Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Single-dose Metronidazole Clears Opalina sp. from Juvenile Bufo woodhousii

Abstract: Protozoans of the family Opalinidae are intestinal commensals in amphibians. To test the hypothesis that these organisms are susceptible to the antiprotozoal antibiotic metronidazole, we randomly assigned 60 juvenile Woodhouse's toads (Bufo woodhousii) to receive a single oral dose of metronidazole or water. In pilot trials, the prevalence of opalinids in untreated members of this population was over 70%. One-third of the study population was dissected at each of 3 time points: 18 hr, 1 wk, and 2 wk post-treatment. An examiner blinded to the toad's treatment history determined the presence or absence of opalinids using a dissecting microscope. Opalinids were found in 3/10 toads in the treatment group and 9/10 in the control group after 18 hr (P < 0.02), in none of the treatment group and 8/10 in the control group after 1 wk (P < 0.001), and in none of the treatment group and 10/10 in the control group after 2 wk (P < 0.0001). These results suggest that a single-dose of metronidazole quickly and reliably clears opalinids from juvenile Woodhouse's toads with no evidence of short-term recurrence. The treatment was well tolerated, with no apparent morbidity and no mortality in either group. Future exploration of opalinid-related host fitness consequences may be facilitated by this simple method of developing a protozoan-free host population.
6TiSCH: deterministic IP-enabled industrial internet (of things)

Industrial and IP-enabled low-power wireless networking technologies are converging, resulting in the Industrial Internet of Things. On the one hand, low-power wireless solutions are available today that answer the strict reliability and power consumption requirements of industrial applications. These solutions are based on Time- Synchronized Channel Hopping, a medium access control technique at the heart of industrial standards such as the WirelessHART and ISA100.11a, and layer 1 and 2 standards such as IEEE802.15. 4e. On the other hand, a range of standards have been published to allow low-power wireless devices to communicate using the Internet Protocol (IP), thereby becoming true “fingers of the Internet,” and greatly simplifying their integration into existing networks. This article acknowledges the standardization effort to combine those capabilities. The networks resulting from this convergence exhibit reliability and power consumption performances compatible with demanding industrial applications, while being easy to integrate, and following the end-to-end paradigm of today's Internet. In particular, this article presents the work being done in 6TiSCH, a newly-formed working group in the Internet Engineering Task Force, which is standardizing the mechanisms making the Industrial Internet of Things a reality.
Polyelectrolyte multilayer films modulate cytoskeletal organization in chondrosarcoma cells

The aim of this study was to evaluate polyelectrolyte multilayer films as interfaces for implants. Polyelectrolyte multilayers were built up with different terminating layers by alternate deposition of oppositely charged polyelectrolytes on which chondrosarcoma (HCS-2/8) cells were grown in the presence of serum. Films formed by an increasing number of layers were investigated. The terminating layer was made of one of the following polyelectrolytes: poly-sodium-4-styrenesulfonate (PSS), poly-L-glutamic acid (PGA), poly-allylamine hydrochloride (PAH), or poly(L-lysine) (PLL). Cell viability, inflammatory response, adherence, and cytoskeletal organization were studied. Induction of interleukin-8 (IL-8) secretion was detected on PAH and PLL ending polyelectrolyte films. Early cellular adherence was enhanced with PGA, PAH, PLL, and, to a lower extent, PSS terminating layers. Adherence was independent of the number of layers constituting the films. The presence of actin filaments and vinculin focal adhesion spots was observed on PSS or PAH ending films. They were respectively partially and totally absent on PGA and PLL terminating multilayer architectures. For PLL ending films, vinculin and actin organization was clearly dependent on the number of deposited layers. The results of this study suggest that PSS ending multilayered films constitute a good interfacial micro-environment at the material surface for HCS-2/8 cells.
Directed evolution of metabolic pathways in microbial populations. I. Modification of the acid phosphatase pH optimum in S. cerevisiae.

