Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The rpoS-dependent starvation-stress response locus stiA encodes a nitrate reductase (narZYWV) required for carbon-starvation-inducible thermotolerance and acid tolerance in Salmonella typhimurium.

The starvation-stress response (SSR) of Salmonella typhimurium includes gene products necessary for starvation avoidance, starvation survival and virulence for this bacterium. Numerous genetic loci induced during carbon-source starvation and required for the long-term-starvation survival of this bacterium have been identified. The SSR not only protects the cell against the adverse effects of long-term starvation but also provides cross-resistance to other environmental stresses, e.g. thermal challenge (55 degrees C) or acid-pH challenge (pH 2.8). One carbon-starvation-inducible lac fusion, designated stiA was previously reported to be a sigma(S)-dependent SSR locus that is phosphate-starvation, nitrogen-starvation and H2O2 inducible, positively regulated by (p)ppGpp in a relA-dependent manner, and negatively regulated by cAMP:cAMP receptor protein complex and OxyR. We have discovered through sequence analysis and subsequent biochemical analysis that the stiA::lac fusion, and a similarly regulated lac fusion designated sti-99, lie at separate sites within the first gene (narZ) of an operon encoding a cryptic nitrate reductase (narZYWV) of unknown physiological function. In this study, it was demonstrated that narZ was negatively regulated by the global regulator Fnr during anaerobiosis. Interestingly, narZ(YWV) was required for carbon-starvation-inducible thermotolerance and acid tolerance. In addition, narZ expression was induced approximately 20-fold intracellularly in Madin-Darby canine kidney epithelial cells and 16-fold in intracellular salts medium, which is believed to mimic the intracellular milieu. Also, a narZ1 knock-out mutation increased the LD50 approximately 10-fold for S. typhimurium SL1344 delivered orally in the mouse virulence model. Thus, the previously believed cryptic and constitutive narZYWV operon is in fact highly regulated by a complex network of environmental-stress signals and global regulatory functions, indicating a central role in the physiology of starved and stressed cells.
Comparison of Synchronous Motors With Different Permanent Magnet and Winding Types

This paper deals with the design of permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSMs) with ferrite magnets and their comparison with synchronous machines with NdFeB magnets. In recent years, ferrite magnets have become popular due to their rather low cost and, what is more important, due to increasing of the NdFeB magnets cost last time. The progress in ferrite magnet material properties during the latest decade gave rise to their use in high power applications. Their remanent flux density today reaches values beyond 0.4 T, which allows design electrical machines with acceptable performance. In this paper, three designs of ferrite machines are presented and compared with a real PMSM with NdFeB magnets. Furthermore, the influence of the stator winding type and the shape of the slot opening on the PMSM properties will be demonstrated. All machines are designed for the same output power as the original PMSM with NdFeB magnets. This paper demonstrates that ferrite magnets can, to some extent, be used as replacements for the NdFeB magnets in high-efficiency power applications.
Effects of a commercially available vaccine against Salmonella enterica serotype Newport on milk production, somatic cell count, and shedding of Salmonella organisms in female dairy cattle with no clinical signs of salmonellosis.

OBJECTIVE To determine effects of vaccination with siderophore receptor and porin (SRP) proteins derived from Salmonella enterica serotype Newport on milk production, somatic cell count, and shedding of Salmonella organisms in female dairy cattle. ANIMALS 180 female Holsteins. PROCEDURES Cattle were randomly assigned to receive Salmonella Newport SRP vaccine or control solution. Vaccine or control solution was injected 45 to 60 days before parturition, and cattle received a second dose 14 to 21 days before parturition. Milk production was monitored for the first 90 days of lactation. Feces for isolation of Salmonella and blood samples for detection of antibodies against Salmonella Newport were collected at day of first injection and at days 7 to 14 and 28 to 35 of lactation. RESULTS Cattle inoculated with Salmonella Newport vaccine produced significantly more milk (1.14 kg/d), compared with cattle injected with the control solution. Cattle administered the vaccine had significantly higher concentrations of circulating antibody against Salmonella Newport SRP proteins at 7 to 14 days and 28 to 35 days of lactation. Salmonella Newport was not recovered; however, Salmonella enterica serotype Agona was recovered from 31 (20.3%) cattle, but likelihood of recovery did not differ significantly between vaccinates and control cattle. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Administration of a vaccine against Salmonella Newport SRP proteins to healthy dairy cattle prior to parturition increased milk production, even in cattle without detectable shedding of Salmonella Newport or clinical signs of salmonellosis. Additional research is needed to clarify the mechanisms by which productivity was improved.
Child outcomes of a pilot parent-delivered intervention for improving the social play skills of children with ADHD and their playmates

