Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Probing the interaction forces between hydrophobic peptides and supported lipid bilayers using AFM

Despite the vast body of literature that has accumulated on tilted peptides in the past decade, direct information on the forces that drive their interaction with lipid membranes is lacking. Here, we attempted to use atomic force microscopy (AFM) to explore the interaction forces between the Simian immunodeficiency virus peptide and phase‐separated supported bilayers composed of various lipids, i.e. dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine, dioleoylphosphatidylcholine, dioleoylphosphatidic acid and dipalmitoylphosphatidylethanolamine. Histidine‐tagged peptides were attached onto AFM tips terminated with nitrilotriacetate and tri(ethylene glycol) groups, an approach expected to ensure optimal exposure of the C‐terminal hydrophobic domain. Force–distance curves recorded between peptide‐tips and the different bilayer domains always showed a long‐range repulsion upon approach and a lack of adhesion upon retraction, in marked contrast with the hydrophobic nature of the peptide. To explain this unexpected behaviour, we suggest a mechanism in which lipids are pulled out from the bilayer due to strong interactions with the peptide‐tip, in agreement with the very low force needed to extract lipids from supported bilayers. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Petroleum Tax Reform Proposals in Norway and Denmark

During the past two years similar petroleum tax reforms have been proposed in Norway and Denmark. Both were based on results on neutral taxation derived by Boadway and Bruce (1984) and Fane (1987). In this paper the main features of the proposals are presented, and important problems of implementation are highlighted. Topics for further research are pointed out also. While the risk characteristics of tax deductions caused major disagreements between experts and oil companies, the after-tax cost of capital for risk free cash flows is a question less clearly resolved within the economics literature. Another topic for disagreement is value additivity, disputed by the companies.
Radiative Shock-induced Collapse of Intergalactic Clouds

Accumulating observational evidence for a number of radio galaxies suggests an association between their jets and regions of active star formation. The standard picture is that shocks generated by the jet propagate through an inhomogeneous medium and trigger the collapse of overdense clouds, which then become active star-forming regions. In this contribution, we report on recent hydrodynamic simulations of radiative shock-cloud interactions using two different cooling models: an equilibrium cooling-curve model assuming solar metallicities and a nonequilibrium chemistry model appropriate for primordial gas clouds. We consider a range of initial cloud densities and shock speeds in order to quantify the role of cooling in the evolution. Our results indicate that for moderate cloud densities (≳1 cm-3) and shock Mach numbers (≲20), cooling processes can be highly efficient and result in more than 50% of the initial cloud mass cooling to below 100 K. We also use our results to estimate the final H2 mass fraction for the simulations that use the nonequilibrium chemistry package. This is an important measurement, since H2 is the dominant coolant for a primordial gas cloud. We find peak H2 mass fractions of ≳10-2 and total H2 mass fractions of ≳10-5 for the cloud gas, consistent with cosmological simulations of first star formation. Finally, we compare our results with the observations of jet-induced star formation in "Minkowski's Object," a small irregular starburst system associated with a radio jet in the nearby cluster of galaxies Abell 194. We conclude that its morphology, star formation rate (~0.3 M☉ yr-1) and stellar mass (~1.2 × 107 M☉) can be explained by the interaction of a ~9 × 104 km s-1 jet with an ensemble of moderately dense (~10 cm-3), warm (104 K) intergalactic clouds in the vicinity of its associated radio galaxy at the center of the galaxy cluster.
A cascading failure during the 24 May 2013 great Okhotsk deep earthquake

On 24 May 2013, the largest ever‐recorded deep earthquake occurred beneath Sea of Okhotsk. A multiple point source inversion procedure is applied to constrain source process of this earthquake, based on waveform modeling of both direct P and SH waves and near‐surface reflected pP and sSH waves. Our results indicate that the earthquake consists of six major subevents separated in space and time, encompassing a horizontal dimension of 64 ± 4 km along ~ N160°E and a downward depth extension of 35 ± 4 km. The geographic distribution and focal mechanisms of the inferred subevents and foreshock/aftershock locations do not fit into plane rupture. We suggest that the earthquake can be best explained by a cascading failure of shear instability within preexisting weak zones in the region, with the perturbation of stress generated by a shear instability triggering another.
Association between oral malodor

