Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Caractérisation du rôle des protéines phosphatases impliquées dans la déphosphorylation de la protéine kinase Greatwall lors de la sortie de mitose

Chez la drolosophile, des mutants de Greatwall presentent des defauts de condensation des chromosomes lors de la mitose. Plus tard, la meme equipe a montre que chez le Xenope, Greatwall est necessaire pour entrer en mitose. L'idee consistant a penser que puisque Greatwall ne permet plus l'entree en mitose, il joue un role dans la boucle qui conduit a l'auto-amplification de MPF. En 2009, notre equipe a montre que Greatwall est reellement impliquee dans l'entree en mitose, mais de facon indirecte par rapport a la boucle d'amplification de MPF, et cela en controlant l'activite de la phosphatase PP2A. Notre equipe a montre que lorsque l'on enleve PP2A, on peut sauver le phenotype de l'absence de Greatwall. Plus tard, il a ete montre que la phosphorylation de Greatwall est necessaire pour l'entree en mitose. La phosphorylation de Greatwall sur la partie C-terminale est necessaire pour activer Greatwall. Par consequent, Greatwall doit etre phosphoryle pour etre actif. Une fois active, Greatwall est capable de phosphoryler Arpp19 qui lie la phosphatase PP2AB55, et qui l'inhibe permettant ainsi de maintenir les phosphorylations des substrats mitotiques. Si cette voie de signalisation n'est pas fonctionnelle, la phosphatase PP2A va dephosphoryler tous les substrats mitotiques et la cellule n'entrera jamais en mitose. Greatwall doit etre phosphoryle pour s'activer et pour entrer en mitose, mais on observe aussi qu'au moment de la sortie de mitose, il est dephosphoryle, et il doit etre dephosphoryle pour s'inactiver. (On ne sait pas s'il est requisse pour sortir). Mon projet consiste a chercher la/les phosphatase(s) qui pourrait controler l'activite ou l'inactivation de Greatwall. Les questions que l'on se pose : Comment et par quelle(s) phosphatase(s) Greatwall est dephosphoryle, comment ces phosphoatases sont activees, quel est l'ordre d'activation de ces phosphatases ? Pour etudier comment Greatwall est dephosphoryle, il y a 2 sites majors : T194 et S875. Ces 2 sites sont necessaires pour l'activite de Greatwall. Nous avons realise les 2 mutants T194A et S875A, et les traduit dans l'extrait interphasique d'œufs de Xenope, pour mesurer l'activite de kinase Greatwall. Pour dephosphoryler ces 2 sites, il y a 4 phosphatases principales comme candidats : Calcineurine, Fcp1, PP1, PP2A.
Functional Expression of Human PP2Ac in Yeast Permits the Identification of Novel C-terminal and Dominant-negative Mutant Forms*

The protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) holoenzyme is structurally conserved among eukaryotes. This reflects a conservation of function in vivo because the human catalytic subunit (PP2Ac) functionally replaced the endogenous PP2Ac ofSaccharomyces cerevisiae and bound the yeast regulatory PR65/A subunit (Tpd3p) forming a dimer. Yeast was employed as a novel system for mutagenesis and functional analysis of human PP2Ac, revealing that the invariant C-terminal leucine residue, a site of regulatory methylation, is apparently dispensable for protein function. However, truncated forms of human PP2Ac lacking larger portions of the C terminus exerted a dominant interfering effect, as did several mutant forms containing a substitution mutation. Computer modeling of PP2Ac structure revealed that interfering amino acid substitutions clustered to the active site, and consistently, the PP2Ac-L199P mutant protein was catalytically impaired despite binding Tpd3p. Thus, interfering forms of PP2Ac titrate regulatory subunits and/or substrates into non-productive complexes and will serve as useful tools for studying PP2A function in mammalian cells. The transgenic approach employed here, involving a simple screen for interfering mutants, may be applicable generally to the analysis of structure-function relationships within protein phosphatases and other conserved proteins and demonstrates further the utility of yeast for analyzing gene function.
An epidemiological comparison of Dean's index and the Developmental Defects of Enamel (DDE) index.

