Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
7,12‐dimethylbenz[a]anthracene‐induced mutation in the Tk gene of Tk+/− mice: Automated scoring of lymphocyte clones using a fluorescent viability indicator

7,12‐Dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) is a rodent carcinogen and a potent in vivo mutagen for the X‐linked hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyl transferase (hprt) gene of rats and for the lacI transgene of Big Blue mice and rats. Although DMBA is also a powerful clastogen, molecular analysis of these DMBA‐induced hprt and lacI mutations indicates that most are single base‐pair (bp) substitutions and 1‐ to 3‐bp frameshifts. In the present study, we evaluated the types of mutations induced by DMBA in the autosomal thymidine kinase (Tk) gene of Tk+/− mice. Male and female 5‐ to 6‐week‐old animals were injected i.p. with DMBA at a dose of 30 mg/kg. Five weeks after the treatment, hprt and Tk mutant frequencies were determined using a limiting dilution clonal assay in 96‐well plates. We established conditions for the automated identification of wells containing expanded lymphocyte clones using the fluorescent indicator alamarBlue. This procedure allowed the unbiased identification of viable clones and calculation of mutant frequencies. In male mice, DMBA treatment increased the frequency of hprt mutants from 1.8 ± 1.1 to 34 ± 9 × 10−6, and Tk mutants from 33 ± 12 to 78 ± 26 × 10−6; treated female mice had a significant but lower increase in hprt mutant frequency than did males. Molecular analysis of DMBA‐induced Tk mutants revealed that at least 75% had the entire wild‐type Tk allele missing. The results indicate that the predominant types of DMBA‐induced mutation detected by the autosomal Tk gene are different from those detected by the X‐linked hprt gene. The Tk gene mainly detects loss of heterozygosity mutation, whereas the majority of mutations previously found in the hprt gene were point mutations. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 36:283–291, 2000. Published 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Cress and potato soluble epoxide hydrolases: purification, biochemical characterization, and comparison to mammalian enzymes.

Affinity chromatographic methods were developed for the one-step purification to homogeneity of recombinant soluble epoxide hydrolases (sEHs) from cress and potato. The enzymes are monomeric, with masses of 36 and 39 kDa and pI values of 4.5 and 5.0, respectively. In spite of a large difference in sequence, the two plant enzymes have properties of inhibition and substrate selectivity which differ only slightly from mammalian sEHs. Whereas mammalian sEHs are highly selective for trans- versus cis-substituted stilbene oxide and 1,3-diphenylpropene oxide (DPPO), plant sEHs exhibit far greater selectivity for trans- versus cis-stilbene oxide, but little to no selectivity for DPPO isomers. The isolation of a covalently linked plant sEH-substrate complex indicated that the plant and mammalian sEHs have a similar mechanism of action. We hypothesize an in vivo role for plant sEH in cutin biosynthesis, based on relatively high plant sEH activity on epoxystearate to form a cutin precursor, 9,10-dihydroxystearate. Plant sEHs display a high thermal stability relative to mammalian sEHs. This stability and their high enantioselectivity for a single substrate suggest that their potential as biocatalysts for the preparation of enantiopure epoxides should be evaluated.
Nonparametric regression on hidden phi-mixing variables: identifiability and consistency of a pseudo-likelihood based estimation procedure

This paper outlines a new nonparametric estimation procedure for unobserved phi-mixing processes. It is assumed that the only information on the stationary hidden states (Xk) is given by the process (Yk), where Yk is a noisy observation of f(Xk). The paper introduces a maximum pseudo-likelihood procedure to estimate the function f and the distribution of the hidden states using blocks of observations of length b. The identifiability of the model is studied in the particular cases b=1 and b=2. The consistency of the estimators of f and of the distribution of the hidden states as the number of observations grows to infinity is established.
Factors Influencing Buying Behavior and Buying Decision Process of Customers: An Examination on Relationship Using One-Way Analysis of Variance

