Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Rosmarinic acid is a homoserine lactone mimic produced by plants that activates a bacterial quorum-sensing regulator

Plants release rosmarinic acid, which mimics bacterial quorum-sensing signals, to interfere with bacterial communication. Plants send out a bacterial mimic Plants and microbes have evolved mechanisms to communicate. Corral-Lugo et al. determined that a plant compound, rosmarinic acid, bound to a protein in the bacterial quorum-sensing pathway, which bacteria use to regulate “community” interactions, such as the formation of biofilms. In vitro analysis showed that rosmarinic acid bound to RhlR, a transcriptional regulator in the quorum-sensing pathway of the plant and human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Both reporter gene analysis and in vivo analysis of quorum-sensing responses showed that rosmarinic acid stimulated RhlR activity, thereby functioning as a mimic of the bacterial ligands. Identification of this molecular mimic has both agricultural and biomedical implications by enabling strategic disruption of bacterial communication. Quorum sensing is a bacterial communication mechanism that controls genes, enabling bacteria to live as communities, such as biofilms. Homoserine lactone (HSL) molecules function as quorum-sensing signals for Gram-negative bacteria. Plants also produce previously unidentified compounds that affect quorum sensing. We identified rosmarinic acid as a plant-derived compound that functioned as an HSL mimic. In vitro assays showed that rosmarinic acid bound to the quorum-sensing regulator RhlR of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 and competed with the bacterial ligand N-butanoyl-homoserine lactone (C4-HSL). Furthermore, rosmarinic acid stimulated a greater increase in RhlR-mediated transcription in vitro than that of C4-HSL. In P. aeruginosa, rosmarinic acid induced quorum sensing–dependent gene expression and increased biofilm formation and the production of the virulence factors pyocyanin and elastase. Because P. aeruginosa PAO1 infection induces rosmarinic acid secretion from plant roots, our results indicate that rosmarinic acid secretion is a plant defense mechanism to stimulate a premature quorum-sensing response. P. aeruginosa is a ubiquitous pathogen that infects plants and animals; therefore, identification of rosmarinic acid as an inducer of premature quorum-sensing responses may be useful in agriculture and inform human therapeutic strategies.
Effect of Seed Distribution and Population on Maize (Zea mays L.) Grain Yield

Maize planting is normally accomplished by hand in the developing world where two or more seeds are placed per hill with a heterogeneous plant spacing and density. To understand the interaction between seed distribution and distance between hills, experiments were established in 2012 and 2013 at Lake Carl Blackwell (LCB) and Efaw Agronomy Research Stations, near Stillwater, OK. A randomized complete block design was used with three replications and 9 treatments and a factorial treatment structure of 1, 2, and 3 seeds per hill using interrow spacing of 0.16, 0.32, and 0.48 m. Data for normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), intercepted photosynthetically active radiation (IPAR), grain yield, and grain N uptake were collected. Results showed that, on average, NDVI and IPAR increased with number of seeds per hill and decreased with increasing plant spacing. In three of four site-years, planting 1 or 2 seeds per hill, 0.16 m apart, increased grain yield and N uptake. Over sites, planting 1 seed, every 0.16 m, increased yields by an average of 1.15 Mg ha−1 (range: 0.33 to 2.46 Mg ha−1) when compared to the farmer practice of placing 2 to 3 seeds per hill, every 0.48 m.
[The influence of inflammatory process on the ventilatory impairment in patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].

