Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Single Chain Human Interleukin 5 and Its Asymmetric Mutagenesis for Mapping Receptor Binding Sites (*)

Wild type human (h) interleukin 5 (wt IL5) is composed of two identical peptide chains linked by disulfide bonds. A gene encoding a single chain form of hIL5 dimer was constructed by linking the two hIL5 chain coding regions with a Gly-Gly linker. Expression of this gene in COS cells yielded a single chain IL5 protein (sc IL5) having biological activity similar to that of wt IL5, as judged by stimulation of human cell proliferation. Single chain and wt IL5 also had similar binding affinity for soluble IL5 receptor α chain, the specificity subunit of the IL5 receptor, as measured kinetically with an optical biosensor. The design of functionally active sc IL5 allowed asymmetric mutagenesis of the symmetrical IL5 molecule. Such mutagenesis was exemplified by changes at residues Glu-13, Arg-91, Glu-110, and Trp-111. The receptor binding and bioactivity data obtained are consistent with a model in which residues from both IL5 monomers interact with the receptor α chain, while the interaction likely is asymmetric due to the intrinsic asymmetry of folded receptor. The results demonstrate a general route to the further mapping of receptor and other binding sites on the surface of human IL5.
Endocan Expression and Relationship with Survival in Human Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer

Purpose: We evaluated the expression of endocan, a soluble lung- and kidney-selective endothelial cell-specific dermatan sulfate proteoglycan, in non–small cell lung tumors compared with normal lung and studied the significance of high levels of circulating endocan in patients with non–small cell lung cancer. Material and Methods: Endocan and vascular endothelial growth factor mRNA expression were evaluated by semiquantitative PCR in tumoral and nontumoral lung tissue samples from a first series of 24 patients submitted to curative surgery. Relationships between survival, time to tumor progression, and serum levels of endocan were evaluated in a second series of 30 previously untreated patients addressed for staging. Results: In non–small cell lung cancers, endocan mRNA was overexpressed compared with control lung. Immunohistochemistry shows that endocan was expressed only by tumor endothelium in all cases, especially in the periphery of the tumors, with no differences between adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Endocan and vascular endothelial growth factor mRNA expression was positively correlated in lung tumors. Serum endocan levels, as well as tumor, node, and metastasis status, were correlated with both survival and time to tumor progression. However, endocan serum level was not an independent prognostic factor due to its correlation with the presence of metastasis. Conclusion: Endocan is overexpressed in non–small cell lung tumors compared with healthy lung and probably represents a response of tumoral endothelium to proangiogenic growth factor stimulation. Circulating levels of endocan might reflect tumor angiogenic stimulation and present prognostic significance.
Interleukin-6, acute phase reactants and clinical status in ankylosing spondylitis.

Prolactin (PRL) is a neuroendocrine hormone that has important immunoregulatory properties. It is a potent mitogen in Nb2 T lymphoma cell line and stimulates both T-cell mediated and humoral immunity. ' Recently an association between hyperprolactinaemia and certain rheumatic diseases has been described suggesting that PRL may play a role in the pathogenesis of some autoimmune diseases.94 In addition, PRL seems to be an autocrine factor required for viability and proliferation of B lymphoma cells.5 Furthermore, it was recently proposed that hyperprolactinaemia observed in oestrogentreated mice may predispose to development of lymphoma in these animals.6 Primary Sj6gren's syndrome (P-SS) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterised by exocrine glandular insufficiency secondary
Short-Term Memory Encoding and Memory Search in the Word Recognition of Learning-Disabled Children

Two aspects of the information processing involved in word recognition—encoding and memory search—were investigated in learning-disabled children. A short-term memory recognition paradigm was employed which allowed for the separation of reaction time into separate processing stages. Subjects were 16 learning-disabled children with particular deficiencies in word recognition and 16 control children equated for age, grade and intelligence. Input modalities of both stimulus array words to be encoded and stored in short-term memory, and target words for recognition were manipulated, resulting in three experimental conditions: (1) Visual/Visual, (2) Auditory/Auditory and (3) Auditory/Visual. Three hypotheses were tested each involving inferences about internal operations based en reaction time. While LD subjects did not differ from control subjects at the encoding stage of word recognition, LD subjects required significantly more processing time for memory search.
VSC-HVDC System for Industrial Plants With Onsite Generators

Modern industrial customers, such as pulp and paper industries, have increased the vulnerability to power quality problems. A voltage source converter based high-voltage direct current (VSC-HVDC) transmission has the potential to offer high power quality when transmitting large amount of power. Therefore, in this paper, a VSC-HVDC transmission is proposed to supply such industrial plants in order to improve their power quality. The proposed VSC-HVDC together with an industrial plant is simulated in PSCAD/EMTDC to investigate the dynamic performance of the studied system during various operation conditions and after different events. Grid faults, different power production levels of the generator and trip of the generator are studied. Simulation results show that with a VSC-HVDC supply the power quality of industrial plants can be significantly improved. The extent of the improvement strongly depends on the VSC current limits, the generator power production levels and the generator ratings.
The association between hydroxyurea treatment and pain intensity, analgesic use, and utilization in ambulatory sickle cell anemia patients.

