Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The role of nitric oxide in mediating tumour blood flow

Nitric oxide (NO) is a ubiquitous molecule with a myriad of physiological and pathophysiological roles. It has numerous direct and indirect effects on tumour vasculature as both a regulatory and effector molecule. NO affects tumour blood flow through its effects on tumour angiogenesis, vascular tone and vascular permeability, partly via its interaction with vascular endothelial growth factor. In this review, the authors examine the basic tenants of NO biology, the association of NO with tumour progression, and the role NO plays in mediating alterations in vascular functions in tumours.
Experimental Infection with bovine parainfluenza type 3 virus in mice

18 Experimental Infection with bovine parainfluenza type 3 virus in mice Bana Anton Sabri Al and @ Aida Bara Allawe Department of Microbiology, College of Veterinary medicine, Baghdad University, Iraq. aidabara1@yahoo.com mail: E Accepted: 22/10/2014 Summary Four weeks old mice were used for experimental infection with isolated bovine parainfluenza type 3 virus. Mice were divided into three groups: The first group was infected by intracerebral route, the second group was infected by intranasal route and the third group was a control group. Experimental infection with isolated bovine parainfluenza type 3 virus in mice revealed that the isolated BPIV-3 was unable to kill 4 weeks old mice within 65 days when inoculated by intracerebral route, but isolated BPIV-3 was shown to kill (5 out of 10) 4 weeks old mice within 65 days when inoculated by intranasal route. There was no mortality in the control group within the same period. Two weeks old mice were used for experimental infection with isolated bovine parainfluenza type 3 virus and histopathological examination of infected organs was performed. Experimental infection of 2 weeks old mice by isolated BPIV-3 revealed that isolated BPIV-3 induced hydrocephalus after intracerebral inoculation. Histopathological examination for collected organs of BPIV-3 infected 2 weeks old mice (brain and lung) indicated histopathological changes were detected in comparison to non-infected collected organs. Virus was reisolated from infected brains of experimentally infected mice with locally isolated BPIV-3.
Use of Inhibitors To Evaluate Coreceptor Usage by Simian and Simian/Human Immunodeficiency Viruses and Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 2 in Primary Cells

ABSTRACT We have used coreceptor-targeted inhibitors to investigate which coreceptors are used by human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), simian immunodeficiency viruses (SIV), and human immunodeficiency virus type 2 (HIV-2) to enter peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). The inhibitors are TAK-779, which is specific for CCR5 and CCR2, aminooxypentane-RANTES, which blocks entry via CCR5 and CCR3, and AMD3100, which targets CXCR4. We found that for all the HIV-1 isolates and all but one of the HIV-2 isolates tested, the only relevant coreceptors were CCR5 and CXCR4. However, one HIV-2 isolate replicated in human PBMC even in the presence of TAK-779 and AMD3100, suggesting that it might use an undefined, alternative coreceptor that is expressed in the cells of some individuals. SIVmac239 and SIVmac251 (from macaques) were also able to use an alternative coreceptor to enter PBMC from some, but not all, human and macaque donors. The replication in human PBMC of SIVrcm(from a red-capped mangabey), a virus which uses CCR2 but not CCR5 for entry, was blocked by TAK-779, suggesting that CCR2 is indeed the paramount coreceptor for this virus in primary cells.
Incidence and severity of vesicoureteral reflux in children related to age, gender, race and diagnosis.

