Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Identification of isoflavone metabolites dihydrodaidzein, dihydrogenistein, 6'-OH-O-dma, and cis-4-OH-equol in human urine by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy using authentic reference compounds.

The metabolic products of daidzein and genistein, the principal isoflavones of soy, were examined. Six volunteers included soy into their normal diet for a 2-week period and urine samples were analyzed before and after soy consumption. Isolation and characterization of the urinary metabolites were carried out with absorption chromatography on Sephadex LH-20 and gas chromatography-electron ionization mass spectrometry (GC-EIMS). The structures of the isoflavones isolated were confirmed by using authentic reference compounds. Dihydrogenistein, 6'-OH-O-desmethylangolensin, and cis-4-OH-equol were identified, in addition to known isoflavonoids daidzein, genistein, glycitein, and the known metabolites equol, O-desmethylangolensin, and dihydrodaidzein, by comparing the retention times and the spectra of the urinary compounds with those of the synthesized reference standards. The mammalian lignans enterolactone and enterodiol were also identified. Derivatization of the isoflavones for GC-MS was examined by comparing two silylating reagents, N, O-bis-(trimethylsilyl)-trifluoroacetamide (BSTFA) and pyridine:hexamethyldisilazan:trimethylchlorosilane (QSM), both used for the derivatization of these compounds. The silylation experiments revealed significant differences in the compositions of the derivatization products. Some corrections were made concerning the earlier published data of dihydrogenistein and 6'-OH-O-dma.
Copy mutant of mini-Rts1: lowered binding affinity of mutated RepA protein to direct repeats

Nucleotide sequence analysis of mini-Rts1 and its copy mutant disclosed the presence of two clusters of direct-repeat sequences flanking the coding region for the 33,000-dalton RepA protein and two base substitutions on the mini-Rts1cop1 genome (Kamio et al., J. Bacteriol. 158:307-312, 1984). On subcloning of the left cluster (incI) that is located downstream from repA, the five 24-base-pair repeats expressed a stronger incompatibility toward mini-Rts1 than did the four repeats. The right cluster (incII) that contains three 21-base-pair repeats also exhibited strong incompatibility toward mini-Rts1. By separating the two base substitutions of mini-Rts1cop1, the mutation that is responsible for the copy increase was determined to be a single base change in the RepA coding region. Both clusters of the repeats, cloned separately into the vector plasmid, showed a weaker incompatibility toward mini-Rts1cop1 than to the wild-type mini-Rts1. These findings suggest a lowered binding affinity of the mutated RepA protein to the direct repeats.
The use of repetitive element PCR fingerprinting (rep-PCR) for genetic subtyping of German field isolates of Paenibacillus larvae subsp. larvae

Studies using the repetitive element PCR fingerprinting technique (rep-PCR) revealed that BOX A1R-, MBO REP1- and ERIC-primers reproducibly generate distinctive DNA fingerprints from Paenibacillus larvae subsp. larvae. Four different genetic subtypes of P. larvae were identified in Germany using the three primers. Correlating the results from genetic and morphological subtyping, the flat and transparent morphotype could be assigned to one genetic group. Geographic evaluation of our results demonstrated that the different genetic subtypes appeared in clusters correlating with different outbreaks of American foulbrood. Taken together, our results indicated that rep-PCR performed with a combination of BOX A1R- and MBO REP1-primers will be an effective tool for establishing a molecular epidemiology of P. l. larvae. American foulbrood / Paenibacillus larvae larvae / DNA-fingerprinting / genetic subtyping / molecular epidemiology
ERO1-L, a Human Protein That Favors Disulfide Bond Formation in the Endoplasmic Reticulum*

