Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria Inoculation to Enhance Vegetative Growth, Nitrogen Fixation and Nitrogen Remobilisation of Maize under Greenhouse Conditions

Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) may provide a biological alternative to fix atmospheric N2 and delay N remobilisation in maize plant to increase crop yield, based on an understanding that plant-N remobilisation is directly correlated to its plant senescence. Thus, four PGPR strains were selected from a series of bacterial strains isolated from maize roots at two locations in Malaysia. The PGPR strains were screened in vitro for their biochemical plant growth-promoting (PGP) abilities and plant growth promotion assays. These strains were identified as Klebsiella sp. Br1, Klebsiella pneumoniae Fr1, Bacillus pumilus S1r1 and Acinetobacter sp. S3r2 and a reference strain used was Bacillus subtilis UPMB10. All the PGPR strains were tested positive for N2 fixation, phosphate solubilisation and auxin production by in vitro tests. In a greenhouse experiment with reduced fertiliser-N input (a third of recommended fertiliser-N rate), the N2 fixation abilities of PGPR in association with maize were determined by 15N isotope dilution technique at two harvests, namely, prior to anthesis (D50) and ear harvest (D65). The results indicated that dry biomass of top, root and ear, total N content and bacterial colonisations in non-rhizosphere, rhizosphere and endosphere of maize roots were influenced by PGPR inoculation. In particular, the plants inoculated with B. pumilus S1r1 generally outperformed those with the other treatments. They produced the highest N2 fixing capacity of 30.5% (262 mg N2 fixed plant−1) and 25.5% (304 mg N2 fixed plant−1) of the total N requirement of maize top at D50 and D65, respectively. N remobilisation and plant senescence in maize were delayed by PGPR inoculation, which is an indicative of greater grain production. This is indicated by significant interactions between PGPR strains and time of harvests for parameters on N uptake and at. % 15Ne of tassel. The phenomenon is also supported by the lower N content in tassels of maize treated with PGPR, namely, B. pumilus S1r1, K. pneumoniae Fr1, B. subtilis UPMB10 and Acinetobacter sp. S3r2 at D65 harvest. This study provides evidence that PGPR inoculation, namely, B. pumilus S1r1 can biologically fix atmospheric N2 and provide an alternative technique, besides plant breeding, to delay N remobilisation in maize plant for higher ear yield (up to 30.9%) with reduced fertiliser-N input.
Cecal Ligation and Puncture Sepsis Is Associated with Attenuated Expression of Adenylyl Cyclase 9 and Increased Mir142-3p

The host inflammatory response in sepsis may be resolved by endogenous anti-inflammatory immune cell responses, avoiding fatal pathogenesis, organ injury, and death. The intracellular signaling mediator cyclic 3&vprime;5&vprime;-adenosine monophosphate is a potent modulator of inflammatory responses and initiates the polarization of immune cells in a direction that suppresses inflammatory activation. Cyclic 3&vprime;5&vprime;-adenosine monophosphate is enzymatically produced by adenylyl cyclases (ACs). The expression of ACs is previously shown to be reduced in rat organs after in vivo endotoxemia, concurrent with the progressing systemic inflammation. In the present study, tissue AC gene expression and regulation are explored in a rat model of cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) sepsis. Eighteen hours after CLP operation, expression of several AC isoforms in the liver, spleen, and kidney was reduced, significantly so for AC9 in all tissues. AC9 expression is regulated by the microRNA miR142-3p in T cells. When microRNA was extracted and amplified for miR142-3p expression, it was increasingly expressed 18 h after CLP. A correlation between increased miR142-3p and decreased AC9 expression was found in the liver, kidney, and spleen, and when hepatocytes, Kupffer cells (KCs), and liver sinusoidal endothelial cells were isolated after CLP, reduced AC expression and increased miR142-3p expression were found in KCs and liver sinusoidal endothelial cells. Transfecting a miR142-3p inhibitor probe in rat KCs abolished LPS-mediated AC9 inhibition in vitro. These results indicate that CLP leads to miR142-3p-mediated AC9 reduction in liver macrophages, which may further limit cyclic 3&vprime;5&vprime;-adenosine monophosphate signaling and the ability of macrophages to resolve the proinflammatory response.
Hemihidrosis due to skin pressure with particular remarks on the intensity and area of the pressure stimuli.

