Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Characterization of benzodiazepine and gamma-aminobutyric recognition sites and their endogenous modulators

The solubilization and partial purification from rat brain cortex homogenates of [3H]gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and [3H]diazepam recognition sites and of their endogenous modulators (GABA-modulin and an endogenous compound which specifically bound [3H]diazepam) are reported. A high percentage of GABA binding sites (virtually free of benzodiazepine binding sites) was solubilized from homogenates of rat brain cortex incubated at 0 degree C with 1% Triton X-100 and a mixture of protease inhibitors. A large proportion of benzodiazepine binding sites was solubilized in the absence of apparent GABA binding capacity by incubating crude synaptic membrane preparations at 37 degree C with 0.05% Triton X-100. The characteristics of these two solubilized binding sites resemble those of the membrane-bound binding sites. However, unlike the membrane-bound sites, solubilized GABA and benzodiazepine binding sites are insensitive to GABA stimulation, while solubilized GABA binding sites are no longer protected by the benzodiazepines against heat inactivation. These results indicate that GABA and benzodiazepine recognition sites reside in two different molecules which, when bound to membranes, can interact reciprocally and modulate their binding affinity for specific ligands.
E- Banking in Nigeria: Issues and Challenges

The aim of this study was to assess issues and challenges of e-banking in Nigeria. The specific objectives were to ascertain the effect of e-banking on workers, job security in Nigeria banking industry, examine the relationship between e- banking and quality of service delivery of commercial banks in Nigeria, evaluate the relationship between e-banking and security of financial transactions and to find out if e-banking influences customers satisfaction in the Nigerian banking industry. The survey and descriptive research design were adopted in the methodology of the study. The population consists of all the customers and staff of three selected banks branches in the Benin metropolis. A sample of three hundred respondents was selected using the convenience random sampling techniques. The study employs primary data using questionnaires as the research instrument. The data analysis was carried out using summary statistics and ordinary least square regression analysis. The study findings indicate that employees’ job security has a positive relationship with E-banking and significantly influence E-banking in Nigeria; customers’ satisfaction was ascertained to have a positive relationship with e-banking and also influence e-banking penetration in Nigeria; security of financial transactions was found to have a positive relationship with e-banking, it however had inverse significant impact on e-banking; services delivery has a positive relationship with e-banking. It is therefore recommended that for effective e-banking penetration, investors education and marketing of e-banking products should be the key strategy banks should use to attract more customers towards embracing e-banking and increasing security for e-banking products, reduction of charges on e-banking products and increasing more ATM outlets in Nigeria as part of measures towards enhancing quality services delivery and promotion of e-banking as this will further enhance the recent need for financial inclusion as part of the monetary policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria. Keywords: E-banking, job security, service delivery, customers’ satisfaction and security of e-banking financial transactions.
Genetic Analysis of the Serratia marcescens N28b O4 Antigen Gene Cluster

ABSTRACT The Serratia marcescens N28b wbbL gene has been shown to complement the rfb-50 mutation ofEscherichia coli K-12 derivatives, and a wbbLmutant has been shown to be impaired in O4-antigen biosynthesis (X. Rubirés, F. Saigı́, N. Piqué, N. Climent, S. Merino, S. Albertı́, J. M. Tomás, and M. Regué, J. Bacteriol. 179:7581–7586, 1997). We analyzed a recombinant cosmid containing the wbbL gene by subcloning and determination of O-antigen production phenotype in E. coli DH5α by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide electrophoresis and Western blot experiments with S. marcescens O4 antiserum. The results obtained showed that a recombinant plasmid (pSUB6) containing about 10 kb of DNA insert was enough to induce O4-antigen biosynthesis. The same results were obtained when an E. coli K-12 strain with a deletion of the wb cluster was used, suggesting that the O4wb cluster is located in pSUB6. No O4 antigen was produced when plasmid pSUB6 was introduced in a wecA mutant E. coli strain, suggesting that O4-antigen production iswecA dependent. Nucleotide sequence determination of the whole insert in plasmid pSUB6 showed seven open reading frames (ORFs). On the basis of protein similarity analysis of the ORF-encoded proteins and analysis of the S. marcescens N28b wbbAinsertion mutant and wzm-wzt deletion mutant, we suggest that the O4 wb cluster codes for two dTDP-rhamnose biosynthetic enzymes (RmlDC), a rhamnosyltransferase (WbbL), a two-component ATP-binding-cassette-type export system (Wzm Wzt), and a putative glycosyltransferase (WbbA). A sequence showing DNA homology to insertion element IS4 was found downstream from the last gene in the cluster (wbbA), suggesting that an IS4-like element could have been involved in the acquisition of the O4 wb cluster.
Low expression of activation marker CD69 and chemokine receptors CCR5 and CXCR3 on memory T cells after 2009 H1N1 influenza A antigen stimulation in vitro following H1N1 vaccination of HIV-infected individuals

