Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Detection of human viruses in patients with chronic periodontitis and the relationship between viruses and clinical parameters.

BACKGROUND Recent studies have demonstrated that various human viruses, especially cytomegalovirus (HCMV), Epstein-Barr virus type-1 (EBV-1), and herpes simplex virus (HSV), seem to play a part in the pathogenesis of human periodontitis. Little information is available on the relationship between these viruses and clinical periodontal parameters in patients with chronic periodontitis. This study examined the occurrence of HCMV, EBV-1, and HSV in patients with chronic periodontitis and the relationship between these viruses and clinical parameters. METHODS A nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method determined the presence of HCMV, EBV-1, and HSV. Subgingival plaque samples from 30 patients with chronic periodontitis and 21 randomly selected healthy controls were collected by paper points, and clinical measurements were recorded from both sampling sites and entire dentition. The following indices were measured: plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), probing depth (PD), and clinical attachment loss (CAL). RESULTS HCMV was detected in 44.3% of chronic periodontitis patients and 14.3% of healthy persons (P < 0.05); EBV-1 in 16.7% of chronic periodontitis patients and 14.3% of healthy persons (P = 1.00); and HSV in 6.7% of chronic periodontitis patients and in no healthy persons. HCMV and EBV-1 detected and undetected sites in patients with periodontitis showed statistically significant differences in sampling clinical depth (SPD) and sampling clinical attachment loss (SCAL). Differences in the measurements of PI of entire dentition and GI of entire dentition between HSV detected and undetected sites were statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS Findings of the present study confirm the frequent presence of HCMV in crevicular samples of chronic periodontitis lesions, and suggest a strong relationship between the presence of HCMV and EBV-1 in subgingival areas and the measurements of probing depth and probing attachment loss.
Unique Features of Hepatitis C Virus Capsid Formation Revealed by De Novo Cell-Free Assembly

ABSTRACT The assembly of hepatitis C virus (HCV) is poorly understood, largely due to the lack of mammalian cell culture systems that are easily manipulated and produce high titers of virus. This problem is highlighted by the inability of the recently established HCV replicon systems to support HCV capsid assembly despite high levels of structural protein synthesis. Here we demonstrate that up to 80% of HCV core protein synthesized de novo in cell-free systems containing rabbit reticulocyte lysate or wheat germ extracts assembles into HCV capsids. This contrasts with standard primate cell culture systems, in which almost no core assembles into capsids. Cell-free HCV capsids, which have a sedimentation value of ≈100S, have a buoyant density (1.28 g/ml) on cesium chloride similar to that of HCV capsids from other systems. Capsids produced in cell-free systems are also indistinguishable from capsids isolated from HCV-infected patient serum when analyzed by transmission electron microscopy. Using these cell-free systems, we show that HCV capsid assembly is independent of signal sequence cleavage, is dependent on the N terminus but not the C terminus of HCV core, proceeds at very low nascent chain concentrations, is independent of intact membrane surfaces, and is partially inhibited by cultured liver cell lysates. By allowing reproducible and quantitative assessment of viral and cellular requirements for capsid formation, these cell-free systems make a mechanistic dissection of HCV capsid assembly possible.
The Escherichia coli UvrD helicase is essential for Tus removal during recombination‐dependent replication restart from Ter sites

Blocking replication forks in the Escherichia coli chromosome by ectopic Ter sites renders the RecBCD pathway of homologous recombination and SOS induction essential for viability. In this work, we show that the E. coli helicase II (UvrD) is also essential for the growth of cells where replication forks are arrested at ectopic Ter sites. We propose that UvrD is required for Tus removal from Ter sites. The viability of a SOS non‐inducible Ter‐blocked strain is fully restored by the expression of the two SOS‐induced proteins UvrD and RecA at high level, indicating that these are the only two SOS‐induced proteins required for replication across Ter/Tus complexes. Several observations suggest that UvrD acts in concert with homologous recombination and we propose that UvrD is associated with recombination‐initiated replication forks and that it removes Tus when a PriA‐dependent, restarted replication fork goes across the Ter/Tus complex. Finally, expression of the UvrD homologue from Bacilus subtilis PcrA restores the growth of uvrD‐deficient Ter‐blocked cells, indicating that the capacity to dislodge Tus is conserved in this distant bacterial species.
Reciprocal regulation among miR395, APS and SULTR2;1 in Arabidopsis thaliana

