Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An analytical technique for measuring protein carbonyl in the stratum corneum using surface plasmon resonance

Protein carbonyl groups in the stratum corneum may be used as a biomarker for skin photo‐stress. To evaluate the relationship between the protein carbonyl to total protein (TP) ratio (carbonylation ratio) and skin photo‐stress, the authors established a methodology by which protein carbonyl can be easily and highly sensitively analysed using an optical technique based on surface plasmon resonance (SPR). To collect the stratum corneum, tape stripping was employed. Firstly, the protein carbonyl was reacted with 2,4‐dinitrobenzenesulfonic acid dihydrate, and the quantity of dinitrophenylated (DNP)‐protein carbonyl was determined using an anti‐dinitrophenyl (anti‐DNP) antibody. The mass of DNP‐protein carbonyl was measured using SPR. A truncated sampling‐reporting cycle of <5 min allowed speedy reporting of DNP‐protein carbonyl levels. A significant difference was observed in the protein carbonyl/TP ratio (carbonylation ratio) between a sun‐protected area (mid‐ventral arm) and a sun‐exposed area (upper cheek, P < 0.05). Additionally, the carbonylation ratio of the sun‐exposed area showed a higher value than that of the sun‐protected area. It was suggested that the carbonylation ratio might be a useful index of skin photo‐stress.
A Nightingale-Based Model for Dementia Care and its Relevance for Korean Nursing

This article addresses the synchrony between a Western middle-range theory of care for persons with dementia and traditional Korean nursing care. The Western theory is called a need-driven, dementia-compromised behavior model and is heavily influenced by the assessment categories outlined in Nightingale’s work. This model is presented as congruent with Nightingale’s work and then viewed from the perspective of traditional Korean nursing. Several congruencies and a few incongruencies are found between these Western and Eastern views, and suggestions are made for greater consistency between these views.
Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ in induced sputum is correlated with MMP-9/TIMP-1 imbalance and formation of emphysema in COPD patients.

Background The development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is modulated by the symmetry of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and the counter-acting tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs). We investigated the interaction between peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) expression and the imbalance of MMP-9/TIMP-1 in the induced sputum of stable COPD patients. Methods Sixty-six stable COPD patients were enrolled and the induced sputum samples were gathered. The correlation between PPARγ and other index, including MMP-9, TIMP-1, pulmonary function and the index of emphysema-the percentage of low attenuation area (LAA%), was analyzed. Results PPARγ and TIMP-1 concentrations were decreased and the concentration of MMP-9 and the ratio of MMP9/TIMP1 were enhanced in the induced sputum of COPD patients, compared to the healthy controls. Among COPD patients, those with worse lung function or patients with emphysema exhibited increased MMP-9 expression with decreased TIMP-1 and PPARγ expression. Besides, the concentration of PPARγ of the induced sputum was correlated with the forced expiratory volume in one second percentage (FEV1%) positively and the expression of TIMP-1; while it was negatively correlated with the residual volume (RV), RV/total lung capacity (TLC), LAA%, and MMP-9 expression. Conclusions Our findings reveal the protective role of PPARγ in the maintenance of the dynamic balance of MMP-9/TIMP-1 in COPD, thus providing evidence on which to base the potential COPD treatment.
Verification of the existing model for passing sight distance on single two-lane rural carriageways

In 2012, new rural road design guidelines (RAL) has been released in Germany. They define different types of roads including different principles for passing. On new roads with a high road function level, passing is safeguarded by passing lanes. However, passing lanes cannot be recommended as a standard on each road type. For roads with a lower road function level and on most of the existing rural road network, passing is permitted by using the oncoming traffic lane. The passing sight distance used today is based on a geometrical model which has been the subject of an empirical research in 1986. Because of the change in the vehicle fleet the passing sight distance model needs to be verified and updated. For this purpose, passing maneuvers are recorded by using a drone. The methodology allows capturing the entire passing maneuver including the approach of the opposing traffic. Thereby, the road geometry as well as traffic parameters (average annual daily traffic - AADT, heavy good vehicles - HGV) are considered. Overall, more than 1.100 passing maneuvers have been captured and analyzed. As a research result, recommendations for the required passing sight distance on single two lane rural roads will be given.
The DNA supercoiling‐sensitive expression of the Salmonella typhimurium his operon requires the his attenuator and is modulated by anaerobiosis and by osmolarity

