Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of Dextran Sulfate 500 on Cell-Mediated Resistance to Infection with Listeria monocytogenes in Mice

Injection of dextran sulfate 500 caused loss of antibacterial resistance. Mice became more susceptible to an infection with Listeria monocytogenes and were unable to develop antilisterial immunity after both active and passive immunization with passively administered spleen cells from Listeria-immune donors. Indirect evidence suggests that the phagocytic component of cell-mediated resistance to bacterial infection is the site of attack of dextran sulfate.
Structure, stability, and function of hDim1 investigated by NMR, circular dichroism, and mutational analysis.

The 142 amino acid Dim1p protein is a component of the U4/U6.U5 tri-snRNP complex required for pre-mRNA splicing and interacts with multiple splicing-associated proteins. To gain further insight into the structural basis of its function, we determined the solution structure of the reduced form of the dominant negative human hDim1 (hDim1(1)(-)(128)) using multidimensional NMR spectroscopy. This dominant negative hDim1 assumes a thioredoxin-like fold, confirming previous NMR and crystallographic results. However, in contrast to a recent crystal structure, the NMR solution structure for the reduced form of hDim1(1)(-)(128) presented here, along with thermodynamic data, indicates that the presence of a disulfide bond between Cys38 and Cys79 is structurally and functionally unimportant. Comparison of the truncated hDim1(1)(-)(128) with the full-length protein, using NMR and circular dichroism spectroscopy, indicates that the 14 C-terminal residues can undergo a local unfolding transition and assume alternative conformations, which appear to play a functional role. Other residues essential for hDim1 function are identified by using mutational and genetic approaches. The residues thus identified are not identical with those previously shown to govern Dim1 interaction with defined protein partners.
AIDS-defining opportunistic illnesses in US patients, 1994–2007: a cohort study

Objectives:To assess the incidence and spectrum of AIDS-defining opportunistic illnesses in the highly active antiretroviral therapy (cART) era. Design:A prospective cohort study of 8070 participants in the HIV Outpatient Study at 12 U.S. HIV clinics. Methods:We calculated incidence rates per 1000 person-years of observation for the first opportunistic infection, first opportunistic malignancy, and first occurrence of each individual opportunistic illness during 1994–2007. Using stratified Poisson regression models, and adjusting for sex, race, and HIV risk category, we modeled annual percentage changes in opportunistic illness incidence rates by calendar period. Results:Eight thousand and seventy patients (baseline median age 38 years; median CD4 cell count 298 cells/μl) experienced 2027 incident opportunistic illnesses during a median of 2.9 years of observation. During 1994–1997, 1998–2002, and 2003–2007, respectively, rates of opportunistic infections (per 1000 person-years) were 89.0, 25.2 and 13.3 and rates of opportunistic malignancies were 23.4, 5.8 and 3.0 (P for trend <0.001 for both). Opportunistic illness rate decreases were similar for the subset of patients receiving cART. During 2003–2007, there were no significant changes in annual rates of opportunistic infections or opportunistic malignancies; the leading opportunistic illnesses (rate per 1000 person-years) were esophageal candidiasis (5.2), Pneumocystis pneumonia (3.9), cervical cancer (3.5), Mycobacterium avium complex infection (2.5), and cytomegalovirus disease (1.8); 36% of opportunistic illness events occurred at CD4 cell counts at least 200 cells/μl. Conclusions:Opportunistic illness rates declined precipitously after introduction of cART and stabilized at low levels during 2003–2007. In this contemporary cART era, a third of opportunistic illnesses were diagnosed at CD4 cell counts at least 200 cells/μl.
Interpretation of the Surface Electromyogram in Dynamic Contractions

This review focuses on methods for extracting information from the surface EMG recorded in dynamic contractions. It examines the techniques, requirements, and limitations associated with detecting the timing of muscle activation, assessing the modulation of signal amplitude, performing EMG spectral analysis, and estimating conduction velocity. The conclusion is that interpretation of the surface EMG in dynamic tasks requires caution.
The impact of innovation on economic performance in services