PURPOSE We determine if the incidence and grade of vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) differs in children based on age, race and gender, and if the incidence and severity of VUR are related to race in girls younger than 7 years presenting for evaluation after urinary tract infection (UTI). MATERIALS AND METHODS The records of all children who underwent a voiding cystourethrogram or radionuclide cystogram between 1993 and 2001 were retrospectively reviewed. Age, gender, race, clinical indication and highest grade of VUR were recorded for the first voiding cystourethrogram or radionuclide cystogram. Frequency tables and logistic regression were conducted to correlate demographics to incidence and severity of VUR. RESULTS A total of 15,504 patients were included in the analysis. Overall, black children were a third as likely as white children (p <0.0001) and females were twice as likely as males (p <0.0001) to have VUR. Compared to children 0 to 2 years old, the occurrence of reflux was 0.5 times as likely in those 3 to 6 years old (p <0.0001), 0.3 times as likely in those 7 to 11 years old (p <0.0001) and 0.15 times as likely in those 12 to 21 years old (p <0.0001). When analyzing children with UTI, results were similar. Of the patients with VUR 65% were younger than 7 years. The incidence of VUR in black girls younger than 7 years with a diagnosis of UTI was less than 10% compared to white girls, and no black girl had high grade reflux. In young children referred for UTI the incidence and severity of VUR in black patients were significantly lower than those of white girls. CONCLUSIONS This study validates previous observations regarding the low incidence of VUR in black children.
Contextualized Analysis of Social Networks: Collaboration in Scientific Communities

Currently, the collaboration in scientific communities has been studied in order to explain, among other things, the knowledge diffusion. The quality of Graduate Programmes is often associated with the scientific collaboration. This paper discusses how scientific collaboration processes can be identified and characterized through social and complex networks. For this purpose, collaboration networks of bibliographic production, research projects, and committees of PhD theses and Masters’ dissertations by researchers from a graduate program in computational modeling were studied. The data were obtained from CAPES’ reports of the period from 2001 to 2009. Among the studied indices, centrality indices indicate the presence of prominent researchers who influence others and promptly interact with other researchers in the network. The indices of complex networks reveal the presence of the small-world (i.e. these networks are favorable to increase coordination between researchers) phenomenon and indicate a behavior of scale-free degree distribution (i.e. some researchers promote clustering more than others) for one of the studied networks.
Some Theoretical Considerations on Caste

Caste as a system of social stratification was an encompassing system in the past. There was reciprocal system of exchange goods and services. With time, occupation and mode of generation of livelihood of various caste groups changed, and the traditional form of jajmani system fizzled out. This paper provides an account of changing perspectives of caste relations in social science writing and political discourse. The discourse of caste has been shifted from ritual hierarchy and social discrimination to an instrument to mobilize people for economic and political gain.
Effect of receptor-destroying enzyme on the growth of EMC virus in tissue culture.

Receptor-destroying enzyme (RDE), extracted from cultures of Vibrio cholerae, protected HeLa cell cultures against infection with EMC tissue culture virus. No such protection was observed against infection with Coxsackie Group B (types 3 and 5) or poliomyelitis (types 1–3) tissue culture virus. Further analysis of the protective reaction showed that contact between HeLa cells and RDE results in adsorption, with subsequent elution, of the enzyme and that enzyme-modified cells are temporarily incapable of adsorbing an infectious dose of EMC virus. RDE was not adsorbed on L cells and did not protect these cells in tissue culture against EMC virus infection.
Psychological characteristics of coaches of successful and less successful athletes in team and individual sports

47 The article is based on the common idea in sport psychology that the coach, besides his/her athletes, is the key figure in sports. Our goal was to test this idea in Slovene sport and examine the way Slovene coaches work with their athletes. Systematic study should result in scientific insight on the role and work of coaches in sport, and provide relevant information about importance of coaches in the development of sport. Authors of numerous books single out a coach as a crucial person in athletes’ sports career progression (Tušak & Tušak, 2001; Krevsel, 2001; Chelladurai, 1990; Martens, 1990; Gummerson, 1992; Sabock, 1985). Solomon (2001) found that the coach’s estimate of athlete’s self-confidence is the best predictor of athlete’s performance in competitions. Dick (1997) defines coaching as “more an art than a science”. The process of training consists of two components: the first, skill improvement, regards knowledge transfer, and the second is the development of a relationship between the coach and athletes which influence athletes’ development of the self-efficacy and can facilitate their psychological growth (Jowett & Cockerill, 2003). Self-efficacy depends primarily on how much we believe we have been successful in various activities within a particular field (Bandura, 1977). Poczwardowski, Barott and Henschen (2002) regard the coach-athlete relationship being responsible for the entire sports experience, quality of training, and competition performance. Quality of coach-athlete relationship depends on the contribution of both sides. The relationship will be effective if both sides are satisfied. Research studies have demonstrated that, on the coach side, various dispositional and situational factors are important, as well as certain acquired skills. These factors are: coach’s personality traits, emotional control, expertise/competency, innovativeness, communication skills, leadership style, motivational structure, gender and the like (Reimer & Toon, 2001, Serpa, 2001; Tušak & Tušak, 2001). On the athlete’s side, there are also several interrelated factors that interactively influence coach-athlete relationship quality. Studies have already demonstrated that the most important factors for athletes are: their personality traits, chosen sporting discipline, age, gender, and competition quality level (Taylor & Wilson, 2005). Kajtna, Tanja, University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Sports, Slovenia;
Regulation and targeting of the fission yeast formin cdc12p in cytokinesis.