Abstract Objective: This pilot study examined the effectiveness of a parent-delivered intervention for improving: the social play skills of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and their typically developing playmates and the empathy of children with ADHD. Methods: Participants were children with ADHD and their typically developing playmates (n = 9/group). The intervention was primarily parent-implemented and involved: parent-training, weekly home-modules, three clinic play-sessions, therapist-parent phone consultations and a one-month follow-up. The Test of Playfulness (ToP) was the primary outcome measure. Cohen’s-d and paired sample t-test calculations were used to measure effect. Results: Social play outcomes of children with ADHD improved significantly from: pre- to post-test (t = 3.2; p = 0.02; d = 1.0) and post-test to follow-up intervention (t = 2.7; p = 0.02; d = 1.1). Playmate’s improved significantly from pre- to post-intervention (t = 3.9; p = 0.03; d = 1.2). Children with ADHD improved significantly on 4/7 ToP empathy items (t = 2.31–3.16; p = 0.02). Conclusion: The intervention successfully improved the social play skills of children with ADHD and their playmates.
Smoking in Pregnancy and Child ADHD

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: There is a well-documented association between maternal smoking during pregnancy and offspring attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The degree to which this reflects causal intrauterine effects or is due to unmeasured confounding is not clear. We sought to compare the association between maternal smoking during pregnancy and offspring ADHD with the associations with paternal smoking, grandmother’s smoking when pregnant with mother, and maternal smoking in previous pregnancies. Each of these exposures is expected to be influenced by much of the same confounding factors as maternal smoking during pregnancy, but cannot have direct intrauterine effects. A sibling control design was also used. METHODS: The current study used data from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (n > 100 000 children). Mothers and fathers reported on smoking during pregnancy, and mothers reported on smoking in previous pregnancies and their mother’s smoking when pregnant with them. Mothers reported on child ADHD symptoms at 5 years of age. Information about child ADHD diagnosis was obtained from the Norwegian Patient Registry. RESULTS: Maternal smoking during pregnancy was not more strongly associated with offspring ADHD diagnosis than was paternal smoking, grandmother’s smoking when pregnant with mother, or maternal smoking in previous pregnancies. Sibling control analyses showed no association between maternal smoking in pregnancy and child ADHD symptoms among siblings discordant for maternal smoking. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the association between maternal smoking during pregnancy and offspring ADHD is not due to causal intrauterine effects, but reflects unmeasured confounding.
Trajectories of Marital Conflict Across the Life Course

Using typologies outlined by Gottman and Fitzpatrick as well as institutional and companionate models of marriage, the authors conducted a latent class analysis of marital conflict trajectories using 20 years of data from the Marital Instability Over the Life Course study. Respondents were in one of three groups: high, medium (around the mean), or low conflict. Several factors predicted conflict trajectory group membership; respondents who believed in lifelong marriage and shared decisions equally with their spouse were more likely to report low and less likely to report high conflict. The conflict trajectories were intersected with marital happiness trajectories to examine predictors of high and low quality marriages. A stronger belief in lifelong marriage, shared decision making, and husbands sharing a greater proportion of housework were associated with an increased likelihood of membership in a high happiness, low conflict marriage, and a decreased likelihood of a low marital happiness group.
Isolation by distance and sharp discontinuities in gene frequencies: implications for the phylogeography of an alpine insect species, Carabus solieri

Analysis of genetic isolation by distance (IBD) is of prime importance for the study of processes responsible for spatial population genetic structure and is thus frequently used in case studies. However, the identification of a significant IBD pattern does not necessarily imply the absence of sharp discontinuities in gene frequencies. Therefore, identifying barriers to gene flow and/or secondary contact between differentiated entities remains a major challenge in population biology. Geographical genetic structure of 41 populations (1080 individuals) of an alpine insect species, Carabus solieri, was studied using 10 microsatellite loci. All populations were significantly differentiated and spatially structured according to IBD over the entire range. However, clustering analyses clearly identified three main clusters of populations, which correspond to geographical entities. Whereas IBD also occurs within each cluster, population structure was different according to which group of populations was considered. The southernmost cluster corresponds to the most fragmented part of the range. Consistently, it was characterized by relatively high levels of differentiation associated with low genetic diversity, and the slope of the regression of genetic differentiation against geographical distances was threefold those of the two other clusters. Comparisons of within‐cluster and between‐cluster IBD patterns revealed barriers to gene flow. A comparison of the two approaches, IBD and clustering analyses, provided us with valuable information with which to infer the phylogeography of the species, and in particular to propose postglacial colonization routes from two potential refugia located in Italy and in southeastern France. Our study highlights strongly the possible confounding contribution of barriers to gene flow to IBD pattern and emphasizes the utility of the model‐based clustering analysis to identify such barriers.
cAMP production by piglet cerebral vascular smooth muscle cells: pH(o), pH(i), and permissive action of PGI(2).

