Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Oligomerization of NhaA, the Na+/H+ antiporter of Escherichia coli in the membrane and its functional and structural consequences.

Recently, a two-dimensional crystal structure of NhaA, the Na+/H+ antiporter of Escherichia coli has been obtained [Williams, K. A. , Kaufer, U. G. , Padan, E. , Schuldiner, S. and Kühlbrandt, W. (1999) EMBO J., 18, 3558-3563]. In these crystals NhaA exists as a dimer. Using biochemical and genetic approaches here we show that NhaA exists in the native membrane as a homooligomer. Functional complementation between the polypeptides of NhaA was demonstrated by coexpression of pairs of conditional lethal (at high pH in the presence of Na+) mutant alleles of nhaA in EP432, a strain lacking antiporters. Physical interaction in the membrane was shown between the His-tagged NhaA polypeptide which is readily affinity purified from DM-solubilized membranes with a Ni2+-NTA column and another which is not; only when coexpressed did both copurify on the column. The organization of the oligomer in the membrane was studied in situ by site-directed cross-linking experiments. Cysteine residues were introduced--one per NhaA--into certain loops of Cys-less NhaA, so that only intermolecular cross-linking could take place. Different linker-size cross-linkers were applied to the membranes, and the amount of the cross-linked protein was analyzed by mobility shift on SDS-PAGE. The results are consistent with homooligomeric NhaA and the location of residue 254 in the interface between monomers. Intermolecular cross-linking of V254C caused an acidic shift in the pH profile of NhaA.
Pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention: ready for prime time in South Africa?

Rates of HIV infection in sub-Saharan Africa remain stubbornly high, despite considerable investment in an array of HIV prevention interventions. The solution to accelerating and sustaining the decline in new infections may be found in the addition of new interventions to the 'tool kit'. These include early antiretroviral (ARV) treatment for prevention, innovative behaviour change methods, 'key population' intervention packages, vaccines and passive immunisation. While all of these have potential, their utility remains unproven.
Assessing Coagulation by Rotational Thromboelastometry (ROTEM) in Rivaroxaban-Anticoagulated Blood Using Hemostatic Agents

Abstract Introduction The use of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) such as rivaroxaban (Xarelto) is increasingly common. However, therapies for reversing anticoagulation in the event of hemorrhage are limited. This study investigates the ability of hemostatic agents to improve the coagulation of rivaroxaban-anticoagulated blood, as measured by rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM). Hypothesis/Problem If a chitosan-based hemostatic agent (Celox), which works independently of the clotting cascade, is applied to rivaroxaban-anticoagulated blood, it should improve coagulation by decreasing clotting time (CT), decreasing clot formation time (CFT), and increasing maximum clot firmness (MCF). If a kaolin-based hemostatic agent (QuikClot Combat Gauze), which works primarily by augmenting the clotting cascade upstream of factor Xa (FXa), is applied to rivaroxaban-anticoagulated blood, it will not be effective at improving coagulation. Methods Patients (age >18 years; non-pregnant) on rivaroxaban, presenting to the emergency department (ED) at two large, university-based medical centers, were recruited. Subjects (n=8) had blood drawn and analyzed using ROTEM with and without the presence of a kaolin-based and a chitosan-based hemostatic agent. The percentage of patients whose ROTEM parameters responded to the hemostatic agent and percent changes in coagulation parameters were calculated. Results Data points analyzed included: CT, CFT, and MCF. Of the samples treated with a kaolin-based hemostatic agent, seven (87.5%) showed reductions in CT, eight (100.0%) showed reductions in CFT, and six (75.0%) showed increases in MCF. The average percent change in CT, CFT, and MCF for all patients was 32.5% (Standard Deviation [SD]: 286; Range:-75.3 to 740.7%); -66.0% (SD:14.4; Range: -91.4 to -44.1%); and 4.70% (SD: 6.10; Range: -4.8 to 15.1%), respectively. The corresponding median percent changes were -68.1%, -64.0%, and 5.2%. Of samples treated with a chitosan-based agent, six (75.0%) showed reductions in CT, three (37.5%) showed reductions in CFT, and five (62.5%) showed increases in MCF. The average percent changes for CT, CFT, and MCF for all patients were 165.0% (SD: 629; Range:-96.9 to 1718.5%); 139.0% (SD: 174; Range: -83.3 to 348.0%); and -8.38% (SD: 32.7; Range:-88.7 to 10.4%), respectively. The corresponding median percent changes were -53.7%, 141.8%, and 3.0%. Conclusions Rotational thromboelastometry detects changes in coagulation parameters caused by hemostatics applied to rivaroxaban-anticoagulated blood. These changes trended in the direction towards improved coagulability, suggesting that kaolin-based and chitosan-based hemostatics may be effective at improving coagulation in these patients. BarJ, DavidA, KhaderT, MulcareM, TedeschiC. Assessing coagulation by rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM) in rivaroxaban-anticoagulated blood using hemostatic agents. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2017;32(5):580–587.
Robust scheduling in spatial reuse TDMA wireless networks

