Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Construction of gateway-compatible yeast two-hybrid vectors for high throughput analysis of protein interaction

Yeast two-hybrid system combined with the gateway technology will greatly facilitate the cloning of interested DNA fragment into yeast two-hybrid vectors and therefore increase the efficiency of yeast two-hybrid analysis. In this study, we constructed a pair of Gateway-compatible yeast two-hybrid vectors pBTM116GW and pVP16GW by introducing the gateway cassette (attR1-Cmr-ccdB-attR2) into the multiple cloning sites (MCS) of the previously described vectors pBTM116SS and pVP16S1, respectively. The applicability of newly generated vectors was tested by assaying the interaction between the kinase domain XA21K of rice (Oryza sativa) receptor like kinase XA21 and its interactor XB3. Since both Xa21K and Xb3 were cloned into a Gateway entry vector and then subcloned into pBTM116GW and pVP16GW by in vitro recombination with high efficiency, respectively, it demonstrated that the newly constructed gateway-compatible two-hybrid vectors will be useful in analysis of protein interactions in a high throughput way.
Impulse-response functions for chromatic and achromatic stimuli

Thresholds were measured for detecting pairs of briefly flashed stimuli displayed successively at variable onset asynchronies. The stimuli were 1 cycle/deg vertical sinusoidal gratings, modulated either in luminance (yellow–black) or in color (red–green). The successive presentations were either of the same contrast (positive) or of opposite contrast (negative), yielding four separate summation curves: positive and negative summation for color and for luminance. Both the positive and the negative curves followed a shorter time course for luminance than for color, implying a faster response at threshold. To calculate impulse response functions from the summation data, we assumed that the neural impulse response from two successive stimuli sum linearly at threshold, that thresholds are determined by probability summation of the combined impulse response over time, and that the impulse response can be described by an exponentially damped frequency-modulated sinusoidal function with four free parameters. The predicted impulse responses for luminance and for color are quite different, being biphasic for luminance and monophasic for color. Fourier transform of these functions yielded estimates of the amplitude and the phase functions of hypothetical visual detectors: the amplitude functions predicted well the contrast sensitivity of counterphased gratings (as a function of temporal frequency) both for luminance and for chromatic stimuli.
Investment in CRM: A Strategic Approach for the Indian Banking Sector

Indian Banks have recorded a phenomenal growth in the past decade with the initiation of Economic Reforms. The banks, both Public and Private, have transformed themselves into profit-oriented business organizations besides playing a developmental role in the economy. In the backdrop of this scenario, this paper emphasizes on the implementation of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) in the banking sector. Time has changed; earlier people were very loyal to their banks but in today"s competitive era banks cannot expect committed relationship from their clients. With increased number of banks, products and services and practically nil switching costs, customers are easily switching banks whenever they find better services and products. The top concern in the mind of every bank is increasing or at least maintaining the market share in every line of business. To address this challenge, there have been active efforts in the banking circles to opt for a customer-centric business approach. Banks have realized that they need to ensure through their services that the customers do not leave them. So, banks are now stressing on retaining customers and increasing market share and this has contributed to the growth of CRM in the Banking Sector. Implementing CRM involves collecting and reviewing the most relevant customer data. Relevant customer data can uncover needed information about behavior patterns and attitudes. This paper is an effort to highlight the impact of CRM on service quality and customer retention in the banking sector. It also tries to evaluate the major issues and challenges facing the industry in implementing such a strategy.
Global burden of non-communicable diseases - why prevalence is not a comprehensive measure

Background: The prevalence is a common epidemiological measure to describe the morbidity and burden of a non-communicabledisease in a population. Often it is used to compare various populations with respect to the disease, e.g . in different countries. However, comparing the prevalence in different populations may lead to erroneous conclusions about the disease specific situation, because the prevalence is a result of a complex interplay between incidence and mortality. In this article, we show how distinctivelydifferent population based interventions against type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) lead to the same age-specific prevalence of thedisease. By comparing the prevalences of T2DM, the impact of the interventions would be rated as being equivalent – which theyare not. Methods: Based on data from the National Health Interview Surveys (NHIS) and the National Health and Nutrition ExaminationSurveys (NHANES), we calculate the effects of two hypothetical prevention programs against T2DM in the United States. Thefirst prevention program is based on a pharmacological intervention, which is assumed to affect the incidence of diabetes only. The second program is a lifestyle intervention affecting both, incidence of diabetes and the mortality in the population. Results: Choosing plausible participation rates, both prevention programs have the same impact on the age-specific prevalence ofdiabetes. Considering the prevalence alone would erroneously indicate a similar effect of both programs although the lifestyle intervention is superior in terms of the mortality in the population. Conclusion: A comprehensive description of the burden of a chronic disease in a population should not rely on the prevalencealone, but include further measures, such as the incidence and the mortality rates. This is especially important in setting upsurveillance systems for chronic diseases as requested e.g. by the United Nations’ resolution against chronic diseases.
Political Election Outcomes and Return Patterns of Firm Listed in Taiwan Stock Exchange: A Firm-level Analysis

