Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mutations in multicopy Tn10 tet plasmids that confer resistance to inhibitory effects of inducers of tet gene expression

Escherichia coli K-12 strains that carry the Tn10 tetracycline resistance determinant (tet) on multicopy plasmids are hypersensitive to 5a,6-anhydrotetracycline and heated chlortetracycline, two tetracycline derivatives that are relatively more effective as inducers of tet gene expression than as inhibitors of bacterial growth. Twenty spontaneous mutations that confer resistance to anhydrotetracycline (Atr) and resistance to heated chlortetracycline (Ctr) were isolated and characterized. All of these Atr mutations are located in the Tn10 tet region; the majority (18 of 20) have no effect on tetR repressor function. Atr mutations can increase, reduce, or eliminate the phenotypic expression of plasmid tetracycline resistance (Tcr). IS insertions that result in an Atr Tcs phenotype are clustered in a 150-base-pair promoter-proximal region of the tetA resistance gene. Some Atr mutations reduce expression of the tetA gene by altering either the tetR repressor or the tetA promoter. In addition, it appears that E. coli cannot tolerate constitutive expression of the wild-type tetA gene from a multicopy plasmid containing a tetR deletion. These observations support the proposal that high level expression of the 36-kilodalton tetA gene product inhibits the growth of E. coli. We speculate that this inhibition is related to the interaction of the tetA gene product with the cytoplasmic membrane.
Agreement between patient-reported symptoms and their documentation in the medical record.

OBJECTIVES To determine the agreement between patient-reported symptoms of chest pain, dyspnea, and cough and the documentation of these symptoms by physicians in the electronic medical record. METHODS Symptoms reported on patient-provided information forms between January 1, 2006, and June 30, 2006, were compared with those identified by natural language processing of the text of clinical notes from care providers. Terms that represent the 3 symptoms were used to search clinical notes electronically with subsequent manual identification of the context (eg, affirmative, negated, family history) in which they occurred. Results were reported using positive and negative agreement, and kappa statistics. RESULTS Symptoms reported by 1119 patients age 18 years or older were compared with the nonnegated terms identified in their clinical notes. Positive agreement was 74, 70, and 63 for chest pain, dyspnea, and cough, while negative agreement was 78, 76, and 75, respectively. Kappa statistics were 0.52 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.44, 0.60) for chest pain, 0.46 (95% CI = 0.37, 0.54) for dyspnea, and 0.38 (95% CI = 0.28, 0.48) for cough. Positive agreement was higher for older men (P >.05), and negative agreement was higher for younger women (P >.05). CONCLUSIONS We found discordance between patient self-report and documentation of symptoms in the medical record. This discordance has important implications for research studies that rely on symptom information for patient identification and may have clinical implications that must be evaluated for potential impact on quality of care, patient safety, and outcomes.
Histopathological sequential changes in sodium taurocholate-induced acute pancreatitis.

CONTEXT Experimental models of acute pancreatitis have been developed in order to understand its pathophysiology and extrapancreatic manifestations. OBJECTIVE The objective of our study was to study sequential changes in the pancreas and distant organs in sodium taurocholate-induced acute pancreatitis in a rat model. ANIMALS Sixteen male Wistar rats weighing 250-300 g. DESIGN The rats were distributed into two groups: induced acute pancreatitis (study group: 8 rats) and a control group (8 rats). Within each group, the animals were divided into subgroups: those who were sacrificed early (24 h and 72 h; two each) and those who were sacrificed late (120 h and 240 h; two each). INTERVENTION Acute pancreatitis was induced in the rats by multiple intraparenchymal injections of 10% sodium taurocholate solution. In the controls, the same amount of normal saline was injected into the pancreatic parenchyma. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Pathological examination of the pancreas, lungs, kidneys, intestine and liver was done. RESULTS In this model of taurocholate-induced acute pancreatitis, the early changes observed in the pancreas were focal hemorrhages, parenchymal necrosis and neutrophil infiltration. At 72 hours, the changes observed were acinar necrosis, edema, fibrin deposition and inflammatory cell infiltration. Late changes were fibrinoid necrosis and fibroblast proliferation. In the acute phase, the histological changes in the lungs were congestion, focal pulmonary edema and intra-alveolar hemorrhages while, in the late stage, there was persistence of vascular congestion. The changes observed in the kidneys were vacuolization of tubular epithelium in the subcapsular region and areas of hemorrhage in the interstitium. Intestinal changes included degenerative changes in the villous epithelium in the acute phase with normalization of the histology in the late phase. CONCLUSION Our findings correlate with the clinical observation of multisystem organ failure in acute pancreatitis. Early changes in these organs suggest that careful observation is mandatory in patients with acute pancreatitis in order to institute supportive treatment.
Tranilast inhibits cell proliferation and migration and promotes apoptosis in murine breast cancer