In newborn pig pial arterioles and cocultures of cerebral microvascular endothelial and smooth muscle cells, hypercapnia increases cAMP. In the intact cerebral circulation, both the increase in cAMP and the accompanying vasodilation require the presence of PGI(2). Using piglet cerebral microvascular smooth muscle in primary culture, we addressed the hypothesis that, in the presence of PGI(2), hypercapnia-induced changes in extracellular pH cause increases in cAMP. The stable PGI(2)-receptor agonist iloprost did increase production of cAMP in response to combined extracellular pH and pH(i) (11 +/- 6 vs. 32 +/- 10% in the absence and presence of 10(-10) M iloprost, respectively). However, there was no positive dose-response relationship between iloprost concentration and stimulation of cAMP production by acidosis (e.g., 58 +/- 9 vs. 41 +/- 5% in the presence of 10(-12) and 10(-9) M iloprost, respectively). Rapid decreases in pH(i) stimulate the cAMP production. Decreases in extracellular pH do not appear to contribute further. The G protein inhibitor pertussis toxin did not augment cAMP production in response to decreasing pH(i). We conclude that PGI(2) receptor activation permits another mechanism to enhance cAMP generation in response to intracellular, but not extracellular, acidosis and that the mechanism of the permissive effect of PGI(2) does not involve inhibition of a pertussis toxin-sensitive G protein.
Acute strokes and slow-growing lesions : behavioural observations Clinical observations in humans Strokes

The concept of plasticity describes the mechanisms that rearrange cerebral organization following a brain injury. During the last century, plasticity has beenmainly investigated in humans with acute strokes. It was then shown: (i) that the brain is organized into highly specialized functional areas, often designated ‘eloquent’ areas and (ii) that a lesion within the eloquent area gives rise tomajor irrevocable deficits. However, in sharp contrast with these observations, it was recently found that patients with low-grade gliomas were able to undergo massive cerebral resections without detectable functional consequence. In this paper, we tackle this puzzling observation and address the idea that brain plasticity cannot be fully understood and fruitfully studied without considering the temporal pattern of the injury inflicted to the brain. To achieve this goal, we first review experimental evidence showing that functional recovery is considerably better in the context of slow-growing injuries than after acute lesions. Both human and animal data are considered. In a second step, we emphasize that slow and acute lesions involve very different patterns of reorganization. In agreement with this idea, we show that the recruitment of remote brain areas in the ipsiand contralesional hemispheres is much more efficient in slow growing than acute lesions. Finally in a last section, we briefly discuss the main implications of these results.
Chemical process modeling with multiple neural networks

It is difficult to identify some chemical processes which are operated in complex environments and the operation conditions are changed frequently. In this paper we combine the two effective identification tools, multiple models and dynamic neural networks, and propose a new class of identification approach. A hysteresis switching algorithm is used to select the best model in each time. The convergence of the multiple neuro identifier is proved. The simulation results show that the multiple neuro identifier has a better performance for the pH neutralization and the fermentation process.
Perioperative Complications Adverse Events of Postoperative Thoracic Epidural Analgesia: A Retrospective Analysis of 7273 Cases in a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital

An effective and well-established technique for postoperative pain relief following major abdominal and thoracic surgery is thoracic epidural analgesia (tEDA). The occurrence of epidural hematoma and abscess, which may in turn cause transient or permanent neurologic deficit, is the major safety concern for this technique. The current reported rates of occurrence for these adverse events are inconsistent among published studies and are based on either general data sets, which were not specifically designed for documentation of pain management, or explicit studies with small numbers of patients and uncertain denominators. A retrospective cohort study was carried out to evaluate the incidence and long-term outcomes of serious adverse events following tEDA-based postoperative pain management in abdominal and thoracic surgery. For this study, data were collected from 7273 patients treated with tEDA for acute postoperative pain management for the 10-year period between January 2003 and December 2012. The results showed that the incidence of epidural abscesses, persistent neurological deficit, and cardiac arrest was 1.4:10,000 (0.014%; 95% confidence interval, 0%–0.08%), and that of retained catheter fragments after removal was 5.5:10,000 (0.055%; 95% confidence interval, 0.01%–0.14%). It was also observed that a minor EDA-associated adverse event (eg, transient sensorimotor blocks resolving after reduced application of local anesthetics, subcutaneous abscesses, and a pleural tap or local infections) was recorded in 52 patients. One patient was identified with a persistent neurological deficit. In conclusion, this retrospective single-center study revealed a relatively low incidence of serious adverse events (occurrence rate, 0.1% cases [1:1000]) following tEDA-based pain management in major abdominal and thoracic surgery. These were comparable to several previously reported rates (between 1:800 to 1:85,000 for epidural abscess and 1.3 to 18:10,000 for cardiac arrest associated with neuraxial anesthesia). Long-term outcome was altered in 0.014% (1.4:10,000) of the cases and was also consistent other studies.
Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease/Steatohepatitis: Epidemiology, Pathogenesis, Clinical Presentation and Treatment

