Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Why Do Female Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) Feed Preferentially and Frequently on Human Blood?

Abstract Adult female Aedes aegypti (L.), the vector of dengue and yellow fever viruses, have an affinity for feeding on human blood and a tendency to forego feeding on sugar. This observation challenges two tenets of mosquito biology: (1) mosquitoes imbibe plant carbohydrates for synthesis of energy reserves and blood for reproduction and (2) egg production is reduced when mosquitoes feed on human blood compared with blood from other species. Sub-optimal amounts of the amino acid isoleucine in human blood (particularly free isoleucine in plasma) are thought to be responsible for lowered egg production when human blood is ingested. We tested the hypothesis that feeding on human blood is associated with a selective advantage for Ae. aegypti and is an underlying reason for this mosquito’s intimate and epidemiologically important relationship with human beings. Our five experiments examined the effects of different isoleucine concentrations on accumulated energy reserves, frequency of host contact, survival, and egg production. When mosquitoes imbibed blood meals over a 7- to 10-d period and were not fed sugar, increased isoleucine concentration decreased energy reserves and did not increase egg production. Aedes aegypti took smaller but more frequent blood meals when feeding on a low-isoleucine human host daily compared with a high-isoleucine mouse host. Previous reports that isoleucine enhances egg production were confirmed only when females were fed sugar, an unusual behavior for most domestic Ae. aegypti populations. Females fed human blood and water had greater age-specific survival (lx), reproductive output (mx), and cumulative net replacement (R0) than cohorts fed human blood plus sugar or isoleucine-rich mouse blood with or without access to sugar. The unique isoleucine concentration of human blood is associated with Ae. aegypti’s unusual propensity to feed preferentially and frequently on humans—a behavior that increases this mosquito’s fitness, synthesis of energy reserves, and contact with human hosts, making it an especially effective disseminator of human pathogens.
Ancient Procedures for the High-Tech World: Health Benefits and Antimicrobial Compounds from the Mediterranean Empires

This paper reviews the benefits of the Mediterranean diet and methods developed for food processing and pres- ervation during the time of the ancient empires. In Antiquity, trees and herbs were harvested for culinary and medicinal purposes, and from the everyday handling of products and keen observation, a great body of wisdom was derived by phi- losophers and physicians. With modern day techniques, the suspected properties of compounds have been investigated and the beneficial properties tested. From these studies it is apparent that olive oil, herbs, essential oils and metals, when used with the backing of scientific knowledge can improve human health and the standards of living while respecting the environment. Nowadays, proliferation of disinfectants and antimicrobial agents in domestic, industrial and medical envi- ronments has contributed to the appearance of resistant microbial strains and of new pathogens. Since regulators have re- stricted the use and concentrations of many preservatives, sanitizers, and antimicrobial agents, the food industry is facing a problem to extend the shelf-life of products, and to keep the manufacturing environment clean. The application of natu- ral compounds and simple techniques developed by ancient Mediterranean civilizations may prove as useful as more modern synthetic substances, thus avoiding potential threats to human health and the environment.
Towards Process-driven Mobile Data Collection Applications - Requirements, Challenges, Lessons Learned

In application domains like healthcare, psychology and e-learning, data collection is based on specifically tailored paper & pencil questionnaires. Usually, such a paper-based data collection is accomplished by a massive workload regarding the processing, analysis, and evaluation of the data collected. To relieve domain experts from these manual tasks and to increase the efficiency of the data collection process, we developed a generic approach for realizing process-driven smart mobile device applications based on process management technology. According to this approach, the logic of a questionnaire is described in terms of an explicit process model whose enactment is driven by a generic process engine. Our goal is to demonstrate that such a process-aware design of mobile business applications is useful with respect to mobile data collection. Hence, we developed a generic architecture comprising the main components of mobile data collection applications. Furthermore, we used these components for developing mobile electronic questionnaires for psychological studies. The paper presents the challenges identified in this context and discusses the lessons learned. Overall, process management technology offers promising perspectives for developing mobile business applications at a high level of abstraction.
Illusory-Contour Figures Prime Matching of Real Shapes

