Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Immunogenic integral membrane proteins of Borrelia burgdorferi are lipoproteins

The pathogenic spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi contains a set of integral membrane proteins which were selectively extracted into the detergent phase upon solubilization of intact B. burgdorferi with the nonionic detergent Triton X-114. Virtually all of these hydrophobic proteins were recognized by antibodies in pooled sera from patients with chronic Lyme arthritis, demonstrating that proteins partitioning into the detergent phase of Triton X-114 encompass the major B. burgdorferi immunogens. Furthermore, most of these immunogenic proteins, including the previously characterized OspA and OspB membrane antigens, could be biosynthetically labeled when B. burgdorferi was incubated in vitro with [3H]palmitate. The OspA and OspB antigens were radioimmunoprecipitated from [3H]palmitate-labeled detergent-phase proteins with monoclonal antibodies, and [3H]palmitate was recovered unaltered from these proteins after sequential alkaline and acid hydrolyses. The combined results provide formal confirmation that the major B. burgdorferi immunogens extracted by Triton X-114 are lipoproteins. The demonstration that B. burgdorferi integral membrane antigens are lipoproteins may explain the basis of their immunogenicity and may help to improve our understanding of the surface topology of B. burgdorferi.
Aetiology of anxiety and depressive disorders in an inner-city population. 1. Early adversity

Synopsis A survey of an inner-city population of working-class and single mothers is described and the prevalence of anxiety and depression reported using two related diagnostic schemes, Bedford College caseness and DSM-III-R. This acts as an introduction to an analysis which indicates that adverse experiences in childhood and adolescence (involving parental indifference, and sexual and physical abuse) considerably raise risk of both depression and anxiety conditions (with the exception of mild agoraphobia and simple phobia) in adult life.
Predictors of Attitudes Toward Psychological Counseling Among Lebanese College Students

The study investigated the effects of social stigma, self-stigma, and willingness to self-disclose personal distress on attitudes towards psychological counseling among Lebanese college students. One hundred twenty-five participants enrolled in an introductory psychology course were surveyed. Questionnaire packets included questions pertaining to demographic characteristics and four scales assessing attitudes towards counseling, social stigma, self-stigma, and self-disclosure. Contrary to previous findings in the literature, our study found that students expressed favorable attitudes towards counseling. Results also indicated that social stigma and self-stigma were negatively correlated with attitudes towards counseling, whereas comfort with self-disclosure had no relationship with attitudes showing inconsistency with past reviews. Among the three factors hypothesized to impact attitudes towards counseling, only self-stigma had significant predictive power. The results and limitations of the study are discussed, and several implications and future directions for further research are identified.
MAC protocols for cooperative diversity in wireless sensor networks

Cooperative diversity has emerged as a promising technique to combat fading and improve reliability in a wireless environment. In cooperative diversity protocols, neighboring nodes act as virtual multiple-input-multiple-output (VMIMO) systems, where they cooperate with the transmitter-receiver pair to deliver multiple copies of a packet to the receiver via spatially independent fading channels. These multiple copies of the same packet can be combined at the receiver to recover the original packet. Medium Access Control (MAC) protocols play an important part in realizing this concept by effectively coordinating handshake and transmissions between source, partner and destination nodes. In this thesis, we investigate opportunities for improving reliability in Wireless Sensor Networks using cooperative MAC protocols. First, a Medium Access Control protocol, called CPS-MAC, is proposed. This protocol uses overhearing to its advantage, which is considered an undesirable effect in conventional wireless systems. CPS-MAC intentionally wakes up neighbors to improve their chances of overhearing a packet. These packets are buffered and then relayed to the next hop neighbor where multiple copies of the same packet can be combined to increase the likelihood of recovering the original packet. Design challenges such as efficiently waking up neighborhood nodes, minimizing energy overhead, and partner selection are also addressed. Then, Reliable Cooperative Transmission-MAC (RCT-MAC) is proposed which extends the functionality of Cooperative Preamble Sampling-MAC (CPS-MAC) by implementing the Cooperation on Demand concept: nodes cooperate only when needed. Furthermore, RCT-MAC is one of the first attempts to compare the performance of a cooperative Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) MAC protocol against conventional protocols for WSNs namely B-MAC, L-MAC, and IEEE 802.15. 4. The reliability vs energy efficiency tradeoff is analyzed for both CPS-MAC and RCT-MAC. Lastly, we evaluate a Packet Error Prediction scheme particularly envisioned for preamble sampling cooperative protocols and meant to supplement traditional partner selection schemes. The idea is to predict the chances of a partner node receiving an erroneous packet from the source based on the previously received preamble packets. The correlation between the handshake packets and data packets is analyzed using empirical data.
Quadrotor tuning for attitude control based on double-loop PID controller using fictitious reference iterative tuning (FRIT)