OBJECTIVES To compare the Dean's and DDE indices in examining dental fluorosis and diffuse opacities. METHODS Survey of a random sample of 9-year-old children in Southland, New Zealand. Dental fluorosis was measured using Dean's index. Enamel defects were recorded using the DDE index. RESULTS A total of 436 children (74.5 percent) were examined: 24.1 percent had diffuse opacities, and 10.8 percent of children had fluorosis (P < 0.001). At tooth level (using the score for the same tooth), the indices were more similar, but 9 percent of the 33 with diffuse opacities showed no visible signs of fluorosis. CONCLUSIONS We found relatively little concordance between the DDE and Dean's indices in determining person prevalence of defects among children. At the tooth level, concordance between the two was greater, and suggests that little maybe lost in fluorosis studies which use the DDE index, particularly as it enables collection of a wider and more comprehensive range of information. Although the use of Dean's index is important for historical comparisons, investigators should appreciate its limitations.
A hybrid multilevel inverter employing series-parallel switched-capacitor unit

This paper presents a new hybrid multilevel inverter (MLI) which adopts switched-capacitor (SC) to step-up the voltage and improve the output power quality. With a simple series-parallel unit, the voltage magnitude and number of output levels of the inverter are doubled. The proposed topology can be applied to arbitrary number of series-connected voltage sources. This paper also suggests the design of gate drive voltage supplies and a scheme to substantially reduce the number of active components for high power factor applications which further simplifies the design and system cost. Due to the considerable increase in number of output levels, the proposed SCMLI has satisfactory output power quality with simple staircase modulation techniques switching at fundamental frequency. The working principle of the proposed SCMLI and the associated staircase modulation technique presented here are studied and verified by simulation and experiment.
EFFECT OF BREED ON MEAT QUALITY IN JAPANESE QUAILS ( COTURNIX COTURNIX JAPONICA )

At present, Japanese quails are reared in many countries in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and America for eggs and meat production. In the USA and Europe, producers are oriented to breeds with superior meat traits. In our country, two Japanese quail breeds are generally preferred for industrial scale production – the meat type Pharaoh and the all-purpose Manchurian Golden breeds. The purpose of the present study was to establish the effect of quail breed on the quality of produced meat. The two groups of quails were slaughtered at 35 days of age after 4-hour fasting period. The physicochemical properties of meat (рН, muscle colour on the CIE L*a*b* system and water holding capacity) from two breast muscles m. Pectoralis superficialis (MPS) and m. Pectoralis profundus (MPP) were investigated. In both breeds, pH values of studied breast muscles were similar, suggesting that glycogen depots in breast muscles and the post mortem anaerobic glycolysis rate were almost comparable. The absolute reduction of pH values (∆рНabs) was less pronounced in Pharaoh quails, while the breast meat of this breed had better water holding capacity (WHC). The analysis of meat colour traits showed similar values of L* in both breeds. The а * and b* values were higher in MPS (Р<0.001) than in MPP. During meat storage, a* values increased until the 24 th hour, especially in MPP (Р<0.05). A similar trend was present for b* values, but differences were not statistically significant. The data for colour coordinates L*, a* and b* allowed for determination of the colour difference (∆Е*), which was considerable for MPP (Р<0.05). At the background of lower a* and b* values of Pharaoh quail meat, observed chroma values (С*) were also lower. During storage, C* values increased, with more pronounced differences for MPP (Р<0.01). The Hue angle (h o ) did not change significantly during that time, despite the slight tendency towards reduction of values.
Forecasting Inflation Using the Phillips Curve: Evidence from Swedish Data

