Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Relation between the hemolytic property and iron metabolism in Escherichia coli

The hemolytic activity of wild-type strains of Escherichia coli was measured by a standardized method in liquid broth. The system also allowed us to investigate the influence of various Fe3+ concentrations in the cultures on the amount of secreted hemolysin. We found that the hemolysin secretion of all strains was clearly reduced after addition of FeCl3. However, the influence of additional iron chelators showed remarkable differences. The hemolytic activity of Hly plasmid-containing strains isolated in Berne significantly increased. Most of the strains with a chromosomal hemolysin determinant showed a similar effect, but to a lesser degree. Contrary to this, Hly plasmid-containing strains isolated in Essex and some strains with chromosomal hemolysin determinant were either not affected or even showed reduced hemolysin secretion after limitation of free iron ions in the broth. Our results suggest that hemolysin secretion in E. coli is related to the bacterial iron metabolism, and hemolysin secretion is differentially regulated among E. coli strains.
Involvement of alpha 2-adrenergic receptors in the vagal reflex-induced tracheal constriction.

The effects of clonidine on the vagal reflex-induced tracheal constriction have been investigated in anesthetized, paralyzed, and artificially ventilated mongrel dogs. The cervical trachea was transected in situ into two parts. Responses of the tracheal musculature were measured as changes in the intratracheal pressure on an air-filled balloon introduced into the rostral side of the transected trachea. Reflex tracheal constriction was induced by afferent electrical stimulation at the central cut end of the vagus nerve. Drugs were injected or infused close intraarterially (i.a.) into the bilateral cranial thyroid arteries in such a way that each drug was applied just to the rostral trachea. The reflex tracheal constriction was abolished by a close i.a. infusion of 3 microM atropine. The magnitude of the reflex tracheal constriction was slightly reduced by a close i.a. infusion of 10 microM clonidine and was significantly reduced by the infusion of clonidine at a concentration of 100 and 300 microM. The response to 100 microM clonidine was antagonized by a close i.a. infusion of 1 microM yohimbine. The tracheal constriction induced by i.a. injection of 5.5 nmol acetylcholine was unaffected by infusion of 10, 100 and 300 microM clonidine. The vagal reflex-induced tracheal constriction seems to be inhibited by stimulation of prejunctional alpha 2-adrenoceptors.
Body Weight and United States Economic Development, 1840-1940

This paper examines whether an expansion in the supply of public preschool crowds out private enrollment, using rich data for municipalities in Brazil from 2000-2006, where federal transfers to local governments change discontinuously with given population thresholds. Results from a regression-discontinuity design reveal that larger federal transfers lead to a significant expansion of local public preschool services, but show no effects on the quantity or quality of private provision. These findings are consistent with a theory in which households differ in willingness to pay for preschool services, and private suppliers optimally adjust prices in response to an expansion of lower-quality, free-of-charge public supply.
Overexpression or ectopic expression of MUC2 is the common property of mucinous carcinomas of the colon, pancreas, breast, and ovary

Mucinous carcinomas of the colorectum have been reported to overexpress the intestinal mucin MUC2. The purpose of this study was to determine whether this alteration is shared by mucinous tumours of the ovary, breast, and pancreas. A total of 40 breast carcinomas (22 of mucinous and 18 of ductal invasive type), 39 ovarian adenocarcinomas (16 mucinous, 23 serous), 47 colorectal carcinomas (25 mucinous and 22 non‐mucinous), and 41 pancreatic adenocarcinomas (14 mucinous, 27 non‐mucinous) were investigated by immunohistochemistry with the anti‐MUC2 monoclonal antibody 4F1 and the expression pattern was ranked. MUC2 mucin is expressed in the normal colonic epithelium; in the normal epithelium of the breast, ovary, and pancreas, it was not detectable by immunohistochemistry or by reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR). In agreement with previous reports, the colonic mucinous carcinomas differed significantly from the non‐mucinous carcinomas by strong MUC2 expression. In all mucinous carcinomas of the ovary, breast, and pancreas, de novo expression of the MUC2 gene was observed, which differentiated mucinous and nonmucinous carcinomas of these tissues (P<0·001). The overexpression or ectopic expression of the MUC2 gene exhibited by mucinous carcinomas of four organs indicates a common genetic lesion associated with the mucinous tumour phenotype. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Who, if Anyone, Reacts to Accrual Information?

