Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The human mannose-binding protein gene. Exon structure reveals its evolutionary relationship to a human pulmonary surfactant gene and localization to chromosome 10

The human mannose-binding protein (MBP) plays a role in first line host defense against certain pathogens. It is an acute phase protein that exists in serum as a multimer of a 32-kD subunit. The NH2 terminus is rich in cysteines that mediate interchain disulphide bonds and stabilize the second collagen-like region. This is followed by a short intervening region, and the carbohydrate recognition domain is found in the COOH-terminal region. Analysis of the human MBP gene reveals that the coding region is interrupted by three introns, and all four exons appear to encode a distinct domain of the protein. It appears that the human MBP gene has evolved by recombination of an ancestral nonfibrillar collagen gene with a gene that encodes carbohydrate recognition, and is therefore similar to the human surfactant SP-A gene and the rat MBP gene. The gene for MBP is located on the long arm of chromosome 10 at 10q11.2-q21, a region that is included in the assignment for the gene for multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2A.
Neonatal end of life care in a tertiary care centre in Canada: a brief report.

OBJECTIVE To describe the processes followed by a neonatal team engaging parents with respect to end of life care of babies in whom long term survival was negligible or impossible; and to describe feedback from these parents after death of their child. METHODS A retrospective review was conducted of health records of neonates who had died receiving palliative care over a period of 5 years at a tertiary neonatal centre. Specific inclusion criteria were determined in advance that identified care given by a dedicated group of caregivers. RESULTS Thirty infants met eligibility criteria. After excluding one outlier an average of 4 discussions occurred with families before an end of life decision was arrived at. Switching from aggressive care to comfort care was a more common decision-making route than having palliative care from the outset. Ninety per cent of families indicated satisfaction with the decision making process at follow-up and more than half of them returned later to meet with the NICU team. Some concerns were expressed about the availability of neonatologists at weekends. CONCLUSIONS A compassionate and humane approach to the family with honesty and empathy creates a positive environment for decision-making. An available, experienced team willing to engage families repeatedly is beneficial. Initiating intensive care with subsequent palliative care is acceptable to families and caregivers.
The Entry Psychiatric Screen (EPS): A Psychiatric Screening Procedure for Applicants for Military Service

Abstract : Premature attrition is a significant problem in the military, with an impact on available forces, and on expenses for accession and training. A significant proportion of premature attrition is due to undetected psychiatric conditions, present at entry into the armed forces. However, in-depth psychiatric interviews of all potential recruits presents an impractical solution. It would be desirable to have a psychiatric screen to use before or after induction. Such a screen would highlight the need to present certain individuals for further psychiatric evaluation. This presentation reports data regarding the convergent and concurrent criterion-related validity of a prototype of one such screen, the Entry Psychiatric Screen (EPS) V.1, which screens for anxiety, depression, mania, psychosis, and antisocial tendencies. Data gathered from over 400 induction-age college students indicates that the scales of the EPS demonstrate adequate convergent validity. In addition, the scales of the EPS were either as good as or superior to several commercially available instruments, in terms of dividing participants into subgroups who either had or did not have a history of psychiatric diagnosis.
Depth selection behavior, fish kairomones, and the life histories of Daphnia hyalina × galeata hybrid clones

We studied life‐history characteristics of 22 genetically distinct Daphnia hyalina 3 galeata clonal lineages isolated from samples taken at different depths in the Schöhsee Lake (Germany) in the presence and absence of fish kairomones. Substantial genetic variability was observed for all traits investigated. The presence of fish kairomones had a significant effect on all traits except relative length of the tail spine and age at maturity. All genotypes (clones) had a significantly smaller size at maturity and produced smaller offspring in the presence of fish kairomones, an observation that is consistent with the hypothesis of an adaptive response. Overall, reproductive output was less for fish‐induced animals, but the effect was relatively small for the size of the first clutch and for the intrinsic rate of increase compared to the differences observed for size of the second and subsequent clutches. Adult body size was related to habitat selection behavior. Clones established from animals that were caught in the epilimnion during the day and early in the evening (termed “risk‐tolerant” [RT] depth selection behavior) were found to be smaller, both in the absence and presence of fish kairomones, than clones isolated from the hypolimnion (termed “risk‐averse” [RA] depth selection behavior). This relationship suggests a coadaptation between size‐related life‐history traits and habitat selection (depth selection) in zooplankton. There were no significant differences in the shifts in life‐history characteristics between clones exhibiting RT and RA depth selection behavior in response to the presence of fish kairomones.
The enigmatic primitive streak: prevailing notions and challenges concerning the body axis of mammals

