Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Individual Variation in the Germline Ig Gene Repertoire Inferred from Variable Region Gene Rearrangements

Individual variation in the Ig germline gene repertoire leads to individual differences in the combinatorial diversity of the Ab repertoire, but the study of such variation has been problematic. The application of high-throughput DNA sequencing to the study of rearranged Ig genes now makes this possible. The sequencing of thousands of VDJ rearrangements from an individual, either from genomic DNA or expressed mRNA, should allow their germline IGHV, IGHD, and IGHJ repertoires to be inferred. In addition, where previously mere glimpses of diversity could be gained from sequencing studies, new large data sets should allow the rearrangement frequency of different genes and alleles to be seen with clarity. We analyzed the DNA of 108,210 human IgH chain rearrangements from 12 individuals and determined their individual IGH genotypes. The number of reportedly functional IGHV genes and allelic variants ranged from 45 to 60, principally because of variable levels of gene heterozygosity, and included 14 previously unreported IGHV polymorphisms. New polymorphisms of the IGHD3-16 and IGHJ6 genes were also seen. At heterozygous loci, remarkably different rearrangement frequencies were seen for the various IGHV alleles, and these frequencies were consistent between individuals. The specific alleles that make up an individual's Ig genotype may therefore be critical in shaping the combinatorial repertoire. The extent of genotypic variation between individuals is highlighted by an individual with aplastic anemia who appears to lack six contiguous IGHD genes on both chromosomes. These deletions significantly alter the potential expressed IGH repertoire, and possibly immune function, in this individual.
Designing an Analytical Model for Determining Price Reasonableness in Contract Management: A Case Study of an ICT Company

Discovering the fair and reasonable price, is one of the critical subjects in purchasing process, especially in imperfect markets, in which, market mechanism cannot be applied to judge about proposed price. To cover this gap, in this paper, an analytical model for analyzing the price in non-competitive markets, has been developed and step by step procedure in order to decide about proposed price, is presented. For this reason, all factors affecting the price, have been collected and divided in “Market condition”, “Internal characteristics” and “Nature of product” categories. In next stage, effect of each factor on cost items has been clarified and accordingly, it becomes explicit that how these factors can be used to analyze the cost items and discover the reasonable price. Finally, the proposed model has been applied in a governmental agency in ICT industry. Keywords: Fair and reasonable price, Contract pricing, Cost and price analysis, Purchasing.
Divalent metal binding by histidine‐rich glycoprotein differentially regulates higher order oligomerisation and proteolytic processing

The serum protein histidine‐rich glycoprotein (HRG) has been implicated in tissue injury and tumour growth. Several HRG functions are regulated by the divalent metal Zn2+, including ligand binding and proteolytic processing that releases active HRG fragments. Although HRG can bind divalent metals other than Zn2+, the impact of these divalent metals on the biophysical properties of HRG remains poorly understood. We now show that HRG binds Zn2+, Ni2+, Cu2+ and Co2+ with micromolar affinities, but differing stoichiometries, and regulate the release of specific HRG fragments during proteolysis. Furthermore, HRG binding to Zn2+ promotes HRG dimer formation in a Zn2+‐concentration‐ and pH‐dependent manner. Our data highlight the complex divalent metal‐dependent regulatory mechanisms that govern HRG function.
Corporate Governance and Payout Policy: Do Founding Families Have a Special 'Taste for Dividends'?

This paper analyzes how the predominant example of a controlling shareholder, i.e., the firms’ founders and their families, influence payout policy. Using a panel dataset of 660 listed firms in the 1995 to 2006 period from Germany, we find that family firms exhibit a higher propensity and level for dividend payouts. Further tests indicate that this result is driven (i) by family ownership, not management and (ii) restricted to later-generation family firms. These findings are consistent with the view that the desire of families for a steady income stream without losing control shapes payout decisions in family firms.
Basic RF Characteristics of the Microstrip Line Employing Periodically Perforated Ground Metal on MMIC

