Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
PerR Confers Phagocytic Killing Resistance and Allows Pharyngeal Colonization by Group A Streptococcus

The peroxide response transcriptional regulator, PerR, is thought to contribute to virulence of group A Streptococcus (GAS); however, the specific mechanism through which it enhances adaptation for survival in the human host remains unknown. Here, we identify a critical role of PerR-regulated gene expression in GAS phagocytosis resistance and in virulence during pharyngeal infection. Deletion of perR in M-type 3 strain 003Sm was associated with reduced resistance to phagocytic killing in human blood and by murine macrophages in vitro. The increased phagocytic killing of the perR mutant was abrogated in the presence of the general oxidative burst inhibitor diphenyleneiodonium chloride (DPI), a result that suggests PerR-dependent gene expression counteracts the phagocyte oxidative burst. Moreover, an isogenic perR mutant was severely attenuated in a baboon model of GAS pharyngitis. In competitive infection experiments, the perR mutant was cleared from two animals at 24 h and from four of five animals by day 14, in sharp contrast to wild-type bacteria that persisted in the same five animals for 28 to 42 d. GAS genomic microarrays were used to compare wild-type and perR mutant transcriptomes in order to characterize the PerR regulon of GAS. These studies identified 42 PerR-dependent loci, the majority of which had not been previously recognized. Surprisingly, a large proportion of these loci are involved in sugar utilization and transport, in addition to oxidative stress adaptive responses and virulence. This finding suggests a novel role for PerR in mediating sugar uptake and utilization that, together with phagocytic killing resistance, may contribute to GAS fitness in the infected host. We conclude that PerR controls expression of a diverse regulon that enhances GAS resistance to phagocytic killing and allows adaptation for survival in the pharynx.
Biodiversity can support a greener revolution in Africa

The Asian green revolution trebled grain yields through agrochemical intensification of monocultures. Associated environmental costs have subsequently emerged. A rapidly changing world necessitates sustainability principles be developed to reinvent these technologies and test them at scale. The need is particularly urgent in Africa, where ecosystems are degrading and crop yields have stagnated. An unprecedented opportunity to reverse this trend is unfolding in Malawi, where a 90% subsidy has ensured access to fertilization and improved maize seed, with substantive gains in productivity for millions of farmers. To test if economic and ecological sustainability could be improved, we preformed manipulative experimentation with crop diversity in a countrywide trial (n = 991) and at adaptive, local scales through a decade of participatory research (n = 146). Spatial and temporal treatments compared monoculture maize with legume-diversified maize that included annual and semiperennial (SP) growth habits in temporal and spatial combinations, including rotation, SP rotation, intercrop, and SP intercrop systems. Modest fertilizer intensification doubled grain yield compared with monoculture maize. Biodiversity improved ecosystem function further: SP rotation systems at half-fertilizer rates produced equivalent quantities of grain, on a more stable basis (yield variability reduced from 22% to 13%) compared with monoculture. Across sites, profitability and farmer preference matched: SP rotations provided twofold superior returns, whereas diversification of maize with annual legumes provided more modest returns. In this study, we provide evidence that in Africa, crop diversification can be effective at a countrywide scale, and that shrubby, grain legumes can enhance environmental and food security.
Ieee Transactions on Image Processing 1 Style Transfer via Texture Synthesis

— Style transfer is a process of migrating a style from a given image to the content of another, synthesizing a new image, which is an artistic mixture of the two. Recent work on this problem adopting convolutional neural-networks (CNN) ignited a renewed interest in this field, due to the very impressive results obtained. There exists an alternative path toward handling the style transfer task, via the generalization of texture synthesis algorithms. This approach has been proposed over the years, but its results are typically less impressive compared with the CNN ones. In this paper, we propose a novel style transfer algorithm that extends the texture synthesis work of Kwatra et al. (2005), while aiming to get stylized images that are closer in quality to the CNN ones. We modify Kwatra's algorithm in several key ways in order to achieve the desired transfer, with emphasis on a consistent way for keeping the content intact in selected regions, while producing hallucinated and rich style in others. The results obtained are visually pleasing and diverse, shown to be competitive with the recent CNN style transfer algorithms. The proposed algorithm is fast and flexible, being able to process any pair of content + style images.
δ‐catenin is a nervous system‐specific adherens junction protein which undergoes dynamic relocalization during development

