Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The evaluation of the effect of synthetic flavonoids on growth of pathogenic and probiotic bacteria

Biological properties of natural flavonoids were su cceeding great interest for the synthetic of new fl avonoids; recent publications were shown that these last have posses sed a various biological activities particularly: a ntimicrobial, anti-viral, anti-tumoral, and antihypertensive. The aim of this study was to assessment the effect of synthetic flavonoids on growth of probiotic (Lactobacillus rh amnosus and Streptococcus thermophilus) and pathoge nic (Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli)bacteri a. All tested compounds were exhibited an antibacte rial and prebiotic effect; The 7-[3-N-(1,2-O-isopropylidèneα-D-xylofuranos-5-yl)-amino-2-hydroxypropoxyl]-8-mét hyl flavone(product 4) was found to have the most significant ctivity as antibacterial agents ; Regarding to the prebiotic activity, 7-[3-N-(D, L-glycéryl)-amino-2-hydroxypropoxy]-8-mé thylflavone (product 5) was the most active. The results suggest that these molecules ac count both the antimicrobial and prebiotic activiti es.
Molecular screening of 980 cases of suspected hereditary optic neuropathy with a report on 77 novel OPA1 mutations

We report the results of molecular screening in 980 patients carried out as part of their work‐up for suspected hereditary optic neuropathies. All the patients were investigated for Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) and autosomal dominant optic atrophy (ADOA), by searching for the ten primary LHON‐causing mtDNA mutations and examining the entire coding sequences of the OPA1 and OPA3 genes, the two genes currently identified in ADOA. Molecular defects were identified in 440 patients (45% of screened patients). Among these, 295 patients (67%) had an OPA1 mutation, 131 patients (30%) had an mtDNA mutation, and 14 patients (3%), belonging to three unrelated families, had an OPA3 mutation. Interestingly, OPA1 mutations were found in 157 (40%) of the 392 apparently sporadic cases of optic atrophy. The eOPA1 locus‐specific database now contains a total of 204 OPA1 mutations, including 77 novel OPA1 mutations reported here. The statistical analysis of this large set of mutations has led us to propose a diagnostic strategy that should help with the molecular work‐up of optic neuropathies. Our results highlight the importance of investigating LHON‐causing mtDNA mutations as well as OPA1 and OPA3 mutations in cases of suspected hereditary optic neuropathy, even in absence of a family history of the disease. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Cloning, sequence, and phenotypic expression of katA, which encodes the catalase of Lactobacillus sake LTH677

Lactobacillus sake LTH677 is a strain, isolated from fermented sausage, which forms a heme-dependent catalase. This rare property is highly desirable in sausage fermentation, as it prevents rancidity and discoloration caused by hydrogen peroxide. A gene bank containing MboI fragments of chromosomal DNA from Lactobacillus sake LTH677 in Escherichia coli plasmid pBR328 was constructed. The catalase gene was cloned by heterologous complementation of the Kat- phenotype of E. coli UM2. The catalase structural gene, designated katA, was assigned to a 2.3-kb region by deletion analysis of the originally cloned fragment in plasmid pHK1000. The original chromosomal arrangement was determined by Southern hybridization. Protein analysis revealed that the catalase subunit has a molecular size of 65,000 Da and that the active catalase possesses a hexameric structure. The molecular size of the subunit deduced from the nucleotide sequence was determined to 54,504 Da. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of the 65,000-Da protein corresponded to the one deduced from the DNA sequence. After recloning of katA in the E. coli-Lactococcus shuttle vector pGKV210, the gene was successfully transferred and phenotypically expressed in Lactobacillus casei, which is naturally deficient in catalase activity.
Intensive Training and Sports Specialization in Young Athletes

Children involved in sports should be encouraged to participate in a variety of different activities and develop a wide range of skills. Young athletes who specialize in just one sport may be denied the benefits of varied activity while facing additional physical, physiologic, and psychologic demands from intense training and competition. This statement reviews the potential risks of high-intensity training and sports specialization in young athletes. Pediatricians who recognize these risks can have a key role in monitoring the health of these young athletes and helping reduce risks associated with high-level sports participation.
Friction and roughness of a melting rock surface

