Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Structural analysis of single amino acid polymorphisms

Understanding genetic variation is the basis for prevention and diagnosis of inherited disease. In the ‘next generation sequencing’ era with rapidly accumulating variation data, the focus has shifted from population-level analyses to individuals. This thesis is centred on the problem of gathering, storing and analysing mutation data to understand and predict the effects single amino acid mutations will have on protein structure and function. I present analysis of a subset of mutations and a new predictive method implemented to expand the coverage of the structural effects by our pipeline. I characterised a subset of pathogenic mutations: ‘compensated pathogenic deviations’. These are mutations which cause disease in humans, but the mutant residues are found as native residues in other species. During evolution, they are presumed to spread through populations by co-evolving with another, neutralising mutation. When compared with uncompensated mutations, they often cause milder structural disruptions, prefer less conserved structural environments and are often found on the protein surface. I describe the development of a new analysis to test the effects of mutations by predicting residues involved in protein-protein interfaces where the structure of the complex is unknown. Two machine learning methods (multilayer perceptrons and, in particular, random forests) show an improvement over previously published protein-protein interface predictors. This new method further increases the ability of the SAAPdb analysis pipeline to show the effects of mutations on protein structure and function. Furthermore, it is a template for building prediction-based structural analysis methods for the pipeline, where available structural data are insufficient. In summary this thesis examines mutations from both an evolutionary and a disease perspective. In addition, a novel method for predicting protein interaction regions is developed thus expanding the existing pipeline and furthering our ability to understand mutations and use them in a predictive context.
Differences in Germination of ACCase-Resistant Biotypes Containing Isoleucine-1781-Leucine Mutation and Susceptible Biotypes of Wild Oat (Avena sterilis ssp. ludoviciana)

Herbicide resistance can affect seed germination and the optimal conditions required for seed germination, which in turn may impose a fitness cost in resistant populations. Winter wild oat [Avena sterilis L. ssp. ludoviciana (Durieu) Gillet and Magne] is a serious weed in cereal fields. In this study, the molecular basis of resistance to an ACCase herbicide, clodinafop-propargyl, in four A. ludoviciana biotypes was assessed. Germination differences between susceptible (S) and ACCase-resistant biotypes (WR1, WR2, WR3, WR4) and the effect of Isoleucine-1781-Leucine mutation on germination were also investigated through germination models. The results indicated that WR1 and WR4 were very highly resistant (RI > 214.22) to clodinafop-propargyl-contained Isoleucine to Leucine amino acid substitution. However, Isoleucine-1781-Leucine mutation was not detected in other very highly resistant biotypes. Germination studies indicated that resistant biotypes (in particular WR1 and WR4) had higher base water potentials than the susceptible one. This shows that resistant biotypes need more soil water to initiate their germination. However, the hydrotime constant for germination was higher in resistant biotypes than in the susceptible one in most cases, showing faster germination in susceptible biotypes. ACCase-resistant biotypes containing the Isoleucine-1781-Leucine mutation had lower seed weight but used more seed reserve to produce seedlings. Hence, integrated management practices such as stale seedbed and implementing it at the right time could be used to take advantage of the differential soil water requirement and relatively late germination characteristics of ACCase-resistant biotypes.
Talking about Innovation in Health Care

Quality improvement in health care by means of process innovation is notoriously difficult to achieve no matter how strong the evidence for the improvement in clinical outcome and patient satisfaction. The traditional solution to this problem is sought in more sophisticated management models based on more complicated representations of the innovation cycle and in strategies to overcome a supposedly mental resistance to change in individual professionals. The health care system however has a number of characteristics that impairs the efficacy of this approach. In this article we present the preliminary outcome of an investigation into the potential of Luhmanns theory of social systems to analyse the conditions for organizational innovation. The system - and the structure of discourse in which it becomes manifest - promises to be an effective framework for describing and analyzing support for or resistance to change based on the characteristics of communication in context. By introducing the system as focus of the dynamics of organizational development and the concept of discourse as a means to characterize the system in operation, we open up a potential new domain for semiotic research into the opportunities and threats determining success or failure of innovation projects. We continue this line of research with a number of validation studies in everyday practice in health service delivery organizations.
FATAL CRASH RATES FOR TRACTOR-TRAILERS BY TIME OF DAY