INTRODUCTION At present, COPD is known to be a systemic disease resulting from generalized inflammation which affects the function of many organs. Generalized inflammation is recognized from increased serum concentration of inflammatory cytokines. The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of inflammatory process on the respiratory impairment in patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. MATERIAL AND METHODS A group of 60 stable COPD patients (GOLD stages I-IV) participated in the study. Inclusion criteria were: confirmed diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, clinical stable state, established treatment which had not been changed for at least 3 months prior to the study or in the course of the study. Exclusion criteria included coexistence of other diseases and/or medication causing an increase of markers of inflammation. In all patients inflammatory markers (serum concentration of fibrinogen, hs-CRP, IL-6, TNF-alpha) were determined. In order to assess the stage of COPD, bodyplethysmography with bronchodilating test was conducted and lung hyperinflation parameters were assessed. RESULTS Analysis of relationship between markers of systemic inflammation and spirometry variables revealed a significant negative correlation between the level of hs-CRP and signs of hyperinflation; IC% of predicted value (r(s) = -0.29; p = 0.023) and IC/TLC (r(s) = -0.32; p = 0.014). The IC/TLC index also tended to be related to the concentration of fibrinogen. Higher fibrinogen concentrations were associated with lower IC/TLC values, albeit without statistical significance (r(s) = -0.23; p = 0.074). There was a positive relationship between serum concentration of TNF-alpha and arterial blood carbon dioxide pressure PaCO(2) (r = 0.281; p = 0.03) as well as right ventricle systolic pressure RVSP in echocardiography (r = 0.332; p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS Severity of hyperinflation progression may be associated with the increase of inflammatory process in patients with stable COPD. Inflammatory process may have an adverse affect on the respiratory system increasing significantly static lung hyperinflation.
How common are ventricular arrhythmias in patients admitted to CCU with chest pain and a non-ischaemic ECG? A pilot study

Objective The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of serious ventricular arrhythmias in a cohort of patients admitted to coronary care units for investigation and treatment of possible acute coronary syndrome. Design Secondary analysis of prospective cohort study. Setting Community teaching hospital. Patients Adults (>18 years) admitted to coronary care unit with chest pain and non-ischaemic ECG. Interventions None. Main outcome measures Rate of serious ventricular arrhythmia during hospital stay. Results 397 patients were studied; median age 64 years, 65% male; median Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction score 3; troponin elevation 43%, final diagnosis myocardial infarction 32%. No patient in the study suffered a serious ventricular arrhythmia (0%, 95% CI 0 to 1.0%). Conclusion Patients admitted to coronary care units for investigation and treatment of possible acute coronary syndrome with a non-ischaemic ECG have a very low rate of serious ventricular arrhythmia.
Dosage-dependent regulation of VAV2 expression by steroidogenic factor-1 drives adrenocortical carcinoma cell invasion

Inhibiting the guanine nucleotide exchange factor VAV2 may prevent metastatic progression of adrenocortical carcinoma. Target VAV2 for adrenocortical carcinoma Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is an aggressive cancer of the steroid hormone–producing tissue of the adrenal gland. Patients with ACC have few clinical options and poor prognosis, given that invasion and distant metastasis are often already present at the time of diagnosis. The molecular cause is unknown, but various genes exhibit increased expression in ACC tumors, including the gene encoding the transcription factor SF-1. Ruggiero et al. found that the expression of an SF-1 target gene encoding guanine exchange factor VAV2 was a critical mediator of changes in ACC cell morphology that enabled invasion in both culture and in vivo models. VAV2 is associated with progression in other tumor types, and pharmacological inhibitors against VAV2 are under development. The findings suggest that targeting VAV2 may be a future clinical option for ACC patients. Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare endocrine malignancy with a dismal prognosis. Genomic studies have enabled progress in our understanding of the molecular bases of ACC, but factors that influence its prognosis are lacking. Amplification of the gene encoding the transcription factor steroidogenic factor-1 (SF-1; also known as NR5A1) is one of the genetic alterations common in ACC. We identified a transcriptional regulatory mechanism involving increased abundance of VAV2, a guanine nucleotide exchange factor for small GTPases that control the cytoskeleton, driven by increased expression of the gene encoding SF-1 in ACC. Manipulating SF-1 and VAV2 abundance in cultured ACC cells revealed that VAV2 was a critical factor for SF-1–induced cytoskeletal remodeling and invasion in culture (Matrigel) and in vivo (chicken chorioallantoic membrane) models. Analysis of ACC patient cohorts indicated that greater VAV2 abundance robustly correlated with poor prognosis in ACC patients. Because VAV2 is a druggable target, our findings suggest that blocking VAV2 may be a new therapeutic approach to inhibit metastatic progression in ACC patients.
Definition and classification of cerebral palsy: a historical perspective

