Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
ZmPIN 1 a and ZmPIN 1 b Encode Two Novel Putative Candidates for Polar Auxin Transport and Plant Architecture Determination of Maize 1 [ W ]

Shoot apical meristems produce organs in a highly stereotypic pattern that involves auxin. Auxin is supposed to be actively transported from cell to cell by influx (AUXIN/LIKE AUXIN proteins) and efflux (PIN-FORMED proteins) membrane carriers. Current hypotheses propose that, at the meristem surface, PIN proteins create patterns of auxin gradients that, in turn, create patterns of gene expression and morphogenesis. These hypotheses are entirely based on work in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). To verify whether these models also apply to other species, we studied the behavior of PIN proteins during maize (Zea mays) development. We identified two novel putative orthologs of AtPIN1 in maize and analyzed their expression pattern during development. The expression studies were complemented by immunolocalization studies using an anti-AtPIN1 antibody. Interestingly, the maize proteins visualized by this antibody are almost exclusively localized in subepidermal meristematic layers. Both tassel and ear were characterized by a compact group of cells, just below the surface, carrying PIN. In contrast to or to complement what was shown in Arabidopsis, these results point to the importance of internally localized cells in the patterning process. We chose the barren inflorescence2 (bif2) maize mutant to study the role of auxin polar fluxes in inflorescence development. In severe alleles of bif2, the tassel and the ear present altered ZmPIN1a and ZmPIN1b protein expression and localization patterns. In particular, the compact groups of cells in the tassel and ear of the mutant were missing. We conclude that BIF2 is important for PIN organization and could play a role in the establishment of polar auxin fluxes in maize inflorescence, indirectly modulating the process of axillary meristem formation and development.
The Ecology of Serpentine Soils

The North Bay counties (Napa, Lake, Marin, and Sonoma) of central California have afforded an ideal locale for study of the vegetational discontinuities associated with serpentine outcrops. Here, large areas of serpentine rocks are exposed; and one is impressed at once by the sharp contrasts among vegetation types. Walker (1954) has described in detail the distinct differences in vegetation that exist between the two soil phases of this mosaic of serpentine and non-serpentine formations. The gross differences in aspect between the two types of vegetation are particularized when a tabulation of species is made. The vegetation of non-serpentine areas consist mostly of species common to similar sites throughout central California whereas serpentine outcrops support a flora rich in endemic species. Such sclerophvllous shrubs as Qierciis (ll rata Jeps., Coaiioth its jepsoiti Greene, Garrya congdonli Eastwlood, and even the small tree, Citprcsszfs sargenc[ii Jeps., are unmistakable "indicator" species because of their typical restriction to and numerical dominance on serpentine soils. Although not endemic to serpentine, Adenostoniav, fasciculatimi H. & A. and Photinia arbutifolia Lindl. are likewise characteristic dominants in this vegetation pattern. It is not these dominant woody species, however, which have made these serpentine areas celebrated as a source of rare and endemic plants. The transient spring flora of these dry serpentine hills still continues to be a source of "new or otherwise noteworthy" additions to the California flora. The list of diminutive annuals and herbaceous perennials that merit the serpentine endemic status is increased every year. From all accounts (Morrison 1938, 1941, Stebbins 1942, Mason 1946, Hoffman 1952), genera of the annual lifeform are by far the richest source of variation throughout the serpentine mosaic of central California. One of the genera most characteristic of the serpentine areas is StrePtanthus, which will serve as an example of some of the genetic problems of serpentine endemism. The distributional responses of different plant species to serpentine soils raise three groups of problems: (1) Why are so many species excluded from serpentine soils ? , (2) Why are other species, which occur with them off serpentine, able to grow successfully on serpentine ? , (3) Why is a third group of species restricted to serpentine soils? In this paper these three questions will be examined further, seeking genetic and ecologic, as well as edaphic, answers.
Characterization of the T-cell receptor repertoire by deep T cell receptor sequencing in tissues from patients with prostate cancer

