Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Establishment of Agrobacterium tumefaciens-Mediated Transformation of an Oleaginous Fungus, Mortierella alpina 1S-4, and Its Application for Eicosapentaenoic Acid Producer Breeding

ABSTRACT Gene manipulation tools for an arachidonic-producing filamentous fungus, Mortierella alpina 1S-4, have not been sufficiently developed. In this study, Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation (ATMT) was investigated for M. alpina 1S-4 transformation, using the uracil-auxotrophic mutant (ura5− strain) of M. alpina 1S-4 as a host strain and the homologous ura5 gene as a selectable marker gene. Furthermore, the gene for ω3-desaturase, catalyzing the conversion of n-6 fatty acid to n-3 fatty acid, was overexpressed in M. alpina 1S-4 by employing the ATMT system. As a result, we revealed that the frequency of transformation surpassed 400 transformants/108 spores, most of the integrated T-DNA appeared as a single copy at a random position in chromosomal DNA, and most of the transformants (60 to 80%) showed mitotic stability. Moreover, the accumulation of n-3 fatty acid in transformants was observed under the conditions of optimal ω3-desaturase gene expression. In particular, eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n-3), an end product of n-3 fatty acids synthesized in M. alpina 1S-4, reached a maximum of 40% of total fatty acids. In conclusion, the ATMT system was found to be effective and suitable for the industrial strain Mortierella alpina 1S-4 and will be a useful tool for basic mutagenesis research and for industrial breeding of this strain.
Experimental chemotherapy of human medulloblastoma with classical alkylators.

Seven classical alkylators were tested for activity against the continuous human medulloblastoma cell line TE-671 grown in vitro and as s.c. and intracranial xenografts in athymic mice. Drugs tested included melphalan, cyclophosphamide (4-hydroperoxycyclophosphamide in vitro), iphosphamide (4-hydroperoxyiphosphamide in vitro), phenylketocyclo-phosphamide, phenylketoiphosphamide, Asta Z 7557, and thiotriethyl-enephosphoramide. All agents were active, with melphalan demonstrating the most activity in vitro and in vivo. Comparative studies of cyclophosphamide and phenylketocyclophosphamide revealed partition coefficients (log P) of 0.73 and greater than 1.69, respectively, and cyclophosphamide exhibited greater cytotoxic activity in post- (equitoxic) drug administration murine plasma. Hematological toxicity was limited to leukopenia/neutropenia for both of these agents. These studies suggest that the classical alkylators may have a role in the treatment of medulloblastoma and provide a means to further analyze their therapeutic potential.
Isolation of major phenolics from Launaea spinosa and their protective effect on HepG2 cells damaged with t-BHP

Abstract Context: Some Launaea species (Asteraceae) are used traditionally to treat liver oxidative stress. Objective: The present study investigates the protective effects of isolated compounds from Launaea spinosa Sch. Bip. (Asteraceae) against oxidative stress on t-BHP-induced HepG2 cells. Materials and methods: Major phenolic content from flowering aerial parts of L. spinosa was isolated and identified. The protective effects of isolated compounds (10 and 20 μM) against oxidative stress induced by tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BHP) in HepG2 cells were investigated through the measurement of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels. Results: A new phenolic compound identified as 2,3-diferulyl R,R-(+) methyl tartrate (6), in addition to five known metabolites, esculetin (1), esculetin-7-O-d-glucoside (cichoriin) (2), fertaric acid (3), acacetin-7-O-d-glucoside (4), and acacetin-7-O-d-glucuronic acid (5), were isolated. Oxidant-induced damage by 200 μM t-BHP in HepG2 cells was inhibited by compounds 1, 4, and 5 (10 and 20 μM), or quercetin (10 μM; positive control). The protective effects of compounds 1, 4, and 5 were associated with decreasing in AST, ALT, and SOD levels. Compound 4 (20 μM) decreased the AST level from 128.5 ± 13.9 to 7.9 ±1.8 U/mL. Meanwhile, compound 1 (20 μM) decreased ALT activity from 20.3 ± 7.0 to 7.6 ± 2.4 U/mL, while compound 5 decreased SOD levels from 41.6 ± 9.0 to 28.3 ± 3.4 mU/mg. Conclusion: The major phenolic compounds isolated from L. spinosa displayed a significant cytoprotective effect against oxidative stress, leading to maintenance of the normal redox status of the cell.
Design and Implementation of a Micromanipulation System Using a Magnetically Levitated MEMS Robot

