Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparative human and mouse antibody responses against tetanus toxin at clonal level

Abstract Tetanus is a highly fatal disease caused by tetanus neurotoxin (TeNT) and remains a major threat to human and animal health, despite preventive strategies. TeNT is composed of heavy and light chain linked by a disulfide bond. The antibody response to TeNT is polyclonal and directed to multiple epitopes within both the light and heavy chains, leading to toxin neutralization. This study was undertaken to localize and compare neutralizing epitopes recognized by human and mouse TeNT-specific antibodies at a clonal level. In the present study, 22 murine hybridoma clones and 50 human lymphoblastoid cell lines secreting monoclonal antibodies (mAb) were generated against TeNT. The specificity of these mAb was determined using different recombinant fragments of tetanus toxin. Moreover, this study investigated the in vitro toxin neutralizing activity of these mAb by a ganglioside GT1b assay. The results showed that tetanus toxoid immunization in humans and BALB/c mice induced a vigorous humoral immune response against different fragments of TeNT, particularly the carboxyl-terminal fragment of the heavy chain (known as fragment C). The fragment C-specific human and mouse mAb could largely neutralize TeNT. However, while all fragment C-specific human mAb reacted with the carboxyl-terminal part of this fragment (HCC), the majority of the mouse mAb failed to recognize this region. These results suggested that fragment C is the major target for the TeNT neutralizing antibodies, although different epitopes seem to be targeted by human and mouse antibodies.
An efficient data mining classification approach for detecting lung cancer disease

Background: Automated disease classification using machine learning often relies on features derived from segmenting individual objects, which can be difficult to automate. Proposed model is a classification based an efficient approach in which machine learning concepts are used for the detection of Lung cancer diseases. The algorithm obtained encouraging results but requires considerable computational expertise to execute. Furthermore, some benchmark sets have been shown to compare the proposed work model working. Results: We developed user friendly disease prediction model based on PCA and LDA. To validate the method, the proposed method is applied in MATLAB 2014a to achieve high accuracy performance metric and then comparison has been made with ICA and SURF method. Conclusions: The proposed approach offers improved user-friendliness, as feature extraction is performed in an easily editable. As a direct implication, intermediate results are more easily accessible.
High polybrominated diphenyl ether levels in California house cats: House dust a primary source?

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are brominated flame retardants that act as endocrine disruptors, affecting thyroid hormone homeostasis. As a follow‐up to a recent study showing high PBDE levels in household cats and linking PBDE levels with cat hyperthyroidism, we measured PBDEs, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and organochlorinated pesticides (OCPs) in serum samples from 26 California household cats (16 hyperthyroid, 10 controls) using liquid–liquid extraction and high‐resolution gas chromatography/high‐resolution mass spectrometry. In the present pilot study, we found that PBDE levels in California house cats were extremely high (ΣPBDEs median = 2,904 ng/g lipid; range, 631–22,537 ng/g lipid). This is approximately 50 times higher than levels in California residents (ΣPBDEs geomean = 62 ± 8.9 ng/g lipid, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey), who have among the highest human levels in the world. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers congener patterns (BDE‐99 major congener, BDE‐209 significant) differed markedly from patterns found in California residents (BDE‐47 major) or wildlife but resembled patterns found in house dust. Polychlorinated biphenyls and OCPs in cats were highly correlated, consistent with a shared dietary source or pathway of exposure, but did not correlate with PBDEs. This suggests a different source or pathway of exposure for PBDEs, which was most likely house dust. The authors found no evidence that linked levels of PBDEs, PCBs, or OCPs with hyperthyroidism. This may be because of the small sample size, competing or confounding risk factors, or complicated causal mechanisms. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2012;31:301–306. © 2011 SETAC
Bibliometric literature review: An opportunity for marketing scholars

the literature review in scientific research and the opportunity to perform it by bibliometric methods. I want to engage in this discussion because I agree with what Chiara Orsinger (2016: p.7) wrote in her editorial: “the marketing field has gathered a relevant body of knowledge” and “it is sometimes difficult for marketing scholars to gain a synthetic view” of the field or specific topic. My reasoning is inspired by two assertions:
Rare Quasispecies in the YMDD Motif of Hepatitis B Virus Detected by Polymerase Chain Reaction with Peptide Nucleic Acid Clamping

