Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Interaction of profilin with G-actin and poly(L-proline).

The interaction of bovine spleen profilin with ATP- and ADP-G-actin and poly(L-proline) has been studied by spectrofluorimetry, analytical ultracentrifugation, and rapid kinetics in low ionic strength buffer. Profilin binding to G-actin is accompanied by a large quenching of tryptophan fluorescence, allowing the measurement of an equilibrium dissociation constant of 0.1-0.2 microM for the 1:1 profilin-actin complex, in which metal ion and nucleotide are bound. Fluorescence quenching monitored the bimolecular reaction between G-actin and profilin, from which association and dissociation rate constants of 45 microM-1 s-1 and 10 s-1 at 20 degrees C could be derived. The tryptophan(s) which are quenched in the profilin-actin complex are no longer accessible to solvent, which points to W356 in actin as a likely candidate, consistent with the 3D structure of the crystalline profilin-actin complex [Schutt, C. E. , Myslik, J. C. , Rozycki, M. D. , Goonesekere, N. C. W. , & Lindberg, U. (1993) Nature 365, 810-816]. Upon binding poly(L-proline), the fluorescence of both tyrosines and tryptophans of profilin is enhanced 2.2-fold. A minimum of 10 prolines [three turns of poly(L-proline) helix II] is necessary to obtain binding (KD = 50 microM), the optimum size being larger than 10. Binding of poly(L-proline) is extremely fast, with k+ > 200 microM-1 s-1 at 10 degrees C. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Frontoethmoidal encephalocele: Case report and review on management

Encephaloceles, especially in the frontoethmoidal region, are a form of neural tube defect affecting patients in Southeast Asia more commonly than those in western countries, where they are more common in the occipital regions. All patients with classical frontoethmoidal encephalocele had swelling over the bridge of nose or inner canthus of eye since birth, with varying degrees of hypertelorism. This paper emphasizes on the clinical features of this pathology and its surgical management, along with, reviewing the evolution of single-stage correction and fine refinements.
Privileged Functional Connectivity between the Visual Word Form Area and the Language System

The visual word form area (VWFA) is a region in the left occipitotemporal sulcus of literate individuals that is purportedly specialized for visual word recognition. However, there is considerable controversy about its functional specificity and connectivity, with some arguing that it serves as a domain-general, rather than word-specific, visual processor. The VWFA is a critical region for testing hypotheses about the nature of cortical organization, because it is known to develop only through experience (i.e., reading acquisition), and widespread literacy is too recent to have influenced genetic determinants of brain organization. Using a combination of advanced fMRI analysis techniques, including individual functional localization, multivoxel pattern analysis, and high-resolution resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) analyses, with data from 33 healthy adult human participants, we demonstrate that (1) the VWFA can discriminate words from nonword letter strings (pseudowords); (2) the VWFA has preferential RSFC with Wernicke's area and other core regions of the language system; and (3) the strength of the RSFC between the VWFA and Wernicke's area predicts performance on a semantic classification task with words but not other categories of visual stimuli. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that the VWFA is specialized for lexical processing of real words because of its functional connectivity with Wernicke's area. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The visual word form area (VWFA) is critical for determining the nature of category-related organization of the ventral visual system. However, its functional specificity and connectivity are fiercely debated. Recent work concluded that the VWFA is a domain-general, rather than word-specific, visual processor with no preferential functional connectivity with the language system. Using more advanced techniques, our results stand in stark contrast to these earlier findings. We demonstrate that the VWFA is highly specialized for lexical processing of real words, and that a fundamental factor driving this specialization is its preferential intrinsic functional connectivity with core regions of the language system. Our results support the hypothesis that intrinsic functional connectivity contributes to category-related specialization within the human ventral visual system.
Power-efficient robust routing and resource allocation in wireless mesh networks

