Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
It's been a good year

Subtitle: In the last few years, the volumes of raw coffee imported into and processed at US Gulf Coast ports have grown substantially, with Houston having joined New Orleans as an important gateway. Chris Thorby looks at theis growing market with executives from a coffee shipper, specialist freight forwarder and the Port of Houston Authority.
Autobiographical memory and emotional disorder: A special issue of Memory

For those suffering from emotional disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depression, aspects of the personal past can dominate conscious experience in tenacious and toxic ways. Memories of distressing autobiographical experiences can intrude into awareness as thoughts or images, as flashbacks or nightmares, each laden with unwanted and painful affect. These forms of remembering often ‘‘feel’’ very different from memories of less distressing aspects of the personal past, suggesting that they may have a distinct phenomenology. Such emotional disorders are characterised by repertoires of behaviours aimed at dealing with these powerful memories *reminders are avoided, attempts to suppress the intrusions are chronic, and behavioural patterns are adapted to bring about short-term relief in spite of long-term detriment. For some, this struggle with the autobiograph
The Question of Ethics in Nanomedicine

Lately, nanotechnology and nanomedicine have achieved tremendous interest and funding, from several entities and directions. Nanomedicine demonstrates great promise for development of medical diagnosis, treatment, and prevention; it also raises various ethical concerns however, there has not been so much study and discussion about social and ethical issues. Nanomaterials are extremely reactive in biological systems owing to the large surface area. Although the benefits of nanomaterials are apparent, there are some studies which show the potential risk to biological systems. Therefore, the rapid progress of nanomedicine and its potentially profound social and environmental impacts is indicative of how the arisen problems could be dangerous and already there are signs that some challenging ethical issues could be raised. In this paper we will examine more recent developments in debates on nanomedicine ethics.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Implementation Gaps

Customer relationship management (CRM) implementation initiatives have been marred by failure, which many in the popular and academic literature attribute to limited technology acceptance among end users. This paper presents a conceptual model that depicts how the extent of alignment between the three constituent elements of a firm’s CRM program (employees, processes and technology) influences end user acceptance of CRM technology. In particular, the model proposes that perceived process-technology, technology-employee and employee-process gaps within CRM programs generates cognitive dissonance among end users, and that the level of dissonance generated ultimately determines whether individuals will adopt or resist the new technology. Research and managerial implications stemming from the literature are provided.
Smoothing Methods to Minimize Impact of Global Positioning System Random Error on Travel Distance, Speed, and Acceleration Profile Estimates

The Georgia Institute of Technology is evaluating the feasibility and effectiveness of mileage-based pricing programs as transportation control measures. Incentives were provided to study participants who change driving behavior in response to cent per mile pricing (fixed pricing and pricing as a function of congestion level). In-vehicle Global Positioning System (GPS) devices were used to estimate distance traveled and driver behavior (e.g., speed and acceleration profiles). The accuracy of estimated mileage accrual speeds by road classification, and acceleration rates used in pricing algorithms, is paramount. Various data-smoothing techniques were applied to the instrumented vehicle GPS speed data, and performance of the algorithms was evaluated in minimizing the impact of GPS random error on speed, acceleration, and distance estimates. The conventional discrete Kalman filter algorithm was modified to enhance its ability to control GPS random errors. Each smoothing method produces different second-by-second speed and acceleration profiles (t-test and χ2 tests) except for the Kalman filters. The techniques provided different travel distance estimates, but the modified Kalman filter was the most accurate compared with distance estimates from the onboard vehicle speed sensor monitor. The modified Kalman filter is the recommended technique for smoothing GPS data for use in pricing studies. Additional smoothing methods will be evaluated as they are identified.
Procedure-Related Myonecrosis after Bare and Drug-Eluting Stent Implantation

