Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Repair of Site-Specific DNA Double-Strand Breaks in Barley Occurs via Diverse Pathways Primarily Involving the Sister Chromatid[W]

Amplicon sequencing, together with sister chromatid exchange counting at three unique transgenic target loci, enabled quantitative estimation of breakage frequency and of various double-strand break repair pathways in the monocot plant barley. Distinct types of nonhomologous end-joining, even in combination with sequence conversion, occurred frequently and often involved the sister chromatid. DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair mechanisms differ in their requirements for a homologous repair template and in the accuracy of the result. We aimed to quantify the outcome of repair of a single targeted DSB in somatic cells of young barley (Hordeum vulgare) plants. Amplicon sequencing of three reporter constructs revealed 47 to 58% of reads as repaired via nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) with deletions and/or small (1 to 3 bp) insertions. Alternative NHEJ revealed 2 to 5 bp microhomology (15.7% of cases) or new replication-mediated short duplications at sealed breaks. Although deletions outweigh insertions in barley, this bias was less pronounced and deleted sequences were shorter than in Arabidopsis thaliana. Between 17 and 33% of reads likely represent restoration of the original sequence. Depending on the construct, 20 to 33% of reads arose via gene conversion (homologous recombination). Remarkably, <1 to >8% of reads apparently display synthesis-dependent strand annealing linked with NHEJ, inserting 4 to 61 bp, mostly originating from the surrounding of breakpoints. Positional coincidence of >81% of sister chromatid exchanges with target loci is unprecedented for higher eukaryotes and indicates that most repair events for staggered DSBs, at least in barley, involve the sister chromatid and occur during S or G2 phase of the cell cycle.
Interaction of Mycobacterium tuberculosis with the host: consequences for vaccine development

Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB), remains a major worldwide health problem that causes more than 2 million deaths annually. In addition, an estimated 2 billion people are latently infected with M. tuberculosis. The bacterium is one of the oldest human pathogens and has evolved complex strategies for survival. Therefore, to be successful in the high endemic regions, any future TB vaccine strategy will have to be tailored in accordance with the resulting complexity of the TB infection and anti‐mycobacterial immune response. In this review, we will discuss what is presently known about the interaction of M. tuberculosis with the immune system, and how this knowledge is used in new and more advanced vaccine strategies.
Accounting Measures of Corporate Liquidity, Leverage, and Costs of Financial Distress

Liquid assets such as cash and marketable securities constitute a considerable portion of total assets, say 6.3% to 9.6%, of manufacturing firms. Financial managers pay a lot of attention to the measurement and management of corporate liquidity. It has also been recognized that a consequence of severe shortage of liquidity is financial distress. This study analyzes the relationship of the costs of financial distress to the level of corporate liquidity maintained and leverage.
Corruption and the size of local governments: are they related?

Using a large cross-country data set of developing and developed countries it is found that less fragmented municipal government structures are associated with more honest (less corrupt) behavior by government officials. The evidence is strongest for high-income countries. Corruption is measured various ways, including perceived corruption by citizens and experienced corruption by business managers. Fragmentation is defined as the average “size” of a municipality, measured alternatively in terms of geographic area or population served. A similar conclusion is drawn for other “bottom-tier” governmental units, at the same level as municipalities or one tier below, although the results are less strong statistically. Overall, these findings suggest that some caution should be exercised before adopting more fragmented local government structures as a strategy to promote good governance.
Using psychological ownership to guide strategies for slower consumption

This study explores the extent to which the theory of psychological ownership can be used to understand and design for slower consumption through two strategies: product longevity and access-based consumption. To do this we employ a qualitative study investigating objects kept, discarded and used by participants. We find that the theory is useful in informing both product longevity research and access-based consumption. Both strategies benefit from a framework in which the motives and routes to developing object attachment are discussed. Longevity decisions made by users (i.e. keeping, disposing and engaging with objects) are determined by the ability of an object to fulfill the motives in the framework. Routes can be utilized to create more meaningful paths to ownership and attachment. Access-based consumption threatens all three motives for ownership and leaves the user with little meaning. Thus the theory helps explain the consumer reluctance to adopt access-based consumption models as they currently stand.
Users of oestrogen replacement therapy have more knee cartilage than non-users

