Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Extensive regulation compromises the extent to which DNA gyrase controls DNA supercoiling and growth rate of Escherichia coli.

As DNA gyrase is the only enzyme to supercoil DNA actively, we address here the question of whether it does play the expected dominant role in controlling the level of DNA supercoiling and growth rate in Escherichia coli. We modulated the expression of DNA gyrase around its wild-type level, and measured the effect on plasmid supercoiling and growth rate. As both the activity and the transcription rate of DNA gyrase are sensitive to DNA supercoiling we distinguish two types of control (with control defined as the percentage change observed on a 1% modulation of a parameter). The first type of control, here named inherent control, quantifies the effect of a sustained modulation of the transcription rate of gyrase. At its wild-type expression level this inherent control exerted by DNA gyrase on growth rate was very low, i.e. c mu/gyrase = 0.05 - 0.00, as was the inherent control on DNA supercoiling, c aLK/gyrase = 0.2. The second type of control, here named global control, quantifies the effect of a change in gyrase activity whilst allowing the cell to respond by readjusting gyrase transcription. Both types of control are linked via the sensitivity of gyrase transcription to DNA supercoiling, as determined from the inherent control by gyrase of the gyrase promoter activity using a chromosomal gyrB:lacZ fusion. As expected, the latter control was negative, but small, i.e. c gyr promoter/gyrase=-0.3. The global control by gyrase of active linking number was 0.1. These results show that although gyrase is an essential enzyme it does not have a high control, on either growth rate or DNA supercoiling. Homeostatic regulation of physiological DNA structure appears to dominate. At low degrees of DNA supercoiling, the control by DNA gyrase and by the other topoisomerases is much stronger.
Children's Self-reported Emotions and Emotional Facial Expressions Following Moral Transgressions

This study examined self-reported emotions and emotional facial expressions following moral transgressions using an ethnically diverse sample of 242 4-, 8-, and 12-year-old children. Selfreported emotions were examined in response to three transgression contexts: an intentional harm, an instance of social exclusion, and an omission of a prosocial duty. Children’s emotional expressions of sadness, happiness, anger, fear and disgust were analyzed immediately after being asked how they would feel if they had committed one of the described transgressions. Emotional expressions were scored using automated emotion recognition software. Four-year-olds reported significantly more happiness as compared to 8and 12-year-olds. In addition, self-reports of sadness decreased between 8and 12-year-olds, while self-reported guilt increased between these age groups. Furthermore, 4and 8-year-olds demonstrated higher levels of facially expressed happiness than 12-year-olds. These findings highlight the role of automatic affective and controlled cognitive processes in the development of children’s emotions following moral transgressions.
Modulation of p53-mediated transcriptional repression and apoptosis by the adenovirus E1B 19K protein

BRK cell lines that stably express adenovirus E1A and a murine temperature-sensitive p53 undergo apoptosis when p53 assumes the wild-type conformation. Expression of the E1B 19,000-molecular-weight (19K) protein rescues cells from this p53-mediated apoptosis and diverts cells to a growth-arrested state. As p53 likely functions as a tumor suppressor by regulating transcription, the ability of the E1B 19K protein to regulate p53-mediated transactivation and transcriptional repression was investigated. In promoter-reporter assays the E1B 19K did not block p53-mediated transactivation but did alleviate p53-mediated transcriptional repression. E1B 19K expression permitted efficient transcriptional activation of the p21/WAF-1/cip-1 mRNA by p53, consistent with maintenance of the growth arrest function of p53. The E1B 19K protein is thereby unique among DNA virus-transforming proteins that target p53 for inactivation in that it selectively modulates the transcriptional properties of p53. The E1B 19K protein also rescued cells from apoptosis induced by inhibitors of transcription and protein synthesis. This suggests that cell death may result from the inhibition of expression of survival factors which function to maintain cell viability. p53 may induce apoptosis through generalized transcriptional repression. In turn, the E1B 19K protein may prevent p53-mediated apoptosis by alleviating p53-mediated transcriptional repression.
Study on anaerobic/aerobic membrane bioreactor treatment for domestic wastewater.

