Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reduction of bacterial volatile sulfur compound production by licoricidin and licorisoflavan A from licorice

Halitosis affects a large proportion of the population and is, in most cases, caused by the production of volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs), particularly methyl mercaptan and hydrogen sulfide, by specific bacterial species colonizing the oral cavity. In this study, a supercritical extract of Chinese licorice (Glycyrrhiza uralensis), and its major isoflavans, licoricidin and licorisoflavan A, were investigated for their effect on growth, VSC production and protease activity of Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella intermedia and Solobacterium moorei, which have been associated with halitosis. The effects of licorice extract, licoricidin, and licorisoflavan A on VSC production in a saliva model were also tested. We first showed that licoricidin and licorisoflavan A, and to a lesser extent the licorice extract, were effective in inhibiting the growth of all three bacterial species, with minimal inhibitory concentrations in the range of 2–80 µg ml−1. The licorice extract and the two isolates licoricidin and licorisoflavan A, were able to dose-dependently reduce VSC production by P. gingivalis, Prev. intermedia, and S. moorei as well as by a human saliva model. Although the extract and isolates did not inhibit the proteolytic activity of bacteria, they blocked the conversion of cysteine into hydrogen sulfide by Prev. intermedia. Lastly, the deodorizing effects of the licorice extract, licoricidin, and licorisoflavan A were demonstrated, as they can neutralize P. gingivalis-derived VSCs. Licorisoflavan A (10 µg ml−1) was found to be the most effective by reducing VSC levels by 50%. Within the limitations of this study, it can be concluded that a licorice supercritical extract and its major isoflavans (licoricidin and licorisoflavan A) represent natural ingredients with a potential for reducing bacterial VSC production and therefore for controlling halitosis.
Regulating the regulators: Serine/arginine‐rich proteins under scrutiny

Serine/arginine‐rich (SR) proteins are among the most studied splicing regulators. They constitute a family of evolutionarily conserved proteins that, apart from their initially identified and deeply studied role in splicing regulation, have been implicated in genome stability, chromatin binding, transcription elongation, mRNA stability, mRNA export and mRNA translation. Remarkably, this list of SR protein activities seems far from complete, as unexpected functions keep being unraveled. An intriguing aspect that awaits further investigation is how the multiple tasks of SR proteins are concertedly regulated within mammalian cells. In this article, we first discuss recent findings regarding the regulation of SR protein expression, activity and accessibility. We dive into recent studies describing SR protein auto‐regulatory feedback loops involving different molecular mechanisms such asunproductive splicing, microRNA‐mediated regulation and translational repression. In addition, we take into account another step of regulation of SR proteins, presenting new findings about a variety of post‐translational modifications by proteomics approaches and how some of these modifications can regulate SR protein sub‐cellular localization or stability. Towards the end, we focus in two recently revealed functions of SR proteins beyond mRNA biogenesis and metabolism, the regulation of micro‐RNA processing and the regulation of small ubiquitin‐like modifier (SUMO) conjugation. © 2012 IUBMB IUBMB Life, 64(10): 809–816, 2012
Targeting DNA Double-strand Break Repair in Cancer Therapy

Stephanie C Her1 and Chengtao Her2* 1Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA 2School of Molecular Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Washington, USA *Corresponding author: Chengtao Her, School of Molecular Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA, Tel: 5093357537; E-mail: cher@wsu.edu
Partial Barrier Options

In this paper we study the pricing of barrier options where the period during which the underlying price is monitored for barrier hits is restricted to only part of the options' lifetime. We derive closed-form formulas for the prices of a number of partial barrier options, including partial asset- or-nothing and cash-or-nothing barrier options. Our results clearly show the importance of the length and the location of the monitoring period for the option price. It is also shown that for options where the monitoring period starts after the options' initial starting date, an alternative interpretation of the barrier condition may lead to a very substantial change in the option price.
Shear Stress Prevents Fibronectin Binding Protein-Mediated Staphylococcus aureus Adhesion to Resting Endothelial Cells

ABSTRACT Fibronectin binding proteins (FnBP) on the surface ofStaphylococcus aureus have previously been shown to mediate adherence of the organism to resting endothelial cells in static adhesion assays. However, in this study using well-defined flow assays, we demonstrate that physiologic levels of shear stress prevent FnBP-mediated adhesion of S. aureus 8325-4 to resting endothelial cells. This result suggests that mechanical forces present in vivo may influence the ability of staphylococci to bind endothelial cell surfaces.
The CcmE protein of the c-type cytochrome biogenesis system: Unusual in vitro heme incorporation into apo-CcmE and transfer from holo-CcmE to apocytochrome

