Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Running head : 5-HTTLPR GENOTYPE AND AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR 1 The Association Between the Serotonin Transporter Promoter Region Polymorphism and Aggressive Behavior

Studies have shown a correlation between neurotic behavior and a functional polymorphism in the promoter region of the gene that codes for the serotonin transporter (5-HTTLPR). The short form of the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism has been linked with anxiety and depression (Takahashi et al. 2011). The there is also a well-documented relationship between the short allele and Harm Avoidance (Kazantseva, et al., 2008). Our study seeks to examine the relationships between this gene and Aggressive Behavior, and the Harm Avoidance personality trait. This is the first study of its kind in a nonpathogenic and mixed sex group of humans. The study was conducted by administering the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire and Cloninger’s Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) to university Students (n=111), and genotyping subjects for the 5HTTLPR polymorphism. Our results showed a significant two-tailed correlation between total aggression and total harm avoidance (r=.25, n=111, p=.008). Males were lower in total harm avoidance (M=10.6 ± 8.0) than females (M=18.35 ± 7.017); t(109)=-5.152, p < . 001. Total aggression was not significantly affected by sex, but males scored higher than females in both physical aggression (M=20.5 ± 9.3) vs. (M=15.4 ± 7.3); t(109)=3.15, p =. 002 and verbal aggression (M=17.6 ± 7.7) vs. (M=14.2 ± 5.6); t(109)=2.5, p =. 012. In the sample of participants that have been successfully genotyped to date (n=16), no significant relationship with the aggression and TCI variables was found. Genotyping will be completed in the near future and will yield greater statistical power to evaluate the role of the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism in personality traits and aggression.
Seasonality of birth in children with diabetes in Europe: multicentre cohort study

There is increasing evidence that environmental factors in early life, particularly viral infections, influence the risk of developing type 1 (insulin dependent) diabetes.1 The high incidence of diabetes in the congenital rubella syndrome suggests that intrauterine infection may be important,1 and the high incidence of enteroviral infection during pregnancy in the mothers of children who subsequently develop type 1 diabetes suggests that other viruses may also be involved.2 Since most common viral infections are seasonal, if a significant proportion of cases of childhood diabetes were caused by intrauterine infection it might be expected that the pattern of dates of birth of affected individuals would be abnormal. We previously reported abnormal seasonality of birth in three large independent populations of children with type 1 diabetes in the United Kingdom,3 and a similar pattern has since been reported in the Netherlands.4 To determine whether regional variation in …
Adaptive Optics Retinal Imaging – Clinical Opportunities and Challenges

Abstract The array of therapeutic options available to clinicians for treating retinal disease is expanding. With these advances comes the need for better understanding of the etiology of these diseases on a cellular level as well as improved non-invasive tools for identifying the best candidates for given therapies and monitoring the efficacy of those therapies. While spectral domain optical coherence tomography offers a widely available tool for clinicians to assay the living retina, it suffers from poor lateral resolution due to the eye’s monochromatic aberrations. Ophthalmic adaptive optics (AO) is a technique to compensate for the eye’s aberrations and provide nearly diffraction-limited resolution. The result is the ability to visualize the living retina with cellular resolution. While AO is unquestionably a powerful research tool, many clinicians remain undecided on the clinical potential of AO imaging – putting many at a crossroads with respect to adoption of this technology. This review will briefly summarize the current state of AO retinal imaging, discuss current as well as future clinical applications of AO retinal imaging, and finally provide some discussion of research needs to facilitate more widespread clinical use.
A Framework for Service-oriented Architecture Adoption in e-Banking: the Case of Banks from a Transition and a Developed Economy

