Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Excretory–secretory products of helminth parasites: effects on host immune responses

SUMMARY Parasitic helminths excrete or secrete (ES) a variety of molecules into their mammalian hosts. The effects of these ES products on the host's immune responses are reviewed. Investigations into the source of antigenic or immunoregulatory ES products have identified the cuticular and tegumental surfaces of some nematodes and trematodes respectively as being important sources of ES products; other ES molecules are released through specialized excretory or secretory organs. It is proposed that the active shedding of surface antigens may serve as an important source of parasite antigens available to the immune system in a form in which they can be taken up and processed by antigen-presenting dendritic cells, macro-phages and certain B cells for presentation to T helper cells. The ES products of nematodes, trematodes and cestodes contribute to immune evasion strategies of the parasites through mechanisms including shedding of surface-bound ligands and cells, alteration of lymphocyte, macrophage and granulocyte functions and modulation of complement and other host inflammatory responses. Immunopathology may be induced by ES products as in the development of granulomas around entrapped schistosome eggs. In some host – parasite systems ES antigens may induce host-protective immune responses and this source of protective antigens has been utilized in the successful vaccination against helminth infections, particularly against infection with trichurid nematodes and the metacestode stage of cestode parasites. The use of ES antigens in immunodiagnosis of helminth infection is also briefly discussed.
Protein Kinase C δ Activates the MEK-ERK Pathway in a Manner Independent of Ras and Dependent on Raf*

Although the involvement of protein kinase C (PKC) in the activation of the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase pathway has been implicated through experiments using 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), there has been no direct demonstration that PKC activates the MAP kinase pathway. A Raf-dependent intact cell assay system for monitoring the activation of MAPK/ERK kinase (MEK) and extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK) permitted us to evaluate the role of PKC isotypes in MAP kinase activation. Treatment of cells with TPA or epidermal growth factor resulted in the activation of MEK and ERK. The activation of the MAP kinase pathway triggered by epidermal growth factor was completely inhibited by dominant-negative Ras (RasN17), whereas the activation triggered by TPA was not, consistent with previous observations. The introduction of an activated point mutant of PKCδ, but not PKCα or PKCε, resulted in the activation of the MAP kinase pathway. The activation of MEK and ERK by an activated form of PKCδ requires the presence of c-Raf and is independent of RasN17. These results demonstrate that activation of PKCδ is sufficient for the activation of MEK and ERK and that the pathway operates in a manner dependent on c-Raf and independent of Ras.
Molecular Epidemiology of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Strains Causing Neonatal Toxic Shock Syndrome-Like Exanthematous Disease in Neonatal and Perinatal Wards

ABSTRACT Neonatal toxic shock syndrome-like exanthematous disease (NTED) is a new neonatal disease caused by toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 (TSST-1). We conducted a prospective surveillance study and characterized the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains isolated from patients with NTED and compared them with the strains from patients with other MRSA infections and asymptomatic carriers. The study was performed in the neonatal intensive care unit and a general neonatal and maternal ward in the Tokyo Women's Medical University Hospital (TWMUH) from September to December 1998. Among 103 patients eligible for the study, MRSA was detected in 62 (60.2%) newborns; of these 62 newborns, 8 (12.9%) developed NTED, 1 (1.6%) had another MRSA infection, and 53 (85.5%) were asymptomatic MRSA carriers. Sixty-nine MRSA strains were obtained from the 62 newborns. DNA fingerprinting by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis showed two clusters: clone A with 8 subtypes and clone B. Sixty-seven of the 69 MRSA strains (97.1%) belonged to clone A, and type A1 was the most predominant (42 of 69 strains; 60.9%) in every neonatal and perinatal ward. All but one of the clone A strains had the TSST-1 and staphylococcal enterotoxin C genes. We also analyzed eight MRSA strains from eight NTED patients in five hospitals in Japan other than TWMUH. All the MRSA strains from NTED patients also belonged to clone A. These results suggest that a single clone that predominated in the neonatal wards of six hospitals might have caused NTED. However, the occurrence of NTED might not be dependent on the presence of an NTED-specific strain.
An Energy-Stored Quasi-Z-Source Inverter for Application to Photovoltaic Power System

