Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Functional Expression in Escherichia coli of Low-Affinity and High-Affinity Na+(Li+)/H+ Antiporters ofSynechocystis

ABSTRACT Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803 has five genes for putative Na+/H+ antiporters (designatednhaS1, nhaS2, nhaS3,nhaS4, and nhaS5). The deduced amino acid sequences of NhaS1 and NhaS2 are similar to that of NhaP, the Na+/H+ antiporter of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, whereas those of NhaS3, NhaS4, and NhaS5 resemble that of NapA, the Na+/H+ antiporter ofEnterococcus hirae. We successfully induced the expression of nhaS1, nhaS3, andnhaS4 under control of an Na+-dependent promoter in Escherichia coli TO114, a strain that is deficient in Na+/H+ antiport activity. Inverted membrane vesicles prepared from TO114nhaS1 and TO114 nhaS3 cells exhibited Na+(Li+)/H+antiport activity. Kinetic analysis of this activity revealed thatnhaS1 encodes a low-affinity Na+/H+ antiporter with a Km of 7.7 mM for Na+ ions and a Kmof 2.5 mM for Li+ ions, while nhaS3encodes a high-affinity Na+/H+ antiporter with a Km of 0.7 mM for Na+ ions and a Kmof 0.01 mM for Li+ ions. Transformation ofE. coli TO114 with the nhaS1 andnhaS3 genes increased cellular tolerance to high concentrations of Na+ and Li+ ions, as well as to depletion of K+ ions during cell growth. To our knowledge, this is the first functional characterization of Na+/H+ antiporters from a cyanobacterium. Inverted membrane vesicles prepared from TO114nhaS4 cells did not have Na+/H+ antiport activity, and the cells themselves were as sensitive to Na+ and Li+ ions as the original TO114 cells. However, the TO114 nhaS4 cells were tolerant to depletion of K+ ions. Taking into account these results and the growth characteristics ofSynechocystis mutants in which nhaS genes had been inactivated by targeted disruption, we discuss possible roles of NhaS1, NhaS3, and NhaS4 in Synechocystis.
Sclerostin antibody treatment enhances bone strength but does not prevent growth retardation in young mice treated with dexamethasone.

OBJECTIVE Exposure to supraphysiologic levels of glucocorticoid drugs is known to have detrimental effects on bone formation and linear growth. Patients with sclerosteosis lack the bone regulatory protein sclerostin, have excessive bone formation, and are typically above average in height. This study was undertaken to characterize the effects of a monoclonal antibody to sclerostin (Scl-AbI) in mice exposed to dexamethasone (DEX). METHODS Young mice were concomitantly treated with DEX (or vehicle control) and Scl-AbI antibody (or isotype-matched control antibody [Ctrl-Ab]) in 2 independent studies. Linear growth, the volume and strength of the bones, and the levels of bone turnover markers were analyzed. RESULTS In DEX-treated mice, Scl-AbI had no significant effect on linear growth when compared to control treatment (Ctrl-Ab). However, in mice treated with DEX and Scl-ABI, a significant increase in trabecular bone at the femoral metaphysis (bone volume/total volume +117% versus Ctrl-Ab-treated mice) and in the width and volume of the cortical bone at the femoral diaphysis (+24% and +20%, respectively, versus Ctrl-Ab-treated mice) was noted. Scl-AbI treatment also improved mechanical strength (as assessed by 4-point bending studies) at the femoral diaphysis in DEX-treated mice (maximum load +60% and ultimate strength +47% in Scl-AbI-treated mice versus Ctrl-Ab-treated mice). Elevated osteocalcin levels were not detected in DEX-treated mice that received Scl-AbI, although levels of type 5b tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase were significantly lower than those observed in mice receiving DEX and Ctrl-Ab. CONCLUSION Scl-AbI treatment does not prevent the detrimental effects of DEX on linear growth, but the antibody does increase both cortical and trabecular bone and improves bone mechanical properties in DEX-treated mice.
Magnetic resonance imaging of regional myocardial perfusion in patients with single-vessel coronary artery disease: quantitative comparison with (201)Thallium-SPECT and coronary angiography.