This article empirically explores the relationship between innovation and economic performance in services at the firm level. The empirical analysis is based on a unique longitudinal firm-level data set, which matches the Italian Community Innovation Survey (CIS II) data (1993–1995) and a set of economic indicators provided by the Italian System of Enterprise Account (1993–1998). In particular the empirical analysis aims at assessing whether the presence of innovation and the amount of resources devoted to innovation are able to explain the economic performance of firms in the service sector. The results presented show that innovating firms out perform non-innovating firms in terms of productivity levels and economic growth. Productivity is also found to be linked to the amount of innovation expenditures, especially those devoted to the acquisition and internal development of new software.
Intel Heterogeneous Network Solution Brief

Exploding smart phone usage is putting unprecedented pressure on network operators to keep up with this insatiable demand while maintaining quality. The mobile data traffic forecasts, such as Cisco*'s projected 26-fold increase between 2010 and 2015,1 are staggering. Besides consuming massive amounts of network bandwidth, phone subscribers expect the mass availability of new applications and services will continue unabated. Offering a solution to both data traffic demand and individualized consumption can be addressed by investigating adding more intelligence to network elements to improve network bandwidth utilization and expand service capacity.
Glutamatergic Neural Transmission In The Nucleus Tractus Solitarius: N‐Methyl‐D‐Aspartate Receptors

1. The nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) is the first central site where the reflex control of autonomic, including baroreceptor, reflex function is coordinated. Autonomic signals are transmitted from the first‐order visceral afferent fibres to second‐order NTS neurons by L‐glutamate. It is well established that activation of the α‐amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methyl‐4‐isoxazole proprionic acid (AMPA) receptors, which mediate the fast component of L‐glutamate signalling, is required for generating changes in membrane potentials of the second‐order NTS neurons. The contribution of the slower‐developing, longer‐lasting N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate (NMDA) receptor‐mediated component of glutamate signalling to synaptic transmission at these synapses is less well understood.
Numerical Modeling of Environmentally Induced Deterioration of Concrete / Numerisches Modellieren der Zerstörung des Betons durch Umwelteinflüsse

The paper describes numerical models for durability analyses of concrete structures, taking hygrally and chemically induced degradation processes into account. Two paiticular models are described. As an example for chemically corrosive mechanisms in concrete structures, the material degradation due to calcium leaching and mechanical loading is addressed. The chemo-mechanical deterioration is modeled within the theory of mixtures based on the total porosity generated by mechanical damage and chemical dissolution of the cement matrix. A coupled hygro-mechanical model for concrete is formulated within the framework of thermomechanics of partially saturated porous media in the sense of Biot's theory. The definition of modified effective stresses, based on relations between stress quantities defined on the meso-level to respective homogenized quantities of the macro-level, allows for the description of moisture dependent material properties. This concept is verified by means of experimental data. A 2D simulation of a base restrained shrinkage wall subjected to uniform drying is presented as a representative numerical example.
The Prevalence of Blindness and Low Vision in Older Onset Diabetes Mellitus and Associated Factors: A Community-Based Study

Purpose This community-based study was conducted to assess the prevalence and related factors of low vision and legal blindness in older onset diabetic patients (diagnosed at age 30 and older). Methods All known diabetic patients who live in the four primary health care center region Abidinpaşa Ankara, Turkey (total population: 96,348) were included in this cross-sectional study. The prevalence of known diabetes mellitus is 2.2%, of which 96.6% are older onset and 3.4% are younger onset. Results In the older onset diabetes group (1289 cases), 10.8% of the population had low vision and only 2.7% had legal blindness. Diabetic retinopathy (DR) was observed in 23.6% of the patients with low vision (42% proliferative DR) and in 62.9% of the patients with legal blindness (90.1% proliferative DR). Conclusions In older onset diabetic patients with low vision, nonproliferative retinopathy was a more frequent cause of impaired vision than proliferative retinopathy. Low vision and legal blindness caused by retinopathy were significantly associated with sex, age at examination, age at diagnosis, duration of diabetes, type of diabetes treatment, and hypertension in univariate analysis. However, in logistic regression analysis, low vision and legal blindness caused by retinopathy were found to be associated with longer duration of diabetes (≥15 years), use of insulin, and hypertension.
Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase 1 Interacts with and Phosphorylates CdGAP at an Important Regulatory Site