We propose a framework that produces robust schedules in collision-free medium access schemes. We demonstrate the approach on the STDMA link scheduling problem that seeks to minimize the frame length using the physical interference model and stochastic link gains. By using conservative link gain values as opposed to average values in the SINR-target constraints, we show that the proposed approach produces shorter schedules when timeslots required for retransmission are taken into account. We derive properties on the expected frame length and provide bounds on the probability of SINR constraint violation and on the number of timeslots needed for retransmission.
Increased expression of intercellular adhesion molecule‐1 (ICAM‐1) in a murine model of pulmonary eosinophilia and high IgE level

T lymphocytes and eosinophils are probably involved in the pathogenesis of allergic broncho‐pulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA), a disease characterized by pulmonary eosinophilia and high serum and lavage IgE levels. We recently developed a murine model of ABPA. To investigate the mechanisms of T lymphocyte and eosinophil recruitment to the lung in this disease, we examined the expression of ICAM‐1 In the lung tissue of mouse challenged with Aspergillus fumigatus (Af) antigen. C57B1/6 mice were intranasally exposed to Af (Af group) or saline (control group) three times a week for 1, 2 or 3 weeks. On days 4, 7, 14 and 21, mice were killed and lung tissue was fixed in acetone and embedded in glycol methacrylate. Serial μm sections were stained with chromotrope 2R and MoAbs against ICAM‐I. CD11a/CD18 (LFA‐1) and CD3. Af‐challenged mice presented significant increases in eosinophil, T lymphocyte and LFA‐1‐positive cell count and up‐regulated expression of ICAM‐1 in the lung tissue at all the time points examined. ICAM‐1 expression intensity correlated with the number of T lymphocytes (r= 0·59, P <0·01), LFA‐1‐positive cells (r= 0·68, P < 0·001), but not of eosinophils (r=−0·24, P > 0·05). These findings suggest that up‐regulation of ICAM‐1 expression is involved in the inflammatory process of this murine model of ABPA, and that this up‐regulation may be more relevant to the T lymphocyte accumulation in the lung.
Evaluating Policies to Implement the Paris Agreement: A Toolkit with Application to China

This paper describes a model, implemented in an Excel spreadsheet, for evaluating a wide range of fiscal and regulatory instruments policymakers might consider for implementing their Paris mitigation pledges. Policies are evaluated against a range of metrics, including impacts on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, revenue, deaths from local air pollution, economic welfare benefits and costs, and incidence across household and industry groups. The model is applied to China, the world’s largest emitter, but could be readily transferred to most other countries.
CRIX an Index for Blockchain Based Currencies

The S&P500 or DAX30 are important benchmarks for the financial industry. These and other indices describe different compositions of certain segments of the financial markets. For currency markets, the IMF offers the index SDR. Prior to the Euro, the ECU existed, which was an index representing the development of European currencies. It is surprising, though, to see that the common index providers have not mapped emerging e-coins into an index yet because with cryptos like Bitcoin, a new kind of asset of great public interest has arisen. Index providers decide on a fixed number of index constituents which will represent the market segment. It is a huge challenge to set this fixed number and develop the rules to find the constituents, especially since markets change and this has to be taken into account. A method relying on the AIC is proposed to quickly react to market changes and therefore enable us to create an index, referred to as CRIX, for the cryptocurrency market.
Novel phosphotransferase system genes revealed by bacterial genome analysis: Unique, putative fructose‐ and glucoside‐specific systems

