Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mössbauer and electron paramagnetic resonance studies of horseradish peroxidase and its catalytic intermediates.

We report Mössbauer and EPR measurements on horseradish peroxidase in the native state and the reaction intermediates with peroxide and chlorite. A detailed analysis of the electronic state of the heme iron is given, and comparisons are drawn with related systems. The native enzyme is high-spin ferric and thus has three Kramers doublets. The unusual magnetic properties of the ground doublet and the large energy of the second, (E2-E1)/k approximately equal to 41 K, and third doublet, (E3-E1)/k greater than or equal to 170 K, can be modeled with a quartet admixture of approximately 11% to the spin sextet. All evidence suggests a ferryl, OFeIV, state of the heme iron in compounds I and II and related complexes. The small isomer shift, delta Fe approximately equal to 0.06 mm/s, the (positive) quadrupole splitting, delta EQ approximately equal to 1.4 mm/s, the spin S = 1, and the large positive zero field splitting, D/k approximately equal to 35 K, are all characteristic of the ferryl state. In the green compound I the iron weakly couples to a porphyrin radical with spin S' = 1/2. A phenomenological model with a weak exchange interaction S . J . S', magnitude of less than or equal to 0.1 D, reproduces all Mössbauer and EPR data of compound I, but the structural origin of the exchange and its apparent distribution require further study. Reaction of horseradish peroxidase with chlorite leads to compound X with delta Fe = 0.07 mm/s and delta EQ = 1.53 mm/s, values that are closest to those of compound II. The diamagnetism of compound III and its Mössbauer parameters delta Fe = 0.23 mm/s and delta EQ = -2.31 mm/s at 4.2 K clearly identify it as an oxyheme adduct.
Characterization of processing requirements and metal cross‐reactivities in T cell clones from patients with allergic contact dermatitis to nickel

Metal ions such as nickel, cobalt, copper and palladium are known to be potent sensitizers in humans, but the antigenic determinants created by these metals as well as the mechanisms of recognition by specific T cell clones are still not elucidated. In this paper, nickel‐specific T lymphocyte clones were isolated from four patients exhibiting contact dermatitis to this metal. A panel of 42 independent T cell clones was studied. They were shown to recognize nickel in the context of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecules and to belong to the CD4 subset. Using fixed autologous Epstein‐Barr virus‐transformed B cells as antigen‐presenting cells (APC), we could distinguish two distinct groups of T cell clones on the basis of processing requirements: 40% of the T cell clones were strictly processing dependent, whereas the remaining 60% could proliferate in response to nickel even in the presence of glutaraldehyde‐fixed APC. Furthermore, we present arguments indicating that individual Ni‐specific T cell clones cross‐react with some transition metals (e.g. Cu or Pd), but not with others (e.g. Co, Cr and Pt), presented by identical MHC class II molecules. These results thus provide an explanation for the multiple metal‐reactivities observed in vivo in human patients: they indicate that for Cu and Pd, these co‐reactivities in vivo might be due to cross‐reactivity at the clonal level. Our findings also suggest that this is not the case for cobalt allergy, which might result from co‐sensitization of the patient to cobalt in addition to nickel.
Foreign Capital Inflows and Unemployment in Nigeria: A New Evidence from ARDL-Bounds Testing Approach

Using a novel approach, this study disaggregates and estimates the impact of foreign capital inflows on unemployment in Nigeria by adopting the Auto-Regressive Distributed Lag- Unrestricted Error Correction Methodology (ARDL-UECM). The ARDL-bounds test co-integration results show evidence of co-integration between disaggregated Foreign Capital Inflow variables (such as Foreign Direct Investment, Foreign Portfolio Investment and Remittances) and unemployment rate in Nigeria within the period from 1977Q1 – 2013Q4. The empirical results also show that foreign direct investment, foreign private investment and trade openness have negative impact on unemployment rate. On the other hand and interestingly, remittances and real exchange rate show a positive impact. The study therefore recommends the routing of remittances through the banking channels which would help in allocating remittances and other financial flows to productive uses. Again, government should enact investor-friendly policies and build conducive business environment in order to attract more Foreign Capital Inflows which will support job creation for the teeming population and thereby reduce biting unemployment.
Governance that matters: Identifying place-making challenges of Melbourne’s Monash Employment Cluster

