Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Functional Analysis of Glycoprotein L (gL) from Rhesus Lymphocryptovirus in Epstein-Barr Virus-Mediated Cell Fusion Indicates a Direct Role of gL in gB-Induced Membrane Fusion

ABSTRACT Glycoprotein L (gL), which complexes with gH, is a conserved herpesvirus protein that is essential for Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) entry into host cells. The gH/gL complex has a conserved role in entry among herpesviruses, yet the mechanism is not clear. To gain a better understanding of the role of gL in EBV-mediated fusion, chimeric proteins were made using rhesus lymphocryptovirus (Rh-LCV) gL (Rh gL), which shares a high sequence homology with EBV gL but does not complement EBV gL in mediating fusion with B cells. A reduction in fusion activity was observed with chimeric gL proteins that contained the amino terminus of Rh gL, although they retained their ability to process and transport gH/gL to the cell surface. Amino acids not conserved within this region in EBV gL when compared to Rh gL were further analyzed, with the results mapping residues 54 and 94 as being functionally important for EBV-mediated fusion. All chimeras and mutants displayed levels of cell surface expression similar to that of wild-type gL and interacted with gH and gp42. Our data also suggest that the role of gL involves the activation or recruitment of gB with the gH/gL complex, as we found that reduced fusion of Rh gL, EBV/Rh-LCV chimeras, and gL point mutants could be restored by replacing EBV gB with Rh gB. These observations demonstrate a distinction between the role of gL in the processing and trafficking of gH to the cell surface and a posttrafficking role in cell-cell fusion.
Molecular characteristics of bronchioloalveolar carcinoma and adenocarcinoma, bronchioloalveolar carcinoma subtype, predict response to erlotinib.

PURPOSE We conducted this phase II trial to determine the efficacy of erlotinib in patients with bronchioloalveolar carcinoma (BAC) and adenocarcinoma, BAC subtype, and to determine molecular characteristics associated with response. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients (n = 101) with BAC (n = 12) or adenocarcinoma, BAC subtype (n = 89), were enrolled. All patients received erlotinib 150 mg daily. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation, EGFR copy number, EGFR immunohistochemistry (IHC), and KRAS mutation status were analyzed in available tumors. The primary end point was response rate (RR). RESULTS Overall RR was 22% (95% CI, 14% to 31%). In patients with pure BAC, the RR and median survival were 20% and 4 months, as compared with 23% and 19 months in those with adenocarcinoma, BAC subtype. No patient (zero of 18; 95% CI, 0% to 19%) whose tumor harbored a KRAS mutation responded to erlotinib. Patients with EGFR mutations had an 83% RR (15 of 18; 95% CI, 65% to 94%) and 23-month median OS. On univariate analysis, EGFR mutation and copy number were associated with RR and PFS. EGFR IHC was not associated with RR or progression-free survival (PFS). After multivariate analysis, only EGFR mutation was associated with RR and PFS. No molecular factors were associated with overall survival. CONCLUSION Erlotinib is active in BAC and adenocarcinoma, mixed subtype, BAC. Testing for EGFR and KRAS mutations can predict RR and PFS after treatment with erlotinib in this histologically enriched subset of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). These data suggest that histologic subtype and molecular characteristics should be reported in clinical trials in NSCLC using EGFR-directed therapy.
The Relationship between Autobiographical Self-Focus and Memory Specificity/Overgenerality: differences between Individuals with and without a Diagnosis of Depression

Research has revealed that clinical depression is related to reduced specificity and/or overgenerality in autobiographical memory. We set out to investigate this relationship by comparing depressed ( n = 40) and non-depressed ( n = 40) individuals not only in terms of autobiographical memory specificity/generality, but also in terms of narrative structure. Specificity was assessed with the Autobiographical Memory Test (AMT; Williams & Broadbent, 1986) and participants also provided open-ended memories, which were analyzed for autobiographical cognitive complexity (Woike, 1994). Narrative differentiation, as an indicator of self-focus, was negatively related to specificity and positively to overgenerality of particularly negative autobiographical memories – but only in the depressed sample. Relationships were significantly different among non-depressed individuals. Results are discussed in the context of the relation between specificity/overgenerality and self-focus.
Common themes in microbial pathogenicity

