Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Identification of MltG as a potential terminase for peptidoglycan polymerization in bacteria

Bacterial cells are fortified against osmotic lysis by a cell wall made of peptidoglycan (PG). Synthases called penicillin‐binding proteins (PBPs), the targets of penicillin and related antibiotics, polymerize the glycan strands of PG and crosslink them into the cell wall meshwork via attached peptides. The average length of glycan chains inserted into the matrix by the PBPs is thought to play an important role in bacterial morphogenesis, but polymerization termination factors controlling this process have yet to be discovered. Here, we report the identification of Escherichia coli MltG (YceG) as a potential terminase for glycan polymerization that is broadly conserved in bacteria. A clone containing mltG was initially isolated in a screen for multicopy plasmids generating a lethal phenotype in cells defective for the PG synthase PBP1b. Biochemical studies revealed that MltG is an inner membrane enzyme with endolytic transglycosylase activity capable of cleaving at internal positions within a glycan polymer. Radiolabeling experiments further demonstrated MltG‐dependent nascent PG processing in vivo, and bacterial two‐hybrid analysis identified an MltG‐PBP1b interaction. Mutants lacking MltG were also shown to have longer glycans in their PG relative to wild‐type cells. Our combined results are thus consistent with a model in which MltG associates with PG synthetic complexes to cleave nascent polymers and terminate their elongation.
Cryoprecipitate of patients with cryoglobulinemic glomerulonephritis contains molecules of the lectin complement pathway.

Serological and histological studies were carried out to explore the role of the lectin complement pathway in the pathogenesis of cryoglobulinemic glomerulonephritis. Sixteen patients with mixed cryoglobulinemia type II with glomerulonephritis (GN) were enrolled. All cases had hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. The serum concentration of mannose-binding lectin (MBL) was significantly higher in the GN patients than in the normal controls according to ELISA (P < 0.01). IgG, IgM, C1q, C4d, HCV envelope antigen, MBL, and MBL-associated serine protease-1 (MASP-1) could be visualized in the cryoprecipitate of the 16 patients by Dot blot assay. Renal biopsy specimens obtained from 3 patients were examined by immunohistochemistry, and the glomeruli strongly stained for IgG, IgM, MBL, MASP-1, C4d, C3c, and C3d in a fringe-like pattern. The pattern of HCV constituent deposition was partially fringe-like. The complement profiles of the 16 cases were distinctive; briefly, the serum levels of C1q, C2, and C3 were reduced, although the levels of circulating regulatory proteins (C1-inhibitor, factor H, and factor I) were in the normal range. The serum C4 level was significantly reduced. These results indicate that immune complex formation involves molecules of the lectin pathway and leads to organ damage in cryoglobulinemic glomerulonephritis.
Millimeter Wave Complex Permittivity Measurements of High Dielectric Strength Thermoplastics

This paper presents for the first time the complex dielectric permittivity and loss tangent measurements for a selection of advanced polymer-based thermoplastics in the Q-band, V-band and W-band frequencies. These plastics are reported to have exceptional mechanical, thermal and electrical properties and are extensively used as electrical insulating materials, often operating at high voltages. With this view in mind, we have studied their dielectric properties with high-power sources in the millimeter wave range. The measurements have been performed using a broadband quasi-optical millimeter wave spectrometer with a backward wave oscillator (BWO) as a nondestructive high-power tunable source of coherent radiation. Values of real and imaginary parts of dielectric permittivity and loss tangent of the materials have been accurately calculated from the transmittance spectra.
Prevalence of Gastrointestinal Parasites of Hunting Dogs in Maiduguri, Borno state, Nigeria

This study was geared towards investigating the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites of hunting dogs in Maiduguri, Borno state, Nigeria. A total of 250 feacal samples were collected per rectum. The parasites were determined using formol ether and floatation concentration methods. An overall prevalence of 38% for gastrointestinal infection was recorded. The prevalence was higher in young 39(48.1%) than adults 56(33.1%). The prevalence in relation to sex shows that males had a higher prevalence 42(40.8%) than the females 56(33.1%). The prevalence of infection according to sex and age was statistically not significant (p < 0.05). This study provides evidence that gastrointestinal parasitic infection are prevalent in hunting dogs in the study area with some of the infections being zoonotic a public health risk to man.
Cooperative learning in third graders' jigsaw groups for mathematics and science with and without questioning training.

