Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
`Hath charms to soothe . . .'

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 high-functioning adults on the autism spectrum, in order to examine the nature of their personal experiences of music. Consistent with the literature on typically developing people's engagement with music, the analysis showed that most participants exploit music for a wide range of purposes in the cognitive, emotional and social domains, including mood management, personal development and social inclusion. However, in contrast to typically developing people, the ASD group's descriptions of mood states reflected a greater reliance on internally focused (arousal) rather than externally focused (emotive) language.
Ligands to FGF receptor 2-IIIb induce proliferation, motility, protection from cell death and cytoskeletal rearrangements in epithelial ovarian cancer cell lines

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the most common and lethal form of gynecological malignancy. These cancers are thought to be derived from the ovarian surface epithelium (OSE). We have previously reported that the epithelial-specific FGF receptor 2 splice variant IIIb is not expressed in normal OSE, but is expressed in approximately 80% of EOCs. We have examined the phenotypic effects of ligands to FGF receptor 2-IIIb, namely FGFs 1,7 and 10, on a panel of EOC cell lines. We show that these ligands increase cell viability, induce DNA synthesis, motility and chemotaxis and protect from spontaneous cell death when EOC cells are maintained in serum free medium. A blocking antiserum to FGF-7 reduces viability of 41-M EOC cells, and abrogates the ability of ascitic fluid containing FGF-7 to induce DNA synthesis in these cells. Finally, we show that FGF-7 can induce a reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton in SK-OV-3 ovarian cancer cells. It is suggested that ligands to FGF receptor 2-IIIb affect a range of phenotypes important in the neoplastic growth of EOCs.
Allostery between two binding sites in the ion channel subunit TRIP8b confers binding specificity to HCN channels

Tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) domains are ubiquitous structural motifs that mediate protein–protein interactions. For example, the TPR domains in the peroxisomal import receptor PEX5 enable binding to a range of type 1 peroxisomal targeting signal motifs. A homolog of PEX5, tetratricopeptide repeat–containing Rab8b-interacting protein (TRIP8b), binds to and functions as an auxiliary subunit of hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide (HCN)–gated channels. Given the similarity between TRIP8b and PEX5, this difference in function raises the question of what mechanism accounts for their binding specificity. In this report, we found that the cyclic nucleotide–binding domain and the C terminus of the HCN channel are critical for conferring specificity to TRIP8b binding. We show that TRIP8b binds the HCN cyclic nucleotide–binding domain through a 37-residue domain and the HCN C terminus through the TPR domains. Using a combination of fluorescence polarization– and co-immunoprecipitation–based assays, we establish that binding at either site increases affinity at the other. Thus, allosteric coupling of the TRIP8b TPR domains both promotes binding to HCN channels and limits binding to type 1 peroxisomal targeting signal substrates. These results raise the possibility that other TPR domains may be similarly influenced by allosteric mechanisms as a general feature of protein–protein interactions.
Aminoglycoside Nephrotoxicity following Single-Dose Cystoscopy Prophylaxis

OBJECTIVE: To report a case of gentamicin-associated acute tubular necrosis following single-dose exposure. SETTING: Central-city, university-affiliated teaching hospital. PATIENT: An 82-year-old man, admitted for evaluation of shortness of breath, appetite reduction with weight loss, and stable renal insufficiency, developed urinary retention, which prompted a urologic evaluation followed by a cystoscopy. INTERVENTIONS: A single 1.6-mg/kg (actual body weight) dose of gentamicin was administered as prophylaxis prior to this procedure. RESULTS: A significant decline in renal function was observed 48 hours following gentamicin administration. A nephrology evaluation excluded pre- and postrenal causes and attributed this episode of nonoliguric acute tubular necrosis to a single dose of gentamicin. CONCLUSIONS: Although not consistent with currently proposed mechanisms and reported onset of aminoglycoside-induced nephrotoxicity, an etiology other than that concluded by this case report appears unlikely.
Upper abdominal symptoms in patients with Type 1 diabetes: unrelated to impairment in gastric emptying caused by autonomic neuropathy

