Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Genetic Rescue of Leishmania Deficiency in Porphyrin Biosynthesis Creates Mutants Suitable for Analysis of Cellular Events in Uroporphyria and for Photodynamic Therapy*

Leishmania was found deficient in at least five and most likely seven of the eight enzymes in the heme biosynthesis pathway, accounting for their growth requirement for heme compounds. The xenotransfection of this trypanosomatid protozoan led to their expression of the mammalian genes encoding δ-aminolevulinate (ALA) dehydratase and porphobilinogen deaminase, the second and the third enzymes of the pathway, respectively. These transfectants still require hemin or protoporphyrin IX for growth but produce porphyrin when ALA was supplied exogenously. Leishmania is thus deficient in all first three enzymes of the pathway. Uroporphyrin I was produced as the sole intermediate by these transfectants, further indicating that they are also deficient in at least two porphyrinogen-metabolizing enzymes downstream of porphobilinogen deaminase, i.e. uroporphyrinogen III co-synthase and uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase. Pulsing the transfectants with ALA induced their transition from aporphyria to uroporphyria. Uroporphyrin I emerged in these cells initially as diffused throughout the cytosol, rendering them sensitive to UV irradiation. The porphyrin was subsequently sequestered in cytoplasmic vacuoles followed by its release and accumulation in the extracellular milieu, concomitant with a reduced photosensitivity of the cells. These events may represent cellular mechanisms for disposing soluble toxic waste from the cytosol. Monocytic tumor cells were rendered photosensitive by infection with uroporphyric Leishmania, suggestive of their potential application for photodynamic therapy.
Optimizing false positive in anomaly based intrusion detection using Genetic algorithm

In recent years, with increasing use of internet the computer systems are facing many number of security issues. Intrusion detection system (IDS) is one of the principal components of any information security system. Identification of anomalous activity in computer network is first step in identifying the threat to information system. Our focus is mainly on Genetic algorithm (GA) based anomaly detection technique, as GA is one of the most effective evolutionary techniques for machine learning. In this paper Genetic algorithm is applied for network intrusion detection. Our approach for optimization specifically focusing on false positive rate. Reduction in false positive rate also improves accuracy and performance. The limitation of other techniques of accuracy, false positive rates has been addressed in this paper. Experimental results show the efficient detection rates based on KDD99cup datasets which is a standard dataset for intrusion detection.
The 14–Amino Acid CLV3, CLE19, and CLE40 Peptides Trigger Consumption of the Root Meristem in Arabidopsis through a CLAVATA2-Dependent Pathwayw⃞

CLAVATA3 (CLV3), CLV3/ESR19 (CLE19), and CLE40 belong to a family of 26 genes in Arabidopsis thaliana that encode putative peptide ligands with unknown identity. It has been shown previously that ectopic expression of any of these three genes leads to a consumption of the root meristem. Here, we show that in vitro application of synthetic 14–amino acid peptides, CLV3p, CLE19p, and CLE40p, corresponding to the conserved CLE motif, mimics the overexpression phenotype. The same result was observed when CLE19 protein was applied externally. Interestingly, clv2 failed to respond to the peptide treatment, suggesting that CLV2 is involved in the CLE peptide signaling. Crossing of the CLE19 overexpression line with clv mutants confirms the involvement of CLV2. Analyses using tissue-specific marker lines revealed that the peptide treatments led to a premature differentiation of the ground tissue daughter cells and misspecification of cell identity in the pericycle and endodermis layers. We propose that these 14–amino acid peptides represent the major active domain of the corresponding CLE proteins, which interact with or saturate an unknown cell identity-maintaining CLV2 receptor complex in roots, leading to consumption of the root meristem.
Identity and Eating Disorders (IDEA): A Questionnaire Evaluating Identity and Embodiment in Eating Disorder Patients

