Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Retinoic acid controls expression of tissue remodeling genes Hmgn1 and Fgf18 at the digit–interdigit junction

Previous studies on retinoic acid receptor (RAR) mutants suggested that retinoic acid (RA) is required for loss of interdigital mesenchyme during digit formation. Here, we report that the RA‐generating enzyme retinaldehyde dehydrogenase‐2 (Raldh2) is expressed in the interdigital mesenchyme whereas Cyp26b1, controlling RA degradation, is expressed in digits, limiting autopodal RA action to the interdigital zones. Embryonic day 13.5 Raldh2−/− mouse embryos lose expression of the RARE‐lacZ RA‐reporter transgene and matrix metalloproteinase‐11 (Mmp11) throughout the interdigital mesenchyme, while expression of RARb, Fgf18, and high mobility group N1 (Hmgn1) is lost at the digit–interdigit junction. Raldh2−/− autopods exhibit reduced interdigital apoptosis associated with loss of Bmp7 expression, but Bmp2, Bmp4, Msx2, and Fgf8 were unaffected. Although interdigital expression of Hmgn1 was greatly down‐regulated in Raldh2−/− autopods, complementary expression of Sox9 in digit cartilage was unaffected. Regulation of Hmgn1 and Fgf18 at the digit–interdigit junction suggests RA controls tissue remodeling as well as apoptosis. Developmental Dynamics 239:665–671, 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Noninvasive Measurement of Fecal Progesterone Concentration in Toy Poodles by Time Resolved Fluoroimmunoassay (TR-FIA)

Progesterone is an important reproductive hormone and measurement of its level by repeated blood samplings is beneficial to monitoring of estrus cycle. However, since toy poodles have a small body size and thin-walled blood vessels, repeated blood samplings cause stress and affect their preparation for mating or artificial insemination (AI). Therefore, a noninvasive method for monitoring progesterone concentration should be developed. Here, we show that time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay (TF-RIA) is a useful noninvasive method for determining the progesterone concentration in serum and fecal samples obtained from toy poodles. Present results demonstrate that progesterone concentrations in the fecal correlated with the serum collected in same time and the sequential changes in progesterone concentrations in the feces are paralleled in the serum. Therefore, this technique may be suitable for monitoring the estrus cycle in toy poodles.
Prevalence of enterotoxin A and B genes in Staphylococcus aureus isolated from clinical samples and healthy carriers in Gorgan City, North of Iran.

BACKGROUND Infections due to Staphylococcus aureus, a nosocomial and community-acquired pathogen, is a major public health problem. Wide range of diseases caused by S. aureus from mild infections of the skin and soft tissue to life threatening diseases which is due to having several virulence factors such as enzymes, toxins and also enterotoxins. Enterotoxin A (SEA) and enterotoxin B (SEB) are superantigens and gastrointestinal toxins causing food poisoning. The sea and seb genes encode SEA and SEB, respectively. The goal of this study was determine the prevalence of sea and seb genes in S. aureus isolated from patients and healthy carriers in Gorgan city, north of Iran. MATERIALS AND METHODS 170 isolates of S. aureus (95 from patients and 75 healthy carriers) were collected during 1 year. After identification and purification, DNA extraction was done by phenol - chloroform method. Amplification of sea and seb genes was done by specific primers and polymerase chain reaction method. RESULTS Among the 170 isolates of S. aureus, 60.6% and 27.1% contained sea and seb genes, respectively. The frequencies of isolates containing sea and seb genes were 58.8% and 61.3%, respectively, in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates and 23.5% and 28.6%, respectively, in methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) isolates which were not statistically significant. The frequency of these genes was not related to age, sex and source of isolation in the patients. CONCLUSION This study showed that a high proportion of S. aureus isolates carried sea gene, whereas the frequency of seb gene in this region was predictable.
Corporate Social Responsibility in Nigeria : A Study of the Petroleum Industry and the Niger Delta Area