Aims Diabetic gastroparesis is a common condition occurring in some 30–50% of patients with long‐term diabetes. Some studies have found a relationship between autonomic neuropathy and diabetic gastroparesis. In addition to autonomic neuropathy, acute changes in plasma glucose concentration can also affect gastric emptying. The objective was to examine the relationship between autonomic nerve function, glucose concentration, gastric emptying, and upper abdominal symptoms in Type 1 diabetic patients.
Effects of Vertical Direction and Aperture Size on the Perception of Visual Acceleration

It is not well understood whether the distance over which moving stimuli are visible affects our sensitivity to the presence of acceleration or our ability to track such stimuli. It is also uncertain whether our experience with gravity creates anisotropies in how we detect vertical acceleration and deceleration. To address these questions, we varied the vertical extent of the aperture through which we presented vertically accelerating and decelerating random dot arrays. We hypothesized that observers would better detect and pursue accelerating and decelerating stimuli that extend over larger than smaller distances. In Experiment 1, we tested the effects of vertical direction and aperture size on acceleration and deceleration detection accuracy. Results indicated that detection is better for downward motion and for large apertures, but there is no difference between vertical acceleration and deceleration detection. A control experiment revealed that our manipulation of vertical aperture size affects the ability to track vertical motion. Smooth pursuit is better (i.e., with higher peak velocities) for large apertures than for small apertures. Our findings suggest that the ability to detect vertical acceleration and deceleration varies as a function of the direction and vertical extent over which an observer can track the moving stimulus.
Maternal Footprints of Southeast Asians in North India

We have analyzed 7,137 samples from 125 different caste, tribal and religious groups of India and 99 samples from three populations of Nepal for the length variation in the COII/tRNALys region of mtDNA. Samples showing length variation were subjected to detailed phylogenetic analysis based on HVS-I and informative coding region sequence variation. The overall frequencies of the 9-bp deletion and insertion variants in South Asia were 1.9 and 0.6%, respectively. We have also defined a novel deep-rooting haplogroup M43 and identified the rare haplogroup H14 in Indian populations carrying the 9-bp deletion by complete mtDNA sequencing. Moreover, we redefined haplogroup M6 and dissected it into two well-defined subclades. The presence of haplogroups F1 and B5a in Uttar Pradesh suggests minor maternal contribution from Southeast Asia to Northern India. The occurrence of haplogroup F1 in the Nepalese sample implies that Nepal might have served as a bridge for the flow of eastern lineages to India. The presence of R6 in the Nepalese, on the other hand, suggests that the gene flow between India and Nepal has been reciprocal.
vsrB, a regulator of virulence genes of Pseudomonas solanacearum, is homologous to sensors of the two-component regulator family

Pseudomonas solanacearum, an important wilt pathogen of many plants, produces several extracellular proteins (EXPs) and extracellular polysaccharides (EPSs) that contribute to its virulence. Using TnphoA mutagenesis, we discovered a new gene, vsrB, that when inactivated causes a major reduction in the virulence and production of an EPS. Analysis of eps::lacZ reporters showed that vsrB is required for maximal expression (transcription) of eps, whose products are required for production of EPS I, a major virulence determinant. Analysis of EXPs in culture supernatants revealed that inactivation of vsrB also causes reduced production of two major EXPs, with molecular masses of 28 and 97 kDa, and a simultaneous 15-fold increase in levels of another EXP, PglA endopolygalacturonase. The vsrB gene was cloned from a P. solanacearum genomic library by complementation of the nonmucoid phenotype of the vsrB::TnphoA mutant and then subcloned on a 2.4-kb DNA fragment. TnphoA fusion analysis and subcellular localization of the vsrB gene product in Escherichia coli maxicells suggest that it is a ca. 60-kDa transmembrane protein. The nucleotide sequence of the 2.4-kb DNA fragment was determined, and a 638-amino-acid open reading frame was found for VsrB. A search of the GenBank data base found that the central part of VsrB has homology with the histidine kinase domain of sensors in the two-component regulator family, while the C terminus has homology with the phosphate receiver domain of response regulators in the same family. Genetic analysis suggests that the receiver domain is not required for vsrB function.
Lines of Murine Oligodendroglial Precursor Cells Immortalized by an Activated neu Tyrosine Kinase Show Distinct Degrees of Interaction with Axons In Vitro and In Vivo

