Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sequencing single-stranded libraries on the Illumina NextSeq 500 platform

Single-stranded libraries generated from ancient DNA extracts have specific sequencing requirements. The short library molecules typically associated with ancient DNA templates are expected to behave differently during the annealing to the flow cell and subsequent cluster generation (bridge PCR), requiring optimisation of loading amounts to obtain optimal and consistent cluster densities. For the past 3 years, we have carried out sequencing of single-stranded libraries on the Illumina NextSeq 500 sequencing platform at the Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam. We report our optimisations here. This document may be useful for other researchers wishing to sequence single-stranded libraries on the NextSeq 500 platform. It does not replace the excellent documentation provided by Illumina (links provided below), but rather serves as additional information specific to single-stranded libraries. The original papers describing the library protocol should also be studied in detail, and complement the information presented here.
Renal Artery Aneurysms: A 35-Year Clinical Experience With 252 Aneurysms in 168 Patients

ObjectiveTo define the relevance of treating renal artery aneurysms (RAAs) surgically. Summary Background DataMost prior definitions of the clinical, pathologic, and management features of RAAs have evolved from anecdotal reports. Controversy surrounding this clinical entity continues. MethodsA retrospective review was undertaken of 168 patients (107 women, 61 men) with 252 RAAs encountered over 35 years at the University of Michigan Hospital. Aneurysms were solitary in 115 patients and multiple in 53 patients. Bilateral RAAs occurred in 32 patients. Associated diseases included hypertension (73%), renal artery fibrodysplasia (34%), systemic atherosclerosis (25%), and extrarenal aneurysms (6.5%). Most RAAs were saccular (79%) and noncalcified (63%). The main renal artery bifurcation was the most common site of aneurysms (60%). RAAs were often asymptomatic (55%), with a diagnosis made most often during arteriographic study for suspected renovascular hypertension (42%). ResultsSurgery was performed in 121 patients (average RAA size 1.5 cm), including 14 patients undergoing unilateral repair with contralateral RAA observation. The remaining 47 patients (average RAA size 1.3 cm) were not treated surgically. Operations included aneurysmectomy and angioplastic renal artery closure or segmental renal artery reimplantation, aneurysmectomy and renal artery bypass, and planned nephrectomy for unreconstructable renal arteries or advanced parenchymal disease. Eight patients underwent unplanned nephrectomy, being considered a technical failure of surgical therapy. Dialysis-dependent renal failure occurred in one patient. There were no perioperative deaths. Late follow-up (average 91 months) was available in 145 patients (86%). All but two arterial reconstructions remained clinically patent. Secondary renal artery procedures included percutaneous angioplasty, branch embolization, graft thrombectomy, and repeat bypass for late aneurysmal change of a vein conduit. Among 40 patients with clearly documented preoperative and postoperative blood pressure measurements, 60% had a significant decline in blood pressure after surgery while taking fewer antihypertensive medications. Late RAA rupture did not occur in the nonoperative patients, but no lessening of this group’s hypertension was noted. ConclusionSurgical therapy of RAAs in properly selected patients provides excellent long-term clinical outcomes and is often associated with decreased blood pressure.
Managerial Skills Acquisition and the Theory of Economic Development

Why don't all countries converge rapidly to the use of most efficient or best practice technologies? Micro level studies suggest managerial skills play a key role in the adoption of modern technologies. In this paper we model the interactive process between on-the-job managerial skill acquisition and the adoption of modern technology. We use the model to illustrate why some countries develop managerial skills quickly and adopt best practice technologies, while others stay backwards. The model also explains why managers will not migrate from rich countries to poor countries, as would be needed to generate convergence. Finally we show why standard growth accounting exercises will incorrectly attribute a large proportion of managerial skills' contribution to total factor productivity and we quantify the importance of this bias. Copyright , Wiley-Blackwell.
Sin Stocks Revisited: Resolving the Sin Stock Anomaly

