Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Specific Competitive Antagonist of the Vascular Action of Angiotensin II

The effect of 1-Asn-8-Ala-angiotensin II (Asn-Arg-Val-Tyr-Val-His-Pro-Ala) on the vascular action of angiotensin II was studied with rabbit aortic strips, pithed rats, and conscious rats. Dose-response (contraction) curves for angiotensin II on rabbit aortic strips shifted progressively to the right with increasing bath concentrations of 1-Asn-8-Ala-angiotensin II. The pA2 value (an indication of the relative affinity of a competitive antagonist for an agonist's receptor site) was 6.84 ± 0.03. Dose-response curves for norepinephtine, serotonin, and histamine were relatively unaffected. No pA3 values could be obtained with these agonists in the concentration range tested. Partial dose-response (pressor) curves for angiotensin II in pithed rats shifted to the right during infusions of 1-Asn-8-Ala-angiotensin II at 20 and 60 μg/kg min−1 Partial dose-response curves for vasopressin, phenylephririe, and tyramine were unaffected. Infusions of 1-Asn-8-Ala-angiotensin II counteracted the pressor effect of angiotensin II infusions in pithed and conscious rats. Infusions of 1-Asn-8-Ala-angiotensin II (200 μ/ kg min−1) effective in reducing the blood pressure of conscious angiotensin II-infused rats caused only small pressor effects in conscious normotensive rats but reduced the blood pressure in 75% of the conscious rats with acute unilateral renal hypertension. The data presented are consistent with the conclusion that 1-Asn-8-Ala-angiotensin II is a specific competitive antagonist of the vascular action of angiotensin II both in vitro and in vivo.
Changing paradigms in corporate governance: new cycles and new responsibilities

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to trace the evolution of corporate governance through a series of changing paradigms in response to wider transformations in the political economy, business and society. The different eras of governance, and the dominant theoretical and practical paradigms are highlighted. In a context where the adequacy of the dominant paradigms of corporate governance is increasingly challenged, the search for coherent new paradigms is a vital task in corporate governance. Design/methodology/approach – This paper is a conceptual analysis of evolving paradigms in corporate governance. Findings – To meet the imminent challenge of social and environmental sustainability in a post-carbon economy, further rethinking of corporate purpose, corporate governance and directors duties will be essential. This sustainability revolution has only just commenced, but in the course of the twenty-first century, it will transform both business and society. Research limitations/implications – The imp.
Dbl and Vav mediate transformation via mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways that are distinct from those activated by oncogenic Ras

Vav and Dbl are members of a novel class of oncogene proteins that share significant sequence identity in a approximately 250-amino-acid domain, designated the Dbl homology domain. Although Dbl functions as a guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) and activator of Rho family proteins, recent evidence has demonstrated that Vav functions as a GEF for Ras proteins. Thus, transformation by Vav and Dbl may be a consequence of constitutive activation of Ras and Rho proteins, respectively. To address this possibility, we have compared the transforming activities of Vav and Dbl with that of the Ras GEF, GRF/CDC25. As expected, GRF-transformed cells exhibited the same reduction in actin stress fibers and focal adhesions as Ras-transformed cells. In contrast, Vav- and Dbl-transformed cells showed the same well-developed stress fibers and focal adhesions observed in normal or RhoA(63L)-transformed NIH 3T3 cells. Furthermore, neither Vav- or Dbl-transformed cells exhibited the elevated levels of Ras-GTP (60%) observed with GRF-transformed cells. Finally, GRF, but not Vav or Dbl, induced transcriptional activation from Ras-responsive DNA elements (ets/AP-1, fos promoter, and kappa B). However, like Ras- and GRF-transformed cells, both Vav- and Dbl-transformed cells exhibited constitutively activated mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) (primarily p42MAPK/ERK2). Since kinase-deficient forms of p42MAPK/ERK2 and p44MAPK/ERK1 inhibited Dbl transformation, MAPK activation may be an important component of its transforming activity. Taken together, our observations indicate that Vav and Dbl transformation is not a consequence of Ras activation and instead may involve the constitutive activation of MAPKs.
High cost of high school football injuries

