Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Energetics and Mechanism of Drug Transport Mediated by the Lactococcal Multidrug Transporter LmrP*

The gene encoding the secondary multidrug transporter LmrP of Lactococcus lactis was heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli. The energetics and mechanism of drug extrusion mediated by LmrP were studied in membrane vesicles of E. coli. LmrP-mediated extrusion of tetraphenyl phosphonium (TPP+) from right-side-out membrane vesicles and uptake of the fluorescent membrane probe 1-[4-(trimethylamino)phenyl]-6-phenylhexa-1,3,5-triene (TMA-DPH) into inside-out membrane vesicles are driven by the membrane potential (Δψ) and the transmembrane proton gradient (ΔpH), pointing to an electrogenic drug/proton antiport mechanism. Ethidium bromide, a substrate for LmrP, inhibited the LmrP-mediated TPP+ extrusion from right-side-out membrane vesicles, showing that LmrP is capable of transporting structurally unrelated drugs. Kinetic analysis of LmrP-mediated TMA-DPH transport revealed a direct relation between the transport rate and the amount of TMA-DPH associated with the cytoplasmic leaflet of the lipid bilayer. This observation indicates that drugs are extruded from the inner leaflet of the cytoplasmic membrane into the external medium. This is the first report that shows that drug extrusion by a secondary multidrug resistance (MDR) transporter occurs by a “hydrophobic vacuum cleaner” mechanism in a similar way as was proposed for the primary lactococcal MDR transporter, LmrA.
Individual determinants of punitive attitudes towards sexual and domestic abuse offenders

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to address individual factors predicting punitive attitudes towards sexual and domestic offences and offenders have received little attention. Design/methodology/approach In Study 1,137 participants completed a 25-item online questionnaire exploring individual factors hypothesised to predict punitive attitudes towards four sexual crimes: rape, paedophilia, incest and bestiality. In Study 2,100 participants completed a similar questionnaire exploring individual factors hypothesised to predict punitive attitudes towards male and female emotional, physical and sexual abusers. Findings The standard multiple regression models of Study 1 found that age (i.e. being older), belief in a just world and gender (i.e. being female) were predictors of harsher punitive attitudes. The models of Study 2 found that the low score on the social dominance scale was the most common predictor. Research limitations/implications This survey-based project presents a nuanced picture that could be complemented by the inclusion of a wider range of more complex factors and follow-on qualitative studies. Practical implications The key message from this study is to inform the public on the role of personality factors in developing punitive attitudes. Social implications It is vital to increase the legislators’ and the people’ awareness of the factors shaping the public impressions of criminal justice processes and evidence-based treatment effectiveness. Originality/value This relatively modest paper offers insight of personality factors into people’s punitive attitudes shaping actual legislation.
Interference Effects of Deep Space Network Transmitters on IMT-2000/UMTS Receivers at S-Band

International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT)-2000 and its European member, Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), are planning to deploy mobile radio services in the S-band (around 2 GHz) in the next few years. NASA’s Deep Space Network (DSN) has been operating powerful S-band transmitters at three worldwide sites. The DSN’s uplink frequency (2110{2120 MHz) is part of the spectrum to be used by the UMTS terrestrial system for the forward links (2110{ 2170 MHz). It is necessary to determine if the DSN transmitters would interfere with nearby IMT-2000/UMTS receivers through transhorizontal propagation. Under normal conditions, interference causes three types of losses that will reduce the power level as received by a victim receiver: free-space loss, difiraction loss over the spherical Earth, and difiraction loss over mountain peaks. In this article, simplifled topographic mountain-peak proflles along the radial direction are used to calculate the losses for all three DSN sites. In addition, there are unusual propagation modes under which the interference can have favorable propagation channels to reach areas beyond the line of sight. They are, respectively, the ducting mode (one-dimensional loss) and rain scattering (rain as a re∞ector). These two modes are strongly timepercent dependent. The propagation loss for these special modes also is calculated. All losses are combined to estimate the minimum \coordination distance" beyond which the interference will be attenuated below the threshold level of the IMT2000/UMTS receiver. We flnd that for 85 percent of the time this distance is about 70 km from the DSN site. The radial distance can be reduced to as small as 30 km in the direction of a large mountain shadow. For 15 percent of the time, ducting and rain scattering can greatly increase the distance to several hundreds of kilometers.
Epidemiologic research with administrative databases: red herrings, false alarms and pseudo-epidemics.

