Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Physical mapping of the paralysis-inducing determinant of a wild mouse ecotropic neurotropic retrovirus

We have recently shown that a molecularly cloned ecotropic retrovirus, initially isolated from the brain of a paralyzed wild mouse, retained the ability to induce hind limb paralysis when inoculated into susceptible mice (Jolicoeur et al., J. Virol. 45:1159-1163, 1983). To map the viral DNA sequences encoding the determinant of paralysis, we constructed chimeric viral DNA genomes in vitro between parental cloned infectious viral DNA genomes from this neurotropic murine leukemia virus (MuLV) and from nonneurotropic amphotropic 4070-A MuLV. Infectious chimeric MuLVs, recovered after microinjection of NIH 3T3 cells with these recombinant DNAs, were inoculated into newborn SIM.S and SWR/J mice to test the paralysis-inducing potential. We found that the 3.9-kilobase-pair SalI-ClaI fragment of the neurotropic MuLV comprising the 3' end of pol and all env sequences was sufficient to confer the paralysis-inducing potential to chimeric viruses. Therefore, this region of the neurotropic MuLV genome most likely harbors the primary determinant of paralysis.
Oxidative stress promotes ocular neovascularization

Mice deficient in superoxide dismutase 1 (Sod1−/− mice) develop many features seen in patients with age‐related macular degeneration (AMD) including choroidal neovascularization (NV). We sought to determine if the absence of SOD1 contributes to the pro‐angiogenic environment in the subretinal space or whether it is completely secondary to other changes in Bruch's membrane and the retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) that precede the development of choroidal NV. In an ischemic retinopathy model or a transgenic model in which the rhodopsin promoter drives expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in photoreceptor there was significantly more NV in Sod1−/− compared to Sod1+/+ mice. The compromised antioxidant defense system in Sod1−/− mice contributes to the pro‐angiogenic environment, because treatment of Sod1−/− mice with a mixture of antioxidants caused a significant reduction in ischemia‐induced retinal NV. Wild‐type mice treated with the same antioxidants also showed reduced ischemia‐induced retinal NV, reduced VEGF‐induced subretinal NV, and reduced choroidal NV at Bruch's membrane rupture sites. These data suggest that reactive oxygen species contribute to several types of ocular NV. This could explain why in the Age‐Related Eye Disease Trial, antioxidant treatment reduced conversion from non‐neovascular to neovascular AMD and severe vision loss, and suggest that potent antioxidants should be considered for other diseases complicated by ocular NV. J. Cell. Physiol. 219: 544–552, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A Proposed Scoring System for Assessment of Severity of Illness in Pediatric Acute Hematogenous Osteomyelitis Using Objective Clinical and Laboratory Findings

Background: Severity of illness in children with acute hematogenous osteomyelitis (AHO) is variable, ranging from mild, requiring short-duration antibiotic therapy without surgery, to severe, requiring intensive care, multiple surgeries and prolonged hospitalization. This study evaluates severity of illness among children with AHO using clinical and laboratory findings. Methods: Fifty-six children with AHO, consecutively treated in 2009, were retrospectively studied. Objective clinical, radiographic and laboratory parameters related to severity of illness were gathered for each child. A physician panel was assembled to rank order objective clinical parameters, review clinical data and classify each child as mild, moderate or severe. Statistically significant parameters correlated with length of hospitalization were utilized to devise a severity of illness score and applied to the cohort of children for internal validation. Results: The physician panel had perfect or substantial agreement regarding 7 parameters (ICU admission, intubation, pulmonary involvement, venous thrombosis, multifocal infection, surgeries and febrile days on antibiotics). Parameters that significantly correlated with total length of stay included: C-reactive protein values at admission (P < 0.0001), 48 hours (P < 0.0001) and 96 hours (P < 0.0002); febrile days on antibiotics (P < 0.0001); admission respiratory rate (P = 0.023) and evidence of disseminated disease (P = 0.016). A scoring system, derived from selected parameters, significantly differentiated children with AHO on the basis of causative organism, intensive care admission, surgeries, length of hospitalization, complications and physician panel assessment. Conclusions: Severity of illness score for AHO, derived from preliminary clinical and laboratory findings, is useful stratifying children with this disease. Level of Evidence: Prognostic Level II
Effect of Dividend on Stock Price in Emerging Stock Market: A Study on the Listed Private Commercial Banks in DSE

analyzed. This study examines stock price reactions of listed Private Commercial Banks (PCBs) in Bangladesh surrounding 44 days of the dividend announcement dates. The major objective of this study is to identify whether dividend announcement convey any information to the market that results a price reaction for adjusting the dividend announcement information. The empirical part of this study employs a standard event study methodology to analyze the stock price reaction for dividend announcement. Out of 25 listed sample banks in the observation period, market adjusted stock price declines for 11 banks, rises for 6 banks and no changes for 8 banks and statistical pooled t-test also reveals that stock price reaction to dividend announcement are not statistically significant. Finally, dividend announcement does not convey any information due to strong contribution of the insider trading as well as some other influencing factors in the capital market.
Nucleoside transport in sheep erythrocytes: genetically controlled transport variation and its influence on erythrocyte ATP concentrations.

