Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Recycling MHC class I molecules and endosomal peptide loading.

MHC class I molecules usually present peptides derived from endogenous antigens that are bound in the endoplasmic reticulum. Loading of exogenous antigens on class I molecules, e.g., in cross-priming, sometimes occurs, but the intracellular location where interaction between the antigenic fragment and class I takes place is unclear. Here we show that measles virus F protein can be presented by class I in transporters associated with antigen processing-independent, NH(4)Cl-sensitive manner, suggesting that class I molecules are able to interact and bind antigen in acidic compartments, like class II molecules. Studies on intracellular transport of green fluorescent protein-tagged class I molecules in living cells confirmed that a small fraction of class I molecules indeed enters classical MHC class II compartments (MIICs) and is transported in MIICs back to the plasma membrane. Fractionation studies show that class I complexes in MIICs contain peptides. The pH in MIIC (around 5.0) is such that efficient peptide exchange can occur. We thus present evidence for a pathway for class I loading that is shared with class II molecules.
Optic disc progression in glaucoma: comparison of confocal scanning laser tomography to optic disc photographs in a prospective study.

PURPOSE To compare confocal scanning laser tomography (CSLT) to optic disc photography for detecting progressive glaucomatous disc changes. METHODS Four expert observers first examined a training set of 40 pairs of monoscopic disc photographs to help set a criterion for change. They then classified 44 pairs of monoscopic photographs of patients followed prospectively as having either definitely no change, probably no change, probably change, or definitely change (score, 0, 1, 2, or 3, respectively). Observers were unaware that 10 pairs were photographs of fellow eyes obtained the same day to measure specificity. These patients were imaged with the Heidelberg Retina Tomograph every 6 months. Topographic change analysis (TCA) software with three criteria (yielding specificity of 81%, 94%, or 97%) was used. Comparisons between the TCA results and those of observers were made for a range of liberal to conservative criteria and for individual and combined observer scores. RESULTS The median follow-up was 9.0 years with 18 CSLT images. Observer specificity varied from 50% to 90% (using score 0) and 60% to 100% (using score 0 or 1). Interobserver kappa ranged from 0.22 to 0.38 from the most liberal to conservative criterion and was generally higher than corresponding TCA-observer agreement. For most criteria, observers had either a high hit rate with low specificity or high specificity with a low hit rate compared with the TCA. Similar results were obtained when observer scores were combined to derive a broader range of criteria. CONCLUSIONS The results indicate that the TCA performs at least as well as either the individual or best combination of observer classifications of disc photographs.
Tomato Cf resistance proteins mediate recognition of cognate homologous effectors from fungi pathogenic on dicots and monocots

Most fungal effectors characterized so far are species-specific and facilitate virulence on a particular host plant. During infection of its host tomato, Cladosporium fulvum secretes effectors that function as virulence factors in the absence of cognate Cf resistance proteins and induce effector-triggered immunity in their presence. Here we show that homologs of the C. fulvum Avr4 and Ecp2 effectors are present in other pathogenic fungi of the Dothideomycete class, including Mycosphaerella fijiensis, the causal agent of black Sigatoka disease of banana. We demonstrate that the Avr4 homolog of M. fijiensis is a functional ortholog of C. fulvum Avr4 that protects fungal cell walls against hydrolysis by plant chitinases through binding to chitin and, despite the low overall sequence homology, triggers a Cf-4-mediated hypersensitive response (HR) in tomato. Furthermore, three homologs of C. fulvum Ecp2 are found in M. fijiensis, one of which induces different levels of necrosis or HR in tomato lines that lack or contain a putative cognate Cf-Ecp2 protein, respectively. In contrast to Avr4, which acts as a defensive virulence factor, M. fijiensis Ecp2 likely promotes virulence by interacting with a putative host target causing host cell necrosis, whereas Cf-Ecp2 could possibly guard the virulence target of Ecp2 and trigger a Cf-Ecp2-mediated HR. Overall our data suggest that Avr4 and Ecp2 represent core effectors that are collectively recognized by single cognate Cf-proteins. Transfer of these Cf genes to plant species that are attacked by fungi containing these cognate core effectors provides unique ways for breeding disease-resistant crops.
Climate Model–Simulated Diurnal Cycles in HIRS Clear-Sky Brightness Temperatures

