Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Crosslinked Poly(acrylamide-co-acrylonitrile) as an efficient binder for Silicon/Graphite anodes of Lithium ion batteries

The electrochemical performance of Si anode is strongly affected by polymer binder, e.g synthetic and bioderived polymers which containing carboxyl groups, such as alginate[1], polyacrylacide (PAA)[2] and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)[3], polyacrylate, compared to conventional fluorinated binders. As of today, poly(vinyledene)diflouride (PVdF) is the most common polymer used as a binder due to its electrochemical stability with some extend of adhesion to electrode materials and current electrode. However, PVdF requires the usage of toxic and expensive organic solvent, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, during the electrode manufacturing process. [4]
An Evolutionary Expressed Sequence Tag Analysis of Drosophila Spermatheca Genes

Abstract This study investigates genes enriched for expression in the spermatheca, the long-term sperm storage organ (SSO) of female Drosophila. SSO genes are likely to play an important role in processes of sexual selection such as sperm competition and cryptic female choice. Although there is keen interest in the mechanisms of sexual selection at the molecular level, very little is known about the female genes that are involved. In the present study, a high proportion of genes enriched for expression in the spermatheca are evolving rapidly. Most of the rapidly evolving genes are proteases and genes of unknown function that could play a specialized role in the spermatheca. A high percentage of the rapidly evolving genes have secretion signals and thus could encode proteins that directly interact with ejaculate proteins and coevolve with them. In addition to identifying rapidly evolving genes, the present study documents categories of genes that could play a role in spermatheca function such as storing, maintaining, and utilizing sperm. In general, candidate genes discovered in this study could play a key role in sperm competition, cryptic female choice of sperm, and sexually antagonistic coevolution, and ultimately speciation.
The Plight of Migrant Birds Wintering in the Caribbean: Rainfall Effects in the Annual Cycle

Here, we summarize results of migrant bird research in the Caribbean as part of a 75th Anniversary Symposium on research of the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service, International Institute of Tropical Forestry (IITF). The fate of migratory birds has been a concern stimulating research over the past 40 years in response to population declines documented in long-term studies including those of the IITF and collaborators in Puerto Rico’s Guanica dry forest. Various studies indicate that in addition to forest loss or fragmentation, some migrant declines may be due to rainfall variation, the consequences of which may carry over from one stage of a migrant’s annual cycle to another. For example, the Guanica studies indicate that rainfall extremes on either the temperate breeding or tropical wintering grounds affect migrant abundance and survival differently depending on the species. In contrast, IITF’s collaborative studies of the migrant Kirtland’s Warbler (Setophaga kirtlandii) in the Bahamas found that late winter droughts affect its annual survival and breeding success in Michigan. We review these IITF migrant studies and relate them to other studies, which have improved our understanding of migrant ecology of relevance to conservation. Particularly important is the advent of the full annual cycle (FAC) approach. The FAC will facilitate future identification and mitigation of limiting factors contributing to migrant population declines, which for some species, may be exacerbated by global climate change.
6‐[18F]Fluoro‐A‐85380, a new PET tracer for the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor: Studies in the human brain and in vivo demonstration of specific binding in white matter

The nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) are involved in functions such as learning, memory, and antinociception (Sahakian et al., 1989; Marubio et al., 1999). It has been suggested that the physiological role and mechanisms by which they exert their actions and interactions with other transmitter systems are associated with various disease states, such as Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and tobacco addiction (Domino, 1998; Peto et al., 1996; Pontieri et al., 1996). However, the characterization of nAChR function in the living brain has been hampered by the lack of suitable radioligands (Breese et al., 1997; Sihver et al., 2000). [F]Norchlorofluoroepibatidine ([F]NFEP), a potent nicotinic agonist, provided an excellent signal-to-noise ratio (Ding et al., 1996, 1999) and its application to measure the levels of the occupancies of nAChR by nicotine (Ding et al., 2000a) and its ability to monitor changes in synaptic acetylcholine concentrations to study neurotransmitter interactions has been demonstrated (Ding et al., 2000b). Unfortunately, the high toxicity of NFEP (Molina et al., 1997) limited its use in humans and led to the examination of a series of 3-pyridyl ethers, such as A-85380 (Holladay et al., 1998; Abreo et al., 1996) as targets for labeling. The F-18-labeled derivatives of A85380, 2-[F]-A85380 (2-[F]FA) and 6-[F]fluoro-A-85380 (6[F]FA) are promising radioligands for human PET studies since they have high affinity for nAChR but do not have the pronounced toxicity of epibatidine (Arneric et al., 1997). These two ligands bind predominantly to the 4 2 receptor, which is the nAChR subtype associated with nicotine’s reinforcing effects (Picciotto et al., 1998), with some binding also to non4 2 nAChR, including putative 6 nAChR (Kulak et al., 2002). We prepared 6-[F]FA and 2-[F]FA and carried out comparative PET studies in baboon (Ding et al., 2000c). Based on our baboon studies, 6-[F]FA displayed better kinetics and higher specific binding than 2-[F]FA in baboons (distribution volume (DV) ratio for TH/CB was higher for 6-[F]FA (2.5–3.5) than for 2-[F]FA (1.9–2.1) at 180 min; Ding et al., 2000d) and was selected for a toxicology study and IND application as a radiotracer for determining nAChR availability in humans. Here we evaluated the behavior of 6-[F]FA in the human brain to assess its suitability as a PET tracer for measuring nAChR availability. Five nonsmokers (two females, three males, 29–60 years) screened for absence of medical, neurological, or psychiatric disease were studied. Care was taken to exclude subjects with a past or present history of substance abuse or alcoholism and subjects taking medications that may affect nicotine receptors (nicotine
Genotoxic Mechanism of Tamoxifen in Developing Endometrial Cancer

Increased risk of developing endometrial cancers has been observed in women treated with tamoxifen (TAM), a widely used drug for breast cancer therapy and chemoprevention. The carcinogenic effect may be due to genotoxic DNA damage induced by TAM. In fact, TAM‐DNA adducts were detected in the endometrium of women treated with this drug. TAM is α‐hydroxylated by cytochrome P450 3A4 followed by O‐sulfonation by hydroxysteroid sulfotransferase, and reacts with guanine residues in DNA, resulting in the formation of α‐(N2‐deoxyguanosinyl)tamoxifen adducts. During this metabolic process, short‐lived carbocations are produced at the ethyl moiety of TAM as reactive intermediates. TAM‐DNA adducts promote primarily G→T transversions in mammalian cells. The same mutations have been frequently detected at codon 12 of the K‐ras gene in the endometrial tissue of women treated with this drug. TAM‐DNA adducts, if not readily repaired, may act as initiators, leading to development of endometrial cancers. The reactivity of TAM metabolites with DNA is inhibited in toremifene, where the hydrogen atom has been replaced by a chlorine atom at the ethyl moiety. Therefore, toremifene may be a safer alternative to TAM. This article describes an overview of the mechanism of TAM‐DNA adduct formation, mutagenic events of this adduct, and detection of TAM‐DNA adducts in the endometrium of women treated with TAM.
Exploring the Market Segments of Farm Tourism in Taiwan

This research aims to investigate travelers' perceptions of farm tourism and uses a popular leisure farm in Taiwan as a site for the case study. A series of on-site surveys with structured questionnaires was deployed in a popular farm tourism destination in Taiwan, yielding 358 useful samples. This study shows that attractive scenery, tasteful local cuisine, unique local life, and countryside views are considered the top farm tourism images. Further, a cluster analysis of destination images identifies four market segments, including (a) cultural explorer, (b) specialty enthusiast (c) natural seeker, and (d) family devotee. This study finds that there is a significant difference in frequencies of domestic travel and the average expenditure of accommodation, per night, among the four groups of tourists. Relevant implications and suggestions for future studies are rendered in the conclusion.
Analyse de Programmes Malveillants par Abstraction de Comportements. (Analysis of Malware by Behavior Abstraction)

