Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effective photosensitization-based inactivation of Gram (−) food pathogens and molds using the chlorophyllin—chitosan complex: towards photoactive edible coatings to preserve strawberries

This study is focused on the novel approaches to enhance the inactivation of the Gram (−) food pathogen Salmonella enterica and harmful molds in vitro and on the surface of strawberries using the chlorophyllin–chitosan complex. Salmonella enterica (∼1 × 10^7 CFU mL^−1) was incubated with chlorophyllin 1.5 × 10^−5 M (Chl, food additive), chitosan 0.1% (CHS, food supplement) or the chlorophyllin–chitosan complex (1.5 × 10^−5 M Chl–0.1% CHS) and illuminated with visible light ( λ = 405 nm, light dose 38 J cm^−2) in vitro . Chlorophyllin (Chl)-based photosensitization inactivated Salmonella just by 1.8 log. Chitosan (CHS) alone incubated for 2 h with Salmonella reduced viability 2.15 log, whereas photoactivated Chl–CHS diminished bacterial viability by 7 log. SEM images indicate that the Chl–CHS complex under these experimental conditions covered the entire bacterial surface. Significant cell membrane disintegration was the main lethal injury induced in Gram (−) bacteria by this treatment. Analysis of strawberry decontamination from surface-inoculated Salmonella indicated that photoactivated Chl–CHS (1.5 × 10^−2) coatings diminished the pathogen population on the surfa2;5} M Chl–0.1% CHS, 30 min incubation, light dose 38 J cm^−2 of strawberries by 2.2 log. Decontamination of strawberries from naturally distributed yeasts/molds revealed that chitosan alone reduced the population of yeasts/molds just by 0.4 log, Chl-based photosensitization just by 0.9 log, whereas photoactivated Chl–CHS coatings reduced yeasts/molds on the surface of strawberries by 1.4 log. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy confirmed that no additional photosensitization-induced free radicals have been found in the strawberry matrix. Visual quality (color, texture) of the treated strawberries was not affected either. In conclusion, photoactive Chl–CHS exhibited strong antimicrobial action against more resistant to photosensitization Gram (−) Salmonella enterica in comparison with Gram (+) bacteria in vitro . It reduced significantly the viability of strawberry surface-attached yeasts/molds and inoculated Salmonella without any negative impact on the visual quality of berries. Experimental data support the idea that photoactivated Chl–CHS can be a useful tool for the future development of edible photoactive antimicrobial coatings which can preserve strawberries and prolong their shelf-life according to requirements of “clean green technology”.
Actual versus perceived HIV status, sexual behaviors and predictors of unprotected sex among young gay and bisexual men who identify as HIV‐negative, HIV‐positive and untested

Objectives:To compare the prevalence and predictors of HIV sexual risk behavior among young gay and bisexual men who perceived themselves to be HIV-negative, HIV-positive, or who were untested. Design:Population-based sample of young gay and bisexual men. Methods:Using multi-stage probability sampling, 408 gay and bisexual men aged 18–29 years in San Francisco were recruited and interviewed, and blood samples for HIV-testing from 364 participants were obtained. Results:HIV prevalence was 18.7%, although 25% of the men who were HIV-positive did not know it. Thirty-seven per cent reported engaging in unprotected anal intercourse during the past year, including 59% of the men who knew they were HIV-positive, 35% of the men who perceived themselves HIV-negative and 28% of the untested men. Logistic regressions found similar predictors of unprotected intercourse for HIV-negatives and HIV-positives, including sexual impulsivity, substance use, sexual enjoyment and communication problems. Conclusions:The high rates of unprotected intercourse, particularly among the HIV-positive men, attest to the urgent need for HIV-prevention interventions for young gay and bisexual men. The findings suggest that many of the important variables to target in interventions are similar for both HIV-positive and HIV-negative men.
Driving Performance of Glaucoma Patients Correlates With Peripheral Visual Field Loss

