Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Characterization of a Highly Hop-Resistant Lactobacillus brevis Strain Lacking Hop Transport

ABSTRACT Resistance to hops is a prerequisite for lactic acid bacteria to spoil beer. In this study we analyzed mechanisms of hop resistance of Lactobacillus brevis at the metabolism, membrane physiology, and cell wall composition levels. The beer-spoiling organism L. brevis TMW 1.465 was adapted to high concentrations of hop compounds and compared to a nonadapted strain. Upon adaptation to hops the metabolism changed to minimize ethanol stress. Fructose was used predominantly as a carbon source by the nonadapted strain but served as an electron acceptor upon adaptation to hops, with concomitant formation of acetate instead of ethanol. Furthermore, hop adaptation resulted in higher levels of lipoteichoic acids (LTA) incorporated into the cell wall and altered composition and fluidity of the cytoplasmic membrane. The putative transport protein HitA and enzymes of the arginine deiminase pathway were overexpressed upon hop adaptation. HorA was not expressed, and the transport of hop compounds from the membrane to the extracellular space did not account for increased resistance to hops upon adaptation. Accordingly, hop resistance is a multifactorial dynamic property, which can develop during adaptation. During hop adaptation, arginine catabolism contributes to energy and generation of the proton motive force until a small fraction of the population has established structural improvements. This acquired hop resistance is energy independent and involves an altered cell wall composition. LTA shields the organism from accompanying stresses and provides a reservoir of divalent cations, which are otherwise scarce as a result of their complexation by hop acids. Some of the mechanisms involved in hop resistance overlap with mechanisms of pH resistance and ethanol tolerance and as a result enable beer spoilage by L. brevis.
Wearable biomedical parameter monitoring system: A review

Wearable technology is an innovative creation in the embedded and biomedical field. Wearable technology have certain benefits, it saves hospital bills and reduce waiting time. The developments in embedded systems facilitate wearable techniques for patients. This paper approaches the problem of hospitals where many wards are present. There are some blind patients in one ward; also elder patients are there so it could not be handled by one care taker or doctor. Hence to overcome these shortcomings creation of Wearable technique is introduced. The necessities of the system are that every patient should wear this band which would be connected to doctor's computer server via internet. The development of remote healthcare monitoring system is done by programming the microcontroller for making a wearable device using patient's physiological parameters which are logged at that instance and activity of patients can be viewed at the doctor's screen.
Workers’ Remittances and Government Size

In this paper I use a panel of 133 developing countries for the period 1972 to 2012 to estimate the effect of workers’ remittances on the size of government. Controlling for country and period fixed effects that jointly affect workers’ remittances and government size, the paper finds that workers’ remittances are associated with larger government. The paper further examines whether democratic institutions mediate the relationship between workers’ remittances and government size. Democratic institutions do not significantly mediate the effect that workers’ remittances have on the size of government.
Binary opposition “rich – poor” in russian, tatar and english linguocultures

The article analyzes one of the basic cultural and psychological oppositions forming cognitive value-evaluative system of knowledge, binary opposition богатый/бай/rich, бедный/ярлы/poor and its verbalization in Russian, Tatar and English conceptual spheres. The linguistic peculiarities of functioning of the coupled concepts богатый/rich and бедный/poor in linguistic consciousness of the Russians, the Tatars, the English have been investigated, which enabled to interrelate this antinomy in the Russian, Tatar and English languages, to extend knowledge about sociolinguistic nature of the development of linguistic consciousness of the representatives of different linguistic cultures and social communities. To achieve the objectives, general scientific methods of observation, generalization, modeling; concrete methods of component and contextological analysis, method of linguoculturological interpretation. The binary code богатые/the rich – бедные/the poor discovered a wide spectrum of lexical and semantic links that are conductive to the formation of semantic complexes or paradigms on the basis of synonymy, antonymy, periphrastic and associative concepts and images. It has been found that богатый/rich and бедный/poor are universal concepts in Russian, Tatar and English consciousness. Confirmation of it is the fact that each of them can be used in utterances as a basic element of judgment; each of them has the rows of language and contextual synonyms, moreover, they are comprehended in set expressions, phraseological units, proverbs and sayings.
Implications of the 2016 Oregon Minimum Wage Increase for Direct Market Farmers, Farmworkers, and Communities

