Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Assignment of the Multifunctional NS3 Protein of Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus during RNA Replication: an In Vivo and In Vitro Study

ABSTRACT Studies on the replication of the pestivirus bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) were considerably facilitated by the recent discovery of an autonomous subgenomic BVDV RNA replicon (DI9c). DI9c comprises mainly the untranslated regions of the viral genome and the coding region of the nonstructural proteins NS3, NS4A, NS4B, NS5A, and NS5B. To assess the significance of the NS3-associated nucleoside triphosphatase/helicase activity during RNA replication and to explore other functional features of NS3, we generated a repertoire of DI9c derivatives bearing in-frame mutations in different parts of the NS3 coding unit. Most alterations resulted in deficient replicons, several of which encoded an NS3 protein with an inhibited protease function. Three lesions permitted replication, though at a lower level than that of the wild-type RNA, i.e., replacement of the third position of the DEYH helicase motif II by either T or F and an insertion of four amino acid residues in the C-terminal part of NS3. While polyprotein proteolysis was found to be almost unaffected in these latter replicons, in vitro studies with the purified mutant NS3 proteins revealed a significantly impaired helicase activity for the motif II substitutions. NS3 with a DEFH motif, moreover, showed a significantly lower ATPase activity. In contrast, the C-terminal insertion had no negative impact on the ATPase/RNA helicase activity of NS3. All three mutations affected the synthesis of both replication products—negative-strand intermediate and progeny positive-strand RNA—in a symmetric manner. Unexpectedly, various attempts to rescue or enhance the replication capability of nonfunctional or less functional DI9c NS3 derivatives, respectively, by providing intact NS3 intrans failed. Our experimental data thus demonstrate that the diverse enzymatic activities of the NS3 protein—in particular the ATPase/RNA helicase—play a pivotal role even during early steps of the viral replication pathway. They may further indicate the C-terminal part of NS3 to be an important functional determinant of the RNA replication process.
Incidental finding of two rare developmental anomalies: Fusion and dilaceration: A case report and literature review

A number of developmental anomalies of morphology are there. However, as compared to the more common oral diseases like caries or periodontal problems, they account for a relatively lower number. When present, they may pose various problems of esthetic, function, malocclusion, or possible disposition to other oral problems. Hence, though rare, their timely diagnosis is very vital in proper treatment planning to avoid unseen complications during extractions, endodontic or orthodontic treatment. The present case is of a patient reporting with two very rare developmental anomalies, that is, fusion and root dilaceration, in contralateral sides of the same patient. To the knowledge of the author, reportedly it is the first such case. The terminologies, etiology, and epidemiology of both these anomalies are also discussed.
Testing predictive control of movement in children with developmental coordination disorder using converging operations

Recent systematic reviews (Wilson et al., 2013, Dev. Med. Child Neurol., 55, 217; Adams et al., 2014, Neurosci. Biobehav. Rev., 47C, 225) suggest that a common underlying problem in developmental coordination disorder (DCD) is the internal modelling deficit. The study presented here is the first to test this hypothesis using a within-subject design, assessing motor imagery, action planning, and rapid online control (ROC) in a sample of children screened rigorously for DCD. Participants were 66 children; 33 children (26 boys and seven girls) aged 6-11 years in the DCD group and 33 controls (gender and age matched). Motor imagery was assessed with the hand rotation task (HRT), action planning with an end-state comfort effect test, and ROC with the double-step pointing task. Results showed that children with DCD were slower and less accurate than controls in the HRT. Reduced forward planning for comfortable end-state was also shown in DCD. Finally, no group differences were found on the ROC task. Collectively, children with DCD manifest deficits in the internal modelling of movements, but this varies under different task constraints, particularly those related to movement complexity.
The Effect of Obesity on Mortality And Morbidity after Isolated Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Surgery

