Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Role of pfmdr1 Amplification and Expression in Induction of Resistance to Artemisinin Derivatives in Plasmodium falciparum

ABSTRACT Artemisinin and its derivatives are the most rapidly acting and efficacious antimalarial drugs currently available. Although resistance to these drugs has not been documented, there is growing concern about the potential for resistance to develop. In this paper we report the selection of parasite resistance to artelinic acid (AL) and artemisinin (QHS) in vitro and the molecular changes that occurred during the selection. Exposure of three Plasmodium falciparum lines (W2, D6, and TM91C235) to AL resulted in decreases in parasite susceptibilities to AL and QHS, as well as to mefloquine, quinine, halofantrine, and lumefantrine. The changes in parasite susceptibility were accompanied by increases in the copy number, mRNA expression, and protein expression of the pfmdr1 gene in the resistant progenies of W2 and TM91C235 parasites but not in those of D6 parasites. No changes were detected in the coding sequences of the pfmdr1, pfcrt, pfatp6, pftctp, and pfubcth genes or in the expression levels of pfatp6 and pftctp. Our data demonstrate that P. falciparum lines have the capacity to develop resistance to artemisinin derivatives in vitro and that this resistance is achieved by multiple mechanisms, to include amplification and increased expression of pfmdr1, a mechanism that also confers resistance to mefloquine. This observation is of practical importance, because artemisinin drugs are often used in combination with mefloquine for the treatment of malaria.
Simple method for the selection of the appropriate food simulant for the evaluation of a specific food/packaging interaction

Knowledge of the extent of food/packaging interactions is essential to provide assurance of food quality and shelf life, especially in migration and sorption processes that commonly reach equilibrium during the lifetime of a commercial packaged foodstuff. The limits of sorption and migration must be measured in the presence of the specific food or an appropriate food simulant. The partition equilibrium of food aroma compounds between plastic films and foods or food simulants (K K,P/L) has been characterized. Two polymers (LLDPE and PET), three organic compounds (ethyl caproate, hexanal and 2-phenylethanol), four food products with varying fat content (milk cream, mayonnaise, margarine and oil) and three simulants (ethanol 95%, n -heptane and isooctane) were selected for study. The results show the effect of the aroma compound volatility and polarity, as well as its compatibility with the polymer and the food or food simulant. Equilibrium constants for the organic compound between the polymers and a gaseous phase (K A,P/V) as well as between the food (or food simulant) and a gaseous phase (K A,L/V) were also determined. An approach is presented to estimate K from the binary equilibrium constants K A,P/L and K A,P/L. Calculated results were shown to describe experimental data very well and indicated that compatibility between the aroma and the food or food simulant is the main contributing factor to the partition equilibrium describing the extent of food/packaging interactions. Therefore, the measurement of liquid/vapour equilibrium can be regarded as a powerful tool to compare the effectiveness of food simulants as substitutes of a particular food product and can be used as a guide for the selection of the appropriate simulant.
Of apples and oranges : why comparing BO regeneration rates requires injection level correction

Different injection levels make the comparison of BO Regeneration kinetics in different Si wafers or solar cells difficult, e.g., when samples made of different materials featuring different background lifetime levels are to be compared. A correction factor is presented that is able to compensate for these differences in injection level during Regeneration. This is used to investigate the influence of metallic impurities, interstitial oxygen and different dopants on BO Regeneration kinetics. It is found that a POCl3 gettering step only affects Regeneration if the overall H concentration within the wafer is low. Interstitial oxygen is found to be less detrimental to Regeneration than assumed previously. The influence of different dopants is shown in a process leading to a stable regenerated lifetime, and the measured Regeneration rates can be compared because of the applied injection correction. A numerical fit optimization method is presented to separate the influence of the different dopants. It is shown that net doping concentration p0 is not relevant for BO Regeneration whereas B as well as Ga slow down the Regeneration process. An explanation within the H-model of BO Regeneration is given.
Change in Body Compositions of Asian Recipients after Kidney Transplantation

