Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
THE LIBRARY OF SUBROUTINES FOR CALCULATION OF MATRIX ELEMENTS OF TWO-PARTICLE OPERATORS FOR MANY-ELECTRON ATOMS

In this paper a library for spin-angular integration in -coupling for many-electron atoms is presented. The software is an implementation of a methodology based on the second quantization in coupled tensorial form, the angular momentum theory in three spaces (orbital, spin, and quasispin), and the graphical technique of angular momentum. This implementation extends applications of the relevant methodology to open -shells and leads to faster execution of angular integration codes. The possibility of using some library routines for solving various angular momentum problems in atomic physics is also discussed.
Thermohaline layering in dynamically and diffusively stable shear flows

In this study we examine two-component shear flows that are stable with respect to Kelvin–Helmholtz and to double-diffusive instabilities individually. Our focus is on diffusively stratified ocean regions, where relatively warm and salty water masses are located below cool fresh ones. It is shown that such systems may be destabilized by the interplay between shear and thermohaline effects, caused by unequal molecular diffusivities of density components. Linear stability analysis suggests that parallel two-component flows can be unstable for Richardson numbers exceeding the critical value for non-dissipative systems $(Ri=1/4)$ by up to four orders of magnitude. Direct numerical simulations indicate that these instabilities transform the initially linear density stratification into a series of well-defined horizontal layers. It is hypothesized that the combined thermohaline–shear instabilities could be ultimately responsible for the widespread occurrence of thermohaline staircases in diffusively stable regions of the World Ocean.
Analysis of diffusion involved in degradation of InGaN-based laser diodes

The gradual increase in threshold current in InGaN-based blue laser diodes (LDs) submitted to stress tests is generally attributed to diffusion-related phenomena. In fact, diffusion into active layers can increase the concentration of non-radiative recombination centers (NRCs). However, this hypothesis has not been verified yet for InGaN LDs. In this paper, we analyze the variation of the non-radiative recombination lifetime τnr in LDs submitted to stress tests: the analysis of τnr provides information on the density evolution of NRCs. Furthermore, we propose a novel model for the investigation of the degradation kinetics. This model assumes that the depth distribution of NRCs obeys to Fick's diffusion equation. The obtained results suggest that the increase in 1/τnr can be correlated to a diffusion process. For the first time, we have estimated the value of the diffusion coefficient that is related to degradation, which is equal to 1.9×10−19 cm2/sec. This value is very large if compared with the one obtained in bulk material. Therefore, we suggest that the diffusion process is driven by the presence of dislocations. The presented method for degradation analysis constitutes a powerful tool for the study of the degradation in InGaN-based LDs.
Thymus: central role in the immune system of the frog

In the leopard frog (Rana pipiens), the thymus profoundly influences immunologic development by providing virtually all the progenitor lymphocytic cells for the bone marrow and other peripheral lymphoid organs. The thymus houses a self-perpetuating population of lymphopoietic cells that originally self-differentiated in that gland.
Anandamide Uptake Is Consistent with Rate-limited Diffusion and Is Regulated by the Degree of Its Hydrolysis by Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase*

The uptake of arachidonoyl ethanolamide (anandamide, AEA) in rat basophilic leukemia cells (RBL-2H3) has been proposed to occur via a saturable transporter that is blocked by specific inhibitors. Measuring uptake at 25 s, when fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) does not appreciably affect uptake, AEA accumulated via a nonsaturable mechanism at 37 °C. Interestingly, saturation was observed when uptake was plotted using unbound AEA at 37 °C. Such apparent saturation can be explained by rate-limited delivery of AEA through an unstirred water layer surrounding the cells (1). In support of this, we observed kinetics consistent with rate-limited diffusion at 0 °C. Novel transport inhibitors have been synthesized that are either weak FAAH inhibitors or do not inhibit FAAH in vitro (e.g. UCM707, OMDM2, and AM1172). In the current study, none of these purported AEA transporter inhibitors affected uptake at 25 s. Longer incubation times illuminate downstream events that drive AEA uptake. Unlike the situation at 25 s, the efficacy of these inhibitors was unmasked at 5 min with appreciable inhibition of AEA accumulation correlating with partial inhibition of AEA hydrolysis. The uptake and hydrolysis profiles observed with UCM707, VDM11, OMDM2, and AM1172 mirrored two selective and potent FAAH inhibitors CAY10400 and URB597 (at low concentrations), indicating that weak inhibition of FAAH can have a pronounced effect upon AEA uptake. At 5 min, the putative transport inhibitors did not reduce AEA uptake in FAAH chemical knock-out cells. This strongly suggests that the target of UCM707, VDM11, OMDM2, and AM1172 is not a transporter at the plasma membrane but rather FAAH, or an uncharacterized intracellular component that delivers AEA to FAAH. This system is therefore unique among neuro/immune modulators because AEA, an uncharged hydrophobic molecule, diffuses into cells and partial inhibition of FAAH has a pronounced effect upon its uptake.
Burden on Family Caregivers Caring for Patients with Schizophrenia

