Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
FtsQ, FtsL and FtsI require FtsK, but not FtsN, for co‐localization with FtsZ during Escherichia coli cell division

During cell division in Gram‐negative bacteria, the cell envelope invaginates and constricts at the septum, eventually severing the cell into two compartments, and separating the replicated genetic materials. In Escherichia coli, at least nine essential gene products participate directly in septum formation: FtsA, FtsI, FtsL, FtsK, FtsN, FtsQ, FtsW, FtsZ and ZipA. All nine proteins have been localized to the septal ring, an equatorial ring structure at the division site. We used translational fusions to green fluorescent protein (GFP) to demonstrate that FtsQ, FtsL and FtsI localize to potential division sites in filamentous cells depleted of FtsN, but not in those depleted of FtsK. We also constructed translational fusions of FtsZ, FtsA, FtsQ, FtsL and FtsI to enhanced cyan or yellow fluorescent protein (ECFP or EYFP respectively), GFP variants with different fluorescence spectra. Examination of cells expressing different combinations of the fusions indicated that FtsA, FtsQ, FtsL and FtsI co‐localize with FtsZ in filaments depleted of FtsN. These localization results support the model that E. coli cell division proteins assemble sequentially as a multimeric complex at the division site: first FtsZ, then FtsA and ZipA independently of each other, followed successively by FtsK, FtsQ, FtsL, FtsW, FtsI and FtsN.
Preventing Recurrent Sexually Transmitted Diseases in Minority Adolescents: A Randomized Controlled Trial

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy of a randomized controlled trial of the Sexual Awareness For Everyone (SAFE) behavioral intervention on teenagers (aged 14 to 18 years) compared with adult rates of reinfection with Neiserria gonorrhea or Chlamydia trachomatis cervicitis, and to identify behaviors associated with recurrent infection. METHODS: Mexican-American and African-American females with a nonviral sexually transmitted disease (STD) were enrolled in SAFE or assigned to the control group. All participants were interviewed and examined at baseline, 6, and 12 months. The primary outcome variable was reinfection with N. gonorrhea or C. trachomatis. Secondary outcomes were changes in risky sexual behavior. RESULTS: Teens randomized to participation in SAFE had a statistically lower incidence of recurrent N. gonorrhea and C. trachomatis at 0 to 6 months (52%, P=.04) and cumulatively (39%, P=.04) compared with teens in the control group. Cumulatively, teens as a group had higher rates of reinfection (33.1%) than adults (14.4%) (P<.001). Adolescent reinfection was explained by unprotected sex with untreated partners (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 5.58), nonmonogamy (adjusted OR 5.14), and rapid partner turnover (adjusted OR 2.02). In adults, reinfection was predicted by unprotected sex with untreated partners (adjusted OR 4.90), unsafe sex (adjusted OR 2.18), rapid partner turnover (adjusted OR 3.13), and douching after sex (adjusted OR 2.14). CONCLUSION: Sexual Awareness for Everyone significantly reduced recurrent STDs in teenagers. Adults and teens randomized to the SAFE intervention had significant decreases in high-risk sexual behaviors as compared with those in the control group. Although not specifically designed for teens, the SAFE intervention worked very well in this high-risk population. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: www.clinicaltrials. gov, ClinicalTrials.gov, HSC2004415H LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: I
Imperialibacter roseus gen. nov., sp. nov., a novel bacterium of the family Flammeovirgaceae isolated from Permian groundwater.

A novel bacterial strain, designated P4(T), was isolated from Permian groundwater and identified on the basis of its phylogenetic, genotypic, chemotaxonomic and phenotypic characteristics. Cells were aerobic, Gram-stain-negative rods. 16S rRNA gene sequence-based phylogenetic analysis revealed that P4(T) is affiliated with the family Flammeovirgaceae in the phylum Bacteroidetes, but forms a distinct cluster within this family. The DNA G+C content of strain P4(T) was 45.2 mol%. The predominant cellular fatty acids were C16 : 1ω6c/C16 : 1ω7c and iso-C15 : 0. MK-7 was the main respiratory quinone. The polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, unidentified phospholipids, an unidentified aminolipid, unidentified glycolipids and unidentified polar lipids. Based on our extensive polyphasic analysis, a novel species in a new genus, Imperialibacter roseus gen. nov., sp. nov., is proposed. The type strain of Imperialibacter roseus is P4(T) ( = CICC 10659(T) = KCTC 32399(T)).
Sonographic biometry of spleen among school age children in Nsukka, Southeast, Nigeria.

