Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Substrate utilization by Legionella cells after cryopreservation in phosphate buffer

The objective of this study was to evaluate by relatively simple metabolic tests the usefulness of buffers and energy sources commonly used in Legionella growth media. Legionella pneumophila serogroups 1 to 6, Legionella micdadei, and Legionella bozemanii were grown in an enriched charcoal-yeast extract diphasic medium. The cells were washed thrice, suspended in various buffers (pH 6.9) with 1 or 5 mM MgSO4, and used immediately or after controlled-rate cryopreservation. CO2 produced and C incorporated into the cold trichloracetic acid-insoluble fractions from 14C-labeled substrates were determine. Potassium phosphate buffer (0.02 M) was as satisfactory as organic buffers for glutamate metabolism, but the addition of KCl or NaCl reduced activity. Metabolic activity for glutamate was not lost upon cryopreservation, and cryopreserved cells were used to test the utilization of other single or paired substrates. Rates of activity for serine, glutamate, threonine, and pyruvate, in this descending order, were high, and those for alpha-ketoglutarate, succinate, and gamma-aminobutyrate were low. Although glutamine was not used as rapidly as glutamate, when added to glutamate it was preferentially metabolized, possibly because of more rapid transport. When glutamate and serine were combined, glutamate furnished more C for CO2 and less for incorporation, whereas the reverse was true of serine. In conclusion, glutamate as an energy source may in some cases spare other amino acids for synthesis. alpha-Ketoglutarate, a common constituent of Legionella media, may reduce oxygen toxicity but is probably not a chief energy source.
Risk of lymphoedema following the treatment of breast cancer

The incidence of lymphoedema was studied in 200 patients following a variety of treatments for operable breast cancer. Lymphoedema was assessed in two ways: subjective (patient plus observer impression) and objective (physical measurement). Arm volume measurement 15 cm above the lateral epicondyle was the most accurate method of assessing differences in size of the operated and normal arm. Arm circumference measurements were inaccurate. Subjective lymphoedema was present in 14 per cent whereas objective lymphoedema (a difference in limb volume > 200 ml) was present in 25.5 per cent. Independent risk factors contributing towards the development of subjective late lymphoedema were the extent of axillary surgery (P < 0.05), axillary radiotherapy (P < 0.001) and pathological nodal status (P < 0.10). The risk of developing late lymphoedema was unrelated to age, menopausal status, handedness, early lymphoedema, surgical and radiotherapeutic complications, total dose of radiation, time interval since presentation, drug therapy, surgery to the breast, radiotherapy to the breast and tumour T stage. The incidence of subjective late lymphoedema was similar after axillary radiotherapy alone (8.3 per cent), axillary sampling plus radiotherapy (9.1 percent) and axillary clearance alone (7.4 per cent). The incidence after axillary clearance plus radiotherapy was significantly greater (38.3 per cent, P < 0.001). Axillary radiotherapy should be avoided in patients who have had a total axillary clearance.
Nature of Inflammatory Infiltrate in Superficial Cutaneous Malignancies During Topical Imiquimod Treatment

Topical imiquimod (IQ) is an effective treatment for genital warts and various malignant tumors of the skin. IQ acts through the Toll-like receptor 7 leading to the production of cytokines and chemokines such as interferons, interleukins, and growth factors. We investigated the composition of the inflammatory cell infiltrate before, during, and after the treatment of 10 superficial cutaneous malignancies (melanoma in situ (n = 4), melanoma metastasis (n = 1), squamous cell carcinoma in situ (n = 4), and basal cell carcinoma (n = 1) with 5% IQ cream. Immunophenotyping revealed in all cases during treatment an increased population of T-lymphocytes positive for CD3, CD4 and CD8, as well as a considerable number of cytotoxic cells (TIA-1+, granzyme B+) and plasmacytoid dendritic cells (CD 123+). These findings further support previous investigations that the antitumor effects of IQ result from an enhanced cytotoxic T-cell mediated immune response and from the recruitment of plasmacytoid dendritic cells to the skin. The population of infiltrative inflammatory cells was similar in all patients irrespective of the type of tumor.
Social inequalities in alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems in the study countries of the EU concerted action 'Gender, Culture and Alcohol Problems: a Multi-national Study'.

