Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Activities of the Porphyromonas gingivalis PrtP Proteinase Determined by Construction ofprtP-Deficient Mutants and Expression of the Gene inBacteroides Species

ABSTRACT PrtP is a major cysteine proteinase of Porphyromonas gingivalis. The gene encoding this proteinase, prtP, was cloned into the Escherichia coli-Bacteroides shuttle vectors pFD288 and pFD340 and was expressed in Bacteroidescells, apparently under the control of its own promoter, when in pFD288, or a Bacteroides promoter present on pFD340. Proteolytically active PrtP was detected by fibrinogen zymography in cells or spent growth medium of several Bacteroides species harboring the recombinant plasmids. The proteinase was recovered fromBacteroides fragilis ATCC 25285(pFD340-prtP) cells by 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)-dimethyl-ammonio]-1-propanesulfonate (CHAPS) extraction and characterized with regard to exopeptidase specificity and sensitivity to proteinase inhibitors. Lys-amidolytic activity, but not Arg-amidolytic activity, was detected. PrtP was activated by cysteine and, to a lesser extent, dithiothreitol, and it was stimulated by glycine-containing compounds. It also was inhibited by Nα-p-tosyl-l-lysine chloromethyl ketone (TLCK) and, to a lesser extent, H-d-Tyr-l-Pro-l-arginyl chloromethyl ketone (YPRCK) and was relatively insensitive to EDTA and leupeptin. Neither B. fragilis ATCC 25285(pFD340-prtP) cells nor the CHAPS extract effected hemagglutination of sheep red blood cells or collagen cleavage, but the cells did cleave gelatin. Furthermore, P. gingivalis W12, ATCC 33277, KDP110, and HG66 with knockout mutations inprtP were constructed by allelic replacement. Unlike the parent strains, the mutant strains produced beige colonies on plates containing sheep blood. These strains also were affected in their ability to effect hemagglutination, cleave collagen, and cleave a Lys-specific peptide substrate. This report presents the results of the first characterization of the PrtP proteinase clearly in the absence of any influence by other P. gingivalis proteins and describes the properties of P. gingivalis cells defective in the production of PrtP.
Autoantibodies to a group of centrosomal proteins in human autoimmune sera reactive with the centrosome.

OBJECTIVE Human autoantibodies reacting with protein components of the microtubule organizing center of the cell, the centrosome, are rare and have not been extensively studied. We therefore investigated the number, type, and frequency of autoantibodies reactive with centrosomal proteins in a cohort of human sera. METHODS To establish the type of autoantibodies found in autoimmune sera reactive with the centrosome, we used a prototype human serum, which was chosen for its intense reactivity with the centrosome throughout the cell cycle, to screen a HeLa complementary DNA (cDNA) (expression) library. Positive cDNA clones were sequenced and classified as encoding either known centrosomal autoantigens, known centrosomal proteins but unknown as human autoantigens, or previously unknown centrosomal antigens. To investigate whether these centrosomal autoantibody classes were characteristic of centrosomal-reactive sera, sera from 21 subjects with centrosomal reactivity by indirect immunofluorescence were characterized by Western blotting for reactivity to recombinant protein from each of the classes of centrosomal antigens. Clinical features were studied by retrospective chart review. RESULTS In each of the sera, autoantibodies that recognize a group of centrosomal proteins were identified. This group included known centrosomal autoantigens (pericentrin and pericentriolar material 1 [PCM-1]), the human homolog of a known mouse centrosomal protein, ninein, which was previously unknown as a human autoantigen, and a novel centrosomal protein (Cep250). Autoantibodies to PCM-1 were the least common (8 of 21 subjects; 38%) while those to ninein, Cep250, and pericentrin occurred at roughly equal frequencies (17 subjects [81%], 17 subjects [81%], and 19 subjects [90%], respectively). There was no apparent correlation between serum autoantibody reactivity and the clinical diagnosis. CONCLUSION Each of the autoimmune sera contained autoantibodies that reacted with a group of centrosomal proteins. We found that the centrosomal component ninein, first identified in mice, has a human homolog that is an autoantigen. Also, anticentrosomal sera contained antibodies to previously undetected centrosomal components. One of these novel antigens was identified and was designated Cep250. Thus, a characteristic of sera reactive with the centrosome is that they contain antibodies to a group of centrosomal proteins.
The digestion of protein in young pigs and the utilization of dietary methionine

