Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Agrobacterium tumefaciens mutants affected in crown gall tumorigenesis and octopine catabolism

Mutants of Agrobacterium tumefaciens which affect virulence or the ability to catabolize octopine were isolated after Tn5-induced mutagenesis. Of 8,900 colonies tested, 7 mutants with Tn5 insertions in a specific region of other Ti plasmid unable to catabolize octopine were isolated. Thirty-seven mutants affected in tumorigenesis resulted from insertions in the Ti plasmid and the Agrobacterium chromosome. Of these mutations, 12 were chromosomal and 25 mapped on the plasmid. Twenty-three mapped within a 20-megadalton region, which is distinct from the Ti plasmid sequences found stably integrated into the plant cell genome T-deoxyribonucleic acid). Included in these were mutants that were either a virulent or produced tumors with unusual morphologies. Three mutants contained insertions in the T-deoxyribonucleic acid. These three mutants incited tumors which synthesized octopine but had an altered morphology due to either extensive proliferation of shoots or roots from the tumor callus. Three additional mutants not caused by Tn5 contained mutations in the Ti plasmid.
Geometry sensing by self-organized protein patterns

In the living cell, proteins are able to organize space much larger than their dimensions. In return, changes of intracellular space can influence biochemical reactions, allowing cells to sense their size and shape. Despite the possibility to reconstitute protein self-organization with only a few purified components, we still lack knowledge of how geometrical boundaries affect spatiotemporal protein patterns. Following a minimal systems approach, we used purified proteins and photolithographically patterned membranes to study the influence of spatial confinement on the self-organization of the Min system, a spatial regulator of bacterial cytokinesis, in vitro. We found that the emerging protein pattern responds even to the lateral, two-dimensional geometry of the membrane such that, as in the three-dimensional cell, Min protein waves travel along the longest axis of the membrane patch. This shows that for spatial sensing the Min system does not need to be enclosed in a three-dimensional compartment. Using a computational model we quantitatively analyzed our experimental findings and identified persistent binding of MinE to the membrane as requirement for the Min system to sense geometry. Our results give insight into the interplay between geometrical confinement and biochemical patterns emerging from a nonlinear reaction–diffusion system.
Recent advances in biomarkers for Parkinson’s disease focusing on biochemicals, omics and neuroimaging

Abstract Parkinson’s disease (PD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative disorders, involving progressive loss of the nigro-striatal dopaminergic neurons. Cardinal symptoms including tremors, muscle rigidity, drooping posture, drooping, walking difficulty, and autonomic symptoms appear when a significant number of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons have already been destroyed. Hence, reliable biomarkers are needed for early and accurate diagnosis to measure disease progression and response to therapy. We review the current status of protein and small molecule biomarkers involved in oxidative stress, protein aggregation and inflammation etc. which are present in cerebrospinal fluid, human blood, urine or saliva. In recent years, advances in genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and functional brain imaging techniques have led to new insights into the pathoetiology of PD. Further studies in the novel discovery of PD biomarkers will provide avenues to treat PD patients more effectively with few or no side effects.
Tertiary institutions and capacity building in Ghana: challenges and the way forward

The last two decades have seen tremendous growth in tertiary education in Ghana. The prevailing consensus is that universities play a crucial role in development by making it possible to generate human capital in key areas such as health, agriculture, and engineering, also contributing to the attainment self-sufficiency. Whilst contributing to capacity building, this paper argues that universities in Ghana have had to contend with a number of challenges: low female access to universities, especially in science and technology-related courses; inadequate funds; poor research activity; and large class sizes. Making research a priority, designating strategic planning teams with appropriate institutional and financial support, developing cooperation with private universities, expanding access through the use of external degree centres and distance learning, and deepening universities’ relevance to societal needs, are identified as central to the enhancement of capacity building in Ghana.
Relationships Between Digit Ratio ( 2 D : 4 D ) and Female Competitive

