Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A cross-sectional study of chiropractic students' research readiness using the Academic Self-Concept Analysis Scale.

OBJECTIVE The shift toward evidence-based health care has reoriented tertiary clinical education in a way that necessitates and incorporates research. This study assesses the inclination and suitability of chiropractic students for research over a 5-year educational program. METHODS Research attributes of chiropractic students were assessed in this cross-sectional study using a validated and modified academic self-concept analysis scale. Students in first and final year were assessed in 4 domains: creativity, motivation, self-regulation, and general intellectual ability. Univariable differences were assessed using Welch 2-sample t tests, and multivariable analysis was carried out with multiple linear regression models. RESULTS The response rate was 71% (n = 165). First- and fifth-year students scored highly on all 4 domains (80% to 96%). Compared to first-year students, fifth-year students rated themselves significantly lower in 3 of the domains: general intellectual abilities (t[126] = -2.01; p = 0.047), motivation (t[115] = -4.82; p < 0.001), and creativity (t[136] = -3.00; p = 0.003). CONCLUSION Research suitability is high in chiropractic students. Both cohorts scored high in all domains despite the disparity between first and fifth years. First-year students outperformed fifth-year students in 3 domains, indicating a potential decline in the inclination to do research over time. However, unaccounted factors, such as the Dunning-Kruger effect, life changes, and "burnout," may have contributed to these differences. Future studies should include questions about stress, fatigue, clinical orientation, and educational environment to inform the interpretation of findings.
Evaluating acute toxicity of methyl parathion application in constructed wetland mesocosms

Wetland ecosystems have reduced ambient levels of various organic and metallic compounds, although their effectiveness on agricultural pesticides is not well documented. Five stations within each of two 10 × 50 m constructed wetlands (two vegetated, two nonvegetated) were selected to measure the fate and effects of methyl parathion (MeP). Following a simulated storm event (0.64 cm of rainfall), aqueous, sediment, and plant samples were collected and analyzed spatially (5, 10, 20, and 40 m from the inlet) and temporally (after 3–10 days) for MeP concentrations and for the impact of those concentrations on the aquatic fauna. Aqueous toxicity to fish decreased spatially and temporally in the vegetated mesocosm. Pimephales promelas survival was significantly reduced, to 68%, at the 10‐m station of the nonvegetated wetlands (3 h postapplication), with pesticide concentrations averaging 9.6 μg MeP/L. Ceriodaphnia in both the vegetated and nonvegetated wetlands was sensitive (i.e., a significant acute response to MeP occurred) to pesticide concentrations through 10 days postapplication. Mean MeP concentrations in water ranged from 0.5 to 15.4 μg/L and from 0.1 to 27.0 μg/L in the vegetated and nonvegetated wetlands, respectively. Hyalella azteca aqueous tests resulted in significant mortality in the 5‐m vegetated segment 10 days after exposure to MeP (2.2 μg/L). Solid‐phase (10‐day) sediment toxicity tests showed no significant reduction in Chironomus tentans survival or growth, except for the sediments sampled 3 h postapplication in the nonvegetated wetland (65% survival). Thereafter, midge survival averaged >87% in sediments sampled from both wetlands. These data suggest that wetlands play a significant role in mitigating the effect of MeP exposure in sensitive aquatic biota. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 19: 471–479, 2004.
Environmental, Biogeographic, and Biochemical Patterns of Archaea of the Family Ferroplasmaceae

ABSTRACT About 10 years ago, a new family of cell wall-deficient, iron-oxidizing archaea, Ferroplasmaceae, within the large archaeal phylum Euryarchaeota, was described. In this minireview, I summarize the research progress achieved since then and report on the current status of taxonomy, biogeography, physiological diversity, biochemistry, and other research areas involving this exciting group of acidophilic archaea.
Would you commute further for extra money? Region specific income effects on commuting distances

