Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Interaction of ‘toxic’ and ‘immunogenic’ A‐gliadin peptides with a membrane‐mimetic environment

Celiac disease (CD) is characterized by abnormally high concentrations of certain peptides in the small bowel. These peptides can be grouped in ‘toxic’ and ‘immunogenic’ classes, which elicit an innate immune response and an HLA‐mediated adaptive response, respectively. It is not clear on which molecular mechanisms responses to these different classes are based, but the 31–43 (P31–43) and the 56–68 (P56–68) A‐gliadin fragments are usually adopted as sequence representatives of toxic and immunogenic peptides, respectively. Here we report fluorescence experiments aiming to mimic the interaction of these peptides with the cell membrane surface by using sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) as a membrane‐mimetic medium. We show that P31–43 is able to bind SDS micelles in a way that resembles mixed micelle formation. On the other hand, no binding at all could be detected for P56–68. This different behaviour could be related to the paracellular or transcellular route through which gluten peptides may cross the intestinal epithelium, and open new insights into the pathogenetic mechanisms of CD. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Religiosity and Long-Run Productivity Growth

In this paper, we show, using a panel of developed countries, that there is a long-run negative association between church attendance and total factor productivity (TFP) with predictive causality running from declining church attendance to increasing factor productivity. According to our preferred estimate, about 18% of the increase in TFP from 1950 to 1990 can be motivated by declining religiosity. In order to explain this phenomenon, we integrate into standard R&D-based growth theory a micro-foundation of individual cognitive style, which is either intuitive-believing or reflective-analytical. Under the assumption that R&D productivity is positively influenced by a reflective-analytical cognitive style, we find that secularisation leads to an increasing labour share in R&D and gradually increasing productivity growth. We use these insights to reflect on the trends in religiosity and R&D-based growth in the very long run, from Enlightenment to the present day.
Bacterial contamination of surgical suture resembles a biofilm.

BACKGROUND Although much attention is currently directed to studying microbial biofilms on a variety of surfaces, few studies are designed to study bacterial growth on surgical suture. The purpose of this study was to compare the kinetic development of Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis on five surgical suture materials and to clarify factors that might influence this growth. METHODS Pure cultures of S. aureus and E. faecalis were incubated with five types of suture for four days using either tissue culture medium or a bacterial growth medium. Suture-associated bacteria were quantified daily. In selected experiments, the bacterial growth medium was supplemented with heparin, a substance known to promote S. aureus biofilm formation. The ultrastructure of S. aureus biofilm developing on braided suture was studied with scanning electron microscopy. RESULTS Staphylococcus aureus and E. faecalis were recovered in greater numbers (typically p < 0.01) from braided than from monofilament suture, and the numbers of bacteria were greater (often p < 0.01) on sutures incubated in bacterial growth medium rather than tissue culture medium. Addition of heparin 1,000 U/mL to silk or braided polyglactin 910 suture incubated three days with S. aureus resulted in greater numbers of bacteria on day one but not on subsequent days. Scanning electron microscopy showed a maturing S. aureus biofilm that developed from small clusters of cells among amorphous material and fibrillar elements to larger clusters of cells that appeared covered by more consolidated extracellular material. CONCLUSIONS Bacterial growth was favored on braided vs. monofilament suture, and heparin enhanced bacterial adherence after day one, but not at subsequent times. Staphylococcus aureus adhered to suture material and formed a structure consistent with a bacterial biofilm.
ICT skills acquisition and competencies of librarians: Implications for digital and electronic environment in Nigerian universities libraries

