Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
ENDOMETRITIS DIAGNOSIS IN REPEAT BREEDER COWS FROM EMBRYO TRANSFER PROGRAMS

SUMMARY Uterine flush technique was used for harvesting biological material and further bacteriological isolation to diagnose endometritis, as well as to determine if subclinical endometritis is causing reproductive failure in cows submitted to embryo transfer. Twenty repeat breeder females from embryo transfer programs, without reproductive pathology symptoms, were selected for the experiment. Samples of uterine flush were plated in aerobic and anaerobic culture systems. Identification of isolated microorganisms was performed with API Index® classification system. The technique presented satisfactory results, allowing recovery of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria recognized as being part of uterine flora in 80% of the animals. Even if the presence of bacteria level III that are not normally associated with endometritis (55%) was superior (p<0.05) to pathogenic bacteria level I (20%), bacteria that causes endometritis (level I and II) was isolated in 50% of the animals, and that might represent an important fertility decline factor.
Melanization of flavonoids by fungal and bacterial laccases

Laccase activity in plants results in the formation of a number of brown pigments, often referred to as tannins. Laccase‐dependent pigment production is also catalogued in numerous fungal and bacterial species. The laccase of the haploid yeast Cryptococcus neoformans forms melanin‐like pigmentation outside the cell wall in the presence of exogenous substrates. While this process is a contributing factor to its virulence in humans, the evolutionary intent for the laccase function remains a mystery. We show here that C. neoformans and Bacillus subtilis have the ability to create melanin‐like pigments from a variety of flavonoid molecules across a range of conformations, preferring those with 3′,4′‐dihydroxylations. Since flavonoids are ubiquitous plant molecules and often‐considered antimicrobial agents, we postulate that they are the intended natural targets of laccase activity and result in the formation of a defensive melanin‐like coat. These results suggests a new mechanism by which flavonoid‐melanin formation may occur, using not only A‐ and C‐ring linkages, but also monomer links through the B‐ring of the flavonoid structure. We also show that resveratrol and other non‐ and mono‐hydroxylated polyphenol substrates have the ability to restrict pigment formation and may be potent inhibitors of laccase activity. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Analysis of dialkyl phosphate metabolites in hair using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry: A biomarker of chronic exposure to organophosphate pesticides

The aim of our study was to develop and validate an analytical approach for the quantitative determination of three dialkyl phosphate (DAP) metabolites, dimethyl phosphate (DMP), dimethyl thiophosphate (DMTP) and diethyl phosphate (DEP), of organophosphate pesticides (OPs) in hair samples. The proposed methodology comprises a decontamination step, solid–liquid extraction, followed by liquid–liquid extraction, pentafluorobenzyl bromide derivatization, clean-up on Florisil/PSA column and analysis by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Extraction recovery, obtained from 50 mg hair samples spiked at two concentration levels, ranged from 56.1 to 107.9% and the within-day precision ranged from 13.5 to 17.5%. Limits of detection (LODs) ranged from 0.02 to 0.10 ng mg−1. The results obtained from the analysis of hair samples of 30 agricultural workers show the suitability of the proposed method for monitoring people occupationally exposed to OPs. The most frequently detected compound was DEP followed by DMP. This is the first report on the detection of dialkyl phosphates in human hair which reflects the ability of hair testing to assess chronic exposure to OPs.
Characterization of HLA-A3-restricted cytotoxic T lymphocytes reactive against the widely expressed tumor antigen telomerase.

PURPOSE We have reported previously that the telomerase catalytic subunit, human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT), is a widely expressed tumor-associated antigen recognized by CTLs. A nine-amino acid peptide derived from hTERT binds strongly to HLA-A2 antigen and elicits CTL responses against a broad panel of hTERT+ tumors (but not hTERT+ hematopoietic progenitor cells). The applicability of hTERT as a potential target for anticancer immunotherapy would be widened by the identification of epitopes restricted to other common HLA alleles, such as HLA-A3 antigen. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Using a method of epitope deduction, HLA-A3-restricted peptide epitopes were screened from hTERT and tested for immunogenicity in a human in vitro T-cell system. RESULTS The hTERT peptide K973 was used to generate specific CD8+ CTLs from HLA-A3+ cancer patients and healthy individuals. These CTLs lysed hTERT+ tumors from multiple histologies in an MHC-restricted fashion, suggesting that the epitope is naturally processed and presented by tumors. In contrast, highly enriched HLA-A3+ CD34+ peripheral blood progenitor cells or activated T cells were not lysed. CONCLUSION Given the expression of HLA-A2 and HLA-A3 antigen in the general population, these findings extend the potential applicability of hTERT as a therapeutic target to >60% of all cancer patients. The characterization of hTERT as a polyepitope, polyallelic tumor-associated antigen may provide an approach for circumventing therapy-induced resistance potentially mediated by antigenic- and allelic-loss tumor escape mutants.
An integrated silicon-on-insulator continually tunable optical delay line for optical coherence tomography

