Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Bactericidal activity of human lysozyme, muramidase-inactive lysozyme, and cationic polypeptides against Streptococcus sanguis and Streptococcus faecalis: inhibition by chitin oligosaccharides

The basis of the bactericidal activity of human lysozyme against Streptococcus sanguis was studied. Experiments were designed to evaluate the role of lysozyme muramidase activity in its bactericidal potency. Inactivation of the muramidase activity of lysozyme was achieved by reduction of essential disulfides with dithiothreitol (DTT) or by incubation with the chitin oligosaccharides chitotriose and chitobiose. Muramidase-inactive lysozyme, prepared by reduction with DTT, was equal in bactericidal potency to native lysozyme. Solutions of native chicken egg white lysozyme and human lysozyme exhibited equal bactericidal potency yet differed ca. fourfold with respect to lytic (muramidase) activity. The above results suggested that the bactericidal activity of lysozyme is not dependent upon muramidase activity. Chitotriose and chitobiose were found to inhibit both lytic and bactericidal activities of lysozyme. The bactericidal activity of muramidase-inactive lysozyme (reduction with DTT) was also inhibited by chitotriose and chitobiose. Further investigations demonstrated that chitotriose and chitobiose were also potent inhibitors of the bactericidal activity of the cationic homopolypeptides poly-L-arginine and poly-D-lysine. These latter results suggested that the essential bactericidal property of lysozyme was its extreme cationic nature and that some bacterial endogenous activities, inhibitable by chitotriose and chitobiose, were essential for expression of the bactericidal activity of either native or muramidase-inactive lysozyme or of the cationic homopolypeptides. Experiments with Streptococcus faecalis whole cells, cell walls, and crude autolysin preparations implicated endogenous autolytic muramidases as the bacterial targets of chitotriose and chitobiose. The essentially identical responses of S. sanguis and S. faecalis to chitotriose in bactericidal assays with muramidase-inactive lysozyme and polylysine suggested that muramidase-like enzymes exist in S. sanguis and, furthermore, play an essential role in cationic protein-induced loss of viability of the oral microbe.
Production , Manufacturing and Logistics A competitive multiperiod supply chain network model with freight carriers and green technology investment option

This paper presents a multiperiod supply chain with freight carriers network model. In this model manufacturers, retailers, and carriers maximize the net present value (NPV) of their investments in ecologically friendly technology. Future production, inventory, transaction, and transportation costs savings are used to help fund investments. The environmental impact of production, inventory, transportation, and consumption of products in the supply chain network are all integrated. The tradeoff between the initial technology investment and its ecological footprint effect is considered for the supply chain planning period. We provide variational inequality formulations of the equilibrium conditions and then propose the modified projection method, along with conditions for convergence. Numerical examples are examined with an analysis of the effects of ecologically friendly technology investments on supply chain network production, transportation, and sales. Published by Elsevier B.V.
A 6.38 fJ/conversion 0.6V 0.43μW 100 kS/s 10-bit successive approximation ADC

This work presents a 10-bit successive approximation ADC for low voltage and low power applications. The chip operating voltage is 0.6 V with single-ended rail-to-rail swing input signal. Binary-weighted multilayer sandwich capacitor array is used in the digital to analog converter employed in the ADC to reduce the overall capacitance value and power consumption effectively. The proposed ADC is designed with 0.18 μm CMOS process. The simulation results at 0.6 V supply voltage, 100 kS/s sampling rate, and 1.38 kHz rail-to-rail swing input, an SNDR of 60.4 dB is achieved with 0.43 μW power consumption. The FOM is 6.38 fJ per conversion step.
Financial Contractability and Asset Hardness

One characteristic of poorly developed capital markets is the disproportionate weight that the availability of hard assets has in the allocation of financial funds. Where financial contractibility is poor, external finance requires higher proportions of assets that more easily remain with investors if the relationship deteriorates. Consistent with this view, I show that industries with less tangible assets perform disproportionately worse in terms of growth and GDP contribution in countries with poorly developed financial systems. The more dependent the industry is on external finance, the larger the impact. Firm-level evidence also confirms finance as the link: leverage is less sensitive to tangibility in better-working capital markets.
An Empirical Investigation of the Contribution of Internal and External Actors in the Success of Organizational Fit and User Performance: The Moderating Effect of Users' Absorptive Capacity

