Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Estimating Dispersal and Survival of Anopheles gambiae and Anopheles funestus Along the Kenyan Coast by Using Mark–Release–Recapture Methods

Abstract Mark-release-recapture (MRR) experiments were conducted with emerging Anopheles gambiae s.l. and Anopheles funestus Giles at Jaribuni and Mtepeni in Kilifi, along the Kenyan Coast. Of 739 and 1,246 Anopheles released at Jaribuni and Mtepeni, 24.6 and 4.33% were recaptured, respectively. The daily survival probability was 0.96 for An. funestus and 0.95 for An. gambiae in Jaribuni and 0.83 and 0.95, respectively, in Mtepeni. The maximum flight distance recorded was 661 m. The high survival probability of An. gambiae and An. funestus estimated accounts for the continuous transmission of malaria along the Kenyan coast. This study also shows that the release of young, emergent female Anopheles improves the recapture rates and may be a better approach to MRR studies.
Improved Method for Determining Food Protein Degree of Hydrolysis

When producing hydrolyzed proteins, it is important to determine the degree of hydrolysis (DH). The trinitro-benzene-sulfonic acid (TNBS) method is well established with regard to enzymatic hydrolysis. However, this method is laborious, cannot be used to follow a hydrolysis reaction continuously, and includes hazardous and unstable chemicals. This paper describes a method based on the reaction of primary amino groups with o- phthaldialdehyde (OPA). The conclusion is that the OPA method of analyzing the DH of protein hydrolyses is more accurate, is easier and faster to carry out, has a broader application range, and is environmentally safer than the TNBS method.
Interfacial properties and structural analysis of the antimicrobial peptide NK‐2

The structure of the antimicrobial peptide NK‐2 has been studied at the air–water interface and in different solutions using spectroscopic methods such as circular dichroism (CD) and infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (IRRAS) as well as specular X‐ray reflectivity (XR). NK‐2 adopts an unordered structure in water, buffer, and in the presence of monomeric cationic and noncharged amphiphiles. However, it forms a stable α‐helix in 2,2,2‐trifluoroethanol (TFE) and in micellar solutions of anionic, cationic as well as nonionic amphiphiles, whereas only in sodium dodecyl sulfonate solutions the α‐helical structure can also be found below the critical micellar concentration (cmc). The amphiphilic molecule NK‐2 is surface active and forms a Gibbs monolayer at the air–buffer interface. In contrast, no adsorption was observed if NK‐2 is dissolved in water. During the adsorption process in buffer solutions, NK‐2 undergoes a conformational transition from random coil in bulk to α‐helix at the interface. This change of the peptide's secondary structure is known to be associated with its antimicrobial activity. A comparison of the experimental IRRA spectra with the simulated spectra indicates that the adsorbed NK‐2 α‐helix lies flat at the interface. This is confirmed by XR measurements which show that the thickness of the NK‐2 layer is ∼17 Å, which is the average diameter of a α‐helix, indicating that only a monomolecular adsorption layer is formed. Copyright © 2007 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Functional relevance of carnitine transporter OCTN2 to brain distribution of l‐carnitine and acetyl‐l‐carnitine across the blood–brain barrier

Transport of l‐[3H]carnitine and acetyl‐l‐[3H]carnitine at the blood–brain barrier (BBB) was examined by using in vivo and in vitro models. In vivo brain uptake of acetyl‐l‐[3H]carnitine, determined by a rat brain perfusion technique, was decreased in the presence of unlabeled acetyl‐l‐carnitine and in the absence of sodium ions. Similar transport properties for l‐[3H]carnitine and/or acetyl‐l‐[3H]carnitine were observed in primary cultured brain capillary endothelial cells (BCECs) of rat, mouse, human, porcine and bovine, and immortalized rat BCECs, RBEC1. Uptakes of l‐[3H]carnitine and acetyl‐l‐[3H]carnitine by RBEC1 were sodium ion‐dependent, saturable with Km values of 33.1 ± 11.4 µm and 31.3 ± 11.6 µm, respectively, and inhibited by carnitine analogs. These transport properties are consistent with those of carnitine transport by OCTN2. OCTN2 was confirmed to be expressed in rat and human BCECs by an RT‐PCR method. Furthermore, the uptake of acetyl‐l‐[3H]carnitine by the BCECs of juvenile visceral steatosis (jvs) mouse, in which OCTN2 is functionally defective owing to a genetical missense mutation of one amino acid residue, was reduced. The brain distributions of l‐[3H]carnitine and acetyl‐l‐[3H]carnitine in jvs mice were slightly lower than those of wild‐type mice at 4 h after intravenous administration. These results suggest that OCTN2 is involved in transport of l‐carnitine and acetyl‐l‐carnitine from the circulating blood to the brain across the BBB.
Growth-modulatory effects of heparin and VEGF165 on the choriocarcinoma cell-line JEG-3 and its expression of heparanase.

