Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Processing of Laminin-5 and Its Functional Consequences: Role of Plasmin and Tissue-type Plasminogen Activator

The laminin-5 component of the extracellular matrices of certain cultured cells such as the rat epithelial cell line 804G and the human breast epithelial cell MCF-10A is capable of nucleating assembly of cell– matrix adhesive devices called hemidesmosomes when other cells are plated upon them. These matrices also impede cell motility. In contrast, cells plated onto the laminin-5–rich matrices of pp126 epithelial cells fail to assemble hemidesmosomes and are motile. To understand these contradictory phenomena, we have compared the forms of heterotrimeric laminin-5 secreted by 804G and MCF-10A cells with those secreted by pp126 cells, using a panel of laminin-5 subunit-specific antibodies. The α3 subunit of laminin-5 secreted by pp126 cells migrates at 190 kD, whereas that secreted by 804G and MCF-10A cells migrates at 160 kD. The pp126 cell 190-kD α3 chain of laminin-5 can be specifically proteolyzed by plasmin to a 160-kD species at enzyme concentrations that do not apparently effect the laminin-5 β and γ chains. After plasmin treatment, pp126 cell laminin-5 not only impedes cell motility but also becomes competent to nucleate assembly of hemidesmosomes. The possibility that plasmin may play an important role in processing laminin-5 subunits is supported by immunofluorescence analyses that demonstrate colocalization of laminin-5 and plasminogen in the extracellular matrix of MCF-10A and pp126 cells. Whereas tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA), which converts plasminogen to plasmin, codistributes with laminin-5 in MCF-10A matrix, tPA is not present in pp126 extracellular matrix. Treatment of pp126 laminin-5–rich extracellular matrix with exogenous tPA results in proteolysis of the laminin-5 α3 chain from 190 to 160 kD. In addition, plasminogen and tPA bind laminin-5 in vitro. In summary, we provide evidence that laminin-5 is a multifunctional protein that can act under certain circumstances as a motility and at other times as an adhesive factor. In cells in culture, this functional conversion appears dependent upon and is regulated by tPA and plasminogen.
Gsp 1 Triggers the Sexual Developmental Program Including Inheritance of Chloroplast DNA and Mitochondrial DNA in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

YoshikiNishimura,a,b,c,1 ToshiharuShikanai,a SoichiNakamura,dMakiKawai-Yamada,c,e andHirofumiUchimiyac,e,f a Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, Department of Botany, Kyoto University, Oiwake-cho, Kita-Shirakawa, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan b Precursory Research for Embryonic Science and Technology, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Japan c Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan d Laboratory of Cell and Functional Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Ryukyu, Nishihara, Okinawa e Institute for Environmental Science and Technology, Saitama University, Sakura-ku, Saitama City, Saitama 338-8570, Japan f Iwate Biotechnology Research Center, Kitakami, Iwate 024-0003, Japan
Incorporating gold nanoclusters and target-directed liposomes as a synergistic amplified colorimetric sensor for HER2-positive breast cancer cell detection

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality in women. Successful development of sensitive nanoprobes for breast cancer cell detection is of great importance for breast cancer diagnosis and symptomatic treatment. Herein, inspired by the intrinsic peroxidase property of gold nanoclusters, high loading, and targeting ability of ErbB2/Her2 antibody functionalized liposomes, we report that gold nanoclusters-loaded, target-directed, functionalized liposomes can serve as a robust sensing platform for amplified colorimetric detection of HER2-positive breast cancer cells. This approach allows HER2-positive breast cancer cell identification at high sensitivity with high selectivity. In addition, the colorimetric “readout” offers extra advantages in terms of low-cost, portability, and easy-to-use applications. The practicality of this platform was further proved by successful detection of HER2-positive breast cancer cells in human serum samples and in breast cancer tissue, which indicated our proposed method has potential for application in cancer theranostics.
Epidemiology of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) among residents of nursing homes in Belgium.

