Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Elucidation of the fragmentation pathways of azaspiracids, using electrospray ionisation, hydrogen/deuterium exchange, and multiple-stage mass spectrometry.

Collision-induced dissociation (CID) mass spectra were generated for azaspiracids using electrospray ionisation (ESI), and hydrogen/deuterium (H/D) exchange was used to ascertain the number and type of replaceable hydrogens in the three predominant azaspiracid toxins. H/D exchange was conveniently achieved using deuterated solvents for liquid chromatography (LC). Using ion-trap mass spectrometry, multiple-stage CID experiments (MS(n)) on the protonated and fully exchanged ions were performed to decipher characteristic fragmentation pathways. The precursor and product ions from azaspiracids lost up to five water molecules from different regions during MS(n) experiments and it was possible to distinguish between the water losses from different molecular regions. These studies confirmed that the first water-loss ion in the spectra of azaspiracids resulted from dehydration at the vicinal diol at C20-C21. Five MS dissociation pathways were identified that resulted from fragmentation of the carbon skeleton of azaspiracids producing nitrogen-containing ions. Two pathways, involving cleavage of the E-ring and C27-C28, gave ions that were found in all azaspiracids. Three pathways, A-ring, C-ring and C19-C20 cleavages, were useful for distinguishing between azaspiracid analogues. The same product ions from backbone fragmentation were also observed using hybrid quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (QqTOFMS). The fragmentation of the A-ring was the most facile and was exploited in the development of LC/MS(n) methods for the analysis of azaspiracids.
Exercise combined with continuous passive motion or slider board therapy compared with exercise only: a randomized controlled trial of patients following total knee arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The primary purpose of this randomized controlled trial was to determine which method of mobilization - (1) standardized exercises (SE) and continuous passive motion (CPM), (2) SE and slider board (SB) therapy, using an inexpensive, nontechnical device that requires minimal knee active range of motion (ROM), or (3) SE alone-achieved the maximum degree of knee ROM in the fIrst 6 months following primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The secondary purpose was to compare health-related quality of life among these 3 groups. SUBJECTS The subjects were 120 patients (n=40/group) who received a TEA at a teaching hospital between June 1997 and July 1998 and who agreed to participate in the study. METHODS Subjects were examined preoperatively, at discharge, and at 3 and 6 months after surgery. The examination consisted of measurement of knee ROM and completion of the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities (WOMAC) Osteoarthritis Index and the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36). RESULTS The 3 treatment groups were similar with respect to age, sex, and diagnosis at the start of the study. There were no differences in knee ROM or in WOMAC Osteoarthritis Index or SF-36 scores at any of the measurement intervals. The rate of postoperative complications also was not different among the groups. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION When postoperative rehabilitation regimens that focus on early mobilization of the patient are used, adjunct ROM therapies (CPM and SB) that are added to daily SE sessions are not required. Six months after TEA, patients attain a satisfactory level of knee ROM and function.
How Different EEG References Influence Sensor Level Functional Connectivity Graphs

Highlights: Hamming Distance is applied to distinguish the difference of functional connectivity network The orientations of sources are testified to influence the scalp Functional Connectivity Graph (FCG) from different references significantly REST, the reference electrode standardization technique, is proved to have an overall stable and excellent performance in variable situations. The choice of an electroencephalograph (EEG) reference is a practical issue for the study of brain functional connectivity. To study how EEG reference influence functional connectivity estimation (FCE), this study compares the differences of FCE resulting from the different references such as REST (the reference electrode standardization technique), average reference (AR), linked mastoids (LM), and left mastoid references (LR). Simulations involve two parts. One is based on 300 dipolar pairs, which are located on the superficial cortex with a radial source direction. The other part is based on 20 dipolar pairs. In each pair, the dipoles have various orientation combinations. The relative error (RE) and Hamming distance (HD) between functional connectivity matrices of ideal recordings and that of recordings obtained with different references, are metrics to compare the differences of the scalp functional connectivity graph (FCG) derived from those two kinds of recordings. Lower RE and HD values imply more similarity between the two FCGs. Using the ideal recording (IR) as a standard, the results show that AR, LM and LR perform well only in specific conditions, i.e., AR performs stable when there is no upward component in sources' orientation. LR achieves desirable results when the sources' locations are away from left ear. LM achieves an indistinct difference with IR, i.e., when the distribution of source locations is symmetric along the line linking the two ears. However, REST not only achieves excellent performance for superficial and radial dipolar sources, but also achieves a stable and robust performance with variable source locations and orientations. Benefitting from the stable and robust performance of REST vs. other reference methods, REST might best recover the real FCG of EEG. Thus, REST based FCG may be a good candidate to compare the FCG of EEG based on different references from different labs.
Predicting risk in missions under sea ice with Autonomous Underwater Vehicles

Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) have a future as effective platforms for multi-disciplinary science research and monitoring in the polar oceans. However, operation under ice may involve significant risk to the vehicle. A risk assessment and management process that balances the risk appetite of the responsible owner with the reliability of the vehicle and the probability of loss has been proposed. A critical step in the process of assessing risk is based on expert judgment of the fault history of the vehicle, and what affect faults or incidents have on the probability of loss. However, this subjective expert judgment is sensitive to the nature of sea ice cover. In contrast to the simple, yet high risk, case of operation under an ice shelf, sea ice offers a complex risk environment. Furthermore, the risk is modified by the characteristics of the support vessel, especially its ice-breaking capability. We explore how the ASPeCt sea ice characterization protocol and probability distributions of ice thickness and concentration can be used within a rigorous process to quantify risk given a range of sea ice conditions and with ships of differing ice capabilities. A solution founded on a Bayesian Belief Network approach is proposed, where the results of the expert judgment elicitation is taken as a reference. The design of the network topology captures the causal effects of the environment separately on the vehicle and on the ship, and combines these to produce the output. Complementary expert knowledge is included within the conditional probability tables of the Bayesian Belief Network. Using expert judgment on the fault history of the Autosub3 vehicle and sea ice data gathered in the Arctic and Antarctic by its predecessor, Autosub2, examples are provided of how risk is modified by the sea ice environment.
Barriers associated with the utilization of continued care among HIV-infected women who had previously enrolled in a private sector PMTCT program in Maharashtra, India

Prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) programs are considered as an entry point to continued care because they provide an opportunity to link an HIV-infected woman, her partner, and child(ren) (if infected) to long-term treatment and care. However, little is known about the factors associated with the utilization of continued care among women who have previously accessed PMTCT services. Better knowledge of the barriers to continued care in HIV-infected women could lead to effective strategies to increase the uptake of post-PMTCT care. This study was designed to examine the factors associated with the utilization of continued care among HIV-infected women enrolled in the PRAYAS PMTCT program in Maharashtra, India, between 2002 and 2011. All consenting women who had completed the receipt of PMTCT services or who were lost to follow-up at least six months prior to the time of data collection were interviewed. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to estimate the associations between not utilizing continued care and hypothesized risk factors using generalized linear models. Of the 688 eligible HIV-positive women, 311 completed a structured interview. Since their exit from the PMTCT program, 59 (19%) had never utilized HIV-related care, 58 (19%) had intermittently utilized HIV-related care, and 194 (62%) had consistently utilized HIV-related care at regular intervals. After adjusting for potential confounders, women with poor HIV-related knowledge (relative risk [RR] = 1.83; 95% CI: 1.15–2.92), women whose partners had never utilized HIV-related care (RR = 4.82; 95% CI: 2.57–9.04), and women who could not afford to travel to the HIV-care facility (RR = 2.36; 95% CI: 1.23–4.53) were less likely to utilize HIV-related care after exiting the PMTCT program. This study highlights the need for enhanced techniques to impart HIV and antiretroviral therapy-related knowledge and underlines the need for improved partner involvement and financial support for travel to HIV facility to increase the uptake of post-PMTCT treatment and care.
Does Homo neanderthalensis play a role in modern human ancestry? The mandibular evidence.