We conducted interviews with 18 direct market (DM) farmers to explore the implications of the Oregon minimum wage (MW) increase for the state’s DM agricultural sector. How, if at all, will DM farms in the Willamette Valley (OR, USA) adjust their production and marketing practices in response to the MW increase? How will these adjustments affect DM farm viability, farmworkers, the environment, and the communities in which the farms are embedded? This region has a vibrant food system with many small-to-mid sized, diversified farms that sell through direct and intermediated marketing channels. The diversified production and marketing practices of these DM farmers are labor intensive and, in many respects, environmentally friendly. These practices result in relatively high costs and the farmers’ ability to respond by increasing prices is constrained by mainstream retail prices. Most growers reported that they will adjust to the MW increase by reducing their production and marketing costs with a decrease in total labor hours being an important strategy. This study, while small and exploratory, is the first in Oregon (and perhaps nationally) to collect empirical farm-level data about how DM farms will adjust to a MW increase. It sets the stage for future research.
High‐Performance Liquid Chromatography Determination of Dapsone, Monoacetyldapsone, and Pyrimethamine in Filter Paper Blood Spots

A high-performance liquid chromatography method for the simultaneous analysis of dapsone (DDS), the major metabolite of DDS, monoacetyldapsone (MADDS), and pyrimethamine (PYR) was modified for capillary blood samples obtained by finger prick and dried on filter paper. Limit of quantitation using 150 μl whole blood dried on filter paper was found to be 20 ng/ml for DDS and PYR and 15 ng/ml for MADDS (precision <15%). The clinically relevant concentrations of DDS are 50–2,000 ng/ml and for PYR 25–150 ng/ml. No interference from several drugs were observed. The accuracy of the filter paper method and the original whole-blood method was almost comparable. Standardization could therefore be obtained by the more simple whole-blood method. Dried filter paper samples stored at 19–22°C were stable for months and for 2 weeks stored at 35°C. The concentrations of simultaneously collected capillary blood and conventional venous blood samples correlated well. The present method using capillary blood dried on filter paper is reliable, simple, sensitive, and applicable in the field with limited technical facilities.
Influence of Environmental Knowledge on Affect, Nature Affiliation and Pro-Environmental Behaviors among Tourists

Jeju Island is a popular destination in South Korea that is dependent on nature-based tourism. The annual increase in the influx of visitors has created major environmental impacts due to overuse and commercial expansion. With projected growth in arrivals and the development of tourism infrastructure, the island will experience perpetual challenges for sustainable management of natural resources. However, the role of visitors will be central via a commitment to practice pro-environmental behaviors to protect the island from further degradation. This study was grounded in the cognition-affection-attitude-behavior model to examine the predictive validity of tourists’ environmental knowledge, environmental affect, and nature affiliation on pro-environmental behavior. The data comprised responses from 304 domestic visitors who had visited Jeju Island. The empirical findings indicate that environmental affect was significantly impacted by two dimensions of environmental knowledge (i.e., subjective and objective). Additionally, nature affiliation was positively impacted by environmental affect, while pro-environmental behavior was significantly influenced by both environmental affect and nature affiliation. Overall, these findings provide theoretical and practical implications for sustainable tourism at a nature-based destination. The findings can be utilized for implementation of intervention programs and visitor management at Jeju Island.
Cellular localization of the inhibitory action of relaxin against uterine spasm

