Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Identification of a new developmental locus in Bacillus subtilis by construction of a deletion mutation in a cloned gene under sporulation control

We removed by recombinant deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) techniques a small DNA segment from within a cloned gene (the 0.4 kb gene) in which transcription in under sporulation control in Bacillus subtilis. These deletion mutation was introduced into the B. subtilis chromosome by transformation with cloned DNA. Competent cells bearing a mutation (tms-26) that is closely linked to the 0.4 kb gene were transformed with linearized plasmid DNA containing the truncated 0.4 kb gene and the wild-type allele of the tms locus. Selection for Tms+ transformants yielded oligosporogenous mutants of unusually dark-brown colony pigmentation. This phenotype was caused by a mutation which mapped at or very near the site of the 0.4 kg gene deletion, whose presence and position in chromosomal DNA was confirmed by Southern hybridization analysis. Phase-contrast microscopy and electron microscopy showed that the mutation, which we designated as spoVG, impaired sporulation at about the fifth stage; bacteria harboring the spoVG mutation proceeded normally through stage IV of development but frequently lysed thereafter, apparently as a result of disintegration of an immature spore cortex. This identifies the 0.4 kb gene (or DNA in its immediate vicinity) as a new sporulation locus and shows that its product functions at a late stage in development.
Development of auditory processing in 6–12-year-old children: a longitudinal study

The development of auditory processing in children was investigated in a longitudinal study. A group of 20 children with normal cognitive and language development underwent several auditory tests at the ages of 6, 7, 8, 10 and 12 years. At the age of 10 years, three subjects were lost to follow-up, as was one more subject at the age of 12 years. The auditory performance of the children was compared to the performance of a group of 20 adults. The auditory test battery consisted of a speech-in-noise test, a filtered speech test, a binaural fusion test and two auditory sequencing tests. At the ages of 6, 7 and 8 years, data on the performance on an auditory word discrimination test, an auditory synthesis test, an auditory closure test and a number recall test were also obtained. All auditory tests except the speech-in-noise test showed a clear effect of age on the performance of children. Our data suggest that maturational effects play an important role in auditory processing (at least) up to an age of 12–13 years. Correlations between the tests are in general not indicative of large amounts of overlap between the different tests. Factor analysis shows that three factors account for 68–70% of explained variance, with the three factors contributing equally. A composite score obtained by averaging all (sub)test scores can be used next to the individual test scores to describe the development of auditory processing abilities in children. Se investigó el desarrollo del procesamiento auditivo en niños mediante un estudio longitudinal. Un grupo de 20 niños con desarrollo cognitivo y lingüístico normal fue sometido a diversas pruebas auditivas a los 6, 7, 8, 10 y 12 años. Durante el seguimiento, se perdieron 3 casos a la edad de 10 años y uno más a la edad de 12. El rendimiento auditivo de los niños se comparó con el de un grupo de 20 adultos. La batería para la evaluación auditiva consistió en una prueba de lenguaje en ruido, una de lenguaje filtrado, una de fusión binaural y dos de secuencias auditivas. A las edades de 6, 7 y 8 años, se obtuvieron tambiélos datos de rendimiento en una prueba de discriminación auditiva de palabras, una de síntesis auditiva, una de clausura auditiva y una de memoria de n�s. Todas las pruebas, excepto la de lenguaje en ruido, mostraron un claro efecto de la edad en el rendimiento de los niños. Nuestros datos sugieren que los efectos de maduración juegan un papel importante en el procesamiento auditivo (al menos) hasta la edad de 12–13 años. Las correlaciones entre las pruebas en general no son indicativas de una amplia sobreposición entre las mismas. El análisis de factores muestra que tres de ellos fueron responsables en igual proporción, del 68–70% de la varianza. Una puntuación compuesta obtenida por la promediación de las puntuaciones de todas las pruebas, puede ser usada junto con las puntuaciones individuales, para describir el desarrollo de las habilidades del procesamiento auditivo en niños.
Driven reconnection in magnetic fusion experiments

