Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Roles of Conserved Proline and Glycosyltransferase Motifs of EmbC in Biosynthesis of Lipoarabinomannan*

d-Arabinans, composed of d-arabinofuranose (d-Araf), dominate the structure of mycobacterial cell walls in two settings, as part of lipoarabinomannan (LAM) and arabinogalactan, each with markedly different structures and functions. Little is known of the complexity of their biosynthesis. β-d-Arabinofuranosyl-1-monophosphoryldecaprenol is the only known sugar donor. EmbA, EmbB, and EmbC, products of the paralogous genes embA, embB, and embC, the sites of resistance to the anti-tuberculosis drug ethambutol (EMB), are the only known implicated enzymes. EmbA and -B apparently contribute to the synthesis of arabinogalactan, whereas EmbC is reserved for the synthesis of LAM. The Emb proteins show no overall similarity to any known proteins beyond Mycobacterium and related genera. However, functional motifs, equivalent to a proline-rich motif of several bacterial polysaccharide co-polymerases and a superfamily of glycosyltransferases, were found. Site-directed mutagenesis in glycosyltransferase superfamily C resulted in complete ablation of LAM synthesis. Point mutations in three amino acids of the proline motif of EmbC resulted in marked reduction of LAM-arabinan synthesis and accumulation of an unknown intermediate and of the known precursor lipomannan. Yet the pattern of the differently linked d-Araf units observed in wild type LAM-arabinan was largely retained in the proline motif mutants. The results allow for the presentation of a unique model of arabinan synthesis.
Dietary Probiotics Affect Gastrointestinal Microbiota, Histological Structure and Shell Mineralization in Turtles

Probiotics are widely used in nutrition, and their mode of action is intensively studied in mammals and birds; however, it is almost unknown in reptiles. In the present study, Trachemys scripta scripta and Sternotherus odoratus were used to assess the effects of dietary probiotics on chelonian gastrointestinal tract microecology. In the first, 20-week experiment, 40 young T. s. scripta were randomly distributed to four experimental groups: 1st, (CON)–with no additives; 2nd, (SSPA) with Bacillus subtilis PB6; 3rd, (MSP)–with multiple strain probiotic; and 4th, (SSPB) with Bacillus subtilis C-3102. The first study has shown that SSPA and MSP decreased the numbers of total bacteria, Enterobacteriace, Staphylococcus sp. and Streptococcus sp. excreted to water and increased the villous height and mucosa thickness in duodenum. SSPB improved the duodenal microstructure; however, it also increased numbers of kanamycin and vancomycin resistant bacteria, Staphylococcus sp. and Streptococcus sp. , in water. In the second, 52-week experiment, 30 S. odoratus were randomly assigned to three dietary treatments. CON, SSPA and MSP groups. The MSP preparation increased the body weight gain, crude ash, Ca and P share in the turtles’ shells. Both probiotics affected duodenal histomorphology. SSPA decreased the villous height, while MSP increased the villous height and mucosa thickness, and decreased the crypt depth. SSPA decreased the concentrations of bacteria excreted to water. In the case of intestinal microbiota, bacteria suppressing effects were observed in the case of both probiotics. MSP increased the number of Bifidobacterium sp. and Lactobacillus sp. /Enteroccoccus sp. , and decreased the number of Clostridium perfringens and Campylobacter sp. in the small intestine. In the large intestine it lowered, amongst others, Bacteroides–Pervotella cluster, Clostridium leptum subgroup and Clostridium perfringens numbers. The above-mentioned results suggest that probiotics are useful in turtle nutrition due to their positive effects on growth performance, shell mineralization, duodenal histomorphology and microbiota.
Macroporous ZnO Nanofilms and its Electrochemical Hydrogen Storage Ability

