Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Genomic organization and transcriptional regulation of human Apo2/TRAIL gene.

Apo2L, or TRAIL, is a type II integral membrane protein belonging to the TNF family which induces apoptotic cell death in a variety of human tumor cells. Apo2L is expressed in many tissues, suggesting that it is nontoxic to normal cells. We found that Apo2L mRNA was induced by interferon (IFN)-alpha and -beta, but not -gamma, in Jurkat cells. To gain a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms that regulate expression of Apo2L, we have characterized the organization of the human Apo2L gene and its promoter region. The Apo2L gene spans approximately 20 kb and is composed of five exons. The 1.2-kb Apo2L promoter region upstream of the translation initiation codon was cloned, its transcription start site defined, and several putative transcription factor binding sites identified. Luciferase reporter constructs were transfected into Jurkat cells and shown to be induced by IFNs. Deletion analysis indicates that the Apo2L promoter region between nucleotides 126 and 33 upstream of the transcriptional start site controls the expression of the Apo2L gene following IFN-beta treatment.
The Pseudomonas aeruginosa LasB Metalloproteinase Regulates the Human Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator Receptor through Domain-Specific Endoproteolysis

ABSTRACT Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen in human lungs, where its secretable LasB metalloproteinase can be a virulence factor. The urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) participates in pericellular proteolysis and the adherence/migration of epithelial cells and leukocytes recruited during infection and shows functional regulation by various proteinases via limited endoproteolysis occurring within its three domains (D1 to D3). We thus examined the proteolytic activity of LasB on uPAR by using recombinant uPAR as well as uPAR-expressing, human monocytic, and bronchial epithelial cell lines. Protein immunoblotting and flow immunocytometry using a panel of domain-specific anti-uPAR antibodies showed that LasB is able to cleave uPAR both within the sequence linking D1 to D2 and at the carboxy terminus of D3. Comparison of LasB-producing and LasB-deficient bacterial strains indicated that LasB is entirely responsible for the uPAR cleavage ability of P. aeruginosa. Based on amino-terminal protein microsequencing and mass spectrometry analysis of the cleavage of peptides mimicking the uPAR sequences targeted by LasB, cleavage sites were determined to be Ala84-Val85 and Thr86-Tyr87 (D1-D2) and Gln279-Tyr280 (D3). Such a dual cleavage of uPAR led to the removal of amino-terminal D1, the generation of a truncated D2D3 species, and the shedding of D2D3 from cells. This proteolytic processing of uPAR was found to (i) drastically reduce the capacity of cells to bind urokinase and (ii) abrogate the interaction between uPAR and the matrix adhesive protein vitronectin. The LasB proteinase is thus endowed with a high potential for the alteration of uPAR expression and functioning on inflammatory cells during infections by P. aeruginosa.
Excellence in Rural Science Teaching: Examining Elements of Professional Development Models.

This paper introduces the Learning through Inquiry Science and Technology (LIST) program conceived in 1997 as a professional development program to familiarize science teachers with inquiry-based science instruction, instructional technology integration, and alternative assessment techniques in order to change their traditional teacher-centered instructional strategies to a more learner-centered approach. Key design elements of the LIST model include administrative endorsement, disciplinewide adoption, on-site delivery, participant input, clear expectations, quality instruction, collaborative climate, continued support, and incentives. Evaluation results indicate positive teacher and student outcomes and positive effects on partnerships for teachers and professional development partners. (KHR) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. EXCELLENCE IN RURAL SCIENCE TEACHING: EXAMINING ELEMENTS OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT MODELS PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) Brian L. Gerber Valdosta State University Valdosta, Georgia Catherine Price Valdosta State University Valdosta, Georgia Marianne Barnes University of North Florida Jacksonville, Florida Verilette Hinkle Valdosta State University Valdosta, Georgia Lehman Barnes University of North Florida Jacksonville, Florida Patricia Gordon Ben Hill High School Fitzgerald, Georgia Laurel Stanley University of North Florida Jacksonville, Florida U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement ksrEcDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) This document has been reproduced as eived from the person or organization originating it. ID Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching, Philadelphia, PA, March 23-26, 2003
Correlation of CT imaging features and tumor size with Fuhrman grade of clear cell renal cell carcinoma