BACKGROUND There is much support for using cooperative methods, since important instructional aspects, such as elaboration of new information, can easily be realized by methods like 'jigsaw'. However, the impact of providing students with additional help like a questioning training and potential limitations of the method concerning the (minimum) age of the students have rarely been investigated. AIMS The study investigated the effects of cooperative methods at elementary school level. Three conditions of instruction were compared: jigsaw, jigsaw with a supplementary questioning training and teacher-guided instruction. SAMPLE Nine third grade classes from three schools with 208 students participated in the study. In each school, all the three instructional conditions were realized in three different classes. METHODS All classes studied three units on geometry and one unit on astronomy using the assigned instructional method. Each learning unit comprised six lessons. For each unit, an achievement test was administered as pre-test, post-test and delayed test. RESULTS In the math units, no differences between the three conditions could be detected. In the astronomy unit, students benefited more from teacher-guided instruction. Differential analyses revealed that 'experts' learned more than students in teacher-guided instruction, whereas 'novices' were outperformed by the students in the control classes. CONCLUSIONS Even third graders used the jigsaw method with satisfactory learning results. The modest impact of the questioning training and the low learning gains of the cooperative classes in the astronomy unit as well as high discrepancies between learning outcomes of experts and novices show that explicit instruction of explaining skills in combination with well-structured material are key issues in using the jigsaw method with younger students.
Effects of Character Education on the Self-Esteem of Intellectually Able and Less Able Elementary Students in Kuwait.

This research study investigates effects of character education activities on the self-esteem of intellectually able and less able students in the lower elementary level in Kuwait. The participants were 39 students in grade three with an average age of eight years old. Students were first divided into two ability subgroups (intellectually able vs. intellectually less able), based on their IQ scores on the Kuwaiti Raven Standard Progressive Matrices (RSPM). The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSS) was also administered before and after a five-week implementation of the program. The experimental group received character education, and the control group received traditional English lessons with no specific character education. The results revealed that the intellectually able students who received character education showed a higher self-esteem rating than the intellectually less able. The character education program had benefited the intellectually able more than the intellectually less able students.
An initial study of insect succession on decomposing rabbit carrions in Harare, Zimbabwe.

OBJECTIVE To investigate insects visiting sun exposed and shaded decomposing rabbit carcasses and to establish the relationship between insects and carcasses which may be of forensic importance in Harare. METHODS Two rabbits weighing 2.3 kg and 2.5 kg were killed by sharp blows on the head. One was exposed to the sun while the other was placed under shade. The carcasses were allowed to decompose and insects were collected twice a day for the first week and thereafter once a day up to the end of the 7 weeks. Maggots were also collected from the decomposing carcasses and reared. RESULTS Five dipteran families (Calliphoridae, Muscidae, Sarcophagidae, Phoridae and Drosophilidae) were identified from the sun-exposed carcass. Species collected included Lucilia cuprina (L. cuprina), Chrysomya albiceps (C. albiceps), Musca domestica, Sarcophaga sp. and Drosophila sp. Four families (Calliphoridae, Muscidae, Phoridae, Anthomyiidae) were identified from the shaded carcass. Representatives of these families included L. cuprina, C. albiceps, Musca domestica, and Hydrotaea sp. Three Coleopteran families (Histeridae, Cleridae and Dermestidae) were identified from both carcasses. The observed species were Saprinus sp. , Necrobia rufipes and Dermestes sp. Formicidae (Hymenoptera) was represented by only one species (Pheidole sp.). Flies which emerged from the rearing units were L. cuprina, Lucilia sp. , C. albiceps, Sarcophaga sp. and Sepsis sp. ). CONCLUSIONS Of the dipteran species collected during the study, L. cuprina and C. albiceps could be important for further forensic studies since they were collected from the carcasses and also observed from the rearing units.
The value of (−7, −5)pro‐prostate‐specific antigen and human kallikrein‐2 as serum markers for grading prostate cancer

