Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Identification and characterization of a human cytomegalovirus gene coding for a membrane protein that is conserved among human herpesviruses

A rabbit antiserum was raised against envelope material from purified human cytomegalovirus strain AD169. The serum recognized polypeptides 200, 170, 160, 75, 58, and 45 kilodaltons in size. It was used to screen a cDNA library constructed from poly(A)+ RNA from human cytomegalovirus-infected cells in the expression vector lambda gt11. A recombinant bacteriophage expressing cytomegalovirus-specific sequences was identified, and the corresponding gene was mapped to the HindIII R fragment. The gene is transcribed into a late 1.5-kilobase RNA. The nucleotide sequence of the coding region was determined. Computer analysis of the gene product revealed a polypeptide containing multiple potential membrane-spanning domains, representing a type of protein not identified in the envelope of herpesviruses before. The protein shows homology on the amino acid level to hypothetical proteins from reading frames BBRF3 of Epstein-Barr virus, UL10 of herpes simplex virus type 1, and ORF50 of varicella-zoster virus. By using an antiserum raised against procaryote-expressed parts of the cytomegalovirus membrane protein, a 45-kilodalton structural component of the virus was identified as the gene product.
Identification and characterization of B-cell epitopes of IpaC, an invasion-associated protein of Shigella flexneri

Invasion plasmid antigen C (IpaC) is a 43-kDa plasmid-encoded protein associated with the ability of shigellae to invade epithelial cells. This protein is consistently strongly recognized by sera from convalescent patients and monkeys experimentally infected with shigellae. The strong immunogenicity of IpaC in the course of natural infection makes it a good candidate as a potentially protective antigen. To map the B-cell epitopes of this protein, the gene encoding IpaC was cloned and expressed at a high level in Escherichia coli. The partially purified recombinant protein was used to raise rabbit polyclonal antisera and murine monoclonal antibodies. A lambda gt11 ipaC gene library was screened with the antisera and antibodies. Recombinant DNA clones producing specific antigenic determinants were isolated, and the sequence of their DNA inserts was determined. The amino acid sequence of each determinant was deduced from the minimal overlap of DNA inserts of multiple antibody-positive DNA clones. Two distinct epitopes, located between amino acid residues 25 and 33 and 90 and 97, were identified. Two additional B-cell epitopes which were located between residues 297 and 349, near the carboxy-terminal end of the protein, were characterized. Each of these epitopes was also recognized by sera from convalescent humans and monkeys. Therefore, it seems likely that these epitopes are relevant to the humoral response against IpaC during natural infection.
Speed and accuracy of rapid speech output by adolescents with residual speech sound errors including rhotics

Children with residual speech sound errors are often underserved clinically, yet there has been a lack of recent research elucidating the specific deficits in this population. Adolescents aged 10–14 with residual speech sound errors (RE) that included rhotics were compared to normally speaking peers on tasks assessing speed and accuracy of speech production. The two groups were evaluated on an oral diadochokinetic task, which required rapid production of the trisyllable /pΛtΛkΛ/, and two rapid naming tasks: monosyllabic letter names and multisyllabic picture names. No significant group differences were observed in the speed of trisyllables on the DDK task, whether examining all attempts or only correct productions. However, the RE group was less accurate and more variable in their production of the trisyllables. In addition, the RE group was slower and phonologically less accurate in rapidly naming multisyllabic pictures, but not in naming letters. A combination of speed and accuracy measures from these tasks revealed relatively little overlap between groups. Results suggest that both speed and accuracy may be impaired in adolescents with RE, although the underlying causal mechanisms require further exploration.
Comparison of optical and mechanical clot detection for routine coagulation testing in a large volume clinical laboratory

