Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ets-1 facilitates nuclear entry of NFAT proteins and their recruitment to the IL-2 promoter

Significance IL-2 plays critical roles in many immune responses. However, its transcriptional regulation is still not fully understood. Data described in this paper demonstrate that the transcriptional factor E26 transformation-specific sequence 1 (Ets-1) promotes the expression of IL-2 by nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NFAT)-dependent mechanisms. Nuclear Ets-1 synergizes with NFAT in the transcription of IL-2. Ets-1 is also translocated to the cytoplasm in response to calcium-induced signals and facilitates the release of NFAT from noncoding RNA repressor of NFAT complex, which traps NFAT in the cytoplasm. This paper not only advances our understanding of the transcriptional regulation of IL-2 but also depicts a unique mechanism of action of Ets-1. E26 transformation-specific sequence 1 (Ets-1), the prototype of the ETS family of transcription factors, is critical for the expression of IL-2 by murine Th cells; however, its mechanism of action is still unclear. Here we show that Ets-1 is also essential for optimal production of IL-2 by primary human Th cells. Although Ets-1 negatively regulates the expression of Blimp1, a known suppressor of IL-2 expression, ablation of B lymphocyte-induced maturation protein 1 (Blimp1) does not rescue the expression of IL-2 by Ets-1-deficient Th cells. Instead, Ets-1 physically and functionally interacts with the nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NFAT) and is required for the recruitment of NFAT to the IL-2 promoter. In addition, Ets-1 is located in both the nucleus and cytoplasm of resting Th cells. Nuclear Ets-1 quickly exits the nucleus in response to calcium-dependent signals and competes with NFAT proteins for binding to protein components of noncoding RNA repressor of NFAT complex (NRON), which serves as a cytoplasmic trap for phosphorylated NFAT proteins. This nuclear exit of Ets-1 precedes rapid nuclear entry of NFAT and Ets-1 deficiency results in impaired nuclear entry, but not dephosphorylation, of NFAT proteins. Thus, Ets-1 promotes the expression of IL-2 by modulating the activity of NFAT.
A novel dual-layer frequency selective surface with grating lobes suppression

A novel dual-layer frequency selective surface (FSS) for grating lobes suppression is investigated in this paper. The proposed FSS consists of a ring etched on one face of the 0.56 mm thick polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) substrate, and a four-legged loaded structure etched on the other face of the substrate. The proposed FSS layer is covered by dielectric layers in order to protect the interior from damaged. A greatly suppressed grating lobe from 6 GHz to 22.5 GHz with a very wide reflection band of 18.3 GHz (with transmission <; -15dB) between pass-band and grating lobes is obtained. Both experimental and simulated results indicate that the proposed FSS is a promising candidate for wavelength selective radiation and stealth technology.
AC flashover performance for line post and pin post insulators in distribution 22 kV

Electrical insulators in 22kV distribution system of the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) are mostly porcelain insulator types that consists of suspension, pin type, line post, and pin post insulators. The distribution lines will be polluted by industrial contaminants, salt fog or natural dust. Experience shows that pollution flashover is one of the main natural calamities harming and affecting the voltage stability and reliability of distribution system. This paper compares the test results obtained from artificial pollution tests according to IEC 60507 with line post type and pin post type insulators of medium system under same test conditions. The salt fog test results indicate that the pollution flashover performance of line post insulator is less than to 50 percent of wet power frequency withstand voltage at equivalent salt deposit density (ESDD) = 0.5 mg/cm2 and the leakage current (LC) of line post insulator increased to 10.2 mA at ESDD = 0.5 mg/cm2 at nominal voltage. In the experiment indicate that AC pollution flashover performance of pin post insulator has better than line post insulator in the serious pollution area.
Trace Elements in Groundwater of Coastal Aquifers of Pondicherry Region, India