Background: In this paper we tested the hypothesis that persons with eating disorders (EDs) are affected by disturbances of the way they experience their own body (embodiment) and shape their personal identity, assuming that the various kinds of anomalies of eating behavior are consequences thereof. Sampling and Methods: We developed and validated a new self-reported questionnaire named IDEA (IDentity and EAting disorders), which was administered to 147 ED patients and 187 healthy controls. Test-retest reliability, internal consistency, psychopathological correlates, and concurrent validity were evaluated. A factor analysis was performed to verify the distribution of items into subscales. Results: The questionnaire showed good test-retest reliability, and internal consistency. IDEA scores were specifically associated with ED psychopathology, and they did not show any correlation with sociodemographic and general clinical variables. Four factors were extracted, which were related to the following phenomena: ‘feeling oneself only through the gaze of the other and defining oneself only through the evaluation of the other’, ‘feeling oneself only through objective measures’, ‘feeling extraneous from one’s own body’, and ‘feeling oneself through starvation’. Conclusions: IDEA represents a multidimensional, brief, versatile, easy-to-perform instrument for clinical evaluation, assessing abnormalities in lived corporeality, and of personal identity, which appeared to be specifically associated with the core features of ED psychopathology. The main limitations of the study are the cross-sectional design. Also, it is impossible to ascertain whether the domains we assessed are specific traits of patients with EDs, or state-related features. To answer this question, a longitudinal study is needed.
An ordinal generative model of Bayesian inference for human decision-making in continuous reward environments

Notre travail porte sur l'adaptation du comportement humain dans un environnement ou les recompenses obtenues sont distribuees sur une echelle continue. Les travaux precedents se sont principalement interesses aux cas de recompenses binaires (de type gagne/perdu) et ont montre qu'un algorithme d'apprentissage Bayesien pouvait rendre compte du comportement. Les algorithmes Bayesiens ne marchent pas dans un environnement continu a moins d'utiliser un modele generatif (une serie d'axiomes permettant de cadrer l'interpretation des observations). A l'inverse les algorithmes de renforcement s'y comportent bien car ils peuvent efficacement s'ajuster aux moyennes de distributions de recompense. Que fait donc l'humain ? Un modele generatif usuel considere que les distributions de recompense associees a chaque action sont Gaussiennes. Un petit nombre d'observations permet de les caracteriser en inferant leur moyenne et ecart type. Nous proposons un modele plus general postulant l'existence d'un classement stable de la valeur des differentes actions, ce qui permet d'imaginer la recompense fictive qui aurait ete attribuee par les actions non choisies. Pour separer ces deux modeles ainsi que le renforcement, nous avons construit 3 experiences comportementales dans lesquelles les distributions de recompenses sont bimodales et continues. Notre modele rend compte du comportement des sujets a l’inverse du modele Gaussien ou du renforcement. Notre modele repond a des contraintes evolutionnistes car il s’adapte rapidement dans un grand nombre de contextes, y compris ceux ou les axiomes du modele generatif ne sont pas respectes, pour determiner a chaque fois quelles recompenses sont desirables.
Can fluids and electrolytes be 'extraordinary' treatment?