Organizations gain social license to operate in a given neighborhood, thus the government of Nigeria, her agencies and the multi-nationals make use of and exploit the Niger Delta Area of Nigeria. This is considered the thrust of this study that assessed the extent, constraints and challenges to the adoption of the principles of corporate social responsibility in the Niger Delta Area. Data were collected and collated based on the use of sets of questionnaires, interviews and observations. Findings include that the area Niger Delta is poor in development given the unwillingness of the government to sacrifice expected high returns on petroleum exploration for the development of the area and lack its of knowledge of and will power to make and execute uninformed decisions concerning the exploration and management of the activities of multi-national companies operating in the area. It therefore recommends a joint action plan and implementation between all participants and stakeholders in the oil business in the Niger Delta area based on encouraging the multi-national companies to operate based on the provisions of committee on economic development on social responsibility of business corporations.
Eye movement responses to convergence stimuli.

In previous studies * investigations were reported concerning the time characteristics of two of the most commonly executed types of eye movements, the so-called saccadic movements and the "smooth" movements elicited by moving visual stimuli. These are all conjugate movements, i. e. , movements in which the two eyes move in parallel. Disjunctive eye movements, i. e. , movements in which changes take place in the orientation of one eye with respect to the other, are known to have time characteristics quite different from those of conjugate movements. Of particular interest in this connection are the movements of convergence and divergence during which the primary lines of sight of the two eyes remain in the same plane but change their relative orientation. They were first studied rather thoroughly by C. H. Judd. 3 His method, however, did not enable him to obtain continuous records of eye positions. More recently they formed the subject
Dynamic properties of microtubules at steady state in the presence of taxol.

The dynamic properties of steady-state microtubules in the presence of the antitumor drug taxol and GTP, but in the absence of microtubule-associated proteins have been studied. The molecular rate constants for the loss or gain of subunits at steady state was found to be dramatically decreased as compared with that for microtubules formed in the presence of GTP and microtubule-associated proteins but in the absence of taxol [Zeeberg, B. , Reid, R. , and Caplow, M. (1980) J. Biol. Chem. 255, 9891-9899]. In light of this change it was surprising to find that the degrees of directionality for subunit flux into the microtubule at steady state are nearly identical within 1.5% of each other) in the two systems. One mechanism to account for this would be for taxol to cause a nearly identical decrease in the rate constants for subunit dissociation at both ends of the microtubule, with no effect on the rate constants for subunit addition. Similar results have previously been found in studies with an endogenous effector of the microtubule steady state, a protein kinase [Jameson, J. L. and Caplow, M. (1981) Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA, 78, 3413-3417]. In this case it was found that phosphorylation of microtubule-associated proteins altered the molecular rate constants for tubulin subunit addition and dissociation, but had no effect on the degree of directionality for subunit flux. It will be of interest to determine whether other exogenous or endogenous effectors also act in a manner such as to leave the directionality unaltered.
Integrating learning and work: Using a critical reflective approach to enhance learning and teaching capacity

The integration of learning and work presents many possibilities and challenges for educators in higher education. Core to these challenges is how to foster preparation for professional practice and particularly how to capture and assess the degree to which the WIL experience prepares students for their future lives and work. With the demand for work ready graduates increasing, the capacity to reflect on action so as to engage in the process of continuous learning is vital to equipping students for futures unknown. This paper seeks to contribute to knowledge of how fostering reflective practice enables the integration of learning and work. This paper presents a case study of a Work Integrated Learning curriculum intervention within the discipline of Project Management. The authors examine how an industry mentoring approach to WIL was developed and implemented, and focus on critically exploring students' reflections and learning outcomes. In doing so, the authors explore WIL from the teacher and student perspective, and seek to contribute to knowledge of how to foster WIL through reflective practice to support the development of Graduate Attributes which equip students for an ever changing workforce.
Biogenesis of respiratory cytochromes in bacteria