A 69-day experimental study was conducted to investigate the treatment process of municipal wastewater using submerged membrane bioreactor technology. The results show that the average removal rate of COD and BOD5 were over 90%. The removal rate of NH3-N was 99% and the concentration of effluent NH3-N was below 0.5mg/L; because of the high DO value in the denitration sect, the denitrobacteria was restrained and the effluent TN value was high, but the removal rate of TN can also reach 80%; the removal of TP was due to sample sludge and microorganism growth. The viscosity of sludge was not increasing with the sludge concentration, it was stabilized at 2.1 mPa·s.The sludge settling ratio (SV30) and sludge volume index (SVI) were increased because soluble microbial products (SMP) and extracellular polymers (ECP) accumulated in the reactor during the course of the experiment, mixed liquor volatile suspended solids (MLVSS) and mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) fell slightly. The average diameter of sludge decreased in the course of the experiment, the diameter range was from 49.58 μm to 24.96 μm during the 69-day operation, and there was no trace of contamination membrane, illustrating that the PVDF flat sheet membrane manufactured by TORAY, Japan, had the ability to resist contamination.
Salmonella Enteritidis bacteriophage candidates for phage therapy of poultry

Aims: Salmonella is a worldwide foodborne pathogen causing acute enteric infections in humans. In the recent years, the use of bacteriophages has been suggested as a possible tool to combat this zoonotic pathogen in poultry farms. This work aims to isolate and perform comparative studies of a group of phages active against a collection of specific Salmonella Enteritidis strains from Portugal and England. Also, suitable phage candidates for therapy of poultry will be selected.
History of Zinc in Agriculture 1,2

Zinc was established as essential for green plants in 1926 and for mammals in 1934. However, >20 y would pass before the first descriptions of zinc deficiencies in farm animals appeared. In 1955, it was reported that zinc supplementation would cure parakeratosis in swine. In 1958, it was reported that zinc deficiency induced poor growth, leg abnormalities, poor feathering, and parakeratosis in chicks. In the 1960s, zinc supplementation was found to alleviate parakeratosis in grazing cattle and sheep. Within 35 y, it was established that nearly one half of the soils in the world may be zinc deficient, causing decreased plant zinc content and production that can be prevented by zinc fertilization. In many of these areas, zinc deficiency is prevented in grazing livestock by zinc fertilization of pastures or by providing salt licks. For livestock under more defined conditions, such as poultry, swine, and dairy and finishing cattle, feeds are easily supplemented with zinc salts to prevent deficiency. Today, the causes and consequences of zinc deficiency and methods and effects of overcoming the deficiency are well established for agriculture. The history of zinc in agriculture is an outstanding demonstration of the translation of research into practical application. Adv. Nutr. 3: 783–789, 2012.
The coral proto - free ocean carbon enrichment system (CP-FOCE): Engineering and development

Ocean acidification is driven by increasing atmospheric CO2 and represents a key threat to the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) and other coral reefs globally. Previous investigations have depended on studies in aquaria that are compromised by reduced ecological complexity and buffering capacity, and problems associated with containment. These aquaria studies also include artifacts such as artificial flow, light, temperature, and water quality conditions. In order to avoid these issues a new technology was needed for in situ science. This need was the driver behind development of the Free Ocean Carbon Enrichment (FOCE) approach. FOCE is similar in approach to the Free Air Carbon Enrichment (FACE) experiments pursued on land for almost two decades. FOCE as a systems concept was developed at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) to perform controlled in situ studies on the effects of increased carbon dioxide on ocean environments. FOCE systems inject carbon dioxide enriched water into the desired control volume to lower the environmental pH to a specified value.
Unstable angina: an etiologic approach to management.

