Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Metabolic and functional diversity of saponins, biosynthetic intermediates and semi-synthetic derivatives

Abstract Saponins are widely distributed plant natural products with vast structural and functional diversity. They are typically composed of a hydrophobic aglycone, which is extensively decorated with functional groups prior to the addition of hydrophilic sugar moieties, to result in surface-active amphipathic compounds. The saponins are broadly classified as triterpenoids, steroids or steroidal glycoalkaloids, based on the aglycone structure from which they are derived. The saponins and their biosynthetic intermediates display a variety of biological activities of interest to the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food sectors. Although their relevance in industrial applications has long been recognized, their role in plants is underexplored. Recent research on modulating native pathway flux in saponin biosynthesis has demonstrated the roles of saponins and their biosynthetic intermediates in plant growth and development. Here, we review the literature on the effects of these molecules on plant physiology, which collectively implicate them in plant primary processes. The industrial uses and potential of saponins are discussed with respect to structure and activity, highlighting the undoubted value of these molecules as therapeutics.
Inversionsbasierter Vorsteuerungsentwurf mit Ein- und Ausgangsbeschränkungen (Inversion-Based Feedforward Control Design under Input and Output Constraints)

Abstract Für die Realisierung von Arbeitspunktwechseln in einem endlichen Zeitintervall wird ein neuer Ansatz zum Vorsteuerungsentwurf für nichtlineare Systeme mit Ein- und Ausgangsbeschränkungen vorgestellt. Das Entwurfsverfahren definiert das betrachtete Transitionsproblem als eine Zwei-Punkt-Randwertaufgabe (RWA) in den Koordinaten der Ein-/Ausgangs-Normalform. Die Lösbarkeit der RWA verlangt eine hinreichende Anzahl von freien Parametern in der Differentialgleichung der Ein-/Ausgangsdynamik. Die RWA mit freien Parametern kann z.B. mit der Matlab-Funktion bvp4c numerisch gelöst werden. Das Entwurfsverfahren bietet darüber hinaus die Möglichkeit, Beschränkungen des Eingangs, des Ausgangs sowie von dessen Zeitableitungen in der Formulierung der RWA zu berücksichtigen. Als Beispielaufgabe wird das seitliche Versetzen eines stehenden Pendels betrachet.
Sphenoid Wing en plaque meningiomas: Surgical results and recurrence rates

Background: Sphenoid wing en plaque meningiomas are a subgroup of meningiomas defined by its particular sheet-like dural involvement and its disproportionately large bone hyperostosis. En plaque meningiomas represent 2-9% of all meningiomas and they are mainly located in the sphenoid wing. Total surgical resection is difficult and therefore these tumors have high recurrence rates. Methods: Eighteen patients with sphenoid wing en plaque meningiomas surgically treated between January 1998 and December 2008 were included. Clinical, surgical, and follow-up data were retrospectively analyzed. Results: Mean age was 52.2 years and 83% were female. Five patients presented extension of dural component into the orbit and six patients presented cavernous sinus infiltration. Adjuvant radiation therapy was performed in three patients. After a mean follow-up of 4.6 years, five patients developed tumor recurrence - two patients were submitted to surgical treatment and the other three were submitted to radiation therapy. No patient presented recurrence after radiation therapy, whether performed immediately in the postoperative period or performed after recurrence. Patients without tumor extension to cavernous sinus or orbital cavity have the best prognosis treated with surgery alone. When tumor extension involves these locations the recurrence rate is high, especially in cases not submitted to adjuvant radiation therapy. Conclusion: Cavernous sinus and superior orbital fissure involvement are frequent and should be considered surgical limits. Postoperative radiation therapy is indicated in cases with residual tumor in these locations.
Concerted regulation of ISWI by an autoinhibitory domain and the H4 N-terminal tail