We sought to compare the incidence of myonecrosis after elective implantation of bare metal stents with that of drug-eluting stents. The data of stable patients who were treated with stenting in a single native coronary artery were analyzed retrospectively. The stents used were bare metal in 119, sirolimus-eluting (Cypher Select Plus) in 119 patients, paclitaxel-eluting (Taxus Liberté) in 120, zotarolimus-eluting (Endeavor Sprint) in 122, and everolimus-eluting (Xience V) in 72. Endpoints included post-procedural myonecrosis (any elevation of creatine kinase-MB), myocardial infarction (creatine kinase-MB > 3 times the upper limit of normal), and large myocardial infarction (creatine kinase-MB > 5 times the upper limit of normal). The incidences of myonecrosis (16.7%–18.9%), myocardial infarction (3.3%–8.4%), and large myocardial infarction (1.7%–5.6%) were not significantly different among stent types. At the 30-day follow-up, there were 2 deaths in patients who had Taxus Liberté stents, one death each in those with Xience V and bare metal stents, and no cases of stroke or target vessel revascularization. In this study, bare metal stents and the 4 drug-eluting stents were associated with similar low incidences of myonecrosis, myocardial infarction, and large myocardial infarction.
Fetal rat septal cells adhere to and extend processes on basement membrane, laminin, and a synthetic peptide from the laminin A chain sequence

Responses of rat embryonic septal cells to reconstituted basement membrane, laminin, and laminin A chain‐derived synthetic peptides were studied in culture. Dissociated fetal E16/17 septal cells were grown for three days on differently coated plastic substrata. Reconstituted basement membrane (Ma‐trigel), laminin, and a 19‐amino acid synthetic peptide CSRARKQAASIKVAVSADR‐NH2 (PA22‐2) from the laminin A chain sequence mediated cell‐substratum adhesion and promoted neurite outgrowth. In contrast, cells did not attach to or form processes on uncoated plastic or on plastic substrata coated with synthetic, laminin‐derived control peptides. Polyethylenimine (PEI) supported the adhesion and survival of fetal septal cells; however, when lami‐nin was added to the medium during cell plating or 18 hr afterward, a dose‐dependent increase was observed in neurite outgrowth of cells attached to this substratum. Cells grown for 6 days on PEI in the presence of laminin showed a determined increase in the number of cholinergic neurons as marked by acetylcholinesterase staining. These data suggest that the subpopulation of cholinergic septal neurons present in the septal cells studied here were also responding to laminin. The results of this in vitro study suggest potential uses for basement membrane, laminin, or synthetic peptides, sucha as PA22‐2, in fetal septal grafts to enhance regeneration in the damaged septo‐hippocampal system.
Nurturing small firms in the knowledge-based economy: Programs and challenges

This paper aims at providing some insights into how the knowledge-based economy trend has been embraced by Australia’s Queensland State Government, through its signature policy known as the Smart State Strategy. Through significant investments in building new research institutes, upgrading the skills of locals to attracting and retaining knowledge workers and providing support to businesses, the Smart State Strategy has helped position Queensland as an important player in the global knowledge-based
Maintaining a Safe Environment for Payment Cards: Examining Evolving Threats Posed by Fraud

On April 23 and 24, 2008, the Payment Cards Center of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia and the Electronic Funds Transfer Association jointly hosted "Maintaining a Safe Environment for Payment Cards: Examining Evolving Threats Posed by Fraud. " The conference included panels representing four key constituencies: issuers, consumers, merchants/acquirers, and networks. The panelists addressed the nature of payment card fraud in the 21st century. This paper summarizes the highlights from the presentations and the discussions that ensued.
İstanbul Menkul Kıymetler Borsası’nda Düşük Fiyatlandırma ve Aracılık Türü, Arz Yılı, Aracı Kurum Etkileri Üzerine Bir Araştırma

In this study which aims to determine whether there exits underpricing in Istanbul Stock Exchange, short, medium and long term price performances of 40 stocks initally offered in 1993-2006 period by only one underwriter have been investigated. Consequently it appeared that 31 of these stocks on the first offering date and 24 of them in the first dealing month had been underpriced. Also existance of underwriting type, offering year and intermediary institution effects on this matter of fact has been searched by ANOVA. But following this search any significant effect of these variables on underpricing could not be found.
Obesity, weight gain, and ovarian cancer risk in African American women

