Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of ethylenediamine tetracetic acid (EDTA) on platelet structure.

The anticoagulant, EDTA, is known to produce changes in the external contour of platelets. In the present investigation the fine structural alterations which develop in EDTA platelets were examined in the electron microscope. Platelets exposed to EDTA at 37° C. lose their disc shape and become irregularly swollen with multiple pseudopods. This external transformation is identical to the change which occurs in platelets exposed to ADP, thrombin, or low temperature. Internal changes in EDTA platelets, however, are markedly different from those which occur under the influence of aggregating agents or cold. The differences indicate that the effects of EDTA on platelet shape are not due to dispersal of marginal band microtubules or to the trigging of an internal wave of contraction. Chelation of membrane calcium by EDTA appears to cause marked irregularities in the platelet wall and massive swelling of the canalicular system. Swelling of internal channals is the dominant alteration in EDTA platelets, and this change appears ultimately to be related to the breakdown of platelet granules.
MICROCYTIC ANEMIA AND HEPATIC IRON OVERLOAD IN A CHILD WITH COMPOUND HETEROZYGOUS MUTATIONS IN DMT 1

Divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1) mediates apical iron uptake in duodenal enterocytes and iron transfer from the transferrin receptor endosomal cycle into the cytosol in erythroid cells. Both mk mice and Belgrade rats, which carry an identical DMT1 mutation, exhibit severe microcytic anemia at birth, defective intestinal iron absorption and erythroid iron utilization. We report the hematological phenotype of a child, compound heterozygote for two DMT1 mutations, who was affected by severe anemia since birth and showed hepatic iron overload. The novel mutations were a 3 bp deletion in intron 4 (c.310 3_5del CTT) resulting in a splicing abnormality and a C>T transition at nucleotide 1246(p. R416C). A striking reduction of DMT1 protein in peripheral blood mononuclear cells was demonstrated by western blot. The proband required blood transfusions until erythropoietin treatment allowed transfusionindependence with haemoglobin levels between 7.5-9.5 g/dL. Hematological data of this patient at birth and in the first years of life strengthen the essential role of DMT1 in erythropoiesis. The early onset of iron overload indicates that, as in animal models, DMT1 is dispensable for liver iron uptake, whereas its deficiency in the gut is likely bypassed by upregulation of other pathways of iron absorption. For personal use only. on August 31, 2017. by guest www.bloodjournal. org From
The Biological Impact of Genomic Diversity in Cervical Cancer Development

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are the etiologic agents of cervical cancer, the unique human neoplasia that has one single necessary cause. The diversity of HPVs is well described, with 200 HPV types existing as distinct taxonomic units and each receiving an Arabic number. On a clinical basis, they are usually grouped by their site of occurrence and disease associations. Those types inhabiting the anogenital mucosa are more intensively studied and further divided into cancer-associated HPVs, which are termed ‘high risk', while those linked to benign proliferative lesions are assigned as ‘low risk'. HPV16 is responsible for approximately 50% of all ICC cases, and paradoxically is one of the most prevalent types among healthy women. Longitudinal studies have shown that when an incidental HPV16 infection becomes persistent it will result in an enhanced risk for the development of high-grade lesions. However, it is unknown why some persistent, HPV16 infections (or infections by other HR-HPV types) progress to CIN3+ while most clear spontaneously. Several epidemiological investigations have focused on cofactors, from the most obvious such as cigarette and other carcinogenic exposures, to coinfections by other STDs such as chlamydia, with no significant findings. Thus, the current focus is on genomic variation from both virus and host. Such studies have been potentialized by the enormous technical advances in nucleic acid sequencing, allowing this relationship to be broadly interrogated. Corroborating subgenomic data from decades ago, an association between HPV16 lineages and carcinogenesis is being revealed. However, this effect does not seem to apply across female populations from different continents/ethnicities, again highlighting a role played by HPV16 adaptation and evasion from the host over time.
Physiology and molecular aspects of Verticillium wilt diseases caused by V. dahliae and V. albo-atrum.

