Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of O side‐chain length and composition on the virulence of Shigella flexneri 2a

IcsA of Shigella flexneri is required for intercellular spread and is located in the outer membrane at one pole of the bacterium, where it catalyses the polymerization of host‐cell actin. The formation of the actin tail provides the force to move the bacterium in a unidirectional manner through the host‐cell cytoplasm. We have previously demonstrated that rough lipopolysaccharide (LPS) mutants of S. flexneri 2a are avirulent and cannot form plaques in tissue‐culture monolayers. This inability to form plaques is associated with non‐polar localization of IcsA and loss of host‐cell membrane‐protrusion formation ('fireworks'). To define the minimal LPS structure required for fireworks formation, we constructed a strain of S. flexneri (BS497) that contains a mutation in rfc, encoding the O side‐chain polymerase, and a strain, BS520, that possesses a defective O side‐chain ligase due to a mutation in rfaL. BS497 produces a LPS that consists of a core with one repeat unit of the O side‐chain, while BS520 produces a LPS consisting of a complete core with no O side‐chain. BS497 remained invasive but did not form fireworks or plaques in tissue‐culture monolayers and was negative in the Serény test. BS520 was invasive, generated reduced numbers of short fireworks, and made tiny plaques, but it was negative in the Serény test. Analysis of BS497 with anti‐lcsA antibody demonstrated that IcsA was distributed over the entire cell surface. The distribution of IcsA on the surface of BS520 was predominantly unipolar, with some trail‐back of IcsA label along the sides of the bacterium. A similar pattern was seen when infected monolayers were stained for polymerized actin. These results suggest that both the presence and the length of the O side‐chain are important in the proper localization or maintenance of IcsA at the pole which subsequently affects the ability to form actin tails and produce fireworks. This reduced ability to form actin tails and fireworks results in a decreased ability of Shigella to move into adjacent host cells. To determine if the sugar composition of the O side‐chain is important in the ability to form fireworks, the rfb region of S. flexneri2a was replaced with the rfb region from Escherichia coll serotype O8 or O25. Both hybrids were invasive, formed plaques, and gave positive Serény reactions. These results suggest that, unlike LPS length, the sugar composition of the O side‐chain is not a critical requirement for the proper localization of IcsA and efficient intercellular movement.
Banking Institutions Governance and Stock Market and Financial Performance

This paper examines the relationship between banking governance internal mechanisms and financial and stock market performance. To examine this relationship, we studied a sample of 11 Tunisian banks over the 2006-2013 period. Our aim is to identify the key governance variables that contribute to improving financial and market performance of Tunisian banks. The obtained results indicate that “good” governance practice codes contribute to better financial and market performance.
Successful treatment of active ankylosing spondylitis with the anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha monoclonal antibody infliximab.

OBJECTIVE Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) has been detected in sacroiliac joint biopsy specimens from patients with spondylarthropathy. The present open pilot study was undertaken to test the efficacy of the anti-TNFalpha monoclonal antibody infliximab in the treatment of active ankylosing spondylitis (AS). METHODS Eleven patients with AS of short duration (median 5 years, range 0.5-13 years) that had been active for at least 3 months (range 3-72 months) were treated with 3 infusions of infliximab (at weeks 0, 2, and 6), in a dosage of 5 mg/kg. Ten of the 11 patients had elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) levels (>6 mg/liter) before treatment; these elevations were known to have had persisted > 1 year in at least 3 patients. The Bath AS Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), the Bath AS Functional Index (BASFI), pain as measured on a visual analog scale, and the Bath AS Metrology Index (BASMI) were assessed. Quality of life was assessed using the Short Form 36 instrument. Laboratory markers of disease activity, including interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels, were determined. Dynamic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the spine was performed in 5 patients. RESULTS One patient withdrew from the study due to the occurrence of urticarial xanthoma 8 days after the first infusion. At study enrollment, 3 of 5 patients had evidence of spinal inflammation (spondylitis and spondylodiscitis) as detected by MRI; followup MRI 2-6 weeks after the third infusion revealed improvement in 2. Improvement of > or = 50% in activity, function, and pain scores was documented in 9 of 10 patients; the median improvement in the BASDAI after 4 weeks was 70% (range 41-94%). This clear-cut benefit lasted for 6 weeks after the third infusion in 8 of 10 patients. The median CRP level decreased from 15.5 mg/liter (range <6-90.8) to normal, and the median IL-6 level from 12.4 mg/liter (range 0-28.4) to normal (<5). There was improvement in all 9 SF-36 concepts; the improvement was significant for 6 concepts. CONCLUSION These data suggest that anti-TNFalpha therapy is very effective for several weeks in AS. Whether this therapy, in addition to its antiinflammatory effect, prevents ankylosis remains to be determined.
Home-based HIV counselling and testing in western Kenya.

