Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Antioxidant potential of phytonanoparticles in an emerging biofluid (saliva) of periodontitis patients

Periodontal disease is associated with an imbalance between oxidants and antioxidants, due to both an increase in free radical production and a defect in the total antioxidant activity of the oral fluid, saliva. Nano-sized drug carriers with highly controlled shapes, sizes play an important role in antioxidant activity thereby improving the bioavailability of drug with poor absorption characteristics. Henceforth we aimed to synthesize a novel nano antioxidant by ionic gelation method using carboxymethyl chitosan and chitosan hydrochloride as carriers of grape seed polyphenols (CS-GSPNps). The characteristics of CS-GSPNps were determined by using TEM and FTIR spectroscopy and found that the synthesized CS-GSPNps were non-spherical in shape with an average size of 400nm. Further we determined the antioxidant effect of CS-GSPNps and grape seed extract (GSE) on the salivary antioxidant potential, LPO levels and salivary biomarker enzymes in patients with periodontitis (10) versus controls (10). Statistical analysis revealed changes in the above mentioned parameters which was found to be significant (P>0.001) upon CS-GSPNps treatment rather than treated with GSE. Based on these results, CS-GSPNps prepared in our present system are promising candidates for therapy effects in periodontal disease.
Lineage specification in neural crest cell pathfinding

There are two principal models to explain neural crest patterning. One assumes that neural crest cells are multipotent precursors that migrate throughout the embryo and differentiate according to cues present in the local environment. A second proposes that the neural crest is a population of cells that becomes restricted to particular fates early in its existence and migrates along particular pathways dependent on unique cell‐autonomous properties. Although it is now evident that the neural crest cell population, as a whole, is actually heterogenous (composed of both multipotent and restricted progenitors), evidence supporting the model of prespecification has increased over the past few years. This review will begin by telling the story of melanoblasts: a neural crest subpopulation that is biased toward a single fate and subsequently acquires intrinsic properties that guide cells of this lineage to their final destination. The remainder of this review will explore whether this model is exclusive to melanoblasts or if it can also be used to explain the patterning of other neural crest cells like those of the sensory, sympathoadrenal, and enteric lineages. Developmental Dynamics 236:1–19, 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Executive Gender, Competitive Pressures, and Corporate Performance

We investigate whether the gender of top executives influences a firm’s reaction to competitive pressures. Our empirical approach is based on policy changes that varied the exposure of US banks to competition during the late 1990s. Results suggest that while banks with female executives experience significantly higher financial performance under low competition, they tend to underperform when competition increases. At the same time, we find that the presence of female leaders improves the capital stability of banks subject to greater competition. Overall, our study highlights strong interactions between executive gender and market structures in the determination of business outcomes.
Impacts of Patent Expiry on Daily Cost of Pharmaceutical Treatments in Eight OECD Countries, 2004–2010

Abstract Variability in regulatory frameworks, industrial policy, physician/pharmacy autonomy, brand/generic distinctions, and the practice of medicine contribute to ambiguous interpretations of cross-country pharmaceutical cost comparisons. Here, we report cross-country comparisons that: (i) focus on ten therapeutic classes experiencing patent expiration and loss of exclusivity 2004–2010 in eight industrialized countries; (ii) convert revenues and unit sales to cost per day of treatment and number patient days treated using the World Health Organization’s Defined Daily Dosage metrics; (iii) compare patterns in costs per day of treatment with price index measures based on average price per day of treatment for each molecule computed over all molecule versions; (iv) utilizing econometric methods, model and quantify various factors affecting variations in daily treatment price indexes such as national regulatory and reimbursement policy changes, physician/pharmacy autonomy, and other factors; and (v) simulate changes in expenditures by country and therapeutic class had counterfactual policies been implemented.
cGMP-Dependent Activation of Protein Kinase G Precludes Disulfide Activation: Implications for Blood Pressure Control