SUMMARY INTRODUCTION Verticillium spp. are soil-borne plant pathogens responsible for Verticillium wilt diseases in temperate and subtropical regions; collectively they affect over 200 hosts, including many economically important crops. There are currently no fungicides available to cure plants once they are infected. TAXONOMY Kingdom: Fungi, phylum: Ascomycota, subphylum, Pezizomycotina, class: Sordariomycetes, order: Phyllachorales, genus: Verticillium. Host range and disease symptoms: Over 200 mainly dicotyledonous species including herbaceous annuals, perennials and woody species are host to Verticillium diseases. As Verticillium symptoms can vary between hosts, there are no unique symptoms that belong to all plants infected by this fungus. Disease symptoms may comprise wilting, chlorosis, stunting, necrosis and vein clearing. Brown vascular discoloration may be observed in stem tissue cross-sections. Pathogenicity: Verticillium spp. have been reported to produce cell-wall-degrading enzymes and phytotoxins that all have been implicated in symptom development. Nevertheless, evidence for a crucial role of toxins in pathogenicity is inconsistent and therefore not generally accepted. Microsclerotia and melanized mycelium play an important role in the disease cycle as they are a major inoculum source and are the primary long-term survival structures. Resistance: Different defence responses in the prevascular and the vascular stage of Verticillium wilt diseases determine resistance. Although resistance physiology is well established, the molecular processes underlying this physiology remain largely unknown. Resistance against Verticillium largely depends on the isolation of the fungus in contained parts of the xylem tissues followed by subsequent elimination of the fungus. Although genetic resistance has been described in several plant species, only one resistance locus against Verticillium has been cloned to date. Useful website: http://cbr-rbc.nrc-cnrc.gc. ca/services/cogeme/
Differential disgust responding in people with cancer and implications for psychological wellbeing

Objectives: Evidence suggests that disgust responses, known to negatively affect psychological wellbeing, may differ in people with cancer. We performed the first quantitative investigation of three discrete types of disgust trait – disgust propensity, sensitivity and self-directed disgust – in people diagnosed with a broad range of cancers (versus cancer-free controls), and explored their associations with psychological wellbeing. Design: In a cross-sectional survey design, 107 participants with heterogeneous cancer diagnoses, recruited from cancer charities and support groups, were matched with cancer-free controls by age and gender. Outcome measures: Measures of the three disgust traits were taken alongside measures of anxiety and depression. Results: Disgust sensitivity and physical self-disgust were significantly higher in the cancer than control sample, while disgust propensity and behavioural self-disgust were lower. The disgust traits had a different pattern of associations to psychological wellbeing across the two groups, with disgust sensitivity predicting depressive symptoms to a significantly greater extent in the cancer than control group. Conclusions: People with cancer differ from matched controls in their disgust responses and these responses have significant predictive relationships with aspects of their psychological wellbeing. The results suggest that emotion-based interventions may be useful for improving psychological wellbeing in people with cancer.
Regulation of Metalloprotease Gene Expression in Vibrio vulnificus by a Vibrio harveyi LuxR Homologue

ABSTRACT Expression of the Vibrio vulnificus metalloprotease gene, vvp, was turned up rapidly when bacterial growth reached the late log phase. A similar pattern of expression has been found in the metalloprotease gene of Vibrio cholerae, and this has been shown to be regulated by a Vibrio harveyiLuxR-like transcriptional activator. To find out whether a LuxR homologue exists in V. vulnificus, a gene library of this organism was screened by colony hybridization using a probe derived from a sequence that is conserved in various luxR-like genes of vibrios. A gene containing a 618-bp open reading frame was identified and found to be identical to the smcR gene ofV. vulnificus reported previously. An isogenic SmcR-deficient (RD) mutant was further constructed by an in vivo allelic exchange technique. This mutant exhibited an extremely low level of vvp transcription compared with that of the parent strain. On the other hand, the cytolysin gene, vvhA, was expressed at a higher level in the RD mutant than in the parent strain during the log phase of growth. These data suggested that SmcR might not only be a positive regulator of the protease gene but might also be involved in negative regulation of the cytolysin gene. Virulence of the RD mutant in either normal or iron-overloaded mice challenged by intraperitoneal injection was comparable to that of the parent strain, indicating that SmcR is not required for V. vulnificusvirulence in mice.
Chromosomes and causation of human cancer and leukemia. XIV. Origin of a large number of markers in a cancer

A cancerous effusion from a patient with cancer of the breast, with a high modal number of chromosomes (81–83) and with 11–13 abnormal chromosomes (markers) of eight different origins, has been examined in detal karyotypically with C‐, G‐, and Q‐banding techniques. Except for a rare chromosome, all the normal chromosomes were identified and, more importantly, the origin of all markers was ascertained. This study indicates the feasibility of identifying all the chromosomes in cancer cells, even in those with highly polyploid and complicated chromosome constitutions.
Acquiring Common Sense Knowledge from Smart Environments

We present an approach for acquiring common sense knowledge from social interaction. We argue that social common sense should be learned from daily interactions using implicit user’s feedbacks and requires shared understanding of social situations. A serviceoriented architecture, inspired from cognitive science, that foster mutual understanding between a smart environment and its inhabitants is presented. The method makes use of ConceptNet to work with common sense knowledge. We are able to successfully use and learn common sense knowledge.
Oncogenic Potential of a Dominant Negative Mutant of Interferon Regulatory Factor 3*

Interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3) is activated in response to various environmental stresses including viral infection and DNA-damaging agents. However, the biological function of IRF3 in cell growth is not well understood. We demonstrated that IRF3 markedly inhibited growth and colony formation of cells. IRF3 blocked DNA synthesis and induced apoptosis. Based on this negative control of cell growth by IRF3, we examined whether functional loss of IRF3 may contribute to oncogenic transformation. IRF3 activity was specifically inhibited by expression of its dominant negative mutant. This mutant lacks a portion of the DNA binding domain like IRF3a, an alternative splice form of IRF3 in the cells. This dominant negative inhibition blocked expression of specific IRF3 target genes. Mutant IRF3 efficiently transformed NIH3T3 cells, as demonstrated by anchorage-independent growth in soft agar and tumorigenicity in nude mice. These results imply that IRF3 may function as a tumor suppressor and suggest a possible role for the relative levels of IRF3 and its dominant negative mutant in tumorigenesis.
Cold Hardiness of Asian Longhorned Beetle (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) Larvae in Different Populations

ABSTRACT The Asian longhorned beetle, Anoplophora glabripennis (Motschulsky) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), is distributed widely in China, where it causes severe damage to forests, and is a quarantine pest in Europe, the United States, and Canada. A. glabripennis overwinters as dormant larvae to avoid adverse environmental conditions. To elucidate the cold hardiness of A. glabripennis larvae, the supercooling point (SCP), freezing point (FP), and cold hardiness-related compounds were examined in overwintering larva from five populations in China (Yili, Yanchi, Wulateqianqi, Beijing, and Dezhou). The results showed that the SCP and FP differed significantly among populations, where the SCP of larvae in the Wulateqianqi population was the lowest and highest in the Beijing population. The water, fat, and glycogen contents also differed significantly among the five populations. The SCPs of larvae from all five populations were proportional to glycogen contents, but had no association with water contents and fat contents. The total contents of seven low-molecular weight compounds (glycerol, galactose, glucose, mannose, sorbitol, inositol, and trehalose) differed significantly among populations. Thus, A. glabripennis larvae from different geographical populations contained different sugars or sugar alcohols (especially glycerol, glucose, sorbitol, and trehalose), which helped them to resist cold temperatures. This study provides basic information about that may facilitate the prediction of distribution range expansions and ensure proper implementation of the integrated management of A. glabripennis populations.
Hepatitis B mother-to-child transmission

Approximately 350 million people are estimated to be chronically infected with hepatitis B virus, leading to an important public health problem. In highly endemic areas where 8 to 15% of people are chronically infected with hepatitis B virus, the risk for the neonate to be perinatally infected by the chronically infected mother, then to become chronically infected themselves, is very high. In those countries, the World Health Organization recommends hepatitis B vaccination systematically at birth, independent of hepatitis B virus maternal status. This vaccination program has begun to induce a rapid decrease in the number of acute hepatitis B virus infections and has also had a secondary effect of a decrease in related sequels. Lamivudine (Zeffix®, GlaxoSmithKline), when associated with the immunization of the neonate, was recently demonstrated to dramatically reduce the residual risk of perinatal transmission. In intermediate and low endemicity areas, a systematic hepatitis B surface antigen screening is recommended during pregnancy, allowing, in the case of positivity, a selective hepatitis B virus neonate immunization during the first 12 h of life. Hepatitis B virus vaccination of children born to hepatitis B surface antigen-positive mothers confers long-term immunity.
Joint Adaptive Modulation, Diversity Combining, and Power Control for Downlink Transmission in Two-cell Wireless Networks

We consider the joint application of power control, adaptive modulation and diversity combining in a two-cell wireless network. The goal is to derive a practical low-complexity, bandwidth-efficient, and battery-power efficient transmission scheme addressing the challenges of downlink transmission. Employing full spectral reuse, coordination of the transmit power levels is used to optimize the spectral efficiency by managing co-channel interference, also taking into account the limited processing power of a mobile unit. Through a mathematical analysis, the proposed scheme is thoroughly evaluated in terms of spectral efficiency and number of combined diversity branches.
Characterization and purification of carbon monoxide dehydrogenase from Methanosarcina barkeri

Carbon monoxide-dependent production of H2, CO2, and CH4 was detected in crude cell extracts of acetate-grown Methanosarcina barkeri. This metabolic transformation was associated with an active methyl viologen-linked CO dehydrogenase activity (5 to 10 U/mg of protein). Carbon monoxide dehydrogenase activity was inhibited 85% by 10 microM KCN and was rapidly inactivated by O2. The enzyme was nearly homogeneous after 20-fold purification, indicating that a significant proportion of soluble cell protein was CO dehydrogenase (ca. 5%). The native purified enzyme displayed a molecular weight of 232,000 and a two-subunit composition of 92,000 and 18,000 daltons. The enzyme was shown to contain nickel by isolation of radioactive CO dehydrogenase from cells grown in 63Ni. Analysis of enzyme kinetic properties revealed an apparent Km of 5 mM for CO and a Vmax of 1,300 U/mg of protein. The spectral properties of the enzyme were similar to those published for CO dehydrogenase from acetogenic anaerobes. The physiological functions of the enzyme are discussed.
Shaping and dimensioning of the flux barriers in synchronous reluctance machines

