Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Streptococcus mutans vicX Gene Product Modulates gtfB/C Expression, Biofilm Formation, Genetic Competence, and Oxidative Stress Tolerance

ABSTRACT Streptococcus mutans is considered one of the primary etiologic agents of dental caries. Previously, we characterized the VicRK two-component signal transduction system, which regulates multiple virulence factors of S. mutans. In this study, we focused on the vicX gene of the vicRKX tricistronic operon. To characterize vicX, we constructed a nonpolar deletion mutation in the vicX coding region in S. mutans UA159. The growth kinetics of the mutant (designated SmuvicX) showed that the doubling time was longer and that there was considerable sensitivity to paraquat-induced oxidative stress. Supplementing a culture of the wild-type UA159 strain with paraquat significantly increased the expression of vicX (P < 0.05, as determined by analysis of variance [ANOVA]), confirming the role of this gene in oxidative stress tolerance in S. mutans. Examination of mutant biofilms revealed architecturally altered cell clusters that were seemingly denser than the wild-type cell clusters. Interestingly, vicX-deficient cells grown in a glucose-supplemented medium exhibited significantly increased glucosyltransferase B/C (gtfB/C) expression compared with the expression in the wild type (P < 0.05, as determined by ANOVA). Moreover, a sucrose-dependent adhesion assay performed using an S. mutans GS5-derived vicX null mutant demonstrated that the adhesiveness of this mutant was enhanced compared with that of the parent strain and isogenic mutants of the parent strain lacking gtfB and/or gtfC. Also, disruption of vicX reduced the genetic transformability of the mutant approximately 10-fold compared with that of the parent strain (P < 0.05, as determined by ANOVA). Collectively, these findings provide insight into important phenotypes controlled by the vicX gene product that can impact S. mutans pathogenicity.
[Anti-hepatoma effect of arsenic trioxide on rat liver cancers induced by 2-acetamidofluorene].

近年来,砷剂(主要成分三氧化二砷,As2O3)治疗白血病取得明显疗效,并已证实砷剂可通过诱导肿瘤细胞凋亡达到治疗的目的[1,2]. 有报道砷剂可诱导人肝癌细胞株凋亡,抑制肝癌细胞增殖[3]. 为进一步研究其抗肿瘤效应及其机制,以期为临床上使用As2O3治疗肝细胞肝癌的可行性提供理论依据,我们的研究设计用As2O3治疗实验性肝癌大鼠,研究As2O3及复方苦参对体内肝癌的治疗作用及其作用机制。
Cryptosporidium, Giardia, and Cyclospora in Ancient Peruvians

Twenty-two coprolites of human origin, collected from excavations along the north-central coast of Peru, were examined using fluorescent microscopy for the presence of fecal parasites, with emphasis on Cryptosporidium sp. , Giardia sp. , and Cyclospora sp. Three samples were positive. One coprolite dated between ca. 2,375 and 1,525 BC contained Giardia sp. cysts. This coprolite corresponded to the Peruvian preceramic period. Another positive coprolite ca. AD 770–830 corresponded to Epoch 3 of the Middle Horizon and contained Cryptosporidium sp. oocysts. The third positive coprolite (corresponding to the Middle Horizon, ca. AD 500–900) contained Giardia sp. cysts. This report demonstrates that Giardia sp. and Cryptosporidium sp. were present in Peruvian coastal populations for at least 4,300 and 1,100 BP.
Distribution of Vibrio cholerae virulence genes among different Vibrio species isolated in Sardinia, Italy

