Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Explorer Intersectional Gene Expression in Zebrafish Using the Split KalTA 4 System

In this study, we describe the adaptation of the split Gal4 system for zebrafish. The Gal4-UAS system is widely used for expression of genes-of-interest by crossing driver lines expressing the transcription factor Gal4 (under the control of the promoter of interest) with reporter lines where upstream activating sequence (UAS) repeats (recognized by Gal4) drive expression of the genes-of-interest. In the Split Gal4 system, hemi-drivers separately encode the DNA-binding domain (DBD) and the activation domain (AD) of Gal4. When encoded under two different promoters, only those cells in the intersection of the promoters’ expression pattern and in which both promoters are active reconstitute a functional Gal4 and activate expression from a UAS-driven transgene. We split the zebrafish-optimized version of Gal4, KalTA4, and generated a hemi-driver encoding the KalTA4 DBD and a hemi-driver encoding KalTA4’s AD. We show that split KalTA4 domains can assemble in vivo and transactivate a UAS reporter transgene and that each hemi-driver alone cannot transactivate the reporter. Also, transactivation can happen in several cell types, with similar efficiency to intact KalTA4. Finally, in transient mosaic expression assays, we show that when hemi-drivers are preceded by two distinct promoters, they restrict the expression of an UAS-driven reporter from a broader pattern (sox10) to its constituent smaller neuronal pattern. The Split KalTA4 system should be useful for expression of genes-of-interest in an intersectional manner, allowing for more refined manipulations of cell populations in zebrafish.
Real stock prices and the long-run demand for money in Germany

The Johansen procedure of cointegration is used to test the hypothesis of a stationary relationship between real money balances, real income, interest rates and real stock prices in Germany for the period 1960-89, and an error correction representation of the data is used to explain the short-run dynamics of the demand for money. Results indicate that: real stock prices have a significant and positive wealth effect on the long-run demand for real M1 balances; there are feedback effects between real money balances and interest rates; and unidirectional Granger-causality runs from real income to interest rates, from interest rates to real stock prices, and from real money balances to real income.
A Spatial Statistical Approach to Identifying Areas with Poor Access to Grocery Foods in the City of Buffalo, New York

This paper proposes a spatial statistical approach to identifying the deprived areas where the access to grocery foods is restricted due to the destitute economic status of the target residents (the poor). For this purpose, the ratio of the expected population demand and observed food supply in each census block group is formulated as discrepancy index to denote the level of accessibility to grocery. Then, using the G-statistic, the regional spatial pattern of the indices is investigated to detect local hot-spots of disparity between population need and grocery provision at various spatial scales. The City of Buffalo is illustrated for this approach and planning implications for improving the accessibility are briefly discussed.
Induced and spontaneous abortion and incidence of breast cancer among young women: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND Induced abortion has been inconsistently associated with breast cancer risk in case-control studies. Retrospective cohort studies using registry information in Scandinavia have not suggested an increase in the incidence of breast cancer, although data on individual reproductive factors were not accounted for. METHODS We examined the association between induced and spontaneous abortion and the incidence of breast cancer in a prospective cohort of young women, the Nurses' Health Study II. The study included 105 716 women 29 to 46 years old at the start of follow-up in 1993. Information on induced or spontaneous abortions was collected in 1993 and updated biennially. During 973 437 person-years of follow-up between 1993 and 2003, 1458 newly diagnosed cases of invasive breast cancer were ascertained. RESULTS A total of 16 118 participants (15%) reported a history of induced abortion, and 21 753 (21%) reported a history of spontaneous abortions. The hazard ratio for breast cancer among women who had 1 or more induced abortions was 1.01 (95% confidence interval, 0.88-1.17) after adjustment for established breast cancer risk factors; among women with 1 or more spontaneous abortions, the covariate-adjusted hazard ratio was 0.89 (95% confidence interval, 0.78-1.01). The relation between induced abortion and the incidence of breast cancer did not differ materially by number of abortions (P for trend = .98), age at abortion (P for trend = .68), parity (P for interaction = .54), or timing of abortion with respect to a full-term pregnancy (P for interaction = .10). CONCLUSION Among this predominantly premenopausal population, neither induced nor spontaneous abortion was associated with the incidence of breast cancer.
Genome-wide association mapping for flowering and maturity in tropical soybean: implications for breeding strategies