Purpose:To identify clinical vision measures that are associated with the driving performance of glaucoma patients who have visual field loss and visual acuity better than 20/100 and to compare the driving performance of glaucoma patients with the driving performance of a group of age- and sex-equivalent individuals without eye disease. Patients:Forty patients with glaucoma and 17 normally sighted control subjects participated in this study. Methods:Clinical vision data, consisting of visual acuity, letter contrast sensitivity, and visual fields, were collected. Driving performance was assessed by (1) an interactive driving simulator that measured 7 indices of performance (including number of accidents) and (2) the self-reported accident involvement for the past 5 years. Main Outcome Measures:Driving simulator performance and real-world, self-reported accident involvement. Results:The number of accidents as measured on the driving simulator in the glaucoma group was significantly correlated with three Goldmann visual field measures: combined horizontal extent (ρ = −0.47, P = 0.01), total horizontal extent (ρ = −0.49, P = 0.007), and total peripheral extent (ρ = −0.55, P = 0.002). There were no statistically significant correlations between the driving performance of the glaucoma group and the visual acuity or contrast sensitivity measures. When compared with the control group, a significantly greater proportion of the glaucoma group reported having at least one real-world accident within the past 5 years (Fisher exact test, P = 0.005). Conclusions:Visual field reduced to less than 100° of horizontal extent may place patients with peripheral field loss at greater accident risk. A higher incidence of real-world and simulator accidents was found for the group with glaucoma.
Reactions of arsenic(III) and arsenic(V) species with glutathione.

Arsenic is metabolized by living systems using oxidation-reduction and methylation reactions, and reduced glutathione (GSH) has been shown to be important in that metabolism. In this study, the solution reactions between GSH and arsenate, arsenite, and their methylated metabolites, monomethylarsonic acid (MMA) and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA), were characterized using 1H and 13C NMR under a nitrogen atmosphere. Binding to GSH through the thiol group was primarily followed by shifts in the carbon atom bonded to the sulfhydryl group of the cysteinyl residue, i.e., the CH2 carbon atom and the protons bonded to it. The methylated metabolites also showed shifts in the methyl groups attached to the arsenic atom after reaction with GSH. Sodium arsenite, As(III), bound to GSH to form an As(SG)3 complex in solution as indicated by NMR spectra. The identity of the complex was confirmed by FAB-MS after isolation of the compound. Mixtures of sodium arsenate, As(V), and GSH showed that arsenate oxidized GSH in D2O solutions at pH 7 to form oxidized glutathione (GSSG). When the molar ratio of As:GSH exceeded 1:2, evidence for the formation of As(SG)3 was observed. MMA and DMA are both As(V) species, and mixtures with GSH showed oxidation to GSSG initially followed by formation of CH3.As(SG)2 and (CH3)2.As. SG, respectively. The effects of GSH on arsenic metabolism may result from direct reactions between the two compounds.
An Investigation into the Institutional Response of South African Public Universities to HIV/AIDS

The HIV/AIDS infection rate in South Africa is one of the highest in the world. The article reports on the study that sought to determine the supportive role played by South African public universities in combating the spread of HIV/AIDS. The diffusion of innovation theory underpinned this study. A qualitative approach was adopted and semi-structured interviews were conducted with universities’ clinic staff and/or HIV/AIDS staff and those involved in the formulation of the HIV/AIDS policies and implementation. Though all 23 public universities in South Africa were included in the study, only 15 participated. Data were analysed using open coding and thematic categorisation. The findings show that some South African public universities are already playing a significant role in educating their communities and should continue with their interventions. Results also show that owing to financial and structural constraints, some universities have not fulfilled the Department of Higher Education and Training’s mandate. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2013. v4n13p727
Altered DNA Methylation and Expression Profiles of 8-Oxoguanine DNA Glycosylase 1 in Lens Tissue from Age-related Cataract Patients

