Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Molecular cloning of the Streptococcus mutans gene specifying antigen A

A gene encoding a Streptococcus mutans surface protein antigen has been isolated from a strain GS-5 gene bank constructed via the Streptococcus-Escherichia coli shuttle vector pSA3. This E. coli recombinant clone, designated 4B2, expressed S. mutans proteins, as shown by Western immunoblot analysis with a specific rabbit antibody to S. mutans surface antigens. Three bands were observed, including a 52-kilodalton (kDa) protein (pI 5.7), a 29-kDa protein (pI 4.2), and a 20-kDa protein usually present in lower amounts. The 52- and 29-kDa proteins both reacted with a monoclonal antibody to S. mutans antigen A, a 29-kDa protein which has been characterized and used as a vaccine for the prevention of induced caries in rodents and monkeys. The 52-kDa protein, but not the 29-kDa protein, showed a capacity to bind to a broad number of carbohydrate polymers. The results from this study suggest that the recombinant 4B2 clone specifies a 52-kDa protein which is a precursor to the 29-kDa antigen A.
An Exploration of the Debt Ratio of Ski Lift Operators

This article examines the determinants of the debt-to-capital ratio of ski lift operators. The analysis is based on the total population of 248 ski lift operators in Austria. The median debt-to-capital ratio is 73%, with a highly skewed distribution, where almost every fourth operator exhibits negative equity capital. Robust regressions show that the debt-to-capital ratio significantly depends on the size of the ski area, elevation, location, presence of a neighboring ski area, supply of accommodation nearby, and the proportion of foreign overnight stays. However, the significance and magnitude of these factors differ between East and West Austria. For eastern Austria, larger ski operators, with neighboring resorts close by and a vast supply of accommodation, have a significantly lower debt-to-capital ratio. In western Austria, elevation and presence of a neighbor are significant predictors. Operators with a neighbor nearby exhibit a 15-percentage-point lower debt ratio.
Voices of the Banned

In Western cities, public authorities are increasingly resorting to the use of patron banning orders as means of reducing alcohol and other drug-related harms in nightlife. While the use of banning orders is often hailed by authorities, due to their presumed deterrent and crime reduction effects, little research exists on how patrons react to being banned. This is a problem, as assessments of whether the policy goals of banning orders are being met and of the wider consequences of banning necessitate understanding the practice from the perspective of its targets. This article combines statistical data from police registers and in-depth interviews with 10 young patrons who have been subjected to a 2-year banning order in Aalborg, Denmark, to explore how patrons experience and negotiate the banning orders imposed upon them. While police use of patron banning orders is often based on a conception of patrons as rational actors, as well as on linear notions of cause and effect, this article challenges such conceptions. Instead, this article draws on actor network theory, and an understanding of banned youth as situated in networks of relations, in order to provide insights into how the effects of banning policies emerge in often unpredictable ways and with unforeseeable consequences dependent on the specific sociomaterial contexts through which they are coproduced. In this way, this article aims to provide a more detailed understanding of the causal mechanisms giving shape to banning policy effects.
Molecular Radiotherapy Using Cleavable Radioimmunoconjugates That Target EGFR and γH2AX

