Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Study of TAS2R38 Genes for Bitter Taste Depending on Heredity of Taster in Three Generations of Mathur Population.

The present study was done in humans, based on responses to some bitter compounds.Some show a bimodal distribution that distinguishes two phenotypes, tasters and non-tasters. Phenylthiourea (PTU), is an organosulfur thiourea containing a phenyl ring. The main objective of this study was to determine the gene frequencies of dominant and recessive alleles for PTC taste sensitivity among my 20 families (relatives). The present study provides brief information on the distribution of PTC tasters and non-tasters in different populations of Mathurs in many parts of India and Abroad . Members selected were in the age range of 05-75 years, to observe taste sensitivity for Phenylthiourea. 60 individuals of this population were divided into PTC tasters (T) and non-tasters (NT) and obtained the following results from a set of 26 mathur families in my relation. According to the study ,the exceptional four families with NT-NT Parents having Taster children ,might possibly be because of the tt(recessive gene ) of TAS2R 38 gene at 7 q . There were equally male and female tasters and non tasters in this population, tasters (50%) males (50%) females. Individuals were divided into PTC tasters (T) and non-tasters (NT) In the first generation,8 couples were T N more of females were non tasters and more of males were tasters. This study has been proved to be challenging as different results have been obtained from the studies done on Muslim Population in Hyderabad. So, study shows that genes may vary in different populations, genders as well as on environmental changes during life time locus. It can be due to atavism as it has been observed that the recessive gene did not express for last 4 generations and then suddenly expressed in one generation. One more possible reason might be mutation must have occurred in the children of NT xNT parents. It was noticed that these families migrated from their original habitat. And hence this may also be the possible reason of changes in genes, as genes are also affected by environmental changes, both internal environment as well as external environment. Cast and sex also play role in genetic dominance and recessiveness.
Identification and Characterization of Molecular Species of Collagen in Fish Skin

: Pepsin-solubilized collagen (PSC) prepared from the skin of 3 fish species—common horse mackerel, yellow sea bream, and tiger puffer—were separated into 2 fractions, major and minor, by ammonium sulfate precipitation. These collagen fractions were further purified by phosphocellulose column chromatography. From the results of SDS-PAGE, peptide mapping, and amino-acid analysis, the purified major and minor collagens were identified to be type I and V collagens, respectively. These results suggest that type V collagen might be widely present in fish skin as a minor collagen.
Goal Interdependence and Managing Opportunism in Supply Chain Partnerships in China

The possibility of opportunistic behavior where partners pursue their self-interests with guile threatens relationships, disrupts work accomplishment, and frustrates future collaboration in the supply chain. This study hypothesizes that opportunism is not just the result of people’s pursuit of self-interests but depends on how they consider their self-interests are related to each other. When partners believe that their goals are competitively or independently rather than cooperatively related, they are more likely to pursue their self-interests opportunistically. Data were developed from 86 face-to-face interviews in Beijing, Nanchang, and Guangzhou, China, from representatives who described specific incidents of supply chain collaboration with their partners. Structural equation modeling results supported the model that competitive and independent goals but not cooperative ones induced opportunism that frustrated relationships, work productivity, confidence in future collaboration, and innovation in the supply chain.
Rating Agency Adjustments to GAAP Financial Statements and Their Effect on Ratings and Credit Spreads

ABSTRACT: I examine a dataset of both quantitative (hard) adjustments to firms' reported U.S. GAAP financial statement numbers and qualitative (soft) adjustments to firms' credit ratings that Moody's develops and uses in its credit rating process. I first document differences between firms' reported and Moody's adjusted numbers that are both large and frequent across firms. For example, primarily because of upward adjustments to interest expense and debt attributable to firms' off-balance sheet debt, on average, adjusted coverage (cash flow-to-debt) ratios are 27 percent (8 percent) lower and adjusted leverage ratios are 70 percent higher than the corresponding U.S. GAAP ratios. I then find that Moody's hard and soft rating adjustments are associated with significantly higher credit spreads and flatter credit spread term structures. Overall, the results indicate that Moody's quantitative adjustments to financial statement numbers and qualitative adjustments to credit ratings enable it to better capture de.
Reliability Studies of Micro-Relays for Logic Applications