A bacterial pathogen is a highly adapted microorganism which has the capacity to cause disease. The mechanisms used by pathogenic bacteria to cause infection and disease usually include an interactive group of virulence determinants, sometimes coregulated, which are suited for the interaction of a particular microorganism with a specific host. Because pathogens must overcome similar host barriers, common themes in microbial pathogenesis have evolved. However, these mechanisms are diverse between species and not necessarily conserved; instead, convergent evolution has developed several different mechanisms to overcome host barriers. The success of a bacterial pathogen can be measured by the degree with which it replicates after entering the host and reaching its specific niche. Successful microbial infection reflects persistence within a host and avoidance or neutralization of the specific and nonspecific defense mechanisms of the host. The degree of success of a pathogen is dependent upon the status of the host. As pathogens pass through a host, they are exposed to new environments. Highly adapted pathogenic organisms have developed biochemical sensors exquisitely designed to measure and respond to such environmental stimuli and accordingly to regulate a cascade of virulence determinants essential for life within the host. The pathogenic state is the product of dynamic selective pressures on microbial populations.
Poly[diaquabis(μ4-fumarato-κ4 O 1:O 1′:O 4:O 4′)(μ4-fumarato-κ6 O 1:O 1,O 1′:O 4:O 4,O 4′)(μ2-fumaric acid-κ2 O 1:O 4)dipraseodymium(III)]

The title complex, [Pr2(C4H2O4)3(C4H4O4)(H2O)2]n, was synthesized by reaction of praseodymium(III) nitrate hexahydrate with fumaric acid in a water–ethanol (4:1) solution. The asymmetric unit comprises a Pr3+ cation, one and a half fumarate dianions (L 2−), one half-molecule of fumaric acid (H2L) and one coordinated water molecule. The carboxylate groups of the fumarate dianion and fumaric acid exhibit different coordination modes. In one fumarate dianion, two carboxylate groups are chelating with two Pr3+ cations, and the other two O atoms each coordinate a Pr3+ cation. Each O atom of the second fumarate dianion binds to a different Pr3+ cation. The fumaric acid employs one O atom at each end to bridge two Pr3+ cations. The Pr3+ cation is coordinated in a distorted tricapped trigonal–prismatic environment by eight O atoms of fumarate dianion or fumaric acid ligands and one water O atom. The PrO9 coordination polyhedra are edge-shared through one carboxylate O atom and two carboxylate groups, generating infinite praseodymium–oxygen chains, which are further connected by the ligands into a three-dimensional framework. The crystal structure is stabilized by O—H⋯O hydrogen-bond interactions between the coordinated water molecule and the carboxylate O atoms.
Domino liver transplantation using livers from patients with familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy

Transplantation of livers from patients with familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy undergoing orthotopic liver transplantation is based on the normal functions of these livers, except for the production of an abnormal protein that causes the disease, which takes more than 20 years to become clinically apparent. Given the shortage of cadaver grafts, domino liver transplantation has the potential to increase the offer to some selected patients. The known experience amounts to little more than 80 cases. Domino liver transplantation has been a safe procedure with all the advantages of living donor grafts. So far, the disease has not shown up in any recipient, including the longest surviving patient (4 years). Particularly in countries where the disease is common, the potential to increase graft offer may be significantly augmented through cooperation between centers and better exploitation of technical possibilities. The combination of split and domino has been reported six times and may provide three to six transplants from only one cadaver graft.
Energy-based sensor network multiple-source localization via a new EM algorithm

A new efficient expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm for ML estimation is presented for multiple sources localization using a wireless sensor network (WSN). It uses acoustic signal energy measurements taken at individual sensors to estimate the locations of multiple acoustic sources. Instead of already existent multi-resolution (MR) search of projection solution and existing EM algorithms for ML estimation, the basic idea of our method is to decompose the observed sensor data (signal energy), which is a superimposition of multiple sources, into individual components and then estimate the corresponding location parameters separately. Our proposed EM algorithm involves two steps, namely expectation (E-step) and maximization (M-step). In the E-step, signal energy of sensors received from individual source is estimated. Then, in the M-step, the maximum likelihood estimates of the source location parameters are obtained through a global grid search. The two steps are iteratively repeated until the pre-defined convergence is reached. Simulation results show that our proposed EM algorithm have a good performance and is a better solution for ML estimation which approach a good trade-off between estimation error and computation complexity.
Highly water-soluble mast cell stabiliser-encapsulated solid lipid nanoparticles with enhanced oral bioavailability