By implementing an ERP system in a company, one of the most anticipated objectives is certainly improved user performance. Previous research has shown that adjusting business processes with those of an ERP system is a crucial step. It both contributes to improving individual performance and depends, theoretically, on the quality of transfer and knowledge of three types of actors: consultants, ERP Vendors and internal experts. Users' absorptive capacity influences the relationship between organizational fit and user's performance on the one hand and the relationship between these different actors involved in the implementation process (internal experts, external experts and ERP vendors) and organizational fit the other hand. On a sample of 94 ERP system users we tested these relationships using the PLS method. The results indicate that, in the Tunisian context, performance of individual ERP system users is largely influenced by the success of organizational fit, which in turn depends on the support of the ERP vendor and the contribution of external consultants. The relationship between internal experts and ERP system's organizational fit was not statistically significant. Furthermore, absorptive capacity moderates the relationship between organizational fit and user's performance. However, no moderating effect has been registered for the relationship between the different actors and Organizational fit.
Measures to Improve Hygiene in the Cubicles and Alleys

Magnusson, M. 2007. Bacillus cereus in the housing environment of dairy cows – Contamination routes, effect of teat-cleaning, and measures to improve hygiene in the cubicles and alleys. Doctor’s dissertation. ISSN 1652-6880, ISBN 978-91-576-7341-1 The spore-forming bacterium Bacillus cereus can survive pasteurisation and thus a limiting factor for the shelf life of pasteurized milk. The occurrence of B. cereus spores in the housing environment of dairy cows was investigated and the routes of contamination elucidated also measures to improve hygiene in cubicles and alleys were tested. High numbers of spores were found in deep sawdust bedded cubicles hence a source of contamination of milk via soiled teats. In laboratory tests, type of different bedding material, pH, and the availability of nutrient in form of faeces in the beds were shown to be important factors for the growth of B. cereus. In deep sawdust bedded cubicles more frequent adding of fresh bedding and entire bed replacement had a limited effect on reducing spore content in the beds. It was shown by experimentally feeding spores to cows that highly contaminated feed could be a potential source of contamination via faeces and soiled teats. The effects of different premilking teat-cleaning methods were evaluated on experimentally spore contaminated teats. The most effective method in reducing the milk spore content (96 % reduction) was the use of a moist washable towel with or without soap followed by drying with a dry paper towel. Mechanical scrapers on top of the slatted floor reduced the amount of manure on alley floor, hence reducing the faecal contamination in the cubicles, and improving the hygiene score of udder and teats. The drainage capacity of slatted floors was tested in a laboratory arrangement. For loose faeces from high-yielding dairy cows, the greater void ratio the better drainage capacity, irrespective of slat and slot widths was obtained.
In vitro antiproliferative activity of a medium-chain triglyceride solution of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 in HepG2 cells.

BACKGROUND Successful targeted delivery of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25-D3] for the treatment of liver cancer would necessitate the use of an appropriate delivery agent. MATERIALS AND METHODS Using liver cancer cell line HepG2 in culture, we examined, the possibility of using medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) as a solvent for targeted delivery of 1,25-D3. The drug was made up in either the medium or first dissolved in MCT and subsequently diluted in the medium. Cells were exposed for 1 (acute) or 5 days (chronic) to the 2 different formulations of the drug and cell proliferation was measured by [3H]thymidine and cell count methods. RESULTS In chronic experiments, exposure of cells to the MCT containing formulation of 1,25-D3 led to significantly greater inhibition of cell proliferation. In the acute experiments where, 1 day 1,25-D3 treatment was followed by 4 days of incubation with normal medium (no drug, no MCT), inhibition of proliferation was more than 2 fold greater in cells exposed to the 1,25-D3/MCT preparation. CONCLUSION These results indicate that, 1,25-D3 dissolved in MCT probably accumulates and then acts as a sustained release drug depot formulation, in which case it may have potential for the regional treatment of liver tumors.
The regulation of integrin‐linked kinase in human platelets: evidence for involvement in the regulation of integrin α2β1