BACKGROUND The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that only 12% of men and 10% of women in sub-Saharan Africa have been tested for HIV and know their test results. Home-based counselling and testing (HBCT) offers a novel approach to complement facility-based provider initiated testing and counselling (PITC) and voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) and could greatly increase HIV prevention opportunities. However, there is almost no evidence that large-scale, door-to-door testing is even feasible in settings with both limited resources and significant stigma around HIV and AIDS. OBJECTIVE To describe our experience with the feasibility and acceptance of home-based HIV counselling and testing (HBCT) in two large, rural, administrative divisions of western Kenya. DESIGN The USAID-AMPATH Partnership conducted population-based, house-to-house HIV counselling and testing in western Kenya between June 2007 and June 2009. All individuals aged > or = 13 years and all eligible children were offered HBCT. Children were eligible if they were above 13 years of age, and their mother was either HIV-positive or had unknown HIV serostatus, or if their mother was deceased or whose vital status was unknown. SETTING Kosirai and Turbo Divisions, Rift Valley Province, Kenya. RESULTS There were 47,066 households approached in 294 villages: 97% of households allowed entry. Of the 138,026 individuals captured, 101,167 individuals were eligible for testing: 89% of adults and 58% of children consented to HIV testing. The prevalence of HIVin these communities was 3.0%: 2.7% in adults and 3.7% among children. Prevalence was highest in the 36-45 year age group and was almost always higher among women and girls. All persons testing HIV-positive were referred to Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare (AMPATH) for further assessment and care; all consenting persons were counselled on HIV risk-lowering behaviours. CONCLUSION Home-based HIV counselling and testing was feasible among this rural population in western Kenya, with a majority of the population accepting to get tested. These data suggest that scaling-up of HBCT is possible and may enable large numbers of individuals to know their HIV serostatus in sub-Saharan Africa. More research is needed to describe the cost-effectiveness and clinical impact of this approach.
Acne analysis, grading and computational assessment methods: an overview

Introduction: This paper presents a comprehensive review of acne grading and measurement. Acne is a chronic disorder of the pilosebaceous units, with excess sebum production, follicular epidermal hyperproliferation, inflammation and Propionibacterium acnes activity. Most patients are affected with acne vulgaris, which is the prevalent type of acne. Acne vulgaris consists of comedones (whitehead and blackhead), papules, pustules, nodules and cysts.
Overexpression of phytochelatin synthase (AtPCS) in rice for tolerance to cadmium stress

