Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Shikimate Pathway: Aromatic Amino Acids and Phenylpropanoids

Shikimic acid and its role in the formation of aromatic amino acids, benzoic acids, and cinnamic acids is described, along with further modifications leading to lignans and lignin, phenylpropenes, and coumarins. Combinations of the shikimate pathway and the acetate pathway are responsible for the biosynthesis of styrylpyrones, flavonoids and stilbenes, flavonolignans, and isoflavonoids. Terpenoid quinones are formed by a combination of the shikimate pathway with the terpenoid pathway. Monograph topics giving more detailed information on medicinal agents include folic acid, chloramphenicol, podophyllum, volatile oils, dicoumarol and warfarin, psoralens, kava, Silybum marianum, phyto-oestrogens, derris and lonchocarpus, vitamin E, and vitamin K.
Integration of Simulation and Lean Tools in Effective Production Systems – Case Study

Production systems that are by their structure designed according to principles of group technology must, despite their perfection, rapidly adapt to changes in surroundings and engage in a battle with their market rivals. First of all, they must get closer to customers and suppliers, representing one of first principles of lean philosophy. It is one of the ways to successfully valorise comparative values with competition, despite its internal restructuring. This paper presents the influence of certain lean tools as well as application of statistical analyses, simulation and graphics tools for achieving greater effectiveness and efficiency of production systems. Application or integration of these tools enables shortening of the production cycle, reduces the degree of complexity of material flows, reduces the supplies and expenditure of energy resources while it creates an increased degree of functionality of the organisation, utilization of workspace etc. Combination of different tools presented in this paper can valorise new technological, organisational and informational achievements in production that will secure an even better position on the market for the industrial systems.
Molecular aspects of renal senescence

Purpose of reviewThe aging kidney undergoes profound changes that lead to a reduction in stress resistance and impaired repair capacity. In order to improve the outcome of acute and chronic kidney damage, it is instrumental to understand the mechanisms that cause these changes. Cellular senescence has emerged as an important cellular process that contributes to age-associated kidney changes and chronic kidney disease progression. Recent findingsNew mechanistic insights into excessive intracellular glucose, advanced glycation end products and endoplasmatic reticulum stress further support the importance of cellular senescence in the development of diabetic nephropathy. As telomere length of leukocytic DNA is increasingly used as a biomarker to estimate senescence in clinical cohort studies, this review also summarizes the literature on telomere length with respect to the kidney and evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of this methodology. Furthermore, novel findings on the relationships among telomeres, senescence and autophagy are discussed. SummaryCellular senescence contributes to the decline in renal function during aging and defective regeneration in kidney diseases. Further insight into the underlying molecular mechanisms of senescence will establish a basis for preventive strategies that improve renal stress resistance and regenerative capacity.
Role of the C-terminal Extension of Formin 2 in Its Activation by Spire Protein and Processive Assembly of Actin Filaments*

Formin 2 (Fmn2), a member of the FMN family of formins, plays an important role in early development. This formin cooperates with profilin and Spire, a WASP homology domain 2 (WH2) repeat protein, to stimulate assembly of a dynamic cytoplasmic actin meshwork that facilitates translocation of the meiotic spindle in asymmetric division of mouse oocytes. The kinase-like non-catalytic domain (KIND) of Spire directly interacts with the C-terminal extension of the formin homology domain 2 (FH2) domain of Fmn2, called FSI. This direct interaction is required for the synergy between the two proteins in actin assembly. We have recently demonstrated how Spire, which caps barbed ends via its WH2 domains, activates Fmn2. Fmn2 by itself associates very poorly to filament barbed ends but is rapidly recruited to Spire-capped barbed ends via the KIND domain, and it subsequently displaces Spire from the barbed end to elicit rapid processive assembly from profilin·actin. Here, we address the mechanism by which Spire and Fmn2 compete at barbed ends and the role of FSI in orchestrating this competition as well as in the processivity of Fmn2. We have combined microcalorimetric, fluorescence, and hydrodynamic binding assays, as well as bulk solution and single filament measurements of actin assembly, to show that removal of FSI converts Fmn2 into a Capping Protein. This activity is mimicked by association of KIND to Fmn2. In addition, FSI binds actin at filament barbed ends as a weak capper and plays a role in displacing the WH2 domains of Spire from actin, thus allowing the association of actin-binding regions of FH2 to the barbed end.
Family Processes in One-Parent, Stepparent, and Intact Families: The Child's Point of View.