Although there is growing evidence that higher adiposity increases ovarian cancer risk, little is known about its impact in African American (AA) women, the racial/ethnic group with the highest prevalence of obesity. We evaluated the impact of body mass index (BMI) 1 year before diagnosis and weight gain since age 18 years on ovarian cancer risk in a population‐based case‐control study in AA women in 11 geographical areas in the US. Cases (n = 492) and age and site matched controls (n = 696) were identified through rapid case ascertainment and random‐digit‐dialing, respectively. Information was collected on demographic and lifestyle factors, including self‐reported height, weight at age 18 and weight 1 year before diagnosis/interview. Multivariable logistic regression was used to compute odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI), adjusting for potential covariates. Obese women had elevated ovarian cancer risk, particularly for BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2 compared to BMI <25 (OR = 1.72, 95% CI: 1.12‐2.66; p for trend: 0.03). There was also a strong association with weight gain since age 18 (OR: 1.52; 95% CI: 1.07–2.16; p for trend: 0.02) comparing the highest to lowest quartile. In stratified analyses by menopausal status, the association with BMI and weight gain was limited to postmenopausal women, with a 15% (95% CI: 1.05–1.23) increase in risk per 5 kg/m2 of BMI and 6% (95% CI: 1.01–1.10) increase in risk per 5 kg of weight gain. Excluding hormone therapy users essentially did not change results. Obesity and excessive adult weight gain may increase ovarian cancer risk in post‐menopausal AA women.
The Sound Attenuation Coefficient Optimization in Case of a Three Parameter Impedance Model for a Rectangular 3D Straight Lined Duct of Finite Dimensions

A method for the minimization of the ratio of the sound pressure level at the exit to that at the entrance is presented for a rectangular 3D straight lined duct carrying a uniform gas flow. The duct dimensions, the incident sound wave as well as the frequency of the sound wave propagation are assumed to be known. It is assumed also that the liner impedance model is the mass-spring-damper model. The idea is to compute the considered ratio for a large number of combinations of the values of the inertance, resistance and stiffness of the liner and, by fitting the obtained data, to establish a formula for the dependence of the ratio in discussion on these three parameters of the liner. Using the obtained formula, the minimum value of the ratio, as well as the values of the inertance, resistance and stiffness, for which the minimum is obtained, are found.
Enterprise restructuring and unemployment in models of transition

This report primarily concerns the changing behavior of firms and their complex interaction with the labor market, most particularly with unemployment. The results reported here shed light on the factors that determine the shape and pace of the transition from planned to market economies. While finding significant variation across countries, the chapter authors point to major adjustments within firms, both private and public. It examines critical feedback from the labor market to the decisions made by workers and managers regarding privatization and restructuring. Chapter 1 sets out the main findings of the individual chapters and places them in context. It also provides a simple analytical framework for understanding firms' response to shocks before summarizing the principal conclusions. The report's main focus is on the Czech and Slovak Republics, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, and Russia (covered in Chapters 2-4); but the empirical results can be generalized across all countries in transition. Chapters 5, 6, and 7 develop models that use the empirical findings and institutional detail and structure reported in earlier chapters.
The effect of PEG-coated gold nanoparticles on the anti-proliferative potential of Specific Nutrient Synergy

Abstract The role of PEG-coated gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) on the anti-proliferative effect of Specific Nutrient Synergy (SNS) on HTLV-1 infected (C91-PL and HuT-102) and non-infected (CEM and Jurkat) malignant T-lymphocytes cells, was investigated. When PEG-coated Au NPs (of different molecular weights) were added alone, there was no effect on either viability or proliferation of the leukemic cell lines studied. Treatment of cells with SNS and PEG (5 or 10 kDa) coated Au NP reduced significantly the proliferation in all cell lines tested; this reached more than 50% reduction as compared to the control for cells treated for 96 h. Data showed that the best anti-proliferative effect was obtained using SNS and Au NP coated with PEG of molecular weights of 5 and 10 kDa with almost no effect of PEG of lower molecular weights (0.75 and 2 kDa) or higher ones (20 kDa). This was true as well for HTLV-1 infected as for non-infected malignant T-lymphocytes. Electron microscopy results showed uptake of the gold particles to Jurkat cells. All described effects are specific to leukemia cell lines, and no effects were observed with freshly activated human mononuclear lymphocytes as control.
A low-phase-noise voltage-controlled oscillator for 17-GHz applications

