Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
l-Arginine Binding to Nitric-oxide Synthase

Nitric-oxide synthase (NOS) catalyzes the oxidation of l-arginine to nitric oxide andl-citrulline. Because overproduction of nitric oxide causes tissue damage in neurological, inflammatory, and autoimmune disorders, design of NOS inhibitors has received much attention. Most inhibitors described to date include a guanidine-like structural motif and interact with the guanidinium region of thel-arginine-binding site. We report here studies withl-arginine analogs having one or both terminal guanidinium nitrogens replaced by functionalities that preserve some, but not all, of the molecular interactions possible for the –NH2, =NH, or =NH2 + groups of l-arginine. Replacement groups include –NH-alkyl, –alkyl, =O, and =S. Binding ofl-canavanine, an analog unable to form hydrogen bonds involving a N 5-proton, was also examined. From our results and previous work, we infer the orientation of these compounds in the l-arginine-binding site and use IC50 or K i values and optical difference spectra to quantitate their affinity relative tol-arginine. We find that the non-reactive guanidinium nitrogen of l-arginine binds in a pocket that is relatively intolerant of changes in the size or hydrogen bonding properties of the group bound. The individual H-bonds involved are, however, weaker than expected (<2 versus 3–6 kcal). These findings elucidate substrate binding forces in the NOS active site and identify an important constraint on NOS inhibitor design.
Content-based image retrieval using fuzzy class membership and rules based on classifier confidence

Content representation for images with well-defined inter-class boundaries in the feature space remains to be a difficult task. Simple distance-based retrieval (SDR) approaches those operate on the feature space for content-based image retrieval (CBIR) are, therefore claimed to be inefficient by many researchers. Different CBIR approaches have been proposed to surmount the drawbacks of SDR scheme. This study proposes a novel image retrieval scheme. In this scheme, effort is taken to reduce the overall search time of the recently proposed approach called ‘class membership-based retrieval’ (CMR). The proposed method identifies the confidence in the classification and limits the search to single output class and therefore, reduces the overall search time by 21.76% as compared to CMR. Quantitative methods are proposed to select various parameters used in the algorithm which were computed empirically in the case of earlier approach CMR. The computed parameters are validated using experimental results. The consistent behaviours of the proposed method and earlier methods used in the experiment are demonstrated using different feature sets and distance metrics. While the method can be used as a general purpose image retrieval system, experiment is performed on four texture databases wit different complexities in terms of size, number of texture classes and orientation.
A Study on Sibling Relationships, Life Satisfaction and Loneliness Level of Adolescents.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relation between sibling relationships, life satisfaction, and the loneliness level of adolescents with regard to gender, order of birth, and sibling dyads. The study group consisted of 382 (209 female, 173 male) students in total, who were studying at high schools (regular high school, vocational high school, Anatolian High School, private colleges) selected from Karsiyaka District in the city of Izmir, Turkey. The data collection tools used were the Life Span Sibling Relationship Scale, Life Satisfaction Scale, and Ucla Loneliness Scale III. The multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was used for the analysis of data. The results from the research demonstrated that gender, birth order, and sibling dyads led to significant differences in life satisfaction, level of loneliness, and sibling relationships. In line with the results obtained from the research, it could be recommended that sibling relationships in the Turkish culture should be examined in terms of various age groups and different variables, and their psychosocial consequences should be subject to research.
Efficiency of the salt flotation technique in the recovery of Ascaris lumbricoides eggs from the soil

Abstract The efficacy of the salt flotation technique using saturated solutions of sodium nitrate (specific gravity 1.30) and zinc sulphate (specific gravity 1.16) for separating Ascaris lumbricoides eggs from clay, loamy and sandy soils has been investigated. Ten samples of each of the egg concentrations of 100, 500, 2500, 5000 and 10,000 eggs/25 g of soil were used for each soil type. Using T-test and ANOVA, the number of eggs recovered from sand was significantly higher than from loam and the number from loam significantly higher than from clay. With sodium nitrate, the maximum egg recovery rate was 25.04% from sandy soil at a concentration of 500 eggs/25 g soil while with zinc sulphate it was 13.88% also from sandy soil and concentration of 500 eggs/25 g soil. While the number of eggs recovered increased with soil egg concentration, the percentage of eggs recovered is inversely proportional to egg concentration. The number of eggs recovered with sodium nitrate was significantly higher than with zinc sulphate solution in the three soil types.
A Quarter-Century of Research on the Solutrean of Vasco-Cantabria, Iberia and beyond

