Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Induction of Chronic Pneumonia in Normal Mice by Klebsiella pneumoniae

Experimental chronic pneumonia was established in normal BALB/c mice employing a virulent encapsulated strain of Klebsiella pneumoniae B5055. A single exposure to the bacterial pathogen resulted in acute pneumonia that resolved within a week. To achieve the chronic state of lung infection, repeated infection was given via intranasal route. Mice were inoculated with 50ul of 10 4 CFU/ml each on day 0, 7 and 14. There were two peaks observed in the assessment of the lung bacterial load and pro inflammatory cytokine generation following the first and the third infection, respectively. On day 18 of infection, histopathological examination revealed extensive chronic inflammatory changes in the lungs of infected mice which coincided with high lung bacterial load. Tissue damage was also assessed through analysis of malondialdehyde (MDA), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and nitric oxide generation in the lung homogenates of the infected mice.
EFFECT OF PRESERVATION METHOD AND STORAGE CONDITION ON ASCORBIC ACID LOSS IN BEVERAGES

Global market is flooded with vitamin-enriched foods, mainly beverages. Major vitamins for enriching beverages are the antioxidant vitamins A, C and E. Ascorbic acid is readily oxidized and lost during storage of the beverages, at rates depending on the conditions of storage. This fact is of great importance for the consumer who must know how to store beverages and when to consume them in order to get the maximum benefit of added vitamin C. The objective of this paper was to determine the amount of ascorbic acid lost in beverages applying different preservation methods and storage condition. Beverage was made in laboratory conditions with synthetic L-ascorbic acid added according to the national legislations. After 30 days of storage at 4-8oC ascorbic acid overall loss was from 81.01% to 90.27% in thermally pasteurized samples and from 97.83 % to almost complete loss in samples preserved with sodium benzoate.
Methods for Spoken Language Identification

In this paper, we explore several machine learning techniques for classifying spoken language. In particular, we construct algorithms which utilize various spectral features derived from English and Mandarin Chinese phone call audio to predict the language to which the phone call belongs. We investigate multiple feature sets and modeling approaches, and find that Gaussian Mixture Models, combined with shifted delta cepstra (SDC) features, achieve the
Small bowel bacterial overgrowth is a common cause of chronic diarrhea

Background and Aims: Often a cause for chronic non‐specific diarrhea (≥3 stools per day for more than 4 weeks) is not identified. Small bowel bacterial overgrowth (SBO) can occur without morphological damage and remains difficult to diagnose. Often diarrhea is treated empirically with antibiotics with a good response. The aims of the present study were first to investigate the prevalence of SBO in a consecutive series of patients with chronic diarrhea and second to compare the utility of duodenal fluid culture and 14C‐d‐xylose breath/lactulose test in diagnosing SBO.
Pim serine/threonine kinases regulate the stability of Socs-1 protein

Studies of SOCS-1-deficient mice have implicated Socs-1 in the suppression of JAK-STAT (Janus tyrosine kinase-signal transducers and activators of transcription) signaling and T cell development. It has been suggested that the levels of Socs-1 protein may be regulated through the proteasome pathway. Here we show that Socs-1 interacts with members of the Pim family of serine/threonine kinases in thymocytes. Coexpression of the Pim kinases with Socs-1 results in phosphorylation and stabilization of the Socs-1 protein. The protein levels of Socs-1 are significantly reduced in the Pim-1−/−, Pim-2−/− mice as compared with wild-type mice. Similar to Socs-1−/− mice, thymocytes from Pim-1−/−, Pim-2−/− mice showed prolonged Stat6 phosphorylation upon IL-4 stimulation. These data suggest that the Pim kinases may regulate cytokine-induced JAK-STAT signaling through modulation of Socs-1 protein levels.
Scalable Parallel Computing: Technology, Architecture, Programming

