Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A gene encoding a protein modified by the phytohormone indoleacetic acid

We show that the expression of an indole-3-acetic acid (IAA)-modified protein from bean seed, IAP1, is correlated to the developmental period of rapid growth during seed development. Moreover, this protein undergoes rapid degradation during germination. The gene for IAP1, the most abundant protein covalently modified by IAA (iap1, GenBank accession no. AF293023) was isolated and cloned from bush bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) seeds. The 957-bp sequence encodes a 35-kDa polypeptide. IAA-modified proteins represent a distinct class of conjugated phytohormones and appear in bean to be the major form of auxin in seeds. IAA proteins also are found at other stages of development in bean plants. Our immunological and analytical data suggest that auxin modification of a small class of proteins may be a feature common to many plants.
Survival and Differentiation of Pituitary Colony‐Forming Cells In Vivo

Growth hormone (GH) deficiency is a significant clinical problem, since growth hormone is essential for the regulation of growth, metabolism, and the cardiovascular system. Stem and progenitor cells have been identified in many adult tissues. Recently, our laboratory identified a cell type within the adult pituitary gland with stem cell‐like properties, which we have termed pituitary colony‐forming cells (PCFCs). Herein we investigate the ability of PCFCs to survive and differentiate in vivo. Enriched populations of PCFCs were transplanted into an in vivo microchamber model. Grafts were harvested at 6 weeks post‐transplant and tested for surviving donor cells (LacZ(+)) or for differentiation (GH(+)). The results showed that donor cells survived in chambers (LacZ(+)) and underwent division (phosphohistone‐H3‐positive). Furthermore, grafted cells showed colocalization of LacZ and GH, suggesting differentiation. To confirm differentiation, donor cells were obtained from a GH‐enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) reporter transgenic mouse model that expressed eGFP under control of the GH promoter. Cells that were eGFP(−), that is, GH(−), were selected by fluorescence‐activated cell sorting (FACS) and transplanted. After 6 weeks, eGFP(+)GH(+) cells were detected in grafts by immunostaining and by FACS analysis of digested grafts. In conclusion, PCFCs have the capacity to divide and differentiate into GH(+) cells in vivo. The vascularized tissue chamber model is an ideal model to investigate the environmental niche for PCFC expansion and differentiation and has the potential to be developed into a growth hormone‐releasing organoid in vivo.
Tumor image-derived texture features are associated with CD3 T-cell infiltration status in glioblastoma

This study analyzed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of Glioblastoma (GB) patients to develop an imaging-derived predictive model for assessing the extent of intratumoral CD3 T-cell infiltration. Pre-surgical T1-weighted post-contrast and T2-weighted Fluid-Attenuated-Inversion-Recovery (FLAIR) MRI scans, with corresponding mRNA expression of CD3D/E/G were obtained through The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) for 79 GB patients. The tumor region was contoured and 86 image-derived features were extracted across the T1-post contrast and FLAIR images. Six imaging features—kurtosis, contrast, small zone size emphasis, low gray level zone size emphasis, high gray level zone size emphasis, small zone high gray level emphasis—were found associated with CD3 activity and used to build a predictive model for CD3 infiltration in an independent data set of 69 GB patients (using a 50-50 split for training and testing). For the training set, the image-based prediction model for CD3 infiltration achieved accuracy of 97.1% and area under the curve (AUC) of 0.993. For the test set, the model achieved accuracy of 76.5% and AUC of 0.847. This suggests a relationship between image-derived textural features and CD3 T-cell infiltration enabling the non-invasive inference of intratumoral CD3 T-cell infiltration in GB patients, with potential value for the radiological assessment of response to immune therapeutics.
Law Enforcement in Digital Society