BACKGROUND Normative value of spleen size among school age children is important for objective assessment of the spleen. OBJECTIVES This study was aimed at determining sonographically the normal limits of the spleen size according to age, sex, and somatometric parameters among school age children. METHODS A cross sectional study was done on 947 apparently healthy subjects (496 boys and 451 girls) aged 6 - 17 years. The subjects were recruited from some primary and secondary schools within Nsukka metropolis and also from out patients in the study centre. A pilot study was done to determine the intra- and inter rater reliability of sonographic measurements of the spleen. The sonographic examination was performed on Shenzhen DP-1100 machine with 3.5 and 5 MHz convex transducers. Spleen sizes were obtained with the subject in a right lateral decubitus position. RESULTS Measurement of spleen length was reliable while measurement of spleen width was less reliable within and between sonographers. Dimensions of the spleen were not statistically different in boys and girls (p > 0.05). Height correlated best with spleen dimensions. CONCLUSIONS Normogram of the spleen size with respect to height is important in the determination of some pathology associated with changes in its size.
Sertraline in the Treatment of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: Two Double‐blind, Placebo‐controlled Studies

Sertraline is a non-tricyclic, potent and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) which is currently approved for the treatment of depression in several countries, including the UK and the USA. The role of serotonin in the aetiology of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) has been established through considerable indirect evidence. The strongest evidence comes from the fact that drugs known to be SSRIs have been found to be useful in the pharmacotherapy of OCD. Two double-blind, placebocontrolled studies, including a total of 412 patients, were undertaken to evaluate the efficacy and safety of sertraline in OCD. The first of these studies of a flexible dosing design showed that sertraline, given for eight weeks in daily dosages of 50–200 mg, was a safe and effective treatment for OCD, and superior to placebo. The second study of a fixed dose design and 12 weeks duration confirmed the efficacy and safety of sertraline in OCD at fixed dosages of 50, 100, or 200 mg/day and demonstrated that further improvement in OCD symptoms can be achieved through continued treatment with sertraline. A comparison between the results of these two studies and similar studies with clomipramine shows that, while both drugs have significant therapeutic efficacy, their side-effect profiles may be markedly distinct.
Don’t Interrupt Me While I Type: Inferring Text Entered Through Gesture Typing on Android Keyboards

Abstract We present a new side-channel attack against soft keyboards that support gesture typing on Android smartphones. An application without any special permissions can observe the number and timing of the screen hardware interrupts and system-wide software interrupts generated during user input, and analyze this information to make inferences about the text being entered by the user. System-wide information is usually considered less sensitive than app-specific information, but we provide concrete evidence that this may be mistaken. Our attack applies to all Android versions, including Android M where the SELinux policy is tightened. We present a novel application of a recurrent neural network as our classifier to infer text. We evaluate our attack against the “Google Keyboard” on Nexus 5 phones and use a real-world chat corpus in all our experiments. Our evaluation considers two scenarios. First, we demonstrate that we can correctly detect a set of pre-defined “sentences of interest” (with at least 6 words) with 70% recall and 60% precision. Second, we identify the authors of a set of anonymous messages posted on a messaging board. We find that even if the messages contain the same number of words, we correctly re-identify the author more than 97% of the time for a set of up to 35 sentences. Our study demonstrates a new way in which system-wide resources can be a threat to user privacy. We investigate the effect of rate limiting as a countermeasure but find that determining a proper rate is error-prone and fails in subtle cases. We conclude that real-time interrupt information should be made inaccessible, perhaps via a tighter SELinux policy in the next Android version.
A CD38/CD203a/CD73 ectoenzymatic pathway independent of CD39 drives a novel adenosinergic loop in human T lymphocytes

