Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Arginine hydrochloride enhances the dynamics of subunit assembly and the chaperone-like activity of alpha-crystallin.

PURPOSE Alpha-crystallin, a major eye lens protein, bears homology with small heat shock proteins (sHsps) and exhibits molecular chaperone-like activity. Structural perturbation by temperature or low concentrations of denaturants leads to enhancement of its chaperone-like activity. We have earlier demonstrated similar enhancement of chaperone-like activity using biologically compatible solutes such as arginine hydrochloride and aminoguanidine. The purpose of the present study is to get an insight into the mechanism of the arginine induced enhancement of chaperone-like activity of alpha-crystallin. METHODS The effect of arginine hydrochloride on the chaperone-like activity of alpha-crystallin at 25 degrees C was studied using DTT induced aggregation of insulin as a model system. Changes in the accessibility of the thiol group near the end of the alpha-crystallin domain in the absence and the presence of arginine hydrochloride were studied using dithiobisnitrobenzoic acid. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer studies were performed to investigate changes in the dynamics of the subunit assembly. Urea induced denaturation studies of alpha-crystallin were carried out to investigate structural destabilization of alpha-crystallin, if any, in the presence of arginine hydrochloride. RESULTS Arginine hydrochloride increases the chaperone-like activity of alpha-crystallin several fold towards DTT induced aggregation of insulin at room temperature. Our study shows that both the extent and the rate of accessibility of the thiol group are increased in the presence of arginine. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer experiments show that arginine hydrochloride significantly increases the subunit exchange between the oligomers of alpha-crystallin. Arginine induced structural perturbation and loosening of subunit assembly of alpha-crystallin leads to overall destabilization of the protein as reflected by the urea denaturation study. CONCLUSIONS Arginine perturbs the tertiary and quaternary structure of alpha-crystallin and enhances the dynamics of the subunit assembly leading to enhanced chaperone-like activity. Thus, in addition to size, surface hydrophobicity, and charge distribution, the dynamics of the subunit assembly appears to be one of the critical factors that can modulate the chaperone activity.
Drawing from a bottomless well? Exploring the resilience of value-based psychological contracts in voluntary organizations

In an era of increased involvement by the third sector in the delivery of social services due to public sector outsourcing, this paper explores the resilience of employee psychological contracts in voluntary organizations in the context of their close relationship with state funding bodies. The results suggest that value-laden psychological contracts exhibit some resilience when state funding bodies interfere with the organizational mission of voluntary organizations. However, there are clear limits as to how far value-based aspects of the psychological contract compensate for unfulfilled obligations on the economic and socio-emotional dimensions caused by externally driven cost pressures. The paper suggests serious implications for HR practitioners and wider concerns relating to the quality of care delivered to the vulnerable.
The effect of Market structure on the integration of rice prices with paddy prices and its impact on farmers family income in the Kroya district, indramayu regency, Indonesia

One way to increase the paddy farmers family incomes is to increase the rice price. This is based on the assumption that the increase in the rice price will subsequently increase the paddy price, which, in turn, will increase the family incomes of paddy farmers. This assumption is valid when there is integration between the rice and paddy prices; such integration occurs within a free and competitive market structure. This study aims to find evidence that the market for farmers with small areas of land is not a “free and competitive market” but a “monopsony”, in which increases in rice prices will not increase the farmers family incomes. This is an important scientific finding for suggestion in food policy. The research method is survey, with proportional stratified random sampling. The objects research is small farmers, medium farmers and large farmers in Kroya subdistrict, Indramayu Regency, Indonesia. The reason for choosing this area is this area is ultimate producers paddy in Indonesia. After calculation from minimum number sample formula, then number sample for small farmers is 48, for medium farmers is 39, and large farmers is 16 farmers. The analysis for rice price integration with paddy price is regression analysis, if regression estimate is significant it can be concluded the paddy price is influenced by rice price. Paddy price to farmers family income impact Analysis is done by a difference test, between the rice prices, before and after the increases in the prices. If farmers income is different it be concluded the rice price have an impact to farmers family income. The research finding is, for the small farmers, their paddy price is not influenced by the market rice price. The market structure for small farmer is a near monopsony. The paddy price influenced by the rice price is only for middle and large farmers. The free and competitive market structure is only for the large farmers. It is only large and middle farmers feels the impact of rice price to farmers family income; In another hand, the increase of rice price do not have such an impact for family incomes of the small farmers. The reason for it, is because revenue from the increasing paddy price do not cover the increasing of family expediture from the increasing rice price. The policy implication from this research sugest is, the policy of increasing rice price to increasing farmer’s family income is a bad policy. This is because the policy increasing rice don’t affect for small farmer’s family income. The increasing rice price only affect for middle and larger farmer’s family income. According BPS (2014), 57 percent farmer’s in Indonesia is a small farmers, that mean increasing rice price only increasing less a half number of farmer’s family income income in Indonesia.
Washing stored red blood cells in an albumin solution improves their morphologic and hemorheologic properties