This paper studies the forecasting ability of various Phillips curve specifications in a pseudo out-of-sample exercise for Swedish inflation over the period 1980–2014. Three measures of inflation are considered––headline inflation, underlying inflation, GDP deflator inflation, in addition to different activity variables, various econometric specifications and different sample periods. Although the results indicate heterogeneity in individual model performance and evidence of model instability, in general, the Phillips curve models improve inflation forecasts against the random walk benchmark for both headline inflation and underlying inflation, and fail to beat the random walk benchmark for GDP deflator inflation. Phillips curve forecasts beat the random walk benchmark especially for 2004–2013. The monetary regime change in 1993 from exchange rate targeting to inflation targeting is also taken into account. The results suggest that for all Phillips curve models and all three inflation measures, the performance of the Phillips curve depends on whether the data used for making the predictions was under the inflation targeting regime or not. Univariate forecasting models perform well for the fixed exchange rate regime period, but the Phillips curve models are useful under the inflation targeting regime.
Tradition and modernity

This book offers a philosophical interpretation and critical analysis of the African cultural experience in modern times. In their attempt to evolve ways of life appropriate to our modern world culture, says Kwame Gyekye, African people and societies face a number of challenges, some stemming from the values and practices of their traditional cultures, and others representing the legacy of European colonialism. Defending the cross-cultural applicability of philosophical concepts developed in Western culture, Kwame Gyekye attempts to show the usefulness of such concepts in addressing a wide range of specifically African problems. Among the issues he considers are: economic development, nation-building, the evolution of viable and appropriate democratic political institutions, the development of appropriate and credible ideologies, political corruption, and the crumbling of traditional moral standards in the wake of rapid social change. Throughout, Gyekye challenges the notion that modernity must be equated with Western values and institutions, arguing instead that African modernity must be forged creatively within the furnace of Africa's many-sided cultural experience.
Insect Attack and Wounding Induce Traumatic Resin Duct Development and Gene Expression of (—)-Pinene Synthase in Sitka Spruce1

Conifers possess inducible terpenoid defense systems. These systems are associated with the formation of traumatic resin ducts (TRD) and are underpinned by enhanced gene expression and activity of terpene synthases (TPS), enzymes responsible for oleoresin formation. We first determined that Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis [Bong.] Carriere) had the capacity for TRD formation by mechanically wounding representative trees. We then proceeded to investigate whether the white pine weevil (Pissodes strobi Peck.), a stem-boring insect, can influence the expression of genes encoding monoterpene synthases (mono-tps) in Sitka spruce. We went on to compare this response with the effects of a simulated insect attack by drill wounding. A significant increase in mono-tps transcript level was observed in the leaders of lateral branches of weevil-attacked and mechanically wounded trees. In this study, weevils induced a more rapid enhancement of mono-tps gene expression. A full-length Sitka spruce mono-tps cDNA (PsTPS2) was isolated, expressed in Escherichia coli, and functionally identified as (—)-pinene synthase. The recombinant (—)-pinene synthase catalyzes the formation of (—)-α-pinene and (—)-β-pinene, both of which are known constituents of stem oleoresin in Sitka spruce and increase in abundance after weevil attack. These data suggest that increased (—)-pinene synthase gene expression is an important element of the direct defense system deployed in Sitka spruce after insect attack.
The Effect of Nefopam on Morphine Overconsumption Induced by Large-Dose Remifentanil During Propofol Anesthesia for Major Abdominal Surgery

