Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Combinatorial evolution of phosphotriesterase toward a robust malathion degrader by hierarchical iteration mutagenesis

Malathion is one of the most widely used organophosphorus pesticides in the United States and developing countries. Herein, we enhanced the degradation rate of malathion starting with a phosphotriesterase PoOPHM2 while also considering thermostability. In the first step, iterative saturation mutagenesis at residues lining the binding pocket (CASTing) was employed to optimize the enzyme active site for substrate binding and activity. Hot spots for enhancing activity were then discovered through epPCR‐based random mutagenesis, and these beneficial mutations were then recombined by DNA shuffling. Finally, guided by in silico energy calculations (FoldX), thermostability of the variant was improved. The mutations extend from the core region to the enzyme surface during the evolutionary pathway. After screening <9,000 mutants, the best variant PoOPHM9 showed 25‐fold higher activity than wild‐type PoOPHM2, with a thermostability (T5015) of 67.6°C. Thus, PoOPHM9 appears to be an efficient and robust candidate for malathion detoxification. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2016;113: 2350–2357. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Plaquettes sanguines et insuffisance rénale aiguë : rôle du couple CD154/CD40 dans la constitution des lésions tubulaires

L’insuffisance renale aigue (IRA) est une pathologie frequente en reanimation. Elle est associee a une mortalite et une morbidite importante. Le sepsis en est la cause la plus frequente. La comprehension de la physiopathologie du sepsis et de ses complications a beaucoup progresse ces dernieres annees mais ne s’est pas encore traduite par des avancees therapeutiques significatives en pratique clinique. Le paradigme d’une alteration de la perfusion sanguine comme parametre cle de la constitution des lesions renales a ainsi ete remis en question, plusieurs travaux revelant que le debit sanguin renal n’est pas toujours altere en cas de sepsis, et qu’une IRA peut se developper en cas de debit sanguin renal preserve, voire augmente. Le sepsis est caracterise par de profondes perturbations de la reponse immunitaire et une reaction inflammatoire disproportionnee. A l’origine de l’atteinte renale, l’inflammation et les alterations de la microcirculation sont maintenant consideres comme des mecanismes physiopathologiques fondamentaux. Au-dela de leur role dans l’hemostase, la contribution des plaquettes sanguines a la reponse inflammatoire, au maintien de l’integrite tissulaire et a la defense contre les infections a considerablement elargi le spectre de leurs competences et en a fait des acteurs physiopathologiques potentiels dans le sepsis. Les plaquettes sanguines exercent la plupart de ces fonctions grâce a l’expression de nombreux mediateurs membranaires ou solubles. Parmi eux, le CD154 tient une place particuliere : les plaquettes sont une source essentielle de CD154 dans l’organisme et il joue un role central dans la reponse inflammatoire. Nous proposons dans ce travail un apercu de ces avancees physiopathologiques recentes et nous discutons de la contribution des plaquettes et du CD154 dans les atteintes microcirculatoires et les defaillances multi-viscerales dans le sepsis. Nous nous sommes interesses au role pro-inflammatoire du CD154 en conditions d’hypoxie au niveau de l’epithelium tubulaire renal. Des donnees recentes soulignent en effet l’importance de l’hypoxie dans la reaction inflammatoire. Le controle de la production d’interleukine (IL)-6, une cytokine centrale de la reponse inflammatoire, par le CD154 a ete etudie dans un modele de culture de cellules epitheliales tubulaires (CET) renales. Un modele murin d’IRA par ischemie/reperfusion renale a egalement ete mis au point et applique a des souris deficientes en CD154 et CD40. Nos travaux revelent que le CD154 induit fortement la secretion d’IL-6 par les CET en conditions d’hypoxie et que les souris deficientes en CD154 regenerent plus rapidement leur epithelium tubulaire apres ischemie/reperfusion renale. Ces resultats pourraient ouvrir la voie a de potentielles pistes therapeutiques pour la prise en charge des IRA d’origine septique.
Examining construct validity of a new naturalistic observational assessment of hand skills for preschool- and school-age children.