An experimental system for directing the evolution of enzymes and metabolic pathways in microbial populations is proposed and an initial test of its power is provided. -The test involved an attempt to genetically enhance certain functional properties of the enzyme acid phosphatase in S. cerevisiae by constructing an environment in which the functional changes desired would be "adaptive". Naturally occurring mutations in a population of 10(9) cells were automatically and continuously screened, over 1,000 generations, for their effect on the efficiency (K(m)) and activity of acid phosphatase at pH 6, and for their effect on the efficiency of orthophosphate metabolism. -The first adaptation observed, M1, was due to a single mutational event that effected a 30% increase in the efficiency of orthophosphate metabolism. The second, M2, effected an adaptive shift in the pH optimum of acid phosphatase and an increase in its activity over a wide range of pH values (an increment of 60% at pH 6). M2 was shown to result from a single mutational event in the region of the acid phosphatase structural gene. The third, M3, effected cell clumping, an adaptation to the culture apparatus that had no effect on phosphate metabolism. -The power of this system for directing the evolution of enzymes and of metabolic pathways is discussed in terms of the kinetic properties of the experimental system and in terms of the results obtained.
Responses of olfactory receptor cells of spiny lobsters to binary mixtures. I. Intensity mixture interactions.

1. Neural coding of chemical mixtures was studied with the use of the peripheral olfactory system of the spiny lobster. The occurrence of mixture interactions (i.e., where the observed response to a mixture deviates significantly from the expected response) in individual cells and the effect of such mixture interactions on the coding of odorant intensity by populations of cells were examined. 2. Extracellular recordings of spiking activity of 98 primary olfactory receptor cells in the antennules were measured in response to seven compounds [adenosine-5'-monophosphate (AMP), betaine (Bet), L-cysteine (Cys), L-glutamate (Glu), ammonium chloride (NH4), DL-succinate (Suc), and taurine (Tau)] and their binary mixtures. To identify mixture interactions, observed responses to a range of concentrations of a binary mixture were compared with the predicted responses based on three mathematical models: a single receptor model, which assumes that the two compounds of a mixture bind to the same receptor site; a multiple receptor model, which assumes that the two compounds bind to two independent receptor sites; and a mixed composition receptor model, which incorporates our current state of knowledge of transduction processes in olfactory receptor cells of spiny lobsters. 3. Mixture interactions in individual cells were common: statistically significant mixture interactions were observed in 25% of the possible cases (Fig. 5). Suppression was much more common than enhancement. 4. Mixture interactions had significant effects on the absolute response magnitudes for a population of cells, which could be used as the neural code for stimulus intensity in this system. These effects are called intensity mixture interactions (Figs. 6-11). Intensity mixture interactions occurred for approximately 50% of the binary mixtures and were almost exclusively suppression (Figs. 12 and 13). The intensity mixture interactions were concentration independent. 5. The results suggest that mixture interactions in individual olfactory cells can result in intensity mixture interactions in the neuronal population such that there is a decrease in sensitivity to binary mixtures relative to what is expected based on the responses to individual components of the mixtures.
Biochemical and Spectroscopic Characterization of the Human Mitochondrial Amidoxime Reducing Components hmARC-1 and hmARC-2 Suggests the Existence of a New Molybdenum Enzyme Family in Eukaryotes*

The mitochondrial amidoxime reducing component mARC is a newly discovered molybdenum enzyme that is presumed to form the catalytical part of a three-component enzyme system, consisting of mARC, heme/cytochrome b5, and NADH/FAD-dependent cytochrome b5 reductase. mARC proteins share a significant degree of homology to the molybdenum cofactor-binding domain of eukaryotic molybdenum cofactor sulfurase proteins, the latter catalyzing the post-translational activation of aldehyde oxidase and xanthine oxidoreductase. The human genome harbors two mARC genes, referred to as hmARC-1/MOSC-1 and hmARC-2/MOSC-2, which are organized in a tandem arrangement on chromosome 1. Recombinant expression of hmARC-1 and hmARC-2 proteins in Escherichia coli reveals that both proteins are monomeric in their active forms, which is in contrast to all other eukaryotic molybdenum enzymes that act as homo- or heterodimers. Both hmARC-1 and hmARC-2 catalyze the N-reduction of a variety of N-hydroxylated substrates such as N-hydroxy-cytosine, albeit with different specificities. Reconstitution of active molybdenum cofactor onto recombinant hmARC-1 and hmARC-2 proteins in the absence of sulfur indicates that mARC proteins do not belong to the xanthine oxidase family of molybdenum enzymes. Moreover, they also appear to be different from the sulfite oxidase family, because no cysteine residue could be identified as a putative ligand of the molybdenum atom. This suggests that the hmARC proteins and sulfurase represent members of a new family of molybdenum enzymes.
Empirical Models of Fisheries Production: Conflating Technology with Incentives?

