Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Modification of 5′‐Nucleotidase Activity by Divalent Cations and Nucleotides

Abstract: The 5′‐nucleotidase activity of the purified cytoplasmic fraction preparation of bovine brain does not depend on the presence of the divalent metal ions Mg2+, Ca2+, and Cu2+ in the incubation medium. The Zn2+ ion (0.5 mM) causes total enzyme inhibition. Although EDTA and 8‐hydroxyquinoline inhibit the 5′‐nucleotidase from this source, it has not been possible to show the existence of metal ions in the enzyme molecule. The inhibition of 5′nucleotidase by EDTA is progressive and irreversible; when the enzyme is not preincubated with EDTA, the inhibition is overridden by metal ions. The purines (except xanthine, 0.3 mM), pyrimidines, and their nucleosides do not affect the 5′‐nucleotidase activity. The nucleoside di‐ and triphosphates are competitive enzyme inhibitors against 5′‐AMP as substrate. The K1 values of the diphosphates are lower than those determined for the corresponding triphosphates. The inhibition caused by the above nucleotides is reversed, partly or wholly, by Mg2+, depending on the molar ratio between the effectors. The inhibitory action of the ‐SH group reagents on the 5′‐nucleotidase activity is weak and reversible.
Sodium chloride as aid in identification of Phaeoannellomyces werneckii and other medically important dematiaceous fungi

Seventeen taxa of dematiaceous fungi isolated from humans were tested to determine their responses to various concentrations of sodium chloride in vitro. Five groups of species were recognized on the basis of differing tolerances. Phaeoannellomyces werneckii was distinguished by its tolerance of greater than or equal to 15% NaCl; most dematiaceous pathogens were suppressed at less than or equal to 7% NaCl.
A Gravity Approach to Determinants of Export in a Small Open Economy: ?Evidence from Jordan

This study seeks to identify the main factors affecting exports in small open economies. It uses panel data from 2001 to 2014 and a gravity model to identify these factors in one such economy. Our results are relevant for policymakers in small economies which engage in free trade agreements and trade liberalization to pursue economic development via trade openness and investment. We found mixed results as to the? direction of the relationship between free trade agreements and exports, a positive ? contribution of relative income in boosting exports and negative distortionary effects of distance ? and costs on exports. These findings suggest that there are differential impacts of trade liberalization over time on the export performance of small open economies. Hence, policies aiming to maximize the benefits of trade agreements and reduce costs may be helpful in promoting exports.
Resistance to Listeria monocytogenes in mice: genetic control by genes that are not linked to the H-2 complex.

After mice of several inbred strains were injected with Listeria monoyctogenes, two parameters of resistance, the 50% lethal dose and the suppression of bacterial proliferation in spleen, were determined. The strains of mice tested could be segregated into two groups: the resistant C57BL/10Sn mice and the sensitive A/J and DBA/2J mice. Congenic resistant strains of mice were used because they would express the H-2 haplotype of the sensitive strains (H-2a or H-2d) on the background of a resistant strain, C57BL/10Sn. Both the B10.A/SgSn (H-2a) and the B10.D2/Sn (H-2d) mice were as resistant as mice from their background strain and were significantly more resistant than the strains that donated their H-2 locus (A/J or DBA/2J). Therefore, the resistance of mice to Listeria, although genetically controlled, is not controlled by gene (s) linked to the H-2 haplotype. On the other hand, the level of specific immunity to listeria antigens (as indicated by the footpad reaction) was higher in the C57BL/10Sn (H-2b) mice than in either the A/J and B10.A/SgSn (H-2a) mice or the DBA/2J and B10.D2/Sn (H-2d) mice. This observation suggests an H-2 linkage of specific immunity to Listeria.
Vancomycin therapeutics and monitoring: a contemporary approach

Vancomycin remains a clinically useful antibiotic despite the advent of several alternative drugs. Optimising vancomycin therapy with therapeutic drug monitoring is widely recommended. The aim of therapeutic drug monitoring is to help the clinician to achieve target pharmacodynamic parameters in the case of vancomycin, an area under the concentration time curve/minimum inhibitory concentration ratio of ≥400. Vancomycin monitoring methods can be categorised into four categories: empiric trough concentrations; linear regression analysis (one‐compartment model), population methods and Bayesian estimation procedures. Although the empiric trough concentrations and population methods are easy to use and require minimal resources, there are large differences in the published vancomycin model parameters. This demonstrates that there is great variance in pharmacokinetic parameters between the models and a single vancomycin model cannot be applied to all patient populations. The linear regression and Bayesian methods recommended more accurate dosage regimens; however, they require additional resources such as information technology and healthcare personnel with background training in pharmacokinetics. The Bayesian methods offered additional advantages such as calculation of doses based on a single‐serum concentration and optimisation of the patient's previous pharmacokinetic data to determine subsequent dosage regimens. Computerised programs, utilising the Bayesian estimation procedures, are able to achieve target concentrations in a greater percentage of patients earlier in the course of therapy than the empiric trough concentrations and population methods. We recommend the use of these programs providing there is appropriate expertise available to make appropriate recommendations.
Ten years of using knowledge balance sheets in Austrian public universities