The emergence of drug-resistant mutants of hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a serious problem during antiviral therapy of patients with chronic hepatitis B. Lamivudine-resistant mutants with a mutation in the YMDD motif of reverse transcriptase of HBV emerge in approximately one half of the treated patients within 5 years. To date, the detection of YMDD mutants by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with peptide nucleic acid (PNA) clamping is most sensitive. In this study, the performance of this method was evaluated in various clinical settings. The PCR-PNA method was able to detect the emergence of YMDD mutants 2–3 months earlier than the previously developed method involving restriction fragment length polymorphism. Further, rare quasispecies were detected by PCR-PNA in patients with chronic hepatitis B who were positive for hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg). Many previously unrecognized mutants, such as those with YLDD and YMED, were found in them. Although precise sequence analyses of 10 patients identified YVDD and YIDD sequences in 6 of them, only 1 patient had a typical YVDD sequence that was identical with that in the reported lamivudine-resistant strain. All HBV mutants with the YIDD sequence accompanied stop codon(s) in the overlapping envelope (S) gene, suggesting that these strains would have no relevance as regards the emergence of lamivudine resistance. These results suggest that it would be difficult to detect lamivudine-resistant mutants before the therapy and that they would have a greater ability to evade the attack of antiviral drugs by frequent nucleotide substitutions than previously expected.
The value of “another” opinion for spinal surgery: A prospective 14-month study of one surgeon's experience

Background: Neck or back problems are experienced at some time by many Americans and many patients receive recommendations for spinal surgery. Patients naturally seek another opinion to confirm the need for surgery, or for the particular procedure recommended. Methods: Over approximately a 14-month period, the author prospectively collected data regarding 240 consecutive patients seeking a surgical opinion regarding a spine problem. Imaging studies were reviewed and patients were asked to comment on the consultation experience. Results: Of the 240 patients, 155 (65%) came for a second, third, or fourth surgical opinion following an earlier opinion from a surgeon who recommended an operation. Of these patients, the author recommended no surgery for 69 (44.5%) patients. The remaining 85 (35%) were referred by primary care doctors or neurologists for initial surgical (first) opinions because of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) reports indicating the presence of surgical lesions. The author recommended no surgery for 37 (43%) of these 85 patients. Conclusions: Patients request and deserve the attention of a physician who will listen to their history and perform a careful neurological examination. The results of the neurological examination and the imaging studies must then be carefully integrated and correlated with the patient's complaints. The results should be explained to the patient so that he or she will understand the surgical or non surgical nature of his or her problem.
High-Frequency Color Doppler Ultrasound in Diagnosis, Treatment, and Rehabilitation of Achilles Tendon Injury

Background This study evaluated the clinical application of high-frequency color Doppler ultrasonography (HFCDU) in the diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of Achilles tendon injury. Material/Methods A total of 68 patients with suspected Achilles tendon injury were examined by HFCDU. There were 42 Achilles tendon injury patients who underwent surgery, and they were randomly divided into a routine treatment group (n=21) and a rehabilitation group (n=21). HFCDU was performed at weeks 1, 3, 6, and 9, and months 3, 6, 9, 12, and 24 after the operation. The thickness of the injured Achilles tendon, echo, blood flow, and tissue adhesion were compared to those of the uninjured side. Results Of the 68 patients, 14 had normal ultrasound presentation with strong echo; 7 had laceration, presenting as swelling and decreased echo; 26 had partial tear, presenting as discontinued rupture with no or low echo; 19 had complete rupture, presenting as discontinued fibers with hypoechoic hemorrhage and hyperechoic fat tissue between ends; 1 had plantar tendon rupture and periapical hemorrhage; and 1 had acute Achilles tendonitis. The postoperative tendon thickness decreased over time, echo turned homogeneous, blood flow and adhesions decreased, and these results were consistent with clinical symptoms. Patient condition and ultrasound recovery were better in the rehabilitation group, and the diameter of the injured tendon increased compared with the uninjured side. Conclusions HFCDU can determine the types and extent of tendon injuries, and can help in the diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of Achilles tendon injury.
Long-Term Effectiveness of Spaced-Retrieval Memory Training for Older Adults with Probable Alzheimer's Disease