This study attempts to develop a measure of the fatal crash rate of large trucks over the 24-hour day. Crash data on tractor-trailers were taken from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) database for 1997, as compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). This data set contains details on fatal crashes, including the crash time. Truck activity by hour-of-day was taken from selected state continuous weight-in-motion (WIM) data at automatic traffic recording devices, also for 1997. These two data sets were combined to develop a per-mile rate of fatal crashes that involve large trucks for each hour of the day. Specifically, this study compares the fatal crash rate on freeways, Interstates, and expressways for overnight travel (Midnight to 6 AM) to that of the rest of the 24-hour day. This analysis found that for one segment of the large truck population - tractor-trailers - the fatal crash rate for this class of roadways is relatively stable and does not increase substantially during overnight travel (Midnight to 6 AM). By contrast, passenger car and light truck travel shows a much higher observed fatal crash rate per mile traveled for overnight travel (Midnight to 6 AM) than for the rest of the 24-hour day.
Collaboration Algorithms between I ntermediaries for Supporting Flexible Supply Chain Management

The supply chain group consists of members from various locations in the network working together to deliver services to the client. Integration challenges remain as main issue for the group to create more flexible processes and allow modification to be made to the current and global pre-planned processes for the entire supply chain members in the group. The authors introduce Integrative Information Management Architecture (IIMA) running on collaboration algorithms which create semi automated intermediary processes to support management team address integration challenges. The collaboration algorithms are design to go through five main phases in order to continuously monitor and detect any deviations from the processes currently running at the vacinity of the members. The functionalities of existing systems across the members in the group are wrapped and introduce in the IIMA as services. This is to facilitate process restructuring by addding or dropping the required services into the global execution schedule. The authors had develop the prototype of the IIMA and evaluate it with three other related systems in a simulated environment. These systems simulated to support customization processes with common supply chain problems at the beginning and ending stages of that processes. The results demonstrate that the IIMA has the most stable performance in supporting the shared processes when stoke by the problems at both stages of the processes.
Applications of Information Technology Systems at Purchasing Department in Cairo Five Star Hotels

The aim of the current research is to investigate the use of computer technologies and their diffusion within the purchasing department as well as to identify the factors influencing computer technologies adoption in Cairo five star hotels sector. The study population was co mprised all five-star hotels in Greater Cairo. To determine the sampling frame, a list of (33) hotels was obtained from the Egyptian Hotel Gu ide, 29th Edit ion (2008_ 2009). So the sampling frame consisted of (33) purchasing managers who were selected fro m the five-star hotels in Greater Cairo. The pilot study was performed before the interview questions was finalized or conducted. In order to test the survey instrument, three hotels purchasing managers and some academics were involved. Data required to serve the study collected fro m questionnaire menu designed to this purpose by using personal interview method called (semi structure interview) conducted with purchasing managers in five-star hotels in Greater Cairo. Out of (33) hotels in Greater Cairo, (31) hotels (93.8%the average response rate) accepted to conduct interview with the researcher. But just two hotels had apologized to conduct interview with the researcher. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 16 was used to analyze data collected fro m 31 enterprises. Findings showed that there was a strong support towards computer technology adaptation and making purchasing activities mo re effective in terms of both time and cost, and changing the way of purchasing products in businesses. But most of purchasing departments in the hostels being surveyed highlighted that computer technology applications are still under the desired standard, so they are difficult to be applied. Results also revealed that the purchasing departments suffered fro m a lack of purchasing standardization across hotels, and it is observed that there were some barriers, which had both high driving power and dependency and therefore need more attention. Specific reco mmendations were suggested concerning the issue being researched.
The School I'd Like: Children and Young People's Reflections on an Education for the 21st Century

Introduction: Neglected Spaces Part 1. Forgotten Spaces 1. School Buildings 'A safe haven, not a prison' 2. Canteens and lunch rooms 'The forgotten spaces where informal learning occurs' 3. School Yards and Playgrounds 'It's very big but there's nothing in it' Part 2. Learning and Knowing 4. Knowledge and the Curriculum 'The notion of writing prize-winning essays on tropical rainforests without taking some action would be seen as strange' 5. Learning 'Let us out! ' 6. Teachers 'Nobody forgets a good teacher ' Part 3. Staying Power 7. Identities and equalities 'I resented being told what to wear, what to think, what to believe, what to say and when to say it' 8. Survival 'Schools may be getting good academic results but they are not helping the pupils as individuals' Part 4. Flexible Contexts 9. A Sense of Time 'I would like the school to be clever, so it may last forever ' 10. Tools 'Pupils don't want state of the art blackboards or expensive televisions, they want comfortable chairs. ' Final Words: Whole School Visions
Stem Cells and Their Derivatives—Implications for Alveolar Bone Regeneration: A Comprehensive Review

