Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Neighborhood and School Influences On Academic Achievement and Educational Attainment

Research has shown that poverty is a greater predictor of educational disparities than race, despite the national focus on racial disparities. Further, living in disadvantaged neighborhoods that are characterized by qualities such as high poverty and unemployment can place a double burden on already poor students, further undermining educational achievement and future success. Neighborhood disadvantage is linked to a range of poor academic outcomes, yet only recently has research begun to explore the processes underlying the relationship between neighborhood disadvantage and these outcomes. Drawing on ecological theory, the following study proposes to examine how multiple settings relate to student outcomes. Given the importance of schools on student outcomes and the lack of attention given to schools in the neighborhood literature, this study will examine how school climate and school type relate to neighborhoods and student outcomes. Specifically, this study proposes that neighborhood disadvantage is associated with poor academic outcomes (11 th grade GPA and postsecondary educational attainment) and that this relationship is mediated by school climate (academic climate, school order, and the condition of school facilities). Thus, the relationship between neighborhood disadvantage and student outcomes will be explained by school climates that undermine learning among students within these neighborhoods. Further, this study proposes that school choice disrupts neighborhood processes by providing access to schools with positive climates that support student learning, thereby alleviating the indirect effects of poverty on student outcomes. This study draws on data from the Education Longitudinal
Mini-review: Staphylococcus epidermidis as the most frequent cause of nosocomial infections: old and new fighting strategies

Staphylococcus epidermidis is nowadays regarded as the most frequent cause of nosocomial infections and indwelling medical device-associated infections. One of the features that contributes to the success of this microorganism and which is elemental to the onset of pathogenesis is its ability to form biofilms. Cells in this mode of growth are inherently more resistant to antimicrobials. Seeking to treat staphylococcal-related infections and to prevent their side effects, such as the significant morbidity and health care costs, many efforts are being made to develop of new and effective antistaphylococcal drugs. Indeed, due to its frequency and extreme resistance to treatment, staphylococcal-associated infections represent a serious burden for the public health system. This review will provide an overview of some conventional and emerging anti-biofilm approaches in the management of medical device-associated infections related to this important nosocomial pathogen.
Drosophila melanogaster P‐glycoprotein: A membrane detoxification system toward polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon pollutants

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are well‐known ubiquitous environmental contaminants. Permeability gly‐coprotein (P‐gp) is a transmembrane detoxification efflux pump transporting various lipophilic xenobiotics, such as PAHs, out of the cells. The existence of a P‐gp detoxification system inducible by PAHs was investigated in Drosophila melanogaster. Western blot experiments showed that D. melanogaster expressed a 140‐kDa P‐gp in Sl2 cells, embryos, and adult flies. Permeability glycoprotein was expressed in adult flies in the head, abdomen, and thorax and sublocalized in the sexual and olfactory organs. Flow cytometry experiments using Drosophila Sl2 cells in the presence of PAHs and target P‐gp drug compounds revealed that Drosophila P‐gp acted as an efflux detoxification pump. In Drosophila exposed to benzo[a]pyrene or to ambient air polluted by higher or lower PAH concentrations, P‐gp expression was clearly showed a dose‐dependent increase response. The P‐gp induction was detected both in adult flies and in different fly parts, such as the head, thorax, and antennae. Drosophila P‐gp acts as a membrane barrier against PAH pollutants.
African American participation in health-related research studies: indicators for effective recruitment.