Background Identification of clinical features to determine the aggressive potential of tumors is highly warranted to stratify patients for adequate treatment. Computed tomography (CT) imaging features of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) may contribute to personalized risk assessment. Purpose To assess the correlation between CT imaging features and Fuhrman grade of ccRCC, and to identify the predictors of high Fuhrman grade in conjunction with tumor size. Material and Methods CT scans of 169 patients with 173 pathologically proven ccRCCs were retrospectively reviewed in consensus by two radiologists for the presence of intratumoral necrosis and intratumoral cyst and tumor size. Histologic grade was classified as either low (Fuhrman grade I or II) or high (Fuhrman grade III or IV). Statistical significance was evaluated by using univariate, multivariate regression, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, and Spearman correlation analyses. Results On CT, 20 of the 173 tumors had intratumoral cysts, 60 had intratumoral necrosis, and 93 showed entirely solid tumors. The odds of high grade were higher with intratumoral necrosis and entirely solid tumor than with intratumoral cyst (P < 0.03). Intratumoral necrosis showed a significantly high odds ratio of 25.73 for high Fuhrman grade. The ROC curve showed a threshold tumor size of 36 mm to predict high Fuhrman grade for overall tumors (area under the ROC curve, 0.70). In ccRCCs with intratumoral necrosis or cyst, tumor size did not significantly correlate with Fuhrman grade. Conclusion Intratumoral necrosis on CT was a strong and independent predictor of biologically aggressive ccRCCs, irrespective of tumor size.
Forest management is associated with physiological stress in an old–growth forest passerine

We investigated how physiological stress in an area–sensitive old–growth forest passerine, the Eurasian treecreeper (Certhia familiaris), is associated with forest fragmentation and forest structure. We found evidence that the concentrations of plasma corticosterone in chicks were higher under poor food supply in dense, young forests than in sparse, old forests. In addition, nestlings in large forest patches had lower corticosterone levels and a better body condition than in small forest patches. In general, corticosterone levels were negatively related to body condition and survival. We also found a decrease in corticosterone levels within the breeding season, which may have been a result of an increase in food supply from the first to the second broods. Our results suggest that forest fragmentation may decrease the fitness of free–living individual treecreepers.
Making the most of using PeerWise in education

PeerWise is a system that enables collaborative learning by allowing students to create, answer and discuss multiple-choice questions. In PeerWise, students create a repository of multiple-choice questions on the topics covered in a course. The system does not require course staff to be actively involved, but rather encourages students to rate and comment questions made by their peers. In this work, we report on the results of using the system in several courses at the Aalto University School of Science and Technology. Especially, we have studied the quality of the student-generated questions on the Data Structures and Algorithms course. We found that there are some flawed questions, but in overall, the students are capable of creating questions of good quality. We also discuss improvements to recognize flawed questions more efficiently. PeerWise is a system that depends heavily on the collaboration and interaction of students. In our experiences, systems such as PeerWise are quite sensitive to the way they are integrated into the course. In order to fully benefit from the collaborative nature of PeerWise, students should be motivated to use the system in a way that supports the learning goals of the course. Thus, we also suggest some guidelines that should be borne in mind when using PeerWise on a course.
Side-chain conformations in an unfolded protein: chi1 distributions in denatured hen lysozyme determined by heteronuclear 13C, 15N NMR spectroscopy.

Using a 13C and 15N-labelled sample, multi-dimensional heteronuclear NMR techniques have been carried out to characterise hen lysozyme denatured in 8 M urea at pH 2.0. The measurement of 3J(C',Cgamma) and 3J(N,Cgamma) coupling constants has enabled side-chain chi1 torsion angle populations to be probed in the denatured polypeptide chain. Analysis of the coupling constant data has allowed the relative populations of the three staggered rotamers about chi1 to be defined for 51 residues. The amino acids can broadly be divided into five classes that show differing side-chain conformational preferences in the denatured state. These range from a strong preference for the -60 degrees chi1 rotamer for methionine and leucine (74-79 % population) to a favouring of the +60 degrees chi1 rotamer for threonine (67 % population). The differences in behaviour reflect the steric and electrostatic characteristics of the side-chains concerned. A close agreement is seen between the chi1 populations calculated from the experimental coupling constant data and predictions from the statistical model for a random coil that uses the chi1 torsion angle distributions in a data base of native protein structures. Short-range interactions therefore dominate in determining the local conformational properties of side-chains in a denatured protein. Deviations are, however, observed for many of the aromatic residues involved in hydrophobic clusters within the denatured protein. For these residues the effects of additional non-local interactions in the clusters presumably play a major role in determining the chi1 preferences.
PGE1‐induced NO reduces apoptosis by D‐galactosamine through attenuation of NF‐κB and NOS‐2 expression in rat hepatocytes

Prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) reduces cell death in experimental and clinical liver dysfunction. We have previously shown that PGE1 preadministration protects against NO‐dependent cell death induced by D‐galactosamine (D‐GalN) through a rapid increase of nuclear factor κB (NF‐κB) activity, inducible NO synthase (NOS‐2) expression, and NO production. The present study investigates whether PGE1‐induced NO was able to abolish NF‐κB activation, NOS‐2 expression, and apoptosis elicited by D‐GalN. Rat hepatocytes were isolated following the classical method of collagenase perfusion of liver. PGE1 (1 μmol/L) was administered 2 hours before D‐GalN (5 mmol/L) in primary culture rat hepatocytes. PGE1 reduced inhibitor κBα degradation, NF‐κB activation, NOS‐2 expression, and apoptosis induced by D‐GalN. The administration of an inhibitor of NOS‐2 abolished the inhibitory effect of PGE1 on NF‐κB activation and NOS‐2 expression in D‐GalN–treated hepatocytes. Transfection studies using different plasmids corresponding to the NOS‐2 promoter region showed that D‐GalN and PGE1 regulate NOS‐2 expression through NF‐κB during the initial stage of hepatocyte treatment. PGE1 was able to reduce the promoter activity induced by D‐GalN. In addition, a NO donor reduced NOS‐2 promoter activity in transfected hepatocytes. In conclusion, administration of PGE1 to hepatocytes produces low levels of NO, which inhibits its own formation during D‐GalN–induced cell death through the attenuation of NF‐κB–dependent NOS‐2 expression. Therefore, a dual role for NO in PGE1‐treated D‐GalN–induced toxicity in hepatocytes is characterized by a rapid NO release that attenuates the late and proapoptotic NOS‐2 expression. Supplementary material for this article can be found on the HEPATOLOGY website (http://interscience.wiley.com/jpages/0270‐9139/suppmat/index.html). (HEPATOLOGY 2004;40:1295–1303.)
Respiratory Effects of Sevoflurane

The respiratory effects of sevoflurane were studied in seven patients and compared with values obtained in another seven patients anesthetized with halothane. Resting ventilation, resting Paco2, and ventilatory response to CO2 were measured awake and at 1.1 and 1.4 MAC levels of both anesthetic agents. We found that with sevoflurane, tidal volume and the slopes of the CO2 response curves decreased and Paco2 increased with increasing depth of anesthesia, as with other inhaled anesthetics. A compensatory increase in respiratory frequency was not enough to prevent a decrease in minute volume with increasing depth of anesthesia. At 1.1 MAC, sevoflurane produced almost the same degree of respiratory depression as halothane. At 1.4 MAC, sevoflurane produced more profound respiratory depression than halothane.
LcrF is the temperature-regulated activator of the yadA gene of Yersinia enterocolitica and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis

The virulence plasmid of human pathogenic Yersinia species, pYV, encodes secreted proteins, Yop proteins, and an outer membrane protein, YadA. YadA has been associated with binding to a variety of substrates and with interference with host defense. YadA is regulated by temperature and is expressed only at 37 degrees C. Unlike the yop regulon, the yadA gene is not under Ca2+ regulation. Here, we show that LcrF (VirF), the temperature-regulated activator of the yop regulon, also acts as an activator for yadA.
Chronic subdural haematoma and autosomal polycystic kidney disease: Report of two new cases

SUMMARY: Chronic subdural haematoma (SDH) was recently described in some patients who were suffering from autosomic dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). It results in various neurological symptoms mimicking those related to intracranial aneurysms, which are relatively frequent in such patients. The authors report two cases of chronic SDH observed in two patients known to have advanced renal failure attributed to ADPKD. Medical imaging failed to reveal features of associated intracranial abnormalities such as aneurysms or arachnoid cysts. Surgical drainage resulted in a good recovery without relapse during a long period of follow up that exceeded 10 years in the first case.
Developing sports with a children’s rights perspective? Intentions, methods, and priorities of development projects in local Swedish sports clubs

Abstract The purpose of this study is to analyze the planned development of sport practice regarding children’s rights through project applications from Swedish sports clubs within the Lift for Sport programme. The study on which this paper reports uses data from a large-scale research project that evaluated this sport-for-all programme and is based on an analysis of 2563 applications within five different national sports organizations. Theoretically, the evaluation study draws on programme theories and analyses financially funded development applications made by the sports clubs. The proportion of applications concerning aspects of children’s rights was 2.4% within the following categories: children’s safety in sports, young people’s views, ethics of children’s sports, and prevention of exclusion and dropout from sport. Those applications were further examined regarding which intentions, methods, and priorities sports clubs were aiming to develop children’s sport to be in line with a children’s rights perspective. The methods used to reach the goals were sometimes the same regardless of intention, and, despite the good intentions and some creative methods used for development, applicants seemed to be uncertain about and searching for which relevant methods to use. The findings can be used to inform the discussion on the design of development programmes, policies, and practices to change children’s sport in the framework of children’s rights.
Globalisation, Trade Openness and Foreign Direct Investment in Romania

