Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Characterization of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa recA analog and its protein product: rec-102 is a mutant allele of the P. aeruginosa PAO recA gene

We cloned a 2.3-kilobase-pair fragment of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO chromosome which is capable of complementing recA mutations of Escherichia coli. The recA-complementing activity was further localized to a 1.5-kilobase-pair PvuII-HindIII fragment. Southern blot analysis under conditions of high stringency indicated that DNA sequence homology is shared by the E. coli recA gene and the P. aeruginosa recA analog. The cloned recA analog was shown to restore resistance to methyl methanesulfonate, nitrofurantoin, and UV irradiation to E. coli recA mutants. Upon introduction of the cloned P. aeruginosa gene, these mutants regained recombination proficiency in HfrH-mediated conjugation and the ability to induce lambda prophages and SOS functions (din gene transcription) after exposure to DNA-damaging agents. Lambda prophage carrying a cI ind mutation was not inducible, suggesting that the mechanism of induction of these SOS functions by the P. aeruginosa RecA analog is similar to that by the activated E. coli RecA protein. The product of the recA analog was identified in minicells as a protein of approximately 47,000 daltons. Western blot analysis using anti-E. coli RecA antibody demonstrated that this protein is antigenically cross-reactive with the E. coli recA protein. The recA-containing fragment was cloned into the broad-host-range vector pCP13 and introduced into Rec- strains of P. aeruginosa containing the rec-102 allele. The plasmid was shown to restore recombination proficiency in FP5-mediated conjugations and to restore resistance to UV irradiation and methyl methanesulfonate to these Rec- mutants. It was shown that a wild-type allele of rec-102 is necessary for UV-mediated induction of D3 and F116 prophages. The cloned recA analog restored the UV inducibility of these prophages in rec-102 mutants. These data indicate that rec-102 is a mutant allele of the P. aeruginosa recA gene and suggest that there has been considerable conservation of the recA gene in the evolution of the gram-negative bacteria.
Biochemical analysis of the interaction of calcium with toposome: A major protein component of the sea urchin egg and embryo

We have investigated the biochemical and functional properties of toposome, a major protein component of sea urchin eggs and embryos. Atomic force microscopy was utilized to demonstrate that a Ca2+‐driven change in secondary structure facilitated toposome binding to a lipid bilayer. Thermal denaturation studies showed that toposome was dependent upon calcium in a manner paralleling the effect of this cation on secondary and tertiary structure. The calcium‐induced, secondary, and tertiary structural changes had no effect on the chymotryptic cleavage pattern. However, the digestion pattern of toposome bound to phosphatidyl serine liposomes did vary as a function of calcium concentration. We also investigated the interaction of this protein with various metal ions. Calcium, Mg2+, Ba2+, Cd2+, Mn2+, and Fe3+ all bound to toposome. In addition, Cd2+ and Mn2+ displaced Ca2+, prebound to toposome, while Mg2+, Ba2+, and Fe3+ had no effect. Collectively, these results further enhance our understanding of the role of Ca2+ in modulating the biological activity of toposome. J. Cell. Biochem. 103: 1464–1471, 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Non-Visual Haptic Interaction Design - Guidelines and Applications

This dissertation has three cornerstones: * Haptics * Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) * Blind Users Haptics deals with controlling human movements and getting feedback through the sense of touch. A haptic interface transmits forces to a person’s hand or fingers in a way that mimics the sensation of touching real objects. Virtual haptic touch can be particularly useful for people with visual impairments. It makes it possible for a blind person to touch virtual objects, corresponding to the way a sighted person can see objects on a computer screen. The goal of this research was to carry out an unbiased investigation of the potential of this technology for blind people. The more specific aims were to: * Investigate if and how blind people’s computer usage can be improved by virtual haptics. * Investigate the problems that arise with graphical user interfaces for blind people and how these problems can be managed with haptics. * Develop new applications and find new areas in which virtual haptics can be applied for blind people. The design process has been primarily influenced by theories of usability engineering and reflection in action/reflection on action, focusing on the role of the engineer-designer. A concerted effort is made to use technology as a language to communicate with the users. Several haptic interface devices have been involved. The Phantom from SensAble Technologies has been used the most. It is a small robot with a thimble or stylus attached to the tip which supplies force feedback to the user. The others are the FEELit Mouse from Immersion and the force feedback joysticks from Logitech and Microsoft. Eighteen test applications were developed over five years’ time. They included games, curves, textures, drawings, menus, floor plans, and geometrical objects. Formal and informal user tests were performed on blind, blind-deaf and sighted people. One of the key results presented are five guidelines for non-visual haptic interaction design for researchers, designers, testers, developers and users of such applications. The guidelines are: 1. Elaborate a virtual object design of its own 2. Facilitate navigation and overview 3. Provide contextual information 4. Utilize all available modalities 5. Support the user in learning the interaction method and the specific environments and programs These guidelines represent the filtered and condensed knowledge and experience that the Haptics Group at Certec has gained during the testing and development process. They are further delineated and are a complement to existing HCI guidelines. This work shows that there is great potential in using haptic technology in applications for blind people. It is viable to translate both 2D and 3D graphical information and make it comprehensible via haptics. It has been demonstrated that a blind person can orientate and navigate in a virtual haptic environment and that these tasks can be further supported by using complementary information such as sound and Braille. It is also possible for a blind person to use knowledge gained in the virtual world for real life orientation. (Less)
Propofol for long‐term sedation in the intensive care unit * A comparison with papaveretum and midazolam