Prolonged storage of red blood cells (RBCs) leads to storage lesions, which may impair clinical outcomes after transfusion. A hallmark of storage lesions is progressive echinocytic shape transformation, which can be partially reversed by washing in albumin solutions. Here we have investigated the impact of this shape recovery on biorheologic variables.
The Endogeneity of Optimum Currency Area Criteria, Intraindustry Trade and EMU Enlargement

This paper tests an endogeneity hypothesis of optimum currency area (OCA) criteria (Frankel and Rose, 1998) on a cross-section of OECD countries between 1990 and 1999. The findings indicate that convergence of business cycles relates to intra-industry trade, but has no direct relation between business cycles and bilateral trade intensity. As far as intra-industry trade is positively correlated with trade intensities, this result confirms the OCA endogeneity hypothesis. The endogeneity of OCA linkage criteria implies extensive business cycle harmonization between CEECs and EU countries in the medium term.
Is social protection a necessity or a luxury good? New multivariate cointegration panel data results

The aim of this paper is to test the claim that social protection is a luxury good. Therefore, GDP elasticity of selected social protection expenditure is estimated using a new econometric approach developed first by Kao and Chiang (Advances in Econometrics, 15, 179–222, 2000). Time series properties of selected social expenditure in 18 OECD countries from 1981 to 1998 are examined. Using panel data cointegration tests and OLS, FMOLS and DOLS estimators, results were found which differ from previous analyses reporting substantially higher income elasticities. With the FMOLS, selected social expenditure has income elasticities smaller than one but greater than one with the DOLS. It is noteworthy that whether selected social expenditure is stationary or nonstationary may have critical implications for researchers and policy makers desiring to model and explain the impact of this expenditure on a country economic system.
Is There a Global Warming Toward Women in Academia

WHILE GLOBAL WARMING toward women in academia (in this case a desirable trend) may be occurring in some academic departments or institutions—most notably in community colleges—the same cannot be said for many colleges of Science, Engineering, and Technology (SET colleges). There, the climate for women is very chilly indeed. As Cathy Ann Trower reports in Science magazine (2001), 42 percent of full professors in two-year colleges are women; however, women comprise only 17 percent of the full professor ranks at doctoral-granting institutions. For SET colleges, the figures are even lower. “In 4-year colleges and universities,” Trower reports, “women SET (science, engineering and technology) faculty hold fewer high-ranking posts than men, are less likely to be full professors, and are more likely to be assistant professors” (1). Even though there are increasing numbers of women graduates in the pipeline, the statistics for women’s representation at the higher ranks and in the SET colleges have been largely unchanged for the past twenty years. The situation is no better in Europe. “Although women constitute more than half of the student population across Europe, they hold fewer than 10% of the top positions in the academic system” (Dwandre 2002, 278). In the 1970s, Rosabeth Moss Kanter (1977) wrote about the adverse effects that can occur when women or minorities are tokens in their departments. Many subsequent studies also have found that when women represent less than 15–20 percent of a department they are more likely to feel the effects of gender stereotyping. More recently, Virginia Valian (1998) has developed cognitive analyses to explain the persistent inequalities in academia. She claims that both men and women operate under certain stereotypical gender schemas that affect our expectations of men’s and women’s roles. For example, Valian cites research showing that, after reviewing identical curricula vitae but with different names attached, men and women academics both consistently rate the women as less competent for an academic position than the men. Gender schemas go a long way toward explaining the subtle dynamics at work during recruitment and promotion on university campuses. Other analyses have revealed additional aspects of chilly campus climates that help to account for women’s failure to thrive in academia (see Etzkowitz, Kemelgor, and Uzzi 2000). One of these is the “death by a thousand paper cuts” P E R S P E C T I V E S
Does tourism really lead to peace? A global view.

Abstract There has been much rhetoric about tourism's role in promoting world peace. This research takes a global perspective examining the relationship between peace and tourism across 111 different countries using a panel data model using two indicators, international tourist arrivals and the Institute for Economics and Peace's Global Peace Index. The results indicate that tourism is the beneficiary of peace rather than grounds for peace. Peace is most important to tourism in medium income destinations but still important for high income nations. No relationship exists between peace and tourism arrivals for low income nations.
Effect of avocadofurans on larval survival, growth, and food preference of the generalist herbivore, Spodoptera exigua

