Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Streptococcus oralis maintains homeostasis in oral biofilms by antagonizing the cariogenic pathogen Streptococcus mutans

Bacteria residing in oral biofilms live in a state of dynamic equilibrium with one another. The intricate synergistic or antagonistic interactions between them are crucial for determining this balance. Using the six-species Zürich "supragingival" biofilm model, this study aimed to investigate interactions regarding growth and localization of the constituent species. As control, an inoculum containing all six strains was used, whereas in each of the further five inocula one of the bacterial species was alternately absent, and in the last, both streptococci were absent. Biofilms were grown anaerobically on hydroxyapatite disks, and after 64 h they were harvested and quantified by culture analyses. For visualization, fluorescence in situ hybridization and confocal laser scanning microscopy were used. Compared with the control, no statistically significant difference of total colony-forming units was observed in the absence of any of the biofilm species, except for Fusobacterium nucleatum, whose absence caused a significant decrease in total bacterial numbers. Absence of Streptococcus oralis resulted in a significant decrease in Actinomyces oris, and increase in Streptococcus mutans (P < .001). Absence of A. oris, Veillonella dispar or S. mutans did not cause any changes. The structure of the biofilm with regards to the localization of the species did not result in observable changes. In summary, the most striking observation of the present study was that absence of S. oralis resulted in limited growth of commensal A. oris and overgrowth of S. mutans. These data establish highlight S. oralis as commensal keeper of homeostasis in the biofilm by antagonizing S. mutans, so preventing a caries-favoring dysbiotic state.
Entertainment television as a healthy sex educator: the impact of condom-efficacy information in an episode of friends.

CONTEXT Television is often decried as a negative influence on the sexual attitudes and behavior of America's adolescents. However, television occasionally includes messages about the risks of having sex that may have a positive effect on youth. OBJECTIVE To assess the impact of condom-efficacy messages in an episode of Friends on teens. Design, Setting, and Participants. A national sample of 506 adolescents 12 to 17 years old who had been regular viewers of Friends the previous year were surveyed by telephone shortly after the episode aired. OUTCOME MEASURES Viewership of the Friends episode, recall of the condom-efficacy message, beliefs about condoms, self-reported change in condom knowledge, and discussions of condom efficacy with parents. RESULTS At least 27% of the sample saw the episode, and 65% of these viewers recalled its depiction of condom failure resulting in pregnancy. Forty percent of the viewers watched with an adult. Ten percent of viewers talked to an adult about condom efficacy as a result of the show. Compared with other viewers, youth who talked with an adult were more likely to report learning about condoms from the episode and appeared less likely to reduce their perceptions of condom efficacy after the episode. CONCLUSIONS Entertainment television can serve as a healthy sex educator and can work in conjunction with parents to improve adolescent sexual knowledge.
TIIE CARBON NIO~OXIDE COMI~OUKDS OF THE CYTOCTIROPIE OXTDASES

In previous papers we have described methods for accurately measuring the spectra that represent the differences between the oxidized and the reduced forms of the cytochrome components of the turbid heart muscle particles that contain the intact succinic oxidase system (1, 2). In order to extend the pioneer observations of Keilin and Hartree on the carbon monoxide compound of cytochrome a3 (3) and in order to delineate the oxidase components of various cells in more detail, we present for the first time direct recordings of the spectra that represent the differences between the carbon monoxide compounds of the cytochromes and their reduced forms in highly active heart muscle prcparat,ions, bakers yeast cells, Bacillus subtiliis, Acetobacter pasteurianum, Xtaphylococcus albus, and Aerobacter aerogenes, etc. A comparison of t’he Soret bands of the carbon monoxide compounds verifies that Keilin and Hartree’s cytochromc a3 of heart muscle is very similar to the cytochromc oxidase of bakers’ yeast and B. subtilis. On the other hand, the Soret band of the carbon monoxide compound of the cytochrome oxidaser of A. pasteurianum differs significantly from that, of yeast and muscle and the spectrum of a new CO-binding pigmcnP of S. albus differs markedly from any ot)hcr known cytochrome (3, 4). And A. awogenes shows a scarcely detectable amount of any CO-binding pigment in the region of the Soret band. On the basis of studies of a variety of bacteria, various patterns of their CO-binding cytochromes are delineated. ‘These data are corrclnted with the spectra of reduced cyt80chromes in a paper to be published by Dr. Lucile Smith.
Acceptability of PrEP for HIV prevention among women at high risk for HIV.