Kai Hwang and Zhiwei Xu McGraw-Hill, Boston, 1998, 802 pp. ISBN 0-07-031798-4, $97.30 This text is an in depth introduction to the concepts of Parallel Computing. Designed for use in university level computer science courses, the text covers scalable architecture and parallel programming of symmetric muli-processors, clusters of workstations, massively parallel processors, and Internet-based metacomputing platforms. Hwang and Xu give an excellent overview in these topics while keeping the text easily comprehensible. The text is organized into four parts. Part I covers scalability and clustering. Part II deals with the technology used to construct a parallel system. Part III pertains to the architecture of scalable systems. Finally, Part IV presents methods of parallel programming on various platforms and languages. The first chapter presents different models on scalability as divided into resources, applications, and technology. It defines three abstract models (PRAM, BSP, and phase parallel models) and five physical models (PVP, SMP, MPP, COW, and MPP systems). Chapter 2 introduces the ideas behind parallel programming including processes, tasks, threads and environments. Chapter 3 introduces performance issues and metrics. As an introduction to Part II, Chapter 4 introduces the history of microprocessor types and their applications in the architectures of current systems. Chapter 5 deals with the issues of distributed memory. It discusses several models such as UMA, NORMA, CC-NUMA, COMA, and DSM. Chapter 6 presents gigabit networks, switched interconnects, and other various high-speed networking architectures to construct clusters. Chapter 7 discusses the overheads created by parallel computing, such as threads, synchronization, and efficient communication between nodes. Part III, Chapter 8, 9 and 11, give comparisons between various types of scalable systems (SMP, CC-NUMA, Clusters, and MPP). The comparisons are based on hardware architecture, the system software, and special features that make each system unique. Chapter 10 compares various research and commercial clusters with an in depth study of the Berkeley NOW, IBM SP2, and Digital TruCluster systems. Chapter 12 introduces the concepts of Part IV with details into parallel programming paradigms. Chapter 13 discusses communications between the processors using message passing programming (such as MPI and PVM libraries). Chapter 14 studies the data parallel approach with an emphasis in Fortran 90 and HPF. With attention to detail through examples, Hwang and Xu have created a well-written introduction to Parallel Computing. The authors are distinguished for their contributions in this field. This text is based on cutting-edge research, providing the current theories that are in use in industry today. Bin Cong, Shawn Morrison and Michael Yorg, Department of Computer Science California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo
Structural and Biophysical Characterization of Murine Rif1 C Terminus Reveals High Specificity for DNA Cruciform Structures*

Background: Mammalian Rif1 is a regulator of DNA replication timing and repair. Results: We characterized DNA binding by Rif1 C terminus and identified the critical residues. Conclusion: Rif1 shows a highly selective binding of DNA cruciform structures. Significance: This is a step forward in the understanding of Rif1 functions. Mammalian Rif1 is a key regulator of DNA replication timing, double-stranded DNA break repair, and replication fork restart. Dissecting the molecular functions of Rif1 is essential to understand how it regulates such diverse processes. However, Rif1 is a large protein that lacks well defined functional domains and is predicted to be largely intrinsically disordered; these features have hampered recombinant expression of Rif1 and subsequent functional characterization. Here we applied ESPRIT (expression of soluble proteins by random incremental truncation), an in vitro evolution-like approach, to identify high yielding soluble fragments encompassing conserved regions I and II (CRI and CRII) at the C-terminal region of murine Rif1. NMR analysis showed CRI to be intrinsically disordered, whereas CRII is partially folded. CRII binds cruciform DNA with high selectivity and micromolar affinity and thus represents a functional DNA binding domain. Mutational analysis revealed an α-helical region of CRII to be important for cruciform DNA binding and identified critical residues. Thus, we present the first structural study of the mammalian Rif1, identifying a domain that directly links its function to DNA binding. The high specificity of Rif1 for cruciform structures is significant given the role of this key protein in regulating origin firing and DNA repair.
Prevalence and Correlates of Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 Infection in a Population‐Based Survey of Young Women in Low‐Income Neighborhoods of Northern California

