Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Characterization of the Structure and Biological Functions of a Capsular Polysaccharide Produced by Staphylococcus saprophyticus

ABSTRACT Staphylococcus saprophyticus is a common cause of uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women. S. saprophyticus strain ATCC 15305 carries two staphylococcal cassette chromosome genetic elements, SCC15305RM and SCC15305cap. The SCC15305cap element carries 13 open reading frames (ORFs) involved in capsular polysaccharide (CP) biosynthesis, and its G+C content (26.7%) is lower than the average G+C content (33.2%) for the whole genome. S. saprophyticus strain ATCC 15305 capD, capL, and capK (capDSsp , capLSsp , and capKSsp ) are homologous to genes encoding UDP-FucNAc biosynthesis, and gtaB and capISsp show homology to genes involved in UDP-glucuronic acid synthesis. S. saprophyticus ATCC 15305 CP, visualized by immunoelectron microscopy, was extracted and purified using anionic-exchange and size exclusion chromatography. Analysis of the purified CP by 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and gas-liquid chromatography revealed two types of branched tetrasaccharide repeating units composed of the following: \batchmode \documentclass[fleqn,10pt,legalpaper]{article} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amsmath} \pagestyle{empty} \begin{document} \[\begin{array}{c}\mathbf{-4)-{\beta}-Glc}-\mathbf{(1-3)-Sug}-\mathbf{(1-4)-{\beta}-GlcA}-(\mathbf{1-}\\\mathbf{{\vert}}\\\mathbf{{\beta}-GlcNAc}-\mathbf{(1-2)}\end{array}\] \end{document} Sug represents two stereoisomers of 2-acetamido-2,6-dideoxy-hexos-4-ulose residues, one of which has an arabino configuration. The encapsulated ATCC 15305 strain was resistant to complement-mediated opsonophagocytic killing by human neutrophils, whereas the acapsular mutant C1 was susceptible. None of 14 clinical isolates reacted with antibodies to the ATCC 15305 CP. However, 11 of the 14 S. saprophyticus isolates were phenotypically encapsulated based on their resistance to complement-mediated opsonophagocytic killing and their failure to hemagglutinate when cultivated aerobically. Ten of the 14 clinical strains carried homologues of the conserved staphylococcal capD gene or the S. saprophyticus gtaB gene, or both. Our results suggest that some strains of S. saprophyticus are encapsulated and that more than one capsular serotype exists.
Prediction of excessive bleeding after coronary artery bypass graft surgery: the influence of timing and heparinase on thromboelastography.

OBJECTIVE To compare the ability of thromboelastography, when done at either 10 or 60 minutes after protamine reversal of heparin, to predict excessive bleeding after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery and to investigate, with the use of heparinase, whether heparin contamination was responsible for the difference, if any. DESIGN Prospective study. SETTING University hospital, single institution. PARTICIPANTS Patients undergoing elective CABG surgery (n = 40). INTERVENTIONS Blood samples for thromboelastography and routine coagulation tests were collected before induction of anesthesia and at 10 and 60 minutes after protamine reversal of heparin. Blood loss and blood product use were recorded postoperatively. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Of 40 patients undergoing elective CABG surgery, 10 fulfilled the criteria for excessive postoperative bleeding. The sensitivity of thromboelastography to identify patients who bled was better at 60 minutes than at 10 minutes after protamine reversal of heparin (100% v 70%). There was greater specificity (83% v 40% at 10 minutes; 73% v 20% at 60 minutes) and positive predictive value (58% v 28% at 10 minutes; 55% v 29% at 60 minutes) when heparinase was added. At both times, thromboelastography showed only moderate correlation with total blood loss and the use of fresh frozen plasma or platelets or both. Conventional coagulation tests did not predict excessive postoperative bleeding. CONCLUSION This study suggests that timing and the use of heparinase influence the predictive ability of thromboelastography, but its usefulness as a sole predictor of post-CABG surgery bleeding is limited.
Coverage of recent criticisms of Milgram’s obedience experiments in introductory social psychology textbooks