The clinical value of magnetic resonance perfusion imaging (MRI) was investigated by quantitative comparison with (201)thallium-single-photon emission computed tomography ((201)TI-SPECT) and quantitative coronary angiography (QCA). Short-axis imaging was performed during dipyridamole administration in 13 patients with single-vessel coronary artery disease. Using inner and outer contours, the myocardium was divided into 30 contiguous, radial regions. Defining a perfusion defect as a region with less than 90% of maximum (201)TI intensity, nine patients had a matching perfusion defect, two had no defect on both (201)TI-SPECT or MRI, and one had a defect on (201)TI-SPECT but not on MRI. One patient had a defect on both modalities but with inaccurate localization. Three perfusion parameters were investigated: a) maximum contrast enhancement (MCE); b) slope of the signal intensity versus time curve; and c) inverse mean transit time (1/MTT). The sensitivity and specificity of MCE in the detection of perfusion abnormalities with TI-SPECT as the reference method were 71% and 71%, respectively (slope 77% and 61%, 1/MTT 44% and 70%). Furthermore, correlations were calculated per patient for the entire circumference of the short-axis myocardium. Median correlations were as follows: MCE 0.92, slope 0.91, and 1/MTT 0.40. Mismatches between (201)TI defects and defects on MRI resulted in low mean correlations (MCE 0.45, slope 0.46, and 1/MTT 0.26). There was a trend between severity of perfusion defects on MRI (using MCE) and QCA stenosis area (r = -0.56, P = 0.06). Thus, MRI and (201)TI-SPECT demonstrate fair agreement in the assessment of perfusion defects but show moderate correlation when the entire short-axis myocardium is correlated.
Seismic Response Study of the US 101/Painter Street Overpass Using Strong Motion Records

SMIP94 Seminar Proceedings Abutment stiffnesses are determined directly from the earthquake motions recorded at the US 1011 Painter Street Overpass using a simple equilibrium-based approach without finite-element modeling of the structure or the abutment-soil systems. The calculated abutment stiffnesses, which include the effects of soil-structure interaction and nonlinear behavior of the soil, are used to investigate variation of the abutment stiffness with its deformation during the earthquake and torsional motions of the road deck. Also evaluated are the CALTRANS, ASSHTO-83, and ATC­ 6 procedures for estimating the abutment stiffness. It is demonstrated that stiffness of the abutment depends significantly on its deformation during the earthquake: larger is the deformation, smaller is the stiffness. The road deck of this structure experienced significant torsional motions in part because of eccentricity created by different transverse stiffnesses at the two abutments. It is also shown that the CALTRANS procedure leads to good estimate of the abutment stiffness provided the deformation assumed in computing the stiffness is close to actual deformation during the earthquake, and ASSHTO-83/ATC-6 procedure results in stiffer initial estimate of the abutment stiffness.
DELAYED ELEVATION OF SOLUBLE TUMOR NECROSIS FACTOR RECEPTORS P75 AND P55 IN CEREBROSPINAL FLUID AND PLASMA AFTER TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY

ABSTRACT Recent studies have reported a significant inflammatory reaction in the brain and the systemic circulation after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Although there is growing knowledge and understanding of the mechanisms and mediators involved in the proinflammatory reaction, little is known about the anti-inflammatory mediators in the brain. As tumor necrosis factor &agr; (TNF-&agr;) plays a detrimental role in the initiation and promotion of the proinflammatory reactions after TBI, the endogenous scavenger system, represented by the soluble TNF receptors (sTNFRs) p55 and p75, seems to have an important anti-inflammatory capacity by binding to circulating TNF-&agr;. To evaluate this potentially anti-inflammatory response to trauma, we analyzed sTNFR p55 and p75 in paired plasma/cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples of 29 patients who encountered TBI. Values were compared with reference values obtained from healthy volunteers (n = 91). Patients with TBI showed significantly (P < 0.001) elevated sTNFR p55 and p75 values starting from day 2 and lasting until day 10 if compared with reference values. In contrast to the early increased plasma values p55 and p75 showed slowly increasing CSF values starting on day 4 and 3, respectively. Significantly (P < 0.001) increased CSF values of p 55 were determined on days 4 to 6 and day 9. p75 showed significantly (P < 0.001) elevated values if compared with control values on days 7 and 9. The sTNFR p55 and p75 show a distinct and long-lasting elevation in plasma of patients after TBI. In contrast, CSF values display a delayed and less intense elevation of both receptors in patients with TBI. These findings are suggestive of an imbalance of the proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory reactions of the central nervous system after trauma, with an emphasis on the proinflammatory mechanisms and a slow increase of potentially anti-inflammatory mediators such as the soluble TNFRs after TBI.
Repair of DNA Damage Induced by Bile Salts in Salmonella enterica

