Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An automated plasma D-lactate assay with a new sample preparation method to prevent interference from L-lactate and L-lactate dehydrogenase

Abstract Objective. To establish an automated plasma D-lactate assay without interference from L-lactate and L-lactate dehydrogenase (L-LDH). Methods and materials. The D-lactate assay was programmed as a 2-point endpoint assay on the Roche Modular P using the D-lactic acid kit from Biocontrol Systems, USA. In the chemical reaction, D-lactate was oxidized to pyruvate by NAD+ in the presence of D-lactate dehydrogenase. The resultant pyruvate was converted to alanine in the presence of alanine aminotransferase. The amount of NADH formed in the coupled reaction, measured by the change in the absorbance at 340 nm, was proportional to the concentration of D-lactate in the sample. Human serum albumin (HSA) solutions and plasma from pigs with experimentally-induced gut ischemia were used in this study. Blood samples were collected into Venosafe® tubes. Results. The D-lactate assay was linear up to 1.000 mmol/L in HSA solutions and plasma. The detection limit was 0.003 mmol/L. Within-run CVs ≤ 2.0% and total CVs ≤ 3.2% were obtained in the control material. Recovery was 87.1 ± 5.2 % (Mean ± SD). The L-LDH activity was completely inactivated in plasma samples by the addition of 20 µL of a 5 mol/L NaOH solution to 500 µL of plasma (pH 11.5). No interference could be detected from concentrations of bilirubin < 450 µmol/L, haemoglobin < 0.2 mmol/L or Intralipid® < 2.5 g/L. Conclusions. The performance of the established D-lactate assay meets the requirements to be implemented into hospital laboratories. The sample preparation method is simple, cheap and requires minimal labour.
Aeromonas hydrophila and Aeromonas veronii Predominate among Potentially Pathogenic Ciprofloxacin- and Tetracycline-Resistant Aeromonas Isolates from Lake Erie

ABSTRACT Members of the genus Aeromonas are ubiquitous in nature and have increasingly been implicated in numerous diseases of humans and other animal taxa. Although some species of aeromonads are human pathogens, their presence, density, and relative abundance are rarely considered in assessing water quality. The objectives of this study were to identify Aeromonas species within Lake Erie, determine their antibiotic resistance patterns, and assess their potential pathogenicity. Aeromonas strains were isolated from Lake Erie water by use of Aeromonas selective agar with and without tetracycline and ciprofloxacin. All isolates were analyzed for hemolytic ability and cytotoxicity against human epithelial cells and were identified to the species level by using 16S rRNA gene restriction fragment length polymorphisms and phylogenetic analysis based on gyrB gene sequences. A molecular virulence profile was identified for each isolate, using multiplex PCR analysis of six virulence genes. We demonstrated that Aeromonas comprised 16% of all culturable bacteria from Lake Erie. Among 119 Aeromonas isolates, six species were identified, though only two species (Aeromonas hydrophila and A. veronii) predominated among tetracycline- and ciprofloxacin-resistant isolates. Additionally, both of these species demonstrated pathogenic phenotypes in vitro. Virulence gene profiles demonstrated a high prevalence of aerolysin and serine protease genes among A. hydrophila and A. veronii isolates, a genetic profile which corresponded with pathogenic phenotypes. Together, our findings demonstrate increased antibiotic resistance among potentially pathogenic strains of aeromonads, illustrating an emerging potential health concern.
Cross-functional integration of marketing and information services in banking: a cross-industry comparison