– The purpose of this paper is an audit of information technology (IT) skills set of librarians in some Nigerian university libraries with the aim of examining their relevance and adequacy to the digital environment. Nigerian universities as knowledge creators and their libraries as gatekeepers of knowledge are rapidly witnessing the introduction of various IT. One of the challenges facing IT/digital library projects in Nigeria has been the readiness of the university libraries in terms of knowledge and skills to implement the digital and electronic library services. , – This paper used the survey approach. The sampling technique for the selection of the universities was stratified and for the librarians (respondents), census. The sampling frame was the approved list of universities released by the National Universities Commission as of the time of this study. The data were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. , – The findings of this paper revealed that many of the respondents do have knowledge and skills of email use and word processing tasks but lack knowledge of search engines and directories other than Google and Yahoo, respectively. Many of them do not know how to evaluate and catalogue e-resources; have no knowledge of subject gateways, specialised databases and some open-access library databases; have no knowledge of database management; are not skilled in Web design; and are equally not familiar with Web design applications. , – The study recommends management support for IT skills training and/or continuous professional development to improve the librarians. Librarians are also challenged and encouraged to explore the range of training resources available over the Internet for self-development.
Effects of glutathione depletion by 2‐cyclohexen‐1‐one on excitatory amino acids‐induced enhancement of activator protein‐1 DNA binding in murine hippocampus

We have investigated the role of glutathione in mechanisms associated with excitatory amino acid signaling to the nuclear transcription factor activator protein‐1 (AP1) in the brain using mice depleted of endogenous glutathione by prior treatment with 2‐cyclohexen‐1‐one (CHX). In the hippocampus of animals treated with CHX 2 h before, a significant increase was seen in enhancement of AP1 DNA binding when determined 2 h after the injection of kainic acid (KA) at low doses. The sensitization to KA was not seen in animals injected with CHX 24 h before, in coincidence with the recovery of glutathione contents to the normal levels. By contrast, CHX did not significantly affect the potentiation by NMDA of AP1 binding under any experimental conditions. Prior treatment with CHX resulted in facilitation of behavioral changes induced by KA without affecting those induced by NMDA. These results suggest that endogenous glutathione may be at least in part involved in molecular mechanisms underlying transcriptional control by KA, but not by NMDA, signals of cellular functions.
Interference and dephasing by electron-electron interaction on length scales shorter than the elastic mean free path.

A modified Young's double-slit experiment is realized for electrons in a high-mobility two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG). The observed quantum interference is employed to study dephasing by electron-electron interaction on length scales shorter than the elastic mean free path. It is found that the measured phase-breaking length agrees very well with theoretical calculations of the e-e mean free path in an ideal 2DEG. In contrast to the diffusive regime, dephasing occurs via e-e scattering events with an energy exchange on the order of the carrier excess energy
Differential dissociation of G protein heterotrimers

Signalling by heterotrimeric G proteins is often isoform‐specific, meaning certain effectors are regulated exclusively by one family of heterotrimers. For example, in excitable cells inwardly rectifying potassium (GIRK) channels are activated by Gβγ dimers derived specifically from Gi/o heterotrimers. Since all active heterotrimers are thought to dissociate and release free Gβγ dimers, it is unclear why these channels respond primarily to dimers released by Gi/o heterotrimers. We reconstituted GIRK channel activation in cells where we could quantify heterotrimer expression at the plasma membrane, GIRK channel activation, and heterotrimer dissociation. We find that GoA heterotrimers are more effective activators of GIRK channels than Gs heterotrimers when comparable amounts of each are available. We also find that active GoA heterotrimers dissociate more readily than active Gs heterotrimers. Differential dissociation may thus provide a simple explanation for Gα‐specific activation of GIRK channels and other Gβγ‐sensitive effectors.
A diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging study of paediatric patients with severe non‐traumatic brain injury

In this observational study using 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and diffusion tensor, we investigated the differential effects of pathology, stage of disease, state of consciousness, and aetiology on the modifications of supra‐ and infra‐tentorial white matter tracts and their correlations with clinical scales in paediatric patients with severe non‐traumatic brain injury.
Impact of cell culture on recombinant monoclonal antibody product heterogeneity