The quasi-Z-source inverter (qZSI) with battery operation can balance the stochastic fluctuations of photovoltaic (PV) power injected to the grid/load, but its existing topology has a power limitation due to the wide range of discontinuous conduction mode during battery discharge. This paper proposes a new topology of the energy-stored qZSI to overcome this disadvantage. The operating characteristic of the proposed solution is analyzed in detail and compared to that of the existing topology. Two strategies are proposed with the related design principles to control the new energy-stored qZSI when applied to the PV power system. They can control the inverter output power, track the PV panel's maximum power point, and manage the battery power, simultaneously. The voltage boost and inversion, and energy storage are integrated in a single-stage inverter. An experimental prototype is built to test the proposed circuit and the two discussed control methods. The obtained results verify the theoretical analysis and prove the effectiveness of the proposed control of the inverter's input and output powers and battery power regardless of the charging or discharging situation. A real PV panel is used in the grid-tie test of the proposed energy-stored qZSI, which demonstrates three operational modes suitable for application in the PV power system.
Competitive ability of rotational crops with weeds in dryland organic wheat production systems

Abstract While demand continues to grow and prices for organic grains have remained almost double those of conventional grains, few growers in the dryland wheat production region of Eastern Washington produce organic grain. Growers have cited weed control constraints as a top factor preventing adoption of organic production practices. In organic systems, inherent competitive ability of crops is very important in managing and preventing weed infestations. The objective of this study was to identify crop species that could reduce weed pressure and compete with perennial weeds in a wheat (Triticum aestivum) rotation. To assess weed suppressive ability of alternative rotational crops, relative total weed biomass and relative biomass of two perennial and three annual weed species were examined over 4 years in three organic cropping systems where winter wheat was in rotation with alternative crops, as part of a long-term study examining dryland organic wheat production. Three years of continuous alfalfa (Medicago sativa) production reduced Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense) biomass during the alfalfa production phase, and reduced Canada thistle biomass in winter wheat following alfalfa, compared with wheat following winter pea (Pisum sativum). Alfalfa was competitive with wild oat (Avena fatua), though it competed poorly with winter annual grass weeds. Spring barley (Hordeum vulgare), when established successfully, suppressed jointed goatgrass (Aegilops cylindrica) more than winter triticale (x Triticosecale), winter wheat, and spring wheat, and demonstrated some competitiveness toward field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis). Winter triticale competed poorly with field bindweed, but suppressed Canada thistle and downy brome (Bromus tectorum). All alternative rotational crops contained lower weed biomass than winter pea, the crop typically rotated with wheat in the region. Organic and conventional growers could gain benefits in perennial and winter annual weed suppression by incorporating alternative rotational crops into wheat rotations.
A novel slow hyperpolarization‐activated potassium current (IK(SHA)) from a mouse hippocampal cell line

1 A slow hyperpolarization‐activated inwardly rectifying K+ current (IK(SHA)) with novel characteristics was identified from the mouse embryonic hippocampus x neuroblastoma cell line HN9.10e. 2 The non‐inactivating current activated negative to a membrane potential of −80 mV with slow and complex activation kinetics (τact≈ 1–7 s) and a characteristic delay of 1–10 s (−80 to −140 mV) that was linearly dependent on the membrane potential. 3 Tail currents and instantaneous open channel currents determined through fast voltage ramps reversed at the K+ equilibrium potential (EK) indicating that primarily K+, but not Na+, permeated the channels. 4 I K(SHA) was unaffected by altering the intracellular Ca2+ concentration between ∼0 and 10 μm, but was susceptible to block by 5 mm extracellular Ca2+, Ba2+ (K1= 0.42 mm), and Cs+ (K1= 2.77 mm) 5 In cells stably transformed with M2 muscarinic receptors, IK(SHA) was rapidly, but reversibly, suppressed by application of micromolar concentrations of muscarine. 6 At the single channel level K(SHA) channel openings were observed with the characteristic delay upon membrane hyperpolarization. Analysis of unitary currents revealed an inwardly rectifying I–V profile and a channel slope conductance of 7 pS. Channel activity persisted in the inside‐out configuration for many minutes. 7 It is concluded that IK(SHA) m HN9.10e cells represents a novel K+ current, which is activated upon membrane hyperpolarization. It is functionally different from both classic inwardly rectifying Ikir currents and other cationic hyperpolarization‐activated 7H currents that have been previously described in neuronal or glial cells.
Why Are Children Who Exhibit Psychopathology at High Risk for Psychopathology and Dysfunction in Adulthood?

