Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evidence for Existence of Polyol Pathway in Cultured Rat Mesangial Cells

The accumulation of polyols has been previously found in renal glomeruli isolated from streptozocin-induced diabetic (STZ-D) rats, although the intraglomerular polyol pathway has not been exactly localized. Because we have previously observed mesangial cell dysfunction in STZ-D rats, we examined whether the polyol pathway exists in mesangial cells as a possible candidate of the cause of cellular dysfunction. The activities of two polyol pathway enzymes, aldose reductase and sorbitol dehydrogenase, were clearly detected in the crude homogenate of cultured mesangial cells at higher levels than those of whole glomeruli when DL-glyceraldehyde or D-fructose was used as substrate. When cells were incubated in medium containing 55 mM glucose or galactose, a large amount of sorbitol or galactitol was accumulated intracellularly. The accumulation of polyolswas effectively blocked by an aldose reductase inhibitor, ICI 128436. These results suggest that the polyol pathway exists in mesangial cells of rat glomeruli and may play a role in the development of mesangial cell dysfunction found in STZ-D rats.
Distribution of Cell Membrane-associated Proteins Along the Human Nephron

Cytoskeletal proteins associate with specific cell adhesion complexes and membrane proteins and influence the structural and functional organization of polarized epithelial cells in the kidney. Among such proteins that have been studied in cultured cell lines and in animals are the tight junction complex (ZO-1 and occludin), the adherens cell-cell adhesion complex (α-, β-catenin and plakoglobin), and Na+,K+-ATPase, with its associated membrane skeleton proteins ankyrin and fodrin. Although abnormal distribution of these proteins has been implicated in the pathogenesis of various renal diseases, the relevance of these findings to corresponding disease of the human kidney remains to be established. As a first step towards elucidating a role for such proteins in human kidney disease, we undertook a histochemical analysis of the distribution of these proteins in biopsy specimens of human kidney taken from healthy kidney transplant donors. We found each protein to have a characteristic subcellular localization and an intensity of staining that varied among different segments of the nephron in a manner that is consistent with discrete, segmental nephron function.
Abundance and Genetic Diversity of nifH Gene Sequences in Anthropogenically Affected Brazilian Mangrove Sediments

ABSTRACT Although mangroves represent ecosystems of global importance, the genetic diversity and abundance of functional genes that are key to their functioning scarcely have been explored. Here, we present a survey based on the nifH gene across transects of sediments of two mangrove systems located along the coast line of São Paulo state (Brazil) which differed by degree of disturbance, i.e., an oil-spill-affected and an unaffected mangrove. The diazotrophic communities were assessed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), quantitative PCR (qPCR), and clone libraries. The nifH gene abundance was similar across the two mangrove sediment systems, as evidenced by qPCR. However, the nifH-based PCR-DGGE profiles revealed clear differences between the mangroves. Moreover, shifts in the nifH gene diversities were noted along the land-sea transect within the previously oiled mangrove. The nifH gene diversity depicted the presence of nitrogen-fixing bacteria affiliated with a wide range of taxa, encompassing members of the Alphaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, Firmicutes, and also a group of anaerobic sulfate-reducing bacteria. We also detected a unique mangrove-specific cluster of sequences denoted Mgv-nifH. Our results indicate that nitrogen-fixing bacterial guilds can be partially endemic to mangroves, and these communities are modulated by oil contamination, which has important implications for conservation strategies.
Beyond the High‐Performance Paradigm: Exploring the Curvilinear Relationship between High‐Performance Work Systems and Organizational Performance in Taiwanese Manufacturing Firms

In this study, we explore the potential downside of the ‘high-performance’ paradigm by examining the curvilinear relationship between high-performance work systems (HPWS) and organizational performance and the moderating effects of the industry type. Using data from Taiwanese manufacturing firms, we find an inverted-U pattern between HPWS and organizational performance in high-technology firms (N = 74), and a linear relationship in traditional manufacturing firms (N = 86). These findings are consistent with the viewpoint of diminishing returns of HPWS and the contingency perspective. Theoretical and practical implications of our findings are also discussed.
Rival Transnational Networks, Domestic Politics and Indonesian Timber

Abstract Scholars interested in the promotion of “good governance” and those interested in transnational advocacy networks both are concerned with the potential power of external actors to alter domestic political structures. This article analyses the networks promoting neo-liberalisation and democratic practices in Indonesia's forestry sector as rival transnational networks. The analysis finds that the Asian economic crisis and collapse of the Suharto regime provided a political opening for alliances between the two rival networks that helped to bring down the ruling oligarchy in timber, but the power of domestic oligarchs controlling the sector remains strong. In brief, there are limits to the power of both external networks vis-à-vis domestic power relations. Given the financial resources and constraints on non-governmental organisations, they may be unable to alter the deep structures of capitalist accumulation and distribution based in Indonesia's forest resources.
Private Information in Executive Compensation: The Information Role vs. The Monitoring Role of the Board