The tumor microenvironment is characterized by of high levels of extracellular nucleotides that are metabolized through the dynamic and sequential action of cell surface enzymes (ectoenzymes). These ectoenzymes operate according to their spatial arrangement, as part of (1) continuous (molecules on the same cell) or (2) discontinuous (molecules on different cells) pathways, the latter being facilitated by restricted cellular microenvironment. The outcome of this catabolic activity is an increase in the local concentration of adenosine, a nucleoside involved in the control of inflammation and immune responses. The aim of the work presented here was to demonstrate that a previously unexplored enzymatic pathway may be an alternate route to produce extracellular adenosine. Our data show that this new axis is driven by the nucleotide-metabolizing ectoenzymes CD38 (an NAD+ nucleosidase), the ecto-nucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase 1 (NPP1, also known as CD203a or PC-1) and the 5′ ectonucleotidase (5′-NT) CD73, while bypassing the canonical catabolic pathway mediated by the nucleoside tri- and diphosphohydrolase (NTPDase) CD39. To determine the relative contributions of these cell surface enzymes to the production of adenosine, we exploited a human T-cell model allowing for the modular expression of the individual components of this alternative pathway upon activation and transfection. The biochemical analysis of the products of these ectoenzymes by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fully substantiated our working hypothesis. This newly characterized pathway may facilitate the emergence of an adaptive immune response in selected cellular contexts. Considering the role for extracellular adenosine in the regulation of inflammation and immunogenicity, this pathway could constitute a novel strategy of tumor evasion, implying that these enzymes may represent ideal targets for antibody-mediated therapy.
The Sciences of Complexity : From Mathematics to Technology to a Sustainable World 01-Oct-2000 – 31-Aug-2001

1) What have been the reasons to set up an experiment at ZiF? What is the challenge and what are the technical problems raised by this? Physics is made by starting from experimental facts, so that we found it interesting that people be gathered around an original experiment. This actually favours an inter-disciplinary activity, as different people are led to apply their specific knowledge to interpret the experimental observations, without restricting discussion to their usual research subjects. This is indeed one of the challenges of the ZiF project. Setting up the experiment was not an easy task anyway (which explains the fact that projects like this are seldom realised): we had to face the problem of design, manufacturing , transportation of material, installation of software, and of coordinating the work of the numerous persons involved in the project. In fact, the experiment was conceived first as a collaboration between Pisa and Mar-seilles; it was then partially assembled in Marseilles and Bielefeld. At the end, all the different elements, that is, a mechanical part, an optical part as well as a hardware and software parts, were assembled at ZiF. Moreover, as people used to experimental activity know, to overcome the technical difficulties related to the beginning of an experiment in one month only is a big challenge , too. In a certain sense, and this was also the reason for choosing this particular experiment , we believe that it has a paradigmatic significance.
DEBATE: Should Dialysis at Home be Mandatory for All Suitable ESRD Patients?

Since their inception in the 1960s, home‐based dialysis therapies have been viable alternatives to conventional thrice weekly in center hemodialysis. In spite of this, uptake of these therapies has been steadily declining over past decades with utilization varying globally; dependent on training support, funding models, and prevailing Nephrologist beliefs. In the Australian context, home dialysis (predominantly peritoneal dialysis and extended hours nocturnal hemodialysis) is now again increasing in popularity—with enthusiasm driven not only by evidence of an array of physiological and psychological patient benefit but also significant economic advantage: critical in the current climate where dialysis therapies in Australia take approximately $1 billion dollars per year from the healthcare budget. When assessing the significant advantages of home‐based therapies, it is important to consider not only the increasing body of evidence around improved survival but also that for dramatically better health‐related quality of life, decreased economic burden and the overall benefits of undertaking treatment in the home. With patient‐centered care an increasingly important aspect of our decision making paradigm, home‐based dialysis should be considered as the default option in all patients transitioning to renal replacement therapy.
A Social Network Analysis Of Hamadryas Baboons

