Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Transcriptional regulation of bacterial virulence gene expression by molecular oxygen and nitric oxide

Molecular oxygen (O2) and nitric oxide (NO) are diatomic gases that play major roles in infection. The host innate immune system generates reactive oxygen species and NO as bacteriocidal agents and both require O2 for their production. Furthermore, the ability to adapt to changes in O2 availability is crucial for many bacterial pathogens, as many niches within a host are hypoxic. Pathogenic bacteria have evolved transcriptional regulatory systems that perceive these gases and respond by reprogramming gene expression. Direct sensors possess iron-containing co-factors (iron–sulfur clusters, mononuclear iron, heme) or reactive cysteine thiols that react with O2 and/or NO. Indirect sensors perceive the physiological effects of O2 starvation. Thus, O2 and NO act as environmental cues that trigger the coordinated expression of virulence genes and metabolic adaptations necessary for survival within a host. Here, the mechanisms of signal perception by key O2- and NO-responsive bacterial transcription factors and the effects on virulence gene expression are reviewed, followed by consideration of these aspects of gene regulation in two major pathogens, Staphylococcus aureus and Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
A review of talent management: ‘infancy or adolescence?’

The aim of this paper is to provide a critical review of the academic literature on talent management in search of alternative perspectives. We found three dominant themes: the exploration of the concept of talent (definitions), the intended outcomes or effects of talent management and talent management practices. These themes are explored in more detail, and we discuss possible limitations of the current points of view on talent management. Our main finding was that the current talent management literature has a too narrow and one-dimensional approach. It can be characterized as managerialist and unitarist and has a limited view of the practices and activities of human resources. To broaden this view to a more balanced or pluralistic approach to talent management, we added new perspectives, such as stakeholder theory, multiple goals and an extended consideration of practices. The new perspectives are not only valuable for the development of the field of talent management in general but also essential for a broader theoretical framework for talent management in different contexts.
Lgt: a Family of Cytotoxic Glucosyltransferases Produced by Legionella pneumophila

ABSTRACT Legionella pneumophila is a facultative intracellular pathogen responsible for severe lung disease in humans, known as legionellosis or Legionnaires' disease. Previously, we reported on the ∼60-kDa glucosyltransferase (Lgt1) from Legionella pneumophila, which modified eukaryotic elongation factor 1A. In the present study, using L. pneumophila Philadelphia-1, Lens, Paris, and Corby genome databases, we identified several genes coding for proteins with considerable sequence homology to Lgt1. These new enzymes form three subfamilies, termed Lgt1 to -3, glucosylate mammalian elongation factor eEF1A at serine-53, inhibit its activity, and subsequently kill target eukaryotic cells. Expression studies on L. pneumophila grown in broth medium or in Acanthamoeba castellanii revealed that production of Lgt1 was maximal at stationary phase of broth culture or during the late phase of Legionella-host cell interaction, respectively. In contrast, synthesis of Lgt3 peaked during the lag phase of liquid culture and at early steps of bacterium-amoeba interaction. Thus, the data indicate that members of the L. pneumophila glucosyltransferase family are differentially regulated, affect protein synthesis of host cells, and represent potential virulence factors of Legionella.
Neuropsychological Performance 10 Years After Immunization in Infancy With Thimerosal-Containing Vaccines

OBJECTIVE. Thimerosal, a mercury compound used as a preservative in vaccines administered during infancy, has been suspected to affect neuropsychological development. We compared the neuropsychological performance, 10 years after vaccination, of 2 groups of children exposed randomly to different amounts of thimerosal through immunization. METHODS. Children who were enrolled in an efficacy trial of pertussis vaccines in 1992–1993 were contacted in 2003. Two groups of children were identified, according to thimerosal content in vaccines assigned randomly in the first year of life (cumulative ethylmercury intake of 62.5 or 137.5 μg), and were compared with respect to neuropsychological outcomes. Eleven standardized neuropsychological tests, for a total of 24 outcomes, were administered to children during school hours. Mean scores of neuropsychological tests in the domains of memory and learning, attention, executive functions, visuospatial functions, language, and motor skills were compared according to thimerosal exposure and gender. Standard regression coefficients obtained through multivariate linear regression analyses were used as a measure of effect. RESULTS. Nearly 70% of the invited subjects participated in the neuropsychological assessment (N = 1403). Among the 24 neuropsychological outcomes that were evaluated, only 2 were significantly associated with thimerosal exposure. Girls with higher thimerosal intake had lower mean scores in the finger-tapping test with the dominant hand and in the Boston Naming Test. CONCLUSIONS. Given the large number of statistical comparisons performed, the few associations found between thimerosal exposure and neuropsychological development might be attributable to chance. The associations found, although statistically significant, were based on small differences in mean test scores, and their clinical relevance remains to be determined.
Servizi per l'impiego e politiche dell'occupazione in Europa : idee e modelli per l'Italia