Manuscript Type: Empirical.Research Question/Issue: This paper examines the effect of boards of directors’ characteristics on the use of private information in executive compensation. Research Findings/Insights: We predict and find that boards’ competence both in information acquisition and in monitoring influences the extent to which boards use private performance measures in CEO compensation. Specifically, smaller and more independent boards with their CEOs as the board chair are found to rely more heavily on private performance measures. The documented effects of board characteristics disappear after the passage of SOX, likely due to the homogenized composition of boards and compensation committees brought by the legislated changes. Theoretical/Academic Implications: The paper extends the literature on the board's role in executive compensation. Although prior evidence is abundant on how boards affect the alignment of CEO compensation with public performance measures, little is known about boards’ use of private information to compensate CEOs. It also extends the literature on the role of corporate boards by examining both their monitoring and information roles. Practitioner/Policy Implications: This study offers insights to regulators regarding the role of boards of directors in monitoring and their role in private information acquisition. It highlights the importance of considering the tradeoff between these two roles when regulating corporate governance rules.
Activities-Based Segmentation of the Cultural Tourism Market

Abstract This paper explores the application of activities-based segmentation as a means of segmenting the cultural tourism market. Activities-based segmentation is predicated on the assumption that different tourism products appeal to different types of tourists. Through an analysis of tourist behavior, discrete market segments can be identified. The validity of these segments is verified by various statistical tests. Using Hong Kong as a case study, the authors were able to identify six discrete cultural tourism market segments. Each segment exhibited different socio-demographic characteristics, trip profile patterns and motives, providing insights into how to target marketing activities at each segment.
Combined Field Inoculations of Pseudomonas Bacteria, Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi, and Entomopathogenic Nematodes and their Effects on Wheat Performance

In agricultural ecosystems, pest insects, pathogens, and reduced soil fertility pose major challenges to crop productivity and are responsible for significant yield losses worldwide. Management of belowground pests and diseases remains particularly challenging due to the complex nature of the soil and the limited reach of conventional agrochemicals. Boosting the presence of beneficial rhizosphere organisms is a potentially sustainable alternative and may help to optimize crop health and productivity. Field application of single beneficial soil organisms has shown satisfactory results under optimal conditions. This might be further enhanced by combining multiple beneficial soil organisms, but this remains poorly investigated. Here, we inoculated wheat plots with combinations of three beneficial soil organisms that have different rhizosphere functions and studied their effects on crop performance. Plant beneficial Pseudomonas bacteria, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), and entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN), were inoculated individually or in combinations at seeding, and their effects on plant performance were evaluated throughout the season. We used traditional and molecular identification tools to monitor their persistence over the cropping season in augmented and control treatments, and to estimate the possible displacement of native populations. In three separate trials, beneficial soil organisms were successfully introduced into the native populations and readily survived the field conditions. Various Pseudomonas, mycorrhiza, and nematode treatments improved plant health and productivity, while their combinations provided no significant additive or synergistic benefits compared to when applied alone. EPN application temporarily displaced some of the native EPN, but had no significant long-term effect on the associated food web. The strongest positive effect on wheat survival was observed for Pseudomonas and AMF during a season with heavy natural infestation by the frit fly, Oscinella frit, a major pest of cereals. Hence, beneficial impacts differed between the beneficial soil organisms and were most evident for plants under biotic stress. Overall, our findings indicate that in wheat production under the test conditions the three beneficial soil organisms can establish nicely and are compatible, but their combined application provides no additional benefits. Further studies are required, also in other cropping systems, to fine-tune the functional interactions among beneficial soil organisms, crops, and the environment.
Extent and possible causes of intrayear agricultural commodity price volatility

Wheat, corn, rice, soybeans, and cotton experienced higher volatility in the second half of the 2000s. For the sample at hand, the unit root tests only validate a new period of high volatility for wheat and cotton. If in the next couple of years however, corn, rice and soybeans maintain their higher volatility, a new period of high volatility may also be validated statistically. Regarding the factors driving the intrayear volatility GMM estimates show that “commodity market fundamentals” i.e., the stock-to-use ratio and to a lesser extent the degree of internationalization, are the most systematically statistically significant coefficients among commodities. Over time, consecutive low stock-to-use ratios and a thin international market provoke typically high volatility. Speculative activity and liquidity in the agricultural derivative market have a stabilizing effect on the spot price, if any. Finally, “common macro” factors significantly impact volatility, especially the volatility of petrol and of exchange rates; their dispersion importance over the sample is quite sizeable. However, it is difficult to establish a link between, on the one hand, loose monetary policy, business cycle and inflation, and, on the other hand, commodity price volatility, as the sign of the estimated coefficient changes depending on the commodity and the estimated elasticities are quite low.
Is Globalization the Cause of the Crises of Welfare States

