Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Systematical evaluation of the effects of sample collection procedures on low‐molecular‐weight serum/plasma proteome profiling

Blood is an ideal source for biomarker discovery. However, little has been done to address the effects of sampling, handling and storage procedures on serum/plasma proteomes. We used magnetic bead‐based MALDI‐TOF MS to systematically evaluate the influence of each procedure on low‐molecular‐weight serum/plasma proteome profiling on the basis of the whole spectra. We found that sampling procedures, including the selection of blood collection tubes and anticoagulants, variations in clotting time or time lag before centrifugation, and hemolysis, displayed significant effects on the proteomes. Moreover, serum and plasma were mutually incompatible for proteome comparison. By contrast, overnight fasting, handling procedures, including centrifugation speeds (1500×g vs. 3000×g) or time (15 min vs. 30 min), and storage conditions, such as at 4°C or 25°C for up to 24 h or at −80°C for up to 3 months, and repeated freeze/thaw of up to ten cycles, had relatively minor effects on the proteomes based upon our analysis of about 100 peaks. We concluded that low‐molecular‐weight serum/plasma proteomes were diversely affected by sampling, handling and storage with most change from variations of sampling procedures. We therefore suggest the necessity of standardizing sampling procedure for proteome comparison and biomarker discovery.
Efficient building identification using structural and spatial information on mobile devices

In this paper, we propose an efficient building identification algorithm to allow users to take a picture by mobile phones and get the building information in few seconds. First, we use the GPS and compass information to reduce the search area. Next, we use the concept of the flood fill algorithm to cutout the building parts in the picture. Then, by extracting SIFT features, we can calculate the similarities between the query pictures and pictures in the database. Finally, we rank the matched result and return the building information which is most similar to the input picture.
Ploidy assessment of benign and malignant ovarian tumors by flow cytometry. A clinicopathologic study

In a prospective study, 112 fresh ovarian tumor samples were collected from 83 consecutive patients. Cellular DNA content was measured by flow cytometry. All the benign (n = 24) and semimalignant (n = 6) tumors were diploid. Of 50 malignant tumors, 24 (48%) were diploid and 26 (52%) were aneuploid. Aneuploidy was more frequent in the advanced stages of the disease, in tumors of low degree of differentiation, and in older patients. The patients with aneuploid tumors had smaller primary tumors and more often ascites. The fraction of cells with S‐phase DNA content was higher in the aneuploid tumors. No association was seen to the tumor type. Ploidy determination is objective and reproducable. Aneuploidy associates to most negative prognostic factors in ovarian carcinoma and may reflect the aggressiveness of the tumor. The ploidy status may be taken into consideration in the stratification of patients of comparable risk for treatment studies.
Efficient Window Processing over Disordered Data Streams

Bursty and out-of-order tuple arrivals complicate the process of determining contents and boundaries of sliding windows. To process windows over such streams efficiently, we need to address two issues regarding fast tuple insertion and disorder control. In this paper, we focus on these issues to process sliding windows efficiently over disordered data streams.
An Adaptive Model of the Fuzzy Variable - Quality Index

In this article we discuss a model of quality as the fuzzy variable in order to better understand the concept and thus enable the further development of the variable. We propose a general method to estimate the quality index which can handle both qualitative and quantitative factors. The method uses a fuzzy neural network since the system learns how to integrate the human judgment of quality into a quantitative index. In our case study we have examined the measurement of image quality and pulp quality.
How Do Venture Investments by Different Classes of Financial Institutions Affect the Equity Underwriting Process?