Twenty-five years ago, my initial approach to the Solutrean archaeological phenomenon was to use it as a conveniently bounded case study for the explanation of interassemblage variability in the Upper Paleolithic. Although my main conclusions supported an essentially functionalist basis for explaining Solutrean variability, subsequent discoveries do also point to a process of technological change, or "desolutreanization," toward the end of the period between c. 20,500 and 16,500 radiocarbon years ago. My view of the Solutrean has considerably expanded to see it as a historical response to the climatic crisis of the Last Glacial Maximum and to interpret its restricted geographical distribution with high regional site numbers as evidence of a human refugium in southwestern Europe. Many of the characteristically Solutrean developments in technology (especially weaponry), intensified subsistence practices, and even art styles and other evidence of territories and social networks make sense in this context at the level of regional bands, here explored with particular reference to the Iberian Peninsula.
‘When elephants battle, the grass suffers.’ Power, ivory and the Syrian elephant

The craftsmanship of the ivory objects in Late Bronze Age and Iron Age Eastern Mediterranean leave no doubt as to their intention to impress. Elephant teeth are an important raw material for the manufacture of these objects. Zooarchaeological research shows that cranial, dental, and postcranial remains of Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) are nearly as ubiquitous as worked ivory across Southwest Asia. This paper attempts to reconstruct the origins, habitat, range, life style and the end of the Syrian elephant. It discusses recent bone and tooth finds of this animal from Kinet Höyük and Tell Atchana in the Hatay in Turkey against the background of previous research on the ‘Syrian elephant’ and ivory production in the Levant. It confirms the proposal that Asian elephants were not endemic to the region and that their arrival was anthropogenic. The Syrian elephant was the product of the power-hungry Bronze Age elite in the region. Having become an ‘evolutionarily significant unit’ for centuries, these elephants died out in the 8th or 7th century BC. Present evidence, including off-site evidence, suggests that while their local extinction was also anthropogenic, elephants themselves were not merely passive victims in the process; they have made an already difficult and degraded environment even more unsustainable for themselves and the human communities in the region. The immense demand for ivory and competition among first commercial, then territorial powers of the Bronze Age Levant, who symbolically associated themselves with elephants, caused the birth of the ‘Syrian elephant’. In their demise, not only the elites, but also non-elite herders and agriculturalists were probably responsible.
Down Syndrome: From Understanding the Neurobiology to Therapy

Down syndrome (DS) is the most common example of a neurogenetic aneuploid disorder leading to mental retardation. In most cases, DS results from an extra copy of human chromosome 21 producing deregulated gene expression in brain that gives raise to subnormal intellectual functioning. Understanding the consequences of dosage imbalance attributable to trisomy 21 (T21) has accelerated because of recent advances in genome sequencing, comparative genome analysis, functional genome exploration, and the use of model organisms. This has led to new evidence-based therapeutic approaches to prevention or amelioration of T21 effects on brain structure and function (cognition) and has important implications for other areas of research on the neurogenomics of cognition and behavior.
Psychological Predictors of Young Adults' Use of Social Networking Sites

Young people are increasingly using social networking sites (SNSs) like MySpace and Facebook to engage with others. The use of SNSs can have both positive and negative effects on the individual; however, few studies identify the types of people who frequent these Internet sites. This study sought to predict young adults' use of SNSs and addictive tendency toward the use of SNSs from their personality characteristics and levels of self-esteem. University students (N = 201), aged 17 to 24 years, reported their use of SNSs and addictive tendencies for SNSs use and completed the NEO Five-Factor Personality Inventory and the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory. Multiple regression analyses revealed that, as a group, the personality and self-esteem factors significantly predicted both level of SNS use and addictive tendency but did not explain a large amount of variance in either outcome measure. The findings indicated that extroverted and unconscientious individuals reported higher levels of both SNS use and addictive tendencies. Future research should attempt to identify which other psychosocial characteristics explain young people's level of use and propensity for addictive tendencies for these popular Internet sites.
Insulin‐like growth factor 1 prevents neuronal cell death induced by corticosterone through activation of the PI3k/Akt pathway

Corticosterone (CORT) is well known to induce neuronal damage in various brain regions including the hippocampus, but the precise mechanism(s) of action underlying these effects has yet to be fully established. Insulin‐like growth factor‐1 (IGF‐1) is a trophic factor promoting cell survival by the activation of the phosphatidylinositide 3‐kinase (PI3K)/Akt kinase pathway. We report that IGF‐1 prevents neuronal cell death induced by CORT, likely via the stimulation of the PI3K/Akt pathway in primary hippocampal cultured neurons. CORT induced neuronal cell death at a minimal concentration of 50 nM. IGF‐1 (10 nM) prevented cell death induced by CORT under serum‐free conditions. The neuroprotective effect of IGF‐1 was accompanied by reversal of the Akt pathway inhibition induced by CORT. The PI3 kinase inhibitor, LY29004, inhibited the neuroprotective effect of IGF‐1 whereas the MEK (MAPK kinase) inhibitor PD98059, an upstream blocker of mitogen‐activated protein (MAP) kinase, had no effect. These results suggest that IGF‐1 can prevent neuronal cell death induced by CORT in hippocampal neurons by modulating the activity of the PI3K/Akt pathway. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Cigarette smoking and celiac disease

