Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cloning and genetic analysis of six pyrroloquinoline quinone biosynthesis genes in Methylobacterium organophilum DSM 760

Summary: After EMS mutagenesis, mutants of Methylobacterium organophilum DSM 760 unable to synthesize pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) were selected among mutants which did not utilize methanol but were still able to use methylamine as growth substrate. Six different pqq genes (pqqA to pqqF) were identified by complementation analysis. The genes pqqA to pqqD, cloned in a single R' plasmid, were grouped in a 3·9 kb DN A fragment. The genes pqqA and pqqB belonged to a single transcription unit independent from the adjacent gene pqqC. The gene pqqD was contained in a short DNA segment of approximately 01 kb, separated from pqqC by a region with no apparent role in PQQ biosynthesis. Two other genes were identified: pqqE, which was closely linked to pqqD; and pqqF, located approximately 19 kb from the other genes. Directed mutagenesis by marker exchange provided chromosomal insertion mutations of these genes in M. organophilum. Attempts to express the pqq genes in two heterologous hosts, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas testosteroni, were unsuccessful, and no plasmid containing all of the pqq genes was isolated.
Diets of sympatric red foxes and coyotes in southeastern Idaho

— Scats of sympatric red foxes and coyotes from the upper Snake River Plain of southeastern Idaho were analyzed for composition. Rodent remains in general and those of cricetid mice in particular occurred more frequently in scats of red foxes during all seasons of the year than any other food items identified. Scats of coyotes differed significantly in content from scats of red foxes during winter and contained primarily pygmy rabbit remains. In simimer, remains of pygmy rabbits, sheep, ground squirrels, yellow-bellied marmots, arthropods, and vegetation were foimd more frequently in scats of coyotes and remains of cricetid mice occurred more frequently in scats of red foxes. Red foxes and coyotes generally consumed similar food items but in different proportions. Based on the location of scats that were collected, red foxes and coyotes largely used different portions of the study area. Reasons for the preferential usage of habitat are discussed. Although over 100 studies of food habits of red foxes {Vulpes vulpes) (Abies 1975) and numerous studies of diets of coyotes {Canis latrans) (Gier 1975) have been published, there is a lack of information on the food habits of these two canids in sympatry. Both species are versatile in their eating habits and readily consume animal and plant matter depending on season and availability. Both species readily feed on livestock and poultry when available and thus have come into conflict with human interests. Here we report the diets of red foxes and coyotes on the U.S. Sheep Experiment Station (USSES), where up to 10,000 sheep graze at various times of the
Combination of high-frequency SSVEP-based BCI and computer vision for controlling a robotic arm

Objective. Recent attempts in developing brain–computer interface (BCI)-controlled robots have shown the potential of this area in the field of assistive robots. However, implementing the process of picking and placing objects using a BCI-controlled robotic arm still remains challenging. BCI performance, system portability, and user comfort need to be further improved. Approach. In this study, a novel control approach, which combines high-frequency steady-state visual evoked potential (SSVEP)-based BCI and computer vision-based object recognition, is proposed to control a robotic arm for performing pick and place tasks that require control with multiple degrees of freedom. The computer vision can identify objects in the workspace and locate their positions, while the BCI allows the user to select one of these objects to be acted upon by the robotic arm. The robotic arm was programmed to be able to autonomously pick up and place the selected target object without moment-by-moment supervision by the user. Main results. Online results obtained from ten healthy subjects indicated that a BCI command for the proposed system could be selected from four possible choices in 6.5 s (i.e. 2.25 s for visual stimulation and 4.25 s for gaze shifting) with 97.75% accuracy. All subjects could successfully complete the pick and place tasks using the proposed system. Significance. These results demonstrated the feasibility and efficiency of combining high-frequency SSVEP-based BCI and computer vision-based object recognition to control robotic arms. The control strategy presented here could be extended to control robotic arms to perform other complicated tasks.
Long non-coding RNAs in B-cell malignancies: a comprehensive overview

B-cell malignancies constitute a large part of hematological neoplasias. They represent a heterogeneous group of diseases, including Hodgkin's lymphoma, most non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL), some leukemias and myelomas. B-cell malignancies reflect defined stages of normal B-cell differentiation and this represents the major basis for their classification. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are non-protein-coding transcripts longer than 200 nucleotides, for which many recent studies have demonstrated a function in regulating gene expression, cell biology and carcinogenesis. Deregulated expression levels of lncRNAs have been observed in various types of cancers including hematological malignancies. The involvement of lncRNAs in cancer initiation and progression and their attractive features both as biomarker and for therapeutic research are becoming increasingly evident. In this review, we summarize the recent literature to highlight the status of the knowledge of lncRNAs role in normal B-cell development and in the pathogenesis of B-cell tumors.
Capture and evolution of dust in planetary mean-motion resonances: a fast, semi-analytic method for generating resonantly trapped disc images