Replication‐defective retroviruses expressing the t‐neu oncogene, or a hybrid protein with the neu tyrosine kinase linked to the external region of the human epidermal growth factor receptor (egfr‐neu), were used to establish lines of murine oligodendroglial precursor cells. Differentiation of the t‐neu lines into myelin‐associated glycoprotein (MAG)‐positive oligodendrocytes was induced by dibutyryl cAMP, and the egfr‐neu line showed limited differentiation in vitro upon withdrawal of epidermal growth factor. Cerebellar granule cell neurons expressed mitogens for the cell lines. Upon transplantation into demyelinated lesions, t‐neu line cells engaged with the demyelinated axons whereas the egfr‐neu line cells differentiated further and ensheathed the axons. These cell lines thus interact with neurons in vitro and in vivo and can be used as tools to define the molecules involved in different stages of neuron‐glia interaction.
Bromoenol Lactone Inhibits Magnesium-dependent Phosphatidate Phosphohydrolase and Blocks Triacylglycerol Biosynthesis in Mouse P388D1 Macrophages*

Bromoenol lactone (BEL) has previously been identified as a potent, irreversible, mechanism-based phospholipase A2 (PLA2) inhibitor that possesses greater than 1000-fold selectivity for inhibition of Ca2+-independent PLA2 (iPLA2) versus the Ca2+-dependent ones. Thus, this compound has been used as a selective tool for studies aimed at elucidating the role of iPLA2 in certain cellular functions. Herein we report that BEL also inhibits cellular phosphatidic acid phosphohydrolase (PAP) activity in intact P388D1 macrophages with an IC50 of about 8 μM, which is very similar to that previously found for inhibition of iPLA2 under the same experimental conditions. This results in the blockage of the incorporation of exogenous arachidonate and palmitate into diacylglycerol and triacylglycerol. Thus, inhibition of PAP by BEL blocks triacylglycerol biosynthesis in P388D1 cells due to decreased diacylglycerol availability. Because two forms of PAP activity exist in mammalian cells, differential assays were performed to identify which of these forms was inhibited by BEL. The results of these experiments revealed that BEL selectively inhibits the cytosolic, Mg2+-dependent enzyme. No apparent effect of BEL on the membrane-bound Mg2+-independent PAP form could be detected. Collectively, the results reported herein establish that BEL inhibits two cellular phospholipases, namely iPLA2 and Mg2+-dependent PAP, with similar potency. Therefore, the inhibitory effect of BEL on Mg2+-dependent PAP might explain several cellular functions previously attributed to iPLA2.
Hubble Space Telescope Imaging of the Circumstellar Nebulosity of T Tauri

Short-exposure Planetary Camera images of T Tauri have been obtained using broadband filters spanning the wavelength range 0.55-0.80 μm. The optically visible star lies very close to an arc of reflection nebulosity. The arc's northern arm extends approximately 5'' from the star, while its southwestern arm appears brighter and extends only 2''. The arc shows an approximate symmetry along an axis toward the west-northwest, the direction of Hind's Nebula and the blueshifted molecular outflow. The morphology of the reflected light is similar to models of scattered light within an illuminated, axisymmetric outflow cavity in a circumbinary envelope, viewed ≈ 45° from the outflow axis. However, our model images do not successfully account for the amount of limb brightening that is seen. No optical counterpart to the infrared companion is seen to a limiting magnitude of V = 19.6, which suggests AV > 7 mag toward this source. There is no evidence for an optical tertiary, to a limiting ΔV = 5.1 mag fainter than the primary, at the position where such an object has been previously reported.
STABILITY IN INSECT HOST-PARASITE MODELS

where NS represents the survivors after Pt parasites have searched for Nt hosts resulting in P+ 1 parasite progenyt. All assumptions about parasite searching behaviour are here contained in the functionf[Pt,Nt]. If we consider the simplest case where the parasite population is specific and synchronized temporally with its host population, we can write the following generalized model for a host-parasite interaction:
Flow-Cytometric Cell Sorting and Subsequent Molecular Analyses for Culture-Independent Identification of Bacterioplankton Involved in Dimethylsulfoniopropionate Transformations