Marketing managers are experiencing challenges while deploying products in the markets. These include information conversion with seamless flow to business entities, anticipating and planning ahead for uncertainty and forecasting within the limited time frame of operations. To conquer this situation, business enterprises are reaching out for complementary resources that are of high synergies which are adept in handling these challenges. The necessity of responding to environmental strain induced tightened linkages of marketing and information services. This quantitative study of banking industry is conducted to investigate cross-functional integration (CFI) of marketing and information services through a correlation of effectiveness of marketing information system (MkIS). Apart from this, the other parameters such as reliability of firm's internal records, impact of organisational risk reduction, decision-making, and organisational strategy with MkIS are used in this study. Suitable statistical tools are applied to analyse the collected data and to reach on a conclusion.
Serotyping and Genotyping of GenitalChlamydia trachomatis Isolates Reveal Variants of Serovars Ba, G, and J as Confirmed by omp1 Nucleotide Sequence Analysis

ABSTRACT Urogenital isolates (n = 93) of Chlamydia trachomatis were differentiated into serovars and variants by serotyping with monoclonal antibodies and genotyping by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of the PCR-amplifiedomp1 gene, respectively. The types of 87 of the 93 isolates (94%) were identical, as determined by both methods. Among these 87 isolates, 3 isolates were identified as the recently described new serovariant Ga/IOL-238 by omp1 nucleotide sequence analysis of the variable domains. Of the remaining six isolates, three isolates serotyped as both L2 and Ba but were identified as Ba/A-7 by genotyping by RFLP analysis of omp1. The omp1 nucleotide sequences of variable domains VD1, VD2, and VD4 of these urogenital Ba strains were identical to the sequences of the variable domains of Ba/J160, an ocular Ba type. The three remaining isolates were serotyped as J, but the patterns obtained by RFLP analysis of omp1, which were identical for the three isolates, differed from that of prototype serovar J/UW36. omp1 nucleotide sequence analysis revealed that these strains are genovariants of serovar J/UW36. Nucleotide sequence differences between serovar J/UW36 and this J genovariant, designated Jv, were found in both variable and constant domains. In conclusion, this study shows that the PCR-based genotyping of clinical C. trachomatis isolates by RFLP analysis ofomp1 has a higher discriminatory power and is more convenient than serotyping. Variants of C. trachomatisserovars Ba, G, and J were identified and characterized.
MicroRNAs control the apoptotic threshold in primed pluripotent stem cells through regulation of BIM

Pernaute et al. identify miRNA-mediated regulation as a key mechanism controlling apoptosis in the post-implantation epiblast. Three miRNA families, miR-20, miR-92, and miR-302, control the mitochondrial apoptotic machinery by fine-tuning the levels of expression of the proapoptotic protein BIM. These miRNA families are needed to maintain cell survival in stem cells that are primed for not only differentiation but also cell death.
Extension of the Miller and Modigliani Theory to Allow for Share Repurchases

Miller and Modigliani (1961) consider valuation of infinite horizon firms that may not engage in purchasing their own shares. While their fundamental valuation approach also applies to firms that purchase their own shares, their stream of dividends approach does not apply to such firms if they pay out “insufficient” dividends, as characterized by a necessary and sufficient condition in this paper. The latter approach is modified so that it can be used for valuation of infinite horizon firms including those that purchase their own shares. The modified approach is the natural extension of the traditional dividend stream approach used for valuing finite horizon firms, and it is proved to be equivalent to the fundamental valuation approach. Our analysis suggests that if share prices are estimated based solely on their dividend contents, then it would be important to test empirically if the share price of a firm paying "insufficient" dividends will be undervalued.For related papers, see Sethi, When Does the Share Price Equal the Present Value of Future Dividends? A Modified Dividend Approach, Economic Theory, Vol. 8, No. 2, pp. 307-319, 1996 (http://ssrn.com/abstract=1083168) and Sethi, Derzko and Lehoczky, A Stochastic Extension of the Miller-Modigliani Framework, Mathematical Finance, Vol. 1, Issue 4, pp. 57-76, October 1991;(http://ssrn.com/abstract=1082940) both available on SSRN.
Influence of mother's intestinal microbiota on gut colonization in the infant