Various studies report that investing in “sin stocks”—firms that make money from human vices such as alcohol, tobacco, gambling, and weapons—has historically delivered significantly positive abnormal returns. This finding has inspired the hypothesis that sin stocks are shunned to such an extent that they become systematically underpriced, enabling investors who are willing to bear the reputation risk involved with investing in these stocks to earn a return premium. In this article, the authors further investigate this notion, finding that the performance of sin stocks can be fully explained by the two new quality factors in the recently introduced Fama–French five-factor model, profitability and investment. Their finding is robust over time and across different markets. In short, there is no evidence that sin stocks provide a premium for reputation risk after controlling for their exposure to factors in today’s asset pricing models.
Impact of metal pollution on fungal diversity and community structures.

The impact of metal pollution on plant communities has been studied extensively in the past, but little is known about the effects of metal pollution on fungal communities that occur in metal-polluted soils. Metal-tolerant ecotypes of the ectomycorrhizal fungus Suillus luteus are frequently found in pioneer pine forests in the Campine region in Belgium on metal-polluted soils. We hypothesized that metal pollution would play an important role in shaping below-ground fungal communities that occur in these soils and that Suillus luteus would be a dominant player. To test these hypotheses, the fungal communities in a young pine plantation in soil polluted with zinc, and cadmium were studied using 454 amplicon pyrosequencing. Results show that zinc, cadmium and soil organic matter content were strongly correlated with the fungal community composition, but no effects on fungal diversity were observed. As hypothesized, S. luteus was found to be a dominant member of the studied fungal communities. However, other dominant fungal species, such as Sistotrema sp. , Wilcoxina mikolae and Cadophora finlandica were found as well. Their presence in metal-polluted sites is discussed.
It's not as thick as it looks: Unpacking the rehearsal practices of theatre professionals and the significance for the teaching of reading and writing

The purpose of my study was to identify and describe the components of theatre rehearsal and their implications for the teaching of reading and writing. Using qualitative methods of inquiry such as direct and participant observation and group and individual interviews, I documented the rehearsal process and literacy practices of members of a professional theatre company that performs only in academic environments. In analyzing the data I used Anderson and Jack's strategies for listening and determined that there are four major components of theatre rehearsal: chunking (the breaking down of the script into smaller, more manageable pieces), repetition (the constant, purposeful repeating of the text), encouragement (the acknowledgement of the actor's effort), and response (the verbal or non-verbal reaction to the other three components). These components provide opportunities for collaboration and discussion; they provide time to think about and discuss the choices being made; and they provide opportunities to use other tools and strategies such as visualization, inquiry or exploration, and self-evaluation. I believe using these rehearsal strategies to teach reading and writing can provide the same opportunities for our students. There is much discussion in the field of education about creating communities of learners. Rehearsal can help us create such communities because it can provide us with opportunities to teach our students that learning is a constant rehearsal. We must teach our students to do more than just choose the appropriate response. We must teach them to recognize what they know about their own learning and thinking, and we must provide them with opportunities to demonstrate what they know about reading and writing. We must give them the chance to demonstrate not only that they can read and write but that they understand what they are doing when they read and write.
China’s natural gas reform: why and how

ABSTRACT Natural gas is playing an extremely significant role in implementing green and low-carbon economy in China, while its share in energy mix only accounted for 6.4% of China’s total energy consumption in 2016. The Chinese government began to make a series of policies and measures to catalyze natural gas production and consumption for dealing with severe air pollution and optimizing energy structure. Some key issues such as highly regulated natural gas pricing system, the monopoly of natural gas pipelines, and the dominance of state-owned oil companies are substantially existing to be addressed in the forthcoming natural gas reforms. The dilemma of reforms is analyzed in this article and the related reform solutions are to be explored in the deregulation of Chinese natural gas pricing mechanism, separation of state-owned companies’ pipeline, and nondiscriminatory third-party access. The results show that Chinese natural gas reform is destined to be a long-lasting war.
HSP90 as a new therapeutic target for cancer therapy: the story unfolds

