Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Implications of Phase Variation of a Gene (pgtA) Encoding a Pilin Galactosyl Transferase in Gonococcal Pathogenesis

The pilin glycoprotein (PilE) is the main building block of the pilus of Neisseria gonorrhoeae (gonococcus [GC]). GC pilin is known to carry a disaccharide O-glycan, which has an αGal attached to the O-linked GlcNAc by a 1–3 glycosidic bond. In this report, we describe the cloning and characterization of the GC gene, pilus glycosyl transferase A (pgtA), which encodes the galactosyl transferase that catalyzes the synthesis of this Gal–GlcNAc bond of pilin glycan. A homopolymeric tract of Gs (poly-G) is present in the pgtA gene of many GC strains, and this pgtA with poly-G can undergo phase variation (Pv). However, in many other GC, pgtA lacks the poly-G and is expressed constitutively without Pv. Furthermore, by screening a large number of clinical isolates, a significant correlation was observed between the presence of poly-G in pgtA and the dissemination of GC infection. Poly-G was found in pgtA in all (24 out of 24) of the isolates from patients with disseminated gonococcal infection (DGI). In contrast, for the vast majority (20 out of 28) of GC isolated from uncomplicated gonorrhea (UG) patients, pgtA lacked the poly-G. These results indicate that Pv of pgtA is likely to be involved in the conversion of UG to DGI.
Antigen-independent changes in naive CD4 T cells with aging

In the elderly, a dramatic shift within the CD4+ T cell population occurs, with an increased proportion having a memory phenotype with markedly decreased responsiveness. To determine what aspects of the aged phenotype are dependent upon repeated contact with antigen in the environment, we examined CD4+ cells isolated from TCR Tg mice. There is good evidence that no cross-reacting antigens for the Tg TCR recognizing pigeon cytochrome c are found in the environment of the animal, so that alterations in the Tg CD4+ cells with aging are likely to be due to antigen-independent processes. We found that in aged animals, TCR transgene(pos) CD4+ cells, although decreased in number and antigen responsiveness, maintain a naive phenotype rather than acquiring a prototypical aged memory phenotype. In contrast, the population of transgene(1o-neg) CD4+ cells increase in proportion and express the aged phenotype. Consistent with their naive status, transgene(pos) cells of aged individuals remain CD44lo CD45RBhi, secrete IL-2 and not IL-4 or IFN-gamma upon antigenic stimulation, and require co-stimulation to proliferate to anti-CD3 stimulation. These findings suggest that the aging-associated shift to CD4 cells expressing the memory phenotype is dependent on antigenic stimulation. However, the decrease in antigen responsiveness of naive transgenepos cells, as revealed by a lower secretion of IL-2 and IL-3 and a lower proliferative capacity, suggests that additional intrinsic changes occur with aging that do not depend on encounter with antigen.
Morphological Butcher–Oemler Effect in the SDSS “Cut and Enhance” Galaxy Cluster Catalog

We investigate the evolution of the fractions of late type cluster galaxies as a function of redshift, using one of the largest, most uniform cluster samples available. The sample consists of 514 clusters of galaxies in the range 0.02<z<0.3 from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Cut & Enhance galaxy cluster catalog. This catalog was created using a single automated cluster finding algorithm on uniform data from a single telescope, with accurate CCD photometry, thus, minimizing selection biases. We use four independent methods to analyze the evolution of the late type galaxy fraction. Specifically, we select late type galaxies based on: restframe g-r color, u-r color, galaxy profile fitting and concentration index. The first criterion corresponds to the one used in the classical Butcher-Oemler analyses. The last three criteria are more sensitive to the morphological type of the galaxies. In all four cases, we find an increase in the fraction of late type galaxies with increasing redshift, significant at the 99.9% level. The results confirm that cluster galaxies do change colors with redshift (the Butcher-Oemler effect) and, in addition, they change their morphology to later-type toward higher redshift -- indicating a morphological equivalent of the Butcher-Oemler effect. We also find a tendency of richer clusters to have lower fractions of late type galaxies. The trend is consistent with a ram pressure stripping model, where richer clusters have more effective ram pressure due to their higher temperature.
Brain Size: A Global or Induced Cost of Learning?