Biogenesis of respiratory cytochromes is defined as consisting of the posttranslational processes that are necessary to assemble apoprotein, heme, and sometimes additional cofactors into mature enzyme complexes with electron transfer functions. Different biochemical reactions take place during maturation: (i) targeting of the apoprotein to or through the cytoplasmic membrane to its subcellular destination; (ii) proteolytic processing of precursor forms; (iii) assembly of subunits in the membrane and oligomerization; (iv) translocation and/or modification of heme and covalent or noncovalent binding to the protein moiety; (v) transport, processing, and incorporation of other cofactors; and (vi) folding and stabilization of the protein. These steps are discussed for the maturation of different oxidoreductase complexes, and they are arranged in a linear pathway to best account for experimental findings from studies concerning cytochrome biogenesis. The example of the best-studied case, i.e., maturation of cytochrome c, appears to consist of a pathway that requires at least nine specific genes and more general cellular functions such as protein secretion or the control of the redox state in the periplasm. Covalent attachment of heme appears to be enzyme catalyzed and takes place in the periplasm after translocation of the precursor through the membrane. The genetic characterization and the putative biochemical functions of cytochrome c-specific maturation proteins suggest that they may be organized in a membrane-bound maturase complex. Formation of the multisubunit cytochrome bc, complex and several terminal oxidases of the bo3, bd, aa3, and cbb3 types is discussed in detail, and models for linear maturation pathways are proposed wherever possible.
Detection of cholera toxin gene in stool specimens by polymerase chain reaction: comparison with bead enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and culture method for laboratory diagnosis of cholera

Stool specimens obtained from 123 hospitalized patients with acute secretory diarrhea admitted to the Infectious Diseases Hospital, Calcutta, India, were examined for isolation of Vibrio cholerae O1 by direct or enrichment plating on selective media for cholera toxin (CT) by bead enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (bead-ELISA) and for the CT gene by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). V. cholerae O1 was isolated either by direct culture or by enrichment culture from 70 stool specimens, all of which gave positive results by PCR. Eleven specimens which were culture negative and bead-ELISA positive also gave positive results by PCR. In addition, 13 more specimens which were negative by both the culture method and bead-ELISA, were positive by PCR. With the combined results of both the culture method and the CT bead-ELISA, a confirmed laboratory diagnosis of cholera could be made from 81 stool specimens, while the combined results of the three methods, including PCR, yielded a positive result for 94 specimens examined. From these data, we conclude that PCR provides a more sensitive and specific assay for rapid diagnosis of cholera than currently available methods.
An efficient adaptive voltage scaling using delay monitor unit

Low power consumption along with better performance has become an important aspect of processor and system design. Low power system design involves reducing power consumption at both component and system levels subject to constraints imposed by the system performance. Many techniques ranging from architectural to system level are available. Among all techniques, voltage scaling is the most effective. In this paper, an adaptive voltage scaling (AVS) technique using delay monitoring unit along with a closed loop control buck converter is presented. The proposed technique scales down the operating voltage based on a timing error provided by a delay monitor unit which predicts the critical path delay before it happens. Based on that, the controller issues a command to set the output of the closed loop buck converter. The buck converter consists of an Analogue to Digital Converter (ADC), a Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) and a Digital compensator. A complete model of the system has been developed using Matlab/Simulink. The system is simulated over a frequency range of 2.7 to 3.6 GHz corresponding to a regulated voltage range of 0.6 to 1.2 V and achieved 21% power savings compared to the system without the AVS technique.
Fast Eye Tracking and Feature Measurement using a Multi-stage Particle Filter