Worldwide child pornography networks that are dismantled by the police, hacks that disrupt entire businesses, and people who are victims of dating scams: this is just a sample of the news reports that appear in the media about computer crime. Law Enforcement in Digital Society is about the social context of this new type of crime and most of all about legislation connected to it. The authors discuss the subject from various angles, using classic legal, sociological-legal, criminological and legalphilosophical perspectives. First, the impact the advent of the internet has had on our society as a whole and on crime in particular will be discussed. Next, this book discusses basic concepts and concepts that are important for this theme. It then provides an overview of the most important laws and regulations in the field of criminal law and criminal procedure that have been put in place during the past decades with respect to computer crime. The authors discuss these subjects from a Dutch perspective, placed in an international context. Three common forms of computer crime are discussed in greater detail, namely: hacking, e-fraud and child pornography. Finally, attention is paid to how the police fight cybercrime and what important problems police officers face, both in practical and legal terms.
Projected ozone trends and changes in the ozone-precursor relationship in the South Coast Air Basin in response to varying reductions of precursor emissions

ABSTRACT This study examined the effects of varying future reductions in emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOC) on the location and magnitude of peak ozone levels within California’s South Coast Air Basin (SoCAB or Basin). As ozone formation is currently VOC-limited in the Basin, model simulations with 2030 baseline emissions (−61% for NOx and −32% for VOC from 2008) predict 10–20% higher peak ozone levels (i.e., NOx disbenefit) in the western and central SoCAB compared with the 2008 base simulation. With additional NOx reductions of 50% beyond the 2030 baseline emissions (−81% from 2008), the predicted ozone levels are reduced by about 15% in the eastern SoCAB but remain comparable to 2008 levels in the western and central Basin. The Basin maximum ozone site shifts westward to more populated areas of the Basin and will result potentially in greater population-weighted exposure to ozone with even a relatively small shortfall in the required NOx reductions unless accompanied by additional VOC reductions beyond 2030 baseline levels. Once committed to a NOx-focused control strategy, NOx reductions exceeding 90% from 2008 levels will be necessary to attain the ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). The findings from this study and other recent work that the current VOC emission estimates are underestimated by about 50% suggest that greater future VOC reductions will be necessary to reach the projected 2030 baseline emissions. Increasing the base year VOC emissions by a factor of 1.5 result in higher 2008 baseline ozone predictions, lower relative response factors, and about 20% lower projected design values. If correct, these findings have important implications for the total and optimum mix of VOC and NOx emission reductions that will be required to attain the ozone NAAQS in the SoCAB. Implications: Results of this study indicate that ozone levels in the western and central SoCAB would remain the same or increase with even a relatively small shortfall in the projected NOx reductions under planned NOx-focused controls. This possibility, therefore, warrants a rigorous analysis of the costs and effects of varying reductions of VOC and NOx on the formation and combined health impacts of ozone and secondary particles. Given the nonlinearity of ozone formation, such analyses should include the implications of gradually increasing global background ozone concentrations and the Basin’s topography and meteorology on the practical limits of alternative emission control strategies.
Single‐molecule pair studies of the interactions of the α‐GalNAc (Tn‐antigen) form of porcine submaxillary mucin with soybean agglutinin

Mucins form a group of heavily O‐glycosylated biologically important glycoproteins that are involved in a variety of biological functions, including modulating immune response, inflammation, and adhesion. Mucins are also involved in cancer and metastasis and often express diagnostic cancer antigens. Recently, a modified porcine submaxillary mucin (Tn‐PSM) containing GalNAcα1‐O‐Ser/Thr residues was shown to bind to soybean agglutinin (SBA) with ∼106‐fold enhanced affinity relative to GalNAcα1‐O‐Ser, the pancarcinoma carbohydrate antigen. In this study, dynamic force spectroscopy is used to investigate molecular pairs of SBA and Tn‐PSM. A number of force jumps that demonstrate unbinding or rebinding events were observed up to a distance equal to 2.0 μm, consistent with the length of the mucin chain. The unbinding force increased from 103 to 402 pN with increasing force loading rate. The position of the activation barrier in the energy landscape of the interaction was 0.1 nm. The lifetime of the SBA–TnPSM complex in the absence of applied force was determined to be in the range 1.3–1.9 s. Kinetic parameters describing the rate of dissociation of other sugar lectin interactions are in the range 3.3 × 10−3–2.5 × 10−3 s. The long lifetime of the SBA‐TnPSM complex is compatible with a binding model in which lectin molecules “bind and jump” from α‐GalNAc residue to α‐GalNAc residue along the polypeptide chain of Tn‐PSM before dissociating. These findings have important implications for the molecular recognition properties of mucins. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 91: 719–728, 2009.
A Comparative Analysis of Immunorestoration and Recovery with Conventional and Immunotherapeutic Protocols in Canine Generalized Demodicosis: A Newer Insight of Immunotherapeutic Efficacy of T11TS