The members of the genus Vibrio include harmless aquatic strains as well as strains capable of causing epidemics of cholera. Diarrhoea caused by Vibrio cholerae is attributed to cholerae enterotoxin (CT) codified by the ctx operon and regulated by a number of virulence genes such as toxT, toxR and toxS. Fifty‐two Vibrio strains were isolated from different aquatic environments in and around Sardinia and searched by PCR for the presence of ctxA, zot, ace, toxR, toxS, toxT, tcpA and vpi virulence genes in the genomes of the isolates. The toxR operon was found in 27 Vibrio alginolyticus strains out of 42 analysed, in three out of four V. cholerae non‐O1 strains and in three Vibrio parahaemolyticus isolates. A positive amplification for the virulence pathogenic island (vpi) was produced by five V. alginolyticus strains. Finally, the ace expected amplification fragment was found in two V. alginolyticus isolates whereas the amplification with zot primers produced the expected fragment in one V. alginolyticus isolate. Differentiation of these strains with a PCR fingerprinting technique revealed no association between the presence of virulence genes and a particular fingerprinting pattern. Although most Vibrio species are considered non‐pathogenic or only potentially harmful to humans, the finding of V. cholerae virulence genes in other members of the genus Vibrio, and the recent reports of the creation and evolution of pandemic strains of V. cholerae, may give a new perspective to the significance of these results.
Distance Makes the (Committed) Heart Grow Colder: MNEs’ Responses to the State Logic in African Variants of CSR

The question of how multinational enterprises (MNEs) respond to local corporate social responsibility (CSR) expectations remains salient, also in the context of many African governments’ attempts to define and regulate business responsibilities. What determines whether MNEs respond to such local, state-driven expectations as congruent with their global commitment to CSR? Adopting an institutional logics perspective, we argue that a higher global CSR commitment will lead to higher local responsiveness when regulatory distance is low, but it will lead to lower local responsiveness when regulatory distance is high. We find support for our hypothesis using data on 93 MNEs’ responses to the South African state’s Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment policy. We thus contribute to the global–local CSR literature and show how MNEs’ local CSR responsiveness will be shaped by not only the local context but also their home country and firm-internal environments.
The respiratory microbiome of HIV-infected individuals

ABSTRACT Introduction: The respiratory tract is constantly exposed to various environmental and endogenous microbes; however, unlike other similar mucosal surfaces, there has been limited investigation of the microbiome of the respiratory tract. Areas covered: In this review, we summarize the current state of knowledge of the bacterial, fungal, and viral respiratory microbiomes during HIV infection and how the microbiome might relate to HIV-associated lung disease. Expert commentary: HIV infection is associated with alterations in the respiratory microbiome. The clinical implications of lung microbial dysbiosis are however currently unknown. Mechanistic studies are needed to establish causality between shifts in the respiratory microbiome and pulmonary complications in HIV-infected individuals.
Selection bias in HMOs and PPOs: a review of the evidence.

Early studies of selection bias found that group and staff model health maintenance organizations (HMOs) enjoyed favorable selection (i.e., attracted healthier enrollees) among the nonelderly population. This review concludes that all health plans which restrict an enrollee's choice of provider--that is, group, staff, and individual practice association (IPA) HMOs and exclusive provider organizations (EPOs)--enjoy favorable selection among both the nonelderly and elderly populations. This suggests that the most important reason HMOs and EPOs experience favorable selection is that individuals who consume large amounts of health resources often are unwilling to sever ties with their health care providers.
Poor iodine status and knowledge related to iodine on the eve of mandatory iodine fortification in Australia.

BACKGROUND Mandatory fortification of bread with iodised salt is proposed to address the re-emergence of iodine deficiency in Australia and New Zealand. The impacts of fortification require baseline data of iodine status among vulnerable sectors of the population. OBJECTIVE To assess the iodine status of healthy women and to investigate consumer understanding and attitudes related to the proposed mandatory iodine fortification programme. DESIGN Cross-sectional sample of 78 non-pregnant women aged 20-55 y was conveniently sampled in Wollongong, NSW. A single 24-hr urine sample was collected for urinary iodine concentration (UIC). A self-administered questionnaire assessed consumer understanding, perceptions and attitudes related to iodine fortification. OUTCOMES Median UIC = 56 microg/L (IQR = 41-68), indicating mild iodine deficiency. Knowledge about iodine was poor with less than half associating low iodine status with adverse pregnancy outcomes. Health education and supplementation, particularly at the medical practitioner interface, was considered the best strategy for improving low iodine levels. CONCLUSIONS The iodine status of women in one region of New South Wales was low. These data add support to the need for a national approach to address iodine intake which includes an accompanying consumer education campaign.
Heat tolerances of Australian monotremes and marsupials.

