Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Silencing of the Major Salt-Dependent Isoform of Pectinesterase in Tomato Alters Fruit Softening1

Pectinesterase (PE; E.C. 3.1.1.11) is an enzyme responsible for the demethylation of galacturonyl residues in high-molecular-weight pectin and is believed to play an important role in cell wall metabolism. In this study, Pmeu1, a ubiquitously expressed PE gene, has been characterized by antisense suppression in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). Transgenic tomato plants showed reduced PE activity levels in both green fruit and leaf tissue to around 65% and 25% of that found in wild-type plants, respectively. Pmeu1 was observed to encode a salt-dependent PE isoform that correlated with PE1 as previously described in fruit tissue. Silencing of Pmeu1 did not result in any detectable phenotype within the leaf tissue despite the gene product representing the major isoform in this tissue. In comparison, silencing in fruit resulted in an enhancement to the rate of softening during ripening. The role of PMEU1 in fruit ripening is discussed.
The Nervus Terminalis in the Mouse: Light and Electron Microscopic Immunocytochemical Studies

The distribution of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH)-containing neurons and fibers in the olfactory bulb was studied with light and electron microscopic immunohistochemistry in combination with retrograde transport of "True Blue" and horseradish peroxidase and lesion experiments. GnRH-positive neurons are found in the septal roots of the nervus terminalis, in the ganglion terminale, intrafascicularly throughout the nervus terminalis, in a dorso-ventral band in the caudal olfactory bulb, in various layers of the main and accessory olfactory bulb, and in the basal aspects of the nasal epithelium. Electron microscopic studies show that the nerve fibers in the nervus terminalis are not myelinated and are not surrounded by Schwann cell sheaths. In the ganglion terminale, "smooth" GnRH neurons are seen in juxtaposition to immunonegative neurons. Occasionally, axosomatic specializations are found in the ganglion terminale, but such synaptic contacts are not seen intrafascicularly in the nervus terminalis. Retrograde transport studies indicate that certain GnRH neurons in the septal roots of the nervus terminalis were linked to the amygdala. In addition, a subpopulation of nervus terminalis-related GnRH neurons has access to fenestrated capillaries whereas other GnRH neurons terminate at the nasal epithelium. Lesions of the nervus terminalis caudal to the ganglion terminale result in sprouting of GnRH fibers at both sites of the knife cut. The results suggest that GnRH in the olfactory system of the mouse can influence a variety of target sites either via the blood stream, via the external cerebrospinal fluid or via synaptic/asynaptic contacts with, for example, the receptor cells in the nasal mucosa.
A Simplex-Like Algorithm for the Relaxation Labeling Process

A simplex-like algorithm is developed for the relaxation labeling process. The algorithm is simple and has a fast convergence property which is summarized as a one-more-step theorem. The algorithm is based on fully exploiting the linearity of the variational inequality and the linear convexity of the consistent-labeling search space in a manner similar to the operation of the simplex algorithm in linear programming. >
Efficacy of 1 alpha hydroxyvitamin D3 in the prevention of bovine parturient paresis

One hundred and seventeen Israeli-Friesian cows from herds with a milk fever incidence of more than 15 per cent were injected intramuscularly with either 350 micrograms 1 alpha hydroxyvitamin D3 (1 alpha OHD3) in propylene glycol or with the vehicle alone, close to calving. If parturition had not occurred within 72 hours a second injection was administered; parturition was induced two days after the second injection if necessary. There were 10 cases of milk fever among 57 control cows as opposed to two cases among the 60 animals treated with 1 alpha OHD3. In an attempt to prolong the effect of the drug, Israeli-Friesian cows were injected intramuscularly with 350 micrograms 1 alpha OHD3 in either 10 ml propylene glycol or arachis oil. 1 alpha OHD3 in arachis oil did not prolong the effect of the drug. 1 alpha OHD3 in propylene glycol increased plasma calcium concentrations more rapidly than when the drug was administered in oil. Additional cows of the same breed and age were injected intramuscularly with 350 micrograms 1 alpha OHD3 in propylene glycol. Five of the animals received a second dose four days, and five received a second dose five days after the first injection. Five animals served as uninjected controls. The plasma calcium levels of the injected cows were significantly higher (P less than 0.01) than those of the controls from the second until the 14th day after the first injection. Based on these results 451 Israeli-Friesian cows from herds with a milk fever incidence of more than 15 per cent were injected intramuscularly with 1 alpha OHD3 close to calving. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Can caloric needs explain three food consumption puzzles? Evidence from India