L'analyse comportementale traditionnelle opere en general au niveau de l'implantation du comportement malveillant. Pourtant, elle s'interesse surtout a l'identification d'un comportement donne, independamment de sa mise en œuvre technique, et elle se situe donc plus naturellement a un niveau fonctionnel. Dans cette these, nous definissons une forme d'analyse comportementale de programmes qui opere non pas sur les interactions elementaires d'un programme avec le systeme mais sur la fonction que le programme realise. Cette fonction est extraite des traces d'un programme, un procede que nous appelons abstraction. Nous definissons de facon simple, intuitive et formelle les fonctionnalites de base a abstraire et les comportements a detecter, puis nous proposons un mecanisme d'abstraction applicable a un cadre d'analyse statique ou dynamique, avec des algorithmes pratiques a complexite raisonnable, enfin nous decrivons une technique d'analyse comportementale integrant ce mecanisme d'abstraction. Notre methode est particulierement adaptee a l'analyse des programmes dans des langages de haut niveau ou dont le code source est connu, pour lesquels l'analyse statique est facilitee : les programmes concus pour des machines virtuelles comme Java ou . NET, les scripts Web, les extensions de navigateurs, les composants off-the-shelf. Le formalisme d'analyse comportementale par abstraction que nous proposons repose sur la theorie de la reecriture de mots et de termes, les langages reguliers de mots et de termes et le model checking. Il permet d'identifier efficacement des fonctionnalites dans des traces et ainsi d'obtenir une representation des traces a un niveau fonctionnel ; il definit les fonctionnalites et les comportements de facon naturelle, a l'aide de formules de logique temporelle, ce qui garantit leur simplicite et leur flexibilite et permet l'utilisation de techniques de model checking pour la detection de ces comportements ; il opere sur un ensemble quelconque de traces d'execution ; il prend en compte le flux de donnees dans les traces d'execution ; et il permet, sans perte d'efficacite, de tenir compte de l'incertitude dans l'identification des fonctionnalites. Nous validons nos resultats par un ensemble d'experiences, menees sur des codes malicieux existants, dont les traces sont obtenues soit par instrumentation binaire dynamique, soit par analyse statique.
9-cis-retinoic acid, a potent inducer of digit pattern duplications in the chick wing bud.

The effects of retinoids are mediated by two types of receptors, the retinoic acid receptors (RARs) and the retinoid-X-receptors (RXRs). The physiological ligand of the RARs is all-trans-retinoic acid whereas RXRs have high affinity for 9-cis-retinoic acid, a naturally occurring retinoid isomer. RXRs are broadly expressed in embryonic and adult tissues, and they are capable of forming homodimers as well as heterodimers with RARs and other nuclear hormone receptors. The role of 9-cis-retinoic acid in regulating the activity of RXR homodimers and RXR-containing heterodimers is poorly understood in vivo. To begin to explore the function of 9-cis-retinoic acid in morphogenesis, we have examined the activity of this isomer in the chick wing. Using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction analyses, we show that RXR gamma is expressed in stage 20 wing buds. Similar to all-trans-retinoic acid, the 9-cis-isomer induces pattern duplications when locally applied to chick wing buds, but the 9-cis isomer is about 25 times more potent than the all-trans form. Furthermore, applied all-trans-retinoic acid is converted to the 9-cis isomer in the wing bud. The ratio of 9-cis to all-trans-retinoic acid established in the tissue is approximately 1:25. This quantitative agreement between the degree of conversion and the 25-fold higher efficacy of the 9-cis isomer, raises the possibility that, at least in part, the effects of all-trans-retinoic acid on the wing pattern result from a conversion to the 9-cis isomer. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
RESEARCHING THE GENDER ASPECT IN BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT (THE CASE OF MOLDOVA, UKRAINE AND BELARUS)

