Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Coexisting Bacterial Populations Responsible for Multiphasic Mineralization Kinetics in Soil

Experiments were conducted to study populations of indigenous microorganisms capable of mineralizing 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP) in two soils. Previous kinetic analyses indicated the presence of two coexisting populations of DNP-mineralizing microorganisms in a forest soil (soil 1). Studies in which eucaryotic and procaryotic inhibitors were added to this soil indicated that both populations were bacterial. Most-probable-number counts with media containing different concentrations of DNP indicated that more bacteria could mineralize low concentrations of DNP than could metabolize high concentrations of it. Enrichments with varying concentrations of DNP and various combinations of inhibitors consistently resulted in the isolation of the same two species of bacteria from soil 1. This soil contained a large number and variety of fungi, but no fungi capable of mineralizing DNP were isolated. The two bacterial isolates were identified as a Janthinobacterium sp. and a Rhodococcus sp. The Janthinobacterium sp. had a low μmax and a low Km for DNP mineralization, whereas the Rhodococcus sp. had much higher values for both parameters. These differences between the two species of bacteria were similar to differences seen when soil was incubated with different concentrations of DNP. Values for μmax from soil incubations were similar to μmax values obtained in pure culture studies. In contrast, Ks and Km values showed greater variation between soil and pure culture studies. The results of this study help to confirm predictions that two physiologically distinct bacterial populations are responsible for the multiphasic mineralization kinetics observed in the soil studied.
Global Trends in the Bank Regulatory and Supervisory Environment

Recent changes in the nature of banking and costly banking crises in countries around the world have focused attention on the adequacy of bank regulation and supervision. Policy makers have struggled with questions about the most appropriate regulatory regime to adopt, and the supervisory practices best suited to implement and enforce the regime. Several countries, in this regard, have recently transferred regulation and supervision to a separate agency from the central bank, with China being the most recent to do so in April 2003. Many countries have also recently taken actions to improve their prudential regulations and supervisory practices governing the activities of banks, a process that is likely to receive added impetus when the new Basel Capital Accord comes into effect. This paper provides an overview of key global trends in bank regulation and supervision. The study draws on recent research and detailed cross-country data, including data from a recent World Bank survey of bank regulation and supervision worldwide, to focus on some of the underlying reasons for and implications of developments in a variety of areas. These include the following: the nature and changing role of banks in promoting economic growth, development and stability; restrictions on the scope of banking activities and allowable ownership arrangements in which to conduct them; the structure and scope of bank regulatory and supervisory schemes; supervisory practices to promote safe and sound banks; market discipline and corporate governance in banking; deposit insurance schemes; offshore banking, and potential disputes in banking arising from World Trade Organization membership.
Glucuronidation of statins in animals and humans: a novel mechanism of statin lactonization.