In this work, using theoretical and experimental analysis, basic characteristics of the microstrip line employing PPGM (periodically perforated ground metal) was investigated in order to evaluate its suitability for application to a development of miniaturized on-chip passive components. According to the results, it was found that the PPGM structure is a promising candidate for application to a development of miniaturized components on MMIC (monolithic microwave integrated circuit). In addition, basic characteristics of the coupled microstrip line employing PPGM was also investigated. Theoretical and experimental investigation indicated that microstrip lines employing PPGM are very useful for application to compact signal lines of highly integrated MMIC requiring a high isolation characteristics between lines.
The Psychological Contract and Job Satisfaction: Experiences of a Group of Casual Workers

Recent changes to the Australian workforce raise questions about the impact of casualisation on employees. This study explored the effects of casual employment on a group of university students using the psychological contract as an interpretative framework. Qualitative data indicated that while these employees adopted a transactional work orientation, they expressed concern over the relational obligations of employers. These findings were substantiated with quantitative research, which revealed low job satisfaction and problems with the psychological contract. Although respondents thought that the transactional dimension was satisfied, the relational contract remained mostly unfulfilled. In particular they felt exploited and treated less fairly than fulltime employees. This suggests management should pay more attention to the relational needs of all their employees.
Pricing corporate debt

The thesis builds a model for pricing the liabilities of a firm. The liabilities - stocks, loans, bonds - fundamentally all depend on the value of the firm's assets. By looking at balance sheet data, such as the nominal amount of debt outstanding, and market prices, such as time series of stock prices, the value and volatility of the assets can be estimated. Finally, e.g. bank loans to the same firm can be priced in terms of these values. Thus, the purpose of the whole exercise is to use the information content in stock prices to infer the value of loans.
Predicting outcomes of decompressive craniectomy: use of Rotterdam Computed Tomography Classification and Marshall Classification

Abstract Background Data on the evaluation of the Rotterdam Computed Tomography Classification (RCTS) as a predictor of outcomes in patients undergoing decompressive craniectomy (DC) for trauma is limited and lacks clarity. Objective To explore the role of RCTS in predicting unfavourable outcomes, including mortality in patients undergoing DC for head trauma. Methods This was an observational cohort study conducted from 1 January 2009 to 31 March 2013. CT scans of adults with head trauma prior to emergency DC were scored according to RCTS. A receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to identify the optimal cut-off RCTS for predicting unfavourable outcomes [Glasgow outcome scale (GOS) = 1–3]. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the relationship between RCTS and unfavourable outcomes including mortality. Results One hundred ninety-seven patients (mean age: 31.4 ± 18.7 years) were included in the study. Mean Glasgow coma score at presentation was 8.1 ± 3.6. RCTS was negatively correlated with GOS (r = −0.370; p < 0.001). The area under the curve was 0.687 (95% CI: 0.595–0.779; p < 0.001) and 0.666 (95% CI: 0.589–0.742; p < 0.001) for mortality and unfavourable outcomes, respectively. RCTS independently predicted both mortality (adjusted odds ratio for RCTS >3 compared with RCTS ≤3: 2.792, 95% CI: 1.235–6.311) and other unfavourable outcomes (adjusted odds ratio for RCTS >3 compared with RCTS ≤3: 2.063, 95% CI: 1.056–4.031). Conclusion RCTS is an independent predictor of unfavourable outcomes and mortality among patients undergoing emergency DC.
Considering Mindfulness Training for Obesity-Related Eating Behaviors inChildren and Adolescents: A Conceptual Review

