Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
DNA sequence and regulation of the gene (cbpA) encoding the 42-kilodalton cytoplasmic membrane carotenoprotein of the cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. strain PCC 7942

The gene (cbpA) coding for a carotenoid-binding protein of the cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. strain PCC 7942 (Anacystis nidulans R2) has been cloned and sequenced. A polyclonal antibody against the protein was used to identify immunoreactive clones from a lambda gt11 expression library of Synechococcus strain PCC 7942. The initial positive clone (lambda gtAN42) contained a 0.9-kilobase (kb) chromosomal fragment, which was used to detect a larger chromosomal fragment from a lambda EMBL3 library. The lambda EMBL3 recombinant, lambda EM109, contained an 18-kb portion of the Synechococcus strain PCC 7942 chromosome. The open reading frame of cbpA encoded 450 amino acids which give rise to a protein of 49,113 daltons. The hydrophobicity plot indicates that the protein may have a 49-residue signal sequence which is cleaved to yield a mature protein of 43,709 daltons. The protein has been localized in the cytoplasmic membrane by biochemical procedures as well as by electron microscopic immunocytochemistry. Northern (RNA) blot analysis indicates that transcription of cbpA is tightly regulated by DNA topology, light intensity, and iron concentration. Transcription is greatly induced by growth under high light intensities and repressed during growth under iron-deficient conditions. The DNA gyrase inhibitor novobiocin specifically inhibited the light-induced transcription. In Northern blots, the gene-specific probe hybridized to two size classes of RNA, with lengths of 2.0 and 6.2 kb. Since cbpA appears to be a component of the 6.2-kb transcript, it is likely part of a larger operon.
The mechanisms of resistance to antimalarial drugs in Plasmodium falciparum

Drug‐resistant malaria is primarily caused by Plasmodium falciparum, a species highly prevalent in tropical Africa, the Amazon region and South‐east Asia. It causes severe fever or anaemia that leads to more than a million deaths each year. The emergence of chloroquine resistance has been associated with a dramatic increase in malaria mortality among inhabitants of some endemic regions. The rationale for chemoprophylaxis is weakening as multiple‐drug resistance develops against well‐tolerated drugs. Plasmodium falciparum drug‐resistant malaria originates from chromosome mutations. Analysis by molecular, genetic and biochemical approaches has shown that (i) impaired chloroquine uptake by the parasite vacuole is a common characteristic of resistant strains, and this phenotype is correlated with mutations of the Pfmdr1, Pfcg2 and Pfcrt genes; (ii) one to four point mutations of dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), the enzyme target of antifolates (pyrimethamine and proguanil) produce a moderate to high level of resistance to these drugs; (iii) the mechanism of resistance to sulfonamides and sulfones involves mutations of dihydropteroate synthase (DHPS), their enzyme target; (iv) treatment with sulphadoxine–pyrimethamine selects for DHFR variants Ile(51), Arg(59), and Asn(108) and for DHPS variants Ser(436), Gly(437), and Glu(540); (v) clones that were resistant to some traditional antimalarial agents acquire resistance to new ones at a high frequency (accelerated resistance to multiple drugs, ARMD). The mechanisms of resistance for amino‐alcohols (quinine, mefloquine and halofantrine) are still unclear. Epidemiological studies have established that the frequency of chloroquine resistant mutants varies among isolated parasite populations, while resistance to antifolates is highly prevalent in most malarial endemic countries. Established and strong drug pressure combined with low antiparasitic immunity probably explains the multidrug‐resistance encountered in the forests of South‐east Asia and South America. In Africa, frequent genetic recombinations in Plasmodium originate from a high level of malaria transmission, and falciparum chloroquine‐resistant prevalence seems to stabilize at the same level as chloroquine‐sensitive malaria. Nevertheless, resistance levels may differ according to place and time. In vivo and in vitro tests do not provide an adequate accurate map of resistance. Biochemical tools at a low cost are urgently needed for prospective monitoring of resistance.
Incubation of Tissue Slices in the Absence of Ca2+ and Mg2+ Can Cause Nonspecific Damage

