Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Chipscale GHz ultrasonic channels for fingerprint scanning

In this paper we present 1-3 GHz frequency ultrasonic interrogation of surface ultrasonic impedances. The chipscale and CMOS integration of GHz transducers can enable surface identification imaging for many applications. We use aluminum nitride piezoelectric thin films driven at maximum amplitudes of 4-Vpp to launch and measure pulse packets. In this paper we first use the contrast in ultrasonic impedance between air and skin to create an image of a fingerprint. As a second application we directly measure the reflection coefficient for different liquids to demonstrate the ability to measure the ultrasonic impedance and distinguish between three different liquids. Using a rubber phantom the image of a portion of a fingerprint is captured by measuring changes in signal levels at the resonance frequency of the piezoelectric transducers 2.7 GHz. Reflected amplitude waves from air and skin differ by factors of 1.8-2. The measurements for three different liquids; water, isopropyl alcohol, and acetone show that the three liquids have sufficiently different acoustic impedances to be able to identify them.
Chaos of Rearrangements in the Mating-Type Chromosomes of the Anther-Smut Fungus Microbotryum lychnidis-dioicae

Sex chromosomes in plants and animals and fungal mating-type chromosomes often show exceptional genome features, with extensive suppression of homologous recombination and cytological differentiation between members of the diploid chromosome pair. Despite strong interest in the genetics of these chromosomes, their large regions of suppressed recombination often are enriched in transposable elements and therefore can be challenging to assemble. Here we show that the latest improvements of the PacBio sequencing yield assembly of the whole genome of the anther-smut fungus, Microbotryum lychnidis-dioicae (the pathogenic fungus causing anther-smut disease of Silene latifolia), into finished chromosomes or chromosome arms, even for the repeat-rich mating-type chromosomes and centromeres. Suppressed recombination of the mating-type chromosomes is revealed to span nearly 90% of their lengths, with extreme levels of rearrangements, transposable element accumulation, and differentiation between the two mating types. We observed no correlation between allelic divergence and physical position in the nonrecombining regions of the mating-type chromosomes. This may result from gene conversion or from rearrangements of ancient evolutionary strata, i.e., successive steps of suppressed recombination. Centromeres were found to be composed mainly of copia-like transposable elements and to possess specific minisatellite repeats identical between the different chromosomes. We also identified subtelomeric motifs. In addition, extensive signs of degeneration were detected in the nonrecombining regions in the form of transposable element accumulation and of hundreds of gene losses on each mating-type chromosome. Furthermore, our study highlights the potential of the latest breakthrough PacBio chemistry to resolve complex genome architectures.
Effect of interrupted lens wear on compensation for a minus lens in tree shrews.

BACKGROUND When a young animal wears a monocular minus (concave) lens that shifts the focal plane away from the cornea, the vitreous chamber elongates over a period of days, shifting the retinal location to compensate for the altered focal plane. We examined the effect of removing the lens for a portion of each day on the amount of compensation in tree shrews. METHODS Starting 24 days after natural eye opening, juvenile tree shrews wore a goggle frame that held a -5 D lens in front of one eye, with an open frame around the fellow control eye. The goggle was removed for 0, 0.5, 1, 2, or 7 h each day (N = 5, 5, 5, 5, and 3 animals per group, respectively), starting 0.5 h after the start of each 14 h light-on period. After 21 days of treatment, measures were made of the cycloplegic refractive state (streak retinoscopy) and the ocular component dimensions (A-scan ultrasound). Normal animals that experienced 14 h each day with no lens (N = 3) were also examined. RESULTS The treated eyes of the 0 h group developed full refractive compensation for the lens (treated eye - control eye, mean +/- SEM = -5.8+/-1.1 D) and had increased vitreous chamber depth (0.13+/-0.02 mm) and axial length (0.12+/-0.02 mm) relative to the untreated control eye. The groups in which the lens was removed for 0.5 and 1 h each day showed partial compensation for the -5 D lens, both in refractive state (-4.2+/-0.4 D; -2.9+/-1.6 D) and in vitreous chamber depth (0.12+/-0.02 mm; 0.09+/-0.02 mm). The 2, 7, and 14 h (normal) groups showed no significant refractive or axial compensation. In the 0.5 and 1 h groups, A-scan ultrasound showed a thinning of the region between the front of the retina and back of the sclera. CONCLUSIONS The eyes of tree shrews can tolerate altered monocular visual stimulation produced by a minus lens worn for 12 h of a 14-h light cycle without developing an induced myopia. However, when the lens is worn more than 12 of 14 h each day, compensation appears to increase linearly with decreased lens-off time. If the eyes of human children respond similarly to defocus from near work or other sources, it would seem that the defocus must be present almost all the time to induce myopia. If defocus contributes to human myopia through a compensation mechanism, then an increase in the amount of time that focused images are present should reduce myopic progression.
Detection of Shiga toxin variants among Shiga toxin–forming Escherichia coli isolates from animal stool, meat and human stool samples in India