Phytoremediation is an important strategy adapted by plants to sequester and/or detoxify pollutants. Phytochelatins, a family of cysteine-rich thiol-reactive peptides, bind to various heavy metals and metalloids making them good candidates for phytoremediation. Phytochelatin synthase catalyses the final step in the biosynthesis of phytochelatins and can be used as a strategy to improve tolerance against heavy metals. In the present study, an AtPCS gene was overexpressed in rice following the in planta transformation approach. Stringent screening strategies were standardized to select putative transformants under a Cd stress of 125 μM at both seedling and plant levels. Molecular analysis by PCR in 18 tolerant plants confirmed the transgene integration and absence of Agrobacterium. Genomic Southern analysis further confirmed the integration of the T-DNA as a single copy. The stability of the T-DNA in the progeny of 5 selected T1 generation plants was confirmed by tolerance assay, molecular characterization and biochemical analysis for the reduced glutathione, phytochelatin content and lipid peroxidation. This strategy is discussed as a potential mechanism to enhance the tolerance of rice plants to Cd stress.
Maximum likelihood inference implies a high, not a low, ancestral haploid chromosome number in Araceae, with a critique of the bias introduced by 'x'.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS For 84 years, botanists have relied on calculating the highest common factor for series of haploid chromosome numbers to arrive at a so-called basic number, x. This was done without consistent (reproducible) reference to species relationships and frequencies of different numbers in a clade. Likelihood models that treat polyploidy, chromosome fusion and fission as events with particular probabilities now allow reconstruction of ancestral chromosome numbers in an explicit framework. We have used a modelling approach to reconstruct chromosome number change in the large monocot family Araceae and to test earlier hypotheses about basic numbers in the family. METHODS Using a maximum likelihood approach and chromosome counts for 26 % of the 3300 species of Araceae and representative numbers for each of the other 13 families of Alismatales, polyploidization events and single chromosome changes were inferred on a genus-level phylogenetic tree for 113 of the 117 genera of Araceae. KEY RESULTS The previously inferred basic numbers x = 14 and x = 7 are rejected. Instead, maximum likelihood optimization revealed an ancestral haploid chromosome number of n = 16, Bayesian inference of n = 18. Chromosome fusion (loss) is the predominant inferred event, whereas polyploidization events occurred less frequently and mainly towards the tips of the tree. CONCLUSIONS The bias towards low basic numbers (x) introduced by the algebraic approach to inferring chromosome number changes, prevalent among botanists, may have contributed to an unrealistic picture of ancestral chromosome numbers in many plant clades. The availability of robust quantitative methods for reconstructing ancestral chromosome numbers on molecular phylogenetic trees (with or without branch length information), with confidence statistics, makes the calculation of x an obsolete approach, at least when applied to large clades.
Patients with non-Jo-1 anti-tRNA-synthetase autoantibodies have worse survival than Jo-1 positive patients

Objective To compare the cumulative survival and event free survival in patients with Jo-1 versus non-Jo-1 anti-tRNA synthetase autoantibodies (anti-synAb). Methods Anti-synAb positive patients initially evaluated from 1985 to 2009 were included regardless of the connective tissue disease (CTD) diagnosis. Clinical data were extracted from a prospectively collected database and chart review. Survival between Jo-1 and non-Jo-1 was compared by log rank and Cox proportional hazards methods. Results 202 patients possessed anti-synAb: 122 Jo-1 and 80 non-Jo-1 (35 PL-12; 25 PL-7; 9 EJ; 6 KS; 5 OJ). The diagnoses at first visit for Jo-1 and non-Jo-1 patients were myositis in 83% and 40.0%, overlap or undifferentiated CTD in 17% and 47.5%, and systemic sclerosis in 0% and 12.5%, respectively (p<0.001). The median delay in diagnosis was 0.4 years in Jo-1 patients versus 1.0 year in non-Jo-1 patients (p<0.001). The most common causes of death in the overall cohort were pulmonary fibrosis in 49% and pulmonary hypertension in 11%. The 5- and 10-year unadjusted cumulative survival was 90% and 70% for Jo-1 patients, and 75% and 47% for non-Jo-1 patients (p<0.005). The hazard ratio (HR) of non-Jo-1 patients compared with Jo-1 patients was 1.9 (p=0.01) for cumulative and 1.9 (p=0.008) for event free survival from diagnosis. Age at first diagnosis and diagnosis delay but not gender, ethnicity and CTD diagnosis influenced survival. Conclusions Non-Jo-1 anti-synAb positive patients have decreased survival compared with Jo-1 patients. The difference in survival may be partly attributable to a delay in diagnosis in the non-Jo-1 patients.
Breast cancer subtypes and the risk of local and regional relapse.