Many anticancer therapies, including ionizing radiation (IR), cause cytotoxicity through generation of DNA double-strand breaks (DSB). Delivery of therapeutic radionuclides to DNA DSB sites can amplify this DNA damage, for additional therapeutic gain. Herein, we report on two radiopharmaceuticals, radiolabeled with the Auger electron emitter 111In, with dual specificity for both the intranuclear, DNA damage repair signaling protein γH2AX and the EGF receptor (EGFR). The EGFR ligand EGF was conjugated to a fluorophore- or 111In-labeled anti-γH2AX antibody, linked via a nuclear localization sequence (NLS) to ensure nuclear translocation. EGF conjugation was achieved either through a noncleavable PEG linker (PEO6) or a cleavable disulfide bond. Both conjugates selectively bound EGFR on fixed cells and γH2AX in cell extracts. Both compounds enter EGFR-expressing cells in an EGF/EGFR-dependent manner. However, only the cleavable compound was seen to associate with γH2AX foci in the nuclei of irradiated cells. Intracellular retention of the cleavable compound was prolonged in γH2AX-expressing cells. Clonogenic survival was significantly reduced when cells were exposed to IR (to induce γH2AX) plus 111In-labeled cleavable compound compared to either alone and compared to nonspecific controls. In vivo, uptake of 111In-labeled cleavable compound in MDA-MB-468 xenografts in athymic mice was 2.57 ± 0.47 percent injected dose/g (%ID/g) but increased significantly to 6.30 ± 1.47%ID/g in xenografts where γH2AX was induced by IR (P < 0.01). This uptake was dependent on EGF/EGFR and anti-γH2AX/γH2AX interactions. We conclude that tumor-specific delivery of radiolabeled antibodies directed against intranuclear epitopes is possible using cleavable antibody–peptide conjugates. Mol Cancer Ther; 12(11); 2472–82. ©2013 AACR.
Ownership sector segmentation and the gender wage gap in urban China during the 2000s

Abstract This study explores the influence of market segmentation by type of firm ownership on the gender wage gap in urban China from 2002 to 2013. Data from the Chinese Household Income Project survey (CHIP2002 and CHIP2013) were used with a decomposition analysis based on the Brown et al. model. It is found that although both inter-sector differentials and intra-sector differentials affect the gender wage gap, the effect of intra-sector differentials was greater, and the influence of intra-sector differentials was greater for 2013 than for 2002. The influence of unexplained components of intra-sector differentials was greater than the explained components, and it was greater for 2013 than for 2002. The results indicate that the problem of discrimination against female workers in a given ownership sector is becoming more serious and was the main factor causing the gender wage gap expansion in urban China from 2002 to 2013.
Predicting Risk of Suicide Attempts Over Time Through Machine Learning

Traditional approaches to the prediction of suicide attempts have limited the accuracy and scale of risk detection for these dangerous behaviors. We sought to overcome these limitations by applying machine learning to electronic health records within a large medical database. Participants were 5,167 adult patients with a claim code for self-injury (i.e., ICD-9, E95x); expert review of records determined that 3,250 patients made a suicide attempt (i.e., cases), and 1,917 patients engaged in self-injury that was nonsuicidal, accidental, or nonverifiable (i.e., controls). We developed machine learning algorithms that accurately predicted future suicide attempts (AUC = 0.84, precision = 0.79, recall = 0.95, Brier score = 0.14). Moreover, accuracy improved from 720 days to 7 days before the suicide attempt, and predictor importance shifted across time. These findings represent a step toward accurate and scalable risk detection and provide insight into how suicide attempt risk shifts over time.
Hospital and Patient Characteristics Associated With Death After Surgery: A Study of Adverse Occurrence and Failure to Rescue

We asked if the factors that predict overall mortality following two common surgical procedures are different from those that predict adverse occurrences (complications) during the hospitalization or death after an adverse occurrence, which we refer to as “failure to rescue. ” We examined 5,972 Medicare patients undergoing elective cholecystectomy or transurethral prostatectomy using three outcome measures: 1) the death rate (number of deaths/number of patients); 2) the adverse occurrence rate (number of patients who developed an adverse occurrence/number of patients); and 3) the failure rate (number of deaths in patients who developed an adverse occurrence/number of patients with an adverse occurrence). The death rate was associated with both hospital and patient characteristics. The adverse occurrence rate was associated primarily with patient characteristics. In contrast, failure to rescue was associated more with hospital characteristics, and was less influenced by patient admission severity of illness as measured by the MedisGroups score. We concluded that factors associated with hospital failure to rescue are different from factors associated with adverse occurrences or death. Understanding the reasons behind variation in mortality rates across hospitals should improve our ability to use mortality statistics to help hospitals upgrade the quality of care.
Phosphorylation of CaMKII at Thr253 occurs in vivo and enhances binding to isolated postsynaptic densities

