Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Polarized gene conversion at the bz locus of maize

Significance Meiotic recombination between homologous paternal and maternal chromosomes allows the shuffling of genes that otherwise would be coinherited and originates at nonrandom sites termed hotspots. In maize, an organism with >90% repetitive DNA, recombination hotspots correspond to genes. Gene conversion is a nonreciprocal form of recombination that leads to an aberrant allelic segregation ratio. In most higher organisms, gene conversions can be identified as intragenic recombinants having a parental arrangement of flanking markers. Here, we show that in maize heterozygotes where most recombinants can be attributed to gene conversion, mutant sites at either end of the gene convert to WT more frequently than those in the middle, arguing for a polarized distribution of recombination initiation sites within the gene. Nucleotide diversity is greater in maize than in most organisms studied to date, so allelic pairs in a hybrid tend to be highly polymorphic. Most recombination events between such pairs of maize polymorphic alleles are crossovers. However, intragenic recombination events not associated with flanking marker exchange, corresponding to noncrossover gene conversions, predominate between alleles derived from the same progenitor. In these dimorphic heterozygotes, the two alleles differ only at the two mutant sites between which recombination is being measured. To investigate whether gene conversion at the bz locus is polarized, two large diallel crossing matrices involving mutant sites spread across the bz gene were performed and more than 2,500 intragenic recombinants were scored. In both diallels, around 90% of recombinants could be accounted for by gene conversion. Furthermore, conversion exhibited a striking polarity, with sites located within 150 bp of the start and stop codons converting more frequently than sites located in the middle of the gene. The implications of these findings are discussed with reference to recent data from genome-wide studies in other plants.
Techniques in Current Use in Prenatal Diagnosis

Abstract Prenatal diagnosis is now offered to the majority of pregnant women in Europe and the United States. Advances in obstetric and laboratory techniques mean that increasing numbers of conditions can be diagnosed prenatally; indeed, gene carriers can be identified before pregnancy in some cases. Current obstetric and laboratory techniques for prenatal screening and diagnosis of genetic disorders are discussed.
Socio-economic impacts of international accounting standards: an introduction

Why discuss accounting in Socio-Economic Review? ’ ‘Because accounting constructs socio-economic reality. ’ ‘How? ’ ‘Theoretically speaking, there should be many ways of doing “account-ing” — an act of explaining business realities to multiple stakeholders of socio-economies. Practically speaking, however, the current trend is to use “Fair Value Accounting” which is considered to be useful particularly for investors, and this is now being globally standardized. ’ ‘What are the impacts of such new accounting on wider stakeholders and on the socio-economy at large? ’ ‘Many aspects of our life may have been undemocratically administrated without being noticed, because the Fair Value Accounting is presumed to be fair, while it is not. ’ In order to promote discussions over how our socio-economies should be accounted for, this paper introduces, in a reader-friendly manner, problems of the International Accounting Standards (IAS) and the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)1, and calls for diverse perspectives of future research.
Distributed Algorithm for a Mobile Wireless Sensor Network for Optimal Coverage of Non-stationary Signals

In this paper we will deal with the problem of optimal coverage of a wireless sensor network for random signals appearing with non-stationary distributions. The wireless sensor network can be either with limited mobility or with large redundancy of the nodes. We will give a distributed algorithm that successfully solves this problem, and we will show its efficiency in simulations in a 2-D environment.
Does IPO Pricing Reflect Public Information? New Insights from Equity Carve-Outs

We examine the efficiency of initial public offering (IPO) pricing using a sample of over 300 equity carve-outs from 1985 to 2009. The partial adjustment theory posits that the initial return of IPOs is predictable based on private information, but public information is fully incorporated. Prospect theory is consistent with both private and public information not being fully incorporated in the offer price. Our analysis confirms that both price update and initial return of carve-out IPOs can be predicted based on the parent firm's returns during the prepricing and preissuing periods. Further, postissue ownership of the parent firm is associated with significantly higher price update and initial return, while IPOs where the majority of the proceeds are paid out register lower initial return. The size of the subsidiary and relative size of the offering are also significantly related to price update and initial return. These findings are consistent with prospect theory.
Systems Analysis of complex glaciological processes and application to calving of Amery Ice Shelf, East Antarctica