ABSTRACT Marine bacterioplankton transform dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) into the biogeochemically important and climatically active gas dimethylsulfide. In order to identify specific bacterial taxa mediating DMSP processing in a natural marine ecosystem, we amended water samples from a southeastern U.S. salt marsh with 20 μM DMSP and tracked community shifts with flow cytometry (FCM) coupled to 16S rRNA gene analyses. In two out of four seasons studied, DMSP amendments induced the formation of distinct bacterioplankton populations with elevated nucleic acid (NA) content within 24 h, indicative of cells actively utilizing DMSP. The 16S rRNA genes of the cells with and without elevated NA content were analyzed following cell sorting and PCR amplification with sequencing and terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism approaches. Compared to cells in the control FCM populations, bacteria with elevated NA content in the presence of DMSP were relatively enriched in taxa related to Loktanella, Oceanicola, and Sulfitobacter (Roseobacter lineage, α-Proteobacteria); Caulobacter (α-Proteobacteria); and Brachymonas and Xenophilus (β-Proteobacteria) in the May-02 sample and to Ketogulonicigenium (Roseobacter lineage, α-Proteobacteria) and novel γ-Proteobacteria in the Sept-02 sample. Our study suggests that diverse bacterioplankton participate in the metabolism of DMSP in coastal marine systems and that their relative importance varies temporally.
Perspectives on the management of chronic hepatitis B and C

This special edition of Expert Review of Anti-infective Therapy on viral hepatitis contains expert reviews of chronic hepatitis B and C. These reviews focus on several aspects of the treatment of hepatitis B, including new agents, such as telbivudine, hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIG) in preventing reinfection in liver transplantations, hepatitis B resistance and indications for treatment of chronic hepatitis B. Articles in this issue also cover aspects of the prevention and treatment of acute hepatitis C, interferon-based treatment of hepatitis C in patients with pre-existing mental illness and substance use disorders, hepatitis C and diabetes, and a section on hepatitis C virology and new treatments.
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Mastitis Vaccines

Introduction Mastitis control is based upon adoption of preventive control strategies including good milking hygiene, the use of properly functioning milking equipment, provision of clean and dry housing areas, sound nutritional programs and proper identification and treatment of cows that are infected with subclinical and clinical mastitis. Worldwide, many dairy farmers have adopted these procedures and produce high quality milk. However, mastitis remains the most common and costly disease of dairy cattle and many producers continue to struggle to achieve their quality goals. Mastitis results when pathogenic bacteria are able to gain entrance to the udder, overcome the cows’ immune defenses, establish an infection and produce inflammation of udder secretory tissue. The use of vaccination to control infectious diseases in dairy cattle is common and vaccination against mastitis pathogens is a control strategy used by some dairy farmers. Research on mastitis vaccines has been conducted for at least 30 years and several mastitis vaccines are commercially available. The objective of this paper is to review current concepts about vaccines used to control mastitis in dairy cattle.
[Retrospective study of suppurative keratitis in 1054 patients].

OBJECTIVE To analyze the etiological and clinical characteristics of 1054 cases with suppurative keratitis. METHODS Medical records of 1054 inpatients with suppurative keratitis at the Qingdao Eye Hospital, Shandong Eye Institute from January 1999 to December 2004 were retrospectively reviewed for the analysis of demographic features, duration of symptoms, risk factors, previous therapy and laboratory findings. RESULTS Fungal keratitis (61.9%) was the most common type in suppurative keratitis inpatients. Middle aged patients (between 41 - 50 years, 27.3%) and farm workers (82.9%) were the most common groups. Corneal trauma was noted as the most common risk factor. The positive rate of direct microscopic examination of potassium hydroxide (KOH) wet mounts was 88.7% for the diagnosis of fungal keratitis, but the positive rate of microscopic examination of Gram staining was only 43.4% in detecting bacterial keratitis. The most common type of fungi isolated was fusarium species (437 cases, 73.3%), followed by aspergillus species (72 cases, 12.1%). Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the most commonly isolated bacteria (35.7%), followed by staphylococcus epidermidis (22.5%). CONCLUSIONS Fungal keratitis is the most common type in severe suppurative corneal ulcers and its incidence shows an increasing tendency progressively. As a rapid, simple and effective diagnostic method of fungal keratitis, the application of direct microscopic examination of KOH wet mounts should be used more extensively. A rapid and effective detecting technique of bacterial keratitis is required urgently.
Integrated segmentation and recognition of handwritten numerals: comparison of classification algorithms