This study examines year-to-year (1965, 1976 to 1977) and state-to-state (six western United States) cost variations in relation to injury site, severity, and repetition of high school football injuries. Data were collected from the files of the largest single insurer of secondary school students in these states. Analysis was made through a specially programmed Qantel 1300 computer. The average claim cost in 1965 was $34.72, in 1976 was $149.93, and, in 1977, it was $177.95. The average cost was lowest in Utah and highest in California. In the 1976 to 1977 season, 3,501 claims from 15, 252 players were reported. Over 25% of the claims filed were from players who had more than come claim per season. Relatively minor injuries (sprains, strains, contusions, and abrasions) accounted for 72.3% of all injuries but only 42.4% of medical costs. Lower extremity injuries accounted for one-third of the injuries and one-half of the costs. Knee injuries alone accounted for 12.7% of all injuries and 31.8% of all medical costs paid by the insurance company. It is proposed that trainers and coaches not only know how to care for minor injuries but also that they are more rigid in their criteria for fitness, agility, stamina, and psychologic factors so that players predisposed to injury and repeated injuries will not contribute to the escalating medical costs of high school football injuries.
PRÁTICAS COTIDIANAS E O FAZER ESTRATÉGIA NA KAIRÓS: NOTAS PARA ESTUDOS ALTERNATIVOS

This article aims to describe, analytically, some practices inherent in the daily construction of organizational strategy in a foreign trade company. In order to accomplish such a task, it was adopted the approach of strategy as social practice or “strategizing” (WHITTINGTON, 1996; JARZABKOWSKI; WILSON, 2002; JARZABKOWSKI, 2005 et al.). This approach is characterized by a concert with the social interaction of individuals within a given organization as well as how they “build” organizational strategies from everyday practices. In this manner, it was adopted a position that acknowledges that strategy making in organizations can only exist and be comprehended through the recovery of social practices experienced in the daily organizational practices (DENIS; LANGLEY; ROULEAU, 2007). The empirical research was carried out as a case study within an organization labeled as “Kairos”. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews with thirty-one employees and submitted to a thematic content analysis (BARDIN, 2009; MINAYO, 2012). As a result it was observed that organizational strategies are developed daily, through social practices that reinforce specific social logics that can retract or reinforce the advancement of own strategy desired by the organization in searching results. Finally, this article, from the very limitation of the study, presents a proposal to conduct further studies related to the theme of the strategy practice from the approach called Practice Based Studies and the idea of ​​practicing (GHERARDI, 2009; ANTONACOPOULOU, 2008).
Accurate and efficient lighting for skinned models

In the context of real‐time, GPU‐based rendering of animated skinned meshes, we propose a new algorithm to compute surface normals with minimal overhead both in terms of the memory footprint and the required per‐vertex operations. By accounting for the variation of the skinning weights over the surface, we achieve a higher visual quality compared to the standard approximation ubiquitously used in video‐game engines and other real‐time applications. Our method supports Linear Blend Skinning and Dual Quaternion Skinning. We demonstrate the advantages of our technique on a variety of datasets and provide a complete open‐source implementation, including GLSL shaders.
Anxiety sensitivity.

Contents: S. Rachman, Foreword. Preface. Part I:Conceptual Foundations. R.J. McNally, Theoretical Approaches to the Fear of Anxiety. S. Taylor, I.C. Fedoroff, The Expectancy Theory of Fear, Anxiety, and Panic: A Conceptual and Empirical Analysis. S. Reiss, The Sensitivity Theory of Aberrant Motivation. Part II:Psychometric Foundations. R.A. Peterson, K. Plehn, Measuring Anxiety Sensitivity. R.E. Zinbarg, J. Mohlman, N.N. Hong, Dimensions of Anxiety Sensitivity. B.J. Cox, S.C. Borger, M.W. Enns, Anxiety Sensitivity and Emotional Disorders: Psychometric Studies and Their Theoretical Implications. S.O. Lilienfeld, Anxiety Sensitivity and the Structure of Personality. Part III:New Research on Basic Mechanisms: Causes and Consequences of Anxiety Sensitivity. R.J. McNally, Anxiety Sensitivity and Information-Processing Biases for Threat. M.B. Stein, R.M. Rapee, Biological Aspects of Anxiety Sensitivity: Is It All in the Head? N.B. Schmidt, Prospective Evaluations of Anxiety Sensitivity. Part IV:New Directions in Anxiety Sensitivity Research. W.K. Silverman, C.F. Weems, Anxiety Sensitivity in Children. G.J.G. Asmundson, Anxiety Sensitivity and Chronic Pain: Empirical Findings, Clinical Implications, and Future Directions. S.H. Stewart, S.B. Samoluk, A.B. MacDonald, Anxiety Sensitivity and Substance Use and Abuse. M.W. Otto, N.A. Reilly-Harrington, The Impact of Treatment on Anxiety Sensitivity. Part V:Conclusions. S. Taylor, B. Rabian, I.C. Fedoroff, Anxiety Sensitivity: Progress, Prospects, and Challenges.
Genetic Evidence of Expansion by Passive Transport of Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti in Eastern Argentina

