Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evidence that the Immediate-Early Gene Product ICP4 Is Necessary for the Genome of the Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 ICP4 Deletion Mutant Strain d120 To Circularize in Infected Cells

ABSTRACT Following infection, the physical state of linear herpes simplex virus (HSV) genomes may change into an “endless” or circular form. In this study, using Southern blot analysis of the HSV genome, we provide evidence that immediate-early protein ICP4 is involved in the process of converting the linear HSV-1 ICP4-deleted mutant strain d120 genome into its endless form. Under conditions where de novo viral DNA synthesis was inhibited, the genome of the ICP4 deletion mutant d120 failed to assume an endless conformation following infection of Vero cells (compared with the ability of wild-type strain KOS). This defect was reversed in the Vero-derived cell line E5, which produces the ICP4 protein, suggesting that ICP4 is necessary and sufficient to complement the d120 defect. When ICP4 protein was provided by the replication-defective DNA polymerase mutant HP66, the genomes of mutant d120 could assume an endless conformation in Vero cells. Western blot analysis using antibody specific to the ICP4 protein showed that although the d120 virions contained ICP4 protein, the majority of that ICP4 protein was in a 40-kDa truncated form, with only a small fraction present as a full-length 175-kDa protein. When expression of ICP4 protein from E5 cells was inhibited by cycloheximide, the d120 virion-associated ICP4 protein was unable to mediate endless formation after infection of E5 cells. Collectively, these data suggest that ICP4 protein has an important role in mediating the endless formation of the HSV-1 genome upon infection and that this function can be provided in trans.
Folate and one-carbon metabolism nutrients from supplements and diet in relation to breast cancer risk.

BACKGROUND Few epidemiologic studies have examined very high intakes of folate and whether consumption of nutrients involved in one-carbon metabolism is associated with breast cancer risk. OBJECTIVE We prospectively examined whether the consumption of folate and nutrients involved in one-carbon metabolism (methionine, riboflavin, and vitamins B-6 and B-12) from self-reported intakes of diet (in year before baseline) and supplements (averaged over 10 y before baseline) were associated with the incidence of breast cancer and breast cancer tumor characteristics. DESIGN Participants were 35,023 postmenopausal women aged 50-76 y in the VITamins And Lifestyle (VITAL) cohort study; breast cancer was diagnosed in 743 of these women between baseline (2000-2002) and 2006. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate multivariable-adjusted relative risks (RRs) and 95% CIs. RESULTS Women consuming > or =1272 dietary folate equivalents (DFE)/d of total folate (10-y average) had a 22% decrease in breast cancer risk compared with women consuming < or =345 DFE/d (RR: 0.78; 95% CI: 0.61, 0.99; P for trend = 0.05). A greater benefit was observed for estrogen-receptor (ER) negative than for ER+ breast cancers (RR: 0.38; 95% CI: 0.18, 0.80; P for trend = 0.02; P = 0.02 for the difference between ER- and ER+). Neither current intakes of folate nor current or long-term intakes of other one-carbon nutrients were significantly associated with breast cancer risk. Multivitamin use attenuated the increased risk of breast cancer associated with alcohol drinking (P for interaction = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS Our study of predominantly supplement users suggests that high intakes of folate averaged over 10 y do not increase breast cancer risk, but may be protective, particularly against ER- breast cancers.
Biosynthesis of the Metalloclusters of Molybdenum Nitrogenase

SUMMARY Nitrogenase catalyzes a key step in the global nitrogen cycle, the nucleotide-dependent reduction of atmospheric dinitrogen to bioavailable ammonia. There is a substantial amount of interest in elucidating the biosynthetic mechanisms of the FeMoco and the P-cluster of nitrogenase, because these clusters are not only biologically important but also chemically unprecedented. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in this research area, with an emphasis on our work that aims at providing structural and spectroscopic insights into the assembly of these complex metalloclusters.
Hoechst 33258 Selectively Inhibits Group I Intron Self‐Splicing by Affecting RNA Folding