Bacterial cells possess a subset of genes whose expression correlates with changes in DNA supercoiling brought about by anaerobic growth and by growth at high osmolarity. It has been shown previously that expression of the histidine biosynthetic operon of Salmonella typhimurium is derepressed by relaxation of supercoiled DNA. Here, we confirm that a his:: MudJ operon fusion in S. typhimurium can be induced by treatment with the DNA gyrase inhibitor novobiocin in a dose‐dependent manner, and show that the level of derepression is higher in stationary phase than in mid‐exponential phase cultures. Furthermore, expression of his is repressed by anaerobiosis and by osmolarity, two environmental parameters which increase the negative supercoiling of bacterial DNA. Novobiocin induction of his is also repressed by growing the cells either at high osmolarity or anaerobically. Both environmental repression and novobiocin induction of his require the his attenuator. In addition, derepression of his expression by novobiocin and its repression by anaerobiosis or osmolarity are independent of the stringent response gene, relA.
Separation of lipoproteins by capillary isotachophoresis combined with enzymatic derivatization of cholesterol and triglycerides

Combining specific enzymatic derivatization of cholesterol or triglycerides with capillary isotachophoresis (CITP), human serum lipoproteins are separated into 14 lipoprotein subfractions, monitored and quantitated by direct capillary UV detection. By comparing the separation patterns of human serum with the patterns of lipoprotein particles isolated by sequential ultracentrifugation it became evident that peaks 1—5 represent lipoproteins of the high density lipoprotein (HDL) fraction, peaks 6—8 embody the very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) fraction and chylomicrons, and peaks 7—14 represent the low density lipoprotein (LDL) fraction. Peaks 7 and 8 were found in the VLDL as well as in the LDL fraction. Using triglyceride‐specific staining peaks 6—8 occurred prominently; and with cholesterol‐specific staining, peaks 1—5 and 7—14 were prominent. The coefficient of variation, for the sum of the peak heights of a pooled serum, was 3.94 for triglyceride‐specific staining and 2.32 for cholesterol‐specific staining. A linearity range between 0.23 and 2.29 mM/L was found for triglyceride‐specific staining and between 0.043 and 4.33 mM/L for cholesterol‐specific staining. The practicability of the method was evaluated (i) using blood of humans before and 45 min after an oral fat load. Triglyceride‐specific staining revealed a prominent increase in the VLDL fraction and chylomicrones containing peaks 6 and 7, and a minor increase in the HDL fraction containing peaks 3 and 4, and (ii) in patients with manifest hypothyroidism before and after thyroxine therapy. Cholesterol‐specific staining demonstrated a massive decrease in the first peak of the HDL fraction and in peaks 9 and 11 of the LDL fraction regarding the hypo versus hyperthyroid state.
A real-time tunable terahertz metamaterial based on broadside-coupled split ring resonators

This paper reports a real-time tunable metamaterial based on broadside-coupled split ring resonators (BC-SRRs). The device is composed of two layers of SRRs stacked together with an air gap spacer, forming the BC-SRR configuration. One of the layers is fixed, while the other can be driven by an electrostatic comb-drive actuator. The lateral displacement between the two layers of SRRs can be changed by the actuator, resulting in the tuning of the resonance frequencies of the BC-SRRs and the transmission spectrum of the device. The preliminary results show that the resonance frequency can be tuned up to 100GHz corresponding to an 18μm lateral displacement. Our tunable metamaterials have promising applications as THz modulators, filters and sensors.
Properties of the Periplasmic ModA Molybdate-binding Protein of Escherichia coli(*)

