Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Malarial proteases and host cell egress: an ‘emerging’ cascade

Malaria is a scourge of large swathes of the globe, stressing the need for a continuing effort to better understand the biology of its aetiological agent. Like all pathogens of the phylum Apicomplexa, the malaria parasite spends part of its life inside a host cell or cyst. It eventually needs to escape (egress) from this protective environment to progress through its life cycle. Egress of Plasmodium blood‐stage merozoites, liver‐stage merozoites and mosquito midgut sporozoites relies on protease activity, so the enzymes involved have potential as antimalarial drug targets. This review examines the role of parasite proteases in egress, in the light of current knowledge of the mechanics of the process. Proteases implicated in egress include the cytoskeleton‐degrading malarial proteases falcipain‐2 and plasmepsin II, plus a family of putative papain‐like proteases called SERA. Recent revelations have shown that activation of the SERA proteases may be triggered by regulated secretion of a subtilisin‐like serine protease called SUB1. These findings are discussed in the context of the potential for development of new chemotherapeutics targeting this stage in the parasite's life cycle.
A Functional Analysis of the 2007 and 2012 French Presidential Debates

In 2007, Nicolas Sarkozy ran against Segolene Royal for President of France; Sarkozy won. In 2012, Sarkozy was challenged by Francois Hollande; Hollande won. This study applies the Functional Theory of Political Campaign Discourse to the French Presidential debates of 2007 and 2012. In 2007, candidates acclaimed more than they attacked and attacked more than they defended, as predicted. However, in 2012 acclaims were not used more than attacks probably because Sarkozy trailed in polls. Sarkozy and Royal discussed policy more than character. The incumbent in 2007 and 2012 acclaimed more and attacked less than the challengers on past deeds.
Understanding WaveShrink: Variance and bias estimation

SUMMARY Donoho & Johnstone's WaveShrink procedure has proved valuable for function estimation and nonparametric regression. WaveShrink is based on the principle of shrinking wavelet coefficients towards zero to remove noise. WaveShrink has very broad asymptotic near-optimality properties and achieves the optimal risk to within a factor of log n. In this paper, we derive computationally efficient formulae for computing the exact bias, variance and L2 risk of WaveShrink estimates in finite sample situations. We use these formulae to understand the behaviour of WaveShrink estimators, construct approximate confidence intervals and bias estimates for WaveShrink and compute ideal thresholds for a given function. We show that hard shrinkage has smaller bias but larger variance than soft shrinkage, and that significantly smaller thresholds should be used for soft shrinkage. We also compute minimax thresholds for WaveShrink estimators and demonstrate that the minimax thresholds can nearly achieve the ideal rank for a range of functions.
Human Performance in Immersive Virtual Environments: Effects of Exposure Duration, User Control, and Scene Complexity

This study examined human performance on a set of basic tasks representative of human interaction in most virtual environment (VE) systems. The effects of user movement control, exposure duration, and scene complexity on human performance, presence, and sickness were evaluated. The results suggest that to enhance human performance in VEs, providing users with complete control allows for effective performance on both stationary tasks and those requiring head movement only. With tasks involving both head and body movement, however, user movement control should be streamlined to enhance performance and reduce sickness. Presence was found to increase with improved performance; therefore, it may be beneficial to promote presence in VE systems. However, because presence did not increase with prolonged exposure, whereas sickness did, if exposure duration is used as a tool for enhancing presence while decreasing sickness, shorter exposures may prove effective.
Contribution of maternal-fetal adrenomedullin polymorphism to gestational hypertension and preedlampsia--gene-gene interaction pilot study.