Prostate cancer (PC) is the most prevalent urological cancer in men. T cells serve a central role in the cancer's immunological microenvironment. In the present study, we applied multiplex PCR and Illumina next-generation sequencing to study the clonal diversity of the T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire in cancer tissues and paracancer tissues from patients with PC. It was found that the TCR repertoire in the PC samples had a notably more skewed clonotype composition, with a greater number of highly expanded clones (HECs) compared with the prostate paracancer samples. The amino acid sequences ATSRVAGETQY (1.008 vs. 0.002%), ATSRTGRWETQY (3.985 vs. 0.007%), ATSDSSDYEQY (12.464 vs. 0.027%), ATSDFRGQPQETQY (2.205 vs. 0.06%), ASSQQDEAF (1.109 vs. 0.002%) and ARPTRTEETQY (1.263 vs. 0.002%) were found to vary markedly between cancer and paracancer tissues, respectively. In conclusion, the present study identified PC-specific HECs, which are critical to improving understanding of the TCR repertoire in PC. This may accelerate the screening process for potential new autoantigens and provide information for generating more effective T cell-targeted diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.
Numerical Simulation of Peristaltic Urine Flow in a Stented Ureter

The capacity of ureteral stents to enhance the conveyance of urine from kidney to bladder is the critical function for patients that require them. The flow path in and around the stent is not a trivial one, particularly if some elements of peristalsis are present in the ureter. This paper details a numerical flow simulation for an axially symmetric stented ureter segment. The flow of urine through a stented, elastically-modeled ureter was considered under varying pressure gradients, bore (lumen) obstructions, and peristaltic deflections (waves). Peristaltic waves are combined with the pressure gradient developed between the kidney and bladder to provide a more accurate representation of the complex flow mechanics found within the ureter. Although it is recognized that peristalsis ceases or diminishes greatly after prolonged presence of a stent, in the time frame that it is active, detrimental consequences like reflux may occur. Several relationships from varying control parameters are determined to predict the onset of reflux as flow conditions within the ureter change. It was determined that occurrence of reflux is more likely as the peristaltic deflection or the obstruction of the stent bore increases. The threat of reflux is low if the pressure gradient between the kidney and bladder remains large. These simulations provide insight into the fluid behaviour within a stented ureter that could lead to optimized stent designs and reduce the possibility of reflux, infection, and discomfort.
Traditional Birth Attendants in Rural Northern Uganda: Policy, Practice, and Ethics

The current emphasis on skilled attendants as a means to reduce maternal mortality contributes to a discouraging policy environment for traditional birth attendants (TBAs). They continue to attend a significant number of births, however, such that their role and the policies and practices affecting their work remain important to understanding maternity health care and maternal health in the global South. In this article, I examine the policies and practices governing community elders practicing as TBAs in rural northern Uganda. This discussion is relevant to health workers in developing countries and to scholars in fields such as women's studies, sociology, and public health.
First Outbreak of a Plasmid-Mediated Carbapenem-Hydrolyzing OXA-48 β-Lactamase in Klebsiella pneumoniae in Spain

ABSTRACT Twenty Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates producing OXA-48 were collected from April 2009 to September 2010. Strains were clonally related and coproduced a CTX-M-15 β-lactamase. A conjugative plasmid of circa 70 kb carrying blaOXA-48 was identified. Eleven isolates showed low-level resistance to carbapenems, whereas nine showed high-level resistance. Decreased expression of OmpK36 was related to high-level resistance to carbapenems. The isolates belonged to sequence type 101 (ST101). This is the first outbreak caused by an OXA-48-producing K. pneumoniae strain in Spain.
Factors related to breastfeeding duration.