In this paper, a new robust routing formulation in a wireless mesh network (WMN) is proposed, which enables the routing strategy to be robust to random traffic fluctuation. Together with resource allocation in link layer, an optimization problem aiming at minimizing the total transmission power in the WMN is formulated and solved optimally. The research assumes only limited knowledge of the traffic distribution, in particular, arbitrary distribution with known mean and variance. Numerical results are presented to illustrate the features of the proposed strategy.
Black Bile and Psychomotor Retardation: Shades of Melancholia in Dante’s Inferno

The history of melancholy depression is rich with images of movement retardation and mental dysfunction. The recent restoration of psychomotor symptoms to the diagnostic terminology of affective disorder is not novel to the students of medieval melancholia. The move back to the biology of this psychomotor dysfunction with the technical advances in brain imaging in recent years only echoes centuries-old writings on the centrality of movement changes in the depressive condition. The Inferno, the first cantica of Dante Alighieri’s Commedia, has a wonderful abundance of allusions to the importance of psychomotor symptoms in describing the depressed individual. Slowed steps, garbled speech, frozen tears, these and many other images keep the physical manifestations of psychomotor suffering in the forefront of the reader’s mind. Considering Medieval and Renaissance writings on melancholy suffering, it is fitting that Dante shows a bodily illness reflected in the hellish torments visited on the damned. From the souls of the sullen to those of the violent, the panorama of psychomotor symptoms plays a prominent role in the poem as well as in the medical and literary prose of succeeding centuries.
Balancing thoughput and fairness in SMT processors

Simultaneous Multithreading (SMT) is an execution model that executes multiple threads in parallel within a single processor pipeline. Usually, an SMT processor uses shared instruction queues to collect instructions from the different threads. Hence, an SMT processor’s performance depends on how the instruction fetch unit fills these instruction queues every cycle. In the recent past, many schemes have been proposed for fetching instructions into the SMT pipeline. These schemes focussed on increasing the throughput by using the number of instructions and the number of low confidence branch predictions currently in the pipeline, to decide which threads to fetch from. The goal of this paper is to investigate fetch policies that find a balance between fairness and throughput. We present metrics to quantify fairness. We then discuss techniques to use a set of pipeline system variables for achieving balanced throughput and fairness. Finally, we evaluate several fetch policies. Our evaluation confirms that many of our fetch policies provide a good balance between throughput and fairness.
Implementation of CPML for One-Step Leapfrog WCS-FDTD Method

In this letter, the convolutional perfectly matched layer (CPML) is modified and implemented for one-step leapfrog weakly conditionally stable finite-difference time-domain (WCS-FDTD) method. Since the WCS-FDTD method can be considered as an approximate factorization of the Crank-Nicolson scheme, the derived equations of CPML involve the calculation of auxiliary terms at two time steps which are different from that of conventional FDTD CPML method. To verify the effectiveness of proposed CPML, numerical investigation is performed and it is shown that, even with large Courant-Friedrich-Levy number (CFLN) chosen, the reflection error is still small and the electromagnetic field is stable.
Subprogram Inlining: A Study of its Effects on Program Execution Time

Equations representing the execution time performance of noninlined and inlined versions of a program have been developed. The accuracy of the equations' description of inlined program execution time behavior was demonstrated on four computer systems. Using the equations, understanding of how certain factors influence the speed of inlined code was gained. Contrary to a number of published reports in the literature, the increased size of inlined code was not found to affect its execution time performance on demand-paged virtual memory machines. On such systems, neither the use of an inlining algorithm that includes program size constraints nor the substitution of interprocedural data flow analysis for inlining is warranted. A modest improvement in the caching and paging behavior of test programs' inlined versions was also observed. >
The Fitness‐Fatigue Model Revisited: Implications for Planning Short‐ and Long‐Term Training

ELITE ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE is dependent on a systemized training program. The general adaptation syndrome (GAS) was the original model from which periodization was designed (67). The GAS describes the physiological response of an organism to stress. A more comprehensive model of the physiological responses to training stimuli is the fitness-fatigue theory (1). In light of recent research examining resistance exercise overreaching and overtraining, it is prudent to review the fitness-fatigue theory and determine how it can be applied to strength and conditioning.
Vegetation Pattern Formation in a Semi-Arid Climate