Sartori A. , Servizi per l’impiego e politiche dell’occupazione in Europa. Idee e modelli per l'Italia, Intervento a "Incontri con l'autore", Roma, Isfol, 6 febbraio 2014. Isfol OA:
Features of Accounts Manipulations in Croatia

Investors and other users of financial statements seek for the information that is less likely to be affected by possibilities of financial number games. Accounts manipulations have become an issue of critical importance in today’s capital markets and have been subject of many researches in several countries. However, their features in Croatia are still quite unexplored. In this paper a survey was made with auditors about most frequent areas of accounts manipulations in Croatia. The questionnaire was sent to 274 auditors, but only 54 of them filled it out correctly and return it back. After that, obtained results were compared with archival data extracted from auditor reports published in abbreviate prospects of listing public companies. Prospects of 238 companies listing on the Zagreb Stock Exchange and Varaždin Stock Exchange were reviewed, but only 136 or 57.14% of them provided all data necessary for the analysis. The evidence shows that accounting manipulations are very common praxis in Croatia, especially in area of depreciation policy, write-off of accounts receivable, asset impairments and long-term investments in financial instruments. Beside above mentioned items, auditors pointed out taxes, inventories, revenues, provisions and revalorization as very frequent areas of accounts manipulations.
Kidney Transplantation and the Intensity of Poverty in the Contiguous United States

Background Geographic variation in kidney transplantation rates in the United States has been described previously but remains unexplained by age, race, sex, or socioeconomic status differences. Geographic variations in the concentration of poverty appear to impact end-stage renal disease care and potentially access to transplantation. Methods We studied the impact of how spatial topography of poverty across geographical regions in the contiguous United States is associated with kidney transplantation in the 48 contiguous U.S. states. Results We found considerable geographic variation in transplantation rates across the country that persisted across quartiles of county-level median household income and percentage minority population. Higher transplant rates were seen with increasing median household income and decreasing minority populations but were not influenced by education level. Transplantation rates in counties with poverty rates above the national average had low transplant rates, but these rates were influenced by the poverty level in the surrounding counties. Similarly, wealthy counties had higher transplant rates but were lowered in counties of relative wealth that were surrounded by less wealthy counties. Conclusions Our results underline the geographical heterogeneity of kidney transplantation in the United States and identify regions of the country most likely to benefit from interventions that may reduce disparities in transplantation.
Market Efficiency and Performance of Multimarket Funds

According to the theory of the Efficiency Market Hypothesis (EMH), prices in the market should reflect all the information to the point where the costs of acting based on this information does not exceed its benefits (Jensen, 1978; Fama, 1991). In this context, the aim of this paper was to analyze and if past and publicly information may be useful to obtain extraordinary returns in the segment of Brazilian multimarket funds. With data regarding 831 multimarket funds, segregated into two samples (551 funds between October/2007 and September/2011, and 280 funds between October/2009 and September/2011), the main results showed that, on average, the funds did not add extraordinary value, but the data that are publicly available of the funds were related to their performance. The last result contradicts the EMH and leads to questions such as: do investors monitor variables related to fund performance?
On Capital Flows and the Balance-of-Payments-Constrained Growth Model

Nearly two decades have elapsed since the publication of A.P. Thirlwall's seminal paper introducing a parsimonious macroeconomic model showing that the balance of payments is a crucial constraint on the long-term growth of many economies. Based on the proposition that the current account deficit cannot be indefinitely financed, his model concluded that the lack of foreign exchange sets an upper ceiling to the rate of expansion of aggregate demand and, consequently, to the rate of growth of domestic output and income (Thirlwall, 1979). And, assuming away foreign capital flows and changes in the terms of trade, he obtained the striking result-known as Thirlwall's Law-that the long-term expansion of real domestic income is given by the ratio of the growth of exports and the income elasticity of imports. The framework he developed is referred to as the balance-of-payments constrained growth model-here denoted as the BPC model-and has inspired a sizable empirical literature on cross-country differences in growth rates, as well as a debate on the interrelation between economic growth and foreign trade performance. In 1982, Thirlwall and Hussain extended the BPC model to tailor it to capture the experience of developing countries that run current account deficits for prolonged periods, financed by foreign investment and unilateral transfers. Their extended model concluded that long-term economic growth is constrained by the evolution of foreign capital flows, net exports, and the terms of trade. A particular characteristic of their model is that, although it allowed for nonzero foreign capital inflows, it imposed no restriction whatsoever on their trajectory except
Learning and Innovation Networks for Sustainable Agriculture: Processes of Co-evolution, Joint Reflection and Facilitation

