Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Escherichia coli metR mutants that produce a MetR activator protein with an altered homocysteine response

Using an Escherichia coli lac deletion strain lysogenized with a lambda phage carrying a metH-lacZ gene fusion, we isolated trans-acting mutations that result in simultaneous 4- to 6-fold-elevated metH-lacZ expression, 5- to 22-fold-lowered metE-lacZ expression, and 9- to 20-fold-elevated metR-lacZ expression. The altered regulation of these genes occurs in the presence of high intracellular levels of homocysteine, a methionine pathway intermediate which normally inhibits metH and metR expression and stimulates metE expression. P1 transductions and complementation tests indicate that the mutations are in the metR gene. Our data suggest that the mutations result in an altered MetR activator protein that has lost the ability to use homocysteine as a modulator of gene expression.
Altered PDE 10 A expression detectable early before symptomatic onset in Huntington ’ s disease

There is an urgent need for early biomarkers and novel disease-modifying therapies in Huntington’s disease. Huntington’s disease pathology involves the toxic effect of mutant huntingtin primarily in striatal medium spiny neurons, which highly express phosphodiesterase 10A (PDE10A). PDE10A hydrolyses cAMP/cGMP signalling cascades, thus having a key role in the regulation of striatal output, and in promoting neuronal survival. PDE10A could be a key therapeutic target in Huntington’s disease. Here, we used combined positron emission tomography (PET) and multimodal magnetic resonance imaging to assess PDE10A expression in vivo in a unique cohort of 12 early premanifest Huntington’s disease gene carriers with a mean estimated 90% probability of 25 years before the predicted onset of clinical symptoms. We show bidirectional changes in PDE10A expression in premanifest Huntington’s disease gene carriers, which are associated with the probability of symptomatic onset. PDE10A expression in early premanifest Huntington’s disease was decreased in striatum and pallidum and increased in motor thalamic nuclei, compared to a group of matched healthy controls. Connectivity-based analysis revealed prominent PDE10A decreases confined in the sensorimotor-striatum and in striatonigral and striatopallidal projecting segments. The ratio between higher PDE10A expression in motor thalamic nuclei and lower PDE10A expression in striatopallidal projecting striatum was the strongest correlate with higher probability of symptomatic conversion in early premanifest Huntington’s disease gene carriers. Our findings demonstrate in vivo, a novel and earliest pathophysiological mechanism underlying Huntington’s disease with direct implications for the development of new pharmacological treatments, which can promote neuronal survival and improve outcome in Huntington’s disease gene carriers.
The ethics of mental health survey research in low- and middle- income countries

Neuropsychiatric conditions are a leading cause of disability globally (Whiteford et al. 2013), yet the gap between population need and the availability of evidence-based mental health services is wide even in high-income countries (Demyttenaere et al. 2004). Efforts to understand this gap have led to an expansion of global mental health (GMH) research, particularly in low-and middle-income countries (LMIC) where the availability of treatment services is even more severely lacking (Demyttenaere et al. 2004; Patel, 2007), including administration of surveys that are not associated with an intervention or service (Alonso et al. 2013). Such surveys can provide data on unmet needs, be used to advocate for resources, and elucidate etiological processes; they also, however, pose ethical challenges. Guided by the ethical principles of beneficence, autonomy, and justice (National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research, 1978; Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences, 2002), we discuss these challenges and present steps GMH researchers can take to further incorporate these ethical principles into practice during the design of new studies in LMIC contexts. Ethical challenges in GMH survey research
Contribution of procoagulant phospholipids, thrombomodulin activity and thrombin generation assays as prognostic factors in intensive care patients with septic and non-septic organ failure

Abstract Background: Multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) observed in patients with sepsis and in non-septic patients organ failure (OF) is associated with a high mortality rate. We investigated whether new coagulation assays [quantification of procoagulant phospholipids (PPL) activity, functional assays measuring the activity of thrombomodulin (TMa) or tissue factor (TFa) and thrombin generation using calibrated automated thrombography (CAT)] could constitute new tools to better understand the physiopathology of MODS and have any prognostic value. Methods: We measured TMa, TFa, PPL and CAT in 32 healthy controls, 24 patients with sepsis and 26 patients with non-septic OF. We compared these parameters with usual coagulation assays [prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, protein C (PC), protein S, D-Dimers (D-Di), soluble thrombomodulin (sTM)] and markers of inflammation (IL-6, CRP). Samples were collected within 24 h of the diagnosis. Results: TMa, TFa, PPL, the lag time and time to thrombin peak levels were increased in both groups of patients. For both groups D-Di, IL-6, CRP and endogenous thrombin potential (ETP) were higher in non-survivors than in survivors, while PC and PPL were lower in non-survivors than in survivors. TMa increase was more marked in non-survivors patients with OF, while the ratio TMa/sTM was low in non-survivors with sepsis. Received operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis indicated that thrombin peak and ETP were the more powerful discriminating factors in patients with sepsis or non-septic OF, respectively. Conclusions: PPL, TMa and CAT assays could represent promising tools to identify patients with increased risk of mortality in MODS and could procure insights into pathogenesis of MODS.
Multiple myeloma: reduced plasma cell contamination in peripheral blood progenitor cell collections performed after repeated high‐dose chemotherapy courses