This paper proposes a method for quadrotor tuning focusing on attitude control (roll, pitch, and yaw channel). The controller is based upon a double-loop PID structure that is widely used in many flight controller boards. However, it is not easy to tune the parameters of a PID controller such that it satisfies the desired transient response, especially using manual tuning. Thus, this paper proposes a method for quadrotor tuning with a double-loop control structure by using fictitious reference iterative tuning (FRIT) for attitude control. The proposed method is applied to tune the gains of a double-loop PID controller by using FRIT so that the attitude response of a quadrotor matches with the desired response for each channel by using only one-shot experimental input-output data. Implementation results are provided to show the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Applicability of the Rayleigh‐Gans approximation for scattering by snowflakes at microwave frequencies in vertical incidence

The applicability of the Rayleigh‐Gans approximation (RGA) for scattering by snowflakes is studied in the microwave region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Both the shapes of the single ice crystals, or monomers, and their amounts in the modeled snowflakes are varied. For reference, the discrete‐dipole approximation (DDA) is used to produce numerically accurate solutions to the single‐scattering properties, such as the backscattering and extinction cross‐sections, single‐scattering albedo, and the asymmetry parameter. We find that the single‐scattering albedo is the most accurate with only about 10% relative bias at maximum. The asymmetry parameter has about 0.12 absolute bias at maximum. The backscattering and extinction cross‐sections show about − 65% relative biases at maximum, corresponding to about − 4.6 dB difference. Overall, the RGA agrees well with the DDA computations for all the cases studied and is more accurate for the integrated quantities, such as the single‐scattering albedo and the asymmetry parameter than the cross‐sections for the same snowflakes. The accuracy of the RGA seems to improve, when the number of monomers is increased in an aggregate, and decrease, when the frequency increases. It is also more accurate for less dense monomer shapes, such as stellar dendrites. The DDA and RGA results are well correlated; the sample correlation coefficients of those are close to unity throughout the study. Therefore, the accuracy of the RGA could be improved by applying appropriate correction factors.
Relation between fat intake and mortality: an ecological analysis in Belgium

A representative sample of the Belgian population, aged 25-74 years, was interviewed between 1980 and 1985. Dietary habits were assessed using a 24 h food record method. Age-, sex- and district-specific energyadjusted averages of macronutrient intakes were compared with mortality rates from 1988-90, with special emphasis on the association between fat intake and cancer mortality. Univariate analyses were followed by multiple linear regression analyses, controlling for possible confounders such as fibre intake, smoking and educational level. In multivariate analyses, significant positive associations were found between all-causes mortality and saturated fat intake in men, and between all-causes mortality and the ratio of n-3 to n-6 fatty acids in men; colorectal cancer mortality was associated with polyunsaturated fat intake and with the ratio of unsaturated to saturated fat in men. Significant negative associations were found between all-causes mortality and polyunsaturated fat intake in men, and between all-causes mortality and the ratio of unsaturated to saturated fat in men; colorectal cancer mortality was associated with saturated fat intake in men. In women, only breast cancer mortality was associated with saturated and monounsaturated fat intake. Prostate cancer mortality was not related to any of the studied dietary fat components. For total cancer mortality, only weak non-significant associations with fat intake were found.
A simplified management of the in situ evaluation of feedstuffs in ruminants: Application to the study of the digestive availability of protein and amino acids corrected for the ruminal microbial contamination

