Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Different mechanisms control signal‐induced degradation and basal turnover of the NF‐kappaB inhibitor IkappaB alpha in vivo.

The transcription factor NF‐kappaB is sequestered in the cytoplasm by a family of IkappaB molecules. Upon cellular stimulation with diverse agents, one of these molecules, IkappaB alpha, is rapidly phosphorylated and subsequently degraded. This process triggers nuclear translocation of NF‐kappaB and the successive activation of target genes. Independent of its rapid stimulation‐induced breakdown, IkappaB alpha is inherently unstable and undergoes a continuous turnover. To compare the mechanisms and protein domains involved in inducible and basal degradation of IkappaB alpha in intact cells we employed a transfection strategy using tagged IkappaB alpha and ubiquitin molecules. We show that tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) induced breakdown of IkappaB alpha but not its basal turnover coincides with ubiquitination in the amino‐terminal signal response domain (SRD) of IkappaB alpha. Neither the SRD nor the carboxy‐terminal PEST sequence is needed for basal turnover, which instead depends only on the core ankyrin repeat domain. Despite the differences in the requirements of protein domains and ubiquitin‐conjugation for both degradation pathways, each one is mediated by the proteasome. This finding is important for understanding alternative modes of controlling NF‐kappaB activity.
Bacteria Displaying Interleukin‐4 Mutants Stimulate Mammalian Cells and Reflect the Biological Activities of Variant Soluble Cytokines

We describe a novel procedure that allows the rapid determination of cytokine activity on cells that express their cognate receptor. The four‐helix bundle cytokine interleukin‐4 (IL‐4) was inducibly expressed as a fusion with the E. coli outer‐membrane protein intimin, such that IL‐4 was presented on the surfaces of the bacteria. Expression and accessibility of the cytokine on the cell exteriors were monitored by Western blotting and fluorescence microscopy, making use of two epitopes flanking the IL‐4 component of the fusion protein. To demonstrate the biological activity of the immobilized cytokine, a Ba/F3‐derived cell line stably transfected with both the bipartite human IL‐4 receptor and an IL‐4‐specific luciferase reporter gene construct was employed. Bacterial cells displaying interleukin‐4 elicited a specific, dose‐dependent response in the reporter cells. Two variants of IL‐4 with previously characterized (partial) antagonistic properties were also expressed as membrane‐bound fusion proteins and were tested for their activity in the immobilized state. In comparison with bacteria displaying wild‐type IL‐4, E. coli clones presenting variants IL‐4 Y124G and Y124D showed diminished or abolished activity, respectively, on murine reporter cells. The relative signaling potencies of the immobilized IL‐4 variants thus closely mirror the agonistic properties of the corresponding soluble cytokines. This approach should be generally applicable for the mutational analysis of numerous signal mediators that trigger cellular responses through dimerization of transmembrane receptors.
In vivo 1H magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy of the rat spinal cord using an inductively‐coupled chronically implanted RF coil

An inductively coupled, chronically implanted short‐solenoid coil was used to obtain in vivo localized 1H NMR spectra and diffusion‐weighted images from a rat spinal cord. A 5 × 8 mm two‐turn elliptically shaped solenoid coil was implanted in rats at the site of a T‐12 vertebral‐level laminectomy. Excitation was achieved solely by a 3 × 3 cm external surface coil, and signal detection was achieved by inductively coupling the external coil to the implanted coil. The image signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) obtained with the inductively‐coupled implanted coil was compared with that obtained using a linear or a quadrature external surface coil. The implanted coil provided a gain by over a factor of 3 in SNR. The implanted coil was used to measure localized 1H spectra in vivo at the T13/L1 spinal‐cord level within a 1.85 × 1.85 × 4.82 mm (16.5 μL) volume. With 256 averages, a ∼3‐s repetition delay and respiratory gating, a high‐quality spectrum was acquired in 13 min. In addition, water translational diffusion was measured in three orthogonal directions using a stimulated‐echo imaging sequence, with a short echo time (TE), to produce a quantitative map of diffusion in a rat spinal cord in vivo. Magn Reson Med 46:1216–1222, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A 3-year study of high-cost users of health care

Background: Characterizing high-cost users of health care resources is essential for the development of appropriate interventions to improve the management of these patients. We sought to determine the concentration of health care spending, characterize demographic characteristics and clinical diagnoses of high-cost users and examine the consistency of their health care consumption over time. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of all residents of Ontario, Canada, who were eligible for publicly funded health care between 2009 and 2011. We estimated the total attributable government health care spending for every individual in all health care sectors. Results: More than $30 billion in annual health expenditures, representing 75% of total government health care spending, was attributed to individual costs. One-third of high-cost users (individuals with the highest 5% of costs) in 2009 remained in this category in the subsequent 2 years. Most spending among high-cost users was for institutional care, in contrast to lower-cost users, among whom spending was predominantly for ambulatory care services. Costs were far more concentrated among children than among older adults. The most common reasons for hospital admissions among high-cost users were chronic diseases, infections, acute events and palliative care. Interpretation: Although high health care costs were concentrated in a small minority of the population, these related to a diverse set of patient health care needs and were incurred in a wide array of health care settings. Improving the sustainability of the health care system through better management of high-cost users will require different tactics for different high-cost populations.
Effect of Intellectual Property Policy on the Speed of Technological Advancement