ISWI-family nucleosome remodeling enzymes need the histone H4 N-terminal tail to mobilize nucleosomes. Here we mapped the H4-tail binding pocket of ISWI. Surprisingly the binding site was adjacent to but not overlapping with the docking site of an auto-regulatory motif, AutoN, in the N-terminal region (NTR) of ISWI, indicating that AutoN does not act as a simple pseudosubstrate as suggested previously. Rather, AutoN cooperated with a hitherto uncharacterized motif, termed AcidicN, to confer H4-tail sensitivity and discriminate between DNA and nucleosomes. A third motif in the NTR, ppHSA, was functionally required in vivo and provided structural stability by clamping the NTR to Lobe 2 of the ATPase domain. This configuration is reminiscent of Chd1 even though Chd1 contains an unrelated NTR. Our results shed light on the intricate structural and functional regulation of ISWI by the NTR and uncover surprising parallels with Chd1. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.7554/eLife.21477. 001
Dephosphorylation by calcineurin regulates translocation of Drp1 to mitochondria

Changes in mitochondrial morphology that occur during cell cycle, differentiation, and death are tightly regulated by the balance between fusion and fission processes. Excessive fragmentation can be caused by inhibition of the fusion machinery and is a common consequence of dysfunction of the organelle. Here, we show a role for calcineurin-dependent translocation of the profission dynamin related protein 1 (Drp1) to mitochondria in dysfunction-induced fragmentation. When mitochondrial depolarization is associated with sustained cytosolic Ca2+ rise, it activates the cytosolic phosphatase calcineurin that normally interacts with Drp1. Calcineurin-dependent dephosphorylation of Drp1, and in particular of its conserved serine 637, regulates its translocation to mitochondria as substantiated by site directed mutagenesis. Thus, fragmentation of depolarized mitochondria depends on a loop involving sustained Ca2+ rise, activation of calcineurin, and dephosphorylation of Drp1 and its translocation to the organelle.
Current treatment approaches to leishmaniasis

Purpose of review The leishmaniases consist of cutaneous, mucosal, and visceral syndromes. The classic treatment is with pentavalent antimonials. The disadvantages of the antimonials are their requirement for intramuscular or intravenous injection each day for 20-28 days, their toxicity, and the recent development of resistance in regions such as India. Amphotericin B is a potent secondary agent, but is also compromised by its parenteral nature and toxicity. Clinical investigation of treatment agents from January 2000 to January 2003 is reviewed to determine if there are new agents that can be used. Recent findings A large number of pilot studies on visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis have been performed. There can be more confidence in the visceral studies because visceral disease is incurable if untreated, and because large numbers of patients have been treated in highly endemic regions such as India. There is less confidence in pilot studies of the cutaneous disease, because most are uncontrolled, and there is a variable, and often high, cure rate without treatment. Summary Liposomal amphotericin B, which is injected infrequently and is easily tolerated, is virtually 100% effective for Indian visceral disease at a total dose of 15 mg/kg and is 90% effective at a dose of 5-10 mg/kg. The oral agent, miltefosine, is more than 95% effective for Indian visceral disease. Fluconazole treatment for 6 weeks speeds up the already-rapid cure rate of cutaneous disease due to Leishmania major.
Co-Teaching Experiences

This report describes a 3-year study of 18 elementary and 7 middle school teams involved in the development and implementation of building-level programs designed to support students with disabilities in mainstream classrooms. All of the teams used co-teaching as an integral part of their service delivery models. During the investigation, 119 teachers and 24 administrators participated in 1 or more years of data collection. The emerging benefits and persistent problems that participants identified in the development of their models are described.
Towards an Institutionalization of the Internal Control Function

The August 2003 law on financial security stems from the US Sarbanes-Oxley Act of July 2002. It aims at restoring investors’ trust in financial statements. This paper analyzes the organizational and human consequences of this law for internal control and its standardization. To this end, the paper makes use of a case study of the law’s application in a firm of 800 people.
Simulation-based comparison of CNT-FETs and G-FETs from a circuit designer's perspective