Abstract: Supervision of striatal slices with a medium deficient in Ca2+ and Mg2+ caused a large and sustained increase in release of lactate dehydrogenase, a finding indicative of the disruption of plasma membranes. This was associated with an efflux of dopamine (DA) and the depletion of DA from the tissue. In addition, whereas DA efflux was stimulated by either D‐amphetamine (10 μM) or L‐glutamate (10 mM) in the absence of Ca2+, these effects were greatly reduced when Mg2+ also was withdrawn from the buffer. These results suggest that (a) incubation in a Ca2+/Mg2+‐free buffer disrupts plasma membranes, (b) this disruption affects dopaminergic neurons as well as those of other striatal elements, and (c) the failure of a treatment to stimulate DA release in a Ca2+/Mg2+‐free buffer cannot be used as a test of Ca2+ dependence.
Big‐Box Stores and Urban Land Prices: Friend or Foe?

Using a spatial difference-in-differences research design, this paper examined the effect of a new Walmart store on nearby U.S. urban land prices and found that, within one quarter mile of a new Walmart store locale, land prices increased by almost 39% over the four-year development time period (from site negotiation to the store opening) compared with land located from one to three miles from the new store site. The analysis found that land prices increased almost geometrically over the development period as information leakage implied that a new store would actually be built and that demand for nearby land would increase. The positive effects were found to dissipate with distance from the new store, suggesting that the Walmart effect is highly localized. The analysis also found that supercenters, as opposed to discount stores, and commercial land sales, as opposed to residential land sales, were instrumental in driving the positive price effects. Also, robustness tests found a positive land price effect with other big-box stores, suggesting that the land price effect was not limited to Walmart stores, but in fact, was a big-box store effect. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved
The Effects of Melatonin on Oxidative Stress Parameters and DNA Fragmentation in Testicular Tissue of Rats Exposed to Microwave Radiation.

BACKGROUND Microwaves from mobile phones are one of the environmental toxicants that are capable of compromising male fertility by inducing oxidative stress and apoptosis in the testes. Melatonin is a lipophilic tryptophan indole amine and a potent antioxidant. OBJECTIVES The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of melatonin treatment on oxidative stress parameters and DNA fragmentation in the testicular tissue of rats exposed to microwave radiation (4 h/day). MATERIAL AND METHODS Adult Wistar rats were divided in 4 groups: I--treated with saline; II--treated with melatonin; III--exposed to microwaves; IV--exposed to microwaves and treated with melatonin. The melatonin (2 mg/kg ip) was administered daily. The animals were sacrificed after 20, 40 and 60 days. RESULTS Melatonin treatment prevented previously registered increases in malondialdehyde after only 20 days. Furthermore, it reversed the effects of microwave exposure on xanthine oxidase (after 40 days) and acid-DNase activity (after 20 days). However, neither protein carbonyl content nor catalase and alkaline Dnase activity were changed due to melatonin treatment. CONCLUSIONS Melatonin exerts potent antioxidant effects in the testes of rats exposed to microwaves by decreasing the intensity of oxidative stress; it also reduces DNA fragmentation.
Effect of a pilot community intervention on fruit and vegetable intakes: use of FACET (Five-a-day Community Evaluation Tool)

