Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Lateral gene transfer of p‐cresol‐ and indole‐producing enzymes from environmental bacteria to Mastigamoeba balamuthi

p-Cresol and indole are volatile biologically active products of the bacterial degradation of tyrosine and tryptophan respectively. They are typically produced by bacteria in animal intestines, soil and various sediments. Here, we demonstrate that the free-living eukaryote Mastigamoeba balamuthi and its pathogenic relative Entamoeba histolytica produce significant amounts of indole via tryptophanase activity. Unexpectedly, M. balamuthi also produces p-cresol in concentrations that are bacteriostatic to non-p-cresol-producing bacteria. The ability of M. balamuthi to produce p-cresol, which has not previously been observed in any eukaryotic microbe, was gained due to the lateral acquisition of a bacterial gene for 4-hydroxyphenylacetate decarboxylase (HPAD). In bacteria, the genes for HPAD and the S-adenosylmethionine-dependent activating enzyme (AE) are present in a common operon. In M. balamuthi, HPAD displays a unique fusion with the AE that suggests the operon-mediated transfer of genes from a bacterial donor. We also clarified that the tyrosine-to-4-hydroxyphenylacetate conversion proceeds via the Ehrlich pathway. The acquisition of the bacterial HPAD gene may provide M. balamuthi a competitive advantage over other microflora in its native habitat.
Detection of sympathoadrenal discharge by parameterisation of skin conductance and ECG measurement

Detection of sympathoadrenal discharge is valuable for stress monitoring, but measuring the circulating adrenaline level directly is inconvenient, making non-invasive physiological sensors an attractive alternative. Little is known however, about their performance in detecting different adrenaline levels. In this study, adrenaline measurements over time from 20 subjects × 2 trials were compared with skin conductance (SC) from different skin sites and ECG recordings from which the heart rate and QT interval were derived. The frequency of sudomotor responses (FSR) was derived from the SC recording, and a new composite parameter for amplification of synchronous changes in multiple sensor signals was calculated for different combinations of FSR from different skin sites, heart rate and QT interval. The single and composite parameters were evaluated for detection performance of adrenaline levels above 1000, 1500 and 2000 pmol/L. The best prediction performance was indicated for the composite parameter using the FSR from the abdomen, FSR from the forehead and the heart rate, with a ROC area under the curve of 0.93 for the 2000 pmol/L threshold. In conclusion, detection of strong sympathoadrenal discharges is feasible with good accuracy during resting conditions in comfortable room temperature.
Evidence-based classification in paralympic sport: application to football-7-a-side

Paralympic Committee Classification Code, where the language of the International Classification of Functioning Disability and Health is used. Eligibility for is described in terms of impairment, and the aim of the system is to place athletes into classes according to the extent of activity limitation caused by their physical impairments. CPISRA Football permits the participation of athletes with with hypertonia, ataxia, and atetosis, and the should meet a minimum disability criteria to play football. Minimum disability criteria can be met if an athlete’s impairment causes sufficient activity limitation in the activity of interest (passing, running, change of direction, among others). Currently, class profiles provide guidance for classifiers during the appointment of players to appropriate classes. However, classes are differentiated from each other based on qualitative descriptions and there is still opportunity for individual interpretation which decreases consistency among classifiers. This paper review recent and current research in Paralympic athletes with hypertonia, athetosis and ataxia, and link research in two Paralympic sports, IPC athletics and football-7-a-side, for the development of evidence-based classification systems.
Early Biologic Treatment in Pediatric Crohn's Disease: Catching the Therapeutic Window of Opportunity in Early Disease by Treat-to-Target

