Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Strong association between N-acetyltransferase 2 genotype and PD in Hong Kong Chinese

Background: The slow acetylator genotype for N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2 genotype) may be associated with PD in white subjects and the genotype is common in both white and Chinese populations. Whether there is a relationship between NAT2 genotype and PD in Chinese subjects is not known. Objective: To investigate the association between the slow acetylator genotype for N-acetyltransferase 2 and PD in a Chinese population. Methods: The authors obtained DNA samples and documented sex, age, and smoking history in 99 Chinese patients with PD and in 126 control subjects from two major Hong Kong hospitals. PCR–restriction fragment length polymorphism was used to identify M1, M2, and M3 mutant polymorphisms of the slow acetylator genotype for N-acetyltransferase 2. Logistic regression analyses were carried out to investigate the relationships between the different variables and PD. Results: The frequency of the slow acetylator genotype for N-acetyltransferase 2 in the PD group was significantly higher than that of the control group (68.7% vs 28.6%) with an OR of 5.53 (95% CI 3.08 to 9.92) after adjusting for age, sex, and smoking history. In a subgroup analysis smoking had no modifying effect on the association between genotype and PD. Conclusions: There is a significant association between PD and the slow acetylator genotype for N-acetyltransferase 2 in Hong Kong Chinese. The OR found is among the highest reported so far in all susceptibility gene studies for PD in both Chinese and white subjects and provides evidence for a possible functional relationship between NAT2 slow acetylator genotype and PD in both racial groups.
Psychopathy trait scores in adolescents with childhood ADHD: the contribution of genotypes affecting MAOA, 5HTT and COMT activity

Objectives Psychopathy-related traits, especially those tapping the ‘emotional dysfunction’ aspect of psychopathy that is characterized by lack of emotional responsiveness, are thought to be of genetic origin, but molecular genetic studies are yet to be undertaken. Gene variants that affect COMT, MAOA and 5HTT activity have previously been linked to antisocial behaviour. The aims of this study were to test whether these gene variants are linked to psychopathy traits in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Methods Adolescents were followed up 5 years after an initial diagnosis of ADHD. Psychopathy trait scores were assessed [total scores and ‘emotional dysfunction’ (also referred to as ‘affective’) scores] and the MAOA 30-bp variable number of tandem repeats, SLC6A4 44-bp insertion/deletion and COMT Val158Met variants were genotyped. Results All three gene variants were associated with ‘emotional dysfunction’ scores. MAOA and 5HTT variants were associated with total psychopathy scores. The results were not explained by associated conduct disorder. Conclusion The results suggest that specific gene variants influence psychopathy traits in ADHD.
Palmitoylation of the Intracytoplasmic R Peptide of the Transmembrane Envelope Protein in Moloney Murine Leukemia Virus

ABSTRACT Previously it was reported that the 16-amino-acid (aa) C-terminal cytoplasmic tail of Moloney murine leukemia virus (MoMLV) transmembrane protein Pr15E is cleaved off during virus synthesis, yielding the mature, fusion active transmembrane protein p15E and the 16-aa peptide (R peptide or p2E). It remains to be elucidated how the R peptide impairs fusion activity of the uncleaved Pr15E. The R peptide from MoMLV was analyzed by Tricine-sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunostained with antiserum against the synthetic 16-aa R peptide. The R peptide resolved with an apparent molecular mass of 7 kDa and not the 4 kDa seen with the corresponding synthetic peptide. The 7-kDa R peptide was found to be membrane bound in MoMLV-infected NIH 3T3 cells, showing that cleavage of the 7-kDa R-peptide tail must occur before or during budding of progeny virions, in which only small amounts of the 7-kDa R peptide were found. The 7-kDa R peptide was palmitoylated since it could be labeled with [3H]palmitic acid, which explains its membrane association, slower migration on gels, and high sensitivity in immunoblotting. The present results are in contrast to previous findings showing equimolar amounts of R peptide and p15E in virions. The discrepancy, however, can be explained by the presence of nonpalmitoylated R peptide in virions, which were poorly detected by immunoblotting. A mechanistic model is proposed. The uncleaved R peptide can, due to its lipid modification, control the conformation of the ectodomain of the transmembrane protein and thereby govern membrane fusion.
Physical Activity and Beverage Consumption among Adolescents

