Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Expression of Streptococcus pneumoniae Bacteriocins Is Induced by Antibiotics via Regulatory Interplay with the Competence System

Pneumococcal bacteriocins (pneumocins) are antibacterial toxins that mediate intra-species competition within the human host. However, the triggers of pneumocin expression are poorly understood. Using RNA-sequencing, we mapped the regulon of the pneumocin cluster (blp) of Streptococcus pneumoniae D39. Furthermore, by analogy with pneumococcal competence, we show that several antibiotics activate the blp-genes. Using real-time gene expression measurements we show that while the promoter driving expression of the two-component regulatory system blpR/H is constitutive, the remaining blp-promoters that control pneumocin expression, immunity and the inducer peptide BlpC, are pH-dependent and induced in the late exponential phase. Intriguingly, competence for genetic transformation, mediated by the paralogous ComD/E two-component quorum system, is induced by the same environmental cues. To test for interplay between these regulatory systems, we quantified the regulatory response to the addition of synthetic BlpC and competence-stimulating peptide (CSP). Supporting the idea of such interplay, we found that immediately upon addition of CSP, the blp-promoters were activated in a comD/E-dependent manner. After a delay, blp-expression was highly induced and was strictly dependent on blpRH and blpC. This raised the question of the mechanism of BlpC export, since bioinformatic analysis showed that the genes encoding the putative exporter for BlpC, blpAB, are not intact in strain D39 and most other strains. By contrast, all sequenced pneumococcal strains contain intact comAB genes, encoding the transport system for CSP. Consistent with the idea that comAB mediate BlpC export, we finally show that high-level expression of the blp-genes requires comAB. Together, our results demonstrate that regulation of pneumocin expression is intertwined with competence, explaining why certain antibiotics induce blp-expression. Antibiotic-induced pneumocin expression might therefore have unpredictable consequences on pneumococcal colonization dynamics by activating genes that mediate intra-specific interference competition.
Only Time Can Tell: Whether and When the Improvement in Career Development Opportunities Alleviates Knowledge Workers’ Emotional Exhaustion in the Chinese Context

Through extending the resource perspective, drawing on the temporal comparison theory, this study examines career development opportunities (CDOs), focusing on knowledge workers and considering the relative changes in CDOs before and after their job change in the Chinese context. Findings from a survey of 379 Chinese knowledge workers who have transferred their jobs at least once reveal that the improvement of CDOs can have a double&#8208;edged&#8208;sword effect on knowledge workers&#8217; well&#8208;being, shown as emotional exhaustion in this study. Although the improvement of CDOs negatively predicts knowledge workers&#8217; emotional exhaustion in general, findings of a three&#8208;way interaction reveal that offering more high&#8208;quality CDOs can aggravate emotional exhaustion when knowledge workers have been working in their present position for a relatively long period, but have not received a pay rise. This study makes a theoretical contribution by introducing boundary conditions and testing their interactive influence. It helps broaden understanding of how CDOs can affect knowledge workers&#8217; emotional exhaustion. It also has implications for enhancing the well&#8208;being of knowledge workers, particularly in national and organizational contexts where there are significant skill shortages and retention problems.
Exploring web navigational paths through social network analysis

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to present the network visualization and SNA indicators as a way to explore and to analyse the web site design through the users’ navigational paths. Design/methodology/approach: Web log files from the webometrics.info site were analysed. Web usage mining techniques were used to process these data. Several network graphs (navigational and query graph) were built to inspect the latent structure from the user view. SNA techniques and indicators were used to extract the main results. Findings: Results show networks with small-world and scale-free properties; the double structure of the two language versions; the central position of the search engines as hubs that distribute the access to every page; how the pages are grouped by their thematic and structural relationships; and which pages are less requested through search engines queries or are less visible. Research limitations: Results are based on the web performance of only a web site and its generalization has to be considered with caution. Originality/value: The application of network visualization and SNA indicators allows to explore the web site navigation by users and to test how it is used. The graph representation makes possible an intuitive way to observe the structure of a web site, the behaviour of the users and the information consumption.
A novel two-stage, transdisciplinary study identifies digoxin as a possible drug for prostate cancer treatment.