ABSTRACT Rho GTPases regulate multiple cellular processes affecting both cell proliferation and cytoskeletal dynamics. Their cycling between inactive GDP- and active GTP-bound states is tightly regulated by guanine nucleotide exchange factors and GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs). We have previously identified CdGAP (for Cdc42 GTPase-activating protein) as a specific GAP for Rac1 and Cdc42. CdGAP consists of an N-terminal RhoGAP domain and a C-terminal proline-rich region. In addition, CdGAP is a member of the impressively large number of mammalian RhoGAP proteins that is well conserved among both vertebrates and invertebrates. In mice, we find two predominant isoforms of CdGAP differentially expressed in specific tissues. We report here that CdGAP is highly phosphorylated in vivo on serine and threonine residues. We find that CdGAP is phosphorylated downstream of the MEK-extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway in response to serum or platelet-derived growth factor stimulation. Furthermore, CdGAP interacts with and is phosphorylated by ERK-1 and RSK-1 in vitro. A putative DEF (docking for ERK FXFP) domain located in the proline-rich region of CdGAP is required for efficient binding and phosphorylation by ERK1/2. We identify Thr776 as an in vivo target site of ERK1/2 and as an important regulatory site of CdGAP activity. Together, these data suggest that CdGAP is a novel substrate of ERK1/2 and mediates cross talk between the Ras/mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway and regulation of Rac1 activity.
Significance and therapeutic potential of the natriuretic peptides/cGMP/cGMP-dependent protein kinase pathway in vascular regeneration

Natriuretic peptides (NPs), which consist of atrial, brain, and C-type natriuretic peptides (ANP, BNP, and CNP, respectively), are characterized as cardiac or vascular hormones that elicit their biological effects by activation of the cGMP/cGMP-dependent protein kinase (cGK) pathway. We recently reported that adenoviral gene transfer of CNP into rabbit blood vessels not only suppressed neointimal formation but also accelerated reendothelialization, a required step for endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation and antithrombogenicity. Accordingly, we investigated the therapeutic potential of the NPs/cGMP/cGK pathway for vascular regeneration. In transgenic (Tg) mice that overexpress BNP in response to hindlimb ischemia, neovascularization with appropriate mural cell coating was accelerated without edema or bleeding, and impaired angiogenesis by the suppression of nitric oxide production was effectively rescued. Furthermore, in BNP-Tg mice, inflammatory cell infiltration in ischemic tissue and vascular superoxide production were suppressed compared with control mice. Ischemia-induced angiogenesis was also significantly potentiated in cGK type I Tg mice, but attenuated in cGK type I knockout mice. NPs significantly stimulated capillary network formation of cultured endothelial cells by cGK stimulation and subsequent Erk1/2 activation. Furthermore, gene transfer of CNP into ischemic muscles effectively accelerated angiogenesis. These findings reveal an action of the NPs/cGMP/cGK pathway to exert multiple vasculoprotective and regenerative actions in the absence of apparent adverse effects, and therefore suggest that NPs as the endogenous cardiovascular hormone can be used as a strategy of therapeutic angiogenesis in patients with tissue ischemia.
Induction of imatinib metabolism by hypericum perforatum.