In a study of the effects of divorce and remarriage on the adjustment and development of children, primary school children (n = 172) and adolescents (n = 170) reported on processes in three types of families: mother-custody one-parent, mother-custody stepparent, and intact two-parent. Children reported similar levels of support and punishment from mothers, regardless of family type. Compared with children in intact families, children in one-parent families reported less father support, less father control, less father punishment, more autonomy, more household responsibility, more conflict with siblings, and less family cohesion. Stepfathers were said to provide less support, control, and punishment than biologicalfathers in intact families, although stepfather involvement was positively associated with the number of years stepfamilies had been together.
A differential capacitive electrical field sensor array for contactless measurement of respiratory rate

Although respiratory rate is an important vital sign for early detection of deterioration, on general wards it is not routinely monitored. Since patients may not tolerate cables attached to their chest, we developed an unobtrusive and contactless measurement method which can be placed under a mattress. The sensor array uses the Maxwell–Wagner relaxation effect by capacitive injection of a high-frequency voltage into the torso and subsequent measurement of respiratory-induced phase shift. Simulations of the entire measurement scenario indicate an improved signal-to-noise ratio if a differential method is applied with specific positioning of the electrodes. A prototype was designed and the simulations were confirmed with measurements on a phantom and in a human self-experiment by the authors using self-constructed hardware. Movement artifacts were detected using an artifact detection algorithm which allows reliable estimation of the respiratory rate.
Power Measurement by Output-Current Integration in Series Resonant Inverters

In many applications, efficiency and service quality are improved with an appropriate power control. This paper focuses on a power-measurement method designed to deal with medium/high frequencies (tens to hundreds of kilohertz). It requires a previous knowledge of application and exploits some characteristics of the power topology and control, in this case, a full-bridge series resonant inverter. It is a new method based on a low-cost analog circuit that integrates the high-frequency load current, in order to reduce the computational complexity of measuring power. Harmonic analysis is carried out to determine the A/D converter requirements, and the theoretical results are verified using a digital-signal-processor (DSP)-based experimental setup. The power measurement may be implemented on the microcontroller or low-performance DSP used to control the power stage, with an error below of 2% independent of the load and mains variations.
Fecal Excretion of a Novel Human Circovirus, TT Virus, in Healthy Children

ABSTRACT The role of TT virus (TTV) as a human pathogen is unclear, as is the mode of TTV transmission. To determine the prevalence of TTV infection and the possible fecal-oral route of transmission, we analyzed fecal specimens from 67 healthy, nontransfused children for TTV DNA sequences by heminested PCR, using the NG and T primer sets. The overall prevalence of TTV fecal excretion was 22.4% (15 of 67), with the T primer set (19.4%) being more sensitive than the NG primer set (10.4%). TTV prevalence based on gender or ethnicity showed no significant differences. None of seven children in the 0- to 6-month age group had detectable TTV in feces. Of three sets of siblings, two unrelated sets of twins, ages 33 and 37 months, were negative for fecal TTV DNA, while the third set of siblings, ages 99 and 35 months, was positive. The absence of TTV in the feces of children younger than 6 months and the high prevalence (40%) in children 7 to 12 months of age is consistent with age-specific acquisition of TTV infection by the nonparenteral route. TTV genotypes 1, 3, 4, and 5 were represented in our study population. TTV-positive siblings had TTV genotypes 1 and 4, suggesting unrelated environmental sources of TTV infection. This observation suggests a possible time frame for TTV acquisition in children which coincides with increased interaction with their environment and increased susceptibility to infectious agents.
Blood Pressure Reduction Combining Baroreflex Restoration for Stroke Prevention in Hypertension in Rats