BACKGROUND We compared daily pain, home analgesic use, and utilization among ambulatory adults in the randomized multicenter study of hydroxyurea in sickle cell anemia (MSH). We related the fetal hemoglobin (HbF) hydroxyurea response to these response variables. METHODS Patients rated their sickle cell pain intensity (0-9), use of analgesics, and visits for pain daily. Diaries were collected biweekly, and intensity was collapsed into single interval ratings. The interval proportions of days of analgesic use and medical visits for pain were also calculated. Group comparisons were made by intention to treat as well as by HbF change levels from baseline to 2 years of treatment (placebo and low, medium, high, or very high response). RESULTS A total of 134 (44.8%) enrollees completed 2 years of follow-up. Pain intensity correlated with analgesic use (r = 0.83, P > 0.0001) and utilization (r = 0.50, P < 0.0001). Pain intensity was lower for patients on hydroxyurea (2.51 ± 0.062 vs 2.82 ± 0.063 placebo, F(1270) = 11.65, P = 0.0007). The difference, though small, appeared early and was sustained. Analgesic use and utilization were also slightly lower (analgesic use: F (1270) = 11.97, P = 0.0006; utilization: F(1270) = 32.0, P < 0.0001). Each was statistically significantly lower among hydroxyurea patients with higher HbF treatment responses to hydroxyurea. CONCLUSIONS Hydroxyurea usage led to a small, statistically significant reduction in daily pain, analgesic use, and utilization in adults in MSH, corroborating previously shown larger reductions in crises and mortality. The degree of daily symptomatic reduction was related to the size of the HbF treatment response, further confirming HbF response as a useful laboratory correlate.
XPD and XRCC1 genetic polymorphisms are prognostic factors in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer patients treated with platinum chemotherapy.

PURPOSE Platinum agents cause DNA cross-linking and oxidative damage. Genetic polymorphisms of DNA repair genes are associated with differential DNA repair activity and may explain interindividual differences in overall survival after therapy with platinum agents for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS We used polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism to evaluate genetic polymorphisms of the XPD (Asp312Asn) and XRCC1 (Arg399Gln) DNA repair genes in 103 patients with stage III (54%) and IV (46%) NSCLC treated with platinum-based chemotherapy. RESULTS Median age was 58 years (range, 32 to 77 years), 49% were females, and there were 86 deaths. Median follow-up period was 61.9 months. Median survival time (MST) was 14.9 months; by stage, MST was 28.6 months (IIIA), 16.0 months (IIIB), and 9.3 months (IV). Genotypes were not associated with stage. Increasing numbers of either XPD or XRCC1 variant alleles were associated with shorter overall survival (P =.003 and P =.07, respectively, by log-rank test). Similarly, when we compared combinations of variant alleles across both polymorphisms, we found that a greater number of variant alleles was associated with decreasing overall survival (P =.009, log-rank test). These polymorphisms independently predicted overall survival even after taking into account stage, performance status, and chemotherapy regimen. CONCLUSION Genetic polymorphisms in XPD and XRCC1 may be important prognostic factors in platinum-treated patients with advanced NSCLC.
Psychologic stress and glycemic control: a comparison of patients with and without proliferative diabetic retinopathy.

&NA; Using a case/control design, patients with (cases) and without (controls) proliferative diabetic retinopathy were compared using three psychosocial measures: life events, psychiatric symptomatology, and ego development. Cases reported significantly more symptoms. They also demonstrated a modest and significant correlation of negative life events with HgbA1c that was not shown in the controls. When the relationship of life events with glycemic control was explored in cases of varying durations of proliferative retinopathy, we found that the association between negative life events and HgbA1c was accounted for by the cases with a recent onset of retinopathy. Patients in this recent group showed a trend towards more negative life events that decreased with longer duration of proliferative retinopathy. This study suggests that the onset of proliferative retinopathy portends a life crisis during which metabolic control is sensitive to additional life stress and that this association is not found among patients whose illness is more stable.
Fluorescent silica particles for monitoring oxygen levels in three‐dimensional heterogeneous cellular structures