Autophosphorylation of Ca2+‐calmodulin stimulated protein kinase II (CaMKII) at two sites (Thr286 and Thr305/306) is known to regulate the subcellular location and activity of this enzyme in vivo. CaMKII is also known to be autophosphorylated at Thr253 in vitro but the functional effect of phosphorylation at this site and whether it occurs in vivo, is not known. Using antibodies that specifically recognize CaMKII phosphorylated at Thr253 together with FLAG‐tagged wild type and phospho‐ and dephospho‐mimic mutants of α‐CaMKII, we have shown that Thr253 phosphorylation has no effect on either the Ca2+‐calmodulin dependent or autonomous kinase activity of recombinant α‐CaMKII in vitro. However, the Thr253Asp phosphomimic mutation increased α‐CaMKII binding to subcellular fractions enriched in post‐synaptic densities (PSDs). The increase in binding was similar in extent, and additive, to that produced by phosphorylation of Thr286. Thr253 phosphorylation was dynamically regulated in intact hippocampal slices. KCl induced depolarisation increased Thr253 phosphorylation and the phospho‐Thr253‐CaMKII was specifically recovered in the subcellular fraction enriched in PSDs. These results identify Thr253 as an additional site at which CaMKII is phosphorylated in vivo and suggest that this dynamic phosphorylation may regulate CaMKII function by altering its distribution within the cell.
Municipal financing for sustainable development: A case of South Africa

This article explores the financing of the sustainable development goals through the budget process with the aim of achieving sustainable development. Existing theory points out that local government budgets play an important role in pro-poor service delivery. However, underfunding can be seen across all areas in South Africa, resulting in municipalities that cannot function properly and look after the needs of their inhabitants. Based on a study of selected municipalities in South Africa, this paper tries to answer the question of whether municipalities allocate and spend their financial resources to pursue the 17 sustainable development goals. The findings indicate that as the medium for achieving the sustainable development goals, the focus of local government budgets has to shift from merely providing basic services to creating and facilitating an environment suitable for achieving sustainable development. If the emphasis of municipal spending does not change, governments will find it difficult to achieve the sustainable development goals.
Quantification of steady state expression of mRNA for alpha-1 adrenergic receptor subtypes using reverse transcription and a competitive polymerase chain reaction.

Three distinct alpha-1 adrenergic receptor subtypes (alpha-1a, alpha-1b and alpha-1d) have been identified through molecular cloning. Expression of alpha-1 adrenergic receptor mRNA has been detected in several tissues, but previous studies with Northern blot analysis or RNase protection assays have provided only semiquantitative information. Furthermore, the mRNA distribution of these subtypes in many rat tissues is unknown. In the present study, we quantified alpha-1a, alpha-1b and alpha-1d adrenergic receptor mRNA in 19 adult rat tissues through the use of reverse transcription (RT) and a competitive polymerase chain reaction (PCR). This procedure used internal cRNA standards as competitive templates that contained sequences complementary to the primers for alpha-1a, alpha-1b and alpha-1d adrenergic receptors and that differed in molecular size from the native sequences. Total RNA was harvested from 19 freshly dissected organs of the rat. The PCR products were labeled by inclusion of alpha-32P-dCTP in the PCR. After electrophoresis, ratios of competing to native radio-labeled products were used to interpolate the amount of native RNA originally present in each sample. The results revealed that the relative abundance of alpha-1a adrenergic receptor mRNA among various tissues was as follows: vas deferens > colon > or = stomach > or = cerebral cortex > heart > or = small intestine > or = testis > prostate. The relative rank order of alpha-1b adrenergic receptor mRNA expression was heart > or = cerebral cortex > liver, whereas that of alpha-1d adrenergic receptor mRNA was vas deferens > cerebral cortex > or = aorta > adrenal gland. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Randomized controlled trial of an intervention to improve drug appropriateness in community-dwelling polymedicated elderly people