Recombinant monoclonal antibodies are commonly expressed in mammalian cell culture and purified by several steps of filtration and chromatography. The resulting high purity bulk drug substance still contains product variants differing in properties such as charge and size. Posttranslational modifications and degradations occurring during cell culture are the major sources of heterogeneity in bulk drug substance of recombinant monoclonal antibodies. The focus of the current review is the impact of cell culture conditions on the types and levels of various modifications and degradations of recombinant monoclonal antibodies. Understanding the relationship between cell culture and product variants can help to make consistently safe and efficacious products. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog. , 32:1103–1112, 2016
Dissipativity Based Analysis Using Dynamic Supply Rates

Abstract This paper introduces dynamic supply rates (as quadratic differential forms) for stability analysis for interconnected systems. These supply rates capture far more information on system dynamics than conventional constant supply rates do and as such can reduce conservativeness in dissipativity based analysis. The additional dynamics contained in the supply rate can be used to develop a supply rate centric approach to analysis and control of large scale network systems, which is entirely based on the supply rates of individual subsystems and the topology of the interconnections. A simple example is presented to demonstrate that the proposed stability condition with dynamic supply rates can be much less conservative than the existing result based on ( Q, S, R )-dissipativity.
Parthenolide inhibits proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells through induction of G0/G1 phase cell cycle arrest

ObjectiveThis study is to determine the effect of the natural product parthenolide, a sesquiterpene lactone isolated from extracts of the herb Tanacetum parthenium, on the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). MethodsRat aortic VSMCs were isolated and cultured in vitro, and treated with different concentrations of parthenolide (10, 20 and 30 μmol/L). [3H]thymidine incorporation was used as an index of cell proliferation. Cell cycle progression and distribution were determined by flow cytometric analysis. Furthermore, the expression of several regulatory proteins relevant to VSMC proliferation including IκBα, cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2), p21, and p27 was examined to investigate the potential molecular mechanism.ResultsTreatment with parthenolide significantly decreased the [3H]thymidine incorporation into DNA by 30%∼56% relative to control values in a dose-dependent manner (P<0.05). Addition of parthenolide also increased cell population at G0/G1 phase by 19.2%∼65.7% (P<0.05) and decreased cell population at S phase by 50.7%∼84.8% (P<0.05), which is consistent with its stimulatory effects on p21 and p27. In addition, parthenolide also increased IκBα expression and reduced Cox-2 expression in a time-dependent manner.ConclusionOur results show that parthenolide significantly inhibits the VSMC proliferation by inducing G0/G1 cell cycle arrest. IκBα and Cox-2 are likely involved in such inhibitory effect of parthenolide on VSMC proliferation. These findings warrant further investigation on potential therapeutic implications of parthenolide on VSMC proliferation in vivo.
The Success Criteria of Public Housing Project in Nigeria

There is no consensus among researchers of what constitutes projects success; every project type may have different success criteria. Identifying project success criteria at the initial stage of a project can contribute to effective utilization of resources. The aim of this study is to establish the criteria for measuring public housing project success in Nigeria. The data collection was carried out in Nigeria by means of structured interviews with ten experts in housing, a pilot survey and questionnaire survey. A questionnaire survey was carried out in which 550 questionnaires were administered to construction professionals who involve in public housing projects, in order to elicit their perceptions on success criteria for public housing projects. The sample was drawn using purposive sampling method since there is no sample frame of people with experience in public housing. Two hundred and seventy six questionnaires (276) were returned completed representing 50.2% response rate. The data collected were analysed using structural equation modelling technique. The results reveal six criteria for measuring public housing project management success, these are client’s satisfaction, project completed on time, project completed to specified quality standard, absence of disputes, safety, and completion within budget. The results also reveal four criteria for measuring public housing product success which include meeting the project purpose, end users’ satisfaction, environmental impact and aesthetic appearance of the . Understanding the findings of this study by policy makers and project managers can improve effectiveness and efficiency of public housing projects in Nigeria.
Low actuation voltage RF MEMS switches with signal frequencies from 0.25 GHz to 40 GHz