Background: A retrospective study was conducted to determine whether obesity is a predictor of mortality, morbidity or early readmission to hospital after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). Method: We analyzed a large cohort of 1057 patients who had undergone isolated CABG. BMI (body mass index) was used as the measure of obesity. The preoperative, intera operative and postoperative risk factors as well as the complication and 30-day mortality rates were compared between the two groups (624 (65.5%) normal-weight and 328 (34.5%) obese patients). Chi square test and logistic regression were used in univariate and multivariate respectively. Results: Of the 1057 patients, 59% had a normal weight and 31% were obese. An increased BMI did not increase the risk of 30-day mortality. In addition, increased BMI was not a predictor of the major complications; arrhythmia, renal complications, neurological complications, pulmonary embolism (PE) except myocardial infarction(MI) (1.8% vs 0.3% with p-value= 0.015). Also investigation on mechanical ventilation time, Reintubation, length of stay in ICU, length of stay in hospital, and readmitting as postoperative variables revealed no significant difference on these two groups( normal-weight and obese patients) Conclusion: Obesity increased myocardial infarction after CABG, but it did not affect the other situations.
Neutron Scattering Studies on Magnetic Excitations in Complex Ordered Manganites

Der Schwerpunkt der vorliegenden Arbeit umfasst die Untersuchung des magnetischen Anregungsspektrums dreier unterschiedlicher Manganoxide mittels inelastischer Neutronenstreuung. Die Eigenschaften von LaSrMnO(4) sind bestimmt durch das fur Manganate typische komplexe Wechselspiel zwischen orbitalen und Ladungsfreiheitsgraden mit dem Gitter, und der Grundzustand von LaSrMnO(4) weist einige auserst ungewohnliche Eigenschaften auf. Die Analyse des magnetischen Anregungsspektrums legt einen inhomogenen Grundzustand nahe, in dem ferromagnetische orbitale Cluster oder Polaronen in einen antiferromagnetisch geordneten Hintergrund eingebettet sind. Das dotierte System La(0.5)Sr(1.5)MnO(4) zeichnet sich durch eine sehr stabile ladungsgeordnete Phase aus, die zur Zeit in der Literatur kontrovers diskutiert wird. Auf Grundlage der beobachteten Spinwellendispersion finden wir eine exzellente Ubereinstimmung mit einem klassischen Ansatz zur Beschreibung des geordneten Zustandes, wahrend ein alternativer Zugang eindeutig ausgeschlossen werden kann. Der starke Unterschied zwischen ferro- und antiferromagnetischen Austauschenergien fuhrt zu dem Schluss, dass der geordnete Zustand als eine schwache AFM-Kopplung stabiler FM-Ketten zu interpretieren ist. Diese Folgerung wird weiterhin belegt durch die thermische Entwicklung des geordneten Zustandes, der oberhalb des Neel-Ubergangs mit einer ferromagnetischen Phase konkurriert, und durch die Dotierungsabhangigkeit, die ein stark unterschiedliches Verhalten im Bezug auf zusatzliche Elektronen oder Locher aufweist. Im Perowskit TbMnO(3) ist das Auftreten einer spontanen elektrischen Polarisation eng an eine komplexe magnetische Struktur gekoppelt. Durch eine genaue Analyse der verschiedenen magnetischen Anregungen konnen die mit dem ferroelektrischen Ubergang korrelierten magnetischen Anregungen identifiziert werden, die auf Grund der starken magnetoelektrischen Kopplung als eine neue Art kollektiver Anregungen -- stark gemischte Magnon-Phonon-Anregungen -- zu interpretieren sind. Die detaillierte Untersuchung der Impuls-, Temperatur- und Feldabhangigkeit dieser Anregungen ist in Ubereinstimmung mit verschiedenen Vorhersagen aktueller Theorien zur Erklarung der ungewohnlich starken magnetoelektrischen Kopplung in der Familie multiferroischer Oxide.
In vitro interactions between Neoparamoeba sp. and Atlantic salmon epithelial cells.