Thirty‐seven patients with a wide range of illnesses were studied during mechanical ventilation of the lungs in an intensive care unit. Fifteen were sedated with a continuous propofol infusion, with analgesia provided by bolus doses of papaveretum. Twelve received a continuous infusion of papaveretum, supplemented by bolus doses of midazolam. The level of sedation was assessed every four hours and measurements were made of haemodynamic and respiratory variables. Levels of sedation were generally satisfactory in both groups. Six patients who received propofol required the use of muscle relaxants, because of their strong respiratory drives, to achieve synchronisation with the ventilator. There was no significant difference in respiratory or haemodynamic variables between the groups, but several patients required inotropic support because of their disease. There was no evidence of inhibition of adrenal steroidogenesis in the propofol group. Propofol can be a useful sedative agent in the intensive care unit, but sedative regimens should be tailored to individual patient requirements.
Validation of the Hebrew Version of the MacNew Heart Disease Healthrelated Quality of Life Questionnaire in Patients Undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery

Background: The MacNew questionnaire is a disease-specific health-related quality of life (HRQL) measure designed for patients with heart disease. We aimed to assess the psychometric property of the MacNew questionnaire in Hebrew-speaking patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery. Methods: The study sample comprised of 775 Hebrew-speaking patients undergoing CABG surgery. Patients were assessed twice: before CABG surgery and 12-months thereafter. They completed the MacNew, the Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and a questionnaire on demographic and lifestyle habits. Results: 775 patients completed the questionnaires at study entry, 599 (77%) of whom also provided data after 12 months. The internal consistency of the MacNew sub-scales was high (alpha coefficients: 0.88-0.94). There were moderate to high correlations between sub-scales of the MacNew and similar domains of the SF-36 (0.66-0.80). The MacNew scales discriminated between men and women, patients with and without congestive heart failure and between individuals with clinically significant symptoms of depression or anxiety and all other patients. The original three-factor structure was generally supported as most loadings met the 0.40 threshold on the expected factor. Patients attending cardiac rehabilitation programs after CABG surgery showed greater improvement in all the MacNew scales, particularly in physical functioning, compared to patients who had not participated in cardiac rehabilitation programmes. Conclusions: The Hebrew version of MacNew was found to be a reliable and valid HRQL tool which is sensitive to change in patients undergoing CABG surgery. This instrument offers clinicians and researchers a useful tool for understanding the impact of heart disease and its treatment from the patient‘s perspective.
Shoulder joint involvement in patients with newly diagnosed rheumatoid arthritisPrevalence and associations

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of reduced function, compared to normative values, and tenderness in the shoulder in patients with newly diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and to investigate associated factors. Methods: Eighty consecutive patients with RA, participating in a prospective study of early rheumatoid arthritis, were examined and assessed within one year of the onset of symptoms. Results: The prevalence of tenderness from any of the shoulder joints was 50%, while 30% had decreased shoulder function, compared with age matched controls, in at least one shoulder. Both tender shoulder joints and decreased shoulder function were related to higher age and more severe disease, reflected by disability (HAQ) and the patient's assessment of pain and global disease activity. Conclusion: The shoulder girdle is involved early and often in rheumatoid arthritis and involvement is associated with a substantially more severe disease status. The study suggests that the shoulder should be given attention in patients with newly diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis, and that both tenderness and shoulder function should be evaluated.
In Vitro Assessment of Mandibular Single/Two Implant-Retained Overdentures Using Stress-Breaking Attachments

