Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mutagenesis of the coxsackie B3 virus 2B/2C cleavage site: determinants of processing efficiency and effects on viral replication

The enterovirus 2B/2C cleavage site differs from the common cleavage site motif AxxQ/G by the occurrence of either polar residues at the P1' position or large aliphatic residues at the P4 position. To study (i) the putative contribution of these aberrant residues to the stability of precursor protein 2BC, (ii) the determinants of cleavage site specificity and efficiency of 3Cpro, and (iii) the importance of efficient cleavage at this site for viral replication, a mutational analysis of the coxsackie B3 virus (CBV3) 2B/2C cleavage site (AxxQ/N) was performed. Neither replacement of the P1' asparagine with a serine or a glycine nor replacement of the P4 alanine with a valine significantly affected 2B/2C cleavage efficiency, RNA replication, or virus growth. The introduction of a P4 asparagine, as can be found at the CBV3 3C/3D cleavage site, caused a severe reduction in 2B/2C cleavage and abolished virus growth. These data support the idea that a P4 asparagine is an unfavorable residue that contributes to a slow turnover of precursor protein 3CD but argue that it is unlikely that the aberrant 2B/2C cleavage site motifs serve to regulate 2B/2C processing efficiency and protein 2BC stability. The viability of a double mutant containing a P4 asparagine and a P1' glycine demonstrated that a P1' residue can compensate for the adverse effects of an unfavorable P4 residue. Poliovirus (or poliovirus-like) 2B/2C cleavage site motifs were correctly processed by CBV 3Cpro, albeit with a reduced efficiency, and yielded viable viruses. Analysis of in vivo protein synthesis showed that mutant viruses containing poorly processed 2B/2C cleavage sites were unable to completely shut off cellular protein synthesis. The failure to inhibit host translation coincided with a reduced ability to modify membrane permeability, as measured by the sensitivity to the unpermeant translation inhibitor hygromycin B. These data suggest that a critical level of protein 2B or 2C, or both, may be required to alter membrane permeability and, possibly as a consequence, to shut off host cell translation.
Immunoproteomics To Examine Cystic Fibrosis Host Interactions with Extracellular Pseudomonas aeruginosa Proteins

ABSTRACT The lungs of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) are typically chronically infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. We used an immunoproteomics approach to analyze the responses of patients to secreted P. aeruginosa proteins. Extracellular proteins from P. aeruginosa strain PAO1 that had been grown to stationary phase were separated by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and analyzed by Western blotting using sera from four chronically infected patients. Sera from all four patients detected multiple extracellular proteins. The identities of selected proteins recognized by antisera were determined. Production of at least four of these proteins (azurin and three proteases: elastase, PrpL, and PasP) is governed by quorum sensing, consistent with active bacterial quorum sensing in the lungs of CF patients. The CF lung is generally thought to be an iron-deficient environment for infecting bacteria, and growing the bacteria in the presence of an iron-chelating agent, ethylene-diamine-di(o-hydroxyphenylacetic acid), enabled detection of additional proteins that were recognized by patient sera. The sera also detected multiple proteins from cells in the logarithmic growth phase, and protein identification suggested that most of these were the result of cell lysis or secretion in membrane vesicles. Comparison with extracellular proteins from a second P. aeruginosa strain, strain Pa4, showed that many proteins recognized by patient sera are common to both strains, although there are also some strain-specific extracellular proteins. Our data show that while there are some differences in the responses of different patients to P. aeruginosa, there are also many similarities, and that an immunoproteomics approach enables the identification of proteins that are made by P. aeruginosa during infection.
Relationship between Personality Traits and Nutrition Habits

Dietary habits, personality traits, and food neophobia all showed significant differences according to the frequency of family meals. Such nutritional imbalance can be attributed to frequent skipping of meals, poor breakfast habits, irregular meal times, excessive pressure on academic and career issues, and excessive intake of junk food. Based on the results of the study, the frequency of family meals affects dietary habits, personality traits, and food neophobia in adolescents. Such nutritional imbalance can be attributed to frequent skipping of meals, poor breakfast habits, irregular meal times, excessive pressure on academic and career issues, and excessive intake of junk food.
Trehalose dimycolate enhances resistance to infection in neutropenic animals

