Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Saccharomyces cerevisiae Cdc6 Stimulates Abf1 DNA Binding Activity*

In budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, an ARS binding factor 1 (Abf1) binds to the sequence-specific DNA element involved in DNA replication and transcription. We describe in this study how yeast Cdc6 protein stimulates Abf1 protein DNA binding activities. The Abf1 binding activity was reduced approximately 20-fold in a cdc6-1mutant than in the wild-type strain. Introducing a copy of the wild-type CDC6 gene into the cdc6-1 mutant strain restored the Abf1 DNA binding activity. We demonstrated that recombinant Abf1 binds to ARS1 in vitro, and its DNA binding activity can be highly stimulated by the addition of a fusion glutathione S-transferase (GST)-Cdc6 protein. Deletion analysis revealed that the stimulating region is located at the amino terminus of the Cdc6 protein. However, we could not find the direct physical interaction between Cdc6 and Abf1. Instead, we found that the GST-Cdc6 can compete with distamycin A for binding to the DNA molecule. As distamycin A is a specific reagent that binds noncovalently to DNA at (A + T)-rich tracks, the stimulation of Abf1 DNA binding activity may be mediated by the Cdc6/DNA interaction. Our results favor a hypothesis that Cdc6 may function as an architectural factor in the assembly of a functional initiation replication complex.
Diagnostic discordance for hepatitis C virus infection in hemodialysis patients.

BACKGROUND Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with an increase in proinflammatory cytokine levels. Similar changes are seen in maintenance hemodialysis patients with malnutrition-inflammation-cachexia syndrome (MICS), which is associated with poor clinical outcomes in this population. We hypothesized that HCV transcription-mediated amplification (TMA), a sensitive qualitative molecular test for HCV RNA, may identify maintenance hemodialysis patients with HCV infection not detected by means of antibody enzyme immunoassay (EIA), particularly in those with MICS. METHODS We evaluated HCV status in 314 maintenance hemodialysis patients by using HCV antibody EIA (version 2.0; Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Park, IL) and HCV TMA (Bayer Diagnostics Laboratories, Berkeley, CA). RESULTS Twenty-five patients (8%) were EIA positive (EIA+)/TMA+; 4 patients (1%), EIA+/TMA negative (TMA-), and 22 patients (7%), EIA-/TMA+. In the 47 TMA+ patients, the sensitivity of EIA for HCV infection was only 53%. TMA+ patients had lower albumin levels and higher tumor necrosis factor alpha and serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase levels than TMA- patients. EIA+/TMA+ patients were more likely than EIA-/TMA+ or EIA-/TMA- patients to have hypoalbuminemia and higher iron and transaminase levels. Of all TMA+ patients, EIA- patients were more likely to have diabetes, be on dialysis therapy longer, and have lower liver enzyme levels and higher proinflammatory cytokine levels, including tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin 6. CONCLUSION Maintenance hemodialysis patients infected with HCV according to TMA have clinical features suggestive of MICS. In this population, HCV EIA appears to have a low sensitivity for the identification of HCV infection, which may be caused by the confounding effect of MICS or other demographic or clinical factors. These apparently false-negative HCV antibody test results are seen in persons with a longer time on hemodialysis therapy, mirroring observations in other populations with serious progressive conditions, such as human immunodeficiency virus infection.
Normal contrast enhancement of extraocular muscles: fat-suppressed MR findings.

PURPOSE To evaluate contrast enhancement of normal extraocular muscles in the orbit. METHODS Noncontrast and contrast-enhanced T1-weighted images of the orbit were acquired using a fat-suppression MR technique in eight patients with no orbital disease. Contrast enhancement of 64 extraocular muscles was evaluated and compared with that of 16 temporal muscles. RESULTS Compared with temporal muscles, all extraocular muscles markedly enhanced after administration of contrast material. CONCLUSIONS Because normal extraocular muscles enhanced markedly with contrast material, more attention should be paid to these muscles when using contrast-enhanced, fat-suppressed T1-weighted MR imaging to evaluate pathologic conditions.
An LMI approach to structured sparse feedback design in linear control systems