Kidney transplantation and accompanying medical conditions may result in changes in body composition. Such changes have been evaluated in Caucasian recipients, but not in Asian recipients. Herein, we conducted a study on Asian recipients because Asians have a different body composition from Caucasians. A total of 50 Asian recipients was enrolled as a prospective cohort. Using bioelectrical impedance analysis, body composition (muscle and fat mass) was assessed after 2 weeks (baseline), and at 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months following kidney transplantation. To find predictors related to changes, the data were analyzed by multivariate analysis using forward selection. All of the patients had good graft function during the study period. Patients gained approximately 3 kg within 1 yr of kidney transplantation. The proportion of muscle mass significantly decreased (Ptrend = 0.001) and the proportion of fat mass significantly increased over time (Ptrend = 0.002). The multivariate results revealed that male recipients, deceased donor type, and low protein intake were associated with an increase in fat mass and a decrease in muscle mass. The results from this study may help to investigate differences in body composition changes between races, as well as the factors related to these changes.
Parametric polymorphism and semantic subtyping: the logical connection

We consider a type algebra equipped with recursive, product, function, intersection, union, and complement types together with type variables and implicit universal quantification over them. We consider the subtyping relation recently defined by Castagna and Xu over such type expressions and show how this relation can be decided in EXPTIME, answering an open question. The novelty, originality and strength of our solution reside in introducing a logical modeling for the semantic subtyping framework. We model semantic subtyping in a tree logic and use a satisfiability-testing algorithm in order to decide subtyping. We report on practical experiments made with a full implementation of the system. This provides a powerful polymorphic type system aiming at maintaining full static type-safety of functional programs that manipulate trees, even with higher-order functions, which is particularly useful in the context of XML.
Natural Resource Management's 'Nature' and Its Politics

In the past 10-15 years a new administrative regime of environmental governance has been developed in Australia: 56 Natural Resource Management Regions have been established. This article argues that a new notion of nature has come to life in the new administrative order. In an emergent ontic politics, this socio-material nature, or natural resource management (NRM) nature, now contests with older Australian natures - the nature exploited by utilitarians, loved by Romantics, and studied scientifically by ecologists. NRM nature naturalises a particular set of social, material, and textual practices which generate natural asset value and engender amnesia towards the nature/society dichotomy in older politics of nature. I suggest that, in contesting this new order, Aboriginal resistance to NRM nature engages in a form of ontic and ontological politics.
An Indexing technique for biometric database

In this paper, an efficient indexing technique which can be used in an identification system with large biometric database has been proposed. The technique is based on the modified B+ tree which reduces the disk accesses and is found to be suitable for large biometric database. In this technique, first a multi-dimensional feature vector is projected to a lower dimensional feature space. Then, reduced dimensional feature vector is used to index the database by forming modified B+ tree. The proposed method decreases the data retrieval time along with possible error rates. This system is tested on Bath university and IITK iris databases with and without dimension reduction. It is observed that the system with reduced dimension performs almost equally well.
Direct synthesis of folded symmetric resonator filters with source-load coupling

A direct synthesis technique of coupled symmetric resonator filters with source-load coupling is presented. An examination of the implications of power conservation on the possible solutions to the synthesis problem is examined. It is shown that at least two different coupling matrices whose entries differ not only in signs but in magnitude, as well, can be extracted. The two matrices have the same coupling and routing scheme. Typical examples of synthesized filters are presented to document the validity of the technique.
Ossiculoplasty in Intact Stapes and Malleus Patients: A Comparison of PORPs Versus TORPs With Malleus Relocation and Silastic Banding Techniques