This paper compares the performance achieved by carbon-based field-effect transistors made up of either carbon nanotubes or graphene, based on the SPICE models reported for the electrical simulation of these devices. The results achieved by these models are compared with silicon-based conventional CMOS devices, in terms of their main electrical (IDS-vs-VDS and IDS-vs-VGS) characteristics as well as their fundamental performance metrics, including the intrinsic voltage gain, Av, transconductance efficiency, gm/IDS, and transit frequency, fT. These figures of merit are obtained for diverse biasing and sizing conditions, and discussed from a circuit designer's perspective, in order to determine the benefits and drawbacks of the materials and devices under study. As an application, some carbon-based basic analog and digital circuits are designed and compared with their CMOS counterparts, in order to highlight their potential advantages in each case1.
My Transition From a Postdoctoral Fellowship in the United States to Junior Faculty in Europe: Challenges and Opportunities.

I started my training to become a cardiologist in 2005 at the Division of Internal Medicine in Heidelberg, Germany. The department is headed by Hugo Katus—the inventor of the troponin T assay—who enthusiastically supports and encourages his fellows to pursue basic science projects besides their work in the clinic. After first investigating cardiac autoantibodies1 under the supervision of Ziya Kaya, I came across a publication from Matthias Nahrendorf.2 His description of monocyte subsets following myocardial infarction fascinated me and I applied for a position as a postdoctoral fellow in his laboratory. At the time, Matthias had just started a faculty position at the Center for Molecular Imaging Research which later evolved into the Center for Systems Biology at the Massachusetts General Hospital with Ralph Weissleder as its director. The finding that monocytes reside in the spleen and are released on myocardial injury3 fueled our frenzy for this leukocyte subset even further and ignited various projects in the following years.4–9 Figure. A , The author during his postdoctoral fellowship in the Nahrendorf Laboratory. From left to right, Takuya Ueno, Rostic Gorbatov, Won Woo Lee, Parta Dutta, Jessica Donahoe, Matthias Nahrendorf, Brena Sena, Florian Leuschner, Yoshiko Iwamoto, and Brett Marinelli. Picture taken in the Ether Dome at …
Biodegradation of 4-nitrotoluene by Pseudomonas sp. strain 4NT

A strain of Pseudomonas spp. was isolated from nitrobenzene-contaminated soil on 4-nitrotoluene as the sole source of carbon, nitrogen, and energy. The organism also grew on 4-nitrobenzaldehyde, and 4-nitrobenzoate. 4-Nitrobenzoate and ammonia were detected in the culture fluid of glucose-grown cells after induction with 4-nitrotoluene. Washed suspensions of 4-nitrotoluene- or 4-nitrobenzoate-grown cells oxidized 4-nitrotoluene, 4-nitrobenzaldehyde, 4-nitrobenzyl alcohol, and protocatechuate. Extracts from induced cells contained 4-nitrobenzaldehyde dehydrogenase, 4-nitrobenzyl alcohol dehydrogenase, and protocatechuate 4,5-dioxygenase activities. Under anaerobic conditions, cell extracts converted 4-nitrobenzoate or 4-hydroxylaminobenzoate to protocatechuate. Conversion of 4-nitrobenzoate to protocatechuate required NADPH. These results indicate that 4-nitrotoluene was degraded by an initial oxidation of the methyl group to form 4-nitrobenzyl alcohol, which was converted to 4-nitrobenzoate via 4-nitrobenzaldehyde. The 4-nitrobenzoate was reduced to 4-hydroxylaminobenzoate, which was converted to protocatechuate. A protocatechuate 4,5-dioxygenase catalyzed meta-ring fission of the protocatechuate. The detection of 4-nitrobenzaldehyde and 4-nitrobenzyl alcohol dehydrogenase and 4-nitrotoluene oxygenase activities in 4-nitrobenzoate-grown cells suggests that 4-nitrobenzoate is an inducer of the 4-nitrotoluene degradative pathway.
177Lu-3BP-227 for Neurotensin Receptor 1–Targeted Therapy of Metastatic Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma: First Clinical Results