Totally forty three representative groundwater samp les were collected from various aquifers of Pondic herry region covering urban, rural and industrial areas and anal yzed for trace elements concentration using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. Also, eleven sediment samples at different depths from two bore holes, representing various aquifer systems were collected and analyzed for various min erals using XRD techniques. Concentrations of Arsenic and Iron were higher than the permissible limits of World Health Organisation. The higher concentration of these two trace elements must be due to presence of arsenic and iron bearing mine rals and their continuous interaction with pore wat er. The higher concentration of boron in the coastal ground water of the study area is due to the geological formatio ns of marine origin. The concentration of rest of the elements in almost all samples is less than the permissible levels pr escribed by World Health Organization. The complex geological environment present in the study area plays a dominant rol e on the concentration and spatial distribution of trace met als in ground water.
Growth kinetics of Dioscorea deltoidea and Catharanthus roseus in batch culture

Sugar‐limited batch growth of Dioscorea deltoidea and Catharanthus roseus plant cell cultures was studied in a 14‐L stirred tank fermentor. With dissolved oxygen concentration monitored and maintained at nonlimiting levels, growth rates and ratios of dry weight to fresh weight were found to be strongly influenced by sugar concentration. Linear relationships between respiration rate and growth rate were observed, and respiration rate was found to drop to a maintenance level after sugar had been fully depleted from the medium. Diosgenin biosynthesis by D. deltoidea was shown to be independent of growth rate. Ajmalicine biosynthesis in C. roseus was negligible during sugar‐limited growth but was induced by inoculation into an 80‐g/L glucose solution.
Splenic Atrophy in Dermatitis Herpetiformis

Twenty-four patients with dermatitis herpetiformis were investigated for splenic atrophy by splenic scan and clearance of 51Cr-labelled heat-damaged red blood cells. Eight of them had definite splenic atrophy. The average splenic cross-sectional area of the remaining 16 with normal clearance times was substantially smaller than normal, suggesting some degree of splenic atrophy. No relationship of splenic hypofunction to intestinal biopsy findings, folate status, reticulin antibody, or treatment with a gluten-free diet or dapsone was evident.
Effects of Age, Gender, and Race/Ethnicity on the Pharmacokinetics of Posaconazole in Healthy Volunteers

ABSTRACT Posaconazole is a triazole antifungal for prophylaxis of invasive fungal infection and treatment of oropharyngeal candidiasis. We evaluated the effects of gender, age, and race/ethnicity (black or white) on the steady-state pharmacokinetics of posaconazole in two studies on healthy adult subjects (≥18 years of age). Additionally, we explored the effect of P-glycoprotein expression and MDR1 genotype on posaconazole pharmacokinetics in black and white subjects. Age, gender, and race/ethnicity had no clinically relevant effects on posaconazole pharmacokinetics. No association was observed between any MDR1 single-nucleotide polymorphism and the area under the concentration-time curve for posaconazole. Posaconazole was safe and well tolerated regardless of age, gender, or race/ethnicity. In conclusion, age, gender, and race/ethnicity have no clinically relevant effects on the steady-state pharmacokinetics of posaconazole in healthy adults; therefore, dosage adjustments based on these covariates are unnecessary.
Cholera Toxin B-Subunit Gene Enhances Mucosal Immunoglobulin A, Th1-Type, and CD8+ Cytotoxic Responses When Coadministered Intradermally with a DNA Vaccine

ABSTRACT A plasmid vector encoding the cholera toxin B subunit (pCtB) was evaluated as an intradermal genetic adjuvant for a model DNA vaccine expressing the human papillomavirus type 16 L1 capsid gene (p16L1) in mice. p16L1 was coadministered with plasmid pCtB or commercial polypeptide CtB as a positive control. Coadministration of pCtB induced a significant increment of specific anti-L1 immunoglobulin A (IgA) antibodies in cervical secretions (P < 0.05) and fecal extracts (P < 0.005). Additionally, coadministration of pCtB enhanced the production of interleukin-2 and gamma interferon by spleen cells but did not affect the production of interleukin-4, suggesting a Th1-type helper response. Furthermore, improved CD8+ T-cell-mediated cytotoxic activity was observed in mice vaccinated with the DNA vaccine with pCtB as an adjuvant. This adjuvant effect was comparable to that induced by the CtB polypeptide. These results indicate that intradermal coadministration of pCtB is an adequate means to enhance the mucosa-, Th1-, and CD8+-mediated cytotoxic responses induced by a DNA vaccine.
Myxoma virus induces extensive CD4 downregulation and dissociation of p56lck in infected rabbit CD4+ T lymphocytes