Abstract Cromolyn sodium (CS), a mast cell stabiliser, is widely employed for the prevention and treatment of allergic conditions. However, high hydrophilicity and poor oral permeability hinder its oral clinical translation. Here, solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) have been developed for the purpose of oral bioavailability enhancement. The CS–SLNs were engineered by double emulsification method (W1/O/W2) and optimised by using Box–Behnken experimental design. The surface and solid-state characterisations revealed the presence of CS in an amorphous form without any interactions inside the spherical-shaped SLNs. The in-vitro release study showed an extended release up to 24 hr by diffusion controlled process. Ex-vivo and in-vivo intestinal permeation study showed ∼2.96-fold increase in permeability of CS by presentation as SLNs (p < 0.05). Further, in-vivo pharmacokinetic study exhibited ∼2.86-fold enhancements in oral bioavailability of CS by encapsulating inside SLNs, which clearly indicate that SLNs can serve as the potential therapeutic carrier system for oral delivery of CS.
Changes in Rat Myometrial Plasma Membrane Protein Kinase A Are Confined to Parturition

We have previously shown that pregnant rat myometrial plasma membrane-associated cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)—dependent protein kinase A (PKA) decreases prior to delivery, coincident with a decline in the inhibitory effect of cAMP on contractant-stimulated parameters. We now find that rat myometrial membrane-associated PKA concentrations in early to mid-pregnancy are equivalent to those in cycling rats. Following the decline associated with parturition, membrane PKA recovers within 1 to 2 days postpartum. Treatment with the antiprogestin onapristone caused a decrease in myometrial membrane PKA catalytic and regulatory subunits compared to untreated controls by 12 hours. This coincided temporally with recently reported increases in electrical and contractile activity. In unilaterally pregnant rats, the decline in plasma membrane PKA was observed in both nonpregnant and pregnant horns but was more rapid in the pregnant horns. These data indicate that the myometrial plasma membrane PKA pattern before and during most of pregnancy is not consistent with progesterone exerting a primary influence on PKA membrane localization. Rather, the fall in membrane PKA associated with parturition may contribute to or be influenced by the increased contractile and electrical activity of labor that is a consequence of the loss of progesterone influence and is not absolutely dependent on the presence of fetuses.
Resistance to Third-Generation Cephalosporins and Other Antibiotics by Enterobacteriaceae in Western Nigeria

Problem statement: The emergence and spread of resistance to third-generation cephalosporins are threatening to create species resistant to all currently available agents. The most common cause of bacterial resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics is the production of beta-lactamases and many of the 2nd and 3rd-generation penicillins and cephalosporins were specifically designed to resist the hydrolytic action of major β-lactamases. However new β-lactamases emerged against each of the new classes of β-lactams that were introduced and caused resistance. This study was designed to determine the rate of resistance to 3rd-generation cephalosporins and other classes of antibiotics by the Enterobacteriaceae in this environment. Approach: One hundred bacteria isolates belonging to the family Enterobacteriaceae identified from different clinical specimens between October and December 2007 using standard bacteriological methods. These were subjected to antibiotic susceptibility testing to third-generation cephalosporins and other classes of antibiotics which included quinolones and an aminoglycoside using the Kirby-Bauer method of disc diffusion test. Results: Out of the total number of Enterobacteriaceae isolated in the study period, only 54.8% of the klebsiella species isolated were sensitive to ceftazidime, 48.4% to ceftriaxone and 30.7% to cefotaxime. With Escherichia coli however, the susceptibility pattern to the 3rd-generation cephalosporins was better (65.6% were sensitive to ceftazidime, 62.5% to ceftriaxone and 71.9% to cefotaxime). In proteus species, the susceptibility pattern was generally poor to the three classes of antibiotics(50% were sensitive to ceftazidime and ceftriaxone, 0% to cefotaxime, 33.3% to ciprofloxacin, 50% to gentamycin and 0% to amoxycillin/clavulanate). Conclusion/Recommendations: The poor susceptibility to amoxicillin/clavulanate demonstrated by all the isolates in this study showed the probability of new beta-lactamases production.Further studies therefore need to be done in this environment to determine the types of the β-lactamases produced by the Enterobacteriaceae here, the prevalent rate of such isolates and the molecular analysis of the new β-lactamases produced.
Agent-based system for reconfiguration of distributed chemical reactor network operation