Abstract Background In 2001 the UK Department of Health funded pilot community-based interventions to improve fruit and vegetable intakes in five economically deprived areas of England. The effectiveness of the programme and the use of a brief tool for evaluating community interventions are reported here. Methods Data on intakes of and beliefs about fruit and vegetables were collected by a short postal questionnaire (FACET – Five-a-day Community Evaluation Tool) simultaneously from 810 individuals living in the pilot communities and 270 individuals who were participating in an unrelated observational study (controls). Data were collected before and after a 12-month intervention period. Quantitative dietary data derived from 7-day food diaries available for control subjects were used to assess the ability of the FACET questionnaire to estimate fruit and vegetable intakes. Results Compared with controls, the intervention group significantly increased their knowledge of the 5-a-day optimum (P < 0.01) and reported increased access to fruits and vegetables (P < 0.001). Overall, the intervention had no demonstrable effect on total fruit and vegetable intakes as measured by FACET. However, smoking habit strongly predicted change in fruit and vegetable intakes (P < 0.01) in the intervention group. Opposite trends were observed in the two groups, with ‘smokers’ and ‘non-smokers’ in the intervention and control groups respectively reducing their fruit and vegetable intakes. The FACET questionnaire agreed with food diary estimates of fruit and vegetable intakes in 56% of cases. Conclusions Community-based interventions can produce important changes in knowledge of and access to fruit and vegetables. However, in this study change in fruit and vegetable intakes was strongly influenced by smoking habit. This bias needs to be considered in planning future intervention and evaluation programmes. The FACET questionnaire provides acceptable estimates of fruit and vegetable intakes which may be used for grading intake in large community-based projects.
Altered Peripheral Immune Profiles in First-Episode, Drug-Free Patients With Schizophrenia: Response to Antipsychotic Medications

Previous research has demonstrated aberrations in the levels of inflammatory cytokines in patients with schizophrenia (SCZ), but most of the respective studies have tested a narrow set of inflammatory cytokines. Here, we aimed to analyze broad immune profiles in the peripheral blood of the first-episode drug-free (FEDF) patients with SCZ at baseline and after an 8-week treatment with atypical antipsychotics. Serum samples from 24 FEDF patients with SCZ and 25 healthy control (HC) subjects were tested using Luminex multiplex analysis for 30 cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors. Multiple comparison tests demonstrated that interleukin-2 (IL-2), IL-4, interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), monokine induced by IFN-γ, and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) levels were significantly increased, whereas those of the epidermal growth factor were significantly decreased in the FEDF patients with SCZ. Moreover, the levels of the 6 dysregulated cytokines as well as those of 12 additional soluble factors in FEDF patients with SCZ were significantly decreased after 8 weeks of antipsychotic treatment. Furthermore, the transcription of G-CSF and IFN-γ was significantly increased in FEDF patients with SCZ when compared with controls, and G-CSF and IFN-γ mRNA levels were highly correlated with their respective protein concentrations. Receiver operating characteristic curves showed that G-CSF and IFN-γ had good performance in differentiating between FEDF patients with SCZ and HC subjects. Taken together, our data revealed that FEDF patients with SCZ were accompanied by a unique pattern of immune profile, and antipsychotic medications seemed to suppress the immune function in these patients, which could be used to develop novel targets for the diagnosis and treatment of SCZ.
Impact of Liability to Periodontitis on Glycemic Control and Type II Diabetes Risk: A Mendelian Randomization Study

While the association of periodontitis with Type II diabetes (T2DM) is well-established, the causal relationship remains uncertain. We examined the causal association of periodontitis with glycemic traits (HbA1c, fasting glucose, and fasting insulin) and T2DM using Mendelian randomization (MR) taking advantage of large genome-wide association studies of European and East Asian adults, i.e., the UK Biobank (n ≈ 350,000) (HbA1c), trans-ancestral MAGIC (HbA1c, fasting glucose, and insulin), and DIAMANTE (74,124 cases/824,006 controls), and AGEN for T2DM in Europeans and East Asians, respectively. Periodontitis was instrumented using single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), strongly and independently predicting liability to periodontitis in each ancestry group. SNP-specific Wald estimates were combined using inverse variance weighting. Sensitivity analyses were performed using the weighted median and MR-Egger with meta-analysis of MR estimates for Europeans and East Asians. Genetically instrumented liability to periodontitis was not associated with glycemic traits or T2DM in either ancestry or when ancestry specific estimates were meta-analyzed. Our findings do not support a causal association of liability to periodontitis with glycemic traits or T2DM. However, further research is required confirming these findings among other racial/ethnic groups, especially groups who carry a heavy burden of both periodontitis and T2DM.
Insulin Resistance and Metabolic Syndrome in Young Men With Acne.

