Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of increased levels of atmospheric CO2 and high temperatures on rice growth and quality

The increased atmospheric temperatures resulting from the increased concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) have had a profound influence on global rice production. China serves as an important area for producing and consuming rice. Therefore, exploring the effects of the simultaneously rising levels of atmospheric CO2 and temperatures on rice growth and quality in the future is very important. The present study was designed to measure the most important aspects of variation for rice-related physiological, ecological and quality indices in different growing periods under a simultaneous increase of CO2 and temperature, through simulation experiments in climate-controlled growth chambers, with southern rice as the study object. The results indicated that the ecological indices, rice phenology, and leaf area would decrease under a simultaneous increase of CO2 and temperature. For the physiological indices, Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels increased significantly in the seedling period. However, it showed the trend of increase and subsequent decrease in the heading and filling periods. In addition, the decomposition of soluble protein (SP) and soluble sugar (SS) accelerated in filling period. The rice quality index of the Head Rice Rate showed the decreasing trend and subsequent increase, but the Chalky Rice Rate and Protein Content indices gradually decreased while the Gel Consistency gradually increased.
A Simple Electromagnetic Analysis for Ohmic Quality Factor and RF Efficiency for 42 GHz, TE03-mode, Feebly Tapered Gyrotron Cavity

In the present paper, an electromagnetic method has been presented to calculate the ohmic quality factor of feebly tapered cavity of a 42 GHz, TE03-mode gyrotron. The method has been started by dividing the input- and output-taper sections of cavity into numbers of non-tapered circular cells to present a model cavity akin to real one. Further, the ohmic quality factor of tapered cavity has been expressed as a summation of terms, each containing ohmic quality factor of a cell of model cavity. The effect of input- and output-taper angles on ohmic quality factor for a feebly tapered gyrotron cavity has been studied. Further, the values of ohmic quality factor, calculated in the present paper, have been substituted into the expression of RF efficiency, and correspondingly, the decrease of RF efficiency with increase of diffractive quality factor has been observed. It has been found that both the ohmic quality factor and RF efficiency increase with decrease of input-taper angle and with increase of output-taper angle. Out of two taper angles, the output-taper angle was found more sensitive controlling parameter for the ohmic quality factor and hence frequency selectivity as well as ohmic heating in a feebly tapered gyrotron cavity. Also, the output-taper angle has been found a more suitable parameter in tailoring the RF efficiency.
A comparison of normal and leukemic stem cell biology in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia

Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML), a myeloproliferative disease of stem cell origin, is characterized by the presence of the Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome and the bcr‐abl oncogene. The BCR‐ABL fusion gene product, thought to be causative in CML, has multiple effects on diverse cell functions such as growth, differentiation and turnover as well as adhesion and apoptosis. Persistent Ph‐negative progenitors co‐exist with leukemic cells, both in the marrow and blood of patients, in the early chronic phase of the disease. Despite accumulating knowledge of hemopoiesis and the disease process, CML remains incurable with conventional chemotherapy. Nonetheless, with the efficacy of the ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitor STI‐571 (signal transduction inhibitor 571) as a novel therapy in CML recently being realized in clinical trials, it is therefore timely to review our current understanding of the cell biology of this fascinating disease. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
High-Density Lipoproteins Retard the Progression of Atherosclerosis and Favorably Remodel Lesions Without Suppressing Indices of Inflammation or Oxidation

Objective—Protective properties of high-density lipoproteins (HDL) may include reverse cholesterol transport and suppression of oxidation and inflammation. These were investigated in vivo, as were the effects of HDL on the characteristics of atherosclerotic lesions. Methods and Results—Male apolipoprotein E knockout (apoE−/−) and apoE−/− mice expressing human apolipoprotein AI (hAI/apoE−/−) were studied up to 20 weeks after commencing a high-fat diet. Plasma HDL cholesterol was twice as high in hAI/apoE−/− mice. Over time, aortic root lesion area remained less in hAI/apoE−/− mice, although plaques became complex. In advanced lesions, plaque lipid was higher in apoE−/− mice, whereas plaque collagen and alpha actin were increased in hAI/apoE−/− mice. In nonlesional aorta, mRNA abundance for pro-inflammatory proteins (vascular cell adhesion molecule [VCAM]-1, intercellular adhesion molecule-1 [ICAM-1], monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 [MCP-1]) increased between 4 and 16 weeks in apoE−/− (but not wild-type) mice, and were not reduced by elevated HDL. Autoantibodies to malondialdehyde low-density lipoprotein (LDL) increased progressively in apoE−/− mice, with similar results in hAI/apoE−/− mice. Conclusions—HDL retarded plaque size progression despite greatly elevated plasma cholesterol. This effect was over a wide range of lesion severity. Expression of hAI reduced plaque lipid and increased the proportion of plaque occupied by collagen and smooth muscle cells, but did not affect indicators of inflammation or LDL oxidation.
The Impact of Solar Irradiance on AJISAI's Spin Period Measured by the Graz 2-kHz SLR System

