Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Roles of plant hormones in the regulation of host–virus interactions

Summary Hormones are tuners of plant responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. They are involved in various complicated networks, through which they modulate responses to different stimuli. Four hormones primarily regulate plant defence to pathogens: salicylic acid (SA), jasmonic acid (JA), ethylene (Et) and abscisic acid (ABA). In susceptible plants, viral infections result in hormonal disruption, which manifests as the simultaneous induction of several antagonistic hormones. However, these antagonistic hormones may exhibit some sequential accumulation in resistant lines. Virus propagation is usually restricted by the activation of the small interfering RNA (siRNA) antiviral machinery and/or SA signalling pathway. Several studies have investigated these two systems, using different model viruses. However, the roles of hormones other than SA, especially those with antagonistic properties, such as ABA, have been neglected. Increasing evidence indicates that hormones control components of the small RNA system, which regulates many processes (including the siRNA antiviral machinery and the microRNA system) at the transcriptional or post‐transcriptional level. Consequently, cross‐talk between the antagonistic SA and ABA pathways modulates plant responses at multiple levels. In this review, we summarize recent findings on the different roles of hormones in the regulation of plant–virus interactions, which are helping us to elucidate the fine tuning of viral and plant systems by hormones.
Seasonal Influence on the Ambient Air Quality in Al Jahra City for Year 2010

Eight primary criteria air contaminants were measured continuously for the year 2010 to evaluate ambient air quality in Al Jahra, which is one of the oldest and busiest cities in the state of Kuwait. The state of the art instrumentation was used to record the pollutants concentration to ppb levels maintaining quality control and quality assurance. Hourly base data for Non-Methane Hydrocarons (NM-HC), CH4, CO, CO2, O3, SO2, NO2 and Particulate Matter (PM10) were analyzed for year 2010. Meteorological parameters contributing to air pollution, such as (temperature, solar intensity, wind speed and direction) have also been considered. The effect of winter and summer seasonal changes on pollutant concentration levels were analyzed to identify the most probable sources for the application of the futuristic mitigation methods for pollution abatement. The obtained results consistently suggest that the foregoing pollutant concentration levels are higher in winter than summer due to poor dispersion and shallow inversion layer with the exception of O3, CO2 and PM10. However, all of the pollutant concentrations are below the allowable standards limits except for NM-HC.
Aliphatic and enantioselective amidases: from hydrolysis to acyl transfer activity

This paper aims at making a review with an historical perspective on amidases and the different reactions they can catalyse. Amidases (EC 3.5.1.4) are ubiquitous enzymes in the living world and can be divided into two types. The ®rst type includes aliphatic amidases hydrolysing only shortchain aliphatic amides and the second type includes aliphatic amidases hydrolysing mid-chain amides, some arylamides, a-aminoamides and a-hydroxyamides. All of these amidases exhibit an acyl transfer activity leading to the formation of hydroxamic acids. Some of them are also able to transform diverse amides, acids, esters or nitriles in their corresponding carboxylic acids, hydroxamic acids or acid hydrazides. The current role of amidases in the living world is not clearly de®ned. However, we have learnt a lot about the evolutionary aspects of these enzymes and the in vitro amidase-catalysed reactions during the last 50 years. Amidases turned out to be ef®cient tools for the synthesis of various compounds.
Systemic inflammatory response syndrome‐based severe sepsis screening algorithms in emergency department patients with suspected sepsis

Systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS)‐based severe sepsis screening algorithms have been utilised in stratification and initiation of early broad spectrum antibiotics for patients presenting to EDs with suspected sepsis. We aimed to investigate the performance of some of these algorithms on a cohort of suspected sepsis patients.
Tinea cruris in Routine Urology Practice

