Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Insights from computational analysis of full-length β-ketoacyl-[ACP] synthase-II cDNA isolated from American and African oil palms

Background: Palm oil derived from fruits (mesocarp) of African oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq. Tenera) and American oil palm (E. oleifera) is important for food industry. Due to high yield, Elaeis guineensis (Tenera) is cultivated on commercial scale, though its oil contains high (~54%) level of saturated fatty acids. The rate-limiting activity of beta-ketoacyl-[ACP] synthase-II (KAS-II) is considered mainly responsible for the high (44%) level of palmitic acid (C16:0) in the oil obtained from E. guineensis. Objective: The objective of this study was to annotate KAS-II cDNA isolated from American and African oil palms. Materials and Methods: The full-length E. oleifera KAS-II (EoKAS-II) cDNA clone was isolated using random method of gene isolation. Whereas, the E. guineensis KAS-II (EgTKAS-II) cDNA was isolated using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique; and missing ends were obtained by employing 5’and 3’ RACE technique. Results: The results show that EoKAS-II and EgTKAS-II open reading frames (ORFs) are of 1689 and 1721 bp in length, respectively. Further analysis of the both EoKAS-II and EgTKAS-II predicted protein illustrates that they contains conserved domains for ‘KAS-I and II’, ‘elongating’ condensing enzymes, ‘condensing enzymes super-family’, and ‘3-oxoacyl-[ACP] synthase II’. The predicted protein sequences shows 95% similarity with each other. Consecutively, the three active sites (Cys, His, and His) were identified in both proteins. However, difference in positions of two active Histidine (His) residues was noticed. Conclusion: These insights may serve as the foundation in understanding the variable activity of KAS-II in American and African oil palms; and cDNA clones could be useful in the genetic engineering of oil palms.
Eco-innovation promoting the circular economy in Romania

The development of eco-innovation parks in our country may be a key to regional as well as national sustainable development, due to their special features and opportunities for industrial synergy. Implementing a circular and green economy is also a current important challenge to a systemic transformation agenda in the European Union. Therefore, a main objective of this paper is to analyse from the viewpoint of the circular economy principles (closing-the-loop in the resource management) the strategic role of eco innovation parks as a community of manufacturing and service enterprises seeking enhanced environmental and economic performance through collaboration in managing environmental and resource issues including energy, water, and materials. In this respect we analyse both the conceptual and practical importance of eco-innovation for the circular economy and point out the character of the industrial ecosystem, as a regional metabolism in fostering both eco-innovation and industrial synergy of the SMEs and organisations involved. The case studies and conclusions recommend the urge to identify, design and plan industrial ecosystems within an eco-innovation park as an important way promoting circular economy on regional, microeconomic and sectoral scale in Romania.
Does business model experimentation in dynamic contexts enhance value capture

Established theory suggests that firms experiment with business models in dynamic contexts. However, the relationship between business model experimentation and organisational performance remains unclear. For this purpose, we propose an assessment of the economic value of business model experimentation in dynamic contexts by defining the unit of analysis at the industry level. Analysis draws upon a unique panel dataset from the recorded music industry composed of 414 observations from 32 countries for the period 1998-2010. The results show two optimal modes for maximising value capture in dynamic contexts. First, if a dominant format exists, a 'network' effect becomes prevalent which has a positive impact upon revenue. Second, when firms engage in experimentation leading to a highly diversified set of business models the industry sector becomes better able to capture value from diverse and changing consumer needs.
The Role of Willingness to Sacrifice on the Relationship Between Urban Chinese Wives’ Relative Income and Marital Quality

The economic contributions of urban women are salient in contemporary China; however, the effect of wives’ relative income to family income on marital quality remains unknown in the Chinese context. On the basis of a survey of 763 urban Chinese women, this study aimed to examine the role of willingness to sacrifice in the relation between wives’ relative income and marital quality. The results through hierarchical multiple regression analyses indicated that higher-earning wives reported lower marital happiness and higher marital instability compared with lower- and equal-earning wives, although these associations were only significant to a small extent. Wives’ willingness to sacrifice was positively associated with marital happiness and negatively associated with marital instability. In addition, their willingness to sacrifice could buffer the negative effect of relative income on marital happiness as well as the positive effect on marital instability, especially when the wives earn more than their husbands do. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Overexpression of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi recA gene confers fluoroquinolone resistance in Escherichia coli DH5α