Three key steps of cytochrome c biogenesis in many Gram-negative bacteria, the uptake of heme by the heme chaperone CcmE, the covalent attachment of heme to CcmE, and its subsequent release from CcmE to an apocytochrome c, have been achieved in vitro. apo-CcmE from Escherichia coli preferentially bound to ferric, with high affinity (Kd, 200 nM), rather than ferrous heme. The preference for ferric heme was confirmed by competition with 8-anilino-1-naphthalenesulfonate, which bound to a hydrophobic pocket in apo-CcmE. Reduction under certain conditions of the ferric heme–CcmE complex, which has characteristics of a b-type cytochrome, resulted in covalent attachment of heme to the protein. The resulting in vitro-produced holo-CcmE was identical to the in vivo-produced holo-CcmE, proving that unmodified Fe-protoporphyrin IX is incorporated into CcmE. Only noncovalent binding of mesoheme to CcmE was observed, thus implicating at least one vinyl group in covalent binding of heme to CcmE. Heme transferred in vitro from holo-CcmE to apocytochrome c, provided the heme was reduced. The necessity for reduced holo-CcmE might explain the role of the heme chaperone, i.e., prevention of reaction of ferric heme with apocytochrome and thus avoidance of incorrect side products. In addition, an AXXAH mutant of the CXXCH binding motif in the apocytochrome c was unable to accept heme from holo-CcmE. These in vitro results mimic, and thus have implications for, the molecular pathway of heme transfer during c-type cytochrome maturation in many species of bacteria in vivo.
Temperature-to-frequency converter consisting of subthreshold mosfet circuits for smart temperature-sensor LSIs

An ultra-low-power temperature sensor circuit has been developed using a 0.35-µm standard CMOS process. The circuit consists of a proportional-to-absolute-temperature (PTAT) current generator and a frequency-locked loop, and generates a PTAT clock frequency. The PTAT current generator is the key component of the sensor and was constructed by using the characteristics of a MOSFET in the subthreshold region. Theoretical analyses and experimental results showed that the circuit can be used as a temperature sensor with ultra-low-power consumption of 10 µW or less. The accuracy of the sensor output was within ±1.8°C in a temperature range from 10°C to 80°C. Our sensor would be suitable for use in subthreshold-operated, power-aware LSIs.
Correlation of salivary glucose level with blood glucose level in diabetes mellitus

Background: Saliva is a unique fluid, which is important for normal functioning of the oral cavity. Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a disease of absolute or relative insulin deficiency characterized by insufficient secretion of insulin by pancreatic beta-cells. The diagnosis of diabetes through blood is difficult in children, older adults, debilitated and chronically ill patients, so diagnosis by analysis of saliva can be potentially valuable as collection of saliva is noninvasive, easier and technically insensitive, unlike blood. The aim of the study was to correlate blood glucose level (BGL) and salivary glucose level (SGL) in DM patients. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 120 patients, who were categorized as 40 controlled diabetics, 40 uncontrolled diabetics and 40 healthy, age- and sex-matched individuals constituted the controls. The blood and unstimulated saliva samples were collected from the patients at the different intervals for fasting, random and postprandial levels. These samples were then subjected for analysis of glucose in blood and saliva using glucose oxidase/peroxidase reagent in HITACHI 902(R) Automatic analyzer, and the results were recorded. Results: The mean SGLs were higher in uncontrolled and controlled diabetic groups than in nondiabetic group. A highly statistically significant correlation was found between fasting saliva glucose and fasting blood glucose in all the groups. Conclusion: With increase in BGL, increase in SGL was observed in patients with diabetes suggesting that SGL can be used for monitoring glycemic level in DM.
Potent Modification of Low Density Lipoprotein by Group X Secretory Phospholipase A2 Is Linked to Macrophage Foam Cell Formation*

The deposition of cholesterol ester within foam cells of the artery wall is fundamental to the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Modifications of low density lipoprotein (LDL), such as oxidation, are prerequisite events for the formation of foam cells. We demonstrate here that group X secretory phospholipase A2 (sPLA2-X) may be involved in this process. sPLA2-X was found to induce potent hydrolysis of phosphatidylcholine in LDL leading to the production of large amounts of unsaturated fatty acids and lysophosphatidylcholine (lyso-PC), which contrasted with little, if any, lipolytic modification of LDL by the classic types of group IB and IIA secretory PLA2s. Treatment with sPLA2-X caused an increase in the negative charge of LDL with little modification of apolipoprotein B (apoB) in contrast to the excessive aggregation and fragmentation of apoB in oxidized LDL. The sPLA2-X-modified LDL was efficiently incorporated into macrophages to induce the accumulation of cellular cholesterol ester and the formation of non-membrane-bound lipid droplets in the cytoplasm, whereas the extensive accumulation of multilayered structures was found in the cytoplasm in oxidized LDL-treated macrophages. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed marked expression of sPLA2-X in foam cell lesions in the arterial intima of high fat-fed apolipoprotein E-deficient mice. These findings suggest that modification of LDL by sPLA2-X in the arterial vessels is one of the mechanisms responsible for the generation of atherogenic lipoprotein particles as well as the production of various lipid mediators, including unsaturated fatty acids and lyso-PC.
[Changes of gap junction in penile cavernous smooth muscle cells of hypertensive rats].