an oxygen hood. Physical examination revealed the following characteristics, which provided the basis for the diagnosis: low set, malformed ears; overriding sutures; simian crease on one hand; clenched hands; overlapping of index finger over third finger and fifth finger over fourth; rocker-bottom feet; organomegaly; and a heart murmur. Further examination revealed an enlarged heart and confirmed a diagnosis of congenital heart defect. The infant was found to have an oesophageal atresia. A genetic consultation was requested in order to confirm the diagnosis. On physical examination the geneticist agreed with the diagnosis and recommended 'no life support. ' Blood was drawn for a karyotype, the results of which normally take about a week to obtain. The prognosis for infants with trisomy i8 is very poor. Thirty percent die within one month and 50 per cent by two months. The ten per cent which survive the first year are invariably severely mentally defective (i). Death is often sudden and unexplained, even after necropsy data are available. It has been suggested that the failure to thrive and death are due to a summation of anomalies, rather than to any specific one (2). After the genetic consultation, the attending physician stated on rounds that no 'heroic' measures should be carried out. The parents were informed of the baby's condition and appeared to understand the situation. They agreed that no heroic measures should be performed and, in particular, they did not wish to have a surgical correction of the oesophageal atresia. Several life-support measures were in progress: fluids and electrolytes (F&E) were being given; blood gases and electrolytes were being monitored. In addition, the infant's hyperbilirubinaemia was being treated by phototherapy. The bilirubin levels were rising quickly, and the possibility of an exchange transfusion for treatment of high bilirubin presented itself. Also, the need for intravenous feedings would soon arise. The following day on rounds the resident responsible for this patient raised the question as to what was expected of him in terms of treatment. Where do we draw the line between ordinary and extraordinary means? Is an exchange transfusion extraordinary? What about fluids and electrolytes ? It was decided to await the results of karyotyping, to obtain additional confirmation, before making the difficult decision concerning whether to withhold all treatment. It was felt that this was a prudent approach, but the question remained as to where to draw the line in the meantime. In the absence of a karyotype, must we be committed to full support?
On the Origins of Morphological Complexity in Block Copolymer Surfactants

Amphiphilic compounds such as lipids and surfactants are fundamental building blocks of soft matter. We describe experiments with poly(1,2-butadiene-b-ethylene oxide) (PB-PEO) diblock copolymers, which form Y-junctions and three-dimensional networks in water at weight fractions of PEOintermediate to those associated with vesicle and wormlike micelle morphologies. Fragmentation of the network produces a nonergodic array of complex reticulated particles that have been imaged by cryogenic transmission electron microscopy. Data obtained with two sets of PB-PEOcompounds indicate that this type of self-assembly appears above a critical molecular weight. These block copolymers represent versatile amphiphiles, mimicking certain low molecular weight three-component (surfactant/water/oil) microemulsions, without addition of a separate hydrophobe.
Individual Trust in Online Firms: Scale Development and Initial Test

The importance of trust as a key facilitator of electronic commerce is increasingly being recognized in academic and practitioner communities. However, empirical research in this area has been beset by conflicting conceptualizations of the trust construct, inadequate attention to its underlying dimensions, causes, and effects, and lack of a validated trust scale. This paper addresses these limitations in part by theoretically conceptualizing and empirically validating a scale to measure individual trust in online firms. The proposed scale taps into three key dimensions of trust: trustee's ability, benevolence, and integrity. An iterative testing and refinement procedure using two field surveys of online retailing and online banking users, leads to a final seven-item trust scale that exhibits adequate levels of reliability, convergent validity, discriminant validity, and nomological validity. It is expected that the scale presented in this paper will assist future empirical research on trust in online entities.
Associated prime ideals of skew polynomial rings.

In this paper, it has been proved that for a Noetherian ring R and an automorphism σ of R, an associated prime ideal of R[x, σ] or R[x, x−1, σ] is the extension of its contraction to R and this contraction is the intersection of the orbit under σ of some associated prime ideal of R. The same statement is true for minimal prime ideals also. It has also been proved that for a Noetherian Q-algebra (Q the field of rational numbers) and a derivation δ of R, an associated prime ideal of R[x, δ] is the extension of its contraction to R and this contraction is an associated prime ideal of R. MSC 2000: 16-XX (primary), 16S36, 16P40, 16P50, 16U20 (secondary)
Vancomycin Susceptibility Trends and Prevalence of Heterogeneous Vancomycin-Intermediate Staphylococcus aureus in Clinical Methicillin-Resistant S. aureus Isolates

