Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
PSA3, a Protein on the Stromal Face of the Thylakoid Membrane, Promotes Photosystem I Accumulation in Cooperation with the Assembly Factor PYG71[OPEN]

PSA3 cooperates with the tetratricopeptide repeat protein PYG7 to promote PSI biogenesis in angiosperms. PSI is a large protein-pigment complex located in the thylakoid membrane in cyanobacteria, plants, and algae. Although the structure and components of PSI are well characterized, mechanisms that orchestrate its assembly are poorly understood. In this study, we discovered a novel nucleus-encoded protein, Photosystem I Assembly3 (PSA3), that is required for PSI accumulation. PSA3 is conserved among green photosynthetic eukaryotes but is lacking in cyanobacteria. Mutations in the psa3 gene cause the specific loss of PSI in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) and maize (Zea mays). Ribosome profiling and pulse-labeling analyses showed that chloroplast- encoded PSI subunits are synthesized at normal rates in psa3 mutants, indicating that PSA3 is involved in the biogenesis of PSI at a posttranslational step. PSA3 resides on the stromal face of the thylakoid membrane, where it is found in a complex that is slightly smaller than PSI. Structural predictions suggest that PSA3 binds a basic peptide in a manner that is sensitive to the oxidation state of Cys pairs flanking the predicted peptide binding groove. PSA3 and the previously described PSI biogenesis factor PYG7 interact in yeast two-hybrid and bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays, and they are found in thylakoid membrane complexes of similar size. These and other results indicate that PSA3 cooperates with PYG7 to promote the stable assembly of PSI, and that the PsaC subunit is likely to be the primary target of their action.
Identifying and Responding to Activist Publics: A Case Study

Activist groups are strategic publics because they constrain an organization's ability to accomplish its goals and mission. Activists create issues; they appeal to government, the courts, or media for litigation, regulation, or other forms of pressure. As a result, research on activism has become one of the most important domains of public relations research. I begin this article with the premise that public relations practitioners must develop sensitivity to activists, he able to identify activist publics before they become active, and develop communication strategies to foster mutual understanding with them. The results are reported of a case study of environmental activism against a multinational company working in the Central American country of Belize. The organization failed to identify activist publics at the beginning of its Belize project and made no attempt to communicate with them. The activists then went elsewhere for information and escalated overt pressure on the organization. Media coverage.
Test-Retest Reliability of Isokinetic Knee Strength Measurements in Children Aged 8 to 10 Years

Background: Isokinetic dynamometry is a useful tool to objectively assess muscle strength of children and adults in athletic and rehabilitative settings. This study examined test-retest reliability of isokinetic knee strength measurements in children aged 8 to 10 years and defined limits for the minimum difference (MD) in strength that indicates a clinically important change. Hypothesis: Isokinetic knee strength measurements (using the Biodex System 4) in children will provide reliable results. Study Design: Descriptive laboratory study. Methods: In 22 healthy children, 5 maximal concentric (CON) knee extensor (KE) and knee flexor (KF) contractions at 2 angular velocities (60 deg/s and 180 deg/s) and 5 maximal eccentric (ECC) KE/KF contractions at 60 deg/s were assessed 7 days apart. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC2.1) was used to examine relative reliability, and the MD was calculated on the basis of standard error of measurement. Results: ICCs for CON KE/KF peak torque measurements were fair to excellent (range, 0.49-0.81). The MD% values for CON KE and KF ranged from 31% to 37% at 60 deg/s and from 34% to 39% at 180 deg/s. ICCs in the ECC mode were good (range, 0.60-0.70), but associated MD% values were high (>50%). There was no systematic error for CON KE/KF and ECC KE strength measurements at 60 deg/s, but systematic error was found for all other measurements. Conclusion: The dynamometer provides a reliable analysis of isokinetic CON knee strength measurements at 60 deg/s in children aged 8 to 10 years. Measurements at 180 deg/s and in the ECC mode were not reliable, indicating a need for more familiarization prior to testing. Clinical Relevance: The MD values may help clinicians to determine whether a change in knee strength is due to error or intervention.
Magnetic Nanoparticles: From Design and Synthesis to Real World Applications

The increasing number of scientific publications focusing on magnetic materials indicates growing interest in the broader scientific community. Substantial progress was made in the synthesis of magnetic materials of desired size, morphology, chemical composition, and surface chemistry. Physical and chemical stability of magnetic materials is acquired by the coating. Moreover, surface layers of polymers, silica, biomolecules, etc. can be designed to obtain affinity to target molecules. The combination of the ability to respond to the external magnetic field and the rich possibilities of coatings makes magnetic materials universal tool for magnetic separations of small molecules, biomolecules and cells. In the biomedical field, magnetic particles and magnetic composites are utilized as the drug carriers, as contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and in magnetic hyperthermia. However, the multifunctional magnetic particles enabling the diagnosis and therapy at the same time are emerging. The presented review article summarizes the findings regarding the design and synthesis of magnetic materials focused on biomedical applications. We highlight the utilization of magnetic materials in separation/preconcentration of various molecules and cells, and their use in diagnosis and therapy.
The research for license plate recognition using sub-image fast independent component analysis

