Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Amino Acid Mutagenesis of the Ligand Binding Site and the Dimer Interface of the Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor 1

Previously, we determined the crystal structures of the dimeric ligand binding region of the metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 1. Each protomer binds l-glutamate within the crevice between the LB1 and LB2 domains. We proposed that the two different conformations of the dimer interface between the two LB1 domains define the activated and resting states of the receptor protein. In this study, the residues in the ligand-binding site and the dimer interface were mutated, and the effects were analyzed in the full-length and truncated soluble receptor forms. The variations in the ligand binding activities of the purified truncated receptors are comparable with those of the full-length form. The mutated full-length receptors were also analyzed by inositol phosphate production and Ca2+ response. The magnitude of the ligand binding capacities and the amplitude of the intracellular signaling were almost correlated. Alanine substitutions of four residues, Thr188, Asp208, Tyr236, and Asp318, which interact with the α-amino group of glutamate in the crystal, abolished their responses both to glutamate and quisqualate. The mutations of the Tyr74, Arg78, and Gly293 residues, which interact with the γ-carboxyl group of glutamate, lost their responsiveness to glutamate but not to quisqualate. Furthermore, a mutant receptor containing alanine instead of isoleucine at position 120 located within an α helix constituting the dimer interface showed no intracellular response to ligand stimulation. The results demonstrate the crucial role of the dimer interface in receptor activation.
Improving tuple reconstruction for tiered column stores: a workload-aware ansatz based on table reordering

Improving memory consumption of main memory-resident databases by evicting infrequently accessed data to secondary storage layers can significantly reduce the TCO. But traditional approaches for data eviction such as paged-based LRU algorithms are unsuitable for OLxP systems with their scan-dominated workloads. In this paper, we present a data tiering ansatz for columnar in-memory databases that is workload-aware and retains full performance for analytical queries. To make our tiering ansatz also applicable for transactional workloads, we will focus on the topic of table reordering to improve tuple reconstruction, which is one of the the main bottlenecks for tiered columnar databases. We evaluate our approach using data and workload of a production SAP ERP enterprise system of a Global 2000 company.
Hay Supply in The U.S. Midwest

The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) mandates in the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007 require that 36 billion gallons of renewable biofuels be produced in 2022, of which 16 billion gallons are to be from cellulosic feedstocks. This study examined supply of " other hay " (hay excluding alfalfa), based on the assumption that "other hay" is similar to grass species that might be grown as cellulosic feedstock. We have attempted to estimate the factors affecting the acreage of "other hay" in the context of a system of equations explaining allocations among all crops. For each of the three basic models (acreage allocation equations, acreage share equations and revenue share equations), we have estimated with seemingly unrelated regression (SUR) and three-stage least squares (3SLS). Empirical analysis reveals that production of hay in Upper Midwestern U.S. has not been significantly and consistently affected by prices.
Type 1 insulin-like growth factor receptor monoclonal antibody (HX-1162) treatment for liver cancer

One of the most important molecules mediating the proliferation, growth, and metastasis of cancer cells is insulin-like growth factor (IGF), with its receptor IGF-1R. Here, we describe the potential of an IGF-1R monoclonal antibody, HX-1162, on liver cancer apoptosis in vitro and in vivo. We found that HX-1162 could induce the apoptosis of cultured liver cancer cells. Additionally, HX-1162 treatment inhibited the tumor growth after cancer cell grafting and enhanced the cell apoptosis inside the tumor tissue. We conclude that IGF-1R targeting therapy provides a new avenue toward treating liver cancer.
Inclusive B-Meson Hadroproduction in the General-Mass Variable-Flavor-Number Scheme

We calculate the cross section for the inclusive hadroproduction of B mesons as a function of transverse momentum pT at next-to-leading order (NLO) in the generalmass variable-flavor-number scheme using realistic non-perturbative fragmentation functions that are obtained through a global fit to e+e− data from CERN LEP1 and SLAC SLC exploiting their universality and scaling violations. We find good agreement with recent pp̄ data taken by the CDF Collaboration in run II at the Fermilab Tevatron. We also present comparisons with NLO results obtained in two other schemes. PACS: 12.38. Bx, 13.85. Ni, 13.87. Fh, 14.40. Nd
The value of formal planning for strategic decisions: Review of empirical research