AIMS We investigated the presence of social inequalities of alcohol use and misuse using educational attainment as an indicator of socio-economic status in 15 countries: Sweden, Norway, Finland, Germany, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Israel, Brazil, and Mexico. METHODS Study surveys were independently conducted and the data centrally analysed. Most samples were national. Survey modes and sample sizes varied. The age range was restricted to between 25 and 59 years of age. Socio-economic status was measured by educational level. Multiple logistic regressions were employed to calculate age-adjusted odds ratios for men and women in each country by educational level for current drinking status, heavy drinking (>or=20 g ethanol per day for women, >or=30 g a day for men), heavy episodic (binge) drinking, and alcohol-related problems (using AUDIT). RESULTS Men and women demonstrated similar patterns in inequalities with regard to current drinking status within a country. In Germany, The Netherlands, France, Switzerland, and Austria higher educated women were most likely to drink heavily, while among men the lower educated were more at risk in most countries. For heavy episodic drinking, almost no significant differences were evident among women, but for men a social gradient was observable with lower educated being more at risk in several countries. Among five countries with data from the AUDIT, men of lower education in Finland, Czech Republic, and Hungary had higher risks to report problems. Nordic countries shared a common pattern in social inequalities as did two Latin American countries, while a mixed picture was observed for middle European countries. Social inequalities in the two Latin American countries display a pattern emerging in other research on developing countries: namely that those in the higher educated groups are more likely to consume alcohol in a risky manner. CONCLUSIONS Patterns in the distribution of social inequalities are not universal. Social inequalities in alcohol use differ by gender according to alcohol measure used and differ also across groups of countries. These variations should be taken into account when formulating international and cross-cultural alcohol policies.
Noninvasive detection of clinically occult lymph-node metastases in prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND Accurate detection of lymph-node metastases in prostate cancer is an essential component of the approach to treatment. We investigated whether highly lymphotropic superparamagnetic nanoparticles, which gain access to lymph nodes by means of interstitial-lymphatic fluid transport, could be used in conjunction with high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to reveal small nodal metastases. METHODS Eighty patients with presurgical clinical stage T1, T2, or T3 prostate cancer who underwent surgical lymph-node resection or biopsy were enrolled. All patients were examined by MRI before and 24 hours after the intravenous administration of lymphotropic superparamagnetic nanoparticles (2.6 mg of iron per kilogram of body weight). The imaging results were correlated with histopathological findings. RESULTS Of the 334 lymph nodes that underwent resection or biopsy, 63 (18.9 percent) from 33 patients (41 percent) had histopathologically detected metastases. Of these 63 nodes, 45 (71.4 percent) did not fulfill the usual imaging criteria for malignancy. MRI with lymphotropic superparamagnetic nanoparticles correctly identified all patients with nodal metastases, and a node-by-node analysis had a significantly higher sensitivity than conventional MRI (90.5 percent vs. 35.4 percent, P<0.001) or nomograms. CONCLUSIONS High-resolution MRI with magnetic nanoparticles allows the detection of small and otherwise undetectable lymph-node metastases in patients with prostate cancer.
Variability in coefficient of restitution in human facial skin

If particles rebound on human facial skin, they can be re‐entrained into the airflow and subsequently inhaled, increasing aspiration efficiency estimates. A realistic estimate of facial skin coefficient of restitution (CoR) is necessary to accurately model particle bounce. This study investigated the effects of sampling location, temperature, humidity levels, age, gender, and BMI on facial skin CoR.
Induction of genital immunity by DNA priming and intranasal booster immunization with a replication-defective adenoviral recombinant.

