Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Regulation of Escherichia coli purA by purine repressor, one component of a dual control mechanism

Escherichia coli purA encodes adenylosuccinate synthetase, one of two enzymes required for synthesis of AMP from IMP. purA is subject to two- to threefold regulation by purR and about twofold regulation by a purR-independent mechanism. The 5'-flanking region of purA confers purR-dependent transcriptional regulation of purA but not the purR-independent regulation. Two operator sites in the 5'-flanking region which bind purine repressor in vitro and are required for in vivo regulation were identified. The purR-independent regulation may be posttranscriptional. It is now established that all transcription units involved in de novo synthesis of purine nucleotides, nine pur operons, as well as purR itself and guaBA, are subject to purR control.
Veterans Affairs Health System and mental health treatment retention among patients with serious mental illness: evaluating accessibility and availability barriers.

OBJECTIVE We examine the impact of two dimensions of access-geographic accessibility and availability-on VA health system and mental health treatment retention among patients with serious mental illness (SMI). METHODS Among 156,631 patients in the Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder in fiscal year 1998 (FY98), we used Cox proportional hazards regression to model time to first 12-month gap in health system utilization, and in mental health services utilization, by the end of FY02. Geographic accessibility was operationalized as straight-line distance to nearest VA service site or VA psychiatric service site, respectively. Service availability was assessed using county-level VA hospital beds and non-VA beds per 1,000 county residents. Patients who died without a prior gap in care were censored. RESULTS There were 32, 943 patients (21 percent) with a 12-month gap in health system utilization; 65,386 (42 percent) had a 12-month gap in mental health services utilization. Gaps in VA health system utilization were more likely if patients were younger, nonwhite, unmarried, homeless, nonservice-connected, if they had bipolar disorder, less medical morbidity, an inpatient stay in FY98, or if they lived farther from care or in a county with fewer VA inpatient beds. Similar relationships were observed for mental health, however being older, female, and having greater morbidity were associated with increased risks of gaps, and number of VA beds was not significant. CONCLUSIONS Geographic accessibility and resource availability measures were associated with long-term continuity of care among patients with SMI. Increased distance from providers was associated with greater risks of 12-month gaps in health system and mental health services utilization. Lower VA inpatient bed availability was associated with increased risks of gaps in health system utilization. Study findings may inform efforts to improve treatment retention.
High-stakes Standardized Testing in Nigeria and the Erosion of a Critical African Worldview

This thesis investigates the practice of high-stakes standardized testing in Nigeria. Examining its colonial histories, its philosophical incongruities with African indigenous education, and its neocolonial foundations, it argues that high-stakes testing in Nigeria facilitates the erosion of a critical African worldview. It demonstrates that through highstakes testing’s reproduction of social and regional inequalities, the unethicality of its systems and practices as well as its exemplification of Freire’s concept of normative and non liberatory education as the “practice of domination”; high-stakes standardized testing in Nigeria seamlessly fits into the neo-colonial and neoliberal logic of education as a site of psychological colonization and the material exploitation of the people by the ruling elite.
Physician–nurse practitioner teams in chronic disease management: the impact on costs, clinical effectiveness, and patients' perception of care

Increasing demand to deliver and document therapeutic and preventive care sharpens the need for disease management strategies that accomplish these goals efficiently while preserving quality of care. The purpose of this study was to compare selected outcomes for a new chronic disease management program involving a nurse practitioner - physician team with those of an existing model of care. One hundred fifty-seven patients with hypertension and diabetes mellitus were randomly assigned to their primary care physician and a nurse practitioner or their primary care physician alone. Costs for personnel directly involved in patient management, calculated from hourly rates and encounter time with patients, and pre- and post-study glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), satisfaction with care and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) were assessed. Although 1-year costs for personnel were higher in the team-treated group, participants experienced significant improvements in mean HbA1c ( − 0.7%, p = 0.02) and HDL-c ( + 2.6 mg dL − 1, p = 0.02). Additionally, satisfaction with care improved significantly for team-treated subjects in several sub-scales whereas the mean change over time in HRQoL did not differ significantly between groups. This study demonstrates the value of a complementary team approach to chronic disease management in improving patient-derived and clinical outcomes at modest incremental costs.
The epidemiology of labor induction: Arizona, 1997.

