Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Identification of Sat, an autotransporter toxin produced by uropathogenic Escherichia coli

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a very common extraintestinal infection, and Escherichia coli is by far the most common causative organism. Uropathogenic E. coli possess traits that distinguish them from commensal strains of E. coli, such as secretion systems that allow virulence factors to be targeted to extracytoplasmic compartments. One of at least five characterized secretion mechanisms is the autotransporter system, which involves translocation of a protein across the inner membrane, presumably via the sec system, and across the outer membrane through a β‐barrel porin structure formed by the carboxy‐terminus autotransporter domain. We identified a 107 kDa protein that was expressed significantly more often by E. coli strains associated with the clinical syndrome of acute pyelonephritis than by faecal strains (P = 0.029). We isolated the protein from E. coli CFT073, a strain cultured from the blood and urine of a patient with acute pyelonephritis. The N‐terminal amino acid sequence showed highest similarity to two known SPATE (serine protease autotransporters of Enterobacteriaceae) proteins, Pet and EspC. Using a 509 bp probe from the 5′ region of pet, 10 cosmid clones of an E. coli CFT073 gene library were positive for hybridization. From one cosmid clone, a 7.5 kb EcoRI restriction fragment, which reacted strongly with the probe, was shown to include the entire 3885 bp gene. The predicted 142 kDa protein product possesses the three domains that are typical of SPATE autotransporters: an unusually long signal sequence of 49 amino acids; a 107 kDa passenger domain containing a consensus serine protease active site (GDSGSG); and a C‐terminal autotransporter domain of 30 kDa. The protein exhibited serine protease activity and displayed cytopathic activity on VERO primary kidney, HK‐2 bladder and HEp‐2 cell lines; the name Sat (secreted autotransporter toxin) was derived from these properties. In addition, Sat antibodies were present in the serum of mice infected with E. coli CFT073. Based upon its association with pathogenic isolates, its cytopathic phenotype and its ability to elicit a strong antibody response after infection, we postulate that Sat represents a novel virulence determinant of uropathogenic E. coli.
Is intra-operative blood flow predictive for early failure of radiocephalic arteriovenous fistula?

BACKGROUND For over 50 years, radiocephalic wrist arteriovenous fistulae (RCAVF) have been the primary and best vascular access for haemodialysis. Nevertheless, early failure due to thrombosis or non-maturation is a major complication resulting in their abandonment. This prospective study was designed to investigate the predictive value of intra-operative blood flow on early failure of primary RCAVF before the first effective dialysis. METHODS We enrolled patients undergoing creation of primary RCAVF for haemodialysis based on the pre-operative ultrasound vascular mapping discussed in a multidisciplinary approach. Intra-operative blood flow measurement was systematically performed once the anastomosis had been completed using a transit-time ultrasonic flowmeter. During the follow-up, blood flow was estimated by colour flow ultrasound at various intervals. Any events related to the RCAVF were recorded. RESULTS Autogenous RCAVFs (n = 58) in 58 patients were constructed and followed up for an average of 30 days. Thrombosis and non-maturation occurred in eight (14%) and four (7%) patients, respectively. The intra-operative blood flow in functioning RCAVFs was significantly higher compared to non-functioning RCAVFs (230 vs 98 mL/min; P = 0.007), as well as 1 week (753 vs 228 mL/min; P = 0.0008) and 4 weeks (915 vs 245 mL/min, P < 0.0001) later. Blood flow volume measurements with a cut-off value of 120 mL/min had a sensitivity of 67%, specificity of 75% and positive predictive value of 91%. CONCLUSIONS Blood flow <120 mL has a good predictive value for early failure in RCAVF. During the procedure, this cut-off value may be used to select appropriately which RCAVF should be investigated in the operation theatre in order to correct in real time any abnormality.
Human Capital in The Classroom: The Role of Teacher Knowledge in Economic Literacy

