Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Specificity of the Organic Acid Activation of Alternative Oxidase in Plant Mitochondria

The claim that succinate and malate can directly stimulate the activity of the alternative oxidase in plant mitochondria (A.M. Wagner, C.W.M. van den Bergen, H. Wincencjusz [1995] Plant Physiol 108: 1035–1042) was reinvestigated using sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) mitochondria. In whole mitochondria, succinate (in the presence of malonate) and both L- and D-malate stimulated respiration via alternative oxidase in a pH- (and NAD+)-dependent manner. Solubilized malic enzyme catalyzed the oxidation of both L- and D-malate, although the latter at only a low rate and only at acid pH. In submitochondrial particle preparations with negligible malic enzyme activity, neither L- nor D-malate stimulated alternative oxidase activity. However, even in the presence of high malonate concentrations, some succinate oxidation was observed via the alternative oxidase, giving the impression of stimulation of the oxidase. Neither L-malate nor succinate (in the presence of malonate) changed the dependence of alternative oxidase activity on ubiquinone reduction state in submitochondrial particles. In contrast, a large change in this dependence was observed upon addition of pyruvate. Half-maximal stimulation of alternative oxidase by pyruvate occurred at less than 5 [mu]M in submitochondrial particles, one-twentieth of that reported for whole mitochondria, suggesting that pyruvate acts on the inside of the mitochondrion. We suggest that malate and succinate do not directly stimulate alternative oxidase, and that reports to the contrary reflect intra-mitochondrial generation of pyruvate via malic enzyme.
Ulnar artery involvement in systemic sclerosis (scleroderma).

OBJECTIVE Microvascular disease is one of the hallmarks of systemic sclerosis (SSc, scleroderma), but macrovascular involvement also exists in some patients. Patients with SSc may have severe Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) characterized by refractory digital ulcerations. We investigated if large artery involvement, that is, ulnar artery occlusion, has a role in the development of refractory digital ulcerations, and if both screening for this involvement and revascularization of the ulnar artery occlusive disease may improve digital ulcer healing. METHODS A retrospective chart review was performed of 15 patients with SSc, all of whom had severe RP and digital ulceration, together with a positive Allen test and ulnar artery occlusive disease documented by angiography. RESULTS Women outnumbered men 2:1, with limited disease predominating (7), 5 patients having diffuse cutaneous disease and 3 overlap syndromes. All patients had positive antinuclear antibody and capillary microscopy findings consistent with SSc. Antiphospholipid antibodies were present in 4 of 6 patients tested. Tobacco use was seen in 5 patients, only 2 of whom were current smokers. All patients failed conventional medical therapy (nitrates, calcium channel blockers, antiplatelet agents) for RP and digital ulceration. Only 1/8 patients improved with stellate ganglion block, and one patient had no improvement following digital sympathectomy. Eight patients underwent ulnar artery revascularization combined with digital sympathectomy, and 8 experienced dramatic improvement in RP and healing of digital ulcers. CONCLUSION An Allen test should be performed routinely on all SSc patients with severe RP and refractory digital ulceration to investigate the possibility of ulnar artery occlusive disease. If suspected ulnar artery occlusion is confirmed by angiography or ultrasonography, ulnar artery revascularization with or without digital sympathectomy should be considered in patients who fail conventional medical therapy.
Systematic evaluation of the effect of common SNPs on pre‐mRNA splicing

The evolutionary and biomedical importance of differential mRNA splicing is well established. Numerous studies have assessed patterns of differential splicing in different genes and correlated these patterns to the genotypes for adjacent single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Here, we have chosen a reverse approach and screened dbSNP for common SNPs at either canonical splice sites or exonic splice enhancers (ESEs) that would be classified as putatively splicing‐relevant by bioinformatic tools. The 223 candidate SNPs retrieved from dbSNP were experimentally tested using a previously established panel of 92 matching DNAs and cDNAs. For each SNP, 16 cDNAs providing a balanced representation of the genotypes at the respective SNP were investigated by nested RT‐PCR and subsequent sequencing. Putative allele‐dependent splicing was verified by the cloning of PCR products. The positive predictive value of the bioinformatics tools turned out to be low, ranging from 0% for ESEfinder to 9% (in the case of acceptor‐site SNPs) for a recently reported neural network. The results highlight the need for a better understanding of the sequence characteristics of functional splice‐sites to improve our ability to predict in silico the splicing relevance of empirically observed DNA sequence variants. Hum Mutat 0, 1–9, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Stress reduction in high voltage MIS capacitor fabrication