In this paper, the agent-based modeling is employed to model the effect of intellectual property policy at the speed of technological advancement. Every agent has inborn preferences towards investing their capital into independent technological development, innovation appropriation, and production. The relative cost of appropriation compared to independent development is chosen as a measure of strictness of intellectual property protection. We vary this parameter and look at the performance of agents with different preferences and overall technological progress. In general, it is found that in the specific setting considered with stronger intellectual property protection leads to faster progress.
Support Vector Machine-Based Algorithm for Post-Fault Transient Stability Status Prediction Using Synchronized Measurements

The paper first shows that the transient stability status of a power system following a large disturbance such as a fault can be early predicted based on the measured post-fault values of the generator voltages, speeds, or rotor angles. Synchronously sampled values provided by phasor measurement units (PMUs) of the generator voltages, frequencies, or rotor angles collected immediately after clearing a fault are used as inputs to a support vector machines (SVM) classifier which predicts the transient stability status. Studies with the New England 39-bus test system and the Venezuelan power network indicated that faster and more accurate predictions can be made by using the post-fault recovery voltage magnitude measurements as inputs. The accuracy and robustness of the transient stability prediction algorithm with the voltage magnitude measurements was extensively tested under both balanced and unbalanced fault conditions, as well as under different operating conditions, presence of measurement errors, voltage sensitive loads, and changes in the network topology. During the various tests carried out using the New England 39-bus test system, the proposed algorithm could always predict when the power system is approaching a transient instability with over 95% success rate.
Immunological study of lactate dehydrogenase from Streptococcus mutans and evidence of common antigenic domains with lactate dehydrogenases from lactic bacteria

Rabbit polyclonal antibodies directed against purified Streptococcus mutans L-(+)-lactate dehydrogenase reacted with the purified enzyme, giving a marked deviation of its kinetic parameters. The enzyme affinity for pyruvate or NADH decreased in the presence of antibody, the affinity for fructose 1,6-diphosphate (FDP) appeared to be slightly affected, and the cooperativity of the ligand binding was lowered. A partial protective effect was observed when the enzyme was preincubated with FDP prior to the antibody adjunction. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay allowed detection of a 30% decrease in enzyme-antibody fixation when FDP was added. The protective effect observed with FDP could be correlated with a conformational change induced by the activator. A decrease of antibody binding in the presence of FDP was also obtained with S. sanguis, Actinomyces viscosus, and Lactobacillus casei lactate dehydrogenases, which reflects a similar mechanism of activation among lactic bacteria. NADH did not offer any protection against antibody inhibition or fixation, and the coenzyme affinity decrease could be attributed to an indirect mechanism. On the contrary, pyruvate and the immunoglobulins apparently could compete for specific binding sites. A decrease of antibody binding was also obtained with three heterologous lactic bacterial lactate dehydrogenases, indicating a conservation of antigenic determinants implicated in the substrate binding.
A1166C polymorphism of the angiotensin AT1 receptor (AT1R) gene alters endothelial response to statin treatment

Abstract Background: The function of vascular endothelium is influenced by several factors: low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, oxidative stress and the reninangiotensin system. Methods: We tested the hypothesis that polymorphisms A1166C of the angiotensin AT1 receptor (AT1R) gene, C242T and A640G of the pphox22 gene (p22 phox is an essential component of NADH/NADPH oxidases) and G894T of the endothelial nitric oxide (NO) synthase (eNOS) gene influence endothelial function and its reaction to statin treatment. In 44 patients with coronary artery disease or hypercholesterolemia (not on lipid-lowering treatment), lipid profile and endothelial function (brachial artery flow-mediated dilation, FMD) were measured at baseline and after treatment with statins for 8–12 weeks. All subjects were genotyped for the above-mentioned polymorphisms. Results: None of the polymorphisms significantly predicted baseline FMD. Patients with the C allele of A1166C showed smaller changes in FMD in comparison with patients with the AA genotype (−0.044±0.439% vs. 0.386±0.599%; p=0.016). None of the other polymorphisms significantly influenced changes in FMD. Conclusions: The C allele of AT1R A1166C is associated with significantly lower endothelial response to statin treatment. Clin Chem Lab Med 2007;45:839–42.
Social Network Analysis of Actors in Rural Development: A Case Study of Yanhe Village, Hubei Province, China