Opioids may activate pain facilitatory systems opposing analgesia. We investigated whether large-dose remifentanil given during IV anesthesia caused postoperative morphine overconsumption and whether nefopam (a centrally acting analgesic) could reduce this. Sixty patients scheduled for abdominal surgery were included in this prospective, randomized study. The first 30 patients received either small-dose (Group S: 3 ng/mL) or large-dose (Group L: 8 ng/mL) remifentanil administrated by a target-controlled infusion during propofol anesthesia. Before skin closure, patients received morphine 0.15 mg/kg. Another 30 patients also received nefopam 20 mg intraoperatively. Postoperative pain was controlled by titration of morphine, followed by patient-controlled morphine analgesia (PCA). Morphine was requested earlier in Group L than in Group S (10 [1–63] min versus 37 [5–90] min, median [range]; P < 0.002). The dose of morphine by titration was larger in Group L than in Group S (0.28 [0.04–0.38] mg/kg versus 0.16 [0.03–0.41] mg/kg; P < 0.05). PCA morphine consumption and pain scores were similar. There were no differences between the nefopam groups in the time to first morphine request or in the dose of morphine by titration. Postoperative morphine overconsumption occurred after large-dose remifentanil and propofol anesthesia during the early postoperative period. Pretreatment with nefopam could be useful to prevent pain sensitization induced by opioids.
Ocular toxicity from systemically administered xenobiotics

Introduction: The eye is considered as the most privileged organ because of the blood–ocular barrier that acts as a barrier to systemically administered xenobiotics. However, there has been a significant increase in the number of reports on systemic drug-induced ocular complications. If such complications are left untreated, then it may cause permanent damage to vision. Hence, knowledge of most recent updates on ever-increasing reports of such toxicities has become imperative to develop better therapy while minimizing toxicities. Areas covered: The article is mainly divided into anterior and posterior segment manifestations caused by systemically administered drugs. The anterior segment is further elaborated on corneal complications where as the posterior segment is focused on optic nerve, retinal and vitreous complications. Furthermore, this article includes recent updates on acute and chronic ocular predicaments, in addition to discussing various associated symptoms caused by drugs. Expert opinion: Direct correlation of ocular toxicities due to systemic drug therapy is evident from current literature. Therefore, it is necessary to have detailed documentation of these complications to improve understanding and predict toxicities. We made an attempt to ensure that the reader is aware of the characteristic ocular complications, the potential for irreversible drug toxicity and indications for cessation.
Long-term outcome of patients with diffuse proliferative lupus nephritis treated with prednisolone and oral cyclophosphamide followed by azathioprine

The short-term outcome of patients with diffuse proliferative lupus nephritis (DPLN) has improved with advances in immunosuppressive treatment. However, the impact of different immunosuppressive regimens on long-term renal function remains to be defined. This prospective cohort study examined the long-term renal function and disease relapse in adults with biopsy-proven DPLN, significant proteinuria, and hypoalbuminemia, who had been treated with sequential immunosuppression comprising prednisolone and oral cyclophosphamide as induction followed by low-dose prednisolone and azathioprine as maintenance. Sixty-six patients with 68 episodes of DPLN were included, with follow-up of 91.7 + 36.7 months. 82.4% achieved complete remission and 39.1% relapsed during follow-up. Patients in partial remission were at higher risk of relapse compared with those in complete remission (hazard ratio 6.2, P, 0.001). Serum creatinine remained stable over time (P = 0.931), while creatinine clearance showed a significant increase with time after treatment (P = 0.032). Three (4.4%) patients had doubling of baseline creatinine, but none reached end-stage renal failure or died. Univariate and mixed model analyses showed that the evolution of long-term renal function was significantly influenced by the chronicity score and creatinine clearance at baseline, and by the renal function at one year after treatment. These data demonstrate the efficacy of sequential immunosuppression in preserving renal function in most Chinese subjects with DPLN. The results also indicate that irreversible renal scarring (as reflected by baseline chronicity score), renal reserve (as reflected by renal function at baseline and one year), and an induction regimen that is effective in preserving the nephron mass are critical determinants of long-term renal outcome.
Disease Factors in Early Rheumatoid Arthritis Are Associated with Differential Risks for Cardiovascular Events and Mortality Depending on Age at Onset: A 10-year Observational Cohort Study

