Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Synthesis of 2-ethyl hexanol fatty acid esters in a packed bed bioreactor using a lipase immobilized on a textile membrane

Abstract An enzymatic process using a packed bed bioreactor with recirculation was developed for the scale-up synthesis of 2-ethylhexyl palmitate with a lipase from Candida sp. 99–125 immobilized on a fabric membrane by natural attachment to the membrane surface. Esterification was effectively performed by circulating the reaction mixture between a packed bed column and a substrate container. A maximum esterification yield of 98% was obtained. Adding molecular sieves and drying the immobilized lipase both decreased the water content at the reactor outlet and around the enzyme, which led to an increase in the rate of esterification. The long-term stability of the reactor was tested by continuing the reaction for 30 batches (over 300 h) with an average esterification yield of about 95%. This immobilized lipase bioreactor is scalable and is thus suitable for industrial production of 2-ethylhexyl palmitate.
The cell cycle and seed germination

Abstract The cell cycle is the series of molecular events that allows cells to duplicate and segregate their chromosomes to form new cells. The finding that a protein kinase, the product of the yeast cdc2 gene, was fundamental in the regulation of the G2/M and G1/S transitions, associated with unstable proteins named cyclins, opened a very exciting and dynamic research area. The number of gene products that participate in the development and regulation of the cell cycle may be in the hundreds, and there is a high degree of conservation in protein sequences and regulatory pathways among eukaryotes. Although there are clear differences between plants and animals in cell structure, organization, growth, development and differentiation, the same types of proteins and very similar regulatory pathways seem to exist. Seed germination appears to be an excellent model system for studying the cell cycle in plants. Imbibition will reactivate meristematic cells – most initially with a G1 DNA content – into the cell cycle in preparation for seedling establishment. Early events include a thorough survey of DNA status, since the drying process and seed storage conditions reduce chromosomal integrity. The initiation of cell cycle events leading to G1 and S phases, and of the germination process itself, may depend on a G1 checkpoint control. Most, if not all, cell cycle proteins appear to be already present in unimbibed embryos, although there is evidence of protein turnover in the early hours, suggesting the need for de novo protein synthesis. Regulation also may occur at the level of protein modification, because existing G1, S and G2 cell cycle proteins appear to be activated at precise times during germination. Thus, cell cycle control during seed germination may be exerted at multiple levels; however, knowledge of cell cycle events and their importance for germination is still scarce and fragmentary, and different species may have developed unique control mechanisms, more suited to specific germination characteristics and habitat.
IMPROVING PERFORMANCE OF SPACE-TIME TURBO CODES WITH SHORT FRAMES IN NARROWBAND JAMMING

This paper considers the performance enhancement of a space-time turbo codes processing system employing a combined turbo code and antenna transmission diversity scheme for direct sequence spread spectrum communication system. Turbo codes have been shown to approach the Shannon limit for error correcting capability at low signal-to-noise ratios given large sized frames. Extensive research efforts have been examining ways to enhance the performance of turbo codes for short frames (e.g., voice transmission). The proposed system is investigated over Rayleigh fading channels only and also in case of narrowband jamming environment in addition to Rayleigh fading channels. This paper focuses on the implementation and performance of a modified turbo decoder for this model. Furthermore, the description of the concatenation of turbo code and direct sequence/spread spectrum with a space-time block codes are presented. Simulation results show that substantial benefits can be obtained by direct sequence spreading with space time coding the coded bits over Rayleigh fading and narrowband jamming environment.
Wolf and bear predation on white-tailed deer fawns in northeastern Minnesota

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) fawn mortality was studied during the summers of 1989 and 1990 in northeastern Minnesota. Estimated pooled mortality rates for 21 radio-tagged fawns were 0.44 for the May–June, 0.13 for the July–October, and 0.51 for the May–October intervals. Predation accounted for all mortalities, with wolves (Canis lupus) responsible for 51% of them and black bears (Ursus americanus) for 49%. Fawns from mothers > 4 years old weighed more and survived better than fawns from young mothers, which weighed less. Of various related factors (doe age, doe mass, fawn mass, fawn birth date, and fawn blood serum urea nitrogen (SUN)), only SUN was significant between surviving and perishing fawns; fawns with low SUN survived significantly less. Fawn SUN may have been only an indirect indicator of a doe physical or behavioral factor that was more important to fawn survival.
Managing a Crypto-Currency Portfolio Via Minmax Drawdown Control