This article has two purposes: (a) to broaden awareness of recent criticisms of Milgram’s obedience experiments by providing a relatively inclusive review of them interlaced within a discussion of Gina Perry’s main substantive criticisms and (b) to report the findings of our coverage analysis for recent criticisms in current introductory social psychology textbooks. Past coverage analyses have found a “Milgram-friendly” trend (little or no discussion or even acknowledgment of the large body of criticism published from 1964 onward) that evolved in textbooks from the 1960s to the 1990s and has become more pronounced since that time period. Our findings on coverage of recent criticisms were consistent with those of past text analyses. None of the recent criticisms were covered, even in the social psychology textbooks dated 2015. We discuss a possible explanation for these findings that involves a proposed knowledge-conserving function of social psychology textbooks.
Gas Concentration Reconstruction for Coal-Fired Boilers Using Gaussian Process

The goal of combustion optimization of a coal-fired boiler is to improve its operating efficiency while reducing emissions at the same time. Being able to take measurements for key combustion ingredients, such as O2, CO, H2O is crucial for the feedback loop needed by this task. One state-of-the-art laser technique, namely, Tunable Diode Laser Absorption Spectroscopy (TDLAS) is able to measure the average value of gas concentration along a laser beam path. A active research direction in TDLAS is how to reconstruct gas concentration images based on these path averages. However, in reality the number of such paths is usually very limited, leading to an extremely under-constrained estimation problem. Another overlooked aspect of the problem is that how can we arrange paths such that the reconstructed image is more accurate? We propose a Bayesian approach based on Gaussian process (GP) to address both image reconstruction and path arrangement problems, simultaneously. Specifically, we use the GP posterior mean as the reconstructed image, and average posterior pixel variance as our objective function to optimize the path arrangement. Our algorithms have been integrated in Siemens SPPA-P3000 control system that provides real-time combustion optimization of boilers around the world.
A Comparative Analysis of the Efficacy of Short-Segment Pedicle Screw Fixation with that of Long-Segment Pedicle Screw Fixation for Unstable Thoracolumbar Spinal Burst Fractures

The indications for operative treatment and type of stabilization procedures for the treatment of thoracolumbar burst fracture remain controversial. As surgical reconstruction for the thoracolumbar burst fracture, both long-segment pedicle screw fixation and short-segment pedicle screw fixation including fractured vertebral body have been used widely. The present study evaluated the efficacy of short-segment fixation compared with that of long-segment fixation in terms of the radiological and clinical outcomes in unstable thoracolumbar burst fractures. From January 2007 to December 2012, 76 patients with thoracolumbar burst fracture underwent posterior pedicle screw fixation consecutively in our hospital. These patients were divided into two groups: the short-segment group, which included patients who underwent short-segment pedicle screw fixation including the fractured vertebral body, and the long-segment group, which included patients who underwent long-segment pedicle screw fixation (2 levels above and 1 level below the fractured vertebral body). There were 44 and 32 patients in the long-segment and short-segment group, respectively. Radiological assessment of the kyphotic angle was performed using the Cobb method immediately after the operation and at 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively. The clinical outcomes were evaluated using the modified Mcnab criteria at the last follow-up. The sex ratio, mean age of patients, and composition of the fractured vertebral body were similar in both groups. In the long-segment and short-segment group, 37 (84.1%) and 26 (81.3%) cases showed excellent or good outcomes, respectively. The mean kyphotic angle at the immediate postoperative period was 7.3° ± 5.8° and 0.6° ± 11.9° in the long-segment and short-segment group, respectively. The average loss of kyphosis correction was 5.4° ± 4.4°, 8.6° ± 6.2°, and 10.5° ± 4.8° in the long-segment group and 4.1° ± 3.6°, 6.2° ± 5.2°, and 7.5° ± 4.4° in the short-segment group at 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in the average loss of kyphosis correction between the two groups (p > 0.05). In conclusion, short-segment pedicle screw fixation including the fractured vertebral body might be as effective as long-segment pedicle screw fixation for the treatment of unstable thoracolumbar spinal burst fracture.
Trademarks , Triggers , and Online Search Citation

