Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Characterization of the branched antimicrobial peptide M6 by analyzing its mechanism of action and in vivo toxicity

We analyzed functional activity of the antimicrobial peptide M6 in vitro and in vivo. The peptide was identified by our group by phage library selection, rational modification and synthesis in a tetrabranched form (Pini et al., Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 2005; 49: 2665–72). We found that it binds lipopolysaccharide, causes perforation of cell membranes without destroying external cell morphology and strongly binds DNA. The latter feature suggests that it could inhibit metabolic pathways, blocking DNA replication and/or transcription. We also observed that M6 does not stimulate humoral immune response when repeatedly administered to animals. We also analyzed M6 toxicity when administered to animals by intraperitoneal or by intravenous injection, determining a preliminary LD50 (125 and 37.5 mg/kg, respectively), which suggested that M6 could be used in vivo. These features make the antimicrobial branched peptide M6 a promising candidate for the development of a new antibacterial drug. Copyright © 2007 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Causes and Costs of Misallocation

Why do living standards differ so much across countries? A consensus in the development literature is that differences in productivity are a dominant source of these differences. But what accounts for productivity differences across countries? One explanation is that frontier technologies and best practice methods are slow to diffuse to low income countries. The recent literature on misallocation offers a distinct but complementary explanation: low income countries are not as effective in allocating their factors of production to their most efficient use. We provide our perspective on three key questions. First, how important is misallocation? Second, what are the causes of misallocation? And third, beyond the direct cost of lower contemporaneous output, are there additional costs associated with misallocation? A summary of our answers is as follows. Misallocation appears to be a substantial channel in accounting for productivity differences across countries, but the measured magnitude of the effects depends on the approach and context. Researchers have not yet found a dominant source of misallocation; instead, many specific factors seem to contribute a small part of the overall effect. Beyond the static cost of misallocation, we believe that the dynamic effects of misallocation on productivity growth are significant and deserve much more attention going forward.
The DYRK1A gene is a cause of syndromic intellectual disability with severe microcephaly and epilepsy

Background DYRK1A plays different functions during development, with an important role in controlling brain growth through neuronal proliferation and neurogenesis. It is expressed in a gene dosage dependent manner since dyrk1a haploinsufficiency induces a reduced brain size in mice, and DYRK1A overexpression is the candidate gene for intellectual disability (ID) and microcephaly in Down syndrome. We have identified a 69 kb deletion including the 5′ region of the DYRK1A gene in a patient with growth retardation, primary microcephaly, facial dysmorphism, seizures, ataxic gait, absent speech and ID. Because four patients previously reported with intragenic DYRK1A rearrangements or 21q22 microdeletions including only DYRK1A presented with overlapping phenotypes, we hypothesised that DYRK1A mutations could be responsible for syndromic ID with severe microcephaly and epilepsy. Methods The DYRK1A gene was studied by direct sequencing and quantitative PCR in a cohort of 105 patients with ID and at least two symptoms from the Angelman syndrome spectrum (microcephaly < −2.5 SD, ataxic gait, seizures and speech delay). Results We identified a de novo frameshift mutation (c.290_291delCT; p.Ser97Cysfs*98) in a patient with growth retardation, primary severe microcephaly, delayed language, ID, and seizures. Conclusion The identification of a truncating mutation in a patient with ID, severe microcephaly, epilepsy, and growth retardation, combined with its dual function in regulating the neural proliferation/neuronal differentiation, adds DYRK1A to the list of genes responsible for such a phenotype. ID, microcephaly, epilepsy, and language delay are the more specific features associated with DYRK1A abnormalities. DYRK1A studies should be discussed in patients presenting such a phenotype.
In vitro comparison of induction capacity and biomineralization ability of mineral trioxide aggregate and a bioceramic root canal sealer.