We investigated explicit and implicit properties of the internal representation of illusory-contour figures by studying potential priming effects of this representation. Using a primed matching paradigm (Beller 1971, Journal of Experimental Psychology 87 176–182), we found that illusory ‘Kanizsa’ squares and triangles prime later matching of the same shapes, respectively, and not of the alternative shape. This priming effect is present despite the use of an illusory figure as a prime and real shapes as tests. To determine whether implicit processing mechanisms sufficiently induce a representation of the illusory shape so that it can lead to this priming effect, we used a novel method of presentation of the inducing pattern, based on Rock and Linnet's (1993, Perception 22 61–76) method for separating (implicit) retinal and (explicit) world-coordinate images. Presence of the implicit retinal image is confirmed by its producing an afterimage. While the retinal image is only implicitly produced by the inducing pattern of pacmen, it is nevertheless available for real-shape match priming. We conclude that Kanizsa-type inducer patterns are processed implicitly until formation of illusory-figure shapes. These are represented at relatively high cortical levels, and shape-matching priming must occur here, too. These results are consistent with the claim of the reverse hierarchy theory that bottom–up processing is generally implicit and that conscious perception originates at high cortical levels.
THEORY OF BRITTLE FRACTURE IN STEEL AND SIMILAR METALS

Most of our knowledge about brittleness in metals has come from studies of structural steel, and it is this material that is mainly considered in this study. A discussion is presented on fracture and plastic deformation. It appears that brittle fracture in steel, and perhaps in most other metals, is started by plastic deformation. A discussion of experimental studies of yield point is included, and data showing a linear relationship between grain size and stress are graphically presented. Small aluminum additions refine the grain size and reduce the brittleness. The effect of alloying steel with manganese and also with chromium is discussed. (A.C.)
Herschel -ATLAS: evolution of the 250 µm luminosity function out to z=0.5

We have determined the luminosity function of 250 mu m-selected galaxies detected in the similar to 14 deg(2) science demonstration region of the Herschel-ATLAS project out to a redshift of z = 0.5. Our findings very clearly show that the luminosity function evolves steadily out to this redshift. By selecting a sub-group of sources within a fixed luminosity interval where incompleteness effects are minimal, we have measured a smooth increase in the comoving 250 mu m luminosity density out to z = 0.2 where it is 3.6(-0.9)(+1.4) times higher than the local value.
A Class of Uncontrollable Diffusively Coupled Multiagent Systems with Multichain Topologies

We construct systematically a class of uncontrollable diffusively coupled multiagent systems with a single leader and multichain topologies. For studying the controllability of diffusively coupled multiagent systems, such identified uncontrollable systems serve as counterexamples that prove the need to modify the existing sufficient condition using graph partitioning characterization. The uncontrollability of the constructed multichain structures can be preserved when the structures are further augmented to get better connected. The paper also provides an algorithm to obtain the minimal leader-invariant relaxed equitable partition for the graph associated with any diffusively coupled multiagent system guided by a single leader.
Are Blood Stream Infections Associated With an Increased Risk of Hemorrhagic Stroke in Patients With a Left Ventricular Assist Device?

Blood stream infections (BSIs) are an important cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with left ventricular assist devices (LVADs). The aim of this study was to examine the correlation between hemorrhagic cerebrovascular accident (CVA) and BSI after implantation of LVAD for advanced heart failure (HF). This was a retrospective descriptive review of 87 patients with end-stage HF, who underwent implantation of HeartMate II continuous-flow LVAD over a 4 year period. Blood stream infections were diagnosed by serial blood cultures, and suspected neurological complications including CVAs were confirmed by neuroimaging. Extensive patient chart review was performed, and descriptive characteristics were analyzed using SPSS statistical software. The mean age of our study population was 62.3 ± 12.8 years, and the majority of our patients were males (n = 75, 86.2%). The baseline characteristics were comparable in the patients with and without CVAs. Patients with BSI had a much greater incidence of CVA compared to patients without BSI (n = 13, 43.3% vs. n = 5, 10.0%; p < 0.0001). There was an increased mortality in patients with BSI than those without (n = 57, 65.5% vs. n = 30, 34.5%; p = 0.003). The risk of all CVAs (hemorrhagic/ischemic) was eightfold (odds ratio [OR] = 7.9; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.4–25.5; p = 0.001] in patients with BSI. Patients with BSI had a >20-fold risk of hemorrhagic CVA (OR = 24; 95% CI = 2.8–201.1; p = 0.03). Advanced HF patients with LVAD support who developed BSI need urgent evaluation and close monitoring for suspected neurological complications, particularly hemorrhagic CVA.
Characterization of a Monoclonal Antibody and Its Single-Chain Antibody Fragment Recognizing the Nucleoside Triphosphatase/Helicase Domain of the Hepatitis C Virus Nonstructural 3 Protein

