Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Human α‐amino‐β‐carboxymuconate‐ε‐semialdehyde decarboxylase (ACMSD): A structural and mechanistic unveiling

Human α‐amino‐β‐carboxymuconate‐ε‐semialdehyde decarboxylase determines the fate of tryptophan metabolites in the kynurenine pathway by controlling the quinolinate levels for de novo nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide biosynthesis. The unstable nature of its substrate has made gaining insight into its reaction mechanism difficult. Our electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopic study on the Cu‐substituted human enzyme suggests that the native substrate does not directly ligate to the metal ion. Substrate binding did not result in a change of either the hyperfine structure or the super‐hyperfine structure of the EPR spectrum. We also determined the crystal structure of the human enzyme in its native catalytically active state (at 1.99 Å resolution), a substrate analogue‐bound form (2.50 Å resolution), and a selected active site mutant form with one of the putative substrate binding residues altered (2.32 Å resolution). These structures illustrate that each asymmetric unit contains three pairs of dimers. Consistent with the EPR findings, the ligand‐bound complex structure shows that the substrate analogue does not directly coordinate to the metal ion but is bound to the active site by two arginine residues through noncovalent interactions. Proteins 2015; 83:178–187. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Deep Green Rewrites Evolutionary History of Plants

PHYLOGENYST. LOUIS-- The first fruits of a 5-year effort to merge molecular, fossil, and morphological data to build a family tree for all green plants, dubbed Deep Green, ripened in time for the 16th International Botanical Congress, held here last week. Challenging long-held notions about the relationships among species, scientists reported that plants should be divided into three kingdoms rather than one, unveiled the most primitive living flowering species, and homed in on the "Eve," or mother, of all 500,000 green plant species. As genetic data add branches and leaves to the new family tree, biologists should be able to tap it for information on how to engineer useful traits, fight invasive species, identify organisms, and find potential medicines.
A randomized trial of the effects of an aquatic exercise program on depression, anxiety levels, and functional capacity of people who suffered an ischemic stroke.

BACKGROUND Aquatic exercise programs are used in rehabilitation and might help to reduce disability after stroke. This was a randomized intervention trial to assess the influence of an aquatic exercise program on people suffering from depression and anxiety after ischemic stroke. METHODS Participants were randomized to an experimental group (EG) composed of 19 individuals (51.8±8.5 years; ten males and nine females), and a control group (CG) composed of 17 people (52.7±6.7 years; nine males and eight females). The aquatic exercise program consisted of two sessions per week, each lasting between 45 and 60 minutes and divided into 5 to 10 minutes exercise sections during 12 weeks. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory was used to determine anxiety levels while the Beck Depression Inventory was used as a self-assessment of depression. RESULTS EG improved measures of depression, anxiety trait and anxiety state between pre- and post-treatment, with no changes in CG. EG improved in all tests related to functional capacity compared to CG. CONCLUSIONS The practice of aquatic exercises promotes improvements in the levels of depression and anxiety in people who suffered an ischemic stroke.
MR imaging of posterior tibial tendon dysfunction.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to describe the MR findings of posterior tibial tendon dysfunction. MATERIALS AND METHODS MR images and medical records were reviewed for 11 patients with surgically proven posterior tibial tendon abnormalities (i.e., tears or tenosynovitis) and for six patients with clinical evidence of posterior tibial tendon dysfunction. Our study group included 16 women and one man from 37 to 70 years old (mean, 53.5 years old). MR examinations used T1-weighted and T2-weighted spin-echo sequences in the oblique axial and sagittal planes. RESULTS Abnormal MR findings were observed in all 17 patients. The spectrum of MR abnormalities included fluid in the tendon sheath of a normal tendon interpreted as isolated paratenonitis (tenosynovitis, n = 3); tendon thickening and surrounding fluid with normal tendon signal interpreted as tendinosis (degeneration, n = 1); tendon thickening with increased linear or heterogeneous intrasubstance signal interpreted as partial tear (n = 11); tendon discontinuity with fluid-filled tendon sheath interpreted as complete rupture (n = 2). In 11 patients, the posterior tibial tendon was explored at surgery. In these patients, MR imaging accurately showed two cases of isolated paratenonitis, one case of tendinosis, four partial tears, and two complete ruptures. In the remaining two patients, the presumed MR diagnosis did not correlate very closely with the surgical findings: one patient with isolated paratenonitis shown by MR imaging had tendinosis found at surgery; however, the surgery in this patient followed the MR examination by 10 months, a time during which degeneration might have occurred. The other patient had an MR diagnosis of partial tear, which was not found at surgery; however, tendon degeneration was severe and a small tear not reaching the tendon surface could have been missed at inspection. MR imaging characteristics of severe tendinosis and partial tear may overlap. CONCLUSION MR imaging is effective for detecting abnormalities related to posterior tibial tendon dysfunction. Familiarity with the appearance of these changes facilitates accurate characterization.
Range and Doppler walk in DVB-T based Passive Bistatic Radar