We start referring to the striking phenomena that over the past decades commuting distances in Germany have steadily risen, although commuting costs increased over-proportionally. This is surprising, as urban economic theory predicts increasing commuting distances especially for higher income, which indicates that either other factors must drive the increase in commuting distances or the income effect may not be as general as so far assumed. We pick up urban economic theory and assume sequential optimization of place of work and residence, occupational specialization and a structure mono- and polycentric sub-labor-markets. Based on these assumptions, we obtain differential predictions on regional income effects and overall commuting distances, which can as well be an explanation for the increasing commuting distances on an aggregate level. To test our assumptions we use both--process data from the German Federal Employment Agency and retrospective life-course data from the German ALWA-ADIAB survey. We draw on the former to show that indeed macro developments of commuter shares and distances match our assumptions and the latter to analyze the determinants of commuting distance on an individual level, focusing especially on the income effect. Identifying the income effect is not straightforward, as employers may reimburse employees for commuting longer distances, thus leading to a causal effect of commuting distance on income rather than vice versa. We account for endogeneity with sensitivity analyses excluding the group of employees who have the highest bargaining power and show that reverse causality does not seem to be a major issue. Income effects do not substantially vary excluding or including this specific group. Descriptively, we can show that commuting distances rise from urban to rural areas. Using a mixed-effects design to disentangle time variant and constant effects for both, individuals and regions, we show that first employees with higher income reside further away from their workplace. Second, we show that a possible change in income results in a small further increase in commuting distance--supporting the assumption of sequential optimization. Third, we show that predominantly employees residing in urban areas increase their relative commuting distance for higher income. In rural areas, where appropriate jobs are rare, commuting longer distances into economic centers seems to prohibit a positive income effect. The results suggest that the positive income effect on commuting, which is found in other studies, does not exist for everyone and heavily depends on the residential location.
Analysis of apoptosis regulatory genes altered by histone deacetylase inhibitors in chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells

Histone deacetylases (HDACs) play a key role in the regulation of acetylation status not only of histones but also of many other non-histone proteins involved in cell cycle regulation, differentiation or apoptosis. Therefore, histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) have emerged as promising anticancer agents. Herein, we report the characterization of apoptosis in B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) induced by two HDACi, Kendine 92 and SAHA. Both inhibitors induce dose-, time- and caspase-dependent apoptosis through the mitochondrial pathway. Interestingly, Kendine 92 and SAHA show a selective cytotoxicity for B lymphocytes and induce apoptosis in CLL cells with mutated or deleted TP53 as effectively as in tumor cells harboring wild-type TP53. The pattern of apoptosis-related gene and protein expression profile has been characterized. It has shown to be irrespective of TP53 status and highly similar between SAHA and Kendine 92 exposure. The balance between the increased BAD, BNIP3L, BNIP3, BIM, PUMA and AIF mRNA expression levels, and decreased expression of BCL-W, BCL-2, BFL-1, XIAP and FLIP indicates global changes in the apoptosis mRNA expression profile consistent with the apoptotic outcome. Protein expression analysis shows increased levels of NOXA, BIM and PUMA proteins upon Kendine 92 and SAHA treatment. Our results highlight the capability of these molecules to induce apoptosis not only in a selective manner but also in those cells frequently resistant to standard treatments. Thus, Kendine 92 is a novel HDACi with anticancer efficacy for non-proliferating CLL cells.
Peripheral blood leucocytes subpopulation dynamics during Trypanosoma congolense infection in Boran and N'Dama cattle: an analysis using monoclonal antibodies and flow cytometry

