Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Production and secretion of TNF related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL/Apo2L) in the Escherichia coli periplasm using PhoA signal peptide

The ability of TNF related apoptosis inducing ligand/Apo2 ligand (TRAIL/Apo2L) in order to selectively induce apoptosis in tumor cells but not normal cells makes it an attractive target for development of new cancer therapy. Although TRAIL/Apo2L has been produced in several hosts, E. coli is one of the best expression systems among them due to its safety, simplicity, low cultivation cost, and known genetic properties. However, cytoplasmic expression of TRAIL/Apo2L in E. coli may be concomitant with some problems such as protease-induced degradation, protein misfolding, diminution in the biological activity and complexity of downstream processing. Therefore, the aim of this study was the development of an expression system to produce and secrete recombinant TRAIL/Apo2L into the E. coli periplasmic space. DNA encoding Alkaline Phosphatase (PhoA) signal peptide was added to the TRAIL/Apo2L cDNA using overlapping extension PCR procedure. PhoA-TRAIL construct was subsequently cloned in pET-22b expression plasmid and correct cloning was confirmed by PCR and sequencing. TRAIL/Apo2L expression was induced in E. coli BL21 (DE3) and then its periplasmic fraction was isolated through osmotic shock. SDS-PAGE analysis showed that recombinant TRAIL/Apo2L was successfully secreted into E. coli periplasm. The periplasmic TRAIL/Apo2L was identified by western blotting analysis. Finally, the biological activity of the purified periplasmic TRAIL/Apo2L was assessed by MTT assay to evaluate its growth inhibitory effect against the HeLa cell line. In conclusion, the results demonstrate that our TRAIL/Apo2L expression system could be an interesting alternative to reduce problems arose from the cytoplasmic production of TRAIL/Apo2L.
Striking position selection based on two-step multi-purpose fuzzy decision method for robotic table tennis

For robotic table tennis,selecting the optimal striking position in the returning process according to the ball’s trajectory,not only reduces the difficulties in returning the coming ball,but also increases the returnable success rate.A two-step multi-purpose fuzzy decision making method is proposed for striking-position selection.Firstly,according to robot’s optimum range of motion and the coming ball’s velocity,the searching region containing the striking position is determined.Then,the positions of the ball in the searching region are regarded as decision-making universe.In the universe,the desired outgoing velocity is respectively calculated with the target returning parameters.Three energy functions are defined based on the parameters of racket,representing energetic and momentum changes of the ping-pong ball in the striking process.The functions are used as index functions for striking point selection in the searching region.Finally,comparison experiments of the proposed method with conventional ones are well conducted under different experimental conditions,demonstrating effectiveness of the proposed method.
A Conceptual Framework for Evaluating and Designing Information Discovery and Curation Tools

Everyday life revolves around the discovery and curation of digital information. People search the Web continuously, from quickly looking up the information needed to complete a task, to endlessly searching for inspiration and knowledge. A variety of studies have modeled information seeking strategies and characterized information seeking and curation activities on the Web. However, there is a lack of research on how existing Web applications support the discovery and curation of information, especially concerning the motivations behind them and how different approaches can be compared. In this thesis, I present a study of information discovery tools and how they relate to the nature of information seeking. I propose a conceptual framework that deals with Web application design elements that support different aspects of information discovery and curation. This framework can be used when designing, evaluating or updating Web applications.
AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AUDITOR INDUSTRY SPECIALIZATION AND LENGTH OF AUDITOR TENURE, AND EARNINGS MANAGEMENT IN THE FIRMS LISTED IN TEHRAN STOCK EXCHANGE

This study is mainly concerned with examining the relationship between audit quality and earnings management in the firms listed in Tehran Stock Exchange (TSE). To measure the audit quality, auditor industry specialization and length of auditor tenure are used while discretionary accrual is used as a proxy of earnings management. To do so, a sample of 91 firms listed in TSE over the period 2008-2012 is investigated. The results revealed that firms audited by auditor industry specialization allow for lower earnings management. Moreover, no significant relationship was found between length of auditor tenure and earnings management.
Collecting and Interpreting Qualitative Research-Elicited Data for Longitudinal Analysis. The Case of Oral History Data on World War II Forced Labourers

