Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Intimate host attachment: enteropathogenic and enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli

Enteropathogenic and enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli use a novel infection strategy to colonize the gut epithelium, involving translocation of their own receptor, Tir, via a type III secretion system and subsequent formation of attaching and effecting (A/E) lesions. Following integration into the host cell plasma membrane of cultured cells, and clustering by the outer membrane adhesin intimin, Tir triggers multiple actin polymerization pathways involving host and bacterial adaptor proteins that converge on the host Arp2/3 actin nucleator. Although initially thought to be involved in A/E lesion formation, recent data have shown that the known Tir‐induced actin polymerization pathways are dispensable for this activity, but can play other major roles in colonization efficiency, in vivo fitness and systemic disease. In this review we summarize the roadmap leading from the discovery of Tir, through the different actin polymerization pathways it triggers, to our current understanding of their physiological functions.
Total and free testosterone in depressed men

ABSTRACT— Total and free testosterone, estradiol and cortisol were measured in 12 depressed males and 12 age‐matched normal volunteers. There was no significant difference in any of the hormone levels between the patient and control group. Total testosterone was negatively correlated with age in the depressed group, but not with severity of depression.
Impacts of Foreign and Domestic Structural Shocks on Consumer Prices of the GCC Countries

This paper examines the relationship among exchange rates, oil price, foreign prices and the domestic consumer prices of the GCC countries. A SVAR model is used to identify variety of structural (both foreign and domestic) shocks and examine how the consumer prices of these countries react to these shocks. Results show that the consumer prices of these countries, except Bahrain and Kuwait, react positively to the exchange rate shocks. Consumer prices also react positively to oil price and foreign partners’ price shocks. Impulse responses and variance decompositions generally support and complement the results found in other studies.
Age as a determinant of glomerular filtration rate in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

BACKGROUND The level of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and its determinants in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) are currently controversial. DESIGN OF THE STUDY We measured GFR and effective renal plasma flow (ERPF) in 121 consecutive NIDDM without evidence of overt diabetic nephropathy. Age varied from 28 to 70 years, 61.2% were women and known duration of NIDDM was 0-37 years. Hypertension was detected in 36.4% of patients and 47.8% had microalbuminuria. RESULTS An inverse correlation was found between GFR and age, but not with known duration of NIDDM: It was a weak correlation (r = -0.41) but statistically significant (P < 0.001). The other variables considered were not significant by multiple stepwise regression analysis, but patients with lower GFR tended to have diabetic retinopathy more frequently. GFR was lower in hypertensive compared to normotensive patients (123 +/- 28.4 versus 136 +/- 32.5 ml/min/1.73 m2; P < 0.05), but was not different between patients with normal and elevated albumin excretion rate. ERPF also had an inverse correlation with age (r = -0.45, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION We conclude that (i) age should be considered as a confounding variable when evaluating GFR in patients with NIDDM, and (ii) the age-dependent decline in GFR may mask hyperfiltration in the early stages of diabetic nephropathy in NIDDM:
Investigation into the Airborne Dissemination of H5N2 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus During the 2015 Spring Outbreaks in the Midwestern United States

SUMMARY We investigated the plausibility of aerosol transmission of H5N2 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus during the 2015 spring outbreaks that occurred in the U.S. midwest. Air samples were collected inside and outside of infected turkey and layer facilities. Samples were tested to assess HPAI virus concentration (RNA copies/m3 of air), virus viability, and virus distribution by particle size. HPAI virus RNA was detected inside and up to 1000 m from infected facilities. HPAI virus was isolated from air samples collected inside, immediately outside, up to 70 m from infected facilities, and in aerosol particles larger than 2.1 μm. Direct exposure to exhausted aerosols proved to be a significant source of environmental contamination. These findings demonstrate HPAI virus aerosolization from infected flocks, and that both the transport of infectious aerosolized particles and the deposition of particles on surfaces around infected premises represent a potential risk for the spread of HPAI.
Aging and Financial Planning for Retirement: Interdisciplinary Influences Viewed through a Cross-Cultural Lens