The emergence of mucosal healing as a treatment goal that could modify the natural course of Crohn's disease and the accumulating evidence showing that biologics are most effective in achieving mucosal healing, along with the success of early treatment regimens for rheumatoid arthritis, have led to the identification of early Crohn's disease and development of the concept of catching the therapeutic window during the early disease course. Thus, an increasing number of pediatric gastroenterologists are adopting an early biologic treatment strategy with or without an immunomodulator. Although early biologic treatment is effective, cost and overtreatment are issues that limit its early use. Currently, there are insufficient data on who will benefit most from early biologics, as well as on who will not need early or even any biologics. For now, top-down biologics should be considered for patients with currently known high-risk factors of poor outcomes. For other patients, close, objective monitoring and accelerating the step-up process by means of a treat-to-target approach seems the best way to catch the therapeutic window in early pediatric Crohn's disease. The individual benefits of immunomodulator addition during early biologic treatment should be weighed against its risks and decision on early combination treatment should be made after comprehensive discussion with each patient and guardian.
Electrophysiology of smooth muscle of the small intestine of some mammals.

Intracellular recordings were made from cells located in the longitudinal, inner and outer circular muscle layers of the dog, cat, rabbit, opossum and human small intestine. In whole‐thickness preparations in all five species, longitudinal muscle cells generated slow waves and spikes. However, in isolated longitudinal muscle preparations, all cells tested were electrically silent. In whole‐thickness and in isolated preparations, cells in the inner circular muscle layer generated spontaneous spikes superimposed on slow potentials. However, the occurrence of spikes and slow potentials was more regular in whole‐thickness preparations. In whole‐thickness preparations, cells in the outer circular muscle layer generated slow waves which were coupled with phasic contractions. However, in isolated outer circular muscle preparations, all cells tested were electrically silent and spontaneous phasic contractions were absent. In whole‐thickness preparations, non‐neural cells located on the serosal side of the outer circular muscle layer generated slow waves. The data suggest that spontaneous slow waves of the small intestine of the dog, cat, rabbit, opossum and human are generated in non‐neural cells located between the longitudinal and outer circular muscle layer and by non‐neural cells located between the outer and inner circular muscle layers.
From edges to linear features: A PCA and graph based approach

Linear features such as line segments and contour fragments are important cues for object detection and scene analysis. Least square based and Hough-like approaches are quite popular and powerful. However, least square approaches are sensitive to outliers, and are unable to handle the case where there is more than one underlying line segment; while Hough-like approaches do not work well when extracting fragments which are not very ‘straight’. The goal of this work is to extract linear features locally in natural scenes using PCA and graph analysis. The whole process has five stages: first, for each local area, we create a graph using edge points as vertexes and distance measurements as links. Then, some edge-point sets which may contain underlying line segments are obtained by finding connected components in the graph; second, PCA is employed to estimate the existence of linear feature in each point set, and to compute the principal axis orientation; third, the relation between any two vertexes in each set is recalculated according to the principal axis orientation, and a new graph which only contains several trees is generated; fourth, one linear feature is detected by finding a best chain in each tree according to some criteria; fifth, all the line segments in the image are refined and organized according to global information.
A review of: ‘The Routledge handbook of tourism geographies’

explain how the tourism industry is being affected in general. The editors consider the investigation into social media use as a means to anticipate and explain a traveler’s online searches and decision-making processes. Among the topics covered are the intentions, skill requirements, and access opportunities for users and creators of social media (Chapter 14), and the issue of content and a user’s trust of it when making travel decisions (Chapters 17 and 18). The authors conclude that the relevance of social media as a new fixture of the tourism industry and “not a fad” suggests an entirely different landscape as to the production, consumption, and distribution of travel information. Chapter 15 points out this new reality of social media in the lives of contemporary societies by noting the Time magazine 2006 Person of the Year was “You”, the online user, and the associated empowerment to influence decision-making through use and creation of social media. Finally, Part 4 will be of interest to tourism firms to learn how to exploit social media for external marketing purposes as well as internal knowledge management strategies among employees. Chapter 21 presents lessons learned from a linguistic analysis of blog content by applying quantitative research methods to qualitative data. The final chapter presents results from a Social Media Monitoring analysis of 10 city destinations and discusses the results for London and New York in greater detail. The chapter concludes with a list of recommendations for the tourism industry, as well as a future agenda for suppliers and researches. This edited volume is of interest to tourism industry insiders and observers, including academics and graduate students in the fields of tourism management, marketing, and communications, who will find a considerable amount of information and ideas to assess and gauge current and projected trends of social marketing. While heavy on the applicability of social media for marketing purposes by the tourism industry, particularly for mass tourist destinations, a discussion of the role social media can have for communitybased or alternative niche tourism destinations is not addressed. This seemingly missed opportunity to include a chapter addressed to this sector of the tourism industry is a future research direction for consideration.
The OAuth 1.0 Protocol