This paper analyzes the effects of range and Doppler walk for a Digital Video Broadcast — Terrestrial based Passive Bistatic Radar of both simulated and experimental data. Range and Doppler walk cause energy dispersal in the correlation, thus the coherent integration time is limited by the bistatic velocity and acceleration. A method using the readily available Doppler information to compensate for the range displacement during integration due to non-zero bistatic velocity of target is described. By compensating and non-coherently adding several coherently processed intervals, the target signal to noise ratio is increased.
An empirical analysis on the dynamic relationship between the scale of market for corporate control and economical factors -Taking American market for corporate control (1970–1999) as an example

Researches on market for corporate control mainly focused on achievements of involved enterprises around the merge-time. Literature in domestic and foreign mainly stress microscopic stratification. They seldom mentioned the macroscopic economical factor. This article makes an empirical analysis on the dynamic relationship between the scale of market for corporate control(SMCC)and economical factor by time-varying parameter model in the macroscopic view completely. Meanwhile, we established Vector Auto-Regression (VAR)model between SMCC and its influencing factors. The aim is to analyze further the transfer effect on SMCC by the impacts of economical influencing factors. We also researched the influence characteristics accused by economical factors on SMCC. The result shows that there is co-integration relation among SMCC and its influencing factors. Compared with the degree of impulse responses of SMCC to its influencing factors respectively, new-added investment (NAI) shows the most significant effect on SMCC during a long time period. The second is the impact from capital market(CM) with a longest time. Impulse on gross domestic product (GDP) shows almost same effect with CM. Impulse responses of SMCC to company income-tax (CIT) is weakest with short time.
Teaching an integrated approach to complementary, alternative, and mainstream therapies for children: a curriculum evaluation.

BACKGROUND Increasing numbers of patients seek information about complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) from their primary physicians. We sought to evaluate our 4-year old curriculum integrating mainstream and CAM care for common outpatient pediatric problems within a family medicine residency. DESIGN Cross-sectional survey. METHODS Subjects included current (1998) third-year residents and recent graduates from our program and nearby University of Washington-affiliated family medicine residency programs. The survey included items on training experiences, knowledge, attitudes and behavior regarding CAM. RESULTS Among the 18 respondents from our program and 21 from comparison programs, the average age was 32 years and one-third were male. Over 80% of respondents felt that residencies should provide training in CAM. Substantial numbers of respondents from all programs recommended CAM therapies to patients in the past year. All respondents had recommended special diets and nutritional supplements; more than 50% recommended herbal remedies, acupuncture, meditation or progressive relaxation, massage or home remedies. Respondents from all groups had similar attitudes and knowledge about integrative medicine; those from the intervention program were more likely than comparison respondents to agree that their residency training had prepared them to answer patients' questions about CAM (50% vs. 19%, p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS Primary care residents increasingly seek training to answer patients' questions and are already recommending a variety of CAM therapies. Primary care residencies need to develop and evaluate responsible, evidence-based curricula integrating mainstream and CAM therapies.
DEVELOPMENTS IN THE RETAIL MARKET AND THEIR EFFECT ON FREIGHT DISTRIBUTION

This paper discusses changes in physical distribution of consumer goods to retail outlets in the UK during the last 20 years, and examines their implications for the use of the British road network. The nature and reasons for the changes in physical distribution are analysed, and likely future trends are considered. The principal trends in organisation and structure of physical distribution to retail outlets have been and continue to be: (1) away from supplier-controlled distribution networks towards retailer-controlled networks: (2) away from distribution by suppliers themselves towards distribution by external contractors. Changes in physical distribution in retailing are bringing major changes in the use of freight transport, especially by increasing the size of the vehicles used. As a result, the whole distribution operation is becoming more dependent on, and more able to use advantageously, the motorway and primary route network: for example, journey times of distribution vehicles are becoming more predictable. The move to contract distribution creates a better market for distribution services, thus enabling distribution networks to react and adjust more easily to changes in the road network. The author argues that conventional methods of appraising the value of the benefits to commercial vehicles of major highway improvements underestimate the 'business potential' that they release. This paper is a substantially revised edition of a paper published in seminar g of the ptrc transport and planning summer annual meeting, university of bath, from 7-11 September 1987. Volume p294 1987, p19-29 (see IRRD 816304). (TRRL)
Co-adaptation of seed dormancy and flowering time in the arable weed Capsella bursa-pastoris (shepherd's purse).

