Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A novel virus binding assay using confocal microscopy: demonstration that the intracellular and extracellular vaccinia virions bind to different cellular receptors

Vaccinia virus (VV) produces two antigenically and structurally distinct infectious virions, intracellular mature virus (IMV) and extracellular enveloped virus (EEV), which bind to unidentified and possibly different cellular receptors. Studies of VV binding have been hampered by having two infectious virions and by the rupture of the EEV outer membrane in the majority of EEV virions during purification. To overcome these problems, we have developed a novel approach to study VV binding that is based on confocal microscopy and does not require EEV purification. In this assay, individual virus particles adsorbed to the cell are simultaneously distinguished and quantified by double immunofluorescence labelling with antibody markers for EEV and IMV. By this method, we show unequivocally that IMV and EEV bind to different cellular receptors. Three independent observations allow this conclusion. First, the efficiencies with which IMV and EEV bind to different cell lines are unrelated; second, cell surface digestion with some enzymes affects IMV and EEV binding differently; and third, the binding of a monoclonal antibody to cells prevents IMV binding but not EEV binding. This technique may be widely applicable for studying the binding of different viruses.
The effect of ratios and numbers of spermatozoa mixed from two males on proportions of offspring.

When mixtures of semen containing an equal number of spermatozoa from two males are inseminated, the males usually sire disproportionate numbers of the offspring. In this study, when a mixture of equal numbers of spermatozoa from a Columbian (C) and a Leghorn (L1) cock was inseminated, the C male sired 34% of the offspring. The proportion of offspring was constant regardless of age of males, season, total number of spermatozoa, breed of hen or the interval from insemination to the time of egg-lay over a 15-day period after insemination. The proportion of C offspring observed from inseminating nine different ratios of spermatozoa arranged progressively from 1C :9L, 2C:8L and so on, was 10%, 20%, 23%, 34%, 38%, 44%, 58%, 74% and 82%. These results were in close agreement with mathematically derived estimates. It appears that the relationship between sperm ratios and the proportions of offspring sired by two males competing heterospermically is dependent on the ratio of the number of competing spermatozoa but not on total number, season, breed of hen or the interval from insemination to fertilization.
Electrical stimulation for the treatment of bladder dysfunction: Current status and future possibilities

Abstract Electrical stimulation of peripheral nerves can be used to cause muscle contraction, to activate reflexes, and to modulate some functions of the central nervous system (neuromodulation). If applied to the spinal cord or nerves controlling the lower urinary tract, electrical stimulation can produce bladder or sphincter contraction, produce micturition, and can be applied as a medical treatment in cases of incontinence and urinary retention. This article first reviews the history of electrical stimulation applied for treatment of bladder dysfunction and then focuses on the implantable Finetech-Brindley stimulator to produce bladder emptying, and on external and implantable neuromodulation systems for treatment of incontinence. We conclude by summarizing some recent research efforts including: (a) combined sacral posterior and anterior sacral root stimulator implant (SPARSI), (b) selective stimulation of nerve fibers for selective detrusor activation by sacral ventral root stimulation, (c) microstimulation of the spinal cord, and (d) a newly proposed closed-loop bladder neuroprosthesis to treat incontinence caused by bladder overactivity. [Neurol Res 2002; 24: 413-430]
The role of corpus size and syntax in deriving lexico-semantic representations for a wide range of concepts

One of the most significant recent advances in the study of semantic processing is the advent of models based on text and other corpora. In this study, we address what impact both the quantitative and qualitative properties of corpora have on mental representations derived from them. More precisely, we evaluate models with different linguistic and mental constraints on their ability to predict semantic relatedness between items from a vast range of domains and categories. We find that a model based on syntactic dependency relations captures significantly less of the variability for all kinds of words, regardless of the semantic relation between them or their abstractness. The largest difference was found for concrete nouns, which are commonly used to assess semantic processing. For both models we find that limited amounts of data suffice in order to obtain reliable predictions. Together, these findings suggest new constraints for the construction of mental models from corpora, both in terms of the corpus size and in terms of the linguistic properties that contribute to mental representations.
Predicting the highest workload in cardiopulmonary test