The malignant transformation of breast epithelium involves a number of cellular pathways, including those dependent on signaling from TGF &bgr;. Tranilast [N-(3, 4-dimethoxycinnamonyl)-anthranilic acid] is a drug that is used in Japan to control allergic disorders in patients, and its mechanism of action involves TGF &bgr;. In view of the multiple roles of TGF &bgr; in tumor progression, we hypothesized in this study that tranilast impacts cell proliferation, apoptosis, and migration. Using the mouse breast cancer cell line 4T1, our studies showed that tranilast increases AKT1 phosphorylation and decreases ERK1/2 phosphorylation. Alterations in the cell cycle mediators' cyclin D1, p27, cyclin A, pRB, cyclin B, and Cdc2 were observed after exposure to tranilast, favoring cell arrest beyond the G1/S phase. Tranilast reduced tumor cell proliferation even when it was amplified by exogenous TGF &bgr;. TGF &bgr;-neutralizing antibody did not cause a significant decrease in cell proliferation. Tranilast treatment upregulates p53, induces PARP cleavage in vitro, consistent with a promotion of tumor cell apoptosis. TGF &bgr;-neutralizing antibody downregulates endoglin and matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-9 levels in vitro indicating that the tranilast effect is mediated through TGF &bgr; modulation. Tranilast treatment results in the inhibition of cell migration and invasion. Western blot analysis of tumor lysates from tranilast-treated mice shows decreased levels of TGF &bgr;1, endoglin, and significantly higher levels of p53 and cleaved PARP. Cleaved caspase 3 expression is significantly elevated in tranilast-treated mouse breast tumors. To conclude, tranilast induces cellular and molecular changes in murine breast cancer that can be exploited in preclinical therapeutic trials.
Essays on the Incentives for Innovation and Voluntary Knowledge Transfer

Author(s): Kuo, Dennis William | Advisor(s): Hopenhayn, Hugo A | Abstract: In the following essays I study the determinants of firms' incentives to innovate and voluntarily transfer knowledge to other firms. Technology licensing and inventor job transitions are two examples of knowledge diffusion that takes place voluntarily between firms in a market. In this context, the incidence of transfer will depend on product market competition. I ask how changes in intellectual property policies affect voluntary knowledge transfer and innovation across different degrees of product substitutability. I also investigate the empirical relationship between the incidence of knowledge transfer and substitutability.In the first chapter, I use a two-stage duopoly game of innovation and knowledge transfer to show that innovator bargaining power determines the relationship of innovation to the substitutability of the competitors' products. In particular, innovation increases in substitutability when the innovator's bargaining power is low. In such a situation, the model predicts that the incidence of knowledge transfer will first rise and then fall as a function of substitutability. I show that these results hold in an environment of nested CES demand and price competition.In the second chapter, I find that the predicted non-monotonic pattern of knowledge transfer holds empirically between pairs of firms. A rising-then-falling relationship exists in the incidence of both technology licensing deals and inventor job transitions as a function of firms' bilateral product market overlap. I find this relationship between knowledge transfer and market overlap after controlling for bilateral technological overlap. This finding isolates the strategic competitive determinants of knowledge transfer and shows that they are economically significant. The results also constitute indirect evidence for the existence of compensation mechanisms that internalize the knowledge spillovers from RaD worker job mobility.In the third chapter, I find that an infinite-horizon dynamic duopoly game confirms the non-monotonic empirical pattern at low innovator bargaining power. I use the dynamic model to show that greater bargaining power positively impacts the output growth rate through increased innovation. However, raising the bargaining power also generates a countervailing shift away from neck and neck innovation; this shift has a negative impact on growth and the net result is ambiguous.
Efficient approximation of routing holes in wireless sensor networks