OBJECTIVE To compare the changes of the intercellular conjunction in penile cavernous tissues between spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and normotensive ones, and to study the relation of blood pressure with erectile function. METHODS After apomorphine (APO) injection, we observed penile erections in SHR (SHR group, n=5) and Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY group, n=5), studied the ultrastructure of the cell-to-cell conjunction between the penile cavernous smooth muscle cells with a transmission electrical microscope, and examined the expression of mRNA and Connexin 43 protein by RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS The erectile frequency in the SHR group was significantly lower than in the WKY group. The smooth muscle cells were decreased and the collagen fibers between the smooth muscle cells were increased in the SHR group. The expression of mRNA and Connexin 43 protein in the cavernous tissues was significantly lower in the SHR group than in the WKY group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION Hypertension affects penile erection, and the pathological changes of the cell-to-cell conjunction between the penile cavernous smooth muscle cells may be one of the important mechanisms of erectile dysfunction associated with hypertension.
Health care-related economic burden of the polycystic ovary syndrome during the reproductive life span.

CONTEXT The polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine abnormality of reproductive-aged women today, affecting approximately 6.6% of unselected reproductive-aged women (approximately 4 million women in the United States) (1990 National Institutes of Health criteria), and potentially represents a significant financial burden to our health care. OBJECTIVE The objective of the study was to define, using current definitions and prevalence or incidence data, the minimal economic burden that PCOS in reproductive-aged women represents for the United States. DESIGN The study design was a literature review. SETTING The study was conducted at a tertiary care center. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS There were no patients or other participants. INTERVENTION(S) We performed a systematic review of the published medical literature to identify studies evaluating epidemiology of reproductive-age PCOS and its clinical consequences and costs. We tied general societal cost data for the different health consequences to reproductive-age PCOS costs, using prevalence data. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) The main measure in the study was total health care-related economic costs. RESULTS We estimated the mean annual cost of the initial evaluation to be dollar 93 million (2.1% of total costs), that of hormonally treating menstrual dysfunction/abnormal uterine bleeding to be dollar 1.35 billion (31.0% of total), that of providing infertility care to be dollar 533 million (12.2% of total), that of PCOS-associated diabetes to be dollar 1.77 billion (40.5% of total), and that of treating hirsutism to be dollar 622 million (14.2% of total). CONCLUSIONS The total cost of evaluating and providing care to reproductive-aged PCOS women in the United States is dollar 4.36 billion. Because the cost of the diagnostic evaluation accounted for a relatively minor part of the total costs (approximately 2%), more widespread and liberal screening for the disorder appears be a cost-effective strategy, leading to earlier diagnosis and intervention and possibly the amelioration and prevention of serious sequelae.
The Effect of Emergency Department Crowding on Patient Outcomes: A Literature Review

The purpose of this review was to summarize the findings of published reports that investigated quality-related outcomes and emergency department (ED) crowding. Of 276 data-based articles, 23 reported associations between patient outcomes and crowding. These articles were grouped into 3 categories: delay in treatment, decreased satisfaction, and increased mortality. Although these studies suggest that crowding results in poor outcomes, it is possible that other factors such as nursing care contribute to these adverse outcomes. Nursing care has been shown to contribute to both positive and negative patient outcomes in other settings. Building an understanding of how ED crowding affects the practice of the emergency nurse is essential to examining how nursing care, surveillance, and communication impact outcomes of emergency patients. Investigation into nurse-sensitive quality indicators in the ED has potential to develop strategies that deliver high quality of care, regardless of crowded conditions.
Ecosystem services for connecting actors – lessons from a symposium

Abstract This paper is a communication from the corresponding symposium at the Global Land Project Open Science Meeting, Berlin, March 2014. We explored the assumption that the ecosystem services-(ES) concept has the potential to support communication and collaboration between actors in land use planning. If true, the concept could facilitate collaborative planning processes. We analyse how to evolve a planning context in which governance networks at the local landscape level gain importance in decision making, while the central government delegates power. From case studies presented during the symposium we learned that the ES-concept has been explored for application in local land use planning around the world. However, whether ES are recognized as a useful planning concept depends on individual actor preferences and cultural and contextual factors, such as the actual nature-human relationship and gender differences. Also, successful application requires the support of novel assessment, design and visualization tools, which are designed to foster collaboration and social learning. The potential of the concept to contribute to collaborative relationships needs further investigation.
“Environmentally Friendly Oil and Gas Production”: Analyzing Governmental Argumentation and Press Deliberation on Oil Policy