Summary A panel of monoclonal antibodies (MoAb) with specificities for bovine leucocyte subsets were used in conjunction with routine haematological procedures to analyse sequential changes in peripheral blood leucocyte populations during the course of tsetse fly‐transmitted Trypanosoma congolense infection in trypanotolerant N'Dama and trypanosusceptible Boran cattle. Subsequent to the first parasitaemic wave, the N'Dama cattle maintained packed cell volumes (PCV) above 22 and lower levels of parasitaemia than Boran throughout the 160 days of the experiment. In contrast, the Borans developed severe anaemia and required curative drug therapy (i. e., PCV dropped to less than 15) by 55 days (range: 22–55 days) post infection. There were significant (P < 0±05) decreases in total white blood cells and total lymphocytes from pre‐infection levels to the first peak of parasitaemia (day 16 post‐infection) in both groups. Flow cytometric analyses using MoABs revealed that this change was due to an absolute decrease in T cells expressing BoT2 and either BoT4 or BoT8, surface immunoglobulin M‐positive (sIgM+) B cells, and null cells which did not express T cell, B cell or monocyte markers. During this period there was significant variation over time, but no overall increase or decrease, in the number of cells expressing class II major histocompatibility (MHC) molecules or monocyte markers, or in the number of circulating neutrophils or eosinophils. The BoT4/BoT8 ratios were significantly (P < 0±01) increased in both groups of infected animals at the first peak of parasitaemia. After day 22 in the infected N'Damas and in the Borans which required drug therapy, there was a leucocytotic response characterized by an increase in the total number of B cells, T cells, and null cells. Prior to infection and throughout the course of the experiment N'Dama cattle had significantly (P < 0±01) higher numbers of B cells and null cells than Boran.
Multiplicity of Perspectives, Context Scope, and Context Shifting Events

A perspective is a system's (or individual's) version of operational context. This paper explores the issue of the multiplicity of perspectives. It is hypothesized that "trigger events" bring two or more such perspectives into novel contact with each other in a way that challenges the context and scope assumptions of the systems and their users. This disjunction of perspectives presents a root cause of interoperability issues at the systems of systems level. We propose the use of a structured description of a system of systems as a means to specifically articulate the trigger events. By making context and scope assumptions explicitly visible and accessible, individual systems will be able to discover them and adapt to each other, enabling the dynamic creation of new, re-purposed, and re-scoped systems of systems. Two 'thought experiments' are offered to illustrate the concept of trigger events and their role in bringing perspectives into conflict.
Low-Loss Singlemode PECVD Silicon Nitride Photonic Wire Waveguides for 532–900 nm Wavelength Window Fabricated Within a CMOS Pilot Line

PECVD silicon nitride photonic wire waveguides have been fabricated in a CMOS pilot line. Both clad and unclad single mode wire waveguides were measured at λ = 532, 780, and 900 nm, respectively. The dependence of loss on wire width, wavelength, and cladding is discussed in detail. Cladded multimode and singlemode waveguides show a loss well below 1 dB/cm in the 532-900 nm wavelength range. For singlemode unclad waveguides, losses 1 dB/cm were achieved at λ = 900 nm, whereas losses were measured in the range of 1-3 dB/cm for λ = 780 and 532 nm, respectively.
Solution NMR Characterization of an Unusual Distal H-bond Network in the Active Site of the Cyanide-inhibited, Human Heme Oxygenase Complex of the Symmetric Substrate, 2,4-Dimethyldeuterohemin* 210

The presence of variable static hemin orientational disorder about the α-γ-meso axis in the substrate complexes of mammalian heme oxygenase, together with the incomplete averaging of a second, dynamic disorder, for each hemin orientation, has led to NMR spectra with severe spectral overlap and loss of key two-dimensional correlations that seriously interfere with structural characterization in solution. We demonstrate that the symmetric substrate, 2,4-dimethyldeuterohemin, yields a single solution species for which the dynamic disorder is sufficiently rapid to allow effective and informative 1H NMR structural characterization. A much more extensive, effective, and definitive NMR characterization of the cyanide-inhibited, symmetric heme complex of human heme oxygenase shows that the active site structure, with some minor differences, is essentially the same as that for the native protohemin in solution and crystal. A unique distal network that involves particularly strong hydrogen bonds, as well as inter-aromatic contacts, is described that is proposed to stabilize the position of the catalytically critical distal helix Asp-140 carboxylate (Liu, Y., Koenigs Lightning, L., Huang, H., Moënne-Loccoz, P., Schuller, D. J., Poulos, T. L., Loehr, T. M., and Ortiz de Montellano, P. R. (2000) J. Biol. Chem. 275, 34501–34507). The potential role of this network in placing a water molecule to stabilize the hydroperoxy species and as a template for the condensation of the distal helix upon substrate binding are discussed.
Efficacy of the rhesus rotavirus-based quadrivalent vaccine in infants and young children in Venezuela.