PURPOSE The risk of local and regional relapse associated with each breast cancer molecular subtype was determined in a large cohort of patients with breast cancer. Subtype assignment was accomplished using a validated six-marker immunohistochemical panel applied to tissue microarrays. PATIENTS AND METHODS Semiquantitative analysis of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), Ki-67, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and cytokeratin (CK) 5/6 was performed on tissue microarrays constructed from 2,985 patients with early invasive breast cancer. Patients were classified into the following categories: luminal A, luminal B, luminal-HER2, HER2 enriched, basal-like, or triple-negative phenotype-nonbasal. Multivariable Cox analysis was used to determine the risk of local or regional relapse associated the intrinsic subtypes, adjusting for standard clinicopathologic factors. RESULTS The intrinsic molecular subtype was successfully determined in 2,985 tumors. The median follow-up time was 12 years, and there have been a total of 325 local recurrences and 227 regional lymph node recurrences. Luminal A tumors (ER or PR positive, HER2 negative, Ki-67 < 1%) had the best prognosis and the lowest rate of local or regional relapse. For patients undergoing breast conservation, HER2-enriched and basal subtypes demonstrated an increased risk of regional recurrence, and this was statistically significant on multivariable analysis. After mastectomy, luminal B, luminal-HER2, HER2-enriched, and basal subtypes were all associated with an increased risk of local and regional relapse on multivariable analysis. CONCLUSION Luminal A tumors are associated with a low risk of local or regional recurrence. Molecular subtyping of breast tumors using a six-marker immunohistochemical panel can identify patients at increased risk of local and regional recurrence.
Recruitment of Cellular Clathrin to Viral Factories and Disruption of Clathrin‐Dependent Trafficking

The viral factories of mammalian reovirus (MRV) are cytoplasmic structures that serve as sites of viral genome replication and particle assembly. A 721‐aa MRV non‐structural protein, µNS, forms the factory matrix and recruits other viral proteins to these structures. In this report, we show that µNS contains a conserved C‐proximal sequence (711‐LIDFS‐715) that is similar to known clathrin‐box motifs and is required for recruitment of clathrin to viral factories. Clathrin recruitment by µNS occurs independently of infecting MRV particles or other MRV proteins. Ala substitution for a single Leu residue (mutation L711A) within the putative clathrin‐binding motif of µNS inhibits clathrin recruitment, but does not prevent formation or expansion of viral factories. Notably, clathrin‐dependent cellular functions, including both endocytosis and secretion, are disrupted in cells infected with MRV expressing wild‐type, but not L711A, µNS. These results identify µNS as a novel adaptor‐like protein that recruits cellular clathrin to viral factories, disrupting normal functions of clathrin in cellular membrane trafficking. To our knowledge, this is the only viral or bacterial protein yet shown to interfere with clathrin functions in this manner. The results additionally establish a new approach for studies of clathrin functions, based on µNS‐mediated sequestration.
Type I Error Rates and Power of Several Versions of Scaled Chi-Square Difference Tests in Investigations of Measurement Invariance

A Monte Carlo simulation study was conducted to investigate Type I error rates and power of several corrections for nonnormality to the normal theory chi-square difference test in the context of evaluating measurement invariance via structural equation modeling. Studied statistics include the uncorrected difference test, DML, Satorra and Bentler’s (2001) original correction, DSB1, Satorra and Bentler’s (2010) strictly positive correction, DSB10, and a hybrid procedure, DSBH (Asparouhov & Muthén, 2013). Multiple-group data were generated from confirmatory factor analytic population models invariant on all parameters, or lacking invariance on residual variances, indicator intercepts, or factor loadings. Conditions varied in terms of the number of indicators associated with each factor in the population model, the location of noninvariance (if any), sample size, sample size ratio in the 2 groups, and nature of nonnormality. Type I error rates and power of corrected statistics were evaluated for a series of 4 nested invariance models. Overall, the strictly positive correction, DSB10, is the best and most consistently performing statistic, as it was found to be much less sensitive than the original correction, DSB1, to model size and sample evenness.
Gender- and age-specific associations between sleep duration and prevalent hypertension in middle-aged and elderly Chinese: a cross-sectional study from CHARLS 2011–2012

