Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Strategies for knowledge management in law firms in Botswana

This article formulates a route map on how law firms in Botswana may utilise knowledge management to enhance their competitive edge amidst the changing legal environment. It draws from the multiple definitions and perspectives of knowledge management, several frameworks and models together with the empirical findings to recommend a strategy for knowledge management in law firms in Botswana. It underscores the fact that knowledge management is becoming an imperative for the survival of law firms as knowledge intensive organisations. Law firms in Botswana can no longer afford to rely on the traditional methods of managing knowledge because there is a need for the 'best minds' and the best knowledge in their area of practice. It is recommended that lawyers should be proactive, adaptive, innovative, effective and competitive in the provision of outstanding, cost-efficient and effective services to clients. Most previous studies in this area have been carried out in developed countries with large law firms.
Cytotoxin-associated gene-A bearing strains of Helicobacter pylori and atrial fibrillation due to ischemic origin: is there a link?

Background Helicobacter pylori CagA strains could increase the risk for atrial fibrillation in patients with coronary artery disease Methods Serological status for H. pylori CagA using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, C-reactive protein, total leucocytic count and atrial size were determined in 185 coronary artery disease patients (with and without atrial fibrillation) and 80 healthy subjects (control). Results CagA strain showed a higher prevalence in the atrial fibrillation group. Atrial dimension and C-reactive protein (independent predictors of atrial fibrillation) were significantly increased in the CagA seropositive subgroup Conclus ons There is a strong liaison between H. pylori CagA infection and atrial fibrillation in coronary artery disease. Increased C reactive protein and atrial size in atrial fibrillation patients may reflect atrial inflammatory remodeling.
Generality and specificity in the learning of fine and gross motor skills.

Abstract This study was designed to determine the degree of generality and specificity in the learning of four motor skills. Forty junior high school students practiced mirror tracing, a pencil maze, disc tossing, and a hopscotch-type skill. Each of the skills was practiced for a five-day period. The findings generally support the concept of specificity in the learning and performance of skills. However, low correlation were found between disc-tossing performance and proficiency in the skills of hopscotch and mirror-tracing. General IQ scores and point-hour ratios showed no relationship to abilities to learn these skills.
Coordination of fractional-order nonlinear multi-agent systems via distributed impulsive control

ABSTRACT The coordination of fractional-order nonlinear multi-agent systems via distributed impulsive control method is studied in this paper. Based on the theory of impulsive differential equations, algebraic graph theory, Lyapunov stability theory and Mittag-Leffler function, two novel sufficient conditions for achieving the cooperative control of a class of fractional-order nonlinear multi-agent systems are derived. Finally, two numerical simulations are verified to illustrate the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed method.
Volitional Lifestyle in Healthy Elderly: Its Relevance to Rest-Activity Cycle, Nocturnal Sleep, and Daytime Napping

Sleep-related problems are prevalent among the aged. The present study examined the influence of a mentally active or “volitional” lifestyle on the rest-activity cycle, nocturnal sleep, and daytime napping in the healthy elderly. 14 aged individuals with a High Volitional lifestyle (M = 74.1 yr. old) and 14 with a Low Volitional lifestyle (M = 73.0 yr. old) were screened by questionnaires including the Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale scale and the Self-confidence scale. Their activity levels were monitored by a wrist actigraph system for 14 consecutive days. They were also asked to record daily sleep logs. The total times of nocturnal sleep and daytime napping did not differ between the groups. However, the acrophases of circadian (τ = 24 hr.) and circasemidian (τ= 12 hr.) activity cycles were more advanced in the Low Volitional group. In addition, the High Volitional group took a daytime nap with a better timing than did the Low Volitional group: the former started a nap during the phase in which their activity level was going down, whereas the latter when their activity level was going up. These results suggest that high volitional lifestyle may be related to better rest-activity cycle in the healthy elderly.
Correlates of Lifetime Suicide Attempts Among Individuals with Affective Disorders in a Chinese Rural Community

The aim of this study was to compare the demographic and clinical characteristics of individuals with affective disorders who had attempted suicide at some time in their lives and those who had not made a suicide attempt. In a Chinese rural community, individuals with suicide attempt (N = 30) and those without suicide attempt (N = 166) were assessed with Present State Examination (PSE). Attempters had a significantly higher level of family economic status, higher rate of lifetime depressed mood and hopelessness, and delusions than nonattempters. The logistic regression models also indicated that depressed mood and hopelessness were the most important predictors of suicide attempts. No significant difference in treatment condition was found between attempters and non-attempters. Early identification and interventions focusing on reducing depressed mood, hopelessness, and controlling psychotic symptoms may be helpful in reducing the risk of suicide attempts among individuals with affective disorders residing in the community.
c-Src-mediated Phosphorylation of the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor on Tyr845 and Tyr1101 Is Associated with Modulation of Receptor Function*