ABSTRACT This article exemplifies an approach to analyzing political arguments and press deliberation on the issue of climate change and oil policy. I apply political discourse analysis to examine an oil minister's press conference presentation of the key official document on Norway's future oil policy, and evaluate how he attempted to reconcile the country's expansive petroleum policy with its self-proclaimed ambition of being world leading in responsible climate policy. The analysis displays how the minister's argumentation served to legitimate an expansive oil policy by projecting an altruistic motivation and invoking the authority of the tradition of the industry. This is supplemented by an analysis of newspaper editorials and commentaries on the speech, identifying a major split in viewpoints between local and national newspapers. The analyses evaluate arguments in an explicit manner, for example by critically questioning their value premises, thus suggesting an approach that could benefit critical research on environmental communication.
Effects of insulin-induced hypoglycemia and hypoacetoemia on eating behavior in goats.

Abstract Severe hunger and eating are caused by hypoglycemia induced by insulin injections in monogastric animals. Two experiments were done to test for this response in ruminants. Protamine zinc insulin injections were given to goats for a period of 14 days in Experiment I and on one day in each of three one-week tests in Experiment II. The first experiment tested for long-term changes in feeding behavior, while the second tested for short-term changes during an induced hypoglycemia. In both experiments the goats suffered from hyperinsulinemia and severe hypoglycemia, although no convulsions or coma were observed. Hypoglycemia was accompanied during its initial stages by a low serum acetate concentration. There was no trend for goats to eat to correct the hypoglycemia. Thus the response of goats differs from that of intact monogastric animals. Ruminants apparently do not have the response of other mammals of eating to correct hypoglycemia. It has previously been inferred that hypoacetoemia would cause increased feed intake in ruminants; this response did not occur, although the serum acetate concentration decreased to only one-third of normal levels.
Ovarian cancer: epidemiology, biology, and prognostic factors.

Ovarian cancer varies widely in frequency among different geographic regions and ethnic groups, with a high incidence in Northern Europe and the United States, and a low incidence in Japan. The majority of cases are sporadic, and only 5% to 10% of ovarian cancers are familial. The etiology of ovarian cancer is poorly understood. Models of ovarian carcinogenesis include the theory of incessant ovulation, in which a person's age at ovulation, i.e., lifetime number of ovulatory cycles, is an index of her ovarian cancer risk. Excessive gonadotropin and androgen stimulation of the ovary have been postulated as contributing factors. Exposure of the ovaries to pelvic contaminants and carcinogens may play a role in the pathogenesis of ovarian cancer. Epidemiologic and molecular-genetic studies identify numerous risk and protective factors. The most significant risk factor is a family history of the disease. Recent advances in molecular genetics have found mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 tumor suppressor genes responsible for the majority of hereditary ovarian cancer. Additional risk factors include nulliparity and refractory infertility. Protective factors include multiparity, oral contraceptives, and tubal ligation or hysterectomy. With five years of oral contraceptive use, women can cut their risk of ovarian cancer approximately in half; this also holds true for individuals with a family history. Stage at diagnosis, maximum residual disease following cytoreductive surgery, and performance status are the three major prognostic factors. Using a multimodality approach to treatment, including aggressive cytoreductive surgery and combination chemotherapy, five-year survival rates are as follows: Stage I (93%), Stage II (70%), Stage III (37%), and Stage IV (25%).
Demand for More MIS F~mpirical Research

This paper reviews the current status of MIS research and describes the research methodologies. The empirical research is emphasized. The sta­ tus of empirical research in Taiwan is discu&')ed, especially from the gradu­ ate program training. It concludes with the suggestion that more emphasis should be placed on empirical resarch in Taiwan.
Factors affecting the evacuation decisions of coastal households during Cyclone Aila in Bangladesh

ABSTRACT Despite sincere efforts by concerned agencies and recent improvements in hazard warnings, thousands of at-risk people did not evacuate during Aila, a category-I tropical cyclone that struck southwestern coastal Bangladesh in 2009. This study investigated the responses of the people affected by Aila to cyclone warnings and associated evacuation orders, and unveiled behavioural aspects that explain why they did or did not comply with the evacuation orders. Utilising the primary data collected from 420 households living in the severely affected coastal sub-district Koyra, located in Khulna District, this study found that although more than 97% of the households had received cyclone warnings and evacuation orders before Aila's landfall, only around 26% had evacuated. We also examined this study's empirical findings for factors that had dissuaded people from complying with the evacuation orders. Relevant test statistics along with results from principal component analysis suggested that the significant and systematic absenteeism of households from disaster preparedness training appears to be one of the key determinants that affected their evacuation decisions, along with factors related to warning messages, the attributes of cyclone shelters, risk perception, and socioeconomic aspects. A number of recommendations are also presented in this study for people at risk to improve their evacuation rates in future emergencies, not only to save their own lives but also to save their livestock.