Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Intergeneric hybrids of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Zygosaccharomyces fermentati obtained by protoplast fusion

To obtain strains that are able to efficiently produce ethanol from different carbohydrates, mainly cellulose hydrolysates, several species of the genus Candida and a Zygosaccharomyces fermentati strain were examined for their ability to utilize cellobiose and produce ethanol, as well as for their thermotolerance and the possibility of genetic manipulation. Candida obtusa and Zygosaccharomyces fermentati tolerated the maximal temperature for growth, possessed the highest cellobiase activity, and offered the possibility of genetic manipulation, although neither of them proved to be a good producer of ethanol. Intergeneric hybrids of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Z. fermentati were obtained after protoplast fusion. They were selected as prototrophic strains, after isolation of auxotrophic mutants from Z. fermentati and fusion with an S. cerevisiae strain which was also auxotrophic. The hybrids, which appeared at a frequency of 2 X 10(-7), presented characteristics of both parents, such as resistance to certain drugs and the ability to grow with either cellobiose or lactic acid as the sole carbon source; they were very stable, even under nonselective conditions. These hybrids may have important industrial applications as good fermenting strains.
Mantle flow beneath Arabia offset from the opening Red Sea

Continental rifting involves a poorly understood sequence of lithospheric stretching, volcanism, and mantle flow that evolves to seafloor spreading. We present new insight from inversion of seismic traveltimes and waveforms beneath Arabia and surroundings. Low velocities occur beneath the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, consistent with active spreading. However, hot material extends not below the northern Red Sea, but is offset eastward beneath Arabia, showing mantle flow from the Afar hotspot. The location of this channel beneath volcanic rocks erupted since rifting began 30 million years ago indicates that flow moves with Arabia. We propose that the absence of seafloor spreading in the northern Red Sea reflects the offset flow. This geometry may evolve to spreading in the Northern Red Sea, rifting of Arabia, or both. This situation has aspects of both active and passive rifting, showing that both can occur before coalescing to seafloor spreading.
[HL-A system in psoriasis; study of 31 families (author's transl)].

31 families with at least two psoriatic members, including sometimes three generations (4 families) have been studied looking for HL-A markers. They include 80 affected (45 females, 35 males) and 75 healthy persons. BW 17 has been found present in 58 p. 100 of the unrelated patients, versus 7 p. 100 only in the normal population (p less than 10-9). Relative risk (R.R.) for the people bearing BW 17 is 38.34. Increase of B 13 is slight and non significant. BW 16, BW 37, BW 27 are within normal range. B 12 (R.R. :0.36) seems to have a protecting effect. B 8, B 14 are also decreased. Study of way of genetic transmission favours existence of a dominant gene of susceptibility frequently associated with BW 17 and particularly with haplotype A 1, BW 17. But other genetic or environmental factors may also play a role.
Mesenteric fat in Crohn’s disease: a pathogenetic hallmark or an innocent bystander?

In the first half of the 20th century, white adipose tissue (WAT) was mainly viewed as an isolated tissue protecting the organism from heat loss and a passive energy storage compartment. Similarly to other species such as Drososophila melanogaster , it is now well recognised that mammalian fat tissue is not solely a reservoir for excess nutrients but also an active and dynamic organ involved in the development of metabolic syndromes and the regulation of immunity and inflammation. The older anatomical literature repeatedly mentions a close association between adipose tissue and lymphoid organs in various mammals including humans, suggesting a potential role of WAT in the host immune response. Several recent studies indicate that adipocytes could function as macrophage-like cells1 as they express receptors related to the innate immune system and secrete major mediators of inflammation, such as tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFα). Consistent with this hypothesis,2 the biology of adipocytes is particularly implicated in chronic diseases, such as obesity3 and atherosclerosis.4 This review will focus on the normal and pathophysiological functions of mesenteric WAT (mWAT), which may play an important role in the inflammatory and fibrotic processes in Crohn’s disease, a frequent and complex form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Long considered as the “anatomists’ Cinderella”,5 mWAT is now recognised as a multifunctional organ. Notably located around organs such as the gut or the lungs, adipocytes may have evolved strategies to drive immune responses to microbial invaders by expressing different innate immune sensors. In addition its function as a storage organ, WAT plays a major endocrine and immune role by expressing several hormones and various mediators (fig 1). To clarify the nomenclature, we will refer to the hormones and immunomodulatory molecules derived from adipocytes as adipormones and adipocytokines, respectively. Figure 1 Adipormones, adipocytokines and their receptors. …
A role for hepatic leptin signaling in lipid metabolism via altered very low density lipoprotein composition and liver lipase activity in mice

