Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
CO2 Sensing at Ocean Surface Mediated by cAMP in a Marine Diatom1

Marine diatoms are known to be responsible for about a quarter of global primary production and their photosynthesis is sustained by inorganic carbon-concentrating mechanisms and/or C4 metabolism. Activities of the inorganic carbon-concentrating mechanism are attenuated under enriched [CO2]; however, impacts of this factor on primary productivity and the molecular mechanisms of CO2 responses in marine diatoms are unknown. In this study, transgenic cells were generated of the marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum by the introduction of a β-glucuronidase reporter gene under the control of an intrinsic CO2-responsive promoter, which is the sequence between −80 to +61 relative to the transcription start site of a chloroplastic-carbonic anhydrase gene, ptca1, obtained from P. tricornutum. The activity of the ptca1 promoter was effectively repressed in air-level CO2 by treating cells with a 1.0 mm cAMP analog, dibutyryl cAMP, or a cAMP phosphodiesterase inhibitor, 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine. Deletion of the intrinsic cAMP-response element from the ptca1 promoter caused a lack of repression of the reporter gene uidA, even under elevated [CO2] and a null phenotype to the strong repressive effects of dibutyryl cAMP and 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine on the ptca1 promoter. Deletion of the cAMP-response element was also shown to cause derepression of the uidA reporter gene in the dark. These results indicate that the cytosolic cAMP level increases under elevated [CO2] and represses the ptca1 promoter. This strongly suggests the participation of cAMP metabolism, presumably at the cytosolic level, in controlling CO2-acquisition systems under elevated [CO2] at the ocean surface in a marine diatom.
The Clinical COPD Questionnaire: response to pulmonary rehabilitation and minimal clinically important difference

Background The Clinical COPD Questionnaire (CCQ) is a simple 10-item, health-related quality of life questionnaire (HRQoL) with good psychometric properties. However, little data exists regarding the responsiveness of the CCQ to pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) or the minimal clinically important difference (MCID). The study aims were to assess the responsiveness of the CCQ to PR, to compare the responsiveness of the CCQ to other HRQoL questionnaires and to provide estimates for the MCID. Methods The CCQ, St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire (CRQ) and COPD Assessment Test (CAT) were measured in 261 patients with COPD before and after outpatient PR. Pre to post PR changes and Cohen's effect size were calculated. Changes in CCQ were compared with changes in other HRQoL questionnaires. Using an anchor-based approach and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, the CCQ change cutoffs that identified patients achieving the known MCID for other health status questionnaires with PR were identified. Results The CCQ, SGRQ, CRQ and CAT all significantly improved with PR with an effect size of −0.39, −0.33, 0.62 and −0.25, respectively. CCQ change correlated significantly with change in SGRQ, CRQ and CAT (r=0.48, −0.56, 0.54, respectively; all p<0.001). ROC curves consistently identified a CCQ change cutoff of −0.4 as the best discriminating value to identify the MCID for the SGRQ, CRQ and CAT (area under curve: 0.71, 0.75 and 0.77, respectively; all p<0.001). Conclusions The CCQ is responsive to PR with an estimated clinically important improvement of −0.4 points. The CCQ is a practical alternative to more time-consuming measures of HRQoL.
Cloning of the Heat Shock Protein 60 Gene from the Stem Borer, Chilo suppressalis, and Analysis of Expression Characteristics Under Heat Stress

Abstract Heat shock protein 60 is an important chaperonin. In this paper, hsp60 of the stem borer, Chilo suppressalis (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), was cloned by RT-PCR and rapid amplification of cDNA end (RACE) reactions. The full length cDNA of hsp6°Consisted of 2142 bp, with an ORF of 1719 bp, encoding 572 amino acid residues, with a 5'UTR of 158 bp and a 3'UTR of 265 bp. Cluster analysis confirmed that the deduced amino acid sequence shared high identity with the reported sequences from other insects (77%–86%). To investigate whether hsp60 in C. suppressalis responds to thermal stress, the expression levels of hsp60 mRNA in larval haemocytes across temperature gradients from 31 to 39°C were analysed by real-time quantitative PCR. There was no significant difference for hsp60 expression from 28 to 31°C. he temperatures for maximal induction of hsp60 expression in haemocytes was close to 36°C. Hsp60 expression was observed by using flow cytometry. These results revealed that thermal stress significantly induced hsp60 expression and Hsp60 synthesis in larval haemocytes, and the expression profiles of Hsp60 at the mRNA and protein levels were in high agreement with each other from 33 to 39°C.
Image quality measurement using integer wavelet transformations

