Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Molecular mapping of segregation distortion loci in Aegilops tauschii.

Distorted segregation ratios of genetic markers are often observed in progeny of inter- and intraspecific hybrids and may result from competition among gametes or from abortion of the gamete or zygote. In this study, 194 markers mapped in an Aegilops tauschii F2 population were surveyed for distorted segregation ratios. Region(s) with skewed segregation ratios were detected on chromosomes 1D, 3D, 4D, and 7D. These distorter loci are designated as QSd.ksu-1D, QSd. ksu-3D, QSd.ksu-4D, and QSd.ksu-7D. Three regions of segregation distortion identified on chromosome 5D were analyzed in two sets of reciprocal backcross populations to analyze the effect of sex and cytoplasm on segregation distortion. Extreme distortion of marker segregation ratios was observed in populations in which the F1 was used as the male parent, and ratios were skewed in favor of TA1691 alleles. There was some evidence of differential transmission caused by nucleo-cytoplasmic interactions. Our results agree with other studies stating that loci affecting gametophyte competition in male gametes are located on 5DL. The distorter loci on 5DL are designated as QSd.ksu-5D.1, QSd.ksu-5D.2, and QSd.ksu-5D.3.
Risk-related asymmetries in foreign exchange markets

We consider a new nonparametric evaluation of the time{varying risk{ related term in the relationship between spot and forward rates, suggesting it as an instrument for an estimator which is compared to others present in the literature. The nature of the time{varying term is discussed, focussing on possible asymmetries in the perception of risk for di erent currencies in a number of market situations approximated by standard trading strategies. The results con rm the existence of asymmetries in the size and magnitude of risk-related e ects in exchange rate determination. A preliminary version of this paper was presented as Semiparametric Evaluation of Foreign Exchange Risk at the ESEM 94, Maastricht. Thanks are due to Renzo G. Avesani, Lucia Buzzigoli, Giorgio Calzolari, Gabriele Fiorentini, Alan Kirman, Grayham Mizon and Mark Salmon for useful comments and suggestions. The comments of an anonymous referee substantially contributed to improve the presentation. A special thanks to Miguel Delgado who kindly provided his nonparametric estimation routines modi ed by us for this context. Financial support from the Italian MURST and CNR is gratefully acknowledged.
Blood pressure variability and white matter hyperintensities in older adults with cardiovascular disease

The present study examined the relationship between multiple blood pressure (BP) indices and white matter hyperintensities (WMH) in a sample of 39 older adults with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Resting BP was measured using an automated monitor every 10 min for 2 h. WMH were quantified on FLAIR images and separate indices were generated for neocortical, periventricular and subcortical brain regions. Correlation analyses revealed systolic BP variability was related to neocortical and total WMH. A function of systolic BP variability and average diastolic pressure showed the strongest relationships, including significant correlation to neocortical, subcortical and total WMH. No BP index was related to WMH in periventricular regions. Exploratory analyses showed only the function of systolic BP variability and average diastolic pressure predicted total WMH, whereas as age, CVD conditions and psychosocial factors did not. These findings demonstrate BP variability is an important contributor to WMH in older adults with CVD and suggests it may have differential relationships to WMH in different brain regions. Additional studies are needed to examine the role of autoregulatory systems in the development of WMH, particularly those using beat‐to‐beat measures of BP.
Multi-modular architecture based on convolutional neural networks for online handwritten character recognition

In this paper, several convolutional neural network architectures are investigated for online isolated handwritten character recognition (Latin alphabet). Two main architectures have been developed and optimised. The first one, a TDNN, processes online features extracted from the character. The second one, a SDNN, relies on the off-line bitmaps reconstructed from the trajectory of the pen. Moreover, an hybrid architecture called SDTDNN has been derived, it allows the combination of on-line and off-line recognisers. Such a combination seems to be very promising to enhance the character recognition rate. This type of shared weights neural networks introduces the notion of receptive field, local extraction and it allows to restrain the number of free parameters in opposition to classic techniques such as multi-layer perceptron. Results on UNIPEN and IRONOFF databases for online recognition are reported, while the MNIST database has been used for the off-line classifier.
New Structural Variants of Aeruginosin Produced by the Toxic Bloom Forming Cyanobacterium Nodularia spumigena