Author(s): Chen, Yenhao | Advisor(s): King Liu, Tsu-Jae | Abstract: The semiconductor industry is now struggling with an integrated-circuit “chip” power density crisis due to the non-scalability of the thermal voltage (kBT/q), which sets the minimum subthreshold swing (SS) of a metal-oxide-semiconductor transistor and hence limits reductions in transistor threshold voltage and hence chip operating voltage. In contrast to electronic switches, mechanical switches (“relays”) operate by making/breaking physical contact and therefore offer the ideal characteristics of zero off-state leakage current and abrupt transition between on/off states, which provide for zero static power dissipation and (in principle) lower operating voltage, so that they potentially can provide a means for overcoming this crisis. In order to fully realize their promise, however, miniaturized relays must operate with sufficient reliability to be viable for ultra-low-power digital logic applications.In this work, the reliability of micro-relays designed for digital logic applications is systematically investigated. Contact resistance (Ron) instability is identified as the limiting factor for micro-relay endurance. Due to surface oxidation, Ron of prototype relays with tungsten (W) contacting electrodes increases with the number of operating cycles. This phenomenon is affected by relay operating conditions, including switching frequency and contact force. Larger contact force is found to be beneficial for stable operation, possibly due to breakdown of the insulating oxide layers. An alternative contact electrode material, ruthenium (Ru), is demonstrated to ameliorate the problem of metal surface oxidation; however, friction polymer formation and material transfer become dominant contact reliability issues, which eventually degrade Ron. An inkjet-printed micro-shell encapsulation process is used to provide an isolated ambient environment for the logic relays, and demonstrated to result in improved Ron stability by 100× as compared to devices tested in atmospheric conditions. In complementary logic circuits, slower switch turn-off than turn-on results in undesirable "crowbar” current, causing transient power dissipation during signal transitions and potential reliability issues. The effects of the contact electrode material mechanical properties, relay design parameters, and relay operating conditions on contact detachment delay (τCD) are experimentally studied and theoretically explained. Specifically, τCD is compared for logic relays with tungsten, ruthenium or nickel contacting electrode materials, and tungsten is found to provide for the smallest τCD.
The relationship between flag leaf senescence and grain yield of some durum wheat varieties under drought stress during grain filling period

This study aimed at investigating genotypic differences in the leaf area duration of durum wheat genotypes during grain filling periods and their relation to grain yield under two different irrigation conditions. The experiments were designed randomized complete block design for four replication in 2009/2010 and 2010/2011. Irrigation levels in main plots, cultivars were included in the sub plots. The study gathered data of six genotypes with similar anthesis times in Antakya/Hatay-Turkey. During the growth period, the two groups of plants received general management techniques and 60 kg ha -1 phosphorus and 80 kg ha -1 nitrogen (ammonium sulphate) fertilizer. Two different irrigation regimes were applied; the control group received full irrigation until reaching physiological maturity, while the experiment group was not irrigated after anthesis but instead received rainfall characteristic of WANA (West Asia North Africa). Results showed that flag leaf area (FLA) and lower leaf area (LLA) were not significantly related to spike grain yield (SGY) under control conditions. Flag leaf area duration (FLAD) was not related to grain yield, while the increase in lower leaf area duration (LLAD) reduced grain yield. Meanwhile, a positive relation was observed between FLA and SGY under experimental conditions, since SGY significantly increased according to the increase of FLAD. Moreover, high FLAD positively contributed to grain filling under both the conditions, while high LLAD partly contributed only under control conditions. These results suggest that the genotypes with low leaf number or short plant height and low tillering capacity should receive significant irrigation, while genotypes with middling plant height should be planted during conditions of drought stress. Under both the sets of conditions genotypes must have high FLAD.
Collaborative Public Management: Wher e Have We Been and Where Are We Going?