AbstractClear-sky brightness temperature measurements from the High-Resolution Infrared Radiation Sounder (HIRS) are simulated with two climate models via a radiative transfer code. The models are sampled along the HIRS orbit paths to derive diurnal climatologies of simulated brightness temperature analogous to an existing climatology based on HIRS observations. Simulated and observed climatologies are compared to assess model performance and the robustness of the observed climatology.Over land, there is good agreement between simulations and observations, with particularly high consistency for the tropospheric temperature channels. Diurnal cycles in the middle- and upper-tropospheric water vapor channels are weak in both simulations and observations, but the simulated diurnal brightness temperature ranges are smaller than are observed with different phase and there are also intermodel differences. Over sea, the absence of diurnal variability in the models’ sea surface temperatures causes an underestimate.
( V 1 ) ( V 6 ) ( V 2 ) ( V 7 ) ( V 3 ) ( V 8 ) ( V 4 ) ( V 9 )

The objective of this study was to induce mutation in Gypsophila paniculata through in vitro mutagenesis by treating the shoot tips and lateral buds with four doses of gamma irradiation (0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and 1 Gy) and to apply RAPD analysis for the detection of genetic polymorphism among Gypsophila mutants and their parent. The results of analysis of variance revealed that callus induction (%), number of shoots per explant and shoot length (cm) were affected by gamma ray doses and gave highly significant differences influenced by radiation level, whereas shoot formation (%) were statistically insignificant. Radiation level × explant interaction significantly affected all studied characters except shoot formation (%) and shoot length (cm). The lateral bud explants gave significantly higher number of shoots (19.28) compared to shoot tip explants (14.68). Analysis of RAPD recognized 105 different amplification products. The genetic similarity among the ten genotypes ranged from 0.59 to 0.97. In conclusion, gamma rays irradiation can induct mutations which can be carefully acclimatized and commercially propagated under suitable condition. RAPD technique could be successfully applied to the newly Gypsophila variants and can differentiate mutants from their parents.
Formation and binding of histamine by rat tissues in vitro.

Several rat tissues decarboxylate C14 l-histidine and bind the resulting histamine in stable form. The pyloric portion of the stomach is by far the most active. Pretreatment of the rats with cortisone appears to reduce the histamine-binding activity of most tissues while prior adrenalectomy increases it. The stomach is the exception; here the reverse is true. Using rat lung as a test tissue, it was found that prednisone, prednisolone and 9-α-fluorohydrocortisone appear to be more active than cortisone or hydrocortisone in inhibition of histame bininding. The mechanism of this reduction of histamine-binding activity of rat lung involves the loss of extractable histidine decarboxylase activity. with the technical assistance of Rosa L. Smiley and K. Jane Davis
Characteristics of solar thermal absorber materials for cross absorber design in solar air collector

The solar thermal absorber is an integral component of a solar air collector, especially in determining the overall performance of a solar air thermal system. The type and shape of material will have a direct impact on the operating temperature and thermal energy storage effect of the solar air thermal collector. This paper focused on the investigation of aluminum and stainless steel hollow square rods in terms of their solar thermal absorber performance. Comparisons between different materials and coatings were conducted in order to determine their impact in solar thermal absorber applications. Experiments were conducted on both materials with flat-black coated and non-coated surfaces of aluminum (6063) and stainless steel sets respectively. Both sets were exposed under 585 W/m2 radiation and the temperature response was recorded. A significant improvement was shown to result from the application of flat-black coating against non-coated material, with maximum temperatures of 67.2oC and 48.3oC respectively. It was observed that for the hollow square metal absorber the heating and cooling characteristics can be established by means of the relation between the surface and inner air temperatures of the absorber. This method can assist in temperature profiling of hollow square metal for solar thermal application.
Left ventricular 'rigid body rotation' in a patient with acromegaly (from the MAGYAR-Path Study).