ABSTRACT Conventional empirical models of fisheries production inadequately capture the primary margins of behavior along which fishermen act, rendering them ineffective for ex ante policy evaluation. We estimate a conventional production model for a fishery undergoing a transition to rights-based management and show that ex ante production data alone arrives at misleading conclusions regarding post-rationalization production possibilities— even though the technologies available to fishermen before and after rationalization were effectively unchanged. Our results emphasize the difficulty of assessing the potential impacts of a policy change on the basis of ex ante data alone. Since such data are generated under a different incentive structure than the prospective system, a purely empirical approach imposed upon a flexible functional form is likely to reflect far more about the incentives under status-quo management than the actual technological possibilities under a new policy regime. JEL Codes: D24, Q22.
Extracellular RNA constitutes a natural procoagulant cofactor in blood coagulation

Upon vascular injury, locally controlled haemostasis prevents life-threatening blood loss and ensures wound healing. Intracellular material derived from damaged cells at these sites will become exposed to blood components and could contribute to blood coagulation and pathological thrombus formation. So far, the functional and mechanistic consequences of this concept are not understood. Here, we present in vivo and in vitro evidence that different forms of eukaryotic and prokaryotic RNA serve as promoters of blood coagulation. Extracellular RNA was found to augment (auto-)activation of proteases of the contact phase pathway of blood coagulation such as factors XII and XI, both exhibiting strong RNA binding. Moreover, administration of exogenous RNA provoked a significant procoagulant response in rabbits. In mice that underwent an arterial thrombosis model, extracellular RNA was found associated with fibrin-rich thrombi, and pretreatment with RNase (but not DNase) significantly delayed occlusive thrombus formation. Thus, extracellular RNA derived from damaged or necrotic cells particularly under pathological conditions or severe tissue damage represents the long sought natural “foreign surface” and provides a procoagulant cofactor template for the factors XII/XI-induced contact activation/amplification of blood coagulation. Extracellular RNA thereby reveals a yet unrecognized target for antithrombotic intervention, using RNase or related therapeutic strategies.
Chemometric discrimination of different tomato cultivars based on their volatile fingerprint in relation to lycopene and total phenolics content.

INTRODUCTION The characteristic flavour of tomato is given by a complex mixture of sugars, acids, amino acids, minerals and volatile metabolites. Of these, volatile compounds are considered to greatly influence the flavour of tomato fruits. The volatile aroma compounds and phytochemical content of tomatoes are dependent on genotype, environmental conditions and cultural practices, and can thus be used for cultivar discrimination. OBJECTIVE To assess the possibility of using the volatile profile of tomato to fingerprint and discriminate different tomato cultivars based on an 'in-tube extraction' technique coupled to gas chromatography, combined with mass spectrometry (ITEX/GC-MS) and a chemometric approach. RESULTS Using the ITEX/GC-MS technique, 61 volatiles were analysed and separated from tomato cultivars, with 58 being identified. The main volatiles identified in all tomato cultivars were: hexanal, trans-2-hexenal, 1-hexanol, 3-pentanone, 3-methylbutanol, 2-methylbutanol, 3-methylbutanal and 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one. The lycopene content and total phenolic compound content of the tomato cultivars varied between 36.78 and 73.18 mg/kg fresh weight (fw) and from 119.4 to 253.7 mg of gallic acid equivalents (GAE) per kilogram fresh weight, respectively. Volatile fingerprint and phytochemical composition led to a good differentiation between tomato cultivars, with the first two principal components explaining 89% of the variance in the data. CONCLUSION The tomato cultivars studied were easily discriminated based on their characteristic volatile profile that was obtained using the reliable ITEX/GC-MS technique. Principal component analysis revealed, in addition to volatile compounds, the important role played by the total phenolic content in tomato cultivar discrimination, which is highly correlated with phenotypic and biochemical differences between tomato cultivars.
Microbiology's principle of biofilms as a major factor in the pathogenesis of acne vulgaris

