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The present study investigated the common challenges of learners in the new mode of learning and their frequency, if there would be a significant difference in the performance of the participants after using Google Sites, the acceptability of the Google Sites in terms of its content quality, instructional quality, and technical quality, and the experience of the respondents in using Beyond the Classroom as supplementary material for the Third Quarter. This action research used the survey questionnaires, evaluation tool, pre-tests, and posttest as instruments in answering the research questions. Respondents were 15 Grade 8 High School learners who have internet access. Results indicated always and sometimes characterized their experience on challenges such as understanding the lessons after reading the discussion found in the modules and that there is a significant difference between the pre-test and post-test scores for lessons that are easy for them to understand and learn alone. Results also revealed that Beyond the Classroom is very acceptable in terms of its content, instructional, and technical quality, and respondents found it helpful in understanding their lessons. Finally, this study showed that learners struggle to cope with the changes in the new normal, and online supplementary material helps them understand their lessons and activities for the Third Quarter of the academic year 2021-2022.

Perovskite photovoltaics (PVs) are under intensive development for promise in terrestrial energy production. Soon, the community will find out how much of that promise may become reality. Perovskites also open new opportunities for lower cost space power. However, radiation tolerance of space environments requires appropriate analysis of relevant devices irradiated under representative radiation conditions. We present guidelines designed to rigorously test the radiation tolerance of perovskite PVs. We review radiation conditions in common orbits, calculate nonionizing and ionizing energy losses (NIEL and IEL) for perovskites, and prioritize proton radiation for effective nuclear interactions. Low-energy protons (0.05–0.15 MeV) create a representative uniform damage profile, whereas higher energy protons (commonly used in ground-based evaluation) require significantly higher fluence to accumulate the equivalent displacement damage dose due to lower scattering probability. Furthermore, high-energy protons may “heal” devices through increased electronic ionization. These procedural guidelines differ from those used to test conventional semiconductors.

Combining filters in an ensemble to improve feature selection performance is a growing field in the literature. Current techniques, however, are focused on approaches that suffer from drawbacks such as sensitivity to skewed distribution, among others. To address this gap, this paper investigates the applicability of multiple criteria decision-making in ensemble feature selection. This paper adopts the Evaluation based on Distance from Average Solution (EDAS) method due to its many familiar elements to the feature selection community. An experiment was performed on six datasets and a control group. The paper uses the six datasets as levels of the blocking factor. A negative control group (i.e., no feature selection) was adopted to compare with the proposed algorithm. Results show that the proposed ensemble FS algorithm was able to reduce the dataset without compromising the performance of the classifier. The findings in this study would contribute to the literature in several ways. First, the paper is one of the few works to demonstrate how MCDM can be used in feature selection with promising results. Second, this paper is one of the few works to demonstrate the significance of including datasets as levels of a blocking factor when performing significance testing. Finally, this paper is the first to demonstrate the applicability of EDAS as an ensemble FS algorithm. As such, the findings in this paper could spark the cross-fertilization of feature selection and MCDM.

Objective. This paper aims to characterize existing financial assistance available to patients with schizophrenia. Specifically, we described (1) the funding mechanisms for the treatment of patients with schizophrenia; (2) the process for accessing financial assistance; and (3) the experiences of consumers of services of these support mechanisms. Methods. We employed qualitative techniques using key informant interviews (KII) and focus group discussion (FGD). Key informants were officials from institutions providing or offering financial assistance for patients with any health-related concerns, including schizophrenia. Focus group participants were support group members or caregivers of patients with schizophrenia. Purposive sampling was used to select participants for both providers and consumers of financial assistance or scheme. Topic guides for KII and FGD were used for data collection. Thematic analysis was performed on the qualitative data gathered from the informants and focus group participants. Results. Securing financial assistance for schizophrenia followed a generally similar process, whether the source is from government offices or civil society organizations, and can be grouped into three main stages: (a) pre-application, (b) application, and (c) post-application. While the process of seeking financial assistance appears to be straightforward, issues were encountered in all of the stages by both providers and recipients alike, namely: (a) Financial assistance as an augmentation to patient resources; (b) Mismatch between demand and service capability; (c) Measures of organizational effectiveness; (d) Health professionals and support groups as "bridges" / "facilitators" to financial assistance providers; (e) Financial and non-financial costs incurred by caregivers in applying for financial assistance; and (f) Recipient-provider relationship as a barrier to the feedback process. Conclusion. This study provides a glimpse of available financial and other relevant assistance to clients, including clients suffering from schizophrenia. More extensive research covering more organizations, support groups, and caregivers from different parts of the country is recommended.