Analyses of sequences made available through the Escherichia coli genome project in the 87.2‐89.2‐min and 81.5‐84.5‐min regions have revealed 2 putative operons encoding proteins of the phosphoenolpyruvate: sugar phosphotransferase system (PTS). The first putative operon, designated frv, includes 4 open reading frames (ORFs), ORFf147, ORFf485, ORFf356, and ORFf582. ORFf147 and ORFf485 comprise an Enzyme IIA‐Enzyme IIBC pair of the PTS. The sequence similarity of ORFf485 to previously characterized fructose‐specific Enzymes IIBC suggests that ORFf485 may be specific for fructose. ORFf 147 encodes a protein with comparable degrees of sequence similarity to fructose and mannitol‐specific Enzymes IIA as well as homologous proteins implicated in σ54‐dependent transcriptional regulation. Unique features of this system include a detached IIA protein and the absence of a IIB domain duplication. ORFf356 and ORFf582 are functionally unidentified and nonhomologous to other ORFs in the current protein databases, but ORFf582 contains 2 N‐terminal helix‐turn‐helix motifs, suggestive of a role in frv operon transcriptional regulation.
The analysis of NSW rural property:1990-2014

Problem/Purpose - Over the past 10 years there has been a greater awareness of the role that rural property plays in both the food production and food security. This in turn has led to a greater interest in the property investment sector for the inclusion of rural property in investment portfolios. A major concern for a number of these institutional investors is the availability property investment data. Design/methodology/approach - The paper provides a full analysis of the rural property sales transactions that have occurred over the period 1990 to 2014. These sales have been analysed on the basis of NSW Local Government Areas, NSW Agricultural regions and the main rural land uses in NSW. Sales data has also been assessed in conjunction with ABARES rural income data to enable both capital and income returns to be assessed. Findings - Over the past 25 years the capital return for rural land in NSW has varied significantly based on geographic location and land use. A number of locations in NSW have also benefitted from the increase in foreign investment, mining and general population increases in growing locations, especially along the NSW coastline and the Hunter Valley. The mixed farming areas of the State have shown the highest average annual total returns, with the pastoral areas recoding the highest capital growth over the past five years but at high levels of volatility. During the GFC all rural locations showed a positive growth in rural land prices, unlike other property investment sectors during the same period. Research limitations/implications - Income return data is based on ABARES farm income averages and does not fully reflect the income returns that are being achieved by institutional grade rural property. The relatively low numbers of rural sales that occur in any LGA per annum are relatively low compared to residential property sales and actual location within an LGA can distort annual capital growth. Originality/value - This is the only comprehensive transaction based rural property investment performance index covering a full State of Australia. Based on total Australian farm numbers this analysis represents over 35% of agricultural production in Australia and is reflective of overall rural land use capital growth trends in other Australian States.
From the bench to emerging new clinical concepts

It is well accepted that growth and differentiation of keratinocytes and other cell types are regulated by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25(OH)2D3], the active form of vitamin D. Moreover, growing evidence now indicates that the UV-B-mediated cutaneous photosynthesis of vitamin D (and the consecutive cutaneous production of 1,25(OH)2D3) represents an evolutionary highly-conserved endocrine system that protects the skin against environmental hazards that may promote skin cancerogenesis, including ultraviolet and ionizing radiation. It is the aim of this review to summarize our present understanding of the cutaneous vitamin D endocrine system (VDES) and its importance for the prevention of skin cancerogenesis.
A family outbreak of Escherichia coli O157 haemorrhagic colitis caused by pork meat salami