OBJECTIVES A national survey was conducted to determine the prevalence, risk factors and molecular epidemiology of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) carriage among nursing home (NH) residents in Belgium. METHODS A random stratified, cross-sectional prevalence survey was conducted in NH residents who were screened for MRSA carriage by multisite enriched culture. Characteristics of NHs and residents were collected by a questionnaire survey and analysed by two-stage logistic regression modelling. MRSA isolates were genotyped by PFGE, staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) typing, multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and resistance genes. RESULTS Of 2953 residents screened in 60 NHs, 587 (19.9%) were MRSA carriers. Risk factors included hospital contact, antibiotic exposure, impaired mobility and skin lesions at the resident level, and lack of MRSA surveillance, lack of antibiotic therapeutic formulary and the combination of less-developed infection control activities and a high ratio of physicians to residents at the institution level. MRSA isolates showed eight major types, three of which were predominant: B2-ST45-SCCmec IV (49%; where ST stands for sequence type); A21-ST8-SCCmec IV (13%); and A20-ST8-SCCmec IV (10%). Each was recovered in 55, 21 and 25 NHs, respectively. The geographical distribution of NH genotypes paralleled that of acute-care hospitals. CONCLUSIONS A high prevalence of MRSA carriage in NH residents was associated with hospital care, co-morbidities and less-developed coordination of institutional care. The predominant MRSA strains from NH residents and hospitalized patients of the same area were identical. Strengthening and coordination of MRSA surveillance and control activities are warranted within and between NHs and hospitals.
Health-Related Quality of Life, Treatment Satisfaction, and Costs Associated With Intraperitoneal Versus Subcutaneous Insulin Administration in Type 1 Diabetes

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects of continuous intraperitoneal insulin infusion (CIPII) compared with subcutaneous insulin on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and treatment satisfaction, and to perform a cost analysis in type 1 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We used an open-label, prospective, crossover, randomized, 16-month study (N = 24). HRQOL and patient satisfaction were assessed with questionnaires (the 36-item short-form health survey [SF-36], the World Health Organization-Five Well-Being Index [WHO-5], and the Diabetes Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire [DTSQ]). Direct costs of CIPII and continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) were compared. RESULTS Questionnaire scores were higher with CIPII than with subcutaneous therapy. Yearly direct pump- and procedure-associated costs for CIPII were estimated at €10,910 compared with €4,810 for CSII. CONCLUSIONS Apart from improving glycemic control, CIPII improved HRQOL and treatment satisfaction compared with subcutaneous insulin. Direct pump- and procedure-associated costs are considerably higher for CIPII, however.
An Ultrafast Adaptively Biased Capacitorless LDO With Dynamic Charging Control

This brief presents a current-efficient fully integrated low-dropout regulator (LDO) for system-on-a-chip applications. A common-gate error amplifier with high bandwidth and slew rate is proposed to reduce the output voltage spike and the response time of the LDO greatly. In addition, the loop employs a direct dynamic charging technique to enhance load-transient responses by directly detecting voltage variations through a capacitive coupling high-pass filter. The circuit has been implemented in a 0.35-μm standard complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor process and occupies an active chip area of 0.064 mm2. Experimental results show that it can deliver a load current of 100 mA at a dropout voltage of 150 mV. It only consumes a quiescent current of 7 μA at light loads and can recover within 0.15 μs, even under the maximum load current change. Consequently, a faster and more accurate capacitorless LDO can be achieved.
Multiscale Amplitude-Modulation Frequency-Modulation (AM–FM) Texture Analysis of Multiple Sclerosis in Brain MRI Images

This study introduces the use of multiscale amplitude modulation-frequency modulation (AM-FM) texture analysis of multiple sclerosis (MS) using magnetic resonance (MR) images from brain. Clinically, there is interest in identifying potential associations between lesion texture and disease progression, and in relating texture features with relevant clinical indexes, such as the expanded disability status scale (EDSS). This longitudinal study explores the application of 2-D AM-FM analysis of brain white matter MS lesions to quantify and monitor disease load. To this end, MS lesions and normal-appearing white matter (NAWM) from MS patients, as well as normal white matter (NWM) from healthy volunteers, were segmented on transverse T2-weighted images obtained from serial brain MR imaging (MRI) scans (0 and 6-12 months). The instantaneous amplitude (IA), the magnitude of the instantaneous frequency (IF), and the IF angle were extracted from each segmented region at different scales. The findings suggest that AM-FM characteristics succeed in differentiating 1) between NWM and lesions; 2) between NAWM and lesions; and 3) between NWM and NAWM. A support vector machine (SVM) classifier succeeded in differentiating between patients that, two years after the initial MRI scan, acquired an EDSS ≤ 2 from those with EDSS >; 2 (correct classification rate = 86%). The best classification results were obtained from including the combination of the low-scale IA and IF magnitude with the medium-scale IA. The AM-FM features provide complementary information to classical texture analysis features like the gray-scale median, contrast, and coarseness. The findings of this study provide evidence that AM-FM features may have a potential role as surrogate markers of lesion load in MS.
Treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection

Editor—We agree with de Boer and Tytgat that treatment to eradicate Helicobacter pylori in patients with proved peptic ulcer is cost effective and benefits the patient and society.1 Treatment to eradicate the organism in patients with non-ulcer dyspepsia, however, is contentious. The efficacy, safety, and cost effectiveness are far from proved. Several recent trials, including a multicentre double blind placebo controlled trial, failed to show any significant long term benefit of H pylori eradication treatment in non-ulcer dyspepsia.2,3
Reaching the Masses through a Rural Services Platform

