A novel repeat sequence-based PCR (rep-PCR) using specific repeat sequences of Mycobacterium intracellulare as a DNA fingerprinting

Repetitive sequence-based PCR (rep-PCR) is a potential epidemiological technique that can provide high-throughput genotype fingerprints of heterogeneous Mycobacterium strains rapidly. Previously published rep-PCR primers, which are based on nucleotide sequences of Gram-negative bacteria may have low specificity for mycobacteria. Moreover, it was difficult to ensure the continuity of the study after the commercial rep-PCR kit was discontinued. Here, we designed a novel rep-PCR for Mycobacterium intracellulare, a major cause of nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease with frequent recurrence. We screened the 7,645 repeat sequences for 200 fragments from the genome of M. intracellulare ATCC 13950 in silico, finally generating five primers with more than 90% identity for a total of 226 loci in the genome. The five primers could make different band patterns depending on the genome of three different M. intracellulare strains using an in silico test. The novel rep-PCR with the five primers was conducted using 34 bacterial samples of 7 species containing 25 M. intracellulare clinical isolates, compared with previous published rep-PCRs. This shows distinguished patterns depending on species and blotting assay for 6 species implied the sequence specificity of the five primers. The Designed rep-PCR had a 95–98% of similarity value in the reproducibility test and showed 7 groups of fingerprints in M. intracellulare strains. Designed rep-PCR had a correlation value of 0.814 with VNTR, reference epidemiological method. This study provides a promising genotype fingerprinting method for tracing the recurrence of heterogeneous M. intracellulare

The IPIN 2019 Indoor Localisation Competition—Description and Results

IPIN 2019 Competition, sixth in a series of IPIN competitions, was held at the CNR Research Area of Pisa (IT), integrated into the program of the IPIN 2019 Conference. It included two on-site real-time Tracks and three off-site Tracks. The four Tracks presented in this paper were set in the same environment, made of two buildings close together for a total usable area of 1000 m 2 outdoors and and 6000 m 2 indoors over three floors, with a total path length exceeding 500 m. IPIN competitions, based on the EvAAL framework, have aimed at comparing the accuracy performance of personal positioning systems in fair and realistic conditions: past editions of the competition were carried in big conference settings, university campuses and a shopping mall. Positioning accuracy is computed while the person carrying the system under test walks at normal walking speed, uses lifts and goes up and down stairs or briefly stops at given points. Results presented here are a showcase of state-of-the-art systems tested side by side in real-world settings as part of the on-site real-time competition Tracks. Results for off-site Tracks allow a detailed and reproducible comparison of the most recent positioning and tracking algorithms in the same environment as the on-site Tracks

Single-Stage Reconstruction of Extensive Defects after Fournier's Gangrene with an Exposed Iliac Crest and Testes