Eye trackers – systems that measure the activity of the eyes – are nowadays used in creative ways into a variety of domains: medicine, psychology, automotive industry, marketing etc. This paper presents a real time method for tracking and measuring eye features (iris position, eye contour, blinks) in video frames based on particle filters. We propose a coarse-to-fine approach to solve the eye tracking problem: a first particle filter is used to roughly estimate the position of the iris centers. Next, this estimate is analysed to decide the state of the eyes: opened or half-opened/closed. If the eyes are opened, two independent particles filters are used to determine the contour of each eye. Our algorithm takes less than 11 milliseconds on a regular PC.
Knowledge Management of Students usage of Online Networks a Measurement Scale

— Through a systematic review of existing theories and models, various constructs and elements were identified and used to develop a conceptual framework which was quantitatively tested on a convenience sample of students ( n=300 ) at Sunway University in Malaysia. Based on the results, a measurement scale was developed and analysed through structural equation modelling and confirmatory factor analysis. The results of the study emphasized the importance to proactively manage knowledge creation and sharing in online networks to enhance the learning experience and identity formation of students.
Energy storage levelized cost assessment: Lithium-ion vs. combustion turbine

Following the levelized cost approach suggested by the DOE in its “Electricity Storage Handbook”[1], we will demonstrate that the higher net revenues for Lithium-based energy storage offset its higher costs to such a degree as to make the residual capacity values between a combustion turbine and energy storage comparable. Financial investors, typically adopt only a levelized cost of electricity approach in order to evaluate the economic viability of energy storage projects, completely ignoring the difference between power (`capacity') and energy (`electricity') produced. A combustion turbine is typically a capacity resource, and therefore its power has much more economic value than the energy that it generates. On the other hand a lithium-ion battery-based energy storage system (ESS) delivers both energy and power services to the grid, with greater flexibility and higher utilization rates, making it a more cost-effective asset of the electricity value chain.
Review on simulation of filamentary switching in binary metal oxide based RRAM devices

To explain the observed device characteristics of binary metal oxide based resistive random access memory (RRAM) modules, filamentary models have been proposed. Ab initio methods were applied to study conductive filamentary structures characteristic to the “ON” state and the atomistic description of the rupturing/dissolution process into the “OFF” state. We review the implications on the electronic structure and energetics of conductive filament channels formation and discuss the interplay between the ionic and electronic transport mechanisms.
Image & Graphic Reader

The Image & Graphic Reader (IGR) is an assisting tool to retrieve information from business charts and present it to blind computer users. Different business charts occurring in newspapers and Web sites are analyzed by standard image processing methods. Common segmentation algorithms produce homogeneous areas and contour lines that characterize specific chart types. Since the component's geometric features encode the tabular content of the chart, their dimensions are measured against a certain scale. This scale is either explicitly defined in the image, like scales of a previously identified axis or is intrinsic to the type of the chart (e.g. angles in pie charts). After the primal classification the extracted tabular data is analyzed to produce a representation that subdivides a chart into predefined levels which are then verbally described. A blind user can thus navigate through the levels by keyboard and the spoken feedback of a speech synthesizer.
Modélisation et simulation de l'interaction du Vent Solaire avec Mercure et Mars

L'objectif de ce travail est d'etudier les interactions du Vent Solaire (VS) avec Mercure et Mars par le biais de la simulation numerique. Dans le contexte des observations effectuees lors des seules missions ayant explore l'environnement de Mercure, Mariner 10 et MESSENGER, et de la preparation de la mission Bepi Colombo, nous avons developpe un modele hybride tridimensionnel parallele de l'interaction du VS avec la magnetosphere de Mercure. Nous avons egalement etudie la reflexion de particules incidentes sur un choc planetaire courbe, celui de Mars, grâce a un modele de particules-tests combine aux resultats de simulations hybrides. Les observations, bien qu'indispensables a l'etude de l'interaction du VS avec un obstacle planetaire, ne sont pas suffisantes et la modelisation numerique est un outil necessaire. Dans le second chapitre nous presentons les differents modeles de simulation utilises pour analyser les interactions du VS avec Mercure et Mars. Nous decrivons en particulier la construction de notre modele hybride de Mercure. Les resultats sur l'environnement Hermeen, obtenus a l'aide de modeles anterieurs au notre sont decrits dans la premiere partie du Chapitre 3. Dans la suite de ce chapitre nous presentons nos resultats sur le champ intrinseque et le plasma magnetospherique de Mercure. Dans le Chapitre 4, nous decrivons le modele hybride et le programme de particules-tests que nous avons utilises pour etudier la reflexion des protons du VS et des protons planetaires sur l'onde de choc Martienne. Nous montrons par la suite les resultats obtenus. Bien que cette analyse ait ete menee sur l'onde de choc de Mars, elle peut etre adaptee au cas de Mercure.
Output voltage regulation based on P plus resonant control in islanded mode of microgrids

