Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Enhanced Nitrogenase Activity in Strains of Rhodobacter capsulatus That Overexpress the rnf Genes

ABSTRACT In the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodobacter capsulatus, a putative membrane-bound complex encoded by the rnfABCDGEHoperon is thought to be dedicated to electron transport to nitrogenase. In this study, the whole rnf operon was cloned under the control of the nifH promoter in plasmid pNR117 and expressed in several rnf mutants. Complementation analysis demonstrated that transconjugants which integrated plasmid pNR117 directed effective biosynthesis of a functionally competent complex inR. capsulatus. Moreover, it was found that strains carrying pNR117 displayed nitrogenase activities 50 to 100% higher than the wild-type level. The results of radioactive labeling experiments indicated that the intracellular content of nitrogenase polypeptides was marginally altered in strains containing pNR117, whereas the levels of the RnfB and RnfC proteins present in the membrane were four- and twofold, respectively, higher than the wild-type level. Hence, the enhancement of in vivo nitrogenase activity was correlated with a commensurate overproduction of the Rnf polypeptides. In vitro nitrogenase assays performed in the presence of an artificial electron donor indicated that the catalytic activity of the enzyme was not increased in strains overproducing the Rnf polypeptides. It is proposed that the supply of reductants through the Rnf complex might be rate limiting for nitrogenase activity in vivo. Immunoprecipitation experiments performed on solubilized membrane proteins revealed that RnfB and RnfC are associated with each other and with additional polypeptides which may be components of the membrane-bound complex.
A Bayesian approach for capturing daily heterogeneity in intra-daily durations time series

Abstract Intra-daily financial durations time series typically exhibit evidence of long range dependence. This has motivated the introduction of models able to reproduce this stylized fact, like the Fractionally Integrated Autoregressive Conditional Duration Model. In this work we introduce a novel specification able to capture long range dependence. We propose a three component model that consists of an autoregressive daily random effect, a semiparametric time-of-day effect and an intra-daily dynamic component: the Mixed Autoregressive Conditional Duration (Mixed ACD) Model. The random effect component allows for heterogeneity in mean reversal within a day and captures low frequency dynamics in the duration time series. The joint estimation of the model parameters is carried out using MCMC techniques based on the Bayesian formulation of the model. The empirical application to a set of widely traded US tickers shows that the model is able to capture low frequency dependence in duration time series. We also find that the degree of dependence and dispersion of low frequency dynamics is higher in periods of higher financial distress.
The Effect of Government Actions on Technological Innovation for SO 2 Control

This paper examines innovation in sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) control technologies for electric power plants. Innovation in these technologies has been influenced by government actions, ranging from government-sponsored R&D and pollution-control demonstration programs to regulation of emissions. Our analysis employs several complementary methods with which to understand innovation in SO 2 control technologies. Innovative activities were investigated using: analysis of patenting activity; analysis of the technical content of conferences held for over twenty years to promote innovation in SO 2 control technologies; analysis of the researcher networks formed by co-authorship in that conference; analysis of learning curves for U.S. power plants; and structured interviews of experts spanning a range of roles in SO 2 control technology. Innovative outcomes were investigated through: analysis of observed improvements in newly installed technologies over time; evaluation of historic cost studies on standardized systems; and expert interviews. Several policy-relevant findings result from this research. (1) The existence of national government regulation stimulated inventive activity more than government research support alone. (2) Regulatory stringency directs the focus of inventive activity. (3) Increased requirements for SO 2 control helped stimulate the formation of communication channels important to technology diffusion. (4) The existence and anticipation of government regulation appears to spur inventive activity. (5) Federal funding of a conference to support technology transfer in SO 2 control was extremely valuable to innovation. (6) The regulation-forced adoption of SO 2 control technologies led to significant cost savings based on operating experience. The rate of these cost savings is comparable to learning curves found in many other industries, and is likely to be useful in predicting improvements in future environmental control technologies. (7) Notable SO 2 removal efficiency improvements and capital cost reductions for new systems occurred as the technology became more widely adopted. These findings are currently being expanded to assess other emerging areas of environmental control.
The effects of ventilation of dogs with different gas mixtures on airway calibre and lung mechanics

1. Dead space (CO2‐front method), lung compliance, cervical tracheal volume change and total lung resistance were measured simultaneously in anaesthetized dogs, paralysed or open‐chest, and the responses to nerve section and stimulation and to ventilation of the dogs with different gas mixtures were studied.
Measuring the complex permittivity of poultry meat with a planar transmission-line sensor

A planar transmission-line sensor is used to measure the complex permittivity of chicken breast meat over the frequency range 0.5 - 5 GHz. Results for the permittivity of nine samples of chicken breast meat are compared to results obtained with a commercially available open-ended coaxial-line probe. It is shown that there is generally less variation in the results obtained with the planar transmission-line sensor for different sample orientations.
Quanto Pricing with Copulas

