Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
On Rickettsia nomenclature.

his issue of Emerging Infectious Diseases contains 2 independent reports of Rickettsia sibirica infections in Spain and Portugal. The authors identify the agent both as a subspecies (1) and as a strain (2). This inconsistency refl ects a lack of consensus regarding the use of subspecies designations for Rickettsia taxa, so appropriate designation of these pathogens as strains or subspecies remains problematic. Tick-borne typhus of northern Asia (or North Asian spotted fever) was fi rst discovered in the 1930s, and its etiologic agent, R. sibirica, was formally described in 1949. In 1993, an isolate designated “mongolitimonae” was fi rst discovered in the People’s Republic of China (3), considered a new species (4), and fi nally described as a new genotype of R. sibirica (5). A proposal to create 2 subspecies, R. sibirica sibirica and R. sibirica mongolitimonae, was recently published (6). A new prokaryote name must be both effectively and validly published. To become effectively published, a name must meet certain rules, as defi ned by the International Code of Nomenclature of Bacteria (7). To become validly published, the name must then appear on a Validation List published in the International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology (8). This provides an orderly system for bacterial names to be properly introduced and published in the scientifi c literature. Valid and nonvalid names are listed on regularly updated websites (9,10). Names introduced without being validated have no standing in bacterial nomenclature. That is currently the status of these proposed R. sibirica subspecies. Therefore, the use of strain designations is still appropriate. If, and when, the subspecies names are validated, they are likely to be adopted and routinely used in the literature. Rickettsial taxonomy continues to evolve, and future changes should be determined by critical scientifi c judgments and general consensus within the scientifi c community. Dr Massung is chief of the Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Division of Viral and Rickettsial Diseases, National Center for Zoonotic, Vector-borne and Enteric Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. His research interests include laboratory and epidemiologic investigations targeting the detection, prevention, and control of rickettsial and Bartonella spp. diseases and Q fever.
Lactic/Malic Dehydrogenase Quotients During Transformation of Fibroblasts into Cartilage and Bone 1

Summary The concurrent assay of lactic and malic dehydrogenase in the cytosol of homogenized tissues is a simple and useful device in studying the biochemistry of transformation of fibroblasts from fascia into cartilage, followed by bone. The quotient, LDH/MDH, in cartilage exceeds 1 whereas in fascia and bone it is less than 1.
Intratracheal instillation of silica up-regulates inducible nitric oxide synthase gene expression and increases nitric oxide production in alveolar macrophages and neutrophils.

Alveolar macrophages (AM) exposed to cytokines or bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) produce the free radical nitric oxide (NO.) by an inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). They also release reactive oxygen free radicals following exposure to silica dust. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether NO. is produced by rat AM and/or recruited leukocytes following the intratracheal (IT) instillation of silica. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (175 to 225 g) were IT instilled with either silica dust (10 mg/100 g body wt) or LPS (0.25 mg/100 g body wt). After 24 h, bronchoalveolar lavage cells (BALC) and lavaged lung tissue were assayed for iNOS mRNA. Cell counts of BALC and iNOS-dependent (N omega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester [L-NAME]-inhibitable) chemiluminescence generated by AM were also determined. Northern blot analysis demonstrated that the steady-state levels of BALC iNOS mRNA were significantly increased by 3-fold following IT silica and by 7-fold following IT LPS. Partially enriched fractions of either AM or leukocytes from silica-treated rats both exhibited significantly elevated iNOS mRNA in Northern analysis. iNOS-dependent chemiluminescence was significantly increased in AM by 36-fold following IT silica and by 89-fold following IT LPS. Differential counts of BALC showed that AM numbers did not change in any of the treatments; however, red blood cells increased by 30-fold following IT silica and by 23-fold following IT LPS. Total leukocytes (polymorphonuclear leukocytes plus lymphocytes) increased by 58-fold following IT silica and by 274-fold following IT LPS. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Mass in the Head of the Pancreas in Cholestatic Jaundice Carcinoma or Pancreatitis?

