Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Direct involvement of IS26 in an antibiotic resistance operon

The plasmid pBWH77, originally found in an isolate of Klebsiella pneumoniae, harbors a new antibiotic resistance operon containing two resistance genes transcribed from an IS26-hybrid promoter, as shown by nucleotide sequencing, mRNA mapping, and the effect of inserting a transcription terminator within the promoter-proximal gene. The nucleotide sequence of this region revealed that the operon (IAB) is made up of three sections that are closely related to previously described genetic elements. The -35 region of the promoter, together with the adjacent sequence, is identical to sequences of the IS26 element. One of the resistance genes, aphA7, which is located next to the hybrid promoter, confers assistance to neomycin and structurally related aminoglycosides. This aphA7 gene is highly homologous to aphA1 of Tn903, with five nucleotide differences. The second gene, blaS2A, encodes an evolved SHV-type beta-lactamase with a pI of 7.6 that confers resistance to the broad-spectrum cephalosporins cefotaxime and ceftizoxime. The deduced amino acid sequence of SHV-2A shows that amino acid 238 is a serine, a residue reported to confer resistance to cefotaxime. We discuss how the operon may have evolved by a combination of insertion sequence-mediated genetic rearrangements and acquisitive evolution. Using phylogenetic parsimony, we show that aphA7 in the IAB operon evolved from an ancestral form similar to aphA1 in Tn903 and that blaS2A evolved from an ancestral form similar to blaS1.
How Repayments Manipulate Our Perceptions about Loan Dynamics after a Boom

Abstract We propose a method to decompose net lending flows into loan origination and repayments. We show that a boom in loan origination is transmitted to repayments with a very long lag, depressing the growth rate of the stock for many periods. In the euro area, repayments of the mortgage loans granted in the boom preceding the financial crisis have been dragging down net loan growth in recent years. This concealed an increasing dynamism in loan origination, especially during the last wave of ECB’s non-standard measures. Using loan origination instead of net loans has important implications for understanding macroeconomic developments. For instance, the robust developments in loan origination in recent times explain the strengthening in housing markets better than net loans. Moreover, credit supply restrictions during the crisis are estimated to be smaller. Overall, we show that analyses of credit dynamics benefit from putting the focus on loan origination instead of net loans, especially after large booms.
Prevalence of Smoking and Obesity Among U.S. Cancer Survivors: Estimates From the National Health Interview Survey, 2008-2012.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES To describe smoking and obesity prevalence among male and female cancer survivors in the United States. DESIGN Cross-sectional survey. SETTING Household interviews. SAMPLE 9,753 survey respondents who reported ever having a malignancy, excluding nonmelanoma skin cancers. METHODS Data from the National Health Interview Survey (2008-2012) were used to calculate weighted smoking status prevalence estimates. Cross-tabulations of smoking and weight status were produced, along with Wald chi-square tests and linear contrasts. MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES Cancer history, smoking status, obesity status, gender, age, and age at diagnosis. FINDINGS Seventeen percent of cancer survivors reported current smoking. Female survivors had higher rates of current smoking than males, particularly in the youngest age category. Male survivors who currently smoked had lower obesity prevalence rates than males who previously smoked or never smoked. Among female survivors, 31% were obese and no significant differences were seen in obesity prevalence by smoking status for all ages combined. CONCLUSIONS The findings highlight the variation in smoking status and weight by age and gender. Smoking interventions may need to be targeted to address barriers specific to subgroups of cancer survivors. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING Nurses can be instrumental in ensuring that survivors receive comprehensive approaches to address both weight and tobacco use to avoid trading one risk for another.
Creating athlete activists: Using sport as a vehicle to combat racism