Objective: The aim of this study ‎was to determine the prevalence ‎of the burden reported by family ‎caregivers of Patients with ‎schizophrenia. ‎ Methods: This cross sectional ‎study involved face-to-face ‎interviews with family caregivers ‎of patients with schizophrenia. ‎Using convenience sampling, ‎‎225 caregivers were selected ‎from Farshchian psychiatry ‎Hospital in Hamadan, Iran from ‎July to September 2012. ‎Measures included patients and ‎caregivers’ demographic ‎variables and caregivers’ burden ‎using the Zarit Burden Interview ‎‎(ZBI). Data were analyzed by ‎SPSS-18 with Pearson ‎correlation and t-test. ‎ Results: Using the ZBI, we found ‎that 7.6% of the caregivers ‎experienced “no to low” burden, ‎‎23.5% “mild to moderate”, 41.8% ‎‎“moderate to severe” and 27.1% ‎‎“severe” burden. The mean ‎average score of the responses ‎to ZBI was 51.73 (SD: ± 18.23). ‎The level of burden experienced ‎was significantly associated with ‎age, gender, and educational ‎level, relation to care recipient, ‎caregiving duration and duration ‎of schizophrenia illness. ‎ Conclusion: ‎ ‏ ‏Mental health ‎professionals need to develop ‎more innovative programs for ‎families of schizophrenic ‎patients. Furthermore, as a ‎replacement for supporting the ‎families and easing their ‎burdens, it may be more ‎effective to include them in the ‎health care team by assigning ‎specific tasks and providing the ‎required resources to them to ‎perform such tasks. ‎
Comparing outcome measures derived from four research designs incorporating the retrospective pretest.

Over the last 5 decades, the retrospective pretest has been used in behavioral science research to battle key threats to the internal validity of posttest-only control-group and pretest-posttest only designs. The purpose of this study was to compare outcome measures resulting from four research design implementations incorporating the retrospective pretest: (a) pre-post-then, (b) pre-post/then, (c) post-then, and (d) post/then. The study analyzed the interaction effect of pretest sensitization and post-intervention survey order on two subjective measures: (a) a control measure not related to the intervention and (b) an experimental measure consistent with the intervention. Validity of subjective measurement outcomes were assessed by correlating resulting to objective performance measurement outcomes. A Situational Leadership® II (SLII) training workshop served as the intervention. The Work Involvement Scale of the self version of the Survey of Management Practices Survey served as the subjective control measure. The Clarification of Goals and Objectives Scale of the self version of the Survey of Management Practices Survey served as the subjective experimental measure. The Effectiveness Scale of the self version of the Leader Behavior Analysis II® served as the objective performance measure. This study detected differences in measurement outcomes from SLII participant responses to an experimental and a control measure. In the case of the experimental measure, differences were found in the magnitude and direction of the validity coefficients. In the case of the control measure, differences were found in the magnitude of the treatment effect between groups. These differences indicate that, for this study, the pre-post-then design produced the most valid results for the experimental measure. For the control measure in this study, the pre-post/then design produced the most valid results. Across both measures, the post/then design produced the least valid results.
On the effects of Fusarium toxin-contaminated wheat and the feed intake level on the metabolism and carry over of zearalenone in dairy cows