We acknowledge Takehiro Hirose for providing sample HVR 687. Stefan Nielsen was granted by the MIUR project FUMO, and Giulio Di Toro and Stefan Nielsen were granted by the European Research Council Starting Grant Project 205175 (USEMS) and CA.RI. PA.RO. We thank Leonardo Tauro for thin section preparation, Luca Peruzzo, Steven Smith and Piergiorgio Scarlato for SEM facilities and Toshi Shimamoto for his constant support. Finally, we are grateful to Nick Beeler and Chris Marone for their constructive reviews.
MESURER LA QUALITE DE SERVICE D'UN SITE E-MARCHAND : ÉTAT DE L'ART DES ECHELLES DE MESURE ET PERSPECTIVES DE RECHERCHE

L'objectif de ce papier est d'identifier et d'analyser les modeles et methodes les plus courants visant a mesurer la qualite de service d'un site e-marchand B2C. A partir d'une revue systematique de la litterature des quinze dernieres annees, la communication analyse (a) les aspects methodologiques du developpement des echelles de mesure et (b) les aspects relatifs aux dimensions retenues dans les echelles et aux limites associees a la structure des echelles. Les resultats soulignent qu'a cote des dimensions de l'experience passee sur le site (facilite d'usage, securite/confidentialite, qualite des contenus, design), les consonautes sont desormais particulierement sensibles aux services logistiques proposes par les sites marchands. Les sites marchands l'ont bien compris, qui construisent leurs avantages concurrentiels sur la performance logistique. Aussi des recherches sont attendues pour davantage integrer les dimensions liees a la partie aval du processus d'achat (modalites, fluidite et fiabilite des livraisons, tracabilite des colis, gestion des retours etc.) dans les echelles de mesure de la qualite de service d'un site e-marchand B2C.
Solitons in anharmonic chains with ultra-long-range interatomic interactions

We study the influence of long-range interatomic interactions on the properties of supersonic pulse solitons in anharmonic chains. We show that in the case of ultra-long-range (e.g., screened Coulomb) interactions three different types of pulse solitons coexist in a certain velocity interval: one type is unstable but the two others are stable. The high-energy stable soliton is broad and can be described in the quasicontinuum approximation. But the low-energy stable soliton consists of two components, short-range and long-range ones, and can be considered as a bound state of these components.
Update on Receptor-Like Kinases FERONIA and Her Pals : Functions and Mechanisms 1 [ OPEN ]