In 1994, Altman (1994) startled themedical world by declaring that poor research is as unethical as fraudulent research. His reasoning was simple: both kinds of research mislead which, in turn, harms patients. A decade later, others (von Elm and Egger, 2004) found that the problem had persisted. With the growing indiscriminate use of administrative databases for epidemiologic research (Grimes, 2010) the problem has only gottenworse since then. The record-linkage studyof assisted reproductive technologies (ART) and cancer in this issue (Reigstad et al., 2015a) illustrates the problem.
Use of potential vorticity for incremental data assimilation

Decomposing the mass and wind fields in a data assimilation scheme into balanced and unbalanced flow is part of the process of defining a covariance model. It is not uncommon to assume that the dynamic balanced part of the flow is approximated solely by the rotational part of the wind, which is obtained from a Helmholtz decomposition of the horizontal momentum (with an associated balanced pressure being diagnostically inferred from a balance equation, for example). The unbalanced flow is then represented by the divergence and the residual unbalanced pressure. The assumption that the rotational part of the momentum is a good approximation to the total balanced flow is only valid in certain regimes. We propose a new approach that incorporates flow regime dependence, where we assume that the balanced part of the flow is approximated instead by a linearized potential vorticity increment. We show the benefit of such a formulation in the context of shallow‐water equations defined on a hemisphere. Copyright © 2006 Royal Meteorological Society
Determinants of Enterprise Performance during Transition

This paper takes the form of a comparative study of the body of research upon enterprise performance and restructuring in established market economies and transition economies (TEs). We firstly examine issues related to empirical studies of enterprise performance and restructuring, including the influence of historical cost accounting, reverse causality, sample selection bias and transition specific factors. Subsequent analysis is sub-divided into three broad themes with separate sections examining the extent to which relations between performance and competition, ownership and finance respectively differ between established market economies and TEs. We find that evidence of the influence of competition is weak even in established market economies, and hence it is not surprising that this is equally true of TEs. By contrast, the influence of ownership has been well documented in the western literature, although TE evidence remains sparse at this stage. Finally, we note the strong influence of finance upon enterprise performance and restructuring. We therefore suggest that improved financial provision is of fundamental importance to encourage the microeconomic reform required to enable sustainable long-term macroeconomic development in TEs.
Xenotropic Murine Leukemia Virus–related Gammaretrovirus in Respiratory Tract

Xenotropic murine leukemia virus–related gammaretrovirus (XMRV) has been recently associated with prostate cancer and chronic fatigue syndrome. To identify nucleic acid sequences, we examined respiratory secretions by using PCR. XMRV-specific sequences were detected in 2%–3% of samples from 168 immunocompetent carriers and ≈10% of samples from 161 immunocompromised patients.
Integrated Predictive Control of Freeway Networks Using the Extended Link Transmission Model

In this paper, the recently developed link transmission model (LTM) is utilized in an online hybrid model-based predictive control (MPC) framework. The model is extended to include the effects of ramp metering and variable speed limits. Next, an integrated freeway traffic control based on the new model is presented in order to minimize the total time spent in the network. The integrated scheme has the capability of controlling large-scale freeway networks in real time as the model is computationally efficient, and it is yet accurate enough for our control purposes. In addition, the extended model is reformulated as a system of linear inequalities with mixed binary and real variables. The reformulated model along with the linearized total travel time objective function establish a mixed-integer linear optimization problem that is more tractable and even faster than the original optimization problem integrated in the MPC scheme. Finally, to investigate the performance of the proposed approaches (nonlinear MPC and the mixed-integer linear counterpart), a freeway network layout based on the Leuven Corridor in Belgium is selected. The extended LTM is calibrated for this network using microsimulation data and then is used for prediction and control of the large network. Microsimulation results show that the proposed methods are able to efficiently improve the total travel time.
Estimation of Critical Gap Based on Raff's Definition

