Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Nucleoprotein Is Required for Efficient Coronavirus Genome Replication

ABSTRACT The construction of a set of transmissible gastroenteritis coronavirus (TGEV)-derived replicons as bacterial artificial chromosomes is reported. These replicons were generated by sequential deletion of nonessential genes for virus replication, using a modified TGEV full-length cDNA clone containing unique restriction sites between each pair of consecutive genes. Efficient activity of TGEV replicons was associated with the presence of the nucleoprotein provided either in cis or in trans. TGEV replicons were functional in several cell lines, including the human cell line 293T, in which no or very low cytopathic effect was observed, and expressed high amounts of heterologous protein.
Clinical and Molecular Characterization of Brazilian Patients Suspected to Have Lynch Syndrome

Lynch syndrome (LS) accounts for 3–5% of all colorectal cancers (CRC) and is inherited in an autosomal dominant fashion. This syndrome is characterized by early CRC onset, high incidence of tumors in the ascending colon, excess of synchronous/metachronous tumors and extra-colonic tumors. Nowadays, LS is regarded of patients who carry deleterious germline mutations in one of the five mismatch repair genes (MMR), mostly in MLH1 and MSH2, but also in MSH6, PMS1 and PMS2. To comprehensively characterize 116 Brazilian patients suspected for LS, we assessed the frequency of germline mutations in the three minor genes MSH6, PMS1 and PMS2 in 82 patients negative for point mutations in MLH1 and MSH2. We also assessed large genomic rearrangements by MLPA for detecting copy number variations (CNVs) in MLH1, MSH2 and MSH6 generating a broad characterization of MMR genes. The complete analysis of the five MMR genes revealed 45 carriers of pathogenic mutations, including 25 in MSH2, 15 in MLH1, four in MSH6 and one in PMS2. Eleven novel pathogenic mutations (6 in MSH2, 4 in MSH6 and one in PMS2), and 11 variants of unknown significance (VUS) were found. Mutations in the MLH1 and MSH2 genes represented 89% of all mutations (40/45), whereas the three MMR genes (MSH6, PMS1 and PMS2) accounted for 11% (5/45). We also investigated the MLH1 p.Leu676Pro VUS located in the PMS2 interaction domain and our results revealed that this variant displayed no defective function in terms of cellular location and heterodimer interaction. Additionally, we assessed the tumor phenotype of a subset of patients and also the frequency of CRC and extra-colonic tumors in 2,365 individuals of the 116 families, generating the first comprehensive portrait of the genetic and clinical aspects of patients suspected of LS in a Brazilian cohort.
Casino employee gambling behavior

Casino Employee Gambling Behavior by Karen Barbara Duquette Dr. Terry Knapp, Examination Committee Chair Professor o f Psychology University ofNeva&, Las Vegas This study described the gambling behavior and the prevalence o f problem and pathological gamblmg among casmo employees. Casmo employees (N = 271) from a local Hotel/Casino m Las Vegas, Nevada completed self-report questionnaires, which included The South Oaks Gambling Screen (Lesieur and Bloom, 1987), as well as some additional questions specific to casino en^loyees, then work environment, and then gambling behavior. The rate o f pathological gambling among the sample was 20.3%. Despite no gender differences with regard to gambling pathology, males and females differed in rate o f play, amount o f money wagered, and types o f casino games played. Additionally, a number of other characterises o f casino employee gamblers were assessed, mcluding various envnonmental fectors and their nnpact on the gambling behavior o f casmo employees.
Hepatocellular carcinoma missed on gadolinium enhanced MR imaging, discovered in liver explants: Retrospective evaluation

The main purpose of this study was to determine if hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) missed on prospective magnetic resonance (MR) study could be identified on retrospective MR analysis, and to determine the cause for misdiagnosis. Among 555 patients who underwent liver transplantation between 1993 and 2004, 279 were imaged with MR imaging and four of these revealed HCCs in explanted livers that were not reported on prospective MR reading. The main cause of missed lesions were suboptimal image quality due to inability of patients to suspend respiration; other causes were HCC misinterpreted as high‐grade dysplastic nodule and isoenhancement of HCC on early phase images. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The Glycoprotein Cytoplasmic Tail of Uukuniemi Virus (Bunyaviridae) Interacts with Ribonucleoproteins and Is Critical for Genome Packaging