The active forms of all marketed hydroxymethylglutaryl (HMG)-CoA reductase inhibitors share a common dihydroxy heptanoic or heptenoic acid side chain. In this study, we present evidence for the formation of acyl glucuronide conjugates of the hydroxy acid forms of simvastatin (SVA), atorvastatin (AVA), and cerivastatin (CVA) in rat, dog, and human liver preparations in vitro and for the excretion of the acyl glucuronide of SVA in dog bile and urine. Upon incubation of each statin (SVA, CVA or AVA) with liver microsomal preparations supplemented with UDP-glucuronic acid, two major products were detected. Based on analysis by high-pressure liquid chromatography, UV spectroscopy, and/or liquid chromatography (LC)-mass spectrometry analysis, these metabolites were identified as a glucuronide conjugate of the hydroxy acid form of the statin and the corresponding delta-lactone. By means of an LC-NMR technique, the glucuronide structure was established to be a 1-O-acyl-beta-D-glucuronide conjugate of the statin acid. The formation of statin glucuronide and statin lactone in human liver microsomes exhibited modest intersubject variability (3- to 6-fold; n = 10). Studies with expressed UDP glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs) revealed that both UGT1A1 and UGT1A3 were capable of forming the glucuronide conjugates and the corresponding lactones for all three statins. Kinetic studies of statin glucuronidation and lactonization in liver microsomes revealed marked species differences in intrinsic clearance (CL(int)) values for SVA (but not for AVA or CVA), with the highest CL(int) observed in dogs, followed by rats and humans. Of the statins studied, SVA underwent glucuronidation and lactonization in human liver microsomes, with the lowest CL(int) (0.4 microl/min/mg of protein for SVA versus approximately 3 microl/min/mg of protein for AVA and CVA). Consistent with the present in vitro findings, substantial levels of the glucuronide conjugate (approximately 20% of dose) and the lactone form of SVA [simvastatin (SV); approximately 10% of dose] were detected in bile following i.v. administration of [(14)C]SVA to dogs. The acyl glucuronide conjugate of SVA, upon isolation from an in vitro incubation, underwent spontaneous cyclization to SV. Since the rate of this lactonization was high under conditions of physiological pH, the present results suggest that the statin lactones detected previously in bile and/or plasma following administration of SVA to animals or of AVA or CVA to animals and humans, might originate, at least in part, from the corresponding acyl glucuronide conjugates. Thus, acyl glucuronide formation, which seems to be a common metabolic pathway for the hydroxy acid forms of statins, may play an important, albeit previously unrecognized, role in the conversion of active HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors to their latent delta-lactone forms.
Correlation of Cerebrospinal Fluid Flow Dynamics and Headache in Chiari I Malformation

OBJECTIVE:The management of patients with a Chiari I malformation who present with headaches alone remains unclear. We studied the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow dynamics of Chiari I malformation patients presenting with headaches alone so as to identify headache types that are associated with CSF flow obstruction versus those that may be unrelated to Chiari I malformations. METHODS:Preoperative cine phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging of the craniocervical junction was prospectively performed in 33 patients presenting with headaches alone and a Chiari I malformation (tonsillar ectopia >5 mm below the foramen magnum). Headaches were classified as frontal, occipital, or generalized. CSF flow dynamics were then prospectively compared with presenting symptomatology. A subgroup of 17 patients underwent surgical decompression of the Chiari I malformations. RESULTS:Patients with frontal or generalized headaches were 10-fold less likely to demonstrate obstructed CSF flow (odds ratio, 0.10; 95% confidence interval, 0.02–0.52) and 8-fold less likely to have tonsillar descent greater than 7 mm (odds ratio, 0.12; 95% confidence interval, 0.03–0.62) compared with patients with occipital headaches. Adjusting for degree of tonsillar herniation in multivariate analysis, frontal and generalized headaches remained independently associated with nonobstructed CSF flow pathological findings, whereas occipital headaches remained associated with obstructed CSF flow independent of tonsil location (odds ratio, 5.84; 95% confidence interval, 1.01–34.28). In the surgical group, all patients with obstructed CSF flow did well compared with the group with normal flow, regardless of headache location. CONCLUSION:Regardless of the degree of tonsillar ectopia, occipital headaches were strongly associated with hindbrain CSF flow abnormalities, whereas frontal and generalized headaches were not. Normal magnetic resonance imaging-cine CSF flow in the setting of a Chiari I malformation and frontal headaches alone suggests that frontal headaches are not pathologically or causatively associated with the Chiari I malformation in the vast majority of patients. Frontal headaches with obstructed flow may respond to surgery.
Climatic signals in earlywood, latewood and total ring width of Corsican pine from western France