Cardiopulmonary exercise testing is an objective method to evaluate both the cardiac and pulmonary functions. It is used in different application domains, ranging from the clinical domain to sport sciences, to assess possible cardiac failures as well as athete performance. The highest workload reached in the test is a key information to evaluate the individual's physiological characteristics, to plan rehabilitation and/or training sessions. However, these tests are physically very demanding and may expose the tested individual to cardiopulmonary overload. This paper presents a new approach that allows an early prediction of the highest workload that will be reached in the cardiopulmonary test. The test can be prematurely stopped, avoiding its entire execution. The proposed approach relies on a new index, the CardioPulmonary Efficiency Index, which describes the cardiopulmonary response of an individual by summarizing the physiological signals monitored during the test. A k-Nearest Neighbor based classifier analyzes the index trend during the test, together with the characteristics of the individual, and predicts the highest workload. Preliminary experiments, performed on a real dataset provided by the CSA Sport Training Center, showed that the proposed approach is able to effectively predict the highest workload with a limited error since the first steps of the test.
Superconductive Three-Terminal Amplifier/Discriminator

We describe a new superconductive three-terminal device that acts as a fast pulse amplifier and discriminator. The device is based on a parallel nano-wire configuration. The nano-wires are properly biased near their critical current. When a current pulse of sufficient amplitude is injected into one of the wires, a transition to the normal state of all the wires occurs, thus generating a large output current pulse. This device could be used as a pulse amplifier for signals generated by nano-wire detectors or by RSFQ circuits. The parallel nano-wire structure can be realized with the same fabrication process used for NbN Superconducting Single Photon Detector (SSPD), so its integration into the existing technology is straightforward. Here we present numerical simulations of the device, with special attention to circuit requirement for the correct operation.
Progesterone – induced blocking factor (PIBF) and Th1/Th2 cytokine in women with threatened spontaneous abortion

Abstract Objective: The aim of this prospective study was to compare serum and urine concentrations of progesterone-induced blocking factor (PIBF) and serum concentrations of anti-inflammatory (IL10) and pro-inflammatory (IL6, TNFα, IFNγ) cytokines of women with threatened spontaneous abortion with normal pregnancy and to evaluate the impact of PIBF on outcome of pregnancy. Methods: A sample of 30 women with threatened spontaneous abortion (study group) and 20 healthy pregnant women (control group) between 6th and 24th gestational weeks was studied. Serum and urine PIBF, IL10 and IL6, TNFα, IFNγ cytokine concentrations were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: Five (16.7%) pregnancies in the study group ended missed abortion vs. none in the control group (P<0.05). Five (20%) threatened aborters delivered between 24th and 37th weeks of gestation, whereas two (10%) preterm deliveries occurred in the controls (P>0.05). PIBF concentrations in urine (19.5±12.9 ng/mL) and serum (214.4±120.6 of patients with threatened abortion were significantly lower than in healthy pregnant women (45.3±33.7 ng/mL and 357.3±159.9 ng/mL, respectively). Women with threatened abortion had significantly lower serum levels of anti-inflammatory cytokine, but levels of proinflammatory cytokines were higher in this group compared with healthy controls. Conclusions: Determination of progesteron-induced blocking factor level in body fluids in early pregnancy might be used for the diagnosis and prognosis of threatened abortion.
Origin of the 1 1 5 0 − cm − 1 Raman mode in nanocrystalline diamond

