Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Multiple forms of hexokinase. Activities associated with subcellular particulate and soluble fractions of normal and streptozotocin diabetic rat tissues.

Abstract The multiple molecular forms of hexokinase associated with the soluble and several subcellular particulate fractions of various tissues of normal and streptozotocin diabetic rats were studied. Hexokinase activities extracted from the particulate fractions, and those in the soluble fractions, were determined according to spectrophotometric assays and staining intensities of the hexokinase types separated by DEAE-cellulose chromatography and gel electrophoresis. According to these criteria, the amounts of type II hexokinase associated with the 13,000 x g "P2" (mitochondrial-rich), 105,000 x g "P3" and "P4" (sarcoplasmic vesicle-rich), and 105,000 x g supernatant "S3" (soluble) fractions of heart, diaphragm, and gastrocnemius muscles from diabetic rats were deficient when compared with those from normal rats. However, type II increased in the soluble fraction of the diabetic small intestine. While diabetes had no discernible effect on type I hexokinase content in any of the fractions of these tissues, brain, or kidney, it resulted in an increase in type III hexokinase in the soluble fraction of cardiac and skeletal muscles. The loss of type II activity in diabetic muscle extracts appeared to be due to a loss in amount of enzyme rather than to inhibition by glucose-6-P or other metabolites. Within 2 hours after insulin administration to diabetic rats net hexokinase activity in the soluble fraction of gastrocnemius muscle was restored to normal values, while in this fraction from cardiac muscle more than 48 hours were required for complete restoration. The only forms of hexokinase associated with all of the particulate fractions of all tissues studied were found to be indistinguishable from the hexokinase types I and II that are also present in the soluble fractions. Particle-bound type III hexokinase could not be shown. Latency of hexokinase activity, previously discovered in brain mitochondria in other laboratories, is found to be a general phenomenon characteristic of other particulate fractions of brain as well as skeletal and heart muscles. Such latency is attributable to only type I hexokinase and can be rendered assayable as the "overt-bound" activity or the solubilized activity by treatment of the particulate fractions with various membrane-disruptive agents. Examination of the hexokinase patterns associated with the P2, P3, P4, and soluble fractions of skeletal and heart muscles revealed that, with each tissue, the proportion of type I to II hexokinases varied from fraction to fraction. It is suggested that the observed differences in the association of the three hexokinases with different subcellular fractions, as well as their different responses to lack of insulin, may reflect some type of compartmentalization of the molecular forms of hexokinase in the cell.
High prevalence of asymptomatic coeliac disease in Norway: a study of blood donors.

OBJECTIVE The prevalence of symptomatic coeliac disease in Norway is 1:675. Coeliac disease has previously been reported in presumably healthy people. Our aim was to determine the prevalence of latent coeliac disease in apparently healthy (i.e. asymptomatic) Norwegian individuals. METHODS Blood donor sera were tested for gluten antibodies (IgA, IgG). Positive samples (IgA AGA > 0.35, IgG AGA > 0.90) were further tested for endomysium antibodies (IgA EMA). EMA positive individuals were offered gastroenterological investigation. RESULTS Of 2096 sera, 83 fulfilled the criteria for EMA testing (M/F = 55/28). Eight individuals were EMA positive. On biopsy, seven out of eight had villous atrophy (six subtotal, one partial). None of the patients had significant symptoms. Biochemical data showed iron deficiency (two), hypocalcaemia (one), and low serum zinc (five). All patients were treated with a gluten-free diet and followed up. CONCLUSION The study indicates a prevalence of 1:340 among asymptomatic and presumably healthy people. This is in keeping with studies from other countries. Lack of symptoms does not exclude secondary deficiency conditions.
Superrotation in Terrestrial Atmospheres

