Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Molecular basis of intercellular adhesion in the biofilm‐forming Staphylococcus epidermidis

The Staphylococcus epidermidis genes icaABC are involved in the synthesis of the polysaccharide intercellular adhesin (PIA), which is located mainly on the cell surface, as shown by immunofluorescence studies with PIA‐specific antiserum. PIA was shown to be a linear β‐1,6‐linked glucosaminoglycan composed of at least 130 2‐deoxy‐2‐amino‐D‐glucopyrano‐syl residues of which 80–85% are N‐acetylated, the rest being non‐N‐acetylated and positively charged. A transposon insertion in the icaABC gene cluster (ica, intercellular adhesion) led to the loss of several traits, such as the ability to form a biofilm on a polystyrene surface, cell aggregation, and PIA production. The mutant could be complemented by transformation with the IcaABC‐carrying plasmid pCN27. Transfer of pCN27 into the heterologous host Staphylococcus carnosus led to the formation of large cell aggregates, the formation of a biofilm on a glass surface, and PIA expression. The nucleotide sequence of icaABC suggests that the three genes are organized in an operon and that they are co‐transcribed from the mapped ica A promoter. Ica A contains four potential transmembrane helices, indicative of a membrane location. The deduced Ica A sequence shows similarity to those of polysaccharide‐polymerizing enzymes, the most pronounced being with a Rhizobium meliloti N‐acetylglucosaminyltransferase involved in lipo‐chitin biosynthesis (22.5% overall identity and 37.4% overall similarity). This similarity suggests that Ica A has N‐acetylglucosaminyltransferase activity in the formation
Level-k DSGE and Monetary Policy

This paper develops a new framework of level-k DSGE for monetary policy analysis. Incomplete markets are introduced to guarantee the eductive stability of the equilibrium. k=1.334 is estimated using growth and inflation forecasts from the Michigan Survey of Consumers, capturing the missing indirect channels and the weakened direct channels in households’ forecast rules, as well as the wedge between forecasts and realizations. The model produces inflation inertia under Taylor Rule. In pre-Volcker era, more active GDP targeting generates more output mean reversion both in forecasts and in realizations. In Great Recession, the model can explain the missing drop of both inflation and inflation expectations, as well as the stagnant recovery expectations that leads to slow recovery. The model also implies both dampening and accumulation effects of forward guidance. When k goes to infinity, the level-k DSGE reduces to a basic three equation New Keynesian DSGE model as in Gali (2015).
Can minocycline be a carbapenem sparing antibiotic? Current evidence

With the increasing incidence of multidrug-resistant organisms, there is a need for newer antibiotics. However, due to the lack of new antimicrobial agents, it is necessary to re-evaluate the older agents like minocycline which is a second-line antimicrobial agent. In this study, minocycline susceptibility testing was performed for 693 Escherichia coli, 316 Klebsiella spp. and 89 Acinetobacter spp. Among extended spectrum beta-lactamase producing E. coli and Klebsiella spp. percentage susceptibility to minocycline were 76 and 85, respectively. Among the carbapenem resistant E. coli, Klebsiella spp. and Acinetobacter spp. minocycline susceptibility were 52%, 55% and 42%, respectively. Based on the susceptibility profile, minocycline can be considered for treatment of infections by multidrug-resistant organisms.
An overview of health risks and benefits of alcohol consumption.

This article provides an overview of the most recent evidence on health risks and benefits of alcohol consumption. Not only different types of dose-response curves but also other factors are important to consider when balancing health risks and benefits of alcohol consumption. The association between alcohol exposure and the risk of developing alcohol-related harm is multifactorial; there is a considerable individual variation in risk and a particular female susceptibility. Guidelines on drinking published over the last decade have become successively more restrictive. Whereas guidelines in the 1980s referred to "sensible drinking" or "responsible drinking," more recent guidelines refer to "low-risk drinking. " For an increasing number of groups, the recommendation is to avoid alcohol entirely. The need to consider individual risk factors and specific risk situations is increasingly emphasized. The possible net beneficial health effects of moderate drinking may be achieved in less risky ways by refraining from smoking, eating less dietary fat, and doing regular exercise. A number of health risks of moderate drinking have been demonstrated. Yet, for the moderate drinker, various psychosocial problems--especially in the area of productivity and relations--are more likely to develop than organ damage. Also, the risks involved in giving general guidelines on drinking have been widely discussed. If these guidelines were generally accepted and followed, it could have negative consequences on public health.
Early‐stage progressive supranuclear palsy with degenerative lesions confined to the subthalamic nucleus and substantia nigra

