Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Structure and processing of the mouse mammary tumor virus glycoprotein precursor pr73env

The polyprotein precursor to the envelope glycoproteins of mouse mammary tumor virus was investigated by using subcellular fractionation procedures, pactomycin mapping techniques, tunicamycin inhibition of glycosylation, and endo-beta-N-acetyl glucosaminidase H-catalyzed removal of glycosylated residues in order to characterize the biosynthesis and processing of the precursor. The results suggest that the precursor (Pr73env) is synthesized on the rough endoplasmic reticulum as a transmembrane protein, with the carboxyl terminus remaining on the cytoplasmic side. The apoprotein as an estimated molecular weight of 60,000 and acquires five core oligosaccharide units during synthesis. Cleavage of the precursor precedes the secondary glycosylation steps and therefore probably occurs before transport to the plasma membrane. However, a minor population of Pr73env containing complex oligosaccharides was also found in the plasma membrane. The order of the glycoproteins in the precursor, as determined by pactomycin mapping, in NH2-gp52-gp36-COOH.
Repetitive Task Practice: A Critical Review of Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy in Stroke

BACKGROUND–Constraint-induced (CI) movement therapy (also called forced use by some investigators and clinicians) has gained increasing popularity as a treatment mode for restoring function in the upper extremities of patients with stroke. The purpose of this article is to review the concept of constraint-induced movement therapy and provide a critical analysis of the existing data. REVIEW SUMMARY–The evidence to date offers encouragement for the application of this procedure for patients who have some movement recovery out of synergy. Success may be contingent on patient cooperation and intense repetitive use with applications of retraining through practice and shaping. The extent to which each of the latter elements influences the magnitude of recovery is still unclear. However, task novelty and challenge seem important to recovery of function. There are several methods used to map cortical changes after stroke. At this time, transcranial magnetic stimulation is the primary vehicle used to assess motor cortical reorganization after CI therapy in humans. CONCLUSIONS–Accumulating data indicate that the size of a cortical area representative of a muscle does expand and its center of gravity does change with CI therapy.
Ribosomal protein gene sequence changes in erythromycin-resistant mutants of Escherichia coli

The genes for ribosomal proteins L4 and L22 from two erythromycin-resistant mutants of Escherichia coli have been isolated and sequenced. In the L4 mutant, an A-to-G transition in codon 63 predicted a Lys-to-Glu change in the protein. In the L22 strain, a 9-bp deletion removed codons 82 to 84, eliminating the sequence Met-Lys-Arg from the protein. Consistent with these DNA changes, in comparison with wild-type proteins, both mutant proteins had reduced first-dimension mobilities in two-dimensional polyacrylamide gels. Complementation of each mutation by a wild-type gene on a plasmid vector resulted in increased erythromycin sensitivity in the partial-diploid strains. The fraction of ribosomes containing the mutant form of the protein was increased by growth in the presence of erythromycin. Erythromycin binding was increased by the fraction of wild-type protein present in the ribosome population. The strain with the L4 mutation was found to be cold sensitive for growth at 20 degrees C, and 50S-subunit assembly was impaired at this temperature. The mutated sequences are highly conserved in the corresponding proteins from a number of species. The results indicate the participation of these proteins in the interaction of erythromycin with the ribosome.
Fibroblast transformation parameters induced by the avian v-mil oncogene

An avian retrovirus containing only the v-mil oncogene (PA200-MH2) was analyzed for its ability to induce a transformed phenotype in chicken embryo fibroblasts. Infected cultures exhibited an altered morphology, disarranged actin cable filaments, and a decrease in the amount of cell surface fibronectin. In addition, these cells showed a high level of plasminogen activator protease activity and were also capable of growth in low serum concentrations. In contrast, PA200-MH2 was very inefficient at inducing foci under agar and colonies in semisolid medium relative to the Mill Hill 2 and Rous sarcoma viruses. This inefficiency was further reflected in vivo by the total inability of PA200-MH2 to induce wing tumors in young birds. However, 40% of the birds inoculated in the wing web with PA200-MH2-infected cells did develop slow-growing tumors at the site of injection, with no evidence of hematopoietic involvement. Our results indicate that the v-mil oncogene is transforming both in vitro and in vivo and that each of the oncogenes in the Mill Hill 2 virus, v-mil and v-myc, can independently transform fibroblasts. These data suggest that v-mil is functionally related to its homologous murine counterpart, v-raf, which also transforms fibroblasts.
Interstitial branch formation within the red nucleus by deep cerebellar nuclei‐derived commissural axons during target recognition

