Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Spin-dependent extended x-ray-absorption fine structure: Probing magnetic short-range order.

The first evaluation of spin-dependent extended x-ray-absorption fine structure (SPEXAFS) is report-ed. The SPEXAFS at the Gd L edges for Gd metal and Gd3Fe50l2 are compared to the conventional EXAFS and discussed in terms of exchange scattering from magnetic neighbors. The SPEXAFS at the Gd L2 and L3 edges reflect the change of the photoelectron spin polarization. The Fourier transform of the SPEXAFS of the Gd3Fe50lz only shows the magnetic neighborhood, whereas the nonmagnetic oxygen neighbors remain invisible. SPEXAFS spectroscopy is expected to become a powerful tool in the determination of the magnetic short-range order.
Mixed-Load Transportation Scheduling of Multiple Agents in a Warehouse Environment

In a floor warehouse environment, where many agents transport numbers of products iteratively, efficient product transportation is required for high productivity. In general, the following facts are recognized. (i) Three kinds of jobs exist: picking, replenishment and arrangement. (ii) Mixed-load transportation can decrease the completion time of vehicles. In many former methods, however, the above facts are not considered. We propose a design methodology using a dispatching rule and a local search method based on a simulated annealing algorithm. The rule is applied to obtain the initial solution and the local search method is adopted to obtain a semi-optimal solution in consideration of mixed-load transportation. To evaluate the applicability of the proposed algorithm, we have implemented the algorithm in several product environments. The simulation results verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Health-related quality of life by level of physical activity in arthritic older adults with and without activity limitations.

BACKGROUND This study examined the association between health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and physical activity (PA) among adults with arthritis. METHODS National 2003 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey data for 51,444 adults, age > or = 50 years, with physician-diagnosed arthritis were used to analyze the relationships between PA, self-reported health, HRQOL, and activity limitations related to arthritis. RESULTS The percentage of older adults with or without an activity limitation who reported fair/poor health or poor HRQOL was significantly higher in inactive persons compared to those who met PA recommendations (P < .0001). Older adults with and without limitations attaining either recommended or insufficient levels of PA were 39% to 70% less likely to report > or = 14 unhealthy mental or physical days compared to inactive older adults (P < .0001). CONCLUSION Participation in PA at the recommended level was strongly associated with improved perceived health and higher levels of HRQOL; however, participation in some PA was clearly better than being inactive. These data were consistent for persons with arthritis despite the presence of an activity limitation.
Escherichia coli enterotoxin: stimulation of adenylate cyclase in broken-cell preparations

The enterotoxin from cell-free filtrates of the enteropathogenic Escherichia coli strain P-263 was found to stimulate adenylate cyclase activity in broken-cell preparations from myocardial tissue. Particulate and detergent-solubilized fractions from cat heart were incubated with enterotoxin and assayed for adenylate cyclase activity. Adenylate cyclase activity was stimulated by enterotoxin; the extent of stimulation was proportional to the concentration of enterotoxin. The data demonstrate that stimulation of enterotoxin-sensitive adenylate cyclase in this system provides a sensitive in vitro assay, either as an accurate measure of enterotoxin concentration or as an assay for antitoxic titers in sera. A parallel comparison showed that stimulation of fluid production in rabbit intestinal loops by enterotoxin was less sensitive.
Pleiotropic effects induced by modification deficiency next to the anticodon of tRNA from Salmonella typhimurium LT2