The Graz kHz Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) system is the first system operating with a 2-kHz-repetition-rate laser. Using Graz 2-kHz SLR data only, we applied a new analytical approach to determine the spin period of the passive satellite AJISAI. This method analyzes the range measurements to the single corner-cube-reflector panels of AJISAI, allowing accurate determination of an actual attitude of this satellite during day and night. Using Graz kHz SLR data of more than five years, we processed 877 passes of AJISAI (October 9, 2003-December 22, 2008) and calculated its spin period ( ~ 2 s) with an accuracy of 0.0042% (84 ¿s). This spin period (T) is increasing, following an exponential trend:T =1.9028 ·Exp (0.014859 . (Year - 2003.0)) s. This slow down is mainly caused by the gravitational and magnetic fields of the Earth. The high accuracy allows, for the first time, the detection of small perturbations of the spin period caused by nongravitational effects related to the solar energy flux to which the satellite is exposed.
Widely Linear System Estimation Using Superimposed Training

In this correspondence, the use of superimposed training (ST) as a mean to estimate the finite impulse response (FIR) components of a widely linear (WL) system is proposed. The estimator here presented is based on the first-order statistics of the signal observed at the output of the system and its variance is independent of the channel components if suitable designed training sequences are employed. The construction of such sequences having constant magnitude both in time and frequency domains is also addressed.
Impulsive Aggression and the Incidence of Early-Onset Depression in Youth

Objective: To assess the relationship between impulsive aggression (IA) and the early-onset depression (OD) in youth. Method: The data consists of records from 348 youth aged 10 to 25 years who had never had a mood disorder by the time of study entry, but had at least one parent with a diagnosed mood disorder. The participants were recruited at two different sites. The primary outcome was OD and the primary measure of interest was IA. The effect of the baseline IA level was evaluated univariately and after adjusting for other risk factors associated with OD. Univariate analyses of the effect of categorical factors were performed using log-rank and Wilcoxon tests, with the corresponding tests for trends being implemented for ordinal variables. Multivariable modeling was done using the discrete-time proportional hazards model. Optimal dichotomization of IA into high and low risk groups was obtained using the outcome-oriented technique by Contal and O’Quigley. Results: Univariate analyses indicated that participants with a high level of impulsive aggression had an increased risk of OD (hazard ratio (HR) = 2.0, 95% CI: 1.13 to 3.55). Increased risk for youth with high IA was observed after adjusting for site, offspring risk factors of behavior disorder and puberty, proband risk factors of anxiety disorder and alcohol/substance abuse. Among these factors, only one, behavior disorder, alleviated the effect of IA. Behavior disorder was strongly associated with high risk for depression (HR = 2.51, 95% CI: 1.32 to 4.77) and behavior disorder and IA were closely related, with the rate of behavior disorder in the high IA group being significantly greater than in the low IA group (26.5% vs. 9.4%, p < 0.001). Conclusions: The results suggest that impulsive aggression is a significant prognostic factor for depression onset. Although part of the information carried by the IA measurement is captured by other measurements (e.g., behavior disorder), the level of IA still offers useful information regarding the future depression onset. Implication for public health: An understanding of the relationship between impulsive aggression and depression onset is important for the treatment and prevention of depression.
Voltage dependence of acetylcholine receptor channel gating in rat myoballs