AbstractAtmospheric superrotation with prograde equatorial winds and an equatorial angular momentum maximum is ubiquitous in planetary atmospheres. It is clear that eddy fluxes of angular momentum toward the equator are necessary to generate it. But under what conditions superrotation arises has remained unclear. This paper presents simulations and a scaling theory that establish conditions under which superrotation occurs in terrestrial atmospheres. Whether superrotation arises depends on the relative importance of factors that favor or disfavor superrotation. Convection preferentially generates Rossby waves near the equator, where the Rossby number is O(1). Since the Rossby waves transport angular momentum toward their source regions, this favors superrotation. Meridional temperature gradients preferentially lead to baroclinic instability and wave generation away from the equator. Eddy transport of angular momentum toward the baroclinic source region implies transport out of low latitudes, which disfavo.
Unified Discrete-Time Modeling of Buck Converter in Discontinuous Mode

A 1-D discrete-time model is used to analyze the buck converter in discontinuous conduction mode. Both the buck converter power stage and the buck converter under current mode control are analyzed in a unified way. The effects of adding current control or a compensating ramp can be clearly seen. Conditions for multiple or zero steady-state solutions are obtained. A different instability reported previously is explained by the saddle-node bifurcation. Adding the compensating ramp into the current loop may be ineffective, because the instability is due to the dynamics of capacitor voltage, not the inductor current, and the saddle-node bifurcation is different from the period-doubling bifurcation.
Contaminant accumulation and biomarker responses in caged fish exposed to effluents from anthropogenic sources in the karnaphuly river, bangladesh

The possible ecotoxicological effects of a paper and pulp mill effluent were investigated by measuring selected contaminants and biomarkers in caged Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and sharptooth catfish (Clarias gariepinus) from the Karnaphuly River, Bangladesh. Fish were caged for 28 d at two upstream reference sites (2 and 4 km) and four downstream sites (3, 5, 8, and 12 km) from the effluent outlets. Organochlorine contaminants and bile biomarkers were bioaccumulated to higher levels at downstream polluted sites than at the reference sites, including hexachlorobenzene (HCB), hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in liver, and chlorophenolic compounds like 2,4‐dichlorophenol and 2,4,6‐trichlorophenol in bile. Levels of glucose, protein, and aspartate aminotransferase were analyzed in plasma, whereas cytochrome P4501A (CYP1A) levels were determined in S‐12 supernatants of liver. The results, including CYP1A induction and bile biomarkers, clearly indicated that, in addition to the paper and pulp mill effluents, the downstream sites appear to receive other inputs of contaminants. This field assessment in a Bangladeshi river demonstrates biomarker measurements in caged fish as a promising approach for evaluating accumulation and effects of industrial effluents in fish of developing countries.
CDK1 phosphorylates ULK1-ATG13 complex to regulate mitotic autophagy and Taxol chemosensitivity

ULK1-ATG13 is the most upstream autophagy initiation complex that is phosphorylated by mTORC1 and AMPK to induce autophagy in asynchronous conditions. However, the phospho-regulation and function of ULK1-ATG13 in mitosis and cell cycle remains unknown. Here we show that ULK1-ATG13 complex is differentially regulated throughout the cell cycle. Notably, in mitosis, both ULK1 and ATG13 are highly phosphorylated by CDK1/cyclin B, the key cell cycle machinery. Combining mass spectrometry and site-directed mutagenesis, we found that CDK1-induced ULK1-ATG13 phosphorylation positively regulates mitotic autophagy and Taxol chemosensitivity, and some phosphorylation sites occur in cancer patients. Moreover, double knockout of ULK1 and ATG13 could block cell cycle progression and significantly decrease cancer cell proliferation in cell line and mouse models. Our results not only bridge the mutual regulation between the core machineries of autophagy and mitosis, illustrate the mitotic autophagy regulation mechanism, but also provide ULK1-ATG13 as potential targets for cancer therapy.
Assessments in evidence-based medicine workshops: loose connection between perception of knowledge and its objective assessment