The aim was to investigate the effect of feeding Fusarium toxin-contaminated wheat to dairy cows on the metabolism and carry over of zearalenone (ZON) and its metabolites at different feed intakes. Fourteen dairy cows equipped with rumen and duodenal fistulae were used. The experiment consisted of a control period in which the uncontaminated wheat was fed and a mycotoxin period in which the Fusarium toxin-contaminated wheat (8.21 mg deoxynivalenol (DON) and 91 µg ZON kg−1 dry matter (DM)) was replaced by the control wheat (0.25 mg DON kg−1 and 51 µg ZON kg−1 DM). The wheat portion of the concentrate fed daily amounted to 55% on a DM basis. The ration was completed with maize and grass silage (50:50), whereby the maize silage contained 62 µg ZON kg−1 DM. Feed intakes were adjusted to the current performance of the individual cows. The ZON metabolites α-zearalenol (α-ZOL) and β-zearalenol (β-ZOL) were recovered at the duodenum beside the parent toxin ZON. The recovery of ingested ZON as ZON plus α-ZOL plus β-ZOL at the duodenum ranged between 19 and 247%. The portion of ZON (ranging from 29 to 99%) of the ZON plus α-ZOL plus β-ZOL flow at the duodenum increased significantly with increasing ZON feed intake, whereas the portion of β-ZOL (up to 57%) decreased significantly. In contrast, portions of ZON in faeces (32–100%), α-ZOL (up to 39%) and β-ZOL (up to 43%) of ZON plus α-ZOL plus β-ZOL were independent of ZON intake. It seems that a lower retention time of the feed and the toxins in the rumen as an effect of the increased feed intake may limit the ruminal metabolization of ZON. The relatively steady recovery of ingested ZON as ZON, α-ZOL and β-ZOL in faeces at the different levels of ZON intake would suggest a further reduction of ZON by intestinal microorganisms. Furthermore, ZON and its metabolites in the milk were lower than the detection limits at daily ZON and DM intakes between 75 and 1125 µg and 5.6 and 20.5 kg day−1, respectively, and milk yields (fat corrected milk, FCM) between 10 and 42 kg day−1.
First recovery of Rasamsonia argillacea species complex isolated in adolescent patient with cystic fibrosis in Slovenia – case report and review of literature

We report the isolation of the emerging fungal pathogen Rasamsonia aegroticola, which belongs Rasamsonia argillacea species complex, from a respiratory sample of a patient with cystic fibrosis. This filamentous fungus, resembling members of a Penicillium and Paecilomyces spp. , was identified by morphology and confirmed by DNA sequence analysis. Susceptibility pattern showed high minimal inhibitory concentration of voriconazole and amphotericin B but low minimal inhibitory concentration of caspofungin, micafungin and itraconazole.
Cutting Edge: The Acquisition of TLR Tolerance during Malaria Infection Impacts T Cell Activation 1

An effective immune response to infection requires control of pathogen growth while minimizing inflammation-associated pathology. During malaria infection, this balance is particularly important. Murine malaria is characterized by early production of proinflammatory cytokines, which declines in the face of continuing parasitemia. The mechanism by which this occurs remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the role of dendritic cells (DCs) in regulating pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine responses. As malaria infection progresses, DCs become refractory to TLR-mediated IL-12 and TNF-α production, while increasing their ability to produce IL-10 and retaining the capacity for activation of naive T cells. IL-12-secreting DCs from early infection stimulate an IFN-γ-dominated T cell response, whereas IL-10-secreting DCs from later stages induce an IL-10-dominated T cell response. We suggest that phenotypic changes in DCs during Plasmodium yoelii infection represent a mechanism of controlling host inflammation while maintaining effective adaptive immunity.
Pathogenic Leptospira interrogans Exoproteins Are Primarily Involved in Heterotrophic Processes