Sulfur element plays a pivotal role in plant growth and development. Recently, we have demonstrated that miR395 is crucial for the sulfate homeostasis through regulating the sulfate uptake, transport and assimilation in Arabidopsis thaliana. miR395 controls the sulfate concentration in the shoot by targeting three ATP sulfurylase genes (APS), which encode the first enzymes catalyzing sulfate activation in sulfur assimilation pathway. Furthermore, miR395 also regulates the transport of sulfate between leaves. Under sulfate starvation conditions, up-regulated miR395 represses the expression of SULTR2;1, which then confined the transport of sulfate from mature to young leaves. Of note, transcript expression analysis suggested that, unlike APS1 and APS4 mRNA, APS3 and shoot SULTR2;1 is in accordance with miR395 in response to sulfate deprivation. We proposed that the differential regulation of targets by miR395 may be required for adaptation to the sulfate deficiency environment. In addition, our results revealed that there is reciprocal regulation between SULTR2;1 and APS genes through miR395.
The Determinants of Sustainable Development in Laos

This study attempts to determine the importance of sustainable development and aims to propose some indicators and tools that would be used to facilitate a transition towards sustainability. It is assumed that sustainable development is a function of three factors, economic growth, social development and environmental conditions. The results are then combined with certain principles of sustainability, to develop a roadmap for sustainable development in Laos. Annual time series data is used for the period 1990-2010. In order to generate the most appropriate equation for analysis, relevant theoretical and studies are reviewed. This study proves that sustainable development is a fair combination of the three main factors of development, economic growth, social development, and environmental protection, under the condition that economic growth is distributed to all the population, through poverty reduction, minimizing inequality in society, and maintaining a good condition of the environment and natural resources. It is about achieving the economic growth needed to meet human needs, improve living standards, and provide the financial resources that make environmental protection possible.
Dynamics, Statics, and the Stationary State

U NTIL now, much of dynamical economic analysis has been concerned with the business cycle. This may seem so natural as to be hardly worthy of explicit comment. Nevertheless, it was not inevitable; and if in the future the business cycle, as we have known it, should undergo extreme modifications, a need for dynamical analysis in connection with many economic problems would still exist. Thus, we should still need a theory of the path by which a given market approaches its equilibrium position, not for sake of the theory alone, but for the information that such knowledge throws upon the direction of displacement of the new equilibrium position as well. ' In comparatively recent times, significant advances have been made in analytical dynamics. A rigorous differentiation between statics and stationariness, between dynamics and history, is now possible. The present essay attempts, first, to elucidate the nature of these concepts and to contrast them with some other prevalent usages of the terms; and, second, by means of the concepts to go back to analyze the very important notion of the circular flowo. In doing so, I am not attempting to improve upon what I consider a logically consistent argument, but rather am endeavoring to amplify the discussion at critical points where confusion has arisen.
Work in progress — Learning management systems acceptances of instructors from various departments: Empirical investigation

Development of a learning management system requires a multidisciplinary approach and comparison of instructors' adoption in different departments towards system use is one of the most important targets to be considered. The purpose of this study is to identify the salient factors related with the instructors' adoption of learning management system and to reveal the differences between Engineering and Arts and Science and Education instructors' intention towards the use of system. The result of this study will help researchers; in the context of whether they should consider the departmental differences or not when developing, implementing and providing continuous improvement for learning management systems.
Erythropoietin levels in the different clinical forms of hereditary spherocytosis

Erythropoietin (EPO), the main growth factor responsible for the regulation of red blood cell production, may be overproduced when blood loss or haemolysis occurs. Patients with mild hereditary spherocytosis (HS) are able to maintain normal haemoglobin concentration, whereas typical and severe HS patients develop an anaemic state. Splenectomy usually reverses anaemia. We aimed to clarify the role of EPO in the response to enhanced spherocyte destruction, and to look for a linkage with the broad clinical spectra of HS. EPO levels, reticulocyte count and production index (RPI), other parameters used to classify HS and the protein deficiencies underlying HS were evaluated in previously diagnosed unsplenectomised (n = 24) and splenectomised (n = 10) patients presenting mild, typical or severe HS. A significant increase in EPO was observed in all unsplenectomised HS patients. In the mild form, a significant correlation of EPO with reticulocyte count and RPI was observed; however, this correlation disappeared in typical HS patients. Splenectomised HS patients presented a correction in EPO levels in all forms of HS, although the reticulocyte count and RPI sustained slightly higher values. Our data show HS as a disease linked to an overproduction of EPO, according to the severity of the disease; however, a disturbance in erythropoiesis seems to occur in typical HS. Moreover, splenectomy leads to a correction in the EPO levels.
Combining steady‐state visual evoked potentials and f MRI to localize brain activity during selective attention

