Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Empirical Evidence for Son-Killing X Chromosomes and the Operation of SA-Zygotic Drive

Background Diploid organisms have two copies of all genes, but only one is carried by each haploid gamete and diploid offspring. This causes a fundamental genetic conflict over transmission rate between alternative alleles. Single genes, or gene clusters, only rarely code for the complex phenotypes needed to give them a transmission advantage (drive phenotype). However, all genes on a male's X and Y chromosomes co-segregate, allowing different sex-linked genes to code for different parts of the drive phenotype. Correspondingly, the well-characterized phenomenon of male gametic drive, occurring during haploid gametogenesis, is especially common on sex chromosomes. The new theory of sexually antagonistic zygotic drive of the sex chromosomes (SA-zygotic drive) extends the logic of gametic drive into the diploid phase of the lifecycle, whenever there is competition among siblings or harmful sib-sib mating. The X and Y are predicted to gain a transmission advantage by harming offspring of the sex that does not carry them. Results Here we analyzed a mutant X-chromosome in Drosophila simulans that produced an excess of daughters when transmitted from males. We developed a series of tests to differentiate between gametic and SA-zygotic drive, and provide multiple lines of evidence that SA-zygotic drive is responsible for the sex ratio bias. Driving sires produce about 50% more surviving daughters than sons. Conclusion Sex-ratio distortion due to genetic conflict has evolved via gametic drive and maternally transmitted endosymbionts. Our data indicate that sex chromosomes can also drive by harming the non-carrier sex of offspring.
Unsupervised learning dimensionality reduction algorithm PCA for face recognition

Some challenges of developing face recognition system is to train examples of different poses, illuminations, contrast and background conditions. Even though if the system works okay with the tested data set; it fails big time to perform accurately with new data set with different attributes. This manuscript is focusing on the mentioned problem statement by deploying PCA and implementing the concept of splitting the dataset in training, cross-validation, and test set to compute misclassification error. It enables the algorithm to be a better fit to be used for the new training set. Principal component analysis (PCA) popularly known as dimensionality reduction algorithm often referred as black box, which is used widely but poorly understood. The hope with this manuscript is to provide roadmap for a deep understanding the PCA and mathematics of its step by step process to develop the desired recognition system. The interesting part of this manuscript is the selection of database. The source of images were databases of AT&T labs, CVL Face Database, Face 94, Essex database and real times images taken by us with a standard professional camera. The images included in the database are of 10,000 people from various racial origins, it spans evenly over the age group that is from 18 to 60 years old. All the experiments were executed on MATLAB and the results were obtained with fair accuracies which are discussed at the end.
A study of dividend announcements on stock returns of popularly traded companies in india

The popularly traded companies are the most preferred choice of investors for investing in stocks. This is observed if we randomly check the trading frequency of these stocks at stock exchanges. The reactions on daily, monthly, quarterly and yearly basis are the expected outcomes in stock prices when announcements are floated on the trading floor. However, the magnitude of variation may vary with the type of news, company, industry, stock etc. The focus of the present study lies on the financial year 2008-09 for finding out significant change in the abnormal stock returns before and after dividend announcement by sample companies which are listed at NSE India. The study has used event study with constant mean return model to find out impact on daily data. The reactions on abnormal returns for dividend announcements are further empirically investigated with statistical tests.
The effectiveness of neo-liberal labour market policy as a response to the poverty and social exclusion of Aboriginal second-chance learners