OBJECTIVE To assess the acceptability of a daily pill for prevention of HIV acquisition among 400 Ghanaian women in the oral tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) clinical trial. METHODS Structured questionnaires were conducted with women enrolled in the trial at enrollment and at each of the 12 monthly follow-up visits. Growth curve analysis was used to examine adherence patterns over time. Qualitative interviews were carried out with a subsample of the clinical trial population, and thematic analysis was applied to these data. RESULTS Overall, acceptability of the pill was good. Adherence remained > 82% throughout the 12-month trial. Consistent access to the pill and study assignment were both associated with adherence. Most reported problems diminished over time as women became accustomed to the pill and developed strategies to incorporate pill taking into their daily routines. CONCLUSIONS If daily preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV is found to be efficacious and has as few physical side effects as TDF, acceptability of this method among women in the study population may not be problematic. However, future studies must develop better acceptability measures, in order to more fully address the relationship among adherence, safety, and effectiveness.
Comparison of Sorbitol MacConkey Agar and a Two-Step Method Which Utilizes Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay Toxin Testing and a Chromogenic Agar To Detect and Isolate EnterohemorrhagicEscherichia coli

ABSTRACT Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) and specifically serotype O157:H7 are a significant cause of hemorrhagic gastrointestinal disease and the hemolytic uremic syndrome. Methods currently used in clinical microbiology labs, such as sorbitol-MacConkey (SMAC) agar, reliably detect only O157:H7. We have evaluated a two-step method that has the potential to identify and isolate all EHEC serotypes, including serotype O157:H7. This method utilizes a chromogenic selective-differential medium for the isolation of E. coli together with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) that detects the Shiga-like toxins Stx1 and Stx2. Both are commercially available and usable in a wide range of clinical microbiology laboratories. Compared to a Vero cell cytotoxic assay, SMAC had sensitivities of 23.5% for the identification of all EHEC serotypes and of 50.0% for the identification of O157:H7 alone. The two-step method had sensitivities of 76.5 and 100%, respectively. The ELISA alone had a sensitivity of 82.4% in the detection of Stx1 and Stx2. The specificity was 100% in all cases. Overall, 14 EHEC isolates were obtained: 8 (58%) O157:H7, 2 (14%) O26, 2 (14%) O111:NM, 1 (7%) O103:H2, and 1 (7%) O121:H19. All but one were isolated during the months of May to September. The two-step method was found to be considerably more expensive than SMAC for both positive and negative samples.
CHEMOKINE STIMULATION OF HUMAN NEUTROPHIL [Ca2+]i SIGNALING IN BIOLOGIC ENVIRONMENTS

Clinical neutrophil (PMN) priming is the net result of multiple stimuli, with intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i) being a key second messenger for PMN agonists such as the chemokines. Thus, [Ca2+]i measurement may be a robust tool for the assessment of global PMN activation. [Ca2+]i is difficult to measure in complex biologic environments, however, so data in this area are limited. We therefore developed an in vitro system to measure the effects of chemokines on PMN [Ca2+]i. PMN were isolated from volunteer blood. PMN [Ca2+]i responses to interleukin (IL)-8 and Growth-Related Oncogene (GRO)-α were studied by fura-2-acetoxymethyl ester fluorescence with or without reincubation in autologous plasma just prior to study. The effects of IL-8 and GRO-a on PMN [Ca2+]i at ascending doses, with or without plasma reincubation, given sequentially and in the presence or absence of extracellular calcium, were studied. PMN basal [Ca2+]i was increased by plasma, as were low-dose priming and higher-dose spike responses to IL-8. GRO-α caused a more pronounced priming of PMN [Ca2+]i than IL-8 at low doses, although significantly lower peak responses were observed with GRO-α than IL-8 at higher doses. Plasma suppressed both priming and spike responses to GRO-α. When given serially at clinically relevant agonist doses, GRO-α was permissive of IL-8 signaling, whereas IL-8 blocked GRO-α signaling. IL-8 generates high [Ca2+]i spikes using intracellular calcium stores only. GRO-α produces lower [Ca2+]i spikes despite using both intra- and extracellular stores. Plasma preincubation has profound effects on PMN [Ca2+]i responses to chemokines. These can be measured accurately, as described. In clinically relevant environments, IL-8 and GRO-α interact in a regulatory fashion. GRO-α may act as a priming agent, with IL-8 activating PMN functions requiring high [Ca2+]i. This cross-cooperation is probably terminated by IL-8 regulation of GRO-α activity at the C-X-C chemokine receptor 2.
Hemophagocytic syndrome with febrile neutropenia after chemotherapy.