AIM To compare the effect of mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) and iRoot SP, a bioceramic root canal sealer, on the cell viability, hard tissue deposition capacity and odontogenic differentiation of human tooth germ stem cells (hTGSCs). METHODOLOGY The dental materials MTA, iRoot SP and Dycal were packed into Teflon rings and placed on transwell inserts for toxicity evaluations by the MTS assay on days 3 and 7. Dycal was used as a positive control for the cell viability assay. Teflon rings were cocultured with hTGSCs, followed by the induction of odontogenic differentiation. The odontogenic differentiation of hTGSCs and biomineralization ability of the materials were evaluated by analysing the mRNA expression levels of dentine sialophosphoprotein (DSPP) and collagen type 1A (COL1A) by real-time polymerase chain reaction expression analysis, measurement of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and visualization of calcium deposits by von Kossa staining. RESULTS MTA and iRoot SP exhibited no cytotoxicity, but Dycal caused cytotoxicity (P < 0.05) of almost all of the cells after 7 days. MTA significantly stimulated (P < 0.05) the odontogenic differentiation of hTGSCs compared with iRoot SP. MTA and iRoot SP increased (P < 0.05) the mRNA levels of COL1A and DSPP mRNA compared with noninduced hTGSCs, which served as a negative control (NC). iRoot SP, however, significantly decreased (P < 0.05) COL1A and DSPP mRNA expression levels compared with the PC. CONCLUSION MTA and iRoot SP induced hTGSC differentiation into odontoblast-like cells, but MTA might provide more inductive potential and hard tissue deposition compared with iRoot SP.
An econometric analysis of U.K. regional real estate markets

This thesis presents an analysis of UK national and regional property price dynamics with the focus on changes in the time-series properties of real estate prices and their forecastability. The main research questions addressed are the following. First, have UK regional property prices experienced episodes of explosive dynamics in the past and if so, can these episodes be explained by movements in economic fundamentals. Second, considering the substantial instability of UK real estate markets over the last few decades, which are the best econometric models for predicting future house price dynamics and which economic variables are the most important drivers of property prices movements.
Inhibitory effects of Cassia tora L. on benzo[a]pyrene-mediated DNA damage toward HepG2 cells.

The effects of water extracts from Cassia tora L. (WECT) treated with different degrees of roasting on benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P)-induced DNA damage in human hepatoma cell line HepG2 were investigated via the comet assay without exogenous activation mixtures, such as S9 mix. WECT alone, at concentrations of 0.1-2 mg/mL, showed neither cytotoxic nor genotoxic effect toward HepG2 cells. B[a]P-induced DNA damage in HepG2 cells could be reduced by WECT in a dose-dependent manner (P < 0.05). At a concentration of 1 mg/mL, the inhibitory effects of WECT on DNA damage were in the order unroasted (72%) > roasted at 150 degrees C (60%) > roasted at 250 degrees C (23%). Ethoxyresorufin-O-dealkylase activity of HepG2 cells was effectively inhibited by WECT, and a similar trend of inhibition was observed in the order unroasted (64%) > roasted at 150 degrees C (42%) > roasted at 250 degrees C (18%). The activity of NADPH cytochrome P-450 reductase was also decreased by unroasted and 150 degrees C-roasted samples (50% and 38%, respectively). Furthermore, glutathione S-transferase activity was increased by treatment with unroasted (1.26-fold) and 150 degrees C-roasted (1.35-fold) samples at 1 mg/mL. In addition, the contents of anthraquinones (AQs) in WECT, including chrysophanol, emodin, and rhein, were decreased with increasing roasting temperature. Each of these AQs also demonstrated significant antigenotoxic activity in the comet assay. The inhibitory effects of chrysophanol, emodin, and rhein on B[a]P-mediated DNA damage in HepG2 cells were 78, 86, and 71%, respectively, at 100 microM. These findings suggested that the decreased antigenotoxicity of the roasted samples might be due to a reduction in their AQs content.
The Returns to Education at Community Colleges: New Evidence from the Education Longitudinal Survey