The possibility of reducing tumour cell contamination by cytotoxic drug courses prior to peripheral blood progenitor cell (PBPC) collection was evaluated in two consecutives groups of multiple myeloma (MM) patient candidates for autograft. All patients were at disease onset and received two VAD (vincristine, doxorubicin and dexamethasone) courses as initial debulking. In the first group (44 patients), mobilization and harvest were performed ‘upfront’, after a single cyclophosphamide (CY) administration of 4 g/m2; in the second group (17 patients), PBPC were collected at the end of a high‐dose sequential chemotherapy programme, including: CY 5 g/m2, etoposide (VP16) 2 g/m2, a chemotherapy‐free interval with three courses of high‐dose dexamethasone, a final mobilizing CY at 7 g/m2. G‐CSF was given following each high‐dose cytotoxic drug. Cytofluorimetric analysis was performed to quantify progenitors (CD34+ cells) and plasma cells, identified by the high CD38 expression and/or CD38 and CD138 coexpression. Large amounts of PBPC were collected in either group (median harvested CD34+/kg: 15.8 × 106 and 13.4 × 106, respectively; P = 0.9). Circulating plasma cells were significantly higher in patients mobilized ‘upfront’ compared to those who received the high‐dose sequence (median peak values of CD38bright/μl: 39 and 10, respectively; P = 0.02); a similar difference was observed in the amount of con‐taminating plasma cells in the harvest products (median CD38bright/kg: 7.4 × 106 and 1.3 × 106, respectively; P = 0.02). The results demonstrate that an in vivo purging approach is feasible in myeloma patients through repeated high‐dose chemotherapy courses; this may provide less‐contaminated material suitable for further in vitro purging procedures.
An exploratory study of how institutions utilize systems to respond to students who are exhibiting threatening behavior

RESPOND TO STUDENTS WHO ARE EXHIBITING THREATENING BEHAVIOR by DOUGLAS RAY BELL, JR. (Under the Direction of Laura Dean) ABSTRACT When multiple systems are available to address a student’s behavior, it is important for administrators to engage the system that will best assist in reaching their desired outcome. This study examines the utilization of systems to address the concerning and threatening behavior of students. The objective of this quantitative study is to identify and describe the composition of the different systems being used to address behavior, while also seeking to understand what behaviors must be present for an institution to determine which system to engage students when multiple systems are available to address their behavior. Findings indicated that institutions utilized a coordinated approach when engaging multiple systems to address threatening behaviors. These multiple systems include behavioral intervention teams, office of student conduct, office of public security/police, counseling and housing/residential life. Finding support the need for further trainings or professional developments regarding their team functions.
Testability properties of BDDs

This paper discusses the relationship among BDDs (binary decision diagrams), unateness and redundancy. We show that redundancy is introduced in logic circuits when the general case (binate) of the Shannon decomposition is used for unate functions. As ROBDDs are not able to specify in their structure if a decomposition in a node or a group of nodes is unate, circuits derived from ROBDDs will contain redundancies. We also show that, in order to represent unateness using BDD structures, it is necessary to use BDDs in which variables are not ordered and read more than once. Based on these observations, we propose a new algorithm that is able to generate robustly-path-delay-testable circuits without increasing the delay, by removing redundancies directly on the BDD representation.
Mixed Methods Research: A Research Paradigm Whose Time Has Come

The purposes of this article are to position mixed methods research (mixed research is a synonym) as the natural complement to traditional qualitative and quantitative research, to present pragmatism as offering an attractive philosophical partner for mixed methods research, and to provide a framework for designing and conducting mixed methods research. In doing this, we briefly review the paradigm “wars” and incompatibility thesis, we show some commonalities between quantitative and qualitative research, we explain the tenets of pragmatism, we explain the fundamental principle of mixed research and how to apply it, we provide specific sets of designs for the two major types of mixed methods research (mixed-model designs and mixed-method designs), and, finally, we explain mixed methods research as following (recursively) an eight-step process. A key feature of mixed methods research is its methodological pluralism or eclecticism, which frequently results in superior research (compared to monomethod research). Mixed methods research will be successful as more investigators study and help advance its concepts and as they regularly practice it.
Do Employee-Friendly Firms Invest More Efficiently? Evidence from Labor Investment Efficiency