Target recognition by developing axons is one of the fundamental steps for establishing the proper pattern of neuronal connectivity during development. However, knowledge of the mechanisms that underlie this critical event is still limited. In this study, to examine how commissural axons in vertebrates recognize their targets after crossing the midline, we analyzed in detail the behavior of postcrossing commissural axons derived from the deep cerebellar nuclei (DCN) in the developing mouse cerebellum. For this, we employed a cell‐type‐specific genetic labeling approach to selectively visualize DCN axons during the time when these axons project to the red nucleus (RN), one of the well‐characterized targets of DCN axons. We found that, when DCN axons initially entered the RN at its caudal end, these axons continued to grow rostrally through the RN without showing noticeable morphological signs of axon branching. Interestingly, after a delay, DCN axons started forming interstitial branches from the portion of the axon shaft selectively within the RN. Because commissural axons acquire responsiveness to several guidance cues when they cross the midline, we further addressed whether midline crossing is a prerequisite for subsequent targeting by using a Robo3 knockdown strategy. We found that DCN axons were still capable of forming interstitial branches within the RN even in the absence of midline crossing. These results therefore suggest that the mechanism of RN recognition by DCN axons involves a delayed interstitial branching, and that these axons possess an intrinsic ability to respond to the target‐derived cues irrespective of midline crossing. J. Comp. Neurol. 524:999–1014, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Acquiring Accurate State Estimates For Use In Autonomous Flight

Autonomous flight of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) demands continuous and accurate estimates of both orientation and position. This thesis presents three methods for obtaining accurate orientation estimates from angular velocity measurements obtained with sensors mounted on the UAV combined with measurements of the Earth’s magnetic and gravitational fields. The difficulties stemming from these sensors’ inherent noise characteristics are discussed, and methods for reducing their effects are presented. It is shown that procedures continuously estimating the bias present in measurements of the angular velocity can lead to significantly lowered estimation errors. This thesis also presents an implementation of a Kalman filter for obtaining accurate position estimates. Using the estimated orientation the filter fuses acceleration measurements with GPS position and velocity estimates to produce accurate position estimates at a high rate. This project has hereby examined a range of aspects for converting noisy and diverse measurements to useful and accurate data and thus laid the groundwork required in order to build an autopilot for UAVs.
Extending key sharing: how to generate a key tightly coupled to a network security policy

Current state of the art security policy technologies, besides the small scale limitation and largely manual nature of accompanied management methods, are lacking a) in real-timeliness of policy implementation and b) vulnerabilities and inflexibility stemming from the centralized policy decision making; even if, for example, a policy description or access control database is distributed, the actual decision is often a centralized action and forms a system single point of failure. In this paper we are presenting a new fundamental concept that allows implement a security policy by a systematic and efficient key distribution procedure. Specifically, we extend the polynomial Shamir key splitting. According to this, a global key is split into n parts, any k of which can re-construct the original key. In this paper we present a method that instead of having "any k parts" be able to re-construct the original key, the latter can only be reconstructed if keys are combined as any access control policy describes. This leads into an easily deployable key generation procedure that results a single key per entity that "knows" its role in the specific access control policy from which it was derived. The system is considered efficient as it may be used to avoid expensive PKI operations or pairwise key distributions as well as provides superior security due to its distributed nature, the fact that the key is tightly coupled to the policy, and that policy change may be implemented easier and faster.
Patients requiring interruption of long‐term oral anticoagulant therapy: the use of fixed sub‐therapeutic doses of low‐molecular‐weight heparin