We describe a 78‐year‐old Japanese woman with early‐stage progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). She had a 3‐week history of postural instability and gait disturbance. On examination, upper vertical gaze palsy, akinesia, hyperreflexia with pathological reflexes, hesitation, and postural instability were observed. Rigidity and resting tremors were not apparent. Brain MRI revealed atrophy of the frontotemporal lobes and dilatation of the third ventricle. A month later, she died of cerebral infarction. The total duration of her clinical course was approximately 2 months. The brain weighed 1180 g after fixation. Macroscopically, mild atrophy of the frontal lobes and mild depigmentation of the substantia nigra were observed. The conspicuous findings included degeneration confined to the subthalamic nucleus and substantia nigra and widespread but infrequent tau‐positive neurofibrillary tangles/pretangles and glial fibrillary tangles (tuft‐shaped astrocytes, coiled bodies and argyrophilic threads) in the brain. It has been reported that the most affected areas in PSP are the globus pallidus, subthalamic nucleus and substantia nigra. We suggest that degeneration in PSP would start with involvement of the substantia nigra and subthalamic nucleus.
Differences in the Availability of New Anti-Cancer Drugs for Italian Patients Treated in Different Regions. Results of Analysis Conducted by the Italian Society of Medical Oncology (AIOM)

Aims and background Italy is divided into 20 regions. As a consequence of local autonomy, following marketing authorization by the Italian Medicines Agency, each drug for hospital use is not immediately available, because its approval needs to undergo further steps that can be different among regions. The Italian Society of Medical Oncology conducted the present study to describe the impact of the existence of sub-national pharmaceutical formularies on the disparity of access to new anti-cancer drugs among patients treated in different Italian regions. Methods The availability of 8 new anti-cancer drugs at a regional level and the coherence of regional authorizations compared with national authorizations approved by the Italian Medicines Agency were analyzed as of April 2009. Results Fifteen regions and autonomous province of Trento have a regional pharmaceutical formulary. In most cases, the regional pharmaceutical formularies include the eight analyzed drugs, with therapeutic indications coherent with national marketing authorization indications. Five drugs (bevacizumab, trastuzumab, rituximab, erlotinib, sunitinib) were included in all the existing regional pharmaceutical formularies, without restrictions, whereas three drugs (cetuximab, sorafenib, pemetrexed) were found to have restrictions in some regions. Conclusions The presence of multiple hierarchical levels of drug evaluation creates a potential element of disparity in the access to pharmacological therapies for Italian citizens. Free full text available at www.tumorionline. it
Attributes of National Alliance Membership and War Participation, 1815-1965

Recent research indicates that war initiations are influenced by a process of infectious contagion and that alliances may be the agent of contagion. However, it is evident that some alliances are more likely to spread war than others. This research is aimed at identifying those attributes of national alliance membership which tend to be associated with war participation. Using a revision of the SingerSmall data set on international alliances, the main findings of this research are that nations will be most apt to join their allies in a war when: (1) many of their allies are in the war; (2) the allies they join are minor powers; (3) they have relatively few alliance partners; (4) the alliance in question is a defensive alliance; (5) their alliance is relatively new; and (6) they have a relatively large number of alliances.
Inhibition of Heat Shock Protein 70 and 90 (Hsp70 And Hsp90) in Target Spesific Cancer Treatment