We argue that differences in caloric needs can help explain three food consumption puzzles that have been noted in the literature. The first puzzle (Deaton and Dreze (2009)) is the stagnant or declining caloric intake of Indian household despite significant economic growth between 1983-2005. The second puzzle (Deaton and Paxson (1998)) is the negative relationship between household size and caloric intake per capita after controlling for total expenditure per capita, which is inconsistent with basic theories of household scale economies. The third puzzle is the substantial decline in caloric intake for older Indian households which seems to suggest the absence of any consumption-smoothing consistent with the permanent-income life-cycle hypothesis, a decline that is at odds with results for the United States where there is little or no decline. We combine data on household food consumption with a novel measure of caloric needs based on time-use data and anthropometric measures of net nutritional outcomes to shed light on all these puzzles. Our results indicate that caloric needs can explain a substantial part of all three puzzles, and that consequently attempts to use food and caloric intake to measure household welfare ‐ which are very common in the literature using Engel’s law or absolute poverty lines based on caloric intake ‐ need to carefully control for substantial variation in caloric needs across households. When caloric needs vary substantially, lower caloric intake can actually correspond to an increase in welfare as it frees up resources for higher food quality and non-food expenditures.
A morphological screening of protein crystals for interferon delivery by metal ion-chelate technology

Objective: This study presents a preliminary exploration on extending the half-life of therapeutic proteins by crystallization strategy without new molecular entities generation. Methods: Recombinant human interferon (rhIFN) α-2b, a model protein drug in this case, was crystallized using a hanging-drop vapor diffusion method. A novel chelating technique with metal ions was employed to promote crystals formation. Results: The effects of key factors such as seeding protein concentration, pH of the hanging drop, ionic strength of the equilibration solution, and precipitants were investigated. Size-exclusion liquid chromatography, antiviral activity determination, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay indicated that both the molecular integrity and biological potency of rhIFN were not significantly affected by crystallization process. In addition, the in vitro release behavior of rhIFN from crystal lattice was characterized by an initial fast release, followed by a sustained release up to 48 hour. Conclusion: The work described here suggested an exciting possibility of therapeutic protein crystals as a long-acting formulation.
Building fuzzy random objective function for interval fuzzy goal programming

Estimating the coefficients of objective functions in multi-objective model is sometimes difficult in real situations. Mathematical analysis of statistical data is used to determine the coefficients. In various cases, the statistical data may not contain only randomness, but also fuzziness, which should be treated properly. Thus, this paper employs fuzzy random regression model to approximate the coefficients values for objective functions of multi-objective model. The presented model consists of two stages; first, developing the objective functions by fuzzy random regression model and second, introducing an interval fuzzy goal programming model to solve the multi-objective problem. An experimental example is provided to illustrate the model.
Managerial response to stockouts: the effect of remedies on consumer behavior

Stockouts remain a significant problem for retail firms. Estimates of stockout rates in the past fifty years consistently averaged approximately 8 percent. The consequences of stockouts transcend the retail store to include its supporting supply chain. In addition to the effect on the behavior of consumers, stockouts can impact the firm’s replenishment policy, the level and location of inventories and the cost of emergency shipments required to replenish out-of-stock items. Although there is a substantive literature in logistics that measures the frequency of and the consumer response to stockouts, investigation of the effect of remedies on consumer response is sparse. To address this problem, the effectiveness of five remedies as tools to manage retail stockouts was investigated: apology, raincheck, home delivery, trade-up and discount. A remedy is an incentive to induce consumers to not leave a store in response to a stockout. In addition the influence of consumer characteristics (i.e., brand loyalty) and shopping situations (i.e., urgency of purchase) on the effect of each remedy on consumer behavior was examined. The results suggest that the remedies are usually effective. The most effective remedy is home delivery. The least effective remedy is a simple apology, which may actually increase the percentage of consumers leaving the store. The results also indicate that the urgency of the purchase and store loyalty have the most impact on remedy effectiveness. These results suggest that there are significant opportunities to use remedies as tools to manage the effect of stockouts on retail stores and their supporting supply chains.
Interleaver Structures for Channel Estimation and Decoding on the Frequency Selective Fading Channel

This paper examines different designs for combined channel estimation and decoding for a point to point time varying frequency selective fading channel. The channel state information (CSI) is not known a priori at either the transmitter or the receiver. Channel estimation is performed through a combination of conventional pilots and manufactured pilots from previously decoded data. The paper examines how different interleaver structures affect the tradeoff between achievable rates, delay and complexity. When there is no delay constraint at all, the conventional pilots can be eliminated completely and a proper interleaving scheme can convert half the symbols into manufactured pilots. When there is a delay constraint, the paper explores various interleaver structures that combine the conventional pilots with the manufactured pilots in different ways to get much better achievable rates than conventional pilot-symbol aided channel estimation.
Low-level implementation and side-channel detection of stealthy hardware trojans on field programmable gate arrays