δ‐catenin is a member of the Armadillo repeat family and component of the adherens junction discovered in a two‐hybrid assay as a bona fide interactor with presenilin‐1 (Zhou et al., [ 1997 ], NeuroReport 8:2085–2090), a protein which carries mutations that cause familial Alzheimer's disease. The expression pattern of δ‐catenin was mapped between embryonic day 10 (E10) and adulthood by Northern blots, in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry in the mouse. In development, δ‐catenin is dynamically regulated with respect to its site of expression. It is first expressed within proliferating neuronal progenitor cells of the neuroepithelium, becomes down‐regulated during neuronal migration, and is later reexpressed in the dendritic compartment of postmitotic neurons. In the mouse, δ‐catenin mRNA is expressed by E10, increases and peaks at postnatal day (P)7, with lower levels in adulthood. In the developing neocortex, δ‐catenin mRNA is strongly expressed in the proliferative ventricular zone and the developing cortical plate, yet is conspicuously less prominent in the intermediate zone, which contains migrating cortical neurons, δ‐catenin protein forms a honeycomb pattern in the neuroepithelium by labeling the cell periphery in a typical adherens junction pattern. By E18, δ‐catenin expression shifts primarily to nascent apical dendrites, a pattern that continues through adulthood. The dynamic relocalization of δ‐catenin expression during development, taken together with previously published data which described a role for δ‐catenin in cell motility (Lu et al., [ 1999 ] J. Cell. Biol. 144:519–532), suggests the hypothesis that δ‐catenin regulation is closely linked to neuronal migration and may play a role in the establishment of mature dendritic relationships in the neuropil. J. Comp. Neurol. 420:261–276, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Chemical Vapor Deposition of TaC/SiC on Graphite Tube and Its Ablation and Microstructure Studies

Tantalum carbide (TaC) and silicon carbide (SiC) layers were deposited on a graphite tube using a chemical vapor deposition process. Tantalum chloride (TaCl5) was synthesized in situ by reacting tantalum chips with chlorine at 550 °C. TaC was deposited by reacting TaCl5 with CH4 in the presence of H2 at 1050–1150 °C and 50–100 mbar. SiC was deposited at 1000 °C using methyl-tri-chloro-silane as a precursor at 50 mbar. At 1150 °C; the coating thickness was found to be about 600 μm, while at 1050 °C it was about 400 μm for the cumulative deposition time of 10 h. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray Photo-Electron Spectroscopy (XPS) studies confirmed the deposition of TaC and SiC and their phases. Ablation studies of the coated specimens were carried out under oxyacetylene flame up to 120 s. The coating was found to be intact without surface cracks and with negligible erosion. The oxide phase of TaC (TaO2 and Ta2O5) and the oxide phase of SiC (SiO2) were also found on the surface, which may have protected the substrate underneath from further oxidation.
HIV-1/AIDS susceptibility and copy number variation in CCL3L1, a gene encoding a natural ligand for HIV-1 co-receptor CCR5

Variations of gene copy number in the human genome are increasingly recognized as a genetic factor in phenotypic variation. Human CC chemokine ligand 3-like 1 gene (CCL3L1), which is located on human chromosome 17q11.2, is highly variable in copy number owing to having a hot spot for segmental duplications. CCL3L1, a natural ligand for HIV-1 co-receptor CCR5, is a potent HIV-1–suppressive chemokine. CCL3L1 copy number variation (CNV) is tightly linked to HIV-1/AIDS susceptibility, and a lower copy number is associated with an enhanced risk for acquiring HIV-1 and also progressing more rapidly to AIDS and death. In this article we review recent studies to evaluate the association between the CCL3L1 copy number and HIV-1/AIDS susceptibility.
Self-tuning single input fuzzy controller for a synchronous reluctance motor