Rural ICT initiatives undertaken so far have focused on device-level technologies that bring in a single service to the consumer. In this paper, we introduce the architecture and implementation of a Rural Services Platform which is not only a low cost shared model, but also brings in innovation in an end-to-end solution while touching the next billion population. The richness of interaction technologies used by a consumer or moderated by a facilitator for the consumer plays an important role in adoption of financial, advisory and business services by a rural populace. We describe our work in the context of social transfers by Government of India like NREGA payments and also present the architecture of a solution which can be used by 1) Business Correspondents who go into the remote villages to disburse payments 2) consumers directly, who can through a voice channel conduct their transactions of money transfers. Our solution can be used to provide an array of services across industries like banking, finance, agriculture, health-care and education to the end user, thereby not only reducing the cost of delivery, but also making the entire innovation scalable.
On the connection between the magneto-elliptic and magneto-rotational instabilities

Abstract It has recently been suggested that the magneto-rotational instability (MRI) is a limiting case of the magneto-elliptic instability (MEI). This limit is obtained for horizontal modes in the presence of rotation and an external vertical magnetic field, when the aspect ratio of the elliptic streamlines tends to infinite. In this paper we unveil the link between these previously unconnected mechanisms, explaining both the MEI and the MRI as different manifestations of the same magneto-elliptic-rotational instability (MERI). The growth rates are found and the influence of the magnetic and rotational effects is explained, in particular the effect of the magnetic field on the range of negative Rossby numbers at which the horizontal instability is excited. Furthermore, we show how the horizontal rotational MEI in the rotating shear flow limit is linked to the MRI by the use of the local shearing box model, typically used in the study of accretion discs. In such a limit the growth rates of the two instability types coincide for any power-law-type background angular velocity radial profile with negative exponent corresponding to the value of the Rossby number of the rotating shear flow. The MRI requirement for instability is that the background angular velocity profile is a decreasing function of the distance from the centre of the disc, which corresponds to the horizontal rotational MEI requirement of negative Rossby numbers. Finally a physical interpretation of the horizontal instability, based on a balance between the strain, the Lorentz force and the Coriolis force, is given.
Accomplishment in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and Its Relation to STEM Educational Dose: A 25-Year Longitudinal Study

Two studies examined the relationship between precollegiate advanced/enriched educational experiences and adult accomplishments in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). In Study 1, 1,467 13-year-olds were identified as mathematically talented on the basis of scores 500 (top 0.5%) on the math section of the Scholastic Assessment Test; subsequently, their developmental trajectories were studied over 25 years. Particular attention was paid to high-level STEM accomplishments with low base rates in the general population (STEM PhDs, STEM publications, STEM tenure, STEM patents, and STEM occupations). Study 2 retrospectively profiled the adolescent advanced/enriched educational experiences of 714 top STEM graduate students (mean age 25), and related these experiences to their STEM accomplishments up to age 35. In both longitudinal studies, those with notable STEM accomplishments manifested past histories involving a richer density of advanced precollegiate educational opportunities in STEM (a higher “STEM dose”) than less highly achieving members of their respective cohorts. While both studies are quasi-experimental, they suggest that for mathematically talented and academically motivated young adolescents, STEM accomplishments are facilitated by a rich mix of precollegiate STEM educational opportunities that are designed to be intellectually challenging, even for students at precocious developmental levels. These opportunities appear to be uniformly important for both sexes.
Techniques for characterization of electrodes and electrochemical processes

STRUCTURE AND COMPOSITION OF ELECTRODES AND ELECTROLYTES: Techniques for the Study of Solid Ionic Conductors Ellipsometry as an In Situ Probe for Study of Electrode Processes In Situ Characterization of Electrode Processes by Photothermal Deflection Spectroscopy Surface X-Ray Absorption Spectroscopy, EXAFS and NEXAFS for the In Situ and Ex Situ Study of Electrodes Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy In Situ Characterization of Electrodes by Neutron Scattering Diffraction Techniques for Determining the Structure of Electrolytes in the Liquid Phase Moessbauer Spectroscopy Laser Interferometry Study of Mass Transport Limitation in Electro-Deposition of Metals/Polymers. ELECTROCHEMICAL MEASUREMENT TECHNIQUES: An Introduction to Electrochemistry in Molten Salts Application of Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy in Electrochemistry and Corrosion Science Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS)- Application in Corrosion Science and Technology Numerical Techniques for Modeling Current Distribution at Plane or Flow-By Electrodes Experimental Simulation of Porous Electrodes Techniques for Study of Nucleation during Metal Electrodisposition.
Feature enhanced time-aware recommender system

