Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects on Whole Saliva of Chewing Gums Containing Calcium Phosphates

To evaluate chewing gums as a vehicle to increase salivary mineral saturation levels and enhance salivation, monocalcium phosphate monohydrate (MCPM) and an equimolar mixture of tetracalcium phosphate (TTCP) with dicalcium phosphate anhydrous (DCPA) were chosen as experimental chewing gum additives. Each of eight subjects chewed a commercial sugarless bubble gum (control) for 16 min or the same gum to which 5 wt% of MCPM or the TTCP-DCPA mixture had been added. The saliva samples collected every 2 min were analyzed for weight, pH, and total calcium (Ca) and phosphate (P) concentrations. Both experimental gums were found to increase significantly the Ca and P concentrations of saliva during the 16-minute period even more than with a previously evaluated gum that contained dicalcium phosphate dihydrate. The degree of saturation of tooth mineral was significantly increased by both experimental gums, with the greater increase being produced by the TTCP-DCPA gum. The MCPM gum produced a significantly greater saliva flow and a lower salivary pH than did the control and TTCP-DCPA gums. The results suggest that the experimental gums may be useful for promoting remineralization in general and for inducing salivation in xerostomic patients.
A sensor fault tolerant drive for interior permanent-magnet synchronous motors

The study reported in this paper deals with the problem of developing a controller with tolerance to current sensor faults. To achieve this goal, two control strategies are considered. In the first method, field oriented control and a developed observer are used in case of no fault. The second approach is concerned with fault tolerant strategy based on an observer for faulty conditions. Current sensors failures are detected and the current will be estimated successfully in order to allow continuous operation of the vector control. Based on the motor model, currents can be estimated using a nonlinear observer. A decoupling current vector control strategy is developed to ensure high performance operation by incorporating the maximum power factor per ampere operation. The simulation of the proposed scheme applied to the interior permanent magnet synchronous motor has been implemented in the Matlab environment. Simulation results illustrate the applicability of the proposed approach.
Design of a Novel Compact Dual-Band Wilkinson Power Divider With Wide Frequency Ratio

A novel compact structure for dual-band Wilkinson power divider has been proposed. The power divider consists of a single line, two coupled lines and four lumped elements. Using even- and odd-mode analysis, the design equations have been obtained through rigorous derivation. The odd-mode impedance Z o is a free variable here, it can be used to control the coupling between the coupled lines, as well as the values of the inductor and capacitor. This provides much flexibility and convenience to our design. Moreover, it significantly widens the frequency ratio to be 10 or even more.
Joint Subcarriers and Power Allocation with Imperfect Spectrum Sensing for Cognitive D2D Wireless Multicast

Wireless multicast is considered as an effective transmission mode for the future mobile social contact services supported by Long Time Evolution (LTE). Though wireless multicast has an excellent resource efficiency, its performance suffers deterioration from the channel condition and wireless resource availability. Cognitive Radio (CR) and Device to Device (D2D) are two solutions to provide potential resource. However, resource allocation for cognitive wireless multicast based on D2D is still a great challenge for LTE social networks. In this paper, a joint sub-carriers and power allocation model based on D2D for general cognitive radio multicast (CR-D2D-MC) is proposed for Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (OFDM) LTE systems. By opportunistically accessing the licensed spectrum, the maximized capacity for multiple cognitive multicast groups is achieved with the condition of the general scenario of imperfect spectrum sensing, the constrains of interference to primary users (PUs) and an upper-bound power of secondary users (SUs) acting as multicast source nodes. Furthermore, the fairness for multicast groups or unicast terminals is guaranteed by setting a lower-bound number of the subcarriers allocated to cognitive multicast groups. Lagrange duality algorithm is adopted to obtain the optimal solution to the proposed CR-D2D-MC model. The simulation results show that the proposed algorithm improves the performance of cognitive multicast groups and achieves a good balance between capacity and fairness.
A FlAsH-based cross-linker to study protein interactions in living cells.