Over the 1993-2000 period, a majority of U.S. venture-backed IPOs have venture backing by financial institutions. Each class of financial institutions has its own asset expertise, investment criteria and access to proprietary information on private firms, which we exploit evaluating whether venture investments by commercial banks, investment banks and insurance companies have independent effects on the equity underwriting process. We also examine whether these effects are a function of investment size and whether the effects differ for debt (loans) and equity investments. We find that each class of financial institutions making venture investments in a firm going public is associated with evidence of lower adverse selection risk; namely reduced underpricing and absolute offer price revisions and stronger long-term operating performance. The impacts of debt or equity investments by separate classes of financial institutions are largely additive. Moreover, the size of financial institution ownership in an issuer is more informative than the presence of financial institution investors. This body of evidence is consistent with equity holdings and loans by each class of financial institutions providing independent certification of issuer quality.
Cyclosporine A induces apoptosis in murine tubular epithelial cells: role of caspases.

BACKGROUND The pathogenesis of cyclosporine A (CsA) nephrotoxicity has not been completely elucidated. METHODS The ability of CsA to induce apoptosis in cultured murine tubular epithelial cells and its regulation by the cell microenvironment and inhibitors of caspases were studied. RESULTS This study found that CsA induces apoptotic death in murine proximal tubular epithelial MCT cells in a dose- (0.1 to 15 micrograms/ml) and time-dependent (24 to 72 hr) manner. Death caused by CsA is additive to apoptosis induced by deprivation of the survival factors present in serum. Primary cultures of murine tubular epithelial cells are also sensitive to CsA-induced apoptosis. Peptide inhibitors of caspases such as zVAD-fmk (which inhibits caspases 8 and 9) and DEVD-CHO (which inhibits caspase 3 and related caspases) prevented CsA-induced apoptosis in MCT cells, although zVAD-fmk was effective at lower concentrations. CONCLUSION These data suggest that tubular cell apoptosis mediated by caspases may play a role in CsA nephrotoxicity and that the microenvironment modulates resistance to CsA lethality as low local levels of survival factors may potentiate nephrotoxicity. Caspases my be new therapeutic targets in the management of nephrotoxic injury.
A microtubule-independent role of p150glued in secretory cargo concentration at endoplasmic reticulum exit sites

ABSTRACT Newly synthesized proteins are sorted into COPII-coated transport carriers at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Assembly of the COPII coat complex, which occurs at ER exit sites (ERES), is initiated by membrane association and GTP loading of SAR1, followed by the recruitment of the SEC23–SEC24 and SEC13–SEC31 subcomplexes. Both of these two subcomplexes stimulate GTP hydrolysis and coat disassembly. This inherent disassembly capacity of COPII complexes needs to be regulated to allow sufficient time for cargo sorting and transport carrier formation. By performing fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) and mathematical modeling, we show that p150glued (also known as DCTN1), a component of the dynactin complex, stabilizes the COPII pre-budding complex on ER membranes in a microtubule-independent manner. Concentration of the secretory marker ts-O45-G at ERES is reduced in the presence of a C-terminal p150glued fragment that prevents binding of endogenous p150glued to SEC23. A similar cargo reduction is observed upon p150glued knockdown. Taken together, our data suggest that cargo concentration at ERES is regulated by p150glued to coordinate protein sorting and transport carrier formation with the subsequent long-range transport towards the Golgi complex along microtubules. Summary: p150glued stabilizes COPII pre-budding complexes on ER exit sites in a microtubule-independent manner, and it coordinates protein sorting, carrier formation and long-range transport events.
Stakeholder perceptions of service quality improvement in Ethiopian public higher education institutions

