Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Expression of receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappaB ligand by B cells in response to oral bacteria.

INTRODUCTION We investigated receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappaB ligand (RANKL) expression by B lymphocytes during early and late aspects of the immune response to Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, a gram-negative, anaerobic bacterium associated with aggressive periodontal disease. METHODS Expression of messenger RNA transcripts (tumor necrosis factor-alpha, Toll-like receptors 4 and 9, interleukins 4 and 10, and RANKL) involved in early (1-day) and late (10-day) responses in cultured rat splenocytes was examined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The immune cell distribution (T, B, and natural killer cells and macrophages) in cultured rat splenocytes and RANKL expression in B cells were determined by flow cytometric analyses. B-cell capacity for induction of osteoclast differentiation was evaluated by coculture with RAW 264.7 cells followed by a tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) activity assay. RESULTS The expression levels of interleukins 4 and 10 in cultured cells were not changed in the presence of A. actinomycetemcomitans until cultured for 3 days, and peaked after 7 days. After culture for 10 days, the percentages of B and T cells, the overall RANKL messenger RNA transcripts, and the percentage of RANKL-expressing immunoglobulin G-positive cells were significantly increased in the presence of A. actinomycetemcomitans. These increases were considerably greater in cells isolated from A. actinomycetemcomitans-immunized animals than from non-immunized animals. RAW 264.7 cells demonstrated significantly increased TRAP activity when cocultured with B cells from A. actinomycetemcomitans-immunized animals. The addition of human osteoprotegerin-Fc to the culture significantly diminished such increases. CONCLUSION This study suggests that B-lymphocyte involvement in the immune response to A. actinomycetemcomitans through upregulation of RANKL expression potentially contribute to bone resorption in periodontal disease.
Chronic administration of Eucommia leaf stimulates metabolic function of rats across several organs

Eucommia bark (Eucommia ulmoides Oliver) has been used as an herbal medicine, and more recently, the plant's leaves have been widely used to prepare tea which may have anti-obesity properties. We used a metabolic syndrome-like rat model, produced by feeding a 35 % high-fat diet (HFD), to examine potential anti-obesity and anti-metabolic syndrome effects and mechanisms of chronic administration of Eucommia leaf as an extract or green leaf powder. Eighty rats were studied for 3 months in ten groups. Both forms of Eucommia leaves minimised increases in body weight and visceral fat in a dose-dependent fashion. Increases in plasma levels of TAG and NEFA, and insulin resistance secondary to HFD were lessened by both forms of Eucommia leaf. Concomitantly, an increase in plasma adiponectin levels and suppression of plasma resistin and TNF-α levels were confirmed. Real-time PCR studies showed that both forms of Eucommia leaf enhanced metabolic function across several organs, including diminishing ATP production (white adipose tissue), accelerating β-oxidation (liver) and increasing the use of ketone bodies/glucose (skeletal muscle), all of which may exert anti-obesity effects under HFD conditions. These findings suggest that chronic administration of either form of Eucommia leaves stimulates the metabolic function in rats across several organs. The anti-obesity and anti-metabolic syndrome activity in this rat model may be maintained through secretion and regulation of adipocytokines that depend on the accumulation of visceral fat to improve insulin resistance or hyperlipaemia.
The Investment Performance of Low‐grade Bond Funds

This study extends the literature on the pricing of low-grade bonds by examining the performance of low-grade bond funds. The findings reveal that over the long run low-grade bond fund returns are approximately equal to the returns provided by an index of high-grade bonds. The relative risks of high and low-grade bonds are more difficult to assess. Because of their shorter durations, low-grade bonds are less sensitive to movements in interest rates than high-grade bonds. On the other hand, low-grade bonds are much more sensitive to changes in stock prices than high-grade bonds. When adjusted for risk using a simple two-factor model, the returns on low-grade bond funds are not statistically different from the returns on high-grade bonds. Copyright 1991 by American Finance Association.
Self-efficacy as a mediator between stressful life events and depressive symptoms

