Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Curcumin has potent anti‐amyloidogenic effects for Alzheimer's β‐amyloid fibrils in vitro

Inhibition of the accumulation of amyloid β‐peptide (Aβ) and the formation of β‐amyloid fibrils (fAβ) from Aβ, as well as the destabilization of preformed fAβ in the central nervous system, would be attractive therapeutic targets for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). We reported previously that nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) and wine‐related polyphenols inhibit fAβ formation from Aβ(1–40) and Aβ(1–42) and destabilize preformed fAβ(1–40) and fAβ(1–42) dose‐dependently in vitro. Using fluorescence spectroscopic analysis with thioflavin T and electron microscopic studies, we examined the effects of curcumin (Cur) and rosmarinic acid (RA) on the formation, extension, and destabilization of fAβ(1–40) and fAβ(1–42) at pH 7.5 at 37°C in vitro. We next compared the anti‐amyloidogenic activities of Cur and RA with NDGA. Cur and RA dose‐dependently inhibited fAβ formation from Aβ(1–40) and Aβ(1–42), as well as their extension. In addition, they dose‐dependently destabilized preformed fAβs. The overall activities of Cur, RA, and NDGA were similar. The effective concentrations (EC50) of Cur, RA, and NDGA for the formation, extension, and destabilization of fAβs were in the order of 0.1–1 μM. Although the mechanism by which Cur and RA inhibit fAβ formation from Aβ and destabilize preformed fAβ in vitro remains unclear, they could be a key molecule for the development of therapeutics for AD. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Twelve-Hour Phase Shifts of Hamster Circadian Rhythms Elicited by Voluntary Wheel Running

Running in a novel wheel can serve as a nonphotic zeitgeber to entrain or phase shift circadian rhythms in hamsters. In this study, hamsters were entrained to a light:dark schedule of 14:10 h but had no access to running wheels. At four different phase points of the light cycle, hamsters were transferred to constant darkness and provided with running wheels. All hamsters began running shortly after transfer and were allowed to continue running at their own volition. Approximately 20% of the hamsters transferred at zeitgeber time (ZT) 23 (ZT 12 = lights out) ran more than 4 h after transfer and showed phase advances of the circadian activity rhythm by as much as 15 h, while hamsters that ran less than 4 h on average did not phase shift. A similar result was observed for hamsters transferred at ZT 2. Hamsters transferred at ZT 5 and 8 also did not phase shift if they ran less than 4 h, although the relation between longer runs and phase shifts became less evident. A sustained run in excess of 4 h appeared to be associated with large phase advances. These results show that under certain conditions, a single sustained bout of wheel-running activity is capable of phase shifting the circadian pacemaker by more than 12 h.
A frequent kinase domain mutation that changes the interaction between PI3Kα and the membrane

Mutations in oncogenes often promote tumorigenesis by changing the conformation of the encoded proteins, thereby altering enzymatic activity. The PIK3CA oncogene, which encodes p110α, the catalytic subunit of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase alpha (PI3Kα), is one of the two most frequently mutated oncogenes in human cancers. We report the structure of the most common mutant of p110α in complex with two interacting domains of its regulatory partner (p85α), both free and bound to an inhibitor (wortmannin). The N-terminal SH2 (nSH2) domain of p85α is shown to form a scaffold for the entire enzyme complex, strategically positioned to communicate extrinsic signals from phosphopeptides to three distinct regions of p110α. Moreover, we found that Arg-1047 points toward the cell membrane, perpendicular to the orientation of His-1047 in the WT enzyme. Surprisingly, two loops of the kinase domain that contact the cell membrane shift conformation in the oncogenic mutant. Biochemical assays revealed that the enzymatic activity of the p110α His1047Arg mutant is differentially regulated by lipid membrane composition. These structural and biochemical data suggest a previously undescribed mechanism for mutational activation of a kinase that involves perturbation of its interaction with the cellular membrane.
The Role of Corticospinal Tract Damage in Chronic Motor Recovery and Neurorehabilitation: A Pilot Study