BACKGROUND AND AIMS The duration of the plant life cycle is an important attribute that determines fitness and coexistence of weeds in arable fields. It depends on the timing of two key life-history traits: time from seed dispersal to germination and time from germination to flowering. These traits are components of the time to reproduction. Dormancy results in reduced and delayed germination, thus increasing time to reproduction. Genotypes in the arable seedbank predominantly have short time to flowering. Synergy between reduced seed dormancy and reduced flowering time would create stronger contrasts between genotypes, offering greater adaptation in-field. Therefore, we studied differences in seed dormancy between in-field flowering time genotypes of shepherd's purse. METHODS Genotypes with early, intermediate or late flowering time were grown in a glasshouse to provide seed stock for germination tests. Secondary dormancy was assessed by comparing germination before and after dark-incubation. Dormancy was characterized separately for seed myxospermy heteromorphs, observed in each genotype. Seed carbon and nitrogen content and seed mass were determined as indicators of seed filling and resource partitioning associated with dormancy. KEY RESULTS Although no differences were observed in primary dormancy, secondary dormancy was weaker among the seeds of early-flowering genotypes. On average, myxospermous seeds showed stronger secondary dormancy than non-myxospermous seeds in all genotypes. Seed filling was similar between the genotypes, but nitrogen partitioning was higher in early-flowering genotypes and in non-myxospermous seeds. CONCLUSIONS In shepherd's purse, early flowering and reduced seed dormancy coincide and appear to be linked. The seed heteromorphism contributes to variation in dormancy. Three functional groups of seed dormancy were identified, varying in dormancy depth and nitrate response. One of these groups (FG-III) was distinct for early-flowering genotypes. The weaker secondary dormancy of early-flowering genotypes confers a selective advantage in arable fields.
Stress fracture of the diaphysis of the ulna in a body builder

Stress or fatigue fractures are common clinical entities which present in every orthopaedist’s office. The diagnosis, causes, and treatment have been thoroughly discussed in the literature. 1-3,5,6 A thorough review of the orthopaedic literature has revealed only three case reports of stress fractures of the diaphysis of the ulna. One of these occurred in a 14-year-old female volleyball player, another in a 19year-old softball pitcher,’ and the third in a 13-year-old tennis player.4 The following is a case report of a diaphyseal stress fracture of the ulna in an adult male body builder.
Parallel reliability of the Functional Independence Measure and the Barthel ADL index

Purpose : The aim of this study was to evaluate the concordance between the assessments of ADL according to the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) and the Barthel ADL index (BI) by means of a rank-invariant statistical method. Method : The construct validity, also called parallel reliability, of FIM and BI was assessed on the item level. Two different approaches to condensing the FIM assessments into 2-4 scale steps on the item level in order to calibrate the two ADL instruments were compared. One was determined by the theoretical operational definitions and the other defined by the empirical definitions. The 204 assessments of elderly persons were made three months after stroke by means of interviews. Results : The parallel reliability of the FIM and the BI on the item level was strong, both according to the theoretical cut-off levels defined by the operational definitions and the empirical cut-off levels defined by the marginal distributions. Conclusions : The concordance between FIM and BI was high. There was a slight difference in favour of the operational definitions. The clinical key elements are to have a critical attitude towards ADL instruments; how they are constructed and operationalized. These are important elements in the quality assurance in the everyday work.
Mobilizing moral boundaries: the politics of derivatives reform in the US

ABSTRACT This paper explains the reform of derivatives markets in the US by stressing the influence of moral distinctions on financial market regulation. The results show that business and consumer groups outside finance activate boundaries between legitimate risk management and illegitimate speculative practices. This categorical distinction delegitimised certain practices within the financial industry and affected both the relative power of interest groups and the political agenda. First, the mobilisation of moral boundaries strengthened the position of legitimate groups and weakened that of the financial industry in negotiations. This forced the latter to alter its lobbying strategies. Second, by highlighting inappropriate speculative practices, groups outside the financial sector changed policy-makers’ perception of problems. Policy-makers adopted a position which is congruent with broader moral understandings. The study is based on data from Congressional hearings, interviews, media articles, letters and interest group publications. The process tracing analysis advances our understanding of the social mechanisms linking moral perceptions and institutional change in financial markets.
SAMP: scalable application-layer mobility protocol