ABSTRACT Leptospirosis is a life-threatening and emerging zoonotic disease with a worldwide annual occurrence of more than 1 million cases. Leptospirosis is caused by spirochetes belonging to the genus Leptospira. The mechanisms of disease manifestation in the host remain elusive, and the roles of leptospiral exoproteins in these processes have yet to be determined. Our aim in this study was to assess the composition and quantity of exoproteins of pathogenic Leptospira interrogans and to construe how these proteins contribute to disease pathogenesis. Label-free quantitative mass spectrometry of proteins obtained from Leptospira spirochetes cultured in vitro under conditions mimicking infection identified 325 exoproteins. The majority of these proteins are conserved in the nonpathogenic species Leptospira biflexa, and proteins involved in metabolism and energy-generating functions were overrepresented and displayed the highest relative abundance in culture supernatants. Conversely, proteins of unknown function, which represent the majority of pathogen-specific proteins (presumably involved in virulence mechanisms), were underrepresented. Characterization of various L. interrogans exoprotein mutants in the animal infection model revealed host mortality rates similar to those of hosts infected with wild-type L. interrogans. Collectively, these results indicate that pathogenic Leptospira exoproteins primarily function in heterotrophic processes (the processes by which organisms utilize organic substances as nutrient sources) to maintain the saprophytic lifestyle rather than the virulence of the bacteria. The underrepresentation of proteins homologous to known virulence factors, such as toxins and effectors in the exoproteome, also suggests that disease manifesting from Leptospira infection is likely caused by a combination of the primary and potentially moonlight functioning of exoproteins.
OCT for the Identi fi cation of Vulnerable Plaque in Acute Coronary Syndrome

Ma After 2 decades of development and use in interventional cardiology research, optical coherence tomography (OCT) has now become a core intravascular imaging modality in clinical practice. Its unprecedented spatial resolution allows visualization of the key components of the atherosclerotic plaque that appear to confer “vulnerability” to rupture— namely the thickness of the fibrous cap, size of the necrotic core, and the presence of macrophages. The utility of OCT in the evaluation of plaque composition can provide insights into the pathophysiology of acute coronary syndrome and the healing that occurs thereafter. A brief summary of the principles of OCT technology and a comparison with other intravascular imaging modalities is presented. The review focuses on the current evidence for the use of OCT in identifying vulnerable plaques in acute coronary syndrome and its limitations. (J Am Coll Cardiol Img 2015;8:198–209) © 2015 by the American College of Cardiology Foundation.
N‐terminal transmembrane domain of the SUR controls trafficking and gating of Kir6 channel subunits

The sulfonylurea receptor (SUR), an ATP‐binding cassette (ABC) protein, assembles with a potassium channel subunit (Kir6) to form the ATP‐sensitive potassium channel (KATP) complex. Although SUR is an important regulator of Kir6, the specific SUR domain that associates with Kir6 is still unknown. All functional ABC proteins contain two transmembrane domains but some, including SUR and MRP1 (multidrug resistance protein 1), contain an extra N‐terminal transmembrane domain called TMD0. The functions of any TMD0s are largely unclear. Using Xenopus oocytes to coexpress truncated SUR constructs with Kir6, we demonstrated by immunoprecipitation, single‐oocyte chemiluminescence and electrophysiological measurements that the TMD0 of SUR1 strongly associated with Kir6.2 and modulated its trafficking and gating. Two TMD0 mutations, A116P and V187D, previously correlated with persistent hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia of infancy, were found to disrupt the association between TMD0 and Kir6.2. These results underscore the importance of TMD0 in KATP channel function, explaining how specific mutations within this domain result in disease, and suggest how an ABC protein has evolved to regulate a potassium channel.
Fast Analysis of Photonic Crystal Structures With Mixed-Order Prism Macroelements

In this paper, a new concept of a mixed-order prism macroelement is introduced for the analysis of photonic crystal slabs and waveguiding structures. The mixed-order concept used here implies arbitrary orders of variation towards different directions and it differs essentially from the well-known mixed-order approximation that is an integral part of every Whitney element. The reduction of degrees of freedom, achieved by the employment of such elements, facilitates the solution of the resulting eigenvalue equation. Thus, an efficient 3-D finite-element analysis tool is developed to calculate the band structure of both symmetric and asymmetric photonic crystal slabs. Dispersion relation results for two different types of photonic crystal waveguides are also presented, to further verify the method.
Preliminary characterization of Pseudomonas aeruginosa peptide chemotactins for polymorphonuclear leukocytes