Economic globalization refers to three related processes: 1) the growth in the world economy, 2) the change in the relations between first and third world countries that has resulted from the use of information technologies to reorganize production nationally and globally, and 3) the integration of world financial markets. These processes are often held responsible for deindustrialization in advanced industrial societies, increases in income inequality, and pressures on welfare states to transform worker protection and benefits. I demonstrate that the changes in the world economy are much smaller, more gradual, and unevenly spread across societies than the globalization thesis suggests. More importantly, the links between globalization and its alleged negative outcomes are tenuous at best. The Paper then explores what is generating the crises, particularly in Europe.
The Impact of Tax Policies on Economic Growth: Evidence from South-Asian Economies

The public policy instruments, such as tax rate changes, have different implications in exogenous (neoclassical) and endogenous growth theories. The neoclassical theory predicts that changes in a country’s tax structure should have only transitory impact on its long-run economic growth while endogenous growth theory argues that such changes may have an effect impact on the growth. This study tests whether tax policies conducted by Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka have transitory or permanent effect on their economic growth. The study finds transitory and negative effect of tax rate on the growth only for short-term but has no effect in the long-term. The tax rates in all these countries are low as compared to developed countries. Due to low tax rates these countries heavily depend on bond financing and foreign debt. In view of the findings of this study most important policy implication of the study is that to finance the budget and most of their revenue requirements should be financed with tax increases and if necessary bond financing should be contingent providing a guard against transitory shocks to the budget.
Month of the year effect and January effect in pre-WWI stock returns: evidence from a non-linear GARCH model

This paper investigates seasonal anomalies in the mean stock returns of Germany, the UK and the US during pre-World War I (WWI) period. The anomalies studied are month of the year effect and the January effect. The empirical research is conducted using a non-linear GARCH-t model, and monthly returns. Results obtained provide evidence of the January effect and the month of the year effect on the UK and the US returns. The German returns shows the month of the year effect but no January effect. Given the lack of tax treatment of capital gains/loss before 1914 by these countries, the results fail to provide merit to the tax-loss selling hypothesis of the January effect. Since we apply value-weighted returns in all cases, results obtained also fail to provide support for the small firm effect. Copyright @ 2001 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. All rights reserved.
Regulatory subunit of protein kinase A: structure of deletion mutant with cAMP binding domains

In the molecular scheme of living organisms, adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cyclic AMP or cAMP) has been a universal second messenger. In eukaryotic cells, the primary receptors for cAMP are the regulatory subunits of cAMP-dependent protein kinase. The crystal structure of a 1-91 deletion mutant of the type I alpha regulatory subunit was refined to 2.8 A resolution. Each of the two tandem cAMP binding domains provides an extensive network of hydrogen bonds that buries the cyclic phosphate and the ribose between two beta strands that are linked by a short alpha helix. Each adenine base stacks against an aromatic ring that lies outside the beta barrel. This structure provides a molecular basis for understanding how cAMP binds cooperatively to its receptor protein, thus mediating activation of the kinase.
The growth challenges of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in South Africa's food processing complex

This article focuses on the growth challenges and opportunities of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in South Africa's food processing complex and argues that the growth challenges of these enterprises must be seen in the context of restructuring in South Africa's agrifood system. Based on a 30-company sample of SME food processors, the article argues that supermarket sourcing practices represent the most significant obstacle to the growth of these companies. Paradoxically, the complexity of South Africa's food retail system also offers opportunities for growth. The article ends by considering policy options for assisting SMEs, given this growth opportunity.
Mitochondrial Creatine Kinase Is a Prime Target of Peroxynitrite-induced Modification and Inactivation*

The reaction of peroxynitrite (PN) with sarcomeric mitochondrial creatine kinase (Mib-CK; EC2.7.3.2) was observed at different stages of complexity (i) with purified Mi-CK, (ii) with enzyme bound on isolated mitoplasts, and (iii) within intact respiring mitochondria. Creatine-stimulated respiration was abolished by PN concentrations likely to be physiological and far before the respiratory chain itself was affected, thus demonstrating that Mi-CK is a prime target for inactivation by PN in intact mitochondria. The inactivation by PN of Mi-CK was reversed by 22% with 2-mercaptoethanol. More remarkable protective effects were noticed with the full set of CK substrates, e.g. 30 and 50% protection with MgATP plus creatine and MgADP plus phosphocreatine, respectively, but not with each substrate alone. These data indicate an involvement of the active-site Cys-278 residue of Mi-CK in this process. Furthermore, changes in endogenous tryptophan fluorescence intensity and spectral changes after reaction of Mi-CK with PN suggest additional modifications of Trp and Tyr residues. PN-inactivated Mi-CK can no longer be efficiently converted into dimers by incubation with reagents inducing a transition state analog complex at the active site. Thus, obviously, upon reaction of octameric Mi-CK with PN, the octamer-dimer equilibrium of Mi-CK is also affected. The consequences for cellular energy homeostasis and calcium handling are discussed.
Evaluating the Monetary Policy of the European Central Bank