There is now strong and often replicated evidence from prospective longitudinal studies that psychopathology in childhood and adolescence robustly predicts psychopathology in adulthood.1-4 This evidence suggests a degree of specificity over time, such as childhood conduct disorder predicting adult antisocial personality, but also a considerable degree of heterotypic continuity. That is, one disorder in childhood often predicts other disorders in adulthood. In particular, childhood conduct disorder5 and oppositional defiant disorder nonspecifically predict a broad range of mental disorders in adulthood.6 The study by Copeland et al7 in this issue of JAMA Psychiatry adds to this literature by suggesting that exhibiting a subthreshold or threshold mental disorder at some time from late childhood through adolescence predicts lower levels of adaptive functioning in early adulthood, even when adult mental disorders are controlled. This suggests that even subthreshold child and adolescent disorders predict dysfunction in early adulthood, and do so even beyond the dysfunction associated with mental disorders in adulthood. When considered together, these longitudinal studies1-7 provide cogent information for those who design studies of the causes of psychopathology, make decisions regarding the allocation of limited resources to fund such studies, and make policy decisions regarding funding for the prevention and treatment of psychopathology. After reading these studies, it is very tempting to conclude that the mental health problems that affect adults often arise in childhood and should be treated early to prevent a lifetime of mental health problems and dysfunction. Helping children with impairing and distressing mental health problems is an unquestionable good, but to make the best data-based decisions about the amelioration of mental health problems across the life span, it is important to consider what the findings of these longitudinal studies actually do and do not mean. The theoretical and clinical implications of the strong predictive correlation between child and adult psychopathology are actually not at all clear.4 These findings could mean 1 or more things about the causal links between psychopathology in childhood and psychopathology in adulthood:
Development of a Physiologically Based Computational Kidney Model to Describe the Renal Excretion of Hydrophilic Agents in Rats

A physiologically based kidney model was developed to analyze the renal excretion and kidney exposure of hydrophilic agents, in particular contrast media, in rats. In order to study the influence of osmolality and viscosity changes, the model mechanistically represents urine concentration by water reabsorption in different segments of kidney tubules and viscosity dependent tubular fluid flow. The model was established using experimental data on the physiological steady state without administration of any contrast media or drugs. These data included the sodium and urea concentration gradient along the cortico-medullary axis, water reabsorption, urine flow, and sodium as well as urea urine concentrations for a normal hydration state. The model was evaluated by predicting the effects of mannitol and contrast media administration and comparing to experimental data on cortico-medullary concentration gradients, urine flow, urine viscosity, hydrostatic tubular pressures and single nephron glomerular filtration rate. Finally the model was used to analyze and compare typical examples of ionic and non-ionic monomeric as well as non-ionic dimeric contrast media with respect to their osmolality and viscosity. With the computational kidney model, urine flow depended mainly on osmolality, while osmolality and viscosity were important determinants for tubular hydrostatic pressure and kidney exposure. The low diuretic effect of dimeric contrast media in combination with their high intrinsic viscosity resulted in a high viscosity within the tubular fluid. In comparison to monomeric contrast media, this led to a higher increase in tubular pressure, to a reduction in glomerular filtration rate and tubular flow and to an increase in kidney exposure. The presented kidney model can be implemented into whole body physiologically based pharmacokinetic models and extended in order to simulate the renal excretion of lipophilic drugs which may also undergo active secretion and reabsorption.
PHABULOSA Mediates an Auxin Signaling Loop to Regulate Vascular Patterning in Arabidopsis1[OPEN]

