Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Traditional Budgeting in Todayâ€™s Business Environment

Traditional budgeting has been subject to several controversies with many arguing in favour and against its use. The two sided arguments were discussed with the help of existing literatures. This research provides a conceptual meaning of traditional budgeting as an examination of income with respect to expenditure and developed a model framework for understanding the usefulness of traditional budgeting in todayâ€™s business environment. A tripod relationship between budget, household and managers was developed & analysed. The research explains the benefits of traditional budgeting and also provides an alternative to traditional budgeting concept in todayâ€™s business world. The study shows that influence of organisational culture was seen to constitute the bane of traditional budgeting process, implementation and performance management with control as the critical variable at all levels of human endeavours and concludes that budgeting is the panacea for enforcement of control, target, and accountability. It entrenches motivational spirit & managerial direction among workforce, hence should be adopted by both individuals and business entities.JEL Classification Numbers: M41Keywords: Traditional Budgeting, Planning, Household, Management, Organisations
Description and functional implications of a novel mutation in the sex‐determining gene SRY

The sex‐determining gene SRY was screened for molecular alteration in an XY sex‐reversed female by single‐strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) technique. An A‐to‐G transition was detected which leads to an exchange of a tyrosine by a cysteine in the SRY protein. The affected tyrosine residue located at the C terminus of the DNA binding protein is evolutionarily strongly conserved among the members of the HMG box containing proteins. Using gel shift assay and peptide synthesis such a mutation is shown to abolish the SRY protein DNA binding ability. The involvement of this particular amino acid in the binding specificity is also discussed. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
National Autism Prevalence Trends From United States Special Education Data

Objective. Reports of large increases in autism prevalence have been a matter of great concern to clinicians, educators, and parents. This analysis uses a national data source to compare the prevalence of autism with that of other disabilities among successive birth cohorts of US school-aged children. Design. Comparison of birth cohort curves constructed from administrative data. Setting and Population. US children 6 to 17 years of age between 1992 and 2001. Main Outcome Measures. A disability category classification of autism, mental retardation, speech and language impairment, traumatic brain injury, or other health impairment, as documented by state departments of education and reported to the Office of Special Education Programs, US Department of Education. Results. Prevalences of disability category classifications for annual birth cohorts from 1975 to 1995 were calculated by using denominators from US Census Bureau estimates. For the autism classification, there were birth cohort differences, with prevalences increasing among successive (younger) cohorts. The increases were greatest for annual cohorts born from 1987 to 1992. For cohorts born after 1992, the prevalence increased with each successive year but the increases did not appear to be as great, although there were fewer data points available within cohorts. No concomitant decreases in categories of mental retardation or speech/language impairment were seen. Curves for other health impairments, the category including children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, also showed strong cohort differences. Conclusions. Cohort curves suggest that autism prevalence has been increasing with time, as evidenced by higher prevalences among younger birth cohorts. The narrowing in vertical separation of the cohort curves in recent years may mark a slowing in the autism prevalence increase.
The Bile Acid Glycochenodeoxycholate Induces TRAIL-Receptor 2/DR5 Expression and Apoptosis*

Toxic bile salts induce hepatocyte apoptosis by both Fas-dependent and -independent mechanisms. In this study, we examined the cellular mechanisms responsible for Fas-independent, bile acid-mediated apoptosis. HuH-7 cells, which are known to be Fas deficient, were stably transfected with the sodium-dependent bile acid transporting polypeptide. The toxic bile acid glycochenodeoxycholate (GCDC)-induced apoptosis in these cells in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. Apoptosis and mitochondrial cytochrome c release were inhibited by transfection with dominant negative FADD, CrmA transfection, or treatment with the selective caspase 8 inhibitor IETD-CHO. These observations suggested the Fas-independent apoptosis was also death receptor mediated. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction demonstrated tumor necrosis factor-R1, tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL)-R1/DR4, -R2/DR5, and TRAIL, but not tumor necrosis fator-α expression by these cells. GCDC treatment increased expression of TRAIL-R2/DR5 mRNA and protein 10-fold while expression of TRAIL-R1 was unchanged. Furthermore, aggregation of TRAIL-R2/DR5, but not TRAIL-R1/DR4 was observed following GCDC treatment of the cells. Induction of TRAIL-R2/DR5 expression and apoptosis by bile acids provides new insights into the mechanisms of hepatocyte apoptosis and the regulation of TRAIL-R2/DR5 expression.
Hemorrhagic shock in polytrauma patients: early detection with renal Doppler resistive index measurements.