To study the prevalence and distribution of various variants in the stx gene of Shiga toxin–producing Escherichia coli (STEC) isolated from diverse environmental sources (animal stool, meat) and human illness, from a large geographic area in India, and to understand the association between variants, serotype distribution and human disease.
The role of statins for primary prevention in non-elderly colorectal cancer patients.

BACKGROUND There is conflicting evidence for the role of statins in the primary prevention of colorectal cancer (CRC). We conducted a case control study (N=357,702) in the non-elderly adult US population (age=18-64 years) with the primary objective to examine the association between CRC and statin use. PATIENTS AND METHODS MarketScan® databases were used to identify patients with CRC. A case was defined as having an incident diagnosis of CRC. Up to ten individually matched controls (age, sex, region and date of diagnosis) were selected per case. Statin exposure was assessed by prescription tracking in the 12 months prior to the index date. Conditional logistic regression was used to adjust for multiple potential confounders and calculate adjusted odds ratios (AOR). RESULTS The mean age of participants was 54 years; 52% males and 48% females. In a multivariable model, any statin use was associated with 26% reduced odds of CRC (AOR, 0.74, 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.72-0.77, p<0.001). Age-stratified analyses showed a stronger effect of statins on CRC in participants aged 55 years or younger (AOR, 0.67, 95% CI, 0.63-0.71, p<0.001) than in participants aged above 55 years (AOR, 0.79, 95% CI, 0.76-0.82, p<0.001); the age-by-statin interaction was statistically significant (p<0.001). The dose-response analyses performed with simvastatin only showed a trend towards significance between the duration of simvastatin exposure and odds of developing CRC (p=0.06). CONCLUSIONS Statins appears to reduce the risk of CRC in non-elderly US population. Chemoprevention with statin might be more effective in non-elderly US population.
Responses of inferior colliculus neurons to time-varying interaural phase disparity: effects of shifting the locus of virtual motion.