Metal-insulator-semiconductor capacitors used as a RC snubber attenuate voltage overshoots which may occur during switching phases. These devices feature good temperature stability up to 200°C and can be integrated very close to power switches on the same transfer substrate. As the capacitors need to withstand high voltages in most applications, thick dielectric layers have to be used, causing significant amount of wafer bow during processing. A dielectric stress compensation structure on the back side of the wafers is therefore introduced and shown to reduce the resulting wafer bow by up to 50%. Planar MIS capacitors using a 1 μm thick dielectric layer stack achieve dielectric breakdown voltages of up to 1000 V along with capacitance densities of 5.4 nF/cm2. In comparison, devices with a dielectric layer thickness of 250 nm exhibit a capacitance density of 13.6 nF/cm2 and a resulting dielectric breakdown voltage of 250 V.
Pervasive massively multithreaded GPU processors

This talk presents an overview of NVIDIA's SIMT architecture and some brief insights on how some CUDA programming paradigms map onto it. A brief history of SIMT is provided to explain how NVIDIA ended up implementing a unified SIMT processor core in its GPUs including how graphics shaders are mapped onto SIMT threads. In addition, a conceptual view of how a SIMT microarchitecture executes threads in parallel is provided. The talk wraps up by describing some pitfalls related to thread synchronization, memory access, and cache management and describes some key problem areas in SIMT programming that NVIDIA would like to address in the future.
Mechanisms and regulation of calcium absorption from the gastrointestinal tract in pigs and ruminants: comparative aspects with special emphasis on hypocalcemia in dairy cows

Adequate blood calcium (Ca) concentrations are a prerequisite to maintain several physiological functions of mammals such as pig and ruminants. Thus, blood Ca levels have to be regulated within very close limits. This is basically ensured through the coordinated effects of the calcitropic hormones parathyroid hormone (PTH) and calcitriol (1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3). If plasma Ca decreases, one main effect of subsequently secreted PTH is the stimulation of renal reabsorption of Ca from the glomerular filtrate to reduce urinary Ca loss. Another important action of PTH is the induction of the renal enzyme 1[@@@]\rmalpha [@@@]-hydroxylase, which is responsible for the production of calcitriol. In most monogastric species, so far investigated, one of the most important effects of calcitriol is to stimulate active absorption of Ca from the gastrointestinal tract, particularly the upper small intestines, via a vitamin D-receptor-mediated genomic action. Whether this concept can be transferred without any constrictions to ruminants is still under discussion. Marked interspecies differences have to be recognized with respect to ruminant or non-ruminant animals, particularly with respect to individual segments along the gastrointestinal axis and with respect to vitamin D sensitivity of Ca transport mechanisms. This review will elucidate some of the current concepts related to the mechanisms and sites of Ca absorption in pigs and ruminants with special emphasis on dairy cows where Ca homeostasis is occasionally compromised at the time of parturition.
Consumer attitudes toward genetically modified food in the United States: Are Millennials different?

ABSTRACT Our study adds to the extant literature by focusing on Millennials, exploring possible generational shift that may have taken place in attitudes related to and consumption of such products. Results suggest that Millennials respond similarly as non-Millennials across several factors that shape consumers’ views and behaviors toward genetically modified technology and products. Millennials who are more educated and knowledgeable about biotechnology, though, are more willing to purchase GM foods. They perceive less risk and have fewer safety concerns compared to non-Millennials. Furthermore, male Millennials are more willing to purchase GM products and are more supportive of encouraging GM technology compared to female Millennials.
In vivo analysis of mechanical wall stress and abdominal aortic aneurysm rupture risk.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to calculate abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) wall stresses in vivo for ruptured, symptomatic, and electively repaired AAAs with three-dimensional computer modeling techniques, computed tomographic scan data, and blood pressure and to compare wall stress with current clinical indices related to rupture risk. METHODS CT scans were analyzed for 48 patients with AAAs: 18 AAAs that ruptured (n = 10) or were urgently repaired for symptoms (n = 8) and 30 AAAs large enough to merit elective repair within 12 weeks of the CT scan. Three-dimensional computer models of AAAs were reconstructed from CT scan data. The stress distribution on the AAA as a result of geometry and blood pressure was computationally determined with finite element analysis with a hyperelastic nonlinear model that depicted the mechanical behavior of the AAA wall. RESULTS Peak wall stress (maximal stress on the AAA surface) was significantly different between groups (ruptured, 47.7 +/- 6 N/cm(2); emergent symptomatic, 47.5 +/- 4 N/cm(2); elective repair, 36.9 +/- 2 N/cm(2); P =. 03), with no significant difference in blood pressure (P =.2) or AAA diameter (P =.1). Because of trends toward differences in diameter, comparison was made only with diameter-matched subjects. Even with identical mean diameters, ruptured/symptomatic AAAs had a significantly higher peak wall stress (46.8 +/- 4.5 N/cm(2) versus 38.1 +/- 1.3 N/cm(2); P =. 05). Maximal wall stress predicted risk of rupture better than the LaPlace equation (20.7 +/- 5.7 N/cm(2) versus 18.8 +/- 2.9 N/cm(2); P =. 2) or other proposed indices of rupture risk. The smallest ruptured AAA was 4.8 cm, but this aneurysm had a stress equivalent to the average electively repaired 6.3-cm AAA. CONCLUSION Peak wall stresses calculated in vivo for AAAs near the time of rupture were significantly higher than peak stresses for electively repaired AAAs, even when matched for maximal diameter. Calculation of wall stress with computer modeling of three-dimensional AAA geometry appears to assess rupture risk more accurately than AAA diameter or other previously proposed clinical indices. Stress analysis is practical and feasible and may become an important clinical tool for evaluation of AAA rupture risk.
The Use of the Internet and the Practice of Journalism in Bahrain