Summary. Introduction: We tested the efficacy and safety of fixed doses of low‐molecular‐weight heparin (LMWH) in patients requiring interruption of vitamin‐K antagonist (VKA) because of invasive procedures. Methodology: Preoperatively, patients discontinued VKA for 5 ± 1 days; in those at low risk for thrombosis, LMWH was given at a prophylactic dosage of 3800 UI (nadroparin) or 4000 UI (enoxaparin) anti‐factor (F) Xa once daily the night before the procedure. In patients at high risk for thrombosis, LMWH was started early after VKA cessation and given at fixed sub‐therapeutic doses (3800 or 4000 UI anti‐FXa twice daily) until surgery. Postoperatively, LMWH was reinitiated 12 h after procedure while VKA was reinitiated the day after. Heparin was continued until a therapeutic INR value was reached. The primary efficacy endpoints were the incidence of thromboembolism and major bleeding from VKA suspension (because of surgery) up to 30 ± 2 days postprocedure. Results: A total of 328 patients (55.4% at low risk and 44.6% at high risk for thrombosis) were enrolled; 103 (31.4%) underwent major surgery and 225 (68.6%) non‐major invasive procedures. Overall, thromboembolic events occurred in six patients (1.8%, 95% confidence interval 0.4–3.2), five belonging to the high‐risk group and one belonging to the low‐risk group. Overall, major bleeding occurred in seven patients (2.1%, 95 confidence interval 0.6–3.6), six patients belonged to the high‐risk group and one belonged to the low‐risk group; most of the events occurred in the high‐risk group during major surgery. Conclusion: LMWH given at fixed sub‐therapeutic doses appears to be a feasible and safe approach for bridging therapy in chronic anticoagulated patients.
Indoor positioning method based on inertial data, RSSI and compass from handheld smart-device

A novel indoor positioning method based on user's inertial measurements, measured radio signal strength indicator (RSSI), and compass readings is presented. Based on distance travelled derived from inertial measurements and heading direction from compass readings, the user's position is initially computed using Dead-Reckoning (DR) method. Then the estimated position, under certain condition, will be further corrected based on the RSSI and compass reading. Experiment results are presented to show the feasibility of the proposed method.
Biomedical Investigations Using Fourier Transform-Infrared Microspectroscopy

One of the most exciting recent developments in infrared spectroscopy has been the coupling of the spectrometer to an infrared microscope. The combination of the new infrared spectrometer and a microscope was a natural thought of scientists in these fields. This development has been so rewarding and so useful in solving today's chemical problems that infrared microspectroscopy has quickly become a significant subclassification of infrared spectroscopy. Infrared microspectroscopy has a much longer history than the recent enthusiasm would imply, however. The great interest in the use of infrared spectroscopy to solve biomedical problems that occurred in recent years shortly spread into the medical and biological fields. The aim of this review is to discuss the new developments in applications of FT-IR microspectroscopy in biomedical analysis, covering the period between 2008 and 2013.
Red-fleshed sweet orange juice improves the risk factors for metabolic syndrome

Abstract Orange juice consumption can promote lower levels of oxidative stress and inflammation due to the antioxidant activity of citrus flavonoids and carotenoids. In addition, red-fleshed sweet orange juice (red orange juice) also contains lycopene. This study investigated the effects of red orange juice consumption on risk factors for metabolic syndrome. Volunteers consumed red orange juice daily for 8 weeks, with clinical and biochemical assessments performed at baseline and on the final day. There was no change in the abdominal obesity, but low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, C-reactive protein decreased, while there was an increase of the antioxidant activity in serum after red orange juice consumption. Insulin resistance and systolic blood pressure were reduced in normal-weight volunteers, while diastolic blood pressure decreased in overweight volunteers after intervention. Red orange juice showed anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and lipid-lowering properties that may prevent the development of metabolic syndrome.
Autoimmune oophoritis in thymectomized mice: T cell requirement in adoptive cell transfer.