Sweating of symmetrical areas of the torso was measured by means of both the filter paper method and electrohygrometric method. Spontaneous sweating rates of the left and right side of the upper and lower chest and the back were statistically highly correlated. Reduction of sweating by pressure application to the unilateral subaxillary region ("pressure hemihidrosis") was studied quantitatively with 12 combination of pressure stimuli, i.e., 1, 2, 3 and 4 kg weights applied to disks with a surface area of 2, 6 and 16.6 cm/, respectively. The amount of reduction in sweating rate was proportional to both the intensity and the surface area to pressure applied. It was revealed that hemihidrotic effects induced from the unit area of pressure stimulation was statistically highly correlated to the pressure intensity.
Changes in the Corneal Endothelial Cell Density and Morphology in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: a Population-Based Study, Sankara Nethralaya Diabetic Retinopathy And Molecular Genetics Study (SN-DREAMS, Report 23)

Purpose: To study the corneal endothelial cell density and morphological features in type 2 diabetic patients (cases) and compare it with nondiabetic subjects (controls) in a population-based cross-sectional study. Methods: Patients were recruited from the Sankara Nethralaya—Diabetic Retinopathy Epidemiology and Molecular Genetic Study, a population-based study to estimate the prevalence of type 2 diabetes and diabetic retinopathy in urban Chennai, South India. Corneal endothelial morphological features were recorded in all subjects using noncontact specular microscopy and central corneal thickness was measured using ultrasound pachymeter. Results: A total of 1191 cases and 121 controls were enrolled into the study. The mean corneal endothelial cell density (cells/mm2) was lower in cases than in controls (2550 ± 326 vs. 2634 ± 256; P = 0.001). No difference was observed in the mean pachymetry values, hexagonality %, and coefficient of variation of cell size between cases and controls. Multivariate regression analysis, after adjusting for age, showed the mean cell density to be lesser by 66 cells/mm2 (95% confidence interval, 6.3–125.9) among diabetic patients compared with nondiabetic subjects. Conclusions: The results of this study, from a large population-based sample, support the earlier theories of lower endothelial cell counts among subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus in comparison with nondiabetic controls.
Decision-making models in a Tunisian university: Towards a framework for analysis

Abstract This study investigates how decisions are made in Tunisian public higher education establishments. Some factors are identified as having a potentially significant impact on the odds that the decision-making process follows the characteristics of one of the most well known decision-making models: collegial, political, bureaucratic or anarchical model. For this, this investigation was based on some statistical methods related to qualitative variables and allowing to measure whether the hypotheses, identified through an inductive analysis, are expressible in the same terms and with the same acuteness in all Tunisian public higher education establishments. In particular, the results showed that how decisions are made is related to the nature of the decision itself: collegiality for pedagogic and scientific decisions, bureaucratic for decisions related to institutional management and politic for academic personnel decisions. This finding can help the university leadership to evaluate and improve the governance in the higher education establishment.
Hologram QSAR Studies of Antiprotozoal Activities of Sesquiterpene Lactones

Infectious diseases such as trypanosomiasis and leishmaniasis are considered neglected tropical diseases due the lack for many years of research and development into new drug treatments besides the high incidence of mortality and the lack of current safe and effective drug therapies. Natural products such as sesquiterpene lactones have shown activity against T. brucei and L. donovani, the parasites responsible for these neglected diseases. To evaluate structure activity relationships, HQSAR models were constructed to relate a series of 40 sesquiterpene lactones (STLs) with activity against T. brucei, T. cruzi, L. donovani and P. falciparum and also with their cytotoxicity. All constructed models showed good internal (leave-one-out q2 values ranging from 0.637 to 0.775) and external validation coefficients (r2test values ranging from 0.653 to 0.944). From HQSAR contribution maps, several differences between the most and least potent compounds were found. The fragment contribution of PLS-generated models confirmed the results of previous QSAR studies that the presence of α,β-unsatured carbonyl groups is fundamental to biological activity. QSAR models for the activity of these compounds against T. cruzi, L. donovani and P. falciparum are reported here for the first time. The constructed HQSAR models are suitable to predict the activity of untested STLs.
Tumorigenesis and Neoplastic Progression Lipid Raft Association Restricts CD 44-Ezrin Interaction and Promotion of Breast Cancer Cell Migration