In order to solve the problem that current license plate recognition methods, such as template matching and neural network computing, which need a large number of samples and large amount of computation, this paper proposed a sub-image fast independent component analysis (SI-FastICA) method for plate recognition. It can obtain the local feature of the image with a small amount of computation. In order to obtain better recognition results, in the stage of character segmentation, this paper carried segmentation based on the proposed relative coordinate dichotomy. Then, the feature of characters was extracted by SI-FastICA. The experiments show that SI-FastICA can reflect the local characteristics of the character very well. At last, this paper put the collected actual license plate images into experiment, and achieved good recognition results.
Environmental Integration and Policy Implementation: Competing Governance Modes in Waste Management Decision Making

Research into environmental policy integration (EPI) has focused very much on coordination issues associated with the preparation of policies at national and international levels. We instead examine some challenges in implementing EPI at the local level. We look at legal and policy frameworks relating to environmental governance and actual waste management decision making in five Swedish cities. We observe an implementation gap between the high-level policy ambitions relating to environmental governance of the waste sector, as expressed in national policy frameworks, and the local-level decision-making procedures and outcomes. Several discrepancies are identified: between national waste policy and the local decision premises, between local waste planning and project decision making, between knowledge gathering and project decision making, and between the legal mechanism in the development consent process and the national environmental quality objectives framework. Our study indicates that the governance frameworks at different levels are quite different, and at least partly incompatible, which causes important coordination problems across levels. Sectoral developments towards an industrial marketisation of waste have rendered frameworks such as local waste plans obsolete. We also find that the more traditional and coercive forms of governing the sector, such as consent, bans, and taxes, are the ones that have steering power, whereas new procedures, such as management by objectives, lack sufficient institutional and cognitive support structures to be effective.
3-bit read scheme for single layer Ta2O5 ReRAM

Complementary switching mechanism allows for distinguishing between different physical orientations of the conductive filament. In addition to the multilevel capability of single layer Ta2O5 devices, 3-bit information can also be stored and read in a single device. In this report, we present a novel read scheme, allowing for distinguishing 8 different states only by using 4 different resistive states with the pulse measurements. Variability and cycle-to-cycle stability of the single layer Ta2O5 complementary switching are also discussed in details.
Conformational differences between Azotobacter vinelandii nitrogenase MoFe proteins as studied by small-angle X-ray scattering.

The nitrogenase MoFe protein is a heterotetramer containing two unique high-nuclearity metalloclusters, FeMoco and the P-cluster. FeMoco is assembled outside the MoFe protein, whereas the P-cluster is assembled directly on the MoFe protein polypeptides. MoFe proteins isolated from different genetic backgrounds have been analyzed using biochemical and spectroscopic techniques in attempting to elucidate the pathway of P-cluster biosynthesis. The DeltanifH MoFe protein is less stable than other MoFe proteins and has been shown by extended X-ray absorption fine structure studies to contain a variant P-cluster that most likely exists as two separate [Fe4S4]-like clusters instead of the subunit-bridging [Fe8S7] cluster found in the wild-type and DeltanifB forms of the MoFe protein [Corbett, M. C. , et al. (2004) J. Biol. Chem. 279, 28276-28282]. Here, a combination of small-angle X-ray scattering and Fe chelation studies is used to show that there is a correlation between the state of the P-cluster and the conformation of the MoFe protein. The DeltanifH MoFe protein is found to be larger than the wild-type or DeltanifB MoFe proteins, an increase in size that can be modeled well by an opening of the subunit interface consistent with P-cluster fragmentation and solvent exposure. Importantly, this opening would allow for the insertion of P-cluster precursors into a region of the MoFe protein that is buried in the wild-type conformation. Thus, DeltanifH MoFe protein could represent an early intermediate in MoFe protein biosynthesis where the P-cluster precursors have been inserted, but P-cluster condensation and tetramer stabilization have yet to occur.
Genista tinctoria Hairy Root Cultures for Selective Production of Isoliquiritigenin

