Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Purα as a cellular co‐factor of Rev/RRE‐mediated expression of HIV‐1 intron‐containing mRNA

To ensure successful replication, HIV‐1 has developed a Rev‐mediated RNA transport system that promotes the export of unspliced genomic RNA from nuclei to cytoplasm. This process requires the Rev responsive element (RRE) that is positioned in the viral transcript encoding Env protein, as well as in unspliced and singly spliced viral transcripts. We identified Purα, a single‐stranded nucleic acid binding protein as a cellular partner for Rev that augments the appearance of unspliced viral RNAs in the cytoplasm. A decrease in the level of Purα expression by siRNA diminishes the level of Rev‐dependent expression of viral RNA. Through its nucleic acid binding domain, Purα exhibits the ability to interact with the multimerization and RBD domains of Rev. Similar to Rev, Purα associates with RRE and in the presence of Rev forms a complex with slower electrophoretic mobility than those from Rev:RRE and Purα:RRE. The interaction of Purα with RRE occurs in the cytoplasm where enhanced association of Rev with RRE is observed. Our data indicate that the partnership of Purα with Rev is beneficial for Rev‐mediated expression of the HIV‐1 genome. J. Cell. Biochem. 103: 1231–1245, 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The Evaluation and Influence Factor of Beijing's Public Environmental Awareness

The paper presented a comprehensive estimation of public environmental awareness of Beijing and identified the influence factor on environmental awareness by analyzing the survey data.The result shows that the public environmental awareness of Beijing is just in general level, and the demographical character, political status, education level,job and job level, public awareness, the attention degree to health are significant factor on environmental awareness.
Comparison of dosimetric characteristics of Siemens virtual and physical wedges for ONCOR linear accelerator

Dosimetric properties of virtual wedge (VW) and physical wedge (PW) in 6- and 10-MV photon beams from a Siemens ONCOR linear accelerator, including wedge factors, depth doses, dose profiles, peripheral doses, are compared. While there is a great difference in absolute values of wedge factors, VW factors (VWFs) and PW factors (PWFs) have a similar trend as a function of field size. PWFs have stronger depth dependence than VWF due to beam hardening in PW fields. VW dose profiles in the wedge direction, in general, match very well with those of PW, except in the toe area of large wedge angles with large field sizes. Dose profiles in the nonwedge direction show a significant reduction in PW fields due to off-axis beam softening and oblique filtration. PW fields have significantly higher peripheral doses than open and VW fields. VW fields have similar surface doses as the open fields, while PW fields have lower surface doses. Surface doses for both VW and PW increase with field size and slightly with wedge angle. For VW fields with wedge angles 45° and less, the initial gap up to 3 cm is dosimetrically acceptable when compared to dose profiles of PW. VW fields in general use less monitor units than PW fields.
Potential and Current Distributions Calculated Across a Quantum Hall Effect Sample at Low and High Currents

The potential and current distributions are calculated across the width of a quantum Hall effect sample for applied currents between 0 μA and 225 μA. For the first time, both a confining potential and a current-induced charge-redistribution potential are used. The confining potential has a parabolic shape, and the charge-redistribution potential is logarithmic. The solution for the sum of the two types of potentials is unique at each current, with no free parameters. For example, the charge-depletion width of the confining potential is determined from a localization experiment by Choi, Tsui, and Alavi, and the spatial extent of the conducting two-dimensional electron gas across the sample width is obtained from the maximum electric field deduced from a high-current breakdown experiment by Cage and Lavine, and from the quantum Hall voltage. The spatial extent has realistic cut-off values at the sample sides; e.g., no current flows within 55 magnetic lengths of the sides for currents less than 215 μA. The calculated potential distributions are in excellent agreement with contactless electro-optic effect laser beam measurements of Fontein et al.
Assessing a suitable method in estimating Evapotranspiration for crop water requirement

Tamilnadu is a water scared state deficient in both ground water and surface water. Efficient water management techniques are required for maximizing yield of any crop that requires estimating crop water requirement in a reliable manner and realistic manner. Evapotranspiration is an essential component of the hydrological circle and its accurate estimation is necessary for many hydrologic studies. References crop Evapotranspiration (ETo) is independent of crop type and depends on climate and is a basis for computation of water requirements for crops it also plays significant role for the distribution of water on the earth surface and a major determinate variable in water cycle. A way of estimating Evapotranspiration may provide an insight to crop water requirement. The demand of the any crop can be computed by multiplying reference crop Evapotranspiration with crop co-efficient. To date, a lot approach are available for ET estimation, each method has its own advantages and disadvantages. Assessing a suitable methodology is focus of this paper.
Evidence for rapid auditory perception as the foundation of speech processing: a sparse temporal sampling fMRI study