The study of animal sociality investigates the immediate and long-term consequences that a social structure has on its group members. Typically, social behavior is observed from interactions between two individuals at the dyadic level. However, a new framework for studying social behavior has emerged that allows the researcher to assess social complexity at multiple scales. Social Network Analysis has been recently applied in the field of ethology, and this novel tool enables an approach of focusing on social behavior in context of the global network rather than limited to dyadic interactions. This new technique was applied to a group of captive hamadryas baboons (Papio hamadryas hamadryas) in order to assess how overall network topology of the social group changes over time with the decline of an aging leader male. Observations on aggressive, grooming, and proximity spatial interactions were collected from three separate years in order to serve as ‘snapshots’ of the current state of the group. Data on social behavior were collected from the group when the male was in prime health, when the male was at an old age, and after the male’s death. A set of metrics was obtained from each time period for each type of social behavior and quantified a change in the patterns of interactions. The results suggest that baboon social behavior varies across context, and changes with the attributes of its individual members. Possible mechanisms for adapting to a changing social environment were also explored. Social Network Analysis 7
Recent advances in pharmacophore modeling and its application to anti-influenza drug discovery

Introduction: The emergence of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 virus and the recent global circulation of H1N1 swine-origin influenza virus in 2009 have highlighted the need for new anti-influenza therapies. This has been made all the more important with the emergence of antiviral-resistant strains. Recent progress in achieving three-dimensional (3D) crystal structures of influenza viral proteins and efficient tools available for pharmacophore-based virtual screening are aiding us in the discovery and design of new antiviral compounds. Areas covered: This review discusses pharmacophore modeling as a potential cost-effective and time-saving technology for new drug discovery as an alternative to high-throughput screening. Based on this technical platform, the authors discuss current progress and future prospects for developing novel influenza antivirals against pre-existing or emerging novel targets. Expert opinion: Although it might be at an infant stage of development, the availability of the 3D crystal structures of influenza viral proteins is expected to accelerate the application of structure-based drug design (SBDD) and pharmacophore modeling. Furthermore, the neuraminidase inhibitor, one of the most successful examples of a SBDD, still receives great attention because of its superb antiviral activities and the resistance of influenza strains to oseltamivir. However, despite much success, pharmacophore-based virtual screening exhibits limited predictive power in hit identification. Further improvements in pharmacophore detection algorithms, proper combinations of in silico methods as well as judicious choosing of compounds are expected to improve the hit rate. With the help of these technologies, the discovery of anti-influenza agents will be accelerated.
The growth suppressor p27Kip1 protects against diet‐induced atherosclerosis

The molecular basis of atherosclerosis is associated with excessive proliferation of vascular cells. Previous studies have suggested an inverse correlation between the expression of the growth suppressor p27Kip1 (p27) and cellular proliferation within human atherosclerotic tissue. However, no causal link between diminished p27 expression and atherogenesis has been established. We investigated the effect of p27 inactivation on diet‐induced atherogenesis. We find that p27‐deficient mice challenged with a high‐fat diet for 1 month remain normocholesterolemic and have essentially no visible atheromas. However, when generated in an apolipoprotein E‐null genetic background that leads to severe hypercholesterolemia in response to the atherogenic diet, deletion of p27 enhances arterial cell proliferation (~ fourfold) and accelerates atherogenesis (~sixfold) compared with apolipoprotein E‐defi‐cient mice with an intact p27 gene. Analysis of apoli‐poprotein E‐null mice bearing only one p27 allele inactivated reveals that a moderate decrease in p27 protein expression in the setting of hypercholesterolemia is sufficient to predispose to atherogenesis. Thus, our study establishes a molecular link between decreased p27 protein expression and atherogenesis in hypercholester‐olemic animals.
Properdin Binds to Late Apoptotic and Necrotic Cells Independently of C3b and Regulates Alternative Pathway Complement Activation12

