Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Phylogenetic Analysis of the Sugar Porters in Hemiascomycetous Yeasts

A total of 214 members of the sugar porter (SP) family (TC 2.A.1.1) from eight hemiascomycetous yeasts: Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Candida glabrata, Kluyveromyces lactis, Ashbya (Eremothecium) gossypii, Debaryomyces hansenii, Yarrowia lipolytica, Candida albicans and Pichia stipitis, were identified. The yeast SPs were classified in 13 different phylogenetic clusters. Specific sugar substrates could be allocated to nine phylogenetic clusters, including two novel TC clusters that are specific to fungi, i.e. the glycerol:H+ symporter (2.A.1.1.38) and the high-affinity glucose transporter (2.A.1.1.39). Four phylogenetic clusters are identified by the preliminary fifth number Z23, Z24, Z25 and Z26 and the substrates of their members remain undetermined. The amplification of the SP clusters across the Hemiascomycetes reflects adaptation to specific carbon and energy sources available in the habitat of each yeast species.
Assessing the Impact of Presidential and Home State Influences on Judicial Decisionmaking in the United States Courts of Appeals

Previous studies are in agreement that most appointments to the lower federal courts are the result of negotiations between the President and senators or other elites from the nominees' home state. There is also widespread agreement that the votes of lower court judges reflect, in part, the value preferences of the President who appointed them, and the state or region of their appointment. However, less is known about the relative influence of the President, the home state senators, and other home state forces on the decisions of these judges. The present study investigates these relative influences with an examination of the decisions of judges on the United States Courts of Appeals from 1960-1993. Using refined measures of the policy preferences of Presidents and senators, along with a new measure of the voting behavior of Judges on the United States Courts of Appeals, we provide an assessment of the impact of the policy preferences of Presidents, compared to those of home state senators of each party, as well as other home state forces. We find that there is a strong association between the preferences of appointing Presidents and their judges' voting behavior, regardless of the party composition of the Senate delegation from the judge's home state. The preferences of home state senators of the President's party are also significantly related to judges' votes, while opposition party senators have no impact on the behavior of judges. The preferences of other elites from the home state are related to Judicial votes only when there is no home state senator from the President's party Furthermore, there are no contextual influnces from state ideology on judicial behavior.
Micro-insurance through corporate–NGO partnerships in West Bengal: opportunities and constraints

This Practical Note examines the nascent micro-insurance sector in West Bengal, paying particular attention to the corporate–NGO partnership model for micro-insurance distribution, which has been enabled by India's unique regulatory framework. We challenge the popular construction of this model as a ‘win–win’ for all parties by analysing conflicting understandings of micro-insurance schemes and their purposes by insurance companies, NGOs, and poor villagers. The article also considers the role of the specific political context of West Bengal in constricting corporate–NGO micro-insurance.
Capital Asset Pricing Model and Stochastic Volatility: A Case Study of India

ABSTRACT The existing literature demonstrates that under a general equilibrium model, the performance of the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) can be improved significantly by using conditional consumption and market return volatilities as factors. This article tests the validity of these factors explaining stock return differences using a less developed country (India) as a case study. While the earlier studies used panel data to test CAPM, we use portfolios sorted by size and book-to-market equity (BE/ME) ratio. We found that conditional volatility has a limited effect on firms with large capitalization but a significant impact on small-growth and small-value firms.
Corporate investment and financial slack: international evidence

Purpose – To address the empirical aspect of corporate investment patterns by providing evidence in an international setting regarding the critical factors affecting firm investment policy, focusing on the relevance of financial factors. Design/methodology/approach – Examines international company-level data for capital expenditures over the period 1987-1997 using fixed effects regression analysis. Findings – The capital expenditures of firms that are financially constrained are much less sensitive to the availability of internal funds than unconstrained firms. The evidence is particularly strong when firms are classified according to financial health, but is also prevalent for groups formed according to dividend behavior and firm size. The results provide strong support for the generality of the results of Kaplan and Zingales and Cleary. A major reason for the weak investment-cash flow sensitivity displayed by unhealthy firms is that they appear to be busy building up financial slack, which has long-term value, as postulated by Myers and Majluf. Research limitations/implications – The conclusions in this study relate to the investment behavior of firms operating in well-developed economies, which may not necessarily hold for firms operating in distinctly different environments. Given the critical importance of stimulating investment in developing economies, an interesting topic for future research would be to extend the analysis to firms operating in developing country environments to see whether the results herein also apply in these environments. Originality/value – The results extend empirical evidence to an international setting, providing support for previous US results that had contributed to a debate in the literature. The results also demonstrate that a major reason for the weak investment-cash flow sensitivity displayed by unhealthy firms is that they are reluctant to invest when debt levels increase, irrespective of the availability of internal funds. This represents an original contribution to the empirical literature.
Surgical management of pericardial effusion in patients with malignancies. Comparison of subxiphoid window versus pericardiectomy