1. Motion of sound sources results in temporal variation of the binaural cues for sound localization. We evaluated the influence of virtual motion on neural tuning to one of these cues, interaural phase disparity (IPD). Responses to dichotic stimuli were recorded from single units in the inferior colliculus of the anesthetized cat and gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus). Static IPDs were generated by presenting dichotic tone pairs with a constant phase offset maintained for the duration of the stimulus. Time-varying IPDs were generated by simultaneously presenting a pure tone to one ear and a phase-modulated tone to the other ear. Sets of time-varying stimuli consisted of modulations through partially overlapping ranges of IPD, corresponding to movement of a sound source through partially overlapping arcs in the horizontal plane. 2. In agreement with previous results, neuronal discharge was typically a peaked function of static IPD resulting from both binaural facilitation at favorable IPDs and binaural suppression at unfavorable IPDs. Responses to time-varying IPD stimuli appeared to be shaped by the same facilitative and inhibitory mechanisms that underlie static IPD tuning. Modulation toward the peak of binaural facilitation increased the probability of discharge, and modulation toward the peak of binaural suppression decreased the probability of discharge. However, it was also clear that IPD tuning could be significantly altered by the temporal context of the stimulus. For the vast majority of units in response to modulation through partially overlapping ranges of IPD the discharge rate profiles were generally nonoverlapping. This shift in IPD tuning induced by the virtual motion reflects the fact that the binaural interaction associated with a given IPD depends on the recent history of stimulation. In addition, modulation in opposite directions through the same range of IPDs often elicited asymmetric responses. These nonlinearities imply that most inferior colliculus neurons do not unambiguously encode a specific IPD, but instead may encode small changes of IPD occurring virtually anywhere within their receptive fields. In a few cases modulation through overlapping ranges of IPD elicited contiguous response profiles, indicating that for these units responses were determined entirely by instantaneous IPD. 3. The nonlinearity of responses to time-varying IPD stimuli could not be attributed to monaural entrainment to the phase-modulated signals, did not depend on the phase modulation waveform, and occurred irrespective of which ear received the phase-modulated signal. Responses were similar in cats and gerbils, suggesting that the underlying mechanisms are common to binaural processing in diverse mammalian species. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
In vitro and ex vivo inhibitory effects of L- and D-enantiomers of NG-nitro-arginine on endothelium-dependent relaxation of rat aorta.

The in vitro and ex vivo inhibitory effects of NG-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA) and NG-nitro-D-arginine (D-NNA) on endothelium-dependent relaxations were studied in rat aortic rings. L-NNA (3 x 10(-7) to 3 x 10(-5) M) but not D-NNA (3 x 10(-6) to 3 x 10(-4) M) induced contraction of resting aortic rings and potentiated phenylephrine-induced contraction in a concentration-dependent manner. In phenylephrine-preconstricted aortic rings, L-NNA (3 x 10(-7) to 3 x 10(-5) M) and D-NNA (3 x 10(-6) to 3 x 10(-4) M) concentration-dependently inhibited the relaxation response to acetylcholine (ACh) with similar efficacies and IC50 values of 10(-6) and 3.9 x 10(-5) M, respectively. In addition, both L-NNA (3 x 10(-5) M) and D-NNA (3 x 10(-4) M) almost totally inhibited the relaxation of preconstricted rings by the calcium ionophore A 23187. The inhibitory effects of L- and D-NNA remained for at least 4 hr after the preparations were washed out. Neither the inhibitory effects of L- and D-NNA on ACh-induced relaxation nor the ACh-induced relaxation itself were affected by pretreatment with indomethacin. However, pretreatment (10 min) or post-treatment (1 hr later) with L-Arg (10(-3) M) completely prevented or markedly reversed the inhibitory effects of L- and D-NNA. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Employee perceptions of well-being and organizational wellness offerings: A study of line-level employees in select-service hotels

ABSTRACT This research assessed line-level employee perceptions of their own well-being and their awareness of wellness benefits offered by their organizations. Completed questionnaires were collected from 187 employees of select-service hotels in the Midwest. Employees had above average levels of well-being with full-time employees having significantly higher levels of well-being than part-time employees. Employees who are aware of available wellness programs had higher levels of well-being than those who are not aware of these programs. The findings suggest the need for organizations and managers to implement and communicate wellness program offerings to all employees.
Results of Distal Tibial Bone Grafting in Hindfoot Arthrodeses

Distal tibial bone grafting is a safe and effective means of obtaining cancellous bone for hindfoot arthrodesis procedures, providing a sufficient quantity and quality of cancellous bone graft. Fusion rates using this bone graft are no less than those reported in the literature using autologous bone obtained from other sites. The 1% significant complication rate (fracture) of the donor site is low. Relative contraindications to the procedure include concomitant clinically significant peripheral neuropathy and severe osteopenia. Since cortical bone is not available from the distal tibia, procedures requiring corticocancellous strut or block grafts cannot rely solely on distal tibial grafting, although this procedure can be used to supplement iliac crest grafting when necessary.
Cryptic diversity in a cosmopolitan diatom known as Asterionellopsis glacialis (Fragilariaceae): Implications for ecology, biogeography, and taxonomy.