In addressing integration issues, service-oriented architecture (SOA) has emerged and been adopted by banks, but many of them have failed to achieve significant SOA benefits. An important reason for this failure is attributed to the absence of a methodological framework that explains factors influencing SOA adoption in e-banking. In addition to this, the normative literature reports that differences may exist between organizations from developed and transition economies when they adopt integration technologies. Thus, the aim of this paper is to (a) propose a methodological framework for SOA adoption, (b) test it through case studies conducted in a developed and a transition economy, and (c) investigate differences and similarities among these two types of economies. The findings verify our framework and suggest some additions to it as there are new factors that were observed during the case studies like SOA governance. Our study also reveals similarities and differences, like the level of attention between case organizations from a developed and transition economy. This paper extends the body of knowledge and allows us to better understand the adoption practices of the organizations from developed and transition economies. The paper also provides new insights related to factors affecting SOA adoption in e-banking.
Effect Of Mulching And Tillage On Yield And Keeping Quality Of Garlic (Allium sativum L.)

An experiment was carried out at the Horticulture Farm, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh during rabi season of 2006-2007 to study the effects of different thickness of water hyacinth mulch and tillage on the storage life of garlic. The experiment was consisted of five depths of water hyacinth mulch (0, 6, 8, 10, and 12 cm) and two methods of tillage (conventional and zero). It was laid out in the split plot design with three replications. The study revealed that the bulbs from the zero tillage showed the highest storage quality resulting in the lowest weight loss (8.45%), insect infested bulbs (6.67%) as well as rotten bulbs (2.44%) after 150 days of storage. In contrast, bulbs grown under conventional tillage with no mulch and 6 cm thick mulch had the lower storage quality compared to those of other treatment combinations. The result showed that garlic production under zero tillage with 12 cm mulch could be used for better storability. Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 38(1): 115-125, March 2013 DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.3329/bjar.v38i1. 15196
Expression and Developmental Regulation of the N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor Subunits in the Kidney and Cardiovascular System

Antagonists to the NMDA receptor bind to various extraneuronal tissues. We therefore assessed the expression of the main NMDA subunit, NR1, in various tissues. We demonstrate that NR1 appears to be most abundant in the rat kidney and heart. NR1 is present in total rat kidney, cortex and medulla. Of the NR2 subunits, only the NR2C subunit protein is present in the kidney. The abundance of the NR1 subunit protein increases with kidney development. Both NR1 and NR2C are present in OK, MDCK, and LLC-PK1 cells. Immunohistochemistry studies show that the NR1 subunit is present in the renal proximal tubule. NR1 is abundant in the atrium and ventricle but also expressed in the aorta and pulmonary artery. The NR2 subunits are not expressed in the heart. NR1 subunit protein expression is constant throughout heart development. Finally, the NR1 subunit protein is expressed in heart cells (H9c2) grown in culture. These studies reveal the presence of the NMDA receptor in the kidney and the cardiovascular system.
Mutations in reovirus outer-capsid protein sigma3 selected during persistent infections of L cells confer resistance to protease inhibitor E64

Mutations selected in reoviruses isolated from persistently infected cultures (PI viruses) affect viral entry into cells. Unlike wild-type (wt) viruses, PI viruses can grow in the presence of ammonium chloride, a weak base that blocks acid-dependent proteolysis of viral outer-capsid proteins in cellular endosomes during viral entry. In this study, we show that E64, an inhibitor of cysteine proteases such as those present in the endocytic compartment, blocks growth of wt reovirus by inhibiting viral disassembly. To determine whether PI viruses can grow in the presence of an inhibitor of endocytic proteases, we compared yields of wt and PI viruses in cells treated with E64. Prototype PI viruses L/C, PI 2A1, and PI 3-1 produced substantially greater yields than wt viruses type 1 Lang (T1L) and type 3 Dearing (T3D) in E64-treated cells. To identify viral genes that segregate with growth of PI viruses in the presence of E64, we tested reassortant viruses isolated from independent crosses of T1L and each of the prototype PI viruses for growth in cells treated with E64. Growth of reassortant viruses in the presence of E64 segregated exclusively with the S4 gene, which encodes viral outer-capsid protein sigma3. These results suggest that mutations in sigma3 protein selected during persistent infection alter its susceptibility to cleavage during viral disassembly. To determine the temporal relationship of acid-dependent and protease-dependent steps in reovirus disassembly, cells were infected with wt strain T1L or T3D, and medium containing either ammonium chloride or E64d, a membrane-permeable form of E64, was added at various times after adsorption. Susceptibility to inhibition by both ammonium chloride and E64 was abolished when either inhibitor was added at times greater than 60 min after adsorption. These findings indicate that acid-dependent and protease-dependent disassembly events occur with similar kinetics early in reovirus replication, which suggests that these events take place within the same compartment of the endocytic pathway.
RESOLVING PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH ALCOHOL AND DRUG MISUSE: UNDERSTANDING RELATIONS BETWEEN ADDICTIVE BEHAVIOR CHANGE AND THE USE OF SERVICES