Summary. Background: Activation of the platelet integrin α2β1 is closely regulated due to the high thrombogenicity of its ligand. As a β1 interacting kinase, ILK represents a candidate intracellular regulator of α2β1 in human platelets. Objectives We investigated the regulation of ILK in human platelets and the role of ILK in regulating α2β1 activation in HEL cells, a megakaryocytic cell line. Methods: An in‐vitro kinase assay was used to determine the effect of platelet agonists on ILK kinase activity together with the contribution of PI3K and PKC on ILK activation. Interaction of ILK with β1‐integrin subunits was investigated by coimmunoprecipitation and the role of ILK in regulating α2β1 function assessed by overexpression studies in HEL cells. Results: We report that collagen and thrombin modulate ILK kinase activity in human platelets in an aggregation‐independent manner. Furthermore, ILK activity is dually regulated by PI3K and PKC in thrombin‐stimulated platelets and regulated by PI3K in collagen‐stimulated cells. ILK associates with the β1‐integrin subunits immunoprecipitated from platelet cell lysates, an association which increased upon collagen stimulation. Overexpression of ILK in HEL cells enhanced α2β1‐mediated adhesion whereas overexpression of kinase‐dead ILK reduced adhesion, indicating a role for this kinase in the positive regulation of α2β1. Conclusions: Our findings that ILK regulates α2β1 in HEL cells, is activated in platelets and associates with β1‐integrins, raise the possibility that it may play a key role in adhesion events upon agonist stimulation of platelets.
Distributed control for a modular, reconfigurable cliff robot

We have developed a cliff robot that is capable of descending a cliff and autonomously navigating to way-points on the cliff wall. This aggressive mobility system consists of an ensemble of three tethered robots, which cooperate under tight coordinated control and collective state estimation. The distributed task is described as a behavior network, which consists of a network of controllers spread across the robots and which interact through communication links to achieve a collective control objective. Fielded experimental results show that the cliff robot is capable of navigating to designated way-points on a cliff wall using the proposed control scheme.
The value of elastase evaluation in comparison with amylase andlipase in prediction and diagnosis of post-ERCP pancreatitis

Pancreatitis is the most common of the serious complications of ERCP, with rates between 2 and 40%. The aim of this study was to evaluate the significance of serum levels of amylase, lipase and elastase after ERCP, in the prediction and diagnosis of pancreatitis. Patients: Forty three consecutive patients underwent ERCP for various indications. Methods: Serum samples were taken before, one hour and six hours after the procedure. Amylase was evaluated with enzymatic colourimetric test (Olympus, normal 2N) the first hour and 26 (60%) the sixth. Twenty seven (62%) had serum lipase elevation (>2N) the first hour and 30 (70%) the sixth. Four (9%) had increased elastase (>2N) the first hour and 2 (4%) the sixth. The only enzyme that was significantly elevated in the patients who developed pancreatitis compared to those who did not, was serum elastase at one hour post-ERCP (p=0,025). In the first hour, sensitivity for amylase, lipase and elastase was 50%, 100% and 100% respectively, specificity 60%, 40% and 95%,positive predictive value (PPV) 5%, 7% and 50% and negative predictive value (NPV) 96%, 100% and 100%. In the sixth hour sensitivity was 100%, 100% and 100%, specificity 40%, 30% and 98%, PPV 4%, 3% and 50% and NPV 100%, 100% and 100% respectively. Conclusions: Although serum amylase and lipase evaluation are good methods to exclude the diagnosis of pancreatitis, they do not assist in prediction and documentation of diagnosis. In contrast, serum elastase evaluation is more reliable in prediction and diagnosis of post-ERCP pancreatitis. Key words: ERCP, pancreatitis, amylase, lipase, elastase
Determinants of Mouse Hepatitis Virus 3C-like Proteinase Activity