Dust grains migrating under Poynting-Robertson drag may be trapped in mean-motion resonances with planets. Such resonantly trapped grains are observed in the Solar system. In extrasolar systems, the exozodiacal light produced by dust grains is expected to be a major obstacle to future missions attempting to directly image terrestrial planets. The patterns made by resonantly trapped dust, however, can be used to infer the presence of planets, and the properties of those planets, if the capture and evolution of the grains can be modelled. This has been done with N-body methods, but such methods are computationally expensive, limiting their usefulness when considering large, slowly evolving grains, and for extrasolar systems with unknown planets and parent bodies, where the possible parameter space for investigation is large. In this work, we present a semi-analytic method for calculating the capture and evolution of dust grains in resonance, which can be orders of magnitude faster than N-body methods. We calibrate the model against N-body simulations, finding excellent agreement for Earth to Neptune mass planets, for a variety of grain sizes, initial eccentricities, and initial semimajor axes. We then apply the model to observations of dust resonantly trapped by the Earth. We find that resonantly trapped, asteroidally produced grains naturally produce the 'trailing blob' structure in the zodiacal cloud, while to match the intensity of the blob, most of the cloud must be composed of cometary grains, which owing to their high eccentricity are not captured, but produce a smooth disc. (Less)
Using Qualitative Methods to Improve Physician Research Training: Understanding the Student Perspective

For several decades now, physician-scientists have been referred to as an “endangered species. ” Many factors have contributed to the dearth of clinical investigators, and training programs in clinical research are just one tool in a multi-pronged strategy to increase the number of successful physician-scientists working in health research. A qualitative approach that analyzes students’ educational goals and experiences can help fill the gaps in our knowledge about how best to train aspiring physician-scientists. This study was an interpretive phenomenology that evaluated the Master of Science program in Clinical and Translational Research (MSCTR) at the University of Cincinnati. The purpose of the study was to allow students to articulate their expectations, needs, and experiences in the MSCTR. The study included a group level assessment (GLA) and document review. Findings suggest several reasons students enrolled in the MSCTR, as well as some areas for improvement in the program: more physician-centered classes, a more directed curriculum, and a more cohesive course plan overall. Conclusions from these recommendations are that student perspectives can inform decisions around curricula and instructional methods in powerful ways, particularly when combined with a qualitative methodological approach. This study revealed several insights into how faculty and administrators can more effectively train physicians in research methodology. Training should be as applied and relevant as possible to make it directly applicable to clinical practice. This goal could be enhanced if classes – particularly statistics classes – were more physician-oriented. The curriculum of a clinical research training program for clinicians should be clear and directed, but with some flexibility and space within the curriculum for classes within areas of specialization. Collaboration should be integrated throughout, and courses should follow a logical, interconnected sequence.
The Chemistry of Bioconjugation in Nanoparticles-Based Drug Delivery System

Nanomedicine is, generally, the application of nanotechnology to medicine. The term nanomedicine includes monitoring, construction of novel drug delivery systems, and any possible future applications of nanotechnology and nanovaccinology. In this review, the most important ligand-nanocarrier and drug-nanocarrier bioconjugations are described. The detailed characterizations of covalently formed bonds between targeted ligand and nanocarrier, including amide, thioether, disulfide, acetyl-hydrazone and polycyclic groups, are described. Also, the coupling of small elements and heteroatoms in the form of R-X-R the “click chemistry” groups is shown. Physical adsorption and chemical bonding of drug to nanocarrier surface involving drug on the internal or external surfaces of nanocarriers are described throughout possibility of the formation of the above-mentioned functionalities. Moreover, the most popular nanostructures (liposomes, micelles, polymeric nanoparticles, dendrimers, carbon nanotubes, and nanohorns) are characterized as nanocarriers. Building of modern drug carrier is a new method which could be effectively applied in targeted anticancer therapy.
Law Enforcement and Firm Financing: Theory and Evidence

This paper investigates the economic effects on firms' policies of differences in law enforcement. We find that in judicial districts where trials are longer, bank financing is more costly and firms are smaller. However, we do not find any significant relation between law enforcement and firms' leverage ratio. We rationalize our results within a two-region dynamic general equilibrium model with asymmetric information and collateralized credit contracts. We find that a stronger enforcement of creditors' rights not only improves credit conditions (partial equilibrium effect), but also fosters individual capital accumulation (general equilibrium effect). In line with this theoretical prediction, we find a positive relation between individual savings and quality of legal enforcement. (JEL: E20, K40, G32) (c) 2010 by the European Economic Association.
LC-MS/MS Based Metabolomics to Identify Biomarkers Unique to Laetiporus sulphureus