The clinical, biochemical and radiological findings in 16 patients with carcinoma of the head of the pancreas were compared with that of 13 with cholestatic jaundice due to chronic pancreatitis. Patients presenting with malignancy had more severe hyperbilirubinemia (18.5 ± 2.1 vs 5.6 ± 1.6 p < 0.001). The course of the bilirubin during the first seven to ten days of hospital admission was the single most accurate test distinguishing carcinoma from pancreatitis. The mean bilirubin rose in carcinoma but fell in pancreatitis (mean net change 15.1 ± 2.9 vs 3.9 ± 0.6, p < 0.001). Calcification in the pancreatic region was identified on a flat plate of the abdomen in 8/13 with pancreatitis but 0/16 with malignancy. Preoperative percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography was helpful in defining the site of biliary obstruction but the radiologist was unable to clearly predict the definitive diagnosis in five of the 29 patients. A point score based upon the major significant differences noted, predicted the presence or absence of malignancy in all patients (16/16 vs 0/13, p < 0.01).
Antibiotic amendment for suppression of indigenous microflora in feed sources for an Escherichia coli auxotroph lysine assay

Growth responses of lysine auxotrophic mutants of Escherichia coli have been used as a measurement of bioavailable lysine in protein sources and animal feeds. Sterilizing feed samples by autoclaving to eliminate non‐specific background growth of indigenous feed micro‐organisms prior to conducting the bacterial assay may introduce chemical and physical alterations to the feeds, influencing the estimation of available feed lysine. In this study, an antibiotic‐ and antifungal‐supplemented medium was constructed to support growth of an E. coli lysine auxotroph assay organism, and was tested for its ability to repress indigenous bacterial and fungal growth in feed samples. To determine which antibiotics to include, an ampicillin‐sensitive E. coli lysine mutant strain (ATCC no. 23812) was screened for antibiotic resistance and transformed with a plasmid carrying an ampicillin resistance gene. Maximum optical density quantitative response of the E. coli auxotroph to lysine was not altered by the antibiotic medium amendments (ampicillin, novobiocin and cycloheximide). Indigenous microfloral growth in a variety of typical animal feeds was suppressed in the presence of the antistatic agents. The estimated lysine recovery was 91·6% and 98·1% when the medium was used in an assay of available lysine in a lysine‐supplemented feed. This indicates that the antibiotic‐amended basal medium can be used for the E. coli‐determined lysine availability of a variety of animal feeds without prior sterilization of the feed sources.
All-optical wavelength conversion: technologies and applications in DWDM networks

Dense WDM technologies make effective use of the vast fiber bandwidth and offer an added dimension to all-optical networks. Wavelength conversion at key network nodes is emerging as a fundamental functionality that can allow transparent interoperability, contention resolution, wavelength routing, and, in general, better utilization of the network resources under dynamic traffic patterns. We offer an overview of the enabling technologies and extend the treatment to the network application of these converters. Attention is given to semiconductor optical amplifiers and their use in wavelength converters. Converters based on four-wave mixing as well as those based on nonlinear optical loop mirrors are evaluated, paying special attention to signal integrity and architectural as well as performance issues. The use of wavelength converters in wavelength routing networks is explored together with the application of these devices in contention resolution and in the routing wavelength assignment problem. Future directions are outlined at the system as well as network levels.
Attractors in Sequence Space: Agent‐Based Exploration of MHC I Binding Peptides

Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) is a meta‐heuristic that utilizes a computational analogue of ant trail pheromones to solve combinatorial optimization problems. The size of the ant colony and the representation of the ants’ pheromone trails is unique referring to the given optimization problem. In the present study, we employed ACO to generate novel peptides that stabilize MHC I protein on the plasma membrane of a murine lymphoma cell line. A jury of feedforward neural network classifiers served as fitness function for peptide design by ACO. Bioactive murine MHC I H‐2Kb stabilizing as well as nonstabilizing octapeptides were designed, synthesized and tested. These peptides reveal residue motifs that are relevant for MHC I receptor binding. We demonstrate how the performance of the implemented ACO algorithm depends on the colony size and the size of the search space. The actual peptide design process by ACO constitutes a search path in sequence space that can be visualized as trajectories on a self‐organizing map (SOM). By projecting the sequence space on a SOM we visualize the convergence of the different solutions that emerge during the optimization process in sequence space. The SOM representation reveals attractors in sequence space for MHC I binding peptides. The combination of ACO and SOM enables systematic peptide optimization. This technique allows for the rational design of various types of bioactive peptides with minimal experimental effort. Here, we demonstrate its successful application to the design of MHC‐I binding and nonbinding peptides which exhibit substantial bioactivity in a cell‐based assay.
The issue with tissue—Does size (of uncertainty in chemistry data) matter?