INTRODUCTION Robust evidence of the association of insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome with acne in male patients is lacking. OBJECTIVE To assess the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance in male patients 20 years or older with acne. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS We performed a cross-sectional study in 100 male patients with acne and 100 age-matched male controls without acne from a dermatology outpatient department of a tertiary care institute. Postadolescent patients were recruited only to negate the effects of physiologic insulin resistance that are seen at the time of puberty and adolescence. Twenty-five patients were included in each of the 4 individual severity groups according to the Global Acne Grading System and were age matched to 100 male controls without acne. EXPOSURES Clinical examination, Global Acne Rating System, National Cholesterol Education Programme Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP-ATP III), and Homeostasis Model Assessment-Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR). MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Metabolic syndrome was diagnosed as per the criteria of the modified NCEP-ATP III. Insulin resistance was assessed by the HOMA-IR. A HOMA-IR value greater than 2.5 was arbitrarily considered as insulin resistance. RESULTS Prevalence of insulin resistance was significantly higher in cases (22%) compared with controls (11%) (P = .03). The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was comparable between cases (17%) and controls (9%) (P = .09). Prevalence of insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome did not differ significantly among the acne severity groups. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Postadolescent male patients with acne more commonly have insulin resistance. This resistance may be a stage of prediabetes, and the patients may develop hyperinsulinemia or type 2 diabetes in the future. These patients should be followed up for a prolonged time to determine whether they develop conditions associated with insulin resistance.
Building Support? The Importance of Verbal Rewards for Employee Perceptions of Governance Initiatives

ABSTRACT The relationship between managers’ use of rewards and employees’ motivation is controversial, but recent research suggests that employee perceptions of governance initiatives can help us understand the association. Experimental evidence further emphasizes the difference between verbal and material rewards, and this study therefore analyzes real-world public managers’ use of these different rewards and their employees’ perceptions of a governance initiative. This enables us to shed light on a mechanism through which rewards can be connected to motivation. Can rewards contribute to a supportive perception of governance initiatives and potentially crowd-in motivation? This is analyzed in a multi-level dataset with 82 Danish school principals and their 1,273 employees. Managers’ use of contingent verbal rewards is positively associated with employees’ perceptions of the relevant governance initiative, while the corresponding association between material rewards and employee perceptions is weak and statistically insignificant when controlling for other types of managerial behavior. Although the findings need to be tested in an experimental design, they suggest that verbal rewards are a promising tool for public managers.
Gas patterns on plain abdominal radiographs: a pictorial review

Abdominal radiographs are one of the most commonly performed radiological examinations and have an established role in the assessment of the acute abdomen. The main indication is for suspected bowel obstruction and in conjunction with an erect chest x-ray for suspected visceral perforation. Often, the pattern of gas points to a particular pathology, and accurate interpretation is important for prompt diagnosis. The diagnosis in most cases will be confirmed by further imaging studies such as ultrasound, contrast studies or, most commonly in contemporary practice, CT. This pictorial review summarises the various types of intraluminal and extraluminal gas patterns, illustrates some of the common clinical diagnoses made from plain films, describes some commonly encountered clinical problems with radiographs, and discusses the role of advanced imaging techniques.
Histidine-Proline-Rich Glycoprotein Binding to Platelets Mediated by Transition Metals

Summary Histidine-proline-rich glycoprotein (HPRG) binds zinc, which in turn promotes HPRG binding to lymphocytes and monocytes. We examined the possibility that zinc and other transition metals also promote HPRG binding to platelets. Only non-specific, unsaturable association of HPRG with resting or activated platelets was observed in the absence of transition metals. However, nickel, cobalt, copper, cadmium, and zinc greatly increased HPRG association with the cells. In the presence of zinc, specific, saturable binding of HPRG to platelets was demonstrated. The cell binding capacity for HPRG could be increased by increasing the zinc saturation of HPRG from 10% to 30% as well as by activating the platelets with thrombin. Because platelets contain relatively high concentrations of secretable zinc, it is possible that significant amounts of HPRG bind to activated platelets at sites of blood clotting and that this has a physiologic function.
Mutation rate of the hepatitis C virus NS5B in patients undergoing treatment with ribavirin monotherapy.

