Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Bile Salts and Glycine as Cogerminants for Clostridium difficile Spores

ABSTRACT Spore formation by Clostridium difficile is a significant obstacle to overcoming hospital-acquired C. difficile-associated disease. Spores are resistant to heat, radiation, chemicals, and antibiotics, making a contaminated environment difficult to clean. To cause disease, however, spores must germinate and grow out as vegetative cells. The germination of C. difficile spores has not been examined in detail. In an effort to understand the germination of C. difficile spores, we characterized the response of C. difficile spores to bile. We found that cholate derivatives and the amino acid glycine act as cogerminants. Deoxycholate, a metabolite of cholate produced by the normal intestinal flora, also induced germination of C. difficile spores but prevented the growth of vegetative C. difficile. A model of resistance to C. difficile colonization mediated by the normal bacterial flora is proposed.
A simple on-line adaptation for indirect field orientation of an induction machine

Three simple methods of adapting for rotor time constant changes of an indirect field-oriented induction machine are proposed. These methods utilize voltages as field-oriented reference models in the basic model reference adaptive control (MRAC) structure. Each of these methods offers some implementation or performance advantage over previously proposed MRAC methods and other adaption techniques. The proposed methods are analyzed along with other previously proposed MRAC methods, and the advantages and limitations of each are discussed. Experimental results are presented for the proposed methods with the most advantages. <<ETX>>
Enhanced Translocation and Growth of Rhodococcus erythropolis PR4 in the Alkane Phase of Aqueous-Alkane Two Phase Cultures Were Mediated by GroEL2 Overexpression

We previously reported that R. erythropolis PR4 translocated from the aqueous to the alkane phase, and then grew in two phase cultures to which long-chain alkanes had been added. This was considered to be beneficial for bioremediation. In the present study, we investigated the proteins involved in the translocation of R. erythropolis PR4. The results of our proteogenomic analysis suggested that GroEL2 was upregulated more in cells that translocated inside of the pristane (C19) phase than in those located at the aqueous-alkane interface attached to the n-dodecane (C12) surface. PR4 (pK4-EL2-1) and PR4 (pK4-ΔEL2-1) strains were constructed to confirm the effects of the upregulation of GroEL2 in translocated cells. The expression of GroEL2 in PR4 (pK4-EL2-1) was 15.5-fold higher than that in PR4 (pK4-ΔEL2-1) in two phase cultures containing C12. The growth and cell surface lipophilicity of PR4 were enhanced by the introduction of pK4-EL2-1. These results suggested that the plasmid overexpression of groEL2 in PR4 (pK4-EL2-1) led to changes in cell localization, enhanced growth, and increased cell surface lipophilicity. Thus, we concluded that the overexpression of GroEL2 may play an important role in increasing the organic solvent tolerance of R. erythropolis PR4 in aqueous-alkane two phase cultures.
THE EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT LEVELS OF DIETARY FISH OIL , SOYBEAN OIL , AND SUNFLOWER OIL ON PERFORMANCE AND IMMUNITY RELATED PARAMETERS OF BROILER CHICKEN

The study was designed to investigate the effects of different levels of dietary oil additives on the feeding performance and immunity related parameters of broiler chicken. In total, two hundred and eighty (280) day-old male broiler chicks (Ross 308) were randomly placed in 28 cages with dimensions of 1.0 × 1.0 meters based on a completely random design. There were two levels (1.0% vs. 2.0%) of additive soybean oil, sunflower oil, and fish oil with uniform vaccination programs and feed ingredients and nutrient treatments in the trials. The experimental results showed that there were no differences among the body weight indexes of broiler chicken (42nd day of age), while there were significant differences among the feed conversion ratio and feed intake indexes of these broiler chicken (from 1st to 42nd days of age). Particularly, the broiler chicken fed with 2.0% sunflower oil in diet had more significant lower performance indexes of feed conversion ratio and feed intake than the control and other dietary oil treatment panels (1.0% and 2.0%). Furthermore, all the dietary additives of two levels (1.0% and 2.0%) of fish oil, soybean oil, and sunflower oil brought about significant different immunity indexes of broiler chicken (42nd day of age). In conclusion, these results suggested that different dietary supplementation levels (especially high levels) of dietary oil additives can promote the feeding performance and alter immunity parameters of broiler chicken.
A β-Lactam Antibiotic Dampens Excitotoxic Inflammatory CNS Damage in a Mouse Model of Multiple Sclerosis