ABSTRACT Ten older adults with probable Alzheimer's disease (AD) were trained to recall everyday objects using the spaced-retrieval technique. Five persons had participated in a prior spaced-retrieval program (Cherry & Simmons-D'Gerolamo, 1999, Clinical Gerontologist, 20, 39–63). The authors retested these original participants to measure the long-term effectiveness of spaced-retrieval training. Five new participants were included for comparison purposes. During training, participants selected a target object from an array of items at increasingly longer retention intervals. To enhance the effectiveness of spaced-retrieval training, two original and two new participants were given a target object orientation task prior to training. Positive effects of prior experience occurred for most of the original participants. The orientation task enhanced memory for the target objects. Implications for memory remediation in late adulthood are considered.
Infant attachment disorganization and moderation pathways to level and change in externalizing behavior during preschool ages

ABSTRACT This research examined the child, parent, and family conditions under which attachment disorganization was related to both level and change in externalizing behavior during preschool among a community sample. Using the ordinary least squares regression, we found that attachment disorganization at 12 months significantly predicted children’s externalizing behavior at 36 months and this prediction was not contingent on any other factors tested. For predicting changes in externalizing behavior from 36 to 60 months, we found a significant main effect of family cumulative risk and an interaction effect between attachment disorganization at 12 months and maternal sensitivity at 24 months. Specifically, high disorganization was related to a significant decrease in externalizing behavior from 36 to 60 months when maternal sensitivity at 24 months was high. Our main-effect findings replicated the significant effect of attachment disorganization and cumulative risk on externalizing behavior with preschool-aged children. Our interaction finding provided support for understanding the parenting conditions under which infant attachment disorganization may be related to change in externalizing behavior during preschool ages. Implications of the findings were discussed.
Cytomegalovirus infection in heart-lung transplant recipients: risk factors, clinical associations, and response to treatment.

The risk factors, clinical associations, and response to treatment of cytomegalovirus (CMV) pneumonia and infection were studied in 65 recipients of heart-lung transplantation. There were 29 episodes of CMV pneumonia in 22 patients. In 80% (20/25) of episodes of CMV pneumonia treated with intravenous ganciclovir, the histologic changes resolved and the patient survived. Among seronegative recipients, a seropositive donor was a significant risk factor for CMV pneumonia and infection in the first 90 days after heart-lung transplantation (P = .004 and .002, respectively). Among seropositive recipients, there was no additional risk associated with a sero-positive donor. Rates of CMV pneumonia and infection were significantly increased when treatment with augmented immunosuppression had been given in the preceding 30 days (P less than .001). A significant association was found between CMV pneumonia or infection and pulmonary bacterial infections occurring 30 days before or after such an episode (P less than .001).
ABC transporters: one, two or four extracytoplasmic substrate‐binding sites?

Two families of ATP‐binding cassette (ABC) transporters in which one or two extracytoplasmic substrate‐binding domains are fused to either the N‐ or C‐terminus of the translocator protein have been detected. This suggests that two, or even four, substrate‐binding sites may function in the ABC transporter complex. This domain organization in ABC transporters, widely represented among microorganisms, raises new possibilities for how the substrate‐binding protein(s) (SBPs) might interact with the translocator. One appealing hypothesis is that multiple substrate‐binding sites in proximity to the entry site of the translocation pore enhance the transport capacity. We also discuss the implications of multiple substrate‐binding sites in close proximity to the translocator in terms of broadened substrate specificity and possible cooperative interactions between SBPs and the translocator.
Education Language and History: An Historical Background to Post-War Ethiopia