Background Self-efficacy, a characteristic that is protective against depressive symptoms, may be undermined by stressful life events. Aims To estimate the effects of stressful life events on self-efficacy, and to examine self-efficacy as a mediator of the effect of stressful life events on symptoms of depression. Method Using a sample of 2858 respondents from the longitudinal Americans' Changing Lives study, path analyses were used to evaluate interrelationships between self-efficacy, life events and symptoms of depression controlling for a variety of potentially confounding variables. Separate models were estimated for those with and without prior depression. Results For those with prior depression, dependent life events had a significant, negative impact on self-efficacy. For those without prior depression, life events had no effect on self-efficacy. Conclusions For those with prior depression, self-efficacy mediates approximately 40% of the effect of dependent stressful life events on symptoms of depression.
Increased Resistance to Staphylococcus aureus Endophthalmitis in BALB/c Mice: Fas Ligand Is Required for Resolution of Inflammation but Not for Bacterial Clearance

ABSTRACT FasL was recently shown be required for bacterial clearance in C57BL/6 mice that express the FasL.1 allotype. The FasL.2 allotype is expressed in BALB/c mice and exhibits increased binding affinity to and increased cytotoxic activity against Fas+ target cells. Therefore, we hypothesized that BALB/c mice would be more resistant to Staphylococcus aureus-induced endophthalmitis. To test this hypothesis, C57BL/6, BALB/c, and BALB(gld) mice received intravitreal injections of 2,500 CFU of S. aureus (RN6390). Clinical examinations, electroretinography (ERG), histology, and bacterial quantification were performed at 24, 48, 72, and 96 h postinjection. The myeloperoxidase (MPO) assay was used to quantitate neutrophil infiltration. At 96 h postinfection, 86% of C57BL/6 mice presented with complete destruction of the eye, compared to only 29% of BALB/c mice with complete destruction. To our surprise, in the absence of Fas ligand, BALB(gld) mice showed no difference in bacterial clearance compared to BALB/c mice. However, histology and ERG analysis revealed increased retinal damage and significant loss of retinal function. MPO analysis revealed equal numbers of neutrophils in BALB(gld) and BALB/c mice at 24 h postinfection. However, at 48 h, the neutrophil numbers remained significantly elevated in BALB(gld) mice, correlating with the increased retinal damage observed in BALB(gld) mice. We conclude that the increased resistance to S. aureus induced endophthalmitis in BALB/c mice is not dependent upon the FasL. However, in contrast to C57BL/6 mice, FasL is required for resolution of inflammation and protecting host tissue from nonspecific damage in BALB/c mice.
The incidence of hearing impairment after successful treatment of neuroblastoma.

BACKGROUND Platinum compound based chemotherapy has contributed to improved survival rates in neuroblastoma patients. We studied the association of hearing loss with the use of platinum based drugs. METHODS Data of children from the two German neuroblastoma study cohorts, NB90 and NB97, were analyzed for the incidence of hearing impairments greater than WHO grade 2. Data from patients surviving more than 1 year after diagnosis without progression or recurrence were used. RESULTS Of these 1,170 patients, 146 (12.5 %) had persisting hearing impairments. The incidence was low after localized neuroblastoma INSS stage 1 - 3 with 35/650 (5 %) and stage 4S with 2/113 (2 %), but high in stage 4 disease with 109/405 (27 %). Ototoxicity depended on the cumulative cisplatin dose. For doses of 1 - 200 mg/m (2), 201 - 400 mg/m (2), 401 - 600 mg/m (2) and 601 - 800 mg/m (2) we found hearing impairments in 5/39 (12 %), 28/221 (13 %), 61/230 (26 %) and 50/225 (22 %) patients, respectively. The incidence of hearing impairment was not age dependent. In stage 4 patients, there was an additional effect of high dosed carboplatin. 65/188 (40 %) patients developed hearing impairments after carboplatin containing (1,500 mg/m (2)) high dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell reinfusion compared to only 33/217 (15 %) in patients receiving platinum free maintenance chemotherapy. Substitution of cisplatin (40 mg/m (2) x d, d 1 - 4, 96 h infusion) with carboplatin (100 mg/m (2) x d, d 1 - 4, 1 - 2 h infusion) due to otoxicity during induction chemotherapy did not reduce event free survival. CONCLUSION One fourth of high risk neuroblastoma survivors suffer from treatment induced hearing impairments. The substitution of cisplatin with carboplatin was not associated with an increased rate of tumor recurrences.
The water situation in Harare, Zimbabwe: a policy and management problem