OBJECTIVE To elucidate factors that influence African American willingness to participate in health-related research studies. METHODS The African American Alzheimer disease research study group at North Carolina A&T State University designed an in-person questionnaire and surveyed more than 700 African American adults on their willingness to participate in health-related research studies. The questionnaire was distributed and collected in a nonclinical setting during the years 2008 and 2009. This study was approved by the North Carolina A&T State University Institutional Review Board. RESULTS Of the 733 valid respondents, 16% had previously participated in a health-related research study. Of these, more than 90% were willing to participate again in future research studies. Of the 614 who had never participated in a research study, more than 70% expressed willingness to participate. The majority (75%) of experienced research study participants (RSP) were older than 40 years compared with 45% of non-research study participants. Experienced research participants were also twice as likely to have a college degree compared with non-research study participants. Seventy-three percent of non-research study participants were willing to participate in research studies in the future. The factors that were probable impediments to participation included lack of time and trust. Men with knowledge of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study were 50% less likely to be willing to participate compared with those who had not heard of Tuskegee Syphilis Study. CONCLUSIONS African Americans are willing to participate in health-related research studies. Several factors such as the appropriate incentives, community trust building, outreach, and community partnership creation are necessary for engaging minority participants. Incorporating factors that target African American enrollment in research design and implementation, such as increased training of minority health ambassadors and African American researchers and public health specialists, are needed to better engage minorities across generations, in research.
Spo5/Mug12, a Putative Meiosis-Specific RNA-Binding Protein, Is Essential for Meiotic Progression and Forms Mei2 Dot-Like Nuclear Foci

ABSTRACT We report here a functional analysis of spo5+(mug12+) of Schizosaccharomyces pombe, which encodes a putative RNA-binding protein. The disruption of spo5+ caused abnormal sporulation, generating inviable spores due to failed forespore membrane formation and the absence of a spore wall, as determined by electron microscopy. Spo5 regulates the progression of meiosis I because spo5 mutant cells display normal premeiotic DNA synthesis and the timely initiation of meiosis I but they show a delay in the peaking of cells with two nuclei, abnormal tyrosine 15 dephosphorylation of Cdc2, incomplete degradation of Cdc13, retarded formation and repair of double strand breaks, and a reduced frequency of intragenic recombination. Immunostaining showed that Spo5-green fluorescent protein (GFP) appeared in the cytoplasm at the horsetail phase, peaked around the metaphase I to anaphase I transition, and suddenly disappeared after anaphase II. Images of Spo5-GFP in living cells revealed that Spo5 forms a dot in the nucleus at prophase I that colocalized with the Mei2 dot. Unlike the Mei2 dot, however, the Spo5 dot was observed even in sme2Δ cells. Taken together, we conclude that Spo5 is a novel regulator of meiosis I and that it may function in the vicinity of the Mei2 dot.
Increased Levels of Plasma Extracellular Heat-Shock Proteins 60 and 70 kDa Characterized Early-Onset Neonatal Sepsis

Background: Extracellular heat-shock proteins (eHsp) are highly conserved molecules that play an important role in inflammatory diseases and have been quantified in plasma from patients with infectious diseases, including sepsis. There is a constant search for dependable biochemical markers that, in combination with conventional methods, could deliver a prompt and reliable diagnosis of early-onset neonatal sepsis. Objective: We sought to assess the level of eHsp-27, eHsp-60, eHsp-70, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα) in plasma of healthy neonates at term and infants with early-onset neonatal sepsis. Methods: This study included 34 newborns that were classified as healthy neonates at term (blood samples from the umbilical cord, n = 23) or infants with early-onset neonatal sepsis (blood samples obtained from umbilical artery by standard sterile procedures before starting a systemic antibiotic intervention, n = 11). All blood samples were centrifuged, and the plasma recovered to determine eHsp-27, eHsp-60, eHsp-70, and TNFα levels by ELISA. Results: Our results indicate that the level of eHsp-27 in healthy neonates at term was 0.045 ± 0.024 pg/ml. This value decreased 2.5-fold in infants with early-onset neonate sepsis (0.019 ± 0.006 pg/ml, p = 0.004). In contrast, the levels of eHsp-60 and eHsp-70 in healthy neonates at term were 13.69 ± 5.3 and 4.03 ± 2.6 pg/ml, respectively. These protein levels increased significantly 1.8- and 1.9-fold in the plasma of infants with early-onset neonatal sepsis (p ≤ 0.001). The level of TNFα in healthy neonates at term was 2.94 ± 0.46 pg/ml, with a 3.0-fold increase in infants with early-onset neonatal sepsis (8.96 ± 0.72 pm/ml, p ≤ 0.001). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of eHsp compared with that of C-reactive protein were 73.3, 60.0, 47.8, and 33.3%, respectively. Conclusion: This study demonstrated a consistent increase of eHsp-60 and eHsp-70 in the plasma of infants diagnosed with early-onset neonatal sepsis. These proteins showed higher sensitivity and specificity than C-reactive protein and blood culture test.
Increase in Teachers’ Knowledge About ADHD After a Week-Long Training Program