This paper investigates the inverter output voltage regulation method for islanded mode of microgrids. When DG (distributed generation) based inverters operate in islanded mode, the inverter can supply the full local load demand. Hence, the microgrid can be defined as a voltage source and regulate the output voltage. If an inverter supplies the power to the nonlinear and unbalanced loads, it generates the high order harmonics to the output voltage. Therefore, in this paper, P+multi resonant control which has large gain on the narrow band of specific frequency has been considered additionally for the performance improvement of output voltage regulation instead of the simple fundamental component control. Furthermore, the controller design method which satisfies the stability and performance of the system depending on the control gain parameters has been suggested after considering the effect on system. Improved THD performance of P+multi resonant control is verified through the PSiM simulation. It is also compared and analyzed with the fundamental component PI method and the PI method with harmonics compensation.
Interdomain Routing with Negotiation

Current interdomain routing policies are largely based on information local to each ISP, in part due to competitive concerns and the lack of effective information sharing mechanisms. This can lead to routes that are sub-optimal and even to routes that oscillate. We explore a setting in which two neighboring ISPs negotiate to determine the path of the traffic they exchange. We first ask the basic question: is there an incentive to negotiate? The incentive exists only if bothISPs benefit relative to routing based on local information. Through simulation with over sixty measured ISP topologies, we find that negotiation is useful for both latency reduction and hotspot avoidance. Interestingly, we find that global optimization is undesirable in the sense that one ISP often suffers to benefit the other. Based on our results, we design and evaluate a negotiation protocol which works within the real-world constraints of competing and independently managed ISPs. Specifically, our protocol reveals little information and works even when ISPs have different optimization criteria. We find that it achieves routing performance comparable to that of global optimization using complete information from both ISPs.
Shared physical custody after family split‐up: implications for health and well‐being in Swedish schoolchildren

In Sweden, shared physical custody following a parental separation has emerged as means for children to keep close relationships with both parents. Previous studies show that children benefit from regular contact with both parents, who share responsibility for their social, emotional and economic welfare. In this study, we investigate any associations between family arrangements, that is, two‐parent, single and shared physical custody families and child health outcomes and whether this association was modified by parent–child communication.
PARAOXONASE AND ARYLESTERASE ACTIVITIES IN PREGNANT WOMEN WITH INTAUTERINE GROWTH RESTRICTION: A PRELIMINARY STUDY

Objective: To evaluate the role of paraoxonase and arylesterase activities in etiopathogenesis of intrauterine growth restriction Design: Prospective study Setting: Gaziantep Üniversity, Medical School, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Patients: Pregnant patient with intrauterine growth restriction. Interventions: Serum analysis and rutin pregnancy interventions. Main outcome measures: Serum paraoxonase and arylesterase activities. Results: We have demonstrated higher paraoxonase and arylesterase activities in patient group. Conclusions: This is the first report about the role of paraoxonase 1, which is a HDL-associated antioxidant enzyme, in etiopathogenesis of intrauterine growth restriction in English literature. Further studies to evaluate the importance of serum paraoxonase and arylesterase activities for prediction of intrauterine growth restriction are needed.