Neoparamoeba sp. , including the putative aetiological agent of amoebic gill disease in cultured fish (N. pemaquidensis), were incubated in vitro with an Atlantic salmon gill epithelium (RGE-2) cell line. Proliferation by the amoeba population was dependent upon culture osmolarity; no growth occurred at 330 mm x kg(-1) but a sixfold increase was observed at 1000 mm x kg(-1). At 780 mm x kg(-1) there was a fourfold increase in the amoeba population but a concurrent decrease in RGE-2 cell density that was significantly greater than that caused by the high culture osmolarity alone. This apparent cytopathic effect (CPE) developed rapidly and resulted in complete cytolysis of the monolayer in 5 days. CPE occurred in multiple foci and presented as cell vacuolation, rounding and clumping, and the rapid clearance of large areas of the cell monolayer. The possibility that CPE is because of the presence of Neoparamoeba sp. derived cytolytic products is discussed in the context of the pathology of the disease in vivo and the occurrence of secreted cytopathogenic compounds in other amoeba species.
Abundant expression of the interleukin (IL)23 subunit p19, but low levels of bioactive IL23 in the rheumatoid synovium: differential expression and Toll-like receptor-(TLR) dependent regulation of the IL23 subunits, p19 and p40, in rheumatoid arthritis

Objective: Interleukin (IL)23, composed of a p19 and a p40 subunit, is suggested to play key roles in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), dependent on the promotion and proliferation of IL17-producing T helper (Th)17 cells. However, previous studies on IL23 expression in human tissues were based on the p19 subunit only. We aimed to study the expression and regulation of IL23 subunits p19 and p40 in RA compared to patients with osteoarthritis (OA). Methods: The expression of p19 and p40 in synovial tissues was analysed by in situ hybridisation and immunohistochemistry. IL23 in RA and OA synovial fluids and sera was determined by ELISA. Toll-like receptor (TLR)-dependent induction of p19, p40 and bioactive IL23 was determined in RA synovial fibroblasts (RASF), monocytes and monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MDDCs) by real-time PCR and reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR, Western blot and functional assays. Results: The p19 subunit was abundantly expressed in RA but not in OA synovial tissues. p19 was most prominently expressed by RASF in the synovial lining layer and at the site of invasion, but no heterodimeric IL23 was detected at these sites. Correspondingly, soluble IL23 was not detectable or found at very low levels in synovial fluids and sera of patients with RA. By in vitro experiments, we confirmed that TLR-activated RASF expressed p19 but not p40, in contrast to monocytes, which produced IL23 following TLR stimulation. Conclusion: The TLR-dependent induction of p19 but not p40 in RASF and the abundant expression of p19 along with the low or undetectable levels of IL23 in patients with RA provides strong evidence that p19 does not necessarily indicate the presence of IL23, as has been proposed to date.
An improved segmentation method for in vivo microCT imaging.

UNLABELLED Image segmentation methods for microCT can influence the accuracy of bone morphometry calculations. A new automated segmentation method is introduced, and its performance is compared with standard segmentation methods. The new method can improve the results of in vivo microCT, where the need to keep radiation dose low limits scan quality. INTRODUCTION An important topic for microCT analysis of bone samples is the segmentation of the original reconstructed grayscale data sets to separate bone from non-bone. Problems like noise, resolution limitations, and beam-hardening make this a nontrivial issue. Inappropriate segmentation methods will reduce the potential power of microCT and may introduce bias in the architectural measurements, in particular, when new in vivo microCT with its inherent limitations in scan quality is used. Here we introduce a new segmentation method using local thresholds and compare its performance to standard global segmentation methods. MATERIAL AND METHODS The local threshold method was validated by comparing the result of the segmentation with histology. Furthermore, the effect of choosing this new method versus standard segmentation methods using global threshold values was investigated by studying the sensitivity of these methods to signal to noise ratio and resolution. RESULTS Using the new method on high-quality scans yielded accurate results and virtually no differences between histology and the segmented data sets could be observed. When prior knowledge about the volume fraction of the bone was available the global threshold also resulted in appropriate results. Degrading the scan quality had only minor effects on the performance of the new segmentation method. Although global segmentation methods were not sensitive to noise, it was not possible to segment both lower mineralized thin trabeculae and the higher mineralized cortex correctly with the same threshold value. CONCLUSION At high resolutions, both the new local and conventional global segmentation methods gave near exact representations of the bone structure. When scanned samples are not homogenous (e.g., thick cortices and thin trabeculae) and when resolution is relatively low, the local segmentation method outperforms global methods. It maximizes the potential of in vivo microCT by giving good structural representation without the need to use longer scanning times that would increase absorption of harmful X-ray radiation by the living tissue.
Convergence Time Analysis of Particle Swarm Optimization Based on Particle Interaction