Die Gewinnung und Interpretation von Daten aus der qualitativen Forschung als Grundlage von L? ngsschnittanalysen. Zur historischen Dimen sion narrativer Interviews mit ehemaligen NS-Zwangsarbeitern? Since a number of disciplines have developed methodological and interpretive ap proaches towards Oral History, the dialogue between History and Sociology about the possible use of life story interviews for longitudinal analysis has been under pressure from a variety of influences in a rapidly evolving discursive field. While psychology and brain research have thrown the scientific sub stance of narrative interviews as such into doubt, media and museums assign strictly defined roles to interview materials to serve their representative needs. At the same time, paradigm shifts and terminological trends within social and cultural sciences further narrow the room for manoeuvre for Oral History as far as opening up of a perspective on individual handling of past events within a biography is concerned. Drawing on experiences of an interview project with World War II forced labourers, the article explores what contribution Oral His
STUDY OF THE VEGETAL COVERING AND LAND USE DYNAMICS IN THE REGION OF JI- PARANÁ/RO USING CLASSIFICATION TECHNICS

The Brazilian Amazon has been object of anthropic activities (agronomic and cattle raising) that have been changing areas of forests into areas destined to the agriculture and pasture, contributing to the alteration of the environment. The evaluation of the vegetal covering and the land use is therefore indispensable for a rational planning that will overcome problems of uncontrolled development and deterioration of the environmental quality. However, high costs and difficulties of obtaining data in a short period characterize the conventional techniques used for that end. In this context, the analysis process and interpretation of images is an effective technique for the evaluation of that dynamics. The aim of this paper is to present the results obtained by the visual analysis and interpretation of Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) imagery (Path/Row = 231/067) for years 1995 and 1997 using remote sensing techniques for mapping the classes of vegetal covering and land use in the study area, as well as the quantification of the area deforested in that period. It is also showed the results obtained with supervised and unsupervised classifiers. The major change occurred in the area was the mature (primary) and secondary forest that became bare soil and pasture, representing 69.79 Km 2 (6.35%) of the study area. The second more representative alteration was the bare soil that became pasture, representing 33.47 Km 2
Doctor becomes a patient: a qualitative study of health care work place violence related perception among junior doctors working in a teaching hospital in India

Background: Health care work place violence (HCWPV) is four times higher compared to violence against other professions. The problem remains under-reported and under-researched. Qualitative perception studies among junior doctors have not been paid due attention hitherto. Methods: Six individual face-to-face-indepth-interviews and six focus-group-discussions were conducted during December 2017 and January 2018 among 41 young doctors (interns, resident doctors i.e. post graduate students and young clinical faculty members). Thematic (content) analysis method was used for analysis of the data (texts). Results: Relevance, causes as well as consequences of HCWPV and measures for its prevention and control were brought up and discussed. Four themes emerged in thematic analysis. Almost all of the participants believed that it is an extremely important topic. Causation is multifactorial whereby all stakeholders are responsible. Consequences are affecting the whole society not merely the victims. Measures suggested were related to - in view of the causes - medical profession; patients and society; behavior and process; system and administration. Conclusions: Increasing materialism and eclipse of humanitarian values, media-created-violence, negative image of medical profession, patient-physician-distrust, zero-protection for doctors, apathetic governments and deficiencies in the process of justice are among the main causes of HCWPV. Junior doctors were not much optimistic of any improvement in near future in their safety and security as this would require more probity and unity among doctors and a clientele, a Health Care Delivery System, the Governments and a Judiciary much different from what it is today.
Classifying El Niño Modoki I and II by Different Impacts on Rainfall in Southern China and Typhoon Tracks

