Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Characterization of CorR, a Transcriptional Activator Which Is Required for Biosynthesis of the Phytotoxin Coronatine

ABSTRACT Coronatine (COR) is a plasmid-encoded phytotoxin synthesized by several pathovars of phytopathogenic Pseudomonas syringae. The COR biosynthetic gene cluster in P. syringae pv. glycinea PG4180 is encoded by a 32-kb region which contains both the structural and regulatory genes needed for COR synthesis. The regulatory region contains three genes: corP,corS, and corR. corS is thought to function as a histidine protein kinase, whereas corP andcorR show relatedness to response regulators of the two-component regulatory paradigm. In the present study, we investigated whether CorR is a positive activator of COR gene expression. We also studied whether CorR specifically binds the DNA region located upstream of cfl, a gene located at the 5′ end of the gene cluster encoding coronafacic acid, the polyketide portion of COR. Complementation analysis with a corRmutant, PG4180.P2, and transcriptional fusions to a promoterless glucuronidase gene (uidA) indicated that CorR functions as a positive regulator of COR gene expression. Deletion analysis of the 5′ end of the cfl upstream region was used to define the minimal region required for COR gene expression. A 360-bp DNA fragment located over 500 bp upstream from the cfl transcriptional start site was used in DNase I protection assays to define the specific bases bound by CorR. An area extending from −704 to −650 with respect to the cfl transcriptional start site was protected by DNase I footprinting, indicating a rather large area of protection. This area was also conserved in the promoter region forcmaA, which encodes a transcript containing genes for coronamic acid synthesis, another intermediate in the COR biosynthetic pathway. The results obtained in the current study suggest that both the coronafacic acid and the coronamic acid structural genes are controlled by CorR, a positive activator of COR gene expression.
Age-Related Changes in Temporal and Spectral Cue Weights in Speech

Listeners weight acoustic cues in speech according to their reliability, but few studies have examined how cue weights change across the lifespan. Previous work has suggested that older adults have deficits in auditory temporal discrimination, which could affect the reliability of temporal phonetic cues, such as voice onset time (VOT), and in turn, impact speech perception in real-world listening environments. We addressed this by examining younger and older adults’ use of VOT and onset F0 (a secondary phonetic cue) for voicing judgments (e.g., /b/ vs. /p/), using both synthetic and naturally produced speech. We found age-related differences in listeners’ use of the two voicing cues, such that older adults relied more heavily on onset F0 than younger adults, even though this cue is less reliable in American English. These results suggest that phonetic cue weights continue to change across the lifespan.
HW/SW Co-design of an IEEE 802.11a/g Receiver on Xilinx Zynq SoC using High-Level Synthesis

This paper presents an implementation of an Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (OFDM) receiver using the high-level synthesis tool, from Xilinx called Software Defined System-on-Chip (SDSoC). The Zynq SoCs containing an ARM processor besides a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) are introduced to improve the system performance and power efficiency. SDSoC provides an embedded C/C++ application programming interface for developing heterogeneous embedded systems. Thus, the OFDM receiver is written in C/C++ code to be realizable on the FPGA and the ARM processor. The OFDM receiver is composed of computationally intensive tasks which requires a HW/SW co-design to fulfill system requirements. In this work, the implementation of OFDM receiver blocks are evaluated on ZC706 board and compared against the Heterogeneous Accelerator-Rich Platform (HARP). Based on the achieved results, the complete execution of the IEEE 802.11a/g receiver shows an overall speed-up 3.49X compared to the HARP platform.
Maintenance of constant arm position or force: reflex and volitional components in man.