scientific debate in the literature related to the justification for an originally proposed 10mg/L drinking water criterion in the United States; a still protective, but more scientificallydefensible, 50mg/L criterion was recommended (Hammer 1981; Lafond and Calabrese 1979). The rationale provided during this debate, coupled with a scientific review by the USEPA Metals Subcommittee of the Science Advisory Board’s Environmental Health Committee, resulted in the modification of the US criterion from 10mg/L (pre-1980s) to 50mg/L (post-1980s) (USEPA 2002). However, note that Barron et al. (2009) have questioned the scientific defensibility of such generic DWQGs (or criteria in the United States) and suggest that the development of site-specific objectives would be more appropriate. The initial establishment of Se DWQGs in Canada (and also presumably in other jurisdictions) was based on the assumption that Se is carcinogenic, resulting in the use of a relatively stringent safety factor. However, Se has not been demonstrated to be carcinogenic, and in fact has been demonstrated to have anticarcinogenic properties (Muecke et al. 2010). Thus, historic DWQGs are arguably overprotective, except possibly in the United States and South Africa. Canada, and other jurisdictions, need to review and revise their existing generic DWQGs based on the toxicological and epidemiological data that have been generated since those values were developed (1992, in the case of Canada). In the interim, site-specific, human health-based objectives for Se in drinking water should be developed and derived, using a risk-based approach as recommended by Barron et al. (2009) and following recent guidance from USEPA (2000).
Taxonomic revision of Central Mexican mammoths in Paleoindian sites.

Central Mexican mammoth species taxonomy has been based on the quotient Molar length/Number of dental plates, which sorted three species, Mammuthus imperator, columbi and ? jeffersonii. New evidence from skull morphology sorts only two subspecies, M. columbi columbi and M. columbi felicis as being present during Paleoindian time.
Culture Filtrates of Trichoderma Isolate H921 Inhibit Magnaporthe oryzae Spore Germination and Blast Lesion Formation in Rice

Spore germination and appressorium formation of Magnaporthe oryzae spores was completely suppressed by an ethyl acetate extract of the culture filtrate from the H921 isolate (H921-EAE-CF). Production of antifungal substance(s) in the H921-EAE-CF began to increase up to 3 days after isolate H921 incubation. Furthermore, heat treatment (105°C or 121°C) of H921-EAE-CF did not alter its inhibitory effect on M. oryzae spore germination compared to non-heat-treated H921-EAE-CF. Blast lesion formation inhibition by H921-EAE-CF was dose-dependent. Internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region sequence analysis indicated that this isolate shared similarities with species of the genera Trichoderma. This study suggests that H921-EAE-CF contains some antifungal substances that could be promising candidates for control of rice blast disease.
Intelligent isolated intersection

In this research, an "intelligent" isolated intersection control system is developed. This paper proposes a two-step process that develops the rules of fuzzy control. In the first step, the best sequence of phases is developed for many different patterns of vehicle arrivals. These sequences are developed using a genetic algorithm approach. In the second step, learning from the best strategies, specific rules are defined. The uniqueness of the proposed approach is that the rules are derived from the set of chosen examples assuming that the future traffic arrival patterns are known. This approach also allows a better evaluation of the performance of the fuzzy control because the best solution developed in the first step is used as the reference. The results were found to be very close to the best solution assuming that the future arrival pattern is known.
Embedding Android signal processing apps in a high school math class — An RET project