We examine the relation between ruling party election outcomes and the return patterns of firms listed in Taiwan Stock Exchange by conducting a firm-level analysis. We adopt several explanatory variables to measure political uncertainty and electoral tension and find evidences that political uncertainty leads investor to reduce expected returns on stocks until the electoral uncertainty is resolved. We find that the ruling party win of elections lead to higher return of next-trading day and that this impact increases for the great win of elections or the win of central or presidential elections. Our findings are consistent with uncertain information hypothesis of Brow, Harlow, and Tinic (1988) and Patty (2006)’s view that a continuity of the government’s policies (i.e., ruling party win of elections) might be not viewed as a result of potential loss by people if the economic situation is good. Furthermore, the effects of ruling part y election outcomes on daily stock return depend on several firm characteristics. These finding are consistent with Baker and Wurgler (2006), who argue that the stocks with certain characteristics are susceptible to shifts in the propensity to speculate and are difficult to arbitrage.
Sub-Hour X-Ray Variability of High-Energy Peaked BL Lacertae Objects

The study of multi-wavelength flux variability in BL Lacertae objects is very important to discern unstable processes and emission mechanisms underlying their extreme observational features. While the innermost regions of these objects are not accessible from direct observations, we may draw conclusions about their internal structure via the detection of flux variations on various timescales, based on the light-travel argument. In this paper, we review the sub-hour X-ray variability in high-energy peaked BL Lacertae sources (HBLs) that are bright at X-rays and provide us with an effective tool to study the details related to the physics of the emitting particles. The X-ray emission of these sources is widely accepted to be a synchrotron radiation from the highest-energy electrons, and the complex spectral variability observed in this band reflects the injection and radiative evolution of freshly-accelerated particles. The detection of sub-hour X-ray flux variability is very important since it can be related to the small-scale jet turbulent structures or triggered by unstable processes occurring in the vicinity of a central supermassive black hole. We summarize the fastest X-ray variability instances detected in bright HBLs and discuss their physical implications.
Dewey, Desi, and DEC: Exploring the educational philosophy of Indian open, online, and distance education

This paper explores pedagogical underpinnings of current Indian open, online, and distance education. Tracing the history of national and cultural adherence to the precepts of American educational theorist and philosopher, John Dewey, the paper notes the Deweyesk perspective has not translated into constructivist distance educational practices. The work surveys the history of distance education in India, and reviews literature in the field produced by Indian academics, whose recent reports suggest that online education may be transforming Indian educational philosophy, bringing a more constructivist approach to teaching on the sub-continent. • The paper is organized into the following sections: • A brief history of open, distance, and online education in India • The role that John Dewey’s ideas play on the subcontinent • Philosophical underpinnings of Indian online education • The current state of Indian online education
Analysis and Validation of medical Application through Electrical Impedance based System

This paper discussed the Design and implementation of the electrical impedance-based system, which covers both techniques (Impedance Plethysmography (IPG) and Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT)). The electrical impedance distribution image of the cross section of a phantom based on current excitation and voltage measurement using electrodes pair is reconstructs image according to the electrical property of the medical phantom. The electrical impedance based image provides the significant morphological information. Image quality depends upon many other iterative process and image processing algorithms in addition to. The hardware designing of the system is a most important part for all impedance-based techniques. In measurement section, the current source of the electrical impedance-based system should supply multi-frequency signal for measurement because it provides more useful information about the phantom. Therefore, a signal source that provides accurate excitation and a reference signal for measurement are more useful. Matlab is used for image reconstruction and processing of the impedance data.
A Long-Term Evaluation of the First Generation of the French Urban Enterprise Zones Une évaluation de long terme de la première génération des Zones Franches Urbaines

This paper provides new empirical assessment on the e ciency of locally-targeted tax incentives in revitalizing distressed areas. We focus on the rst generation of the French Enterprise Zone intiative, implemented in 1997 in continental France. We use new georeferenced panel data at the rm level over a twelve-year period. The zone designation process suggests two empirical strategies: di erence-in-di erence regressions with subclassi cation on the propensity score and regression discontinuity design. Both methods yield similar results. We highlight a strong positive impact of the Entreprise Zone policy on employment and business location during the rst years of the policy. According to our estimates, the French EZ initiative caused the number of rms located in the designated zones to double (compared to the baseline level that would have been achieved without tax rebates). However, this favourable assessment has to be moderated because it seems mostly due to rms that are less prone to stimulate either local employment or economic activities. In addition, after some years, the early positive results are reduced as the increase in business locations is partially o set by more frequent business discontinuations. As far as employment is concerned, we nd that jobs were created by the relocation of rms to the designated EZ areas. However, the initiative did not induce rms already operating in these areas to create new jobs.
On the influx of small comets into the earth's upper atmosphere. I - Observations. II - Interpretation

