Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Triplex PCR amplicons genotyping by high resolution melting using Rotor Gene 6000 platform

Chong-Ge You 1,2 , Yu-Min Li 2 , Xiao-Jun Li 1, *, Xin-Yue Liu 2 , Fei-Fei Li 2 , Xin-Ling Guo 2 and Li-Na Gao 2 1 Department of Clinical Central Laboratory Science , Institute of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Nanjing General Hospital of Nanjing Military Area, Nanjing , P.R. China 2 Central Laboratory , Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Gansu Province Key Laboratory of Digestion Tumor, Lanzhou , P.R. China
Noise Coupling Effects on CMOS Analog-to-Digital Converter in Magnetic Field Wireless Power Transfer System Using Chip-PCB Comodeling and Simulation

Analog-to-digital converter (ADC) is becoming of utmost importance in an automotive environment. With the increased number of magnetic field sources near the ADC that can alter its behaviors significantly, we need to model how magnetic field affects the performance of the ADC. Therefore, in order to accurately evaluate the practical performance of the ADC and the considerable off-chip and on-chip effects that are highly complex, the chip-printed circuit board (PCB) comodeling, cosimulation, and coanalysis are required. In this study, a comodel of the magnetic field effects on an ADC is proposed. The proposed comodel includes three separate submodels: a model of the magnetic field coupling from the wireless power transfer (WPT) system input to the PCB integrated with ADC, a model of the noise coupling from the PCB to the ADC input, and a model of the ADC behavior from the ADC input to the ADC outputs. Considering the magnetic field coupling from the magnetic field source to the PCB, a new inductive transmission line model (I-TLM) method is developed. This method achieves fast, precise, and broadband estimation of the magnetic field effects in comparison to previous estimation methods. To validate the proposed comodel, an ADC is fabricated using a 0.13-μm complementary metal-oxide semiconductor process and is wire-bonded to the designed PCB for ADC. A PCB-level WPT system is designed and built as the magnetic field source. The performance factor of the ADC is measured by sweeping the WPT system input frequency from 100 kHz to 1 GHz to find out the critical WPT system frequency for the designed ADC with the chip-PCB hierarchical structure. The results estimated by the proposed model correlate well with the full 3-D electromagnetic field simulation and measurement. The proposed modeling procedure reduces the time and computation resource in the design of the chip, package, and PCB to achieve high-quality analog devices or mixed-mode systems, while also providing an intuitive understanding of the radiated noise effect.
THI 1 , a Thiamine Thiazole Synthase , Interacts with Ca 2 +-Dependent Protein Kinase CPK 33 and Modulates the S-Type Anion Channels and Stomatal Closure in Arabidopsis 1 [ OPEN ]

Thiamine is required for both plant growth and development. Here, the involvement of a thiamine thiazole synthase, THI1, has been demonstrated in both guard cell abscisic acid (ABA) signaling and the drought response in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). THI1 overexpressors proved to be more sensitive to ABA than the wild type with respect to both the activation of guard cell slow type anion channels and stomatal closure; this effectively reduced the rate of water loss from the plant and thereby enhanced its level of drought tolerance. A yeast two-hybrid strategy was used to screen a cDNA library from epidermal strips of leaves for THI1 regulatory factors, and identified CPK33, a Ca-dependent protein kinase, as interactor with THI1 in a plasma membrane-delimited manner. Loss-of-function cpk33 mutants were hypersensitive to ABA activation of slow type anion channels and ABA-induced stomatal closure, while the CPK33 overexpression lines showed opposite phenotypes. CPK33 kinase activity was essential for ABA-induced stomatal closure. Consistent with their contrasting regulatory role over stomatal closure, THI1 suppressed CPK33 kinase activity in vitro. Together, our data reveal a novel regulatory role of thiamine thiazole synthase to kinase activity in guard cell signaling.
Essence of Care benchmarking: putting it into practice