PREMISE OF THE STUDY Diatoms have long been known as the most species-rich of algal groups, with a wide range of estimates for species number (20-200 k) due to differing species concepts. The fine valve structure in Asterionellopsis glacialis, a diatom believed cosmopolitan and eurytopic, has never been systematically examined using modern microscopy and is an excellent candidate to genetically test morphology-based conspecificity among its geographically distant culture isolates. METHODS Isolates from the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans that were morphologically delineated as A. glacialis were genetically characterized using three nuclear DNA regions (two 18S rDNA fragments and ITS region) and one plastidal (rbcL) and one mitochondrial gene (cox1) and related to SEM-based morphometrics. KEY RESULTS Five genetically distinct groupings were found, four of which are new to science. ITS2 RNA transcript secondary structure was species specific as were plastidal and mitochondrial genes, while the 18S gene fragments did not diverge sufficiently to segregate new species efficiently. We genetically circumscribed the A. glacialis epitype. CONCLUSIONS The morphological diversification of the species examined in this study lags behind their genetic divergence. The currently accepted 2% cutoff level of operational taxonomic unit (OTU) clustering in 18S rDNA environmental sequencing is too high to recognize genetic diversity in Asterionellopsis and very likely in many other species. Our results support the notion that a considerable number of species and diversity remain to be discovered among diatoms and that species number may be more in line with higher estimates. Molecular signatures of the species discovered here will aid in their globally consistent identification and ultimate understanding of their ecology.
Protocol for volumetric segmentation of medial temporal structures using high‐resolution 3‐D magnetic resonance imaging

Quantitative analysis of brain structures in normal subjects and in different neurological conditions can be carried out in vivo through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) volumetric studies. The use of high‐resolution MRI combined with image post‐processing that allows simultaneous multiplanar view may facilitate volumetric segmentation of temporal lobe structures. We define a protocol for volumetric studies of medial temporal lobe structures using high‐resolution MR images and we studied 30 healthy subjects (19 women; mean age, 33 years; age range, 21–55 years). Images underwent field non‐homogeneity correction and linear stereotaxic transformation into a standard space. Structures of interest comprised temporopolar, entorhinal, perirhinal, parahippocampal cortices, hippocampus, and the amygdala. Segmentation was carried out with multiplanar assessment. There was no statistically significant left/right‐sided asymmetry concerning any structure analyzed. Neither gender nor age influenced the volumes obtained. The coefficient of repeatability showed no significant difference of intra‐ and interobserver measurements. Imaging post‐processing and simultaneous multiplanar view of high‐resolution MRI facilitates volumetric assessment of the medial portion of the temporal lobe with strict adherence to anatomic landmarks. This protocol shows no significant inter‐ and intraobserver variations and thus is reliable for longitudinal studies. Hum. Brain Mapp. 22:145–154, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Morphokinetic Reaction of Streptococcus faecalis (ATCC 9790) Cells to the Specific Inhibition of Macromolecular Synthesis: Nucleoid Condensation on the Inhibition of Protein Synthesis

In glutaraldehyde-prefixed exponential-phase cells of Streptococcus faecalis the nucleoid is “frozen” in a dispersed configuration. Exposure of exponential-phase cells to threonine starvation or to antibiotics inhibiting protein synthesis resulted in progressive condensation of nucleoid fibrils producing an expanding central nucleoid zone or pool. The condensation of the nucleoid was observed to occur at a rate directly proportional to the rate of inhibition of protein synthesis. However, the extent of nucleoid condensation depended on continuing deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis. Significantly less nucleoid condensation occurred when cells were inhibited in deoxyribonucleic acid and protein synthesis than when cells were inhibited in protein synthesis alone. These results suggest a model in which, during nucleoid replication, the chromosome fibrils are normally maintained in a dispersed state by the active agents of transcription-translation, such as ribonucleic acid polymerase molecules and ribosomes.
Allergenic cross-reactivity of foods and characterization of food allergens and extracts.