BACKGROUND Osteoarthritis (OA) is increasingly prevalent in the years after menopause. Epidemiological data suggest that the use of oestrogen replacement therapy (ERT) may protect against knee OA. AIM To test the hypothesis that long term ERT (longer than five years) is associated with increased knee cartilage in postmenopausal women. METHODS The study involved 81 women (42 current users (⩾ five years) of ERT and 39 who had never used it). Articular cartilage volumes were determined by processing images acquired in the sagittal plane using a T1 weighted fat suppressed magnetic resonance sequence on an independent work station. RESULTS After bone size had been accounted for, ERT users had higher tibial cartilage volume than non-users. Total tibial cartilage volume was 7.7% (0.23 ml) greater in the group of ERT users (2.98 (0.47) ml; mean (SD)) than in the untreated group (2.75 (0.50) ml). The difference, after adjustment for the significant explanatory factors (years since menopause, body mass index, age at menopause, and smoking), between the ERT users and non-users increased from 0.23 ml to 0.30 ml (95% confidence interval 0.08 to 0.52, p=0.008). These differences persisted after exclusion of women with OA. CONCLUSIONS After adjustment for multiple confounders, women using long term ERT have more knee cartilage than controls. This may indicate that ERT prevents loss of knee articular cartilage.
Crime And Benefit Cuts

In this paper we look at the relationship between crime and benefit sanctions using a quasi-experimental setting induced by the introduction of the Jobseekers allowance (JSA) in Britain in October 1996. We look at crime rates in areas more and less affected by JSA before and after JSA introduction. In the areas more affected crime rose by more. These were also the areas with higher outflows from unemployment and particularly to people dropping off the register but not into work or onto other benefits. As such these results seem to reflect that benefit sanctions in JSA may well have caused individuals previously on the margins to engage in crime.
State road transport undertakings in India: technical efficiency and its determinants

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is not only to gauge the extent of technical efficiency in 31 state road transport undertakings (SRTUs) operating in India but also to explore the most influential factors explaining its variations across SRTUs.Design/methodology/approach – Three popular data envelopment analysis (DEA) models, namely CCR, BCC and Andersen and Petersen's super‐efficiency models, have been utilized to compute various efficiency scores for individual SRTUs. A censored Tobit analysis is conducted to see which factors significantly explain the inter‐SRTU variations in efficiency.Findings – The key findings of the DEA analysis are only five SRTUs define the efficient frontier, and the remaining 26 inefficient undertakings have a scope of inputs reduction, albeit by the different magnitude; the extent of average overall technical inefficiency (OTIE) in these SRTUs is to the tune of 22.8 percent, indicating that the sample SRTUs are wasting about one‐fourth of their resources in the production .
The Effects of the Clock and Kickoff Rule Changes on Actual and Market-Based Expected Scoring in NCAA Football

Clock rule changes were introduced in the 2006 season with the goal of reducing the average duration of the game; these changes were reversed in 2007. In addition, in 2007 the kickoff rule was changed to create more excitement and potentially more scoring. We examine what happened to actual and expected scoring during these National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) football seasons. The clock rule change in 2006 led to lower scoring which was not fully encompassed in the betting market, leading to significant returns to betting the under. Multiple rule changes in 2007 led to volatility in the betting market that subsided by season’s end.
Critical Success Factors for Manufacturing Networks as Perceived by Network Coordinators

While networking among small and medium‐sized manufacturing firms (SMEs) is a growing phenomenon, there has been little empirical study of the factors that lead to the success of these networks. This study identifies the following eight success factors for manufacturing networks of SMEs, which are ranked by perceived degree of importance to the success of the network: (1) participant character; (2) chief executive officer (CEO) support; (3) confidence; (4) dedication; (5) capabilities; (6) external relationships; (7) intermediary; and (8) information technology. Four success factors were perceived to be significantly more important in joint production and marketing networks compared to joint learning and resource sharing networks: (1) participant character; (2) confidence; (3) external relationships; and (4) information technology.
Potential Mechanisms Underlying Intercortical Signal Regulation via Cholinergic Neuromodulators

The dynamical behavior of the cortex is extremely complex, with different areas and even different layers of a cortical column displaying different temporal patterns. A major open question is how the signals from different layers and different brain regions are coordinated in a flexible manner to support function. Here, we considered interactions between primary auditory cortex and adjacent association cortex. Using a biophysically based model, we show how top-down signals in the beta and gamma regimes can interact with a bottom-up gamma rhythm to provide regulation of signals between the cortical areas and among layers. The flow of signals depends on cholinergic modulation: with only glutamatergic drive, we show that top-down gamma rhythms may block sensory signals. In the presence of cholinergic drive, top-down beta rhythms can lift this blockade and allow signals to flow reciprocally between primary sensory and parietal cortex. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Flexible coordination of multiple cortical areas is critical for complex cognitive functions, but how this is accomplished is not understood. Using computational models, we studied the interactions between primary auditory cortex (A1) and association cortex (Par2). Our model is capable of replicating interaction patterns observed in vitro and the simulations predict that the coordination between top-down gamma and beta rhythms is central to the gating process regulating bottom-up sensory signaling projected from A1 to Par2 and that cholinergic modulation allows this coordination to occur.
Financial Reporting Quality at IPOs Backed by Listed Private Equity Firms