Obesity is highly associated with dyslipidemia and cardiovascular disease. However, the mechanism behind this association is not completely understood. The hormone leptin may be a molecular link between obesity and dysregulation of lipid metabolism. Leptin can affect lipid metabolism independent of its well‐known effects on food intake and energy expenditure, but exactly how this occurs is ill‐defined. We hypothesized that since leptin receptors are found on the liver and the liver plays an integral role in regulating lipid metabolism, leptin may affect lipid metabolism by acting directly on the liver. To test this hypothesis, we generated mice with a hepatocyte‐specific loss of leptin signaling. We previously showed that these mice have increased insulin sensitivity and elevated levels of liver triglycerides compared with controls. Here, we show that mice lacking hepatic leptin signaling have decreased levels of plasma apolipoprotein B yet increased levels of very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) triglycerides, suggesting alterations in triglyceride incorporation into VLDL or abnormal lipoprotein remodeling in the plasma. Indeed, lipoprotein profiles revealed larger apolipoprotein B‐containing lipoprotein particles in mice with ablated liver leptin signaling. Loss of leptin signaling in the liver was also associated with a substantial increase in lipoprotein lipase activity in the liver, which may have contributed to increased lipid droplets in the liver. Conclusion: Lack of hepatic leptin signaling results in increased lipid accumulation in the liver and larger, more triglyceride‐rich VLDL particles. Collectively, these data reveal an interesting role for hepatic leptin signaling in modulating triglyceride metabolism. (HEPATOLOGY 2013)
Transcriber: An Android application that automates the transcription of interviews in Indonesian

In this paper, Transcriber that can be used to automatically transcribe interviews in Indonesian using speech-to-text and speaker diarization technology is described. The main feature of the software is generating interview transcription automatically and providing an option if grouping by group of speakers is required. Transcriber is designed to work in two modes that give users the freedom to provide recording file input or perform live recording. Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) used in Transcriber was developed by utilizing KALDI and the ASR model developed in the previous research, while the speaker diarization was developed with LIUM Speaker Diarization and successfully optimized for Indonesian with DER 35.10%. These technologies are integrated into a whole system that has client-server architecture and is capable of transcribing interviews for 1.10 times the duration of input recordings excluding connection latency. Transcriber has also managed to gain positive feedback on the usability testing.
In-vitro and in-vivo responses to chicken LHRH-I and chicken LHRH-II in male turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo).

Stimulation of male turkey hypophyses in vitro with chicken (c)LHRH-I, cLHRH-II or porcine (p)LHRH (0.1 mumol/l) using a perifusion technique caused an increase in the release of LH. In this system, cLHRH-II was approximately 2.5-fold more potent than cLHRH-I and pLHRH which were equipotent. The difference was due to a greater amplitude of the response but not to a prolonged action. Hypophyseal desensitization to a subsequent stimulation was induced when the interval between stimulations was 30 min, but did not occur when lengthened to 60 or 120 min. Injection of a single dose of cLHRH-I or -II in vivo at doses of 10 and 0.1 nmol/kg body weight stimulated increases in the plasma concentration of LH and testosterone initiated within 1 or 10 min after injection respectively. As in vitro, cLHRH-II induced greater responses, which were dose-related, than did cLHRH-I. However, this difference could be attributed to a greater potency of cLHRH-II and to a more prolonged action. At the 10 nmol/kg dose, the shape of the LH response to cLHRH-II changed; it consisted of an initial increase during 10 min after injection, followed by a more sustained phase during which LH levels were still increasing between 20 and 60 min after injection. In contrast, after an injection of cLHRH-I at doses of 10 or 0.1 nmol/kg or cLHRH-II at a dose of 0.1 nmol/kg, LH levels were at a peak within 5 min and thereafter declined gradually. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Tumor necrosis factor up‐regulates expression of low‐density lipoprotein receptors on HepG2 cells