Background: Bad breath has a significant impact on our daily social life to those who suffer from it. The majority of bad breath originates within the oral cavity. However, it is also possible that it can come from other sources such as gastricintestine imbalance. The term ‘‘oral malodor’’ is used to describe a foul or offensive odor emanating from the oral cavity, in which proteolysis, metabolic products of the desquamating cell, and bacterial putrefaction are involved. Recent evidence has demonstrated a link between oral malodor and adult periodontitis. The process of developing bad breath is similar to that noted in the progression of gingivitis/ periodontitis. Oral malodor is mainly attributed to volatile sulfur compounds (VSC) such as hydrogen sulfide, methyl mercaptan and dimethyl sulfide. The primary causative microbes are gram-negative, anaerobic bacteria that are similar to the bacteria causing periodontitis. These bacteria produce the VSC by metabolizing different cells/tissues (i.e., epithelial cells, leukocytes, etc.) located in saliva, dental plaque, and gingival crevicular fluid. Tongue surface is composed of blood components, nutrients, large amounts of desquamated epithelial cells and bacteria, suggesting that it has the proteolytic and putrefactive capacity to produce VSC. One of the challenges in dealing with oral malodor is to identify a
Biochemical basis for the cytotoxicity of 9-beta-D-xylofuranosyladenine in Chinese hamster ovary cells.

The biochemical determinants of the toxicity of 9-β-d-xylofuranosyladenine (xyl-A) to Chinese hamster ovary cells were evaluated in vitro . Cloning procedures indicated that the viability of Chinese hamster ovary cells was decreased 90% by a five-hr incubation with 10 µm xyl-A. However, the toxicity of xyl-A was increased 100-fold by the addition of a nontoxic concentration (10 µm) of the adenosine deaminase inhibitor erythro -9-(2-hydroxy-3-nonyl)adenine to the medium. High-pressure liquid chromatographic analysis indicated that, after five hr, the concentration of 9-β-d-xylofuranosyladenine 5′-triphosphate in cells incubated with xyl-A plus erythro -9-(2-hydroxy-3-nonyl)adenine was 2.0 mm, four times greater than in those cells incubated with xyl-A alone. After a 30-min exposure to this drug combination, the incorporation of labeled uridine and thymidine into nucleic acids was inhibited 65 and 90%, respectively; the incorporation of leucine into protein was unaffected. Incubation with xyl-A plus erythro -9-(2-hydroxy-3-nonyl)adenine had no significant effect on the cellular concentration of 5-phosphoribosyl-1-pyrophosphate after one hr, whereas treatment with 3′-deoxyadenosine (cordycepin) decreased the concentration of this metabolite. Determinations of the cellular nucleoside triphosphates indicated that, under conditions that resulted in an intracellular accumulation of 500 µm 9-β-d-xylofuranosyladenine 5′-triphosphate, the concentrations of neither the endogenous ribonucleoside triphosphates nor deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates were significantly different from that of control cells. These experiments suggest that, in Chinese hamster ovary cells, xyl-A inhibits a biochemical process more directly associated with nucleic acid polymer synthesis than the inhibition of the de novo synthesis of nucleotide precursors.
Using ECT in schizophrenia: A review from a clinical perspective

Abstract Objectives. Despite the fact that many studies have addressed the use of ECT in schizophrenia questions on clinical use remain poorly answered and clinical application is largely based on data originating from depressed patients. Methods. We review data on the use of ECT in schizophrenic patients drawn from original studies indicated by a Pubmed search and referenced in recent and older expert reviews with a specific focus on four issues: symptom response, technical application, continuation/maintenance ECT and combination with medication. Results. Catatonic patients are the most responsive. Positive symptoms such paranoid delusions and affective symptoms follow. There are indications that ECT may improve responsivity to medication. No particular technical features stand out in studies except lengthier courses, but not for catatonia. Combination with medication appears to be preferable over either treatment alone and effective combination particularly with clozapine is supported by data. Use of continuation and maintenance treatments in responders appears beneficial. Conclusion. Certain schizophrenic patients may benefit significantly from the use of ECT. More specific research is required to address particular questions.
Learning and Generalization in Cascade Network Architectures

Incrementally constructed cascade architectures are a promising alternative to networks of predefined size. This paper compares the direct cascade architecture (DCA) proposed in Littmann and Ritter (1992) to the cascade-correlation approach of Fahlman and Lebiere (1990) and to related approaches and discusses the properties on the basis of various benchmark results. One important virtue of DCA is that it allows the cascading of entire subnetworks, even if these admit no error-backpropagation. Exploiting this flexibility and using LLM networks as cascaded elements, we show that the performance of the resulting network cascades can be greatly enhanced compared to the performance of a single network. Our results for the Mackey-Glass time series prediction task indicate that such deeply cascaded network architectures achieve good generalization even on small data sets, when shallow, broad architectures of comparable size suffer from overfitting. We conclude that the DCA approach offers a powerful and flexible alternative to existing schemes such as, e.g., the mixtures of experts approach, for the construction of modular systems from a wide range of subnetwork types.
Vertebrate Trackways Among a Stand of Supaia White Plants on An Early Permian Floodplain, New Mexico