As you like it: xCrAsH, a dimeric derivative of the arsenical compound FlAsH, enables the highly specific, covalent cross-linking of two proteins containing a 12 amino acid peptide tag. This inducible and (by addition of dithiols) reversible system can be used to detect and manipulate protein-protein interactions both in vitro and in living cells (see picture).
Are There Mutator Polymerases?

DNA polymerases are involved in different cellular events, including genome replication and DNA repair. In the last few years, a large number of novel DNA polymerases have been discovered, and the biochemical analysis of their properties has revealed a long list of intriguing features. Some of these polymerases have a very low fidelity and have been suggested to play mutator roles in different processes, like translesion synthesis or somatic hypermutation. The current view of these processes is reviewed, and the current understanding of DNA polymerases and their role as mutator enzymes is discussed.
What are the challenges in 2016 regarding resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitors in chronic myeloid leukemia and cancer?

In the past decade, the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) has undergone a drastic evolution. The discovery and success of imatinib and second‐generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors have substantially increased the outcome for CML patients. The next step in medical and scientific research is to better understand the malignancy so as to eventually find a cure to eliminate all leukemic cells from patients. One of the key issues is about the resistance of the leukemic stem cells to tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Here, we briefly describe our current studies on CML resistance, and leukemic stem cell modeling and characterization.
Genetic Component of Heat Stress in Dairy Cattle, Development of Heat Index Function.

Production data obtained from AIPL USDA included 119,337 first-parity, test-day records of 15,012 Holsteins from 134 Georgia farms collected in 1990 to 1997. Weather information was obtained from the Georgia Automated Environmental Monitoring Network and included daily minimum, average, and maximum temperatures and humidity for 21 stations throughout the state. Each test-day record was augmented with weather information from the closest weather station. Analyses were based on models that included effects of herd-year-season, age, test day, milking frequency, and several types of heat and humidity. The best model used a temperature-humidity index. With this model, the average test-day yield for milk was about 26.3 kg for a temperature-humidity index <72 and decreased at about 0.2 kg per unit increase in the temperature-humidity index for a temperature-humidity index > or =72. For fat and protein, the test yield was 0.92 and 0.85 kg at a temperature-humidity index <72, respectively, and declined at a rate of 0.012 and 0.009 kg per degree of the temperature-humidity index, respectively. The temperature-humidity index calculated with the available weather information can be used to account for the effect of heat stress on production.
Evidence-based medicine in aesthetic surgery.

Two years ago this month, when I began my tenure as Editor-in-Chief following the official indexing of Aesthetic Surgery Journal (ASJ) in Medline/PubMed, I wrote about my goals for the Journal and my commitment to you, ASJ ’s readers.1 At that time, I reaffirmed my belief that the Journal was “well-positioned to stay at the forefront of clinical, scientific, and technological advances and to bring you the information you need to stay ahead of the curve. ” It remains my desire, as it was then, that ASJ be “the Journal to which you consistently turn for information that has real value to your aesthetic surgery practice. ” In keeping with that mission, it is with great excitement and pride that we begin a dialogue with you about integrating evidence-based medicine (EBM) into the pages of ASJ and into our daily clinical practices. In August 2010, I was privileged to participate in a two-day EBM Summit in Colorado Springs, during which leaders in the aesthetic surgery field, representatives from our sister specialties, and experts in the application of EBM came together to discuss how we might begin incorporating EBM principles to our clinical practices. A full summary of this meeting appears in this month’s issue as a Special Topic in on page 137; it will also appear in the pages of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery . This demonstrates our cooperative efforts in ensuring that professional societies and scholarly Journals are speaking with one voice, working together to support you in your efforts to continually improve patient outcomes and satisfaction—which I know is of the utmost importance to all of us as practicing physicians. I hope the background information on the EBM Summit will be as helpful, exciting, and encouraging to you as …
The Quality of Home and Community-Based Services