Ethiopia, a largely mountainous country in the eastern corner of Africa, enjoys a unique position in history. Regarded by medieval Europe as the somewhat mythical Land of Prester John, and later, in the eighteenth century, as the site of Samuel Johnson's mountains of Rasselas and James Bruce's Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile, the country, then popularly known abroad as Abyssinia, was in the 1930's the focus of international excitement as a result of Mussolini's invasion. On regaining its ancient independence, under its world famous Emperor, Haile Sellassie, its capital became in more recent times a centre of inter-African diplomacy, the headquarters of both the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and the Organization of African Unity.
Impaired mitochondrial activity in the insulin-resistant offspring of patients with type 2 diabetes.

BACKGROUND Insulin resistance appears to be the best predictor of the development of diabetes in the children of patients with type 2 diabetes, but the mechanism responsible is unknown. METHODS We performed hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp studies in combination with infusions of [6,6-(2)H(2)]glucose in healthy, young, lean, insulin-resistant offspring of patients with type 2 diabetes and insulin-sensitive control subjects matched for age, height, weight, and physical activity to assess the sensitivity of liver and muscle to insulin. Proton ((1)H) magnetic resonance spectroscopy studies were performed to measure intramyocellular lipid and intrahepatic triglyceride content. Rates of whole-body and subcutaneous fat lipolysis were assessed by measuring the rates of [(2)H(5)]glycerol turnover in combination with microdialysis measurements of glycerol release from subcutaneous fat. We performed (31)P magnetic resonance spectroscopy studies to assess the rates of mitochondrial oxidative-phosphorylation activity in muscle. RESULTS The insulin-stimulated rate of glucose uptake by muscle was approximately 60 percent lower in the insulin-resistant subjects than in the insulin-sensitive control subjects (P<0.001) and was associated with an increase of approximately 80 percent in the intramyocellular lipid content (P=0.005). This increase in intramyocellular lipid content was most likely attributable to mitochondrial dysfunction, as reflected by a reduction of approximately 30 percent in mitochondrial phosphorylation (P=0.01 for the comparison with controls), since there were no significant differences in systemic or localized rates of lipolysis or plasma concentrations of tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin-6, resistin, or adiponectin. CONCLUSIONS These data support the hypothesis that insulin resistance in the skeletal muscle of insulin-resistant offspring of patients with type 2 diabetes is associated with dysregulation of intramyocellular fatty acid metabolism, possibly because of an inherited defect in mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation.
Digital Technologies for Transparency in Public Investment: New Tools to Empower Citizens and Governments

Improving infrastructure and basic services is a central task in the region’s growth and development agenda. Despite the importance of private sector participation, governments will continue to play a defining role in planning, financing, executing, and overseeing key infrastructure projects and service delivery. This reality puts a premium on the efficient and transparent management of public investment, especially in light of the considerable technical, administrative, and political challenges and vulnerability to corruption and rent-seeking associated with large public works. The recent spate of corruption scandals surrounding public procurement and infrastructure projects in the region underscores the urgency of this agenda. The emergence of new digital technologies offers powerful tools for governments and citizens in the region to improve the transparency and efficiency of public investment. This paper examines the challenges of building transparent public investment management systems, both conceptually and in the specific case of Latin America and the Caribbean, and highlights how a suite of new technological tools can improve the implementation of infrastructure projects and public services. The discussion is informed by the experience of the Inter-American Development Bank in designing and implementing the MapaInversiones platform. The paper concludes with several concrete policy recommendations for the region.
Comparison of fungi within the Gaeumannomyces-Phialophora complex by analysis of ribosomal DNA sequences