Hypericum perforatum (St John Wort) is an herbal preparation commonly used by cancer patients for mood elevation and is known to induce intestinal and hepatic cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) and P-glycoprotein. [1][1] CYP3A4 is the major isoenzyme responsible for imatinib metabolism, making imatinib
Permethrin Resistance and Target Site Insensitivity in the Mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus in Alabama

ABSTRACT Insecticides are the most important component in the vector-control effort and pyrethroids such as permethrin are widely used for the indoor control of mosquitoes worldwide. However, the widespread development of resistance to pyrethroids is becoming a major problem. The current study reports an extensive survey of permethrin resistance in Alabama designed to characterize the importance of the L-to-F kdr mutation in pyrethroid resistant Culex mosquitoes. Mosquitoes were collected from 19 counties, 17 in Alabama and two from neighboring counties in Florida and Tennessee. Culex quinquefasciatus Say from all the counties tested were found to have developed resistance to permethrin. Seventy one percent of the field population from Alabama exhibited relatively low levels of resistance, with resistance ratios ranging from 71 to 390; 11% had medium/high levels of resistance, with resistance ratios ranging from 810 to 830; and the remaining 18% had high levels of resistance, with resistance ratios ranging from 1,100 to 1,400. Most of the mosquito populations tested showed a strong correlation between their level of resistance and the frequency of L-to-F mutation expression, suggesting the importance of target site insensitivity in the development of permethrin resistance. However, four populations with elevated levels of resistance showed no L-to-F mutation in their sodium channels. Although it is possible that other mutations other than L-to-F are present in the sodium channel, resulting in permethrin resistance in these four field populations, resistance mechanisms other than target site insensitivity also must be considered.
Adapting Operator Probabilities in Genetic Algorithms

In the vast majority of genetic algorithm implementations, the operator probabilities are xed throughout a given run. However, it can be convincingly argued that these probabilities should vary over the course of a genetic algorithm run | so as to account for changes in the ability of the operators to produce children of increased tness. This dissertation describes an empirical investigation into this question. The e ect upon genetic algorithm performance of adaptation methods upon both well-studied theoretical problems, and a hard problem from Operations Research | the owshop sequencing problem, is examined. Acknowledgements I would rst of all like to thank my supervisor, Dr Peter Ross, for his valuable guidance of the research reported here. Thanks also to Dave Corne and the members of the DAI EC group for their occasional advice. Thanks to the other MScs who have provided a very enjoyable working atmosphere. Special thanks to Michael L, Emma C, Mike F, Richard W and Larry F (for proving that heartless Canadians are the exception rather than the rule! ). Mention and gratitude must also go to Pete, Daren, Jon, Evonne and Rob for their entertaining and supportive email. I also have to thank Dave and Elaine for providing the same support over more mundane communication methods! I am grateful to Keith and Frankie Tuson for their encouragement and nancial support during my academic career. Extra special thanks must go to Dr Hugh Cartwright of the Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory at Oxford University. His supervision of my chemistry Part II research project proved to be a turning point for me, and inspired my interest in AI no amount of malt whisky can express my gratitude enough. Finally, I thank the EPSRC who provided nancial support during my year of study via studentship no: 94415692. Dedication I would like to dedicate this dissertation to my family: Laurence, Margaret and Karen Tuson who have supported and encouraged me throughout my academic career. i Table of
Comparison of adipokine concentrations and markers of inflammation in obese versus lean dogs.