This dissertation examines the political economy of labour market policy in Canada and its effectiveness in addressing the social and economic exclusion of Aboriginal people. For many Aboriginal people, the colonial experience has left a legacy of destruction that all too often makes the journey through life extremely complicated. Aboriginal people generally have lower education levels than non-Aboriginal people and they earn lower incomes. The Aboriginal population is growing at a faster rate than the non-Aboriginal population and is on average much younger. In provinces like Manitoba where Aboriginal people make up 15 percent of the overall population, they are an important source of labour. Yet the statistics suggest that there is much to be done to bring Aboriginal people to a state of social and economic inclusion. Low high-school completion rates imply that the primary school system is failing Aboriginal children, leaving many unprepared to enter post secondary education and the labour market. Labour market policies can help address poverty and exclusion. While they can broadly include a set of policies affecting both the supply and demand for labour, this research shows that in a neo-liberal political economy, they have come to be much more limited in scope, focusing almost solely on supply-side solutions. For Aboriginal adults, this has meant support for short-term training programs aimed at preparing them for jobs determined by the market. This creates challenges for individuals who have a host of factors standing in their way. An examination of Manitoba based initiatives shows the implications of the policy environment for Aboriginal second-chance learners. It also shows how some programs have adapted to the neo-liberal environment to better serve their students and leads to some concluding thoughts on what might be done to further improve outcomes for Aboriginal second-chance learners.
Annual 14C Tree-Ring Data Around 400 AD: Mid- and High-Latitude Records

ABSTRACT Two tree-ring series, one from a high-latitude pine tree (located in northern Scandinavia) and one from a mid-latitude oak tree (located in eastern Germany) were analyzed for radiocarbon (14C) at annual resolution. The new records cover the calendar date ranges 290–460 AD and 382–486 AD, respectively, overlapping by 79 yr. The series show similar trends as IntCal13. However, some significant deviations around 400 AD are present with lower Δ14C (higher 14C ages). An average offset between the two new series and IntCal13 of about 20 years in conventional 14C age is observed. A latitudinal 14C offset between the tree sites in central and northern Europe, as would be expected due to the relatively large spatial distance, is not recorded, however. Periodic changes in the 14C records are resolved that can be attributed to the “11-year” solar cycle (Schwabe cycle) with cycle length from 9 to 11 years. The magnitude of changes in Δ14C due to the solar cycle is between 1.5 and 3‰. Since solar cyclicity is only partially synchronous between the two new series, reasons for asynchronicity are explored.
ABI3 controls embryo degreening through Mendel's I locus

Significance Occurrence of mature green seeds in oil-seed crops such as canola and soybean causes severe losses in revenue. Retention of chlorophyll in seeds can be an undesirable trait as it affects seed maturation, seed oil, and meal quality. We show that the abscisic acid (ABA, plant hormone) dependent transcription factor ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE 3 (ABI3), confers seed degreening by regulating Mendel’s stay-green genes. This study unveils a new role for ABI3 in removal of seed chlorophyll in addition to its functions in embryo maturation and conferring desiccation tolerance. This pathway could be manipulated to tackle the cold-induced green seed problem in oil-seed crops. Chlorophyll (chl) is essential for light capture and is the starting point that provides the energy for photosynthesis and thus plant growth. Obviously, for this reason, retention of the green chlorophyll pigment is considered a desirable crop trait. However, the presence of chlorophyll in mature seeds can be an undesirable trait that can affect seed maturation, seed oil quality, and meal quality. Occurrence of mature green seeds in oil crops such as canola and soybean due to unfavorable weather conditions during seed maturity is known to cause severe losses in revenue. One recently identified candidate that controls the chlorophyll degradation machinery is the stay-green gene, SGR1 that was mapped to Mendel’s I locus responsible for cotyledon color (yellow versus green) in peas. A defect in SGR1 leads to leaf stay-green phenotypes in Arabidopsis and rice, but the role of SGR1 in seed degreening and the signaling machinery that converges on SGR1 have remained elusive. To decipher the gene regulatory network that controls degreening in Arabidopsis, we have used an embryo stay-green mutant to demonstrate that embryo degreening is achieved by the SGR family and that this whole process is regulated by the phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) through ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE 3 (ABI3); a B3 domain transcription factor that has a highly conserved and essential role in seed maturation, conferring desiccation tolerance. Misexpression of ABI3 was sufficient to rescue cold-induced green seed phenotype in Arabidopsis. This finding reveals a mechanistic role for ABI3 during seed degreening and thus targeting of this pathway could provide a solution to the green seed problem in various oil-seed crops.
The Analysis of Fraudulent Financial Reporting Determinant through Fraud Pentagon Approach

