Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Multilocus Sequence Typing Scheme versus Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis for Typing Mycobacterium abscessus Isolates

ABSTRACT Outbreaks of infections by rapidly growing mycobacteria following invasive procedures, such as ophthalmological, laparoscopic, arthroscopic, plastic, and cardiac surgeries, mesotherapy, and vaccination, have been detected in Brazil since 1998. Members of the Mycobacterium chelonae-Mycobacterium abscessus group have caused most of these outbreaks. As part of an epidemiological investigation, the isolates were typed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). In this project, we performed a large-scale comparison of PFGE profiles with the results of a recently developed multilocus sequence typing (MLST) scheme for M. abscessus. Ninety-three isolates were analyzed, with 40 M. abscessus subsp. abscessus isolates, 47 M. abscessus subsp. bolletii isolates, and six isolates with no assigned subspecies. Forty-five isolates were obtained during five outbreaks, and 48 were sporadic isolates that were not associated with outbreaks. For MLST, seven housekeeping genes (argH, cya, glpK, gnd, murC, pta, and purH) were sequenced, and each isolate was assigned a sequence type (ST) from the combination of obtained alleles. The PFGE patterns of DraI-digested DNA were compared with the MLST results. All isolates were analyzable by both methods. Isolates from monoclonal outbreaks showed unique STs and indistinguishable or very similar PFGE patterns. Thirty-three STs and 49 unique PFGE patterns were identified among the 93 isolates. The Simpson's index of diversity values for MLST and PFGE were 0.69 and 0.93, respectively, for M. abscessus subsp. abscessus and 0.96 and 0.97, respectively, for M. abscessus subsp. bolletii. In conclusion, the MLST scheme showed 100% typeability and grouped monoclonal outbreak isolates in agreement with PFGE, but it was less discriminative than PFGE for M. abscessus.
Neprilysin Deficiency Protects Against Fat-Induced Insulin Secretory Dysfunction by Maintaining Calcium Influx

Neprilysin contributes to free fatty acid (FFA)-induced cellular dysfunction in nonislet tissues in type 2 diabetes. Here, we show for the first time that with prolonged FFA exposure, islet neprilysin is upregulated and this is associated with reduced insulin pre-mRNA and ATP levels, oxidative/nitrative stress, impaired potassium and calcium channel activities, and decreased glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS). Genetic ablation of neprilysin specifically protects against FFA-induced impairment of calcium influx and GSIS in vitro and in vivo but does not ameliorate other FFA-induced defects. Importantly, adenoviral overexpression of neprilysin in islets cultured without FFA reproduces the defects in both calcium influx and GSIS, suggesting that upregulation of neprilysin per se mediates insulin secretory dysfunction and that the mechanism for protection conferred by neprilysin deletion involves prevention of reduced calcium influx. Our findings highlight the critical nature of calcium signaling for normal insulin secretion and suggest that interventions to inhibit neprilysin may improve β-cell function in obese humans with type 2 diabetes.
An integrative theory of intergroup conflict.

The aim of this chapter is to present an outline of a theory of intergroup conflict and some preliminary data relating to the theory. First, however, this ap proach to intergroup behavior and intergroup conflict must be set in context, in relation to other approaches to the same problems. Much of the work on the social psychology of intergroup relations has focused on patterns of indi vidual prejudice and discrimination and on the motiva tional sequences of interpersonal interaction. Out standing examples of these approaches can be found, respectively, in the theory of authoritarian personality (Adorno, Frenkel-Brunswik, Levinson, & Sanford, 1950) and in the various versions and modifications of the theory of frustration, aggression, and displace ment (such as Berkowitz, 1962, 1969, 1974). The common denominator of most of this work has been the stress on the intraindividual or interpersonal psychological processes leading to prejudiced at titudes or discriminatory behavior. The complex interweaving of individual or interpersonal behavior with the contextual social processes of intergroup conflict and their psychological effects has not been in the focus of the social psychologists' preoccu pations. (For a more detailed discussion, see Tajfel 1972a, 1975.) The alternative to these approaches is rep resented in the work of Muzafer Sherif and his as sociates (see Chapter 1), and has been referred to by D. T. Campbell (1965) as the "realistic group conflict theory " (R. C. T.). Its point of departure for the expla nation of intergroup behavior is in what Sherif (1966) has called the functional relations between social groups. Its central hypothesis—"real conflict of group interests causes intergroup conflict" (Camp bell, 1965, p. 287)—is deceptively simple, intuitively convincing, and has received strong empirical support (including Sherif & Sherif, 1953; Avigdor, 1953; Harvey, 1956; Sherif, Harvey, White, Hood, & Sherif, 1961; Blake & Mouton, 1961a, 1962c; Bass & Dunteman, 1963; D. W. Johnson, 1967; Diab, 1970). R.C. T. was pioneered in social psychology by the Sherifs, who provided both an etiology of inter group hostility and a theory of competition as realistic and instrumental in character, motivated by rewards which, in principle, are extrinsic to the intergroup situation (see Deutsch, 1949b; Julian, 1968). Op posed group interests in obtaining scarce resources promote competition, and positively interdependent (superordinate) goals facilitate cooperation. Conflict ing interests develop through competition into overt social conflict. It appears, too, that intergroup com petition enhances intragroup morale, cohesiveness, and cooperation (see Vinacke, 1964; Fiedler, 1967; Kalin & Marlowe, 1968). Thus, the real conflicts of group interests not only create antagonistic intergroup relations but also heighten identification with, and positive attachment to, the in-group. This identification with the in-group, however, has been given relatively little prominence in the
mGlu 2 metabotropic glutamate receptors restrain inflammatory pain and mediate the analgesic activity of dual mGlu 2 / mGlu 3 receptor agonists