There is a lack of consensus regarding optimal surgical management of symptomatic pericardial effusions in patients with malignancies. Subxiphoid pericardial window formation (subxiphoid pericardial drainage) has been considered a safe and effective method for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. To ensure adequate drainage, many surgeons prefer the formation of a larger pericardial window by performing either an anterior thoracotomy or a partial/total pericardiectomy. To evaluate the efficacy of these methods for palliation of symptomatic pericardial effusion in patients with malignancy, 28 consecutive pericardial surgery cases involving patients with malignancy were retrospectively analyzed. Ten patients (Group 1) had subxiphoid window formation, whereas 18 patients (Group 2) had partial or total pericardiectomy or pericardial window formation by anterior thoracotomy. There was no statistically significant difference (P = 0.22) in the survival rates between these two groups. A median survival time of 2.67 months (range, 0.43 to 26.6 months) was observed in Group 1 versus 1.23 months (range, 0.03 to 10.83 months) in Group 2. However, a statistically significant difference (P ± 0.02) in postoperative morbidity was observed between the two groups: 67% in Group 2 versus 10% in Group 1. Because of lower morbidity, subxiphoid pericardial window formation is recommended by this study as the preferred surgical method for palliation of symptomatic pericardial effusion in patients with malignancy.
Broadband THz DNG Metamaterials for Simplified Fabrication

This paper proposes and demonstrates a model of split-ring resonator/wire composite MTM which can create a double-negative (DNG) passband approximately two and a half times higher than those of the conventional SRR/wire structures, by using the same dimensions. Instead of exciting the magnetic field perpendicular to the structure plane, the field is parallel to the plane so that the propagation direction is normal to the plane and the electric field is parallel to the gap-side of the SRR. This higher passband can simplify the fabrication process by doubling up the size of the conventional structure in order to get the same location of the transmission band. Increasing the size of the structure significantly improves the fabrication procedure when we deal with a high frequency (THz or IR), or a very small scale (micron or nanometer). Furthermore, the new SRR/wire structure can produce a broad passband - nearly two and a half times larger than those of the primary models
Taxation Rates and Stabilization in the Framework of Supply-side Distortions

We use a simple macroeconomic modeling of a monetary union made of two structurally heterogeneous countries, with distortions in the supply function. We find that higher taxes are always output stabilizing in the event of demand shocks, but that stronger automatic stabilizers are often inflation destabilizing in the framework of large supply-side distortions. These inflationary risks are only limited if the transmission mechanisms of economic policies are more efficient, if countries are weakly open, and if economic authorities care more about price stability than instrument smoothing. Furthermore, our model also shows that in the event of supply shocks, higher taxation rates would be inflation as well as output destabilizing, and all the more as distortions are accentuated in the supply function. Therefore, reducing taxes may often improve economic stabilization. Indeed, there would be a ‘critical level of supply-side distortions’ above which some of the stabilization properties of automatic stabilizers become perverse even in case of demand shocks. Furthermore, the necessity to reduce the tax burden would be much more acute in the smallest and most open European countries.
Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) in Muscle Damage and Function

Nutritional supplementation not only helps in improving and maintaining performance in sports and exercise, but also contributes in reducing exercise fatigue and in recovery from exhaustion. Fish oil contains large amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 20:5 n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6 n-3). It is widely known that omega-3 fatty acids are effective for improving cardiac function, depression, cognitive function, and blood as well as lowering blood pressure. In the relationship between omega-3 fatty acids and exercise performance, previous studies have been predicted improved endurance performance, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory responses, and effectivity against delayed-onset muscle soreness. However, the optimal dose, duration, and timing remain unclear. This review focuses on the effects of omega-3 fatty acid on muscle damage and function as evaluated by human and animal studies and summarizes its effects on muscle and nerve damage, and muscle mass and strength.
The Public Sector as a Career Choice: Antecedents of an Expressed Interest in Working for the Federal Government

Data from a nationwide survey of recent college graduates were used to investigate the question of what factors, or antecedents, might exist that would lead to an interest in working for the public sector. As antecedents, three general classes of variables were identified including: demographics, religion and volunteer experiences, and recent critical historical events (i.e., reactions to 9/11 and the Iraq war). The dependent variable was an expressed interest in working for the federal government. Secondary data analysis was carried out on survey responses from 621 graduating seniors. The results indicated that minority group status, viewing government as a form of public service, and trust in the government were all significant predictors of interest in working for the federal government.
A Modulatory Subunit of Acid Sensing Ion Channels in Brain and Dorsal Root Ganglion Cells*