A partial bifurcation diagram of a reaction–diffusion type model of two-dimensional vegetation patterns in a semi-arid climate is computed using numerical continuation techniques. In previous studies with this model, it has been shown that two positive feedbacks (the infiltration feedback and precipitation feedback) may influence the type of vegetation patterns which appear under a certain precipitation forcing. In this bifurcation study, first the case is considered where the infiltration feedback is the only positive feedback. The partial bifurcation diagram of the different steady states is more complicated than earlier model results have suggested and provides insight into how the pattern selection process takes place. Finally, it is shown that when the precipitation feedback is included, the bifurcation diagram is only shifted to smaller precipitation values.
Aggregation behaviour of amphiphilic cyclodextrins: the nucleation stage by atomistic molecular dynamics simulations

Amphiphilically modified cyclodextrins may form various supramolecular aggregates. Here we report a theoretical study of the aggregation of a few amphiphilic cyclodextrins carrying hydrophobic thioalkyl groups and hydrophilic ethylene glycol moieties at opposite rims, focusing on the initial nucleation stage in an apolar solvent and in water. The study is based on atomistic molecular dynamics methods with a “bottom up” approach that can provide important information about the initial aggregates of few molecules. The focus is on the interaction pattern of amphiphilic cyclodextrin (aCD), which may interact by mutual inclusion of the substituent groups in the hydrophobic cavity of neighbouring molecules or by dispersion interactions at their lateral surface. We suggest that these aggregates can also form the nucleation stage of larger systems as well as the building blocks of micelles, vesicle, membranes, or generally nanoparticles thus opening new perspectives in the design of aggregates correlating their structures with the pharmaceutical properties.
De-intercalation of Ethidium Bromide and Acridine Orange by Xanthine Derivatives and Their Modulatory Effect on Anticancer Agents: A study of DNA-directed Toxicity Enlightened by Time Correlated Single Photon Counting

Abstract Time Correlated Single Photon Counting (TCSPC) was used for the first time to analyze the effect/changes in the mode of intercalation of ethidium bromide (EtBr) and acridine orange (AO) to calf thymus DNA brought about due to interaction of naturally occurring methylx-anthines such as theophylline (X1), theobromine (X2) and caffeine (X3). UV absorption and fluorescence studies were also carried to observe the behaviour of these xanthines on the modulation of the binding mode of anticancer agents (cisplatin, novantrone, and actinomycin D) and certain intercalating dyes (EtBr and AO) to DNA. In TCSPC analysis we found that when the concentration of the drugs (X1, X2 and X3) increased from 0.025 mM to 2 mM i.e. P/D 2.4 to P/D 0.03 reduction in intercalation of EtBr and AO was observed, suggesting that xanthine derivatives could play very important role in reducing the DNA-directed toxicity in a dose dependent manner. In TCSPC, the amplitude of smaller lifetime component A1 and higher lifetime component A are attributed to free and intercalated dye concentration and their variation could indicate the process of intercalation or reduced intercalation of EtBr and AO by xanthine derivatives. We found that at the maximum drug concentration the smaller lifetime component A was increased by 7–8% and 17–37% in EtBr and AO intercalated complex respectively. Also the changes in lifetime and fluorescence decay profile were observed for the DNA-intercalated dyes before and after treatment with xanthines. Especially, at maximum P/D 0.03 the lifetime of DNA-intercalated EtBr and AO reduced by 1–2 ns. The present analysis reveals that xanthines are able to interact with free dyes and also with intercalated dyes, suggesting that when they interact with free dyes they might inhibit the further intercalation of dye molecules to DNA and the interaction with intercalated dyes might lead to displacement of the dyes resulting in de-intercalation. The results obtained from UV and fluorescence spectroscopy also support the present investigation of probable interaction of xanthines with the DNA damaging agents in modulating/reducing the DNA-directed toxicity
Impact of long-term high-fat diet intake gestational protein-restricted offspring on kidney morphology and function