A review of research from organizational behaviour supported the guidelines by corporate planners: that is, use an explicit approach for setting objectives, generating strategies, evaluating strategies, monitoring results, and obtaining commitment. To determine whether these findings could be applied to strategic decision making in organizations, a review was made of all published field research on the evaluation of formal planning. Formal planning was superior in 10 of the 15 comparisons drawn from 12 studies, while informal planning was superior in only two comparisons. Although this research did not provide sufficient information on the use of various aspects of the planning process, mild support was provided for having participation by stakeholders. Formal planning tended to be more useful where large changes were involved, but, beyond that, little information was available to suggest when formal planning is most valuable. Future research should assess the formal planning process, the situation in which it is used, and its effects on the total system.
Loan Prospecting

We offer a theoretical framework to analyze corporate lending when loan officers must be incentivized to prospect for loans and to transmit the soft information they obtain in that process. We explore how this multi-task agency problem shapes loan officers' compensation, banks' use of soft information in credit approval, and their lending standards. When competition intensifies, prospecting for loans becomes more important and banks' internal agency problem worsens. In response to more competition, banks lower lending standards, may choose to disregard soft and use only hard information in their credit approval, and in that case reduce loan officers to salespeople with steep, volume-based compensation. Our model generates "excessive lending" as banks' optimal response to an internal agency problem.
Current controversies in prenatal diagnosis 4: Should fetal surgery be done in all cases of severe diaphragmatic hernia?

J. A. Deprest1, J. A. Hyett2*, A. W. Flake3, K. Nicolaides1 and E. Gratacos1 1Fetal Medicine Unit, University Hospital, Leuven, Belgium, on behalf of the FETO—Task Force (Fetal Medicine Units of University Hospitals Leuven, Belgium, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain, and King’s College Hospital, London, UK) 2Department of High Risk Obstetrics, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia 3Department of Surgery, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, USA
Active-treatment effects of the Forsus fatigue resistant device during comprehensive Class II correction in growing patients

Objective To evaluate the active-treatment effects of the Forsus fatigue resistant device (Forsus) during comprehensive correction of Class II malocclusion in growing patients. Methods Fifty-four patients (mean age, 12.5 ± 1.2 years) with Class II division 1 malocclusion were consecutively treated with fixed app-liances in combination with Forsus. Lateral cephalograms were analyzed at the beginning of the fixed treatment (T1), Forsus insertion (T2), its removal (T3), and end of the comprehensive therapy (T4). Statistical comparisons were carried out by repeated-measures ANOVA with Tukey's post-hoc test (p < 0.05). Results The overall therapeutic effects were mainly dentoalveolar and occurred mostly during the active treatment with Forsus (T2-T3, mean duration = 0.5 ± 0.1 years). The overjet and overbite decreased significantly (-3.5 and -1.5 mm, respectively) and the molar relationship improved by 4.3 mm. These changes were associated with significant retroclination of the maxillary incisors (-3.1°), proclination and intrusion of the mandibular incisors (+5.0° and -1.5 mm, respectively), and mesialization of the mandibular molars (+2.0 mm). Conclusions Forsus had mainly dentoalveolar effects and contributed largely to the overall therapeutic outcome.
COMMON CELL SURFACE ANTIGEN ASSOCIATED WITH MAMMALIAN C-TYPE RNA VIRUSES

The indirect membrane immunofluorescence test and the absorption analysis of rabbit anti-FeLV, rabbit anti-FeLVp 30, and rabbit anti-MuLVp 30 antisera yielded the following conclusions. An antigen shared by mammalian (murine and feline) C-type RNA leukemia and sarcoma viruses was detected on the surface of cells infected or transformed by C-type viruses. The antigen was characterized as membrane-bound gs antigen bearing two determinants, membrane-bound gs-1, intraspecies-specific antigenic determinant, and membrane-bound gs-3, interspecies-specific antigenic determinant. Membrane-bound gs antigen was located on the cell surface, frequently near the site of virus budding but not on the envelope of murine C-type RNA virus.
A Framework for Block Placement, Migration, and Fast Searching in Tiled-DNUCA Architecture