The study identifies how different stakeholders perceive service quality improvement initiatives in public higher education institutions in Ethiopia. For this purpose, a mixed research methodology was employed. Furthermore, secondary data were collected from a variety of literature and primary data were collected from academic staff and final year students at public higher education institutions using the SERVQUAL scale and through focus group interviews. The collected data were analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The research findings indicated that all dimensions of the service quality improvement initiatives were perceived by academic staff and studentsto be verypoor. The reasons for these poor or low perceptions were: the high expectationsof the stakeholders, the government’s intention to expand, lack of adequate knowledge regarding the implementation of the BPR process, the lack of motivation by service providers, poor management and the lack of good governance by the universities, inexperienced workers, non-empowered and task specific frontline employees, the low quality of the infrastructure, non-value adding hierarchical structures and approval systems, ethical problems with some service providers, the high staff turnoverand the lack of experienced staff. In addition, at all new universities, construction is underway and as a result,there are problems such as the poor state of the dormitories, classes,bathrooms, recreation areas, lounges, TV rooms, sport fields and internet connectivity, while the libraries are not well stocked with books and periodicals either. This study has recommended that the institutions should have standardised instruments that can be used to measure the status of service quality improvement and deliveryperiodically and to identify the areas that have the highest perceived performance gap scores in order to redeploy some of the resources. It also needs to be pointed out that the service providers lack sufficient knowledge and skillsconcerning the implementation of BPR, thus training is recommended in this regard.It is further recommended that for effective implementation of the BPR process, the importance of the provision of different guiding documents, continuous monitoring of activities and top
High-Isolation X-Polar Antenna

Antennas with dual linear slant polarization are necessary for modern personal communication base station applications. X-Polar antenna stands for an antenna with dual linear slant polarization. The most significant feature of the proposed antenna is high isolation between two different polarizations. The structure used here includes a reflector, a U-shaped strip, a cross-slot, a patch, and a director. Simulation and measurement results show minimum 30 dB isolation between the two polarizations. This structure yields half-power beamwidth (HPBW) of 65°, a cross-polarization level of less than -15 dB, and a voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) of better than 1.5. This structure is useful for dual-band and dual-polarized applications such as the Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) and the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) frequency range.
A Synthetic Cell-Penetrating Dominant-Negative ATF5 Peptide Exerts Anticancer Activity against a Broad Spectrum of Treatment-Resistant Cancers

Purpose: Despite significant progress in cancer research, many tumor entities still have an unfavorable prognosis. Activating transcription factor 5 (ATF5) is upregulated in various malignancies and promotes apoptotic resistance. We evaluated the efficacy and mechanisms of the first described synthetic cell-penetrating inhibitor of ATF5 function, CP-d/n-ATF5-S1. Experimental Design: Preclinical drug testing was performed in various treatment-resistant cancer cells and in vivo xenograft models. Results: CP-d/n-ATF5-S1 reduced the transcript levels of several known direct ATF5 targets. It depleted endogenous ATF5 and induced apoptosis across a broad panel of treatment-refractory cancer cell lines, sparing non-neoplastic cells. CP-d/n-ATF5-S1 promoted tumor cell apoptotic susceptibility in part by reducing expression of the deubiquitinase Usp9X and led to diminished levels of antiapoptotic Bcl-2 family members Mcl-1 and Bcl-2. In line with this, CP-d/n-ATF5-S1 synergistically enhanced tumor cell apoptosis induced by the BH3-mimetic ABT263 and the death ligand TRAIL. In vivo, CP-d/n-ATF5-S1 attenuated tumor growth as a single compound in glioblastoma, melanoma, prostate cancer, and triple receptor–negative breast cancer xenograft models. Finally, the combination treatment of CP-d/n-ATF5-S1 and ABT263 significantly reduced tumor growth in vivo more efficiently than each reagent on its own. Conclusions: Our data support the idea that CP-d/n-ATF5-S1, administered as a single reagent or in combination with other drugs, holds promise as an innovative, safe, and efficient antineoplastic agent against treatment-resistant cancers. Clin Cancer Res; 22(18); 4698–711. ©2016 AACR.
Exposure to Diagnostic Ionizing Radiation in Sports Medicine: Assessing and Monitoring the Risk