Magnetic levitation of microrobots is presented as a new technology for micromanipulation tasks. The microrobots were fabricated based on microelectromechanical systems technology and weigh less than 1 g. The robots can be positioned in 3-D using magnetic field. It is shown that microrobots can be produced using commercially available magnets or electrodeposited magnetic films. A photothermal microgripper is integrated to the microrobots to perform micromanipulation operations. The microgrippers can be actuated remotely by laser focusing that makes the microrobot free of any wiring. This leads to increased motion range with more functionality in addition to dust-free motion and ability to work in closed environments. The 3-D motion capability of the microrobots is verified experimentally and it was demonstrated that the microgrippers can be operated in a vertical range of 4 mm and a horizontal range of 4 mm times 5 mm. Micromanipulation experiments such as pick-and-place, pushing, and pulling were demonstrated using objects with 100 mum and 1 mm diameter.
Revisiting Event Study Designs

A broad empirical literature uses "event study" research designs for treatment effect estimation, a setting in which all units in the panel receive treatment but at random times. We make four novel points about identification and estimation of causal effects in this setting and show their practical relevance. First, we show that in the presence of unit and time fixed effects, it is impossible to identify the linear component of the path of pre-trends and dynamic treatment effects. Second, we propose graphical and statistical tests for pre-trends. Third, we consider commonly-used "static" regressions, with a treatment dummy instead of a full set of leads and lags around the treatment event, and we show that OLS does not recover a weighted average of the treatment effects: long-term effects are weighted negatively, and we introduce a different estimator that is robust to this issue. Fourth, we show that equivalent problems of under-identification and negative weighting arise in difference-in-differences settings when the control group is allowed to be on a different time trend or in the presence of unit-specific time trends. Finally, we show the practical relevance of these issues in a series of examples from the existing literature, with a focus on the estimation of the marginal propensity to consume out of tax rebates.
Inhibition by Ergocornine of Initiation and Growth of 7,12-Dimethylbenzanthracene-Induced Mammary Tumors in Rats: Effect of Tumor Size

Summary Administration of ergocornine 11 days before, and 5 days after, treatment with DMBA significantly inhibited the induction of mammary tumors in rats. Ergocornine caused rapid and complete (to palpation) regression of 62% of established, DMBA-induced mammary tumors. Examination of sites where tumors had completely regressed to palpation, 2 months after ergocornine treatment was discontinued, revealed that 64% of the tumors did not recur. The effectiveness of ergocornine in regressing tumors was found to be related to initial tumor size. Tumors with volumes up to 1.8 cm3 regressed rapidly after ergocornine; whereas tumors approximately 14.1 cm3 and over did not respond to treatment. Tumors intermediate between these two sizes showed growth inhibition, and many showed regression in varying degrees. Therefore, mammary tumors start to lose their hormonal dependence as they become larger, and eventually may lose it completely. In view of these results, we suggest that prolactin inhibitors may cause regression of breast cancer in its early stages and may prevent formation of tumors through prophylactic treatment.
RISK FACTORS OF TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS IN THE RURAL POPULATION OF NORTH KERALA, INDIA: A CASE CONTROL STUDY