BACKGROUND/AIM The Assessment of Children's Hand Skills is a new assessment that utilises a naturalistic observational method to capture children's real-life hand skill performance when engaged at various types of daily activities in everyday living contexts. The Assessment of Children's Hand Skills is designed for use with 2- to 12-year-old children with a range of disabilities or health conditions. The study aimed to investigate construct validity of the Assessment of Children's Hand Skills in Australian children. METHODS Rasch analysis was used to examine internal construct validity of the Assessment of Children's Hand Skills in a mixed sample of 53 children with disabilities (including autism spectrum disorder, developmental/genetic disorders and physical disabilities) and 85 typically developing children. External construct validity was examined by correlating with three questionnaires evaluating daily living skills and hand skills. RESULTS Rasch goodness-of-fit analysis suggested that all 22 activity items and 19 of 20 hand skill items in the Assessment of Children's Hand Skills measured a single construct. The Assessment of Children's Hand Skills items were placed in a clinically meaningful hierarchy from easy to hard, and the difficulty range of the items also matched the majority of children with disabilities and typically developing preschool-aged children. Moderate to high correlations (0.59 ≤ Spearman's ρ coefficients ≤ 0.89, P < 0.01) were found with the assessments of daily living and fine motor skills. CONCLUSION This study provided preliminary evidence supporting the construct validity of the Assessment of Children's Hand Skills for its clinical application in assessing children's real-life hand skill performance in Australian contexts.
Mechanical design of a module for reconfigurable robots

The goal of the Conro project is to build deployable self-reconfigurable robots, i.e., small homogeneous modular robots that can be reconfigured into different shapes such as snakes or hexapods. In this paper we describe the mechanical design of the first generation of Conro modules: the philosophy of their design, their parts and functionality and derive two inequalities that relate the design parameters of a module. Each module is fully self-contained in every sense; it carries its own CPU, power supply, and actuators. The modules were designed to work in groups, as robots, and thus, they also support inter-module communication. We conclude the paper describing a Conro hexapod as an example of the robots that can be built using these modules.
Hot-start efficiency of quadratic programming algorithms for fast model predictive control: A comparison via an adaptive optics case study

Model Predictive Control (MPC) with fast sampling rates can be extremely demanding in terms of the required computational time. However, the control problem in some cases does not change much from one sampling instance to the next, and therefore hot-start can be used to considerably accelerate the solution of an online optimisation problem. An adaptive optics system is used in this work as an example of such a control system to evaluate the benefits of hot-start for different families of optimisation algorithms. A comparison of the computational times and a discussion of hot-start efficiency for Interior Point, Active Set, Gradient-based and Augmented Lagrangian algorithms are provided in this contribution.
Multiphasic uptake of D-glucose by an oligotrophic marine bacterium

Uptake of D-glucose in the range 2.5 X lOP9 M to 4.0 X I O ~ M by an oligotrophic marine bacterium, LNB-155, could be represented by 4 phases of a single, multiphasic mechanism. Other kinetic models did not give a good fit. Sharp transitions occurred at about 1.6 X 1OV6 M, 10-5 M and 2 X 10-4 M. Values for K, and V,,, increased regularly upon transition to higher phases. Multiphasic uptake mechanisms in LNB-155 indicate adaptation to living in environments with fluctuating levels of D-glucose. These observations are consistent with the hypothesis that pelagic marine bacteria experience considerable fluctuations in nutrient concentration in their microenvironment.
PERSONAL CAPITAL AND EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE: AN INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT INTANGIBLE SOURCE OF ECONOMIC GROWTH

This paper focuses on a new source of economic growth, personal capital formation, and provides an explanation for a part of economic growth that has heretofore been unexplained. Personal capital is the human capacity reflecting the quality of an individual's psychological, physical, and spiritual functioning; it is a capacity fundamentally different from cognitive ability. Spending effort to improve emotional intelligence, often in order to improve job performance, is the essence of what successful investment in personal capital involves. Given the increasing investment in it and the evidence of its importance, economists can no longer afford to neglect the contribution of personal capital to economic growth.
Kinase‐Deficient CMVpp65 Triggers a CMVpp65 Specific T‐Cell Immune Response in HLA‐A*0201.Kb Transgenic Mice after DNA Immunization