Oral and craniofacial bone defects caused by congenital disease or trauma are widespread. In the case of severe alveolar bone defect, autologous bone grafting has been considered a “gold standard”; however, the procedure has several disadvantages, including limited supply, resorption, donor site morbidity, deformity, infection, and bone graft rejection. In the last few decades, bone tissue engineering combined with stem cell-based therapy may represent a possible alternative to current bone augmentation techniques. The number of studies investigating different cell-based bone tissue engineering methods to reconstruct alveolar bone damage is rapidly rising. As an interdisciplinary field, bone tissue engineering combines the use of osteogenic cells (stem cells/progenitor cells), bioactive molecules, and biocompatible scaffolds, whereas stem cells play a pivotal role. Therefore, our work highlights the osteogenic potential of various dental tissue-derived stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), the progress in differentiation techniques of iPSCs into osteoprogenitor cells, and the efforts that have been made to fabricate the most suitable and biocompatible scaffold material with osteoinductive properties for successful bone graft generation. Moreover, we discuss the application of stem cell-derived exosomes as a compelling new form of “stem-cell free” therapy.
Sap R/3 Implementation Guide: A Manager's Guide to Understanding Sap

From the Publisher: In just a few short years, SAP has exploded onto the business and computing landscape and become a dominant force in enterprise-wide computing at most corporations-from Fortune 500 to much smaller start-ups. Written by a team of industry-leading experts, this authoritative resource guides managers through the implementation of this powerful system and provides a checklist of things a company should consider when successfully implementing SAP. This book provides a real-life perspective that can help you avoid common pitfalls encountered when implementing SAP. It shows you how SAP will impact your business and, more specifically, your customers, material suppliers, and distributors. It explains why many SAP projects fail or run over budget and time. And, managers will gain a better understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of SAP and become proficient with all of its intricacies. You will follow an electronics company through the entire implementation process, looking at the decisions that were made during the procedure and the effects-good and bad-SAP had on the organization. A detailed explanation of the new ASAP Fast Track Implementation process is also included. Insightful commentary and expert advice allow you to gain mastery of this dynamic system and provide invaluable information that can be used for your business. A manager's overview of the issues faced while implementing SAP; written from a consulting team in a "BusinessWeek" style The Accelerated SAP team at SAP America will be co-authoring parts of the book dealing with accelerated SAP Provides check lists of things a company should consider when implementing SAP a means of avoiding pitfalls that others have suffered
LOW REYNOLDS NUMBER FLOW FIELD MODIFICATION VIA TRAVELLING WAVE ACTUATION OF A VERTICALLY ALIGNED WIRE ARRAY SURFACE

OF THESIS LOW REYNOLDS NUMBER FLOW FIELD MODIFICATION VIA TRAVELLING WAVE ACTUATION OF A VERTICALLY ALIGNED WIRE ARRAY SURFACE Experiments were conducted to observe the effects of an active wire surface on low-Reynolds number Poiseuille flow. The objective was to evaluate the feasibility of actuating piezoelectric nanowires into a travelling wave motion in order to reduce wall shear stress in turbulent flows. Studies have shown that travelling wave motions introduced into the bounding wall of turbulent flow can reduce wall shear stress by disrupting the formation of drag-inducing coherent vortical structures. A Reynolds number scaled flow facility was designed to represent the near-wall region of turbulent flow. A wire surface was installed in the bounding wall and dynamically actuated into a travelling wave. Particle image velocimetry was used to measure the flow. Deviations in the flow were analyzed and a perturbation depth of 5 – 6 wire lengths was observed. Phase averaged flow fields were examined to evaluate the structure of the disturbances introduced into the flow. Non-dimensional analysis of the results indicated that the modifications to the flow depended on Strouhal number and actuation amplitude, but were independent of Reynolds number. The results suggest that the penetration depth of the flow perturbations introduced by an active nanowire surface is sufficient to influence wall shear stress.
Nasal Polyps in Children: The Early Origins of a Challenging Adulthood Condition

Nasal polyps (NPs) are benign inflammatory masses causing chronic nasal obstruction, usually associated with underlying chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), which are rarely reported in childhood. The interest in NPs has recently increased due to new therapeutic options, namely biological agents, such as dupilumab, and an update of the European position paper on this topic was released in 2020, providing a detailed classification for these lesions and also discussing diagnostic and therapeutic approaches also in children. In childhood, NPs usually represent red flags for systemic diseases, such as cystic fibrosis and immunodeficiencies. This review outlines the recent data on NPs in childhood, focusing on predisposing factors for CRS as well as on the potential endotypes in this particular age group, for which further studies are required in order to better clarify their pathogenesis and to identify molecular biomarkers that could help achieve more personalized treatments.
How Brands Become Icons: The Principles of Cultural Branding