In a previous report, we showed that supernatants of Pseudomonas aeruginosa cultures exhibit chemotactic activity for polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNL). In this study, P. aeruginosa chemotactins were isolated, purified, and partially characterized. The organisms were cultured in Vogel-Bonner defined medium, and cultures were stopped in late log phase. Chemotactins withstood heating, remained unaltered after acid or alkali treatment in a pH range from 4 to 10, and resisted digestion by trypsin or carboxypeptidase, but chemotactic activity was decreased by 73% after incubation with pronase. Only 2% of the total chemotactic activity of culture supernatants could be extracted with chloroform. Chemotactins with molecular sizes less than 3 kDa constituted the largest contribution to the chemotactic activity of culture supernatants. Pretreatment of PMNL with 10(-5) M formylmethionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP) inhibited chemotaxis towards FMLP and P. aeruginosa culture supernatants but not towards complement component C5a. In conclusion, the total chemotactic activity for PMNL of P. aeruginosa culture supernatants was due, almost exclusively, to chemotactins that have properties similar, if not identical, to those exhibited by formylmethionyl peptides.
Flying Eyes and Hidden Controllers: A Qualitative Study of People’s Privacy Perceptions of Civilian Drones in The US

Abstract Drones are unmanned aircraft controlled remotely or operated autonomously. While the extant literature suggests that drones can in principle invade people’s privacy, little is known about how people actually think about drones. Drawing from a series of in-depth interviews conducted in the United States, we provide a novel and rich account of people’s privacy perceptions of drones for civilian uses both in general and under specific usage scenarios. Our informants raised both physical and information privacy issues against government, organization and individual use of drones. Informants’ reasoning about the acceptance of drone use was in part based on whether the drone is operating in a public or private space. However, our informants differed significantly in their definitions of public and private spaces. While our informants’ privacy concerns such as surveillance, data collection and sharing have been raised for other tracking technologies such as camera phones and closed-circuit television (CCTV), our interviews highlight two heightened issues of drones: (1) powerful yet inconspicuous data collection, (2) hidden and inaccessible drone controllers. These two aspects of drones render some of people’s existing privacy practices futile (e.g., notice recording and ask controllers to stop or delete the recording). Some informants demanded notifications of drones near them and expected drone controllers asking for their explicit permissions before recording. We discuss implications for future privacy-enhancing drone designs.
Body mass predicts orbitofrontal activity during visual presentations of high-calorie foods

Little is known about the relationship between weight status and reward-related brain activity in normal weight humans. We correlated orbitofrontal and anterior cingulate cortex activity as measured by functional magnetic resonance imaging with body mass index in 13 healthy, normal-weight adult women as they viewed images of high-calorie and low-calorie foods, and dining-related utensils. Body mass index correlated negatively with both cingulate and orbitofrontal activity during high-calorie viewing, negatively with orbitofrontal activity during low-calorie viewing, and positively with orbitofrontal activity during presentations of nonedible utensils. With greater body mass, activity was reduced in brain regions important for evaluating and modifying learned stimulus–reward associations, suggesting a relationship between weight status and responsiveness of the orbitofrontal cortex to rewarding food images.
Inhibition of Anopheles gambiae Odorant Receptor Function by Mosquito Repellents*

Background: The mode of action of insect repellents on odorant receptor (OR) function remains unclear. Results: Anopheles gambiae OR function in vitro is inhibited by specific repellents. Conclusion: The identified inhibitory effects are due to functional blocking of Orco, the common subunit of OR heteromers. Significance: The specific mechanism of action is distinct from the proposed modes of DEET function. The identification of molecular targets of insect repellents has been a challenging task, with their effects on odorant receptors (ORs) remaining a debatable issue. Here, we describe a study on the effects of selected mosquito repellents, including the widely used repellent N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET), on the function of specific ORs of the African malaria vector Anopheles gambiae. This study, which has been based on quantitative measurements of a Ca2+-activated photoprotein biosensor of recombinant OR function in an insect cell-based expression platform and a sequential compound addition protocol, revealed that heteromeric OR (ORx/Orco) function was susceptible to strong inhibition by all tested mosquito repellents except DEET. Moreover, our results demonstrated that the observed inhibition was due to efficient blocking of Orco (olfactory receptor coreceptor) function. This mechanism of repellent action, which is reported for the first time, is distinct from the mode of action of other characterized insect repellents including DEET.