Fil: Diaz Nieto, Leonardo Martin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnologico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones En Biodiversidad y Biotecnologia; Argentina. Fundacion para Investigaciones Biologicas Aplicadas; Argentina
Sliding mode control of periodic discrete-time linear systems with saturating actuators and input disturbances

Abstract This paper proposes the use of a time-varying sliding surface for robust transient shaping of periodic linear discrete-time plants subject to saturating actuators, in the presence of bounded matched uncertainties. A constructive procedure is presented, ultimate boundedness of state trajectories is proved and a result about the choice of tuning parameters for robust transient shaping is given.
Molecular Evidence for the Broad Distribution of Anaerobic Ammonium-Oxidizing Bacteria in Freshwater and Marine Sediments

ABSTRACT Previously available primer sets for detecting anaerobic ammonium-oxidizing (anammox) bacteria are inefficient, resulting in a very limited database of such sequences, which limits knowledge of their ecology. To overcome this limitation, we designed a new primer set that was 100% specific in the recovery of ∼700-bp 16S rRNA gene sequences with >96% homology to the “Candidatus Scalindua” group of anammox bacteria, and we detected this group at all sites studied, including a variety of freshwater and marine sediments and permafrost soil. A second primer set was designed that exhibited greater efficiency than previous primers in recovering full-length (1,380-bp) sequences related to “Ca. Scalindua,” “Candidatus Brocadia,” and “Candidatus Kuenenia. ” This study provides evidence for the widespread distribution of anammox bacteria in that it detected closely related anammox 16S rRNA gene sequences in 11 geographically and biogeochemically diverse freshwater and marine sediments.
Towards Identifying Frequent Items in Sliding Windows

Queries that return a list of frequently occurring items are popular in the analysis of data streams such as real-time Internet traÆc logs. While several results exist for computing frequent item queries using limited memory in the in nite stream model, none have been extended to the limited-memory sliding window model, which considers only the last N items that have arrived at any given time and forbids the storage of the entire window in memory. We present several algorithms for identifying frequent items in sliding windows, both under arbitrary distributions and assuming that each window conforms to a multinomial distribution. The former is a straightforward extension of existing algorithms and is shown to work well when tested on real-life TCP traÆc logs. Our algorithms for the multinomial distribution are shown to outperform classical inference based on random sampling from the sliding window, but lose their accuracy as predictors of item frequencies when the underlying distribution is not multinomial.
Code generation in VUML profile: A model driven approach

VUML is a view-based analysis/design method offering a formalism (UML profile) and a process to model software systems through objects and views. The main extension to UML is the multiview class whose goal is to store and deliver information according to the user's viewpoint. VUML supports the dynamic change of viewpoints and offers mechanisms to describe view dependencies. On the semantics side, the VUML meta-model extends the UML one with OCL rules. VUML proposes also a generic implementation pattern to generate the object code corresponding to a VUML class diagram. The proposed pattern uses delegation, handle technique and polymorphism to implement views. In this paper, we present a model driven implementation of this pattern, which integrates the multi-user aspect and supports Java language. We propose a code generation technique that respects the pattern and uses the MDA approach. We specify transformations as a collection of rules implemented in ATL. The proposal is illustrated by a simple example.
A study on load balancing in cloud computing environment using evolutionary and swarm based algorithms