Analyse dendroclimatique du pin laricio de Corse dans l'ouest de la France. L'effet du climat sur la croissance de peuplements de pin laricio de Corse poussant a faible altitude sur des sols acides et bien draines dans l'ouest de la France a ete evalue en comparant la croissance annuelle du bois initial, du bois final et du cerne complet avec les donnees mensuelles de temperature et de precipitation collectees a Angers sur la periode 1922-1991. La formation du bois final est apparue plus sensible au climat que celle du bois initial. L'analyse des annees caracteristiques et des modeles climatiques a montre que la secheresse estivale jouait un role majeur dans les variations inter-annuelles de croissance. Les reductions extremes de croissance sont liees aux faibles precipitations tandis que les fonctions de reponse soulignent le role de la temperature. Les modeles climatiques expliquent entre 37 et 46% de la variabilite inter-annuelle de la croissance selon le compartiment considere, et suggerent que le bois initial est elabore au debut du printemps (mai) et que la formation du bois final est maximale en ete (juillet). La photosynthese hivernale et la reactivation precoce du cambium pourraient expliquer l'effet positif des temperatures hivernales sur la formation du bois initial. En debut de saison, la croissance est favorisee par un printemps frais et humide. L'influence des conditions du mois d'octobre de l'annee qui precede la mise en place du cerne suggere un arriere-effet des conditions automnales sur la croissance annuelle. L'analyse des donnees climatiques n'a revele aucune derive de l'amplitude thermique et des precipitations. En revanche, les temperatures minimale et moyenne annuelles ont augmente significativement (α < 0.01) de 1,5°C et 1,1°C sur la periode 1950-1997. Pour la periode estivale (juillet-aout), les augmentations sont respectivement de 2,3°C et 2,2°C. En augmentant la secheresse estivale, un rechauffement continu pourrait entrainer dans les prochaines annees de fortes reductions de croissance voire un deperissement forestier.
Identification and cloning of a novel IL‐15 binding protein that is structurally related to the alpha chain of the IL‐2 receptor.

Interleukin‐15 (IL‐15) is a novel cytokine of the four‐helix bundle family which shares many biological activities with IL‐2, probably due to its interaction with the IL‐2 receptor beta and gamma (IL‐2R beta and gamma c) chains. We report here the characterization and molecular cloning of a distinct murine IL‐15R alpha chain. IL‐15R alpha alone displays an affinity of binding for IL‐15 equivalent to that of the heterotrimeric IL‐2R for IL‐2. A biologically functional heteromeric IL‐15 receptor complex capable of mediating IL‐15 responses was generated through reconstruction experiments in a murine myeloid cell line. IL‐15R alpha is structurally similar to IL‐2R alpha; together they define a new cytokine receptor family. The distribution of IL‐15 and IL‐15R alpha mRNA suggests that IL‐15 may have biological activities distinct from IL‐2.
Normal values of esophageal motility after antireflux surgery; a study using high‐resolution manometry

Fundoplication is an effective therapy for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), but can be complicated by postoperative dysphagia. High‐resolution manometry (HRM) can assess esophageal function, but normal values after fundoplication are lacking. Our aim was to obtain normal values for HRM after successful Toupet and Nissen fundoplication.
CONTENUS INFORMATIONNELS DU RESULTAT NET ET DES CAPITAUX PROPRES: QUELLE PERTINENCE APRES L'INTRODUCTION DES NORMES IFRS: LE CAS DE LA FRANCE

Since the advent of the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) / International Accounting Standards (IAS), European companies have reported their consolidated financial statements according to shareholder (or investor) model. This new frame of reference seems to provide more relevant information than those obtained from the stakeholder model (French GAAP). This article aims to compare the value relevance of earnings and equity as obtained from French GAAP and from International Accounting Standards (IAS/IFRS). In particular, we check whether the adoption of IAS/IFRS standards improves the overall quality of the published earnings and equity used by the stock exchange investors. Using data from French companies listed on the Paris stock exchange, the observed value relevance of earning and equity is studied by comparing the pre-IFRS (2000-2003) and post-IFRS (2005-2007) periods. Our results indicate that the value relevance of information content of earnings and equity book value is greater under IFRS GAAP than with French GAAP in the explanation of stock returns.
Structure, expression, and regulation of the kilC operon of promiscuous IncP alpha plasmids

