Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Specific Sequences Determine the Stability and Cooperativity of Folding of the C-terminal Half of Tropomyosin*

Tropomyosin is a flexible 410 Å coiled-coil protein in which the relative stabilities of specific regions may be important for its proper function in the control of muscle contraction. In addition, tropomyosin can be used as a simple model of natural occurrence to understand the inter- and intramolecular interactions that govern the stability of coiled-coils. We have produced eight recombinant tropomyosin fragments (Tm143–284(5OHW), Tm189–284(5OHW), Tm189–284, Tm220–284(5OHW), Tm220–284, Tm143–235, Tm167–260, and Tm143–260) and one synthetic peptide (Ac-Tm215–235) to investigate the relative conformational stability of different regions derived from the C-terminal region of the protein, which is known to interact with the troponin complex. Analytical ultracentrifugation experiments show that the fragments that include the last 24 residues of the molecule (Tm143–284(5OHW), Tm189–284(5OHW), Tm220–284(5OHW), Tm220–284) are completely dimerized at 10 μm dimer (50 mm phosphate, 100 mmNaCl, 1.0 mm dithiothreitol, and 0.5 mm EDTA, 10 °C), whereas fragments that lack the native C terminus (Tm143–235,Tm167–260, and Tm143–260) are in a monomer-dimer equilibrium under these conditions. The presence of trifluoroethanol resulted in a reduction in the [θ]222/[θ]208 circular dichroism ratio in all of the fragments and induced stable trimer formation only in those containing residues 261–284. Urea denaturation monitored by circular dichroism and fluorescence revealed that residues 261–284 of tropomyosin are very important for the stability of the C-terminal half of the molecule as a whole. Furthermore, the absence of this region greatly increases the cooperativity of urea-induced unfolding. Temperature and urea denaturation experiments show that Tm143–235 is less stable than other fragments of the same size. We have identified a number of factors that may contribute to this particular instability, including an interhelix repulsion between g and e′ positions of the heptad repeat, a charged residue at the hydrophobic coiled-coil interface, and a greater fraction of β-branched residues located at d positions.
Slow speed performance of an NFO-controlled induction machine

Natural field orientation (NFO) control was first developed in 1980s. It can be defined as a simplified version of the stator flux oriented (SFO) control performed in the reference frame which is aligned with the stator flux vector. A number of interesting properties result from this simplification, including a natural self-alignment of the control frame with the stator flux position and a very low sensitivity to the machine parameter error. High tolerance of the NFO control algorithm to the stator resistance error in particular, suggests that the algorithm may have a superior performance at slow speed to other "voltage model" based control techniques. This paper investigates NFO operation under slow speed conditions. It explains the principles of NFO operation and the physical reasons of its good tolerance to the machine parameter errors. It then analyses the performance limitations associated with the low speed values and suggests possible ways to overcome these limitations. It presents simulation and experimental results that show good initial agreement with theoretical conclusions.
How Does 5s Implementation Affect Company Performance? A Case Study Applied to a Subsidiary of a Rubber Goods Manufacturer from Serbia

5S can be viewed as a system of workplace rules devised to create a safe and productive work environment and to provide efficient and effective realization of business tasks. Its implementation is expected to reduce defects, improve quality, increase safety and the morale of the employees, and improve employees' productivity. It helps company identify problems, create a culture of discipline and make opportunities for improvements more visible. In the present paper, over the period of seven years, we investigate the case of a rubber goods manufacturer from Serbia which has implemented 5S in one of its subsidiaries. To assess the effects of the 5S implementation we use operational and financial performance indicators. Our results suggest that the implementation of 5S can contribute to performance of an organization only in the short and medium term. Relatively limited effects of the 5S implementation could be due to the financial crisis and the fact that the footwear subsidiary invested heavily during the analyzed period. In addition, 5S usually contributes to stabilization and efficiency increase of the business processes in only certain segments of the organization. Subsidiary in our study implemented TDABC to make possible production of information and reports important for efficient decision making and control in the new business environment. This finding points to the importance of the management accounting system improvements after the CIPs implementation.DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.5755/j01.ee. 28.3. 16115
Numerical and Experimental Investigations on the Manipulation of Magnetic Particles in a Microsystem Using a Hybrid Magnet System