Unstable angina results from an imbalance between myocardial oxygen supply and demand. Probably the most common cause is reduced myocardial perfusion resulting from a nonocclusive thrombus on a fissured or eroded atherosclerotic plaque that often had caused only mild to moderate obstruction previously.3 Nonocclusive thrombi in patients with unstable angina have been demonstrated by coronary angioscopy and arteriography.4 They occur most commonly on complex, irregular lesions.5 Plaques that have undergone disruption often have a core that is rich in cholesteryl esters and tissue factor. They have a thin fibrous cap; disruption is caused by shear forces acting on the shoulder of the plaque. In patients with unstable angina, products of aggregating platelets are released into the coronary circulation,6 and there appears to be continued thrombus formation, often for months, after the index event.7 Nonocclusive coronary thrombi often become organized and incorporated into the growing plaque. Treatment with antithrombotic agents (unfractionated heparin8 and low-molecular-weight heparin9 ) and antiplatelet agents (aspirin,8 ticlopidine,10 and glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors2 ) is beneficial in this form of angina. Perhaps tissue factor inhibitors will prove useful as well. A second form of unstable angina is caused by dynamic obstruction, ie, coronary vasoconstriction. Four subgroups are recognized. (1) The first is Prinzmetal’s variant angina, with intense focal spasm of a segment of an epicardial coronary artery not involved by coronary atherosclerosis. (2) In the second, also called Prinzmetal’s angina, the spasm occurs adjacent to a nonobstructive atheromatous plaque. Both of these forms of vasospastic angina appear to be due to hypercontractility of vascular smooth muscle and endothelial dysfunction occurring in the region of spasm. They are characterized by ST-segment elevation accompanying rest pain and …
Indications for surgery in intestinal Behçet's disease.

BACKGROUND/AIMS As advances in steroids and immunosuppressants made medical treatment first-line therapy for Behçet's disease, the criteria for elective surgery became unclear. The aim of this paper is to establish surgical criteria for Behçet's. METHODOLOGY We reviewed the medical records of 8 consecutive Japanese patients who were diagnosed with intestinal Behçet's at Tsukuba University Hospital between 1976 and 2001. Records were examined for medical treatment including dose of steroids, and surgical treatment including length of resected intestine, incidence of recurrence, and the form and site of recurrence. RESULTS Elective surgery was performed in cases where the preoperative steroid administration could not be reduced to under 40mg/day, once steroids exceeded 40mg/day to control symptoms and inflammation. Cases with emergency operations (perforated cases), the preoperative doses of steroids were not so high (0, 0, 10, 20mg/day). In all cases, the post-surgical steroid dose was reduced under 20mg/day. Three cases showed recurrence after surgery within 2 years. These cases also had an increase in steroid dosage at the time of recurrence, but have been controlled medically so far. CONCLUSIONS Surgery should be strongly considered when the steroid dose exceeds 40mg/day.
Primary Osteosarcoma in Adults Older Than 40 Years

The aim of the current study was to determine the prognostic factors of primary osteosarcoma in adults. This is a review of 47 patients older than 40 years (27 men and 20 women) who were treated between 1977 and 1998 at the authors’ institution. Tumors involved the lower limbs in 26 patients and the axial skeleton in 18 patients (38.3%). Eight patients (17%) had synchronous pulmonary metastasis and seven had a pathologic fracture before the definitive surgery. At review, 33 patients had died and 13 were alive. Twenty-one patients (44.7%) did not receive any form of systemic treatment. Tumors were treated surgically in 42 patients (89%). Local recurrence was documented in seven patients (17%). Metastasis after diagnosis appeared in 29 patients (61.7%). The 5-year disease-free survival and overall survival rates were 32.54% and 41.64%, respectively. Adult patients (> 19 years) with primary osteosarcoma had a poor clinical outcome. Metastatic disease at presentation or later, a pathologic fracture, large tumor volumes, and inadequate margins at the time of surgery were associated with significantly lower survival. The high number of adults presenting with advanced stage lesions and more tumors in the axial location might explain the high rate of recurrences. Aggressive multiagent regimens are needed to improve survival.
Patient satisfaction after knee arthroplasty: A report on 27,372 knees operated on between 1981 and 1995 in Sweden