Demodex canis is a natural inhabiting mite of canine skin. Immunological disorder or genetic disorder induces the Demodex population to proliferate vigorously resulting in generalized demodicosis with consequent chronic immunosuppression. Signs of generalized demodicosis include alopecia, crysting, erythema, secondary pyoderma etc. Amitraz, an acaricide, is used conventionally for the treatment of generalized demodicosis. In many instances, the disease relapses due to the residual immunosuppression. The need of an immunorestorative therapy has been urged in generalized demodicosis. Two immunorestorative drugs, namely, Immuplus, a herbal drug, and T11TS, a sheep erythrocyte surface glycoprotein, has been used in two separate groups of dogs having generalized demodicosis and receiving Amitraz treatment. It was observed that though Amitraz treated group responded to the therapy showing increased E‐rosettes and nonspecific cytotoxic efficacy of T‐lymphocytes and decrease in phagocytic potential of macrophages, the groups treated with the immunotherapeutics like Immuplus and T11TS, responded better. However, the group treated with T11TS showed best recovery. These results emphasize the need for an immunorestorative therapy in generalized demodicosis and provide data in favor of T11TS as a better immunomodulator in comparison to Immuplus.
Production of MAG1 Antigen of Toxoplasma gondii in Escherichia coli

Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite that can infect human and other warm-blooded animals. Although usually asymptomatic in immunocompetent individuals, toxoplasmosis may reactivate in immunocompromised patients (e.g. AIDS patients and organ transplant recipients) and cause severe diseases such as toxoplasmic encephalitis. Moreover, primary maternal infection can put the fetus at risk for serious medical problems, e.g., permanent neurological and ocular damage or even for death in utero. On the other hand, occurrence of T. gondii infection before pregnancy brings no danger to the fetus, except in immunocompromised mothers [1]. Laboratory diagnosis of the infection mainly relies on detection of specific anti-T. gondii antibodies, most commonly IgG and IgM antibodies, by a variety of serologic tests [2, 3]. The current methods for discrimination of acute from chronic infections, i.e., IgM and IgG avidity serologic tests, have their own limitations, e.g., low specificities and high amounts of false-positive or indeterminate results [4-7]. Several studies showed antibody response to some antigens of T. gondii including GRA2 [8], GRA6 [9], GRA7 [10], GRA8 [11], and response to MAG1 [12, 13] was stronger or much stronger during acute infection. Application of these antigens in serological tests might be useful, along with other tests, in distinguishing between acute and chronic infections.
One City for All? The Characteristics of Residential Displacement in Southwest Washington, DC

This paper examines two periods of renewal in Washington, DC, USA’s southwest quadrant and their relationship with displacement. The paper situates this discussion within both the local historical continuum and globally-recognized paradigms, such as “the right to the city”. This article primarily serves as an overview of urban planning consequences in Southwest Washington DC based on extant academic literature and policy briefs. Compared with the abrupt physical displacement in the 1950s and 1960s precipitated by a large-scale federally funded urban raze and rebuild project, urban planning in present-day DC includes mechanisms for public engagement and provisions for housing security. However, countervailing economic incentives and rapid demographic changes have introduced anxieties about involuntary mobility that the literature suggests may be born out of forced or responsive displacement. Two potential case studies in the area warrant future study to understand present-day mobilities in the context of the economic and socio-cultural factors shaping the actions of present and prospective residents and decision-makers.
Information Propagation on Permissionless Blockchains

