Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Characterization of a positive regulatory gene, LAC9, that controls induction of the lactose-galactose regulon of Kluyveromyces lactis: structural and functional relationships to GAL4 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Lactose or galactose induces the expression of the lactose-galactose regulon in Kluyveromyces lactis. We show here that the regulon is not induced in strains defective in LAC9. We demonstrate that this gene codes for a regulatory protein that acts in a positive manner to induce transcription. The LAC9 gene was isolated by complementation of a lac9 defective strain. DNA sequence analysis of the gene gave a deduced protein of 865 amino acids. Comparison of this sequence with that of the GAL4 protein of Saccharomyces cerevisiae revealed three regions of homology. One region of about 90 amino acid occurs at the amino terminus, which is known to mediate binding of GAL4 protein to upstream activator sequences. We speculate that a portion of this region, adjacent to the "metal-binding finger," specifies DNA binding. We discuss possible functions of the two other regions of homology. The functional implications of these structural similarities were examined. When LAC9 was introduced into a gal4 defective strain of S. cerevisiae it complemented the mutation and activated the galactose-melibiose regulon. However, LAC9 did not simply mimic GAL4. Unlike normal S. cerevisiae carrying GAL4, the strain carrying LAC9 gave constitutive expression of GAL1 and MEL1, two genes in the regulon. The strain did show glucose repression of the regulon, but repression was less severe with LAC9 than with GAL4. We discuss the implications of these results and how they may facilitate our understanding of the LAC9 and GAL4 regulatory proteins.
Oxidative stress parameters and inflammatory and immune mediators as markers of the severity of sepsis.

INTRODUCTION Sepsis is a complex inflammatory syndrome with diverse etiology and wide spectrum of severity. The aim of this study was to investigate whether inflammatory mediators, in comparison with oxidative parameters, are associated with severity of sepsis. METHODOLOGY Plasma neopterin, adenosine deaminase (ADA), vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM), intracellular adhesion molecule (ICAM), interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), as inflammatory mediators, and serum nitric oxide (NOx), nitrotyrosine (NT), oxidized LDL (oxLDL) levels, serum paraoxonase 1 (PON1) activity, and erythrocyte glutathione (GSH) levels as oxidative stress parameters of 12 patients with mild sepsis, 25 patients with severe sepsis, and 20 healthy control subjects were evaluated. NOx, GSH levels and PON1 activity were determined by colorimetric methods, whereas neopterin, VCAM, ICAM, IL-1, IL-6, TNF-α, NT, and oxLDL levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS All parameters in mild and severe sepsis were significantly different from those of healthy subjects, except ADA activities. Patients with severe sepsis exhibited higher IL-6, TNF-α, NT, and oxLDL levels than patients with mild sepsis. GSH (98%, 98%), oxLDL (98%, 98%), VCAM-1 (99%, 99%), and ICAM-1 (99%, 99%) have much more sensitivitiy and specificity in sepsis. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that the oxidative stress and inflammatory response in patients with sepsis were increased and that serum IL-6, TNF-α, NT, and oxLDL levels were correlated with the severity of sepsis. Therefore, increases in these parameters may contribute to the dysfunction or failure of one or more organs, or even death, in sepsis.
A sub-band energy tracking algorithm for heart sound segmentation

The objective of this paper is to present an algorithm for automatic segmentation of the heart sound. The algorithm utilises an autoregressive (AR) model to estimate the power spectral density (PSD) of the signal as well as the energy in certain frequency bands for consecutive overlapping frames. The starting and end points of each event are then calculated by filtering the tracking level using a morphological transform and estimating the boundary of its dominant peaks. The algorithm was tested for 960 cycles of heart sound recorded front all four popular auscaltatory areas of 30 patients. Results indicate the capability of this algorithm to isolate desired events in subjects with various pathological conditions.
Line digraph iterations and the (d,k) problem for directed graphs