The influence of a developmental regulator on auxin response ensures proper patterning of the water-conducting xylem cells in the growing root. Plant vascular tissues, xylem and phloem, differentiate in distinct patterns from procambial cells as an integral transport system for water, sugars, and signaling molecules. Procambium formation is promoted by high auxin levels activating class III homeodomain leucine zipper (HD-ZIP III) transcription factors (TFs). In the root of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), HD-ZIP III TFs dose-dependently govern the patterning of the xylem axis, with higher levels promoting metaxylem cell identity in the central axis and lower levels promoting protoxylem at its flanks. It is unclear, however, by what mechanisms the HD-ZIP III TFs control xylem axis patterning. Here, we present data suggesting that an important mechanism is their ability to moderate the auxin response. We found that changes in HD-ZIP III TF levels affect the expression of genes encoding core auxin response molecules. We show that one of the HD-ZIP III TFs, PHABULOSA, directly binds the promoter of both MONOPTEROS (MP)/AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR5, a key factor in vascular formation, and IAA20, encoding an auxin/indole acetic acid protein that is stable in the presence of auxin and able to interact with and repress MP activity. The double mutant of IAA20 and its closest homolog IAA30 forms ectopic protoxylem, while overexpression of IAA30 causes discontinuous protoxylem and occasional ectopic metaxylem, similar to a weak loss-of-function mp mutant. Our results provide evidence that HD-ZIP III TFs directly affect the auxin response and mediate a feed-forward loop formed by MP and IAA20 that may focus and stabilize the auxin response during vascular patterning and the differentiation of xylem cell types.
Gonococci possessing only certain P.II outer membrane proteins interact with human neutrophils

We investigated the role of the protein II (P.II) family of gonococcal outer membrane proteins in the interaction of seven single P.II variants of Neisseria gonorrhoeae FA1090 with human neutrophils in vitro. The abilities of nonpiliated gonococci to adhere to and be killed by neutrophils and to stimulate luminol-dependent chemiluminescence (CL) depended on the possession of at least one P.II. Gonococci lacking P.II (i.e., P.II-) adhered poorly to and were not killed by neutrophils and induced only minimal CL. Although most P.II-containing (i.e., P.II+) variants adhered to, stimulated, and were readily killed by neutrophils, one variant, containing P.IIa, possessed none of these characteristics; it acted just like a P.II- variant. No correlation was found between the colony opacity phenotype and the interaction of gonococci with neutrophils. Data from CL experiments suggest that the stimulatory effect of P.II was dominant over that of pili; i.e., piliated P.II+ gonococci were much more stimulatory than piliated P.II- gonococci. The results indicate that most but not all P.II proteins mediate, in part or in full, the interaction of N. gonorrhoeae with human neutrophils, including adherence, stimulation of the neutrophil respiratory burst, and phagocytic killing.
Intraspecific variation in sperm size characters

Interspecific variation in quantitative characters of sperm is considerable and can sometimes be related to aspects of sperm competition. In contrast, continuous intraspecific variation is often ignored; for example, many studies concentrate on measuring a species-typical sperm size. However, statistically significant variation amongst males in a variety of sperm size characters, particularly total length and a number of head characters, has been reported in at least 13 species. Furthermore, sperm size has been shown to influence the outcomes of processes involved in sperm competition in two species, with larger sperm being more successful in both cases. It is suggested here that intraspecific variation may be a widespread phenomena, further examination of which could contribute considerably to our understanding of sperm evolution. Size differences between the sperm of competing males could be used in controlled matings to investigate the fates of sperm within female tracts and storage organs, but care should be taken that size characters may not be neutral markers. Furthermore, the genetic determination of sperm size is considerable (h2=0.56–0.92 for total length and a number of head characters) and determinants are at least sometimes sex-linked, with the result that particular care must go into experimental design if genetic effects are to be fully elucidated. Studies combining genetical and behavioural effects of intraspecific variation in sperm morphology should be particularly rewarding.
Matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and -9 (MMP-9) and their tissue inhibitors (TIMP-1 and TIMP-2) in differential diagnosis between low malignant potential (LMP) and malignant ovarian tumours.