A strain of Salmonella typhimurium LT2 was isolated, which harbors a mutation acting as an antisuppressor toward an amber suppressor derivative, supF30, of tRNATyr1. The mutant is deficient in cis-2-methylthioribosylzeatin[N6-(4-hydroxyisopentenyl)-2-me thylthioadenosine, ms2io6A], which is a modification normally present next to the anticodon (position 37) in tRNA reading codons starting with uridine. The gene miaA, defective in the mutant, is located close to and counterclockwise of the purA gene at 96 min on the chromosomal map of S. typhimurium with the gene order mutL miaA purA. Growth rate of the mutant was reduced 20 to 50%, and the effect was more pronounced in media supporting fast growth. Translational chain elongation rate at 37 degrees C was reduced from 16 amino acids per s in the wild-type cell to 11 amino acids per s in the miaA1 mutant in the four different growth media tested. The cellular yield in limiting glucose, glycerol, or succinate medium was reduced for the miaAI mutant compared with wild-type cells, with 49, 41, and 57% reductions, respectively. The miaAI mutation renders the cell more sensitive or resistant toward several amino acid analogs, suggesting that the deficiency in ms2io6A influences the regulation of several amino acid biosynthetic operons. We suggest that tRNAPhe, lacking ms2io6A, translates a UUU codon in the early histidine leader sequence with lowered efficiency, leading to repression of the his operon.
Inactive forms of wheat ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase. Conversion from the slowly activating into the rapidly activating form.

Wheat ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase can be converted from the slowly activating into the rapidly activating form by heat or effectors in the absence of CO2 and Mg2+. This conversion process had the same energy of activation of 95.6kJ/mol both in the presence and in the absence of effectors, whereas the free-energy change value ranged from +2.5kJ/mol to -3.4kJ/mol depending on the end product involved. Far-u.v. c.d. spectra measured before and after conversion indicated that ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase is an alpha/beta-class protein and that no significant changes in gross conformation occur. Signals in the near-u.v. region suggested that the main change during conversion is re-orientation of aromatic side chains, probably near the active site; a possible site for effector binding is discussed.
Cochlear implantation in children with CHARGE association.

OBJECTIVE To explore the anomalies of the temporal bone found on radiologic examination, technical challenges in cochlear implantation, and audiologic benefit derived from cochlear implantation in a series of children with CHARGE association. DESIGN Case series report. SETTING Tertiary referral children's hospital pediatric cochlear implant program. PATIENTS Six children with CHARGE association and sensorineural hearing loss. INTERVENTION All patients were evaluated and followed up by the cochlear implant team. Cochlear implantation was attempted in all 6 children. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Computed tomographic scans and cochlear implantation operative records were reviewed, and their findings were correlated. Audiometric and speech perception data before and after cochlear implantation were compared. RESULTS Five children with CHARGE association received implants. A sixth child did not because of an aberrant course to the facial nerve. The 5 children receiving implants obtained varying degrees of measurable benefit from their implants. All 6 children had temporal bone abnormalities seen on their computed tomographic scans and documented at the time of surgery. CONCLUSIONS Variations in the temporal bone anatomy of patients with CHARGE association can lead to increased technical challenges and risk to the facial nerve during cochlear implantation. Individual outcomes after implantation may vary; our patients receiving implants obtained benefit. Parents should be counseled thoroughly and have appropriate expectations before proceeding with implantation.
Distribution of the Neuronal Gap Junction Protein Connexin36 in the Spinal Cord Enlargements of Developing and Adult Opossums, Monodelphis domestica

We use opossums Monodelphis domestica to study the development of mammalian motor systems. The immature forelimbs of the newborn perform rhythmic and alternating movements that are likely under spinal control. The hindlimbs start moving in the second week. Chemical synapses are scant in the spinal enlargements of neonatal opossums and the presence of electrochemical synapses has not been evaluated in this species or in other marsupials. As a first step aiming at evaluating the existence of such synapses in the neonatal spinal cord, we have investigated the presence of the exclusively neuronal gap junction protein connexin36 (Cx36) by immunohistochemistry in light microscopy. At birth, Cx36 immunoreactivity is moderate in the presumptive gray matter in both enlargements. Thereafter, it decreases gradually, except in the superficial dorsal horn where it increases to a plateau between P10 and P20. Cx36 labeling is detected in the presumptive white matter at birth, but then decreases except in the dorsal part of the lateral funiculus, where it is dense between P10 and P20. Cx36 has become virtually undetectable by P52. The presence of Cx36 in the spinal enlargements of postnatal opossums suggests that neurons might be linked by gap junctions at a time when chemical synapses are only beginning to form. The greater abundance of Cx36 observed transiently in the superficial dorsal horn suggests a stronger involvement of this protein in spinal sensory systems than in direct motor control of the limbs.
El proceso de envejecimiento en la persona con síndrome de Down: indicadores del proceso de deterioro cognitivo y funcional relacionado con la demencia Alzheimer.