Objective. To investigate, within the first 2 years of diagnosis with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), associations between disease-related measures and cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality in patients with RA onset before and after 65 years of age. Methods. The study population (n = 741; 67.5% women) was derived from the Better Anti-Rheumatic Pharmaco Therapy (BARFOT) early RA cohort, recruited 1993–1999. The mean age was 55 years (SD 14.7). The outcomes were incident CVD events and all-cause mortality until 2010. Area under the curve (AUC) for disease measures at inclusion, 1 and 2 years, and decrease in measures after 1 year were calculated. Results. In all, 177 CVD events and 151 deaths occurred over 10 years of observation. In adjusted Cox regression analyses, seropositivity for rheumatoid factor (RF) or anticitrullinated protein antibodies (ACPA); white blood (cell) count at diagnosis; and AUC of C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and visual analog scale (VAS)-pain were associated with higher CVD risk among patients with disease onset before 65 years of age. Among patients with disease onset after 65 years, larger decreases in CRP, ESR, health assessment questionnaire (HAQ), and use of methotrexate decreased CVD risk, whereas use of glucocorticoids heightened CVD risk. AUC of CRP, ESR, HAQ, and HAQ after 2 years was related to risk of death in both age groups. Seropositivity and AUC for VAS-pain in the younger group and use of glucocorticoids in the elderly were associated with poorer survival. Conclusion. Early treatment of RA may improve longterm outcomes. Presence of RF or ACPA associates with CVD and mortality among RA patients with disease onset before 65 years. Age stratification may improve evaluation of risk for CVD and mortality in early RA.
Evaluation of Respiratory Motion Effect on Defect Detection in Myocardial Perfusion SPECT: A Simulation Study

The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of respiratory motion (RM) on defect detection in Tc-99m sestamibi myocardial perfusion SPECT (MPS) using a phantom population that includes patient variability. Three RM patterns are included, namely breath-hold, slightly enhanced normal breathing, and deep breathing. For each RM pattern, six 4-D NCAT phantoms were generated, each with anatomical variations. Anterior, lateral and inferior myocardial defects with different sizes and contrasts were inserted. Noise-free SPECT projections were simulated using an analytical projector. Poisson noise was then added to generate noisy realizations. The projection data were reconstructed using the OS-EM algorithm with 1 and 4 subsets/iteration and at 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, and 10 iterations. Short-axis images centered at the centroid of the myocardial defect were extracted, and the channelized Hotelling observer (CHO) was applied for the detection of the defect. The CHO results show that the value of the area under the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve (AUC) is affected by the RM amplitude. For all the defect sizes and contrasts studied, the highest or optimal AUC values indicate maximum detectability decrease with the increase of the RM amplitude. With no respiration, the ranking of the optimal AUC value in decreasing order is anterior then lateral, and finally inferior defects. The AUC value of the lateral defect drops more severely as the RM amplitude increases compared to other defect locations. Furthermore, as the RM amplitude increases, the AUC values of the smaller defects drop more quickly than the larger ones. We demonstrated that RM affects defect detectability of MPS imaging. The results indicate that developments of optimal data acquisition methods and RM correction methods are needed to improve the defect detectability in MPS.
Proteomic analysis of multiple sclerosis cerebrospinal fluid

Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and peptide mass fingerprinting were used to identify proteins in cerebrospinal fluid (C SF) pooled from three patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and in C SF pooled from three patients with non-MS inflammatory central nervous system (C NS) disorders. Resolution of C SF proteins on three pH gradients (3-10, 4-7 and 6-11) enabled identification of a total of 430 spots in the MS C SF proteome that represented 61 distinct proteins. The gels containing MS C SF revealed 103 protein spots that were not seen on control gels. A ll but four of these 103 spots were proteins known to be present in normal human C SF. The four exceptio ns were: C RTAC -1B (cartilage acidic protein), tetranectin (a plasminogen-binding protein), SPARC -like protein (a calcium binding cell signalling glycoprotein), and autotaxin t (a phosphodiesterase). It remains unknown whether these four proteins are related to the cause and patho genesis of MS.