Formins are conserved actin nucleators which promote the assembly of actin filaments for the formation of diverse actin structures. In fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, the formin cdc12p is required specifically in assembly of the actin-based contractile ring during cytokinesis. Here, using a mutational analysis of cdc12p, we identify regions of cdc12p responsible for ring assembly and localization. Profilin-binding residues of the FH1 domain regulate actin assembly and processive barbed-end capping by the FH2 domain. Studies using photobleaching (FRAP) and sensitivity to latrunculin A treatment show that profilin binding modulates the rapid dynamics of actin and cdc12p within the ring in vivo. Visualized by functional GFP-fusion constructs expressed from the endogenous promoter, cdc12p appears in a small number of cytoplasmic motile spot structures that deliver the formin to the ring assembly site, without detectable formation of an intermediate band of "nodes. " The FH3/DID region directs interphase spot localization, while an N-terminal region and the FH1-FH2 domains of cdc12p can target its localization to the ring. Mutations in putative DID and DAD regions do not alter regulation, suggesting that cdc12p is not regulated by a canonical autoinhibition mechanism. Our findings provide insights into the regulation of formin activity and the mechanisms of contractile ring dynamics and assembly.
Effective Teacher Retention Bonuses

We report findings from a quasi-experimental evaluation of the recently implemented US$5,000 retention bonus program for effective teachers in Tennessee’s Priority Schools. We estimate the impact of the program on teacher retention using a fuzzy regression discontinuity design by exploiting a discontinuity in the probability of treatment conditional on the composite teacher effectiveness rating that assigns bonus eligibility. Point estimates for the main effect of the bonus are not different from zero. However, for teachers of tested subjects and grades, the program has a consistently positive effect that is both statistically and substantively significant. We hypothesize that the null finding for the main effect is driven by teachers of untested subjects and grades given the amount of weight Tennessee’s teacher evaluation system attributes to school-level performance. This creates a strong incentive to exit the Priority Schools that are by definition low performing. Implementation concerns, including the timing of application process and observed noncompliance in bonus distribution, present obstacles for both the program’s effectiveness and its evaluation.
Prevalence of Mental Health Illness among Patients with Adult-Onset Strabismus

Abstract Background: Children diagnosed with some forms of strabismus were recently found to have an increased risk of developing mental illness by early adulthood. The purpose of this case-controlled study was to determine if adults with non-paralytic forms of strabismus are similarly at an elevated risk for developing mental illness. Methods: The medical records of all patients diagnosed as adults (≥19 years of age) with convergence insufficiency (CI) (n = 118), divergence insufficiency (DI) (n = 80), and small angle hypertropia (HT (n = 99) from January 1, 1985, through December 31, 2004, were retrospectively reviewed. Each case was compared with a sex- and birth date-matched non-strabismic control. The medical records were reviewed for mental health diagnoses, including inpatient and outpatient encounters, psychiatric ER visits, and medication use. Results: Mental health disorders were diagnosed in 65 (55.1%) patients with CI compared to 54 (45.8%) controls (p = 0.15), in 51 (63.8%) patients with DI compared to 42 (52.5%) controls (p = 0.15), and in 63 (63.6%) patients with HT compared to 57 (57.6%) controls (p = 0.38). CI patients were not more likely to have mental health disorders than their controls (p = 0.15). Mental health hospitalizations (p = 0.02), psychiatric medication use (p = 0.04), and unspecified anxiety disorders (p = 0.03) were higher in DI patients compared to controls. HT patients were found to have more generalized anxiety disorders (p = 0.003) than controls. Conclusions: Adults with some forms of strabismus (DI and HT) appear to have an increased risk of mental illness and its comorbidities, compared to age- and gender-matched non-strabismic controls.
Risk Factors for Helicobacter pylori Infection in Children: An Examination of the Role Played by Intrafamilial Bed Sharing

