Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of Temperature on Growth, Hemagglutination, and Protease Activity of Porphyromonas gingivalis

ABSTRACT Bacteria persisting in periodontal pockets are exposed to elevated temperatures during periods of inflammation. Temperature is an environmental factor that can modulate gene expression. Consequently, in the present study we examined the effect of temperature on the expression of virulence determinants by the periodontopathogen,Porphyromonas gingivalis. P. gingivalis W50 was grown in a complex medium under hemin excess at pH 7.0 and at a constant temperature of either 37, 39, or 41°C; cultures were monitored for protease and hemagglutinin activity. P. gingivalis grew well at all three temperatures. An increase in growth temperature from 37 to 39°C resulted in a 65% reduction in both total arginine- and lysine-specific activities (P < 0.01). A further rise in growth temperature to 41°C led to even greater reductions in arginine-specific (82%; P < 0.001) and lysine-specific (73%; P < 0.01) activities. These reductions were also associated with an altered distribution of individual arginine-specific enzyme isoforms. At 41°C, there was a disproportionate reduction in the level of the heterodimeric RI protease, which also contains adhesin domains. The reduction also correlated with a markedly diminished hemagglutination activity of cells, especially in those grown at 41°C, and a reduced immunoreactivity with a monoclonal antibody which recognizes gene products involved in hemagglutination. Thus, as the environmental temperature increased, P. gingivalis adopted a less aggressive phenotype, while retaining cell population levels. The coordinate down-regulation of virulence gene expression in response to an environmental cue linked to the intensity of the host inflammatory response is consistent with the clinically observed cyclical nature of disease progression in periodontal diseases.
Multilocus Sequence Typing for Characterization of Methicillin-Resistant and Methicillin-Susceptible Clones ofStaphylococcus aureus

ABSTRACT A multilocus sequence typing (MLST) scheme has been developed forStaphylococcus aureus. The sequences of internal fragments of seven housekeeping genes were obtained for 155 S. aureusisolates from patients with community-acquired and hospital-acquired invasive disease in the Oxford, United Kingdom, area. Fifty-three different allelic profiles were identified, and 17 of these were represented by at least two isolates. The MLST scheme was highly discriminatory and was validated by showing that pairs of isolates with the same allelic profile produced very similar SmaI restriction fragment patterns by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. All 22 isolates with the most prevalent allelic profile were methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) isolates and had allelic profiles identical to that of a reference strain of the epidemic MRSA clone 16 (EMRSA-16). Four MRSA isolates that were identical in allelic profile to the other major epidemic MRSA clone prevalent in British hospitals (clone EMRSA-15) were also identified. The majority of isolates (81%) were methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) isolates, and seven MSSA clones included five or more isolates. Three of the MSSA clones included at least five isolates from patients with community-acquired invasive disease and may represent virulent clones with an increased ability to cause disease in otherwise healthy individuals. The most prevalent MSSA clone (17 isolates) was very closely related to EMRSA-16, and the success of the latter clone at causing disease in hospitals may be due to its emergence from a virulent MSSA clone that was already a major cause of invasive disease in both the community and hospital settings. MLST provides an unambiguous method for assigning MRSA and MSSA isolates to known clones or assigning them as novel clones via the Internet.
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF DENOISING THE DIFFERENT ARTIFACTS IN ECG SIGNAL USING DIFFERENT ADAPTIVE ALGORITHEMS