Background: Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV‐2) is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections and may enhance transmission of HIV. However, population‐based estimates of HSV‐2 prevalence and correlates of infection are rare. Goals: To obtain population‐based estimates of HSV‐2 prevalence and to identify demographic and sexual behavioral correlates of infection among women in low‐income communities of Northern California. Study Design: A randomized, single‐stage, cluster sample, cross‐sectional survey of women age 18 to 29 years who reside in 1990 US Census block groups at the lowest tenth percentile for household income. Results: The survey‐weighted prevalence of HSV‐2 infection was 34.8% (95% CI, 30.4‐39.2). Factors independently associated with HSV‐2 seropositivity were black race, older age, lower income, parity, greater number of lifetime male sexual partners, earlier onset of sexual intercourse, sex work, history of sexually transmitted disease (STD), and cocaine use. Conclusion: The high prevalence of HSV‐2 and the strong correlation with sexual risk underscores the potential for further spread of STD, including HIV, in this young population. Community‐level monitoring of HSV‐2 can assist in the effective targeting of outreach for health education, mobile STD and HIV screening, and prevention and treatment services.
Loss of heterozygosity on chromosomes 1, 11, 12, and 14 in hybrid mouse lung adenocarcinomas

An allelotype analysis of lung tumors in mouse hybrids was conducted to identify common regions of allelic loss. By using 50 informative genetic markers, the autosomes of 36 (A/J x C3H/HeJ) F1 adenocarcinomas were examined. Additional adenocarcinomas from as many as 72 (C3H/HeJ x A/J) F1 and 15 (BALB/cJ x DBA/2J) F1 hybrids also were analyzed for DNA loss at some of the loci. Loss of heterozygosity (LOH) was observed at multiple loci and occurred with the most regularity at markers on chromosomes 12 (28%), 14 (28%), 11 (21%), and 1 (20%). The frequency of LOH was not greater than 11% on any of the other chromosomes. Chromosomes 11 and 14 often displayed allelic loss at markers located near the p53 and retinoblastoma tumor suppressor loci, respectively. LOH at markers on chromosomes 12 and 14 was associated with tumors having overall frequencies of allelic loss that exceeded the median value. Losses on chromosomes 1, 11, 12, and 14 also showed a significant association with the adenocarcinoma stage of mouse lung tumorigenesis, suggesting that the inactivation of tumor suppressor loci on these chromosomes may participate in the progression of these tumors. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Transgenic expression of CXCR 3 on T cells enhances susceptibility to cutaneous 1 Leishmania major infection by inhibiting monocyte maturation and promoting a 2 Th 2 response

Department of Pathology, Ohio State University Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio, USA; 9 Department of Oral Biology, Ohio State University College of Dentistry, Columbus, 10 Ohio, USA; Department of Immunology, University of Washington, Seattle, 11 Washington, USA; Department of Microbiology, Department of Microbial Infection and 12 Immunity, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA; Department of Pathology, 13 Harvard Medical School, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA 14
Therapeutic Update on Glycopeptide and Lipopeptide Antibiotics

Glycopeptide antibiotics in the form of vancomycin have been available for almost 30 years. In the past, vancomycin usually was reserved as an alternative agent to treat staphylococcal and streptococcal infection in patients with a penicillin allergy or hemodialysis shunt infection. With the increasing frequency of both methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis, now it is often used as a first‐line agent. Over a 10‐year period, vancomycin sales have increased by almost $1 hundred million. Several new glycopeptide and lipopeptide antibiotics are in various stages of evaluation. While vancomycin resistance to date is a rare phenomenon, these drugs represent a potentially more potent and safer antibiotic alternative to vancomycin. Teicoplanin and daptomycin are two of these investigational agents.
Phosphorylation of the TATA-binding protein activates the spliced leader silencing pathway in Trypanosoma brucei