The kil-kor regulon was first identified on the broad-host-range IncP alpha plasmid RK2 by the presence of multiple kil loci (kilA, kilB, kilC, and recently kilE) that are lethal to Escherichia coli host cells in the absence of regulation by kor functions in various combinations. Whereas the kilB operon is required for mating-pair formation during conjugation, the functions encoded by the other kil loci are not known. They are not essential for replication or conjugal transfer, but their coregulation with replication and transfer genes indicates that they are likely to be important for RK2. In this report, we describe molecular and genetic studies on kilC. We determined the nucleotide sequence of the kilC region, which is located between the origin of vegetative replication (oriV) and transposon Tn1 on RK2. Primer extension analysis identified the transcriptional start site and showed that a sequence corresponding to a strong sigma 70 promoter is functional. The abundance of RNA initiated from the kilC promoter is reduced in the presence of korA and korC, as predicted from genetic analysis of kilC regulation. The first gene of the kilC operon (klcA) is sufficient to express the host-lethal phenotype of the kilC determinant in the absence of korA and korC. By comparing RK2 to the related IncP alpha plasmids pUZ8 and R995, we determined that the Tn1 transposon in RK2 interrupts a gene (klcB) immediately downstream of klcA. Thus, the kilC determinant is normally part of an autoregulated operon of three genes: klcA, klcB, and korC. klcA is predicted to encode a 15,856-Da polypeptide that is related to the ArdB antirestriction protein of the IncN plasmid pKM101, suggesting a role for klcA in the broad host ranges of IncP alpha plasmids. The predicted product of the uninterrupted klcB gene is a polypeptide of 51,133 Da that contains a segment with significant similarity to the RK2 regulatory proteins KorA and TrbA. Located 145 bp upstream of the kilC promoter is a 10th copy of the 17-bp oriV iteron sequence in inverted orientation relative to that of the other nine iterons of oriV. Iteron 10 is identical to the "orphan" iteron 1, and both have identical 6-bp flanking sequences that make them likely to be strong binding sites for the TrfA replication initiator protein. The locations and relative orientation of orphan iterons 10 and 1 raise the possibility that these iterons promote the formation of a DNA loop via protein-protein interactions by bound TrfA and lead us to propose that they demarcate the functional origin of replication. This analysis of the kilC region and our previous studies on the other kil loci of RK2 have revealed that the region between oriV and the korABF operon in wild-type IncP alpha plasmids is saturated by the kilC, kilE, and kilA loci arranged in four kor-regulated operons encoding a total of 12 genes.
Interplay between structure and electronic properties of layered transition-metal dichalcogenides: Comparing the loss function of 1T and 2H polymorphs

Transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMD) share the same global layered structure, but distinct polymorphs are characterized by different local coordinations of the transition-metal atoms. Here we compared the 1T and 2H families of metallic TMD, both in the bulk and in the two-dimensional forms. By means of first-principles time-dependent density functional calculations of the loss function, we established the direct connection between the low-energy plasmon properties and the crystal-structure symmetry. The different atomic environments affect the d − d electron-hole excitations, which are prominent at low energies, resulting in distinct in-plane plasmon dispersions in the two families. Conversely, the different periodicity of the plasmon reappearance along the c axis perpendicular to the layers can be used to distinguish the various crystal structures of TMD.
Scalable and efficient QoS support for SIP‐signalled voice calls

This paper proposes an extension of the functionality of a SIP proxy server for providing QoS to SIP‐signalled voice over IP calls in a scalable and efficient way. The basic concept lies in aggregating SIP calls into bandwidth‐provisioned trunks and on admitting calls on trunks only within the limit of their bandwidth. The SIP proxy server derives bandwidth requirements of SIP calls directly from parsed SIP messages. The bandwidth of the logical trunks can be dynamically changed. With a moderate trunk over‐sizing, the trunk resizing rate can be kept much lower than the call arrival process. The approach scales well in a scenario where a centralized entity (bandwidth broker) is in charge of managing all the trunks of a given domain. We present simulation results that confirm this good scalability. The functionality and scalability of the proposed approach is compared with other ones currently discussed in the IETF or in the literature. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A research on the piezoelectric vibration actuator for mobile phone