Myxoma virus is a pathogenic poxvirus that induces extensive dysregulation of cellular immunity in infected European rabbits. Infection of a rabbit CD4+ T-cell line (RL-5) with myxoma virus results in dramatic reductions of cell surface levels of CD4 as monitored by flow cytometry. The virus-induced downregulation of CD4 requires early but not late viral gene expression and could not be inhibited by staurosporine, an inhibitor of protein kinase C, which effectively blocks phorbol 12-myristate-13-acetate-induced downregulation of CD4. The decrease in total cellular levels of CD4 during myxoma virus infection could be inhibited by the lysosomotrophic agent NH4Cl, suggesting a lysosomal fate for CD4 during myxoma virus infection. Steady-state levels of the CD4-associated protein tyrosine kinase p56lck remained unchanged during myxoma virus infection, suggesting that p56lck dissociates from CD4 prior to CD4 degradation in virus infected cells. Total p56lck kinase activity was unaffected during myxoma virus infection, although the amount of p56lck physically associated with CD4 declined in parallel with the loss of CD4. Thus, myxoma virus infection of CD4+ T lymphocytes triggers CD4 downregulation via a protein kinase C-independent pathway, causing the dissociation of p56lck and the degradation of CD4 in lysosomal vesicles.
Effects of Cefepime and Meropenem on the Gastrointestinal Colonization ofSurgical Patients by Candida albicans

Background: The study evaluated the effects of cefepime and meropenem on the gastrointestinal (GI) colonization of surgical patients by Candida albicans. Patients and Methods: Twenty adult surgical patients who received intravenously either of these antibiotics as monotherapy for the treatment of an existing infection were studied prospectively. Ten patients received cefepime (2.0 g twice a day), and another ten meropenem (1.0 g every 8 h) for 7 days. Quantitative stool cultures for C. albicans were performed immediately before, at the end, and 1 week after the end of antibiotic treatment. Results: Both antibiotics increased the GI colonization of patients by Candida. Meropenem caused a higher increase (2.0 log10 CFU/g of stool) as compared to cefepime (1.7 log10 CFU/g of stool). However, these increases were statistically not significant. Conclusion: Cefepime and meropenem when given to sensitive patients do not increase significantly the risk of Candida infection originating in the GI tract.
Tumor and Stem Cell Biology ANOTCH 3-MediatedSquamousCell DifferentiationProgram Limits Expansion of EMT-Competent Cells That Express the ZEB Transcription Factors

Zinc finger E-box–binding (ZEB) proteins ZEB1 and ZEB2 are transcription factors essential in TGFb–mediated senescence, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and cancer stem cell functions. ZEBs are negatively regulated bymembers of themiR-200microRNA family, but precisely how tumor cells expressing ZEBs emerge during invasive growth remains unknown. Here, we report that NOTCH3-mediated signaling prevents expansion of a unique subset of ZEB-expressing cells. ZEB expression was associated with the lack of cellular capability of undergoing NOTCH3-mediated squamous differentiation in human esophageal cells. Genetic inhibition of the Notch-mediated transcriptional activity by dominant-negative Mastermind-like 1 (DNMAML1) prevented squamous differentiation and induction of Notch target genes including NOTCH3. Moreover, DNMAML1-enriched EMT-competent cells exhibited robust upregulation of ZEBs, downregulation of the miR-200 family, and enhanced anchorage-independent growth and tumor formation in nude mice. RNA interference experiments suggested the involvement of ZEBs in anchorage-independent colony formation, invasion, and TGF-b–mediated EMT. Invasive growth and impaired squamous differentiation were recapitulated upon Notch inhibition by DNMAML1 in organotypic three-dimensional culture, a form of human tissue engineering. Together, our findings indicate that NOTCH3 is a key factor limiting the expansion of ZEBexpressing cells, providing novel mechanistic insights into the role of Notch signaling in the cell fate regulation and disease progression of esophageal squamous cancers. Cancer Res; 71(21); 6836–47. 2011 AACR.
Analysis of interaction between stretched pulses propagating in dispersion-managed fibers