Based on their opposite influences on rainfall in southern China during boreal fall, this paper classifies El Nino Modoki into two groups: El Nino Modoki I and II, which show different origins and patterns of SST anomalies. The warm SST anomalies originate in the equatorial central Pacific and subtropical northeastern Pacific for El Nino Modoki I and II, respectively. Thus, El Nino Modoki I shows a symmetric SST anomaly distribution about the equator with the maximum warming in the equatorial central Pacific, whereas El Nino ModokiII displays an asymmetric distribution with the warmSSTanomaliesextending fromthe northeastern PacifictotheequatorialcentralPacific.Additionally,thewarmSSTanomaliesintheequatorialcentralPacific extend farther westward for El Nino Modoki II than for El Nino Modoki I. Similar to the canonical El Nino, El Nino Modoki I is associated with an anomalous anticyclone in the Philippine Sea that induces south- westerly wind anomalies along the south coast of China and carries the moisture for increasing rainfall in southern China. For El Nino Modoki II, an anomalous cyclone resides east of the Philippines, associated with northerly wind anomalies and a decrease in rainfall in southern China. The canonical El Nino and El Nino Modoki I are associated with a westward extension of the western North Pacific subtropical high (WNPSH), whereas El Nino Modoki II shifts the WNPSH eastward. Differing from canonical El Nino and El Nino Modoki I, El Nino Modoki II corresponds to northwesterly anomalies of the typhoon steeringflow, which are unfavorable for typhoons to make landfall in China.
Title Traits underlying community consequences of plant intraspecific diversity

A plant’s performance and interactions with other trophic levels are recorgnized to be contingent upon plant diversity and underlying associational dynamics, but far less is known about the plant traits driving such phenomena. We manipulated diversity in plant traits using pairs of plant and a substitutive design to elucidate the mechanisms underlying diversity effects operating at a fine spatial scale. Specifically, we measured the effects of diversity in sex (sexual monocultures vs. male and female genotypes together) and growth rate (growth rate monocultures vs. fastand slow-growing genotypes together) on growth of the shrub Baccharis salicifolia and on aboveand belowground consumers associated with this plant. We compared effects on associate abundance (# associates per plant) vs. density (# associates per kg plant biomass) to elucidate the mechanisms underlying diversity effects; effects on abundance but not density suggest diversity effects are mediated by resource abundance (i.e. plant biomass) alone, whereas effects on density suggest diversity effects are mediated by plant-based heterogeneity or quality. Sexual diversity increased root growth but reduced the density (but not abundance) of the dietary generalist aphid Aphis gossypii and its associated aphid-tending ants, suggesting sex mixtures were of lower quality to this herbivore (e.g. via reduced plant quality), and that this effect indirectly influenced ants. Sexual diversity had no effect on the abundance or density of parasitoids attacking A. gossypii, the dietary specialist aphid Uroleucon macolai, or mycorrhizae. In contrast, growth rate diversity did not influence plant growth or any associates except for the dietary specialist aphid U. macolai, which increased in both abundance and density at high diversity, suggesting growth rate mixtures were of higher quality to this herbivore. These results highlight that plant associational and diversity effects on consumers are contingent upon the source of plant trait variation, and that the nature of such dynamics may vary both within and among trophic levels. PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone. 0183493 September 8, 2017 1 / 18 a1111111111 a1111111111 a1111111111 a1111111111 a1111111111
Enterobius vermicularis: A Controversial Cause of Appendicitis

Enterobiasis is undoubtedly one of the most common human helminths infections through the world, with an estimate of 1000 million cases worldwide. Although adult worms and their eggs are frequently found in inflamed appendices, but the role of the parasite in producing appendicitis in humans still remains controversial. Although acute appendicitis may occur at any age, but it is relatively rare at the extremes of age. A histopathological study of infested appendices with Enterobius vermicularis was performed in Khuzestan province, south western Iran, during 2001 to 2003. All 40 samples had surgically been removed during the emergency operations and histopathological process with (H&E) staining has been performed for each. One of the main objects of this work was to collect more data about the possible role of this highly prevalent human round worm as a causative agent of appendicitis in humans, leading to different types of appendicitis in this part of the country. In this occasion over the slide examinations of the tissue sections, fewer cases than expected, with worm infested appendices were seen exclusively affected with this parasite.
Changes in tropical cyclone precipitation over China

