Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Identification of Functional Hypoxia Response Elements in the Promoter Region of the DEC1 and DEC2 Genes*

Adaptation to hypoxia is a crucial process both physiologically (i.e. in chondrocytes) and pathologically (i.e. in tumor cells). Previous studies have shown that DEC1, a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor, is induced by hypoxia in glioma cells (Ivanova, A. V., Ivanov, S. V., Danilkovitch-Miagkova, A., and Lerman, M. I. (2001)J. Biol. Chem. 276, 15306–15315). In the present study, we found that hypoxia or CoCl2 enhanced the mRNA expression of DEC2, as well as DEC1, within 24 h in chondrogenic ATDC5, 293T, and HeLa cells. In luciferase assays, the regions between −524 and −401 in the DEC1 promoter, and between −863 and −258 in the DEC2 promoter, were responsible for the hypoxia- or hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α)-induced transcription. In these regions, we identified functional hypoxia response elements (HREs) that bound to HIF-1α and HIF-1β. In addition to an HIF-1 binding site consensus sequence, the DEC1 HRE had cAMP response element-like and CACAG sequences, which were also involved in the transcription activation in response to HIF-1α. Although the DEC2 HRE did not have a cAMP response element-like or CACAG sequence, it showed a higher affinity for HIF-1 than did the DEC1 HRE. Because DEC1 and DEC2 are directly inducible by HIF-1, these transcription factors may be crucial for the adaptation to hypoxia.
Lipopolysaccharides from Campylobacter jejuni O:41 Strains Associated with Guillain-Barré Syndrome Exhibit Mimicry of GM1 Ganglioside

ABSTRACT Three Campylobacter jejuni, biotype 2, serotype O:41 strains that were isolated from patients who developed Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) and one C. jejuniisolate from a patient who developed enteritis only were examined. The aim of the study was to determine the structure of the core oligosaccharide (OS) of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) ofC. jejuni serotype O:41, a serotype rarely associated with the development of GBS, and to determine if the LPS shares similar epitopes with any of the major human gangliosides. Electrophoretic analysis with silver staining or immunoblotting demonstrated that the strains had LPS profiles characteristic of low-molecular-weight LPS. Colorimetric analysis detected N-acetylneuraminic (sialic) acid in the core OSs of all the strains. Thin-layer chromatography with immunostaining showed that antisera raised against the GBS strains reacted with the GM1 ganglioside, suggesting that C. jejuni serotype O:41 LPSs and the GM1ganglioside have similar epitopes. Furthermore, polyclonal anti-GM1 and anti-asialoGM1 antibodies cross-reacted with each C. jejuni O:41 LPS tested, suggesting that the serotype O:41 core OS has a GM1- and asialoGM1-like structure. LPSs extracted from C. jejuni serostrains O:2, O:3, and O:19 were also used in the study. Cholera toxin (a GM1 ligand) and peanut agglutinin (a Galβ1–3GalNAc ligand) recognized all serotype O:41 LPSs and the serostrain O:2 LPS. Immunoadsorption results confirmed GM1relatedness. Moreover, the core OS was isolated from a GBS-associatedC. jejuni O:41 LPS by gel permeation chromatography. An analysis by gas-liquid chromatography (GLC), GLC-mass spectrometry, and nuclear magnetic resonance showed the core OS of one of the C. jejuni O:41 GBS isolates to have a tetrasaccharide structure consistent with GM1 mimicry.
Thickness-shear vibrations of a quartz plate under time-dependent biasing deformations

Incremental thickness-shear vibrations of a Y-cut quartz crystal plate under time-harmonic biasing extensional deformations are studied using the two-dimensional equations for small fields superposed on finite biasing fields in an electroelastic plate. It is shown that the incremental thickness-shear vibrations are governed by the well-known Mathieu's equation with a time-dependent coefficient. Both free and electrically forced vibrations are studied. Approximate analytical solutions are obtained when the frequency of the biasing deformation is much lower than that of the incremental thickness-shear vibration. The incremental thickness-shear free vibration mode is shown to be both frequency and amplitude modulated, with the frequency modulation as a first-order effect and the amplitude modulation a second-order effect. The forced vibration solutions show that both the static and motional capacitances become time-dependent due to the time-harmonic biasing deformations.
A randomised controlled trial to compare opt-in and opt-out parental consent for childhood vaccine safety surveillance using data linkage