OBJECTIVE This study was undertaken to describe labor induction risk factors and consequences among women with term singleton gestations with vertex presentation. STUDY DESIGN Arizona births in 1997 (N = 65,607) were studied by means of stratified analysis and logistic regression. RESULTS Labor induction occurred in 20.3% (n = 13,288). Labor induction risk factors were as follows: race or ethnicity (white non-Hispanic 25.3%; Hispanic, 13.9%; foreign-born Hispanic, 10.3%; and US-born Hispanic, 18.5%), education (<12 years, 14.1%; >12 years, 24.6%), payor (private insurance, 24.5%; Medicaid, 16.7%), hospital type (government controlled, 13.7%; investor owned, 30.5%). Race or ethnicity and hospital type remained important determinants of labor induction in the multivariate analysis. Relative risks of cesarean delivery with labor induction were as follows: nulliparous, 1.38; parous with no previous cesarean delivery, 1.00; and parous with previous cesarean delivery, 0.50. CONCLUSION Large variations in labor induction were noted across maternal ethnicity and hospital type categories. Labor induction increased cesarean delivery rates among nulliparous women, whereas no increase was seen among parous women with no previous cesarean delivery. Labor induction was used less often among those with previous cesarean delivery; when it was used in this group, however, it was associated with a lower cesarean delivery rate.
Expression Profile Analysis of Zinc Transporters (ZIP4, ZIP9, ZIP11, ZnT9) in Gliomas and their Correlation with IDH1 Mutation Status.

BACKGROUND Zinc transporters have been considered as essential regulators in many cancers; however, their mechanisms remain unknown, especially in gliomas. Isocitrate dehydrogenase 1(IDH1) mutation is crucial to glioma. This study aimed to investigate whether zinc transporters are correlated with glioma grade and IDH1 mutation status. MATERIALS AND METHODS IDH1 mutation status and mRNA expression of four zinc transporters (ZIP4, ZIP9, ZIP11, and ZnT9) were determined by subjecting a panel of 74 glioma tissue samples to quantitative real-time PCR and pyrosequencing. The correlations between the expression levels of these zinc transporter genes and the grade of glioma, as well as IDH1 mutation status, were investigated. RESULTS Among the four zinc transporter genes, high ZIP4 expression and low ZIP11 expression were significantly associated with higher grade (grades III and IV) tumors compared with lower grade (grades I and II) counterparts (p<0.0001). However, only ZIP11 exhibited weak correlation with IDH1 mutation status (p=0.045). Samples with mutations in IDH1 displayed higher ZIP11 expression than those without IDH1 mutations. CONCLUSIONS This finding indicated that zinc transporters may interact with IDH1 mutation by direct modulation or action in some shared pathways or genes to promote the development of glioma. Zinc transporters may play an important role in glioma. ZIP4 and ZIP11 are promising molecular diagnostic markers and novel therapeutic targets. Nevertheless, the detailed biological function of zinc transporters and the mechanism of the potential interaction between ZIP11 and IDH1 mutation in gliomagenesis should be further investigated.
Rescuing Troubled Software Projects by Team Transformation: A Case Study With an ERP Project