Blood pressure reduction is an important and effective strategy in stroke prevention in hypertensives. Recently, we found that baroreflex restoration was also crucial in stroke prevention. The present work was designed to test the hypothesis that a combination of blood pressure reduction and baroreflex restoration may be a new strategy for stroke prevention. In Experiment 1, the effects of ketanserin (0.3, 1, 3, 10 mg/kg), amlodipine (0.3, 1, 2, 3 mg/kg) and their combination (1 + 0.3, 1 + 1, 1 + 2, 1 + 3 mg/kg) on blood pressure and baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) of stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR-SP) were determined under conscious state. It was found that both amlodipine and ketanserin decreased blood pressure dose-dependently. Ketanserin enfanced BRS from a very small dose but amlodipine enfanced BRS only at largest dose used. At the dose of 1 + 2 mg/kg (ketanserin + amlodipine), the combination possessed the largest synergism on blood pressure reduction. In Experiments 2 and 3, SHR-SP and two-kidney, two-clip (2K2C) renovascular hypertensive rats received life-long treatments with ketanserin (1 mg/kg) and amlodipine (2 mg/kg) or their combination (0.5 + 1, 1 + 2, 2 + 4 mg/kg). The survival time was recorded and the brain lesion was examined. It was found that all kinds of treatments prolonged the survival time of SHR-SP and 2K2C rats. The combination possessed a significantly better effect on stroke prevention than mono-therapies. In conclusion, combination of blood pressure reduction and baroreflex restoration may be a new strategy for the prevention of stroke in hypertension.
Constraint induced language therapy in early aphasia rehabilitation

Background: Constraint induced language therapy (CILT) focuses on improving acquired expressive language deficits after stroke by applying intensive, use-dependent treatment with constraint to spoken verbal expression. Most CILT research has utilised individuals with chronic aphasia, and previous results indicated improvement on the language assessments after intervention that was largely retained at follow-up. Aims: The purpose of this study was to explore the applicability and outcome of a programme of CILT in individuals in the early phase of recovery from aphasia (1–2 months post onset) in an inpatient rehabilitation hospital setting. Methods & Procedures: A 10-day/3 hours a day pre–posttest CILT intervention case series was carried out 1–2 months post onset with three Norwegian rehabilitation inpatients with aphasia following left CVA. Procedures involved card activities using high- and low-frequency picture stimuli with communicative relevance at four levels of complexity, either in a small group or one-to-one with a trained SLP. Outcomes & Results: Results suggested an overall improvement on the language assessments post CILT intervention, as well as at the follow-up. A greater degree of improvement in performance on expressive speech tasks compared to receptive and written tasks suggested a treatment-specific effect of CILT for early aphasia rehabilitation. Participant evaluation of the CILT intervention reflected positive feedback for the treatment experience and satisfaction with individual gains. Challenges in the application of CILT to this phase of recovery were the need to accommodate the demands of the inpatient rehabilitation setting and the decreased stamina of the participants. Conclusions: The results of this study support the applicability of CILT in early aphasia rehabilitation, with some modifications of the original protocol.
Evaluation of an interlaced triple procedure: penetrating keratoplasty, extracapsular cataract extraction, and nonopen-sky intraocular lens implantation

Abstract To evaluate an interlaced triple procedure that involved penetrating keratoplasty (PKP), extracapsular cataract extraction (ECCE) using diathermy capsulotomy, and nonopen-sky intraocular lens (IOL) implantation. This retrospective study involved data from 34 patients who were diagnosed with severe corneal opacities and cataracts. These patients were divided into an interlaced procedure group (21 patients) and a traditional procedure group (13 patients). In the interlaced group, the method of continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis (CCC) was completed via diathermy capsulotomy. The donor corneal button was sutured at 8 positions (at equal intervals) using 10-0 nylon sutures, and the IOL was inserted into the capsular bag using a closed anterior chamber approach at the 10:30 to 12 o’clock positions between the sutures. In the traditional group, CCC was completed using side-port capsular forceps, and the IOL was implanted using an open anterior chamber approach. In the interlaced group, the CCC, open-sky, and total operation times were significantly shorter than in the traditional group (P < .05). Neither the best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) nor corneal endothelial cell density was significantly different between the groups at 1 and 6 months after the operation. This interlaced triple procedure for the treatment of corneal diseases with cataracts appears to be feasible and practical.
Discussing E-Government Maturity Models for the Developing World - Security View

