Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Generating inferences from written and spoken language: a comparison of children with visual impairment and children with sight

The two experiments reported here investigated the ability of sighted children and children with visual impairment to comprehend text and, in particular, to draw inferences both while reading and while listening. Children were assigned into ‘comprehension skill’ groups, depending on the degree to which their reading comprehension skill was in line with that predicted by their decoding skill. They then read (either print or Braille) and listened to a series of novel short stories. These were followed by a series of questions, which required either the generation of inferences, or an answer that could be taken literally from the text. The results suggest that children with and without sight are comparable in their ability to draw inferences, and that children with visual impairment show an advantage for literal questions under auditory presentation.
Orthotopic Liver Transplantation for Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis

The incidence or diagnostic rate of sclerosing cholangitis is increasing. Because of the lack of effective medical or surgical therapy for patients with end-stage liver disease and sclerosing cholangitis, results with orthotopic liver transplantation were examined. The results of 55 consecutive liver replacements for this disease were reviewed. The 1− and 2-year actuarial survival rates are 71% and 57%, respectively. Orthotopic liver transplantation for end-stage liver disease from sclerosing cholangitis has emerged as the most effective therapy.
Resettled refugee youth and education: aspiration and reality

ABSTRACT This paper reports on research with 86 young refugees (aged 13–24 years) who were resettled to the UK between 2006 and 2010. Drawing on both quantitative and qualitative data we explore the educational aspirations and experiences of refugee youth, and how they negotiate post-compulsory education pathways. We find that despite the promise of educational opportunity and transformed life chances enshrined in the notion of refugee resettlement, many of the experiences and barriers to education are not dissimilar in kind to those facing refugee youth in countries of first asylum. Support for young refugees to make successful transitions into and through the education system is critical to their future lives and longer-term integration outcomes. The discussion is set within global discourses of refugee education and the literature of refugee education in the global north.
Spatial Growth Disparities in South America, Evidence from 1960–2008

We study the regional income disparities and it’s dynamic in South American economies. We use a new historical data base that offers a detailed look at the evolution of national economies, shedding empirical light on income disparities. For this purpose, a system of multiple equations was estimated by Seemingly Unrelated Regression (SUR) to analyze a growth accounting model. Additionally, this paper argues the existence of clusters in the dynamics of growth, testing for parameter instability problems on national economies from a historical perspective. The dynamics of growth in South America are contrasted comparing two sub-periods (1960-1982, 1983-2008). Since South America changed its development pattern driven by industrial progress and trade openness, an analysis of productivity and growth determinants becomes a central concern for policymakers.
High-resolution mapping of the human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 Rex-binding element by in vitro selection

Interactions between the Rex protein of HTLV-1 and the genomic Rex-binding element (XBE) mediate the cytoplasmic transport of viral mRNAs. However, it is uncertain which RNA sequences and structures contribute to Rex recognition. A portion of the viral genome that spanned the XBE was partially randomized, and functional Rex-binding variants were selected. Alignment of selected Rex-binding sequences revealed positions that were functionally conserved between different molecules. A model is presented in which a subset of the selected residues are in direct contact with Rex. Positions that covaried with one another were also found. These covariations support a secondary-structural model in which a central paired stem is symmetrically flanked by two bulge loops. On the basis of this model, site-directed mutations of the XBE were constructed and each half molecule was found to bind independently to Rex. The functional residues and secondary structures in the XBE half molecules bear a remarkable resemblance to the transactivation response region element of HIV-1. Since the transactivation response region element is known to interact specifically with arginine residues in the Tat protein, these results suggest that the XBE binds to the arginine-rich RNA-binding domain of Rex in a similar manner. This model is supported by the selection data.
Novel genes that upregulate the Proteus mirabilis flhDC master operon controlling flagellar biogenesis and swarming

