Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Giardia Colonizes and Encysts in High-Density Foci in the Murine Small Intestine

Giardia is a single-celled parasite causing significant diarrheal disease in several hundred million people worldwide. Due to limited access to the site of infection in the gastrointestinal tract, our understanding of the dynamics of Giardia infections in the host has remained limited and largely inferred from laboratory culture. To better understand Giardia physiology and colonization in the host, we developed imaging methods to quantify Giardia expressing bioluminescent physiological reporters in two relevant animal models. We discovered that parasites primarily colonize and encyst in the proximal small intestine in discrete, high-density foci. We also show that high parasite density contributes to encystation initiation. ABSTRACT Giardia lamblia is a highly prevalent yet understudied protistan parasite causing significant diarrheal disease worldwide. Hosts ingest Giardia cysts from contaminated sources. In the gastrointestinal tract, cysts excyst to become motile trophozoites, colonizing and attaching to the gut epithelium. Trophozoites later differentiate into infectious cysts that are excreted and contaminate the environment. Due to the limited accessibility of the gut, the temporospatial dynamics of giardiasis in the host are largely inferred from laboratory culture and thus may not mirror Giardia physiology in the host. Here, we have developed bioluminescent imaging (BLI) to directly interrogate and quantify the in vivo temporospatial dynamics of Giardia infection, thereby providing an improved murine model to evaluate anti-Giardia drugs. Using BLI, we determined that parasites primarily colonize the proximal small intestine nonuniformly in high-density foci. By imaging encystation-specific bioreporters, we show that encystation initiates shortly after inoculation and continues throughout the duration of infection. Encystation also initiates in high-density foci in the proximal small intestine, and high density contributes to the initiation of encystation in laboratory culture. We suggest that these high-density in vivo foci of colonizing and encysting Giardia likely result in localized disruption to the epithelium. This more accurate visualization of giardiasis redefines the dynamics of the in vivo Giardia life cycle, paving the way for future mechanistic studies of density-dependent parasitic processes in the host. IMPORTANCE Giardia is a single-celled parasite causing significant diarrheal disease in several hundred million people worldwide. Due to limited access to the site of infection in the gastrointestinal tract, our understanding of the dynamics of Giardia infections in the host has remained limited and largely inferred from laboratory culture. To better understand Giardia physiology and colonization in the host, we developed imaging methods to quantify Giardia expressing bioluminescent physiological reporters in two relevant animal models. We discovered that parasites primarily colonize and encyst in the proximal small intestine in discrete, high-density foci. We also show that high parasite density contributes to encystation initiation.
Adjunctive hyperbaric oxygen in pseudomonas keratitis

Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) has been reported as an adjunctive treatment for various corneal conditions.1,2 We report a case of contact-lens associated Pseudomonas keratitis which we treated adjunctively with hyperbaric oxygen. A 30-year-old female presented with pain and progressive blurring in the left eye. She was wearing daily disposable contact lenses when she was splashed with muddy water in the face whilst mountain-biking. Left visual acuity on presentation was 6/12. A 4 mm × 4 mm superior corneal ulcer with underlying infiltrate was noted. Corneal scrapings were obtained before commencing hourly topical gentamicin 0.9% and cephalothin 5%. A heavy growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa sensitive to ceftazidime, gentamicin, ciprofloxacin, imipenem, piperacillin, ticarcillin and tobramycin was cultured. On the second day of admission, visual acuity deteriorated to …
Two New Mechanisms of Macrolide Resistance in Clinical Strains ofStreptococcus pneumoniae from Eastern Europe and North America

