Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Rhizosphere Microbes as Essential Partners for Plant Stress Tolerance the Role of Rhizosphere Microbes in Plant Stress Tolerance the Role of Plant Growth- Promoting Bacteria

Ever since plants colonized land, they evolved mechanisms to respond to changing environmental conditions and settle in extreme habitats. Recent studies show that several plant species require microbial associations for stress tolerance and survival. Although many plants lack the adaptive capability to adapt to stress conditions, the ability of a variety of plants to adapt to stress conditions often appears to depend on their association with certain microbes, raising a number of questions: What distinguishes the microbes and plants that can adapt to extreme environmental conditions? Can all plants improve stress tolerance when associated with appropriate microbial partners? Answers to these questions should modify our concepts of plant physiology and could lead to new ways towards a sustainable agriculture. Due to their sessile nature, plants have always been confronted with various abiotic and biotic stresses in their immediate environment. As a consequence, the survival of plants depends on their ability to rapidly adjust their physiology, development, and growth to escape or mitigate the impacts of stress. All plants are known to perceive and respond to stress signals such as drought, heat, salinity, herbivory, and pathogens (Hirt, 2009). Some responses are common to various stresses, including the production of certain proteins and the adjustment of the primary metabolism. Due to photosynthesis, plants can produce carbohydrates, of which a considerable fraction passes to root-associated microorganisms, commonly denoted as the rhizosphere. Plant growth also requires significant quantities of nitrate, phosphate, and other minerals which are often not available in free form or in limited quantities in the soil. This is where root-associated beneficial microbes are important partners. The best-known beneficial microbes are mycor-rhizal fungi and rhizobia. Approximately 80% of all terrestrial plant species interact with mycorrhiza which make phosphate and nitrate available to plants. Free-living or endophytic rhizobia can fix atmospheric nitrogen, but only the family of leguminosae profits from such an interaction through their ability to house rhizobia in root nodules. The interaction of plants with mycorrhizal fungi and rhizobial bacteria is well documented (Corradi and Bonfante, 2012; Geurts et al., 2012). Non-symbiotic rhizosphere microbes have received much less attention and are therefore treated in this review. Soil-grown plants are immersed in a sea of microbes and diverse beneficial microorganisms such as plant-growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) as well as plant-growth-promoting fungi (PGPF) can stimulate plant growth and/or confer enhanced resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses (Lugtenberg and Kamilova, 2009). The establishment of beneficial …
Molecular alterations to human chromosome 3p loci in neuroendocrine lung tumors

The origins of and interrelations between low grade and high grade neuroendocrine lung tumors, typical and atypical carcinoids, and small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) have not been elucidated. Karyotypic and molecular genetic studies have demonstrated deletions in 3p in 100% of SCLCs and the candidate lung tumor suppressor gene, FHIT, at 3p14.2 is not expressed in the majority of SCLCs. Similar studies of typical and atypical carcinoids could clarify the interrelations among these tumors.
Apego: estabilidad y cambio a lo largo del ciclo vital

Resumen El artículo es una revisión teórica en la que se aborda, en primer lugar, el concepto de apego, sus componentes, tipos, funciones, consecuencias y se plantean un conjunto de preguntas relacionadas con la estabilidad y el cambio a lo largo del ciclo vital, tema central del artículo. Se pasa a continuación a revisar varios asuntos clave necesarios para la discusión posterior sobre la estabilidad y el cambio: en primer lugar, si el apego es un sistema estable único o si se trata de varios sistemas de relación que se manifiestan según la interacción que se tiene con cada persona; su estabilidad a través de diferentes situaciones, su interacción con otros sistemas relacionales de la persona (exploratorio, afiliativo, miedo a extraños, sexual) y el concepto unificador de “internal working model”. Por último, la discusión acerca de la estabilidad y el cambio se construye a partir del análisis de los enfoques teóricos que lo han abordado, los datos disponibles en la actualidad y se concluye revisando las evidencias en torno a las causas de la estabilidad y del cambio.
Optimizing coherence in 1-D noisy consensus networks with noise-free leaders

We study the problem of K-leader selection in ring networks and path networks where leader nodes dictate the desired system state and follower nodes are governed by noisy consensus dynamics. We measure the performance of a network by its coherence, an ℋ2 norm that quantifies how closely the followers track the leaders' trajectory. By leveraging the connection between network coherence in leader-follower systems and the commute time of a simple random work, we derive analytical expressions for coherence in path and ring graphs in terms of the leader locations, and we identify the optimal leader placement. We then present distributed algorithms in which agents collaborate to identify and transfer leadership roles to these optimal leader locations, thus optimizing the coherence of the leader-follower system.
Use of A Treatment Algorithm to Achieve NCEP ATP III Goals With Atorvastatin