Group II metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) couple to the inhibitory G-protein Gi. The group II mGluRs include two subtypes, mGlu2 and mGlu3, and their pharmacological activation produces analgesic effects in inflammatory and neuropathic pain states. However, the specific contribution of each one of the two subtypes has not been clarified due to the lack of selective orthosteric ligands that can discriminate between mGlu2 and mGlu3 subtypes. In this study we used mGlu2 or mGlu3 knock-out mice to dissect the specific role for these two receptors in the endogenous control of inflammatory pain and their specific contribution to the analgesic activity of mixed mGlu2/3 receptor agonists. Our results showed that mGlu2 mice display a significantly greater pain response compared to their wild type littermates. Interestingly the increased pain sensitivity in mGlu2 mice occurred only in the second phase of the formalin test. No differences were observed in the first phase. In contrast, mGlu3 mice did not significantly differ from their wild type littermates in either phase of the formalin test. When systemically injected, a single administration of the mGlu2/3 agonist, LY379268 (3 mg/kg, ip), showed a significant reduction of both phases in wild-type mice and in mGlu3 but not in mGlu2 mice. However tolerance to the analgesic effect of LY379268 (3 mg/kg, ip) in mGlu3 mice developed following 5 consecutive days of injection. Taken together, these results demonstrate that: (i) mGlu2 receptors play a predominant role over mGlu3 receptors in the control of inflammatory pain in mice; (ii) the analgesic activity of mixed mGlu2/3 agonists is entirely mediated by the activation of the mGlu2 subtype and (iii) the development of tolerance to the analgesic effect of mGlu2/3 agonists develops despite the lack of mGlu3 receptors.
An investigation into the psychological determinants of health habit formation

Forming habits – broadly defined as learned automatic responses to contextual cues – is proposed as a means to health behaviour maintenance. Habits form through context dependent repetition, but additional variables may affect this process. This work aimed to investigate additional predictors of habit formation. The potential predictors investigated were: placement in a routine; attraction versus health information; perceived reward and its impact; and individual differences. The study investigated habit formation for dental flossing and taking a vitamin C tablet daily, in a sample of 118 participants from the general public. Eighty participants received an online intervention for vitamin C tablets at the start of the study. All participants received an intervention for flossing after four weeks, randomised to be based on attraction versus health, and to advise flossing before or after brushing. Self-reported behaviour, habit, and motivational variables were measured every four weeks, for sixteen weeks. Habit strength and behaviour increased for both target behaviours. Neither behaviour nor automaticity were affected by the attraction and health interventions, or placement of flossing before or after toothbrushing. Experiencing the behaviour to be rewarding led to greater automaticity, but was not mediated by behaviour frequency. Reward strengthened the behaviour-automaticity relationship, as predicted by theories of reinforcement. Pleasure and intrinsic motivation also acted in this way, but positive attitudes about the behavioural outcomes did not predict behaviour or automaticity. Rational, rather than experiential, thinking style was associated with weaker habits, and higher prospective memory ability predicted greater initial gains in behaviour, followed by stronger habits. The results suggest that there are experiential and trait factors which affect the habit formation process and which can reinforce habits, beyond their impact upon repetition. These findings advance habit theory and lead to suggestions for intervention development, such as recommending encouraging intrinsic motivation, and tailoring interventions according to individual dispositions.
Adaptive Probabilistic Flooding for Multipath Routing