Background: The exact mode of transmission of Helicobacter pylori is yet to be established. Close personal contact among family members appears to be a key factor. The aim of this study was to establish whether sharing a bed or bedroom with an infected family member is an important risk factor for primary childhood H. pylori infection. Methods: Fifty-two families with at least 1 child (the index case) with H. pylori infection were recruited. The resultant study population comprised 126 siblings of the index cases. H. pylori infection was established by culture or by histology and urease testing on antral biopsies in index cases and by 13C-urea breath testing in family members. Data regarding sleeping arrangements within the family were collected. Results: Sharing a bed or bedroom with an infected sibling at the age of 3 years significantly increased the risk of childhood H. pylori infection [odds ratio, 4.84; 95% confidence intervals, 1.54–15.20; P < 0.01 and 3.68 (1.26–10.75), P = 0.017, respectively]. In addition, a child was at significantly increased risk of being infected if his/her mother or father was H. pylori-positive [odds ratio, 2.52; 95% confidence intervals, 1.03–6.13], P = 0.042 and 2.99 (1.04–8.61), P = 0.042, respectively). Conclusions: Sharing a bed or bedroom with an infected sibling in early childhood increases significantly the risk of childhood H. pylori infection. This provides evidence to support horizontal transmission of H. pylori among siblings.
The Effects of Unloader Knee Orthosis and Lateral Wedge Insole in Patients with Mild and Moderate Knee Osteoarthritis (OA)

Objective: Patients suffering from mild to moderate knee osteoarthritis may be treated with unloader knee orthoses or laterally wedged insoles. This study aimed to identify and compare the effects of two orthoses in these patients. Methods: 56 patients with medial compartment knee OA were evaluated when wearing an unloader knee orthosis and insoles with a 6° lateral wedge which were randomly assigned. Testing was performed at baseline and after 6 months of use with the two types of orthoses. The KOOS score was used to assess outcomes in this study. A paired T test was used for comparing base line and the 6th month post interventions KOOS sub scale score. An independent T test was used for analyzing the efficacy between the two orthoses. Results: Each of the interventions improved all the parameters comparing to the baseline condition (P=0.000). However, in comparing the effect between these orthoses, we did not find significant differences in activities of daily living (P=0.871), or sports and recreational activities (P=0.351). The pain and symptoms (P=0.000) were, however, significantly different between the two interventions. Conclusion: The unloader knee orthoses were more effective than lateral wedge insoles in reducing pain and symptoms.
EFFECT OF HYDROPRIMING METHOD ON MAIZE ( Zea mays ) SEEDLING EMERGENCE

The research work was carried out at the Seed Laboratory of Agronomy Department of Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh during the period from February to April in 2008 to find out the effect of hydropriming methods on maize seedling emergence. The hydropriming methods wereT1 (Non-priming), T2 (14 hours soaking + drying + storing), T3 (18 hours soaking + drying + storing), T4 (22 hours soaking + drying + storing), T5 (14 hours soaking + surface drying), T6 (18 hours soaking + surface drying), and T7 (22 hours soaking + surface drying). Effect of different hydropriming methods on seedling emergence performance of maize was evaluated at two moisture levels viz., 30% and 60% moisture of saturated sand in the experiment. Germination percentage, germination index and mean germination time were influenced significantly by hydropriming methods. The highest germination percentage, germination index, and lowest mean germination time were recorded with T6 (18 hours soaking + surface drying).
Polymorphism C 3435 T of The MDR-1 Gene Predict Response to Preoperative Chemotherapy in Locally Advanced Breast Cancer with Her 2 / neu Expression