Tumor necrosis factor mediates most biological activities of endotoxin and also, in part, mediates endotoxin‐induced disturbances in lipid metabolism. In this study, the effect of tumor necrosis factor on low‐density lipoprotein receptor activity was investigated in cells of HepG2, a well‐differentiated human hepatoma cell line. Pretreatment of the cells with tumor necrosis factor leads to enhanced binding, uptake and degradation of 125I‐labeled low‐density lipoprotein. This effect of tumor necrosis factor was dose and time dependent. Tumor necrosis factor‐stimulated enhancement of low‐density lipoprotein binding occurred at all stages of cell growth. However, addition of an excess of unlabeled low‐density lipoprotein, to down‐regulate low‐density lipoprotein receptors before exposure to tumor necrosis factor of the cells, completely abolished the effects of tumor necrosis factor. Competition experiments using unlabeled low‐density lipoprotein and blockage experiments with a monoclonal low‐density lipoprotein receptor antibody showed that tumor necrosis factor‐stimulated low‐density lipoprotein binding takes place through stimulation of low‐density lipoprotein receptors. Comparison of the kinetics of specific low‐density lipoprotein binding in the unstimulated cells and in the tumor necrosis factor‐stimulated cells indicated that tumor necrosis factor caused a 30% increase in maximum velocity with no significant change in Michaelis constant, suggesting that tumor necrosis factor increases the number of low‐density lipoprotein receptors on the cells rather than changing binding affinity. Preincubation of the cells with cycloheximide or actinomycin D totally abolished the up‐regulatory effect of tumor necrosis factor on low‐density lipoprotein receptors. Tumor necrosis factor did not stimulate proliferation of HepG2 cells, as judged by cell protein determination or by [3H]thymidine incorporation. In conclusion, this study suggests that tumor necrosis factor up‐regulates expression of low‐density lipoprotein receptors on HepG2 cells by stimulation of de novo synthesis of receptors, independent of cell growth. (HEPATOLOGY 1993;17:898–907.)
Ozone Concentrations in the Central Wasatch Mountains of Utah

Abstract In the Salt Lake Valley, a June through August SUM60 value (sum of hourly average ozone concentrations ≥60 parts per billion by volume [ppbv]) of 25,000 ppbv-hr was exceeded in 9 yr between 1978 and 1998. Ozone concentrations in the nearby Central Wasatch Mountains were monitored to determine the potential for vegetation injury. The SUM60 value of 19,000 ppbv-hr in these mountains and peak hourly concentrations >100 ppbv suggests that ozone-sensitive species may be injured. Ozone concentrations in the mountains were greatest during periods of strong upslope winds from the Salt Lake Valley. Both SUM60 values and hourly average concentrations in the Central Wasatch Mountains were strongly correlated with those in the Salt Lake Valley, suggesting that data from valley stations could be used to estimate ozone in the mountains.
The effects of neutralized particles on the sampling efficiency of polyurethane foam used to estimate the extrathoracic deposition fraction

ABSTRACT In addition to chemical composition, the site of deposition of inhaled particles is important for determining the potential health effects from an exposure. As a result, the International Organization for Standardization adopted a particle deposition sampling convention. This includes extrathoracic particle deposition sampling conventions for the anterior nasal passages (ET1) and the posterior nasal and oral passages (ET2). This study assessed how well a polyurethane foam insert placed in an Institute of Occupational Medicine (IOM) sampler can match an extrathoracic deposition sampling convention, while accounting for possible static buildup in the test particles. In this way, the study aimed to assess whether neutralized particles affected the performance of this sampler for estimating extrathoracic particle deposition. A total of three different particle sizes (4.9, 9.5, and 12.8 µm) were used. For each trial, one particle size was introduced into a low-speed wind tunnel with a wind speed set a 0.2 m/s (∼40 ft/min). This wind speed was chosen to closely match the conditions of most indoor working environments. Each particle size was tested twice either neutralized, using a high voltage neutralizer, or left in its normal (non neutralized) state as standard particles. IOM samplers were fitted with a polyurethane foam insert and placed on a rotating mannequin inside the wind tunnel. Foam sampling efficiencies were calculated for all trials to compare against the normalized ET1 sampling deposition convention. The foam sampling efficiencies matched well to the ET1 deposition convention for the larger particle sizes, but had a general trend of underestimating for all three particle sizes. The results of a Wilcoxon Rank Sum Test also showed that only at 4.9 µm was there a statistically significant difference (p-value = 0.03) between the foam sampling efficiency using the standard particles and the neutralized particles. This is interpreted to mean that static buildup may be occurring and neutralizing the particles that are 4.9 µm diameter in size did affect the performance of the foam sampler when estimating extrathoracic particle deposition.
Hyper-differentiation strategies: delivering value, retaining profits

In today's increasingly competitive business environment companies can, and indeed must, respond more rapidly to customers' changing demands, desires, and preferences. In today's information-rich environment customers can comparison shop, get product reviews from other customers, and, in general, become very well informed about what is available in the market. If your offerings are not differentiated, pure price competition will be more extreme than ever before. If your customer thinks your goods and services have direct competitors your prices (and theirs) will be squeezed down to your marginal costs of production! If your offerings are successfully differentiated, then your customers will not see other products as competing directly, or as competing at all effectively. Your prices will be determined by your value to your customers, and not by your costs or your competitors' costs of production. While differentiation has long been a basis of competitive strategy, newly available sources of information do change the nature and importance of differentiation. Information in the hands of customers has increased price pressure on all producers, increasing the need to differentiate your products and services. Information you provide to customers makes it possible for you to communicate your value proposition more effectively, increasing the value you receive from differentiation. Information makes it possible for you to determine what customers want, and makes it possible for you to tailor your design and your production to these needs, supporting accuracy and precision of differentiation. It is not necessary to be better in any absolute sense, or to be more costly to produce; it is merely necessary to be better for individual customers and more valuable to them. Information makes it possible for you to track the changes in behavior, preferences, demands, and desires of your best customers and serve them with precision, accuracy, and cost-effectiveness that competitors will never be able to match.
Modulation of cardiac inward rectifier K(+)current by halothane and isoflurane.