Background: Digit ratio (2D:4D), a measure of prenatal testosterone exposure, is weakly-to-moderately associated with increased physical performance, although the evidence is far stronger for males than females. Objective: To examine the relationship between 2D:4D and measured on-water rowing performance in young females competing at the Australian Rowing Championships. Methods: Using an observational, cross-sectional design, female rowers (n 5 69, aged 12–30 years) who competed in single sculls events at the Australian Rowing Championships in 2007 and 2008 had numerous physical and digital anthropometric measurements taken, including 2D:4D measurements. Relationships between 2D:4Ds and race times were examined using Pearson’s correlations, partial correlations and multiple regression. Partial Least Squares regression analysis determined the strength of the 2D:4D as a predictor of race time relative to 78 body dimensions plus age. Results: Overall, weak to strong positive correlations between 2D:4D and race time were found; that is, females with smaller 2D:4Ds had faster race times than females with larger 2D:4Ds. Relationships were weak to moderate for all females (r 5 0.29–0.32), moderate-to-strong for senior rowers (aged 20 years; r 5 0.42–0.55), and weak for junior rowers (aged <20 years; r 5 0.13–0.18), with all relationships persisting following adjustment for age. Partial Least Squares regression analysis showed that 2D:4Ds had high predictive importance relative to other body dimensions. Conclusions: Females with smaller 2D:4Ds rowed substantially faster than females with larger 2D:4Ds, with the 2D:4D possibly linked to underlying characteristics that have been optimized over time resulting in better rowing performance. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 27:157–163, 2015. VC 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The influence of organizational culture on employee attitudes towards information security policy

This study examined contributing factors in the relationship between organizational culture and employee attitudes towards information security policy. Guiding the investigation was the question: To what extent, if any, is there a relationship between an organization’s cultural traits, as measured by the Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI), and an employee’s attitude towards information security policy? This study was conducted within a very large worldwide manufacturing organization. The study’s primary focus was within the U.S.-based operations. A random sample of 1,000 employees was invited to participate in the study, with a 10.9% qualified response rate. Organizational culture traits and attitudes towards information security policies were the variables gathered and analyzed in the study. The study found that there were statistically significant relationships between two of the organizational culture traits and employee attitudes towards information security policy. The relationships were opposite in nature with one cultural trait exhibiting an inverse relationship and the other cultural trait exhibiting an opposite, but positive relationship with attitudes towards information security policy. The present empirical findings have added to the understanding of relationships between organizational culture traits and employee attitudes towards information security policy. The study contributes to the cultural makeup of an organization and how it influences employee attitudes, which can lead to better decisions on how to develop and implement information security policies.
Alcohol use and cultural change in an indigenous population: a case study from Venezuela.

AIMS To explore the historical and cultural context of problem drinking in a Latin American indigenous population and identify possible areas for intervention. METHODS Focus group discussions. RESULTS Participants reported that prior to 1945, binge drinking and fighting were part of cultural festivals held several times each year. Alcohol was brewed in limited quantities by specially qualified individuals. Limited family violence and injuries resulted. Increasing contact with Western civilization resulted in year-round access to large supplies of commercial alcohol and exposure to alcohol-misusing role models. Increased heavy drinking and decreases in subsistence farming resulted in escalation of problems, including hunger, serious injury, family violence, divorce and legal problems. Communities are beginning to regain control by prohibiting sale of alcohol in villages, sponsoring alcohol-free celebrations, and increasing involvement in religious activities. CONCLUSIONS Though alcohol may cause devastating consequences in cultures in transition, studies of community responses may identify useful strategies for reducing alcohol-related harm.
Family Business and the 1%

Growing concern about economic inequality has generated a polarized narrative regarding the causes and consequences of extreme wealth. We contend that divided ideological positions obscure a more mundane reality about the typical wealthiest 1% households. Using data from the triennial survey of consumer finance, we demonstrate that there is substantial heterogeneity within the 1%. Contrary to public discourse, the typical 1% household does not have wealth reflective of popular rich lists, but derives a significant share of its wealth from ownership and active management of small- to medium-sized private enterprise. We use these findings to shed new insights on business families’ relationship to economic inequality and open promising new areas of inquiry regarding the role of the family business in society.
Genetic variation within a parthenogenetic lineage