Bacterial biofilms are a major obstacle challenging the development of more effective therapies to treat implant infections. Oxygen availability to bacterial cells has been implicated in biofilm formation and planktonic cell detachment; however, there are insufficient tools available to measure oxygen concentrations within complex three‐dimensional structures with ∼1 µm resolution. Such measurements may complement measures of biofilm structure and cell activity to provide a more comprehensive understanding of biofilm biology. Thus, we developed oxygen‐sensing microparticles specifically designed to characterize oxygen transport through the volume of bacterial biofilms. The Stöber method was used to synthesize monodisperse silica microparticles of approximately the same size as a bacterium (∼1 µm). Two fluorophores, oxygen‐sensitive Ru(Ph2phen3)Cl2, and the reference fluorophore Nile blue chloride were immobilized on the surface of the particles. We demonstrate application of the microparticles toward measuring the oxygen concentration profiles within a live Staphylococcus aureus biofilm. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2012; 109: 2663–2670. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Impact of effluent from Bodija abattoir on the physicochemical parameters of Oshunkaye stream in Ibadan City, Nigeria

The problem of getting quality drinking water is increasing as untreated effluents are discharged into surface water bodies. The impact of effluent from Bodija abattoir, the biggest abattoir in Ibadan, western Nigeria on the physico-chemical parameters of Oshunkaye stream was investigated. The qualities of effluent and stream water (before and after mixing with effluent) were studied using the basic water quality parameters. The ranges of the physico-chemical parameters studied were as follows: pH 6.92 –8.18, temperature 31 – 34oC, total solids 7726 – 47 630 mg/l, total suspended solids 1498 – 6803 mg/l, chemical oxygen demand 947 - 2566 mg/l, oil and grease 2500 –12590 mg/l, nitrate 62 – 159 mg/l, phosphate 142 - 180 mg/l, chloride 1052 – 1727 mg/l, lead 0.08 – 0.2 mg/l, nickel 0.18 – 0.49 mg/l, copper not detected – 0.14 mg/l, zinc 0.67 – 6.08 mg/l and cadmium (not detected). Using Prati’s et al classification of surface water quality, Oshunkaye stream fell in the class of grossly polluted water after mixing with effluent from the abattoir. While before mixing, it fell in class of slightly polluted. Hence the abattoir effluent needs to be treated before discharge into the receiving stream to reduce health hazard.
Parallel Plate Patch Antenna With Internal Rectangular Coupling Patches and TE$_{\rm N0}$ Mode Excitation

A parallel plate waveguide antenna is presented with microstrip patches as radiating elements. Rectangular patches are also placed inside the waveguide as coupling field structures from the waveguide to the radiating elements. The connections from the coupling to the radiating patches are made by means of vias. The field propagated along the parallel plate waveguide corresponds to a high order TE mode, creating virtual smaller rectangular waveguides in the parallel plate structure. An antenna prototype has been manufactured and measured. A 60% efficiency and 27 dBi antenna gain were obtained; with a 6.5% reflection bandwidth. Nevertheless, the resonant behavior becomes evident in the radiation pattern measurements.
Cell division in endochondral ossification. A study of cell proliferation in rat bones by the method of tritiated thymidine autoradiography.

1. The pattern of tritiated thymidine labelling in the cells of the epiphysial cartilage and metaphysis of the tibia in the rat is described for intervals of one hour to twenty-eight days after injection. 2. The region of dividing cells is defined and evidence given for a zone of reserve cells at the top of the cartilage columns. 3. The difficulties of quantitative grain count studies are discussed, and some approximate values are given for the generation time and mitotic cycle periods of the cartilage plate cells. 4. Some further evidence is given about the life cycles of the osteoblast and the osteoclast.
Ruhr Economic Papers

This article contributes to the debate on the systemic effects of technology policy by investigating knowledge spillovers of pre-competitive publicly funded Industrial Collective Research (ICR) in Germany. The ICR aims to compensate for obstacles faced by SME in carrying out research and development (R&D). Using data from 911 firms surveyed in 2006, the results show that non-participants use ICR results to a significant extent. However, almost all users in the group of non-participants are engaged in other publicly funded or non-publicly funded collaborative research projects with research institutes affiliated to ICR. JEL Classification: O38, H59, D21, C25
Stress Fractures of the Base of the Fourth Metatarsal

injuries. Stress fractures of the base of the fourth MT have been described in the literature by only 2 groups. These proximal fourth MT stress fractures have been described in association with metatarsus adductus and in patients with osteopenia, osteoporosis, and neuropathic foot. The proximal fourth MT stress fracture has been reported to heal slowly, with an analogy drawn to the Jones stress fracture of the proximal fifth MT. We describe 2 cases of proximal fourth MT stress fracture in young, active, healthy adolescent males without osteopenia, osteoporosis, neuropathic foot, or metatarsus adductus. Despite initial concerns about the potential for delayed union or nonunion, these fractures healed uneventfully with cast immobilization.
Mastoparan Rapidly Activates Plant MAP Kinase Signaling Independent of Heterotrimeric G Proteins1