Many software projects fail, whether failure is measured in terms of budget, schedule, or some other requirement. The causes of such failures are many, but are not always easily recognized. This is not the least due to the human dimension of corporate activities, as spurious or misdiagnosed issues in Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) projects can take on a life of their own and become a magnet for company politics. This paper reports an industrial case in which the senior management attempted to deal with a troubled ERP implementation (SAP R/3) in an international fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) company during 2001 and 2002. This paper reflects this dimension as it uses original emails and PowerPoint slides to recount a number of representative episodes in a troubled but ultimately successful project. At the heart of this success is the realization that whereas it can be difficult and time-consuming to do root-cause analyses, it is relatively simple to identify problem owners. In this case, the senior management without IT backgrounds turned around a failing project by reorganizing the team structure according to process areas so that issues in each process area had one problem owner. We summarize the management's actions into a troubleshooting framework, and in addition, suggest three actions for rescuing troubled projects: keep the project manager but narrow down the manager's scope of responsibility to one or two process areas; assign the right people to be responsible for other process areas; and have the General Manager chair the ERP meetings.
Genetic relationships and additive genetic variation of productive and reproductive traits in Guernsey dairy cattle.

Data were first lactation production and reproduction records initiated from 1958 to 1981 in two experiment station Guernsey herds. Heritability estimates using paternal half sib groups were . 24 +/- . 12 for milk yield, . 27 +/- . 12 for fat yield, and . 77 +/- . 15 for fat percentage. Heritability estimates for reproductive traits ranged from . 01 to . 04 for number of services, service period, conception rate, and days open, but were higher for days in milk at first breeding (.12) and age at first calving (.13). Except for age at first calving, coefficients of additive genetic variation were larger for reproductive traits than for productive traits. Genetic correlations between measures of production and reproduction were moderate to large and antagonistic, except that the relationship between production and age at first calving was favorable. Breeding value estimates for milk yield and reproduction were negatively correlated for sires with above average breeding values for milk yield. Huge phenotypic variances for reproductive traits masked substantial additive genetic variation for these traits. When all things are considered it seems unwise to ignore reproductive performance in selection programs for dairy cattle.
Determining the presence or absence of middle ear disorders: an evidence-based systematic review on the diagnostic accuracy of selected assessment instruments.

PURPOSE To conduct an evidence-based systematic review on the state of the evidence and the diagnostic accuracy of multifrequency tympanometry (MFT), 1000 Hz tympanometry, and wideband acoustic transfer functions in determining the presence or absence of middle ear disorders. METHOD A systematic search of the literature published between 1975 and 2011 was conducted. Articles meeting the selection criteria were appraised by 2 reviewers and vetted by a 3rd for methodological quality. RESULTS Ten studies were included and focused on participants with otosclerosis or otitis media. Two studies investigated 1000 Hz tympanometry, 7 examined MFT, and 2 addressed wideband reflectance (WBR). Methodological quality varied. Positive likelihood ratios (LR+) were predominantly uninformative for MFT and were mixed for 1000 Hz tympanometry. LR+ values for WBR ranged from diagnostically suggestive to informative. Negative likelihood ratios (LR-) for 1000 Hz tympanometry and WBR were at least diagnostically suggestive. LR- values for MFT were mixed, with half considered clinically uninformative and half considered diagnostically suggestive. CONCLUSIONS Although some of the results are promising, limited evidence and methodological considerations restrict the conclusions that can be drawn regarding the diagnostic accuracy of these technologies. Additional investigations are needed to determine which tools can most accurately predict middle ear status.
Preoperative levosimendan in heart failure patients undergoing noncardiac surgery.