1. The permeability of sheep erythrocytes to purine and pyrimidine nucleosides was investigated. Erythrocytes from most sheep (nucleoside‐impermeable) were almost completely impermeable to 5 mM inosine whereas cells from approximately 5% of the animals studied (nucleoside‐permeable) showed a rapid inosine uptake. Cells from both types of animal were permeable to 5 mM adenosine, although transport was slower in nucleoside‐impermeable erythrocytes. 2. Two distinct nucleoside transport routes were present in nucleoside‐permeable erythrocytes; a high affinity (apparent Km congruent to 0.2 mM) facilitated diffusion system which transported both purine and pyrimidine nucleosides, and a non‐saturable uptake route selective for adenosine. The high affinity system was the major route of adenosine transport at physiological concentrations. 3. Transport by the high affinity system was completely inhibited by micromolar concentrations of dipyridamole and nitrobenzylthioinosine. Dipyridamole had no effect on the non‐saturable component of adenosine uptake. 4. The transport differences between nucleoside‐permeable and impermeable erythrocytes were due to the absence of the high affinity system from nucleoside‐impermeable cells. 5. Nucleoside‐permeable cells had a higher intracellular ATP concentration than nucleoside‐impermeable erythrocytes, suggesting that the high affinity transport system participates in the energy metabolism of the cell.
Surface and pseudo surface acoustic waves in langatate: predictions and measurements

Langatate (LGT, La/sub 3/Ga/sub 5.5/Ta/sub 0.5/O/sub 14/) is a recent addition to materials of the trigonal crystal class 32. In this paper SAW contour plots of the phase velocity (v/sub p/), the electromechanical coupling coefficient (K/sup 2/), the temperature coefficient of delay (TCD), and the power flow angle (PFA), are given showing the orientations in space in which high coupling is obtained, with the corresponding TCD, PFA, and vp characteristics for these orientations. This work reports experimental results on the SAW temperature fractional frequency variation (/spl Delta/f/fo) and the TCD for several LGT orientations on the plane with Euler angles: (0/spl deg/, 132/spl deg/, /spl psi/). The temperature behavior has been measured directly on SAW wafers from 10 to 200/spl deg/C, and the results are compared with numerical predictions using our recently measured temperature coefficients for LGT material constants. This research also has uncovered temperature compensated orientations, which we have experimentally verified with parabolic behavior, turnover temperatures in the 130 to 160/spl deg/C range, and /spl Delta/f/fo within 1000 ppm variation from 10 to 260/spl deg/C, appropriate for higher temperature device applications. Regarding the pseudo surface acoustic waves (PSAWs), results of calculations are presented for both the PSAW and the high velocity PSAW (HVPSAW) for some selected, rotated cuts. This study shows that propagation losses for the PSAWs of about 0.01 dB/wavelength, and phase velocities approximately 20% higher than that of the SAW, exist along specific orientations for the PSAW, thus showing the potential for somewhat higher frequency SAW device applications on this material, if required.
Internal Wave Breaking at Concave and Convex Continental Slopes

Abstract Internal wave reflection from a sloping topographic boundary may lead to enhanced shear if the topographic angle to the horizontal is close to that of the internal wave group velocity vector. Previous analytic studies have suggested that shear enhancement is reduced at concave slopes as compared with convex and planar slopes near the critical angle. Here the internal wave reflection from concave and convex slopes that pass through the critical angle is investigated numerically using the nonhydrostatic Massachusetts Institute of Technology General Circulation Model (MITgcm). Overturning, shear instability, and resultant mixing are examined. Results are compared with simulations of wave reflection from planar slopes with angles greater than, less than, and equal to the critical angle. In contrast to the analytic predictions, no reduction in mixing is found for the concave slope as compared with the other slopes. In all cases, stratification is eroded in a band above the slope, bounded at its outer .
Reconciling Models of Diffusion and Innovation: A Theory of the Productivity Distribution and Technology Frontier

We study how endogenous innovation and technology diffusion interact to determine the shape of the productivity distribution and generate aggregate growth. We model firms that choose to innovate, adopt technology, or produce with their existing technology. Costly adoption creates a spread between the best and worst technologies concurrently used to produce similar goods. The balance of adoption and innovation determines the shape of the distribution; innovation stretches the distribution, while adoption compresses it. On the balanced growth path, the aggregate growth rate equals the maximum growth rate of innovators. While innovation drives long‐run growth, changes in the adoption environment can influence growth by affecting innovation incentives, either directly, through licensing of excludable technologies, or indirectly, via the option value of adoption.
Psychosocial factors are associated with prolonged hospitalization in a population with advanced HIV