We present a novel and straightforward method of graphical and scalar image quality measurement utilising integer wavelet transformations. The measure can represent separately the components of image distortion such as noise and blur through relative energy in the wavelet transform subbands. The measure can perform a similar function to the Hosaka plot whilst not requiring segmentation and threshold parameters. Through weighted summation, the graphical measure can be degenerated into a scalar quality measure. The scalar measure is compared with other image quality measures from recent literature and found to present consistently high correlation with subjective image quality assessment using NIIRS.
Step-Over and Bend Structures along the 1999 Duzce Earthquake Surface Rupture, North Anatolian Fault, Turkey

The 12 November 1999 Duzce earthquake (M w 7.1), which occurred on the Duzce fault of the North Anatolian Fault Zone, formed a 40-km-long surface rupture, which extended between Golyaka in the west and Kaynasli in the east. The earthquake nucleated close to the Beykoy step-over, a 0.8-km-wide and 1.8-km-long pressure ridge, with bilateral rupture propagation both to the west and the east. The Beykoy, Kaynasli, and Cevizlik step-overs, through which the 1999 Duzce rupture propagated, are less than 2.5 km wide. The Eften and Bakacak step-overs, where the rupture was arrested, are more than 4 km wide. These exceptional dimensions of step-overs associated with the 1999 Duzce rupture were investigated for their influ- ence on rupture propagation. The earthquake broke three distinct geometric segments, from west to east, the Eften, Dagdibi, and Kaynasli fault segments, separated by left-restraining step-overs at Beykoy and Kaynasli. To the west of the main shock, 3.5 m of average slip on the Eften fault segment propagated into the 2-km-wide Cevizlik releasing double bend, where it was largely arrested, with smaller (0.5 m) slip continuing westward on the Golyaka intervening segment, west of Lake Eften. This is similar to the ter- mination of slip observed on the Karadere fault segment in the 1999 Izmit earthquake, where 1.5 m of slip was largely terminated by a releasing double bend at the Golyaka intervening segment, with minor slip continuing eastward near Lake Eften. To the east of the main shock, 5 m of slip decreased along the Dagdibi fault segment to about 3.5 m at the 1-km-wide Kaynasli step-over. From here to the east, the 2.5 m of average slip on the Kaynasli fault segment continued to decrease, reaching zero at the releasing step-overs to the Elmalik fault. The terminations of the 1999 Duzce surface rupture are defined by distinct struc- tural complexities. The rupture was arrested in the west at the 4-km-wide Eften releasing double bend, where the eastern termination of the 1999 Izmit rupture also occurred. To the east, the rupture terminated at the 4- to 5-km-wide Bakacak releasing double step-overs. Both eastern and western ends of the Duzce rupture have short fault segments that experienced minor rupture during the 1999 Duzce earthquake. The Golyaka intervening segment experienced minor rupture, during both the 1999 Izmit and Duzce earthquakes. The Duzce rupture propagated across 0.8- to 2-km- wide step-overs, but it was arrested at step-overs 4 km wide or wider. These results agree with the observations on ratios between step-over width (in kilometers) and strike-slip displacement (in meters) collected along strike-slip faults worldwide (Let- tis et al., 2002).
A 5.3 GHz phase shift tuned I/Q LC oscillator with 1.1 GHz tuning range

In this paper phase shift tuning of a 5.3 GHz quadrature LC oscillator is investigated. By varying the phase shift of the circuits that couple two LC oscillator stages, a 1.1 GHz: tuning range is achieved. Dependency of tuning range and phase noise on the quality factor of the LC resonators is explored on the behavioral level. Expressions are given for the tuning range and an effective quality factor, as a function of the resonator quality, its phase shift and its resonance frequency. The oscillator is realized in a mainstream 30 GHz f/sub T/ BiCMOS process and dissipates 45 mW (nominal) with 2.7 V supply voltage. The dependency of the tuning range on the resonator quality is measured by varying the quality factor of a varactor incorporated in the LC resonators of the I/Q oscillator. Measured /spl Lscr/(2 MHz) is -108 dBc/Hz at 5.6 GHz.
Restoration of recto-verso archival documents through a regularized nonlinear model