Error fields (i.e. small non-axisymmetric perturbations of the magnetic field due to coil misalignments, etc.) are a fact of life in magnetic fusion experiments. What effects do error fields have on plasma confinement? How can any detrimental effects be alleviated? These, and other, questions are explored in detail in this lecture using simple resistive magnetohydrodynamic (resistance MHD) arguments. Although the lecture concentrates on one particular type of magnetic fusion device, namely, the tokamak, the analysis is fairly general and could also be used to examine the effects of error fields on other types of device (e.g. Reversed Field Pinches, Stellerators, etc.).
Quality guidance: a consumer based approach to food quality improvement using Partial Least Squares.

An effective quality enhancement programme must include consideration of those characteristics of the physical product which are important to targeted consumers. We present a conceptual model and methodology for the improvement of the physical food product based on the demands of the consumer. This so-called quality guidance approach takes consumers' quality judgements as the point of departure and relates them to the characteristics of the physical product. Partial Least Squares is used to estimate the relationships in our conceptual model of quality guidance. An empirical application is provided using blade steak. The results suggest that the quality guidance approach is conceptually sound and useful. Copyright 1996 by Oxford University Press.
Board of Directors' Responsiveness to Shareholders: Evidence from Shareholder Proposals

In recent years boards have become significantly more likely to implement non-binding, majority-vote (MV) shareholder proposals. Using a sample of 620 MV proposals between 1997 and 2004, we find that shareholder pressure (e.g., the voting outcome and the influence of the proponent) and the type of proposals are the main determinants of the implementation decision, while traditional governance indicators do not seem to affect the decision. We then examine the labor market consequences of the implementation decision for outside directors and find that directors implementing MV shareholder proposals experience a one-fifth reduction in the likelihood of losing their board seat as well as other directorships.
SECURITIES OFFERINGS AND CAPITAL STRUCTURE THEORY

This paper analyzes a large sample of public security offerings to determine the motivation to issue debt or common equity. The results provide new evidence that the existence of asymmetric information plays a key role in firms' choice of security. Bankruptcy risk appears to affect the issue decision, but other traditional capital structure considerations do not. Variations in the determinants of security choice over time suggest a dynamic aspect to capital structure decisions not recognized in previous studies.
An efficient encryption scheme with verifiable outsourced decryption in mobile cloud computing

With the increasing number of mobile applications and the popularity of cloud computing, the combination of these two techniques that named mobile cloud computing (MCC) attracts great attention in recent years. A promising public key encryption scheme, Attribute-Based Encryption (ABE), especially the Ciphertext Policy Attribute-Based Encryption (CP-ABE), has been used for realizing fine-grained access control on encrypted data stored in MCC. However, the computational overhead of encryption and decryption grow with the complexity of the access policy. Thus, maintaining data security as well as efficiency of data processing in MCC are important and challenging issues. In this paper, we propose an efficient encryption method based on CP-ABE, which can lower the overhead on data owners. To further reduce the decryption overhead on data receivers, we additionally propose a verifiable outsourced decryption scheme. By security analysis and performance evaluation, the proposed scheme is proved to be secure as well as efficient.
Mobile intensive care by "unemployable" blacks trained as emergency medical technicians (EMT's) in 1967-69.

