Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Role for 2-linked-beta-D-glucan in the virulence of Agrobacterium tumefaciens

Phenol-water cell extracts of virulent Agrobacterium tumefaciens A348 and several avirulent mutants with a reduced ability to attach to plant surfaces were examined. A low-molecular-weight 2-linked-beta-D-glucan was identified in the cell wall extracts of the virulent wild-type strain. Analyses of phenol-water extracts and culture filtrates of four mutant strains showed that the mutants did not produce any 2-linked-beta-D-glucan. When these mutants were complemented, the ability to produce the glucan described above was restored. These results suggest that there is a role for 2-linked-beta-D-glucans in the attachment of A. tumefaciens to plant cells. One avirulent, attachment-defective mutant retained its ability to produce the low-molecular-weight glucan. This mutation, however, mapped to a different transcriptional unit than the mutants deficient in the glucan described above. Thus, it appears that 2-linked-beta-D-glucan is only one component that may be necessary for attachment of A. tumefaciens to plant cell surfaces.
Improvement of Physical and Wound Adhesion Properties of Silk Sericin and Polyvinyl Alcohol Dressing Using Glycerin

OBJECTIVE:This study aimed to use glycerin to improve physical and wound adhesion properties of a wound dressing made of silk sericin and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). DESIGN:Glycerin of a natural-derived plasticizer was used to modify the properties of silk sericin/PVA scaffolds. Various concentrations of glycerin were mixed with silk sericin and PVA and then fabricated into the scaffolds by a freeze-drying technique. The control study was performed to examine the properties of the silk sericin/PVA scaffolds with and without glycerin. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:Physical, mechanical, wound adhesion properties, the release profile of silk sericin, and in vivo safety of the silk sericin/PVA scaffolds with and without glycerin were investigated. MAIN RESULTS:The silk sericin/PVA scaffolds with glycerin exhibited more homogenous structure, less compressive modulus, higher Young modulus and elongation percentage, and a higher degree of crosslinking compared with the scaffold without glycerin. The silk sericin/PVA scaffold with 2% wt/vol glycerin showed more controlled release of silk sericin than the other scaffolds. The sustained release of silk sericin from the scaffold with glycerin would be advantageous for long-term healing of wounds. The silk sericin/PVA scaffold with 2% (wt/vol) glycerin was less adhesive to the wound compared with the scaffold without glycerin. Furthermore, the implantation of silk sericin/PVA scaffolds with 2% (wt/vol) glycerin did not cause any irritation to the tissue. CONCLUSION:The silk sericin/PVA scaffolds with glycerin were introduced as a biocompatible, more flexible, and less adhesive wound dressing than the scaffold without glycerin.
Geometric Field Errors of Short Models for MQXF, the Nb3Sn Low-β Quadrupole for the High Luminosity LHC

In the framework of the high-luminosity upgrade of the large hadron collider, the U.S. LARP collaboration and CERN are jointly developing a 150-mm aperture Nb3Sn quadrupole for the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) interaction regions. Due to the large beam size and orbit displacement in the final focusing triplet, MQXF has challenging targets for field quality at nominal operation conditions. Three short model magnets have been tested and around 30 coils have been built, allowing a first analysis of the reproducibility of the coil size and turns positioning. The impact of the coil shimming on field quality is evaluated, with special emphasis on the warm magnetic measurements and the correlation to field measurements at cold and nominal field. The variability of the field harmonics along the magnet axis is studied by means of a Monte-Carlo analysis and the effects of the corrective actions implemented to suppress the low-order unallowed multipoles are discussed.
Can Vice be Vindicated? Examining a potential value premium in vice stocks using Fama and MacBeth regressions - a comparison across three different factor models

In this paper, we examine a 30-year period to find whether vice (defined as operations in the alcohol, tobacco, gambling, adult services, and weapons and defense industries) plays a role in determining returns of individual firms on the U.S. stock market. We find no evidence that vice can be expected to affect returns, but rather that expected effects from vice are priced by other factors. However, our analysis does not lead us to conclude that either of the examined risk factors explain the variability in our vice factor. Furthermore, we examine whether vice stocks are associated with a premium. We are not able to conclude that such a premium exists.
Efficient Detection of Sybil Attack Based on Cryptography in Vanet

Vehicular communications play a substantial role in providing safety transportation by means of safety message exchange. Researchers have proposed several solutions for securing safety messages. Protocols based on a fixed key infrastructure are more efficient in implementation and maintain stronger security in comparison with dynamic structures. The purpose of this paper present a method based on a fixed key infrastructure for detection impersonation attack, in other words, Sybil attack, in the vehicular ad hoc network. This attack, puts a great impact on performance of the network. The proposed method, using an cryptography mechanism to detection Sybil attack. Finally, using Mat lab simulator the results of this approach are reviewed, This method it has low delay for detection Sybil attack, because most operations are done in Certification Authority, so this proposed schema is a efficient method for detection Sybil attack.
The role of caregivers in interfacility care transitions: a qualitative study

