Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Are there non-trivial dynamic cross-correlations in proteins?

The analysis of internal motion in ensembles of flexible molecules in coordinate space requires the removal of overall motion by a least-squares fitting procedure of the Cartesian coordinates. It has been demonstrated that the choice of the atom set used for fitting influences the picture of the internal motion of BPTI. We have performed essential dynamics analyses of a 1 ns molecular dynamics trajectory of the single-stranded DNA-binding protein from the Pf3 phage using either all alpha-carbon atoms or the least mobile ones for fitting the trajectory prior to the analysis. We found that covariances of atoms separated by long distances were significantly reduced in the latter case; the overall overlap of essential spaces was still high. In the second part we present a method that does not introduce and bias caused by overall motion: principal component analysis in distance space. Non-trivial dynamic cross-correlations were preserved in distance space, which answers the question posed in the title in the affirmative. However, cross-correlations were throughout smaller than those detected by standard essential dynamics analyses.
Self-Sensing of Deflection, Force, and Temperature for Joule-Heated Twisted and Coiled Polymer Muscles via Electrical Impedance

The recently introduced twisted and coiled polymer muscle is an inexpensive and lightweight compliant actuator. Incorporation of the muscle in applications that rely on feedback creates the need for deflection and force sensing. In this paper, we explore a sensing principle that does not require any bulky or expensive additional hardware: self-sensing via electrical impedance. To this end, we characterize the relation between electrical impedance on the one hand, and deflection, force, and temperature on the other hand for the Joule-heated version of this muscle. Investigation of the theoretical relations provides potential fit functions that are verified experimentally. Using these fit functions results in an average estimation error of 0.8%, 7.6%, and 0.5%, respectively, for estimating deflection, force, and temperature. This indicates the suitability of this self-sensing principle in the Joule-heated twisted and coiled polymer muscle.
Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): Does New Research Support Old Concepts?

Objective: To examine the evidence for and against the classification of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as a valid disease entity, as defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV ), criteria. Data Sources: Sources included but were not limited to published literature on ADHD accessed via PubMed (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/PubMed/). Study Selection: Peer-reviewed research, review articles, consensus statements, “white papers,” and proceedings of professional meetings were used. Data Extraction: Focused on evidence base and scientific validity of conclusions. Data Synthesis: Evidence for a genetic or neuroanatomic cause of ADHD is insufficient. Experimental work shows that executive function deficits do not explain ADHD. The psychometric properties of widely used ADHD rating scales do not meet standards expected for disease identification. Conclusions: ADHD is unlikely to exist as an identifiable disease. Inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity are symptoms of many underlying treatable medical, emotional, and psychosocial conditions affecting children.
Emotional experience in patients with advanced Alzheimer's disease from the perspective of families, professional caregivers, physicians, and scientists

ABSTRACT Objectives: The objective of this qualitative study was to gain insight into families’ and professionals’ understanding of the emotional experience in patients with advanced Alzheimer's disease. Method: A total of ten focus group interviews were carried out with 63 participants (relatives n = 20; caregivers n = 17; physicians n = 12; scientists n = 14) recruited using purposive sampling strategies. Each focus group was audiotaped, transcribed and analysed using the method of structured qualitative content analysis. Results: Study findings show that for all groups with the exception of relatives, emotionality is one of the most important characteristics retained despite the illness. Indicators are patient's continued ability to produce emotional signals, be responsive to others, and retain emotional information despite memory loss. In the spectrum of emotions, professional caregivers emphasize positive emotional states more strongly than physicians or scientists. In contrast, relatives emphasize the loss of emotional experience. Critical indicators denying subjective emotional experience are impairment of (autobiographical) memory (especially the non-recognition of relatives), the reduction of means of verbal expression with simultaneous uncertainty in interpreting nonverbal expression as well as the perceived discrepancy between present emotional experience and behaviour and that of the premorbid personality. Conclusion: When relatives anchor on the premorbid personality, the perceived discontinuity of emotional reactions to stimuli triggering an emotional response in contrast to their own expectations gives rise to an extremely ambiguous situation. Training programmes should be developed for families to help them comprehend and respond to nonverbal emotional expression.
Street Trees in a Chinese Forest City: Structure, Benefits and Costs