Aim: to reveal the role of polymorphism C3435T of MDR1 gene in the response to preoperative chemotherapy in locally advance breast cancer. Methods: the analytical observational research in nineteen patients diagnosed between January and December 2005 with locally advanced breast cancer treated by preoperative Anthracycline chemotherapy to evaluate its predictive outcome was performed. On all samples Immunohistochemistry, PCR, and sequencing methodology of the MDR1 target gene were performed . Results: the polymorphism of MDR1 gene at cDNA position 3435 located in exon 26 has been shown to be correlated with clinical response to Anthracycline chemotherapy in breast cancer patients, without being affected by the positive or negative Her-2 expression. Patient with T/T genotype developed clinical response, while patient with C/T genotype did not develop clinical response. Conclusion: breast cancer patients with positive Her-2 expression do not always respond to Anthracycline, it means that only patients with T/T genotype at position 3435 located in exon 26 of MDR1 gene have clinical response, while patients have C/T genotype do not show clinical response. MDR-1 polymorphism C3435T in exon 26 may co-determine resistance to chemotherapy and provide useful information to individual therapy.
Expression of aryl hydrocarbon receptor, inflammatory cytokines, and incidence of rheumatoid arthritis in Vietnamese dioxin-exposed people

Abstract Many Vietnamese citizens have been and continue to be inadvertently exposed to dioxins and dioxin-like compounds deposited in the country during the Vietnam War. Dioxins may be involved in the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases in part via by affecting expression of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (Ahr) and inflammatory cytokines in animal models. As the role of the Ahr in dioxin-exposed people is not well defined, a study was conducted to examine gene expression levels of Ahr, inflammatory cytokines, and the incidence of diseases in dioxin-exposed citizens who had/still resided near a heavily dioxin-contaminated area in Vietnam. Whole blood from citizens at/around Da Nang airbase and control individuals living in unsprayed areas was collected. Serum levels of dioxins were analyzed by using a dioxins-responsive chemical-activated luciferase gene expression bioassay. Gene expression of Ahr, interleukin (IL)-1β, TNFα, IL-6, and IL-22 in whole blood was examined by quantitative real-time PCR. The results showed levels of dioxins and expression of Ahr, IL-1β, TNFα, and IL-6 were up-regulated while IL-22 expression was down-regulated in dioxin-exposed people. Various disease incidences in the study subjects was also examined. Interestingly, the incidence of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in these individuals was increased compared to the estimated prevalence of this disease in the general Vietnamese population. Analyses also showed that expression levels of Ahr correlated to those of IL-6 and IL-22 in the dioxin-exposed people. Taken together, dioxins might be involved in an up-regulated expression of Ahr that might possibly relate to changes in level of inflammatory cytokines and, ultimately, in the incidence of select diseases in residents of Vietnam who had/continue to live near a dioxins-contaminated site.
Psycholinguistic analysis of emotional disclosure : a case study in sport injury

The present study features a psycholinguistic analysis, using Pennebaker’s (1989) emotional disclosure paradigm, of an athlete’s experience in recovering from injury. “GL,” a male athlete rehabilitating from anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, participated in a 9-week testing protocol. A 3-day intervention was used, consisting of three 20-minute writing sessions, which promoted disclosure of negative emotions associated with injury and rehabilitation. In addition, measures of stress, mood disturbance, and self-esteem were administered from pre- to postintervention and at follow-up. Results revealed decreases in stress and mood disturbance, as well as an increase in self-esteem. Analysis of writing samples revealed increased use of linguistic markers indicating affective awareness. Findings also highlighted the importance of emotional disclosure and cognitive integration in reducing stress and enhancing understanding of injury. Athletic injury is a highly stressful event in a competitive athlete’s career, and