ABSTRACT We have produced a murine monoclonal antibody (MAb), ZX10, recognizing the NTPase/helicase domain of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) nonstructural 3 protein (NS3), from which we designed a single-chain variable fragment (ScFv). The ZX10 MAb recognized a discontinuous epitope of the NTPase/helicase domain, of which the linear sequence GEIPFYGKAIPL at residues 1371 to 1382 constitutes one part. cDNAs from variable regions coding for the heavy and light chains were cloned, sequenced, and assembled into the NS3-ScFv, which was inserted into procaryotic and eucaryotic expression vectors.Escherichia coli-expressed NS3-ScFv inhibited the binding of the ZX10 MAb to NS3, confirming a retained specificity. However, the ability to bind the peptide 1371–1382 had been lost. In vitro-translated NS3-ScFv and HCV NS3/NS4A were coprecipitated by antibodies to HCV NS4A, confirming the in vitro activity of the NS3 ScFv. Thus, we have designed a functional NS3 NTPase/helicase domain-specific ScFv which should be evaluated further with respect to disturbing enzymatic functions of the NS3 protein.
A Lower Serum Gamma-Glutamyltransferase Level Does Not Predict a Sustained Virological Response in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C Genotype 1

Background/Aims Low gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) level was shown to be an independent predictor of a sustained virological response (SVR) in chronic hepatitis C. We aimed to determine factors associated with high GGT level, and to evaluate whether low GGT level is an independent predictor of a SVR in chronic hepatitis C genotype 1. Methods We retrospectively reviewed our data of patients with chronic hepatitis C genotype 1 treated with pegylated interferon-α and ribavirin. Baseline features were compared between patients with normal and high GGT levels. Factors associated with high GGT level and those associated with a SVR were determined by univariate and multivariate analysis. Results This study included 57 patients. Mean age was 52.28±9.35 years. GGT levels was elevated in 27 patients (47.4%). GGT levels were normal in 63.3% of the patients who achieved a SVR and in 40.7% of those who did not achieve a SVR (p>0.05). By multivariate logistic regression analysis, the presence of cirrhosis (odds ratio [OR], 9.41; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.08 to 102.61) and female gender (OR, 6.77; 95% CI, 1.23 to 37.20) were significantly associated with high GGT level, and only rapid virological response was associated with a SVR (OR, 8.369; 95% CI, 1.82 to 38.48). Conclusions Low GGT level does not predict a SVR; however, it may be a predictor of high fibrosis scores.
Nitric Oxide Protects the Skeletal Muscle Ca2+Release Channel from Oxidation Induced Activation*

Reactive oxygen intermediates and nitric oxide modulate the contractile function of skeletal muscle fibers, possibly via direct interaction with the Ca2+ release channel. Oxidants produce disulfide bonds between subunits of the Ca2+ release channel tetramer, and this is accompanied by an increase in channel activity. The sulfhydryl alkylating agentN-ethylmaleimide has three distinct effects on Ca2+ release channel activity: first, channel activity is decreased (phase 1); then with continued exposure the activity is dramatically increased (phase 2); and finally, the channel is again inhibited (phase 3) (Aghdasi, B., Zhang, J. Z., Wu, Y., Reid, M. B., and Hamilton, S. L., (1997) J. Biol. Chem. 272, 3739–3749). Both H2O2 and nitric oxide (NO) block the phase 1 inhibitory effect ofN-ethylmaleimide. NO donors, at concentrations that have no detectable effect on channel activity, block intersubunit cross-linking and prevent activation of the channel by the disulfide inducing agent, diamide. These findings support a model in which NO modulates the activity of the Ca2+ release channel by preventing oxidation of regulatory sulfhydryls. However, higher concentrations of NO donors activate the channel and produce intersubunit cross-links, supporting a bifunctional effect of NO on channel activity. Low NO concentrations prevent oxidation of the Ca2+ release channel whereas higher concentrations oxidize it.
The Relevance of the High Frequency Audiometry in Tinnitus Patients with Normal Hearing in Conventional Pure-Tone Audiometry