1. Normal subjects, with closed eyes, attempted to keep constant either the force exerted at the wrist or the position of the wrist against an elastic load. The load was attached to the wrist 275 mm from the axis of rotation of the elbow joint. During recording, the far end of the elastic load was displaced slowly enough that it was not immediately perceived but far enough for perception to occur before its completion. 2. The over‐all relation between wrist force and position for the two conditions was approximately linear and could be described in terms of effective stiffness. The effective stiffness for the constant‐position task averaged 2.8 N/mm (210 N m/rad), while for the constant‐force task the mean effective stiffness was ‐0.028 N/mm (‐2.1 N m/rad), indicative of slight over‐compensation. 3. Averaging the performance at the onset of the imposed disturbance indicated that the subjects' behaviour consisted of two parts: an initial, small‐range response followed by a second phase over the remainder of the displacement. The transition corresponded to the subjects' threshold for detection of the disturbance. 4. The stiffness measured for the response prior to perception was taken as a measure which included the tonic stretch reflex. The stiffness was altered appropriately for the two tasks, being lower when the subjects tried to maintain the force exerted constant (average 1.1 N/mm, 83 N m/rad) than when they attempted to keep the position constant (average 2.3 N/mm, 170 N m/rad). A small degree of co‐contraction occurred but could be dissociated from the stiffness changes. 5. Scaling the results allowed comparison of the initial stiffness with values for the decerebrate cat. When analysed in this way, the values recorded in man during the constant‐position task were similar to those reported for short‐range stiffness in the decerebrate cat. 6. The thresholds for detection of the disturbance were much lower than those reported for subjects with relaxed muscles. 7. The stretch reflex in man has a direct role in compensating for small disturbances during motor tasks. It may also function to improve detection of applied disturbances by magnifying the corresponding force change. Once the stimulus is perceived and voluntary intervention is possible, a greater contrast is seen between the subjects' performance of the two tasks.
Assessing User Satisfaction in the Era of User Experience: Comparison of the SUS, UMUX, and UMUX-LITE as a Function of Product Experience

Nowadays, practitioners extensively apply quick and reliable scales of user satisfaction as part of their user experience analyses to obtain well-founded measures of user satisfaction within time and budget constraints. However, in the human–computer interaction literature the relationship between the outcomes of standardized satisfaction scales and the amount of product usage has been only marginally explored. The few studies that have investigated this relationship have typically shown that users who have interacted more with a product have higher satisfaction. The purpose of this article was to systematically analyze the variation in outcomes of three standardized user satisfaction scales (SUS, UMUX, UMUX-LITE) when completed by users who had spent different amounts of time with a website. In two studies, the amount of interaction was manipulated to assess its effect on user satisfaction. Measurements of the three scales were strongly correlated and their outcomes were significantly affected by the amount of interaction time. Notably, the SUS acted as a unidimensional scale when administered to people who had less product experience but was bidimensional when administered to users with more experience. Previous findings of similar magnitudes for the SUS and UMUX-LITE (after adjustment) were replicated but did not show the previously reported similarities of magnitude for the SUS and the UMUX. Results strongly encourage further research to analyze the relationships of the three scales with levels of product exposure. Recommendations for practitioners and researchers in the use of the questionnaires are also provided.
Successful treatment of severe male factor infertility in Jamaica with intracytoplasmic sperm injection.

OBJECTIVE To examine the impact of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) on the treatment of subfertile couples in Jamaica. METHOD A review of the outcome of treatment cycles for infertile couples that underwent in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) and ICSI from 2003-05 at the Hugh Wynter Fertility Management Unit (HWFMU) of the University of the West Indies. Fertilisation and pregnancy rates for the cycles as well as the factors determining the success of the procedure were reviewed. SPSS 11.1 was used to do statistical calculations. RESULTS Ninety-six ICSI cycles were done from January 1, 2003 to December 31, 2005. For couples with previous poor or no fertilisation in a standard IVF group (n = 12), the fertilisation rate was 72%; for those with substandard semen (n = 73), the fertilisation rate was 77.5%, for those with semen retrieved by surgical sperm method (n = 11), the fertilisation rate was 59%. The resulting live births were 0%, 12.5% and 27.3% respectively. There was a statistically significant impact of age on pregnancy rates as the mean age of the females in the previously poor or no fertilisation in a standard IVF group (39.08 +/- 5.14) was greater than those of the substandard semen group (35.93 +/- 4.22) [p = 0.023] as well as the group with surgical sperm retrieval (32.82 +/- 6.65) [p = 0.019]. CONCLUSION With ICSI, the fertilisation and pregnancy rates in Jamaica are comparable to international rates regardless of the cause of infertility. However, the age of the female partner does have a significant impact on the pregnancy rate following ICSI.
Functional gastrointestinal disorders and mast cells: implications for therapy