The purpose of this study was to analyze the prediction of fraudulent financial reporting with the perspective of pentagon fraud. Pentagon fraud theory is the development of the theories of fraud triangle and fraud diamond. The Pentagon fraud theory adds an element of arrogance in addition to the other four existing elements namely pressure, opportunity, rationalization, and competence or capacity. The population in this study were 157 manufacturing companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) period 2013-2015. The samples of 46 companies were obtained by using purposive sampling technique, so the analysis unit was 138. Data was analyzed by using descriptive statistical analysis and logistic regression analysis. The test result showed that financial stability, the quality of external auditor, and the number of CEO’s photos in the annual reports of the companies had a positive effect on the prediction of fraudulent financial reporting, while financial targets, liquidity, institutional ownership, monitoring effectiveness, replacement of external auditors, and changes of corporate directors had no significant effect on the prediction of fraudulent financial reporting. The conclusion of this study indicates that unstable financial condition, the quality of corporate audit and the level of CEO’s arrogance can influence the occurrence of fraudulent financial reporting.
Mining of a phospholipase D and its application in enzymatic preparation of phosphatidylserine

ABSTRACT Phosphatidylserine (PS) is useful as the additive in industries for memory improvement, mood enhancement and drug delivery. Conventionally, PS was extracted from soybeans, vegetable oils, egg yolk, and biomass; however, their low availability and high extraction cost were limiting factors. Phospholipase D (PLD) is a promising tool for enzymatic synthesis of PS due to its transphosphatidylation activity. In this contribution, a new and uncharacterized PLD was first obtained from GenBank database via genome mining strategy. The open reading frame consisted of 1614 bp and potentially encoded a protein of 538-amino-acid with a theoretical molecular mass of 60 kDa. The gene was successfully cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. Its enzymatic properties were experimentally characterized. The temperature and pH optima of PLD were determined to be 60°C and 7.5, respectively. Its hydrolytic activity was improved by addition of Ca2+ at 5 mM as compared with the control. The enzyme displayed suitable transphosphatidylation activity and PS could be synthesized with L-serine and soybean lecithin as substrates under the catalysis of PLD. This PLD enzyme might be a potential candidate for industrial applications in PS production. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on genome mining of PLDs from GenBank database.
Molecular Docking and 3D-Pharmacophore Modeling to Study the Interactions of Chalcone Derivatives with Estrogen Receptor Alpha

Tamoxifen is the most frequently used anti-estrogen adjuvant treatment for estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. However, it is associated with an increased risk of several serious side–effects, such as uterine cancer, stroke, and pulmonary embolism. The 2′,4′-dihydroxy-6-methoxy-3,5-dimethylchalcone (ChalcEA) from plant leaves of Eugenia aquea, has been found to inhibit the proliferation of MCF-7 human breast cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner, with an IC50 of 74.5 μg/mL (250 μM). The aim of this work was to study the molecular interactions of new ChalcEA derivatives formed with the Estrogen Receptor α (ERα) using computer aided drug design approaches. Molecular docking using Autodock 4.2 was employed to explore the modes of binding of ChalcEA derivatives with ERα. The 3D structure-based pharmacophore model was derived using LigandScout 4.1 Advanced to investigate the important chemical interactions of the ERα-tamoxifen complex structure. The binding energy and the tamoxifen-pharmacophore fit score of the best ChalcEA derivative (HNS10) were −12.33 kcal/mol and 67.07 kcal/mol, respectively. The HNS10 interacted with Leu346, Thr347, Leu349, Ala350, Glu353, Leu387, Met388, Leu391, Arg394, Met421, and Leu525. These results suggest that the new ChalcEA derivatives could serve as the lead compound for potent ERα inhibitor in the fight against breast cancer.
Assessment of Forest Cover Change of Dang, an Inner Terai District of Nepal