The role of brain size as a cost of learning remains enigmatic; the nature and timing of such costs is particularly uncertain. On one hand, comparative studies suggest that congenitally large brains promote better learning and memory. In that case, brain size exacts a global cost that accrues even if learning does not take place; on the other hand, some developmental studies suggest that brains grow with experience, indicating a cost that is induced when learning occurs. The issue of how costs are incurred is an important one, because global costs are expected to constrain the evolution of learning more than would induced costs. We tested whether brain size represented a global and/or an induced cost of learning in the cabbage white butterfly, Pieris rapae. We assayed the ability of full sibling families to learn to locate either green hosts, for which butterflies have an innate search bias, or red hosts, which are more difficult to learn to locate. Naïve butterflies were sacrificed at emergence and congenital brain volume estimated as a measure of global costs; experienced butterflies were sacrificed after learning and change in brain volume estimated as a measure of induced costs. Only for the mushroom body, a brain region involved in learning and memory in other insects, was volume at emergence related to learning or host-finding. Butterfly families that emerged with relatively larger mushroom bodies showed a greater tendency to improve their ability to find red hosts across the two days of host-search. The volume of most brain regions increased with time in a manner suggesting host experience itself was important: first, total number of landings during host-search was positively related to mushroom body calyx volume, and, second, experience with the red host was positively related to mushroom body lobe volume. At the family level, the relative volume of the mushroom body calyx and antennal lobes following learning was positively related to overall success in finding red hosts. Overall, our results suggest that within species, brain size might act as a small global cost of learning, but that environment-specific changes in brain size might reduce the overall costs of neural tissue in the evolution of learning.
Preparation and Characterization of Metoprolol Controlled-Release Solid Dispersions

In recent years, great attention has been paid to using solid dispersions to make sustained-release drugs. The objective of this study is to produce sustained-release systems of metoprolol tartrate using solid dispersion techniques and to evaluate their physicochemical characteristics. The solid dispersions were produced by melting and solvent methods, containing 7%, 15%, or 25% of the drug and different ratios of Eudragit RLPO and RSPO in ratios of 0:10, 3:7, 5:5, 7:3, and 10:0. Drug release profiles were determined by USP XXIII rotating paddle method in phosphate buffer solution (pH 6.8). XRD, DSC, IR, and microscopic observations were performed to evaluate the physical characteristics of solid dispersions. Results showed that the drug release from dispersions was at a slower rate than pure drug and physical mixtures. Moreover, the formulations containing greater ratios of Eudragit RSPO showed slower release rates and smaller DE8% but larger mean dissolution time than those containing greater ratios of Eudragit RLPO. Dispersions with particle size of less than 100 μm containing 7% of metoprolol and Eudragit RL:RS 5:5 (solvent method) and those with the ratio of 3:7 (melting method) had similar release pattern to Lopressor® sustained-release tablets by zero-order and Higuchi kinetics, respectively.
Drug Related Problems Research Phenomena in Pharmacy Journals in Indonesia: from Patient Criteria to DRPs Analysis

The influence of Drug Related Problems on patient therapy is an issue that greatly affects the quality of life in the 21st century. This study analyzes a number of articles that have been published in pharmaceutical journals in Indonesia from 2010 to 2023, with Drug Related Problems as the main focus of the study. This study shows that in the last five years, the number of publications focusing on Drug Related Problems has decreased. Among these publications, the most common researcher is the Retrospective Observational Analysis Study. In addition, consecutive hospitalized patients were the object of the study, the DRPs classifications used were Cipolle, PCNE V 5, PCNE V 6.2, PCNE V 9.0, Pharmacology Handbooks, and many DRPs classifications were found to be 'not mentioned' in the literature used in the study. The DRPs research that was conducted was mostly conducted in Java Island while research in several other islands was very little found in Pharmaceutical Journals in Indonesia indexed by Sinta. In connection with the findings of this study, several recommendations have been proposed for future research that supports the analysis of Drug Related Problems on patient therapy as the main focus that can be seen from the results and discussion and conclusions.
Generating Realistic Stimuli for Accurate Power Grid Analysis