In multiple sclerosis (MS) and its animal model experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), impairment of glial “Excitatory Amino Acid Transporters” (EAATs) together with an excess glutamate-release by invading immune cells causes excitotoxic damage of the central nervous system (CNS). In order to identify pathways to dampen excitotoxic inflammatory CNS damage, we assessed the effects of a β-lactam antibiotic, ceftriaxone, reported to enhance expression of glial EAAT2, in “Myelin Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein” (MOG)-induced EAE. Ceftriaxone profoundly ameliorated the clinical course of murine MOG-induced EAE both under preventive and therapeutic regimens. However, ceftriaxone had impact neither on EAAT2 protein expression levels in several brain areas, nor on the radioactive glutamate uptake capacity in a mixed primary glial cell-culture and the glutamate-induced uptake currents in a mammalian cell line mediated by EAAT2. Moreover, the clinical effect of ceftriaxone was preserved in the presence of the EAAT2-specific transport inhibitor, dihydrokainate, while dihydrokainate alone caused an aggravated EAE course. This demonstrates the need for sufficient glial glutamate uptake upon an excitotoxic autoimmune inflammatory challenge of the CNS and a molecular target of ceftriaxone other than the glutamate transporter. Ceftriaxone treatment indirectly hampered T cell proliferation and proinflammatory INFγ and IL17 secretion through modulation of myelin-antigen presentation by antigen-presenting cells (APCs) e.g. dendritic cells (DCs) and reduced T cell migration into the CNS in vivo. Taken together, we demonstrate, that a β-lactam antibiotic attenuates disease course and severity in a model of autoimmune CNS inflammation. The mechanisms are reduction of T cell activation by modulation of cellular antigen-presentation and impairment of antigen-specific T cell migration into the CNS rather than or modulation of central glutamate homeostasis.
Neoliberalism and the (internal) marketisation of primary school assessment in England

This paper considers the effect of recent education policy on assessment practices in English primary schools and how these affect relationships between teachers and pupils in an increasingly market-driven school system. Previous research has focused largely on the effect of markets at a systemic level, but less attention has been paid to how marketisation plays out in teachers' work at classroom level. Similarly, research on assessment has tended to examine teachers' practices in relation to pupils' learning rather than examining it in terms of the role it plays in teachers' professional working lives. This paper brings these ideas together, using the latter as the context for understanding the former. In particular, it focuses on recent policy changes to the way schools in England are evaluated, moving from final attainment to pupils' progress ‘in-year’, and considers their potential for altering the dynamics within schools rather than just between them. It draws on a small-scale, interpretive, empirical study involving interviews with primary teachers in England. Data from this study are used to illustrate how tensions can arise for teachers and how internal market competition can be set up between them in which pupils' achievements become a commodity to be made use of, encouraging teachers to consider pupils' achievements as private, rather than public, goods. The paper thus provides a starting point for exploring the effect of market-orientated education policy on teachers' assessment practices at the in-school level and briefly examines some of the implications of this effect.
Chlamydophila pneumoniae infection and its Heat shock protein 60 (Hsp60) in childhood asthma