We examined the processing of verbal and nonverbal auditory stimuli using an event‐related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study to reveal the neural underpinnings of rapid temporal information processing and it's relevance during speech perception. In the context of a clustered sparse‐temporal fMRI data collection eight right‐handed native German speakers performed: (i) an auditory gap detection task; and (ii) a CV syllable discrimination task. A tone perception task served as a nontemporal control condition. Here we aimed to research to what extent the left hemisphere preferentially processes linguistically relevant temporal information available in speech and nonspeech stimuli. Furthermore, we sought to find out as to whether a left hemisphere's preference for linguistically relevant temporal information is specifically constrained to verbal utterances or if nonlinguistic temporal information may also activate these areas. We collected haemodynamic responses from three time points of acquisition (TPA) with varying temporal distance from stimulus onset to gain an insight on the time course of auditory processing. Results show exclusively left‐sided activations of primary and secondary auditory cortex associated with the perception of rapid temporal information. Furthermore, the data shows an overlap of activations evoked by nonspeech sounds and speech stimuli within primary and secondary auditory cortex of the left hemisphere. The present data clearly support the assumption of a shared neural network for rapid temporal information processing within the auditory domain for both speech and nonspeech signals situated in left superior temporal areas.
A concept for declarative information acquisition in smart environments

Future smart and intelligent environments are envisioned to be loosely coupled compositions of distributed sensor, actuator, and computation systems, which are able to combine their capabilities, share their information and knowledge, in order to fulfill various tasks autonomously. However, current approaches in these areas do either provide mechanisms for sharing data only or concentrate on the composition of operations/services for predefined problem sets. This thesis, therefore, firstly analyzes the different notions of data, information, and knowledge to be shared among heterogeneous systems. Based on this distinction, a reference model that is used to relate the previously disparate approaches was developed. It has revealed that most of the concepts and attempts for smart and intelligent environments do only tackle small and restricted aspects. In contrast to adding a new system to the current state-of-the-art that also operates on one or more of the identified layers, a concept was developed that integrates these technologies from different layers, which allows to combine and access them freely. It treats such compositions of smart information spaces as distributed database, allowing to query, access, and extract all the required information in the desired formats. The developed concept is based on three intermediate steps. At first, cloud-based techniques are applied to form a virtual overlay database and to define a basic organization. In opposition to other approaches, relevant data and information from different entities is therefore not uploaded to a cloud infrastructure but, instead, a cloud is formed by all entities within the smart environment. As a second step and on the basis of SQL-like queries, relevant data for a certain area or task is identified and translated into a precise 3D rigid-body simulation. This local reconstruction of the environment is applied in the last step as a general representation and local knowledge base, from which further representations and information is abstracted. The type of information or representation is also defined within the mentioned SQL-like query. For this purpose, a new and embedded programming language that combines both an SQL-like syntax with new semantics, and declarative aspects with imperative scripting capabilities has been developed. As a proof of concept, prototypes have been developed for every described step, which can be freely downloaded as open source implementations under BSD-license.
Evolution of Nitrate Reductase: Molecular and Structural Variations on a Common Function

The biological transformation of nitrogen oxyanions is widespread in nature and gives rise to a robust biogeochemical cycle. The first step in nitrate reduction is carried out by the enzyme nitrate reductase (NR). Although NR always catalyzes the same chemical reaction (conversion of nitrate into nitrite), its location in the cell, structure, and function are organism‐dependent. We use protein sequence data to determine phylogenetic relationships and to examine similarities in structure and function. Three distinct clades of NR are apparent: the eukaryotic assimilatory NR (Euk‐NR) clade, the membrane‐associated prokaryotic NR (Nar) clade, and a clade that includes both the periplasmic NR (Nap) and prokaryotic assimilatory NR (Nas). The high degree of sequence similarity and a phylogenetic distribution that follows taxonomic classification suggest a monophyletic origin for the Euk‐NR early on in the evolution of eukaryotic cells. In contrast, sequence conservation, phylogenetic analysis, and physiology suggest that both Nar and Nap were acquired by horizontal gene transfer. Nap and Nas share a lesser degree of similarity, with Nap a subclade of Nas. Nap from strict anaerobic bacteria such as Desulfovibrio desulfuricans is ancestral to facultative species and may provide an evolutionary link between Nap and Nas. We observed conserved binding sites for molybdenum and pterin cofactors in all four proteins. In pathways involving Euk‐NR, Nas, and Nar, for which ammonia is the end product, nitrite is reduced to ammonia by a siroheme nitrite reductase. Nap, however, is coupled to a pentaheme nitrite reductase. In denitrification, whether Nar or Nap is involved, nitrite is reduced to nitric oxide by either a cytochrome cd1 or a copper‐containing nitrite reductase. This complexity underscores the importance of nitrate reduction as a key biological process.
A comparison of methods used to measure the importance of service attributes