The ruminal effective degradability (RED) and intestinal effective digestibility (IED) for dry matter, crude protein (CP) and amino acids (AA) were estimated by a simplified in situ method using pooled samples from rumen-incubated residues, which represented the ruminal outflow of undegraded feed. The effect of microbial contamination in the rumen was corrected using 15N infusion techniques. Studies were carried out for soybean meal (SBM), barley grain (BG) and lucerne hay (LH) in three wethers cannulated in the rumen and the duodenum. Uncorrected values of RED for CP obtained either by mathematical integration or our simplified method were similar in all feeds. Microbial N in the pooled samples of SBM, BG and LH were 2%, 11% and 24% of total N, respectively. However, intestinal incubation eliminated this microbial charge by 100%, 99% and 88%, respectively. With microbial corrections, RED showed an increase, and IED showed a decrease, except for SBM. With this correction, intestinal digested CP was reduced by 2% in SBM, 13% in BG and 34% in LH. Corrected IED of AA was relatively similar in SBM (97–99%). However, large variations were observed in BG (74–93%) and in LH (10–88%). Digestion in the rumen and intestine changed the essential AA pattern. Overall, our results support that AA digestion is affected by the characteristics of their radicals and their contents in plant cell wall proteins. The accurate estimation of feed metabolisable AA or protein requires effective measures that are corrected by ruminal microbial contamination. The proposed in situ method largely simplifies these tasks and allows a more complete and less expensive feed evaluation.
A Cross-Cultural Examination of the Aggression Questionnaire–Short Form Among Egyptian and Omani Adolescents

The psychometric properties of an Arabic version of the Aggression Questionnaire–Short Form (AQ–SF) were examined in 2 samples of Egyptian and Omani adolescents. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) revealed that the 4-factor model had adequate fit to the data of both samples, whereas the unidimensional and hierarchical models did not. Multigroup CFAs revealed culture invariance for the AQ–SF 4-factor model when the 2 samples were compared for each gender. The analysis also revealed gender invariance for the AQ–SF 4-factor model within the Omani sample. However, the analysis showed partial gender invariance for the AQ–SF 4-factor model within the Egyptian sample. A latent mean analysis showed consistent gender differences on Physical Aggression in the male direction when males and females were compared across and within both samples. The AQ–SF correlated positively and significantly with peer nominations but did not correlate with a measure of social desirability.
Effects of Vitamin D Supplementation on Insulin Sensitivity and Insulin Secretion in Subjects With Type 2 Diabetes and Vitamin D Deficiency: A Randomized Controlled Trial

OBJECTIVE In observational studies, low vitamin D levels are associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D), impaired glucose metabolism, insulin sensitivity, and insulin secretion. We evaluated the efficacy of vitamin D supplementation on insulin sensitivity and insulin secretion in subjects with T2D and low vitamin D (25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] <50 nmol/L). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Sixty-two men and women with T2D and vitamin D deficiency participated in a 6-month randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Participants received a single dose of 400,000 IU oral vitamin D3 or placebo, and the vitamin D group received an additional 200,000 IU D3 if serum 25(OH)D was <100 nmol/L after 4 weeks. Primary end points were total Rd by euglycemic clamp with assessment of endogenous glucose production and first-phase insulin secretion by intravenous glucose tolerance test. RESULTS In the vitamin D group, the mean ± SD baseline serum 25(OH)D of 38.0 ± 12.6 nmol/L increased to 96.9 ± 18.3 nmol/L after 4 weeks, 73.2 ± 13.7 nmol/L after 3 months, and 53.7 ± 9.2 nmol/L after 6 months. The total exposure to 25(OH)D during 6 months (area under the curve) was 1,870 ± 192 and 1,090 ± 377 nmol/L per week in the vitamin D and placebo groups, respectively (P < 0.001). Insulin sensitivity, endogenous glucose production, and glycemic control did not differ between or within groups after treatment (P = 0.52). First-phase insulin secretion did not change significantly after treatment (P = 0.10). CONCLUSIONS Replenishment with a large dose of vitamin D3 to patients with T2D and vitamin D deficiency did not change insulin sensitivity or insulin secretion. These findings do not support such use of therapeutic vitamin D3 supplementation to improve glucose homeostasis in patients with T2D.
Characterization of endotoxin-induced C5-derived chemotactic activity in aqueous humor.