Background: Asthma is the most common chronic inflammatory disease in childhood. Chlamydophila pneumoniae infection has been associated with bronchial hyperreactivity, new onset asthma, acute intermittent asthma, chronic asthma and asthma severity. Some studies have shown marked anti-Hsp60 seroreactivity in an exacerbation of culture-proven persistent C. pneumoniae lung infection and suggested that an allergic reaction to Hsp could produce pulmonary symptoms. Aim of study: This cross sectional case-control study aimed at evaluating the serological evidence of C. pneumoniae infection and its heat shock protein 60 (Hsp60) on airflow limitation and asthma severity in asthmatic children. Methods: We evaluated 150 asthmatic children, 84males (56%) and 66 (44%) females, their mean age was 7 ± 2.8 years, 45 with acute exacerbations representing 30% and 105 with chronic stable asthma representing 70%. They were investigated for C. pneumoniae IgG and Hsp60 after PEFR (peak expiratory flow rate) and PEFR % were done as standardized for children on dynamic spirometry (Jaeger,Germany) device. Patients were attending the pediatric asthma and allergy clinic as well as patients admitted inpatient in pediatric department of Benha university hospitals. Fifty age and sex-matched healthy children were included as control group in our study. Results: There was a highly significant correlation between C. pneumoniae positive IgG and both asthma duration and asthma grade. While there was a very highly significant correlation with peak expiratory flow rate %. Regarding Hsp60 there was a significant correlation between positive Hsp60 and asthma grade. While there was a very highly significant correlation with asthma duration and peak expiratory flow rate %. Conclusions: This study provides serological evidence that chronic infection with C. pneumoniae is present more in children with asthma than healthy children. Our results support positive correlation of asthma duration and severity to chronic infection with C. pneumoniae. Hsp60 has an association with the degree of airway obstruction in asthmatic children. [Iman A.M. Aly, El-Sayed A. Amer, Yasser M. Ismail and Ahmad Ata. Chlamydophila pneumoniae infection and its Heat shock protein 60 (Hsp60) in childhood asthma. J Am Sci 2013;9(11):181-186]. (ISSN: 1545-1003). http://www.jofamericanscience. org. 24
Emotional symptoms in children: The effect of maternal depression, life events, and COMT genotype

Early adversity predicts anxiety and depression but variation in response to adversity is not understood. We investigated whether association between early adversity and emotional symptoms in young children differs according to variation of the COMT gene. The main outcome measure was the emotionality subscale of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) completed by mothers for 8,431 children aged 6–7 years old in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Adversity measures included exposure to maternal postpartum depressive symptoms and adverse life events for children. DNA from the children was genotyped for five COMT polymorphisms including the COMT Val158Met locus. Maternal depression increased the odds of high emotionality in the children, (OR 1.99, 95% CI 1.73–2.29, P < 0.001) as did life events score, (OR 1.21 for each s.d. increase in life event score, 95% CI 1.15–1.27, P < 0.001). There was no main effect of Val158Met genotype on emotional symptoms (OR for effect of each copy of the methionine allele was 1.04, 95% CI 0.97–1.10, P = 0.284). The relationship between adversity and emotional symptoms did not vary by genotype (G × E for maternal depression χ2 = 3.17, P = 0.205; G × E for life events χ2 = 1.69, P = 0.430). There was no main effect of COMT haplotype, nor was there an interaction with adversity. Early adversity predicts emotional symptoms in children aged 6–7 years. Although some studies indicate a role for COMT in emotionality, anxiety, and depression in adults, no direct effect or interaction of COMT genotype was observed in this large sample of young children. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Research-based learning for undergraduate students in soil and water sciences: a case study of hydropedology in an arid-zone environment

Abstract This article reports the efficacy of a research-based learning (RBL) exercise on hydropedology of arid zones, with guided and open research projects (OPR) carried out by teams of undergraduate students in Oman. A range of activities and assessments was used to support student learning during the three-month course. Assessment included monitoring of field trip and lab activities, attendance recording, scrutiny by a panel of written reports and open oral presentations. Students’ feedback through teaching evaluation is compared with other courses in the Department-College, illustrating high level of students’ satisfaction. OPR best fit the scaffold of RBL.
Revalidate Forms of Presence in Training Effectiveness

With the community of inquiry framework, this study seeks to explore the relationship among forms of presence, self-efficacy, and training effectiveness. A total of 210 working professionals participated to the study via online survey and email communication with a valid response rate of 29.53%. The technique of partial least square was used to estimate the measurement and the structural models. The results show that the teaching presence has positive prediction on social presence, self-efficacy, and cognitive presence. Self-efficacy is a full mediator between social presence and cognitive presence. Cognitive presence predicts training effectiveness in the context of Small and Medium Enterprise E-learning School. The practical implications of these findings for small and medium enterprise training in general are discussed.
into a TLR-2 Agonist Virulence Polysaccharide Salmonella typhi Hemoglobin Transforms Anti-Inflammatory

