Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Transcription Regulation of ompF and ompC by a Single Transcription Factor, OmpR*

The ompF and ompC genes of Escherichia coli are reciprocally regulated by a single transcription factor, phosphorylated OmpR (OmpR-P), depending upon medium osmolarity. This regulation involves activation of ompF and its repression with concomitant activation of ompC. This occurs through OmpR-P binding to four (F1, F2, F3, and F4) and three (C1, C2, and C3) sites located upstream of the ompF and ompC promoters, respectively, through a novel mechanism. Here we show that there is a distinct OmpR-P binding hierarchy within F1, F2, and F3 sites as well as within C1, C2, and C3 sites. Each of these sites contains two tandem 10-bp OmpR-P-binding subsites, a-site and b-site (from 5′ to 3′ direction). OmpR-P has higher affinity to the downstream b-site than to the upstream a-site in each case. Six OmpR-P molecules bind to F and C sites two-by-two in a discontinuous “galloping” manner. We propose that this tight hierarchical binding of a transcription factor, OmpR, allows distinct stepwise regulation of ompF and ompC transcription, which minimizes their overlapping expression upon changes in the medium osmolarity to achieve the reciprocal expression of ompF and ompC.
Understanding the excess of psychosis among the African-Caribbean population in England. Review of current hypotheses.

BACKGROUND Increased rates of schizophrenia continue to be reported among the African-Caribbean population in England. AIMS To evaluate the competing biological, psychological and social explanations that have been proposed. METHOD Literature review. RESULTS The African-Caribbean population in England is at increased risk of both schizophrenia and mania; the higher rates remain when operational diagnostic criteria are used. The excess of the two psychotic disorders are probably linked: African-Caribbean patients with schizophrenia show more affective symptoms, and a more relapsing course with greater social disruption but fewer chronic negative symptoms, than White patients. No simple hypothesis explains these findings. CONCLUSIONS More complex hypotheses are needed. One such links cultural variation in symptom reporting, the use of phenomenological constructs by psychiatrists and social disadvantage.
High Performance Work Practices and Behavioral Outcomes of Three Star Class Hotels in Sri Lanka

In the contemporary business environment organizations have to carry out their business activities in more competitive way. One of the biggest challenges faced by the modern organizations is to gain competitive advantage over the other competitors in the market. To gain competitive success organizations utilize various resources such as economy of scale, natural resources , technology etc. But out of theses various resources human resource is unique due to its special characteristics. Today most of the organizations understand the importance of managing human resources effectively and efficiently to become successful. This study attempts to identify the impact of high performance work practices on behavioural outcomes of managerial level employees in three star class hotels in Sri Lanka. The sample of the study consists of 72 managers worked in ten three star hotels located within Colombo District in Sri Lanka. The main objective of the study was to identify the relationship between bundle of High Performance Work Practices and Behavioral Outcomes ; Organizational Commitment, Ethical Behavior and Knowledge Sharing. The independent variable of the study , High Performance Work Practices consist of eight dimensions ; Selective Hiring, Extensive Training, Empowerment, Symbolic Egalitarianism, High Wages, Incentive based Performance Management, Promotions from within and Sharing of Information. Further the dependent variable behavioral outcomes was analyzed under three dimensions namely; Organizational Commitment, Knowledge Sharing and Ethical Behavior of managers. Data were analyzed by using correlation coefficient technique and also regression analysis. To gather information a structured questionnaire was distributed among the respondents. The statistical results of the study showed that except Symbolic Egalitarianism all the other dimensions of the independent variable High Performance Work Practices have been adopted by three star class hotels in Sri Lanka. The statistical results further revealed that there is a positive association between high Performance work practices and Behavioural Outcomes ; Organizational Commitment, Ethical Behavior and Knowledge Sharing of managers in three star class hotels in Sri Lanka.
Non‐HLA genomics: does it have a role in predicting haematopoietic stem cell transplantation outcome?

Haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) remains the only cure for many haematological neoplasms; however, the mortality rate remains high, at around 30–80%. Complications after HSCT include relapse, graft‐versus‐host disease, graft rejection and infection. High‐resolution HLA matching has improved survival in HSCT over recent years; however, GVHD still remains a serious complication. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPS) within genes that are involved with an individual's capability to mount an immune response to infectious pathogens, residual leukaemia, alloantigens or genes involved in drug metabolism have been studied for their association with HSCT outcome. Indeed, over the last 15 years, several groups, including ourselves, have demonstrated that non‐HLA gene polymorphisms can be predictive of HSCT outcome. Can genetic characteristics of the patient and donor be used in the future to tailor HSCT protocols and determine GVHD prophylaxis? This review summarizes some of the recent SNP association studies in HSCT and highlights some of the disparities therein, discussing the integral problems of performing genetic association studies on diseases with complex outcomes using heterogeneous cohorts. The review will comment on recent genomewide association studies (GWAS) and discuss their relevance in this field, and it will also comment on recent meta‐analysis combining GWAS studies with other studies such as gene expression micro array data in the field of autoimmune disease and solid organ transplantation. It will mention possible novel candidate gene polymorphisms, for example SNPS in microRNAs. In addition, it will discuss some of the inherent problems associated with gene association studies including the GRIPs (genetic risk prediction studies) recommendations. In summary, this review will assess the usefulness of non‐HLA genomic studies in HSCT with regard to predicting outcome and modifying therapy.
Effects of adsorption on degradation and bioavailability of metolachlor in soil