The 69th World Health Assembly endorsed the Global Health Sector Strategy for Viral Hepatitis, embracing a goal to eliminate hepatitis infection as a public health threat by 2030. This was followed by the World Health Organization's (WHO) global targets for the care and management of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections. These announcements and targets were important in raising awareness and calling for action; however, tracking countries’ progress towards these elimination goals has provided insights to the limitations of these targets. The existing targets compare a country's progress relative to its 2015 values, penalizing countries who started their programmes prior to 2015, countries with a young population, or countries with a low prevalence. We recommend that (1) WHO simplify the hepatitis elimination targets, (2) change to absolute targets and (3) allow countries to achieve these disease targets with their own service coverage initiatives that will have the maximum impact. The recommended targets are as follows: reduce HCV new chronic cases to ≤5 per 100 000, reduce HBV prevalence among 1-year-olds to ≤0.1%, reduce HBV and HCV mortality to ≤5 per 100 000, and demonstrate HBV and HCV year-to-year decrease in new HCV- and HBV-related HCC cases. The objective of our recommendations is not to lower expectations or diminish the hepatitis elimination standards, but to provide clearer targets that recognize the past and current elimination efforts by countries, help measure progress towards true elimination, and motivate other countries to follow suit. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd

Using the children’s toy, Shrinky-Dink ©, we present an aptamer-based electrochemical (E-AB) assay that recognizes the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 in saliva for viral infection detection. The low-cost electrodes are implementable at population scale and demonstrate detection down to 0.1 fg mL−1 of the S1 subunit of the spike protein.

Revenues from local property taxes has been the source of public funding for schools in Georgia. This quantitative study evaluated financial management of public funding in local school districts and student academic achievement outcomes. The research examined whether there was a difference in achievement levels of economically disadvantaged students based on the 8th grade population, property valuations, and home prices from 2006 to 2014 school terms. Correlation analyses indicated the existence of an inverse relationship between the variables. Multiple regression analyses revealed that academic performance was predicted by the total number of 8th grade students who passed the test.

Background:Reactive arthritis is a form of spondyloarthritis with aseptic joint involvement occurring after a gastrointestinal or urogenital infection. Most commonly associated with Chlamydia trachomatis, Salmonella, Shigella, Campylobacter, and Yersinia. Syphilis is an infection caused by the spirochete Treponema pallidum and is not usually associated with reactive arthritis. Syphilis is a great imitator of other diseases due to its broad presentation including painless chancre, constitutional symptoms, adenopathy, rash, synovitis, neurological and ocular findings.Objectives:To discuss a patient who presented with symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) but was later diagnosed with syphilis.Methods:31 year old male, former tobacco smoker, referred to Rheumatology for sudden onset joint pains, elevated anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP), and elevated inflammatory markers. He reported pain in bilateral wrists, fingers, and right elbow for 6 weeks. Associated with 45 minutes of morning stiffness and new onset lower back pain without stiffness. He denied trauma, fever, chills, skin rash, dysuria, or diarrhea. Initiated trial naproxen 500mg twice a day only to have minimal relief. Patient is sexually active with men and was recently diagnosed with oropharyngeal gonorrhea treated with azithromycin 4 months prior. All other STI screening including syphilis, gonorrhea, HIV were negative at that time. Patient is on emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis. He denied family history of immune mediated conditions. Exam was significant for mild synovitis of both wrists and bilateral 2nd metacarpophalangeal joints. Initial labs revealed weakly positive anti-CCP 21 (normal Treponema pallidum antibody and RPR quantity 1:32. Prednisone was immediately discontinued and he was referred to the emergency department for possible neurosyphilis.Results:Lumbar puncture showed cerebral spinal fluid with 260 red blood cells, 1 white blood cell, 27mg/dL protein, 60mg/dL glucose, non reactive VDRL, reactive pallidum IgG antibody, and negative cultures. Meningitis and encephalitis panels were negative. Patient completed a 14 day course of IV penicillin G with complete remission of joint pain, visual symptoms, and normalization of anti-CCP, ESR, and CRP.Conclusion:This case highlights how syphilis may mimic signs and symptoms of RA including symmetrical small joint pain, morning stiffness, elevated inflammatory markers, and positive anti-CCP. Anti-CCP is >96% specific for RA but was a false positive in this patient. There have only been few reported cases noting positive anti-CCP with reactive arthritis. This is a rare case of reactive arthritis secondary to syphilis with resolution of symptoms upon treating the syphilis.References:[1]Carter JD. Treating reactive arthritis: insights for the clinician. Ther Adv Musculoskelet Dis. 2010 Feb;2(1):45-54.[2]Cohen SE, Klausner JD, Engelman J, Philip S. Syphilis in the modern era: an update for physicians. Infect Dis Clin North Am. 2013 Dec;27(4):705-22.[3]Singh Sangha M, Wright ML, Ciurtin C. Strongly positive anti-CCP antibodies in patients with sacroiliitis or reactive arthritis post-E. coli infection: A mini case-series based review. Int J Rheum Dis. 2018 Jan;21(1):315-321.Disclosure of Interests:None declared.

