Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Identification of Pyrene-Induced Proteins in Mycobacterium sp. Strain 6PY1: Evidence for Two Ring-Hydroxylating Dioxygenases

ABSTRACT In this study, the enzymes involved in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) degradation were investigated in the pyrene-degrading Mycobacterium sp. strain 6PY1. [14C]pyrene mineralization experiments showed that bacteria grown with either pyrene or phenanthrene produced high levels of pyrene-catabolic activity but that acetate-grown cells had no activity. As a means of identifying specific catabolic enzymes, protein extracts from bacteria grown on pyrene or on other carbon sources were analyzed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Pyrene-induced proteins were tentatively identified by peptide sequence analysis. Half of them resembled enzymes known to be involved in phenanthrene degradation, with closest similarity to the corresponding enzymes from Nocardioides sp. strain KP7. The genes encoding the terminal components of two distinct ring-hydroxylating dioxygenases were cloned. Sequence analysis revealed that the two enzymes, designated Pdo1 and Pdo2, belong to a subfamily of dioxygenases found exclusively in gram-positive bacteria. When overproduced in Escherichia coli, Pdo1 and Pdo2 showed distinctive selectivities towards PAH substrates, with the former enzyme catalyzing the dihydroxylation of both pyrene and phenanthrene and the latter preferentially oxidizing phenanthrene. The catalytic activity of the Pdo2 enzyme was dramatically enhanced when electron carrier proteins of the phenanthrene dioxygenase from strain KP7 were coexpressed in recombinant cells. The Pdo2 enzyme was purified as a brown protein consisting of two types of subunits with Mrs of about 52,000 and 20,000. Immunoblot analysis of cell extracts from strain 6PY1 revealed that Pdo1 was present in cells grown on benzoate, phenanthrene, or pyrene and absent in acetate-grown cells. In contrast, Pdo2 could be detected only in PAH-grown cells. These results indicated that the two enzymes were differentially regulated depending on the carbon source used for growth.
A representative consumer theory of distribution

This paper introduces various sources of consumer heterogeneity in one-sector representative consumer (RC) growth models and develops tools to study the evolution of the distribution of consumptions, assets, and incomes. These tools are applied to the Ramsey-Cass-Koopmans model of optimal savings and the Arrow-Romer model of productive spillovers. The RC property per se places very few restrictions on the nature of observed distributions, and a wide range of distributive dynamics and income mobility patterns can arise as the equilibrium outcome. An example illustrates how to use these tools to generate quantitative predictions and compare them to the data.
Tourism Destination Attributes: What the Non-visitors Say – Higher Education Students' Perceptions

The paper presents a study on tourists' consumption values and perceived beneficial image of the tourist destination, Mauritius. Specifically, the two innovations of the study are, first, that the target market is university student travellers and, second, the respondents have no previous travel experience to the tourist destination. Independent sample t-tests and one-way analysis of variance tests indicated a number of statistically significant differences of value components (from established scales) across demographics. In general, Mauritius emerged to command a very favourable perception as a tourist destination for student travellers. Several managerial and theoretical implications are discussed, with suggestions for future directions.
Burns functional disabilities among burn survivors: a study in Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Ghana.