Abstract Little is known about the habit and spatial distribution of Early Permian tropical vegetation, a sharp contrast with the Pennsylvanian from which many in-situ “T0” assemblages are known. Even less is known about the potential interaction of plants and vertebrates. Here we report the discovery of a small stand of 34 probable Supaia White plants from the Abo Formation of New Mexico. The plants were growing on a mudflat, subject to periodic flooding and exposure. The same mudflat hosts trackways of vertebrates that appear to have walked around or between the Supaia plants. The stems are preserved as molds, and vary from 20 mm to 70 mm in diameter, averaging 42.4 mm, indicating heights of approximately 2.5–4 m. The plants, which may be described as small trees given their estimated height, are as close as 110 mm to their nearest neighbor and average nearly 300 mm apart. A series of lines or filled fissures, which we interpret as roots, radiates from the base of each stem. Leaves of Supaia thinfeldioides White are the only foliage found in association with these stems, on bedding planes above and at the base of the lowest expression of the stem molds. Associated vertebrate trackways either congregate around some of the stems or wend their way between the stems and include those of a single large temnospondyl amphibian (Limnopus Marsh) and many of small predatory parareptiles (Dromopus Marsh). This study demonstrates that S. thinfeldiodes were small-statured, weedy, opportunistic plants. It also shows that contemporaneous vertebrates prowled such environments, presumably either for food, shelter, or both given detectable pace and path.
Deconstruction Destination Image in the Information Age

The substantial increases in the volume of tourist information available as a consequence of rapid technological change, globalization, and the blurring boundaries of competition are the main reasons that both consumers and destinations face complexity. These forces combined have caused a process that is “reengineering” the tourism industry. Particularly destination image, influenced by the proliferation of communicated destination identities, as driven by the online revolution, holds many innovation promises in terms of destination marketing and positioning. As it is difficult for tourists to form a clear image of a destination without the actual experience, the multimedia interactive nature of the Web can add a whole new dimension to destination marketing. But how are those image attributes that have the largest impact on consumer perception and therefore destination choice identified and measured? Through empirical data this article shows that the present multiattribute destination image research is inadequate in predicting destination choice behavior. A subsequent discussion of the results asserts that the deconstruction of traditional destination image theory is unavoidable. In its place, it is concluded, emerges a new information technology-based destination image measurement paradigm.
On-chip interference suppression effect of S-shape inductor VCO

In this paper, a novel inductor with the S-shape layout is considered, designed and proposed to improve the drawbacks of the conventional spiral inductors. Due to the inherent feature of S-shape layout, the EM field distributions of the novel inductor are more constrained to the planar structure itself, rather than widely out-spread. The EM coupling effect through the substrate is thus relaxed. A testkey by integrating two VCO's with a traditional spiral inductor and a proposed S-shape inductor respectively is implemented in a 0.18-mum CMOS technology to study the coupling effect. Also compared in this paper are the measured VCO circuit performances from the testkey.
Why would aspiration lower the pitch of the following vowel? observations from leng-shui-jiang Chinese

This paper is a preliminary report of the aspirationconditioned tonal split in Leng-shui-jiang (LSJ hereafter) Chinese. So far no consensus has been reached concerning the intrinsic perturbation of aspiration on the F0 of the following vowel. Conflicting data come from both the same language and different languages. In order to shed light on this issue, F0 and Closing quotient (Qx hereafter) are calculated in syllables after aspirated and unaspirated obstruents from six speakers (three male, three female) in LSJ dialect. The results turn out that F0 is significantly lower after the aspirated obstruents in two out of the three tone groups. The relatively lower Qx found in the syllables with aspirated initials is a possible explanation for the lower pitch.
Erythropoietin and Erythropoietin Receptor Coexpression Is Associated with Poor Survival in Stage I Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer

Purpose: This study was designed to evaluate the prognostic effect of erythropoietin (EPO) and EPO receptor (EPO-R) expression in stage I non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Experimental Design: EPO and EPO-R expression in 158 tumor samples from resected stage I NSCLC was evaluated using immunohistochemistry and tissue array technology. Results: EPO-R and EPO were highly expressed in 20.9% and 35.4% of tumors, respectively. High EPO-R expression compared with negative or low-level expression was associated with a poor 5-year disease-specific survival (60.6% versus 80.8%; P = 0.01, log-rank test). High EPO expression compared with negative and low-level expression was associated with a trend toward a poor 5-year disease-specific survival (69.6% versus 80.4%; P = 0.13, log-rank test). A high level of EPO-R and EPO coexpression was associated with a poor 5-year disease-specific survival compared with other groups of patients (50.0% versus 80.0% survival at the end of follow-up; P = 0.005, log-rank test). In multivariate analysis for disease-specific survival, high-level EPO-R and EPO coexpression was an independent prognostic factor for disease-specific survival (hazard ratio, 2.214; 95% confidence interval, 1.012-4.848; P = 0.046). Conclusion: These results establish the pejorative prognostic value of EPO and EPO-R expression in early-stage resected NSCLC and suggest a potential paracrine and/or autocrine role of endogenous EPO in NSCLC aggressiveness.
Variability in Heat Strain in Fully Encapsulated Impermeable Suits in Different Climates and at Different Work Loads

A major concern for responders to hazardous materials (HazMat) incidents is the heat strain that is caused by fully encapsulated impermeable (NFPA 1991) suits. In a research project, funded by the US Department of Defense, the thermal strain experienced when wearing these suits was studied. Forty human subjects between the ages of 25 and 50 participated in a protocol approved by the local ethical committee. Six different fully encapsulated impermeable HazMat suits were evaluated in three climates: moderate (24°C, 50% RH, 20°C WBGT), warm-wet (32°C, 60% RH, 30°C WBGT), and hot-dry (45°C, 20% RH, 37°C WBGT, 200 W m-2 radiant load) and at three walking speeds: 2.5, 4, and 5.5 km h-1. The medium speed, 4 km h-1, was tested in all three climates and the other two walking speeds were only tested in the moderate climate. Prior to the test a submaximal exercise test in normal clothing was performed to determine a relationship between heart rate and oxygen consumption (pretest). In total, 163 exposures were measured. Tolerance time ranged from as low as 20 min in the hot-dry condition to 60 min (the maximum) in the moderate climate, especially common at the lowest walking speed. Between the six difference suits limited differences were found, a two-layered aluminized suit exhibited significant shorter tolerance times in the moderate climate, but no other major significant differences were found for the other climates or workloads. An important characteristic of the overall dataset is the large variability between the subjects. Although the average responses seem suitable to be predicted, the variability in the warmer strain conditions ranged from 20 min up to 60 min. The work load in these encapsulated impermeable suits was also significantly higher than working in normal clothing and higher than predicted by the Pandolf equation. Heart rate showed a very strong correlation to body core temperature and was in many cases the limiting factor. Setting the heart rate maximum at 80% of predicted individual maximum (age based) would have prevented 95% of the cases with excessive heat strain. Monitoring of heart rate under operational conditions would further allow individually optimize working times and help in preventing exertional heat stroke.
Comparative effects of proportional assist and variable pressure support ventilation on lung function and damage in experimental lung injury*

Objective:To investigate the effects of proportional assist ventilation, variable pressure support, and conventional pressure support ventilation on lung function and damage in experimental acute lung injury. Design:Randomized experimental study. Setting:University hospital research facility. Subjects:Twenty-four juvenile pigs. Interventions:Pigs were anesthetized, intubated, and mechanically ventilated. Acute lung injury was induced by saline lung lavage. After resuming of spontaneous breathing, animals were randomly assigned to 6 hrs of assisted ventilation with pressure support ventilation, proportional assist ventilation, or variable pressure support (n = 8 per group). Mean tidal volume was kept at ≈6 mL/kg in all modes. Measurements and Main Results:Lung functional parameters, distribution of ventilation by electrical impedance tomography, and breathing patterns were analyzed. Histological lung damage and pulmonary inflammatory response were determined postmortem. Variable pressure support and proportional assist ventilation improved oxygenation and venous admixture compared with pressure support ventilation. Proportional assist ventilation led to higher esophageal pressure time product than variable pressure support and pressure support ventilation, and redistributed ventilation from central to dorsal lung regions compared to pressure support ventilation. Variable pressure support and proportional assist ventilation yielded higher tidal volume variability than pressure support ventilation. Such pattern was deterministic (self-organized) during proportional assist ventilation and stochastic (random) during variable pressure support. Subject-ventilator synchrony as well as pulmonary inflammatory response and damage did not differ among groups. Conclusions:In a lung lavage model of acute lung injury, both variable pressure support and proportional assist ventilation increased the variability of tidal volume and improved oxygenation and venous admixture, without influencing subject-ventilator synchrony or affecting lung injury compared with pressure support ventilation. However, variable pressure support yielded less inspiratory effort than proportional assist ventilation at comparable mean tidal volumes of 6 mL/kg.