Protein kinase G (PKG) is activated by nitric oxide (NO)-induced cGMP binding or alternatively by oxidant-induced interprotein disulfide formation. We found preactivation with cGMP attenuated PKG oxidation. 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ) blockade of cGMP production increased disulfide PKG to 13±2% and 29±4% of total in aorta and mesenteries, respectively. This was potentially anomalous, because we observed 2.7-fold higher NO levels in aorta than mesenteries; consequently, we had anticipated that ODQ would induce more disulfide in the conduit vessel. ODQ also constricted aorta, whereas it had no effect on mesenteries. Thus, mesenteries, but not aorta, can compensate for loss of NO-cGMP by recruiting disulfide activation of PKG. Mechanistically, this is explained by loss of cGMP allowing disulfide formation in response to basal oxidant production. Why aorta treated with ODQ generated less PKG disulfide that is insufficient to induce vasoconstriction was unclear. One potential explanation, especially because aorta were much less sensitive than mesenteries to exogenous H2O2-induced relaxation (EC50=205±24 and 33±2 µmol/L, respectively) was that conduit vessels may have higher peroxidase capacity. Indeed, we found that aorta express 49±22% and 80±25% more peroxiredoxin and thioredoxin, respectively, than mesenteries, and their 2-Cys peroxiredoxin peroxidatic cysteines were also less sensitive to hyperoxidation. The higher peroxidase capacity of aortas would explain their constriction during cGMP removal and their insensitivity to H2O2-induced relaxation compared with mesenteries. In summary, cGMP binding to PKG induces a state that is resistant to disulfide formation. Consequently, cGMP depletion sensitizes PKG to oxidation; this happens to a lesser extent in aortas than in mesenteries, because the conduit vessels generate more NO and express more peroxiredoxin.
Polymer–lipid hybrid anti-HER2 nanoparticles for targeted salinomycin delivery to HER2-positive breast cancer stem cells and cancer cells

Purpose Breast cancer stem cells (CSCs) are responsible for the initiation, recurrence, and metastasis of breast cancer. Sufficient evidence has established that breast cancer cells can spontaneously turn into breast CSCs. Thus, it is essential to simultaneously target breast CSCs and cancer cells to maximize the efficacy of breast cancer therapy. HER2 has been found to be overexpressed in both breast CSCs and cancer cells. We developed salinomycin-loaded polymer–lipid hybrid anti-HER2 nanoparticles (Sali-NP-HER2) to target both HER2-positive breast CSCs and cancer cells. Methods The antitumor activity of Sali-NP-HER2 constructed by conjugating anti-HER2 antibodies to polymer–lipid salinomycin nanoparticles was evaluated in vitro and in vivo. Results Sali-NP-HER2 efficiently bound to HER2-positive breast CSCs and cancer cells, resulting in enhanced cytotoxic effects compared with non-targeted nanoparticles or salinomycin. In mice bearing breast cancer xenografts, administration of Sali-NP-HER2 exhibited superior efficacy in inhibiting tumor growth. Sali-NP-HER2 reduced the breast tumorsphere formation rate and the proportion of breast CSCs more effectively than non-targeted nanoparticles or salinomycin alone. Conclusion Sali-NP-HER2 represents a promising approach in treating HER2-positive breast cancer by targeting both breast CSCs and cancer cells.
Dynamics of bone tissue formation in tooth extraction sites. An experimental study in dogs.