We examined the effect of two avocadofurans, 2‐(pentadecyl)furan and 2‐(heptadecyl)furan, from avocado idioblast oil cells on maturation and larval feeding behavior of a generalist insect herbivore, Spodoptera exigua (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Experiments were conducted using two larval sizes: early‐stadium larvae refer to those larvae from experiments initiated with neonates while late‐stadium larvae refer to those larvae from experiments initiated with third instars. In order to use selected sublethal doses for developmental and behavioral studies on early‐ and late‐stadium larvae, log‐dose probit lines were determined using diet incorporation bioassays. Both avocadofurans had similar toxicities to early‐stadium larvae [LC50= 2.2 and 1.9 μmoles/g of diet for 2‐(pentadecyl)furan and 2‐(heptadecyl)furan, respectively] and late‐stadium larvae (LC50= 3.0 and 3.4 μmoles/g of diet, respectively). In diet bioassays extending from egg hatch to adult emergence, the avocadofurans significantly prolonged larval developmental times and reduced S. exigua pupal weights. In 7 d no‐choice bioassays initiated with cohorts of newly‐molted third instars, the avocadofurans significantly reduced larval weights at various sublethal concentrations (below LC50 values). To test larval feeding deterrence effects of these avocadofurans, choice tests were conducted using early and older instar larvae. A significantly higher proportion of early‐stadium larvae preferred control diet over diet treated with either avocadofuran at several sublethal concentrations. Similarly, choice tests with late‐stadium larvae showed greater proportions of larvae on control diet than treated diet even at concentrations below the LC50. Moreover, late‐stadium larvae consumed significantly more of the control diet than the treated diet. Thus, the avocadofurans may act as feeding deterrents as well as toxicants in plant protection against non‐adapted insect herbivores.
The CR4 Index and the Interval Estimation of the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index: An Empirical Comparison

Concentration indices are employed to measure the level of competition within an industry. Among the several indices proposed in the literature, the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) and the Four-firm concentration ratio (CR4) are among the most established. However, the HHI requires the market shares of all market players to be known, while the CR4 requires just the top four. In order to investigate whether we can always use the CR4 in place of the HHI, we have compared the indices resulting from a selected group of datasets. This preliminary analysis shows that the relationship between the CR4 and the HHI may not be monotonic, so that the CR4 does not preserve the order relationship established through the HHI.
Do Common Risk Factors in the Returns on Stocks and Bonds Explain Returns on REITs

The monthly returns on equity and mortgage real estate investment trusts (REITs) are analyzed over the period July 1976 to December 1992. The results indicate that risk premiums on equity REITs are significantly related to risk premiums on a market portfolio of stocks as well as to the returns on mimicking portfolios for size and book‐to‐market equity factors in common stock returns. Mortgage REIT risk premiums are significantly related to the three stock market factors and two bond market factors in returns. Also, mortgage REIT shares underperform by an average of 6.8% per year.
Employment-Based Health Insurance and Job Mobility: Is There Evidence of Job-Lock?

This paper assesses the impact of employer-provided health insurance on job mobility by exploring the extent to which workers are 'locked' into their jobs because preexisting conditions exclusions make it expensive for individuals with medical problems to relinquish their current health insurance. I estimate the degree of job-lock by comparing the difference in the turnover rates of those with high and low medical expenses for those with and without employer-provided health insurance. Using data from the 1987 National Medical Expenditure Survey, I estimate that job-lock reduces the voluntary turnover rate of those with employer-provided health insurance by 25 percent, from 16 percent to 12 percent per year.
PENGARUH KOMPONEN WORKING CAPITAL TERHADAP PROFITABILITAS PERUSAHAAN

Penelitian ini menguji efek komponen modal kerja terhadap profitabilitas perusahaan manufaktur yang terdaftar di Bursa Efek Indonesia selama periode 2005-2007. Komponen modal kerja yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini meliputi aktiva lancar terhadap rasio aset total, kewajiban lancar terhadap rasio aset total, rasio lancar, rasio leverage dan uang tunai. Populasi penelitian ini adalah semua perusahaan manufaktur di Bursa Efek Indonesia. Metode pengambilan sampel yang digunakan adalah metode purposif. Dan analisis regresi berganda digunakan untuk uji hipotesisnya. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa: komponen modal kerja memiliki pengaruh penting pada profitabilitas perusahaan. Kewajiban lancar terhadap rasio aset total, rasio lancar dan leverage berdampak negatif terhadap profitabilitas. Di sisi lain, current aset terhadap aset rasio total dan cash ratio berdampak positif pada profitabilitas. This research tests the effect of working capital’s component to the profitability of manufacturing company listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange over the period of 2005-2007. The working capital’s components used in this research include current asset to total asset ratio, current liabilities to total asset ratio, current ratio, leverage and cash ratio. Population of this research is all of manufacturing company at Indonesia Stock Exchange. Sampling method uses purposive sampling method. Hypothesis test uses multiple regression analysis. The results show that working capital component has significance influence on corporate profitability, current liabilities to total asset ratio, current ratio and leverage have negative impact on profitability. In other side, current asset to total asset ratio and cash ratio have positive impact on profitability.
The Distribution and Composition of Personal Sector Wealth in Australia