Heat tolerances of monotremes and marsupials have been compared by exposing the animals in a hot room, on different days for 7-hr periods, to various combinations of dry-bulb temperature ranging from 8'6° to 108·5°F with absolute humidity from 15 to 40 mm v.p.
Characterization of an intronic enhancer that regulates myelin proteolipid protein (Plp) gene expression in oligodendrocytes

The myelin proteolipid protein (Plp) gene is expressed in oligodendrocytes and encodes the most abundant protein (∼50%) present in mature myelin from the central nervous system (CNS). Plp gene activity is low to nonexistent early in development but sharply increases, concurrently with the active myelination period of CNS development. Work from our laboratory suggests that the temporal regulation of Plp gene expression in mice is mediated by a positive regulatory element located within Plp intron 1 DNA. We have termed this regulatory element/region ASE (for antisilencer/enhancer). The ASE is situated approximately 1 kb downstream of exon 1 DNA and encompasses nearly 100 bp. To understand the mechanisms by which the ASE augments Plp gene expression in oligodendrocytes, Plp‐lacZ constructs were generated and transfected into a mouse oligodendroglial cell line (N20.1). Results presented here demonstrate that upstream regulatory elements in the Plp promoter/5′‐flanking DNA are not required for ASE activity; the ASE worked perfectly well when the thymidine kinase (TK) promoter was substituted for the Plp promoter. However, the relative location of the ASE appears to be important. When placed upstream of 2.4 kb of Plp 5′‐flanking DNA, or downstream of the lacZ expression cassette, the ASE was no longer effective. Thus, the ASE might have to be in the context of the intron in order to function. To begin to identify the crucial nucleotides within the ASE, orthologous sequences from rat, human, cow, and pig Plp genes were swapped for the mouse sequence. Results presented here demonstrate that the orthologous sequence from rat can substitute for the mouse ASE, unlike those from human, cow, or pig. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Ecological Momentary Assessment and Alcohol Use Disorder Treatment

The ability to capture real-time data on human behavior inexpensively, efficiently, and accurately holds promise to transform and broaden our understanding of many areas of health science. One approach to acquiring this type of real-time data is ecological momentary assessment (EMA). This method has been used to collect data in many domains of addiction research, including research on the treatment of alcohol use disorders (AUDs). Empirical evidence supports the hypothesis that use of EMA can improve the quality of AUD treatment research when compared with standard assessment methods because it provides more accurate reporting, allows investigators to examine the dynamic unfolding of the behavior change process at an individual level, and can be used to augment and improve clinical assessment and treatment. Overall, the existing literature provides strong support for the advantages of EMA when combined with standard assessment of addictive behaviors in general. Nevertheless, use of EMA in AUD treatment research thus far has been limited, especially in the area of research on mechanisms of behavior change. Existing research indicates, however, that EMA can be used to deliver tailored feedback as a novel and potentially transformative approach to improving AUD treatment. This research area clearly warrants additional future efforts.
Endogenous Rare Disaster Risk : Solution for Counter-Cyclical Excess Return and Volatility ?

This study proposes a model to endogenously generate counter-cyclical dividend and return volatilities, dividend/price ratios and expected excess returns from business cycle fluctuations in rare disaster framework, with constant stochastic discount factor parameters and rational agents exhibiting standard power utility. Contrary to orthodoxy, I assume monopolistic competition and increasing returns to scale. These two assumptions cause the riskiness of dividend stream to fluctuate over business cycle: when demand for goods is lower the firms operate on a more steeper part of their average cost curve, and therefore the dividends are more sensitive to conventional and rare disaster shocks. Consequently, this generates counter-cyclicality, and decreases the hurdle for any stochastic discount factor to generate historically observed risk premium. I estimate the fit of aggregate average cost curve from corporate profits using structural regression, employing it to generate the salient features of stock returns. Correspondence Ville K. Savolainen Doctoral Candidate, Hanken School of Economics (Helsinki, Finland) Visiting Fellow, Harvard University (Cambridge, MA) email: vsavolainen@g.harvard. edu +1-617-407-5908; +358 45 136 5687
Savings Cooperatives and Integration = More Efficient Payment Services?