The modABCD operon, located at 17 min on the Escherichia coli chromosome, encodes the protein components of a high affinity molybdate uptake system. Sequence analysis of the modA gene (GenBank L34009) predicts that it encodes a periplasmic binding protein based on the presence of a leader-like sequence at its N terminus. To examine the properties of the ModA protein, the modA structural gene was overexpressed, and its product was purified. The ModA protein was localized to the periplasmic space of the cell, and it was released following a gentle osmotic shock. The N-terminal sequence of ModA confirmed that a leader region of 24 amino acids was removed upon export from the cell. The apparent size of ModA is 31.6 kDa as determined by gel sieve chromatography, whereas it is 22.5 kDa when examined by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. A ligand-dependent protein mobility shift assay was devised using a native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis protocol to examine binding of molybdate and other anions to the ModA periplasmic protein. Whereas molybdate and tungstate were bound with high affinity (5 μM), sulfate, chromate, selenate, phosphate, and chlorate did not bind even when tested at 2 mM. A UV spectral assay revealed apparent K values of binding for molybdate and tungstate of 3 and 7 μM, respectively. Strains defective in the modA gene were unable to transport molybdate unless high levels of the anion were supplied in the medium. Therefore the modA gene product is essential for high affinity molybdate uptake by the cell. Tungstate interference of molybdate acquisition by the cell is apparently due in part to the high affinity of the ModA protein for this anion.
A.E. Bennett Research Award. Toward a neurodevelopmental model of of obsessive--compulsive disorder.

BACKGROUND Neurobiological models for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) have consistently implicated ventral prefrontal cortical and striatal circuits in the pathophysiology of this disorder, but typically have not utilized a developmental framework for conceptualizing the illness. METHODS We describe an integrated series of neurobiologic studies aimed at testing the hypothesis that neurodevelopmental abnormalities of ventral prefrontal-striatal circuits may be involved in and contribute to the etiology and presentation of the illness. RESULTS Using studies of oculomotor physiology, we have identified a selective deficit in neurobehavioral response suppression in OCD that may be related to failures in the developmental maturation of frontostriatal circuitry. Magnetic resonance imaging studies showed that treatment-naive pediatric OCD patients had significant volumetric abnormalities in ventral prefrontal cortical and striatal regions but no abnormalities in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Severity of OCD symptoms but not illness duration was related to ventral prefrontal cortical and striatal volumes. CONCLUSIONS Critical neurodevelopmental changes in ventral prefrontal-striatal circuitry may be associated with the initial presentation of OCD, and a developmentally mediated network dysplasia may underlie OCD. Such dysplasia in ventral prefrontal cortical circuits could manifest clinically by disrupting brain functions that mediate ongoing purposive behaviors.
Biochemical Characterization and Localization of a Non‐N‐Methyl‐D‐Aspartate Glutamate Receptor in Rat Brain

Abstract: The structure and distribution of non‐N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate glutamate receptors in the rat brain were studied using subunit‐specific antibodies that recognize the receptor subunit GluRl. The GluRl protein, a 106‐kDa glycoprotein, appears predominantly in synaptic plasma membranes, where it is highly enriched in the postsynaptic densities. When synaptic plasma membranes are solubilized with the detergent 3‐[(3‐cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]‐l‐propanesul‐fonate, high‐affinity a‐amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methylisoxazole‐4‐propionate (AMPA) binding and GluRl immunoreactivity comigrate at a native Mr of 610,000. GluRl is enriched in the hippocampus and cerebellar cortex but is present throughout the CNS. It is found on neuronal cell bodies and processes within most regions of the brain; within the cerebellum, however, it is localized to the Bergmann glia. These data suggest that the GluRl protein is a subunit of multimeric AMPA‐preferring glutamate receptors present on neurons and on specialized glia.
Tumorigenesis and Neoplastic Progression Remodeling of the Mammary Microenvironment after Lactation Promotes Breast Tumor Cell Metastasis