Routing holes in wireless sensor networks (WSN) do occur due to several reasons, including cases caused by natural obstacles or disaster suffered areas. Computing the exact boundary of a hole is possible [5], but can be impractical with large holes. In this paper, we consider the problem of how to approximate a hole by a simplistic shape, covering polygon such that if demanded either the approximation error or the memory space needed for reporting this polygon shape can be made as small as desired. We present an efficient algorithmic scheme that can produce cost-effective and flexible solutions that can be customized to fit to specific situations. Based on the basic BoundHole algorithm for computing the exact hole boundary [5], we propose a two-folded approximation technique: (1) covering the hole with a minimal polygon with edges aligned to a given square grid; (2) dynamically trimming-off this polygon edges while minimizing loss in approximation preciseness. Such carefully constructed polygon covers can be useful for applications in routing in WSN with holes where limitation of resource at sensors causes challenging complicated problems, and possibly in other practical situations where one need to approximately identify a boundary of say, a large disaster suffered area. We also provide experimental results which prove the efficiency of our algorithm.
Spelling in Written Stories by School-Age Children with Cochlear Implants

Abstract This study evaluated the spelling of 3rd to 6th grade children with cochlear implants in written stories. Spelling was analysed using traditional correct/incorrect scoring as well as the Spelling Sensitivity Score, which provides linguistic information about spelling attempts. Children with cochlear implants spelled 86 per cent of words in stories correctly. SSS scores indicated that children on average represented all elements in words with logical letters but not always the conventional spelling. Spelling performance in stories was positively correlated with spelling in single-word contexts. Clinical and research implications are discussed.
Social-Cognition for Learning as a Deaf Student

Success at capturing academic information in the classroom and assimilating this into existing knowledge relies on an intertwined set of cognitive and social skills. These are both basic: audition, vision, attention, and more complex: language development, social-cognition (Theory of Mind) and conversational pragmatics (how we use language in interaction). All of these skills are typically well developed in hearing children‟s psychology when they arrive for the first time in the classroom. One of the ways young children first develop social-cognitive abilities is through rich interaction involving language and communication with their caregivers. While some socialcognitive abilities may appear very early in development,, for example, joint attention and nonverbal interactions, communication and language allow these abilities to flourish and fully mature. This higher level of complexity is important for children to reach, as through language children can appreciate more complex social-cognitive concepts uttered by others around them and also express their own developing ideas. Most deaf children do not have language impairment but find natural language acquisition effortful, and this includes pragmatics which enable an understanding of the conversational needs of your interaction partner, that is, „what do they know, what do they not know and how specific or general do I need to be when I speak to them‟? Perhaps not coincidentally, young deaf children with hearing parents find tests of social-cognition difficult. This chapter reviews the research on how deafness influences early interaction and language development, what deafness means for picking up ambient knowledge about others‟ mental states and what social-cognitive delays might mean for academic learning. The take home message is for professionals to devote time in the school to social-cognitive as well as speech and language interventions and with this aim the chapter concludes with several ideas for future interventions in this important area.
Comparative evaluation of the antibacterial and physical properties of conventional glass ionomer cement containing chlorhexidine and antibiotics

