Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Molecular variants of human papillomavirus type 16 from four continents suggest ancient pandemic spread of the virus and its coevolution with humankind

We have amplified by the polymerase chain reaction, cloned, and sequenced genomic segments of 118 human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV-16) isolates from 76 cervical biopsy, 14 cervical smear, 3 vulval biopsy, 2 penile biopsy, 2 anal biopsy, and 1 vaginal biopsy sample and two cell lines. The specimens were taken from patients in four countries--Singapore, Brazil, Tanzania, and Germany. The sequence of a 364-bp fragment of the long control region of the virus revealed 38 variants, most of which differed by one or several point mutations. Phylogenetic trees were constructed by distance matrix methods and a transformation series approach. The trees based on the long control region were supported by another set based on the complete E5 protein-coding region. Both sets had two main branches. Nearly all of the variants from Tanzania were assigned to one (African) branch, and all of the German and most of the Singaporean variants were assigned to the other (Eurasian) branch. While some German and Singaporean variants were identical, each group also contained variants that formed unique branches. In contrast to the group-internal homogeneity of the Singaporean, German, and Tanzanian variants, the Brazilian variants were clearly divided between the two branches. Exceptions to this were the seven Singaporean isolates with mutational patterns typical of the Tanzanian isolates. The data suggest that HPV-16 evolved separately for a long period in Africa and Eurasia. Representatives of both branches may have been transferred to Brazil via past colonial immigration. The comparable efficiencies of transfer of the African and the Eurasian variants to the New World suggest pandemic spread of HPV-16 in past centuries. Representatives of the African branch were possibly transferred to the Far East along old Arab and Indonesian sailing routes. Our data also support the view that HPV-16 is a well-defined virus type, since the variants show only a maximal genomic divergence of about 5%. The small amount of divergence in any one geographic location and the lack of marked divergence between the Tanzanian and Brazilian African genome variants two centuries after their likely introduction into the New World suggest a very slow rate of viral evolution. The phylogenetic tree therefore probably represents a minimum of several centuries of evolution, if not an age equal to that of the respective human races.
Use of the automicrobic and enteric-tek systems for identification of Enterobacteriaceae

Studies were performed to evaluate the use of the Enteric-Tek (ET) and the AutoMicrobic system (AMS) for the identification of 201 Enterobacteriaceae freshly isolated from clinical specimens. All test systems were inoculated simultaneously from the same MacConkey agar plate. Organisms were also identified with conventional media. Identifications with the ET and AMS agreed with those made with conventional biochemicals 97% of the time. At a 95% confidence level, the ET was able to identify 75% of the isolates within 18 h without the aid of additional biochemical tests; the AMS identified 92% in 8 h. Technologist time needed for identifications made with the AMS was reduced approximately 57% compared with the ET. In all instances in which the AMS identification disagreed with the conventional, the ET identified the organism correctly. Similarly, organisms misidentified by the ET were correctly identified by the AMS. The data suggest that the AMS and ET identify clinical isolates with comparable accuracy; however, the AMS offers a significant savings in time.
The Impact of Management Control on Employee Motivation and Performance in the Public Sector

Abstract This study examines the relations among various types of management control, intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, and performance in the public sector. We draw on motivation crowding theory and self-determination theory to argue that four different types of management control (i.e. personnel, cultural, action, and results control) are likely to have an influence on intrinsic motivation and/or extrinsic motivation. We test a structural equation model using survey data from 105 similar departments in the public sector. Our findings indicate that the use of personnel and cultural controls is positively associated with employees’ intrinsic motivation, and that the use of results controls is positively associated with employees’ extrinsic motivation. Moreover, both intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation are positively associated with performance. Taken together, these findings support the idea advocated by New Public Management proponents that results control can enhance employee motivation and performance in the public sector. However, the findings also highlight an essential nuance; in addition to results control, personnel and cultural controls are also important, as they enhance intrinsic motivation and performance. This implies that a sole focus on results control is too narrow and can lead to suboptimal levels of employee motivation and performance in the public sector.
A 76 to 81GHz packaged transceiver for automotive radar with FMCW modulator and ADC

A first embedded Wafer Level Ball grid array (eWLB) packaged fully integrated mm-wave 76 to 81GHz transceiver (3TXs and 4RXs channels) with a programmable multichirp FMCW modulator in a 0.13pm SiGe BiCMOS technology is presented. The single chip embeds also programmable VGAs, ADCs and decimators preceding the MIPI CSI2 digital interface needed to deliver the data to the micro. The synthesizer with −95dBc/Hz phase noise at 1MHz offset referenced to 77GHz carrier managed by a programmable timing engine, the 62dB gain receiver with 9dB noise figure and −5dBm of P1dB together with 13dBm of output power in packaged conditions guarantee the short and long range radar applications. Built-in self-test (BIST), and internal timing engine satisfies the ASIL-B ISO26262 safety requirements. Local oscillator input and output buffers embed the cascadable solution for advanced systems with more channels. The paper presents measurements with a target detection at 160m.
Performance of the Firms in a Free‐Trade Zone: The Role of Institutional Factors and Resources