INTRODUCTION Adrenomedullin (ADM), a peptide with vasodilatory natriuretic and diuretic properties, is secreted in many tissues and shows multidirectional activity ADM activity may play an important role in the pathophysiology of gestational hypertension (GH) and preeclampsia (PE) by involvement in compensation of failed utero-placental unit circulation. AIM OF THE STUDY The aim of the study was to evaluate the association of -1984A>G ADM gene polymorphism with the development of GH and PE in maternal-fetal dyads. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study group consisted of 46 hypertensive pregnant subjects (further divided into two subgroups: 20 pregnant women with GH and 26 women with PE). 43 healthy pregnant women constituted the control group. The study and the control groups as well as the newborns were genotyped for -1984A>G ADM gene polymorphism using PCR/RLFP procedures. RESULTS Minor--1984G allele was found to be higher in both, the GH (15.00%, OR = 3.62, p = 0.05), and the PE groups (9.62, OR = 2.18, p=ns) when compared with controls (4.65%). A tendency for higher frequency of minor -1984G allele (12.50 vs. 6.98% in controls, OR = 1.91, p=ns) was observed in the newborns from the GH group. It was also noteworthy that coexistence of both heterozygous genotypes of maternal-fetal dyads (-1984AG mother/1984AG fetus) was overrepresented in the GH group (15.00 vs. 6.98%, OR = 2.35, p=ns) and in the PE group (11.54 vs. 6.98%, OR = 1.74, p=ns) when compared to controls. CONCLUSIONS The observed tendency for overrepresentation of minor -1984G ADM allele in the GH and PE women and their newborns, despite lack of statistical significance, suggests participation of this genetic variant in the pathogenesis of the mentioned conditions. Additionally the obtained results could indicate that maternal-fetal gene-gene interaction may be a potential source of adverse perinatal outcomes.
Selective activation of STAT5 unveils its role in stem cell self-renewal in normal and leukemic hematopoiesis

Although the concept of a leukemic stem cell system has recently been well accepted, its nature and the underlying molecular mechanisms remain obscure. Constitutive activation of signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (STAT3) and STAT5 is frequently detected in various hematopoietic tumors. To evaluate their role in normal and leukemic stem cells, we took advantage of constitutively active STAT mutants to activate STAT signaling selectively in hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). Activation of STAT5 in CD34–c-Kit+Sca-1+ lineage marker– (CD34–KSL) HSCs led to a drastic expansion of multipotential progenitors and promoted HSC self-renewal ex vivo. In sharp contrast, STAT3 was demonstrated to be dispensable for the HSC maintenance in vivo, and its activation facilitated lineage commitment of HSCs in vitro. In a mouse model of myeloproliferative disease (MPD), sustained STAT5 activation in CD34–KSL HSCs but not in CD34+KSL multipotential progenitors induced fatal MPD, indicating that the capacity of STAT5 to promote self-renewal of hematopoietic stem cells is crucial to MPD development. Our findings collectively establish a specific role for STAT5 in self-renewal of normal as well as leukemic stem cells.
Crystal structure of plant aspartic proteinase prophytepsin: inactivation and vacuolar targeting

We determined at 2.3 Å resolution the crystal structure of prophytepsin, a zymogen of a barley vacuolar aspartic proteinase. In addition to the classical pepsin‐like bilobal main body of phytepsin, we also traced most of the propeptide, as well as an independent plant‐specific domain, never before described in structural terms. The structure revealed that, in addition to the propeptide, 13 N‐terminal residues of the mature phytepsin are essential for inactivation of the enzyme. Comparison of the plant‐specific domain with NK‐lysin indicates that these two saposin‐like structures are closely related, suggesting that all saposins and saposin‐like domains share a common topology. Structural analysis of prophytepsin led to the identification of a putative membrane receptor‐binding site involved in Golgi‐mediated transport to vacuoles.
A Window Into Early Literacy: Exploring the Cognitive and Linguistic Underpinnings of Invented Spelling

Children's early spelling attempts (invented spellings) and underlying component skills were evaluated in a sample (N = 115) of 5-year-old children. Letter-sound knowledge and phoneme awareness were shown to be important predictors of invented spelling performance in this age group. The results also showed associations between invented spelling and measures of orthographic awareness and morphological processing. The findings support the view that invented spelling is a developmentally complex and important early literacy skill that involves phonemic awareness, letter sound knowledge, and other oral language skills and orthographic knowledge.
Client perspectives on counselling: Before, during and after

