Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Arabidopsis LEAFY COTYLEDON2 induces maturation traits and auxin activity: Implications for somatic embryogenesis

LEAFY COTYLEDON2 (LEC2) is a central regulator of embryogenesis sufficient to induce somatic cells to form embryos when expressed ectopically. Here, we analyze the cellular processes induced by LEC2, a B3 domain transcription factor, that may underlie its ability to promote somatic embryogenesis. We show auxin-responsive genes are induced after LEC2 activation in seedlings. Genes encoding enzymes involved in auxin biosynthesis, YUC2 and YUC4, are activated within 1 h after induction of LEC2 activity, and YUC4 appears to be a direct transcriptional target of LEC2. We also show ectopic LEC2 expression induces accumulation of seed storage protein and oil bodies in vegetative and reproductive organs, events that normally occur during the maturation phase of embryogenesis. Furthermore, LEC2 activates seed protein genes before an increase in RNAs encoding LEC1 or FUS3 is observed. Thus, LEC2 causes rapid changes in auxin responses and induces cellular differentiation characteristic of the maturation phase. The relevance of these changes to the ability of LEC2 to promote somatic embryogenesis is discussed.
Factors Affecting International Tourists’ Perceived Service Quality and Return Intention—A Study in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

This research aimed to measure key factors affecting international tourists’ perceived service quality and their return intention towards Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. A quantitative method was used with structured questionnaire directly delivered to 1,673 tourists who had already visited or stayed in the city for more than three days. The empirical results of this study showed that recreation and entertainment had the strongest effect; other factors such as perceived service quality, culture, history and art, safety and security, local cuisine, negative attributes, perceived price, natural environment, and destination image also had positive effects on international tourists’ return intention. Conversely, infrastructure provided negative effect on tourists’ return intention.
A 100kV, IGBT switched, spark gap trigger generator

The lack of availability of small, fast, switches such as krytrons (e.g. EG&G KN 6) and thyratrons (e.g. E2V FX2530) makes the design of high voltage spark gap trigger units problematic. This paper will describe a 100kV trigger generator which is switched using a high voltage, high current IGBT switch module. A capacitor, charged up to 6kV, is discharged with the IGBT into the primary of a high gain autotransformer, the secondary of which is connected to the output of the generator. The transformer is wound with copper and mylar foils on to an amorphous metal glass core which is carefully gapped to avoid core saturation. One of the advantages of this all-solid-state generator is that it can easily be triggered by a TTL input pulse and the throughput delay and jitter of the generator is well characterised. Hence it is then very easy to synchronise a pulsed power system, triggered by this generator, to any diagnostic measurements that may need to be made. Output pulse rise-times from the trigger generator are ≥ 150 ns and a simple pulse sharpening circuit can be added to the output circuit of the pulse transformer which can reduce the rise-time to durations which are short enough to promote multi-channelling in rail-gaps. Basic circuit and transformer calculations are described which explain the trade-off between voltage gain from the primary to the secondary circuits of the transformer and the rise-time of the output pulse.
Shaping Destination Images through Social Networking Sites: A Case Study of Singapore

Abstract SNS, namely social networking sites, has become one of the most effective and fast channels of information diffusion and dissemination. As an influential way of online marketing, SNS has been increasingly used by tourism organizations and enterprises to shape their destination image. On the basis of previews literature of destination image and SNS, this paper used the text analysis software ROST Content Mining (ROST CM) System to do a case study of the SNS destination marketing of Singapore on Chinese market. The authors analyze the text related to Singapore tourism on the major SNS in mainland China: Renren, Sina Weibo, and Douban, through word frequency analysis and the social semantic network, to summarize the destination image of Singapore on SNS. The paper also focuses on the difference of image building by official and individual SNS. Results found by this paper can be used by the relevant tourism organizations and enterprises to improve their destination marketing and image building on SNS channels.
Cystone, an ayurvedic herbal drug imparts protection to the mice against the lethal effects of gamma-radiation: a preliminary study.

The effect of 5, 10, 20, 40, 60, 80, 100, 120, and 160 mg/kg body weight (b.wt.) of aqueous extract of cystone (an ayurvedic herbal medicine) administered intraperitoneally was studied on the radiation-induced mortality in mice exposed to 10 Gy of gamma-radiation. Treatment of mice with different doses of cystone, consecutively for five days before irradiation, delayed the onset of mortality and reduced the symptoms of radiation sickness when compared with the non-drug treated irradiated controls. The pretreatment of mice with different doses of cystone before exposure to 10 Gy of gamma-radiation resulted in a dose-dependent elevation in the survival up to 40 mg/kg b.wt. , where the highest number of survival (55.55%) was observed by 30 days post irradiation, when compared with the 10 Gy irradiated control (6.66%). Thereafter, the number of survivors declined and reached a nadir at 160 mg/kg, where no survivors could be observed. The optimum protection against irradiation was observed for 40 mg/kg cystone, where the highest number of survivors were reported by 30 days post irradiation and it was 8.34-fold greater than that of the irradiated control group.
Venom‐specific IgG antibodies in bee and wasp allergy: lack of correlation with protection from stings