Multicore processors have proliferated several domains ranging from small-scale embedded systems to large data centers, making tiled CMPs (TCMPs) the essential next-generation scalable architecture. NUCA architectures help in managing the capacity and access time for such larger cache designs. It divides the last-level cache (LLC) into multiple banks connected through an on-chip network. Static NUCA (SNUCA) has a fixed address mapping policy, whereas dynamic NUCA (DNUCA) allows blocks to relocate nearer to the processing cores at runtime. To allow this, DNUCA divides the banks into multiple banksets and a block can be placed in any bank within a particular bankset. The entire bankset may need to be searched to access a block. Optimal bankset searching mechanisms are essential for getting the benefits from DNUCA. This article proposes a DNUCA-based TCMP architecture called TLD-NUCA. It reduces the LLC access time of TCMP and also allows a heavily loaded bank to distribute its load among the underused banks. Instead of other DNUCA designs, TLD-NUCA considers larger banksets. Such relaxations result in more uniform load distribution than existing DNUCA-based TCMP (T-DNUCA). Considering larger banksets improves the utilization factor, but T-DNUCA cannot implement it because of its expensive searching mechanism. TLD-NUCA uses a centralized directory, called TLD, to search a block from all the banks. Also, the proposed block placement policy reduces the instances when the central TLD needs to be contacted. It does not require the expensive simultaneous search as needed by T-DNUCA. Better cache utilization and a reduction in LLC access time improve the miss rate as well as the average memory access time (AMAT). Improving the miss rate and AMAT results in improvements in cycles per instructions (CPI). Experimental analysis found that TLD-NUCA improves performance by 6.5% as compared to T-DNUCA. The improvement is 13% as compared to the SNUCA-based TCMP design.
Constitutive Activation of an Anthocyanin Regulatory Gene PcMYB10.6 Is Related to Red Coloration in Purple-Foliage Plum

Cherry plum is a popular ornamental tree worldwide and most cultivars are selected for purple foliage. Here, we report the investigation of molecular mechanism underlying red pigmentation in purple-leaf plum ‘Ziyeli’ (Prunus cerasifera Ehrhar f. atropurpurea (Jacq.) Rehd. ), which shows red color pigmentation in fruit (flesh and skin) and foliage. Six anthocyanin-activating MYB genes, designated PcMYB10.1 to PcMYB10.6, were isolated based on RNA-Seq data from leaves of cv. Ziyeli. Of these PcMYB10 genes, five (PcMYB10.1 through PcMYB10.5) show distinct spatial and temporal expression patterns, while the PcMYB10.6 gene is highly expressed in all the purple-coloured organs of cv. Ziyeli. Constitutive activation of PcMYB10.6 is closely related to red pigmentation in the leaf, fruit (flesh and skin), and sepal. However, the PcMYB10.6 activation cannot induce red pigmentation in the petal of cv. Ziyeli during late stages of flower development due to due to a lack of expression of PcUFGT. The inhibition of red pigmentation in the petal of cherry plum could be attributed to the high-level expression of PcANR that directs anthocyanidin flux to proanthocyanidin biosynthesis. In addition, PcMYB10.2 is highly expressed in fruit and sepal, but its expression cannot induce red pigmentation. This suggests the PcMYB10 gene family in cherry plum may have diverged in function and PcMYB10.2 plays little role in the regulation of red pigmentation. Our study provides for the first time an example of constitutive activation of an anthocyanin-activating MYB gene in Prunus although its underlying mechanism remains unclear.
Increased Risk of Sudden Cardiac Arrest in Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Case-Control Study

