Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mutations in the occQ Operator That Decrease OccR-induced DNA Bending Do Not Cause Constitutive Promoter Activity*

OccR is a LysR-type transcriptional regulator ofAgrobacterium tumefaciens that positively regulates the octopine catabolism operon of the Ti plasmid. Positive control of theocc genes occurs in response to octopine, a metabolite released from plant tumors. Octopine causes DNA-bound OccR to undergo a conformational change from an inactive to an active state; this change is marked by a decrease in footprint length from 55 to 45 nucleotides as well as a relaxation of a high angle DNA bend. In this study, we first used gel filtration chromatography to show that OccR is dimeric in solution, and we used gel shift assays to show that OccR is tetrameric when bound to DNA. We then created a series of site-directed mutations in the OccR-binding site. Some mutations were designed to lock OccR-DNA complexes into a conformation resembling the inactive conformation, whereas other mutations were designed to lock complexes into the active conformation. These mutations altered the conformation of OccR-DNA complexes and their responses to octopine in ways that we had predicted. As expected, operator mutations that locked complexes into a conformation having a long footprint and a high angle DNA bend blocked activation by octopine in vivo. Surprisingly, however, mutations that lock OccR into a short footprint and low angle DNA bend failed to cause the protein to function constitutively. Furthermore, some of the latter mutations interfered with activation by octopine. We conclude that locking OccR into a conformation having a short footprint is not sufficient to cause constitutive activation, and octopine must cause at least one additional conformational change in the protein.
Nicotinoid and pyrethroid insecticide resistance in houseflies (Diptera: Muscidae) collected from Florida dairies.

BACKGROUND The housefly, Musca domestica L. , continues to be a major pest of confined livestock operations. Houseflies have developed resistance to most chemical classes, and new chemistries for use in animal agriculture are increasingly slow to emerge. Five adult housefly strains from four Florida dairy farms were evaluated for resistance to four insecticides (beta-cyfluthrin, permethrin, imidacloprid and nithiazine). RESULTS Significant levels of tolerance were found in most field strains to all insecticides, and in some cases substantial resistance was apparent (as deduced from comparison with prior published results). At the LC(90) level, greater than 20-fold resistance was found in two of the fly strains for permethrin and one fly strain for imidacloprid. Beta-cyfluthrin LC(90) resistance ratios exceeded tenfold resistance in three fly strains. The relatively underutilized insecticide nithiazine had the lowest resistance ratios; however, fourfold LC(90) resistance was observed in one southern Florida fly strain. Farm insecticide use and its impact on resistance selection in Florida housefly populations are discussed. CONCLUSION Housefly resistance to pyrethroids is widespread in Florida. Imidacloprid resistance is emerging, and tolerance was observed to both imidacloprid and nithiazine. If these insecticides are to retain efficacy, producer use must be restrained.
Multiple sample flow through immunomagnetic separator for concentrating pathogenic bacteria

The standard method of immunomagnetic separation for isolating pathogenic bacteria from food and environmental matrices processes 1 ml volumes. Pathogens present at low levels (<0.5 pathogenic bacteria/g) will not be consistently detected by this method. Here a multiple sample flow through immunomagnetic separator has been designed and tested to process large volume samples (50 to 250 ml). Preliminary results show >97% recovery of polydisperse magnetic particles (diameter range 1 to 8 µm) containing 29–33% w/w Fe3O4 content. Between 70 and 130 times more of the pathogenic bacteria Escherichia coli O157 is recovered from PBS compared with the standard 1 ml method. Also, the recovery of E. coli O157 from beef mince homogenates, after a 4 h incubation at 42 °C, is between 80 and 180 times higher than the standard 1 ml method.
Developmental Swarm Intelligence: Developmental Learning Perspective of Swarm Intelligence Algorithms

In this paper, the necessity of having developmental learning embedded in a swarm intelligence algorithm is confirmed by briefly considering brain evolution, brain development, brainstorming process, etc. Several swarm intelligence algorithms are looked at from developmental learning perspective. Finally, a framework of a developmental swarm intelligence algorithm is given to help understand developmental swarm intelligence algorithms, and to guide to design and/or implement any new developmental swarm intelligence algorithm and/or any developmental evolutionary algorithm.
Fast settling VGA for eddy currents non-destructive testing with an array of magneto resistors

