Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A quorum-sensing inhibitor blocks Pseudomonas aeruginosa virulence and biofilm formation

Significance In this study, we prepare synthetic molecules and analyze them for inhibition of the Pseudomonas quorum-sensing receptors LasR and RhlR. Our most effective compound, meta-bromo-thiolactone, not only prevents virulence factor expression and biofilm formation but also protects Caenorhabditis elegans and human A549 lung epithelial cells from quorum-sensing–mediated killing by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This anti–quorum-sensing molecule is capable of influencing P. aeruginosa virulence in tissue culture and animal models. Our findings demonstrate the potential for small-molecule modulators of quorum sensing as therapeutics. Quorum sensing is a chemical communication process that bacteria use to regulate collective behaviors. Disabling quorum-sensing circuits with small molecules has been proposed as a potential strategy to prevent bacterial pathogenicity. The human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa uses quorum sensing to control virulence and biofilm formation. Here, we analyze synthetic molecules for inhibition of the two P. aeruginosa quorum-sensing receptors, LasR and RhlR. Our most effective compound, meta-bromo-thiolactone (mBTL), inhibits both the production of the virulence factor pyocyanin and biofilm formation. mBTL also protects Caenorhabditis elegans and human lung epithelial cells from killing by P. aeruginosa. Both LasR and RhlR are partially inhibited by mBTL in vivo and in vitro; however, RhlR, not LasR, is the relevant in vivo target. More potent antagonists do not exhibit superior function in impeding virulence. Because LasR and RhlR reciprocally control crucial virulence factors, appropriately tuning rather than completely inhibiting their activities appears to hold the key to blocking pathogenesis in vivo.
Corneal neovascularization.

Corneal neovascularization (NV) is a sight-threatening condition usually associated with inflammatory or infectious disorders of the ocular surface. It has been shown in the field of cancer angiogenesis research that a balance exists between angiogenic factors (such as fibroblast growth factor and vascular endothelial growth factor) and anti-angiogenic molecules (such as angiostatin, endostatin, or pigment epithelium derived factor) in the cornea. Several inflammatory, infectious, degenerative, and traumatic disorders are associated with corneal NV, in which the balance is tilted towards angiogenesis. The pathogenesis of corneal NV may be influenced by matrix metalloproteinases and other proteolytic enzymes. New medical and surgical treatments, including angiostatic steroids, nonsteroidal inflammatory agents, argon laser photocoagulation, and photodynamic therapy have been effective in animal models to inhibit corneal NV and transiently restore corneal "angiogenic privilege. "
Boosting the Performance of Web Spam Detection with Ensemble Under-Sampling Classification

Anti-spam has become one of the top challenges for the Web search. In this paper, we explore the Web spam detection as a binary classification problem. Based on the fact that reputable pages are more easy to be obtained than spam ones on the Web, an ensemble under-sampling classification strategy is adopted, which exploits the information involved in the large number of reputable Websites to full advantage. The strategy is based on the predicted spamicity of every sub-classifiers, in which both content-based and link-based features are taken into account. The experiments on standard WEBSPAM-UK2006 benchmark showed that the ensemble strategy can improve the web spam detection performance effectively.
Chemical Exposure as a Risk Factor for Hearing Loss

Learning ObjectivesDiscuss the interaction of noise and exposure to industrial chemicals in compromising auditory function.Present what is known about possible mechanisms of noise- and chemical-induced ototoxicity.Compare the merits of various test procedures that might help in assessing chemical-induced hearing loss. In 2002, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and the National Hearing Conservation Association cosponsored the “Best Practices Workshop: Combined Effects of Chemicals and Noise on Hearing. ” This article summarizes the main results of the Workshop. Its goals were to review the knowledge of chemical ototoxicity and to stimulate participant discussion on how to address this risk. Speakers provided an overview of the effects of chemicals on the auditory system (http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/noise/noiseandchem/noiseandchem.html). Research priorities were discussed in concurrent working group sessions. The Workshop concluded with a panel of the groups’ facilitators reporting on these sessions. The following key issues were identified: rationale and proposal of a list of priority chemicals; valid procedures for exposure (animal studies), exposure assessment, and audiological testing; need for mechanistic research and a Response Level; recommendations for preventive actions; and information dissemination.
The control of allergens of dust mites and domestic pets: a position paper