El aumento de la esperanza de vida en las personas con sindrome de Down plantea nuevos interrogantes sobre el proceso de su envejecimiento. La bibliografia sobre el tema muestra acuerdo sobre dos aspectos diferenciales respecto a la poblacion con discapacidad psiquica y la poblacion general: a) la prcocidad del inicio del proceso y b) el aumento de la probabilidad de desarrollar un envejecimiento patologico a causa de la demencia tipo Alzheimer. El objetivo del trabajo se centra en la aportacion de datos que ayuden a delimitar los posibles indicadores del deterioro cognitivo y social de las personas adultas con el sindrome de Down relacionadas con la demencia tipo ALzheimer. Tales indicadores permitiran una mayor precision diagnostica en la fase inicial de la enfermedad y por tanto, una intervencion mas ajustada a sus necesidades. El estudio se realiza en una muestra de 84 personas adultas con discapacidad psiquica, 42 de las cuales presentan el sindrome de Down. La media de edad se situa entorno a los 40 anos y el nivel de retraso mental es medio. La mayoria son usuarios de un centro ocupacional y residen en una institucion. Se utiliza undiseno factorial mixto controlando las variables etiologia, edad cronologica, edad mental y sexo. Se aplica de forma longitudinal en un periodo de tres anos, una bateria neuropsicologica que incluye el test Dementia Mental Retard (Evenhuis, 1990), el test d'Aptituds Cognitives per a Deficiencia del 65% (Castello, Carrillo i Barnosell, 1996) y entrevista de recogida de datos a nivel personal, social y familiar. Los resultados muestran un deterioro significativo de las personas con el sindrome de Down respecto al grupo con discapacidad psiquica con el paso del tiempo. Se concluye que la persona con el sindrome de Down de mas de 35 anos manifiesta una probabilidad entorno al 25% de desarrollar una probable demencia Alzheimer. Los indicadores mas clar
Is Infrastructure Upgrading an Antidote for Smuggling? Evidence From Beitbridge Border Post, Zimbabwe

In recent years, Southern Africa has witnessed an increase in the volume of commercial and private cross-border traffic. This has put pressure on inland ports of entry as well as sea ports. The Beitbridge Border Post handles the largest volume of traffic in Southern Africa yet there has been no significant infrastructure development in the past decade. Incidences of smuggling and other illegal activities have increased. The existing infrastructure fails to contain the volume of traffic, enabling travellers to evade duty payment. This paper contends that improvements in infrastructure would help to curb rampant smuggling and offers suggestions to achieve this.
Downregulation of Small GTPase Rab7 Impairs Osteoclast Polarization and Bone Resorption* 210

During skeletal growth and remodeling the mineralized bone matrix is resorbed by osteoclasts through the constant secretion of protons and proteases to the bone surface. This relies on the formation of specialized plasma membrane domains, the sealing zone and the ruffled border, and vectorial transportation of intracellular vesicles in bone-resorbing osteoclasts. Here we show that Rab7, a small GTPase that is associated with late endosomes, is highly expressed and is predominantly localized at the ruffled border in bone-resorbing osteoclasts. The decreased expression of Rab7 in cultured osteoclasts by antisense oligodeoxynucleotides disrupted the polarization of the osteoclasts and the targeting of vesicles to the ruffled border. These impairments caused a significant inhibition of bone resorption in vitro. The results indicate that the late endocytotic pathway is involved in the osteoclast polarization and bone resorption and underscore the importance of Rab7 in osteoclast function.
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the most common malignancy of the pancreas. PDAC is an aggressive and difficult malignancy to treat. Complete surgical removal of the tumor remains the only chance for cure, however 80-90% of patients have disease that is surgically incurable at the time of clinical presentation (15). Despite our advancing knowledge of the tumor biology of PDAC, improvement in diagnosis and management, and the rise of centers specialized in the care of patients with PDAC, the prognosis remains strikingly poor (4,17). The following overview will discuss the epidemiology and tumor biology of PDAC, as well as important information for patients and family including diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis. This overview will not discuss cancer that arises in cystic lesions of the pancreas, nor will it discuss pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, as these variants have a different biology and prognosis.
Early versus late enteral feeding of mechanically ventilated patients: results of a clinical trial.