ObjectiveTo understand the estimation of both the effective dose and the risk estimate associated with diagnostic ionizing radiation in sports medicine and to appreciate strategies by which this radiation exposure may be minimized. DesignObservational study. SettingSports medicine practice. PatientsA theoretical patient, athlete X (male, aged 20–29 years, 80 kg), was used to illustrate how the effective dose and the corresponding risk estimate are calculated for various common sports medicine investigations. Doses and risk estimates for female and pediatric athletes also are discussed. Main Outcome MeasuresThe effective dose and corresponding risk estimate associated with common sports medicine investigations. ResultsComputed tomography and radiographic examinations of the extremities have significantly lower effective doses than investigations about the trunk region. Bone scanning and computed tomography have a significantly higher effective dose than radiography. The risk estimates associated with the low doses used in diagnostic ionizing radiation procedures are extrapolated from epidemiologic studies on exposures to high doses of radiation, and several uncertainties exist in this estimation. Notwithstanding this, the responsible clinician should be aware of both the effective doses and the risk estimates that are associated with the more common investigations. The principles of justification and optimization for these investigations will help guide clinicians to reduce radiation exposure without compromising the management of their patients. ConclusionsCertain investigations have a greater effective dose and risk estimate than others. Elite athletes may potentially undergo numerous investigations in their career. An athlete radiation record may be useful to better manage this exposure.
Evolution of the primate lentiviruses: evidence from vpx and vpr.

The genomes of the four primate lentiviral groups are complex and contain several regulatory or accessory genes. Two of these genes, vpr and vpx, are found in various combinations within the four groups and encode proteins whose functions have yet to be elucidated. Comparison of the encoded protein sequences suggests that the vpx gene within the HIV‐2 group arose by the duplication of an ancestral vpr gene within this group. Evolutionary distance analysis showed that both genes were well conserved when compared with viral regulatory genes, and indicated that the duplication occurred at approximately the same time as the HIV‐2 group and the other primate lentivirus groups diverged from a common ancestor. Furthermore, although the SIVagm vpx proteins are homologous to the HIV‐2 group vpx proteins, there are insufficient grounds from sequence analysis for classifying them as vpx proteins. Because of their similarity to the vpr proteins of other groups, we suggest reclassifying the SIVagm vpx gene as a vpr gene. This creates a simpler and more uniform picture of the genomic organization of the primate lentiviruses and allows the genomic organization of their common precursor to be defined; it probably contained five accessory genes: tat, rev, vif, nef and vpr.
Use of Bond Issues To Capture Financial Surplus Generated For The Private Sector By Public Investments In Transport Projects: Brazilian Legislation

It is widely known that the capitals market is a major source of permanent financial resources for the economy because of the connection it establishes between agents with savings capacity (investors) and those in need of long term financial resources (finance borrowers). That being so, this paper presents a study on the possibility of capturing the financial surplus generated for the Private sector by public investments in transport projects using financing instruments, specifically, bonds. Such a study is needed to provide supporting information for new investments in transport projects given the scarcity of financial resources in a considerable number of Latin American countries. The analysis undertaken considers the Brazilian Capitals Market as a case study and 2 Costa, J. O. ; Aldigueri, D. R. ; Rocha, C. H. ; Aragão, J. J. G. accordingly the concepts used in it are presented in the perspective of Brazilian legislation.
New Evidence on the Green Building Rent and Price Premium

This paper investigates the effect of voluntary eco-certification on the rental and sale prices of US commercial office properties. Hedonic and logistic regressions are used to test whether there are rental and sale price premiums for LEED and Energy Star certified buildings. The results of the hedonic analysis suggest that there is a rental premium of approximately 6% for LEED and Energy Star certification. A sale price premium of approximately 35% was found for 127 price observations involving LEED rated buildings and 31% for 662 buildings involving Energy Star rated buildings. When compared to samples of similar buildings identified by a binomial logistic regression for LEED-certified buildings, the existence of a rent and sales price premium is confirmed albeit with differences regarding the magnitude of the premium. Overall, the results of this study confirm that LEED and Energy Star buildings exhibit higher rental rates and sales prices per square foot controlling for a large number of location- and property-specific factors.
Repair of DNA heteroduplexes containing small heterologous sequences in Escherichia coli.