This multicenter, 8-week, single-step titration, open-label study sought to assess the percentage of subjects who achieved their National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel (NCEP ATP) III low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol target when assigned a starting dose of atorvastatin (10 mg, 20 mg, 40 mg, or 80 mg) selected using an algorithm based on their 10-year CHD risk and the magnitude of LDL-cholesterol lowering necessary to reach goal. Following an 8-week washout period, 1298 subjects, categorized as low, medium, or high risk, were assigned to 4 weeks of treatment with a starting dose of atorvastatin selected by the algorithm. At week 4, subjects who did not achieve goal (15.8%) were titrated to the next-higher dose. The primary endpoint was the percentage of subjects in each risk group who achieved LDL-cholesterol goal at week 8. At 8 weeks, 84.8% of subjects (low risk 92.9%; moderate risk 84.0%; high risk 81.1%) achieved LDL-cholesterol target. The majority of patients (84.2%) achieved their lipid target through the use of the algorithm-based starting dose (10-80 mg) without the need for titration. No patient had elevations in creatine phosphokinase >10 times the upper limit of normal. Elevations in alanine aminotransaminase or aspartate aminotransaminase were observed in <1% of study subjects and were unrelated to dose. Selecting the starting dose of atorvastatin using a treatment algorithm achieves NCEP ATP III LDL-cholesterol goals in the majority of patients and minimizes the need for dose titration.
Tung Tree DGAT1 and DGAT2 Have Nonredundant Functions in Triacylglycerol Biosynthesis and Are Localized to Different Subdomains of the Endoplasmic Reticulum[W]

Seeds of the tung tree (Vernicia fordii) produce large quantities of triacylglycerols (TAGs) containing ∼80% eleostearic acid, an unusual conjugated fatty acid. We present a comparative analysis of the genetic, functional, and cellular properties of tung type 1 and type 2 diacylglycerol acyltransferases (DGAT1 and DGAT2), two unrelated enzymes that catalyze the committed step in TAG biosynthesis. We show that both enzymes are encoded by single genes and that DGAT1 is expressed at similar levels in various organs, whereas DGAT2 is strongly induced in developing seeds at the onset of oil biosynthesis. Expression of DGAT1 and DGAT2 in yeast produced different types and proportions of TAGs containing eleostearic acid, with DGAT2 possessing an enhanced propensity for the synthesis of trieleostearin, the main component of tung oil. Both DGAT1 and DGAT2 are located in distinct, dynamic regions of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), and surprisingly, these regions do not overlap. Furthermore, although both DGAT1 and DGAT2 contain a similar C-terminal pentapeptide ER retrieval motif, this motif alone is not sufficient for their localization to specific regions of the ER. These data suggest that DGAT1 and DGAT2 have nonredundant functions in plants and that the production of storage oils, including those containing unusual fatty acids, occurs in distinct ER subdomains.
Discriminative parameter learning for Bayesian networks

Bayesian network classifiers have been widely used for classification problems. Given a fixed Bayesian network structure, parameters learning can take two different approaches: generative and discriminative learning. While generative parameter learning is more efficient, discriminative parameter learning is more effective. In this paper, we propose a simple, efficient, and effective discriminative parameter learning method, called Discriminative Frequency Estimate (DFE), which learns parameters by discriminatively computing frequencies from data. Empirical studies show that the DFE algorithm integrates the advantages of both generative and discriminative learning: it performs as well as the state-of-the-art discriminative parameter learning method ELR in accuracy, but is significantly more efficient.
Exploring the attentional processes of expert performers and the impact of priming on motor skill execution

It is widely acknowledged that under situations of heightened pressure, many expert athletes suffer from performance decrements. This phenomenon has been termed ‘choking under pressure’ and has been the subject of extensive research in sport psychology. Despite this attention, gaps in the literature remain leaving opportunities for further advancements in knowledge about the phenomenon, particularly in relation to its underlying processes and the development of appropriate interventions that can be adopted in order to alleviate, or even prevent choking. The present programme of research, in general terms, aimed to develop and test the efficacy of an intervention tool, based on priming, to alleviate choking under pressure. It was acknowledged that such a tool should be matched to the mechanisms that underlie the choking process and although an abundance of research has provided valuable information about these mechanisms, it was identified that there still remains a lack of consensus regarding the most appropriate explanatory theory. Therefore the initial study in this thesis aimed to provide further insight into the processes that govern choking by examining accounts from elite international swimmers of their experiences of performing under high levels of pressure. The results provided further support for the postulation that choking under pressure occurs as a result of a combination of conscious processing hypothesis (Masters, 1992) and processing efficiency theory (Eysenck & Calvo, 1992) and that an optimum level of skill-focused attention is beneficial to performance. The following studies utilised this information as well as that of the existent theories of choking, to develop and examine an effective priming based intervention tool (a scrambled sentence task). Specifically, Studies 2, 3 and 4 examined the amount of residual working memory available after activation of the prime, the optimisation of the priming task and the efficacy of the tool in promoting performance under high pressure respectively. Results revealed support for the efficacy of the tool in reducing online skill-focused attention and promoting performance under both lowand high-pressure conditions. Finally, the general themes that emerged throughout the whole programme of study are discussed, as well as the limitations and recommendations for future research. Implications for coaches, athletes and practitioners are also presented.
Ascorbic acid accumulation and transport in human fibroblasts.