Exposure of Salmonella enterica to sodium cholate, sodium deoxycholate, sodium chenodeoxycholate, sodium glychocholate, sodium taurocholate, or sodium glycochenodeoxycholate induces the SOS response, indicating that the DNA-damaging activity of bile resides in bile salts. Bile increases the frequency of GC → AT transitions and induces the expression of genes belonging to the OxyR and SoxRS regulons, suggesting that bile salts may cause oxidative DNA damage. S. enterica mutants lacking both exonuclease III (XthA) and endonuclease IV (Nfo) are bile sensitive, indicating that S. enterica requires base excision repair (BER) to overcome DNA damage caused by bile salts. Bile resistance also requires DinB polymerase, suggesting the need of SOS-associated translesion DNA synthesis. Certain recombination functions are also required for bile resistance, and a key factor is the RecBCD enzyme. The extreme bile sensitivity of RecB−, RecC−, and RecA− RecD− mutants provides evidence that bile-induced damage may impair DNA replication.
Restorative proctocolectomy. Does ethnicity affect outcome?

Objective Restorative proctocolectomy (RPC) with ileal pouch‐anal anastomosis (IPAA) is well‐established in the management of ulcerative colitis (UC) and familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). We review outcome of pouch surgery from a single centre, comparing non‐South Asian and South Asian Caucasian populations.
Abundance and Population Structure of Ammonia-Oxidizing Bacteria That Inhabit Canal Sediments Receiving Effluents from Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants

ABSTRACT A polyphasic, culture-independent study was conducted to investigate the abundance and population structure of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) in canal sediments receiving wastewater discharge. The abundance of AOB ranged from 0.2 to 1.9% and 1.6 to 5.7% of the total bacterial fraction by real-time PCR and immunofluorescence staining, respectively. Clone analysis and restriction endonuclease analysis revealed that the AOB communities influenced by the wastewater discharge were dominated by Nitrosomonas, were similar to each other, and were less diverse than the communities outside of the immediate discharge zone.
Nursing Home Characteristics and Potentially Preventable Hospitalizations of Long‐Stay Residents

Objectives: To examine the association between having a nurse practitioner/physician assistant (NP/PA) on staff, other nursing home (NH) characteristics, and the rate of potentially preventable/avoidable hospitalizations of long‐stay residents, as defined using a list of ambulatory care–sensitive (ACS) diagnoses.
Gastrectomy for stage IV gastric cancer. a systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIM Gastrectomy as a primary treatment for patients with metastatic gastric cancer (M1) is highly controversial. Herein, a review of the literature was undertaken with the aim of assessing evidence regarding associated morbidity and mortality, overall survival, palliation and quality of life. MATERIALS AND METHODS A systematic review of the literature from 1980 to 2013 was undertaken to identify relevant studies. Outcome data were pooled, and combined overall effect sizes were calculated using fixed or random effects models. The search identified 19 non-randomized studies reporting on 2,911 patients. RESULTS Overall postoperative mortality and morbidity were 14% and 27% and were higher in Western than in Asian patients. In studies published during the past decade postoperative mortality was less than 5%. The weighted 1- and 2-year overall survival rates were 38% and 17%, and were twice as high in Asian versus Western patients. In the meta-analysis, the 1-year overall survival was significantly higher in patients undergoing gastrectomy versus conservative (odds ratio (OR)=4.9, 95% confidence interval (CI)=3.2 to 7.5, p<0.0001) or gastrectomy versus non-resectional treatment (OR=2.6, 95% CI=1.7 to 4.3, p<0.0001). Studies reporting on quality of life and palliation indicate a possible benefit of such palliative gastrectomy. CONCLUSION A possible benefit of gastrectomy compared to non-resectional treatment for stage IV gastric cancer in terms of survival and palliation was evident but has to be cautiously interpreted due to potential sources of bias of retrospective non-randomized studies. Several questions regarding the optimal management of these patients remain unanswered and require a properly-designed randomized trial.
Hospital and Pharmacy Characteristics Associated With Mortality Rates in United States Hospitals