Hardware Trojans (HTs) are an emerging threat for integrated circuits integrity and their applications. Trying to find efficient HT detection methods is necessary. However, before detecting them, HTs need to be created with an efficient method and their effects need to be understood. There are very few studies which describe HTs implementation methods and the methods used are not convenient for systematic study of HTs effects. The Trust-Hub website, known for hardware security in general, had published a full HT implementation tutorial, which is not completely satisfying. This study proposes a stealthy and reusable HT implementation method on field programmable gate arrays at the layout level adapted for the study of different HTs with the same non-infected circuit. Created for a systematic study of the effects brought by different HTs, the proposed approach allows designers to insert stealthy HTs inside the same circuit in order to create different realistic infected circuits. HTs implementation results on an advance encryption standard system and detection experiments based on side-channel are also presented in this study. The implementation method the authors propose can be used with scripts in order to accelerate the insertions of HTs variants.
Une architecture de contrôle distribuée pour l'autonomie des robots

Pour des tâches simples ou dans un environnement controle, la coordination des differents processus internes d’un robot est un probleme relativement trivial, souvent implemente de maniere ad-hoc. Toutefois, avec le developpement de robots plus complexes travaillant dans des environnements non controles et dynamiques, le robot doit en permanence se reconfigurer afin de s’adapter aux conditions exterieures et a ses objectifs. La definition d’une architecture de controle efficace permettant de gerer ces reconfigurations devient alors primordiale pour l’autonomie de tels robots. Dans ces travaux, nous avons d’abord etudie les differentes architectures proposees dans la litterature, dont l’analyse a permis d’identifier les grandes problematiques qu’une architecture de controle doit resoudre. Cette analyse nous a mene a proposer une nouvelle architecture de controle decentralisee, generique et reutilisable, selon une demarche qui integre une approche "intelligence artificielle" (utilisation de raisonneur logique, propagation dynamique de contraintes) et une approche "genie logiciel" (programmation par contrats, agents). Apres une presentation des concepts qui sous-tendent cette architecture et une description approfondie de son fonctionnement, nous en decrivons une implementation, qui est exploitee pour assurer le controle d’un robot terrestre d’exterieur dans le cadre de tâches de navigation, d’exploration ou de suivi. Des resultats sont presentes et analyses. Dans une seconde partie, nous nous sommes penches sur la modelisation et la verifiabilite d’une telle architecture de controle. Apres avoir analyse differentes solutions, nous decrivons un modele complet de l’architecture qui utilise la logique lineaire. Nous discutons ensuite des differentes approches possibles pour montrer des proprietes d’atteignabilite et de surete de fonctionnement en exploitant ce modele. Enfin nous abordons differentes voies d’enrichissement de ces travaux. En particulier, nous discutons des extensions possibles pour le controle d’un ensemble de robots cooperants entre eux, mais aussi de la necessite d’avoir des liens plus forts entre cette couche de controle, et les approches de modelisation des fonctionnalites sous-jacentes.
The Study on Parameters Affecting Depth-Wise Photo-Curing Process Based on Interaction Between Light and Metal Surface

This paper deals with the depth-wise photo-curing phenomenon which is commonly found in lithography process for semiconductor packaging and printed circuit board. The depth-wise curing is affected also by temperature rise by absorption of irradiation wave at the surface of substrate. The generated heat accelerates curing reaction and final degree of curing increases more that those without temperature rise.
A Point-of-Sale Communications Campaign to Provide Consumers Safety Information on Drug–Dietary Supplement Interactions: A Pilot Study

Concurrent use of dietary supplements with over-the-counter and prescription pharmaceuticals has become increasingly common, and with this trend, so has the incidence of adverse drug–supplement interactions. In the current market, consumers have no way to distinguish between safe and potentially harmful supplements. Thus, the primary objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that messages designed to increase consumers' awareness of potential health risks of concurrent use of dietary supplements with over-the-counter and prescription pharmaceuticals would promote further consideration and action, as evidenced by (a) seeking additional information from an authoritative source or qualified health care professional and (b) changing dietary supplement usage patterns. To test this hypothesis, an innovative consumer information delivery system, referred to as the Buyer Information Network (BuyIN), was utilized. BuyIN uses currently available, Web-enabled point-of-sale (POS) technology to provide up-to-date, evidence-based, health- and safety-related messages to consumers at the retail checkout counter. Results showed that more than one-fourth (27.1%) of consumers (n = 199) who purchased targeted items reported they were aware of the messages. Of this subgroup of aware consumers, 11.2% reported that they sought additional information from a physician or pharmacist, 11.5% reported that they visited the website listed on the coupon, and 10.5% indicated that they changed their dietary supplement usage patterns as a result of the messages. Future research should include a large-scale study of a fully implemented and capable system at multiple test sites around the country, including investigating the utility of BuyIN in different retail settings.
Evolution of Temperature Distributions in a Full-Scale Stratified Chilled-Water Storage Tank with Radial Diffusers