Cancer cell migration is an early event in metastasis, the main cause of breast cancer-related deaths. Cholesterol-enriched membrane domains called lipid rafts influence the function of many molecules, including the raft-associated protein CD44. We describe a novel mechanism whereby rafts regulate interactions between CD44 and its binding partner ezrin in migrating breast cancer cells. Specifically, in nonmigrating cells, CD44 and ezrin localized to different membranous compartments: CD44 predominantly in rafts, and ezrin in nonraft compartments. After the induction of migration (either nonspecific or CD44-driven), CD44 affiliation with lipid rafts was decreased. This was accompanied by increased coprecipitation of CD44 and active (threonine-phosphorylated) ezrin-radixin-moesin (ERM) proteins in nonraft compartments and increased colocalization of CD44 with the nonraft protein, transferrin receptor. Pharmacological raft disruption using methyl-cyclodextrin also increased CD44-ezrin coprecipitation and colocalization, further suggesting that CD44 interacts with ezrin outside rafts during migration. Conversely, promoting CD44 retention inside lipid rafts by pharmacological inhibition of depalmitoylation virtually abolished CD44-ezrin interactions. However, transient single or double knockdown of flotillin-1 or caveolin-1 was not sufficient to increase cell migration over a short time course, suggesting complex crosstalk mechanisms. We propose a new model for CD44-dependent breast cancer cell migration, where CD44 must relocalize outside lipid rafts to drive cell migration. This could have implications for rafts as pharmacological targets to down-regulate
Dietary patterns and health and nutrition outcomes in men living with HIV infection.

BACKGROUND Nutritional status is an important determinant of HIV outcomes. OBJECTIVE We assessed the association between dietary patterns identified by cluster analysis and change in body mass index (BMI; in kg/m(2)), CD4 count, and viral load (VL). DESIGN HIV-positive adult male subjects (n = 348) with a BMI >or= 20.5 were evaluated by biochemical, body composition, and dietary data. Cluster analysis was performed on 41 designated food groups derived from 3-d food records. Dietary clusters were compared for sociodemographic, nutrient intake, and clinical outcomes. Multivariate linear regression assessed associations between dietary clusters and change in BMI, CD4 count, and VL. RESULTS We observed 3 dietary patterns: juice and soda; fast food and fruit drinks; and fruit, vegetable, and low-fat dairy. Subjects in the fast food and fruit drinks pattern had the lowest fiber intake, highest VL, and lowest CD4 count and had a lower income than did subjects in the other 2 clusters. Subjects in the fruit, vegetable, and low-fat dairy diet pattern had higher intakes of protein, fiber, and micronutrients and the highest BMI and CD4 count. Subjects in the juice and soda pattern had higher energy intakes and lowest BMI. On average, the fast food and fruit drinks cluster and fruit, vegetable, and low-fat dairy cluster gained 0.33 (P = 0.06) and 0.42 (P = 0.02), respectively, more in BMI than the juice and soda cluster across the study interval in a multivariate model. CONCLUSIONS In a cohort of HIV-positive men, we identified 3 distinct dietary patterns; each pattern was associated with specific nutrition, demographic, and HIV-related variables.
Workplace Congruence and Occupational Outcomes among Social Service Workers

Workplace expectations reflect an important consideration in employee experience. A higher prevalence of workplace congruence between worker and employer expectations has been associated with higher levels of productivity and overall workplace satisfaction across multiple occupational groups. Little research has investigated the relationship between workplace congruence and occupational health outcomes among social service workers. This study sought to better understand the extent to which occupational congruence contributes to occupational outcomes by surveying unionised social service workers (n = 674) employed with the Government of Alberta, Canada. Multiple regression analysis shows that greater congruence between workplace and worker expectations around workloads, workplace values and the quality of the work environment significantly: (i) decreases symptoms related to distress and secondary traumatic stress; (ii) decreases intentions to leave; and (iii) increases overall life satisfaction. The findings provide some evidence of areas within the workplace of large government run social welfare programmes that can be better aligned to worker expectations to improve occupational outcomes among social service workers.
Executive functioning in people with personality disorders

Purpose of review This review summarizes recent executive functions research to better delineate the nosology of personality disorders. Recent findings This review indicates that there are consistent impairments in executive functioning in people with personality disorders as compared with matched controls. Only five disorders were considered: borderline, obsessive–compulsive, antisocial, narcissistic, and schizotypal. Significant deficits are observed in decision-making, working memory, inhibition, and flexibility. Relevant data for the remaining personality disorders have not yet been published in relation to the executive functions. Summary People with personality disorders could present a pattern of neurocognitive alterations that suggest a specific impairment of the prefrontal areas. The executive dysfunctions could partially explain the behavioral alterations in people with personality disorders. Further research should adopt broader considerations of effects of comorbidity and clinical heterogeneity, include community samples and, possibly, longitudinal designs with samples of youth.
Effect of Media Usage Selection on Social Mobilization Speed: Facebook vs E-Mail