1 The aim of this study was to determine whether the site of action of relaxin as a relaxant of rat myometrium is at the cell membrane or at an intracellular site. Therefore, the potency of relaxin was determined against spasms reliant predominantly upon either extracellular Ca2+ or intracellular Ca2+. Uterine spasms dependent upon extracellular Ca2+ were elicited by (i) oxytocin (0.2 nM) (ii) Bay K 8644 (1 μm) in 10 mM K+‐rich PSS and (iii) KC1 (80 mm). Uterine spasm dependent upon intracellular Ca2+ was elicited by oxytocin (20 nM) in the presence of nifedipine (500 nM). The effects of relaxin against these spasmogens were compared with those of levcromakalim, nifedipine and salbutamol. 2 Relaxin (0.2–6.3 nM), levcromakalim (25–800 nM), salbutamol (1–63 nM) and nifedipine (1–250 nM) caused concentration‐dependent inhibition of the spasm evoked by oxytocin (0.2 nM) and relaxin was the most potent relaxant. 3 Relaxin and nifedipine were slightly less potent against the spasm induced by Bay K 8644 (1 μm) than against spasm induced by oxytocin (0.2 nM) (15 fold and 13 fold respectively). Levcromakalim and salbutamol were equipotent against the spasm evoked by Bay K 8644 (1 μm) and that evoked by oxytocin (0.2 nM). 4 Relaxin induced only 47 ± 7% inhibition of the KC1 (80 mm)‐evoked spasm at a concentration of 0.8 μm. Levcromakalim was much less potent (427 fold) against the spasm evoked by KC1 (80 mm) than against the spasm evoked by oxytocin (0.2 nM). The potency of salbutamol against the spasm evoked by KC1 (80 mm) was modestly reduced (14 fold) compared to that against the spasm evoked by oxytocin (0.2 nM). The potency of nifedipine against the KC1 (80 mm)‐evoked spasm was not different from that against the oxytocin (0.2 nM)‐evoked spasm. 5 The potencies of relaxin and levcromakalim against the spasm evoked by oxytocin (20 nM) + nifedipine (500 nM) were greatly reduced (74 fold and 234 fold respectively) compared to their potencies against the spasm evoked by oxytocin (0.2 nM). The potency of salbutamol against these two spasmogens was not different. 6 Relaxin was much less potent against the spasm dependent upon intracellular Ca2+ (that induced by oxytocin (20 nM) + nifedipine (500 nM)) than against the spasms dependent upon extracellular Ca2+, those induced by oxytocin (0.2 nM) and Bay K 8644 (1 μm). In this regard, relaxin resembled levcromakalim and nifedipine rather than salbutamol. Therefore, the major site of action of relaxin appears to be located at the plasma membrane rather than at an intracellular level. The observation that relaxin was less effective against the KC1 (80 mm)‐induced spasm than against the oxytocin (0.2 nM)‐evoked spasm may indicate that relaxin has a minor action involving K+‐channel opening. 7 High concentrations of relaxin (up to 1 μm) induced significant inhibition of the spasm dependent upon intracellular Ca2+. Thus at high concentrations relaxin also appears to have an additional intracellular action.
Modeling the two firing modes of a regular spiking layer 5 neocortical pyramidal neuron

In vitro, the regular spiking layer 5 neocortical pyramidal neurons fire trains of single spikes in response to a somatically injected current pulse of sufficient amplitude and can respond with one or more bursts of action potentials to tonic apical dendritic stimulation. To investigate the mechanisms underlying this behavior, a complex model neuron was developed and tested. The results showed that the absence of the high voltage-activated (HVA) Ca2+ currents in the soma and proximal apical dendrites, the absence or the weak presence of these currents in the basal dendrites and a moderate presence in the proximal part of the apical trunk can account for the discharge patterns of the neurons under study.
The size dependence of tin oxide atomic cluster nanowire field effect transistors

Tin oxide (SnO2) cluster nanowires have been fabricated using atomic clusters as building blocks. Nanowires with widths of less than 100 nm were defined using electron beam lithography followed by deposition of Sn clusters which were subsequently thermally oxidized. The cluster nanowires were used to fabricate field effect transistors. The transistors were n-type and demonstrated a clear size-dependent behaviour. With zero gate bias the narrowest wires were depleted, both the carrier concentration and the conduction quickly increasing with wire width. This behaviour is attributed to the formation of a surface depletion region caused by Fermi level pinning. The width of the depletion region was estimated using the carrier concentration calculated from the transistor threshold voltages. The change in the wire conductance with UV illumination was also investigated. Illumination with 365 nm light increases the conduction by up to 40 times. This is attributed to a combination of an increase in carriers due to photo-desorption of oxygen from the surface of the wires and an increase in the mobility due to a reduction of inter-grain potential barrier height.
Shear bond strength of a new high fluoride release glass ionomer adhesive.