OAuth provides a method for clients to access server resources on behalf of a resource owner (such as a different client or an end- user). It also provides a process for end-users to authorize third- party access to their server resources without sharing their credentials (typically, a username and password pair), using user- agent redirections. This document is not an Internet Standards Track specification; it is published for informational purposes.
Skalen und Scores zur Erfassung nicht motorischer Symptome beim Morbus Parkinson

Zusammenfassung Nicht motorische Symptome des idiopathischen Parkinson-Syndroms (IPS) werden im klinischen Alltag zu selten diagnostiziert und ungenügend therapiert. Mit dem Non-motor Symptoms Questionnaire (NMSQuest) und der Non-motor Symptoms Scale (NMSScale) stehen zwei Skalen zur Verfügung, mit denen ein Großteil der möglichen nicht motorischen Beschwerden erfasst werden können. Beim NMSQuest handelt es sich um eine kurze Screening-Liste zu nicht motorischen Symptomen, die im Wartezimmer von den Patienten ausgefüllt werden kann. Während der ärzt-lichen Konsultation kann der Untersucher gezielt auf die angekreuzten Symptome eingehen und diese mithilfe der NMSScale quantifizieren. Zur Evaluierung einzelner nicht motorischer Symptome stehen zusätzliche validierte Skalen zur Verfügung.
Optimization of input admissible traffic flow guaranteeing QoS

We propose an admission control method at edge nodes. This method aims at maximizing network throughput and calculates an input traffic limitation ratio at each edge node, which is used for admission control. Since the proposed method only uses input traffic volume information, it does not need to take into account the traffic matrix among edge nodes. Therefore, this method can be easily applied to actual networks in a practical way. We formulate a linear programming (LP) to solve the optimization problem of the input traffic limitation ratio of each node for any traffic matrix. This problem cannot be solved as it is, so we modify the LP problem by applying a duality theorem in the field of LP problems.
How Upward Moral Comparison Influences Prosocial Behavioral Intention: Examining the Mediating Role of Guilt and the Moderating Role of Moral Identity

Although it has been shown that exceptional good deeds exert influences on people's prosocial behavior and intention, we have known little about how common moral actions in our daily life. The present study aimed to examine how upward moral comparison influenced prosocial behavioral intention as well as to explore the mediating role of guilt and the moderating role of moral identity in the focal relationship. An experimental study was conducted with 162 Chinese undergraduates (103 women, 59 men) randomly assigned to an upward moral comparison condition, an upward competence comparison condition or a control condition. Results indicated that participants in the upward moral comparison condition experienced higher levels of guilt and exhibited stronger motivation to act prosocially, relative to participants in the other two conditions. That is to say, upward moral comparison induces guilty experience, and then increases people's prosocial behavioral intention. Moreover, we have found that moral identity internalization moderates the upward moral comparison-guilt relationship, and the indirect effect of upward moral comparison on prosocial behavioral intention via guilt. The implications of these findings were discussed.
cGMP-Dependent Protein Kinase I Is Crucial for Angiogenesis and Postnatal Vasculogenesis