ABSTRACT We have analyzed the importance of specific amino acids in the cytoplasmic tail of the glycoprotein GN for packaging of ribonucleoproteins (RNPs) into virus-like particles (VLPs) of Uukuniemi virus (UUK virus), a member of the Bunyaviridae family. In order to study packaging, we added the GN/GC glycoprotein precursor (p110) to a polymerase I-driven minigenome rescue system to generate VLPs that are released into the supernatant. These particles can infect new cells, and reporter gene expression can be detected. To determine the role of UUK virus glycoproteins in RNP packaging, we performed an alanine scan of the glycoprotein GN cytoplasmic tail (amino acids 1 to 81). First, we discovered three regions in the tail (amino acids 21 to 25, 46 to 50, and 71 to 81) which are important for minigenome transfer by VLPs. Further mutational analysis identified four amino acids that were important for RNP packaging. These amino acids are essential for the binding of nucleoproteins and RNPs to the glycoprotein without affecting the morphology of the particles. No segment-specific interactions between the RNA and the cytoplasmic tail could be observed. We propose that VLP systems are useful tools for analyzing protein-protein interactions important for packaging of viral genome segments, assembly, and budding of other members of the Bunyaviridae family.
The Use of Accounting Information by Small and Medium Enterprises in South District of Jordan,( An empirical study)

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have been very important in many countries including Jordan , because of its role for the country's economic growth. This paper explores the level of awareness towards the importance of financial management from the preparation of accounting reports and its information usage in the business. The research design is based on a survey methodology using a sample of systematically selected SMEs throughout the south of country. The target population comprised of 136SMEs operating retail shops, manufacturing firms and suppliers of various services in south districts of Jordan. It was concluded that significant number of small scale enterprises use the single entry accounting system because of its simplicity. This study recommended that good accounting practices will improve the effective operations of small and medium scale enterprises and even sole proprietors. Keywords: accounting information, small and medium enterprise, south districts of Jordan.
CSF high-mobility group box 1 is associated with intrathecal inflammation and astrocytic damage in neuromyelitis optica

Objective High-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) acts as a proinflammatory mediator when released by cells. Recent studies implicate extracellular HMGB1 in the pathogenesis of various autoimmune diseases. Our main aim of this study is to determine whether HMGB1 is involved in the neuromyelitis optica (NMO) inflammatory process. Methods Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum HMGB1 levels in 42 NMO patients were compared with those in 30 multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, and 30 patients with other noninflammatory neurological disorders (ONNDs). We also tested the possible correlation between CSF HMGB1 levels and the clinical and laboratory variables in NMO patients. Results CSF HMGB1 levels in NMO patients were higher than those in MS and ONNDs patients (p<0.001), and these levels in MS patients were higher than those in ONNDs patients (p<0.001). After treatment, the CSF HMGB1 levels in NMO patients decreased to normal. In addition, CSF HMGB1 levels correlated with CSF cell counts, CSF protein levels, CSF interleukin-6 levels, CSF glial fibrillary acidic protein levels, and CSF/serum albumin ratio (p≤0.001). Serum HMGB1 levels in MS patients were significantly higher than those in ONNDs patients (p=0.002). Conclusions HMGB1 could play a key role in central nervous system inflammation in NMO patients.
A systematic review of the psychological literature on interruption and its patient safety implications

