Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of N‐Acetyl‐L‐Cysteine‐Capped CdTe Quantum Dots on Bovine Serum Albumin and Bovine Hemoglobin: Isothermal Titration Calorimetry and Spectroscopic Investigations

The interactions of N‐acetyl‐L‐cysteine‐capped CdTe quantum dots (QDs) with bovine serum albumin (BSA) and bovine hemoglobin (BHb) were investigated by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), fluorescence, synchronous fluorescence, fluorescence lifetime, ultraviolet–visible absorption, and circular dichroism techniques. Fluorescence data of BSA–QDs and BHb–QDs revealed that the quenching was static in every system. While CdTe QDs changed the microenvironment of tryptophan in BHb, the microenvironment of BSA kept unchanged. Adding CdTe QDs affected the skeleton and secondary structure of the protein (BSA and BHb). The ITC results indicated that the interaction between the protein (BSA and BHb) and QDs‐612 was spontaneous and the predominant force was hydrophobic interaction. In addition, the binding constants were determined to be 1.19 × 105 L mol−1 (BSA–QDs) and 2.19 × 105 L mol−1 (BHb–QDs) at 298 K. From these results, we conclude that CdTe QDs have a larger impact on the structure of BHb than BSA.
The hidden cost of phosphate fertilizers: mapping multi-stakeholder supply chain risks and impacts from mine to fork

Without phosphorus, we could not produce food. Farmers need access to phosphate fertilizers to achieve the high crop yields needed to feed the world. Yet growing global demand for phosphorus could surpass supply in the coming decades, and the world currently largely relies on non-renewable phosphate rock that is mined in only a few countries. Morocco alone controls 75% of the remaining reserves, including those in the conflict territory of Western Sahara. While some argue that the market will take care of any scarcity, the market price of phosphate fertilizers fails to account for far-ranging negative impacts. Drawing on multi-stakeholder supply chain risk frameworks, the article identifies a range of negative impacts, including the exploitation and displacement of the Saharawi people, the destruction of aquatic ecosystems by nutrient pollution, and jeopardizing future generations' ability to produce food. This paper fills a crucial gap in understanding phosphorus impacts by mapping and discussing the nature of phosphorus supply chain risks, and the transmission of such risks to different stakeholder groups. It also identifies a range of potential interventions to mitigate and manage those risks. In addition, the paper highlights that while risks are diverse, from geopolitical to ecological, those groups adversely affected are also diverse – including the Saharawi people, farmers, businesses, food consumers and the environment. Potential risk mitigation strategies range from resource sparing (using phosphorus more sparingly to extend the life of high quality rock for ourselves and future generations), to resource diversification (sourcing phosphorus from a range of ethical sources to reduce dependence on imported phosphate, as a buffer against supply disruptions, and preferencing those sources with lower societal costs), and sharing the responsibility for these costs and consequences.
Considerable Increase in Resveratrol Production by Recombinant Industrial Yeast Strains with Use of Rich Medium

ABSTRACT Resveratrol synthesis from p-coumarate was analyzed in different Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains expressing the 4-coumaroyl-coenzyme A ligase (4CL1) from Arabidopsis thaliana and the stilbene synthase (STS) from Vitis vinifera and compared between yeast cultures growing in rich or synthetic medium. The use of rich medium considerably improved resveratrol production, and resveratrol yields of up to 391 mg/liter could be achieved with an industrial Brazilian sugar cane-fermenting yeast.
Gene duplication and the origin of novel proteins.

Evolutionary biologists agree that gene duplication has played an important role in the history of life on Earth, providing a supply of novel genes that make it possible for organisms to adapt to new environments (1). The existence of diverse multigene families, particularly in eukaryotes, provides evidence that numerous events of gene duplication followed by functional diversification have shaped genomes as we know them. But it is less certain how this panoply of new functions actually arises, leaving room for ingenious speculation but not much rigor. Cases where we can reconstruct with any confidence the evolutionary steps involved in the functional diversification are relatively few. Thus the report in this issue of PNAS by Tocchini-Valentini and colleagues (2) on tRNA endonucleases of Archaea is particularly welcome as a concrete example of how new protein functions can arise. The first hypothesis regarding the origin of new gene function was that of Ohno (3), who assumed that, after duplication, one gene copy would be entirely redundant and thus freed from all constraint. This redundant copy would become a nonfunctional pseudogene in most cases. But occasionally, Ohno postulated, such a gene would reemerge from nonfunctionality with a new function acquired as a result of chance mutations. There are a number of reasons for doubting this hypothesis. First, as the late Marianne Hughes and I (4) showed in the case of the tetraploid frog Xenopus laevis , duplicate genes are not in general freed from all functional constraint. Rather, purifying selection acts to eliminate deleterious nonsynonymous (amino acid-altering) mutations even in apparently redundant gene copies. Furthermore, there are a number of multigene families where there is evidence that positive Darwinian selection has acted to promote amino acid changes in functionally important regions of proteins (5). In these families, new function clearly has not arisen …
General Equilibrium in a Pluralistic Economy