This paper employs alternative policy rules to empirically investigate the monetary policy conduct of the European Central Bank since 1999. According to the original Taylor rule with a priori fixed policy response coefficients, the ECB has been too accommodative, particularly during periods of economic expansion in the euro area. However, the actual policy path follows closely the two policy guidelines that are derived from the standard New Keynesian macroeconomic model. The empirical findings are robust to the use of real-time instead of revised data. There is some evidence of disparities in policy performance from the standpoints of individual member countries, highlighting one challenge of implementing monetary policy in the euro area with heterogeneous national economic conditions.
On the Determinants of Internet-Based Disclosure of Government Financial Information

Internet has become a major channel for communications between government and citizens. With the Regulation of the People's Republic of China on the Disclosure of Government Information coming into force as of May 1st, 2008, more and more local government in China present financial information at their websites. This paper investigates the determinants of disclosure of financial information of Local Government in China on the Internet. Results indicate that the content of Internet Financial Reporting is positively related to the size, wealth and type of local government, while the accessibility of Internet Financial Reporting is positively related to the size of local government, income per capita of country resident, financial condition of local government and the type of local government. These results can provide us a revelation to the research and practice of disclosure of financial information of local government.
Cross-National Differences in Consumer Satisfaction: Mobile Services in Emerging and Developed Markets

As firms attempt revenue growth through expansion into international markets, research on the potentially differential nature of consumer perceptions across national markets has become increasingly important. The authors advance the customer satisfaction literature by comparing customer perceptions in the wireless services industry across the national markets of Barbados, Singapore, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States. This five-country context provides a unique opportunity for understanding how customers differ across markets because the data encompass consumers in disparate national markets (e.g., small/large, developing/developed, culturally heterogeneous) but include perceptions regarding a ubiquitous and increasingly commoditized service (wireless services). Focusing on emerging- versus developed-market comparisons, the findings provide important insights into unique differences in customer perceptions, including the greater importance of quality relative to value in influencing satisfaction in developed markets and the lesser importance of satisfaction in influencing customer loyalty in emerging markets.
THE ACQUISITION OF EXPERIENCE IN A COMPLEX MANAGEMENT GAME

This study was undertaken to evaluate a complex management simulation exercise as an environment for learning. The exercise was the Carnegie Tech Management Game; the players were students in a graduate management program who played the game. Players reported learning many kinds of things from their experience, but learning derived more from interpersonal interactions with other players and with outside groups like boards of directors than from interaction with the game model itself. Players may learn more about recognizing problems for future attention than about solutions of problems that can be applied in new situations. The kinds and amounts of learning vary with the length of game play, with team success or failure, and with individual job assignment on the team. They do not vary with measures of status on the team.
Intragame Blood-Lactate Values During Ice Hockey and Their Relationships to Commonly Used Hockey Testing Protocols

Noonan, BC. Intragame blood-lactate values during ice hockey and their relationships to commonly used hockey testing protocols. J Strength Cond Res 24(9): 2290-2295, 2010-This study evaluated the on ice blood-lactate values during a division 1 ice hockey game in an attempt to demonstrate the highly variable nature of the game. Our hypothesis was that intragame blood-lactate (BLa) values would be highly variable and related to shift length. Six men (age = 20.4 + 1.8 years, body mass 81.3 +8.7 kg) agreed to have fingerstick BLa samples taken at the completion of selected shifts (n = 35 samples) during the first and third periods of a division 1 ice hockey game. Shift length including work and rest intervals were also recorded for each of these shifts. Blood-lactate values ranged from 4.4 to 13.7 mmol·L−1 with a mean value of 8.15 (+2.72) mmol·L−1. Shift length ranged from 55 to 145 seconds with individual work intervals within the shifts ranging from 29 to 102 seconds in length. Most shifts had either 1 or no play stoppages and rest to work intervals ranged from 0-1.66 (+0.53). These results further support the intense and variable nature of ice hockey and should help coaches develop more specific training and testing regimens to prepare for these demands. They also highlight the need for a validated and reliable test of repeated sprint ability for ice hockey players.