Current anticancer drug development strategies involve identifying novel molecular targets which are crucial for tumourigenesis. The molecular chaperone heat shock protein (HSP) 90 is of interest as an anticancer drug target because of its importance in maintaining the conformation, stability and function of key oncogenic client proteins involved in signal transduction pathways leading to proliferation, cell cycle progression and apoptosis, as well as other features of the malignant phenotype such as invasion, angiogenesis and metastasis. The natural product HSP90 inhibitors geldanamycin and radicicol exert their antitumour effect by inhibiting the intrinsic ATPase activity of HSP90, resulting in degradation of HSP90 client proteins via the ubiquitin proteosome pathway. Anticancer selectivity may derive from the simultaneous combinatorial effects of HSP90 inhibitors on multiple cancer targets and pathways. 17-allylamino,17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17AAG), a geldanamycin derivative, showed good activity and cancer selectivity in preclinical models and has now progressed to Phase I clinical trial in cancer patients with encouraging initial results. Phase II trials including combination studies with cytotoxic agents are now being planned and these should allow the therapeutic activity of 17AAG to be determined. Second generation HSP90 inhibitors may be designed to overcome some of the drawbacks of 17AAG, including limited oral bioavailability and solubility. They could also be engineered to target specific functions of HSP90, which may not only provide greater molecular selectivity and clinical benefit but may also increase understanding of the complex functions of this molecular chaperone. HSP90 inhibitors provide proof of concept for drugs directed at HSP90 and protein folding and this principle may be applicable to other medical conditions involving protein aggregation and stability.
Riddles and Models: A Review Essay on Michel De Vroey’s A History of Macroeconomics from Keynes to Lucas and Beyond

This essay reviews Michel De Vroey’s important new book on the history of macroeconomics, which extends to business cycles an earlier book by the same author on the history of involuntary unemployment. The review also offers a broader nontechnical survey of the issues and models that make up modern macroeconomics, including a reckoning of what we have learned since John Maynard Keynes and of the discoveries that still lie ahead. ( JEL B22, B41, E12, E13, E32)
Unemployment Effects of Mergers and Acquisitions: Empirical Approach

Mergers and acquisitions are strategic managerial tools that have gained importance in economic functions. Its increasing use by managers have made clearer and amplified its impact on many other economic variables. I used panel data on five European countries and the United States to analyse the impact of mergers and acquisitions on unemployment. The results show that the volume and value of transactions respectively increases and decreases unemployment. This means that the volume and transactions of mergers matter in opposite effect in terms of unemployment. I outlined the implication for policy therefore.
Family Preservation, Poverty, and the Value of Diversity

The role of family preservation services in preventing out-of-home placement of children is a hot topic in the social service arena. Family preservation has much to offer as an organizing framework for practice in that one of its core values is to emphasize strengths and diversity. The authors define family preservation and describe its application to at-risk families in poverty.
Analysis and Design of Synchronous Permanent Magnet Planar Motors

The force equation of a synchronous permanent magnet planar motor (SPMPM) is investigated. The flux density distribution of a two-dimensional magnet array for a SPMPM was obtained by solving the equations of the scalar magnetic potential. The expressions of the force and hack-EMF constant were derived and examined. Using these expressions, the conditions for normal operation of the SPMPM were found and the optimal design was determined in order to maximize the force of the SPMPM.
Cardiometabolic risk factors and obesity: does it matter whether BMI or waist circumference is the index of obesity?