Obesity in children and adolescents is a major public health problem in the United States. Obesity-related eating behaviors are an important contributing factor to this issue. Youth in the United Stated tend to have unhealthful dietary intake and poor eating habits, such as consumption of large portion sizes, fruit, vegetable, and dietary fiber intake below dietary recommendations, and sugar intake above dietary recommendations. Emotional eating, external eating, and binge eating, behaviors that are linked with excess weight gain, have also been found to occur in youth. Eating behaviors established during the early years of life tend to persist into adulthood, so forming healthful eating habits and relationships with food early in life are important for the current and future health of children and adolescents. However, numerous factors including parenting practices, the food environment at home and outside of the home, and food advertising impart competing influences on eating behaviors in youth. It is essential to arm children and adolescents with skills that help them make healthful dietary choices and develop healthful eating styles in the face of influences that may impede healthful behaviors. Mindfulness training may be a promising approach. A recent systematic literature review by our research group found that mindfulness training programs can improve obesity-related eating behaviors in adults. Research has also shown that mindfulness training can be successfully implemented in child and adolescent populations with promise for improving stress-related and neurocognitive outcomes. The aim of this brief conceptual review is to provide an overview of obesity-related eating behaviors in children and adolescents and suggest how mindfulness training might hold promise as an intervention approach and a way of being to support healthful eating behaviors in the early years of human development.
A novel low-voltage biasing scheme for double gate FBC achieving 5s retention and 1016 endurance at 85°C

We demonstrate a novel low-voltage biasing scheme on ultra-thin BOX (UTBOX) FDSOI floating body cells with L<inf>g</inf>=55nm and t<inf>Si</inf>=20nm. By optimizing the front and back gate biasing to enhance the positive feedback loop, the required V<inf>DS</inf> can be reduced to 1.5V while retention times as high as 5s can still be achieved at 85°C. For the first time, we also show that the stringent endurance spec of 10<sup>16</sup> cycles can be met as a result of the V<inf>DS</inf> reduction.
Nutrimetabonomics: Nutritional Applications of Metabolic Profiling

An individual's metabolic phenotype, and ultimately health, is significantly influenced by complex interactions between their genes and the diet. Studying these associations and their downstream biochemical consequences has proven extremely challenging using traditional hypothesis-led strategies. Metabonomics, a systems biology approach, allows the global metabolic response of biological systems to stimuli to be characterised. Through the application of this approach to nutritional-based research, nutrimetabonomics, the biochemical response to dietary inputs is being investigated at greater levels of resolution. This has allowed novel insights to be gained regarding intricate diet-gene interactions and their consequences for health and disease. In this review, we present some of the latest research exploring how nutrimetabonomics can assist in the elucidation of novel biomarkers of dietary behaviour and provide new perspectives on diet-health relationships. The use of this approach to study the metabolic interplay between the gut microbiota and the host is also explored.
Adapted radiating boundaries (ARB) for efficient time domain simulation of electromagnetic interferences

The novel method of Adapted Radiating Boundaries (ARB) is a very fast and powerful tool for the field simulation of electromagnetic interference in time domain. The ARB method shows a high stability of the algorithm and a very fast computational time. The ARB method is especially suitable for the efficient simulation of transient electromagnetic interferences between various lossy structures of complex geometry.
Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor Deficiency Is Associated with Altered Cell Growth and Reduced Susceptibility to Ras-mediated Transformation*

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) has been shown to functionally inactivate the p53 tumor suppressor and to inhibit p53-responsive gene expression and apoptosis. To better understand the role of MIF in cell growth and tumor biology, we evaluated MIF-null embryonic fibroblasts with respect to their immortalization and transformation properties. Although minor deviations in the growth characteristics of MIF−/−fibroblasts were observed under normal culture conditions, MIF-deficient cells were growth-impaired following the introduction of immortalizing oncogenes. The growth retardation by the immortalized MIF−/− cultures correlated with their reduced susceptibility to Ras-mediated transformation. Our results identify E2F as part of the restraining mechanism that is activated in response to oncogenic signaling and show that the biological consequences of E2F induction in MIF−/− fibroblasts vary depending on the p53 status, inducing predominantly G1 arrest or apoptosis in p53-positive cells. This E2F activity is independent of Rb binding, but contingent on binding DNA. Resistance to oncogenic transformation by MIF−/− cells could be overcome by concomitant interference with p53- and E2F-responsive transcriptional control. Our results demonstrate that MIF plays a role in an E2F/p53 pathway that operates downstream of Rb regulation and implicate MIF as a mediator of normal and malignant cell growth.
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor reduces blood glucose level in obese diabetic mice but not in normal mice.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a member of the neurotrophin family. However, it is not yet known if BDNF works on the endocrine system itself. Here we report that BDNF improves hyperglycemia in obese diabetic animals. BDNF reduced the blood glucose level in obese db/db diabetic mice in which the effect of BDNF was age-dependent and high under the condition of hyperinsulinemia, while BDNF showed no effect on non-diabetic db/m mice. These results suggest that BDNF ameliorates insulin resistance by enhancing insulin action in peripheral tissues. Furthermore, BDNF was found to reduce the plasma insulin level in db/db mice. Among the neurotrophin family, NT-3 also reduced the blood glucose level in db/db mice. These results provide a novel insight that neurotrophin functions on the endocrine system as well as the nervous system.
Creating a school nutrition environment index and pilot testing it in elementary and middle schools in urban South Korea