We approach the removal of back-to-front interferences from recto and verso scans of archival documents as a blind source separation problem, considering the front and back ideal images as two individual patterns that overlap in the observed scans through some mixing operator. The nonlinear mixing model and the related restoration algorithm proposed in [1] are efficient for modern documents affected by mild show-through, but are not fully adequate to cope with ancient documents often degraded by the heavier and non-stationary bleed-through distortion. We then propose to modify this data model to account for non-stationarity of the degradation, and resort to the genuine concept of source separation for deriving the restoration algorithm. Within a regularization approach, we joint estimate the ideal images and the model parameters, by minimizing an energy function of all the unknowns, accounting also for local autocorrelation of the the ideal images. We derive a fully deterministic algorithm that is computationally efficient, and analyze its performance against documents heavily degraded by either show-through or bleed-through.
Physicians' Perspectives and Practice Patterns Toward Opportunistic Salpingectomy in High- and Low-Risk Women

ABSTRACT Background: Opportunistic bilateral salpingectomy (OBS) has been proposed as an ovarian cancer risk-reducing strategy. Methods: A survey was emailed to 300 members of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Results: 125 (42%) surveys were returned: 60% female, 88% generalists, 67% private practice. Only 36% correctly identified the lifetime risk of ovarian cancer, only 23% understood the risk-reducing benefit of bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. 75% perform salpingectomy during hysterectomy, 26–53% use for sterilization depending on approach. Concerns were increased operative time and complications. For BRCA mutations, 64% recommend BSO, 12% recommend a two-step risk-reducing strategy, and 14% refer to gynecologic oncology. Conclusions: We identified broad support and factors limiting willingness to perform OBS.
Commentary: Possible road to efficiency in the health service

The NHS at last seems ready to use economics as a framework for setting priorities. Cohen points to two main reasons why this is the case. Firstly, the advent of the purchaser-provider split has, among other things, led to a clearer definition of roles; explicit priority setting is now less easily avoided by purchasers. Secondly, some sensible person in the Welsh Office has offered guidance on how to set priorities. This process requires the use of economics techniques. Will England and Scotland follow suit? The data free environment of the NHS should not prevent the use of economics as a framework within which less tangible costs and benefits are included alongside those which are tangible. This allows explicit observation of the trade offs made as a result of decisions to expand or contract a service. Cohen's work is an important example of such use of the economic framework. The economics approach is not, however, free of problems. Marginal analysis takes time. A team approach is required, with a change in focus from firefighting to more considered analysis carried out in enough time to be relevant to setting contracts. Marginal analysis …
Multi-Modality Feature Transform: An Interactive Image Segmentation Approach

In this paper, we tackle the interactive image segmentation problem. Unlike the regular image segmentation problem, the user provides additional constraints that guide the segmentation process. In some algorithms, like [1, 4], the user provides scribbles on foreground/background (Fg/Bg) regions. In other algorithms, like [6, 8], the user is required to provide a bounding box or an enclosing contour to surround the Fg object, other outside pixels are constrained to be Bg. In our problem, we consider scribbles as the form of user-provided annotation. Introducing suitable features in the scribble-based Fg/Bg segmentation problem is crucial. In many cases, the object of interest has different regions with different color modalities. The same applies to a nonuniform background. Fg/Bg color modalities can even overlap when the appearance is solely modeled using color spaces like RGB or Lab. Therefore, in this paper, we purposefully discriminate Fg scribbles from Bg scribbles for a better representation. This is achieved by learning a discriminative embedding space from user-provided scribbles. The transformation between the original features and the embedded features is calculated. This transformation is used to project unlabeled features onto the same embedding space. The transformed features are then used in a supervised classification manner to solve the Fg/Bg segmentation problem. We further refine the results using a self-learning strategy, by expanding scribbles and recomputing the embedding and transformations. Figure 1 illustrates the motivation for this paper. Color features usually cannot capture different modalities available in the scribbles and successfully distinguish Fg from Bg at the same time. As we can see in figure 1(b), the RGB color space will eventually mix Fg/Bg scribbles. On the other hand, figure 1(c) shows that a well-defined embedding space can clearly distinguish between Fg and Bg scribbles, while preserving different color modalities within each scribble.
Risk factors for conjunctival squamous cell neoplasia: a matched case-control study

