Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Distinct Roles of the First Introns on the Expression of Arabidopsis Profilin Gene Family Members1

Profilin is a small actin-binding protein that regulates cellular dynamics of the actin cytoskeleton. In Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), five profilins were identified. The vegetative class profilins, PRF1, PRF2, and PRF3, are expressed in vegetative organs. The reproductive class profilins, PRF4 and PRF5, are mainly expressed in pollen. In this study, we examined the role of the first intron in the expression of the Arabidopsis profilin gene family using transgenic plants and a transient expression system. In transgenic plants, we examined PRF2 and PRF5, which represent vegetative and reproductive profilins. The expression of the PRF2 promoter fused with the β-glucuronidase (GUS) gene was observed in the vascular bundles, but transgenic plants carrying the PRF2 promoter-GUS with its first intron showed constitutive expression throughout the vegetative tissues. However, the first intron of PRF5 had little effect on the reporter gene expression pattern. Transgenic plants containing PRF5 promoter-GUS fusion with or without its first intron showed reproductive tissue-specific expression. To further investigate the different roles of the first two introns on gene expression, the first introns were exchanged between PRF2 and PRF5. The first intron of PRF5 had no apparent effect on the expression pattern of the PRF2 promoter. But, unlike the intron of PRF5, the first intron of PRF2 greatly affected the reproductive tissue-specific expression of the PRF5 promoter, confirming a different role for these introns. The results of a transient expression assay indicated that the first intron of PRF1 and PRF2 enhances gene expression, whereas PRF4 and PRF5 do not. These results suggest that the first introns of profilin genes are functionally distinctive and the first introns are required for the strong and constitutive gene expression of PRF1 and PRF2 in vegetative tissues.
The effect of knowledge management capability and customer knowledge gaps on corporate performance

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the influence of knowledge management capability (KMC) and customer knowledge gaps (CKG) on corporate performance, as well as proposing concrete suggestions for filling CKG and enhancing corporate performance. Design/methodology/approach – In order to explore on KMC, CKG, and corporate performance, the questionnaire and partial least square (PLS) techniques were used. Findings – The results showed that KMC is the major factor for enhancing corporate performance, and suggested CKG to be a significant intervening factor between KMC and corporate performance. Research limitations/implications – This research applied a purposive sampling method and obtained a slightly inadequate number of respondents. Therefore, it is suggested that future research should apply a random sampling method to collect more responses and increase the generalizability of the findings. Practical implications – Firms should apply their KMC to gather knowledge for, from and about custom.
Inkjet-Printed Flexible Reconfigurable Antenna for Conformal WLAN/WiMAX Wireless Devices

A new flexible reconfigurable antenna based on the concept of folded slot antennas is reported. The device is designed on a flexible polyethylene terephthalate substrate, and inkjet-printing technology is used to fabricate the prototype. One p-i-n diode is incorporated on the antenna surface to redirect and redistribute the surface current resulting in a reconfigurable antenna in terms of frequency and polarization. When the p-i-n diode is forward biased (ON), the antenna has a single band at 2.42 GHz for WLAN wireless devices. However, when the p-i-n diode is reversed biased (OFF), the antenna is dual-band with different polarizations at 2.36 and 3.64 GHz for WLAN and WiMAX wireless devices, respectively. The proposed antenna is simulated, fabricated, and tested for both flat and curved geometries, such as circumferential and axial cylindrical configurations, with good agreement between measurements and simulations.
Health problem behaviors in Iranian adolescents: a study of cross-cultural adaptation, reliability, and validity