The primitive streak establishes the antero‐posterior body axis in all amniote species. It is thought to be the conduit through which mesoderm and endoderm progenitors ingress and migrate to their ultimate destinations. Despite its importance, the streak remains poorly defined and one of the most enigmatic structures of the animal kingdom. In particular, the posterior end of the primitive streak has not been satisfactorily identified in any species. Unexpectedly, and contrary to prevailing notions, recent evidence suggests that the murine posterior primitive streak extends beyond the embryo proper. In its extraembryonic site, the streak creates a node‐like cell reservoir from which the allantois, a universal caudal appendage of all amniotes and the future umbilical cord of placental mammals, emerges. This new insight into the fetal/umbilical relationship may explain the etiology of a large number of umbilical‐associated birth defects, many of which are correlated with abnormalities of the embryonic midline.
Effects of nitric oxide on fatty acid composition in peach fruits during storage.

Peach (Prunus persica (L.) Batsch. , cv. Feicheng) fruits were fumigated with 0, 5, 10, and 15 microL/L nitric oxide (NO), and the effects of NO on rot index, ion leakage, and the lipid compositions in peach fruits were studied. The results showed that the treatment with 10 microL/L NO significantly increased the contents of the palmitoleic (16:1), oleic (18:1), and linolenic (18:3) acid in phospholipid (PL), while it decreased the contents of linoleic (18:2) acid in PL. The content of monoacylglycerol (MG) in fruit fumigated with 10 microL/L NO were higher than in the control but lower in fruit fumigated with 15 microL/L NO. The treatment with 10 microL/L NO increased the content of MG, decreased the contents of diacylglycerol (DG) and triacylglycerol (TG). However, there was no significant difference in the contents of free fatty acid (FFA). The compositions of MG, DG, TG, and FFA in peach fruit were also changed by the treatment with 10 microL/L NO. It could preserve the content of 18:3, maintain the integrity of membrane, and prevent the softening and rotting of peach fruit. The content of 18:1 was detected in PL and FFA but not in MG, DG, and TG. This might be due to the different compositions of MG, DG, and TG.
Validating a breath collection and analysis system for the new tuberculosis breath test

Mycobacterium tuberculosis releases four volatile compounds, methyl phenyl-acetate, methyl nicotinate, methyl p-anisate and o-phenylanisole, some of which we have previously been reported to be detected in the breath of tuberculosis patients (Syhre et al 2009 Tuberculosis 89 263–6). These volatiles have the potential to offer a non-invasive and sensitive breath test for the detection of tuberculosis infection. To determine the best sample collection and pre-concentration system a number of variables were examined. The four markers were most stable when breath was collected in a salinized glass sampling bulb compared to either Tedlar® TA, SupelTM Inert Foil or SupelTM Inert Gas bags. Concentration of breath onto thermal desorption cartridges indicated that Tenax® TA was the most universal sorbent for the collection of all four volatiles. Increasing the number of breath exhalations captured and analysed actively increased the detectable level of volatiles. The most important discovery was samples of methyl nicotinate, methyl p-anisate and o-phenylanisole remained stable on Tenax® TA cartridges for over two months at various altitudes.
International Journal of Physical Sciences Numerical and Experimental Evaluation of Bearing Capacity Factor Nγ of Strip Footing on Sand Slopes