By screening for restoration of multicellular migration in a non‐swarming but motile Proteus mirabilis mutant lacking the FlgN facilitator of flagella assembly, we identified four distinct genes that, in trans and multicopy, increased flagella production and cell length. Each of the genes upregulated expression of the flhDC master operon that controls flagellar biogenesis, cell division and swarming, not only in the mutant but also in the wild type. The genes were named umoA, umoB, umoC and umoD. Disruption of each of the wild‐type chromosomal umo genes caused corresponding reductions in swarming and cell elongation, which correlated with decreased expression of the flhDC operon. The umoA, umoB, umoC and umoD genes are not closely linked, and only umoB is part of an operon. The sequences of the calculated gene products, UmoA (20.6 kDa), UmoB (78.0 kDa), UmoC (15.2 kDa) and UmoD (19.2 kDa), contain putative N‐terminal secretion signals and predict a location in the cell membranes or periplasm. UmoB and UmoD have sequence similarity to the Escherichia coli uncharacterized open reading frames YrfF and YcfJ respectively; UmoA and UmoC have no known homologues. The umoB and umoC gene transcripts were present at very low levels, but umoA and umoD expression was similar to that of flhDC and increased in parallel with flhDC expression during differentiation into elongated hyperflagellated swarm cells. Like flhDC, umoA and umoD expression was subject to negative feedback in a flagellar assembly mutant lacking the FlhA inner membrane component of the export machinery. Assays of umo gene expression and cross‐complementation indicated that the umo genes do not act in sequence within a pathway to upregulate flhDC, but revealed that umoA and umoD are reciprocally upregulated by FlhDC. Our findings strengthen the picture of the flhDC master operon as a major assimilatory checkpoint in Proteus mirabilis and other Gram‐negative bacteria and expand the view of a complex regulatory network coupled to flagellar biogenesis.
Pengaruh Harga dan Promosi Penjualan terhadap Keputusan Pembelian Konsumen pada CV. Jaya Herbal Cabang Padang

Perilaku konsumen sangat erat hubungannya dengan keputusan pembelian, baik keputusan pembelian yang dilakukan oleh orang perorangan, kelompok maupun organisasi dalam memenuhi kebutuhan dan keinginan mereka baik terhadap kebutuhan terhadap barang maupun jasa. CV. Jaya herbal adalah salah satu perusahaan yang bergerak dalam pemasaran obat diabetes yang berbentuk kapsul yang diberi merek An-Nissa kapsul. Jamu An-Nissa dikemas dalam sebuah botol yang berisi 60 buah kapsul dan baru berdiri sejak tahun 2005. Apakah seorang konsumen benar-benar memperhatikan harga dalam memutuskan untuk membeli obat diabetes keluaran CV. Jaya Herbal dengan merek An-Nissa kapsul dan apakah promosi penjualan berpengaruh dalam keputusan membeli An-Nissa kapsul. Penelitian yang dilakukan termasuk penelitian kuantitatif kausalitas, karena dilihat dari tujuan utama dari variabel yang akan diteliti ini adalah untuk melihat hubungan sebab akibat dari fenomena atau pemecahan masalah yang diteliti untuk melihat sebarapa jauh pengaruh variabel harga dan promosi penjualan terhadap keputusan pembelian. Berdasarkan hasil dari jawaban deskripsi responden, diperoleh Tingkat Capaian Responden (TCR) 73,65% (cukup). Sedangkan hasil analisis regresi linear berganda diperoleh nilai koefisien regresi sebesar 0.606 (sig = 0.000). Pada tingkatan signifikan 0.000 , maka H ditolak dan H diterima, artinya harga berpengaruh signifikan terhadap keputusan pembelian konsumen pada Jamu An-Nisaa di Kota Padang. Hipotsis pertama didapat hasil bahwa harga berpengaruh signifikan terhadap keputusan pembelian konsumen pada Jamu An-Nisaa di Kota Padang. Hipotesis kedua adalah Biaya promosi berpengaruh signifikan terhadap keputusan pembelian konsumen pada Jamu An-Nisaa di Kota Padang. Berdasarkan hasil analisa regresi logistik diperoleh koefisien regresi sebesar 0.033 (sig = 0.203). Pada tingkatan signifikan 0.203 > 0.05 artinya tidak ada pengaruh yang signifikan. Pada uji hipotesis diperoleh = 1.420 dan nilai = 1.6672. Dengan demikian < , maka H diterima dan H ditolak. Jadi biaya promosi tidak berpengaruh signifikan terhadap keputusan pembelian konsumen pada Jamu An-Nisaa di Kota Padang.
Men and women as perpetrators and victims of sexual aggression in heterosexual and same-sex encounters: a study of first-year college students in Germany.

This study examined the prevalence of sexual aggression and victimization in a large convenience sample of N = 2,149 first-year college students from different universities in Germany. Participants were asked about both victimization by, and perpetration of, sexual aggression since the age of 14. Both same-sex and heterosexual victim-perpetrator constellations were examined. Prevalence rates were established for different victim-perpetrator relationships (partners, acquaintances, strangers) and for incidents involving alcohol consumption by one or both partners. The overall perpetration rate was 13.2%, for men and 7.6% for women. The overall victimization rate was 35.9% for women and 19.4% for men. A disparity between victimization and perpetration reports was found for both men and women. Perpetration and victimization rates were highest among participants who had sexual contacts with both opposite-sex and same-sex partners. Sexual aggression and victimization rates were higher between current or former partners and acquaintances than between strangers. Alcohol consumption by one or both partners was involved in almost 75% of all victimization and almost 70% of all perpetration incidents. The findings portray a comprehensive picture of the scale of sexual aggression and victimization in college students with different sexual lifestyles.
A direct-concatenation approach to train hidden Markov models to recognize the highly confusing Mandarin syllables with very limited training data