The purpose of this study was to discover factors related to breastfeeding duration. Of the 131 women who volunteered to complete questionnaires at one, three and six months postpartum, 46 provided baseline data, and 37 and 48 (randomly assigned) constituted low and high intervention groups respectively. Comparisons were made between breastfeeding and bottle feeding. Factors shown at three and six months to be related to duration of breastfeeding at the p < . 05 level were: identified high risk factors in labor and delivery, admission of the infant to the intensive care nursery, and length of mother's and/or infant's hospitalization. The three months' data also showed a significant relationship between spontaneous births and `breastfeeding only'. No positive relationship was found between breastfeeding duration and support from nursing staff. The results suggest that when mothers and infants experience intrapartum high risk factors, delivery by cesarean section and long hospital stay, the mothers are likely to stop breastfeeding early.
TEACHING ENGLISH READING STRATEGIES ON THE INTERNET FOR GRADUATE NURSING STUDENTS

The purposes of this research were: (1) to study English reading strategies used by graduate nursing students at Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University, and (2) to find the satisfaction of graduate nursing students towards learning English reading strategies on the Internet. The sample consisted of 49 graduate nursing students who enrolled for their thesis or independent study. Two research instruments were employed: Webcast was used as an experimental tool for teaching English reading strategies on the Internet, and questionnaires were used for collecting data. The latter comprised two parts: frequency of using English reading strategies and the satisfaction of graduate nursing students towards learning English reading strategies on the Internet. These two forms were verified by three experts, and the researchers improved these forms according to the suggestions of those experts. The Cronbach’s alpha reliability coefficients of those forms were . 97 and . 88 respectively. The quantitative data was statistically analyzed using frequency and percentage, whereas, qualitative data (data from openended questions) was analyzed by grouping contents. The findings were as follows: (1) Students use both direct and indirect strategies for their reading; and (2) Students consider this learning method as efficient and effective for their level. They were satisfied in terms of content and presentation. Teaching English Reading Strategies on the Internet were beneficial for students because they could review and repeat the exercise according to their needs.
The Capability of Static and Dynamic Features to Distinguish Competent From Genuinely Expert Practitioners in Pediatric Diagnosis

Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, Australia Objective: The authors describe the development of a new, more objective method of distinguishing experienced competent nonexpert from expert practitioners within pediatric intensive care. Background: Expert performance involves the acquisition and use of refined feature-event associations (cues) in the operational environment. Competent nonexperts, although experienced, possess rudimentary cue associations in memory. Thus, they cannot respond as efficiently or as reliably as their expert counterparts, particularly when key diagnostic information is unavail- able, such as that provided by dynamic cues. Method: This study involved the application of four distinct tasks in which the use of relevant cues could be expected to increase both the accuracy and the efficiency of diagnostic performance. These tasks included both static and dynamic stimuli that were varied systematically. A total of 50 experienced pediatric intensive staff took part in the study. Results: The sample clustered into two levels across the tasks: Participants who performed at a consistently high level throughout the four tasks were labeled experts, and participants who performed at a lower level throughout the tasks were labeled competent nonexperts. The groups differed in their responses to the diagnostic scenarios presented in two of the tasks and their ability to maintain performance in the absence of dynamic features. Conclusion: Experienced pediatricians can be decomposed into two groups on the basis of their capacity to acquire and use cues; these groups differ in their diagnostic accuracy and in their ability to maintain performance in the absence of dynamic features. Application: The tasks may be used to identify practitioners who are failing to acquire expertise at a rate consistent with their experience, position, or training. This information may be used to guide targeted training efforts.
Factors influencing Sudanese microfinance intention to adopt mobile banking