Mutual interaction between a pair of stretched pulses propagating in periodically amplified dispersion-managed fibers is analyzed by means of the variational method. It is shown that the location of the amplifier within a unit cell of the dispersion management significantly affects the energy enhancement and interaction between adjacent pulses. The collapse distance of the two pulses can be extended by suitably positioning the amplifier.
The International Diversification of Banks and the Value of Their Cross-Border M&A Advice

This paper investigates the effects of international diversification of banks on the value of their M&A advice. We study bidder returns to 1,253 cross-border M&A announcements. We find that acquirers engaging a more internationally diversified financial advisor generate lower excess returns. Acquirers benefit most from advisors with a greater focus on their home country. These results suggest that the benefits of advisors’ international diversification related to greater economies of scale and scope and the flexibility of allocating deals to the most skilled employee do not outweigh the costs emanating from a lack of country-specific knowledge and greater conflicts of interest.
Ochratoxin production by Aspergillus species

Ochratoxin production was tested in 172 strains representing species in sections Fumigati, Circumdati, Candidi, and Wentii of the genus Aspergillus by an immunochemical method using a monoclonal antibody preparation against ochratoxin A. Ochratoxin A was detected in Aspergillus ochraceus, A. alliaceus, A. sclerotiorum, A. sulphureus, A. albertensis, A. auricomus, and A. wentii strains. This is the first report of production of ochratoxins in the latter three species. Ochratoxin production by these species was confirmed by high-performance thin-layer chromatography and by high-performance liquid chromatography. The chemical methods also indicated the production of ochratoxin B by all of the Aspergillus strains mentioned above.
Interacting scalar field theory in general curved space-time.

The ultraviolet divergences of two-loop diagrams in general curved space-time are determined for the six-dimensional phi/sup 3/ theory. The background-field method is used to evaluate the effective action. In order to isolate the short-distance singularities, the Feynman propagator is expanded by the heat kernel and dimensional regularization is employed. The gravitational counterterms as well as those for the matter field are explicitly given to the two-loop order.
Insights about practice from the perspective of motor learning : a review

K E Y W O R D S : Feedback, contextual interference, observation, attention, self-control, music education While the learning of motor skills, including sport skills, has been examined in the laboratory, and countless empirical studies have been conducted to examine how factors such as feedback or the performer’s attentional focus affect learning, musicians have chosen to look the other way. Instrumentalists and vocalists do not deny that virtuosic playing is a complex motor skill, but they shudder at the thought that their art can be analyzed and quantified. It is hard for them to relinquish the age-old belief that “hard science” cannot be used to fathom musical performance. Even music educators have shunned a systematic approach to teaching methods, preferring to rely on habit, instinct, and the masterstudent model that has been perpetuated for centuries (Richter, 2001). Indeed, music pedagogy has been consistently resistant to change, even in light of neurobiological evidence that has revolutionized scientists’ understanding of learning and behaviour. Perhaps it is a question of identity: music teachers prefer to view themselves as artist-teachers rather than professional trainers. Fortunately, a new generation of musicians is developing curiosity for the work of experimental psychologists. In return, researchers in the field of motor learning are anxious to begin interdisciplinary studies, and welcome such adventurers with open arms, appreciative of participants who display prowess at some of the most
Extensible Framework for Distinct Question Answering Agents