In this study, nine methods for measuring indirect importance are compared on the basis of their discriminatory power and stability. To the best knowledge of the authors, the stability of results obtained with different methods is assessed for the first time. The deficiencies of an existing criterion for assessing diagnosticity are pointed out and a modified version suggested. The empirical comparison is based on two real-world datasets from the ecommerce industry. Even though none of the methods appeared to be the best according to both criteria simultaneously, there seem to be grounds for recommending the theoretically sound Shapley value decomposition of R-square if stability and discrimination are about equally important for a decision maker, while negative contributions are undesirable.
Lifestyles and phylogeny explain bird life histories

The evolution of life cycles, or life histories, is one of the most fascinating stories of Darwinian evolution. Natural selection has produced a stunning array of life histories, from tiny, rapidly multiplying bacteria and yeast to the large, long-lived albatrosses that produce only one egg every 2 y (1, 2). Life histories consist of species-specific vital rates: information about growth, reproduction, and survival. These species-specific traits describe the diversity of life and have strong associations with major events in the lives of organisms, such as metamorphosis and the onset of sexual maturity. In addition, such traits describe the fitness differences among individuals that produce evolutionary change, whether by natural selection, genetic drift, or other mechanisms of organic evolution. The genetic principles by which life-history traits translate into evolutionary change are the subject of quantitative genetics, a field that has produced insights into the way in which changes in such “fitness traits” within populations are produced by ecological processes (3, 4). For example, predation can favor a shortened juvenile period, leading to early maturity, increased reproduction, and shorter life span (5).
Battle-Lemarie wavelet pyramid for improved GSM image denoising

Removing noise from a digital image is a challenging problem. Application of Gaussian Scale Mixtures (GSM) in the wavelet domain has been reported to be one of the most effective denoising algorithms, published to date. The performance of this algorithm depends on the chosen wavelet representation. In this paper, we introduce an improved wavelet pyramid representation based on the Battle-Lemarie wavelet which favors the GSM denoising performance. We present the experimental denoising results using the proposed pyramid representation, and they outperform state-of-the-art GSM denoising results reported in the literature.
Liquidity Dynamics between REIT and Property Markets

This paper investigates the relationship between the liquidity of the real estate property market and that of the REIT market from the perspective of liquidity dynamics and transformation. Our results indicate that there is a lead-lag relationship between the liquidity of these two markets. The Granger Causality test shows that property market liquidity leads that of the REIT market. In addition, returns in the property market have a causal effect on the liquidity and returns of the REIT market. We estimate VAR models and compute impulse response functions to examine the dynamics of the cross-market relationships in liquidity and return between the two markets. The impulse responses show that REIT liquidity responds to property market liquidity, especially after the structure change in the REIT industry in the early 1990s. Our results also demonstrate that shocks to macroeconomic variables have significant effects on the liquidity of the two markets. Overall, our study sheds light on the contemporaneous commonality between the liquidity of the unsecuritized property market and that of the securitized REIT market.
Electrical characterization to 4 THz of N‐ and P‐type GaAs using THz time‐domain spectroscopy

Using a high‐performance optoelectronic THz beam system for time‐domain spectroscopy, we have measured the absorption and index of refraction of N‐ and P‐type doped GaAs from low frequencies to 4 THz. From these measurements the complex conductance was obtained over the same frequency range. All of the results were well fit by Drude theory.
Competitive advantage of independent small businesses in Soweto

Small businesses in Soweto face increasing competition from large retail chains located in shopping malls. In order to survive and grow, small business owners need to identify and focus on the competitive advantage they have over competing businesses. The aim of this article is to explore the various sources of a competitive advantage, focusing specifically on differentiation and a unique value package as a market strategy to ensure competitiveness and sustainability for formal independent small businesses in Soweto. In this study, it was found that sustainable businesses (older small businesses with a growing income tendency) tend to perform a competitor analysis regularly. It was further determined that sustainable businesses regard price, shopping hours, personal attention and close relationships as important differentiating elements. They also include product quality, best brands and variety as important elements of their value package. It was found that sustainable small businesses use the elements of their value packages better than stagnating or shrinking businesses. The conclusion can be reached that sustainable formal independent small businesses stay competitive by differentiating themselves on the elements of the unique value package they offer to customers.
The Dynamics of Corporate Financial Distress in Emerging Market Economy: Empirical Evidence from the Indonesian Stock Exchange 2004-2008