The peak near 1150 cm 21 in the visible Raman spectra of poor quality chemical-vapor-deposited diamond is often used as the signature of nanocrystalline diamond. We argue that this peak should not be assigned to nanocrystalline diamond or other sp-bonded phases. Its wave number disperses with excitation energy, its intensity decreases with increasing excitation energy, and it is always accompanied by another peak near 1450 cm, which acts similarly. This behavior is that expected for sp-bonded configurations, with their smaller band gap. The peaks are assigned to transpolyacetylene segments at grain boundaries and surfaces.
Food insecurity and dietary quality in US adults and children: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND Food insecurity is adversely associated with the physical and mental health of adults and children, and the mechanism that underlies this association has been assumed to be dietary intake of lower quality in food insecure than food secure individuals. A thorough understanding of observed associations between food insecurity and dietary quality is needed to test this assumption and may highlight pathways through which to improve the health of food-insecure adults and children. OBJECTIVE We systematically reviewed all evidence of associations between food insecurity and dietary quality and contrasted associations observed in adults and those for children. DESIGN Evidence came from studies that appeared in indexed, peer-reviewed journals and 1) sampled US residents, 2) separately sampled children and adults, 3) contained a measure of food insecurity or food insufficiency, and 4) included at least one measure of dietary quality. RESULTS In adults, 170 associations between food insecurity and dietary quality were tested, and 50 associations (29%) suggested an adverse association. Food-insecure adults consumed fewer vegetables, fruit, and dairy products than did food secure adults and had lower intake of vitamins A and B-6, calcium, magnesium, and zinc. In children, 130 associations were tested, and 21 associations (16%) showed an adverse association. There was substantial evidence of only lower fruit consumption in food-insecure compared with food-secure children. Reporting and publication biases may have contributed to an overestimation of the association between food insecurity and dietary quality. CONCLUSIONS Food insecurity is adversely associated with dietary quality in adults, particularly intakes of nutrient-rich vegetables, fruit, and dairy that promote good health. However, food insecurity was less-consistently associated with lower dietary quality in children. The idea that parents effectively shield their children from compromised dietary quality because of food shortages is supported by the evidence.
Effect of alcohol consumption and acetaldehyde on blood cells and molecules: pathogenic and diagnostic implications

Alcohol abuse is known to have a wide array of adverse effects on serum proteins, blood cells and their progenitors in bone marrow. The mechanisms by which it does so have not yet been established, however. Recent studies have suggested that acetaldehyde, the first metabolite of ethanol, is responsible for many of its harmful effects, being a highly reactive molecule and capable of forming stable condensates with proteins and cellular constituents. Acetaldehyde-derived protein condensates have also been suggested as possible new markers of alcohol abuse. The present work is focused on the effects of ethanol and acetaldehyde on blood cells and proteins. The formation of acetaldehyde-derived protein modifications in vivo was studied using antibodies recognizing acetaldehydemodified epitopes in proteins independently of the nature of the carrier protein. The subjects were patients representing a wide range of ethanol consumption and abnormalities in haematological parameters, alcoholics admitted for detoxification and patients with alcoholic liver disease. The controls were individuals without any history of excessive alcohol consumption. Routine haematological examinations of patients presenting with cytopenia and a history of hazardous drinking showed the incidence of anaemia to be lower than that in the corresponding non-alcoholic controls. Abnormal platelet and leukocyte levels were common, especially in the anaemic alcoholics. Both an elevated mean cell volume of erythrocytes (macrocytosis) (67% vs. 18%) and elevated mean cell haemoglobin (63% vs. 22%) were more frequent in the alcoholics. Reticulocytosis, thrombocytopenia and combined cytopenias were all common findings in the alcoholic patients. Blood smears from the alcoholics typically showed round macrocytes, stomatocytes and knizocytes. Bone marrow aspirates revealed vacuolization of pronormoblasts and megakaryocytes, especially in individuals with recent intoxication. Immunocytochemical analyses of peripheral blood erythrocytes indicated that acetaldehyde-derived epitopes occurred both on the cell membrane and inside the erythrocytes. Bone marrow aspirates also showed positive staining for acetaldehyde adducts in erythropoietic cells. Separation of erythrocyte proteins by high-pressure liquid chromatography revealed the formation of fast-eluting haemoglobin fractions which reacted with antibodies against acetaldehyde adducts.
Performance analysis of space-time MMSE multiuser detection for coded DS-CDMA systems in multipath fading channels