Data obtained from quantifying the upper part of the mandibular ramus (the coronoid process, the condylar process, and the notch between them) lead us to conclude that Neanderthals (both European and Middle Eastern) differ more from Homo sapiens (early specimens such as Tabun II, Skhul, and Qafzeh, as well as contemporary populations from as far apart as Alaska and Australia) than the latter differs from Homo erectus. The specialized Neanderthal mandibular ramus morphology emerges as yet another element constituting the derived complex of morphologies of the mandible and face that are unique to Neanderthals. These morphologies provide further support for the contention that Neanderthals do not play a role in modern human biological ancestry, either through "regional continuity" or through any other form of anagenetic progression.
Ustilago maydis, model system for analysis of the molecular basis of fungal pathogenicity.

UNLABELLED SUMMARY Ustilago maydis, a facultative biotrophic basidiomycete fungus, causes smut disease in maize. A hallmark of this disease is the induction of large plant tumours that are filled with masses of black-pigmented teliospores. During the last 15 years U. maydis has become an important model system to unravel molecular mechanisms of fungal phytopathogenicity. This review highlights recent insights into molecular mechanisms of complex signalling pathways that are involved in the transition from budding to filamentous growth and operate during the pathogenic growth phase. In addition, we describe recent progress in understanding the structural basis of morphogenesis and polar growth in different stages of U. maydis development. Finally, we present an overview of recently identified genes related to pathogenic development and summarize novel molecular and genomic approaches that are powerful tools to explore the genetic base of pathogenicity. TAXONOMY Ustilago maydis (DC) Corda (synonymous with Ustilago zeae Ung.)-Kingdom Eukaryota, Phylum Fungi, Order Basidiomycota, Family Ustilaginomycetes, Genus Ustilago. HOST RANGE Infects aerial parts of corn plants (Zea mays) and its progenitor teosinte (Zea mays ssp. parviglumis). Maize smut is distributed throughout the world. Disease symptoms: U. maydis causes chlorotic lesions in infected areas, the formation of anthocyanin pigments, necrosis, hyperplasia and hypertrophy of infected organs. Infection by U. maydis can inhibit development and lead to stunting of infected plants. A few days after infection plant tumours develop in which massive fungal proliferation and the formation of the black-pigmented, diploid teliospores occurs. Under natural conditions tumours predominantly develop on sexual organs (tassels and ears), stems and nodal shoots. Tumours may vary in size from minute pustules to several centimetres in diameter and contain up to 200 billion spores. Useful web site: http://www-genome.wi. mit.edu/annotation/fungi/ustilago_maydis/
Gaps in the care of patients admitted to hospital with an exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Background: Patients admitted to hospital because of an exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are at high risk of adverse events. We evaluated the association between gaps in care and adverse events during the hospital stay and after discharge. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the charts of 105 consecutive patients discharged from hospial between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2001, with a diagnosis of COPD exacerbation. On the basis of published guidelines, prior studies and discussions with colleagues, we defined a care gap as having occurred if any of 9 important inpatient and 7 discharge-related processes of care did not take place correctly. Inpatient adverse events included worsening of condition after admission, transfer to a higher level of care, cardiac arrest and death. Discharge-related adverse events were defined as including readmission to the hospital, revisit to the emergency department or death within 30 days after discharge. Results: Of the 105 patients studied, 88 (84%) had at least 1 inpatient gap in care and 16 (15%) an inpatient adverse event; 2 of the 16 died. Patients who had an inpatient adverse event had more gaps in their care (2.0 v. 1.3 gaps, p = 0.004) and longer stays (16.4 v. 8.6 days, p = 0.007). There were 6 adverse events (frequency 38%) among the 16 patients with 3 or more gaps in their care, 6 adverse events (28%) among the 21 patients with 2 gaps, 1 adverse event (2%) among the 51 patients with 1 gap and 3 adverse events (18%) among the 17 patients with no gaps in their care (p = 0.001 for trend). Of the 103 patients discharged alive, 102 (99%) had at least 1 gap in discharge-related care, but we found no association between these gaps and adverse events within 30 days after discharge. Interpretation: Gaps in the inpatient care of patients with COPD exacerbation were common and were associated with inpatient adverse events. Gaps in discharge-related care were also common but were not associated with postdischarge adverse events.
ATP Hydrolysis by Mammalian RAD51 Has a Key Role during Homology-directed DNA Repair*