The outcome of continuing education programs is often based on self-assessment. We evaluated the relationship of self-assessment of knowledge based on rating scales with scores obtained on objective validated tests in evidence-based medicine workshops. In the West Midlands region (1998), 55 participants attended three workshops in critical appraisal of the medical literature.They completed two self-assessment questionnaires: one used a rating scale to subjectively examine the level of knowledge of six different literature appraisal issues; the other objectively assessed participants' literature appraisal knowledge in those issues using validated multiple true-false questions. Comparison of subjective scores reflecting understanding of specific literature appraisal issues with corresponding objective test scores revealed a poor correlation (r s ranged from -0.29 to 0.60 for the different knowledge issues assessed). Perception of ones level of knowledge did not always correlate with correctly possessed knowledge. In some instances, those who thought they were knowledgeable actually possessed incorrect knowledge. Therefore, continuing medical education programs should focus on objective, not subjective tests to assess outcome.
Serum lysyl oxidase-like 2 levels and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis disease progression

We evaluated whether lysyl oxidase-like 2 (LOXL2), which promotes cross-linking of collagen in pathological stroma, was detectable in serum from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patients, and assessed its relationship with IPF disease progression. Patients from the ARTEMIS-IPF (n=69) and the Genomic and Proteomic Analysis of Disease Progression in IPF (GAP) (n=104) studies were analysed. Baseline serum LOXL2 (sLOXL2) levels were compared with baseline clinical and physiological surrogates of disease severity, and the association with IPF disease progression was assessed using a classification and regression tree (CART) method. sLOXL2 correlated weakly with forced vital capacity and carbon monoxide diffusion capacity (r -0.24–0.05) in both cohorts. CART-determined thresholds were similar: ARTEMIS-IPF 800 pg·mL−1 and GAP 700 pg·mL−1. In ARTEMIS-IPF, higher sLOXL2 (>800 pg·mL−1) was associated with increased risk for disease progression (hazard ratio (HR) 5.41, 95% CI 1.65–17.73). Among GAP subjects with baseline spirometric data (n=70), higher sLOXL2 levels (>700 pg·mL−1) were associated with more disease progression events (HR 1.78, 95% CI 1.01–3.11). Among all GAP subjects, higher sLOXL2 levels were associated with increased risk for mortality (HR 2.28, 95% CI 1.18–4.38). These results suggest that higher sLOXL2 levels are associated with increased risk for IPF disease progression. However, due to multiple limitations, these results require validation. Higher baseline sLOXL2 levels: no correlation with IPF severity, but association with disease progression http://ow.ly/sEbGW
A study on security evaluation methodology for image-based biometrics authentication systems

We propose here a security evaluation methodology of image-based biometrics authentication systems against wolf attacks. A wolf attack is an attempt to impersonate a victim by feeding wolves into the system to be attacked. The wolf is input data that can be falsely accepted as a match with multiple templates. To create a secure system, we must evaluate the possibility of wolf attacks. Existing studies have relied on theoretical analysis of algorithms carried out by human beings, which is only effective if theoretical analysis is possible. Therefore, we propose a more generic approach based on a search to assist the developers of matching algorithms. We searched for wolves by using a recently developed algorithm called Monte-Carlo Tree Search (MCTS). We succeeded in detecting wolves in a matching algorithm, which appears promising considering that this is the first trial for this kind of approach.
Anti‐Candida albicans IgE and IgG subclasses in sera of patients with allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA)

We performed immunoblotting experiments to determine specific IgE and IgG subclass responses to Candida albicans antigens in allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) patients. This is a first report describing C. albicans antigens recognized by serum IgE and IgG subclasses of ABPA patients sensitized to that yeast. Among the various antigens reacting with serum IgE, a 43‐kDa component was recognized by all seven patients and can be considered a major antigen of C. albicans for this particular group of patients. By comparison, only 20% of a group of asthmatic atopics (25 patients) and 10% of a group of normal controls (10 subjects) were 43‐kDa positive. Multiple banding patterns, revealing no major antigen, were observed for all four IgG subclasses except for IgG1 in one case. In particular, the 43‐kDa component was not always recognized by all the patients. Furthermore, oral or inhaled steroid treatment appears to have no impact on the specific IgE immunopatterns obtained. Using immunoelectron‐microscopy, we localized IgE‐binding primarily in the mannoprotein‐containing layers of the C. albicans cell wall. In conclusion, C. albicans‐IgE and IgG subclasses may participate in the physiopathology of ABPA by exacerbating pulmonary infiltrates (IgE) and inducing eosinophil‐mediated inflammatory reaction (IgG1, IgG3).
Dislodged Upper Thoracic Cage in the Gastrointestinal Tract: A Case Report and Literature Reviews

