Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Human Herpesvirus 6B Genome Sequence: Coding Content and Comparison with Human Herpesvirus 6A

ABSTRACT Human herpesvirus 6 variants A and B (HHV-6A and HHV-6B) are closely related viruses that can be readily distinguished by comparison of restriction endonuclease profiles and nucleotide sequences. The viruses are similar with respect to genomic and genetic organization, and their genomes cross-hybridize extensively, but they differ in biological and epidemiologic features. Differences include infectivity of T-cell lines, patterns of reactivity with monoclonal antibodies, and disease associations. Here we report the complete genome sequence of HHV-6B strain Z29 [HHV-6B(Z29)], describe its genetic content, and present an analysis of the relationships between HHV-6A and HHV-6B. As sequenced, the HHV-6B(Z29) genome is 162,114 bp long and is composed of a 144,528-bp unique segment (U) bracketed by 8,793-bp direct repeats (DR). The genomic sequence allows prediction of a total of 119 unique open reading frames (ORFs), 9 of which are present only in HHV-6B. Splicing is predicted in 11 genes, resulting in the 119 ORFs composing 97 unique genes. The overall nucleotide sequence identity between HHV-6A and HHV-6B is 90%. The most divergent regions are DR and the right end of U, spanning ORFs U86 to U100. These regions have 85 and 72% nucleotide sequence identity, respectively. The amino acid sequences of 13 of the 17 ORFs at the right end of U differ by more than 10%, with the notable exception of U94, the adeno-associated virus type 2 rep homolog, which differs by only 2.4%. This region also includes putative cis-acting sequences that are likely to be involved in transcriptional regulation of the major immediate-early locus. The catalog of variant-specific genetic differences resulting from our comparison of the genome sequences adds support to previous data indicating that HHV-6A and HHV-6B are distinct herpesvirus species.
Focal Adhesion Kinase Overexpression in Endometrial Neoplasia

Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is a protein tyrosine kinase that is a critical mediator of signaling events between cells and their extracellular matrix. Elevations in FAK mRNA and protein overexpression have been linked to tumor cell capacity for invasion and metastasis. FAK expression has been shown to be elevated in a variety of solid tumors. The purpose of this study was to evaluate for FAK upregulation in endometrial neoplasia. Tissue microarray blocks were made from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded archival tissue, including 115 carcinoma (100 endometrioid, 10 serous, and 5 clear cell), 28 hyperplasia, and 38 normal specimens using 1-mm punches. The tissue was immunostained with monoclonal antibody for FAK and p53. Immunoreactivity was scored by intensity (0–4+ scale) and percent positive staining. FAK overexpression was categorized as 4+ cytoplasmic intensity in more than 90% of neoplastic cells. Positive p53 was categorized at least 2+ nuclear intensity in more than 10% of neoplastic cells. Higher rates of FAK upregulation were identified in endometrial hyperplasia (P = 0.025) and carcinoma (P < 0.001) versus normal endometrium. FAK overexpression in carcinoma correlated with higher FIGO grade (P = 0.025) and p53 overexpression (P < 0.001). FAK was consistently overexpressed in high-grade tumors regardless of subtype, including 8 of 10 serous tumors, 4 of 5 clear cell tumors, and 16 of 23 grade 3 endometrioid tumors. In conclusion, upregulation of FAK is seen in both endometrial hyperplasia and carcinoma, implying that FAK may play an important role in endometrial carcinogenesis. FAK overexpression in endometrial carcinoma correlates with higher FIGO grade and p53 overexpression.
Forms of infringement of the right to education in contemporary Greek educational structures