Volume 3 • Issue 2 • 1000e109 Adv Tech Biol Med ISSN: 2379-1764 ATBM, an open access journal Hsp70 (70 kDa) and Hsp90 (90 kDa) are important members of the chaperone protein family. They are over-expressed in a wide range of tumor types (both solid tumors and hematological malignancies), and play essential roles in apoptosis, cell proliferation, metastases, angiogenesis, and invasion pathways in cancer cell metabolism. Hsp70 and Hsp90 provide stabilization; regulation and maintenance of oncogenic client proteins (Her-2, Cdk-4, Akt, Raf-1) thus promote cancer cell survival. Therefore, inhibition of Hsps was accepted potential therapeutic strategy for cancer for the last two decades [1,2].
Assessing Literacy in Clinical and Community Settings: The Patient Perspective

A common concern among patient advocates and practitioners is the potential to offend patients with literacy testing in clinical settings. Patients' perceptions of, and comfort level with, literacy testing have not been well established. The aim of this study was to assess patient attitudes about literacy assessments in a primary care clinic and a community-based wellness program and to explore whether patients preferred one assessment tool over another. Participant recruitment occurred at a general internal medicine clinic and two community settings (YMCAs) in the southeast. Two literacy measures (Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine and Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults) and a questionnaire to assess opinions on the instruments were administered. Most participants were comfortable having their literacy assessed and indicated that it would be useful for practitioners to know the literacy levels of patients. A sizable minority (10%) were concerned that such testing in health care settings may be inappropriate. An additional finding was that self-reported reading skills of participants did not correspond to actual reading scores. Patients recognize the importance of literacy in their health care and most are comfortable with literacy assessments. An important minority, however, object to this practice.
Changes in exercise capacity and lipids after clinic versus home-based aerobic training in coronary artery bypass graft surgery patients.

PURPOSE Despite the documented benefits of participating in rehabilitation programs, access to cardiac rehabilitation is limited for a large number of people with coronary artery disease (CAD). There is potential to increase participation in exercise training if home-based exercise were a viable option. METHODS We conducted a retrospective database review of 1,042 patients who took part in exercise rehabilitation following coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABGS) between 1992 and 1998. Of these, 713 patients took part in supervised exercise, and 329 were in an unsupervised, home-based group. All exercise protocols were based upon American College of Sports Medicine guidelines, and patients in both groups received exercise prescriptions that were similar in intensity, frequency, and duration. RESULTS There were no differences between groups at baseline. Following 6 months of exercise training, there were substantial improvements in peak VO2, peak workload, and peak MET levels in both the supervised and unsupervised groups (P < 0.0001). Patients in the supervised group had significant improvements in both LDL and HDL-cholesterol, whereas the home-based group showed improvement in HDL-cholesterol only. When analyzed by sex, men performed better than women for all measures of exercise capacity; however, women in both groups showed approximate 20% improvements (P < 0.05) in exercise capacity as well as improvements in HDL-cholesterol. CONCLUSION Stable post CABGS patients who receive a detailed exercise prescription to follow at home do as well as those in supervised rehabilitation.
Valvular Heart Disease by Transthoracic Echocardiography Is Associated with Focal Brain Injury and Central Neuropsychiatric Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Background: Previous studies using transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) report an association of valvular heart disease (VHD) with cerebral infarcts and central neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus (NPSLE). However, TEE cannot be routinely used. Aim: To determine if VHD detected by transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is associated with focal brain injury on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and secondarily with central NPSLE. Methods: Sixty-nine patients with systemic lupus erythematosus underwent general clinical, neuropsychiatric and laboratory evaluations followed by MRI of the brain and TTE. Results: Forty-one patients (59%) had NPSLE (stroke, transient ischemic attack, cognitive dysfunction, acute confusional state, seizures or psychosis); 46 (67%) had focal brain injury on MRI (cerebral infarcts, white matter lesions or small punctate lesions); 38 (55%) had VHD (vegetations, thickening or regurgitation). VHD was more common in patients with than in those without focal brain injury and NPSLE (all p < 0.05); focal brain lesions were more common in patients with than in those without NPSLE (all p < 0.04); and VHD was an independent predictor of focal brain lesions and NPSLE (both p < 0.04). Conclusion: In patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, VHD detected by TTE is associated with focal brain injury and NPSLE.
Health risk behaviors and morbidity among hospital staff--comparison across hospital ward medical specialties in a study of 21 Finnish hospitals.