Crypto-currencies and other innovative asset classes present a fundamental challenge for quantitative asset-allocation. Because the track record of innovative assets is by definition short, it is difficult to form reliable estimates of expected returns and covariance matrices needed as inputs for standard portfolio optimization. Even if such estimates are available, they may be useless to investors if the behavior of underlying assets changes over time. Building on the MinMax Drawdown Control framework of Chassang (2018), this paper proposes a conceptually attractive and empirically successful approach to build benchmark portfolios of crypto-currencies and other innovative assets.
Novel Anti-Cancer Strategy in Bone Tumors by Targeting Molecular and Cellular Modulators of Bone Resorption

Tumor cells alter the balanced process of bone formation and bone resorption mediated respectively by osteoblasts and osteoclasts, leading to the disruption of the normal equilibrium and resulting in a spectrum of osteolytic to osteoblastic lesions. This review will summarize research on molecules that play direct and essential roles in the differentiation and activity of osteoclasts, and the role of these molecules in bone destruction caused by cancer. Results from experimental models suggest that the Receptor Activator of NF-kB Ligand (RANKL), a member of the TNF superfamily is a common effector of bony lesions in osteolysis caused by primary and secondary bone tumors. Therefore, osteoclast represents an attractive target across a broad range of tumors that develop in bone. Elucidation of the mechanisms of RANKL interactions with its activator (RANK) and decoy (osteoprotegerin: OPG) receptors has enable the development of pharmacological inhibitors of RANKL (and of its signalling pathway) which have been recently patented, with potential for the treatment of cancer-induced bone disease. Blocking bone resorption by specific other drugs such as bisphosphonates, inhibitors of cathepsin K (the main enzyme involved in bone resorption mechanisms) or signalling pathways regulating osteoclast differentiation and activation is also a promising target for the treatment of osteolysis associated to bone tumors.
Omega-3 Fatty Acid Concentration in Purslane (Portulaca oleraceae) is Altered by Photosynthetic Photon Flux

Purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.) is an excellent source of the essential fatty acid α α α α α -linolenic acid (LNA) but little is known of the effects of cultural conditions on LNA concentration. Purslane seedlings were grown under an instantaneous photosynthetic photon flux (PPF (400 to 700 nm)) of 299 or 455 µmol·m from incandescent lamps starting at the end of the photosynthetic light period. At low PPF, purslane grown under a 16 hour PPF duration produced the highest concentrations of total fatty acids (TFA) and LNA per unit leaf dry weight (DW), but at high PPF, concentrations of these compounds were highest under 8 and 12 hour PPF duration. Trend analysis indicated that maximum TFA and LNA concentrations occurred with a daily PPF of 14.1 and 17.2 mol·m -2 ·d -1 , respectively; and in the thylakoids, protein, chlorophyll, and LNA concentrations peaked at a PPF of 21.8, 19.9, and 16.1 mol·m -2 ·d -1 , respectively. LNA as a percentage of TFA was unaffected by treatment. Shoot DW increased with PPF up to the highest PPF exposure of 32.8 mol·m -2 ·d -1 .
The Applications of Robust Estimation in Fixed Effect Panel Data Model

High leverage points (HLPs) are known to have significant effects on parameter estimation of linear fixed effect regression. Their presence causes panel data to become heavily contaminated which in turn leads to biasness and wrong analysis. Thus, robust regression estimators are introduced to provide resistant estimates towards HLPs. In this study, two Robust Within Group (RW) estimators are applied to a few economics and finance real world data. The study is aimed to estimate the usefulness and efficiency of robust methods in contaminated panel data. Results show the advantage of using robust estimation to reduce the influence of HLPs on panel data over the Ordinary Least Square (OLS). Keywords--panel data; fixed effect; regression; GM-estimator; MM-estimator, robust.
Economic and ecological views on climate change mitigation with bioenergy and negative emissions