Aims: To identify roles of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and solar elastosis as the risk factors for conjunctival squamous cell neoplasia (CSCN). Methods: 30 consecutive pathological specimens, ranging from conjunctival intraepithelial neoplasia, carcinoma in situ, to invasive squamous cell carcinoma were retrieved from tissue archives. 30 controls were disease free conjunctiva from age and sex matched patients undergoing extracapsular cataract extraction. Two masked pathologists studied haematoxylin and eosin stains on paraffin embedded conjunctival tissues. Elastic stain for solar elastosis was blindly interpreted in comparison with negative and positive controls. HPV infection was studied by polymerase chain reaction and dot hybridisation. Results: The mean age of CSCN patients was 54.9 years. The male to female ratio was 1:1. Solar elastosis was seen in 53.3% of CSCN and in 3.3% of controls with an odds ratio of 16.0 (95% CI, 2.49 to 670.96; p value = 0.0003). HPV DNA were not detected in any of the specimens. Conclusion: Solar elastosis is much more frequently found in CSCN cases than in their matched controls and is a risk factor for CSCN. These data are insufficient to conclude that HPV infection is a risk factor for CSCN.
The prognostic role of preoperative serum CA 125 levels in patients with endometrial carcinoma.

PURPOSE Previous studies have shown that elevated preoperative serum CA 125 levels strongly correlate with various clinical and pathological variables and prognosis of patients with endometrial carcinoma (EC). The aim of the present study was to evaluate the clinical significance of preoperative serum CA 125 levels in patients with EC. METHODS A retrospective study of all EC patients treated at our institution between 1995 and 2010 with available follow-up was conducted. The preoperative serum level of CA 125 was measured in 99 patients and evaluated in relation to various clinical and pathological variables and outcome. We used the cut-off level of 20 U/ml for CA 125 on chi-square test for categorical variables. Survival analysis was performed with the use of Kaplan Meier method, the log rank test and Cox proportional hazards regression analysis. RESULTS In the early stages of disease the mean values of CA 125 were 35 U/ml (SD±70) for stages IA-IB and 21 U/ml (SD±29) for stage IC (Mann-Whitney test for continuous variables). In advanced stages of disease (III-IV), the values of preoperative serum CA 125 levels were statistically increased, with mean value 54 U/ml (SD±44), in comparison to stages IA-IB (p=0.02) and IC (p=0.007). According to the multivariate analysis, elevated preoperative serum CA 125 level (p=0.043) and histological tumor type (p=0.004) were independent prognostic factors for disease free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) of patients with EC. CONCLUSION The current study suggests that measurement of preoperative serum CA 125 is a useful clinical tool in the prognosis of patients with EC.
Simian Hemorrhagic Fever Virus Cell Entry Is Dependent on CD163 and Uses a Clathrin-Mediated Endocytosis-Like Pathway

ABSTRACT Simian hemorrhagic fever virus (SHFV) causes a severe and almost uniformly fatal viral hemorrhagic fever in Asian macaques but is thought to be nonpathogenic for humans. To date, the SHFV life cycle is almost completely uncharacterized on the molecular level. Here, we describe the first steps of the SHFV life cycle. Our experiments indicate that SHFV enters target cells by low-pH-dependent endocytosis. Dynamin inhibitors, chlorpromazine, methyl-β-cyclodextrin, chloroquine, and concanamycin A dramatically reduced SHFV entry efficiency, whereas the macropinocytosis inhibitors EIPA, blebbistatin, and wortmannin and the caveolin-mediated endocytosis inhibitors nystatin and filipin III had no effect. Furthermore, overexpression and knockout study and electron microscopy results indicate that SHFV entry occurs by a dynamin-dependent clathrin-mediated endocytosis-like pathway. Experiments utilizing latrunculin B, cytochalasin B, and cytochalasin D indicate that SHFV does not hijack the actin polymerization pathway. Treatment of target cells with proteases (proteinase K, papain, α-chymotrypsin, and trypsin) abrogated entry, indicating that the SHFV cell surface receptor is a protein. Phospholipases A2 and D had no effect on SHFV entry. Finally, treatment of cells with antibodies targeting CD163, a cell surface molecule identified as an entry factor for the SHFV-related porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus, diminished SHFV replication, identifying CD163 as an important SHFV entry component. IMPORTANCE Simian hemorrhagic fever virus (SHFV) causes highly lethal disease in Asian macaques resembling human illness caused by Ebola or Lassa virus. However, little is known about SHFV's ecology and molecular biology and the mechanism by which it causes disease. The results of this study shed light on how SHFV enters its target cells. Using electron microscopy and inhibitors for various cellular pathways, we demonstrate that SHFV invades cells by low-pH-dependent, actin-independent endocytosis, likely with the help of a cellular surface protein.
Efecto del Tributiltin Cloruro sobre la V-ATPasa Presente en el Músculo Liso Traqueal