During a validation process of the Swedish Knee Arthroplasty Register (SKAR), living registered patients were sent a questionnaire to ask if they had been reoperated on. This gave an opportunity to pose a simple four-point question with respect to patient satisfaction which 95% of patients answered. We analyzed the answers of patients operated on between 1981 and 1995 and found that only 8% of the patients were dissatisfied regarding their knee arthroplasty 2-17 years postoperatively. The satisfaction rate was constant, regardless of when the operation had been performed during the 15-year period. The proportion of satisfied patients was affected by the preoperative diagnosis, patients operated on for a long-standing disease more often being satisfied than those with a short disease-duration. There was no difference in proportions of satisfied patients, whether they had primarily been operated on with a total knee arthroplasty (TKA) or a medial unicompartmental arthroplasty (UKA). For TKAs performed with primary patellar resurfacing, there was a higher ratio of satisfied patients than for TKAs not resurfaced, but this increased ratio diminished with time passed since the primary operation. Unrevised knees had a higher proportion of satisfied patients than knees that had been subject to revision, and among patients revised for medial UKA, the proportion of satisfied patients was higher than among patients revised for TKA. We conclude that satisfaction after knee arthroplasty is stable and long-lasting in unrevised cases and that even after revision most patients are satisfied.
T1ρ MRI of human musculoskeletal system

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) offers the direct visualization of the human musculoskeletal (MSK) system, especially all diarthrodial tissues including cartilage, bone, menisci, ligaments, tendon, hip, synovium, etc. Conventional MRI techniques based on T1‐ and T2‐weighted, proton density (PD) contrast are inconclusive in quantifying early biochemically degenerative changes in MSK system in general and articular cartilage in particular. In recent years, quantitative MR parameter mapping techniques have been used to quantify the biochemical changes in articular cartilage, with a special emphasis on evaluating joint injury, cartilage degeneration, and soft tissue repair. In this article we focus on cartilage biochemical composition, basic principles of T1ρ MRI, implementation of T1ρ pulse sequences, biochemical validation, and summarize the potential applications of the T1ρ MRI technique in MSK diseases including osteoarthritis (OA), anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, and knee joint repair. Finally, we also review the potential advantages, challenges, and future prospects of T1ρ MRI for widespread clinical translation. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2015;41:586–600. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Polyvinylamine-based capsules: A mechanistic study of the formation using alginate and cellulose sulphate

Capsules based on sodium alginate (SA) and sodium cellulose sulphate (SCS), have been prepared using polyvinylamines (PVAm) of varying intrinsic viscosities. The resulting capsules are relatively dense in nature, revealing a bursting force which is four times that observed for the classical SA/SCS/polymethylene-co-guanidine chemistry. Molar mass cutoffs were typically in the 10–70 kDa range. A mechanistic study was carried out where the reaction time, ionic strength and pH of the reaction mixture, as well as the stoichiometry of the polyanion blend and the PVAm molar mass were varied. It is postulated that both the SA-PVAm and the SCS-PVAm binary interactions contribute to the mechanical properties and the permeability of the resulting capsules. The polyvinylamine-based chemistry offers interesting alternatives to the PMCG system in that it provides a means to produce capsules at low, or zero, ionic strengths. Subtle changes in the pH, or the SA:SCS ratio, can also be used to tune the bursting force quite sensitively. The most appropriate capsules, for transplantation, would likely be formed at polyanion levels of 1.2 wt% with a PVAm molar mass below 17 kDa.
BARYONS MATTER: WHY LUMINOUS SATELLITE GALAXIES HAVE REDUCED CENTRAL MASSES