Propionibacterium acnes reside within the pilosebaceous unit in a biofilm. As such, they live in a community of bacteria that encase themselves within an extracellular polysaccharide lining, which the organisms secrete after adherence to the surface. This gylcocalyx polymer acts as a protective exoskeleton and serves as a physical barrier, limiting effective antimicrobial concentrations within the biofilm microenvironment. The gylcocalyx polymer secreted by P. acnes as a biofilm may explain the immunogenicity of the organism as well as the clinical course of the disease. The P. acnes’ biofilm model explains many aspects of acne pathogenesis and therapy, including why prolonged antibiotic treatment is needed, why antibiotic resistance is not a reliable assessment of treatment outcome, why accutane offers long‐lasting effectiveness, and why benzoyl peroxide radicals are beneficial. This microbiologic principle of biofilms as applied to acne leads to numerous new pathways of assessment and exploration.
Developmental Coordination Disorder and Joint Hypermobility Syndrome--overlapping disorders? Implications for research and clinical practice.

BACKGROUND Joint Hypermobility Syndrome (JHS) and Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) are two childhood disorders usually identified separately. DCD is a heterogeneous condition with little known of the underlying aetiology of the disorder. This paper examines the potential overlap between DCD and JHS and examines children with DCD for symptoms which may be consistent with a diagnosis of JHS. Implications for research and clinical practice are considered. METHODS A questionnaire covering a range of symptoms consistent with a diagnosis of JHS and related autonomic nervous systemic symptoms was completed by parents from 27 children with DCD and compared with responses from parents of 27 typically developing children. RESULTS Children with DCD showed a significant difference from the group of typically developing children on questions regarding hypermobility, pain and autonomic nervous system symptoms, typifying JHS. CONCLUSIONS This study has shown a similarity in symptoms seen in some DCD children to those with a diagnosis of JHS. In addition, children are also presenting with multi-system symptomatology including those involving the autonomic nervous system. This study reinforces other recent work showing the reverse pattern of JHS children showing similar functional similarities to DCD children. This has implications for future research in DCD in order to understand the underlying aetiology of this complex disorder. In addition, it is important for clinicians to be aware of these findings in order to provide appropriate and tailored support and treatment for children presenting with differing patterns of co-ordination difficulties. Children with DCD and JHS may require appropriate podiatry as well as recognition of their symptoms of pain and how this may affect participation in physical activity.
Validation of Finite-Element Models of Persistent-Current Effects in Nb3Sn Accelerator Magnets

Persistent magnetization currents are induced in superconducting filaments during the current ramping in magnets. The resulting perturbation to the design magnetic field leads to field quality degradation, particularly at low field, where the effect is stronger relative to the main field. The effects observed in NbTi accelerator magnets were reproduced well with the critical-state model. However, this approach becomes less accurate for the calculation of the persistent-current effects observed in Nb3Sn accelerator magnets. Here, a finite-element method based on the measured strand magnetization is validated using three state-of-the-art Nb3Sn accelerator magnets featuring different subelement diameters, conductor critical currents, magnet designs, and test temperatures. The temperature dependence of the persistent-current effects is reproduced. Based on the validated model, the impact of conductor design on the persistent-current effects is discussed. The strengths, limitations, and possible improvements of the approach are also discussed.
Public Policy making in Post-1991 Ethiopia: the Case of Urban Land Lease Policy