The classical philosophical distinction between positive and negative rights poses the question about where education stands and draws an invaluable opportunity to explore the implications of this distinction in the context of modern Greek educational reality. This paper discusses education as touching the sphere of both right categories, by incorporating simultaneously a) prerequisites of state financing obligations (positive dimension), and b) patterns of people’s free choice with respect to the received education (negative dimension). Contrary to these conditions, it is argued that the Greek educational system proves condemnatory for the realisation of education as a fundamental human right for two reasons. First, poor state financing pushes families to extended private expenditures, creating class dichotomies and making education a ‘public’ good to be ‘purchased’ on basis of people’s social profile and economic ability. Secondly, the overwhelmingly centralised administration of education, in conjunction with the frequent legislative intervention of the state, diminishes liberal possibilities of free choice, since a) parents are unable to decide for the school of their children or get involved in educational planning, and b) young people are not granted entrance to universities in line with their cognitive preferences and inclinations, but rather according to a central allocating system tightly supervised by the Ministry of Education that blindly decides student placement. Accessibility to tertiary education, state coercion, socio-economic inequities, rights, liberalisation of education
Impact of the number of angles and levels on harmonic mitigation in multilevel converters

This paper investigates about the impact of the number of levels and of the corresponding modulations angles on the mitigation of harmonics in cascaded H-bridge multilevel inverters. A mathematical model to reduce Nth odd harmonics from the output voltage of a multilevel converter is represented as a constrained optimization problem. It is further transformed in an unconstrained optimization problem that can be solved more simply by using the particle swarm optimization method. By varying the modulation index, the procedure guarantees the constancy of the output voltage amplitude.
Validation of the EuroQol questionnaire in patients with inflammatory bowel disease

Objective The EuroQol EQ-5D is a generic questionnaire for describing and valuing patients’ health-related quality of life. The purpose of the study was to analyse the construct validity, criterion validity, test–retest reliability and responsiveness of the EQ-5D in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Methods 152 consecutive patients with inflammatory bowel disease (123 with Crohn's disease and 29 with ulcerative colitis) completed the EQ-5D, the SF-36 and the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (IBDQ). Of the study group, 66 patients filled in the EQ-5D a second time after a 2-week gap, including a transition question. Disease activity was measured by the Crohn's Disease Activity Index (CDAI) and by Rachmilewitz's Clinical Activity Index (CAI). Results The EQ-5D showed a moderate ceiling effect. Correlation between the EQ-5D visual analogue scale (EQ VAS) score and CDAI/CAI was rs = −0.65/rs = −0.71 (both P < 0.001). Levels of responses to EQ-5D items and the EQ VAS score were significantly better for patients in remission than for patients with active disease (all P < 0.01). For the total sample, coefficients of correlation between the EQ VAS score and SF-36 and IBDQ scores ranged between 0.37 and 0.73 (all P < 0.0001). When repeated, the EQ-5D was reliable in stable patients (intraclass correlation coefficient for EQ VAS = 0.77, kappa statistic for items 0.39 to 1.00); the EQ VAS was responsive in patients who, in the transition question, indicated an improvement in health state (effect size 0.79). Conclusions The EQ-5D is reasonably valid, reliable and responsive in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. It can be used to generate preference-based valuations of health-related quality of life in inflammatory bowel disease.
Stimulation of the Cyclic GMP Pathway by NO Induces Expression of the Immediate Early Genes c‐fos and junB in PC12 Cells

Abstract: Stimulation of several second messenger pathways induces the expression of immediate early genes such as c‐fos, c‐jun, junB, and junD, but little is known about their induction via the stimulation of the cyclic GMP pathway. Here we looked at the expression of early genes in pheochromocytoma PC12 cells after activation of cytosolic guanylate cyclase by sodium nitroprusside. This compound spontaneously releases NO, a molecule known to be involved in cell communication. We found that expression of c‐fos and junB but not of c‐jun or junD is increased upon activation of cyclic GMP pathway. c‐fos mRNA expression was the most activated (fourfold at 30 min), whereas junB response was more modest (2.2‐fold activation at 60 min). Nuclear extracts of stimulated cells show increased binding capacity to the AP1 binding site consistent with the dose‐response curve. The activating effect of nitroprusside could be reproduced by dipyridamole, a selective cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase inhibitor and by 8‐p‐chlorophenylthio‐cyclic GMP, a permeant selective cyclic GMP‐dependent protein kinase activator, and abolished by KT5823, an inhibitor of that kinase. The results show that NO promotes early gene activation and AP1 binding enhancement through the stimulation of the cyclic GMP pathway.
HLA Class II DR-DQ and Increased Risk of Cervical Cancer among Senegalese Women 1

