Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Functional Characterization of Clostridium difficile Spore Coat Proteins

ABSTRACT Spores of Clostridium difficile play a key role in the dissemination of this important human pathogen, and until recently little has been known of their functional characteristics. Genes encoding six spore coat proteins (cotA, cotB, cotCB, cotD, cotE, and sodA) were disrupted by ClosTron insertional mutagenesis. Mutation of one gene, cotA, presented a major structural defect in spore assembly, with a clear misassembly of the outermost layers of the spore coat. The CotA protein is most probably subject to posttranslational modification and could play a key role in stabilizing the spore coat. Surprisingly, mutation of the other spore coat genes did not affect the integrity of the spore, although for the cotD, cotE, and sodA mutants, enzyme activity was reduced or abolished. This could imply that these enzymatic proteins are located in the exosporium or alternatively that they are structurally redundant. Of the spore coat proteins predicted to carry enzymatic activity, three were confirmed to be enzymes using both in vivo and in vitro methods, the latter using recombinant expressed proteins. These were a manganese catalase, encoded by cotD, a superoxide dismutase (SOD), encoded by sodA, and a bifunctional enzyme with peroxiredoxin and chitinase activity, encoded by cotE. These enzymes being exposed on the spore surface would play a role in coat polymerization and detoxification of H2O2. Two additional proteins, CotF (a tyrosine-rich protein and potential substrate for SodA) and CotG (a putative manganese catalase) were shown to be located at the spore surface.
Neural substrates of phonological and lexicosemantic representations in Alzheimer's disease

The language profile of patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized not only by lexicosemantic impairments but also by phonological deficits, as shown by an increasing number of neuropsychological studies. This study explored the functional neural correlates underlying phonological and lexicosemantic processing in AD. Using H215O PET functional brain imaging, a group of mild to moderate AD patients and a group of age‐matched controls were asked to repeat four types of verbal stimuli: words, wordlike nonwords (WL+), non‐wordlike nonwords (WL−) and simple vowels. The comparison between the different conditions allowed us to determine brain activation preferentially associated with lexicosemantic or phonological levels of language representations. When repeating words, AD patients showed decreased activity in the left temporo‐parietal and inferior frontal regions relative to controls, consistent with distorted lexicosemantic representations. Brain activity was abnormally increased in the right superior temporal area during word repetition, a region more commonly associated with perceptual‐phonological processing. During repetition of WL+ and WL− nonwords, AD patients showed decreased activity in the middle part of the superior temporal gyrus, presumably associated with sublexical phonological information; at the same time, AD patients showed larger activation than controls in the inferior temporal gyrus, typically associated with lexicosemantic levels of representation. Overall, the results suggest that AD patients use altered pathways to process phonological and lexicosemantic information, possibly related to a progressive loss of specialization of phonological and lexicosemantic neural networks. Hum Brain Mapp 2009. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Characterization of Heat-Assisted Magnetic Recording Channels

The storage capacity of hard disk drives has increased tremendously over the last decade. However, the rate of increase has reached a bottle-neck as the technology approaches a theoretical limit known as the super-paramagnetic limit. Heat-Assisted Magnetic Recording (HAMR) has emerged as one of the important technologies to overcome this limit. The process of heating while writing brings about certain unique characteristics when compared to conventional schemes. In this paper, we introduce heatassisted recording, explain the techniques used to numerically model the twodimensional magnetization process in longitudinal HAMR and extend it to perpendicular recording. Utilizing these models, we investigate the transition characteristics that depend, among other factors, on various thermal parameters. In particular, we determine the effects of change in peak temperature and laser spot position on transition length and center.
Isolation and characterization of a sucrose carrier cDNA from spinach by functional expression in yeast.