Macroporous ZnO nanofilms were synthesized by a simple hydrothermal reaction. The products exhibit noticable hydrogen storage capacity and big BET surface area. The present work shows that the nanostructures of products are important to their electrochemical hydrogen storage performances. On the other hand, the low cost, convenient process, good reproducibility, high yield, and clean reactions of the present synthetic method make it possible to scale it up to industrial production.
Nanosecond 1064nm damage thresholds for bare and anti-reflection coated silica surfaces

We employed the same measurement techniques that have proven successful for bulk damage thresholds measurements to measure damage thresholds of bare silica surfaces polished using various methods and to measure damage thresholds for antireflection coated silica, again for various surface polishes. Light in a single transverse and longitudinal mode, from a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser is focused to an 8 µm spot on the front and rear surfaces of silica windows polished using ceria, alumina, or alumina/silica to find the damage threshold. We repeated the exercise for the same surfaces anti reflection coated with silica/hafnia film stacks. We used surface third harmonic generation to precisely place the focus on the surfaces. Key findings include: 1. The surface damage threshold can be made equal to the bulk damage threshold. There is a large difference in single-pulse damage thresholds of bare silica surfaces polished using ceria, alumina, and alumina followed by silica. The ceria polished samples have a statistical damage threshold ranging from 50 to 450 GW/cm2. The alumina polished surfaces damage at 200-500 GW/cm2, with half the spots damaging at the bulk threshold of 500 GW/cm2. The windows polished by alumina followed by silica damage almost universally at the bulk damage threshold of 500 GW/cm2. 2. There are strong conditioning effects for these surfaces. The ceria polished surfaces have reduced thresholds for multiple pulses. The alumina polished surfaces attain the bulk damage threshold at most locations using multiple pulse annealing. 3. The underlying polishes strongly affect the damage thresholds for the AR coatings. The alumina plus silica polished samples have the highest thresholds, with statistical variations from 150-380 GW/cm2. The alumina polished samples damage at only 50 GW/cm2, but with annealing the threshold rises to 200 GW/cm2, while the ceria polished samples damage at 50-200 GW/cm2 with no strong multiple shot effect. 4. We found there was no beam size variation of the damage threshold irradiance for the bare alumina/silica polished samples. 5. We showed that air breakdown does not limit the surface irradiance, silica breakdown does. 6. We recorded damage morphologies for the different surfaces.
A population‐based study of prognosis of ruptured cerebral aneurysm

Objective To determine the risk of recurrent subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), mortality, and relative survivorship following SAH caused by ruptured cerebral aneurysm (RCA). Design / Methods The 86 individuals with a first diagnosis of SAH caused by RCA in Iceland from 1958 through 1968 were followed a minimum of 24 years (range, 24 to 32.5 years) or until death to determine mortality and to identify those with recurrent SAH. Results Thirty-eight patients (44%) died within 30 days of the index event. Two additional (both comatose from onset of ictus) died in the following month. There were no deaths between 3 and 6 months after onset. Based upon the age/gender-specific person years of observation for the population of Iceland, the Standardized Mortality Ratio for the 44 surgically treated patients surviving 6 months was 1.3. Those neurologically normal or with only mild impairment at 6 months had no identified increase in mortality. Excess mortality that was limited to individuals with severe neurologic deficit at 6 months could be identified through the first 10 years after onset. Two 6-month survivors experienced recurrent SAH. Conclusions Early mortality is high (47%) in patients with RCA. In patients operated on for RCA and surviving 6 months, recurrent SAH occurred in 5%. Survivorship among patients surgically treated and neurologically normal or with mild residual neurologic impairment at 6 months following presentation was similar to that expected in the general population. Survivorship among patients surgically treated who had severe residual neurologic impairment at 6 months was significantly reduced.
An Eecient Iterative Pose Estimation Algorithm

We propose a novel model-based algorithm which nds the 3D pose of an object from an image by breaking down the estimation process into two linear processing stages, namely the depth recovery and the pose calculation. The depth recovery stage determines the new positions of the model point set in 3D space whereas the pose calculation step is a least-square estimation of the transformation parameters between the point set formed from the previous stage and the model set. The estimates are iteratively re ned until converged. The advantage of using our algorithm is that the computational cost is much reduced. We test our algorithm by applying it to both synthetic as well as real time head tracking problem with satisfactory results. index : Pose Estimation, Real time vision, Human-computer Interface.
Pulmonary interstitial emphysema.