We show that the vast majority of investors ignore value-relevant accruals information when it is first released, but that investors who initiate trades of at least 5,000 shares tend to transact in the proper direction. These investors trade on accruals information only when the previously-announced earnings signal is non-negative. Unconditionally, those investors initiating the smallest trades appear to respond to accruals in the wrong direction, but further investigation suggests this behavior is explained by their attraction to attention-grabbing stocks. Finally, we find that those who trade on accruals information have insufficient market power to mitigate the accruals anomaly.
Theoretical Studies of the Adsorption and Migration Behavior of Boron Atoms on Hydrogen-Terminated Diamond (001) Surface

The adsorption and migration activation energies of boron atoms on a hydrogen-terminated diamond (001) surface were calculated using first principles methods based on density functional theory. The values were then used to investigate the behavior of boron atoms in the deposition process of B-doped diamond film. On the fully hydrogen-terminated surface, the adsorption energy of a boron atom is relatively low and the maximum value is 1.387 eV. However, on the hydrogen-terminated surface with one open radical site or two open radical sites, the adsorption energy of a boron atom increases to 4.37 eV, and even up to 5.94 eV, thereby forming a stable configuration. When a boron atom deposits nearby a radical site, it can abstract a hydrogen atom from a surface carbon atom, and then form a BH radical and create a new radical site. This study showed that the number and distribution of open radical sites, namely, the adsorption of hydrogen atoms and the abstraction of surface hydrogen atoms, can influence the adsorption and migration of boron atoms on hydrogen-terminated diamond surfaces.
How Important Are Situational Constraints in Understanding Job Satisfaction

While multitudes of studies have focused on the influence of individual factors on job satisfaction, many have ignored the potential influence of environmental factors, such as situational constraints. One hundred fifty three oil field industrial equipment service workers were surveyed to determine how important situational constraints were in understanding job satisfaction. We found that situational constraints perceived in the work environment accounted for over twenty seven percent (27%) of job satisfaction differences, after controlling for demographic factors that may influence job satisfaction. Results point to supervision as the only significantly influential situational constraint on job satisfaction, providing the greatest potential for improving employee job satisfaction. Thus, these findings suggest that management interested in getting the most “bang for their buck” relative to controlling or influencing contextual organizational situations that may positively influence job satisfaction perhaps should focus on only a single dimension - supervision.
Sources of organic aerosol investigated using organic compounds as tracers measured during CalNex in Bakersfield

To investigate the major sources of summertime organic aerosol (OA) and provide insights into secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation, positive matrix factorization analysis was performed on a large set of organic species measured during the California at the Nexus of Air Quality and Climate Change (CalNex) campaign in Bakersfield, CA. Six OA source factors were identified, including one representing primary organic aerosol (POA); four different types of SOA representing local, regional, and nighttime production; and one representing a complex mixture of additional OA sources that were not further resolvable. POA accounted for an average of 15% of measured OA. The complex mixture of additional OA sources contributed an average of 13% of measured OA. The combined contribution of four types of SOA to measured OA averaged 72% and varied diurnally from 78% during the day to 66% at night. Both regional and local SOA were significant contributors to measured OA during the day, but regional SOA was the larger one, especially in the afternoon. Although contributions to SOA from oxidation of biogenic gas‐phase compounds were less constrained, they were evident and dominantly occurred at night. The formation of SOA is indicated to be mainly through gas‐to‐particle condensation of gas‐phase oxidation products during the day. Our results indicate that effective control measures to reduce summertime OA in Bakersfield should focus on reducing sources of gas‐phase organics that serve as SOA precursors during the day, and it is more effective to reduce SOA precursors at the regional scale in the afternoon.
High Serum Uric Acid as a Novel Risk Factor for Type 2 Diabetes

