Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Risk of myocardial infarction associated with Gln/Arg 192 polymorphism in the human paraoxonase gene and diabetes mellitus

Aims There is increasing evidence that paraoxonase, an HDL-linked enzyme, exerts its effect by removing lipid-peroxidation products. We have conducted a case-control study in Gerona, Spain, to find out whether paraoxonase1 polymorphism at codon 192 (Q and R alleles) is associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease, and how diabetes mellitus, associated with high oxidative risk, influences such an association. Methods and Results One hundred and fifty six consecutive myocardial infarction patients and 310 age- and sex-matched control subjects were studied. There were no differences in the distribution of genotype and allele frequencies between patients and controls. The odds ratios for diabetes and dyslipaemia in control and patients stratified by genotype group were compared. Whereas dyslipaemic status was significantly related to myocardial infarction in QQ homozygotes and R carriers, diabetes mellitus was significantly associated with myocardial infarction only in R-carrier subjects. In logistic regression analysis, diabetic R carriers demonstrated a more than two and a half-fold increase in myocardial infarction risk compared with non-diabetic R carriers (OR: 2·65, P <0·05). Conclusion These data indicate that the R allele of the paraoxonase1-192 polymorphism is not an independent risk factor for myocardial infarction in our population. However, the interaction between this polymorphism and diabetes mellitus leads to increased myocardial infarction risk in diabetic patients with the R allele.
Structural principles of SNARE complex recognition by the AAA+ protein NSF

The recycling of SNARE proteins following complex formation and membrane fusion is an essential process in eukaryotic trafficking. A highly conserved AAA+ protein, NSF (N-ethylmaleimide sensitive factor) and an adaptor protein, SNAP (soluble NSF attachment protein), disassemble the SNARE complex. We report electron-cryomicroscopy structures of the complex of NSF, αSNAP, and the full-length soluble neuronal SNARE complex (composed of syntaxin-1A, synaptobrevin-2, SNAP-25A) in the presence of ATP under non-hydrolyzing conditions at ~3.9 Å resolution. These structures reveal electrostatic interactions by which two αSNAP molecules interface with a specific surface of the SNARE complex. This interaction positions the SNAREs such that the 15 N-terminal residues of SNAP-25A are loaded into the D1 ring pore of NSF via a spiral pattern of interactions between a conserved tyrosine NSF residue and SNAP-25A backbone atoms. This loading process likely precedes ATP hydrolysis. Subsequent ATP hydrolysis then drives complete disassembly.
Genetics of heifer reproductive traits in Japanese Black cattle 1 2

29 30 Objective: The objective of this study was to identify environmental factors strongly 31 associated with and to estimate genetic parameters of reproductive traits in Japanese Black 32 heifers. 33 Methods: Data included reproduction records of Japanese Black heifers born between 2004 34 and 2014. First service non-return rate (NRR) to 56 days from first to successful insemination 35 (FS), number of services per conception (IN), age at first calving (AFC) and gestation length 36 (GL) were analyzed with the use of the general linear model (GLM). Genetic parameters were 37 estimated with the use of the univariate animal model of the residual maximum likelihood 38 (REML). 39 Result: Averages of reproductive traits over eleven years were assessed, and the effects of 40 farm, year, month, AI technician and interaction of farm × year on the traits were determined. 41 Estimated heritability of FS was very low and that of AFC was higher than that of the other 42 traits. A close genetic relation was observed among NRR, IN and FS; however, their 43 heritabilities were very low. AFC shows favorable genetic correlation with IN and FS. 44 Conclusion: Low heritabilities of the most reproductive traits in Japanese Black heifers are 45 strongly influenced by farm management practices, and that large residual variances make 46 genetic evaluation difficult. Among the reproductive traits, AFC is potentially more useful for 47 genetic improvement of heifer reproductive traits because it has high heritability and 48 favorable genetic correlations with IN and FS. 49
Comparison between parameters of muscle performance and inflammatory biomarkers of non-sarcopenic and sarcopenic elderly women