The proposed of this paper is self-tuning single input fuzzy controller (SSIFC) speed control for synchronous reluctance motor (SynRM). Traditional fuzzy controller used system error and differential error in fuzzy inputs. The simple structure SSIFC reduced calculation complexity is proposed in this paper. SSIFC used speed error and online learning algorithms to training fuzzy output rules. We used the Lyapunov theory to ensure SSIFC converges. Finally, the experimental results validated SSIFC has satisfactory performance than PID controller in SynRM.
The influence of microstructure geometry on the scale effect in mechanical behaviour of heterogeneous materials

Abstract There are a significant number of factors which have impact on the scale effect in the mechanical behaviour of composite materials. In this paper, the influence of the microstructure on this phenomenon is examined. In particular, how the results of the uniaxial compression test are affected by the microstructure geometry is verified. For the purposes of this study, two different materials are chosen, i.e. pure gypsum and mortar. Firstly, the microstructures of the two considered materials are compared with the use of different microstructure measures, i.e. attenuation profiles, porosity and pore size distributions, calculated based on the images obtained from the X-ray microCT. Then, a series of uniaxial compression tests is performed for a large number of cylindrical specimens made of the two materials under study. Four different sample diameters are assumed in order to investigate the size effect in the considered composites. For both materials, the results of uniaxial compressive strength and the Young modulus are presented. The relationship between the microstructure of the material and the scale effect in mechanical properties is proved. The scale effect is more demonstrable in the case of the material which exhibits a more heterogeneous microstructure.
Managing policy updates in security-typed languages

This paper presents Rx, a new security-typed programming language with features intended to make the management of information-flow policies more practical. Security labels in Rx, in contrast to prior approaches, are defined in terms of owned roles, as found in the RT role-based trust-management framework. Role-based security policies allow flexible delegation, and our language Rx provides constructs through which programs can robustly update policies and react to policy updates dynamically. Our dynamic semantics use statically verified transactions to eliminate illegal information flows across updates, which we call transitive flows. Because policy updates can be observed through dynamic queries, policy updates can potentially reveal sensitive information. As such, Rx considers policy statements themselves to be potentially confidential information and subject to information-flow metapolicies
Subcellular Localization and Membrane Topology of the Dengue Virus Type 2 Non-structural Protein 4B*

Dengue virus (DV) is a member of the family Flaviviridae. These positive strand RNA viruses encode a polyprotein that is processed in case of DV into 10 proteins. Although for most of these proteins distinct functions have been defined, this is less clear for the highly hydrophobic non-structural protein (NS) 4B. Despite its possible role as an antagonist of the interferon-induced antiviral response, this protein may play an additional more direct role for viral replication. In this study we determined the subcellular localization, membrane association, and membrane topology of DV NS4B. We found that NS4B resides primarily in cytoplasmic foci originating from the endoplasmic reticulum. NS4B colocalizes with NS3 and double-stranded RNA, an intermediate of viral replication, arguing that NS4B is part of the membrane-bound viral replication complex. Biochemical analysis revealed that NS4B is an integral membrane protein, and that its preceding 2K signal sequence is not required for this integration. We identified three membrane-spanning segments in the COOH-terminal part of NS4B that are sufficient to target a cytosolic marker protein to intracellular membranes. Furthermore, we established a membrane topology model of NS4B in which the NH2-terminal part of the protein is localized in the endoplasmic reticulum lumen, whereas the COOH-terminal part is composed of three trans-membrane domains with the COOH-terminal tail localized in the cytoplasm. This topology model provides a good starting point for a detailed investigation of the function of NS4B in the DV life cycle.
Structural and Functional Alterations at Pre-Epileptic Stage Are Closely Associated with Epileptogenesis in Pilocarpine-induced Epilepsy Model