A novel low-voltage radio-frequency microelectromechanical system (RF MEMS) switch is reported. The device switching voltages are 14-17 volts. When the device is operated in an 'on' state, an insertion loss of less than 0.5 dB with a return loss of -15 dB at 40 GHz was measured. When operated in its 'off' state, an isolation of better than 27 dB over the frequency band from 0.25 GHz to 40 GHz was achieved. The RF MEMS switch equivalent circuit model shows that the 'on' resistance is 0.3 /spl Omega/ and the 'off' capacitance is 90 fF, which results in a figure of merit of 6000 GHz.
Association between thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI) and clinical outcome in patients with unstable angina pectoris

Summary Decrease of fibrinolytic potential is considered to be a risk factor for arterial thrombosis. The recently described thrombinactivatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI) attenuates fibrinolysis by cleaving of the C-terminal lysine residues from fibrin, thereby inhibiting tPA mediated plasminogen activation. The role of plasma TAFI antigen (Ag) levels and gene polymorphisms in arterial thrombosis is still not elucidated. In this prospective study, the association between plasma TAFI Ag levels and the TAFI gene polymorphisms, Ala147Thr, Thr325Ile and -438A/G, with refractory unstable angina pectoris (UAP) was determined. The study population consisted of 209 patients with UAP of whom 76 were refractory and 133 non-refractory to medical treatment. In the same study population the contribution of these polymorphisms to plasma TAFI Ag levels was determined. Plasma TAFI Ag levels were significantly higher in non-refractory patients compared to refractory patients (geometric mean 114.4 and 105.6 U/dl respectively, p=0.042). Plasma TAFI Ag levels in the lowest quartile resulted in a 2.6 fold (95% confidence interval 1.2-5.9) increased risk for refractory UAP compared to plasma TAFI Ag levels in the upper quartile. The three studied TAFI polymorphisms had an independent and additive effect on plasma TAFI Ag levels. However, no significant association between the individual TAFI polymorphisms and refractiveness was observed. In conclusion, in this study population plasma TAFI Ag levels are significantly correlated with refractiveness in patients with UAP. Furthermore, all three polymorphisms contribute independently to plasma TAFI Ag levels, but not to refractiveness. Part of this paper was originally presented at the joint meetings of the 16th International Congress of the International Society of Fibrinolysis and Proteolysis (ISFP) and the 17th International Fibrinogen Workshop of the International Fibrinogen Research Society (IFRS) held in Munich, Germany, September, 2002.
The Variability in Prognostic Values of Right Ventricular-to-Left Ventricular Diameter Ratios Derived From Different Measurement Methods on Computed Tomography Pulmonary Angiography: A Patient Outcome Study

Purpose: To evaluate variability in right ventricular-to-left ventricular (RV/LV) diameter ratios introduced by differences in measurement methods and the subsequent influence on the accuracy of predicting outcomes for patients with acute pulmonary embolism (PE). Materials and Methods: For 200 consecutive computed tomography pulmonary angiograms positive for acute PE, RV/LV diameter ratios were retrospectively measured using 3 different 4-chamber reformations and from axial images alone. The first 4-chamber reformation method (4ch-1) was a single oblique technique using LV morphology landmarks; the other 2 methods (4ch-2 and 4ch-3) were double oblique techniques that created an intermediate short-axis image to identify the maximum RV diameter but with different approaches to reach short-axis images. Interobserver variability was measured using 30 cases. Receiver-operating characteristic analysis compared the accuracy of predicting outcomes among the 4 measurements for PE-related death, and for death or the need for intensive therapies (composite outcome). Results: The difference in median RV/LV diameter ratios was insignificant among 4ch-2 (1.01), 4ch-3 (1.02), and axial (1.03) datasets, whereas that from 4ch-1 (0.93) was significantly lower (P<0.001). Correlation between observers was excellent for all 4 datasets (r=0.881 to 0.925). Compared with 4ch-1, the other 3 datasets equally achieved higher accuracy in predicting PE-related 30-day mortality (area under curve: 0.55 vs. 0.69 to 0.73, P=0.007 to 0.019) and a composite outcome (area under curve: 0.65 vs. 0.77 to 0.78, P=0.003 to 0.010). Conclusions: Double oblique 4-chamber reformation methods that use intermediate short-axis images to optimize RV size predict outcomes better in patients with acute PE than do single oblique methods using only LV landmarks; however, their accuracy is not superior to that from measurements based on axial images.
A transmembrane formin nucleates subapical actin assembly and controls tip-focused growth in pollen tubes