Hemostasis instrumentation has rapidly advanced and laboratories are demanding fully automated coagulation systems. Two distinct technological families exist based on optical and mechanical clot detection methodologies. Until now, there have been no comprehensive studies to determine whether one methodology is superior to the other. In order to answer this question, we conducted a large clinical study performing standard coagulation testing on more than 2000 clinical samples randomly chosen from a high-volume laboratory in a tertiary care hospital. Results demonstrated that photo-optical clot detection and electro-mechanical detection systems were highly correlated (r-squared values ≥ 0.96 for all assays) Correlation between the two clot detection systems was maintained even when measuring turbid samples (r-squared values ≥ 0.98 for all assays).
Growth phase-dependent induction of stationary-phase promoters of Escherichia coli in different gram-negative bacteria

RSF1010-derived plasmids carrying a fusion of a promoterless lacZ gene with the sigma s-dependent growth phase-regulated promoters of Escherichia coli, bolAp1 and fic, were constructed. The plasmids were mobilized into the gram-negative bacterial species Acetobacter methanolicus, Xanthomonas campestris, Pseudomonas putida, and Rhizobium meliloti. The beta-galactosidase activities of bacterial cultures were determined during exponential and stationary growth phases. Transcriptional activation of the fic promoter in the different bacteria was growth phase dependent as in E. coli and was initiated generally during the transition to stationary phase. The induction of the bolA promoter was also growth phase dependent in the bacteria tested. While the expression in E. coli and R. meliloti was initiated during the transition from exponential to stationary phase, the induction in A. methanolicus, P. putida, and X. campestris started some hours after stationary growth phase was reached. In all the species tested, DNA fragments hybridizing with the rpoS gene of E. coli were detected. The results show that in different gram-negative bacteria, stationary-phase-specific sigma factors which are structurally and functionally homologous to sigma s and are able to recognize the promoter sequences of both bolA and fic exist.
Cotrimoxazole Prophylaxis Versus Mefloquine Intermittent Preventive Treatment to Prevent Malaria in HIV-Infected Pregnant Women: Two Randomized Controlled Trials

Background:Malaria during pregnancy has serious consequences that are worsened by HIV infection. Malaria preventive measures for HIV-infected pregnant women include cotrimoxazole (CTX) prophylaxis given to prevent HIV-related opportunistic infections and also protective against malaria, or intermittent preventive treatment (IPTp) with an antimalarial drug. Here, we present the first study evaluating CTX efficacy versus mefloquine (MQ)-IPTp, alone and in combination, in HIV-infected pregnant women. Methods:We conducted 2 randomized, open-label, noninferiority trials in Benin. In the CTX-mandatory trial, HIV-infected women with CD4 counts of <350 per cubic millimeter received CTX either alone or with MQ-IPTp (N = 292). In the CTX-not-mandatory trial (CD4 count >350/mm3), CTX was compared with MQ-IPTp (N = 140). In both the trials, the primary end point was microscopic placental parasitemia. Results:At delivery, 1 woman in each CTX-alone treatment group exhibited placental parasitemia, versus no women in the groups receiving MQ. CTX alone demonstrated noninferiority in the CTX-mandatory trial. However, polymerase chain reaction–detected placental parasitemia was markedly reduced in the CTX + MQ group compared with CTX alone (0/105 vs. 5/103, P = 0.03). Because of insufficient recruitment in the CTX-not-mandatory trial, noninferiority could not be conclusively assessed. Dizziness and vomiting of moderate intensity were reported by 34%–37% of women receiving MQ in both the trials, versus 0%–3% in CTX groups (P < 0.0001). No serious adverse events related to these drugs were found. Conclusions:CTX alone provided adequate protection against malaria in HIV-infected pregnant women, although MQ-IPTp showed higher efficacy against placental infection. Although more frequently associated with dizziness and vomiting, MQ-IPTp may be an effective alternative given concerns about parasite resistance to CTX.
Vocal Acoustic Characteristics of Patients with Parkinson’s Disease