Blockchain technology, as a decentralized and non-hierarchical platform, has the potential to replace centralized systems. Yet, there are several challenges inherent in the blockchain structure. One of the deficiencies of the existing blockchains is a convenient information propagation technique enhancing incentive-compatibility and bandwidth efficiency. The transition from a centralized system into distributed one brings along game theoretical concerns. Especially for the permissionless blockchains, information propagation should be incentive-compatible just like any other communication or computational costly operation. Another important issue is that information is relayed via gossip-like protocols causing excessive bandwidth usage. Each information is propagated at least twice: first to advertise its existence, second to announce that it is final and validated, i.e., added to the block. In this work, we investigate two distinct aspects of the information propagation of the blockchains: incentive and routing mechanisms. For the former part, we analyze the necessary and sufficient conditions of the Sybil-proof incentive-compatible propagation methodology. We show the impossibility result of the Sybil-proofness in 1-connected network model. For the rest, we prove that the propagation decision is independent of the capabilities of the receiving side. Then, we formulate the generic fee sharing function which encourages rational participants to propagate information. Regarding the bandwidth efficiency, we study a special type of consensus protocols where the block owner (round leader) is validated before the block is created. We present a smart routing mechanism which the redundant communication cost from the size of the network to the scale of average shortest path length. Finally, we combine the incentive and routing mechanisms in a storage-efficient way.
Hyperuricemia and risk of stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE To assess the association between hyperuricemia and risk of stroke incidence and mortality because hyperuricemia is hypothesized to be a risk factor for stroke and other cardiovascular disease, but, to date, results from observational studies are conflicting. METHODS A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted. Studies were identified by searching major electronic databases using the Medical Subject Headings and keywords without restriction in languages. Prospective cohort studies were included only if they contained data on stroke incidences or mortalities related to serum uric acid levels in adults. Pooled risk ratios (RRs) for the association of stroke incidence and mortality with serum uric acid levels were calculated. RESULTS A total of 16 studies including 238,449 adults were eligible and abstracted. Hyperuricemia was associated with a significantly higher risk of both stroke incidence (6 studies; RR 1.41, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.05, 1.76) and mortality (6 studies; RR 1.36, 95% CI 1.03, 1.69) in our meta-analyses of unadjusted study estimates. Subgroup analyses of studies adjusting for known risk factors such as age, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and cholesterol still showed that hyperuricemia was significantly associated with both stroke incidence (4 studies; RR 1.47, 95% CI 1.19, 1.76) and mortality (6 studies; RR 1.26, 95% CI 1.12, 1.39). The pooled estimate of multivariate RRs did not differ significantly by sex. CONCLUSION Hyperuricemia may modestly increase the risks of both stroke incidence and mortality. Future research is needed to determine whether lowering uric acid level has any beneficial effects on stroke.
TAAR1 activation modulates monoaminergic neurotransmission, preventing hyperdopaminergic and hypoglutamatergic activity

The trace amine-associated receptor 1 (TAAR1), activated by endogenous metabolites of amino acids like the trace amines p-tyramine and β-phenylethylamine, has proven to be an important modulator of the dopaminergic system and is considered a promising target for the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders. To decipher the brain functions of TAAR1, a selective TAAR1 agonist, RO5166017, was engineered. RO5166017 showed high affinity and potent functional activity at mouse, rat, cynomolgus monkey, and human TAAR1 stably expressed in HEK293 cells as well as high selectivity vs. other targets. In mouse brain slices, RO5166017 inhibited the firing frequency of dopaminergic and serotonergic neurons in regions where Taar1 is expressed (i.e., the ventral tegmental area and dorsal raphe nucleus, respectively). In contrast, RO5166017 did not change the firing frequency of noradrenergic neurons in the locus coeruleus, an area devoid of Taar1 expression. Furthermore, modulation of TAAR1 activity altered the desensitization rate and agonist potency at 5-HT1A receptors in the dorsal raphe, suggesting that TAAR1 modulates not only dopaminergic but also serotonergic neurotransmission. In WT but not Taar1−/− mice, RO5166017 prevented stress-induced hyperthermia and blocked dopamine-dependent hyperlocomotion in cocaine-treated and dopamine transporter knockout mice as well as hyperactivity induced by an NMDA antagonist. These results tie TAAR1 to the control of monoamine-driven behaviors and suggest anxiolytic- and antipsychotic-like properties for agonists such as RO5166017, opening treatment opportunities for psychiatric disorders.
The investigation of galectin-3 in diseases of the thyroid gland.