Cardiovascular complications are known features in acromegaly due to growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) excess (1,2). In healthy subjects, left ventricular (LV) apex and base rotate in opposite directions resulting in a towel-wringing-like motion called as LV twist, which could be easily and non-invasively quantified by three-dimensional (3D) speckle-tracking echocardiography (3DSTE) (3). However, little is known about LV myocardial rotational mechanics in acromegaly.
Stoichiometry and Localization of the Stator Subunits E and Gin Thermus thermophilus H+-ATPase/Synthase*

Proton-translocating ATPases are central to biological energy conversion. Although eukaryotes contain specialized F-ATPases for ATP synthesis and V-ATPases for proton pumping, eubacteria and archaea typically contain only one enzyme for both tasks. Although many eubacteria contain ATPases of the F-type, some eubacteria and all known archaea contain ATPases of the A-type. A-ATPases are closely related to V-ATPases but simpler in design. Although the nucleotide-binding and transmembrane rotor subunits share sequence homology between A-, V-, and F-ATPases, the peripheral stalk is strikingly different in sequence, composition, and stoichiometry. We have analyzed the peripheral stalk of Thermus thermophilus A-ATPase by using phage display-derived single-domain antibody fragments in combination with electron microscopy and tandem mass spectrometry. Our data provide the first direct evidence for the existence of two peripheral stalks in the A-ATPase, each one composed of heterodimers of subunits E and G arranged symmetrically around the soluble A1 domain. To our knowledge, this is the first description of phage display-derived antibody selection against a multi-subunit membrane protein used for purification and single particle analysis by electron microscopy. It is also the first instance of the derivation of subunit stoichiometry by tandem mass spectrometry to an intact membrane protein complex. Both approaches could be applicable to the structural analysis of other membrane protein complexes.
Frecuencia de registros cardiotocográficos sugerentes de pérdida de bienestar fetal y su relación con los resultados perinatales en un hospital de tercer nivel

Objetivo: El objetivo del estudio es determinar la frecuencia de trazados cardiotocograficos sugerentes de perdida de bienestar fetal (categorias II, “subII”, III) durante el trabajo de parto y las ultimas dos horas anteparto de mujeres asistidas en la sala de partos del Hospital Vall d’Hebron y analizar su relacion con los resultados neonatales adversos a corto plazo y los partos operatorios. Metodo: Estudio observacional de una cohorte prospectiva. Se analizaron los trazados cardiotocograficos intraparto de 379 gestantes con feto unico de ≥ 35 semanas empleando la clasificacion del National Institute of Child Health and Human Development y una subcategoria (“subII”) creada ad hoc. Se calculo la duracion de tiempo en cada categoria y se relaciono con los resultados adversos neonatales y con los partos operatorios. Resultados: Considerando todo el parto, la categoria II estuvo presente en el 41,67%, la categoria “subII” 17,5% y la categoria III 0,0%. En las ultimas dos horas, la categoria II aumento a 60,83%, la categoria “subII” a 33,33% y la categoria III tampoco pudo ser calculada. La categoria “subII” en las dos horas anteparto fue significativamente mas observada en los fetos acidoticos. La categoria II y “subII” fueron significativamente mas observadas durante el trabajo de parto y en las dos horas anteparto en los neonatos con eventos adversos, asi como en los partos finalizados por via cesarea o instrumental. Conclusiones: La categoria II es mas frecuente que la categoria “subII” durante el parto y ambas se incrementan en las ultimas dos horas anteparto. En este estudio se muestra una asociacion entre el tiempo de permanencia en estas categorias y los resultados neonatales adversos a corto plazo y los partos operatorios.
DIMENSIONS OF KARATE MAN PERSONALITY AS PREDICTORS OF LIFE SATISFACTION