Internet search engines display advertisements along with search results, providing them with a major source of revenue. The display of ads is triggered by the use of keywords, which are found in the searches performed by search engine users. The fact that advertisers can buy a keyword that contains a trademark they do not own has caused controversy worldwide. To explore the actual effects of trademark and keyword advertising policies, we exploit a natural experiment in Europe. Following a decision by the Court of Justice of the European Union, Google relaxed its AdWords policy in continental Europe in September 2010. After the policy change, Google allowed advertisers to select a third party’s trademark as a keyword to trigger the display of ads, with only a limited complaint procedure for trademark owners. We use click-stream data from European Internet users to explore the effect this policy change had on browsing behavior. Based on a dataset of 5.38 million website visits before and after the policy change, we find little average change. However, we present evidence that this lack of average effect stems from an aggregation of two opposing effects. While navigational searches are less likely to lead to the trademark owner’s website, non-navigational searches are more likely to lead to the trademark owner’s website after the policy change. The effect of changing keyword advertising policies varies with the purpose of the consumers using the trademark, and it is more pronounced for lesser-known trademarks. The article points to tradeoffs trademark policy is facing beyond consumer confusion. More generally, the article proposes a novel way how to analyze the effect of different allocations of property rights in intellectual property law. ∗Address correspondence to: Stefan Bechtold, Professor of Intellectual Property, Center for Law & Economics, ETH Zurich, IFW E 47.2, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland, sbechtold@ethz.ch. Catherine Tucker is Associate Professor at MIT Sloan School of Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, and Research Associate at NBER. The authors would like to thank two anonymous referees, Sofia Amaral Garcia, Oren Bar-Gill, Lionel Bently, Daniel Chen, Graeme Dinwoodie, Christoph Engel, Amit Gandhi, Eric Goldman, Andrea Günster, Daniel Ho, Annette Kur, Mark Lemley, Marc McKenna, Amanda Meyer, Abishek Nagaraj, Axel Ockenfels, Lisa Ouellette, Martin Schonger, Christopher Sprigman, Rebecca Tushnet, Achim Wambach, Joel Waldfogel, participants at the American Law and Economics Association meeting (2013), the Conference on Empirical Legal Studies (2013), the Annual Conference on Internet Search and Innovation at Northwestern University (2013), the ETH Zurich/MPI workshop on the Law & Economics of Intellectual Property and Competition Law (2013), as well as seminar audiences at Oxford, Zurich and the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office for helpful discussions. Damian George, Aurelia Tamò and Miriam Tinner provided helpful research assistance.
Epithelial Tissue Hyperplasia Induced by the RAF Inhibitor PF-04880594 Is Attenuated by a Clinically Well-Tolerated Dose of the MEK Inhibitor PD-0325901

Clinical trials of selective RAF inhibitors in patients with melanoma tumors harboring activated BRAFV600E have produced very promising results, and a RAF inhibitor has been approved for treatment of advanced melanoma. However, about a third of patients developed resectable skin tumors during the course of trials. This is likely related to observations that RAF inhibitors activate extracellular signal–regulated kinase (ERK) signaling, stimulate proliferation, and induce epithelial hyperplasia in preclinical models. Because these findings raise safety concerns about RAF inhibitor development, we further investigated the underlying mechanisms. We showed that the RAF inhibitor PF-04880594 induces ERK phosphorylation and RAF dimerization in those epithelial tissues that undergo hyperplasia. Hyperplasia and ERK hyperphosphorylation are prevented by treatment with the mitogen-activated protein/extracellular signal–regulated kinase (MEK) inhibitor PD-0325901 at exposures that extrapolate to clinically well-tolerated doses. To facilitate mechanistic and toxicologic studies, we developed a three-dimensional cell culture model of epithelial layering that recapitulated the RAF inhibitor–induced hyperplasia and reversal by MEK inhibitor in vitro. We also showed that PF-04880594 stimulates production of the inflammatory cytokine interleukin 8 in HL-60 cells, suggesting a possible mechanism for the skin flushing observed in dogs. The complete inhibition of hyperplasia by MEK inhibitor in epithelial tissues does not seem to reduce RAF inhibitor efficacy and, in fact, allows doubling of the PF-04880594 dose without toxicity usually associated with such doses. These findings indicated that combination treatment with MEK inhibitors might greatly increase the safety and therapeutic index of RAF inhibitors for the treatment of melanoma and other cancers. Mol Cancer Ther; 11(10); 2274–83. ©2012 AACR.
RGS3 mediates a calcium-dependent termination of G protein signaling in sensory neurons