A spontaneous fluoroquinolone-resistant mutant (STM1) was isolated from its parent Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi (S. Typhi) clinical isolate. Unlike its parent isolate, this mutant has selective resistance to fluoroquinolones without any change in its sensitivity to various other antibiotics. DNA gyrase assays revealed that the fluoroquinolone resistance phenotype of the STM1 mutant did not result from alteration of the fluoroquinolone sensitivity of the DNA gyrase isolated from it. To study the mechanism of fluoroquinolone resistance, a genomic library from the STM1 mutant was constructed in Escherichia coli DH5α and two recombinant plasmids were obtained. Only one of these plasmids (STM1-A) conferred the selective fluoroquinolone resistance phenotype to E. coli DH5α. The chromosomal insert from STM1-A, digested with EcoRI and HindIII restriction endonucleases, produced two DNA fragments and these were cloned separately into pUC19 thereby generating two new plasmids, STM1-A1 and STM1-A2. Only STM1-A1 conferred the selective fluoroquinolone resistance phenotype to E. coli DH5α. Sequence and subcloning analyses of STM1-A1 showed the presence of an intact RecA open reading frame. Unlike that of the wild-type E. coli DH5α, protein analysis of a crude STM1-A1 extract showed overexpression of a 40 kDa protein. Western blotting confirmed the 40 kDa protein band to be RecA. When a RecA PCR product was cloned into pGEM-T and introduced into E. coli DH5α, the STM1-A11 subclone retained fluoroquinolone resistance. These results suggest that overexpression of RecA causes selective fluoroquinolone resistance in E. coli DH5α.
Selective genotyping of individual cells by capillary polymerase chain reaction

On‐line capillary polymerase chain reaction (PCR) coupled with laser‐induced fluorescence detection was successfully demonstrated for individual human cells. A single 50 νm inner diameter (ID) fused‐silica capillary served both as the reaction vessel and for isolating single cells. SYBR Green I dye was added into the reaction mixture for dynamic fluorescence labeling. Because of the small ID of the capillary, PCR‐amplified DNA fragments from single cells were localized in the capillary, providing discrete product zones with concentrations at readily detectable levels. With selective primer design, only cells containing the DNA of interest were amplified. By counting the number of peaks in the capillary via electromigration past a detection window, the number of targeted cell templates could be determined. Identification of the 295 bp fragment β‐actin gene from individual human lymphoblast cell was demonstrated. Independent on‐column cell counting provided positive correlation between the starting cell templates and the final PCR products. This opens up the possibility of highly selective and sensitive disease diagnosis at an early stage, when only a few cells in the population are defective.
Repeated Intermittent Low-Dose Therapy with Zoledronic Acid Induces an Early, Sustained, and Long-Lasting Decrease of Peripheral Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Levels in Cancer Patients

Purpose: On the basis of stimulating data on animals reporting that weekly regimens of zoledronic acid (ZA) were effective in reducing skeletal tumor burden, we designed a study on humans to investigate the potential antiangiogenic role of a weekly low-dose therapy with ZA in patients with malignancies. Experimental Design: Twenty-six consecutive patients with advanced solid cancer and bone metastases received 1 mg of ZA every week for four times (days 1, 7, 14, and 21) followed by 4 mg of ZA with a standard 28-day schedule repeated thrice (days 28, 56, and 84). Patients were prospectively evaluated for circulating levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) just before the beginning of drug infusion (0) and again at 7, 14, 21, 28, 56, and 84 days after the first ZA infusion. Results: The median VEGF basal value showed an early statistically significant (P = 0.038) decrease 7 days after the first 1-mg infusion of ZA. This effect on VEGF-circulating levels persisted also after the following 1-mg infusions at 14 (P = 0.002), 21 (P = 0.001), and 28 days (P = 0.008). Interestingly, the decrease of VEGF-circulating levels persisted also at each programmed time point during the second phase of the study (ZA 4 mg every 4 weeks). No significant differences were recorded in platelet levels, WBC count, or hemoglobin concentration before and after each ZA infusion. Conclusions: In the present study, we report that a repeated low-dose therapy with ZA is able to induce an early significant and long-lasting decrease of VEGF levels in cancer patients.
How and why do political parties differ in their spending patterns? An empirical analysis of expenditure on party payroll staff

Despite the pivotal role of payroll staff within political parties’ central offices, research on the staff expenses of parties remains scarce. In this article, we study the relative staff expenses of political parties, that is staff costs as a percentage of total annual expenses. We analyse which factors explain the differences between parties’ relative staff expenses, based on a dataset of 590 individual observations representing 52 parties from seven European countries. The multivariate model shows that relative staff expenses are higher among left-oriented parties and that they increase with party age, party membership figures and the number of years a party has been in government, while they decrease with party income. Relative staff expenses also decrease with the effective number of parties in the party system, and they are lower in election years.
The Effect of Execution the Privatization Program on the Final Account (The Actual Revenues and Expenditures) in Jordan