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Contractual Externalities and Common Agency Equilibria

This paper characterizes the equilibrium sets of common agency games with direct externalities between principals when they compete with nonlinear prices. Direct externalities arise when the contracting variable of one principal directly affects the other principal's payoff. First, we characterize the set of pure-strategy, symmetric equilibria under complete information of an intrinsic common agency game. This set of equilibria is large because of the presence of price-output offers by the principals that are unchosen by the agent in equilibrium. Equilibria exist in which principals offer out-of-equilibrium price-output choices to the agent and induce aggressive, low-price behavior corresponding to marginal-cost pricing in the extreme case. We then show that this equilibrium set of outputs is robust to the possibility that agent refuses any of the offered contracts; the case of delegated agency. Second, we introduce asymmetric information in order to rationalize existing nonlinear pricing contracts. The introduction of asymmetric information has the effect of restricting the set of equilibrium outputs of the intrinsic common agency game.
Effects of Naltrexone on Repressive Coping and Disclosure of Emotional Material: A Test of the Opioid-Peptide Hypothesis of Repression and Hypertension

Objective: The present study was designed to assess the role of endogenous opioids in the relationship of hypertension to repressive coping. Methods: Ten hypertensive and 8 normotensive males were given either the opioid antagonist naltrexone or placebo in a randomized, double-blind fashion over the course of four laboratory sessions. Measures of repression and disclosure were completed and blood pressure was assessed during a laboratory stressor protocol. Results: Opioid antagonism reduced repression and increased disclosure only in the hypertensive group. Also, opioid antagonism increased stress-related systolic blood pressure only in the hypertensive group. Conclusion: The results support the hypothesis that endogenous opioid dysregulation underlies both hypertension and repressive phenomena. DBP = diastolic blood pressure; SBP = systolic blood pressure; POMS = Profile of Mood States; LCC = Life Concerns Checklist; MAS = Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale; MCSDS = Social Desirability Scale; TAS = Toronto Alexithymia Scale.
Novel Interaction between Apc5p and Rsp5p in an Intracellular Signaling Pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

ABSTRACT The ubiquitin-targeting pathway is evolutionarily conserved and critical for many cellular functions. Recently, we discovered a role for two ubiquitin-protein ligases (E3s), Rsp5p and the Apc5p subunit of the anaphase-promoting complex (APC), in mitotic chromatin assembly in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In the present study, we investigated whether Rsp5p and Apc5p interact in an intracellular pathway regulating chromatin remodeling. Our genetic studies strongly suggest that Rsp5p and Apc5p do interact and that Rsp5p acts upstream of Apc5p. Since E3 enzymes typically require the action of a ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme (E2), we screened E2 mutants for chromatin assembly defects, which resulted in the identification of Cdc34p and Ubc7p. Cdc34p is the E2 component of the SCF (Skp1p/Cdc53p/F-box protein). Therefore, we analyzed additional SCF mutants for chromatin assembly defects. Defective chromatin assembly extracts generated from strains harboring a mutation in the Cdc53p SCF subunit or a nondegradable SCF target, Sic1Δphos, confirmed that the SCF was involved in mitotic chromatin assembly. Furthermore, we demonstrated that Ubc7p physically and genetically interacts with Rsp5p, suggesting that Ubc7p acts as an E2 for Rsp5p. However, rsp5CA and Δubc7 mutations had opposite genetic effects on apc5CA and cdc34-2 phenotypes. Therefore, the antagonistic interplay between Δubc7 and rsp5CA, with respect to cdc34-2 and apc5CA, indicates that the outcome of Rsp5p's interaction with Cdc34p and Apc5p may depend on the E2 interacting with Rsp5p.
The significantly viable particle: a study of the subculture of an exacting sporing anaerobe.

Summary The difficulties encountered in the surface growth of Clostridium oedematiens (CI.novyi) of types B and D were investigated. Best results were obtained when nutrient agar was enriched with human blood (33 per cent.) and supplemented with (i) iron filings sprinkled on the surface of a seeded plate, or (ii) a development of Moore's cysteine-dithiothreitol system incorporated in the medium. The growth-enhancing effects of these two systems were not identical; different degrees of enhancement were obtained with the two systems when test cultures of different ages were used. The results of quantitative studies with these culture procedures indicate that, although spores of CI. oedematiens of types A, B, C and D may be significantly viable particles involved in the growth of inocula in pour plates seeded from old cultures in fluid media, large proportions of the surface viable counts obtained from young cultures of type-D strains are regularly derived from vegetative cells. Viable counts obtained with young cultures of type D, the most demanding strains, on solid media greatly exceeded the maximum estimates for the spore content of the inocula used. There is clear evidence that a very large proportion of type-D spores does not proceed to germination or successful outgrowth under the test conditions. In the course of this study, amendments to the recommended anaerobic jar procedure were developed and a standardised method is described.
Mating patterns and rates of biological invasion.