Oxidizing conditions must be maintained in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to allow the formation of disulfide bonds in secretory proteins. Here we report the cloning and characterization of a mammalian gene (ERO1-L) that shares extensive homology with the Saccharomyces cerevisiae ERO1 gene, required in yeast for oxidative protein folding. When expressed in mammalian cells, the product of the human ERO1-L gene co-localizes with ER markers and displays Endo-H-sensitive glycans. In isolated microsomes, ERO1-L behaves as a type II integral membrane protein. ERO1-L is able to complement several phenotypic traits of the yeast thermosensitive mutant ero1-1, including temperature and dithiothreitol sensitivity, and intrachain disulfide bond formation in carboxypeptidase Y. ERO1-L is no longer functional when either one of the highly conserved Cys-394 or Cys-397 is mutated. These results strongly suggest that ERO1-L is involved in oxidative ER protein folding in mammalian cells.
A genome‐wide linkage analysis of dementia in the Amish

Susceptibility genes for Alzheimer's disease are proving to be highly challenging to detect and verify. Population heterogeneity may be a significant confounding factor contributing to this difficulty. To increase the power for disease susceptibility gene detection, we conducted a genome‐wide genetic linkage screen using individuals from the relatively isolated, genetically homogeneous, Amish population. Our genome linkage analysis used a 407‐microsatellite‐marker map (average density 7 cM) to search for autosomal genes linked to dementia in five Amish families from four Midwestern U.S. counties. Our highest two‐point lod score (3.01) was observed at marker D4S1548 on chromosome 4q31. Five other regions (10q22, 3q28, 11p13, 4q28, 19p13) also demonstrated suggestive linkage with markers having two‐point lod scores >2.0. While two of these regions are novel (4q31 and 11p13), the other regions lie close to regions identified in previous genome scans in other populations. Our results identify regions of the genome that may harbor genes involved in a subset of dementia patients, in particular the North American Amish community. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Coupled electric and thermal batteries models using energetic macroscopic representation (EMR) for range estimation in electric vehicles

Electric models of battery have to take into account the effect of temperature for the state-of-charge estimation. As a matter of fact, at low temperature the driving range of the vehicle can be overestimated up to more than 20% with electric only models. We propose to couple thermal and electric battery models for improving the range estimation.
Good diagnostic accuracy of a chemiluminescent immunoassay in stool samples for diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection in patients with dyspepsia

Laboratory-based chemiluminescence immunoassays (CLIA) are widely used in clinical laboratories. Some years ago, a CLIA test was developed for the detection of Helicobacter pylori in stool samples, known as LIAISON H. pylori SA, but little information on its use has been reported. To evaluate the accuracy of the LIAISON H. pylori SA assay for diagnosing H. pylori infection prior to eradication treatment. Diagnostic reliability was evaluated in 252 untreated consecutive patients with dyspepsia. The gold standard for diagnosing H. pylori infection was defined as the concordance of the rapid urease test (RUT), histopathology and urea breath test (UBT). The CLIA assay was performed according to the manufacturer's instructions. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and 95% CIs were calculated. According to the gold standard selected, 121 patients were positive for H. pylori infection and 131 negative. LIAISON H. pylori SA had a sensitivity of 90.1% and a specificity of 92.4%, with positive and negative predictive values of 91.6% and 90.1%, respectively. The accuracy of the LIAISON H. pylori SA chemiluminescent diagnostic assay seems comparable to that of ELISA or the best-performing LFIAs. Its sensitivity and specificity, however, seem slightly lower than those of histology, RUT or UBT. The advantages of the assay are that it is cheap, automated, and minimally labor-intensive.
Pericarditis and myocarditis in germfr and colostrum-deprived pigs experimentally infected with a porcine polioencephalomyelitis virus.

In the study of porcine polioencephalomyelitis a strain of virus was encountered which consistently produced pericarditis in addition to polioencephalomyelitis. No other porcine enteroviruses have been associated specifically with pericarditis, although the occasional occurrence of myocarditis has been reported in association with Teschen disease [1-3] and with another porcine enteroviral infection [4]. Several human enteroviruses including Coxsackie and poliomyelitis viruses have been associated with pericarditis and myocarditis in man [5-8]. The significance of this aspect of enteroviral infection in man is indicated by epidemics of myocarditis in infants [9] and the occasionally resulting constrictive pericarditis [10]. With some human enteroviral strains, myocarditis (Coxsackie B3) was produced experimentally in mice [11], and endocarditis (Coxsackie B4) was produced in mice [12] and in monkeys [13]. It was the objective of this investigation to describe and classify the lesions in the heart following experimental infection of germfree and colostrumdeprived pigs with this strain of porcine polioencephalomyelitis virus, and to correlate the findings with data obtained by electrocardiography and reisolation.
Dynamic Analysis of Three-Port DC/DC Converter for Space Applications