Disruption of the gene encoding RAD51, the protein that catalyzes strand exchange during homologous recombination, leads to the accumulation of chromosome breaks and lethality in vertebrate cells. As RAD51 is implicated in BRCA1- and BRCA2-mediated tumor suppression as well as cellular viability, we have begun a functional analysis of a defined RAD51 mutation in mammalian cells. By using a dominant negative approach, we generated a mouse embryonic stem cell line that expresses an ATP hydrolysis-defective RAD51 protein, hRAD51-K133R, at comparable levels to the endogenous wild-type RAD51 protein, whose expression is retained in these cells. We found that these cells have increased sensitivity to the DNA-damaging agents mitomycin C and ionizing radiation and also exhibit a decreased rate of spontaneous sister-chromatid exchange. By using a reporter for the repair of a single chromosomal double-strand break, we also found that expression of the hRAD51-K133R protein specifically inhibits homology-directed double-strand break repair. Furthermore, expression of a BRC repeat from BRCA2, a peptide inhibitor of an early step necessary for strand exchange, exacerbates the inhibition of homology-directed repair in the hRAD51-K133R expressing cell line. Thus, ATP hydrolysis by RAD51 has a key role in various types of DNA repair in mammalian cells.
Big Data and Public Health: Navigating Privacy Laws to Maximize Potential

Public Health Reports / March–April 2015 / Volume 130 The ability to generate and use large amounts of information about patient and population health, health-care treatment, and the outcomes of care represents a fundamental breakthrough in health-care quality improvement and population health management. Creating and using what has become known as “big data” raises many legal issues, as this installment of Law and the Public’s Health describes.
Candida tropicalis fungaemia in adult patients with haematological malignancies: clinical features and risk factors.

Candida tropicalis fungaemia is a serious opportunistic infection. Eighteen consecutive patients with C. tropicalis fungaemia diagnosed within a five-year period were studied retrospectively. All patients had haematological malignancies treated by chemotherapy or bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Antifungal prophylaxis included nystatin (20 mg daily) for patients receiving chemotherapy, and fluconazole (200 mg daily) for patients undergoing BMT. Sixteen patients had refractory and advanced haematological malignancies. All patients were neutropenic, had central venous catheters, and were receiving treatment with broad-spectrum antibiotics at the time of fungaemia. Septic shock with skin emboli were the most common presenting features. In seven cases, fungaemia was preceded by a positive culture of C. tropicalis in the urine. Concomitant bacteraemia was found in 11 cases, of which six cases were due to Staphylococcus aureus. The overall mortality rate was 56%. The predominance of chemotherapy-treated patients developing fungaemia in this series might be attributable to the omission of fluconazole prophylaxis. The clinicopathologic features and risk factors identified in this study may help design better treatment strategies for this often-lethal complication.
Dissection of Floral Pollination Syndromes in Petunia