To assess the value of the precursor form (−7,5pro) of prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) and human kallikrein‐2 (hK2) for detecting and grading prostate cancer, as better serum markers with improved specificity are needed in men with lower ranges of total (t)PSA.
The Impact of Organizational Commitment on Insiders’ Motivation to Protect Organizational Information Assets

Abstract Insiders may act to sustain and improve organizational information security, yet our knowledge of what motivates them to do so remains limited. For example, most extant research relies on mere portions of protection motivation theory (PMT) and has focused on isolated behaviors, thus limiting the generalizability of findings to isolated issues, rather than addressing the global set of protective security behaviors. Here, we investigate the motivations surrounding this larger behavioral set by assessing maladaptive rewards, response costs, and fear alongside traditional PMT components. We extend PMT by showing that: (1) security education, training, and awareness (SETA) efforts help form appraisals; (2) PMT’s applicability to organizational rather than personal contexts depends on insiders’ organizational commitment levels; and (3) response costs provide the link between PMT’s appraisals. We show in detail how organizational commitment is the mechanism through which organizational security threats become personally relevant to insiders and how SETA efforts influence many PMT-based components.
Some Remarks on Rainbow Connectivity

An edge (vertex) colored graph is rainbow-connected if there is a rainbow path between any two vertices, i.e. a path all of whose edges (internal vertices) carry distinct colors. Rainbow edge (vertex) connectivity of a graph G is the smallest number of colors needed for a rainbow edge (vertex) coloring of G. In this article, we propose a very simple approach to studying rainbow connectivity in graphs. Using this idea, we give a unified proof of several known results, as well as some new ones.
In situ quantification of T‐lymphocyte subsets and Langerhans cells in the inflammatory infiltrate of atopic eczema

Tissue from the acute, non‐infected eruption of sixteen atopic eczema subjects was subjected to an indirect immunoperoxidase technique using monoclonal antibodies recognizing T‐lympho‐cyte subsets, Langerhans cells and natural killer cells. Over half the cells infiltrating the dermis were T lymphocytes, including a large majority of helper T cells and relatively few suppressor T cells. Langerhans cells were present in significant proportions in the dermis and probably reflected increased antigen presentation within the affected skin. There was no evidence of increased natural killer cell presence.
Cardiovascular Sympathomimetic Amine Interactions in Rats Treated with Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors and the Novel Oxazolidinone Antibiotic Linezolid

Linezolid (PNU-100766) is a new gram-positive oxazolidinone antibiotic that is effective at in vitro concentrations ≤4 &mgr;g/ml and in vivo doses ≤10 mg/kg. Because linezolid also competitively inhibits human monoamine oxidase-A (MAO-A; Ki = 55 &mgr;M), we monitored its effects on the cardiovascular responses to tyramine and amine cold remedies in comparison with standard MAO inhibitors. In anesthetized rats, the pressor response to 16 &mgr;g i.v. tyramine was potentiated by the MAO-A inhibitors clorgyline (0.1–1.0 mg/kg i.v.) and moclobemide (5.0–50 mg/kg p.o.), but not by the MAO-B inhibitor selegiline (0.15–15 mg/kg p.o.). Fifteen milligrams per kilogram intravenous linezolid weakly potentiated i.v. tyramine independent of changes in &agr;-adrenoceptor reactivity, but this effect was not enhanced chronically (90–100 mg/kg/day). In conscious rats, 30 mg/kg/day oral linezolid (8 &mgr;g/ml plasma concentration) minimally affected the pressor response to 20 mg/kg oral tyramine, whereas 100 mg/kg/day linezolid (20 &mgr;g/ml plasma concentration) moderately potentiated this response similar to 3 mg/kg per day moclobemide. Linezolid's tyramine potentiation was reversible, attenuated by food, and independent of pseudoephedrine, phenylpropanolamine, and dextromethorphan interactions. These studies demonstrate that high-dose linezolid only moderately potentiates the cardiovascular effects of tyramine and validate these models for evaluating such MAO inhibitory interactions.
Top‐down modulation of auditory processing: effects of sound context, musical expertise and attentional focus