Control of spatially distributed systems is a challenging problem because of their complex nature, nonlinearity, and generally high order. Agent-based control structures provide a powerful tool for managing distributed systems by utilizing local and global information obtained from the system. A hierarchical, agent-based system with local and global control agents is developed to control networks of interconnected chemical reactors hosting multiple autocatalytic species. The global controller agent dynamically updates the objective of local control agents as the reactor network conditions change. The case illustrated in this paper is to change the dominant species in one CSTR by modifying feed and interconnection flow rates with the constraint of shortest path possible, which causes the least amount of changes in the whole network. The agent-based system and the reactor networks are implemented using the agent-based system development framework RePast
Efficacy of RD3-0028 Aerosol Treatment against Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection in Immunosuppressed Mice

ABSTRACT RD3-0028, a benzodithiin compound, has antiviral activity against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in cell culture. We used a mouse model of RSV infection to determine the in vivo effect of RD3-0028. Cyclophosphamide (CYP)-treated, immunosuppressed mice were inoculated intranasally. The lungs of the mice were removed on day 4. The virus titers of the lungs of RD3-0028-treated mice were compared to the virus titers of the lungs of virus-inoculated, untreated control mice. In an effort to increase the therapeutic effectiveness of this compound, RD3-0028 was administered by aerosol to RSV-infected mice by using a head-exposure system. Aerosols generated from reservoirs containing RD3-0028 (7 mg/ml) administered for 2 h twice daily for 3 days significantly reduced the pulmonary titer of RSV-infected mice. It is clear that the minimal effective dose of RD3-0028 for RSV-infected mice is significantly less than that of ribavirin, the only compound currently available for use against RSV disease. Furthermore, the RD3-0028 aerosol administration appeared to protect the lungs of infected, CYP-treated mice against tissue damage, as evidenced by the preservation of the lung architecture and a reduction in pulmonary inflammatory infiltrates. RD3-0028 aerosol was not toxic for mice at the therapeutic dose. The present study demonstrates the effectiveness of aerosol administration of RD3-0028 for RSV-infected mice.
Fish otolith contains a unique structural protein, otolin-1.

A collagen-like protein was identified from the otoliths of the chum salmon, Oncorhynchus keta. The otolith, composed mainly of calcium carbonate with small amount of organic matrices, is formed in the inner ear and serves as a part of the hearing and balance systems. Although the organic matrices may play important roles in the growth of otolith, little is known about their chemical nature and physiological function. In this study, a major organic component of the otolith, designated otolin-1, which may serve as a template for calcification, was purified. The sequences of two tryptic peptides from otolin-1 revealed high homology with parts of a saccular collagen which had been described previously [Davis, J.G. , Oberholtzer, J.C. , Burns, F.R. & Greene, M.I. (1995) Science 267, 1031-1034]. Cloning of a cDNA coding for otolin-1 revealed that the deduced amino-acid sequence contained a collagenous domain in the central part of the protein. Although collagen is the most abundant structural protein in the animal body, otolin-1 mRNA was expressed specifically in the sacculus. Immunohistochemical studies showed that otolin-1 is synthesized in the transitional epithelium and transferred to the otolith and otolithic membrane. This is the first report concerning characterization of a structural protein containing many tandem repeats of the sequence, Gly-Xaa-Yaa, typical for collagen from the biomineral composed of calcium carbonate.
Estimation of the Total Number of Cholinergic Neurons Containing Estrogen Receptor-α in the Rat Basal Forebrain