This article analyzes the most important issues, concepts, and ideas in collaborative public management research and practice today. The issues, concepts, and ideas are (a) competing definitions of collaboration; (b) changes in the environment of public management that have encouraged the growth of collaborative public management; (c) “thinking DaVinci”—lateral thinking and interdisciplinarity; (d) the management challenges of working in networks; (e) the paradox of balancing autonomy and interdependence; (f) factors to consider before collaborating; (g) the importance of the individual; (h) the shifting leadership challenge; (i) weaknesses in collaborative public management research; and (j) the missing link between theory and practice. The authors conclude that the study and practice of collaborative public management is generally fragmented with low level of consensus. From a research perspective, it is a low-paradigm field. The authors close with a view to the future. To advance the study and practice of collaborative public management the authors urge (a) agreement on definitions of commonly used terms, beginning with the term “collaboration”; (b) agreement on pressing collaborative public management challenges and substantive research and practice questions; (c) more precise theoretical models of behavior; and (d) agreement on the measurement of relevant variables.
EVOLUTIONARY RELATIONSHIPS OF WHITE-FOOTED MICE (PEROMYSCUS) ON ISLANDS IN THE SEA OF CORTÉZ, MEXICO

Abstract Sixteen populations of Peromyscus on islands in the Sea of Cortéz (= Gulf of California), Mexico, were compared with 9 mainland species of Peromyscus based on sequence data for a 699-base-pair fragment of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) COIII gene. An unrooted neighbor-joining tree based on corrected pairwise estimates of sequence divergence among variable mtDNA haplotypes indicated a recent (late Pleistocene) origin from a source on the adjacent mainland for 10 island forms representing P. boylii, P. crinitus, P. eremicus, P. eva, P. fraterculus, and P. maniculatus. Five other populations did not seem to be derived from species currently on the nearest mainland, suggesting overwater dispersal or distributional changes on the mainland after drowning of land-bridge connections. One population, possibly of more ancient origin, on Isla Cerralvo near the Baja California peninsula, probably originated via trans-Gulf rafting from the Sonoran mainland. Based on these results, 4 insular species (P. stephani, P. interparietalis, P. caniceps, and P. dickeyi) should be considered subspecies of P. boylii, P. eremicus, P. fraterculus, and P. merriami, respectively. The emergent view of evolutionary relationships within the subgenus Haplomylomys in the region reflects pre-Pleistocene phylogeographic events on the mainland surrounding the Gulf and a more recent origin of island populations.
Growth patterns of two widely distributed freshwater turtles and a comparison of common methods used to estimate age

Turtles are long lived and demographic models requiring estimates of age, growth, fecundity and survival are central for management. Most studies that estimate age and growth of freshwater turtles use annuli as an index of age without estimating its error and very few studies that use growth models include many juveniles, where growth is often large and variable. In this paper, I compare the reliability of growth annuli and common models in determining age and growth of two widely distributed turtles in Australia. Most turtles are carnivorous during the juvenile stage but many species shift to a lower-quality omnivorous diet prior to maturing. Patterns of growth are often characterised by this dietary shift and I compared the growth of a common omnivorous turtle (Emydura macquarii) and a vulnerable sympatric species that is an obligate carnivore (Chelodina expansa). Mark-recapture programs were established in three lagoons on the Murray River. In total, 1218 hatchling E. macquarii were released into two of the lagoons and growth annuli were found to be unreliable in estimating their age by Year 2. The von Bertalanffy and logistic growth models can reliably estimate age of both male and female E. macquarii and C. expansa respectively. Growth is extremely rapid during the juvenile stage of E. macquarii, but is highly variable in C. expansa, with rapid growth occurring only beyond three years of age. Hence growth models fail to predict age when juveniles are excluded from the analyses. Female E. macquarii delay maturity until 9-12 years of age because clutch size is positively related to body size and they can produce only one large clutch per year. Female C. expansa mature later (at ∼14 years) than female E. macquarii and both species are sexually dimorphic, as males mature earlier at smaller sizes than females. Common growth models describe the growth of two widely distributed freshwater turtles, but different patterns of growth and age at maturity relate to quality of diet and reproduction.
The Analysis of Weak Form Efficiency with Asymmetric Nonlinear Unit Root Test: The Case of G-7 and E-7 Countries