This paper presents a low noise CMOS circuit for precise reading of an array of magnetoresistive sensors. The settling time of the low frequency AC coupled amplifier defines the reading speed for the sensors, being usually very long due to the large time constants. We present a fast settling mechanism that momentarily reduces the resistance defining the high-pass filter pole and changes it back to the initial value when the signal crosses zero, to avoid glitches. A logic circuit for zero cross detection based on a reference signal is implemented together with a delay matching circuit. This technique has been validated by measurements in a simplified discrete prototype and by simulation in an ASIC implemented in AMS 0.35 μm technology. The ASIC has a simulated 30 nV/√Hz noise at 1 kHz, a bandwidth from 100 Hz to 10 MHz, and a settling time of T/2, being T the period of the signal.
Anti-tumor effect of pEgr-IFNgamma gene-radiotherapy in B16 melanoma-bearing mice.

AIM To construct a pEgr-IFNgamma plasmid and to investigate its expression properties of interferon-gamma (INF-gamma) induced by irradiation and the effect of gene-radiotherapy on the growth of melanoma. METHODS A recombined plasmid, pEgr-IFNgamma, was constructed and transfected into B16 cell line with lipofectamine. The expression properties of pEgr-IFNgamma were investigated by ELISA. Then, a B16 melanoma-bearing model was established in mice, and the plasmid was injected into the tumor tissue. The tumor received 20 Gy X-ray irradiation 36 h after injection, and IFN-gamma expression was detected from the tumor tissue. A tumor growth curve at different time points was determined. RESULTS The eukaryotic expression vector, pEgr-IFNgamma, was successfully constructed and transfected into B16 cells. IFN-gamma expression was significantly increased in transfected cells after X-ray irradiation in comparison with 0 Gy group (77.73-94.60 pg/mL, P<0.05-0.001), and was significantly higher at 4 h and 6 h than that of control group after 2 Gy X-ray irradiation (78.90-90.00 pg/mL, P<0.01-0.001). When the transfected cells were given 2 Gy irradiation 5 times at an interval of 24 h, IFN-gamma expression decreased in a time-dependent manner. From d 3 to d 15 after IFNgamma gene-radiotherapy, the tumor growth was significantly slower than that after irradiation or gene therapy alone. CONCLUSION The anti-tumor effect of pEgr-IFNgamma gene-radiotherapy is better than that of genetherapy or radiotherapy alone for melanoma. These results may establish an important experimental basis for gene-radiotherapy of cancer.
Poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation of transcription factor Yin Yang 1 under conditions of DNA damage.

Under conditions of severe DNA damage the nuclear enzyme poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP-1) is activated, catalyzing the modification of proteins by forming and attaching to them poly(ADP-ribose) chains. A specific physical interaction between PARP-1 and transcription factor Yin Yang 1 (YY1) in vitro was shown previously, which had important consequences for the activities of both proteins. It is demonstrated here that YY1 and PARP-1 form complexes in vivo. YY1 was transiently poly(ADP-ribosyl)ated immediately after genotoxic treatment of HeLa cells. The narrow time frame of the modification coincides with that known for the activation of PARP-1 under these conditions. This immediate modification correlated with a decreased affinity of YY1 to its cognate DNA binding sites.
Halothane Anesthesia Attenuates Cardiopulmonary Baroreflex Control of Peripheral Resistance in Humans

The effects of halothane anesthesia on cardiopulmonary (low pressure) baroreflex control of peripheral resistance were studied in 10 ASA class I young men. Graded (-5,-7.5, −10, −12.5 mmHg) lower body negative pressure (LBNP) was used to produce progressive decreases in thoracic blood volume and central venous pressure. These stimuli activate reflexes from cardiopulmonary baroreceptors. Volunteers were studied while awake and during 1 MAC (0.75%) and 1.25 MAC (0.93%) halothane anesthesia. Hetastarch (6%) in 0.9% normal saline was infused into patients before baseline recordings were initiated. Blood pressure, stroke volume, cardiac output, and systemic and forearm vascular resistance decreased and forearm blood flow increased during halothane anesthesia. In awake subjects, LBNP did not alter heart rate or blood pressure, but stroke volume and cardiac output decreased. Blood pressure was maintained by cardiopulmonary baroreflex-mediated increases in peripheral resistance. In anesthetized subjects, decreases in stroke volume and cardiac output during LBNP were similar to awake responses, however, hypotension occurred because reflex resistance increases were markedly attenuated. The authors conclude that halothane anesthesia blunts cardiopulmonary baroreflex resistance responses provoked by mild decreases in thoracic blood volume in humans.
Computed tomography and monitoring of emphysema