Pulmonary interstitial emphysema occurs more often than is generally realised. It can be found after severe contusion of the chest cage in the absence of rib fractures and it is frequently associated with pulmonary haemorrhage. Radiological evidence of pulmonary interstitial emphysema may be given not only indirectly by the presence of mediastinal emphysema or of a pneumothorax, but also directly by radiological signs in the lung. This is now confirmed by autopsy in our Case 2. The radiological signs in the lung may be observed either within an opacity caused by pulmonary haemorrhage or outside it. They are easier to perceive when the air is enclosed in sizeable spaces. The following appearances have been observed: (a) translucencies surrounded by a very thin wall, similar to emphysematous bullae; (b) translucencies surrounded by a slightly thicker marginal zone, suggestive of “air-filled pseudo-cysts” (c) translucencies with a characteristic sinuous outline as if formed by a number of smaller vesicles. S.
Host Responses to Group A Streptococcus: Cell Death and Inflammation

Infections caused by group A Streptococcus (GAS) are characterized by robust inflammatory responses and can rapidly lead to life-threatening disease manifestations. However, host mechanisms that respond to GAS, which may influence disease pathology, are understudied. Recent works indicate that GAS infection is recognized by multiple extracellular and intracellular receptors and activates cell signalling via discrete pathways. Host leukocyte receptor binding to GAS-derived products mediates release of inflammatory mediators associated with severe GAS disease. GAS induces divergent phagocyte programmed cell death responses and has inflammatory implications. Epithelial cell apoptotic and autophagic components are mobilized by GAS infection, but can be subverted to ensure bacterial survival. Examination of host interactions with GAS and consequences of GAS infection in the context of cellular receptors responsible for GAS recognition, inflammatory mediator responses, and cell death mechanisms, highlights potential avenues for diagnostic and therapeutic intervention. Understanding the molecular and cellular basis of host symptoms during severe GAS disease will assist the development of improved treatment regimens for this formidable pathogen.
Amino-Terminal Sequences of Some Escherichia coli 30S Ribosomal Proteins and Functionally Corresponding Bacillus stearothermophilus Ribosomal Proteins

Amino-terminal sequences of five purified Escherichia coli 30S ribosomal proteins (S4, S9, S10, S16, and S20) were compared with those of their functionally corresponding Bacillus stearothermophilus ribosomal proteins identified previously by the reconstitution technique. An automatic Edman degradation method was used for sequence determinations. The sequence of the first 30 residues is presented, except that only the first 25 residues are shown for the S20 pair. Substantial (40 to 70%) sequence homologies have been observed in every case. The results show that the pairs of functionally equivalent proteins, previously identified by the reconstitution technique, are also chemically related. Thus, the present chemical studies give further support for the previous conclusion that two ribosomes with different properties, 30S subunits from E. coli and B. stearothermophilus, have the same fundamental structural organization.
The inherent tensile strength of iron

The cohesive energy of Fe as a function of structure, strain and magnetic state has been computed using the full potential linearized augmented-plane-wave method within the framework of density functional theory and the generalized gradient approximation. Calculations corresponding to uniaxial stress in the <100> direction reveal that the ideal tensile strength of bcc Fe is about 14.2GPa and is determined by instability with respect to transformation into an unstable ferromagnetic fcc structure. The low-energy fcc phase is a modulatedantiferromagnetic fcc structure that is connected to the bcc phase via a first-order magnetic transformation and does not compromise its ideal strength.
Manipulation of Arthropod Sex Determination by Endosymbionts: Diversity and Molecular Mechanisms