Active loading of the phloem with sucrose in leaves is an essential part of the process of supplying non‐photosynthetic tissues with carbon and energy. The transport is protein mediated and coupled to proton‐symport, but so far no sucrose carrier gene has been identified. Using an engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain, a cDNA from spinach encoding a sucrose carrier was identified by functional expression. Yeast strains that allow the phenotypic recognition of a sucrose carrier activity were constructed by expressing a cytoplasmic invertase from yeast, or the potato sucrose synthase gene, in a strain unable to transport or grow on sucrose due to a deletion in the SUC2 gene. A spinach cDNA expression library established from the poly(A)+ RNA from source leaves of spinach and cloned in a yeast expression vector yielded transformed yeast clones which were able to grow on media containing sucrose as the sole carbon source. This ability was strictly linked to the presence of the spinach cDNA clone pS21. Analysis of the sucrose uptake process in yeast strains transformed with this plasmid show a pH‐dependent uptake of sucrose with a Km of 1.5 mM, which can be inhibited by maltose, alpha‐phenylglucoside, carbonyl cyanide m‐chlorophenylhydrazone and p‐chloromercuribenzenesulfonic acid. These data are in accordance with measurements using both leaf discs and plasma membrane vesicles from leaves of higher plants. DNA sequence analysis of the pS21 clone reveals the presence of an open reading frame encoding a protein with a molecular mass of 55 kDa. The predicted protein contains several hydrophobic regions which could be assigned to 12 membrane‐spanning regions. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Weibull Distribution for the Global Surface Current Speeds Obtained from Satellite Altimetry

Near-real time ocean surface currents derived from satellite altimeter (JASON-1, GFO, ENVISAT) and scatterometer (QSCAT) data on 1deg times 1deg resolution for world oceans (59.5deg S to 59.5deg N) are available online as "Ocean Surface Current Analyses - Real Time (OSCAR)". The probability distribution function (PDF) of the current speeds (w), constructed from global OSCAR data from 1992 to 2008, satisfies the two-parameter Weibull distribution reasonably well. Knowledge on PDF of w will improve the ensemble horizontal flux calculation, which contributes to the climate studies.
Factors influencing termination of resuscitative efforts in children: A comparison of pediatric emergency medicine and adult emergency medicine physicians

Objectives: To examine factors that influence termination of resuscitative efforts (TORE) and compare pediatric emergency medicine (PEM) and general emergency medicine (GEM) physicians regarding TORE in children. Design: Cross-sectional survey. Participants: All physicians board-certified in PEM as of November 1993 and a random sample of board-certified GEM physicians listed in the 1993 American College of Emergency Physicians directory. Interventions: Self-administered questionnaires were mailed to participants who were asked about experience providing pediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and demographic information. We posed a series of management questions eliciting factors that influence TORE decision-making in single context and case scenario format. Specific emphasis was placed on the influence of time and epinephrine dosing. Results: One hundred and sixty (70%) PEM and 127 (62%) GEM responded. These groups differed significantly in years of experience (PEM 8.2, GEM 11.8), urban practice setting (PEM 84%, GEM 32%) and number of pediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitations per year (PEM 10.6, GEM 4.8), P<0.001 for all. There were no significant differences between groups regarding features pathognomonic of death. PEM were more likely to consider low blood pH and iatrogenic causes of arrest as factors influencing TORE; GEM were more likely to consider co-morbid conditions (P<0.05 for all). Medians for time estimates of minimum minutes of pulselessness that influence TORE were: PEM 26 to 30 minutes, GEM 31 to 35 minutes for both prehospital and emergency department settings (P<0.05 for each). Approximately 20% of all respondents did not place a strict limit on time of pulselessness when determining TORE. No difference was observed between groups regarding maximum doses of epinephrine used prior to TORE. However, fewer GEM (50%) than PEM (75%) utilize “high dose” epinephrine according to current Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) guidelines (P<0.05). PEM physicians were more than two times more likely to terminate resuscitative efforts if return of spontaneous circulation was not achieved by 25 minutes compared to GEM physicians for both prehospital time of pulselessness [odds ratio 2.1,95% confidence interval (1.01,4.5)] and emergency department time of pulselessness [odds ratio 2.2, confidence interval (1.1,4.6)]. Conclusions: 1) Several laboratory and clinical factors significantly influence physician’s decisions regarding TORE; 2) regardless of setting, time of pulselessness does appear to be an influential factor in determining when to terminate resuscitation in children for most physicians; 3) PEM physicians are more likely to terminate resuscitative efforts than are GEM physicians if return of spontaneous circulation is not achieved by 25 minutes; 4) a significant number of PEM and GEM physicians do not use high dose epinephrine in accordance with current PALS recommendations.
Recording patient preferences for end-of-life care as an incentivized quality indicator: What do general practice staff think?