The objective of this project is to develop and design mobile content for introducing engineering technology to high school students. More specifically, we intend to work on a sequence of modules that will establish connections between high school mathematics and physics to modern technologies associated with smart phones, iPods and other high-tech products. The participants of the project will use the previously developed AJDSP (for Android devices) and iJDSP (for iPhones and iPads) apps to facilitate this process. Additionally, modules have been developed that have been embedded in math classes. Anticipated benefits of the project include creating positive attitudes towards STEM areas that will help recruit high school students and minorities in engineering, math and science fields. After an initial pilot study and assessments at CDS High School, these activities will be disseminated to other high schools. In order to obtain feedback from high school students and teachers, we will hold workshops and collect assessment results. These results will also provide us assessments about the effectiveness of the project, and allow us to make modifications to the project as necessary. The project is part of TUES Phase 3 and I/UCRC RET activities.
Regulation of endocytic pH by the Na+,K+-ATPase in living cells.

Acidification of endocytosed ligands destined for lysosomes is biphasic, with a rapid drop to pH 6, followed by a slow decrease to pH 5. Continuous measurements of transferrin acidification have confirmed that the pH minimum in early (presorting) endosomes is approximately pH 6. On the basis of measurements of endosomal acidification in vitro, it has been proposed that the pH in the early endosome is limited by the internalization of the Na+,K+-ATPase, which generates an interior-positive membrane potential in this compartment [Fuchs, R. , Schmid, S. & Mellman, I. (1989) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 86, 539-543]. We present two lines of evidence that strongly implicate the Na+,K+-ATPase as a major regulatory element of endocytic pH in vivo. First, ouabain, a specific inhibitor of the Na+,K+-ATPase, interferes with the regulation of acidification in early endocytic compartments. Transferrin is normally rapidly acidified to pH 6.0-6.2, followed by alkalinization during recycling. In the presence of ouabain, the minimum pH of transferrin-containing endosomes decreases from 6.0-6.2 to less than 5.3. Second, ouabain eliminates the resistance to both the growth inhibitory and vacuologenic effects of chloroquine in the lysosomal acidification defective cell line CHL60-64. The phenotype of this cell line is consistent with a defect in the removal or inactivation of the early acidification regulatory elements from the late endocytic compartments. The ouabain data suggest that the defect in this cell line is due to improper localization of the Na+,K+-ATPase. A model for pH regulation and vacuolation by weak bases is discussed.
A Noncontact Skin Oxygen-Saturation Imaging System for Measuring Human Tissue Oxygen Saturation

The oxygen saturation (SpO2) of human tissue can be measured and the SpO2 distribution diagram can be built by irradiating the tissue with two wavelengths of light-red (660 nm) and near-infrared [(NIR) 890 nm]. In this paper, two analysis methods are employed to calibrate the measurement accuracy of skin oxygen-saturation imaging (SOSI) system. In addition, to compute the skin tissue oxygen saturation, the partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) and SpO2 of nine subjects are measured using transcutaneous oxygen pressure (TcPO2) measurement and SOSI system. The results show the measurement deviation reduced considerably when the center distance between the central region and calculated region is less than 10 mm. Furthermore, the PaO2 at the interdigital fold between the thumb and the index finger exhibits greater variation (43-61 mmHg), and the converted SpO2 from TcPO2 ranges from 78% to 91%. By employing SOSI system, the SpO2 levels obtained at the dorsum of hand range from 85% to 93%, which is slightly higher (2%-7%) than those measured using TcPO2 system. This is because: 1) more vessels are located at the region that is measured using SOSI system than that measured using TcPO2 and 2) more NIR light is absorbed by subcutaneous fat using SOSI system than theoretical simulations. In the future, the SOSI system could provide SpO2 information to clinicians for diagnosing the health status of patients' cardiovascular system from the variation of SpO2 distribution diagrams between the tissue and vascular regions, and even in different parts of the human body.
Biological Exposure Metrics of Beryllium-Exposed Dental Technicians