For question answering, the multi-source approach is justifiable especially when different sources provide different types of knowledge. In this paper, a variety of question and answer types are revealed. The key point this paper addresses under the framework of extensible QA is efficient and consonant usage of a number of distinct QA techniques for improving the answer confidence. To prove the extensibility of the proposed model, we started with four QA modules first and added two specialty modules to the system one by one. As a result, both effectiveness and efficiency are improved as we employ more specialized QA modules.
THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATION IN PATIENT-DOCTOR RELATIONSHIP-A REVIEW

Patient’s compliance plays an important role in diagnostic and therapeutic process. Enhancing compliance can be easily achieved by adequate communication between a clinician and the patient. The aim of the study was to identify factors which increase effectiveness of patient-doctor communication. Proper management should include providing information using a language understandable by the patient, and with just right amount of details. Awareness of condition increases the level of comfort and decreases anxiety associated with hospitalization. Moreover, satisfactory communication with physician might lower the risk of confronting malpractice claims in case of adverse effects. Lack of understanding of their condition and performed procedures raises patients’ doubts about clinical decisions. Doctors having better relationships with their patients appear as being more interested in their opinions and encouraging further conversations. These are the attributes of a non-hierarchical relationship that focuses on therapeutic partnership. Having identified specific communication behaviours, it is possible to design appropriate communication techniques. Postgraduate training programmes could be beneficial for most physicians, and apart from solving patient-oriented problems they could also improve teamwork among the medical staff. To achieve best effects, the training programme should be individualized and depend on clinician’s specialty. Enhancement of physician’s communication skills leads to mutual advantages for both sides.
Differentiation‐specific demethylation of myelin associated glycoprotein gene in cultured oligodendrocytes

The methylation status of a 4.4‐kb 5′ end of the myelin‐associated glycoprotein (MAG) gene was assessed in cells with different levels of transcriptional activity of the gene, i.e., liver, brain, O‐2A oligodendrocyte precursors cells, mature oligodendrocytes, and glioma C6 cells. Purified DNA was digested with methylation‐sensitive restriction enzymes, and the cuts were mapped by the indirect end‐labeling technique. The restriction sites within the 4.4‐kb fragment revealed a highly heterogenous methylation pattern among cells and tissues, and liver DNA was the most heavily methylated. Most of the restriction sites were partly demethylated in the nervous system cells. Notably, two adjacent Hha1 sites at +94 and +96 were fully methylated in liver, but partially demethylated in the brain, OL, and O2A. Two Hpa2 site located at −1836 and at −39 were progressively demethylated in oligodendrocyte lineage cells, indicating specific hypomethylation associated with the oligodendrocytic differentiation. Most of the restriction sites were weakly methylated in the DNA from neoplastic C6 cells, although the Hha1 sites were fully methylated. No clear‐cut correlation between the extent of CpG dinucleotide methylation and the chromatin conformation was found. For example, out of four heavily methylated sites only two comapped with MNase hypersensitive sites. Also, the −1836 Hpa2 site whose demethylation is concomitant with oligodendrocytic differentiation seems to be localized within precisely positioned nucleosomal arrays of the MAG gene chromatin.
Removal of Escherichia coli in wastewater by activated sludge

Removal of bacteria from wastewater treated with activated sludge was studied by the use of a streptomycin-resistant Escherichia coli strain. The removal appeared to be a biphasic process. A rapid sorption of bacteria to the sludge flocs took place in the first hour after seeding mixed liquor with E. coli. Thereafter, slower elimination of E. coli was observed. The latter process was due to predation on E. coli by ciliated protozoa. This was shown by: (i) appearance of fluorescent food vacuoles of ciliates when fluorescent E. coli cells were added to mixed liquor; (ii) inhibition of predation either in the presence of cycloheximide or under anaerobic conditions; and (iii) absence of predation in bulking and washed sludge.