The aim here was to elucidate the mother-infant association in the gut colonization of 1-6 month-old infants and to establish whether probiotics can influence this process. Fecal samples from 80 mother-infant pairs were analyzed at 1 month (mothers and infants) and 6 months (infants) by real-time polymerase chain reaction to assess bacterial numbers. This double-blind placebo-controlled trial involved 2 different probiotic combinations (1. Lactobacillus rhamnosus + Bifidobacterium longum and 2. Lactobacillus paracasei + Bifidobacterium longum) given to the mothers 2 months prior to and 2 months after delivery. Bifidobacterium bifidum colonization in the mothers significantly increased the infants' probability of being colonized by B. bifidum and their bifidobacterial diversity indexes (DI) and the mother-infant similarity indexes (SI) both at 1 and 6 months of age. The counts of Bifidobacterium genus (at 1 month) and Bifidobacterium longum (at 6 months) correlated between mothers and infants. At 6 months, a significant effect of the probiotic intervention was found in the mother-infant association of fecal bifidobacterial counts but not in the colonization frequencies, DI or SI. In conclusion, a clear association between mother and infant was found in gut colonization by bifidobacteria. Maternal colonization by B. bifidum had the most consistent effects on the infant's bifidobacterial microbiota. Maternal probiotic treatment had little effect on this mother-infant association.
Conductivity induced polarization in a semicrystalline ferroelectric polymer

It is commonly believed that formation of polarization and its switching in ferroelectrics under high electric field strength is a fast process in the microsecond range governed by a well known activation field. We have found, however, that in semicrystalline ferroelectric polymers, containing both crystalline and amorphous phases, polarization continues to grow during times 5 to 6 orders of magnitude longer than the estimated switching times. The controversy has been resolved by taking into account the effect of conductivity in such materials. It has been shown that there are two components of the ferroelectric polarization, of which the first one is essentially field dependent and originates from a fast alignment of dipoles in crystalline regimes, while the second slow component is controlled by the conductivity of the material. Appropriate modeling showed that charge accumulation at the interfacial boundaries is an important component of the slow polarization. Good agreement between calculated and measured polarization has been observed for poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF). However, it is believed that the phenomenon is probably common for all two-phase ferroelectrics such as ceramics and ceramics-polymer composites.
Malaria in pregnancy, risk perceptions and care seeking practices among adolescents in Mukono district Uganda

Malaria in pregnancy is a serious health problem that contributes greatly to maternal morbidity and mortality. This study investigated risk perceptions and care seeking practices for malaria in pregnancy among adolescents. Data were collected using focus group disusions(FGDs) and key informant interviews (KIIs). Results showed that malaria was perceived as the leading cause of morbidity and mortality among pregnant women. However, adolescent girls did not consider themselves at risk of malaria even when pregnant. Anaemia and low birth weight were not well understood and not related to malaria in pregnancy. Self-medication was common including over the counter drugs, herbs or a combination of both. When this failed, several options were taken such as seeking care at health units. People preferred to visit heath units with laboratory facilities, since investigations were valued and perceived useful. These investigations were locally known as okukebera omusayi, which translates to examining blood This local term is non-specific and used when patients are referred to laboratories to investigate diseases like HIV, syphilis and malaria. The use of this term however, discourages some people who are afraid of knowing their HIV status. Similarly, the notion that HIV/AIDS is spread thorough contaminated needles and syringes discourages people from giving blood for laboratory tests. In addition, the cost of investigations, fear of pain due to pricking, and the rudeness of laboratory technicians negatively influence seeking laboratory tests. Implications of these findings include developing a health promotion package that explains the dangers of self medication and advocates prompt seeking for malaria treatment especially for adolescents and primigravidae. Policy decisions to introduce rapid diagnostic kits (RDTs) in primary care units including drug shops are required in order to improve effective treatment of malaria.
Prevention of impulse noise-induced hearing loss with antioxidants