Objective. The majority of tinnitus patients suffer from hearing loss. But a subgroup of tinnitus patients show normal hearing thresholds in the conventional pure-tone audiometry (125 Hz–8 kHz). Here we explored whether the results of the high frequency audiometry (>8 kHz) provide relevant additional information in tinnitus patients with normal conventional audiometry by comparing those with normal and pathological high frequency audiometry with respect to their demographic and clinical characteristics. Subjects and Methods. From the database of the Tinnitus Clinic at Regensburg we identified 75 patients with normal hearing thresholds in the conventional pure-tone audiometry. We contrasted these patients with normal and pathological high-frequency audiogram and compared them with respect to gender, age, tinnitus severity, pitch, laterality and duration, comorbid symptoms and triggers for tinnitus onset. Results. Patients with pathological high frequency audiometry were significantly older and had higher scores on the tinnitus questionnaires in comparison to patients with normal high frequency audiometry. Furthermore, there was an association of high frequency audiometry with the laterality of tinnitus. Conclusion. In tinnitus patients with normal pure-tone audiometry the high frequency audiometry provides useful additional information. The association between tinnitus laterality and asymmetry of the high frequency audiometry suggests a potential causal role for the high frequency hearing loss in tinnitus etiopathogenesis.
Unilateral Congenital and Developmental Cataracts in Children in India: How Useful Were Long-Term Outcomes of Surgery? Miraj Pediatric Cataract Study 4

PurposeTo study visual outcomes and stereopsis after a 3–8 year follow-up in unilateral congenital and developmental cataracts. DesignClinical case series. MethodsChildren who underwent surgery for unilateral pediatric cataract from 2004 to 2008 were traced and reexamined prospectively from 2010 to 2011. Demographic and clinical factors were noted from their retrospective chart readings. All children underwent visual acuity assessment and comprehensive ocular examinations including stereoacuity in a standardized manner during the prospective follow-up visits. Details of amblyopia management were recorded for univariate and multivariate analyses. ResultsForty-eight eyes of 48 children had a mean follow-up of 4.4 years between surgery and assessment (SD, 1.6 years). Twenty-four (50%) were boys, and the average age at surgery was 10.2 years (SD, 4.1). Two (4.2%) were congenital, 14 (29.2%) developmental, and 32 (66.7%) congenital/developmental cataracts. Preoperatively, 38 (79.2%) had vision less than 3/60. After surgery, 12 (25%) had improved best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of 6/18 or greater, 4 (8.3%) had BCVA of 6/24 to 6/60, and 32 (66.7%) had BCVA of less than 6/60. Eleven (22.9%) had binocular single vision 480 seconds or less of arc on Titmus test. Preoperative vision (P = 0.034) was significantly associated with postoperative visual outcomes, but not age at surgery (P = 0.14), sex (P = 0.897), type of surgery (P = 0.371), or type of intraocular lens (P = 0.66). The use of phacoemulsification was associated with better vision, but it was not significant (P = 0.069). ConclusionsLong-term visual outcomes in unilateral pediatric cataracts were subnormal due to deprivation amblyopia, but vision improved over preoperative levels and helped in binocular stereoacuity. Some preoperative vision was associated with better visual outcomes.
Brain histamine H receptor occupancy of orally administered antihistamines measured by positron emission tomography with (11)C-doxepin in a placebo-controlled crossover study design in healthy subjects: a comparison of olopatadine and ketotifen.