“Valuing a derivative that depends on more than one underlying asset, like a currency quanto, which pays off in one currency based on the exchange rate between two others, requires knowledge of the correlation structure among them. Pricing is not difficult if one knows the joint probability distribution. But calibrating a pricing model to the market is much harder, because it requires an implied distribution that is simultaneously consistent with quanto prices and also with the volatility smiles from plain vanilla options in the underlying currencies. Recent work on copulas offers a start. Univariate distributions for the individual underlying assets (the “marginals”) can be obtained from plain vanilla options and then combined, using a copula function, into a joint distribution with whatever dependence structure is desired. But things are still not easy, because the common copula functions used in the finance literature do not have enough flexibility to match the actual implied distributions. In this article, Bennett and Kennedy offer a neat and easily implemented solution, in the form of a procedure for modifying the normal copula to produce realistic dependence structures. The ability to match a quanto volatility smiles is significantly enhanced, relative to the current standard procedure in the market. ”
The consumption-real exchange rate anomaly: nontraded goods and distribution services

In the data, Real Exchange Rates (RERs) tend to move in opposite directions with respect to the relative consumption across countries. Chari et al. (2002) refer to the inability of models to replicate the previous stylized fact as the consumption-RER anomaly. In this article, it is shown that an International Real Business Cycle (IRBC) model, similar to the one proposed by Chari et al. but extended by considering nontraded goods and an incomplete asset market structure, can solve the anomaly. Nontradable goods amplify wealth effects arising from the incomplete assets market structure, generating a negative co-movement between the RER and relative consumption. Adding Distribution Services (DS) improves the performance of the model in some other dimensions. In particular, DS help to generate countercyclical net exports.
Some Determinants of Coronary Collateral Blood Flow in the Open‐Chest Dog

Dynamics of the coronary collateral circulation have been investigated by means of the retrograde flow technic. A principal determinant of retrograde flow appears to be the perfusion pressure irrespective of the rate of coronary inflow. Nitroglycerine, histamine and norepinephrine failed to augment retrograde flow. Reactive hyperemia and temporary myocardial ischemia resulted in a reduction of retrograde flow which could be due to active vasoconstriction or to myocardial stretching. Changes in heart rate and the onset of ventricular fibrillation did not alter retrograde flow, but low blood viscosity increased it.
Thoughts on Financial Accounting and the Banking Industry

I provide big picture comments on the review of the banking literature in accounting by Beatty and Liao (2014). Beatty and Liao (2014) does a service to the accounting field by providing an intelligent, well organized and accessible point of entry to banking research in accounting. I complement Beatty and Liao by presenting my observations on the role of financial accounting in banking, focusing my discussion on real effects of accounting policy choices on individual bank risk taking and codependence of risk among banks. I also offer ideas on future research directions.
Changing French capitalism: political and systemic crises in France

France's model of capitalism experiences a crisis with multiple aspects. First, the French model of capitalism has undergone deep reforms since the 1980s. Second, the French political life is characterized by a political crisis: the vanishing of the space for mediation between the divergent expectations of the social groups composing the dominant social bloc. These crises are linked. First, because the institutional reforms undertaken since the 1980s have changed French capitalism, its institutional complementarities, the profile of socio-political groups, and have contributed to destabilizing social alliances. Second, because the political crisis has pushed policy-makers to turn to institutional change as a necessary condition for opening up new spaces of mediation. This contribution surveys the main changes experienced by the French model over the past 30 years, analyses the break-up of the traditional social alliances and presents the elements of the political crisis in relation to neoliberal structural reforms.
Key Te rms Investigation of Transplanted Neural Stem Cells : The Extent of their Abil i ty to Improve Cognitive Deficit in Response to an Induced Lesion