Pilocarpine-induced rat epilepsy model is an established animal model that mimics medial temporal lobe epilepsy in humans. The purpose of this study was to investigate neuroimaging abnormalities in various stages of epileptogenesis and to correlate them with seizure severity in pilocarpine-induced rat epilepsy model. Fifty male Sprague-Dawley rats were subject to continuous video and electroencephalographic monitoring after inducing status epilepticus (SE) and seizure severity was estimated by frequency and total durations of class 3 to 5 spontaneous recurrent seizures (SRS) by modified Racine's classification. The 7.0 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with high resolution flurodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) was performed at 3 hours, 1, 3, 7 days and 4 weeks after the initial insult. The initial SRS was observed 9.7±1.3 days after the pilocarpine injection. MRI revealed an abnormal T2 signal change with swelling in both hippocampi and amygdala in acute (day 1 after injection) and latent phases (days 3 and 7), in association with PET hypometabolism in these areas. Interestingly, the mean frequency of class 3 to 5 SRS was positively correlated with abnormal T2 signals in hippocampal area at 3 days. SRS duration became longer with more decreased glucose metabolism in both hippocampi and amygdala at 7 days after pilocarpine injection. This study indicates that development and severity of SRS at chronic phase could be closely related with structural and functional changes in hippocampus during the latent period, a pre-epileptic stage.
Effect of radioactive and non-radioactive mercury on wheat germination and the anti-toxic role of glutathione

Studies to test the noxious effect of mercury ions on wheat germination and seedling growth showed that germination rate, shoot length, and fresh weights varied as a function of their concentration in the treatment solutions. At the same concentration, the radioactive mercury proved to be more harmful to the living seeds and seedlings. The detoxification action of glutathione for both radioactive and non-radioactive mercury was also followed. After a seven-day period of germination in the presence of the investigated compounds, the wheat plantlets were cut from the seeds, and their height, weight, and residual radioactivity were measured. The shoot length decreased from 8.1 (blank) to 4.6 cm (non-radioactive mercury) or even to 2.5 cm (203Hg), while glutathione had both an anti-toxic and an anti-radiotoxic effect (6.4 and 6.0 cm, respectively). The root weight of the lot decreased from 1.7 to 0.7 g and 0.4 g, respectively, while glutathione showed a healing action (1.5 and 1.7 g). The radioactive ions accumulated especially in roots (35.5 %), and less in shoots (11.2 %). Results were statistically validated.
Thyroid Endocrine Disruption in Zebrafish Larvae after Exposure to Mono-(2-Ethylhexyl) Phthalate (MEHP)

Phthalates are extensively used as plasticizers in a variety of daily-life products, resulting in widespread distribution in aquatic environments. However, limited information is available on the endocrine disrupting effects of phthalates in aquatic organisms. The aim of the present study was to examine whether exposure to mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP), the hydrolytic metabolite of di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) disrupts thyroid endocrine system in fish. In this study, zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos were exposed to different concentrations of MEHP (1.6, 8, 40, and 200 μg/L) from 2 h post-fertilization (hpf) to 168 hpf. The whole-body content of thyroid hormone and transcription of genes involved in the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis were examined. Treatment with MEHP significantly decreased whole-body T4 contents and increased whole-body T3 contents, indicating thyroid endocrine disruption. The upregulation of genes related to thyroid hormone metabolism (Dio2 and UGT1ab) might be responsible for decreased T4 contents. Elevated gene transcription of Dio1 was also observed in this study, which might assist to degrade increased T3 contents. Exposure to MEHP also significantly induced transcription of genes involved in thyroid development (Nkx2.1 and Pax8) and thyroid hormone synthesis (TSHβ, NIS and TG). However, the genes encoding proteins involved in TH transport (transthyretin, TTR) was transcriptionally significantly down-regulated after exposure to MEHP. Overall, these results demonstrate that acute exposure to MEHP alters whole-body contents of thyroid hormones in zebrafish embryos/larvae and changes the transcription of genes involved in the HPT axis, thus exerting thyroid endocrine toxicity.
Triangulated Riemann surfaces with boundary and the Weil-Petersson Poisson structure