Abstract This four-year study investigated the under-researched area of first-time users’ perceptions of counselling and how these evolved over time. Research participants were drawn from six settings within university counselling services, the voluntary sector and primary care. Using an interpretive hermeneutic framework based on thematic analysis, 30 interviews were carried out. Results revealed that before counselling, participants were uncertain about the nature of counselling and what to expect, described stigma associated with peer influence and varying levels of confusion about specialist language. During counselling, participants experienced some level of positive change. At the same time, divergences of counsellor and client perception highlighted theoretical issues concerning counsellor approach and the exploration of emotions. Post-counselling interviews revealed further positive change, and practical issues with implications for counsellor training and practice in terms of client assessment, p.
Socioeconomic differentials among single-race and multi-race Japanese Americans

Abstract Using data from the 2000 US Census, this study investigates various groups of single-race and multi-race Japanese Americans in terms of their schooling and wages. The results indicate that all categories of Japanese Americans tend to have higher schooling than whites. Single-race Japanese Americans tend to have higher schooling than multi-race Japanese Americans, and 1.5-generation Japanese Americans tend to have higher schooling than native-born Japanese Americans. With the exception of foreign-educated, immigrant Japanese Americans, most of the wage differentials are explained by schooling and a few other demographic characteristics. These results are rather inconsistent with traditional assimilation theory which posits rising socioeconomic attainments with increasing acculturation. Instead, the findings suggest a reverse pattern by which the groups that are more closely related to Japan tend to have higher levels of educational attainment which then become translated into higher wages.
Teacher–student sexual relations: key risks and ethical issues

Researching actual or purported sexual contact between teachers and students raises many difficult ethical issues, questions and dilemmas, which may help to explain why few have ventured into the field. This experientially based paper addresses key problem areas under the headings of: the ethics of researching a sensitive taboo topic; the ethics of challenging normative notions and master narratives around child abuse and protection; obtaining ethical clearance to study teachers, pupils and sex; ethical issues related to giving voice to teachers considered or alleged to have committed sexual offences against students; and ethical issues around the protection and re-presentation of research participants. The paper considers the difficulties faced when seeking to conduct critical transformative ethical ethnographic research which is committed to child protection, whilst challenging practices and legislation which can lead to the perpetration of serious social injustice against teachers.
Defluoridation of Drinking Water by Boiling with Brushite and Calcite

Existing methods for defluoridating drinking water involve expensive high technology or are slow, inefficient and/or unhygienic. A new method is now suggested, encompassing brushite and calcite suspension followed by boiling. Our aim was to examine the efficiency of the method and the chemical reactions involved. Brushite, 0.3–0.5 g, and an equal weight of calcite were suspended in 1 litre water containing 5–20 ppm fluoride. The suspensions were boiled in an electric kettle, left to cool and the calcium salts to sediment. Solution ion concentrations were determined and sediments were examined by X-ray diffraction. In distilled water initially containing 5, 10 and 20 ppm fluoride the concentration was reduced to 0.06, 0.4 and 5.9 ppm, respectively. Using Aarhus tap water which contained 2.6 mmol/l calcium the final concentrations were 1.2, 2.5 and 7.7 ppm, respectively, and runs without calcite gave results similar to those with calcite. Without boiling the fluoride concentration remained unaltered, as did the brushite and calcite salts, despite occasional agitation by hand. All solutions were supersaturated with respect to fluorapatite and hydroxyapatite and close to saturation with respect to brushite. Boiling produced well-crystallised apatite and traces of calcite, while boiling of brushite alone left a poorly crystallised apatite. We conclude that boiling a brushite/calcite suspension rapidly converts the two salts to apatite which incorporates fluoride if present in solution, and that this process may be exploited to defluoridate drinking water.
Fossilization in steady state L2 grammars: Persistent problems with inflectional morphology