OBJECTIVE The intent of this review article is to familiarize the reader with the clinical implications of cross-allergenicity among foods, the allergens involved in the oral allergy syndrome, and the progress to date in the identification of major food allergens. DATA SOURCES English language papers identified through a Medline search and bibliographies of the identified papers. STUDY SELECTION Reference were selected that provided historical background or contributed significantly to our current understanding of the objectives. RESULTS (1) Cross-allergenicity in food families is commonly demonstrated in vitro or by skin testing, but oral challenge results indicate that clinically relevant food allergy is usually specific, and dietary restrictions of entire food families are rarely needed. (2) Patients with pollinosis and the oral allergy syndrome have IgE binding that cross-reacts secondarily to binding of highly homologous proteins found in various unrelated plants (pollens) and foods. (3) Identification and characterization of several major food allergens from codfish, milk, egg, peanut, soybean, and shrimp have been accomplished. (4) Commercial food allergy extracts are currently non-standardized and not well characterized. CONCLUSIONS Accurate diagnosis of food allergy is essential because of the potential for serious adverse reactions, but this fact should not lead to the unnecessary prescription of overly restricted diets based solely on results of in vitro or skin testing. The further identification of major allergenic components of food and the identification of specific IgE antibodies to these allergens should make the clinical approach to the treatment, understanding, and diagnosis of food hypersensitivity easier.
Somatostatin and Other Peptide Receptors as Tools for Tumor Diagnosis and Treatment

Somatostatin receptors are expressed in selected human cancers. They are particularly frequently expressed in gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP NET), including both primaries and metastases. The density is often high, the distribution is usually homogeneous. While various somatostatin receptor subtypes can be expressed in these tumors, sst2 is clearly predominant. These receptors represent the molecular basis for a number of clinical applications, including symptomatic therapy with cold octreotide in hormone-secreting GEP NET, in vivo diagnostic with Octreoscan to evaluate the extend of the disease, and 90Y-DOTATOC radiotherapy. GEP NET can, however, express peptide receptors other than somatostatin receptors: insulinomas have more glucagon-like peptide 1 receptors than somatostatin receptors, gut NET (carcinoids) may also express cholecystokinin 2, bombesin or vasoactive intestinal peptide receptors. Often, several of these peptide receptors are expressed simultaneously in GEP NET, providing a molecular basis for in vivo multireceptor targeting of those tumors.
Biophysical Analysis of Lipopolysaccharide Formulations for an Understanding of the Low Endotoxin Recovery (LER) Phenomenon

Lipopolysaccharides (LPS, endotoxin) are complex and indispensable components of the outer membrane of most Gram-negative bacteria. They represent stimuli for many biological effects with pathophysiological character. Recombinant therapeutic proteins that are manufactured using biotechnological processes are prone to LPS contaminations due to their ubiquitous occurrence. The maximum endotoxin load of recombinant therapeutic proteins must be below the pyrogenic threshold. Certain matrices that are commonly used for recombinant therapeutic proteins show a phenomenon called “Low Endotoxin Recovery (LER)”. LER is defined as the loss of detectable endotoxin activity over time using compendial Limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL) assays when undiluted products are spiked with known amount of endotoxin standards. Because LER poses potential risks that endotoxin contaminations in products may be underestimated or undetected by the LAL assay, the United States (U.S.) Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) has recently started requesting that companies conduct endotoxin spike/hold recovery studies to determine whether a given biological product causes LER. Here, we have performed an analysis of different LPS preparations with relevant detergents studying their acyl chain phase transition, their aggregate structures, their size distributions, and binding affinity with a particular anti-endotoxin peptide, and correlating it with the respective data in the macrophage activation test. In this way, we have worked out biophysical parameters that are important for an understanding of LER.
Identification of intermediate cell types by keratin expression in the developing human prostate

The secretory acini of the adult human prostate contain basal, luminal, and intermediate types of exocrine cells. Intermediate cells are thought to play an important role in normal growth and neoplastic transformation. In this study we investigated whether this cell type is present in early stages of prostate development, using keratin antibodies specific for them.