Nodularia spumigena is a filamentous diazotrophic cyanobacterium that forms blooms in brackish water bodies. This cyanobacterium produces linear and cyclic peptide protease inhibitors which are thought to be part of a chemical defense against grazers. Here we show that N. spumigena produces structurally novel members of the aeruginosin family of serine protease inhibitors. Extensive chemical analyses including NMR demonstrated that the aeruginosins are comprised of an N-terminal short fatty acid chain, L-Tyr, L-Choi and L-argininal and in some cases pentose sugar. The genome of N. spumigena CCY9414 contains a compact 18-kb aeruginosin gene cluster encoding a peptide synthetase with a reductive release mechanism which offloads the aeruginosins as reactive peptide aldehydes. Analysis of the aeruginosin and spumigin gene clusters revealed two different strategies for the incorporation of N-terminal protecting carboxylic acids. These results demonstrate that strains of N. spumigena produce aeruginosins and spumigins, two families of structurally similar linear peptide aldehydes using separate peptide synthetases. The aeruginosins were chemically diverse and we found 11 structural variants in 16 strains from the Baltic Sea and Australia. Our findings broaden the known structural diversity of the aeruginosin peptide family to include peptides with rare N-terminal short chain (C2–C10) fatty acid moieties.
Ocean Chlorofluorocarbon and Heat Uptake During the 20 th Century in the CCSM 3

An ensemble of nine simulations for the climate of the 20th Century has been run using the Community Climate System Model version 3 (CCSM3). Three of these runs also simulate the uptake of chlorofluorocarbon-11 (CFC-11) into the ocean using the protocol from the Ocean Carbon Model Intercomparison Project. Comparison with ocean observations taken between 1980 and 2000 shows that the global CFC-11 uptake is simulated very well. However, there are regional biases, and these are used to identify where too much deep water formation is occuring in the CCSM3. The differences between the three runs simulating CFC-11 uptake are also briefly documented. The variability in ocean heat content in the 1870 Control runs is shown to be only a little smaller than estimates using ocean observations. The ocean heat uptake between 1996 and 1957 in the ensemble is compared to the recent observational estimates of the secular trend. The trend in ocean heat uptake is considerably larger than the natural variability in the 1870 Control runs. The heat uptake down to 300 m between 1996 and 1957 varies by a factor of two across the ensemble. Some possible reasons for this large spread are discussed. There is much less spread in the heat uptake down to 3 km. On average, the CCSM3 20th Century ensemble runs take up 25% more heat than the recent estimate from ocean observations. Possible explanations for this are that the model heat uptake is calculated over the whole ocean, and not just in the regions where there are many observations, and that there is no parameterization of the indirect effects of aerosols in CCSM3.
Sol-Gel Derived Mg-Based Ceramic Scaffolds Doped with Zinc or Copper Ions: Preliminary Results on Their Synthesis, Characterization, and Biocompatibility

Glass-ceramic scaffolds containing Mg have shown recently the potential to enhance the proliferation, differentiation, and biomineralization of stem cells in vitro, property that makes them promising candidates for dental tissue regeneration. An additional property of a scaffold aimed at dental tissue regeneration is to protect the regeneration process against oral bacteria penetration. In this respect, novel bioactive scaffolds containing Mg2+ and Cu2+ or Zn2+, ions known for their antimicrobial properties, were synthesized by the foam replica technique and tested regarding their bioactive response in SBF, mechanical properties, degradation, and porosity. Finally their ability to support the attachment and long-term proliferation of Dental Pulp Stem Cells (DPSCs) was also evaluated. The results showed that conversely to their bioactive response in SBF solution, Zn-doped scaffolds proved to respond adequately regarding their mechanical strength and to be efficient regarding their biological response, in comparison to Cu-doped scaffolds, which makes them promising candidates for targeted dental stem cell odontogenic differentiation and calcified dental tissue engineering.
Comparisons between serpentine and flat spiral delay lines on transient reflection/transmission waveforms and eye diagrams

In contrast to the commonly employed single-ended delay lines, the employment of differential signaling may alleviate the occurrence of crosstalk and improve the signal integrity. This paper qualitatively investigates the time-domain reflection (TDR) and time-domain transmission (TDT) waveforms for the single-ended and differential delay lines with the serpentine and flat spiral routing schemes. A numerical formula is then proposed to quantitatively predict the voltage levels of the saturated near-end and far-end propagating crosstalk noises among the sections of differential delay lines. Signal waveforms and eye diagrams of the four basic routing schemes are obtained by HSPICE simulations, demonstrating that the combination of differential signaling and flat spiral layouts can exhibit the best delay-line performance. Furthermore, both the TDR and TDT measurements for differential delay lines are performed to validate the exactitude of proposed analyses.
A MECHATRONIC APPROACH TO THE CONTROL OF MACHINE TOOLS

Abstract One of the most common sources of performance limitation in the control of machine tools is associated to the resonant dynamics of the drive train, induced by the elasticity in some components. The design of the control system should guarantee a damped behavior of the load position, both in the setpoint response and in the rejection of the disturbances arising from the machining operation. In this paper reference is made to the common P/PI control scheme, and stability analysis with adimensional parameters is first discussed. Tuning of the controller gains is then set as a problem of minimizing the H ∞ norm of some closed loop transfer functions, for which closed form approximations are also given. The methodology is finally applied to the design of the control system for an axis of a milling machine, whose virtual prototype developed in the Dymola environment is also discussed.
An Empirical Study on Firm Dynamic Capabilities Influencing Innovation Performance