ABSTRACT The purpose of this article is to share information about a program designed to leverage sport as a context to discuss difficult topics including racism, prejudice, diversity, and inclusivity with student-athletes. The format of the Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality (RISE) High School Leadership Program centers on experiential learning and self-discovery with an emphasis on translation of constructs to real-world examples (Kolb, 1984; Yelon, 1996). The design of the program integrates classic social psychology principles (Allport, 1954) with more contemporary positive youth development principles (Larson, 2006). In addition to program goals, one module is overviewed to provide a snapshot of curriculum.
The promise of glitching bodies in sport: a posthumanist exploration of an intersex phenomenon

Abstract This paper is about glitching bodies – bodies that break, crash and confuse the conventions of pre-programmed and binary gender patterns. Exploring the promise of an intersex phenomenon; hyperandrogenism in women’s sport, I discuss how glitching bodies and a feminist posthumanist understanding of gender can contribute to the field of gender and queer sport studies. Responding to calls for research enacting how non-binary bodies challenge the dualistic gendered ontologies that have structured the performative practices of sport in highly exclusive ways this paper is a travelogue into a messy nature-cultural phenomenon. It is partly a theoretical and methodological exploration and partly an analytic endeavour. The phenomenon of hyperandrogenism is explored and untangled by engaging in a diffractive analysis where I ‘plug in’ the concepts of intra-activity and glitch. I argue that a feminist posthumanist understanding of gender and diffraction as a methodological practice helps us move away from habitual and normative readings that zero in on either male or female, either nature or culture and either material or discursive. This implosion of binaries in turn opens up for alternative ways of thinking and being bodies in sport (studies).
The impact of product market competition on GDP per capita growth in the EU countries: does the model of capitalism matter?

Abstract This article assesses whether the intensity of product market competition is a factor affecting economic growth (measured by the growth rate of real GDP per capita) and whether this impact depends on the model of capitalism. The study covers the 1997–2015 period and all EU28 countries. Product market competition is measured by two types of variables: product market regulation indicators and the number of enterprises. New elements in the analysis include, among others, nonlinear impact and overlapping observations. The regression equations are estimated on the basis of Blundell and Bond’s GMM system estimator. The results generally indicate that stronger product market regulations (and theoretically lower product market competition) are linked with faster growth of output. However, the impact of product market competition on economic growth depends on the type of capitalism. For post-socialist countries, unlike the Western European model of capitalism, more regulation tends to reduce the rate of economic growth.
Preservation Methods Alter Carbon and Nitrogen Stable Isotope Values in Crickets (Orthoptera: Grylloidea)

Stable isotope analysis (SIA) is an important tool for investigation of animal dietary habits for determination of feeding niche. Ideally, fresh samples should be used for isotopic analysis, but logistics frequently demands preservation of organisms for analysis at a later time. The goal of this study was to establish the best methodology for preserving forest litter-dwelling crickets for later SIA analysis without altering results. We collected two cricket species, Phoremia sp. and Mellopsis doucasae, from which we prepared 70 samples per species, divided among seven treatments: (i) freshly processed (control); preserved in fuel ethanol for (ii) 15 and (iii) 60 days; preserved in commercial ethanol for (iv) 15 and (v) 60 days; fresh material frozen for (vi) 15 and (vii) 60 days. After oven drying, samples were analyzed for δ 15N, δ 13C values, N(%), C(%) and C/N atomic values using continuous flow isotope ratio mass spectrometry. All preservation methods tested, significantly impacted δ 13C and δ 15N and C/N atomic values. Chemical preservatives caused δ 13C enrichment as great as 1.5‰, and δ 15N enrichment as great as 0.9‰; the one exception was M. doucasae stored in ethanol for 15 days, which had δ 15N depletion up to 1.8‰. Freezing depleted δ 13C and δ 15N by up to 0.7 and 2.2‰, respectively. C/N atomic values decreased when stored in ethanol, and increased when frozen for 60 days for both cricket species. Our results indicate that all preservation methods tested in this study altered at least one of the tested isotope values when compared to fresh material (controls). We conclude that only freshly processed material provides adequate SIA results for litter-dwelling crickets.
Gate-all-around Si-nanowire CMOS inverter logic fabricated using top-down approach