Street trees provide critical ecosystem services and economic benefits that are often disregarded, due to their unknown monetary value. This study analyzed the structural characteristics of Dalian’s street trees and estimated the monetary value of structural and functional benefits by i-Tree Streets. Dalian’s street trees encompassed 28 species and were dominated by Ginkgo biloba, Platanus acerifolia and Sophora japonica, comprising 64.1% of a total of 57,699 trees. The age structure of street trees was distributed somewhat unevenly, with 18% young trees, 56% maturing trees, 25% mature trees and 1% old trees. These trees provide annual functional benefits valued at US$4.9 million and delivered a benefit-cost ratio of 3.2:1. The largest values associated with energy savings and property value were $1.7 million ($29/tree) and $1.5 million ($25/tree), respectively. The net carbon reduction benefits were valued at $935,205 ($16/tree). Smaller benefits resulted from air quality improvement ($381,088 or $7/tree) and stormwater runoff ($459,457 or $8/tree). The structural benefits were valued at $130 million, with the value of $4.5 million for carbon storage. These findings suggested that the benefits produced by street trees were worth the management costs. Our results provide a thorough understanding of the benefits produced by street trees to policy-makers and managers, and help them make informed policies to maximize and sustain the flow of benefits.
Sufficient conditions on distributed averaging with compound noises and fixed topologies

In this paper, the distributed average consensus of discrete-time multi-agent networks is studied with compound noises and fixed topologies. Each agent updates its state through communication with neighbour agents. The communication model contains both additive and multiplicative noises. To attenuate the additive noises, the time-varying algorithm gain is introduced. By the algebraic graph theory, matrix theory and martingale convergence theory, we get the sufficient conditions for all agents' states converging to a common random variable in mean square and almost surely, whose expectation is right the average of the initial values of all agents, and whose variance is bounded by a quantity related to the maximal weight and in-degree, the time-varying algorithm gain, the number of agents, the agents' initial values, the second-order moment and the intensity coefficients of the noises.
Modulation of environmental reduplicative paramnesia by perceptual experience

Environmental reduplicative paramnesia (ERP) is characterized by the involuntary attribution of a false identity to a place. ERP has rarely been examined experimentally; its mechanisms therefore remain speculative. Here, we describe a patient with extended traumatic right fronto-temporal damage and severe persistent ERP, in whom we were able to modulate ERP by exposing him to various typical landmarks of the town where he was hospitalized. When landmarks were ambiguous as regards location (e.g., unknown buildings), the patient erroneously localized himself in his hometown, which was more than two thousand kilometers away. In contrast, when he visited distinct landmarks of the place where he actually resided, his ERP was immediately corrected, and spatial orientation was restored. These findings indicate that ERP may be temporarily modifiable through perception of unequivocal topographic information.
The role of immunoglobulin G and fibrinogen in platelet aggregation by Streptococcus sanguis

Previous work has shown that the type strain of Streptococcus sanguis, NCTC 7863, induces aggregation of normal platelets by a complement‐dependent mechanism. We investigated the roles of IgG and fibrinogen in the aggregation process. Plasma depleted of IgG by passage through protein A–sepharose failed to support platelet aggregation, as did plasma absorbed at 0°C with whole bacteria. However, absorption of plasma with a non‐aggregating strain of S. sanguis, SK96, did not remove aggregating activity for NCTC 7863. Supplementing 0°C‐absorbed plasma with purified IgG restored the aggregation supporting activity. A monoclonal antibody to the FcγRII receptor inhibited platelet aggregation by the bacteria, indicating a requirement for bacteria–IgG complexes interacting with the Fc receptor in platelet aggregation. There was a lag time to the onset of platelet aggregation of 7–19 min depending upon the platelet donor, but the length of this lag did not correlate with either total IgG concentration recognizing NCTC 7863 in subjects’ plasma, or the concentration any of the four IgG subclasses or with IgG avidity levels.
In Vitro Activities of ABT-773 and Other Antimicrobials against Human Mycoplasmas

ABSTRACT The in vitro susceptibilities of 103 Mycoplasma pneumoniae isolates, 14 Mycoplasma hominis isolates, 12 Mycoplasma fermentans isolates, and 24 Ureaplasma species to ABT-773, an investigational ketolide, and seven other agents were determined. For M. pneumoniae, the ABT-773 MIC at which 90% of isolates are inhibited (MIC90; ≤0.001 μg/ml) was comparable to those of azithromycin, clarithromycin, and erythromycin and at least 128-fold lower than those of levofloxacin, gatifloxacin, moxifloxacin, and doxycycline. For M. fermentans, the ABT-773 MIC90 (≤0.008 μg/ml) was 2- to 128-fold lower than those of all other agents tested. For M. hominis, the ABT-773 MIC90 (0.031 μg/ml) was equivalent to that of moxifloxacin, 2-fold lower than those of gatifloxacin and clindamycin, and 16-fold lower than that of levofloxacin. ABT-773 was equally active against doxycycline-susceptible and doxycycline-resistant organisms. The ABT-773 MICs (0.016 μg/ml) for Ureaplasma species were the lowest of those of any drug tested. The MIC90 was 4- to 64-fold lower than those of clarithromycin, azithromycin, and erythromycin and ≥16-fold lower than those of all three fluoroquinolones. Minimal bactericidal concentrations determined for a subgroup of organisms were ≤0.063 μg/ml for M. pneumoniae and 0.25 μg/ml for M. fermentans, but they were several dilutions higher for M. hominis and Ureaplasma spp. ABT-773 has great potential for further study for the treatment of infections due to mycoplasmas and ureaplasmas.
Gender Differences in the Perception of Personalized Half-Nude Female Bodies