The quality of long-term home health services is particularly difficult to study because of (a) the multidimensionality and chronicity of patients' needs, (b) the complexity of and the number of social and health-related services provided, (c) the isolation of care in individual homes, and (d) the lack of norms and standards on which to base judgments. A study was undertaken of the quality of care received by two client groups receiving home- and community-based services, in which some of these difficulties were addressed An expert committee of home health practitioners wrote criteria for process and outcomes of care based on local norms of practice. Applying these criteria to the care received by the study groups, the committee found a high degree of quality of care. Specific problems identified m the care were a lack of appropriate case management and poor chart documentation. In most cases, if good care was received, the client experienced good outcomes.
Regulation of the prfA transcriptional activator of Listeria monocytogenes: multiple promoter elements contribute to intracellular growth and cell-to-cell spread

The prfA gene product is a transcriptional activator of Listeria monocytogenes determinants of pathogenicity. In this study, we provide direct evidence that the PrfA protein is a site-specific DNA-binding protein. Additionally, we describe the characterization of two classes of L. monocytogenes mutants which contain transposon insertions either in the prfA structural gene (exemplified by strain DP-L1075) or within the prfA promoter region (exemplified by strain DP-L973). Both mutants are completely avirulent and secrete greatly reduced levels of listeriolysin O and phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C, and both are fully complemented by the introduction of prfA on a multicopy plasmid. The behaviors of the two mutants differ markedly within cultured macrophages. Following infection, no cytoplasmic growth was observed for DP-L1075 whereas DP-L973 escaped from the phagosome and grew in the cell cytoplasm. However, DP-L973 was defective in nucleation of actin filaments and spread to adjacent cells. Transcription of prfA in DP-L973 was directed from a single, previously unidentified promoter (prfAp2) located close to the prfA initiation codon. This promoter is therefore capable of providing sufficient prfA expression for escape from the host cell vacuole but is insufficient for wild-type levels of bacterially induced actin polymerization and cell-to-cell spread. Transcription directed from both prfAp1 and prfAp2 promoters was increased in the absence of a functional prfA gene product, suggesting that PrfA protein contributes to down-regulating its own expression.
Catalase Expression Is Modulated by Vancomycin and Ciprofloxacin and Influences the Formation of Free Radicals in Staphylococcus aureus Cultures

ABSTRACT Detection of free radicals in biological systems is challenging due to their short half-lives. We have applied electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy combined with spin traps using the probes PBN (N-tert-butyl-α-phenylnitrone) and DMPO (5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide) to assess free radical formation in the human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus treated with a bactericidal antibiotic, vancomycin or ciprofloxacin. While we were unable to detect ESR signals in bacterial cells, hydroxyl radicals were observed in the supernatant of bacterial cell cultures. Surprisingly, the strongest signal was detected in broth medium without bacterial cells present and it was mitigated by iron chelation or by addition of catalase, which catalyzes the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide to water and oxygen. This suggests that the signal originates from hydroxyl radicals formed by the Fenton reaction, in which iron is oxidized by hydrogen peroxide. Previously, hydroxyl radicals have been proposed to be generated within bacterial cells in response to bactericidal antibiotics. We found that when S. aureus was exposed to vancomycin or ciprofloxacin, hydroxyl radical formation in the broth was indeed increased compared to the level seen with untreated bacterial cells. However, S. aureus cells express catalase, and the antibiotic-mediated increase in hydroxyl radical formation was correlated with reduced katA expression and catalase activity in the presence of either antibiotic. Therefore, our results show that in S. aureus, bactericidal antibiotics modulate catalase expression, which in turn influences the formation of free radicals in the surrounding broth medium. If similar regulation is found in other bacterial species, it might explain why bactericidal antibiotics are perceived as inducing formation of free radicals.
Bacillus subtilis subtilisin gene (aprE) is expressed from a sigma A (sigma 43) promoter in vitro and in vivo