Given a hyperbolic surface with geodesic boundary S, the lengths of a maximal system of disjoint simple geodesic arcs on S that start and end at ∂S perpendicularly are coordinates on the Teichmuller space T (S). We express the Weil-Petersson Poisson structure of T (S) in this system of coordinates and we prove that it limits pointwise to the piecewise-linear Poisson structure defined by Kontsevich on the arc complex of S. At the same time, we obtain a formula for the first-order variation of the distance between two closed geodesics under Fenchel-Nielsen deformation.
Somatic influences on subjective well-being and affective disorders: the convergence of thermosensory and central serotonergic systems

Current theories suggest that the brain is the sole source of mental illness. However, affective disorders, and major depressive disorder (MDD) in particular, may be better conceptualized as brain-body disorders that involve peripheral systems as well. This perspective emphasizes the embodied, multifaceted physiology of well-being, and suggests that afferent signals from the body may contribute to cognitive and emotional states. In this review, we focus on evidence from preclinical and clinical studies suggesting that afferent thermosensory signals contribute to well-being and depression. Although thermoregulatory systems have traditionally been conceptualized as serving primarily homeostatic functions, increasing evidence suggests neural pathways responsible for regulating body temperature may be linked more closely with emotional states than previously recognized, an affective warmth hypothesis. Human studies indicate that increasing physical warmth activates brain circuits associated with cognitive and affective functions, promotes interpersonal warmth and prosocial behavior, and has antidepressant effects. Consistent with these effects, preclinical studies in rodents demonstrate that physical warmth activates brain serotonergic neurons implicated in antidepressant-like effects. Together, these studies suggest that (1) thermosensory pathways interact with brain systems that control affective function, (2) these pathways are dysregulated in affective disorders, and (3) activating warm thermosensory pathways promotes a sense of well-being and has therapeutic potential in the treatment of affective disorders.
Clinical and Experimental Gastroenterology

Correspondence: Takahiro Sato Department of Gastroenterology, Sapporo Kosei General hospital, Kita 3 higashi 8, Chuo-ku, Sapporo 060-0033, Japan Tel +81 11 261 5331 Fax +81 11 261 6040 Email taka.sato@ja-hokkaidoukouseiren. or.jp Background and aims: The study’s aim was to evaluate the efficacy of endoscopic injection sclerotherapy (EIS) compared with endoscopic band ligation (EBL) in treating rectal varices. Methods: Data from 34 consecutive patients who underwent endoscopic treatments for rectal varices were analyzed. The clinical outcomes, including complications, related to EIS or EBL retrospectively. Results: In 25 of the 34 patients, EIS was performed weekly 2–5 times (mean, 2.7), and the total amount of sclerosant ranged from 3.2 to 12.0 mL (mean, 5.2 mL). After EIS, colonoscopy revealed shrinkage of the rectal varices in all 25 patients, with no complications reported. In 9 of the 34 patients, EBL was performed weekly 1–3 times (mean, 2.2), and bands were placed on the varices at 2–12 sites (mean, 8.0). After EBL, colonoscopy revealed ulcers and shrinkage of the rectal varices in all nine patients, eight of whom experienced no operative complications. The overall recurrence rate for rectal varices was 10 of 24 (41.7%), including 5 of 9 (55.6%) receiving EBL and 5 of 15 (33.3%) receiving EIS, over a 1-year follow-up period (n = 24). All four patients with recurrence of bleeding were EBL cases, versus no EIS cases (P , 0.05). Conclusion: EIS appears superior to EBL with regard to effectiveness and complications after endoscopic treatment of rectal varices.
The Effect of Training of School Physicians on Their Knowledge Regarding Surveillance in Alexandria

Background: Surveillance is important in schools. We assessed the effect of a training program on the knowledge of school physicians regarding surveillance. Methods: Seventy school physicians were included. Assessment of their baseline surveillance knowledge was done (pretest). An intervention program was prepared. Assessment of the training program was done using the same data collection tool (post test). Results: Significant difference in the mean knowledge score before and after the intervention was detected. In a multiple linear regression model, the total knowledge score before the intervention and the age of the physician were the only two factors found to be significantly affecting the school physicians' knowledge score after the intervention. Conclusion: Training of school physicians on disease surveillance has an effect on their level of knowledge regarding surveillance.