: Now a day’s biomedical signal processing having the main problems like in ECG signal effecting noises caused by power line interference, external electromagnetic fields, random body movements and respiration etc.so we have to remove these noises from the ECG signal. For this purpose several methods are there in filters. But it is not possible to apply filters with fixed coefficients to reduce ECG signal noises, because human behavior is varying from time to time. This problem is overcome by Adaptive filter technique. Here we are proposing the different types of adaptive filters to separate the ECG signal from noises like PLI and Base Line Interference. The MATLAB results of simulations are presented. In this we have used Improved Recursive Least Squares (RLS). The ES-RLS algorithm is proposed for removing different noises preserving the low frequency components and tiny features of the ECG. It is designed for the present realization of the input signals. In this least squares method adapted for real time processing of temporal series. The Least-squares algorithm minimize the error from the sum of the squares of the difference between the desired signal and the model filter output . This process is repeats when new samples of the incoming signals are received at every iteration. The error of the least-squares problem can be computed in recursive form resulting in the recursive least-squares (RLS) algorithms. The Improve RLS algorithms are giving the fast convergence performance even when the Eigen value spread of the input signal correlation matrix is large. The RLS algorithms have excellent performance when working in time-varying environments as compared to other algorithms. But the RLS algorithms lead an increased computational complexity and some stability problems, which are not major problems in LMS, NLMS-based algorithms
Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha Receptor I Is Important for Survival from Streptococcus pneumoniaeInfections

ABSTRACT Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) is important in resistance to various microorganisms and provides signals to the target cells through two different receptors, TNF-α receptor I (TNFRI) (p55 receptor) and TNFRII (p75 receptor). To delineate the significance of the two different signaling pathways in resisting infections with extracellular bacteria, we examined the resistance of mice to Streptococcus pneumoniae (serotype 6B). TNF-α needs to be present early in infections, since one injection of wild-type mice with anti-TNF-α leads to an increased susceptibility of these mice to S. pneumoniae. TNF-α signaling through the p55 receptor (but not the p75 receptor) is crucial in resisting S. pneumoniae infections, because intraperitoneal injection of 100 CFU/mouse killed p55-deficient mice by day 2 of infection, whereas 1,000,000 CFU/mouse was needed to kill half of the control mice. p55-deficient mice do not show evidence of a deficient acute-phase response. All three types of mice (p55 deficient, p75 deficient, and normal) showed comparable rises in the levels of two acute-phase proteins (serum amyloid P and C3) at 24, 48, and 72 h after the experimental infections, and all of the mice showed comparable influxes of neutrophils to the site of infection. Finally, it was demonstrated that p55-deficient mice can be protected from the lethal effects of S. pneumoniae infection by injection of antibodies specific for S. pneumoniaepolysaccharide capsule.
Protective Immunity against Streptococcus mutansInfection in Mice after Intranasal Immunization with the Glucan-Binding Region of S. mutansGlucosyltransferase

ABSTRACT Here we present the construction and characterization of a chimeric vaccine protein combining the glucan-binding domain (GLU) of thegtfB-encoded water-insoluble glucan-synthesizing glucosyltransferase enzyme (GTF-I) from Streptococcus mutans and thioredoxin from Escherichia coli, which increases the solubility of coexpressed recombinant proteins and stimulates proliferation of murine T cells. The protective potential of intranasal (i.n.) immunization with this chimeric immunogen was compared to that of the GLU polypeptide alone in a mouse infection model. Both immunogens were able to induce statistically significant mucosal (salivary and vaginal) and serum responses (P < 0.01) which were sustained to the end of the study (experimental day 100). Following infection with S. mutans, sham-immunized mice maintained high levels of this cariogenic organism (∼60% of the total oral streptococci) for at least 5 weeks. In contrast, animals immunized with the thioredoxin-GLU chimeric protein (Thio-GLU) showed significant reduction (>85%) inS. mutans colonization after 3 weeks (P < 0.05). The animals immunized with GLU alone required 5 weeks to demonstrate significant reduction (>50%) of S. mutansinfection (P < 0.05). Evaluation of dental caries activity at the end of the study showed that mice immunized with either Thio-GLU or GLU had significantly fewer carious lesions in the buccal enamel or dentinal surfaces than the sham-immunized animals (P < 0.01). The protective effects against S. mutans colonization and caries activity following i.n. immunization with GLU or Thio-GLU are attributed to the induced salivary immunoglobulin A (IgA) anti-GLU responses. Although in general Thio-GLU was not significantly better than GLU alone in stimulating salivary IgA responses and in protection against dental caries, the finding that the GLU polypeptide alone, in the absence of any immunoenhancing agents, is protective against disease offers a promising and safe strategy for the development of a vaccine against caries.
Demography of the California Spotted Owl in Northeastern California