BACKGROUND It has been suggested that the cardiometabolic risk associated with excess adiposity is particularly related to central obesity. OBJECTIVE The objective was to compare the associations between cardiometabolic risk of apparently healthy individuals and measures of central obesity [waist circumference (WC)] and overall obesity [body mass index (BMI)]. DESIGN In this cross-sectional, observational study, 492 subjects (306 women and 303 non-Hispanic whites) were classified by BMI (in kg/m²) as normal weight (BMI <25) or overweight/obese (BMI = 25.0-34.9) and as having an abnormal WC (≥80 cm in women and ≥94 cm in men) or a normal WC (<80 cm in women and <94 cm in men). Measurements were also made of the cardiometabolic risk factors age, systolic blood pressure (SBP), and fasting plasma glucose (FPG), triglyceride, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol concentrations. Associations among cardiometabolic risk factors and BMI and WC were evaluated with Pearson correlations. RESULTS There was a considerable overlap in the normal and abnormal categories of BMI and WC, and ~81% of the subjects had both an abnormal BMI and WC. In women, BMI and WC correlated with SBP (r = 0.30 and 0.19, respectively), FPG (r = 0.25 and 0.22, respectively), triglycerides (r = 0.17 and 0.20, respectively), and HDL cholesterol (r = -0.23 and -0.20, respectively) (P < 0.01 for all). In men, BMI and WC also correlated with SBP (r = 0.22 and 0.22, respectively), FPG (r = 0.22 and 0.25, respectively), triglycerides (r = 0.21 and 0.18, respectively), and HDL cholesterol (r = -0.20 and -0.13, respectively) [P < 0.05 for all, except for the association of WC with HDL cholesterol (P = 0.08)]. CONCLUSIONS Most individuals with an abnormal BMI also have an abnormal WC. Both indexes of excess adiposity are positively associated with SBP, FPG, and triglycerides and inversely associated with HDL cholesterol.
Short-wavelength automated perimetry and motion automated perimetry in patients with glaucoma.

OBJECTIVE To compare short-wavelength automated perimetry (SWAP), a test favoring the detection of the target by the parvocellular pathways of vision, with motion automated perimetry (MAP), a test favoring detection by the magnocellular pathways, in the same eyes. PARTICIPANT Thirty-three individuals in whom glaucoma was suspected (glaucoma suspects) and 17 patients with primary open-angle glaucoma were compared with 30 age-matched normal control subjects. INTERVENTIONS Short-wavelength automated perimetry was done with the usual protocol (program 24-2). Motion coherence thresholds were measured with 14 random do targets that covered the 24-2 field area. Short-wavelength automated perimetry test locations corresponding to each of the 14 motion automated perimetry locations were averaged to compare 14 locations for each text. RESULTS Short-wavelength automated perimetry and motion automated perimetry were correlated by visual field location (whole field r = -0.40, P < .001), especially in the superior field (r = -0.45, P < .001). Overlap for defective locations was present in 16 (94%) of the 17 eyes with glaucoma, although in the glaucoma suspect eyes each test showed the earliest deficit in a percentage of individuals with overlap in only 3 (21%) of the 14 eyes. An analysis of variance showed a significant effect of diagnosis for both tests (SWAP and MAP, P < .001); the eyes of patients with glaucoma were significantly different from those of the normal controls. The results for glaucoma suspects were significantly different on SWAP only in the superior temporal field (Tukey-Kramer test). CONCLUSIONS Both tests successfully identified eyes with glaucoma and a percentage of the glaucoma suspect eyes; both were correlated by field location. These results suggest that damage due to glaucoma is nonselective for either the parvocellular or the magnocellular ganglion cell axons, that there may be individual differences in which type of ganglion cell shows damage first, and that when standard visual field loss is present the results of SWAP and MAP are defective.
Driving Anger and Driving Behavior in Adults With ADHD

Objective: This study assesses whether anger in the context of driving is associated with the negative driving outcomes experienced by individuals with ADHD. Method: ADHD adults (n = 56) complete measures of driving anger, driving anger expression, angry thoughts behind the wheel, and aggressive, risky, and crash-related behavior. Results are compared to two non-ADHD control groups: one from the same community as the ADHD sample (n = 106) but that did not complete all instruments and the other from college students (n = 432) who completed all instruments. Results: ADHD participants report more driving anger and aggressive expression through the use of their vehicle and less adaptive and constructive anger expression than their non-ADHD peers. Adult ADHD drivers rate themselves as more angry, risky, and unsafe drivers and report experiencing more losses of concentration and vehicular control than college students. Conclusion: Results are discussed with regard to drivingrelated problems for drivers with ADHD.
Clonal relationships among Escherichia coli strains that cause hemorrhagic colitis and infantile diarrhea