Accumulating evidence indicates that interactions between the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and the nonreceptor tyrosine kinase c-Src may contribute to an aggressive phenotype in multiple human tumors. Previous work from our laboratory demonstrated that murine fibroblasts which overexpress both these tyrosine kinases display synergistic increases in DNA synthesis, soft agar growth, and tumor formation in nude mice, and increased phosphorylation of the receptor substrates Shc and phospholipase γ as compared with single overexpressors. These parameters correlated with the ability of c-Src and EGFR to form an EGF-dependent heterocomplex in vivo. Here we provide evidence that association between c-Src and EGFR can occur directly, as shown by receptor overlay experiments, and that it results in the appearance of two novel tyrosine phosphorylations on the receptor that are seen both in vitro and in vivo following EGF stimulation. Edman degradation analyses and co-migration of synthetic peptides with EGFR-derived tryptic phosphopeptides identify these sites as Tyr845 and Tyr1101. Tyr1101 lies within the carboxyl-terminal region of the EGFR among sites of receptor autophosphorylation, while Tyr845 resides in the catalytic domain, in a position analogous to Tyr416 of c-Src. Phosphorylation of Tyr416 and homologous residues in other tyrosine kinase receptors has been shown to be required for or to increase catalytic activity, suggesting that c-Src can influence EGFR activity by mediating phosphorylation of Tyr845. Indeed, EGF-induced phosphorylation of Tyr845 was increased in MDA468 human breast cancer cells engineered to overexpress c-Src as compared with parental MDA 468 cells. Furthermore, transient expression of a Y845F variant EGFR in murine fibroblasts resulted in an ablation of EGF-induced DNA synthesis to nonstimulated levels. Together, these data support the hypothesis that c-Src-mediated phosphorylation of EGFR Tyr845 is involved in regulation of receptor function, as well as in tumor progression.
Arrays of addressable high-speed optical microshutters

This paper describes an optical MEMS based on an array of electrostatically actuated polysilicon microshutters. Developed in the framework of an industrial project, they are integrated in a matrix of 602 elements that can be individually addressed and that constitute the core of an assembly for light switching. Despite severe specifications on the long-term functionality of this system, samples devices with several tens of millions of cycles have been demonstrated. The paper will focus on the technology, the design and the characteristics of these arrays. A large experimental work has allowed us to identify the main failure modes and the long-term behavior such as out of plane movement or in-use stiction. These phenomena will be discussed hereafter. We also report on possible improvements of the design that should solve the remaining limitations of the system.
Search-based testing tools for Ajax- A systematic literature review

Background: Search-based testing seeks to solve many novel problems including testing Ajax applications, and there have been a number of tools created to accomplish this purpose. Objective: This thesis aims to identify search-based software testing tools for Ajax web applications and how they have been evaluated. Method: Systematic literature review is used as the research methodology. Result: There are six different tools identified in scientific literature of which three are variants of Crawljax. Also, searchbased testing tools for Ajax are primarily evaluated through the use of case studies. Conclusion: The evaluation of the identified tools should be conducted using an experimental design in order to make them comparable and repeatable as well as follow benchmarking frameworks proposed in scientific literature.
Genetic relationship between the 53- and 49-kilodalton forms of exoenzyme S from Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Exoenzyme S is an ADP-ribosylating extracellular protein of Pseudomonas aeruginosa that is produced as two immunologically related forms, a 49-kDa enzymatically active form and a 53-kDa inactive form. The postulated relationship between the two proteins involves a carboxy-terminal proteolytic cleavage of the 53-kDa precursor to produce an enzymatically active 49-kDa protein. To determine the genetic relationship between the two forms of exoenzyme S, exoS (encoding the 49-kDa form) was used as a probe in Southern blot analyses of P. aeruginosa chromosomal digests. Cross-hybridizing bands were detected in chromosomal digests of a strain of P. aeruginosa in which exoS had been deleted by allelic exchange. A chromosomal bank was prepared from the exoS deletion strain, 388deltaexoS::TC, and screened with a probe internal to exoS. Thirteen clones that cross-hybridized with the exoS probe were identified. One representative clone contained the open reading frame exoT; this open reading frame encoded a protein of 457 amino acids which showed 75% amino acid identity to ExoS. The exoT open reading frame, cloned into a T7 expression system, produced a 53-kDa protein in Escherichia coli, termed Exo53, which reacted to antisera against exoenzyme S. A histidine-tagged derivative of recombinant Exo53 possessed approximately 0.2% of the ADP-ribosyltransferase activity of recombinant ExoS. Inactivation of exoT in an allelic-replacement strain resulted in an Exo53-deficient phenotype without modifying the expression of ExoS. These studies prove that the 53- and 49-kDa forms of exoenzyme S are encoded by separate genes. In addition, this is the first report of the factor-activating-exoenzyme-S-dependent ADP-ribosyltransferase activity of the 53-kDa form of exoenzyme S.
Differential protein expression in brain capillary endothelial cells induced by hypoxia and posthypoxic reoxygenation