We attempted to determine hospital and pharmacy characteristics associated with mortality rates in 4864 United States hospitals. Data were obtained from the Health Care Financing Administration, the American Hospital Association, and the National Clinical Pharmacy Services survey. Univariate and multivariate regression models were used to determine which hospital characteristics were associated with mortality. A similar regression analysis was performed on 718 hospitals for which detailed pharmacy information was available. In a multivariate regression model, some characteristics of 4864 hospitals associated with reduced mortality rates were high‐technology index (R2=0.09, p<0.001), severity of illness (R2=0.048, p<0.001), number of hospital beds (R2=0.016, p<0.001), and medical personnel (R2=0.012, p<0.001). This analysis accounted for 41% of the mortality rate variance. For the 718 hospitals and pharmacies, some of these characteristics were high‐technology index (R2=0.157, p<0.001), severity of illness (R2=0.07, p<0.001), number of pharmacists/average daily census (R2=0.021, p<0.001), and combined hospitalwide clinical pharmacy services (R2=0.016, p<0.01). The results of this analysis were similar to those in the only other large study in this area, but that excluded pharmacy characteristics. This is the first study to show a statistically significant association between pharmacist and pharmacy variables and reduced hospital mortality rates.
Virtual Team Performances in Crowdsourcing Contests

Recent advances in information technology bring significant changes to the nature of work by allowing companies to tap “wisdom of the crowd” beyond their own workforce. In particular, organizations increasingly seek solutions to their business problems using online crowdsourcing contests that are open to the public. In these contests, self&organized vi rtual teams compete for monetary reward. Motivated by this new phenomenon, this research investigates how the social network structure of a virtual team impacts its performance in the context of online crowdsourcing contests. Specifically, we empirically assess the impact of the alignment of member centrality within the virtual team with their skill levels on team performances. Our analysis suggests that that member centrality&skill alignment has a negative impact on team performances. Our findings have strategic implications to the design of virtual work teams.
Reactive azo dye reduction by Shewanella strain J18 143

A bacterial isolate designated strain J18 143, originally isolated from soil contaminated with textile wastewater, was shown to reduce intensely coloured solutions of the reactive azo dye, Remazol Black B to colourless solutions. Phylogenetic placement based on 16S rRNA gene sequence homology identified the bacterium as a Shewanella species. Based on results from analyses of the end products of dye decoloration of Remazol Black B and the simpler molecule, Acid Orange 7, using capillary electrophoresis, UV–visible spectrophotometry and liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry, we suggest that colour removal by this organism was a result of microbially mediated reduction of the chromophore in the dye molecules. Anaerobic dye reduction by Shewanella strain J18 143 was 30 times more efficient than the reduction carried out by aerated cultures. Whole cells used a range of electron donors for dye reduction, including acetate, formate, lactate, and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH), with formate being the optimal electron donor. The impact of a range of process variables was assessed (including nitrate, pH, temperature, substrate concentration, presence of an extracellular mediator) and results suggest that whole cells of Shewanella J18 143 offer several advantages over other biocatalysts with the potential to treat azo dyes. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Analysis of Public Expenditure on Health Using State Level Data

Increasingly the governments are facing pressures to increase budgetary allocations to social sectors. Recently there has been suggestion to increase the government budget allocations to health sector and increase it to 3 per cent of GDP. Is this feasible goal and in what time-frame? Health being State subject in India and much depends on the ability of the State governments to allocate higher budgetary support to health sector. This inter alia depends on what are current levels of spending, what target spending as per cent of income the States assume to spend on health and given fundamental relationship between income levels and public expenditures, how fast expenditures can respond to rising income levels. We present analysis of public expenditures on health using state level public health expenditure data to provide preliminary analysis on these issues. The findings suggest that at state level governments have target of allocating only about 0.43 per cent of SGDP to health and medical care. This does not include the allocations received under central sponsored programmes such as family welfare. Given this level of spending at current levels and fiscal position of state governments the goal of spending 2 to 3 per cent of GDP on health looks very ambitious task. The analysis also suggests that elasticity of health expenditure when SGDP changes in only 0.68 which suggest that for every one percent increase in state per capita income the per capita public healthcare expenditure has increased by around 0.68 per cent.
Acute toxicity and metabolomics analysis of hypocholesterolemic effect of Mentha piperita aqueous extract in Wistar rats