A clone of the grain aphid Sitobion avenae F. was maintained parthenogenetically over thirty‐two generations (n= 344) in a constant environment: a new generation being set up by a female selected at random from the preceding generation. Genomic DNA from individual aphids was screened for genetic stability using RAPD‐PCR with a previously tested ten‐mer primer. A putative germ‐line mutation was noted in generation 14 and somatic mutations were noted in generations 12, 25, 27 and 29. There were no differences in the RAPD‐PCR profiles of winged and wingless morphs and samples tested for symbiotic DNA. No endobiotic fungal organism was associated with the clone. Southern blotting and hybridization studies indicated that band additions were of aphid origin. However, the RAPD‐PCR profiles of the germ‐line and somatic mutation samples were unique from other aphid clones cultured during the experimental period. This paper documents discernible genetic changes occurring within an animal clonal lineage over time and impacts on the consequences this may have for clonal systems.
Exploiting long‐term and short‐term preferences and RFID trajectories in shop recommendation

Shop recommendation in large shopping malls is useful in the mobile internet era. With the maturity of indoor positioning technology, customers' indoor trajectories can be captured by radio frequency identification devices readers, which provides a new way to analyze customers' potential preferences. In this paper, we design three methods for the top‐N shop recommendation problem. The first method is an improved matrix factorization method fusing estimated prior customer preference matrix that is constructed by Session‐based Temporal Graph computing. The second method is a Bayesian personalized ranking method based on the first method. The third method is by tensor decomposition combined with Session‐based Temporal Graph. Besides, we exploit customer history radio frequency identification devices trajectory information to find customers' frequent paths and revise predicted rating values to improve recommendation accuracy. Our methods are effective in modeling customers' temporal dynamics. At the same time, our approach considers repeated recommendation of the same shop by designing rating update rules. The test dataset is formed by JoyCity customer behavior records. JoyCity is a large‐scale modern shopping center in downtown Shanghai, China. The results show that our approaches are effective and outperform previous state‐of‐the‐art approaches. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Liver Transplantation for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Results of Down‐Staging in Patients Initially Outside the Milan Selection Criteria

Conventional criteria for liver transplantation for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma are single HCC ≤ 5 cm or less than or equal to three HCCs ≤ 3 cm. We prospectively evaluated the possibility of slightly extending these criteria in a down‐staging protocol, which included patients initially outside conventional criteria: single HCC 5–6 cm or two HCCs ≤ 5 cm or less than six HCCs ≤ 4 cm and sum diameter ≤ 12 cm, but within Milan criteria in the active tumors after the down‐staging procedures. The outcome of patients down‐staged was compared to that of Milan criteria after liver transplantation and since the first evaluation according to an intention‐to‐treat principle. From 2003 to 2006, 177 patients with HCC were considered for transplantation: the transplantation rate was comparable between the Milan and down‐staging groups: 88/129 cases (68%) versus 32/48 cases (67%), respectively. At a median follow‐up of 2.5 years after transplantation, the 1 and 3 years' disease‐free survival rates were comparable: 80% and 71% in the Milan group versus 78% and 71% in the down‐staging. The actuarial intention‐to‐treat survival was 27/48 patients (56.3%) in the down‐staging and 81/129 cases (62.8%) in the Milan group, p = n.s. The proposed down‐staging criteria provide a comparable outcome to the conventional criteria.
Fiber size distribution of myelinated and unmyelinated axons in the medial and posterior articular nerves of the cat's knee joint.