*Department of Zoology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, U.K.; ^Regional Department of Respiratory Medicine, East Birmingham Hospital, Bordesley Green East, Birmingham B9 5ST, U.K.; % Respiratory Research Group, Department of Child Health, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Bristol BS2 8BJ, U.K.; ^Medicine I, Level D, Centre Block, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton SO9 4XY, U.K.; '^Allergy Analysis Centre, 31 Station Lane, Witney, Oxfordshire OX8 6AN, U.K.; **The Blackrock Clinic, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Republic of Ireland. ^•\Cardiothoracic Centre, Broadgreen Hospital, Liverpool L14 3LB, U.K.; ^Department of Child Health, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton S09 4XY, U.K.; ^Regional Department of Respiratory Physiology, Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester M23 9LT, U.K.
Two-qubit entanglement generation with trapped ions

Many schemes have been proposed for entangling two trapped-ion qubits. Qubit states are coupled to external motion of the trapped ions through the interaction between the ions and optical fields, which is the key to producing the entanglement. This paper mainly aims to reviewing some typical quantum gates as well as their pros and cons. Distinct schemes by designing dissipative processes are also referred to briefly.
The Analysis of Methods and Performance of Atmospheric Laser Communication Based on Polarization Shift Keying Modulation (PolSK) Technology

In the free space optical communication (FSO), the optical signals transmitted in the open air link. Inevitably, the signal received are influenced by atmosphere disturbance noise, so the reliability of FSO system is reduced. The present paper analyzed the principle of modulation and demodulation of PolSK and studied its main properties, then analyzed the performance of communication system by simulation experiments.
Uma camada leve de virtualização assistida por hardware para sistemas embarcados (A lightweight virtualization layer with hardware-assistance for embedded systems)

Resumo: O poder de processamento presente nos sistemas embarcados modernos permite a adocao de tecnicas de virtualizacao. Juntamente com os ganhos em reducao de custo e melhor utilizacao dos recursos, como por exemplo uma melhor utilizacao do processador, a virtualizacao possibilita a co-execucao de diferentes sistemas operacionais em um processador, sejam eles sistemas operacionais de tempo real (RTOS) e/ou de proposito geral (GPOS). A implementacao da tecnica de virtualizacao esta baseada em um modulo de software denominado hypervisor. Devido a complexidade de se desenvolver uma nova camada de virtualizacao especialmente projetada para sistemas embarcados, muitos autores propuseram modificacoes em sistemas de virtualizacao que sao largamente empregados em servidores na nuvem para melhor adapta-los as necessidades dos sistemas embarcados. Contudo, a utilizacao de memoria e os requisitos temporais de alguns dispositivos embarcados requerem abordagens diferentes daquelas utilizadas em servidores. Alem disso, a atual tendencia de utilizacao de virtualizacao nos dispositivos projetados para a internet das coisas (do ingles Internet of Things IoT) aumentou o desafio por hypervisors mais eficientes, em termos de memoria e processamento. Estes fatores motivaram o surgimento de diversos hypervisors especialmente projetados para atender os requisitos dos atuais sistemas embarcados.Nesta tese, investigou-se como a virtualizacao embarcada pode ser melhorada a partir de seu estado atual de desenvolvimento para atender as necessidades dos sistemas embarcados atuais. Como resultado, propoe-se um modelo de virtualizacao capaz de agregar os diferentes aspectos exigidos pelos sistemas embarcados. O modelo combina virtualizacao completa e para-virtualizacao em uma camada de virtualizacao hibrida, alem da utilizacao de virtualizacao assistida por hardware. Uma implementacao baseada neste modelo e apresentada e avaliada. Os resultados mostram que o hypervisor resultante possui requisitos de memoria compativeis com os dipositivos projetados para IoT. Ainda, GPOSs and RTOS podem ser executados mantendo-se o isolamento temporal entre eles e com o baixo impacto no desempenho. DEFESA DE TESE
Association of denatured whey proteins with casein micelles in heated reconstituted skim milk and its effect on casein micelle size