CMVpp65, a candidate component of human cytomegalovirus (CMV) vaccines, has phosphokinase (PK) activity that could affect vaccine safety. A mutated form of CMVpp65 substituting asparagine for lysine at the adenosine triphosphate (ATP)‐binding site (CMVpp65mII) is kinase‐deficient. Using DNA immunizations in a transgenic human leucocyte antigen (HLA)A*0201.Kb mouse model, the mutated CMVpp65 induced cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) immunity similarly to native CMVpp65. Murine CTL lines generated from these immunizations killed human cells either after sensitization with CMVpp65‐specific peptides or after infection with either CMV‐Towne strain or rvac‐pp65. It is proposed that CMVpp65mII be evaluated in candidate vaccines for CMV.
Combined Pancreatic Islet and Kidney Transplantation in a Child With Unstable Type 1 Diabetes and End‐Stage Renal Disease

Islet transplantation after successful kidney transplantation is a recognized treatment for adults with diabetes and end‐stage renal disease (ESRD), but has not been considered an option in the pediatric population. To our knowledge, we report the first combined islet and kidney transplant in a child. The patient was born with bilateral renal hypoplasia and was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes mellitus at age 13 months. He had erratic glycemic control and hypoglycemia unawareness. At 6 years of age, the child safely underwent simultaneous islet and live donor kidney transplantation. Although function of the islet graft was transient, the combined transplant provided significant benefits in terms of glucose control and overall growth and development. Such an approach represents a viable treatment option for pediatric patients with ESRD and unstable diabetes.
De fi ning Management Units for European Captive

Ludmila Pohlová,* Pauline Schepsky, Thomas Lehmann, Axel Hochkirch, Renata Masopustová, Jaroslav Šimek, Wineke Schoo, Roman Vodička, and Jan Robovský Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, C9eské Bude9jovice, Czech Republic Department of Biogeography, Trier University, Trier, Germany Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany Department of Animal Science and Ethology, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Science Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Zoological Garden Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Burgers' Zoo, Arnhem, The Netherlands
A novel low-cost method for fabricating bifacial solar cells

In this work we propose and demonstrate a novel and cost-effective method to fabricate bifacial cells with conventional homojunction architecture. The method combines benefits of lithography-less, self-aligned patterning during deposition of antireflective coating (ARC) and simultaneous metallization of both surfaces aided by electroplating. We have fabricated a conventional diffused n+pp+ junction bifacial solar cell on a monocrystalline silicon (c-Si) substrate using this method. Electrochemically grown nickel is used to simultaneously form front and back electrodes. The bifacial solar cell fabricated with an un-optimized process has a front and rear efficiencies (under AM1.5G one sun illumination) of 12% and 8.66%, respectively. Part of the low performance of the cell is attributed to poor quality of the passivation layer and the post deposition annealing to reduce pinholes in deposited SiNx layer to prevent parasitic plating.
A new rat model for studying the calpain-calpastatin system

A recombinant rat strain-Milan low-calpastatin strain (MLCS)-was derived from Milan hypertensive (MHS/Gib) and Milan normotensive (MNS/Gib) strains. The MLCS rats have normal blood pressure and low calpastatin activity, and this strain is proposed as a model for studies of the calpain-calpastatin system, which is involved in important cellular mechanisms. Calpastatin polymorphism was observed in 10 different strains of laboratory rats and a single locus hypothesis is suggested as the mode of inheritance.
A Software Configurable Coupler with Programmable Coupling Coefficient

A novel microstrip parallel coupler with tunable coupling coefficient is proposed. Two varactors are placed on microstrip parallel-coupled lines to tune the coupling coefficient. With proper combinations of the capacitances of two varactors, the coupling coefficient can be tuned from 10 dB to 6 dB with good return loss and directivity. By using the Labview program and data acquisition component, a software configurable coupler is implemented. This software configurable coupler will be useful in microwave instrumentation.
Clinical, cognitive and neural correlates of self-monitoring deficits in schizophrenia: an update