The ability of soil to adsorb metolachlor strongly influences its environmental fate, but little information is available on the correlation of its soil adsorption with degradation and bioavailability. The present study was conducted to characterize adsorption, degradation and bioavailability of metolachlor in five soils with different properties, and to investigate the effect of soil adsorption on degradation and bioavailability. Metolachlor was weakly adsorbed to the tested soils with adsorption coefficients ranging from 0.36 to1.18 μg 1-n mL n g -1 , suggesting its potential to move downward with percolating water. Adsorption followed a Freundlich isotherm and was positively correlated with soil organic matter (OM) content (p < 0.01). Degradation of metolachlor in soils obeyed the first-order kinetics, yielding the half-life varying from 37.9 to 49.5 days, which was significantly influenced by soil OM content (p < 0.01). The prolonged half-life by sterilization indicated that biodegradation was the dominant pathway for metolachlor degradation in soils. Uptake and bioaccumulation of metolachlor in soils by Eisenia foetida was also mainly controlled by soil properties, especially OM. Adsorption coefficients were negatively related to half-lives (p < 0.01) and bioaccumulation factors (p < 0.05), indicating that adsorption coefficients might be useful for predicting degradation and bioavailability of metolachlor in soils.
Firefly Algorithm technique for solving Economic Dispatch problem

This paper presents the implementation of Firefly Algorithm (FA) in solving the Economic Dispatch (ED) problem by minimizing the fuel cost and considering the generator limits and transmission losses. ED is one of the most challenging problems of power system since it is difficult to determine the optimum generation scheduling to meet the particular load demand with the minimum fuel cost and transmission loss. Until now, there are a lot of researches that have been done to seek for closest optimum result in determining the power generation of each generator especially in large scale power system. FA is a meta-heuristic algorithm which is inspired by the flashing behavior of fireflies. The primary purpose of firefly's flash is to act as a signal system to attract other fireflies. In this paper, 26-bus system is utilized to show the effectiveness of the FA in solving the ED problem. Comparison with Continuous Genetic Algorithm (CGA) and conventional method are also given.
Renal vein thrombosis: a 10-year review.

PURPOSE Renal vein thrombosis (RVT) is a rare cause for pediatric surgical consultation. The purpose of this study is to review the Montreal experience in the 1990s with RVT. METHODS A retrospective chart review was conducted from 1990 through 1999. RESULTS Twenty-three cases were identified by Duplex ultrasound scan. Mean length of follow-up was 42 months. Eighty-three percent (83%) of cases were diagnosed within the first month of life. In utero thrombosis was suspected in 22% and was associated with caval thrombosis and factor V Leiden. Known risk factors were present in 87%. The "diagnostic triad" of flank mass, gross hematuria, and thrombocytopenia was present in only 13% at the time of diagnosis. Long-term renal function impairment was detected in 100% of those who did not receive heparin, and in 33% of those who did receive heparin. No patient required dialysis. One patient required nephrectomy for recurrent pyelonephritis. CONCLUSIONS RVT occurs more commonly than anticipated. Because the "classic" triad of signs usually is absent at presentation, the presence of either a flank mass, hematuria, or thrombocytopenia in a patient with risk factors should prompt investigation for RVT. Factor V Leiden is a risk factor for in utero RVT. Anticoagulation improves renal outcome. Patients with RVT require long-term follow-up.
Structure and Function of the Phosphothreonine-Specific FHA Domain