As the initial step in the use of fibroblasts as a model system for 'in situ kinetics', ascorbic acid (vitamin C) accumulation in normal human fibroblasts was investigated for the first time. Ascorbic acid was transported into fibroblasts and accumulated against a concentration gradient up to 20-fold, as measured by h.p.l.c. with coulometric electrochemical detection. Ascorbic acid accumulation was mediated by two concentration-dependent transport activities. The first was a high-affinity activity with an apparent Km of 6 microM and an apparent Vmax. of 203 microM/h, and the second was a low-affinity activity with an apparent Km of 5 mM and an apparent Vmax. of 1.8 mM/h. Both activities were inhibited by metabolic inhibitors and inhibitors of ascorbic acid transport in human neutrophils. The low-affinity transporter could not be accounted for by diffusion. Although the high-affinity transport activity was comparable with that described for human neutrophils, the low-affinity transporter was different. These data provide the first evidence that two-component ascorbic acid transport may be a generalized mechanism for accumulation of this vitamin in humans.
End-of-Life Inventory Decisions of Service Parts

textabstractWith the spurt of technology and innovation the life cycles of parts and products have become shorter and service parts enter their final phases earlier. Final phase of a typical service part starts once the part production is ceased and ends when the last service or warranty contract expires. One popular tactic, in practice, to sustain service operations is placing a final order. The prime challenge of a firm while deciding a final order quantity is to minimize inventory-carrying costs together with the risk of obsolescence at the end of the planning period. In this study, end-of-life inventory decisions for an array of products including both consumer electronics and capital-intensive products are investigated. For consumer electronics we show that considering an alternative service policy, such as swapping the defective product with a new one, besides a regular repair policy improves cost efficiency. Moreover, for capital-intensive products we study systems with phase-out returns and systems with customer differentiation in the end-of-life phase. Our analysis reveals that taming the uncertainty associated with phase-out arrivals engenders a remarkable efficiency improvement. Moreover, including rationing decisions in the end-of-life phase enhances the performance of the system by a significant reduction in cost and risk of obsolescence.
A 32-mW 320-MHz continuous-time complex delta-sigma ADC for multi-mode wireless-LAN receivers

We present an experimental continuous-time complex delta-sigma multi-bit modulator, implemented in standard 0.25-/spl mu/m CMOS technology and meeting all major requirements for application in IEEE 802.11a/b/g wireless LAN receivers. The clock frequency is 320 MHz, producing an oversampling ratio of 16 for 20 MHz channel bandwidths. The modulator supports two operation modes for zero-IF and low-IF receiver architectures respectively, requires a single 2.5-V power supply, and dissipates only 32 mW of power. The measured peak signal-to-noise ratio is 55 dB. Further experimental results using sine-wave and OFDM test signals are also presented.
Advances in understanding the immunopathology of sarcoidosis and implications on therapy

ABSTRACT Introduction: Sarcoidosis is a multi-systemic granulomatous disease of unknown aetiology. Ethnicity and environmental factors may influence disease incidence, phenotype and severity. Areas covered: Predisposing genes are mainly involved in T cell and macrophage function, antigen presentation and recognition, and extra-cellular matrix turnover. No definitive relationship has been established with any proposed external trigger. A Th1/Th17-driven inflammatory process, involving macrophages both as antigen-presenting cells and key effectors, represent the main feature of the acute disease. Less is known about the determinants of clinical remission versus chronic disease and fibrosis. Treatment strategies mainly rely on immunosuppression with steroids and/or steroid-sparing drugs, in order to switch off acute inflammation and prevent disease evolution. Anti-TNF drugs represent a valuable option for chronic refractory diseases; no specific anti-fibrotic treatment is currently available. Expert commentary: Future therapeutic strategies will have to specifically target mediators and pathways involved in the chronic and fibrotic phase of sarcoidosis, focusing on genetic/genomic biomarkers and predictors of disease phenotype.
Sonography in the study of metatarsalgia.

