Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Immunization with a Chimera Consisting of the B Subunit of Shiga Toxin Type 2 and Brucella Lumazine Synthase Confers Total Protection against Shiga Toxins in Mice

The striking feature of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) infections is the production of Shiga toxins (Stx) implicated in the development of the life-threatening hemolytic uremic syndrome. Despite the magnitude of the social impact of EHEC infections, no licensed vaccine or effective therapy is available for human use. One of the biggest challenges is to develop an effective and safe immunogen to ensure nontoxicity, as well as a strong input to the immune system to induce long-lasting, high-affinity Abs with anti-Stx–neutralizing capacity. The enzyme lumazine synthase from Brucella spp. (BLS) is a highly stable dimer of pentamers and a scaffold with enormous plasticity on which to display foreign Ags. Taking into account the advantages of BLS and the potential capacity of the B subunit of Stx2 to induce Abs that prevent Stx2 toxicity by blocking its entrance into the host cells, we engineered a new immunogen by inserting the B subunit of Stx2 at the amino termini of BLS. The resulting chimera demonstrated a strong capacity to induce a long-lasting humoral immune response in mice. The chimera induced Abs with high neutralizing capacity for Stx2 and its variants. Moreover, immunized mice were completely protected against i.v. Stx2 challenge, and weaned mice receiving an oral challenge with EHEC were completely protected by the transference of immune sera. We conclude that this novel immunogen represents a promising candidate for vaccine or Ab development with preventive or therapeutic ends, for use in hemolytic uremic syndrome–endemic areas or during future outbreaks caused by pathogenic strains of Stx-producing E. coli.
Initial symptoms are caused by an increase in muscle tone : back pain , trismus and muscle stiffness are almost universal symptoms , and over 80 % of patients experience dysphagia

C. L. Thwaites University of Oxford Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Unit, Centre for Tropical Diseases, 190 Ben Ham Tu, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; E-mail: lthwaites@hcm.vnn. vn Practical Neurology, 2002, 3, 130–7 Introduction Tetanus is a rare disease in the UK (about 6 cases per year) but it is an important disease world-wide – approximately 500 000 neonates, and similar numbers of adults and children, die from tetanus every year (Dietz et al. 1996). Although much is now known about the pathophysiology of the disease, rather few advances have been made in treatment and the mortality remains high despite modern intensive care facilities. This article will present a general review of the literature concerning tetanus. It will focus on what evidence there is for optimal diagnosis and management, and highlight the key clinical issues that concern the physician when caring for a patient with tetanus
Information to fight the flab: findings from the Net.Weight study

The purpose of the paper is to examine information use and information literacy in the context of weight management. It reports on a two-year study funded by the Department of Health known informally as the Net.Weight Study. Net.Weight examined the potential for increased, innovative and effective uses of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to support the self management of weight. The research was conducted in the city of Brighton & Hove by an inter-disciplinary team from the University of Brighton. The paper gives a brief overview of the various methods used in the study as a whole but discusses one strand, the user survey, in more detail. The survey gathered data on people’s information and ICT use around weight management. The design of the survey questionnaire required the adaptation of existing literacy assessment instruments and this process is described in this paper. The findings show that people use a wide range of information sources for information and support around weight management. The most useful sources are slimming groups, food packaging, friends and family, magazines, TV and health books, thus representing a variety of media, formal and informal, and including human sources. The internet was reported to be a useful source for around half the survey respondents and is most often used for information about diet and exercise. A majority of respondents described themselves as active information seekers and confident about their information skills. They are less confident about internet information than information generally and even less confident about using the internet to support weight management activities. The concept of literacies, particularly around information and health, provide a framework for examining the Net.Weight findings. The findings are discussed in terms of their implications for health information policy and for those interested in applying information literacy theory to health. The role of healthcare practitioners in weight management information is addressed, as is the need for targeted rather than generic health information. It is suggested that the work done in the education sector to increase awareness of information literacy and improve skills could provide a useful model of good practice in a health context. However, the evidence provided by the Net.Weight study suggests that for such an approach to be relevant it needs to reflect the complexity of health information processes in everyday lives.
Paddy and Biddy no more: An evolutionary analysis of the decline in Irish Catholic forenames among descendants of 19th century Irish migrants to Britain