Results of laboratory model tests and numerical studies on the behavior of a strip footing adjacent to a sand slope are investigated and presented in this paper. The investigated parameters include the effects of depth of the first reinforcement layer, vertical spacing, number of reinforcement layers, and distance between the edges of footings on bearing capacity. Results were analyzed to determine the effects of each parameter. Using a strip footing located near a sand slope crest had a significant effect on improving bearing capacity. The improvement increased when relative density decreased. The depth of the first layer decreased with further improvement when the distance of the footing edge from the slope crest increased. Using a strip footing can be considered effective in controlling the horizontal movement of the subgrade and in decreasing slope deformation. Finite element analysis explained and identified the failure pattern of strip footings adjacent to a slope crest. The findings also confirmed the load transfer mechanism and showed how a slope can be protected when geotextile is used.
Controllable slow-wave delay line

On-chip transmission lines are basic components in millimeter-wave and terahertz circuits. In this paper, slow-wave CPW with a simple mosfet switch, ie. controllable slow-wave CPW as a controllable phase delay line are designed, characterized and analyzed in a commercial 0. 18μm CMOS process. Based on measured two-port S-parameters up to 110GHz, the phase constants are compared at variation of the bias. It shows a continuously 15° delay over frequency range of 63 GHz to 98 GHz with a minimum insertion loss of 3.2 dB and a maximum insertion loss of 5.5 dB.
Adolescent Corticosterone and TrkB Pharmaco-Manipulations Sex-Dependently Impact Instrumental Reversal Learning Later in Life

Early-life trauma can increase the risk for, and severity of, several psychiatric illnesses. These include drug use disorders, and some correlations appear to be stronger in women. Understanding the long-term consequences of developmental stressor or stress hormone exposure and possible sex differences is critically important. So-called “reversal learning” tasks are commonly used in rodents to model cognitive deficits in stress- and addiction-related illnesses in humans. Here, we exposed mice to the primary stress hormone corticosterone (CORT) during early adolescence (postnatal days 31–42), then tested behavioral flexibility in adulthood using an instrumental reversal learning task. CORT-exposed female, but not male, mice developed perseverative errors. Despite resilience to subchronic CORT exposure, males developed reversal performance impairments following exposure to physical stressors. Administration of a putative tyrosine kinase receptor B (trkB) agonist, 7,8-dihydroxyflavone (7,8-DHF), during adolescence blocked CORT-induced errors in females and improved performance in males. Conversely, blockade of trkB by ANA-12 impaired performance. These data suggest that trkB-based interventions could have certain protective benefits in the context of early-life stressor exposure. We consider the implications of our findings in an extended “Discussion” section.
Ischemic Tolerance Protects the Rat Retina from Glaucomatous Damage

Glaucoma is a leading cause of acquired blindness which may involve an ischemic-like insult to retinal ganglion cells and optic nerve head. We investigated the effect of a weekly application of brief ischemia pulses (ischemic conditioning) on the rat retinal damage induced by experimental glaucoma. Glaucoma was induced by weekly injections of chondroitin sulfate (CS) in the rat eye anterior chamber. Retinal ischemia was induced by increasing intraocular pressure to 120 mmHg for 5 min; this maneuver started after 6 weekly injections of vehicle or CS and was weekly repeated in one eye, while the contralateral eye was submitted to a sham procedure. Glaucoma was evaluated in terms of: i) intraocular pressure (IOP), ii) retinal function (electroretinogram (ERG)), iii) visual pathway function (visual evoked potentials, (VEPs)) iv) histology of the retina and optic nerve head. Retinal thiobarbituric acid substances levels were assessed as an index of lipid peroxidation. Ischemic conditioning significantly preserved ERG, VEPs, as well as retinal and optic nerve head structure from glaucomatous damage, without changes in IOP. Moreover, ischemia pulses abrogated the increase in lipid peroxidation induced by experimental glaucoma. These results indicate that induction of ischemic tolerance could constitute a fertile avenue for the development of new therapeutic strategies in glaucoma treatment.
Voltage Regulator Efficiency Aware Power Management