To examine Senegalese women to confirm and extend associations between HLA class II types and cervical cancer previously observed among African-American, Caucasian, Hispanic, and Japanese ethnic populations, 55 Senegalese women with invasive cervical carcinoma were compared with age-matched (human papillomavirus) HPV-positive (n 83) and HPV-negative (n 107) control women. PCR-based HPV and HLA typing methods were used. Data were analyzed using a global randomization test and conditional logistic regression. Although this study failed to confirm a previously reported association between cervical cancer and DQB1*03 alleles, the DRB1*1101-DQB1*0301 haplotype was detected more frequently among cervical carcinoma cases than among controls (adjusted odds ratio, 2.6; 95% confidence interval, 1.0–7.1). Furthermore, as reported by others, we observed a negative association of borderline statistical significance between DRB1*13 and cervical carcinoma (adjusted odds ratio, 0.5; 95% confidence interval, 0.2–1.1). Observations from this study confirm earlier findings of a negative association between DRB1*13 and cervical cancer and suggest that specific DRB1-DQB1 haplotype combinations, rather than individual DQB1*03 alleles, increase the risk for cervical cancer.
Molecular Dissection of the Semliki Forest Virus Homotrimer Reveals Two Functionally Distinct Regions of the Fusion Protein

ABSTRACT Semliki Forest virus (SFV) is an enveloped alphavirus that infects cells via a membrane fusion reaction triggered by the acidic pH of endosomes. In response to low pH, the E1 proteins on the virus membrane undergo a series of conformational changes, resulting in the formation of a stable E1 homotrimer. Little is known about the structural basis of either the E1 conformational changes or the resulting homotrimer or about the mechanism of action of the homotrimer in fusion. Here, the E1 homotrimer was formed in vitro from either virus or soluble E1 ectodomain and then probed by various perturbants, proteases, or glycosidase. The preformed homotrimer was extremely stable to moderately harsh conditions and proteases. By contrast, mild reducing conditions selectively disrupted the N-terminal region of trimeric E1, making it accessible to proteolytic cleavage and producing E1 fragments that retained trimer interactions. Trypsin digestion produced a fragment missing a portion of the N terminus just proximal to the putative fusion peptide. Digestion with elastase produced several fragments with cleavage sites between residues 78 and 102, resulting in the loss of the putative fusion peptide and the release of membrane-bound E1 ectodomain as a soluble trimer. Elastase also cleaved the homotrimer within an E1 loop located near the fusion peptide in the native E1 structure. Mass spectrometry was used to map the C termini of several differentially produced and fully functional E1 ectodomains. Together, our data identify two separate regions of the SFV E1 ectodomain, one responsible for target membrane association and one necessary for trimer interactions.
Cholestasis Detection Enzyme Tests, in Pregnant Women with Different Hospitalization Diagnosis

The aim of the study is the evaluation of serum Alkaline Phosphatase and Gamma-glutamyl Transferase levels in pregnant women as indicators of cholestasis. Cholestasis is defined as a decrease in bile flow due to the obstruction of it through intra/extra hepatic bile ducts. GGT enzyme was previously thought to be helpful in confirming a hepatic source of ALP however, GGT elevations lack the necessary specificity to be a useful confirmatory test for ALP. We analyzed 500 cases of pregnant women from year 2011-2013. Serum enzyme levels (ALP and GGT) were measured respectively using Beckman Synchron LX 20 and Enzymatic method Activity Colorimetric Kit, at the Medical Laboratory “PhD. Stelijan Buzo” in Tirana. According to the laboratory reference values of ALP (100-290 U/L): 50% of the cases resulted normally pregnant women, 50% suffering from liver disease ( 290 U/L); whereas according to values of GGT (8-31 U/L): 75% resulted normally pregnant women, 25% with liver damage ( 31 U/L). Micronutrients deficiency leads to irreversible disorders of development; Nutritional advice would have been more effective either for the mother and the future of her child. There are few reported cases of young mothers, with sufficient income, which limit some foods due to fear of increasing body weight, while forgetting that the lack of appropriate micro-nutrients, directly affects the health of growing babies.
Brain Damage to the Survivor within 30 min of Co-Twin Demise in Monochorionic Twins