AN IMPORTANT FEATURE of modern pluralistic societies is the presence of interest groups whose behavior is a major determinant of economic and political life. Individual citizens tend to form themselves into pressure groups largely along socio-economic lines, whose purpose (whether stated or not) is to pursue the interests of their members in whatever instances may arise. Such groups as trade unions, industrialist associations, political parties, tax payers associations, chambers of commerce, farmers associations, local governments, etc., may all be considered-to a higher or lower extent-as pressure groups. The classical views on pressure groups are due to Bentley [4], Key [20], Lindblom [22] and Truman [30]. An economic theory of pressure groups has been recently developed by Olson [25]. The aim of this paper is to discuss a model of an economy in a pluralistic society that includes a private and a public sector. All decision in the private sector are taken by individual economic agents via a market mechanism. There is a central government which coordinates the production of public goods and levies taxes but does not intervene directly in the decisions concerning the size of the budget and the allocation of public expenditure. Such decisions, instead, emerge as the outcome of a bargaining process among the various pressure groups, one of which could be the central government itself. Thus, the body politic is regarded as a coalition of groups of divergent interests which cooperate in the provision of public goods to themselves. The approach followed here is strictly a descriptive one, e.g., the question which is being addressed is "how does such a mixed economy work? " It is therefore quite different from the traditional approach of public finance and of the theory of public expenditure as expressed in the works of Bergson [5] and Samuelson [26], where the normative motive has been predominant. In those contexts it is necessary to introduce a social welfare function in order to define optimality. Here no social welfare function is assumed to exist ex-ante. Such a question as "which social welfare function is revealed by the observation of decisions in the public sector? " is relevant but not my main concern. Whereas the choice of the social welfare function is a political act which presupposes some political process behind it, such processes have seldom been the concern of economists, save a few exceptions. The best bridge between the ideals established in the framework of welfare economics and the pull and pushes recognized by institutional political approaches is provided by a paper by Bowen [7], which proposes a voting procedure intended to perform the same functions in the political sphere that competitive markets perform in the economic one. My own interest is in that vein, although I have preferred to stress the bargaining process
The financial value of corporations in a cobweb economy

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a model and simulation results for the corporate financial value of an industry in a cobweb economy. Production‐consumption cycles affect profit and financial needs in terms of equity and debt capital, and thus corporate value over time. The model is applied to the Champagne industry.Design/methodology/approach – The paper simulates the financial value of Champagne makers by taking into account developments on the Champagne market and the short‐ and long‐term responses by input suppliers and Champagne makers. Financial modeling is combined with a vertical coordination model of production and consumption in a cobweb economy.Findings – This paper makes theoretical advances in modeling the impact of short‐ and long‐run temporal tensions in production decisions on the financial value of processors. Temporal tensions are central to the decisions made by input suppliers (grape growers) and processors (Champagne makers) as they negotiate in a context of vertical .
Risk-adjusted performance of mutual funds

Mutual funds are now the preferred way for individual investors and many institutions to participate in capital markets, and their popularity has increased demand for evaluations of fund performance. Many business publications now rank mutual funds according to their performance, and information services exist specifically for this purpose. There is no general agreement, however, about how best to measure and compare fund performance and on what information funds should disclose to investors. ; Risk and performance measurement is an active area for academic research and continues to be of vital interest to investors who need to make informed decisions and to mutual fund managers whose compensation is tied to performance. This article describes a number of performance measures. Their common feature is that they all measure funds' returns relative to risk, However, they differ in how they define and measure risk and, consequently, in how they define risk-adjusted performance. The author also compares rankings of a large sample of funds using two popular measures for both stock and bond funds during the three-year period between 1995-1997.
Involvement of metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 in pudendal inhibition of nociceptive bladder activity in cats

Non‐technical summary Lower urinary tract disorders including painful and overactive bladder conditions are very difficult to treat. Neuromodulation which is one of the successful therapies for lower urinary tract disorders, stimulates afferent nerves to modulate the neural pathway and achieve a therapeutic effect. We show that the metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 is activated in the central nervous system during pudendal neuromodulation. Understanding the neurotransmitter mechanisms involved in neuromodulation therapy may promote the development of new pharmacological treatments or improve the clinical outcome by combining neuromodulation with pharmacological therapy.
Prognostic factors in 1,521 melanoma patients with distant metastases.