Abstract We investigate the impact of employee treatment on labor investment efficiency. We provide evidence that employee-friendly treatment is significantly associated with lower deviations of labor investment from the level justified by economic fundamentals, i.e., higher labor investment efficiency. The effect of employee treatment on labor investment efficiency is stronger for firms that are human-capital-intensive, with more skilled labor and knowledge capital, and those that face higher product market competition. Using the 2008–2009 financial crisis as an external shock and applying the difference-in-difference method, we also show that employee-friendly firms have higher labor investment efficiency in the post-financial crisis period, but experience more inefficient labor investments during the crisis. Our results are robust to placebo tests, selection bias, propensity score matching, alternative explanations, alternative proxies for both employee treatment and labor investment efficiency as well as the adjustment for using residuals as dependent variables, additional control variables, and various approaches in addressing endogeneity issues.
Characterization of Methicillin‐Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Isolates from Pig Carcasses in Hong Kong

This study describes the isolation and characterization of methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) from slaughtered pigs sampled from local markets in Hong Kong. The nares of 400 slaughtered pigs were cultured and MRSA isolates characterized for the presence of antibiotic‐resistance determinants, toxins and SCCmec and spa types using PCR. Clonality was investigated using PFGE and MLST. The prevalence of MRSA colonization of slaughter pigs was 39.3%, the majority (92%) harbouring SCCmec type IVb. Of the 157 samples yielding MRSA, 13 had two distinct MRSA strains present. Spa type t899 was predominant, with only 5/170 isolates displaying closely related types (t4474, t1939, t2922 and t5390). PFGE with sma1 and MLST confirmed the strains as ST9. Most isolates were multidrug resistant. Tetracycline resistance (97%) was mainly attributable to tet(K) with only 3% of isolates additionally harbouring tet(M). Resistance to erythromycin (89%) and chloramphenicol (71%) was associated with the presence of erm(C), and fex(A), respectively. No strains carried cfr and there was no resistance to linezolid, although minimum inhibitory concentration (MICs) were close to the resistance break point. Resistance to clindamycin (99%), ciprofloxacin(78%), quinopristin–dalfopristin (44%) and cotrimoxazole (32%) was common, but remained low for fusidic acid (4%) and rifampicin (2%). All strains were negative for PVL, exfoliative, and enterotoxins. This survey confirmed the uniformity of MRSA isolates in pigs from several regions of China, in contrast to more diversified characteristics reported in European studies. Colonization rates were higher than previously reported. Isolates were resistant to a wide range of antibiotics, but resistance was not detected to linezolid, nitrofurantoin, vancomycin or tigecycline. Although the clinical importance of ST9 in humans is uncertain, continued surveillance, in particular of those occupationally‐exposed, is recommended.
Baseline drift detection index using wavelet transform analysis for fNIRS signal

The general linear model (GLM) as a standard model for fMRI analysis has been applied to functional near-infrared spectroscopic (fNIRS) imaging analysis as well. The GLM has drawback of failure in fNIRS signals, when they have drift globally. Wavelet based de-trending technique is very popular to correct the baseline drift (BD) in fNIRS. However, this method globally distorted the total multichannel signals even if just one channel's signal was locally drifted. This paper suggests BD detection index to indicate BD as an objective index. The experiments show the performance of the proposed detection index as graphic results with current de-trending algorithm.
Investigating the Impact of Relationship Quality During an Internship on Millennials’ Career Decisions and Gender Differences

ABSTRACT The hospitality industry has been struggling to attract and retain quality employees. Labor force demographics in the hospitality industry are changing. The first wave of Millennials has started to enter the workforce, and Millennials are the fastest growing segment of said workforce. In addition, the rate of participation of females in today’s hospitality workforce is growing. Even though several researchers have studied Millennials as hospitality employees, limited research has explored the importance of the quality of relationships Millennials have with colleagues and customers; in addition, gender differences among Millennials have not been extensively examined. The Commitment-Trust (CT) theory suggests that relationship commitment and trust encourage cooperative behaviors that sustain long-term relationships. This study attempted to investigate whether the relationship quality encountered by Millennials during their internships has an impact on their job satisfaction or career decisions based on commitment-trust theory; in addition, gender differences in relationship quality were examined.
On the Unintended Consequences of Enforcement on Illegal Drug Producing Countries