Purpose: The study scrutinises the prominence of place making as a strategy in the development of knowledge and innovation spaces with a specific focus on distinguishing the role of governance. Design/methodology/approach: The study adopts a multidimensional conceptual framework of place making to investigate a knowledge and innovation space case through a qualitative analysis approach involving a range of key stakeholders. Findings: The study finds that governance is critical in facilitating place making in knowledge and innovation spaces, and place making practices in these locations benefit from adopting a multidimensional approach. Originality/value: The study expands our knowledge on the role of governance in place making that helps achieve desired knowledge and innovation space outcomes.
Induction of apoptosis before shedding of human intestinal epithelial cells

OBJECTIVES:Human intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) derive from stem cells at the crypt base and migrate along the so-called crypt-villus axis toward the intestinal lumen. As they reach the luminal surface in the colon or the villus tip in the small intestine, IECs are shed and their life cycle is terminated. The role of apoptosis during IEC migration along the crypt-villus axis has been subject to studies with conflicting results. In this study we use a novel approach to identify the initiation of apoptosis within normal human IECs.METHODS:Normal mucosa from the large and small human intestine was analyzed employing a novel antibody directed against activated caspase-3—an early marker of apoptosis.RESULTS:IECs initiate the apoptotic cascade as they approach the area of shedding before displaying evident morphological features of apoptosis. IECs of the small bowel also show caspase-3 activation in the small intestinal crypt base, whereas IECs of the colononic crypt base rarely show evidence of ongoing apoptosis.CONCLUSIONS:These findings indicate that apoptosis is initiated in human IECs as they reach the luminal surface/villus tip and before shedding. Furthermore, they show that different sections of the intestinal tract vary significantly in the rate of IEC apoptosis, possibly reflecting their difference in susceptibility to epithelial cell neoplasia.
Economic Transformation and Human Development Index in Nigeria

This research seeks to examine the impact of human development index (HDI) on economic transformation Nigeria. The paper adopted error correction mechanism to accentuate the dynamic paths of variables and aptitude of these variables to return to long-run equilibrium after a shock. From empirical results, it was found that HDI and school enrolment were most statistically significant in Nigerian growth equation. We thus recommend as a policy that emphasis human capital development in Nigeria most especially when the Nigerian nation is labor-intensive one.
What is behind low wages in central and eastern Europe?

ABSTRACT This paper compares wages across Europe in relation to the characteristics of workers and firms, with a particular focus on wage levels in central and eastern European countries. Worker and workplace endowments can be taken as a proxy for labour productivity. We estimate the extent to which wage differences observed at an aggregate level can be related to the different compositions of workforces and workplaces, as well as the types of jobs conducted in separate countries. We also decompose the observed differences in returns on endowments by identifying the sectors and occupational categories that contribute most to the wage gaps observed at the aggregate level. The wage gaps in low-wage countries actually appear larger once differences in worker, work and workplace characteristics are controlled for. In contrast, the differences in wages between high-wage countries diminish when we control for these endowments. The wage gap between East and West thus seems to be explained by a much lower return on skills and other characteristics rather than by differences in the composition of workforces and firms. Sectoral and occupational analysis suggests that central and eastern European countries have developed a generalised low-cost and low-wage model, with relative returns particularly low on higher skills. There is much less wage disparity across European countries in more labour intensive and lower-paid services sectors, such as accommodation and food service activities. The magnitude of the wage gap seems to be driven by the relative position of sectors and occupations in high-wage countries.
Conceal or Not? Management of Dehumanized Work Identity among Lower Caste Domestic Workers and Non-domestic Scavenging Workers