“Natural resolutions” highlight how influences on addictive behavior change may differ from and interact with influences on the use of substance-related services. These distinct literatures are summarized and implicate extra-therapeutic environmental variables in both processes. Whether assisted by interventions or not, stable resolutions are surrounded by environmental contexts characterized by improved circumstances across several years that bracket cessation of substance misuse. Psychosocial problems associated with substance use increase help-seeking, and interventions enhance improvements that typically follow initial resolution. Implications for promoting help-seeking and behavior change and necessary revisions in conventional views about relations between the processes are discussed. [Translations are provided in the International Abstracts section of this issue. ]
Potential Sources of Bacteria that are Isolated from Contact Lenses during Wear

Purpose The aim of this paper was to determine the possible contamination sources of contact lenses during wear. Methods Potential sources of the microbiota that colonized hydrogel contact lenses during wear were examined. The microorganisms that colonize contact lenses were grown, identified, and compared to those microorganisms that colonized the lower lid margins, upper bulbar conjunctiva, hands, and contact lens cases of contact lens wearers. In addition, the incidence of contamination of the domestic water supply in the Sydney area was obtained, and this was compared to the incidence of colonization of contact lenses by microorganisms in general and gram-negative bacteria in particular. Results There was a wide diversity of bacteria that were isolated from each site sampled. Coagulase-negative staphylococci and Propionibacterium spp. were the most common isolates from all ocular sites examined, and constituted the normal ocular microbiota. Other bacteria, including members of the families Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonadaceae, were isolated infrequently from all sites, but most frequently from contact lens cases. Statistical analysis revealed that there was a correlation between the isolation of bacteria from the contact lens and the lower lid margin (p < 0.001). Analysis of this correlation revealed that this was true for the normal microbiota. A correlation was also noted between the colonization of contact lenses by gram-negative bacteria and contamination of the domestic water supply. Discussion This study has demonstrated that the likely route for the normal ocular microbiota colonizing contact lenses is via the lid margins, whereas colonization by gram-negative bacteria, including potential agents of microbial keratitis, is likely to be from the domestic water supply.
The effect of pre-laying mineral nutrition on the development, performance and mineral metabolism of pullets.

Abstract FOURTEEN to sixteen days before the onset of egg production, (Hurwitz, 1964), the pullet undergoes profound changes in its mineral metabolism. This stage coincides with the development of the primary and secondary sex organs and is characterized by increased plasma calcium, increase in calcium retention and formation of medullary bone (Simkiss, 1961). Such an intense mineral metabolism is preceded by a period of about two months of low intensity mineral metabolism during which the calcium and phosphorus requirements are extremely low (Berg et al., 1964). During the pre-laying period the calcium and phosphate retention reach 800 and 400–500 mg. /day, respectively (Taylor and Moore, 1958). It thus must follow that the mineral requirements during the pre-laying period are increased. It has been shown that during the early production period, the young hen is in a negative calcium balance (Morgan and Mitchell, 1938) which cannot be alleviated by high dietary calcium…
Olympe de Gouges, La Musa barbara. Scritti politici (1788-1793)