AIM To determine the types of functional disabilities in adult and paediatric burns survivors, with specific emphasis on potential risk and socio-economic factors of burn disabilities present in Ghana. PATIENTS AND METHODS The descriptive study was carried out in Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi, Ghana from May 2011 to April 2012. Burn survivors who came for follow-up visits after been discharged home and had functional disability were the participants of the study. They were physically examined and interviewed using a pre-tested questionnaire after their informed consent/or that of their parents (in the cases of paediatrics burns survivors) was sought. RESULTS A total of 70 participants consented for the study. Their ages ranged from 8/12 - 78 years, with a mean age of 12±1.7 years. Majority (60.0%, N=42) of the participants had third degree burns. The nature of disabilities of participants were mostly scar contractures (42.9%, N=30) of which 36.7% (N=11) had impeded arm elevation; 23.3% (N=7) could not fold the palm or move the digits. From the multiple regression analysis risk factors for burn victim to have disability were paediatric age (OR=11.1, P=0.043), third degree of burn (OR=6.2, P=0.001) and anatomical part affected (OR=18.3, P=0.031). Socio-economic factors that affected burn disability victims were nuclear family compensation (OR=4.2, P=0.021), community mockery/stigmatization (OR=0.1, P=0.052) and caretakers time and finance (OR=5.2, P=0.033). CONCLUSION The commonest functional disabilities recorded were scar contractions of the axilla region which had impeded the ability of the patients to lift the arm. Risk factors for burns disability included childhood age, third degree of burn incurred and anatomical part affected. Social factors influencing the lives of burn survivors with disability were good family and negative community interactions. Significant economical factors recorded were caretakers' time and financial constrains.
Entrepreneurship education revisited: perceived entrepreneurial role models increase perceived behavioural control

Relying on Bandura’s (1986) social learning theory, Ajzen’s (1988) theory of planned behaviour (TPB), and Dyer’s (1994) model of entrepreneurial careers, this study aims to highlight the potential of entrepreneurial role models to entrepreneurship education. The results suggest that entrepreneurial courses would greatly benefit from real-life experiences, either positive or negative. The results of regression analysis based on 426 individuals, primarily from Austria, Finland, and Greece, show that role models increase learners’ entrepreneurial perceived behaviour control (PBC) by increasing their self-efficacy. This study can inform the research and business communities and governments about the importance of integrating entrepreneurs into education to stimulate entrepreneurial PBC. This study is the first of its kind using its approach, and its results warrant more in-depth studies of storytelling by entrepreneurial role models in the context of multimedia entrepreneurship education.
Management Decision Emerald Article : Building brand loyalty through managing brand community commitment

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to: analyze the effect of trust and affect toward a brand community on the commitment of brand communities; and investigate the mechanism through which the commitment of a brand community is able to increase various loyalty behaviors (e.g. repurchase intentions, positive word-of-mouth, and constructive complaints). Design/methodology/approach – In order to test the hypotheses, a total of 200 Chinese female online brand community users were sampled, specifically users who had been active in the online brand community for over a year, and Partial Least Squares (PLS) analysis was performed. Findings – The results identified the significant positive paths: brand community trust ! brand community commitment; brand community affect ! brand community commitment; and brand community commitment ! brand loyalty behaviors. In addition brand community commitment was found to play a mediating role in the relationships between brand community trust/affect and brand loyalty. Finally, brand community commitment was seen to have a stronger effect on word-of-mouth than on constructive complaints. Research limitations/implications – This study demonstrates the need to elaborate the brand community commitment construct. Specifically, attention to the underlying dimensions of commitment should identify more dynamic relationships among trust/affect, brand community commitment, and brand loyalty behaviors. Practical implications – Marketing executives and brand managers who are considering customer loyalty improvement strategies must understand the value of managing an online brand community effectively. The findings of this study suggest significant ways to increase brand loyalty behaviors, particularly for brands seeking to broaden their appeal in the female Chinese market. Originality/value – In contrast with the existing studies dealing with community commitment as an attitudinal antecedent of brand loyalty, this study empirically tested the mediating role of community commitment based on Baron and Kenny’s logic. Moreover, the mediation was found to have a differential effect, namely a partial mediation for the relationships community trust-repurchase intention/WOM but a full mediation for the relationship brand community affect-constructive complaint.
Self-regulation of alcohol advertising: Is it working for Australia?