Background Sarcopenia is a multifactorial geriatric syndrome with complex interrelationships. Increased plasma levels of inflammatory mediators increase the catabolic stimuli of the musculature, thereby causing a decrease in mass and muscular function. Objective The objective of this study was to compare the performance of the knee extensors test (by isokinetic dynamometer) and plasma levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and soluble receptors of tumor necrosis factor alpha (sTNFR1) between sarcopenics and non-sarcopenics community-dwelling elderly women residents of Brazil. Material and methods The diagnosis of sarcopenia included measurements of body composition (by densitometry with dual energy source of X-ray), handgrip strength (by Jamar® dynamometer), and the usual gait velocity according to the recommendations of the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People. In both sarcopenics and non-sarcopenics elderly women, we evaluated the muscle function by knee extensors test (using an isokinetic dynamometer Byodex System 4 Pro®) at angular speeds of 60°/s and 180°/s) and also we evaluated the plasma concentrations of IL-6 and sTNFR1. Comparisons of muscle performance between groups were carried out using mixed factorial ANOVA with post hoc Bonferroni test; sTNFR1 and IL-6 variables were analyzed by applying Mann–Whitney U test. Results Statistical differences were observed between groups regarding muscle power (P=0.01), total work adjusted to body weight (P=0.01) at a rate of 180°/s, and plasma levels of sTNFR1 (P=0.01). Conclusion Sarcopenic elder women showed lower performance of the lower limbs, especially at a higher speed, predisposing these older women to greater vulnerability in functional activities that require agility and postural stability. Plasma levels of sTNFR1 were higher for non-sarcopenics elderlies. However, due to the observational nature of the study, it was impossible to infer causality among the variables surveyed.
Treatment of Dug Well Water in Kubu Raya, West Kalimantan, with Electrocoagulation

Dug well water is one of the clean water sources used in Kubu Raya Regency. However, through the initial testing, the physical and chemical qualities of the water were inadequate to meet the hygiene and sanitation demands of daily living following Regulation No. 32 of the Minister of Health of Indonesia 2017. Consequently, the objective of this study was to examine the treatment of dug well water by electrocoagulation and electrocoagulation-coagulation employing Poly Aluminium Chloride (PAC) as a coagulant with varying periods (45, 60, 75, and 90 minutes). Increasing the processing time in the electrocoagulation treatment enhanced the pH and TDS values while lowering the color, turbidity, Fe, and Mn metals. The pH value increased for the electrocoagulation-coagulation treatment. Conversely, the concentrations of color, turbidity, Fe metal, and Mn metal dropped, however, the TDS value increased, exceeding the threshold. Ultimately, the electrocoagulation treatment was more effective at reducing contaminants, as measured by advances in efficiency for pH, turbidity, color, Fe, and Mn.
The Xinanjiang model.

This is a conceptual model with distributed parameters, applicable to large basins in the humid regions of China for rainstorm flood forecasting. Its main features are as follows: the concept of runoff formation at natural storage is used for deducting losses, and a high order linear system solution of the Muskingum method is used for flood routing in channels. The model is simple, involving about nine parameters. Le modèle de Xinanjiang Résumé, C'est un modèle conceptuel à paramètres distribués, s'appliquant aux grands bassins des régions humides de la Chine pour la prévision de crues. Voilà ses principales caractéristiques: le concept du ruissellement qui est formé au moment où la capacité d'infiltration naturelle du sol est complètement satisfaisante, est utilisé pour déterminer les pertes à déduire, et une solution linéaire d'ordre élevé de la méthode de Muskingum est utilisé pour calculer la propagation des crues dans le lit du canal. Le modèle est simple, il comporte d'environ neuf paramètres.
A metabolic dependency for host isoprenoids in the obligate intracellular pathogen Rickettsia parkeri underlies a sensitivity for the statin class of host-targeted therapeutics