Unlike well-studied antibody responses to pandemic 2009 H1N1 influenza A virus vaccines in human immunodeficiency virus-infected (HIV+) individuals, less well understood are cell-mediated immune (CMI) responses to this antigen in this susceptible population. We investigated such influenza-specific CMI responses in 61 HIV+ individuals and in 20 HIV-negative (HIV-) healthy controls. Each was vaccinated with a single licensed dose of inactivated, split-virion vaccine comprised of the influenza A/California/7/2009 (H1N1) virus-like strain. Cells collected just prior to vaccination and at 1 and 3 months afterwards were stimulated in vitro with dialyzed vaccine antigen and assayed by flow cytometry for cytokines TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-2, and IL-10, for degranulation marker CD107a, as well as phenotypes of memory T-cell subpopulations. Comparable increases of cytokine-producing and CD107a-expressing T cells were observed in both HIV+ subjects and healthy HIV-controls. However, by 3 months post-vaccination, in vitro antigen stimulation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells induced greater expansion in controls of both CD4 and CD8 central memory and effector memory T cells, as well as higher expression of the activation marker CD69 and chemokine receptors CCR5 and CXCR3 than in HIV+ subjects. We concluded CD4+ and CD8+ memory T cells produce cytokines at comparable levels in both groups, whereas the expression after in vitro stimulation of molecules critical for cell migration to infection sites are lower in the HIV+ than in comparable controls. Further immunization strategies against influenza are needed to improve the CMI responses in people living with HIV.
Guidelines for Higher Education Libraries in Portugal

This study reports the recent activity of the Higher Education Libraries Work Group, a group of the Portuguese Association of Librarians, Archivists and Documentation Professionals. It focuses particularly on the reflection and debate about the production of the Guidelines for Higher Education Libraries that are published here. The study analyses some of the best practices held in higher education libraries that inspired the construction of this document and that can be observed to raise awareness to the most needed areas of intervention. It also aims to reach out to the strategic objectives of generating knowledge, sharing experiences, promoting the transfer of knowledge and fostering the creation of policies in the field of information and documentation in Portugal.
Structuring lute tablature and MIDI data : machine learning models for voice separation in symbolic music representations