Renewed emphasis on increasing student academic achievement highlights the importance of improving educational quality despite limited educational budgets. This paper illustrates that investing in teachers' human capital has significant returns in the classroom. Using test and survey data on the educational background of teachers, we show that teacher knowledge and training have a significant impact on student performance and classroom productivity. Specifically, formal college-level instruction, learning by doing, and explicit measures of economic understanding all play important roles. Additionally, the data show that general in-service training is an imperfect substitute for formal education in economics. These results can be used to guide educational research, instructional programming, and school reform at the state and local levels.
CE‐ESI‐MS metabolic fingerprinting of Leishmania resistance to antimony treatment

Metabolomics has become an invaluable tool to unveil biology of pathogens, with immediate application to chemotherapy. It is currently accepted that there is not one single technique capable of obtaining the whole metabolic fingerprint of a biological system either due to their different physical‐chemical properties or concentrations. In this work, we have explored the capability of capillary electrophoresis mass spectrometry with a sheathless interface with electrospray ionization (CE‐ESI‐TOF‐MS) to separate metabolites in order to be used as a complementary technique to LC. As proof of concept, we have compared the metabolome of Leishmania infantum promastigotes BCN 150 (Sb (III) IC50 = 20.9 μM) and its variation when treated with 120 μM of Sb(III) potassium tartrate for 12 h, as well as with its Sb(III) resistant counterpart obtained by growth of the parasites under increasing Sb(III) in a step‐wise manner up to 180 μM. The number of metabolites compared were of 264 for BCN150 Sb(III) treated versus nontreated and of 195 for Sb(III) resistant versus susceptible parasites. After successive data filtering, differences in seven metabolites identified in databases for Leishmania pathways, showed the highest significant differences, corresponding mainly to amino acids or their metabolite surrogates. Most of them were assigned to sulfur containing amino acids and polyamine biosynthetic pathways, of special relevance considering the deterioration of the thiol‐dependent redox metabolism in Leishmania by Sb(III). Given the low concentrations typical for most of these metabolites, the assay can be considered a success that should be explored for new biological questions.
Cloning, expression, and characterization of thermophilic L‐asparaginase from Thermococcus kodakarensis KOD1

The present study demonstrates cloning, expression, and characterization of hyperthermostable L‐asparaginase from Thermococcus kodakarensis KOD1 in Escherichia coli BLR(DE3). The recombinant 6× His‐tagged protein L‐asparaginase from T. kodakarensis (TkAsn), was purified to homogeneity by heat treatment followed by affinity chromatography using a nickel‐nitrilotriacetic acid (Ni‐NTA) column. The molecular mass of the purified enzyme was found to be approximately 37 kDa by sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS–PAGE). The enzymatic properties, such as optimum temperature and pH, were 90 °C and 8.0, respectively. Its appearent Km, Vmax, and Kcat values were 2.6 mM, 1121 µmol min−1 mg−1, and 694 S−1, respectively. The enzyme displayed high thermal stability at optimum temperature with an insignificant loss in enzymatic activity, retaining almost 90% of its activity over a time period of 32 h. The relative activity of the enzyme was significantly inhibited by the supplementation of Cu2+ and Ni2+ ions, while moderately inhibited by other ions. In contrast, Mg2+ ions enhanced the relative activity compared to the control. The acrylamide contents in baked dough were reduced to sixty percent after treatment with recombinant TkAsn as compared to the untreated control. Results of the present study revealed that the enzyme was highly active at broader range of temperatures and pH, which reflect the potential of recombinant TkAsn in the food processing industry. In addition, the high thermal stability of the enzyme may facilitates its handling, storage, and transportation.
Psychometric properties of the Norwegian Impact of Event Scale-Revised in a non-clinical sample

