 698 706 patients in the US Renal Data System database, we identified 1335 kidney transplantation patients hospitalized in 1991 to 2004 for cardiac valve replacement. Survival was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method; independent predictors of death were examined in a comorbidity-adjusted (by Charlson and propensity score) Cox model. Of the cohort, 17% were 0 to 44 years of age, 50% were 45 to 64 years of age, 28% were 65 to 74 years of age, and 5% were ≥75 years of age; 78% were white; 63% were men; and 20% had kidney failure caused by diabetes mellitus. Of 369 patients (28%) who received tissue valves, 75% had aortic valve replacement, 20% had mitral valve replacement, and 5% had both. Use of tissue valves increased from 13% in 1991 to 1995 to 38% in 2000 to 2004. Age, diabetes mellitus, and combined aortic and mitral valve replacement were the strongest predictors of all-cause mortality. In-hospital mortality was 14.0% overall, 11.4% for tissue-valve patients, and 15.0% for nontissue-valve patients (P=0.09). Two-year survival estimates were 61.5% for tissue-valve and 59.5% for nontissue-valve patients (P=0.30). The adjusted hazard ratio of death for tissue- versus nontissue-valve patients was 0.83 (95% confidence interval, 0.70 to 0.99). Conclusions— Renal transplantation patients requiring valve replacement have high mortality rates (≈20%/y). These data suggest minimally reduced mortality risk for patients receiving tissue versus nontissue valves.
Experimental Study of Energy-Minimizing Point Configurations on Spheres

In this paper we report on massive computer experiments aimed at finding spherical point configurations that minimize potential energy. We present experimental evidence for two new universal optima (consisting of 40 points in 10 dimensions and 64 points in 14 dimensions), as well as evidence that there are no others with at most 64 points. We also describe several other new polytopes, and we present new geometrical descriptions of some of the known universal optima.
Numerical Investigation of Impeller-Vaned Diffuser Interaction in a Centrifugal Compressor

The work presents the results of a CFD campaign to investigate the impeller–diffuser interaction in a centrifugal compressor, taking advantage of experimental data from the open literature. Previous studies on the same turbomachine focused on an experimental investigation to understand the flow interaction between the impeller and the vaned diffuser. These experimental data have been used to validate the simulation approach and discuss its results. Several CFD models with increasing complexity have been developed to take into account different aspects. The steady analysis has been performed to highlight the potentials and limitations of such models and to carry out a first study of the flow. In order to analyze the impeller–diffuser interaction, a further model for the unsteady analysis has been set up. Two different operating points have been investigated: one on the surge limit and another in a more stable working zone. A good agreement with the experimental reference data has been obtained with the unsteady analysis and some insights in the complex flow field are deduced.