BACKGROUND Although over 7,000 people die from malignant melanoma each year, there are limited prognostic data for patients with metastatic disease. A retrospective analysis was undertaken to identify variables that accurately predict outcome and to determine if the survival rate of patients with melanoma treated for distant metastases (American Joint Committee on Cancer [AJCC] stage IV disease) at the authors' institution changed between 1971 and 1993. STUDY DESIGN Data for 1,521 patients with AJCC stage IV melanoma treated by the staff of the John Wayne Cancer Institute were reviewed, and a univariate and multivariate survival analysis against ten clinical and pathological variables was performed using the Cox proportional hazard regression model. RESULTS The median survival time of the 1,521 patients was 7.5 months; the estimated five-year survival rate was 6 percent. Three independent variables predicted survival: initial site of metastases (p < 0.0001); disease-free interval before distant metastases (p = 0.0001); and stage of disease preceding distant metastases (p = 0.0001). Patients could be divided into three distinct prognostic groups based on the initial site of metastases: cutaneous, nodal, or gastrointestinal metastases (median survival of 12.5 months; estimated five-year survival rate 14 percent); pulmonary metastases (median survival of 8.3 months; estimated five-year survival rate 4 percent); and metastases to the liver, brain, or bone (median survival of 4.4 months; estimated five-year survival rate 3 percent). There was no significant change in the survival rate of patients with AJCC stage IV melanoma during the 22-year review period. CONCLUSIONS Despite new treatment options, the survival rate of patients with metastatic melanoma has not changed significantly over the last 22 years; their prognosis remains dismal. The three prognostic variables identified in this study should be considered in the design of future clinical trials.
Promoting financial sector stability through an effective AML/CFT regime

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss the impact of the recent financial crisis and the need for prudential management and effective supervisory and regulatory measures in ensuring the stability and integrity of the financial sector, especially financial institutions, such as banks. The aim is to increase awareness about the global Financial Action Task Force (FATF) standards and the efforts at enforcing these standards.Design/methodology/approach – The paper examines the impact of the global financial crisis of 2009 and relates it to inadequate enforcement of prudential and regulatory measures. The paper argues that effective implementation of the core and key FATF Recommendations would assure some modicum of stability, productivity, and integrity of the financial system. It also discusses briefly the monitoring process of the implementation of these standards. The paper adopts a policy approach with a view to explaining the importance and benefits of implementing these standards in all juris.
Experience, social pressure and performance: the case of soccer officials

This study examines the relationship between experience, social pressure and performance of match officials (referees) in professional soccer. Using data from European Cup competitions, it is found that officials with more experience are marginally less biased towards the home side in the issuing of disciplinary sanctions. However, it is also the case that officials with greater levels of experience are just as likely to be influenced by social pressure as their less experienced counterparts.
Use of Internet in Political Participation in South Korea

This article examines the role of the Internet in political participation in South Korea. It reveals that the Internet brought majority of the voters into the political process and produced a more fact-based election process in South Korea. It also reveals that Internet accessibility has become a stronger factor to explain increased voter participation. This article suggests that the rapid diffusion of Internet along with broadband connections have contributed to the increased use of Internet among young voters.
Optimized Transmitting beam pattern for fast beam acquisition in massive MIMO systems

In 5G communication system, the application of massive Multiple Input and Multiple Output (MIMO) technology makes it possible to transmit a plurality of narrow Transmitting (Tx) beams at eNodeB side. Each Tx beam may be applied to each Beam Reference Signal (BRS), which can be used by the User Equipment (UE) to accomplish beam tracking. In addition, a UE could also contain massive antennas and maintain several Receiving (Rx) beams, and it should measure all possible Tx beams or Tx-Rx beam pairs to determine the best one. The beam tracking process could result in an unacceptable delay, which is determined by the number of Tx and Rx beams. In this paper, an improved method is proposed which could reduce search delay further at the cost of energy loss. In addition, an optimized method for Tx beam pattern design is presented to reduce the performance loss with fast search. Simulation results show that with the help of the optimized Tx beam pattern, the performance of fast beam search method could be improved significantly.
Risk factors for adverse drug events among nursing home residents.