Bacterial infections are lethal complications of neutropenia, and antibiotics alone are inadequate therapy for these infections. Irradiated mice become severely neutropenic and remain susceptible to infection for 2 to 3 weeks, depending on the dose and quality of radiation. Some bacterial cell wall derivatives stimulate nonspecific host defense mechanisms against a variety of microbes which might cause postirradiation infection. In this study we determined if the cell wall glycolipid trehalose dimycolate (TDM), derived from Mycobacterium phlei, or a synthetic preparation of TDM was able to (i) enhance survival in mice when given before or after lethal doses of 60Co radiation and (ii) increase nonspecific resistance to postirradiation infection. Treatment with TDM oil-in-water emulsions and with synthetic TDM significantly enhanced survival before and after lethal doses of 60Co irradiation. This result correlated with the ability of TDM to reduce the translocation of intestinal bacteria and to stimulate hematopoiesis. With respect to nonspecific resistance to infection, TDM injected 1 h after sublethal irradiation increased resistance to a lethal Klebsiella pneumoniae challenge (10 50% lethal doses of K. pneumoniae in 30 days [LD50/30]) 4 or 14 days later. Increasing the dose of K. pneumoniae to 5,000 LD50/30 on day 4 overwhelmed the ability of TDM-treated mice to overcome infection. However, TDM treatment 1 h postirradiation combined with ceftriaxone antibiotic therapy (days 5 through 14) enhanced survival, even when the higher dose of bacteria (5,000 LD50/30) was used. These results indicate that in irradiated mice, TDM can be used to enhance survival and, as a potent stimulant of nonspecific resistance to infection in neutropenic mice, can act synergistically with antibiotic therapy to reduce sepsis and mortality.
The emotional intelligence’s effect on job satisfaction of bank salespeople

This research tested the effect of emotional intelligence (EI) on job satisfaction (JS), with positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA) as mediators and organizational learning capability (OLC) as a moderator. Respondents of this research are 132 salespeople of banks in Banyumas Regency, Central Java Indonesia. They completed 59 items on distributed questionnaires. Results using structural equation modeling indicated that positive effect of EI on JS was not significant; instead, the effect was significantly mediated by PA. Furthermore, EI had significant positive effect on PA and PA had significant positive effect on JS as well. Those results confirm expectation derived from Affective Events Theory regarding the role of work affectivity as an interface between personality and work attitudes. Meanwhile, EI had insignificant negative effect on NA and NA also had insignificant negative effect on JS, therefore, NA was not a significant mediator of EI’s effect on JS. Different from expectations, OLC was not a significant moderator of the effect itself.
Distribution of a putative endothelial barrier antigen in the ocular and orbital tissues of the rat.

BACKGROUND--A rat endothelial barrier antigen (EBA) recognised by a monoclonal antibody has been shown to be expressed strongly by endothelial cells of brain capillaries possessing a blood-brain barrier and only weakly expressed by fenestrated brain vessels. METHODS--In this study immunocytochemical methods for light and electron microscopy were used to study EBA distribution in the eye and orbital tissues of the rat. RESULTS--Blood-ocular barrier vessels in the optic nerve, retina, iris, and some vessels in th choroid and ciliary body were immunopositive for EBA. By pre-embedding immunocytochemistry for electron microscopy the antigen was observed on the luminal endothelial cell surface. CONCLUSION--Surprisingly, some non-barrier vessels in the ciliary body and choroid expressed EBA suggesting that it may play a broader role in endothelial properties than previously recognised. The functional significance of EBA remains to be elucidated.
The epidemiology of walking for physical activity in the United States.