Arthropods exhibit a large variety of sex determination systems both at the chromosomal and molecular level. Male heterogamety, female heterogamety, and haplodiploidy occur frequently, but partially different genes are involved. Endosymbionts, such as Wolbachia, Cardinium,Rickettsia, and Spiroplasma, can manipulate host reproduction and sex determination. Four major reproductive manipulation types are distinguished: cytoplasmic incompatibility, thelytokous parthenogenesis, male killing, and feminization. In this review, the effects of these manipulation types and how they interfere with arthropod sex determination in terms of host developmental timing, alteration of sex determination, and modification of sexual differentiation pathways are summarized. Transitions between different manipulation types occur frequently which suggests that they are based on similar molecular processes. It is also discussed how mechanisms of reproductive manipulation and host sex determination can be informative on each other, with a special focus on haplodiploidy. Future directions on how the study of endosymbiotic manipulation of host reproduction can be key to further studies of arthropod sex determination are shown.
A memory-based approach for a TCP-friendly traffic conditioner in DiffServ networks

Markers, one of the building blocks of a traffic conditioner, play a major role for resource allocation in a DiffServ network. Recently, there has been a considerable research interest in designing intelligent markers, tailored for TCP traffic. The TCP dynamics make the design of a marker difficult in many respects. We list the issues related to designing a TCP-friendly marker and propose an intelligent marker, namely, memory-based marker (MBM) to address those issues. We illustrate the benefits of the proposed marker over some existing markers in a DiffServ network. The marker was implemented in NS simulator and extensive simulations were done to study the behaviour of MBM. Our results show significant improvement in TCP performance, especially in achieving fairness among priority flows with distinct round trip times, windows, and target rates. The marker is capable of protecting TCP flows in cases of congestion caused by unruly UDP flows. We also investigate the impact of coexisting assured service UDP flows on the assurance to the TCP flows. The major benefits of MBM are its simplicity, least sensitivity to parameters and transparency to the end hosts.
Distributed Effects of Biological Sex Define Sex-Typical Motor Behavior in Caenorhabditis elegans

Sex differences in shared behaviors (for example, locomotion and feeding) are a nearly universal feature of animal biology. Though these behaviors may share underlying neural programs, their kinematics can exhibit robust differences between males and females. The neural underpinnings of these differences are poorly understood because of the often-untested assumption that they are determined by sex-specific body morphology. Here, we address this issue in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, which features two sexes with distinct body morphologies but similar locomotor circuitry and body muscle. Quantitative behavioral analysis shows that C. elegans and related nematodes exhibit significant sex differences in the dynamics and geometry of locomotor body waves, such that the male is generally faster. Using a recently proposed model of locomotor wave propagation, we show that sex differences in both body mechanics and the intrinsic dynamics of the motor system can contribute to kinematic differences in distinct mechanical contexts. By genetically sex-reversing the properties of specific tissues and cells, however, we find that sex-specific locomotor frequency in C. elegans is determined primarily by the functional modification of shared sensory neurons. Further, we find that sexual modification of body wall muscle together with the nervous system is required to alter body wave speed. Thus, rather than relying on a single focus of modification, sex differences in motor dynamics require independent modifications to multiple tissue types. Our results suggest shared motor behaviors may be sex-specifically optimized though distributed modifications to several aspects of morphology and physiology.
Interspecific variation in hypoxia tolerance, swimming performance and plasticity in cyprinids that prefer different habitats