FERONIA and 16 closely related proteins form a distinct clade within the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) superfamily of receptor-like kinases (RLKs), transmembrane proteins with an extracellular domain for signal perception and a cytoplasmic domain that phosphorylates target molecules and induces cellular responses to incoming signals. Several members of this family, such as THESEUS1 and ANXUR1,2, are known to play distinct roles in growth and reproduction; FERONIA is unique in being critically involved in both plant growth and reproduction. The FERONIA family of proteins from Arabidopsis is distinguished from other RLKs by having extracellular protein motifs that share homology with malectin, an animal protein with the capacity to bind dimeric and oligomeric Glc. The possibility that these malectin-like motifs might interact with carbohydrates has generated widespread speculations that these receptor kinases could act as cell-wall sensors, communicating perturbations at the frontline of cell-cell and plantenvironment interaction to the cytoplasm to induce responses. Here, we discuss emerging understanding of the functional roles and signaling mechanisms of FERONIA and its related proteins. We also highlight pressing questions, as well as the functional potential of the broader malectin-like domain-containing RLK family that exists across the plant kingdom. We believe FERONIA and her pals provide a rich ground for research with many emerging opportunities for uncovering novel insights into how plants strive for growth and survival. FERONIA/SIRÈNE was first identified genetically more than ten years ago as a key regulator of female fertility in Arabidopsis (Rotman et al., 2003; Huck et al., 2003). It was later determined to be a receptor kinase (Escobar-Restrepo et al., 2007) and one of 17 closely related receptor-like kinases (RLKs) in Arabidopsis (Fig. 1; Hèmaty and Höfte, 2008; Boisson-Dernier et al., 2011; Cheung and Wu, 2011). The name FERONIA (after an Etruscan goddess of fertility) will be used from hereon. Arabidopsis has more than 600 RLKs (Shiu and Bleecker, 2003). Several discoveries made at about the same time led to an extraordinary level of interest in FERONIA and related RLKs. These include: (1) a member of this group, THESEUS1 (named after the Greek mythological figure that slew Procustes the brigand) is a critical regulator of cell growth and appears to function as a surveyor of cell-wall status (Hèmaty et al., 2007); (2) FERONIA functions broadly throughout development and is fundamental to cell and plant growth (Guo et al., 2009; Deslauriers and Larsen, 2010; Duan et al., 2010); and (3) a closely related pair of these RLKs, ANXUR1 and ANXUR2 (named after the consort of FERONIA), is essential for male fertility (Boisson-Dernier et al., 2009; Miyazaki et al.,
ACUTE STRESS ENHANCES MEMORY FOR EMOTIONAL WORDS, BUT IMPAIRS MEMORY FOR NEUTRAL WORDS

This article examined effects of acute stress on memory for neutral and emotional words. Participants (n = 40) were exposed to either a psychosocial stressor or a control task, followed by a memory test. The stress hormone cortisol was measured in saliva before and after stress induction and after the memory test. Acute stress had a differential effect on memory such that recall of neutral words was impaired, whereas that of emotional words was enhanced. These effects on memory performance were not mediated by cortisol. The authors conclude that it makes little sense to speculate about memory effects and elevated levels of cortisol because such effects might depend on the valence of the material that is learned.
A Novel Pulse Width Modulation technique with active DC voltage balancing and device voltage falls compensation for High-Power Cascaded multilevel active rectifiers

This paper presents a novel dedicated PWM technique for use with single-phase (or four wire three-phase) multi-level Cascaded H-Bridge Converters. The proposed modulation strategy aims to minimize the unbalance of the DC-Link voltages, for any amplitude of the voltage reference, amongst the different converter cells in order to obtain high-quality waveforms with a low switching frequency. Moreover the device voltage drops and ON resistance, which in high-power multilevel converter have a significant impact on the quality of the produced voltage, are compensated. The technique is described in detail along with the concept of a modular converter prototype for smart grid applications and an outline of its construction. Verification of the modulation effectiveness is provided with simulation and experimental results for a 3kW seven level Cascaded Converter.
Auxo types and Antibiotic Susceptibilities of Neisseria gonorrhoeae from Women with Acute Salpingitis: Comparison with Gonococci Causing Uncomplicated Genital Tract Infections in Women

An investigation of the MICs of various antibiotics and the nutritional requirements (auxotypes) of Neisseria gonorrhoeae recovered from the cervix, fallopian tubes, and peritoneal cavity of women with acute salpingitis was done. These MICs and auxotypes were compared to those of gonococci isolated from the cervix of women with uncomplicated or asymptomatic genital tract gonorrhea. The MICs of minocycline, penicillin G, ampicillin, cefoxitin, and cefaclor for gonococci isolated from women with acute salpingitis were significantly higher. Significant differences in auxotype patterns were identified between isolates from salpingitis cases and uncomplicated cases. The prototrophic form was the most common (75%) among salpingitis strains. No strains requiring arginine, hypoxanthine, and uracil were identified among the salpingitis isolates. In contrast, strains that required these nutrients were the most frequent auxotype among isolated from women with uncomplicated genital tract gonorrhea. Discriminant analysis revealed that the MIC of minocycline and the auxotype were the most powerful discriminators between groups of patients with different manifestations of gonorrhea.
Endothelin-1 Has a Priming Effect on Production of Superoxide Anion by Alveolar Macrophages: Its Possible Correlation with Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia

The purpose of this study was to clarify the role of endothelin (ET)-1 in the development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). Tracheal aspirates were obtained from 27 newborn babies with respiratory distress (13 with BPD and 14 without BPD) who were mechanically ventilated. Production of superoxide anion(O-2) by rabbit alveolar macrophages was determined by preincubation with the tracheal aspirate supernatant (TAS) and stimulation with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA). O-2 production was demonstrated only when PMA was added to the experimental system and was enhanced with TAS of infants who later developed BPD compared with TAS from infants without BPD. The effects of ET-1 and ET-3 on O-2 production and the blockade by anti-ET-1 antibody and BQ123 (ET A receptor antagonist) were also examined. The enhancing effect was blocked by either anti-ET-1 antibody or BQ123. PMA-stimulated production of O-2 increased when cells were preincubated with several doses of ET-1 (5 × 10-13 to 2 × 10-12 M), whereas ET-3 was without effect. TAS contained significant amounts of immunoreactive ET-1, and there was a close positive correlation (r = 0.764) between the activity of O-2 production and immunoreactive ET-1 levels in TAS samples. These results may be interpreted to indicate that ET-1 synthesized by and secreted from tracheal epithelial cells and/or alveolar macrophages has a priming effect on alveolar macrophages to produce O-2, thus possibly contributing to the development of BPD.
Cancer Therapy : Preclinical Polysaccharide Krestin Is a Novel TLR 2 Agonist that Mediates Inhibition of Tumor Growth via Stimulation of CD 8 T Cells and NK Cells

Purpose: Polysaccharide krestin (PSK) is a mushroom extract that has been long used in Asia and recently in Western countries as a treatment for cancer due to its presumed immune potentiating effects. Although there have been reports of clinical responses after patients have ingested PSK, the mechanism of action of the agent remains undefined. The current study was undertaken to investigate the mechanism of the antitumor actions of PSK. Experimental Design: The immunostimulatory effect of PSK was first evaluated in vitro using splenocytes from neu transgenic mice and Toll-like receptor (TLR) 2 knockout (TLR2 / ) mice. Then the immunostimualtory and antitumor effect of PSK was determined using tumor-bearing neu transgenic mice, TLR2 / , and wild-type C57BL/6 mice. Results: We demonstrate that PSK is a selective TLR2 agonist, and the activation of dendritic cells (DC) and T cells by PSK is dependent on TLR2. Oral administration of PSK in neu transgenic mice significantly inhibits breast cancer growth. Selective depletion of specific cell populations suggests that the antitumor effect of PSK is dependent on both CD8þ T cell and NK cells, but not CD4þ T cells. PSK does not inhibit tumor growth in TLR2 / mice suggesting that the antitumor effect is mediated by TLR2. Conclusion: These results demonstrate that PSK, a natural product commonly used for the treatment of cancer, is a specific TLR2 agonist and has potent antitumor effects via stimulation of both innate and adaptive immune pathways. Clin Cancer Res; 17(1); 67–76. 2010 AACR.
A yawning measurement method using embedded smart cameras

Driving while drowsy is a major cause behind road accidents, and exposes the driver to a much higher crash risk compared to driving while alert. Therefore, the use of assistive systems that monitor a driver's level of vigilance and alert the driver in case of drowsiness can be significant in the prevention of accidents. This paper introduces the design and implementation of a lightweight system, in terms of computational complexity, which runs on a computationally-limited embedded smart camera platform to measure drivers' drowsiness based on yawning. Our system uses a modified implementation of the Viola-Jones algorithm for face and mouth detection, as well as the back projection theory for measuring both the rate and the amount of changes in the mouth for yawning detection. Our system is built on the top of an actual smart camera embedded platform, called APEX™ from CogniVue Corp., which is easy and practical for installation inside a car. The system is optimized in a way that meets the real time requirements of the monitoring task while relying on the limited processing power of the embedded platform.
Distribution and functional characterization of human Nav1.3 splice variants