Some private equity firms list their shares in public stock exchanges, thereby committing to regular and extensive public disclosures. This commitment stands in stark contrast with the traditional model of private equity, which relies on private contracting and communication with partner institutional investors. We investigate the existence of any incremental capital market benefits of the two models of private equity. We find that IPO companies that are backed by listed private equity firms report lower discretionary accruals and recognize losses on a more timely basis than IPO companies that are backed by unlisted private equity firms. IPO companies that are backed by listed private equity firms also have higher stock returns during the year after the IPOs. The findings are robust to controls for endogenous selection of portfolio companies by listed and unlisted private equity firms. Overall, the findings suggest a spillover of high-quality financial reporting between the listed private equity firms and their portfolio companies. JEL Codes: G24, D80
The ‘second‐vote’ campaign strategy of the West German Free Democratic Party*

The existence of two, differentiated, votes for constituency candidates and for party lists in the electoral system of the Federal Republic of Germany offers parties the opportunity of campaigning for ‘second’ (party list) votes in certain situations. The small Free Democratic party, almost invariably in the role of ‘pivotal party’ determining which of the two major parties will lead a coalition with the FDP as junior partner, has increasingly in recent elections campaigned explicitly for such ‘split’ votes. Its success with this strategy has enabled it to overcome the crucial five per cent hurdle, the qualification for party-list representation in the Bundestag, as well as to increase its influence within coalitions in Bonn. The strategy does seem to have affected voting patterns, but relies to an extent upon ignorance among voters of the real relative importance of the constituency ‘first’ vote and the party list ‘second’ vote.
Comparative in vitro antibacterial activity of Sch 34343, a novel penem antibiotic

Using agar and broth dilutions, Sch 34343 was found to be highly active against gram-positive and gram-negative aerobic, facultatively anaerobic, and anaerobic bacteria, with the exceptions of enterococci, methicillin-resistant staphylococci, and Pseudomonas spp. , which were resistant. Comparisons were made with imipenem, cefuroxime, cefotaxime, gentamicin, clindamycin, and metronidazole.
Building effective organizations: transformational leadership, collectivist orientation, work-related attitudes and withdrawal behaviours in three emerging economies

Abstract Previous cross-cultural research on transformational leadership has focused mainly on replicating the augmentation effects of transformational leadership over transactional leadership on followers’ attitudes and behaviours. Relatively few studies have systematically examined cultural impacts in moderating the influence of transformational leadership on work-related outcomes taking a cross-cultural perspective. Using a field survey of 577 employees from banking and financial sectors in three emerging economies, namely: China, India and Kenya, we examined the moderating effect of collectivism on the relationships between transformational leadership, work-related attitudes and perceptions of withdrawal behaviours. Our results found support for the moderating effect of collectivism on the relationship between transformational leadership and work-related outcomes, such as facets of job satisfaction, organizational commitment and perceptions of organizational withdrawal behaviours. In addition, our results lend support to the view that transformational leadership might be effective across cultures. The implications of these findings for future research on transformational leadership and cross-cultural research are discussed.
Patterns Of Development, 1950 To 1983

The main purpose of this report is to provide more accurate measures of the dimensions of structural transformation during the process of development, by estimating long-run patterns of development for the period 1950-83. By including the turbulent decade after 1973 it tries to assess the stability of estimates of long run transformation and the robustness of inferences derived from data about the pre-1973 period. The relatively long time-series for a large number of countries allow a more detailed examination of the relation between cross-section and time-series estimates. The typology of development patterns used in previous studies is elaborated and expanded. The study focuses on processes of resource allocation, specifically on the structures of final demand, trade, production and employment. The samples consist of up to 108 economies over the period 1950-83.
A Typology of Catalyst Events for Collaborative Watershed Management in the United States