This paper seeks to present the most important results of a field study on the role of using the Internet in enhancing the journalistic assignments in the Kingdom of Bahrain, in accelerating the production and dissemination of news, and in creating new opportunities for communication and interaction with the public. The study also examines Bahraini journalists’ perceptions of the changes in their journalistic practice and the positive and negative effects of the Internet on the journalist’s job. In addition, the study examines the possible changes that the Internet makes in relation to the values and ethics of the press. The results showed that the use of the Internet in the press had a positive impact on journalistic practice. Bahraini journalists tend to adopt and use it in their day-to-day work, although they are cautious about the unreliability of news and information on the Internet, their awareness of increased accountability before the public, and their belief in the negative role that the Internet can play in sacrificing accuracy for speed.
[Patellofemoral pain syndrome in young men compared to a normal population exposed to the same physical strain].

AIM The causes of the patellofemoral pain syndrome, especially in young patients, continue to be largely unknown. The purpose of the study was to determine the extent to which weight and activities that impose a strain on the knee influence the occurrence of patellofemoral pain in young, physically active men. METHOD 248 soldiers on mandatory military service were included in the study. 133 persons had pain in the knee prior to or during military service while 115 persons had no symptoms in the knee. Anthropometric data and patient history were recorded for all individuals. This was followed by clinical examination. RESULTS Age distribution and body mass index were identical in both groups. However, significantly more subjects in the group with pain prior to military service had been active sportsmen while a significantly larger number of normal individuals had had jobs that strained the knees. The greatest difference, however, was seen in the number of previous injuries. These were much more common in the group that had pain and the injuries most commonly were contusions. CONCLUSION It is well known that previous injuries and sports favor the emergence of patellar pain. However, persistent strain on the knee at work appears to be less commonly associated with this symptom. The individual's body-mass index was of no importance in this context.
Model-based localization and drift-free user tracking for outdoor augmented reality

In this paper we present a novel model-based hybrid technique for user localization and drift-free tracking in urban environments. In outdoor augmented reality, instantaneous 6-DoF user localization is achieved with position and orientation sensors such as GPS and gyroscopes. Initial pose obtained with these sensors is dominated by large positional errors due to coarse granularity of GPS data. Subsequent tracking is also erroneous as gyroscopes are prone to drifts and often need recalibration. We propose to use model-to-image registration technique to refine initial rough estimate for accurate user localization. Large positional errors in user localization are mitigated by aligning silhouettes of the model with that of the camera image using shape context descriptors as they are invariant to translation, scale and rotational errors. Once initialized, drift-free tracking is achieved by combining frame-to-frame and model-to-frame feature tracking. Frame-to-frame tracking is done by matching corners whereas edges are used for model-to-frame silhouette tracking. Final camera pose is obtained with M-estimators.
Work Disability and Costs Caused by Recurrence of Low Back Pain: Longer and More Costly Than in First Episodes

Study Design. Retrospective analysis of workers' compensation (WC) claims data for nonspecific low back injuries (LBI) in a single jurisdiction. Objective. To examine whether recurrences, defined as post-initial episodes of work disability or medical care, substantially contribute to total medical and indemnity costs, and total duration of work disability. Summary of Background Data. Previous studies have not measured the proportion of care seeking and work disability that are associated with recurrences in claims for work-related LBI. Methods. All persons with new lost-time claims for nonspecific LBI reported in New Hampshire to a large WC provider from 1996 to 1999 were selected (N = 1867). Three years of follow-up data, starting at the beginning of the first episode, were collected. Previously validated definitions of recurrence were used identify new episodes of care and new episodes of lost work time (work disability). Total duration of work disability, total medical costs, and total indemnity costs were investigated. For individuals with recurrences, these variables were separated into first-episode and recurrent period duration and costs. Results. The rate of recurrent work disability was 17.2%, and the rate of recurrent care seeking was 33.9%. Individuals with recurrence had significantly higher total length of work disability, and higher medical and indemnity costs. For those with recurrent work disability, 69% of total lost time from work, 71% of associated indemnity costs, and 84% of total medical costs occurred during the recurrent period. For those with recurrence of care, the respective values were 48%, 47%, and 42%. Conclusions. Recurrences contributed disproportionately to the total burden of work-related nonspecific LBI, through both additional care seeking and work disability. Results imply that those who have recurrences may be an especially important target for secondary prevention efforts.
What Potential for Debt-for-Education Swaps in financing Education for All ?