The definition of a diagnosis identifies explicitly which cases are to be recorded under that term and, by implication, which are to be specifically excluded. The definition is the basis for planning treatment and for counting cases in a population. Classification within a diagnosis categorizes those cases with similar characteristics together and distinguishes those cases with diverse features apart. The design of a classification system, for instance whether it is organized into nominal or ordinal categories, will vary depending on the concept being classified and intended purpose for which classification is being made. The most frequently cited definition of cerebral palsy was published by Bax (1964) as ‘a disorder of posture and movement due to a defect or lesion in the immature brain’. The label does however encompass a variety of syndromes and some, therefore, prefer the term cerebral palsies.
A novel, sensitive, and specific RT‐PCR technique for quantitation of hepatitis C virus replication

The detection of negative‐strand hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA is a hallmark of replication. A highly sensitive and specific method is required to quantify the very low level of replication inherent to in vitro infection systems. Based on reverse transcription with a tagged primer in the 5′ non‐coding region of the HCV genome, followed by a nested PCR with a second round of real‐time PCR, a novel method is described with improved sensitivity for negative‐strand HCV RNA quantification. The lower detection level was 25 copies per reaction of negative‐strand HCV RNA, even in the presence of 1 × 105 copies of positive‐strand HCV RNA. This protocol was applied to the detection of negative HCV strand RNA in the liver of HCV‐infected patients as well as in primary human hepatocytes infected in vitro. In both models, and particularly in each of three, independent in vitro infection experiments, this assay permitted the quantitation of HCV replication. J. Med. Virol. 79:155–160, 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Analyzing Wireless Indoor Communications by Blockage Models

The performance of wireless cellular networks in indoor scenarios is in large parts characterized by the blockage objects such as walls. These objects can be included in the system model in several ways. We present in this paper different wall generation methods, ranging from approaches from random shape theory (in 1-D and 2-D) to semideterministic and heuristic approaches. To attain comparable results, we ensure that the average wall volume for each method is constant. This results in the same average attenuation for distinct paths, which is shown analytically as well as by simulations. We apply a regular transmitter grid, show the influence of the relative orientation between walls and transmitter–receiver path and also elaborate on the influence of interferers in different tiers around the desired transmitter. Based on the average attenuation, we introduce the necessary approximations to yield tractable expressions for average performance in terms of Signal-to-Interference Ratio (SIR). These approximations are necessary to reflect the fluctuations among the instantaneous SIR values for the individual realizations of the blockage scenario and also due to the spatial correlation of blockages influencing several transmitter-signals simultaneously. Our results show a good accordance among the analytical and simulation results. Furthermore, we find the random wall generation method in two dimensions as the worst case scenario and the regular wall generation method as the best case scenario under the constraint of constant average wall volume.
Patient satisfaction data as a quality indicator: a tale of two emergency departments.

OBJECTIVE Patient satisfaction is a commonly measured indicator of quality emergency care. However, the existing empirical literature on emergency department (ED) patient satisfaction provides little guidance on how to analyze, interpret, and use data obtained in the clinical setting. Using two EDs as examples, the authors describe practical strategies designed to identify priority areas for potential improvement. METHODS The authors used a cross-sectional, observational design. All patients who presented for emergency care during the designated time periods were eligible. Patients were randomly selected, contacted by telephone, and surveyed using three measures of global satisfaction, 23 perceived quality-of-care indicators, and six perceived wait times. Descriptive statistics were calculated. Comparisons were made of each of the perceived care and wait time indicators against explicitly defined acceptability criteria to determine satisfiers/dissatisfiers. Each indicator was correlated with the three global satisfaction indices. The authors integrated results obtained from applying the acceptability criteria with those obtained from the correlations to yield priority indicators for remediation and maintenance strategies. RESULTS For hospitals A and B, respectively, 15 (52%) and 16 (55%) of perceived care and wait time indicators failed to meet acceptability criteria. Using the correlations with overall satisfaction, the authors further narrowed the priority areas for remediation to six indicators for hospital A and three indicators for hospital B. One maintenance indicator was revealed for hospital A and four for hospital B. CONCLUSIONS A combination of applying explicit acceptability criteria to descriptive statistics and using correlation coefficients with overall satisfaction can help to maximize the usefulness of patient satisfaction data by uncovering priority areas. These priority areas were broken down into maintenance and remediation indicators and were found to vary considerably depending on the hospital in question. Such strategies can help to refine performance improvement efforts by targeting those domains with the greatest impact on overall satisfaction.
Colonic fermentation and proximal gastric tone in humans.