Neurotensin receptor 1 (NTR1) is overexpressed in ductal pancreatic adenocarcinoma, which is still one of the deadliest cancers, with a very poor prognosis. Eligible patients were offered salvage radiopharmaceutical therapy with the novel NTR1 antagonist 177Lu-3BP-227. Methods: Six patients with confirmed ductal pancreatic adenocarcinoma who had exhausted all other treatment options received 177Lu-3BP-227 for evaluation of NTR1 expression in vivo. Three patients received treatment activities of 5.1–7.5 GBq. Results: Administration of 177Lu-3BP-227 was well tolerated by all patients. The kidneys were identified as the dose-limiting organ. The most severe adverse event was reversible grade 2 anemia. One patient achieved a partial response and experienced significant improvement of symptoms and quality of life. This patient survived 13 mo from diagnosis and 11 mo from the start of 177Lu-3BP-227 therapy. Conclusion: This initial report provides clinical evidence of the feasibility of treatment of ductal pancreatic adenocarcinoma using 177Lu-3BP-227.
The Predictive Content of Business Survey Indicators: Evidence from SIGE

Business surveys indicators represent an important tool in economic analysis and forecasting practices. While there is wide consensus on the coincident properties of such data, there is mixed evidence on their ability to forecast macroeconomic developments in the short term. In this study we extend the previous research on business surveys predictive content by examining for the first time the leading properties of the main business survey indicators coming from the Italian survey on inflation and growth expectations (SIGE). To this end we provide a complete characterization of the business cycle leading/coincident properties of SIGE data (turning points, average duration, synchronization etc.) with respect to the National Accounts reference series using both non parametric approaches (i.e. Harding and Pagan in J Monet Econ 49(2):365–381, 2002) and econometric models (discrete and continuous dynamic single equation models). Overall the results indicate that in both the approaches SIGE business indicators are able to early detect turning points of their corresponding national account reference series in almost all cases. Overall, the average lead of troughs is found to be higher than the average lead of peaks.
Ex-post effects of trade liberalization in the Philippines

This paper examines the Philippine experience with trade liberalization policies and their impact on the economy. Although the relationship between trade liberalization and poverty is not straightforward, empirical evidence suggests that there are beneficial effects of freer trade on the poor in the long run. Since the 1980s the Philippines has considerably lowered import restrictions and expanded trade. An ex-post assessment of the effects of trade liberalization produces results that fall short of the net positive expectations produced by ex-ante studies. An ex-ante assessment of the impact of freer trade in the Philippines using models of the Philippine economy indicates net positive gains for the economy and for representative Filipino households. However, per capita income changed very little over the period 1980-2002. This study seeks to explain the divergence as being due to transaction costs.
Dissipativity based stability criterion for aperiodic sampled-data systems subject to time-delay

This extended abstract presents a dissipativity-based stability analysis of Linear Time Invariant (LTI) systems subjected to aperiodic sampling and time-varying delay. We provide a novel stability criterion which aids in making the trade-offs between maximum allowable sampling interval and delays while guaranteeing stability. Simulation results have been provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed criterion.
Studying the performance of contrarian strategies in Tehran stock exchange with using Fuzzy approach

During recent years, examining the performance of contrarian strategies has been taken into consideration by scholars and stock market's activists, though several evidences are available based on profitability of this type of strategies, much of them have been referred to American and European's stock markets. In current study, the act of these strategies will be examined in Tehran's stock exchange over a time spanning 2007 and 2009 by using Fuzzy approach and by computing portfolios' return comprising stock with indices such as low Price/Earning, small size, high payout ratio, low market value/book value and by cross sectional weighted data analysis method. Results show that meaning relation between valuable stock with low Price/Earning, small size, and high payout ratio is tendered offer by Fuzzy Expert System.
Autophagy in Atherosclerosis: A Potential Drug Target for Plaque Stabilization