In this work, we develop a distributed source routing algorithm for topology discovery, suitable for ISP transport networks, that is however inspired by opportunistic algorithms used in ad hoc wireless networks. We propose a plug-and-play control plane, able to find multiple paths toward the same destination, and introduce a novel algorithm, called adaptive probabilistic flooding, to achieve this goal. By keeping a small amount of state in routers taking part in the discovery process, our technique significantly limits the amount of control messages exchanged with flooding - and, at the same time, it only minimally affects the quality of the discovered multiple path with respect to the optimal solution. Simple analytical bounds, confirmed by results gathered with extensive simulation on several topologies (up to 10,000 nodes), show our approach to be of high practical interest.
A Review of Current Research in Network Forensic Analysis

Establishing facts on cyber crime is gradually gaining wider relevance in prosecuting cyber criminals. The branch of cyber policing saddled with this responsibility is the network forensic community (researchers, developer, and investigator). However, the recurring rate of advances in cybercrime poses greater challenge to the available improvements in network forensics analysis tools (NFAT) as well as to investigators, and ultimately, researchers. The need for an efficient cutting-edge research finding in curbing network crimes therefore is undeniably critical. This paper describes the distinction between network security and network forensics. In addition, the authors identify factors that militate against most network forensic techniques as well as the research challenges in network forensics. Furthermore, the paper discusses on the current research works on network forensics analysis. This research is useful to the research community of network forensics, for knowledge on existing research techniques, and direction on further research in network forensics. A Review of Current Research in Network Forensic Analysis
Administration of PDE4 Inhibitors Suppressed the Pannus-Like Inflammation by Inhibition of Cytokine Production by Macrophages and Synovial Fibroblast Proliferation

A marked proliferation of synovial fibroblasts in joints leads to pannus formation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Various kinds of cytokines are produced in the pannus. The purpose of this study is to elucidate the effects of phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) inhibitors in a new animal model for the evaluation of pannus formation and cytokine production in the pannus. Mice sensitized with methylated bovine serum albumin (mBSA) were challenged by subcutaneous implantation of a membrane filter soaked in mBSA solution in the back of the mice. Drugs were orally administered for 10 days. The granuloma formed around the filter was collected on day 11. It was chopped into pieces and cultured in vitro for 24 hr. The cytokines were measured in the supernatants. The type of cytokines produced in the granuloma was quite similar to those produced in pannus in RA. Both PDE4 inhibitors, KF66490 and SB207499, suppressed the production of IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-12, and the increase in myeloperoxidase activity, a marker enzyme for neutrophils and hydroxyproline content. Compared to leflunomide, PDE4 inhibitors more strongly suppressed IL-12 production and the increase in myeloperoxidase activity. PDE4 inhibitors also inhibited lipopolysaccharide-induced TNF-α and IL-12 production from thioglycolate-induced murine peritoneal macrophages and the proliferation of rat synovial fibroblasts. These results indicate this model makes it easy to evaluate the effect of drugs on various cytokine productions in a granuloma without any purification step and may be a relevant model for evaluating novel antirheumatic drugs on pannus formation in RA. PDE4 inhibitors could have therapeutic effects on pannus formation in RA by inhibition of cytokine production by macrophages and synovial fibroblast proliferation.
Association between adolescent tobacco, alcohol and illicit drug use and individual and environmental resilience protective factors

Objectives Research suggests that individual and environmental resilience protective factors may be associated with adolescent substance use; however, the associations between a broad range of such factors and use of various types of substances have not been examined. The study aimed to determine the association between a comprehensive range of adolescent individual and environmental resilience protective factors and measures of tobacco, alcohol and illicit substance use. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting 32 Australian secondary schools. Participants Grade 7–10 students (aged 11–17 years). Measures Data regarding 14 student individual and environmental resilience protective factors and seven substance use measures (tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, other illicit drug use) were obtained via an online self-report survey. Adjusted multivariate logistic regression analyses examined the association between all student resilience protective factors and seven substance use measures. Results Inverse univariate associations were found for 94 of 98 relationships examined (n=10 092). Multivariate analyses found: consistent inverse associations between 2 of 14 protective factors and all substance use measures (‘goals and aspirations’, ‘prosocial peers’); inverse associations between 4 protective factors with multiple substance use measures (‘home support’ (5 of 7), ‘school support’ (3 of 7), ‘self-awareness’ (2 of 7), ‘community meaningful participation’ (2 of 7)); positive associations between 2 resilience protective factors with multiple measures of substance use (‘community support’ (3 of 7), ‘peer caring relationships’ (5 of 7)) and 6 protective factors not to be associated with any substance use measure. Conclusions Despite individual relationships between the majority of resilience protective factors and substance use types, the protective benefit of such factors for adolescent substance use was limited to only a small number of such factors when considered collectively. Such results suggest that interventions seeking to reduce adolescent substance use may need to target specific protective factors to address specific types of substance use. Trial registration number ACTRN12611000606987, Results.
Methotrexate in Crohn's disease: results of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND/AIMS Immunosuppression with methotrexate may be useful in the treatment of Crohn's disease. We tested the efficacy of methotrexate in refractory Crohn's disease in a randomized, controlled trial. METHODOLOGY Randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial of methotrexate in 33 patients with steroid-dependent Crohn's disease, 33% of whom had previously failed therapy with 6-mercaptopurine. Patients were given placebo or oral methotrexate 15 mg/week, or adjusted up to 22.5 mg/week, for up to 1 year or until treatment failure. Outcome was assessed by reduction in prednisone dosage, Crohn's Disease Activity Index, hospital admission, and laboratory parameters. RESULTS Four patients were dropped from the study for non-compliance and one because of intercurrent illness, and 28 patients could be evaluated. Fewer methotrexate-treated patients (6/13 or 46%) had flares of Crohn's disease as compared to placebo-treated patients (12/15 or 80%), but this did not achieve statistical significance (p<0.1). There was a non-significant trend toward an increased number of significant side effects in the methotrexate-treated patients (3/13 or 23%) as compared to the placebo-treated patients (0/15 or 0%) (p<0.2). Laboratory indices of inflammation did not differ between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS The methotrexate-treated group showed a trend toward fewer Crohn's disease flares, balanced by an increased number of significant side effects.
Bringing Background into the Foreground: Making All Classes Equal in Weakly-Supervised Video Semantic Segmentation