Power distribution systems in integrated circuits are used to provide the voltages and currents the devices need to operate properly. As the semiconductor industry moves into deep nanometer nodes, problems like voltage drop, ground bounce and electromigration which may cause chip failures, are worsening, as more devices, operating at higher frequencies are placed closer together. Verification of a power distribution system is therefore paramount to silicon success. This type of verification is usually done by simulation, targeting a worst-case scenario, typically characterized by the almost simultaneous switching of several devices in the circuit. The definition of the worst-case situation is therefore crucial, since it influences the result of the simulation and ultimately the design target. Supposedly safe but unrealistic settings such as assuming that all signals switch simultaneously, could lead to costly over-designs in terms of die area. In this paper we describe a software tool that generates a reasonable, realistic, worst-case set of stimuli for simulation, based on timing and spatial restrictions that arise from the circuit's netlist and placement. Generating such stimuli is akin to performing a standard static timing analysis, as is done before signoff so the tool fits well within conventional design frameworks. The resulting stimuli indicates that only a fraction of the gates change in any given timing window, leading to a more robust verification methodology, specially in the dynamic case.
Effect of Neomycin, Para-Aminosalicylic-Acid and Other Antibacterial Drugs on Serum Cholesterol Level of Man

Summary 1) Neomycin was given orally to 18 patients at daily dose of 1.5 to 2 g for 4 to 20 weeks. Mean serum cholesterol levels were decreased significantly in each patient by 17 to 29%, and were maintained low for duration of administration of neomycin. Average fall for the group was 21%. Intramuscular administration of neomycin to 5 patients for 3 weeks failed to alter serum cholesterol levels. 2) Oral administration of 12 g of para-aminosalicylic-acid to 2 patients lowered serum cholesterol concentrations significantly in each, while the daily dose of 6 g had no effect on serum cholesterol levels. 3) When phthalylsulfathiazole, isoniazid, dihydrostreptomycin, oxytetracycline, polymyxin B sulfate, bacitracin and novobiocin were given orally, no appreciable changes in serum cholesterol concentration resulted.
Shouting to Be Heard in Advertising

Advertising competes for scarce consumer attention, so more profitable advertisers send more messages to break through the others’ clutter. Multiple equilibria can arise: more messages in aggregate induce more "shouting to be heard", dissipating profit. Equilibria can involve a small range of loud shouters or large range of quiet whisperers. All advertisers prefer there to be less shouting. There is the largest diversity in message levels for a middling width of advertiser types: both a very wide or very narrow width have only one message per advertiser. The number of advertisers at each message level decreases with the level if the profit distribution is log-convex. Increasing the cost of sending messages can make all advertisers better off. A new technique is given for describing multiple equilibria, by determining how much examination is consistent with a given marginal advertiser. J C : D11, D60, L13. K : information overload, congestion, advertising, lottery, junk mail, e-mail, telemarketing, multiple equilibria, ad caps. Simon P. Anderson: Department of Economics, University of Virginia, PO Box 400182, Charlottesville VA 22904-4128, USA, sa9w@virginia.edu. André de Palma: ENS-Cachan (Economics and Management Department), Centre d’Economie de la Sorbonne, FRANCE. andre.depalma@ens-cachan.fr. The first author gratefully acknowledges research funding from the NSF under grant SES-0452864 and from the Bankard Fund at the University of Virginia. We thank various seminar participants and conference participants at SWIO 2006 (Auckland, NZ), CRETE (Rethmynon, 2006), IIOC 2007 (Savannah, GA), CEPR 2007 (Taragonna), the Workshop on the Psychology and Economics of Attention (Toulouse, 2011), and the Paris School of Economics (2012), as well as Jim Dana, Martin Peitz, and Sanjay Raneev (Cambridge), two referees and an Associate Editor for perceptive comments, and Charlie Murry for research assistance. Well, it’s a non-stop blitz of advertising messages. Everywhere we turn we’re saturated with advertising messages trying to get our attention. We’ve gone from being exposed to about 500 ads a day back in the 1970’s to as many as 5,000 a day today. We have to screen it out because we simply can’t absorb that much information. We can’t process that much data and so no surprise, consumers are reacting negatively to the kind of marketing blitz; the kind of super saturation of advertising that they’re exposed to on a daily basis. All of this marketing saturation that’s going on is creating this kind of arms race between marketers where they have to up the ante the next time out because their competitors have upped the ante the last time they were out. And the only way you can win is to have more saturation.
Atorvastatin Inhibits Hypercholesterolemia-Induced Cellular Proliferation and Bone Matrix Production in the Rabbit Aortic Valve