BACKGROUND This study sought to compare 2 strategies for the administration of enteral feeding to mechanically ventilated medical patients. METHODS The prospective, controlled, clinical trial was carried out in a medical intensive care unit (19 beds) in a university-affiliated, urban teaching hospital. Between May 1999 and December 2000, 150 patients were enrolled. Patients were scheduled to receive their estimated total daily enteral nutritional requirements on either day 1 (early-feeding group) or day 5 (late-feeding group) of mechanical ventilation. Patients in the late-feeding group were also scheduled to receive 20% of their estimated daily enteral nutritional requirements during the first 4 days of mechanical ventilation. RESULTS Seventy-five (50%) consecutive eligible patients were entered into the early-feeding group and 75 (50%) patients were enrolled in the late-feeding group. During the 5 five days of mechanical ventilation, the total intake of calories (2370 +/- 2000 kcal versus 629 +/- 575 kcal; p < .001) and protein (93.6 +/- 77.2 g versus 26.7 +/- 26.6 g; p < .001) were statistically greater for patients in the early-feeding group. Patients in the early-feeding group had statistically greater incidences of ventilator-associated pneumonia (49.3% versus 30.7%; p = .020) and diarrhea associated with Clostridium difficile infection (13.3% versus 4.0%; p = .042). The early-feeding group also had statistically longer intensive care unit (13.6 +/- 14.2 days versus 9.8 +/- 7.4 days; p = .043) and hospital lengths of stay (22.9 +/- 19.7 days versus 16.7 +/- 12.5 days; p = .023) compared with patients in the late-feeding group. No statistical difference in hospital mortality was observed between patients in the early-feeding and late-feeding groups (20.0% versus 26.7%; p = .334). CONCLUSIONS The administration of more aggressive early enteral nutrition to mechanically ventilated medical patients is associated with greater infectious complications and prolonged lengths of stay in the hospital. Clinicians must balance the potential for complications resulting from early enteral feeding with the expected benefits of such therapy.
Determinación de la capacidad antioxidantede Sambucus ebulus L. utilizando el método ORAC

Objetivo: Las hojas de Sambucus ebulus L. han sido utilizadas en la medicina tradicional Irani para el tratamiento de enfermedades de naturaleza inflamatoria. El objetivo de este estudio es determinar la capacidad antioxidante de los polifenoles presentes en el extracto acuoso de las hojas jovenes de Sambucus ebulus L. mediante el metodo ORAC. Metodos: El metodo ORAC es un metodo fluorescente donde se mide el retraso, en presencia de compuestos antioxidantes, de la disminucion de la fluorescencia de la fluoresceina debida a la accion de agentes oxidantes. El agente oxidante utilizado fue el AAPH, y la actividad antioxidante de las muestras fue medida en relacion al Trolox, utilizado como sustancia antioxidante de referencia. El extracto acuoso fue preparado a partir del extracto liofilizado de las hojas jovenes de S. ebulus, a una concentracion de 0,25mg/ml. Se prepararon 12 disoluciones en concentracion decreciente de muestras de extracto acuoso a partir de la disolucion madre. Se realizaron tambien 8 disoluciones en concentracion decreciente de Trolox, a partir de la disolucion madre a 2,54*10-5mg/ml. Se prepararon 7 placas obteniendose 7 resultados de ORAC. Los valores finales de ORAC se expresaron como equivalentes de Trolox (mmol Trolox/100mg peso fresco). Resultados: La media de los 7 valores de ORAC obtenidos fue de 1,301mmol TE/100g con una desviacion estandar de 0,1552. Todos los valores obtenidos fueron superiores a 1mmol TE/100mg. Conclusiones: El metodo ORAC es un metodo muy util y practico para medir la capacidad antioxidante de cualquier sustancia, y ofrece una gran sensibilidad y fiabilidad. Los extractos acuosos mostraron una elevada capacidad antioxidante, incluso superior a la del trolox, mostrando asi apoyo experimental de los beneficios de utilizar las hojas de esta esta planta con fines antiinflamatorios, puesto que la accion antioxidante es fundamental para evitar complicaciones en estados de inflamacion cronica.
String propagation in a tachyon background.