Conclusion These findings indicate a strong protective effect of ALCAR and NAC on impulse noise-induced cochlear damage, and suggest the feasibility of using clinically available antioxidant compounds to protect the ear from acute acoustic injury. Objective Reactive oxygen species have been shown to play a significant role in noise-induced hearing loss. In the current study, the protective effects of two antioxidants, acetyl-L-carnitine (ALCAR) and N-L-acetylcysteine (NAC), were investigated in a chinchilla model of hearing loss resulting from impulse noise. It was hypothesized that pre- and post-treatment with these antioxidants would ameliorate the effects of impulse noise compared to saline-treated controls. Material and methods Eighteen animals were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups and exposed to impulse noise at a level of 155 dB peak SPL for 150 repetitions. ALCAR or NAC were administered twice daily (b.i.d.) for 2 days and 1 h prior to and 1 h following noise exposure, and then b.i. d. for the following 2 days. For the control group, saline was injected at the same time points. Auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) were recorded. Cochlear surface preparations were made to obtain cytocochleograms. Results Three weeks after exposure, permanent threshold shifts for the experimental groups were significantly reduced to ≈10–30 dB less than that for the control group (p<0.01). Less hair cell loss was also observed in the ALCAR and NAC groups than in the control group.
Central and Peripheral Roles of Ghrelin on Glucose Homeostasis

Ghrelin, an acylated 28-amino-acid peptide, is an endogenous ligand of the growth hormone secretagogue type 1a (GHS-R1a). Ghrelin is best known for its hypothalamic actions on growth hormone-releasing hormone neurons and neuropeptide Y/agouti-related peptide neurons; however, ghrelin affects multiple organ systems and the complexity of its functions is only now being realized. Although ghrelin is mainly produced in the stomach, it is also produced in low levels by the hypothalamus and by most peripheral tissues. GHS-R1a is expressed predominantly in the anterior pituitary gland, at lower levels in the brain including hypothalamic neurons that regulate feeding behavior and glucose sensing, and at even lower levels in the pancreas. A reciprocal relationship exists between ghrelin and insulin, suggesting that ghrelin regulates glucose homeostasis. Ablation of ghrelin in mice increases glucose-induced insulin secretion, and improves peripheral insulin sensitivity. This review focuses on the newly emerging role of ghrelin in glucose homeostasis and exploration of whether ghrelin is a potential therapeutic target for diabetes.
Mutations in the Nuclear Export Signal of Human Ran-binding Protein RanBP1 Block the Rev-mediated Posttranscriptional Regulation of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1*

We identified a region in the human Ran GTPase-binding protein RanBP1 that shares similarities to the nuclear export signal of the inhibitor of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase. Mutational analysis confirmed that this region is responsible for the cytoplasmic accumulation of RanBP1 and can functionally replace the nuclear export signal of Rev of human immunodeficiency virus type 1. We showed that RanBP1 interferes with Rev-mediated expression of human immunodeficiency virus type 1, whereas the RanBP1 with inactivated nuclear export signal abrogates Rev function. Expression of a Rev-independent molecular clone, which is regulated via the constitutive transport element (CTE) of the simian retrovirus type 1, is not affected. These findings indicate that Rev and RanBP1 compete for the same nuclear export pathway, whereas Rev- and the CTE-mediated pathways are distinct. The inhibition of Rev function is independent of the ability of RanBP1 to associate with Ran and therefore, it is not likely a result of interference with Ran function. These data suggest that RanBP1 interacts with Rev at the putative nuclear receptor and, hence, shares a step in posttranscriptional pathway with Rev.
Steady-state and transient dynamic behavior of simple climate models for application in integrated assessment models