OBJECTIVE This study examined whether indicators of poor health and health risk behaviors among hospital staff differ between the ward specialties. METHODS Across 21 hospitals in Finland, 8003 employees (mean age 42 years, 87% women, 86% nurses) working in internal medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, intensive care, and psychiatry responded to a baseline survey on health and health risk behaviors (response rate 70%). Responses were linked to records of sickness absence and medication over the following 12 months. RESULTS Psychiatric staff had higher odds of smoking [odds ratio (OR) 2.58, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 2.14-3.12], high alcohol use (OR 1.55, 95% CI 1.21-1.99), physical inactivity (OR 1.30, 95% CI 1.11-1.53), chronic physical disease (OR 1.19, 95% CI 1.04-1.36), current or past mental disorders (OR 1.81, 95% CI 1.50-2.17), and co-occurring poor health indicators (OR 2.65, 95% CI 2.08-3.37) as compared to those working in other specialties. They also had higher odds of sickness absence due to mental disorders (OR 1.40, 95% CI 1.02-1.92) and depression (OR 1.61, 95% CI 1.02-2.55) at follow-up after adjustment for baseline health and covariates. Personnel in surgery had the lowest probability of morbidity. No major differences between specialties were found in the use of psychotropic medication. CONCLUSION The prevalence of hospital employees with an adverse health risk profile is higher in psychiatric wards than other specialties.
Glial cell lineages in the neural crest

We have been studying how and when the different peripheral glial cell lineages individualize during avian embryonic development. Three different and complementary experimental approaches were used for this purpose: (1) the quail/chick chimera system allowed the tracing in vivo of the origin of the various types of peripheral glial cells (Schwann cells of nerves, satellite glial cells of sensory and autonomic ganglia, and enteric glial cells), and the analysis of the non‐neuronal cell population of ganglia; (2) characterisation of early cell‐type specific markers that discriminate between the different glial cell subpopulations; and (3) analysis of the progeny of neural crest cells in clonal cultures. As a result of these approaches, two novel glial‐specific markers, expressed earlier than any previously described myelin components, have been identified and partly characterised. The divergence of glial and neuronal cell lineages is a process that is not completely terminated during the phase of neural crest migration. Whereas some cells are apparently already totally committed to a glial fate at this stage, others retain dual neuronal/glial potentialities.
Evaluation of a designated driver intervention to prevent alcohol-related road accidents in the clubs of Milan, Italy.

OBJECTIVE The present study is an evaluation of a designated driver intervention. The objectives were: (1) to verify the intervention assumption, which is that offering incentives, linked to a positive result of the breathalyser test (<0.5 g/l) when leaving the club, leads to a decrease in the percentage of drivers leaving the club with a BAC above the legal limit; (2) to understand the reason why drivers take part in the intervention and assess whether the operation was effective in lowering the amount of alcohol consumed during the night; (3) to verify the assumption that there is a bias in the selection of designated drivers. METHOD Pre-experimental research design with a control group and no pre-test. The two conditions of the independent variable were: presence or absence of the "Safe Driver" intervention. A group of drivers who took part in the intervention (DDs N=124) was compared with a group that did not (non-DDs N=139). RESULTS (1) DDs' mean BAC was significantly lower than non-DDs', but (2) the incentive motivated just 5% of DDs to drink less, and (3) there is a bias in the selection of DDs that present a lower drinking risk profile than non-DDs. DISCUSSION The effectiveness of the intervention doesn't seem to be supported by strong evidence. The free-entrance incentive is not effective in motivating drivers to drink less. More research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of designated driver interventions where the bias in the selection of drivers has been removed, by, for example, using other incentives and to have a clear understanding of designated drivers' risk profile.
Performance of microbial fuel cell in different anode and cathode electrode sizes