Mice immunized through different routes such as i.m. , intradermally, or intratracheally with a DNA vaccine to rabies virus developed high titers of serum Ab but only borderline levels of mucosal Abs determined from vaginal secretions. DNA vaccines given by either route enhanced vaginal IgA and IgG2a secretion upon a subsequent intranasal booster immunization with an E1-deleted adenoviral recombinant expressing the same Ag of rabies virus. DNA vaccine priming reduced the Ab response to the adenoviral Ags and counterbalanced the impaired B cell response to the rabies virus Ag expressed by the adenoviral recombinant in mice preimmune to adenovirus. The vaginal B cell response could further be enhanced by using the Th2-type cytokines IL-4 or IL-5 as genetic adjuvants concomitantly with the DNA vaccine before intranasal booster immunization with the recombinant vaccine.
Vitronectin Functions as a Cofactor for Rapid Inhibition of Activated Protein C by Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1

Activated protein C (APC) is a natural anticoagulant in plasma that down-regulates the coagulation cascade by degrading factors Va and VIIIa. In addition to its anticoagulant function, APC is also known to possess a profibrinolytic property. This property of APC has been attributed to its ability to neutralize PAI-1, thereby increasing the concentration of tissue plasminogen activator in plasma leading to up-regulation of the fibrinolytic cascade. This hypothesis, however, has not been well established, since the concentration of PAI-1 in plasma is low, and its reactivity with APC is very slow in a purified system. Here we demonstrate that vitronectin enhances the reactivity of PAI-1 with APC ∼300-fold making PAI-1 the most efficient inhibitor of APC thus far reported (k 2 = 1.8 × 105 m − 1 s− 1). We further show that PAI-1 inhibition of the Glu192 → Gln mutant of APC is enhanced ∼40-fold, independent of vitronectin, suggesting that vitronectin partially overcomes the inhibitory interaction of PAI-1 with Glu192. Additionally, we show that PAI-1 inhibition of the Lys37-Lys38-Lys39 → Pro-Gln-Glu mutant of APC is severely impaired, suggesting that, similar to tissue plasminogen activator, the basic 39-loop of APC plays a critical role in the reaction. Together, these results suggest that vitronectin functions as a cofactor to promote the profibrinolytic activity of APC.
An assessment of schoolyard features and behavior patterns in children's utilization and physical activity.

BACKGROUND Careful research that elucidates how behavior relates to design in the context of elementary school grounds can serve to guide cost-efficient design with the goal of encouraging physical activity (PA). This work explores patterns in children's PA behavior within playground spaces with the specific goal of guiding healthy playground design. METHODS Data on children's utilization and PA behavior in 6 playgrounds divided into 106 observation zones were collected in 2005 and 2006 at Denver elementary school playgrounds using the System for Observing Play and Leisure Activity in Youth. Analyses of variance and t tests determined whether there were differences in utilization and behavior patterns across observations zones and between genders. RESULTS This study provides evidence that children prefer to use certain types of playground zones and that they are more likely to practice moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in some zones. The authors observed statistically significant differences between genders. Boys were more likely to engage in MVPA in zones without equipment, girls were more likely to use zones with equipment. CONCLUSIONS This work suggests that the inclusion or omission of specific playground features may have an impact on the way that children use the spaces.
Psychological Maladjustment among Homeless Adolescents

The prevalence of psychological maladjustment in homeless adolescents (n = 54) was compared to control group (n 58) in Brisbane, Australia using the Youth Self-Report Scale [1]. Overall, 74% of the homeless group and 22.4% of the control group scored within the clinical range on one or more of the clinical subscales. There was considerable diversity of symptomatology in the homeless group. Less than half of the homeless group were within the clinical range on both the delinquent subscale and the thought disorder subscale. Depressive, Aggressive and Somatic Complaints were also prevalent. The study challenges preconceived notions of simple relationship between adolescent homelessness and delinquency, and draws attention to the psychological needs of this group of adolescents.
Melatonin prevents lipopolysaccharide‐induced hyporeactivity in rat