In conjunction with Freedom House Enterprises, Inc. (FHE), a developer of businesses in ghetto districts, a pilot project was undertaken in Pittsburgh to train 44 black unemployed and underemployed men and women as emergency medical technicians (EMT's) for a mobile intensive care unit (MICU) ambulance service. Since some participants had not completed secondary schooling, adult education courses prepared them for high school equivalence examination. The basic three-month EMT course was hospital-based and included pre-clinical and clinical training, field experience, life-support drill, and administration. Nine months of on-the-job experience and training in arrhythmia control followed. Teachability tests included cardiopulmonary resuscitation during transport, tracheal intubation, venous infusion, handling of drugs, and recognition of arrhythmias. Training stressed simplicity, repetition, and practice to perfection in life-saving and life-support measures. Ten of the 44 trainees dropped out during the first three months. Twenty-five of the 34 EMT's who completed the program still staff the FHE University Hospital-based MICU service; they perform resuscitation and provide transport with considerable skill and judgment. Inexpensive vans were modified as MICU's and equipped to exceed national recommendations. The total cost of each was $13,000, including defibrillator/cardioscope. This medical-sociological project served as a pilot project for National Research Council recommendations on EMT Training (first two levels), and showed that motivation rather than past accomplishments indicates the potential professional success of underprivileged ghetto residents.
Laminar organization of the pyramidal cell layer of the subiculum in the rat

The distribution of neurons in the subiculum of the rat that give rise to subcortical connections was studied using retrograde labeling with horseradish peroxidase conjugated to wheat germ agglutinin. Injections were made into the anteroventral thalamic nucleus, the medial mammillary nucleus, the nucleus accumbens, and the lateral septal nucleus. To facilitate the analysis, the hippocampal formation with adjacent cortices were “flattened,” which allowed the cutting of sections perpendicular to the full septotemporal axis. Cells projecting to the anteroventral thalamic nucleus (AV cells), the medial mammillary body (MMB cells), and the nucleus accumbens (ACC cells) were observed consistently throughout the entire septotemporal (dorsoventral) and transverse extent of the subiculum (from field CA1 of the hippocampus to the presubiculum). In the transverse plane, the three kinds of projection cells were arranged in a laminar fashion: The AV cells were observed in the deepest portion of the subicular pyramidal cell layer, the ACC cells were observed in the most superficial portion of the layer, and the MMB cells were observed in the middle portion of the layer. Although this laminar arrangement was observed at all septotemporal levels of the subiculum, it was most apparent at the septal level. At more temporal levels, the “laminae” shifted such that the superficially located ACC cells were more prominent in the proximal half of the subiculum, whereas the AV cells were shifted toward the distal half of the subiculum. The average size of somata of the AV cells was 72.3 μm2, that of the ACC cells was 105.2 μm2, and that of the MMB cells was 121.8 μm2. The connectional and cytoarchitectonic data indicate that there is a distinct sublamination of the subicular pyramidal cell layer, suggesting that the subiculum may be analogous to the infragranular layer (layers V and VI) of the isocortex. J. Comp. Neurol. 435:89–110, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The Application of Laboratory Experimental Methods to Public Choice

Many claim that laboratory experimentation is impossible in economics and political science. Given the academic questions currently central to these disciplines, such claims, while debatable, are certainly understandable. The major focus of the field of public choice, however, is somewhat different from the traditional fields, and as a result laboratory methodology seems to be particularly appropriate.
Improving minutiae extraction in fingerprint images through robust enhancement