We consider in this paper the (d,k) problem for directed graphs: to maximize the number of vertices in a digraph of degree d and diameter k. For any values of d and k, we construct a graph with a number of vertices larger than (d 2−1)/d2 times the (non-attainable) Moore bound. In particular, this solves the (d,k) digraph problem for k&equil;2. We also show that these graphs can be obtained as line digraph iterations and that this technique provides us with a simple local routing algorithm for the corresponding networks.
Preparation and Evaluation of New Heterocyclic Compounds Based on Benzothiophene Derivatives as Antifouling Additives for Marine Paint

N the present work three synthesized heterocyclic compounds based on benzo[b]thiophen derivatives (I, II and III) were prepared and confirmed by their IR, Mass and NMR spectra and tested for their antimicrobial activity against some representative slime-forming microbiofouling organisms. The synthesized compounds are evaluated according to their biological activity against macrobiofoulants and also as biocides in a special type of tin-free self-polishing paint. The results showed that the biocidal, antimicrobial activity and antifouling activity of the prepared compounds was quite significant and could thus be used as antifouling agents.
Relatifs et référents inclus dans un SN : des paramètres pour présélectionner la saisie

Notre objectif est de repérer l’existence de régularités pour prévoir l’attachement du relatif et de son référent introduit par un SN de la forme dét. N1 de (dét.) N2 en vue d’un traitement automatique. Pour évaluer les préférences, nous avons entrepris une analyse sur corpus. L’examen des occurrences examinées laisse entrevoir des variations en fonction de paramètres d’ordre fonctionnel, syntaxique et sémantiques : déterminants, traits sémantiques, saillance, relation établie par l’utilisation de de, position grammaticale du SN qui introduit le référent dans le discours.
Higher Education Reforms in the Fight Against Corruption in Georgia

This article discusses the nature of corruption in higher education, the extent of higher education corruption in Georgia and the policy reforms aimed at lowering its incidence. The article addresses the issue of corruption in relation to access, equity and quality of education. The article offers one possible explanation for the high intensity of anti-corruption measures regarding higher education in Georgia: the aspiration of the country to join NATO. This endeavor has put pressure on the government to implement new (and oftentimes radical) measures and to monitor the process of fighting corruption.
Approximal caries increment in adolescents in a low caries prevalence area in Sweden after a 3.5-year school-based fluoride varnish programme with Bifluorid 12 and Duraphat.

OBJECTIVES To evaluate approximal caries increment among 12- to 16-year-olds in a low caries prevalence area in Sweden after a 3.5-year school-based fluoride (F) varnish programme with Bifluorid 12 and Duraphat. METHODS The design was a RCT study with 1365 adolescents, divided into following four groups: Group 1 Bifluorid 12 two applications/year; Group 2 Duraphat two applications/year; Group 3 Bifluorid 12 four applications/year and Group 4 no F varnish at school. 1143 children (84%) completed the study. Approximal caries was registered on bitewing radiographs. RESULTS There were no statistically significant differences in caries prevalence among the groups either at baseline or after 3.5 years . The caries increment for Group 1 was 1.34 ± 2.99 (mean ± SD), 1.24 ± 2.84 for Group 2, 1.07 ± 2.66 for Group 3 and 1.25 ± 2.75 for Group 4, with no statically significant differences either between Bifluorid 12 and Duraphat with the same frequency of F varnish applications or between the F groups and the control group. CONCLUSIONS In an area with low caries prevalence in Sweden, the supplementary caries-preventive effect of school-based F varnish applications, to regular use of F toothpaste at home and to regular caries prevention given at the Public Dental Clinics, appears to be nonsignificant regarding approximal caries increment.
Scalable Beaconing for Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control