Skin eruptions are a critical symptom to consider in differential diagnoses complicated by fever of unknown origin, especially for patients undergoing chemotherapy for a hematological malignancy. We herein describe the treatment of a 25-year-old woman with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). Under prolonged neutropenia through day 28 after her third course of consolidation therapy, a macropapular rash (1) was observed on her upper limbs at 22 days after the initiation of chemotherapy (Picture 1, left). A bone marrow aspiration revealed hemophagocytosis (Picture 2), and abnormal laboratory findings [i.e., serum ferritin 1,908 μg/L ( 500) and sIL-2R 2,460 U/mL ( 2,400)] supported hemophagocytic syndrome (hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, HLH) according to the HLH-2004 criteria (2). A skin biopsy revealed nonspecific inflammatory cell infiltration around the blood vessels underneath the epidermis, which suggested a systemic reaction. The rash was characterized by petechia and purpura (Picture 1, center). Treatment with corticosteroids (500 mg/body of methylpredonisolone for three days) resolved her extended skin rash (Picture 1, right) and improved her severe myelosuppressive status. Neutropenia (< 500/μL) had persisted for 28 days, from day seven to day 35. This was simultaneously complicated by a neutropenic fever for 14 days, from day 12 to day 25. Severe thrombocytopenia (<3.0×10/μL) manifested on day 11 and persisted even after the patient’s recovery from neutropenia, until day 55.
Therapeutic Potential of Heme Oxygenase 1 in Ischemia Reperfusion Injury

Ischemia/reperfusion injury is a reaction occurring after successful treatment of an acute myocardial infarction or in the setting of solid organ transplantation. After successful reperfusion of a previously occluded vessel or a transplanted organ, an additional loss of otherwise vital cells may occur, the so-called lethal ischemia-reperfusion injury. This lethal reperfusion injury is based on rapid tissue oxygenation, leading to a release of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and inducing oxidative stress, endothelial cell activation and inflammation. Experimentally the reperfusion injury can be attenuated via ROS-scavenging, vessel stabilizing and anti-inflammatory interventions. Cytoprotective genes, such as heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), offer a therapeutic approach to address this problem. Therefore, this review will focus on the beneficial effects of HO-1 in ischemia/reperfusion injury.
"Hear the Tale of the Famine Year": Famine Policy, Oral Traditions, and the Recalcitrant Voice of the Colonized in Nineteenth-Century India

Abstract In this essay I suggest that these two profound anxieties, coupled with a need to explain away the countless revolts against colonial rule that had occurred in India since the late eighteenth century, prompted an explosion in the collection and entextualization 2 of Indian speech in colonial documents, at the very moment in the nineteenth century when the triumph of scientific knowledge of Indian bodies had been uneasily declared. Particular varieties of Indian speech, often characterized as "the voice of the people," were inserted into colonial texts to serve as authorizing narrative, to create an illusion of consent to colonial rule, while other voices, the voices of critique or rebellion, were erased, marginalized, or criminalized. And more generally, as Sharma (2001:38) has argued, famine policy and colonial writing about famine were closely intertwined with the British need "to legitimize its authority in the eyes of its subject people and to itself. "
Spurious protein activators of Bordetella pertussis adenylate cyclase.