Conventional off-chip voltage regulators are typically bulky and slow, and are inefficient at exploiting system and workload variability using Dynamic Voltage and Frequency Scaling (DVFS). On-die integration of voltage regulators has the potential to increase the energy efficiency of computer systems by enabling power control at a fine granularity in both space and time. The energy conversion efficiency of on-chip regulators, however, is typically much lower than off-chip regulators, which results in significant energy losses. Fine-grained power control and high voltage regulator efficiency are difficult to achieve simultaneously, with either emerging on-chip or conventional off-chip regulators. A voltage conversion framework that relies on a hierarchy of off-chip switching regulators and on-chip linear regulators is proposed to enable fine-grained power control with a regulator efficiency greater than 90%. A DVFS control policy that is based on a reinforcement learning (RL) approach is developed to exploit the proposed framework. Per-core RL agents learn and improve their control policies independently, while retaining the ability to coordinate their actions to accomplish system level power management objectives. When evaluated on a mix of 14 parallel and 13 multiprogrammed workloads, the proposed voltage conversion framework achieves 18% greater energy efficiency than a conventional framework that uses on-chip switching regulators. Moreover, when the RL based DVFS control policy is used to control the proposed voltage conversion framework, the system achieves a 21% higher energy efficiency over a baseline oracle policy with coarse-grained power control capability.
An accurate closed-form estimate of ICP's covariance

Existing methods for estimating the covariance of the ICP (iterative closest/corresponding point) algorithm are either inaccurate or are computationally too expensive to be used online. This paper proposes a new method, based on the analysis of the error function being minimized. It considers that the correspondences are not independent (the same measurement being used in more than one correspondence), and explicitly utilizes the covariance matrix of the measurements, which are not assumed to be independent either. The validity of the approach is verified through extensive simulations: it is more accurate than previous methods and its computational load is negligible. The ill-posedness of the surface matching problem is explicitly tackled for under-constrained situations by performing an observability analysis; in the analyzed cases the method still provides a good estimate of the error projected on the observable manifold.
Interactive Electronic Board Using ARM Processor Mrs .

At present, multimedia is widely used in classroom for teaching , using chalk is not only laborious, but it also produces a lot of chalk dust, polluting the air and adversely affecting the health of the students and teachers, also the use of multimedia helps in better teaching learning process. At present the traditional black board is replaced by smart electric boards produced by companies like Hitachi, Panasonic, which are very costly. This design uses ARM 9 processor for hand-held terminal hardware and Embedded Linux operating system for hand-held terminal software. When teacher writes on a book-size touch screen with an electrical pen, handwriting signal will be transferred to the PC terminal by wireless transmission module. Thus it makes classroom teaching be more efficient.
On the derived category of the Cayley plane II

We find a full strongly exceptional collection for the Cayley plane OP2, the simplest rational homogeneous space of the exceptional group E6. This collection, closely related to the one given by the second author in [J. Algebra, 330:177-187, 2011], consists of 27 vector bundles which are homogeneous for the group E6, and is a Lefschetz collection with respect to the minimal equivariant embedding of OP2.
THE IMPACT OF RECENT ECONOMIC CRISIS ON THE CAPITAL STRUCTURE OF TURKISH CORPORATIONS AND THE TEST OF STATIC TRADE-OFF THEORY: IMPLICATIONS FOR CORPORATE GOVERNANCE SYSTEM

Turkey has experienced two economic shocks, where the second one had devastating effects on the financial sector and real sector. The purpose of this paper is to show the impact of economic crisis on the capital structure of corporations, which are traded in İstanbul Stock Exchange, and the impact of capital structure on the performance of corporations. It is hypothesized that high leverage firms before economic crisis incurred more losses than the low leverage firms after the crisis. In order to test this hypothesis 96 firms, which are representatives of Turkish real sector are used for the quarters of 1999-2001. T-tests and regression analysis are used to test this hypothesis. The findings confirm that this hypothesis is true. The implications of this finding is more important than the finding because if this finding is true than Turkish corporations can immunize themselves to economic crisis, which cannot be anticipated easily, by having low leverage ratios. This is very difficult for Turkish corporations because the ownership structure, which is concentrated, and legal system, which does not solve the agency problems between stakeholders, would not let having low leverage ratios for Turkish corporations. Therefore, a solution set will be presented to change the corporate governance system, which is believed to help firms to immunize themselves against economic crisis, of Turkish corporations which are traded in İstanbul Stock Exchange.
Nucleotide sequences provide evidence of genetic exchange among distantly related lineages of Trypanosoma cruzi