OBJECTIVE To understand the complex effects of interruption in healthcare. MATERIALS AND METHODS As interruptions have been well studied in other domains, the authors undertook a systematic review of experimental studies in psychology and human-computer interaction to identify the task types and variables influencing interruption effects. RESULTS 63 studies were identified from 812 articles retrieved by systematic searches. On the basis of interruption profiles for generic tasks, it was found that clinical tasks can be distinguished into three broad types: procedural, problem-solving, and decision-making. Twelve experimental variables that influence interruption effects were identified. Of these, six are the most important, based on the number of studies and because of their centrality to interruption effects, including working memory load, interruption position, similarity, modality, handling strategies, and practice effect. The variables are explained by three main theoretical frameworks: the activation-based goal memory model, prospective memory, and multiple resource theory. DISCUSSION This review provides a useful starting point for a more comprehensive examination of interruptions potentially leading to an improved understanding about the impact of this phenomenon on patient safety and task efficiency. The authors provide some recommendations to counter interruption effects. CONCLUSION The effects of interruption are the outcome of a complex set of variables and should not be considered as uniformly predictable or bad. The task types, variables, and theories should help us better to identify which clinical tasks and contexts are most susceptible and assist in the design of information systems and processes that are resilient to interruption.
Novel High-Selectivity Dual-Band Substrate Integrated Waveguide Filter with Multi-Transmission Zeros

A novel dual-band fllter based on substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) is presented in this paper. The proposed fllter is composed of two fllters with difierent center frequencies and bandwidths, where they share input and output ports with source-load coupling using rectangular SIW cavity structure. Multi-transmission zeros have been obtained through electrical coupling between the source and load, which improves the frequency-selective characteristics of the fllter greatly. Finally, a Ku-band substrate integrated waveguide dual-band fllter with bandwidths of 220MHz and 120MHz was flnally designed, fabricated, and measured. The measurement results are found to be in good agreement with the simulation results.
E1A-induced enhancer activity of the poly(dG-dT).poly(dA-dC) element (GT element) and interactions with a GT-specific nuclear factor

The alternating sequence poly(dG-dT). poly(dA-dC) is a highly repeated sequence in the eucaryotic genome. We have examined the effect of trans-acting early viral proteins on the ability of the GT element to stimulate transcription of the adenovirus major late promoter (MLP). We find that the GT element alone does not activate expression from the MLP in either the presence or absence of another enhancer element. However, in the presence of the E1A gene products of either adenovirus type 5 or 2, the GT element activated expression from the MLP. The stimulatory activity of the GT element in the presence of E1A had the properties of an enhancer element, and the trans-activating effect on the GT element was additive in conjunction with the E1A-responsive BK virus enhancer. We also have demonstrated that a specific nuclear factor(s) binds to the GT element. However, the E1A protein(s) do not affect the initial factor interaction(s) with the GT element. Overall, our data demonstrate that trans modulation of promoter activity can be mediated through the GT element.
Study on the social networks based on Japanese social events from name card data

In Japanese society, there is an important social culture, that is, people are used to exchange name cards when making initial introductions in social events. To understand social relations arising from this phenomenon, this paper constructs two social networks, an interpersonal and an inter-organizational network, based on social events from historical name card data. By using statistical techniques and visualization approaches, we analyze and compare the structural characteristics of the two social networks and their evolutions. Our work infers that big social event plays an important role in promoting the development of social network between people or organizations, and especially creating critical linkages in the organizational social network. This study provides a good potential for exploring social strategies to facilitate organizational cooperation in future.
Firms as Buyers of Last Resort: Financing Constraints, Stock Returns and Liquidity

We develop a model to explore the effects of firms being buyers of last resort on stock returns and liquidity. Those with more ability to repurchase shares when prices drop far below fundamental value (less financially constrained ones) should have lower short horizon relative to long-horizon return variance and more positively skewed returns than other firms. Using standard proxies for financing constraints such as past repurchases and firm age, we find support for both of these predicted relations in the U.S. stock market. Consistent with our theory, these relations are stronger in the U.S. after 1982 when regulatory reforms lowered the legal cost of conducting repurchases; and among the ten largest stock markets in the world, they are stronger in countries where share repurchases are legally easier to execute. Using data on bid-ask spreads and price impact costs, we also find some support for the proposition that firm intervention makes it less risky for other traders to provide liquidity for its stock.
Does entrepreneurship make you wealthy? Insights from the UK Wealth and Assets Survey