OBJECTIVE To identify sonographically the changes of the forefoot in patients with metatarsalgia. METHODS Sonography of the foot was performed in 112 patients with metatarsalgia and in 50 healthy controls. Metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joints, intermetatarsal web spaces, flexor and extensor tendons, and plantar aponeurosis were examined. RESULTS Sonography showed intermetatarsophalangeal bursitis in 20.5% of cases, Morton's neuroma in 15.2%, and effusion of MTP joints in 11.7%. CONCLUSION Sonography gives useful information about the possible alteration responsible for metatarsalgia.
An Inductive Approach to the Acquisition and Adaptation of Workflow Models

Current workkow management systems (WFMS) ooer little aid for the acquisition of workkow models and their adaptation to changing requirements. To support these activities we propose an approach, that induces workkow models from workkow instances. In this contribution we focus on the induction of the workkow structure and report about ongoing research in this area. We deene four problem classes in terms of characteristics of the target model. For three of these classes solutions are presented. These solutions have been implemented in a research prototype, which we have validated using artiicially generated workkow instances. The induced workkow models can be imported by the commercial business process management system ADONIS 1. We also outline a solution of the fourth and most general problem class.
The Carcinoma–Stromal Ratio of Colon Carcinoma Is an Independent Factor for Survival Compared to Lymph Node Status and Tumor Stage

Background: Tumor staging insufficiently discriminates between colon cancer patients with poor and better prognosis. We have evaluated, for the primary tumor, if the carcinoma-percentage (CP), as a derivative from the carcinoma-stromal ratio, can be applied as a candidate marker to identify patients for adjuvant therapy. Methods: In a retrospective study of 63 patients with colon cancer (stage I–III, 1990–2001) the carcinoma-percentage of the primary tumor was estimated on routine H&E stained histological sections. Additionally these findings were validated in a second independent study of 59 patients (stage I–III, 1980–1992). (None of the patients had received preoperative chemo- or radiation therapy nor adjuvant chemotherapy.) Results: Of 122 analyzed patients 33 (27.0%) had a low CP and 89 (73.0%) a high CP. The analysis of mean survival revealed: overall-survival (OS) 2.13 years, disease-free- survival (DFS) 1.51 years for CP-low and OS 7.36 years, DFS 6.89 years for CP-high. Five-year survival rates for CP-low versus CP-high were respectively for OS: 15.2% and 73.0% and for DFS: 12.1% and 67.4%. High levels of significance were found (OS p < 0.0001, DFS p < 0.0001) with hazard ratio’s of 3.73 and 4.18. In a multivariate Cox regression analysis, CP remained an independent variable when adjusted for either stage or for tumor status and lymph-node status (OSp < 0.001, OSp < 0.001). Conclusions: The carcinoma-percentage in primary colon cancer is a factor to discriminate between patients with a poor and a better outcome of disease. This parameter is already available upon routine histological investigation and can, in addition to the TNM classification, be a candidate marker to further stratify into more individual risk groups.
Research on Application to Customer Classification in Management Decision-Making Based on Multivariate Statistics

The paper takes the customer data in a certain enterprise as the research case, and applies discriminant analysis method of multivariate statistics to customer segmentation in management decision, in order to solve the problem of customer segmentation. The aim of the study is to obtain classification schemes able to support business marketing. The customer classification is implemented by using R statistics analysis software. The classification determination model is helpful to implement customer segmentation, which plays a great role in marketing planning decision management.
A next generation internet architecture for mobility and multi-homing support

The current internetworking architecture presents some limitations to naturally support mobility and multi-homing. Among the limitations, the IP semantic overload seems to be a primary issue to be considered. In this paper we present a next generation internetworking architecture to overcome the IP semantic overload by introducing an identification layer located between the network and transport layers. This new layer provides a stable identifier for end-hosts, enabling the natural deployment of new services, such as mobility, multi-homing and security embedded. We implemented a prototype and evaluated it considering the legacy application support in mobility scenarios.
Role of OmpA2 surface regions of Porphyromonas gingivalis in host–pathogen interactions with oral epithelial cells

Outer membrane protein A (OmpA) is a key outer membrane protein found in Gram‐negative bacteria that contributes to several crucial processes in bacterial virulence. In Porphyromonas gingivalis, OmpA is predicted as a heterotrimer of OmpA1 and OmpA2 subunits encoded by adjacent genes. Here we describe the role of OmpA and its individual subunits in the interaction of P. gingivalis with oral cells. Using knockout mutagenesis, we show that OmpA2 plays a significant role in biofilm formation and interaction with human epithelial cells. We used protein structure prediction software to identify extracellular loops of OmpA2, and determined these are involved in interactions with epithelial cells as evidenced by inhibition of adherence and invasion of P. gingivalis by synthetic extracellular loop peptides and the ability of the peptides to mediate interaction of latex beads with human cells. In particular, we observe that OmpA2‐loop 4 plays an important role in the interaction with host cells. These data demonstrate for the first time the important role of P. gingivalis OmpA2 extracellular loops in interaction with epithelial cells, which may help design novel peptide‐based antimicrobial therapies for periodontal disease.