Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Arginase Inhibitors: A Rational Approach Over One Century

Arginase (EC 3.5.3.1) is the bimanganese enzyme that converts L‐arginine into ornithine and urea. This enzyme was discovered more than a century ago and early α‐amino acids were identified as weak inhibitors. It was only during the 90s, after nitric oxide (NO) was reported as one of the most important biological mediators and when tight interrelation of arginase and NO synthase was found, that the development of arginase inhibitors was accelerated. The regulation of arginase activity by the N‐hydroxy‐L‐arginine (3, NOHA) intermediate of the NO synthesis was the starting point of the N‐hydroxy‐nor‐arginine (21, nor‐NOHA) that proved to be the first micromolar inhibitor. The previously known manganese and arginase binding by borate inspired the 2(S)‐amino‐6‐boronohexanoic acid (39, ABH) and S‐(2‐boronoethyl)‐L‐cysteine (40, BEC) now both considered as reference compounds in arginase inhibition. The high‐resolution crystal structure of arginase and molecular modeling has rendered possible the recent design of (53) the strongest α,α‐disubstituted derivatives of ABH. Simultaneously, traditional medicinal plants have contributed as a source of molecular diversity to the discovery of arginase inhibitors. This rational, step‐by‐step approach serves as guide in the present review where emphasis is placed on structure activity relationships.
Perspective and Istanbul, the Capital of the Ottoman Empire

The ideal town plans of the Renaissance had a radial scheme with a centre like the single viewpoint of the perspective, the ‘owner-controller-ruler’s’ place.2 Until the eighteenth century, however, this scheme was seldom applied. Its popularity reached a climax in the second half of the nineteenth century in Haussmann's reorganization of Paris, which became a model of urban modernization for other countries. In nineteenth-century Istanbul, the capital of the Ottoman Empire, a radial scheme was first applied in Pera where large number of Europeans lived and later within the city walls of the ancient peninsula, the traditional centre of Istanbul. In neither part of the city did it function as in Paris. The aim of this article is to discuss why the radial plan scheme did not become a more important element in the modernization process of Istanbul, and to discuss whether it worked there as it did in Paris. This discussion will involve comparing the Ottoman and Western European understandings of the world as given visual expression in painting and reflected in the design of cities.
The Effect of Atorvastatin on the Viability of Ischemic Skin Flaps in Diabetic Rats

Background: Endothelial progenitor cells play a critical role in neovascularization. However, the mobilization, recruitment, and functional capacity of endothelial progenitor cells are significantly impaired in diabetes. Statins have been shown to augment the number and improve the function of endothelial progenitor cells. This study investigated the effects of statins on the viability of ischemic skin flaps in diabetic rats. Methods: Twenty normal and 40 diabetic Sprague-Dawley rats were included in this study. Atorvastatin (10 mg/kg/day) was administered orally in 20 diabetic rats at 2 weeks before flap surgery for 21 consecutive days. Other rats received equal vehicle. Two weeks after first gavage, a 3 × 10-cm skin flap was established on the backs of rats. The necrotic area of each skin flap was measured at 7 days postoperatively. Capillary density and endothelial progenitor cells recruited to the flaps were analyzed using immunofluorescence staining. Circulating endothelial progenitor cell number was determined by flow cytometry. In vitro migration and tube formation experiments were used to analyze the function of endothelial progenitor cells. Results: Atorvastatin treatment increased flap survival rate and capillary density. In addition, more endothelial progenitor cells were identified in peripheral blood and skin flaps in diabetic rats receiving atorvastatin. Atorvastatin treatment also restored the impaired function of diabetic endothelial progenitor cells in migration and tube formation. Conclusion: Atorvastatin notably promoted neovascularization and enhanced the viability of ischemic skin flaps in diabetic rats, which may be mediated at least partially by augmenting the number and restoring the functional capacity of endothelial progenitor cells.
A Comparative Performance Investigation of Single-Stage Dimmable Electronic Ballasts for Electrodeless Fluorescent Lamp Applications