Abstract We estimated age-specific survival (ϕ), fecundity (b), and the finite rate of population change (λ) of California Spotted Owls (Strix occidentalis occidentalis) over a 10-year period (1990–1999). Two hundred nineteen juvenile and 200 subadult or adult owls were banded at 90 sites, with a combined total of 1080 captures. Least-squares mean estimates (± SE) of fecundity (# female fledglings per territorial female) over all years were 0.065 ± 0.066 for subadults (n = 33) and 0.291 ± 0.065 for adults (n = 381). Estimated annual apparent survival probability was 0.333 ± 0.055 for juveniles and 0.827 ± 0.015 for subadults and adults combined. Using these estimates to construct a four-stage projection matrix, the finite rate of population change, λ̂, was 0.910 ± 0.025. This value of λ suggests an annual rate of decline in the territorial population of 9% per year over the period of study. Elasticity analyses showed λ to be most sensitive to variation in adult female survival. However, the standard deviation of λ was dominated by year-to-year variation in fecundity. Conservation guidelines should focus on management activities that increase the value of adult survival while minimizing its temporal variability. Demografía de Strix occidentalis occidentalis en el Noreste de California Resumen. Estimamos la supervivencia (ϕ) y fecundidad (b) específicas por edad y la tasa discreta de crecimiento poblacional (λ) de Strix occidentalis occidentalis en un periodo de 10 años (1990–1999). Marcamos 219 lechuzas jóvenes y 200 adultas y subadultas en 90 localidades, para un total combinado de 1080 capturas. La estimación de la media (± ES) de fecundidad (número de pichones hembras por hembra territorial) fue 0.065 ± 0.066 en subadultos (n = 33) y 0.291 ± 0.065 en adultos (n = 381). La probabilidad estimada de supervivencia aparente fue 0.333 ± 0.055 para los jóvenes y 0.827 ± 0.015 para subadultos y adultos combinados. Usando tales estimaciones para construir una matriz de proyección de cuatro etapas, se obtiene una tasa discreta de cambio en la población, λ̂, de 0.910 ± 0.025. Este valor de λ indica una tasa anual decreciente del 9% en la población territorial durante el periodo estudiado. Los análisis de elasticidad indicaron que λ es más susceptible a la variación en la supervivencia de las hembras adultas. Sin embargo, la desviación medio de λ fue dominada por la variación interanual en la fecundidad. Las reglas de conservación deben concentrarse en actividades de manejo dirigidas a aumentar el nivel de supervivencia de hembras adultas y al mismo tiempo minimizar su variabilidad en el tiempo.
Identification and subcellular localisation of INT7 : A novel tomato ( Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) fruit ripening-related and stress-inducible gene.

�� In order to identify novel ripening-related C 2H4-dependent components, a yeast two-hybrid interaction screen have previously been employed in which NR cDNA, a key C 2H4 receptor gene whose expressing is induced during ripening, has be en used as bait. This screen has identified a clone corresponding to interacting protein 7 (LeINT 7), through its specific and strong interaction with the NR receptor (Alexander et al., unpublished work). In this work, our objective was to identify the corresponding NR-interacting gene and subsequently characterize its expression response to various stress treatments, as well as u nravelling its subcellular location in the cell. By sequencing and plant data base interrogation, LeINT 7 was found to be a small gene with an ORF of ~243 bp encoding a protein composed of 77 aa that s hares no sequence homology with any known gene. Northern analyses demonstrated that LeINT7 ge ne expression is up-regulated in response to various stress signalling molecules such as salicyl ic acid, abscissic acid, jasmonic acid, nitric oxid e and salt, implicating Int7 in biotic and abiotic stress signalling responses. A chimeric construct in which LeINT7 is C-terminally fused to the green flu orescent protein (GFP) was generated. Thus, 35S::LeINT7::GFP-containing constructs were transie ntly expressed in both tobacco leaves and onion peels via microprojectiles bombardment. Subse quently, confocal laser microscopic examination of bombarded tobacco and onion tissues revealed that the expression of GFP-LeINT7 was observed predominantly in the plasma membrane, compared to the location throughout the cell observed with the control GFP construct alone.
Identification of an Immunomodulating Agent from Mycobacterium leprae