The ability to effectively manipulate magnetic particles is of great importance for biological and chemical applications. To achieve improved controllability of magnetic particles in a microsystem, this paper proposed a hybrid magnet system consisting of integrated microconductors and external permanent magnets for producing a special gradient magnetic field. Finite-element numerical simulations were carried out to map the magnetic force distribution in the region of interest around microconductors for eight configurations of the hybrid magnet system. Then, these simulation predictions were qualitatively illustrated by microscopic visualizations of the concentrated positions of magnetic particles in the experiments. Results show that either attracting or repelling forces acting on magnetic particles can be generated by use of the hybrid magnet system and magnetic particles can be captured toward different regions, which are relevant to both directions of currents flowing in the microconductors and external uniform magnetic fields generated by permanent magnets.
Do Pensions Reduce The Incentive To Work? Evidence From Egypt

In this study, we investigate the impact of the receipt of contributory and social pensions on labor supply in Egypt using fixed-effects regressions and panel data from the Egypt Labor Market Panel Surveys in 2006 and 2012. We find that the receipt of contributory pension reduces the probability of working of people aged 15 to 60 as well as people above 60 years old. We also find a differential impact of contributory pensions. When living in a household with pensions, males, urban people, and those with high levels of education are less likely to work than females, rural people, and ones with low levels of education. Regarding the receipt of social pensions, it has no significant effects on the probability of working. A possible reason is that social pensions are remarkably lower than contributory pensions, and the small amount of social pensions is not enough to reduce the working incentive.
Inoculation of Plants Using Bombardment

This unit describes methods for the construction and use of handheld particle bombardment devices for high‐efficiency inoculation of intact plants with nucleic acids and viruses. The devices accelerate heavy metal particles coated with nucleic acids or viruses into plant tissues and are driven by pressurized gas. They are inexpensive to construct and use, and can be assembled in any laboratory. The equipment enables inoculation with full‐length infectious cDNA, PCR products, virus from sap or a virus preparation, and in vitro viral transcripts. The inoculation of some phloem‐limited RNA viruses is also possible. Additionally, this technology allows for inoculation of large numbers of plants (mass bombardment), inoculation of soft plants that do not survive bombardment inoculation by other means, inoculation in the greenhouse, study of viral recombination in plants, rapid promoter analysis, and monitoring of virus movement using an infectious clone bearing a reporter gene.
Control of saturated linear plants via output feedback containing an internal deadzone loop

In this paper we address a LMI-based optimization method for designing output feedback control laws to achieve regional performance and stability of linear control systems with input saturation. Algorithms are developed for minimizing the upper bound on the regional L2 gain for exogenous inputs with L2 norm bounded by a given value, and for minimizing this upper bound with a guaranteed reachable set or domain of attraction. Based on the structure of the optimization problems, using the projection lemma, the output feedback controller synthesis is cast as a convex optimization over linear matrix inequalities. The problems are studied in a general setting where the only requirement on the linear plant is detectability and stabilizability
Distributions and trends of serum lipid levels among United States children and adolescents ages 4-19 years: data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

BACKGROUND Atherosclerosis begins in childhood and progresses into adulthood. The reduction of cardiovascular risk factors, such as elevated serum total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels, in childhood may reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in adulthood. Lipid distributions among children and adolescents were examined using the most recent nationally representative data. METHODS Data from 7,499 examinees in NHANES III (1988-1994) were used to estimate mean and percentile distributions of serum total cholesterol, LDL-C, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and triglycerides in children and adolescents aged 4 to 19 years. The estimates were analyzed by age, sex, and race/ethnic groups. Trends in mean total cholesterol were examined for 12- to 17-year-olds using data from NHES III (1966-1970), NHANES I (1971-1974), and NHANES III (1988-1994). RESULTS For children and adolescents 4 to 19 years of age, the 95th percentile for serum total cholesterol was 216 mg/dL and the 75th percentile was 181 mg/dL. Mean age-specific total cholesterol levels peaked at 171 mg/dL at 9-11 years of age and fell thereafter. Females had significantly higher mean total cholesterol and LDL-C levels than did males (P < 0.005). Non-Hispanic black children and adolescents had significantly higher mean total cholesterol, LDL-C, and HDL-C levels compared to non-Hispanic white and Mexican American children and adolescents. The mean total cholesterol level among 12- to 17-year-olds decreased by 7 mg/dL from 1966-1970 to 1988-1994 and is consistent with, but less than, observed trends in adults. Black females have experienced the smallest decline between surveys. CONCLUSIONS The findings provide a picture of the lipid distribution among U.S. children and adolescents and indicate that, like adults, adolescents have experienced a fall in total cholesterol levels. Total cholesterol levels in U.S. adolescents declined from the late 1960s to the early 1990s by an average of 7 mg/dL. This information is useful for planning programs targeting the prevention of cardiovascular disease beginning with the development of healthy lifestyles in childhood.
Characterization of C3a and C5a Receptors in Rat Cerebellar Granule Neurons during Maturation