Fungal pathogens are increasing in prevalence due to an increase in resistant strains and the number of immunocompromised humans. Candida albicans is one of these pathogens, and ∼40 % of strains contain a group I self‐splicing intron, which is a potential RNA drug target, in their large subunit rRNA precursor. Here, we report that Hoechst 33258 and derivatives thereof are selective inhibitors of C. albicans group I intron self‐splicing with an IC50 of 17 μM in 2 mM Mg2+. Chemical probing of the intron in the presence of Hoechst 33258 reveals that the folding of several nucleotides in the P4/P6 region of the intron is affected. A nucleotide near the J4/5 region is protected from chemical modification in the presence of Hoechst 33258 and several nearby are more reactive; this suggests that this region is the molecule's binding site. These results expand the available information on small‐molecule targeting of RNA and suggest that the RNAtargeting scaffold provided by Hoechst may prove valuable in designing compounds that inhibit the functions of RNA.
Need for Revision Surgery After Alveolar Cleft Repair

AbstractThe study assessed the need for revision surgery and the relating factors in alveolar cleft autogenous bone grafting in patients with complete cleft. It was a retrospective study carried out in 2009. The medical records of the 54 patients with alveolar cleft who underwent autogenous bone grafting in the maxillofacial department in Shariati Hospital from 2005 to 2008 were studied. The patients’ age, sex, cleft type, age at palatal and alveolar clefts repair, tooth missing, surgery turn, and presence of orthodontic treatment were assessed. The patients’ alveolar bone height was evaluated from their postoperative and follow-up panoramic radiographs. In general, 41% (n = 22) of patients needed revision surgery. Among all patients, 20 (37%) had secondary bone grafting and 34 (63%) had tertiary bone grafting. For 77% of the secondary unilateral clefts and 71% of bilateral ones, the remaining bone was at least three-fourths of the normal. Logistic regression model controlling for grafting time, surgery turn, orthodontic supervision, and age at palatal cleft closure showed that orthodontic treatment is associated with a lower need for revision surgery (odds ratio = 0.3; 95% confidence interval, 0.1–1.0). In conclusion, although alveolar cleft bone grafting is necessary for the reconstruction of the complete clefts, all these patients must be under the supervision of orthodontists to benefit from the surgical treatment.
2D D-bar reconstructions of human chest and tank data using an improved approximation to the scattering transform

The D-bar method for electrical impedance tomography requires the computation of an intermediate function known as the scattering transform from the measured data. An approximation to the scattering transform utilizing the standard Green's function for the Laplacian was introduced for the 2D D-bar method in Mueller and Siltanen (2003 SIAM J. Sci. Comp. 24 1232–66) and tested on simple numerically simulated conductivity distributions. In this work, the approximation is implemented for experimental data for the first time. It is tested on both tank and human chest data, and the results demonstrate decreased blurring toward the boundary in the images than in images computed with the approximation to the scattering transform.
Near-Infrared Reflectance Spectra of Mixtures of Kaolin-Group Minerals: Use in Clay Mineral Studies

Near-infrared (NIR) reflectance spectra for mixtures of ordered kaolinite and ordered dickite have been found to simulate the spectral response of disordered kaolinite. The amount of octahedral vacancy disorder in nine disordered kaolinite samples was estimated by comparing the sample spectra to the spectra of reference mixtures. The resulting estimates are consistent with previously published estimates of vacancy disorder for similar kaolin minerals that were modeled from calculated X-ray diffraction patterns. The ordered kaolinite and dickite samples used in the reference mixtures were carefully selected to avoid undesirable particle size effects that could bias the spectral results.NIR spectra were also recorded for laboratory mixtures of ordered kaolinite and halloysite to assess whether the spectra could be potentially useful for determining mineral proportions in natural physical mixtures of these two clays. Although the kaolinite-halloysite proportions could only be roughly estimated from the mixture spectra, the halloysite component was evident even when halloysite was present in only minor amounts. A similar approach using NIR spectra for laboratory mixtures may have applications in other studies of natural clay mixtures.
A Note on “Global Robust Stability Criteria for Interval Delayed Neural Networks Via an LMI Approach”