Critical gap is an important parameter used to calculate the capacity and delay of minor road in gap acceptance theory of unsignalized intersections. At an unsignalized intersection with two one-way traffic flows, it is assumed that two events are independent between vehicles' arrival of major stream and vehicles' arrival of minor stream. The headways of major stream follow M3 distribution. Based on Raff's definition of critical gap, two calculation models are derived, which are named M3 definition model and revised Raff's model. Both models use total rejected coefficient. Different calculation models are compared by simulation and new models are found to be valid. The conclusion reveals that M3 definition model is simple and valid. Revised Raff's model strictly obeys the definition of Raff's critical gap and its application field is more extensive than Raff's model. It can get a more accurate result than the former Raff's model. The M3 definition model and revised Raff's model can derive accordant result.
Multi-objective optimisation of cancer chemotherapy using smart PSO with decomposition

The paper presents a novel approach to optimising cancer chemotherapy with respect to conflicting treatment objectives aimed at reducing the number of cancerous cells and at limiting the amounts of anti-cancer drugs used. The approach is based on the Particle Swarm Optimisaion (PSO) algorithm that decomposes a multi-objective optimisation problem into several scalar aggregation problems, thereby reducing its complexity and enabling an effective application of Computational Intelligence techniques. The novelty of the algorithm is in providing particles in the swarm with information from a set of defined neighbours and leaders that assists in finding versatile chemotherapeutic treatments.
Combating the Natural Resource Curse with Citizen Revenue Distribution Funds : Oil and the Case of Iraq

In a New York Times op-ed earlier this year (April 9, 2003), Steve Clemons of the New America Foundation has proposed that Iraq establish an Alaska-style oil fund that would pay annual dividends to the citizens of Iraq.ii In Alaska, revenues from oil leases have been invested in a permanent fund, which has grown to $23.5 billion in 2002; part of the fund’s income is now distributed directly to Alaskans as a dividend. Clemons has proposed that a similar fund be set up in Iraq. The proposal is that Iraq should save a fixed portion of its oil revenues, which would be invested in a portfolio of international equities and bonds. This portfolio would effectively become the national trust fund, and the fund’s income would be distributed to Iraqi citizens on an annual basis. Over time, the fund would grow as a result of continuing saving of part of oil revenues, and so too would the dividend distribution.
An Unbiased Clustering Algorithm based on Self-organisation Processes in Spiking Networks

We show that the combination of shortrange excitatory interaction and Hebbian-like learning in integrate-and-fire networks constitutes a robust self-organising clustering process. This process is utilised for designing an unbiased data clustering algorithm for which neither the number of clusters nor their shapes need to be known. The usefulness and the success of this novel algorithm is discussed on the basis of toy-systems and real-world applications.
Some Pharmacodynamic Aspects of Cefepime

Some pharmacodynamic effects of cefepime, a new injectable semisynthetic cephalosporin, were studied in laboratory animals and the following results were obtained. Cefepime maximally stimulated isolated guinea pig's ileum, rat's colon (80 μg/mL bath), and rabbit's duodenum (400 μg/mL bath). Contrarily, complete relaxation of isolated rat's fundic strip was produced by 80 μg/mL bath. Effects of cefepime on isolated rat's uterine muscle were different according to stage of sex cycle. Cefepime did not induce any effects on the resting tonus of isolated guinea pig's tracheal chain and rabbit's aortic strip. Concentrations of 200 and 400 μg/mL bath induced marked inhibition in the force of muscular twitches of the isolated frog's gastrocnemius muscle which was less potent than that induced by procaine hydrochloride 2%. Cefepime completely blocked the neuromuscular transmission of frog's rectus abdominis muscle (40 μg/mL bath) and rat's phrenic nerve hemidiaphragm preparation (200 μg/mL bath). This blockade was reversed by acetylcholine and neostigmine. Cefepime produced dose-dependent negative inotropic effect on isolated rabbit's heart and guinea pig's auricles. There were no changes in blood pressure and rate of respiration in anaesthetized dog after cefepime injection. These findings indicate that cefepime has a low potential to produce adverse reactions at therapeutic doses.
Children of Incarcerated Parents Title: Critical Review of Literature: Children of Incarcerated Parents Graduate Degreelmajor: M.s. School Counseling