Supplemental Material for Invasive fungal disease in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus from Southern China: a retrospective study by M. Lao, X. Wang, M. Ding, Z. Yang, H. Chen, L. Liang, Z. Zhan and D. Chen in Lupus

Little is known about the impact of nutrition on toddler gut microbiota. The plasticity of the toddler gut microbiota indicates that nutritional modulation beyond infancy could potentially impact its maturation. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of consuming Young Child Formula (YCF) supplemented with short chain galactooligosaccharides and long chain fructooligosaccharides (scGOS/lcFOS, ratio 9:1) and Bifidobacterium breve M-16V on the development of the faecal microbiota in healthy toddlers. A cohort of 129 Thai children aged 1-3 years were included in a randomised controlled clinical study. The children were assigned to receive either YCF with 0.95 g/100 ml of scGOS/lcFOS and 1.8×107 cfu/g of B. breve M-16V (Active-YCF) or Control-YCF for 12 weeks. The composition and metabolic activity of the faecal microbiota, and the level of secretory immunoglobulin A were determined in the stool samples. The consumption of Active-YCF increased the proportion of Bifidobacterium (mean 27.3% at baseline to 33.3%, at week 12, P=0.012) with a difference in change from baseline at week 12 between the Active and Control of 7.48% (P=0.030). The consumption of Active-YCF was accompanied with a more acidic intestinal milieu compared to the Control-YCF. The pH value decreased statistically significantly in the Active-YCF group from a median of 7.05 at baseline to 6.79 at week 12 (P

Cyclization of acyclic lycopene by cyclases marks an important regulatory point in carotenoid biosynthesis. Though some algal lycopene epsilon cyclases (LCYEs) have been predicted computationally, very few have been functionally identified. Little is known about the regulation mechanisms of algal LCYEs. Recent comparative genomic analysis suggested that Haematococcus pluvialis contained only the β type cyclase (HpLCYB). However, in this study, carotenoid profiling found trace α-carotene in the salt-treated cells, indicating the in vivo activity of HpLCYE, a missing component for α-branch carotenoids. Thus, genes coding for HpLCYB and HpLCYE were isolated and functionally complemented in Escherichia coli. Substrate specificity assays revealed an exclusive cyclization order of HpLCYE to HpLCYB for the biosynthesis of heterocyclic carotenoids. Expression pattern studies and bioinformatic analysis of promoter regions showed that both cyclases were differentially regulated by the regulatory cis-acting elements in promoters to correlate with primary and secondary carotenoid biosynthesis under environmental stresses. Characterization of the branch components in algal carotenoid biosynthesis revealed a mechanism for control of metabolic flux into α- and β-branch by the competition and cooperation between HpLCYE and HpLCYB; and supplied a promising route for molecular breeding of cyclic carotenoid biosynthesis.

This experiment was designed to follow the 2k factorial design to study the effects of the three drying parameters on the drying characteristics and effective moisture diffusivity and to fit each run performed on the best thin-layer drying kinetics model. Raw purple yam samples were pre-treated and undergone the designed drying procedures at which the weight of the samples were recorded every minute until such time that the sample weights become constant. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) is utilized for qualitative analysis of the dried samples. The number of pores per unit area and the overall aesthetics of the surface of the dried samples were compared also using SEM. Considering the qualitative analysis conducted on the samples from the images of SEM, dried samples from run 2 has the most desirable conditions such as high temperature and low air velocity for drying because the samples from this run have large pore diameters with minimal cell breakages.