Background: An area of recent interest in schizophrenia research is to investigate specific neural and cognitive abnormalities associated with symptoms of this disorder. Objective: To establish clinical, cognitive and neural correlates of self-monitoring deficits in schizophrenia, which according to various theoretical models can account for the first-rank symptoms of this disorder. Methods: Relevant data were identified from PubMed and PsycInfo searches up to July 2006 using combinations of keywords including ‘self-monitoring’, ‘symptoms’, ‘self-agency’, ‘neuropsychological’, ‘cognitive’, ‘brain activity’, ‘PET’ and ‘fMRI’. Conclusions: Self-monitoring deficit is most consistently observed in patients with schizophrenia with auditory hallucinations and passivity experiences. This deficit may not be schizophrenia specific. At present, there are insufficient direct data to reach meaningful conclusions about the cognitive correlates of this deficit. Functional neuroimaging studies in patients with schizophrenia with auditory hallucinations point to defective engagement of the neural regions known to be involved in self-monitoring in healthy people. Further multimodal studies using validated cognitive and clinical measures, self-monitoring paradigms and appropriate imaging tools to analyze patients with schizophrenia with and without self-monitoring deficits are required to increase our understanding of this topic.
Advanced age and high initial WBC influence the outcome of inv(3) (q21q26)/t(3;3) (q21;q26) positive AML

AML with inv(3)/t(3;3) are generally considered of having a poor prognosis. For further insight in this rare entity the outcome of 65 inv(3)/t(3;3) positive AML cases were examined with special emphasis on patient and disease related factors at diagnosis. Survival data were available from 35 patients. A hematological CR was achieved in 16/35 patients (46%). Eight patients (50%) relapsed. The median duration of remission was 177 days. Probability of OS was 23% at 2 years. Advanced age and high initial WBC count were associated with shorter OS (p = 0.021 and p = 0.005, respectively). Loss of chromosome 7 was the most frequent additional aberration (n = 34; 52%), followed complex aberrant aberrations (n = 5). Cases with monosomy 7 or the presence of FLT3-length mutations (FLT3-LM)—detected in 13% of cases—were not associated with an even more inferior outcome. Allogeneic stem cell transplantation, performed in 12 cases, resulted in a probability of OS of 62% at 2 years. Our data (1) confirm that inv(3)/t(3;3) AML has a poor prognosis (2) show that age and initial WBC are risk factors for prognosis; (3) suggest that this group may benefit from allogeneic stem cell transplantation.
Fluorescence depolarization of cis- and trans-parinaric acids in artificial and red cell membranes resolved by a double hindered rotational model.

Although steady-state anisotropy measurements of phase-sensitive probes provide a qualitative description of the phase behavior of biomembranes, there is little information about the physical state of lipid domains. We have developed a ground-state double hindered rotator model (DHR) for fluorescence anisotropy decay, in which probes possess separate rotational correlation times and r infinity in each phase. To validate the model, multifrequency differential phase angles (delta) and modulation amplitudes (lambda) were measured in a two-compartment cuvette with combinations of POPOP, TMA-DPH, and DPH in isotropic solvents and in DPPC liposomes. Rotational parameters obtained by fitting the DHR model were similar to those of a single hindered rotator model fitted to data obtained separately for each probe. As predicted by the model, negative delta and decreasing lambda with increasing modulation frequency were obtained when fluorophores in isotropic solvents were paired with fluorophores in DPPC liposomes. The rotational parameters of the phase-sensitive fluorophores cis-parinaric (cPnA) and trans-parinaric (tPnA) acid in DPPC/DMPC (1:0, 0:1, and 1:1) liposomes were determined at 15-40 degrees C. Two lifetimes (1 and 3 ns) were obtained above the phase transition temperature (Tc); greater than 95% of the fluorescence intensity was described by two lifetimes (3-9 and 12-32 ns) below Tc. Negative delta values were obtained when solid-phase lipid was present. r infinity varied from 0.26-0.32 below to 0.11-0.14 above Tc; at intermediate T, where two phases coexists, r infinity values were approximately 0.23 and approximately 0.31. These data indicate very hindered PnA rotation in solid-phase lipid. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Studies in Organic Peroxides. XXV. Preparation, Separation and Identification of Peroxides Derived from Methyl Ethyl Ketone and Hydrogen Peroxide