A variety of proteins and tissue preparations (rabbit erythrocyte lysate, catalase, peroxidase, creatine phosphokinase, and lima bean trypsin inhibitor) contain protein activator(s) of the extracellular adenylate cyclase of intact Bordetella pertussis organisms. Stimulation of adenylate cyclase activity of up to 1000-fold over basal activity can be obtained. Activation of the adenylate cyclase is due to the presence of calmodulin in these protein preparations. The criteria to establish this were: Ca2+ dependence of the activation, inhibition by trifluoperazine, heat stability of the activator, chromatographic behavior like authentic calmodulin, and stimulation of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase by the activators. The great sensitivity of the B.pertussis adenylate cyclase assay makes this and ideal system for the detection of trace amounts of calmodulin, in the presence of large amounts of other proteins.
RFID-enabled ultrasensitive wireless sensors utilizing inkjet-printed antennas and carbon nanotubes for gas detection applications

This paper presents, for the first time, the integration of conformal paper-based RFID's with a Single Walled Carbon Nanotube (SW-CNT) composite for the development of a chipless RFID-enabled wireless sensor node for toxic gas detection and breathing-gas-content estimation. The electrical performance of the inkjet-printed SWCNT-based ultrasensitive sensor is reported up to 1GHz. The whole module is realized by inkjet-printing on a low-cost “green” paper-based substrate designed to operate in the European UHF RFID band. The electrical conductivity of the SWCNT film changes in the presence of ultra-small quantities of gases like ammonia and nitrogen dioxide, resulting in the variation of the backscattered power level which can be easily detected by the RFID reader to realize reliable early-warning toxic gas detection or breathing monitoring with potentially profound effects on ubiquitous low-cost “green” quality-of-life applications
Clinical observations on the wound healing properties of honey

Fifty‐nine patients with wounds and ulcers most of which (80 per cent) had failed to heal with conventional treatment were treated with unprocessed honey. Fifty‐eight cases showed remarkable improvement following topical application of honey. One case, later diagnosed as Buruli ulcer, failed to respond. Wounds that were sterile at the outset, remained sterile until healed, while infected wounds and ulcer became sterile within 1 week of topical application of honey. Honey debrided wounds rapidly, replacing sloughs with granulation tissue. It also promoted rapid epithelialization, and absorption of oedema from around the ulcer margins.
Cerebral blood flow in acute and chronic ischemic stroke using xenon‐133 inhalation tomography

ABSTRACT— Serial measurements of cerebral blood flow (CBF) were performed in 12 patients with acute symptoms of ischemic cerebrovascular disease. CBF was measured by xenon‐133 inhalation and single photon emission computer tomography. Six patients had severe strokes and large infarcts on the CT scan. They showed in the acute phase (Days 1–3) very large low‐flow areas, larger than the hypodense areas seen on the CT scan. The cerebral vasoconstrictor and vasodilator capacity was tested in the acute phase following aminophylline and acetazolamide, respectively. A preserved but reduced reactivity was seen at both tests in all 6 cases in the infarct and the peri‐infarct areas. On Days 5–25, 4 of the patients had transitory increases (59–108%) of CBF, probably corresponding to lysis of an intracerebral embolic occlusion. The other 2 patients showed on Days 7–15 only a moderate CBF increase (appr. 20%), both had occlusion of the relevant internal carotid artery. In all 6 patients, CBF studies at 2 and 6 months resembled the acute phase, showing large areas with reduced flow. At the 6 months follow‐up, the vasodilatory stress test was repeated, and all but one showed a preserved but reduced vasoreactivity in the infarct and peri‐infarct tissue. Of the remaining 6 patients, one had a pontine infarct and one had no lesicns on the CT scan, both having normal angiograms and CBF maps. Four patients had small deep or subcortical CT lesions, and showed a slight, but persistent CBF reduction of about 6–80% in the parietal region on the affected side. No changes in the flow pattern were seen at the vasoreactive studies. A likely explanation for the finding of superjacent low‐flow areas is an intrahemispheric uncrossed diaschisis. This interpretation is discussed in relation to the peri‐infarct low‐flow area seen in the 6 cases with large infarcts.
Integrated Use of 4-Poster Passive Topical Treatment Devices for Deer, Targeted Acaricide Applications, and Maxforce TMS Bait Boxes to Rapidly Suppress Populations of Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) in a Residential Landscape