Kinase signaling links endoplasmic reticulum stress to mRNA trans-splicing in Trypanosoma brucei. Stress Silences Gene Transcription Trypanosoma brucei is a species of single-cell parasites that cause African sleeping sickness in humans. Unlike most animals, T. brucei transcribe genes as a single unit, which is then processed by splicing into individual mRNAs. The individual mRNAs all have a common region called the spliced leader. In response to cellular stress caused by protein misfolding, T. brucei avoid death by silencing the transcription of the spliced leader RNA to limit new protein production. Hope et al. discovered a kinase that transmits the signal from the part of the cell that senses the stress to the nucleus where leader splicing occurs. Because this spliced leader silencing does not happen in humans, proteins in this pathway could have therapeutic relevance. The parasite Trypanosoma brucei is the causative agent of human African sleeping sickness. T. brucei genes are constitutively transcribed in polycistronic units that are processed by trans-splicing and polyadenylation. All mRNAs are trans-spliced to generate mRNAs with a common 5′ exon derived from the spliced leader RNA (SL RNA). Persistent endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress induces the spliced leader silencing (SLS) pathway, which inhibits trans-splicing by silencing SL RNA transcription, and correlates with increased programmed cell death. We found that during ER stress induced by SEC63 silencing or low pH, the serine-threonine kinase PK3 translocated from the ER to the nucleus, where it phosphorylated the TATA-binding protein TRF4, leading to the dissociation of the transcription preinitiation complex from the promoter of the SL RNA encoding gene. PK3 loss of function attenuated programmed cell death induced by ER stress, suggesting that SLS may contribute to the activation of programmed cell death.
Visual Summary Statistics UUCS-07-004

Traditionally, statistical summaries of categorical data often have been visualized using graphical plots of central moments (e.g., mean and standard deviation), or cumulants (e.g., median and quartiles) by box plots. In this work we reexamine the box plot and its relatives and develop a new hybrid summary plot that combines moment, cumulant, and density information. In view of the important role of plots in decision making, our work focuses on incorporating additional descriptive parameters while simultaneously improving the comprehensibility of the summary plots using advanced visual techniques. In many complex situations providing a comprehensive view of the data requires additional summary characteristics, therefore, we submit that these additional parameters, like higher-order central moments can be valuable elements of multi-dimensional summary displays. CR Categories: G.3 [Probability and Statistics]: Multivariate Statistics— [I.6. 9]: Visualization—Information Visualization, Visualization Techniques and Methodologies
IV.—THE NATURALISTIC FALLACY

THE future historian of "thought and expression " in the twentieth century will no doubt record with some amusement the ingenious trick, which some of the philosophical controversialists of the first quarter of our century had, of labelling their opponents' views "fallacies ". He may even list some of these alleged fallacies for a certain sonority which their inventors embodied in their titles: the fallacy of initial predication, the fallacy of simple location, the fallacy of misplaced concreteness, the naturalistic fallacy. Of these fallacies, real or supposed, perhaps the most famous is the naturalistic fallacy. For the practitioners of a certain kind of ethical theory, which is dominant in England and capably represented in America, and which is variously called objectivism, non-naturalism, or intuitionism, have frequently charged their opponents with committing the naturalistic fallacy. Some of these opponents have strongly repudiated the charge of fallacy, others have at least commented on it in passing, and altogether the notion of a naturalistic fallacy has had a considerable currency in ethical literature. Yet, in spite of its repute, the naturalistic fallacy has never been discussed at any length, and, for this reason, I have elected to make a study of it in this paper. I hope incidentally to clarify certain confusions which have been made in connexion with the naturalistic fallacy, but my main interest is to free the controversy between the intuitionists and their opponents of the notion of a logical or quasi-logical fallacy, and to indicate where the issue really lies. The prominence of the concept of a naturalistic fallacy in recent moral philosophy is another testimony to the great influence of the Cambridge philosopher, Mr. G. E. Moore, and his book, Principia Ethica. Thus Mr. Taylor speaks of the " vulgar mistake " which Mr. Moore has taught us to call "the naturalistic fallacy ",1 and Mr. G. S. Jury, as if to illustrate how
Hemoperfusion With an Immobilized Polymyxin B Fiber Column Reduces Circulating Interleukin‐8 Concentrations