1.Forty pigs between 23 and 51 d of age were given ad lib. diets containing wheat and one of five protein concentrates: meat meal A, meat meal B, soya-bean meal, milk and lupins (Lupinus augustifolius). Twenty of these pigs were given indigestible markers from 51 to 56 d of age and were killed at 56 d of age. 2.The diets containing meat meals A and B, soya-bean meal and milk contained 2.3 g total methionine/kg and the diet containing lupins contained 2.1 g/kg. 3.A further forty pigs of the same age were given the same diets supplemented with 1 g synthetic methionine/kg. 4.The weight gains and feed conversion ratios of the pigs given the diets containing 2.1–2.3 g methionine and 3.1–3.3 g methionine/kg were not significantly different. 5. The weight gains of the pigs given lupins (2.1 g methionine/kg) were less than those of the pigs given the diets containing 2.3 g methionine/kg. 6. The apparent digestibility of dry matter (DM) and nitrogen was less for the diets containing the meat meals (0.75 and 0.78 respectively) than for those containing the other protein concentrates (0.80 and 0.84). 7.The retention times in the large intestine of the diets containing soya-bean meal and lupins were 965 and 1083 min which were greater than those of the diets containing the other protein concentrates, mean 732 min. 8. The major site of N digestion and absorption for the diet containing milk was the area of the small intestine 25–50% of total length from the pylorus, while for the other protein concentrates the major site was 50–75% of its total length from the pylorus. 9. The digestion and absorption of N in the large intestine was less (3.4%) for the diet containing milk than for those containing the other protein concentrates (7.5–11.3%). 10. The apparent digestibility of the methionine to the ileum for the five diets ranged from 0.74 to 0.86 while the calculated retention of the apparently-absorbed methionine was 1.00. It was suggested that methionine digestibility could be used as an indicator of availability. 11. The calculated retention of apparently absorbed N in the carcass was 0.71 for the pigs given the diet containing milk and 0.51–0.58 for the pigs given the other diets.
Fuzzy samples retrieval: A method of SAR image retrieval in urban areas

As the retrieval entrance, description of retrieval objects plays an important role in CBSIR (Content-Based SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) Image Retrieval) systems. Most of the CBSIR systems take one Region of Interest (ROI) from the original image, which contains the retrieval object, as the retrieval entrance. Besides, freehand sketch retrieval methods are used extensively in CBOIR (Content-Based Optical Image Retrieval). But when the retrieval objects are fuzzy in SAR image, methods mentioned above are no longer applied because speckle noises make the description of retrieval objects unfeasible. In this paper, a method is proposed to describe the retrieval objects in SAR image, which is called Fuzzy Samples Retrieval (FSR). In the experiments FSR is compared with the retrieval based on ROI of original image and freehand sketch sample, the results show that FSR has a better performance in CBSIR systems.
An Efficient Design of Low Power Sequential Circuit Using Clocked Pair Shared Flip Flop