While there is growing interest in entrepreneurial earnings, prior studies have typically focused on the incomes derived from business ownership, a highly problematic measure, prone to under-reporting and mismeasurement, which fails to capture either the financial rewards of entrepreneurship or the economic well-being of entrepreneurs. Using the Wealth & Assets Survey (WAS), a large-scale British population survey, this study focuses on household wealth, the stock of economic resources in the form of accumulated personal assets. Results show that entrepreneurial households own disproportionately more wealth than other households, and that the household wealth of business owners with employees is greater than the household wealth of the self-employed with no employees. Attributing a causal relationship between entrepreneurship and household wealth is problematic; however, our estimates suggest entrepreneurship has a cumulative effect on household wealth. Households with levels of wealth at or above the median become wealthier as a consequence of entrepreneurship, but no such effect is observed on the wealth of households below the median level.
CRYPTIC AND PSEUDO‐CRYPTIC DIVERSITY IN DIATOMS—WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF PSEUDO‐NITZSCHIA HASLEANA SP. NOV. AND P. FRYXELLIANA SP. NOV. 1

A high degree of pseudo‐cryptic diversity was reported in the well‐studied diatom genus Pseudo‐nitzschia. Studies off the coast of Washington State revealed the presence of hitherto undescribed diversity of Pseudo‐nitzschia. Forty‐one clonal strains, representing six different taxa of the P. pseudodelicatissima complex, were studied morphologically using LM and EM, and genetically using genes from three different cellular compartments: the nucleus (D1–D3 of the LSU of rDNA and internal transcribed spacers [ITSs] of rDNA), the mitochondria (cytochrome c oxidase 1), and the plastids (LSU of RUBISCO). Strains in culture at the same time were used in mating studies to study reproductive isolation of species, and selected strains were examined for the production of the neurotoxin domoic acid (DA). Two new species, P. hasleana sp. nov. and P. fryxelliana sp. nov., are described based on morphological and molecular data. In all phylogenetic analyses, P. hasleana appeared as sister taxa to a clade comprising P. calliantha and P. mannii, whereas the position of P. fryxelliana was more uncertain. In the phylogenies of ITS, P. fryxelliana appeared to be most closely related to P. cf. turgidula. Morphologically, P. hasleana differed from most other species of the complex because of a lower density of fibulae, whereas P. fryxelliana had fewer sectors in the poroids and a higher poroid density than most of the other species. P. hasleana did not produce detectable levels of DA; P. fryxelliana was unfortunately not tested. In P. cuspidata, production of DA in offspring cultures varied from higher than the parent cultures to undetectable.
The Proportion Underwritten and the Reaction to SEOs: UK Tests of the Eckbo-Masulis Theory

The Eckbo-Masulis (1992) theory predicts that a seasoned offer is more likely to be underwritten the higher the proportion of shares expected to be sold to new investors, and further predicts a negative relation between abnormal returns on announcement and sales to new investors. The evidence in this paper does not support these predictions. The proportion underwritten is determined primarily by the proportion of shares sold before the issue is announced, not by the proportion sold to new investors. The event study reveals a clear negative relation between abnormal returns and depth of offer price discount but not sales to new investors. Acknowledgements The author thanks Elizabeth McDiarmid and Kevin Acton for careful research assistance, and Extel Financial Ltd for allowing generous access to their database of share issue prospectuses. The support of the Economic and Social Research Council (UK) and of Walter Scott & Partners is gratefully acknowledged. The research was partly funded by ESRC number: R000221760.
DNA-based methods have been used to screen both sexes with respect to milk protein polymorphisms in cattle ( for instance :