Incarceration impacts many more people than those behind bars. As the number of incarcerated individuals continues to rise, the effects of incarceration have become more 2 pronounced in society. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 1.5 million minors deal with parental incarceration every year (Harrison & Beck, 2006). Parental incarceration has been linked with various short-term and long-term risk factors for children, including an increased risk of incarceration (Johnston, 1995). In addition, children with incarcerated parents are more likely to suffer from mental health issues, have behavioral problems, drop out of high school or experience issues related to school performance (Farraington, 2002). Research indicates that the overall effects of parental incarceration differ based on whether a child's mother or father is incarcerated (Berry and Eigenberg, 2003). The length of sentencing and placement of children during an incarceration differ for incarcerated fathers versus mothers (Mumola, 2000). Extensive separations from children have been shown to have an impact on incarcerated parents as well (Schafer & Dellinger, 1999). 3 The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of parental incarceration on mothers, fathers and children in depth. This study also examined the availability and efficacy of programming and services available to incarcerated parents and their families which may mitigate many of the negative effects associated with parental incarceration. Recommendations were made regarding programming needs and ways schools could assist children and families affected by parental incarceration.
The Impact of Collective and Competitive Veto Points on Redistribution in the Global Age

This study examines the determinants of redistribution in advanced market economies by simultaneously assessing the impact of domestic political institutions and globalization. A distinction is made between “collective” veto points and “competitive” veto points, demonstrating that not all veto points have restrictive effects. It is shown that redistribution is significantly and positively affected by collective veto points, while the opposite is true for competitive veto points, indicating that not all veto points are created equal. In addition to veto points, the effects of “globalization” are also assessed revealing that globalization is exerting little reform pressures on the welfare with strong evidence indicating that more globalization buoys welfare expenditures. While current disbursements and social transfers are positively influenced by globalization, civilian general government consumption is negatively affected and its impact is strongly mediated by competitive veto points indicating that domestic political institutions continue to fundamentally shape policy trajectories.
Fat-Feeding Practices for Lactating Dairy Cows

Supplementing cows with fat can have several beneficial effects. It usually increases the energy density of the diet as starch or fiber is replaced with fatty acids. If milk production is increased, then feed efficiency may be improved. Less heat may be produced in the rumen during digestion of fat-supplemented diets as fatty acids are not digested in the rumen. Less heat produced during digestion would help cows during heat stress conditions. Palatability of the diet might be improved and feed particle separation may be reduced. As a result, fat inclusion can be a good choice for diet formulators.
[11C]MADAM Used as a Model for Understanding the Radiometabolism of Diphenyl Sulfide Radioligands for Positron Emission Tomography (PET)