Agricultural production, rural areas, and farmers are three key aspects of agriculture related to sustainable economic and social development in China. Rural development is a process of multiâ€ participation, which involves actors from governments, village committees, villagers, rural economic cooperatives, enterprises, financing institutions, and nonâ€ government organizations (NGOs). Based on social network analysis (SNA), this article analyzes the social network structures and characteristics of various actors in different stages of rural development in Yanhe village, Hubei Province, China. The results show that both the village committee and villagers have great influence on rural development; NGOs are the leaders of rural environmental improvement; village cooperatives are the promoters of rural economic development; enterprises are the accelerators of rural construction and development. The study outlines the rural development model in Yanhe village where the village committee is the leader and multiple forms of participation and cooperation are present; there are excellent partnerships and communication mechanisms among the participants. The endogenous and sustainable development model identified from Yanhe village is valuable for other villages in China to adopt.
A 16-year follow-up study of physical capacity in relation to perceived workload among ageing employees

The main purpose of this study was to ascertain musculoskeletal and cardiovascular capacity among ageing employees in relation to workload over a period of 16 years. The data were obtained by physical capacity tests and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) during working day. The study group consisted of 89 subjects, who were all employed in the municipal branch and were on average 51.9 years old at the beginning of the follow-up period in 1981 and 67.3 years in 1997, when the most of the subjects had retired (with only two subjects still working). During the 16-year follow-up period, age-related decline in physical capacity was observed. Nevertheless the improvement in flexibility of spine and in isometric trunk muscle strength compared with the same age subjects was more common among the subjects with high workload than among the subjects with low workload. However, among the subjects with high workload, physical capacity was poorer than among the subjects with low workload, especially among the women. The results suggest the conclusion that there are differences in workers' physical capacity in relation to their perceived workload during working life. These differences remained when the subjects had retired. Interestingly, those who had high workload had lower muscle strength than those who had low workload. This may indicate that high physical workload does not have any training effect on the muscle strength of ageing workers.
Physiotherapy after stroke: To what extent is task-oriented practice a part of conventional treatment after hospital discharge?

Research has shown that motor training after stroke should be task-oriented. It is still unknown whether the task-oriented approach is implemented into clinical practice. The purpose of the present study was to survey to which extent task-specific training was a part of conventional physiotherapy practice given to stroke patients after discharge from hospital. This cross-sectional survey was a sub-study of a randomized controlled trial. Physiotherapists treating patients included in the trial were asked to register their choice of treatment according to 11 predefined activity categories during the second week after discharge from hospital. Nineteen physiotherapists treating 46 patients suffering from mild-to-moderate stroke were included. The activities chosen in most patients were sit-to-stand (60.9%), balance in standing position (65.2%), walking on even ground (78.3%), and stair climbing (56.5%). Only two patients (4.3%) practiced transfers or balance related to activities of daily living (ADL), such as washing, dressing, and toileting. This study shows that conventional physiotherapy practice for a selected group of Norwegian stroke patients was mainly based on a task-oriented approach, although with very little emphasis on training in relation to ADL. Future research is needed to ensure that evidence-based treatment is given to all stroke patients.
Eukaryotic Lagging Strand DNA Replication Employs a Multi-pathway Mechanism That Protects Genome Integrity*

In eukaryotic nuclear DNA replication, one strand of DNA is synthesized continuously, but the other is made as Okazaki fragments that are later joined. Discontinuous synthesis is inherently more complex, and fragmented intermediates create risks for disruptions of genome integrity. Genetic analyses and biochemical reconstitutions indicate that several parallel pathways evolved to ensure that the fragments are made and joined with integrity. An RNA primer is removed from each fragment before joining by a process involving polymerase-dependent displacement into a single-stranded flap. Evidence in vitro suggests that, with most fragments, short flaps are displaced and efficiently cleaved. Some flaps can become long, but these are also removed to allow joining. Rarely, a flap can form structure, necessitating displacement of the entire fragment. There is now evidence that post-translational protein modification regulates the flow through the pathways to favor protection of genomic information in regions of actively transcribed chromatin.
Food Aid Provision in Metropolitan Melbourne: A Mixed Methods Study

ABSTRACT This study used a mixed methods approach, incorporating a desktop review, online survey, and semistructured interview, to investigate how providers of food aid in metropolitan Melbourne are experiencing changes because of an increased demand for services. The findings of this study indicate that though many providers report an increased demand, the complex needs of clients, including issues of housing, intergenerational poverty, and limited education and employment opportunities, make addressing food insecurity a challenge for food aid providers.
Maximal-Ratio Based Switch-and-Stay Combining for Dual-Branch Systems