«Morior, ergo sum». E questo l’ossimorico sillogismo che sembra suggerire Olympe de Gouges, che nella sua epoca tormentata e rivoluzionaria trova materia per tornare a riflettere sulle sorti delle donne le quali, se hanno «il diritto di salire sul patibolo», devono «avere altresi quello di salire sulla tribuna» (p. 73). Olympe e nota infatti soprattutto per aver sottolineato questo paradosso nella Declaration des droits de la femme et de la citoyenne, del 1791, ma la sua produzione e molto pi.
Crosstalk and the evolution of specificity in two-component signaling

Significance The global architectures of signaling networks in bacteria and eukaryotes are remarkably different: crosstalk between pathways is very common in eukaryotes but is very limited in bacteria. Bacteria use two-component signaling (TCS) to transduce information, relying on a single enzyme to act as both kinase and phosphatase for targets. We used mathematical models to show that introducing crosstalk in TCS always decreases system performance. This indicates that the large-scale differences between eukaryotic and bacterial networks likely derive from differences in the dynamics of the fundamental motifs from which the networks themselves are constructed. We further demonstrated that the pressure to avoid crosstalk has influenced the evolution of new TCS pairs, driving rapid sequence divergence in protein interaction interfaces immediately postduplication. Two-component signaling (TCS) serves as the dominant signaling modality in bacteria. A typical pathway includes a sensor histidine kinase (HK) that phosphorylates a response regulator (RR), modulating its activity in response to an incoming signal. Most HKs are bifunctional, acting as both kinase and phosphatase for their substrates. Unlike eukaryotic signaling networks, there is very little crosstalk between bacterial TCS pathways; indeed, adding crosstalk to a pathway can have disastrous consequences for cell fitness. It is currently unclear exactly what feature of TCS necessitates this degree of pathway isolation. In this work we used mathematical models to show that, in the case of bifunctional HKs, adding a competing substrate to a TCS pathway will always reduce response of that pathway to incoming signals. We found that the pressure to maintain cognate signaling is sufficient to explain the experimentally observed “kinetic preference” of HKs for their cognate RRs. These findings imply a barrier to the evolution of new HK–RR pairs, because crosstalk is unavoidable immediately after the duplication of an existing pathway. We characterized a set of “near-neutral” evolutionary trajectories that minimize the impact of crosstalk on the function of the parental pathway. These trajectories predicted that crosstalk interactions should be removed before new input/output functionalities evolve. Analysis of HK sequences in bacterial genomes provided evidence that the selective pressures on the HK–RR interface are different from those experienced by the input domain immediately after duplication. This work thus provides a unifying explanation for the evolution of specificity in TCS networks.
Effects of Cyclic Mechanical Stretching on the mRNA Expression of Tendon/Ligament-Related and Osteoblast-Specific Genes in Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells

The purpose of this study was to explore the influences of cyclic mechanical stretching on the mRNA expressions of tendon/ligament-related and osteoblast-specific marker genes in human MSCs seeded onto a collagen type I-coated surface. The stretch-induced mRNA expressions of mesenchymal stem cell protein (MSCP), matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3), and marker genes related to tendon/ligament cells (type I collagen, type III collagen, and tenascin-C) and those typical of osteoblasts (core binding factor alpha 1 (Cbfa1), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and osteocalcin (OCN)) were analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR. The results revealed significant downregulation of MSCP and upregulation of MMP-3 genes in MSCs subjected to mechanical loading, regardless of the magnitude of the stretching (high or low). Moreover, the typical marker genes of the osteoblast lineage were upregulated by low-magnitude stretching, whereas tendon/ligament-related genes were upregulated by high-magnitude stretching for a long period. Cbfa1 and ALP were upregulated starting as early at 8 hr, followed by a downward trend and no significant change in expression at the other time points. The mRNA expressions of type I collagen, type III collagen, and tenascin-C significantly increased in MSCs subjected to 10% stretching for 48 hr, and this effect still existed after the stretched cells had rested for 48 hr. This study demonstrated the effect of cyclic mechanical stretching on differential transcription of marker genes related to different cell lineages. Low-magnitude stretching increased mRNA expressions of Cbfa1 and ALP and was possibly involved in the early osteoblastic differentiation of MSCs, whereas high-magnitude stretching upregulated the mRNA expressions of tendon/ligament-related genes.
Analysis of mutations in the thymidine kinase genes of drug-resistant varicella-zoster virus populations using the polymerase chain reaction.