Although a cellular exudate characterizes acute anterior uveitis, few studies have sought to identify the chemoattractant(s) contributing to this phenomenon. As a model of acute ocular inflammation, the authors have injected rabbits intravenously with endotoxin (Salmonella typhimurium LPS, 2.5 micrograms/kg). In a Boyden chamber assay, aqueous humor drawn 3 hr after LPS (post-LPS aqueous) exhibited chemotactic activity for purified rabbit granulocytes (PMN). "Checkerboard" analysis indicated that chemotaxis, rather than protein-induced chemokinesis, primarily accounted for PMN migration. Aqueous from normal rabbits demonstrated no chemotactic activity. Chemotactic activity was maximal at 3 hr post-LPS (versus 1 or 5 hr). PMN migration exhibited a direct correlation with the concentration of aqueous tested (0.5-5%). Several observations indicated that this chemotactic activity is complement (C5)-derived. It is inhibited by antibodies to C5 but not affected by antibodies to C3. Similar to rabbit C5a, chemotactic activity in post-LPS aqueous was heat stable at 56 degrees C X 30 min, attracted both human and rabbit PMN at similar concentrations and induced release of beta glucuronidase from PMN. In addition, prior incubation of rabbit PMN with partially purified C5a (densensitization) specifically inhibited chemotactic responses to both C5a and post-LPS aqueous without inhibiting responses to another chemoattractant, n-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine. Finally, chemotactic activity from post-LPS aqueous could be recovered from a Sephadex G75 column and eluted similarly to chemotactic activity in zymosan activated rabbit serum or 13,700 D molecular weight marker. The presence of complement-derived chemotactic activity in this model should not be construed as evidence that this activity contributes to the pathogenesis of endotoxin-induced inflammation. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Efficacy and safet of pimobendan in canine heart failure caused by myxomatous mitral valve disease.

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of pimobendan by comparing it with ramipril over a six-month period in dogs with mild to moderate heart failure (HF) caused by myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD). METHODS This was a prospective randomised, single-blind, parallel-group trial. Client-owned dogs (n = 43) with mild to moderate HF caused by MMVD were randomly assigned to one of two groups, which received either pimobendan (P dogs) or ramipril (R dogs) for six months. The outcome measures studied were: adverse HF outcome, defined as failure to complete the trial as a direct consequence of HF; maximum furosemide dose (mg/kg/day) administered during the study period; and any requirement for additional visits to the clinic as a direct consequence of HF. RESULTS Treatment with pimobendan was well tolerated compared with treatment with ramipril. P dogs were 25 per cent as likely as R dogs to have an adverse HF outcome (odds ratio 4.09, 95 per cent confidence interval 1.03 to 16.3, P = 0.046). CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE R dogs had a higher overall score and thus may have had more advanced disease than P dogs at baseline (P = 0.04). These results should be interpreted cautiously but such a high odds ratio warrants further investigation.
Food as Commons or Commodity? Exploring the Links between Normative Valuations and Agency in Food Transition