Background: Recent research into cultural evolution has suggested that the distribution of many culturally neutral traits, including forenames, can be explained by a model of random copying, analogous to the process of random genetic drift. Aim: We test the proposition that in particular circumstances some forenames may not be neutral but, again by analogy with population genetics, may be subject to selection. Data sources and methods: The case study used to test this idea is the situation of Irish migrants and their descendants in late 19th century England and Wales. We compare forename frequencies among first- and second-generation Irish at the 1881 census of England and Wales, and show that in all counties studied the frequencies of the indicative Irish Catholic forenames Patrick and Bridget were much lower in the second-generation Irish, a result which applies consistently throughout 17 counties of England and Wales chosen for their substantial Irish-born populations. Conclusion: These results are explicable under a model of cultural evolution, informed by the historiography of Irish migration after the Great Famine, including the perception of derogatory Irish stereotypes exemplified by the sobriquets ‘Paddy’ and ‘Biddy’.
Patterns of Early Socialization: Mother-and Father-Infant Interaction in the Home

To provide a description of early socialization patterns in the home, naturalistic observations of the families of 24 first-born infants (four boys and four girls at each of three ages: 11, 14, and 17 months) were conducted. Four kinds of parental socializing practices were recorded: behavioral socialization, cognitive socialization, parent-infant play, and short-term behavioral regulation. The majority of interactions fell into the cognitive socialization and short-term behavioral regulation categories. Parental socialization practices were geared to the child's developmental level: attempts to regulate infant attention and aggression decreased with age; attempts to engage infants in planful, self-regulated sequences of behavior (household responsibilities and prosocial behavior) increased. Mothers attempted to enforce more household rules than did fathers, and both mothers and fathers were more likely to discourage aggression and encourage prosocial behavior in their girls, and to encourage household responsibilities and turn-taking games in their boys.
Perceptions of Business Purpose and Responsibility in the Context of Radical Political and Economic Development: The Case of Estonia

The purpose of business and corporate responsibility, or corporate social responsibility (CSR), is a topic that has been widely discussed and debated in most developed countries of the world. Over the past 20 years, the field has grown rapidly, and it is still gaining importance every day. Similar developments can also be seen in the new capitalist economies, where these issues are attracting increasing attention, more studies are being conducted and more articles published (Bohata 2004, Fekete 2004, Gasparski 2004, Kooskora 2004a, Vasiljeviene & Vasiljev 2004). This article examines how CSR is understood and perceived in Estonia – a post-socialist country that has recently become capitalist. In order to understand the importance of the context, this paper offers an overview of the main results of surveys conducted about the transition process in Estonia and presents the different development stages describing business purposes and perceived responsibilities in the last 20 years in Estonia. The empirical part of the article is primarily based on the results of in-depth interviews with 25 top Estonian managers and owners, often known as generalists, as the interviewees are all individuals with wide-ranging experience and the ability to generalise, and for comparison, the results of earlier studies are discussed. This paper approaches business purpose and corporate responsibility, or CSR, from the perspective of the two traditional contrasting views – the shareholder approach emphasised by Milton Friedman (1970) and the stakeholder theory proposed by Archie Carroll (1991) and Edward Freeman (1993, Freeman & Liedkta 1991) – but it also tables some of the other definitions used by various authors and institutions (Elkington 1999, European Commission, OECD, Business for Social Responsibility (BSR), etc.) who try to define corporate responsibility from different angles depending on their focus or context. Transition from the former centrally planned economies in Central and Eastern European countries (CEECs) to market economies has been cited as one of the most interesting and most important issues in contemporary economics and in the development of the world economy (Vensel 1996). Estonia has been one of the best examples and, therefore, much research has been carried Head of the Estonian Business School Ethics Centre, Tallinn, Estonia.
Synthesis of laminin and type IV collagen by trophoblastic cells and fibroblastic stromal cells in the early human placenta.

In situ hybridization was used on both routinely processed paraffin embedded tissue sections and cryosections to study the synthesis of the basement membrane (BM) proteins laminin and type IV collagen in early human placentas from 8 to 11 weeks of gestation. Complementary DNA and RNA probes coding for the pro alpha 1 (IV) chain of human type IV collagen and the B1 chain of human laminin were used to detect respective mRNA. The clusters of cytotrophoblastic cells (i.e., cytotrophoblastic cell columns) contained cells that expressed both laminin and type IV collagen mRNA. Nearly all the stromal cells of developing villi also expressed mRNA for these proteins, type IV collagen mRNA levels being more pronounced than those of laminin. Conversely, the cytotrophoblastic cells of the villous trophoblastic epithelium synthesized mRNA for laminin more actively than that for type IV collagen. Decidual cells, endometrial stromal cells, and cells in the wall of spiral arteries all expressed mRNA for both laminin and type IV collagen. The results of in situ hybridization were found to correlate well with immunohistochemical stainings with specific antibodies to laminin and type IV collagen. The trophoblastic cells of the columns and the stromal fibroblasts are shown to contribute significantly to BM protein synthesis in the developing human placenta. The abundance of BM proteins may indicate their significance in guiding tissue organization in the placenta.
Amino Acid 324 in the Simian Immunodeficiency Virus SIVmac V3 Loop Can Confer CD4 Independence and Modulate the Interaction with CCR5 and Alternative Coreceptors