PURPOSE To investigate whether renal Doppler resistive index (RI) changes occur early during posttraumatic bleeding and may be predictive of occult hypoperfusion-and thus hemorrhagic shock-in patients with polytrauma. MATERIALS AND METHODS This study was approved by the institutional ethics committee, and informed consent was obtained from all patients. The renal Doppler RI was measured in 52 hemodynamically stable adult patients admitted to the emergency department (ED) because of polytrauma. Renal Doppler RI, hemoglobin, standard base excess, lactate, systolic blood pressure, pH, heart rate, and inferior vena cava diameter values were recorded at admittance and correlated with outcome (progression or nonprogression to hemorrhagic shock). Logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the risk factors for progression to hemorrhagic shock. RESULTS Twenty-nine patients developed hemorrhagic shock, and 23 did not. At univariable analysis, the hemorrhagic shock group, as compared with the nonhemorrhagic shock group, had higher renal Doppler RI (mean, 0.80 ± 0.10 [standard deviation] vs 0.63 ± 0.03; P < .01), injury severity score (mean, 36 ± 11 vs 26 ± 5; P < .01), and standard base excess (mean, -4.0 mEq/L ± 4 vs 1 mEq/L ± 3; P = .04) values. At logistic regression analysis, a renal Doppler RI greater than 0.7 (vs less than or equal to 0.7) was the only independent risk factor for progression to hemorrhagic shock (odds ratio, 57.8; 95% confidence interval: 10.5, 317.0) (P < .001). CONCLUSION In polytrauma patients who are hemodynamically stable at admittance to the ED, renal cortical blood flow redistribution occurs very early in response to occult bleeding and might be noninvasively detected by using the renal Doppler RI. A renal Doppler RI greater than 0.7 is predictive of progression to hemorrhagic shock in polytrauma patients.
Finding ways to solve or prevent aminoglycoside-induced ototoxicity?

Aminoglycoside (AG), which was first discovered in 1944, is widely used in treating severe Gram-negative bacterial infections (1). Gentamicin, kanamycin, amikacin and neomycin are the major AGs used nowadays, and vancomycin is the drug of choice for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection. Although other antibiotics can also target Gram-negative bacteria such as penicillins and cephalosporins, AGs remain to be the popular choice because of their economical and clinical advantages including low cost, rapid bactericidal activity and low incidences of resistance (2). However, the adverse effects of reversible nephrotoxicity and irreversible ototoxicity limit their use to short term therapy (3,4). Precaution is needed for treating senior patients who are prone to have hearing, vestibular and renal dysfunctions. Identification of the predisposing factors of such toxicities will allow us to maximize the benefit of using AGs and greatly improve the therapeutic outcome.
Identification and survival of carriers of mutations in DNA mismatch-repair genes in colon cancer.