This paper investigates the relationship between venom IgG levels and protection from stings. Venom‐specific IgG antibody levels have been measured by radioimmunoassay in untreated wasp‐ (n= 38) and bee‐allergic (n=16) patients presenting with systemic reactions to stings and in a sub‐group of these (wasp= 15; bee = 9), before and after the initial course of venom immunotherapy (VIT). A history was taken of all reactions, the last systemic reaction being graded on a scale of 1–8 and of the number and timing of stings. In untreated patients venom IgG levels were much higher in bee‐allergic patients (mean ± s.e. = 68.2 ± 7.1 % positive pool) than in the wasp group (27.1 ± 4.2%) (P< 0.05 Mann‐Whitney U‐test). There was a marked rise in venom IgG after the initial course of VIT in the wasp group (geometric mean and 95% confidence intervals = 40.5%, 28.8−54.3) but a much smaller rise in the bee group (15.3%, 6.6–24.1), with no overlap in the 95% confidence intervals. Bee patients, who were mainly beekeepers or their relatives, had been more heavily immunized with venom than wasp patients. They had received: (i) more stings (mean number of stings: bee, 26; wasp, 4; P< 0.001) and (ii) more stings per year. Wasp patients received their smaller number of stings over a much longer period, up to 40 yr. There was no correlation between the severity of the last systemic reaction and the venom IgG levels alone or venom IgG and IgE levels in combined analysis in either bee or wasp patients. This study shows that the pattern of IgG response differs in bee and wasp‐allergic subjects, and that most bee‐allergic subjects with systemic reactions have high levels of venom IgG. The degree of immunization with venom seems to be an important determinant of the venom IgG level. Our findings suggest thai venom‐specific IgG levels do not predict systemic reactions to stings and are not useful for monitoring VIT. If protection from stings is IgG‐mediated, our observations suggest that the relevant immune response is more complex, possibly involving IgG sub‐classes, IgG antibodies to individual venom antigens or antibody affinity, and not adequately reflected by measurement of the concentration of venom‐specific IgG.
Present Status and Future Direction of the Domestic Securities Industry

In recent years, the rate of return for the domestic securities industry has signifi cantly declined, which shows that Korean securities fiprofi tability from their brokerage-centered revenue structure has reached the limit. Furthermore, the industry has structural problems: The proportion of individual investors with high turnover has decreased in terms of their trading activities, and the average commission rate per trading volume has had steadily decreased. Hence, it would be tough for securities fi rms to signifi cantly improve their brokerage profi tability. Under the circumstances, they have a growing need to generate new revenues from investment banking and asset management. The size of the investment banking market can be expanded by large deals so securities fishould improve their information production capabilities, solidify the institutional investor network, and recruit knowledgeable human resources for greater profi tability in this segment. The asset management market is likely to grow based on the fi nancial assets of the middle class. Accordingly, securities fi rms should strive to enhance cost effi ciency and build customer confi dence to expand their asset management service and popularize investment advisory service.
Novel strategies to fight Candida species infection

Abstract In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the incidence of human fungal infections. The increase in cases of infection caused by Candida species, and the consequent excessive use of antimicrobials, has favored the emergence of resistance to conventional antifungal agents over the past decades. Consequently, Candida infections morbidity and mortality are also increasing. Therefore, new approaches are needed to improve the outcome of patients suffering from Candida infections, because it seems unlikely that the established standard treatments will drastically lower the morbidity of mucocutaneous Candida infections and the high mortality associated with invasive candidiasis. This review aims to present the last advances in the traditional antifungal therapy, and present an overview of novel strategies that are being explored for the treatment of Candida infections, with a special focus on combined antifungal agents, antifungal therapies with alternative compounds (plant extracts and essential oils), adjuvant immunotherapy, photodynamic therapy and laser therapy.
Genetic Dissection of Signal Transduction Mechanisms Underlying PACAP‐like Neuropeptide Transmission in Drosophila: Synergy of cAMP and Ras/Raf Pathways a

