Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Theoretical and experimental analysis of ionization equilibria in ovomucoid third domain.

2D-NMR experiments were used to determine the pKa values ranging from 8.0 to >/=11.1 of seven basic residues in turkey ovomucoid third domain (OMTKY3) and were compared to values predicted as described by Antosiewicz et al. [(1996) Biochemistry 35, 7819-7833]. Lys 13, 29, and 34 were previously attributed with increasing the acidity of numerous acidic residues [Schaller, W. , and Robertson, A. D. (1995) Biochemistry 34, 4714-4723]. These interactions were expected to raise the pKa values of those basic groups; however, the pKa values of Lys 13 and 34 are less than the model compound values. The pKa values of the other basic residues are greater than the model compound values and, unlike the acidic residues, all are surprisingly insensitive to salt. While the calculations properly predict the direction of most of the pKa shifts and provide valuable insight into the possible molecular origins of the interactions that perturb pKa values, there is a tendency to overestimate the magnitude of the shifts and their salt dependence. Interestingly, the shapes of both the calculated and observed transitions are often more complex than expected for a simple titration, suggesting that pKa values at many sites are changing during the transition. Differences between predicted and experimental pKa values and titration profiles for some residues may be due to as yet uncharacterized structural changes at the extremes of pH.
What are Health Disparities and Health Equity? We Need to Be Clear

“Health disparities” and “health equity” have become increasingly familiar terms in public health, but rarely are they defined explicitly. Ambiguity in the definitions of these terms could lead to misdirection of resources . This article discusses the need for greater clarity about the concepts of health disparities and health equity, proposes definitions, and explains the rationale based on principles from the fields of ethics and human rights.
Genome Sequence Analysis of the Emerging Human Pathogenic Acetic Acid Bacterium Granulibacter bethesdensis

ABSTRACT Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is an inherited immune deficiency characterized by increased susceptibility to infection with Staphylococcus, certain gram-negative bacteria, and fungi. Granulibacter bethesdensis, a newly described genus and species within the family Acetobacteraceae, was recently isolated from four CGD patients residing in geographically distinct locales who presented with fever and lymphadenitis. We sequenced the genome of the reference strain of Granulibacter bethesdensis, which was isolated from lymph nodes of the original patient. The genome contains 2,708,355 base pairs in a single circular chromosome, in which 2,437 putative open reading frames (ORFs) were identified, 1,470 of which share sequence similarity with ORFs in the nonpathogenic but related Gluconobacter oxydans genome. Included in the 967 ORFs that are unique to G. bethesdensis are ORFs potentially important for virulence, adherence, DNA uptake, and methanol utilization. GC% values and best BLAST analysis suggested that some of these unique ORFs were recently acquired. Comparison of G. bethesdensis to other known CGD pathogens demonstrated conservation of some putative virulence factors, suggesting possible common mechanisms involved in pathogenesis in CGD. Genotyping of the four patient isolates by use of a custom microarray demonstrated genome-wide variations in regions encoding DNA uptake systems and transcriptional regulators and in hypothetical ORFs. G. bethesdensis is a genetically diverse emerging human pathogen that may have recently acquired virulence factors new to this family of organisms.
Evaluation of a new biopsy urease test: Pronto Dry, for the diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection

Background The gastric biopsy urease test is the most frequently used test for the diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection in routine gastrointestinal endoscopy practice. In Malaysia up to recently, only one commercial biopsy urease test was available: the CLO test (Ballard Medical Products, Draper, Utah, USA). Large endoscopy units use their own ‘homemade’ unbuffered ultra rapid urease test for diagnosis of H. pylori infection. Objective To compare the accuracy and reaction time of a new biopsy urease test, Pronto Dry (Medical Instruments Corporation, Solothurn, Switzerland) and the CLO test in the diagnosis of H. pylori infection. Methods Consecutive patients presenting with dyspepsia to the endoscopy unit, University of Malaya Medical Centre were recruited for the study. Patients who were previously treated for H. pylori infection or who had received antibiotics, proton pump inhibitors or bismuth compounds in the preceding 4 weeks were excluded. H. pylori diagnosis was made based on the ultra rapid urease test and histological examination of gastric biopsies. Four antral and four corpus biopsies were taken for this purpose from all patients. A diagnosis of H. pylori infection was made when both the ultra rapid urease test and histology were positive in either the antral or corpus biopsies. A negative diagnosis of H. pylori was made when both tests from antral and corpus biopsies were all negative. Another four antral and four corpus biopsies (two each) were taken for the Pronto Dry and CLO tests. The Pronto Dry and CLO tests were stored and performed according to the manufacturer's instruction. Results Two hundred and eight patients were recruited in the study. Eighty-six of the patients were males and 122 were females. The mean age was 46.3 years with a range of 15–82 years. The results for both the Pronto Dry and the CLO tests were completely concordant with sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and diagnostic accuracy of 98.1%, 100%, 100%, 98.1% and 99%, respectively. The Pronto Dry test showed a faster reaction time to positive compared with the CLO test, with 96.2% positive reaction by 30 min versus 70.8% and 100% positive reaction time by 55 min versus 83%. The colorimetric change was also more distinct with the Pronto Dry test compared with the CLO test. Conclusions Both the Pronto Dry and the CLO tests were highly accurate for the diagnosis of H. pylori infection. The Pronto Dry test showed a quicker positive reaction time and the positive colour change was more distinct.
Minerva: Enabling Low-Power, Highly-Accurate Deep Neural Network Accelerators

The continued success of Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) in classification tasks has sparked a trend of accelerating their execution with specialized hardware. While published designs easily give an order of magnitude improvement over general-purpose hardware, few look beyond an initial implementation. This paper presents Minerva, a highly automated co-design approach across the algorithm, architecture, and circuit levels to optimize DNN hardware accelerators. Compared to an established fixed-point accelerator baseline, we show that fine-grained, heterogeneous datatype optimization reduces power by 1.5×; aggressive, inline predication and pruning of small activity values further reduces power by 2.0×; and active hardware fault detection coupled with domain-aware error mitigation eliminates an additional 2.7× through lowering SRAM voltages. Across five datasets, these optimizations provide a collective average of 8.1× power reduction over an accelerator baseline without compromising DNN model accuracy. Minerva enables highly accurate, ultra-low power DNN accelerators (in the range of tens of milliwatts), making it feasible to deploy DNNs in power-constrained IoT and mobile devices.
Suboptimal Treatment of Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathic Pain in the United States.

OBJECTIVE Approximately one third of patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) also experience neuropathic pain, resulting in a significant health care burden, and reduced quality of life. Pregabalin, duloxetine, and tapentadol extended-release are approved for treating diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain (DPNP), but many other medications are commonly used "off-label" with various degrees of success. We examined US health insurance claims to determine the current DPNP treatment patterns. METHODS This retrospective analysis used the MarketScan claims database to identify adults with continuous health plan enrollment for 12 months pre- and postindex who were initially diagnosed with DPN between 2006 and 2011 and were provided a prescription for a medication reported to be beneficial for treating DPNP (anticonvulsants, antidepressants, opioids, or topical agents). We evaluated the frequency and types of medication dispensed within 1 year after first diagnosis, treatment adherence, and patterns of treatment alteration. RESULTS Overall, 12,074 patients met inclusion criteria, with 66.6% initiating an anticonvulsant (gabapentin 45.0%; pregabalin 21.6%), and 5.2% initiating duloxetine. Patients commonly received less than the recommended dose of prescribed medication, and adherence was suboptimal for all treatments. It is estimated that up to 50% of patients discontinued their initial treatment within 3 months of initiation. CONCLUSIONS Newly diagnosed patients with DPNP are most commonly prescribed anticonvulsants. Many patients receive lower than recommended dosages, potentially resulting in poor outcomes. Initial treatments are frequently discontinued, indicating low levels of satisfaction and/or poor tolerability. New therapies with improved efficacy and better tolerability are urgently needed for DPNP.
LPA as a Paracrine Mediator of Adipocyte Growth and Function

Abstract: Adipogenesis corresponds to the recruitment of new adipocytes in adipose tissue, and results from the proliferation/differentiation of preadipocytes. Production of paracrine and autocrine factors by adipocytes plays an important role in adipogenesis. We recently demonstrated the existence of adipocyte production of lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) both in vitro and in situ. This production is modulated by catecholamines via α2‐adrenergic receptors. Adipocyte‐LPA present in conditioned media increases the growth of a preadipose cell line in culture. This growth is associated with an activation of mitogen‐activated protein kinases, and of the focal adhesion kinase. Because of the close proximity of preadipocytes and adipocytes within adipose tissue, adipocyte‐LPA could play an important role in autocrine/paracrine control of adipogenesis.
Morphologic and cytochemical characteristics of blood cells from Hawaiian green turtles.