ABSTRACT A search for an immunomodulating agent from mycobacteria was carried out using Mycobacterium leprae. The antigenicity of each fraction of the bacterial membrane, which contains the most antigenic components of M. leprae, was assessed by using sera from paucibacillary leprosy. N-terminal sequencing of the serum-reactive protein and functional assessment of the membrane fractions using monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DCs) identified major membrane protein II (MMP-II) as one of the efficient T-cell-activating candidates. Purified MMP-II stimulated DCs from healthy individuals to produce interleukin-12 p70 and up-regulated the surface expression of major histocompatibility complex class I and II, CD86, and CD83 molecules. Also, there was an increase in the percentage of CD83+ cells in the DC population. Furthermore, MMP-II-pulsed DCs expressed their derivatives on their surfaces. Using Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR-2)-dependent receptor constructs, we found that TLR-2 signaling was involved in DC maturation induced by MMP-II. Taken together, MMP-II can be recognized as an immunomodulating protein in terms of activation of antigen-presenting cells and innate immunity.
High Dynamic Performance of PMSM Drive Using MIMO Fuzzy Controller

: This paper presents modeling and analysis of electric drives with Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors (PMSM). This method has high-performance, robust, speed controller of PMSM drive with neural network tuned fuzzy Controller for controlling multi inputs multi outputs (MIMO) systems. The structure of MIMO fuzzy controller is divided into single input single output. A MIMO fuzzy is designed and analyzed to achieve high-dynamic performance in load regulation characteristics for robotic applications. The MIMO system transfer function of PMSM drive system incase of closed loop including the current control loop is used as the reference model. The simulation of pulse width modulated (PWM) inverter fed PMSM Controlled by MIMO fuzzy controller at closed loop is present.
Design and Application of Two Rapid Screening Techniques for Isolation of Mn(IV) Reduction-Deficient Mutants ofShewanella putrefaciens

ABSTRACT Chemical mutagenesis procedures and two newly developed rapid plate assays were used to identify two Mn(IV) reduction-deficient (Mnr) mutants of Shewanella putrefaciens. All eleven members of a set of previously isolated Fe(III) reduction-deficient (Fer) mutants displayed Mnr-positive phenotypes on the plate assays and were also capable of anaerobic growth on Mn(IV) as the sole terminal electron acceptor.
Correlation between Detection Rates of Periodontopathic Bacterial DNA in Carotid Coronary Stenotic Artery Plaque and in Dental Plaque Samples

ABSTRACT Utilizing PCR, the 16S rRNA detection rates for Porphyromonas gingivalis, Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Bacteroides forsythus, Treponema denticola, and Campylobacter rectus in samples of stenotic coronary artery plaques were determined to be 21.6, 23.3, 5.9, 23.5, and 15.7%, respectively. The detection rates for P. gingivalis and C. rectus correlated with their presence in subgingival plaque.
Identification and Characterization of a Lysis Module Present in a Large Proportion of Bacteriophages InfectingStreptococcus thermophilus

ABSTRACT A lysis module encoded by the temperate bacteriophage φO1205 was identified. This lysis module contains a lysin gene, designatedlyt51, and two putative holin-encoding genes, designatedlyt49 and lyt50. lyt51 encodes a lytic enzyme specifically directed against streptococcal cell walls. Similar to other phage-encoded lysins, Lyt51 appears to have a modular design in which the N-terminal portion corresponds to its enzymatic activity while the C-terminal region is responsible for its substrate binding specificity. The two putative holin-encoding genes,lyt49 and lyt50, located immediately upstream of lyt51, were identified on the basis of their homology to other identified holin-encoding genes. Expression of lyt49 or lyt50 in Escherichia coli was shown to cause cell death and leakage of the intracellular enzyme isocitrate dehydrogenase into the growth medium without apparent lysis of the cells. Southern blotting experiments demonstrated that at least one of the three components of the identified lysis module is present in all members of a large collection of bacteriophages, indicating that components of this lysis module are widespread among bacteriophages infecting Streptococcus thermophilus.
S 1 selection of local maize landraces for low soil nitrogen tolerance in Zambia