BACKGROUND Rotaviruses are the principal known etiologic agents of severe diarrhea among infants and young children worldwide. Although a rhesus rotavirus-based quadrivalent vaccine is highly effective in preventing severe diarrhea in developed countries, in developing countries its efficacy has been less impressive. We thus conducted a catchment study in Venezuela to assess the efficacy of the vaccine against dehydrating diarrhea. METHODS In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 2207 infants received three oral doses of the quadrivalent rotavirus vaccine (4x10(5) plaque-forming units per dose) or placebo at about two, three, and four months of age. During approximately 19 to 20 months of passive surveillance, episodes of gastroenteritis were evaluated at the hospital. RESULTS The vaccine was safe, although 15 percent of the vaccinated infants had febrile episodes (rectal temperature, > or =38.1 degrees C) during the six days after the first dose, as compared with 7 percent of the controls (P<0.001). However, the vaccine gave 88 percent protection against severe diarrhea caused by rotavirus and 75 percent protection against dehydration, and produced a 70 percent reduction in hospital admissions. Overall, the efficacy of the vaccine against a first episode of rotavirus diarrhea was 48 percent. Horizontal transmission of vaccine virus was demonstrated in 15 percent of the vaccine recipients and 13 percent of the placebo recipients with rotavirus-positive diarrhea. CONCLUSIONS In this study in a developing country, the quadrivalent rhesus rotavirus-based vaccine induced a high level of protection against severe diarrheal illness caused by rotavirus.
Basic fibroblast growth factor in retinal development: differential levels of bFGF expression and content in normal and retinal degeneration (rd) mutant mice.

The spatial and temporal patterns of expression and content of bFGF during postnatal development of the retina were established in C57BL/6J mice. Western blot analysis, using an anti-rodent bFGF antibody, shows multiple molecular weights of 18, 20.5, and 22 kDa of bFGF protein isolated from the adult retina. A bioassay indicates that this putative basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) stimulates proliferation of BALB/c 3T3 fibroblasts in a dose-dependent manner identical to an authentic bFGF standard. Immunocytochemistry reveals that bFGF immunoreactivity is located primarily in the immature photoreceptors during postnatal development and is associated with the photoreceptor outer segment/interphotoreceptor matrix complex in the adult retina. bFGF mRNA expression pattern and levels were evaluated using mouse bFGF riboprobes with in situ hybridization and quantitative ribonuclease protection assay. bFGF mRNA expression is not detectable in the retina until Postnatal Day 10 (P10), although high levels of bFGF mRNA signals were consistently observed in astrocytes in the optic disc at all postnatal ages examined. From P10 to the adult stage, bFGF mRNA was localized mainly to the photoreceptor inner segments, and the bFGF mRNA levels were approximately the same at P10 and in the adult retina. The patterns of retinal bFGF expression and content during normal development established above were compared to these parameters in the retina of rd (C57BL/6J rd/rd), a spontaneous mouse mutant in which photoreceptors degenerate shortly after birth. More bFGF immunoreactivity was detected in the outer retina during photoreceptor degeneration than was present in normal photoreceptors at equivalent ages. Densitometry measurements indicate that the level of immunoreactivity is 56% to 1.8-fold higher in rd than in the normal retina between P6 and P10, respectively. This is at least partially due to elevated bFGF mRNA expression in rd retinas during photoreceptor degeneration. In situ hybridization showed more intense bFGF mRNA hybridization signals in rd photoreceptors from P10 to P15, and RNase protection assay demonstrated much higher hybridization signals in rd retinas from P6 to P10 than in the normal retinas at these stages. More bFGF mRNA hybridization signals were also present in some cells in the inner nuclear layer following photoreceptor cell death in the rd retina but were only weakly evident in the inner nuclear layer in the normal adult retina. These results provide the first evidence that a naturally occurring neuronal degeneration is accompanied by elevated expression of bFGF in degenerating neurons prior to cell death. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Bone mineral accrual from 8 to 30 years of age: An estimation of peak bone mass