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES The role of a school's nutrition environment in explaining students' eating behaviors and weight status has not been examined in an Asian setting. The purpose of this study was to create a school nutrition environment index and to pilot test the index in elementary and middle schools in urban South Korea. SUBJECTS/METHODS This study used a mixed-methods approach. Environment assessment tools were developed based on formative research, which comprised literature reviews, in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions. Key elements from the formative research were included in the assessment tool, which consisted of a structured survey questionnaire for school dietitians. Fifteen school dietitians from 7 elementary and 8 middle schools in Seoul completed the questionnaire. RESULTS The formative research revealed four main sections that guided a summary index to assess a school's nutrition environment: resource availability, education and programs, dietitians' perceptions and characteristics, and school lunch menu. Based on the literature reviews and interviews, an index scoring system was developed. The total possible score from the combined four index sections was 40 points. From the 15 schools participating in the pilot survey, the mean school nutrition-environment index was 22.5 (standard deviation ± 3.2; range 17-28). The majority of the schools did not offer classroom-based nutrition education or nutrition counseling for students and parents. The popular modes of nutrition education were school websites, posters, and newsletters. CONCLUSIONS This paper illustrates the process used to develop an instrument to assess a school's nutrition environment. Moreover, it presents the steps used to develop a scoring system for creation of a school nutrition environment index. As pilot testing indicated the total index score has some variation across schools, we suggest applying this instrument in future studies involving a larger number of schools. Future studies with larger samples will allow investigation of the validity and reliability of this newly developed tool.
Design of GPS Antenna Array on Revolving Cylinder

In this paper, the GPS (Global Position System) omnidirectional antenna array which is conformal with revolving cylinder is researched. The basic theory and design method of cylindrical conformal antenna array are described. The radiation characteristic of the antenna array is presented and it is simulated by the software Matlab. The theory and simulation results are given to illustrate that this antenna array can radiate an omnidirectional pattern normal to the axis of the cylinder approximately. So it has great practicability.
The Complexities of High-Speed Rail

In November 2005, high-speed rail experts will gather in Milan, Italy, to attend the International Union of Railways’ (UIC) Eurailspeed congress and exhibition. High-speed rail is becoming well-established in western Europe and eastern Asia. In light of the Eurailspeed congress and the success in Europe, this article addresses several issues facing high-speed rail development and examines what is happening elsewhere internationally, indicating that the rest of world needs to be convinced of the economic benefits that high-speed trains can offer.
A Web Services-oriented Architecture for Integrating Small Programmable Objects in the Web of Things

In this work, we present a concrete framework, based on web services-oriented architecture, for integrating small programmable objects in the web of things. Functionality and data gathered by the Small Programmable Objects (SPO) are exposed using Web Services. Based on this, by exploiting XML encoding, SPO can be comprehensible by any web application. The architecture proposed is focused in providing secure and efficient interoperability between SPO and the web. Additionally, the proposed architecture provides management capabilities for deploying, maintaining and operating SPO applications across multiple networks. We present the multilayer architecture of our system and its implementation, which uses a combination of Java Standard and Micro Editions. Finally, we present a case study presenting our implementation. In this application we use SunSPOTs, which are wireless network motes developed by Sun Microsystems.
PWM Switching Technique for Three-Phase Bidirectional Grid-Tie DC–AC–AC Converter With High-Frequency Isolation