The main goal of the research was to identify significant relations between dimensions of personality and life satisfaction. The representative sample of 137 examinees (65 female and 72 male juniors (seniors)) aged 11-17 was tested by International Personality Item Questionnaire (IPIP50) and Life Satisfaction Scale. Results of the coefficient of reliability (Croncbah α) point at satisfactory psychometric characteristics of applied tests. The results of t-test showed statistically significant gender differences in result distribution among the examinees at five variables of personality dimensions: extroversion, amiability, conscientiousness, neurotic behavior and intellect. Significant linear correlations of low intensity (positive direction) were defined between the variables of personal characteristics (extroversion, amiability, conscientiousness, and intellect) and the association of neurotic behavior variable (negative direction) and life satisfaction variable . The results of multiple regression analysis defined: I) statistically significant linear correlation of low intensity between the variables of personality dimensions and life satisfaction, II) predictory variable (dimensions of personality) explain 36% of the proportion of mutual variance of criterion variable (life satisfaction) and III) beta-coefficients of independent variable of extroversion (ß=.24; p<.01) and conscientiousness (ß=.19; p<.01), have positive significant influence on total variability of criterion, whereas beta-coefficient of neurotic behavior has significantly negative role in life satisfaction variable prediction (ß=-.35; p<.01).
Spinal reflex excitability changes after lumbar spine passive flexion mobilization.

BACKGROUND Flexion distraction has gained increased credibility as a therapeutic modality for treatment of low back pain. Although important work in the area has elucidated the intradiskal pressure profiles during flexion distraction, the accompanying neural responses have yet to be described. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this pilot study was to assess neural reflex responses to motion with 3 degrees of freedom applied to the lumbar spine and to evaluate H-reflex responses of the soleus. METHODS Subjects (n = 12) were measured for H-maximum reflexes determined from stimulus response recruitment curves measured in neutral prone position. The mean of 10 evoked H-waves (at H-maximum stimulus intensity) were measured in neutral position, flexion, left and right lateral flexion, and axial rotation of the trunk on an adjusting table. H-reflexes were expressed as a percentage of maximal M-wave for the criterion measure. Spinal range of motion was quantified by digitization. RESULTS The data showed variation in some movement ranges, notwithstanding identical table positioning for all subjects. Mean H-reflex amplitude was decreased (15.2 +/- 5.8 mV to 13.8 +/- 5.8 mV), and the H/M ratio was also decreased in flexion compared with neutral (55.0% +/- 19.1% to 50.3% +/- 19.4%; P <.05). CONCLUSIONS Trunk flexion is accompanied by inhibition of the motor neuron pool. Slight perturbations in numerous afferent receptors are known to significantly alter the H-reflex. The absence of measurable changes in lateral flexion and trunk rotation may indicate that both slow- and fast-adapting receptors could be involved in lumbar motion. These preliminary findings suggest the need for further dynamic motion studies of the flexion distraction neurophysiologic condition.
Tertiary-treated municipal wastewater is a significant point source of antibiotic resistance genes into Duluth-Superior Harbor.

In this study, the impact of tertiary-treated municipal wastewater on the quantity of several antibiotic resistance determinants in Duluth-Superior Harbor was investigated by collecting surface water and sediment samples from 13 locations in Duluth-Superior Harbor, the St. Louis River, and Lake Superior. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) was used to target three different genes encoding resistance to tetracycline (tet(A), tet(X), and tet(W)), the gene encoding the integrase of class 1 integrons (intI1), and total bacterial abundance (16S rRNA genes) as well as total and human fecal contamination levels (16S rRNA genes specific to the genus Bacteroides ). The quantities of tet(A), tet(X), tet(W), intI1, total Bacteroides , and human-specific Bacteroides were typically 20-fold higher in the tertiary-treated wastewater than in nearby surface water samples. In contrast, the quantities of these genes in the St. Louis River and Lake Superior were typically below detection. Analysis of sequences of tet(W) gene fragments from four different samples collected throughout the study site supported the conclusion that tertiary-treated municipal wastewater is a point source of resistance genes into Duluth-Superior Harbor. This study demonstrates that the discharge of exceptionally treated municipal wastewater can have a statistically significant effect on the quantities of antibiotic resistance genes in otherwise pristine surface waters.
framework for efficient large scale equation-oriented flowsheet ptimization lexander

