Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Molecular Determinants of the Interaction between Coxsackievirus Protein 3A and Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factor GBF1

ABSTRACT The 3A protein of coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3), a small membrane protein that forms homodimers, inhibits endoplasmic reticulum-to-Golgi complex transport. Recently, we described the underlying mechanism by showing that the CVB3 3A protein binds to and inhibits the function of GBF1, a guanine nucleotide exchange factor for ADP-ribosylation factor 1 (Arf1), thereby interfering with Arf1-mediated COP-I recruitment. This study was undertaken to gain more insight into the molecular determinants underlying the interaction between 3A and GBF1. Here we show that 3A mutants that have lost the ability to dimerize are no longer able to bind to GBF1 and trap it on membranes. Moreover, we identify a conserved region in the N terminus of 3A that is crucial for GBF1 binding but not for 3A dimerization. Analysis of the binding domain in GBF1 showed that the extreme N terminus, the dimerization/cyclophilin binding domain, and the homology upstream of Sec7 domain are required for the interaction with 3A. In contrast to that of full-length GBF1, overexpression of a GBF1 mutant lacking its extreme N terminus failed to rescue the effects of 3A. Together, these data provide insight into the molecular requirements of the interaction between 3A and GBF1.
Prevalence and predictors of hypoxaemia in hospitalised children at the emergency unit of a resource constrained centre

Background: Hypoxaemia is often poorly detected and treated in emergently-ill children in resource-poor centres because of the non-availability of pulse oximeters and similar facilities to detect it. This study sets out to determine the prevalence and simple predictors of hypoxaemia among children with or without respiratory features at the emergency unit of the Wesley Guild Hospital, Ilesa, Nigeria Methods: Children aged one month to 14 years were consecutively recruited and prospectively studied over an eight month period. All the children had their peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2) measured at presentation using a portable pulse oximeter (Nellcor N-200, USA) and hypoxaemia was defined as SpO2 < 90%. Relevant history and examination findings were compared among hypoxaemic and nonhypoxaemic children. Multivariate analysis was used to predict the presence of hypoxaemia. Results: Four hundred and two children were recruited with male to female ratio of 1.3:1 and105 (26.1) presented with respiratory features. Eighty three (20.6%) were hypoxaemic including 40 (38.1%) of those with respiratory features at admission. Infancy, chest in-drawing, cyanosis and grunting were associated with hypoxaemia (p < 0.05) among those with respiratory features, while infancy, pallor and tachycardia were significant among those with no respiratory features. Grunting (OR = 7.875; 95% CI=1.02915.797; p = 0.045) and Cyanosis (OR =13.579; 95% CI = 1.36014.379; p = 0.009) independently predict hypoxaemia among the children with respiratory features. Conclusion: Hypoxaemia occurred in approximately one out of five ill children admitted to the emergency unit of the WGH, Ilesa and was significantly associated with mortality. Emergently ill children with cyanosis and grunting especially infants should preferentially be placed on oxygen therapy even when hypoxaemia cannot be confirmed.
Information Discovery in Share Lockups: Evidence from the Split-share Structure Reform in China

We document a prominent abnormal stock return of -14% during the [-12''8 20] day window around 482 lockup expirations in the Split-share Structure Reform in China. The abnormal stock returns (selling volumes) are positively (negatively) correlated to firm information transparency and post-reform performance improvement, but negatively (positively) correlated to level of agency problems, suggesting the existence of information-based trading during the lockups. We present important evidence that institutional investors, especially mutual funds, possess superior information discovering capability than individual investors. Our findings confirm the information roles of lockups as a tool to signal firm quality and a commitment device to alleviate agency problems.
SNAP Failure: The Food Stamp Program Needs Reform

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the food assistance program formerly known as food stamps, has become America’s fastest growing social welfare program. As recently as 2000, just 17 million Americans participated in the program at a cost of less than $18 billion. Today, roughly 48 million Americans receive SNAP benefits, costing taxpayers more than $78 billion per year. Yet according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), nearly 18 million American households remain “food insecure. ”This many households living in hunger has raised significant questions about whether the growth of SNAP has been justified and whether it successfully addresses hunger in America. The evidence suggests that much of the increase was due not to the economy but to deliberate policy choices by both federal and state governments, which loosened eligibility standards and actively sought new participants. At the same time, evidence that the expansion of SNAP has significantly reduced hunger or improved nutrition among low-income Americans is scant at best.SNAP is a deeply troubled program. It has high administrative costs and significant levels of fraud and abuse. The program’s work requirements are weak and frequently evaded at the state level. The program increasingly breeds greater dependence on government. It has little “bang for the buck. ”The time has come to reform the food stamp program by reducing its spending and enrollment and, ultimately, by returning responsibility for its operation to the states.
Certification Test Scores, Teacher Quality, and Student Achievement 1