A recently reported result concerning the global exponential robust stability of delayed neural networks is revisited. It is shown by a counter example that the result is invalid because the proof is incorrect, and then a modified version is given. The paper also presents an improved sufficient condition for global exponential robust stability of the neural networks with unbounded activation functions and time-varying delays. Finally, a numerical simulation is given to show the effectiveness of the obtained result.
From the classics to the cuts

This article intends to raise a number of issues regarding teaching public administration in the higher education sector and the value it has for individuals and society. The article explores the issue of value with reference to the teaching and learning of Public Administration as a discipline in the wider societal context. The article argues that the provision of public administration is a vital contributor to societal good, in terms of public service professions and the moral values that underpin the notion of public service. To this end, the article focuses on how we can apply classical theory to the concept of value in the teaching of public administration, linked to recent discussions of the discipline and its role in both theory and practice.
The Role of Platelet‐Activating Factor in Musculocutaneous Flap Reperfusion Injury

&NA; Platelet‐activating factor is an extremely potent lipidinflammatory mediator implicated in the pathophysiologic mechanism of reperfusion injury in a variety of organs. The purpose of this study, employing a porcine latissimus dorsi flap model, was to (1) examine the expression of platelet‐activating factor and (2) evaluate the possible benefit and mechanism of action of platelet‐activating factor antagonism in musculocutaneous flap reperfusion injury. Experiment 1: In 6 pigs, bilateral flaps underwent 8 hours of arterial ischemia followed by 12 hours of reperfusion. Biopsies were collected sequentially and analyzed immunohistochemically for platelet‐activating factor expression. Different processing techniques, however, were unable to detect specific tissue expression of platelet‐activating factor. Experiment 2: In 11 pigs, bilateral flaps underwent 8 hours of arterial ischemia followed by 20 hours of reperfusion. A lipophilic plateletactivating factor receptor antagonist (L‐659,989) was administered as a single dose to treated flaps by a local intraarterial route prior to reperfusion. This treatment augmented the survival of both muscle (48.3 versus 19.7 percent) and skin (49.8 versus 42.0 percent) components of the flaps in a statistically significant fashion (p = 0.001). Experiment 3: In 3 pigs, a radiolabeled structural analogue of L‐659,989 (14C‐L‐680,573) was administered to flaps in a fashion similar to experiment 2. After 8 hours of ischemia, sequential full‐thickness flap biopsies were collected over the initial 6 hours of reperfusion. The radiolabeled platelet‐activating factor receptor antagonist was found to be highly concentrated within treated flaps, with gradual decay over the initial 6 hours of reperfusion. Experiment 4: Thirty minutes prior to completion of 8 hours of arterial ischemia, autologous neutrophils labeled with indium‐111 were reintroduced into the systemic circulation of 5 pigs. Prior to reperfusion, treated flaps received L‐659,989 as in experiment 2. Over the initial 4 hours of reperfusion, the flaps were imaged in situ by a gamma camera at 3‐minute intervals. The platelet‐activating factor receptor antagonist was found to significantly attenuate the accumulation of radioactivity within treated flaps. Conclusion: Platelet‐activating factor expression within musculocutaneous flaps subjected to ischemia and reperfusion was not directly demonstrated in this study. Still, we have shown that (1) the specific platelet‐activating factor receptor antagonist L‐659,989 is beneficial to the survival of both muscle and skin flap components, (2) a single, prereperfusion local dose of this lipophilic drug remains concentrated within the flap during the early inflammatory phase of reperfusion, and (3) during reperfusion, platelet‐activating factor antagonism is able to directly or indirectly diminish the accumulation of acute inflammatory cells in musculocutaneous flaps. (Plast. Reconstr. Surg. 99: 1989, 1997.)
Multimodal Fusion with Recurrent Neural Networks for Rumor Detection on Microblogs

Microblogs have become popular media for news propagation in recent years. Meanwhile, numerous rumors and fake news also bloom and spread wildly on the open social media platforms. Without verification, they could seriously jeopardize the credibility of microblogs. We observe that an increasing number of users are using images and videos to post news in addition to texts. Tweets or microblogs are commonly composed of text, image and social context. In this paper, we propose a novel Recurrent Neural Network with an attention mechanism (att-RNN) to fuse multimodal features for effective rumor detection. In this end-to-end network, image features are incorporated into the joint features of text and social context, which are obtained with an LSTM (Long-Short Term Memory) network, to produce a reliable fused classification. The neural attention from the outputs of the LSTM is utilized when fusing with the visual features. Extensive experiments are conducted on two multimedia rumor datasets collected from Weibo and Twitter. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed end-to-end att-RNN in detecting rumors with multimodal contents.
Release of Ca2+ is the crucial step for the potentiation of IPSCs in the cultured cerebellar Purkinje cells of the rat.

1. Spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) and evoked IPSCs were recorded by a whole‐cell patch‐recording technique from cultured Purkinje cells of the rat. The size of spontaneous IPSCs, after a train of depolarizing pulses was applied to the Purkinje cells, increased to 163 +/‐ 6% (mean +/‐ S.E.M., n = 7 cells) of the control levels measured before the stimulus train. 2. The GABAergic postsynaptic currents were recorded under voltage clamp from the synapse formed between two Purkinje cells. These IPSCs increased to 218 +/‐ 31% (n = 4) of control levels after depolarizing stimulation was applied to the postsynaptic Purkinje cells. Size‐increased IPSCs were observed as long as recording continued and the phenomena will be called potentiation in this paper. 3. Intracellular application of Ruthenium Red (20 microM) did not block the potentiation of spontaneous IPSCs induced by the depolarizing stimulus (165 +/‐ 9%, n =6), but heparin (2 mg ml‐1) partially blocked the potentiation (123 +/‐ 10%, n = 6). Heparin applied together with Ruthenium Red (20 microM) blocked potentiation completely (96 +/‐ 5%, n = 8) at concentrations higher than 1 mg ml‐1. 4. Intracellular free calcium concentrations ([Ca2+]i) was monitored as the ratio of fura‐2 fluorescences excited at 340 and 380 nm. In control cells, [Ca2+]i was increased by each depolarizing pulse. When Purkinje cells were dialysed with heparin or heparin with Ruthenium Red, the rise in [Ca2+]i was suppressed. 5. Bath application of thapsigargin (1 microM) blocked the potentiation (99 +/‐ 2%, n = 4) and suppressed the rise in [Ca2+]i. 6. When 30 mM BAPTA was applied intracellularly, a train of depolarizing pulses failed to induce potentiation of IPSCs and failed to raise [Ca2+]i. The results from points 3‐6 suggest that the increase in [Ca2+]i, most probably coupled with the release from intracellular stores especially from the inositol trisphosphate (IP3)‐sensitive stores, is crucial for the potentiation of IPSCs. 7. Bath application of a metabotropic glutamate receptor activator (t‐ACPD, 200 microM) increased both the amplitude and frequency of spontaneous IPSCs and increased the [Ca2+]i slightly in dendrites. The inward current induced by the puff‐applied GABA (2 microM) was increased, after t‐ACPD application, to 186 +/‐ 36% of the control level (n = 3). Bath application of quisqualate (2 microM) caused a rapid increase in [Ca2+]i in dendrites and in the cell body and increased both the amplitude and frequency of spontaneous IPSCs. 8. The bath application of an inhibitor of phospholipase C (PLC), U73122 (1 microM), suppressed a rise in [Ca2+]i and blocked the potentiation (106 +/‐ 3%, n = 5). The inactive form, U73343 (1 microM), did not affect the potentiation (151 +/‐ 11%, n = 7) or the rise in [Ca2+]i. These observations suggest a possible involvement of the mechanism of Ca2+ activation of PLC and the IP3‐induced Ca2+ release in the induction of IPSC potentiation in Purkinje cells.
Effect of a Smoking Ban on Respiratory Health in Nonsmoking Hospitality Workers: A Prospective Cohort Study