Abstract Purpose: Oxidative stress and DNA damage contribute to the pathogenesis of age-related cataract (ARC). Most oxidative DNA lesions are repaired via the base excision repair (BER) proteins including 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase 1 (OGG1). This study examined DNA methylation of CpG islands upstream of OGG1 and their relation to the gene expression in lens cortex from ARC patients. Methods: The clinical case-control study consisted of 15 cortical type of ARC patients and 15 age-matched non-ARC controls who received transparent lens extraction due to vitreoretinal diseases. OGG1 expression in lens cortex was analyzed by qRT-PCR and Western blot. The localization and the proportion of cells positive for OGG1 were determined by immunofluorescence. Bisulfite-sequencing PCR (BSP) was performed to evaluate the methylation status of CpG islands near OGG1 in DNA extracted from lens cortex. To test relationship between the methylation and the expression of the gene of interest, 5-Aza-2′-deoxycytidine (5-Aza-dC) was used to induce demethylation of cultured human lens epithelium B-3 (HLE B-3). To test the role of OGG1 in the repair of cellular damage, HLE B-3 was transfected with OGG1 vector, followed by ultraviolet radiation b (UVB) exposure to induce apoptosis. Results: The mRNA and protein levels of OGG1 were significantly reduced in the lens cortex of ARC. Immunofluorescence showed that the proportion of OGG1-positive cells decreased significantly in ARC cortex in comparison with the control. The CpG island in first exon of OGG1 displayed hypermethylation in the DNA extracted from the lens cortex of ARC. Treatment of HLEB-3 cells with 5-Aza-dC upregulated OGG1 expression. UVB-induced apoptosis was attenuated after transfection with OGG1. Conclusion: A reduced OGG1 expression was correlated with hypermethylation of a CpG island of OGG1 in lens cortex of ARC. The role of epigenetic change in OGG1 gene in the susceptibility to oxidative stress induced cortical ARC is warranted to further study.
Seguimiento de la maduración de variedades de uva mediante colorimetría y análisis de imagen de semillas

El seguimiento de la maduracion de la uva se realiza mediante analisis fisicoquimico y organoleptico del mosto, siendo el momento de la vendimia un aspecto que repercute directamente en la calidad de un vino. La vision artificial proporciona una alternativa automatizable y de bajo coste al analisis convencional, pudiendo asi, caracterizar de manera efectiva la variedad de uva y el estado de maduracion a partir de las caracteristicas de una imagen. Se han podido discriminar con exito variedades de uva blanca y tinta y se ha podido predecir el grado de madurez de la uva mediante analisis de imagen de las semillas. Palabras clave: Analisis de imagen, Color, Semilla de uva.
Genetic structure in large, continuous mammal populations: the example of brown bears in northwestern Eurasia

Knowledge of population structure and genetic diversity and the spatio‐temporal demographic processes affecting populations is crucial for effective wildlife preservation, yet these factors are still poorly understood for organisms with large continuous ranges. Available population genetic data reveal that widespread mammals have for the most part only been carefully studied at the local population scale, which is insufficient for understanding population processes at larger scales. Here, we provide data on population structure, genetic diversity and gene flow in a brown bear population inhabiting the large territory of northwestern Eurasia. Analysis of 17 microsatellite loci indicated significant population substructure, consisting of four genetic groups. While three genetic clusters were confined to small geographical areas—located in Estonia, southern Finland and Leningrad oblast, Russia—the fourth cluster spanned a very large area broadly falling between northern Finland and the Arkhangelsk and Kirov oblasts of Russia. Thus, the data indicate a complex pattern where a fraction of the population exhibits large‐scale gene flow that is unparalleled by other wild mammals studied to date, while the remainder of the population appears to have been structured by a combination of demographic history and landscape barriers. These results based on nuclear data are generally in good agreement with evidence previously derived using mitochondrial markers, and taken together, these markers provide complementary information about female‐specific and population‐level processes. Moreover, this study conveys information about spatial processes occurring over multiple generations that cannot be readily gained using other approaches, e.g. telemetry.
Simulation of PEV service admission control (PEVSAC) model for smart grid using MATLAB