BACKGROUND & AIMS Some carbohydrates escape small intestinal absorption, and their presence in the ileum can affect proximal gut motility. Carbohydrates reaching the colon can inhibit gastric and pancreatic secretions. The hypothesis of this study was that colonic fermentation products of carbohydrates (short-chain fatty acids [SCFAs]) affect proximal gut motility and especially gastric tone. METHODS Healthy volunteers were studied after oral administration of 20 g lactulose (n = 6) and intracolonic infusions of 20 g lactose (n = 7) and SCFAs (54 mmol/180 mL and 90 mmol/180 mL, respectively). Gastric tone (electronic barostat) and H2 concentrations in exhaled air were simultaneously monitored, and peripheral intestinal peptide levels were measured by specific radioimmunoassays. RESULTS After oral lactulose administration (but not after saline), a significant decrease in gastric tone was observed, which rapidly followed the increase in H2 concentrations. Gastric tone also decreased after intracolonic infusions of both lactose and SCFAs; the most marked effect occurred after the highest SCFA dose. No significant changes in the level of plasma oxyntomodulin-like immunoreactivity and glucagon-like peptide 1 were found, whereas the level of peptide YY increased significantly over time, but not differently after saline and test solutions. CONCLUSIONS Colonic fermentation of undigestible carbohydrates can inhibit gastric tone, and SCFAs may be responsible for this colonic brake. The role of intestinal peptides, if any, was not identified.
The shared experience of adolescent and young adult cancer patients and their caregivers

We examined the interdependent, dyadic, mental health of adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer patients and their caregivers. Our aims were as follows: (1) to investigate the degree to which patients' and caregivers' subjective perceptions of illness severity are congruent with objective severity (i.e., medical indicators), (2) to compare patients' and caregivers' subjective perceptions of illness severity and cancer‐related posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), and (3) to evaluate whether subjective perceptions of illness severity are linked to patients' and caregivers' cancer‐related PTSS.
The effect of continuous epidural infusion of ropivacaine (0.1%, 0.2% and 0.3%) on nerve conduction velocity and postural control in volunteers

Background: Continuous epidural infusions of local anaesthetics have become increasingly popular in postoperative pain treatment, especially as they permit early mobilisation. Ropivacaine is a promising new agent which induces more pronounced sensory than motor blockade. This study was focused on the influence of continuous epidural infusion of ropivacaine on impulse conduction in large nerves (by measurement of F and H latencies), and on the subjects' ability to maintain postural control during mobilisation.
Mechanotransduction in Cardiac Myocytes

Abstract: Cardiac myocytes react to diverse mechanical demands with a multitude of transient and long‐term responses to normalize the cellular mechanical environment. Several stretch‐activated signaling pathways have been identified, most prominently guanine nucleotide binding proteins (G‐proteins), mitogen‐activated protein kinases (MAPK), Janus‐associated kinase/signal transducers and activators of transcription (JAK/STAT), protein kinase C (PKC), calcineurin, intracellular calcium regulation, and several autocrine and paracrine factors. Multiple levels of crosstalk exist between pathways. The cellular response to changes in the mechanical environment can lead to cardiac myocyte hypertrophy, cellular growth that can be accompanied by pathological myocyte dysfunction, and tissue fibrosis. Several candidates for the primary mechanosensor in cardiac myocytes have been identified, ranging from stretch‐activated ion channels in the membrane to yet‐unknown mechanosensitive mechanisms in the nucleus. New and refined experimental techniques will exploit advances in molecular biology and biological imaging to study mechanotransduction in isolated cells and genetically engineered mice to explore the function of individual proteins.
Radio link level performance evaluation in wireless networks using multi-rate transmission with ARQ-based error control