Knowledge of the genetic architecture of flowering and maturity is needed to develop effective breeding strategies in tropical soybean. The aim of this study was to identify haplotypes across multiple environments that contribute to flowering time and maturity, with the purpose of selecting desired alleles, but maintaining a minimal impact on yield-related traits. For this purpose, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) was undertaken to identify genomic regions that control days to flowering (DTF) and maturity (DTM) using a soybean association mapping panel genotyped for single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers. Complementarily, yield-related traits were also assessed to discuss the implications for breeding strategies. To detect either stable or specific associations, the soybean cultivars (N = 141) were field-evaluated across eight tropical environments of Brazil. Seventy-two and forty associations were significant at the genome-wide level relating respectively to DTM and DTF, in two or more environments. Haplotype-based GWAS identified three haplotypes (Gm12_Hap12; Gm19_Hap42 and Gm20_Hap32) significantly co-associated with DTF, DTM and yield-related traits in single and multiple environments. These results indicate that these genomic regions may contain genes that have pleiotropic effects on time to flowering, maturity and yield-related traits, which are tightly linked with multiple other genes with high rates of linkage disequilibrium.
Mutational Study on αGln90 of Fe-Type Nitrile Hydratase from Rhodococcus sp. N771

Nitrile hydratase (NHase) from Rhodococcus sp. N771 is a non-heme iron enzyme having post-translationally modified cysteine ligands, αCys112-SO2H and αCys114-SOH. We replaced αGln90, which is conserved in all known NHases and involved in the hydrogen-bond network around the catalytic center, with glutamic acid or asparagine. The k cat of αQ90E and αQ90N mutants decreased to 24% and 5% that of wild type respectively, but the effect of mutations on K m was not very significant. In both mutants, the αCys114-SOH modification appeared to be responsible for the catalysis as in native NHase. We crystallized the nitrosylated αQ90N mutant and determined its structure at a resolution of 1.43 Å. The structure was basically identical to that of native nitrosylated NHase except for the mutated site and its vicinity. The structural difference between native and αQ90N mutant NHases suggested the importance of the hydrogen bond networks between αGln90 and the iron center for the catalytic activity.
Rac/Cdc42 and p65PAK Regulate the Microtubule-destabilizing Protein Stathmin through Phosphorylation at Serine 16*

We have identified a rapid protein phosphorylation event at residue serine 16 of stathmin using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis coupled to matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry in combination with post-source decay analysis, which is induced by the epidermal growth factor receptor. Phosphorylation is specifically mediated by the small GTPases Rac and Cdc42 and their common downstream target, the serine/threonine kinase p65PAK. Both GTPases have previously been shown to regulate the dynamics of actin polymerization. Because stathmin destabilizes microtubules, and this process is inhibited by phosphorylation at residue 16, Rac and Cdc42 can potentially regulate both F-actin and microtubule dynamics.
Cornea-Infiltrating and Lymph Node Dendritic Cells Contribute to CD4+ T Cell Expansion after Herpes Simplex Virus-1 Ocular Infection

After HSV type 1 corneal infection, CD4+ T cells are expanded in the draining lymph nodes (DLNs) and restimulated in the infected cornea to regulate the destructive inflammatory disease herpes stromal keratitis (HSK). The contribution of cornea resident, cornea-infiltrating, and DLN resident dendritic cells (DC) to CD4+ T cell expansion in DLNs and restimulation in corneas is unknown. Cornea resident and cornea-infiltrating DCs were selectively depleted by timed local (subconjunctival) injection of diphtheria toxin (DT) into mice that express high-affinity DT receptors from the CD11c promoter. Corneal and DLN DCs were depleted by systemic (i.p.) DT treatment. We found that: 1) DCs that were resident in the cornea and DLNs at the time of infection or that migrate into the tissues during the first 24 h postinfection were not required for CD4+ T cell expansion; 2) DCs that infiltrated the cornea >24 h postinfection were responsible for most of the CD4+ T cell expansion measured in the DLNs at 3 and 7 d postinfection (dpi); 3) non–cornea-derived DCs that infiltrate the DLNs >24 h postinfection made a modest contribution to CD4+ T cell expansion at 3 dpi but did not contribute at 7 dpi; and 4) surprisingly, HSK development between 7 and 21 dpi did not require corneal DCs. DC-independent HSK development appears to reflect close interactions of CD4+ T cells with MHC class II+ corneal epithelial cells and macrophages in infected DC-depleted corneas.
Autologous blood progenitor cell transplantation in relapsed Hodgkin's disease--the role of haematopoietic growth factors.