Low soil nitrogen (N) limits maize production in Zambia. S1 selection was used to select for tolerance to low N among ninety-six maize landraces during 2004 - 2007 in Zambia. The landraces were evaluated under low N, drought and optimal conditions; and selfed in a nursery, under optimal conditions. Data on grain yield (GY), number of ears per plant, leaf senescence and anthesis-silking interval were used to calculate selection indices. Fourteen S1 lines, from each of the best four landraces under each environment and across all environments were evaluated under the three environments, and at the same time crossed to a tester. Twenty-two best S1 lines under each environment and across were identified and also their testcrosses were evaluation under the three environments. Significant GCA effects for GY under low soil N were found; suggesting that population improvement under soil N stress was effective. Heritability for GY under low soil N conditions was low (0.38) implying that selection based on GY was ineffective. The rG for GY under low soil N and optimal environments was moderate (0.458), suggesting that selection for GY in one environment was not as effective as in the other. Low soil N tolerant landraces were identified and should be used to breed for the low soil N conditions.
Lethality to Ferrets of H5N1 Influenza Viruses Isolated from Humans and Poultry in 2004

Departments of Infectious Diseases and Pathology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and Department of Pathology, University of Tennessee, Memphis, Tennessee; Joint Influenza Research Center (Shantou University Medical College and Hong Kong University), Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, and Government Virus Unit, Department of Health, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region, People’s Republic of China; Department of Virology, National Institute of Veterinary Research, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and Virology Department, National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Hanoi, Vietnam; and Department of Microbiology, Sriraj Hospital, and Department of Livestock Development, National Institute of Animal Health, Bangkok, Thailand
Isolation of 4-chlorophenol-degrading bacteria, Bacillus subtilis OS1 and Alcaligenes sp. OS2 from petroleum oil-contaminated soil and characterization of its catabolic pathway.

1 Abstract: Chlorophenols are carcinogenic and toxic environmental pollutants which massively discharged to the environment from uncontrolled industrial activities. Many industrial wastes were screened for chlorophenols-degrading bacteria. Two bacterial strains designated as OS1 and OS2, were isolated from petroleum oil-contaminated soil and characterized for their ability to degrade some chlorophenols. Strains OS1 and OS2 were able to catabolize only 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) and use it as a main carbon source. 4-chlorophenol was degraded up to 100 mg/L above which the degradation rate was reduced dramatically due to the cytotoxicity of chlorophenol. Strains were identified by the most recently used molecular typing technique by sequencing V3 variable region of their 16S-rRNA genes. According to their 16S-rDNA base sequence, strains OS1 and OS2 were identified as Bacillus subtilis OS1 and Alcaligenes sp. OS2. UV/VIS spectrophotometric analysis showed that Alcaligenes sp. OS2 is catabolizing 4-CP via extradiol meta-ring cleavage pathway revealed by the formation of 5-chloro-hydroxymuconate semialdehyde (5-CHMS) as a result of extradiol ring cleavage of 4- chlorocatechol (4-CC) primarily produced via hydroxylation of 4-CP by phenol hydroxylase (PH). GC- MS analysis showed that Alcaligenes sp. OS2 is catabolizing 4-CP via dehydrogenative branch of extradiol meta-ring cleavage pathway revealed by detection and identification of 4-CC and 5-chloro- hydroxymuconate (5-CHM) as intermediate metabolites in their cell free extract. However, 5-CHMS was not detected in culture filtrate of B. subtilis OS1, suggesting a possibility for a modified meta- pathway. Cell free extract of B. subtilis OS1 with 4-CP was found to contain 5-CHM as a major intermediate metabolite. Extradiol meta-ring cleavage pathway in these strains was assigned to the activity of catechol 2,3-dioxygenase (C23O).