Over the past two hundred years, automotive technology has evolved from mechanised horse carriage to high-tech systems which pack more computing power than the entire space program that put Neil Armstrong on the moon. Hand-in-hand with this evolution came a proliferation of ownership and use of cars. This enormous success causes one of modern society’s largest problems: where many vehicles accumulate, traffic congestion occurs. To a large degree, the cause of traffic congestion lies in the poor ability of the human driver to control the (longitudinal) motion of the vehicle under congested traffic circumstances. This leads to so-called string instabilities or shock waves, traveling against the flow of traffic. The traffic flow performance can be improved if the control of acceleration and deceleration is automated. Presently available solutions use radar or lidar to detect and measure the distance to the vehicle in front, and a cruise controller automatically reacts by adjusting the vehicle speed. However, the performance of these systems is not sufficient to prevent shock waves, predominantly due to the delay introduced by the sensors. The Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control (CACC) is a system which circumvents this by using wireless communication to exchange information about vehicle dynamics using the periodic transmission of so-called beacon messages. The technology proposed for this wireless communication is IEEE 802.11p, a modified version of the IEEE 802.11a designed for Wireless LAN applications. However, the wireless medium succumbs to a congested state in a similar fashion as the traffic on the road in response to an increase of the traffic density. This dissertation focusses on the beaconing communication, used to generate a cooperative awareness in each vehicle. Given the real-time nature of the CACC system, it is important that the information in the cooperative awareness is accurate and fresh, even under an increasing number of communicating nodes in near vicinity. To this end, beaconing is evaluated through analytical modelling, discrete-event simulation and proof-of-concept implementations. The purpose is to determine the scalability limits of the IEEE 802.11p Medium Access Control mechanism when used for beaconing, and find and address bottlenecks.
Opaque Hemithorax . Primary Tuberculous Pneumonia Presenting with Acute Respiratory Failure A Case Report & Review of the Subject

A young previously healthy male was hospitalized in intensive care unit due to progressively worsening dyspnea (mMRC grade 4), cough with scanty sputum and fever. He exhibited signs of acute respiratory failure including tachypnea (respiratory rate 40/m), cyanosis and oximetric oxygen saturation (SpO2) of 73 %. There was bronchial breathing on right hemithorax and coarse crackles on left side of chest auscultation. Chest radiograph was consistent with almost opaque right hemithorax with slight sparing of upper zone along with patchy air space shadowing involving the middle and lower zones of left lung. He received high flow oxygen, empirical broad spectrum antibiotics and had HRCT chest that showed large pneumonia involving almost complete right lung with air bronchograms and a small pneumonia on left side with ipsilateral pleural effusion (exudative lymphocytic). He was found to have primary tuberculous pneumonia because his sputum was positive for acid-fast bacilli (AFB ++) on Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) staining and there was no bacterial growth on culture. His respiratory failure responded well to anti-tuberculosis treatment (ATT), broad spectrum antibiotics and corticosteroids and he was off oxygen after 10 days of intensive treatment.
Association between the NMDA glutamate receptor GRIN2B gene and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

BACKGROUND Recent data from neuroimaging, genetic and clinical trials and animal models suggest a role for altered glutamatergic neuro transmission in the pathogenesis of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The aim of this study was to investigate whether variants in the GRIN2B gene, the gene encoding the NR2 subunit of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) glutamate receptor, may contribute to genetic susceptibility to OCD or to different OCD subphenotypes. METHODS Between 2003 and 2008, we performed a case-control association study in which we genotyped 10 tag single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the 3' untranslated region (3' UTR) of GRIN2B. We performed SNP association and haplotype analysis considering the OCD diagnosis and different OCD subphenotypes: early-onset OCD, comorbid tic disorders and OCD clinical symptom dimensions. RESULTS We enrolled 225 patients with OCD and 279 controls recruited from the OCD Clinic at Bellvitge Hospital (Barcelona, Spain). No significant difference in the distribution of alleles or genotypes was detected between patients with OCD and controls. Nonetheless, on analyzing OCD subphenotypes, the rs1805476 SNP in male patients (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.37-4.22, p = 0.002) and a 4-SNP haplotype in the whole sample (rs1805476, rs1805501, rs1805502 and rs1805477; odds ratio 1.92, 95% CI 1.22-3.01; permutation p = 0.023) were significantly associated with the presence of contamination obsessions and cleaning compulsions. LIMITATIONS Study limitations included the risk of population stratification associated with the case-control design, use of psychiatrically unscreened blood donors as the control group, reduced sample size of participants with certain OCD subphenotypes and tested polymorphisms limited to 3' UTR and exon 13 of GRIN2B. CONCLUSION Our results converge with recent data suggesting a possible contribution of glutamatergic variants to the genetic vulnerability to OCD or at least to certain OCD manifestations. The dissection of OCD into more homogeneous subphenotypes may constitute a useful tool to disentangle the complex genetic basis of the disorder.
New Cross Layer Topology Control Scheme for IEEE 802.16e-based Multi-radio Multi-channel Hybrid Ad Hoc Networks