This report studies the effects of household tax credit (HTC). We use data from the Tax Authorities in Finland and Sweden. These data are firm-level monthly value added tax reports, annual income tax filings and individual-level reports on the usage of HTC. In addition, we use self-collected survey data focusing on the usage of HTC and the rules of the HTC system. The survey results show that approximately 20% of the working age population in Finland use services that are eligible for the HTC. These results also show that individuals are not very aware of the HTC rules, and our analysis using administrative data also supports this observation. Our descriptive analysis shows that the HTC system is highly regressive, i.e. highincome individuals claim a large share of the HTC. Our results using register data show that at best the HTC system has very limited effects on the consumption of services and employment in the service sector. We also do not find evidence that the HTC is efficient in reducing tax evasion. Therefore, our results suggest that expansion of the HTC system would be inefficient in spurring demand and employment and in reducing tax evasion. These results are also very well in line with previous studies that focus on estimating the effects of reduced VAT rates on prices, demand and employment.Tässä selvityksessä tarkastelemme kotitalousvähennyksen vaikutuksia. Aineistona käytämme Suomen ja Ruotsin verohallinnoilta saamaamme yritystason aineistoa kausiveroilmoituksista, yritystason vuosittaisista tuloverotiedoista sekä kotitalousvähennyksen käytöstä. Käytämme tutkimuksessa myös itsekeräämäämme kyselyaineistoa kotitalousvähennyksen käytöstä ja vähennykseen liittyvistä säännöistä. Kyselyyn perustuvat tuloksemme osoittavat, että noin 20 % työikäisistä ihmisistä käyttää kotitalousvähennykseen oikeuttavia palveluita, ja että ihmiset eivät ymmärrä tai tunne kotitalousvähennykseen liittyviä sääntöjä kovin hyvin. Tätä tukee myös rekisteriaineistoilla tehty analyysi. Kuvailevat tuloksemme osoittavat, että kotitalousvähennys on hyvin regressiivinen. Rekisteriaineistolla tekemämme analyysi paljastaa, että kotitalousvähennyksen vaikutukset palveluiden kysyntään ja työllisyyteen ovat hyvin pieniä. Emme myöskään havaitse kotitalousvähennyksellä olevan vaikutuksia veronkierron määrään. Tuloksemme tarkoittavat sitä, että kotitalousvähennysjärjestelmän laajennus olisi tehoton keino lisätä palveluiden kysyntää ja siten myös työllisyyttä sekä vähentää veronkiertoa. Tuloksemme ovat hyvin linjassa aiempaan tutkimuskirjallisuuteen, jossa havaitaan, että kysyntä näillä palvelualoilla on jäykkää, eivätkä hintamuutokset siten johda juurikaan kysyntämuutoksiin.I denna rapport granskar vi hushållsavdragets verkningar. Vårt material består av årliga uppgifter om inkomstskatt på företagsnivå, periodskattedeklarationer och uppgifter om användning av hushållsavdrag som vi fått från Finlands och Sveriges skatteförvaltningar. I vår undersökning använder vi även enkätmaterial som vi själva samlat in om användning av hushållsavdrag samt om föreskrifter kring avdraget. Våra enkätresultat visar att ca 20 % av personer i arbetsför ålder använder tjänster som berättigar till hushållsavdrag och att människor inte förstår eller känner till föreskrifterna om hushållsavdraget. Detta stöds även av vår analys av registermaterialen. Våra beskrivande resultat visar att hushållsavdraget är mycket regressivt. Vår analys av registermaterialen avslöjar att hushållsavdraget påverkar efterfrågan på tjänster och sysselsättningen i väldigt låg grad. Vi har heller inte sett att hushållsavdraget skulle påverka förekomsten av skatteflykt. Våra resultat innebär att en utvidgning av hushållsavdragssystemet vore ett ineffektivt sätt att öka efterfrågan på tjänster och därmed även sysselsättningen eller att minska skatteflykt. Våra resultat är i linje med tidigare forskningslitteratur, som observerat att dessa servicebranscher har en stel efterfrågan och att prisändringar därmed inte leder till nämnvärda ändringar i efterfrågan

Effects of Wonli Acupuncture Procedure in Patients with LSS: A Clinical, Retrospective Study

Background. Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) is a disease with increasing prevalence due to prolongation of average life span. Despite various treatment methods, many limitations remain unsolved. Objective. We are reporting cases of patients who have been treated with Wonli Acupuncture, a method of treating LSS by directly approaching the intervertebral foramen and interlaminar space with acupuncture needles different from those used in original acupuncture. Methods. A total of 82 patients with LSS were treated with Wonli Acupuncture, and out of those, 47 patients without exclusion criteria were selected for the following research. We compared the pretreatment VAS and ODI scores based on 1-year follow-up measurements. Results. The ODI value dropped by 15.3±24.8 on average (from 35.2±19.9 at the baseline to 19.8±20.6 at the reading) P<0.01 and the average VAS also dropped by 19.2±37.2 (from 60.7±23.1 at baseline to 41.5±31.9 at the reading) P<0.01. Conclusions. Wonli Acupuncture was found to have clinical efficacy for lumbar spinal stenosis