Abstract The current study explored a social identity approach to understand the role of caste identity in the domestic labour market in India. Domestic and other non-domestic scavenging workers form an important human resource of the informal job market system. Earlier research in the context of these workers in India did not link with the critical social psychological viewpoints leading to macro-level interpretations only. Domestic work in India in itself is a low-status job having many psychological repercussions such as stigmatization and dehumanization. The focused group discussion is done with a group of domestic workers and non-domestic scavenging workers who are from lower caste background in order to understand the management of their dehumanized identity.
Comparative analysis of cardiovascular effects of selenium nanoparticles and sodium selenite in zebrafish embryos

Selenium acts as an important element in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases but their health-related effects have not been fully explored. As a novel attempt, zebrafish embryos were treated separately with SeNPs (5–25 μg/ml) and sodium selenite (5–25 μg/ml) starting at early blastula stage. Abnormalities were also observed in the morphology of the zebrafish embryos. The SeNPs-treated embryos exhibited concentration-dependent increased in mortality, pericardial edema, and cardiac arrhythmia. In contrast, sodium selenite showed no significant malformation effect in developing zebrafish embryos. The results of the present study conclude that the SeNPs were more toxic than sodium selenite. The results also suggest that lower concentrations of SeNPs and sodium selenite can be used as possible therapeutic agents for cardiovascular-related problems.
Modeling the best practices towards the adaptation to the European credit transfer system in technical degrees within the IEEE ES chapter

Several Spanish universities have started their process of adaptation towards a common educational space as a first stage towards the implementation of the credit system as established by the regulation prior to 2010. These universities have developed several highly- illuminating experiences which could be useful to those teachers and institutions who have no previous references and models to develop new experiences of ECTS adaptation. To help these scholars and universities this paper reports on a project that has been recently completed and which has been supported by the Spanish Government and by the participation to the Spanish Chapter of IEEE Education Society. More specifically, the paper provides details about the management of the project, namely, details about the contributions of its three working groups, as well as the different tasks carried out and their monitoring. The paper also describes the results obtained with the project and provides assessment on previous pilot experiences presented by Spanish university teachers at Engineering Education Conferences as well as on the experiences compiled through the project's Web site.
Campus-based student volunteering in Egypt: A case study of students in a private university

I would like to express my deepest and most sincere gratitude to my thesis advisor Dr. Ghada Barsoum, for her support in writing this thesis as well as her encouragement and support for pushing me to pursue this degree from the beginning. I would like to also express my appreciation for the Public Policy and Administration department at the American University in Cairo for their support, and great opportunities presented from all faculty and staff members. I would like to specifically thank my thesis readers, Dr. Artan Karini and Dr. Khaled Abdelhalim for the time and effort put into giving me feedback and helping me make this a better piece. I am grateful for my biggest supporters and the ones that believe in me the most, my parents, and my two brothers. Thankful for all the love and support from my friends and colleges; Farah, Sara, Dina, Nervana and Manar. Thank you for bearing with me.
Cortical oscillatory activity during spatial echoic memory

In human magnetoencephalogram, we have found gamma‐band activity (GBA), a putative measure of cortical network synchronization, during both bottom‐up and top‐down auditory processing. When sound positions had to be retained in short‐term memory for 800 ms, enhanced GBA was detected over posterior parietal cortex, possibly reflecting the activation of higher sensory storage systems along the hypothesized auditory dorsal space processing stream. Additional prefrontal GBA increases suggested an involvement of central executive networks in stimulus maintenance. The present study assessed spatial echoic memory with the same stimuli but a shorter memorization interval of 200 ms. Statistical probability mapping revealed posterior parietal GBA increases at 80 Hz near the end of the memory phase and both gamma and theta enhancements in response to the test stimulus. In contrast to the previous short‐term memory study, no prefrontal gamma or theta enhancements were detected. This suggests that spatial echoic memory is performed by networks along the putative auditory dorsal stream, without requiring an involvement of prefrontal executive regions.
Applications of mid-infrared spectroscopy in the clinical laboratory setting