Harare, the capital city of Zimbabwe, is facing water quantity and quality problems, with serious pollution of the downstream Lake Chivero. Often, these problems are attributed to rapid population growth, inadequate maintenance of wastewater treatment plants, expensive technologies and a poor institutional framework. Rampant urban agriculture could also result in washing off and leaching of nutrients. This paper brings out a number of issues related to sustainable water management in Harare. The study was based on key informant interviews, focus group discussions and a literature review. The results show that monitoring and enforcement of regulations in Harare is poor because of economic hardships and lack of political will to deal with offenders. Also, there is irregular collection of garbage, low fines owing to hyper-inflation and a general failure by the city to collect water and other charges from residents. The city has also failed to raise tariffs to economic levels owing to heavy lobbying by residents and interference by government. It was concluded that Harare cannot overcome its water-related problems under the current set-up. It is recommended that a corporatised body, free from political influence and with a higher degree of autonomy, be established to run the water services for Harare and the neighbouring towns. Such a body would need a sound and flexible system for setting tariffs and enacting/enforcing reasonable regulations.
Superoxide Dismutase from the Silkworm, Bombyx mori: Sequence, Distribution, and Overexpression

Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is an enzyme facilitating the removal of superoxide anions from living organisms. This study focused on SOD from the silkworm, Bombyx mori (bmSOD). cDNA encoding bmSOD was amplified by reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction. The deduced amino acid sequence of bmSOD indicated that the residues forming the Cu/Zn binding site are conserved and that the sequence is in 60% identity to that of the Drosophila melanogaster. B. mori SOD was also close to the D. melanogaster SOD in a phylogenetic tree. The bmSOD mRNA and the enzyme activity were widely distributed in diverse tissues. bmSOD functionally overexpressed in Escherichia coli in a soluble form was purified, and its stability was examined. bmSOD at 4 °C retained almost all of its original activity after incubation at pH 4–11 for 24 h. Incubation (pH 7) for 30 min at temperatures below 40 °C also affected activity insignificantly.
Dietary Inflammatory Index and Colorectal Cancer Risk—A Meta-Analysis

Diet and chronic inflammation of the colon have been suggested to be risk factors in the development of colorectal cancer (CRC). The possible link between inflammatory potential of diet, measured through the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII®), and CRC has been investigated in several populations across the world. The aim of this study was to conduct a meta-analysis on studies exploring this association. Data from nine studies were eligible, of which five were case-control and four were cohort studies. Results from meta-analysis showed a positive association between increasing DII scores, indicating a pro-inflammatory diet, and CRC. Individuals in the highest versus the lowest (reference) DII category showed an overall 40% increased risk of CRC with moderate evidence of heterogeneity [relative risk (RR) = 1.40, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.26, 1.55; I2 = 69%, p < 0.001]. When analyzed as a continuous variable, results showed an increased risk of CRC of 7% for a 1-point increase in the DII score. Results remained unchanged when analyses were restricted to the four prospective studies. Results of our meta-analysis support the importance of adopting a healthier anti-inflammatory diet in preventing CRC. These results further substantiate the utility of DII as tool to characterize the inflammatory potential of diet and to predict CRC.
An examination of enrollment of children in public health insurance in New York City through facilitated enrollment