PURPOSE The purpose of this paper was to describe the epidemiology of walking for physical activity among respondents to the U.S. Physical Activity Study. Correlates of walking among people who never walk for physical activity, those who walk regularly, and people who walk occasionally were compared. METHODS Data on walking, personal and environmental correlates, and sociodemographics were collected via telephone using a modified random-digit-dialing technique on a national sample. Three categories were analyzed: Regular walkers were those who met public health recommendations by walking (5x wk-1 and 30 min at a time), occasional walkers were those who walked for physical activity but did not meet this recommendation, and never walkers were those who never walked for physical activity. Multiple logistic regression resulting in odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals were calculated. RESULTS Thirty-four percent of this population were regular walkers, 45.6% occasional walkers, and 20.7% never walkers. Walkers reported using neighborhood streets, shopping malls, and parks for walking. Regular walkers had more self-confidence and more social support than occasional or never walkers. Occasional and never walkers reported time as a barrier more than regular walkers (OR 1.91 and 2.36). Never walkers were more likely (OR 3.25) to report feeling unhealthy and more likely (OR 4.43) to report lacking energy to exercise. CONCLUSION Our results identify important information that can be used to help guide future interventions that promote walking as a form of physical activity. An ecological approach that combines individual (e.g., self-confidence), interpersonal (e.g., social support), and community aspects (e.g., improve streets for walking) may be the most beneficial.
Development, Stability, and Molecular Mechanisms of Macrolide Resistance in Campylobacter jejuni

ABSTRACT Previous studies of macrolide resistance in Campylobacter were primarily focused on strains from various origins or used in vitro systems. In this study, we conducted both in vitro and in vivo experiments to examine the development, stability, and genetic basis of macrolide resistance in Campylobacter jejuni using erythromycin-resistant (Eryr) mutants derived from the same parent strain. Chickens inoculated with low-level Eryr mutants (MIC = 32 or 64 μg/ml) at 15 days old did not shed highly Eryr mutants (MIC > 512 μg/ml) after prolonged exposure to a low dose of tylosin. The low-level Ery resistance was not stable in vitro or in vivo in the absence of macrolide selection pressure. However, high-level Ery resistance displayed remarkable stability in vitro and in vivo. Ribosomal sequence analysis of 69 selected Eryr mutants showed that specific point mutations (A2074G or A2074C) occurred in all highly Eryr mutants. No mutations in ribosomal protein L4 were observed in any of the in vitro-selected Eryr mutants. However, three specific mutations in L4, G74D, G57D, and G57V, were widely found among in vivo-selected Eryr mutants. Insertion of three amino acids, TSH, at position 98 in ribosomal protein L22 was observed only in mutants selected in vitro. Inactivation of the CmeABC efflux pump dramatically reduced Ery MICs in Eryr mutants. Together, these findings suggest that multiple factors contribute to the emergence of highly EryrCampylobacter in chicken, reveal resistance level-dependent stability of macrolide resistance in C. jejuni, and indicate that C. jejuni utilizes complex and different mechanisms to develop Ery resistance in vitro and in vivo.
Lower Ankle-Brachial Index Is Related to Worse Cognitive Performance in Old Age

Objective: We aimed to study the associations between peripheral artery disease (PAD) and ankle-brachial index (ABI) and performance in a range of cognitive domains in nondemented elderly persons. Methods: Data were collected within the Lothian Birth Cohort 1921 and 1936 studies. These are two narrow-age cohorts at age 87 (n = 170) and 73 (n = 748) years. ABI was analyzed as a dichotomous (PAD vs. no PAD) and a continuous measure. PAD was defined as having an ABI less than 0.90. Measures of nonverbal reasoning, verbal declarative memory, verbal fluency, working memory, and processing speed were administered. Both samples were screened for dementia. Results: We observed no significant differences in cognitive performance between persons with or without PAD. However, higher ABI was associated with better general cognition (β = .23, p = .02, R2 change = .05) and processing speed (β = .29, p < .01, R2 change = .08) in the older cohort and better processing speed (β = .12, p < .01, R2 change = .01) in the younger cohort. This was after controlling for age, sex, and childhood mental ability and excluding persons with abnormally high ABI (>1.40) and a history of cardiovascular or cerebrovascular disease. Conclusion: Lower ABI is associated with worse cognitive performance in old age, especially in the oldest old (>85 years), possibly because of long-term exposure to atherosclerotic disease. Interventions targeting PAD in persons free of manifest cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease may reduce the incidence of cognitive impairment and dementia.
Crystal Structures of a Plant Trypsin Inhibitor from Enterolobium contortisiliquum (EcTI) and of Its Complex with Bovine Trypsin

