Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Molecular understanding of viroid replication cycles and identification of targets for disease management.

The replicative strategies of viroids differ in several fundamental aspects from those of RNA plant viruses. Rather than replicating in the cytoplasm, like most viruses, viroids must first he transported into either the nucleus (pospiviroids) or the duoroplast (avsunviroids) before the beginning of replication. The RNA polymerases involved in viroid replication DNA-dependent RNA polymerase II or a nuclearencoded chloroplastic RNA polymerase are entirely host-encoded, and the absence of viroid-encoded polypeptides strongl y suggests that the subsequent cell-to-cell and long-distance movement of progeny is also completely dependent on normal host cell pathways. Recent studies with potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd) have identified specific structural features that are involved in: (i) cleavage or ligation of mphcative intermediates; and (ii) transport of viroid progeny across tissue boundaries. Significant progress has also been made in unraveling the molecular mechanism(s) of viroid pathogenesis, in particular, the possible role of viroid-induced RNA silencing in disrupting host gene expression. The availability of detailed information regarding host contributions to the disease process has provided new opportunities to target disruption of specific events in the viroicl replication cycle. Plants that are resistant or immune to infection can be used to augment the diagnostic testing and seed or nursery stock certification schemes currently used to control viroicl diseases.
Horse Races, Security Markets, and Foreign Relations

We report an attempt to use financial market data to predict the onset of a variety of international crises. A quasi-experimental design for studying interrupted time series data is applied to the historical behavior of the Hong Kong and New York financial markets. The results are generally disappointing. These markets seem more likely to react to rather than anticipate crisis developments, and frequently issue "false alarms. " Comparison of results for periods where crises took place with those for randomly selected periods where no crisis happened does not engender confidence in markets as crisis predictors. However, there are some notable exceptions to this pessimistic generalization. We conclude that financial indicators may be profitably used in some cases to supplement warning assessments derived from other methods and sources.
Azimuth to Cypher: The Transformation of a Tiny (Virtual) Cosmogony

This paper discusses the transformation of a tiny three dimensional artwork created in the metaverse. The project takes its inspiration from Jorge Luis Borges's story of 'the Aleph,' which revolves around a tiny artifact which is "one of the points in space that contains all other points. " The paper will investigate how the visualization of a thing that is as complex as 'the Aleph' became transformed into an investigation of 'code' as a basal, life-giving presence that is nevertheless abstract, enigmatic, hermetic, and complex in its essence - a thing to be pondered upon and deciphered, a system that does not reveal itself readily to the uninitiated.
Ontogeny of Tyrosine Phosphorylation-Signaling Pathways During Spermatogenesis and Epididymal Maturation in the Mouse1

Abstract The objectives of this study were to map the ontogeny of tyrosine phosphorylation signal transduction pathways during germ cell development and to determine their association with the differentiation of a functional gamete. Until testicular germ cells differentiate into spermatozoa, cAMP-induced tyrosine phosphorylation is not detectable. Entry of these cells into the epididymis is accompanied by sudden activation of the tyrosine phosphorylation pathway, initially in the principal piece of the cell and subsequently in the midpiece. In the caput and corpus epididymides, the potential to express this pathway is inhibited by the presence of calcium in the extracellular medium. However, calcium has no effect on the expression of this pathway in caudal epididymal sperm. The competence of these cells to phosphorylate the entire sperm tail, from the neck to the tail-end piece, is accompanied by a capacity to exhibit hyperactivated motility on stimulation with cAMP. A distinctly different pattern of tyrosine phosphorylation, involving the acrosomal domain of the sperm head, is invoked as spermatozoa enter the caput epididymis, and phosphorylation remains high until these cells enter the distal corpus and cauda. The proportion of cells exhibiting this form of tyrosine phosphorylation is not affected by extracellular calcium or cAMP but is negatively correlated (R2 = 0.99) with their ability to acrosome-react. However, this relationship is not causative. Our findings indicate that the development of functional spermatozoa is accompanied by carefully orchestrated changes in tyrosine phosphorylation, controlled by independent regulatory mechanisms in distinct subcellular compartments of these highly specialized cells.
Understanding the Theoretical Convergence of Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting in Practice: A Thematic analysis of Automobile Websites