Current theoretical models support the existence of interactions between the individual and socio-environmental forces when it comes to the formation and enactment of life plans (Friedman & Scholnick, 1997; Shanahan & Elder, 2002). In this investigation, we examine the social, economic, and psychological forces that impact financial planning for retirement. The collective force of these three broad sets of influences was examined from developmental and cross-cultural perspectives, among respondents from two countries with very different retirement financing systems. Participants were 419 American and 556 Dutch working adults, 25–64 years of age. Path analysis models were created to examine differences in planning associated with age and national origin. Compared to younger individuals, older respondents in both countries were more involved in nearly all aspects of the financial planning process. Differences across cultures were also observed in the social support mechanisms that underlie planning and the impact economic forces have on perceptions of saving adequacy. The discussion focuses on the value of developing interdisciplinary theoretical models of planning, and how such models can inform the development of savings-oriented intervention and public policy initiatives.
Growth is (Really) Good for the (Really) Rich

This paper analyses the relationship between mean income and the income of the rich. Our methodology closely follows that of Dollar and Kraay (Journal of Economic Growth, 2002, 7, 195), but instead of looking at the bottom of the distribution, we focus on the top. We use panel data from the World Top Incomes database, which collects top income data from several countries using tax returns as the raw source. We define the “rich” as earners in the top 10%, 1%, 0.1% and 0.01% of the income distribution. Using data since 1980, we find that economic growth is good for the rich in the sense that the mean income of the top decile of the distribution grows in the same proportion as that of the whole population. However, we also find that the income of earners in the top percentile of the distribution and above grows faster than average income: therefore, economic growth is really good for the really rich. We also find that during economic downturns the average income of top earners responds proportionally less to changes in mean income than during economic expansions. Our results are consistent with the increase in inequality that has been recently observed at the top part of the distribution in many countries, and they are robust to different specifications, country samples and time observations.
Prognosis after first myocardial infarction. Comparison of Q-wave and non-Q-wave myocardial infarction in the Framingham Heart Study.

OBJECTIVE To compare the short- and long-term prognosis following a first Q-wave or non-Q-wave myocardial infarction. DESIGN Cohort study with a mean follow-up period of 5.1 +/- 4.9 years. SETTING Population-based. PARTICIPANTS Framingham (Mass) Heart Study subjects with an initial recognized myocardial infarction during a 17-year period were studied, including 227 men and 136 women with a mean age of 67.2 years. Seventy-seven percent of first infarctions were Q-wave infarctions and 23% were non-Q-wave infarctions. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Reinfarction and death from coronary heart disease. RESULTS During the follow-up period, subjects with non-Q-wave infarctions had a significantly higher rate of reinfarction than subjects in the Q-wave group (P = .02 for the entire follow-up). The 10-year reinfarction rates were 44.8% vs 27.4%. When analyzed separately by age and sex, differences in reinfarction rates were only noted in men and in those under the age of 65 years. There were no differences in coronary heart disease death rates based on Q-wave status, even when examined separately by age and sex. Multivariate analysis revealed a 1.8-fold higher risk of reinfarction in the non-Q-wave group (95% confidence interval, 1.1 to 3.1), and also demonstrated that baseline hypertension was an independent risk factor for predicting reinfarction (relative risk, 1.8; 95% confidence interval, 1.1 to 3.2). There were no differences in the rates of sudden death or all-cause mortality following the two types of myocardial infarction. Additionally, subjects with a first Q-wave infarction had a higher rate of subsequent congestive heart failure, while those with non-Q-wave infarctions had a significantly higher rate of coronary insufficiency (unstable angina with transient ST-T wave abnormalities). CONCLUSIONS These results confirm and extend findings from prior studies that have identified patients with first non-Q-wave myocardial infarctions as potentially unstable, with greater subsequent morbidity and similar mortality to their counterparts with Q-wave infarctions.
Intranuclear Distribution of HMGI/Y Proteins: An Immunocytochemical Study