Raising student achievement levels in primary and secondary schools is again a top national priority. Campaigning politicians at every level of government are promising to improve education, but many of the measures they are proposing have not been firmly established by research to be effective. This paper concerns standardized testing of teachers. In the constellation of measures that might contribute to achievement gains, certification testing of teachers is one of many, and not necessarily the most important. 2 Nonetheless, certification testing, especially for new teacher applicants, is now used in 44 states. In 1980, only three states tested teacher candidates. By 1990, the number had catapulted to 42. Given that so many states are now involved in this broadbased national experiment, a serious effort to learn from it seems warranted. This paper reviews evidence on the relationship of teachers’ test scores to student achievement and frames some of the questions that a serious, nationally coordinated program of research might address over the next decade.
Probabilistic Cross-Species Inference of Orthologous Genomic Regions Created by Whole-Genome Duplication in Yeast

Identification of orthologous genes across species becomes challenging in the presence of a whole-genome duplication (WGD). We present a probabilistic method for identifying orthologs that considers all possible orthology/paralogy assignments for a set of genomes with a shared WGD (here five yeast species). This approach allows us to estimate how confident we can be in the orthology assignments in each genomic region. Two inferences produced by this model are indicative of purifying selection acting to prevent duplicate gene loss. First, our model suggests that there are significant differences (up to a factor of seven) in duplicate gene half-life. Second, we observe differences between the genes that the model infers to have been lost soon after WGD and those lost more recently. Gene losses soon after WGD appear uncorrelated with gene expression level and knockout fitness defect. However, later losses are biased toward genes whose paralogs have high expression and large knockout fitness defects, as well as showing biases toward certain functional groups such as ribosomal proteins. We suggest that while duplicate copies of some genes may be lost neutrally after WGD, another set of genes may be initially preserved in duplicate by natural selection for reasons including dosage.
Talk, trust and information flow: work relationships between Japanese expatriate and host national employees in Indonesia

This paper broadens the understanding of work relationships between expatriate and host national employees in transnational organisations/corporations, who have tended to be investigated separately. By exploring interpersonal interactions between expatriate and host national employees, this paper highlights the importance of their relationships in the implementation of organisational activities. With a focus on both Japanese expatriate and host national employees in a Japanese organisation in Indonesia, this ethnographic study examines the ways in which they worked in unfamiliar circumstances, managed differences and provided essential support for each other. Their transnational connections, characterised by what Granovetter calls ‘the strength of weak ties’, function to diffuse information and knowledge effectively. I argue the significance of ‘talk’, particularly small talk, as an initial action that supports such information flow and builds trust. This paper attempts to demonstrate the vital roles of expatriate and host national employees as mediators, by using network analysis as a framework. Finally, I conclude that both expatriate and host national employees, the latter often seen merely as backseat players, are in fact keys to the successful activities of transnational organisations/corporations.
Growth, feed efficiency and carcass composition of finishing Friesian steers fed the beta-adrenergic agonist L-644,969.

The beta-adrenergic agonist L-644,969 was evaluated to determine its effects on growth performance and carcass composition of Friesian steers. L-644,969 is the R,R isomer of 6-amino [[(1-methyl-3-phenylpropyl) amino] methyl]-3-pyridine methanol dihydrochloride. Four groups of 18 steers, averaging 380 kg body weight, were individually given ad libitum access to a pelleted concentrate diet that contained either 0, . 25, 1.0 or 4.0 ppm L-644,969 for the final 12 wk of the finishing period. Live weight gain was not affected by L-644,969, but feed consumption was linearly reduced (5.5, 6.3 and 15.7%; P less than .01) and feed conversion efficiency was linearly increased (16, 25 and 31%; P less than .01) relative to unmedicated controls, respectively. In addition, L-644,969 quadratically increased carcass weight (3.7, 9.3 and 8.5%; P less than .01) and dressing percentage (2.7, 7.9 and 7.9%; P less than .001). The proportion of trimmed fat in the carcass was quadratically reduced (14.5, 29 and 36%; P less than .001) and yield of lean meat quadratically increased (6.7, 13 and 15.6%; P less than .001). beta-adrenergic agonist treatment altered the distribution of lean meat such that a greater (P less than .001) proportion of the total lean was in the hind portion of carcasses from treated animals. Based on these findings, we suggest that L-644,969 may have utility as an agent to improve efficiency of production of lean beef.
Health care experiences and perceived financial impact among families of children with an autism spectrum disorder.