The genetic relationships among 1,300 isolates of Escherichia coli representing 16 serotypes associated with enteric disease, including O157:H7 strains recovered from patients with hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic uremic syndrome and O26:H11, O55:H6, O55:H7, O111:H2, and O128:H2 strains, many of which were isolated originally from infants with diarrhea, were estimated from allelic variation among 20 enzyme-encoding genes detected by multilocus enzyme electrophoresis. Multiple electrophoretic types were observed among isolates of each serotype, with isolates of the same O serogroup differing on average at 28% of the enzyme loci. Comparisons of the multilocus enzyme profiles revealed that 72% of the isolates belong to 15 major electrophoretic types, each of which corresponds to a bacterial clone with a wide geographic distribution. Genetically, the O157:H7 clone is most closely related to a clone of O55:H7 strains that has long been associated with worldwide outbreaks of infantile diarrhea. We propose that the new pathogen emerged when an O55:H7-like progenitor, already possessing a mechanism for adherence to intestinal cells, acquired secondary virulence factors (Shiga-like cytotoxins and plasmid-encoded adhesins) via horizontal transfer and recombination.
Coalition Generation Scalability through Community Detection: Results on Real Graphs

This article presents experimental results on the scalability of coalition formation for real graphs approaching up to 5000 vertices. A simple heuristic algorithm named Propagation Algorithm for Coalition Structure Formation with no warranties is presented and probed, based on a version of label propagation for community detection in very large graphs [1]. The limits of the proposal are gauged, comparing it with the state-ofthe-art regarding exact (ODP-IP [2]) and heuristic (CFSS [3]) algorithms. Experiments were run over a set of 14 real world, power law graphs, and the results show a more than satisfactory performance, even in the presence of limitations that are discussed. Finally, preliminary results are explored considering the influence of the skill and the inter-relationship between agents in the evaluation of the coalitions.
Photodermatoses: diagnosis and treatment.

BACKGROUND Sunlight induces a wide variety of dermatoses. Their differential diagnosis is problematic not only because of similar phenotypes, but also because of confusing nomenclature and classification. METHODS We selectively reviewed the literature of the past 20 years and describe the modern nosology of photodermatoses and their clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment. Readers should be able to provide correct and efficient diagnostic evaluation and treatment of patients with dermatoses induced by ultraviolet radiation. RESULTS Photodermatoses are caused by an abnormal reaction to sunlight, usually to its ultraviolet component. They are divided into phototoxic and photoallergic reactions to known photosensitizers and idiopathic photodermatoses, in which the photosensitizer is unknown. Some types are extremely rare, such as hydroa vacciniforme (prevalence 0.34 per 100,000), while others are very common, such as polymorphic light eruption (prevalence 10% to 20%). CONCLUSION Photodermatoses are not life-threatening but can cause considerable suffering. Prevention is just as important as treatment.
Individual speculative behavior and overpricing in experimental asset markets

A rich history of theoretical models in finance shows that speculation can lead to overpricing and price bubbles. We provide evidence that, indeed, individual speculative behavior fuels overpricing in (experimental) asset markets. In a first step, we elicit individual speculative behavior in a one-shot setting with a novel speculation elicitation task (SET). In a second step, we use this measure of speculative behavior to compose dynamic, continuous double auction markets in line with Smith et al. (Econometrica 56(5):1119–1151, 1988). We find significant higher overpricing in markets with traders who exhibited more speculative behavior in the individual SET. However, we find no such differences in overpricing when we test for alternative explanations, using a market environment introduced by Lei, Noussair, and Plott (Econometrica 69(4):831–859, 2001) where speculation is impossible. Taken together, our results corroborate the notion that speculation is an important factor in overpricing and bubble formation if market environments allow for the pursuit of capital gains.