The intranuclear distribution of HMGI/Y proteins was analyzed by immunofluorescent staining in several cell lines using a polyclonal antibody that stained a fibrogranular network. In actively growing 3T3 fibroblasts, HMGI/Y proteins were mainly localized to heterochromatin masses, whereas in quiescent cells they were more diffusely distributed. Double labeling experiments showed a co-localization of HMGI/Y with DNA topoisomerase IIα. These results are in agreement with previously published biochemical data and indicate a possible involvement of HMGI/Y proteins in several nuclear functions, including chromatin organization and gene expression.
Relationship Lending, Accounting Disclosure, and Credit Availability During the Asian Financial Crisis

We examine whether lending relationships benefit firms by making credit more available during periods of financial stress. Our main finding is that during the Asian financial crisis of July 1997 through the end of 1998, relationship lending increased the likelihood that Korean and Thai firms would obtain credit but it had no effect on Indonesian and Philippine firms. We ask if accounting disclosure might explain the observed differences among the three countries for which audit information is available. We find that for Indonesian firms with weak lending relationships, banks replace relationship lending technology with a financial-statement lending technology. Such a result does not hold for Korean and Philippine firms. Copyright 2008 The Ohio State University.
An Empirical Study of Factors Influencing E-Commerce Adoption/Non-Adoption in Slovakian SMEs

ABSTRACT While the global emergence of e-commerce has led businesses to take advantage of the technologies available to them to enhance their use of e-commerce, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are known for not adopting information technology to create jobs. Due to the dearth of studies of SME adoption of technology in transitioning European countries such as Slovakia, (Saffu, Walker, and Mazurek 2012), it is imperative to understand the factors that differentiate SME e-commerce adopters from non-adopters. Adoption and non-adoption factors of 230 Slovakian SMEs were empirically examined using logistic regression. Compatibility and Organizational Readiness, Decision and Operational Aids, and External Pressure were significant for discerning e-commerce adoption. Practical, policy, and research implications are presented. This study goes beyond the determinants of e-commerce adoption and contributes to the understanding of factors that distinguish between adopters and non-adopters of e-commerce for Slovakian SMEs.
Patterns of physiologic and behavioral response of intermediate care preterm infants to intervention.

PURPOSE To determine the safety of a developmental intervention for use with preterm infants and feasibility of a time sampling procedure. METHODOLOGY An experimental design was used to test an intervention with clinically stable 33-34-week postconceptional age infants over a 4-day period. Repeated outcome measures included pulse rate, oxygen saturation levels, and infant behavioral state. FINDINGS The intervention resulted in significant differences in infant behavioral state with the experimental group achieving more alertness. Physiologic parameters remained within normal limits both during and after the intervention. CONCLUSIONS The protocol was found to be safe for implementation with clinically stable preterm infants. Behavioral state findings suggest the potential for the intervention to promote alertness. Results suggest that changes in oxygen saturation and pulse rate were dependent upon changes in behavioral state.
Vitamin deficiency in Golestan Province, northern Iran: a high-risk area for esophageal cancer.