The recognition of a total of 408 very confusing Mandarin syllables is very difficult because this vocabulary consists of 38 confusing sets, each of which can have as many as 19 syllables. The recognition of these 408 syllables becomes even more difficult when only very limited training data are available. A special direct-concatenation approach for training hidden Markov models (HMMs) to recognize these syllables with very limited training data is developed in which each syllable is divided into INITIAL and FINAL parts and 408 right-context-dependent INITIAL HMMs and 38 left-context-independent FINAL HMMs are separately trained and the transition region carefully taken account of, and then these INITIAL and FINAL HMMs are directly concatenated to form syllable recognition. Experimental results show that this approach can utilize the very limited training data most efficiently and provide significant improvements in recognition performance. Although the results are obtained for Mandarin syllables, the approach is believed to be equally helpful for the recognition of other confusing vocabularies. >
An Empirical Assessment

The concept of university-industry collaboration is an important social experiment in the nation's innovation system. This study examines the sustainability of this collabo- rative experience by focusing on the actual ''give-and-take'' outcomes between university faculty members and industrial firms. Based on two separate but similar surveys conducted in 1997, one for faculty members and another for industry tech- nology managers, the study reports that participants in re- search collaboration appear to realize significant benefits, some expected and others unexpected. The most significant benefit realized by firms is an increased access to new univer- sity research and discoveries, and the most significant benefits by faculty members is complementing their own academic research by securing funds for graduate students and lab equipment, and by seeking insights into their own research. Reflecting on their collaborative experience, an overwhelming majority of these participants say that in the future they would expand or at least sustain the present level of collaboration.
In vitro activity of ciprofloxacin compared with those of other new fluorinated piperazinyl-substituted quinoline derivatives

The in vitro antimicrobial activity of ciprofloxacin (Bay o 9867) was compared with those of the other new fluorated piperazinyl-substituted quinoline derivatives: norfloxacin, ofloxacin, and pefloxacin, as well as with those of the earlier analogs, nalidixic acid and oxolinic acid. Virtually no resistance against the new fluorated piperazinyl-substituted quinoline derivatives was observed. As a rule, ciprofloxacin was about four times more active in vitro than the other new fluorated piperazinyl-substituted quinoline derivatives. The antibacterial spectrum of the new fluorated piperazinyl-substituted quinoline derivatives included, among other susceptible species, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Streptococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus spp. , and members of the family Enterobacteriaceae. In the case of ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, and perfloxacin, anaerobes were included in the antibacterial spectrum as well. There was no cross resistance between the earlier analogs and the new fluorated piperazinyl-substituted quinoline derivatives. Regression analysis of MIC pairs for individual strains illustrated almost mathematical correlation between the antimicrobial activities of the quinoline derivatives.
Can patient selection for bladder preservation be based on response to chemotherapy?

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy for patients with muscle‐invasive bladder carcinoma is given to treat micrometastases and to preserve the bladder. The objective of this study was to evaluate the possibility of bladder preservation in patients with muscle‐invasive bladder carcinoma who were treated with neoadjuvant methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin, and cisplatin (M‐VAC) chemotherapy.
Enhancement of the immunogenicity of DNA replicon vaccine of Clostridium botulinum neurotoxin serotype A by GM-CSF gene adjuvant

Granulocyte-macrophage clony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) is an attractive adjuvant for a DNA vaccine on account of its ability to recruit antigen-presenting cells to the site of antigen synthesis as well as stimulate the maturation of dendritic cells.This study evaluated the utility of GM-CSF as a plasmid DNA replicon vaccine adjuvants for botulinum neurotoxin serotype A (BoNT/A) in mouse model. In balb/c mice that received the plasmid DNA replicon vaccines derived from Semliki Forest virus (SFV) carrying the Hc gene of BoNT/A (AHc), both antibody and lymphoproliferative response specific to AHc were induced, the immunogenicity was enhanced by co-delivery or coexpress of the GM-CSF gene. In particular, when AHc and GM-CSF were coexpressed within the SFV based DNA vaccine, the anti-AHc antibody titers and survival rates of immunized mice after challenged with BoNT/A were significantly increased, and further enhanced by coimmunization with aluminum phosphate adjuvant.
Mutational Evidence for an Internal Fusion Peptide in Flavivirus Envelope Protein E