Four ascomycete species of the genus Gaeumannomyces infect roots of monocotyledons. Gaeumannomyces graminis contains four varieties, var. tritici, var. avenae, var. graminis, and var. maydis. G. graminis varieties tritici, avenae, and graminis have Phialophora-like anamorphs and, together with the other Gaeumannomyces and Phialophora species found on cereal roots, constitute the Gaeumannomyces-Phialophora complex. Relatedness of a number of Gaeumannomyces and Phialophora isolates was assessed by comparison of DNA sequences of the 18S rRNA gene, the 5.8S rRNA gene, and the internal transcribed spacers (ITS). G. graminis var. tritici, G. graminis var. avenae, and G. graminis var. graminis isolates can be distinguished from each other by nucleotide sequence differences in the ITS regions. The G. graminis var. tritici isolates can be further subdivided into R and N isolates (correlating with ability [R] or inability [N] to infect rye). Phylogenetic analysis of the ITS regions of several oat-infecting G. graminis var. tritici isolates suggests that these isolates are actually more closely related to G. graminis var. avenae. The isolates of Magnaporthe grisea included in the analysis showed a surprising degree of relatedness to members of the Gaeumannomyces-Phialophora complex. G. graminis variety-specific oligonucleotide primers were used in PCRs to amplify DNA from cereal seedlings infected with G. graminis var. tritici or G. graminis var. avenae, and these should be valuable for sensitive detection of pathogenic isolates and for diagnosis of take-all.
The TRIM-NHL Protein LIN-41 Controls the Onset of Developmental Plasticity in Caenorhabditis elegans

The mechanisms controlling cell fate determination and reprogramming are fundamental for development. A profound reprogramming, allowing the production of pluripotent cells in early embryos, takes place during the oocyte-to-embryo transition. To understand how the oocyte reprogramming potential is controlled, we sought Caenorhabditis elegans mutants in which embryonic transcription is initiated precociously in germ cells. This screen identified LIN-41, a TRIM-NHL protein and a component of the somatic heterochronic pathway, as a temporal regulator of pluripotency in the germline. We found that LIN-41 is expressed in the cytoplasm of developing oocytes, which, in lin-41 mutants, acquire pluripotent characteristics of embryonic cells and form teratomas. To understand LIN-41 function in the germline, we conducted structure-function studies. In contrast to other TRIM-NHL proteins, we found that LIN-41 is unlikely to function as an E3 ubiquitin ligase. Similar to other TRIM-NHL proteins, the somatic function of LIN-41 is thought to involve mRNA regulation. Surprisingly, we found that mutations predicted to disrupt the association of LIN-41 with mRNA, which otherwise compromise LIN-41 function in the heterochronic pathway in the soma, have only minor effects in the germline. Similarly, LIN-41-mediated repression of a key somatic mRNA target is dispensable for the germline function. Thus, LIN-41 appears to function in the germline and the soma via different molecular mechanisms. These studies provide the first insight into the mechanism inhibiting the onset of embryonic differentiation in developing oocytes, which is required to ensure a successful transition between generations.
The role of dietary calcium in bone health

Approximately 99% of body Ca is found in bone, where it serves a key structural role as a component of hydroxyapatite. Dietary requirements for Ca are determined by the needs for bone development and maintenance, which vary throughout the life stage, with greater needs during the periods of rapid growth in childhood and adolescence, during pregnancy and lactation, and in later life. There is considerable disagreement between expert groups on the daily Ca intake levels that should be recommended, reflecting the uncertainty in the data for establishing Ca requirements. Inadequate dietary Ca in early life impairs bone development, and Ca supplementation of the usual diet for periods of ≤3 years has been shown to enhance bone mineral status in children and adolescents. However, it is unclear whether this benefit is long term, leading to the optimisation of peak bone mass in early adulthood. In later years inadequate dietary Ca accelerates bone loss and may contribute to osteoporosis. Ca supplementation of the usual diet in post-menopausal women and older men has been shown to reduce the rate of loss of bone mineral density at a number of sites over periods of 1–2 years. However, the extent to which this outcome reduces fracture risk needs to be determined. Even allowing for disagreements on recommended intakes, evidence indicates that dietary Ca intake is inadequate for maintenance of bone health in a substantial proportion of some population groups, particularly adolescent girls and older women.