Cerebral ischemia causes functional alteration of the blood–brain barrier, formed by brain capillary endothelial cells (BCEC). Changes in protein expression and activity of selected differentially expressed enzymes were investigated in BCEC subjected to hypoxia (24 h) alone or followed by a 24‐h reoxygenation. BCEC proteins were isolated, separated by 2‐DE, and identified by MALDI‐MS. Computer‐based 2‐D gel analysis identified 21 up‐regulated proteins and 4 down‐regulated proteins after hypoxia alone and 9 proteins that were further up‐regulated after posthypoxic reoxygenation. The expression of the majority of hypoxia‐induced proteins was reduced toward control levels during reoxygenation. The most prominent changes were identified for glycolytic enzymes (e.g., phosphoglycerate kinase), proteins of the ER (e.g., calreticulin), and cytoskeletal (e.g., vimentin) proteins. The results indicate that BCEC respond to hypoxia/reoxygenation by adaptive up‐regulation of proteins involved in the glycolysis, protein synthesis, and stress response.
Convergence theory of exact interpolation scheme for computing several eigenvectors

An asymptotic convergence analysis of a new multilevel method for numerical solution of eigenvalues and eigenvectors of symmetric and positive definite matrices is performed. The analyzed method is a generalization of the original method that has recently been proposed by R. Kužel and P. Vaněk (DOI: 10.1002/nla.1975) and uses a standard multigrid prolongator matrix enriched by one full column vector, which approximates the first eigenvector. The new generalized eigensolver is designed to compute m≥1 eigenvectors. Their asymptotic convergence in terms of the generalized residuals is proved, and its convergence factor is estimated. The theoretical analysis is illustrated by numerical examples. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Description of Two New Isolates ofStreptococcus pneumoniae in Spain That Are Highly Resistant to Cefotaxime

ABSTRACT Two strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolated from sputum and bronchoalveolar samples with high-level resistance to cefotaxime (MIC = 8 to 16 μg/ml) are described. One of them, belonging to serogroup 19, was also highly resistant to penicillin (MIC = 16 μg/ml), while the other, of serogroup 14, was intermediate in its resistance to penicillin (MIC = 0.25 μg/ml). To our knowledge, these are the first two strains to be isolated in Spain with such high levels of resistance to cefotaxime.
Desulfation and Depolymerization of Chondroitin 4-Sulfate and Its Degradation Products by Rat Stomach, Liver and Small Intestine 1

Summary Stomach, small intestine, and liver contain sulfatases which liberate sulfate from chondroitin 4-sulfate. Sulfatase activity is greater in 1-mo than in 4-mo old rats. For each of the 3 tissue extracts, de-sulfation occurs more rapidly -and extensively with chondroitin 4-sulfate as substrate than with the sulfated products obtained by degradation of chondroitin sulfate with gastric enzymes, hyaluronidase or chondroitinase ABC. Stomach and small intestine liberate organic sulfate in addition to inorganic sulfate, and the ratio of the former to the latter may exceed 1 (in terms of sulfate). The rate of liberation of inorganic sulfate exceeds that of organic sulfate during the early stages of incubation and the reverse occurs in the later stages. Sulfate ion inhibits the liberation of inorganic and to a lesser extent organic sulfate. These results suggest, but do not conclusively prove, that desulfation precedes depolymerization. Liver liberates chiefly inorganic sulfate and little organic sulfate. Electrophoretic analysis indicates that liver extracts form a transient complex with chondroitin 4-sulfate during the early stages of incubation.
Prolonged wakefulness alters neuronal responsiveness to local electrical stimulation of the neocortex in awake rats

Prolonged wakefulness or a lack of sleep lead to cognitive deficits, but little is known about the underlying cellular mechanisms. We recently found that sleep deprivation affects spontaneous neuronal activity in the neocortex of sleeping and awake rats. While it is well known that synaptic responses are modulated by ongoing cortical activity, it remains unclear whether prolonged waking affects responsiveness of cortical neurons to incoming stimuli. By applying local electrical microstimulation to the frontal area of the neocortex, we found that after a 4 h period of waking the initial neuronal response in the contralateral frontal cortex was stronger and more synchronous, and was followed by a more profound inhibition of neuronal spiking as compared with the control condition. These changes in evoked activity suggest increased neuronal excitability and indicate that, after staying awake, cortical neurons become transiently bistable. We propose that some of the detrimental effects of sleep deprivation may be a result of altered neuronal responsiveness to incoming intrinsic and extrinsic inputs.
Capacitance characterization in integrated circuit development: the intimate relationship of test structure design, equivalent circuit and measurement methodology