ABSTRACT Resistance to macrolides in pneumococci is generally mediated by methylation of 23S rRNA via erm(B) methylase which can confer a macrolide (M)-, lincosamide (L)-, and streptogramin B (SB)-resistant (MLSB) phenotype or by drug efflux via mef(A) which confers resistance to 14- and 15-membered macrolides only. We studied 20 strains with unusual ML or MSB phenotypes which did not harbor erm(B) ormef(A). The strains had been isolated from patients in Eastern Europe and North America from 1992 to 1998. These isolates were found to contain mutations in genes for either 23S rRNA or ribosomal proteins. Three strains from the United States with an ML phenotype, each representing a different clone, were characterized as having an A2059G (Escherichia coli numbering) change in three of the four 23S rRNA alleles. Susceptibility to macrolides and lincosamides decreased as the number of alleles in isogenic strains containing A2059G increased. Sixteen MSB strains from Eastern Europe were found to contain a 3-amino-acid substitution (69GTG71 to TPS) in a highly conserved region of the ribosomal protein L4 (63KPWRQKGTGRAR74). These strains formed several distinct clonal types. The single MSB strain from Canada contained a 6-amino-acid L4 insertion (69GTGREKGTGRAR), which impacted growth rate and also conferred a 500-fold increase in MIC on the ketolide telithromycin. These macrolide resistance mechanisms from clinical isolates are similar to those recently described for laboratory-derived mutants.
Inhibitory effect of a selective cyclooxygenase inhibitor on the invasion‐stimulating activity of orthotopic fibroblasts for scirrhous gastric cancer cells

The cyclooxygenase (COX)‐2 inhibitor has been reported to impede the progression of gastric cancer, but underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We therefore investigated the effect of a COX‐2 inhibitor, JTE‐522, on the ability of orthotopic fibroblasts to stimulate invasion of scirrhous gastric carcinoma cells. The human scirrhous gastric cancer cell lines OCUM‐2D or OCUM‐2M, and human gastric fibroblasts (NF‐21) were cultured in the absence or presence of JTE‐522 at various concentrations. Cancer cells were then assayed for invasiveness in vitro by invasion assay. The effect of prostaglandins (PG) on growth factor production in NF‐21 cells was examined by ELISA. Finally, the effects of orally administrated JTE‐522 on orthotopically transplanted tumors were examined in nude mice. NF‐21 cells stimulated invasion by OCUM‐2D cells, an effect suppressed by JTE‐522 at 5 × 10−6 M. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and PGE2 production by NF‐21 cells were suppressed by JTE‐522 (P < 0.01). PGE2 stimulated HGF production by NF‐21 cells in a dose‐dependent manner. JTE‐522 significantly suppressed orthotopic tumor growth and lymph node metastasis, and also decreased HGF expression by fibroblasts within the gastric tumor. In conclusion, we found that gastric fibroblasts stimulated invasiveness in scirrhous gastric cancer cells, whereas a selective COX‐2 inhibitor inhibited this paracrine effect by decreasing fibroblast PGE2 production, resulting in downregulation of HGF production. (Cancer Sci 2005; 96: 451–455)
414-bit multiplication on the ARM Cortex-M 0

This thesis presents a low-level implementation of 414-bit multiplication on the ARM Cortex-M0, using four levels of Karatsuba and one level of schoolbook multiplication. This multiplication is an important part of Curve41417 created by D. Bernstein and T. Lange. This implementation requires 4014 clock cycles.
Symptomatic Ossification of the Ligamentum Flavum: A Clinical Series From the French Antilles

Study Design. A series of 14 patients from the French Antilles treated for ossification of the ligamentum flavum (OLF). Objectives. To describe the clinical and radiologic aspects, as well as disease course in a group of Caribbean patients. Also describe the use of sagittal computerized tomography (CT) reconstructions to distinguish OLF from calcification of the ligamenta flava. Summary of Background Data. OLF is a rare disease described almost exclusively in Japanese patients. Only rarely are patients of African descent affected. No series of OLF in African American or African Caribbean subjects has previously been published. Methods. A retrospective study of 14 consecutive patients, including 7 men and 7 women (mean age, 66.8 years), was conducted from 1996 to 2003. Diagnosis in each case was established using CT. Magnetic resonance imaging was also performed in every case. For the 11 patients treated surgically, pathology studies were performed. Results. Walking difficulties were the most common presenting complaint. A picture of spastic paraparesis associated with sphincter dysfunction was the most common finding on initial examination. In each case, CT provided sufficient information to establish a diagnosis of OLF, while magnetic resonance imaging was helpful for showing spinal cord involvement. In most of the patients, OLF was located in the lower thoracic spine. Surgical decompression through a posterior approach resulted in regression of symptoms in all 11 patients treated surgically. Conclusions. This study is the first reported series of OLF in a group of Caribbean patients. The disease appears to be underreported in the African Caribbean population. OLF can lead to debilitating thoracic myelopathy. Surgery is frequently indicated and achieves favorable results.
Stability Analytics of Vulnerabilities in Financial Time Series