Gram-negative bacteria in the order Rickettsiales are obligate intracellular parasites that cause human diseases such typhus and spotted fever. They have evolved a dependence on essential nutrients and metabolites from the host cell as a consequence of extensive genome streamlining. However, it remains largely unknown which nutrients they require and whether their metabolic dependency can be exploited therapeutically. Here, we describe a genetic rewiring of bacterial isoprenoid biosynthetic pathways in the Rickettsiales that has resulted from reductive genome evolution. We further investigated whether the spotted fever group Rickettsia species Rickettsia parkeri scavenges isoprenoid precursors directly from the host. Using targeted mass spectrometry in uninfected and infected cells, we found decreases in host isoprenoid products and concomitant increases in bacterial isoprenoid metabolites. Additionally, we report that bacterial growth is prohibited by inhibition of the host isoprenoid pathway with the statins class of drugs. We show that growth inhibition correlates with changes in bacterial size and shape that mimic those caused by antibiotics that inhibit peptidoglycan biosynthesis, suggesting statins inhibit cell wall synthesis. Altogether, our results describe an Achilles’ heel of obligate intracellular pathogens that can be exploited with host-targeted therapeutics that interfere with metabolic pathways required for bacterial growth. Importance Obligate intracellular parasites, which include viruses as well as certain bacteria and eukaryotes, extract essential nutrients and metabolites from their host cell. As a result, these pathogens have often lost essential biosynthetic pathways and are metabolically dependent on the host. In this study, we describe a metabolic dependency of the bacterial pathogen Rickettsia parkeri on host isoprenoid molecules that are used in the biosynthesis of downstream products including cholesterol, steroid hormones, and heme. Bacteria make products from isoprenoids such as an essential lipid carrier for making the bacterial cell wall. We show that bacterial metabolic dependency can represent an Achilles’ heel, and that inhibiting host isoprenoid biosynthesis with the FDA-approved statin class of drugs inhibits bacterial growth by interfering with the integrity of the cell wall. This work highlights a potential to treat infections by obligate intracellular pathogens through inhibition of host biosynthetic pathways that are susceptible to parasitism.
SINGLE FEED CIRCULARLY POLARIZED ANTENNA LOADED WITH COMPLEMENTARY SPLIT RING RESONATOR (CSRR)

In this paper, complementary split ring resonator (CSRR) based single feed rectangular microstrip antennas are designed for circular polarization. In the first antenna design, two CSRRs are loaded on ground, and for the second design, two CSRRs are loaded on patch with identical orientation of meta-resonators in both cases. CSRRs are used to diminish the resonance frequency of the antenna, and thus the antenna size miniaturization can be achieved. Overall dimensions of the two antennas are (50× 50× 1.6) mm3, and the impedance bandwidth for S11 < −10 dB exhibits between 2.3 and 2.4 GHz which is useful for wireless communication service. The characteristics of the proposed antennas, i.e., reflection coefficient, axial ratio, gain, and radiation patterns, are observed and compared for the two cases. The proposed two antennas have been designed and simulated using CST Microwave studio 14. The circularly polarized antenna with CSRRs loaded on patch has been fabricated for experimental verification of the simulated results. Measured reflection coefficient, gain, and radiation pattern are in good agreement with the simulated result.
How Human Resource Management Practices Translate Into Sustainable Organizational Performance: The Mediating Role Of Product, Process And Knowledge Innovation

Background: This study examined how human resource management (HRM) can directly and indirectly in ﬂ uence sustainable organizational performance (SOP), with organizational innovation (OI) as a mediator. Research methods: For this quantitative study, a 31-item questionnaire was used to collect data on HRM and SOP from 20 Shanghai branches of ﬁ ve Chinese banks. HRM was de ﬁ ned as multidimensional, consisting of employee staf ﬁ ng, staff development, performance management, and compensation and bene ﬁ ts. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM 3.2) was used to estimate the effects. Results: The HRM practices of performance management and compensation and bene ﬁ ts showed a direct and positive in ﬂ uence on SOP. Looking at indirect relationships, all four dimensions of HRM practices were positively related to OI (product, process, and knowledge innovation), which, in turn, was positively related to SOP. Organizational innovation was thus shown to play a mediating role between HRM and SOP. Conclusion: The study emphasizes that the banking sector of China consists of many employees who maintain old styles of working, alongside some who attempt to take on the new innovative working mechanisms and engage with staff development programs. This latter group of personnel make a valuable contribution to SOP. Moreover, the effect on organizational dynamics of implementing HRM practices aids in bringing about innovations in processes, products, and knowledge.
A six-gene-based prognostic model predicts complete remission and overall survival in childhood acute myeloid leukemia