In vitro studies demonstrated that the Bacillus subtilis subtilisin gene (aprE) could be transcribed by RNA polymerase holoenzyme reconstituted from core and sigma A factor obtained from vegetative cells. Upstream deletions (from -45) reduced the amount of transcription from the promoter. A deletion downstream of the promoter that overlapped a putative downstream minor promoter did not affect transcription from the sigma A promoter, which indicated that the putative downstream promoter is not utilized in vivo. S1 nuclease mapping studies showed that there was a low level of transcription from the subtilisin promoter during the growth phase and that the site of transcription initiation was the same during log and stationary phases. We conclude from these findings that there is only one promoter for the subtilisin gene and that it can be transcribed by the sigma A form of RNA polymerase in vitro.
Developmental regulation of SPO13, a gene required for separation of homologous chromosomes at meiosis I

Previous studies have demonstrated that the SPO13 gene is required for chromosome separation during meiosis I in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In the presence of the spo13-1 nonsense mutation, MATa/MAT alpha diploid cells complete a number of events typical of meiosis I including premeiotic DNA synthesis, genetic recombination, and spindle formation. Disjunction of homologous chromosomes, however, fails to occur. Instead, cells proceed through a single meiosis II-like division and form two diploid spores. In this paper, we report the cloning of this essential meiotic gene and an analysis of its transcription during vegetative growth and sporulation. Disruptions of SPO13 in haploid and diploid cells show that it is dispensible for mitotic cell division. Diploids homozygous for the disruptions behave similarly to spo13-1 mutants; they sporulate at wild-type levels and produce two-spored asci. The DNA region complementing spo13-1 encodes two overlapping transcripts, which have the same 3' end but different 5' ends. The major transcript is 400 bases shorter than the larger, less abundant one. The shorter RNA is sufficient to complement the spo13-1 mutation. While both transcripts are undetectable or just barely detectable in vegetative cultures, they each undergo a greater than 70-fold induction early during sporulation, reaching a maximum level about the time of the first meiotic division. In synchronously sporulating populations, the transcripts nearly disappear before the completion of ascus formation. Nonsporulating cells homozygous for the mating-type locus show a small increase in abundance (less than 5% of the increase in sporulating cells) of both transcripts in sporulation medium. These results indicate that expression of the SPO13 gene is developmentally regulated and starvation alone, independent of the genotype at MAT, can trigger initial induction.
Damascene planar metal-insulator-metal tunnel junctions

In this paper, we show a process for the fabrication of planar sub-attofarad capacitance metal-insulator-metal tunnel junctions with nanometer size. We show the engineering of the material stack, anti-diffusion barrier and electrode metal as well as the result of improved characteristics and stability in time of the devices. This engineering is supported by a simulation tool we developed and its goal is to optimize the original process for the development of high-temperature operating SETs and other innovative nanoelectronic devices.
A low-noise phase-locked loop design by loop bandwidth optimization

This paper describes a low-noise phase-locked loop (PLL) design method to achieve minimum jitter from a given PLL circuit topology. An optimal loop-bandwidth design method, derived from a discrete-time PLL model, further improves the jitter characteristics of a PLL already somewhat enhanced by optimizing individual circuit components. The described method not only estimates the timing jitter of a PLL, but also finds the optimal bandwidth minimizing the overall PLL jitter. A prototype PLL fabricated in a 0.6-/spl mu/m CMOS technology is tested. The measurement shows significant performance improvement by using the proposed method, The measured rms and peak-to-peak jitter of the PLL at the optimal loop-bandwidth are 3.1 and 22 ps, respectively.
A multiwavelength fiber ring-laser employing a pair of silica-based arrayed-waveguide-gratings

A multiwavelength fiber ring-laser employing a pair of silica-based arrayed-waveguide-gratings (AWGs) is proposed to easily implement a stable multiwavelength operation for a variety of research needs. A fixed multiwavelength operation is available when the free-spectral-range (FSR) of the AWGs is wide enough to cover the gain bandwidth of deployed erbium-doped fiber amplifiers (EDFAs). A tunable multiwavelength operation is also available when the FSR is narrower than the gain bandwidth. 15 channels with 1.6-nm spacing in the fix type, and five channels with about 40-nm discretely tunable range at 1.4-nm spacing in the tunable type and almost 50-dB signal to amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) ratio in both types are demonstrated.
Non specific immunotherapy with B.C.G. in superficial bladder cancer: an overview.