In this article we give a brief overview to the recently introduced stability analytics to analyze and quantify vulnerabilities in financial time series. We present the underlying statistical concepts for analyzing change points and structural breaks, for detecting extreme values and outliers and for exploring non-stationarities and multi-fractal behavior. The analytics are applied to the long term U.S. Large Cap Stocks Index and the Commodity Research Bureau Index ranging back to 1925.
Developments in online monitoring of haemodialysis patients: towards global assessment of dialysis adequacy

Purpose of reviewOnline monitoring of haemodialysis provides more detailed and more immediate measurement of parameters currently assessed during haemodialysis. It can also assess novel variables that are not routinely measured and could intensively monitor the haemodynamic response to dialysis. In an era of expanding numbers of increasingly dependent patients on dialysis, the ability to provide intensive and extensive monitoring of haemodialysis is a boon. The technology available to do this is rapidly becoming more sophisticated, more widely available and more diverse than ever before. Recent findingsAdequacy of urea removal is of crucial importance to mortality on haemodialysis, and online monitoring of urea removal is now achievable using a number of different methods. Some of these methods also measure sodium flux, allowing precise monitoring of sodium balance. Haemodynamic disturbance can be assessed using relative blood volume monitoring equipment, or more directly with non-invasive pulse-wave analysis giving a continuous blood pressure reading. The attributes of each of the separate technologies involved are examined. SummaryOnline monitoring of a variety of pertinent parameters during haemodialysis provides an array of tools that are steadily being incorporated into routine clinical practice. Research is also benefiting from novel insights into the process of haemodialysis provided by this technology.
Protecting Human Health From Air Pollution: Shifting From a Single-pollutant to a Multipollutant Approach

To date, the assessment of public health consequences of air pollution has largely focused on a single-pollutant approach aimed at estimating the increased risk of adverse health outcomes associated with the exposure to a single air pollutant, adjusted for the exposure to other air pollutants. However, air masses always contain many pollutants in differing amounts, depending on the types of emission sources and atmospheric conditions. Because humans are simultaneously exposed to a complex mixture of air pollutants, many organizations have encouraged moving towards “a multipollutant approach to air quality. ” Although there is general agreement that multipollutant approaches are desirable, the challenges of implementing them are vast.
Frequent occurrence of parvovirus B19 DNAemia in the first year after kidney transplantation

Described for the first time in 1986, Parvovirus B19 (B19V) infection in kidney transplant recipients remains little‐known and probably underestimated. The aims of this study were to establish B19V infection frequency during the first year after kidney transplant and to determine predisposing factors and manifestations of the infection in renal transplant recipients. Sixty consecutive adult patients, transplanted less than a year before, were included in this study. B19V and other opportunistic viral infections were detected retrospectively in plasma samples collected every 15 days during the first 3 months and every month from 3 months to 1 year following the kidney transplant. Demographic characteristics, immunosuppressive treatment and biological findings were recorded on each sampling date. Six patients (10%) presented B19V viremia, while eight CMV (13.3%), seven EBV (11.7%), five HHV‐6 (8.3%), five BKV (8.3%), and two adenovirus (3.3%) infections were detected. The mean value of B19V viral load was 149 UI/ml. B19V infections were either reactivation or reinfection due to genotype two in five cases, while one case of primary infection with genotype 1 was observed. Neither risk factors nor biological consequences of B19V infection have been identified. These results rank B19V third among opportunistic viral infections occurring during the first year after a kidney transplant. With regard to this high incidence, and even if the risk factors and biological consequences of the infection should be assessed in larger studies, the question of systematic screening and follow‐up of B19V infection in kidney transplant recipients is relevant. J. Med. Virol. 85: 1115–1121, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Evaluation of Geometric Context Models for Handwritten Numeral String Recognition

