Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cloning of the recA gene from a free-living leptospire and distribution of RecA-like protein among spirochetes

A recombinant plasmid carrying the recA gene of Leptospira biflexa serovar patoc was isolated from a cosmid library of genomic DNA by complementation of an Escherichia coli recA mutation. The cloned serovar patoc recA gene efficiently restored resistance to UV radiation and methyl methanesulfonate. Recombination proficiency was also restored, as measured by the formation of Lac+ recombinants from duplicated mutant lacZ genes. Additionally, the cloned recA gene increased the spontaneous and mitomycin C-induced production of lambda phage in lysogens of an E. coli recA mutant. The product of the cloned recA gene was identified in maxicells as a polypeptide with an Mr of 43,000. Antibodies prepared against the E. coli RecA protein cross-reacted with the serovar patoc RecA protein, indicating structural conservation. Southern hybridization data showed that the serovar patoc recA gene has diverged from the recA gene of L. interrogans, Leptonema illini, and E. coli. With the exception of the RecA protein of L. interrogans serovar hardjo, the RecA protein of the Leptospira serovars and L. illini were synthesized at elevated levels following treatment of cells with nalidixic acid. The level of detectable RecA correlated with previous studies demonstrating that free-living cells of L. biflexa serovars and L. illini were considerably more resistant to DNA-damaging agents than were those of parasitic L. interrogans serovars. RecA protein was not detected in cells of virulent Treponema pallidum or Borrelia burgdorferi.
Clinical characteristics and survival in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and connective tissue disease-associated usual interstitial pneumonia.

BACKGROUND Previous studies have reported conflicting survival rates for connective tissue disease (CTD)-associated usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF/UIP). This study investigated the differences in the clinical characteristics and prognoses of patients diagnosed with CTD-UIP and IPF/UIP. METHODS A retrospective review of patients with IPF (n=88) and CTD-UIP (n=67) from January 2008 to June 2013 was completed. We compared the demographics and clinical characteristics between the two groups. Survival rates were compared using a log-rank and Cox proportional hazard regression analysis. RESULTS Undifferentiated-CTD (UCTD) accounted for 33% of the established CTD-UIP cases. No significant differences were identified in the demographic characteristics or physiological parameters between the UCTD and CTD patients (all P>0.05). However, the CTD-UIP patients were more likely to be young, female, and nonsmokers compared with the IPF/UIP group (all P<0.01). There was no difference in survival between the IPF/UIP and CTD-UIP patients [hazard ratio (HR), 1.74; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.86-3.50; P=0.113]. However, the removal of the UCTD patients from the CTD group revealed that IPF/UIP was associated with a 2.47-fold increased risk of mortality compared with CTD-UIP (HR, 2.47; 95% CI, 1.01-6.09; P=0.049). CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that the survival of CTD-UIP patients was similar compared with that of IPF/UIP patients. However, it appears that UCTD influences the survival rate of CTD-UIP patients.
Disruption of CFTR chloride channel alters mechanical properties and cAMP‐dependent Cl− transport of mouse aortic smooth muscle cells

Chloride (Cl−) channels expressed in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) are important to control membrane potential equilibrium, intracellular pH, cell volume maintenance, contraction, relaxation and proliferation. The present study was designed to compare the expression, regulation and function of CFTR Cl− channels in aortic VSMC from Cftr+/+ and Cftr−/− mice. Using an iodide efflux assay we demonstrated stimulation of CFTR by VIP, isoproterenol, cAMP agonists and other pharmacological activators in cultured VSMC from Cftr+/+. On the contrary, in cultured VSMC from Cftr−/− mice these agonists have no effect, showing that CFTR is the dominant Cl− channel involved in the response to cAMP mediators. Angiotensin II and the calcium ionophore A23187 stimulated Ca2+‐dependent Cl− channels in VSMCs from both genotypes. CFTR was activated in myocytes maintained in medium containing either high potassium or 5‐hydroxytryptamine (5‐HT) and was inhibited by CFTRinh‐172, glibenclamide and diphenylamine‐2,2′‐dicarboxylic acid (DPC). We also examined the mechanical properties of aortas. Arteries with or without endothelium from Cftr−/− mice became significantly more constricted (∼2‐fold) than that of Cftr+/+ mice in response to vasoactive agents. Moreover, in precontracted arteries of Cftr+/+ mice, VIP and CFTR activators induced vasorelaxation that was altered in Cftr−/− mice. Our findings suggest a novel mechanism for regulation of the vascular tone by cAMP‐dependent CFTR chloride channels in VSMC. To our knowledge this study is the first to report the phenotypic consequences of the loss of a Cl− channel on vascular reactivity.
Immorality East and West