We present, for the first time, the monolithic integration of Gate-Ail-Around (GAA) Si-nanowire FETs into CMOS logic using top-down approach. The drive currents for N-and P-MOS transistors are matched using different number of channels for each to obtain symmetric pull-up and pull-down characteristics. Sharp ON-OFF transitions with high voltage gains (up to -45) are obtained which are best reported among the nanowire and carbon nanotube inverters. The inverters maintain their good transfer characteristics and noise margins for a wide range of VDD values, down to 0.2 V. Short circuit current at 0.2 V VDD is ~6 pA indicating excellent potential of these devices for low voltage and ultra low power applications. These results excel those reported in the literature for nanowire as well as FinFET (non-classical CMOS) inverters.
Crystal structure of lipid phosphatase Escherichia coli phosphatidylglycerophosphate phosphatase B

Significance Phosphatases regulate many aspects of cellular function-homeostasis and signal transduction. Using X-ray crystallography methods, we determined the structure of phosphatidylglycerol-phosphate phosphatase B (PgpB) from Escherichia coli, a member of the type II phosphatidic acid phosphatase (PAP2) family and a homologue of human glucose-6-phosphatase, which plays a variety of physiopathological roles. Our structure of PgpB showed that the membrane-integrated and soluble members of the PAP2 family share the same catalytic mechanism. The mechanism of recognition of lipid substrates was postulated based on analyses of enzymatic activities and thermal stabilities of PgpB variants. This work presents an important structural model for studying eukaryotic PAP2s. Membrane-integrated type II phosphatidic acid phosphatases (PAP2s) are important for numerous bacterial to human biological processes, including glucose transport, lipid metabolism, and signaling. Escherichia coli phosphatidylglycerol-phosphate phosphatase B (ecPgpB) catalyzes removing the terminal phosphate group from a lipid carrier, undecaprenyl pyrophosphate, and is essential for transport of many hydrophilic small molecules across the membrane. We determined the crystal structure of ecPgpB at a resolution of 3.2 Å. This structure shares a similar folding topology and a nearly identical active site with soluble PAP2 enzymes. However, the substrate binding mechanism appears to be fundamentally different from that in soluble PAP2 enzymes. In ecPgpB, the potential substrate entrance to the active site is located in a cleft formed by a V-shaped transmembrane helix pair, allowing lateral movement of the lipid substrate entering the active site from the membrane lipid bilayer. Activity assays of point mutations confirmed the importance of the catalytic residues and potential residues involved in phosphate binding. The structure also suggests an induced-fit mechanism for the substrate binding. The 3D structure of ecPgpB serves as a prototype to study eukaryotic PAP2 enzymes, including human glucose-6-phosphatase, a key enzyme in the homeostatic regulation of blood glucose concentrations.
The Current State of Behavioral Health Quality Measures: Where Are the Gaps?

OBJECTIVE This review examined the extent to which existing behavioral health quality measures address the priority areas of the National Behavioral Health Quality Framework (NBHQF) as well as the extent to which the measures have received National Quality Forum endorsement and are used in major reporting programs. METHODS This review identified behavioral health quality measures in widely used measure inventories, including the National Quality Measures Clearinghouse, National Quality Forum, and the Center for Quality Assessment in Mental Health. Additional measures were identified through outreach to federal agencies. Measures were categorized by type, condition, target population, data source, reporting unit, endorsement status, and use in reporting programs. RESULTS The review identified 510 measures. Nearly one-third of these measures address broad mental health or substance use conditions rather than a specific condition or diagnosis. Seventy-two percent are process measures. The most common data source for measures is administrative claims, and very few measures rely on electronic health records or surveys. Fifty-three (10%) measures have received National Quality Forum (NQF) endorsement, and 28 (5%) unique measures are used in major quality reporting programs. Several subdomains of the NBHQF, such as treatment intensification, financial barriers to care, and continuity of care, lack measures that are NQF endorsed. CONCLUSIONS Despite the wide array of behavioral health quality measures, relatively few have received endorsement or are used in reporting programs. Future efforts should seek to fill gaps in measurement and to identify the most salient and strongest measures in each priority area.
The Effect of the Cathepsin K Inhibitor ONO‐5334 on Trabecular and Cortical Bone in Postmenopausal Osteoporosis: The OCEAN Study