Abstract: Melatonin (MT) is the principal secretory product of the pineal gland and its role as an immumo‐modulator is well established. Recent evidence shows that MT exerts protective effects in septic shock, hemorrhagic shock and inflammation. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), from Escherichia coli, administered to animals directly stimulates a number of cells and systems to produce various inflammatory mediators. LPS‐induced septic shock is characterized by hypotension and vascular hyporeactivity to contracting agents. In particular, the reactive oxygen species such as superoxide and nitric oxide (NO) contribute to the pathophysiology of septic shock. In this study, we demonstrate that MT pretreatment prevents the hyporeactivity to phenylephrine in vivo and in aorta rings collected from rats treated with the endotoxin. The beneficial effect of MT seems related to its antioxidant properties and with inhibition of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) protein expression, reduction of NO production and nitrotyrosine formation, in aorta, preventing vascular, and endothelial injury. Additionally, we first demonstrate, that MT inhibited nuclear enzyme poly (ADP‐ribose) synthetase activation in vascular tissue. The current study underlined the protective effect of MT on the vascular dysfunction associated with septic shock, data that could support the clinical use of MT in human endotoxemia.
Efficient CSI Correction with CFO for Uplink MU-MIMO Networks

Multiuser MIMO (MU-MIMO) plays an important role in Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN), due to its ability of enabling concurrent transmissions between multiple users and Access Points. However, a larger amount of erroneous packets often occur in the MU-MIMO streams, resulting in massive retransmissions and severe transmission lags. Based on our empirical observations, we found that the incorrect feedback of Channel State Information (CSI, which is used for encoding and decoding packets in MU-MIMO) is a main reason to yield erroneous packets. Unfortunately, prior researches mainly focus on the data errors caused by low SNR, while paying little attention to those caused by incorrect CSI. In this paper, we ascertain the carrier frequency offset (CFO) causing the CSI errors, and show its impacts on the MU-MIMO uplink transmission. To solve the problem, we propose an efficient CSI correction with CFO, namely ECC. ECC quickly identifies and corrects CSI errors, and hence significantly reinforces the efficiency of MU-MIMO. ECC is practical and fully compatible with current 802.11ac WLAN frameworks. We implement ECC over USRP platforms. Extensive experiment results demonstrate that ECC substantially improves the throughput for MU-MIMO WLAN systems, (e.g., more than 5X for 2X2 uplink MU-MIMO).
Role of the ribosomal stalk components in the resistance of Aspergillus fumigatus to the sordarin antifungals

Aspergillus fumigatus, an important human nosocomial pathogen, is resistant to sordarin derivatives, a new family of antifungals that inhibit protein synthesis by interaction with the EF‐2–ribosomal stalk complex. To explore the role of the A. fumigatus ribosome in the resistance mechanism, the fungal stalk proteins were biochemically and genetically characterized and expressed in the sensitive Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Two acidic phosphoproteins homologous to the 12 kDa P1 and P2 proteins described in other organisms were found together with the 34 kDa P0 protein, the third stalk component. The genes encoding each fungal stalk protein were expressed in mutant S. cerevisiae strains lacking the equivalent proteins. Both AfP1 and AfP2 proteins interact with their yeast counterparts of the opposite type and bind to the ribosomal particles in the presence of either the S. cerevisiae or the A. fumigatus P0 protein. The A. fumigatus acidic phosphoproteins did not alter the yeast ribosome sordarin sensitivity. On the contrary, the presence of the fungal P0 induces in vivo and in vitro resistance to sordarin derivatives when present in the yeast ribosome. The mutations A117→E, P122→R and G124→V in A. fumigatus P0 reduce the resistance capacity of the protein. An S. cerevisiae strain with the complete ribosomal stalk of A. fumigatus was obtained, which could be useful for the screening of new antifungals against this pathogenic fungus.
X-Ray Structures of the N- and C-Terminal Domains of a Coronavirus Nucleocapsid Protein: Implications for Nucleocapsid Formation