G proteins modulate synaptic transmission. Regulators of G protein signaling (RGS) proteins accelerate the intrinsic GTPase activity of Gα subunits, and thus terminate G protein activation. Whether RGS proteins themselves are under cellular control is not well defined, particularly in native cells. In dorsal root ganglion neurons overexpressing RGS3, we find that G protein signaling is rapidly terminated (or “desensitized”) by calcium influx through voltage-gated channels. This rapid desensitization is most likely mediated by direct binding of calcium to RGS3, as deletion of an EF-hand domain in RGS3 abolishes both the desensitization (observed physiologically) and a calcium-RGS3 interaction (observed in a gel-shift assay). A naturally occurring variant of RGS3 that lacks the EF hand neither binds calcium nor produces rapid desensitization, giving rise instead to a slower calcium-dependent desensitization that is attenuated by a calmodulin antagonist. Thus, activity-evoked calcium entry in sensory neurons may provide differential control of G protein signaling, depending on the isoform of RGS3 expressed in the cells. In complex neural circuits subjected to abundant synaptic inhibition by G proteins (as occurs in dorsal spinal cord), rapid termination of inhibition by electrical activity by EF hand-containing RGS3 may ensure the faithful transmission of information from the most active sensory inputs.
HUBUNGAN PENGAWASAN DENGAN DISIPLIN KERJA PEGAWAI PADA DINAS PENDIDIKAN PEMUDA DAN OLAHRAGA KABUPATEN DHARMASRAYA

This research aimed to see work discipline, supervisory and work discipline between supervisory with work discipline in Dinas Pendidikan pemuda dan Olahraga Kabupaten Dharmasraya. The population are all of employees in Dinas Pendidikan pemuda dan Olahraga Kabupaten Dharmasraya amount to 59 people and the samples are 39 people that determined based on Proportional Stratified Random Sampling technique. Instrument used was a questionnaire were formulated based on likert scale and analyzed by Product Moment correlation. The results are significant relationship between supervisory with work discipline in Dinas Pendidikan pemuda dan Olahraga Kabupaten Dharmasraya. Key Word : work discipline, supervisory
The Hubble Space Telescope GOODS NICMOS Survey: Overview and the Evolution of Massive Galaxies at 1.5 < z < 3

We present the details and early results from a deep near-infrared survey utilizing the NICMOS instrument on the Hubble Space Telescope centred around massive M_* > 10^(11) M_⊙ galaxies at 1.7 10^(11) M_⊙, whereby we find an increase of a factor of 8 between z= 3 and 1.5, demonstrating that this is an epoch when massive galaxies establish most of their stellar mass. We also provide an overview of the evolutionary properties of these galaxies, such as their merger histories, and size evolution.
Physiological Responses Using 2 High‐Speed Resistance Training Protocols

This study compared physiological responses to 2 highspeed resistance training (RT) protocols in untrained adults. Both RT protocols included 12 repetitions for the same 6 exercises, only differing in continuous (1 X 12) or discontinuous (2 X 6) mode. For discontinuous mode, there was a 15-second rest interval between sets. We hypothesized that the 2x6 protocol was less physiologically demanding than the 1 X 12 protocol. Fifteen untrained adults randomly performed the protocols on 2 different days while heart rate (HR), blood lactate (BL), rate of perceived exertion (RPE), and concentric phase mean power (CPMP) were measured. Significantly lower values (mean ± SE) were seen with the discontinuous protocol for exercise HR (119 ± 5 vs. 124 ± 5 b·min−1), BL (5.7 ± 0.5 vs. 6.7 ± 0.3 mMol/L), and RPE (5.4 ± 0.3 vs. 5.8 ± 0.4) (p < 0.05). CPMP tended to be higher in the discontinuous protocol, especially for the 2 last repetitions. The discontinuous protocol was significantly less physiologically demanding, although similar or higher CPMP values were obtained. These findings may help foster long-term adherence to RT in untrained individuals. However, future studies are needed to compare physiological adaptations induced by these 2 RT protocols.
Relay Selection in Wireless Powered Cooperative Networks With Energy Storage