This study quantified and compared hypoxia tolerance and swim performance among cyprinid fish species from rapid-, slow- and intermediate-flow habitats (four species per habitat) in China. In addition, we explored the effects of short-term acclimation on swim performance, maximum metabolic rate (ṀO2,max) and gill remodelling to detect habitat-associated patterns of plastic response to hypoxia. Indices of hypoxia tolerance included oxygen threshold for loss of equilibrium (LOE50) and aquatic surface respiration (ASR50), and critical oxygen tension for routine metabolic rate (Pcrit). Critical swimming speed (Ucrit) and ṀO2,max were measured under normoxic and hypoxic conditions after 48 h acclimation to normoxia and hypoxia, and gill remodelling was estimated after 48 h of hypoxia exposure. Both traditional ANCOVA and phylogenetically independent contrast (PDANOVA) analyses showed that fish species from rapid-flow habitats exhibited lower LOE50 compared with fish from intermediate- and slow-flow habitats. Habitat-specific differences in Pcrit and Ucrit were detected using PDANOVA but not traditional ANCOVA analyses, with fish species from rapid-flow habitats exhibiting lower Pcrit but higher Ucrit values compared with fish from intermediate- and slow-flow habitats. Fish species from rapid-flow habitats were also characterized by less plasticity in swim performance and gill morphology in response to hypoxia acclimation compared with species from slow-flow habitats, but a greater drop in swim performance in response to acute hypoxia exposure. The study detected a habitat-specific difference in hypoxia tolerance, swimming performance and its plasticity among fish from habitats with different flow conditions, possibly because of the long-term adaptation to the habitat caused by selection stress. The PDANOVA analyses were more powerful than traditional statistical analyses according to the habitat effects in both hypoxia tolerance and swimming performance in this study.
Auditing 2.0: Using Process Mining to Support Tomorrow's Auditor

Auditors validate information about organizations and their business processes. Reliable information is needed to determine whether these processes are executed within certain boundaries set by managers, governments, and other stakeholders. Violations of specific rules enforced by law or company policies may indicate fraud, malpractice, risks, or inefficiencies. Traditionally, an audit can only provide reasonable assurance that business processes are executed within the given set of boundaries. Auditors assess the operating effectiveness of process controls, and when these controls are not in place or functioning as expected, they typically check samples of factual data. However, with detailed information about processes increasingly available in high-quality event logs, auditors no longer have to rely on a small set of samples offline. Instead, using process mining techniques, they can evaluate all events in a business process, and do so while it is still running. The omnipresence of electronically recorded business events coupled with process mining technology enable a new form of auditing that will dramatically change the role of auditors: Auditing 2.0.
Characteristics of Residual Stress in P92 Steel Welds

Welding residual stress has important influence on the performance of engineering components. In this paper, the residual stress and FWHM were measured by X-ray diffraction method to investigate characteristics for P92 steel welds. The aim of the study is to estimate the residual stress and FWHM distribution characteristics. A compressive residual stress distributed as a function of depth has a different pattern in welds and base metal. A large tensile residual stress occurs welds and near the HAZ, but approaches gradually zero as away from the welding center. Residual stress and FWHM undergo rapid relaxation after PWHT. Also, FWHM is a scalar quantity without any directional difference and is proportional to hardness on the whole.
Functional Significance of Factor H Binding to Neisseria meningitidis1

Neisseria meningitidis is an important cause of septicemia and meningitis. To cause disease, the bacterium must successfully survive in the bloodstream where it has to avoid being killed by host innate immune mechanisms, particularly the complement system. A number of pathogenic microbes bind factor H (fH), the negative regulator of the alternative pathway of complement activation, to promote their survival in vivo. In this study, we show that N. meningitidis binds fH to its surface. Binding to serogroups A, B, and C N. meningitidis strains was detected by FACS and Far Western blot analysis, and occurred in the absence of other serum factors such as C3b. Unlike Neisseria gonorrhoeae, binding of fH to N. meningitidis was independent of sialic acid on the bacterium, either as a component of its LPS or its capsule. Characterization of the major fH binding partner demonstrated that it is a 33-kDa protein; examination of insertion mutants showed that porins A and B, outer membrane porins expressed by N. meningitidis, do not contribute significantly to fH binding. We examined the physiological consequences of fH bound to the bacterial surface. We found that fH retains its activity as a cofactor of factor I when bound to the bacterium and contributes to the ability of N. meningitidis to avoid complement-mediated killing in the presence of human serum. Therefore, the recruitment of fH provides another mechanism by which this important human pathogen evades host innate immunity.