The purpose of this paper is to present the findings of a longitudinal study on the use of mandatory knowledge balance sheets (KBS) in Austrian public universities. It contributes to the discourse on fourth-stage intellectual capital (IC) research. Conclusions drawn from the analysis of the empirical material are expected to focus further research on fourth-stage IC and to improve practices of IC disclosure. ,A mandatory KBS has been used to govern the Austrian Higher Education Institution sector for more than a decade. In a qualitative longitudinal case study, the authors analyze two series of qualitative interviews and documents in order to reveal functional and dysfunctional effects of the KBS in use. ,The conclusions focus on the communicative culture in the implementation process, the way change processes are organized and the value of strategy for orientation, sense making and an effective allocation of resources. ,The practical implications are twofold: first, to identify aspects of monetary, utilitarian, social and environmental value dimensions, a concerted effort to embed quantitative data in a discourse on qualitative impact on value would be needed. Second, the authors support a “communicative culture first” rather than a “tool-box first” approach. ,Original empirical data have been gathered in a longitudinal study of a valuable and unique case. Retrospectively, a better understanding of the top-down implementation of the KBS and its pitfalls is achieved.
Deep optical imaging of tissue using the second and third near-infrared spectral windows

Abstract. Light at wavelengths in the near-infrared (NIR) region allows for deep penetration and minimal absorption through high scattering tissue media. NIR light has been conventionally used through the first NIR optical tissue window with wavelengths from 650 to 950 nm. Longer NIR wavelengths had been overlooked due to major water absorption peaks and a lack of NIR-CCD detectors. The second NIR spectral window from 1100 to 1350 nm and a new spectral window from 1600 to 1870 nm, known as the third NIR optical window, were investigated. Optical attenuation measurements from thin tissue slices of normal and malignant breast and prostate tissues, pig brain, and chicken tissue were obtained in the spectral range from 400 to 2500 nm. Optical images of chicken tissue overlying three black wires were also obtained using the second and third spectral windows. Due to a reduction in scattering and minimal absorption, longer attenuation lengths and clearer optical images could be seen in the second and third NIR optical windows compared to the conventional first NIR optical window. A possible fourth optical window centered at 2200 nm was noted.
Diastolic Dysfunction in Patients with Non‐insulin‐dependent Diabetes Mellitus of Short Duration

To determine whether abnormal left ventricular diastolic function is present at an early stage of non‐insulin‐dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), left ventricular diastolic filling was evaluated by pulsed doppler echocardiography in 16 normotensive patients with NIDDM of short duration (1.8 ± 1 years, mean ± SD) and no evidence of microangiopathy, and in 16 healthy volunteers comparable for age, body mass index, and sex distribution. All patients showed normal systolic function. The interventricular septum thickness, left atrial diameter, and left ventricular mass index were increased in the diabetic as compared with the control group (p < 0.01, p < 0.01, and p < 0.02, respectively). Isovolumic relaxation time and atrial peak filling velocity were greater in diabetic patients (p < 0.001, and p < 0.01, respectively), whereas early to atrial peak filling velocity ratio was significantly reduced (p < 0.05). This study demonstrates that an impairment of left ventricular diastolic function occurs early in the natural history of NIDDM, and that this abnormality is unlikely to be related to clinical evidence of microangiopathic complications.
Building a professional learning community

Joanne Acerba Creating a Professional Learning Community 2003 Dr. Robert Kern Educational Administration The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship of staff morale and student achievement levels through the formation of a professional learning community at the Ann A. Mullen Middle School in Sicklerville, New Jersey. The project involved an analysis of the current school culture through small group and individual interviews, a survey, and an examination of the most recent standardized test scores. The researcher involved the entire staff in the creation of a shared mission statement as well as a shared vision statement to form the building blocks of a professional learning community. Teacher study groups were formed, staff meetings focused on group activities and professional development opportunities, and department goals were created. The researcher has concluded in this study, that the development of a professional learning community is critical to the success of school improvement. As staff members collaborate, share a common mission and vision, and develop goals to move toward that vision, staff morale improves and there is a common focus on student and staff learning.
Alteration of Sulfate and Hydrogen Metabolism in the Human Colon by Changing Intestinal Transit Rate