Introduction: Since April 2009, indicators for the UK Quality and Outcomes Framework pilot have been developed and piloted across a nationally representative sample of practices. In October 2009 a single palliative care indicator was piloted for 6 months that looked at, ‘the percentage of patients on the palliative care register who have a preferred place to receive end-of-life care documented in the records’. Aim: The aim of this study was to gain the views and experiences of general practice staff on whether the inclusion of a single incentivized indicator to record the preferred place to receive end-of-life care would improve the quality of palliative care. Any issues arising from its implementation in a pay-for-performance scheme were also explored. Methods: Interviews took place with 57 members of staff in 24 practices: 21 GPs, 16 practice managers, 12 nurses and eight others (mostly information technology experts). Results: The indicator was not deemed appropriate for incentivization due to concerns about incentivizing an isolated, single issue within a multi-faceted, multi-disciplinary and complex topic. Palliative care was seen to be too sensitive and patient specific to be amenable to population-level quality measurement. In implementation, the indicator would pose potential harm to patients who may be asked about their end-of-life care at an inappropriate time and by a member of staff who may not be best placed to address this sensitive topic. Conclusions: The most appropriate time to ask a patient about end-of-life care is subjective and patient specific and therefore does not lend itself to an inflexible single indicator. Focusing on one isolated question simplifies and distracts from a multi-faceted and complex issue and may lead to patient harm.
Muscle Fatigue Due to Steering Wheel Vibrations: An Analysis of the Influence of Steering Wheel Dynamics

We conducted an experiment in our fixed-base driving simulator to determine whether participants experienced arm muscle fatigue during three, one-hour driving sessions. Participants experienced different rotational vibrations on the steering wheel, each representative of a different kind of steering system. Our main hypothesis was that a 'Conventional' steering system would result in more muscle fatigue during prolonged driving than a 'Steer By Wire' steering system. The results of our experiment confirmed the hypothesis for the subjectively experienced muscle fatigue of the arms. We conclude that the subjective results could be related to the larger pool of additional motor units available for recruitment as time progresses during the driving task. Hence, the lower forces and the smaller vibrations of the 'Steer By Wire' system allowed for longer exposure to the steering vibrations compared to a 'Conventional' steering system before 'saturation' of the motor unit recruitment set in and objective muscle fatigue could be observed.
Uncertainty in future irrigation water demand and risk of crop failure for maize in Europe