This study analyzed the dynamics of changes of forest cover classes in the inner Terai District Dang, Nepal, based on Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) images from two different years, viz., 1990 and 2011. Forest cover change analysis was performed through the analysis of a classified Landsat TM image using supervised classification. The overall classification accuracy for seven different land cover classes considered in this study were 80.37% and 80.56% for years 1990 and 2011, respectively. These classified images were further reclassified as forest and non-forest to analyze forest cover dynamics effectively using the post classification change detection. The results indicated that during 1990-2011, the total spatial areal coverage of forest land converted into other land cover was 20612 ha (shrub-land), 8571 ha (agriculture), and 2787 ha (others) non-forest classes. A significant portion of non-forest classes was also converted into forest (e.g., 11433 ha of shrubland, 5663 ha of agriculture, and 5581 ha of other non forest classes). Sand and water bodies remained more or less constant during this period. While forest cover was estimated to be disappearing at the rate of 0.2% per year, dense forest appears to be converting into a sparse forest at the rate of 0.1% per year. Future study to assess the causes and driving forces of forest cover change in Nepal should get guidance from this study on where to target interventions.
Validation of a DNA methylation microarray for 450,000 CpG sites in the human genome

DNA methylation is the most studied epigenetic mark and CpG methylation is central to many biological processes and human diseases. Since cancer has highlighted the contribution to disease of aberrant DNA methylation patterns, such as the presence of promoter CpG island hypermethylation-associated silencing of tumor suppressor genes and global DNA hypomethylation defects, their importance will surely become apparent in other pathologies. However, advances in obtaining comprehensive DNA methylomes are hampered by the high cost and time-consuming aspects of the single nucleotide methods currently available for whole genome DNA methylation analyses. Following the success of the standard CpG methylation microarrays for 1,505 CpG sites and 27,000 CpG sites, we have validated in vivo the newly developed 450,000 (450K) cytosine microarray (Illumina). The 450K microarray includes CpG and CNG sites, CpG islands/shores/shelves/open sea, non-coding RNA (microRNAs and long non-coding RNAs) and sites surrounding the transcription start sites (-200 bp to -1,500 bp, 5'-UTRs and exons 1) for coding genes, but also for the corresponding gene bodies and 3'-UTRs, in addition to intergenic regions derived from GWAS studies. Herein, we demonstrate that the 450K DNA methylation array can consistently and significantly detect CpG methylation changes in the HCT-116 colorectal cancer cell line in comparison with normal colon mucosa or HCT-116 cells with defective DNA methyltransferases (DKO). The provided validation highlights the potential use of the 450K DNA methylation microarray as a useful tool for ongoing and newly designed epigenome projects.
A Trade-off Theory of Ownership and Capital Structure

This paper determines the optimal ownership share held by a unit into a second unit when both face a tax-bankruptcy trade-off. Full ownership is optimal when the first unit has positive debt, because dividends help avoid its default. Positive debt is, in turn, optimal when its corporate tax rate exceeds a threshold, and/or thin capitalization rules place an upper limit on the debt level in the second unit, and/or the Volcker Rule bans bailout transfers to the second unit. Full ownership is no longer optimal only if there is a tax on intercorporate dividend. This theory rationalizes observations on multinationals, financial conglomerates, and family groups.
Study of MET protein levels and MET gene copy number in 72 sinonasal intestinal‐type adenocarcinomas

Sinonasal intestinal‐type adenocarcinomas (ITACs) have a poor prognosis, and are defined on the basis of their morphological similarities to colorectal adenocarcinomas. MET signaling pathway is involved in oncogenesis in various cancers. Nothing is currently known about the role of MET in ITACs.
Could neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio be an indicator of coronary artery disease, coronary artery ectasia and coronary slow flow?