There is now clear evidence that the Complement anaphylatoxin C3a and C5a receptors (C3aR and C5aR) are expressed in glial cells, notably in astrocytes and microglia. In contrast, very few data are available concerning the possible expression of these receptors in neurons. Here, we show that transient expression of C3aR and C5aR occurs in cerebellar granule neurons in vivo with a maximal density in 12-day-old rat, suggesting a role of these receptors during development of the cerebellum. Expression of C3aR and C5aR mRNAs and proteins was also observed in vitro in cultured cerebellar granule cells. Quantification of the mRNAs by real-time reverse transcription-PCR showed a peak of expression at day 2 in vitro (DIV 2); the C3aR and C5aR proteins were detected by Western blot analysis at DIV 4 and by flow cytometry and immunocytochemistry in differentiating neurons with a maximum density at DIV 4–9. Apoptosis of granule cells plays a crucial role for the harmonious development of the cerebellar cortex. We found that, in cultured granule neurons in which apoptosis was induced by serum deprivation and low potassium concentration, a C5aR agonist promoted cell survival and inhibited caspase-3 activation and DNA fragmentation. The neuroprotective effect of the C5aR agonist was associated with a marked inhibition of caspase-9 activity and partial restoration of mitochondrial integrity. Our results provide the first evidence that C3aR and C5aR are both expressed in cerebellar granule cells during development and that C5a, but not C3a, is a potent inhibitor of apoptotic cell death in cultured granule neurons.
Effect of VR Interactive Design System on Visual Feedback and Operational Experience

The commonly used input tools for long-time design work belong to an indirect input with spatial separation between display and operation. This separation requires complex spatial proofreading in order to ensure the accuracy of the operation. The development of VR technology provides a new possibility for the operation and visual feedback. This paper developed an interactive design system based on a VR device and a graphics tablet, and realized the real-time visual feedback in the VR screen. Through inviting designers to participate in the experiment, we explored the effect of various display sizes, operational angles, and paintbrushes in the VR space on the accuracy of operations based on three drawing tasks. The results provided theoretical reference for the application of VR device to professional design software.
Trade Shocks and Far-Right Voting: Evidence from French Presidential Elections

The rise of radical right parties is a Europe-wide phenomenon. While many studies describe the individual or regional characteristics associated with high propensity to vote for the far-right, we know little about the causal impact of economic shocks on electoral support for the far-right. Over the period 1995-2012, we examine the impact of trade-shocks, measured as exposure to low-wage country import competition, on the local vote share of the National Front, the French main far-right party, during presidential elections. We use small communities (cantons) as units of observations and include province (departement) fixed effects, so that the identifying variation comes from within-province change in imports exposure over time. We find evidence of a small but significantly positive impact of import competition exposure on votes for the far-right: a one standard-deviation increase in imports-per-worker causes the change in the far-right share to increase by 7 percent of a standard deviation. Further results suggest that this effect has been increasing over the time period considered. We conduct a simple sensitivity test supporting the notion that(i) omitting local share of immigrants is likely to bias our estimate downward, and that(ii) this bias is likely to negligible.
Integrated tunable fiber gratings for dispersion management in high-bit rate systems

Dispersion management is becoming paramount in high-speed wavelength-division-multiplexed lightwave systems, that operate at per-channel rates of 40 Gb/s and higher. The dispersion tolerances, in these systems, are small enough that sources of dispersion variation, that are negligible in slower systems, become critically important to network performance. At these high-bit rates, active dispersion compensation modules may be required to respond dynamically to changes occurring in the network, such as variations in the per-channel power, reconfigurations of the channel's path that are caused by add-drop operations, and environmental changes, such as changes in ambient temperature. We present a comprehensive discussion of an emerging tunable dispersion compensating device, based on thermally actuated fiber gratings. These per-channel devices rely on a distributed on-fiber thin film heater, deposited onto the outer surface of a fiber Bragg grating. Current flowing through the thin film generates resistive heating at rates that are governed by the thickness profile of the metal film. A chirp in the grating is obtained by using a thin-film, whose thickness varies with position along the length of the grating in a prescribed manner; the chirp rate is adjusted by varying the applied current. The paper reviews some of the basic characteristics of these devices and their implementation, in a range of different applications, including the mitigation of power penalties associated with optical power variations. We present detailed analysis of the impact of group-delay ripple and polarization-mode dispersion on systems performance, and present results from systems experiments, that demonstrate the performance of these devices at bit rates of 10, 20, 40 and 160 Gb/s. We also discuss advantages and disadvantages of this technology, and compare to other devices.
A re-examination of expectation hypothesis with time varying term premium