The future vision of electrifying transportation systems motivated the attention toward Plug-in Electric Vehicles (PEVs) as an economic and environment-friendly mean of transportation. PEVs are expected to highly penetrate within the next few years. However, this will impose significant challenges on the current power grid system due to the extra load required to accommodate the perceived charging demands. Uncontrolled PEVs charging will introduce new load-peak times and increase the risk of overloading and power failure. In this paper, a PEV service admission control (PEVSAC) model for regulating PEVs charging is discussed and evaluated via simulation.
Cardioprotection by Ischemic and Nonischemic Myocardial Stress and Ischemia in Remote Organs Implications for the Concept of Ischemic Preconditioning a

Ischemic preconditioning studies employ one or more brief total coronary artery occlusions separated by complete reperfusion to limit infarct size during a subsequent prolonged coronary artery occlusion. We now present evidence that in anesthetized pigs a partial coronary artery occlusion without intervening reperfusion between the partial and prolonged total occlusions can also precondition the myocardium provided that the reduction in coronary blood flow is sufficiently severe. Thus infarct size was reduced after a 60 min total coronary artery occlusion when the total occlusion was preceded by a partial coronary occlusion that reduced coronary blood flow by 70% but not when the flow reduction was only 30%. In this two-stage coronary occlusion model the degree of protection appears greater in the epicardial than in the endocardial half. In view of evidence that brief occlusions of a coronary artery also protect myocardium outside its perfusion territory, we subsequently investigated whether ischemia in remote organs can protect myocardium. Because of reports that development of infarct size may be temperature dependent, we also investigated whether the cardioprotection by remote organ ischemia was temperature dependent. In anesthetized rats a 15 min coronary artery occlusion was more effective in reducing infarct size produced by a subsequent 60 min total coronary artery occlusion when the experiments were performed at a body core temperature of 30-31 degrees C than at 36-37 degrees C, while infarct size of animals which were subjected to only the 60 min total coronary artery occlusion was the same for the two body core temperatures. In rats with a body core temperature of 36-37 degrees C a 15 min mesenteric artery occlusion, but not a 15 min renal artery occlusion, reduced infarct size produced by a subsequent 60 min coronary artery occlusion. When the experiments were performed at 30-31 degrees C both the mesenteric and renal artery occlusions were protective. These observations indicate the local myocardial ischemia is not required to protect the myocardium during a prolonged coronary occlusion. We further investigated whether myocardium could also be protected by a cardiac stimulus which does not produce ischemia at all. For this purpose we electrically paced the left ventricle of anesthetized pigs to produce heart rates of 200 bpm (which did not lead to ischemia as assessed by a number of functional and biochemical variables) and found that 30 min of ventricular pacing reduced myocardial infarct size produced by a subsequent 60 min coronary artery occlusion. The protection by ventricular pacing involved activation of K+ATP channels as pretreatment with glibenclamide abolished the protection by ventricular pacing. We conclude that a number of distinctly different stimuli can protect the myocardium suggesting that ischemic myocardial preconditioning could be just one feature of a more general protection phenomenon.
Coordinating Replenishment and Pricing in a Firm

Replenishment and pricing strategies are traditionally determined by entirely separate units of a firm, the former by production and the latter by marketing. In a large organization production and marketing are traditionally measured in terms of performance criteria appropriate and relevant within the world in which they operate, rather than in terms of overall company performance. We consider a situation where the headquarters uses a simple linear transfer price between the two functions to govern the transactions. The misaligned incentives among these functional managers are caused by a transfer price between them that distorts the marginal production cost and revenue, as well as by a misallocation of cost: Marketing's pricing strategy influences expected leftover inventory, but only production incurs the cost. The misalignment can be mitigated through the following two ways. First, if production commits to a service level instead of an inventory level, both production and marketing, and hence the firm as a whole, are better off. Second, the same improvement can be achieved through organizational changes so that marketing becomes the dominant function. We also propose a mechanism that aligns the functional managers' incentives to be compatible to the firm.
How Credit Cycles Across a Financial Crisis