Abstract Access to financial service has become a key phenomenon for economic development and poverty alleviation . Microfinance is one way of fighting poverty in Sudan, where most citizens are in need of it. However, despite the initial results showing a positive impact of microfinance on the livelihood of low-income people in Sudan, around 8 million of the Sudanese poor people are excluded from microfinance services. One potential remedy for the limited outreach of microfinance in Sudan may lie within enhancing the capacity of microfinance services providers (MFPs) in the utilization of modern technology. Recent innovation in providing financial services in a convenient and efficient way is the use of mobile banking (m-banking) technology in microfinance. M-banking promises to increase the efficiency and outreach of microfinance services in developing countries. This paper tries to examine the factors that influence the adoption of m-banking by microfinance sector in Sudan. In this respect, hypotheses were developed guided by Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) and Technology-organization-Environment (TOE) models. Primary data were collected from MFPs and microfinance customers in Sudan using questionnaires and interviews. The study contributes to knowledge in terms of methods used by extending aforementioned theories through adding new variables to both models by putting both models in one study to fill the gaps in past studies; via examination of the demand (customers) and supply (institutions) through modifying them to include new variables related to m-banking in microfinance.
Intravenous and oral sequential itraconazole antifungal prophylaxis in paediatric stem cell transplantation recipients: A pilot study for evaluation of safety and efficacy

Abstract: This single‐centre, retrospective, observational pilot study was performed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of intravenous and oral itraconazole prophylaxis in paediatric haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT). Study end‐points were proven invasive fungal infection (IFI), survival, adverse reactions and graft‐vs.‐host disease (GVHD); 53 children and one young adult (median age 8.6 yr; range 0.4–18.3) transplanted between November 2001 and August 2004 were included in this study. Itraconazole was given intravenously from day +3 after HCT until oral medication became possible and continued until day +100 after HCT. Two proven new IFI in the itraconazole group (candidiasis, n = 1; aspergillosis, n = 1) were observed. After a median follow‐up of 1.6 yr (0.3–6.1), six deaths (8%) were seen; 24 patients (45%) developed GVHD degree I–II, three children (6%) had GVHD degree III–IV. In 11 of 53 patients (21%), itraconazole prophylaxis was discontinued prematurely, mostly because of fever of unknown origin (n = 7). In total, 21 of 53 (40%) of the children had abnormal results of laboratory investigations during the prophylaxis. The results of this pilot study indicate that itraconazole prophylaxis during HCT in children is feasible and safe, despite abnormal laboratory results. The efficacy in terms of prevention of IFI, however, has to be addressed in a prospective large‐scale study.
Engineering polymeric composite particles by emulsion-templating: Thermodynamics versus Kinetics

We investigated the important factors that control the structure of polymeric particles fabricated from emulsion templates. We found that the most energetically stable structure predicted by interfacial energy analysis is not always achieved. The slow dynamics due to an increase in the viscosity of the emulsion phases prevents the polymeric particles from achieving their equilibrium structure. We devised a novel strategy to remove this kinetic barrier, thus achieving the expected equilibrium structure. By considering both the thermodynamic and kinetic aspects during the droplet evolution process, a spectrum of final particle structures can be manipulated in a controlled manner. Our work will enable particle engineering for applications including drug delivery, biomimetic vesicles and photonics.
Effects of nitrogen on yield and chlorophyll of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) cultivars.

Effects of nitrogen on the leaf chlorophyll (chl), yield and yield attributing characters of potato as tuber number and mean tuber weight were studied. Correlation coefficients between the investigated characters were determined. Five nitrogen rates (0, 150, 200, 250 and 300 kg/ha) and four potato cultivars (Burren, Slaney, Anna and Emma) were used in the study. First, second, third class tuber yields and total tuber yield, tuber number per plant, and leaf chl were significantly influenced by both nitrogen rate and cultivar, whereas mean tuber weight was affected only by cultivar. Maximum total yield was obtained at 200 kg N/ha. There was significant linear relationship between leaf chl and N applied (R 2 =0.91). There were significant correlations between chl and yield and yield related characters. Total yield significantly correlated with leaf chl. Correlations between first class yield and total yield as well as total yield and tuber number per plant were highly significant. Key words: Potato; Solanum tuberosum L. ; Leaf chlorophyll; Nitrogen; Yield DOI: 10.3329/bjb.v38i2. 5141 Bangladesh J. Bot. 38 (2): 163-169, 2009 (December)
The Ontogeny of a Neutrophil: Mechanisms of Granulopoiesis and Homeostasis