While crop models are widely used to assess the change in crop productivity with climate change, their skill in assessing irrigation water demand or the risk of crop failure in large area impact assessments is relatively unknown. The objective of this study is to investigate which aspects of modeling crop water use (reference crop evapotranspiration (ET0), soil water extraction, soil evaporation, soil water balance and root growth) contributes most to the variability in estimates of maize crop water use and the risk of crop failure, and demonstrate the resulting uncertainty in a climate change impact study for Europe. The SIMPLACE crop modeling framework was used to couple the LINTUL5 crop model in factorial combinations of 2–3 different approaches for simulating the 5 aspects of crop water use, resulting in 51 modeling approaches. Using experiments in France and New Zeland, analysis of total sensitivity revealed that ET0 explained the most variability in both irrigated maize water use and rainfed grain yield levels, with soil evaporation also imporatant in the French experiment. In the European impact study, net irrigation requirement differed by 36% between the Penman and Hargreaves ET0 methods in the baseline period. Average EU grain yields were similar between models, but differences approached 1–2 tonnes in parts of France and Southern Europe. EU wide esimates of crop failure in the historical period ranged between 5.4 years for Priestley–Taylor to every 7.9 years for the Penman ET0 methods. While the uncertainty in absolute values between models was significant, estimates of relative changes were similar between models, confirming the utility of crop models in assessing climate change impacts. If ET0 estimates in crop models can be improved, through the use of appropriate methods, uncertainty in irrigation water demand as well as in yield estimates under drought can be reduced.
Factors Related to Condom Use Behavior Among Club-Working Women in South Korea

The primary aim of this study was to understand factors associated with condom use behavior among club-working women and identify the most influential factors to be addressed in future health programs. A total of 158 club-working women were surveyed from 3 midsize cities in South Korea from July to September 2004. Survey questionnaires were developed based on the theory of planned behavior. A total of 7 distinct themes emerged: Health aspects, Customer related, Pleasure related, Finance related, Societal norm, Occupational norm, and Perceived control. The results indicated that the Customer-related theme, Societal norm, and Occupational norm were statistically significant factors affecting condom use. On the other hand, self-related factors such as health, pleasure, and finance are not significantly related to the condom use behavior of club-working women in South Korea, suggesting that the currently used knowledge-focused education programs may not be sufficient for this population.
A simplified application of systematic field sampling and low‐cost video recording set‐up for viewing disector pairs – exemplified in the rat cochlear nucleus

A description of a simple and efficient way of systematic field sampling along with a low‐cost set‐up for simultaneous viewing of physical disector pairs at the light microscopic level is presented. So far the use of a programmable motorized stage for the former purpose and two projection microscopes for the latter have proved to be the most efficient and fastest solutions, but the relatively high expense of purchasing such equipment constitutes a major impediment to the widespread use of such stereological methods. We describe practical applications of two new cost‐effective alternative approaches derived from existing ones. These approaches are used in estimating the total number of neurones in the cochlear nucleus of the rat and involve the systematic selection of section fields at a magnification significantly lower than the magnification used for counting and a video recording set‐up for comparing section pairs. Apart from providing a cheap way for the implementation of the physical disector, the main feature of the application, which may also encourage its use, is that it provides an efficient and simple design for systematic area sampling without requiring any specialized equipment. The same is true for optical disector designs, where the procedure is simplified even further.
The Vascular Targeting Property of Paclitaxel Is Enhanced by SU6668, a Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor, Causing Apoptosis of Endothelial Cells and Inhibition of Angiogenesis

Purpose: Different antiangiogenic approaches have been proposed in cancer treatment where therapeutic efficacy has been shown with the addition of cytotoxic agents. Here, we used SU6668, a small-molecule receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor, to investigate the combinatorial effect with paclitaxel on the cellular populations of the developing vasculature. Experimental Design: The effect of this combination was evaluated in vitro in a 72-hour proliferation assay on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and human microvascular endothelial cells derived from lungs, endothelial cells, aortic smooth muscle cells, and human ovarian carcinoma cells sensitive (1A9) and resistant (1A9-PTX22) to paclitaxel. Combination data were assessed by isobologram analysis. Cell survival was determined by terminal deoxyribonucleotide transferase–mediated nick-end labeling and Annexin V staining. The activity of the combination in vivo was evaluated in fibroblast growth factor-2–induced angiogenesis in Matrigel plugs s.c. implanted in mice. The 1A9-PTX22, paclitaxel-resistant xenograft model was used to evaluate tumor response. Results: Combination index values and isobologram analysis showed synergy in inhibition of proliferation of HUVEC, human microvascular endothelial cells derived from lungs, and aortic smooth muscle cells. The combination induced greater apoptosis in HUVEC than the single agents. The addition of paclitaxel to the treatment with SU6668 significantly decreased the hemoglobin content and the number of CD31-positive vessels in Matrigel plugs in vivo. The combination of the drugs was more active than either single agent against 1A9-PTX22 xenografts; the tumor growth delay was accompanied by a significant reduction of vascular density. Conclusions: These findings show that the activity of angiogenesis inhibitors on vascular cells could be potentiated when administered in combination with chemotherapeutic agents that themselves have vascular targeting properties.
Relationship between velocity reached at VO2(max) and time-trial performances in elite Australian Rules footballers.