MDEG1 is a cation channel expressed in brain that belongs to the degenerin/epithelial Na+channel superfamily. It is activated by the same mutations which cause neurodegeneration in Caenorhabditis elegans if present in the degenerins DEG-1, MEC-4, and MEC-10. MDEG1 shares 67% sequence identity with the recently cloned proton-gated cation channel ASIC (acid sensing ion channel), a new member of the family which is present in brain and in sensory neurons. We have now identified MDEG1 as a proton-gated channel with properties different from those of ASIC. MDEG1 requires more acidic pH values for activation and has slower inactivation kinetics. In addition, we have cloned from mouse and rat brain a splice variant form of the MDEG1 channel which differs in the first 236 amino acids, including the first transmembrane region. This new membrane protein, which has been called MDEG2, is expressed in both brain and sensory neurons. MDEG2 is activated neither by mutations that bring neurodegeneration once introduced in C. elegansdegenerins nor by low pH. However, it can associate both with MDEG1 and another recently cloned H+-activated channel DRASIC to form heteropolymers which display different kinetics, pH dependences, and ion selectivities. Of particular interest is the subunit combination specific for sensory neurons, MDEG2/DRASIC. In response to a drop in pH, it gives rise to a biphasic current with a sustained current which discriminates poorly between Na+and K+, like the native H+-gated current recorded in dorsal root ganglion cells. This sustained current is thought to be required for the tonic sensation of pain caused by acids.
The effects of transport costs within the new economic geography

In the last few years a great number of works, involved in what has been called the New Economic Geography, have been focused on explaining the causes of agglomeration in a framework of monopolistic competition a la Dixit-Stiglitz. The purpose of this paper is to analyze, in the light of these theories, the spatial consequences of reductions in transport costs between locations (cities, regions and countries), showing the key assumptions which explain the differences between the results obtained in some of these works. The results show that the spatial pattern of production after these reductions strongly depend on the population's mobility/immobility, on the dispersion force considered in the model and also on trade cost modeling.
Using Portfolio Theory to Enhance Wheat Yield Stability in Low-Income Nations: An Application in the Yaqui Valley of Northwestern Mexico

This study applies portfolio theory to wheat varietal selection decisions in order to find risk-minimizing outcomes while holding historical yields constant. Potential correlation across wheat cultivar yields increases the complexity of cultivar selection decisions, with gains in one attribute (yield potential) often associated with losses in another (yield stability). Using location-specific empirical data, portfolio theory can provide producers in low-income countries a tool for developing a recommended portfolio of varieties given a desired risk-aversion level. Based on data from Mexico’s Yaqui Valley, results suggest that sowing a portfolio of wheat varieties could have lowered yield variance by 22% to 33% in Northwest Mexico.
A Motivational Model of Work Turnover

The purpose of this article was to propose and test a motivational model of work turnover. The model posits that feelings of relatedness toward work colleagues and feelings of competence jointly and positively affect self-determined work motivation, which in turn facilitates work satisfaction but prevents emotional exhaustion. Moreover, work satisfaction and emotional exhaustion respectively lead to negative and positive effects on turnover intentions. Finally, over time, turnover intentions translate into turnover behavior. A total of 490 alumni from a school of administration completed a questionnaire assessing the various components of the motivational model. Results from structural equation modeling analyses (with EQS; Bentler, 1992) supported the motivational model. Results are discussed in light of the relevant literature, and future research directions are proposed.
Job Mobility and Wage Trajectories for Men and Women in the United States

Young American workers typically change employers many times in the course of establishing their careers. This article examines the consequences of this mobility for wage inequalities between and among men and women. Using multilevel modeling and data from the 1979 to 2002 waves of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 (NLSY79), I disentangle the various ways in which mobility shapes the trajectories of wage growth. Findings caution against accepting the adequacy of prevalent economic models of mobility—models that tend to isolate individual workers'moves from broader patterns of work history and that treat mobility as a decontextualized individual choice. Although workers who frequently switch employers generally end up earning less than their more-stable counterparts, the type, timing, and relative level of changes strongly affect the ultimate wage differential. Differences in the degree of men's and women's labor-force attachment and family circumstances are also influential. Workers who are less attached to the labor force benefit less from changing employers, and women who are married or have children also tend to experience less-favorable mobility-wage outcomes.
Analysis of Predictive and Preventive Factors for De Novo DSA in Kidney Transplant Recipients