OBJECTIVE Malignant tumors of the thyroid gland exhibit a variety of histopathologies and clinical behavior. Immune markers are gaining more and more importance in diagnostic pathology, especially in the differential diagnostics and in the grading of thyroid gland tumors. DESIGN The Authors investigated the immunohistochemical reaction of galectin-3 (gal3) in patients with various thyroid gland diseases. They tested the diagnostic value of gal3 in determining the benign or malignant nature of various lesions, especially in lesions of follicular origin, because previous results have indicated nearly 100% specificity and sensitivity in this regard. METHODS Gal3 immunoperoxidase reaction was carried out on 91 sections of thyroid gland samples fixed in formalin and embedded in paraffin. RESULTS While gal3 expressed itself strongly and diffusely in papillary carcinomas (19 of 20 cases), in other malignant lesions it showed weaker, focal or variable positivity. Focal positivity was found in four of 19 follicular adenomas, and negativity was found in three of 10 follicular carcinomas. In all cases of inflammation a focal positivity was observed (eight of eight cases). All nodular goiter and normal thyroid tIssue were negative (25 of 25 cases). CONCLUSIONS Based on our results, the gal3 immunohistochemical reaction seems to be reliable in the diagnosis of papillary carcinomas. However, in the case of solitary thyroid nodules and follicular lesions, although it is still a useful supplementary marker, it is not of absolute value (as stated in previous studies) in determining whether a tumor is benign or malignant.
Diabetes attenuates the minimum anaesthetic concentration (MAC) and MAC‐blocking adrenergic response reducing actions of clonidine in rats

Background: It is well known that clonidine, an α2 agonist, reduces anaesthetic requirement and attenuates haemodynamic responses against noxious stimuli. However, the diabetic state is known to affect several functions of α2 adrenoceptors. We investigated the effects of streptozotocin (STZ)‐induced diabetes mellitus (DM) on these beneficial actions of clonidine in halothane‐anaesthetized rats.
Serologically silent hepatitis B virus coinfection in patients with hepatitis C virus‐associated chronic liver disease: Clinical and virological significance

Frequent coinfection of surface antigen‐negative hepatitis B virus (silent HBV) in hepatitis C virus (HCV)‐associated chronic liver disease (CLD) has been reported. The clinical and virological significance of silent HBV infection was investigated in 65 patients with HCV‐associated CLD who subsequently received interferon (IFN) therapy. HBV DNA was detected in 34 (52.3%) patients by a nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Virologically, all of the 34 patients were found to have HBV with an eight‐nucleotide deletion in the core promoter. Coinfection of silent HBV was more frequent with HCV genotype 1b than in 2a (64.3% vs 28.6%, P < .01). With HCV genotype 1b, the serum RNA level was significantly higher (≥106 copies per milliliter vs ≤105 copies per milliliter) in patients with silent HBV than those without coinfection (P < .01). Clinically, silent HBV was associated with a higher level of serum alanine aminotransferase (158.5 ± 104.8 vs 121.8 ± 78.6 IU/l; mean ± SD) and a greater histological activity of hepatitis as evaluated by histological activity index score (9.4 ± 3.8 vs 8.6 ± 4.5; mean ± SD), although it was not statistically significant. Silent HBV was also associated with poor efficacy of IFN therapy (P < .01). The results suggest that silent HBV has some promoting effect for HCV replication, at least for HCV genotype 1b, and may affect the histological activity of hepatitis and IFN response in HCV‐associated CLD. J. Med. Virol. 58:201–207, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.