BACKGROUND The identification of mutations in germ-line DNA mismatch-repair genes at the time of diagnosis of colorectal cancer is important in the management of the disease. METHODS Without preselection and regardless of family history, we recruited 870 patients under the age of 55 years soon after they received a diagnosis of colorectal cancer. We studied these patients for germ-line mutations in the DNA mismatch-repair genes MLH1, MSH2, and MSH6 and developed a two-stage model by multivariate logistic regression for the prediction of the presence of mutations in these genes. Stage 1 of the model incorporated only clinical variables; stage 2 comprised analysis of the tumor by immunohistochemical staining and tests for microsatellite instability. The model was validated in an independent population of patients. We analyzed 2938 patient-years of follow-up to determine whether genotype influenced survival. RESULTS There were 38 mutations among the 870 participants (4 percent): 15 mutations in MLH1, 16 in MSH2, and 7 in MSH6. Carrier frequencies in men (6 percent) and women (3 percent) differed significantly (P<0.04). The addition of immunohistochemical analysis in stage 2 of the model had a sensitivity of 62 percent and a positive predictive value of 80 percent. There were 35 mutations in the validation series of 155 patients (23 percent): 19 mutations in MLH1, 13 in MSH2, and 3 in MSH6. The performance of the model was robust among a wide range of cutoff probabilities and was superior to that of the Bethesda and Amsterdam criteria for hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer. Survival among carriers was not significantly different from that among noncarriers. CONCLUSIONS We devised and validated a method of identifying patients with colorectal cancer who are carriers of mutations in DNA repair genes. Survival was similar among carriers and noncarriers.
Competent and Warm?: How Mismatching Appearance and Accent Influence First Impressions

Most research on ethnicity has focused on visual cues. However, accents are strong social cues that can match or contradict visual cues. We examined understudied reactions to people whose one cue suggests one ethnicity, whereas the other cue contradicts it. In an experiment conducted in Germany, job candidates spoke with an accent either congruent or incongruent with their (German or Turkish) appearance. Based on ethnolinguistic identity theory, we predicted that accents would be strong cues for categorization and evaluation. Based on expectancy violations theory we expected that incongruent targets would be evaluated more extremely than congruent targets. Both predictions were confirmed: accents strongly influenced perceptions and Turkish-looking German-accented targets were perceived as most competent of all targets (and additionally most warm). The findings show that bringing together visual and auditory information yields a more complete picture of the processes underlying impression formation.
Volatile Organic Compounds as Novel Markers for the Detection of Bacterial Infections

Bacterial volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have been considered as sensitive and specific biomarkers for bacterial detection in human specimens and culture media. The possibility of using VOCs markers as one of the largest groups of bacterial metabolites would open a new frontier for developing more efficient techniques in the diagnosis of bacterial infections. This review will discuss the current published theory and data regarding the use of bacterial VOCs as markers in bacterial infections.
A Monte Carlo program for the analysis of low-energy electron tracks in liquid water

A Monte Carlo code for the event-by-event simulation of electron transport in liquid water is presented. The code, written in C++, can accommodate different interaction models. Currently it implements cross sections for ionizing collisions calculated with the model developed by Dingfelder et al (1998 Radiat. Phys. Chem. 53 1–18, 2008 Radiat. Res. 169 584–94) and cross sections for elastic scattering computed within the static-exchange approximation (Salvat et al 2005 Comput. Phys. Commun. 165 157–90). The latter cross sections coincide with those recommended in ICRU Report 77 (2007). Other included interaction mechanisms are excitation by electron impact and dissociative attachment. The main characteristics of the code are summarized. Various track penetration parameters, including the detour factor, are defined as useful tools to quantify the geometrical extent of electron tracks in liquid water. Results obtained with the present microdosimetry code are given in the form of probability density functions for initial electron kinetic energies ranging from 0.1 to 10 keV. The sensitivity of the simulated distributions to the choice of alternative physics models has been briefly explored. The discrepancies with equivalent simulations reported by Wilson et al (2004 Radiat. Res. 161 591–6) stem from the adopted cross sections for elastic scattering, which determine largely the spatial evolution of low-energy electron tracks.
Servicer Contracts and the Design of Mortgage‐Backed Security Pools