In the current study, we investigated how the perception of half-nude female body representations is altered by framing with information about the presented person. Images from tabloid newspapers were presented to male and female observers, and rated according to their aesthetic appeal while neurofunctional correlates were assessed using functional magnetic resonance imaging. While a generally stronger appetitive response might be expected in men, our results show a significant interaction between framing condition and gender of the observer. Men rated female bodies as more pleasing when presented without personal information, whereas women expressed more aesthetic appeal when information was added. Neuroimaging data revealed gender differences in processing body representations with additional personal information. In women, there was a stronger involvement of the anterior cingulate cortex and adjacent ventromedial prefrontal cortex, and in male observers a higher engagement of the bilateral inferior parietal cortex, when compared to each other respectively. These gender differences in framing effects particularly highlight higher aesthetic appeal and reward processing in women when female bodies are personalized.
Lysozyme Activity in the Plasma of Rodents Infected With Their Homologous Trypanosomes

Background In this study the concentration of lysozyme in blood plasma of Microtus agrestis, Clethrinomys glareolus, Apodemus sylvaticus, BK rats and outbred white mice before and after infection with culture forms of Trypanosoma microti, T, evotomys, T. grosi, T. lewisi and T. musculi respectively was measured. Methods Blood samples of rodents, Microtus agrestis, Clethrionomys glareolus, Apodemus sylvaticus, BK rats and outbred mice infected with T. microti, T. evotomys, T. grosi, T. lewisi and T. musculi respectively were collected in heparinized micro- tubes immediately before inoculation and 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, 96 and more than 400 days after intra- perituneal inoculation with 5×105of their homologous trypanosome parasites of which more than half were metacyclic trypomastigote in 0.2 ml of culture medium. Micro- tubes were centrifuged and plasma samples were separated and the lysozyme activity was measured by the agar method. Results Levels of lysozyme rose rapidly three to six days after the inoculation to ten to twenty than their pre- infection levels. They then gradually decreased, although after more than one year they were still two to ten folds higher than controls. The highest level measured occurred in rats infected with T. lewisi and the lowest in A. sylvaticus infected with T. grosi. After one year the highest concentration of lysozyme was in mice infected with T. musculi and lowest in A. sylvaticus. Conclusion Persistent enhanced lysozyme levels may prevent re- infection with trypanosomes.
Do Country-level Creditor Protections Affect Firm-level Debt Structure?

We show that the strength of creditor protection influences corporate debt structures. Using data from 46 countries, we find that managers choose less heterogeneous debt structures and more bank debt in their debt structures, in response to stronger creditor rights. These choices increase the probability of successful renegotiation of distressed debt and therefore reduce bankruptcy costs, and moreover provide increased monitoring incentives for creditors. We confirm our cross-country findings using a difference-in-difference analysis of debt structure’s response to creditor rights reforms. Our results are robust to various controls, alternative dependent variables, endogeneity concerns and alternative estimation methods.
Lutzomyia longipalpis saliva drives apoptosis and enhances parasite burden in neutrophils

Neutrophils are considered the hostˈs first line of defense against infections and have been implicated in the immunopathogenesis of Leishmaniasis. Leishmania parasites are inoculated alongside vectorsˈ saliva, which is a rich source of pharmacologically active substances that interfere with host immune response. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that salivary components from Lutzomyia longipalpis, an important vector of visceral Leishmaniasis, enhance neutrophil apoptosis. Murine inflammatory peritoneal neutrophils cultured in the presence of SGS presented increased surface expression of FasL and underwent caspase‐dependent and FasL‐mediated apoptosis. This proapoptosis effect of SGS on neutrophils was abrogated by pretreatment with protease as well as preincubation with antisaliva antibodies. Furthermore, in the presence of Leishmania chagasi, SGS also increased apoptosis on neutrophils and increased PGE2 release and decreased ROS production by neutrophils, while enhancing parasite viability inside these cells. The increased parasite burden was abrogated by treatment with z‐VAD, a pan caspase inhibitor, and NS‐398, a COX‐2 inhibitor. In the presence of SGS, Leishmania‐infected neutrophils produced higher levels of MCP‐1 and attracted a high number of macrophages by chemotaxis in vitro assays. Both of these events were abrogated by pretreatment of neutrophils with bindarit, an inhibitor of CCL2/MCP‐1 expression. Taken together, our data support the hypothesis that vector salivary proteins trigger caspase‐dependent and FasL‐mediated apoptosis, thereby favoring Leishmania survival inside neutrophils, which may represent an important mechanism for the establishment of Leishmania infection.
Percutaneous endoscopic decompression for lumbar spinal stenosis

Percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy has become a representative minimally invasive spine surgery for lumbar disc herniation. Due to the remarkable evolution in the techniques available, the paradigm of spinal endoscopy is shifting from treatments of soft disc herniation to those of lumbar spinal stenosis. Lumbar spinal stenosis can be classified into three categories according to pathological zone as follows: central stenosis, lateral recess stenosis and foraminal stenosis. Moreover, percutaneous endoscopic decompression (PED) techniques may vary according to the type of lumbar stenosis, including interlaminar PED, transforaminal PED and endoscopic lumbar foraminotomy. However, these techniques are continuously evolving. In the near future, PED for lumbar stenosis may be an efficient alternative to conventional open lumbar decompression surgery.
An islamic animated infographic model for da'wah dissemination: a case study of prophets's sunnah in eating and drinking

Animated infographic has become increasingly popular due to its capacity to capture audience’s attention as opposed to words presentation alone. It is a useful tool for disseminating huge amount of information in appealing, and fun way in addition to making the process of gaining knowledge easier. This is because it allows complex information to be presented in a simpler manner. The human mind can process information quicker with visual imagery. In present day, individuals live in information-rich, digital era. This globalized era somehow creates some problems in terms of blending of information whereby confusion and difficulty in recalling information occur. Therefore, audience are not able to understand clearly the information that has been delivered. In spite of this, animated infographic could be an effective tool in conveying information successfully. Animated infographic has the capability to convey a great deal of information compared to still images. In addition, Islamic animated infographic for da’wah dissemination could be an alternative method to comprehend Islamic knowledge in this era of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). Researches which could help in the production of a good Islamic animated infographic model however, are still limited. Hence, this research focuses on the case study of da’wah dissemination on the subject of Prophet’s Sunnah in eating and drinking, more specifically, in the scope of da’wah dissemination in Malaysia. This research discusses creative and attractive approach to Islamic animated infographic model as an alternative method of da’wah. This research uses assessment by experts in the field of Design and Islamic Studies as well as prototype design of animated Islamic infographic as instruments for data collection. Then, survey forms are distributed to target respondents which are people who are involved in the field of design and Islamic studies. Subsequently, this target group is triangulated to capture different perspectives of the same phenomenon. Result from this research shows that Islamic animated infographic model is capable of conveying da’wah values in comprehensive manner whereby da’wah values are understood and practiced in daily lives. Islamic animated infographic model for da’wah dissemination is not just for the audience to accept it as mere entertainment, but to disseminate the da’wah as well. It could be concluded that animated infographic could be one of the alternative methods to disseminate da’wah as well as a creative and attractive approach in showing the beauty of Islam.
A non-invasively determined surrogate of cardiac power ('circulatory power') at peak exercise is a powerful prognostic factor in chronic heart failure.

OBJECTIVES This study was designed to assess the prognostic value of a new variable derived from a cardiopulmonary exercise test, the circulatory power, a surrogate of cardiac power, at peak exercise, in patients with chronic heart failure. BACKGROUND Peak exercise cardiac power and stroke work are invasive parameters with recently proven prognostic value. It is unclear whether these variables have better prognostic value than peak oxygen uptake (VO(2)). METHODS The study population comprised 175 patients with chronic heart failure (ejection fraction <45%) who underwent a cardiopulmonary exercise test. Circulatory power and circulatory stroke work were defined as the product of systolic arterial pressure and VO(2) and oxygen pulse, respectively. Prognostic value was assessed by survival curves (Kaplan-Meier method) and uni- and multivariate Cox analyses. RESULTS With a mean follow-up of 25+/-10 months, ejection fraction, heart rate, systolic arterial pressure, peak VO(2), VCO(2), the anaerobic threshold, minute ventilation, the ventilatory equivalents of oxygen and carbon dioxide, the half times of VO(2) and VCO(2) recoveries, and the circulatory stroke work and power predicted outcome. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that the peak circulatory power (chi-square=19.9, P<0.001) (but not peak circulatory stroke work) was the only variable predictive of prognosis. CONCLUSION The prognostic value of cardiopulmonary exercise tests in heart failure patients can be improved by assessing a new variable, the circulatory power - a surrogate of cardiac power - at peak exercise.