The mammary gland microenvironment during post-lactational involution shares similarities with inflammation, including high matrix metalloproteinase activity, fibrillar collagen deposition, and release of bioactive fragments of fibronectin and laminin. Because inflammation can promote tumorigenesis, we evaluated whether the tissue microenvironment of the involuting gland is also promotional. Extracellular matrix was isolated from mammary glands of nulliparous rats or rats with mammary glands undergoing weaning-induced involution. Using these matrices as substratum, nulliparous matrix was found to promote ductal organization of normal mammary epithelial MCF-12A cells in three-dimensional culture and to suppress invasion of mammary tumor MDA-MB-231 cells in transwell filter assays. Conversely, involution matrix failed to support ductal development in normal cells and promoted invasiveness in tumor cells. To evaluate the effects of these matrices on metastasis in vivo , MDA-MB-231 cells, premixed with Matrigel, nulliparous matrix, or involution matrix, were injected into mammary fat pads of nude
An improved active filter for distorted voltage conditions

The increasing use of power electronic system has led voltage harmonic distortion level to an unacceptable level at point of common coupling (PCC). Most of the modern solutions of eliminating load current harmonics by using active filter is based on sinusoidal source voltage. However, the voltage at PCC is not purely sinusoisdal. This paper proposes a shunt active filter (SAF) based on instantaneous active and reactive power theory which can mitigate the load harmonics properly even if the source voltage is distorted. Space vector PWM based voltage source inverter is used in current control mode to filter out current harmonics. PI controllers are used for the current controller to get desired dynamic response. The proposed algorithm is verified through simulation. Real life conditions are considered in the simulation and the simulation results are presented.
Primary care patients’ expectations regarding medical appointments and their experiences during a visit: does age matter?

Introduction There is evidence that meeting patients’ expectations toward health care correlates with involvement in the treatment they receive. The most important patient expectations concern certain types of information: explanation of disease and treatment, health promotion, and improvement in quality of life. Other demands include proper rapport and emotional support. The aim of this paper was to examine different patient groups over the age of 50 years and their expectations toward medical visits, evaluated before a visit and after the visit. Patients and methods The study group consisted of 4,921 primary health-care patients. The patients received self-administered questionnaires that they filled in before and after the appointment with the doctor. Interviews with patients were conducted individually by specially trained interviewers. The PRACTA Patient Expectations Scale was used to measure the appointment-related expectations of the patients. Results We observed differences related to age in patients’ expectations before medical visits regarding the following factors: disease explanation, treatment explanation, quality of life, rapport, and emotional support. The same differences were not observed on health promotion. Evaluation of patients’ appointment-related experiences after the visit showed that there were significant differences between the age-groups regarding all types of expectations included in the study. Differences between previsit and postvisit measurements were statistically significant in all age-groups. Patients who received less than they expected from doctors outnumbered those who received what they expected or more in all the groups. Conclusion Patients’ expectations toward medical visits are conditioned by age. Therefore, doctors should pay more attention to requirements related to age in their effort to identify and satisfy expectations. This is particularly important in light of the discrepancy between previsit expectations and the actual experiences of patients evaluated after the visit.
Effect of estrogen replacement therapy on insulin sensitivity of glucose metabolism and preresistance and resistance vessel function in healthy postmenopausal women.