Introduction: Tinea cruris is almost exclusively a male dermatophytosis. This infection is also sexually transmitted, and may cause epidemics in public areas such as common bathing facilities, dormitories and among military recruits. It has been aimed to investigate the prevalence and the causative agents of tinea cruris and tinea pedis in patients who were admitted to the Department of Urology with various pathologies. Materials and Methods: Direct microscopy and cultures of the epithelial scrapings were performed to identify the causative agent in patients who were admitted to the Department of Urology. Results: Out of a total of 155 cases examined, 39 (25.1%) were mycologically proven cases of dermatomycosis. In 11 (28.2%) of the patients tinea pedis, in 3 (7.7%) tinea cruris and in 10 (25.6%) Candida intertrigo were detected. In the remaining 15 (38.5%) cases, only direct microscopic examinations were found positive. The most common causative agent was Candida albicans (33.4%) followed by Trichophyton rubrum (29.1%), Trichophyton mentagrophytes var. interdigitale (29.1%), Candida glabrata (4.2%) and Candida tropicalis (4.2%). Conclusion: The investigation of genital dermatomycosis should be a part of routine urological examination and the clinical diagnosis should be confirmed by mycological methods.
Severity of psychiatric and physical problems is associated with lower quality of life in methadone patients in Indonesia.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES The goal of methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) is to reduce the harm and to improve patients' quality of life (Qol). However, the Qol is also influenced by other co-occurring disorders. Data regarding the Qol and the co-occurrence of these disorders is lacking in low-middle income countries. We therefore describe the prevalence of physical, psychiatric, and drug abuse co-occurring disorders among MMT patients in Indonesia and determine the association between the severity of the co-occurring disorders and the Qol. METHODS Data were collected in 112 injection drug abusers (IDUs) attending a MMT program in West Java, Indonesia, using validated questionnaires, medical records and laboratory testing. For comparison, 154 IDUs not enrolled in MMT were recruited by respondent driven sampling. RESULTS The most frequent co-occurring disorders were hepatitis C (92%), HIV (77%), benzodiazepine abuse (56%), and anxiety disorders (32%). IDUs in MMT had one (26%), two (47%), or three (27%) co-occurring disorders. Higher severity in psychiatric and physical problems was associated with poorer Qol. IDUs not enrolled in MMT had similar co-occurring problems. CONCLUSIONS The prevalence of co-occurring disorders in IDUs in Indonesia is high and they influence their Qol. SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE Therefore, comprehensive treatment, especially focusing on the common co-occurring disorders should be provided in MMT to improve the Qol.
Electrophysiological and pharmacological characteristics of nigral dopaminergic neurons in the conscious, head‐restrained rat

Extracellular single‐unit recordings of nigral dopamine (DA) neurons were obtained from conscious rats habituated to having their body suspended in a cloth jacket and their head immobilized in the stereotaxic frame by means of a “restraining platform” permanently fixed to the skull. The electrophysiological characteristics of DA neurons from head‐restrained rats and their responses to apomorphine and haloperidol were compared with single‐unit recordings obtained from rats lightly and deeply anesthetized with chloral hydrate and from mesencephalic slices. Head‐restrained rats showed a higher number of spontaneously active DA neurons and a higher percentage of bursting neurons than lightly and deeply anesthetized rats. Indeed, bursting activity was rare in deeply anesthetized rats and was totally absent in slices. Haloperidol was more potent and effective in stimulating the firing rate and bursting activity in head‐restrained than in lightly anesthetized rats, while it was virtually ineffective in deeply anesthetized rats and totally ineffective in slices. On the other hand, DA neurons in head‐restrained rats showed the same average firing rate as DA neurons in lightly and deeply anesthetized rats and in slices. The potency of apomorphine in inhibiting the firing rate, and that of haloperidol in reversing apomorphine effect, did not vary among the different in vivo preparations. The results suggest that chloral hydrate anesthesia blunts or suppresses not only the excitatory inputs which normally sustain the number of spontaneously active DA neurons and their bursting activity, but also the feedback excitation of DA neurons following haloperidol‐induced D2 receptor blockade. On the other hand, chloral hydrate anesthesia modifies neither D2 autoreceptor sensitivity to apomorphine and haloperidol nor the automatic genesis of action potentials. The head‐restrained rat appears to be an important model for studies into the pharmacology and physiology of DA neurons. Synapse 48:1–9, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Lung Function Tests in Neonates and Infants with Chronic Lung Disease: Global and Regional Ventilation Inhomogeneity

This review considers measurement of global and regional ventilation inhomogeneity (VI) in infants and young children with acute neonatal respiratory disorders and chronic lung disease of infancy (CLDI). We focus primarily on multiple‐breath inert gas washout (MBW) and electrical impedance tomography (EIT). The literature is critically reviewed and the relevant methods, equipment, and studies are summarized, including the limitations and strengths of individual techniques, together with the availability and appropriateness of any reference data. There has been a recent resurgence of interest in using MBW to monitor lung function within individuals and between different groups. In the mechanically ventilated, sedated, and paralyzed patient, VI indices can identify serial changes occurring following exogenous surfactant. Similarly, global VI indices appear to be increased in infants with CLDI and to differentiate between infants without lung disease and those with mild, moderate, and severe lung disease following preterm birth. While EIT is a relatively new technique, recent studies suggest that it is feasible in newborn infants, and can quantitatively identify changes in regional lung ventilation following alterations to ventilator settings, positive end expiratory pressure (PEEP), and administration of treatments such as surfactant. As such, EIT represents one of the more exciting prospects for continuous bedside pulmonary monitoring. For both techniques, there is an urgent need to establish guidelines regarding data collection, analysis, and interpretation in infants both with and without CLDI. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Ribosomal RNA: a key to phylogeny