Abstract The pathophysiology of functional gastrointestinal disorders is poorly understood. Accepted common mechanisms include psychosocial factors, abnormal gastrointestinal motility and disturbed visceral sensory perception, but the underlying causes remain unclear. Mast cells (MCs) are immunocytes widely distributed throughout the gastrointestinal tract. Several stimuli (e.g. allergens, neuropeptides and stress) lead to MC activation with consequent mediator release (e.g. histamine, tryptase and prostanoids). The MC mediators interact with nerves supplying the gut leading to altered gut physiology and increased sensory perception. The intestinal mucosa of irritable bowel syndrome patients contains on average an increased number of MCs. These cells release an increased amount of mediators in close vicinity to mucosal innervation. The MC activation and their close proximity to nerve fibres is correlated with the severity of perceived abdominal painful sensations. These data provide a strong basis for considering MCs as important participants in visceral hypersensitivity and pain perception in irritable bowel syndrome. Inhibition of MC function may ameliorate irritable bowel symptoms. Novel drugs with an increased potential in the control of MC function (e.g., anti‐IgE antibodies, the intracellular protein tyrosine kinase inhibitor Syk) and mediator release (e.g., second generation antihistamines, proteinase‐activated receptor antagonists) may be useful pharmacological tools for these common disorders.
Distinct functional roles of the two intracellular phosphatase like domains of the receptor‐linked protein tyrosine phosphatases LCA and LAR.

Protein tyrosine phosphorylation is regulated by both protein tyrosine kinases and protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPases). Recently, the structures of a family of PTPases have been described. In order to study the structure‐function relationships of receptor‐linked PTPases, we analyzed the effects of deletion and point mutations within the cytoplasmic region of the receptor‐linked PTPases, LCA and LAR. We show that the first of the two domains has enzyme activity by itself, and that one cysteine residue in the first domain of both LCA and LAR is absolutely required for activity. The second PTPase like domains do not have detectable catalytic activity using a variety of substrates, but sequences within the second domains influence substrate specificity. The functional significance of a stretch of 10 highly conserved amino acid residues surrounding the critical cysteine residue located in the first domain of LAR was assessed. At most positions, any substitution severely reduced enzyme activity, while missense mutations at the other positions tested could be tolerated to varying degrees depending on the amino acid substitution. It is suggested that this stretch of amino acids may be part of the catalytic center of PTPases.
SOX7 and SOX18 are essential for cardiogenesis in Xenopus

Early in vertebrate development, endodermal signals act on mesoderm to induce cardiogenesis. The F‐type SOXs SOX7 and SOX18β are expressed in the cardiogenic region of the early Xenopus embryo. Injection of RNAs encoding SOX7 or SOX18β, but not the related F‐type SOX, SOX17, leads to the nodal‐dependent expression of markers of cardiogenesis in animal cap explants. Injection of morpholinos directed against either SOX7 or SOX18mRNAs lead to a partial inhibition of cardiogenesis in vivo, while co‐injection of SOX7 and SOX18 morpholinos strongly inhibited cardiogenesis. SOX7 RNA rescued the effects of the SOX18 morpholino and visa versa, indicating that the proteins have redundant functions. In animal cap explants, it appears that SOX7 and SOX18 act indirectly through Xnr2 to induce mesodermal (Eomesodermin, Snail, Wnt11), organizer (Cerberus) and endodermal (endodermin, Hex) tissues, which then interact to initiate cardiogenesis. Versions of SOX7 and SOX18 with their C‐terminal, β‐catenin interaction domains replaced by a transcriptional activator domain failed to antagonize β‐catenin activation of Siamois, but still induced cardiogenesis. These observations identify SOX7 and SOX18 as important, and previously unsuspected, regulators of cardiogenesis in Xenopus. Developmental Dynamics 234:878–891, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Contribution of the M3 muscarinic receptors to the vasodilator response to acetylcholine in the human forearm vascular bed.