We describe a new integrated rapidly tunable optical delay line optimized for optical coherence tomography (OCT) systems. The integrated system uses a planar waveguide and echelle gratings combined with a specially designed micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) mirror. These components are all fabricated on the same die, thus enabling a very compact and cost effective device. The delay line system has a simulated scanning speed of more than 10 kHz and can provide a continuously tunable variable delay difference of 6.7 ps. The whole system fits on a chip of 12 mm by 8 mm.
Efficient Energy Management in Cloud Data center using VM Consolidation

Cloud computing is a model which can fast provisioned and released the computing resources by using minimum number of management effort. This can be done by the user without doing any communication with the cloud service providers. Cloud provide the computing resources, on-demand network access which is pooled together and it can be provisioned dynamically according to the user needs. Due to the large application, more number of computing nodes are required. A large amount of electrical energy is consumed due to the establishment of the data center. There is a problem of carbon dioxide emissions and increasing cost of operation due to the formation of large data center. A consolidation of virtual machines technique is proposed in our thesis to reduce the energy consumption and to maximize the utilization of the computing resources in the data center. Several virtual machines are taken together into a single physical machine in the consolidation technique and it helps to decrease the consumption of energy by putting idle server into inactive mode. A number of active hosts is minimized by continuously reallocating VMs using live migration. In each migration, Service Level Agreement(SLA) violations may occur, hence it is required to reduce the number of migrations.In order to satisfy quality of services in cloud computing environment, our proposed techniques mainly performs the following functions:(i)reducing the consumption of energy, (ii) minimize the number of migrations and (iii) minimize the percentage of SLA violations. Initially we detect whether any host is overloaded or not. The Overloaded host is detected by considering CPU utilization as a threshold Value. If an overloaded host is detected then some virtual machines are migrated from it by using VM selection policy. After selection of the VMs, the next step is to place the new VMs. For VM placement, the greedy algorithms such as Best Fit Decreasing(BFD) and Modified First Fit Decreasing(MFFD) are used in this thesis. The proposed techniques are compared with the existing EEDVM and PALVM techniques. Using proposed AUTREC technique there is 8% improved in energy consumption, 3% in number of migrations, 10% in SLA violation and 12% in host shutdown as compared to EEDVM technique. Using proposed DUTREC technique there is 9% improved in energy consumption, 6% in number of migrations, 20% in SLA violation and 13% in host shutdown as compared to PALVM technique.
An integrated model of text mining and chance discovery for strategic planning on thin-film solar cell technology

Technological strategies are essential for a company and its stakeholders so as to retain the competitive advantages of company and to facilitate appropriate investment decision-making of stakeholders. Solar cell, one of renewable energies, is growing at a fast pace with its long-lasting and non-polluting natures. In order to provide a possible approach for technological strategy generation, an integrated model has been proposed where text mining is employed to perform the cluster analysis, and chance discovery is adopted to conduct the association analysis (via KeyGraph and data crystallization). Therefore, the technical topics will be produced after the cluster analysis; the subtopics will be created after the KeyGraph generation; and the relations between/among companies and techniques (subtopics) will be recognized after the data crystallization. Consequently, the relation patterns have been identified from the relations between/among companies and techniques. Finally, according to the relation patterns, the strategic suggestions of thin-film solar cell technology have been generated for companies and stakeholders.
Coupling biogeochemical cycles in urban environments: ecosystem services, green solutions, and misconceptions

Urban green space is purported to offset greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions, remove air and water pollutants, cool local climate, and improve public health. To use these services, municipalities have focused efforts on designing and implementing ecosystem-services-based “green infrastructure” in urban environments. In some cases the environmental benefits of this infrastructure have been well documented, but they are often unclear, unquantified, and/or outweighed by potential costs. Quantifying biogeochemical processes in urban green infrastructure can improve our understanding of urban ecosystem services and disservices (negative or unintended consequences) resulting from designed urban green spaces. Here we propose a framework to integrate biogeochemical processes into designing, implementing, and evaluating the net effectiveness of green infrastructure, and provide examples for GHG mitigation, stormwater runoff mitigation, and improvements in air quality and health.
The missing middle: Growing and strengthening Viet Nam’s micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises

We study the exporting and subcontracting decisions, mark-ups, market concentration, and growth of a panel of Vietnamese private micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises. Our main findings are as follows. First, we find that among subcontractors, subcontracting is a supplementary rather than primary activity. Second, there is strong evidence that the propensity to export increases with managers’ or owners’ knowledge of customs law. Third, all else equal, mark-ups are lower for larger micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises. Fourth, there is significant home province bias in the sales of Viet Nam’s micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises. Membership of business associations and having internationally recognized quality certifications attenuate the size of the home market bias. Fifth, a significant number of enterprises did not grow or even contracted in size between 2010 and 2014. Finally, we find no evidence that inspections deter enterprises from expanding beyond their core competencies.
Electrocardiographic ORS axis shift with left anterior hemiblock.