F a c u l t y M e n t o r Jasmin Tanaja, recognizing the importance of advancements in stem cell research, began work on her own project in Professor LaFerla’s lab. Her study is the first to show that stem cells can help improve cognitive performance after a focal brain lesion targeted specifically to a neuronal subpopulation. She describes her research experience to be one of “uncovering another mystery of science,” and feels fortunate to have been a part of its discovery. Jasmin followed this research by beginning a new clinical research project on emergency medicine at the UCI Medical Center. She hopes to follow her years at UCI by moving on to graduate school. N and synaptic losses are prominent in most clinical conditions. Many experiments have used site-specific lesioning methods to mimic such conditions. These approaches may cause non-specific damage, affect multiple cell types, or cause loss of cells. To study the effect of a targeted neuronal lesion, we generated a novel transgenic mouse model in which it is possible to ablate specific types of neurons by a system of induction. This approach takes advantage of the tet-off system to drive the expression of diphtheria toxin A-chain (DTA), which relies mainly on the presence or absence of a tetracycline analog—in our case doxycycline—to deactivate or activate the expression of DTA respectively. Post induction, neural stem cells (NSC) were transplanted in the hippocampal region of the mice. After histological and behavioral assessment, we found that the neural stem cells were multipotent, and differentiated into astrocytes and oligodendrocyte precursors, although a smaller number differentiated into neurons. Analysis indicated percentages of differentiation as follows: 1.78% ± 0.515 neurons, 15.39% ± 6.76 astrocytes, and 17.07% ± 3.49 oligodendrocyte precursors. Behaviorally, the NSC-transplanted-mice performed significantly better than the controls in hippocampal-dependent tests. These transplanted neural stem cells show therapeutic potential to improve cognitive deficit.
Challenges of leading a diverse workforce

Executive Overview With the promise of competitive advantage gains in hand, many companies have moved toward capitalizing on the skills that a diverse workforce provides in increasingly competitive global markets. The incumbent challenges of leading a diverse work group are an unexplored side of the diversity movement. Based on interview data from a variety of senior managers and executives, a review of both popular and academic literature, and our own experiences with diverse organizations, we have outlined six preeminent challenges confronting leaders of diverse work groups. We suggest practical solutions that can be adapted for implementation in most organizations. Further, we identify and discuss leader attributes and skills that are required for effective enactment of diversity initiatives.
Mammary epithelial-specific disruption of the focal adhesion kinase blocks mammary tumor progression

Elevated expression and activation of the focal adhesion kinase (FAK) occurs in a large proportion of human breast cancers. Although several studies have implicated FAK as an important signaling molecule in cell culture systems, evidence supporting a role for FAK in mammary tumor progression is lacking. To directly assess the role of FAK in this process, we have used the Cre/loxP recombination system to disrupt FAK function in the mammary epithelium of a transgenic model of breast cancer. Using this approach, we demonstrate that FAK expression is required for the transition of premalignant hyperplasias to carcinomas and their subsequent metastases. This dramatic block in tumor progression was further correlated with impaired mammary epithelial proliferation. These observations provide direct evidence that FAK plays a critical role in mammary tumor progression.
Tibia Vara Deformity After Below Knee Amputation and Synostosis Formation in Children

Background: Progressive varus deformity of the tibia in pediatric patients after transtibial and Syme amputations has not been reported in a series. A distal tibia to fibula synostosis, created surgically to minimize the risk of terminal overgrowth or occurring spontaneously, was noted in most patients. The goals of this study are to address the causes of the deformity, the implications for prosthetic wear, and potential treatment options. Methods: Twelve patients identified from the juvenile amputee database at 2 centers developed progressive varus deformity of the residual limb. One patient had bilateral involvement. A distal tibia-fibula synostosis was noted in 12 (92%) of the residual limbs, and in one, a fibrous union was suspected. The level of amputation was trans-tibial in 10 patients, and Syme amputation in 3 patients. Two patients had acquired trans-tibial level of amputation from congenital constriction band syndrome. Nine of the patients (75%) were between the ages of 3 and 5 years at the time of injury. Results: The mean proximal medial tibial angle was 80.5 degrees (range, 75-85 degrees). Ten of the patients underwent procedures to correct the mechanical axis and resolve or prevent problems with prosthetic fitting. Four patients has proximal tibial osteotomies (HTO), 2 oblique closing wedge osteotomies, 1 shaft osteotomy, and 4 lateral proximal tibial hemi-epiphyseodesis. In 2 patients, no correction was recommended. Conclusions: The presence of a distal tibia-fibula synostosis in pediatric amputee patients may contribute to the risk of developing a progressive varus deformity and should be monitored during a child's growth. Distal tibiofibular synostosis may disrupt normal differential longitudinal growth and may contribute to this progressive angular deformity. Severe deformity may require prosthetic modifications or operative correction to provide for a normal mechanical axis. Lateral hemiepiphyseodesis of the proximal tibia can be effective if the deformity is detected early. We do not recommend creation of a synostosis in the young child for terminal growth. Level of Evidence: Level 4.
Role of proline residues in human lysozyme stability: a scanning calorimetric study combined with X-ray structure analysis of proline mutants.