OBJECTIVES:Changes in intestinal transit rate are also implicated in the etiology of many colonic diseases and strongly influence many metabolic processes in the colon. We set out to investigate whether intestinal transit time could influence the activity of the hydrogen-consuming bacterial flora and sulfate metabolism.METHODS:Normal volunteers underwent four interventions while taking a low-sulfate diet: placebo, sulfate supplements, or sulfate supplements with either senna or loperamide. Stools were cultured and analyzed for sulfate, sulfide, methionine, sulfate reduction rates, methionine reduction rates, acetic acid production rates, methane production rates, short-chain fatty acids, and bile acids. Urine was analyzed for sulfate.RESULTS:The addition of sulfate alone increased fecal and urinary excretion of sulfate, fecal sulfide, sulfate reduction rates, and acetic acid production rates; it reduced fecal methanogenic bacterial concentrations. Faster intestinal transit increased fecal sulfate, sulfide, bile acids, the reduction rates of sulfate, and methionine and the production rates of acetic acid. Reduction in fecal methanogens and methane production was seen. The reverse effects were seen with loperamide.CONCLUSIONS:Both sulfate supplements and changes in intestinal transit rate markedly alter the activity of the colonic bacterial flora with respect to sulfate metabolism and hydrogen disposal. Dietary influences on intestinal transit and sulfate consumption may influence disease processes. While a variety of processes govern sulfate metabolism and hydrogen disposal, our knowledge is far from complete. How far the observed changes in sulfate metabolism seen in certain diseases are relevant to the pathogenesis of the disease or secondary to the disease itself is unclear.
EFFECT OF VENOUS DRAINAGE SITE ON INSULIN ACTION AFTER SIMULTANEOUS PANCREAS-KIDNEY TRANSPLANTATION

Background. The aim of the present study was to determine the influence of the venous drainage site on insulin homeostasis in simultaneous pancreas-kidney (SPK) transplant recipients. Methods. The study included 12 SPK patients with portal venous drainage (P) and 11 SPK patients with systemic venous drainage (S) of pancreas allograft. All of the participants presented similar characteristics. The euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp was performed using a 0.4-mU/kg/min insulin infusion. An infusion of [6,6-(2)H2] glucose was used to determine glucose turnover at the basal state and during the clamp to determine liver and peripheral tissue sensitivity to insulin. Results. Minor changes in glycemia and insulinemia were shown: fasting plasma glucose was significantly higher in the SPK-P group and insulinemia was higher in the SPK-S group. Hepatic glucose production was similar in both groups. During the clamp, insulin levels were higher in SPK-S recipients, but hepatic glucose production was suppressed in both groups. Glucose use was lower in SPK-S recipients than in SPK-P recipients, 3.32±1.41 mg/kg/min and 4.70±1.64 mg/kg/min, respectively (P<0.02). Basal and under-clamp free fatty acid levels were similar. In addition, no significant difference in cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein levels was shown, whereas high-density lipoprotein levels were higher in the SPK-S group; triglycerides during fasting and under clamp were significantly higher in the SPK-P group. Conclusions. In both groups, neither hepatic nor peripheral insulin resistance was detected. In SPK-S recipients, the authors have showed only a lower insulin clearance and a slight decreased peripheral responsiveness to insulin without modifications of lipid status.
Effects of exercise on biomechanical properties of the superficial digital flexor tendon in foals.

OBJECTIVE To determine the effects of exercise on biomechanical properties of the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) in foals. ANIMALS 43 Dutch Warmblood foals. PROCEDURE From 1 week until 5 months of age, 14 foals were housed in stalls and not exercised, 14 foals were housed in stalls and exercised daily, and 15 foals were maintained at pasture. Eight foals in each group were euthanatized at 5 months, and remaining foals were housed together in a stall and paddock until euthanatized at 11 months. After euthanasia, SDFT were isolated and fit in a material testing system. Mean cross-sectional area (CSA) was measured and traction forces recorded. Normalized force at rupture (force(rup)), normalized force at 4% strain, strain at rupture, stress at 4% strain (stress(4%stain)), and stress at rupture were compared among and within groups. RESULTS At 5 months, mean CSA and normalized force(rup) were significantly greater and stress(4%strain) significantly less in the pastured group, compared with the other groups. At 11 months, CSA and normalized force(rup) were not significantly different among groups, because force(rup) increased significantly from 5 to 11 months in the nonexercised group and decreased significantly in the pastured group. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Exercise significantly affected the biomechanical properties of the SDFT in foals. Evenly distributed moderate- and low-intensity exercise at a young age may be more effective for development of strong, flexible tendons in horses than single episodes of high-intensity exercise superimposed on stall rest. This effect may impact later susceptibility to SDFT injury.
Impact du Grand Paris Express sur le marché du travail et le marché du logement