This research is aimed at examining the relationship between the factors influencing customer buying behavior and the buying decision process, which customer goes through before and after buying Thai herbal shampoo. Research data is collected from four hundred samples in Bangkok using self-administered questionnaires. The reliability of the questionnaires is tested by Cronbach’s Alpha, which results in 0.891 for buying behavior and 0.873 for buying decision process. Descriptive statistic is adopted along with one way analysis of variance. The research results show that the customer buying behavior is being influenced by the social and situational factors at a somewhat influential degree, while being influenced by marketing and psychological factors at a very influential degree. In testing hypotheses, it is found that the customers who are affected by factors influencing buying behavior at a different degree also implemented buying decision process at a different degree at a statistical level of 0.05.
Exploratory factor analysis on drivers of firm’s growth among construction SMEs in Ghana

The growth of construction SMEs is imperative if an economy is to develop. Numerous factors influence the growth of construction SMEs due to the nature of their operation. Their growth can also be driven their activities which can be classified as internal or external. This study explored the organic (internal) factors that drive the growth of construction SMEs. To achieve the goal of the study, the exploratory factor analysis (EFA) technique was adopted. The study used a sample size of 228 out of the 315 questionnaires (a response rate of 72.3%) which were administered to a population consisting of firm owners, SME managers and construction industry professionals engaged by SMEs operating within the ten regional capitals in Ghana. The study established entrepreneurial features, firm characteristics, the business environment and stakeholder involvement as the vital factors which influence the growth of construction SMEs. Findings from the study ranked stakeholder involvement (SKI) as the most important factor in the growth of construction SMEs and the business environment of a firm (BEF) as the least important. Given the explored factors which influence the growth of construction SMEs in Ghana, the results have established their respective values for both KMO and Bartlett’s Test of Sphericity which makes the findings fit for further analytical test on firm’s growth.
Knowledge Management for Investors: Filling Knowledge Gaps via Networking and External Partnerships

Strategic partnerships can help companies improve their business models and profitability. The main advantages of strategic partnerships relate to their flexibility around financial commitments, focus and time: they are often less capital intensive than an MA they can be focused on a specific business process or project, and they can take less internal human resources (e.g., time) to achieve a desired outcome than if a company launched a full greenfield operation internally. Asset owner investors, such as pension funds, endowments and insurance companies, are increasingly exploring strategic partnerships to be able to pursue more ambitious projects (in order to realize higher investment returns) without the need to meet higher resource requirements. For a variety of reasons, many asset owners have limited capacity to build up full-fledged internal investment operations. Joining forces with peers and asset managers could help solve this problem, which is why a ‘Collaborative Model’ of institutional investment is growing in popularity. Yet, for a strategic relationship to be successful, the asset owners must first gain a deep understanding of their own knowledge gaps related to the investment innovation or investment strategies they want to pursue. These gaps concern specific market insights, skills, networks, available data sets, algorithms, and access to deal flow among other things. In this paper, we discuss internal knowledge tools as a way to identify gaps, which in turn can help investors find the right partner to fill these gaps. We argue that knowledge is key to long-term success, and these external partnerships are increasingly necessary in this regard.
Effect of particles size range on iron ore flotation

Flotation is one of the main concentration processes being employed for many classes of minerals (sulfides, oxides, silicates, phosphates, for example) at different particle sizes. In the iron ore industry, reverse quartz flotation has been successfully employed for particle sizes below ISOfim after the desliming process. The high demand for iron ore products has made flotation the main process for concentration in this industry, thus a better understanding of its mechanisms and the effect of the particle sizes in the process has become imperative. Flotation tests were carried out with three different size fractions of an itabirite iron ore, obtained using cyclone classification after desliming. The results showed distinct behaviors of the different size ranges. Higher etheramine dosages are required when coarse and fine fractions are floated separately and also this procedure is more sensitive to variations in etheramine dosages and pH values. The differences in particle size distributions and the specific surface area may explain the different flotation behavior of the distinct size fractions. The split flotation circuits for coarse and fine particles indicated an increase of 3% points in the metallurgical recovery with reduction of SiO2 content in final concentrate, increase of etheramine dosage and reduction of corn starch dosage. Economic feasibility analysis indicated a positive net present value of 50 million of dollars with split circuits for coarse and fine particles, considering a production of 10 million tons per year of pellet feed.
Did Unexpectedly Strong Economic Growth Cause the Oil Price Shock of 2003-2008?