When skim milk at pH 6·55 was heated (75 to 100 °C for up to 60 min), the casein micelle size, as monitored by photon correlation spectroscopy, was found to increase during the initial stages of heating and tended to plateau on prolonged heating. At any particular temperature, the casein micelle size increased with longer holding times, and, at any particular holding time, the casein micelle size increased with increasing temperature. The maximum increase in casein micelle size was about 30–35 nm. The changes in casein micelle size were poorly correlated with the level of whey protein denaturation. However, the changes in casein micelle size were highly correlated with the levels of denatured whey proteins that were associated with the casein micelles. The rate of association of the denatured whey proteins with the casein micelles was considerably slower than the rate of denaturation of the whey proteins. Removal of the whey proteins from the skim milk resulted in only small changes in casein micelle size during heating. Re-addition of β-lactoglobulin to the whey-protein-depleted milk caused the casein micelle size to increase markedly on heat treatment. The changes in casein micelle size induced by the heat treatment of skim milk may be a consequence of the whey proteins associating with the casein micelles. However, these associated whey proteins would need to occlude a large amount of serum to account for the particle size changes. Separate experiments showed that the viscosity changes of heated milk and the estimated volume fraction changes were consistent with the particle size changes observed. Further studies are needed to determine whether the changes in size are due to the specific association of whey proteins with the micelles or whether a low level of aggregation of the casein micelles accompanies this association behaviour. Preliminary studies indicated lower levels of denatured whey proteins associated with the casein micelles and smaller changes in casein micelle size occurred as the pH of the milk was increased from pH 6·5 to pH 6·7.
Impact of Clarithromycin Resistance on Eradication of Helicobacter pylori in Infected Adults

ABSTRACT The outcome of Helicobacter pylori infection was analyzed in 114 dyspeptic patients treated with triple-drug therapy including clarithromycin. Clarithromycin resistance (in 20.2% of our isolates) was mainly caused by an A2142G mutation in the 23S rRNA gene of H. pylori. H. pylori eradication was obtained in all patients with clarithromycin-susceptible isolates but not in any patients with clarithromycin-resistant isolates (P = 0.0001). Therefore, it would be useful to conduct H. pylori antimicrobial susceptibility testing of the first gastric biopsy culture before choosing the first three drugs for therapy of infected patients.
Thrombolytic therapy for stroke

The physiology of thrombi and the pharmacology of thrombolytic drugs are under active study and improved regimens for the dosing of thrombolytic agents have been developed. In the setting of myocardial infarction, recently reported differences among thrombolytic agents have been slight, including the frequency of thrombolysis-associated hemorrhagic stroke following tissue plasminogen activator or strepto-kinase. In the setting of ischemic stroke, recanalization rates following intravenous tissue plasminogen activator have been modest and at least partly dependent on clot size. Conclusions regarding clinical benefit will depend on the results of multicenter randomized trials that should available in 1995. Studies of locally administered intra-arterial thrombolytic therapy demonstrate high rates of clot lysis, but clinical benefits have yet to be established. The results of randomized trials will be important in clarifying any cause-effect relationships between thrombolytic therapy and symptomatic and asymptomatic intracranial hemorrhage. Thrombolytic therapy in the study of subarachnoid hemorrhage is under active investigation.
The mechanical interactions between an American football cleat and playing surfaces in-situ at loads and rates generated by elite athletes: a comparison of playing surfaces