Abstract Fourier transform mid-infrared (MIR-FTIR) spectroscopy is a nondestructive, label-free, highly sensitive and specific technique that provides complete information on the chemical composition of biological samples. The technique both can offer fundamental structural information and serve as a quantitative analysis tool. Therefore, it has many potential applications in different fields of clinical laboratory science. Although considerable technological progress has been made to promote biomedical applications of this powerful analytical technique, most clinical laboratory analyses are based on spectroscopic measurements in the visible or ultraviolet (UV) spectrum and the potential role of FTIR spectroscopy still remains unexplored. In this review, we present some general principles of FTIR spectroscopy as a useful method to study molecules in specimens by MIR radiation together with a short overview of methods to interpret spectral data. We aim at illustrating the wide range of potential applications of the proposed technique in the clinical laboratory setting with a focus on its advantages and limitations and discussing the future directions. The reviewed applications of MIR spectroscopy include (1) quantification of clinical parameters in body fluids, (2) diagnosis and monitoring of cancer and other diseases by analysis of body fluids, cells, and tissues, (3) classification of clinically relevant microorganisms, and (4) analysis of kidney stones, nails, and faecal fat.
Reduced-cost modeling of dual-band antennas exploiting response features

In this work, a cost-efficient approach to surrogate modeling of input characteristics of dual-band antennas is presented. Reduction of the number of necessary training samples is achieved by constructing the surrogate at the level of suitably defined characteristic points of the antenna response, which exhibits less nonlinear behavior (as a function of antenna geometry parameters) compared to S-parameters as a function of frequency. Our approach is illustrated using dual-band dipole antenna and favorably compared to conventional modeling using kriging interpolation.
Changes in portal venous pressure in the early phase after living donor liver transplantation: pathogenesis and clinical implications1,2

Background. Although living-donor liver transplantation (LDLT) has been accepted for adult populations, the occurrence and pathogenesis of small-for-size syndrome remain highly controversial. Methods. Portal venous pressure (PVP) was measured in 79 cases of LDLT from anhepatic phase to day 14. PVP was monitored through a catheter inserted via the inferior mesenteric vein. In a separate series of seven cases of adult LDLT, the splenic artery was ligated following arterial reperfusion. Results. For days 2 to 4 and 9 to 11, recipients of small-for-size graft (<0.8% of body weight) displayed significantly higher PVP than recipients of larger grafts. The 13 patients with elevated mean PVP (≥20 mm Hg) early in the first week (days 0–4) demonstrated significantly worse survival (84.5% vs. 38.5% at 6 months;P < 0.01), but this was not applicable to elevated mean PVP late in the first week (days 5–7). Elevated PVP early in the first week was also associated with higher incidence of bacteremia, cholestasis, prolonged prothrombin time, and ascites. Splenic artery ligation (SAL) immediately reduced PVP from 10 to 20 mm Hg (median, 16 mm Hg) to 9 to 13 mm Hg (median, 11 mm Hg;P = 0.02). Posttransplant PVP was significantly lower in SAL patients than in non-SAL patients from days 2 to 7 despite small graft size. Early PVP in SAL patients was consistently below 20 mm Hg, and survival was significantly better than in non-SAL patients with high early PVP (P < 0.01). Conclusion. Elevated PVP in the early phase is strongly associated with poor patient survival attributable, at least in part, to small-for-size graft. Further elucidation of the pathogenesis behind this phenomenon and efforts to modify PVP will be key to improving results.
Identification of an Overlapping Binding Domain on Cdc20 for Mad2 and Anaphase-Promoting Complex: Model for Spindle Checkpoint Regulation