This paper presents the control structure for a novel three-port converter topology. This topology has the advantage of low switch count, high power density, high efficiency, so it is a valuable choice for space applications. The three port converter for space application interfaces one solar panel input port, one bi-directional battery port and an isolated output port. Lithium-Ion battery charge control simulation is implemented. Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) is adopted to maximize the solar energy input. Two of the three ports can be simultaneously regulated. However, the two control loops have interactions with each other due to the integrated power trains of the three ports. Therefore, implementing the closed loop control requires careful analysis of their dynamic behaviors. In this paper, the dynamic behavior of the converter during different operational modes is fully characterized and studied. Small signal models are derived based on state space equations, and experimental results verify the converter control structure.
Age Is Independent of Comorbidity Influencing Patient Selection for Combined Modality Therapy for Treatment of Stage III Nonsmall Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)

Objectives:To determine the influence of age and comorbidity in patient selection for treatment of stage III NSCLC with combined modality therapy (CMT). Methods:There were 102 patients with a Karnofsky Performance Score greater than or equal to 70, and clinical stage III NSCLC analyzed retrospectively for comorbidity. All patients received radiotherapy, and 57 (56%) received CMT with sequential and/or concurrent chemotherapy. Comorbidity was rated retrospectively using the Cumulative Illness Rating Scale for Geriatrics (CIRS-G). The effect of an extremely severe comorbidity score on patient selection and overall survival (OS) was evaluated. Results:Presence of a grade 4 comorbidity (P = 0.02) and use of radiation only (P < 0.01) were associated with a statistically significant inferior OS on multivariate analysis, whereas age greater than or equal to 70, clinical stage IIIB, >5% weight loss, and radiation dose >63 Gy were not. Patients receiving CMT were significantly younger (P < 0.001), with less comorbidity (P < 0.001), and weight loss (P = 0.003) compared with patients receiving radiotherapy alone. A multivariate analysis revealed that age (P < 0.001), comorbidity (P = 0.007), and weight loss (P = 0.002) were independent factors influencing patient selection for CMT. Conclusions:Age effects patient selection for CMT independent of comorbidity and weight loss in patients with stage III NSCLC and good performance status. This might be related to physician's biases regarding tolerability of CMT in the elderly, and might explain under-representation of elderly in clinical trials of lung cancer. Comorbidity assessment should be included in protocols studying locally advanced stage NSCLC and may be useful for stratification.
Springtime contribution of dinitrogen fixation to primary production across the Mediterranean Sea

Abstract. Dinitrogen (N2) fixation rates were measured during early spring across the different provinces of Mediterranean Sea surface waters. N2 fixation rates, measured using 15N2 enriched seawater, were lowest in the eastern basin and increased westward with a maximum at the Strait of Gibraltar (0.10 to 2.35 nmol N L−1 d−1, respectively). These rates were 3–7 fold higher than N2 fixation rates measured previously in the Mediterranean Sea during summertime and we estimated that methodological differences alone did not account for the seasonal changes we observed. Higher contribution of N2 fixation to primary production (4–8%) was measured in the western basin compared to the eastern basin (∼2%). Our data indicates that these differences between basins may be attributed to changes in N2-fixing planktonic communities and that heterotrophic diazotrophy may play a significant role in the eastern Mediterranean while autotrophic diazotrophy has a more dominant role in the western basin.
Salient object detection via harris corner