Thirty-seven patients with Hodgkin's disease in sensitive relapse were autografted using blood-derived haematopoietic progenitor cells. At the time of transplantation 22 patients were in complete remission and 15 patients in partial remission. Twenty-six patients were male and 11 female, with a median age of 31 years (range 21-52). The pre-transplant conditioning therapy consisted of cyclophosphamide, BCNU and etoposide (CBV). Five patients died of transplant-related complications and 11 patients relapsed after a median time of four months following autografting. For the remaining 21 patients the probability of event-free survival (EFS) was 45% at 68 months. Blood progenitor cell collection can be integrated into salvage therapy by administering haematopoietic growth factors (HGFs) to enhance the chemotherapy-induced progenitor cell rebound during leucocyte recovery. In a subgroup of 14 patients, seven received recombinant human granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (rhGM-CSF) (250 micrograms/m2/day) by continuous intravenous infusion following dexamethasone, BCNU, etoposide and melphalan (Dexa-BEAM) as salvage therapy, while seven patients were treated without haematopoietic growth factor (HGF) post-chemotherapy. The yield of total nucleated cells (TNC) and granulocyte-macrophage colonies (CFU-GM) collected per leukapheresis was 2.2- and 2.4-fold higher respectively in the rhGM-CSF-treated patients. Following high-dose conditioning therapy, the seven patients autografted with rhGM-CSF-mobilised stem cells showed a faster leucocyte recovery compared with the control group. Neutrophil recovery (> 1.0 x 10(9)/L) and platelet recovery (> 20 x 10(9)/L) were also accelerated in the rhGM-CSF-treated group. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Effective Housing Demand in Mumbai (Bombay) Metropolitan Region

Housing policy formulation should be informed by a careful understanding of the behaviour of the urban housing market, as reflected by housing demand behaviour. Such basic information is important, not only for improved project design but also for the development of better sector-wide policies. The overall analysis in this paper stresses the importance of prices and income on the demand for housing in Mumbai metropolitan region. Estimates of housing demand function are given. In our analysis, we account for rent control in Mumbai which distorts rents. The results indicate that housing demand is elastic with respect to income and price. The income and price elasticities are around 1 and — 1 respectively. We also estimate income and price elasticities for different income classes. The paper concludes with policy prescriptions.
The discovery of Segue 2: a prototype of the population of satellites of satellites

We announce the discovery of a new Milky Way satellite Segue 2 found in the data of the Sloan Extension for Galactic Understanding and Exploration (SEGUE). We followed this up with deeper imaging and spectroscopy on the Multiple Mirror Telescope (MMT). From this, we derive a luminosity of M v =− 2.5, a half-light radius of 34 pc and a systemic velocity of ∼− 40 km s −1 . Our data also provide evidence for a stream around Segue 2 at a similar heliocentric velocity, and the SEGUE data show that it is also present in neighbouring fields. We resolve the velocity dispersion of Segue 2 as 3.4 km s −1 and the possible stream as ∼ 7k m s −1 . This object shows points of comparison with other recent discoveries, Segue 1, Boo II and Coma. We speculate that all four objects may be representatives of a population of satellites of satellites – survivors of accretion events that destroyed their larger but less dense parents. They are likely to have formed at redshifts z> 10 and are good candidates for fossils of the reionization epoch.
Psalmotoxin-1 Docking to Human Acid-sensing Ion Channel-1*