Emerging evidence highlights the far-reaching consequences of high-fat diet (HFD) and obesity on kidney morphological and functional disorders. In the present study, we aim to evaluate the effects of early HFD intake on renal function and morphology in maternal protein-restricted offspring (LP). LP and normal protein-intake offspring (NP) were fed HFD (LPH and NPH, respectively) or standard rodent (LPN and NPN) diet from the 8th to 13th week of age. Blood pressure, kidney function, immunohistochemistry and scanning electron microscopy were analyzed. Increased total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein serum levels were observed in LPH offspring. The adiposity index was reduced in the (LPN) group and, conversely, increased in the NPH and LPH groups. Blood pressure was higher beyond the 10th week of age in the LPH group compared with the other groups. Decreased urinary sodium excretion was observed in LP offspring, whereas the HFD-treated groups presented a decreased urine pH in a time-dependent fashion. The LPN, NPH and LPH groups showed increased expression of type 1 angiotensin II (AngII) receptor (AT1R), TGF-β1, collagen and fibronectin in the kidneys. Moreover, the adult fetal-programmed offspring showed pronounced effacement of the podocyte foot process associated with the rupture of cell membranes and striking urinary protein excretion, exacerbated by HFD treatment. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study demonstrating that young fetal-programmed offspring submitted to long-term HFD intake have increased susceptibility to renal structural and functional disorders associated with an accentuated stage of fibrosis and tubular dysfunction.
Inhibition of NADPH Oxidase Attenuates Vasospasm After Experimental Subarachnoid Hemorrhage in Rats

Background and Purpose— The purpose of this study is to investigate whether apocynin, an NADPH oxidase inhibitor, attenuates vasospasm after experimental subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) in rats. Methods— Rats were subjected to endovascular perforation of the right anterior cerebral artery or sham surgery. Beginning 2 hours after SAH, rats were administered 50 mg/kg apocynin or vehicle by intraperitoneal injection 3 times daily for 2 days. Results— In SAH rats, apocynin treatment enlarged basilar artery diameter (SAH/apocynin=253±71 &mgr;m, SAH/saline=191±60 &mgr;m, P<0.01; SAH=190±58 &mgr;m, sham=276±52 &mgr;m, P<0.01), reduced neurological deficits (SAH/apocynin=24±6.5, SAH/saline=18±5.3, P<0.05; SAH=18±4.7, sham=27±0, P<0.01), decreased NADPH oxidase activity (SAH/apocynin=18.4±3.7, SAH/saline=25.7±5.2, P<0.05; SAH=27.5±5.8, sham=15.4±4.5 nmol/min per mg protein, P<0.05), decreased superoxide level (SAH/apocynin=6.5±1.8, SAH/saline=9.6±2.2, P<0.05; SAH=9.8±1.9, sham=4.9±0.9 arbitrary units, P<0.05), and lowered membrane translocation of NADPH oxidase subunit p47phox. Conclusions— Inhibition of NADPH oxidase attenuates delayed cerebral vasospasm after experimental SAH, suggesting that the inhibition of NADPH oxidase may provide a therapeutic strategy for vasospasm after SAH.
Integrated stratigraphy of the Paleocene‐Eocene thermal maximum in the New Jersey Coastal Plain: Toward understanding the effects of global warming in a shelf environment

[1] In the New Jersey Coastal Plain, a silty to clayey sedimentary unit (the Marlboro Formation) represents deposition during the Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum (PETM). This interval is remarkably different from the glauconitic sands and silts of the underlying Paleocene Vincentown and overlying Eocene Manasquan Formation. We integrate new and published stable isotope, biostratigraphic, lithostratigraphic and ecostratigraphic records, constructing a detailed time frame for the PETM along a depth gradient at core sites Clayton, Wilson Lake, Ancora and Bass River (updip to downdip). The onset of the PETM, marked by the base of the carbon isotope excursion (CIE), is within the gradual transition from glauconitic silty sands to silty clay, and represented fully at the updip sites (Wilson Lake and Clayton). The CIE “core” interval is expanded at the updip sites, but truncated. The CIE “core” is complete at the Bass River and Ancora sites, where the early part of the recovery is present (most complete at Ancora). The extent to which the PETM is expressed in the sediments is highly variable between sites, with a significant unconformity at the base of the overlying lower Eocene sediments. Our regional correlation framework provides an improved age model, allowing better understanding of the progression of environmental changes during the PETM. High-resolution benthic foraminiferal data document the change from a sediment-starved shelf setting to a tropical, river-dominated mud-belt system during the PETM, probably due to intensification of the hydrologic cycle. The excellent preservation of foraminifera during the PETM and the lack of severe benthic extinction suggest there was no extreme ocean acidification in shelf settings.
Next-Generation Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing

ABSTRACT Antimicrobial resistance has emerged as one of the most-significant health care problems of the new millennium, and the clinical microbiology laboratory plays a central role in optimizing the therapeutic management of patients with infection. This minireview explores the potential value of innovative methods for antimicrobial susceptibility testing of microorganisms that could provide valuable alternatives to existing methodologies in the very near future.
Isolation and Structure Determination of a Missing Endohedral Fullerene La@C70 through In Situ Trifluoromethylation.

D5h-symmetric fullerene C70 (D5h-C70) is one of the most abundant members of the fullerene family. One longstanding mystery in the field of fullerene chemistry is whether D5h-C70 is capable of accommodating a rare-earth metal atom to form an endohedral metallofullerene M@D5h-C70, which would be expected to show novel electronic properties. The molecular structure of La@C70 remains unresolved since its discovery three decades ago because of its extremely high instability under ambient conditions and insolubility in organic solvents. Herein, we report the single-crystal X-ray structure of La@C70(CF3)3, which was obtained through in situ exohedral functionalization by means of trifluoromethylation. The X-ray crystallographic study reveals that La@C70(CF3)3 is the first example of an endohedral rare-earth fullerene based on D5h-C70. The dramatically enhanced stability of La@C70(CF3)3 compared to La@C70 can be ascribed to trifluoromethylation-induced bandgap enlargement.
Effect of light and temperature on calcification and strontium uptake in the scleractinian coral Acropora verweyi

Strontium thermometry has been suggested as a powerful tool for reconstructing sea- water surface temperature (SST). In corals, an inverse relationship between SST and skeletal Sr/Ca ratios has been found. However, this ratio might also vary with calcification, which in turn is depen- dent on light and temperature. The aim of this study was to improve our knowledge of the uptake of Sr 2+ as a function of light and temperature in the scleractinian coral Acropora verweyi. Two experi- ments were performed in which nubbins were acclimated over 4 wk either to 3 light intensities (100, 200 and 400 µmol m -2 s -1 ) or to 3 temperatures (20, 25, and 29°C) and growth rates were monitored. At the end of the 4 wk, nubbins were incubated, under the above light levels and temperatures, in individual beakers containing seawater spiked with the radiotracer 85 Sr. Parallel incubations were carried out in dark beakers, in order to compare rates of Sr 2+ incorporation in light and dark. The results obtained showed that growth rates were significantly higher under high light (0.16 ± 0.01 and 0.27 ± 0.01% d -1 for 100 and 400 µmol photons m -2 s -1 ) and under high temperature (0.06 ± 0.01% d -1 at 20°C to 0.35 ± 0.03% d -1 at 29°C). Rates of Sr 2+ incorporation into the coral skeleton were also higher under high light (32.4 ± 3.0, 72.9 ± 13.5 and 91.2 ± 9.0 nmol (g dry weight, DW) -1 d -1 , for corals cultured at 100, 200 and 400 µmol m -2 s -1 respectively) and high temperature (89 ± 14, 224 ± 38 and 436 ± 58 nmol (g DW) -1 d -1 for corals cultured at 20, 25 and 29°C respectively). Rates of Sr 2+ uptake were also 2 to 3 times lower in the dark than in the light, comparable with the incorporation of calcium. Our results finally show a strong correlation between Sr 2+ uptake and growth rates. Stron- tium uptake therefore follows the same pattern as calcium uptake, both ions being regulated by the calcification biochemistry.