En este trabajo se demuestra que la actividad de V-ATPasa presente en fracciones de membrana plasmatica del musculo liso de las vias aereas es inhibida de manera especifica y a baja dosis por el cloruro de tributil tin (TBT). Este compuesto representa una de las sustancias toxicas, de gran utilizacion en la industria y se ha demostrado que puede afectar a las celulas y tejidos de humanos con una potencialidad para producir enfermedades. Abstract In this work, it is demonstrated that the V-ATPase activity presents in a plasma membrane fraction from tracheal smooth muscle is specifically inhibited by tributyl tin chloride (TBT). This compound belongs to a great family of toxic pollutants with broad use in modern industry and they can affect humans tissues and cells and produce diseases.
The quality of environmental impact statements and environmental impact assessment practice in Bangladesh

This paper investigates the quality of environmental impact statements (EISs) and gives us an understanding about the performance of environmental impact assessment (EIA) practice in Bangladesh. EIA has been formally practised in Bangladesh since 1995.However, no study has yet been conducted on the quality of EISs. This study fills this gap. This empirical study shows that the quality of EISs in Bangladesh is ‘just satisfactory’ only. A significant proportion of EISs (34%) are still unsatisfactory. Finally, possible factors affecting the quality of EISs are examined and measures to improve the quality of EISs are recommended. The findings will be useful to EIA practitioners and other stakeholders in Bangladesh. This study will also provide a general guideline for other developing countries with similar socio-economic context.
Local Sustainable Urban Development in a Globalized World

Contents: Sustainable urban development: local strategies as global solutions, Lauren C. Herbele Alternative urban futures: designing urban infrastructures that prioritize human needs, are less damaging to the natural resource base, and produce less waste, Raquel Pinderhughes Employing information and communication systems in planning processes to increase efficiency in sustainable urban development, Gerhard Steinbach, Robin Ganser and Simone Allin Absolutely positively Wellington: a model for smart growth, Carlton C. Eley Environmental quality and land use plans, a new development in the Netherlands, Jan Jaap de Boer From a standard-orientated to an integral quality-oriented approach, Jaap van Staalduine Town planning models: a look at Polish cities and sustainable development, Lidia Mierzejewska The efficiency of land use conversion, Hai-Feng Hu and Tzu-Chia Chang Moving toward urban sustainability: a comparison of the development of sustainability in Seattle and Minneapolis, Katrina M. Harmon Assessing sustainability in urban planning: the potential and limitations of indicators as a means to measure and monitor outcomes of policy implementation, Robin Ganser Measuring sustainability: the role of ecological footprinting in assessing the impact of development, Andrea Collins and Andrew Flynn Regional environmental capacity for sustainable growth: a historical approach, Mamoru Taniguchi, Hirofumi Abe and Yoshiro Ono Sustainability of urban transport: common strategies and individual actions, Marta Moreno and Juan Pedro Ruiz Mobile vendors: persistence of local culture in the changing global economy of Bangkok, Kasama Polakit and Davisi Boontharm Educational changes for sustainable cities: autonomous knowledge, Georgina EchA! niz Pellicer Educating architects to address urban problems in building design, Singh Intrachootoo, Luke Yeung and Yaourai Suthiranart Education into citizenship: environmental education, participatory democracy, and the precautionary principle, Karen Cairns Public participation in achieving sustainability in central city neighborhoods, Ruth Yabes and David Pijawka Balancing economic growth and social equity: less-educated workers in high-tech regions, Criseida Navarro-DA-az Conclusion: roles and realities, Susan M. Opp Index.