Background. Polypharmacy is frequent in the elderly population and is associated with potentially drug inappropriateness and drug-related problems. Objectives. To assess the effectiveness and safety of a medication evaluation programme for community-dwelling polymedicated elderly people. Design. Randomized, open-label, multicentre, parallel-arm clinical trial with 1-year follow-up. Setting. Primary care centres. Participants. Polymedicated (≥8 drugs) elderly people (≥70 years). Study intervention. Pharmacist review of all medication according to the Good Palliative–Geriatric Practice algorithm and the Screening Tool of Older Person’s Prescriptions-Screening Tool to Alert Doctors to the Right Treatment criteria and recommendations to the patient’s physician. Control intervention. Routine clinical practice. Measurements. Recommendations and changes implemented, number of prescribed drugs, restarted drugs, primary care and emergency department consultations, hospitalizations and death. Results. About 503 (252 intervention and 251 control) patients were recruited and 2709 drugs were evaluated. About 26.5% of prescriptions were rated as potentially inappropriate and 21.5% were changed (9.1% discontinuation, 6.9% dose adjustment, 3.2% substitution and 2.2% new prescription). About 2.62 recommendations per patient were made and at least one recommendation was made for 95.6% of patients. The mean number of prescriptions per patient was significantly lower in the intervention group at 3- and 6-month follow-up. Discontinuations, dose adjustments and substitutions were significantly higher than in the control group at 3, 6 and 12 months. No differences were observed in the number of emergency visits, hospitalizations and deaths. Conclusion. The study intervention was safe, reduced potentially inappropriate medication, but did not reduce emergency visits and hospitalizations in polymedicated elderly people.
Evaluation of nonbiomedical and biomedical grade alginates for the transplantation of genetically modified articular chondrocytes to cartilage defects in a large animal model in vivo

Genetically modified chondrocytes embedded in alginate improve cartilage repair in experimental models, and alginates are clinically used for articular chondrocyte transplantation. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that the alginate system allows for sustained transgene expression in cartilage defects in a preclinical large animal model in vivo.
Five Popular Study Strategies: Their Pitfalls and Optimal Implementations

Researchers’ and educators’ enthusiasm in applying cognitive principles to enhance educational practices has become more evident. Several published reviews have suggested that some potent strategies can help students learn more efficaciously. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, students do not report frequent reliance on these empirically supported techniques. In the present review, we take a novel approach, identifying study strategies for which students have strong preferences and assessing whether these preferred strategies have any merit given existing empirical evidence from the cognitive and educational literatures. Furthermore, we provide concrete recommendations for students, instructors, and psychologists. For students, we identify common pitfalls and tips for optimal implementation for each study strategy. For instructors, we provide recommendations for how they can assist students to more optimally implement these study strategies. For psychologists, we highlight promising avenues of research to help augment these study strategies.
Effect of restrictive versus liberal transfusion strategies on outcomes in patients with cardiovascular disease in a non-cardiac surgery setting: systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective To compare patient outcomes of restrictive versus liberal blood transfusion strategies in patients with cardiovascular disease not undergoing cardiac surgery. Design Systematic review and meta-analysis. Data sources Randomised controlled trials involving a threshold for red blood cell transfusion in hospital. We searched (to 2 November 2015) CENTRAL, Medline, Embase, CINAHL, PubMed, LILACS, NHSBT Transfusion Evidence Library, ClinicalTrials.gov, WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, ISRCTN Register, and EU Clinical Trials Register. Authors were contacted for data whenever possible. Trial selection Published and unpublished randomised controlled trials comparing a restrictive with liberal transfusion threshold and that included patients with cardiovascular disease. Data extraction and synthesis Data extraction was completed in duplicate. Risk of bias was assessed using Cochrane methods. Relative risk ratios with 95% confidence intervals were presented in all meta-analyses. Mantel-Haenszel random effects models were used to pool risk ratios. Main outcome measures 30 day mortality, and cardiovascular events. Results 41 trials were identified; of these, seven included data on patients with cardiovascular disease. Data from a further four trials enrolling patients with cardiovascular disease were obtained from the authors. In total, 11 trials enrolling patients with cardiovascular disease (n=3033) were included for meta-analysis (restrictive transfusion, n=1514 patients; liberal transfusion, n=1519). The pooled risk ratio for the association between transfusion thresholds and 30 day mortality was 1.15 (95% confidence interval 0.88 to 1.50, P=0.50), with little heterogeneity (I2=14%). The risk of acute coronary syndrome in patients managed with restrictive compared with liberal transfusion was increased (nine trials; risk ratio 1.78, 95% confidence interval 1.18 to 2.70, P=0.01, I2=0%). Conclusions The results show that it may not be safe to use a restrictive transfusion threshold of less than 80 g/L in patients with ongoing acute coronary syndrome or chronic cardiovascular disease. Effects on mortality and other outcomes are uncertain. These data support the use of a more liberal transfusion threshold (>80 g/L) for patients with both acute and chronic cardiovascular disease until adequately powered high quality randomised trials have been undertaken in patients with cardiovascular disease. Registration PROSPERO CRD42014014251.
Joint audit, audit market structure, and consumer surplus