Introduction No consent for health and medical research is appropriate when the criteria for a waiver of consent are met, yet some ethics committees and data custodians still require informed consent. Methods A single-blind parallel-group randomised controlled trial: 1129 families of children born at a South Australian hospital were sent information explaining data linkage of childhood immunisation and hospital records for vaccine safety surveillance with 4 weeks to opt in or opt out by reply form, telephone or email. A subsequent telephone interview gauged the intent of 1026 parents (91%) in relation to their actions and the sociodemographic differences between participants and non-participants in each arm. Results The participation rate was 21% (n=120/564) in the opt-in arm and 96% (n=540/565) in the opt-out arm (χ2 (1 df) = 567.7, p<0.001). Participants in the opt-in arm were more likely than non-participants to be older, married/de facto, university educated and of higher socioeconomic status. Participants in the opt-out arm were similar to non-participants, except men were more likely to opt out. Substantial proportions did not receive, understand or properly consider study invitations, and opting in or opting out behaviour was often at odds with parents' stated underlying intentions. Conclusions The opt-in approach resulted in low participation and a biased sample that would render any subsequent data linkage unfeasible, while the opt-out approach achieved high participation and a representative sample. The waiver of consent afforded under current privacy regulations for data linkage studies meeting all appropriate criteria should be granted by ethics committees, and supported by data custodians. Trial registration number Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12610000332022.
Dental arch relationships assessed by GOSLON Yardstick in children with clefts in Northern Finland.

AIM Our purpose was to evaluate the dental arch relationships using the GOSLON Yardstick in children with cleft lip and or cleft palate in Northern Finland. MATERIALS AND METHODS The subjects consisted of 62 Finnish patients (36 girls and 26 boys) with clefts born between 1995-2005 in the Northern Ostrobothnia Hospital District of Finland. There were 36 patients with cleft palate, 9 with unilateral cleft lip and palate, 6 with cleft in soft palate, 5 with bilateral cleft lip and palate, 2 with cleft lip and 4 with submucous clefts. The study casts were obtained at the mean age of 6.3 years (5.8-7.8 years) and the cases were selected randomly. The dental arch relationships were assessed by the GOSLON Yardstick method by one calibrated researcher. RESULTS After the assessment, 77.1% of cases were allocated to categories 1 and 2 (excellent and good), 10.4% category 3 (fair), and 12.5% categories 4 and 5 (poor and very poor). Patients with cleft palate had good prognosis in 84.6% of the cases. Of the patients with soft palate clefts and unilateral cleft lip and palate, 66.7% were allocated to categories 1 and 2. Bilateral cleft lip and palate patients had the poorest prognosis. Patients with submucous cleft and cleft lip had all good prognosis. CONCLUSION The GOSLON Yardstick is a useful method for assessing dental arch relationships and treatment prognosis not only in cleft lip and palate patients, but also in cleft palate patients.
Structural and Functional Analysis of the C-terminal DNA Binding Domain of the Salmonella typhimurium SPI-2 Response Regulator SsrB*

In bacterial pathogenesis, virulence gene regulation is controlled by two-component regulatory systems. In Escherichia coli, the EnvZ/OmpR two-component system is best understood as regulating expression of outer membrane proteins, but in Salmonella enterica, OmpR activates transcription of the SsrA/B two-component system located on Salmonella pathogenicity island 2 (SPI-2). The response regulator SsrB controls expression of a type III secretory system in which effectors modify the vacuolar membrane and prevent its degradation via the endocytic pathway. Vacuolar modification enables Salmonella to survive and replicate in the macrophage phagosome and disseminate to the liver and spleen to cause systemic infection. The signals that activate EnvZ and SsrA are unknown but are related to the acidic pH encountered in the vacuole. Our previous work established that SsrB binds to regions of DNA that are AT-rich, with poor sequence conservation. Although SsrB is a major virulence regulator in Salmonella, very little is known regarding how it binds DNA and activates transcription. In the present work, we solved the structure of the C-terminal DNA binding domain of SsrB (SsrBC) by NMR and analyzed the effect of amino acid substitutions on function. We identified residues in the DNA recognition helix (Lys179, Met186) and the dimerization interface (Val197, Leu201) that are important for SsrB transcriptional activation and DNA binding. An essential cysteine residue in the N-terminal receiver domain was also identified (Cys45), and the effect of Cys203 on dimerization was evaluated. Our results suggest that although disulfide bond formation is not required for dimerization, dimerization occurs upon DNA binding and is required for subsequent activation of transcription. Disruption of the dimer interface by a C203E substitution reduces SsrB activity. Modification of Cys203 or Cys45 may be an important mode of SsrB inactivation inside the host.
Population Pharmacokinetic Comparison and Pharmacodynamic Breakpoints of Ceftazidime in Cystic Fibrosis Patients and Healthy Volunteers