The focus of the present study is the molecular and functional characterization of four splice variants of the human Nav1.3 α subunit. These subtypes arise due to the use of alternative splice donor sites of exon 12, which encodes a region of the α subunit that resides in the intracellular loop between domains I and II. This region contains several important phosphorylation sites that modulate Na+ channel kinetics in related sodium channels, i.e. Nav1.2. While three of the four Nav1.3 isoforms, 12v1, 12v3 and 12v4 have been previously identified in human, 12v2 has only been reported in rat. Herein, we evaluate the distribution of these splice variants in human tissues and the functional characterization of each of these subtypes. We demonstrate by reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) that each subtype is expressed in the spinal cord, thalamus, amygdala, cerebellum, adult and fetal whole brain and heart. To investigate the functional properties of these different splice variants, each α subunit isoform was cloned by RT‐PCR from human fetal brain and expressed in Xenopus oocytes. Each isoform exhibited functional voltage‐dependent Na+ channels with similar sensitivities to tetrodotoxin (TTX) and comparable current amplitudes. Subtle shifts in the V1/2 of activation and inactivation (2–3 mV) were observed among the four isoforms, although the functional significance of these differences remains unclear. This study has demonstrated that all four human splice variants of the Nav1.3 channel α subunit are widely expressed and generate functional TTX‐sensitive Na+ channels that likely modulate cellular excitability.
Nitric oxide synthase isoforms and the effect of their inhibition on meiotic maturation of porcine oocytes

Summary In this paper we assessed: (i) the change in nitric oxide synthase (NOS) isoforms' expression and intracellular localization and in NOS mRNA in porcine oocytes during meiotic maturation; (ii) the effect of NOS inhibition by Nω-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME) and aminoguanidine (AG) on meiotic maturation of cumulus–oocyte complexes (COC) as well as denuded oocytes (DO); and (iii) nitric oxide (NO) formation in COC. All three NOS isoforms (eNOS, iNOS and nNOS) and NOS mRNA (eNOS mRNA, iNOS mRNA and nNOS mRNA) were found in both porcine oocytes and their cumulus cells except for nNOS mRNA, which was not detected in the cumulus cells. NOS isoforms differed in their intracellular localization in the oocyte: while iNOS protein was dispersed in the oocyte cytoplasm, nNOS was localized in the oocyte cytoplasm and in germinal vesicles (GV) and eNOS was present in dots in the cytoplasm, GV and was associated with meiotic spindles. l-NAME inhibitor significantly suppressed metaphase (M)I to MII transition (5.0 mM experimental group: 34.9% MI, control group: 9.5% MI) and at the highest concentration (10.0 mM) also affected GV breakdown (GVBD); in contrast also AG inhibited primarily GVBD. The majority of the oocytes (10.0 mM experimental group: 60.8%, control group: 1.2%) was not able to resume meiosis. AG significantly inhibited GVBD in DO, but l-NAME had no significant effect on the GVBD of these cells. During meiotic maturation, NO is formed in COC and the NO formed by cumulus cells is necessary for the process of GVBD.
New Appliance Detection for Nonintrusive Load Monitoring

Current methods for nonintrusive load monitoring (NILM) problems assume that the number of appliances in the target location is known, however, this may not be realistic. In real-world situations, the initial setup of the site can be known but new appliances may be added by users after a period of time, especially in a household or nonrestrictive scenarios. In this sense, current methods without detecting new appliances may not accurately monitor loads of different appliances and scenarios. In this paper, a novel new appliance detection method is proposed for NILM with imbalance classification for appliances switching ON or OFF. The prediction of appliances being switched ON or OFF is an important step in load monitoring and the switching on frequencies for coffee machine and air conditioning in a household are different, making the problem inherently imbalanced. Experimental results show that the proposed method yields outstanding performance against the well-known oversampling method, synthetic minority oversampling technique, on real NILM applications in scenarios with new appliances emerging.