Objective To determine whether neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) differed between patients with isolated coronary artery disease (CAD), isolated coronary artery ectasia (CAE), coronary slow flow and normal coronary anatomy. Methods Patients who underwent coronary angiography were consecutively enrolled into one of four groups: CAD, coronary slow flow, CAE and normal coronary anatomy. Results The CAD (n = 40), coronary slow flow (n = 40), and CAE (n = 40) groups had similar NLRs (2.51 ± 0.7, 2.40 ± 0.8, 2.6 ± 0.6, respectively) that were significantly higher than patients with normal coronary anatomy (n = 40; NLR, 1.73 ± 0.7). Receiver operating characteristics demonstrated that with NLR > 2.12, specificity in predicting isolated CAD was 85% and sensitivity was 75%, with NLR > 2.22 specificity in predicting isolated CAE was 86% and sensitivity was 75%. With NLR > 1.92, specificity in predicting coronary slow flow was 89% and sensitivity was 75%. Multivariate logistic regression analyses identified NLR as an independent predictor of isolated CAE (β = −0.499, 95% CI −0.502, −0.178; P < 0.001), CAD (β = −0.426, 95% CI −1.321, −0.408; P < 0.001), and coronary slow flow (β = −0.430, 95% CI −0.811, −0.240; P = 0.001 Table 2). Conclusions NLR was higher in patients with CAD, coronary slow flow and CAE versus normal coronary anatomy. NLR may be an indicator of CAD, CAE and coronary slow flow.
Intratympanic gentamicin in Menière's disease: The impact on tinnitus: Gentamicina intratimpánica en la enfermedad de Meniére: Su efecto en el acúfeno

Intratympanic administration of gentamicin for the treatment of intractable Menière's disease can achieve relief of vertigo. However, the effect of gentamicin on tinnitus has been less well identified, and conflicting results have been reported. Intratympanic gentamicin therapy was given to 25 patients with Menière's disease for the control of vertigo, and the effect of the therapy on tinnitus was evaluated by a 10-point scale and a modified tinnitus questionnaire. It was found that the tinnitus decreased in four patients (16%) and disappeared in three patients (12%) at follow-up. The effect of gentamicin on tinnitus presented intersubject variability, and no correlation was found between the amount of gentamicin injected and its effect on tinnitus. Sumario La administración intratimpánica de gentamicina para el tratamiento de Meniere rebelde a tratamiento puede aliviar el vértigo. Sin embargo, no se ha identificado correctamente su efecto sobre el acúfeno y hay resultados contradictorios. Se administró gentamicina intratimpánica a 25 pacientes con enfermedad de Meniére para el control del vértigo y se evaluó el efecto de esta terapia sobre el acúfeno, por medio de una escala de 10 puntos y un cuestionario de acúfeno modificado. En el seguimiento clínico, se encontró que en 4 pacientes (16%) el acúfeno disminuyó y en tres (12%) desapareció. El efecto de la gentamicina sobre el acúfeno presentó variabilidad entre sujetos y no se encontró correlación entre la cantidad de gentamicina inyectada y su efecto sobre el acúfeno.
Design, fabrication and evaluation of bio-digester for generating bio-gas and bio-fertiliser for Auchi polytechnic demonstration farm

A 4000 L bio-digester was designed and fabricated using 5 mm mild steel plate with the main purpose of generating biogas and bio-fertiliser for Auchi Polytechnic Demonstration Farm. To achieve this, a varying ratio of 1.155 m3: 2.310 m3 mixtures of cow dung and water were anaerobically digested in the batch digester. The experiment lasted for 33 days during which the quantity of gas generated were evaluated. The volume of daily methane gas production ranged from 0 to 1.2 m3. The total volume of gas generated from the digestion was 21.68 m3 and comprised of 58% CH4, 25% CO2, 15% H2S and 2% other impurities. The results of physiochemical properties of the feedstock revealed a progressive increase of 6.0-6.2 in pH value from Day 4 after which it dropped sharply in value to 5.5 on the second week of fermentation. The minimum and maximum ambient temperatures of 24 and 30°C were observed while the slurry temperatures varied from 27 to 35°C. The average pressure built up of the digester was about 214,000 N/m2. The results further showed that biogas production is sensitive to pH and cannot produce optimally below the pH of 6.5. To achieve optimum biogas generation, a temperature range within mesophilic condition of 25 to 40°C and pH values of 7 should be maintained. Key words: Biogas, mesophilic temperature, retention period, anaerobic digestion, digester.