OBJECTIVE To determine the shear bond strength of a new resin glass ionomer adhesive with higher fluoride release properties when bonding orthodontic brackets. MATERIALS AND METHODS Sixty freshly extracted human molars were collected and stored in a solution of 0.1% (weight/volume) thymol. The teeth were cleaned and polished. The teeth were randomly separated into three groups according to the enamel conditioner/etchant and adhesive used. Group I: 20 teeth conditioned with 10% polyacrylic acid and brackets bonded with the new glass ionomer adhesive. Group II: 20 teeth conditioned with 37% phosphoric acid and brackets bonded with the new glass ionomer adhesive. Group III (control): 20 teeth etched with 37% phosphoric acid and brackets bonded with a composite adhesive. RESULTS The results of the analysis of variance comparing the three experimental groups (F = 10.294) indicated the presence of significant differences between the three groups (P = .0001). The shear bond strengths were significantly lower in the two groups bonded with the new glass ionomer adhesive whether conditioned with polyacrylic acid ( x = 3.2 +/- 1.8 MPa) or phosphoric acid (x = 2.3 +/- 1.1 MPa), while the mean shear bond strength of the composite adhesive was 5.2 +/- 2.9 MPa. CONCLUSIONS Although the increased fluoride release from the new glass ionomer has the potential of decreasing decalcification around orthodontic brackets, the shear bond strength of the material is relatively low.
Lysis of Escherichia coli by beta-lactams which bind penicillin-binding proteins 1a and 1b: inhibition by heat shock proteins

The heat shock proteins (HSPs) of Escherichia coli were artificially induced in cells containing the wild-type rpoH+ gene under control of a tac promoter. At 30 degrees C, expression of HSPs produced cells that were resistant to lysis by cephaloridine and cefsulodin, antibiotics that bind penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) 1a and 1b. This resistance could be reversed by the simultaneous addition of mecillinam, a beta-lactam that binds PBP 2. However, even in the presence of mecillinam, cells induced to produce HSPs were resistant to lysis by ampicillin, which binds all the major PBPs. Lysis of cells induced to produce HSPs could also be effected by imipenem, a beta-lactam known to lyse nongrowing cells. These effects suggest the existence of at least two pathways for beta-lactam-dependent lysis, one inhibited by HSPs and one not. HSP-mediated lysis resistance was abolished by a mutation in any one of five heat shock genes (dnaK, dnaJ, grpE, GroES, or groEL). Thus, resistance appeared to depend on the expression of the complete heat shock response rather than on any single HSP. Resistance to lysis was significant in the absence of the RelA protein, implying that resistance could not be explained by activation of the stringent response. Since many environmental stresses promote the expression of HSPs, it is possible that their presence contributes an additional mechanism toward development in bacteria of phenotypic tolerance to beta-lactam antibiotics.
Mass balance, pharmacokinetics and metabolism of the selective S1P1 receptor modulator ponesimod in humans

Abstract 1. Ponesimod [(R)-5-[3-chloro-4-(-2,3-dihydroxy-propoxy)-benzylidene]-2-propylimino-3-o-tolyl-thiazolidin-4-one] is an orally administered, selective S1P1 receptor modulator that blocks the egress of lymphocytes from lymphoid organs and reduces the availability of circulating effector T/B-cells. 2. The mass balance, pharmacokinetics and metabolism of 40 mg 14C-ponesimod were investigated in six healthy male subjects. The total radioactivity in whole blood, plasma, urine, faeces and expired CO2 was determined by liquid scintillation counting. Metabolite profiling was performed by high-performance liquid chromatography and detection by mass spectrometry. 3. The majority of the radioactivity (% of administered dose) was recovered in faeces (57.3–79.6%), followed by urine (10.3–18.4%) and a small proportion in CO2 from expired air (0.6–1.9%). The average cumulative recovery (mass balance) of 14C-associated radioactivity in faeces and urine was 77.9% of the administered dose. Unchanged ponesimod made up 25.9% of total radioactivity in faeces; none was detected in urine. Ponesimod was extensively metabolised and two pharmacologically inactive metabolites, M12 (ACT-204426) and M13 (ACT-338375), were detected in the circulation. M12 corresponded to 8.1% and M13 to 25.7% of the total drug-related radioactive exposure (AUC0–∞) in plasma. M12 was highly abundant in faeces (22.3% of total radioactivity) and to a smaller extent in urine (2.5% of total radioactivity).
Young children's yes bias: How does it relate to verbal ability, inhibitory control, and theory of mind?