OBJECTIVE Dietary factors seem to play a major role in esophageal carcinogenesis in Golestan Province, a high-incidence area for esophageal cancer in northern Iran. The current study was conducted to evaluate previous reports on severe deficiency of vitamin intake in Golestan. METHODS Using a food frequency questionnaire, food intake data were collected from 30,463 healthy participants in the Golestan Cohort Study. Intake of selected nutrients was compared with recommended daily allowance and lowest threshold intake values. RESULTS Vitamin A intake in the majority of participants was lower than recommended values. The proportion of participants with intakes lower than lowest threshold intake was as follows: urban men, 20%; urban women, 31%; rural men, 48%; and rural women, 64%. The pattern of vitamin C deficiency was similar to that of vitamin A, however, vitamin C deficiency was less common. Daily intake of vitamin C lower than the LTI was as follows: urban men, 6%; urban women, 9%; rural men, 13%; and rural women, 19%. On the other hand, protein intake in the majority of the general population in Golestan was higher than recommended values. CONCLUSION Severe deficiency in vitamin intake among women and rural dwellers may partly explain the high incidence of EC among inhabitants in rural areas and the male:female ratio that is approximately 1 in Golestan; while EC is much more common in men in many low-incidence areas.
Comparing Lead Poisoning Risk Assessment Methods: Census Block Group Characteristics vs. Zip Codes as Predictors

Objective. We determined which children should be tested for elevated blood lead levels (BLLs) in the face of financial and practical barriers to universal screening efforts and within 2009 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations allowing health departments to develop BLL screening strategies. Methods. We used the Michigan database of BLL tests from 1998 through 2005, which contains address, Medicaid eligibility, and race data. Linking addresses to U.S. Census 2000 data by block group provided neighborhood sociodemographic and housing characteristics. To derive an equation predicting BLL, we treated BLL as a continuous variable and used Hierarchical Linear Modeling to estimate the prediction equation. Results. Census block groups explained more variance in BLL than tracts and much more than dichotomized zip code risk (which is current pediatric practice). Housing built before 1940, socioeconomic status and racial/ethnic characteristics of the block group, child characteristics, and empirical Bayesian residuals explained more than 41% of the variance in BLL during 1998–2001. By contrast, zip code risk and Medicaid status only explained 15% of the BLL variance. An equation using 1998–2001 BLL data predicted well for BLL tests performed in 2002–2005. While those who received BLL tests had above-average risk, this method produced minimal bias in using the prediction equation for all children. Conclusions. Our equation offers better specificity and sensitivity than using dichotomized zip codes and Medicaid status, thereby identifying more high-risk children while also offering substantial cost savings. Our prediction equation can be used with a simple Internet-based program that allows health-care providers to enter minimal information and determine whether a BLL test is recommended.
Dementia related aggression in the acute sector: Is a Code Black really the answer?

Abstract Objective: This paper presents the findings of one facet of a larger study that explored the management of people with dementia as inpatients of acute care. The aim of the study is to provide a comprehensive multiprofessional view of the experience of providing care to people with dementia in an acute setting. Design: Descriptive exploratory study. Setting: Three acute care hospitals in South Australia. Participants: 25 health professionals who regularly provided care to people admitted to hospital with concurrent dementia. Results: The information gathered provided a rich understanding of the frailty, dependency and unpredictable behaviour of people living with some form of dementia and how that creates tensions in a place that is environmentally, culturally and resourcefully bereft of what is required for truly effective care. Conclusion: The study showed that people with dementia are increasingly being admitted to hospital across almost every specialty and that many staff are ill prepared for meeting their needs. The heavily medically dominated environment of an acute care system lends itself to increased confusion and agitation in these people that may rapidly escalate to aggression and violence. Due to various shortfalls in that system, staff will often resort to restraint in managing disruptive behaviour – which is not in the best interest of the patient or the health care system. The way forward is to foster a multifactorial approach to a ‘dementia friendly’ system of care supported by education.
Inhibitors of CXCR4 affect the migration and fate of CXCR4+ progenitors in the developing limb of chick embryos