Mangrove rhizosphere environment harbors diverse populations of microbes, and some evidence showed that rhizobacteria behavior was regulated by quorum sensing (QS). Investigating the diverse profiles of QS molecules in mangrove ecosystems may shed light on the bacterial roles and lead to a better understanding of the symbiotic interactions between plants and microbes. The aims of the current study focus on identifying AI-1 type QS signals, i.e., acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs), in Kandelia obovata rhizosphere environment. Approximately 1200 rhizobacteria were screened and 184 strains (15.3%) tested were positive. Subsequent 16s rRNA gene sequencing and dereplication analyses identified 24 species from the positive isolates, which were affiliated to three different phyla, including Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Actinobacteria. Thin-layer chromatography separation of extracts revealed diverse AHL profiles and detected at least one active compound in the supernatant of these 24 cultivable AHL-producers. The active extracts from these bacterial isolates were further evaluated by ultra performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, and the carbon side chain length ranged from C4 to C14. This is the first report on the diversity of AI-1 type auto-inducers in the mangrove plant K. obovata, and it is imperative to expand our knowledge of plant-bacteria interactions with respect to the maintenance of wetland ecosystem health.

This paper is based upon a research study to determine the significance of managerial leadership practices in a corporation’s transformation during the period from 2004 to 2008. The study attempted to discover how managerial leadership practices effectively advance horizontal integration of an inclusive and collaborative organization. The study was grounded on propositions involving organizational development roles, IT governance, and collaborative organizations. Triangulated inquiry from peerreviewed documents and a survey of 24 participants who included 2 women and 22 men comprising a chief information officer, 7 functional managers, 8 project managers, and 8 engineers of a corporation in the Northeastern United States confirmed the propositions. The findings indicated that horizontal integration has begun in transition from being separate toward becoming collaborative. This paper will reveal how disparate images that are subculture bound could be enhanced by the Full Spectrum Leadership model involving collaborative and integrative leadership practices.

Leadership and management are important factors that influence the ability of organizations to fulfill their goals. In this article, the role of two organizations was analyzed to determine which leadership styles are appropriate. The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC) are two international organizations in the region of Asia-Pacific with similar goals but dissimilar organizational natures, properties, functions, and structures. Past studies researching APEC and PECC have mainly taken the perspective of macroeconomics or international relations. The intent when carrying out this study was to adopt a nontraditional approach to studying APEC and PECC by using a qualitative leadership and management methodology. By referring to identified leadership practices through content analysis and explored organizational paradigms through a narrative approach, this study recommends the application of suitable leadership and management practices to empower these two organizations and other similar organizations in the United States and other countries.

Mutants resistant to different antibiotics (streptomycin, tetracycline, ampicillin and penicillin) were obtained from several strains of Xanthomonas campestris and evaluated for xanthan production. Most of the mutants showed alterations in their polysaccharide production, either increasing, decreasing or totally losing their polymer-production capacity. The existence of two types of antibiotic-resistance mechanisms for the assayed drugs is suggested: one that affects xanthan production and another that does not. Differences in outer-membrane protein patterns of mutants that were simultaneously altered in antibiotic resistance and xanthan production were found, in comparison with their parental strains. These findings suggest the existence of a genetic relationship between antibiotic-resistance mechanisms and xanthan production. Some of the mutants obtained showed significant increases in broth viscosity and xanthan concentration. These results suggest that resistance to streptomycin and ampicillin can be used to obtain improved strains in plate screening assays.

During the era of so-called 'real' socialism, renal replacement therapy was in a very poor condition in Poland. Here we present data on the influence that the socioeconomic changes in Poland had on the status of dialysis therapy. All data are based on analysis of annual questionnaires from all dialysis and renal transplant units. During the period 1989-1995, the number of dialysis units increased by 39%, the number of stations by 68%, and the number of patients by 136%. Not only quantitative but also qualitative changes occurred in the introduction of new, modern machines, individualization of dialysis treatment, the start of a peritoneal dialysis programme, and an increasing number of patients on erythropoietin therapy. Also, broader criteria for the admission of patients with secondary nephropathies (especially diabetes) and aged people were adopted. The gross mortality rate (9.5-10.5%) during the period of observation was satisfactory and comparable with that of western European countries. Progress was the result of the implementation of the programme of the National Committee for the Promotion of Nephrology, approved by the Ministry of Health and the Parliamentary Health Commission, and supported by the central funding system. Further consequent development of all alternative renal replacement therapy methods (among them especially renal transplantation) is necessary to achieve an acceptance rate comparable with developed countries by the beginning of the next century.