Objective: To evaluate the antimicrobial efficacy and compressive strength of conventional glass ionomer cement (GIC) containing chlorhexidine and antibiotics at varying concentrations. Materials and Methods: Chlorhexidine diacetate and antibiotics (ciprofloxacin, metronidazole, and minocycline) were incorporated into GIC Fuji IX at 1.5% and 3% w/w ratio to form the experimental groups. The experimental GIC specimens were placed on brain heart infusion agar plates inoculated with Streptococcus mutans, and the area of inhibition was measured after 48 h. The 24-h compressive strength of the set specimens was evaluated using a Universal Testing Machine. Results: The control group demonstrated no zone of inhibition. All experimental groups showed inhibition against S. mutans (P < 0.05), with larger zones of inhibition found in the higher concentration groups. Compressive strength at the end of 24 h decreased in the experimental groups as compared to the control group (P < 0.05), but no difference was found between the experimental groups (P > 0.05). Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that experimental GICs containing chlorhexidine diacetate and antibiotics were effective in inhibiting S. mutans, and incorporation of 1.5% ABX was optimal to give the appropriate antibacterial and physical properties.
Ownership, Board Characteristics And Non-Hostile Take-Overs In The UK: An Empirical And Predictive Analysis

This paper analyses the corporate governance mechanisms of a sample of companies that have been acquired by friendly take-over and those of a matching control sample that have not. It also uses a holdout sample to assess the model's ability to correctly classify take-over candidates. The results show that the targets were poor performers and that there are significant governance differences between the friendly take-over targets and the control sample. The inclusion of governance characteristics enables the model to differentiate between target and non-target companies when predicting acquisition probability.
Food-Induced Behavioral Sensitization, Its Cross-Sensitization to Cocaine and Morphine, Pharmacological Blockade, and Effect on Food Intake

Repeated administration of abused drugs sensitizes their stimulant effects and results in a drug-paired environment eliciting conditioned activity. We tested whether food induces similar effects. Food-deprived male mice were given novel food during 30 min tests in a runway (FR group) that measured locomotor activity. Whereas the activity of this group increased with repeated testing, that of a group exposed to the runways but that received the food in the home cage (FH group), or of a group satiated by prefeeding before testing (SAT group), decreased. When exposed to the runways in the absence of food, the paired group was more active than the other groups (conditioned activity); no activity differences were seen in an alternative, non-food-paired, apparatus. Conditioned activity survived a 3-week period without runway exposure. Conditioned activity was selectively reduced by the opiate antagonist naltrexone (10–20 mg/kg) and by the noncompetitive AMPA receptor antagonist GYKI 52466 [1-(4-aminophenyl)-4-methyl-7,8-methylenedioxy-5H-2,3-benzodiazepine hydrochloride] (5–10 mg/kg). The D1 antagonist SCH23390 [R(+)-7-chloro-8-hydroxy-3-methyl-1-phenyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-3-benzazepine hydrochloride] (15–30 μg/kg) and D2 antagonist sulpiride (25–125 mg/kg) reduced activity nonspecifically. A single intraperitoneal dose of cocaine (10 mg/kg) or morphine (20 mg/kg) increased activity compared with saline, the stimulant effect being larger in the FR group, suggesting “cross-sensitization” to these drugs. However, pretreatment with GYKI 52466 or naltrexone at doses that suppressed conditioned activity in FR animals suppressed cross-sensitization to cocaine. When allowed ad libitum access to food in the runway, FR mice consumed more pellets in a time-limited test. Thus, many of the features of behavioral sensitization to drugs can be demonstrated using food reward and may contribute to excessive eating.
Intradermal Electroporation of Naked Replicon RNA Elicits Strong Immune Responses