The food system, the most important driver of planetary transformation, is broken. Therefore, seeking a sustainable and socially-fair transition pathway out of this crisis becomes an issue of utmost priority. The consideration of food as a commodity, a social construct that played a central role in this crisis, remains the uncontested narrative to lead the different transition pathways, which seems rather contradictory. By exploring the normative values on food, this paper seeks to understand how relevant is the hegemonic narrative of food as commodity and its alternative of food as commons to determine transition trajectories and food policy beliefs. Applying the multi-level perspective framework and developing the ill-studied agency in transition, this research enquired food-related professionals that belong to an online community of practice (N = 95) to check whether the valuation of food is relevant to explain personal stances in transition. Results suggest that the view of food as commodity is positively correlated with a gradually-reforming attitude, whereas food as commons is positively correlated with the counter-hegemonic transformers, regardless of the self-defined position in the transition landscape (regime or niches). At a personal level, there are multiple loci of resistance with counter-hegemonic attitudes in varied institutions of the regime and the innovative niches, many of them holding this discourse of food as commons. Conversely, alter-hegemonic attitudes are not positively correlated with the alternative discourse, and they may inadvertently or purportedly reinforce the neoliberal narrative. Food as commons seems to be a relevant framework that could enrich the multiple transformative constituencies that challenge the industrial food system and therefore facilitate the convergence of movements that reject the commodification of food.
Cell Wall-Degrading Enzymes Enlarge the Pore Size of Intervessel Pit Membranes in Healthy and Xylella fastidiosa-Infected Grapevines1[C][W][OA]

The pit membrane (PM) is a primary cell wall barrier that separates adjacent xylem water conduits, limiting the spread of xylem-localized pathogens and air embolisms from one conduit to the next. This paper provides a characterization of the size of the pores in the PMs of grapevine (Vitis vinifera). The PM porosity (PMP) of stems infected with the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa was compared with the PMP of healthy stems. Stems were infused with pressurized water and flow rates were determined; gold particles of known size were introduced with the water to assist in determining the size of PM pores. The effect of introducing trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane-N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetic acid (CDTA), oligogalacturonides, and polygalacturonic acid into stems on water flux via the xylem was also measured. The possibility that cell wall-degrading enzymes could alter the pore sizes, thus facilitating the ability of X. fastidiosa to cross the PMs, was tested. Two cell wall-degrading enzymes likely to be produced by X. fastidiosa (polygalactuoronase and endo-1,4- β -glucanase) were infused into stems, and particle passage tests were performed to check for changes in PMP. Scanning electron microscopy of control and enzyme-infused stem segments revealed that the combination of enzymes opened holes in PMs, probably explaining enzyme impacts on PMP and how a small X. fastidiosa population, introduced into grapevines by insect vectors, can multiply and spread throughout the vine and cause Pierce's disease.
Expression pattern of four storage xyloglucan mobilization-related genes during seedling development of the rain forest tree Hymenaea courbaril L.

During seedling establishment, cotyledons of the rain forest tree Hymenaea courbaril mobilize storage cell wall xyloglucan to sustain growth. The polysaccharide is degraded and its products are transported to growing sink tissues. Auxin from the shoot controls the level of xyloglucan hydrolytic enzymes. It is not yet known how important the expression of these genes is for the control of storage xyloglucan degradation. In this work, partial cDNAs of the genes xyloglucan transglycosylase hydrolase (HcXTH1) and β-galactosidase (HcBGAL1), both related to xyloglucan degradation, and two other genes related to sucrose metabolism [alkaline invertase (HcAlkIN1) and sucrose synthase (HcSUS1)], were isolated. The partial sequences were characterized by comparison with sequences available in the literature, and phylogenetic trees were assembled. Gene expression was evaluated at intervals of 6 h during 24 h in cotyledons, hypocotyl, roots, and leaves, using 45-d-old plantlets. HcXTH1 and HcBGAL1 were correlated to xyloglucan degradation and responded to auxin and light, being down-regulated when transport of auxin was prevented by N-1-naphthylphthalamic acid (NPA) and stimulated by constant light. Genes related to sucrose metabolism, HcAlkIN1 and HcSUS1, responded to inhibition of auxin transport in consonance with storage mobilization in the cotyledons. A model is proposed suggesting that auxin and light are involved in the control of the expression of genes related to storage xyloglucan mobilization in seedlings of H. courbaril. It is concluded that gene expression plays a role in the control of the intercommunication system of the source–sink relationship during seeding growth, favouring its establishment in the shaded environment of the rain forest understorey.