Infectious complications, including pneumonia, remain one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in kidney allograft recipients. The aim of the study was to evaluate the relationship between pneumonia occurrence and treatment duration and recipient age, cause of native kidney insufficiency, dialysis duration, time between transplantation and onset, HLA matching, PRA immunosuppressive protocol, acute rejection incidence and treatment, kidney function at the pneumonia onset, as well as presence of comorbid conditions. One hundred and twenty pneumonia cases occurred in kidney allograft recipients transplanted between 1991 and 2000 with 12 to 120 months follow-up. Twenty five percentage of pneumonia episodes were diagnosed during the first posttransplant month, 25% between 2 and 6 months, and 25% at 0.5 to 3 years. Treatment duration measured from pneumonia onset to the study endpoint of recovery, which was defined as antibiotic withdrawal, show 50% of patient we cured after 15 days and 75% after 24 days of treatment. The risk of prolonged pneumonia treatment was associated with: second versus first kidney transplantation with RR = 2.3 (P

Simultaneous pancreas and preemptive kidney transplantation (SPpreKT) seems to be the optimal treatment for the patients with diabetes type 1 who are progressing to end-stage renal disease. On the other hand, surgical complications with a high rate of relaparatomy are a limiting factor in pancreas transplantation.Comparison of severity of surgical complications was performed between a group of preemptive (SPpreKT group) and nonpreemptive recipients of SPKT (SPKT group).Between 1988 and 2010, we performed 112 SPKTs including 25 preemptive recipients (22.3%). The SPKT Group included 87 recipients (77.7%). The severity of complications was classified according to a modified Clavien scale: grade I, no complication; grade II, drug therapy; grade IIIA, invasive intervention not requiring general anesthesia; grade IIIB, invasive intervention requiring general anesthesia; grade IVA, graft failure; and grade IVB, death.Among the SPpreKT group, 64% of recipients were free from postoperative complications compared with 40.3% of the SPKT group (P.01). Among the SPKT group, 52 recipients (59.7%) developed 58 postoperative complications, including 15 (17.3%) deaths due to graft pancreatitis (80%) or pancreatic fistula (20%). Among the SPpreKT group, 9 recipients developed 9 complications. None of the preemptively transplanted group subjects experienced a lethal complication. Among the SPpreKT group, the most severe complication was graft pancreatitis leading to graft removal in 2 recipients.Recipients of preemptive SPKT developed significantly fewer postoperative complications, especially deaths. However the rates of mild (II, IIIA) and moderate (IIIB) complications as well as graft failures (IVA) were similar to the nonpreemptive group.

Summary Hailey–Hailey disease (HHD; OMIM 169600), is an autosomal dominantly inherited disorder characterized by suprabasal cell separation of the epidermis. Mutations in ATP2C1, which encodes the human secretory pathway Ca2+/ Mn2 ± ATPase protein 1 (hSPCA1), have been identified as the pathogenic gene of HHD without evidence of genetic heterogeneity. In this study, the ATP2C1 gene was screened in two typical Chinese pedigrees with HHD, and two specific novel mutations of the ATP2CL gene were identified. Family 1 had a 16-base deletion mutation c.1068–1083del16 and family 2 had a substitution mutation c.1982T>G (p.Met661Arg). DNA sequencing of the three descendants of the probands revealed that they all had the normal genotype, indicating that there had been no transmission of the mutation.

Renal transplantation is associated with frequent gastrointestinal complications. Intestinal metaplasia is a feature of atrophic gastritis whereas the diagnosis of Barrett's esophagus is based on histological demonstration of specialized metaplasia. Both conditions are associated with increased risk of adenocarcinoma. The aim of the present study was to assess whether magnification endoscopy improves the diagnostic accuracy of intestinal metaplasia in stomach and in esophagus.In this non-randomized, feasibility study thirty one (12 women and 19 men) renal transplant recipients, with a mean age of 44.0 years were evaluated for the presence of intestinal metaplasia. Standard esophagogastroscopy with methylene blue staining was followed by magnification endoscopy. The presence of gastritis and intestinal metaplasia was classified according to modified updated Sydney classification.Of 31 patients, 16 patients had endoscopic and histopathological evidence of gastric intestinal metaplasia, and standard endoscopy with methylene blue staining was sufficient for diagnosis (15 from 16). Magnification endoscopy allowed identification of 6 patients with specialized intestinal metaplasia in Barrett's esophagus, which would be otherwise missed.In this study diagnostic accuracy of standard endoscopy for identification of intestinal metaplasia in the stomach was not improved by the use of magnification endoscopy, but the latter was an accurate method of predicting specialized intestinal metaplasia in Barrett's esophagus. The use of magnification endoscopy in the clinical setting of renal transplantation needs further studies.