The purpose of this study was to compare the concentrations of key adipokines and markers of inflammation associated with obesity in a population of healthy lean versus obese pet dogs. Dogs were determined to be in good health based on medical history, physical examination, complete blood count, serum biochemistry profile, and urinalysis. Adult dogs between 2 and 7 years of age were assigned to either the lean group [body condition score (BCS) = 4-5/9; n=39] or the obese group [BCS= 7-9/9; n=37]. Fasting circulating concentrations of C-reactive protein (CRP), adiponectin, resistin, insulin, leptin, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF were measured. Groups were compared using Chi-Square and MannWhitney U tests. No significant differences between groups were detected in age (p=0.16) or gender (p=0.34). Median CRP concentration was significantly higher in the obese group [median 0.94 ug/ml (0.47-6.22 ug/ml)], versus the lean group [median 0.72 ug/ml (0.45-6.04 ug/ml); p=0.03]. The lean group had higher median adiponectin concentration [median 21.84 ug/ml (3.0879.14 ug/ml)] compared to the obese group [median 15.27 ug/ml (1.97-42.76 ug/ml); p=0.004]. Statistical analysis for IL-6 and TNF was not performed because >50% of samples either failed due to methodological issues or were below the level of detection. Differences between groups in insulin, glucose, insulin:glucose ratio, and leptin concentrations were not detected in this study. Additional studies in dogs are warranted to Comparison of Adipokine Concentrations and Markers of Inflammation in Obese
Dynamical symmetry enhancement near N = 2 , D = 4 gauged supergravity horizons

We show that all smooth Killing horizons with compact horizon sections of 4-dimensional gauged N = 2 supergravity coupled to any number of vector multiplets preserve 2c1(K)+ 4l supersymmetries, where K is a pull-back of the Hodge bundle of the special Kähler manifold on the horizon spatial section. We also demonstrate that all such horizons with c1(K) = 0 exhibit an sl(2,R) symmetry and preserve either 4 or 8 supersymmetries. If the orbits of the sl(2,R) symmetry are 2-dimensional, the horizons are warped products of AdS2 with the horizon spatial section. Otherwise, the horizon section admits an isometry which preserves all the fields. The proof of these results is centered on the use of index theorem in conjunction with an appropriate generalization of the Lichnerowicz theorem for horizons that preserve at least one supersymmetry. In all c1(K) = 0 cases, we specify the local geometry of spatial horizon sections and demonstrate that the solutions are determined by first order non-linear ordinary differential equations on some of the fields.
Laser photocoagulation for choroidal neovascular membrane associated with optic disc drusen.

PURPOSE To report two cases of choroidal neovascular membrane associated with optic disc drusen which were successfully treated using argon laser photocoagulation. METHODS Choroidal neovascular complications of optic disc drusen were diagnosed in two of our patients, a 36-year-old woman and a 14-year-old girl. In both cases visual acuity was 20/100 in the affected eye. Fundus examination and angiography revealed a choroidal neovascular membrane. Computer tomography identified bilateral calcified drusen of the optic discs. Photocoagulation of neovascular tissues was immediately performed. RESULTS Visual acuity improved progressively, reaching 20/20 10 months after treatment in one case and 20/30 in the other. No recurrence was observed during follow-up. CONCLUSION Early diagnosis and immediate laser photocoagulation of vision-threatening choroidal neovascular membranes associated with optic disc drusen helps stop progression towards the macula and improves longterm visual acuity.
The Maternal and Neonatal Programme Effort Index (MNPI)

A new index is presented that measures the effort levels of national programmes to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality. These indices come from a questionnaire instrument composed of 14 major headings and 81 items. Forty‐nine countries including most of the population in each geographical region are covered. Data were collected from 10 to 25 raters in each country, who rated the 81 items for both the current year and 3 years ago, using a 0–5 scale running from no adequacy to full adequacy. The raters were drawn from a variety of positions and backgrounds, and were identified by a consultant retained in each country for that purpose. On average, country programmes score at about half of the maximum score, but this varies considerably across the 14 components of effort, from very low scores for access to treatment by rural women, to high scores for neonatal care. Regional averages are not far apart for the overall score, although South Asia scores are especially low and East Asia’s are especially high. To a considerable extent regions agree in the relative stress they give to each of the 14 components. Over the 3‐year period, average scores rose by about 10%. When countries are divided into three groups by their maternal mortality levels, most of the 14 components distinguish the high from the medium mortality countries; and about half of the components distinguish the medium from the low mortality countries. This new Maternal and Neonatal Programme Effort Index (MNPI) appears to yield useful measures for various dimensions of programme effort, and it relates sensibly to the output measure of maternal mortality, at least as it is currently measured.