Literature meaning of cloud computing is distributed computing, storing, sharing and accessing data over the Internet. It provides a pool of shared resources to the users available on the basis of pay as you go service, means users pay only for those services which are used by him according to their access times. The data processing and storage amount is increasing quickly day by day in cloud environment. This leads to an uneven distribution of overall work on cloud resources. So a proper balance of overall load over the available resources is a major issue in cloud computing paradigm. Load balancing ensures that no single node will be overloaded and used to distribute workload among multiple nodes. It helps to improve system performance and proper utilization of resources. It also minimizes the time and cost involved in such big computing models. Load balancing and better resource utilization is provided by many existing algorithms. To overcome load balancing problem this paper provides a summary of evolutionary and swarm based algorithms which will help to overcome such problem in different environment of cloud.
LQ robust controllers for polynomially uncertain systems

This paper is concerned with the LQ optimal robust control of discrete-time LTI systems with uncertainties belonging to a semi-algebraic set. Given a prescribed cost function, the problem of designing a gain-scheduled static controller, whose gain depends polynomially on the uncertain parameters is formulated as a SOS problem. This indeed requires solving two hierarchies of SDP problems, which may in turn introduce high computational burden, and hence complicate the optimal robust controller design. To bypass this barrier, an alternative approach is developed which is much less involved, at the cost of obtaining a near-optimal controller (as opposed to an optimal one). The efficacy of this work is elucidated in two numerical examples.
The Role of Tryptophans 371 and 395 in the Binding of Antibiotics and the Transport of Sugars by the D-Galactose-H+ Symport Protein (GalP) from Escherichia coli(*)

The interactions between the D-galactose-H+ symporter (GalP) from Escherichia coli and the inhibitory antibiotics, cytochalasin B and forskolin, and the substrates, D-galactose and H+, have been investigated for the wild-type protein and the mutants Trp-371 →Phe and Trp-395 → Phe, so that the roles of these residues in the structure-activity relationship could be assessed. Neither mutation prevented photolabeling by either [4-3H]cytochalasin B or by 3-[125I]iodo-4-azidophenethylamido-7-O-succinyldesacetylforskolin ([125I]APS-forskolin). However, measurements of protein fluorescence show that both residues are in structural domains, the conformations of which are perturbed by the binding of cytochalasin B or forskolin. Moreover, both mutations cause a substantial decrease in the affinity of the inward-facing site of the GalP protein for cytochalasin B, 10- and 43-fold, respectively, but have little effect upon the affinity of this site for forskolin, 0.8- and 2.6-fold reductions, respectively. Both these mutations change the equilibrium between the putative outward- (T1) and inward-facing (T2) conformations, so that the inward-facing form is more favored. They also stabilize a different conformational state, “T3-antibiotic,” in which the initial interactions between the protein and antibiotics are tightened. Overall, this has the effect of compensating for the reduction in affinity for cytochalasin B, so that the respective overall K>d values are 0.74- and 3.5-fold that of the wild type, while causing a slight increase, 1.5- and 3.2-fold, respectively, in affinity of the mutants for forskolin. The Trp-371 →Phe mutation causes a 15-fold reduction in the affinity of the inward-facing site for D-galactose, suggesting that this residue forms part of the sugar binding site. In contrast, the Trp-395 →Phe mutation has no effect upon the affinity of the inward-facing site for D-galactose. These effects may be related to the reduction in galactose-H+ symport activity only in the Trp-371 →Phe mutant, although it still effects active transport to the same extent as the Trp395 →Phe mutant. However, there is a 10-20-fold increase in the Kmvalues for energized transport of D-galactose for both mutants.
Comparing content and input redirection in MDEs

Designers of Multi-Display Environments (MDEs) often use input redirection to allow users to manipulate content on multiple displays with a single interaction device, but users seated at sub-optimal positions (i.e., not facing the display) may find interaction difficult or frustrating. In collaborative MDEs, users should be able to choose their preferred collaborative arrangement, rather than adjusting to the limitations of the technology. We compare content and input redirection from a variety of seating positions in an MDE. Results from our studies show that content redirection does not suffer from performance loss in sub-optimal seating positions, as opposed to input redirection, which does. Content redirection provides a method for all members of a group to interact with shared content regardless of their position relative to a shared display.
Identification of Novel Sinorhizobium meliloti Mutants Compromised for Oxidative Stress Protection and Symbiosis