A qualitative design was used to explore the nature of caregiver involvement in care transitions of patients being transferred from an acute care hospital to a rehabilitation hospital. Participants included older adults (n=13), informal caregivers (n=9), and health care professionals (n=50) from inpatient orthopedic units in two academic health science centers and one orthopedic inpatient rehabilitation unit. Semistructured interviews were conducted, audio-taped, and transcribed. Directed content analysis revealed the following four themes: watching, being an active care provider, advocating, and navigating the health care system. Participants described being actively involved in the care of their family member, yet they were not actively engaged by health care professionals to be involved in the care of their family member. There is a need to reconcile the tension between the level of involvement of caregivers in the care of family members who are patients and the level of engagement throughout the care transition. By providing relevant information and authentically engaging caregivers as equal partners in the care transition, they are better able to navigate the health care system post-transfer to the rehabilitation setting and discharge to home.
Inhibitory Role for d-Alanylation of Wall Teichoic Acid in Activation of Insect Toll Pathway by Peptidoglycan of Staphylococcus aureus

Pathogenic bacteria mitigate host immunity to establish infections, but the mechanism of this bacterial action has not been fully elucidated. To search for cell wall components that modulate innate immune responses in host organisms, we examined Staphylococcus aureus mutants, which were deficient in components of the cell wall, for pathogenicity in Drosophila. A mutation of dltA, which is responsible for the d-alanylation of teichoic acids, brought about an increase in the survival rate of adult flies that had received a septic infection with the bacteria. The growth of dltA-deficient S. aureus in adult flies was less efficient than that of the parental strain. The level of mRNA of Toll pathway-dependent antimicrobial peptides was higher in flies infected with the dltA mutant than that observed after the infection with the parental strain. The defective phenotype associated with the mutation of dltA, reduced pathogenicity and growth, was not evident in flies lacking the Toll pathway. Finally, a fraction of peptidoglycan prepared from the dltA mutant induced the expression of mRNA of a Toll-dependent antimicrobial peptide in flies and was bound by peptidoglycan recognition protein-SA in vitro more effectively than that obtained from the parental strain, and this difference was lost after the removal of wall teichoic acid from peptidoglycan. Taken together, we conclude that d-alanylated wall teichoic acid of S. aureus mitigates a Toll-mediated humoral response in Drosophila interfering with the recognition of peptidoglycan by a pattern recognition receptor.
Mediation effects of trust and contracts on knowledge-sharing and product innovation: Evidence from the European machine tool industry

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze the mediating role of contracts and trust on the generation of product innovations stemming from buyer-supplier knowledge-sharing (KS) among the members of the supply chain. Together with the individual effects of trust and contracts, their joint effect is examined in order to determine whether these are complementary or alternative mechanisms of safeguarding and control. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on a survey of 202 European machine tool firms acting as buyers and sellers, the authors propose and evaluate a structural equation model. Findings Results confirm that there is a positive relation between contracts and trust with respect to buyer-supplier KS, and of the latter with respect to innovation performance. They also show that firms in which both the levels of trust and contract use are high reinforce their product-innovation capability based on buyer-supplier interaction (complementarity thesis). However, results also show that, contrary to trust, contracts by themselves do not act as a stimulus for product innovation. Research limitations/implications Establishing contracts seems to be a highly recommended action in a buyer-supplier relationship focused on increasing innovation capacity. This does not go against engendering trust in a relationship. Both trust with a degree of formalization, in different ways, help to increase the effect of sharing valuable knowledge on innovation capacity. Originality/value To the authors’ best knowledge, no prior study has delved into differentiating the use of contracts and trust as mechanisms in mediating the effect originated from knowledge-sharing on product innovation performance with two different samples formed by buying and selling firms.
Nearwork in early-onset myopia.