This article begins by noting the scarcity of information on the distribution of wealth in Australia, and the many reasons for wanting to have such information. The potential role of the tax system in affecting the composition of wealth is noted, and the taxation of savings is briefly described. A number of different methods of estimating the distribution of wealth are discussed. Estimates for the distribution and composition of wealth in Australia in 1986 are derived from the 1986 Income Distribution Survey, which suggest that the wealthiest ten per cent of income units hold 55 per cent of total wealth. The composition of wealth is broadly consistent with the expected impact of the tax system.
Inflation Dynamics and the New Keynesian Phillips Curve in Four Central European Countries

This paper seeks to shed light on the inflation dynamics of four new central European EU members: the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia. To this end, the New Keynesian Phillips curve augmented for open economies is estimated and additional statistical tests applied, with the following results: (1) the claim of New Keynesians that the real marginal cost is the main inflation-forcing variable is fragile, (2) inflation seems to be driven by external factors, and (3) although inflation holds a forward-looking component, the backward-looking component is substantial. An intuitive explanation for higher inflation persistence may be adaptive, rather than rational price setting of local firms.
Volatility Threshold Dynamic Conditional Correlations: An International Analysis

This paper proposes a modeling framework for the study of changes in cross-market comovement conditional on volatility regimes. Methodologically, we extend the Dynamic Conditional Correlation multivariate GARCH model to allow the dynamics of correlations to depend on asset variances through a threshold structure. The empirical application of our model to a sample of international stock markets in 1994-2011 indicates that the periods of market turbulence are associated with an increase in cross-market comovement. The modeling framework proposed in the paper represents a useful tool for the study of market contagion.
Sudden stops and currency crises

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine empirical characteristics of two commonly mentioned expressions of international financial crisis, “sudden stops” and currency crises. Design/methodology/approach - Sudden stop and currency crisis events are identified and empirical regularities among them are analyzed based on the annual data of 25 emerging market countries from 1990 to 2003. Findings - Puzzlingly, these two seemingly close expressions of crises overlap less than 50 percent of the time and sudden stops more frequently precede than follow currency crises. Also the two different sudden stop measures are not strongly correlated with each other. Research limitations/implications - This shows that it can make a great deal of difference what measure is used and suggests that studies in this area should be sure to check the robustness of their results to different measures. Practical implications - The authors think that the proper analysis should focus on how to use these different measures to understand the nature of the crises. Thus, sudden stop and currency crisis measures should be used as complements, rather than substitutes. Social implications - The alarming frequency of the emerging market crises during the last three decades has motivated a large volume of theoretical and empirical literature on the subject. The paper's results advance understanding of these events. Originality/value - A large body of studies on currency crises coexists with a growing literature on sudden stops yet a majority of the studies that investigate either one of these phenomena do not mention the other. The paper adds value by investigating empirical relationships between them.
Evaluation of the Prompt inoculation system for preparation of standardized bacterial inocula

Standardized inocula prepared with the 3M Prompt inoculation system were evaluated by (i) performing colony counts on the inocula and (ii) employing these inocula in disk diffusion or broth microdilution susceptibility tests. The inoculation wand delivered 1.85 X 10(8.0) +/- 0.6 log10 CFU to the various diluents tested. Inocula prepared in 1 ml of saline and used to inoculate disk diffusion tests resulted in 96.5% agreement between Prompt and standard tests when Prompt inocula were used within 15 min of preparation and 95.6% agreement between paired tests when Prompt inocula were allowed to sit at room temperature for 2 h before use. With 15-min Prompt inocula, only one (0.04%) major discrepancy between paired tests was observed. The 2-h Prompt inocula gave three (0.13%) major or very major discrepancies. The 15-min Prompt inocula prepared in 30 ml of diluent resulted in 98.2% of Prompt minimal inhibitory concentrations within +/- 1 log2 dilution step of the standard test result, whereas the 2-h inocula resulted in 97.4% agreement between paired minimal inhibitory concentrations at this level. Thus, the Prompt inocula were found to give results equivalent to those obtained from inocula prepared by conventional procedures.
Intergenerational Transmission of Education and Mediating Channels: Evidence from a Compulsory Schooling Reform in Germany

In this paper, I estimate the causal effect that an additional year of schooling for parents has on their children's education, by exploiting a compulsory schooling reform that was implemented in all West German states between 1946 and 1969. Although previous research indicates that the reform had no effect on earnings, I find that an additional year of schooling for women strongly affects the education of their sons. There is no effect for the other parent–child gender pairs. I investigate numerous channels that might mediate the positive effect of the education of mothers. Most importantly, I find that individuals with more schooling value their children's educational success as more important.