In the seventies non specific immunotherapy with B.C.G. was used for a number of malignancies in man. After initial successful reports on leukaemia and melanoma, results could not always be confirmed and the use of B.C.G. seemed to be limited. In 1976 B.C.G. was used for the first time intravesically in patients with superficial bladder cancer. At present non specific immunotherapy with B.C.G. for superficial bladder cancer is considered the most efficacious treatment modality. It is probably the most widely used and most successful immunotherapy in man. A number of issues on this treatment are still unclear. No consensus has been reached about the treatment schedule, optimal dose and appropriate BCG strain while toxicity is more pronounced than in intravesical chemotherapy. Improvement of the treatment as well as basic research are necessary and will determine the exact place of B.C.G. in the coming years.
How to steal a machine learning classifier with deep learning

This paper presents an exploratory machine learning attack based on deep learning to infer the functionality of an arbitrary classifier by polling it as a black box, and using returned labels to build a functionally equivalent machine. Typically, it is costly and time consuming to build a classifier, because this requires collecting training data (e.g., through crowdsourcing), selecting a suitable machine learning algorithm (through extensive tests and using domain-specific knowledge), and optimizing the underlying hyperparameters (applying a good understanding of the classifier's structure). In addition, all this information is typically proprietary and should be protected. With the proposed black-box attack approach, an adversary can use deep learning to reliably infer the necessary information by using labels previously obtained from the classifier under attack, and build a functionally equivalent machine learning classifier without knowing the type, structure or underlying parameters of the original classifier. Results for a text classification application demonstrate that deep learning can infer Naive Bayes and SVM classifiers with high accuracy and steal their functionalities. This new attack paradigm with deep learning introduces additional security challenges for online machine learning algorithms and raises the need for novel mitigation strategies to counteract the high fidelity inference capability of deep learning.
Broad-range ribosomal RNA real-time PCR after removal of DNA from reagents: melting profiles for clinically important bacteria.

With the ability to exponentially amplify regions of DNA, two different PCR-based strategies have been developed for nonculture diagnosis of bacteremia. The first approach targets the species-specific genes for amplification (1), whereas the second approach involves universal PCR amplification of conserved bacterial DNA sequences, such as the 16S rRNA, the 23S rRNA, and the 16S-23S rRNA interspace regions (2)(3)(4). Although universal PCR is not able to distinguish bacteria to the species level, numerous studies have shown that this method provides valuable information complementary to the results of time-consuming and subjective phenotypic tests used in detection of bacterial infection (5) and can be used to differentiate bacterial from viral or other infections (6)(7). In clinical applications, real-time PCR for broad-range amplification of bacterial DNA sequences could offer additional benefits: it is less labor-intensive, less time-consuming, and reduces the risk of PCR carryover contamination. A major obstacle for broad-range PCR amplification is the presence of bacterial DNA in the Taq DNA polymerase and real-time PCR master mixture (8)(9)(10). The contaminating DNA is effectively amplified, giving rise to false-positive results. Efforts have been taken to eliminate contaminating DNA, including the use of Sau 3AI restriction endonuclease (11), DNase I (12)(13), and ultraviolet irradiation (7)(8). Although these strategies may be effective for conventional PCR, the study by Corless et al. (14) indicated that the contamination issue could not be avoided without affecting sensitivity when TaqMan probe-based real-time PCR is performed. Therefore, an appropriate method for removal of contaminating bacterial DNA and subsequent real-time amplification is required. In this study, we address this issue and report optimized conditions for broad-range amplification of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene by real-time PCR using SYBR Green I dye (15) as the fluorescent signal. Bacterial …