SUMMARY The aim of the study was to assess the risk factors associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in rural population of North Kerala, India. The study included 100 T2DM cases randomly selected among patients with diabetes admitted to medicine ward and 200 controls without DM recruited from visitors and patient attendants at a tertiary care centre in the northern part of Kerala, India. A questionnaire that contained sociodemographic characteristics and risk factors was used for data collection. ANOVA was performed to find the significance of more than two means. Simple binary logistic regression and multiple binary logistic regression were performed to find the crude and adjusted odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated to find the significance of the observed OR. A p value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Study results showed those above 50 years of age to have five times more chance to get diabetes when compared with those in the 20-30 age group. Gender and religion did not show any statistically significant association with diabetes. Physical activity was observed as a protective factor for the development of DM. Hypertension, especially systolic hypertension, emerged as a strong risk factor for T2DM in this study. Subjects with systolic hypertension had 4.6-fold chance to develop T2DM, making it mandatory to screen all patients with hypertension above 25 years of age for T2DM irrespective of the presence of other risk factors. In conclusion, results of the present study will be of use in planning primordial, primary and secondary measures of prevention at the community level.
On a p-curl system arising in electromagnetism

We prove existence of solution of a $p$-curl type evolutionary system arising in electromagnetism with a power nonlinearity of order $p$, $1 < p < \infty$, assuming natural tangential boundary conditions. We consider also the asymptotic behaviour in the power obtaining, when $p$ tends to infinity, a variational inequality with a curl constraint. We also discuss the existence, uniqueness and continuous dependence on the data of the solutions to general variational inequalities with curl constraints dependent on time, as well as the asymptotic stabilization in time towards the stationary solution with and without constraint.
EFFICACY OF INTRADERMAL RHD VACCINATION USING VARIOUS ADJUVANTS ON FATTENING RABBITS

There is a clear necessity to protect fattening animals to prevent the losses that an outbreak of Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease (RHD) can cause in industrial rabbit farms. Inactivated vaccines against RHD with different adjuvants are available in the market as well as several vaccination devices. The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of various RHD vaccines with different adjuvants when administered by intradermal route by measuring the serological immune response and the resistance to an intramuscular challenge with RHD virus in fattening rabbits. Five batches of animals were vaccinated: Batch 1 or control rabbits were inoculated phosphate buffer solution (PBS) by intradermal route. Batches 2 and 3 were vaccinated with half-dose of oil-based Cunipravac-RHD® (Laboratorios Hipra) by subcutaneous and intradermal route respectively. Batch 4 received an experimental aluminum hydroxide-based vaccine with the same antigenic composition as Cunipravac-RHD®. Aluminum hydroxide-based Dercunimix® (Merial) was administered to Batch 5 according to manufacturer’s indications. Vaccinations did not affect health status of rabbits but produced transient local reactions at the inoculation site. Serological response at 29 days post-vaccination was not complete and varied widely between groups. In contrast, total protection after challenge was reached in Batches 2, 3 and 5. When using the intradermal route halfdose of the oil-based vaccine (Batch 3) conferred a protection comparable to a complete dose of the aluminum hydro xide-based vaccine (Batch 5) after challenge with RHD virus. Our results suggested that oil-based vaccines were more effective controlling a RHD viral infection regardless of the inoculation route used compared to the aluminum hydroxide-based vaccines based on the identification of RHD virus from vaccinatedchallenged animals.
Intracranial Pressure Monitoring in Infants and Young Children With Traumatic Brain Injury

Objective: To examine the use of intracranial pressure monitors and treatment for elevated intracranial pressure in children 24 months old or younger with traumatic brain injury in North Carolina between April 2009 and March 2012 and compare this with a similar cohort recruited 2000–2001. Design: Prospective, observational cohort study. Setting: Twelve PICUs in North Carolina. Patients: All children 24 months old or younger with traumatic brain injury, admitted to an included PICU. Interventions: None. Measurement and Main Results: The use of intracranial pressure monitors and treatments for elevated intracranial pressure were evaluated in 238 children with traumatic brain injury. Intracranial pressure monitoring (risk ratio, 3.7; 95% CI, 1.5–9.3) and intracranial pressure therapies were more common in children with Glasgow Coma Scale less than or equal to 8 compared with Glasgow Coma Scale greater than 8. However, only 17% of children with Glasgow Coma Scale less than or equal to 8 received a monitoring device. Treatments for elevated intracranial pressure were more common in children with monitors; yet, some children without monitors received therapies traditionally used to lower intracranial pressure. Unadjusted predictors of monitoring were Glasgow Coma Scale less than or equal to 8, receipt of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, nonwhite race. Logistic regression showed no strong predictors of intracranial pressure monitor use. Compared with the 2000 cohort, children in the 2010 cohort with Glasgow Coma Scale less than or equal to 8 were less likely to receive monitoring (risk ratio, 0.5; 95% CI, 0.3–1.0), although the estimate was not precise, or intracranial pressure management therapies. Conclusion: Children in the 2010 cohort with a Glasgow Coma Scale less than or equal to 8 were less likely to receive an intracranial pressure monitor or hyperosmolar therapy than children in the 2000 cohort; however, about 10% of children without monitors received therapies to decrease intracranial pressure. This suggests treatment heterogeneity in children 24 months old or younger with traumatic brain injury and a need for better evidence to support treatment recommendations for this group of children.
Income inequality and health: the role of population size, inequality threshold, period effects and lag effects