Cells that undergo apoptosis or necrosis are promptly removed by phagocytes. Soluble opsonins such as complement can opsonize dying cells, thereby promoting their removal by phagocytes and modulating the immune response. The pivotal role of the complement system in the handling of dying cells has been demonstrated for the classical pathway (via C1q) and lectin pathway (via mannose-binding lectin and ficolin). Herein we report that the only known naturally occurring positive regulator of complement, properdin, binds predominantly to late apoptotic and necrotic cells, but not to early apoptotic cells. This binding occurs independently of C3b, which is additional to the standard model wherein properdin binds to preexisting clusters of C3b on targets and stabilizes the convertase C3bBb. By binding to late apoptotic or necrotic cells, properdin serves as a focal point for local amplification of alternative pathway complement activation. Furthermore, properdin exhibits a strong interaction with DNA that is exposed on the late stage of dying cells. Our data indicate that direct recognition of dying cells by properdin is essential to drive alternative pathway complement activation.
Modelling of crowded polymers elucidate effects of double-strand breaks in topological domains of bacterial chromosomes

Using numerical simulations of pairs of long polymeric chains confined in microscopic cylinders, we investigate consequences of double-strand DNA breaks occurring in independent topological domains, such as these constituting bacterial chromosomes. Our simulations show a transition between segregated and mixed state upon linearization of one of the modelled topological domains. Our results explain how chromosomal organization into topological domains can fulfil two opposite conditions: (i) effectively repulse various loops from each other thus promoting chromosome separation and (ii) permit local DNA intermingling when one or more loops are broken and need to be repaired in a process that requires homology search between broken ends and their homologous sequences in closely positioned sister chromatid.
Epileptogenic effect of hypoxia in the immature rodent brain

The response to cerebral hypoxia/ischemia may be different in the neonate compared to other age groups. An in vivo model was developed in the rat to determine whether there are age‐dependent differences in the effects of hypoxia on electroencephalographic (EEG) activity. EEG recordings were obtained from Long Evans hooded rats deprived of oxygen at five ages: postnatal days 5 to 7, 10 to 12, 15 to 17, 25 to 27, and 50 to 60. Oxygen concentration was varied from 0,2,3, and 4% between animals. EEGs were recorded in all animals before, during, and at 1 hour after exposure to the hypoxic condition and at 1 to 7 days afterward in a subset of animals. All animals were deprived of oxygen until the onset of apnea and bradycardia to 20 to 40percnt; of baseline heart rate values. Hypoxia resulted in isoelectric EEG significantly more frequently in the animals deprived of oxygen at postnatal days 25 to 27 and 50 to 60 than in the younger age groups. A highly significant effect was that the animals deprived at postnatal days 5 to 17 revealed a high incidence of epileptiform EEG activity during hypoxia. In contrast, the older animals exhibited only rare isolated EEG spikes before reaching an isoelectric EEG. The severity of hypoxia‐induced epileptiform EEG changes was highest in the animals subjected to moderately hyoxic conditions (3% and 4percnt; oxygen) at postnatal days 10 to 12. Furthermore, epileptiform changes persisted for hours to days following prolonged episodes of hypoxia in the younger animals. This study demonstrates a unique response of the immature brain to exhibit epileptiform activity during hypoxia.
A Multiordering Newsvendor Model with Dynamic Forecast Evolution

We consider a newsvendor who dynamically updates her forecast of the market demand over a finite planning horizon. The forecast evolves according to the martingale model of forecast evolution (MMFE). The newsvendor can place multiple orders with increasing ordering cost over time to satisfy demand that realizes at the end of the planning horizon. In this context, we explore the trade-off between improving demand forecast and increasing ordering cost. We show that the optimal ordering policy is a state-dependent base-stock policy and analytically characterize that the base-stock level depends on the information state in a linear (log-linear) fashion for additive (multiplicative) MMFE. We also study a benchmark model where the newsvendor is restricted to order only once. By comparing the multiordering and single-ordering models, we quantify the impact of the multiordering strategy on the newsvendor's expected profit and risk exposure.