By recording auditory electrical brain potentials, we investigated whether the basic sound parameters (frequency, duration and intensity) are differentially encoded among speech vs. music sounds by musicians and non‐musicians during different attentional demands. To this end, a pseudoword and an instrumental sound of comparable frequency and duration were presented. The accuracy of neural discrimination was tested by manipulations of frequency, duration and intensity. Additionally, the subjects’ attentional focus was manipulated by instructions to ignore the sounds while watching a silent movie or to attentively discriminate the different sounds. In both musicians and non‐musicians, the pre‐attentively evoked mismatch negativity (MMN) component was larger to slight changes in music than in speech sounds. The MMN was also larger to intensity changes in music sounds and to duration changes in speech sounds. During attentional listening, all subjects more readily discriminated changes among speech sounds than among music sounds as indexed by the N2b response strength. Furthermore, during attentional listening, musicians displayed larger MMN and N2b than non‐musicians for both music and speech sounds. Taken together, the data indicate that the discriminative abilities in human audition differ between music and speech sounds as a function of the sound‐change context and the subjective familiarity of the sound parameters. These findings provide clear evidence for top‐down modulatory effects in audition. In other words, the processing of sounds is realized by a dynamically adapting network considering type of sound, expertise and attentional demands, rather than by a strictly modularly organized stimulus‐driven system.
Alcohol and the immune system.

sary and does not contribute useful information; on the other hand, when clusters of cases occur, estimates of the prevalence of carriage of virulent strains may be required to help in developing a control strategy. Such incidents should be discussed with the Communicable Diseases Surveillance Centre (01 200 6868) or the Public Health Laboratory Service meningococcal reference laboratory, Manchester (061 445 2416) (or in Scotland the Communicable Diseases (Scotland) Unit or the meningococcal reference (Scotland) laboratory (041 946 7129)). If meningococcal infections are due to either group A or C organisms (but not group B) vaccinating the contacts may be considered for children in schools where more than one case has occurred and in households of cases where there are children or teenagers, given the prolonged increased risk of disease in household contacts.9 The use of vaccines should be discussed beforehand with the Communicable Diseases Surveillance Centre or Public Health Laboratory Service meningococcal reference laboratory, Manchester (or in Scotland the Communicable Diseases (Scotland) Unit or the meningococcal reference (Scotland) laboratory). In controlling the disease in the community close communications must be maintained among clinicians, microbiologists, and public health doctors so that suspected cases are reported immediately by telephone and subsequently by formal notification. The community physician responsible for infection control should keep a register of all suspected cases of meningococcal disease, both as a record of actions taken and to facilitate early recognition of clusters of cases. In the long term we hope that meningococcal disease will be controlled by developing vaccines that give prolonged protection against all groups of meningococci. Currently the first field trials ofgroup B vaccines are in progress in Chile and Cuba. D M JONES Chairman, PHLS Meningococcal Infections Working Party, Public Health Laboratory, Withington Hospital, Manchester M20 8LR
Pharmacokinetic analysis of factors determining elimination pathways for sulfate and glucuronide metabolites of drugs. I: Studies by in vivo constant infusion