Background Development of de novo donor-specific anti-HLA antibodies (dnDSA) has been associated with poor graft outcome, although the preventive factor for its production is still elusive. We analyzed the incidence of dnDSA within 5 years posttransplant in 562 living-kidney transplant recipients to evaluate predicting and preventive factors for dnDSA development. Materials and Methods All patients were considered to be non-HLA sensitized, as determined by the preoperative single-antigen bead assay (SABA), although they included various ABO blood type compatibilities. Preoperative administration of rituximab was indicated for 48% of patients, mainly for ABO incompatible transplantation. We retrospectively compared the patients with dnDSA and those without. Results Development of dnDSA was observed in 27 of the total 562 patients (5%). Chronic rejection was more frequently observed in patients with dnDSA than in those without (41% vs. 6%, P<0.001). The dnDSA-positive patients showed decreased graft function and poorer graft survival rates than those who tested negative. In multivariate analysis, higher likelihood of dnDSA production was observed in male recipients (odds ratio 6.57, P=0.012) and patients with a higher number of HLA-DR mismatches (odds ratio 2.41, P=0.008), whereas lower likelihood was observed in patients treated with rituximab induction (odds ratio 0.33, P=0.040). Conclusion Results suggest that rituximab induction as a standard immunosuppression protocol may have a preventive effect for dnDSA production in the non-HLA sensitized low immunologic risk patients.
Perinatal results following the prenatal ultrasound diagnosis of single umbilical artery.

OBJECTIVE To study the perinatal results in our population, following the prenatal ultrasound diagnosis of a single umbilical artery (SUA), as this alteration is associated with fetal malformations, chromosomal abnormality, and poor perinatal results. MATERIALS AND METHODS A retrospective review of all obstetric ultrasounds carried out between October 2000 and December 2003 in our service, obtaining the postnatal results of the fetuses diagnosed with an SUA. RESULTS From a total of 5,987 pregnant patients examined by ultrasound scan at 20th week, an SUA was found in 40 cases, representing an incidence of 0.7%. Of these, 84.6% were normal pregnancies at birth and 15.4% presented other malformations and/or chromosomal abnormalities. No aneuploidy was found in pregnancies where there were no other associated findings in the ultrasound scan at 20 weeks. All cases with serious congenital malformations accompanying the SUA were diagnosed prenatally. There was a 5% of perinatal mortality rate among our fetuses with SUA, which represents a mortality rate 10 times greater than the overall rate among our patients. CONCLUSIONS The ultrasound discovery of an SUA implies the meticulous search for other associated malformations, and in the absence of these, the risk of a chromosomal abnormality is very low, unless it is a high-risk patient. However, the growth and wellbeing of the fetus must be carefully monitored in the last 3 months, although the ultrasound scan does not show any other associated alterations.
Predictors of attrition during initial (citalopram) treatment for depression: a STAR*D report.

OBJECTIVE Premature attrition from treatment may lead to worse outcomes and compromise the integrity of clinical trials in major depressive disorder. The purpose of this study was to identify the pretreatment predictors of attrition during acute treatment with citalopram in a large, "real world" clinical trial. METHOD A total of 4,041 adult outpatients with nonpsychotic major depressive disorder were enrolled in treatment with citalopram for up to 14 weeks. Attrition was defined as "immediate" (patients who attended a baseline visit only) or "later" (patients who attended at least one postbaseline visit but who dropped out before the 12-week visit). RESULTS Overall, 26% of enrolled patients dropped out of the acute phase treatment for nonmedical reasons. Of these, 34% dropped out immediately, 59% dropped out by week 12, and 7% dropped out after 12 weeks. Immediate attrition was associated with younger age, less education, and higher perceived mental health functioning. Attrition later in treatment was associated with younger age, less education, and African American race. Experience with more than one episode of depression was associated with less attrition. CONCLUSIONS In clinical trials and clinical practice, several time points in treatment may provide opportunities to engage and encourage populations at higher risk for attrition and populations with high-risk presentation of illness. Additionally, more aggressive forms of treatment implemented earlier in the treatment process in order to increase the likelihood of more rapid efficacy may reduce dropout rates.
Institutional conditions and political capabilities: An examination of Airline reactions to 9/11

Governments and their agents can both facilitate and constrain organizational wealth creation. Whilst heterogeneously distributed valuable political resources allow a firm to develop capabilities to gain competitive advantage, less attention has been devoted to the conditions that impact the development of political capabilities in varying institutional contexts. This qualitative, inductive study examines the development and application of political capabilities in five European national airline carriers within an institutional context requiring reactive political strategies to influence policy makers, i.e. avoiding security costs from 9/11. We contribute to capability theory and practice studies by showing how senior management teams develop political capabilities in institutional contexts exhibiting increased uncertainty. We argue that while the senior management’s attention to specific political processes can create valuable political capabilities, this value creation is moderated by the nature of the .