The development of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) systems towards materialization into e-Government applications is expected to tremendously change the ways governments deliver their core business services to citizens and how citizens can interact with their governments. There are also high expectations that these changes will play major roles in the socio-economic developments. For these reasons there are several so called maturity models being developed to guide and benchmark e-government developments in developing countries. These models describe various stages, three to six, referring to technological complexity. However, we do not see explicitly that security is addressed as a specific issue at the various stages, nor do we see how cultural, legal, economical and managerial security related issues are incorporated. Being part of the ongoing research in the area, the paper attempts to critically investigate, evaluate and analyze eleven existing e-government maturity models, and discuss the findings in the light of research findings from four government institutions located in the Sub-Saharan Africa.
Effect of human milk fortification in appropriate for gestation and small for gestation preterm babies: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE To study the effects of human milk fortification on short term growth and biochemical parameters in preterm very low birth weight (VLBW) appropriate for gestation (AGA) and small for gestation (SGA) babies. DESIGN Prospective, randomized controlled trial. SETTING Level III neonatal unit. SUBJECTS Preterm infants weighing < or = 1500 grams and < or = 34 weeks of gestation born between March 2001 to June 2002. METHODS Babies (n =166) were randomized in two groups either to get fortified human milk or exclusive human milk along with mineral and vitamin supplementation when feed volume reached 150 mL/Kg/day. Fortification was done with a powdered fortifier added in expressed breast milk and continued till the baby reached 2 Kg or full breast feeds. Primary outcome measures were Short-term growth (daily weight, length and head circumference (HC) weekly) till discharge or 2 Kg. RESULTS Fortification (n = 85, birth weight 1202 g, gestation 30.8 wk) resulted in better growth in preterm VLBW babies as compared to control group (n=81, birth weight 1259 g, gestation 31.3 wk). Weight gain (15.1 and 12.9 g/kg/d, P <0.001), length (1.04 and 0.86 cm/week, P = 0.017) and HC (0.83 and 0.75 cm/week, P<0.001) increased significantly in fortified group. SGA babies showed significant improvements in weight (16 g/Kg/d and 12.9 g/kg/d, P = 0.002) and length (1.09 cm/week and 0.92 cm/week, P = 0.042) in fortified group (n = 38) as compared to control group (n = 29). In AGA subgroup, there was significant increase (P = 0.006) in length (1 cm vs 0.82 cm) in fortified group but no difference in weight (P = 0.12) or HC (P=0.054) in fortified (n=47) vs control (n=52) group. Biochemical parameters were comparable, however feed intolerance was more in control group. CONCLUSION Preterm VLBW babies showed better growth with human milk fortification. The effect is significant in SGA (weight and length)rather than AGA (only length) babies.
A New Digital Watermarking Algorithm Using Combination of Least Significant Bit (LSB) and Inverse Bit

Software watermarking is one of the most important methods for protecting copyrights and authenticating ownership; which can be used to prevent software piracy. In order to provide high quality watermarked image, the watermarked image should be imperceptible. Least significant bit (LSB) is a technique that has been used for digital watermarking. Many researchers have improved LSB to embed watermark in the image. In this thesis, we introduce an improved digital watermarking algorithm using least significant bit (LSB). This method is chosen due to its minimal effect on the image. LSB is used by inversing the binary values of the watermark text and shifting the watermark according to the odd or even number of pixel coordinates of image before embedding the watermark. The proposed algorithm can be personalized according to the length of the watermark text. If the length of the watermark text is more than ((M*N)/8)-2 (where M*N is the amount of pixels in the image), the proposed algorithm will also embed the extra of the watermark text in the second LSB. We compare our proposed algorithm with the 1-LSB algorithm and Lee’s algorithm and Yang's algorithm using Peak signalto- noise ratio (PSNR). The value of the watermarked dock image is 54.5691 dB which is higher than the traditional LSB 53.6950 dB and Lee's algorithm 53.7041 db and Yang's algorithm 52.4518 dB. Also in the other image, the proposed algorithm got the highest value of PSNR. This improved algorithm improved its quality of the watermarked image. We also attack the watermarked image by using cropping and adding noise and we got good results as well.
Detection of hepatitis C virus RNA: comparison of one-stage polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with nested-set PCR