Character string recognition based on over segmentation by integrating character classifier and context models has been demonstrated successful. Geometric context models characterizing the candidate character likeliness and between character relationship have shown benefits in several scripts but have not been evaluated in numeral string recognition. Compared with Chinese scripts mixed with alphanumeric and punctuation marks, numeral strings are less variant in character outline and between-character relationship. This study, via evaluating geometric context models used in Chinese handwritten text recognition, shows that geometric context is beneficial to handwritten numeral string recognition as well. Particularly, we propose an improved binary geometric model that combines single-character and between-character features such that the model functions like a bi-character classifier. Combining this binary geometric model with unary geometric model and character classifier, we obtain significant improvement of numeral string recognition performance on the NIST SD-19.
Evolution of Developmental Control Mechanisms Multiple Wnts are involved in Hydra organizer formation and regeneration

article i nfo Wnt genes and β-Catenin signaling are involved in axial patterning processes in vertebrate embryogenesis in setting up the Spemann-Mangold organizer in amphibian embryos. An organizer with a similar function is present in the hypostome of an adult Hydra polyp. Previously, a Hydra ortholog of Wnt3 (HyWnt3), which is expressed in the hypostome, has been described. Here, ten additional Hydra Wnt genes have been identified. Of these, six (HyWnt1 ,- 7 ,- 9/10a ,- 9/10c ,- 11, and -16) are expressed in the adult hypostome. And, as is HyWnt3, these six Wnt genes are also expressed when a new head organizer is formed during head regeneration and bud formation. The kinetics of Wnt gene expressions during head regeneration suggests that a cascade of consecutive Wnt activation accompanies regeneration, and HyWnt3 begins this cascade. Recombinant HyWnt3 protein induced body column tissue to undergo head formation. It also increased the head formation capacity in the head regeneration-deficient mutant strain reg-16 to that of wild-type strains. In addition our data reveal striking similarities in the molecular basis of the organizer in Hydra and axis polarization in chordates (e.g. Spemann's organizer) as well as it's role in regeneration suggesting a conserved function of Wnt signaling in setting up this ancient metazoan signaling center.
Channel width adaptation and access in high-density WiFi networks

WiFi will be an important choice to load off the ever increasing data demand of end users in future mobile converged networks, which will inevitably result in high-density WiFi deployments. However, higher density of WiFi networks is not a guarantee to obtain higher throughput, because of the increasing interference among end users and overlapped WiFi networks. As a solution to this problem, this research proposes a flexible framework for fine-grained channel width adaptation and multi-channel access in WiFi networks. The framework adopts DOFDM (Discontinuous Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) in physical layer, which allocates the frequency resource in the granularity of sub-carrier. And in MAC layer, it uses a frequency-time domain backoff scheme to decrease the access collision, resulting in higher access probability for the contending nodes.
A Nitric Oxide/Cyclic GMP‐Dependent Protein Kinase Pathway Alters Transmitter Release and Inhibition by Somatostatin at a Site Downstream of Calcium Entry

Abstract: We have examined the somatostatin‐mediated modulation of acetylcholine release from intact chick embryo choroid tissue and compared these data with those obtained using acutely dissociated neuronal cell bodies from the chick ciliary ganglion. Acetylcholine release, evoked in a calcium‐dependent manner by a high potassium (55 mM KCl) stimulation in both preparations, was inhibited almost completely by 100 nM somatostatin. Measurement of intracellular calcium in these neurons revealed that somatostatin blocked the large calcium transient that was observed in control neurons following KCl exposure. The modulatory effect of somatostatin on transmitter release was significantly attenuated by pretreatment with pharmacologic agents that selectively block cyclic GMP (cGMP)‐dependent protein kinase (PKG) or nitric oxide (NO) synthase. It is interesting that this prevention of somatostatin‐mediated acetylcholine release inhibition occurred without reversal of the somatostatin‐mediated block of the KCl‐evoked calcium transient. Furthermore, a NO donor or cGMP analogue could block KCl‐evoked acetylcholine release, but only cGMP could reduce the KCl‐evoked calcium transient. Although cGMP could reduce the KCl‐evoked calcium transient, a cGMP analogue was shown to reduce calcium ionophore‐evoked transmitter release. Thus, somatostatin reduces acetylcholine release by modulating calcium influx, but the NO‐PKG pathway can inhibit acetylcholine release, and alter somatostatin‐mediated inhibition, by affecting transmitter release at some point after calcium entry.
A High-Speed and Low-Breakdown-Voltage Silicon Avalanche Photodetector