The forkhead-associated (FHA) domain binds specifically to phosphothreonine residues and possesses unique structural and functional features. The forkhead-associated (FHA) domain is the only known phosphoprotein-binding domain that specifically recognizes phosphothreonine (pThr) residues, distinguishing them from phosphoserine (pSer) residues. In contrast to its very strict specificity toward pThr, the FHA domain recognizes very diverse patterns in the residues surrounding the pThr residue. For example, the FHA domain of Ki67, a protein associated with cellular proliferation, binds to an extended target surface involving residues remote from the pThr, whereas the FHA domain of Dun1, a DNA damage–response kinase, specifically recognizes a doubly phosphorylated Thr-Gln (TQ) cluster by virtue of its possessing two pThr-binding sites. The FHA domain exists in various proteins with diverse functions and is particularly prevalent among proteins involved in the DNA damage response. Despite a very short history, a number of unique structural and functional properties of the FHA domain have been uncovered. This review highlights the diversity of biological functions of the FHA domain–containing proteins and the structural bases for the novel binding specificities and multiple binding modes of FHA domains. The forkhead-associated (FHA) domain is a signaling domain present in various proteins from prokaryotes and eukaryotes. It interacts with other proteins on the basis of its ability to specifically recognize phosphothreonine residues. Proteins that contain the FHA domain play important functional roles in such processes as protein kinase signaling, cell cycle regulation, and DNA damage response. It is now evident that interference with the binding capabilities of these domains can elicit abnormal cellular responses. Detailed structural analyses have led to an understanding of the structural bases of the biological functions of the FHA domain. Information about this structure-function relationship will be useful in understanding the signaling mechanisms that involve FHA domains and, potentially, in the design of therapeutics.
The role of echocardiography in stroke risk assessment in patients with atrial fibrillation: is it additive or does it simply echo clinical risk factors?

This editorial refers to ‘Possible refinement of clinical thromboembolism assessment in patients with atrial fibrillation using echocardiographic parameters’ by R. Providencia et al., on page 36 Stroke risk assessment is key when determining the appropriate long-term antithrombotic therapy in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Over time many stroke risk stratification schema have been developed, initially with the objective to better define ‘high-risk’ patients who could be subjected to an inconvenient (and potentially dangerous) drug, warfarin.1 Current European guidelines recommend the simple and commonly used CHADS2 as an initial assessment, which is then refined with a newer and more comprehensive assessment, the CHA2DS2-VASc score.1,2 The latter includes additional common clinical risk factors, and has shown to be better than the CHADS2 score in identifying ‘truly low-risk’ patients (who do not need any antithrombotic therapy) and is at least as good as—and possibly better than—the CHADS2 score in identifying ‘high-risk’ patients.3 Still, there may be sufficient room for improvement, given that some patients may have associated stroke risk factor on imaging, and indeed, echocardiography may even refine stroke risk stratification.4 In this issue of Europace , Providencia et al . 5 explore the potential benefit of adding echocardiography to the contemporary clinical stroke risk schema, CHADS2 and CHA2DS2-VASc. Their cross-sectional study consisted of 405 consecutive AF patients who underwent both transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) without a significant time delay. After excluding patients with mitral valve stenosis or a prosthetic heart valve the remaining study population predominantly (352/376, …
Nebivolol dilates human penile arteries and reverses erectile dysfunction in diabetic rats through enhancement of nitric oxide signaling.

INTRODUCTION Traditional beta-blockers have sometimes been associated with erectile dysfunction (ED). Nebivolol is a cardioselective β(1)-adrenoceptor antagonist that promotes vasodilation through a nitric oxide (NO)-dependent mechanism. AIM We evaluated the effects of nebivolol on the NO/cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) signaling pathway, on erectile function and dysfunction, and in human penile vascular tissues. METHODS Erectile response to cavernosal nerve electrical stimulation in control and diabetes-induced ED rats were evaluated, along with serum nitrite/nitrate (NOx) concentration and plasma/tissue cGMP levels. Endothelium-dependent and sildenafil-induced relaxation of isolated human corpus cavernosum (HCC) and human penile resistance arteries (HPRA) were also determined. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The effects of nebivolol on erectile function and dysfunction and on NO/cGMP-mediated responses. RESULTS Treatment with nebivolol significantly potentiated erectile response in control rats, regardless of its effects on blood pressure. Nebivolol increased NOx and plasma cGMP by 3-fold and 2.75-fold, respectively, and significantly augmented the elevation of plasma cGMP produced by sildenafil. Nebivolol enhanced endothelium-dependent and sildenafil-induced relaxations of HCC tissue, and produced endothelium-dependent vasodilation of HPRA. Nebivolol, but not atenolol, significantly improved erectile response in diabetic rats (51.6%, 53.2%, and 87.1% of response at 3 Hz in nondiabetic rats, for vehicle-treated, atenolol-treated, and nebivolol-treated diabetic rats, respectively); after sildenafil administration, ED was completely reversed in nebivolol-treated diabetic rats (69.6% and 112% for diabetic rats treated with sildenafil and nebivolol plus sildenafil, respectively). Accordingly, nebivolol restored systemic NOx levels and cGMP content in penile tissue from these animals. CONCLUSIONS Nebivolol in vivo activated the NO/cGMP pathway, enhanced erectile response and reversed ED in diabetic rats. Moreover, nebivolol in vitro potentiated NO/cGMP-mediated relaxation of human erectile tissues. These effects may account for the low incidence of ED in nebivolol-treated hypertensive patients. Nebivolol therefore may have utility in the treatment of ED, particularly ED associated with diabetes.
Decision to Use Electronic Banking by Bank Customers in a Rural Economy