Hairy root cultures were established after inoculation of Genista tinctoria in vitro shoots with Agrobacterium rhizogenes, strain ATCC 15834. In transformed roots of G. tinctoria grown in Schenk-Hildebrandt medium without growth regulators the biosynthesis of isoflavones, derivatives of genistein and daidzein, and flavones, derivatives of luteolin and apigenin, characteristic for the intact plant, was completely inhibited. The only compound synthesized in G. tinctoria hairy roots was isoliquiritigenin (2.3 g/100 g DW), a daidzein precursor absent in the intact plant. This compound was stored entirely within cells and it was not until abscisic acid was added (37.8 μm supplement on day 42) that approx. 80% of it was released into the experimental medium. The paper discusses the effect of abscisic acid on the growth of G. tinctoria hairy root cultures, the biosynthesis of isoliquiritigenin and the way it is stored. A prototype basket-bubble bioreactor was designed and built to upgrade the scale of the G. tinctoria hairy root cultures. With immobilized roots and a new aeration system, large amounts of biomass were obtained (FWmax 914.5 g l-1) which produced high contents of isoliquiritigenin (2.9 g/100 g DW). The abscisic acid-induced release of the metabolite from the tissue into the growth medium greatly facilitated subsequent extraction and purification of isoliquiritigenin.
Determining Excitatory and Inhibitory Neuronal Activity from Multimodal fMRI Data Using a Generative Hemodynamic Model

Hemodynamic responses, in general, and the blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) fMRI signal, in particular, provide an indirect measure of neuronal activity. There is strong evidence that the BOLD response correlates well with post-synaptic changes, induced by changes in the excitatory and inhibitory (E-I) balance between active neuronal populations. Typical BOLD responses exhibit transients, such as the early-overshoot and post-stimulus undershoot, that can be linked to transients in neuronal activity, but they can also result from vascular uncoupling between cerebral blood flow (CBF) and venous cerebral blood volume (venous CBV). Recently, we have proposed a novel generative hemodynamic model of the BOLD signal within the dynamic causal modeling framework, inspired by physiological observations, called P-DCM (Havlicek et al., 2015). We demonstrated the generative model's ability to more accurately model commonly observed neuronal and vascular transients in single regions but also effective connectivity between multiple brain areas (Havlicek et al., 2017b). In this paper, we additionally demonstrate the versatility of the generative model to jointly explain dynamic relationships between neuronal and hemodynamic physiological variables underlying the BOLD signal using multi-modal data. For this purpose, we utilized three distinct data-sets of experimentally induced responses in the primary visual areas measured in human, cat, and monkey brain, respectively: (1) CBF and BOLD responses; (2) CBF, total CBV, and BOLD responses (Jin and Kim, 2008); and (3) positive and negative neuronal and BOLD responses (Shmuel et al., 2006). By fitting the generative model to the three multi-modal experimental data-sets, we showed that the presence or absence of dynamic features in the BOLD signal is not an unambiguous indication of presence or absence of those features on the neuronal level. Nevertheless, the generative model that takes into account the dynamics of the physiological mechanisms underlying the BOLD response allowed dissociating neuronal from vascular transients and deducing excitatory and inhibitory neuronal activity time-courses from BOLD data alone and from multi-modal data.
Implicit bands in the Spanish peseta/Deutschmark exchange rate, 1965–1998

The objective of this article is to identify implicit bands for the Spanish peseta/Deutschmark exchange rate. To this end, based on the ‘natural’ classification approach suggested by Reinhart and Rogoff (2004), we propose a statistical test to assess the statistical significance of the outcome of their classifying algorithm. The test is applied to the period 1965–1998, indicating our results existence of fluctuation bands in the 1980s and 1990s, before and after the entry of the peseta into the European Monetary System.
Unsedated transnasal endoscopy with ultrathin endoscope as a screening tool for research studies

Asymptomatic subjects volunteering for research studies are generally stratified as healthy based on a questionnaire, medical interviewing, and physical examination. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of upper gastrointestinal (GI) abnormalities in healthy asymptomatic volunteers using unsedated transnasal esophagogastroduodenoscopy (T‐EGD) with an ultrathin endoscope as an additional screening tool.
A Method of Forming Code Sets for CDMA in Communication, Navigation and Control Systems

The method of forming code sets for communication, navigation and control systems with CDMA is proposed. The method allows forming code sets of various desired dimension: any length of codes and any number of codes in set. The formed binary codes have required statistic and correlation properties for using in wireless systems with CDMA. Quantity of sets allows increasing the structural secrecy of wireless systems to increase integrity, availability, reliance and secrecy of transmitted data.
Estimating Defocus Blur via Rank of Local Patches

This paper addresses the problem of defocus map estimation from a single image. We present a fast yet effective approach to estimate the spatially varying amounts of defocus blur at edge locations, which is based on the maximum ranks of the corresponding local patches with different orientations in gradient domain. Such an approach is motivated by the theoretical analysis which reveals the connection between the rank of a local patch blurred by a defocus-blur kernel and the blur amount by the kernel. After the amounts of defocus blur at edge locations are obtained, a complete defocus map is generated by a standard propagation procedure. The proposed method is extensively evaluated on real image datasets, and the experimental results show its superior performance to existing approaches.
Valuation of New Products in the Face of Consumer Income Disparity