We study the behavior of credit and output across a financial crisis cycle using information from credit spreads. We show the transition into a crisis occurs with a large increase in credit spreads, indicating that crises involve a dramatic shift in expectations and are a surprise. The severity of the subsequent crisis can be forecast by the size of credit losses (change in spreads) coupled with the fragility of the financial sector (as measured by pre-crisis credit growth), and we document that this interaction is an important feature of crises. We also find that recessions in the aftermath of financial crises are severe and protracted. Finally, we find that spreads fall pre-crisis and appear too low, even as credit grows ahead of a crisis. This behavior of both prices and quantities suggests that credit supply expansions are a precursor to crises. The 2008 financial crisis cycle is in keeping with these historical patterns surrounding financial crises.
An alpha motoneuron pool model to analyse EMG measured reflex output

The intrinsic properties of the human soleus alpha motoneuron pool and the surface EMG are modelled. The model consists of an alpha motoneuron pool model generating the firing patterns of motor units in a human soleus muscle and a muscle model simulating the soleus surface EMG. The model is able to give a quantitative prediction of the motoneuron pool activity and the reflex EMG output at different excitation levels. The simulated data are consistent with experimentally obtained results. The simulations show that the reflex strength is highly dependent on the intrinsic threshold properties of the alpha motoneuron pool during static isometric muscle contractions.
Chemical and in vitro toxicologic characterization of wintertime and springtime urban-air particles with an aerodynamic diameter below 10 microm in Helsinki.

OBJECTIVES The chemical composition and toxicity of wintertime urban-air particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of <10 microm (PM10), derived mostly from long-range transport and local combustion sources, were compared with those of springtime PM10 derived mostly from the resuspension of road dust. METHODS Water-soluble ions and elements and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) were analyzed from seasonally pooled PM10 samples collected at a busy traffic site in Helsinki in 1999. These PM10 samples were also tested for cytotoxicity [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide test] and the production of proinflammatory cytokines [tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin 6 (IL-6)] and nitric oxide (NO) in the mouse macrophage cell line RAW 264.7. Their oxidative capacity and the associated DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) damage were investigated by electron paramagnetic resonance and the formation of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OH-DG) in isolated calf thymus DNA, respectively. RESULTS The late wintertime and springtime PM10 had similar compositions of water-soluble ions and elements, but the winter PM10 had a higher content of PAH. The spring PM10 was a much more potent inducer of TNF-alpha and IL-6 production than the winter PM10 was, but there were no consistent differences in cytotoxic potency. In contrast, the winter PM10 was a significantly more potent inducer of NO production and 8-OH-DG formation. The large cytokine responses to the spring PM10 were caused by its insoluble fraction and largely inhibited by the endotoxin antagonist polymyxin B. The transition metal chelator deferoxamine did not modify the proinflammatory or cytotoxic responses to the PM10 samples. CONCLUSIONS The toxicity profile of urban-air PM10 changed with season in a subarctic climate. Particulate-bound endotoxin from soil gram-negative bacteria is suggested as a highly proinflammatory constituent of springtime resuspended road dust.
Ebola drug trial is terminated after fall in number of new cases

Researchers have announced that they are stopping the trial of an experimental Ebola virus drug because of a significant drop in the number of new cases of infection. The trial, led by scientists from the University of Oxford at a Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) treatment centre in Liberia, began on 2 January, but the drug’s manufacturer unexpectedly announced on 30 January that it was withdrawing from the trial. Chimerix, the US company that manufactured the drug brincidofovir, said that only a handful …
Expression of Androgen Receptor in Mammary Glands in Ovariectomized Cynomolgus Monkeys

This study investigated structural alterations and the immunohistochemical expression of androgen receptor (AR), estrogen receptor (ER), and progesterone receptor (PgR) in the mammary glands from surgically postmenopausal cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis). Fourteen animals were divided into 2 groups. Seven animals underwent an ovariectomy (OVX), and the other 7 animals underwent a sham operation (sham). The in-life phase of study was 78 weeks. Atrophy in the mammary glands of OVX monkeys was similar to early postmenopausal atrophy of the human breast. The proportion of AR-positive cells in the OVX group was significantly higher than in the sham group, but the proportion of ER and PgR-positive cells was significantly lower. These results suggest that use of a primate model for hormone receptor expression has potential applications in basic human endocrinology, particularly in research in hormone receptor expression in mammary glands (both normal and neoplastic).