BACKGROUND: The main purpose of this study was to assess the factorial validity and reliability of the Iranian versions of the personality and behavior system scales (49 items) of the AHDQ (The Adolescent Health and Development Questionnaire) and interrelations among them based on Jessor’s PBT (Problem Behavior Theory). METHODS: A multi-staged approach was employed. The cross-cultural adaptation was performed according to the internationally recommended methodology, using the following guidelines: translation, back-translation, revision by a committee, and pretest. After modifying and identifying of the best items, a cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the psychometric properties of Persian version using calibration and validation samples of adolescents. Also 113 of them completed it again two weeks later for stability. RESULTS: The findings of the exploratory factor analysis suggested that the 7-factor solution with low self concept, emotional distress, general delinquency, cigarette, hookah, alcohol, and hard drugs use provided a better fitting model. The α range for these identified factors was 0.69 to 0.94, the ICC range was 0.73 to 0.93, and there was a significant difference in mean scores for these instruments in compare between the male normative and detention adolescents. The first and second-order measurement models testing found good model fit for the 7-factor model. CONCLUSIONS: Factor analyses provided support of existence internalizing and externalizing problem behavior syndrome. With those qualifications, this model can be applied for studies among Persian adolescents.
A FE-study of solder fatigue compared to microstructural damage evaluation by in-SITU laser scanning and FIB microscopy

A combined numerical-testing methodology was developed for microscopic in-situ observation of fatigue failure of small material volumes thermo-mechanically loaded in shear, which was applied to Sn95.5Ag3. 8Cu0.7 (SAC) solder. Different temperature cyclic environments were investigated: test cycles of -40degC to 125degC and field cycles of 0degC to 80 degC. Fatigue testing was accompanied by FE-modeling. For all cycles the FE-analyses revealed a non-constant shear strain distribution, which showed local maxima at the interface edges between solder and pads and a region of relatively constant amplitudes at the central part of the joints. By laser scanning microscopy the local deformation behavior and the fatigue progress could be visualized. Microcracking along strain incompatibilities, e.g. small angle grain boundaries, was the preferred mechanism of damage initiation. From comparisons with FE simulations of the tests it became obvious that this damage path usually coincides with the regions where the local maximum creep strains are calculated. However, it was also observed that inhomogeneities, e.g. intermetallic platelets or voids, are additional preferred locations for damage initiation, which are usually not considered in FEA. Locations of strain incompatibility appeared particularly critical for test cycle loading. Focused ion etching and related FIB microscopy allowed insight in further localized microstructural degradation processes down to the nanoscale. Failure prediction is finally compared to the failures observed for both cyclic regimes
Internal Jugular Vein Thrombosis and Deep Neck Infection from Intravenous Drug Use: Management Strategy

Objective Internal jugular vein thrombosis (IJVT) manifests in multiple clinical scenarios including traumatic, neoplastic, and infectious processes. No clear management algorithm exists for IJVT in the setting of deep neck infections. This study examines the cause, diagnosis, and treatment strategy for IJVT in the setting of deep neck infections caused by intravenous drug use (IVDU).
Smart Growing Cells

General unsupervised learning or self-organization places n-dimensional reference vectors in order to match the distribution of samples in an n-dimensional vector space. Beside this abstract view on self-organization there are many applications where training — focused on the sample distribution only — does not lead to a satisfactory match between reference cells and samples. Kohonen’s self-organizing map, for example, overcomes pure unsupervised learning by augmenting an additional 2D topology. And although pure unsupervised learning is restricted therewith, the result is valuable in applications where an additional 2D structure hidden in the sample distribution should be recognized. In this work, we generalize this idea of application-focused trimming of ideal, unsupervised learning and reinforce it through the application of surface reconstruction from 3D point samples. Our approach is based on Fritzke’s growing cells structures (GCS) (Fritzke, 1993) which we extend to the smart growing cells (SGC) by grafting cells by a higher-level intelligence beyond the classical distribution matching capabilities. Surface reconstruction with smart growing cells outperforms most neural network based approaches and it achieves several advantages compared to classical reconstruction methods.
Cato Guldberg and Peter Waage, the history of the Law of Mass Action, and its relevance to clinical pharmacology