Background. With diffusion-tensor imaging (DTi) it is possible to estimate the structural characteristics of fiber bundles in vivo. This study used DTi to infer damage to the corticospinal tract (CST) and relates this parameter to (a) the level of residual motor ability at least 1 year poststroke and (b) the outcome of intensive motor rehabilitation with constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT). Objective. To explore the role of CST damage in recovery and CIMT efficacy. Methods. Ten patients with low-functioning hemiparesis were scanned and tested at baseline, before and after CIMT. Lesion overlap with the CST was indexed as reduced anisotropy compared with a CST variability map derived from 26 controls. Residual motor ability was measured through the Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT) and the Motor Activity Log (MAL) acquired at baseline. CIMT benefit was assessed through the pre—post treatment comparison of WMFT and MAL performance. Results. Lesion overlap with the CST correlated with residual motor ability at baseline, with greater deficits observed in patients with more extended CST damage. Infarct volume showed no systematic association with residual motor ability. CIMT led to significant improvements in motor function but outcome was not associated with the extent of CST damage or infarct volume. Conclusion. The study gives in vivo support for the proposition that structural CST damage, not infarct volume, is a major predictor for residual functional ability in the chronic state. The results provide initial evidence for positive effects of CIMT in patients with varying, including more severe, CST damage.
The Limits of Media Effects: Field Positions and Cultural Change in a Mutual Fund Market

Our paper examines how field structures moderate the effect of the business press on organizational outcomes. Prior research suggests that the business press shapes organizational outcomes, but the question of how these effects depend on organizations' positions in a field has attracted limited attention. We address this theoretical limitation in an analysis of how mutual funds in Sweden were affected by periods when the business press increased its negative coverage of mutual fund fees. First, we expect that negative coverage influences the way customers evaluate mutual funds. Second, banks have long occupied a dominant position in this market, and we thus expect banks to be less affected by the negative coverage of fees than other mutual fund managers. We find support for our argument in a longitudinal quantitative analysis of financial net flows into mutual funds. The findings indicate the value of contextualizing media effects and considering how field positions moderate the effects of cultural processes.
Spermless males elicit large-scale female responses to mating in the malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae

Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto is the major vector of malaria, a disease with devastating consequences for human health. Given the constant spread of the disease, alternative approaches to the use of insecticides are urgently needed to control vector populations. Females of this species undergo large behavioral changes after mating, which include a life-long refractoriness to further insemination and the induction of egg laying in blood-fed individuals. Genetic control strategies aimed at impacting Anopheles fertility through the release of sterile males are being advocated to reduce the size of mosquito field populations. Such strategies depend on the ability of the released sterile males to mate successfully with wild females and to switch off the female receptivity to further copulation. Here we evaluate the role of sperm in regulating female behavioral responses after mating in An. gambiae. We developed spermless males by RNAi silencing of a germ cell differentiation gene. These males mated successfully and preserved standard accessory gland functions. Females mated to spermless males exhibited normal postcopulatory responses, which included laying large numbers of eggs upon blood feeding and becoming refractory to subsequent insemination. Moreover, spermless males induced transcriptional changes in female reproductive genes comparable to those elicited by fertile males. Our data demonstrate that, in contrast to Drosophila, targeting sperm in An. gambiae preserves normal male and female reproductive behavior for the traits and time frame analyzed and validate the use of approaches based on incapacitation or elimination of sperm for genetic control of vector populations to block malaria transmission.
Draft Genome Sequence of Methylophaga lonarensis MPLT, a Haloalkaliphilic (Non-Methane-Utilizing) Methylotroph

ABSTRACT Methylophaga lonarensis strain MPLT is a haloalkaliphilic methylotroph isolated from Lonar Lake, a saline and alkaline lake in Maharashtra, India. Strain MPLT utilizes methanol as its sole carbon and energy source. Here, we present the draft genome sequence of M. lonarensis MPLT (VKM B-2684T = MCC 1002T).
De la physiognomonie à la buccomancie : aspects historiques, applications actuelles et limites. Ou la forme des dents et les traits du visage donnent-ils des indices sur notre personnalité ?