An empirical study of bank customers decision to adopt electronic banking was investigated using cross sectional data set. Using the multi-stage sampling procedure, a total of 120 customers were selected. With the aid of questionnaire, primary data were obtained for a period of 3 months. Data were analyzed using univariate probit regression model. Results revealed that whereas age, monthly income, education and distance to nearest bank of customers were significant and positively related to the willingness of bank customers to adopt electronic banking, household size was significant (p<0.05) and negatively related to the customers willingness to use electronic banking. Findings suggest the need to increase the number and proximity of automated teller machines (ATM) located in the rural communities and households to encourage customers use of electronic banking facilities.
Understanding the 7‐Cys module amplification of C. neoformans metallothioneins: how high capacity Cu‐binding polypeptides are built to neutralize host nutritional immunity

Cryptococcus neoformans metallothioneins (MTs), CnMT1 and CnMT2, have been identified as essential infectivity and virulence factors of this pathogen. Both MTs are unusually long Cu‐thioneins, exhibiting protein architecture and metal‐binding abilities compatible with the hypothesis of resulting from three and five tandem repetitions of 7‐Cys motives, respectively, each of them folding into Cu5‐clusters. Through the study of the Zn(II)‐ and Cu(I)‐binding capabilities of several CnMT1 truncated mutants, we show that a 7‐Cys segment of CnMT1 folds into Cu5‐species, of additive capacity when joined in tandem. All the obtained Cu‐complexes share practically similar architectural features, if judging by their almost equivalent CD fingerprints, and they also share their capacity to restore copper tolerance in MT‐devoid yeast cells. Besides the analysis of the modular composition of these long fungal MTs, we evaluate the features of the Cys‐rich stretch spacer and flanking sequences that allow the construction of stable metal clusters by adjacent union of binding modules. Overall, our data support a mechanism by which some microbial MTs may have evolved to enlarge their original metal co‐ordination capacity under the specific selective pressure of counteracting the Cu‐based immunity mechanisms evolved by the infected hosts.
Structure of some East African Glossina fuscipes fuscipes populations

Abstract Glossina fuscipes fuscipes Newstead 1910 (Diptera: Glossinidae) is the primary vector of human sleeping sickness in Kenya and Uganda. This is the first report on its population structure. A total of 688 nucleotides of mitochondrial ribosomal 16S2 and cytochrome oxidase I genes were sequenced. Twenty‐one variants were scored in 79 flies from three geographically diverse natural populations. Four haplotypes were shared among populations, eight were private and nine were singletons. The mean haplotype and nucleotide diversities were 0.84 and 0.009, respectively. All populations were genetically differentiated and were at demographic equilibrium. In addition, a longstanding laboratory culture originating from the Central African Republic (CAR‐lab) in 1986 (or before) was examined. Haplotype and nucleotide diversities in this culture were 0.95 and 0.012, respectively. None of its 27 haplotypes were shared with the East African populations. A first approximation of relative effective population sizes was Uganda > CAR‐lab > Kenya. It was concluded that the structure of G. f. fuscipes populations in East Africa is localized.
For a Unified Contract

For 25 years, European governments have carried out several reforms to pull themselves out of the Eurosclerosis of the 1980s. More than 200 reforms have been made, and about half of them have increased the fl exibility of the labour market (fRDB-IZA 2010). Nevertheless, these reforms have essentially made the labour market fl exible to the fringe by facilitating the use of temporary jobs without signifi cantly modifying the protection of permanent jobs. Th is phenomenon is illustrated by Figure 1, which represents the evolution of the rigid protection of temporary and permanent jobs, as measured by the OECD index in European countries. During the 1990s, the rules for using temporary jobs was made much more fl exible. By contrast, the protection of permanent jobs was barely aff ected. Th is evolution has resulted in a strong segmentation of the labour market, with a market for temporary jobs, reserved as a priority for the youth, women, immigrants and less qualifi ed employees, and a market for permanent jobs, reserved as a priority for the most qualifi ed employees with good professional experience. In this context, temporary jobs act as an adjustment variable, and it is the most precarious groups that are systematically the most aff ected by recessions. Th e Spanish market constitutes a striking example of this phenomenon: during the recession of 2008–2009, temporary employment dropped by 35%, while the actual salaries of employees with permanent jobs rose by 4%. Th e segmentation of the labour market between temporary and permanent jobs raises more issues than just those of fairness. It also causes an ineff ective rotation of the workforce on many levels. Firstly, it translates into an excess of labour turnover, as companies avoid transforming temporary jobs into permanent jobs when the costs of parting with the employees are diff erent.1 Consequently, the employees in temporary jobs that stay with the company for a limited time benefi t less oft en from professional training programmes and have more problems building up a professional career. Moreover, the strong protection