BACKGROUND In a prospective study of nursing home residents, we found adverse drug events (ADEs) to be common, serious, and often preventable. To direct prevention efforts at high-risk residents, information is needed on resident-level risk factors. METHODS Case-control study nested within a prospective study of ADEs among residents in 18 nursing homes. For each ADE, we randomly selected a control from the same home. Data were abstracted from medical records on functional status, medical conditions, and medication use. RESULTS Adverse drug events were identified in 410 nursing home residents. Independent risk factors included being a new resident (odds ratio [OR], 2.8; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.5-5.2) and taking anti-infective medications (OR, 4.0; CI, 2.5-6.2), antipsychotics (OR, 3.2; CI, 2.1-4.9), or antidepressants (OR, 1.5; CI, 1.1-2.3). The number of regularly scheduled medications was associated with increased risk of ADEs; the OR associated with taking 5 to 6 medications was 2.0 (CI, 1.2-3.2); 7 to 8 medications, 2.8 (CI, 1.7-4.7); and 9 or more, 3.3 (CI, 1.9-5.6). Taking supplements or nutrients was associated with lower risk (OR, 0.42; CI, 0.27-0.63). Preventable ADEs occurred in 226 residents. Independent risk factors included taking opioid medications (OR, 6.6; CI, 2.3-19.3), antipsychotics (OR, 4.0; CI, 2.2-7.3), anti-infectives (OR, 3.0; CI, 1.6-5.8), antiepileptics (OR, 2.2; CI, 1.1-4.5), or antidepressants (OR, 2.0; CI, 1.1-3.5). Scores of 5 or higher on the Charlson Comorbidity Index were associated with increased risk of ADEs (OR, 2.6; CI, 1.1-6.0). The number of regularly scheduled medications was also a risk factor: the OR for 7 to 8 medications was 3.2 (CI, 1.4-6.9) and for 9 or more, 2.9 (CI, 1.3-6.8). Residents taking nutrients or supplements were at lower risk (OR, 0.27; CI, 0.14-0.50). CONCLUSIONS It is possible to identify nursing home residents at high risk of having an ADE. Particular attention should be directed at new residents, those with multiple medical conditions, those taking multiple medications, and those taking psychoactive medications, opioids, or anti-infective drugs.
Estimation de la règle de Taylor et identification de la politique monétaire

This paper assesses the joint behavior of the nominal interest rate and the inflation in a sticky prices model with exogenous money growth rule. Using a limited information estimation method, we identify and estimate the relation between the nominal interest rate and the expected inflation implied by the model. The estimated parameter is similar to the one obtained from actual data. This result casts doubt on the identification and estimation methods of the Taylor rule, when this rule is used as a guideline for the central bank to follow. However, if the Taylor rule is considered as a description of the monetary policy, our results suggest that the sticky prices model is able to account for the data. Classification JEL : E4, E5
Effects of the parasympathomimetic drug methacholine and its antagonist atropine on mucociliary activity.

The effect on the mucociliary (m.c.) activity of the parasympathomimetic drug methacholine and its antagonist atropine was studied with the aid of a newly developed animal test model, designed for evaluating the effect of pharmacological substances on the m.c. wave frequency. Methacholine i.a. (0.01-2 micrograms/kg) was found to give a dose-dependent acceleration of the m.c. wave frequency, and the threshold dose 0.03 +/- 0.02 (+/- S.D.) micrograms/kg is suggested to be within physiological limits. The anticholinergic drug atropine i.a. (0.05-0.5 mg/kg) did not influence the basal m.c. wave frequency, but a dose of 0.2 mg/kg reduced or abolished the responses to methacholine (0.05-2 micrograms/kg). These results indicate that the basal m.c. activity functions independently of parasympathetic activity in anesthetized animals, that parasympathomimetic drugs influence the m.c. activity and that the effects of these drugs can be reduced or blocked by atropine.
An Examination of the Influence of Hazard Experience on Wildfire Risk Perceptions and Adoption of Mitigation Measures

Previous experience with a hazard has been identified as influencing risk perception and adoption of adjustments. However, this relationship is not clear and may depend on the differences in experiences that may occur within a community. This article describes residents' wildfire experiences and explores how these experiences may influence risk perceptions and implementation of mitigation measures 1 year after the 2003 Lost Creek and McLure wildfires in western Canada. Interviews were conducted with 40 residents with different wildfire experiences, including losing their home, being evacuated, self-evacuating early, staying in their house during a wildfire, and being away from the area. Results suggest that differences in hazard experiences can impact post-event risk perceptions and adoption of mitigation measures. Management implications are discussed.
A novel optimization approach for revenue maximization in mobile data pricing

With the popularity of network utility, network pricing is becoming an emerging research hotspot. This paper studies the revenue maximization problem based on network utilization optimizing approach. In order to reduce the implemental complexity, we present a SG (Super Group) method whose time complexity is O(1) to regroup users. A precision control variable ε is introduced to control the group size. We then design a distribution related network resource reschedule scheme called RR (Resource Reschedule scheme) to optimize the network utilization. Two important factors, resource threshold and monitoring timeslot, which will affect the dynamic reschedule process were proposed and tested in the simulation experiment. After combining SG method and RR scheme, we make the pricing process faster and more practical. We also prove that our new approach can achieve the same or even more revenue gaining than original usage-based pricing scheme.