The authors study the PZT-based composition for a piezoelectric vibration actuator. Specimens of piezoelectric ceramics are produced by the columbite method. The piezoelectric vibration actuator by this composition is designed by ATILA (Magsoft) program using FEM (finite element method). The vibration motor used for a mobile phone must be driven in the frequency of 130 /spl sim/ 200 Hz, so the resonant frequency of piezoelectricity must adjust driven frequency bandwidth. The result of a analysis by ATILA appears to be a dependant property of length, width, thickness and dummy weight about resonant frequency of the piezoelectric vibration actuator. The size of manufactured actuator is 28 x 12 x 0.3 mm/sup 3/ (length x width x thickness) and this is bimorph type. The test of manufactured piezoelectric vibration actuator measures displacement, acceleration and power dissipation. The piezoelectric vibration device has the more advantage more than electro-magnetic motor, however, the size of manufactured device is larger than electro-magnetic motor.
An Investigation of Perception Differences Regarding E-Service Quality Dimensions Among E-Service Customers

Diffusion of Internet usage and proliferation of electronic commerce activities have forced many service companies to implement the online extensions and provide all or some services via high quality web sites. Therefore, determining the quality dimensions of their web sites and understanding how customers perceive them have become vital issues for those companies. Although much research has been performed to provide better insights into the customer perceptions of the respected quality dimensions, the effects of customer differences on those perceptions have remained a neglected matter. The aim of this study is to investigate whether the quality dimensions of e-service sites are perceived differently by the different e-service customer categories. The research data was collected from 488 e-service customers determined through the convenience sampling process and conducted by using a paper-pencil questionnaire in July, 2007. When the e-service customers were categorized in terms of their income levels, Internet experiences, daily Internet usage times and purchase interests on the net, the perceptions of the e-service quality dimensions were found to be significantly different among the categories. The findings and discussions of present study contribute valuable insights for both researchers and practitioners working on e-commerce and e-service areas in Turkey.
The 16th C. L. Oakley Lecture. Virulence of Campylobacter species: a molecular genetic approach.

incidence of infection by these other species is unclear. ' As this research group's interests have been directed towards C. jejuni and C. coli, most background comments will necessarily be based on previous work on these two species. Campylobacter biology In physical terms, campylobacters are slim (0.548 pm long and 0.245 pm wide), gram-negative rods which are spirally curved with tapering ends; it is from their shape that they derive their name, the Greek " campylo " meaning curved and " bacter " meaning rod? The cells usually possess a polar flagellum at one or both ends and this, presumably aided by the spiral cell morphology, imparts a high degree of motility to the cell. Most species are micro-aerophilic, requiring an 0, concentration of 3-1 5 YO and CO, concentration of 3-5 %, but some are aerotolerant.16 Members of the genus will grow at a wide range of temperatures. C. jejuni and C. coli are thermophilic, growing best at 42°C; this probably reflects adaptation to the temperatures found in their normal habitat, the intestine of warm-blooded animals and birds. C. fetus grows at 25°C and 37"C, C. cinaedi at 37°C but not 25" or 42°C and C. cryoaerophila has a growth temperature optimum of 15°C. Under certain environmental conditions, e.g., in stationary phase of growth or on exposure to atmospheric oxygen, campylobacters become round or coccoid in shape. This shape change has been associated with a transition from a viable culturable form to a viable but non-culturable state.17 It has been suggested that this transition is an adaptation to survival in adverse environments and there is a great deal of interest in this aspect of physiology and its role in transmission. There is evidence that campylobacters are infectious for neonatal mice in this form," but in a perhaps more relevant chicken model, the evidence is contradictory.l9~ The genetics of Campylobacter spp.
FUNCTIONAL FEATURES IN DATA-DRIVEN DEPENDENCY PARSING

This article relates results in data-driven dependency par sing of Swedish to linguistic generalizations regarding syntactic argume nt status, such as tendencies regarding animacy and definiteness, as well as prope rties more specific to the Scandinavian languages, such as finiteness. We sh ow how datadriven modeling in combination with labeled dependency rep resentations enable the acquisition of functional preferences that are evi dent as statistical tendencies in language data. We present an in-depth error an alysis of a datadriven dependency parser with a particular focus on assignm ent of core syntactic arguments and show how a data-driven parser provides an xperimental setting where the influence of various linguistic propertie s may be evaluated and investigated further.