Experimental autoimmune oophoritis characterized by rapid loss of oocytes with infiltration of lymphocytes and circulating anti-oocyte antibodies could be induced in (C57Bl/6Cr x A/JCr)F1 mice after thymectomy (Tx) at a critical age of 3 days (Tx-3) but not 0. or 7 days after birth without any sensitization. The lesion of the ovary was passively transferred into neonatal, but not adult, mice 7 days after intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of spleen cells (10(7)) obtained from syngeneic donors with oophoritis. In contrast, the lesion was never evoked in the recipient ovaries when spleen cells were prepared from Tx-3 mice ovariectomized at day 0. The spleen cells prepared from Tx-3 donors, depleted of T cells by incubation with anti-Thy 1.2 antiserum plus guinea-pig complement (GPC), showed no transfer capacity. However, the spleen cells prepared from the same donors, depleted of B cells with anti-Ig antiserum plus GPC, still kept the capacity to induce oophoritis. The results indicate the presence of autoreactive T cells against ovarian tissues in Tx-3 mice which are capable of inducing oophoritis.
Optimization of metabolic stability as a goal of modern drug design

Metabolism and other pharmacokinetic (PK) studies have always played a critical role in helping to optimize the bioavailability and duration of action of new drugs thereby increasing their success rate. With the advent of automated combinatorial synthesis, high‐throughput pharmacological testing, and the ability to create extensive databases in the past decade, drug discovery has undergone an amazing evolution. With the increased throughput of drug discovery, metabolism and other PK studies have evolved to keep pace. Often called “early ADME” studies, these studies are characterized by parallel processing and higher throughput than before. This article focuses on a particular class of early ADME (absorption, distribution mechanism, and excretion) studies known as “metabolic stability” studies. The theoretical basis for metabolic stability and its relationship to the concept of metabolic intrinsic clearance is briefly presented. Some key relationships between structure and metabolism are summarized. Several case studies from recent medicinal chemistry literature are reviewed to exemplify how metabolic stability studies influenced drug design and led to improvements in bioavailability and half‐life. Finally, future trends in drug metabolism and analytical chemistry and how they may influence metabolic stability studies are reviewed. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Med Res Rev, 21, No. 5, 412–449, 2001
Factors Affecting the Intention to Adopt Electronic Bill Presentation and Payment

Electronic Bill Presentation and Payment (EBPP) is a technology that is slowly gaining acceptance by consumers. The study intends to investigate the factors that affect adoption intentions of consumers. The attitudinal, social and behavioral factors, based on the decomposed Theory of Planned Behavior Model, which may influence the intention to adopt, will be determined.
Discovery and characterization of thermophilic limonene‐1,2‐epoxide hydrolases from hot spring metagenomic libraries

The epoxide hydrolases (EHs) represent an attractive option for the synthesis of chiral epoxides and 1,2‐diols which are valuable building blocks for the synthesis of several pharmaceutical compounds. A metagenomic approach has been used to identify two new members of the atypical EH limonene‐1,2‐epoxide hydrolase (LEH) family of enzymes. These two LEHs (Tomsk‐LEH and CH55‐LEH) show EH activities towards different epoxide substrates, differing in most cases from those previously identified for Rhodococcus erythropolis (Re‐LEH) in terms of stereoselectivity. Tomsk‐LEH and CH55‐LEH, both from thermophilic sources, have higher optimal temperatures and apparent melting temperatures than Re‐LEH. The new LEH enzymes have been crystallized and their structures solved to high resolution in the native form and in complex with the inhibitor valpromide for Tomsk‐LEH and poly(ethylene glycol) for CH55‐LEH. The structural analysis has provided insights into the LEH mechanism, substrate specificity and stereoselectivity of these new LEH enzymes, which has been supported by mutagenesis studies.
A comparative study of manic vs schizophrenic speech disorganization.