OBJECTIVE To identify and characterize blood cells from free-ranging Hawaiian green turtles, Chelonia mydas. SAMPLE POPULATION 26 green turtles from Puako on the island of Hawaii and Kaneohe Bay on the island of Oahu. PROCEDURE Blood was examined, using light and electron microscopy and cytochemical stains that included benzidine peroxidase, chloroacetate esterase, alpha naphthyl butyrate esterase, acid phosphatase, Sudan black B, periodic acid-Schiff, and toluidine blue. RESULTS 6 types of WBC were identified: lymphocytes, monocytes, thrombocytes, heterophils, basophils, and eosinophils (small and large). Morphologic characteristics of mononuclear cells and most granulocytes were similar to those of cells from other reptiles except that green turtles have both large and small eosinophils. CONCLUSIONS Our classification of green turtle blood cells clarifies improper nomenclature reported previously and provides a reference for future hematologic studies in this species.
STAT3 Negatively Regulates Type I IFN-Mediated Antiviral Response

Type I IFNs are crucial cytokines of innate immunity for combating viral infections. Signaling through type I IFN receptors triggers the activation of STAT proteins, including STAT1, STAT2, and STAT3. Although an essential role of STAT1 and STAT2 for type I IFN-induced antiviral response has been well established by studies of gene-targeted mice and human mutations, the role of STAT3 for this response remains unclear. Using gain-of-function and loss-of-function approaches, we demonstrated that STAT3 negatively regulates type I IFN-mediated response. STAT3 knockdown or knockout cells displayed enhanced gene expression and antiviral activity in response to IFN-α/β. Restoration of STAT3 to STAT3KO cells resulted in attenuation of the response. Upon viral infection, increased type I IFN production in STAT3KO cells resulted in enhanced STAT activation and ISG expression. One mechanism for the enhanced IFN production and response in the absence of STAT3 might operate through an MDA5-dependent manner. STAT3 also appeared to suppress IFN response directly in a manner dependent on its N-terminal domain and independent of its function as a transcriptional factor. Taken together, these results define STAT3 as a negative regulator of type I IFN response and provide a therapeutic target for viral infections.
Improved contact tracing of Chlamydia trachomatis in a Swedish county – is genotyping worthwhile?

The vast majority of genital Chlamydia trachomatis infections are non-symptomatic or mildly symptomatic. Efficient contact tracing and screening programmes are the most effective means to reveal these infections. We conducted a prospective study on the effects of contact tracing performed by specially trained midwives in a centralized municipality-based organization during one year. In order to improve the efficiency of the contact tracing, all C. trachomatis-positive isolates in the county during one year were typed by sequencing the ompA gene. Contact tracing in two municipalities the year prior to the study revealed 1.6 partners for each index case (n = 110). The corresponding figure for the whole county during the study period was 2.1 partners per index case (n = 2065). Genotyping added valuable information in mapping individual sexual networks, but was not essential for achieving satisfactory contact tracing results.
Nuclear localization of the NS3 protein of hepatitis C virus and factors affecting the localization