This paper provides a case study of the fossilized endstate L2 English grammar of an adult native speaker of Turkish. Results are presented from production data (over 3400 utterances, gathered over 2 time periods 18 months apart), concentrating on verbal and nominal inflection and associated syntactic properties; data from a number of other tasks are also presented. A high level of accuracy in suppliance of English tense and agreement morphology was found. In contrast, suppliance of definite and indefinite articles was significantly lower but nevertheless appropriate. Syntactic correlates (such as verb placement, presence of overt subjects, case assignment, definiteness effects) were all completely accurate, suggesting no underlying impairment to functional categories or features. There is some evidence for influence from the L1, which has rich inflection but lacks articles, but this appears to be an effect on suppliance of overt morphology and not on underlying representation, which shows properties appropriate to the L2.
Overlapping Neural Correlates of Reading Emotionally Positive and Negative Adjectives

Comparison of positive and negative naturally read adjectives to neutral adjectives yielded an overlapping higher BOLD response in the occipital and the orbitofrontal cortex (gyrus rectus). Superior medial frontal gyrus and posterior cingulate gyrus showed higher BOLD response to negative adjectives and inferior frontal gyrus to positive adjectives. The overlap of activated regions and lack of pronounced distinct regions supports the assumption that the processing of negative and positive words mainly takes place in overlapping brain regions.
HTR1A Polymorphisms and Clinical Efficacy of Antipsychotic Drug Treatment in Schizophrenia: A Meta-Analysis

Background: This meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate whether HTR1A gene polymorphisms impact the efficacy of antipsychotic drugs in patients with schizophrenia. Methods: Candidate gene studies that were published in English up to August 6, 2015 were identified by a literature search of PubMed, Web of Science, and Google scholar. Data were pooled from individual clinical trials considering overall symptoms, positive symptoms and negative symptoms, and standard mean differences were calculated by applying a random-effects model. Results: The present meta-analysis included a total of 1281 patients from 10 studies. Three polymorphisms of HTR1A (rs6295, rs878567, and rs1423691) were selected for the analysis. In the pooled data from all studies, none of these HTR1A polymorphisms correlated significantly with either overall symptoms or positive symptoms. However, C allele carriers of the rs6295 polymorphism showed a significantly greater negative symptoms improvement than G allele carriers (P=.04, standardized mean difference =-0.14, 95％CI = 0.01 to 0.28). Conclusions: The results of our present analysis indicate that the HTR1A rs6295 polymorphism may impact negative symptoms improvement but not on either overall symptoms or positive symptoms improvement. However, this meta-analysis was based on a small number of studies and patients, and the effect size on negative symptoms was small. Given this limitation, the results should be confirmed by further investigations.
Orthokeratology (Corneal Refractive Therapy): What Is It and How Does It Work?

This article reviews current knowledge regarding orthokeratology, also known as corneal refractive therapy. Modern orthokeratology using reverse-geometry gas-permeable lenses is an effective procedure for the temporary reduction of low to moderate myopia. The use of an overnight lens-wearing protocol provides an alternative to refractive surgery for many patients. Onset of the refractive effect is rapid, with observable changes within minutes and stability of effect after 7 to 10 days of treatment. The procedure appears to be fully reversible on cessation of lens wear. The orthokeratology effect is achieved through central corneal epithelial thinning and mid peripheral stromal thickening, although the cellular basis for these changes requires further research. Because of recent reports of severe corneal infections with overnight orthokeratology, the safety of the procedure is under active investigation, and it is clear that minimal clinical standards must be promulgated internationally to ensure a future for this approach to refractive correction.
The social construction of the cultural mind: Imitative learning as a mechanism of human pedagogy