Abstract In fall 2003, we began testing an integrated control strategy to rapidly achieve and sustain reduced numbers of Ixodes scapularis Say (Acari: Ixodidae) in a residential area. We combined two host-targeted technologies in conjunction with single, barrier acaricide applications to sequentially attack each postembryonic life stage of the tick. Granular deltamethrin applied to the lawn–forest interface of participant properties resulted in 100% control of host-seeking nymphs. Nymphal and larval tick burdens on targeted small mammal hosts at treated properties were reduced by 92.7 and 95.4%, respectively, after the first year (2004) of combined interventions. Over the same period, populations of host-seeking nymphs, larvae, and adults were reduced by 58.5, 24.8, and 77.8%, respectively. After interventions in 2005, tick burdens on small mammals were maintained at similar levels, whereas control of host-seeking nymphs, larvae, and adults increased to 94.3, 90.6, and 87.3%, respectively. Prospects for widespread use of these technologies to protect the public’s health are discussed.
Diclofenac Attenuates the Regional Effect of λ-Carrageenan on Blood-Brain Barrier Function and Cytoarchitecture

The microenvironment of the brain requires tight regulation for proper neuronal function. Protecting the central nervous system (CNS) from the varying concentrations of ions, proteins, and toxins in the periphery is the dynamically regulated blood-brain barrier (BBB). Recent studies have demonstrated significant modulation of the BBB in a number of diseases and physiological states, including pain. This study expands on previous explorations of acute and chronic pain-induced effects on the function and molecular cytoarchitecture of the barrier. It describes the role of cyclooxygenase (COX) up-regulation by blocking with diclofenac (30 mg/kg, i.p.), and it examines the variation in BBB regulation through various brain regions. Edema and hyperalgesia were induced by λ-carrageenan and attenuated by the additional administration of diclofenac. Examination of unidirectional [14C]sucrose permeability with multitime in situ perfusion studies demonstrated that λ-carrageenan significantly increased cerebral permeability and decreased brainstem permeability. There were no significant changes in any of the other brain regions examined. These permeability changes correlated with up- and down-regulation of the tight junction (TJ) protein claudin-5 in the cerebrum and brainstem, respectively. Diclofenac administration attenuated the cerebral permeability uptake as well as the claudin-5 up-regulation. In addition, diclofenac reversed the lowered permeability in the brainstem, but it did not attenuate TJ protein expression. These studies demonstrate the complex regulation of the BBB occurring during inflammatory pain and the role of COX in this process. An understanding of BBB regulation during pain states is critically important for pharmacotherapy, and it holds great promise for new therapies to treat central nervous system pathologies.
Surface Free Energy Determination by Contact Angle Measu rements - A Comparison of Various Approaches

One of the parameters characterizing the surfaces of materials is the surface free energy. The most common way to determine its value is to measure the surface tension by the sessile drop method. In this case a contact angle between the surface and the edge of droplets of liquids is measured. There are various approaches to calculate the surface free energy from the contact angle measurements. We made a review and a direct comparison of the most widely used methods and testing liquids in order to re-evaluate their advantages and disadvantages. In the presented work we discuss the limits of applicability of the examined methods. We confirm that methods using a pair of liquids give results dependent on the liquids chosen. Using a pair of non-polar and polar liquid yielded most reliable results. This is even more clear when two-liquid method is transformed into a multiple-liquid method. The algorithms developed during the work will be implemented into liquid contact angle analysis software.
Geometric interpretation of Hamiltonian cycles problem via singularly perturbed Markov decision processes

We consider the Hamiltonian cycle problem (HCP) embedded in a singularly perturbed Markov decision process (MDP). More specifically, we consider the HCP as an optimization problem over the space of long-run state-action frequencies induced by the MDP's stationary policies. We also consider two quadratic functionals over the same space. We show that when the perturbation parameter, ϵ is sufficiently small the Hamiltonian cycles of the given directed graph are precisely the maximizers of one of these quadratic functionals over the frequency space intersected with an appropriate (single) contour of the second quadratic functional. In particular, all these maximizers have a known Euclidean distance of z m (ϵ) from the origin. Geometrically, this means that Hamiltonian cycles, if any, are the points in the frequency polytope where the circle of radius z m (ϵ) intersects a certain ellipsoid.