Pollen tubes are highly polarized plant cells specialized in delivering sperm for fertilization. Pollen tube growth is rapid, occurs exclusively at the tip, and can reach distances thousands of times the diameter of the pollen grain without cell division, thus representing an excellent model system for studying asymmetric cell growth. In flowering plants, pollen tube growth is dependent on the actin cytoskeleton, which supports an efficient vesicle trafficking system to deliver membrane and cell-wall materials to the tube tip. A highly dynamic subapical actin structure and an apical vesicular zone are known to be critical for the tip-growth process. How this apical organization is maintained, how the subapical actin structure is assembled, and direct evidence for its functional coupling with tip growth remain to be established. Here, we show that a tip-located, cell membrane-anchored actin-nucleating protein, the Arabidopsis formin homology5 (FH5), stimulates actin assembly from the subapical membrane, provides actin filaments for vesicular trafficking to the apical dome, and mediates assembly of the subapical actin structure. Moreover, FH5-expressing pollen tubes provided a unique opportunity to demonstrate that assembly of the subapical actin structure is concomitant with the acquisition of rapid tip growth, providing further support for their functional coupling. Together, our results show that FH5 plays a pivotal role in establishing the subapical actin and apical vesicular organization critical for tip-focused growth in pollen tubes.
Suicide bereavement and postvention in major suicidology journals: lessons learned for the future of postvention.

BACKGROUND Since the seminal publications of Shneidman (1969) and Cain (1972), suicide bereavement and postvention have attracted increasing research interest. AIMS To examine the topics of suicide bereavement and postvention in the core international suicidology journals, since their inception until mid-2013, in order to reveal the number of postvention articles throughout the years, their geographic distribution, and the topics of suicide bereavement and postvention that have been published. METHOD The online databases of four journals (Crisis, The Journal of Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention; Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior [SLTB]; Archives of Suicide Research; and Suicidology Online) as well as the tables of content of all issues were searched. The number of articles and the countries of origin were quantified, and articles were categorized according to their content. RESULTS The search identified 144 postvention articles, published during the past 40 years, almost exclusively in two journals (Crisis and SLTB). The majority of articles were (co-)authored by authors from Anglo-Saxon, Western countries. Articles were categorized in three groups: characteristics of suicide bereavement (n = 73), postvention programs (n = 66), and definition/theory and epidemiology of survivors (n = 5). CONCLUSION Articles on suicide bereavement and postvention have been published mostly in two suicidology journals, albeit in modest numbers, and from a limited number of mostly Western countries. Our understanding of suicide bereavement and the provision of survivor support might benefit from the development of consensual definitions and from studies in other parts of the world.
[Laparoscopic versus conventional appendectomy: a prospective randomized study].

The discussion about laparoscopic appendectomy has increased since the introduction of this method. Randomized comparisons are still feasible, whereas this cannot be stated for other laparoscopic procedures (e.g., laparoscopic cholecystectomy). This randomized controlled trial included 170 patients. Open appendectomy was employed in 83 patients, and 87 were treated laparoscopically. The treatment groups were comparable regarding age, sex, Broca index, ASA classification, preliminary operations, and preoperative leucocytes. No statistically significant differences could be found with respect to surgical and general complications, operating time, consumption of analgesics and antibiotics, and return to work. The analysis revealed a statistically significant shorter hospital stay, a shorter time until return to normal physical activity, and a shorter duration of complaints for the laparoscopic group. We were unable to demonstrate any statistically significant advantage in using the open procedure.