Objective: Restrictions on alcohol advertising have increasingly become an issue for debate around the world. Some countries rely on governmental regulation, whereas others, including Australia, utilise a system of industry self-regulation. This study calls into question the effectiveness of the alcohol beverage industry's self-regulation of advertising in Australia. Method: Between May 1998 and April 1999, 11 alcohol advertising complaints (relating to nine separate advertisements) were lodged with the Advertising Standards Board (ASB) by members of the general public. In Phase One of the present study, eight marketing academics (‘expert judges’) were asked, without knowing the ASB's rulings, to judge whether the advertisement(s) breached any of the clauses of the Australian Association of National Advertisers' Code of Ethics or Alcoholic Beverages Advertising Code. In Phase Two, the same ads were similarly assessed by a group of second-year advertising students at an Australian university (‘student judges’). Results: A majority of the expert judges perceived breaches of the Codes for seven of the nine advertisements. For all nine of the advertisements, a majority of the university students felt that each of the ads was in breach of one or more of the Codes of Practice. The ASB had ruled that none of the ads breached any of the Codes. Discussion and Conclusions: There is a clear discrepancy between our judges and members of the ASB with respect to interpretations of the Codes of Practice. Given that our judges were not biased against alcohol advertising and self-regulation, it appears that ASB members may lack objectivity (or expertise) in their assessments of complaints. Furthermore, consumers who contact the ASB prior to submitting a written complaint are provided with copies of recent decision records, namely 11 out of 11 complaints rejected in this case. It may well be that this information would discourage many complainants from proceeding. This potentially inhibitory practice, as well as our ‘failure to replicate’ the ASB's decisions, lead us to question whether ethical responsibility is being met by the self-regulatory system for alcohol advertising. Copyright © 2002 Henry Stewart Publications
If one watermark is good, are more better?

Invisible watermarks are not all alike. Different techniques are used to embed different types of watermarks into digital media objects to accomplish different goals. Some watermarks are intended to robustly carry ownership information; some are intended to carry content-verification information; and some are intended to convey side information, or captions. Some opportunities to employ multiple watermarks to convey multiple sets of information, intended to satisfy differing or similar goals, are examined. Problems presented by the insertion of multiple watermarks are discussed. Progress towards developing techniques that embed multiple watermarks into an image are also presented.
HLA Antigens in Familial and Sporadic Cutaneous Melanoma

One hundred and twenty-four subjects belonging to 25 families, 51 with familial malignant melanoma (FMM), and 186 subjects belonging to 41 families, 41 with sporadic malignant melanoma, were typed for the HLA A, B, C and DR loci of the HLA system. There was the same statistically significant difference in the frequency of the haplotype A9, B35, Cw4 between each group of patients and the respective healthy relatives (p = 0.01, p = 0.01 and p = 4 × 10−3, respectively). Moreover, the higher frequency of the haplotype A9, B35, Cw4 in the healthy members of the FMM families (42.46 %) compared with the healthy members of the SMM families (23.44 %) indicates that in the latter group other individuals are at risk for the disease. Furthermore, the different frequency of haplotypes B5, DR5 and B5, Cw1 suggests that differences exist between the two groups of healthy relatives. These observations confirm that the HLA region is involved in the etiology of malignant melanoma.
Aggregate Volatility Expectations and Threshold CAPM

We propose a volatility-based capital asset pricing model (V-CAPM) in which asset betas change discretely with respect to changes in investors’ expectations regarding near-term aggregate volatility. Using a novel measure to proxy uncertainty about expected changes in aggregate volatility, i.e. monthly range of the VIX index (RVIX), we find that portfolio betas change significantly when uncertainty about aggregate volatility expectations is beyond a certain threshold level. Due to changes in their market betas, small and value stocks are perceived as riskier than their big and growth counterparts in bad times, when uncertainty about aggregate volatility expectations is high. The proposed model yields a positive and significant market risk premium during periods when investors do not expect significant uncertainty in near-term aggregate volatility. Our findings support a volatility-based time-varying risk explanation.
A stochastic volatility model and optimal portfolio selection