The goal of this paper is to investigate the weak form efficiency of the stock markets of G-7 and E-7 countries within the framework of Efficient Market Hypothesis. Towards to the goal of paper, we test whether the stock market indices of G-7 and E-7 countries follow random walk or not, using asymmetric nonlinear unit root test. The empirical findings show that the stock markets of France, Italy, Japan and the USA have weak-form efficiency, but the stock markets of Canada, Germany and the UK are not weak form efficient. The empirical results also show that the stock markets of Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico and Turkey have weak form efficiency, but the stock market of Russia is not weak form efficient. Besides, the inefficient stock markets which of Canada, Germany, Russia and the UK response in the same way to positive and negative deviations of the same proportionate amount.
The (Under) Performance of Mega-Projects: A Meta- Organizational Perspective

This study links evolution in organizational structure to ambiguity in the definition of performance in the context of organizations formed to develop long-lived infrastructure: so-called ‘mega-projects’. Based on a longitudinal, inductive analysis of three mega-projects in London, we argue that a mega-project is a meta-organization with two symbiotically-related constituent structures. The core, led by a coalition, is a mutable collective that shares control over the goal of the project and corresponding high-level design choices. The periphery is a supply chain selected to design and build the infrastructure, but lacks the authority to change the high-level choices. As the mega-project structure evolves over time, we show that the founders and new comers renegotiate the high-level choices and slippages in performance targets ensue. The conflation of committals to different baselines, differing preferences for efficiency and effectiveness, and rivalry in high-level choices gives rise to competing performance narratives which cannot be reconciled. Thus, we argue, the disappointing and controversial (under) performance of mega-projects may be a result of how their organizational structure develops, rather than due to any agency or competence related failure per se.
Fire Regimes and the Demography of the Lizard Micrablepharus atticolus (Squamata, Gymnophthalmidae) in a Biodiversity Hotspot

Abstract. Disturbance caused by anthropogenic fires are increasingly affecting the biodiversity of fire-prone ecosystems worldwide. The Cerrado biodiversity hotspot suffers higher deforestation rates than Amazonia and concentrates most of the burned areas in South America. To support adequate fire-management decisions in Cerrado, knowledge on the effects of altered fire regimes upon its animal populations is necessary. Based on a long-term, large-scale fire experiment, we investigated the effects of different fire regimes on the demography of the gymnophthalmid Micrablepharus atticolus, an endemic lizard of the Cerrado. Because M. atticolus is more abundant in open habitats, we predicted that frequent burns should favor its populations. Over eight years, we conducted a mark-recapture study using pitfall trap arrays in five 10 ha plots of cerrado sensu stricto, subjected to prescribed burns. Using generalized linear mixed-models of time series data and an information theoretic approach to select demographic models, we describe the life history of M. atticolus and assess the response of apparent survival, detectability, and recruitment to burn regimes and climate variation. Micrablepharus atticolus has an annual life cycle, with complete annual population turnover; breeding takes place during the dry season, when activity is higher, and hatchlings appear in the wet season. Apparent survival, detectability, and recruitment increased in the short-run after the passage of fire in all experimental plots. In the long run, however, both fire-suppression and more severe fire regimes were seemingly detrimental, presumably by affecting microclimatic conditions and food availability. Short-term studies may not adequately describe the effects of fire on the demography of lizard populations. Adequate fire management is warranted for biodiversity conservation in Cerrado, both inside and outside protected areas, including a reduction in the frequency and severity of burns in open physiognomies and controlled, patch mosaic fires to prevent excessive fuel accumulation in denser physiognomies.
Valores de referência do tempo de protrombina (TP) e tempo de tromboplastina parcial ativada (TTPa) em cães