After a short introduction of the history of savings cooperatives, the article focuses on the sector’s role in payments in general. Its drawbacks from a payments point of view are examined, which are mostly be associated with the decentralised operation of the sector and the high level of manual procedures. The authors elaborate what possible effects the new integration might have on domestic payments, specifically focusing on those areas where there is still room for further improvement. Finally, they conclude that the ultimate solution for the lawful operation of an integrated model with multiple participants would be a unified accounting system. The conclusion is that creating a savings cooperatives integration will offer the opportunity to provide competitive financial services based on modern, unified procedures.
Automated Assessment of Dynamic Knee Valgus and Risk of Knee Injury During the Single Leg Squat

Many clinical assessment protocols of the lower limb rely on the evaluation of functional movement tests such as the single leg squat (SLS), which are often assessed visually. Visual assessment is subjective and depends on the experience of the clinician. In this paper, an inertial measurement unit (IMU)-based method for automated assessment of squat quality is proposed to provide clinicians with a quantitative measure of SLS performance. A set of three IMUs was used to estimate the joint angles, velocities, and accelerations of the squatting leg. Statistical time domain features were generated from these measurements. The most informative features were used for classifier training. A data set of SLS performed by healthy participants was collected and labeled by three expert clinical raters using two different labeling criteria: “observed amount of knee valgus” and “overall risk of injury”. The results showed that both flexion at the hip and knee, as well as hip and ankle internal rotation are discriminative features, and that participants with “poor” squats bend the hip and knee less than those with better squat performance. Furthermore, improved classification performance is achieved for females by training separate classifiers stratified by gender. Classification results showed excellent accuracy, 95.7 % for classifying squat quality as “poor” or “good” and 94.6% for differentiating between high and no risk of injury.
Enrollment Management: Structure and Decision Participation

iv DEDICATION v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS vi LIST OF TABLES xi LIST OF FIGURES xii CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION 1 Enrollment Management: A Shift in Perspective 1 Historical Context of the Enrollment Management Revolution 2 Statement of the Problem 4 Purpose of the Study 8 Research Questions 9 Significance of the Study 10 CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW 12 Enrollment Management Functions 13 Enrollment Management Structures 16 Enrollment Management Practitioners 19 Enrollment Management Teams 22 CHAPTER III: METHODS 31 Research Design 32 Population and Sample 34 Data Collection 37 Variables 40 Data Analysis 43 Limitations of the Study 49 CHAPTER IV: RESULTS 51 Descriptive Statistics 51 Findings for Research Question 1 53 Findings for Research Question 2 55 Summary Statement on Findings 69 CHAPTER V: CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS 70
Two Retroviral Entry Pathways Distinguished by Lipid Raft Association of the Viral Receptor and Differences in Viral Infectivity

ABSTRACT The receptor “priming” model for entry of the retrovirus avian sarcoma and leukosis virus (ASLV) predicts that upon binding cell surface receptors, virions are endocytosed and trafficked to acidic endosomes where fusion occurs. To test this model directly, we have now followed subgroup A ASLV (ASLV-A) virions entering cells via either the transmembrane (TVA950) or glycophosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored (TVA800) forms of the cellular receptor. Our results suggest that viruses entering via these two forms of receptor are subjected to different intracellular fates, perhaps due to use of different endocytic trafficking pathways to access acidic fusion compartments. Kinetic analyses demonstrated that virus bound to TVA800 was taken up from the cell surface more slowly but then trafficked to the site of fusion more quickly than that entering via TVA950. Furthermore, transiently arresting virions within putative fusion compartments with NH4Cl led to a substantially greater decrease in the infectivity of virions using TVA950 than with those using TVA800. The increased infectivity of virions using TVA800 correlated with the localization of this receptor to lipid rafts, since this effect was abolished by pharmacological disruption of lipid rafts. Together these results suggest that, in the presence of NH4Cl, virus bound to the GPI-anchored receptor may utilize a lipid raft-dependent pathway to accumulate within a fusion compartment where it is more stable than if it enters via the transmembrane receptor. The TVA800/ASLV-A system should prove useful for the molecular analysis of lipid raft-dependent endocytosis and may provide a tool for the biochemical dissection of the poorly understood uncoating step of retroviral replication.
Travail professionnel, tâches domestiques, temps « libre » : quelques déterminants sociaux de la vie quotidienne