Abstract Since the expectation hypothesis was proposed, scholars have done a lot of research on it. We can see the important role of expectation hypothesis in finance. This paper also studies the expectation hypothesis on the term structure of interest rates. Our analysis is built upon the time-varying term premium. Fully conforming to what conjectured by the classical expectation hypothesis, the slope of the yield curve, together with the time-varying and stochastic term premium, is found to be useful for predicting the evolution of the bond yields. We use partial least squares to extract the single predictor from macroeconomic variables and use macroeconomic factor to predict time-varying term premium. The results give the evidence to support the time-varying term premium and the expectation hypothesis.
Integrating Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Disclosure for a Sustainable Development: An Australian Study

Addressing environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues has become a critical part of business strategy. This article explores the extent of ESG reporting of metal and mining sector companies listed in the Australian Securities Exchange to determine the nature of ESG indicators in use in the sector. The current study argues that stakeholder engagement is the key to enhance company environmental policy and sustainable development. According to the results of this study, ESG reporting motives are highly influenced by reporting regulations. Given the diversity in reporting of ESG, comparability of ESG strategic performance is problematic. This study contributes towards developing an ESG disclosure index, which companies could use as a legitimacy tool that external stakeholders could use to reliably measure and compare the ESG performance of companies. It also reveals there is an increased demand for more empirical research on integration of sustainability into strategic planning process. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment
Sleep and sleepiness in patients with Parkinson's disease before and after dopaminergic treatment

Sleep disturbances and daytime sleepiness are well‐known phenomena in Parkinson's disease (PD). Fifteen previously untreated PD patients underwent clinical evaluation, subjective sleep evaluation and polysomnographic evaluation (PSG) before and after a treatment period of mean 8 ± 3.1 months with dopaminergic drugs. Both mean Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) total score and mean subset III of the UPDRS were significantly improved with dopaminergic treatment. PSG revealed that administration of dopaminergic drugs resulted in significant increase in mean percentage of stages 1 and 2. The mean Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) score was significantly increased and mean Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT) score was significantly decreased after dopaminergic treatment indicating subjective and objective daytime sleepiness. The differences in MSLT scores were best explained by a higher dose of l‐dopa, whereas other variables such as disease duration, treatment duration, Hoehn and Yahr stage, sleep efficiency index or dopamine agonists did not increase the significance. In contrast, any of the variables appeared to explain ESS score variability. This study demonstrates that daytime sleepiness is not present in untreated patients but emerges later during dopaminergic treatment. Total daily l‐dopa dose is predictive of objective daytime sleepiness. Furthermore, subjective assessment of sleepiness may cause underestimation of the severity of daytime sleepiness.
NoSQL databases: Critical analysis and comparison

The current research explores and differentiates between various forms in which NoSQL databases exist. It examines the need of NoSQL and how they have become an important alternative to relational databases. NoSQL databases can be categorized into four major classifications which are: key value stores, graph databases, wide column stores, and document stores. These categories are compared on the basis of functional features and non-functional features. The non-functional features include performance, scalability, flexibility, structure and complexity. The functional features include de-normalization, joins, atomicity, aggregation and keys. Then for further analysis, one database is selected from each of these categories that is, MongoDB (document stores), Cassandra (wide column stores), Redis (key value stores), and Neo4j (graph databases). Selected databases are compared on their data model, CAP theorem, distributive properties and other factors. By performing the comparison on non-functional features, it has been found that a document store can be used if high performance, flexibility and scalability are required and if we have represented the data in JSON format. Column store can be used for semi structured data which requires high performance and scalability. Redis is anin-memory store and performs exceptionally fast in the case of single shard operation. Graph databases can be used when it comes to highly interconnected data and continuously evolving data models. The comparison between MongoDB, Cassandra, Redis and Neo4j concluded that all of them follow horizontal scaling and are schema free. Except Neo4j, others don't have complete ACID properties. Write and delete operations are fast for databases MongoDB, Redis and Cassandra, whereas read operation is comparatively slow in Cassandra. In case of Neo4j, REST performance is similar to MongoDB, whereas embedded is comparatively slow. We also discuss how these databases work in a distributed environment.