Consider the classical state feedback design in the linear system ẋ = Ax + Bu subject to performance specifications with an additional requirement that the control input vector u = Kx has as many zero entries as possible. The corresponding gain K is referred to as a row-sparse controller. We propose an approach to approximate solution of this kind of nonconvex problems by formulating the proper convex surrogate,-the minimization of a certain matrix norm subject to LMI constraints. The novelty of the paper is the problem formulation itself and the construction of the surrogate. The two main contributions are the design of low-dimensional output to be used in static output feedback, and suboptimal design illustrated via LQR. The results of preliminary numerical experiments are twofold. First, in many test problems, the number of controls was considerably reduced without significant loss in performance. Second, the number of nonzero entries obtained by our method is either very close to or coincide with the minimum possible amount. The approach can be further extended to handle numerous problems of optimal and robust control in sparse formulation.
Prosthetic Joint Infection Diagnosis Using Broad-Range PCR of Biofilms Dislodged from Knee and Hip Arthroplasty Surfaces Using Sonication

ABSTRACT Periprosthetic tissue and/or synovial fluid PCR has been previously studied for prosthetic joint infection (PJI) diagnosis; however, few studies have assessed the utility of PCR on biofilms dislodged from the surface of explanted arthroplasties using vortexing and sonication (i.e., sonicate fluid PCR). We compared sonicate fluid 16S rRNA gene real-time PCR and sequencing to culture of synovial fluid, tissue, and sonicate fluid for the microbiologic diagnosis of PJI. PCR sequences generating mixed chromatograms were decatenated using RipSeq Mixed. We studied sonicate fluids from 135 and 231 subjects with PJI and aseptic failure, respectively. Synovial fluid, tissue, and sonicate fluid culture and sonicate fluid PCR had similar sensitivities (64.7, 70.4, 72.6, and 70.4%, respectively; P > 0.05) and specificities (96.9, 98.7, 98.3, and 97.8%, respectively; P > 0.05). Combining sonicate fluid culture and PCR, the sensitivity was higher (78.5%, P < 0.05) than those of individual tests, with similar specificity (97.0%). Thirteen subjects had positive sonicate fluid culture but negative PCR, and 11 had negative sonicate fluid culture but positive PCR (among which 7 had prior use of antimicrobials). Broad-range PCR and culture of sonicate fluid have equivalent performance for PJI diagnosis.
OBSERVATIONS ON THE MALAGASY GENUS RHYNCHOPHORA (MALPIGHIACEAE)

The Malagasy genera Rhynchophora Arenes and Calyptostylis Arenes are combined under the name Rhynchophora, and the new species R. phillipsonii W. R. Anderson is described and illustrated. It is morphologically androdioecious but probably functionally dioecious. The distribution of indehiscent fruits in the Malpighiaceae is discussed, with comments on the anomaly of multiseeded indehiscent fruits. Rhynchophora Arenes, Notul. Syst. (Paris) 12: 127. 1946. —TYPE: Rhynchophora humbertii Arenes. Calyptostylis Arenes, Notul. Syst. (Paris) 12: 131. 1946. —TYPE: Calyptostylis humbertii Arenes. When Arenes described the two monotypic Malagasy genera Rhynchophora and Calyptostylis, he had mature fruits of the former and only very immature fruits of the latter. He distinguished the two genera on the basis of the fruits, saying that Rhynchophora has horizontal wings, one per carpel, at the middle of the indehis- cent fruit, while he described the enlarging ovary of Calyptostylis as having a crown of rounded appendages at the apex. He also described the flowers of Rhyn- chophora as bisexual and those of Calyptostylis as unisexual. I now have flowering and fruiting material of a species that I believe probably represents Calyptostylis. Its fruit is fundamentally similar to that illustrated for Rhynchophora humbertii by Arenes, and its flowers are staminate on some plants and morphologically bisexual on others. I therefore see no basis for maintaining two genera for these species, and have selected Rhynchophora to be the correct name when they are combined. See the description and discussion of Rhynchophora phillipsonii below. In his 1946 discussion, Arenes suggested that Rhynchophora is probably clos- est to another genus endemic to Madagascar, Microsteira Baker. I agree; in fact, the genera are so similar that I can distinguish them only on the basis of their ovaries and fruits. The fruit of Microsteira breaks apart at maturity into three samaras, each with a small dorsal crest and a three-lobed Y-shaped lateral wing; the similarity to the samara of Triopterys L. is striking. One can recognize the initials for the crest and lateral wings on the ovary even in flower. In Rhyn- chophora the three or four carpels are firmly connate and apparently never sepa- rate. At maturity each carpel bears a single elliptical wing that is neither dorsal nor lateral, but at right angles to the dorsiventral plane of the carpel. The result is a three- or four-winged fruit that resembles a helicopter with its wings raised ca. 45°. Arenes suggested that the single wing represents the lower lobe of the three- lobed wing of Microsteira, but if so it must have shifted its position from the base of the fruit to the middle or apex. Another possibility is that it is derived from the lateral wings of that samara, but it is so strange that the homology is not obvious
New-Onset Hypertension in Late Pregnancy and Fetal Growth: Different Associations Between Singletons and Twins