Power generation in microbial fuel cell (MFC) at different cathode electrode surface area was examined in two-chambered system with sodium acetate as carbon sources. When the anode surface area of 66 cm<sup>2</sup> was used, the maximum power density increased by 44% when the cathode surface areas were increased from 66 cm<sup>2</sup> to 336 cm<sup>2</sup> and decreased by 21% when the cathode surface area was reduced to 14 cm<sup>2</sup>, primarily as a result of the variation of cathode potential. The power increased from 2.56 W/m<sup>3</sup> to 3.29 W/m<sup>3</sup> with the cathode increasing from 14 cm<sup>2</sup> to 336 cm<sup>2</sup> when the anode surface area of 14 cm<sup>2</sup> was used. But a decreased power output of 2.40 W/m<sup>3</sup> was observed when the relative electrode area of cathode and anode was 5AAn=Acat, the main reason may be the decreased in both anode and cathode potential. The low CE was in the range from 10 % to 15 % was obtained.
Nutrient Intake and Body Habitus After Spinal Cord Injury: An Analysis by Sex and Level of Injury

Abstract Background/Objectives: To examine nutrient intake and body mass index (BMI) in the spinal cord injury (SCI) population according to level of injury and sex. Design: Cross-sectional study conducted at 2 SCI treatment centers. Participants/Methods: Seventy-three community-dwelling individuals with C5-T12 ASIA Impairment Scale (AIS) A or B SCI. Subjects were divided into 4 groups: male tetraplegia (N = 24), male paraplegia (N = 37), female tetraplegia (N = 1), and female paraplegia (N = 11). Mean age was 38 years; 84% were male; 34% were white, 41 % were African American, and 25% were Hispanic. Participants completed a 4-day food log examining habitual diet. Dietary composition was analyzed using Food Processor II v 7.6 software. Results: Excluding the 1 woman with tetraplegia, total calorie intake for the other 3 groups was below observed values for the general population. The female paraplegia group tended to have a lower total calorie intake than the other groups, although macronutrient intake was within the recommended range. The male tetraplegia group, male paraplegia group, and the 1 woman with tetraplegia all had higher than recommended fat intake. Intake of several vitamins, minerals, and macronutrients did not meet recommended levels or were excessively low, whereas sodium and alcohol intake were elevated. Using adjusted BMI tables, 74.0% of individuals with SCI were overweight or obese. Conclusions: Women with paraplegia tended to maintain healthier diets, reflected by lower caloric and fat intakes, fewer key nutrients falling outside recommended guidelines, and less overweight or obesity. Individuals with tetraplegia tended to take in more calories and had higher BMIs, and using adjusted BMI, the majority of the population was overweight or obese. The majority of people with SCI would benefit from nutritional counseling to prevent emerging secondary conditions as the population with SCI ages.
Genetics of epithelial polarity and pattern in the Drosophila retina

This review is focused on recent advances in our understanding of the development of coordinated cell polarity, through experiments on the Drosophila compound eye. Each eye facet (or “ommatidium”) contains a set of eight photoreceptor cells, placed so that their rhabdomeres form an asymmetric trapezoid. The array of ommatidia is organized so that these trapezoids are aligned in two mirror‐image fields, dorsal and ventral to the eye midline (or “equator”). The development of this pattern depends on two systems of positional information that inform the cluster of cells that will form an ommatidium of anterior/posterior (a/p) and dorsal/ventral (d/v) direction. The former (a/p) is encoded by a progressive wave of development (the morphogenetic furrow). The latter (d/v) involves molecules known to act in tissue polarity in other organs and organisms. Our understanding of the function of these molecules rests not only on their mutant phenotypes, biochemistry, and expression patterns, but also on the spatial effects when mutant patches of cells are made (genetic mosaics). BioEssays 21:275–285, 1999. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.