Whole-cell currents from nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR) channels were studied in rat myoballs using a light-activated agonist to determine the voltage dependence of the macroscopic opening and closing rate constants. Myoballs were bathed in a solution containing a low concentration of the inactive isomer of the photoisomerizable azobenzene derivative, cis-Bis-Q. A light flash was then presented to produce a known concentration jump of agonist, trans-Bis-Q, across a wide range of membrane potentials in symmetrical solutions (NaCl or CsCl on both sides) or asymmetrical solutions (NaCl in the bath and CsCl in the pipette). At the low agonist concentration used in this study, the reciprocal of the macroscopic time constants gives an unambiguous measure of the effective closing rate. It showed an exponential decrease with membrane hyperpolarization between +20 and - 100 mV, but tended to level off at more depolarized and at more hyperpolarized membrane potentials. The relative effective opening rate was derived from the steady-state conductance, the single-channel conductance, and the apparent closing rate; it decreased sharply in the depolarizing region and tended to level off and then turn up in the hyperpolarizing region. The two effective rate constants were shown to depend on the first, second, and third power of membrane potential.
Tailor-Made Zinc-Finger Transcription Factors Activate FLO11 Gene Expression with Phenotypic Consequences in the Yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Cys2His2 zinc fingers are eukaryotic DNA-binding motifs, capable of distinguishing different DNA sequences, and are suitable for engineering artificial transcription factors. In this work, we used the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae to study the ability of tailor-made zinc finger proteins to activate the expression of the FLO11 gene, with phenotypic consequences. Two three-finger peptides were identified, recognizing sites from the 5′ UTR of the FLO11 gene with nanomolar DNA-binding affinity. The three-finger domains and their combined six-finger motif, recognizing an 18-bp site, were fused to the activation domain of VP16 or VP64. These transcription factor constructs retained their DNA-binding ability, with the six-finger ones being the highest in affinity. However, when expressed in haploid yeast cells, only one three-finger recombinant transcription factor was able to activate the expression of FLO11 efficiently. Unlike in the wild-type, cells with such transcriptional activation displayed invasive growth and biofilm formation, without any requirement for glucose depletion. The VP16 and VP64 domains appeared to act equally well in the activation of FLO11 expression, with comparable effects in phenotypic alteration. We conclude that the functional activity of tailor-made transcription factors in cells is not easily predicted by the in vitro DNA-binding activity.
Speculative Betas

We provide a model for why high beta assets are more prone to speculative overpricing than low beta ones. When investors disagree about the common factor of cash-flows, high beta assets are more sensitive to this macro-disagreement and experience a greater divergence-of-opinion about their payoffs. Short-sales constraints for some investors such as retail mutual funds result in high beta assets being over-priced. When aggregate disagreement is low, expected return increases with beta due to risk-sharing. But when it is large, expected return initially increases but then decreases with beta. High beta assets have greater shorting from unconstrained arbitrageurs and more share turnover. Using measures of disagreement about stock earnings and economic uncertainty, we verify these predictions. A calibration exercise yields reasonable parameter values.
Transcriptional Responses of Olive Flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) to Low Temperature

The olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) is an economically important flatfish in marine aquaculture with a broad thermal tolerance ranging from 14 to 23°C. Cold-tolerant flounder that can survive during the winter season at a temperature of less than 14°C might facilitate the understanding of the mechanisms underlying the response to cold stress. In this study, the transcriptional response of flounder to cold stress (0.7±0.05°C) was characterized using RNA sequencing. Transcriptome sequencing was performed using the Illumina MiSeq platform for the cold-tolerant (CT) group, which survived under the cold stress; the cold-sensitive (CS) group, which could barely survive at the low temperature; and control group, which was not subjected to cold treatment. In all, 29,021 unigenes were generated. Compared with the unigene expression profile of the control group, 410 unigenes were up-regulated and 255 unigenes were down-regulated in the CT group, whereas 593 unigenes were up-regulated and 289 unigenes were down-regulated in the CS group. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analyses revealed that signal transduction, lipid metabolism, digestive system, and signaling molecules and interaction were the most highly enriched pathways for the genes that were differentially expressed under cold stress. All these pathways could be assigned to the following four biological functions for flounder that can survive under cold stress: signal response to cold stress, cell repair/regeneration, energy production, and cell membrane construction and fluidity.
DESTINATION MANAGEMENT ORGANISATIONS AND THEIR SHIFT TO SUSTAINABLE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT

Competition between tourism destinations on national, regional and local levels continues to intensify due to the pressure of globalization (Friedman, 2006). Accordingly, destination Management Organizations (dMOs) have to constantly reevaluate and re-engineer the same time, tourism development pressures destination areas through increased resource consumption and, land fragmentation while policy measures to promote more sustainable tourism are progressing only slowly due to local resistance. Therefore, destinations are one ferent stakeholder groups (Carmin et al., tween the economic development of tourism destinations, the conservation of their resources and the well-being of the local population has become a challenging task for many dMOs conducted in 2011 in seven European countries among 72 managers of destination Management Organizations (dMOs). The research objective was to evaluate the dMOs’ efforts and their role in the set-up and implementation of sustainable tourism principles in the management of tourist destinations by means of a quantitative and qualitative analysis.
Clinical Epidemiology of Bocavirus, Rhinovirus, Two Polyomaviruses and Four Coronaviruses in HIV-Infected and HIV-Uninfected South African Children