Using high-resolution cosmological hydrodynamical simulations of Milky Way-massed disk galaxies, we demonstrate that supernovae feedback and tidal stripping lower the central masses of bright (−15 < MV < −8) satellite galaxies. These simulations resolve high-density regions, comparable to giant molecular clouds, where stars form. This resolution allows us to adopt a prescription for H2 formation and destruction that ties star formation to the presence of shielded, molecular gas. Before infall, supernova feedback from the clumpy, bursty star formation captured by this physically motivated model leads to reduced dark matter (DM) densities and shallower inner density profiles in the massive satellite progenitors (Mvir ⩾ 109 M☉, M* ⩾ 107 M☉) compared with DM-only simulations. The progenitors of the lower mass satellites are unable to maintain bursty star formation histories, due to both heating at reionization and gas loss from initial star-forming events, preserving the steep inner density profile predicted by DM-only simulations. After infall, gas stripping from satellites reduces the total central masses of satellites simulated with DM+baryons relative to DM-only satellites. Additionally, enhanced tidal stripping after infall due to the baryonic disk acts to further reduce the central DM densities of the luminous satellites. Satellites that enter with cored DM halos are particularly vulnerable to the tidal effects of the disk, exacerbating the discrepancy in the central masses predicted by baryon+DM and DM-only simulations. We show that DM-only simulations, which neglect the highly non-adiabatic evolution of baryons described in this work, produce denser satellites with larger central velocities. We provide a simple correction to the central DM mass predicted for satellites by DM-only simulations. We conclude that DM-only simulations should be used with great caution when interpreting kinematic observations of the Milky Way's dwarf satellites.
Sliding Mode Control of a Stand-Alone Wound Rotor Synchronous Generator

This paper presents a sliding mode control for a wound rotor synchronous machine acting as an isolated generator. The standard dq model of the machine is connected to a resistive load. A switching function is defined in order to fulfill control objectives, and the ideal sliding dynamics is proved to be stable. From the desired surface, the standard sliding methodology is applied to obtain a robust and very simple controller. Numerical simulations and experimental results validate the control law and show good performance and a fast response to load and reference changes.
Donor‐specific alloantibodies are associated with fibrosis progression after liver transplantation in hepatitis C virus–infected patients

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) fibrosis progression after liver transplantation (LT) is accelerated in comparison with fibrosis progression before transplantation. The vast majority of the risk factors for fibrosis progression after LT are not modifiable. With the goal of identifying modifiable risk factors for fibrosis progression, we evaluated the impact of preformed and de novo donor‐specific human leukocyte antigen alloantibodies (DSAs) on fibrosis progression after LT in HCV‐viremic patients. After blinding, we analyzed all 507 HCV‐viremic patients who underwent primary LT from January 2000 to May 2009 and had pretransplant and posttransplant samples available for analysis (86% of the total) for preformed and de novo class I and class II DSAs with a mean fluorescence intensity ≥ 5000 with single‐antigen bead technology. Fibrosis was assessed on the basis of indication and protocol liver biopsies; compliance with protocol liver biopsies at 1, 2, and 5 years was ≥80%. Preformed class I DSAs [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.44, P = 0.04] and class II DSAs (HR = 1.86, P < 0.001) were independent predictors of progression to stage 2‐4 fibrosis, and de novo DSAs (HR = 1.41, P = 0.07) had borderline significance. In addition, preformed class I DSAs (HR = 1.63, P = 0.03) and class II DSAs (HR = 1.72, P = 0.03) were statistically significantly associated with an increased risk of death. In conclusion, after we controlled for donor and recipient characteristics in multivariate modeling, DSAs were independently associated with fibrosis progression and death after LT in HCV‐viremic patients. Liver Transpl 20:655‐663, 2014. © 2014 AASLD.
Noninvasive Ventilation for Patients With Acute Lung Injury or Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Few studies have been performed on noninvasive ventilation (NIV) to treat hypoxic acute respiratory failure in patients with acute lung injury (ALI) or acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The outcomes of these patients, for whom endotracheal intubation is not mandatory, depend on the degree of hypoxia, the presence of comorbidities and complications, and their illness severity. The use of NIV as an alternative to invasive ventilation in severely hypoxemic patients with ARDS (ie, PaO2/FIO2 < 200) is not generally advisable and should be limited to hemodynamically stable patients who can be closely monitored in an intensive care unit by highly skilled staff. Early NIV application may be extremely helpful in immunocompromised patients with pulmonary infiltrates, in whom intubation dramatically increases the risk of infection, pneumonia, and death. The use of NIV in patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome and other airborne diseases has generated debate, despite encouraging clinical results, mainly because of safety issues. Overall, the high rate of NIV failure suggests a cautious approach to NIV use in patients with ALI/ARDS, including early initiation, intensive monitoring, and prompt intubation if signs of NIV failure emerge.