I use nationally representative data from the Education Longitudinal Survey (ELS) to update the literature on returns to community college education. I compare the experiences of the ELS cohort that graduated high school in 2004 with those of the National Education Longitudinal Survey (NELS) cohort that graduated high school more than a decade earlier, in 1992. I estimate that community college students from the ELS cohort were more likely to be employed, and that those who were earned about 21 percent more than comparable peers with only a high school education. This estimate is at least as large as that observed for the NELS cohort, though I find some evidence that the value of an associate's degree is smaller for the more recent cohort. I compare these results with those from the burgeoning body of research using state administrative data to answer similar questions.
Prion-Dependent Lethality of sup45 Mutants in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

In yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, translation termination factors eRF1 (Sup45) and eRF3 (Sup35) are encoded by essential genes SUP45 and SUP35, respectively. Heritable aggregation of Sup35 results in formation of the yeast prion [PSI+]. It is known that combination of [PSI+] with some mutant alleles of the SUP35 or SUP45 genes in one and the same haploid yeast cell causes synthetic lethality. In this study, we perform detailed analysis of synthetic lethality between various sup45 nonsense and missense mutations on one hand, and different variants of [PSI+] on the other hand. Synthetic lethality with sup45 mutations was detected for [PSI+] variants of different stringencies. Moreover, we demonstrate for the first time that in some combinations, synthetic lethality is dominant and occurs at the postzygotic stage after only a few cell divisions. The tRNA suppressor SUQ5 counteracts the prion-dependent lethality of the nonsense alleles but not of the missense alleles of SUP45, indicating that the lethal effect is due to the depletion of Sup45. Synthetic lethality is also suppressed in the presence of the C-proximal fragment of Sup35 (Sup35C) that lacks the prion domain and can not be included into the prion aggregates. Remarkably, the production of Sup35C in a sup45 mutant strain is also accompanied by an increase in the Sup45 levels, suggesting that translationally active Sup35 up-regulates Sup45 or protects it from degradation.
Reconfiguring UWB Monopole Antenna for Cognitive Radio Applications Using GaAs FET Switches

A novel ultrawideband (UWB) microstrip monopole antenna with reconfigurable multiband function is presented. Reconfigurability is achieved by using GaAs field effect transistor (FET) switches to connect multiple stubs of different lengths to the main feed line of the monopole. The antenna is compact and flexible in terms of the availability of different reconfiguration bands and, most importantly, the simple biasing of the GaAs FET switches will not have a severe effect on the antenna performance. Using GaAs FET switches did not degrade the antenna radiation patterns due to the simple biasing technique and the few external biasing components needed, besides these switches did not degrade the antenna gain and efficiency due to their low insertion loss and low on resistance. When the antenna was reconfigured from UWB to work into multiple frequency bands, the total peak gain improved by 20% compared to the UWB case. In addition, the total efficiency of the antenna has not been significantly reduced in any reconfigured band, whereas the out-of-band total efficiency is hugely reduced, which highlights the filtering role of the reconfiguration process. The total dc power consumption of the antenna switches is still very low (<; 33 μW), and this will lead to simple integration of the antenna in some portable communication systems or future cognitive radio front ends.
Between the Symplegades of Resisting Politicians and Demanding International Lenders: The Case of the Greek State Budget Reform

The scope of this study is to examine the progress of a neuralgic reform - that of the Greek state budget - during the financial crisis period and within the clashing rocks of the Greek politicians and the Troika. The objective of the reform is - or should be - common for both parties: the improvement of the budgeting function in a period of scarce resources and extensive austerity. Their different motives, though, define the progress and orientation of the reform. The study contributes to the research agenda regarding public sector accounting reforms and the choices of accounting tools during periods of financial crisis, and explores the conflicts between Greek resisting politicians and a demanding group of external fund providers, on the setting of the Greek state budget reform. The progress of the reform is viewed through the lens of the resistance to change theory and the resource dependency theory. This theoretical framework is supported by the relevant primary sources (IMF, EC, Greek Ministry of Finance reports, the Memoranda of Understanding and the reviews of their progress) and informed by the outcome of interviews and informal discussions conducted with five Greek politicians. We conclude that politicians resisted to change by showing an attitude that did not facilitate the reform process and permitted the creation of significant delays in the implementation of reforms agreed with resource providers. We attribute this behavior to ideological objections as well as practical pressures originating from citizens, and the opposition that put in danger their elected position.
Automatic Summarization of Privacy Policies using Ensemble Learning