Invasive nonnative plants are in the news because of their dramatic effects on our national agriculture, aquaculture, rangelands, water supplies, and other important resources (1, 2). Invasive plants also cause the decline of local biodiversity worldwide, with clear effects on native species and ecosystems (3, 4). For economic and ecological reasons, these invaders have been a primary focus of conservation and restoration efforts, although control programs seldom have the resources to keep up with the spread of new invaders (5). One of the conundrums of controlling invasive plants is that eradication is feasible only very early on, before a species has become widespread. However, a new nonnative plant is unlikely to attract attention or funding when it is only found here and there, especially when its populations are growing slowly and therefore seem to pose little immediate threat. Initially slow “lag phases” in population growth are suspected to be common in invasions (e.g., ref. 6), yet evidence that they occur has been mostly anecdotal. Demonstrating the occurrence of lag phases has been impeded by the nature of exponential growth. When numbers are small, population growth can be imperceptible, even if the growth rate is quite large. A lag phase implies that the rate itself increases over time. We need hard evidence that rates of population growth change over time, along with experiments to reveal the mechanism behind that change. In this issue of PNAS, Davis …
The Ambulatory Closure Device Percutaneous Intervention (Abcd-Pci) Study: A Single-Center Experience

The AmBulatory Closure Device Percutaneous Intervention (ABCD-PCI) study is a multicenter randomized prospective controlled trial evaluating the safety of and patient satisfaction with same-day discharge following ambulatory percutaneous intervention with a closure device. This article reviews the findings from a single center, Baylor Jack and Jane Hamilton Heart and Vascular Hospital, from October 2008 through April 2010, with 23 patients in the same-day discharge group and 21 patients in the next-day discharge group. There were no differences between the groups in demographic or procedure characteristics. Outcomes were measured by a questionnaire and 7-day and 30-day follow-up phone calls. Results showed that same-day discharge after percutaneous intervention with a closure device is as safe as next-day discharge. However, there was a trend for a higher comfort level among patients in the next-day discharge group.
Use of model for end‐stage liver disease exceptions for donation after cardiac death graft recipients relisted for liver transplantation

Donation after cardiac death (DCD) liver transplantation is associated with increased biliary complications and graft failure. Yet for unclear reasons, DCD recipients relisted for transplantation have lower wait‐list mortality than other retransplant candidates. We used Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network and United Network for Organ Sharing data from 2002 to 2011 to evaluate all DCD recipients relisted for transplantation to evaluate the impact of the utilization of Model for End‐Stage Liver Disease (MELD) exception points on wait‐list outcomes. Of 262 DCD recipients relisted for liver transplantation >2 weeks after initial transplantation, 82 (31.3%) applied for a nonstandardized MELD exception, and 68 (82.9%) had ≥1 exception approved. Of the relisted DCD recipients, 187 (71.4%) underwent retransplantation; among those with an approved MELD exception, 85.2% underwent retransplantation versus 57.1% of those with an exception denied and 69.4% of those not applying for an exception (P = 0.02). In contrast, those receiving MELD exception points were significantly less likely to be removed from the wait list for death or clinical deterioration in comparison with those not applying for an exception (7.1% versus 19.4%, P = 0.02). In multivariate models, patients with an approved exception were 3.3 times more likely to undergo retransplantation than those not applying for an exception. Standardized criteria for exception points among DCD recipients should be established to ensure uniform access to retransplantation. Liver Transpl 21:554‐560, 2015. © 2015 AASLD.
Single-molecule mechanochemical sensing using DNA origami nanostructures.

While single-molecule sensing offers the ultimate detection limit, its throughput is often restricted as sensing events are carried out one at a time in most cases. 2D and 3D DNA origami nanostructures are used as expanded single-molecule platforms in a new mechanochemical sensing strategy. As a proof of concept, six sensing probes are incorporated in a 7-tile DNA origami nanoassembly, wherein binding of a target molecule to any of these probes leads to mechanochemical rearrangement of the origami nanostructure, which is monitored in real time by optical tweezers. Using these platforms, 10 pM platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) are detected within 10 minutes, while demonstrating multiplex sensing of the PDGF and a target DNA in the same solution. By tapping into the rapid development of versatile DNA origami nanostructures, this mechanochemical platform is anticipated to offer a long sought solution for single-molecule sensing with improved throughput.