SUMMARY Comprising the majority of leukocytes in humans, neutrophils are the first immune cells to respond to inflammatory or infectious etiologies and are crucial participants in the proper functioning of both innate and adaptive immune responses. From their initial appearance in the liver, thymus, and spleen at around the eighth week of human gestation to their generation in large numbers in the bone marrow at the end of term gestation, the differentiation of the pluripotent hematopoietic stem cell into a mature, segmented neutrophil is a highly controlled process where the transcriptional regulators C/EBP-α and C/EBP-ε play a vital role. Recent advances in neutrophil biology have clarified the life cycle of these cells and revealed striking differences between neonatal and adult neutrophils based on fetal maturation and environmental factors. Here we detail neutrophil ontogeny, granulopoiesis, and neutrophil homeostasis and highlight important differences between neonatal and adult neutrophil populations.
A Comparative Study of Soft Tissue Cover in Compound Lower Limb Trauma at an Interval of a Decade

Introduction: Compound lower limb trauma needs to be covered with flaps. The defects of lower limb are divided into upper, middle and lower third defects. Different flaps are described based on the site of the defect. Aim: To study the pattern of compound lower limb trauma and the flap options for different defects of the leg at an interval of a decade. Material and Methods: 32 patients with compound lower limb trauma were given flap cover between 2002 and 2005. Another 82 cases have been given flap cover between 2012 and 2015. Comparison of the pattern of compound limb trauma and flap cover is done. Discussion: For upper third leg defects, Gastrocnemius muscle and myocutaneous flaps have been the workhorse then, a decade ago and it is the same now. Propeller & Transposition flaps have been tried in the recent past. For middle third defects, Gastrocnemius myocutaneous, Soleus, Transposition, Cross leg and free flaps were used, while for lower third defects Reverse Sural artery, Fascio-cutaneous and Free flaps are commonly used. Use of Propeller and free flaps are on the rise now. Conclusions: Propeller flaps are an alternative for free flaps in middle and lower third defects in set-ups with infrastructural and human resources constraints. Vastus lateralis as a free flap can be a reasonable alternative in delayed cases.
Analytic normal forms and symmetries of strict feedforward control systems

This paper deals with the problem of convergence of normal forms of control systems. We identify an n‐dimensional subclass of control systems, called special strict feedforward form, shortly (SSFF), possessing a normal form which is a smooth (resp. analytic) counterpart of the formal normal form of Kang. We provide a constructive algorithm and illustrate by several examples including the Kapitsa pendulum and the cart–pole system. The second part of the paper is concerned about symmetries of single‐input control systems. We show that any symmetry of a smooth system in SSFF is conjugated to a scaling translation and any 1‐parameter family of symmetries is conjugated to a family of scaling translations along the first variable. We compute explicitly those symmetries by finding the conjugating diffeomorphism. We illustrate our results by computing the symmetries of the cart–pole system. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
On rings whose modules have nonzero homomorphisms to nonzero submodules

We carry out a study of rings R for which HomR (M;N) 6= 0 for all nonzero N ≤ MR. Such rings are called retractable. For a retractable ring, Artinian condition and having Krull dimension are equivalent. Furthermore, a right Artinian ring in which prime ideals commute is precisely a right Noetherian retractable ring. Retractable rings are characterized in several ways. They form a class of rings that properly lies between the class of pseudo-Frobenius rings, and the class of max divisible rings for which the converse of Schur's lemma holds. For several types of rings, including commutative rings, retractability is equivalent to semi-Artinian condition. We show that a Kothe ring R is an Artinian principal ideal ring if and only if it is a certain retractable ring, and determine when R is retractable.