In this study, the genetic diversity of three milk protein genes namely beta-casein, kappacasein and beta-lactoglobulin was estimated in Turkish cattle breeds. Based on these genes, breeds in Turkey have been grouped as: 1) Eastern Anatolian Red, Anatolian Black and Southern Anatolian Red and 2) Turkish Grey, Turkish Holstein and Holstein Candidate Bulls. B alleles of the three studied genes, which were reported to be positively related with cheese yield and quality, seemed to be low-intermediate for beta-casein and kappa-casein but relatively high for beta-lactoglobulin in the first group of Turkish breeds compared to other breeds of the world. The kappa-casein E allele, which has a negative effect on cheese quality, is absent in Turkish cattle breeds, except in Holstein Candidate Bulls. Therefore, the results suggest that milk of Turkish native breeds is suitable for cheese making. Based on observations of the Turkish breeds, some suggestions were made regarding breeding practices in Turkey.
How Smart, Connected Products Are Transforming Competition

Information technology is revolutionizing products, from appliances to cars to mining equipment. Products once composed solely of mechanical and electrical parts have become complex systems combining hardware, sensors, electronics, and software that connect through the internet in myriad ways. These “smart, connected products” offer exponentially expanding opportunities for new functionality, far greater reliability, and capabilities that cut across and transcend traditional product boundaries. The changing nature of products is disrupting value chains, argue Michael Porter and PTC CEO James Heppelmann, and forcing companies to rethink nearly everything they do, from how they conceive, design, and source their products; to how they manufacture, operate, and service them; to how they build and secure the necessary IT infrastructure. Smart, connected products raise a broad set of new strategic choices for companies about how value is created and captured, how to work with traditional partners and what new partnerships will be required, and how to secure competitive advantage as the new capabilities reshape industry boundaries. For many firms, smart, connected products will force the fundamental question: “What business am I in? ” This article provides a framework for developing strategy and achieving competitive advantage in a smart, connected world.
Circuit model for field-wire coupling of electrically small irregular wire structures

A general circuit model for the field-wire coupling effect of electrically small irregular wire structures of various geometries is proposed in this paper. The formulas for the circuit elements are presented in analytical form and the limitations are discussed in detail. Finally, the model is validated on three typical cases by comparing the coupling currents on the terminal load with the counterpart by the method of moments.
Association Between Vascular Tolerance and Platelet Upregulation: Comparison of Nonintermittent Administration of Pentaerithrityltetranitrate and Glyceryltrinitrate

Enhanced formation of oxygen-derived radicals O2&OV0254; plays a dominant role in the development of nitrate tolerance. In 18 healthy subjects, this study tested the effect of additional vitamin C (Vit-C) administration (1 g three times daily) on glyceryltrinitrate (GTN)-induced hemodynamic changes during 3 days of nonintermittent transdermal administration of GTN (0.4 mg/h) in comparison with administration of pentaerithrityltetranitrate (PETN, 40 mg three times daily, orally). GTN caused an immediate significant rise in arterial conductivity (a/b ratio of dicrotic pulse pressure, from 2.33 ± 0.06 to 2.52 ± 0.06). Within 2 days of GTN administration, the a/b ratio progressively decreased and reached pre-GTN control levels, documenting tolerance. However, the administration of GTN along with Vit-C or with PETN alone induced changes in the a/b ratio and in the orthostatic reaction, which were fully maintained for the period of treatment. This vascular tolerance seen after GTN treatment was paralleled by an upregulation of ex vivo platelet activity, which was evident from a rise in aggregation from 29.2 ± 2.8% at control day to 85.4 ± 8.5% at day 3, and additionally from thrombin-induced increases of intracellular Ca2+ concentration from 494 ± 60 nM at control day to 741 ± 37 nM at day 3. This upregulation was not observed during PETN or GTN; with additional Vit-C administration. Administration of PETN or GTN, the latter supplemented by Vit-C, induced neither vascular tolerance nor the upregulation of washed platelet activity during nonintermittent administration, in contrast to GTN without Vit-C. This is explained by a diminished formation of reactive oxygen species when PETN or when GTN along with Vit-C is used.