What makes some acts immoral? Although Western theories of morality often define harmful behaviors as centrally immoral, whether this is applicable to other cultures is still under debate. In particular, Confucianism emphasizes civility as fundamental to moral excellence. We describe three studies examining how the word immoral is used by Chinese and Westerners. Layperson-generated examples were used to examine cultural differences in which behaviors are called “immoral” (Study 1, n = 609; Study 2, n = 480), and whether “immoral” behaviors were best characterized as particularly harmful versus uncivilized (Study 3, N = 443). Results suggest that Chinese were more likely to use the word immoral for behaviors that were uncivilized, rather than exceptionally harmful, whereas Westerners were more likely to link immorality tightly to harm. More research into lay concepts of morality is needed to inform theories of moral cognition and improve understanding of human conceptualizations of social norms.
Visual Recovery and Endothelial Cell Survival After Descemet Stripping Automated Endothelial Keratoplasty for Failed Penetrating Keratoplasty Grafts—A Cohort Study

Purpose: To assess visual recovery and donor cell survival after Descemet stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK) for the repair of failed penetrating keratoplasty (PK) grafts. Methods: Best spectacle-corrected Snellen visual acuity results after DSAEK were compared with best-ever documented visual acuity (BDVA) results obtained with the previous PK graft in a prospective cohort study. Donor cell survival after DSAEK for PK repair was compared with cell survival after DSAEK for Fuchs endothelial dystrophy and pseudophakic bullous keratopathy. Differences in the logMAR best spectacle-corrected Snellen visual acuity and endothelial cell loss rates were calculated. Results: Twenty-eight eyes with DSAEK for PK repair were identified, 21 of which lacked vision-limiting comorbidities. The mean follow-up was 18.4 ± 10.6 months. At 3 months postoperatively, 10/21 eyes (48%) regained their BDVA. By 24 months, only 14% remained with 0.2 logMAR below their BDVA. Endothelial cell counts decreased significantly faster in patients with DSAEK for failed PK (P = 0.024) or pseudophakic bullous keratopathy (P = 0.018) than in patients with DSAEK for Fuchs endothelial dystrophy. Conclusions: DSAEK for the restoration of failed PK grafts promotes rapid visual recovery within the visual limits of the previous PK graft. Increased endothelial cell loss is noted relative to other DSAEK indications, which may result in earlier endothelial graft failure in renovated PK.
Cardiovascular risk factor management is poorer in diabetic patients with undiagnosed peripheral arterial disease than in those with known coronary heart disease or cerebrovascular disease. Results of a nationwide study in tertiary diabetes centres

Aims To assess whether patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus and unrecognized peripheral arterial disease (PAD), detected by the ankle–brachial index (ABI), have poorer cardiovascular risk factor management (CVRFs) and receive fewer medications than patients previously diagnosed with coronary heart disease (CHD) or cerebrovascular disease (CVD).
Expression and mutation analyses implicate ARHGAP29 as the etiologic gene for the cleft lip with or without cleft palate locus identified by genome-wide association on chromosome 1p22.