Abstract: In the present study, we examined whether the performance of hemoperfusion with an immobilized polymyxin B fiber column (DHP‐PMX) reduces circulating interleukin‐8 concentration in patients with sepsis. Fifteen patients with sepsis satisfying the following criteria were enrolled in the study: (i) signs of systemic inflammatory response syndrome caused by infection; and (ii) mean arterial blood pressure ≥60 mm Hg (irrespective of the use of catecholamines). A thermodilution catheter was inserted prior to DHP‐PMX for appropriate intravenous infusion, and the DHP‐PMX was carried out twice at 24 h intervals (for 3 h each time). Circulating interleukin‐8 concentration was measured seven times. The sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score was calculated twice. Circulating interleukin‐8 concentration was 55 ± 15.7 pg/mL before DHP‐PMX, while it was 101 ± 58.8 pg/mL immediately after the first session of treatment. It was 24 ± 9.0 pg/mL before the second session of DHP‐PMX, and it was 28 ± 8.0 pg/mL immediately after the second session. The IL‐8 level was 17 ± 4.3 pg/mL at 48 h afterward, and 18 ± 4.3 pg/mL at 72 h afterward, showing a significant decrease from 48 h onwards, compared with before treatment (P < 0.05). The SOFA score was 9 ± 1.5 and the APACHE II score was 19 ± 2.0 before DHP‐PMX, while the SOFA score was 7.0 ± 0.9 at 72 h afterward, showing a significant decrease compared with before treatment (P < 0.05). The present findings indicate that DHP‐PMX indirectly reduces circulating interleukin‐8 concentration and improves SOFA score.
Vagueness, Multiplicity and Parts

When do objects form a whole? Pre-theoretically we are inclined to think that sometimes objects are parts of a larger object-pages are parts of a book, fingers are parts of a hand, and also parts of people. Other sets of objects we are somewhat inclined to think do not form a whole-your fingers and my palm do not make up an object in the way that my fingers and my palm do. Some dust in the Andromeda galaxy and some rock from the centre of Mt Everest do not present themselves as part of a whole in the way that, for example, the cells of an individual redwood tree do.
Reliable software-based control as enabler for flexible production systems

Abstract The current evolution of the industrial production systems to cyber physical production systems requires an increased flexibility of the system structure that is nowadays still difficult to find in the industrial systems. The control applications are extremely strict by requiting jitter-free communication of sensor and control values in networked control systems. The software-based control approach presented here enhances the reliability of the control system using a control value matrix as information source. This approach benefits of predictive control algorithms that rely on model-based strategies.
Outcomes of microdebrider-assisted versus radiofrequency-assisted inferior turbinate reduction surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis of interventional randomised studies.

BACKGROUND The microdebrider technique was introduced in clinical practice to provide a better outcome in nasal obstruction caused by inferior turbinate hypertrophy. We conducted this systematic review to evaluate the effectiveness of this technique, by comparison with the radiofrequency-assisted modality. METHODOLOGY PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) databases were searched to retrieve relevant randomised studies published prior to November 2019. Randomised Trials in English that studied the difference between the two techniques among adult patients were eligible for the current review. Data extraction and study inclusion were guided by PRISMA guidelines. The outcome measures were visual analogue scale (VAS, 0-10) for nasal obstruction, anterior active rhinomanometry, and acoustic rhinometry. A meta-analysis was carried out to quantify the difference between the two techni- ques, for each measured outcome. RESULTS Seven randomised trials were included and quantitatively analysed in this meta-analysis. Our analysis revealed that the microdebrider-assisted technique demonstrated significantly better VAS (0-10) for nasal obstruction scores in early and late posto- perative follow-up. Whilst no difference was noted using the objective measurements (rhinomanometry and acoustic rhinometry) at early follow-up, microdebrider-assisted technique showed superior results in long-term follow-up, as evidenced using anterior active rhinomanometry. CONCLUSIONS The microdebrider-assisted technique results in a better outcome, particularly in long-term follow-up, when compa- red with radiofrequency.