To the Editor. — In response to the paper of Ewy et al (215:429-432, 1971), we wish to report a case of intermittent left anterior hemiblock that seems to be related to metabolic factors other than hyperkalemia. Report of a Case. — A 19-year-old boy was admitted to the hospital with severe renal failure secondary to chronic glomerulonephritis. He had been receiving lanatoside C intravenously in doses of 0.4 mg every other day. On admission he was confused, oliguric (300 mg/24 hr), and was vomiting. The blood pressure was 140 mm Hg systolic and 80 mm Hg diastolic, and remained within normal limits during his hospitalization. The ocular fundi were normal. An ejection systolic murmur was heard over the base and the apex of the heart. Examination of the roentgenogram revealed the cardiac silhouette to be within normal limits. The blood urea nitrogen (BUN) level was 660 mg/100 ml; hemoglobin level,
Consumer Perceptions of CSR communication: An experimental investigation

This research aims to find out the most effective Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) message approaches that will contribute to favourable consumer CSR beliefs and attitude toward the company. Three message approaches: the use of narrative, invitational rhetoric and message ambiguity will be investigated. It is expected that consumer support for CSR and consumer scepticism will have moderating effects and consumer attribution of company motives will mediate the relationship between message approach and attitude toward the company. A series of laboratory experiments will be conducted with consumers as the participants. Quantitative data collected through the experiment will be analyzed and a research model will be tested. It is anticipated that the findings from this research will allow public relations and corporate communication practitioners to better identify effective CSR communication message approaches which lead to positive consumer CSR beliefs and attitude toward the company.
Does Pledging of Shares by Controlling Shareholders Always Destroy Firm Value?

Controlling shareholders often pledge their ownership in the firm to offer collateral for either their personal loans or loans to the firm. Pledging of shares modifies their payoff structure, without altering their control rights. This modification in the payoff structure can influence the incentives of controlling shareholders and have real effects on firm value and performance. Using data from India, the study finds that share pledges for personal loans reduce the effective ownership of controlling shareholders and destroy firm value. On the contrary, share pledges for firm loans mitigate problems of limited pledgeability of cashflows and may increase the value of firms.
Deficiency of subunits of complex I and mitochondrial encephalomyopathy

Enzymic activities of the respiratory chain and content of immunochemically detectable subunits in NADH‐ubiquinone oxidoreductase (Complex I) were measured in mitochondria from the skeletal muscles of 4 patients with mitochondrial myopathy, encephalopathy, lactic acidosis, and strokelike episodes (MELAS). The rotenone‐sensitive NADH‐cytochrome c reductase activity was extremely decreased, ranging from 0% to 27% of the control value. In all patients, the content of subunits of Complex I was also reduced in parallel with the rotenone‐sensitive NADH‐cytochrome c reductase activity. It is suggested that the variation in the degree of deficiency of Complex I subunits could explain the clinical heterogeneity of patients with MELAS.
Human proximity networks: analysis, modeling and dynamical phenomena

Modern technologies allow to access to more and more detailed information on human interactions. In this context, the SocioPatterns collaboration has allowed to develop an infrastructure based on radio-identi cation devices, that records human proximity patterns at a fine grained resolution, among voluntary individuals. This infrastructure has been deployed in diverse contexts, such as scienti c conferences, a museum, a primary school, or a hospital department. The mere analysis of these data represents a high stake for the study of human dynamics and raises fundamental issues such as the need of adequate tools and analysis techniques. This thesis presents the statistical characterization of physical proximity dynamics, put into relation with the context and other available metadata such as the age, the gender of participants or the structure of their virtual social networks. Although contact patterns considerably di ffer amongst the various contexts, the empirical distributions of interaction durations and of inter-contact times are very similar. An agent-based model, presented in this thesis, suggests simple microscopic interaction rules able to produce the complex macrostructure of interaction durations. In the last place, the characterization of contact dynamics constitutes a determining step for understanding spreading mechanisms of diseases such as the in uenza. The human proximity data have allowed to analyze the level of information needed on contact dynamics for the elaboration of epidemiological models of contagion. Such models allow to better estimate the impact of public health strategies, e.g. the closure of school classes and targeted vaccinations.
DIGGING DEEPER: Bringing a Systems Approach to Food Systems: Feedback Loops