The paper describes in detail the skeleton-based algorithm for the automatic extraction of fingerprint minutiae. These distinguishing characteristics are used both in the manual and automatic (AFIS-Automatic Fingerprint Identification System) fingerprint matching process for identification purpose. Proposed enhancement algorithm, utilizing multiscale orientation field estimation along with Log-Gabor filters in frequency domain, significantly improves fingerprint image quality, resulting in reduced number of falsely minutiae extracted. Results of experiments conducted on collections of fingerprint images show competitive performance of proposed algorithm.
Pattern and clinical significance of cancer‐testis gene expression in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Cancer‐testis (CT) antigens comprise families of tumor‐associated antigens that are immunogenic in patients with various cancers. Their restricted expression makes them attractive targets for immunotherapy. The aim of this study was to determine the expression of several CT genes and evaluate their prognostic value in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). The pattern and level of expression of 12 CT genes (MAGE‐A1, MAGE‐A3, MAGE‐A4, MAGE‐A10, MAGE‐C2, NY‐ESO‐1, LAGE‐1, SSX‐2, SSX‐4, BAGE, GAGE‐1/2, GAGE‐3/4) and the tumor‐associated antigen encoding genes PRAME, HERV‐K‐MEL, and NA‐17A were evaluated by RT‐PCR in a panel of 57 primary HNSCC. Over 80% of the tumors expressed at least 1 CT gene. Coexpression of three or more genes was detected in 59% of the patients. MAGE‐A4 (60%), MAGE‐A3 (51%), PRAME (49%) and HERV‐K‐MEL (42%) were the most frequently expressed genes. Overall, the pattern of expression of CT genes indicated a coordinate regulation; however there was no correlation between expression of MAGE‐A3/A4 and BORIS, a gene whose product has been implicated in CT gene activation. The presence of MAGE‐A and NY‐ESO‐1 proteins was verified by immunohistochemistry. Analysis of the correlation between mRNA expression of CT genes with clinico‐pathological characteristics and clinical outcome revealed that patients with tumors positive for MAGE‐A4 or multiple CT gene expression had a poorer overall survival. Furthermore, MAGE‐A4 mRNA positivity was prognostic of poor outcome independent of clinical parameters. These findings indicate that expression of CT genes is associated with a more malignant phenotype and suggest their usefulness as prognostic markers in HNSCC.
Molecular cloning of Sdr4, a regulator involved in seed dormancy and domestication of rice

Seed dormancy provides a strategy for flowering plants to survive adverse natural conditions. It is also an important agronomic trait affecting grain yield, quality, and processing performance. We cloned a rice quantitative trait locus, Sdr4, which contributes substantially to differences in seed dormancy between japonica (Nipponbare) and indica (Kasalath) cultivars. Sdr4 expression is positively regulated by OsVP1, a global regulator of seed maturation, and in turn positively regulates potential regulators of seed dormancy and represses the expression of postgerminative genes, suggesting that Sdr4 acts as an intermediate regulator of dormancy in the seed maturation program. Japonica cultivars have only the Nipponbare allele (Sdr4-n), which endows reduced dormancy, whereas both the Kasalath allele (Srd4-k) and Sdr4-n are widely distributed in the indica group, indicating prevalent introgression. Srd4-k also is found in the wild ancestor Oryza rufipogon, whereas Sdr4-n appears to have been produced through at least two mutation events from the closest O. rufipogon allele among the accessions examined. These results are discussed with respect to possible selection of the allele during the domestication process.
The Comprehensive Assessment of Defense Style: Measuring Defense Mechanisms in Children and Adolescents

This study introduces the Comprehensive Assessment of Defense Style (CADS), a new method to assess descriptively the defensive behavior of children and adolescents. Parents of 124 children and adolescents referred to a mental health clinic, of 104 nontreated children, and of 15 children whose fathers were treated for posttraumatic stress disorder completed the CADS. Factor analysis of 28 defenses yielded one mature factor, one immature factor of defenses expressed in relations with the environment (other-oriented), and one of defenses expressed in relations with the self (self-oriented). The CADS significantly discriminated between patients and nonpatients. Psychiatric patients used more immature and fewer mature defenses than control subjects, and adolescents used more mature and fewer other-oriented defenses than children. Girls used more mature and fewer other-oriented defenses than boys. The reliability and validity data of the CADS are encouraging. The three defense factors may be implemented for diagnostic and clinical purposes as well as for screening for psychopathology risk in untreated populations.
Muscle efficiency improves over time in world-class cyclists.