BACKGROUND Expression of heparanase (HPSE) in tumor cells is strongly associated with invasion, metastasis and angiogenesis. It also plays a key role during pregnancy, in processes of implantation as well as placentation. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and heparin are known to alter HPSE expression, with heparin given prophylactically to women with a history of placenta-mediated complications in subsequent pregnancies. MATERIALS AND METHODS We examined the growth-modulatory effects of different concentrations of heparin and VEGF on the choriocarcinoma cell-line JEG-3 and the expression of heparanase under VEGF and heparin by proliferation assays, PCR, and western blot. RESULTS Proliferation of JEG-3 cells was induced by heparin in a dose-dependent manner, whereas highly concentrated VEGF led to a decreased cell proliferation. Both agents did not influence the HPSE-expression. CONCLUSION The presumed pregnancy-protecting effects of heparin may partially be due to an increase of trophoblast proliferation and not via regulation of HPSE expression.
Managing Peptidases in the Genomic Era

Abstract The enzymes that hydrolyse peptide bonds, called peptidases or proteases, are very important to mankind and are also very numerous. The many scientists working on these enzymes are rapidly acquiring new data, and they need good methods to store it and retrieve it. The storage and retrieval require effective systems of classification and nomenclature, and it is the design and implementation of these that we mean by 'managing' peptidases. Ten years ago Rawlings and Barrett proposed the first comprehensive system for the classification of peptidases, which included a set of simple names for the families. In the present article we describe how the system has developed since then. The peptidase classification has now been adopted for use by many other databases, and provides the structure around which the MEROPS protease database (http://merops.sanger.ac.uk) is built.
Presentation of donor major histocompatibility complex class II antigens by dna vaccination prolongs heart allograft survival

Background. Donor major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigens play an important role in both allograft rejection and tolerance. With the use of several animal models, it has been shown that presentation of donor antigens before transplantation can lead to allograft tolerance. Vaccination of animals with a DNA plasmid encoding an antigen enables highly efficient expression of the protein in vivo. Methods. In this study, we used DNA vaccination delivered through intramuscular, intraperitoneal, or intravenous routes to indirectly present donor antigens and to determine the effect in the modulation of the allograft response. LEW.1A recipients of a LEW.1W heart allograft were treated before grafting by vaccination with a plasmid encoding the donor RT1.Du MHC class II or RT1.Au class I molecules. Results. Only anti-MHC II vaccination significantly prolonged allograft survival compared with untreated rats. We observed a significant prolongation of heart allograft survival with the intramuscular route of injection, but surprisingly we found the intravenous and intraperitoneal routes to be the best. Conclusion. After transplantation the anti-donor cellular response was significantly decreased in vaccinated rats. This was accompanied by a significant reduction in interferon-&ggr; mRNA expression in the grafted hearts and T helper 1-type alloantibody production, indicating that the vaccination modifies the alloresponse against the grafts.
Adenocarcinomas With Prominent Lepidic Spread: Retrospective Review Applying New Classification of the American Thoracic Society