UNLABELLED Identification of novel indications for commonly prescribed drugs could accelerate translation of therapies. We investigated whether any clinically-used drugs might have utility for treating prostate cancer by coupling an efficient, high-throughput laboratory-based screen and a large, prospective cohort study. In stage 1, we conducted an in vitro prostate cancer cell cytotoxicity screen of 3,187 compounds. Digoxin emerged as the leading candidate given its potency in inhibiting proliferation in vitro (mean IC₅₀=163 nM) and common use. In stage 2, we evaluated the association between the leading candidate drug from stage 1 and prostate cancer risk in 47,884 men followed 1986-2006. Regular digoxin users (versus nonusers: RR=0.76, 95% CI 0.61-0.95), especially users for ≥ 10 years (RR=0.54, 95% CI 0.37-0.79, P-trend<0.001), had a lower prostate cancer risk. Digoxin was highly potent in inhibiting prostate cancer cell growth in vitro and its use was associated with a 25% lower prostate cancer risk. SIGNIFICANCE Our two-stage transdisciplinary approach for drug repositioning provides compelling justification for further mechanistic and possibly clinical testing of the leading nonchemotherapy candidate, digoxin, a cardiac glycoside, as a drug for prostate cancer treatment. Perhaps of equal importance, our study illustrates the power of the transdisciplinary approach in translational cancer research. By coupling laboratory and epidemiologic methods and thinking, we reduced the probability of identifying false-positive candidate drugs for the next steps in testing.
Masking reveals parallel form systems in the visual brain

It is generally supposed that there is a single, hierarchically organized pathway dedicated to form processing, in which complex forms are elaborated from simpler ones, beginning with the orientation-selective cells of V1. In this psychophysical study, we undertook to test another hypothesis, namely that the brain’s visual form system consists of multiple parallel systems and that complex forms are other than the sum of their parts. Inspired by imaging experiments which show that forms of increasing perceptual complexity (lines, angles, and rhombuses) constituted from the same elements (lines) activate the same visual areas (V1, V2, and V3) with the same intensity and latency (Shigihara and Zeki, 2013, 2014), we used backward masking to test the supposition that these forms are processed in parallel. We presented subjects with lines, angles, and rhombuses as different target-mask pairs. Evidence in favor of our supposition would be if masking is the most effective when target and mask are processed by the same system and least effective when they are processed in different systems. Our results showed that rhombuses were strongly masked by rhombuses but only weakly masked by lines or angles, but angles and lines were well masked by each other. The relative resistance of rhombuses to masking by low-level forms like lines and angles suggests that complex forms like rhombuses may be processed in a separate parallel system, whereas lines and angles are processed in the same one.
BEAM OBSERVATIONS WITH ELECTRON CLOUD IN THE CERN PS & SPS COMPLEX

With the start of the machine studies to characterize the behaviour of the LHC beam in the SPS in 1999, it became evident that electron multipacting was occurring in the SPS vacuum chambers in the presence of this beam. Multipacting induces dramatic pressure increases preventing stable operation, it limits the performance of beam instrumentation and high voltage electrostatic devices (e.g. electrostatic septa) and it induces strong transverse instabilities leading to emittance dilution. Although an increase of the threshold bunch population for multipacting can be obtained by beam conditioning (”scrubbing”), multipacting persists in the arcs for the nominal LHC bunch population and electron cloud instabilities remain an issue for the LHC beam. A programme of studies has been launched since 1999 to study the electron cloud build-up and related instabilities in the SPS and in the PS for the LHC and fixed target beams. The experimental tools and analysis developed so far are presented together with the results of the observations. The countermeasures applied in the PS Complex & SPS against the electron cloud instability are also briefly discussed. INTRODUCTION The main beam parameters for the LHC and fixed target beams are listed in Tables 1 and 2. Table 1: The LHC beam in CERN PS and SPS [1] PS@extr. SPS@inj. SPS@extr Momentum [GeV/c] 26 26 450 Revolution period [μs] 2.1 23.07 23.05 Tunes (H/V) 6.25 26.185/26.13 Gamma transition 6.1 22.8 Max. n. of batches 1 4 n. bunches/batch 72 72 Nominal Nb [10] 1.15 1.15 Bunch spacing [ns] 24.97 24.97 24.95 Full bunch length [ns] 4-16 4 <2 Batch spacing [ns] 224.7 224.6 r.m.s. εH,V [μm] 3 3 3.5 εL [eV s] 0.35 0.35 <0.8 * The bunch length is reduced from 16 to 4 ns by a non-adiabatic bunch compression prior to extraction. This process takes approximately 100 turns (~200 μs) Table 2: The Fixed Target beam in CERN SPS SPS@inj. SPS@extr Momentum [GeV/c] 14 400 Revolution period [μs] 23.11 23.05 Tunes (H/V) 26.62/26.58 Gamma transition 23.2 Max. n. of batches 2 n. bunches/batch 2100 Nominal Nb [10] 0.1 – 0.2 Bunch spacing [ns] 5.00 4.99 Full bunch length [ns] 4 <3 Batch spacing [ns] 105
Affirmation, compartmentalization, and isolation: narratives of identity sentiment among kinky people