In the present study, we hypothesized that estradiol, via its ability to vasodilate in an endothelium-dependent manner, might enhance vascular effects of insulin. Basal and insulin-stimulated peripheral blood flow and resistance, arterial stiffness, and glucose metabolism were determined in 27 healthy postmenopausal women before and after 12 weeks of treatment with either transdermal or oral estradiol or corresponding placebo preparations. Whole body insulin sensitivity was determined using the euglycemic insulin clamp technique (rate of continuous insulin infusion 1 mU/kg.min), forearm blood flow with a strain-gauge plethysmography, and arterial stiffness using pulse wave analysis. Estradiol therapy increased basal peripheral blood flow (1.5 +/- 0.1 vs. 1.9 +/- 0.1 mL/dL.min, 0 vs. 12 weeks; P: < 0.01), decreased peripheral vascular resistance (65 +/- 3 vs. 52 +/- 3 mm Hg/mL/dL.min, respectively; P: < 0.01), and diastolic blood pressure (78 +/- 2 vs. 75 +/- 2 mm Hg, respectively; P: < 0.05) but had no effect on large artery stiffness. Infusion of insulin did not acutely alter peripheral blood flow but diminished large artery stiffness significantly both before and after the 12-week period of estradiol therapy. No measure of acute insulin action (glucose metabolism, blood flow, or large artery stiffness) was altered by estradiol or placebo treatment. These data demonstrate that insulin and estradiol have distinct hemodynamic effects. Physiological doses of estradiol increase peripheral blood flow but have no effects on large artery stiffness, whereas physiological concentrations of insulin acutely decrease stiffness without changing peripheral blood flow. Putative vasculoprotection by estradiol is, thus, not mediated via alterations in arterial stiffness or insulin sensitivity.
Fast integral method for near-field cross section imaging at millimeter wave

Near-field cross section imaging is an important issue for near filed radar imaging. Conventional methods always transform the recorded data to the frequency wavenumber domain and utilize interpolation and fast Fourier transforms (FFT) to reconstruct image. Since the interpolation accuracy significantly affects the image quality especially when the spatial spectrum data is highly curving in the case of wideband millimeter wave. To avoid interpolation and consider the calculation efficiency, a fast integral imaging method is proposed. The imaging formula is derived from the echo signal model. A two dimensional integral obtained by back projection theory is transformed into a one-dimensional FFT and a one-dimensional integral which guarantee accuracy and efficiency. Simulation is carried out to certify the effectiveness and efficiency of the method.
The substrate specificity of brain microsomal phospholipase D.

Neurotransmitters activate a phospholipase D that is though to specifically hydrolyse phosphatidylcholine. This enzyme has a unique property known as transphosphatidylation: in the presence of an appropriate nucleophilic receptor such as an alcohol, phospholipase D will catalyse the production of phosphatidyl-alcohol. We have studied phospholipase D using an in vitro assay that uses [3H]butanol of high specific radioactivity (15 Ci/mmol) as an acceptor. In the presence of [3H]butanol and phosphatidylcholine, a microsomal membrane fraction from rat brain catalysed the production of phosphatidyl[3H]butanol. Phospholipase D activity was dependent upon the presence of a detergent; the optimal sodium oleate concentration was between 4 and 6 mM. The RF of the phosphatidyl[3H]butanol on t.l. c. was identical to the RF of the phosphatidylbutanol formed when [3H]phosphatidylcholine was incubated with 100 mM butanol. These data confirm the identity of phosphatidyl[3H]butanol. One important advantage of this assay is that the substrate does not need to be labelled. We have used this advantage to examine the substrate specificity of phospholipase D. Microsomal phospholipase D appears to hydrolyse phosphatidylcholine most efficiently. There is a relatively small but significant activity against phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylserine, and there is no significant activity against phosphatidylinositol. As the head-group becomes more like choline, the phospholipid becomes a better substrate for phospholipase D. The addition of one methyl group leads to a large increase in activity. Fatty acid composition does not play a role in determining the substrate specificity. This assay should be useful in furthering our understanding of this important enzyme.
Multi-domain Correlation for Vortex Extraction in Fluid Flow Fields

Effective extraction of characteristic structures of flow features, such as vortices, can simplify visualization and thus potentially enable users easier cognition of flow field data. In this paper we present a novel method to extract vortex structures through correlation of flow domains transformed from the velocity field. This correlation is based upon our earlier "maxima score" approach, which is domain-independent and normalized. By correlating the maxima score of flow domains, we have improved its capabilities for extracting characteristic structures of vortices. We have compared our method with the feedback of flow analysis experts, and verified the capabilities of our method using flow data derived from computational fluid dynamics and experimental measurements. These results show that this new method reduces noise, and operates at a higher sensitivity for vortex extraction than the maxima score is capable of alone.