PURPOSE Running velocity reached at maximal oxygen uptake (vVO2(max)) can be a useful measure to prescribe training intensity for aerobic conditioning. Obtaining it in the laboratory is often not practical, and average velocities from time trials are an attractive alternative. To date, the efficacies of such practices for team sport players are unknown. This study aimed to assess the relationship between vVO2(max) obtained in the laboratory against two time-trial estimates (1500 m and 3200 m). METHODS During the early preseason, elite Australian Rules football players (n = 23, 22.7 +/- 3.4 y, 187.7 +/- 8.2 cm, 75.5 +/- 9.2 kg) participated in a laboratory test on a motorized treadmill and two outdoor time trials. RESULTS Based on average velocity the 1500-m time-trial performance (5.01 +/- 0.23 m x s(-1)) overestimated (0.36 m x s(-1), d = 1.75), whereas the 3200-m time trial (4.47 +/- 0.23 m x s(-1)) underestimated (0.17 m x s(-1), d = 0.83) the laboratory vVO2(max) (4.64 +/- 0.18 m x s(-1)). Despite these differences, both 1500-m and 3200-m time-trial performances correlated with the laboratory measure (r = -0.791; r = -0.793 respectively). Both subsequent linear regressions were of good fit and predicted the laboratory measure within +/- 0.12 m x s(-1). CONCLUSION Estimates of vVO2(max) should not be used interchangeably, nor should they replace the laboratory measure. When laboratory testing is not accessible for team sports players, prescription of training intensity may be more accurately estimated from linear regression based on either 1500-m or 3200-m time-trial performance than from the corresponding average velocity.
Altered Brain Myelin Sheath Morphology after Rewarming in Situ

In this study cerebral ultrastructure was examined in an in vivo rat model, after rewarming from profound hypothermia (15–13°C). Animals held at 37°C served as controls. After rewarming, brains were examined by electron microscope. Micrographs were taken randomly, analyzed anonymously, and quantified by morphometry. Serum analysis of the stress marker S-100β was carried out in identical groups. The most striking findings in rewarmed animals, when compared to controls, were alterations of myelin sheaths (p<.008) and elevated S-100β (p<.0001). This indicates that cells in the central nervous system are susceptible to injury in an experimental model of accidental hypothermia and rewarming.
A comparison of the fluids from small and large ovarian follicles of the pig.

The concentration and composition of proteins in pooled pig serum and fluids from large, small and cystic ovarian follicles of the pig were compared by means of electrophoresis and gcl.fiitration. Foilicular and cystic fluids contained lower concentrations of total protein than did pooled serum. The follicular fluids all contained more albumin plus alpha globulins, but less gamma globulins relative to serum. The majority of fluids from small follicles exhibited a fast.migrating alpha globulin which was absent in most fluids from large follicles; whereas the majority of fluids from large follicles exhibited a slowly-migrating alpha globulin not observed in fluids from most small follicles. Oocyte maturation occurred in vitro in media containing fluids from small follicles whose endogenous oocytes had been at the germinal vesicle stage. With one group of fluids, from large follicles containing immature oocytes when recovered, oocyte maturation was totally inhibited in Vitro. The fluids from pig follicles at different physiological stages exhibit differences in their protein patterns, which may be related to oocyte maturation.