We analyze the convergence time of particle swarm optimization (PSO) on the facet of particle interaction. We firstly introduce a statistical interpretation of social-only PSO in order to capture the essence of particle interaction, which is one of the key mechanisms of PSO. We then use the statistical model to obtain theoretical results on the convergence time. Since the theoretical analysis is conducted on the social-only model of PSO, instead of on common models in practice, to verify the validity of our results, numerical experiments are executed on benchmark functions with a regular PSO program.
Menstrual hygiene among adolescent school students: An in- depth cross-sectional study in an urban community of WestBengal, India

Menstrual hygiene is an issue that is insufficiently acknowledged. Menstruation and menstrual practices are still clouded by taboos and socio-cultural restrictions resulting in adolescent girls remaining ignorant of the scientific facts and hygienic health practices, which sometimes result into adverse health outcomes. The present study was designed to assess the knowledge, beliefs, and source of information regarding menstruation among the adolescent school girls of the secondary school and also to identify the status of menstrual hygiene among them. A descriptive, cross-sectional community based study was conducted among 147 adolescent girls of a secondary school situated in the urban field practice area of dept of Community Medicine Medical College Kolkata with the help of a pre-designed and pre-tested questionnaire. Out of 147 respondents, 62(42 %) girls were aware about menstruation prior to attainment of menarche. Hand-washing was regular among 91.8% but 16.3% washed only with water. Similarly washing of private parts were regular among 76.9% but 74.1% used only water no soap, there is significant relationship between hygienic practices followed and presence of continuous supply of water and presence of exclusive toilet of their family. Except for 2(1.3%) everybody followed some taboo or unnecessary restriction. Menstrual hygiene, a very important risk factor for reproductive tract infections (RTI), is a vital aspect of health education. This problem, unfortunately, has not yet been addressed seriously in terms of its mental, social and health impact on the country.
Motor Skills in Children with ADHD: Comparative Study from the Farmacological Treatment

(Gaillard et al., 2004) affirm that the term Hyperactivity is about a type of disturbing behavior that was always stigmatized by the terms agitation, psychomotor instability and hiperkinesia. And the terms “psychomotor” and “hiperkinesia” refer to a motor behavior resulting from attention and excitation problems becoming an outer presence, on the other hand, (Vidarte et al., 2009) on the Psychomotor profile of the children clinically diagnosed with TDAH in the city of Manizales, concluded how the mobility factors of the diagnosed children presented normal rank values which were significantly worse when comparing them with the healthy children in all the ages, this chapter tries to demonstrate the results obtained in a research process, that shows the differences happened in the psychomotor profile in children diagnosed with the TDAH that receives pharmacological treatment with two variables of analysis (sex and the type of TDAH) as a basis.
Antifungal susceptibility of clinical and environmental isolates of Cryptococcus neoformans to four antifungal drugs determined by two techniques