This paper presents a comparative investigation, design and development issues about six different single-stage topologies, applied as electronic ballasts, for electrodeless fluorescent lamps. The ballast is intended to feed a 100 W lamp at 250 kHz, with dimming feature. The proposed topologies use different converters for the power factor correction (PFC) stage: Buck-Boost, SEPIC, Zeta, Cúk, Flyback, and Boost. All of them operate in discontinuous conduction mode. A resonant half-bridge inverter is used as lamp power control (PC) stage. The integration of both stages (PFC and PC) is proposed in this paper. In this way, it is possible to reduce the number of active switches, as well as simplify the required driving and control circuitry. Experimental results demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed dimming technique that achieved around 56% lamp power dimming, from 100 W down to 44 W. The implemented topologies attained high average power factor (>0.98), and low line current average total harmonic distortion (<;15.3%). A comparison among all the proposed topologies in terms of power factor, harmonic distortion, efficiency and number of components is presented. Finally, a comparison between an integrated and a nonintegrated SEPIC half-bridge converter is also performed.
A feature selection approach to case-control genome-wide association studies

Genome-wide association studies have become possible with the advancement of biotechnology which makes genome-wide typing of SNPs affordable. However, statistical methods for genome-wide association studies are still wanting. The multiple testing approach commonly used for genome-wide studies currently is not really appropriate. In this article, we propose a feature selection approach to genome-wide association studies. This approach consists of a screening procedure and a low-dimensional selection procedure. In the screening procedure, both main and interaction effects are screened by using a L1-penalized likelihood to reduce the number of features to a desirable low level. In the selection procedure, the retained features are ranked by a modified SCAD penalized likelihood (Fan and Li, 2001) and assessed by an extended Bayesian information criterion ( Chen and Chen, 2008). The feature selection approach is compared with a pairwise multiple testing approach recently considered by Marchini et al. (2005). It is demonstrated by simulation studies that the feature selection approach controls the false discovery rate at lower levels and achieves higher positive detection rate compared with the pairwise multiple testing approach.
Histomorphometric, CT Arthrographic, and Biomechanical Mapping of the Human Ankle

Background: The specific morphological and biomechanical characteristics of the osteochondral unit of the ankle joint are not yet fully understood. This anatomical study aimed to map regional thickness of the articular hyaline uncalcified cartilage and its adjacent layers of mineralized cartilage and subchondral bone as well as to measure the regional indentation stiffness of human ankle joint cartilage. Materials and Methods: A total of 20 pairs of human cadaver ankle joints (median age: 78 years) were evaluated by histomorphometry and multidetector row double-contrast CT arthrography for cartilage thickness in 17 distinct anatomical regions. In addition, regional distribution of the subchondral bone plate and of the mineralized cartilage was scrutinized histologically. Cartilage indentation stiffness was measured using an arthroscopic handheld device (Artscan200), especially validated for use in thin cartilage. The correlation between the thickness of different components of the osteochondral unit and the cartilage indentation stiffness was evaluated. Results: The thinnest uncalcified cartilage was measured at the anterior talar dome and the distal fibula. The thickest uncalcified cartilage was found in the mid and posterior talar dome, as well as in the tibial plafond. Mineralized cartilage and subchondral bone showed highest values at the anteromedial talar dome. Cartilage indentation stiffness showed a bicentric distribution pattern in 14/20 ankle pairs and was highest in regions with thin cartilage. Positive correlation between the thickness of the mineralized cartilage and the subchondral bone plate was found. No correlation between the thickness of the uncalcified and the mineralized cartilage could be identified. Conclusion: This anatomical study provides a comprehensive mapping of the osteochondral unit of the human ankle joint in elderly people. Articular hyaline uncalcified cartilage and the subchondral bone plate showed clear regional differences and were reciprocally distributed. Cartilage indentation stiffness was inversely correlated to cartilage thickness in elderly people. Clinical Relevance: Thorough understanding of the osteochondral unit of the ankle joint could be helpful for clinicians and researchers in the development of improved operative repair techniques for osteochondral defects in the ankle joint, for example, in constructing specific tissue-engineered osteochondral plugs.
X-ray spectroscopy of nitrile hydratase at pH 7 and 9.