It is well known that there have been no successful therapeutic interventions for subjects with emphysema. In the 1990s, investigators became very interested in lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS), first described by Brantigan and Mueller 1 in 1957, as a treatment for severe emphysema. While many sites promoted the use of LVRS for severe emphysema the criteria for the selection of patients, the effects on mortality and the magnitude and durability of benefits were not well established 2. It was for these reasons that the National Emphysema Treatment Trial (NETT) was formed in the USA. While the first report from this study was bleak and warned that subjects who have a low forced expiratory volume in one second and either homogeneous emphysema or a very low diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide ( D L,CO) had a high risk of dying after this procedure 3, the end results of the study did show that in a select population (upper-lobe patients with low exercise capacity) there was a benefit 2, which persisted for several years 4. The investigators concluded that the effects of LVRS are durable, that it can be recommended for upper-lobe-predominant emphysema patients with low exercise capacity and that it should be considered for palliation in patients with upper-lobe emphysema and high exercise capacity 4. One of the key factors in the outcome of these studies was the location of the emphysema, as described using computed tomography (CT). CT has become the imaging device of choice for organs such as the lung as it provides physicians with an image of the lung which is very similar to that seen using gross pathology. The removal of overlapping structures commonly seen in standard chest radiography and the relatively good spatial resolution, particularly using the modern …
Extradural, paravertebral and intercostal nerve blocks for post-thoracotomy pain.

Forty-five patients were allocated randomly to receive either a single intrathoracic block of four intercostal nerves, a continuous thoracic extradural infusion or a continuous paravertebral infusion of bupivacaine. Patients were allowed additional i.v. boluses of morphine via a PCA device. Segmental spread of pinprick analgesia was comparable in the groups for up to 20 h. Up to 2 h after the block, plasma concentrations of bupivacaine were greater in the intercostal group and there was large interindividual variation. There were no significant differences between the groups in pain, morphine consumption, respiratory function or adverse events. Moderate to severe respiratory depression was detected in 14 patients more than 2 h after operation.
Pharmacokinetics of High-Dose Oseltamivir in Healthy Volunteers

ABSTRACT The effects of loading doses and probenecid coadministration on oseltamivir pharmacokinetics at four increasing dose levels in groups of eight healthy adult Thai volunteers (125 individual series) were evaluated. Doses of up to 675 mg were well-tolerated. The pharmacokinetics were dose linear. Oseltamivir phosphate (OS) was rapidly and completely absorbed and converted (median conversion level, 93%) to the active carboxylate metabolite. Median elimination half-lives (and 95% confidence intervals [CI]) were 1.0 h (0.9 to 1.1 h) for OS and 5.1 h (4.7 to 5.7 h) for oseltamivir carboxylate (OC). One subject repeatedly showed markedly reduced OS-to-OC conversion, indicating constitutionally impaired carboxylesterase activity. The coadministration of probenecid resulted in a mean contraction in the apparent volume of distribution of OC of 40% (95% CI, 37 to 44%) and a reduction in the renal elimination of OC of 61% (95% CI, 58 to 62%), thereby increasing the median area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) for OC by 154% (range, 71 to 278%). The AUC increase for OC in saliva was approximately three times less than the AUC increase for OC in plasma. A loading dose 1.25 times the maintenance dose should be given for severe influenza pneumonia. Probenecid coadministration may allow considerable dose saving for oseltamivir, but more information on OC penetration into respiratory secretions is needed to devise appropriate dose regimens.
Anxiety and self-disclosure: toward a motivational model.