Power consumption plays an important role in any of the integrated circuit and is listed as one of the most important top three challenges in the international technology roadmap for semiconductors. In any type of integrated circuit, clock distribution network and flip –flop consumes large amount of power because they make and employ maximum number of internal transitions. In the clock distribution network, the clock signal distributes from a common point to all the elements that needed for the circuit. However this function is more important to the synchronous system, much attention has to give to the characteristics of these clock signals. In the synchronous system, a clock distribution network consumes a large amount of total power because of the high operation frequency of highest capacitance. An effective way to reduce the capacity of clock load is by minimizing the number of clocked transistor. Clock distribution networks consumes a large amount of chip power in a low swing differential capturing flip flop system and also it creates a more number of clocked transistor. But by using the proposed system, the clocked paired shared flip flop is used to reduce the number of local clocked transistors.
Race-ethnicity and determinants of intracranial atherosclerotic cerebral infarction. The Northern Manhattan Stroke Study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The aim of this investigation was to determine the importance of race as a determinant of intracranial atherosclerotic stroke in a community-based stroke sample. METHODS Residents from northern Manhattan over age 39 years hospitalized for acute ischemic stroke (n = 438, black 35%, Hispanic 46%, white 19%) were prospectively evaluated. Index ischemic strokes were classified as atherosclerotic (17%), lacunar (30%), cardioembolic (21%), cryptogenic (31%), and other (1%). Atherosclerotic infarcts were subdivided into extracranial (9%) and intracranial (8%) atherosclerosis. RESULTS The proportion of extracranial atherosclerotic stroke was similar among the three race-ethnic groups, while intracranial atherosclerosis was more frequent in blacks and Hispanics. The unadjusted odds ratio for nonwhites (blacks and Hispanics combined) was 0.8 (confidence interval [CI], 0.4 to 1.8) for extracranial and 7.8 (CI, 1.04 to 57.7) for intracranial atherosclerosis. Patients with intracranial disease were significantly younger and had an increased frequency of hypercholesterolemia and insulin-dependent diabetes compared with those with nonatherosclerotic disease. The odds ratio for the association of nonwhite race-ethnicity and intracranial atherosclerosis was reduced to 5.2 (CI, 0.7 to 40) after controlling for age and to 4.4 (CI, 0.6 to 35) after controlling for age, education, insulin-dependent diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia. CONCLUSIONS The greater prevalence of diabetes and hypercholesterolemia among blacks and Hispanics from northern Manhattan accounted for much of the increased frequency of intracranial atherosclerotic stroke. Further control of these risk factors could reduce the frequency of this stroke subtype and minimize the disparities among different race-ethnic groups.
PERSISTENT IMPROVEMENT OF CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTORS IN SPONTANEOUSLY HYPERTENSIVE RATS FOLLOWING EARLY SHORT-TERM CAPTOPRIL TREATMENT

This study was designed to determine whether an improvement in cardiovascular risk factors persists in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) following withdrawal of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACE-I) treatment. SHR were given deionized drinking water or captopril solution from four to sixteen weeks of age. At twelve weeks of age, rats from each group were instrumented with radiotelemetry devices for continuous monitoring of blood pressure. Mean arterial blood pressure was significantly lower in captopril-treated SHR during treatment (92±2 vs 147±1 mm Hg), and at twelve weeks after treatment withdrawal (131±2 vs 158±2 mm Hg). In addition, proteinuria, renal vascular resistance, plasma triglyceride levels, fasting glucose levels, postprandial insulin levels, and heart weights were significantly reduced in the treated SHR compared to control SHR, at time-points between three to seven months after captopril withdrawal. Our findings indicate that short-term administration of an ACE-I during the developmental phase of hypertension in the SHR results in a long-term overall improvement of cardiovascular risk factors.
Conditional Random Fields for Term Extraction

In this paper, we describe how to construct a machine learning framework that utilizes syntactic information in extraction of biomedical terms. Conditional random fields (CRF), is used as the basis of this framework. We make an effort to find the appropriate use for syntactic information, including parent nodes, syntactic paths and term ratios under the machine learning framework. The experiment results show that syntactic paths and term ratios can improve precision of term extraction, including old terms and novel terms. However, the recall rate of novel terms still needs to be increased. This research serves as an example for constructing machine learning based term extraction systems that utilizes linguistic information.
Physiological Regulation of Magnocellular Neurosecretory Cell Activity: Integration of Intrinsic, Local and Afferent Mechanisms

The hypothalamic supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei contain magnocellular neurosecretory cells (MNCs) that project to the posterior pituitary gland where they secrete either oxytocin or vasopressin (the antidiuretic hormone) into the circulation. Oxytocin is important for delivery at birth and is essential for milk ejection during suckling. Vasopressin primarily promotes water reabsorption in the kidney to maintain body fluid balance, but also increases vasoconstriction. The profile of oxytocin and vasopressin secretion is principally determined by the pattern of action potentials initiated at the cell bodies. Although it has long been known that the activity of MNCs depends upon afferent inputs that relay information on reproductive, osmotic and cardiovascular status, it has recently become clear that activity depends critically on local regulation by glial cells, as well as intrinsic regulation by the MNCs themselves. Here, we provide an overview of recent advances in our understanding of how intrinsic and local extrinsic mechanisms integrate with afferent inputs to generate appropriate physiological regulation of oxytocin and vasopressin MNC activity.
Immunization of mice against tetanus with fragments of tetanus toxin synthesized in Escherichia coli