Objective:This study investigated the strain surround implants and the pressure distribution of the alveolar ridge related to implant overdentures with stress-breaking ball (SBB) attachments. Methods:Simulation models of edentulous mandibles were embedded with 1 and 2 implants to simulate a single implant-retained overdenture (S-IOD) and a two-implant-retained overdenture (T-IOD), respectively. The implants were connected to the denture base with the following conditions: complete separation between the denture base and implant with cover screws as a conventional complete denture (CD), 3 types of settlements with an SBB attachment between them, and a conventional ball attachment (BALL). Strain surround the implant, pressure at 5 different soft tissue areas, and displacement of the denture base were measured with loading up to 50 N. Results:In S-IOD and T-IOD, the strain of each SBB attachment was less than the strain shown by the BALL. The pressure at each region of the SBB attachment was less than the pressure shown with the CD and BALL. Conclusions:SBB attachments prevented strain surround the implants in loading and provided optimal stress distribution.
Decreased inward rectifying K+ current and increased ryanodine receptor sensitivity synergistically contribute to sustained focal arrhythmia in the intact rabbit heart

Heart failure leads to dramatic electrophysiological remodelling as a result of numerous cellular and tissue‐level changes. Important cellular changes include increased sensitivity of ryanodine receptors (RyRs) to Ca2+ release and down‐regulation of the inward rectifying K+ current (IK1), both of which contribute to triggered action potentials in isolated cells. We studied the role of increased RyR sensitivity and decreased IK1 in contributing to focal arrhythmia in the intact non‐failing rabbit heart using optical mapping and pharmacological manipulation of RyRs and IK1. Neither increased RyR sensitivity or decreased IK1 alone led to significant increases in arrhythmia following local sympathetic stimulation; however, in combination, these two factors led to a significant increase in premature ventricular complexes and focal ventricular tachycardia. These results suggest synergism between increased RyR sensitivity and decreased IK1 in contributing to focal arrhythmia in the intact heart and may provide important insights into novel anti‐arrhythmic treatments in heart failure.
Genotype–phenotype mapping of chromosome 18q deletions by high‐resolution array CGH: An update of the phenotypic map

Partial deletions of the long arm of chromosome 18 lead to variable phenotypes. Common clinical features include a characteristic face, short stature, congenital aural atresia (CAA), abnormalities of the feet, and mental retardation (MR). The presence or absence of these clinical features may depend on the size and position of the deleted region. Conversely, it is also known that patients whose breakpoints are localized within the same chromosome band may exhibit distinct phenotypes. New molecular techniques such as array CGH allow for a more precise determination of breakpoints in cytogenetic syndromes, thus leading to better‐defined genotype–phenotype correlations. In order to update the phenotypic map for chromosome 18q deletions, we applied a tiling resolution chromosome 18 array to determine the exact breakpoints in 29 patients with such deletions. Subsequently, we linked the genotype to the patient's phenotype and integrated our results with those previously published. Using this approach, we were able to refine the critical regions for microcephaly (18q21.33), short stature (18q12.1‐q12.3, 18q21.1‐q21.33, and 18q22.3‐q23), white matter disorders and delayed myelination (18q22.3‐q23), growth hormone insufficiency (18q22.3‐q23), and CAA (18q22.3). Additionally, the overall level of MR appeared to be mild in patients with deletions distal to 18q21.33 and severe in patients with deletions proximal to 18q21.31. The critical region for the ‘typical’ 18q‐phenotype is a region of 4.3 Mb located within 18q22.3‐q23. Molecular characterization of more patients will ultimately lead to a further delineation of the critical regions and thus to the identification of candidate genes for these specific traits. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The Ability and Willingness Paradox in Family Firm Innovation

We present a framework of how family involvement influences innovation management based on ability (discretion to act) and willingness (disposition to act), two drivers that distinguish family firms from nonfamily firms and lead to heterogeneity among family firms. Paradoxically, family firms have superior ability yet lower willingness to engage in technological innovation. Resolving this paradox should yield new insights about innovation management in general. We summarize and position the papers in this special issue according to these drivers and set out an agenda for further research that will contribute to a better understanding of family firms' heterogeneous and paradoxical behaviors.
A Research Note on the Relationship between the Control Environment and the Size of the Internal Audit Function in Belguim

This study attempts to contribute to the literature by developing three control environment variables, reflecting the contemporary context in which internal auditing is operating, and testing how these variables are related with the size of the internal audit function. Data were collected through a questionnaire sent to Chief Audit Executives. The new control environment variables turned out to be relevant when studying the size of the internal audit function. The results show that the degree of formalisation of the risk management system and the risk culture are both positively associated with the size of the internal audit function. Furthermore, the significance of the control environment variables seems to be different between the smallest and largest companies in this study. The results of this study lead to an assumed model for further research.
Back injury in municipal workers: a case-control study.