ABSTRACT Calving is a complex process subject to several cooperating atmospheric, oceanographic and glaciological forcings that vary in space and time, and whose relative effects are challenging to separate. Statistical ‘Systems Analysis’ is commonly used in engineering and economics to extricate complex ‘force–response’ relationships. Here we apply Systems Analysis to the Amery rift system, East Antarctica. We develop a scalable ‘System Model’ driven by a coarsely-sampled dataset characteristic of glaciological observations in remote locations, and validate it using rift lengths observed in 2000–06 and 2012. In this initial demonstration, we forecast a detachment date of ~2019 ± 5 years for the large tabular iceberg colloquially known as the ‘Loose Tooth’, for which relative humidity surprisingly emerges as the best statistical predictor. RACMO2 climate modelling reveals that relative humidity correlates best with surface albedo and snowmelt, both of which are intimately linked to firn compaction and ice shelf temperature and flow. We postulate that relative humidity can therefore serve as a proxy for internal stress, a known key control of ‘Loose Tooth’ calving. Although no physical causality is implied in Systems Analysis, postulates such as this can aid in setting priorities in studies of complex glaciological processes.
The institutional, economic and social determinants of local government transparency

Interest in transparency is increasing worldwide. Literature on their determinants is evolving but is still in early stages. So far, it has typically focused on national governments while neglecting local governments. This paper examines the economic, social, and institutional determinants of local government transparency in Spain. We broaden the traditional fiscal focus by including corporate, social, contracting, and planning transparency indexes. Our results indicate that large municipalities and left-wing mayors report better transparency indexes; while the worst results are presented by provincial capitals, touristic cities and mayors with absolute majority. The analysis of specific transparency categories generally shows the consistent impact of these determinants.
Molecular characterization of a fructanase produced by Bacteroides fragilis BF-1

The Bacteroides fragilis BF-1 fructanase-encoding gene (fruA) was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli from the recombinant plasmid pBS100. The fruA gene consisted of 1,866 bp encoding a protein of 622 amino acids with a calculated M(r) of 70,286. The apparent M(r) of the fructanase, determined by in vitro cell-free transcription-translation and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis, was approximately 71,500. An alignment of the amino acid sequences of the B. fragilis BF-1 fructanase and the Bacillus subtilis levanase revealed that 45.5% of the amino acids were identical. The fruA gene was expressed in E. coli from its own promoter; however, no E. coli promoter-like sequence was evident upstream from the gene. A major E. coli transcription start point and a single B. fragilis BF-1 transcription start point were located. Expression of the fruA gene was constitutive in E. coli(pBS100) and B. fragilis BF-1. The ratio of sucrase activity to inulinase activity (S/I ratio) was constant for enzyme preparations from E. coli (pBS100), indicating that both activities were associated with the fructanase. For B. fragilis BF-1, the S/I ratio varied considerably depending on the carbon source used for growth, suggesting that a separate sucrase is produced in addition to the fructanase in B. fragilis BF-1. Localization experiments and TnphoA mutagenesis indicated that the fructanase was exported to the periplasm. Sequence analysis of the N-terminal region of the fructanase revealed a putative 30-amino-acid signal peptide. The enzymatic properties of the purified fructanase were investigated. The enzyme was able to hydrolyze sucrose, raffinose, inulin, and levan but not melezitose, indicating that it was a beta-D-fructofuranosidase which was able to hydrolyze beta(2-->6)-linked fructans.
The Composition of Hedonic Pricing Models

A house is made up of many characteristics, all of which may affect its value. Hedonic regression analysis is typically used to estimate the marginal contribution of these individual characteristics. This study provides a review of recent studies that have used hedonic modeling to estimate house prices. The findings indicate that slanted versus flat roof, sprinkler system, garden bath, separate shower stall, double oven and gated community positively affect selling price while not having attic space, living in an earthquake zone, proximity to a hog farm, proximity to a landfill, proximity to high voltage lines, corporate-owned properties, percentage of Blacks or Hispanics in an area and properties that require flood insurance negatively affect selling price.
Humidity‐ and Photo‐Induced Mechanical Actuation of Cross‐Linked Liquid Crystal Polymers

Azobenzene-containing cross-linked liquid crystal polymer films without hydrophilic groups exhibit dual-responsivity to humidity and UV light. The films realize not only a series of large and sophisticated contactless motions by utilizing moisture, including an inchworm walk, and tumbling locomotion, but also dual-mode actuation that can be applied in flexible electronics.
Nature and antecedents of a marketing approach according to Italian SME entrepreneurs

Purpose – The purpose of this research is to explore the conception of marketing held by entrepreneurs of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), in comparison with that proposed by researchers using different paradigms (i.e. the transactional, relationship, or inductional marketing). It then seeks to examine the determinants of the entrepreneurs' intention to adopt a marketing approach in their firms.Design/methodology/approach – The research is articulated in a pilot and a main study, which were carried out on a stratified sample of more than 200 Italian entrepreneurs. It adopts exploratory research techniques to investigate the entrepreneurs' perceptions of the marketing concept and applies Ajzen's Theory of Planned Behavior to quantitatively assess the psychological antecedents of their intention to adopt a “marketing approach” (i.e. what they mean by that). Findings – Results clearly show that the “concept of marketing” as perceived by Italian SME entrepreneurs differs from that proposed by academic rese.
Ethics in international business