Images of the earth's dayglow emissions at ultraviolet wavelengths, primarily those of atomic oxygen at 130.4 nm, reveal regions of transient intensity decreases to ∼ 5% to 20% of surrounding values over areas estimated to be ∼ 2,000 km². The duration of these transient decreases in intensities is ∼ several minutes. Approximately 10 of these events occur each minute in the dayside upper atmosphere. The diurnal variation of the rate of occurrence is qualitatively similar to that for radar meteors.
Microphysical and optical properties of dust and tropical biomass burning aerosol layers in the Cape Verde region—an overview of the airborne in situ and lidar measurements during SAMUM-2

In the framework of the Saharan Mineral Dust Experiment (SAMUM) airborne High Spectral Resolution Lidar and in situ measurements of the particle size, aerosol mixing state and absorption coefficient were conducted. Here, the properties of mineral dust and tropical biomass burning layers in the Cape Verde region in January/February 2008 are investigated and compared with the properties of fresh dust observed in May/June 2006 close the Sahara. In the Cape Verde area, we found a complex stratification with dust layers covering the altitude range below 2 km and biomass burning layers aloft. The aerosol type of the individual layers was classified based on depolarization and lidar ratios and, in addition, on in situ measured Ångström exponents of absorption åap. The dust layers had a depth of 1.3 ± 0.4 km and showed a median åap of 3.95. The median effective diameter Deff was 2.5 μm and the dust layers over Cape Verde yielded clear signals of aging: large particles were depleted due to gravitational settling and the accumulation mode diameter was shifted towards larger sizes as a result of coagulation. The tropical biomass layers had a depth of 2.0 ± 1.1 km and were characterized by a median åap of 1.34. They always contained a certain amount of large dust particles and showed a median Deff of 1.1 μm and a fine mode Deff,fine of 0.33. The dust and biomass burning layers had a median aerosol optical depth (AOD) of 0.23 and 0.09, respectively. The median contributions to the AOD of the total atmospheric column below 10 km were 75 and 37%, respectively.
A case study of the mesospheric 6.5-day wave observed by radar systems

[1] In this paper, analysis of wind data detected by six ground-based radar systems located in equatorial and midlatitude belts shows that a strong mesospheric 6.5-day wave event occurred during April–May 2003. We compared the global distribution of the observed 6.5-day wave event with the theoretical wave structure (Rossby normal mode (s, n) = (1, −2)). Additionally, we investigated several important wave characteristics to understand the mesospheric 6.5-day wave event, i.e., wave period, vertical structure, relationship with background wind, propagating direction, and the zonal wave number. Our results are summarized into three points: (1) the latitudinal structure of the mesospheric 6.5-day wave during April–May 2003 is basically in agreement with the theoretical Rossby mode (s, n) = (1, −2), although the wave amplitude of zonal wind peaked at the subequatorial latitude of Northern Hemisphere but not at the theoretical place, equatorial region; (2) the main wave periods and the altitude distribution of large amplitude of this wave event varied with latitude; (3) the downward propagating wave phases indicated that this wave event originated in the lower atmosphere and propagated upward to the upper region.
Experiences of Disenfranchised Grief Arising from the Unplanned Termination of a Foster Placement: An Exploratory South Australian Study

When a child who has been in your primary care — a child whom you have loved, helped in times of need, comforted when upset and celebrated with in times of happiness — is taken from you unexpectedly, and when this care arrangement was thought to be long term, the sense of loss and grief is likely to be significant. Furthermore, the significance of this might be compounded if it is not adequately recognised. The findings reported by Damien W Riggs and Stacey Willsmore affirm this supposition by exploring four case studies of South Australian foster carers who experienced an unplanned placement termination. The findings indicate that the participants experinced their grief as disenfranchised, in that it was not adequately recognised nor adequately dealt with. The case studies highlight the need for recognition of the fact that foster carers are not simply ‘paid babysitters’ but form enduring and meaningful attachments with the children in their care, and that the ending of a placement, specially one intended to be long term, will likely bring with it significant issues of loss and grief.
Bioprocessing of Tissues using Cellular Spheroids