The aim of the present study was to investigate how young children reduce a yes bias, the tendency to answer `yes' to yes-no questions. Specifically, we examined three possible factors: verbal ability, inhibitory control and theory of mind. Results revealed that verbal ability and inhibitory control were strongly associated with a yes bias even after controlling for age. Regression analyses revealed that these two factors significantly predicted a yes bias. Theory of mind was not significantly correlated with a yes bias. The results indicate that young children may have to inhibit a dominant `yes' response when they are supposed to respond `no'. The development of verbal skills may reduce young children's yes biases.
Secondary Analysis of Office of Inspector General’s Pressure Ulcer Data: Incidence, Avoidability, and Level of Harm

PURPOSE: To provide information about a secondary analysis of pressure ulcer data regarding incidence, avoidability, and level of harm. TARGET AUDIENCE: This continuing activity is intended for physicians and nurses with an interest in skin and wound care. OBJECTIVES: After participating in this educational activity, the participant should be better able to: 1. Summarize the data provided in the Office of Inspector General (OIG) study regarding incidence of pressure ulcers (PrUs) found in hospitals and skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). 2. Identify the classification systems used that designate levels of harm to patients and the avoidability of PrUs. OBJECTIVE: To investigate in greater detail the government data on pressure ulcer (PrU) incidence, avoidability, and level of harm. DESIGN: The authors performed a secondary analysis of PrU data published in 2 studies by the Office of Inspector General (OIG) on adverse events in hospitals and skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). SETTING: Acute care hospitals and Medicare-certified SNFs across the United States. PATIENTS: The hospital sample included 780 Medicare beneficiaries randomly selected from 999,645 discharges during October 2008. The SNF population included 653 Medicare beneficiaries randomly selected from 100,771 patients whose stay began within 1 day of hospital discharge, who had a length of stay of 35 days or less, and whose stay ended in August 2011. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Pressure ulcer incidence with stage, location, avoidability, and level of harm using the Modified National Coordinating Council for Medication Errors Reporting and Prevention Index. MAIN RESULTS: The PrU incidence in hospitals was 2.9%, and the incidence in SNFs was 3.4%. Most PrUs were Stages I and II, with 78.3% in hospitals and 54.5% in SNFs. The avoidability of PrUs was similar in both locations, with 39.1% unavoidable in hospitals and 40.9% unavoidable in SNFs. All hospital-acquired PrUs and 90.9% of SNF-acquired PrUs were designated level E on the National Coordinating Council for Medication Errors Reporting and Prevention Index, indicating a temporary harm event. CONCLUSIONS: The OIG studies captured few Stage III PrUs and no Stage IV PrUs, and they underestimate the level of harm generated from PrUs in hospitals and SNFs. The studies offer a structured algorithm for avoidability determination, but lack measures of reliability and validity. Nonetheless, the high rate of unavoidable ulcers leads to questions on the reliability of PrUs as a quality indicator. There are several weaknesses in OIG methodology with regard to PrUs; however, its structured algorithm can be viewed as a starting point for future studies of PrU avoidability.
The Impact of Funding Liquidity on Risk-taking Behaviour of Vietnamese Banks: Approaching by Z-Score Measure

The study analyses the impact of funding liquidity risk on risk-taking behaviour of Vietnamese commercial banks from 2002 to 2016, using the systematic GMM estimation method. The main finding is that liquidity risk (represented by deposit ratio) has a negative correlation to risk-taking behaviour (captured by Z-score. The study also examines the effects of a big bank and financial crisis on the relationship between liquidity risk and the risk-taking behaviour of banks. The results suggest that big banks will have lower risk-taking behaviour than small banks when the liquidity risk of banks is still low. However, the study cannot find the empirical statistic evidence to confirm impact of funding liquidity risk and risk-taking behaviour in during a global financial crisis. Our results are consistent with all estimation equations with or without attendance of macroeconomic factors.