Study Design. A rare case of esophageal perforation secondary to a dislodged upper thoracic cage found by the gastrointestinal endoscope is presented. Objective. To report an extremely rare complication of upper thoracic vertebral tuberculosis treated with corpectomy and interbody cage surgery and suggest the cause, mechanism, and outcome of the complication of esophageal perforation. Summary of Background Data. Tuberculotic spondylitis often affects the anterior column of the spine and surgery is indicated in the presence of an epidural abscess, neurologic deficits secondary to compression of the spinal cord, bone destruction with instability, or failure of antituberculous therapy. Surgical treatment requires radical debridement followed by anterior stabilization. A controversy exists regarding the use of the instrumentation in the tuberculous spine. Methods. Retrospective case study and literature review. Results. Because of the concomitant medical problems and little deterioration of the neurologic function, our patient is managed uneventfully with conservative treatment. Conclusion. To the authors’ knowledge, this is an extremely rare reported complication of upper thoracic cage surgery for vertebral tuberculosis. This case demonstrates that the cage migration in the tuberculous spondylitis might have a rather benign clinical course and structural bone grafting or interbody cage insertion without supplemental instrument fixation seems to be inadequate.
An online optimum-relation-based maximum power point tracking algorithm for wind energy conversion system

Due to the unpredictable nature of wind, determining the optimal generator speed necessary to extract the maximum available wind power at any wind speed is essential. Amongst the available MPPT algorithms, optimal-relation-based (ORB) method is considered the fastest in terms of tracking speed, however, this strategy requires knowledge of system parameters, which are difficult to be calculated and vary from one system to another. Another common and simple algorithm that does not need any prior knowledge of system parameters is the perturb and observe (P&O) method. However, this method has two drawbacks, which are slow response and incorrect directionality under rapid wind change. This paper proposes a new MPPT algorithm based on hybridization of the ORB and P&O methods. In the proposed algorithm, the P&O method is used as an initialization algorithm to search online for a maximum power point (MPP) of a local wind speed in order to extract the parameters needed to perform the ORB method. MATLAB/Simulink software is used to simulate the performance of the proposed MPPT algorithm.
A prospective, randomized controlled trial comparing the left lateral, modified lateral and sitting positions for spinal block characteristics for Cesarean delivery.

BACKGROUND Maternal position affects spinal block characteristics. We investigated the effect of lateral, modified lateral and sitting position for spinal anesthesia with 2 mL hyperbaric bupivacaine 0.5% on spinal block characteristics in this prospective, randomized study. METHODS Seventy-five ASA physical status I parturients were randomly allocated to the left lateral to supine-wedged, modified lateral to supine-wedged with a10°head-up tilt or the sitting to supine-wedged position for induction of spinal anesthesia for Cesarean delivery. Neural block was assessed by pin prick and modified Bromage scale. Data were analyzed using ANOVA, Chi-square test and Wilcoxon rank sum test, where appropriate. P<0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS Onset time (mean ± SD) for sensory block to T5 dermatome for the lateral, modified lateral and sitting groups was 6.8 ± 2.7, 13.6 ± 6.2 and 9.7 ± 5.5 min, respectively; P<0.001. The median (interquartile range) maximum dermatomal level was significantly lower in the modified lateral group (T5[T3-T5]) compared with the lateral (T3[T2-T4]) and sitting (T3[T3-T4]) groups, respectively; P=0.022 and P=0.030, respectively. Three women in the modified lateral group required general anesthesia compared with none in the other groups; P= 0.044. Apgar scores and cord blood pH, PO2 and PCO2 were similar between groups. CONCLUSION The modified lateral position with 10 mg of hyperbaric bupivacaine was associated with a slower onset and a lower maximum sensory block necessitating higher requirement for conversion to general anesthesia. It did not offer any advantage over lateral and sitting positions for induction of spinal anesthesia for elective Cesarean delivery and cannot be recommended.
Infection in the intensive care unit: beta-lactamase-mediated resistance among Enterobacteriaceae and optimal antimicrobial dosing.