Tissue engineering combines the principles of engineering and life sciences in order to repair, restore and regenerate tissues and organs that mimic the functionality and mechanical properties of native tissues [1,2]. In the United States, there are 121,000 people currently waiting for lifesaving organ transplants (kidney, liver, heart) and tissue engineering offers new hope and therapeutic opportunities for these patients [3,4]. The classic approach to tissue engineering involves seeding living cells onto a solid biocompatible and eventually a biodegradable scaffold, and then culturing the tissue engineered construct in a bioreactor until the tissue achieves the desired cell density and mechanical properties for implantation [2]. However, new approaches that build 3D tissues with a bottom up approach using cellular spheroids are offering new possibilities. Rapid tissue fabrication approaches using spheroids have three key bioprocessing steps that lead to the development of 3D tissue structures: (1) preprocessing, (2) processing, and (3) post-processing.
Efficient Field Coverage in Mobile Sensor Networks: A CPS Perspective | NIST

Mobile sensor networks (MSN) are an excellent example of Cyber-Physical Systems where motion capability of the network nodes offers an opportunity to co-design the physical and cyber components of the system. As sensor nodes have limited energy resources; the relocation strategy could have a significant impact on the operational lifetime of such networks. In this paper, a novel autonomous joint sensing range and relocation control algorithm is presented that achieves improved coverage and network life-span at the same time. In the proposed algorithm, the sensing range of each sensor is adjusted iteratively based on its residual energy. At the same time, the sensor is directed to move in a direction that will result in increasing the total sensing coverage in the field. Simulation results demonstrate the efficacy of the technique.
Flowering, a Critical Phenological Stage as a Limiting Factor for Almond Native Ecotypes Cultivation in Eastern Morocco

Almond is the most important nut crops in Morocco with an area of 151 kha and an average production of 99,000 tons (Houmy et al., 2016; MAPM, 2014). Almond Branch in eastern Morocco is supported by a Belgium program for agriculture and rural development (PROFAO 2011-2017). The aim of this project is to expand the growing area of the almond tree by planting 6,000 ha of new orchards and by installing new units for crushing almonds in shell. Ferragnes/ Ferraduel (F/F) is the main couple of new introduced varieties due to their late blooming in March permitting to escape the adverse effects of January and February frosts. Currently, this region benefits from another project which is considered a continuation of the PROFAO and aims to develop the almond sector by the characterization of cultivated varieties and the valorization of their final products. Thus this preliminary study concerns (i) the observation of two biological parameters of local ecotypes “Beldi” which are typically considered to be early flowering almond trees. (ii) Due to their small size and narrow shape, these local almond nuts are mainly used to produce almond oils for cosmetic uses. Thus because the fruits of these Beldi almond ecotypes are mainly used for almond’s oil extraction, we compare the oils of these Beldi almonds to those of the newly introduced varieties “Ferragnes/Ferraduel”.
Robustness: Theoretical Framework

Abstract More frequent use of advanced types of structures with limited redundancy and serious consequences in case of failure combined with increased requirements to efficiency in design and execution followed by increased risk of human errors has made the need of requirements to robustness of structures essential. Further, the collapse of the World Trade Centre towers and a number of collapses of structural systems during the last 10 years has increased the interest in robustness. Typically modern structural design codes require that ‘the consequence of damages to structures should not be disproportional to the causes of the damages’. However, despite the importance of robustness for structural design such requirements are not substantiated in more detail, nor has the engineering profession been able to agree on an interpretation of robustness which facilitates for its quantification. In this paper a theoretical and risk based framework is presented which facilitates the quantification of robustness and thus supports the formulation of pre-normative guidelines.
Climate Variability and Crop Yields in Northern Ghana: What Role for Crop-Livestock Integration

Climate variability, the short-term fluctuations in average weather conditions and agriculture affect each other. Climate variability affects the agro ecological and growing conditions of crops and livestock, and is believed to be the greatest impediment to the realisation of the first Millennium Development Goal of reducing poverty and food insecurity in arid and semi-arid regions of developing countries. Conversely, agriculture is a major contributor to climate variability and change by emitting greenhouse gases and reducing the agro ecology’s potential for carbon sequestration. What however, is the empirical evidence of this inter-dependence of climate variability and agriculture in Sub-Sahara Africa? In this paper, we provide some insight into the long run relationship between inter-annual variations in temperature and rainfall versus annual yields of the most important staple food crops in Northern Ghana. Applying pooled panel data of rainfall, temperature and yields of selected crops from 1976 to 2010 to co-integration and Granger causality models, there is cogent evidence of co-integration between seasonal, total rainfall and crop yields; and causality from rainfall to crop yields in the Sudano-Guinea Savannah and Guinea Savannah zones of Northern Ghana. This suggests that inter-annual yields of the crops have been influenced by the total mounts of planting season rainfall. Temperature variability over the study period is however stationary, and is expected to have minimal effect if any on crop yields. Overall, the results confirm the fitness of our model of long-term relationships between climate and crop yield variables, and have implications for production decisions on croplivestock integration by smallholder farming systems.