Background We aimed to determine whether (1) patients with obstructive pulmonary disease (OPD) have an increased risk of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) due to ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation (VT/VF), and (2) the SCA risk is mediated by cardiovascular risk-profile and/or respiratory drug use. Methods A community-based case-control study was performed, with 1310 cases of SCA of the ARREST study and 5793 age, sex and SCA-date matched non-SCA controls from the PHARMO database. Only incident SCA cases, age older than 40 years, that resulted from unequivocal cardiac causes with electrocardiographic documentation of VT/VF were included. Conditional logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between SCA and OPD. Pre-specified subgroup analyses were performed regarding age, sex, cardiovascular risk-profile, disease severity, and current use of respiratory drugs. Results A higher risk of SCA was observed in patients with OPD (n = 190 cases [15%], 622 controls [11%]) than in those without OPD (OR adjusted for cardiovascular risk-profile 1.4 [1.2–1.6]). In OPD patients with a high cardiovascular risk-profile (OR 3.5 [2.7–4.4]) a higher risk of SCA was observed than in those with a low cardiovascular risk-profile (OR 1.3 [0.9–1.9]) The observed SCA risk was highest among OPD patients who received short-acting β2-adrenoreceptor agonists (SABA) or anticholinergics (AC) at the time of SCA (SABA OR: 3.9 [1.7–8.8], AC OR: 2.7 [1.5–4.8] compared to those without OPD). Conclusions OPD is associated with an increased observed risk of SCA. The most increased risk was observed in patients with a high cardiovascular risk-profile, and in those who received SABA and, possibly, those who received AC at the time of SCA.
Can Preterm Labour Be Predicted in Low Risk Pregnancies? Role of Clinical, Sonographic, and Biochemical Markers

Background and Objectives. This is a prospective nested cohort study conducted over a period of 3 years. 2644 women were recruited, out of which final analysis was done for 1884 women. Methods. Cervicovaginal and blood samples were collected for all recruited women. Out of these, 137 women who delivered before 35 weeks were treated as cases and equal number of matched controls were chosen. Analysis of samples for serum G-CSF, AFP, ferritin, and cervicovaginal interleukin-6 and IGFBP-1 was done. Results. Poor orodental hygiene, which can be a social marker, was significantly more common in women who delivered preterm (P = 0.008). Serum alkaline phosphatase and serum ferritin were found to be significantly associated with preterm deliveries. The 90th percentile value of these parameters was considered as cut-off as there is no specific cut-off. Conclusions. Our study did not prove usefulness of any predictive marker. Serum ferritin and alkaline phosphatase were found to have correlation but their values are affected in many conditions and need to be elucidated with caution. Larger studies are needed for predicting preterm labour in asymptomatic women.
THE VLA-COSMOS PERSPECTIVE ON THE INFRARED–RADIO RELATION. I. NEW CONSTRAINTS ON SELECTION BIASES AND THE NON-EVOLUTION OF THE INFRARED/RADIO PROPERTIES OF STAR-FORMING AND ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEUS GALAXIES AT INTERMEDIATE AND HIGH REDSHIFT

VLA 1.4 GHz (σ∼ 0.012 mJy) and MIPS 24 and 70 μm (σ∼ 0.02 and 1.7 mJy, respectively) observations covering the 2 deg2 COSMOS field are combined with an extensive multiwavelength data set to study the evolution of the infrared (IR)–radio relation at intermediate and high redshift. With ∼4500 sources—of which ∼30% have spectroscopic redshifts—the current sample is significantly larger than previous ones used for the same purpose. Both monochromatic IR/radio flux ratios (q24 and q70), as well as the ratio of the total IR and the 1.4 GHz luminosity (qTIR), are used as indicators for the IR/radio properties of star-forming galaxies and active galactic nuclei (AGNs). Using a sample jointly selected at IR and radio wavelengths in order to reduce selection biases, we provide firm support for previous findings that the IR–radio relation remains unchanged out to at least z∼ 1.4. Moreover, based on data from ∼150 objects we also find that the local relation likely still holds at z∈ [2.5, 5]. At redshift z< 1.4, we observe that radio-quiet AGNs populate the locus of the IR–radio relation in similar numbers as star-forming sources. In our analysis, we employ the methods of survival analysis in order to ensure a statistically sound treatment of flux limits arising from non-detections. We determine the observed shift in average IR/radio properties of IR- and radio-selected populations and show that it can reconcile apparently discrepant measurements presented in the literature. Finally, we also investigate variations of the IR/radio ratio with IR and radio luminosity and find that it hardly varies with IR luminosity but is a decreasing function of radio luminosity.
Forest Management Expenses of Mississippi's Nonindustrial Private Forest Landowners