AIMS Acetylcholine (ACh) is a muscarinic agonist that causes receptor-mediated, endothelium-dependent vasodilatation in the forearm vasculature. Previous indirect evidence suggests this effect may be mediated by muscarinic M(3) receptors. Darifenacin is a recently developed antimuscarinic drug with greater M(3) selectivity, and our main objective was to investigate whether darifenacin affects dose-dependent vasodilatation to ACh in the forearm circulation. METHODS Healthy subjects were enrolled in two studies designed to assess the effects of atropine and darifenacin on the forearm blood flow (FBF) response to ACh. RESULTS In both studies ACh caused similar dose-dependent vasodilation in the forearm vasculature. In study I (5 subjects), the FBF response to ACh was largely attenuated by pretreatment with the nonselective muscarinic antagonist atropine. In study II (10 subjects), oral administration of darifenacin 15 mg for 1 week significantly reduced the FBF dose-dependent response to ACh 20 microg min(-1) (mean difference from placebo 5.8 [95% confidence interval (CI) 3.1, 8.7] ml min(-1) per 100 ml of forearm volume, P < 0.001) and to ACh 60 microg min(-1)[mean difference from placebo 5.9 (95% CI 3.1, 8.7) ml min(-1) per 100 ml of forearm volume, P < 0.001]. After darifenacin, the AUC of change in FBF from baseline was reduced by almost 50% compared with placebo. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that, in the forearm vasculature, muscarinic M(3) receptors play a major role in ACh-induced endothelium-mediated vasodilatation.
Comparison of the therapeutic efficacy of oral doses of fluconazole and griseofulvin in a guinea pig model of dermatophytosis.

The therapeutic efficacy of orally administered fluconazole (FLCZ) and itraconazole (ITCZ) in a guinea pig model of dermatophytosis was compared, using the infection intensity of local skin tissue as an index. After Trichophyton mentagrophytes infections had been established in the test animals, the antifungal agents were administered once per day for 14 days. FLCZ had a dose-dependent therapeutic effect and significantly ameliorated infections at doses of 10 and 20 mg/kg per day (both P < 0.01) compared with the untreated control group. The pathogen could not be cultured from previously infected skin tissue from 11% of the animals treated with FLCZ at 10 mg/kg per day, and from 20% of the animals treated with FLCZ at 20 mg/kg per day. The therapeutic efficacy of FLCZ was approximately equal to that of ITCZ administered at the same doses. These results suggest that FLCZ may be a useful treatment for dermatophytosis.
Excitation failure in eccentric contraction‐induced injury of mouse soleus muscle.

1. Histological evidence suggests that the force deficit associated with eccentric contraction‐induced muscle injury is due to structural damage to contractile elements within the muscle fibre. Alternatively, the force deficit could be explained by an inability to activate the contractile proteins. It was the objective of this study to investigate the latter possibility. 2. Mouse soleus muscles were isolated, placed in an oxygenated Krebs‐Ringer buffer at 37 degrees C, and baseline measurements were made. The muscle then performed one of three contraction protocols: (1) twenty eccentric (n = 10 muscles); (2) ten eccentric (n = 12); or (3) twenty isometric (n = 10) contractions. At the end of the injury protocol, measurements were made during performance of a passive stretch, twitch and tetanus. Next, force was recorded during exposure of the muscle to buffer containing 50 mM caffeine. 3. Decrements in maximal isometric tetanic force (P0) observed for muscles in the twenty eccentric, ten eccentric, and twenty isometric contraction protocols were 42.6 +/‐ 4.2, 20.0 +/‐ 2.3 and 3.9 +/‐ 2.4%, respectively. However, the caffeine‐elicited forces in muscles from the three protocols were not different when corrected for initial differences in P0 (64.9 +/‐ 1.3, 64.2 +/‐ 2.1 and 68.9 +/‐ 2.5% of pre‐injury P0). The peak caffeine‐elicited force was 118.4 +/‐ 8.6% of post‐injury P0 for the muscles in the twenty eccentric contraction protocol, which was significantly different from that observed for the other protocols (71.8‐80.2% post‐injury P0). These findings indicate that the force deficit in this muscle injury model results from a failure of the excitation process at some step prior to calcium (Ca2+) release by the sarcoplasmic reticulum. 4. In an attempt to locate the site of failure, intracellular measurements were made in injured muscles to test whether injury to the sarcolemma might have resulted in a shift of the resting membrane potential of the muscle fibre. However, microelectrode measurements of resting membrane potential for muscles in the twenty eccentric contraction protocol (‐74.4 +/‐ 0.6 mV) were not different from muscles in the twenty isometric contraction protocol (‐73.4 +/‐ 1.0 mV). These data suggest that membrane resting conductances were normal and are compatible with the idea that the ability of the injured fibres to conduct action potentials was probably not impaired.
Shedding of CD163, a novel regulatory mechanism for a member of the scavenger receptor cysteine-rich family.