ABSTRACT Activation of the anaphase-promoting complex (APC) is required for anaphase initiation and for exit from mitosis in mammalian cells. Cdc20, which specifically recognizes APC substrates involved in the metaphase-to-anaphase transition, plays a pivotal role in APC activation through direct interaction with the APC. The activation of the APC by Cdc20 is prevented by the interaction of Cdc20 with Mad2 when the spindle checkpoint is activated. Using deletion mutagenesis and peptide mapping, we have identified the sequences in Cdc20 that target it to Mad2 and the APC, respectively. These sequences are distinct but overlapping, providing a possible structural explanation for the internal modulation of the APC-Cdc20 complex by Mad2. In the course of these studies, a truncation mutant of Cdc20 (1–153) that constitutively binds Mad2 but fails to bind the APC was identified. Overexpression of this mutant induces the formation of multinucleated cells and increases their susceptibility to undergoing apoptosis when treated with microtubule-inhibiting drugs. Our experiments demonstrate that disruption of the Mad2-Cdc20 interaction perturbs the mitotic checkpoint, leading to premature activation of the APC, sensitizing the cells to the cytotoxic effects of microtubule-inhibiting drugs.
Improvement of transient stability of Algerian power system network with wind farm

Although Algeria is ranks fourteenth country in proven petroleum reserves, Algeria is Conscious of the need to face its environmental problems and anxious to take part in the fight against the climatic change. It is in this optic that the Algerian government creates Funds earmarked for a renewable energy supplied from 0.5% of petroleum rental. While solar energy remains the main focus of efforts to boost production from renewable energy, Algeria is looking at wind power by several projects, which will be integrated in the Algerian network. The main objective of this research work is to investigate the power quality issue to the transient stability problem caused by the wind power connection and consequently the enhancement of the rate of the wind power penetration limit without overloaded line and with an acceptable voltage level ensured by integration of flexible AC transmission system (FACTS) device such as Static Synchronous Compensator (STATCOM). Furthermore, in order to choose the adequate type of wind turbine, a comparative study between several types is established. It must be noted that all simulations are carried out on PSAT/Simulink. Finally, some meaningful conclusions and comments are given in this paper.
A new and simple algorithm for the noninvasive assessment of esophageal varices in cirrhotic patients using serum fibrosis markers and transient elastography.

BACKGROUND AND AIM Noninvasive serum liver fibrosis markers and liver stiffness could be used as predictors of esophageal varices in cirrhotic patients because portal hypertension is related to liver fibrosis. The aim of this study was to compare the performance of common serum fibrosis scores and transient elastography in diagnosing esophageal varices and to propose a new algorithm for predicting large varices. METHODS 231 consecutive cirrhotic patients (58.4% males, mean age 55.9 years) were enrolled. Routine biological tests were performed, so that APRI, FIB-4, Forns Index and Lok Score could be calculated. All patients underwent transient elastography and eso-gastroscopy. The diagnostic performance of the methods was assessed using sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, accuracy, likelihood ratios and receiver operating characteristic curves. RESULTS The Lok Score was the best among all the serum scores for diagnosing the varices. For a value higher than 0.8, it had a 45.5% positive predictive value, 86.4% negative predictive value and 67.72% diagnostic accuracy for prediction of large varices. For liver stiffness higher than 30.8KPa, the positive predictive value was 47.3%, negative predictive value 81% and diagnostic accuracy 68.32%. Using both tests simultaneously, the presence of large varices was predicted with a diagnostic accuracy of 78.12%, obtaining an increment in NPV and -LR up to 93.67% and 0.21, respectively. CONCLUSION The Lok Score is a good predictor for excluding the presence of large varices in cirrhotic patients, similarly with liver stiffness. The two methods can be successfully combined into a noninvasive algorithm for the assessment of esophageal varices in cirrhotic patients.