Coca-Cola. Harley-Davidson. Nike. Budweiser. Valued by customers more for what they symbolize than for what they do, products like these are more than brands--they are cultural icons. How do managers create brands that resonate so powerfully with consumers? Based on extensive historical analyses of some of America's most successful iconic brands, including ESPN, Mountain Dew, Volkswagen, Budweiser, and Harley-Davidson, this book presents the first systematic model to explain how brands become icons. Douglas B. Holt shows how iconic brands create "identity myths" that, through powerful symbolism, soothe collective anxieties resulting from acute social change. Holt warns that icons can't be built through conventional branding strategies, which focus on benefits, brand personalities, and emotional relationships. Instead, he calls for a deeper cultural perspective on traditional marketing themes like targeting, positioning, brand equity, and brand loyalty--and outlines a distinctive set of "cultural branding" principles that will radically alter how companies approach everything from marketing strategy to market research to hiring and training managers. Until now, Holt shows, even the most successful iconic brands have emerged more by intuition and serendipity than by design. With How Brands Become Icons, managers can leverage the principles behind some of the most successful brands of the last half-century to build their own iconic brands. Douglas B. Holt is associate professor of Marketing at Harvard Business School.
Dose-Dependent Neuroprotective Effects of Bovine Lactoferrin Following Neonatal Hypoxia–Ischemia in the Immature Rat Brain

Injuries to the developing brain due to hypoxia–ischemia (HI) are common causes of neurological disabilities in preterm babies. HI, with oxygen deprivation to the brain or reduced cerebral blood perfusion due to birth asphyxia, often leads to severe brain damage and sequelae. Injury mechanisms include glutamate excitotoxicity, oxidative stress, blood–brain barrier dysfunction, and exacerbated inflammation. Nutritional intervention is emerging as a therapeutic alternative to prevent and rescue brain from HI injury. Lactoferrin (Lf) is an iron-binding protein present in saliva, tears, and breast milk, which has been shown to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic properties when administered to mothers as a dietary supplement during pregnancy and/or lactation in preclinical studies of developmental brain injuries. However, despite Lf’s promising neuroprotective effects, there is no established dose. Here, we tested three different doses of dietary maternal Lf supplementation using the postnatal day 3 HI model and evaluated the acute neurochemical damage profile using 1H Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) and long-term microstructure alterations using advanced diffusion imaging (DTI/NODDI) allied to protein expression and histological analysis. Pregnant Wistar rats were fed either control diet or bovine Lf supplemented chow at 0.1, 1, or 10 g/kg/body weight concentration from the last day of pregnancy (embryonic day 21–E21) to weaning. At postnatal day 3 (P3), pups from both sexes had their right common carotid artery permanently occluded and were exposed to 6% oxygen for 30 min. Sham rats had the incision but neither surgery nor hypoxia episode. At P4, MRS was performed on a 9.4 T scanner to obtain the neurochemical profile in the cortex. At P4 and P25, histological analysis and protein expression were assessed in the cortex and hippocampus. Brain volumes and ex vivo microstructural analysis using DTI/NODDI parameters were performed at P25. Acute metabolic disturbance induced in cortical tissue by HIP3 was reversed with all three doses of Lf. However, data obtained from MRS show that Lf neuroprotective effects were modulated by the dose. Through western blotting analysis, we observed that HI pups supplemented with Lf at 0.1 and 1 g/kg were able to counteract glutamatergic excitotoxicity and prevent metabolic failure. When 10 g/kg was administered, we observed reduced brain volumes, increased astrogliosis, and hypomyelination, pointing to detrimental effects of high Lf dose. In conclusion, Lf supplementation attenuates, in a dose-dependent manner, the acute and long-term cerebral injury caused by HI. Lf reached its optimal effects at a dose of 1 g/kg, which pinpoints the need to better understand effects of Lf, the pathways involved and possible harmful effects. These new data reinforce our knowledge regarding neuroprotection in developmental brain injury using Lf through lactation and provide new insights into lactoferrin’s neuroprotection capacities and limitation for immature brains.
Smallholder Farmer’s Willingness To Pay For Improved Irrigation Water Supply In Mashonaland Central Irrigation Schemes, Zimbabwe

Irrigation agriculture is playing a major role in attaining food self-sufficiency and overall agricultural development in many developing countries and its development is key in promoting rural development. Due to limited capacity by governments support these schemes in most developing countries, it is important that farmers are willing to assist in recovering the cost of the management, maintenance, and operation of the irrigation system. This study therefore estimated the determinants of smallholder farmers’ willingness to pay for improved irrigation water using an Ordered Probit Model. It was done in Negomo and Chimhanda irrigation schemes in Zimbabwe. Primary data was collected from 120 randomly selected smallholder farm households through a structured questionnaire and focus group discussions. The study identified Household size, household income, farmer’s satisfaction with the current management practices and amount of the initial bid factors significantly influencing farmers’ WTP for improved irrigation water. The study recommended that management practices and scheme operations should be oriented. management team or committee in the irrigation scheme should come up payment plans to finance system upgrade and covering maintenance cost and need to develop water management policies like water optimum prices and promote water-efficient technologies.