ABSTRACT Despite the promising activity of ceftazidime against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Burkholderia cepacia, there has not yet been a study that directly compared the pharmacokinetics (PK) of ceftazidime in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients and healthy volunteers by population PK methodology. We assessed the population PK and PK/pharmacodynamic (PD) breakpoints of ceftazidime in CF patients and healthy volunteers. Eight CF patients (total body weight [WT] [average ± standard deviation] = 42.9 ± 18.4 kg) and seven healthy volunteers (WT = 66.2 ± 4.9 kg) received 2 g ceftazidime as a 5-min intravenous infusion. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used for drug analysis, and NONMEM (results reported), S-ADAPT, and NPAG were used for parametric and nonparametric population PK modeling. We considered linear and allometric body size models to scale clearance and volume of distribution. Monte Carlo simulations were based on a target time of non-protein-bound plasma concentration of ceftazidime above MIC of ≥65%, which represents near-maximal killing. Unscaled total clearance was 19% lower in CF patients, and volume of distribution was 36% lower. Total clearance was 7.82 liters/h for CF patients and 6.68 liters/h for healthy volunteers with 53 kg fat-free mass. Allometric scaling by fat-free mass reduced the between-subject variability by 32% for clearance and by 18 to 26% for volume of both peripheral compartments compared to linear scaling by WT. A 30-min ceftazidime infusion of 2 g/70 kg WT every 8 h (q8h) achieved robust (≥90%) probabilities of target attainment (PTAs) for MICs of ≤1 mg/liter in CF patients and ≤3 mg/liter in healthy volunteers. Alternative modes of administration achieved robust PTAs up to markedly higher MICs of ≤8 to 12 mg/liter in CF patients for 5-h infusions of 2 g/70 kg WT q8h and ≤12 mg/liter for continuous infusion of 6 g/70 kg WT daily.
Post-Hospital Medical Respite Care and Hospital Readmission of Homeless Persons

Medical respite programs offer medical, nursing, and other care as well as accommodation for homeless persons discharged from acute hospital stays. They represent a community-based adaptation of urban health systems to the specific needs of homeless persons. This article examines whether post-hospital discharge to a homeless medical respite program was associated with a reduced chance of 90-day readmission compared to other disposition options. Adjusting for imbalances in patient characteristics using propensity scores, respite patients were the only group that was significantly less likely to be readmitted within 90 days compared to those released to Own Care. Respite programs merit attention as a potentially efficacious service for homeless persons leaving the hospital.
Expression of eukaryotic initiation factor 4E in gastric adenocarcinoma and its association with clinical outcome

Overexpression of eIF4E can result in oncogenic transformation and uncontrolled growth of mammalian cells, presumably by facilitating the expression of growth‐control gene products, which are normally translationally repressed. Overexpression of eIF4E was present in human breast carcinoma and human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, and may be of prognostic value in breast carcinomas. In order to elucidate the clinical significance of eIF4E expression, this study was conducted to quantify expression of eIF4E in human gastric cancer tissue and correlate them with clinicopathological factors and patient survival.
A 10‐year experience of outcome in chemotherapy‐treated hereditary retinoblastoma

The aim is to report the 10‐year retrospective experience of systemic chemotherapy for a population‐based group of patients with hereditary retinoblastoma at a national referral centre. The outcomes include control rates, treatment side‐effects, adjuvant therapy, failure rate, survival, secondary cancers and visual acuity.
The Arabidopsis Transcription Factor NAC016 Promotes Drought Stress Responses by Repressing AREB1 Transcription through a Trifurcate Feed-Forward Regulatory Loop Involving NAP[OPEN]