While much has been written about the benefits of collaborative watershed management to address nonpoint source pollution and other water quality concerns in the United States, few scholars have addressed the catalytic nature of events that generate these collective action responses. Further, because equivalent catalyst events in different communities do not always lead to collective action, it is critical to understand the interaction between a community's baseline conditions and the catalyst events that lead to collective action. This article presents a conceptual framework that illustrates the relationship between baseline conditions and events that lead to collective action. In this article a theoretical typology of catalyst events is presented that includes both intentional and nonintentional types of events. Understanding these types of catalyst events can help water quality advocates create and/or seize opportunities to nurture a collective action. This article concludes with a call for future research into catalyst events.
Income Tax Progression, 1929-48

T~HE expansion of federal taxation during the last two decades has featured increased reliance upon the personal income tax. From the rate low in I929 to the rate peak in World War II, income-tax liabilities were raised on seven occasions. Notwithstanding subsequent reductions, present liabilities remain well above pre-war levels. While most people feel that income-tax progression increased, the concept of "increased" or "decreased" progression is ambiguous. In fact, the results depend entirely on how the degree of progression is measured. The usual failure to attach precise meaning to the concepts of increase or decrease in progression may be due to the ease with which the existence of progression, proportionality, or regression is distinguished. ' It is generally agreed that a rate structure is progressive where the average rate of tax (i.e., tax liability as a percentage of income) rises when moving up the income scale; proportional where the average rate remains constant; and regressive where the average rate falls with the rising income. In other words, the rate structure is progressive where the marginal rate (i.e., the increment in tax liability as a percentage of the increment in income) exceeds the
Predicting clinical behaviour of breast phyllodes tumours: a nomogram based on histological criteria and surgical margins

Aim To define a predictive model for clinical behaviour of breast phyllodes tumours (PT) using histological parameters and surgical margin status. Methods Cases of breast PT diagnosed in the Department of Pathology Singapore General Hospital between January 1992 and December 2010 were stratified into benign, borderline and malignant grades based on a combination of histological parameters (stromal atypia, hypercellularity, mitoses, overgrowth and nature of tumour borders). Surgical margin status was assessed. Clinical follow-up and biostatistical modelling were accomplished. Results Of 605 PT, 440 (72.7%) were benign, 111 (18.4%) borderline and 54 (8.9%) malignant. Recurrences, which were predominantly local, were documented in 80 (13.2%) women. Deaths from PT occurred in 12 (2%) women. Multivariate analysis revealed stromal atypia, overgrowth and surgical margins to be independently predictive of clinical behaviour, with mitoses achieving near significance. Stromal hypercellularity and tumour borders were not independently useful. A nomogram developed based on atypia, mitoses, overgrowth and surgical margins (AMOS criteria) could predict recurrence-free survival at 1, 3, 5 and 10 years. This nomogram was superior to a total histological score derived from adding values assigned to each of five histological parameters. Conclusion A predictive nomogram based on three histological criteria and surgical margin status can be used to calculate recurrence-free survival of an individual woman diagnosed with PT. This can be applied for patient counselling and clinical management.
Private cops on the block: A review of the role of private security in residential communities

This paper considers developments with regard to privatisation of security services in the British residential sector. While a reduction in state dominance of security has been apparent for some time in the commercial sector, such trends are a more recent development in residential areas. The paper reviews the context in which such developments are taking place, drawing on empirical research in a community with private security patrols. It is argued that significant changes are taking place in the relative inputs of public and private policing to community law and order, with significant transformations in some residents’ experience of policing. Drawing on evidence from the empirical research, a range of related issues are discussed, including, regulation and the nature of the relationship between public and private policing.
Successful infection of the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) with human varicella-zoster virus

The common marmoset, Callithrix jacchus, can be infected with human varicella-zoster virus (VZV), both wild-type strain KMcC and attenuated vaccine strain Oka/Merck. Infection was accomplished with either whole-cell-associated or cell extract VZV by combined oral-nasal-conjunctival application and was characterized by substantial and persistent anti-VZV antibody responses. The infectivity of VZV for marmosets was destroyed by treatment of inocula with heat or UV light. Diluted inocula with as few as 40 PFU/ml were infectious for marmosets. The lungs were demonstrated to be a major site of viral replication; both the presence of viral antigens and signs of pneumonia were demonstrated in lung tissues. Four serial passages of VZV KMcC were carried out in C. jacchus by a process of in vitro isolation and culturing of VZV from infected lung tissue and reapplication of the cultured isolates to fresh animals. The isolated viruses were identified as VZV both serologically and by restriction endonuclease analyses. The C. jacchus infectivity model should prove useful for determining the efficacy of subunit and live recombinant VZV vaccines as well as for the study of zoster.