This study was undertaken to estimate the total number of cholinergic cells and the percentage of cholinergic cells that contain estrogen receptor-α (ERα) in the rat basal forebrain. Double immunostaining for choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and ERα was carried out on 50-μm-thick free-floating sections. Because routine mounting method causes considerable flattening of the sections, we embedded immunostained sections in Durcupan, an epoxy resin known to cause virtually no shrinkage. When this procedure was used the section thickness was well preserved, individual cells could be clearly identified, and subcellular localization of ERα immunoreactivity was easy to verify. Cell counting in these sections revealed that the rat basal forebrain contains 26,390 ± 1097 (mean ± SEM) cholinergic neurons. This comprises 9674 ± 504 in the medial septum-vertical diagonal band of Broca, 9403 ± 484 in the horizontal diagonal band of Broca, and 7312 ± 281 in the nucleus basalis. In these nuclei, 60%, 46%, and 14% of the cholinergic neurons were colocalized with ERα, respectively. We believe that our results are an improvement on existing data because of the better distinction of individual neurons that the Durcupan embedding method brings.
Metabolic syndrome among Moroccan Sahraoui adult Women

Factors related to metabolic syndrome were investigated in a sample of 249 Moroccan Sahraoui women, ages 15 years and older. Body weight, height, waist and hip circumference, total cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting blood glucose, and blood pressure were measured. The results indicate that central obesity was the most common comorbid factor (75%) followed by hypertension (28.6%), hypertriglyceridemia (22.4%), hyperglycemia (11.9%), and hypercholesterolemia (11.6%). The overall prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 16.3%, and it was more prevalent in obese, older, married, and women without education than nonobese, younger, single, and educated women. Also, the prevalence of all metabolic syndrome components decreased with physical activity. The results suggest that prevention of obesity, particularly central obesity, could be the most direct route to prevention of this syndrome and its complications. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 16:598–601, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Fungal Associates of the Xylosandrus compactus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Scolytinae) Are Spatially Segregated on the Insect Body

Abstract Studies of symbioses have traditionally focused on explaining one-to-one interactions between organisms. In reality, symbioses are often much more dynamic. They can involve many interacting members, and change depending on context. In studies of the ambrosia symbiosis—the mutualism between wood borer beetles and fungi—two variables have introduced uncertainty when explaining interactions: imprecise symbiont identification, and disregard for anatomical complexity of the insects. The black twig borer, Xylosandrus compactus Eichhoff, is a globally invasive ambrosia beetle that infests >200 plant species. Despite many studies on this beetle, reports of its primary symbionts are conflicting. We sampled adult X. compactus and infested plant material in central Florida to characterize the fungal symbiont community using dilution series, beetle partitioning, and DNA-based identification. X. compactus was consistently associated with two fungal taxa, Fusarium spp. and Ambrosiella xylebori. Multivariate analyses revealed that A. xylebori was strongly associated with the beetle mycangium while Fusarium spp. were associated with the abdomen and external surfaces. The Fusarium spp. carried by X. compactus are not members of the Ambrosia Fusarium Clade, and are probably not mutualists. Fungal community composition of the mycangium was less variable than external body surfaces, thus providing a more consistent fungal inoculum. This is the first report of spatial partitioning as a mechanism for maintenance of a multimember ambrosia fungus community. Our results provide an explanation for discrepancies among previous reports, and suggest that conflicting results are not due to differences in symbiont communities, but due to inconsistent and incomplete sampling.
New certificateless short signature scheme

The certificateless public key cryptography has attracted wide attention since it could solve the certificate management problem in the traditional public key cryptography and the key escrow problem in the identity-based public key cryptography. Recently, several certificateless short signature schemes, which could satisfy the requirement of low-bandwidth communication environments, have been proposed. However, most of them are not secure against either the Type I adversary or the Type II adversary. In this study, the authors propose a new efficient certificateless short signature scheme. The analysis shows the authors' scheme has better performance than the related schemes and is secure against both of the super Type I and the super Type II adversaries.