OBJECTIVES The aim of the present experiment was to study events involved in the healing of marginal, central and apical compartments of an extraction socket, from the formation of a blood clot, to bone tissue formation and remodeling of the newly formed hard tissue. MATERIAL AND METHODS Nine mongrel dogs were used for the experiment. The fourth mandibular premolars were selected for study and were divided into one mesial and one distal portion. The distal root was removed and the socket with surrounding soft and mineralized tissue was denoted "experimental unit". The dogs were killed 1, 3, 7, 14, 30, 60, 90, 120 and 180 days after the root extractions. Biopsies including the experimental units were demineralized in EDTA, dehydrated in ethanol and embedded in paraffin. Serial sections 7 microm thick were cut in a mesio-distal plane. From each biopsy, three sections representing the central part of the socket were selected for histological examination. Morphometric measurements were performed to determine the volume occupied by different types of tissues in the marginal, central and apical compartments of the extraction socket at different intervals. RESULTS During the first 3 days of healing, a blood clot was found to occupy most of the extraction site. After seven days this clot was in part replaced with a provisional matrix (PCT). On day 14, the tissue of the socket was comprised of PM and woven bone. On day 30, mineralized bone occupied 88% of the socket volume. This tissue had decreased to 15% on day 180. The portion occupied by bone marrow (BM) in the day 60 specimens was about 75%, but had increased to 85% on day 180. CONCLUSION The healing of an extraction socket involved a series of events including the formation of a coagulum that was replaced by (i) a provisional connective tissue matrix, (ii) woven bone, and (iii) lamellar bone and BM. During the healing process a hard tissue bridge--cortical bone--formed, which "closed" the socket.
Optimising settlement assays of pediveligers and plantigrades of Mytilus galloprovincialis

The mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis is a common aquaculture species, and also a major fouling organism that has negative economic impacts. There are no standard assay conditions for this important species and therefore, this study quantified the effect of key factors on the settlement of pediveligers and plantigrades. Density dependent settlement did not occur for either pediveligers or plantigrades. Settlement increased in drop assays in a 12 h light:12 h dark cycle, while bottom shade had no effect of any magnitude. In addition, settlement was significantly enhanced by storing pediveligers for between 4 and 24 days at 4°C. Overall, these data provide the template to optimise and standardise static laboratory settlement assays for mussels in order to develop materials that either enhance settlement for the aquaculture industry, or deter settlement for antifouling applications. Furthermore, simple mechanisms such as storage at 4°C can enhance settlement beyond current methods used in aquaculture hatcheries.
AN INVESTIGATION OF THE INTERACTIVE EFFECTS OF THE CAPABILITY FOR SUICIDE AND ACUTE AGITATION ON SUICIDALITY IN A MILITARY SAMPLE

According to the interpersonal theory of suicide (1, 2), the difficulties inherently associated with death by suicide deter many individuals from engaging in suicidal behavior. Consistent with the notion that suicide is fearsome, acute states of heightened arousal are commonly observed in individuals immediately prior to lethal and near‐lethal suicidal behavior. We suggest that among individuals who possess elevated levels of the capability for suicide, the heightened state of arousal experienced during periods of acute agitation may facilitate suicidal behavior in part because it would provide the necessary energy to approach a potentially lethal stimulus. Among individuals who are low on capability, the arousal experienced during agitation may result in further avoidance.
Active immunization of heifers against inhibin: effects on plasma concentrations of gonadotrophins, steroids and ovarian follicular dynamics during prostaglandin-synchronized cycles.

We reported previously that active immunization of heifers using a synthetic peptide-based inhibin vaccine (bI alpha(1-29)Tyr30) can enhance ovarian follicular development and ovulation rate during spontaneous oestrous cycles. To extend this study, we investigated the effect of inhibin immunization more closely by monitoring plasma hormone profiles and ovarian activity in bI alpha(1-29)Tyr30-immunized and control (ovalbumin-immunized) heifers (n = 6 per group) over three consecutive oestrous cycles, which were synchronized and shortened by administering a PGF2 alpha analogue at intervals of 14 days. Blood samples were collected at 2-8 h intervals for 40 days and the ovaries were examined daily using ultrasonography. Repeated-measures ANOVA showed that inhibin immunization significantly increased plasma FSH concentration (by 52% overall; P < 0.01) and ovulation rate (by 58%; P < 0.01). Both immunized and control heifers showed the same cyclic pattern of plasma FSH (treatment x time interaction; not significant), indicating that the increase in plasma FSH was sustained throughout the cycle. Immunization did not affect the concentration or pattern of secretion of LH, oestradiol or progesterone and had no influence on the timing of the LH surge or ovulation after PG injection. While inhibin immunization increased the number of 'large' (i.e. growing to > or = 10 mm diameter) follicles that developed during both the preovulatory (by 90%, P < 0.02) and postovulatory (by 190%, P < 0.01) period, there was no difference between groups in the temporal pattern of growth or regression of large follicles or of corpora lutea. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Sex Allocation and Sex Determination in Squamate Reptiles