The Tropical Cyclone (TC) Precipitation (TCP) is partitioned from the station observations in China using the Objective Synoptic Analysis Technique (OSAT). The TCP spatial distribution, its ratio to total annual rainfall, the changes in the TCP volume, and the annual frequency of the torrential TCP events during the period 1957∼2004 are examined with a focus on their long‐term trends in this study. Tropical cyclones significantly contribute to the annual rainfall in southern, southeastern, and eastern China, including Taiwan and Hainan islands. The TCP in most of the southeastern coastal regions can be more than 500 mm a year, accounting for 20∼40% of the total annual precipitation. Together with interdecadal and interannual variations, significant downward trends are found in the TCP volume, the annual frequency of torrential TCP events, and the contribution of TCP to the annual precipitation over the past 48 years. The downward trends were accompanied with the decreases in the numbers of TCs and typhoons that affected China during the period 1957–2004. These changes strongly suggest that China has experienced decreasing TC influence over the past 48 years, especially in terms of the TCP.
Improving Laboratory Experiences in Engineering Education

Laboratory classes are integral part of an engineering course. Laboratory sessions are primarily designed to develop proficiency in technical skills, provide an opportunity to place theory in context, develop critical thinking skills and promote enquiry based learning. Laboratory experiences will be paramount in developing our students as independent learners, researchers, critical thinkers and generators of knowledge. There are several reforms need to be implemented to improve student laboratory experiences. This paper suggests some of the methods that can be implemented in engineering institutes. This paper also presents the study of usage of online tools and rubric based laboratory assessment methodology adopted in electronics engineering course.
Production and carbon reserve dynamics of the seagrass Thalassia testudinum in Corpus Christi Bay, Texas, USA

The seasonal production dynamics of Thalassia testudinum in Corpus Christi Bay, Texas (USA) were evaluated through measurements of biomass, leaf growth and carbohydrate carbon content from December 1993 to March 1995. Shoot density and blomass changed significantly with season; values ranged from 321 shoots m-' (454 g dry wt m-2) in March to 531 shoots m-' (885 g dry wt m-? ) in September Biomass of individual plant parts was significantly different over the sampling period; rhizome tissues tended to have the highest biornass while root tissues had the lowest. However, leaf biomass was higher than that of rhizome tissues during summer. Leaf productivities showed significant seasonal variation that was strongly correlated with temperature, ranging from 0.07 g dry wt m-2 d-' in December to 5.6 g dry wt d-' in July. Chlorophyll [chl) concentrations were significantly higher and chl a:0 ratios lowest during the spnng/summer period of maximum photosynthetic production and growth than during winter. Non-structural carbohydrate carbon content was highest in rhizome tissues (111 to 203 mg C g-' dry wt) and lowest in leaf tissues (46 to 70 mg C g-l dry wt), which is consistent with the rhizome's role as a carbon storage tissue. Rhizome carbohydrate carbon content increased rap~dly during June and July, which coincided with h ~ g h water temperatures, underwater irradiance and blade chl concentrations. During winter and early spring, rhizome carbohydrate carbon content dropped nearly 50%, suggesting that these reserves were mobilized for tissue maintenance and new growth in early spring. Estimated annual blade production of T testudinum in Corpus Christi Bay over the period of this study was 792 g dry wt rn-"r-l, equivalent to 253 g C m-2 yr-' Overall, annual productivity appears to be primarily regulated by temperature and secondarily by ~rradiance, as reflected in the timing and magnitude of the strong seasonal variations in leaf product~v~ty, total chl content, chl a:b ratios and rhizome carbohydrate carbon content in T testudinum.
Photodynamic Therapies in the Treatment of Periodontal Disease