We develop a unified model of mortgage and servicer contracts. Renegotiating mortgage contracts following default is strictly Pareto improving, if the lender gathers updated information. An incentive compatible servicer contract requires the servicer to hold a risk position that has a value strictly greater than the cost of exerting effort. This risk position cannot in general be approximated with a horizontal &#8220;first&#8208;loss&#8221; position. An alternative, forming a nondiversified pool, preserves pool&#8208;wide information, avoids the cost of an incentive compatible servicer contract, and may increase MBS value.
Efficacy and Safety of Lenalidomide Monotherapy for Relapsed/Refractory Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Introduction Several maintenance therapies are available for treatment of patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL). The objective of this review was to assess the efficacy and safety of lenalidomide monotherapy in these patients. Methods MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library databases were searched for publications up to April 7, 2021. Original studies that had information on lenalidomide monotherapy for DLBCL patients with R/R status were included. Meta-analyses of response rates, adverse events (AEs), overall survival (OS), and progression-free survival (PFS) were performed. The pooled event rates were calculated using a double arcsine transformation to stabilize the variances of the original proportions. Subgroup analysis was used to compare patients with different germinal center B-cell-like (GCB) phenotypes. Results We included 11 publications that examined DLBCL patients with R/R status. These studies were published from 2008 to 2020. The cumulative objective response rate (ORR) for lenalidomide monotherapy was 0.33 (95% CI: 0.26, 0.40), and the ORR was better in patients with the non-GCB phenotype (0.50; 95% CI: 0.26, 0.74) than the GCB phenotype (0.06; 95% CI: 0.03, 0.11). The major serious treatment-related AEs were neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, respiratory disorders, anemia, and diarrhea. The median PFS ranged from 2.6 to 34 months and the median OS ranged from 7.8 to 37 months. Conclusion This study provides evidence that lenalidomide monotherapy was active and tolerable in DLBCL patients with R/R status. Patients in the non-GCB subgroup had better responsiveness.
New insights into the role of the glutamic acid of the E‐box motif in group B Streptococcus pilus 2a assembly

Group B Streptococcus pili are covalently linked structures assembled via a sortase‐catalyzed transpeptidation mechanism involving specific residues and motifs. A sequence element containing a conserved glutamic acid, called the E‐box, has been described to be involved in pilus formation. Although it is known that the glutamic acid is involved in stabilizing the internal isopeptide bonds, its role in pilus assembly still needs to be investigated. Using site‐specific mutagenesis and complementation studies of knockout strains, we found that the E‐box glutamic residue of the backbone and the major ancillary proteins is essential for pilus protein polymerization. NMR analysis revealed that the mutation of this residue seriously affected the folding of the protein. By contrast, the mutation of the lysine involved in the same isopeptide bond did not engender a structural destabilization, and the native fold was preserved. Moreover, molecular dynamics simulations on the E‐box‐containing domain of the backbone protein showed that the E‐box glutamic acid is necessary to maintain the appropriate dryness of the domain core and that its mutation favors an unfolded state. The data provide the first direct evidence that the E‐box has an additional and key role in maintaining the correct protein fold independently of isopeptide bond formation. —Cozzi, R. , Nuccitelli, A. , D'Onofrio, M. , Necchi, F. , Rosini, R. , Zerbini, F. , Biagini, M. , Norais, N. , Beier, C. , Telford, J. L. , Grandi, G. , Assfalg, M. , Zacharias, M. , Maione, D. , Rinaudo, C. D. New insights into the role of the glutamic acid of the E‐box motif in group B Streptococcus pilus 2a assembly. FASEB J. 26, 2008‐2018 (2012). www.fasebj. org
Transcriptome Analysis of Gills Provides Insights Into Translation Changes Under Hypoxic Stress and Reoxygenation in Golden Pompano, Trachinotus ovatus (Linnaeus 1758)