UNLABELLED The cellular mechanisms that underlie general anesthetic actions on the inward rectifier K(+) current (IKir), a determinant of the resting potential in myocardium, are not fully understood. Using the whole-cell patch clamp technique, therefore, we investigated the effects of halothane and isoflurane on IKir in guinea pig ventricular myocytes. At membrane potentials negative to the equilibrium potential for potassium both anesthetics decreased amplitude of the steady-state inward IKir in a concentration- and voltage-dependent manner. The slope conductance was reduced, but the activation kinetics of the inward current were not altered. At potentials positive to the equilibrium potential for potassium, the outward current was increased by both anesthetics, which also caused small depolarizing shifts in the activation curve. With high internal magnesium concentration, the outward current increase by isoflurane was abolished, and the inward current block by halothane was attenuated. Spermine prevented the effects of both anesthetics on IKir at all membrane potentials tested. The results show voltage-dependent modulation of cardiac IKir channel by volatile anesthetics. Distinct modification of anesthetic effects by inward rectification gating agents, magnesium and spermine, suggests anesthetic interactions with the IKir channel protein. IMPLICATIONS Differential modulation of myocardial inward rectifier potassium current by volatile anesthetics under normal and altered rectification may contribute to the mechanism of dysrhythmic actions by these anesthetics.
Hormonal and Experiential Predictors of Infant Survivorship and Maternal Behavior in a Monogamous Primate (Callicebus cupreus)

To better understand the roles that hormones and experience play in infant survival and maternal behavior in a biparental primate species, we analyzed urinary estrone (E1C) and pregnanediol glucuronide (PdG) from 24 socially housed titi monkey (Callicebus cupreus) females over 54 pregnancies (N = 1,430 samples). Pregnancies were categorized according to whether the infant survived (N = 35) or not (N = 19), and by maternal parity (primiparous: N = 9; multiparous: N = 45). Mothers of infants that survived had a significantly greater drop in PdG from the third trimester to the first week postpartum than mothers of infants that did not survive. Multiparous mothers had a greater increase in PdG from the first to the third trimester as well as greater increases in the E1C:PdG ratio from the first to the third trimester and from the third trimester to the first week postpartum. There were positive relationships between third trimester PdG and maternal carrying and nursing during the first week postpartum, and between maternal age and carrying during the infant's first month of life. There was a negative correlation between maternal age and PdG during the third trimester. These results suggest that elevated progesterone during late pregnancy followed by progesterone withdrawal immediately following parturition is associated with greater probability of infant survivorship and maternal behavior in this species, and that older females engage in more postpartum maternal care. Am. J. Primatol. 74:462‐470, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Low Voltage Electrocution Deaths and Histopathological Findings: One-Year Prospective Autopsy Study

Low voltage electrocution deaths are not uncommon in forensic practice. These deaths are most of the times accidental and instantaneous. Entry and exit wounds are not always easily found at autopsy during external examination. The history surrounding the cause of death is also ambiguous and poses a challenge to the forensic pathologist. Histopathological study of the electric skin lesions and myocardial tissue will offer great help in such situations. Epidermal nuclear streaming, coagulation necrosis, sub-epidermal separation and cardiac myofibre breakup (MFB) are said to be antemortem signs consistent with electrocution. The aim of this study was to look for the consistency in the frequency of these histopathological findings.
Evolutionary clustering with DBSCAN

Clustering algorithms have been used in the field of data mining for such a long time. With the accumulation of the online data sets, studies on cluster evolution were carried out so as to decrease noise and maintain continuity of clustering results. A number of evolutionary clustering algorithms have been proposed, such as the evolutionary K-means and Spectral clustering, but none of them were engaged to solving the density-based clustering problem. In this paper, we initially present an evolutionary clustering algorithm with DBSCAN (density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise), which is on the basis of temporal smoothness penalty framework. We conduct the evaluations of our framework both on the random Gaussian dataset and the classical DBSCAN dataset. Compared with the other similar evolutionary clustering algorithms, such as the evolutionary K-means clustering, our method can not only resist to the noise, but also distinguish the clusters with arbitrary shapes during the evolution process.