A total of 64 Cryptococcus neoformans strains, including clinical and environmental Brazilian isolates var. neoformans and var. gattii, were tested for susceptibility to amphotericin B, 5‐flucytosine, fluconazole and itraconazole. The tests were performed according to the recommendations of National Committee of Clinical Laboratory Standards and the method of macrodilution in liquid medium of Shadomy et al. [Manual de Microbiologia Clínica, 4th edn. Buenos Aires: Editorial Medica Panamericana, 1987: 1229–38]. For most drugs there was a significant difference between the readings taken at 24 and 48 h with both methods. When the minimum inhibitory concentrations obtained by the two techniques were compared, significant differences were observed for amphotericin B and fluconazole. Overall, differences in drug susceptibility with respect to the origin of the isolates or the variety of the fungus were not observed. As an exception, the gattii variety exhibited a high resistance rate to amphotericin B when the technique of Shadomy et al. was applied, a fact possibly related to the greater difficulty for treatment of the disease caused by this fungal variety.
Online Appendix: Do Women Respond Less to Performance Pay? Building Evidence from Multiple Experiments

Our estimation of the Bayesian hierarchical models follows closely the procedures described in Gelman and Hill (2007) and Gelman et al. (2004). For clarity of exposition, we describe the univariate model here, which extends immediately to the full multivariate model. Following equation (3) in the main text, we assume that the site-specific effects, ηs, are drawn from a normal distribution with hyperparameters (η, τ):
The ostrich (Struthio camelus) blastoderm and embryo development following storage of eggs at various temperatures

1. The gross morphology of blastoderms in fresh unstored ostrich eggs and in eggs subjected to different regimen of storage and incubation was studied. Then the effects of storage duration of eggs (1, 2 and 3 weeks) and storage temperature (15, 20 and 25°C) on blastoderm and embryo development were investigated. 2. Only incubation following overnight storage at 18°C advanced blastoderm development (1·5-fold increase in diameter) to a stage comparable to hypoblast. 3. Storage of eggs at 15 or 20°C did not affect blastoderm stage and size whereas, at 25°C, the blastoderm doubled in size and appeared to have advanced to a primitive streak stage. Embryo development was reduced after 2 weeks of storage regardless of the storage temperature. 4. After oviposition and during pre-incubation storage the ostrich blastoderm develops progressively over time in a temperature-dependent manner towards the hypoblast stage and beyond but the viability of the blastoderm and embryo development is seriously compromised by 2 weeks of storage.
The Aesthetic Imperative of a Rational-Technical Machinery: A Study in Organizational Control Through the Design of Artifacts

The development of modern business and administrative organizations that are formally rational and technical in their structures and operations has given rise to the false conclusion that the aesthetic dimension does not figure at all in their making. The present paper argues that the opposite is the case, that the organization as a ‘rational-technical machinery’ gives rise to an aesthetic imperative characterized by those familiar elements of modernist design: the sharpness and simplicity of line, the suppression of color, the smoothness and hardness of tactile values, and the preference for planar forms. By such aesthetic means, modern organizations successfully cultivate, in their members, a presence through which the organization is made and re-made; this presence is characterized by the separation of head from body, of work life from private life, of rationality from sensuous values, of production from consumption, and of organizational function from personal expression.
Variant proteins of Plasmodium vivax are not clonally expressed in natural infections

Plasmodium vivax is the most widely distributed human malaria parasite and responsible for 70–80 million clinical cases each year and a large socio‐economical burden. The sequence of a chromosome end from P. vivax revealed the existence of a multigene superfamily, termed vir (P. vivax variant antigens), that can be subdivided into different subfamilies based on sequence similarity analysis and which represents close to 10–20% of the coding sequences of the parasite. Here we show that there is a vast repertoire of vir genes abundantly expressed in isolates obtained from human patients, that different vir gene subfamilies are transcribed in mature asexual blood stages by individual parasites, that VIR proteins are not clonally expressed and that there is no significant difference in the recognition of VIR‐tags by immune sera of first‐infected patients compared with sera of multiple‐infected patients. These data provide to our knowledge the first comprehensive study of vir genes and their encoding variant proteins in natural infections and thus constitute a baseline for future studies of this multigene superfamily. Moreover, whereas our data are consistent with a major role of vir genes in natural infections, they are inconsistent with a predominant role in the strict sense of antigenic variation.