Many countries have tried to establish free zones in order to strengthen the competitive advantage of their local companies in global competition. Judging the role of free zones in the performance of companies without analyzing the relevant institutional factors can be confusing, especially in countries like Iran where the government extensively intervenes in the economy. In such economies, institutional factors (institutional support, political relationship, and legitimacy) coupled with resources (financial, human and physical resources) can be more effective at addressing companies’ performance. Using the resource-based view (RBV) and institutional theory, this paper surveyed 151 companies located in the Anzali Free Trade and Industrial Zone (AFTIZ). The results show that the resources have a positive impact on the firms’ competitive advantage and performance. While institutional factors strengthen the resources, they do not moderate the relationship among resources, competitive advantage, and performance.
Teacher Autonomy in Turkish Lower Secondary Schools, in Relation to English Language Teaching: A Mixed Methods Study

Teacher autonomy has long been a topic of great interest in the field of applied linguistics for language learning and teaching. However, the research to date on the subject has been mostly restricted to the exercise of autonomy by teachers within their classrooms. Schools are large social organisations and language teachers are active participants in these organisations. They undertake a number of roles and responsibilities within their work contexts. Therefore, we need to extend our scrutiny of language teachers’ exercise of autonomy to encompass not only their teaching practice in the classroom but also their wider organizational roles. Adopting just such a broader approach, this research examines the concept of teacher autonomy in Turkish state lower secondary schools with reference to English language teaching. The aims of this study are to explore how teacher autonomy is understood in an institution-wide context and how it is exercised in relation to four areas of teacher activity: teaching and assessment, school management, professional development and curriculum development. My purpose is to uncover the deep structures that shape understandings and the exercise of teacher autonomy. To investigate the emergence of teacher autonomy, this study draws upon the critical realism approach developed by Roy Bhaskar, applying his transformational model of the connection between social structure and agency. Taking a mixed methods approach, it relies on a range of data sources including documents, a questionnaire, observations and interviews with Turkish teachers of English, head teachers and educational administrators. The research revealed that teacher autonomy was a meaningful concept within the Turkish education system and was exercised in varying degrees in relation to all four areas of teacher activity. A complex interplay between structure and agency underpinned the emergence of teacher autonomy. The understanding and exercise of teacher autonomy were shaped by the geopolitical context, compliance and accountability, trust, school culture, and teacher collegiality mechanisms. The outcomes of this research have implications for our understanding of teacher autonomy in the field of applied linguistics and for improving the quality of English language teaching in Turkey.
Discrimination and favouritism among workers: union membership and ethnic identity

This paper analyses how labour institutions and ethnic identity shape favouritism and discrimination among workers. We conduct an experiment with union and non-union South African mineworkers from various ethnicities. We examine in-group and out-group behaviour, emphasizing the relative ranking of these groups and their interaction. We find that unions create both in-group and out-group favouritism towards co-ethnic members and members of ethnic majorities. This favouritism is however undermined by unionised subcontract workers who experience precarious conditions. Furthermore, union members discriminate against non-unionised ethnic minorities. Finally, non-union members (primarily subcontract workers) discriminate against union members, particularly after negative shocks.
[The influence of intensive insulin therapy on hemodynamics in patients with septic shock].

OBJECTIVE To elucidate effects of intensive insulin therapy and target glucose control on hemodynamics and cardiac function in patients with septic shock. METHODS Twenty-seven patients of septic shock with myocardial depression were divided into routine group (14 cases, level of blood glucose was 4.1 to 6.1 mmol/L) and target group (13 cases, level of blood glucose was 6.2 to 8.3 mmol/L). Hemodynamics and cardiac function parameters were obtained via pulmonary artery catheter after 48 hours. RESULTS Mean blood glucose level in target group was lower than that in routine group [(6.0+/-1.5) mmol/L vs. (8.2+/-1.9) mmol/L, P<0.05], with dosage of insulin infusion in target group increased as compared with that of routine group [(10.3+/-3.7) U/h vs. (7.5+/-3.0) U/h, P<0.05]. Furthermore, oxygenation index (PaO(2)/FiO(2)), stroke volume index (SVI), cardiac index (CI) and oxygen delivery index (DO(2)I) were increased 20.2%, 23.3%, 15.1% and 11.7%, respectively (all P<0.05). On the other hands, there was no significant difference between target and routine group in mean artery pressure, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHEII) score, blood lactic acid (all P>0.05), although the incidence of severe hypoglycemia was higher in target group than the routine group (38.5% vs. 28.6%, P>0.05). CONCLUSION Intensive insulin therapy and blood glucose control may improve hemodynamic status and enhance cardiac function in patients with septic shock and myocardial depression.
Couple decision making and use of cultural scripts in Malawi.