Pixel-level annotations are expensive and timeconsuming to obtain. Hence, weak supervision using only image tags could have a significant impact in semantic segmentation. Recent years have seen great progress in weakly-supervised semantic segmentation, whether from a single image or from videos. However, most existing methods are designed to handle a single background class. In practical applications, such as autonomous navigation, it is often crucial to reason about multiple background classes. In this paper, we introduce an approach to doing so by making use of classifier heatmaps. We then develop a two-stream deep architecture that jointly leverages appearance and motion, and design a loss based on our heatmaps to train it. Our experiments demonstrate the benefits of our classifier heatmaps and of our two-stream architecture on challenging urban scene datasets and on the YouTube-Objects benchmark, where we obtain state-of-the-art results.
Acceptance of electronic democracy: an empirically validated approach

The internet equips citizens worldwide with an innovative channel of democratic participation and makes governments more citizen-friendly and accountable. To address a gap in previous research, the overall aim of this article is to identify the factors that determine citizen acceptance of online political participation and, based on these factors, how online participation can be fostered. We first conduct a literature review to establish an acceptance model with IS and political science determinates to account for e-participation acceptance. Using structural equation modelling, we then empirically validate the explanatory power of our model and identify the significant predictors of online participation, which are Perceived Usefulness (PU), Perceived Ease of Use (PEOU), Political Activity (PA), Civic Orientation (CO) and Political Recruitment (PR). Overall, this study contributes to research and practice by explicating how IS-related influence factors and those from a political participation background can be integrated to further the understanding of citizens’ acceptance of e-democracy.
Identification of Candida albicans ALS2 andALS4 and Localization of Als Proteins to the Fungal Cell Surface

ABSTRACT Additional genes in the growing ALS family ofCandida albicans were isolated by PCR screening of a genomic fosmid library with primers designed from the consensus tandem-repeat sequence of ALS1. This procedure yielded fosmids encoding ALS2 and ALS4. ALS2 andALS4 conformed to the three-domain structure ofALS genes, which consists of a central domain of tandemly repeated copies of a 108-bp motif, an upstream domain of highly conserved sequences, and a domain of divergent sequences 3′ of the tandem repeats. Alignment of five predicted Als protein sequences indicated conservation of N- and C-terminal hydrophobic regions which have the hallmarks of secretory signal sequences and glycosylphosphatidylinositol addition sites, respectively. Heterologous expression of an N-terminal fragment of Als1p in Saccharomyces cerevisiae demonstrated function of the putative signal sequence with cleavage following Ala17. This signal sequence cleavage site was conserved in the four other Als proteins analyzed, suggesting identical processing of each protein. Primary-structure features of the five Als proteins suggested a cell-surface localization, which was confirmed by indirect immunofluorescence with an anti-Als antiserum. Staining was observed on mother yeasts and germ tubes, although the intensity of staining on the mother yeast decreased with elongation of the germ tube. Similar to other ALS genes, ALS2 andALS4 were differentially regulated. ALS4expression was correlated with the growth phase of the culture;ALS2 expression was not observed under many different in vitro growth conditions. The data presented here demonstrate thatALS genes encode cell-surface proteins and support the conclusion that the size and number of Als proteins on theC. albicans cell surface vary with strain and growth conditions.