La physiognomonie et la buccomancie ont eu un impact consequent dans la medecine du 18e et du 19e siecle. La forme de nos dents et les traits de notre visage ont-ils un lien direct avec notre personnalite ? Cette question est aussi large qu’intemporelle et ambitieuse. Elle suscite l’interet universel qu’a l’etre humain de sonder les caracteristiques internes de ses congeneres a partir d’elements exterieurs qu’il a a sa disposition. Dans une certaine mesure, il est possible d’acceder a des bribes de personnalite en passant par la simple observation du visage. Bien que cette decouverte soit relative et qu’elle doive s’accommoder des differents biais existants, elle est un tremplin pour d’autres experiences qui devraient permettre de mieux comprendre le fonctionnement du cerveau, en particulier dans la perception d’autrui.
FORAL LP: Design and Implementation

Existing programming languages use display terminals as powerful typewriters, The FORAL LP user, in contrast, does not even need to know how to type. He enters transactions by using a light pen to touch nodes and arcs of a two-dimensional semantic network. The system immediately checks each touch for errors and constructs a FORAL II statement. This paper presents the FORAL LP light pen syntax and the FORAL LP pen touch to the FORAL II textual language compiler.
Preventive home visits to elderly people

Papers p 719 In preventive health services the old axiom that lack of evidence is not evidence of lack is important. No one should be surprised that the meta-analysis undertaken by Elkan et al (p 719), the systematic reviews by Stuck et al and van Haastregt et al, and the randomised controlled trials undertaken by these and other researchers produce apparently conflicting results.1-3 Most importantly, the lack of a clear justification for preventive home visits to older people, in terms of the outcomes of mortality, institutionalisation, and particular measures of function, should not be used as an excuse for discontinuing the service. Some of the limitations of meta-analyses and systematic reviews were identified in the correspondence that followed the publication of van Haastregt's review.3 The reliance of these approaches on randomised controlled trials recognises that such trials are the most rigorous form of assessing the effectiveness of medical interventions but fails to recognise that they may not be adequate or appropriate …
In-phase reflection and band-gap characteristics of EBG structure for millimeter-wave applications

Design and analysis of millimeter-wave (MMW) mushroom-like, circular-patch electromagnetic band-gap (EBG) structure is presented. The in-phase reflection and band-gap characteristics of the proposed EBG structure are investigated. Results show that the proposed EBG structure has stable reflection properties when normally and obliquely illuminated by a plane wave with different polarizations around the 60 GHz band. In addition, the proposed EBG structure is found to have a band-gap around the same frequency bandwidth. With these properties, proposed EBG structure is suitable to be used as reflectors in antenna applications in orderto increase the gain and improve the radiation characteristics.
QRS detection based on matching pursuit algorithm

The QRS complex is the most significant feature of the electrocardiogram (ECG). This paper introduces a novel algorithm for detection of QRS complexes in ECG based on matching pursuit algorithm (MPA). To recognize QRS Complex regions, time-frequency map of the ECG signal is plotted. Then the correct QRS regions are detected using the map. The performance of the algorithm is evaluated on ECG signals recorded in Bioinstruments Lab at Sahand University of Technology. The results indicate that the proposed method achieves 99.92% of sensitivity and 99.85% of specificity. The percentage of detected error rate is 0.223%. The efficiency of the algorithm in the presence of noise and corruption in ECG is also investigated.
Coplanar Antenna Array for 2.45GHz RFID Tag

A new CPS antenna design is presented. This antenna is suitable for RFID tags, operating at 2.45GHz. The device was fabricated on RT6002 substrate of thickness h=1.5 mm. Input impedance control is based on the conformal mapping technique. A full wave EM simulator was used to obtain the frequency response. Simulated and experimental results are presented
Reflection paper on MRSA in food-producing and companion animals: epidemiology and control options for human and animal health