This paper empirically examines the dynamics of financial distress among non-financial companies listed on the Indonesian Stock Exchange (IDX) during the period of 2004-2008. Two different events affected the performance of public companies being financial distress. In 2005, there was an oil price shock when the government cut off subsidy for local oil price. Another event in 2007-2008 is the impact of sub-prime mortgage in the USA, where US Dollar repatriation makes global financial crisis included Indonesia. Mostly, financial burden of public companies in Indonesia are cost of money, mainly due to having bank loan and issuing corporate bond. Therefore, the analysis uses Debt Service Coverage (DSC) as a proxy financial distress. DSC becomes one of the most important indicators for commercial bank to see financial condition prior to lending as well as underwriting of bond issuance. This paper would also analyze corporate financial distress by mapping companies in to the steps of process integral financial distress in declining financial performance from good companies, early impairment, deterioration and cashflow problem. Furthermore, mapping will also been done for five different industrial sectors, i.e. agricultural business, mining, manufacture, contruction/properties and services/trade. The results show that oil price shock and sub-prime mortgage crisis have different impacts on the financial performance of the companies listed on the IDX. The impacts seem also varies across different industrial sectors. The evidence indicated that the mining companies are the most affected companies by global financial crisis in 2008, whereas manufacturing companies are the most affected companies by oil price shock in 2005.
Corruption and Co-Movements in European Listed Sport Companies: Did Calciocaos really matter?

This paper analyses whether the Calciocaos, which involved some Italian listed sport companies, impacted on the performance of the Dow Jones Stoxx Football index and if this was spread through shock propagation. The Calciocaos impact is assessed by using a cointegrated vector autoregression model. The results provide evidence of the occurrence of spreading mechanisms of the effects originated by the corruption episode. After this episode Juventus’ stock and Sporting’s stock have particular importance in determining the performance of the Dow Jones Stoxx Football index. The investors/supporters of la Vecchia Signora revealed sentimental behaviour, and did not sell their participations.
Nasal high flow oxygen therapy after extubation: the road is open but don't drive too fast!

Mechanical ventilation (MV) is necessary for many patients admitted in intensive care unit (ICU). In intubated patients, weaning from invasive MV is a major event during their ICU stay (1,2). Delayed extubation increases the risks associated with IMV and extubation failure is associated with prolonged ICU and hospital stays and increased mortality, particularly attributable to nosocomial infection (3-5).
Do citizenship behaviors matter more for managers than for salespeople?

This research was designed to investigate the effects of organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs) and objective sales productivity on sales managers’ evaluations of their sales personnel’s performance and to examine whether the impact of OCBs on performance evaluations is greater at higher levels of the sales organization hierarchy. Two samples were obtained from the same organization: a sample of 987 multiline insurance agents and a sample of 161 agency managers. Objective measures of sales productivity were obtained for both samples along with evaluations of three dimensions of OCBs and an assessment of overall performance. The results indicate that managers’ evaluations are determined at least as much by OCBs as they are by objective measures of performance. After partialing out common method variance, the results also indicate that OCBs account for a greater proportion of a sales manager’s evaluation than of a sales representative’s evaluation. The implications of these findings are discussed.
CONSEQUENCES OF DOMINANCE-MEDIATED HABITAT SEGREGATION IN AMERICAN REDSTARTS DURING THE NONBREEDING SEASON

Abstract Several species of migratory songbirds exhibit a distinct form of habitat segregation while on their Neotropical wintering grounds in which males and females occupy different habitat types. In the American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla), that sexual habitat segregation is a result of behavioral dominance of older males. In that study, we examined whether such dominance behavior and the resulting differential habitat segregation has consequences for the condition or survival of excluded individuals. We quantified the physical condition and survival of redstarts (both males and females) occupying two habitat types that differed in the proportion of males and females present in Jamaica. Both sexes of redstarts occupying female-biased habitat lost significantly more mass over-winter and had lower annual survival and longevity compared to individuals in male-biased habitat. These results suggest that nonbreeding habitats differed in suitability, with the least suitable habitat being occupied predominately by females. Because most female redstarts are forced to over-winter in these kinds of habitats, they may often be in poor physiological condition prior to departing on spring migration for the breeding grounds. This in turn may influence dynamics of the breeding period by determining their condition and perhaps reproductive success. Furthermore, because winter habitat segregation appears to lower female survivorship, it may also limit the number and availability of breeding females. These results implicate events that occur during the nonbreeding period as playing a critical role in the annual dynamics of this migratory species.