Background—Despite the common occurrence of aortic stenosis, the cellular causes of the disorder are unknown, in part because of the absence of experimental models. We hypothesized that atherosclerosis and early bone matrix expression in the aortic valve occurs secondary to experimental hypercholesterolemia and that treatment with atorvastatin modifies this transformation. Methods and Results—To test this hypothesis, we developed an experimental hypercholesterolemic rabbit model. New Zealand White rabbits (n=48) were studied: group 1 (n=16), normal diet; group 2 (n=16), 1% (wt/wt) cholesterol diet; and group 3 (n=16), 1% (wt/wt) cholesterol diet plus atorvastatin (3 mg/kg per day). The aortic valves were examined with hematoxylin and eosin stain, Masson trichrome, macrophage (RAM 11), proliferation cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), and osteopontin immunostains. Cholesterol and highly sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP) serum levels were obtained by standard assays. Computerized morphometry and digital image analysis were performed for quantifying PCNA (% area). Electron microscopy and immunogold labeling were performed for osteopontin. Semiquantitative RT-PCR was performed for the osteoblast bone markers [alkaline phosphatase, osteopontin, and osteoblast lineage-specific transcription factor (Cbfa-1)]. There was an increase in cholesterol, hsCRP, PCNA, RAM 11, and osteopontin and osteoblast gene markers (alkaline phosphatase, osteopontin, and Cbfa-1) in the cholesterol-fed rabbits compared with control rabbits. All markers except hsCRP were reduced by atorvastatin. Conclusions—These findings of increased macrophages, PCNA levels, and bone matrix proteins in the aortic valve during experimental hypercholesterolemia provide evidence of a proliferative atherosclerosis–like process in the aortic valve associated with the transformation to an osteoblast-like phenotype that is inhibited by atorvastatin.
Recent advances in pathophysiology and treatment of spinal cord injury.

Thirty years ago, patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) and their families were told "nothing can be done" to improve function. Since the SCI patient population is reaching normal life expectancy through better health care, it has become an obviously worthwhile enterprise to devote considerable research effort to SCI. Targets for intervention in SCI toward improved function have been identified using basic research approaches and can be simplified into a list: (1) reduction of edema and free-radical production, (2) rescue of neural tissue at risk of dying in secondary processes such as abnormally high extracellular glutamate concentrations, (3) control of inflammation, (4) rescue of neuronal/glial populations at risk of continued apoptosis, (5) repair of demyelination and conduction deficits, (6) promotion of neurite growth through improved extracellular environment, (7) cell replacement therapies, (8) efforts to bridge the gap with transplantation approaches, (9) efforts to retrain and relearn motor tasks, (10) restoration of lost function by electrical stimulation, and (11) relief of chronic pain syndromes. Currently, over 70 clinical trials are in progress worldwide. Consequently, in this millennium, unlike in the last, no SCI patient will have to hear "nothing can be done. "
Are Model Transferability And Complexity Antithetical? Insights From Validation of a Variable‐Complexity Empirical Snow Model in Space and Time