OBJECTIVE The authors compared the health care experiences of families raising a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), an intellectual disability disorder (IDD), or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). METHODS Children with a current diagnosis of ASD (N=3,005), ADHD (N=9,662), or IDD (N=949) were identified in the 2009-2010 National Survey of Children With Special Health Care Needs. Weighted structural equation modeling was used to determine the association between family satisfaction with medical care, timeliness of care, and medical insurance coverage and the impact of the child's condition on the family's financial situation. RESULTS Families of children diagnosed as having ASD comorbid with either ADHD or IDD or comorbid with both conditions reported the highest levels of dissatisfaction across all health care quality variables and experienced the greatest impact on the family's financial situation. CONCLUSIONS The findings underscore the need for comprehensive and accessible health care services for children with ASD, particularly those with comorbid conditions.
Efficacy and Usefulness of New Single‐Needle Intensive Granulocyte and Monocyte Adsorptive Apheresis in Active Ulcerative Colitis Patients Without Corticosteroids and Biologics

Intensive granulocyte and monocyte adsorptive apheresis (GMA) twice weekly is effective and safe for patients with active ulcerative colitis (UC), but the requirement for maintaining two blood access routes is problematic. Here we compared the efficacy and safety of one‐route blood access intensive GMA using a single‐needle (SN) and conventional two‐route blood access intensive GMA using a double‐needle (DN) in patients with active UC not undergoing corticosteroid therapy. Among 80 active UC patients, 38 patients received SN intensive GMA and 42 patients received DN intensive GMA. The clinical remission ratio and mucosal healing ratio at 6 weeks, and the cumulative non‐relapse ratio at 52 weeks did not differ significantly between groups. In addition, no serious or mild adverse effects were observed in SN intensive GMA. SN intensive GMA may be an adequate and novel therapeutic option for active UC as an alternative therapy before using corticosteroids.
An Examination of the Effects of Spatial Resolution and Image Analysis Technique on Indirect Fuel Mapping

The high number of forest fires occurring every year constitutes one of the major degradation factors of ecosystems, especially in the Mediterranean region. The ability of satellite sensors to cover wide areas makes them valuable tools for the prevention, detection and mapping of wildfires and fire related properties of the ecosystems. However, increased spatial resolution, coupled with a lower number of available spectral channels, makes image analysis difficult. Thus, users need to employ additional image analysis techniques in order to achieve their objectives. The aim of this work was to assess to what extent potential fuels can be discriminated within different image analysis techniques and satellite imagery products using the indirect mapping method. The main hypothesis was that very high-resolution data, coupled with object-oriented image analysis (OOIA), would improve the ability to differentiate among potential fuels. To test this hypothesis, fuel types were extracted from high and very high spatial resolution satellite imagery using object-oriented and pixel-based image analyses, respectively. The general conclusion of this study was that the use of object-oriented image analysis not only produces more accurate results, but also allows differentiation among the largest number of potential fuels. Object-oriented analysis allows better discrimination of potential fuels using very high-resolution imagery and the indirect mapping method. Six different potential fuels were classified using the object-oriented approach compared with only four when using pixel-based image analysis. The overall accuracy achieved reached approximately 80%.
The Stability of UK Risk Measures and The Problem of Thin Trading

This paper examines the problems of estimating risk measures and their stability in thin markets. It shows analytically that conventional approaches used in previous studies can lead to serious overestimates of the stability of risk measures when shares are subject to thin trading. It then demonstrates, using UK data, that this is, in fact, a serious practical problem, and that the resultant biases are of precisely the form predicted. Finally, the paper presents reliable evidence on the stability of UK risk measures by using an estimation method designed to avoid thin trading bias. Using this approach, risk measures are found to be as stable in the UK as they are in the USA. THIS PAPER EXAMINES THE stability of risk measures in the UK. The focus is on providing reliable evidence in a market where many of the shares suffer from thin trading. This is important because thin trading can seriously distort stability measures, leading to incorrect conclusions. Indeed, this is a problem which has almost certainly afflicted many previous studies of stability. The paper makes four main contributions. First, it shows analytically that thin trading can lead to serious overstatements about stability. Second, it uses UK data to illustrate that this is, in fact, a serious practical problem, and that the biases are of precisely the form predicted. This is important for anyone who wishes to interpret previous claims on beta stability in thin markets. Third, the paper presents reliable evidence on the stability of UK betas by using an estimation method designed to avoid thin trading bias. Besides avoiding bias, our
Growth ambitions and succession solutions in family businesses