A travers le Grand Paris Express, l’agglomeration parisienne se dote de nouvelles infrastructures de transport conduisant au doublement de la taille actuelle du systeme de metro. Nous proposons une modelisation originale de cette evolution qui integre un marche du travail frictionnel et un marche du logement segmente, entre un secteur a prix/loyers libres et un secteur a prix regules. Suivant l’hypothese retenue par les equipes de la Societe du Grand Paris d’un gain de 3 % de temps/penibilite/couts financiers directs du transport, et en fonction de differents scenarii de croissance de la population, le modele predit soit des gains en emplois, soit une baisse des loyers au centre. Dans un scenario ou la population peut croitre au rythme de l’amelioration des differentes infrastructures de transport avec des constructions nouvelles permettant l’installation de nouveaux menages, les effets sont de l’ordre de 160 000 emplois. Dans un scenario plus malthusien ou l’offre de logements ne suit pas, les effets en emploi sont tres diminues et l’essentiel de l’ajustement est porte par une baisse des loyers au centre de l’agglomeration : la pression sur l’occupation de l’espace au centre est reduite. Le bien-etre des menages augmente, mais l’emploi progresse peu, de l’ordre de 3 000. Tous les chiffres de cette note sont des deviations en tendance de la situation qui aurait prevalu en l’absence de nouvelles infrastructures et maintien de la qualite des infrastructures existantes.
Recombinant hepatitis B triple antigen vaccine: Hepacare®

Infection with hepatitis B virus is a public health problem throughout the world. Hepatitis B vaccines are now included in national immunization programmes of infants and/or adolescents in 129 countries.Current single antigen vaccines, that are plasma-derived or produced by recombinant DNA technology are highly effective, but between 5–10% or more of healthy immunocompetent subjects do not mount an antihepatitis B surface antibody protective response and others respond poorly (hyporesponders). The inclusion of pre-S1 and -S2 components of hepatitis B surface antigen in addition to the single antigen (triple antigen) in a novel vaccine, Hepacare®, Medeva Pharma Plc, Speke, UK, overcomes nonresponsiveness and hyporesponsiveness in a significant number of individuals. The triple antigen is indicated for vaccination of nonresponders (and hyporesponders) to the current single antigen vaccines and for persons who require rapid protection against hepatitis B infection.
Percentiles for anthropometric measures in Iranian children and adolescents: the CASPIAN-IV study

Abstract Background: The aim of the study was to provide the age- and sex-specific percentile values of anthropometric measures for Iranian children and adolescents. Methods: This cross-sectional nationwide survey was conducted on a representative sample of 14,880 school students, selected by multistage random cluster sampling from urban and rural areas of 30 provinces in Iran. Anthropometric measures including body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), hip circumference (HC), and wrist circumference were measured under standard protocols by using calibrated instruments. Age- and gender-specific reference values were developed for anthropometric measures by the maximum penalized likelihood approach [Cole’s least mean square (LMS) method]. Results: In the present study, 13,486 out of the 14,880 invited subjects completed all the required data of the study (participation rate: 90.6%). Participants consisted of 6640 girls (49.2%) and 75.6% urban residents; their mean and standard deviation (SD) age was 12.47±3.36 years. The BMI percentile curves of girls had a sharp increase from 14 to 18 years, and then began to plateau, but among boys, these curves had a consistent increase until the age of 18 years. In addition, the higher percentiles were higher in adolescent boys than girls. The HC percentile curves of both sexes had a persistent increase and the percentiles for HC were higher in adolescent girls than in boys. WC had a sharp increase from 7 to 18 years of age for boys, whereas for girls, these curves had a less sharp increase with age. In all ages, the percentiles for wrist circumference were higher in adolescent boys than girls. Conclusions: The findings of this study highlight the necessity of paying special attention to developing age- and gender-specific percentiles of anthropometric measures in children and adolescents.
Human monocyte-derived macrophages infected with virulent Shigella flexneri in vitro undergo a rapid cytolytic event similar to oncosis but not apoptosis

Infection of human monocyte-derived macrophages in vitro with virulent Shigella flexneri resulted in cell death which involved rupture of the plasma membrane, cell swelling, disintegration of ultrastructure, and generalized karyolysis. These features bore resemblance to oncosis and are in striking contrast to previously described observations of mouse macrophages, where a similar infection by virulent Shigella resulted in cell death by apoptosis. Cell death by oncosis in human macrophages was confirmed by lactate dehydrogenase release, light microscopy, electron microscopy, terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase end labeling of DNA ends, DNA fragmentation assays, and fluorescence-activated cell sorter analysis of propidium-labeled nuclei. Thus, the phenomena of cell death induced by virulent Shigella in human and mouse macrophages reflect different biochemical pathways. Interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) was released in culture supernatants of human macrophages infected with virulent bacteria. Inhibition with IL-1beta-converting enzyme inhibitors indicated, however, that this release occurred as a passive event of cell lysis. The patterns of intracellular survival of Shigella strains within human and mouse macrophages reflect differences that exist not only between Shigella serotypes but also between the two different macrophage cell types.