LC/MS/MS technique, employing QTOF mass analyzer, was used for comparative metabolomic fingerprinting of seven edible mushroom varieties (P.ostreatus, L.edodes, L.sulphureus, A.campestris, T.clypeatus, T.microcarpus and T.letestui). The aim was to identify biomarkers unique to L.sulphureus which might be responsible for the pharmacological claim of the mushroom by the Kaffa people in Ethiopia. As an outcome of the data mining and pre-treatment step using MarkerviewTM software, positive and negative ionization data matrices of 71,083 and 54,856 peaks, respectively, were obtained. Regardless of the ionization mode, the principal component analysis (PCA) of the data set representing the seven edible mushrooms each in triplicate revealed a unique separate clusters for L.sulphureus, documenting differences in LC-MS profiles associated with the sample. Based on plot profile, only 14 and 27 peaks representing monoisotopic ions unique to L.sulphureus at the positive and negative ionization mode respectively were obtained. All the pre-selected biomarkers were searched from METLIN metabolite database, but only one peak at 13.41 min with m/z of 471.3468 and 469.3348, positive and negative ionization, respectively were tentatively identified as 18α-glycyrrhetinic acid (commonly called Enoxolone). This metabolite was verified by comparing the retention time, MS and MS/MS data spectra of authentic standard and sample obtained from PeakviewTM software. Mass frontier software was used to generate possible fragmentation and rearrangement mechanisms of the parent ion. In conclusion, 18α-glycyrrhetinic acid might be one of the compounds responsible for the biological claim of the local people.
Forecasting skewness in stock returns: Evidence from firm-level data in Tokyo markets

Although it is well known that the market rate of return tends to show negative skewness, we find that the return distribution of individual stocks has shown positive skewness in the two principal Tokyo markets from 1980 to 2001. This is consistent with the results reported for the US market. Positive skewness in the returns is more evident for smaller firms. From our analysis of pooled cross-section data of individual stocks from 1990 to 2001, we find that there is clear evidence of the predictive power in the information up until the current period for the skewness in the following period. Specifically, a higher volatility and skewness in the return distribution of the current period is followed by a higher value of skewness in the following period. Also, the up trends in own returns in the preceding periods may explain the rather negatively skewed return distribution in the following period. Hong and Stein’s (2003) model predicts a relation between turnover and skewness. For 1990 to 2001, negative relation to the skewness has been found to hold for smaller cap firms with past de-trended turnover. Furthermore, after the regulatory change in short-selling enacted in February 2002, we find more supportive evidence that high trend-adjusted turnover predicts more negative skewness in returns. Overall, our empirical evidence suggests that conditional skewness is partly explained by previous de-trended trading proxies, however, the results are not conclusive for the data in Tokyo markets.
Political Conditions and the Electoral Effects of Redistricting

Redistricting can have considerable electoral consequences because it undermines the incumbency advantage. Numerous voters are drawn into districts with a different incumbent seeking reelection. With regard to vote choice, these redrawn constituents rely more on their partisanship and prevailing political conditions because they lack familiarity with their new representative. Macropartisanship, the aggregate party identification of the electorate, is an excellent barometer of the political climate and hence the partisan direction guiding voters. Because redrawn constituents have at best a tenuous bond with their new incumbent, partisan tides have more influence on their vote choice. Analyses of the 1992 and 2002 U.S. House elections show that higher district percentages of redrawn constituents significantly reduced the vote shares of southern Democratic representatives in 1992 and Democratic incumbents regardless of region in 2002. Given the stated behavioral implications associated with redistricting, these findings speak to the political conditions occurring at the time of these respective elections: a Republican realignment picking up steam in the South in 1992 and a short-term national GOP tide in the first post-9/11 midterm.
Rethinking Social Action. Core Values in Practice Improvement of Coordination Abilities through Dancesport among Middle Schoolers

In the process of educating body stance included within aesthetic-artistic education, dance occupies an important role because it embodies harmoniously music, movement, and coordination between the two. The purpose of the paper is to contribute to the education of coordination abilities of middle schoolers in order for them to obtain a correct and harmonious body stance. The sample for this research comprised 16 female students aged between 10 and 14; I followed their evolution throughout a school year and the progress achieved regarding the education of coordination abilities. Practices comprised steps and step structures specific to dancesport, such as slow waltz, Viennese waltz, quickstep, samba, and cha-cha. The tests applied to the group were as follows: the test for skill speed (relay), the rhythm test, the Matorin test, and the motor memory test. Upon interpreting the results, it is worth pointing out an improvement of average values and standard deviation in relay from 19.685 ±0.913 to 19.064 ±0.842, an increase in grades to the rhythm test from 9.06 ± 0.771 to 9.75± 0.447, and an improvement of average values to the motor memory test from 8.18 ± 0.75 to 9.12 ± 0.619. To the Matorin test performed leftwards, an evolution of the average was observed from 345.714 ±31.735 to 362.5 ±27.368, and to the one performed rightwards, the mean value increased from 351.071 ± 24.975 to 371.428 ± 17.697. As a general conclusion, it may be stated that the means of dancesport contributed to the education of certain coordination abilities, which stands to confirm the hypothesis of this study.
A performance comparison between two design techniques for non-linear output feedback control