Detailed information about the forest management expenditures incurred by nonindustrial private forest (NIPF) landowners over time provides a wealth of information about costs associated with forestland ownership, management practices implemented hv NIPF landowners, and changes in manage- ment intensity over time. A survey of Mississippi's nonindustrial private forest (NIPF) landowners owning 20 ac or more of forestland was conducted to determine their annual expenditures on forest management practices for the period 1995 1997. landowners were asked how much they spent on property taxes, professional services, timber management activities, and other management activities. The resulting expenditures data were summarized in three ways: frequency of occurrence, mean expenditures per-acre- owned jor all respondents, and mean expenditures per-acre-owned for those respondents engaged in each activity. With the exception of property taxes, most expenditures occur infrequently. Fewer than 15% of all respondents incurred expenditures for any specific activity during any survey year. Total annual expendi- tures for all respondents averaged $9.6S/ac-owned over the study period. Across all landowners, property taxes represented the largest component of annual expenditures with planting costs and consulting forester fees ranking second and third. Mean expenditures for only those respondents engaged in each activity told a slightly different tale. Planting and consulting forester fees were the two largest expenditures, but site preparation, timber cruising, timber marking, and surveyor fees were all greater than property taxes for those engaged in these activities. South. J. Appl. For. 26(2):93-98.
Bonus Rigidity and Future Performance: Theory and Evidence

Drawing on the extensive economics literature on wage rigidity, we examine CEO bonus rigidity and, in particular, the implications of downward bonus rigidity for future performance. We first document distributional support for downward rigidity in bonus payments. More importantly, we find that bonus cuts have distinct negative implications for future firm performance. Indeed, our evidence indicates that bonus rigidity is the primary driver of the positive relation between unexpected cash compensation and future performance documented by Hayes and Schaefer (2000). Our evidence is also broadly consistent with morale theories of pay rigidity (Bewley, 1995, 2002; Yellen, 1984) which posit that employers avoid reducing nominal wages due to the adverse impact that such cuts have on employee morale. This relation in turn suggests that morale consequences are an important factor in management compensation committee decisions to shield pay from adverse performance outcomes such as losses (Dechow et al., 1994; Gaver and Gaver, 1998).
Collective Memory as Social Representations

The present paper illuminates collective memory as social representations in the context of intractable conflict. First it elaborates on the nature of collective memory as social representations, indicating that all the nations and ethnic groups need to have a narrative that tells the story about the group's past. These social representations tell a story that is functional and relevant to the society's present existence and future aspirations, as well as providing a meaning to social identity. Of special interest is the focus on the role of collective memory in societies involved in intractable conflict, because these social representations are determinative in maintaining and feeding the conflict and often function as a potent obstacle to conflict resolution and peace making process in general. The paper elaborates on the contents and functions of these social representations. Finally it describes the struggle between the social representations of collective memory between the two rivals in intractable conflict which often entertain contradictory and selective historical collective memories of the same past.
The SMM Rootkit Revisited: Fun with USB

System Management Mode (SMM) in x86 has enabled a new class of malware with incredible power to control physical hardware that is virtually impossible to detect by the host operating system. Previous SMM root kits have only scratched the surface by modifying kernel data structures and trapping on I/O registers to implement PS/2 key loggers. In this paper, we present new SMM-based malware that hijacks Universal Serial Bus (USB) host controllers to intercept USB events. This enables SMM root kits to control USB devices directly without ever permitting the OS kernel to receive USB-related hardware interrupts. Using this approach, we created a proof-of-concept USB key logger that is also more difficult to detect than prior SMM-based key loggers that are triggered on OS actions like port I/O. We also propose additional extensions to this technique and methods to prevent and mitigate such attacks.