The SME sector covers economic operators that substantially differ by many parameters: size of enterprises, types of activity, etc., including entrepreneurs’ characteristics – their ethnic, gender, age and other peculiarities. The specificity of different groups of enterprises and entrepreneurs is important both for attracting attention of the society to their problems and for the elaboration of business regulation policy on local, national and international levels. The purpose of the paper is investigation of characteristics of female entrepreneurship in some countries with transition economy – Moldova, Ukraine, and Belarus. In particular, possibilities of women–entrepreneurs to access different types of resources are presented, peculiarities of women’s character that influence the entrepreneurial activity are elucidated, need of governmental assistance to women that initiate and develop own business is examined. Common characteristics and some peculiarities in the female business development in the three countries are outlined. The investigation is based on results of questionings and interviews with women – owners and managers of enterprises, first of all, SMEs, from Moldova, Ukraine, and Belarus.
Identification of Nuclear Receptor Corepressor as a Peroxisome Proliferator-activated Receptor α Interacting Protein*

Nuclear receptor corepressor (NCoR) was demonstrated to interact strongly with peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα), and PPARα ligands suppressed this interaction. In contrast to the interaction of PPARα with the coactivator protein, p300, association of the receptor with NCoR did not require any part of the PPARα ligand binding domain. NCoR was found to suppress PPARα-dependent transcriptional activation in the context of a PPARα·retinoid X receptor α (RXRα) heterodimeric complex bound to a peroxisome proliferator-responsive element in human embryonic kidney 293 cells. This repression was reversed agonists of either receptor demonstrating a functional interaction between NCoR and PPARα·RXRα heterodimeric complexes in mammalian cells. NCoR appears to influence PPARα signaling pathways and, therefore, may modulate tissue responsiveness to peroxisome proliferators.
Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Parasites of Ruminants in Western Oromia, Ethiopia

A study was conducted to determine the prevalence and risk factors associated with gastrointestinal parasitism in western Oromia during 2003–2004. A total of 757 ruminants (257 cattle, 255 sheep, and 245 goats) were included in the study using standard coprologic parasitological procedure. The study showed that the overall prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites was 69.6% with 50.2%, 75.3%, and 84.1% in cattle, sheep, and goats, respectively. Strongyles and Eimeria were the most prevalent parasites encountered in the area. A statistically significant difference was found in prevalence and egg output (eggs per gram; EPG) among species of animals considered. A higher rate was recovered in small ruminants than in cattle, and a greater proportion of study animals (77.3%) had low EPG compared with study animals with moderate to severe EPG (22.7%). Agroecology was found to be associated with
Innovation and the Impact of Technology on Women Entrepreneurs in Small and Medium Enterprises in Singapore

Women entrepreneurs are making significant contributions to business and economic growth. The realization of the importance of entrepreneurs and innovation as the prime engines of Singapore's economic progress was realized as far back as in the 1960s. Women entrepreneurs are an untapped resource and provide a growth engine for Singapore as they create employment and boost the economy. Enterprise, together with new products and innovation, is crucial for the country's economy. Entrepreneurs drive innovation, they speed up structural changes in the economy and force old incumbent firms to shape up thereby making an indirect contribution to productivity. Innovation is one of the most critical functions of entrepreneurship and it thrives within certain organizational cultures which are shaped by their leaders. The objective of this study is to examine how women entrepreneurs in Singapore have built an innovative organisational culture and how they have used technology to grow their businesses. Using a qualitative approach, this study examines the perception of twelvewomen entrepreneurswho own and manage small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) towards innovation and the use of technology in their business. In-depth interviewswere conducted based on a semi-structured questionnaire with open-ended questions. The women entrepreneurs were identified based on certain criteria such as business ownership and demographic profile. Findings show that the women entrepreneurs who were interviewed were very innovative and also open to adopting new ideas and technology to improve and grow their business. The women entrepreneurs recognise the importance of technology for business development in the highly competitive market. They continue to train themselves and their employees to upgrade themselves as they realise that human capital is the driving force that propels the growth of their organisations. They feel that for their businesses to grow, it is vital to constantly innovate and improve human capital. The success and performance of their businesses were largely due to their management and leadership qualities which are prime movers of innovativeness.Implications of these findings for women entrepreneurs and policy implications are also discussed.
The Influence of Smoking and Non-Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus on Periodontal Disease