SUMMARY The scope of this reflection paper was to review the latest research on the risk of MRSA infection and colonization in animals. Attention focused on occurrence, risk factors for colonization and infection, and human contact hazard for livestock, horses, and companion animals. Whereas the clonal relationship between MRSA strains of CC398 is straightforward in livestock this is less obvious in horses. Small companion animals typically share MRSA strains that seem to exchange with a human reservoir. Management and therapeutic options have been suggested for livestock, horses, companion animals, as well as instructions on safety measures for persons in contact with animals. Conclusions were drawn with emphasis on future research activities, especially to confirm the apparent evolution of the organism and to demonstrate efficiency of control strategies.
Le Québec : une identité en péril

A defaut de croyances partagees pour les inscrire dans la duree et de projet politique pour les projeter dans l’avenir, les dispositifs identitaires entrent en crise. Alors, les initiatives communautaires, culturelles ou artistiques de la societe civile semblent se disperser, orphelines du grand recit qui leur donnerait du sens. L’exemple du Quebec.
Racial differences in the use of BRCA1/2 testing among women with a family history of breast or ovarian cancer.

CONTEXT Given the current context of racial disparities in health and health care and the historical context of eugenics, racial disparities in the use of genetic susceptibility testing have been widely anticipated. However, to our knowledge there are no published studies examining the magnitude and determinants of racial differences in the use of genetic susceptibility testing. OBJECTIVES To investigate the relationship between race and the use of BRCA1/2 counseling among women with a family history of breast or ovarian cancer and to determine the contribution of socioeconomic characteristics, cancer risk perception and worry, attitudes about genetic testing, and interactions with primary care physicians to racial differences in utilization. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Case-control study (December 1999-August 2003) of 408 women with a family history of breast or ovarian cancer, of whom 217 underwent genetic counseling for BRCA1/2 testing (cases) and 191 women did not (controls). Participants received primary care within a large health system in greater Philadelphia, Pa. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Probability of carrying a BRCA1/2 mutation, socioeconomic characteristics, perception of breast and ovarian cancer risk, worry about breast and ovarian cancer, attitudes about BRCA1/2 testing, and primary care physician discussion of BRCA1/2 testing were measured prior to undergoing BRCA1/2 counseling for cases and at the time of enrollment for controls. RESULTS African American women with a family history of breast or ovarian cancer were significantly less likely to undergo genetic counseling for BRCA1/2 testing than were white women with a family history of breast or ovarian cancer (odds ratio, 0.22; 95% confidence interval, 0.12-0.40). This association persisted after adjustment for probability of BRCA1/2 mutation, socioeconomic characteristics, breast and ovarian cancer risk perception and worry, attitudes about the risks and benefits of BRCA1/2 testing, and primary care physician discussion of BRCA1/2 testing (adjusted odds ratio for African American vs white, 0.28; 95% confidence interval, 0.09-0.89). CONCLUSIONS Racial disparities in the use of BRCA1/2 counseling are large and do not appear to be explained by differences in risk factors for carrying a BRCA1/2 mutation, socioeconomic factors, risk perception, attitudes, or primary care physician recommendations. The benefit of predictive genetic testing will not be fully realized unless these disparities can be addressed.
Impact of humic acid fouling on membrane performance 1 and transport of pharmaceutically active compounds in 2 forward osmosis 3 Water Research 4 Revised : 6 th May 2013 5

The impact of humic acid fouling on the membrane transport of two pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) namely carbamazepine and sulfamethoxazole in forward osmosis (FO) was investigated. Deposition of humic acid onto the membrane surface was promoted by the complexation with calcium ions in the feed solution and the increase in ionic strength at the membrane surface due to the reverse transport of NaCl draw solute. The increase in the humic acid deposition on the membrane surface led to a substantial decrease in the membrane salt (NaCl) permeability coefficient but did not result in a significant decrease in the membrane pure water permeability coefficient. As the deposition of humic acid increased, the permeation of carbamazepine and sulfamethoxazole decreased, which correlated well with the decrease in the membrane salt (NaCl) permeability coefficient. It is hypothesized that the hydrated humic acid fouling layer hindered solute diffusion through the membrane pore and enhanced solute rejection by steric hindrance, but not the permeation of water molecules. The membrane water and salt (NaCl) permeability coefficients were fully restored by physical cleaning of the membrane, suggesting that humic acid did not penetrate into the membrane pores.
Nutritive And Dietetic Value Of Genetically-Modified Tomatoes Expressing Thaumatin Gene