Objectives: ADHD affects 3% to 5% of school-age children. Clinical and community based epidemiological studies in Pakistan have shown a high prevalence of ADHD among school going children. A thorough review of literature shows that no studies of teachers’ training programs regarding ADHD have been published in Pakistani research literature. The aim of the present study is the development and evaluation of an ADHD training program for teachers. Methods: A teachers’ training program for ADHD was designed and a pilot run in 3 schools of Karachi, Pakistan. Teachers knowledge regarding signs and symptoms of ADHD was tested before and after the workshop and then again after 6 months using an ADHD knowledge questionnaire. Results: Forty-nine teachers, all of them women, completed the questionnaires before and after the training program, and 35 of them filled it out at the 6-month interval. Mean scores of these tests were compared using a paired t test. The authors found the difference of mean score of 1.48 ± 2.95, and this was statistically significant (p < .005). Conclusion: The authors conclude that the workshop improved the knowledge of the school teachers regarding ADHD symptomatology, and it remained significant even after 6 months of training (J. of Att. Dis. 2010; 13(4) 420-423).
Corticosteroid-binding Globulin, a Structural Basis for Steroid Transport and Proteinase-triggered Release*

Corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG) is a serine proteinase inhibitor (serpin) family member that transports glucocorticoids in blood and regulates their access to target cells. The 1.9Å crystal structure of rat CBG shows that its steroid-binding site resembles the thyroxin-binding site in the related serpin, thyroxin-binding globulin, and mutagenesis studies have confirmed the contributions of key residues that constitute the steroid-binding pocket. Unlike thyroxin-bound thyroxin-binding globulin, the cortisol-bound CBG displays an “active” serpin conformation with the proteinase-sensitive, reactive center loop (RCL) fully expelled from the regulatory β-sheet A. Moreover, the CBG structure allows us to predict that complete insertion of the proteolytically cleaved RCL into the serpin fold occurs in concert with a displacement and unwinding of helix D that would disrupt the steroid-binding site. This allosteric coupling between RCL positioning and occupancy of the CBG steroid-binding site, which resembles the ligand (glycosamino-glycan)-dependent activation of the thrombin inhibitory serpins heparin cofactor II and anti-thrombin RCLs, ensures both optimal recognition of CBG by target proteinases and efficient release of steroid to sites of action.
Detection of Sweet and Umami Taste in the Absence of Taste Receptor T1r3

The tastes of sugars (sweet) and glutamate (umami) are thought to be detected by T1r receptors expressed in taste cells. Molecular genetics and heterologous expression implicate T1r2 plus T1r3 as a sweet-responsive receptor,and T1r1 plus T1r3,as well as a truncated form of the type 4 metabotropic glutamate receptor (taste-mGluR4),as umami-responsive receptors. Here,we show that mice lacking T1r3 showed no preference for artificial sweeteners and had diminished but not abolished behavioral and nerve responses to sugars and umami compounds. These results indicate that T1r3-independent sweet- and umami-responsive receptors and/or pathways exist in taste cells.
DETECTION OF p53 AND bcl‐2 PROTEIN IN CARCINOMA OF THE RENAL PELVIS AND URETER INCLUDING DYSPLASIA