This study assessed the relationship between physical activity and beverage consumption among adolescents with a population based cross-sectional survey was carried out in the Balearic Islands, Spain (n = 1988; 12–17 years old). Body composition, educational and income level, physical activity (PA), and beverage consumption and energy intake were assessed. Sixty-two percent of adolescents engaged in >300 min/week of PA. Boys were more active than girls, younger adolescents were more active than older counterparts, low parental income was associated with physical inactivity, and time spent watching TV (including, TV, Internet or handheld cellular devices) was inversely associated with PA practice. The average beverage intake of the studied adolescents was 0.9 L/day, higher in boys than in girls. Beverage intake was positively associated with PA practice, and the highest amount of energy intake from beverages was observed in active boys and girls. Most of the studied adolescent population met the PA recommendations. Gender, age, parental income, and time spent watching TV were significant determinants of PA. Type and amount of beverages drunk varied according to gender and PA, and general daily total beverage intake was lower than recommended adequate fluid intake. PA behavior should be considered when analyzing beverage consumption in adolescents.
A novel activity in Escherichia coli K-12 that directs restriction of DNA modified at CG dinucleotides

The restriction systems McrA and McrB of Escherichia coli K-12 are known to attack DNA containing modified cytosine. In strains lacking both activities, however, we observed that DNA methylated at CG dinucleotides (as is mammalian DNA) was still significantly restricted. We show that this substantial barrier to the acceptance of 5-methylcytosine-containing DNA is attributable to a hitherto unknown activity of the Mrr restriction system. Strikingly, the multiple systems used by this gut inhabitant to determine the fate of invading DNA will all limit genetic exchange with its mammalian host(s), reinforcing the idea that one role of DNA methylation is to serve as a "molecular passport" (E. A. Raleigh, R. Trimarchi, and H. Revel, Genetics 122:279-296, 1989).
Proximal humeral fractures: late results in relation to classification and treatment

One hundred and eighty-eight proximal humeral fractures were reviewed retrospectively in relation to the Neer classification and the treatment given. The displacement criteria were found to have prognostic significance. Minimally displaced fractures had excellent outcome, whereas the results following any treatment of the displaced fractures were unsatisfactory in about one half of the cases. The indications for closed or open treatment can only be defined by prospective studies, and the methods of treatment should be improved.
Comparative genotyping of Streptococcus mutans by repetitive extragenic palindromic polymerase chain reaction and multilocus sequence typing.

The genetic diversity of Streptococcus mutans has been extensively studied using a variety of genotyping methods. Repetitive extragenic palindromic-polymerase chain reaction (rep-PCR) is a genotyping approach used for screening large numbers of bacterial isolates. This two-part study used multilocus sequence typing (MLST) analysis to evaluate genotypes previously identified as unique using rep-PCR. In part one, an isolate was selected from each of the 22 S. mutans rep-PCR genotype groups representing 8000 clinical isolates. For part two, four additional isolates were selected from the six most commonly occurring genotype groups (GG) for further analysis. Real-time PCR was performed using eight housekeeping S. mutans gene loci and the amplicons were sequenced. Sequence data analysis was performed using CLC DNA Workbench and alleles were compared with the PubMLST database for Oral Streptococcus using the Nakano scheme. Concatenated sequences were evaluated with MEGA using a minimum evolution method with bootstrap. All 22 rep-PCR genotypes were unique by MLST analysis. Within rep-PCR GGs, MLST matched rep-PCR in three groups demonstrating clonality; three groups exhibited more diversity with MLST. The discovery of three clonal groups is unique to this study and suggests that S. mutans genotypes are shared between unrelated subjects. Furthermore, MLST defined 19 new alleles and 26 new sequence types that have been confirmed and registered with PubMLST. Methods for processing were streamlined and a process for using MLST with rep-PCR is suggested. In conclusion, MLST verified that rep-PCR is a reliable and cost-effective method for screening large numbers of S. mutans strains for epidemiological study.
Top Management Team Heterogeneity: Personality, Power, and Proxies