This thesis concerns the design, development, and implementation of machine learning models for voice separation in two forms of symbolic music representations: lute tablature and MIDI data. Three modelling approaches are described: MA1, a note-level classification approach using a neural network, MA2, a chord-level regression approach using a neural network, and MA3, a chord-level probabilistic approach using a hidden Markov model. Furthermore, three model extensions are presented: backward processing, modelling voice and duration simultaneously, and multi-pass processing using an extended (bidirectional) decision context. Two datasets are created for model evaluation: a tablature dataset, containing a total of 15 three-voice and four-voice intabulations (lute arrangements of polyphonic vocal works) in a custom-made tablature encoding format, tab+, as well as in MIDI format, and a Bach dataset, containing the 45 three-voice and four-voice fugues from Johann Sebastian Bach’s _Das wohltemperirte Clavier_ (BWV 846-893) in MIDI format. The datasets are made available publicly, as is the software used to implement the models and the framework for training and evaluating them. The models are evaluated on the datasets in four experiments. The first experiment, where the different modelling approaches are compared, shows that MA1 is the most effective and efficient approach. The second experiment shows that the features are effective, and it demonstrates the importance of the type and amount of context information that is encoded in the feature vectors. The third experiment, which concerns model extension, shows that modelling backward and modelling voice and duration simultaneously do not lead to the hypothesised increase in model performance, but that using a multi-pass bidirectional model does. In the last experiment, where the performance of the models is compared with that of existing state-of-the-art systems for voice separation, it is shown that the models described in this thesis can compete with these systems.
Radiative decays of the Upsilon(1S) to gamma pi(0)pi(0), gamma eta eta and gamma pi(0)eta

We report on a study of exclusive radiative decays of the Upsilon(1S) resonance into the final states gamma pi^0 pi^0, gamma eta eta and gamma pi^0 eta, using 1.13 inverse femto-barn of e^+ e^- annihilation data collected at sqrt(s)= 9.46 GeV with the CLEO III detector operating at the Cornell Electron Storage Ring. In the channel gamma pi^0 pi^0, we measure the branching ratio for the decay mode Upsilon(1S) to gamma f_2(1270) to be (10.5 \pm 1.6 (+ 1.9)(-1.8)) x 10^-5. We place upper limits on the product branching ratios for the isoscalar resonances f_0(1500) and f_0(1710) for the pi^0 pi^0 and eta-eta decay channels. We also set an upper limit on the Upsilon(1S) radiative decay into pi^0 eta.
Margins of Trade: Czech Firms Before, During and After the Crisis

We investigate the extensive and intensive margins of trade of Czech firms in periods before, during and after the crisis of 2008-2009. The intensive margin explains most of the aggregate export growth in 2006-2014, which corroborates previous findings for other countries. The contribution of the extensive margin is smaller, explaining on average 39% of the aggregate export growth in 2006-2007 and around 25% to 30% of that in the post-crisis period. The lower contribution of the extensive margin may signal a lower rate of convergence of the Czech economy. The results indicate that the crisis had a more severe impact on small exporting firms and that exports to countries outside the EU gained more prominence in the post-crisis years. Our results are similar to findings from previous studies on the impact of participation in global value chains on firms' trade. Specifically, a more negative impact of the crisis was observed for exports with higher import intensity. Overall, our results point to the importance of using disaggregated data in the analysis of countries' export performance.
Computer-Assisted Segmentation of Bacteria in Color Micrographs

We describe a semi-automated method to segment multicolored microbes in digitized color images containing complex, noisy backgrounds. Instead of providing a simple threshold, the system uses an interactive environment whereby one samples multiple pixels to represent the range of color pixels comprising the foreground microbes of interest. The color and spatial distances of these target points are then used to segment the microbes from the confusing background. The new system should have wide applications in digital image analysis of multicolored objects in complex colored images, as is commonplace in studies of in-situ microbial ecology and biomedical imaging.
S-(1,2-Dicarboxyethyl)glutathione and S-(1,2-Dicarboxyethyl)L-cysteine in Lens

S-(1,2-Dicarboxyethyl)glutathione and S-(1,2-dicarboxyethyl)L-cysteine were determined by high performance liquid chromatography after reaction with 2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene. By this method the former could be determined in the range 4.05 mumol/l-815 mumol/l, and the latter in the range 1.45 mumol/l-1.45 mmol/l. The recovery from cattle lens homogenate was 90.0 +/- 3.2% for S-(1,2-dicarboxyethyl)glutathione and 95.3 +/- 3.1% for S-(1,2-dicarboxyethyl)L-cysteine. Using this method S-(1,2-dicarboxyethyl)-glutathione and S-(1,2-dicarboxyethyl)L-cysteine were determined in lenses of several vertebrates and in rat lens during cataract formation by galactose.
Hsp90 inhibitor PU-H71, a multimodal inhibitor of malignancy, induces complete responses in triple-negative breast cancer models

Triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs) are defined by a lack of expression of estrogen, progesterone, and HER2 receptors. Because of the absence of identified targets and targeted therapies, and due to a heterogeneous molecular presentation, treatment guidelines for patients with TNBC include only conventional chemotherapy. Such treatment, while effective for some, leaves others with high rates of early relapse and is not curative for any patient with metastatic disease. Here, we demonstrate that these tumors are sensitive to the heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) inhibitor PU-H71. Potent and durable anti-tumor effects in TNBC xenografts, including complete response and tumor regression, without toxicity to the host are achieved with this agent. Notably, TNBC tumors respond to retreatment with PU-H71 for several cycles extending for over 5 months without evidence of resistance or toxicity. Through a proteomics approach, we show that multiple oncoproteins involved in tumor proliferation, survival, and invasive potential are in complex with PU-H71-bound Hsp90 in TNBC. PU-H71 induces efficient and sustained downregulation and inactivation, both in vitro and in vivo, of these proteins. Among them, we identify downregulation of components of the Ras/Raf/MAPK pathway and G2-M phase to contribute to its anti-proliferative effect, degradation of activated Akt and Bcl-xL to induce apoptosis, and inhibition of activated NF-κB, Akt, ERK2, Tyk2, and PKC to reduce TNBC invasive potential. The results identify Hsp90 as a critical and multimodal target in this most difficult to treat breast cancer subtype and support the use of the Hsp90 inhibitor PU-H71 for clinical trials involving patients with TNBC.
METABOLISM OF [3H]NOREPINEPHRINE IN THE RAT BRAIN

RELATIVELY little work has been done on the metabolism and physiological disposition of norepinephrine in the intact brain because of the inability of this compound to cross the blood-brain barrier (WEIL-MALHERBE, AXELROD and WHITBY, 1961). In a preliminary communication (MILHAUD and GLOWINSKI, 1963), it was shown that after the administration of ~-~[~~C]norepinephr ine into the lateral ventricle of the rat brain, a large amount of radioactivity was present in the brain, and that deaminated and U-methylated metabolites were present soon after the injection. MANNARINO KIRSHNER and NASHOLD (1963) injected [14C]norepinephrine into the lateral ventricle of the cat and found that the principal metabolites were 0-methylated products. This report will describe the physiological disposition and metabolism of [3H]norepinephrine of high specific activity introduced into the brain ventricles. The relatively large amounts of catecholamine in previous experiments rendered the animals unconscious for long periods of time (FELDBERG and SHERWOOD, 1954; MILHAUD and GLOWINSKI, 1963). The technique of intraventricular administration and the small amount of norepinephrine (0.13 pg) used enabled the rats to recover within a short time after pentothal anaesthesia. The animals behaved in an apparently normal manner for several days; this permitted study of the fate of the neurohumour in the intact rat brain over a relatively long period of time.
Effect of Early Skin-to-Skin Mother—Infant Contact During the First 3 Hours Following Birth on Exclusive Breastfeeding During the Maternity Hospital Stay

This was a nurse-driven, hospital-based, prospective cohort study of data collected in 19 hospitals in San Bernardino and Riverside counties by California Perinatal Services Network on all mothers (n = 21 842) who delivered a singleton infant (37-40 weeks gestation) between July 2005 through June 2006. Multivariate ordinal logistic regression showed that maternal infant-feeding method intention (measured prior to birth), sociodemographic characteristics, intrapartum variables, and early skin-to-skin mother—infant contact during the first 3 hours following birth (controlling for delivery hospital) were correlated with exclusive breastfeeding during the maternity hospitalization. Compared with mothers with no early skin-to-skin contact, exclusive breastfeeding was higher in mothers who experienced skin-to-skin contact for 1 to 15 minutes (odds ratio [OR] 1.376; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.189-1.593), 16 to 30 minutes (OR 1.665; 95% CI, 1.468-1.888), 31 to 59 minutes (OR 2.357; 95% CI, 2.061-2.695), and more than 1 hour (OR 3.145; 95% CI, 2.905-3.405). The results demonstrate a dose—response relationship between early skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding exclusivity.
Earnings Announcement Promotions: A Yahoo Finance Field Experiment