ABSTRACT The V3 loop of the simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) envelope protein (Env) largely determines interactions with viral coreceptors. To define amino acids in V3 that are critical for coreceptor engagement, we functionally characterized Env variants with amino acid substitutions at position 324 in V3, which has previously been shown to impact SIV cell tropism. These changes modulated CCR5 engagement and, in some cases, allowed the efficient usage of CCR5 in the absence of CD4. The tested amino acid substitutions had highly differential effects on viral infectivity. Eleven of sixteen substitutions disrupted entry via CCR5 or the alternative coreceptor GPR15. Nevertheless, most of these variants replicated in the macaque T-cell line 221-89 and some also replicated in rhesus macaque peripheral blood monocytes, suggesting that efficient usage of CCR5 and GPR15 on cell lines is not a prerequisite for SIV replication in primary cells. Four variants showed enhanced entry into the macaque sMagi reporter cell line. However, sMagi cells did not express appreciable amounts of CCR5 and GPR15 mRNA, and entry into these cells was not efficiently blocked by a small-molecule CCR5 antagonist, suggesting that sMagi cells express as-yet-unidentified entry cofactors. In summary, we found that a single amino acid at position 324 in the SIV Env V3 loop can modulate both the efficiency and the types of coreceptors engaged by Env and allow for CD4-independent fusion in some cases.
In Heidegger's shadow: a phenomenological critique of Critical Realism

The field of International Relations (IR) although in many quarters still immersed in the epistemological trenches surrounding the fourth debate between positivism and post-positivism saw the emergence of a renewed interest and debate about the state and rigour of ‘our’ ontological assumptions. One currently very prominent contribution to this emerging or re-emerging interest in ontological questions can be found in the Critical Realist (CR) approach.
Ways of observing conditioned reinforcement

When experimenters require their subjects to perform some readily recorded response to gain access to discriminative stimuli but do not permit this behavior to alter the schedule of reinforcement, the response is classified, by analogy, as an "observing" response. Observing responses have been used not only to analyze discrimination learning but also to substantiate the concept of conditioned reinforcement and to measure the reinforcing effect of stimuli serving other behavioral functions. A controversy, however, centers around the puzzling question of how observing can be sustained when the resulting stimuli are not associated with any increase in the frequency of primary reinforcement. Two possible answers have been advanced: (a) that differential preparatory responses to these stimuli as conditional stimuli make both the receipt and the nonreceipt of unconditional stimuli more reinforcing; and (b) that information concerning biologically significant events is inherently reinforcing. It appears, however, that the stimulus associated with the less desirable outcome is not reinforcing. The maintenance of observing can be reconciled with the traditional theory that the acquisition of reinforcing properties proceeds according to the same rules as those for Pavlovian conditioning if it is recognized that the subject is selective in what it observes and procures a greater than proportionate exposure to the stimulus associated with the more desirable outcome. As a result of this selection, the overall frequency of primary reinforcement increases in the presence of the observed stimuli and declines in the presence of the nondifferential stimuli that prevail when the subject is not observing.
MEK-dependent negative feedback underlies BCR-ABL-mediated oncogene addiction.

UNLABELLED The clinical experience with BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) for the treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) provides compelling evidence for oncogene addiction. Yet, the molecular basis of oncogene addiction remains elusive. Through unbiased quantitative phosphoproteomic analyses of CML cells transiently exposed to BCR-ABL TKI, we identified persistent downregulation of growth factor receptor (GF-R) signaling pathways. We then established and validated a tissue-relevant isogenic model of BCR-ABL-mediated addiction, and found evidence for myeloid GF-R signaling pathway rewiring that profoundly and persistently dampens physiologic pathway activation. We demonstrate that eventual restoration of ligand-mediated GF-R pathway activation is insufficient to fully rescue cells from a competing apoptotic fate. In contrast to previous work with BRAF(V600E) in melanoma cells, feedback inhibition following BCR-ABL TKI treatment is markedly prolonged, extending beyond the time required to initiate apoptosis. Mechanistically, BCR-ABL-mediated oncogene addiction is facilitated by persistent high levels of MAP-ERK kinase (MEK)-dependent negative feedback. SIGNIFICANCE We found that BCR–ABL can confer addiction in vitro by rewiring myeloid GF-R signaling through establishment of MEK-dependent negative feedback. Our findings predict that deeper, more durable responses to targeted agents across a range of malignancies may be facilitated by maintaining negative feedback concurrently with oncoprotein inhibition.
Using learning technology in university courses: do styles matter?