Remarkable progress has been made towards meeting the six Education for All (EFA) goals since international commitments were made at the 2000 World Education Forum in Dakar. The most recent EFA Global Monitoring Report shows that with respect to net enrolment ratios significant advances can be observed, even in sub-Saharan Africa and South and West Asia, regions that have traditionally been lagging behind. Nevertheless, regional, intraregional and intra-country inequalities persist.
How Engineers Make Markets Organizing Electricity System Decarbonization

Energy system decarbonization by means of wind power integration has recently been pursued through the introduction of a novel retail electricity market. The market, named EcoGrid, has been designed to facilitate short-term price-responsive electricity consumption. By following the market construction process undertaken by scientists at the Technical University of Denmark, this article shows how engineers have approached the task by designing markets as technical control systems. It is demonstrated that EcoGrid has been designed by modeling a retail electricity market on three different conceptions of control systems as found in the discipline of control systems engineering. By tracing the origins of EcoGrid, this article documents the governing of electricity consumers through what we here call a synthetic market, i.e. a market artifact devised to attain goals. These findings about expertise in electricity market design are then used as a springboard to discuss the implications of introducing markets as a means of governance.
Hybrid Modeling of a DC-DC Series Resonant Converter: Direct Piecewise Affine Approach

A dc-dc resonant converter has the advantage of overcoming switching losses and electromagnetic interference which are the main limitations of high frequency power converters. Nevertheless, the modeling and stability analysis of dc-dc resonant converters are considerably more complex than pulsewidth modulation counterparts. The conventional averaged linearized model of the resonant converter has limitations due to averaging and linearization. First of all, the linearized model has large modeling error in presence of large variations of reference voltage and input voltage. Furthermore, Converging area for stabilizing controllers is smaller in the averaged model. In order to overcome these limitations, this paper presents a novel framework for modeling of dc-dc resonant converters. As dc-dc resonant converters are naturally switched systems with affine subsystems, a piecewise affine model is derived directly from the converter model. The new model is based on analysis of the resonant converter on state plane trajectories. It is also suitable for precise simulation and high performance controller design of resonant converters. In addition, a stability analysis theorem is provided for the proposed model. The simulation and experimental results on a dc-dc series resonant converter show the effectiveness of this modeling approach.
RNA Binding Protein Vigilin Collaborates with miRNAs To Regulate Gene Expression for Caenorhabditis elegans Larval Development

Extensive studies have suggested that most miRNA functions are executed through complex miRNA-target interaction networks, and such networks function semiredundantly with other regulatory systems to shape gene expression dynamics for proper physiological functions. We found that knocking down vgln-1, which encodes a conserved RNA-binding protein associated with diverse functions, causes severe larval arrest at the early L1 stage in animals with compromised miRISC functions (an ain-2/GW182 mutant). Through an enhancer screen, we identified five specific miRNAs, and miRNA families, that act semiredundantly with VGLN-1 to regulate larval development. By RIP-Seq analysis, we identified mRNAs that are directly bound by VGLN-1, and highly enriched for miRNA binding sites, leading to a hypothesis that VGLN-1 may share common targets with miRNAs to regulate gene expression dynamics for development.
Glutathione is involved in the antimalarial action of chloroquine and its modulation affects drug sensitivity of human and murine species of Plasmodium

Abstract Ferriprotoporphyrin IX (FP) is released inside the food vacuole of the malaria parasite during the digestion of host cell hemoglobin. FP is detoxified by its biomineralization to hemozoin. This process is effectively inhibited by chloroquine (CQ) and amodiaquine (AQ). Undegraded FP accumulates in the membrane fraction and inhibits enzymes of infected cells in parallel with parasite killing. FP is demonstrably degraded by reduced glutathione (GSH) in a radical-mediated mechanism. This degradation is inhibited by CQ and AQ in a competitive manner, thus explaining the ability of increased GSH levels in Plasmodium falciparum-infected cells to increase resistance to CQ and vice versa, and to render Plasmodium berghei that were selected for CQ resistance in vivo sensitive to the CQ when glutathione synthesis is inhibited. Some over-the-counter drugs that are known to reduce GSH in body tissues when used in excess were found to enhance the antimalarial action of CQ and AQ in mice infected either with P. berghei or Plasmodium vinckei. In contrast, N-acetyl-cysteine which is expected to increase the cellular levels of GSH, antagonized the action of CQ. These results suggest that some over-the-counter drugs can be used in combination with some antimalarials to which the parasite has become resistant.