Speech samples obtained from 39 idiopathic Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients with vocal pathologies were compared with those from 62 age-matched vocally normal non-PD controls. Voice samples collected from sustained vowel phonation and passage reading were acoustically analyzed using Computer Speech Lab and Multi-Dimensional Voice Program software. Noise-to-harmonic ratio, voice turbulence index (VTI) and soft phonation index (SPI) were incorporated as noise-related measurements, fundamental frequency-tremor intensity index (FTRI), amplitude tremor intensity, fundamental frequency-tremor frequency (Fftr), and amplitude-tremor frequency as tremor-related measurements. Compared with controls, the following results were noted: (1) male and female PD patients exhibited significant differences in acoustic parameters of all frequency and amplitude perturbation measurements and noise-related measurements (except VTI in males); (2) speaking fundamental frequency was significantly higher only in male PD patients; (3) FTRI and Fftr in male (only FTRI in female) PD patients were significantly higher, and (4) disease severity and MDVP analysis showed significant correlations between SPI and the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale Part I (mentation, behavior, mood) and Part II (activities of daily living) in male PD patients; however, this was not the case in female PD patients.
Postlaryngectomy Voice Restoration Using a Voice Prosthesis: A Single Institution's Ten-Year Experience

We describe the speech rehabilitation outcome of patients treated with total laryngectomy or total laryngopharyngectomy and insertion of Provox voice prostheses (Atos Medical AB, Hörby, Sweden) at the Helsinki University Central Hospital. We performed a retrospective chart review of 95 patients (88 men and 7 women; mean age, 63.5 years) who underwent insertion of a voice prosthesis in the period 1992 to 2002. Eighty-one percent (77/95) of the patients underwent a primary prosthesis insertion at the time of laryngectomy. A head and neck surgeon, a laryngologist, and a speech therapist rated the long-term tracheoesophageal speech of 78% (74/95) of the patients as good or average. The main causes for replacement of the device were obstruction, leakage or inadequate size of the prosthesis, and granulation or leakage around the fistula. According to our 10-year experience, use of the Provox prosthesis is an effective method of postlaryngectomy voice rehabilitation, and it continues to be our preferred method of voice restoration in the majority of cases.
The influence of comorbidities on the aging males’ symptoms scale in patients with erectile dysfunction

Abstract Objectives: To investigate if certain common age-related comorbidities are related with a positive aging males’ symptoms (AMS) test outcome. Methods: This was a multicentric, transversal, observational study carried out in a male population with erectile dysfunction. Comorbidities and testosterone levels were registered. The relationship between comorbidities, testosterone levels, and the AMS test outcomes was studied using the global score and the sub-scale score components. Results: The study included 1112 patients. In the multivariate analysis the global score strongly correlated with TT < 12 nmol/L (odds ratio [OR] = 3.17; p < 0.05), psychiatric disorders (OR = 2.73), dyslipidemia (OR = 2.07) and diabetes mellitus (OR = 1.64); the somatic sub-component was related to obesity (OR = 8.62), dyslipidemia (OR = 2.2) and TT < 12 nmol/L (OR = 2.09); the psychogenic sub-component correlated with psychiatric disorders (OR = 3.73), stress (OR = 2.42), dyslipidemia (OR = 1.78) and TT < 12 nmol/L (OR = 1.77); and the sexual sub-component was associated with high blood pressure (OR = 2.94). Conclusion: Although the AMS test is related to low levels of testosterone, it is also of some limited use for diagnosing hypogonadism because it has low specificity and is influenced by pathologies that are frequent during ageing.
Dentin non‐collagenous proteins (dNCPs) can stimulate dental follicle cells to differentiate into cementoblast lineages

Background information. Although the mechanism of cementogenesis is an area full of debate, the DFCs (dental follicle cells) are thought to be the precursors of cementoblasts. At the onset of cementogenesis, DFCs come into contact with the root dentin surface and undergo subsequent differentiation. But the exact effects of dentin or dentin matrix on DFCs remain an open question. In the present study, we hypothesized that dNCPs (dentin non‐collagenous proteins) extracted from dentin could stimulate DFCs to differentiate into cementoblast lineages.
Occult Hepatitis C Virus Infection: Where are We Now?