A special scenario of the topology in the multiradio multi-channel hybrid Ad Hoc networks is studied and a new cross layer topology control scheme based on IEEE 802.16e is proposed in this paper. The proposed scheme integrated the attributes both of the new performance evaluation machine check time metric and the topology space in the special scenario. Due to the minimum link occupation, the traffic requirements, the maximal amount of the permitted hops, the aggregated throughput and the scheme overhead are all optimized with the different metrics.
Application of neural networks and State-space averaging to DC/DC PWM converters in sliding-mode operation

A novel output feedback neural controller is presented in This work for the implementation of sliding-mode control of dc/dc converters. The controller, which consists of a multilayer perceptron, has been trained in order to be robust for large variations of system parameters and state variables. Fast dynamic behavior is the other main advantage of the proposed controller, which allows realization of all beneficial features of the sliding-mode control technique. Other advantages of the controller are simplicity and low cost. Computer simulations have been carried out to investigate the effectiveness of the controller in voltage regulation for a relatively complex dc/dc converter topology of the Cuk converter. Simulation results confirm the excellent performance of the control system in response to large signal variations. In order to verify the simulation results, a controller prototype has been designed and built using analog components. The controller is applied to regulate the output voltage of the Cuk converter. Experimental results confirm the analytical and simulation achievements.
Design and control of a demagnetization circuit for permanent ON OFF operation in pulse transformer gate driver

The paper deals with the design and the implementation of a new gate driver structure used to polarize and to control MOS gated power switches such as MOSFETs and IGBTs. Including electrical isolation, this driver enables to transfer the required charges directly to the gate to source/emitter electrodes of the power device through an HF transformer. Based on a pulse transformer gate driver circuit for high frequency applications, we modified the initial structure by introducing a demagnetization circuit for the transformer; therefore, it is now able to operate at low even very low switching frequency and any duty cycle without increasing pulse transformer size, removing a classical limitation of pulse transformer based gate drivers. Several gate driver primary side units can be integrated to minimize system size and increase robustness. On the secondary side, elementary drive circuit components can also be integrated simplifying the implementation. The operation principle and the implementation of the gate driver will be addressed.
Fate of atrazine in a soil under different agronomic management practices

Agricultural management affects the movement of atrazine in soil and leaching to groundwater. The objective of this study was to determine atrazine adsorption in a soil after 20 years of atrazine application under agronomic management practices differing in tillage practice (conventional and zero tillage), residue management (with and without residue retention) and crop rotation (wheat-maize rotation and maize monoculture). Atrazine sorption was determined using batch and column experiments. In the batch experiment, the highest distribution coefficient Kd (1.1 L kg−1) at 0–10 cm soil depth was observed under zero tillage, crop rotation and residue retention (conservation agriculture). The key factor in adsorption was soil organic matter content and type. This was confirmed in the column experiment, in which the highest Kd values were observed in treatments with residue retention, under either zero or conventional tillage (0.81 and 0.68 L kg−1, respectively). Under zero tillage, the fact that there was no soil movement helped to increase the Kd. The increased soil organic matter content with conservation agriculture may be more important than preferential flow due to higher pore connectivity in the same system. The soil's capacity to adsorb 2-hydroxyatrazine (HA), an important atrazine metabolite, was more important than its capacity to adsorb atrazine, and was similar under all four management practices (Kd ranged from 30 to 40 L kg−1). The HA adsorption was attributed to the type and amount of clay in the soil, which is unaffected by agronomic management. Soils under conservation agriculture had higher atrazine retention potential than soils under conventional tillage, the system that predominates in the study area.
A Highly Sensitive and Subspecies-Specific Surface Antigen Enzyme- Linked Immunosorbent Assay for Diagnosis of Johne's Disease