Editorial to the Special Issue on "Learning and Innovation Networks for Sustainable Agriculture: Processes of Co-evolution, Joint Reflection and Facilitation". There is growing recognition that the technological and organizational solutions the agricultural sector has undertaken in the past are not always compatible with the constraints and opportunities that the rural economy and society will face in the next future. This has generated an increased emphasis on transition towards new business, technological and policy models that address the challenge of sustainability. Innovation is key to transition, but the institutions that are charged with fostering innovation are often locked into old approaches and methods of intervention. The linear view of knowledge transfer as a top-down process from research to advice and practice is still predominant. Increasingly, this view is challenged and partly replaced by systems approaches in which agricultural producers are seen as important actors, rather than merely consumers of technologies that are generated by agricultural research and development and transferred by extension services for subsequent adoption. Such a systems approach has been discussed and further developed in this Journal (see e.g. the special issue 2014 (3) edited by Koutsouris and Cristovao; and Knickel et al. 2009) and in other publications, including Roling and Engel 1991; Hall et al. 2003; Sumberg and Reece 2004. The systems approach has also inspired a recent document of the EU Standing Committee of Agricultural Research (EU SCAR 2013) and many of the aspects of this approach can be found in the recent European Innovation Partnerships policy (EU Commission 2010). This special issue synthesizes the findings of the three year European funded research project SOLINSA ‘Agricultural Knowledge Systems in Transition: Towards a more effective and efficient support of Learning and Innovation Networks for Sustainable Agriculture’ (GA No. 266306). The special issue assembles papers that explore new ways of learning and knowledge co-production for sustainable agriculture and rural development and critically reflect the role of research and policy for supporting sustainable innovation in rural Europe. In particular, it discusses the institutional aspects of joint learning and reflection in what has been coined as Learning and Innovation Networks for Sustainable Agriculture or LINSA, and how joint learning and innovation in these LINSA has actually been supported and can be supported to further enhance sustainability.
Impact of aspirin use in the incidence of thromboembolic events after bioprosthesis replacement in patients with rheumatic disease.

INTRODUCTION There is still much debate regarding the kind of antithrombotic therapy in the immediate postoperative period of bioprosthesis replacement (first three months). Thus, the authors consider relevant to determine the contemporary incidence of thromboembolic events in rheumatic patients early after implantation of aortic and mitral bioprosthesis replacement (first 90 days in the post-operative period) and perform a comparison between isolated Aspirin uses versus no-antiplatelet therapy, in this same context. METHODS Between the period of January 2010 to July 2012, all consecutive rheumatic patients, with basal sinus rhythm, who performed mitral and aortic valve replacement with bioprosthesis (pericardial bovine), were included in this prospective cohort study, 184 patients in total. The primary endpoint evaluated were the rate of embolic events. RESULTS In the first 30 days, there were three cerebral ischemic events among patients treated in Aspirin group (5.2%) compared with two events in patients without Aspirin therapy (1.7%), HR = 3.18; 95% CI 0.5 to 19.6; P=0.33. Between 31 and 90 days postoperatively, no patient had a primary outcome. The embolism-free survival, bleeding events and the overall survival were not statistically significant between the aspirin and no-antiplatelet groups. CONCLUSION In conclusion, in this prospective cohort of rheumatic patients, we found a low and very rare incidence rate of embolic events during the first 90 days postoperative period in mitral and isolated aortic position, respectively. The use of aspirin did not significantly reduce the rate of thromboembolism.
Simulation of startup sequence of an offshore wind farm with MMC-HVDC grid connection

This paper proposes a startup sequence for a modular multilevel converter (MMC) HVDC connected offshore wind farm (OWF) and demonstrates how it can be simulated using an electromagnetic transient type tool. The objective is to analyze inrush currents of transformers and cables (HVAC and HVDC). Modeling accuracies and computational performances are examined using three existing modeling methods for the MMCs.
Method of removing moving shadow based on texture