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to emphasise the importance of the study of ethics in an international context in business courses.Design/methodology/approach – The paper begins with proposed learning outcomes. It examines, using contemporary examples, the increased importance of corporate social responsibility (CSR), the implications of national and international legislation concerning ethical issues and the need for sound overall corporate governance. It concludes with analysis of recent progress towards sustaining ethical standards. The various key ethical dilemmas which occur in business are examined using recent examples, both from the UK and internationally.Findings – The paper presents an optimistic analysis of recent progress made in the development of ethical standards in business, including suggestions for future good practice, both internationally and at company level.Originality/value – The paper emphasises the importance of sound governance, which is fundamental to the success in foste.
The International Scale and Scope of European Multinationals

Summary This study analyzes the international scale and scope of European multinational enterprises (MNEs). By using five widely used multinationality measures and the corresponding five measures for intra-regional activities, the results confirm that the European MNEs focus on their home region market rather than the global market. No evidence exists that European MNEs focus on global markets or were becoming geographically diversified during 2000-2006. Additionally, this study suggests that scale and entropy measures, which are based on sales and assets, are better than scope measures, which are based on country counts. Simple country and subsidiary counts wrongly guide researchers to conclude that the MNEs are more dispersed than they really are.
Discovering Evolving Moving Object Groups from Massive-Scale Trajectory Streams

The increasing pervasiveness of object tracking technologies leads to huge volumes of spatio-temporal data collected in the form of trajectory streams. The discovery of useful group patterns from moving objects' movement behaviors in trajectory streams is critical for real time applications ranging from transportation management to military surveillance. In this work we propose a novel type of group pattern, called evolving group, which models the unusual group events of moving objects that travel together within density connected clusters in evolving streaming trajectories. Our theoretical analysis and empirical study on the Beijing Taxi data demonstrate its effectiveness in capturing development, evolution and trend of group events of moving objects in streaming context. Furthermore, we propose a discovery framework that efficiently supports online detection of evolving groups over massive-scale trajectory streams using sliding window. It contains three phases along with a set of novel optimization techniques designed to minimize the computation costs. Our comprehensive empirical study demonstrates that our discovery framework is effective and efficient on real-world high volume trajectory streams.
Traffic Demand and Land-Use in the UK: An Econometric Analysis Using the TRICS Database

The main research question motivating the research in this thesis is whether or not land zone placement (as defined in accordance with Planning Policy Guidance definitions) is a genuinely important determinant of trip generation behaviour. In order to answer this question three unique data sets have been assembled. The key source is the UK Trip Rate Information Computer System (TRICS), particularly the site information relating to (i) Office Developments, (ii) Food Superstores and (iii) Residential Developments. These site types were chosen for scrutiny as they have for various reasons been the focus of enduring media, environmentalist and Government scrutiny in the light of the increasingly mainstream acceptance of sustainable development principles. For Office Developments and Food Superstores single equation trip attraction models, based on the tenets of a standard derived demand modelling framework, are estimated; whereas for Residential Developments a system is estimated encompassing the generation of trips in residential sites and how they interact with levels of car ownership. Due to recurrent small sample problems and issues of heteroskedasticiy all models are estimated using a semi-parametric regression model. The results support the contention that land zone features, as a group of indicators, should be accounted for in trip generation models for office developments. For Food Superstores household economies of scale and scope are identified for individuals visiting these sites and public transport services are also not found to be kinked with reductions in car traffic. Conversely, the elasticity of public transport provision is significant and positive. Household trip generations are primarily determined by car ownership levels and that car ownership is in turn primarily determined by
The spectrum of septic encephalopathy. Definitions, etiologies, and mortalities.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether the severity of septic encephalopathy is correlated with gram-negative bacteremia and mortality and whether there exists a single or combination of metabolic derangements(s) that cause septic encephalopathy. DESIGN AND SETTING Prospective case series in an academic medical center. PATIENTS Fifty patients selected according to clinical and laboratory criteria for severe sepsis. The criteria included temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, and hypotension and/or signs of systemic hypoperfusion. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES A single or combination of metabolic and laboratory derangements and organ failures, three different methods to grade the severity of septic encephalopathy, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) scores, gram-negative bacteremia and infection, and mortality. RESULTS Encephalopathy was associated with an increase in mortality when graded by the Glasgow Coma Score; a score of 15 had 16% mortality, 13 to 14 had 20%, 9 to 12 had 50%, and 3 to 8 had 63% mortality (P < .05). Bacteremia was associated with encephalopathy; 13% of septic patients without encephalopathy vs 59% of patients with encephalopathy had bacteremia (P < .001) when graded by altered mental status. Septic encephalopathic patients had elevated serum urea nitrogen and bilirubin levels, increased APACHE II scores, and a higher incidence of renal failure. CONCLUSIONS The severity of septic encephalopathy correlated with mortality, bacteremia, and renal and hepatic dysfunction. The Glasgow Coma Score is a useful tool for characterizing septic encephalopathy. Considerable variations can be found according to different criteria used to classify septic encephalopathy.
Federalism and Political Change: Canada and Germany in Historical-Institutionalist Perspective