When customers purchase a product or sign up for service from a company, they often are required to agree to a Privacy Policy or Terms of Service agreement. Many of these policies are lengthy, and a typical customer agrees to them without reading them carefully if at all. To address this problem, we have developed a prototype automatic text summarization system which is specifically designed for privacy policies. Our system generates a summary of a policy statement by identifying important sentences from the statement, categorizing these sentences by which of 5 "statement categories" the sentence addresses, and displaying to a user a list of the sentences which match each category. Our system incorporates keywords identified by a human domain expert and rules that were obtained by machine learning, and they are combined in an ensemble architecture. We have tested our system on a sample corpus of privacy statements, and preliminary results are promising.
A Comparative Study of Audiologic Outcomes for Two Transcutaneous Bone-Anchored Hearing Devices

Objective: In 1977, Tjellstrom et al. used the concept of osseointegration and implanted patients with a titanium screw as part of the first bone-anchored hearing solution. Despite good hearing outcomes with the percutaneous device, there has been a drive for the development of transcutaneous bone conduction systems because of soft tissue complications, aesthetics, and loss or failure of the abutment. This study compares audiologic and quality of life questionnaire outcomes (author-designed questionnaire) for two transcutaneous bone conduction implants. Study Design: Cross-sectional cohort study. Setting: Tertiary referral hospital and national audiology service. Patients: Twelve patients, 10 children and two adults. Six recipients of each device. Main Outcome Measures: Pure-tone audiometry, aided thresholds, speech discrimination scores, and quality of life questionnaire results. Results: The unaided four-frequency average air conduction for affected ears was 60.8 dB HL for the Attract group and 57.8 dBHL for the Sophono group; these improved to mean aided thresholds of 30.6 dB HL and 29.8 dB HL, respectively. Therewas no statistical difference between the speech discrimination scores for the two devices in quiet at 55 dB SPL (p = 0.33) orin noise (p = 0.87). Conclusion: Both systems provide audiologic benefit compared with the unaided situation. Comparing small numbers of patients, there was no significant difference in aided thresholds or speech discrimination scores between these two transcutaneous bone-anchored implants. All Attract and Sophono users reported improvement in quality of life and would recommend their device to others in a similar situation.
Risk-informed security constrained optimal power flow inspired by the foraging habits of social spiders

Increasing consumer choices and market options in the power market necessitate a more resilient grid operation. Security level indication based on the desired risk index and thus a risk-based security constrained optimal power flow is described and simulated in this paper. It highlights the possibility of giving a choice of security level to a consumer area and also presents the computation of risk index considering the single and simultaneous component outage. It investigates the possibility of handling the credible contingencies by resetting the control without load interruption, thereby maintaining a certain level of security in the system. This level of security is assured, as the security is imposed as a constraint rather than as a second objective. The Social Spider Algorithm is used to obtain the solution to the optimization problem. The IEEE 30 bus system is used to obtain the required simulation results.
Not Just for Consumers

Context effects—preference changes that depend on the availability of other options—have attracted a great deal of attention among consumer researchers studying high-level decision tasks. In the experiments reported here, we showed that these effects also arise in simple perceptual-decision-making tasks. This finding casts doubt on explanations limited to consumer choice and high-level decisions, and it indicates that context effects may be amenable to a general explanation at the level of the basic decision process. We demonstrated for the first time that three important context effects from the preferential-choice literature—similarity, attraction, and compromise effects—all occurred within a single perceptual-decision task. Not only do our results challenge previous explanations for context effects proposed by consumer researchers, but they also challenge the choice rules assumed in theories of perceptual decision making.
Patterns of Use and Predictors of Receipt of Antibiotics in Women Undergoing Cesarean Delivery