Brain activity was studied with fMRI and steady‐state visual evoked potentials (SSVEPs) in separate sessions as subjects attended to letter sequences in either the right or left visual field. The two letter sequences were superimposed on small square backgrounds that flickered at 8.6 and 12.0 Hz, respectively, and elicited SSVEPs at the flicker frequencies. The amplitude of the frequency‐coded SSVEP elicited by either of the flickering backgrounds was enlarged when attention was focused upon the letter sequence at the same location. Source analysis of the SSVEP waveforms localized the attentional modulation to ventral and lateral extrastriate visual cortex, which corresponded to zones of activation observed with fMRI. Hum. Brain Mapping 5:287–292, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The success of an international development project: lessons drawn from a case between Morocco and Canada

According to the literature on decisive criteria for the success of international development projects, this article presents a case of cooperation between Morocco and Canada on the implementation of projects to institutionalize gender equality within the Moroccan public administration. Based on a triangulation of data and starting from an analytical framework on the factors decisive for the success of international development projects, this case study illustrates the limited success of the project. Although the elements that are decisive for the success of Tier 1 of the FAES projects have resulted in the involvement of stakeholders in the implementation of the projects, the creation of local expertise and the production of tools and strategies that aid institutionalization of gender equality, this study highlights significant barriers to institutionalization. These relate mainly to the difficulty of involving stakeholders throughout the project lifecycle, the lame functioning of the projects’ governance structures and the struggle to take ownership of projects designed on the basis of a management by results logic based on models specific to the donor. This case feeds the critical reflection on the various issues and challenges inherent to the management of international development projects and suggests various avenues of research. Points for practitioners The case presented in this article involves the implementation of projects to institutionalize gender equality within the Moroccan civil service supported by the Canadian cooperation agency. Although its success requires the involvement of the stakeholders, the development of local expertise and the production of institutionalization tools, this case brings to light significant obstacles to institutionalization, such as the difficulty of involving the stakeholders in the project, the limited functioning of the governance structures and the struggle to secure the ownership of the projects, designed according to models specific to the donor. It also reveals the limits of a management by results style and its consequences.
Mobilizing human and social capital under industry contexts to pursue high-tech entrepreneurship

Abstract Entrepreneurship is increasingly recognized as a critical enabling driver to the business enterprises and the economic growth of nations. Accordingly, how to promote entrepreneurship has become a critical concern among academic scholars and business practitioners. The purpose of this study is to investigate how entrepreneurs mobilize their human and social capital under industry contexts to pursue entrepreneurship. Two prominent cases, Trend Micro (an anti-virus company) and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. (a semiconductor foundry company), are used to illustrate how entrepreneurs’ human capital and social capital fit with industry environment to identify opportunity and how entrepreneurs’ social capital can bring resources to transform the opportunity into successful new ventures. Managerial implications and future research directions are discussed.
INFRA-RED THERMOGRAPHY FOR DETECTING DROUGHT IN AGRICULTURAL CROPS AND SCHEDULING IRRIGATION

Summary The use of thermal imaging is a fast growing and potentially important tool in various fields of agriculture. The technology visually identified the rise of temperature in crop canopy which occurs as a result of drought and allows the precise scheduling of crop irrigation. The aim of presenting paper was to demonstrate the application of these techniques on potato plants and to point out on the necessity of irrigation for potato sustainable and economically justified production.
Big Data and Business Intelligence: Debunking the Myths

Offering unprecedented levels of intelligence concerning the habits of consumers and rivals, big data promises to revolutionize the way enterprises are run. And yet, the concept of big data is one of the most poorly understood terms in business today. The implications for big data analytics are not as straightforward as they might seem—particularly when it comes to the so-called dark data from social media. Increases in the volume of data, the velocity with which they are generated and captured, and the variety of formats in which they are delivered all must be taken into account. To make the best use of the ever-burgeoning store of knowledge and insight at their fingertips, organizational leaders must confront two commonly held fallacies: that methodological issues no longer matter and that big data offers a complete and unbiased source of information on which to base their decisions. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Persistent neutralizing antibodies abolish the interferon β bioavailability in MS patients