A serine protease inhibitor from Enterolobium contortisiliquum (EcTI) belongs to the Kunitz family of plant inhibitors, common in plant seeds. It was shown that EcTI inhibits the invasion of gastric cancer cells through alterations in integrin-dependent cell signaling pathway. We determined high-resolution crystal structures of free EcTI (at 1.75 Å) and complexed with bovine trypsin (at 2 Å). High quality of the resulting electron density maps and the redundancy of structural information indicated that the sequence of the crystallized isoform contained 176 residues and differed from the one published previously. The structure of the complex confirmed the standard inhibitory mechanism in which the reactive loop of the inhibitor is docked into trypsin active site with the side chains of Arg64 and Ile65 occupying the S1 and S1′ pockets, respectively. The overall conformation of the reactive loop undergoes only minor adjustments upon binding to trypsin. Larger deviations are seen in the vicinity of Arg64, driven by the needs to satisfy specificity requirements. A comparison of the EcTI-trypsin complex with the complexes of related Kunitz inhibitors has shown that rigid body rotation of the inhibitors by as much as 15° is required for accurate juxtaposition of the reactive loop with the active site while preserving its conformation. Modeling of the putative complexes of EcTI with several serine proteases and a comparison with equivalent models for other Kunitz inhibitors elucidated the structural basis for the fine differences in their specificity, providing tools that might allow modification of their potency towards the individual enzymes.
North-Holland Coordinating research through research joint ventures

In a simple model, we show that a joint venture can implement the rates of investment that maximize joint profit when firms’ research abilities are private information. This can be done with budget balance, even though there are participation constraints. There is no conflict between budget balance and participation constraints because firms’ payoffs can depend on ex post signals of abilities. The conflict between budget balance and participation constraints is restored when both abilities and rates of investment are unobservable. We give a condition under which the profit-maximizing rates of investment can be implemented if we relax budget balance.
Coaching for the Scholastic Aptitude Test: Further Synthesis and Appraisal

Analyses of results of studies documented in 23 reports on coaching for the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) indicated that, on average, coaching can help increase SAT scores. However, considerable variability in results for 48 studies reflected the fact that not all coaching is necessarily effective and that all studies of coaching do not provide similar views of coaching’s effectiveness. Results of published and unpublished studies were analyzed separately. Characteristics related to the magnitudes of coaching effects included date of publication of the study, whether the study was sponsored by the Educational Testing Service and used as a comparison group, whether instruction included test practice and attention to test-taking skills, and whether homework was assigned to students. Coaching effects were stronger for the SAT Mathematical subtest. Published comparison studies gave consistent results with coached groups exceeding controls by 0.09 standard deviations on SAT-V and 0.16 on SAT-M. Studies of coaching were found to be rather poorly reported and designed without much attention to the issues discussed in reviews of the coaching literature.
Efficacy and safety of Monascus purpureus Went rice in subjects with hyperlipidemia.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to assess the lipid-lowering effect of Monascus purpureus Went rice on serum lipids in patients with hyperlipidemia, and to assess its safety by reporting adverse events and clinical laboratory measurements. DESIGN AND METHODS This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. In all, 79 patients (aged 23-65 years) with a mean baseline low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) level of 5.28 mmol/l (203.9 mg/dl) received a twice daily dose of placebo or Monascus purpureus Went rice (600 mg) for 8 weeks. RESULTS At week 8, Monascus purpureus Went rice therapy reduced LDL-C by 27.7%, total cholesterol by 21.5%, triglycerides by 15.8% and apolipoprotein B by 26.0%. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol and apolipoprotein A-I levels were increased by 0.9 and 3.4% respectively (not significant). No patient in the Monascus purpureus Went rice treatment group had an alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) or creatine phosphokinase (CPK) measurement that was > or = 3 times the upper limit of normal at week 4 and week 8. CONCLUSION Monascus purpureus Went rice significantly reduced LDL-C, total cholesterol, triglycerides and apolipoprotein B levels, and was well tolerated in patients with hyperlipidemia. However, this study only provides data from an 8-week trial and long-term safety and efficacy data are needed.
The Molecular Epidemiology and Genetic Environment of Carbapenemases Detected in Africa.