Background:Recently, a new classification of lung adenocarcinomas has been proposed for tumors with lepidic spread. The greatest diameter of the invasive component determines minimally invasive cancers, and the term bronchioloalveolar carcinoma is no longer used. Methods:We retrospectively reviewed 87 resected adenocarcinomas of the lung; 30 tumors with lepidic growth and without high-grade invasive areas were identified, and the invasive component was measured morphometrically and categorized. A dimension of 5 mm was the cutoff for invasion. Regional lymph node involvement and short-term follow-up were compared among subtypes of these well-differentiated and moderately differentiated adenocarcinomas. Results:There were 11 well-differentiated adenocarcinomas with lepidic growth: 3 adenocarcinomas in situ (nonmucinous) and 8 minimally invasive adenocarcinomas (MIAs) (4 mucinous and 4 nonmucinous). There were 19 invasive moderately differentiated adenocarcinomas with a prominent lepidic growth pattern (LPAs). The mean size of the 3 adenocarcinomas in situ cases was 0.9±0.7 mm; the total size of the 8 MIA cases was 1.4±1.8 cm and that of the 19 LPA cases was 3.2±2.1 cm. The invasive size of the MIA was 0.3±0.6 and that of the LPA was 2.2±0.3. The invasive pattern of the LPAs was papillary and acinar without desmoplasia (n=3) and acinar with desmoplasia (n=16). Seven of the invasive desmoplastic tumors showed complex single-cell invasion or lymphatic invasion. Identification of the transition from lepidic to invasive acinar was straightforward because of the presence of elastotic desmoplasia. The transition between complex acinar papillary invasion and lepidic growth was often difficult to discern. Lymph node metastases were present in 5 cases (26%), all in tumors with an acinar, desmoplastic invasive component of >1 cm, with areas of single-cell invasion. With follow-up, progressive nodal involvement or distant metastases occurred in 4 patients, all with complex invasive patterns; 3 with invasion >1 cm and 1 with lymphatic invasion in smaller invasive tumors. Recurrent lung nodules occurred in 5 patients, including 1 patient with MIA, 1 with nondesmoplastic invasion, 2 with desmoplastic invasion, and 1 with complex desmoplastic invasion. Conclusions:Approximately one third of lung adenocarcinomas have significant lepidic spread, and of these nearly one third are minimally invasive. Measurement of the invasive component may be difficult without elastotic desmoplasia. In this small series, lymph node and distant metastases occurred only in those with complex invasive patterns, but lung recurrence occurred in all subtypes, including MIAs.
Covalent DNA damage in tissues of cigarette smokers as determined by 32P-postlabeling assay.

Covalent DNA addition products (adducts) formed by the reaction of chemical carcinogens or their metabolites with DNA are critically involved in the initiation of chemical carcinogenesis and may serve as molecular markers and dosimeters for environmental carcinogen exposures. Using a highly sensitive 32P-postlabeling assay for DNA adduct analysis, we studied DNA damage elicited by cigarette smoke in tissues of smokers. A multitude of characteristic smoking-induced, presumably aromatic DNA adducts were found to occur in a dose- and time-dependent manner in the lung, bronchus, and larynx of smokers with cancer of these organs and to decline only slowly after cessation of smoking. Low levels of adducts appeared to persist for up to 14 years in the lungs of exsmokers with high previous exposures. These results corroborate data of epidemiological studies showing that the lung cancer risk and mortality of smokers increase with the intensity and duration of smoking and decline only slowly after cessation of smoking. Tissue distribution studies in autopsy samples revealed the presence of smoking-associated DNA lesions also in the kidney, bladder, esophagus, heart, ascending aorta, and liver. The most extensive DNA damage was found in lung and heart, i.e., 1 aromatic adduct in about 10(7) DNA nucleotides. Our results suggest that cigarette smoking-induced DNA adduct formation is causally related to cancer in the target organs.
Genomics of Weissella cibaria with an examination of its metabolic traits.