For a system possessing a non-linear output feedback normal form, an observer backstepping design is compared to a high gain observer design with respect to non-singular performance cost functional. If the initial error between the initial condition of the state and the initial condition of the observer is large, the high gain observer design is shown to have better performance than the observer backstepping design. An output feedback system with parametric uncertainty is then considered. It is shown that if an a priori estimate for the bound of the uncertain parameter is conservative, then an adaptive observer backstepping design has better performance than the adaptive high gain observer design.
Detection and enumeration of Cryptosporidium oocysts in environmental water samples by Real-time PCR assay

Introduction: The protozoan parasite, Cryptosporidium Spp. , widely spreads in both raw and drinking waters. It is the causative agents of waterborne diarrhea and gastroenteritis in the world. In the present study, a molecular assay was used for the detection and quantification of Cryptosporidium oocysts in environmental water samples. Materials and methods: Thirty surface water samples were collected from Rasht City rivers and lagoons during 2009-2010. The samples were analysed for Cryptosporidium oocysts using Real Time PCR method. Samples were filtrated through a 1. 2μm pore size cellulose nitrate membrane filter and then purified and quantified by Real-time PCR technique. Results: Cryptosporidium oocysts were found in 19 of 30 the samples. Oocyst concentration was ranging from 0.007 to 27 oocysts per liter of the examined waters. Conclusion: The present study showed that the investigated water supplies were contaminated by Cryptosporidium oocyst. This study indicated that in this level of oocysts there is a potential risk of waterborne cryptosporidiosis due to direct or indirect consumption of these waters by humans and animals. Real-time PCR is a technique that provides high sensitivity for detection quantitative purposes.
The Regulation of Insider Trading

Imagine two firms, A and B, which are identical in all respects except that, in its charter, firm A prohibits the trading of its shares based on inside (nonpublic) information. The firm requires insiders (employees) to report their trades, which a special committee or an independent accounting firm then checks to ensure compliance with the charter provision. Firm B, by contrast, neither prohibits insider trading nor requires reporting. Insiders openly trade shares of firm B and regularly earn positive abnormal returns. In competitive capital markets, which charter provision will survive? Despite the deceptive simplicity of this question, it has no obvious answer. ' The consensus, to the extent that any exists, appears to be that firm A's charter will survive because it eliminates various per-
Fractional Hermite-Hadamard Inequalities through $r$-Convex Functions via Power Means

In this paper, we firstly establish another important integralidentity for twice differentiable mapping involvingRiemann-Liouville fractional integrals. Secondly, we use thisintegral identity to derive several Riemann-Liouville fractionalHermite-Hadamard inequalities through $r$-convex functions via powermeans. Finally, some applications to quadrature formulas and specialmeans of real numbers are given.
AccelPrint:Accelerometers are Different by Birth

This thesis submits a hypothesis that smartphone accelerometers possess unique fingerprints. We believe that the fingerprints arise from hardware imperfections during the sensor manufacturing process, causing every sensor chip to respond differently to the same motion stimulus. The differences in responses are subtle enough that they do not affect most of the higher level functions computed on them. Nonetheless, upon close inspection, these fingerprints emerge with consistency, and can even be somewhat independent of the stimulus that generates them. Measurements and classification on 80 standalone accelerometer chips, 25 Android phones, and 2 tablets, show precision and recall upward of 96%, along with good robustness to real-world conditions. Unsurprisingly, such sensor fingerprints invite new threats in smartphone applications. A crowd-sourcing app running in the cloud could segregate sensor data for each device, making it easy to track a user over space and time. This thesis makes the case that such attacks are almost trivial to launch, while simple solutions may not be adequate to counteract them.
Developing an ERP Strategy Based On the IT Solution Life Cycle

This paper describes the benefits of developing an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) strategy. The research starts with an analysis of the current ERP market, in terms of products and related services, in order to identify the beneficiaries’ needs and behavior. ERP projects have been experiencing a period of strict budget control. This led to a more mature approach of the customers during the selection of the ERP products, vendors and system integrators. As a result we see more realistic expectations regarding ERP’s functionalities and a stronger focus on the business value generated by ERP implementations. In this context companies understand the meaning and the importance of developing ERP strategies. The paper explains ways of creating efficient ERP strategies based on the entire ERP lifecycle, from business analysis, process engineering, system analysis and design, implementation and maintenance support, and focusing on the organization’s strategic processes.