PURPOSE To examine the decision-making processes of husband and wife dyads in matrilineal and patrilineal marriage traditions of Malawi in the areas of money, food, pregnancy, contraception, and sexual relations. METHODS Qualitative grounded theory using simultaneous interviews of 60 husbands and wives (30 couples). Data were analyzed according to the guidelines of simultaneous data collection and analysis. The analysis resulted in development of core categories and categories of decision-making process. Data matrixes were used to identify similarities and differences within couples and across cases. FINDINGS Most couples reported using a mix of final decision-making approaches: husband-dominated, wife-dominated, and shared. Gender based and nongender based cultural scripts provided rationales for their approaches to decision making. Gender based cultural scripts (husband-dominant and wife-dominant) were used to justify decision-making approaches. Non-gender based cultural scripts (communicating openly, maintaining harmony, and children's welfare) supported shared decision making. Gender based cultural scripts were used in decision making more often among couples from the district with a patrilineal marriage tradition and where the husband had less than secondary school education and was not formally employed. CONCLUSIONS Nongender based cultural scripts to encourage shared decision making can be used in designing culturally tailored reproductive health interventions for couples. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Nurses who work with women and families should be aware of the variations that occur in actual couple decision-making approaches. Shared decision making can be used to encourage the involvement of men in reproductive health programs.
Intelligence Oversight and the Security of the State

A key task for intelligence oversight in democracies is to ensure that the intelligence services operate and carry out their mandated duties within the constraints of national and international law. As the control of the activities and methods of intelligence services necessarily involves a group of overseers who gain access to classified information about state secrets, democratic oversight inherently entails a security dimension. To date, the degree to which democratic oversight might affect state security has not been investigated in depth by Security or Intelligence Studies, although the issue has occasionally come up. After the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks on the U.S., somewhat risk-averse services, due to extensive oversight, were mentioned as possible explanation for the intelligence failures leading to the catastrophic events. Most mature Western democracies have lately established various mechanisms of independent intelligence oversight, as part of their system of checks and balances with the executive power. Thus, the question of none defined
Congress: A Political-Economic History of Roll Call Voting

In this wide-ranging study, the authors use 200 years of congressional roll call voting as a framework for an interpretation of important episodes in American political and economic history. By tracing the voting patterns of Congress throughout the country's history, Poole and Rosenthal find that, despite a wide array of issues facing legislators, over 80 percent of a legislator's voting decisions can be attributed to a consistent ideological position ranging from ultraconservatism to ultraliberalism.
Empirical Evidence on Environmental Performance and Operating Costs

Theoretical arguments suggest that better environmental performance can lead to cost advantages through a more efficient use of resources and higher labor productivity. To provide empirical support for these arguments, we investigate how environmental performance affects operating costs using a sample of 785 U.S. firms for the period 2006–2014. We find that better environmental performance is negatively associated with direct production costs, but increases overhead costs. Because direct production costs have a larger impact than overhead costs, aggregate operating costs decline as environmental performance improves. To deal with endogeneity and to interpret the results causally, we use an instrumental variables approach.
R2: Identification of renal potential progenitor/stem cells that participate in the renal regeneration processes of kidney allograft fibrosis

Aim: Many strategies are explored to ameliorate kidney allograft tubular atrophy and interstitial fibrosis (TA/IF), but little progress has been achieved. The latest evidence suggested that CD133+ cell in kidney represent a potential multipotent adult resident stem cell population that may contribute to the renal injury repair. Here we investigate whether the CD133+ cells exist in transplanted renal and exert a growth and self‐repair procedure in TA/IF.
The role of nitric oxide in endotoxin-induced cardiodepression.