This paper traces the historical and continuing relationship between integrated circuit device and material properties, capacitance test structure design, and measurement methodology. Design concepts for test structures useful for C-V characterization of EOT in ultra-thin leaky dielectrics are reviewed, and measurements on new and conventional devices are compared. The key premise is that test structure design should provide a structure with an equivalent circuit matching that used for measurement and data analysis.
Model Reference Adaptive Search : A New Approach to Global Optimization ∗

We present a randomized algorithm called Model Reference Adaptive Search (MRAS) for solving global optimization problems. The algorithm generates at each iteration a group of candidate solutions according to a parameterized probabilistic model. These candidate solutions are then used to update the parameters associated with the probabilistic model in such a way that the future search will be biased toward the region containing high quality solutions. The parameter updating procedure in MRAS is guided by a sequence of implicit reference models that will eventually converge to a model producing only the optimal solutions. We establish global convergence of MRAS in both continuous and combinatorial domains. Numerical studies are also carried out to demonstrate the effectiveness of the algorithm.
Ureaplasma-associated prenatal, perinatal, and neonatal morbidities

ABSTRACT Introduction: Ureaplasma species (spp.) have been acknowledged as major causative pathogens in chorioamnionitis and prematurity, but may also contribute to key morbidities in preterm infants. Several epidemiological and experimental data indicate an association of neonatal Ureaplasma colonization and/or infection with bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Furthermore, a potential causal relation with other inflammation-induced morbidities, such as intraventricular hemorrhage, white matter injury, necrotizing enterocolitis, and retinopathy of prematurity, has been debated. Areas covered: This review will summarize current knowledge on the role of Ureaplasma spp. in prenatal, perinatal, and neonatal morbidities, while furthermore examining mutual underlying mechanisms. We try to elaborate who is at particular risk of Ureaplasma-induced inflammation and subsequent secondary morbidities. Expert commentary: Most likely by complex interactions with immunological processes, Ureaplasma spp. can induce pro-inflammation, but may also downregulate the immune system. Tissue damage, possibly causing the above mentioned complications, is likely to result from both ways: either directly cytokine-associated, or due to a higher host vulnerability to secondary impact factors. These events are very likely to begin in prenatal stages, with the most immature preterm infants being most susceptible and at highest risk.
Effect of a carcinogenic oral dose of 7, 12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene on receptor binding of estradiol-17 beta in uterus and mammary tissue throughout lactation in the rat.

Ingestion of 15 mg of 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA) by lactating Sprague-Dawley rats increased the number of estrogen receptor sites in mammary cytosol fraction and decreased slightly the intrinsic association constant for the estradiol-receptor interaction. These effects were first seen 2 days after treatment, but there were no differences between control and DMBA-treated animals at 20 days after treatment. In the uterus there were no significant differences in the number of binding sites between control and DMBA-treated animals at any point during lactation. Direct measurements of estradiol-17β by a radioreceptor assay indicated reduced levels of the endogenous steroid in both mammary gland and uterus following DMBA treatment, but such a reduction could not account for the apparent increase in binding sites in mammary tissue. More likely, there was an increase in the proportion of epithelial cells to fat cells in the mammary glands of DMBA-treated rats, increasing the total amount of estrogen receptor in the gland.
Lumped Element Coplanar-Microstrip-Transition Model for Si-RFICs up to 90 GHz

The development of a lumped element model for monolithic integrated transitions from coplanar probe pads to microstrip line structures is presented for a frequency range up to 90 GHz. Several passive test structures have been fabricated in a five metal layer SiGe BiCMOS process technology. The values of the lumped elements are determined based on measurements and are tabulated in this work. In order to verify the performance of the proposed transition model, comparisons with measurements of known structures are carried out.
Accurate Control of Josephson Phase Qubits

A quantum bit is a closed two-dimensional Hilbert space, but often experimental systems have three or more energy levels. In a Josephson phase qubit the energy differences between successive levels differ by only a few percent, and hence care must be taken to isolate the two desired levels from the remaining Hilbert space. Here we show via numerical simulations how to restrict operations to the qubit subspace of a three-level Josephson junction system requiring shorter time duration and suffering less error compared with traditional methods. This is achieved by employing amplitude modulated pulses as well as carefully designed sequences of square wave pulses. We also show that tunneling out of higher lying energy levels represents a significant source of decoherence that can be reduced by tuning the system to contain four or more energy levels.