RNA-based vaccines represent an interesting immunization modality, but suffer from poor stability and a lack of efficient and clinically feasible delivery technologies. This study evaluates the immunogenic potential of naked in vitro transcribed Semliki Forest virus replicon RNA (RREP) delivered intradermally in combination with electroporation. Replicon-immunized mice showed a strong cellular and humoral response, contrary to mice immunized with regular mRNA. RREP-elicited induction of interferon-γ secreting CD8+ T cells and antibody responses were significantly increased by electroporation. CD8+ T cell responses remained substantial five weeks post vaccination, and antigen-specific CD8+ T cells with phenotypic characteristics of both effector and central memory cells were identified. The immune response during the contraction phase was further increased by a booster immunization, and the proportion of effector memory cells increased significantly. These results demonstrate that naked RREP delivered via intradermal electroporation constitute an immunogenic, safe and attractive alternative immunization strategy to DNA-based vaccines.
Impact of Diabetes Mellitus on the Pharmacodynamic Effects of Ticagrelor Versus Clopidogrel in Troponin‐Negative Acute Coronary Syndrome Patients Undergoing Ad Hoc Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Background Diabetes mellitus (DM) is associated with enhanced platelet reactivity and impaired response to oral antiplatelet therapy, including clopidogrel. This post hoc analysis investigated the pharmacodynamic effects of ticagrelor versus clopidogrel loading dose (LD) in troponin‐negative acute coronary syndrome patients with or without DM undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention in the Ad Hoc PCI study. Methods and Results Patients randomized (1:1) to receive ticagrelor 180 mg LD or clopidogrel 600 mg LD were assessed by diabetic status. Platelet reactivity (P2Y12 reaction units [PRU] on VerifyNow® assay) was measured pre‐LD, at 0.5, 2, and 8 hours post‐LD, and at the end of the percutaneous coronary intervention. The primary endpoint was PRU levels 2 hours post‐LD; secondary endpoints included rates of high on‐treatment platelet reactivity (PRU≥208). Of 100 randomized patients, 51 received ticagrelor (DM, n=20; non‐DM, n=31) and 49 clopidogrel (DM, n=16; non‐DM, n=33). At 2 hours post‐LD, mean (SD) PRU levels in DM patients were 130.1 (111.7) with ticagrelor versus 287.6 (71.9) with clopidogrel (mean [95%CI] difference −157.5 [−225.3, −89.8]; P<0.001); in non‐DM patients, they were 75.3 (75.7) versus 243.0 (72.4) (mean difference −167.7 [−207.1, −128.3]; P<0.001). High on‐treatment platelet reactivity rates at 2 hours post‐LD were also significantly (P<0.001) reduced with ticagrelor versus clopidogrel in DM and non‐DM patients. Between‐treatment differences for PRU and high on‐treatment platelet reactivity were not significant at earlier time points but were at 8 hours post‐LD (P<0.001). Conclusions Compared with clopidogrel, ticagrelor achieved faster, enhanced platelet inhibition and reduced high on‐treatment platelet reactivity rates, in DM and non‐DM patients. Clinical Trial Registration URL: http://www.clinicaltrials. gov. Unique identifier: NCT01603082.
Picture bizarreness effect and word association

L'experience rapportee ici a ete realisee dans le but d'explorer l'effet de bizarrerie en memoire implicite et en memoire explicite en utilisant comme materiel des representations picturales d'objets communs (normaux vs. bizarres). Chaque dessin etait presente seul dans des conditions de listes panachees lors de l'apprentissage. Trois tests differents de memoire conceptuelle ont ete utilises: rappel libre (explicite), rappel indice (explicite) et association libre (implicite). Les resultats obtenus ont montre (1) des effets d'amorcage significatifs au test d'association libre pour les dessins normaux et bizarres; (2) que l'avantage pour les dessins bizarres n'etait observe que pour les tests de memoire explicite. Cette dissociation dans les resultats a d'importantes implications theoriques pour notre comprehension des processus mnesiques.
Conceptual design using a synergistically compatible morphological matrix

The morphological matrix is a key methodology that can improve the effectiveness of the concept generation phase of the design process. However, as discussed in the paper, there are difficulties identifying independent design functions and determining the synergistic compatibility of combining solution alternatives. In order to address these difficulties, the authors extend the morphological matrix methodology by including the theory of coupling. A case study is presented to illustrate the overall methodology and its impact.