Chronic allograft rejection remains the major cause of late renal graft loss. Its pathogenesis is complex, depending on both immunological and nonimmunological factors. An important role in development of chronic rejection is ascribed to an ongoing immunological reaction mainly of the humoral type. C4d complement split product, as a stable fragment of complement degradation activated by antigen-antibody complexes, is considered to be an indicator of humoral activity in allografts. The aim of the present study was to establish a correlation between C4d expression and morphological findings specific for chronic rejection among biopsy specimens from patients with deteriorating graft function versus protocol biopsy specimens versus biopsy specimens of native kidneys with glomerular diseases. C4d deposits in peritubular capillaries and glomeruli were observed in 83% of patients with morphological changes of chronic rejection. No C4d expression was found in the protocol biopsy group. C4d deposits in glomeruli localizations were found in kidneys from patients with glomerulopathies; the pattern of distribution was similar to that for antibodies characteristic for glomerulonephritis. There was a positive correlation between C4d expression and morphological features of chronic rejection. In our opinion, only peritubular capillary localization is specific for a rejection process; glomerular localization is nonspecific and probably secondary to antigen-antibody complex deposition in course of some types of glomerulopathies.

Because it is an important factor affecting renal transplant function, BK infections are significant problem in posttransplant. BK nephropathy develops in 5% of renal allograft recipients, in most cases within the first year after the procedure. The gold standard for BK nephropathy diagnosis is still immunohistochemical staining for large T antigen in graft biopsy specimens. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the incidence of and factors influencing BK nephropathy in our renal allograft population. Among 89 renal or pancreas/kidney allograft recipients, BKV DNA was detected in 1 or more serum samples in 17 patients but BK nephropathy was diagnosed in only 1 case. Plasmacytic tubulitis was an exclusive feature in PCR-positive patients with 2 (20%) cases but no such findings in the PCR-negative group. In 40% of patients in the PCR-positive group at least 1 rejection episode was diagnosed versus 22% in the PCR-negative group. There were no significant differences in both groups according to total ischemia time, immunosuppressive treatments, or mean serum creatinine at 1 year after transplantation.

The major reason for late graft losses is chronic rejection. Recently, a large number of studies have indicated that proteolytic enzymes play an important role as mediators of glomerular injury. The cysteine proteinases cathepsins B and L degrade structural matrix proteins such as type I collagen and laminin. We investigated intraglomerular protease activities in 12 patients after kidney graftectomy because of end-stage renal disease following chronic rejection. A group of 12 patients undergoing nephrectomy because of cancer served as controls using only non-involved parts of the kidney. The activities of cathepsins B and L in homogenates of isolated glomeruli were measured fluorometrically methylcoumarylamide substrates and related to DNA content. In rejected kidney allografts we observed significantly enhanced intraglomerular cathepsin B activity and cathepsin B + L activity.

We selected 10 transmembrane (TM) prediction methods (KKD, TMpred, TopPred II, DAS, TMAP, MEMSAT 2, SOSUI, PRED-TMR2, TMHMM 2.0 and HMMTOP 2.0) and re-assessed its prediction performance using a reliable dataset with 122 entries of experimentally-characterized TM topologies. Then, we improved prediction performance by a consensus prediction method. Prediction performance during re-assessment and consensus prediction were based on four attributes: (i) the number of transmembrane segments (TMSs), (ii) the number of TMSs plus TMS-position, (iii) N-tail location and (iv) TM topology. We noted that hidden Markov model-based methods dominate over other methods by individual prediction performance for all four attributes. In addition, all top-performing methods generally were model-based. Among prokaryotic sequences, HMMTOP 2.0 solely topped among other methods with prediction accuracies ranging from 64% to 86% across all attributes. However, among eukaryotic sequences, prediction performance for all the attributes was relatively poor compared with prokaryotic ones. On the other hand, our results showed that our proposed consensus prediction method significantly improved prediction performance by, at least, an additional nine percentage points particularly among prokaryotic sequences for the number of TMS (84%), number of TMS and position (80%), and TM topology attributes (74%). Although our consensus prediction method improved also the prediction performance among eukaryotic sequences, the obtained accuracies for all attributes were relatively lower than that obtained by prokaryotic counterparts particularly for TM topology.