OBJECTIVE: Perioperative antibiotics are recommended during cesarean delivery to reduce the risk of postoperative infections and resulting maternal morbidity. We examined the patterns of use and predictors of receipt of antibiotics in women undergoing cesarean delivery. METHODS: We identified a national cohort of women who underwent a cesarean delivery between 2003 and 2010 using a commercial hospitalization database. Women who received antibiotics on the day of cesarean delivery were classified as having received perioperative antibiotics. Multivariable regression models were developed to account for patient, obstetric, physician, and hospital factors on receipt of antibiotics. Between-hospital variation was calculated using generalized linear mixed models. RESULTS: Among 1,137,804 women who underwent cesarean delivery, 59.5% received perioperative antibiotics. The proportion of patients receiving antibiotics increased over time from 52.5% in 2003 to 63.1% in 2010 (P<.001) and varied significantly by geographic region. Women who did not labor were more likely to receive antibiotics than those who had a cesarean delivery after labor (66% compared with 44%, P<.001). Age, race, and insurance status were not major determinants of the use of perioperative antibiotics. CONCLUSION: Among women undergoing cesarean delivery, compliance with the recommendation for universal perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis is poor. Coordinated efforts are needed to enhance use of guideline-based perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis for women undergoing cesarean delivery. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III
Monitoring the urban environment with multitemporal SAR data

The TerraSAR-X images, characterized by resolutions up to one meter and an eleven days revisit time, provide new opportunities in various applications that range from environmental monitoring, to rapid emergency response, to the detection of infringement of local building regulations. This paper investigates the monitoring of land use and the novelty introduced by it is the classification of the single pixel through the exploitation of information contained in its amplitude's time series rather than taking advantage of the high spatial resolution for texture estimations. More specifically, this work covers the identification of the scattering behavior in time of three classes of urban targets: buildings, roads and squares and trees. The performance of the proposed algorithm has been tested on a data-set of 126 TerraSAR-X images of the Italian city of Milan. The proposed approach is based on the separation between the metropolitan area and surrounding countryside based on interferometric coherence, the subsequent pixel based classification on the urban pixels and the monitoring of land changes with a Bayesian step detector. The sinusoidal scattering in time of some buildings and the stealth nature of some skyscrapers have also been discussed. This three-step classification and monitoring algorithm has shown to provide a satisfactory classification performance and has great potential to benefit public institutions in the detection of urban sprawl and soil sealing.
Optimized versus corrected peak power during friction-braked cycle ergometry in males and females

Abstract The aim of this study was to compare optimization and correction procedures for the determination of peak power output during friction-loaded cycle ergometry. Ten male and 10 female sports students each performed five 10-s sprints from a stationary start on a Monark 864 basket-loaded ergometer. Resistive loads of 5.0, 6.5, 8.0, 9.5, and 11.0% body weight were administered in a counterbalanced order, with a recovery period of 10 min between sprints. Peak power was greater and occurred earlier, with less work having been done before the attainment of peak power, when the data were corrected to account for the inertial and frictional characteristics of the ergometer. Corrected peak power was independent of resistive load (P > 0.05), whereas uncorrected peak power varied as a quadratic function of load (P < 0.001). For males and females, optimized peak power (971 ± 122 and 668 ± 37 W) was lower (P < 0.01) than either the highest (1074 ± 111 and 754 ± 56 W respectively) or the mean (1007 ± 125 and 701 ± 45 W respectively) of the five values for corrected peak power. Optimized and mean corrected peak power were highly correlated both in males (r = 0.97, P < 0.001) and females (r = 0.96, P < 0.001). The difference between optimized and mean corrected peak power was 37 ± 30 W in males and 33 ± 14 W in females, of which approximately 15 W was due to the correction for frictional losses. We conclude that corrected peak power is independent of resistive load in males and females.