The objective of this research is to begin exploring the welfare effects of new food product introductions and to determine whether such effects vary depending on the income classification of the customer base to which the products are introduced. In other words, when new products are introduced to both high- and low-income markets, is there a significant difference in estimated welfare effects that can be attributed to differences in consumer-base income levels? In an application involving new bottled juice introductions, we do, in fact, find notable differences in welfare effects accruing to different income-class cohorts. Our results provide important evidence of the need for an even greater understanding of new product welfare effects and how these effects vary across population groups and certain new product claims.
Democratic demand for a social Europe? Preferences of the European citizenry

Within the literature on European integration there is a widespread assumption that Europe is in need of intensified and more effective supranational social policy cooperation. However, on the political level it is doubtful whether such measures are welcomed by the national electorates. This article addresses this issue empirically by asking whether there is public demand for promoting greater European welfare policy cooperation and what are the determinants of such a demand. The data source used is the Eurobarometer survey 2000. A number of hypotheses dealing with socio-structural differences, the effects of welfare regime types, the subjective evaluation of the integration process and the role of identity will be scrutinised. Overall, the results indicate that at the attitudinal ‘grass root’ level there is no unequivocal support for a European welfare responsibility and that some fundamental cleavages are present. It is the regional and cultural aspects, especially, which turn out to be having an effect and to be influencing future political conflicts. A common European welfare arrangement, therefore, cannot be regarded as a solution to the problems the European Union is facing; rather it will raise new and severe problems of finding social and political support.
Using the Reputation Score Management for Constructing Fair P2P File Sharing System

This paper has used the reputation score management for constructing a fair P2P file sharing system, the system design principle is simple and easy to realize, and every node entering into the P2P network obtains a certain reputation score, and obtains the corresponding resources reward according to the score. This paper has described the fair sharing strategies facing node network bandwidth and TTL, and these strategies can be used independently or be combined with other reputation score managements of P2P network. These two strategies have been discussed in the specific reputation score management system of P2P network Eigen Trust, and the test results indicate that: compared with a common P2P network, the fair sharing strategies of this paper have faster file download speed and can decrease the network message communication amount during the process looking for resources. It can also be combined with another reputation management system. it is simple and easy to be realized, its main purposes are to fairly share network bandwidth and to decrease information communication volume, and it can suppress the free riding behavior to some extent.
Problems and Prospects in Local Environmental Assessment: Lessons from the United States

Local environmental assessment (EA), mandated by five US states, has introduced complex management issues for practitioners and policy makers. Based on a review of statutes, case law, and prior EA evaluations,this paper outlines three key issue areas for local EA: linking comprehensive planning and EA; making the threshold determination process more certain; and balancing mitigation with public participation. The paper argues that all the issues reflect a central tension in environmentalassessment between procedural consistency and the need for contingent responses to conditions that differ among the projects to be reviewed.
Do Business Cycles Affect State Appropriations to Higher Education

Spending on higher education constitutes an important and increasing portion of state government spending and a major source of operating funds at public institutions of higher education. Anecdotal evidence suggests that state appropriations are subject to cyclical variation. An analysis of state appropriations to higher education, enrollment in two- and four-year public colleges and universities, and state-specific measures of the business cycle for all 50 states over the period 1969–1994 shows that state appropriations to higher education are highly sensitive to changes in the business cycle. A 1% change in real per capita income was, on average, associated with a 1.39% change in real state appropriations per full-time equivalent student enrolled. This implied decline in state government funding, coupled with the increase in enrollment in higher education during recessions reported by Betts and McFarland (1995), suggest that public institutions of higher education may experience fiscal stress during economic downturns. These results also suggest that state legislators and education policymakers should reconsider their higher education funding policies during recessions in order to allow public colleges and universities to provide dislocated workers with access to quality education and training during these periods.
Transaction Frequency and Hedging in Commodity Processing

This study examines the effect of transaction frequency on profit and cash flow risk for firms that periodically purchase inputs, continuously transform inputs into outputs, and periodically sell output. Soybean-processing profit and cash flows are computed for unhedged, direct-hedged, and risk-minimizing-hedged processing with up to 52 transactions per year. Findings include: (a) higher transaction frequencies result in lower unhedged profit and cash flow risk and lower hedging effectiveness, (b) anticipatory hedging provides less risk protection than product-transformation hedging, (c) stabilizing cash flow stabilizes annual profits but the converse does not hold, and (d) hedging profits makes cash flow more variable.