Recent studies have indicated that thought disorder occurs among manics at least to the same degree as among schizophrenics. The present study assumes that thought disorder can be considered as an abnormality of language whereby listeners are unable to organize speech into a single, coherent "whole. " A model of language processing is presented that predicts that the incoherence of manic speech is due to shifts from one coherent discourse structure to another, while the ability of schizophrenic speakers to construct any discourse structure is deficient. A discourse analysis was applied to normal, manic, and schizophrenic speech samples. The two hypotheses were supported. The implications of these findings in light of other investigations of mania and schizophrenia are discussed.
Mitochondrial Injury in Human Acute Carbon Monoxide Poisoning: The Effect of Oxygen Treatment

The best oxygen therapy for acute carbon monoxide poisoning (ACOP) remains unestablished. Reported mitochondrial complex IV (mtCIV) inhibition, together with carboxyhaemoglobin (COHb)-induced hypoxia, may influence acute clinical symptoms and outcome. To “mitochondrially” evaluate treatment efficacy, we correlated intoxication severity and symptoms with mitochondrial function (mtCIV activity) and oxidative stress (lipid peroxidation) in 60 poisoned patients and determined ACOP recovery depending on either normobaric or hyperbaric oxygen therapy along a 3-month follow-up. In the present article we positively evaluate mtCIV as a good marker of ACOP recovery, treatment effectiveness, and late neurological syndrome development, which advocates for hyperbaric oxygen therapy as the treatment of choice. However, we discourage its usefulness as a severity marker because of its excessive sensitivity. We additionally evaluate oxidative stress role and prognostic factors for neurological sequelae development.
Semi-automating the manual literature search for systematic reviews increases efficiency.

BACKGROUND To minimise retrieval bias, manual literature searches are a key part of the search process of any systematic review. Considering the need to have accurate information, valid results of the manual literature search are essential to ensure scientific standards; likewise efficient approaches that minimise the amount of personnel time required to conduct a manual literature search are of great interest. OBJECTIVE The objective of this project was to determine the validity and efficiency of a new manual search method that utilises the scopus database. METHODS We used the traditional manual search approach as the gold standard to determine the validity and efficiency of the proposed scopus method. Outcome measures included completeness of article detection and personnel time involved. Using both methods independently, we compared the results based on accuracy of the results, validity and time spent conducting the search, efficiency. RESULTS Regarding accuracy, the scopus method identified the same studies as the traditional approach indicating its validity. In terms of efficiency, using scopus led to a time saving of 62.5% compared with the traditional approach (3 h versus 8 h). CONCLUSIONS The scopus method can significantly improve the efficiency of manual searches and thus of systematic reviews.
Enhancing Knowledge of Colorectal Cancer Among African Americans: Why Are We Waiting Until Age 50?

Because of low rates of colorectal cancer screening among African Americans, it may be beneficial to begin educating persons about this disease before age 50. Using the Patient/Provider/System Theoretical Model for cancer screening, this study compared knowledge of colorectal cancer, sources of information, and awareness of programs among participants of age 20–29, 30–49, and 50–75 years. The majority (n = 354) were women and African American (mean age = 37 years, mean education = 12th grade). Younger participants tended to know less about the disease, but there were few differences in knowledge between the two older groups. Persons in the 40–49-year age group were more likely to be familiar with the role diet plays in the risk of colorectal cancer. Participants associated the need for screening with the presence of symptoms. Television and radio were listed as the most frequent source of information about cancer. The Internet was the least used. The majority were not familiar with selected national programs and services focused on increasing awareness of cancer. Findings suggest that colorectal cancer-related information should be targeted toward this population before age 50, using multiple sources such as TV/radio, providers, magazines, and cancer-related organizations. An estimated 104,950 colon and 40,340 rectal cancer cases will be diagnosed in 2005 with an estimated 56,290 deaths from the disease (American Cancer Society [ACS], 2005). Despite a stabilization of colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence rates since the 1980s, African American males and females have higher incidence and mortality rates associated with this disease compared to Whites. The 5-year survival rate for CRC among African Americans improved to 54% during the years 1995–2000, but lagged well behind the 64% survival rate for Whites during the same time period. Screening and early detection of CRC followed by effective treatment is crucial to reducing these mortality rates.