The self-disclosures of socially anxious and nonanxious Ss were compared within the framework of R. M. Arkin's (1981) motivational theory of social anxiety. Ss (N = 84 women) were paired with a confederate who disclosed at either a high or a low level of intimacy (i.e., the classic reciprocity paradigm). Consistent with R. M. Arkin's theory, anxious Ss were concerned with self-protection during the task and disclosed at a moderate level of intimacy regardless of their partner's behavior. In addition, anxious Ss did not reciprocate their partners' disclosures as well as did nonanxious Ss. The self-protective behaviors of the anxious Ss were associated with less liking and more discomfort on the part of their partners. This suggests that the adoption of self-protective strategies may elicit negative interpersonal reactions that maintain self-defeating interpersonal patterns in socially anxious people.
Covariance Adjustment in Randomized Experiments and Observational Studies

By slightly reframing the concept of covariance adjustment in randomized experiments, a method of exact permutation inference is derived that is entirely free of distributional assumptions and uses the random assignment of treatments as the "reasoned basis for inference. " This method of exact permutation inference may be used with many forms of covariance adjustment, including robust regression and locally weighted smoothers. The method is then generalized to observational studies where treatments were not randomly assigned, so that sensitivity to hidden biases must be examined. Adjustments using an instrumental variable are also discussed. The methods are illustrated using data from two observational studies.
Effects of insulin-like growth factor I and insulin on proliferation and on basal and luteinizing hormone-induced steroidogenesis of bovine thecal cells: involvement of glucose and receptors for insulin-like growth factor I and luteinizing hormone.

The objective of the present study was to determine the effects of IGF-I and insulin on cell proliferation, LH receptors, and basal and LH-induced progesterone and androstenedione production by bovine thecal cells. Cells from large (> or = 8mm) bovine follicles were cultured for 1 or 2 d in medium containing 10% fetal calf serum (FCS) and treated for 1 or 2 d in serum-free medium with IGF-I, insulin, and(or) LH. Treatment with 30 and 100 ng/mL of IGF-I for 1 or 2 d increased thecal cell numbers in the absence of LH regardless of whether treatments were initiated after 1 or 2 d of exposure to 10% FCS. Co-treatment with LH reduced the stimulatory effect of IGF-I on thecal cell numbers. Insulin at 10 and 100 ng/mL increased cell numbers in the presence of LH. Both IGF-I and insulin were ineffective at stimulating thecal cell progesterone or androstenedione production in the absence of LH. However, IGF-I and insulin increased (P < .05) androstenedione and progesterone production in the presence of LH. Alone, LH had little or no effect on androstenedione and progesterone production, whereas in the presence of 30 and 100 ng/mL IGF-I or 1 to 100 ng/mL insulin, LH stimulated (P < .05) androstenedione production. The stimulatory effects of IGF-I on cell proliferation and progesterone production were not detected in the presence of 100 ng/mL insulin. However, co-treatment with various doses of IGF-I and 100 ng/mL insulin further increased androstenedione production above that seen with insulin alone. In glucose-deficient medium, 25 to 75 mg/dL of glucose increased (P < .05) thecal cell proliferation, progesterone production, and androstenedione production. In the absence or presence of glucose, insulin (100 ng/mL) increased (P < .05) thecal cell proliferation, progesterone production, and androstenedione production. Treatment with 3, 10, or 100 ng/mL LH had no effect (P > .10) on the numbers of IGF-I binding sites on thecal cells but increased (P < .05) androstenedione production. Treatment with 10 and 100 ng/mL IGF-I increased (P <.01) numbers of LH/hCG binding sites. These results indicate that IGF-I and insulin may each play a significant role in thecal cell mitogenesis and LH-induced thecal cell steroidogenesis during follicular development in cattle and that glucose enhances these effects. Furthermore, the synergism between IGF-I and LH on increasing steroidogenesis does not seem to be mediated through increased binding sites for IGF-I in bovine thecal cells but rather, in part, through increased binding sites for LH.
Direct segmentation for reverse engineering