ABSTRACT With heightened cultural visibility and greater opportunities for connection, individuals with kinky sexual desires (e.g. BDSM, sexual fetishism, sexual role-playing) are increasingly constructing sexual identities that foreground their kink-oriented desires. However, we know little about how kinky individuals negotiate stigma as they construct sexual identities and engage in intimate practices which provide meaning and coherence to their sense of self. This study examined identity sentiment among an international sample of 265 kink-identified individuals. Participants were asked whether they feel negative, positive, or mixed about their kink identities. An exploratory latent class analysis of narrative data revealed four distinct types of stories: unelaborated affirmation, elaborated affirmation, compartmentalization, and isolation. Stories revealed that stigma, concealment, isolation, and self-pathologization represented sources of stress and negative self-evaluation. Involvement in a kink community and viewing one’s kink identity as a journey of growth and exploration were described as helping participants develop resiliency against societal stigma and mental health challenges. Implications of these findings for social psychological theories related to stigma, narrative, and minority stress are discussed.
An Experimental Comparison of Thirteen Relational Equi-Joins in Main Memory

Relational equi-joins are at the heart of almost every query plan. They have been studied, improved, and reexamined on a regular basis since the existence of the database community. In the past four years several new join algorithms have been proposed and experimentally evaluated. Some of those papers contradict each other in their experimental findings. This makes it surprisingly hard to answer a very simple question: what is the fastest join algorithm in 2015? In this paper we will try to develop an answer. We start with an end-to-end black box comparison of the most important methods. Afterwards, we inspect the internals of these algorithms in a white box comparison. We derive improved variants of state-of-the-art join algorithms by applying optimizations like~software-write combine buffers, various hash table implementations, as well as NUMA-awareness in terms of data placement and scheduling. We also inspect various radix partitioning strategies. Eventually, we are in the position to perform a comprehensive comparison of thirteen different join algorithms. We factor in scaling effects in terms of size of the input datasets, the number of threads, different page sizes, and data distributions. Furthermore, we analyze the impact of various joins on an (unchanged) TPC-H query. Finally, we conclude with a list of major lessons learned from our study and a guideline for practitioners implementing massive main-memory joins. As is the case with almost all algorithms in databases, we will learn that there is no single best join algorithm. Each algorithm has its strength and weaknesses and shines in different areas of the parameter space.
Adaptation of Group A Streptococcus to Human Amniotic Fluid

Background For more than 100 years, group A Streptococcus has been identified as a cause of severe and, in many cases, fatal infections of the female urogenital tract. Due to advances in hospital hygiene and the advent of antibiotics, this type of infection has been virtually eradicated. However, within the last three decades there has been an increase in severe intra- and post-partum infections attributed to GAS. Methodology We hypothesized that GAS alters its transcriptome to survive in human amniotic fluid (AF) and cause disease. To identify genes that were up or down regulated in response to growth in AF, GAS was grown in human AF or standard laboratory media (THY) and samples for expression microarray analysis were collected during mid-logarithmic, late-logarithmic, and stationary growth phases. Microarray analysis was performed using a custom Affymetrix chip and normalized hybridization values derived from three biological replicates were collected at each growth point. Ratios of AF/THY above a 2-fold change and P-value <0.05 were considered significant. Principal Findings The majority of changes in the GAS transcriptome involved down regulation of multiple adhesins and virulence factors and activation of the stress response. We observed significant changes in genes involved in the arginine deiminase pathway and in the nucleotide de novo synthesis pathway. Conclusions/Significance Our work provides new insight into how pathogenic bacteria respond to their environment to establish infection and cause disease.
Role of Career Adaptability and Its Resources in Predicting Vocational Attitudes of Indian IT Professionals

Indian Information Technology (IT) market is going through a dynamic state of existence with employment uncertainties, but simultaneously creating promising opportunities. Amidst such unpredictability and possibilities, Indian IT professionals have been striving hard to build a career identity, demonstrating their capabilities to withstand unforeseen and abrupt vocational shocks. In career construction, such capability comes from career adaptability, reflected through resources of concern, control, curiosity and confidence. Yet, attention towards career adaptability is sparse in Indian IT vocational literature. The present study attempts to fill that gap by examining career adaptability and its links with vocational attitudes of career satisfaction and turnover intention. For this, data were collected from 434 Indian IT professionals. Overall, career adaptability was positively related to career satisfaction while turnover intention was independent of it. At the dimensional level, independently, all resources of career adaptability were positively related to career satisfaction. Concern and confidence had relatively greater degree of positive association than curiosity and control. Further, concern led to increased turnover intention, other resources being unrelated to it. Findings may facilitate human resource management of Indian IT organizations and independent career practitioners to enhance the vocational success of their employees and clients.
Ieee Transactions on Signal Processing, Edics: Bio-appl Nonlinear Regularized Wiener Filtering with Kernels. Application in Denoising Meg Data Corrupted by Ecg