Background Income inequality has been associated with worse health outcomes in several but not all studies. The heterogeneity across studies may be explained by the variations in the size of area or population over which income inequality was evaluated. Moreover, the studies above a certain inequality threshold, conducted more recently, and incorporating a time lag may have stronger associations between income inequality and health. The authors investigated if the strength of the association between income inequality and health was altered by these factors. Methods The authors conducted a multivariate meta-regression analysis using nine multilevel cohort studies on income inequality and mortality and 14 multilevel cross-sectional studies on income inequality and self-rated health. Results Among cross-sectional studies, studies evaluating country-level inequality (average population>24 million) were more likely to show a stronger association between income inequality and poor health compared with those evaluating income inequality within small average populations (<820 000). There were no significant differences in the effect size of inequality–health association relating to the differences in the population size within a country across which income inequality was evaluated in both cross-sectional and cohort studies. The authors found that the threshold effects, period effects and lag effects were independent of the population size. Conclusions Income inequality at the country level may have stronger adverse contextual effects on health than inequality in smaller areas, perhaps by best reflecting social stratification in a society. Furthermore, we found that threshold, period and lag effects were independent of area unit for evaluating inequality, which may have important policy implications.
Casuarina glauca prenodule cells display the same differentiation as the corresponding nodule cells.

Recent phylogenetic studies have implied that all plants able to enter root nodule symbioses with nitrogen-fixing bacteria go back to a common ancestor (D.E. Soltis, P.S. Soltis, D.R. Morgan, S.M. Swensen, B.C. Mullin, J.M. Dowd, and P.G. Martin, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 92:2647-2651, 1995). However, nodules formed by plants from different groups are distinct in nodule organogenesis and structure. In most groups, nodule organogenesis involves the induction of cortical cell divisions. In legumes these divisions lead to the formation of a nodule primordium, while in non-legumes they lead to the formation of a so-called prenodule consisting of infected and uninfected cells. Nodule primordium formation does not involve prenodule cells, and the function of prenodules is not known. Here, we examine the differentiation of actinorhizal prenodule cells in comparison to nodule cells with regard to both symbionts. Our findings indicate that prenodules represent primitive symbiotic organs whose cell types display the same characteristics as their nodule counterparts. The results are discussed in the context of the evolution of root nodule symbioses.
Constitutive heterochromatin and karyotype variation in Indian pygmy mouse, Mus dunni.

A karyological and taxonomic study of pygmy mice collected from a rice field in the neighbourhood of Madras in South India by Matthey & Petter (1968) had revealed that there were two morphologically very similar species, M. dunni and M. booduga, which occupied the same habitat but possessed divergent karyotypes. Although both species were reported to have 2n = 40, all the chromosomes of M. booduga were acrocentric whereas M. dunni had a large metacentric X accompanied by a large acrocentric Y and a variable number of submetacentric autosomes in the complement. In Varanasi in North India we also encountered two distinct karyotypes in morphologically hardly distinguishable pygmy mice collected from the same rice fields. These mice were identified as M. booduga and M. dunni. The karyotype of M. booduga from Varanasi observed by us resembled exactly the karyotype of the same species from Madras studied by Matthey and Petter but, on the other hand, the karyotypes of M. dunni from these two places differed considerably. The difference in the karyotypes seemed to be due to variation in the quantity of C-band positive constitutive heterochromatin of the autosomal short arms.
the determinants of SMALL BUSINESS SUCCESS IN ALASKA