A silicon bipolar voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) for 17-GHz applications is presented. The VCO is composed of a core oscillating at 9GHz followed by a frequency doubler. It adopts a transformer-based topology to obtain both wide tuning range and low noise performance. The VCO exhibits a tuning range of 4.1GHz from 16.4 to 20.5GHz and a phase noise as low as -109dBc/Hz at a 1-MHz frequency offset from a carrier of 18.5GHz.
SMIfp (SMILES fingerprint) Chemical Space for Virtual Screening and Visualization of Large Databases of Organic Molecules

SMIfp (SMILES fingerprint) is defined here as a scalar fingerprint describing organic molecules by counting the occurrences of 34 different symbols in their SMILES strings, which creates a 34-dimensional chemical space. Ligand-based virtual screening using the city-block distance CBD(SMIfp) as similarity measure provides good AUC values and enrichment factors for recovering series of actives from the directory of useful decoys (DUD-E) and from ZINC. DrugBank, ChEMBL, ZINC, PubChem, GDB-11, GDB-13, and GDB-17 can be searched by CBD(SMIfp) using an online SMIfp-browser at www.gdb. unibe.ch. Visualization of the SMIfp chemical space was performed by principal component analysis and color-coded maps of the (PC1, PC2)-planes, with interactive access to the molecules enabled by the Java application SMIfp-MAPPLET available from www.gdb. unibe.ch. These maps spread molecules according to their fraction of aromatic atoms, size and polarity. SMIfp provides a new and relevant entry to explore the small molecule chemical space.
High-Throughput Genotyping of Green Algal Mutants Reveals Random Distribution of Mutagenic Insertion Sites and Endonucleolytic Cleavage of Transforming DNA[W][OPEN]

In this work, the authors develop a method for simultaneously mapping tens of thousands of insertion sites in the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. This work reveals insights into the mutagenic insertion process and opens the door to pooled enrichment screens and the generation of indexed mutant libraries. A high-throughput genetic screening platform in a single-celled photosynthetic eukaryote would be a transformative addition to the plant biology toolbox. Here, we present ChlaMmeSeq (Chlamydomonas MmeI-based insertion site Sequencing), a tool for simultaneous mapping of tens of thousands of mutagenic insertion sites in the eukaryotic unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. We first validated ChlaMmeSeq by in-depth characterization of individual insertion sites. We then applied ChlaMmeSeq to a mutant pool and mapped 11,478 insertions, covering 39% of annotated protein coding genes. We observe that insertions are distributed in a manner largely indistinguishable from random, indicating that mutants in nearly all genes can be obtained efficiently. The data reveal that sequence-specific endonucleolytic activities cleave the transforming DNA and allow us to propose a simple model to explain the origin of the poorly understood exogenous sequences that sometimes surround insertion sites. ChlaMmeSeq is quantitatively reproducible, enabling its use for pooled enrichment screens and for the generation of indexed mutant libraries. Additionally, ChlaMmeSeq allows genotyping of hits from Chlamydomonas screens on an unprecedented scale, opening the door to comprehensive identification of genes with roles in photosynthesis, algal lipid metabolism, the algal carbon-concentrating mechanism, phototaxis, the biogenesis and function of cilia, and other processes for which C. reinhardtii is a leading model system.
Type 1 diabetes and ageing: does LDL oxidation mediate their associations with coronary heart disease?