How does cultural knowledge shape the development of human minds and, conversely, what kind of species-specific social-cognitive mechanisms have evolved to support the intergenerational reproduction of cultural knowledge? We critically examine current theories proposing a human-specific drive to identify with and imitate conspecifics as the evolutionary mechanism underlying cultural learning. We summarize new data demonstrating the selective interpretive nature of imitative learning in 14-month-olds and argue that the predictive scope of existing imitative learning models is either too broad or too narrow to account for these findings. We outline our alternative theory of a human-specific adaptation for ‘pedagogy’, a communicative system of mutual design specialized for the fast and efficient transfer of new and relevant cultural knowledge from knowledgeable to ignorant conspecifics. We show the central role that innately specified ostensive-communicative triggering cues and learner-directed manner of knowledge manifestations play in constraining and guiding selective imitation of relevant cultural knowledge that is both new and cognitively opaque to the naive learner.
Characteristics of academically excellent business studies students in a post-1992 university

Abstract In contrast to the extensive investigation of the characteristics of students who fail or perform badly in ‘new’ universities, research into the factors associated with academic excellence within post-1992 institutions has been sparse. This empirical study examined the profile of a sample of 81 high-flying business studies undergraduates in a new university in Greater London. The profile was then compared with that of 193 business undergraduates who were ‘ordinary’ in academic terms. A model intended to explain a student's categorisation as ‘good’ or ‘ordinary’ was constructed on the basis of prior academic literature relating to student performance as a whole. Tests of the model revealed that students in the academically excellent group tended to have a high internal locus of control and high intrinsic (rather than extrinsic) motivation to study. They worked hard and conscientiously, and devoted substantially more hours to private study than their ‘ordinary’ counterparts. Good students did not select the easiest options, and greatly preferred examinations to group-work assessment. Overall, the results implied that academic excellence was more the consequence of an individual's effort and ability than the person's socio-economic background. There were no significant connections between a student falling into the academically excellent category and that individual's financial status. The levels of a person's academic self-concept and social integration into life at university failed to explain the student's categorisation as ‘good’ or ‘ordinary’.
Detection of the intercellular adhesion gene cluster (ica) and phase variation in Staphylococcus epidermidis blood culture strains and mucosal isolates

Staphylococcus epidermidis is a common cause of catheter-associated infections and septicemia in immunocompromised patients. To answer the question whether S. epidermidis skin isolates differ from isolates causing septicemic diseases, 51 strains obtained from blood cultures, 1 strain from shunt-associated meningitis, and 36 saprophytic isolates were characterized. The study demonstrates that most of the blood culture strains formed a multilayered biofilm on plastic material, whereas skin and mucosal isolates did not. Moreover, biofilm-producing strains were found to generate large bacterial autoaggregates in liquid culture. Autoaggregation and biofilm formation on polymer surfaces was associated with the presence of a DNA sequence encoding an intercellular adhesion gene cluster (ica) that mediates the production of a polysaccharide intercellular adhesin. The presence of the intercellular adhesion genes in blood culture isolates was also found to be correlated with the exhibition of black colonies on Congo red agar, whereas the adhesin-negative strains formed red colonies. Upon subcultivation on Congo red agar, the black colony forms of the blood culture strains exhibited red colony variants which were biofilm and autoaggregation negative and occurred at a frequency of 10(-5). The DNA analysis of these S. epidermidis variants by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and Southern hybridization with an ica-specific gene probe revealed no detectable difference between the black and red colony types. Moreover, after repeated passage, the phenotype of the parent strain could be restored. Therefore, these colony forms were regarded as phase variants. This phenotypic change was observed exclusively in adhesin-positive clinical isolates and not in adhesin-negative saprophytic strains of S. epidermidis.
Dexmedetomidine for Neurological Surgery

DEXMEDETOMIDINE IS A new intravenous drug gaining popularity in neuroanesthesia and neurocritical care practice. This α2-adrenergic receptor agonist offers a unique “cooperative sedation,” anxiolysis, and analgesia with no respiratory depression. Cerebral effects are generally consistent with a desirable neurophysiological profile, including neuroprotective characteristics. In addition, sympatholytic and antinociceptive properties allow for hemodynamic stability at critical moments of neurosurgical stimulation. This review will address the neuropharmacology and neurophysiology of α2-adrenergic agonists and will specifically consider the rapidly evolving applicability of dexmedetomidine as an adjuvant to neurosurgical case management.