Weissella is a genus of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) consisting of species formerly included in the Leuconostoc paramesenteroides group. Similar to other LAB, they are commonly found in fermented foods but have also been isolated from environmental and human samples. Currently there are 20 recognized species. Herein, three Weissella cibaria genomes were sequenced using Illumia Mi-Seq and Roche 454 technologies. Annotation was performed using the Prokka and JGI IMG pipelines. A thorough analysis of the genomics of the W. cibaria strains was performed, in addition to brief comparative analyses of the genus Weissella as a whole. Genomic sequence data from the newly sequenced W. cibaria strains and data available in GenBank for other Weissella strains was used (n = 10; four Weissella cibaria, one Weissella ceti, one Weissella confusa, one Weissella halotolerans, two Weissella koreensis and one Weissella paramesenteroides). The genomes had sizes varying from 1.3 to 2.4 Mb. DNA G+C contents ranged from 35 to 45 mol%. The core- and pan-proteome at genus and species levels were determined. The genus pan-proteome was found to comprise 4712 proteins. Analysis of the four W. cibaria genomes indicated that the core-proteome, consisting of 729 proteins, constitutes 69 % of the species pan-proteome. This large core-set may explain the divergent niches in which this species has been found. In W. cibaria, in addition to a number of phosphotransferase systems conferring the ability to assimilate plant-associated polysaccharides, an extensive proteolytic system was identified.
Multi-agent rendezvousing with a finite set of candidate rendezvous points

The discrete multi-agent rendezvous problem we consider in this paper is concerned with a specified set of points in the plane, called "dwell-points," and a set of mobile autonomous agents with limited sensing range. Each agent is initially positioned at some dwell-point, and is able to determine its distances to dwell-points within sensing range, and also the bearings of those dwell-points with respect to a local reference of the agent. An agent can also determine if each dwell-point within sensing range is occupied by at least one agent. We do not, however, assume that an agent can count the number of agents occupying a dwell-point. We say the agents have "rendezvoused" if all the agents have moved to a set of dwell-points all within sensing radius of each other. The goal is to devise distributed motion strategies for each agent which will cause all the agents to rendezvous in the sense just defined, without any active communication among the agents. We propose a distributed motion rule and use graphs to characterize a class of dwell-points in the plane for which rendezvous is guaranteed under the rule.
Synaptophysin is targeted to similar microvesicles in CHO and PC12 cells.

Synaptophysin, an integral membrane protein of small synaptic vesicles, was expressed by transfection in fibroblastic CHO‐K1 cells. The properties and localization of synaptophysin were compared between transfected CHO‐K1 cells and native neuroendocrine PC12 cells. Both cell types similarly glycosylate synaptophysin and sort it into indistinguishable microvesicles. These become labeled by endocytic markers and are primarily concentrated below the plasmalemma and at the area of the Golgi complex and the centrosomes. A small pool of synaptophysin is transiently found on the plasma membrane. In CHO‐K1 cells synaptophysin co‐localizes with transferrin that has been internalized by receptor‐mediated endocytosis. These findings suggest that synaptophysin in transfected CHO‐K1 cells and neuroendocrine PC12 cells is directed into a pathway of recycling microvesicles which, in CHO cells, is shown to coincide with that of the transferrin receptor. They further indicate that fibroblasts have the ability to sort a synaptic vesicle membrane protein. Our results suggest a pathway for the evolution of small synaptic vesicles from a constitutively recycling organelle which is normally present in all cells.
The INO2 and INO4 loci of Saccharomyces cerevisiae are pleiotropic regulatory genes

We isolated a mutant of Saccharomyces cerevisiae defective in the formation of phosphatidylcholine via methylation of phosphatidylethanolamine. The mutant synthesized phosphatidylcholine at a reduced rate and accumulated increased amounts of methylated phospholipid intermediates. It was also found to be auxotrophic for inositol and allelic to an existing series of ino4 mutants. The ino2 and ino4 mutants, originally isolated on the basis of an inositol requirement, are unable to derepress the cytoplasmic enzyme inositol-1-phosphate synthase (myo-inositol-1-phosphate synthase; EC 5.5.1.4). The INO4 and INO2 genes were, thus, previously identified as regulatory genes whose wild-type product is required for expression of the INO1 gene product inositol-1-phosphate synthase (T. Donahue and S. Henry, J. Biol. Chem. 256:7077-7085, 1981). In addition to the identification of a new ino4-allele, further characterization of the existing series of ino4 and ino2 mutants, reported here, demonstrated that they all have a reduced capacity to convert phosphatidylethanolamine to phosphatidylcholine. The pleiotropic phenotype of the ino2 and ino4 mutants described in this paper suggests that the INO2 and INO4 loci are involved in the regulation of phospholipid methylation in the membrane as well as inositol biosynthesis in the cytoplasm.
Further Exploration of the Vedic Personality Inventory: Validity, Reliability and Generalizability