Background: Despite the widespread use of the Impact of Event Scale to measure post-traumatic stress symptoms, psychometric evaluations of the scale have revealed mixed findings. Aim: The aim of the present study is to provide new empirical evidence and examine the factor structure, reliability, and predictive validity of the Norwegian version of the IES-R. Methods: Posttraumatic stress symptoms were recorded in a student sample (n=312) 3 weeks after the Southeast Asian tsunami disaster in December 2004. Confirmatory factor analyses of the IES-R behavior items using structural equation modeling (SEM) were performed on four models from existing research. Results: The original three-factor model of intrusion, avoidance and hyperarousal symptoms exhibited the best goodness-of-fit indices when defined as oblique. The IES-R also revealed satisfactory reliability. Symptom levels of intrusion and avoidance were moderate, while hyperarousal scores were low, with a significant gender difference. Conclusion: Taken together, the IES-R revealed good psychometric properties in this nonclinical student sample and could be a useful instrument to assess and follow-up on PTSD symptoms after a certain identified trauma.
Assessing expressed emotion: comparing Camberwell Family Interview and Five‐minute Speech Sample ratings for mothers of children with behaviour problems

Little is known of the concordance between ratings of expressed emotion (EE) derived from the Camberwell Family Interview (CFI) and Five‐minute Speech Sample (FMSS) for parents of children with behaviour problems. Concordance between CFI and FMSS ratings of EE was assessed prior to intervention and compared to parent‐rated behaviour after intervention, at follow‐up, 12 months later. Female primary caretakers of 75 children (3–10 years) showing behavioural difficulties were interviewed using FMSS and CFI. Interviews were coded independently by criterion‐standard raters. Using CFI, 57 families were classified high EE, and 18 low EE. Using FMSS, 65 families were classified high EE and 10 low EE. 55/75 pairs of ratings (73%) were the same (high, n = 51: low, n = 4) and 20 mothers (27%) were allocated different EE status (Kappa = 0.14, n.s.). The FMSS ratings at initial interview appeared more closely related to behaviour rating at follow‐up than CFI. Further investigation is required to establish comparability of CFI and FMSS results for carers of children. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Much Ado about Nothing? The Wage Penalty of Holding a PhD Degree but Not a PhD Job Position ☆

This paper contributes to the literature on overeducation by empirically investigating its effects on wages among Ph.D. holders. We analyze data collected in 2009 by the Italian National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) through a large cross-sectional survey of Ph.D. recipients that allowed us observing their work placement few years after the completion of their studies. We extend previous contributions by providing an analysis based on the identification of genuine overeducation as resulting from the interaction of respondents' assessments that concern the usefulness of their Ph.D. title in order to get and to carry out their current job. The potential endogeneity of self-reported genuine overeducation is corrected by using an instrumental variables approach where the provincial incidence of overeducation among those that share the same educational profile of respondents is used as instrument. Our results suggest that genuine over-education is particularly detrimental for individual wages. It leads to a wage penalty of about between 23% and 25%, more than twice bigger than average, a sizeable gap for the country's compressed wage structure. These results allow us to better understanding the effects of job-education mismatch and provide some useful insights into the evaluation of the career outcomes of doctoral graduates.
Differences in the Magneto-Impedance of FeNi/Cu/FeNi Multilayers With Open and Closed Magnetic Path

The performance of the magnetoimpedance effect in terms of magnitude and sensibility is evaluated for two FeNi/Cu/FeNi multilayer structures with different geometries, such that in one of them the magnetic layers are in contact at the edges, presenting a closed magnetic path that is absent in the other. Magnetization measurements by Kerr effect and magnetic domain observations are used to characterize the samples. The results show that the sample with the closed magnetic path performs better, reaching a value of 38 % of variation of the impedance and a sensibility of about 5%/Oe at 325 MHz. However, at lower frequencies the sample with open magnetic path presents higher values of the magnetoimpedance effect and its sensitivity than the one with the closed magnetic path. Finite element simulations confirm that this behavior is a direct consequence of the geometry of the samples.
The human rights turn: ENGOs’ changing tactics in the quest for a more transparent, participatory and accountable CDM