ABSTRACT Employing a novel two-part screen, we identified Sinorhizobium meliloti mutants that were both sensitive to hydrogen peroxide and symbiotically defective on the host plant Medicago sativa. The mutations affect a wide variety of cellular processes and represent both novel and previously identified genes important in symbiosis.
A Modern Application of Hedonics for Valuing Irrigation

Julia Beckhusen and Jeffrey D. Mullen Julia Beckhusen is a graduate student in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, University of Georgia. Jeffrey D. Mullen is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, University of Georgia. Corresponding Author Julia Beckhusen Dept. of Agricultural and Applied Economics University of Georgia Athens, GA 30606 (706) 542-0854 (706) 542-0739 Fax juliabb@uga.edu
Quantifying uncertainty in climate change science through empirical information theory

Quantifying the uncertainty for the present climate and the predictions of climate change in the suite of imperfect Atmosphere Ocean Science (AOS) computer models is a central issue in climate change science. Here, a systematic approach to these issues with firm mathematical underpinning is developed through empirical information theory. An information metric to quantify AOS model errors in the climate is proposed here which incorporates both coarse-grained mean model errors as well as covariance ratios in a transformation invariant fashion. The subtle behavior of model errors with this information metric is quantified in an instructive statistically exactly solvable test model with direct relevance to climate change science including the prototype behavior of tracer gases such as CO2. Formulas for identifying the most sensitive climate change directions using statistics of the present climate or an AOS model approximation are developed here; these formulas just involve finding the eigenvector associated with the largest eigenvalue of a quadratic form computed through suitable unperturbed climate statistics. These climate change concepts are illustrated on a statistically exactly solvable one-dimensional stochastic model with relevance for low frequency variability of the atmosphere. Viable algorithms for implementation of these concepts are discussed throughout the paper.
Graft Transmission of a Floral Stimulant Derived from CONSTANS1

Photoperiod in plants is perceived by leaves and in many species influences the transition to reproductive growth through long-distance signaling. CONSTANS (CO) is implicated as a mediator between photoperiod perception and the transition to flowering in Arabidopsis. To test the role of CO in long-distance signaling, CO was expressed from a promoter specific to the companion cells of the smallest veins of mature leaves. This expression in tissues at the inception of the phloem translocation stream was sufficient to accelerate flowering at the apical meristem under noninductive (short-day) conditions. Grafts that conjoined the vegetative stems of plants with different flower-timing phenotypes demonstrated that minor-vein expression of CO is able to substitute for photoperiod in generating a mobile flowering signal. Our results suggest that a CO-derived signal(s), or possibly CO itself, fits the definition of the hypothetical flowering stimulant, florigen.
Measures of Clustering Quality: A Working Set of Axioms for Clustering

Aiming towards the development of a general clustering theory, we discuss abstract axiomatization for clustering. In this respect, we follow up on the work of Kleinberg, ([1]) that showed an impossibility result for such axiomatization. We argue that an impossibility result is not an inherent feature of clustering, but rather, to a large extent, it is an artifact of the specific formalism used in [1]. As opposed to previous work focusing on clustering functions, we propose to address clustering quality measures as the object to be axiomatized. We show that principles like those formulated in Kleinberg's axioms can be readily expressed in the latter framework without leading to inconsistency. A clustering-quality measure (CQM) is a function that, given a data set and its partition into clusters, returns a non-negative real number representing how strong or conclusive the clustering is. We analyze what clustering-quality measures should look like and introduce a set of requirements (axioms) for such measures. Our axioms capture the principles expressed by Kleinberg's axioms while retaining consistency. We propose several natural clustering quality measures, all satisfying the proposed axioms. In addition, we analyze the computational complexity of evaluating the quality of a given clustering and show that, for the proposed CQMs, it can be computed in polynomial time.