The Arabidopsis transcription factor NAC016 activates drought stress responses by inducing NAP transcription and repressing AREB1 transcription by binding to different regions of the AREB1 promoter. Drought and other abiotic stresses negatively affect plant growth and development and thus reduce productivity. The plant-specific NAM/ATAF1/2/CUC2 (NAC) transcription factors have important roles in abiotic stress-responsive signaling. Here, we show that Arabidopsis thaliana NAC016 is involved in drought stress responses; nac016 mutants have high drought tolerance, and NAC016-overexpressing (NAC016-OX) plants have low drought tolerance. Using genome-wide gene expression microarray analysis and MEME motif searches, we identified the NAC016-specific binding motif (NAC16BM), GATTGGAT[AT]CA, in the promoters of genes downregulated in nac016-1 mutants. The NAC16BM sequence does not contain the core NAC binding motif CACG (or its reverse complement CGTG). NAC016 directly binds to the NAC16BM in the promoter of ABSCISIC ACID-RESPONSIVE ELEMENT BINDING PROTEIN1 (AREB1), which encodes a central transcription factor in the stress-responsive abscisic acid signaling pathway and represses AREB1 transcription. We found that knockout mutants of the NAC016 target gene NAC-LIKE, ACTIVATED BY AP3/PI (NAP) also exhibited strong drought tolerance; moreover, NAP binds to the AREB1 promoter and suppresses AREB1 transcription. Taking these results together, we propose that a trifurcate feed-forward pathway involving NAC016, NAP, and AREB1 functions in the drought stress response, in addition to affecting leaf senescence in Arabidopsis.
Dyadic Adjustment and Sexual Satisfaction in HPV Diagnosed Portuguese Women: A Longitudinal Study

Abstract This study examined the relationship between dyadic adjustment and sexual satisfaction, in Portuguese women diagnosed with human papillomavirus (HPV), using a 1-year longitudinal design. Women were assessed at the beginning of the study (N = 209), six months after (N = 178) and twelve months later (N = 105). A better dyadic adjustment predicted more sexual satisfaction but the inverse was not observed. Younger women (< 40 years) showed greater difficulties in dyadic adjustment, while older women (> 40 years) reported lower sexual satisfaction. Findings highlight the importance of intervening with couples, using different intervention programs according to women’s age.
Haemodiafiltration versus High-Flux Haemodialysis: Effects on Phosphate Control and Erythropoietin Response

Introduction: Haemodiafiltration (HDF) has been reported to improve erythropoietin (EPO) responsiveness and phosphate clearance. We prospectively audited the effect of HDF on EPO dosages, weight and serum phosphate. Methods: 34 patients dialyzing on Tu/Th/Sa switched to HDF, and 44 dialyzing on M/W/F remained on high-flux haemodialysis (HD) and were followed for 12 months. Results: Dialysis adequacy (Kt/V start HDF 1.56 ± 0.03 vs. HD 1.58 ± 0.04 and 12 months 1.55 ± 0.03 vs. 1.59 ± 0.03), haemoglobin (start 11.7 ± 0.3 vs. 11,8 ± 0.2 g/dl and end 11.5 ± 0.1 vs. 11.3 ± 0.3 g/dl), weight (start 69.8 ± 2.4 vs. 67.8 ± 2.5 kg and end 67.4 ± 2.5 vs. 66.1 ± 2.3 kg), or EPO prescription (start 83 (61–186) vs. 123 (71–225) IU/kg/weeks and 12 months 142 (48–188) vs. 124 (59–223) IU/kg/weeks) did not differ. There were no differences in serum albumin, CRP, calcium and parathyroid hormone. Serum beta-2-microglobulin (B2M) decreased with HDF (32.7 ± 1.9 vs. 28.1 ± 1.1 mg/l, p < 0.01), but not with HD (31.6 ± 1.4 vs. 31.5 ± 1.1 mg/l). Serum phosphate fell with HDF (start 1.48 ± 0.08 vs. 1.57 ± 0.07 mmol/l (p = NS); 3 months 1.35 ± 0.07 vs. 1.61 ± 0.08; 6 months 1.34 ± 0.06 vs. 1.57 ± 0.06, and 12 months 1.36 ± 0.07 vs. 1.67 ± 0.07, all p < 0.05). Conclusion: HDF did not lead to weight gain or improved EPO responsiveness in this prospective observational study. However, predialysis serum phosphate and B2M fell with HDF.
A laboratory comparison of evacuation devices on aerosol reduction.