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of the privatization program in Jordan on the final account of the state (actual revenues and expenditures), the study used the ratio of the size of the local revenues, the size of the grants, the size of the recovered loans, the volume of current expenditures, and the volume of investment expenditures to the size of the state budget for each year of study, the study is based on the financial data of the volume of revenues and actual expenditures of the State issued by the Ministry of Finance and the General Budget Department for the period of study. The methodology of the study is to calculate and compare the average of each indicator of study for ten years before the year of implementation of the privatization program and ten years after, t-test was used for independent samples. The study found that there is no statistically significant effect of the implementation of the privatization program on the size of the local revenues or on the size of the grants or on the volume of investment expenditures. However, the implementation of the program has a statistically significant impact on the size of recovered loan installments, and the size of the current expenditure. The results of the study indicate that the implementation of the privatization program in Jordan did not contribute to reducing the financial burden on the general budget. The study recommended that the implementation of the strategic programs and projects should be planned well and that the best practices and procedures are universally recognized in the implementation of these programs. And take into account all the factors that help these programs achieve their goals.
Stress vulnerability and the effects of moderate daily stress on sleep polysomnography and subjective sleepiness

The purpose of this study was to investigate if and how sleep physiology is affected by naturally occurring high work stress and identify individual differences in the response of sleep to stress. Probable upcoming stress levels were estimated through weekly web questionnaire ratings. Based on the modified FIRST‐scale (Ford insomnia response to stress) participants were grouped into high (n = 9) or low (n = 19) sensitivity to stress related sleep disturbances (Drake et al., 2004). Sleep was recorded in 28 teachers with polysomnography, sleep diaries and actigraphs during one high stress and one low stress condition in the participants home. EEG showed a decrease in sleep efficiency during the high stress condition. Significant interactions between group and condition were seen for REM sleep, arousals and stage transitions. The sensitive group had an increase in arousals and stage transitions during the high stress condition and a decrease in REM, whereas the opposite was seen in the resilient group. Diary ratings during the high stress condition showed higher bedtime stress and lower ratings on the awakening index (insufficient sleep and difficulties awakening). Ratings also showed lower cognitive function and preoccupation with work thoughts in the evening. KSS ratings of sleepiness increased during stress for the sensitive group. Saliva samples of cortisol showed no effect of stress. It was concluded that moderate daily stress is associated with a moderate negative effect on sleep sleep efficiency and fragmentation. A slightly stronger effect was seen in the sensitive group.
A RSSI-based rogue access point detection framework for Wi-Fi hotspots

The prevalence of Wi-Fi hotspot poses an unprecedented number of threats that can compromise a client's identity, personal data, and network integrity. Even though most of the Wi-Fi hotspots are unmanaged, unmonitored, and lack of security measures, the urge for the clients to connect to the network is very strong. Thus, this will expose the clients to the adversaries who set up Wi-Fi hotspots Rogue Access Point (RAP) intentionally to pilfer data. To address the threat of RAP, most of existing RAP detections are either by placing sensors to monitor anomalies, or by performing a centralized monitoring at the gateway router. Such infrastructural commitments are limited, expensive and rarely to be implemented in Wi-Fi hotspots. Hence, this work proposes a framework of client-centric RAP detection for Wi-Fi hotspots which exploits Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) values measured over time between client and APs. Unlike existing solutions, the key idea is to piggyback AP-sensitive information in IEEE 802.11 beacon frame that enables the client to manipulate this information together with the measured RSSI values in order to perform the detection without authentication and association to any AP.
EU economic governance after the crisis: revisiting the accountability shift in EU economic governance

ABSTRACT Numerous scholars have argued that economic governance in the European Union (EU) has undergone an undemocratic shift as part of the crisis, with accountability moving from parliamentary to executive powers. This paper challenges this view, arguing that the crisis has led to a shift from economic to political accountability. I define economic accountability as the market-led accountability regime enshrined in EU Treaties and contrast it to the current political accountability regime, by which creditor states and monetary institutions have supplanted markets as a forum for rewarding and disciplining market actors. This ‘substitution effect’ has been sustained by European Court of Justice (CJEU) jurisprudence, with the CJEU positing a functional equivalence between market-driven pressures and political conditionality.
House Price Models for Banking and Insurance Applications: The Impact of Property Characteristics

Abstract House price indices are needed to assess house price risk in households’ portfolio allocation decisions and in many housing-related financial products such as reverse mortgages, mortgage insurance and real estate derivatives. This paper first introduces nine widely-used house price models to the insurance, risk management and actuarial literature and provides new evidence on the relative performance of these models. We then show how portfolio-level house price indices for properties with specific physical and locational characteristics can be constructed for these different models. All analyses are based on a large dataset of individual property transactions in Sydney, Australia, for the period 1971-2011. The unrestricted hedonic model and a hybrid hedonic repeat-sales model provide a good model fit and reliable portfolio-level house price indices. Our results are important for banks, insurers and investors that have exposure to house price risks.
Serum-Induced Phosphorylation of the Serum Response Factor Coactivator MKL1 by the Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase 1/2 Pathway Inhibits Its Nuclear Localization