Two recombinant plasmids, pTet11 and pTet18, which express nontoxic protein fragments of tetanus toxin in Escherichia coli, were constructed. pTet11 protein (86 kilodaltons) is a fusion between part of the E. coli trpE protein and 441 amino acids of tetanus fragment C, and pTet18 (63 kilodaltons) consists of part of fragment B and all of fragment C of tetanus toxin. The synthesis of these proteins was induced in E. coli cultures, and the proteins were partially purified. Mice were immunized with these proteins, and dose-dependent titers of anti-tetanus toxoid antibodies were obtained. The proteins were able to induce neutralizing antibodies in mice, as demonstrated by the ability of mice immunized with 1 microgram or more of protein to survive challenge with 10 50% lethal doses of tetanus toxin.
Lysosomal targeting strategies for design and delivery of bioactive for therapeutic interventions

Abstract Lysosomes are of particular interest for the design and delivery of pH-dependent pro-drugs, enhancing selectivity and developing strategies to inhibit drug degradation inside the cells. There is great potential to bring intracellular drug delivery and distribution using nanotherapeutic approaches to target lysosomes for therapeutic interventions. Lysosomal targeting strategies involve two contrasting facets. One aspect is to directly target therapeutics to the lysosome through receptor-mediated endocytosis and the other facet involves strategies, which ensure escape from the lysosome in order to prevent their degradation, so that therapeutics may remain intact and available in the cytosol for their further action. It provides a unique opportunity to explore novel treatment strategies and design future drugs for the effective treatment of lysosome-related diseases especially lysosomal storage disorders (LSD), cancer, inflammatory, neurodegenerative conditions (Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and Huntington's diseases) and autoimmune diseases. In this review, we illustrate the fundamentals of membrane trafficking, subcellular organisation, strategies to target lysosomes and its implications for the advance design of efficient drug delivery vectors for safe and effective therapies.
The Nucleocytoplasmic Rabies Virus P Protein Counteracts Interferon Signaling by Inhibiting both Nuclear Accumulation and DNA Binding of STAT1

ABSTRACT Rabies virus P protein inhibits alpha interferon (IFN-α)- and IFN-γ-stimulated Jak-STAT signaling by retaining phosphorylated STAT1 in the cytoplasm. Here, we show that P also blocks an intranuclear step that is the STAT1 binding to the DNA promoter of IFN-responsive genes. As P is a nucleocytoplasmic shuttling protein, we first investigated the effect of the cellular distribution of P on the localization of STAT1 and consequently on IFN signaling. We show that the localization of STAT1 is correlated with the localization of P: in cells expressing a nuclear form of P (the short P3 isoform or the complete P in the presence of the export inhibitor leptomycin B), STAT1 is nuclear, whereas in cells expressing a cytoplasmic form of P, STAT1 is cytoplasmic. However, the expression of nuclear forms of P inhibits the signaling of both IFN-γ and IFN-α, demonstrating that the retention of STAT1 in the cytoplasm is not the only mechanism involved in the inhibition of IFN signaling. Electrophoretic mobility shift analysis indicates that P expression in the cell extracts of infected cells or in stable cell lines prevents IFN-induced DNA binding of STAT1. The loss of the DNA binding of STAT1 and ISGF3 was also observed when purified recombinant P or P3 was added to the extracts of IFN-γ- or IFN-α-treated cells, indicating that P directly affects the DNA binding activity of STAT1. Then products of the rabies virus P gene are able to counteract IFN signaling by creating both cytoplasmic and nuclear blocks for STAT1.
Increased RhoA and RhoB protein accumulation in cultured human trabecular meshwork cells by lovastatin.