PURPOSE Aerosols are defined as airborne particles that range in size from 0.5 to 10 microns (micron). They are produced during ultrasonic instrumentation, but they can be reduced. Irrigant solutions, which produce the therapeutic effects of lavage, also combine with blood, saliva, and bacteria to produce potentially harmful airborne particulates. The American Dental Association (ADA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend utilization of high volume evacuation, rubber dam, and patient positioning for aerosol control. But for the non-assisted dental hygienist, these recommendations are difficult to implement. This study was designed to compare the concentration of airborne particulates from ultrasonic scaling, utilizing three different methods of evacuation. METHODS In a laboratory setting, ultrasonic airborne particulates were generated utilizing a 25,000 cps magnetostrictive ultrasonic scaling instrument. Three evacuation devises were compared for effectiveness: a standard saliva ejector intraorally positioned; and two extraorally positioned, hands-free high-volume evacuation (HFHVE) techniques. One of these devices had a standard attachment, and, the other had a funnel-shaped attachment. Measurement of airborne particles was performed with a DataRAM Real-Time Aerosol Monitor. RESULTS This study (N = 21) found a significant reduction in the number of airborne particulates with either form of extraoral HFHVE attachment in place. Standard attachments and funnel-shaped attachments to HFHVE resulted in reduction of particulates by 90.8% and 89.7%, respectively, when compared to the intraorally positioned standard saliva ejector. CONCLUSIONS Utilizing either form of HFHVE during ultrasonic instrumentation significantly reduced the number of aerosolized particulates that reached the breathing space of the client and clinician. This lends support for the ADA and CDC recommendation that HVE be used during aerosol producing procedures. Currently, no preventive measure is 100% effective; therefore, clinicians are encouraged to use additional methods to minimize the number of airborne particulates produced during intraoral instrumentation.
Quantitative analysis of biofilm thickness variability

The thickness variability of biofilms of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and the binary population combination of these two species was quantified. The experimental method involved cryoembedding biofilms with a commercial tissue embedding agent, sectioning, and applying image analysis to construct thickness profiles along linear transects (up to 1 cm in length) across the substratum. Biofilms embedded and sectioned by this method were locally as thin as a single cell attached to the surface (<5 μm) and as thick as 1000 μm. Week‐old biofilms of three different species compositions displayed distinct structural features as indicated by their mean thicknesses and by a roughness coefficient. Monopopulation biofilms of P. aeruginosa (29 μm mean thickness) or K. pneumoniae (100 μm mean thickness) were thinner than the binary population biofilm (400 μm mean thickness). A roughness coefficient developed in this investigation corroborated the qualitative visual characterization of P. aeruginosa biofilms as relatively uniformly thick (mean roughness coefficient 0.15), K. pneumoniae biofilms as patchy (mean roughness coefficient 1.14), and the binary population biofilm as intermediate (mean roughness coefficient 0.26). Whereas P. aeruginosa and binary population biofilms covered the substratum completely, significant areas of essentially bare substratum were apparent in K. pneumoniae biofilms. The patchiness of K. pneumoniae biofilms may be due to the fact that this organism is nonmotile. A spatial correlation analysis of the thickness data indicated that thickness measurements were still correlated even when separated by distances that exceeded the mean biofilm thickness. Cell aggregates, some of them hundreds of microns in size, were observed in the effluent of K. pneumoniae and binary population biofilm reactors. Measurements of thickness variability and other observations reported in this article provide a quantitative basis for analysis of microscale structural heterogeneity of biofilms. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Journal of Enterprise Information Management Antecedents of Social Media Usage and Performance Benefits in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises ( SMEs )

Antecedents of Social Media Usage and Performance Benefits in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) Raphael Odoom Thomas Anning-Dorson George Acheampong Article information: To cite this document: Raphael Odoom Thomas Anning-Dorson George Acheampong , (2017)," Antecedents of Social Media Usage and Performance Benefits in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) ", Journal of Enterprise Information Management, Vol. 30 Iss 3 pp. Permanent link to this document: http://dx.doi. org/10.1108/JEIM-04-2016-0088
A View Through a Different Lens: Photovoice as a Tool for Student Advocacy

To complement National College Health Assessment data and to further assess student lives and health needs, staff at the Rutgers University Health Services' Department of Health Education used a participatory research method called photovoice. Using this methodology, health care professionals provided a discrete and tangible way for students to feel empowered, as the students conducted the project themselves, collecting data using photography, analyzing the results qualitatively, and meeting with policy makers to discuss their photos and offer recommendations for change. Policy recommendations addressed issues of safety, nutrition, sexual health information, alcohol and drugs, and campus parking. In this article, the authors offer a description of this process as another tool for assessment and advocacy.