We evaluated a new hepatitis C virus RNA assay based on one-stage PCR followed by liquid hybridization with an oligonucleotide probe and compared it with nested-set PCR. The one-stage and nested-set PCR assays had identical sensitivities in analytical experiments and showed 100% concordance when clinical specimens were used. One-stage PCR may be less prone to contamination than nested-set PCR.
An Adaptive Grid Based Method for Computing Molecular Surfaces and Properties

We present an adaptive grid based algorithm to compute a family of relevant molecular surfaces. Molecular interfaces are important in simulations and visualization involving biomolecules. The Richards surface has traditionally been used as a good approximation to the surface, and defined as the surface formed by the inner facing part of a solvent probe atom rolling along the van der Waals surface of the molecule. Computing and representing this surface has traditionally involved complex geometrical data structures like alpha shapes. Adaptive and uniform trilinear grids are commonly used in various simulations involving interactions of molecules or computation of electrostatics and other energy terms. We make use of this grid directly to compute the Molecular Surface and properties like area, volume, curvatures, surface atoms and other surfaces. We compare geometrical and biochemical properties with other methods as a validation.
Test Review: The Profile of Mood States 2nd Edition

The Profile of Mood States 2nd Edition (POMS 2) was published in 2012 by Multi-Health Systems (MHS) to assess transient feelings and mood among individuals aged 13 years and above. Evolving from the original POMS (McNair, Lorr, & Droppleman, 1971, 1992), the POMS 2 was designed for youth (13-17 years old) and adults (18 years old and above) to measure their affective traits, moods, and emotions. The POMS 2 contains four self-report versions: the Profile of Mood States 2nd Edition–Adult (POMS 2-A), the Profile of Mood States 2nd Edition–Youth (POMS 2-Y), the Profile of Mood States 2nd Edition–Adult Short (POMS 2-A Short), and the Profile of Mood States 2nd Edition–Youth Short (POMS 2-Y Short). The POMS 2 is applicable and useful to multiple settings. For clinical practitioners, the POMS 2 instruments can monitor change in mood disturbance during or following intervention. In medical settings, the POMS 2 helps to assess the impact of diagnosis and treatment of physical disease on psychological functioning. In the athletic domain, the test can be used to study the relationship between mood and exercise or physical activity.
Effects of stressful life events on human brain structure: A longitudinal voxel-based morphometry study

Although stressful life events (SLEs) have been associated with an increased risk of illness and mental disorder, their impact on brain anatomy remains poorly understood. Using a longitudinal design, we tested the hypothesis that SLEs are significantly associated with changes in gray matter volume (GMV) in brain regions previously implicated in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in a group of clinically healthy adults. Magnetic resonance imaging was used to acquire an anatomical scan from 26 subjects (13 males and 13 females; mean age ± SD: 25.2 ± 4.3 years), with no psychiatric diagnosis, at two time points with a 3-month interval. Voxel-based morphometry was used to examine an association between SLEs and gray matter changes during this period. The number of SLEs was associated with a decrease in GMV in the anterior cingulate, hippocampus, and parahippocampal gyrus (p < 0.001). In contrast, there were no areas where the number of SLEs was associated with an increase in GMV. These results provide evidence that, in adults with no formal psychiatric diagnosis, SLEs are associated with GMV decreases in a subset of regions implicated in PTSD, and that these alterations can be observed within a period as short as 3 months.