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to introduce Essence of Care, a benchmarking tool for health care practitioners and an integral part of the UK National Health Service (NHS) Clinical Governance agenda. It focuses on how one NHS Community Health Trust has attempted to introduce organisation‐wide benchmarking by using a workshop programme to raise awareness and act as a catalyst to initiate implementation. An evaluation of progress made six months after the workshops were delivered is described.Design/methodology/approach – The paper outlines the case study approach taken and describes the qualitative methods used in the small scale evaluation, namely interviews and focus groups with the decision makers and implementers of Essence of Care across the case study site.Findings – The evaluation highlights that whilst raising awareness is relatively straightforward, putting Essence of Care into practice is more difficult to achieve, especially when happening at a time of significant organisational change.
Matrix vesicle-mediated mineralization in bone

: Matrix vesicle-mediated mineralization is orchestrated by ultrastructural and biochemical events that lead to crystal nucleation and growth. Osteoblasts secrete extracellular matrix vesicles equipped with a variety of membrane transporters and enzymes, which are necessary for the initial nucleation and subsequent growth of calcium phosphate crystals. The influx of phosphate ions into the matrix vesicle is a complex process mediated by several enzymes and transporters, such as tissue nonspecific alkaline phosphatase (TNAP), ecto-nucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase 1 (ENPP1), sodium/phosphate co-transporter type III (Pit1). The catalytic activity of ENPP1 generates pyrophosphate (PPi) using extracellular ATPs as a substrate, and the resultant PPi binds to growing hydroxyapatite crystals to prevent crystal overgrowth. However, TNAP hydrolyzes PPi into phosphate ions (PO 43), a constituent of calcium phosphates, which are then transported into the matrix vesicle through Pit1. Accumulation of calcium ion (Ca 2+ ) and PO 43-inside matrix vesicles then induces crystalline nucleation, with calcium phosphate crystals budding off radially, puncturing the matrix vesicle’s membrane and finally growing out of it to form mineralized nodules. Apparently, mineralized nodules - which are globular assemblies of needle-shaped mineral crystals - retain some of those transporters and enzymes. The subsequent growth of mineralized nodules is regulated by surrounding organic compounds, finally leading to collagen mineralization. In this review, ultrastructural and biochemical aspects on matrix vesicle-mediated mineralization will be introduced.
Effects of epinephrine, norepinephrine, and phenylephrine on microcirculatory blood flow in the gastrointestinal tract in sepsis*

Objective:The use of vasopressors for treatment of hypotension in sepsis may have adverse effects on microcirculatory blood flow in the gastrointestinal tract. The aim of this study was to measure the effects of three vasopressors, commonly used in clinical practice, on microcirculatory blood flow in multiple abdominal organs in sepsis. Design:Random order, cross-over design. Setting:University laboratory. Subjects:Eight sedated and mechanically ventilated pigs. Interventions:Pigs were exposed to fecal peritonitis-induced septic shock. Mesenteric artery flow was measured using ultrasound transit time flowmetry. Microcirculatory flow was measured in gastric, jejunal, and colon mucosa; jejunal muscularis; and pancreas, liver, and kidney using multiple-channel laser Doppler flowmetry. Each animal received a continuous intravenous infusion of epinephrine, norepinephrine, and phenylephrine in a dose increasing mean arterial pressure by 20%. The animals were allowed to recover for 60 mins after each drug before the next was started. Measurements and Main Results:During infusion of epinephrine (0.8 ± 0.2 &mgr;g/kg/hr), mean arterial pressure increased from 66 ± 5 to 83 ± 5 mm Hg and cardiac index increased by 43 ± 9%. Norepinephrine (0.7 ± 0.3 &mgr;g/kg/hr) increased mean arterial pressure from 70 ± 4 to 87 ± 5 mm Hg and cardiac index by 41 ± 8%. Both agents caused a significant reduction in superior mesenteric artery flow (11 ± 4%, p < .05, and 26 ± 6%, p < .01, respectively) and in microcirculatory blood flow in the jejunal mucosa (21 ± 5%, p < .01, and 23 ± 3%, p < .01, respectively) and in the pancreas (16 ± 3%, p < .05, and 8 ± 3%, not significant, respectively). Infusion of phenylephrine (3.1 ± 1.0 &mgr;g/kg/min) increased mean arterial pressure from 69 ± 5 to 85 ± 6 mm Hg but had no effects on systemic, regional, or microcirculatory flow except for a 30% increase in jejunal muscularis flow (p < .01). Conclusions:Administration of the vasopressors phenylephrine, epinephrine, and norepinephrine failed to increase microcirculatory blood flow in most abdominal organs despite increased perfusion pressure and—in the case of epinephrine and norepinephrine—increased systemic blood flow. In fact, norepinephrine and epinephrine appeared to divert blood flow away from the mesenteric circulation and decrease microcirculatory blood flow in the jejunal mucosa and pancreas. Phenylephrine, on the other hand, appeared to increase blood pressure without affecting quantitative blood flow or distribution of blood flow.
Effect of the Z mutation on the physical and inhibitory properties of alpha 1-antitrypsin.