Bone area (BA) and bone mineral content (BMC) were measured from childhood to young adulthood at the total body (TB), lumbar spine (LS), total hip (TH), and femoral neck (FN). BA and BMC values were expressed as a percentage of young‐adult values to determine if and when values reached a plateau. Data were aligned on biological ages [years from peak height velocity (PHV)] to control for maturity. TB BA increased significantly from −4 to +4 years from PHV, with TB BMC reaching a plateau, on average, 2 years later at +6 years from PHV (equates to 18 and 20 years of age in girls and boys, respectively). LS BA increased significantly from −4 years from PHV to +3 years from PHV, whereas LS BMC increased until +4 from PHV. FN BA increased between −4 and +1 years from PHV, with FN BMC reaching a plateau, on average, 1 year later at +2 years from PHV. In the circumpubertal years (−2 to +2 years from PHV): 39% of the young‐adult BMC was accrued at the TB in both males and females; 43% and 46% was accrued in males and females at the LS and TH, respectively; 33% (males and females) was accrued at the FN. In summary, we provide strong evidence that BA plateaus 1 to 2 years earlier than BMC. Depending on the skeletal site, peak bone mass occurs by the end of the second or early in the third decade of life. The data substantiate the importance of the circumpubertal years for accruing bone mineral. © 2011 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research
Dynamics of Inter-heavy Chain Interactions in Human Immunoglobulin G (IgG) Subclasses Studied by Kinetic Fab Arm Exchange

Background: Fab arm exchange requires weak interactions between CH3 domains, such as in human IgG4. Results: CH3-CH3 interactions differ >1,000,000-fold between human subclasses and allotypes due to variations Lys/Asn-392, Val/Met-397, and Lys/Arg-409. Conclusion: For IgG2 and IgG3, but not IgG1, hinge disulfide bonds are essential to prevent half-molecule dissociation. Significance: Subclass/allotype variation in the CH3 domain can alter antibody stability and functionality. Interdomain interactions between the CH3 domains of antibody heavy chains are the first step in antibody assembly and are of prime importance for maintaining the native structure of IgG. For human IgG4 it was shown that CH3-CH3 interactions are weak, resulting in the potential for half-molecule exchange (“Fab arm exchange”). Here we systematically investigated non-covalent interchain interactions for CH3 domains in the other human subclasses, including polymorphisms (allotypes), using real-time monitoring of Fab arm exchange with a FRET-based kinetic assay. We identified structural variation between human IgG subclasses and allotypes at three amino acid positions (Lys/Asn-392, Val/Met-397, Lys/Arg-409) to alter the strength of inter-domain interactions by >6 orders of magnitude. Each substitution affected the interactions independent from the other substitutions in terms of affinity, but the enthalpic and entropic contributions were non-additive, suggesting a complex interplay. Allotypic variation in IgG3 resulted in widely different CH3 interaction strengths that were even weaker for IgG3 than for IgG4 in the case of allotype G3m(c3c5*/6,24*), whereas G3m(s*/15*) was equally stable to IgG1. These interactions are sufficiently strong to maintain the structural integrity of IgG1 during its normal life span; for IgG2 and IgG3 the inter-heavy chain disulfide bonds are essential to prevent half-molecule dissociation, whereas the labile hinge disulfide bonds favor half-molecule exchange in vivo for IgG4.