Activation of intracellular signaling pathways appears to be one of the primary molecular mechanisms for mediating neuronal Therefore, an understanding of the signal transduction mechanisms activated by neurotransmitters or neuromodulators is essential to gain insights into nervous system function. Much work has been directed toward studying the roles of the cAMP and phosphoinositides pathways since a large number of neurotransmitters are known to activate these two pathways. Upon ligand binding, the transmitter receptors interact with heterotrimeric G proteins, allowing Ga and GPy subunits to disengage. The Ga subunit is well known to regulate the activity of adenylyl cyclase or phospholipase C, which then leads to modulation of activities of ionic channels via cAMP or IPS and diacylgroceral second messenger-dependent mechanisms. In addition to this classic understanding of signal-transduction mechanisms underlying neurotransmission, recent progress has indicated that the GPy complex is also actively involved in mediation of neurotransmitter action^. ^. ^ In particular, the GPy subunit complex activated by muscarinic or neuropeptide receptors has been shown to stimulate the small guanine-nucleotide-binding protein Ras, leading to activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). ’ This result has raised the possibility that the Ras/MAP kinase pathway might be more generally involved in neurotransmission or neuromodulation. Ras proteins have emerged as a key component of signal-transduction pathways, which can be activated by a wide range of factors, such as growth factors, stress, membrane depolarization,”* in addition to G-protein-coupled receptors. Activated Ras can then initiate several signal-transduction pathways9 Sequential activation of
The revolution will be prosthetized

It¿s October at Duke University, in Durham, N.C. , and Jonathan Kuniholm is playing ¿air guitar hero,¿ a variation on Guitar Hero, the Nintendo Wii game that lets you try to keep up with real musicians using a vaguely guitarlike controller. But the engineer is playing without a guitar. More to the point, he¿s playing without his right hand, having lost it in Iraq in 2005. Instead he works the controller by contracting the muscles in his forearm, creating electrical impulses that electrodes then feed into the game. After about an hour he beats the high score set by Robert Armiger, a two¿armed Johns Hopkins University engineer who modified Guitar Hero to train amputees to use their new prostheses.
Need-based requirements change management

Many changes of system requirements can be continuously proposed during the life cycle of the system. Those continuous changes of system requirements can cause many kinds of difficult and costly errors throughout the whole life cycle of a system and make most of the requirements engineering methods practically useless. An effective approach to manage requirements changes is therefore necessary for successful system development in practice. The paper suggests the NRM (Need-based Requirements Management) model and a practical approach, NRM process, constructed on the NRM model to efficiently manage such continuous changes of system requirements. The NRM model has an ability to define the system requirements in 4W (Where, Who, Why, What) aspects, so that system analysts can understand the requirements accurately, although general system requirements analysis methods define them in only 2W (Who What) aspects. The NRM process, which mainly consists of V&V (verification and validation) activities, continuously watches requirement changes throughout the whole system life cycle.
Effect of metformin and rosiglitazone combination therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a randomized controlled trial.

CONTEXT Most antidiabetic agents target only 1 of several underlying causes of diabetes. The complementary actions of the antidiabetic agents metformin hydrochloride and rosiglitazone maleate may maintain optimal glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes; therefore, their combined use may be indicated for patients whose diabetes is poorly controlled by metformin alone. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy of metformin-rosiglitazone therapy in patients whose type 2 diabetes is inadequately controlled with metformin alone. DESIGN Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial from April 1997 and March 1998. SETTING Thirty-six outpatient centers in the United States. PATIENTS Three hundred forty-eight patients aged 40 to 80 years with a mean fasting plasma glucose level of 12.0 mmol/L (216 mg/dL), a mean glycosylated hemoglobin level of 8.8%, and a mean body mass index of 30.1 kg/m2 were randomized. INTERVENTIONS Patients were assigned to receive 2.5 g/d of metformin plus placebo (n = 116); 2.5 g/d of metformin plus 4 mg/d of rosiglitazone (n = 119); or 2.5 g/d of metformin and 8 mg/d of rosiglitazone (n = 113) for 26 weeks. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Glycosylated hemoglobin levels, fasting plasma glucose levels, insulin sensitivity, and beta-cell function, compared between baseline and week 26, by treatment group. RESULTS Glycosylated hemoglobin levels, fasting plasma glucose levels, insulin sensitivity, and beta-cell function improved significantly with metformin-rosiglitazone therapy in a dose-dependent manner. The mean levels of glycosylated hemoglobin decreased by 1.0% in the 4 mg/d metformin-rosiglitazone group and by 1.2% in the 8 mg/d metformin-rosiglitazone group and fasting plasma glucose levels by 2.2 mmol/L (39.8 mg/dL) and 2.9 mmol/L (52.9 mg/dL) compared with the metformin-placebo group (P<.001 for all). Of patients receiving 8 mg/d of metformin-rosiglitazone, 28.1% achieved a glycosylated hemoglobin level of 7% or less [corrected]. Dose-dependent increases in body weight and total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were observed (P<.001 for both rosiglitazone groups vs placebo). The proportion of patients reporting adverse experiences was comparable across all groups. CONCLUSIONS Our data suggest that combination treatment with once-daily metformin-rosiglitazone improves glycemic control, insulin sensitivity, and beta-cell function more effectively than treatment with metformin alone.
The Trustworthiness Metric Model of Software Process Quality Based-On Life Circle