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to establish whether succession problems in family businesses contribute to more modest growth aspirations compared to family businesses where succession solutions are gained. It aims to focus especially on transition countries, where studies on this topic are very rare.Design/methodology/approach – The main data source for the study was a telephone survey of 350 small to medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) in Slovenia. To obtain population estimates, 95 percent confidence intervals were calculated. To test the differences in the case of two independent samples, the t‐test and χ2‐test were used. The general criterion for accepting the hypothesis that differences exist was the statistical signification at the 5 percent level (p< 0.05; two‐tailed). Findings – The research shows that a high proportion of family enterprises in Slovenia are going to face the problem of succession in the near future. Research results also suggest that anticipation of an increase in the number o.
A Survey of Housing Equity Withdrawal and Injection in Australia

Over the past decade or so, aggregate data suggest a trend increase in housing equity withdrawal in Australia, potentially stimulating household spending. However, there has been little disaggregated information on how equity is being withdrawn and injected, the characteristics of households altering housing equity, and how funds from withdrawn equity are being used. This paper uses a survey of 4 500 households commissioned by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) to address these questions. The results suggest that, during 2004, the most common method of withdrawing equity was for a household to increase the level of debt secured against a property they already owned. In contrast, most of the value of equity withdrawn was associated with property transactions, with the typical property transaction resulting in a net equity withdrawal. Turnover in the property market is therefore likely to be an important driver of cycles in aggregate housing equity withdrawal. Bivariate and logit analysis suggests a significant life-cycle influence, with the bulk of equity withdrawal being undertaken by older households, while younger households typically inject, primarily through mortgage repayments or deposits for property purchase. Finally, the results suggest that the bulk of the value of withdrawn equity was used to increase non-housing assets, although a significant proportion of households used the funds for consumption expenditure.
Associations Between Appearance-Related Self-Discrepancies and Young Women's and Men's Affect, Body Satisfaction, and Emotional Eating: A Comparison of Fixed-Item and Participant-Generated Self-Discrepancies

This study examines the associations between appearancerelated, actual-ideal self-discrepancies—from both own and romantic partner's standpoints—and negative affect, body satisfaction, and eating behavior. It extends previous research through studying both genders and the romantic partner standpoint, but its main novel contribution is a systematic comparison between idiographic, participant-generated, and nomothetic, fixed-item measures of appearance-related selfdiscrepancies. The findings show that these measures cannot be, and should not be, treated as equivalent. The idiographic measures were superior in predicting outcome variables when considering the own standpoint. Nomothetic measures did demonstrate some gender-specific associations, but only from the romantic partner standpoint, and only for women. These findings can be explained with respect to the assessment of accessible, versus available, self-discrepancies. Implications for selfdiscrepancy and body image theory and research are discussed.
Production and Demand Models with Direct or Indirect Implicit Additivity

Direct or indirect additivity of production or utility functions implies dependence of substitution effects on income effects. This dependence is eliminated by implicit additivity, or strong separability along isoquants or indifference surfaces. The present study proposes and analyzes two models, with direct and indirect implicit additivity, respectively, which are generally non-homothetic, non-CES, and include less than 3n parameters for n goods. They give rise to log-linear systems of estimable demand relations. Many other models, such as Cobb-Douglas, CES, Direct and Indirect Addilog, CRESH, CDE, and Non-homothetic CES, are simple, testable special cases of either or both of these models.
Polychlorinated biphenyl congener distributions in winter flounder as related to gender, spawning site, and congener metabolism.

Concentrations of 17 polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners were measured in liver of gonadally mature winter flounder collected from Fox Island and Gaspee Point, RI, and from New Bedford Harbor, MA. These locations represent spawning sites with different degrees and sources of PCB contamination. The data demonstrate that the PCB concentrations and patterns in these fish reflect those of their spawning grounds, indicating that winter flounder caught in clean offshore waters could have substantial amounts of tissue PCB, that the content of PCB congeners in winter flounder liver is influenced little by sex or reproductive condition, and that flounder selectively metabolize PCB congeners with adjacent meta,para-unsubstituted carbon atoms. Based on congener concentrations and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-pdioxin equivalency factors, the non-ortho congeners, 77, 126, and 169, contributed more to the potential (mammalian) toxicity of PCB in flounder than more abundant, but less toxic, non-coplanar congeners.