This article reports partial results of an eight-year field study of the Top Management Teams (TMTs) of a global multidivisional financial services corporation and compares those results with large-sample work in the TMT literature. In particular, it investigates the operationalization of TMT cognitive diversity by the proxies of age, team tenure, industry experience, and functional background heterogeneity most often used in statistical work, and compares those operationalizations with cognitive diversity itself. In addition to highlighting which proxies seemed to most closely approximate cognitive diversity and why, it demonstrates the confounding impact of power on all operationalizations. A comparison of the field results with three representative studies with respect to the operationalization of the dependent variables of diversification, innovation, and performance helps to explain why previous TMT heterogeneity research has often produced inconsistent results or nonfindings. It offers some suggestions that should improve the robustness of statistical research and demonstrates the reciprocal usefulness of case and large-sample research.
Separating the Stock Market's Reaction to Simultaneous Dividend and Earnings Announcements

We analyze simultaneous announcements of current dividends, current earnings and management forecasts of next year's earnings. By conducting the empirical analysis using Danish data, this study is the first not to suffer from problems related to low levels of agency costs and informational asymmetries between shareholders and management. We find that the stock market reacts to the surprise in management forecasts of next year's earnings and the current dividend. Additional breakdowns reveal that the signalling models and free cash flow hypothesis provide explanations for separate components of the market reaction. Thus, our results do not support the dividend irrelevancy proposition.
Relationship templates for creating scene variations

We propose a novel example-based approach to synthesize scenes with complex relations, e.g., when one object is 'hooked', 'surrounded', 'contained' or 'tucked into' another object. Existing relationship descriptors used in automatic scene synthesis methods are based on contacts or relative vectors connecting the object centers. Such descriptors do not fully capture the geometry of spatial interactions, and therefore cannot describe complex relationships. Our idea is to enrich the description of spatial relations between object surfaces by encoding the geometry of the open space around objects, and use this as a template for fitting novel objects. To this end, we introduce relationship templates as descriptors of complex relationships; they are computed from an example scene and combine the interaction bisector surface (IBS) with a novel feature called the space coverage feature (SCF), which encodes the open space in the frequency domain. New variations of a scene can be synthesized efficiently by fitting novel objects to the template. Our method greatly enhances existing automatic scene synthesis approaches by allowing them to handle complex relationships, as validated by our user studies. The proposed method generalizes well, as it can form complex relationships with objects that have a topology and geometry very different from the example scene.
Quantitative Detection of Epstein-Barr Virus DNA in Cerebrospinal Fluid and Blood Samples of Patients with Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis

The presence of Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) DNA in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and peripheral blood (PB) samples collected from 55 patients with clinical and radiologically-active relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) and 51 subjects with other neurological diseases was determined using standardized commercially available kits for viral nucleic acid extraction and quantitative EBV DNA detection. Both cell-free and cell-associated CSF and PB fractions were analyzed, to distinguish latent from lytic EBV infection. EBV DNA was detected in 5.5% and 18.2% of cell-free and cell-associated CSF fractions of patients with RRMS as compared to 7.8% and 7.8% of controls; plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) positivity rates were 7.3% and 47.3% versus 5.8% and 31.4%, respectively. No significant difference in median EBV viral loads of positive samples was found between RRMS and control patients in all tested samples. Absence of statistically significant differences in EBV positivity rates between RRMS and control patients, despite the use of highly sensitive standardized methods, points to the lack of association between EBV and MS disease activity.
Negotiating assignment pathways: students and academic assignments