This paper deals with the problem of relay selection in wireless powered cooperative networks where spatially random relays are equipped with energy storage devices, e.g., batteries. In contrast to conventional techniques and in order to reduce complexity, the relay nodes can either harvest energy from the source signal (in case of uncharged battery) or attempt to decode and forward it (in case of charged battery). Several relay selection schemes that correspond to different state information requirements and implementation complexities are proposed. The charging/discharging behavior of the battery is modeled as a two-state Markov chain and analytical expressions for the steady-state distribution and the outage probability performance are derived for each relay selection scheme. We prove that energy storage significantly affects the performance of the system and results in a zeroth diversity gain at high signal-to-noise ratios; the convergence floors depend on the steady-state distribution of the battery and are derived in closed form by using appropriate approximations. The proposed relay selection schemes are generalized to a large-scale network with multiple access points (APs), where relays assist the closest AP and suffer from multiuser interference.
Beauty, Truth and Forgiveness: All in the Eye of the Beholder and the Times

If you Google Simon Wiesenthal, The Sunflower, you will get more hits than Gone With the Wind, and almost as many as the Bible. Wiesenthal, at the time a Nazi prisoner, was confronted with a dying German solider, who asked for forgiveness. Wiesenthal rejected the request, and in The Sunflower, after telling his story, asks the reader what he would have done. The published responses to his question have been diverse, discussed and debated in an extensive literature. A brief review of this literature in provided. The core of the paper involves an analysis of three unique and contemporary surveys, two provided by the author, and a third dealing with the published responses of students at Boston Latin School. An interesting element of these recent results suggests that, contrary to both the notion that “time heals all wounds,” and to the strong evidence that Wiesenthal’s own response softened considerably over the years, the extent of forgiveness has clearly hardened since the initial responses to Wiesenthal’s question.
Defect detection in flat surface products using log-Gabor filters

This paper introduces a novel method for defect detection in homogeneous flat surface products. The coefficient of variation is used as a homogeneity measure for approximate defect localization and features extracted from the Log - Gabor filter bank response are used to accurately localize and detect the defect while reducing the complexity of Gabor based inspection approaches. The scanning window size and threshold parameter are the two major factors that affect the system performance. An adaptive technique is proposed for selecting the size of the scanning window and automating the selection of the threshold level. Compared to the Log-Gabor filters, the proposed combination resulted in speeding up the defect detection process by about ten times. The experimental results show that the proposed system gives promising results and is applicable for defect detection in homogeneous surfaces like paper, steel plates, ceramic tiles and foils.
Climate change and costs: investigating students’ reasoning on nature and economic development

The tensions between environmental protection and economic growth are critical to future well-being, and it is therefore important to understand how young people conceptualize these tensions. The aim of the present study is to explore students’ solutions to the dilemma of economic development and mitigating climate change, with regard to societal responses to the challenge of climate change. The study was conducted in China’s Green Schools. Green School is an international long-term programme with the aim of increasing students’ knowledge of environmental issues, and transferring this knowledge into positive actions to affect the wider community. The data were obtained through semi-structured pre- and post-interviews with 15–16-year-old students in three groups (12 students) from Green Schools in the Beijing area. The results show that students’ discussions focused exclusively on economic growth and social welfare. Students seem to believe that environmental problems are inevitable, nature is a ‘box’ of resources, and economic development is necessary in order to sustain and even improve nature. Therefore, there is no dilemma between economic development and environmental protection. The paper ends with a discussion on research and implications for teaching climate change.