ABSTRACT The envelope protein E of the flavivirus tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus promotes cell entry by inducing fusion of the viral membrane with an intracellular membrane after uptake by endocytosis. This protein differs from other well-studied viral and cellular fusion proteins because of its distinct molecular architecture and apparent lack of involvement of coiled coils in the low-pH-induced structural transitions that lead to fusion. A highly conserved loop (the cd loop), which resides at the distal tip of each subunit and is mostly buried in the subunit interface of the native E homodimer at neutral pH, has been hypothesized to function as an internal fusion peptide at low pH, but this has not yet been shown experimentally. It was predicted by examination of the X-ray crystal structure of the TBE virus E protein (F. A. Rey et al., Nature 375:291–298, 1995) that mutations at a specific residue within this loop (Leu 107) would not cause the native structure to be disrupted. We therefore introduced amino acid substitutions at this position and, using recombinant subviral particles, investigated the effects of these changes on fusion and related properties. Replacement of Leu with hydrophilic amino acids strongly impaired (Thr) or abolished (Asp) fusion activity, whereas a Phe mutant still retained a significant degree of fusion activity. Liposome coflotation experiments showed that the fusion-negative Asp mutant did not form a stable interaction with membranes at low pH, although it was still capable of undergoing the structural rearrangements required for fusion. These data support the hypothesis that the cd loop may be directly involved in interactions with target membranes during fusion.
An Integrated Mass Spectrometry-based Proteomic Approach

We developed an integrated proteomic approach to decipher in vivo protein-protein interactions and applied this strategy to globally map the 26 S proteasome interaction network in yeast. We termed this approach QTAX for quantitative analysis of tandem affinity purified in vivo cross-linked (X) protein complexes. For this work, in vivo formaldehyde cross-linking was used to freeze both stable and transient interactions occurring in intact cells prior to lysis. To isolate cross-linked protein complexes with high purification efficiency under fully denaturing conditions, a new tandem affinity tag consisting of a hexahistidine sequence and an in vivo biotinylation signal was adopted for affinity-based purification. Tandem affinity purification after in vivo cross-linking was combined with tandem mass spectrometry coupled with a quantitative SILAC (stable isotope labeling of amino acids in cell culture) strategy to carry out unambiguous protein identification and quantification of specific protein interactions. Using this method, we captured and identified the full composition of yeast 26 S proteasome complex as well as the two known ubiquitin receptors, Rad23 and Dsk2. Quantitative mass spectrometry analysis allowed us to distinguish specific proteasome-interacting proteins (PIPs) from background proteins and led to the identification of a total of 64 potential PIPs of which 42 are novel interactions. Among the 64 putative specific PIPs, there are ubiquitin pathway components, ubiquitinated substrates, chaperones, and transcription and translation regulators, demonstrating the efficacy of the developed approach in capturing in vivo protein interactions. The method offers an advanced technical approach to elucidate the dynamic protein interaction networks of the proteasome and can find a wide range of applications in the studies of other macromolecular protein complex interaction networks.
Outpatient Adverse Drug Events Identified by Screening Electronic Health Records

Objectives: Relatively little is known about rates of outpatient adverse drug events (ADEs), and most health systems do not routinely identify them. We developed a computerized ADE measurement process and used it to detect ADEs from electronic health records and then categorized them according to type, preventability, and severity. Methods: The rules used represent combinations of variables including coded medication names, laboratory results, diagnoses, and specific items such as symptoms from free text clinician notes, all obtained from electronic health records. Rules targeted various diagnostic and laboratory abnormalities potentially caused by a broad range of outpatient medications commonly used in primary care. The rules were run on 4 months of data on primary care patients seen in the outpatient setting in 2 large health systems; possible incidents were identified by chart review and validated as ADEs by clinician reviewers, then rated by severity and preventability. Results: The rates of ADEs were 75 ADEs/1000 person-years and 198/1000 person-years at the 2 sites, respectively. The overall rate was 138 ADEs/1000 person-years across the 2 sites. Eleven percent of ADEs were preventable, with a rate of 15 preventable ADEs/1000 person-years across sites. Approximately one-fourth of ADEs were serious or life threatening at both sites. The highest yield rules for identifying preventable ADEs included rules based on drug classes and symptoms, and drug-laboratory rules. Conclusions: Adverse drug events occurred frequently in routine outpatient care, and many were serious and preventable. Computerized monitoring represents an efficacious approach for identifying ambulatory ADEs, although it needs additional refinement. In addition, site-specific variations need further exploration.
Influence of clarithromycin dosage on pantoprazole combined triple therapy for eradication of Helicobacter pylori

Low‐dose clarithromycin (250 mg b.d.) in combination with omeprazole and metronidazole has been recommended for the eradication of Helicobacter pylori. Whether the substitution of omeprazole by pantoprazole requires adjustment of the clarithromycin dose is not known.