The presence of human capital has been linked to employment growth in both urban and rural areas. This article examines the relationship between small business development using multiple metrics in Alaska’s boroughs and the presence of the creative class. There is weak evidence supporting a causal link once we account for initial place specific economic conditions. Regions that are considering creative class theory as a development strategy need to recognize that place specific characteristics determine to a large extent the likelihood of success. Quality of life interacts with industrial structure and therefore cannot be ignored when entertaining economic development options. the determinants of
A Necessary and Sufficient Condition for Peace ∗

This paper examines the possibility for two contestants to agree on a peace settlement thereby avoiding a contest, in which each would exert a costly effort given the posterior distributions inferred from the negotiation. I find a necessary and sufficient condition of the prior distributions for there to exist a negotiation mechanism that admits a peace-ensuring perfect Bayesian equilibrium. The finding is based on an analysis of two-player all-pay contests that unifies the methods previously separated by the difference in discrete versus continuous distributions, and handles continuation plays that may cause empty best responses and infinitesimal effort costs for all but one type of a contestant who deviated previously. When a contestant becomes ex ante stronger, the peace condition is more likely to hold, though the strengthened contestant need not gain in the peace payoff, nor does the opponent need to exert more efforts to punish the former should the former deviate. The peace condition is also robust to equilibrium refinements such as the intuitive criterion and universal divinity. ∗The financial support from the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada is gratefully acknowledged. I thank Beth Allen, Mariagiovanna Baccara, Fredrik Ødegaard, Scott Page, Mike Peters, John Quah, Roberto Serranos, Hanzhe Zhang and seminar participants of the 2016 NSF/NBER/CEME Mathematical Economics Conference at Johns Hopkins University, 2017 NSF/CEME Decentralization Conference at the University of Michigan, 2017 Canadian Economic Theory Conference at the University of British Columbia, the Michigan State University, the Lingnan University College of Sun YatSen University, and the Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario for their comments. †Department of Economics, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, charles.zheng@uwo.ca, http://economics.uwo.ca/faculty/zheng/.
Selective equilibration among the current-carrying states in the quantum Hall regime.

The Hall resistance of a two-dimensional electron gas is measured with gated probes to determine the extent of equilibration among the N current-carrying states in the quantum Hall regime. After traveling macroscopic distances (\ensuremath{\sim}80 \ensuremath{\mu}m), current injected into the first state is equilibrated among the N-1 lowest states but equilibration into the highest state varies strongly across the Hall plateau. This is attributed to a change in the Nth state from being localized within a magnetic length of the edge to substantially extending into the sample.
Case Hardening Vignettes from the Western USA: Convergence of Form as a Result of Divergent Hardening Processes

The rock weathering literature contains the hypothesis that case hardening exemplifies equifinality, where the same end state can be reached by many potential processes in an open system. We present analytical data from six different sites in the western USA to assess the hypothesis of equifinality. Case hardening can be produced on: (1) sandstone in Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona, from the addition of silica glaze, rock varnish and heavy-metal skins; (2) sandstone in Whoopup Canyon, Wyoming, from silica glaze that formed originally inside subsurface joints combined with externally applied iron film, silica glaze, and rock varnish; (3) welded tuff in Death Valley, California, from the accumulation of rock varnish and heavy metal skins of Mn and Fe; (4) sandstone in Sedona, Arizona, from the protective effects of rock varnish accretion and heavy metal skins of Mn and Fe; (5) basalt on the Big Island, Hawai'i, from the accumulation of silica glaze inside vesicles; and (6) sandstone at Point Reyes, California, from a lithobiont mat of fungi and lichen. Each developed the general form of a case-hardened shell, protecting the surface from erosion. In accordance with the hypothesis of equifinality, the processes that led to similar appearance differ.