The equation of motion of the tachyon field is obtained by requiring conformal invariance of the closed bosonic string propagator in a tachyon background. The cubic tachyon coupling is also obtained in this way. These equations are generalization of the Kosterlitz-Thouless flow equations and involve nonperturbative contributions to the . beta. functions.
Crystal structures of two functionally different thioredoxins in spinach chloroplasts.

Thioredoxins are small ubiquitous proteins which act as general protein disulfide reductases in living cells. Chloroplasts contain two distinct thioredoxins ( f and m) with different phylogenetic origin. Both act as enzyme regulatory proteins but have different specificities towards target enzymes. Thioredoxin f (Trx f), which shares only low sequence identity with thioredoxin m (Trx m) and with all other known thioredoxins, activates enzymes of the Calvin cycle and other photosynthetic processes. Trx m shows high sequence similarity with bacterial thioredoxins and activates other chloroplast enzymes. The here described structural studies of the two chloroplast thioredoxins were carried out in order to gain insight into the structure/function relationships of these proteins. Crystal structures were determined for oxidized, recombinant thioredoxin f (Trx f-L) and at the N terminus truncated form of it (Trx f-S), as well as for oxidized and reduced thioredoxin m (at 2.1 and 2.3 A resolution, respectively). Whereas thioredoxin f crystallized as a monomer, both truncated thioredoxin f and thioredoxin m crystallized as non-covalent dimers. The structures of thioredoxins f and m exhibit the typical thioredoxin fold consisting of a central twisted five-stranded beta-sheet surrounded by four alpha-helices. Thioredoxin f contains an additional alpha-helix at the N terminus and an exposed third cysteine close to the active site. The overall three-dimensional structures of the two chloroplast thioredoxins are quite similar. However, the two proteins have a significantly different surface topology and charge distribution around the active site. An interesting feature which might significantly contribute to the specificity of thioredoxin f is an inherent flexibility of its active site, which has expressed itself crystallographically in two different crystal forms.
Sigma receptors suppress multiple aspects of microglial activation

During brain injury, microglia become activated and migrate to areas of degenerating neurons. These microglia release proinflammatory cytokines and reactive oxygen species causing additional neuronal death. Microglia express high levels of sigma receptors, however, the function of these receptors in microglia and how they may affect the activation of these cells remain poorly understood. Using primary rat microglial cultures, it was found that sigma receptor activation suppresses the ability of microglia to rearrange their actin cytoskeleton, migrate, and release cytokines in response to the activators adenosine triphosphate (ATP), monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP‐1), and lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Next, the role of sigma receptors in the regulation of calcium signaling during microglial activation was explored. Calcium fluorometry experiments in vitro show that stimulation of sigma receptors suppressed both transient and sustained intracellular calcium elevations associated with the microglial response to these activators. Further experiments showed that sigma receptors suppress microglial activation by interfering with increases in intracellular calcium. In addition, sigma receptor activation also prevented membrane ruffling in a calcium‐independent manner, indicating that sigma receptors regulate the function of microglia via multiple mechanisms. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.