The iron K-edge X-ray absorption spectrum of Rhodococcus sp. R312 (formerly Brevibacterium sp. R312) nitrile hydratase in frozen solutions at pH 7 and 9 has been analyzed to determine details of the iron coordination. EXAFS analysis implies two or three sulfur ligands per iron and overall six coordination; together with previous EPR and ENDOR results, this implies an N3S2O ligation sphere. The bond lengths from EXAFS analysis [rav(Fe-S) = 2.21 A at pH 7.3; rav(Fe-N/O) = 1.99 A] support cis coordination of two cysteine ligands and conclusively rule out nitric oxide coordination to the iron, a possibility proposed on the basis of an FTIR difference experiment [Noguchi, T. , Honda, J., Nagamune, T. , Sasabe, H. , Inoue, Y. , & Endo, I. (1995) FEBS Lett. 358, 9-12]. The higher-frequency EXAFS can be simulated well by inclusion of multiple scattering from two or three imidazole ligands; the fit to the data is improved if first-sphere multiple scattering pathways are also included. A slight shortening (by 0.02 +/- 0.01 A) of one or both Fe-S bonds when the pH is raised from 7.3 to 9.0 is consistent with shifts observed in the Raman spectrum [Brennan et al. (1996) Biochemistry 35, 10068-10077].
On exploring the similarity and fusion of i-vector and sparse representation based speaker verification systems

The total variability based i-vector has become one of the most dominant approaches for speaker verification. In addition to this, recently the sparse representation (SR) based speaker verification approaches have also been proposed and are found to give comparable performance. In SR based approach, the dictionary used for sparse representation is either exemplar or learned from data using the KSVD algorithms and its variants. Recently the use of the total variability matrix of the i-vector system as the dictionary for the SR based approach has also been reported. Motivated by these, in this work, we first highlight the similarity between the i-vector and the learned dictionary SR based approaches for speaker verification. It is followed by the exploration about various kinds of learned dictionaries, their sizes and the sparsity constraint in context of SR based speaker verification. Further we have explored the feature level as well as the scores level fusions of these two approaches.
Visualizing vortex clusters in the wake of a high-speed train

Visualization of fluid flows at a high-Reynolds number (Re ∼ 105) presents difficulties for user comprehension due to density and ambiguous interactions between vortices. Prior work has used cluster-based reduced-order modelling (CROM) to analyze the wake of a High-Speed Train (HST) with Re = 86,000. In this paper, we present a novel surface visualization to convey the spatiotemporal changes undergone by clustered vortices in the HST wake. This visualization is accomplished through dimensional reduction of 3D volumetric vortices into 1D ridges, and physics-based feature tracking. The result is 3D surfaces visualizing the behavior of the vortices in the HST wake. Compared to conventional still-image representations, these surfaces allow the user to quickly compare and analyze the two shedding cycles identified via CROM. The spatiotemporal differences of the primary vortices in these shedding cycles provide analytic insight to influence the aerodynamics of the HST.
Identification of Post-translational Modifications of Plant Protein Complexes

Plants adapt quickly to changing environments due to elaborate perception and signaling systems. During pathogen attack, plants rapidly respond to infection via the recruitment and activation of immune complexes. Activation of immune complexes is associated with post-translational modifications (PTMs) of proteins, such as phosphorylation, glycosylation, or ubiquitination. Understanding how these PTMs are choreographed will lead to a better understanding of how resistance is achieved. Here we describe a protein purification method for nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat (NB-LRR)-interacting proteins and the subsequent identification of their post-translational modifications (PTMs). With small modifications, the protocol can be applied for the purification of other plant protein complexes. The method is based on the expression of an epitope-tagged version of the protein of interest, which is subsequently partially purified by immunoprecipitation and subjected to mass spectrometry for identification of interacting proteins and PTMs. This protocol demonstrates that: i). Dynamic changes in PTMs such as phosphorylation can be detected by mass spectrometry; ii). It is important to have sufficient quantities of the protein of interest, and this can compensate for the lack of purity of the immunoprecipitate; iii). In order to detect PTMs of a protein of interest, this protein has to be immunoprecipitated to get a sufficient quantity of protein.
Semiparametric Group Testing Models