PURPOSE To determine the relationship of nearwork and myopia in young elementary school-age children in Singapore. METHODS A cross-sectional study of 1005 school children aged 7 to 9 years was conducted in two schools in Singapore. Cycloplegic autorefraction, keratometry, and biometry measurements were performed. In addition, the parents completed a detailed questionnaire on nearwork activity (books read per week, reading in hours per day and diopter hours [addition of three times reading, two times computer use, and two times video games use in hours per day]). Other risk factors, such as parental myopia, socioeconomic status, and light exposure history, were assessed. RESULTS In addition to socioeconomic factors, several nearwork indices were associated with myopia in these young children. The multivariate adjusted odds ratio of higher myopia (at least -3.0 D) for children who read more than two books per week was 3.05 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.80-5.18). However, the odds ratios of higher myopia for children who read more than 2 hours per day or with more than 8 diopter hours (1.50; 95% CI, 0.87-2.55 and 1.04; 95% CI, 0.61-1.78, respectively) were not significant, after controlling for several factors. CONCLUSIONS Children aged 7 to 9 years with a greater current reading exposure were more likely to be myopic. This association of reading and myopia in a young age cohort was greater than the strength of the reading association generally found in older myopic subjects. Whether these results identify an association of early-onset myopia with nearwork activity or other potentially confounding factors is discussed.
Sustainability of merchandise trade flows between Croatia and other EU member states: Panel cointegration approach

This research examined the sustainability of merchandise trade flows between Croatia and other European Union (EU) member states. Merchandise exports and imports were disaggregated into bilateral merchandise trade flows between Croatia and nineteen EU trading partners for the period 1999-2014. Following Granger-causality and cointegration tests for panel data, we specified the model to be estimated. Using a pooled mean group (PMG) estimator for dynamic heterogeneous panel data, the relationship between Croatian merchandise export and import was assessed empirically. Research results revealed unsustainable Croatian merchandise exports and imports vis-? -vis nineteen EU partners.
Construction and initial validation of the E-Work Life Scale to measure remote e-working

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop and provide initial validation for the new E-Work Life (EWL) Scale. This measure assesses a range of theoretically relevant aspects of the e-working experience related to four main areas: job effectiveness, relationship with the organisation, well-being and work-life balance. Design/methodology/approach This study presents structured item development. Internal validity and reliability were tested on a sample of 260 e-workers (65 per cent female, age range 25–74). Correlations of the EWL scale with a measure of general health were tested on a subsample of 119 workers to provide initial evidence of construct validity. Findings Exploratory factor analysis supported a 17-item scale assessing four factors: work-life interference, productivity, organisational trust and flexibility. Individual well-being was measured and a pattern of significant correlations against four factors as indicators of general health were found, including mental health and vitality. Research limitations/implications A new sample would confirm the strength of the EWL scale alongside further tests of validity. Coping strategies related to the scale would aid mapping of individual competencies for remote e-working to promote e-workers’ self-management, management style and organisational policy. Practical implications The EWL scale helps organisations to evaluate and support the well-being of remote e-workers. It provides measurement on three levels: individual, supervisory and organisational, whereby practical strategies for improvement can be linked to the scale. Originality/value The EWL scale completes a gap in the research by providing a measure aiding organisations to evaluate and support remote e-worker well-being.
Consumer adoption of the Uber mobile application: Insights from diffusion of innovation theory and technology acceptance model

ABSTRACT The sharing economy literature has largely concentrated on the examination of peer-to-peer accommodation platforms such as Airbnb, with little attention paid on other innovations in collaborative consumption. This study investigates consumer adoption of the Uber mobile application through lenses of two theoretical models – Diffusion of Innovation Theory and Technology Acceptance Model. The results suggest that relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, observability, and social influence have a significant influence on both perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use, which in turn lead to subsequent consumer attitudes and adoption intentions. This study demonstrates the integration of the two classic adoption theories.
Drug-induced ciliogenesis in pancreatic cancer cells is facilitated by the secreted ATP-purinergic receptor signaling pathway

Malignant transformation of cells is often accompanied by the loss of the primary cilium, a protruding microtubule-based sensory organelle, suggesting that it plays an “onco-suppressive” role. Therefore, restoration of the primary cilium is being explored as a new therapeutic approach to attenuate tumor growth. Recently, several commonly used chemotherapeutic drugs have been identified to induce the primary cilium in pancreatic cancer cells. The mechanisms by which these drugs re-express the cilium remain, however, enigmatic. Here, evaluation of a panel of diverse ciliogenic drugs on pancreatic cancer cell models revealed a significant positive relationship between drug-induced extracellular ATP, released through pannexin channels, and the extent of primary cilium induction. Moreover, cilium induction by these drugs was hampered in the presence of the ATP degrading enzyme, apyrase, and in the presence of the pan-purinergic receptor inhibitor, suramin. Our findings reveal that ciliogenic drug-induced re-expression of the primary cilium in pancreatic cancer cells is, at least in certain contexts, dependent on a hitherto unrecognized autocrine/paracrine loop involving the extracellular ATP-purinergic receptor signaling pathway that can be exploited in a therapeutic approach targeting at restoring the primary cilium.
Circulating Lymphocyte Subsets in Human Acute Pancreatitis