A family outbreak of Escherichia coli O157 infection was microbiologically associated with consumption of dry-fermented salami made with pork meat only and produced in a local plant. E. coli O157 strains isolated from a wife and husband, both hospitalized with bloody diarrhoea, and from the salami carried vt1, vt2 and eae genes and shared the same PFGE pattern. The food vehicle implicated in this outbreak is unusual because of both the animal species from which it originates and the fermentation and drying steps of the manufacturing process. This could be the first report of an outbreak associated with a product containing pork meat only. Even though sources of contamination other than pork meat could not be excluded, pork products should not be neglected in E. coli O157 outbreak investigations.
Network position, export patterns and competitiveness: Evidence from the European automotive industry

The organizational characteristics of production in the European automotive industry have favoured a high degree of fragmentation and productive mobility. This article analyses the differing national positions of automotive producing countries and their export patterns – particularly their export reorientation to extra-European Union markets following the collapse of regional demand in the European automotive industry. Based on the methodologies of Mahutga and Piana, our position analysis arrives at two main conclusions: (i) the countries best positioned in the European regional automotive production network are precisely those that have experienced a greater increase in extra-European Union exports, thus reducing their dependence on regional European demand; (ii) the increase in extra-European Union exports (mainly of final goods) is linked to increased regional fragmentation of production in the automotive industry. We conclude that the governance of this fragmentation process is a key determinant of extra-European Union export competitiveness.
Factors associated with low back pain changes during the third trimester of pregnancy.

AIMS (1) To investigate the course of pregnancy-related low back pain intensity and interference during the third trimester, and (2) to identify risk factors associated with changes in pain intensity and interference over time. BACKGROUND Pregnancy-related low back pain is common and reaches its peak both in the prevalence and severity in the third trimester. DESIGN A longitudinal design with consecutive sampling. METHODS Three waves of data were collected from pregnant women in an antenatal care centre of a medical centre and a regional hospital in the northern Taiwan from February-June, 2010. Questionnaires were administered at gestational ages 28, 32 and 36 weeks. 214 women were enrolled and 179 participants completed all measures. Generalized estimating equations were used to identify the risk factors associated with changes in pain intensity and pain interference over time. RESULTS Pain interference increased over time during the third trimester. Pain catastrophizing and pain intensity at gestational age 24 weeks and time (from 28-36 weeks) were associated with increases in pregnancy-related low back pain intensity. These same factors plus depression were associated with an increase in pregnancy-related low back pain interference. CONCLUSIONS This study identified a number of prospective factors related to increases in pain intensity and pain interference during the third trimester. Given that both catastrophizing and depression are modifiable, the findings indicate that research examining the benefits of treatments that address these (e.g. cognitive-behavioural therapy) on pain and pain interference is warranted.
Synchronverter small-signal modelling and eigenvalue analysis for battery systems integration

The high penetration of renewable energy sources in electrical distribution networks is giving rise to new challenges in the low voltage network operation. Power electronics converters are widely used to connect these energy resources to the grid, and the control technique that emulates the operation of synchronous generators is attracting the attention of researchers in recent years. Such converters are referred to as synchronverters and they have been recently studied in the literature. This paper presents the modelling and analysis of a battery-supported synchronverter connected to the grid. Each dynamic element of the system is modelled in detail and all of them are then joined together forming a state-space model. The eigenvalue analysis was then used to evaluate the synchronverter robustness against variations in the grid inductance and resistance. The theoretical developments were validated experimentally on a 15 kVA prototype of a synchronverter connected to the grid. The small signal modelling procedure showed to be an accurate approach to represent synchronverters dynamics.
Hysteresis & Urban Rail