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the major cause of chronic liver disease worldwide. Up to 30% of infected individuals spontaneously resolve their acute infection, while others develop chronic hepatitis C and replicate the virus seemingly indefinitely, but the features of the host and virus that are responsible for this difference are not yet clear. The persistence of the virus in the liver can lead to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. End-stage liver disease due to a chronic HCV infection is currently the number one reason for liver transplantation in many parts of the world. No prophylactic vaccine is presently available and the current antiviral therapy successfully suppresses HCV replication in fewer than 50% of patients with a chronic infection. Until recently, patients who had eliminated HCV spontaneously or after treatment were considered to be definitively cured. But reports of low HCV RNA concentrations in the plasma, peripheral blood mononuclear cells and livers of patients who had cleared HCV has led to uncertainty in both patients and physicians. This new form of HCV infection is called occult HCV infection. This chapter summarises the data presently available on occult HCV infections and discusses its significance and reality.
The Fabulous Decade: Macroeconomic Lessons from the 1990s

The performance of the U.S. economy in the 1990s far outstripped expectations. Growth was surprisingly strong, unemployment fell to the lowest level in a generation, and yet inflation remained dormant. Why? And what lessons can we learn from this wonderful episode? Alan S. Blinder and Janet L. Yellen, who participated in these events both at the Federal Reserve Board and in the Clinton administration, have written the first comprehensive analytical history of this important period. They attribute the strong performance during the 1990s to a combination of favorable preconditions, excellent monetary and fiscal policy, and a harvest of good luck-especially the sharp acceleration of productivity after 1995. Drawing on their firsthand experience, marshaling a wide variety of data, and using two large-scale models of the U.S. economy, they analyze the roles of deficit reduction, Federal Reserve policy, and a series of favorable "supply shocks" in bringing about the happy combination of strong growth and low inflation. Contrary to previous conventional wisdom, they conclude that the Fed demonstrated that fine tuning the economy is at least possible-if you have both skill and luck. But to do this job properly, the central bank must place high value on growth. The authors also argue that a policy mix of smaller federal budget deficits (or larger surpluses) and lower interest rates produces superior long-term macroeconomic results.
The role of biomechanical anatomical modeling via computed tomography for identification of restrictive allograft syndrome

Chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD) reduces long‐term graft survival. It is important to distinguish CLAD subtypes: bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS) and restrictive allograft syndrome (RAS) as RAS has a worse prognosis and accurate subtyping could facilitate targeted treatments. However, the current diagnosis of CLAD subtypes is based on pulmonary function test (PFT) results that reflect global estimates of lung function; anatomical modeling based on computed tomography (CT) has the potential to provide detailed analysis of global and regional lung function. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the utility of CT‐based anatomical modeling for the identification of RAS. This retrospective study included 51 patients (CLAD: 17 BOS and 17 RAS, control: 17 No‐CLAD). CT data were assessed using a biomechanical model‐based platform (MORFEUS) to characterize changes in lung deformation between baseline and disease onset. Lung deformation demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity (>80%) in differentiating RAS from BOS (P<.0001) and No‐CLAD (P<.0001). There were matching radiological reading and inward deformation abnormalities in 79% of lung sections in patients with RAS. Anatomical modeling is complementary to conventional assessment in the diagnosis of RAS and potentially provides quantitative data that can help in the characterization and detailed assessment of heterogeneous lung parenchymal disease.
Effects of Religion and Type of Religious Internalization on the Mental Health of Iranian Adolescents

This study was designed to assess the effects of religion and two types of religious internalization on the mental health of Iranian adolescents. High school students (82 Moslem and 37 Christian) were selected randomly from four high schools in Shiraz and completed the Religious Self-regulation Questionnaire and the General Health Questionnaire. Analysis showed that main effects of types of religious internalization measured on four subscales of the General Health Questionnaire were significant. Religion was significantly associated only with somatic symptoms. For other scales no main effects of religion, types of religious internalization, or their interactions were significant.
Low selfing in a mass-flowering, endangered perennial, Eryngium alpinum L. (Apiaceae).