We have traced the historical link between the Law of Mass Action and clinical pharmacology. The Law evolved from the work of the French chemist Claude Louis Berthollet, was first formulated by Cato Guldberg and Peter Waage in 1864 and later clarified by the Dutch chemist Jacobus van ‘t Hoff in 1877. It has profoundly influenced our qualitative and quantitative understanding of a number of physiological and pharmacological phenomena. According to the Law of Mass Action, the velocity of a chemical reaction depends on the concentrations of the reactants. At equilibrium the concentrations of the chemicals involved bear a constant relation to each other, described by the equilibrium constant, K. The Law of Mass Action is relevant to various physiological and pharmacological concepts, including concentration–effect curves, dose–response curves, and ligand–receptor binding curves, all of which are important in describing the pharmacological actions of medications, the Langmuir adsorption isotherm, which describes the binding of medications to proteins, activation curves for transmembrane ion transport, enzyme inhibition and the Henderson–Hasselbalch equation, which describes the relation between pH, as a measure of acidity and the concentrations of the contributory acids and bases. Guldberg and Waage recognized the importance of dynamic equilibrium, while others failed to do so. Their ideas, over 150 years old, are embedded in and still relevant to clinical pharmacology. Here we explain the ideas and in a subsequent paper show how they are relevant to understanding adverse drug reactions.
Draft Genome Sequences of Two Bulgarian Bacillus anthracis Strains

ABSTRACT Bacillus anthracis strains previously isolated from Bulgaria form a unique subcluster within the A1.a cluster that is typical for isolates from southeastern Europe. Here, we report the draft genome sequences of two Bulgarian B. anthracis strains belonging to the A branch (A.Br.)008/009 canonical single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) group of the major A branch.
Functional categories for future flight deck designs

With the addition of each new system on the flight deck, the danger of increasing overall operator workload while reducing crew understanding of critical mission information exists. The introduction of more powerful onboard computers, larger databases, and the increased use of electronic display media may lead to a situation of flight deck 'sophistication' at the expense of losses in flight crew capabilities and situational awareness. To counter this potentially negative impact of new technology, research activities are underway to reassess the flight deck design process. The fundamental premise of these activities is that a human-centered, systems-oriented approach to the development of advanced civil aircraft flight decks will be required for future designs to remain ergonomically sound and economically competitive. One of the initial steps in an integrated flight deck process is to define the primary flight deck functions needed to support the mission goals of the vehicle. This would allow the design team to evaluate candidate concepts in relation to their effectiveness in meeting the functional requirements. In addition, this would provide a framework to aid in categorizing and bookkeeping all of the activities that are required to be performed on the flight deck, not just activities of the crew or of a specific system. This could then allow for a better understanding and allocation of activities in the design, an understanding of the impact of a specific system on overall system performance, and an awareness of the total crew performance requirements for the design. One candidate set of functional categories that could be used to guide an advanced flight deck design are described.
A streamlined Western blot exercise: An efficient and greener approach in the laboratory classroom

SDS‐PAGE and western blotting are two commonly taught protein detection techniques in biochemistry and molecular biology laboratory classrooms. A pitfall associated with incorporating these techniques into the laboratory is the significant wait times that do not allow students to obtain timely results. The waiting associated with SDS‐PAGE comes from staining and destaining, whereas with western blotting it is the times required for antibody incubations and the numerous wash steps. This laboratory exercise incorporates 2,2,2‐trichloroethanol (TCE) into the SDS‐PAGE gel allowing for visualization of migrated proteins in a matter of minutes, saving both the time and chemical waste associated with traditional Coomassie staining. Additionally, TCE staining does not affect protein transfer eliminating the requirement for duplicated gels for total protein and western analyses. Protein transfer can be confirmed immediately without the use of Ponceau S staining. Lastly, this western blot procedure has been further shortened by using an HRP‐conjugated primary antibody, which eliminates the secondary antibody incubation and washes, and uses a colorimetric detection to allow for visualization by students without the need for specialized equipment. © 2015 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 43(5):358–365, 2015.
N-Acetyl-D-galactosamine-inhibitable adherence lectin of Entamoeba histolytica. I. Partial purification and relation to amoebic virulence in vitro.