We investigated peripheral lymphocyte subsets in 34 consecutive acute pancreatitis patients (21 males, 13 females; mean age, 57 years; range, 16–85 years) studied within 48 h of pain onset and for 5 consecutive days to understand better the immunological response during the course of the disease. The diagnosis was based on characteristic abdominal pain associated with a twofold increase in serum lipase and confirmed by imaging techniques in all patients. Acute pancreatitis was of biliary origin in 25 patients, due to alcohol abuse in 5, due to pancreas divisum in 1, and of unknown origin in 3. Fifteen patients had severe illness and 19 had mild disease. In all patients, total lymphocyte and lymphocyte subset counts were carried out on admission, as well as on the third and fifth day of hospitalization, using a flow cytometric analysis. Twenty-three patients (13 with severe illness and 10 with mild disease) also had a repeat count 1 month after recovery. Twenty-five healthy subjects and 27 patients with nonpancreatic acute abdomen comparable for sex and age were studied as controls. On the first day of the study, the leukocyte number was significantly higher in patients with acute pancreatitis and in those with nonpancreatic acute abdomen with respect to healthy subjects, whereas the number of total and CD4 +, CD8+, CD3+DR−, and CD3−DR+ lymphocytes was significantly lower in acute pancreatitis patients than in healthy subjects or in patients with nonpancreatic acute abdomen. These subset counts persisted on the third and fifth days of the study. Patients with nonpancreatic acute abdomen and healthy subjects had similar values of total and lymphocyte subsets. The patients with acute pancreatitis studied 1 month after complete recovery had numbers of leukocytes, total lymphocytes, and CD4+, CD8+, CD3+ DR−, and CD3− DR+ lymphocytes similar to those in healthy subjects. Regarding CD3+ DR+ lymphocytes, the count in acute pancreatitis patients studied within the first 5 days of hospital admission was similar to that in healthy subjects, but 1 month after complete recovery it was significantly higher in the pancreatitis patients. CD4+ and CD3+ DR− lymphocyte counts were significantly lower in patients with severe acute pancreatitis than in patients with mild disease from the third day of illness onward. The CD4+-T cell difference was still present 1 month later. The number of total lymphocytes was significantly lower in patients with severe illness relative to those with mild pancreatitis on the fifth day of hospitalization. Results demonstrate that in early phases of acute pancreatitis there was a significant decrease in the number of total lymphocytes and lymphocyte subset counts relative to controls. These counts returned to normal with resolution of the illness.
Insight and the Dark Triad: Comparing Self- and Meta-perceptions in Relation to Psychopathy, Narcissism, and Machiavellianism

The “Dark Triad” consists of 3 partially overlapping trait configurations that manifest in problematic interpersonal outcomes: narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism. Comparing meta-perception-based reports of personality, or how people believe others see them, to self-reports in relation to informant-reports allows for a direct test of the extent to which people are accurate in understanding how they are perceived by others. The present study (n = 993 target participants) investigated how Dark Triad personality styles are viewed from multiple perspectives, including self-report, meta-perception, informant-report (n = 213), and informant perceived meta-perception (n = 178) in an undergraduate sample. Absolute level differences were investigated; self-report ratings were associated with significantly more Machiavellianism and less narcissism than both informant-reports and meta-perceptions. The relative convergence between meta-perceptions and informant-reports was moderate, and similar to the convergence between self-reports and informant-reports. Multiple regression analyses in which self-reports and meta-perceptions predicted informant-reports identified several significant differences, with meta-perceptions more frequently emerging as a stronger predictor of informant-reports. These findings suggest that while self-reports and meta-perceptions are closely related, the latter perspective provides some incremental validity with regard to the constructs that comprise the Dark Triad.
Fluid bed drying of guarana (Paullinia cupana HBK) extract: Effect of process factors on caffeine content

The aim of this study was to study the convective drying of the hydroalcoholic extracts obtained from powdered guarana seeds in a spouted bed dryer. The influence of process variables, such as the convective airflow rate, extract feed rate, and air inlet temperature, on the quality of the dry extract was determined using the caffeine and moisture content for the process evaluation. The caffeine content in the alcoholic and dried extracts was determined by capillary gas chromatography. The experiments were performed following a 33 factorial design and the data analyzed by response surface. The analysis of dry extract showed that the air and extract feed rates did not significantly affect (25% level) the caffeine content, but that drying temperature is a major factor to consider when the extract is submitted to fluid bed drying. Caffeine losses were significant (1% level) for drying temperatures above 120°C, while moisture content was lower than 3% for temperatures above 120°C. The data showed that there is an optimum temperature for the drying of guarana extracts in spouted beds, and under the conditions used in this study it was 120°C.