We read with interest the article by Dehghan et al. (1) that reports a study of 4,536 subjects free from diabetes at baseline and suggests that serum uric acid (sUA) is a strong and independent risk factor for diabetes with a mean follow-up of 10.1 years. To elucidate the association between sUA, diabetes, and chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, we conducted a community-based study enrolling 4,982 subjects (2,060 male, aged 56.2 ± 6.2 years); subjects with sUA levels >7.0 mg/dl for men and …
Decreased frequency of HLA‐DRB 1*13 alleles in Frenchwomen with HPV‐positive carcinoma of the cervix

Specific types of human papillomaviruses (HPV) are associated with most cases of pre‐invasive and invasive neoplasia of the uterine cervix. HLA phenotype influences susceptibility and resistance to viral infections and may therefore influence the course of HPV‐associated tumors. Some data suggest that specific HLA class‐II alleles may be associated with protection from or susceptibility to papillomavirus‐associated lesions, but these results are still controversial. Using molecular probes, we looked for associations between specific DQAI, DQBI, DRBI HLA class‐II alleles, HPV types and cervical cancer. The analysis was performed on a population of 126 patients with invasive cervical cancer. For HLA typing, 165 healthy individuals were taken as controls. The DRBI * 1301/02 allele frequency significantly decreased in patients (11%) as compared to controls (29%). This difference in frequency was dependent on the HPV‐positive status of tumors and was no longer significant in the group of HPV‐negative lesions. The same trends were observed with the DRBI * 1301/02‐DQAI * 0103‐DQBI * 0603 haplotype frequency. An increase in the frequency of the DRBI * 1401/07 and DRBI * 03 alleles was observed in patients under 40. Contrary to what has been reported in the literature, no increase in the DRBI * 15 allele frequency was observed in our series and only a slight increase in the DQBI * 03 frequency was found in patients (70%) compared to controls (58%). In our study, no positive correlations between cervical cancer in Frenchwomen and specific HLA DR‐DQ haplotypes has been found. In contrast, a negative correlation between DRBI * 1301/02 alleles and HPV‐positive tumors has been observed. This may suggest a protective effect of DR13 against HPV‐associated lesions of the cervix. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
An Investigation of the Impact of Nocturnal Enuresis on Children's Self-Concept

Objective: This study sought to evaluate the relationship between the self-esteem and the self-image of children with nocturnal enuresis and to examine these in relation to various aspects of clinical and demographic variables. Previous studies investigating the self-esteem of bedwetting children have had mixed findings. Some studies report that children with nocturnal enuresis have a lower self-esteem than their non-bedwetting peers, but other studies report that children with nocturnal enuresis perceive themselves similarly to non-bedwetting children. However, what have not been studied to date are the self-perceptions of bedwetting children treated in community clinics. Material and Methods: A total of 114 bedwetting children treated in community clinics provided the sample. School nurses conducted a routine first-visit assessment, collected baseline demographic and social information and invited children to complete the Butler Self-Image Profile and the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory. Results: Age and extent of wetting were not significantly related to self-concept measures. Girls had significantly ( p = 0.008) higher scores on positive self-image compared with boys. Children with secondary enuresis also scored higher on positive self-image compared with those with primary nocturnal enuresis ( p = 0.02). The Butler self-image scores indicated a number of significant links between positive self-image and enuresis variables, whereas the Coopersmith self-esteem scores generally failed to distinguish between the enuresis variables and closely reflected those of the negative self-image scores. Conclusions: These findings suggest that amongst children with nocturnal enuresis, the most vulnerable in terms of self-image are male, those with primary enuresis and those with a greater number of wet nights a week.
CFR-Working Paper NO . 0707 Insider Tr ading and Corporate Governance : The Case of Germany

We analyze transactions by corporate insiders in Germany. We find that insider trades are associated with significant abnormal returns. Insider trades that occur prior to an earnings announcement have a larger impact on prices. This result provides a rationale for the UK regulation that prohibits insiders from trading prior to earnings announcements. Both the ownership structure and the accounting standards used by the firm affect the magnitude of the price reaction. The position of the insider within the firm has no effect, which is inconsistent with the informational hierarchy hypothesis,. JEL classification: G14, G30, G32
Using Mbiui Life-Cycle Framework for an Affective Bi-Modal User Interface