Simple phylogenetic tests were applied to a large data set of nucleotide sequences from two nuclear genes and a region of the mitochondrial genome of Trypanosoma cruzi, the agent of Chagas' disease. Incongruent gene genealogies manifest genetic exchange among distantly related lineages of T. cruzi. Two widely distributed isoenzyme types of T. cruzi are hybrids, their genetic composition being the likely result of genetic exchange between two distantly related lineages. The data show that the reference strain for the T. cruzi genome project (CL Brener) is a hybrid. Well-supported gene genealogies show that mitochondrial and nuclear gene sequences from T. cruzi cluster, respectively, in three or four distinct clades that do not fully correspond to the two previously defined major lineages of T. cruzi. There is clear genetic differentiation among the major groups of sequences, but genetic diversity within each major group is low. We estimate that the major extant lineages of T. cruzi have diverged during the Miocene or early Pliocene (3–16 million years ago).
Synergistic effects of climate-related variables suggest future physiological impairment in a top oceanic predator

By the end of this century, anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are expected to decrease the surface ocean pH by as much as 0.3 unit. At the same time, the ocean is expected to warm with an associated expansion of the oxygen minimum layer (OML). Thus, there is a growing demand to understand the response of the marine biota to these global changes. We show that ocean acidification will substantially depress metabolic rates (31%) and activity levels (45%) in the jumbo squid, Dosidicus gigas, a top predator in the Eastern Pacific. This effect is exacerbated by high temperature. Reduced aerobic and locomotory scope in warm, high-CO2 surface waters will presumably impair predator–prey interactions with cascading consequences for growth, reproduction, and survival. Moreover, as the OML shoals, squids will have to retreat to these shallower, less hospitable, waters at night to feed and repay any oxygen debt that accumulates during their diel vertical migration into the OML. Thus, we demonstrate that, in the absence of adaptation or horizontal migration, the synergism between ocean acidification, global warming, and expanding hypoxia will compress the habitable depth range of the species. These interactions may ultimately define the long-term fate of this commercially and ecologically important predator.
Cyclosporine decreases skin lesions and pruritus in dogs with atopic dermatitis: a blinded randomized prednisolone-controlled trial.

During the last decade, oral cyclosporin (CsA) has proven to be effective, in randomized controlled trials, for the treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD) in human patients. The purpose of this blinded randomized controlled trial was to test the hypothesis that CsA was successful in reducing the gravity of clinical signs of AD in dogs. Thirty dogs with nonseasonal AD were randomly allocated to receive an oral solution of either NEORAL CsA (5 mg kg-1) or prednisolone (0.5 mg kg-1) once daily for 6 weeks. Before, and 3 and 6 weeks after therapy, skin lesions were graded by clinicians using the Canine AD Extent and Severity Index (CADESI). Pruritus was assessed by the owners using a visual analog scale (PVAS). In both groups, CADESI and PVAS values were significantly lower at 6 weeks post treatment than before the initiation of therapy (Friedman test, P < 0.0004). The percentage reductions in CADESI and PVAS values from baseline were not statistically different between groups (Mann-Whitney test, P > 0.3). In this experiment, the tolerability and safety of oral CsA and prednisolone appeared similar. One-fifth of dogs given oral CsA occasionally developed diarrhoea or soft stools. One dog that was given CsA developed a generalized papillomatous skin eruption during the second half of the trial. Our study provides randomized controlled trial evidence that CsA reduces the severity of clinical signs in dogs with nonseasonal AD. Moreover, the anti-allergic efficacy of CsA appears comparable with that of prednisolone. We propose that oral CsA should be considered as a valuable alternative to glucocorticoid therapy in dogs with AD.