Corporate Social Responsibility is a term that is present in every possible medium throughout the globe. While there are practitioners trying to implement Corporate Social Responsibility as part of the sustainability model, there are researchers across the globe trying to understand its meaning and impact. The objective of this paper is to understand the level of convergence between the theoretical understandings of Carroll’s Corporate Social Responsibility model and its digital reporting by the corporate. The methodology adopted in this paper is simple content analysis using a deductive approach. The scope of this paper would take into account the website reporting of Automobile sector consisting of six automobile companies, Tata Motors, Bajaj, Mahindra & Mahindra, Hyundai, Ford and Audi. The findings from this paper suggest a wide gap between theory and practice. Hence, eight themes are suggested to the corporate for effective Corporate Social Responsibility activities and its reporting.
Glory Hunters, Sugar Daddies, and Long-Term Competitive Balance Under UEFA Financial Fair Play

This article analyzes the long-term effects of Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Financial Fair Play on competitive balance using a multiperiod adaption of a professional team sports model. This study accounts for the empirical fact that a club’s market size is positively affected by historic success. An increasingly successful club can attract more and more supporters and thus yield higher revenues that lead to even more success and an ever-growing market size. It is argued that this development will result in an utmost uneven contest if so-called sugar daddies are prevented from overspending by Financial Fair Play and thus cannot longer outweigh a club’s smaller market size.
ISFET-Based Chemical Switch

Ion sensitive field effect transistors (ISFETs) have been used as analogue continuous time chemical sensor. A single ISFET, either an N or a P device, forms the sensitive part of the circuit that may condition the signal. Each ISFET had its own ion sensitive membrane as part of it. It is shown in this work that, for devices built using a standard CMOS process, it is possible for more than one ISFET to share the same ion sensitive passivation layer. Using floating gate devices concepts, a complementary pair of ISFETs (n and p devices) shared the same ion sensitive membrane forming a fully functioning chemical switch. Its switching threshold voltage shifted by 28.33 mV per pH change of the electrolyte under test.
Adaptation and validation of WHODAS 2.0 in patients with musculoskeletal pain.

OBJECTIVE To validate the Portuguese version of the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS 2.0). METHODS The original, 36 item version of the WHODAS 2.0, administered through an interview, was translated into Portuguese following international guidelines and tested on 9 participants from the general population. The Portuguese version was then administered to 204 patients with musculoskeletal pain. The patients' socio-demographic and health data were collected, as were the number of sites where they were experiencing pain and the intensity of that pain. The WHODAS 2.0 was administered again by a second interviewer within three days to determine its inter-rater reliability. Construct validity was assessed according to the ability of WHODAS 2.0 to discriminate between patients with different numbers of pain sites and the correlation between WHODAS 2.0 scores and pain intensity. Internal consistency was also assessed. RESULTS The Portuguese version of the WHODAS 2.0 is easily understood and has good internal consistency (α = 0.84), as well as, very good inter-rater reliability (ICC = 0.95). In addition, it was able to detect statistically significant differences between patients with different numbers of pain sites (p < 0.01) and showed that higher levels of disability are associated with more intense pain (r = 0.44, p < 0.01), indicating that it has construct validity. CONCLUSIONS The Portuguese version of the WHODAS 2.0 has shown to be reliable and valid when administered to patients with musculoskeletal pain.
Sources of Fluctuations in Relative Prices: Evidence from High Inflation Countries

Casual analysis of six high-inflation episodes indicates a strong positive relationship between movements in the relative price ratio, measured by (WPI/CPI), and the inflation rate. The authors estimate a vector autoregression model in which relative price movements are driven by several fundamental disturbances (fiscal, monetary, output, and exchange rate), identified using only long-run restrictions based on a general-equilibrium optimizing model. Analysis of the endogenous response of relative price changes to these disturbances suggests that output and monetary shocks are the most important driving forces, although fiscal and exchange rate shocks are also influential in explaining relative price movements in some countries. Copyright 1993 by MIT Press.
Requirement of heparin for arterial and venous thrombolysis with recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator.