The present invention provides a card carrier such as a wallet for reducing the occurrence of loss of a card such as a credit card. The card carrier includes an arrangement for receiving a card and for triggering an alarm when (i) the card is missing from the card carrier, and (ii) the card carrier is placed in an enclosure such as one's pocket or purse. The arrangement for receiving a card and for triggering an alarm includes a pocket arrangement normally adapted to receive a card therein, a card sensing mechanism associated with the pocket arrangement for detecting the presence or absence of a card therein, and an enclosure sensing mechanism for sensing when the card carrier is placed in one's pocket, purse, or other enclosure. An alarm mechanism operatively connected to the card sensing mechanism and the enclosure sensing mechanism is provided for emitting an alarm signal when the card sensing mechanism detects the absence of a card from the pocket and the enclosure sensing mechanism senses the card carrier is positioned in one's pocket, purse, or other enclosure.
Deleted in Liver Cancer (DLC) 2 Encodes a RhoGAP Protein with Growth Suppressor Function and Is Underexpressed in Hepatocellular Carcinoma*

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major malignancy in many parts of the world, especially in Asia and Africa. Loss of heterozygosity (LOH) on the long arm of chromosome 13 has been reported in HCC. In search of tumor suppressor genes in this region, here we have identified DLC2 (for deleted inliver cancer 2) at 13q12.3 encoding a novel Rho family GTPase-activating protein (GAP). DLC2mRNA is ubiquitously expressed in normal tissues but was significantly underexpressed in 18% (8/45) of human HCCs.DLC2 is homologous to DLC1, a previously identified tumor suppressor gene at 8p22-p21.3 frequently deleted in HCC. DLC2 encodes a novel protein with a RhoGAP domain, a SAM (sterile α motif) domain related to p73/p63, and a lipid-binding StAR-related lipid transfer (START) domain. Biochemical analysis indicates that DLC2 protein has GAP activity specific for small GTPases RhoA and Cdc42. Expression of the GAP domain of DLC2 sufficiently inhibits the Rho-mediated formation of actin stress fibers. Introduction of human DLC2 into mouse fibroblasts suppresses Ras signaling and Ras-induced cellular transformation in a GAP-dependent manner. Taken together, our findings suggest a role for DLC2 in growth suppression and hepatocarcinogenesis.
Are luminous radio-loud active galactic nuclei triggered by galaxy interactions?

We present the results of a comparison between the optical morphologies of a complete sample of 46 southern 2 Jy radio galaxies at intermediate redshifts (0.05 < z < 0.7) and those of two control samples of quiescent early-type galaxies: 55 ellipticals at redshifts z ≤ 0.01 from the Observations of Bright Ellipticals at Yale (OBEY) survey, and 107 early-type galaxies at redshifts 0.2 < z < 0.7 in the Extended Groth Strip (EGS). Based on these comparisons, we discuss the role of galaxy interactions in the triggering of powerful radio galaxies (PRGs). We find that a significant fraction of quiescent ellipticals at low and intermediate redshifts show evidence for disturbed morphologies at relatively high surface brightness levels, which are likely the result of past or on-going galaxy interactions. However, the morphological features detected in the galaxy hosts of the PRGs (e.g. tidal tails, shells, bridges, etc.) are up to 2 mag brighter than those present in their quiescent counterparts. Indeed, if we consider the same surface brightness limits, the fraction of disturbed morphologies is considerably smaller in the quiescent population (53 per cent at z < 0.2 and 48 per cent at 0.2 ≤ z < 0.7) than in the PRGs (93 per cent at z < 0.2 and 95 per cent at 0.2 ≤ z < 0.7 considering strong-line radio galaxies only). This supports a scenario in which PRGs represent a fleeting active phase of a subset of the elliptical galaxies that have recently undergone mergers/interactions. However, we demonstrate that only a small proportion (≲20 per cent) of disturbed early-type galaxies are capable of hosting powerful radio sources.
Remodeling and Fibrosis in Chronic Eosinophil Inflammation