Our aim was to define a subgroup of patients with HIV at risk of adverse outcomes in terms of psychosocial factors in order to improve the targeting of hospital resources. The International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision (ICD-9) coded discharges of all inpatients with HIV discharged from a tertiary hospital between July 1996 and March 1999 were matched against variables in the HIV/AIDS database. A 'prolonged hospitalization' subgroup was defined as those patients whose cumulative length of stay exceeded 90 days in the 33-month period. There were 2778 non-day stay discharges (n=757 patients) constituting 21,286 bed-days. The prolonged hospitalization group (n=62) accounted for 44.3% of the bed-days. Psychosocial co-diagnoses were associated with prolonged hospitalization in both crude and adjusted logistic analyses. These included psychiatric diagnoses such as mania, psychosis and anxiety, HIV dementia, housing issues and the need for social work interventions. In conclusion, a small group of individuals at risk of adverse outcomes has been defined by markers of psychosocial dysfunction. Increased understanding of this group should enable the development of programmes directed at morbidity and mortality.
An Aptamer That Neutralizes R5 Strains of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Blocks gp120-CCR5 Interaction

ABSTRACT We recently described the isolation and structural characterization of 2′-fluoropyrimidine-substituted RNA aptamers that bind to gp120 of R5 strains of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 and thereby potently neutralize the infectivity of phylogenetically diverse R5 strains. Here we investigate the physical basis of their antiviral action. We show that both N-linked oligosaccharides and the variable loops V1/V2 and V3 are not required for binding of one aptamer, B40, to gp120. Using surface plasmon resonance binding analyses, we show that the aptamer binds to the CCR5-binding site on gp120 in a relatively CD4-independent manner, providing a mechanistic explanation for its neutralizing potency.
Geochemical Analyses and Provenance Determination of White Marble Samples from Churches in North Jordan

Physical, mineralogical, and chemical characteristics of white marble collected from architectural elements of churches located in northern Jordan are used to determine their provenance and shed light on the region's marble trade during the late classical period. The samples were examined macroscopically and were subjected to a series of analytical techniques, including optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and mass spectrometry. In addition, a subset of samples was examined using cathodoluminescence microscopy and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. The data obtained were compared with the main reference databases of known Mediterranean marble quarries exploited in antiquity. Proconnesos-1 in Marmara, Turkey, is the most probable major source of the medium-grained samples, and Docimium, Turkey, and Carrara, Italy, are the most probable sources of the two fine-grained marbles. The coarse-grained sample is most probably from Naxos, Greece, while the anomalous sample is probably from Proconnesos-1 or Paros 2 (3), Greece. Although some of the samples might have been from reused architectural elements, their source did not differ from the rest of the samples, indicating that the white Proconnesos marble was the main source for the marble trade during Roman and Byzantine periods.
Fast Passivity Verification and Enforcement via Reciprocal Systems for Interconnects With Large Order Macromodels

With the ever increasing signal speeds, signal integrity issues of high-speed VLSI designs are presenting increasingly difficult challenges for state-of-the-art modeling and simulation tools. Consequently, characterization and passive macromodeling of high-speed modules such as interconnects, vias, and packages based on tabulated data are becoming important. This paper presents a fast algorithm for passivity verification and enforcement of large order macromodels of scattering parameter based multiport subnetworks. Numerous examples tested on this algorithm demonstrate a significant speed-up compared to the existing algorithms in the literature
Reproduction in a South American mouse, Abrothrix longipilis

Approximately 700 Abrothrix longipilis were trapped in Argentina, and their reproductive organs were studied. Some were kept briefly in captivity. Males have the same body length as females but are 8% heavier. Sexually immature males are shorter and lighter than breeding males of the same age. Few individuals in the wild live as long as two years. All overwintering males come into breeding condition in the spring and become infertile in the autumn. All overwintering females have open vaginas in the spring, and most undergo several infertile ovulatory cyles, probably without copulating, before they become pregnant. Corpora lutea of the sterile cycles accumulate; there may be as many as 28 in a pair of ovaries. The average number of ova shed per cycle is 4.66; average litter size is 3.85. Ovulation is spontaneous. There is postpartum ovulation and fertilization without intervening sterile cycles but with maintenance of old corpora lutea.
Joint power allocation and relay positioning in multi-relay cooperative systems