Recently developed structural models of the global crude oil market imply that the surge in the real price of oil between mid-2003 and mid-2008 was driven by repeated positive shocks to the demand for all industrial commodities, reflecting unexpectedly high growth mainly in emerging Asia. This note evaluates this proposition using an alternative data source and a different econometric methodology. Rather than inferring demand shocks from an econometric model, we utilize a direct measure of global demand shocks based on revisions of professional real GDP growth forecasts. We show that recent forecast surprises were associated primarily with unexpected growth in emerging economies (and to a lesser extent in Japan), that markets were repeatedly surprised by the strength of this growth, that these surprises were associated with a hump-shaped response of the real price of oil that reaches its peak after 12 to 16 months, and that news about global growth predict much of the surge in the real price of oil from mid-2003 until mid-2008 and much of its subsequent decline.
Optimal state filtering and parameter identification for linear systems

This paper presents the optimal filtering and parameter identification problem for linear stochastic systems with unknown multiplicative and additive parameters over linear observations, where unknown parameters are considered Wiener processes. The original problem is reduced to the filtering problem for an extended state vector that incorporates parameters as additional states. The resulting filtering system is bilinear in state, with unmeasured linear part, and linear in observations. The obtained solution is based on the derived optimal filter for bilinear-linear states with partially measured linear part over linear observations. The optimal filter for the extended state vector also serves as the optimal identifier for the unknown parameters. In the example, performance of the designed optimal state filter and parameter identifier is verified for linear systems with unknown multiplicative parameter over linear observations. Both, stable and unstable, linear systems are examined
Acoustic and nonacoustic factors modifying middle-ear muscle activity in waking cats.

Author(s): CARMEL, PW; STARR, A | Abstract: MOST STUDIES OF THE MIDDLE-EAR MUSCLES have emphasized their reflex role in protecting the inner ear from damaging loud sounds (8,12, 13, 24, 26, 30, 36). Recent demonstrations of middle-ear muscle activity during lowintensity sounds (29) suggest that these muscles may have a wider role than merely protecting against mechanical damage. The present experiments reveal that in waking cats middle-ear muscle activity may be modified by prior acoustic experience, by nonacoustic factors such as bodily movements, and by changing the significance of the sound for the animal. This paper presents an analysis of some of the mechanisms underlying middle-ear muscle activity and illustrates both sustained and transient contractions which are regulated according to complex central activities, rather than responding as a fixed protective reflex arc.
Iodine concentrations in the rat kidney measured by x-ray microanalysis

Purpose: To measure the iodine concentrations in the proximal tubules and renal pelvis after i.v. injections of contrast media (CM) at 1600 mg I/kg b.w. , using a micro-puncture technique and X-ray microanalysis Material and Methods: The correlation between the viscosity of each CM and its iodine concentration was evaluated and the viscosity of the fluid in the proximal tubule and renal pelvis was estimated in rats Results: After iotrolan injection, the iodine concentration in the proximal tubular fluid had increased to values about three times higher than those reached with diatrizoate, iohexol and ioxaglate. Similarly, iotrolan tended to produce a higher iodine concentration in the renal pelvis than did the other CM. the urine viscosity in the renal pelvis was much higher after the iotrolan injection than after the other CM injections Conclusion: High urine viscosity after iotrolan injection can at least partly explain our previous findings of a prolonged increase in tubular hydrostatic pressure and a prolonged decrease in the single nephron glomerular filtration rate after administration of this CM
Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli Isolated from Surface Water in Urban and Rural Areas of Bangladesh