Subcellular localization of the NS2 and NS3 proteins of hepatitis C virus was analyzed. In stable Ltk transfectants inducibly expressing an NS2-NS3 polyprotein (amino acids [aa] 810 to 1463), processed full-size NS2 (aa 810 to 1026) was detected exclusively in a cytoplasmic membrane fraction. On the other hand, the other processed product, carboxy-truncated NS3 (NS3 deltaC1463; aa 1027 to 1463), was present in both cytoplasmic and nuclear fractions. To further analyze subcellular localization of NS3, NS3 deltaC1459 (aa 1027 to 1459), full-size NS3 (NS3F; aa 1027 to 1657), and both amino- and carboxy-truncated NS3 (NS3 deltaNdeltaC; aa 1201 to 1459) were expressed in HeLa cells by using a vaccinia virus-T7 hybrid expression system. NS3 deltaC1459 and NS3F accumulated in the nucleus as well as in the cytoplasm, exhibiting a dot-like staining pattern. On the other hand, NS3 deltaNdeltaC was localized predominantly in the cytoplasm, suggesting the presence of a nuclear localization signal(s) in the amino-terminal sequence of NS3. NS4A, a viral cofactor for the NS3 protease, inhibited nuclear transport of NS3 deltaC1459 and NS3F, with the latter inhibited to a lesser extent than was the former. Interestingly, wild-type p53 tumor suppressor augmented nuclear localization of NS3 deltaC1459 and NS3F, whereas mutant-type p53 inhibited nuclear localization and augmented cytoplasmic localization of NS3 deltaC1459. However, subcellular localization of NS3 deltaNdeltaC was not affected by either type of p53. Wild-type p53-mediated nuclear accumulation of NS3 deltaC1459 and NS3F was inhibited partially, but not completely, by coexpressed NS4A, with NS3F again affected less prominently than was NS3 deltaC1459.
Temperature Effects on Development and Survival of Two Stable Flies, Stomoxys calcitrans and Stomoxys niger niger (Diptera: Muscidae), in La Réunion Island

Abstract Two stable fly species, Stomoxys calcitrans (L., 1758) and Stomoxys niger niger Macquart, 1851, co-occur in La Réunion, where they are important pests of cattle. The survival and developmental rate of the immature stages were compared at five constant temperatures from 15 to 35°C. In both species, immature survival was highest at 20–25°C and markedly decreased at 15 and 35°C. At the lower temperatures, mortality was observed mainly for S. calcitrans larvae and S. niger eggs. At the higher temperatures, mainly pupae of both species died. At all temperatures, S. calcitrans survived better than S. niger. Developmental time was highly similar in both species, decreasing from 71 d at 15°C to 13 d at 30°C in S. calcitrans and from 69 d at 15°C to 14 d at 30°C in S. niger. Developmental times increased slightly at 35°C. Surprisingly, the tropical S. niger developed slightly faster than the cosmopolitan S. calcitrans at 15–20°C; the reverse was found at higher temperatures. Temperature summation models confirmed that S. niger had a lower developmental threshold than S. calcitrans (11.3 versus 12.2°C) and higher day-degree (DD) requirements to complete development (251 versus 225 DD). Overall, the results suggest that S. calcitrans is better adapted than S. niger, in terms of adult production from eggs, in the temperature range of La Réunion.
Interaction of cytokines and growth factor in the regulation of verotoxin‐induced apoptosis in cultured human endothelial cells

The role of CD77, inflammatory cytokines and endothelial cell growth factor (ECGF) in verotoxin (VT)‐induced apoptosis in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) was studied. Apoptosis was detected using annexin V and propidium iodide staining. The expression of CD77 antigen was measured on a FACStar flow cytometer using specific monoclonal antibodies. Our experiments showed that HUVECs had very low initial levels of CD77 and were resistant to VT. Treatment with tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α) resulted in a significant upregulation of CD77 expression and sensitized endothelial cells to VT‐mediated apoptosis. HUVECs incubated with a combination of cytokines [TNF‐α and interferon gamma (IFN‐γ), both 500 U/ml] showed more pronounced upregulation of CD77 expression (> sixfold at 48 h) and underwent apoptosis, suggesting that TNF‐α and IFN‐γ have a synergistic effect on CD77 expression in HUVECs and can induce apoptosis without VT. Cells pretreated with TNF‐α and IFN‐γ and incubated with VT showed the most pronounced (14‐fold) increase in CD77 expression. ECGF had a partial protective effect against cytokine‐ and VT‐induced apoptosis. Taken together, our data suggest that CD77 antigen is involved in the regulation of endothelial cell apoptosis.
ÇALIŞAN KADINLARIN GİYSİ SEÇİMLERİ VE RENK TERCİHLERİ