Despite the economic benefits of flowsheet optimization, many commercial tools suffer from long computational times, limited problem formulation flexibility and numerical instabilities. In this study, we address these challenges and present a framework for efficient large scale flowsheet optimization. This framework couples advanced process optimization formulations with state-of-the-art algorithms, and includes several notable features such as (1) an optimization-friendly formulation of cubic equation of state thermodynamic models; (2) a new model for distillation column optimization based on rigorous mass, equilibrium, summation and heat (MESH) equations with a variable number of trays that avoids integer variables; (3) improvements on the Duran–Grossmann formulation for simultaneous heat integration and flowsheet optimization; and (4) a systematic initialization procedure based on model refinements and a tailored multi-start algorithm to improve feasibility and identify high quality local solutions. Capabilities of the framework are demonstrated on a cryogenic air separation unit synthesis study, including two thermally coupled distillation columns and accompanying multistream heat exchangers. A superstructure is formulated that includes several common ASU configurations in literature. As part of the optimization problem the solver selects the best topology in addition to operating conditions (temperatures, flowrates, etc.) for coal oxycombustion applications. The optimization problem includes up to 16,000 variables and 500 degrees of freedom, and predicts specific energy requirement of 0.18 to 0.25 kWh/kg of O2 depending on design assumptions. These results are compared to literature and plans to extend the framework to an entire coal oxycombustion power plant optimization study are discussed. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Brands as Signals: A Cross-Country Validation Study:

Abstract This article tests how well the information economics view of brand equity explains consumer brand choice in countries that represent different cultural dimensions. In this empirical analysis, the authors use survey and experimental data on orange juice and personal computers collected from respondents in Brazil, Germany, India, Japan, Spain, Turkey, and the United States. The results provide strong empirical evidence across countries for the role of brands as signals of product positions. In addition, the positive effect of brand credibility on choice is greater for consumers who rate high on either collectivism or uncertainty avoidance. Credible brands provide more value to collectivist consumers because such consumers perceive these brands as being of higher quality (i.e., reinforcing group identity). Credible brands provide more value to high-uncertainty-avoidance consumers because such brands have lower perceived risk and information costs.
Phylogenetic analysis of molluscan mitochondrial LSU rDNA sequences and secondary structures.

Mollusks are an extraordinarily diverse group of animals with an estimated 200,000 species, second only to the phylum Arthropoda. We conducted a comparative analysis of complete mitochondrial ribosomal large subunit sequences (LSU) of a chiton, two bivalves, six gastropods, and a cephalopod. In addition, we determined secondary structure models for each of them. Comparative analyses of nucleotide variation revealed substantial length variation among the taxa, with stylommatophoran gastropods possessing the shortest lengths. Phylogenetic analyses of the nucleotide sequence data supported the monophyly of Albinaria, Euhadra herklotsi + Cepaea nemoralis, Stylommatophora, Cerithioidea, and when only transversions are included, the Bivalvia. The phylogenetic limits of the mitochondrial LSU rRNA gene within mollusks appear to be up to 400 million years, although this estimate will have to be tested further with additional taxa. Our most novel finding was the discovery of phylogenetic signal in the secondary structure of rRNA of mollusks. The absence of entire stem/loop structures in Domains II, III, and V can be viewed as three shared derived characters uniting the stylommatophoran gastropods. The absence of the aforementioned stem/loop structure explains much of the observed length variation of the mitochondrial LSU rRNA found within mollusks. The distribution of these unique secondary structure characters within mollusks should be examined.