Temperature profiles in a full-scale, naturally stratified, chilled-water thermal storage tank are described. Tests were performed using a 1.4 million gallon (5,300 m{sup 3}), 44.5 ft (13.56 m) water depth cylindrical tank with radial diffusers. Nine charge and discharge cycle tests were performed for various flow rates, covering and extending beyond the normal operating range of the system. A method for obtaining thermocline thickness from field data was derived, and a relationship between inlet flow rate and initial thermocline thickness was established. Significant differences between profiles obtained for charge and discharge cycles at similar flow rates suggest that the free surface at the top of the tank allows more mixing to occur near the upper diffuser. A study of thermocline growth compares measured temperature profiles with those predicted by a numerical conduction model that uses temperature profiles measured early in the cycle as an initial condition. Comparison with the numerical study shows that, for high flow rate tests, large-scale mixing induced by the inlet diffuser can have significant effects on thermocline development, even after the thermocline has moved away from the inlet diffuser.
Raman Spectroscopy of Microbial Pigments

ABSTRACT Raman spectroscopy is a rapid nondestructive technique providing spectroscopic and structural information on both organic and inorganic molecular compounds. Extensive applications for the method in the characterization of pigments have been found. Due to the high sensitivity of Raman spectroscopy for the detection of chlorophylls, carotenoids, scytonemin, and a range of other pigments found in the microbial world, it is an excellent technique to monitor the presence of such pigments, both in pure cultures and in environmental samples. Miniaturized portable handheld instruments are available; these instruments can be used to detect pigments in microbiological samples of different types and origins under field conditions.
Treatment of Uncomplicated Urinary Tract Infections: Exploring Differences in Adherence to Guidelines between Three European Countries

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate adherence of general practitioners to treatment guidelines regarding urinary tract infections in three European countries and to investigate whether differences in adherence at the prescribing level within and between countries could be explained by general practitioners' knowledge and attitudes, characteristics, or national setting. DESIGN: Prescribing data collected in 1994–1995 were analyzed regarding use of first-choice drugs and duration of treatment, knowledge and attitudes were assessed with a questionnaire, and multiple regression analysis was used to explain differences in prescribing behavior within and between countries. RESULTS: Our study is based on data from 85.6% of the 584 general practitioners who were scheduled to participate in a continuing education program. The mean proportion of responses in agreement with the guidelines regarding first-choice drugs was 0.69 in Sweden, 0.78 in the Netherlands, and 0.79 in Norway; regarding duration of treatment, the mean proportion was 0.56 in Sweden, 0.67 in the Netherlands, and 0.59 in Norway. The proportion of first-choice drugs prescribed for women (18–75 y) was 0.55 in Sweden, 0.83 in the Netherlands, and 1.00 in Norway (patients >16 y). The duration of treatment was 7.6 defined daily doses per prescription in Sweden, 5.9 in the Netherlands, and 6.6 in Norway. Knowledge and attitudes explained 0–17% of the variation in prescribing. Years in practice explained 0–11%, and the general practitioners' gender had no explanatory value. The national setting explained most of the variation between countries. CONCLUSIONS: Differences in prescribing behavior can be explained only to a small extent by deviations from the guidelines in terms of knowledge and attitudes. Between countries, differences in regulation, marketing, and distribution of drugs seem to be of much greater importance.
Effects of a high oil and fibre diet and supplementary roughage on performance, injurious pecking and foraging activities in two layer hybrids

1. The study investigated the feeding of a high oil and fibre diet containing 260 g/kg organically produced cold pressed sunflower cake or supplemental roughage to aviary-housed Lohmann Selected Leghorn (LSL) and Lohmann Brown (LB) layers between 20 and 74 weeks of age with outdoor access during summer. 2. Feeding roughage was associated with reduced vent injuries, a tendency to improve plumage condition, and was accompanied by improved FCR compared with controls. Feeding the high oil and fibre diet tended to improve FCR compared with the control diet. 3. The dry matter of faeces was reduced in both treatments compared with controls. Foot pad cleanliness and the proportion of dirty eggs were negatively affected by the high oil and fibre diet. Foot health was superior in LB compared to LSL. 4. LB used the outdoor hen-runs more than LSL, but LSL consumed more litter indoors. Fewer LB hens fed on the control feed were recorded in the outdoor hen-runs. Supplemental roughage tended to decrease litter consumption. 5. In conclusion, supplemental roughage reduced vent injuries and was correlated with foraging activities. Feeding 260 g/kg sunflower cake negatively affected hygiene in aviary hens. Sunflower cake is nevertheless a promising alternative feedstuff to fulfil the protein requirement in organic layers.