Abstract The coronavirus, mouse hepatitis virus strain A59 (MHV), expresses a chymotrypsin-like cysteine proteinase (3CLpro) within the gene 1 polyprotein. The MHV 3CLpro is similar to the picornavirus 3C proteinases in the relative location of confirmed catalytic histidine and cysteine residues and in the predicted use of Q/(S, A, G) dipeptide cleavage sites. However, less is known concerning the participation of aspartic acid or glutamic acid residues in catalysis by the coronavirus 3C-like proteinases or of the precise coding sequence of 3CLpro within the gene 1 polyprotein. In this study, aspartic acid residues in MHV 3CLpro were mutated and the mutant proteinases were tested for activity in anin vitro transcleavage assay. MHV 3CLpro was not inactivated by substitutions at Asp3386(D53) or Asp3398(D65), demonstrating that they were not catalytic residues. MHV 3CLpro was able to cleave at a glutamine–glycine (QG3607-8) dipeptide within the 3CLpro domain upstream from the predicted carboxy-terminal QS3635-6cleavage site of 3CLpro. The predicted full-length 3CLpro (S3334to Q3635) had an apparent mass of 27 kDa, identical to the p27 3CLpro in cells, whereas the truncated proteinase (S3334to Q3607) had an apparent mass of 24 kDa. This 28-amino-acid carboxy-terminal truncation of 3CLpro rendered it inactive in atranscleavage assay. Thus, MHV 3CLpro was able to cleave at a site within the putative full-length proteinase, but the entire predicted 3CLpro domain was required for activity. These studies suggest that the coronavirus 3CL-proteinases may have a substantially different structure and catalytic mechanism than other 3C-like proteinases.
Credit Card Fraud Detection Using Hidden Markov Model and Its Performance

Today's world is Internet world. Now-a-day popularity of E-commerce is increasing tremendously. Using E-commerce people do their financial transaction online like online shopping etc. Most popular mode for online and offline payment is using credit card, use of credit card has dramatically increased. So as credit card is becoming popular mode for online financial transactions, at the same time fraud associated with it are also rising. In this paper Hidden Markov Model (HMM) is used to model the sequence of operation in credit card transaction processing. HMM is trained using Baum-Welch algorithm with normal behaviour of cardholder. If an incoming credit card transaction is not accepted by the trained HMM with sufficiently high probability, it is considered to be fraudulent. At last we will see the performance of this system with the help of True Positive (TP) and False Positive (FP) parameters.
Incentives and Quality

We examine whether it is incentives or standards that determine firms’ financial reporting quality using a natural experiment in Taiwan. Before 2001, Taiwan’s Company Act required private firms with capital levels exceeding a certain threshold to file and publish audited financial statements. This requirement was rescinded in 2001 and private firms since have had discretions over financial reporting. We take advantage of this regime change and divide private firms retroactively into two groups: voluntary reporting firms, those that have continued the reporting practice after the regime change; and non-voluntary reporting firms, those that have ceased the reporting practice after the regime change. We find that financial reporting quality is higher for voluntary reporting firms than for non-voluntary reporting firms, supporting the view that reporting incentives play an important role in determining reporting quality.
Magnetic Properties, Self-Temperature Rising Characteristics, and Biocompatibility of NiFe$_2$O$_4$Nanoparticles for Hyperthermia Applications

This paper reports first on the very promising self-heating and temperature rising characteristics of solid-state NiFe<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub> nanoparticles for hyperthermia applications. NiFe<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub> nanoparticles were prepared by using both the "high temperature thermal decomposition method (HTTD)" and the "newly modified sol-gel" methods. The magnetic properties and cell-cytotoxic properties of the synthesized NiFe<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4 </sub> nanoparticles were investigated to consider these nanoparticles for in vivo hyperthermia applications. The saturation magnetic moments measured by a high sensitive SQUID were between 43.0 and 47.6 emu/g. The cell survival rates of NiFe<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub> and chitosan coated NiFe<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub>, which were determined by MTT assay, around 85 % and 98.8 %, respectively. The maximum self-heating temperature induced by our specially designed RF-MRI modified L-C circuit was 47.3degC and the frequency and magnetic field product, H <sub>0</sub>f was 1.07 times 10<sup>9</sup> Am<sup>-1</sup> s<sup>-1 </sup>
Social Media Security Risk and It's Protection against Security Attacks