Cities are endowed with and accumulate natural and constructed assets based on their unique histories, which in turn define the choice set of the present. But, common practice is that current behaviour can be described without reference to past circumstances. This work departs from that practice by examining the effects of historical urban rail on current residential location and travel behaviour, from the era of horsecars (1865) and streetcars (1925) to the present in Boston. It uses tract level data to explore the hysteretical effects of past access to rail—the extent to which the urban system retains the impacts of rail even when it no longer exists. Current density and travel behaviour are measurably influenced by past access to rail. These findings are robust to a series of alternate causal, functional, and spatial specifications. The built environment and demographic patterns are found to be the strongest mechanisms for these persistent effects. Past access to rail has shaped the city, and that shape has, in turn, affected travel behaviour. For density and auto ownership there is also a residual measurable effect of past access unexplained by the built environment or demographic patterns. This research shows that past rail access continues to reverberate in current residential location and travel behaviour. These findings of hysteresis add to an understanding of the long-term impacts of rail infrastructure, and suggest that if higher density and lower levels of auto ownership are desirable, policymakers should focus on reuse of areas that were built around rail.
Paediatric quality of life instruments: a review of the impact of the conceptual framework on outcomes

With an increasing number of paediatric quality of life (QOL) instruments being developed, it is becoming difficult for researchers and clinicians to select the most appropriate instrument. Reviews of QOL instruments tend to report only basic properties of the instruments such as domains and psychometric properties. This paper seeks to appraise critically the conceptual underpinnings of paediatric QOL instruments. A systematic review was conducted to identify QOL instruments for children aged 0 to 12 years, and to examine and compare their conceptual frameworks, definitions employed, and structure. Both generic and condition‐specific measures were reviewed. Fourteen generic and 25 condition‐specific QOL instruments were identified. Eleven types of definition of QOL and health‐related QOL and three theories of QOL were identified. QOL was measured by a variety of domains including emotional, social and physical health, and well‐being. Items commonly assessed difficulties, or intensity/frequency of feelings/symptoms, in contrast to positive aspects of life and happiness. The findings highlight the diversity that is apparent in the conceptualization of paediatric QOL and draw attention to the lack of empirical evidence for many of the fundamental assumptions. The impact of the conceptual underpinnings of the instruments on the resulting QOL scores is discussed.
Investigation of near-infrared autofluorescence imaging for the detection of breast cancer

Detection of breast cancer in fresh tissue obtained from surgery is investigated using near-infrared autofluorescence imaging under laser excitation at 532 and 632.8 nm. The differences in intensity between the three main components of breast tissue (cancer, fibrous, and adipose) are estimated and compared to those obtained from cross-polarized light scattering images recorded under polarized illumination at 700 nm. The optical spectroscopic images for each tissue sample were subsequently compared with the histopathology slides. The experimental results indicate that the intensity of the near-infrared emission is considerably different in breast cancer compared to that of the adjacent nonneoplastic tissues (adipose and fibrous tissue). The experimental results suggest that 632.8-nm excitation offers key advantages compared to 532 nm excitation.
Reasons women do not attend screening for cervical cancer: a population-based study in Sweden.

BACKGROUND With an improved compliance with screening a larger reduction of cervical cancer incidence would be within reach. We aimed at investigating why certain women do not attend Pap smear screening and at validating the reliability of self-reported screening. METHODS In 1998 in the county of Uppsala, Sweden, information was collected through telephone interviews with 430 nonattendees and 514 attendees to Pap smear screening, who were all sampled from a population-based database. The women's recall of attendance was validated against the database. The main outcome measures used were odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS Non-attendance was positively associated with nonuse of oral contraceptives (OR = 3.56, 95% CI 2.18-5.83), seeing different gynecologists (OR = 1.90, 95% CI 1.34-2.70), and seeing a physician very often (OR = 3.12, 95% CI 1.45-6.70) or not at all (OR = 1.78, 95% CI 1.09-2.90). Frequent condom use (OR = 1.88, 95% CI 1.02-3.47), living in rural/semirural areas (OR = 1.55, 95% CI 1.07-2.21), and not knowing the recommended screening interval (OR = 2.16, 95% CI 1.20-3.89) were all associated with nonattendance, whereas socioeconomic status was not, when tested in a multivariate model. Among the nonattendees, 57% underestimated the time lapse since last smear. CONCLUSIONS Seeing a gynecologist on a regular basis and information guiding women to have a Pap smear on their own initiative are important factors for recurrent screening. Therefore, information should be given to all women about the purpose and benefits of Pap smear testing. Self-reports on screening should be treated with caution.