Vi capsular polysaccharide is a major virulence determinant of the human typhoid- causing pathogen Salmonella typhi ; it is absent in nontyphoidal Salmonella serovars. Weshowinthisstudythatthroughitsspeciﬁcinteraction withthemembranerecognitioncomplex containing the prohibitin familyof molecules, Vi can inhibit the production ofinﬂammatory cytokines frommononuclear phagocytes stimulated with Salmonella ﬂagellin. Remarkably, Vi lost this anti-inﬂammatory capability and switched to a proinﬂammatory state when cell stimulations were performed in the presence of serum. The serum-transformed proinﬂammatory form of Vi induced secretion of cytokines from monocytes by speciﬁcally engaging TLR-2/TLR-1. The molecule responsible for bringing about this conversion of Vi from an anti-inﬂammatory to a proinﬂammatory form was serum-derived hemoglobin. Derivatives of Vi incapable of interacting with hemoglobin did not switch to a proinﬂammatory state in vitro or in vivo. These ﬁndings provide compelling evidence for a role of hemoglobin in transforming the anti-inﬂammatory S. typhi virulence polysaccharide into an immune activator. The Journal of Immunology , 2010, 184: 5980–5987. phagocytes under serum-free conditions by targeting membrane-associated prohibitin and BAP-37. Serum completely abrogated these anti-inﬂammatory effectsandconvertedViintoaTLR-2agonist.Themoleculeinserumthatsuppressedtheimmune-inhibitorycapabilityofViandpro-ducedaproinﬂammatoryspeciesfromitwasfoundtobehemoglobin. These results assign a novel role to hemoglobin in thwarting anti-immune capability oftyphoid virulencepolysaccharideandbringing about its switch to a proinﬂammatory state. with PBS as the mobile phase (ﬂow rate, 0.25 ml/min). Alternatively, Vi alone was subjected to gel ﬁltration chromatography. Fractions were checked for their proinﬂammatory activity on THP-1 cells. These fractions were also run in a 10% native poly- acrylamide gel and transferred to an NC membrane. The presence of Vi in different fractions was visualized by blotting the membrane with Abs to Vi. 2 C , 2 F ). These results suggest that prohibitin is required for Vi-mediated inhibition of TLR-5–induced IL-8 secretion from human monocytes.
Pregnancy in Adult Congenital Heart Disease Maternal and Fetal Outcome, a Single Centre Study in a Developing Country

Background: Women with congenital heart disease represent the largest group of women with cardiac disease in the child bearing period. This poses additional burden on the medical system as theses mothers and their infants require special care. Methods: This was a cross sectional observational study involving 90 female patients in the child bearing period who came for regular follow up visit in the adult congenital heart disease clinic in our hospital over a period of 12 months. A custom-made sheet was done including maternal diagnoses, age of the patient, age during the first pregnancy, and maternal morbidity during pregnancy and fetal outcome. Results: The mean age of the patients was 35.4 ± 12.2 years. 97.7% of these patients report at least one successful pregnancy; the mean age at time of first pregnancy was 22.77 ± 2.97 years. The average number of offsprings was 1.6. Forty-one (41) of our patients saught medical advice because of being pregnant, 24 of which were pregnant for the first time. The patients most common underlying heart disease was ASD (n=39), VSD (n=11) and AVCD (n=10) but still more complex diagnosis was present; TOF (n=4) L-TGA (n=3), Truncus (n=1) Ebstein anomaly (n=2). 62.2% of the patients did not report any maternal morbidity during pregnancy. The most common morbidities were complete heart block (n=5), abortion (n=5), progressive heart failure (n=3), stroke (n=3), progressive pulmonary hypertension (n=4). Among the 143 offsprings delivered only 12 were abnormal, 8 of which had ASD and none of them had complex CHD. Conclusion: Although pregnancy in adult patients with congenital heart disease is feasible especially in patients with simple lesions, special attention is needed to guard against maternal morbidity.
Morphometric relationships and growth of common stingray , Dasyatis pastinaca ( Linnaeus , 1758 ) and marbled stingray , Dasyatis marmorata ( Steindachner , 1892 ) in the northeastern Levantine Basin