Social mobilization is a process that enlists a large number of people to achieve a goal within a limited time, especially through the use of social media. There is increasing interest in understanding the factors that affect the speed of social mobilization. Based on the Langley Knights competition data set, we analyzed the differences in mobilization speed between users of Facebook and e-mail. We include other factors that may influence mobilization speed (gender, age, timing, and homophily of information source) in our model as control variables in order to isolate the effect of such factors. We show that, in this experiment, although more people used e-mail to recruit, the mobilization speed of Facebook users was faster than that of those that used e-mail. We were also able to measure and show that the mobilization speed for Facebook users was on average seven times faster compared to e-mail before controlling for other factors. After controlling for other factors, we show that Facebook users were 1.84 times more likely to register compared to e-mail users in the next period if they have not done so at any point in time. This finding could provide useful insights for future social mobilization efforts.
Chemokine (C‐C motif) receptor 7 (CCR7) associates with the tumour immune microenvironment but not progression in invasive breast carcinoma

Some previous studies have reported that the chemokine (C‐C motif) receptor 7 (CCR7) plays a role in breast cancer, is associated with lymph node metastasis and drives the site of distant metastasis. However, the impact of its expression on patient outcome and its association with tumour infiltrating inflammatory cells remain to be validated. We evaluated CCR7 protein expression by immunohistochemistry in a large well characterized cohort (n = 866) of early invasive primary breast cancers. CCR7 was expressed in the cytoplasm and membrane of tumour cells. We observed a weak positive association of high CCR7 expression when in either cellular component, but not both together, with axillary lymph node stage 3 tumours (p = 0.043). Logistic regression analysis of lymph node stage revealed no independent predictive value for CCR7 expression. CCR7 expression was higher in HER2 positive tumours (p = 0.03) and associated with positive CD68+ FOXP3+ tumour infiltrating cells. CCR7 staining was negatively associated with CD3+ cells. There was no significant association of CCR7 expression with breast cancer recurrence or survival. We conclude that while CCR7 is not a useful biomarker for predicting lymph node metastasis, it may reflect altered intra‐ and inter‐cellular signalling related to the immune microenvironment. The subcellular localization of CCR7 appears to affect the nature of these interactions.
Examining Sport Team Identification, Social Connections, and Social Well-being among High School Students

Past research has found that sport team identification is positively correlated with social psychological health (Phua, 2012; Wann & Weaver, 2009) including work testing adolescent fans (Wann, Brasher, Thomas, & Scheuchner, in press). The current study was designed to extend previous investigations by examining the relationship between team identification and the establishment and maintenance of social connections. Data from 177 high school students confirmed expectations as identification with a high school football team was positively correlated with both social well-being and social connections. However, social connections were not found to mediate the relationship between identification and well-being, contrary to the team identification – social psychological health model (Wann, 2006b).
An image representation algorithm compatible with neural-associative-processor-based hardware recognition systems

A robust image representation algorithm compatible with the VLSI-matching-engine-based image recognition system has been developed. The spatial distributions of four-principal-direction edges in a 64 /spl times/ 64-pels gray scale image are coded to form a 64-dimension feature vector. Since the 2D edge information is reduced to a feature vector by projecting edge flags to the principal directions, it is named the projected principal-edge distribution (PPED) representation. The PPED vectors very well preserve the human perception of similarity among images in the vector space, while achieving a substantial dimensionality reduction in the image data. The PPED algorithm has been applied to medical radiograph analysis, which was taken as a test vehicle for algorithm optimization. The robust nature of the PPED representation has been confirmed by the recognition results comparable to the diagnosis by experts having several years of experience in a university hospital. Dedicated digital VLSI circuits have been developed for PPED vector generation in order to expedite the processing. A test hardware recognition system was constructed using the vector generation circuits, where the analog neural associative processor chip developed in a separate project was employed as a vector-matching engine. As a result, a successful medical radiograph analysis has been experimentally demonstrated using the hardware system. Feasibility of a very low-power operation of the system has been also demonstrated.
Denoising of image patches via sparse representations with learned statistical dependencies

We address the problem of denoising for image patches. The approach taken is based on Bayesian modeling of sparse representations, which takes into account dependencies between the dictionary atoms. Following recent work, we use a Boltzman machine to model the sparsity pattern. In this work we focus on the special case of a unitary dictionary and obtain the exact MAP estimate for the sparse representation using an efficient message passing algorithm. We present an adaptive model-based scheme for sparse signal recovery, which is based on sparse coding via message passing and on learning the model parameters from the data. This adaptive approach is applied on noisy image patches in order to recover their sparse representations over a fixed unitary dictionary. We compare the denoising performance to that of previous sparse recovery methods, which do not exploit the statistical dependencies, and show the effectiveness of our approach.