A major feature of the structure of alpha 1-antitrypsin is a five-stranded A-sheet into which the reactive center loop inserts after cleavage. We describe here the effect of the Z mutation (342Glu to Lys) at the head of the fifth strand of the A-sheet on the mobility of the reactive center loop and hence on the physical properties of the antitrypsin molecule. The mutant Z but not the normal M antitrypsin spontaneously polymerizes at 37 degrees C by a mechanism involving the insertion of the reactive center loop of one molecule into the A-sheet of a second. It is demonstrated that Z antitrypsin polymerized after incubation with 1.0 M guanidinium chloride at 37 degrees C at the same rate as M antitrypsin. Reducing the temperature to 4 degrees C favored the formation of the L-state in M antitrypsin in which the loop is stably incorporated into the A-sheet, but resulted in loop-sheet polymerization in Z antitrypsin. Z, like M antitrypsin, undergoes the S to R transition, but we show that the accompanying change in thermal stability results from loop-sheet polymerization (S) which can be prevented by the insertion of the cleaved strand of the reactive center loop into the A-sheet (R). Z antitrypsin has a reduced association rate constant with neutrophil elastase [(5.3 +/- 0.06) x 10(7) and (1.2 +/- 0.02) x 10(7) M-1 s-1 for M and Z, respectively], but both M and Z antitrypsin had Ki values of less than 5 pM. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
TIME AS A FACTOR IN THE FIRM ADOPTING AND REALISING BENEFITS FROM INTERNET MARKETING

This paper presents empirical results that suggest time is not necessarily the driving factor for either the extent to which firms have adopted the internet into marketing activity or the extent to which they benefit from internet marketing activity. Research was conducted amongst 800 firms to gauge impact of the length of time the firm has had an internet connection or a website and the benefits the firm perceives to have received from internet marketing. It appears that the length of time with either internet connection or website has little impact on the extent to which the firm uses the internet for marketing or on the benefits the firm has received from using the internet. This paper is intended to show that simply having the internet or a web site is not enough to benefit the firm, but that ‘how’ the internet is used may be the difference in generating beneficial outcomes for marketing. Implications of this are outlined for research, practitioners and educators.
The Intensity of High-Frequency Feedback Trading and its Impact on Market Quality

Based on Level-2 transaction data of individual stocks in Chinese market, the paper constructs measures to directly estimate positive feedback trading intensity and its asymmetry in high-frequency intervals, and then investigates the impact of feedback trading on market quality. Heterogeneous positive feedback traders are found in high-frequency trading intervals of individual stocks, and the buying-winners effect is generally more intensive than selling-losers effect. The asymmetric positive feedback traders contribute to high volatility, high return autocorrelations, high variance ratios and low speed of price discovery. The asymmetry is positively related to aggressive trading orders and hence large price impact, while positive feedback trading reduces both liquidity provision and trading cost. Collectively, the high-frequency asymmetric positive feedback trading leads to an active-trading but less efficient market.
What does YouTube Say about Your Product? An Aspect based Approach