The related challenges of predictions in ungauged basins and predictions in ungauged climates point to the need to develop environmental models that are transferable across both space and time. Hydrologic modeling has historically focused on modelling one or only a few basins using highly parameterized conceptual or physically based models. However, model parameters and structures have been shown to change significantly when calibrated to new basins or time periods, suggesting that model complexity and model transferability may be antithetical. Empirical space‐for‐time models provide a framework within which to assess model transferability and any tradeoff with model complexity. Using 497 SNOTEL sites in the western U.S., we develop space‐for‐time models of April 1 SWE and Snow Residence Time based on mean winter temperature and cumulative winter precipitation. The transferability of the models to new conditions (in both space and time) is assessed using non‐random cross‐validation tests with consideration of the influence of model complexity on transferability. As others have noted, the algorithmic empirical models transfer best when minimal extrapolation in input variables is required. Temporal split‐sample validations use pseudoreplicated samples, resulting in the selection of overly complex models, which has implications for the design of hydrologic model validation tests. Finally, we show that low to moderate complexity models transfer most successfully to new conditions in space and time, providing empirical confirmation of the parsimony principal.
Pseudoxanthoma elasticum: a clinical, pathophysiological and genetic update including 11 novel ABCC6 mutations

Pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE) is an inherited systemic disease of connective tissue primarily affecting the skin, retina, and cardiovascular system. It is characterised pathologically by elastic fibre mineralisation and fragmentation (so called “elastorrhexia”), and clinically by high heterogeneity in age of onset and the extent and severity of organ system involvement. PXE was recently associated with mutations in the ABCC6 (ATP binding cassette subtype C number 6) gene. At least one ABCC6 mutation is found in about 80% of patients. These mutations are identifiable in most of the 31 ABCC6 exons and consist of missense, nonsense, frameshift mutations, or large deletions. No correlation between the nature or location of the mutations and phenotype severity has yet been established. Recent findings support exclusive recessive inheritance. The proposed prevalence of PXE is 1/25 000, but this is probably an underestimate. ABCC6 encodes the protein ABCC6 (also known as MRP6), a member of the large ATP dependent transmembrane transporter family that is expressed predominantly in the liver and kidneys, and only to a lesser extent in tissues affected by PXE. The physiological substrates of ABCC6 remain to be determined, but the current hypothesis is that PXE should be considered to be a metabolic disease with undetermined circulating molecules interacting with the synthesis, turnover, or maintenance of elastic fibres.
An Improved One-Trial Passive Avoidance Learning Situation

A one-trial passive avoidance sirnation for mice has been developed which eliminates some of the difficulties of previous procedures. The mouse is confined in a small, brightly lit chamber and is allowed to step into a large, dark chamber where he might be punished if the experimenter desires. Parallel plates instead of gcids are used. One-trial learning is quite efficient in this apparatus.
Formalizing XACML Using Defeasible Description Logics

XACML has emerged as a popular access control language on the Web, but because of its rich expressiveness, it has proved difficult to analyze in an automated fashion. Previous attempts to analyze XACML policies either use propositional logic or full First-Order logic. In this paper, we present a formalization of XACML using Description Logics (DL) . This formalization allows us to extend the subset of XACML supported by propositional logic-based analysis tools, and in addition we provide a new analysis service (policy redundancy). In addition, mapping XACML to description logics allows us to use off-the-shelf DL reasoners for XACML analysis tasks such as policy comparison, policy verification and querying. We provide empirical evaluation of a policy analysis tool that was implemented on top of open source reasoner Pellet.
Citrus Fruit Identification and Size Determination Using Machine Vision and Ultrasonic Sensors

Machine vision and image processing have been increasingly used for agricultural applications especially for detection of crop status and quality, and crop harvesting. Estimating the size of the fruit allows growers to get a good idea of the quality of yield. A system using a camera and an ultrasonic sensor is proposed that will enable one to estimate the average size of citrus fruits. Images of the fruit laden trees were obtained using a color camera, and the distance between the fruits and the camera were obtained using ultrasonic sensors. Actual size of a sample fruit in each image was measured manually on the tree. Three different classification techniques, Bayesian, neural network and Fischer’s linear discriminant were implemented to differentiate fruit from the background in the images, using hue and saturation as the separation features. The classified images were then processed to remove noise, to fill the blobs, and to separate the blobs using watershed transformation. These segmented images were then analyzed to find the diameter of the fruit in the images. Using basic trigonometry, the camera’s field of view and the distance information from the ultrasonic sensors, actual size of fruit in an image was estimated. Results from the three classifiers were compared in terms of accuracy with the actual measured fruit size.