Class I beta-lactamase-mediated resistance in Enterobacteriaceae is increasingly common, clinically important, and often associated with previous use of third-generation cephalosporins. Extended-spectrum beta-lactamases that confer resistance to third-generation cephalosporins are also becoming more widespread. Beta-lactamase-producing organisms often display multiresistance, and this has been associated with increased mortality among patients. For all beta-lactam antimicrobials, the time that the plasma concentration exceeds the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) is the principal factor determining antibacterial activity. For concentration-dependent antimicrobials such as aminoglycosides and fluoroquinolones, the area under the plasma-concentration time curve:MIC ratio is the variable that has the strongest link to clinical outcome, particularly when relatively low peak: MIC values (< 10:1) are achieved. Peak concentration is of major concern for suppression of resistance. When high peak: MIC ratios (> or = 10:1) are achieved, this may suppress resistance and become the primary variable linked to outcome. When designing antimicrobial dosage regimens, it is important to take into account the pharmacodynamics of the drug in order to maximize the potential for achieving a positive clinical outcome and suppressing the emergence of bacterial resistance.
Expression and secretion of an α‐amylase gene from a native strain of Bacillus licheniformis in Escherichia coli by T7 promoter and putative signal peptide of the gene

The gene encoding a hyperthermostable α‐amylase from a Bacillus licheniformis native strain was cloned in pET24d transcription vector containing T7 promoter, and expressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) cells. Having confirmed the α‐amylase activity through activity staining method on SDS–PAGE gel, the yields of production were determined in two separated intra and inter‐cellular phases and compared using enzymatic assay methods. Extracellular production of the active recombinant enzyme implies the recognition of the putative signal peptide of this Bacillus sp. by E. coli secretory system. This may be because of the amino acid sequence of this signal peptide which covers all the structural parameters of a standard signal peptide processed by Lep B, the major signal peptidase in E. coli secretory system. This study recommends the use of this signal peptide for extracellular production of other foreign proteins in E. coli.
Morphogenèse d'une montagne méditerranéenne : les Pyrénées orientales

Cet ouvrage est un essai de geomorphologie historique, ou les paysages sont decryptes comme un ensemble de paleotopogramhies structurees et hierarchisees dans l'espace et le temps. Le livre 1, outre une presentation topographique et geologique regionale, precise cette problematique. Le livre 2 traite des questions essentielles que sont l'age et les rythmes des soulevements responsables du volume montagneux actuel et la signification des aplanissements preserves jusque sur les massifs culminants. Deux niveaux etages sont definis, en particulier dans les corbieres ; le principal est le plus bas ; son age miocene moyen et sa genese sont precises en particulier grace aux sites karstiques a rongeurs. L'orogenese recente s'amorce au turolien ; saccadee et acceleree avec le temps, elle n'autorise plus que l'inscription de plans d'erosion partiels reduits ; le contexte, d'abord extensif, cede la place a un regime compressif-decrochant, en accord avec la sismotectonique actuelle. Le livre 3 traite des modeles quaternaires, a travers les etagements morphoclimatiques et les contrastes regionaux. En montagne, trois grandes phases glacaires sont decrites. Dans les bas pays orientaux on insiste sur l'impact limite du froid et l'importance des episodes arides (encroutements, eolisations). En conclusion on propose un bilan chiffre morphogenese-orogenese, qui montre la primaute de cette derniere ; mais on insiste surtout sur l'extreme heterogeneite spatiale de la morphogenese, ce qui obere les tentatives de modelisation quantifiee.