Chronic eosinophilic inflammation has been associated with tissue remodeling in a number of disease states including the hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES), asthma, and, more recently, eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). Remodeling occurs in the epithelial and subepithelial esophageal tissue, and includes basal zone hyperplasia, epithelial mesenchymal transition, fibrosis, angiogenesis, and smooth muscle hypertrophy/hyperplasia. Previously, research on the clinical impacts of tissue remodeling has been limited by a paucity of human tissue. However, in EoE, recurrent biopsies are required for diagnosis and management. As such, investigators are able to study the associations between tissue changes and clinical disease features. A number of profibrotic and proangiogenic factors are elevated in EoE, including TGF-β1, CCL-18, FGF-9, VEGF, and VCAM-1. Both eosinophils and mast cells produce a number of these factors. TGF-β1 appears to be a master regulator of end-organ dysfunction in EoE and can cause esophageal epithelial mesenchymal transition, fibrosis, and smooth muscle contraction. The requirement for eosinophils, the eosinophilopoietic interleukin, IL-5, and the canonical TGF-β1 signaling pathway for EoE-associated fibrosis, has been invoked using gene-deficient mice. The clinical consequences of eosinophil-associated tissue fibrosis can be devastating, such as endomyocardial fibrosis and heart failure in HES. In EoE, tissue remodeling appears to be the mechanism for multiple cardinal disease complications including esophageal rigidity, strictures, narrowing, and food impactions, as well as the clinical hallmark of dysphagia. Therapies that may be able to reduce or reverse EoE-associated remodeling include topical corticosteroids, anti-IL-5, and food antigen avoidance.
Performance of CAPTIA SelectSyph-G Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay in Syphilis Testing of a High-Risk Population: Analysis of Discordant Results

ABSTRACT Using the Captia Select Syph-G enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), we analyzed the sera of 1,771 patients from a high-risk population attending sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinics. We focused on discrepancies between the results of the immunoglobulin G (IgG) ELISA and the Treponema pallidum hemagglutination (TPHA) test. We identified 57 patients (3.22%) with conflicting results in the IgG ELISA and TPHA test. In order to resolve these discrepancies, these patients’ health records were reviewed and additional serological tests (rapid plasma reagin, IgM ELISA, fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption, and Western blotting) were performed. We subsequently diagnosed 22 of these 57 (38.6%) patients with late latent syphilis. None of the patients with discordant test results was diagnosed with early syphilis. We followed 35 of these 57 patients, analyzing two consecutive serum samples at 3 weeks and at 3 months. Discordant results persisted in 12 (33.3%) patients. We successfully resolved the test result discrepancies for 28 patients (80%) involved in follow-up. Captia SelectSyph-G ELISA showed a sensitivity of 99.0%, a specificity of 98.0%, and positive and negative predictive values of 99.3% and 97.2%, respectively. Based on the results of this study, we conclude that the Captia SelectSyph-G ELISA is a reliable tool for syphilis testing in a high-risk population and recommend the utilization of the Captia SelectSyph-G ELISA as a confirmatory test in at-risk patients.
Simulation of the radar observation of a sea patch using the TLM electromagnetic method

We propose the simulated rendition of the observation of a variety of small sea patches by radar. These patches include a random sea surface of variable state, with possibly the presence of a manufactured, metallic object in its middle. The simulation in itself draws upon two different techniques which are combined: for the free-space propagation, a simple geometrical ray tracing method is used. On the other hand, we rely on a discrete calculation of the propagation of the electromagnetic waves in the vicinity of the sea surface, using the TLM method. Different aspects of this particular electromagnetic method are discussed in this paper. The originality of the approach is the combination of a geometrical calculation with a discrete, exact computation, each of them being devoted to a precise part of the simulation. Further matter in the article extends onto the explanation of some techniques developed for the need of our study, presentation and annotation of some results along with computation times, and overall discussion.