In quantitative PET measurements, the analysis of radiometabolites in plasma is essential for determining the exact arterial input function. Diphenyl sulfide compounds are promising PET and SPECT radioligands for in vivo quantification of the serotonin transporter (SERT) and it is therefore important to investigate their radiometabolism. We have chosen to explore the radiometabolic profile of [11C]MADAM, one of these radioligands widely used for in vivo PET-SERT studies. The metabolism of [11C]MADAM/MADAM was investigated using rat and human liver microsomes (RLM and HLM) in combination with radio-HPLC or UHPLC/Q-ToF-MS for their identification. The effect of carrier on the radiometabolic rate of the radioligand [11C]MADAM in vitro and in vivo was examined by radio-HPLC. RLM and HLM incubations were carried out at two different carrier concentrations of 1 and 10 μM. Urine samples after perfusion of [11C]MADAM/MADAM in rats were also analysed by radio-HPLC. Analysis by UHPLC/Q-ToF-MS identified the metabolites produced in vitro to be results of N-demethylation, S-oxidation and benzylic hydroxylation. The presence of carrier greatly affected the radiometabolism rate of [11C]MADAM in both RLM/HLM experiments and in vivo rat studies. The good concordance between the results predicted by RLM and HLM experiments and the in vivo data obtained in rat studies indicate that the kinetics of the radiometabolism of the radioligand [11C]MADAM is dose-dependent. This issue needs to be addressed when the diarylsulfide class of compounds are used in PET quantifications of SERT.
Vulnerable Practices: Organizing through Bricolage in Railroad Maintenance

This chapter contains sections titled: Vulnerabilities, Bricolage, and Heterogeneous Engineering, Research Design, Data, Rapport, and Triangulation, Increasing Production through Fine Tuning, Barter, and Substitution, Substituting Full Visibility with Artifacts, Increasing Safety though Bricolage: Adding Protection, Conclusions: Vulnerable Practices, Symmetry, and Practical Implications
Moving beyond a simple model of luminescence rings in quantum well structures

The dramatic appearance of luminescence rings with radius of several hundred microns in quantum well structures can be understood through a fairly simple nonlinear model of the diffusion and recombination of electrons and holes in a driven nonequilibrium system. The ring corresponds to the boundary between a positive hole gas and a negative electron gas in steady state. While this basic effect is now well understood, we discuss several other experimental results which cannot be explained by this simple model.
Towards Perceptual Quality Modeling of Synthesized Audiobooks – Blizzard Challenge 2012

This paper reports on recent advances in the ﬁeld of instrumental quality evaluation of text-to-speech (TTS) synthesis. In particular, a wide range of acoustic quality markers are analyzed concerning their quality-describing power using the audiobook data from the Blizzard Challenge 2012. Several approaches for perceptual modeling are investigated and compared with each other. The results reveal substantial correlations as high as 0.87 between subjective ratings of overall impression and their estimates
Cumulative Duration of “Triple Low” State of Low Blood Pressure, Low Bispectral Index, and Low Minimum Alveolar Concentration of Volatile Anesthesia Is Not Associated with Increased Mortality

Background:Mortality after noncardiac surgery has been associated with the “triple low state,” a combination of low mean arterial blood pressure (<75 mmHg), low bispectral index (<45), and low minimum alveolar concentration of volatile anesthesia (<0.70). The authors set out to determine whether duration of a triple low state and aggregate risk associated with individual diagnostic and procedure codes are independently associated with perioperative and intermediate-term mortality. Methods:The authors studied 16,263 patients (53 ± 16 yr) who underwent noncardiac surgery at Duke University Medical Center between January 2006 and December 2009. Multivariable logistic and Cox regression analyses were used to determine whether perioperative factors were independently associated with perioperative and intermediate-term all-cause mortality. Results:The 30-day mortality rate was 0.8%. There were statistically significant associations between 30-day mortality and various perioperative risk factors including age, American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status, emergency surgery, higher Cleveland Clinic Risk Index score, and year of surgery. Cumulative duration of triple low state was not associated with 30-day mortality (multivariable odds ratio, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.92 to 1.07). The clinical risk factors for 30-day mortality remained predictors of intermediate-term mortality, whereas cumulative duration of triple low was not associated with intermediate-term mortality (multivariable hazard ratio, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.97 to 1.01). The multivariable logistic regression (c-index = 0.932) and Cox regression (c-index = 0.860) models showed excellent discriminative abilities. Conclusion:The authors found no association between cumulative duration of triple low state and perioperative or intermediate-term mortality in noncardiac surgery patients.