We investigated the reproductive ecology of an endangered alpine species, Eryngium alpinum L. , to determine its selfing rate and to propose possible mechanisms that may shape its breeding system. Whereas pollinators' foraging behavior suggested a high potential for geitonogamy (70% of the flights occur within plants), microsatellite analyses of seed progenies demonstrated that plants are primarily outcrossing (outcrossing rate [tm] = 0.65, 0.96, and 1 in three populations). Given the relatively long pollen viability (at least 4-5 d) and the high number of simultaneously opened flowers on each plant, protandry is not sufficient to eliminate selfing. Second, controlled crosses demonstrated not only auto-fertility, but also partial self-incompatibility. Partial self-incompatibility is probably due to the competitive advantage of cross vs. self-pollen, and, together with protandry, could lead the species to selfing as a reproductive assurance. These results are encouraging for the maintenance of large populations. However, higher selfing was observed in a small population that could suffer inbreeding depression, as observed on experimentally selfed seeds. Thus, these populations should be carefully monitored. Finally, this study shows how molecular markers and field experiments may complement each other in our reaching a global understanding of mating patterns.
Characterization of the Individual Short-Term Frequency Stability of Cryogenic Sapphire Oscillators at the $10^{-16}$ Level

We present the characterization of three cryogenic sapphire oscillators (CSOs) using the three-cornered-hat method. Easily implemented with commercial components and instruments, this method reveals itself very useful to analyze the fractional frequency stability limitations of these state-of-the-art ultrastable oscillators. The best unit presents a fractional frequency stability better than 5 × 10-16 at 1 s and below 2 × 10-16 for τ <; 5000 s.
Exchange Traded Funds and Stock Market Volatility

This study investigates the relationship between the volatility of stock market indexes and the trading volumes of their Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs). Using both OLS and GARCH approaches we demonstrate that the contemporaneous trading volume of S&P 500 ETFs is a key determinant of S&P 500 volatility at both monthly and daily frequencies. Vector autoregressive estimation on the other hand suggests a two-way Granger causality between S&P 500 volatility and the trading of S&P 500 ETFs. A replication analysis of other market indexes and the corresponding ETFs tracking these indexes confirms that these findings are robust.
Renal responses to amino acids in the sheep fetus.

Adult animals and humans are known to increase renal blood flow and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in response to an acute protein load or amino acid infusion; however, the ontogeny of this phenomenon is not known. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that, despite normally high baseline amino acid levels in the fetus, increases in plasma amino acids stimulate increases in GFR before birth. Eight chronically instrumented fetal sheep (126 +/- 1 days gestation) were infused with a mixture of amino acids (0.15 and 0.30 mmol . kg-1 . min-1 i.v.). Plasma alpha-amino nitrogen levels increased significantly from 7.1 +/- 0.3 to 13.0 +/- 0.9 and 25.5 +/- 2.1 mg/dl, respectively, in response to the two doses, and GFR increased significantly from 3.2 +/- 0.4 to 4.0 +/- 0.5 and 4.6 +/- 0.5 ml/min, respectively. Arterial pressure did not change. Renal amino acid reabsorption was significantly increased at all time points during the amino acid infusion, reaching a value nearly five times that of control by the last clearance period. Na+ reabsorption was also increased throughout the infusion. Na+, K+, and Cl- excretions increased significantly only at the very last time point. These data indicate that the mechanism or mechanisms responsible for amino acid-induced hyperfiltration are present and functional even before birth in the sheep. Because maternal eating patterns and protein intake are known to change maternal plasma amino acid levels and amino acids are actively transported across the placenta, our findings suggest that both acute and chronic changes in maternal protein intake may alter fetal renal function.