A cohort of families was followed through the enrollment process for Medicaid and Child Health Plus in New York City to determine success in enrollment and the time it takes to enroll. Families were recruited into the study by enrollers in community-based organizations and managed-care organizations. In our sample, three of four families were successful in enrolling. On average, it took 60 days to attain insurance. Most applicants (76%) received some sort of assistance from enrollers, most frequently in determining which documents were needed (74%). In a multivariable analysis, some of the factors associated with success in enrollment included being assisted by a community-based facilitated enroller, knowledge of required documents, and baving lost a child’s other bealth insurance.
Reliability of simple portable tests of physical performance in older people after hip fracture

Objective: To investigate the test–retest reliability of measures of strength, balance, gait and functional performance when used with older people following hip fracture. Subjects: Thirty people (16 hospital inpatients and 14 community dwellers). Design: Subjects underwent two assessments: one day apart for the hospital inpatients and one week apart for the community dwellers. Measurement: Strength (dynamometer, sphygmomanometer, spring balance, lateral step-up ability), balance (sway-meter, Functional Reach Test, single leg stance time, Step Test), gait (timed 6-m walk with steps taken, base of support and step length), and functional performance (PPME total score and timed supine-to-sit and sit-to-stand) were measured. Results: Eleven of the 14 continuously scaled measurement tools achieved excellent reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC)>0.75) for one or more tests. A hand-held dynamometer was found to be the tool with the highest test–retest reliability for measuring hip muscle strength (ICC (3,1) 0.86 for affected hip abduction). For measurement of knee extension strength, a spring balance (ICC (3,1) 0.94 affected leg) was the most reliable. For testing balance, the Step Test (ICC (3,1) 0.94 for stepping with affected leg) and Functional Reach Test (ICC (3,1) 0.89) had the highest test–retest reliability. The ICC (3,1) values were 0.97 for walking velocity (comfortable pace) and 0.96 for the total score of the Physical Performance and Mobility Examination. Conclusion: The test–retest reliability of a number of simple measures of physical performance is excellent when used with this population.
Measuring Intermediate Outcomes of Liberia’s Disarmament, Demobilization, Rehabilitation and Reintegration Program

This paper re-analyzes data from a survey of ex-combatants in Liberia conducted in, to estimate the effect of Liberia’s Demobilization, Disarmament, Rehabilitation and Reintegration program on participants’ income and employment status. As program completion was not random, these estimates are biased. I use propensity score matching to obtain a more precise estimate. The results indicate a higher employment rate for those who complete the program, although there is consistently no effect on income. These results have implications for both evaluating the outcomes in Liberia and the integrated approach to ex-combatant reintegration that the program embodied.
New approach to study of factors affecting adoption of electronic banking services with emphasis on the role of positive word of mouth

The present study aims to identify factors affecting adoption of electronic banking. The data used in the study were collected from a sample consisted of 363 M.S students in Islamic Azad University of Arak through a structured questionnaire based on field survey. Then the collected data were analyzed by AMOS software. As official statistics indicated only 17.31% of all Iranian customers used electronic banking services in the last quarter of 2009. Therefore, it seems indispensable to study factors that may affect adoption of electronic banking by Iranian consumers. Furthermore, given the importance of effects of positive word of mouth on consumers’ behavior, especially in the field of services offered, this study puts special emphasis on this variable. The results of the study indicate that positive word of mouth (P-WOM) has a positive effect on electronic banking adoption and on the trust in bank, while negatively influence the perceived risk of electronic banking services. In addition, it was found that the customers’ trust in bank has a positive effect on perceived competence of electronic banking services and also on the electronic banking adoption. Besides, the perceived competence of electronic banking services influences word of mouth positively.
Six human RNA polymerase subunits functionally substitute for their yeast counterparts