We use a structural application of the discrete choice model to investigate how the introduction of a joint audit policy would affect audit market structure and consumer surplus. We perform this policy evaluation by identifying demand fundamentals in a joint audit regime and applying them to a single audit regime. We find that a joint audit requirement has the potential to change the audit market structure substantially but that the effects are sensitive to the specific policy design. For example, small audit firms gain market share in a joint audit regime but only if an equal sharing of the workload between the two joint auditors is not required. Our counterfactual analysis reveals that the introduction of a joint audit regime would be associated with a substantial loss of consumer surplus. The loss results from restricting clients from giving all of the audit work to their most preferred audit firm, but it is partly offset by gains in consumer surplus deriving from the opportunity to choose the best combination of auditor pairs.
Intense Competition can Drive Selfish Explorers to Optimize Coverage

We consider a game-theoretic setting in which selfish individuals compete over resources of varying quality. The motivating example is a group of animals that disperse over patches of food of different abundances. In such scenarios, individuals are biased towards selecting the higher quality patches, while, at the same time, aiming to avoid costly collisions or overlaps. Our goal is to investigate the impact of collision costs on the parallel coverage of resources by the whole group. Consider M sites, where a site x has value f(x). We think of f(x) as the reward associated with site x, and assume that if a single individual visits x exclusively, it receives this exact reward. Typically, we assume that if l>1 individuals visit x then each receives at most f(x)/l. In particular, when competition costs are high, each individual might receive an amount strictly less than f(x)/l, which could even be negative. Conversely, modeling cooperation at a site, we also consider cases where each one gets more than f(x)/l. There are k identical players that compete over the rewards. They independently act in parallel, in a one-shot scenario, each specifying a single site to visit, without knowing which sites are explored by others. The group performance is evaluated by the expected coverage, defined as the sum of f(x) over all sites that are explored by at least one player. Since we assume that players cannot coordinate before choosing their site we focus on symmetric strategies. The main takeaway message of this paper is that the optimal symmetric coverage is expected to emerge when collision costs are relatively high, so that the following "Judgment of Solomon" type of rule holds: If a single player explores a site x then it gains its full reward f(x), but if several players explore it, then neither one receives any reward. Under this policy, it turns out that there exists a unique symmetric Nash Equilibrium strategy, which is, in fact, evolutionary stable. Moreover, this strategy yields the best possible coverage among all symmetric strategies. Viewing the coverage measure as the social welfare, this policy thus enjoys a (Symmetric) Price of Anarchy of precisely 1, whereas, in fact, any other congestion policy has a price strictly greater than 1. Our model falls within the scope of mechanism design, and more precisely in the area of incentivizing exploration. It finds relevance in evolutionary ecology, and further connects to studies on Bayesian parallel search algorithms.