This study presents a field experiment in which media articles for a random sample of firms with earnings announcements are promoted to a one percent subset of Yahoo Finance users. Promoted firms have higher abnormal returns and some evidence of lower bid-ask spreads on the day of the earnings announcement. These results are more pronounced for less visible firms, negative earnings news, and on days with fewer promoted firms. These findings suggest that investor attention affects the pricing of earnings and that retail investors buy stocks that catch their attention, in a setting where attention is randomly assigned.
Autoimmune Retinopathies: A Report of 3 Cases

Abstract Purpose: To describe 3 representative cases of autoimmune retinopathy (AIR). Methods: Clinical records of patients with a diagnosis of AIR were analyzed for demographic data, clinical findings, ancillary and laboratory tests, and treatment employed. Results: Three female patients diagnosed with AIR had bilateral reduction of electroretinogram amplitudes and elevation of visual field threshold within the central 30 degrees of the visual field that was disproportionately more severe than the clinical findings of retinal degeneration. The diagnoses were cancer-associated retinopathy, non-neoplastic AIR, and hereditary retinal dystrophy with secondary inflammation. Optic nerve involvement was also present in all cases. The patient with non-neoplastic AIR was successfully treated with systemic corticosteroids and immunomodulatory agents. Conclusion: High index of suspicion is essential for an early diagnosis of AIR. Visual function and electrophysiological tests should be included in the initial workup of patients who present with suggestive clinical signs and symptoms of AIR.
The complete mitochondrial genome of the Yorkshire pig (Sus scrofa)

Abstract This study aims to identify the complete nucleotide sequence of mitochondrial genome in the Yorkshire pig. Sequence analysis indicates that the genome structure is in accordance with other pig breeds, and it contains 22 tRNA genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes, 13 protein-coding genes and 1 control region (D-loop region). The complete mitochondrial genome sequence of the Yorkshire pig provides an important record set for further study on genetic mechanism.
Evaluation of Quality of Life for Prostate Cancer Patients Who Have Undergone Radical Prostatectomy Surgery

Prostate cancer is an epidemic among aging men. It is essential that research be conducted with the purpose of determining the outcomes of various treatment options. For this study, a sample of radical prostatectomy patients completed a written questionnaire for the purpose of evaluating whether the radical prostatectomy for clinically localized prostate cancer has an effect on quality of life. In addition, demographic factors were examined to determine if they had an effect on quality of life after this surgical procedure. Data appeared to show that urinary, bowel, and sexual function are determinants of quality of life that are affected by having the radical prostatectomy procedure. Due to the numerous treatment options available for prostate cancer, more research regarding quality of life should be undertaken to determine the best possible treatment option for the patient.
Study of the Factors Influencing the Shallow Groundwater Quality in Two Settlements with Different Characteristics

Recently, clean water became one of the most important natural resources. It is also proven by the fact that the fight for water often causes conflicts, even wars as well (Sultana, 2011). Although the water resources of the Earth are large, most of the water can be found in oceans (96.6%), and this water is hardly available for the humanity since the desalination is a very expensive process and the transportation of the cleaned water to the inner continent is also difficult. Only 3.4% of the hydrosphere is fresh water; most of it is also hardly available such as the water stored in the polar ice caps or the water resources found in the lithosphere deeper than 5 km (Rakonczai, 2008). Easily available water resources are the surface waters of the continents (rivers and lakes), and the groundwater such as shallow groundwater, karstic water and deep groundwater.