The periodontal health of smokers and non-smokers with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) and non-smokers with periodontitis who were not suffering from a systemic disease was assessed. The investigation was carried out on 60 adult subjects. Levels of blood glucose, glycosylated haemoglobin and immunoglobulins G, A and M were determined, together with the plaque index, gingival index, probing pocket depths and clinical attachment level. Periodontitis was more severe in smokers and non-smokers with NIDDM than non-smokers without NIDDM, and the periodontal condition (clinical attachment level, probing pocket depth and gingival bleeding) was better in non-smokers with NIDDM than smokers with NIDDM. The results suggest that diabetes and smoking are high-risk factors for periodontal disease.
Smoking from adolescence to adulthood: the effects of parental and own socioeconomic status.

BACKGROUND The aim of the study was to examine the effects of parental socioeconomic status, own socioeconomic status and social mobility upon the development of smoking from adolescence to adulthood. METHODS Subjects were the participants of the North Karelia Youth Project study from six schools in Eastern Finland. At the baseline in 1978 they were 13 year-olds (n=903) and in the last of the six surveys in 1993 they were 28-year-olds. The parents were studied in 1978 and 1980. The association between smoking and socioeconomic status was measured by education, occupation and income in adolescence and adulthood, and social mobility was measured by the difference between parental and own education. RESULTS In general, parental socioeconomic status was not significantly associated with the subjects' smoking in adolescence or adulthood. Own socioeconomic status measured at the age of 21 and 28 was strongly related to smoking. Those who were most educated in adulthood had smoked the least already from the age of 13. Social mobility was not significantly associated with smoking. CONCLUSION The study stresses the importance of own socioeconomic status in relation to smoking, but parental socioeconomic status or social mobility does not have direct effects on smoking. Socioeconomic differences in smoking should be understood as an important determinant for health inequalities.
Multimodal Functional and Structural Brain Connectivity Analysis in Autism: A Preliminary Integrated Approach With EEG, fMRI, and DTI

This paper proposes a novel approach of integrating different neuroimaging techniques to characterize an autistic brain. Different techniques like electroencephalography (EEG), functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) have traditionally been used to find biomarkers for autism, but there have been very few attempts for a combined or multimodal approach of EEG, fMRI, and DTI to understand the neurobiological basis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Here, we explore how the structural brain network correlate with the functional brain network, such that the information encompassed by these two could be uncovered only by using the latter. In this paper, source localization from EEG using independent component analysis and dipole fitting has been applied first, followed by selecting those dipoles that are closest to the active regions identified with fMRI. This allows translating the high temporal resolution of EEG to estimate time varying connectivity at the spatial source level. Our analysis shows that the estimated functional connectivity between two active regions can be correlated with the physical properties of the structure obtained from DTI analysis. This constitutes a first step toward opening the possibility of using pervasive EEG to monitor the long-term impact of ASD treatment without the need for frequent expensive fMRI or DTI investigations.
Methacholine provocation test for diagnosis of allergic respiratory diseases

Airway hyperresponsiveness is regarded as a characteristic feature of bronchial asthma, but it may also be present in other allergic or nonallergic respiratory disorders. The method most widely used to assess airway responsiveness is the methacholine inhalation challenge (1, 2), which mimics the effect of endogenous acetylcholine on airway smooth-muscle muscarinic receptors of the M3 subtype. The major advantage in using methacholine instead of acetylcholine for bronchial challenge lies in its greater resistance to degradation by cholinesterase, which allows one to obtain cumulative dose-response curves. The molecular mechanism by which methacholine causes airway narrowing is by activating the M3-Gq protein coupled receptors and the connected IP3 pathway, an effect which ultimately results in Ca release from intracellular stores and contraction. The mechanisms by which methacholine causes the airways of some individuals to constrict more than others are complex and still largely unknown. This complexity may in part explain the relatively low specificity of this test for the diagnosis of bronchial asthma. In this review, the practical relevance of the different determinants of airway response to methacholine will be discussed, with particular attention to those that may account for the presence of airway hyperresponsiveness in diseases other than asthma.