ABSTRACT Due to the rise in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections and widespread use of vancomycin, MRSA isolates with reduced susceptibility to vancomycin are emerging (i.e., MIC creep). However, the prevalence of heterogeneous vancomycin-intermediate S. aureus (hVISA) is unknown due to the difficulty in detecting this phenotype. Recently, Etest glycopeptide resistance detection (GRD) strips have been developed to detect hVISA. This study assessed vancomycin susceptibility in MRSA isolates and determined the prevalence of hVISA by Etest GRD and population analysis profile-area under the curve ratio (PAP-AUC). The genetic backgrounds of 167 MRSA isolates collected from 2000 to 2008 were identified by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Vancomycin MICs were determined using Etest and two broth microdilution assays, MicroScan and Sensititre. Etest GRD was performed on all isolates, and those exhibiting a hVISA phenotype were further tested by PAP-AUC. The vancomycin MIC modes remained consistent at 1 μg/ml, as assessed by Sensititre and MicroScan. Etest reported a significant increase (mode MIC = 1.5 μg/ml) in the MIC between 2000 and 2008 (P < 0.01); however, this increase did not reflect a ≥2-fold change. In addition, the slight MIC increase did not increase linearly from 2000 to 2008, suggesting biological fluctuation, and is inconsistent with the concept of MIC creep. Etest GRD identified six hVISA isolates, two of which were confirmed to be hVISA by PAP-AUC. In conclusion, reduced vancomycin susceptibility was not detected in our hospital over a 9-year period using three different MIC methodologies, and the hVISA incidence was 1.2%, as determined by Etest GRD and PAP-AUC.
An Interleaved Half-Bridge Three-Port Converter With Enhanced Power Transfer Capability Using Three-Leg Rectifier for Renewable Energy Applications

In this paper, an interleaved half-bridge (IHB) three-port converter (TPC) is proposed for a renewable power system. The IHB-TPC is used to interface three power ports: 1) one source port; 2) one battery port; and 3) one isolated load port. The proposed IHB-TPC is derived by integrating two half-bridge TPC modules. A parallel configuration is adopted for the primary side of the two half-bridge modules, while a parallel-series configuration is adopted for the secondary side of the two modules. The power can be transferred from the source and the battery to the load within the whole switching cycle with the proposed IHB-TPC. It means there are no additional conduction losses caused by the circulating current or the free-wheeling operation stage. Hence, the voltage gain can be extended, and the output filter can be reduced. Zero-voltage switching is realized for all the four main switches to reduce the switching losses. Two of the three ports can be tightly regulated by adopting pulsewidth modulation plus phase-shift control, while the third port is left unregulated to maintain power balance for the system. The operation principles and the performances of the proposed converter are analyzed in detail. The experimental results are given to verify the feasibility and the effectiveness of the proposed converter.
Should we regionalize the management of pulmonary embolism?

Venous thromboembolism, which manifests as either deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism, is one of the most common cardiovascular disorders in industrialized countries, affecting about 5% of people in their lifetime. [1][1] Pulmonary embolisms are highly fatal, and in 22% of cases, they are not
What makes an accurate and reliable subject-specific finite element model? A case study of an elephant femur

Finite element modelling is well entrenched in comparative vertebrate biomechanics as a tool to assess the mechanical design of skeletal structures and to better comprehend the complex interaction of their form–function relationships. But what makes a reliable subject-specific finite element model? To approach this question, we here present a set of convergence and sensitivity analyses and a validation study as an example, for finite element analysis (FEA) in general, of ways to ensure a reliable model. We detail how choices of element size, type and material properties in FEA influence the results of simulations. We also present an empirical model for estimating heterogeneous material properties throughout an elephant femur (but of broad applicability to FEA). We then use an ex vivo experimental validation test of a cadaveric femur to check our FEA results and find that the heterogeneous model matches the experimental results extremely well, and far better than the homogeneous model. We emphasize how considering heterogeneous material properties in FEA may be critical, so this should become standard practice in comparative FEA studies along with convergence analyses, consideration of element size, type and experimental validation. These steps may be required to obtain accurate models and derive reliable conclusions from them.
Discrimination between two Perkinsus spp. isolated from the softshell clam, Mya arenaria, by sequence analysis of two internal transcribed spacer regions and the 5·8S ribosomal RNA gene