Chemokines and their receptors play major roles in numerous physiological and pathological processes during development and disease. CXCR4 is the most abundantly expressed chemokine receptor during development. In contrast to other chemokine receptors, CXCR4 binds and is activated exclusively by its ligand stromal derived factor‐1 (SDF‐1) or CXCL12. SDF‐1 signaling has a wide range of effects on CXCR4‐expressing cells depending on the cell type ranging from cell growth to adhesion, chemotaxis, and migration. CXCR4 also serves as a co‐receptor for HIV‐1 entry into T‐cells and has been implicated in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis and cancer growth and invasion. Numerous inhibitors and antagonists of CXCR4 have been produced and are being tested for their efficiency to target its role in pathogenesis. Our initial expression analysis revealed that CXCR4 is expressed by the migrating myogenic and angiogenic precursors in the developing chick limb. In this study, we used the most specific peptidic inhibitors of CXCR4, T140 and its analog TN14003, to analyse the effect of blocking CXCR4/SDF‐1 signaling on the undetermined bioptent migratory progenitors in the developing chick limb. Our results point to defects in migration and an altered differentiation program of these CXCR4‐expressing progenitor pool in the limb. Developmental Dynamics 235:3007–3015, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Resin bond strength to densely sintered alumina ceramic.

PURPOSE The aim of this in vitro study was to investigate the resin bond strength and durability of adhesive bonding systems to densely sintered, pure aluminum oxide ceramic. MATERIALS AND METHODS Acrylic glass tubes filled with composite resin were bonded to industrially manufactured alumina ceramic disks with an ultrasonically machined surface. Groups of 20 samples were bonded in an alignment apparatus using five different bonding methods. Subgroups of 10 bonded samples were tested for tensile strength following storage in distilled water at 37 degrees C for either 3 or 150 days. In addition, the 150-day samples were thermocycled 37,500 times. The statistical analyses were made by the Kruskal-Wallis test, followed by multiple pairwise comparison of the groups using the Mann-Whitney test. RESULTS The mean bond strength of a bis-GMA composite resin to sandblasted alumina ceramic was relatively high after 3 days, at 20 MPa. Additional silanization or tribochemical silica coating and silanization did not enhance the bond strength (18 to 20 MPa) and failed spontaneously over long-term storage. However, using a composite resin containing a special adhesive phosphate monomer, a statistically significantly higher and durable bond strength to the sandblasted alumina ceramic surface was achieved after 3 days (50 MPa) and after 150 days of storage (46 MPa). CONCLUSION A durable bond strength to pure alumina ceramic was achieved only by using a composite resin containing an adhesive phosphate monomer after sandblasting the ceramic surface.
Random Network Formation in Entrepreneurial Finance: A Simple Model and Evidence

We propose a simple two-mode random network formation model aimed to mimic the properties of an entrepreneurial finance network, and calibrate it with data of a network of startups, and investors of the entrepreneurial finance setting in California. In the model some investors match startups at random, and some others find about investment opportunities by invitations from investors they are connected with. This model helps explains features of the observed network such as its degree distribution, average distance and diameter, and clustering.
Quantification of apoptosis induction by doxorubicin in three types of human mammary carcinoma spheroids.

BACKGROUND Apoptosis, also termed programmed cell death, is an active form of cellular degradation in contrast to the passive, inflammatory necrosis. Triggering apoptosis in tumor cells is a significant aim of chemotherapeutic treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS In this investigation the rate of apoptosis in human mammary carcinoma cell spheroids and monolayers was quantified following treatment with doxorubicin using various concentrations and incubation times. These data were compared with results of standardized clonogenicity assays, spheroid volume growth curves, and flowcytometric cell cycle analysis and BrdU-labeling. RESULTS Whereas spheroid volume growth and cellular clonogenicity were in excellent accordance with the well-established chemosensitivity of the three cell lines, the incidence of apoptosis did not reflect the different susceptibility of the cell lines to doxorubicin in a systematic way. On the other hand, theoretical considerations showed that the relatively low proportion of apoptosis can account for the relatively large decrease in spheroid volume, as observed in doxorubicin-treated T47D spheroids. CONCLUSIONS The experimental data suggest that suppression of apoptosis is not an obligatory feature of multi-drug resistant cell lines, and that resistance is rather correlated with an increase in DNA-synthesis.