Objective: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a malignant clonal disorder. Despite enormous progress in its diagnosis and treatment, the mortality rate of AML remains high. The aim of this study was to identify prognostic biomarkers by using the gene expression pro ﬁ le dataset from public database, and to improve the risk-strati ﬁ cation criteria of survival for patients with AML. Materials and methods: The gene expression data and clinical parameter were acquired from the Therapeutically Applicable Research to Generate Effective Treatment (TARGET) database. A total of 856 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were obtained from the childhood AML patients classi ﬁ ed into ﬁ rst complete remission (CR1) group (n=791) and not CR group (n=249). We performed a series of bioinformatics analysis to screen key genes and pathways, further comprehending these DEGs through Gene Ontology (GO) function and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses. Results: Six genes ( SLC17A7, MSX2, CDC26, MSLN, CTSZ and DEFA3 ) identi ﬁ ed by univariate, Kaplan-Meier survival and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to develop the prognostic model. Further analysis showed that the survival estimations in the high-risk group had an increased risk of death compared with the low-risk group based on the model. The area under the curve of the receiver operator characteristic curve in the prognostic model for predicting the overall survival was 0.729, con ﬁ rming good prognostic model. We also performed a nomogram to provide an individual patient with the overall probability, and internal validation in the TARGET cohort. Conclusion: We identi ﬁ ed a six-gene prognostic signature for risk-stratifying in patients with childhood AML. The risk classi ﬁ cation model can be used to predict CR markers and may assist clinicians in providing realize the individualized treatment in this patient population.
Reducing ambiguity in fractured-porous media characterization using single-well tracer tests

The specific area of the contact surface between fractures and rock matrix, that has an important role in solute and heat transport in fractured-porous reservoirs, is not properly captured by hydraulic and geophysical tests, nor by flow-path tracings in highly dispersive flow fields. A single-well tracing method that increases the sensitivity of tracer breakthrough curves with regard to the contact-surface area parameter is described, with its first application in deep (geothermal) reservoirs in Germany.
PEDIATRIC AND CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE Original Studies New Onset Atrial Fibrillation After Patent Foramen Ovale Closure

Objectives: In this study, we evaluated the incidence of new onset atrial fibrillation (symptomatic or detected by routine ECG) after patent foramen ovale (PFO-) closure. Background: Although atrial fibrillation is known to occur in some patients following patent foramen ovale closure, the incidence and the risk associated with each device is not well known. Methods: We evaluated 1,349 consecutive patients who underwent PFO closure with an approved device and examined the incidence and risk factors associated with the development of atrial fibrillation. The patients had a mean age of 50 years and underwent PFO closure for cerebrovascular accident in 696 (51.6%), transient ischemic attack in 610 (45.2%), paradoxical embolism in 22 (1.6%), decompression sickness in 13 (0.9%), and other reasons including migraine headaches in 6 (0.4%) of cases. Results: Over a mean follow-up period of 38.1 6 28 months, 53 (3.9%) patients developed new onset atrial fibrillation, which is higher compared with an agematched population. Of these, 33 (62.3%) patients developed atrial fibrillation within 4 weeks and 8 (15%) within 6 months following PFO closure (totally 77% from 0 to 6 months). The event consisted of a single paroxysm lasting less than 48 hr in 23 patients, resolving either spontaneously or with cardioversion. 40 (75.5%) patients were symptomatic at the time of diagnosis. Thirty (56.6%) patients developed chronic atrial fibrillation. On multivariate analysis, advanced age and use of the STARFlex device predicted atrial fibrillation. Conclusions: The number of patients in whom atrial fibrillation was detected was relatively low. It is often a self-limited complication of PFO closure that may occur more frequently in elderly patients and those treated with the STARFlex device. VC 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Prediction of zinc binding sites in proteins using sequence derived information