In this paper, an fast and effective image saliency detection based on Harris Corner method is proposed. Different from most previous methods that mainly concentrate on boundary prior, we take both background and foreground information into consideration. First, a novel method is proposed to approximately locate the foreground object by using the convex hull from Harris corner. Then, the original image is segmented into super-pixels regions and the saliency values of different regions are divided into two parts to generate the corresponding background and foreground cue maps which are combined into a unified map. Finally, the unified map and the convex hull center-biased algorithm are combined to be the saliency map, which is then optimized by Bayesian perspective and saliency diffusion to get the final result. Experiments on publicly available data sets demonstrate that the proposed algorithm performs favorably against the state-of-the-art methods.
APACHE—acute physiology and chronic health evaluation: a physiologically based classification system

&NA; Investigations describing the utilization pattern and documenting the value of intensive care are limited by the lack of a reliable and valid classification system. In this paper, the authors describe the development and initial validation of acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE), a physiologically based classification system for measuring severity of illness in groups of critically ill patients. APACHE uses information available in the medical record. In studies on 582 admissions to a university hospital ICU and 223 admissions to a community hospital ICU, APACHE was reliable in classifying ICU admissions. In validation studies involving these 805 admissions, the acute physiology score of APACHE demonstrated consistent agreement with subsequent therapeutic effort and mortality. This was true for a broad range of patient groups using a variety of sensitivity analyses. After successful completion of multi‐institutional validation studies, the APACHE classification system could be used to control for case mix, compare outcomes, evaluate new therapies, and study the utilization of ICUs.
Assessment of genotoxic and mutagenic potential of hexavalent chromium in the freshwater fish Labeo rohita (Hamilton, 1822)

Abstract The present study was undertaken to investigate the genotoxicity and mutagenicity of sublethal concentrations of hexavalent chromium (potassium dichromate) in the Indian major carp, Labeo rohita. The 96 h LC50 value of potassium dichromate estimated was 118 mg L−1 by probit analysis using SPSS (version 16.0) software. Based on 96 h LC50 value, three sublethal test concentrations of potassium dichromate (29.5, 59.0 and 88.5 mg L−1) were selected and specimens were exposed in vivo to these test concentrations for 96 h. The mutagenic and genotoxic effects of potassium dichromate were evaluated in gill and blood cells using micronucleus (MN) test and comet assay. In general, significant (p < 0.05) effects due to the concentrations and the exposure durations were observed in exposed specimens. The MN induction was highest at 96 h at all the test concentrations in the peripheral blood. A similar trend was observed for the DNA damage, measured in terms of percentage of tail DNA, in erythrocyte and gill cells. The study indicated hazardous effect of the hexavalent chromium to fish and other aquatic organisms and indirectly to human beings.
Potentially biodegradable microcapsules with poly (alkyl 2‐cyanoacrylate) membranes

currents measured at -1.5 V; drop time, 3 s; current density, 5 x 10-8 A mm-2. The diffusion currents were expressed as pen response in mm. The dificulty of the methyl nitrate being reduced at approximately the same potential as the glyceryl trinitrate was overcome as follows. The response, i,, of 1 ml standard methyl nitrate solution was measured; the response, i,, for the mixture of 1 ml of internal standard and 1 ml unknown trinitrate solution was then corrected for i, giving
Depressive symptoms in multiple sclerosis

The recent article by Kirchner and Lara concerning symptoms of stress and depression in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) was read with great interest and intrigue (1). They reported that rates of depression were higher in MS patients and that the stress involved in dealing with MS could lead to depression. However, their study did not show the linkages between physical functioning and depression. Depression is commonly found in MS patients and contributes to mental and cognitive dysfunction. Diagnosis of depression is very important for the treatment and social adjustment in MS patients. We studied 48 patients with MS to elucidate the nature and frequency of the depressive state compared to ageand education-matched controls. We utilized the self-rating depression scale (SDS) (2), and neurological disability was measured using the expanded disability states scale (EDSS) (3). The relationship between these two scales was analysed, and the mean SDS score turned out to be higher in MS patients compared to control. However, there was no correlation between SDS score and EDSS, nor was there a relationship between SDS and duration of MS. It is interesting to note that high-SDS scores were found in patients with pyramidal tract signs. Due to the physiological and psychological damage caused by depression it is crucial that physicians pay attention to the mental care and medical treatment of MS patients. In addition, improvement of the depressive state provides an adequate treatment choice for these patients. Finally, our results suggest a significant association between pyramidal tract signs and depression in MS patients. It is our recommendation that further studies be performed in this area.
What is Left to Residual Claimants? The Empirics of Income Reported by Entrepreneurs and Workers