ABSTRACT Megakaryoblastic leukemia 1 (MKL1) is a myocardin-related coactivator of the serum response factor (SRF) transcription factor, which has an integral role in differentiation, migration, and proliferation. Serum induces RhoA-dependent translocation of MKL1 from the cytoplasm to the nucleus and also causes a rapid increase in MKL1 phosphorylation. We have mapped a serum-inducible phosphorylation site and found, surprisingly, that its mutation causes constitutive localization to the nucleus, suggesting that phosphorylation of MKL1 inhibits its serum-induced nuclear localization. The key site, serine 454, resembles a mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphorylation site, and its modification was blocked by the MEK1 inhibitor U0126, implying that extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) is the serum-inducible kinase that phosphorylates MKL1. Previous results indicated that G-actin binding to MKL1 promotes its nuclear export, and we found that MKL1 phosphorylation is required for its binding to actin, explaining its effect on localization. We propose a model in which serum induction initially stimulates MKL1 nuclear localization due to a decrease in G-actin levels, but MKL1 is then downregulated by nuclear export due to ERK1/2 phosphorylation.
Active Ca2+ transport in primary cultures of rabbit kidney CCD: stimulation by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 and PTH.

Rabbit connecting tubules and cortical collecting ducts, which represent 79 +/- 5% of the calbindin-D28k-containing kidney cells, were isolated by immunodissection from the rabbit kidney superficial cortex and seeded on permeable filters. After 6 days in culture the monolayers developed a potential difference (PD) of -24 +/- 3 mV (lumen negative) and a transepithelial resistance (R) of 284 +/- 19 omega.cm2. Addition of 10(-6) M amiloride to or removal of Na+ from the mucosal side reversed the PD to +6 +/- 4 mV and concomitantly increased R to 660 +/- 122 omega.cm2. The cells developed functional parathyroid hormone (PTH) and arginine vasopressin receptors, but calcitonin receptors were absent. The monolayer actively absorbed Ca2+ against an electrochemical gradient with a rate of 121 +/- 13 nmol.h-1.cm-2. Removal of serosal Na+ inhibited Ca2+ absorption by 63 +/- 8%. Exposure to 10(-7) M 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25(OH)2D3] for 48 h or 10(-7) M bovine PTH (bPTH)-(1-34) for 1 h, increased transcellular Ca2+ absorption by 53 +/- 13% or 24 +/- 8%, respectively. The effects of 1,25(OH)2D3 and PTH in combination were neither additive nor potentiating. In addition, the cultured cells expressed calbindin-D28k, and, after exposure to 10(-7) M 1,25(OH)2D3 for 48 h, the calbindin-D28k content increased fourfold.
Characterization of PKCI and comparative studies with FHIT, related members of the HIT protein family.

We previously described the isolation of a human cDNA that encodes a protein termed protein kinase C inhibitor (hPKCI). We elucidated the three-dimensional structure of this protein and demonstrated that in vitro, it enzymatically hydrolyzes adenosine polyphosphates. To identify other proteins that interact with hPKCI, in the present study, we used the hPKCI as a bait in the yeast two-hybrid system, together with a mouse embryo cDNA library. This led to the isolation of a murine PKCI homologue (mPKCI). This finding is consistent with our previous structural studies indicating that hPKCI exists as a homodimer and indicates the strong conservation of the PKCI sequence during evolution. Northern blot analysis indicated that a 0.7-kb PKCI mRNA was expressed in several tissues obtained from adult mice and also in a variety of rodent and human cell lines. Western blot analyses, using a polyclonal antibody prepared against hPKCI, indicated that this protein is expressed at relatively high levels in several murine tissues and in a variety of human cell lines prepared from normal tissues or tumors. In contrast to these findings, parallel studies with a polyclonal antibody to FHIT, a related histidine triad (HIT) protein and putative tumor suppressor, indicated that FHIT was expressed at low or undetectable levels in some of the same cell lines. Microscopy of immunostained cells indicated that the PKCI protein was present mainly in the nucleus of both normal and tumor-derived epithelial cell lines. Evidence presented in this and previous studies suggest that in vivo the ubiquitously expressed PKCI protein does not function as an inhibitor of PKC but rather acts as an enzyme in a yet to be identified pathway.
Cascaded-parallel adaptive notch filter based on orthogonal decomposition

In this paper, rational orthogonal basis functions are introduced to realize cascaded-parallel structure of adaptive notch filters (ANF) in the case of identifying and separating multiple sinusoids from wideband signals. The structural orthogonality provides good tradeoff between convergence speed and computational complexity. A simplified mean square output error (MSOE) updating algorithm is derived for the cascade-parallel realization. Simulation results confirm that the proposed structure converges faster compared with the cascade realizations with the same computational complexity.