Reptiles possess a wide variety of sex determining mechanisms, more so than any other vertebrate group. They offer outstanding opportunities to understand the evolutionary transitions between modes of sex determination. In this review, we argue that sex allocation theory is fundamental for understanding the selective causes of such shifts. Whether selection for biased sex allocation actually results in evolutionary shifts in sex determination depends on the overall strength, direction and consistency of selection and to what extent existing reproductive systems can establish novel links between factors causing sex-specific fitness and mechanisms of sex determination. Perhaps one of the most exciting advances in recent years has been the phylogenetically diverse range in reptile taxa that form the basis of research on the evolution of sex determination. The traditional use of long-lived oviparous species (especially turtles and crocodiles) is now expanded to include a range of short-lived taxa that exhibit both genetic sex determination and environment-/temperature-dependent sex determination (particularly agamid lizards), as well as a greater emphasis on viviparous species. If selection on differential sex allocation is a key selective pressure for the evolution of sex-determining mechanisms, these taxa will provide considerable insights into the integrated fields of sex allocation biology and sex determination.
Quality Mapping of Senior High Schools Based On National Exam Scores and Absorption Level: A Case Study at Special Region of Yogyakarta

Conducting National Exam (NE) is an effort from the government to improve the quality of education in Indonesia. NE results could be used for mapping the quality of educational unit, basis for entrance tests to higher education level, determining students' graduation and providing assistance for educational unit. This research is trying to analyze the result of NE for mapping the quality of senior high schools at Special Region of Yogyakarta. The research focuses on the following goals: (1) describing quality map of schools' strengths in term of student competencies for each subject by applying k-means clustering algorithm on the absorption level of NE result; (2) observing the effect of NE policy amendment in 2015, where NE is not the factor to determine students' graduation. There are two conclusions from this research. First, school clusters based on absorption level of each subject are different one from another. The school clusters based on subject absorption level are also different from school clusters based on the mean score of NE. Both points indicate that each school has distinct characteristic on absorption level of each subject. Second, related to the effect of NE policy amendment in 2015, there is no significant change on NE result clusters in 2015 compared to the previous years. The result of school clustering in 2015 is relatively consistent.
Energy and Spectral Efficiency of Cellular Networks With Discontinuous Transmission

Cell discontinuous transmission (DTX) has been proposed as a solution to reduce the energy consumption of cellular networks. This paper investigates the impact of network traffic load on the spectral and energy efficiency of cellular networks with DTX. The signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) distribution as a function of traffic load is derived first. Then, the sufficient condition for ignoring thermal noise and simplifying the SINR distribution is investigated. Based on the simplified SINR distribution, the network spectral and energy efficiency as functions of network traffic load are derived. It is shown that the network spectral efficiency increases monotonically in traffic load, while the optimal network energy efficiency depends on the ratio of the sleep-mode power consumption to the active-mode power consumption of base stations. If the ratio is larger than a certain threshold, the network energy efficiency increases monotonically with network traffic load and is maximized when the network is fully loaded. Otherwise, the network energy efficiency first increases and then decreases in network traffic load. The optimal load can be identified with a binary search algorithm. The power ratio threshold depends solely on the path loss exponent $\alpha$ , e.g., 56% for $\alpha = 4$ . All these analytic results are further validated by the numerical simulations.
A Cysteine-rich Protein from an Arthropod Stabilizes Clotting Mesh and Immobilizes Bacteria at Injury Sites*