In integrated segmentation and recognition (ISR) of handwritten character strings, the underlying classifier is desired to be accurate in character classification and resistant to non-character patterns (also called garbage or outliers). This paper compares the performance of a number of statistical and neural classifiers in ISR. Each classifier has some variations depending on learning method: maximum likelihood estimation (MLE), discriminative learning (DL) under the minimum square error (MSE) or minimum classification error (MCE) criterion, or enhanced DL (EDL) with outlier samples. A heuristic pre-segmentation method is proposed to generate candidate cuts and character patterns. The methods were tested on the 5-digit Zip code images in CEDAR CDROM-1. The results show that training with outliers is crucial for neural classifiers in ISR. The best result was given by the learning quadratic discriminant function (LQDF) classifier.
Performance Degradation of Pentacene-Based Organic Thin-Film Transistors Under Positive Drain Bias Stress in the Atmosphere

The drain bias stress effect on organic thin-film transistor (OTFT) performance degradation in the atmosphere has been investigated. The OTFTs under drain bias stress exhibit larger performance degradation than those under atmospheric stress. It is also found that the performance degradation under positive drain bias stress is larger than that under negative drain bias stress. We presume that the OTFT performance degradation under positive drain bias stress resulted from large lateral electrical field and vertical electrical field, resulting in increased trap state density (Ntrap) in the bulk channel and carrier injection into the gate insulator, respectively.
Anti-Myostatin Reduces Bone Mineral Loss in Ovariectomized Rats

Osteoporosis is a classical age-related disease that affects women as a consequence of estrogen deficiency. Estrogen deficiency has direct as well as indirect impacts on bone metabolism. Studies revealed that in Myostatin-deficient mice, there is an increase in muscle mass which augments increase in bone strength. The aim of this research is to clarify the effect of myostatin blocking on bone mineral density in ovariectomized rats. Design: 30 healthy adult female albino rats were used to study the effect of myostatin antibodies (injected subcutaneously at a dose of 5 mg/kg daily for 28 days) against osteoporotic effect of estrogen deficiency induced by bilateral ovariectomy. Osteoporotic effect was assessed by analysis of serum levels of myostatin, calcium, phosphorus and concentrations of calcium and phosphorous in femur bone. Results: The results of this study showed that in group II (ovariectomized group), the mean values of serum myostatin and calcium were found to be significantly increased (P 0.05) in all studied groups. Conclusions: It was observed that myostatin blockage protects from ovariectomy induced osteoporosis by retaining bone calcium content.
Hedgehog Signaling: Cooking with Gas1

The mechanisms by which morphogens, such as Sonic hedgehog (Shh), specify distinct cell fates in a concentration-dependent manner are not fully understood. Shh signaling is regulated by a feedback network that comprises Shh-binding factors, the expression of which is controlled by the Hedgehog pathway itself. Recent studies have identified the hedgehog-binding protein growth arrest–specific gene 1 (Gas1) as a component of this network. Gas1 binds Shh to promote signaling, but its expression is subsequently inhibited by pathway activity. Gas1−/− mice display Shh dosage–dependent phenotypes in the neural tube, midface, and digits. Ectopic expression and in vitro assays indicate that Gas1 binds Shh synergistically with the Hedgehog receptor Patched1 and promotes signaling in a cell-autonomous fashion. Furthermore, Gas1 cooperates with another component of the feedback network, Cdo, in patterning the neural tube and midface. The coordinate regulation of the activity and expression of several different positively and negatively acting Shh binding proteins should result in fine-tuned modulation of graded Shh signaling.