In this paper, first we study a stochastic volatility market model for which an explicit candidate solution to the problem of maximizing the utility function of terminal wealth is obtained. Applying this result, we present a complete solution for the Heston model, which is a particular case of the general model. A verification result and a martingale representation of the solution are provided for the Heston model. Finally, the same techniques are used to study a stochastic interest rate model and a necessary and sufficient condition for exploding growth is presented.
Lessons from a case study for Greek banking M&A negotiations

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the factor “Staff's beliefs, attitudes and social representations” vis‐a‐vis the part it plays during the negotiation process in the effort of the two leaders of the Greek banking branch to merge.Design/methodology/approach – The codification is attempted by means of software, so as to clarify the trends for negotiations in win‐win conditions. Data were collected by the negotiation process of two large banking companies.Findings – The paper concludes that the private or public character of each banking organization involved in the negotiation process of aiming at a merger will affect its strategic choices in relation to the role played by human beliefs and professional attitudes during the negotiations. Additionally, the research has pointed out some elements that are explained and justified by the existing circumstances in the particular banking area. The fear of change, the stress, the insecurity and the loss of morale are also pointed out as being signi.
The Effective Role of AVR and PSS in Power Systems: Frequency Response Analysis

Two tradeoffs in the effectiveness of automatic voltage regulators (AVRs) and power system stabilizers (PSSs) are investigated together for the first time. The first is the effect of a high-gain fast response AVR on decreasing power system oscillation stability as well as increasing transient stability, and vice versa. The second is that a PSS can reduce transient stability by overriding the voltage signal to the exciter as well as increasing oscillation stability, and vice versa. In essence, the actions of the AVR and PSS devices are dynamically interlinked. A novel Bode frequency response framework for dynamic analysis of AVR and PSS performance and tradeoffs is presented. Bode frequency response also assists with the determination of suitable generator locations for PSSs and the assessment of robustness under changing power system operating conditions.
Generating interpretable Mamdani-type fuzzy rules using a neuro-fuzzy system based on radial basis functions

This paper presents a novel neuro-fuzzy inference system, called RBFuzzy, capable of knowledge extraction and generation of highly interpretable Mamdani-type fuzzy rules. RBFuzzy is a four layer neuro-fuzzy inference system that takes advantage of the functional behavior of Radial Basis Function (RBF) neurons and their relationship with fuzzy inference systems. Inputs are combined in the RBF neurons to compound the antecedents of fuzzy rules. The fuzzy rules consequents are determined by the third layer neurons where each neuron represents a Mamdani-type fuzzy output variable in the form of a linguistic term. The last layer weights each fuzzy rule and generates the crisp output. An extension of the ant-colony optimization (ACO) algorithm is used to adjust the weights of each rule in order to generate an accurate and interpretable fuzzy rule set. For benchmarking purposes some experiments with classic datasets were carried out to compare our proposal with the EFuNN neuro-fuzzy model. The RBFuzzy was also applied in a real world oil well-log database to model and forecast the Rate of Penetration (ROP) of a drill bit for a given offshore well drilling section. The obtained results show that our model can reach the same level of accuracy with fewer rules when compared to the EFuNN, which facilitates understanding the operation of the system by a human expert.
Simultaneous Quantification of IMPDH Activity and Purine Bases in Lymphocytes Using LC-MS/MS: Assessment of Biomarker Responses to Mycophenolic Acid