We have applied the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique to analyse mutations in the thymidine kinase (TK) gene of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) associated with resistance to the 5-bromovinyl (BVaraU) and 5-propynyl (PYaraU) analogues of arabinofuranosyl deoxyuridine. The results from this study allow three clear conclusions to be drawn. Firstly, the technique clearly shows that populations of VZV derived from plaque purification were truly clonal only when the plaques were initiated from cell-free virus (representing a tiny fraction of infectious virus) and plaques initiated by infected cells contained a mixture of variants. Secondly, despite the background mutations caused by errors of the Taq DNA polymerase, mutations relevant to drug resistance can easily be distinguished. The BVaraU-resistant mutant, 7-1, contained an aspartic acid to asparagine mutation at residue 18 and a single base deletion (position 65298 of the VZV DNA sequence), resulting in a frameshift and premature termination of the polypeptide chain, was found in the BVaraU-resistant mutant YSR. PYaraU-resistant virus populations contained viruses with one or more of three independent mutations, i.e. single base substitutions resulting in mutations from leucine to proline at residue 92, histidine to arginine at residue 97 and a deletion of 20bp (residues 65,135 to 65,154). Finally, the technique has uncovered novel sites in the virus TK associated with drug resistance. We conclude that in vitro amplification using the PCR combined with cloning and sequencing is a relatively rapid method for identifying mutations in small virus populations even when they are not homogeneous.
Combined use of magnetic resonance imaging, CA 125 assay, histologic type, and histologic grade in the prediction of lymph node metastasis in endometrial carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to predict retroperitoneal lymph node metastasis during the preoperative examination of patients with endometrial carcinoma and to determine whether lymphadenectomy must be performed. STUDY DESIGN This study was carried out on 214 patients with endometrial carcinoma. Preoperative evaluators were volume index, depth of myometrial invasion (as assessed by magnetic resonance imaging), serum CA 125 level, histologic type, and histologic grade. With the use of receiver operating characteristic curves, cutoff values of volume index and serum CA 125 levels were determined. The relationships of these evaluators with pelvic lymph node metastasis were investigated by multivariate analysis with a logistic regression model. The relationships of these evaluators with para-aortic lymph node metastasis were investigated in the same way. RESULTS Histologic type, volume index, histologic grade, and serum CA 125 level were found to be independent risk factors for pelvic lymph node metastasis; serum CA 125 level and volume index were found to be independent risk factors for para-aortic lymph node metastasis. Among 110 cases with no risk factors for pelvic lymph node metastasis, pelvic lymph node metastasis was observed in 4 cases (3.6%). On the other hand, only 1 case of 128 cases (0.7%) with no risk factors for para-aortic lymph node metastasis actually had metastasis. CONCLUSION Careful consideration of the possibility of the elimination of the requirement of retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy is needed in cases with no risk factors for lymph node metastasis. However, our results suggest that para-aortic lymphadenectomy may not be necessary in cases with no risk factors for para-aortic lymph node metastasis.
Whole-Exome Sequencing Reveals GPIHBP1 Mutations in Infantile Colitis With Severe Hypertriglyceridemia

ABSTRACT Severe congenital hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) is a rare disorder caused by mutations in genes affecting lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity. Here we report a 5-week-old Hispanic girl with severe HTG (12,031 mg/dL, normal limit 150 mg/dL) who presented with the unusual combination of lower gastrointestinal bleeding and milky plasma. Initial colonoscopy was consistent with colitis, which resolved with reduction of triglycerides. After negative sequencing of the LPL gene, whole-exome sequencing revealed novel compound heterozygous mutations in GPIHBP1. Our study broadens the phenotype of GPIHBP1-associated HTG, reinforces the effectiveness of whole-exome sequencing in Mendelian diagnoses, and implicates triglycerides in gastrointestinal mucosal injury.