The internal transcribed spacer (ITS-1 and ITS-2) regions and the 5·8S ribosomal RNA gene of 2 Perkinsus spp. (G117 and H49) originating from the softshell clam, Mya arenaria, of the Chesapeake Bay were cloned and sequenced to obtain evidence for their genetic divergence. A high level of heterogeneity in both regions, probably resulting from deletions, insertions, and base substitutions, was evident from alignments of the sequences of the 2 isolates with published sequences of other Perkinsus spp. The isolate G117 and other Perkinsus spp. were highly divergent (13–26% and 19–20% sequence divergence in ITS-1 and ITS-2, respectively). These regions in the isolate H49 and Perkinsus marinus were similar (99·07% and 99% for ITS-1 and ITS-2, respectively). Evidence obtained from a phylogenetic analysis using the aligned sequences suggests that G117 and H49 belong to 2 distinct species of Perkinsus. The isolate G117 possibly belongs to an as yet undescribed species of Perkinsus, and H49 belongs to the species P. marinus. The conclusions drawn from the genetic analysis of H49 and G117 are supported by previously reported morphological characteristics (McLaughlin & Faisal, 1998b). Isolates H49 and G117 originated from the same molluscan species demonstrating that at least 2 different species of Perkinsus can co-exist in 1 host.
Etiopathology of Hoarseness of Voice: A Clinical Study

Aim: Hoarseness of voice is generally due to change in quality of voice. The etiology of hoarseness of voice varies from benign conditions to malignant disease, hence should not be ignored. All cases of hoarseness of voice persisting for more than 3 weeks should be investigated for the underlying disease. It may indicate either malignancy of larynx or silent bronchogenic carcinoma. A retrospective study of cases of hoarseness of voice was done in MediCiti Institute of Medical Sciences for a period of 5 years. The etiopathological factors, age and duration of presentation, and type of condition were analyzed to arrive at different etiopathological conditions responsible at different age groups.
The COMFET&#8212;A new high conductance MOS-gated device

A new MOS gate-controlled power switch with a very low on-resistance is described. The fabrication process is similar to that of an n-channel power MOSFET but employs an n--epitaxial layer grown on a p+substrate. In operation, the epitaxial region is conductivity modulated (by excess holes and electrons) thereby eliminating a major component of the on-resistance. For example, on-resistance values have been reduced by a factor of about 10 compared with those of conventional n-channel power MOSFET's of comparable size and voltage capability.
Dynamics of cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript containing cell changes in the adrenal glands of two kidney, one clip rats

Taking into consideration the homeostatic disorders resulting from renal hypertension and the essential role of cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) in maintaining homeostasis by regulating many functions of the body, the question arises as to what extent the renovascular hypertension affects the morphology and dynamics of changes of CART-containing cells in the adrenal glands. The aim of the present study was to examine the distribution, morphology, and dynamics of changes of CART-containing cells in the adrenal glands of “two kidney, one clip” (2K1C) renovascular hypertension model in rats. The studies were carried out on the adrenal glands of rats after 3, 14, 28, 42, and 91 days from the renal artery clipping procedure. To identify neuroendocrine cells, immunohistochemical reaction was performed with the use of a specific antibody against CART. It was revealed that renovascular hypertension causes changes in the endocrine cells containing CART in the adrenal glands of rats. The changes observed in the endocrine cells depend on the time when the rats with experimentally induced hypertension were examined. In the first period of hypertension, the number and immunoreactivity of CART-containing cells were decreased, while from the 28-day test, it significantly increased, as compared to the control rats. CART is relevant to the regulation of homeostasis in the cardiovascular system and seems to be involved in renovascular hypertension. The results of the present work open the possibility of new therapeutic perspectives for the treatment of arterial hypertension, since CART function is involved in their pathophysiology.