It has been shown that protein stability can be modulated from site-directed mutations that affect the entropy of protein unfolding [Matthews, B. W. , Nicholson, H. , & Becktel, W. J. (1987) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 84, 6663-6667]. However, the effect of a specific amino acid replacement on stability highly depends on the location of the mutation site and its environment in the protein structure [Yutani, K. , Hayashi, S. , Sugisaki, Y. , & Ogasahara, K. (1991) Proteins Struct. , Funct. , Genet. 9, 90-98). To clarify the role of specific proline residues in the thermostability of human lysozyme (h-lysozyme), a series of proline mutants were investigated by means of scanning calorimetry and high-resolution X-ray crystallography. The thermodynamic properties of the mutant and wild-type h-lysozymes are compared and discussed on the basis of their three-dimensional structure. h-Lysozyme contains two proline residues at positions 71 and 103. The Pro71----Gly substitution was found to destabilize h-lysozyme by decreasing the entropic contribution of unfolding by about 2 kcal/mol at 68.8 degrees C. This is consistent with the theoretical expectations for such a substitution. However, the same substitution at position 103 (Pro103----Gly) does not affect h-lysozyme stability, and the thermodynamic properties of the P71G/P103G and P71G mutants are essentially the same. Pro71 which is conserved among lysozymes from other species, appears to be important for stability, whereas Pro103, which is not conserved, does not. These differences are explained in terms of residue accessibility to the solvent and crystallographic B-factor, which reflects the amino acid mobility. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
When Good News Is Not That Good : The Asymmetric Effect of Correlation Uncertainty

This paper examines how aversion to uncertainty about the information transfer across firms affects asset prices in an equilibrium. I show that a firm’s stock price reacts more strongly to the bad news than the good news from its economically linked firms, and there is price inertia if the news is not strong enough. Moreover, I show that equilibrium prices do not always fully incorporate relevant firm-specific news. The stock price movement displays overreaction and underreaction, depending on the magnitude of the news, the information quality, the strength of the economic link, the firm size, and the firm risk. The model further explains the asymmetric pattern of financial time series, including the expected stock return and volatility, and the correlation and covariance. The model offers several testable predictions, which are consistent with recent empirical studies on how asset prices and returns are affected by the firm-specific news. ∗Belk College of Business, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC 28223. Email: jjiang6@uncc.edu.
Immunogenicity of an inactivated mycobacterial vaccine for the prevention of HIV-associated tuberculosis: a randomized, controlled trial

Objective: Prior to the widespread use of Mycobacterium bovis, Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG), inactivated whole cell mycobacterial vaccines had been shown effective in the prevention of tuberculosis. The present study was conducted to determine the safety and immunogenicity of an inactivated whole cell mycobacterial vaccine in persons with HIV infection. Design: Randomized, controlled trial. Methods: A total of 39 HIV-positive patients with prior BCG immunization and CD4 cell counts ⩾ 200 × 106 cells/l were randomized to five doses of inactivated Mycobacterium vaccae (MV) vaccine or control vaccine (CV). Lymphocyte proliferation (LPA) and interferon gamma (IFN-γ) responses to mycobacterial antigens were assayed at baseline, after three and five doses of vaccine and > 1 year later. Parallel studies were conducted in 10 HIV-negative subjects with prior BCG immunization. Results: Among HIV-positive patients, 19 MV recipients had higher LPA and IFN-γ responses to MV sonicate than 20 CV recipients after three and five doses of vaccine and > 1 year later. LPA responses to Mycobacterium tuberculosis whole cell lysate increased over time in both groups consistent with prior BCG immunization and current antiretroviral therapy; after three doses, responses were boosted to higher levels in MV subjects than CV subjects. LPA responses to WCL were also boosted in HIV-negative MV recipients. Immunization was safe and had no adverse effects on HIV viral load or CD4 cell count. Conclusions: In BCG-primed, HIV-positive and HIV-negative subjects, MV induces durable cellular immune responses to a new mycobacterial antigen and boosts pre-existing responses to WCL. MV is a candidate for clinical trials for the prevention of HIV-associated tuberculosis.
ELECTORAL GENDER QUOTAS AND ATTITUDES TOWARD TRADITIONAL LEADERS: A POLICY EXPERIMENT IN LESOTHO

The adoption of electoral gender quotas has increased dramatically in the last 20 years, receiving praise for transforming the composition of political bodies worldwide. Gender quotas, however, have also been criticized as an unsuccessful tool in challenging the de facto power of traditional patriarchal elites. The case of Lesotho provides a randomized policy experiment to test for changes in the influence of traditional leaders after quota adoption at the subnational level. Between 2005 and 2011, Lesotho reserved at random 30 percent of all newly formed single‐member local electoral divisions for only female candidates. Using a unique data set by merging the 2008 Afro‐barometer survey with the reservation status of respondents’ villages, I find that having a quota‐mandated female leader significantly reduces the perceived influence of traditional leaders. Further, I find that this treatment effect holds across different demographic groups, suggesting a widespread policy impact.