1. The hepatic and renal handling of glucuronides and sulphates of three phenolic compounds, 4-methylumbelliferone (4-MU), p-nitrophenol (pNP) and acetaminophen (APAP), were evaluated pharmacokinetically by in vivo constant infusion experiments in rat. It was shown that the urinary excretion rate at steady-state was larger than the biliary excretion rate for both glucuronides and sulfates, and sulfates, in particular, were extensively excreted into the urine. 2. For each glucuronide, however, biliary excretion clearances (CLb) calculated based on the total concentration and unbound concentration in the liver were much larger than the corresponding renal excretion clearances (CLr). Even in the case of sulfates, there was not any large difference between CLr and CLb based on the total and unbound concentration in tissues, which could not explain their extensive urinary excretion. From these results, these excretion clearances were recognized not to reflect necessarily the actual excretion rate obtained. 3. On the other hand, the tissue-to-plasma concentration ratio (Kp) of both glucuronides and sulfates for every phenolic compound was much higher in the kidney than that in the liver. The results suggested that one of the most important determinants for the preferential excretion of these conjugates into the bile or urine is the extent of disposition of each compound to the liver or kidney. 4. In addition, Kp of both glucuronides and sulfates in the liver, where these conjugates are mainly formed, was small. The Kp of sulfates was quite low, suggesting that sulfates generated in the liver were subject to extensive sinusoidal efflux.
12 days under ice – an historic AUV deployment in the Canadian High Arctic

In March and April 2010, an International Submarine Engineering (ISE) Explorer Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV), built for Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), was deployed to Canada's High Arctic. Its mission was to undertake under-ice bathymetric surveys in support of Canada's United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) Outer Continental Shelf claim. During this deployment several under-ice records were broken and several new technologies were demonstrated. This achievement was in part the result of the development work that ISE and Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) undertook from 1993 to 1996 on the Theseus AUV during the Spinnaker program. During this program Theseus successfully completed two 200 km under-ice missions from CFS Alert on Ellesmere Island. NRCan's AUV is an ISE Explorer class vehicle, with several innovative additions to make it suitable for Arctic survey work. Most notable are a 4000 m depth rated variable ballast system, a 1500 Hz long range homing system, and under ice charging and data transfer capabilities. A Short Range Localization (SRL) system was also developed for close range positioning. The homing and SRL systems were developed by Canadian defense scientists and engineers at DRDC. The Explorer's range was extended to approximately 400 km by adding an additional hull section to accommodate extra batteries. The Main Camp near Borden Island (78°13.50'N, 112°38.87'W) was the launch site for the AUV. It was launched from an 8 m by 2.5 m ice-hole, cut through 2 – 3 m of thick ice. After several test dives its first mission was a transit to a Remote Camp, over 300 km to the northwest. The AUV autonomously homed into the Remote Camp and was successfully docked at the ice-hole where, without being removed from the water, it was charged and survey data was downloaded, all through a 1.5 m square ice hole. Subsequently, a second survey mission greater than 300 km in round trip length was undertaken, after which the AUV returned back to the Remote Camp. Finally, the vehicle embarked on a return mission to the Main Camp for recovery. From beginning to end, the AUV spent nearly 12 days under the ice before being successfully recovered. In total, close to 1000 km of under ice survey was accomplished between the AUV launch, Remote Camp mission, and recovery. The AUV reached depths of 3160 m and transited at an average speed of 1.5 m/s at an altitude of 130 m off the seabed. ISE and DRDC are now preparing for a 2011 deployment to collect additional data UNCLOS data. Aspects of the pre-deployment that will be presented include fail-safe provisions, mission planning, risk assessment, and mission logistics. Operational aspects to be discussed will include dealing with AUV operations in the extreme cold, initialization of the inertial navigation system, under-ice acoustics, acoustic homing to the recovery site and the procedures for recovery.