Summary. The oral acute toxicity of the aqueous peppermint extract (APE) was assessed and the bio and/or chemo markers for hypocholesterolemic activity of APE were identified through metabolomics approach. No mortality resulted from the present oral acute toxicity study in which the histological changes observed in the selected organs and the biochemical deviation of blood compared to the normal range level were minimal. This study also explored the effect of 290 mg -1 kg body weight of APE against 5% cholesterol-enriched diet within 14 days treatment. Whereby after the treatment, there were reductions exhibited in plasma total cholesterol (44.32%), LDL-cholesterol (69.19%) and total triglycerides (55.77%). 1 H NMR-metabolomics approach was, employed for better sensitivity and accuracy in evaluating the potential plasma biomarkers of hyper-and hypo-cholesterolemic properties. β -Hydroxybutarate and α -D-glucose have been identified as the possible hypercholesterolemic markers, whereas taurine, betaine, alanine, glycine and L-leucine were suggested to be the hypocholesterolemic markers of APE. Industrial relevance. Due to various reports on the side effects of conventional drug-lowering cholesterol available in the market, aqueous peppermint extract at its recommended consumption dosage has been investigated over its toxicity of oral consumption and its efficacy against elevation of cholesterol level in blood. The evaluation of hypocholesterolemic activity of aqueous peppermint extract (APE), from which the potential biomarkers could be established, might be useful in the development of new anti-cholesterol drug and also for quality control of peppermint-based products. Keywords. Mentha piperita; peppermint; hypercholesterolemia; metabolomics; 1 H NMR; multivariate data analysis
From Tropical to Sub-Tropical: Prolonged Reproductive Activity of the Invasive Ascidian Microcosmus exasperatus in the Eastern Mediterranean

The solitary ascidian Microcosmus exasperatus is globally distributed in tropical and sub-tropical waters. In the Mediterranean it is considered an invasive species introduced through the Suez Canal, with a restricted distribution in the eastern basin. In order to understand the potential of this species to establish sustainable communities at additional sites in the Mediterranean, we studied its reproduction cycle over a 2-year period in relation to seawater temperature and chlorophyll-a data. Although M. exasperatus reproduces seasonally, with significantly greater activity in summer and early fall, mature oocytes occur throughout the year, suggesting multiple spawning periods. We found that reproductive effort significantly correlated with seawater temperature, while chlorophyll-a showed a low and insignificant explanatory power. A combined regression model of both parameters yielded the highest explained variance, suggesting a synergic effect of these two factors. Such a prolonged reproductive activity period enables repeated recruitment events. In view of the anticipated rise in seawater temperature, we predict that this species will gradually expand its distribution further across the Mediterranean.
Localization of androgen- and estrogen-concentrating neurons in the diencephalon and telencephalon of the mouse.

Adult male mutant mice and their normal littermates (+/y) were castrated (at least 96 h before the experiment) and injected iv with 1 μg/100 g BW either 5α-dihydro-[1,2,4,5,6,7(N)-3H]testosterone (107 Ci/mM) or 17β-[2,4,6,7,-3H(N)]estradiol (115 Ci/ mM) dissolved in 30% ethanol-saline. The animals were killed 2 h later and the brains were removed, sliced, and mounted on tissue holders. The mounted tissues were then frozen in liquified propane and stored in liquid nitrogen until processing. Four-micrometer frozen sections were cut in a cryostat and mounted for autoradiography on emulsion-coated slides, according to the dry mount procedure. The slides were then exposed at —15 C for 2 or 6 months, then photographically processed and stained with methyl green-pyronin. In autoradiograms of the brains of normal male mice injected with [3H]dihydrotestosterone, radioactivity was found concentrated in nuclei of neurons of the following areas: septal-preoptic region, many nuclei within the hypothalamus, thalamus, a.