In reverse engineering a physical object is digitally reconstructed from a set of boundary points. In the segmentation phase these points are grouped into subsets to facilitate consecutive steps as surface fitting. In this paper we present a step segmentation method with subsequent classification of simple algebraic surfaces. Our method is direct in the sense that it operates directly on the point set in contrast to other approaches that are based on a triangulation of the data set. The segmentation process involves a fast algorithm for k-nearest neighbors search and an estimation of first and second order surface properties. First order segmentation, based on normal vectors, provides an initial subdivision of the surface and detects sharp edges as well as flat or highly curved areas. One of the main features of our method is to proceed by alternating the steps of segmentation and normal vector estimation. Second order segmentation subdivides the surface according to principal curvatures and provides a sufficient foundation for the classification of simple algebraic surfaces. If the boundary of the original object contains such surfaces the segmentation is optimized based on the result of a surface fitting procedure.
Ontogeny of ipsilateral corticospinal projections: A developmental study with transcranial magnetic stimulation

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has been used to describe the maturation of the corticospinal tract in children. Ipsilateral corticospinal connections have been demonstrated with TMS in patients with congenital mirror movements, in patients after hemispherectomy, and in children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy. The goal of the study was to find out whether corticospinal ipsilateral projections in children can be demonstrated during the first decade of life as part of normal ontogeny. For this purpose, we examined 50 normal children (age range, 3–11 years) with focal TMS over the left and right hemispheres to target muscles in proximal and distal parts of the upper extremity (first dorsal interosseus, biceps brachii, and brachioradialis). To lower the stimulation threshold, we stimulated under voluntary preinnervation. In two‐thirds of the children we elicited ipsilateral motor evoked potentials (MEPs). This occurred more often in proximal than in distal muscles. The latency of the ipsilateral MEPs was about 12 to 14 msec longer than the usual contralateral response. From the age of 10, and in adults, ipsilateral MEPs could not be detected. Also considering lesion data from adult patients, the most likely explanation for the disappearance of ipsilateral corticospinal connections after the age of 10 years is an increasing transcallosal inhibitory influence during development. The presence of ipsilateral corticospinal connections appears to be a normal state in ontogeny.
HIV prevalence and risk behavior among clients of female sex workers in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire

Objective: To assess socio-demographic and behavioural characteristics of clients of female sex workers in Abidjan, and to determine their HIV prevalence and related risk factors. Design: A cross-sectional study among clients of female sex workers in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. Methods: A trained interviewer approached clients leaving the room of a female sex worker and invited them for an interview using a structured questionnaire, and to provide a saliva sample. Saliva was tested for HIV antibodies by the GACELISA assay (Murex, Dartford, UK). Results: A total of 526 clients agreed to participate, and 423 (80.4%) provided a saliva sample. Reported condom use was very high, 92.7% said they always use condoms and 95.4% reported condom use during the visit preceding the interview. The overall HIV prevalence among the clients who provided a saliva sample was 13.4%. Older age and being married or cohabitating was significantly associated with HIV infection in multivariate analysis. Conclusions: HIV prevalence appears to be relatively low, and condom use is high among clients of female sex workers in Abidjan. Existing HIV prevention efforts among female sex workers and among the general population should be sustained and reinforced.
[Insect seven-transmembrane olfactory receptor complex is an odor-gated ion channel].

動物の嗅覚器には，外界の匂い物質と結合する嗅覚受容体が発現している．下等な線虫から高等哺乳動物に至るまで，嗅覚受容体は7回膜貫通Gタンパク質共役型受容体ファミリーに属する．嗅覚受容体と匂い物質が結合するとGタンパク質経路が活性化され，下流の環状ヌクレオチド作動性イオンチャネルが開口する．ゲノムプロジェクトの進行により，昆虫でも嗅覚受容体は7回膜貫通構造をもつことが明らかにされた．したがって，Gタンパク質経路を利用した情報伝達機構は全ての動物において，匂い受容における共通の分子基盤であると考えられてきた．しかしながら最近，昆虫嗅覚受容体は昆虫種間で広く保存されているOr83bファミリー受容体と複合体構造をとり，この複合体にはGタンパク質経路とは無関係に，匂いで活性化されるイオンチャネル活性が備わっていることが明らかとなった．マラリアなどの虫媒性伝染病は，汗や体臭を通して放散される匂い物質に誘引された昆虫の吸血により感染する．虫除け剤には，嗅覚受容体複合体が構成するチャネル活性を阻害する作用があることも報告された．今後，このような吸血昆虫が媒介する感染症の一次予防の観点から，嗅覚受容体複合体の活性制御機構の解明は，虫除け剤開発における最重要ターゲットになると思われる．