As wireless/mobile technologies evolve, the market for mobile Internet is rapidly growing. To proliferate mobile Internet market, scalable mobility support is a key question. In this article, we propose a scalable application-layer mobility protocol (SAMP) that is based on peer-to-peer (P2P) overlay networking and session initiation protocol (SIP). SAMP keeps track of locations of mobile nodes leveraging SIP mobility functions. In SAMP, all SIP servers form a P2P overlay network, which enables scalable, load balanced, and robust mobile Internet. In addition, two optimization techniques, hierarchical registration and two-tier caching schemes, are employed to localize signaling traffic for mobility and to reduce the session setup latency, respectively. Simulation results demonstrate that SAMP is an attractive choice for scalable mobile Internet and its limitations such as long handoff and session setup latencies arc substantially mitigated by the optimization techniques
ADOLESCENT GIRLS (13-15 YEARS OLD) PARTICIPATION AND PERCEPTIONS OF 5X60 ACTIVITIES IN A COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL INBLAENAU GWENT, SOUTH WALES: CASE STUDY REPORT

To include: collation of information and ideas and evaluation of those ideas relative to the extant literature/concept/theory and research question/problem; adoption of a personal position on the study by linking and combining different elements of the data reported; discussion of the real-life impact of your research findings for coaches and/or practitioners (i.e. practical implications); discussion of the limitations and a critical reflection of the approach/process adopted; and indication of potential improvements and future developments building on the study; and a conclusion which summarises the relationship between the research question and the major findings.
Modelling Quarterly Tourist Flows to Australia Using Cointegration Analysis

The purpose of this paper is to use cointegration analysis to estimate the long-run relationship between quarterly tourist flows to Australia from the USA, Japan, to UK and New Zealand and the factors such as income, price and airfare that influence arrivals. To this end, the demand function approach to tourism flow modelling is employed. The new econometric modelling approach of cointegration analysis adopted in this paper has not been used in previous studies of tourism demand modelling. This method is capable of overcoming the problem of ‘spurious regression’ associated with traditional econometric modelling approach for estimating the tourism demand function. For the countries of origin, the estimated long-run income elasticity is greater than one, and considerably higher for Japan. UK tourists are more responsive to changes in airfares than to changes in income. The estimated long-run elasticity with respect to the relative price variable for the UK and Japan is close to unity, and for the USA and New Zealand it is greater than one.
STRUCTURE AND STABILITY OF γ‐CRYSTALLINS‐IV. AGGREGATION AND STRUCTURAL DESTABILIZATION IN PHOTOSENSITIZED REACTIONS

Abstract— Unlike α‐ and β‐, γ‐crystallins become turbid upon irradiation with 300 nm or white light in the presence of photosensitizers, e.g., methylene blue (MB) or riboflavin (RF). These proteins, however, do not aggregate in the presence of guanidine hydrochloride. Turbidity formation is concentration‐dependent. Except in RF‐sensitized reactions, the onset and rate of turbidity formation are faster in γ‐IV than in the other two crystallins. Labeling the thiol groups of the protein with iodoacetamide does not change the turbidity rate in case of irradiation with 300 nm light, but it does change it in case of RF‐ or MB‐sensitized reaction. The order of rate constants of the decrease in tryptophan emission under aerobic conditions upon 300 nm irradiation and MB‐ and RF‐sensitized reactions is γ‐IV > γ‐III > γ‐II. The rate constants in the absence of air and in the presence of D2O upon MB‐ and RF‐sensitized reactions also indicate that the role of singlet oxygen is significant in the former reaction. We suggest that the photoinduced structural changes occur in two steps. In the first, photooxidation of tryptophan as well as cysteine residues (including the buried cysteines) occurs, leading to small conformational changes of the protein. Conformational changes of the protein, as evident from the near‐UV CD and fluorescence lifetime measurements, subsequently result in aggregation of the protein. As suggested by X‐ray analysis, the perturbation of the cys 78 and 32 by the active species of oxygen appears to be responsible for the destabilization of the protein structure, resulting in rapid aggregation of these crystallins.
Design of Wideband Microwave Absorbers Using Reactive Salisbury Screens with Maximum Flat Reflection

This paper presents a design methodology for wideband single-layered microwave absorbers with arbitrary absorption at the design center frequency using reactive Salisbury screens. The bandwidth of the absorber increases when the flatness of the reflection response at the design center frequency is maximized. Based on this observation, closed-form design formulas for wideband absorbers are derived. As they are scalable to any design frequency, wideband reactive screens can be systematically realized using two-dimensional periodic crossed-dipole structures patterned on a resistive sheet. Based on this method, a single-layered absorber with a 90% bandwidth improved to 124% of the design center frequency is presented. For the purpose of physical demonstration, an absorber with a design center frequency of 10 GHz is designed and fabricated using a silver nanowire resistive film with a surface resistance of 30 Ω/square. The measured absorption shows a good agreement with both the calculation and the electromagnetic simulation.