Using Finnish panel data, we study how entrepreneurs differ from workers in education and income dynamics. We find that workers have higher median income in all educational groups. Without additional controls, entrepreneurs have higher average income with all but undergraduate level of education. However, random effects and matching models suggest that entrepreneurs have lower incomes. We also analyze those who changed careers. Those with higher level of education are more likely to switch from entrepreneurship to workers, while education does not explain, in a statistically significant level, switching from being worker to entrepreneurship.
A 10-Gb/s eye-opening monitor IC for decision-guided adaptation of the frequency response of an optical receiver

This paper presents a single-chip eye opening monitor IC for decision-guided optimization of the frequency response of an optical receiver. The IC provides an analog output voltage proportional to the horizontal eye opening of a data signal. The chip includes a delay-locked loop for automatic adjustment of the clock phase. It was designed in a 50-GHz-f/sub T/ SiGe bipolar technology and dissipates 4.95 W from a -5-V supply.
Host oyster tissue extracts modulate in vitro protease expression and cellular differentiation in the protozoan parasite, Perkinsus marinus

Perkinsus marinus is responsible for a chronic disease (Dermo) of the Eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica. In order to simulate the in vivo environment more closely, a chemically defined medium (JL-ODRP-3) was supplemented with tissue homogenate extracts or plasma from oysters possessing varying degrees of susceptibility to P. marinus infection. In media supplemented with extracts from highly susceptible oysters (C. virginica), P. marinus cells secreted elevated amounts of a set of low molecular weight serine proteases (LMP: 30–45 kDa) as assessed by enhanced digestion within gelatin-substrate SDS–PAGE gels. Oyster species of low susceptibility (C. gigas and C. ariakensis) did not exhibit this ability to upregulate P. marinus LMP expression. Oyster extract supplementation also led to pronounced changes in P. marinus cellular morphology, such that the cells were comparable to those observed within naturally infected oysters.
Determination of Apolipoprotein B in Apolipoprotein CII/CIII-Containing Lipoproteins by an Immunoenzymmetric Assay

A solid phase sandwich immunoenzymmetric assay is described for the determination of apolipoprotein B in apolipoprotein CII- and/or CIII-containing lipoproteins (chylomicron remnants, VLDL, IDL). During a first incubation step the particles containing apolipoproteins CII and/or CIII are bound to antibodies against these components, while the antibodies are immobilised on microtitre plate wells. After washing, anti-apolipoprotein B is added in a second incubation step. Finally peroxidase-labelled anti-sheep IgG reacts with the bound anti-apolipoprotein B, thus allowing the quantification of complexes containing both B and CII/CIII apolipoproteins. The amounts of these complexes were correlated with total cholesterol, triacylglycerols, HDL- and LDL-cholesterol, apolipoproteins AI and B, as well as with age and sex of the subject. A total of 258 individuals was studied, including patients with lipid metabolism disorders, patients with manifest coronary heart disease, and healthy controls. The assay described in this article was compared with radial immunodiffusion after pretreatment of samples. The immunoenzymmetric assay was easier and faster to perform and had a lower detection limit than the classical VLDL apolipoprotein B determination using ultracentrifugation. Furthermore, it could be performed directly on native serum. Most importantly, the study revealed elevated apolipoprotein CII/CIII-B levels in coronary heart disease patients of both sexes compared with normal subjects. Furthermore, in male coronary heart disease patients a negative correlation was found between the concentrations of apolipoprotein CII/CIII-B and HDL-cholesterol. These results suggest a delayed VLDL-HDL exchange of lipids and proteins in these patients which results in an accumulation of atherogenic apolipoprotein B-containing VLDL and IDL.