Background Endothelium-derived nitric oxide plays an important role for the bone marrow microenvironment. Since several important effects of nitric oxide are mediated by cGMP-dependent pathways, we investigated the role of the cGMP downstream effector cGMP-dependent protein kinase I (cGKI) on postnatal neovascularization. Methodology/Principal Findings In a disc neovascularization model, cGKI−/− mice showed an impaired neovascularization as compared to their wild-type (WT) littermates. Infusion of WT, but not cGKI−/− bone marrow progenitors rescued the impaired ingrowth of new vessels in cGKI-deficient mice. Bone marrow progenitors from cGKI−/− mice showed reduced proliferation and survival rates. In addition, we used cGKIα leucine zipper mutant (LZM) mice as model for cGKI deficiency. LZM mice harbor a mutation in the cGKIα leucine zipper that prevents interaction with downstream signaling molecules. Consistently, LZM mice exhibited reduced numbers of vasculogenic progenitors and impaired neovascularization following hindlimb ischemia compared to WT mice. Conclusions/Significance Our findings demonstrate that the cGMP-cGKI pathway is critical for postnatal neovascularization and establish a new role for cGKI in vasculogenesis, which is mediated by bone marrow-derived progenitors.
Effects of blocking helper T cell induction in vivo with anti-Ia antibodies. Possible role of I-A/E hybrid molecules as restriction elements

To examine the role of Ia antigens in controlling T cell activation in vivo, unprimed (CBA X B6)F1 (H-2k X H-2b) T cells were positively selected to sheep erythrocytes (SRC) for 5 d in irradiated F1 mice in the presence of large doses of anti-Iak antibody. With selection in the presence of broad-spectrum anti-Iak antibody (A.TH anti-A.TL antiserum), the activated T cells were markedly reduced in their capacity to collaborate with either B10.BR (I-Ak I-Bk I-Jk I-Ek I-Ck) (kkkkk) or B10.A(4R) (kbbbb) B cells but gave good helper responses with B10 (bbbbb) and (B10 X B10.BR)F1 B cells. Because there was no evidence for suppression, these findings were taken to imply that the anti-Iak antibody bound to Ia determinants on radioresistant macrophagelike cells of F1 host origin and blocked the activation of the IGk-restricted subgroup of F1 T cells but did not affect activation of the Iab-restricted T cell subgroup. Analogous experiments in which F1 T cells were selected to SRC in F1 mice in the presence of monoclonal anti-I-Ak antibody gave different results. In this situation, the reduction in T cell help for Iak-bearing B cells applied to B10.A(4R) B cells but not to B10.BR B cells. With selection of F1 T cells in B10.A(4R) mice, by contrast, anti-I-Ak antibody blocked T cell help for both B10.A(4R) and B10.BR B cells. These data suggested that genes telomeric to the I-A subregion were involved in controlling T cell activation and T-B collaboration. Because no evidence could be found that I-B through I-C determinants per se could act as restrictions elements, the working hypothesis for the data is that Iak- restricted T cells consist of two subgroups of cells: one subgroup is restricted by I-A-encoded molecules, whereas the other is restricted by I-A/E hybrid molecules encoded by two separated genes situated in the I- A and I-E subregions, respectively. The notion that A/E hybrid molecules serve as restriction elements is in line with the findings of other workers that these molecules can act as alloantigens and control responses to certain antigens under double Ir gene control.
Mensurando moderações: uma pesquisa transcultural e comparativa no consumo de serviços entre brasileiros e canadenses

Este estudo tem como objetivo analisar os benefícios relacionais e seus consequentes em consumidores brasileiros e canadenses por meio da moderação de idiossincrasias culturais. O estudo compreendeu uma pesquisa descritiva de natureza quantitativa. A pesquisa de campo foi realizada junto a 297 brasileiros e 207 canadenses. Os dados foram submetidos a testes estatísticos por meio de MANOVA, correlação canônica e moderações no intuito de testar a técnica proposta. Houve ainda contribuições metodológicas por meio do desenvolvimento de scripts computacionais que apoiaram na identificação do poder e da direção de cada construto estudado nas regressões. Por meio de análises comparativas, há indícios de que os brasileiros são mais exigentes na avaliação de serviços. Por ainda serem culturalmente com maior distância do poder, pode-se indicar que lhes oferecer tratamentos especiais é um importante fator de elevação na satisfação com os empregados. Por outro lado, quando os canadenses recebem esses benefícios em oposição aos demais há um sentimento de que esses privilégios e “jeitinhos” não deveriam ser apenas a alguns, tornando a oferta do serviço desigual em uma sociedade mais igualitária. Os resultados poderão ser úteis no estreitamento de laços comerciais entre o Brasil e o Canadá.
Leisure and aging : theory and practice