This study quantified the mechanical interactions between an American football cleat and eight surfaces used by professional American football teams. Loading conditions were applied with a custom-built testing apparatus designed to represent play-relevant maneuvers of elite athletes. Two natural grass and six infill artificial surfaces were tested with the cleated portion of a shoe intended for use on either surface type. In translation tests with a 2. 8-kN vertical load, the grass surfaces limited the horizontal force on the cleats by tearing. This tearing was not observed with the artificial surfaces, which allowed less motion and generated greater horizontal force (3.2 kN vs. 4.5 kN, p < 0.05). Similarly, rotation tests generated less angular displacement and greater torque on the artificial surfaces (145 N m vs. 197 N m, p < 0.05). Translation/drop tests, in which the foot-form was launched into the surfaces with both horizontal and vertical velocity components generated less peak horizontal force on the natural surfaces than on the artificial surfaces (2.4 kN vs. 3.0 kN, p < 0.05). These results suggest a force-limiting mechanism inherent to natural grass surfaces. Future work should consider implications of these findings for performance and injury risk and should evaluate the findings' sensitivity to cleat pattern and playing conditions.
Wavelet menu: une adaptation des marking menus pour les dispositifs mobiles

Exploration and navigation in multimedia data hierarchies (e.g., photos, music) are frequent tasks on mobile devices. However, visualization and interaction are impoverished due to the limited size of the screen and the lack of precise input devices. As a result, menus on mobile devices do not provide efficient navigation as compared to many innovative menu techniques proposed for desktop platforms. In this paper, we present Wavelet, the adaptation of the Wave menu for the navigation in multimedia data on iPhone. Its layout, based on an inverted representation of the hierarchy, is particularly well adapted to mobile devices. Indeed, it guarantees that submenus are always displayed on the screen and it supports efficient navigation by providing previsualization of the submenus.
Environmental risk factors and Parkinson's disease

To explore environmental risk factors for Parkinson's disease (PD) in Taiwan, we investigated 120 patients with PD and 240 hospital control subjects matched with patients on age (± 2 years) and sex. Based on a structured open-ended questionnaire, we carried out standardized interviews to obtain history of exposure to environmental factors, including place of residence, source of drinking water, and environmental and occupational exposures to various agricultural chemicals. In the univariate analysis, the history of living in a rural environment, farming, use of herbicides/pesticides, and use of paraquat were associated with an increased PD risk in a dose-response relationship. After adjustment for multiple risk factors through conditional logistic regression, the biological gradient between PD and previous uses of herbicidesipesticides and paraquat remained significant. The PD risk was greater among subjects who had used paraquat and other herbicide/pesticides than those who had used herbicides/pesticides other than paraquat. There were no significant differences in occupational exposures to chemicals, heavy metals, and minerals between PD patients and matched control subjects. The duration of drinking well water and alcohol consumption was not significantly associated with PD. There was an inverse relationship between cigarette smoking and PD. Environmental factors, especially exposures to paraquat and herbicides/pesticides, may play important roles in the development of PD in Taiwan.
Evaluation of low-molecular-weight heparin for the prevention of equine laminitis after colic surgery.

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study is to describe the prevalence of postoperative laminitis in colic cases and to determine if low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) is effective in preventing this complication. DESIGN Retrospective clinical study. ANIMALS Client-owned horses. Interventions- SC administration of enoxaparin during the postoperative period. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Medical records of 360 horses undergoing surgery for colic and surviving at least 3 days were evaluated. Fifty-six horses admitted before 1995 did not receive LMWH (control group) and 304 admitted after 1995 received LMWH as a prophylaxis for laminitis (treatment group). Three grades of severity were defined for laminitis. Prevalence and severity of laminitis were compared between the 2 groups. Several parameters recorded on admission (sex, age, breed, site and nature of the disease, heart rate, PCV, gravity score, and shock score) and the administration of LMWH were tested as risk factors in the development of laminitis in a logistic regression procedure. Prevalence and grade of laminitis were significantly lower in the treatment group. Only the absence of LMWH was recognized as a significant risk factor in the logistic regression model. CONCLUSIONS The administration of LMWH appears to be effective in the prophylaxis of laminitis following colic surgery and may be useful in the postoperative management of these horses.
Engineering External Memory LCP Array Construction: Parallel, In-Place and Large Alphabet