This letter presents an analytical framework for radio link level performance evaluation in a wireless network using adaptive modulation and coding (AMC) and automatic repeat request (ARQ)-based error control. Both the cases of finite and infinite buffer sizes at the radio link layer are considered when the packet arrival process is modeled by a batch Markovian arrival process (BMAP), which can capture correlation in the arrival process. Using the model, radio link level performance measures such as average delay, buffer overflow probability, packet loss rate, and average spectral efficiency can be obtained, and the impacts of channel parameters on the performance measures can be determined. Using the queue length distributions for finite and infinite buffer cases, the buffer size can be designed such that the packet overflow probability remains below the desired level. Such a cross-layer analytical framework would be very useful for network designers
Design and implementation of a stable platform digital controller based on DSP

The principle, configuration, and the special features of a stable platform digital controller are presented in this paper. The main goal of this paper is replacing an analog controller with its awaiting digital one. This has been done using TMS320LF2402 digital signal processor which offers the enhanced TMS320 DSP architectural design of the C2xx core CPU for low-cost, low-power, and high-performance processing capabilities. The experimental results show that the digital controller is identical to the analog one and can be a suitable replacement for the analog controller.
Adaptive Polar-Linear Interpolation Aided Channel Estimation for Wireless Communication Systems

Channel Estimation (CE) is one of the key components in wireless communication systems employing coherent demodulation and interference cancellation. Among the numerous CE techniques in the literature, Pilot-Assisted Channel Estimation (PACE) has been widely used in many practical systems, thanks to its simplicity and efficiency for implementation. In order to minimise pilot overhead, interpolation is typically mandatory in PACE. Conventional linear and Polar-Linear Interpolation (PLI) methods are easy to implement, but naturally result in residual interpolation errors that can not be mitigated even at high Signal-to-Noise Ratios (SNRs). In this paper, we propose a CE scheme equipped with a novel interpolation method referred to as Adaptive Polar-Linear Interpolation (APLI). The proposed APLI-aided CE scheme can achieve a good performance, thanks to its capability of adaptively tracking the instantaneous variation of channel's fading coefficients, while maintaining a low complexity that is similar to the simple linear interpolation. The benefits of our proposal are demonstrated by a range of numerical illustrations and simulation results.
AmrZ regulates cellulose production in Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000

In Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000, the second messenger c‐di‐GMP has been previously shown to stimulate pellicle formation and cellulose biosynthesis. A screen for genes involved in cellulose production under high c‐di‐GMP intracellular levels led to the identification of insertions in two genes, wssB and wssE, belonging to the Pto DC3000 cellulose biosynthesis operon wssABCDEFGHI. Interestingly, beside cellulose‐deficient mutants, colonies with a rougher appearance than the wild type also arouse among the transposants. Those mutants carry insertions in amrZ, a gene encoding a transcriptional regulator in different Pseudomonas. Here, we provide evidence that AmrZ is involved in the regulation of bacterial cellulose production at transcriptional level by binding to the promoter region of the wssABCDEFGHI operon and repressing cellulose biosynthesis genes. Mutation of amrZ promotes wrinkly colony morphology, increased cellulose production and loss of motility in Pto DC3000. AmrZ regulon includes putative c‐di‐GMP metabolising proteins, like AdcA and MorA, which may also impact those phenotypes. Furthermore, an amrZ but not a cellulose‐deficient mutant turned out to be impaired in pathogenesis, indicating that AmrZ is a key regulator of Pto DC3000 virulence probably by controlling bacterial processes other than cellulose production.