The effect of concomitant intravenous (IV) heparin (200 U/kg bolus, followed by 100 U/kg/h) on the efficacy of arterial and venous thrombolysis with IV recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (rt-PA; 0.5 mg/kg over 1 hour) was investigated in a combined femoral arterial and venous thrombosis model in the dog. The arterial model consisted of a high-grade stenosis, endothelial damage, and a thrombotic occlusion, and the venous model consisted of a 125I-fibrin-labeled blood clot. After a dose-finding pilot study in four dogs, a randomized, prospective, and blind study was performed in 20 animals pretreated with 2.8 mg/kg IV acetyl salicylic acid (ASA). The combination of rt-PA and heparin (group I, n = 10) induced early (less than 30 minutes) arterial reperfusion in seven dogs, late (greater than 30 minutes) reflow in two dogs, and persistent occlusion in one dog. rt-PA alone (group II, n = 10) was associated with early reperfusion in one dog, late reflow in three dogs, and persistent occlusion in six dogs (P = .018). Reocclusion occurred in five of nine reperfused dogs of group I and in one of four reperfused dogs of group II (P = not significant). Venous clot lysis amounted to 81% +/- 4% (mean +/- SEM) for group I and to 49% +/- 7% for group II (P less than .001). Template bleeding times increased moderately, but significantly, in group I (from 2.2 +/- 0.2 minutes at baseline to 7.0 +/- 1.4 minutes at 30 minutes, P = .006), but only marginally in group II (from 2.2 +/- 0.2 minutes to 3.6 +/- 0.7 minutes, P = .09). No systemic fibrinogen depletion was observed. Thus, the concommitant use of heparin with rt-PA accelerates arterial reperfusion and enhances venous thrombolysis in dogs pretreated with ASA. These results, obtained in a randomized prospective study design, add to a growing body of experimental and clinical evidence, indicating that thrombolytic therapy with rt-PA requires concomitant adjunctive IV heparin for optimal efficacy, even in the face of treatment with ASA.
Oral leukoplakia--rationale for diagnosis and prognosis of its clinical subtypes or "phases".

The precancerous nature of the most common of chronic oral mucosal lesions, leukoplakia, is much better understood now than at any time since it was first brought to professional attention by Sir James Paget 143 years ago. Clinical research from the past decade now allows confident identification of high-risk features of oral leukoplakias and of those persons affected by them. This paper summarizes current understanding of this important disease and provides practical suggestions for appropriate management and classification of its various subtypes or "phases. "
Error Evaluation of an F0-Adaptive Spectral Envelope Estimator in Robustness against the Additive Noise and F0 Error

This paper describes an evaluation of a temporally stable spectral envelope estimator proposed in our past research. The past research demonstrated that the proposed algorithm can synthesize speech that is as natural as the input speech. This paper focuses on an objective comparison, in which the proposed algorithm is compared with two modern estimation algorithms in terms of estimation performance and temporal stability. The results show that the proposed algorithm is superior to the others in both aspects. key words: speech analysis, spectral envelope, F0-adaptive analysis, timevarying component
Orange-fleshed sweetpotatoes for food, health and wealth in Uganda

Uganda is the world's second largest producer of sweetpotato after China. About 43 million children in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are at risk of vitamin A deficiency (VAD); in Uganda 20 per cent of children and 19 per cent of women are vitamin A deficient. VAD can be addressed using orange-fleshed sweetpotato (OFSP) varieties with high β-carotene content. The Uganda National Sweetpotato Program (UNSP) and its partners developed and released two OFSP landrace varieties in 2004. Another two improved OFSP varieties with desirable traits and resistance to the devastating diseases Alternaria bataticola blight and sweetpotato virus disease were released in 2007. The four released OFSP varieties have been deployed in Uganda and several other countries to alleviate VAD. The lessons drawn from the UNSP receiving steady support clearly show that it takes a long time to develop technologies, and to disseminate and commercialize them. It requires commitment by the partners for effective commercialization of the developed technologies. The programme used a partnership approach to engage different stakeholders in the value chain to speed up dissemination and commercialization of OFSP varieties and other technologies. Compelling evidence exists of the potential contribution of OFSP to improved nutrition in Uganda and SSA.
The Making of Neoclassical Economics