BACKGROUND Matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) (gelatinase A) and MMP-9 (gelatinase B) have the ability to degrade several extracellular matrix components. This study aimed to evaluate whether matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-2, MMP-9, MMP-2-TIMP-2 complex) or their tissue inhibitors (TIMP-1, TIMP-2) could be used as preoperative serum markers in differentiating between low malignant potential (LMP) and malignant ovarian tumours. PATIENTS AND METHODS The study population consisted of 61 patients with ovarian neoplasms (28 benign, 11 LMP and 22 malignant). MMP-2, MMP-9, MMP-2-TIMP-2 complex, TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 were analysed from serum samples using enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA). RESULTS Serum TIMP-1 values significantly increased from benign (median 250 microg/l, range 137-616 microg/l) to LMP (median 357 microg/l, range 63-587 microg/l) and further to malignant (median 443 microg/l, range 199-983 microg/l) ovarian neoplasms (p<0.001). There was a significant difference in the ratios of TIMP-1 to MMP-2 and TIMP-1 to MMP-2-TIMP-2 complex between the patients with benign vs. malignant and an LMP vs. malignant tumour. CONCLUSION The value of circulating TIMP-1 and the ratios of TIMP-1 to MMP-2 and TIMP-1 to MMP-2-TIMP-2 complex may be valuable for differentiating between LMP and malignant ovarian tumours.
Can retrieval of information from citation indexes be simplified? Multiple mention of a reference as a characteristic of the link between cited and citing article

The hypothesis is tested and accepted that the mechanistically identifiable citation link characteristic, mention of a given reference more than once within the same research paper, indicates a close and useful relationship of a citing to a given cited paper. Closeness and usefulness of the relationship between papers linked by citation were determined by means of users' judgments. It is shown that as a selection criterion for document retrieval, multiple mention of a reference would yield good precision but low recall, since a considerable number of papers with corresponding single mention were judged closely related to the given cited paper. Frequency counts showed that approximately one-third of all bibliographic references in the research papers checked are mentioned in the text more than once.
Snoring and the severity of coronary artery disease in men.

&NA; Previous studies have found associations between snoring, or polysomnographic documented sleep apnea, and hypertension, cerebral vascular disease, and myocardial infarction. The present study examined the relationship of coronary artery disease (CAD) and snoring. One hundred and twenty‐two males with positive angiographic studies were compared with fifty‐six men, matched in age and socioeconomic status, who had no known history of coronary heart, or other atherosclerotic, disease. The percentage of subjects reporting that they snore “usually” or “always/loudly” increased across the four CAD severity groupings (nonpatient controls = 19.6%, 1 vessel = 44.4%, 2 vessel = 41.9%, 3 vessel = 56.0%) with a p value of . 005. Hypertension, body mass index, and pack years of smoking were found to be associated with both coronary artery disease severity and snoring. When these variables were controlled in a multiple regression analysis, the relationship of snoring and CAD severity remained significant at p = . 050.
YoRoad: A Monitoring Service for Ride Sharing Systems

In recent years, many ride-sharing systems have been widely used for helping people travel around. These systems generate a lot of data every day, e.g., the trajectories and the transactions. But as far as we know, there is no such monitoring system or platform for ride sharing systems to manage and observe this set of data in an effective way. Hence, in this paper, we illustrate YoRoad, a general monitoring service for ride-sharing system. YoRoad consists of three main modules: (1) moving objects tracking module is used for monitoring the drivers real-time locations, where moving object indexing and spatial query processing technique is embedded, (2) user management module, where the information for each driver and rider is maintained, and (3) data statistics module, where we perform some data analysis such as the total distance saving comparison between ride-sharing and non-ride-sharing, trajectory data mining and location preference or travel pattern discovery based on the transaction data.