Ninety‐four patients with transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the renal pelvis and ureter, including dysplastic lesions, were studied for p53 and bcl‐2 protein expression by immunohistochemistry. Twenty‐one patients were also studied for p53 gene mutations by direct sequencing and for bcl‐2 gene rearrangement by Southern blot analysis. Overexpressed p53 protein was detected in 26 cases (27·7 per cent). bcl‐2 immunostaining was observed in 21 tumours (22·3 per cent), including four cases with labelling for p53. Furthermore, the dysplastic lesions surrounding 19 p53‐positive tumours also stained for p53. bcl‐2 expression was also detected frequently in dysplastic lesions adjacent to 14 bcl‐2‐positive TCCs. Positive reactions of dysplastic lesions were also found adjacent to 37 bcl‐2‐negative tumours. p53 point mutation was detected in 6 of 21 cases. Five of the six cases were positive for p53 protein. bcl‐2 positivity was detected in 3 of 21 tumours, without bcl‐2 gene rearrangements in the major breakpoint region. Overexpressed p53 protein was frequently detected in both high‐grade (P<0·05) and invasive tumours (P<0·05). In three cases of p53‐positive non‐papillary invasive tumours, bcl‐2 was found in non‐invasive portions, but was not present in invasive areas. These findings suggest that overexpression (mutation) of p53 and/or bcl‐2 protein may be early events in tumourigenesis and that p53 alterations in particular are essential for the maintenance of a malignant phenotype in tumour development.
The Syndrome of FDI and Economic Growth: Evidence from Latin American Countries

Historically, it is beyond every reasonable doubt that, FDI has had two strands in terms of its contributions to development and especially how it shapes the productive sector in Latin America, such that it has gained massive attention in the economic literature. This presumes that FDI is seen as a key driver of a global economic integration which has the ability to provide financial stability, promote economic development as well as enhance the well-being of the society (OECD, 2008), as Adams (2009) asserted that, for the past couple of years the inflows of such investments into the developing economies in Latin America, and the SSA have experienced a commensurable increase. Despite the overwhelming consensus on the contributions of FDI inflows in the economic development, the debate on its (FDI) impact on local development has been full of loopholes because of how cumbersome it is to analytically isolate the prevailing business and institutional conditions, such as the host nations’ technological and human Abstract
Evidence for D2 receptor mediation of amphetamine‐induced normalization of locomotion and dopamine transporter function in hypoinsulinemic rats

Dopamine (DA) D2 receptors regulate DA transporter (DAT) activity, and mediate some behavioral effects of amphetamine. DA clearance and amphetamine‐stimulated locomotion are reduced in hypoinsulinemic [streptozotocin (STZ)‐treated] rats, and these deficits are normalized by repeated treatment with amphetamine. Here, a role for D2 receptors in mediating amphetamine‐induced normalization of these parameters was investigated. One week after a saline or STZ injection (50 mg/kg), rats were treated with amphetamine (1.78 mg/kg), raclopride (0.056 mg/kg), saline, or combinations thereof, every‐other‐day for 8 days with locomotor activity measured following each treatment. Conditioned place preference (CPP) for amphetamine and in vivo chronoamperometry to measure DA clearance were carried out on days 17 and 18, respectively, after STZ or saline. Baseline locomotion and DA clearance were significantly reduced in STZ‐treated rats compared with control rats. In STZ‐treated rats, amphetamine treatment normalized DA clearance, and restored the locomotor‐stimulating effects of amphetamine. Raclopride prevented normalization of these parameters. Amphetamine produced CPP in both STZ‐treated and control rats; raclopride significantly attenuated amphetamine‐induced CPP in control and not in STZ‐treated rats. These results support a role for D2 receptors in regulating DA transporter activity, and further demonstrate that D2 receptors contribute to changes in sensitivity to amphetamine in hypoinsulinemic rats.
Incidence of multiple sporadic renal cell carcinomas in patients referred for renal radiofrequency ablation: implications for imaging follow-up.

OBJECTIVE The objective of our study was to report the incidence of multiple sporadic primary renal cell carcinomas (RCCs) in patients referred for radiofrequency ablation (RFA). MATERIALS AND METHODS A retrospective search identified 162 patients (104 men and 58 women; mean age, 74 years) without a history of von Hippel-Lindau disease with a total of 175 tumors treated with RFA for biopsy-proven primary renal malignancies at our institution from 1998 to 2009. Three groups of patients with multiple RCCs were identified: patients with a history of nephrectomy for RCC who had been referred for RFA of a new renal tumor, patients who presented with multiple renal tumors at the time of referral for RFA, and patients who were shown to have developed a new renal tumor on follow-up imaging after RFA. RESULTS Twenty-eight patients (17%) had multiple biopsy-proven RCCs. Eighteen patients (11%) had undergone prior nephrectomy for surgically proven RCC. The mean interval between prior nephrectomy and RFA referral was 122 months (range, 12-456 months). Seven patients (4%) without a history of nephrectomy presented with two biopsy-proven RCCs at RFA referral. Three patients (2%) who had not undergone nephrectomy and had a solitary RCC at the time of RFA had developed a new biopsy-proven RCC separate from the original treatment site on follow-up imaging after RFA. The mean time to diagnosis from the initial RFA treatment was 52 months (range, 25-89 months). CONCLUSION Imaging surveillance of patients referred for renal RFA may be important not only to assess treatment success but also to detect new RCCs.
Within the genome, long telomeres are more informative than short telomeres with respect to fitness components in a long‐lived seabird