Type 1 diabetes is associated with an increased incidence of coronary heart disease compared to the general population. In the U.K., the standardized mortality ratios for cardiovascular disease in Type 1 diabetic men are 3·9, 5·7 and 4·7 for those aged 1 to 19 years, 20 to 39 years and 40 to 59 years, respectively. The standardized mortality ratios for cardiovascular disease in Type 1 diabetic women are 7·0, 11·3 and 7·8 for the same age ranges respectively. As in the general population, the incidence of coronary heart disease in Type 1 diabetes is strongly associated with age. The mortality rates for cardiovascular disease in men with Type 1 diabetes are 13·5, 137·7 and 2513·5 per 100 000 person-years for those aged 1 to 19 years, 20 to 39 years and 40 to 59 years, respectively. In women with Type 1 diabetes, the mortality rates for cardiovascular disease are 16·7, 144·0 and 1411·7 per 100 000 person-years for the same age ranges respectively. Type 2 diabetes is associated with clustering of coronary heart disease risk factors, in particular, dyslipidaemia, hypertension, obesity and insulin resistance. This, however, is not true for Type 1 diabetes. In particular, in Type 1 diabetes, there is an absence of dyslipidaemia, with normal total and LDL cholesterol concentrations, normal or decreased triglyceride concentrations, and normal or increased HDL cholesterol concentrations. This should constitute an antiatherogenic lipid profile. Even in Type 2 diabetes, established risk factors do not account for all of the excess risk of coronary heart disease; in Type 1 diabetes, they account for less. The specific pathogenetic mechanisms which account for the remaining excess risk are not well understood. It has been postulated that qualitative, as well as quantitative, changes in lipoproteins may contribute to coronary heart disease risk. Hyperglycaemia itself may contribute to accelerated atherogenesis and to increased clinical coronary heart disease events through various mechanisms. One such mechanism,
EFFECTS OF HOSTILITY AND STRESS ON AFFECTIVE VERBAL LEARNING IN WOMEN

The current experiment investigated the effects of hostility on affective verbal learning and physiological regulation in high and low hostile women. The Auditory Affective Verbal Learning Test (AAVLT) was administered to women in either a cold pressor or no cold pressor condition. Systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and heart rate were recorded before and after the cold pressor or no cold pressor manipulation. Results indicated that high hostile women learned fewer words across conditions. The cold pressor primarily influenced neutral learning in high and low hostile participants. Additionally, primacy and recency effects of the AAVLT were replicated.
Emergence and dissemination of multidrug resistant clones of Pseudomonas aeruginosa producing VIM-2 metallo-beta-lactamase in Belgium.

Emergence of carbapenem-hydrolysing metallo-beta-lactamase (MBL) in Pseudomonas aeruginosa has been described worldwide. Infection with MBL-producing strains represents a therapeutic problem due to their resistance to all beta-lactams except monobactams. Several types of MBL enzymes have been identified in P. aeruginosa among which the VIM-type enzymes appear as the most prevalent in Europe with more than 12 allelic variants.
The Recruitment of SOX/OCT Complexes and the Differential Activity of HOXA1 and HOXB1 Modulate the Hoxb1Auto-regulatory Enhancer Function*

Regionally restricted expression patterns of Hox genes in developing embryos rely on auto-, cross-, and para-regulatory transcriptional elements. One example is the Hoxb1 auto-regulatory element (b1-ARE), which drives expression of Hoxb1 in the fourth rhombomere of the hindbrain. We previously showed that HOXB1 and PBX1 activate transcription from the b1-ARE by binding to sequences required for the expression of a reporter gene in rhombomere 4 in vivo. We now report that in embryonal carcinoma cells, which retain characteristics of primitive neuroectodermal cells, the b1-ARE displays higher basal and HOX/PBX-induced activities than in other cell backgrounds. We have identified a bipartite-binding site for SOX/OCT heterodimers within the b1-ARE that accounts for its cell context-specific activity and is required for maximal transcriptional activity of HOX/PBX complexes in embryonal carcinoma cells. Furthermore, we found that in an embryonal carcinoma cell background, HOXB1 has a significantly higher transcriptional activity than its paralog HOXA1. We map the determinants for this differential activity within the HOXB1 N-terminal transcriptional activation domain. By using analysis in transgenic and HOXA1 mutant mice, we extended these findings on the differential activities of HOXA1 and HOXB1 in vivo, and we demonstrated that they are important for regulating aspects of HOXB1 expression in the hindbrain. We found that mutation of the SOX/OCT site and targeted inactivation of Hoxa1 both impair the response of the b1-ARE to retinoic acid in transgenic mice. Our results show that Hoxa1 is the primary mediator of the response of b1-ARE to retinoic acid in vivoand that this function is dependent on the binding of SOX/OCT heterodimers to the b1-ARE. These results uncover novel functional differences between Hox paralogs and their modulators.