Removing cast shadow is the key to segment vehicle form the road background accurately and effectively in traffic parameters detecting by video. Texture is the intrinsic attribute of object. Generally, the texture of road is different form the texture of vehicle, and the texture of the road does not change when it covered with shadow. The algorithm of removing shadow based on it is proposed. First, the texture attributes of road background are taken out and normalized. The normalized texture attributes of road background are stored as model. Then the same works are done to the traffic senses with road and vehicle. Comparing the normalized texture attributes of traffic sense with model along with pixels, if the texture attribute is not change or little change under a setting threshold, the pixel is belongs to the road. Otherwise it is vehicle. The shadow will all removed in the end and the vehicle is segmented effectually. The result of the test indicate that the algorithm has robust.
OF FINANCIAL AND QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS January 1973 THE FUNDAMENTAL THEOREM OF PARAMETER-PREFERENCE SECURITY VALUATION

*For more general results with the weaker assumption of ordinal (rather than measurable) utility, with portfolio central moments incorporated directly as arguments of the utility function as in Mossin [7], see footnote 6. However, as has been generally accepted in the literature, the loss of generality borne by assuming measurable utility would appear a small price to pay for the specific content of the theorems derived from this assumption.
Assembly of horseradish peroxidase within supported cationic bilayers

The interaction between horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and dioctadecyldimethylammonium bromide (DODAB) bilayers supported on polystyrene microspheres (PSS) or on flat silicon wafers was evaluated from the following techniques: (1) dynamic light‐scattering for determining size distributions, zeta‐potentials and polydispersities for dispersions; (2) spectrophotometric determination of HRP concentration in supernatants of centrifuged mixtures; (3) in situ ellipsometry for mean thickness of deposited layers on wafers; (4) kinetics of product appearance for oxidation of 2,2′‐azino‐bis‐3‐ethylbenzothiazoline‐6‐sulfonic acid by H2O2 in presence of free or immobilized enzyme. HRP incorporation (3.0 mg/m2) did not alter mean diameter and zeta‐potential of PSS/DODAB particles but reduced enzyme activity by 50%, though activity persisted after several rinsing steps. In situ ellipsometry could not detect any HRP layer on top of the DODAB bilayer. HRP insertion in the bilayer core explained all results for both systems. Useful biotechnological applications are anticipated for such assemblies. © 2011 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog. , 2011
Age-associated changes in human carotid atherosclerotic plaques

Abstract Little is known about changes in carotid plaque morphology during aging and the possible impact on cardiovascular events. Only few studies addressed so far age-related modifications within atherosclerotic lesions. Therefore, in this work we endeavored to summarize the current knowledge about changing of plaque composition in elderly. The data from hitherto existing studies confirm that atherosclerotic plaques undergo distinct alternations with advanced age. However, the results are often ambiguous and the changes do not seem to be as disastrous as expected. Interestingly, none of the studies could definitely evidence increased plaque vulnerability with advanced age. Nevertheless, based on the previous work showing decrease in elastin fibers, fibroatheroma, SMCs, overall cellularity and increase in the area of lipid core, hemorrhage, and calcification, the plaque morphology appears to transform toward unstable plaques. Otherwise, even if inflammatory cells often accumulate in plaques of younger patients, their amount is reduced in the older age and so far no clear association has been observed between thin fibrous cap and aging. Thus, the accurate contribution of age-related changes in plaque morphology to cardiovascular events has yet to be elucidated. KEY MESSAGES Composition of carotid atherosclerotic lesions changes during aging. These alternations are however, just moderate and depend upon additional variables, such as life style, accompanying disease, genetics, and other factors that have yet to be determined. Based on the current data, the age-associated plaque morphology seems to transform toward vulnerable plaques. However, the changes do not seem to be as disastrous as expected.
A two-phase time aggregation algorithm for average cost Markov decision processes

This paper introduces a two-phase approach to solve average cost Markov decision processes, which is based on state space embedding or time aggregation. In the first phase, time aggregation is applied for policy evaluation in a prescribed subset of the state space, and a novel result is applied to expand the evaluation to the whole state space. This evaluation is then used in the second phase in a policy improvement step, and the two phases are then sequentially applied until convergence is attained or a prescribed running time is exceeded.
Scanner Data and the Measurement of Inflation

This paper outlines the potential use of bar-code scanner data from retailers for the measurement of inflation. The source benefits from its extensive coverage in providing data on prices, quantities and values of transactions of each model of a good sold. Relative weights can thus be ascribed to price changes in both base and current months at a highly detailed level which allows us to estimate substitution bias. Methods of adjusting for quality changes can be considered. The dummy variable hedonic approach is compared with a superlative, exact hedonic approach and a matching technique akin to that used by statistical offices.