Through analyzing basic characters of software process, from three dimensions: software process products, software process actions and software entities, this paper establishes the measurement indicators system of software process quality trustworthiness, and introduces the measurement model of software process trustworthiness. Instances studies show the model can not only evaluate the trustworthy degree of software process quality, but also identify potential risk factors in software developing process, and provide trusted decision-making reference for avoiding risk of projects and improving product quality.
The application of maximum likelihood factor analysis (MLFA) with uniqueness constraints on dynamic cardiac microPET data

A maximum likelihood framework for factor analysis (MLFA) of dynamic images was developed. This framework allows for the introduction of weighting factors to account for the differences in signal-to-noise ratio and frame durations in the dynamic images. An efficient iterative algorithm was developed to solve the maximum likelihood problem with non-negativity constraint embedded inside the iteration loop. To address the non-uniqueness issue, blood samples as well as two different constraint strategies were employed to resolve ambiguities in the time activity curves (TAC) and factor images. Four weighting mechanisms were implemented and the algorithms were thoroughly tested using simulation studies at different signal-to-noise ratios and with different kinetic parameter realizations. In addition, rodent dynamic cardiac FDG microPET datasets were used for further validation of our algorithms. It was demonstrated that with appropriate constraints, our MLFA approach is capable of generating accurate blood input function and pure tissue TACs. The MLFA algorithm with an accompanying graphical user interface (GUI) is available at http://www.chempet. wustl.edu/faculty/shoghik.
The adolescent as hypnotist: hypnosis and self-hypnosis with adolescent psychiatric inpatients.

Abstract This paper describes the theoretical rationale, pragmatic implementation issues, and procedure for a particular technique of clinical hypnosis which is designed as an adjunctive therapy within a multidisciplinary adolescent inpatient treatment program. A model of combined auto- and heterohypnosis which features collaborative production of audiocassettes is presented. Advantages and indications for this technique are discussed, and a case study is presented.
Adhesion formation can be reduced by the suppression of transforming growth factor‐β1 activity

Surgery or trauma often results in restrictive adhesions around joints or tendons that cause severe functional impairment. The formation of adhesion is essentially a fibrogenetic process; therefore, peptide growth factors, such as transforming growth factor‐β, are assumed to play central roles in its development. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that suppression of transforming growth factor‐β1 activity reduces adhesion formation. Sixty rabbits were prepared and randomly divided into six groups of 10. Intraarticular adhesions were created in the right knee joints by cortical bone shaving and subsequent cast immobilization for 4 weeks. In animals in three of the six groups, transforming growth factor‐β1 activity was suppressed by continuous administration of the neutralizing antibody in three graded doses; animals in the other three groups were used as controls. Four weeks after the surgery, the casts were removed and the adhesions were assessed macroscopically, histologically, biomechanically, and biochemically. Gross observation showed that the neutralizing antibody had suppressed adhesion formation in a dose‐dependent manner. This is consistent with biomechanical measurement results demonstrating that the antibody reduced the flexion contractures. Histologically, the adhesion in our model was fibrous tissue and the adhesions in the animals in the antibody groups were thin and loose in comparison with the controls. Biochemical analyses further supported these results, demonstrating that administration of the antibody reduced collagen content in the adhesions with a predominance of type‐I collagen. Thus, this study showed that suppression of the actions of transforming growth factor‐β1 reduced adhesion formation. Considering the various possible measures to control the activity of the growth factor, suppression of transforming growth factor‐β may be a novel, potent approach to preventing adhesions.
Developing Albanian Tourism

This paper examines the development pattern of Albania’s tourism and the effect that this industry will have in the country’s economic development. I will attempt to demonstrate that tourism is an indispensable industry in the developing countries like Albania furthermore if it develops through a precise strategy with the government and other institutional support it can contribute to the development of the country. Firstly I will give a general overview of this industry and its capabilities which are relevant in understanding Albania’s tourism and its actual situation. In the second part I will describe the strategy that will be implemented by the Albanian government in the tourism sector until 2021 and analyze its overall contribution to this industry. DOI: 10.5901/ajis.2016. v5n3s1p279
Measures of Psychological Acculturation: A Review

This article reviews conceptual and methodological issues in the measurement of psychological acculturation. The major issues involve the question of dimensionality and the assessment of specific domains of cultural change. Bidimensional scales that cover both overt and internal domains are more informative for the assessment of general levels of psychological acculturation. The validity of such scales must be examined in terms of the actual exposure of individuals to and involvement in each culture, and the influence of sociocultural factors on the course of acculturation. The parallel application of qualitative and quantitative methods may be useful for validity studies. The complementary use of emic and etic approaches will enhance the psychometric soundness of acculturation scales.