The glucocorticoid-inducible transmembrane protein CD163 is a member of the scavenger receptor cysteine-rich (SRCR) family which is expressed exclusively on human monocytes and macrophages. The expression of the protein is significantly downregulated in response to phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) by a yet unknown mechanism. We now demonstrate that PMA induces shedding of a soluble form of CD163 rather than internalization, revealing a novel regulatory mechanism for a member of the SRCR family. Bisindolylmaleimide I was shown to inhibit phorbol ester-induced shedding, thus implying an involvement of protein kinase C (PKC). Furthermore, cleavage could be prevented by protease inhibitors. Therefore, we suggest that PMA-induced activation of PKC leads to protease-mediated shedding of CD163. These results indicate a specific release mechanism of soluble CD163 by human monocytes which could play an important role in modulating inflammatory processes.
Uridine Phosphorylase Association with Vimentin

Uridine phosphorylase (UPase), a key enzyme in the pyrimidine salvage pathway, is associated with the intermediate filament protein vimentin, in NIH 3T3 fibroblasts and colon 26 cells. Affinity chromatography was utilized to purify UPase from colon 26 and NIH 3T3 cells using the uridine phosphorylase inhibitor 5′-amino benzylacyclouridine linked to an agarose matrix. Vimentin copurification with UPase was confirmed using both Western blot analysis and MALDI-MS methods. Separation of cytosolic proteins using gel filtration chromatography yields a high molecular weight complex containing UPase and vimentin. Purified recombinant UPase and recombinant vimentin were shown to bind in vitro with an affinity of 120 pm and a stoichiometry of 1:2. Immunofluorescence techniques confirm that UPase is associated with vimentin in both NIH 3T3 and colon 26 cells and that depolymerization of the microtubule system using nocodazole results in UPase remaining associated with the collapsed intermediate filament, vimentin. Our data demonstrate that UPase is associated with both the soluble and insoluble pools of vimentin. Approximately 60–70% of the total UPase exists in the cytosol as a soluble protein. Sequential extraction of NIH 3T3 or colon 26 cells liberates an additional 30–40% UPase activity associated with a detergent extractable fraction. All pools of UPase have been shown to possess enzymatic activity. We demonstrate for the first time that UPase is associated with vimentin and the existence of an enzymatically active cytoskeleton-associated UPase.
AN ACTION SPECTRUM FOR BLUE AND NEAR ULTRAVIOLET IN ACTIVATION OF Propionibacterium acnes; WITH EMPHASIS ON A POSSIBLE PORPHYRIN PHOTOSENSITIZATION

—Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes), grown on Eagles medium with different pH. were irradiated with monochromatic light in the range 320 to 440 nm. Different pH leads to different porphyrin concentrations in the cells. The light sensitivity of the bacteria was estimated from the reduction in their ability to form colonies after radiation. The sensitivity was highest for the lowest wavelength (320 nm). and decreased continuously with increasing wavelength up to 380 nm. In the region between 380 and 440 nm there was a second maximum (at 415 nm) which corresponds to the maximum absorption ol the fluorescing porphyrins in P. acnes. The sensitivity to 415 nm light was found to be dependent on the endogenous porphyrin concentration in the cells. while the sensitivity to 320 nm radiation was independent of the amount of porphyrin present. These results indicate that porphyrins produced by the bacteria are important for the light sensitivity of these bacteria.