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with acute low back injury among municipal employees of a large city. METHODS For each of 200 injured case patients, 2 coworker controls were randomly selected, the first matched on gender, job, and department and the second matched on gender and job classification. In-person interviews were conducted to collect data on demographics, work history, work characteristics, work injuries, back pain, psychosocial and work organization, health behaviors, and anthropometric and ergonomic factors related to the job. Psychosocial work organization variables were examined with factor analysis techniques; an aggregate value for job strain was entered into the final model. Risk factors were examined via multivariate logistic regression techniques. RESULTS High job strain was the most important factor affecting back injury (odds ratio [OR] = 2.12, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.28, 3.52), and it showed a significant dose-response effect. Body mass index (OR = 1.54, 95% CI = 1.08, 2.18) and a work movement index (twisting, extended reaching, and stooping) (OR = 1.42, 95% CI = 0.97, 2.08) were also significant factors. CONCLUSIONS Results suggest that increasing workers' control over their jobs reduces levels of job strain. Ergonomic strategies and worksite health promotion may help reduce other risk factors.
Usage of demand-driven extension services by farmers in agricultural zones in Niger state, Nigeria

The study examined the usage of demand-driven extension services by farmers in agricultural zones in Niger State, Nigeria. To achieve the study objectives, multi-stage sampling technique was used to select a total of 377 respondents for the study. Validated interview schedule was used to generate data for the study. Data collected were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Result of the study showed that majority (60.7%) of the respondents used demand-driven extension services four times in a year. Finding also indicated that majority of the respondents demanded for information on storage, improved seeds/planting materials and processing technologies. The result of analysis of variance further revealed that there was significant difference in the usage of demand-driven extension services by farmers in the agricultural zones (F=31.09, P<0.05). It was therefore recommended that demand-driven extension service providers should make concerted efforts to sensitize the farmers to make them more receptive of their services. In order to create condition for optimal performance of service providers in the agricultural zones, it was suggested that government should consider the feasibility of agro-diversity approach to demand-driven extension service delivery. Key Words: Demand-driven, Extension, Usage, Agricultural Zones, Niger State
Combining Estimation of Green Vegetation Fraction in an Arid Region from Landsat 7 ETM+ Data

Fractional vegetation cover (FVC), or green vegetation fraction, is an important parameter for characterizing conditions of the land surface vegetation, and also a key variable of models for simulating cycles of water, carbon and energy on the land surface. There are several types of FVC estimation models using remote sensing data, and evaluating their performance over a specific region is of great significance. Therefore, this study firstly evaluated three types of FVC estimation models using Landsat 7 ETM+ data in an agriculture region of Heihe River Basin, China, and then proposed a combination strategy from different individual models to improve the FVC estimation accuracy, which employed the multiple linear regression (MLR) and Bayesian model average (BMA) methods. The validation results indicated that the spectral mixture analysis model with three endmembers (SMA3) achieved the best FVC estimation accuracy (determination coefficient (R2) = 0.902, root mean square error (RMSE) = 0.076) among the seven individual models using Landsat 7 ETM+ data. In addition, the MLR and BMA combination methods could both improve FVC estimation accuracy (R2 = 0.913, RMSE = 0.063 and R2 = 0.904, RMSE = 0.069 for MLR and BMA, respectively). Therefore, it could be concluded that both MLR and BMA combination methods integrating FVC estimates from different models using Landsat 7 ETM+ data could effectively weaken the estimation errors of individual models and improve the final FVC estimation accuracy.
Hepato-splanchnic blood flow and oxygen extraction capabilities during experimental tamponade: effects of endotoxin.

We studied the hepato-splanchnic vascular response and changes in O2 extraction capabilities to a reduction in blood flow following endotoxemia. Fourteen anesthetized and mechanically ventilated dogs were divided into two groups of seven each. Group 1 received 2 mg/kg of E. coli endotoxin, and group 2 served as a control. After initial fluid resuscitation following endotoxic shock, regional blood flow estimated by an ultrasonic technique increased similarly in the hepatic artery, portal vein, and mesenteric artery, but microvascular blood flow estimated by a laser Doppler technique was lower in the liver than in the intestinal mucosa. When blood flow was reduced by cardiac tamponade, endotoxin-treated animals had greater whole body and regional critical O2 delivery (DO2crit) and lower whole body, liver, and intestinal critical O2 extraction ratios (O2ERcrit). DO2crit was higher in the liver than in intestine but O2ERcrit was similar in the two organs. Whole body DO2crit at the onset of organ O2 supply dependency was similar under control (9.4 +/- 1.9 mL/kg. min for whole body, 10.3 +/- 4.7 mL/kg. min for liver, and 10.0 +/- 2.6 mL/kg. min for intestine) and endotoxic conditions (13.6 +/- 3.2 mL/kg. min for whole body, 15.6 +/- 2.7 mL/kg. min for liver, and 15.4 +/- 8.7 mL/kg. min for intestine). We conclude that fluid-resuscitated endotoxic shock in dogs is characterized by blood flow redistribution within the liver and intestine. Microvascular depression may be more severe in the liver than in the intestinal mucosa, although the whole body, the liver, and the intestine became O2 supply-dependent simultaneously.