Nowadays, customers have a variety of options to gather information about products, which can support their purchasing decisions. More and more customers use YouTube reviews or unboxing videos to get a first impression of different products and interact or discuss with other users in the comment section. Automatically analyzing these comments to gain a better insight about the important product aspects remains a major challenge in the field of social media monitoring because the text data is unstructured and noisier compared to conventional review data for example from Amazon. In this study, we focus on the automated aspect extraction task to answer the question, which characteristics of products are important from the (potential) customer view. We show that YouTube comments are a valuable data source for this purpose with an aspect extraction precision comparable to conventional Amazon reviews. To improve aspect extraction in general, we propose a new aspect sorting method based on Google Trends. Incorporating the search volume of products combined with aspects into the extraction procedure improves the precision results especially for noisier text data. To illustrate the analysis results, we choose Amazon reviews and YouTube comments about three exemplary smartphones.
Bilateral Investment Treaties Do Work; Until They Don't

The recent boom of investor-state disputes filed under international investment agreements has fueled a controversial academic and policy debate. Despite its importance, there has been very little work to date on the impacts of compensation claims by investors on FDI flows to the responding host country. We study this question using a comprehensive dataset of FDI flows, compensation claims and bilateral investment treaty (BIT) participation. We allow for differential impacts of compensation claims against a host on inward FDI flows from BIT-partner and non-partner countries. Focusing on these differences allows us both to shed new light on how investment treaties might influence investor behavior, as well as allowing us to control for unobserved changes in the host-country investment climate. We find that BITs stimulate bilateral FDI flows from partner countries - but only so long as the host country has not had a claim brought against it to arbitration. When a host faces a claim, FDI from sources with a BIT in place falls significantly more than that from unprotected sources. Furthermore, after the host has faced a claim, the entry into force of new BITs is no longer associated with increased FDI flows.
China's changing culture: rural and urban consumers' favorite things

Purpose – Following the upheavals of the revolutionary era, the People's Republic of China's consumer culture is somewhat over 20 years old. This research aims at discovering and thus better understanding what Chinese consumers value most among their possessions. In turn, this finding should help better understand the contemporary Chinese culture.Design/methodology/approach – The general research approach utilized in this effort is qualitative. All data were collected through at‐home, in‐depth personal interviews, following established guidelines outlined by Lincoln and Guba, and Wallendorf and Belk. A snowball sampling resulted in the participation of 20 rural and 20 urban households.Findings – Participants' demographic profile ended up matching well the national profile in terms of income, and the gender and age make‐up of the rural and urban samples were not significantly different. Four categories emerged to comprehensively represent all the favorite products identified by the participants: entertainm.
Hospitality Graduates' Employment Status and Job Satisfaction

The purposes of this study were to profile hospitality graduates' employment status and to determine the levels of overall job satisfaction of hospitality graduates. The research sample represented 320 individuals who graduated from the hotel and restaurant management program at a Midwest university. Overall, respondents' job satisfaction from within five dimensions was moderate, ranging from 3.51 to 5.10 on a 7-point Likert scale. Age and income were significant factors affecting respondents' job satisfaction. The satisfaction level appears to be highest among the respondents working between six to nine years in the industry, but declines sharply after that period. Therefore, the industry should consider this timeframe to prevent the draining of the managerial talent to other industries. Unlike previous findings, the respondents' job satisfaction in this study was not influenced by average working hours. Limitations and recommendations for future research also were discussed.
A Practical Case Study of the Interactive TV Service as a Time-Critical Product