ABSTRACT Non-state actors are increasingly participating in international climate diplomacy. The tactics employed by diverse civil society agents to influence climate policymaking are radicalizing through the adoption of more confrontational language. Activist groups have been seeking opportunities to influence policymakers regarding the rules related to transparency, public participation and accountability in the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). By scrutinizing efforts of three environmental NGOs (ENGOs) – Climate Action Network, Center for International Environmental Law and Carbon Market Watch – the analysis concentrates on what tactical shifts have occurred in the framing positions and approaches of these activists during the 1997–2015 period. After several years of legal advocacy, expertise and/or critique in an effort to reform input legitimacy of CDM governance, the selected ENGOs have recently drifted away from narratives of green governmentality and ecological modernization and, instead, radicalized their rhetorical tactics by turning to a human rights perspective under the umbrella of climate justice.
Effect of chemical chaperone addition on production and aggregation of recombinant flag‐tagged COMP‐angiopoietin 1 in chinese hamster ovary cells

To investigate the effect of chemical chaperones on the production and aggregation of flag‐tagged cartilage oligomeric matrix protein‐Angiopoietin1 (FCA1) in recombinant Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, CHO cells were cultivated in serum‐free media with various chemical chaperones, 1 mM 4‐phenylbutyrate (4‐PBA), 200 mM proline, 3% glycerol, 2% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), and without chemical chaperone as control. The addition of chemical chaperones enhanced FCA1 production and specific FCA1 productivity, qFCA1. For example, the qFCA1 at 200 mM proline was fourfold higher than that at control. Unlike qFCA1, the aggregation of FCA1 was strongly affected by which chemical chaperone was added. The addition of 2% DMSO and 200 mM proline significantly reduced the proportion of aggregates, but the addition of 1 mM 4‐PBA and 3% glycerol was hardly effective. The proportions of aggregates were 29.5 and 55.6% at 2% DMSO and 200 mM proline, respectively, whereas it was 79.6% at control. The exact mechanism how chemical chaperones affected the aggregation of FCA1 was not investigated in this study, and therefore, more extensive works will be needed to clarify why different chemical chaperones behaved differently in reducing the aggregation of FCA1. Among chemical chaperones tested, DMSO was the most effective one in regard to enhancing the production and reducing the aggregation of FCA1 in CHO cells. © 2011 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog. , 2011
One-Year Prevalence of Migraine in Sweden: A Population-Based Study in Adults

A randomly selected sample of 1668 individuals (782 women and 886 men) aged 18–74 years was interviewed by telephone using a standardized questionnaire including the International Headache Society (IHS) criteria for migraine. The survey was performed by SIFO, the national public opinion poll agency. The results obtained demonstrate that 21% of the Swedish population had suffered from severe headaches during the past year. A majority of these headache sufferers (61%) fulfilled the IHS-criteria for migraine. The 1-year prevalence of migraine in Sweden was found to be 13.2 ± 1.9% (16.7% among women and 9.5% among men). The prevalence of migraine in this Swedish population did not differ between the northern, middle and southern part of Sweden, or between urban and rural areas or different income groups. Only about half (49%) of the migraineurs had been diagnosed by a physician. Among the individuals who fulfilled the IHS criteria for migraine the mean attack-frequency was 1.3 per month and the mean attack-duration was 19 h. If the duration of the attack was disregarded as a strict criterion for migraine (attacks < 4 h and > 72 h were included), the prevalence increased to 17.0 ± 1.9% without affecting the sex distribution. With this amendment, 92% of those who considered their headaches to be migraine or migraine-like in fact fulfilled the alternative criteria for migraine. However, only 76% of those who believed that they had migraine or migraine-like headaches fulfilled the strict IHS criteria for migraine. An extension of the time window from 4 to 72 h may be reasonable both from a pragmatic and from a rational clinical point of view.
Economic Inequality and Class Consciousness