Research articles describing carbapenemases and their genetic environments in Gram-negative bacteria were reviewed to determine the molecular epidemiology of carbapenemases in Africa. The emergence of resistance to the carbapenems, the last resort antibiotic for difficult to treat bacterial infections, affords clinicians few therapeutic options, with a resulting increase in morbidities, mortalities, and healthcare costs. However, the molecular epidemiology of carbapenemases throughout Africa is less described. Research articles and conference proceedings describing the genetic environment and molecular epidemiology of carbapenemases in Africa were retrieved from Google Scholar, Scifinder, Pubmed, Web of Science, and Science Direct databases. Predominant carbapenemase genes so far described in Africa include the blaOXA-48 type, blaIMP, blaVIM, and blaNDM in Acinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter cloacae, Citrobacter spp. , and Escherichia coli carried on various plasmid types and sizes, transposons, and integrons. Class D and class B carbapenemases, mainly prevalent in A. baumannii, K. pneumoniae, E. cloacae, Citrobacter spp. , and E. coli were the commonest carbapenemases. Carbapenemases are mainly reported in North and South Africa as under-resourced laboratories, lack of awareness and funding preclude the detection and reporting of carbapenemase-mediated resistance. Consequently, the true molecular epidemiology of carbapenemases and their genetic environment in Africa is still unknown.
Thromboembolic Disorders: Guidance for Return-to-Play

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Treatment for VTE in athletes is similar to nonathletes. Early treatment of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) with bed rest and anticoagulation has given way to anticoagulation with early mobilization. Thrombolysis, preferably catheter-directed thrombolysis (CDT), may be used in select patients with upper extremity DVT (UEDVT). Surgical procedures should be reserved for those athletes with UEDVT who fail initial therapy. Compression devices are advocated for the treatment of postthrombotic symptoms (PTS) in lower extremity DVT (LEDVT) and UEDVT. Athletes with DVT should be encouraged to start a gradual return to activities of daily living (ADL) the day they begin anticoagulation therapy. A structured return-to-training program with progressive increase in intensity can begin shortly after ADL mastery, provided the athlete is monitored carefully for recurrence of VTE. Athletes should not engage in contact or collision sports until anticoagulation therapy is complete.
Positive Interdependence, Academic and Collaborative-Skills Group Contingencies, and Isolated Students

The effects of (a) opportunity to interact with classmates, (b) positive goal interdependence, (c) positive goal and positive reward interdependence, and (d) positive goal and reward interdependence with an added contingency for the use of collaborative skills were investigated. The dependent measures were achievement, interpersonal attraction, and the voluntary use of collaborative skills by socially withdrawn and isolated students. Four socially isolated and withdrawn sixth-grade students (two male and two female) were studied in a reading class. The results indicate that both positive goal and reward interdependence are needed to maximize student achievement and the interpersonal attraction between socially withdrawn and nonhandicapped students. The specific reinforcement for engaging in collaborative skills was required to maximize the voluntary engagement in the skills by socially withdrawn and isolated students.