Objectives: To compare hearing results in patients undergoing ossiculoplasty using either partial ossicular replacement prosthesis (PORP) or total ossicular replacement prosthesis (TORP) with Silastic banding and malleus relocation techniques in cases with malleus and stapes both present and mobile. Study Design: Prospective nonrandomized clinical study. Setting: Tertiary referral center. Methods: Five hundred eighty-five patients undergoing ossiculoplasty were enrolled in this study from April 1991 to May 2010. Comparative analyses were made between a group of 304 patients who underwent ossiculoplasty with partial prosthesis positioned from the malleus to the stapes head and 281 patients who underwent ossiculoplasty with total prosthesis positioned from the malleus to the stapes footplate. Preoperative and postoperative audiometric evaluation using conventional audiometry, that is, air-bone gap (ABG), bone-conduction thresholds, and air-conduction thresholds were assessed. Results: In the PORP group, the mean postoperative ABG was 13.1 dB compared with 8.9 dB in the TORP group, (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.2-6.2 dB; p ≤ 0.001). Fifty-four percent of patients from the PORP group had a postoperative ABG of 10 dB or less, compared with 68.9% in the TORP group (mean difference, 14.6%; 95% CI, 6%-23%; p < 0.001). The postoperative ABG was closed to within 20 dB in 70.4% of cases in the PORP group compared with 86.9% in the TORP group (mean difference, 14.5%; 95% CI, 10%-23%; p < 0.001). Conclusion: In patients with an absent incus and intact stapes and malleus, ossicular reconstruction with TORP combined with our malleus relocation and Silastic banding technique results in significantly better hearing outcomes compared with reconstructions with PORP.
Food motivation circuitry hypoactivation related to hedonic and nonhedonic aspects of hunger and satiety in women with active anorexia nervosa and weight-restored women with anorexia nervosa.

BACKGROUND Previous studies have provided evidence of food motivation circuitry dysfunction in individuals with anorexia nervosa. However, methodological limitations present challenges to the development of a cohesive neurobiological model of anorexia nervosa. Our goal was to investigate the neural circuitry of appetite dysregulation across states of hunger and satiety in active and weight-restored phases of anorexia nervosa using robust methodology to advance our understanding of potential neural circuitry abnormalities related to hedonic and nonhedonic state and trait. METHODS We scanned women with active anorexia nervosa, weight-restored women with anorexia nervosa and healthy-weight controls on a 3-T Siemens magnetic resonance scanner while they viewed images of high- and low-calorie foods and objects before (premeal) and after (postmeal) eating a 400 kcal meal. RESULTS We enrolled 12 women with active disease, 10 weight-restored women with anorexia nervosa and 11 controls in our study. Compared with controls, both weight-restored women and those with active disease demonstrated hypoactivity premeal in the hypothalamus, amygdala and anterior insula in response to high-calorie foods (v. objects). Postmeal, hypoactivation in the anterior insula persisted in women with active disease. Percent signal change in the anterior insula was positively correlated with food stimuli ratings and hedonic and nonhedonic appetite ratings in controls, but not women with active disease. LIMITATIONS Our findings are limited by a relatively small sample size, which prevented the use of an analysis of variance model and exploration of interaction effects, although our substantial effect sizes of between-group differences suggest adequate power for our statistical analysis approach. Participants taking psychotropic medications were included. CONCLUSION Our data provide evidence of potential state and trait hypoactivations in food motivation regions involved in the assessment of food's reward value and integration of these with interoceptive signalling of one's internal state of well-being, with important relations between brain activity and homeostatic and hedonic aspects of appetite. Our findings give novel evidence of disruption in neurobiological circuits and stress the importance of examining both state and trait characteristics in the investigation of brain phenotypes in individuals with anorexia nervosa.
Potential Diagnostic, Prognostic and Therapeutic Targets of MicroRNAs in Human Gastric Cancer