The authors consider a dual-hop multi-relay cooperative relay system in this study. Both decode-and-forward (DF) and amplify-and-forward (AF) protocols are considered. Under different relay selection strategies, the authors derive closed-form outage probability expressions. With the second-order channel statistics, the authors propose to jointly optimise power allocation (PA) and relay positions in order to minimise the system outage probability. Simulation results show that the proposed adaptive allocation algorithms significantly outperform fixed allocation algorithms. With the proposed joint optimisation algorithm, AF relaying outperforms DF relaying when multiple relays are selected to help. When only the best relay is selected to help, DF relaying is shown to have better performance.
Exopolysaccharide Synthesized by Lactobacillus reuteri Decreases the Ability of Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli To Bind to Porcine Erythrocytes

ABSTRACT This study investigated the therapeutic potential of bacterial polysaccharides by employing a model system based on enteroxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC)-induced hemagglutination of erythrocytes. Exopolysaccharides produced by strains of Lactobacillus reuteri inhibited ETEC-induced hemagglutination of porcine erythrocytes. No effect was observed for dextran produced from Weissella cibaria and commercially available oligo- and polysaccharides.
GI-19007, a Novel Saccharomyces cerevisiae-Based Therapeutic Vaccine against Tuberculosis

ABSTRACT As yet, very few vaccine candidates with activity in animals against Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection have been tested as therapeutic postexposure vaccines. We recently described two pools of mycobacterial proteins with this activity, and here we describe further studies in which four of these proteins (Rv1738, Rv2032, Rv3130, and Rv3841) were generated as a fusion polypeptide and then delivered in a novel yeast-based platform (Tarmogen) which itself has immunostimulatory properties, including activation of Toll-like receptors. This platform can deliver antigens into both the class I and class II antigen presentation pathways and stimulate strong Th1 and Th17 responses. In mice this fusion vaccine, designated GI-19007, was immunogenic and elicited strong gamma interferon (IFN-γ) and interleukin-17 (IL-17) responses; despite this, they displayed minimal prophylactic activity in mice that were subsequently infected with a virulent clinical strain. In contrast, in a therapeutic model in the guinea pig, GI-19007 significantly reduced the lung bacterial load and reduced lung pathology, particularly in terms of secondary lesion development, while significantly improving survival in one-third of these animals. In further studies in which guinea pigs were vaccinated with BCG before challenge, therapeutic vaccination with GI-19007 initially improved survival versus that of animals given BCG alone, although this protective effect was gradually lost at around 400 days after challenge. Given its apparent ability to substantially limit bacterial dissemination within and from the lungs, GI-19007 potentially can be used to limit lung damage as well as facilitating chemotherapeutic regimens in infected individuals.
Special Observations in the Care of Psychiatric Inpatients: A Review of the Literature and Developments in Practice

Special observations are commonly used on mental health inpatient wards as an intervention with acutely ill patients who are at risk of harm to themselves, harm to others or absconding. Attention has turned to looking for alternatives to special observations, partly because of the resources that are devoted to the practice in the context of the strain on services, and partly because of questions around the efficacy of the practice and the impact on patient care. There have been a number of developments that have tried to reduce levels of special observations on wards with varying success. Here, we review the literature on special observations and recent developments in the efforts to reduce the practice. There is no convincing evidence that special observations exert a positive effect on patient outcomes, but conclusive evidence is difficult to gather and there is a need for stronger evidence to inform practice.
Status of End Organs in Newly Detected Rural Essential Hypertensives: A Study from Southern India

Background: Hypertension is associated with end-organ damage (EOD). Since EOD is a risk factor for cardio- and cerebrovascular complications, it is a major requirement for these to be detected, prevented, and treated. Objective: The objectives of our study were to determine out the prevalence of EOD in newly detected rural essential hypertensives, identify the pattern of EOD involved, and also assess the interrelationship among them. Methods: A total of 147 consecutive patients with newly diagnosed essential hypertension and, attending the outpatient clinic, were included in this study based on a set of inclusion and exclusion criteria. Patients with comorbid illnesses were excluded from the investigation. The significance of a range of variables involved was evaluated using statistical software. Results: Amongst the cases, there were 79 males (M) and 68 females (F). Their mean and median ages were 55 (standard deviation (SD) = 9.90) and 54 years, respectively. Of these 86% (70 M and 56 F) had one or more EODs; an observation which was very close to statistically significant (P = .054). In our patients, microalbuminuria (35%), diastolic dysfunction (59%), increased left ventricular (LV) mass (68%) and retinopathy (69%) were particularly notable. Increased LV mass had a strong association with retinopathy, microalbuminuria, and diastolic dysfunction. Conclusion: The presence of one or more EODs in newly detected hypertension indicates widespread vascular damage that carries a high risk for cardio- and cerebrovascular morbidity and mortality. Hence, there is an urgent requirement not only for complete evaluation but also to stimulate an increased awareness amongst physicians and the general public, regarding the control of blood pressure.