Acid-sensing ion channel-1 (ASIC-1) is a proton-gated ion channel implicated in nociception and neuronal death during ischemia. Recently the first crystal structure of a chicken ASIC was obtained. Expanding upon this work, homology models of the human ASICs were constructed and evaluated. Energy-minimized structures were tested for validity by in silico docking of the models to psalmotoxin-1, which potently inhibits ASIC-1 and not other members of the family. The data are consistent with prior radioligand binding and functional assays while also explaining the selectivity of PcTX-1 for homomeric hASIC-1a. Binding energy calculations suggest that the toxin and channel create a complex that is more stable than the channel alone. The binding is dominated by the coulombic contributions, which account for why the toxin-channel interaction is not observed at low pH. The computational data were experimentally verified with single channel and whole-cell electrophysiological studies. These validated models should allow for the rational design of specific and potent peptidomimetic compounds that may be useful for the treatment of pain or ischemic stroke.
H∞ control of continuous-time Markov jump linear systems with detector-based mode information†

ABSTRACT This paper features new results on H∞ analysis and control of linear systems with Markov jump disturbances, in a scenario of partial observations of the jump process. We consider the situations in which the jump process can only be measured through a suitable detector. A distinctive feature of the approach here is that it is general enough to encompass particular scenarios such as that of perfect information, no information (mode independent) and cluster observations of the Markov jump process. The main results, comprising a new bounded real lemma and a condition for state feedback synthesis, are expressed via linear matrix inequality-based optimisation problems. The method devised for the design of H∞ controllers is applied to the control of an unmanned aerial vehicle model.
Politically Contestable Rents And Transfers

A rent or transfer is politically contestable when policy decisions are subject to influence by potential beneficiaries and losers. This paper studies contestablility of rents and transfers when contenders place different valuations on the politically allocated prize. Asymmetric valuation inhibits participation by low-valuation contenders. The model explains the phenomena of small numbers of active participants in contests to exercise political influence and low lobbying and other influence-seeking outlays relative to the value of politically allocated prizes. Copyright 1989 Blackwell Publishers Ltd.
Replacement Investment: Optimal Economic Life Under Uncertainty

Replacement investment is essentially a regenerative optimal stopping problem; that is, the key decision concerns when to terminate the life of existing plant - and hence when to start over again. This paper examines this optimisation problem within a continuous time framework and studies the qualitative and quantitative impact of uncertainty on the timing of new investment (and the criteria that should be used for terminating the life of existing plant).
The Prospects and Challenges of Composite Flour for Bread Production in Nigeria

Due to changes in lifestyle and urbanization, the consumption of bread has increased in Nigeria and other developing countries. Since, wheat cannot perform well under tropical climate, the country had over the years dependent on wheat imports mostly from the United States. Wheat importation had had detrimental effects on the Nigerian economy. In order to reduce the impact on the economy, Nigeria released policy mandating the flour mills to partially substitute wheat flour with 40% cassava flour for bread making. The potential benefits of the policy include Savings of the Nigeria’s foreign exchange earnings of N 254 billion (1$ = N156) per annum, reduction in the severity of coeliac disease, utilization of locally available crops and creation of employment and wealth. Substitution of wheat with other flour to the tone of 40% would require improvers, which have to be imported. Other potential challenges of the policy include poor quality of the bread, weak cassava flour supply chains, strong consumer preference for 100% wheat bread, and the reluctance of millers to use composite flour. Except the aforementioned challenges are adequately addressed, the 40% wheat flour substitution may fail like previous attempts.
Biosynthetic Pathway for γ-Cyclic Sarcinaxanthin in Micrococcus luteus: Heterologous Expression and Evidence for Diverse and Multiple Catalytic Functions of C50 Carotenoid Cyclases