According to the dynamic capabilities theory, firm competitive advantage results from dynamic capacities in turbulenten environments. Dynamic capabilities are defined as the firm’s ability to integrate, build, and reconfigure internal and external competences to improve the operating capabilities and make further contribution to the adaptation to the rapidly changing environments. This study collects data from the Chinese aviations industry. Firstly, based on the literature and empirical research, the paper proposes the measurement about dynamic capabilities and innovation performance. Secondly, the structural relationship between dynamic capabilities and innovation performance is verified by the structural equation modeling. Finally, according to the research findings, we draw up some suggestions with academic implications for the future research.
On Perturbed Proximal Gradient Algorithms

We study a version of the proximal gradient algorithm for which the gradient is intractable and is approximated by Monte Carlo methods (and in particular Markov Chain Monte Carlo). We derive conditions on the step size and the Monte Carlo batch size under which convergence is guaranteed: both increasing batch size and constant batch size are considered. We also derive non-asymptotic bounds for an averaged version. Our results cover both the cases of biased and unbiased Monte Carlo approximation. To support our findings, we discuss the inference of a sparse generalized linear model with random effect and the problem of learning the edge structure and parameters of sparse undirected graphical models.
Impact of Electronic Commerce on Logistics Operations: A Focus on Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) Strategies

This study investigates the impacts of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and the Internet on logistics operations. The major contributions are: 1) an overview of the Internet growth during the past five years, as it relates to electronic commerce, 2) a conceptual framework that assesses the impact of ICT on supply chain operations, 3) two modeling schemes representing no information sharing (NIS) and information sharing (IS) scenarios among multiple retailers and one supplier, and 4) cost reductions achievable through information sharing in a two-echelon supply chain where the supplier adopts a Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) policy. Reported statistics concerning Internet growth show large discrepancies, reflecting different traffic measurement methodologies adopted by various companies and agencies. Advantages and disadvantages of currently used techniques are presented. Trends in the development of electronic business-to-customer (B2C) and business-to-business (B2B) commerce sectors are discussed, and various forecasts are compared to actual observations where applicable. A major industry affected by ICT is the logistics industry. A framework reflecting the transformation of logistics operations into supply chain management with real-time information and collaboration is presented. The framework reflects the shift in logistics operations towards strategies that allow faster reaction to customer demand changes facilitated by technological advancements and collaboration among various parties. These policies include Merge-in-Transit (MIT), Time Definite Delivery (TDD), postponement strategy, and VMI. Advantages and disadvantages of logistics relational settings and operations are discussed. Finally, cost reductions achievable through information sharing among multiple retailers and one supplier are quantified. Simulation experiments are developed to model a setting with no information sharing (NIS) based on the Economic Order Quantity (EOQ), which is contrasted to a scenario with information sharing (IS) based on a VMI policy. Heuristic algorithms are applied to solve both problems. Results, based on randomly generated instances, show that the main benefit to retailers is a major decrease in stock-out costs. The major benefit for the supplier is the reduction in the so-called bullwhip effect, which translates into a decrease in inventory holding cost. Finally, although the number of visits from the supplier to retailers increased significantly, the transportation cost decreased in almost all cases reflecting the use of more efficient routes by the supplier when bundling retailers' demands.
Undocumented and Unafraid: Understanding the Disclosure Management Process for Undocumented College Students and Graduates

Abstract:Previous qualitative studies on undocumented college students have primarily focused on their lived experiences; however, little research has been done to consider the disclosure process or identity management for undocumented students, particularly students who self-identify as “undocumented and unafraid. ” Using research on legal consciousness and disclosure of hidden identities, I employed Latin@ critical race theory as an analytic lens to examine the many processes through which undocumented students “come out” within the context of higher education and beyond. Based on interviews with 7 Latin@ undocumented college students and graduates, in this article I explore 3 themes: biographical construction of legal status, the fluidity of fear, and empowered disclosure.
Experiences of LGBTQ Youth, YMSM, and YWSW Engaged in Survival Sex

Based on interviews with 283 youth in New York City, this is the first study to focus on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning (LGBTQ) youth; young men who have sex with men (YMSM); and young women who have sex with women (YWSW) who get involved in the commercial sex market in order to meet basic survival needs, such as food or shelter. The report documents these youth? s experiences and characteristics to gain a better understanding of why they engage in survival sex, describes how the support networks and systems in their lives have both helped them and let them down, and makes recommendations for better meeting the needs of this vulnerable population.
Significance of thymidylate synthase activity in renal cell carcinoma.