The distribution of fiber size in the posterior articular nerve (PAN) and medial articular nerve (MAN) of the cat's knee joint was studied by light and electron microscopy. The myelinated fibers of the PAN ranged from approximately 1 to 18 micron, with maxima at 3-4 micron and 8-9 micron. According to the classification of Boyd and Davey (1968), the PAN contained about 34% Group III fibers, 56% Group II fibers, and 10% Group I fibers. In contrast, the MAN showed a unimodal, skewed distribution, with a range from approximately 1 to 14 micron and a maximum at 3-4 micron. According to the Boyd and Davey classification, the PAN contained about 69% Group III fibers, 30% Group II fibers, and 1% Group I fibers. Unmyelinated fibers examined in the MAN showed a unimodal distribution, with a range of from 0.1 to 1.5 micron and a maximum at 0.4-0.5 micron. To differentiate between afferent and sympathetic fibers, a sympathectomy or ganglionectomy was performed on one side. The fiber size distribution indicated a considerable overlap in the diameter of the afferent and sympathetic unmyelinated fibers. Most sympathetic fibers had a diameter of between 0.8 and 0.9 micron, whereas afferent fibers showed a maximum at 0.3-0.4 micron. When data were combined for myelinated and unmyelinated fibers in the PAN, about 74% of the afferent fibers were found to belong to Groups III and IV; they are thought to terminate in noncorpuscular endings. The other 26% were found to belong to Groups I and II; they terminate in corpuscular receptors and muscle spindle primary and secondary endings. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Stage I palliation for hypoplastic left heart syndrome: Norwood versus Sano modification

Purpose of review Advancements in surgical technique and perioperative care have significantly improved the survival of infants born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome. A recent modification to the Norwood procedure is being adopted by many centers to improve postoperative hemodynamic stability and survival to stage II palliation. The late effects of this modification, however, are speculated and have not been investigated. Recent findings Center-specific improved short-term outcomes have been reported in a few small, nonrandomized studies of a new approach to the Norwood procedure, which utilizes a right ventricle to pulmonary artery shunt or Sano modification to provide pulmonary blood flow rather than the standard modified Blalock-Taussig shunt. Summary The classic Norwood procedure and Sano modification each have specific advantages and disadvantages in both the short and long term. Data comparing the two techniques are nonrandomized, contradictory, and utilize historical controls. The optimal shunt to improve survival to the second-stage palliation is unknown. A multicenter randomized clinical trial comparing the Sano with the modified Blalock-Taussig shunt in hypoplastic left heart syndrome or variants is currently in progress and should hopefully provide future guidelines for shunt selection based on clinical presentation.
Echocardiography improves detection of rejection after heterotopic mouse cardiac transplantation.

BACKGROUND Current assessments of cardiac rejection in murine transplant models rely on subjective estimates of the force of the palpable heart beat that have limited sensitivity and precision. METHODS We used 2-dimensional echocardiography to evaluate changes in left ventricular posterior wall thickness (PWT) in a heterotopic cardiac mouse transplant model of rejection. Nine allografts and 6 isografts were imaged daily for 6 days and harvested. Thirteen allografts were imaged daily and harvested at day 3. RESULTS Intraobserver variability on PWT was 0.003 +/- 0.09 mm, interobserver variability 0.09 +/- 0.11 mm. Allograft PWT increased after transplantation (0.74 +/- 0.02 mm to 1.28 +/- 0.05 mm at day 5, P <.0001). For isografts, PWT remained constant (0.73 +/- 0.03 mm to 0.85 +/- 0.01 mm) after an initial increase at day 1. Palpation failed to identify rejection at day 3 whereas PWT was already increased (1.15 +/- 0.02 mm in the allografts at day 3 vs 0.85 +/- 0.02 mm in the isografts, P <.0001). There was a relation between histologic score and PWT (P <.0001). CONCLUSION Two-dimensional echocardiography allows the noninvasive detection and follow-up of cardiac rejection after transplantation. It eliminates the subjectivity of palpation and provides quantitative and reliable indices of rejection.
Mass media, new technology, and ideology: An analysis of political trends in China