Plasmid heteroduplexes were constructed that contain 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 unpaired bases within the mnt gene. These were used to assess the efficiency of repair of small heterologous sequences ("heterologies") in DNA by the Escherichia coli Dam-directed mismatch repair system. Heteroduplexes in defined states of methylation at d(GATC) sites were used to transform a repair-proficient indicator strain (which has a mnt-lac fusion coding for a nonfunctional mnt repressor) and its isogenic mutH, -L, and -S derivatives. Using this in vivo transformation system, we scored for repair on the basis of colony color: correction in favor of the strand bearing mnt+ coding information gives rise to colonies that are white, whereas correction on the opposite strand (mnt-) yields colonies that are red when grown on MacConkey agar. Failure to repair a heterology yields colonies that are both red and white ("mixed"). The correction efficiencies of two heteroduplexes, each containing a single G.T mismatch within mnt, were also monitored for purposes of comparison. Our results show that mutHLS-dependent, methyl-directed repair of heteroduplexes with 1-, 2-, and 3-base deletions is as highly efficient as the repair of G.T mismatches. Heteroduplexes with a 4-base deletion are marginally repaired and DNA with a 5-base deletion is not detectably repaired. In addition, we show that purified MutS protein from Salmonella typhimurium, which can substitute for E. coli MutS in vivo, binds to oligonucleotide duplexes containing 1, 2, 3, and 4 unpaired bases of a sequence identical with that used for the in vivo studies. Specific binding of MutS to homoduplex DNA and to DNA that had undergone a 5-base deletion was not observed.
Innovation in Malaysian Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs): Evaluation of Employees in Three Selected Cities

Innovation is key to technology adoption and creation, and to explaining the vast differences in productivity across and within countries. Stimulate innovation in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) is very important for economic growth. Without innovation companies would not develop further and could not succeed within the globalized world. Accordingly, this article aims to determine the level of innovation Malaysia SMEs in three selected cities. A total of 235 employees are involved in evaluating the performance of innovative activities within their organizations. The study found that the majority of the employees giving high ratings on the activities of product innovation, process and marketing. However, administration innovation activity was moderate. Therefore, it is important to re-examine the SME management weaknesses in each of their innovation activities to do. This research is important to ensure that SMEs products fulfill needs of customers.
Novel as1 and as2 defects in leaf adaxial-abaxial polarity reveal the requirement for ASYMMETRIC LEAVES1 and 2 and ERECTA functions in specifying leaf adaxial identity

The shoot apical meristem (SAM) of seed plants is the site at which lateral organs are formed. Once organ primordia initiate from the SAM, they establish polarity along the adaxial-abaxial, proximodistal and mediolateral axes. Among these three axes, the adaxial-abaxial polarity is of primary importance in leaf patterning. In leaf development, once the adaxial-abaxial axis is established within leaf primordia, it provides cues for proper lamina growth and asymmetric development. It was reported previously that the Arabidopsis ASYMMETRIC LEAVES1 (AS1) and ASYMMETRIC LEAVES2 (AS2) genes are two key regulators of leaf polarity. In this work, we demonstrate a new function of the AS1 and AS2 genes in the establishment of adaxial-abaxial polarity by analyzing as1 and as2 alleles in the Landsberg erecta (Ler) genetic background. We provide genetic evidence that the Arabidopsis ERECTA (ER) gene is involved in the AS1-AS2 pathway to promote leaf adaxial fate. In addition, we show that AS1 and AS2 bind to each other, suggesting that AS1 and AS2 may form a complex that regulates the establishment of leaf polarity. We also report the effects on leaf polarity of overexpression of the AS1 or AS2 genes under the control of the cauliflower mosaic virus (CAMV) 35S promoter. Although plants with as1 and as2 mutations have very similar phenotypes, 35S::AS1/Ler and 35S::AS2/Ler transgenic plants showed dramatically different morphologies. A possible model of the AS1, AS2 and ER action in leaf polarity formation is discussed.