PURPOSE 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is an anticancer agent clinically used against various cancers including renal cell carcinoma (RCC). 5-FU inhibits thymidylate synthase (TS) and blocks DNA synthesis. TS is the key enzyme in the catalysis of the methylation from dUMP to dTMP in the DNA synthetic process. Little is known about the significance of TS in RCC. We investigated the activity of TS in 68 RCCs and the association with dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) activities, which is a principal enzyme in the degradation of 5-FU and pyrimidine nucleotides. The relationship between TS/DPD activities in primary cultured RCC cell lines and their sensitivity to 5-FU was also examined. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN The levels of TS and DPD activities in nonfixed fresh-frozen RCC and normal kidney were determined biochemically by the 5-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine 5'-monophosphate binding assay and the 5-FU degradation assay, respectively. The sensitivity of primary cultured RCC cells to 5-FU was assessed by the microculture tetrazolium dye assay. RESULTS The activity of TS was approximately 5-fold higher in RCC compared with normal kidney. TS activity in T(3/4) RCC was 2.5-fold higher than that in T(1/2) RCC. TS activity in M(1) RCC was 2.5-fold higher than that in M(0) RCC. In addition, TS activity in stage III/IV RCC was 3-fold higher than that in stage I/II RCC. The levels of TS activity in grade 3 RCC were 3-fold and 2-fold higher than that in grade 1 and grade 2 cancer, respectively. TS activity in clear cell RCC were 4-fold higher than that in papillary RCC. Patients with low TS activity had a longer disease-specific survival as compared with those with high activity in the 5-year follow-up. There was no relationship between TS and DPD activities. TS activity in primary cultured RCC cells was positively correlated with their sensitivity to 5-FU. Furthermore, RCC cells with both high TS activity and low DPD activity were more sensitive to 5-FU, compared with those with either low TS activity or high DPD activity. CONCLUSIONS The present study is the first study to demonstrate that the level of TS activity was correlated with both the progression of the stage and the increase of the grade of RCC, and that higher TS activity in primary cultured RCC predicted higher sensitivity to 5-FU. These results suggest that high TS activity may be associated with malignant potential of RCC, and that it may be possible to use 5-FU for RCC with high TS activity.
Reference values of hematology, biochemistry, and blood type in cynomolgus monkeys from cambodia origin

Cynomolgus monkeys as nonhuman primates are valuable animal models because they have a high level of human gene homology. There are many reference values for hematology and biochemistry of Cynomolgus monkeys that are needed for proper clinical diagnosis and biomedical research conduct. The body weight information and blood type are also key success factors in allogeneic or xenogeneic models. Moreover, the biological parameters could be different according to the origin of the Cynomolgus monkey. However, there are limited references provided, especially of Cambodia origin. In this study, we measured average body weight of 2,518 Cynomolgus monkeys and analyzed hematology and serum biochemistry using 119 males, and determined blood types in 642 monkeys with Cambodia origin. The average body weight of male Cynomolgus monkeys were 2.56±0.345 kg and female group was 2.43±0.330 kg at the age from 2 to 3 years. The male group showed relatively sharp increased average body weight from the 3 to 4 age period compared to the female group. In hematology and biochemistry, it was found that most of the data was similar when compared to other references even though some results showed differences. The ABO blood type result showed that type A, B, AB, and O was approximately 15.6, 33.3, 44.2, and 6.9%, respectively. The main blood type in this facility was B and AB. These biological background references of Cambodia origin could be used to provide important information to researchers who are using them in their biomedical research.
ASMT gene expression correlates with cognitive impairment in patients with recurrent depressive disorder

Background Recurrent depressive disorder is a multifactorial disease; one of the typical features is cognitive impairment. The purpose of this study was analysis of ASMT gene expression both on mRNA and protein levels in patients with recurrent depressive disorder (rDD) and assessment of the relationship between plasma level of ASMT protein, gene expression on mRNA level, and cognitive performance. Material/Methods The study included 236 subjects: patients with rDD (n=131) and healthy subjects (n=105, CG). Cognitive function assessment was based on: Trail Making Test, The Stroop Test, Verbal Fluency Test (VFT), and Auditory Verbal Learning Test (AVLT). Results Both mRNA and protein expression levels of ASMT gene were significantly higher in healthy subjects when compared to rDD. The average ASMT mRNA expression level measured for the entire group was M=0.21 (SD=0.09), and the protein level was M=12.84 (SD=3.29). In patients with rDD, statistically significant correlations occurred between both mRNA and protein expression levels and part A of the TMT (negative correlation) and verbal fluency test (positive correlation). In the group CG, there was no statistically significant association between the analyzed variables. In the entire group there was a statistically significant correlation between both ASMT mRNA and protein expression levels and all the neuropsychological tests used in the survey. Conclusions 1. Our study confirms previous results showing decreased mRNA and protein expression levels of ASMT gene in depression. 2. Our data suggest a relationship between decreased mRNA and protein expression levels of ASMT gene and cognitive impairment.