BACKGROUND & AIMS Error catastrophe from an increase in mutation rate may be a possible mechanism of action of ribavirin in chronic hepatitis C (CHC). We sought to evaluate the mutagenic potential of ribavirin in vivo and to determine if conserved regions of hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS5B are mutated during ribavirin therapy. METHODS Thirty-one patients with CHC genotype 1 who participated in a randomized, placebo-controlled trial of ribavirin for 48 weeks were studied. After 48 weeks, patients on placebo were crossed-over to open-label ribavirin for 48 weeks. Viral RNA was extracted from paired, stored sera at day 0 and week 24 during the randomized phase and weeks 48, 52, and 72 during the cross-over phase. The entire NS5B region was sequenced and the mutation rates were calculated. RESULTS An increase in mutation rate was observed after 4 weeks (4.4 x 10(-2) vs 2.1 x 10(-3) per site/y, P = . 02) but not after 24 weeks (4.0 x 10(-3) vs. 5.5 x 10(-3) per site/y, P = . 1) in patients who crossed over to ribavirin. Similarly, during the randomized phase no increase in the number of mutations or the mutation rate was observed at week 24 between the ribavirin- and placebo-treated patients 6.6 vs 4.3 x 10(-3) per site/y, respectively (P = .4). No mutations were observed in conserved regions of NS5B. CONCLUSIONS Ribavirin therapy is associated with an early, transient increase in the mutation rate of HCV. Lethal mutagenesis and error catastrophe is unlikely to be the sole mechanism of action of ribavirin during therapy for CHC.
The Molecular Biology of Vestibular Schwannomas: Dissecting the Pathogenic Process at the Molecular Level

Objective: The goal of this article was to review concisely what is currently known about the tumorigenesis of vestibular schwannomas. Background: Recent advances in molecular biology have led to a better understanding of the cause of vestibular schwannomas. Mutations in the neurofibromatosis type 2 tumor suppressor gene (NF2) have been identified in these tumors. In addition, the interactions of merlin, the protein product of the NF2 gene, and other cellular proteins are beginning to give us a better idea of NF2 function and the pathogenesis of vestibular schwannomas. Methods: Review of the relevant basic science studies at our institution as well as the basic science and clinical literature. Results: The clinical characteristics of vestibular schwannomas and neurofibromatosis type 2 syndromes are reviewed and related to alterations in the NF2 gene. Studies demonstrating our current understanding of tumor developmental pathways are highlighted. In addition, methods of clinical and genetic screening for neurofibromatosis type 2 disease are outlined. Avenues for the development of potential future research and therapies are discussed. Conclusion: Great strides have been made to identify why vestibular schwannomas develop at the molecular level. Continued research is needed to find targeted therapies with which to treat these tumors.
A CMOS Dual-Band Voltage Controlled Oscillator

A new fully integrated, dual-band voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) is presented. The VCO is implemented in 0.18mum CMOS technology with 1.8V supply voltage. The circuit allows the VCO to operate at two resonant frequencies with two LC tanks. This VCO is configured with 2.4 GHz and 4.8 GHz frequency bands with differential outputs. The dual-band VCO operates at 2.15GHz ~ 2.75GHz and 4.75GHz ~ 4.99GHz. The measured phase-noise performances of a dual band VCO are 121.45 and 118.49 dBc/Hz at 1 MHz offset at the frequencies of 2.4 and 4.8 GHz, respectively, while drawing 3.88 mA and 3.1 mA from a 1.8V supply
The hard truth about business model innovation

The landscape of failed attempts at business model innovation is crowded and becoming more so as management teams at established companies mount both offensive and defensive initiatives involving new business models. This article assembles knowledge that the primary author has developed over the course of two decades studying what causes good businesses to fail, complemented by a two-year intensive research project to uncover where current managers and leadership teams stumble in executing business model innovation. Many failed business model innovations involve the pursuit of opportunities that appear to be consistent with a units current business model but that in fact are likely to be rejected by the existing business or its customers. To achieve successful business model innovation, organizations should focus on creating new business models, rather than changing existing ones. Once a new business is launched, it must remain independent throughout the duration of its journey, but maintaining autonomy requires ongoing leadership attention.