Objective: To compare the effects of new-onset hypertension (NOH) in late pregnancy on fetal growth in singletons and twins. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted to evaluate the effect of NOH on fetal growth in 17, 720, 900 singletons and 463, 104 twins born in the United States between 1995 and 2000. Results: NOH was associated with lower mean birth weight in both preterm and term singletons. Increased risk of low birth weight and decreased risk of high birth weight was associated with NOH in preterm and term singletons. NOH was associated with increased risk for small-for-gestational-age (SGA) births and decreased risk for large-for-gestational-age (LGA) births in preterm singletons, whereas it was associated with increased risk of both SGA and LGA births in term singletons. NOH was associated with higher mean birth weight in early preterm twins, and lower mean birth weight in term twins. Decreased risk for low birth weight was found in the NOH group among early preterm twins, and increased risk for low birth weight in term twins. NOH was associated with increased risk of SGA births and decreased risk for large-for-gestational-age (LGA) births in early preterm twins, while increased risk of SGA births in term twins. Conclusion: NOH is associated with slower fetal growth in singletons delivered at different gestational ages, but the effect varies in twins depending on gestational age at delivery with faster growth in early preterm twins.
Application of Micro Arrayed Compound Screening (pcARCS) to Identify Inhibitors of Caspase-3

Micro Arrayed Compound Screening (pARCS) is a miniaturized ultra-high-throughput screening platform developed at Abbott Laboratories. In this format, 8640 discrete compounds are spotted and dried onto a polystyrene sheet, which has the same footprint as a 96-well plate. A homogeneous time-resolved fluorescence assay format (LANCE) was applied to identify the inhibitors of caspase-3 using a peptide substrate labeled with a fluorescent europium chelate and a dabcyl quencher. The caspase-3 enzyme was cast into a thin agarose gel, which was placed on a sheet containing test compounds. A second gel containing caspase substrate was then laid above the enzyme gel to initiate the reaction. Caspase-3 cleaves the substrate and separates the europium from the quencher, giving rise to a time-resolved fluorescent signal, which was detected using a ViewLux charge-coupled device imaging system. Potential inhibitors of caspase-3 appeared as dark spots on a bright fluorescent background. Results from the pARCS assay format were compared to those from a conventional 96-well plate-screening format.
The results of vestibular evoked myogenic potentials, with consideration of age-related changes, in vestibular neuritis, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, and Meniere's disease.

CONCLUSION We interpreted VEMP findings in patients with the three major peripheral vertigo diseases, taking age-related changes into consideration. We found different abnormal VEMP rates among the three diseases, as well as differences in the proportion of parameters that were abnormal, according to the type of disease. OBJECTIVES Vestibular neuritis, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), and Meniere's disease, common diseases that cause peripheral vertigo, often affect the saccule or inferior vestibular nerve, which are pathways of vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP). Also, aging could have a primary effect on diminished VEMP responses. Our study investigated VEMP the findings in patients with the diseases in relation to their age. PATIENTS AND METHODS A total of 134 patients with vestibular neuritis, 62 with BPPV, and 29 with Meniere's disease were enrolled in this study. The VEMP findings in patients within the three disease groups were interpreted using our own normative ranges according to age. RESULTS Abnormal VEMP rates in the vestibular neuritis, BPPV, and Meniere's disease groups were 36.6%, 25.8%, and 69%, respectively. The proportion of prolonged p13 latency in BPPV patients with abnormal VEMP responses was relatively high compared with the other two diseases. VEMP asymmetry in the patients with Meniere's disease was relatively high.
The Best Gain-Loss Ratio is a Poor Performance Measure