ONO‐5334 (Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Osaka, Japan) inhibits cathepsin K and has been shown to increase areal bone mineral density (BMD) at the hip and spine in postmenopausal osteoporosis. Quantitative computed tomography (QCT) allows the study of the cortical and trabecular bone separately and provides structural information such as cortical thickness. We investigated the impact of 2 years of cathepsin K inhibition on these different bone compartments with ONO‐5334. The clinical study was a randomized, double‐blind, placebo, and active controlled parallel group study conducted in 13 centers in six European countries. The original study period of 12 months was extended by another 12 months. A total of 147 subjects (age 55–75 years) of the QCT substudy who participated in the extension period were included. Subjects had been randomized into one of five treatment arms: placebo; ONO‐5334 50 mg twice per day (BID); ONO‐5334 100 mg once daily (QD); ONO‐5334 300 mg QD; or alendronate 70 mg once weekly (QW). QCT was obtained to evaluate bone structure at the lumbar spine and proximal femur. After 24 months ONO‐5334 showed statistically significant increases versus placebo for integral, trabecular, and cortical BMD at the spine and the hip (for ONO‐5334 300 mg QD, BMD increases were 10.5%, 7.1%, and 13.4% for integral, cortical, and trabecular BMD at the spine, respectively, and 6.2%, 3.4%, and 14.6% for integral, cortical, and trabecular total femur BMD, respectively). Changes in cortical and trabecular BMD in the spine and hip were similar for alendronate as for ONO‐5334. Integral volume did not demonstrate statistically significant changes under ONO‐5334 treatment, thus there was no evidence of periosteal apposition, neither at the spine nor at the femur. Cortical thickness changes were not statistically significant for ONO‐5334 in the spine and hip, with exception of a 2.1% increase after month 24 in the intertrochanter for ONO‐5334 300 mg QD. Over 2 years ONO‐5334 showed a statistically significant and persistent increase of trabecular and integral BMD at the spine and the hip. Cortical BMD also progressively increased but at a lower rate. Changes in bone size and of periosteal apposition were not observed. © 2014 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Secretory IgA epitopes in basal tears of extended-wear soft contact lens wearers and in non-lens wearers.

PURPOSE To determine secretory IgA epitopes in tears of extended-wear soft contact lens wearers and non-wearing controls. METHODS We developed enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) to determine the tear concentrations of two epitopes of secretory IgA, the IgA alpha-chain and the secretory component. These epitopes were measured in basal tears of 20 individuals in 6 nights of extended wear of etafilcon A soft contact lenses and in 19 non-lens-wearing individuals. RESULTS Levels of IgA alpha-chain immunoreactivity were significantly decreased in the lens-wearing group compared to non-lens wearers. However, the level of secretory component immunoreactivity was not significantly different between groups. IgA alpha-chain and secretory component immunoreactvity were highly correlated; however, some samples showed a marked variation between these two values. CONCLUSION Tear concentrations of sIgA epitopes are significantly reduced in extended-wear contact lens wearers, and may contribute to the increased susceptibility to ocular infection seen in this group.
Automated classroom monitoring with connected visioning system