The purpose of this study was to explore the validity, reliability, and generalizability of the Vedic Personality Inventory which consists of constructs derived from the Vedic literature of India. There were 57 participants (20 men, 37 women). The mean age was 44.3 yr. (SD = 15.1). The sample was predominantly older, well-educated women who volunteered to participate as respondees to invitations to participate posted in supermarkets, churches, colleges, and on the internet. Analysis yielded statistically significant correlations for scores on the Vedic Personality Inventory and on the Daily Spiritual Experiences Scale and the Brief Symptom Inventory, each of which measures domains of interest addressed by the first inventory.
Nanoimaging for protein misfolding and related diseases

Misfolding and aggregation of proteins is a common thread linking a number of important human health problems. The misfolded and aggregated proteins are inducers of cellular stress and activators of immunity in neurodegenerative diseases. They might posses clear cytotoxic properties, being responsible for the dysfunction and loss of cells in the affected organs. Despite the crucial importance of protein misfolding and abnormal interactions, very little is currently known about the molecular mechanism underlying these processes. Factors that lead to protein misfolding and aggregation in vitro are poorly understood, not to mention the complexities involved in the formation of protein nanoparticles with different morphologies (e.g., the nanopores) in vivo. A better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of misfolding and aggregation might facilitate development of the rational approaches to prevent pathologies mediated by protein misfolding. The conventional tools currently available to researchers can only provide an averaged picture of a living system, whereas much of the subtle or short‐lived information is lost. We believe that the existing and emerging nanotools might help solving these problems by opening the entirely novel pathways for the development of early diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. This article summarizes recent advances of the nanoscience in detection and characterization of misfolded protein conformations. Based on these findings, we outline our view on the nanoscience development towards identification intracellular nanomachines and/or multicomponent complexes critically involved in protein misfolding. J. Cell. Biochem. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
An Analytical Study of the Delay in Bluetooth Networks Using the Personal Area Network Profile

Bluetooth is the most employed technology to develop wireless personal area networks. This letter studies the performance of Bluetooth transmissions that make use of the PAN (personal area network) profile. In particular, the study offers an analytical model that defines the optimal bound for the end-to-end data delay. The proposed 'delay budget' takes into account the overhead and segmentation provoked by the protocols involved in the transmission of user data. The model is empirically validated by comparing its results with those obtained through the measurements of actual Bluetooth connections.
Detection of Mustelid Herpesvirus-1 Infected European Badgers (Meles meles) in the British Isles

The aim of this study was to assess the frequency of mustelid herpesvirus-1 (MusHV-1) infection in free-ranging badgers (Meles meles) in the British Isles. A polymerase chain reaction assay was developed that detected MusHV-1 DNA in 95% (18/19) and 100% (10/10) of anticoagulant-treated blood samples collected from free-ranging badgers sampled in the southwest of England and the Republic of Ireland, respectively. An indirect immunoassay was also developed to detect MusHV-1–specific immunoglobulin-G in serum samples. Using an arbitrary cutoff of twice the optical density obtained with a virus-negative preparation, 32.7% (36/110) of sera sampled from badgers were positive. The conclusion drawn from these data is that infection with MusHV-1 is common among free-ranging badgers in the British Isles.
Essays in finance

I examine how both public and private information are incorporated into price, and how the pattern of price impact has changed over time. In a sample of merger targets from 19802014, I show that the increase in price prior to the public revelation of mergers has been decreasing over time. This trend is robust to several measures of runup, despite high volatility in those measures, and is closely related to changes in the liquidity of target stocks. Established firm and transaction characteristics, along with measures of liquidity, explain only half of the drop in price runup in the early 2000s. I then measure stock market reactions to Federal Reserve unconventional monetary policy announcements era using high-frequency financial data. The proportion of these unconventional policy announcements is large relative to alternative event classes. Stock market reactions to this news is generally economically significant, in support of standard theories of monetary policy transmission that emphasize the role of asset prices. INDEX WORDS: Mergers, Informed trading, Liquidity, Quantitative easing, unconventional monetary policy, stock returns, jumps, event study.