The gain-loss ratio is known to enjoy very good properties from a normative point of view. As a confirmation, we show that the best market gain-loss ratio in the presence of a random endowment is an acceptability index and we provide its dual representation for general probability spaces. However, the gain-loss ratio was designed for finite $\Omega$, and works best in that case. For general $\Omega$ and in most continuous time models, the best gain-loss is either infinite or fails to be attained. In addition, it displays an odd behaviour due to the scale invariance property, which does not seem desirable in this context. Such weaknesses definitely prove that the (best) gain-loss is a poor performance measure.
Charge transfer reactions at nanostructured Au(111) surfaces: influence of the substrate material on electrocatalytic activity

Nanostructured electrodes can be used as model catalysts in order to gain a basic understanding of electrocatalytic properties. In particular, the influence of particle size and particle dispersion of noble metal catalysts and a possible influence of the support material can be studied in detail. Electrocatalytic reactions such as the hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR), the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) are important for technical applications. Hence, palladium and platinum as typical catalysts were investigated on Au(111) substrates regarding the HOR, HER and ORR. A significant increase in catalytic activity was found for Pd and Pt deposited on Au(111) where, with a decreasing amount of deposited metal, an increase of specific activity is observed which is contrary to expectations. A different behaviour was found for the ORR, where, according to expectations, the reactivity increases with increasing amounts of Pt. Parameters influencing the electrocatalytic activity of nanostructured surfaces, such as strain of the overlayers induced by the support and a possible direct involvement of the Au(111) surface in the mechanism of HER, are discussed.
A hydrogel-based wireless sensor using micromachined variable inductors with folded flex-circuit structures for biomedical applications

This paper reports a flexible, inductive wireless sensor that can be combined with a variety of hydrogel materials for biomedical applications. The variable inductor is formed by folding coplanar dual spiral coil with 5-10 mm size that are microfabricated using 50-mum-thick copper-clad polyimide film so that when folded, the two coils are aligned to each other and the mutual inductance depends on the gap between the aligned coils. A hydrogel element is sandwiched by the folded substrate to modulate the gap, or inductance of the device as it swells/deswells depending on the target parameter. The response of a variable inductor to the displacement of the coils is measured to be 0.40 nH/mum. A sensitivity of 113 ppm/mum in wireless frequency measurement is obtained using the passive resonant device that combines the variable inductor with a fixed capacitor. The resonant devices are coupled with a commercial hydrogel wound dressing as well as pH-sensitive poly(vinyl alcohol)-poly(acrylic acid) hydrogel. Wireless monitoring of the swelling of the wound dressing is experimentally demonstrated.
The Therapeutic Effect of Extracellular Superoxide Dismutase (EC-SOD) Mouse Embryonic Fibroblast (MEF) on Collagen-Induced Arthritis (CIA) Mice

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease. The generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) within an inflamed joint has been suggested as playing a significant pathogenic role. Extracellular superoxide dismutase (EC-SOD) is a major scavenger enzyme of ROS, which has received growing attention for its therapeutic potential. To investigate the therapeutic effect of EC-SOD in mice with collagen-induced arthritis (CIA), we used mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF) of transgenic mice that overexpresses EC-SOD on the skin by using hK14 promoter. DBA/1 mice that had been treated with bovine type II collagen were administrated subcutaneous injections of EC-SOD transgenic MEF (each at 1.4 × 106 cells) on days 28, 35, and 42 after primary immunization. To test EC-SOD activity, blood samples were collected in each group on day 49. The EC-SOD activity was nearly 1.5-fold higher in the transgenic MEF-treated group than in the non-transgenic MEF-treated group (p < 0.05). The severity of arthritis in mice was scored in a double-blind manner, with each paw being assigned a separate clinical score. The severity of arthritis in EC-SOD transgenic MEF-treated mice was significantly suppressed in the arthritic clinical score (p < 0.05). To investigate the alteration of cytokine levels, ELISA was used to measure blood samples. Levels of IL-1β and TNF-α were reduced in the transgenic MEF-treated group (p < 0.05). Abnormalities of the joints were examined by H&E staining. There were no signs of inflammation except for mild hyperplasia of the synovium in the transgenic MEF-treated group. The proliferation of CII-specific T cells was lower in the transgenic MEF-treated mice than in those in the other groups. The transfer of EC-SOD transgenic MEF has shown a therapeutic effect in CIA mice and this approach may be a safer and more effective form of therapy for rheumatoid arthritis.
Long-term surgical outcome in patients with lung cancer and coexisting severe COPD.