Background: The development of biomarkers describing the individual responses to the immunosuppressant mycophenolic acid (MPA) has focused on the target enzyme activity [inosine 5′-monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPDH)]. An extended strategy is to quantify the metabolic consequences of IMPDH inhibition. The aim of this study was to develop an assay for quantification of IMPDH activity and related purine bases and to provide preliminary data on the behavior of these biomarkers during clinical exposure to MPA. Methods: Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry was used to determine xanthine (IMPDH activity in incubated cell lysate), hypoxanthine, guanine, and adenine derived from free nucleotides in lymphocytes. Analytical performance was assessed, and the biomarkers were examined in CD4+ cells from 2 groups: Healthy individuals in a single-dose MPA study (n = 5) and liver transplant recipients on MPA therapy (n = 15). Results: Coefficients of variation between series were below 10% and 15% for measurement of the purines and IMPDH activity, respectively. Although IMPDH was inhibited, the purine levels increased in response to MPA in 3 of the 5 healthy individuals, and this positive response seemed to be associated with IMPDH1 c.579 + 119 G/G and c.580 − 106 G/G. In the liver transplant study, guanine was not reduced in response to the transient drop in IMPDH activity after MPA dosing. However, there were trends toward decrease in guanine and elevation of hypoxanthine during prolonged MPA therapy. The guanine/hypoxanthine ratio (median) was 37% lower and the adenine level was 21% lower at day 17 compared with day 4 after transplantation. Conclusions: The assay allows precise quantification of IMPDH activity, hypoxanthine, guanine, and adenine in lymphocytes. Some individuals may possess a counteracting purine response to the MPA-mediated inhibition of IMPDH. Reduction of the guanine/hypoxanthine ratio may be related to prolonged inhibition of IMPDH and seems as an intriguing pharmacodynamic biomarker for MPA.
Role of Neuronal KATP Channels and Extraneuronal Monoamine Transporter on Norepinephrine Overflow in a Model of Myocardial Low Flow Ischemia

Global myocardial low flow ischemia results in an uniform suppression of norepinephrine (NE) overflow from the heart. We hypothesized that opening of neuronal ATP-sensitive potassium (KATP) channels as well as activation of the extraneuronal monoamine transporter (EMT) mediates attenuation of NE overflow during low flow ischemia. Isolated rat hearts were subjected to low coronary flow of 0.4 ml min-1. Release of endogenous NE was induced by electrical field stimulation. EMT activity was measured as the transport rate of the substrate N-[methyl-3H]4-phenylpyridinium ([3H]MPP+). NE overflow decreased by 57 ± 2% within 120 min of low flow. Five minutes of reperfusion at normal flow (8 ml min-1) restored NE overflow to baseline. KATP channel blockade with glibenclamide as well as EMT blockade with corticosterone increased NE overflow 1.5- and 2-fold at 120 min of low flow, whereas neither drug affected NE overflow in the absence of flow reduction. At normal flow, KATP channel opening with cromakalim suppressed NE overflow, both in the presence and absence of EMT blockade (14 ± 4 and 9 ± 1%). However, cromakalim had no effect on EMT activity as indicated by an unaffected [3H]MPP+ overflow. In conclusion, activation of both KATP channels and EMT mediate suppression of NE overflow during low flow ischemia. KATP channels impair NE release directly at presynaptic nerve endings, whereas EMT increases NE elimination in a manner independent of KATP channels.
Unbundling Efficient Breach

Current law and economics scholarship analyzes efficient breach cases monolithically. The standard analysis holds that breach is efficient when performance of a contract generates a negative surplus for the parties. However, by simplistically grouping efficient breach cases as of a single kind, the prior literature overlooks some important factors that meaningfully distinguish types of efficient breach, such as effects of the breach on productive and allocative efficiency, restraints on the incentive to breach, information-forcing, and competitive effects of the right to breach. We argue that these factors are important for the development of a more nuanced economic theory of efficient breach. More specifically, we contend that there are relevant economic considerations that distinguish breaches carried out for the pursuit of a gain (“gain-seeking breaches”) from breaches meant to prevent a loss (“loss-avoiding breaches”) and breaches carried out by the seller from those carried out by a buyer. We show that the economic argument for loss-avoiding efficient breach is stronger than for gain-seeking efficient breach especially when the breaching party is the seller. From this analysis, we generated several hypotheses, which we tested in an incentivized lab experiment. The data show that test participants’ reactions differ with respect to gain-seeking and loss-avoiding breaches, exhibiting behavior in line with our theoretical predictions, giving us insight into the preferences and expectations of ordinary people in cases of breach, and being correlated with the apparent intuitions of judges in deciding efficient breach cases.