Objectives The impact of gender and age on the association between sleep duration and hypertension is not well known in Asians. The objective of this study was to analyse gender- and age-specific associations between sleep duration and prevalent hypertension in middle-aged and elderly Chinese. Design Secondary analysis of a cohort sample. Setting This study used data from the national baseline survey of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS, 2011–2012), covering 150 counties/districts and 450 villages/resident committees from 28 provinces in China. Participants Community-based subjects were drawn from the CHARLS through multistage probability sampling. Overall, this study included 9086 eligible subjects aged 45 years or above. Outcome measures Self-reported sleep duration was obtained using a structured questionnaire. The mean of three measures of systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure was calculated. By gender and age groups (45–60 years, middle-aged; ≥60 years, elderly), relationships between self-reported sleep duration and prevalent hypertension were examined using logistic regression models to estimate OR and 95% CIs. Results Compared with the reference group (≥7 and <8 hours/night), the group who had less sleep (<6 hours/night) had a higher likelihood of hypertension in the whole sample (OR 1.26, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.52). Significant ORs (95% CIs) of hypertension were 1.68 (1.17 to 2.42), 1.69 (1.11 to 2.59) and 2.21 (1.29 to 3.80) for <6, 6–7 (≥6 and <7) and 8–9 (≥8 and <9) hours/night, respectively, in middle-aged men but not women. Interestingly, a significant association was observed between long sleep duration (≥9 hours/night) and hypertension in middle-aged women (OR 1.55, 95% CI 1.02 to 2.35) but not in men. Conclusions Extremes of sleep duration increased the likelihood of prevalent hypertension in middle-aged Chinese depending on gender, suggesting that appropriate strategies for improvement in sleep health are required.
Economic Recessions and Congressional Preferences for Redistribution

Abstract We study if U.S. members of Congress who experienced an economic recession during early adulthood vote differently on redistribution-specific bills. We find that politicians who experienced a recession hold more conservative positions on redistribution, even compared to members of the same party. In light of recent empirical evidence showing that voters become more supportive of redistribution following a recession, our findings suggest that macroeconomic shocks might have a polarizing effect: recessions can create an ideological wedge between voters and their future representatives. We hypothesize and present evidence suggesting that this wedge might be explained by politicians' more privileged background.
Increased emotional distress in daughters of breast cancer patients is associated with decreased natural cytotoxic activity, elevated levels of stress hormones and decreased secretion of Th1 cytokines

DBCP who are aware of their increased risk of developing breast cancer may suffer from high emotional distress. Chronic stress may interfere with NCA and low NCA is associated with increased cancer risk. We studied 80 DBCP and 47 age‐ and education‐matched healthy females (controls). Heparinized venous blood (30 ml) was drawn from all subjects between 8 and 9 A.M., and each participant answered a set of psychologic questionnaires. In addition, the first‐morning urine sample was collected. DBCP scored significantly higher in emotional distress compared to controls. Levels of stress hormones in DBCP were higher and in vitro secretion of IL‐2, IL‐12 and IFN‐γ lower compared to controls. NCA against NK‐resistant (MCF‐7, COLO‐205, U937) and NK‐sensitive (K562) cell lines was significantly lower in DBCP and much less augmented by in vitro preincubation with IL‐2 or IL‐12 compared to controls. NCA and in vitro Th1 cytokine secretion were inversely correlated with the degree of emotional distress and the level of stress hormones in blood or urine. High emotional distress and elevated levels of stress hormones are associated with impaired immune surveillance functions in DBCP. This may contribute to the increased risk of DBCP to develop breast cancer. An interventional trial to enhance coping and reduce stress levels may help to decrease the risk for breast cancer onset in DBCP. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Does Book-to-Market Ratio Matter in Profitability of Momentum Investment Strategy in Tehran Stock Exchange? - TI Journals

Abstract: Momentum investment strategy is one of the axes which challenges Efficient Market Hypothesis that is one of the fundamental paradigms in modern finance. Investment in growth and value stocks is also one of the scholar axes about studying strategies generating surplus return in the market. The statistical population in this research is the whole firms have been accepted in Tehran Stock Exchange. The firms have been categorized based on the measure of Book-to-Market Ratio (BTM) and then their performance was studied. Therefore, this research aims to study the impact of BTM (as a measure for differentiating between growth and value stocks) on the profitability of momentum investment strategy in Tehran Stock Exchange. The research was conducted during 2004-2014 and a sample of 40 firms was chosen from all accepted firms in Tehran Stock Exchange by the knockout method. The results indicated that in the mentioned period, differential return of winning and losing portfolio has been positive and this indicated positive profitability of momentum investment strategy in both growth and value stocks.