Social Media Security is one of the most pressing Information Technology issues that any business faces today, but it’s especially a concern for small and mid-sized companies who find it difficult and increasingly complex to find the recourses needed to protect against the ever growing number of security risk. Social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn increasingly are being used by enterprises to engage with customers, build their brands and communicate information to the rest of the world. For organizations, there are real risks to using social media, ranging from damaging the brand to exposing proprietary information. The basic aim of this article is to protecting the system against unauthorized social media attack.
Contact Versus Feeding Intoxication by Fipronil in Reticulitermes Termites (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae): Laboratory Evaluation of Toxicity, Uptake, Clearance, and Transfer Among Individuals

ABSTRACT The susceptibility to fipronil of U.S. and French populations of Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar) (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) was evaluated in two types of laboratory bioassays: contact intoxication with 0.01–1 ppm treated sand and feeding intoxication with 0.1–10 ppm treated filter paper. Contact intoxication with 0.01 ppm fipronil caused 60% mortality after 55 and 64 h in the French and U.S. populations, respectively, whereas in the 5 ppm feeding assay 70 and 60% mortality was observed after 7 d in the French and U.S. populations, respectively. We evaluated the uptake, clearance, and transfer of fipronil among workers of French R. flavipes using [14C]fipronil in contact (0.01 ppm) and feeding (3 ppm) bioassays. Fipronil amounts were measured on their cuticle and in their bodies. Maximal uptake was observed in the contact assay. A significant uptake of fipronil occurred in the feeding assay. Transfer from exposed donors to unexposed recipients occurred within 24 h. Frequent horizontal transfer resulted in a significant uptake in recipients, particularly when donor fipronil acquisition was by feeding. Donors transferred ≈46% of the toxicant to recipients. Social behaviors such as contact and grooming, together with internalization of the biocide, may be components of the horizontal transfer process and contribute to the efficacy of fipronil in the field.
Detection of cell surface calreticulin as a potential cancer biomarker using near-infrared emitting gold nanoclusters

Calreticulin (CRT) is a cytoplasmic calcium-binding protein. The aim of this study was to investigate CRT presence in cancer with the use of fluorescent gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) and to explore AuNC synthesis using mercaptosuccinic acid (MSA) as a coating agent. MSA-coated AuNCs conferred well-dispersed, bio-stable, water-soluble nanoparticles with bioconjugation capacity and 800–850 nm fluorescence after broad-band excitation. Cell-viability assay revealed good AuNC tolerability. A native CRT amino-terminus corresponding peptide sequence was synthesised and used to generate rabbit site-specific antibodies. Target specificity was demonstrated with antibody blocking in colorectal and breast cancer cell models; human umbilical vein endothelial cells served as controls. We demonstrated a novel route of AuNC/MSA manufacture and CRT presence on colonic and breast cancerous cell surface. AuNCs served as fluorescent bio-probes specifically recognising surface-bound CRT. These results are promising in terms of AuNC application in cancer theranostics and CRT use as surface biomarker in human cancer.
THz bandwidth InP HBT technologies and heterogeneous integration with Si CMOS

Through aggressive lithographical and epitaxial scaling, the bandwidths of InP-based heterojunction bipolar transistors have been extended to THz frequencies. At 130nm emitter dimensions, transistors with maximum frequencies of oscillation (fmax) of >1THz have been demonstrated with accompanying circuit demonstrations at 670GHz. At 250nm emitter dimensions, high efficiency and high power density mm-wave power amplifiers covering E-band (71GHz) to G-band (235GHz) have been fabricated. The utility of these high performance transistors can be further enhanced through heterogeneous integration with Si CMOS. We have demonstrated wafer-scale 3D integration of InP and Si using a low temperature oxide-to-oxide bonding process with embedded Cu interconnects.