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic hepatic disorder in Western countries, with a prevalence of 20–30%. NAFLD comprises ‘silent liver disease’, in which simple steatosis is the only histological finding and which is benign in course, and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, which is characterized by hepatocellular injury and inflammation with or without fibrosis. NAFLD is clinically important, because even benign fatty liver can progress to steatohepatitis in many patients, which can lead to liver cirrhosis and its complications and hepatocellular carcinoma. NAFLD is a hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndrome; it is closely related to other clinical features of metabolic syndrome, and thus to cardiovascular morbidity. There are several different noninvasive techniques for formal diagnosis and follow-up, but liver biopsy remains the gold standard. The most important therapeutic strategies include lifestyle changes, including changes in dietary habits aimed at weight loss and blood pressure regulation, with a consequent decrease in insulin resistance. For some patients with NAFLD/nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, pharmacological treatment is the best option, although further studies are needed to confirm its efficacy and tolerability.
Phagocyte‐derived oxidants and plasma antioxidants in haemodialysed patients

Objective. Oxidative stress is one of the important complications occurring in haemodialysis. The aim of the study was to determine haemodialysis‐induced changes in oxidative burst of phagocytes and the antioxidative properties of plasma. Methods. Twenty‐seven patients and 50 healthy controls were examined. Oxidative burst of phagocytes and plasma antioxidative potential were measured luminometrically. Concentrations of major plasma antioxidants (vitamin E, bilirubin and uric acid) were also determined. Results. Phagocyte chemiluminescence was higher in patients before haemodialysis compared with that in controls and decreased after haemodialysis compared with predialysis status. A significant increase in plasma antioxidative potential and uric acid was found in patients before haemodialysis. These parameters decreased after haemodialysis compared with both predialysis and control values. Conclusions. The higher generation of phagocyte‐derived oxidants and the decline in plasma antioxidative properties after haemodialysis confirm insufficient antioxidant defence in patients with chronic renal failure.
Nonlinearity in the efficacy of foreign aid and evidence of poverty traps

Research on the efficacy of foreign aid has been extensively conducted over the last three decades, but empirically the results remain inconclusive. Previous literature has relied upon linear growth model to estimate their models, methods inconsistent with the existence of poverty traps. These approaches have found that the effect of foreign is either negative, to positive, or even conditional on the policy environment in the country. More recent theoretical literature has started to point towards a nonlinear effect of foreign aid on the level of income. This nonlinear effect is consistent with a poverty trap model. To provide empirical support for this theory this paper relaxes the assumption of linearity in the model to determine if the efficacy of foreign aid is nonlinear. To accomplish this the relationship between foreign aid and the level of income is examined using a cross sectional data set of 72 countries that received Official Development Aid between 1985 and 2014 using a multivariate adaptive regressive splines (MARS) estimation. The MARS model is a nonlinear approach that systematically identifies both threshold levels and interaction terms between independent variables. Most importantly, the MARS model will detect if foreign aid has a statistically significant threshold effect. This finding would be consistent with the poverty trap hypothesis and also explain why there has been a lack of consensus so far. The results suggest that by using a nonlinear estimation we significantly improve, 18 to 44 percent reduction in the residual sum of squares, the fit of our growth model compared to an ordinary least squares estimation, as well as also detect a threshold in the effect of foreign aid that is consistent with a poverty trap hypothesis. These results are consistent when we analyze foreign aid as either a percent of gross national income—threshold at 4.6 percent—or per capita—threshold at $24.97. Below these thresholds the effect of foreign aid is either negative, or statistically zero, but when foreign aid is sufficiently large the effect is large and positive. We also detect significant interactions between foreign aid and both human capital and population growth. The policy implication being that if a country is going to experience a positive impact on their level of income the amount of foreign aid needs to be sufficiently large enough. Furthermore, the interactions suggest that some degree of selectivity should take place on which countries are best equipped to use aid.