Single fetal death in a twin pregnancy in the late second or early third trimester is associated with significant morbidity and mortality rate in the surviving co-twin, especially in monochorionic twin pregnancies. The common causes are twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, chromosomal abnormalities, and congenital anomalies of the fetus or anomalies of the umbilical cord-placenta. Here we report a case of monochorionic twin pregnancy in which one fetus had a single umbilical artery (SUA) while the co-twin had two umbilical arteries. The twin with SUA died in utero at the 30th week of gestation and the other fetus was delivered by cesarean section immediately due to fetal distress diagnosed by cardiotocography. Disseminated intravascular coagulation and multicystic encephalomalacia have been observed in the surviving neonate. This case and review of the literature suggest that neurologic complication rates are also increased in monochorionic twin pregnancies with single fetal demise despite the immediate delivery as in our case.
Quantum information processing with circuit quantum electrodynamics

We theoretically study single and two-qubit dynamics in the circuit QED architecture. We focus on the current experimental design [Wallraff et al., Nature (London) 431, 162 (2004); Schuster et al., Nature (London) 445, 515 (2007)] in which superconducting charge qubits are capacitively coupled to a single high-$Q$ superconducting coplanar resonator. In this system, logical gates are realized by driving the resonator with microwave fields. Advantages of this architecture are that it allows for multiqubit gates between non-nearest qubits and for the realization of gates in parallel, opening the possibility of fault-tolerant quantum computation with superconduting circuits. In this paper, we focus on one- and two-qubit gates that do not require moving away from the charge-degeneracy ``sweet spot. '' This is advantageous as it helps to increase the qubit dephasing time and does not require modification of the original circuit QED. However, these gates can, in some cases, be slower than those that do not use this constraint. Five types of two-qubit gates are discussed, these include gates based on virtual photons, real excitation of the resonator, and a gate based on the geometric phase. We also point out the importance of selection rules when working at the charge degeneracy point.
Cold Shock Response in Sporulating Bacillus subtilis and Its Effect on Spore Heat Resistance

ABSTRACT Cold shock and ethanol and puromycin stress responses in sporulating Bacillus subtilis cells have been investigated. We show that a total of 13 proteins are strongly induced after a short cold shock treatment of sporulating cells. The cold shock pretreatment affected the heat resistance of the spores formed subsequently, with spores heat killed at 85 or 90°C being more heat resistant than the control spores while they were more heat sensitive than controls that were heat treated at 95 or 100°C. However, B. subtilis spores with mutations in the main cold shock proteins, CspB, -C, and -D, did not display decreased heat resistance compared to controls, indicating that these proteins are not directly responsible for the increased heat resistance of the spores. The disappearance of the stress proteins later in sporulation suggests that they cannot be involved in repairing heat damage during spore germination and outgrowth but must alter spore structure in a way which increases or decreases heat resistance. Since heat, ethanol, and puromycin stress produce similar proteins and similar changes in spore heat resistance while cold shock is different in both respects, these alterations appear to be very specific.
Measurements of Volatile Organic Compounds in a Newly Built Daycare Center

We measured temporal changes in concentrations of total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) and individual volatile organic compounds in a newly built daycare center. The temporal changes of the TVOC concentrations were monitored with a photo ionization detector (PID), and indoor air was sampled and analyzed by Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to determine the concentrations of the constituent VOCs. The measurements were performed just after completion of the building and again 3 months after completion. The TVOC concentration exceeded 1000 µg·m−3 for all the sampling locations just after completion of building, and decreased almost one tenth after 3 months, to below the guideline values of the TVOC in Japan at 400 µg·m−3. The concentrations of the target VOCs of which the indoor concentrations are regulated in Japan were below the guideline values for all the cases. The air-exchange rates were determined based on the temporal changes of the TVOC concentrations, and it was found that the countermeasure to increase the air exchange rate successfully decrease the TVOC concentration level in the rooms.
A population pharmacokinetic model for paclitaxel in the presence of a novel P-gp modulator, Zosuquidar Trihydrochloride (LY335979).