Climate stabilization scenarios emphasize the importance of land‐based mitigation to achieve ambitious mitigation goals. The stabilization scenarios informing the recent IPCC's Fifth Assessment Report suggest that bioenergy could contribute anywhere between 10 and 245 EJ to climate change mitigation in 2100. High deployment of bioenergy with low life cycle GHG emissions would enable ambitious climate stabilization futures and reduce demands on other sectors and options. Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) would even enable so‐called negative emissions, possibly in the order of magnitude of 50% of today's annual gross emissions. Here, I discuss key assumptions that differ between economic and ecological perspectives. I find that high future yield assumptions, plausible in stabilization scenarios, look less realistic when evaluated in biophysical metrics. Yield assumptions also determine the magnitude of counterfactual land carbon stock development and partially determine the potential of BECCS. High fertilizer input required for high yields would likely hasten ecosystem degradation. I conclude that land‐based mitigation strategies remain highly speculative; a constant iteration between synoptic integrated assessment models and more particularistic and fine‐grained approaches is a crucial precondition for capturing complex dynamics and biophysical constraints that are essential for comprehensive assessments.
Geographical distribution and ecological conservatism of disjunct genera of vascular plants in eastern Asia and eastern North America

1 We evaluated geographical and climate distributions of 57 vascular plant genera that have disjunct distributions primarily restricted to south‐eastern Asia (EAS) and south‐eastern North America (ENA). Because clades of each genus in the two regions are considered sister taxa, differences in ecological relationships between the regions reflect independent evolutionary responses to environmental factors and allow a test of ecological conservatism or parallelism. 2 The disjunct genera were found to be distributed in 270 grid cells, 163 in EAS and 107 in ENA, each with 3.75° extent in latitude and longitude. Individual disjunct genera occupied larger areas and latitudinal ranges in eastern Asia than in eastern North America, which parallels the larger area and latitudinal range of suitable climate in eastern Asia. 3 For all EAS‐ENA disjunct genera taken together, the midpoint latitude, northernmost latitude, latitude range and area occupied were all significantly correlated between the two regions. For woody genera, only the correlation for midpoint latitude was significant, whereas for herbaceous genera, all except midpoint latitude were significant. 4 A twinspan analysis partitioned the grid cells into four distinctive groups based on presence or absence of the disjunct genera. Grid cells representing these groups in EAS and ENA remained clustered when plotted on axes defined by floristic ordination (non‐metric multidimensional scaling) or climate variables (discriminant analysis), showing that the disjunct genera have similar floristic relationships to each other within regions and respond, to a large degree, in parallel to climate variables. 5 The lack of correlation in distribution variables among woody genera between the continents in part reflects the greater propensity of eastern Asian woody disjunct genera to extend southwards into subtropical and tropical latitudes. 6 Although the disjunct genera exhibit significant conservatism in geographical and climate distribution, reflecting their common evolutionary ancestry, differences between regions in geography, physiography and climate have also acted to diversify environmental relationships between continents.
Structure and expression properties of the endo-β-1,4-glucanase A gene from the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans

Endo-β-1,4-glucanase A (EG A) of Aspergillus nidulans was purified to homogeneity, and its genomic gene (eglA) was cloned based on partial amino acid sequences of the purified enzyme and sequenced. The eglA gene comprised 1228 bp with four putative introns and encoded a polypeptide of 326 amino acids bearing high homology to the family A cellulases. The eglA promoter activity in A. nidulans was examined using the A. oryzae Taka-amylase A gene as a reporter. Expression of the reporter gene was induced by carboxymethylcellulose and cellobiose, and repressed by glucose, galactose, mannose, xylose, sorbitol, glycerol and succinate. Lactose neither induced nor repressed the expression.
Synthesis of Kdo-trisaccharide derivatives of chlamydial and enterobacterial LPS containing carboxyl-reduced or β-configurated Kdo-residues