ABSTRACT Beryllium is commonly used in the dental industry. This study investigates the association between particle size and shape in induced sputum (IS) with beryllium exposure and oxidative stress in 83 dental technicians. Particle size and shape were defined by laser and video, whereas beryllium exposure data came from self-reports and beryllium lymphocyte proliferation test (BeLPT) results. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO1) gene expression in IS was evaluated by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. A high content of particles (92%) in IS >5 μ in size is correlated to a positive BeLPT risk (odds ratio [OR] = 3.4, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.9–13). Use of masks, hoods, and type of exposure yielded differences in the transparency of IS particles (gray level) and modulate HO1 levels. These results indicate that parameters of size and shape of particles in IS are sensitive to workplace hygiene, affect the level of oxidative stress, and may be potential markers for monitoring hazardous dust exposures.
Hirschsprung's disease in cartilage-hair hypoplasia has poor prognosis.

PURPOSE Cartilage-hair hypoplasia (CHH) is a chondrodysplasia with growth failure, impaired immunity, and high incidence of Hirschsprung disease (HD). This study describes the outcome of CHH patients with HD. METHODS Among 147 patients with CHH, 13 were identified to have HD. Their medical records were analyzed for treatment, outcome, and complications of HD and compared with a control group of 169 patients with HD but not CHH. RESULTS Eight CHH patients had classic HD with rectosigmoid involvement, 2 had long segment colonic disease, and 3 patients had total colonic aganglionosis. Six of the 13 CHH patients (46%) had episodes of enterocolitis before the first surgery. Enterocolitis was complicated by colonic perforation in 2 cases. Eleven CHH patients (85%) had at least one episode of postoperative enterocolitis. Five patients (38%) with CHH and HD had died; 4 of enterocolitis-related septic infection and one of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. In the control group, preoperative enterocolitis occurred in 14% and postoperative enterocolitis in 8%. Two controls (1.2%) had died. CONCLUSIONS HD associated with CHH has poor prognosis in terms of postoperative morbidity and risk of death. These patients require particular attention during postoperative follow-up to detect potentially lethal complications.
A review of acute effects of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine in healthy volunteers

This review of the literature aims to identify the acute effects of MDMA (ecstasy) in healthy volunteers. The wide range of relevant but methodologically diverse tests was . rst grouped into clusters to allow an evaluation of tests that would otherwise have been excluded due to their low frequency of utilization. The following three types of tests were evaluated: (1) functional tests quantifying executive, attention, visual, motor, visuomotor and auditory functions, (2) phenomenological tests assessing personal, subjective experiences, and (3) physiological measures re.ecting neurophysiological, endocrine and physiological parameters. MDMA showed robust effects on most of the phenomenological and physiological tests. Functional tests were scarce, preventing any meaningful conclusions to be drawn from their evaluation other than that these tests should be incorporated into future acute-effect studies. A striking doseñresponse relationship appeared for cardiovascular effects. At doses below 1.0 mg/kg MDMA no change was observed relative to placebo while above this dose all studies reported signi.cant increases. Furthermore, pupil size, plasma cortisol and plasma prolactin levels proved responsive to MDMA administration. The reported subjective effects of MDMA matched the entactogenic profile. Although interest in the action of MDMA is considerable, the existing knowledge about the cognitive effects of MDMA in humans is still rather limited and further research into the drug's effects is recommended, also in view of potential therapeutic uses of the drug.
Propuesta metodológica para la convergencia del Spaghetti Bowl: de reglas de origen

Diversos países están preocupados por la densidad normativa que rige su comercio exterior preferencial y buscan disminuir y simplificar la diversidad de normas existentes, para lo cual, comienzan a analizar alternativas que permitan alguna convergencia entre sus acuerdos. El objetivo de este trabajo es desarrollar una propuesta metodológica que facilite la negociación y la aplicación de un régimen de origen de convergencia, permitiendo la utilización simultánea de las reducciones arancelarias acordadas en diversos acuerdos y estableciendo un mecanismo que posibilite acumular insumos importados bajo diferentes acuerdos comerciales.