ABSTRACT Johne's disease (JD), or paratuberculosis, caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis, is one of the most widespread and economically important diseases of livestock and wild ruminants worldwide. Control of JD could be accomplished by diagnosis and good animal husbandry, but this is currently not feasible because commercially available diagnostic tests have low sensitivity levels and are incapable of diagnosing prepatent infections. In this study, a highly sensitive and subspecies-specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was developed for the diagnosis of JD by using antigens extracted from the surface of M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis. Nine different chemicals and various intervals of agitation by vortex were evaluated for their ability to extract the surface antigens. Various quantities of surface antigens per well in a 96-well microtiter plate were also tested. The greatest differences in distinguishing between JD-positive and JD-negative serum samples by ethanol vortex enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (EVELISA) were obtained with surface antigens dislodged from 50 μg/well of bacilli treated with 80% ethanol followed by a 30-second interval of agitation by vortex. The diagnostic specificity and sensitivity of the EVELISA were 97.4% and 100%, respectively. EVELISA plates that had been vacuum-sealed and then tested 7 weeks later (the longest interval tested) had diagnostic specificity and sensitivity rates of 96.9 and 100%, respectively. In a comparative study involving serum samples from 64 fecal culture-positive cattle, the EVELISA identified 96.6% of the low-level fecal shedders and 100% of the midlevel and high-level shedders, whereas the Biocor ELISA detected 13.7% of the low-level shedders, 25% of the mid-level shedders, and 96.2% of the high-level shedders. Thus, the EVELISA was substantially superior to the Biocor ELISA, especially in detecting low-level and midlevel shedders. The EVELISA may form the basis for a highly sensitive and subspecies-specific test for the diagnosis of JD.
Penetration of colicin M into cells of Escherichia coli

A new class of colicin M-tolerant mutants of Escherichia coli K-12 was isolated. The mutants exhibited an unusually high tolerance in that they were unaffected by colicin titers of 10(6). The tolerance was confined to colicin M. It was mapped at a locus called tolM, which is close to rpsL. The following gene order was determined: aroE, tolM, rpsL, cysG. The tolerance could be caused by a defect in the uptake of colicin M or by a mutation at the site of action. Insensitive tonA and tonB mutants became sensitive to colicin M upon treatment by osmotic shock, whereas the tolM mutants remained insensitive. Trypsin rescue experiments showed that the tonB-dependent uptake of colicin M required energy like the other tonB-related transport processes. When bound to energy-depleted cells, colicin M prevented adsorption of phage T5. The receptor became accessible to the phage when the cells were energized, except in tonB mutants. These data suggest that the function controlled by the tonB gene is required for the translocation of colicin M from its initial binding site at the tonA-coded receptor protein to the target.
Mitoxantrone, etoposide, and cytarabine plus cyclosporine for patients with relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia

One potential mechanism of drug resistance to chemotherapy is the overexpression of multidrug resistance (MDR) genes coding for P‐glycoprotein (P‐gp), which leads to reduced intracellular retention of chemotherapy. This study tested the efficacy and toxicity of mitoxantrone, etoposide, and intermediate dose cytarabine (MEC) with cyclosporine (CSP) as an MDR modulator in patients with recurrent and refractory acute myeloid leukemia, and also correlated P‐gp expression in leukemia cells with response.