1. On the Origin and Dissemination of Ideas 2. Capitalism, Science and Fraud 3. The Theory of Value from the Heroic Age to the Industrial Revolution 4. The Interregnum: From Smith to Ricardo 5. The Dissolution of the Labor Theory of Value and the Rise to Dominance of Utility 6. The Consolidation of 1870-1900 and the Rise of Monopoly Capital
Heart Rate Turbulence After Atrial and Ventricular Premature Beats: Relation to Left Ventricular Function and Coupling Intervals

SAVELIEVA, I. , et al.: Heart Rate Turbulence After Atrial and Ventricular Premature Beats: Relation to Left Ventricular Function and Coupling Intervals. Heart rate turbulence (HRT) represents a biphasic chronotropic response of the sinus node to a single ventricular premature beat (VPB). Objectives: To determine whether HRT is present after an atrial premature beat (APB) and to investigate the effects of paced VPB and APB coupling intervals on HRT quantifiers in patients with and without left ventricular dysfunction. Methods: A total of 37 subjects ( 54 ± 16 years, 32 men) referred for electrophysiologic evaluation for ventricular tachycardia underwent a stimulation protocol consisting of 3 series of single atrial and ventricular extrastimuli with coupling intervals decremented from 750 to 400 ms at a 50 ms‐step. Turbulence onset (TO) and turbulence slope (TS) after an APB and a VPB were calculated separately using a dedicated computer algorithm. Results: After an APB, TS was significantly attenuated ( 3.95 ± 0.99 vs 8.32 ± 1.9 ms/RR, P < 0.008 ) and TO was positive ( 1.37 ± 0.35% vs ‐2.03 ± 0.42%, P < 0.001 ) compared with those after a VPB. There was a strong correlation between TS (r = 0.71, P = 0.0002) but not between TO (r = 0.07, P = 0.074) after an APB and a VPB. In subjects with normal ejection fraction, the prematurity of ventricular coupling intervals was strongly related to TO (r = 0.68) and TS (r =−0.61), P < 0.0001 for both. These effects were less pronounced in patients with left ventricular dysfunction (TO: r = 0.25 , P < 0.01; TS:r =−0.07, P = ns). No correlation was found between the APB coupling interval and TS or TO in both groups. Conclusions: An APB induces HRT but the response is substantially attenuated and is not influenced by the APB coupling interval. In contrast to a VPB, TO is positive after an APB. Lack of correlation between HRT after a VPB and the VBP coupling interval indicates blunted baroreflex response in patients with left ventricular dysfunction. (PACE 2003; 26[Pt. II]:401–405)
Expatriate management: Comparison of MNCs across four parent countries

This article reports the results of a study of expatriate management and headquarters-subsidiary relations in 29 American, British, German, and Japanese multinationals and a sample of 46 of their foreign subsidiaries based on face-to-face and telephone interviews with key international HR, subsidiary HR, and subsidiary managing directors. We found that earlier studies, heavily weighted with U.S. multinationals, cannot necessarily be applied to expatriate management experiences of other national industrial countries. Also, expatriate management is more similar for American and British MNCs, while both German and Japanese multinationals in our sample had fairly distinct systems of using expatriates in their foreign subsidiaries. Thus, we can discuss at least three fairly distinct models of expatriate management and corporate-foreign-subsidiary control. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
A comparative study of crosslinked sodium alginate/gelatin hydrogels for wound dressing

Sodium alginate (SA) and gelatine (G) based hydrogels for biomedical applications, such as wound dressing, were crosslinked by calcium chloride (CaCl2) or glutaraldehyde (GTA) in order to overcome their exudates solubility. Swelling behaviour of prepared hydrogels in phosphate buffered saline with different pH value at 37°C was compared. It was proved that the crosslinking agent concentration, time, and pH of swelling medium significantly influenced their swelling behaviour. While local maximum of swelling equilibrium occurred at pH 7 for which conditions , swelling of GTA crosslinked hydrogels was found to be slightly lower compare to CaCl2 crosslinked ones. The results indicate that the SA/G-50/50 hydrogel crosslinked via Ca2+ ions is a potential nontoxic wound dressing material capable of the adequate provision of moist environment for comfortable wound healing.
Cryptic Uveitis in a Patient with Morning Glory Syndrome