This paper investigates the use of convolutional coding in space-time minimum mean-square-error (MMSE) multiuser-based receivers over asynchronous multipath Rayleigh fading channels. We focus on the performance gain attained through error control coding when used with binary-phase-shift-keyed modulation (BPSK) and multiuser access based on direct sequence-code-division multiple access (DS-CDMA). In our analysis, we derive an approximation for the uncoded probability of bit-error in multipath fading channels. This bit-error rate (BER) approximation is shown to be very accurate when compared to the exact performance. For a convolutionally coded system, we obtain a closed form expression for the bit-error rate upper bound. This error bound is noted to be tight as the number of quantization levels increased beyond eight. Using our theoretical results, we obtain an estimate for the achieved user-capacity that accrues due to error control coding. It is found that using convolutional coding with 3-bit soft-decision decoding, a user-capacity gain as much as 300% can easily be achieved when complete fading state information plus ideal channel interleaving are assumed.
Development and Analysis of Applicability of a Hybrid Transient Simulation Platform Combining TSA and EMT Elements

This paper considers the use of hybrid simulation combining electromagnetic transients (EMT) simulation and transient stability (TSA) simulation to model large networks. By comparing with a full detailed EMT simulation, the paper shows that the hybrid approach gives more accurate results than TSA simulation alone, when power electronic equipment is included in the EMT part of the model. The paper also considers line switching and faults in the TSA part of the model which were ignored in earlier approaches, and shows that the accuracy is a function of the electrical distance of the fault to the interface bus bars. A new method to improve this accuracy with the use of switchable frequency dependent network equivalents (FDNE) is also introduced.
Bat immunoglobulins formed in response to experimental japan- ese B encephalitis (JBE) virus infection.

The immune response of the big brown bat (Eptesicus f. fuscus) to Japanese B encephalitis (JBE) virus was characterized in terms of the influence of the environmental temperature and the route of inoculation on the length of the antibody induction period and the types of immunoglobulins synthesized. Sucrose density gradient analyses, supported by data derived from DEAE-cellulose chromatography and immunoelectrophoresis, indicated that the bats produced at least two types of immunoglobulins. Hyperimmune bat plasma and hyperimmune guinea pig serum against JBE virus were employed in an examination of the virus-antibody interaction. The results are discussed in terms of the influence of the antibody response on the potential role of bats as reservoir hosts for arboviruses in nature.
Charred Grain Assemblages from Roman-Period Corn Driers in Britain

This paper presents a review of the botanical evidence for the function of so-called ‘corn-driers’ from Roman-period Britain. The charred grain assemblages associated with corn-driers from twenty-one sites have been analysed. The results indicate that these kilns should be regarded as multi-functional structures; both the roasting of germinated grains for the production of malt and the parching/drying of grain in preparation for consumption and storage are functions implied by the botanical evidence. The need for further experimental research is identified.
Bioenergy: how much can we expect for 2050?

Estimates of global primary bioenergy potentials in the literature span almost three orders of magnitude. We narrow that range by discussing biophysical constraints on bioenergy potentials resulting from plant growth (NPP) and its current human use. In the last 30 years, terrestrial NPP was almost constant near 54 PgC yr−1, despite massive efforts to increase yields in agriculture and forestry. The global human appropriation of terrestrial plant production has doubled in the last century. We estimate the maximum physical potential of the world’s total land area outside croplands, infrastructure, wilderness and denser forests to deliver bioenergy at approximately 190 EJ yr−1. These pasture lands, sparser woodlands, savannas and tundras are already used heavily for grazing and store abundant carbon; they would have to be entirely converted to bioenergy and intensive forage production to provide that amount of energy. Such a high level of bioenergy supply would roughly double the global human biomass harvest, with far-reaching effects on biodiversity, ecosystems and food supply. Identifying sustainable levels of bioenergy and finding ways to integrate bioenergy with food supply and ecological conservation goals remains a huge and pressing scientific challenge.
Programmes d'entraînement cérébral et performances cognitives : efficacité, motivation... ou « marketing » ? De la Gym-Cerveau au programme du Dr Kawashima...