Five allyl glycosides corresponding to the 3-deoxy-D-manno-2-octulosonic acid (Kdo) containing genus-specific LPS epitope of Chlamydia were synthesized. Compounds 5 and 22 contain one carboxyl-reduced Kdo moiety linked to O-4 of the proximal Kdo unit, whereas the analogues 28, 34 and 36 each contain one β-linked Kdo-residue within the trisaccharide sequence Kdo p-(2→8)-Kdop-(2→4)-Kdop. Elaboration of the carboxyl-reduced derivatives was achieved by BF3•Et2O-catalyzed coupling of Kdo-fluoride derivatives 1 or 14 with the 7,8-O-carbonyl-derivative 2. The β-linked oligosaccharides were obtained by Helferich-glycosidation of the respective Kdo-disaccharide bromide derivatives 26 and 31. The deprotected compounds - characterized by H and 13C NMR spectroscopy - are suitable haptens for the immunochemical study of monoclonal antibodies directed against the Kdo-region of chlamydial and enterobacterial LPS.
Genomics and mollusc pathogens: trends and perspective

Global mollusc production is continuously increasing and reached 12.8 million tonnes in 2004 representing 28.2 percent of the total world production valued at US$ 9.4 billions. However, cultivated molluscs may suffer from severe mortality outbreaks. Among the possible causes is the occurrence of infectious diseases due to a variety of pathogens including protozoan parasites, bacteria and viruses. Preventing and controlling diseases has become a priority for aquaculture sustainability. However, molluscs are unique in terms of health management. Molluscs like other invertebrates, lack a true adaptative immune system. Vaccination can not be used to protect them against pathogens. Moreover, molluscs are usually reared in the open sea which strongly limits the use of drugs. Finally, pathogen transfers via movements of aquatic organisms appear to be a major cause of epizootics. In this context, a better knowledge of pathogen taxonomy and the development of molecular diagnostic tools are needed. The taxonomic history of various mollusc pathogenic agents has known controversy last decades. However, molecular biology in recent years allowed clarify some points. Molecular detection assays for pathogens infecting molluscs are being developed at an increasingly rate. Molecular techniques are now moving from development in specialised laboratories for research purposes, to routine application and are expected to be increasingly used in pathogen monitoring programs. The DNA based diagnosis tools need however validation, specificity definition and further development.
Genetic-tabu Search Hybrid Algorithm for Unit Economic Load Dispatch

A genetic-tabu search hybrid algorithm was proposed for solving power system economic load distribution(ELD). Though having good global searching performance,genetic algorithm(GA) is prone to "premature". Tabu search(TS) is characterized by the capability of mountain climbing to avoid local optima trap.First,GA is not stopped to search in the global solution space until premature happens.The outcome of GA,which is promising solutions,is used as the initial population of TS,so TS can get good results.In order to prove the validity and effectiveness of the proposed algorithm,two test systems consisting of five generating units and three generating units were considered.The results obtained by the proposed method are compared with genetic algorithm and clearly demonstrate that the proposed method has quicker convergency speed,higher optimization success rate,and better results.
DISTINCT MECHANISMS OF HIV-1 HYPERSUSCEPTIBILITY TO NON- NUCLEOSIDE REVERSE TRANSCRIPTASE INHIBITORS: A DISCUSSION OF NUCLEOSIDE REVERSE TRANSCRIPTASE INHIBITOR INDUCED MUTATIONS V118I, H208Y, AND T215Y

Hypersusceptibility (HS) to non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTI) improves virological response to NNRTI-containing regimens. NNRTI HS is associated with nucleoside RT inhibitor (NRTI) mutations, especially those conferring resistance to AZT. Recent logistic regression analyses of a large genotype-phenotype dataset showed the NRTI mutations most strongly associated with NNRTI HS are T215Y, H208Y and V118I. We hypothesized that NRTI mutations V118I, H208Y, and T215Y in combination cause NNRTI HS and that this phenotype is due to multiple mechanisms including a decrease in enzyme activity and/or deficient viral replication due to decreased virion packaged RT. Therefore we sought to: (1) determine the phenotypic effects of these mutations alone and in combination on the susceptibilityof infectious molecular clones and recombinant reverse transcriptase proteins to efavirenz, delavirdine, and nevirapine; and (2) elucidate differences in viral replication, protein production and packaging for virus containing mutations V118I, H208Y, and/or T215Y. We established different patterns of NNRTI HS and replication capacity depending on the combination of mutations present. HIV-1 virus containing H208Y + T215Y were HS to all NNRTI; whereas the V118I/T215Y virus was only HS to delavirdine and nevirapine. H208Y + T215Y viruses exhibited reduced replication capacity compared to wildtype HIV-1. In comparison, the V118I/T215Y virus replicated as efficiently as wildtype virus. Upon further investigation we found the amount of HIV-1 RT incorporated into the H208Y + T215Y viruses was significantly reduced compared with wildtype virus due to decreased viral packaging of GagPol precursors. Interestingly, the RT content in the V118I/T215Y virus was similar to wildtype virus. Furthermore, purified recombinant RT containing the H208Y+ T215Y mutations were not NNRTI HS. In contrast, the V118I/T215Y mutant RT showed five-fold increased susceptibility to NNRTI. Our work highlights the complexity of the HS phenotype and provides an in-depth understanding of how NRTI mutations V118I, H208Y, and T215Y contribute to increased NNRTI susceptibility.
Habitat use by a tree frog species of Scinax (Amphibia, Hylidae) at an urban forest fragment from south-eastern Brazil