As molecular phylogeny increasingly shapes our understanding of organismal relationships, no molecule has been applied to more questions than have ribosomal RNAs. We review this role of the rRNAs and some of the insights that have been gained from them. We also offer some of the practical considerations in extracting the phylogenetic information from the sequences. Finally, we stress the importance of comparing results from multiple molecules, both as a method for testing the overall reliability of the organismal phylogeny and as a method for more broadly exploring the history of the genome. — Olsen, G. J., Woese, C. R. Ribosomal RNA: a key to phylogeny. FASEB J. 7: 113‐123; 1993.
The Origins of Health and Disease

1. The two philosophies: health, disease, medicine and psychotherapy 2. The body's mind: psychoneuroimmunology, stress and adaptive response 3. Personality, disease and the meaning of infornet dysregulation 4. Networks and their properties 5. The causes of dysregulation: associative learning, food intolerance and the effects of stress throughout the lifespan 6. The causes of dysregulation: supervised learning, repetitive strain injury, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, chronic fatigue syndrome and depression 7. The causes of dysregulation: asthma and precursors to specific disease 8. Three different types of psychologically mediated therapy: placebos and the art of medicine, psychotherapy and complementary and alternative medicine 9. Therapeutic mechanisms 10. Finding the pattern: health in modern society 11. Infornet theory in perspective.
A Branch-and-Bound Algorithm for Single-Machine Earliness-Tardiness Scheduling with Idle Time

We address the NP-hard single-machine problem of scheduling n independent jobs so as to minimize the sum of α times total completion time and β times total earliness with β > α, which can be rewritten as an earliness–tardiness problem. Postponing jobs by leaving the machine idle may then be advantageous. The allowance of machine idle time between the execution of jobs singles out our problem from most concurrent research on problems with earliness penalties. Solving the problem to optimality poses a computational challenge, since the possibility of leaving the machine idle has a major effect on designing a branch-and-bound algorithm in general, and on computing lower bounds in particular. We present a branch-and-bound algorithm which is based upon many dominance rules and various lower bound approaches, including relaxation of the machine capacity, data manipulation, and Lagrangian relaxation. The algorithm is shown to solve small instances with up to 20 jobs.
Structure and mechanism of purine-binding riboswitches

Abstract A riboswitch is a non-protein coding sequence capable of directly binding a small molecule effector without the assistance of accessory proteins to regulate expression of the mRNA in which it is embedded. Currently, over 20 different classes of riboswitches have been validated in bacteria with the promise of many more to come, making them an important means of regulating the genome in the bacterial kingdom. Strikingly, half of the known riboswitches recognize effector compounds that contain a purine or related moiety. In the last decade, significant progress has been made to determine how riboswitches specifically recognize these compounds against the background of many other similar cellular metabolites and transduce this signal into a regulatory response. Of the known riboswitches, the purine family containing guanine, adenine and 2′-deoxyguanosine-binding classes are the most extensively studied, serving as a simple and useful paradigm for understanding how these regulatory RNAs function. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the current state of knowledge regarding the structure and mechanism of these riboswitches, as well as insights into how they might be exploited as therapeutic targets and novel biosensors.
Software developer motivation in a high maturity company: a case study

In this article, we discuss the impact of software developer motivation on projects. Motivation has been reported to be an important determinant of productivity and quality of work in many industries. In this article, we explore specifically how motivation impacts on development work in software engineering. We describe work previously done to suggest that software developers may have a different profile of motivators to other professionals. We present data collected from nine developers working in a software organisation that has been assessed at CMM level 5. We find that the developers working in this high maturity development environment are highly motivated. We also report relationships between motivation and progress in development work and describe the impact of motivating factors on specific aspects of software development. Our main conclusion is that good software developers are proactive, flexible and adaptable, prepared to share knowledge with team and follow good practice, for example, documenting work. Also, and in particular reference to this high maturity company, good software developers are able to resolve complex problems, innovative and eager to try new technology. The biggest motivators to such performance in a high maturity organisation are pay and benefits, recognition and opportunities for achievement. These are closely followed by technically challenging work, job security and senior management support. Cost, time, product quality — in terms of reliability — and user satisfaction are all moderately good indicators of project success. User satisfaction, however, is the best indicator of all four as its importance assumes a temporal significance as a project progresses. Finally, we found that technical competency, interpersonal skills and adherence to good practices impact favourably on software project success. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Labour Reform in South Africa: Measuring Regulation and a Synthesis of Policy Suggestions