OBJECTIVE To determine the participation of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in cardiodepressive phenomena during late preconditioning caused by subtoxic doses of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). METHODS Spontaneously beating hearts isolated from male Wistar rats (350 g to 400 g), intact or preconditioned with LPS (0.25 mg/kg given intraperitoneally 18 h before heart excision), were used to measure contractile performance during 30 min of ischemia and 40 min of reperfusion in the Langendorff mode. For selective iNOS blockade, hearts were perfused with phenylene-1,3-bis(ethane-2-isothiourea) (50 nmol/L). Expression of iNOS (determined using Western blotting) and NOS activities were determined in frozen myocardial tissues. RESULTS Subtoxic doses of LPS caused iNOS induction in the heart and depression of contractile function, but improved heart postischemic recovery. In all groups of animals, expression of iNOS was higher in the right than left ventricles. Ischemia and postischemic reperfusion of intact heart intensified production of nitric oxide (NO), predominantly by iNOS. The preconditioning led to iNOS activation during ischemia in the left ventricle and iNOS depression in the right ventricle, owing to feedback caused by the initially higher iNOS expression and activity in the right ventricle. Postischemic reperfusion diminished NOS activities in preconditioned myocardial tissues. Blockade of iNOS significantly slowed preconditioned heart recovery and partially restored left ventricular developed pressure, but only after 20 min of reperfusion. CONCLUSIONS iNOS-produced NO plays a role in the development of delayed cardioprotection and cardiodepressive effects (in part) after extravasal administration of a minimal dose of endotoxin.
Computed tomography and bronchoscopy in endobronchial tuberculosis.

BACKGROUND The therapeutic response to endobronchial tuberculosis is usually evaluated by bronchoscopy. Currently, there are no published studies investigating the use of computed tomography for the evaluation of therapeutic response in endobronchial tuberculosis. OBJECTIVE A retrospective study was performed to evaluate the bronchoscopic and computed tomographic features of endobronchial tuberculosis before and after treatment. The aim of this study was to investigate the usefulness of computed tomography for the assessment of treatment. METHODS The clinical, pathological and bronchoscopic features of endobronchial tuberculosis were evaluated in 55 patients. The age range of the patients was 21 to 52 years. Computed tomography and bronchoscopy were performed before and after treatment. RESULTS Diagnosis of tuberculosis was confirmed by culture and histopathological examination. Bronchoscopic examination revealed 89 endobronchial lesions of various types in 55 patients. The exudative type was the most common. Follow-up bronchoscopy revealed that exudative-, ulcerative- and granular-type lesions healed completely. Computed tomography performed after treatment correlated well with the follow-up bronchoscopic findings. CONCLUSION The results suggest that follow-up computed tomography is useful for the evaluation of therapeutic response and complications associated with endobronchial tuberculosis, and may replace bronchoscopy.
Price interactions between wild and farmed products: Turkish sea bass and sea bream markets

Abstract We investigate empirically market interactions in the Turkish wild and farmed sea bass and sea bream markets. For gilthead sea bream and European sea bass, we conduct a Granger causality test between the prices of the wild and farmed products, based on the estimation of a vector autoregressive model. Our data set consists of annual fish prices from 1996 to 2016. Our empirical results show that the wild and farmed sea bass are neither substitutes nor complements: the markets for each product are independent. However, in the case of sea bream, the price variations for farmed sea bream have a causal impact on the price of wild sea bream. Moreover, the price of wild sea bream Granger-causes the price variation of farmed sea bream. Thus, the wild and farmed sea bream markets are integrated.
Predictive role of Carhart's notch in pre-operative assessment for middle-ear surgery.

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the predictive role of the audiometric Carhart's notch for the assessment of middle-ear pathology prior to surgical intervention. METHOD In this retrospective analysis, a total of 315 operated ears of 305 patients were evaluated regarding their pre-operative pure tone audiograms and peri-operative findings. The probable relationship between the middle-ear pathologies found and the Carhart's notch found on pre-operative pure tone audiometry was investigated. Patients with conductive hearing loss who obtained at least a 10 dB improvement (at 1 and 2 kHz frequencies) in their bone conduction threshold post-operatively were included in the Carhart's notch group. The pathologies underlying Carhart's notch were compared. RESULTS Three hundred and fifteen ears of 305 consecutive patients with conductive hearing loss were operated on due to middle-ear pathology. In patients with otosclerosis and tympanosclerosis, a Carhart's notch was seen at 2 kHz in 28 (93 per cent) patients but at 1 kHz in only two (7 per cent). However, in patients with chronic otitis media, a Carhart's notch was seen at 1 kHz in 10 (55 per cent) patients and at 2 kHz in eight (45 per cent) patients. CONCLUSIONS Otitis media with effusion, tympanosclerosis and congenital malformations should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a patient with a Carhart's notch seen on pure tone audiometry. A Carhart's notch at 2 kHz indicates stapes footplate fixation, whereas one at 1 kHz indicates a mobile stapes footplate; the footplate mobility can thus be predicted pre-operatively.