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the effect of a smoking ban on lung function, fractional exhaled nitric oxide, and respiratory symptoms in nonsmoking hospitality workers. Methods: Secondhand smoke exposure at the workplace, spirometry, and fractional exhaled nitric oxide were measured in 92 nonsmoking hospitality workers before as well as twice after a smoking ban. Results: At baseline, secondhand smoke-exposed hospitality workers had lung function values significantly below the population average. After the smoking ban, the covariate-adjusted odds ratio for cough was 0.59 (95% confidence interval, 0.36 to 0.93) and for chronic bronchitis 0.75 (95% confidence interval, 0.55 to 1.02) compared with the preban period. Conclusions: The below-average lung function before the smoking ban indicates chronic damages from long-term exposure. Respiratory symptoms such as cough decreased within 12 months after the ban.
Type 1 T regulatory cells

Summary: Suppression by T regulatory (Tr) cells is essential for induction of tolerance. Many types of Tr cells have been described in a number of systems, and their biology has been the subject of intensive investigation. Although many aspects of the mechanisms by which these cells exert their effects remain to be elucidated, it is well established that Tr cells suppress immune responses via cell‐to‐cell interactions and/or the production of interleukin (IL)‐10 and transforming growth factor (TGF)‐β. Type‐1 T regulatory (Tr1) cells are defined by their ability to produce high levels of IL‐10 and TGF‐β. Tr1 cells specific for a variety of antigens arise in vivo, but may also differentiate from naive CD4+ T cells in the presence of IL‐10 in vitro. Tr1 cells have a low proliferative capacity, which can be overcome by IL‐15. Tr1 cells suppress naive and memory T helper type 1 or 2 responses via production of IL‐10 and TGF‐β. Further characterisation of Tr1 cells at the molecular level will define their mechanisms of action and clarify their relationship with other subsets of Tr cells. The use of Tr1 cells to identify novel targets for the development of new therapeutic agents, and as a cellular therapy to modulate peripheral tolerance, can be foreseen.
Accuracy of Visual Estimates of Joint Angle and Angular Velocity Using Criterion Movements

A descriptive study to document undergraduate physical education majors' (22.8 ± 2.4 yr. old) estimates of sagittal plane elbow angle and angular velocity of elbow flexion visually was performed. 42 subjects rated videotape replays of 30 movements organized into three speeds of movement and two criterion elbow angles. Video images of the movements were analyzed with Peak Motus™ to measure actual values of elbow angles and peak angular velocity. Of the subjects 85.7% had speed ratings significantly correlated with true peak elbow angular velocity in all three angular velocity conditions. Few (16.7%) subjects' ratings of elbow angle correlated significantly with actual angles. Analysis of the subjects with good ratings showed the accuracy of visual ratings was significantly related to speed, with decreasing accuracy for slower speeds of movement. The use of criterion movements did not improve the small percentage of novice observers who could accurately estimate body angles during movement.
[Accuracy of endoscopic ultrasonographic impression compared with pathologic diagnosis in gastrointestinal submucosal tumors].

BACKGROUND/AIMS Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) is a valuable imaging modality for the evaluation of gastrointestinal submucosal tumor (SMT). EUS is helpful in assessing the layer of origin, tumor diameter, shape, border characteristics, and internal echo patterns of SMTs and thus makes it possible to predict histologic diagnosis with educated guess. However, some studies have found no significant differences in EUS features between benign and malignant mesenchymal tumors. By comparing EUS impressions with histologic diagnosis, we evaluated the accuracy of EUS in differential diagnosis of gastrointestinal SMTs. METHODS 58 cases of gastrointestinal SMTs with both EUS findings and pathologic reports were compared retrospectively from August 2001 to September 2003. RESULTS 34 patients had lesions in the stomach and 13, 8, 3 in the esophagus, duodenum, and colon respectively. Benign lesions were predominant (46 of 58). The EUS and pathologic diagnosis coincided in 46/58 (79.3%) of the cases. Use of EUS led to the correct diagnosis in 7/9 (77.8%) of malignant GISTs (gastrointestinal stromal tumor) and leiomyosarcomas. Two small malignant gastric GISTs were diagnosed as benign with EUS. CONCLUSIONS EUS is a useful tool in the differential diagnosis of gastrointestinal SMTs and predicting malignant lesions. However, some malignant GISTs were diagnosed as benign tumor with EUS examination.