We characterize the steady-state and transient dynamic behavior of a suite of twelve linear time-invariant (LTI) climate models capturing the response of global mean surface temperature to net radiative forcing. The LTI models considered here have previously been obtained by system identification experiments with data derived from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 3 (CMIP3), and have subsequently been applied in integrated assessment models (IAMs) of climate-economy based on the solution of a finite-horizon nonlinear optimal control problem, where atmosphere-ocean general circulation models (AOGCMs) of the climate are computationally prohibitive. In this paper, we compute the equilibrium climate sensitivity (ECS) and transient climate response (TCR) for each of the twelve LTI climate models in the model suite, and compare the values so obtained with previously published values of ECS and TCR for these CMIP3 models. The results of this paper confirm the suitability of simple LTI climate models in IAMs, and validate the robustness of conclusions drawn from the application of such models in integrated climate-economy assessments.
No Priming of the Immune Response in Newborn Brown Norway Rats Dosed with Ovalbumin in the Mouth

Background: Other researchers have reported that the specific immune response to subsequent antigen challenge is primed in newborn mice or rats dosed orally by gavage. We wanted to investigate if priming of a subsequent specific IgE response could be achieved by dosing newborn rats orally with ovalbumin and if this method could be used in an animal model for food allergy. Methods: Newborn Brown Norway rats were dosed with ovalbumin in the mouth (100 µg or 6 mg). As young adults, the animals were dosed by gavage for 35 days with 1 mg ovalbumin/day or once intraperitoneally with 100 µg. Control groups were dosed by gavage or intraperitoneally but not as neonates. Additionally, young adult rats were dosed with 1 mg ovalbumin/day in the mouth for 35 days. Sera from individual animals were analysed for specific IgE and specific IgG. Results: In all experiments with neonatal rats the specific IgE and IgG responses were decreased compared to the control groups, however, not always reaching statistical significance. A statistical significant decrease in the specific immune response was found in young adult rats dosed in the mouth as compared to by gavage. Conclusions: Dosing Brown Norway rats with ovalbumin in the mouth as neonates do not prime the specific immune response. The decrease in immune response found in our experiments when dosing newborn animals in the mouth in opposition to the priming seen by others when dosing by intragastric intubation may be explained by a dissimilar antigen presentation when dosing includes both oral mucosa and gut.
A Preliminary Examination of Doctoral Student Retention Factors in Private Online Workspaces

Aim/Purpose The purpose of this quantitative descriptive study is to provide a preliminary examination of students’ retention factors of engagement, communication, and isolation that may be affected by the introduction and use of online communities for dissertation development within an online doctoral program. Background This research is a continuation of the university’s 5-year research initiative to address the high national rate of doctoral attrition by investigating whether private online workspaces provide a virtual platform to increase student interaction, enhance student communication, and reduce student perception of isolation. Methodology A quantitative descriptive study of 698 doctoral students (n1 = 355, n2 = 179, n3 = 184) in the online environment across three survey periods over a span of 30 months. Contribution In 30 months, student engagement increased, perceptions of effective communication by students with dissertation committees improved, and student perceptions of isolation remained unchanged. Findings The implementation of online workspaces for doctoral students addressed factors experienced in online doctoral programs. The introduction of private doctoral workspaces significantly improved doctoral students’ perceptions of more effective communication with their dissertation committees. Perceptions of isolation remained unchanged with the introduction of the technology. Retention Factors in Private Online Workspaces 80 Recommendations for Practitioners Universities and faculty should make proactive efforts to utilize the online tools available to them to facilitate improved communication and reduce isolation within online doctoral programs. Recommendation for Researchers The implementation of online workspaces appears to mitigate some factors associated with student attrition, but the extent of these changes is unknown. Future research should continue to examine the factors of retention as a pathway to reducing attrition within the online learning environment. Impact on Society The implementation of private online workspaces appears to lessen factors associated with student attrition, providing opportunities for improved utilization of personal and university resources, improved professional standing for graduates, and an enhanced reputation for online learning programs. Future Research Further examination is needed to determine to what extent various communication methods affect a student’s experience and increase connectivity between the student and the institution, as well as research to better understand the phenomenon of students’ perceptions of isolation within online environments.