BACKGROUND Nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate (NSCL/P) is a common birth defect with complex etiology reflecting the action of multiple genetic and environmental factors. Genome-wide association studies have successfully identified five novel loci associated with NSCL/P, including a locus on 1p22.1 near the ABCA4 gene. Because neither expression analysis nor mutation screening support a role for ABCA4 in NSCL/P, we investigated the adjacent gene ARHGAP29. METHODS Mutation screening for ARHGAP29 protein coding exons was conducted in 180 individuals with NSCL/P and controls from the United States and the Philippines. Nine exons with variants in ARHGAP29 were then screened in an independent set of 872 cases and 802 controls. Arhgap29 expression was evaluated using in situ hybridization in murine embryos. RESULTS Sequencing of ARHGAP29 revealed eight potentially deleterious variants in cases including a frameshift and a nonsense variant. Arhgap29 showed craniofacial expression and was reduced in a mouse deficient for Irf6, a gene previously shown to have a critical role in craniofacial development. CONCLUSION The combination of genome-wide association, rare coding sequence variants, craniofacial specific expression, and interactions with IRF6 support a role for ARHGAP29 in NSCL/P and as the etiologic gene at the 1p22 genome-wide association study locus for NSCL/P. This work suggests a novel pathway in which the IRF6 gene regulatory network interacts with the Rho pathway via ARHGAP29. Birth Defects Research (Part A) 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Energy Consumption, Trade Openness and Exchange Rate Impact on Foreign Direct Investment in Union State of Russia and Belarus

In this paper we investigate the casual relationship between energy consumption, trade openness, exchange rate and foreign direct investment in Union State of Russia and Belarus for the period from 1997 to 2017. To test the hypothesis and explain the possible casual relations we use the error correction approach. Result of the conducted research show that in the short run trade openness and exchange rate affect foreign direct investment in positive and significant manner. In the long run, energy consumption, trade openness and exchange rate positively affect foreign direct investment.
Examining the effects of work externalization through the lens of social identity theory.

This study examines whether dissimilarity among employees that is based on their work status (i.e., whether they are temporary or internal workers) influences their organization-based self-esteem, their trust in and attraction toward their peers, and their altruism. A model that is based on social identity theory posits that work-status dissimilarity negatively influences each outcome variable and that the strength of this relationship varies depending on whether employees have temporary or internal status and the composition of their work groups. Results that are based on a survey of 326 employees (189 internal and 137 temporary) from 34 work groups, belonging to 2 organizations, indicate that work-status dissimilarity has a systematic negative effect only on outcomes related to internal workers when they work in temporary-worker-dominated groups.
A Qualitative Study of Factors Influencing Initiation and Adherence to Micronutrient Supplementation Among Women of Reproductive Age in Vietnam

Background and objectives: Initiation and adherence are both critical challenges for micronutrient supplementation programs, especially during the preconceptional period. This study examines factors influencing initiation of supplement use and continued adherence among women participating in PRECONCEPT, a double-blind randomized controlled trial of preconception micronutrient supplementation. Methods: In-depth interviews were conducted with 39 participants during different periods (prepregnancy [n = 15], pregnancy [n = 8], postpartum [n = 8], and dropouts [n = 8]). We examined participants’ knowledge about nutritional needs and micronutrient deficiencies, individual experience with nutritional supplements, and perceived benefits and side effects of supplements. Four focus groups were conducted with 24 village health workers (VHWs) to collect information on VHWs’ perceptions of factors influencing participants’ adherence and logistics of supplement distribution. Influences on initiation and adherence were examined within the Health Belief Model framework. Results: Primary barriers to initiation of supplement use were low perceptions of severity of nutrient deficiencies and personal susceptibility. These are associated with low knowledge and awareness around deficiencies. Perceived seriousness and susceptibility varied by nutrient: high for iron during pregnancy but low for all other micronutrient deficiencies, including iron outside pregnancy. Continued maintained adherence to an initiated regimen was influenced by the woman’s perceptions of the health benefits of, and barriers to, regular supplement use. Conclusion: Initiation of supplement use was influenced by perceived susceptibility and severity of nutrient deficiencies, while maintained adherence to consistent use was influenced by perceived benefits and barriers. Recognizing the influences on each stage may help improve adherence and maximize positive effects of future interventions.
Angiopoietin-2 is associated with decreased endothelial nitric oxide and poor clinical outcome in severe falciparum malaria