with Silicon SF 96 fluid on firebrick using helium as the effluent gas (60 ml. per minute); only a single peak was observed in each case. Cuprous Bromide-catalyzed Reactions of l-Butyl Perbenzoate and Cyclohexene in Aliphatic Acids. -The reactions were again carried out under similar conditions. Over a period of oiie hour, t-butyl perbenzoate (0.2 mole) K:LS added to a boiling mixture of cyclohexene (40.5 g., 0.49 molej, an aliphatic acid (O.Sl .15 moles) arid cuprous bromide (0.1 g. , 0.35 rnmole). Heating was continued for 3 t o 12 Iiours to assure complete ester interchange. After the addition of an equal volume of petroleum ether to the cooled solution, tlie mixture was extracted with sodium carbonate to remove benzoic x i d and the catalyst. The non-aqueous layer TWS waslied with water until neutral and was then concentrated uiider reduced pressure. The products were isolated by distillation of the residual oil. The results are summarized in
Protective Effect of Moderate Exercise for BALB/c Mice with Salmonella Typhimurium Infection

Abstract Moderate exercise enhances resistance to pathogen-associated infections. However, its influence on intestinal IgA levels and resistance to Salmonella typhimurium in mice has not been reported. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of moderate exercise on bacterial resistance and the intestinal-IgA response in a murine typhoid model. Sedentary and exercised (under a protocol of moderate swimming) BALB/c mice were orally infected with Salmonella typhimurium and sacrificed on days 7 or 14 post-infection (n=5 per group). Compared with infected sedentary mice, infected exercised animals had i) lower intestinal and systemic bacterial loads; ii) higher total and specific intestinal-IgA levels, iii) a higher percentage of IgA plasma cells in lamina propria; iv) a higher level on day 7 and lower level on day 14 of intestinal α- and J-chain mRNA and plasma corticosterone, v) unchanged mRNA expression of intestinal pIgR, and vi) a higher mRNA expression of liver pIgR, α-chain and J-chain on day 7. Hence, it is likely that an increase in corticosterone levels (stress response) induced by moderate exercise increased intestinal IgA levels by enabling greater liver expression of pIgR mRNA, leading to a rise in IgA transcytosis from the liver to intestine. The overall effect of these changes is an enhanced resistance to infection.
Determining Which Phenotypes Underlie a Pleiotropic Signal

Discovering pleiotropic loci is important to understand the biological basis of seemingly distinct phenotypes. Most methods for assessing pleiotropy only test for the overall association between genetic variants and multiple phenotypes. To determine which specific traits are pleiotropic, we evaluate via simulation and application three different strategies. The first is model selection techniques based on the inverse regression of genotype on phenotypes. The second is a subset‐based meta analysis ASSET [Bhattacharjee et al., ], which provides an optimal subset of nonnull traits. And the third is a modified Benjamini–Hochberg (B‐H) procedure of controlling the expected false discovery rate [Benjamini and Hochberg, ] in the framework of phenome‐wide association study. From our simulations we see that an inverse regression‐based approach MultiPhen [O'Reilly et al., ] is more powerful than ASSET for detecting overall pleiotropic association, except for when all the phenotypes are associated and have genetic effects in the same direction. For determining which specific traits are pleiotropic, the modified B–H procedure performs consistently better than the other two methods. The inverse regression‐based selection methods perform competitively with the modified B–H procedure only when the phenotypes are weakly correlated. The efficiency of ASSET is observed to lie below and in between the efficiency of the other two methods when the traits are weakly and strongly correlated, respectively. In our application to a large GWAS, we find that the modified B–H procedure also performs well, indicating that this may be an optimal approach for determining the traits underlying a pleiotropic signal.