[fre] La maniere d’occuper ses journees depend d’abord du fait d’avoir ou non une activite professionnelle et secondairement, surtout pour les femmes, de vivre en couple et d’avoir des enfants. Les femmes accomplissent les deux tiers des tâches domestiques. La division genree du travail domestique tend a se reproduire, les filles s’impliquant plus largement que les garcons dans les tâches menageres. Les hommes a leur compte travaillent plus que les salaries et s’accordent moins de temps libre. Les cadres accumulent egalement beaucoup d’heures de travail, mais ils beneficient d’horaires moins contraignants que les ouvriers et les employes. Par le recours a des services marchands, ils se liberent des tâches menageres les plus ingrates. Les ouvriers et les employes ont des distractions peu couteuses comme la television, qui leur apporte peu de satisfaction, les jeux video, les promenades, les visites rendues a l’entourage. Quand arrivent les periodes de chomage ou le temps de la retraite, ils s’investissent dans des activites de semi‑loisir telles que le jardinage et le bricolage. Si les «jeunes » constituent un groupe heterogene, ils ont en commun un faible investissement dans les tâches domestiques, un interet pour les cultures numeriques et les distractions a l’exterieur du foyer. Quant aux personnes âgees, elles privilegient les activites domestiques, le petit ecran, la lecture et les promenades. Avec l’avancee en âge, elles passent progressivement du statut d’aidant a celui d’aide ; le poids des tâches menageres diminue, tandis que le temps alloue au repos augmente et les echanges avec l’exterieur . se rarefient.
Comparison of cefoxitin disk diffusion test and mecA gene PCR results for methicillin resistance detection in Staphylococcus intermedius group isolates from canine origin in Brazil

The study evaluated cefoxitin disk diffusion tests breakpoints and their correlation to mecA gene PCR results for detecting Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus intermedius Group (MRSP) isolates from dogs in Brazil. Agreement using proposed breakpoint (resistant ≤ 30 mm) was encouraging. The current study reinforces that an epidemiological breakpoint can be established to predict presence of MRSP.
Recommender Systems for university elective course recommendation

Recommender Systems are an ongoing research that is applied in various domains. Course recommendation is considered a challenged domain that has not been explored thoroughly. It benefits undergraduate students who need suggestion and also enhances course selection processes during the pre-registration period. This paper introduces a recommendation system for university elective courses, which recommends the courses based on the similarity between the course templates of students. This paper utilizes two popular algorithms: collaborative based recommendation using Pearson Correlation Coefficient and Alternating Least Square (ALS), and compares their performance on a dataset of academic records of university students. The experimental results show that applying ALS in this domain is superior to collaborative based with 86 percent of accuracy.
Missense mutations in the PML/RARalpha ligand binding domain in ATRA-resistant As(2)O(3) sensitive relapsed acute promyelocytic leukemia.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Acute promyelocytic leukemia is characterized by the chromosomal translocation t(15;17) which yields the fusion product PML/RARa. All-trans retinoic acid probably induces differentiation of atypical promyelocytes and clinical remission in APL patients by binding to the ligand binding domain (LBD) of the RARa portion of the PML-RARa chimeric protein. Structural alterations of the LBD of the PML/RARa have been revealed in ATRA-resistant APL cell lines and in a few APL patients with acquired clinical resistance to ATRA therapy. Two APL relapsed patients with clinical resistance to ATRA therapy were evaluated for the presence of nucleotide mutations in the LBD of PML/RARa gene and then treated with arsenic trioxide (As2O3). DESIGN AND METHODS DNA fragments from the LBD of the PML/RARa chimeric transcript were obtained by reverse-transcribed polymerase chain reaction. Direct sequencing was performed by an unambiguous bi-directional automatic analysis. Samples representative of APL onset and relapse were analyzed from both patients. RESULTS In both patients, at the ATRA-resistant relapse, a missense point mutation in the LBD of the PML/RARa gene was found. The mutations, absent at APL onset, led to an Arg272Gln and to an Arg276Trp amino acid substitution, according to the sequence of the RARa protein. Both patients had complete clinical and hematologic remission after treatment with As2O3. INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSIONS LBD missense mutations appear to be a significant mechanism of acquired ATRA-resistance in vivo, closely related to clinical APL relapse. The two cases reported here provide the first in vivo evidence of APL relapsed patients, who have become ATRA-resistant for molecular reasons, being sensitive to arsenic trioxide.