PURPOSE To determine the change in muscular efficiency in world-class professional cyclists during years of training/competition. METHODS Twelve male world-class professional road cyclists (mean +/- SD: age = 22.6 +/- 3.8 yr and VO(2max) = 75.5 +/- 3.3 mL x kg(-1) x min(-1)) performed an incremental test (starting at 100 W with workload increases of 50 W every 4-min interval until volitional exhaustion) before and after a five-season period. Delta efficiency (DE) was calculated from 100 W to that power output (PO) in which the RER was 1. RESULTS DE increased (P < 0.01) from 23.61 +/- 2.78% to 26.97 +/- 3.7% from the first to the fifth year, whereas VO(2max) showed no significant increase. A significant inverse correlation (r = -0.620; P = 0.032) between DE and VO(2max) (mL x kg(-1) x min(-1)) was found in the fifth year, whereas no significant correlation between these variables was found in the first year. A significant inverse correlation (r = -0.63; P = 0.029) was found between the increase percentage in DE (DeltaDE) and VO(2max) (mL x kg(-1) x min(-1)) in the fifth year, whereas no significant correlation was found between these variables in the first year. CONCLUSION The results show an increase in DE in world-class professional cyclists during a five-season training/competition period, without significant variations in VO(2max). The results also suggest that the increase in DE could be a possible way for performance compensation, especially in those subjects with lower VO(2max).
A Small Macroeconomic Model to Support Inflation Targeting in Israel

This study presents a small New Keynesian model of Israel’s economy describing the relationships among the main variables relevant to the transmission mechanism of monetary policy. The model encompasses three structural equations––for inflation, the output gap, and the exchange rate––and an interest rate rule, that describes how the interest rate should be adjusted in order to eventually achieve the inflation target. The theory underlying the model is broadly in line with the current monetary theory prevailing in academia and central banks. The model is small, yet it includes the main channels through which the central bank’s interest rate affects inflation in a small open economy. An important advantage of a small model is its ability to describe, clearly and simply, the interrelation between the main variables that are related to the transmission mechanism of the monetary policy, while maintaining theoretical coherence. The model presented is intended to serve as an operational tool that can aid policy makers to assess the interest rate path required to achieve the inflation target, but it can also serve others interested in monitoring monetary developments or in forecasting the evolution of the relevant variables. The model can also help to focus the monetary-policy discussion and enhance the communication between the various entities, both within and outside the central bank, involved in monetary policy and its outcomes. To improve the forecasting ability of the model, in formulating the equations we tried to strike a balance between the need to maintain economic logic and the need to obtain an adequate empirical description of the relation between the relevant variables. The parameters of the model were estimated using quarterly data of Israel’s economy in the years 1992 to 2005.
Bank Competition, Economic Growth, and Nonlinearity: A Nonparametric Approach

type="main" xml:id="sjpe12076-abs-0001"> This article asks empirically the question about potential nonlinearities in the link between bank competition and aggregate economic growth in a cross-section of countries. I employ nonparametric methods, primarily kernel estimation, and several measures of banking competition. The results suggest that while the data show the presence of relevant nonlinearities, the available evidence provides only limited support for nonmonotonicities such as inverted u-shapes, and so contrasts with previous findings obtained using parametric methods. This study corroborates the traditional view, according to which more bank competition fosters growth, with presumed implications for policy.
Cellulose digestion by common Japanese freshwater clam Corbicula japonica

Cellulose digestion by Corbicula japonica was investigated according to the hypothesis that without any symbiotic aid, this organism can utilize cellulose as a carbon source. Enzymatic studies revealed the complete cellulase activity of this species, and molecular cloning resulted in the isolation of cDNA with an ORF encoding a 596-amino-acid protein that shares significant homology with abalone and termite cellulases with an amino acid identity of 52.2% and 50.5%, respectively. The isolated cellulase had a carbohydrate-binding module at the N-terminal region that was also reportedly present in abalone cellulase, and its mRNA were specifically expressed in the digestive gland. These findings strongly support the assumption that C. japonica has an endogenous cellulose, as well as abalones and termites. It is further believed that C. japonica plays an important roll in decomposing cellulose, and consequently contributes to the carbon-cycle in the aquatic environment, as termites do in terrestrial forests.