Animal-mediated pollination is essential in the reproductive biology of many flowering plants and tends to be associated with pollination syndromes, sets of floral traits that are adapted to particular groups of pollinators. The complexity and functional convergence of various traits within pollination syndromes are outstanding examples of biological adaptation, raising questions about their mechanisms and origins. In the genus Petunia, complex pollination syndromes are found for nocturnal hawkmoths (P. axillaris) and diurnal bees (P. integrifolia), with characteristic differences in petal color, corolla shape, reproductive organ morphology, nectar quantity, nectar quality, and fragrance. We dissected the Petunia syndromes into their most important phenotypic and genetic components. They appear to include several distinct differences, such as cell-growth and cell-division patterns in the basal third of the petals, elongation of the ventral stamens, nectar secretion and nectar sugar metabolism, and enzymatic differentiation in the phenylpropanoid pathway. In backcross-inbred lines of species-derived chromosome segments in a transposon tagging strain of P. hybrida, one to five quantitative trait loci were identified for each syndrome component. Two loci for stamen elongation and nectar volume were confirmed in introgression lines and showed large allelic differences. The combined data provide a framework for a detailed understanding of floral syndromes from their developmental and molecular basis to their impact on animal behavior. With its molecular genetic tools, this Petunia system provides a novel venue for a pattern of adaptive radiation that is among the most characteristic of flowering plants.
Regulation of the Renal Na-HCO3 Cotransporter X. Role of Nitric Oxide and Intracellular Calcium

Cholinergic agents increase the activity of the renal Na-HCO3 cotransporter and have been shown to stimulate the production of nitric oxide (NO) in other cells. To study the role of NO in mediating the effect of carbachol on Na-HCO3 cotransporter, we measured the activity of the cotransporter in rabbit proximal tubule cells treated with carbachol (10–4 M) or the NO inhibitor, L-NAME (10–3M), or carbachol+L-NAME. The activity of NaHCO3 cotransporter was measured by recovery of intracellular pH (pHi) in cells loaded with pH-sensitive dye, BCECF. In control cells, carbachol significantly increased Na-HCO3 cotransporter activity while L-NAME did not affect the activity of the cotransporter but completely blocked the enhancement induced by carbachol. Carbachol increased NO production by proximal tubule cells. We also studied the effect of the NO donor, SNAP (10–3M), on the cotransporter incubated for 1 h in cultured proximal tubule cells. SNAP caused a similar enhancement in the activity of the cotransporter sug- gesting that a different NO donor is capable of enhancing the activity of the cotransporter to the same extent as that observed with carbachol. Because the effect of NO is thought to involve cGMP, we examined the effect of 8-Br-cGMP (10–3 M) on the cotransporter. 8-Br-cGMP caused stimulation of the Na-HCO3 cotransporter activity although to a lesser degree than carbachol. We have previously shown that carbachol increases cytosolic calcium but the role of intracellular calcium (Cai) per se on the cotransporter has not been studied. We therefore studied the role of Cai on the activity of Na-HCO3 cotransporter in rabbit proximal tubule cells by utilizing the calcium ionophore, ionomycin, the microsomal Ca-ATPase inhibitor, thapsigargin, and the calcium chelator, BAPTA. Ionomycin, 5 µM, caused a significant stimulation of Na-HCO3 cotransporter which was prevented by BAPTA. The microsomal Ca-ATPase inhibitor, thapsigargin, also increased the cotransporter activity. As expected both ionomycin and thapsigargin caused a significant increase in Cai. Calyculin A, an inhibitor of protein phosphatase 2A prevented the stimulation of the cotransporter by calcium (in pH units/min: control 1.8±0.13; Ca 2.22±0.07; p<0.05; Ca+calyculin A 1.9±0.09, p<0.025) suggesting that calcium acting through kinases/phosphatases, plays a role in the phosphorylation of the cotransporter. These results demonstrate that NO and Cai modulate the activity of the cotransporter.
Carbon dioxide gas sensor with ionic gel

This paper reports on a low-power-consumption carbon dioxide (CO2) gas sensor based on an ionic gel. Ionic gel is a mixture of ionic liquid and polymer. We employed 1-ethyl-3-methyl-imidazolium tetrafuloroborate ([EMIM][BF4]) as ionic liquid and polyvinylidene fluoridecohexafluoro propylene (PVDF-HFP) as polymer. The [EMIM][BF4] selectively absorbs CO2 gas. Our proposal sensor consisted of an ionic gel and two Pt electrodes patterned under the ionic gel. The CO2 gas concentration can be detected by measuring the electrochemical impedance between the two electrodes. The sensor was able to measure the difference of 500 ppm CO2 gas concentration by using power as small as 0.65 μW.