Adherence of axenic Entamoeba histolytica, strain HM1-IMSS, to Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells is mediated by an amoebic adhesin that is inhibited by N-acetyl-D-galactosamine (GalNAc). The in vitro virulence for CHO cells and human neutrophils (PMNs) of four strains of axenic amoebae was strain HM1-IMSS greater than H303-NIH = 200-NIH greater than nonvirulent Laredo (P less than .001). The HM1 strain had the greatest sensitivity to GalNAc-mediated inhibition of adherence (P less than .001). GalNAc (1.0 g/100 ml) inhibited the killing of CHO cells and PMNs by HM1 amoebae (P less than .001) and allowed PMNs to kill the amoebae (P less than .0047). Gel filtration chromatography of a soluble fraction of amoebic sonicate demonstrated a GalNAc-inhibitable amoebic lectin of 43,000-67,000 daltons that agglutinated CHO cells, erythrocytes, and PMNs. Strain HM1 contained greater specific lectin activity than did strains 303, 200, and Laredo amoebae (P less than .0016). The in vitro virulence of E. histolytica is associated with a GalNAc-inhibitable amoebic adhesin; this report is the first of a soluble GalNAc-inhibitable amoebic lectin.
Testing DSM-5 in routine clinical practice settings: feasibility and clinical utility.

OBJECTIVE This article describes the clinical utility and feasibility of proposed DSM-5 criteria and measures as tested in the DSM-5 Field Trials in Routine Clinical Practice Settings (RCP). METHODS RCP data were collected online for six months (October 2011 to March 2012). Participants included psychiatrists, licensed clinical psychologists, clinical social workers, advanced practice psychiatric-mental health nurses, licensed counselors, and licensed marriage and family therapists. Clinicians received staged, online training and enrolled at least one patient. Patients completed self-assessments of cross-cutting symptom domains, disability measures, and an evaluation of these measures. Clinicians conducted diagnostic interviews and completed DSM-5 and related assessments and a clinical utility questionnaire. RESULTS A total of 621 clinicians provided data for 1,269 patients. Large proportions of clinicians reported that the DSM-5 approach was generally very or extremely easy for assessment of both pediatric (51%) and adult (46%) patients and very or extremely useful in routine clinical practice for pediatric (48%) and adult (46%) patients. Clinicians considered the DSM-5 approach to be better (57%) or much better (18%) than that of DSM-IV. Patients, including children age 11 to 17 (47%), parents of children age six to ten (64%), parents of adolescents age 11 to 17 (72%), and adult patients (52%), reported that the cross-cutting measures would help their clinicians better understand their symptoms. Similar patterns in evaluations of feasibility and clinical utility were observed among clinicians from various disciplines. CONCLUSIONS The DSM-5 approach was feasible and clinically useful in a wide range of routine practice settings and favorably received by both clinicians and patients.
Metadata for research and development collaboration between universities

Knowledge Management (KM) research requires expertise from many different disciplines. To help with KM research activities of different groups that are geographically distributed, a new Knowledge Management in Organisations (KMO) structure is proposed. The organisational structure of KMO is based on decentralised units where autonomy and independence are established in each group. Effective design of the system requires that a proper format for representing and organising the shared knowledge is crucial. This paper describes the development of metadata and ontology for our KMO system to support the sharing of knowledge for the distributed partners between the four universities.
The Cytotoxic Effect of Cecropin A and Cecropin B on the MDA-MB-231 and M14K Tumour Cell Lines