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is very commonly a cause of acute watery diarrhea in infants and young children in Bangladesh (2). Although organisms of this type are known to be spread through food and water contaminated by feces, limited information is available on climatic factors or the presence of ETEC in surface waters (ponds, rivers, and lakes) that are used for drinking, washing, cooking, and bathing in developing countries (3). This is in contrast to the extensive efforts that have been put forth to characterize the presence of Vibrio cholerae in the aquatic environment (4).
Transfer and efflux of cadmium and silver in marine snails and fish fed pre‐exposed mussel prey

Subcellular metal distribution may play an important role in the bioaccumulation and trophic transfer of metals in marine food chains. In the present study, we preexposed the green mussel Perna viridis to Ag and Cd and quantified their trophic transfer efficiencies to two predators (whelks [Thais clavigera] and fish [Terapon jarbua]). For the mussels, more Ag was distributed in the metal‐rich granule (MRG) fraction following Ag exposure, and more Cd was distributed in the metallothionein‐like protein following Cd exposure. In addition, Cd was mainly bound with the proteins having a molecular size of approximately 20 kDa. After being fed with metal‐exposed mussels, the assimilation efficiencies of Ag decreased significantly (from 77 to 29–60% in whelks and from 9 to 2% in fish) with an increasing percentage of Ag deposited in the MRG fraction of the prey. In contrast, the assimilation efficiencies of Cd remained comparable (81–85% in whelks and 6–8% in fish), because its partitioning in the soluble fraction of different treatments of the prey was similar. The efflux of Ag and Cd in the two predators was comparable after feeding on preexposed mussel prey. Our results imply that the subcellular distribution of metals in prey may affect the dietary assimilation of metals in predators, but such influence is clearly metal‐specific. The present study may lead to a better understanding of metal trophic transfer in different marine food chains.
Community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus skin and soft tissue infections at a public hospital: do public housing and incarceration amplify transmission?

BACKGROUND Community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) infections have emerged among patients without health care-associated risk factors. Understanding the epidemiology of CA-MRSA is critical for developing control measures. METHODS At a 464-bed public hospital in Chicago and its more than 100 associated clinics, surveillance of soft tissue, abscess fluid, joint fluid, and bone cultures for S aureus was performed. We estimated rates of infection and geographic and other risks for CA-MRSA through laboratory-based surveillance and a case-control study. RESULTS The incidence of CA-MRSA skin and soft tissue infections increased from 24.0 cases per 100,000 people in 2000 to 164.2 cases per 100,000 people in 2005 (relative risk, 6.84 [2005 vs 2000]). Risk factors were incarceration (odds ratio [OR], 1.92; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.00-3.67), African American race/ethnicity (OR, 1.91; 95% CI, 1.28-2.87), and residence at a group of geographically proximate public housing complexes (OR, 2.50; 95% CI, 1.25-4.98); older age was inversely related (OR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.82-0.96 [for each decade increase]). Of 73 strains tested, 79% were pulsed-field gel electrophoresis type USA300. CONCLUSIONS Clonal CA-MRSA infection has emerged among Chicago's urban poor. It has occurred in addition to, not in place of, methicillin-susceptible S aureus infection. Epidemiological analysis suggests that control measures could focus initially on core groups that have contributed disproportionately to risk, although CA-MRSA becomes endemic as it disseminates within communities.
Molecular Phenotyping of the Immune System by Microarray Analysis