BACKGROUND Heart failure (HF) is a major cause of perioperative morbidity and mortality in noncardiac surgery. Preoperative optimisation of these patients is, thus, of utmost importance. Levosimendan seems promising for patients undergoing cardiac surgery; however, its safety and efficacy in HF patients undergoing noncardiac surgery have not been evaluated. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effects of prophylactic preoperative levosimendan administration on left ventricular function in HF patients undergoing noncardiac surgery. METHODS HF patients with ejection fraction <30%undergoing elective noncardiac surgery in 2005 were included in this prospective study. Patients were admitted to our surgical intensive care unit one day preoperatively. Under continuous haemodynamic monitoring, the treatment protocol consisted of an initial loading dose (24 microg/kg) for ten minutes followed by a continuous 24-hour infusion (0.1 microg/kg/min) at the end of which patients underwent surgery. Echocardiography was performed before infusion (day 0) and on the 7th postinfusion day (day 7). Measurements included left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), velocity time integral(VTI), pre-ejection period (PEP), ejection time (ET),maximum (Pmax) and minimum P(min) transvalvular aortic pressure gradient, and maximum (Vmax) and minimum V(min) aortic velocity. RESULTS Twelve consecutive patients were enrolled. Levosimendan resulted in a significant increase in LVEF,VTI, P(max), P(min), V(max), and V(min) (p<0.01) and, moreover, a significant reduction in PEP, ET, and PEP/ET (p=0.04) on day 7 compared with day 0 values. No adverse reactions,complications or mortality occurred during 30-day follow-up. CONCLUSION Prophylactic preoperative levosimendan treatment may be safe and efficient for perioperative optimisation of heart failure patients undergoing noncardiac surgery.
Skeletal alterations in hypophysectomized rats: I. A histomorphometric study on tibial cancellous bone

Background: Hypophysectomy (HX) results in a cessation of bone growth and a decrease in bone metabolism. The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of HX on the static and dynamic histomorphometry of cancellous bone in the secondary spongiosa of the proximal tibial metaphysis in rats.
Personal Financial Literacy Among U.S. Medical Students

Background: Personal financial literacy is associated with successfully managing debt, investing for retirement, and coping with financial strain. Though medical students occupy a financially unique niche due to high debt, little is known about their financial literacy. In this study, the authors’ objective was to assess financial literacy among medical students and to evaluate demographic, educational, and financial factors associated with financial literacy. Methods: In March to April 2015, the authors administered a cross-sectional survey to all first(M1) and fourthyear (M4) medical students at seven geographically distributed U.S. medical schools. The survey measured performance on a financial literacy assessment, educational debt burden, and past retirement contributions. Results: The survey response rate was 37.5% (1052/2806). Students answered 47.4% of the financial literacy questions correctly. Factors associated with higher (above-the-median) financial literacy performance included male gender (Odds ratio [OR] = 2.19; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.70–2.83; P <0.01), joint MD/MBA degree (OR = 2.47, 95% CI: 1.24–4.90; P = 0.02), finance-related undergraduate major (OR = 5.79, 95% CI: 1.02–32.92; P = 0.05), self-assessed financial knowledge (OR = 1.79, 95% CI: 1.45–2.20; P <0.01), and confidence in personal financial management (OR = 1.19, 95% CI: 1.01–1.42; P = 0.05). Financial literacy among M4s who had received school-provided personal financial counseling or information was not significantly higher than those who had not received it (50.7% vs. 50.0%, P = 0.79). A 1 percentage point increase in financial literacy performance was associated with a 3% increase in the odds of contributing to a tax-advantaged retirement account (OR = 1.03, 95% CI: 1.02–1.05; P <0.01) and over a $600 decrease in debt (β = -$642, 95% CI: -$1123–$161; P <0.01). Discussion: Financial literacy among both first-year and fourth-year U.S. medical students was low. Schoolprovided personal financial counseling or information for fourth-year students was not associated with improved Jayakumar K, Larkin D, Ginzberg S, Patel M MedEdPublish https://doi.org/10.15694/mep.2017. 000035 Page | 2 financial literacy. Students with higher financial literacy incurred less debt and were more likely to invest for retirement.
Bacterial luciferase alpha beta fusion protein is fully active as a monomer and highly sensitive in vivo to elevated temperature.