Objectives: Many studies in the literature address the effect of photodynamic therapy in the management of pathologies related to periodontal tissue. Due to the lack of standardized information and the absence of a consensus, this review presents the effect of photodynamic therapy (PDT) on microorganisms involved in periodontal diseases. Materials and methods: The literature and original research articles were used to investigate the effect of Photodynamic therapy (PDT) in periodontal diseases. Online MEDLINE/PubMed database were the main source. Google scholar were used a second search date base for online resources where access was not approachable through MEDLINE. Access date were between 01/9/2007and 30/01/2017. The research was confined to English Language literature. The literature search retrieved references on antimicrobial photodynamic therapy. Results: In total, 38 photodynamic relevant articles were included in the review, comprising work completed on a variety of cell types and places. Although results consistently demonstrated the potential of laser irradiation to affect antimicrobial photodynamic therapy in a wavelength and dosagedependent manner, the relevance of other key irradiation parameters, such as irradiance, to such effects remained unclear. Conclusion: The in vivo and in vitro studies present in the literature, indicate that aPDT may potentially become successful. In addition, infectious procedure associated with conventional therapy can be successful in the management of periodontal disease.
Poly(vinyl butyral)-zirconia hybrid films formed by sol-gel process

A sol-gel process has been successfully utilized to form hybrid materials of poly(vinyl butyral) (PVB) and zirconium dioxide (zirconia). The gelation occurred due to the interaction between remaining hydroxyl group of PVB and zirconia. The hybrids showed good optical transparency and significant improvement in Young's modulus, dynamic mechanical property, abrasion resistance and impact resistance. The glass transition temperature of PVB shifted to higher temperatures by hybridization of PVB and zirconia.
Barriers to cervical cancer screening uptake among rural women in South West Nigeria: A qualitative study

Background . Diverse barriers influence cervical cancer screening uptake among rural women. The study explored barriers related to the uptake of cervical cancer screening among rural men and women in 14 communities of Ado-Odo Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria. Objective . To inform the development of a cervical cancer screening model for use by rural women. Methods. A qualitative exploratory research design was used. Qualitative information was collected from purposively sampled 28 (13 rural men and 15 rural women) using focus group discussion and in-depth interviews. Data were analysed thematically. Results. Five categorical barrier themes were identified including hospital-related, economic, geographical, educational and psychosocial barriers. Conclusion. To address the identified barriers, the involvement of spouses, religious and cultural leaders in the planning and implementation of cervical cancer screening intervention is recommended. Cervical cancer screening services should be integrated into the services of primary health care centres. The government should consider providing subsidized or free screening programme for rural women.
What is the limit for photoautotrophic plankton growth rates?

Knowing the potential maximum photoautotrophic growth rate for planktonic primary producers is fundamental to our understanding of trophic and biogeochemical processes, and of importance in applied phycology. When day-integrated C-specific growth is considered over natural light:dark cycles, plausible RuBisCO activity (Kcat coupled with cellular RuBisCO content) caps growth to less than a few doubling per day. Prolonged periods of C-specific growth rates above ca. 1.3 d−1 thus appear increasingly implausible. Discrepancies between RuBisCO-capped rates and reported microalgal-specific growth rates, including temperature–growth rate relationships, may be explained by transformational errors in growth rate determinations made by reference to cell counts or most often chlorophyll, or by extrapolations from short-term measurements. Coupled studies of enzyme activity and day-on-day C-specific growth rates are required to provide definitive evidence of high growth rates. It seems likely, however, that selective pressure to evolve a RuBisCO with a high Kcat (with a likely concomitant increase in Km for CO2) would be low, as other factors such as light limitation (developing during biomass growth due to self-shading), nutrient limitations, CO2 depletion and pH elevation, would all rapidly depress realized specific growth rates.