In this study, we determined the relationships between seven morphometric characters of common stingray (Dasyatis pastinaca) and the marbled stingray (Dasyatis marmorata) from the Northeast Levantine coast of Turkey. A total of 215 samples were obtained by monthly bottom-total weight (TW), disc length (DL), disc width (DW), nose-eye (NE), mouth-width (MW) and nose-mouth (NM) were measured and, analyzed and their relationships were statistically evaluated. In general, the relationships between all the body proportions were highly statistically significant (p<0.05), as is usual between body proportions. The length and weight value for D. pastinaca and D. marmorata were calculated as 14.5-56.4cm and 74.5-5740.0g, and 9.9-41.5cm and 78.98-4500.0g, respectively. The relationships were determined by TW=0.039*DW2.93 and TW=0.002*TL3.32 for D. pastinaca and; TW=0.048*DW2.94 and TW=0.012*TL2.74 for D. marmorata. Length-weight relationships show allometric growth (b=3.31 for D. pastinaca and 2.74 for D. marmorata). Estimates of the von Bertalanffy growth parameters indicate disc width DW∞=58.28cm, k=0.06 year-1, to=-0.213year for the combined sexes of D. pastinaca; DW∞=46.09cm, k=0.36year-1, to=-0.162year for all individuals of D. marmorata.
The use of portfolios to foster professionalism: attributes, outcomes, and recommendations

Abstract The main objective of this research was to review the characteristics of portfolios and their outcomes for teaching professionalism to undergraduate medical students. A systematic review on the use of portfolios in teaching professionalism to medical students identified 1257 papers. Of these, 11 articles met all inclusion criteria. According to the papers, the use of portfolios for teaching professionalism shows versatility, supports learning strategies and has the potential to be used in different contexts, including for formative and summative purposes. The weaknesses were based on the artificiality of the reflections, deficient instructions, time-consuming processes and preference among students for other teaching methods. Students complained about feeling that the reflection was ‘forced’, and they tended to write based on social conventions rather than reveal their true thoughts. Reflection is a powerful component of the portfolio, but the method by which it is taught could easily ruin its potential to boost professionalism. Requiring reflection did not ensure its achievement; increased understanding by students regarding how and why they were doing it, the clarity of assessment methods and constructive feedback might strengthen the potential for success. A framework was designed to support faculty members in developing and applying portfolios with a clear and broad view of this teaching strategy.
Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness and Optic Nerve Head Parameters in Open Angle Glaucoma With Diabetes Mellitus Type 2

- Background : Glaucoma is the second leading caused of blindness in the world. Diabetes Mellitus is an independent risk factor in open angle glaucoma. Among those who have suffered DM will have impact on vascular autoregulation disturbance that small vessel involvement may cause the retina and optic nerve become more susceptible to pressure related damage Aim : To identify the Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer (RNFL) thickness and optic nerve head parameters in open angle glaucoma patients with diabetic mellitus type 2 in Adam Malik Hospital. Methods : A prospective, analytical observational with cross sectional methods was conducted at the Adam Malik Hospital from September 2014 to Mei 2014 after approved by the Ethics Committee for Health Research University of North Sumatera School of Medicine. Thirty four open angle glaucoma patient with diabetus mellitus type 2 and thirty four patients primary open angle glaucomas as a control with age-matched subjects underwent a complete ophthalmological examination and imaging with Cirrus HD-OCT for the evaluation RNFL and optic nerve head. Result : Superior RNFL was statically significant thinner in diabetic group (P=0,019 8 ) compared to the control group. There was no significant difference in temporal-nasal-inferior and average RNFL and there was no significant differences in parameters of optic nerve head Conclusion : The existence of diabetes should be seriously considered in evaluating the result of RNFL and optic nerve head by imaging.
A modulatory role for facial expressions in prosopagnosia

Brain-damaged patients experience difficulties in recognizing a face (prosopagnosics), but they can still recognize its expression. The dissociation between these two face-related skills has served as a keystone of models of face processing. We now report that the presence of a facial expression can influence face identification. For normal viewers, the presence of a facial expression influences performance negatively, whereas for prosopagnosic patients, it improves performance dramatically. Accordingly, although prosopagnosic patients show a failure to process the facial configuration in the interest of face identification, that ability returns when the face shows an emotional expression. Accompanying brain-imaging results indicate activation in brain areas (amygdala, superior temporal sulcus, parietal cortex) outside the occipitotemporal areas normally activated for face identification and lesioned in these patients. This finding suggests a modulatory role of these areas in face identification that is independent of occipitotemporal face areas.