Even though the South African economy is formally categorised as an upper-middle income country, it has one of the highest unemployment rates in the world. The economy’s unemployment rate stands officially at 26.7 per cent and 38.8 per cent. This characteristic, more than any other, has placed market regulation high on the agenda of pertinent policy issues in South Africa. This paper, then, in trying to mature the debate on labour regulation and worker protection, has two key objectives. Firstly, we attempt to provide more nuanced and empirically-based measures of labour regulation and worker protection for South Africa, within an international comparative context. Secondly, we attempt a legal overview of some of the key legislative and institutional challenges that exist within the South African labour market. We also attempt an overview of the evidence relating to the degree of actual and perceived rigidity within the South African labour market. The evidence utilised will hopefully add value to the debates thus far on the extent and nature of labour regulation in South Africa.
Effect of Varying Slice Thickness on Coronary Calcium Scoring With Multislice Computed Tomography in Vitro and in Vivo

Objectives:To compare coronary calcium scoring results (calcium volume, calcium mass, Agatston score, and number of lesions) of different slice thicknesses using a 16-slice CT (MSCT) scanner. Materials and Methods:A nonmoving anthropomorphic thorax phantom with calcium cylinders of different sizes and densities was scanned 30 times with repositioning applying a standardized retrospectively ECG-gated MSCT (SOMATOM Sensation 16; Siemens, Forchheim, Germany) scan protocol: collimation 12 × 0.75 mm, tube voltage 120 kV, effective tube current time-product 133 mAseff. Fifty patients (29 male; age 57.2 ± 8.4 years) underwent a nonenhanced scan applying the same scan protocol. Two image sets (effective slice thicknesses 3 mm and 1 mm) were reconstructed at 60% of the RR interval. Image noise was measured in both studies. Calcium volume, calcium mass and Agatston score were calculated using a commercially available software tool. Results:Due to increased image noise in thinner slices, calcium scoring in all scans was performed applying a scoring threshold of 350 HU. In the phantom study, 1-mm slices showed significantly higher scoring results in respect to calcium volume (+8.2%), calcium mass (+12.5%), and Agatston score (+5.3%) (all P < 0.0001). In the patient study, 27 patients had coronary calcifications in 3-mm slices, and 31 patients had coronary calcifications in 1-mm slices. Thinner slices showed significantly higher scoring results in respect to volume (+47.1%), mass (+47.2%), and Agatston score (+29.7%) (all P < 0.0001). Conclusions:When comparing 3-mm and 1-mm slices in coronary calcium scoring in MSCT, thinner slices lead to significantly increased scoring results.
Long‐term variability of sleep bruxism and psychological stress in patients with jaw‐muscle pain: Report of two longitudinal clinical cases

Sleep bruxism (SB) and psychological stress are commonly considered as contributing factors in the aetiology of temporomandibular disorder (TMD) pain. However, the lack of longitudinal studies and fluctuating nature of SB, psychological stress and TMD pain have led to contradictory results regarding the association between the possible aetiological factors and TMD pain. In the present study we investigated the contribution of SB and psychological stress to TMD pain in a longitudinal study of 2 clinical TMD pain cases during a 6-week study protocol. Two female volunteers with clinically diagnosed myalgia based on the Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (DC/TMD) participated in the study. Questionnaires were used to record jaw-muscle pain and psychological stress experience, and an ambulatory polysomnography technique was used to record SB intensity. Visual analysis of the data revealed that the intensity of TMD pain was not hardwired, neither with psychological stress experience nor with increased SB activity. Within the limitations of single-patient clinical cases design, our study suggested that the presence of TMD pain cannot be explained by a simple linear model which takes psychological stress or SB into account. It also seems that psychological stress was a more important predictor factor for TMD pain than SB.
Mayo registry for telemetry efficacy in arrest study: An evaluation of the feasibility of the do not intubate code status

ABSTRACT Introduction: Guidelines recommend discussing code status with patients on hospital admission. No study has evaluated the feasibility of a full code with do not intubate (DNI) status. Methods: A retrospective analysis of patients who experienced a cardiopulmonary arrest was performed between May 1, 2008 and June 20, 2014. A descriptive analysis was created based on whether patients required mechanical ventilatory support during the hospitalization and comparisons were made between both patient subsets. Results: A total of 239 patients were included. Almost all (n = 218, 91.2%) required intubation during the hospitalization. Over half (n = 117, 53.7%) were intubated on the same day as the cardiopulmonary arrest and 91 patients (41.7%) were intubated at the time of arrest. Comparisons between intubated and non-intubated patients showed little differences in clinical characteristics, except for a higher proportion of medical cardiac etiology for admission in patients who did not require intubation (n = 10, 47.6% versus n = 55, 25.2%; p = 0.18) and initial arrest rhythm of ventricular tachycardia/fibrillation (n = 8, 38.1% versus n = 50, 22.9%; p = 0.37). No differences in 24-hour and posthospital survivals were present. Conclusion: Mechanical ventilatory support is commonly utilized in patients who experience a cardiopulmonary arrest. The DNI status may not be a feasible code status option for most patients.