This paper studies the effects of the biggest antidrug program ever applied in a drug producing country. I use satellite information on the exact location of coca crops between 2000 and 2010 in Colombia to identify the effects of spraying herbicides on coca production. I exploit the variation created by restrictions to spraying in protected areas (i.e., indigenous territories and natural parks) and the time variation of U.S. international antidrug expenditures to identify the effects of the program. My results suggest that coca cultivation is reduced by 0.07 hectares per additional hectare sprayed. However, spraying induces unintended negative effects on the welfare conditions of the treated areas and spillover effects in neighboring countries. Despite the reduction under coca cultivation, cocaine production remains steady due to a sharp increase on cocaine yields. In sum, the program's costs are by far higher than its potential benefits.
Fluoride rapidly and transiently raises intracellular calcium in human osteoblasts

We examined the effect of fluoride (F) on intracellular ionic calcium [Ca2+]i in normal human osteoblasts maintained in culture. Cells were grown on glass coverslips to near‐confluency and loaded with the Ca‐sensitive dye, fura‐2AM. Fluorescence changes were monitored in single cells using an inverted microscope coupled by fiberoptic to a microspectrofluoremeter. The addition of F (100 ng/mL) to the medium promoted a rapid and significant increase in free [Ca2+]i from a resting level of 245 ± 36 SE nM to a peak concentration of 440 ± 51 nM (p < 0.04). This increase in [Ca2+]i began at 10–20 s after addition of F and was maximal by 30 s. Intracellular [Ca2+]i levels then returned to near resting values by 60–80 s after F addition. This response was evident with as little as 25 ng/ml of fluoride and was dose dependent up to 500 ng/ml. At concentrations greater than 500 ng/ml, there appeared to be an attenuation of the rise in [Ca2+]i. The observed rise in [Ca2+]i was dependent on extracellular calcium since lowering extracellular calcium concentration or incubation with calcium channel blockers abolished the response. This observation supports a role of increased [Ca2+]i as one of the initial events of fluoride on action osteoblasts.
Two-level Mixtures of Markov Trees

Bayesian Networks efficiently encode a probability distribution on a large set of variables but their poor scaling in terms of the number of variables may make them unfit to tackle learning and inference problems of increasing size. Mixtures of Markov trees however scale well by design. We investigate whether the two approaches to learn such mixtures from data (maximum likelihood and variance reduction) can be combined together by building a two level Mixture of Markov Trees. Our experiments on synthetic data show the interest of this model.
The tale of two climates-Baltimore and Phoenix urban LTER sites

Two Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) sites now include urban areas (Baltimore, Maryland and Phoenix, Arizona). A goal of LTER in these cities is to blend physical and social science investigations to better understand urban ecological change. Research monitoring programs are under- way to investigate the effects of urbanization on ecosystems. Climate changes in these urban areas reflect the expanding population and associated land surface modifications. Long-term urban climate effects are detectable from an analysis of the GHCN (Global Historical Climate Network) database and a comparison of urban versus rural temperature changes with decadal population data. The relation of the urban versus rural minimum temperatures (⌉Tminu-r) to population changes is pronounced and non-linear over time for both cities. The ⌉Tmaxu-r data show no well-defined temporal trends.
Online Communication and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

This is an explorative and qualitative study that examines a municipal's rehabilitation program "Online Viva" (2014-2015). The questions are whether "Online Viva" improves the citizens' participatory health and whether it prevents exacerbation of COPD. "Online Viva" includes respiratory training and district nursing consultancy for elderly people with COPD. The district nurses' presence in the citizens' homes is replaced by online communication. The study involves 9 citizens and 5 health professionals. Preliminary results show that online consultations and training prevent anxiety, exacerbation, and support the citizens' management of COPD. The citizens find that the "Online Viva" reduces their need for hospitalization, and this is confirmed by the district nurses. Furthermore, the citizens find that their specific needs are fulfilled, making them comfortable in managing their COPD. It is emphasized by the citizens and the district nurses that they must have been in personal contact with each other before they meet online. Furthermore, it must be possible to visit the citizens in their private homes in addition to an online contact, if needed.
Distributed Control Representation for Manipulation Tasks

Is there a robust basis for dexterous manipulation tasks? This approach relies on reusable control laws to put together manipulation strategies online. A demonstration is presented that suggests that the approach scales to the complexity of manipulation tasks. The compact control basis representation and the predictable behavior of the constituent controllers greatly enhances the construction of correct composition policies. This predictability allows reasoning about end to end problem solving behavior, which is not supported by methods employing less formal behavioral specifications. In those methods the designer must determine the composition policy, or the system must find it through random exploration. Our approach opens the composition problem to a large variety of control, planning, and machine learning methods. We are investigating formal methods that automatically generate composition policies from abstract task descriptions provided by the user. The generic character of the control basis not only improves generalization across task domains, but also appears to improve generalization across a variety of hardware platforms. >