Background Advances in molecular diagnostics have implicated newly-discovered respiratory viruses in the pathogenesis of pneumonia. We aimed to determine the prevalence and clinical characteristics of human bocavirus (hBoV), human rhinovirus (hRV), polyomavirus-WU (WUPyV) and –KI (KIPyV) and human coronaviruses (CoV)-OC43, -NL63, -HKU1 and -229E among children hospitalized with lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI). Methods Multiplex real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction was undertaken on archived nasopharyngeal aspirates from HIV-infected and –uninfected children (<2 years age) hospitalized for LRTI, who had been previously investigated for respiratory syncytial virus, human metapneumovirus, parainfluenza I–III, adenovirus and influenza A/B. Results At least one of these viruses were identified in 274 (53.0%) of 517 and in 509 (54.0%) of 943 LRTI-episodes in HIV-infected and -uninfected children, respectively. Human rhinovirus was the most prevalent in HIV-infected (31.7%) and –uninfected children (32.0%), followed by CoV-OC43 (12.2%) and hBoV (9.5%) in HIV-infected; and by hBoV (13.3%) and WUPyV (11.9%) in HIV-uninfected children. Polyomavirus-KI (8.9% vs. 4.8%; p = 0.002) and CoV-OC43 (12.2% vs. 3.6%; p<0.001) were more prevalent in HIV-infected than –uninfected children. Combined with previously-tested viruses, respiratory viruses were identified in 60.9% of HIV-infected and 78.3% of HIV-uninfected children. The newly tested viruses were detected at high frequency in association with other respiratory viruses, including previously-investigated viruses (22.8% in HIV-infected and 28.5% in HIV–uninfected children). Conclusions We established that combined with previously-investigated viruses, at least one respiratory virus was identified in the majority of HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected children hospitalized for LRTI. The high frequency of viral co-infections illustrates the complexities in attributing causality to specific viruses in the aetiology of LRTI and may indicate a synergetic role of viral co-infections in the pathogenesis of childhood LRTI.
Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics MeV proton flux predictions near Saturn’s D ring

Radiation belts of MeV protons have been observed just outward of Saturn’s main rings. During the final stages of the mission, the Cassini spacecraft will pass through the gap between the main rings and the planet. Based on how the known radiation belts of Saturn are formed, it is expected that MeV protons will be present in this gap and also bounce through the tenuous D ring right outside the gap. At least one model has suggested that the intensity of MeV protons near the planet could be much larger than in the known belts. We model this inner radiation belt using a technique developed earlier to understand Saturn’s known radiation belts. We find that the inner belt is very different from the outer belts in the sense that its intensity is limited by the densities of the D ring and Saturn’s upper atmosphere, not by radial diffusion and satellite absorption. The atmospheric density is relatively well constrained by EUV occultations. Based on that we predict an intensity in the gap region that is well below that of the known belts. It is more difficult to do the same for the region magnetically connected to the D ring since its density is poorly constrained. We find that the intensity in this region can be comparable to the known belts. Such intensities pose no hazard to the mission since Cassini would only experience these fluxes on timescales of minutes but might affect scientific measurements by decreasing the signal-to-contamination ratio of instruments.
Yield of gastric lavage and bronchial wash in pulmonary tuberculosis.

OBJECTIVE To determine the yield of acid-fast bacilli (AFB) in gastric lavage and bronchial washing in adult patients clinically and radiologically suspected of pulmonary tuberculosis but who cannot produce sputum. METHODS Selected adult patients were admitted to the ward; gastric lavage was done for 3 consecutive days after an overnight fast followed by bronchial wash. Specimens were immediately sent to laboratory for AFB direct smear and culture. RESULTS The yield of AFB in gastric lavage on direct smear was 16/20 (80%) and 12/20 (60%) in the first and second samples, respectively. When combined, 18/20 (90%) were direct smear positive, while the third sample did not increase the yield. The yield of AFB culture in gastric lavage was 6/20 (30%) in both the first and second samples, while the combined results of the first and second samples were 8/20 (40%). The third sample did not increase the yield. In bronchial wash, AFB direct smear was positive in 18/20 (90%), while culture was positive in 14/20 (70%). CONCLUSION Gastric lavage and bronchial washing are useful methods for the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis in patients who cannot produce sputum. Two gastric lavage specimens are adequate. On comparison, bronchial wash is superior to gastric lavage in culture, but their yield on direct smear is equal.
A relay selection scheme for IR-UWB networks based on distance information

In multiple-relay cooperative wireless networks, opportunistic relaying is a promising scheme, where the most challenging problem is to choose the best relay efficiently. The traditional opportunistic relay selection scheme is based on the channel conditions of source-relay (S-R) and relay-destination (R-D) links. In comparison with conventional narrowband networks, an appealing merit of impulse radio based ultra-wideband (IR-UWB) networks is their inherent ranging/positioning ability. In this paper, we focus on IR-UWB cooperative networks and propose a distributed opportunistic relay selection algorithm based on the distance information of S-R and R-D links. Simulation results reveal that good performance can be achieved by using our proposed scheme.