Os fatores de coagulacao sao parte integrante da hemostasia normal, e tanto as coagulopatias hereditarias como adquiridas que envolvem este sistema sao de grande importância veterinaria, geralmente evidenciadas por manifestacoes clinicas, tais como, petequias, equimoses, hematomas e sangramentos tardios. O presente trabalho teve por objetivo a determinacao dos valores de referencia do tempo de protrombina (TP) e tempo de tromboplastina parcial ativada (TTPa), por metodos manuais. Para tanto, utilizou-se "kits" para dosagens humanas, devido a inexistencia de produtos similares de uso especifico veterinario. Foram utilizados 40 caes clinicamente sadios, sem raca definida, machos ou femeas, de diferentes idades. As amostras sanguineas foram de 2,5ml cada, colhidas por venopuncao cefalica e acondicionadas em tubos de centrifuga contendo 0,25ml de citrato de sodio a 3,8%. O plasma foi imediatamente separado por centrifugacao e as determinacoes de TP e TTPa foram realizadas utilizando-se "kits" comerciais "HemoStat Thromboplastin-SIa" e "HemoStat aPTT-Elb", respectivamente. Os resultados obtidos foram de 6,87 ± 1,4 segundos para o TP com valores minimo e maximo de 4,07 e 9,67, respectivamente, e de 15,10 ± 1,6 segundos para TTPa com valores minimo e maximo de 11,9 e 18,3, respectivamente. Conclui-se, que os valores obtidos neste trabalho podem ser utilizados como referencia. Os reagentes utilizados para plasma humano podem ser empregados para o plasma de caes.
Asian Germplasm Influences on American Berry Crops

Asian germplasm has significantly contributed to berry crops in America in several ways. The American wild octoploid species [Fragaria chiloensis (L.) Mill. and F. virginiana Mill. ], and subsequently, the cultivated strawberry (F. 3ananassa Duch. ex Rozier), have benefitted from Asian heritage in the evolutionary time scale. Second, breeders have combined Asian germplasm in crosses for improved fruit cultivars. Third, Asian temperate fruit species have been collected from wild stands in their native ranges, imported, and in some cases improved and are now cultivated in the West or throughout the world. The objectives of this article were to 1) describe evolutionary contributions of Asian species to the American strawberry genome; 2) present examples of breeding Asian species (Rubus L. subgenus Idaeobatus) into cultivated raspberries; and 3) give examples of two Asian fruit species that have been recently introduced and cultivated or that could be developed for cultivation in the United States. Berries are widely appreciated by the Western palate and have provided highly nutritive components to the human diet for millennia (Hummer and Janick, 2007). Strawberries are a noted American crop, yet they are not without influence from Asian genes. European and American raspberry (Rubus L. subgenus Idaeobatus) cultivars have benefitted greatly from Asian heritage by plant improvement through breeding. In addition, Asian berry species harvested by native peoples from wild stands have potential for cultivation in America. This article summarizes examples of Asian influence in American berry crops. In the strawberry genus, Fragaria L. , different ploidy levels are endemic in separate regions or continents (Staudt, 2009). Diploid (2n = 2x = 14) species are distributed in the northern hemisphere; tetraploids are found in Asia; hexaploids in Europe; and octoploids in the Americas (Staudt, 1999, 2009). The two known decaploid species have limited distributions: F. cascadensis Hummer in the Cascade Mountains, OR (Hummer et al., 2012), and F. iturupensis Staudt on Atsunupuri Volcano, Iturup Island, Russian Federation (Hummer et al., 2009). The principal strawberry of commerce is Fragaria ·ananassa. This species is octoploid and originated as an accidental cross between the white-fruited South American F. chiloensis subsp. chiloensis f. chiloensis and the North American F. virginiana subsp. virginiana (Hummer et al., 2011; Staudt, 1999). Scientists have speculated about the evolutionary origins of the American octoploids (Davis et al., 2009). Octoploid taxa have complex genomes, diverse morphologies, and variable, closely related subspecies and forma. Multiple hypotheses concerning the derivation of the octoploids have been proposed, involving allopolyploidy and autopolyploidy (Darrow, 1966; Fedorova, 1946; Folta and Davis, 2006; Senanayake and Bringhurst 1967). Molecular genomic analyses have provided new insight of relevance to this question.