Public Policymaking in Post-1991 Ethiopia: The Case of Urban Land Lease Policy Biruk Shewakena Addis Ababa University, 2014 There is a w idespread belief that one of the critical and recurring shortcomings of the post-1991 policymaking pr ocesses happens t o b e t his imbalance between po licymaking institutions a nd societal act ors. The main focus o f t he study was t o u ndertake an a ssessment o n p ublic policymaking in post-1991 Ethiopia with particular reference to the Urban Land Lease Policy. A qualitative r esearch methodology has been followed in t he s tudy. And a ca se s tudy design has been ut ilized. Purposive sampling t echnique has been e mployed t o identify t he p otential study participants from t he s tudy’s t arget po pulation. Key informant interview has been u sed a s t he primary da ta ga thering t ool. S econdary da ta has been acquired by r eviewing pu blished o r unpublished w ritten do cuments including a rchives. F inally, it w as found o ut that the r uling party’s policy elites have been the most common actors in the policymaking process. The nature of r elationship a mong t he po licy makers a nd po licy r eceivers w ithin t he po licymaking system has been unbalanced. This is specifically true in the case of the Urban Land Lease Policy where a committee es tablished b y t he M UDC has been the f oremost ac tor i n t he p olicy formulation
A novel security key recovery framework for smart grid applications

In this paper, a combination of proper authenticated encryption protocol and the lowest outage probability of key recovery agents (KRAs) selection in key recovery system is investigated in the smart grid network for keeping confidentiality, data integrity, privacy and reliability. The novel security key recovery framework for wireless sensor networks using a KRAs selection algorithm has been proposed. First, we calculate the number of proper key recovery agents. Second, the KRAs selection algorithm is proposed that uses to select the appropriated KRA. Third, the session key will be divided by the number according to key partitioning method for recovering session key. The outage probability from the channel quality and probability of KRA failure will be considered. Fourth, DLMS/COSEM protocol and AES GCM 128-bit algorithm has been used to improve probability of Key compromising, achieving data confidentiality, privacy and authentication. The simulation results showed that the probability of key compromise and outage probability of KRAs has been improved significantly in comparison with the conventional scheme.
Major health problems of expressway workers in Thailand: an 8-year cohort study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Workers in the transportation sector may be expose to environmental hazards resulting in adverse health outcomes. The present study aimed to assess environmental-hazard-related morbidity among transportation workers over an eight-year period MATERIAL AND METHOD Data were extracted from the registry database of a cohort of workers in the Expressway Authority of Thailand between 2004 and 2011. Annual trends and changes in health status were described. Factors associated with major health problems were also evaluated RESULTS The cohort consisted of 2,000 to 2,700 workers. The trend of abnormal lung function, abnormal hearing, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and asthma significantly increased over the period. Very few workers had high serum lead levels. CONCLUSION The present study revealed several major occupation-related health problems among transportation workers. In addition to an annual health assessment, other control measures should be instituted to protect workers from occupation-related exposures.
Consistent repeated M‐ and H‐wave recording in the hind limb of rats

Sensory and motor conduction velocities calculated from latencies of H reflexes and M waves in rat hind limbs have been used to assess experimental peripheral neuropathy. Amplitudes and latencies vary with recording location, and are seldom assessed directly. Using subcutaneous electrodes on the foot, we recorded consistent M waves and H reflexes while stimulating the sciatic or tibial nerve. The late wave disappeared when dorsal roots were cut, verifying that it was an H reflex. However, stimulus–response characteristics differed from those in humans: (a) the threshold was often higher than for M waves; (b) stimulus intensity eliciting a maximum H‐reflex amplitude (Hmax) was often higher than adequate for a maximum M‐wave amplitude; and (c) the amplitudes of H reflexes stimulated with intensities supramaximal for the M wave were over 90% of Hmax. H reflexes and M waves recorded repeatedly in rats can be useful in assessing sensory and motor function in models of neuropathy, using amplitudes as well as conduction velocities. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Muscle Nerve 21: 1405–1413, 1998