To assess functional relatedness of individual components of the eukaryotic transcription apparatus, three human subunits (hsRPB5, hsRPB8, and hsRPB10) were tested for their ability to support yeast cell growth in the absence of their essential yeast homologs. Two of the three subunits, hsRPB8 and hsRPB10, supported normal yeast cell growth at moderate temperatures. A fourth human subunit, hsRPB9, is a homolog of the nonessential yeast subunit RPB9. Yeast cells lacking RPB9 are unable to grow at high and low temperatures and are defective in mRNA start site selection. We tested the ability of hsRPB9 to correct the growth and start site selection defect seen in the absence of RPB9. Expression of hsRPB9 on a high-copy-number plasmid, but not a low-copy-number plasmid, restored growth at high temperatures. Recombinant human hsRPB9 was also able to completely correct the start site selection defect seen at the CYC1 promoter in vitro as effectively as the yeast RPB9 subunit. Immunoprecipitation of the cell extracts from yeast cells containing either of the human subunits that function in place of their yeast counterparts in vivo suggested that they assemble with the complete set of yeast RNA polymerase II subunits. Overall, a total of six of the seven human subunits tested previously or in this study are able to substitute for their yeast counterparts in vivo, underscoring the remarkable similarities between the transcriptional machineries of lower and higher eukaryotes.
Recombinant allergen molecules: tools to study effector cell activation

Summary: The IgE antibody‐mediated activation of allergic effector cells is the key pathomechanism underlying the immediate symptoms of Type I allergy, a genetically determined hypersensitivity disease affecting 25% of the population. In recent years important environmental allergens and their epitopes have become available as structurally defined recombinant molecules. In addition, corresponding human monoclonal IgE and IgG antibodies have been isolated. This review summarizes data obtained regarding the three‐dimensional structure of allergens, their IgE epitopes and the recognition of allergens by IgE and IgG antibodies. In particular, we discuss results of recent in vitro and in vivo studies with defined allergen molecules, their epitopes and the corresponding antibodies which support the hypothesis that the density and geometrical arrangement of IgE epitopes on a particular allergen molecule may profoundly affect effector cell activation. If the structural requirements for effector cell activation can be delineated, it may be envisaged that, based on this knowledge, allergens can be converted into hypoallergenic immunogens by reorientation of IgE epitopes. Such allergen derivatives may be used for allergen‐specific immunotherapy with reduced risk of inducing anaphylactic side effects.
Cost of reactive nitrogen release from human activities to the environment in the United States

Leakage of reactive nitrogen (N) from human activities to the environment can cause human health and ecological problems. Often these harmful effects are not reflected in the costs of food, fuel, and fiber that derive from N use. Spatial analyses of damage costs attributable to source at management-relevant scales could inform decisions in areas where anthropogenic N leakage causes harm. We used recently compiled data describing N inputs in the conterminous United States (US) to assess potential damage costs associated with anthropogenic N. We estimated fates of N leaked to the environment (air/deposition, surface freshwater, groundwater, and coastal zones) in the early 2000s by multiplying watershed-level N inputs (8-digit US Geologic Survey Hydrologic Unit Codes; HUC8s) with published coefficients describing nutrient uptake efficiency, leaching losses, and gaseous emissions. We scaled these N leakage estimates with mitigation, remediation, direct damage, and substitution costs associated with human health, agriculture, ecosystems, and climate (per kg of N) to calculate annual damage cost (US dollars in 2008 or as reported) of anthropogenic N per HUC8. Estimates of N leakage by HUC8 ranged from <1 to 125 kg N ha−1 yr−1, with most N leaked to freshwater ecosystems. Estimates of potential damages (based on median estimates) ranged from $1.94 to $2255 ha−1 yr−1 across watersheds, with a median of $252 ha−1 yr−1. Eutrophication of freshwater ecosystems and respiratory effects of atmospheric N pollution were important across HUC8s. However, significant data gaps remain in our ability to fully assess N damages, such as damage costs from harmful algal blooms and drinking water contamination. Nationally, potential health and environmental damages of anthropogenic N in the early 2000s totaled $210 billion yr−1 USD (range: $81–$441 billion yr−1). While a number of gaps and uncertainties remain in these estimates, overall this work represents a starting point to inform decisions and engage stakeholders on the costs of N pollution.