A silicon avalanche photodetector with a low breakdown voltage of -6.78 V is demonstrated by narrowing down the intrinsic layer width of interdigitated p-i-n junctions to ~ 150 nm. It reaches the physical limit of avalanche breakdown in which the performance degradation caused by the Zener tunneling process is negligible. Dark current at -4 V is measured, and a responsivity (gain) exceeding 1.424 A/W (110) at -6.75 V is obtained with an 850-nm laser illumination. The intrinsic bandwidth is determined to be 10 GHz, suggesting our device is applicable for a 10-Gb/s high-speed optical receiver application and beyond.
The Weaver theoretical approach to generate some important TV digital signals for the transmission systems

Nowadays many research centers around the entire world have been concentrating their efforts to discover what is the more convenient digital transmission system that can substitute appropriately that conventional analog one, which for many years were used and reached a very sophisticate technology. In front of this very important demanded question, a great number of telecommunication companies have been acquiring a large experience to modeling, implementing and testing efficient transmission equipments. Besides of the technological background demanded in the implementation of actual modern electronic architectures, it takes an important hole to adopt an appropriate way for the modeling. The main purpose of this paper is to present an accurate way to generate a class of important digital signals, like the SSB, VSB 8-VSB by using the Weaver method as the fundamental theoretical tool.
Proteomic Analysis of and Immune Responses to Ehrlichia chaffeensis Lipoproteins

ABSTRACT Ehrlichia chaffeensis is an obligately intracellular gram-negative bacterium and is the etiologic agent of human monocytic ehrlichiosis (HME). Although E. chaffeensis induces the generation of several cytokines and chemokines by leukocytes, E. chaffeensis lacks lipopolysaccharide and peptidoglycan. Bioinfomatic analysis of the E. chaffeensis genome, however, predicted genes encoding 15 lipoproteins and 3 posttranslational lipoprotein-processing enzymes. The present study showed that by use of multidimensional liquid chromatography followed by tandem mass spectrometry, all predicted lipoproteins as well as lipoprotein-processing enzymes were expressed by E. chaffeensis cultured in the human promyelocytic leukemia cell line HL-60. Consistent with this observation, a signal peptidase II inhibitor, globomycin, was found to inhibit E. chaffeensis infection and lipoprotein processing in HL-60 cell culture. To study in vivo E. chaffeensis lipoprotein expression and host immune responses to E. chaffeensis lipoproteins, 13 E. chaffeensis lipoprotein genes were cloned into a mammalian expression vector. When the DNA constructs were inoculated into naïve dogs, or when dogs were infected with E. chaffeensis, the animals developed delayed-type hypersensitivity reactions at cutaneous sites of the DNA construct deposition and serum antibodies to these lipoproteins. This is the first demonstration of lipoprotein expression and elicitation of immune responses by a member of the order Rickettsiales. Multiple lipoproteins expressed by E. chaffeensis in vitro and in vivo may play key roles in pathogenesis and immune responses in HME.
Algorithms for Correcting Velocity Vectors in Ultrasonic Particle Image Velocimetry

We have recently developed a novel contrast-based ultrasonic particle imaging technique (Echo PIV) for multi-dimensional blood flow imaging. In the technique, the quality of vectors is important for quantitative blood flow imaging. Here we introduce an algorithm for vectors correction by filtering in frequency domain and applying continuity equation. The algorithm was tested in the Echo PIV imaging of rotational flow field and found to be effective in improving the quantitative blood flow imaging quality.
Preservation of quality of life after intensity‐modulated radiotherapy for early‐stage nasopharyngeal carcinoma: Results of a prospective longitudinal study

Xerostomia is a ubiquitous complication after conventional radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) that seriously impairs patient quality of life (QOL). The effect on QOL of parotid‐sparing intensity‐modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for early‐stage NPC was assessed prospectively.