ABSTRACT We report the cloning and characterization of the biosynthetic gene cluster (crtE, crtB, crtI, crtE2, crtYg, crtYh, and crtX) of the γ-cyclic C50 carotenoid sarcinaxanthin in Micrococcus luteus NCTC2665. Expression of the complete and partial gene cluster in Escherichia coli hosts revealed that sarcinaxanthin biosynthesis from the precursor molecule farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP) proceeds via C40 lycopene, C45 nonaflavuxanthin, C50 flavuxanthin, and C50 sarcinaxanthin. Glucosylation of sarcinaxanthin was accomplished by the crtX gene product. This is the first report describing the biosynthetic pathway of a γ-cyclic C50 carotenoid. Expression of the corresponding genes from the marine M. luteus isolate Otnes7 in a lycopene-producing E. coli host resulted in the production of up to 2.5 mg/g cell dry weight sarcinaxanthin in shake flasks. In an attempt to experimentally understand the specific difference between the biosynthetic pathways of sarcinaxanthin and the structurally related ε-cyclic decaprenoxanthin, we constructed a hybrid gene cluster with the γ-cyclic C50 carotenoid cyclase genes crtYg and crtYh from M. luteus replaced with the analogous ε-cyclic C50 carotenoid cyclase genes crtYe and crtYf from the natural decaprenoxanthin producer Corynebacterium glutamicum. Surprisingly, expression of this hybrid gene cluster in an E. coli host resulted in accumulation of not only decaprenoxanthin, but also sarcinaxanthin and the asymmetric ε- and γ-cyclic C50 carotenoid sarprenoxanthin, described for the first time in this work. Together, these data contributed to new insight into the diverse and multiple functions of bacterial C50 carotenoid cyclases as key catalysts for the synthesis of structurally different carotenoids.
The Founder's Dilemmas: Anticipating and Avoiding the Pitfalls That Can Sink a Startup

List of Illustrations vii Part I: Introduction and Pre-founding 1 Chapter One: Introduction 3 Chapter Two: Career Dilemmas 27 Part II: Founding Team Dilemmas 69 Chapter Three: The Solo-versus-Team Dilemma 73 Chapter Four: Relationship Dilemmas: Flocking Together and Playing with Fire 89 Chapter Five: Role Dilemmas: Positions and Decision Making 117 Chapter Six: Reward Dilemmas: Equity Splits and Cash Compensation 145 Chapter Seven: The Three RsSystem: Alignment and Equilibrium 186 Part III: Beyond the Founding Team: Hires and Investors 205 Chapter Eight: Hiring Dilemmas: The Right Hires at the Right Time 209 Chapter Nine: Investor Dilemmas: Adding Value, Adding Risks 249 Chapter Ten: Failure, Success, and Founder-CEO Succession 297 Part IV: Conclusion 329 Chapter Eleven: Wealth-versus-Control Dilemmas 331 Acknowledgments 387 Appendix A: Quantitative Data 391 Appendix B: Summary of Startups and People 403 Notes 425 Bibliography 451 Index 467
The Benefits of (Automated) Dialogue

The authors compared user evaluation of a text based dialogue system with a simple pick list for the same task. The authors matched the systems in terms of key factors, such as design for Usability, and took into account individual differences between participants that might have influenced their perception, such as Locus of Control, Experience and Personality. They found participants rated the text based dialogue system as being more informative, more credible, less frustrating and more persuasive than the simple pick list system. Participantsâ€™ ratings were dependent on their Personality, Locus of Control and reported level of physical activity. Participants did not differentiate between the systems in terms of their ease of use, indicating the other observed differences were not due to a simple difference in Usability. This study demonstrated the benefits of including automated dialogue in a system designed to help people find solutions for their exercise barriers. Further work is required to establish in what other situations dialogue provides a benefit.
The Role of Managers in Team Performance

The role of the manager in promoting production is a little-understood phenomenon. In particular, it is difficult to separate managers’ contributions from the abilities of the workers they supervise. Firms may therefore mistakenly attribute the contributions of the workers to the managers who happen to oversee them. With its plethora of performance data, the National Basketball Association (NBA) provides a natural setting to measure the contribution of a head coach to the performance of his team. We find that some highly regarded coaches deserve their accolades, but several coaches owe their success to managing highly talented teams. Conversely, some coaches with mediocre records have made significant contributions to the performance of their players. Most coaches, however, do not have a statistically significant impact on their players or their teams, making them nothing more than the “principal clerks” that Adam Smith called managers over 200 years ago.