The number and percent of older people in developed countries continue to grow, thanks to medical advances and decreases in fertility and mortality rates. And that means that tomorrow's recreation and leisure professionals will be more challenged than ever to meet the needs of an increasingly older culturally diverse population. "Leisure and Aging: Theory and Practice" provides students and professionals with a balanced perspective of current knowledge as it presents cutting-edge research from the fields of both gerontology and leisure studies. Written by authors from various disciplines who represent an international who's-who in leisure and aging research, this text - explores theories in leisure and aging; - bridges the gap between research and application, arming professionals with tools to navigate diverse cultures; and - offers insight into delivery of leisure services in older adult communities and long-term care environments. Each chapter features learning objectives, study questions, case studies, exercises, and relevant readings. The book is supplemented by online ancillaries, including an instructor guide, test package, and a presentation package with photos, illustrations, and tables from the text. Together, the text and online ancillaries help students connect theories and practice as they prepare for future roles in their chosen fields. "Leisure and Aging" is presented in five sections. Part I introduces global perspectives on leisure and aging, while part II examines the relevance of leisure in an aging context. Part III explores the effects of aging on physical, psychological, social, and spiritual well-being and health. Parts IV and V delve into the role of community in aging and leisure and long-term care and leisure. Written for undergraduate students, professors, and professionals in recreation, leisure, gerontology, and aging, "Leisure and Aging" provides a wealth of knowledge on various aspects of life for older people and the role of leisure in their lives. The text helps students think critically about a phase of life that seems remote from their own and provides perspective to their understanding of aging and leisure.
Face Mole Detection, Classification and Application

Do you have moles on face? Are the moles good or bad? We could treat this problem from medical, cosmetic, or even fortune applications viewpoint. Here, image processing techniques are investigated to detect and verify the goodness of face mole from fortune telling point of view. The process includes Voronoi diagram setup for sample moles, face mole detection, and mole recognition. In the first part, Voronoi diagram is used to partition the given sample mole-face into regions. In the second part, face detection and Laplacian of Gaussian is used to get the prominent features on face. Aspect ratio and area are two features for mole verification. At last, an algorithm is developed to warp the detected user moles to the sample mole-face by Thin-plate Spline Analysis for mole recognition. By using Voronoi diagram, the mole recognition spends only O(logn), where n is the number of given sample moles. The goodness of the recognized mole could be retrieved according to the stored information for fortune telling. The system was tested with 20 people and the mole recognition rate reached 91.25% which demonstrated the feasibility of the proposed system.
STOCHASTIC PROCEDURES FOR THE OPTIMAL SENSOR LOCATION IN CHEMICAL PLANTS

Regarding the stochastic solution schemes, techniques based on Genetic Algorithms (GAs) were proposed initially. Benqlilou et al. (2004) applied the GA toolbox of MATLAB program to solve the design and retrofit of reliable SNs, and Gerkens and Heyen (2005) presented two ways of parallelizing the classic GA to reduce the solution time. A hybrid procedure was developed by Carnero et al. (2005a) to minimize the instrumentation cost subject to precision constraints on key variables, which makes use of a structured population in the form of neighborhoods and a local optimizer of the best current solutions. Furthermore, Carnero et al. (2005b) developed a new design strategy within the framework of Tabu Search (TS), which uses a Strategic Oscillation Technique around the feasibility boundary (SOTS).