AIMS To develop a population pharmacokinetic model for paclitaxel in the presence of a MDR modulator, zosuquidar 3HCl. METHODS The population approach was used (implemented with NONMEM) to analyse paclitaxel pharmacokinetic data from 43 patients who received a 3-h intravenous infusion of paclitaxel (175 mg x m(-2) or 225 mg x m(-2)) alone in cycle 2 or concomitantly with the oral administration of zosuquidar 3HCl in cycle 1. RESULTS The structural pharmacokinetic model for paclitaxel, accounting for the Cremophor ELTM impact, was a three-compartment model with a nonlinear model for paclitaxel plasma clearance (CL), involving a linear decrease in this parameter during the infusion and a sigmoidal increase with time after the infusion. The final model described the effect of Zosuquidar 3HCl on paclitaxel CL by a categorical relationship. A 25% decrease in paclitaxel CL was observed, corresponding to an 1.3-fold increase in paclitaxel AUC (from 14829 microg x l(-1) x h to 19115 microg x l(-1) x h following paclitaxel 175 mg x m(-2)) when zosuquidar Cmax was greater than 350 microg x l(-1). This cut-off concentration closely corresponded to the IC50 of a sigmoidal Emax relationship (328 microg x l(-1)). A standard dose of 175 mg x m(-2) of paclitaxel could be safely combined with doses of zosuquidar 3HCl resulting in plasma concentrations known, from previous studies, to result in maximal P-gp inhibition. CONCLUSIONS This analysis provides a model which accurately characterized the increase in paclitaxel exposure, which is most likely to be due to P-gp inhibition in the bile canaliculi, in the presence of zosuquidar 3HCl (Cmax > 350 microg x l(-1)) and is predictive of paclitaxel pharmacokinetics following a 3 h infusion. Hence the model could be useful in guiding therapy for paclitaxel alone and also for paclitaxel administered concomitantly with a P-gp inhibitor, and in designing further clinical trials.
Aristotle on Species Variation

The whole numbers and the chemical elements vary discretely: 5 is the next number to 4 and there is no number between them; silver is next to gold in the atomic table and there is no element between them. On the other hand, colours vary continuously: between red and yellow there is another colour, orange, between orange and yellow there is another colour, and so on. Between any two colours, no matter how close, there is an intermediate colour–indeed, an infinite number of intermediate colours. A surface may change gradually over time from red to yellow, assuming all the colours in between. Or again, a surface may be red at one edge and yellow at the other, changing gradually (over space) and assuming all the colours in between.
AnCora-Net: Integración multilingüe de recursos lingüísticos semánticos

AnCora-Net es un lexico verbal multilingue creado a partir de la integracion de los lexicos verbales AnCora-Verb, del catalan y espanol, en el Unified Verb Index del ingles. El Unified Verb Index auna diferentes fuentes de conocimiento del ingles de amplia cobertura que son sin duda un referente en representacion semantica. La integracion de nuestros recursos con los del ingles nos permite enriquecer el contenido de los lexicos AnCora-Verb con informacion semantica codificada para el ingles. Asimismo, el Unified Verb Index tambien se enriquece con la incorporacion de los lexicos AnCora-Verb, del catalan y espanol, dando lugar a un recurso multilingue que puede ser util para estudios comparativos.
Cut junk food, says NICE guidance on cardiovascular disease prevention

Over 40 000 lives could be saved in the UK, and millions of people spared the suffering of living with the effects of heart disease and stroke, simply by producing healthier food states new NICE guidance published on 22 June.1 The guidance calls for the food industry to further reduce the salt and saturated fats in the food it produces, building on the good work already started. In the UK, over five million men and women are living with the devastating and disabling effects of cardiovascular disease—mainly heart disease and stroke. Over 40 000 people die from premature cardiovascular disease (CVD) each year.2 However, premature CVD is largely preventable by making simple changes to diet, smoking and physical activity.3 This new guidance from NICE therefore focuses mainly on food production and its powerful influence on the nation's diet. This is the first time that all of the evidence has been brought together in one place on what works in improving food production, together with the figures showing how much health could be improved. The NICE recommendations are aimed at making small changes across the whole population, because these will actually translate into surprisingly large improvements in health overall.1 The NICE guidance focuses on structural changes to the social environment: in other words, what government and industry can do to make it easier for people to make healthy choices, by producing food in a …