Do contexts of greater income inequality spur the disadvantaged to achieve a class consciousness vital to contesting the fairness of the economic system and demanding more redistribution? One prominent recent publication, the 2015 study by Newman, Johnston, and Lown, argues that simple exposure to higher levels of local income inequality lead low-income people to view the United States as divided into haves and have-nots and to see themselves as among the have-nots, that is, to become more likely to achieve such a class consciousness. Here, we show that this sanguine conclusion is at best supported only in analyses of the single survey presented in that study. There is no evidence that higher levels of income inequality produce greater class consciousness among those with low incomes in other similar but neglected surveys.
Lethal and mutagenic actions of N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine potentiated by oxidized glutathione, a seemingly harmless substance in the cellular environment

Both the lethal and the mutagenic actions of N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) on cells of Streptococcus pneumoniae were greatly potentiated by a component of yeast extract added to the cellular environment. This component was found to be an oxidation product of glutathione, glutathione disulfide (GSSG). At low concentrations in the medium, both GSSG and glutathione potentiated MNNG action, but at high concentrations, glutathione (and other sulfhydryl compounds) abolished the effect. Point mutations in a cellular gene conferred resistance to the potentiating effect, and they blocked uptake of either GSSG or glutathione into the cells as well. This gene apparently encodes a component of the system for glutathione transport in S. pneumoniae. The mechanism by which GSSG, an apparently innocuous substance in the environment, renders low levels of MNNG genotoxic and cytotoxic thus depends on its transport into the cell, where it is reduced by glutathione reductase and then activates intracellular MNNG. Also, it was observed that mutants of S. pneumoniae defective in DNA mismatch repair are more resistant to MNNG than are wild-type cells by a factor of 2.5.
Nonmyeloablative allogeneic stem cell transplantation in elderly patients with hematological malignancies: Results from the GITMO (Gruppo Italiano Trapianto Midollo Osseo) multicenter prospective clinical trial

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a nonmyeloablative conditioning consisting of fludarabine and TBI in patients aged ≥60 years.A total of 32 patients (median age 62 years; range 60–70) with hematological malignancies were treated with fludarabine (30 mg/m2 × 3–5 days) and 200 cCy TBI followed by allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) from a matched‐sibling donor. GVHD prophylaxis consisted of cyclosporine and mycophenolate. Neutrophil recovery occurred in all patients at a median time of 16 days (range 9–34). Six patients did not become granulocytopenic. On day +30, 10 patients had >95% donor chimerism and 19 patients had mixed chimerism. The cumulative probabilities of Grade II–IV acute GVHD and chronic GVHD were 48 and 83%, respectively. Transplant‐related mortality at 100 days and 1 year was 6 and 10%, respectively. The probabilities of 2‐year overall (OS) and progression‐free survival (PFS) were 39 and 35%, respectively. The estimated 2‐year probability of OS and PFS for patients in early disease stages were 77 and 64%, respectively, which were significantly higher than the survival and PFS estimates of 0% obtained in patients with advanced disease stages at the time of transplant. Our analysis would suggest that for patients older than 60, this regimen is well tolerated and associated with a low incidence of transplant‐related mortality. The leukemic burden at time of transplant has proven to be the most important risk factor for the outcome. Am. J. Hematol. 82:863–866, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Bilayer LDPC Convolutional Codes for Decode-and-Forward Relaying

In this paper we present bilayer LDPC convolutional codes for half-duplex relay channels. Two types of codes, bilayer expurgated LDPC convolutional codes and bilayer lengthened LDPC convolutional codes, are proposed for decode-and-forward (DF) relaying. In the case of the binary erasure relay channel, we prove analytically that both code constructions achieve the capacities of the source-relay link and the source-destination link simultaneously, provided that the channel conditions are known when designing the codes. Meanwhile, both codes enable the highest transmission rate possible with DF relaying for a wide range of channel parameters. In addition, the regular degree distributions can easily be computed from the channel parameters, which significantly simplifies the code optimization. The code construction and performance analysis are extended to the general binary memoryless symmetric channel, where a capacity-achieving performance is conjectured. Numerical results are provided for both types of codes with finite node degrees over binary erasure channels and binary-input additive white Gaussian noise channels, which verify the aforementioned theoretical analysis.