BACKGROUND The functional criteria for curative surgery for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and coexisting chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) remain controversial. We aimed to clarify long-term outcomes after resection. METHODS Between January 1990 and April 2005, 36 consecutive patients with NSCLC and severe COPD underwent pulmonary resection. All had severe (30-50 % pred FEV1) or very severe COPD (30 % > pred FEV1) preoperatively. Survival, short- and long-term complications were analyzed retrospectively. Prognostic factors were also analyzed. RESULTS The 5-year survival rate of these patients was significantly worse than that of patients with better pulmonary function (50 % < pred FEV1) ( P < 0.0001). Patients with interstitial pneumonia (IP) had a significantly poorer prognosis ( P = 0.0099). With regard to long-term complications three months after surgery, 30 % of patients reported worsening of dyspnea, and 20 % experienced pneumonia recurrence. No deaths were related to COPD progression. CONCLUSION Patients with stage IA NSCLC and severe COPD may undergo curative surgical resection; however, postoperative complications and long-term survival remain unsolved problems. IP is a contraindication for surgery in patients with severe COPD.
La Administración de la Política Monetaria en Chile, 1985-89

La administracion de una politica monetaria autonoma, en el contexto de un mercado de capitales libre, es una experiencia relativamente nueva en Chile. Hasta 1975-76 la politica monetaria estaba condicionada por las apremiantes necesidades de financiamiento fiscal, por una parte, y por los multiples controles directos existentes hasta entonces sobre las tasas de interes y el credito bancario. Una vez superadas esas restricciones y despues de corto intervalo, la politica monetaria se subordino a la mantencion de un tipo de cambio nominal fijo, objetivo que, desde luego, le resta toda autonomia a la politica monetaria. Mas tarde, en 1982-84, el desarrollo de una seria crisis financiera obligo a la politica cambiaria a limitarse a respaldar a un sistema bancario al borde de la quiebra. En realidad, el periodo 1985-89 es una excepcion en la historia monetaria chilena y, en general, en la experiencia latinoamericana. Y esta excepcion es interesante de revisar porque la evaluacion macroeconomica del periodo fue claramente favorable. Entre 1985 y 1989 el Producto Geografico Bruto crecio a una tasa promedio de 6,5% real al ano, la inflacion promedio 20% al ano y la deuda externa descendio desde casi 100% del PGB en 1984 a 64% en 1989. Es mi impresion que esos resultados no son independientes de la opcion de politica monetaria aplicada. Dos elementos adicionales realzan el interes del periodo que nos proponemos describir. El primero es que la experiencia de la liberalizacion financiera resueltamente llevada a cabo en la segunda mitad de la decada anterior parecia en 1984 definitivamente malograda: las persistentemente altas tasas reales de interes habian terminado por desencadenar la crisis financiera mas grave desde la Gran Depresion. Aparentemente, la libertad de tasas de interes y asignacion del credito no funcionaba en este sector del mundo y habia que volver atras1. La experiencia de 1985-89 probo que ninguna de las fallas detectadas entonces era inherente a un mercado de capitales libre2 . El otro elemento digno de destacar es que -asi como en la generalidad de las economias latinoamericanasla rehabilitacion del sistema bancario, luego de la crisis, tuvo un alto costo fiscal, que se localizo en el Banco Central. La existencia de este voluminoso deficit cuasifiscal fue considerado por el Fondo Monetario Internacional y el Banco Mundial en 1985 como un serio obstaculo para una reactivacion no inflacionaria. Algunos aspectos de esta discusion han surgido ultimamente a la luz publica, con motivo de declaraciones de alarma por el grado de endeudamiento del Banco Central. En el periodo 1985-89 esos temores se probaron infundados.