The suffix array augmented with the LCP array is perhaps the most important data structure in modern string processing. There has been a lot of recent research activity on constructing these arrays in external memory. In this paper, we engineer the two fastest LCP array construction algorithms (ESA 2016) and improve them in three ways. First, we speed up the algorithms by up to a factor of two through parallelism. Just 8 threads is sufficient for making the algorithms essentially I/O bound. Second, we reduce the disk space usage of the algorithms making them in-place: The input (text and suffix array) is treated as read-only and the working disk space never exceeds the size of the final output (the LCP array). Third, we add support for large alphabets. All previous implementations assume the byte alphabet. 1998 ACM Subject Classification E.1 Data Structures, F.2. 2 Nonnumerical Algorithms and Problems
Differential expression of CRMP1, CRMP2A, CRMP2B, and CRMP5 in axons or dendrites of distinct neurons in the mouse brain

CRMP1, CRMP2, and CRMP5 have been identified as cytosolic proteins relaying semaphorin 3A signalling, one of the molecular cues conducting axon and dendrite growth and guidance. They are highly expressed during brain ontogenesis, but, because of their lower levels in the adult, their distribution in the mature brain is poorly documented. By using specific antibodies, we investigated the cellular distribution of these CRMPs in different adult brain structures and in neural cell cultures with a special focus on the splice variants CRMP2A and CRMP2B. In brain sections of adult mouse, CRMP1, CRMP2B, and CRMP5 were located predominantly in dendrites of specific neuronal populations, such as cortical pyramidal neurons, hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cells, or Purkinje cerebellar cells. On the contrary, CRMP2A was specifically associated with axons of the corpus callosum, bundles of the striatum, and mossy fibers of the hippocampus. In cultures of cortical neurons, CRMP1, CRMP2A, CRMP2B, and CRMP5 were equally distributed throughout cell bodies, axons, or dendrites of neurons, whereas CRMP2A and CRMP5 were completely absent from Purkinje cerebellar cells in 12‐day‐old animals. By comparison, oligodendrocytes exclusively express CRMP2B and CRMP5 in cell bodies and processes both in situ in the adult brain and in primary cultures. Overall, our results demonstrate specific subcellular localizations of CRMP1, CRMP2A, CRMP2B, and CRMP5 depending on cell types, neuronal compartment, and developmental stage. This study suggests that, beyond their signalling function in axon outgrowth and guidance, CRMPs also play a role in mature neurons both in axons and in dendrites. J. Comp. Neurol. 486:1–17, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Genetic Divergence, Reproductive Isolation, and Marine Speciation

In marine species, high dispersal is often associated with only mild genetic differentiation over large spatial scales. Despite this generalization, there are numerous reasons for the accumulation of genetic differences between large, semi-isolated marine populations. A suite of well-known evolutionary mechanisms can operate within and between populations to result in genetic divergence, and these mechanisms may well be augmented by newly discovered genetic processes. This variety of mechanisms for genetic divergence is paralleled by great diversity in the types of reproductive isolation shown by recently diverged marine species. Differences in spawning time, mate recognition, environmental tolerance, and gamete compatibility have all been implicated in marine speeiation events. There is substantial evidence for rapid evolution of reproductive isolation in strictly allopatrie populations (e,g. across the Isthmus of Panama). Evidence for the action of selection in increasing reproductive isolation in sympatric populations is fragmentary. Although a great deal of information is available on population genetics, reproductive isolation, and cryptic or sibling species in marine environments, the influence of particular genetic changes on reproductive isolation is poorly understood for marine (or terrestrial) taxa. For a few systems, like the co-evolution of gamete recognition proteins, changes in a small number of genes may give rise to reproductive isolation. Such studies show how a focus on the physiology, ecology, or sensory biology of reproductive isolation can help uncover the