Due to the high efficiency at the rated point and at partial load, the interest in synchronous reluctance machines grows steadily. A particular difficulty is the design of the flux barriers in the rotor. A simple approach to determine the shape of these barriers is to replicate the magnetic field lines in an isotropic rotor. For this purpose, a magnetostatic model is created and calculated analytically. This barrier shape is combined with known sizing methods to obtain a straightforward design procedure. Different sizing methods are compared with numerical simulations (2D-FEM software) in order to analyze the influence on the design procedure. Therefore, a time-efficient simulation method is used to evaluate the rotor design procedures. It is shown that the different methods yield similar results and an optimal solution always depends on the considered case, so that an optimal sizing method cannot be deduced.
Islet Brain 1 Protects Insulin Producing Cells against Lipotoxicity

Chronic intake of saturated free fatty acids is associated with diabetes and may contribute to the impairment of functional beta cell mass. Mitogen activated protein kinase 8 interacting protein 1 also called islet brain 1 (IB1) is a candidate gene for diabetes that is required for beta cell survival and glucose-induced insulin secretion (GSIS). In this study we investigated whether IB1 expression is required for preserving beta cell survival and function in response to palmitate. Chronic exposure of MIN6 and isolated rat islets cells to palmitate led to reduction of the IB1 mRNA and protein content. Diminution of IB1 mRNA and protein level relied on the inducible cAMP early repressor activity and proteasome-mediated degradation, respectively. Suppression of IB1 level mimicked the harmful effects of palmitate on the beta cell survival and GSIS. Conversely, ectopic expression of IB1 counteracted the deleterious effects of palmitate on the beta cell survival and insulin secretion. These findings highlight the importance in preserving the IB1 content for protecting beta cell against lipotoxicity in diabetes.
Treating common illnesses among children under five years: a portrayal of health-seeking behaviours and practices in the northern areas of Pakistan.

BACKGROUND Inappropriate practices and behaviours while treating a child's illness impede correct medical consultation. We studied the health seeking behaviours of people engaging with healthcare systems for the treatment of under-five children. METHODOLOGY In the Ghizer District of the Northern Areas of Pakistan, a descriptive cross-sectional household survey was conducted in a random sample of 25 communities. Respondents were either a parent or caregiver of the child. RESULTS Malaria, fever and diarrhea were found in almost one third of the children under five. One third of respondents did not know the cause of the child's illness. For seeking quality care, the majority visit private clinics, but home remedies, traditional practices and consultation with a faith healer were also common. Lack of knowledge about the child's illness and not making it a priority, lack of money and restricted women's social mobility are factors behind the delayed consultation (median delay: 2 to 3 days). CONCLUSION Health education and health promotion programs must address the knowledge gaps about children's illnesses and advocate appropriate health-seeking behaviours. Issues around quality of care in government centres and affordability in the private health sector must be addressed in order to improve health service utilization.
Acute effects of cigarette smoking on the heart rate variability of taxi drivers during work.

OBJECTIVES This study attempted to clarify the acute effects of cigarette smoking on autonomic nervous function among taxi drivers under ordinary work conditions. METHODS Holter electrocardiographic recordings from 20 healthy middle-aged taxi drivers were analyzed for the time from 0800 in the morning to 0159 at night. The amplitudes (milliseconds) of the high-frequency (HF) component and the ratio of the low-frequency component to HF (LF/HF) were calculated as changes in the R-R interval, and time-course changes were investigated by a complex demodulation method. The exact starting time of smoking was identified with the use of a specially designed cigarette lighter. The mean LF/HF and HF for 5 minutes immediately prior to smoking were calculated as the baseline, and the means for every 5 minutes up to 15 minutes were calculated. The average values of these parameters for all of the cigarette smoking within the same time span of 0800-1659 and 1700-0159 were also determined. RESULTS The LF/HF significantly increased (P<0.05) within 5 minutes from the baseline immediately after smoking. This significant change in LF/HF was observed only at night. Although the interactive effect of the time of day on time course changes was not significant for the LF/HF or HF, the reactivity to increase LF/HF and decrease HF was more prominent at night. CONCLUSIONS Cigarette smoking significantly increased LF/HF within 5 minutes during ordinary taxi driving. Nighttime smoking seemed to have a more potent acute effect on the cardiac modulation of taxi drivers than in the daytime. The sympathomimetic and parasympatho-withdrawal response of smoking may play an additional role in increasing cardiac risk among taxi drivers.