The aim of the present in vitro study was to assess the tumoricidal potential of the following natural peptides belonging to the Cecropin family, namely Cecropin A and B, on a series of tumour cell lines: MDA-MB-231 (breast adenocarcinoma) and M14K (human mesothelioma). The experimental results reveal that the cytotoxic effects of the two peptides depend on their concentration. Their efficiency is significant at 120 μM concentrations and it persists even at 60 μM concentrations. The effects were insignificant at 30 μM concentrations. On the other hand, the cytotoxic potential was not significantly dependant on the type of peptide but more on the type of tumour cell line used. The MDA MB 231 line cells were much more sensitive to the action of Cecropins A and B than the M14K line cells. The prospects brought about by this experimental research consist of the collection of in vitro experimental data on the tumoricidal potential of these natural cytotoxic peptides on tumour cells. This will enable specialists to develop future in vivo experimental models in order to test the antitumor effect of these cytotoxic peptides. The ultimate goal would be the discovery of agents with efficient antitumor properties, i.e. with maximum tumoricidal effects and minimum toxic side effects.
Relations between Household Livestock Ownership, Livestock Disease, and Young Child Growth.

BACKGROUND In resource-limited settings in which child malnutrition is prevalent, humans live in close proximity to household livestock. However, the relation between household livestock and child nutrition represents a considerable knowledge gap. OBJECTIVE We assessed whether household livestock ownership or livestock disease episodes were associated with growth in young children in western Kenya. METHODS We incorporated monthly anthropometric measurements for children <5 y of age into an ongoing linked human and animal surveillance cohort in rural western Kenya. Using linear mixed models adjusted for age, sex, and household wealth, we tested whether baseline household livestock ownership was related to baseline child height for age or prospective growth rate. We also evaluated whether livestock disease episodes were associated with child growth rate over 11 mo of follow-up. RESULTS We collected data on 925 children over the course of follow-up. Greater household livestock ownership at baseline was not related to baseline child height-for-age z score (adjusted β: 0.01 SD; 95% CI: -0.02, 0.04 SD) or child growth rate (adjusted β: 0.02 cm/y; 95% CI: -0.03, 0.07 cm/y). Livestock disease episodes were not significantly associated with child growth across the entire cohort (adjusted β: -0.007 cm/mo; 95% CI: -0.02, 0.006 cm/mo). However, children in households with livestock digestive disease between June and November gained less height than did children in households that did not report livestock disease (β: -0.063 cm/mo; 95% CI: -0.112, -0.016 cm/mo). Children <2 y of age in households with livestock digestive disease gained less weight than did those who did not report disease (β: -0.033 kg/mo; 95% CI: -0.063, -0.003 kg/mo). CONCLUSION In this cohort of young children in western Kenya, we did not find an association between ownership of livestock and child growth status. However, disease episodes in household livestock may be related to a lower child growth rate in some groups.
Applicability of distal protection for aortocoronary vein graft interventions in clinical practice

Percutaneous revascularization of diseased saphenous vein grafts is associated with increased risk of adverse events, although the use of distal protection mitigates this to a significant extent. However, anatomic characteristics may preclude the use of such devices in a proportion of vein grafts intended for percutaneous treatment. We reviewed our consecutive experience of saphenous vein graft interventions from 1 May 2001 through 30 April 2002 to determine suitability for distal protection. Relevant angiographic characteristics included lesion within 5 mm of the ostium; lesion < 20 mm from the distal anastomosis; planned distal landing site of the occlusion balloon < 3 mm or > 6 mm in diameter; total occlusion of the vein graft; or lesion in a sequential vein graft distal to the first anastomosis. One hundred twenty‐seven patients (140 procedures, 147 vein grafts) were treated. One or more of the angiographic exclusion criteria for a balloon occlusion protection system existed in 57% of grafts, while 42% had exclusions for a filter device. A large number of patients with vein graft disease intended for percutaneous treatment have anatomic exclusions to available distal protection technology. Cathet Cardiovasc Intervent 2004;63:148–151. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.