Existing research identifies that students’ approaches to assignments are related to their general approaches to study. It is suggested that students need to better understand the requirements of assignments and acquire new concepts such as ‘argument’. This fine-grained study proposes four qualitatively distinct assignment pathways: gathering, connecting, minimalist and performing. Students negotiate assignment pathways to sustain a sense of control, confidence and connection. Making changes to their approaches to assignments is not straightforward. Suggestions are made for using insights from the research to more effectively support assignments as vehicles for learning.
DETERMINATION OF THE PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES, BIOKINETICS, AND DOSE COEFFICIENTS OF URANIUM COMPOUNDS HANDLED DURING NUCLEAR FUEL FABRICATION IN FRANCE

The introduction of new ICRP recommendations, especially the new Human Respiratory Tract Model (HRTM) in ICRP Publication 66 led us to focus on some specific parameters related to industrial uranium aerosols collected between 1990 and 1999 at French nuclear fuel fabrication facilities operated by COGEMA, FBFC, and the CEA. Among these parameters, the activity median aerodynamic diameter (AMAD), specific surface area (SSA), and parameters describing absorption to blood fr, sr and ss defined in ICRP Publication 66 were identified as the most relevant influencing dose assessment. This study reviewed the data for 25 pure and impure uranium compounds. The average value of AMAD obtained was 5.7 &mgr;m (range 1.1–8.5 &mgr;m), which strongly supports the choice of 5 &mgr;m as the default value of AMAD for occupational exposures. The SSA varied between 0.4 and 18.3 m2 g−1. For most materials, values of the absorption parameters fr, sr, and ss derived from the in vitro experiments were generally consistent with those derived from the in vivo experiments. Using average values for each pure compound allowed us to classify UO2 and U3O8 as Type S, mixed oxides, UF4, UO3 and ADU as Type M, and UO4 as Type F based on the ICRP Publication 71 criteria. Dose coefficients were also calculated for each pure compound, and average values for each type of pure compound were compared with those derived using default values. Finally, the lung retention kinetics and urinary excretion rates for inhaled UO3 were compared using material-specific and default absorption parameters, in order to give a practical example of the application of this study.
Teaching For and About Critical Pedagogy in the Post-Secondary Classroom

While there is a body of literature that considers the theory of critical pedagogy, there is significantly less literature that specifically addresses the ways in which professors attempt to apply this theory in practice. This paper presents the results from a study that was designed, in part, to address this gap. Seventeen self-identified critical pedagogues participated in this qualitative research study. Participants reported their use of the following classroom practices, including: dialogue; group work; co-construction of syllabus; and experiential activities. This paper critically examines the social justice-oriented nature of these critical classroom practices.
Intestinal Length in Man

cervical culture a course of chloramphenicol was begun and the patient's general condition showed improvement, but extension of the pelvic mass was noted; subsequently the upper limit of this mass was defined at the level of the umbilicus. Two further exacerbations of pyrexia occurred. A course of tetracycline had no appreciable effect, and it was clear that no more could be expected from antibiotic therapy. There was a discharge of pus both per rectum and per vaginam, which probably accounted for a sudden fall of temperature on the 32nd day after admission, but this coincided also with the transfusion of 2 pints (1.1 litres) of fresh blood. Recovery was thereafter uneventful, and only a minor degree of pelvic thickening was detected at a recent examination.
Selective Desulfurization of Dibenzothiophene by Rhodococcus erythropolis D-1