A 2.2-kilobase-pair (kbp) DNA fragment from Vibrio harveyi contains the luxA and luxB genes separated by a 26-base-pair (bp) intergenic region. The two genes were converted to a single open reading frame by site-specific mutagenesis. A full-length fusion protein is obtained when the new gene is placed under transcriptional control of a T7 promoter in Escherichia coli. Bioluminescence of colonies containing the gene fusion is 0.002% of the wild-type luciferase [alkanal monooxygenase (FMN-linked); alkanal, reduced-FMN:oxygen oxidoreductase (1-hydroxylating, luminescing), EC 1.14. 14.3] at 37 degrees C. Growth at 23 degrees C results in a greater than 50,000-fold increase in light emission in cells containing fusion protein, whereas only a 3-fold increase in observed with cells containing the luxAB dicistron. Purified fusion protein isolated from E. coli grown at 19 degrees C exists in both monomeric and dimeric forms with specific bioluminescence activities comparable to the heterodimeric wild-type enzyme at 23 degrees C and 37 degrees C. These findings show that the alpha beta fusion polypeptide is functional as a monomer and suggest that its folding is drastically affected at elevated temperature. We hypothesize that the two-subunit bacterial luciferase may have evolved from a monomer as a result of a temperature increase in the environment.
Characteristics of the dysarthria of multiple system atrophy.

OBJECTIVE To characterize the dysarthria in patients with multiple system atrophy (MSA). DESIGN Motor speech examinations, consisting of oral motor, oral agility, and perceptual speech analysis, were performed on 46 patients with MSA. SETTING University department of neurology referral center. RESULTS All patients had dysarthria with combinations of hypokinesia, ataxia, or spasticity. Thirty-two patients had all 3 components, 13 had 2 components, and 1 had only 1 component. In most patients the hypokinetic components were the most severe. Hypokinetic components predominated in 22 patients (48%), whereas ataxic components predominated in 16 (35%), and spastic components in 5 (11%). In 1 patient (2%) the hypokinetic and spastic components were equal and greater than the ataxic components, and in 1 patient (2%) the hypokinetic and ataxic components were equal and greater than the spastic components. One patient (2%) had only ataxic dysarthria. The predominant type of dysarthria corresponded well to the subtype of MSA. CONCLUSIONS The finding of a mixed dysarthria with combinations of hypokinetic, ataxic, and spastic components is consistent with both the overall clinical and the neuropathologic changes in MSA. Motor speech examination can provide helpful information in evaluating patients who might have MSA.
Attitudes Toward Buying Online

A survey of 11 positive features and 10 discouraging features of online shopping was carried out on 180 students and identified certain behavioral patterns for online shoppers versus non-shoppers. It was found that online shoppers have consistently stronger positive feelings about online shopping than do non-shoppers. On the other hand, non-shoppers have more negative feelings about online shopping than do shoppers, but not consistently so. Online shoppers are aware of some of the discouraging features of online shopping, but these features do not deter them from shopping online. The implication for marketers is that they should focus on making the experience of online shopping more accommodating and more user-friendly since the positive features of online shopping ("convenience" and "efficiency") appear to be more important than the negative features ("effort/impersonality").
Structural characterization of the epitope recognized by the new anti‐Fy6 monoclonal antibody NaM185‐2C3

Summary The epitope recognized by a new anti‐Fy6 monoclonal antibody (MoAb) (clone name: NaM185‐2C3) was characterized using peptides synthesized on pins (Epitope scanning kit). The clone was obtained from splenocytes of mice immunized with CHO cells expressing the recombinant Duffy glycoprotein. NaM185‐2C3 recognized a linear epitope, the essential portion of which was pentapeptide Phe‐Glu‐Asp‐Val‐Trp comprising amino acid residues 22–26 of the main (336 aa) isoform of the Duffy antigen. All the amino acid residues of the epitope, except Asp, were essential for the antibody‐binding, because they could not be replaced by any or most other amino acid residues. The Asp residue could be replaced by most other amino acid residues and its replacement by some amino acid residues gave a distinct increase in the antibody‐binding. The MoAb NaM185–2C3, similarly as other anti‐Fy6 antibodies, inhibits interleukin (IL)‐8‐binding to the Duffy antigen. A part of the results was presented at ISBT meeting ( Blanchard et al., 1998 , Vox Sanguinis, 74, S1, Abstract no. 71).