First paragraphs: Continuing from my first column in JAFSCD’s volume 3, issue 1, feedback loops are another systems concept with a great deal to offer to food systems projects and activities at any level — local to global. Feedback can be thought of as “an influence or message that conveys information about the outcome of a process or activity back to its source” (Capra, 1996, as cited in Sundkvist, Milestad, & Jansson, 2005, p. 225). Feedback loops act as communication and control devices in both natural and socioeconomic systems. Most people who have worked on sustainable agriculture are accustomed to thinking about ecosystem feedbacks such as those from eroded land, polluted water, declining biodiversity, and many other resource problems. People who study the phenomenon point out that feedback can be masked (when information can not be detected) or disregarded (when a problem is not addressed even though it is perceived). In the latter situation, often no effective measures are taken to change manage­ment practices — which allows disturbances to accumulate and create conditions for large-scale crises later on (Berkes & Folke, 1998, cited by Sundkvist et al., 2005), for example dead zones. With regard to masked feedback, we can examine the problem of long distances that impede the flow of information in the food system and block ecological feedback along the whole chain (Princen, 1999). We see this as the problem of not knowing how food is produced or where it comes from. Without information, the likelihood of farmers making good decisions on management and consumers good decisions on purchases is reduced. Also, as feedback loops become looser and less effective, the motivation for environmental action is reduced (Levin, 1999).
Improved Measurement Accuracy of Probe-Fed mm-Wave Antennas Using the Three $\Gamma$  Method

In this letter, we present a method to extract the scattering parameters of a microelectronic probe used to feed on-chip or in-package antennas at millimeter-wave frequencies. It is especially important to take into account these losses in the calibration procedure necessary for the extraction of the antenna gain. We are specifically demonstrating that these losses are positively or negatively impacted, depending on the impedance value of the input impedance of the antenna connected to the probe. Theory is detailed and examples are given to illustrate the importance of taking into account those losses with precision. From the S-parameters of the probe and the measurement of the reflection coefficient of the antenna, we can compute the gain from the measured realized gain. An accuracy improvement of 15% is shown for the gain of the presented antenna.
The Costs of Quality: An Important Decision Tool

At present many company leaders of assimilate the insurance of quality with a rule imposed from the outside and with an administrative act, which is an error. The biggest impediment in implementing the systems of quality insurance is the fact that producers do not acknowledge its economic advantages. Quality is seen as a desired social objective but its contributions to the profit of the company are considered to be marginal. This paper aims to putting into emphasis the total interdependence between the concept regarding the quality insurance and the commercial success, redefining in economic terms the objectives and the actions necessary for the implementation of the system of quality insurance. The production of quality products is not something sufficient. The costs of realizing the objectives must be carefully observed, so that the long term effect of the quality costs within the company be the desired one. That is why it is important that the efficiency of a system of quality be measured in economic terms. The costs of quality do not distinguish themselves from the other types of costs. Just as the costs for maintenance, projection, production, sale and other activities, they can be measured and analyzed in the stages of the productâ€™s life cycle, as well as in all the operational levels of the company.
Efficacy of an Explicit Handwriting Program

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of an explicit handwriting program introduced during the first grade of elementary school. Grade 1 children (N = 23) with an age range of 6.1 to 7.4 yr. (15 girls, 8 boys) were administered an additional handwriting program of two weekly sessions of 45 min. over six weeks. Another group of 19 Grade 1 children (11 girls, 8 boys) received only the regular handwriting program of one weekly session. The Concise Assessment Scale for Children's Handwriting was administered to measure the changes in quality and speed of handwriting. The children given the explicit program showed better quality and speed of handwriting than did the control group. Their handwriting was more regular, with fewer ambiguous letters and fewer incorrect relative heights.
Effects of Mosquito Genes on Plasmodium Development

Malaria parasites must complete a complex developmental cycle in an Anopheles mosquito vector before transmission to a vertebrate host. Sexual development of the parasite in the midgut is initiated in the lumen immediately after the mosquito ingests infected blood, and the resulting ookinetes must traverse the surrounding epithelial layer before transforming into oocysts. The innate immune system of the mosquito is activated during midgut invasion, but to date, no evidence has been published identifying mosquito immune genes that affect parasite development. Here, we show by gene silencing that an Anopheles gambiae leucine rich-repeat protein acts as an antagonist and two C-type lectines act as protective agonists on the development of Plasmodium ookinetes to oocysts.