A dibenzothiophene (DBT)-degrading bacterium, Rhodococcus erythropolis D-1, which utilized DBT as a sole source of sulfur, was isolated from soil. DBT was metabolized to 2-hydroxybiphenyl (2-HBP) by the strain, and 2-HBP was almost stoichiometrically accumulated as the dead-end metabolite of DBT degradation. DBT degradation by this strain was shown to proceed as DBT → DBT sulfone → 2-HBP. DBT at an initial concentration of 0.125 mM was completely degraded within 2 days of cultivation. DBT at up to 2.2 mM was rapidly degraded by resting cells within only 150 min. It was thought this strain had a higher DBT-desulfurizing ability than other microorganisms reported previously.
Studies on Impingement Effects of Low Density Jets on Surfaces — Determination of Shear Stress and Normal Pressure

This paper presents the results of the Laser Reflection Method (LRM) for the determination of shear stress due to impingement of low‐density free jets on flat plate. For thin oil film moving under the action of aerodynamic boundary layer the shear stress at the air‐oil interface is equal to the shear stress between the surface and air. A direct and dynamic measurement of the oil film slope is measured using a position sensing detector (PSD). The thinning rate of oil film is directly measured which is the major advantage of the LRM over LISF method. From the oil film slope history, direct calculation of the shear stress is done using a three‐point formula. For the full range of experiment conditions Knudsen numbers varied till the continuum limit of the transition regime. The shear stress values for low‐density flows in the transition regime are thus obtained using LRM and the measured values of shear show fair agreement with those obtained by other methods. Results of the normal pressure measurements on a.
Epidemiology of chronic pain and its treatment in The Netherlands.

BACKGROUND Chronic pain is common; however, good epidemiological data are scarce. Such information can help all the involved stakeholders to make responsible decisions about health budgets and prioritisation. This study aims to provide best-evidence epidemiological information about chronic pain in the Netherlands. METHODS We performed a systematic search which yielded 16,619 references, 119 Dutch studies were relevant. We selected at least three studies per question that provided the most recent, representative and valid data. RESULTS The prevalence of moderate to severe general chronic pain among Dutch adults was estimated at 18%. This prevalence was 27% and 55% for any cancer pain. Up to 74% of patients with general or non-cancer chronic pain get treated; this percentage is little higher for patients with cancer pain. A substantial proportion of the patients receive drug treatment for their pain, mainly NSAIDs, but also non-pharmacological interventions for pain are being used. Up to 43% of the chronic non-cancer pain patients report not receiving treatment and up to 79% of the patients believe their pain is inadequately treated. All studies reported a detrimental effect of chronic pain on quality of life, activities of daily living and mental health. Chronic pain is also associated with direct and indirect medical costs, and patients may have decreased income and additional out-of pocket expenses. CONCLUSION Chronic pain occur s frequently, has a negative impact on the patient and society and treatment may not always be adequate. Chronic pain should be seen as an important public health problem deserving more attention of Dutch healthcare workers and policy makers.
Efficient distributed shared state for heterogeneous machine architectures

InterWeave is a distributed middleware system that supports the sharing of strongly typed, pointer-rich data structures across heterogeneous platforms. As a complement to RPC-based systems such as CORBA, . NET and Java RMI, InterWeave allows processes to access shared data using ordinary reads and writes. Experience indicates that InterWeave-style sharing facilitates the rapid development of distributed applications, and enhances performance through transparent caching of state. In this paper we focus on the aspects of InterWeave specifically designed to accommodate heterogeneous machine architectures. Beyond the traditional challenges of message-passing in heterogeneous systems, InterWeave (1) identifies and tracks data changes in the face of relaxed coherence models, (2) employs a wire format that captures not only data but also diffs in a machine and language-independent form, and (3) swizzles pointers to maintain long-lived (cross-call) address transparency. To support these operations, InterWeave maintains an extensive set Of metadata structures, and employs a variety of performance optimizations. Experimental results show that InterWeave achieves performance comparable to that of RPC parameter passing when transmitting previously uncached data. When updating data that have already been cached, InterWeave's use of platform-independent diffs allows it to significantly outperform the straightforward use of RPC.