Galvanic isolation based high-frequency transformers have become very attractive in bidirectional dc/ac converters. This paper presents a new pulse width modulation (PWM) switching technique for controlling a bidirectional isolated dc–ac–ac converter employing a high-frequency link transformer. The proposed PWM technique has the ability to control the input dc current and to inject a sinusoidal three-phase current to the grid at unity power factor. The primary-side is an H-bridge converter used to convert the dc voltage to a high-frequency square-wave single-phase voltage. The secondary side is a matrix converter used to convert the grid three-phase voltage to a high-frequency single-phase waveform. The dc–ac–ac converter utilizes a high-frequency link transformer for the galvanic isolation between the H-bridge and matrix converters as alternative for the bulky line-frequency transformers (50/60 Hz). The bidirectional power flow is controlled by the phase shift angle between the primary and secondary voltages of the high-frequency transformer. The mathematical model and the circuit operational modes are presented along with the voltage controllable limit. The feasibility of the proposed PWM switching technique and the accuracy of the mathematical model are demonstrated experimentally by using a 200 V/1 kW laboratory prototype system.
Metabolic syndrome in relation to cardiorespiratory fitness, active and sedentary behavior in HIV+ Hispanics with and without lipodystrophy.

OBJECTIVE Hispanics in Puerto Rico (PR) have a high prevalence of metabolic syndrome (met-syn), partially explained by low physical activity (PA) and possibly low cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2peak). Met-syn is also associated with lipodystrophy in HIV infected (HIV+) adults taking antiretroviral therapies. However, associations between met-syn, VO2peak, PA, sedentary behavior and lipodystrophy among HIV+ Hispanics have not been adequately reported. We tested the following hypotheses: 1) HIV+ Hispanics with lipodystrophy (HIV-Lipo) would have a higher prevalence of met-syn, lower VO2peak and PA, and higher sedentary behavior compared with those without lipodystrophy (HIV-no-Lipo) and without HIV infection (Non-HIV); and 2) met-syn would be inversely associated with VO2peak and PA, and directly associated with sedentary behavior. METHODS Ninety Hispanic adults (32 HIV-Lipo, 28 HIV-no-Lipo, 30 Non-HIV) completed measurements of VO2,peak, anthropometry, PA and sedentary behavior with accelerometry, blood pressure, fasting glucose, insulin, and lipids. ANOVA and chi-square tests were used to detect differences between groups, and regression analyses to test associations between variables. RESULTS More HIV-Lipo (69%) had met-syn compared with HIV-no-Lipo (39%) and Non-HIV (37%) (P = 0.002). Sedentary behavior and PA were not different, but VO2peak differed between all groups: lowest in HIV-Lipo and highest in non-HIV. PA and sedentary behavior were not associated with met-syn, but PA was directly associated with VO2peak (R2 = 0.26, p < 0.01). Also, a lower odds ratio for met-syn was observed with higher VO2peak (0.87; 95% CI: 0.83-0.95). CONCLUSION Met-syn is related to lipodystrophy in HIV+ Hispanics in PR, and high VO2peak may protect against met-syn in this population.
The Caenorhabditis elegans THO Complex Is Required for the Mitotic Cell Cycle and Development

THO is a conserved eukaryotic complex involved in mRNP biogenesis and RNA export that plays an important role in preventing transcription- and RNA-mediated genome instability in mitosis and meiosis. In mammals THO is essential for embryogenesis, which limits our capacity to analyze the physiological relevance of THO during development and in adult organisms. Using Caenorhabditis elegans as a model system we show that the THO complex is essential for mitotic genome integrity and the developmentally regulated mitotic cell cycles occurring during late postembryonic stages.