Zinc is one the most abundant catalytic cofactor and also an important structural component of a large number of metallo-proteins. Hence prediction of zinc metal binding sites in proteins can be a significant step in annotation of molecular function of a large number of proteins. Majority of existing methods for zinc-binding site predictions are based on a data-set of proteins, which has been compiled nearly a decade ago. Hence there is a need to develop zinc-binding site prediction system using the current updated data to include recently added proteins. Herein, we propose a support vector machine-based method, named as ZincBinder, for prediction of zinc metal-binding site in a protein using sequence profile information. The predictor was trained using fivefold cross validation approach and achieved 85.37% sensitivity with 86.20% specificity during training. Benchmarking on an independent non-redundant data-set, which was not used during training, showed better performance of ZincBinder vis-à-vis existing methods. Executable versions, source code, sample datasets, and usage instructions are available at http://proteininformatics.org/mkumar/znbinder/
Expected utility and catastrophic risk in a stochastic economy-climate model ∗ November 26 , 2010

In the context of extreme climate change, we ask how to conduct expected utility analysis in the presence of catastrophic risks. Economists typically model decision making under risk and uncertainty by expected utility with constant relative risk aversion (power utility); statisticians typically model economic catastrophes by probability distributions with heavy tails. Unfortunately, the expected utility framework is fragile with respect to heavy-tailed distributional assumptions. We specify a stochastic economyclimate model with power utility and explicitly demonstrate this fragility. We derive necessary and sufficient compatibility conditions on the utility function to avoid fragility and solve our stochastic economy-climate model for two examples of such compatible utility functions. We further develop and implement a procedure to learn the input parameters of our model and show that the model thus specified produces quite robust optimal policies. The numerical results indicate that higher levels of uncertainty (heavier tails) lead to less abatement and consumption, and to more investment, but this effect is not unlimited. JEL Classification: D81; Q5.
Ganglion Cell Complex Analysis in Glaucoma Patients: What Can It Tell Us?

: Glaucoma is a group of optic neuropathies characterized by a progressive degeneration of retina ganglion cells (RGCs) and their axons that precedes functional changes detected on the visual ﬁ eld. The macular ganglion cell complex (GCC), available in commercial Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography, allows the quanti ﬁ cation of the innermost retinal layers that are potentially involved in the glaucomatous damage, including the retinal nerve ﬁ ber (RNFL), ganglion cell and inner plexiform layers. The average GCC thickness and its related parameters represent a reliable biomarker in detecting preperimetric glaucomatous damage. The most accurate GCC parameters are represented by average and inferior GCC thicknesses, and they can be associated with progressive visual ﬁ eld loss. Although the diagnostic accuracy increases with more severe glaucomatous damage and higher signal strength values, it is not affected by increasing axial length, resulting in a more accurate discrimination of glaucomatous damage in myopic eyes with respect to the tradi-tional RNFL thickness. The analysis of the structure-function relationship revealed a good agreement between the loss in retinal sensitivity and GCC thickness. The use of a 10-2° visual ﬁ eld grid, adjusted for the anatomical RGCs displacement, describes more accurately the relationship between RGCs thickness and visual ﬁ eld sensitivity loss. optical coherence tomography, standard automated perimetry, retinal nerve ﬁ ber layer
Magnetic-field tailoring of the terahertz polarization emitted from a spintronic source

We demonstrate a method to create arbitrary terahertz (THz) polarization profiles by exploiting the magnetic field-dependent emission process of a spintronic source. As a proof-of-concept, we show that by applying a specific magnetic field pattern to the source, it is possible to generate a quadrupole-like THz polarization profile. Experimental measurements of the electric field at the focus of the THz beam revealed a polarity flip in the transverse profile of the quadrupole-like mode with a resulting strong, on-axis longitudinal component of 17.7 kV cm1. This represents an order of magnitude increase in the longitudinal component for the quadrupole-like profile compared to a linear polarization, showing an example of how the magnetic field patterning of a spintronic source can be exploited to obtain desirable THz polarization properties. This unique ability to generate any desired THz polarization profile opens up possibilities for schemes such as rotatable polarization spectroscopy and for efficient mode coupling in various waveguide designs. Furthermore, the strong longitudinal fields that can be generated have applications in areas including intra-subband spectroscopy of semiconductors, non-diffraction limited THz imaging, and particle-beam acceleration.