Human gastric cancer (GC) is characterized by a high incidence and mortality rate, largely because it is normally not identified until a relatively advanced stage owing to a lack of early diagnostic biomarkers. Gastroscopy with biopsy is the routine method for screening, and gastrectomy is the major therapeutic strategy for GC. However, in more than 30% of GC surgical patients, cancer has progressed too far for effective medical resection. Thus, useful biomarkers for early screening or detection of GC are essential for improving patients’ survival rate. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in tumorigenesis. They contribute to gastric carcinogenesis by altering the expression of oncogenes and tumor suppressors. Because of their stability in tissues, serum/plasma and other body fluids, miRNAs have been suggested as novel tumor biomarkers with suitable clinical potential. Recently, aberrantly expressed miRNAs have been identified and tested for clinical application in the management of GC. Aberrant miRNA expression profiles determined with miRNA microarrays, quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and next-generation sequencing approaches could be used to establish sample specificity and to identify tumor type. Here, we provide an up-to-date summary of tissue-based GC-associated miRNAs, describing their involvement and that of their downstream targets in tumorigenic and biological processes. We examine correlations among significant clinical parameters and prognostic indicators, and discuss recurrence monitoring and therapeutic options in GC. We also review plasma/serum-based, GC-associated, circulating miRNAs and their clinical applications, focusing especially on early diagnosis. By providing insights into the mechanisms of miRNA-related tumor progression, this review will hopefully aid in the identification of novel potential therapeutic targets.
Non-Compaction on Autopsy in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Left ventricular hypertrabeculation (LVHT) /non-compaction is frequently associated with neuromuscular disorders. Recently, LVHT has been detected in a 28-year patient with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Here, the patho-anatomic findings of this patient are presented, which showed LVHT located within in the apex and the anterior and lateral wall, being the most demanded segments during systole. The septum and the left ventricular outflow tract were not involved. The patho-anatomic specimen also showed aberrant bands and false tendons, a frequent finding in hearts with LVHT. The patho-anatomic findings were in line with those of LVHT patients with or without neuromuscular disorders.
Treadmill Training in a Child with Cerebral Palsy: A Case Report

This case report describes the use of treadmill training without body weight support to improve walking speed in a child with diplegic cerebral palsy. The child was a six-year-old girl with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy. She walked short distances independently using a posterior support walker but was unable to keep up with her peers walking long distances. Speed of walking 50 feet and speed of walking from her classroom to the cafeteria (458 feet) were timed pretreadmill, posttreadmill, and 3 weeks following treadmill intervention. The GMFM-88 was administered pre- and posttreadmill intervention. Following treadmill intervention, the child's speed of walking increased and she was able to walk to the cafeteria daily with her peers. Improvements in the percent of maximum total score of the GMFM-88 were also observed. The outcomes of this case suggest that the use of short-term, task-specific treadmill intervention might increase a child's walking speed enough to increase their participation in the school setting.
A New Designed MIMO-NOMA Scheme for HSR System with Distributed Antennas

This paper investigates the MIMO-NOMA transmission scheme for high-speed railway (HSR). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work that attempts to implement NOMA principle into HSR wireless system. Attracted by the technological superiority of distributed antenna system (DAS) and MIMO-NOMA, we propose a new transmission scheme and compare it with the conventional transmission strategy. We treat each antenna unit of the distributed antenna system as an independent user, group these users at each time slot, and apply NOMA principles within each group. We adopt a simple method to ensure that users with large channel state differences are grouped into the same cluster, and introduce average service rate to measure the system performance. At the same time, we have discussed the effect of fixed power allocation and dynamic power allocation on the system transmission rate within MIMONOMA and MIMO-OMA. The simulation results illustrate that the dynamic power allocation scheme is superior to the fixed power allocation, and the MIMO-NOMA system we proposed is always superior to the conventional MIMO-OMA scheme in high speed railways.
Media Ownership Policies: Pressures for Change and Implications

There has been considerable restructuring of media ownership statutes throughout the world as most of the countries have introduced changes in their media ownership regimes directing towards more liberal and deregulated environment. An attempt is made to observe why these changes are happening and the main forces driving them and their implications for the free press, for diversity, and for journalism.
On the Interdisciplinary Foundations of Diversity