Group testing through the use of pooling has proven to be an efficient method of reducing the time and cost associated with screening for a binary characteristic of interest such as infection status. Pooling strategies have also been implemented for the purposes of measuring continuous biological markers associated with disease status. A topic of key interest in both of the aforementioned settings involves the development of regression models that relate the individual level covariates to the (binary or continuous) pool testing responses. The research in this area has primarily focused on parametric regression models for binary responses. In this article, we propose a general semiparametric framework which can handle multi-dimensional covariates, binary or continuous pool testing responses, imperfect testing, and missing data. The asymptotic properties of our estimators are also presented. We investigate the performance of our methods through simulation and by applying them to hepatitis and diabetes data obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
Toward more accurate measurements of anorectal motor and sensory function in routine clinical practice: Validation of High‐Resolution Anorectal Manometry and Rapid Barostat Bag measurements of rectal function

Measurements of anorectal function using high‐resolution anorectal manometry (HR‐ARM) and rectal barostat technology provide more reliable results than standard ARM with an elastic balloon; however, HR‐ARM results have not been compared to ARM and standard barostat protocols are impractical in routine clinical practice. The aim of this study was to validate HR‐ARM against standard ARM and standard barostat against a novel Rapid Barostat Bag (RBB) measurement and elastic balloon measurements of rectal function.
Body posture in children with obesity - the relationship to physical activity (PA).

INTRODUCTION The modern world of electronic devices offers children and young people various forms of leisure activities, while reducing the need for natural movement, necessary for normal psychomotor development. Sedentary life contributes to an increased body weight and, thereby, to the development of body posture abnormalities. The aim of the study was to evaluate body posture, leisure activities, and the number of hours spent using electronic devices among children with obesity. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study involved 51 children with obesity (BMI above 95 percentile) - A group, and 69 children with normal body weight at the age of 9-13 years (10.98 ± 1.29) - B group (control). Body posture has been evaluated with the scoliometer, the digital inclinometer and the plumb line. The hump ratio has been calculated on the basis of SOSORT recommendations. Time spent in front of electronic devices based on a questionnaire results has also been calculated. RESULTS Children with obesity have more body posture defects in the sagittal plane than children with normal z-scores (p<0.001). 46.8% of children in group A have distorted depth of the two curvatures of the spine. In the control group, the majority of deviations have been observed in the evaluation of the ATR (Angle Trunk Rotation) at the lumbar spine (p<0.05), while in group A, at the level of the thoracic spine (40.42% vs. 23.07%). Both groups of respondents use electronic devices at least 3 days a week (p>0.05). Obese children often use mobile devices, while children with normal body weight often use desktop equipment. CONCLUSIONS Definitely more body posture abnormalities are found in the group of obese children. Children use electronic devices regardless of weight. It is worth to expand educational activities with programs that improve the quality of body posture through a daily change of abnormal patterns.
Simulation of a wind diesel system with a Ni-Cd battery energy storage