Abstract Background: A 71-year-old female presented on 3 occasions with escalating pain in a congenitally blind eye. Examination revealed hypertensive uveitis with morning glory optic disc dysplasia and absence of a crystalline lens. There was no previous intraocular surgery or trauma. Intensive anti-hypertensive agents and topical steroids did not control intraocular pressure (IOP) or inflammation. Results: Dilated fundus examination on the third clinical review revealed a luxated cataractous lens on the retina. Pars plana vitrectomy and fragmatome lensectomy controlled inflammation and IOP, with resolution of ocular pain. Discussion: This is an exceptional case of phacogenic uveitis with secondary glaucoma occurring years after spontaneous crystalline lens luxation in a patient with morning glory syndrome. The embryological pathogenesis of morning glory syndrome and the significance of accelerated cataractogenesis and zonular weakness are discussed. Hypertensive uveitis with unexplained absence of a crystalline lens in a blind eye must prompt suspicion of delayed phacogenic uveitis following asymptomatic lens luxation.
Localization of the first and second somatosensory areas in the human cerebral cortex with functional MR imaging.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Our objective was to map by means of a conventional mid-field (1.0 T) MR imaging system the somatosensory areas activated by unilateral tactile stimulation of the hand, with particular attention to the areas of the ipsilateral hemisphere. METHODS Single-shot echo-planar T2*-weighted imaging sequences were performed in 12 healthy volunteers to acquire 10 contiguous 7-mm-thick sections parallel to the coronal and axial planes during tactile stimulation of the hand. The stimulation paradigm consisted of brushing the subjects' palm and fingers with a rough sponge at a frequency of about 1 Hz. RESULTS Stimulation provoked a signal increase (about 2% to 5%) that temporally corresponded to the stimulus in several cortical regions of both hemispheres. Contralaterally, activation foci were in the anterior parietal cortex in an area presumably corresponding to the hand representation zone of the first somatosensory cortex, in the posterior parietal cortex, and in the parietal opercular cortex forming the upper bank of the sylvian sulcus and probably corresponding to the second somatosensory cortex. Activation foci were also observed in the frontal cortex. Ipsilaterally, activated areas were in regions of the posterior parietal and opercular cortices roughly symmetrical to those activated in the contralateral hemisphere. The same activation pattern was observed in all subjects. CONCLUSION The activated areas of the somatosensory cortex described in the present study corresponded to those reported in other studies with magnetoelectroencephalography, positron emission tomography, and higher-field functional MR imaging. An additional area of activation in the ipsilateral parietal operculum, unnoticed in other functional MR imaging studies, was also observed.
Disappearance of acetic acid from the bovine reticulorumen at basal and elevated concentrations of acetic acid.

Disappearance of acetic acid was quantified to determine whether removal of this acid from the reticulorumen is altered when ruminal acetic acid concentrations are elevated. Ruminally fistulated beef steers (n = 3 per experiment; BW = 320 +/- 9 kg) were fed eight times daily a 46% corn-based concentrate:54% mixed hay diet to meet maintenance energy requirements (3.5 kg of DM/d). In situ production of acetic acid, determined by pulsed-continuous infusion of [1-14C]acetic acid, was 530 mmol/h (CV = 12%). Disappearance from the reticulorumen (i.e., presumed absorption) was 460 mmol/h (CV = 2%) or 87% (CV = 2%) of ruminal production. Variation is described within an operational steady state. Acetic acid concentrations were increased by continuous infusion of unlabeled acetic acid into the reticulorumen. Ruminal disappearance (mmol/h) increased when this simulated production was elevated up to and exceeding in situ rates reported previously (530 to 2,700 mmol/h). These data suggest that two-thirds to three-fourths of ruminal acetate production disappeared across the reticuloruminal wall when concentration was elevated; the complement exited from the rumen with the liquid phase. The reticulorumen has an additional capacity to remove acetic acid; however, it does so with an apparent reduced efficiency at higher production rates. Liquid out-flow may affect the efficiency of reticuloruminal disappearance. Sites distal to the rumen become quantitatively important when ruminal acetic acid concentrations are increased.