Hemolymph coagulation in arthropods plays key roles in host defense, including sealing wounds to staunch bleeding and immobilizing invading microorganisms. We have previously reported that horseshoe crab transglutaminase (TGase) promotes cross-linking of a clotting protein (coagulin) with hemocyte-derived proteins (proxins), resulting in the formation of stable coagulin fibrils. Here we show that TGase also cross-links proxins to another hemocyte-derived protein named stablin. Stablin is a cysteine-rich protein of 131 residues. Surface plasmon resonance analysis revealed the specific interaction of stablin with proxin-1 at Kd = 4.0 × 10-9 m. Stablin was predominantly localized in the large granules of hemocytes and secreted by lipopolysaccharide-induced exocytosis. Interestingly, stablin bound to chitin at Kd = 1.5 × 10-8 m, as determined by using a quartz-crystal microbalance. Stablin also interacted with lipopolysaccharides and lipoteichoic acids and exhibited bacterial agglutinating activity against Gram-positive and -negative bacteria. Immunostaining showed that stablin is co-localized with coagulin in the clotting fibrils that effectively trap bacteria. Moreover, an anti-stablin antibody strongly inhibited the proper formation of the clotting fibrils. These data suggest that stablin promotes the formation of the clotting mesh and the immobilization of invading microbes at injury sites. In arthropods, the TGase-mediated cross-linking may play an important role in the initial stage of host defense, wound closure, and healing, as in the case of mammals.
Serum (1→3)-β-d-Glucan Measurement in Coccidioidomycosis

ABSTRACT The serum (1→3)-β-d-glucan assay has emerged as an important diagnostic test for invasive fungal disease. The utility of this assay in coccidioidomycosis has not been previously studied. Using a cutoff value of ≥80 pg/ml, we found the sensitivity (43.9%), specificity (91.1%), positive predictive value (81.8%), and negative predictive value (64.1%) to be similar to those of the assay in diagnosing other invasive mycoses.
Interaction of Fimbriae of Haemophilus influenzae Type B with Heparin-Binding Extracellular Matrix Proteins

ABSTRACT The interaction of the fimbriae of Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) with two heparin-binding extracellular matrix proteins, human fibronectin (Fn) and heparin-binding growth-associated molecule (HB-GAM) from mouse, were studied. The fimbriated Hib strain 770235 fim+, as well as the recombinant strainE. coli HB101(pMH140), which expressed Hib fimbriae, adhered strongly to Fn and HB-GAM immobilized on glass. Purified Hib fimbriae bound to Fn and HB-GAM, and within the Fn molecule, the binding was localized to the N-terminal 30,000-molecular-weight (30K) and 40K fragments, which contain heparin-binding domains I and II, respectively. Fimbrial binding to Fn, HB-GAM, and the 30K and the 40K fragments was inhibited by high concentrations of heparin. The results show that fimbriae of Hib interact with heparin-binding extracellular matrix proteins. The nonfimbriated Hib strain 770235 fim− exhibited a low level of adherence to Fn but did not react with HB-GAM, indicating that Hib strains also possess a fimbria-independent mechanism to interact with Fn.
Science Education Reform in Qatar: Progress and Challenges

Background:Science education reform in Qatar has had limited success. In the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMMS), Qatari 4th and 8th grade students have shown progress in science achievement, but they remain significantly below the international average. Also, in the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), Qatari students have shown progress in science achievement, but they are again below the international average.Material and methods:data were analyzed from the international tests of TIMMS (2007 and 2011) and PISA (2006, 2009, and 2012). In addition, data were collected from a total of 92 science coordinators and teachers in 24 Qatar schools by means of the School Science Teaching Inventory Questionnaire (SSTIQ), which has been found to be reliable and valid in related studies (Author et al., 2013a,b). Results:The questionnaire results, in conjunction with interviews, indicated that science coordinators and teachers believed that a set of factors was responsible, and that low student motivation was the factor that was most responsible. Low student motivation was due, in part, to textbooks being overemphasized, and inquiry-based and problem-based methods being underemphasized. Based on these findings, recommendations for improving students’ science achievement were provided.Conclusions:Please see the conclusion section in the manuscript