Internet of Things (IoT) with the concept of integrating connectivity, sensors, data analysis and decision making in an underlying framework has ease many real world problems. In this work, we study the application of IoT for education purpose. Student's behavior and performance in the class is always the main concern of every educator. The instructors are responsible to ensure the smoothness of the classroom activities alongside with monitoring the students' attendance, attention, and activities like entering or leaving the classroom. Manual observation on these could affect the teaching and learning process and causes the distraction from the main syllabus. With the incorporation of IoT devices and computational algorithms such as computer vision techniques, machine learning and data analysis, it can ease the monitoring task and the analysis of students' performance in the class. In advance, it can perform automated real-time observation on the student's behavior through network and react immediately to critical situation if necessary. Nonetheless, the students' long- term performance can be recorded and the data can be used for continuous assessment in the future. In this work, we propose an IoT framework that focused on three analysis modules: face recognition, motion analysis, and behaviour understanding to effectively perform classroom monitoring tasks such as taking attendance, identify entering and leaving activities and analyse the students concentration level.
Revisiting the Growth Effects of Fiscal Policy: A Bayesian Model Averaging Approach

Motivated by the mixed evidence in previous literature, we re-examine the effects of various types of government spending, taxes, and overall budget surplus/deficit, on economic growth. To address the model uncertainty issue that may have plagued earlier studies, we employ a Bayesian Model Averaging (BMA) approach. We use a panel data set for OECD countries for the 1990–2013 period, and allow for a wide range of other potential growth determinants. The results suggest a robust link between only some fiscal variables and economic growth in the short to medium run. On the spending side, productive public spending has a robust positive effect on growth. On the revenue side, we document a robust negative effect for the top corporate tax rate. Finally, our results suggest that a cyclically adjusted budget surplus has a robust positive effect on economic performance. Some, but limited, evidence points to effects of productive expenditure and of top income tax rates on medium-to-long-run growth. With regard to timing of short-to-medium run effects, our results show that most effects occur with a lag of two years.
Understanding native Russian listeners’ errors on an English word recognition test: Model-based analysis of phoneme confusion

Abstract Objective: Word recognition is a basic component in a comprehensive hearing evaluation, but data are lacking for listeners speaking two languages. This study obtained such data for Russian natives in the US and analysed the data using the perceptual assimilation model (PAM) and speech learning model (SLM). Design: Listeners were randomly presented 200 NU-6 words in quiet. Listeners responded verbally and in writing. Performance was scored on words and phonemes (word-initial consonants, vowels, and word-final consonants). Study sample: Seven normal-hearing, adult monolingual English natives (NM), 16 English-dominant (ED), and 15 Russian-dominant (RD) Russian natives participated. ED and RD listeners differed significantly in their language background. Results: Consistent with the SLM, NM outperformed ED listeners and ED outperformed RD listeners, whether responses were scored on words or phonemes. NM and ED listeners shared similar phoneme error patterns, whereas RD listeners’ errors had unique patterns that could be largely understood via the PAM. RD listeners had particular difficulty differentiating vowel contrasts /i-I/, /æ-ε/, and /ɑ-Λ/, word-initial consonant contrasts /p-h/ and /b-f/, and word-final contrasts /f-v/. Conclusions: Both first-language phonology and second-language learning history affect word and phoneme recognition. Current findings may help clinicians differentiate word recognition errors due to language background from hearing pathologies.
Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in a severe refractory Crohn’s disease patient with intestinal stoma: a case report

Background Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) can be used in the treatment of patients with refractory Crohn’s disease (CD) when no alternative treatment is available. However, HSCT increases the risk of infections, in particular during the aplasia of mobilization and conditioning. Moreover, intestinal stomas in CD augment the risk of morbidity in immunocompromised patients and under aplastic conditions. The objective of this report was to describe the results of the first year after HSCT in a CD patient with an intestinal stoma. Methods The patient was assessed in respect to disease symptoms and endoscopic findings before the procedure and 30, 90, 180, and 365 days after HSCT. Results No complications were observed during mobilization and conditioning with sufficient CD34+ cells being harvested in just one apheresis session. Toxicity was restricted to the hematological series. Scores of all the CD indexes and the quality of life of the patient improved. However, two of three endoscopic scores remained unchanged even though improvements were found in the appearance of the lesions. Conclusion HSCT may be an alternative treatment for refractory CD in patients with an intestinal stoma, and a priori, carefully selected patients with stomas should not be excluded as candidates for this procedure.