AIMS The strength of sedation due to antihistamines can be evaluated by using positron emission tomography (PET). The purpose of the present study is to measure histamine H(1) receptor (H(1)R) occupancy due to olopatadine, a new second-generation antihistamine and to compare it with that of ketotifen. METHODS Eight healthy males (mean age 23.5 years-old) were studied following single oral administration of olopatadine 5 mg or ketotifen 1 mg using PET with (11)C-doxepin in a placebo-controlled crossover study design. Binding potential ratio and H(1)R occupancy were calculated and were compared between olopatadine and ketotifen in the medial prefrontal (MPFC), dorsolateral prefrontal (DLPFC), anterior cingulate (ACC), insular (IC), temporal (TC), parietal (PC), occipital cortices (OC). Plasma drug concentration was measured, and correlation of AUC to H(1)R occupancy was examined. RESULTS H(1)R occupancy after olopatadine treatment was significantly lower than that after ketotifen treatment in the all cortical regions (P < 0.001). Mean H(1)R occupancies for olopatadine and ketotifen were, respectively: MPFC, 16.7 vs. 77.7; DLPFC, 14.1 vs. 85.9; ACC, 14.7 vs. 76.1; IC, 12.8 vs. 69.7; TC, 12.5 vs. 66.5; PC, 13.9 vs. 65.8; and OC, 19.5 vs. 60.6. Overall cortical mean H(1)R occupancy of olopatadine and ketotifen were 15% and 72%, respectively. H(1)R occupancy of both drugs correlated well with their respective drug plasma concentrations (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION It is suggested that 5 mg oral olopatadine, with its low H(1)R occupancy and thus minimal sedation, could safely be used an antiallergic treatment for various allergic disorders. Abbreviations histamine H(1) receptor (H(1)R), histamine H(1) receptor occupancy (H(1)RO), dopamine D(2) receptor (D(2)R), positron emission tomography (PET), blood-brain barrier (BBB), binding potential ratio (BPR), distribution volume (DV).
Discovering Complete Quasispecies in Bacterial Genomes

Mobile genetic elements can be found in almost all genomes. Possibly the most common nonautonomous mobile genetic elements in bacteria are repetitive extragenic palindromic doublets forming hairpins (REPINs) that can occur hundreds of times within a genome. The sum of all REPINs in a genome can be viewed as an evolving population because REPINs replicate and mutate. In contrast to most other biological populations, we know the exact composition of the REPIN population and the sequence of each member of the population. Here, we model the evolution of REPINs as quasispecies. We fit our quasispecies model to 10 different REPIN populations from 10 different bacterial strains and estimate effective duplication rates. Our estimated duplication rates range from ∼5 × 10−9 to 15 × 10−9 duplications per bacterial generation per REPIN. The small range and the low level of the REPIN duplication rates suggest a universal trade-off between the survival of the REPIN population and the reduction of the mutational load for the host genome. The REPIN populations we investigated also possess features typical of other natural populations. One population shows hallmarks of a population that is going extinct, another population seems to be growing in size, and we also see an example of competition between two REPIN populations.
Control systems of the large millimeter telescope

This paper presents the analysis results (in terms of settling time, bandwidth, and servo error in wind disturbances) of four control systems designed for the Large Millimeter Telescope (LMT). The first system, called PP, consists of the proportional and integral (PI) controllers in the rate and position loops, and is widely used in the antenna and radio telescope industry. The analysis shows that the PP control system's performance is remarkably good when compared to similar control systems applied to typical antennas. This performance is achieved because the LMT structure is exceptionally rigid; however, it does not meet the stringent LMT pointing requirements. The second system, called PL, consists of the PI controller in the rate loop, and the linear-quadratic-Gaussian (LQG) controller in the position loop. This type of controller is implemented in the NASA Deep Space Network antennas, where pointing accuracy is twice that of the PP control system. The third system, called LP, consists of the LQG controller in the rate loop, and the proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller in the position loop. This type of loop has not been yet implemented at known antennas or radio telescopes, but the analysis shows that its pointing accuracy is the ten times better than the PP control system. The fourth system, called LL, consists of the LQG controller in both the rate loop and the position loop. It is the best of the four, with accuracy 250 times better than the PP system. It is thus worth further investigation to identify implementation challenges for telescopes with high pointing requirements.