PURPOSE This study aimed to determine the effect of lovastatin on Rho G-protein expression and activation in human trabecular meshwork (TM) cells. METHODS Confluent cultures of low-passage (primary) or transformed (GTM3) human TM cells were incubated overnight with vehicle (0.01% ethanol) or activated lovastatin (10 microM). Changes in Rho mRNA, protein content, and activation were quantified by qRT-PCR, immunoblotting, and ELISA, respectively. F-actin organization was determined using Alexa Fluor 488-conjugated phalloidin. RESULTS Low-passage or transformed TM cells treated with lovastatin exhibited marked increases in RhoA and RhoB mRNA and protein content. Actinomycin D prevented lovastatin-dependent increases in RhoB, but not RhoA, protein accumulation. In contrast, cycloheximide prevented lovastatin from increasing both RhoA and RhoB. Supplementation with mevalonate or geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate prevented, whereas inhibition of geranylgeranyl transferase mimicked, the effects of lovastatin on RhoA and RhoB accumulation. The effect of lovastatin was dose dependent, with newly synthesized protein accumulating in the cytosol. The amount of functionally active (GTP-bound) RhoA in cell lysates was significantly reduced by lovastatin. Lovastatin altered the morphology of TM cells by disrupting F-actin organization. CONCLUSIONS Lovastatin enhances the accumulation of RhoA and RhoB in human TM cells, in part, by limiting geranylgeranyl isoprenylation of these G-proteins. We propose that post-translational geranylgeranylation serves as a regulator of both RhoA and RhoB protein expression and processing in human TM cells. Increased accumulation of unprenylated forms of RhoA and RhoB may disrupt Rho-dependent regulation of TM cell cytoskeletal organization.
Space Time Block Co ding and MIMO Channels:Performance Results

We analyse the Space-time Block coding for wireless communication and present an overview of applying MIMO concept and shows how it improves the SNR without decreasing data rates. It provides a new paradigm for transmission over Raleigh fading channel using multiple transmit antennas. Data is encoded using a space time block code and the encoded data is split into n streams which are simultaneously transmitted using n transmit antennas. Maximum likelihood decoding is achieved in a simple way through decoupling of the signals transmitted from different antennas rather than joint detection. This uses the orthogonal structure of the space time block code and gives a maximum likelihood decoding algorithm which is based only on linear processing at the receiver. We review the encoding and decoding algorithms for various codes and provide simulation results demonstrating their performance. It is shown that using multiple transmit antennas and space-time block coding provides remarkable performance at the expense of almost no extra processing.
Absence of odour learning in the stemborer parasitoid
 Cotesia flavipes
 


Parasitic wasps are commonly found to learn olfactory and visual cues that are associated with successful host location. For many parasitoids the cues that are associated with hosts vary in space and time, and are therefore unpredictable. An ability to learn allows the wasp to concentrate on those cues that will lead it to new hosts most effectively in a particular area. In contrast, parasitoids that forage in a predictable homogeneous environment and/or make only a few foraging decisions do not need to learn and should rely on innate responses to specific cues. The role of learning in host foraging was studied in Cotesia flavipes (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a parasitoid of stemborer larvae with an ecology where learning is expected to be of low adaptive value. There was no evidence that C. flavipes uses odour learning in host-micro-habitat location. There was no significant effect of the development and emergence environment on the response level or preference towards the odour of infested plants. Neither was there evidence that experience with a particular plant-host complex during foraging influences subsequent foraging decisions in C. flavipes females. The absence of learning in C. flavipeswhich seems an exception among the parasitoids studied, is discussed in relation to its ecology.
La repercusión de la adopción de normas internacionales de contabilidad pública en la función fiscalizadora de los OCEX

Durante los ultimos anos, las normas internacionales de contabilidad (NIIF) de las empresas mercantiles estan sirviendo de referencia en la busqueda de un conjunto comun de normas para los sistemas contables gubernamentales de numerosos paises (Chan, 2003, paginas 13-20). Las nuevas normas internacionales de contabilidad publica, llamadas IPSAS por sus siglas en ingles, estan siendo emitidas por la IFAC (International Federation of Accountants), organismo que pretende desarrollar normas contables de alta calidad a ser utilizadas por las entidades del sector publico en todo el mundo para la preparacion de estados financieros (IFAC, 2005).