Magnetoencephalographic and electroencephalographic recordings are often contaminated by artifacts such as eye movements, blinks, cardiac or muscle activity. These artifacts, whose amplitude may exceed that of brain signals, may severely interfere with the detection and analysis of events of interest. In this paper, we consider a nonlinear approach for cardiac artifacts removal from magnetoencephalographic data, based on Wiener filtering. In recent works, nonlinear Wiener filtering based on reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces and the kernel trick has been proposed. However, the filter parameters are determined by the resolution of a linear system which may be ill-conditioned. To deal with this problem, we introduce three kernel methods which provide powerful tools for solving ill-conditioned problems, namely kernel principal component analysis, kernel partial least squares and kernel ridge regression. A common feature of these methods is that they regularize the solution by assuming an appropriate prior on the class of possible solutions. We avoid the use of QRS-synchronous averaging techniques which may induce distortions in brain signals if artifacts are not well detected. Moreover, our approach shows the nonlinear relation between magnetoencephalographic and electrocardiographic signals.
Coordination of Uncoupled Bimanual Movements by Strictly Timed Interhemispheric Connectivity

Independent use of both hands is characteristic of human action in daily life. By nature, however, in-phase bimanual movements, for example clapping, are easier to accomplish than anti-phase movements, for example playing the piano. It is commonly agreed that interhemispheric interactions play a central role in the coordination of bimanual movements. However, the spatial, temporal, and physiological properties of the interhemispheric signals that coordinate different modes of bimanual movements are still not completely understood. More precisely, do individual interhemispheric connectivity parameters have behavioral relevance for bimanual rapid anti-phase coordination? To address this question, we measured movement-related interhemispheric interactions, i.e., inhibition and facilitation, and correlated them with the performance during bimanual coordination. We found that movement-related facilitation from right premotor to left primary motor cortex (rPMd-lM1) predicted performance in anti-phase bimanual movements. It is of note that only fast facilitation during the preparatory period of a movement was associated with success in anti-phase movements. Modulation of right to left primary motor interaction (rM1-lM1) was not related to anti-phase but predicted bimanual in-phase and unimanual behavior. These data suggest that strictly timed modulation of interhemispheric rPMd-lM1 connectivity is essential for independent high-frequency use of both hands. The rM1-lM1 results indicate that adjustment of connectivity between homologous M1 may be important for the regulation of homologous muscle synergies.
Experiences deploying an ad-hoc network in an urban environment.

Studies of mobile ad-hoc networks are in the most part restricted to simulations and theory. They have, to this point, rarely ventured into the real world on a large enough scale to make significant statements about their behavior or performance. The lack of evaluations is largely due to the practicable implications of deploying and evaluating such networks in a real environment. In order to analyse the problems we have built a Wireless Ad-hoc Network for Dublin (WAND). The network provides a large-scale testbed for applications and protocols for mobile ad-hoc networks. It offers the opportunity to explore the behavior and performance of a variety of routing protocols in a reallife environment and an ideal platform for investigating the use of mobile applications in an urban environment. In this paper we present WAND and the experiences gained in building such a network.
Measuring Underemployment Among Military Spouses

Comparisons of military wives with a group of similar civilian wives show that military wives have a greater tendency to be underemployed, even after controlling for labor market characteristics. However, there does not seem to be a strong link between their labor force position and satisfaction with their life situation, so the effects of underemployment among military spouses may not be as serious as previously thought.
Human resources management in small and medium enterprises

Development of small and medium enterprises (SME) represents primary goal of every modern economy. It is complex challenge which includes great number of directly concerned parties in every sector of the state and economy. SME stimulate private ownership and entrepreneurship. Their characteristic is that they are flexible and can easily adjust to changes in supply and demand on the market. At the same time they open possibilities for increase of employment, promote diversification of economical activities, support sustainable growth and give significant contribution to export, trade and increase the competitiveness of the entire economy. Importance of SME for economy is undisputable. All research show that globally, more than 90% of all business activities are realized by SME. SMEs employ two thirds of total labor of European Union. Approaching to European Union presumes harmonization of the systematic environment and improvement of the climate of entrepreneurship, private initiative, development of SME. This determination has strongpoint in current world processes that prefer the development of SME, utilizing their profit efficiency and established advantages relating to the adaptability of small business to dynamic changes in economy. Problem of Human resources management is very sensitive issue in SMEs. Namely, in big companies there are entire teams of agencies or consultants are hired for selection and education of new employees, whereas in SMEs this work is done by owner or manager. Therefore, in this paper several facts were pointed out which need to be considered in selection of new employees, since every mistake in this activity can cause far-reaching consequences on functioning of SME.