Evidence is accumulating that autophagy occurs in advanced atherosclerotic plaques. Although there is an almost relentless discovery of molecules that are involved in autophagy, studies of selective autophagy induction or inhibition using knockout mice are just now beginning to reveal its biological significance. Most likely, autophagy safeguards plaque cells against cellular distress, in particular oxidative injury, by degrading the damaged intracellular material. In this way, autophagy is protective and contributes to cellular recovery in an unfavorable environment. Pharmacological approaches have recently been developed to stabilize vulnerable, rupture-prone lesions through induction of autophagy. This approach has proven to be successful in short-term studies. However, how autophagy induction affects processes such as inflammation remains to be elucidated and is currently under investigation. This review highlights the possibilities for exploiting autophagy as a drug target for plaque stabilization.
RISE-Based Adaptive Control of Hydraulic Systems With Asymptotic Tracking

Parametric uncertainty associated with unmodeled disturbance always exist in physical hydraulic systems, and complicate the advanced nonlinear controller design. In this paper, an adaptive compensation with a robust integral of the sign of the error (RISE) feedback is developed for high precise tracking control of hydraulic motion system. To handle both payload and hydraulic unknown parameters in one controller, a chain of integrator nonlinear system model is first derived, and an adaptive RISE controller is then proposed, in which adaptive law is synthesized to handle parametric uncertainty and RISE robust term to attenuate unmodeled disturbance. The major feature of the proposed controller is that it can theoretically guarantee asymptotic tracking performance with a continuous control input, in the presence of various parametric uncertainties and unmodeled disturbances such as unconsidered dynamics as well as external disturbances via Lyapunov analysis. However, the proposed controller takes the acceleration as a system state, which usually suffers heavy noise pollution and thus cannot be utilized directly in actual control. To solve this practical issue, in this paper, a tracking differentiator is employed to extract high-quality acceleration signal and to make the proposed controller feasible execution. The effectiveness of the proposed nonlinear controller is demonstrated via comparative experimental results.
Organizational Context as Element of the Development Ambidexterity in the Small Business

The organizational ambidexterity objective encouraging performance of companies through the simultaneous development of alignment and adaptability. Among the contextual factors that influence, stand out the training, trust, discipline, pressure and support on the organization's participants. The objective of this study is to analyze the relationship of the organizational context with the realization of organizational ambidexterity in small business . It seeks to understand if there is a positive relation between the attributes constituting the organizational context and the ambidexterity in small businesses. For both, was held a multiple case study with three small business in the city of Sao Luis. The main results indicate that the contextual factors influence the innovative capabilities and, consequently, in the organizational ambidexterity in small business. The results also indicate that the absence of such factors can cause the lack of innovation activities.
Project Deep Ops: Deep Object Recovery with Pilot and Killer Whales

Abstract : Two species of whales, killer whales (Orcinus orca) and pilot whales (Globicephala scammoni), were conditioned to locate and mark for recovery pingered cylindrical objects in the open ocean. The animals were conditioned to boat-follow, wear harnesses with radio backpacks, and deploy mouth-carried recovery hardware. An automatic direction-finding radio tracking system, originally developed for studies of wild marine mammals, was adopted and transformed to a system which is practical and reliable for day-to-day use with trained whales in the open ocean. The killer whales dived to maximum depths of 850 feet and 500 feet to deploy practice grabbers. The pilot whale deployed a practice grabber at a depth of 1654 feet and on one occasion apparently made a volunteered dive (without practice grabber) to a depth of 2000 feet. Float-line recovery devices proved ineffectual, leading to the development of a hydrazine lift system, which was fitted to the operational Grabber and is capable of lifting 600 pounds from 1000 feet. The pilot whale aided in the recovery of a dummy Mk 46 torpedo from 500 feet with this device, and during an earlier training session depolyed the hydrazine system on the same target at a 1000-foot depth.