We studied the pattern of habitat use by the tree frog Scinax aff. perereca. Fieldworks were performed from August 1996 to August 1997 at Parque das Mangabeiras, Belo Horizonte, State of Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil. Calling males were observed in September, October and December 1996, February to April and June 1997. Females were found only in October 1996. Specimens were found perched on vegetation, on the ground or on stones near waterfall. At Parque das Mangabeiras, S. aff. perereca occupied nine types of substrata. The most frequently used substrata were shrubs, stones at the stream edges, and fallen trunks. The pattern of spatial occupation varied among months. Males were found calling in aggregations on the vegetation and spatial niche breadth was related to species abundance.
Effectiveness of a commonly-used technique for experimentally reducing plumage UV reflectance

Ultraviolet (UV) plumage is thought to be sexually selected through intra-sexual competition, female choice and differential allocation. Experimental manipulations of plumage UV reflectance are essential to demonstrate that mate choice or intra-sexual competition are causally related to UV coloration. The most widely-used technique for manipulating UV reflectance in wild birds is the application of a mixture of UV-absorbing chemicals and preen gland fat. However, although this UV reduction technique is commonly used, little is known about the persistence of the treatment and the temporal variation in UV reflectance that it causes. We manipulated the UV crown plumage of wild and captive blue tits Parus caeruleus , and took repeated photospectrometric measurements of both UV-reduced and control-treated individuals. Our results show that the UV reduction lasts for at least five days and that the treatment has no negative effects on the survival of wild birds.
Intermittent riverine resuspension: Effects on phosphorus transformations and heterotrophic bacteria

Intermittent riverine resuspension (IRR), a common phenomenon, was applied to investigate its effects on sedimentary resources availability and bacteria in the water column. This lab experiment used organic‐rich lowland river sediment in a newly designed erosion chamber, the Benthic Water Column Simulator, generating well‐defined ratios of shear velocity u* to turbulence intensity. Eight consecutive resuspension events, 1–8, were initiated at u* = 1.1 cm s−1. Sedimentary and phosphorus entrainment decreased from 20.4 g m−2 h−1 and 111.6 mg m−2 h−1 at event 1 to 1.31 g m−2 h−1 and 18.7 mg m−2 h−1 at event 8, suggesting an exhaustion of particulate and dissolved sediment constituents. Entrainment of particle‐associated (PA) bacteria (132.7 × 109‐251.1 × 109 cells m−2 h−1) was strongly correlated to that of particles. Free‐living (FL) bacteria (−27.6 × 109‐36.4 × 109 cells m−2 h−1) were fractionally entrained. Numbers of PA bacteria remained low after each event, whereas those of FL bacteria strongly increased 5–15 h after an event because of growth due to increased availability of dissolved organic carbon and inorganic nutrients following each event. FL bacteria community structure also changed during IRR. The systematic changes over consecutive IRR cycles show a strong effect in all considered parameters that elude the typical single‐event, steady‐state experiments. IRR should thus be considered in two respects: experimental protocols on riverine water quality should be revised. In ecosystem modeling, IRR should be considered to better predict extent and effect of resuspension. Only IRR adequately reflects the natural interplay between hydrodynamics and organisms in rivers.