Que le cerveau soit stimule pour se developper ne fait aucun doute. Mais par quelles methodes ? Deux experiences sont presentees pour tester deux methodes, dont l’une eut une certaine audience dans les annees 1990, la « Gym cerveau », et l’autre est actuellement l’objet d’une intense campagne mediatique (avec l’actrice Nicole Kidman), « l’Entrainement cerebral » du Dr Kawashima sur Nintendo DS. L’experience 1 compare, chez des eleves de 6e et de 5e, un entrainement aux exercices de la « Gym cerveau » pendant cinq semaines, a une condition ludique (jeux type « Mickey jeux ») et a une condition Devoirs. Aucun effet n’est observe entre un pre-test et un post-test, portant sur des epreuves de type scolaire. L’experience 2 compare, cette fois, quatre groupes d’eleves de CM1 : deux beneficiant d’un entrainement, pendant sept semaines, a un jeu video, « l’Entrainement cerebral » de Kawashima ou la « Cerebrale academie », un troisieme groupe s’entraine a des jeux papier-crayon et un quatrieme est un groupe controle. Un pre-test et un post-test sont utilises avec trois epreuves de type scolaire, trois tests cognitifs issus du WISC-IV et des questionnaires de motivation. Aucune progression n’est statistiquement significative pour les epreuves scolaires. Pour les tests cognitifs, les jeux video permettent une legere progression de 20 %pour la memoire des chiffres et les symboles,mais ne font pas mieux que les jeux papier-crayon ou le groupe controle. On n’observe pas d’augmentation de la motivation intrinseque mais une baisse du score d’autodetermination pour « l’Entrainement cerebral ». En conclusion, « l’Entrainement cerebral » n’a que deux effets modestes (20 %) sur les six tests, comparables a d’autres jeux (ou le groupe controle) et doit etre considere comme une simple distraction.
Improved procedure for recovery of Yersinia enterocolitica from meats

A 1- to 3-day enrichment-KOH postenrichment procedure was evaluated and found to be as effective in recovering Yersinia enterocolitica from meats as a 14- to 21-day cold enrichment procedure, with or without KOH postenrichment. The shortened procedure consists of enriching 1.0- and 25-g samples of meat in phosphate-buffered saline (pH 7.2) at 25 degrees C. After incubation (48 and 72 h for 1.0-g samples and 24 and 48 h for 25-g samples); 0.5-ml portions of enrichment culture were treated with 4.5 ml of 0.25% KOH-0.5% NaCl for 2 min and 0.5% KOH-0.5% NaCl for 15 s, and 0.1-ml portions of treated culture were plated onto MacConkey or CIN agars or both. The procedure effectively recovered 2 to 12 cells of a number of both mouse-virulent and avirulent strains per g of ground beef with aerobic plate counts of approximately 10(6) to 10(7) CFU/g. Similarly, the procedure isolated both likely virulent and avirulent strains from porcine tongues (aerobic plate counts of 10(5) to 10(7) CFU/g) naturally contaminated with Y. enterocolitica. The organism was isolated from the tongues at similar rates by both shortened enrichment and cold enrichment procedures. Eight tongues were positive for serotype O:5,27 strains that agglutinate with WA-specific absorbed antiserum, an antiserum specific for mouse-virulent Y. enterocolitica (Doyle et al., Infect. Immun. 37:1234-1240, 1982), indicating that the oral cavity of swine is a reservoir of likely virulent serotype O:5,27 strains.