Abstract. This paper starts from the assumption that historical institutionalism has much to offer in order to address important questions raised in the literature on comparative federalism. Historical institutionalism is a useful approach to enhancing our understanding of both the origins that drive federal system dynamics and the dynamic patterns which federal systems unfold over time. The paper conceptualizes federalism as a multi-layered political order, comprising an institutional and an ideational layer. It then introduces two models of political change, the model of path dependence and the process sequencing model, and asks how each model can contribute to explain the emergence of the federal order in Canada and Germany. I conclude that while the model of path dependence lends itself well to capturing federal system dynamics in Germany, the process sequencing model, in contrast, is better suited to explaining sources and patterns of change in Canada. Résumé. L'article part de la position que l'institutionnalisme historique constitue une source intéressante pour aborder des questions importantes issues de la littérature sur le fédéralisme comparatif. L'institutionnalisme historique est une approche utile pour élargir notre compréhension des dynamiques politiques dans les systèmes fédéraux. Cet article conceptualise le fédéralisme comme un ordre politique à plusieurs niveaux comportant une strate institutionnelle et une strate idéationnelle. Puis, deux modèles de transformation politique sont introduits : le modèle de la dépendance du sentier et un autre qui trace les diverses séquences d'un changement dont la temporalité est décisive pour les résultats. On analyse ensuite la capacité des deux modèles d'expliquer la formation d'un ordre politique fédéral en Allemagne et au Canada. L'article conclut que le modèle de la dépendance du sentier est utile pour cerner les dynamiques du système fédéral allemand tandis que le modèle des séquences temporelles est meilleur pour expliquer les sources et les transformations du fédéralisme canadien.
Iterative Aggregation-Disaggregation Procedures for Discounted Semi-Markov Reward Processes

The equation v = q + Mv, where M is a matrix with nonnegative elements and spectral radius less than one, arises in Markovian decision processes and input-output models. In this paper, we solve the equation using an iterative aggregation-disaggregation procedure that alternates between solving an aggregated problem and disaggregating the variables, one block at a time, in terms of the aggregate variables of the other blocks. The disaggregated variables are then used to guide the choice of weights in the subsequent aggregation. Computational experiments on randomly generated and inventory problems indicate that this algorithm is significantly faster than successive approximations when the spectral radius of M is near one, and is slower in unstructured problems with spectral radii in the neighborhood of 0.8. The algorithm appears promising for large structured problems, where it can often reduce computational time and main memory storage requirements and offer greater robustness to initial values.
Why do we need lean accounting and how does it work

American manufacturers are increasingly looking to lean thinking to improve productivity, reduce costs, enhance flexibility, create better value for their customers, and raise profits, cash flow, and stock price. Since those companies choosing lean principles as their basic business model will want to do everything they can to succeed, this article offers six reasons why accounting methods need to change before companies can fully realize the benefits of their lean transformation. It also describes several primary lean accounting methods and tools that support three key aspects of a lean organization—visual management, value stream management, and continuous improvement. These methods have been successfully implemented in a wide range of companies at various stages on the journey to lean transformation. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Localization and Geometric Reconstruction of Mobile Robots Using a Camera Ring

In this paper, a system capable of obtaining the 3-D pose of a mobile robot using a ring of calibrated cameras attached to the environment is proposed. The system robustly tracks point fiducials in the image plane of the set of cameras generated by the robot's rigid shape in motion. Each fiducial is identified with a point belonging to a sparse 3-D geometrical model of the robot's structure. Such a model allows direct pose estimation from image measurements, and it can easily be enriched at each iteration with new points as the robot motion evolves. The process is divided into an initialization step, where the structure of the robot is obtained, and an online step, which is solved using sequential Bayesian inference. The approach allows the proper modeling of uncertainty in measurements and estimations, and at the same time, it serves as a regularization step in pose estimation. The proposed system is verified using simulated and real data.