In this paper, we conducted a case study of time-critical goods - NG goods. We expected the study to integrate the field of information management and the TV broadcasting field, thereby creating a new wave of potential for the information management field after e-commerce. We suggest two perspectives germane to industry development: the development of the whole industry, and, the operation of the individual companies.
Computer Simulation Lends New Insights Into Cyanide-Caused Cardiac Toxicity

Abstract : The development of antidotes against cyanide (CN) poisoning for the protection of the warfighter is still hampered by a lack of detailed understanding of the modulation of CN-affected cellular processes. Advances in high-performance computer technology and algorithms now enable computational models of the cellular processes on the newest high performance scalable computers, for the first time, to furnish many of the sought-after answers and complement animal studies. A mathematical model of the electrophysiology of cardiac tissue with initial and boundary conditions based on experimental data from studies using CN as metabolic blockers from the literature, was used to simulate changes in the electrical activity of the heart due to the effect of the presence of CN. Emphasis was on the modulation of ion concentrations in the cells, changes in current magnitudes and the activation of currents that are dormant under normal circumstances.
Change, continuity and progress: the concept of integrated marketing communications and marketing communications practice

Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) is the most recent in a long line of innovative marketing concepts widely endorsed by marketing and advertising academics and practitioners along the whole spectrum of industry and commerce in the Western hemisphere. Despite its continuing appeal, however, little is known about the actual embodiment of IMC within contemporary marketing communications practice. The article therefore reviews the extant literature and research studies with the purpose of drawing out whether IMC can indeed be seen to define the ways in which marketing communications is currently practiced and can thus be considered as a valid theory of contemporary marketing communications management.
A Method for Image Reduction Based on a Generalization of Ordered Weighted Averaging Functions

In this paper we propose a special type of aggregation function which generalizes the notion of Ordered Weighted Averaging Function - OWA. The resulting functions are called Dynamic Ordered Weighted Averaging Functions --- DYOWAs. This generalization will be developed in such way that the weight vectors are variables depending on the input vector. Particularly, this operators generalize the aggregation functions: Minimum, Maximum, Arithmetic Mean, Median, etc, which are extensively used in image processing. In this field of research two problems are considered: The determination of methods to reduce images and the construction of techniques which provide noise reduction. The operators described here are able to be used in both cases. In terms of image reduction we apply the methodology provided by Patermain et al. We use the noise reduction operators obtained here to treat the images obtained in the first part of the paper, thus obtaining images with better quality.
Radiolabelling of the excretory-secretory and somatic antigens of Anisakis simplex larvae

ABSTRACT Anisakis simplex larvae were cultured in vitro in medium containing 35-methionine for ten days. The medium and the larval tissues were analysed for biosynthetically labelled polypeptide by sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and autoradiography. Immunoprecipitates with positive and negative human antisera were similarly analysed, using Staphylococcus aureus to absorb immunocomplexes. ES products of Anisakis larvae contained many polypeptides with molecular weights of less than 200 K. 180 KDa and 40 KDa polypeptides in ES products reacted with IgG in Anisakis-infected human sera. Somatic extracts also contained many polypeptides with molecular weights of less than 200 K. One of these polypeptides with a molecular weight of 130 K reacted with IgG in Anisakis-infected human sera. These polypeptides did not react with other nematode-infected human sera.
Magnetic resonance imaging of fixed post mortem brains reliably reflects subcortical vascular pathology of frontal, parietal and occipital white matter

Subcortical vascular pathology of the white and deep grey matter (WM and DGM) is associated with cognitive impairment. Routine neuropathological assessment of subcortical vascular pathology is based on semiquantitative scoring of characteristic lesions in a limited number of histological slides from selected WM and DGM areas. Clinically, WM and DGM lesions are visualized as hyper‐intensities on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of MRI on fixed post mortem brain hemispheres to complement routine neuropathological assessment of subcortical vascular pathology.