Abstract The paper analyses the trend of globalisation, trade openness and foreign direct investments (FDI) in Romania and the link between them in the last 25 years. Data from UNCTAD, World Bank and KOF globalisation index were used in econometrical models testing the link between globalisation, trade openness and foreign direct investment. A strong positive and statistical validated link is found between globalisation and FDI, between trade openness and FDI, and between FDI and globalisation. In the context of Romanian economy, these three phenomena are interrelated and each of them is acting to potentiate the effect of the other. Moreover, a multivariate regression analysis emphasized the dependency between globalisation index and foreign direct investment, trade openness and market capitalisation. These results can be taken into account when national policies aiming to attract FDI and stimulating export-import activities are designed.
In-vehicle vibration study of child safety seats

This paper reports experimental measurements of the in-vehicle vibrational behaviour of stage 0&1 child safety seats. Road tests were performed for eight combinations of child, child seat and automobile. Four accelerometers were installed in the vehicles and orientated to measure as closely as possible in the vertical direction; two were attached to the floor and two located at the human interfaces. An SAE pad was placed under the ischial tuberosities of the driver at the seat cushion and a child pad, designed for the purpose of this study, was placed under the child. Four test runs were made over a pave’ (cobblestone) surface for the driver's seat and four for the child seat at both 20 km h−1 and 40 km h−1. Power spectral densities were determined for all measurement points and acceleration transmissibility functions (ATFs) were estimated from the floor of the vehicle to the human interfaces. The system composed of automobile seat, child seat and child was found to transmit greater vibration than the system composed of automobile seat and driver. The ensemble mean transmissibility in the frequency range from 1 to 60 Hz was found to be 77% for the child seats systems as opposed to 61% for the driver's seats. The acceleration transmissibility for the child seat system was found to be higher than that of the driver's seat at most frequencies above 10 Hz for all eight systems tested. The measured ATFs suggest that the principal whole-body vibration resonance of the children occurred at a mean frequency of 8.5, rather than the 3.5 to 5.0 Hz typically found in the case of seated adults. It can be concluded that current belt-fastened child seats are less effective than the vehicle primary seating systems in attenuating vibrational disturbances. The results also suggest the potential inability of evaluating child comfort by means of existing whole-body vibration standards.
A study of factors affecting the Gold Price in Thailand during 2005-2015

Abstract The objective of this study was to determine the factors that affected the Gold Price in Thailand during 2005 – 2015. Monthly data from January 2005 to March 2015 were used to analyze the impact of World Gold Price, Oil Price, Dow Jones Industrial Average, USD Index, Consumer Price Index, SET Index, Interest Rate, Exchange Rate, and Time Lag on the Gold Price in Thailand. Multiple regression analysis was employed in this study. The findings of this study had identified World Gold Price, Dow Jones Industrial Average, USD Index, Consumer Price Index, SET Index, and Time Lag as significant predictors of the Gold Price in Thailand. The result of this study would be useful to investors, individual buyers, and sellers for their analysis and decision making on trading gold profitably. Keywords : gold price in Thailand, gold trading, gold investment, commodity, speculation
Genome of Klebsiella sp.-Infecting Bacteriophage vB_KleM_RaK2

ABSTRACT Despite the fact that multidrug-resistant Klebsiella sp. strains emerge rapidly (Xu J, et al., Adv. Mater. Res. 268-270:1954-1956, 2011) and bacteriophages have been reported to be useful in controlling these bacteria (Kumari S, Harjai K, Chhibber S, J. Med. Microbiol. 60:205-210, 2011), the complete genome sequences of only five Klebsiella phages (four siphoviruses and one myovirus) can be found in databases. In this paper, we report on the complete genome sequence of Klebsiella sp. -infecting bacteriophage vB_KleM_RaK2. With a genome size of 345,809 bp, this is the second largest myovirus and the largest Klebsiella phage sequenced to date. This phage differs substantially from other myoviruses since 411 out of 534 vB_KleM_RaK2 open reading frames have no known functions and lack any reliable database matches. Comparative analysis of the genome sequence of vB_KleM_RaK2 suggests that this phage forms a distinct phylogenetic branch within the family Myoviridae of tailed bacteriophages.
Photosensitivity in Idiopathic Generalized Epilepsies

Summary: Photosensitivity is an abnormal visual sensitivity of the brain in reaction to flickering light sources or patterns and is expressed in the electroencephalogram as generalized spike‐and‐wave discharge and in more susceptible individuals as clinical seizures. The most common types of seizures are generalized tonic‐clonic, followed by myoclonic and absence. The photosensitive epilepsies are classified as pure photosensitive, where seizures occur only with the flickering light source/pattern or during intermittent photic stimulation (IPS) in the laboratory, and epilepsy with photosensitivity, where spontaneous seizures also occur. Positive response to IPS in idiopathic epilepsy syndromes, which are included in the International Classification or are in development, is reported to range from 7.5% in juvenile absence epilepsy to 100% in pure photosensitive epilepsy.