Telomeres, DNA‐protein structures at chromosome ends, shorten with age, and telomere length has been linked to age‐related diseases and survival. In vitro studies revealed that the shortest telomeres trigger cell senescence, but whether the shortest telomeres are also the best biomarker of ageing is not known. We measured telomeres in erythrocytes of wild common terns Sterna hirundo using terminal restriction fragment analysis. This yields a distribution of telomere lengths for each sample, and we investigated how different telomere subpopulations (percentiles) varied in their relation to age and fitness proxies. Longer telomeres within a genome lost more base pairs with age and were better predictors of survival than shorter telomeres. Likewise, fitness proxies such as arrival date at the breeding grounds and reproductive success were best predicted by telomere length at the higher percentiles. Our finding that longer telomeres within a genome predict fitness components better than the shorter telomeres indicates that they are a more informative ageing biomarker. This finding contrasts with the fact that cell senescence is triggered by the shortest telomeres. We suggest that this paradox arises, because longer telomeres lose more base pairs per unit time and thus better reflect the various forms of stress that accelerate telomere shortening, and that telomeres primarily function as biomarker because their shortening reflects cumulative effects of various stressors rather than reflecting telomere‐induced cell senescence.
Hepatic iron storage in very low birthweight infants after multiple blood transfusions

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of multiple blood transfusions on hepatic iron storage in preterm, very low birthweight (VLBW) infants. METHODS Seventeen VLBW infants who died within the first six months of life and underwent postmortem examination were studied. Serum ferritin, iron, and total iron binding capacity were measured within the week before the infants' death. Liver iron concentration was quantitatively determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry and semiquantitatively assessed by histochemical liver iron grading. The clinical characteristics and the iron results were compared between infants receiving < 100 ml of blood (group A) and those receiving ⩾ 100 ml (group B). Spearman's correlation coefficient was used to evaluate the relation between the volume of blood transfused and serum/liver iron concentrations. Statistically significant variables associated with liver iron concentration were further subjected to multivariate stepwise regression analysis. RESULTS Infants in group B had significantly higher serum iron (p < 0.01), serum ferritin (p < 0.01), and liver iron concentration (p < 0.01) than those in group A. The total and net volume of blood transfused were significantly associated with liver iron concentration (p < 0.001,r = 0.86; p < 0.001,r = 0.71 respectively), semiquantitative histochemical liver iron grading (p < 0.001,r = 0.80; p < 0.005,r = 0.71 respectively), and serum ferritin (p < 0.001, r = 0.84; p < 0.01,r = 0.69 respectively). In addition, both liver iron concentration and liver iron grading were found to be significantly associated with serum ferritin (p < 0.001,r = 0.76; p < 0.005,r = 0.68 respectively). Multivariate stepwise regression analysis indicated that the (log) liver iron concentration was significantly associated with the (log) volume of blood transfusion (p < 0.001; regression coefficient 0.39, SE 0.09), after adjustment for gestational age (R 2 = 0.84). CONCLUSIONS This study showed a significant positive relation between the volume of blood transfused and the liver iron concentration in preterm VLBW infants. Although the transfusional blood volume correlated closely with the amount of iron deposited in hepatic tissues, clinical manifestations of iron overload were not observed. Carers should be aware of this potential harmful effect before prescribing blood or routine iron supplement to vulnerable preterm infants.