Designing new-generation diversity-aware tools that face up to the emerging complexity in knowledge is one of the biggest research challenges in recent years. In this paper, we provide key notions about opinion, bias and diversity, and propose an interdisciplinary approach when managing them. Our basic tenet is that diversity should be seen as an asset rather than as a problem to be avoided a priori.
Environmental impact of trawling on the seabed: A review

Abstract Fishers have been complaining about the effects of bottom trawl gear on the marine environment since at least the 14th century. Trawl gear affects the environment in both direct and indirect ways. Direct effects include scraping and ploughing of the substrate, sediment resuspension, destruction of benthos, and dumping of processing waste. Indirect effects include post‐fishing mortality and long‐term trawl‐induced changes to the benthos. There are few conclusive studies linking trawling to observed environmental changes since it is difficult to isolate the cause. However, permanent faunal changes brought about by trawling have been recorded. Research has established that the degree of environmental perturbation from bottom trawling activities is related to the weight of the gear on the seabed, the towing speed, the nature of the bottom sediments, and the strength of the tides and currents. The greater the frequency of gear impact on an area, the greater the likelihood of permanent change. In deepe.
Acute fatal pneumonia in calves due to respiratory syncytial virus

An acute pneumonia developed in 28 calves which had been housed together from one to two weeks of age. The clinical signs included pyrexia, tachypnoea, respiratory distress and coughing. Some of the calves died. The pneumonia was characterised by an alveolitis with multinucleated syncytia, alveolar epithelial hyperplasia and bronchiolitis. Interstitial emphysema was also present. Fifteen of 19 calves examined serologically had rising neutralising antibody titres to respiratory syncytial virus; in nine calves the rise was fourfold or greater. Respiratory syncytial virus was not isolated from the calves. There was no evidence of parainfluenza type 3 virus involvement. The adult cows being sucked by the calves remained clinically normal throughout the incident. Six calves examined six weeks after the outbreak started had a chronic cuffing pneumonia characterised by lymphocytic bronchiolitis; some of the calves also had bronchiolitis obliterans. Mycoplasma dispar was found in two of them.
The nuclear affairs of PTEN

PTEN encodes a major tumor-suppressor protein that is a dual-specificity phosphatase. Inactivation of PTEN has been shown to be involved in heritable and sporadic cancers. Mutation or deletion of PTEN, historically the most commonly identified mechanisms of inactivation of tumor suppressors, is found only in the minority of sporadic non-cultured primary cancers, which indicates that there might be other, novel mechanisms of inactivation. Despite the absence of a classic nuclear localization signal, PTEN enters the nucleus by several mechanisms, including simple diffusion, active shuttling, cytoplasmic-localization-signal-dependent export and monoubiquitylation-dependent import. Cytoplasmic PTEN has a well-known role as a negative regulator of the PI3K/AKT pathway; however, it is becoming clear that cytosolic PTEN is not the same as nuclear PTEN. Nuclear PTEN plays a role in chromosome stability, DNA repair, cell cycle arrest and cellular stability. The balance between these functions is an important factor in determining whether a cell remains benign or becomes neoplastic.
Comparing Negotiation Strategies Based on Offers

Negotiation is a process between self-interested agents trying to reach an agreement on one or multiple issues in an ecommerce domain. The knowledge of an agent about the opponents' strategies improves the negotiation outcome. However, an agent negotiates with incomplete information about its opponent. Given this, to detect the opponent's strategy, we can use the similarity between opponents' strategies. In this paper we present a method for measuring the similarity between negotiators' strategies. Offers are generated by the agent's strategy therefore our similarity measure is based on the history of offers in negotiation sessions. We extended the Levenshtein distance technique to detect similarity between strategies. We implement this measure and experimentally show that the result of using the measure improves the recognition of the opponent's strategy.