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the relevance of three different types of styles measure for students' learning in a large introductory university course in psychology, using information technology to enhance teaching. The paper examines the relationship between styles, the usage of learning technology, and academic performance in this course.Design/methodology/approach – Styles are measured using approaches to learning, thinking styles, and cognitive styles. The usage of the online material is measured by considering both time spent on the resources and the amount of material viewed (pages and hits) as well as tools used.Findings – The findings are that the academic performance of students who used the online resources is significantly higher than those who either choose to not use the online materials at all or choose to use to the materials to a lesser extent. It is determined that the measure of approaches to learning (approaches and study skills inventory for students) is the strong.
Choosing to be open: An empirical investigation of subjective reasons for self‐disclosing

This investigation examined self‐disclosure as a consequence of subjective choices. Results of several analyses demonstrated the importance of the target‐discloser relationship (and the minor influence of setting composition, situational intimacy and discloser sex) for determining a person's subjective reasons for self‐disclosing. Reciprocity and Impression Formation were found to be important reasons for disclosing to strangers, and Relationship Maintenance/Enhancement, Self‐Clarification, and Reciprocity were found to be important reasons for disclosing to friends. Regression analyses indicated that Catharsis best predicted amount of disclosure to strangers, whereas both Relationship Maintenance/Enhancement and Catharsis predicted amount of disclosure to friends.
An Evolutionary Psychology Perspective on Gift Giving among Young Adults.

With evolutionary psychology used as the theoretical framework, two aspects of gift giving among young adults are investigated: (a) sex differences in motives for giving gifts to a romantic partner, and (b) the allocation of gift expenditures among various relations, including romantic partners, close friends, close kin, and distant kin members. As per the evolved sex differences in mating strategies, it is proposed and found that men report tactical motives for giving gifts to their romantic partners more frequently than women. Also, there are no sex differences in situational motives for giving gifts. In addition, women are aware that men use tactical motives more often; whereas men think that these motives are employed equally by both sexes. With regard to gift expenditures it is found that, for kin members, the amount spent on gifts increases with the genetic relatedness (r value) of the particular kin. When all relations (kin and nonkin members) are included, the allocation of gift expenditures were the highest to romantic partners, followed by those to close kin members and then to close friends. The latter finding is explained via the importance attached to the evolved psychological mechanisms linked to each of the above relations, namely, reproductive fitness (for partners), nonreproductive fitness (for close kin members), and reciprocal altruism (for close friends). 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Impact of Randomized Trials Comparing Conventional and Endovascular Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair on Clinical Practice

Purpose: To report a retrospective study into the effects of trials on clinical decision-making regarding abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) patients suitable for both conventional open (OR) and endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR). Methods: A questionnaire was sent to 1400 Dutch surgeons and trainees. Interviewees had to choose between OR and EVAR for AAA patients with and without comorbidity. Specifically, their preferences before and after the publication of 2 randomized trials (EVAR-1 and DREAM) were polled. Results: Of the 524 (37%) questionnaires returned, 223 (43%) respondents treated AAA patients. Before publication of the trials, 160 (72%) preferred OR for the patient without comorbidity and 169 (76%) preferred EVAR for the patient with comorbidity. In total, 72 (32%) respondents changed their preference after the trials were published; however, there was no overall major shift. Focusing on the different cases revealed that the OR preference was significantly enhanced for the patient without comorbidity (p<0.01), while the EVAR preference was significantly enhanced for the patient with comorbidity (p<0.05). Conclusion: The randomized trials have not induced major overall changes in surgical decision-making for AAA patients suitable for both EVAR and OR.
A Theory of 'Crying Wolf': The Economics of Money Laundering Enforcement

The article shows how excessive reporting, called "crying wolf", can dilute the information value of reports and how more reports can mean less information. Excessive reporting is investigated by undertaking the first formal analysis of money laundering enforcement. Banks monitor transactions and report suspicious activity to government agencies, which use these reports to identify investigation targets. Banks face fines should they fail to report money laundering. However, excessive fines force banks to report transactions which are less suspicious. The empirical evidence is shown to be consistent with the model's predictions. The model is used to suggest implementable corrective policy measures, such as decreasing fines and introducing reporting fees. The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Yale University. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org, Oxford University Press.