Based on a nationwide survey, this study examines the mediated constructions of political ideology and its antecedents in contemporary China. The empirical findings offer insights into China’s future by examining political beliefs in the country. Our study found that most of the respondents share an inclination toward Liberalism, indicating that the general public harbors expectations not only for expansion of market competition to ensure the country’s successful entry into the world economic system in the age of globalization, but also for deepening political reforms, increased supervision of political power, and growing access to democratic participation. The study also investigated the relationship between media use and political ideology, as the former, together with new technology, predicts the latter to varying degrees. In addition, social psychological factors such as the motivation to use the Internet and trust in media were found to play significant roles in these complex relationships. Individuals’ social interactions and their political cognitions also help to explain the complexity of political ideology in a transitional society.
Correlation of histological and macroscopic findings in peritoneal endometriosis.

CONTEXT In the last two decades, a color based concept of disease activity in peritoneal endometriosis has been in use in the clinical context, with red lesions being considered active and black or white lesions being interpreted as less active or dormant. OBJECTIVE Our aim was to analyze 4 main color categories of peritoneal endometriosis (black, white, red and brown) in one single patient group using histomorphological and immunohistochemical methods. DESIGN 65 endometriosis lesions (30 black, 17 white, 11 brown, 7 red) were resected from 47 premenopausal, nulliparous women which had not received exogenous hormones for at least six months prior to the operation. Specimen workup, histomorphological analysis and immunohistochemical analysis were performed in a standardized manner. RESULTS The color categories showed a broad overlap in proliferative activity and hormone receptor expression. Differences were found in lesion morphology. Adjacent stromal reaction in particular showed a marked increase from red through brown and black to white lesions. Differences were also seen in gland pattern and gland content. CONCLUSIONS Lesion colors in peritoneal endometriosis seem to be determined by gland content and a varying adjacent stromal reaction and more likely reflect an aging process than different levels of disease activity.
Phase II multicenter study of chemotherapy (chemo)-naive castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) not exposed to ketoconazole (keto), treated with abiraterone acetate (AA) plus prednisone.

5046 Background: AA is a potent inhibitor of the enzyme CYP17, a major contributor to androgen biosynthesis. Keto is also known to inhibit this enzyme but AA is many-fold stronger in its action. 33 pts with progressive metastatic disease, normal organ function, ECOG performance status (PS) 0-1, and no prior chemo were enrolled. Pts with prior keto treatment were excluded. AA (1000 mg qd) plus prednisone (5mg bid) were administered orally in 28 day cycles. METHODS Results: At baseline median age was 71.0 (range 52-85) yrs and median PSA was 24.7 (range 7.1-1110.0) ng/mL;19/26 pts (73%) had an ECOG PS of 0 and 7/26 (27%) had PS of 1; the median number of prior hormonal therapies was 2; all pts were on LHRHa and 73% of pts had received anti-androgen, all of whom had undergone prior anti-androgen withdrawal. Pts were evaluated at each cycle for PSA response according to PSAWG criteria. 27 pts have available data for PSA response. Total maximal PSA declines of ≥30%, ≥50%, ≥90% were observed in 89% (24/27), 85% (23/27) and 41% (11/27) pts, respectively. Week 12 PSA declines displayed a similar and sustained trend: ≥30%, ≥50% and ≥90% PSA decline in 82%, 78%, and 26% of pts. Post-treatment ECOG PS score was 0 in 24 (92%) pts: 19% experienced improvement in PS (PS 1 to 0 in 5 pts) and 19/19 pts maintained a PS of 0; Median time to PSA progression has not been reached. Majority of adverse events were grades 1-2. Incidence of hypokalemia - 12%; HTN - 6%; edema - 15%. One pt experienced a grade 3 drug-related HTN. CONCLUSIONS Abiraterone acetate plus prednisone has significant anti-cancer activity in patients with metastatic CRPC not previously treated with ketoconazole or chemotherapy, as demonstrated by declines in PSA and improvement in performance status, and is well-tolerated. [Table: see text].