The subject of this paper is to present the modeling of a Wind Diesel Hybrid System (WDHS) composed by a Diesel Generator (DG), a Wind Turbine Generator (WTG), the consumer Load, a Ni-Cd Battery based Energy Storage System (BESS), a Dump Load and a Distributed Control System (DCS). All the models of the previously mentioned components are presented and the performance of the WDHS has been tested through simulation. Simulation results with graphs for the frequency, voltage and active powers for the elements of the Isolated Power System are presented for negative load and wind speed steps. The negative load step leads the system to a DG power inversion where the DG speed governor cannot control system frequency and it is shown how the DCS orders the BESS to load artificially the system until the DG power falls in a positive power interval. The negative wind step decreases the WTG produced power, returning the power system to a situation where the needed DG power returns to positive, so that the BESS is not needed to load the system.
Structure of Campylobacter jejuni Lipopolysaccharides Determines Antiganglioside Specificity and Clinical Features of Guillain-Barré and Miller Fisher Patients

ABSTRACT Ganglioside mimicry in the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) fraction of Campylobacter jejuni isolated from Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) and Miller Fisher syndrome (MFS) patients was compared with isolates from patients with an uncomplicated enteritis. The antibody response to C. jejuni LPS and gangliosides in neuropathy patients and controls was compared as well. LPS from GBS and MFS-associated isolates more frequently contained ganglioside-like epitopes compared to control isolates. Almost all neuropathy patients showed a strong antibody response against LPS and multiple gangliosides in contrast to enteritis patients. Isolates from GBS patients more frequently had a GM1-like epitope than isolates from MFS patients. GQ1b-like epitopes were present in all MFS-associated isolates and was associated with anti-GQ1b antibody reactivity and the presence of oculomotor symptoms. These results demonstrate that the expression of ganglioside mimics is a risk factor for the development of post-Campylobacter neuropathy. This study provides additional evidence for the hypothesis that the LPS fraction determines the antiganglioside specificity and clinical features in post-Campylobacter neuropathy patients.
Lens Epithelial Apoptosis and Cell Proliferation in Human Age-Related Cortical Cataract

Purpose To probe the presence of apoptosis in the epithelium of human lenses with age-related cortical cataract as well as to assess cell proliferation, a predicted consequence of apoptotic cell death, in this specific cell population. Methods DNA fragmentation was assessed using terminal digoxigenin-labeled dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) in capsulotomy specimens obtained from patients who underwent either extracapsular cataract extraction for the removal of adult-onset cortical cataract (n=27) or clear lens extraction for the correction of high myopia (n=25). Cell proliferation was assayed in 23 epithelia of cataractous lenses, and 20 epithelia of non-cataractous lenses with the proliferation marker MIB1, a monoclonal antibody against the nuclear antigen Ki-67 that is detected throughout the cell cycle but is absent in the resting (G0) cell. Results TUNEL staining was observed in 25 (92.6%) specimens of cataractous lenses, whereas cells undergoing apoptosis were identified in 2 (8%) of the epithelia from non-catarac-tous lenses. Only two MIB1-positive samples were detected, one of which was a capsule obtained during intracapsular cataract extraction. Conclusions The epithelium of human lenses with cortical cataract undergoes low rate apoptotic death. This limited epithelial apoptosis is unlikely to result in any significant cell density decrease since epithelial gaps are likely to be replaced by cell proliferation at the germinative zone of the anterior lens capsule. Nevertheless, the accumulation of small-scale epithelial losses during lifetime may induce alterations in lens fiber formation and homeostasis and result in loss of lens transparency.
How to Make Arbitrary Grammars Look Like Context-Free Grammars

Normal form theorems which factor arbitrary phrase-structure grammars into context-free grammars and “a little more” are presented. Every phrase-structure grammar is proven equivalent to one in which each production is either context-free or pure erasing. A pda-like machine is shown to characterize the phrase-structure languages.
Bene fi ts of ModestWeight Loss in Improving Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Overweight and Obese Individuals With Type 2 Diabetes

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—We conducted an observational analysis of participants in the Look AHEAD (Action For Health in Diabetes) study (n = 5,145, 40.5% male, 37% from ethnic/racial minorities) and examined the association between the magnitude of weight loss and changes in CVD risk factors at 1 year and the odds of meeting predefined criteria for clinically significant improvements in risk factors in individuals with type 2 diabetes.