ABSTRACT Coronaviruses cause a variety of respiratory and enteric diseases in animals and humans including severe acute respiratory syndrome. In these enveloped viruses, the filamentous nucleocapsid is formed by the association of nucleocapsid (N) protein with single-stranded viral RNA. The N protein is a highly immunogenic phosphoprotein also implicated in viral genome replication and in modulating cell signaling pathways. We describe the structure of the two proteolytically resistant domains of the N protein from infectious bronchitis virus (IBV), a prototype coronavirus. These domains are located at its N- and C-terminal ends (NTD and CTD, respectively). The NTD of the IBV Gray strain at 1.3-Å resolution exhibits a U-shaped structure, with two arms rich in basic residues, providing a module for specific interaction with RNA. The CTD forms a tightly intertwined dimer with an intermolecular four-stranded central β-sheet platform flanked by α helices, indicating that the basic building block for coronavirus nucleocapsid formation is a dimeric assembly of N protein. The variety of quaternary arrangements of the NTD and CTD revealed by the analysis of the different crystal forms delineates possible interfaces that could be used for the formation of a flexible filamentous ribonucleocapsid. The striking similarity between the dimeric structure of CTD and the nucleocapsid-forming domain of a distantly related arterivirus indicates a conserved mechanism of nucleocapsid formation for these two viral families.
The New Sovereignty: Compliance with International Regulatory Agreements

Preface A Theory of Compliance Sanctions Treaty-Based Military and Economic Sanctions Membership Sanctions Unilateral Sanctions Toward a Strategy for Managing Compliance Norms Transparency, Norms, and Strategic Interaction Reporting and Data Collection Verification and Monitoring Instruments of Active Management Policy Review and Assessment Nongovernmental Organizations Revitalizing International Organizations Appendix: List of Treaties Notes Index
Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty for cerebral vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage.

OBJECTIVE To assess the efficacy of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty. DESIGN A retrospective case study covering the period January 1990 to December 1992. SETTING A tertiary-care referral centre. PATIENTS Thirteen patients, ranging in age from 23 to 57 years, who had suffered an aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage and subsequent symptomatic vasospasm that had not responded to aggressive medical therapy. INTERVENTION Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty of spastic cerebral arteries MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Neurologic improvement (improved level of consciousness or resolution of focal deficit) immediately after angioplasty and functional status at 6 months after angioplasty. RESULTS Four (31%) patients showed neurologic improvement immediately after angioplasty. At 6 months, 5 (38%) of the 13 were independent, 2 (15%) were dependent (severely disabled), and 6 (46%) had died. Poor clinical grade at the time of angioplasty was associated with a poor outcome. CONCLUSIONS Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty appears to be a safe procedure that is beneficial in some patients with symptomatic vasospasm refractory to aggressive hypervolemic, hypertensive therapy. The best results likely are obtained in patients of good clinical grade in whom new neurologic deficits have not become established, and angioplasty should not be delayed if medical therapy does not rapidly reverse the symptoms of vasospasm.
Moment-matching method for extraction of asymmetric beam jitters and bore sight errors in simulations and experiments with actively illuminated satellites of small physical cross section.

Optical returns from remote resident space-based objects such as satellites suffer from pointing and tracking errors. In a previously reported paper [Appl. Opt.46, 5608 (2007)APOPAI0003-693510.1364/AO.46. 005608], we developed a moment-matching technique that used the statistics of time series of these optical returns to extract information about bore sight and symmetric beam jitter errors (symmetric here implies that the standard deviations of the jitter measured along two orthogonal axes, perpendicular to the line of sight, are equal). In this paper, we extend that method to cover the case of asymmetric beam jitter and bore sight. The asymmetric beam jitter may be due to the combination of symmetric atmospheric turbulence beam jitter and optical beam train jitter. In addition, if a tracking control system is operating, even the residual atmospheric tracking jitter could be asymmetric because the power spectrum is different for the slewing direction compared to the cross-track direction. Analysis of the problem has produced a set of nonlinear equations that can be reduced to a single but much higher-order nonlinear equation in terms of one of the jitter variances. After solving for that jitter, all the equations can be solved to extract all jitter and bore sight errors. The method has been verified by using simulations and then tested on experimental data. In order to develop this method, we derived analytical expressions for the probability density function and the moments of the received total intensity. The results reported here are valid for satellites of small physical cross section, or else those with retroreflectors that dominate the signal return. The results are, in general, applicable to the theory of noncircular Gaussian speckle with a coherent background.