The immune system is a unique network of cells that originate in the bone marrow and recirculate between the blood and lymphatic systems. These cells prepare themselves to guard the peripheral tissues against pathogens by maturation and differentiation processes that are initiated by cytokines, chemokines, foreign antigens, and cell–cell interactions. – 6] The lymphoid progenitor cells differentiate into T and B cells that, under antigenic stimulation and the proper cytokine environment, become activated to initiate adaptive immune responses. Cells of the myeloid lineage differentiate into neutrophils, basophils, eosinophils, monocytes, macrophages, and dendritic cells. The innate immune response is orchestrated mainly by macrophages, but there exists a dynamic interplay between the cells and factors of both the innate and the adaptive (T and B cells) arms of the immune system to produce activated T cells and/or antibodies to destroy pathogens. – 6] The clonal expansion of T and B cells is an antigenand/or cytokine-dependent process that requires coordinate gene expression that empowers specific, activated T or B cell clones to perform their specific functions. It is clear that the processes of differentiation and proliferation are constantly being evoked, which is reflected by changes in specific gene expression. Identifying specific patterns of gene expression in subpopulations of T cells, B cells, macrophages, and dendritic cells would make it possible to: (1) define the expression of subsets of cells and thus monitor the progress of an immune response; (2) identify defects of the immune response at the cellular and molecular levels; (3) identify specific diseases composed of previously clinically indistinguishable subclasses, thus, subdividing diseases; and (4) enhance our present understanding of the immune response by providing the molecular basis and consequences of cell–cell interactions in the immune system. There are specific diseases of the immune system where a more global picture of gene expression profiles may have a direct and immediate impact. For example, a cataloging of the global gene expression for diseases such as chronic lymphocytic leukemia, acute lymphocytic leukemia, pre-B cell leukemia, follicular cell lymphoma, Burkitt’s lymphoma, Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia, and multiple myeloma, compared to each other and to normal B and T cells will better define these diseases and advance diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutic approaches. The comparative compilation of gene expression of T cell tumors, including common acute lymphoblastic leukemia (C-ALL) (where lymphoid progenitor cells are involved), thymoma (where
Live Better by Consuming Less?: Is There a “Double Dividend” in Sustainable Consumption?

Industrial ecology has mainly been concerned with improving the efficiency of production systems. But addressing consumption is also vital in reducing the impact of society on its environment. The concept of sustainable consumption is a response to this. But the debates about sustainable consumption can only really be understood in the context of much wider and deeper debates about consumption and about consumer behavior itself. This article explores some of these wider debates. In particular, it draws attention to a fundamental disagreement that runs through the literature on consumption and haunts the debate on sustainable consumption: the question of whether, or to what extent, consumption can be taken as “good for us. ” Some approaches assume that increasing consumption is more or less synonymous with improved well‐being: the more we consume the better off we are. Others argue, just as vehemently, that the scale of consumption in modern society is both environmentally and psychologically damaging, and that we could reduce consumption significantly without threatening the quality of our lives. This second viewpoint suggests that a kind of “double dividend” is inherent in sustainable consumption: the ability to live better by consuming less and reduce our impact on the environment in the process. In the final analysis, this article argues, such “win‐win” solutions may exist but will require a concerted societal effort to realize.
Sulfuryl Fluoride Uncertainty Factor Recommendations Acute Exposure : The Risk Assessment

Sulfuryl fluoride is a fumigant registered for use in California for both structural and food commodity fumigation. In 2001, US EPA required the completion of an inhalation developmental neurotoxicity study (DNT) for sulfuryl fluoride because of concerns of neurotoxicity and disturbances in electrophysiological responses in rats, mice, dogs and rabbits. The clinical signs included the neurotoxic lesions of malacia (necrosis) and vacuolation of white fiber tracts in the basal ganglia of the caudate-putamen. US EPA’s DNT study requirement was later waived and replaced by a 10-fold uncertainty factor (Food Quality Protection Act [FQPA] safety factor of 10X). In 2006, the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) completed a risk characterization document (RCD) for sulfuryl fluoride (Vikane®) for structural and non-food commodity fumigation in California, which was reviewed by the Scientific Review Panel that is charged with evaluating risk assessments of substances proposed for identification as toxic air contaminants. In the 2006 RCD, DPR established critical NOELs and reference concentrations based on the following uncertainty factors (UF):