Adherence of parasitized erythrocytes to activated endothelium causes microvascular obstruction, tissue ischemia, and clinical complications in severe malaria (SM); however, the mechanisms leading to endothelial activation remain unclear. The angiogenic factors, angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) are modulators of endothelial activation, with Ang-2 release from Weibel–Palade bodies (WPBs) being regulated by endothelial nitric oxide (NO). We explored the relationships between endothelial NO bioavailability, Ang-2, VEGF, tissue perfusion, and clinical outcomes in SM. We measured plasma Ang-2 and VEGF, together with biomarkers of severity from 146 adults with and without SM, in parallel with longitudinal measures of endothelial function by using reactive hyperemia peripheral arterial tonometry (a measure of endothelial NO bioavailability). Regression was used to relate concentrations of Ang-2/VEGF with malaria disease severity, biomarkers of perfusion, endothelial activation, and parasite biomass. The longitudinal relationship between Ang-2 and endothelial function was assessed by using a mixed-effects model. Ang-2 concentrations were elevated in SM and associated with increased venous lactate, plasma intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 concentrations, parasite biomass, and mortality. In contrast, VEGF concentrations were inversely associated with these biomarkers. Ang-2 concentrations were significantly better predictors of death than venous lactate (P = 0.03). Recovery of endothelial function was associated with falling concentrations of Ang-2. Ang-2 release from endothelial cells with reduced NO bioavailability is likely to contribute to endothelial activation, sequestered parasite biomass, impaired perfusion, and poor outcome in severe falciparum malaria. Agents that improve endothelial NO, reduce WPB exocytosis, and/or antagonize Ang-2 may have therapeutic roles in SM.
Enhancing the performance of speaker verifications-based DVB-T systems

Terrestrial Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB-T) is considered as one of the main two popular broadcasting standards, which facilitates the transmission of digital television in handheld receivers. In this work, a comparison will be held to enhance the mobile communications performance. This work aims to reduces the effect of a major problem found in the Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) technique, namely Peak-to-Average Power Ratio (PAPR) problem; one of the main drawbacks of. Two main factors will be the main factor of this comparison; BER curves and CCDF curves. This work combined three different stages together; wavelet transformation in order to remove the noise from the signal; a globally statistical adaptive detecting algorithm; and replacing the affected peaks with a moving average filter process. At the same bandwidth occupancy of the speaker verification-based systems, the simulation has been run and shows additional enhancement in both of CCDF and BER curves; an extra 15% reduction is achieved in the essence of PAPR and around 25% extra noise immunity.
Bifocals in Down syndrome study (BiDS): analysis of video recorded sessions of literacy and visual perceptual skills

Purpose: In this longitudinal study, a group of school children with Down syndrome (DS) and reduced accommodation were prescribed bifocals and followed to investigate the impact of bifocal spectacles on early literacy and visual perceptual skills. The natural progression of early literacy skills in this population along with the changes with bifocals, described by monthly subtest scores and the time taken to complete literacy and visual perceptual tasks, are reported.
Impact of Intellectual Capital on Firm Value: The Moderating Role of Managerial Ownership

Rapidly changing dynamics of globalization and increasing market competition are causing the companies all around the world confronting several new challenges and opportunities. To be competitive and successful apart from relative importance of physical resources, companies must adapt modern strategies and policies regarding market flexibility and development. The purpose of this study is to empirically investigate the relationship between intellectual capital and firm value. Furthermore, the moderating role of managerial ownership has been evaluated with the help of regression analysis. The sample included the panel data taken from non-financial firms listed on Pakistan stock exchange (PSX) covering the period 2010-2015. A sample of 79 firms out of 384 firms have been selected with the help of systematic sampling technique. VAIC (Value Added Intellectual Coefficient) model has been used for the calculation of intellectual capital. Tobin's Q has been taken as a measure of firm value. Managerial ownership has been tested as moderator. Based on data analysis, it is concluded that the relationship between intellectual capital and firm value is positively significant. It is also concluded that managerial ownership moderates the relationship between intellectual capital and firm value negatively.
Detachment of structurally intact nerve endings from chromatolytic neurones of rat superior cervical ganglion during the depression of synaptic transmission induced by post‐ganglionic axotomy.