Golden pompano (Trachinotus ovatus) is one of the most economically critical marine fish in South China. Low oxygen stress has resulted in substantial economic losses to the aquaculture of T. ovatus. However, the molecular responses of fish gills to hypoxia challenge remain unclear. To understand the mechanism underlying adaption to hypoxia, we analyzed the transcriptome of T. ovatus gills in response to hypoxic stress in the normal oxygen group, hypoxic group, and hypoxia treatment after oxygen recovery group. This study found that hypoxia for 8 h was the critical time of hypoxic stress and corresponded to the largest number of differentially expressed genes. After hypoxic stress, genes for chemokines, chemokine receptors, interleukins, complement factors, and other cytokines were significantly downregulated, which may be why fish are vulnerable to pathogen infection in a hypoxic environment. According to a Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis, many downregulated genes were significantly enriched in the steroid biosynthesis, focal adhesion, and the extracellular matrix (ECM)-receptor interaction signal pathways, which affected cell signal transduction, adhesion, and apoptosis. Compared with the hypoxic group, the amounts of upregulated genes related to phagocytosis and protein degradation were upregulated in the dissolved oxygen recovery group. These results indicated that after the recovery of dissolved oxygen, the fish body repaired the stress-induced damage by rapidly removing misfolded proteins. These findings provide a better understanding of the hypoxia response mechanism of fish and represent a useful resource for the genetic breeding of T. ovatus.
Lacticaseibacillus casei Strain T21 Attenuates Clostridioides difficile Infection in a Murine Model Through Reduction of Inflammation and Gut Dysbiosis With Decreased Toxin Lethality and Enhanced Mucin Production

Clostridioides difficile is a major cause of diarrhea in patients with antibiotic administration. Lacticaseibacillus casei T21, isolated from a human gastric biopsy, was tested in a murine C. difficile infection (CDI) model and colonic epithelial cells (Caco-2 and HT-29). Daily administration of L. casei T21 [1 × 108 colony forming units (CFU)/dose] for 4 days starting at 1 day before C. difficile challenge attenuated CDI as demonstrated by a reduction in mortality rate, weight loss, diarrhea, gut leakage, gut dysbiosis, intestinal pathology changes, and levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines [interleukin (IL)-1β, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, macrophage inflammatory protein 2 (MIP-2), and keratinocyte chemoattractant (KC)] in the intestinal tissue and serum. Conditioned media from L. casei T21 exerted biological activities that fight against C. difficile as demonstrated in colonic epithelial cells by the following: (i) suppression of gene expression and production of IL-8, an important chemokine involved in C. difficile pathogenesis, (ii) reduction in the expression of SLC11A1 (solute carrier family 11 member 1) and HuR (human antigen R), important genes for the lethality of C. difficile toxin B, (iii) augmentation of intestinal integrity, and (iv) up-regulation of MUC2, a mucosal protective gene. These results supported the therapeutic potential of L. casei T21 for CDI and the need for further study on the intervention capabilities of CDI.
Sequence variability in four mitochondrial genes among rabbit pinworm (Passalurus ambiguus) isolates from different localities in China

Abstract Passalurus ambiguus is a common pinworm which parasitizes in the caecum and colon of rabbits. This study examined genetic variability among P. ambiguus isolated from naturally infected rabbits in four different provinces in China. The partial mitochondrial (mt) cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (pcox1), cytochrome b (pcytb) and NADH dehydrogenase subunits 1 and 5 (pnad1 and pnad5) were amplified separately from individual nematodes by PCR and sequenced. The results showed that pcox1, pcytb, pnad1 and pnad5 were 714, 663, 645 and 546 bp in length, respectively. The intra-specific sequence variations within P. ambiguus were 0–1.1% for pcox1, 0–1.2% for pcytb, 0–0.6% for pnad1 and 0–1.3% for pnad5, whereas inter-specific sequence differences with other members of the Oxyuridae were 16.2–17.3% for pcox1, 27.8–30.4% for pcytb, 20.2–24.0% for pnad1 and 27.1–30.3% for pnad5. Phylogenetic analyses using Bayesian inference (BI), maximum likelihood (ML) and maximum parsimony (MP) methods, based on the combined sequences of the four partial mtDNA sequences, revealed that all the P. ambiguus samples form monophyletic groups. This study demonstrated the existence of low-level intra-specific variation in cox1, cytb, nad1 and nad5 genes among P. ambiguus isolates from different geographic regions in China, and these four mtDNA sequences can be used as genetic markers for the population genetic studies of P. ambiguus, as well as the differentiation of P. ambiguus from other oxyurid nematodes.