It has long been known that mastoparan (MP), a cationic, amphiphilic tetradecapeptide isolated from wasp venom, is capable of directly stimulating the guanine nucleotide exchange reaction of the α -subunit of animal heterotrimeric G proteins via a mechanism analogous to that of G protein coupled
Aqueous Extract of Salvia miltiorrhoza Regulates Adhesion Molecule Expression of Tumor Necrosis Factor α-Induced Endothelial Cells by Blocking Activation of Nuclear Factor κB

Salvia miltiorrhoza Bunge is a traditional herb medicine often used in China for the treatment of cardiovascular disorders, such as atherosclerosis. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of aqueous extract of Salvia miltiorrhoza Bunge (ESM) on expression of adhesion molecules in tumor necrosis factor (TNF)α-induced endothelial cells. When preincubated with ESM (100, 200, 400 μg/mL) for 18 hours, the adhesion of HL-60 cells to TNFα-induced endothelial cells was significantly decreased in a concentration-dependent manner, and down-regulation of adhesion molecules, intracellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), was also observed. The inhibitory effect of ESM on TNFα-induced VCAM-1 expression was attenuated by inhibition of intracellular glutathione (GSH) synthesis. In addition, ESM also significantly inhibited TNFα-induced translocation of nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) from cytoplasm to nuclei in endothelial cells. These results demonstrated that inhibition of ESM on the expression of adhesion molecules may result from its blocking activation on NF-κB. It may imply one of the mechanisms by which ESM exerts its beneficial effect preventing the progress of atherosclerosis.
Modified Widman flap procedure: With or without periodontal dressing?

Aim: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the postoperative pain experience and gingival indexes with and without the use of periodontal dressing after Modified Widman flap procedure. Materials and Methods: Twenty patients requiring comparable bilateral flap procedures were selected. One quadrant of each jaw randomly received periodontal dressing after the surgery while the other one didn’t. Plaque Index (PI), Sulcus Bleeding Index (SBI) and Probing Depth (PD) were measured prior to the surgery, one week and 2 weeks after the surgery. Postoperative pain experience also was assessed at the conclusion of study. Results: Results showed no significant differences between dressed and undressed segments regarding changes in probing depth, plaque index or sulcus bleeding index. However patients reported significantly less pain postoperatively when the dressing was used Conclusion: Pain is reduced by periodontal dressing but No significant differences between dressed and undressed segments regarding changes in probing depth, plaque index or sulcus bleeding index.
Impact of Visual Aids in Enhancing the Learning Process Case Research: District Dera Ghazi Khan.

This research explore the teachers opinions on the use of visual aids (e.g., pictures, animation videos, projectors and films) as a motivational tool in enhancing students’ attention in reading literary texts. To accomplish the aim of the research, the closed ended questionnaire was used to collect the required data. The targeted population for this research was the staffs and students of the public and private educational institutions of District Dera Ghazi Khan. In this research the primary data was used for gathering information. The collected data is analyzed through the SPSS software and also data was represented in the percentage distribution of pie, line, and bar graphs. The analysis of the data indicated that the majority of the teachers and students had positive perceptions of the use of visual aids. Keywords: Visual aids, resources, teacher trainings, student perceptions
Human Action Description Based on Temporal Pyramid Histograms

In this paper, we present an approach to action description based on temporal pyramid histograms. Bag of features is a widely used action recognition framework based on local features, for example spatio-temporal feature points. Although it outperforms other approaches on several public datasets, sequencing information is ignored. Instead of only calculating the occurrence of code words, we also encode their temporal layout in this work. The proposed temporal pyramid histograms descriptor is a set of histogram atoms generated from the original video clip and its subsequences. To classify actions based on the temporal pyramid histograms descriptor, we design a kernel function to enhance the description ability of the descriptor. In the kernel function, weights are assigned to the histogram atoms according to the corresponding sequence lengths. We test the descriptor using nearest neighbour for classification. Experimental results show that, in comparison to the state-of-the-art, our description approach improves action recognition accuracy.
Mean Length of Utterance before words and grammar: Longitudinal trends and developmental implications of infant vocalizations*

ABSTRACT This study measured longitudinal change in six parameters of infant utterances (i.e. number of sounds, CV syllables, supraglottal consonants, and repetitions per utterance, temporal duration, and seconds per sound), investigated previously unexplored characteristics of repetition (i.e. number of vowel and CV syllable repetitions per utterance) and analyzed change in vocalizations in relation to age and developmental milestones using multilevel models. Infants (N=18) were videotaped bimonthly during naturalistic and semi-structured activities between 0 ; 3 and the onset of word use (M=11·8 months). Results showed that infant utterances changed in predictable ways both in relation to age and in relation to language milestones (i.e. reduplicated babble onset, word comprehension and word production). Looking at change in relation to the milestones of language development led to new views of babbling, the transition from babbling to first words, and processes that may underlie these transitions.