Traditional recommender systems utilize user and item profiles in order to predict ratings of unseen items. New users, items and ratings are continuously updated to the system, making data available for detection of changes in user preferences throughout the time. In this work the widely used user-neighborhood recommender system is extended by incorporating temporal information and enhancing measure of neighborhood similarity with information on item features. Unlike other models, we also add time-weight function in the preference prediction step to improve prediction accuracy. Experiments on real data set show an improvement in prediction performance over traditional collaborative filtering model.
Correction: Task Dependency of Grip Stiffness—A Study of Human Grip Force and Grip Stiffness Dependency during Two Different Tasks with Same Grip Forces

It is widely known that the pinch-grip forces of the human hand are linearly related to the weight of the grasped object. Less is known about the relationship between grip force and grip sti↵ness. We set out to determine variations to these dependencies in di↵erent tasks with and without visual feedback. In two di↵erent settings, subjects were asked to (a) grasp and hold a sti↵ness-measuring manipulandum with a predefined grip force, di↵ering from experiment to experiment, or (b) grasp and hold this manipulandum of which we varied the weight between trials in a more natural task. Both situations led to grip forces in comparable ranges. As the measured grip sti↵ness is the result of muscle and tendon properties, and since muscle/tendon sti↵ness increases more-or-less linearly as a function of muscle force, we found, as might be predicted, a linear relationship between grip force and grip sti↵ness. However, the measured sti↵ness ranges and the increase of sti↵ness with grip force varied significantly between the two tasks. Furthermore, we found a strong correlation between regression slope and mean sti↵ness for the force task which we ascribe to a force sti↵ness curve going through the origin. Based on a biomechanical model, we attributed the di↵erence between both tasks to changes in wrist configuration, rather than to changes in cocontraction. In a new set of experiments where we prevent the wrist from moving by fixing it and resting it on a pedestal, we found subjects exhibiting similar sti↵ness/force characteristics in both tasks.
Functional role of ionic regulation of Na+/Ca2+ exchange assessed in transgenic mouse hearts.

Na+/Ca2+exchange is the primary mechanism mediating Ca2+ efflux from cardiac myocytes during diastole and, thus, can prominently influence contractile force. In addition to transporting Na+and Ca2+, the exchanger is also regulated by these ions. Although structure-function studies have identified protein regions of the exchanger subserving these regulatory processes, their physiological importance is unknown. In this study, we examined the electrophysiological and mechanical consequences of cardiospecific overexpression of the canine cardiac exchanger NCX1.1 and a deletion mutant of NCX1.1 (Δ680-685), devoid of intracellular Na+([Formula: see text])- and Ca2+([Formula: see text])- dependent regulatory properties, in transgenic mice. Using the giant excised patch-clamp technique, normal ionic regulation was observed in membrane patches from cardiomyocytes isolated from control and transgenic mice overexpressing NCX1.1. In contrast, ionic regulation was nearly abolished in mice overexpressing Δ680-685, indicating that the native regulatory processes could be overwhelmed by expression of the transgene. To address the physiological consequences of ionic regulation of the Na+/Ca2+exchanger, we examined postrest force development in papillary muscles from NCX1.1 and Δ680-685 transgenic mice. Postrest potentiation was found to be substantially greater in Δ680-685 than in NCX1.1 transgenic mice, supporting the notion that ionic regulation of Na+/Ca2+exchange plays a significant functional role in cardiac contractile properties.
Subcon ® gurations of the human form in the perception of biological motion displays

We report four experiments examining processes that contribute to the perception of pointlight displays of human locomotion. In three experiments, we employed a simultaneous masking paradigm to examine the visual systemÕs use of con®gural information in global analyses of biological motion displays. In the fourth experiment, we obtained descriptions of our stimulus displays from naive observers. Performance in both the detection and identi®cation studies suggests that the visual system responded equivalently to ®gures exhibiting any organization of limbs that is consistent with the human form. Moreover, the subcon®gurations best detected were also most likely to be described independently as depicting a human ®gure. Thus our ®ndings provide evidence that the visual system can exploit characteristic subcon®gurations of the human form in the perception of human locomotion. Ó 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. PsycINFO classi®cation: 2323
Cloaking formulated in terms of equivalent volumetric sources

This paper presents conditions on the constitutive dyads of a bianisotropic linear metamaterial that are sufficient to ensure cloaking for arbitrary shapes and arbitrary illumination. The volumetric equivalence theorem is first formulated for a bianisotropic metamaterial scatterer. By assuming that the volumetric equivalent currents do not radiate outside the cloak, and radiate the negative of the incident field in the internal cavity of the cloak, the material constituent dyads are written as a function of two vector potentials respecting simple boundary conditions. The special known cases of transformation optics are derived in terms of a particular choice of the vector potentials as a coordinate transformation of the incident field space.