Background: MxA is an antiviral protein exclusively induced by type I interferons (IFN) and some viruses, and MxA gene expression is one of the most appropriate markers for measuring the biologic activity of exogenous IFNβ. Methods: A new quantitative-competitive PCR method was used to quantify MxA mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 99 treatment-naïve and 92 IFNβ-treated patients with MS (22 Avonex, 17 Betaferon, and 53 Rebif-22). Every 3 months, IFNβ-induced neutralizing antibodies (NAb) were evaluated in sera using a cytopathic effect assay. Three categories of patients were identified: NAb negative (NAb−), persistent NAb positive (NAb+, ≥2 consecutive positive samples), and isolated NAb+ (one positive sample). Results: Treatment-naïve patients expressed detectable MxA mRNA levels (mean = 36 ± 32 fg MxA/pg glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH); range 1 to 160) and an upper normal threshold was established (mean + 3 SD = 132 fg MxA/pg GAPDH). IFNβ-treated patients exhibited more than 11-fold higher levels (mean = 412 ± 282 fg MxA/pg GAPDH; range 16 to 1,172). However, 17 patients did not exhibit an increase in MxA mRNA level; 15 of these 17 patients showed a concurrent Nab+ titer. Moreover, 13 were persistent NAb+. Isolated NAb+ patients did not show a decrease in bioavailability of IFNβ (n = 9; mean = 567 ± 366 fg MxA/pg GAPDH; range 83 to 1,120). In NAb− patients, bioavailability was comparable among the three different IFNβ preparations 12 hours after injection. Conclusion: During IFNβ therapy, the presence of NAb reduced or abolished bioavailability in a relevant percentage of patients. These data could be important for the early detection of patients with MS who are not responsive to IFNβ therapy.
Impact of Agility, Adaptability and Alignment on Humanitarian Logistics Performance: Mediating Effect of Leadership

Even though researchers have immensely contributed in the field of supply chain agility, supply chain adaptability and supply chain alignment, their impact on humanitarian supply chain performance and their relationship is not well known. Leadership is the most discussed and one of the most debated dimensions and little is known about leadership integration with a humanitarian supply chain network design. We carried out a systematic literature review (SLR) to identify variables and their items to design a structured questionnaire, which was pretested with experts in the humanitarian supply chain. We conducted an empirical study on a sample of 306 responses that were collected by us during Allahabad Kumbh from senior officials of the police department, Indian Railways, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation and third-party logistics (3PL) companies. We have used the exploratory factor analysis followed by the confirmatory factor analysis to check the construct validity of scales and goodness of fit. We further tested our hypotheses using regression analysis and mediation effect using Baron and Kenny’s (1986) proposed steps. We further checked the mediation significance using the Sobel test. We found that supply chain alignment is a strong determinant of logistics performance and human performance. The supply chain agility is found to completely mediate between supply chain adaptability and human performance and partially mediate between supply chain adaptability and logistics performance. Leadership has a partial mediation effect between supply chain alignment and human performance.
Eclampsia a 5 years retrospective review of 216 cases managed in two teaching hospitals in Addis Ababa.

OBJECTIVE to measure the magnitude of eclampsia and its maternal and perinatal outcome. METHODS A 5 years retrospective descriptive study was conducted on 216 eclamptic cases diagnosed, admitted and managed from October 1994 to September 1999 in the two teaching hospitals of Addis Ababa; namely Tikur Anbessa and St Paul's Hospitals. RESULTS There were 257 mothers with eclampsia treated in the given period and 35741 deliveries making the incidence of eclampsia 7.1/1000 deliveries. Eighty-four women (38.9%) had any antenatal care, 157 (72.7%) were nulli-parous and 69 (31.8%) were aged below 20. Convulsion occurred ante-partum in 133 (61.6%), intrapartum in 49 (22.7%) and postpartum in 34 (15.7%) mothers. The most frequently sited symptoms before convulsion include headache in 83.8%, visual disturbance in 41.6% and epigastric pain in 38.4% of the cases. Ninety nine (45.8%) women were delivered by cesarean section making the cesarean section rate among eclamptic mothers significantly higher than the rate among the general population, which was 16.6% at the same period. (P = 0.0001). The multiple pregnancy rate was 5.7%, which was significantly higher than the rate among the general population of 1.5% at the same time. Seventy-four mothers had repeated convulsion after admission to the hospitals and initiation of the standard treatment. Twenty-eight mothers with eclampsia died making the case fatality rate 13%. Seven mothers (3.2%) died before delivery. Forty-four Stillbirths and twenty-five early neonatal deaths occurred making the perinatal mortality rate 312.2/1000 deliveries. CONCLUSION Eclampsia is a common complication still associated with high level of maternal and perinatal mortality as well as morbidity. ANC coverage should be strengthened to detect preclampsia, and prevent eclampsia. Management in the hospital should be optimized to prevent recurrent convulsions and complications after admission.
The complete mitogenome of Isotomurus maculatus: a widespread species that is invading the sub-Antarctic region

Abstract Isotomurus maculatus (Collembola, Isotomidae) is a springtail with a large distribution. This species has been introduced to the sub-Antarctic Prince Edward Islands. In this study, the mitogenome of I. maculatus was reconstructed. The total length of the mitochondrial genome is 15,263 bp and comprises 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNAs, and two rRNAs. The nucleotide composition is 34.4% adenine, 29.2% thymine, 15.1% guanine, and 21.3% cytosine. A Bayesian phylogenetic tree indicates that I. maculatus clusters as the sister taxon to the genus Cryptopygus, with high statistical support.