Renklerin insanin hayatina yon verdigi, cogu kez farkinda olmadan renklerin kisileri yonlendirdigi bilinmektedir. Kisilerin cevresi ile iliskilerini, is faaliyetlerini, gunluk stres ve moral durumunu, tuketim ve uretim durumunu, etkinlik ve yaptirim gucunu etkileyebilen renk olgusunun, calisan kadinlarin yasaminda da onemli yeri oldugu dusunulerek yapilan bu calismada; calisan kadinlarin giysi secimleri ve giysi rengi tercihlerinin belirlenmesi amaciyla 300 calisan kadinin konu ile ilgili gorusleri alinmistir. Arastirma sonuclarina gore; calisan kadinlarin cogunlukla klasik ve spor giyim tarzini tercih ettikleri, giysilerinde monokromatik ve kontrast renk armonilerini kullandiklari, pembe, mavi, lacivert, beyaz ve kahverengi, kirmizi renklerin giysilerinde tercih ettikleri ilk bes renk oldugu tespit edilmistir. Giysi rengi tercihlerini vucut yapisi, vucut sekli, kisilik ozellikleri ve giysinin kullanim alaninin oncelikli etkiledigi, kadinlarin meslek ve yaslari ile giysi renk tercihleri arasinda istatistiksel acidan anlamli iliski oldugu belirlenmistir
Asymptotically optimal parameter estimation under communication constraints

A parameter estimation problem is considered, in which dispersed sensors transmit to the statistician partial information regarding their observations. The sensors observe the paths of continuous semimartingales, whose drifts are linear with respect to a common parameter. A novel estimating scheme is suggested, according to which each sensor transmits only one-bit messages at stopping times of its local filtration. The proposed estimator is shown to be consistent and, for a large class of processes, asymptotically optimal, in the sense that its asymptotic distribution is the same as the exact distribution of the optimal estimator that has full access to the sensor observations. These properties are established under an asymptotically low rate of communication between the sensors and the statistician. Thus, despite being asymptotically efficient, the proposed estimator requires minimal transmission activity, which is a desirable property in many applications. Finally, the case of discrete sampling at the sensors is studied when their underlying processes are independent Brownian motions.
Bleed air temperature regulation system: modeling, control, and simulation

This paper addresses temperature control of an engine bleed air system, as used on typical aircraft, with a control strategy aimed at reducing ram air usage while maintaining fast response. The analytical equations describing the system are derived, and a state space model of a cross-flow heat exchanger is developed. Three control strategies are analyzed and compared. Using control valves in both ram-air and bypass channels, along with the addition of controlling both the load temperature and the bypass valve opening, is proposed and proves to be the best control strategy in terms of reducing ram air usage and maintaining efficient temperature control in the presence of various disturbances and system operation conditions. Conclusions are drawn based on simulations
Herbicides and herbicide degradation products in Upper Midwest agricultural streams during August base-flow conditions.

Herbicide concentrations in streams of the U.S. Midwest have been shown to decrease through the growing season due to a variety of chemical and physical factors. The occurrence of herbicide degradation products at the end of the growing season is not well known. This study was conducted to document the occurrence of commonly used herbicides and their degradation products in Illinois, Iowa, and Minnesota streams during base-flow conditions in August 1997. Atrazine, the most frequently detected herbicide (94%), was present at relatively low concentrations (median 0.17 microg L(-1)). Metolachlor was detected in 59% and cyanazine in 37% of the samples. Seven of nine compounds detected in more than 50% of the samples were degradation products. The total concentration of the degradation products (median of 4.4 microg L(-1)) was significantly greater than the total concentration of parent compounds (median of 0.26 microg L(-1)). Atrazine compounds were present less frequently and in significantly smaller concentrations in streams draining watersheds with soils developed on less permeable tills than in watersheds with soils developed on more permeable loess. The detection and concentration of triazine compounds was negatively correlated with antecedent rainfall (April-July). In contrast, acetanalide compounds were positively correlated with antecedant rainfall in late spring and early summer that may transport the acetanalide degradates into ground water and subsequently into nearby streams. The distribution of atrazine degradation products suggests regional differences in atrazine degradation processes.