A hybrid combining technique is one of the hot topics in the diversity research field because of the excellent overall performance compared with pure combining techniques. A hybrid maximal-ratio-based switch-and-stay combining (M-SSTC) scheme, for dual-branch systems, is proposed in this paper to enhance the existing SSTC-type combining techniques. According to this paper, the problem of the available solutions is that they are valid only when both the branches are poor, leading the performance gain very limited. Thus, we make an attempt to adopt the maximal-ratio combining technique to overcome this disadvantage. By designing reasonable switching logic, M-SSTC can improve the performance of the diversity system as much as possible while keeping its complexity in a low level. Based on the Markovian property of the M-SSTC’s output state sequences, the outage probability performance of M-SSTC is analyzed, and the closed-form expression is also presented. Finally, simulation results validate the theoretical results and show the advantages of M-SSTC over the available schemes.
Design of All-Optical Reconfigurable Logic Unit With Bacteriorhodopsin Protein Coated Microcavity Switches

We present a theoretical design of an all-optical reconfigurable logic unit based on optically controlled microcavity switches, for realization of all-optical computing circuits. It can execute different logic and arithmetic operations such as half and full adder or subtractor, by only changing the control inputs on the same circuit. Theoretical designs considering bacteriorhodopsin (BR) protein coated microcavities in tree architecture have been presented. The combined advantages of high Q-factor, tunability, compactness, switching of near-IR signals at telecom wavelengths (1310/1550 nm) with low-power control signals, and flexibility of cascading switches to form circuits, makes the designs promising for practical applications. They combine the ultrahigh sensitivity of both BR and microresonators to define a novel paradigm of all-optical computing based on hybrid nanobiophotonic integration.
Decentralization and sectoral expenditures in Europe

ABSTRACT This article presents an empirical analysis of the recent impact of fiscal decentralization in Europe on total expenditure for specific government functions as well as on total government size. A panel data set for the years 2000–2009 for European countries has been constructed from EUROSTAT data. The effects of decentralization interact with the degree of vertical imbalances and tend to be negative as predicted by the Leviathan view of government. Effects vary strongly across government functions and are strongest in relative terms for social spending and infrastructure. Moderate restraining effects are found for education, while health spending is not significantly affected. This is consistent with competition between subnational entities, which try to attract taxpayers and shift expenses away from policies that benefit neighbouring jurisdictions.
Lifestyle, Body Composition, and Physical Fitness Changes in Hungarian School Boys (1975–2005)

General socioeconomic conditions as well as the physical environment have undergone remarkable changes in Hungary during the past 30 years. Unfortunately, these positive processes have resulted in a reduction of habitual physical activity along with unfavorable changes in dietary habits. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to compare some selected morphological and functional parameters of 7–14-year-old Hungarian schoolboys living in the middle of the 1970s and at the beginning of the new millennium. It was hypothesized that there would be significant differences in morphological and functional characteristics of the Hungarian schoolboy populations, because they were assessed 30 years apart. Means of height, body mass, body mass index (BMI), the sum of five skinfold tests, percentage of body fat, and two running performance times (400 m and 1,200 m) of the boys (N = 3,672) studied in 1975 were compared to those of the boys (N = 3,758) in 2005. Data were analyzed using two-tailed independent samples t tests (p < .05). We observed significant secular changes in body mass and height. In addition, boys in 2005 had significantly more subcutaneous fat compared to 1975. The running times for the two distances were significantly poorer at the time of the second investigation. The remarkable and unfavorable changes in body composition and cardiorespiratory performance were attributed to the continuously decreasing intensity of habitual physical exercise and a lifestyle that had become more sedentary (watching TV, playing computer games, etc.). Radical interventions are necessary to reduce these risks associated with the high prevalence of cardiovascular disease in Hungary, and the challenge to resolve the problem requires combined efforts at the educational, societal, corporate, and governmental levels.
Direct Identification in Food Samples of Listeria spp. and Listeria monocytogenes by Molecular Methods

ABSTRACT A new molecular approach for the detection and identification of Listeria spp. and Listeria monocytogenes in food is presented here. The method is based on the PCR amplification of a fragment of the iap gene from the five species belonging to the genus and on the analysis of the PCR products obtained by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). The protocol was first optimized by using strains from international collections. Based on the differences present in the sequences amplified, it was possible to obtain species-specific DGGE migration that allowed fast and easy identification of L. monocytogenes, L. innocua, L. welshimeri, L. seeligeri, and L. ivanovii. Moreover, for L. monocytogenes serotypes, partial differentiation was possible. The optimized protocol was used for identification of Listeria strains traditionally isolated from food and for direct detection and identification of Listeria members in food after an overnight enrichment. Identification of 48 food isolates and direct detection of Listeria spp. in 73 food samples show the potential of the method that can be used as a fast screening test to investigate the presence of Listeria spp. and L. monocytogenes in food.