1. Electrophysiological studies showed that injury of post‐ganglionic nerve fibres leads to severe and prolonged depression of synaptic transmission through the rat superior cervical ganglion, beginning within 24 h. This is in line with the results of previous studies in other species and upon other neurones. 2. electron microscopy after post‐ganglionic axotomy revealed nerve endings of presynaptic type with all the specialized membrane‐related features of a synaptic zone, but which were not apposed to any post‐synaptic nervous element. These umusual profiles were interpreted as detached presynaptic nerve endings. In normal and control ganglia, such profiles formed at most 0–5% of all vesicle‐containing profiles of presynaptic type; in ganglia with all major post‐ganglionic branches cut the proportion rose to approximately 7%, between 3 and 7 d post‐operatively. Over this period, the mean incidence of chromatolytic neurones was 74–6%. 3. Concomitantly, the incidence of synapses within the ganglion fell by about 75%, reaching its lowest levels between 3 and 7 d post‐operatively. There was strikingly little evidence of persistence of post‐synaptic membrane specializations (‘membrane thickenings’) following detachment of synapses. 4. At longer survival intervals the incidence of synapses gradually increased, and that of detached nerve endings gradually decreased; recovery was well advanced by 42 d. 5. The fall in the incidence of synapses was closely paralleled by a fall in the incidence of desmosome‐like attachments in the ganglion; the incidence of such attachments was found to be correlated to a significant degree with that of synapses. 6. It is concluded that most or all of the synapses upon sympathetic neurones become physically dissociated during the chromatolytic reaction of these neurones to axotomy. The failure to persist of ultrastructurally specialized post‐synaptic sites, and the loss of desmosomes (particularly marked for those involving purely post‐ganglionic nervous elements) suggest that the post‐ganglionic neurone is losing all its specializations for attachment. 7. Some evidence suggests that the satellite cells may effect the final separation between pre‐ and post‐synaptic structures.
Age and Body Mass Index May Increase the Chance of Failure in Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy for Women with Breast Cancer

Age and body mass index (BMI) have been shown to correlate with an increased incidence of failure in identifying a sentinel lymph node (SLN). Mapping senior, overweight adults is common; therefore, the relationship of patient age and BMI on SLN biopsy success is essential. This study examines the mapping failures as they relate to age and BMI. From April 1994 to May 1999, patients underwent an injection of radiocolloid (450 mci) and blue dye (5 cc) prior to SLN biopsy. SLN biopsy failure was defined as lymph nodes being unidentifiable by blue dye or having an in vivo node radiocolloid count of less than 3:1 over background count. BMI was measured as (weight in pounds)(703)/(height in inches) 2; 1,356 patients were attempted for SLN mapping, and 54 failed (3.98%). The radioactive node count was inversely proportional to age ( p < 0.0001). The radioactive node count decreased by a mean of 34 counts per node with each additional year ( p < 0.001). The estimated odds ratios for success were 0.945 for age and 0.946 for BMI. Therefore, every increase of 1 year of age or one unit of BMI decreased the odds of success by approximately 5%. The mean BMI was 29.54 in failed patients and was 26.42 in successful mapping patients ( p = 0.042). Surgeons should be aware that node counts will decrease with increasing age and that increased age and BMI are potential risk factors for SLN mapping failure. However, increased age and/or BMI alone do not appear to be contraindications for SLN biopsy in older or overweight patients.