Abstract Genetically-modified (GM) tomatoes, carrying thaumatin gene encoding sweet-tasting protein may be a component of diet with high sensory values, constituting a valuable source of nutrients and substances with a health-promoting role. Good utilization and a lack of the effect on animal growth, value of hematological parameters, concentration of immunoglobulins and most of chemical blood parameters of laboratory rats were demonstrated in the nutritional studies on fruits of tomato GM plants. The biological response of the rats receiving GMO or its isogenic equivalent in the diet was recognized as similar. However, the unfavourable effect of the diets containing addition of tomatoes with the recombined thaumatin on the degree of oxidative degradation of DNA of rats liver was recorded. At the same time, the discussed dietary component had no effect on values of the remaining parameters of the oxidative status of tissue of the above mentioned organ and its histological image
A Generalized Radiation Model for Human Mobility: Spatial Scale, Searching Direction and Trip Constraint

We generalized the recently introduced “radiation model”, as an analog to the generalization of the classic “gravity model”, to consolidate its nature of universality for modeling diverse mobility systems. By imposing the appropriate scaling exponent λ, normalization factor κ and system constraints including searching direction and trip OD constraint, the generalized radiation model accurately captures real human movements in various scenarios and spatial scales, including two different countries and four different cities. Our analytical results also indicated that the generalized radiation model outperformed alternative mobility models in various empirical analyses.
Studies on the biosynthesis of cell-wall polysaccharide in mutant strains of Salmonella. I.

During the past few years, we have carried out both biochemical1-' and genetic4 studies on a peculiar type of galactose-negative mutants of Salmonella (so-called M mutants). These mutants appear to have a single genetic lesion in the gene controlling the synthesis of uridine diphosphogalactose-4-epimerase (epimerase) and thus are completely devoid of the activity of this enzyme. This enzyme is known to be responsible not only for the catabolic breakdown but also for the biosynthesis of the galactose moiety.5 Therefore, these mutant strains give us a unique opportunity to examine the consequences of the defective synthesis of galactose in the organism. Westphal and his co-workers demonstrated that galactose is an integral constituent of the cell-wall lipopolysaccharide (LPS) t or the 0-antigenic polysaccharide of Salmonella.6 Indeed, it is very impressive that among a great many different strains belonging to more than 90 different species, 29 different serotypes, and various serological forms, no single strain was found with cell-wall LPS lacking galactose. Thus, it is immediately apparent that the defective synthesis of galactose must have profound effects on the biosynthesis of the cell-wall LPS. To examine this point, we have isolated cell-wall fractions from both wild-type and M mutant strains of S. typhimurium or of S. enteritidis.2 The cell-wall fraction was hydrolyzed with 2 N H2SO4, and the neutral sugars were analyzed by paper chromatography. The results are shown in Table 1, together with the names of strains used throughout this work. As expected, the cell wall of M mutants did not contain any galactose when the cells were grown without galactose, but, in addition, they lacked various other sugars from their cell wall and actually contained only glucose.2 7 Moreover, when these cells were grown in a medium containing 0.1 per cent galactose for 20 minutes,T the qualitative sugar composition became indistinguishable from that of the wild type.2 3 In this article, the isolation and properties of cell-wall LPS from M mutants will be described. In the forthcoming paper of this series, we shall discuss the mechanism leading to the loss of various sugars from the LPS ofM mutants and the mechanism leading to the synthesis of wild-type-like LPS in M mutant cells grow-