Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Biochemical and Biological Characterization of Wild-type and ATPase-deficient Cockayne Syndrome B Repair Protein*

Cockayne syndrome (CS) is a nucleotide excision repair disorder characterized by sun (UV) sensitivity and severe developmental problems. Two genes have been shown to be involved:CSA and CSB. Both proteins play an essential role in preferential repair of transcription-blocking lesions from active genes. In this study we report the purification and characterization of baculovirus-produced HA-His6-tagged CSB protein (dtCSB), using a highly efficient three-step purification protocol. Microinjection of dtCSB protein in CS-B fibroblasts shows that it is biologically functional in vivo. dtCSB exhibits DNA-dependent ATPase activity, stimulated by naked as well as nucleosomal DNA. Using structurally defined DNA oligonucleotides, we show that double-stranded DNA and double-stranded DNA with partial single-stranded character but not true single-stranded DNA act as efficient cofactors for CSB ATPase activity. Using a variety of substrates, no overt DNA unwinding by dtCSB could be detected, as found with other SNF2/SWI2 family proteins. By site-directed mutagenesis the invariant lysine residue in the NTP-binding motif of CSB was substituted with a physicochemically related arginine. As expected, this mutation abolished ATPase activity. Surprisingly, the mutant protein was nevertheless able to partially rescue the defect in recovery of RNA synthesis after UV upon microinjection in CS-B fibroblasts. These results indicate that integrity of the conserved nucleotide-binding domain is important for the in vivofunction of CSB but that also other properties independent from ATP hydrolysis may contribute to CSB biological functions.
Omstreden nachten : angstgevoelens van jongeren in de uitgaansgebieden van Arnhem en Apeldoorn

Hoe veilig voelen jongeren zich tijdens het uitgaan? Wat zijn hun ervaringen in de uitgaansgebieden van Arnhem en Apeldoorn? En hoe effectief zijn camera’s en politie te paard? Over de complexiteit van angstgevoelens en effectieve interventies.
COSTAL CARTILAGE HOMOGRAFTS PRESERVED BY IRRADIATION

Use of preserved cartilage homografts in restoring contour to defects of the supporting structures of the face is described and illustrated. Adequate sterilization of contaminated cartilage is effected by Co/sup 60/ gamma irradiation for 15 hr using 3,000,000 rep. The cartilage is then stored in saline at room temperature. No pathologic organisms were cultured from a series of 70 cases in which Co/sup 60/sterilized cartilage was used. Experiments in dogs, with direct measurement and inspection of 38 grafts implanted in the rectus sheath and on the pericranium, 2-12 months after transplantation, revealed that canine costal cartilage sterilized in merthiosaline gave 33.3% complete and 33.3% partial absorption, while irradiated cartilage stored in saline gave 27.8% complete and 5.5% partial absorption. Clinical evaluation of 30 patients examined from 7 months to 31/2 yr postoperatively revealed evidence of absorption only in two grafts. Techniques of preparing, sterilizing by irradiation, and storing of human costal cartilage are described. (TCO)
Optimal UAV relay positions in multi-rate networks

The performance of ad hoc networks depends greatly on the network topology. Thus, deploying relays or controlling the position of network nodes may impact the performance. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and other elevated platforms may improve the ground network performance when used as network relays, due to better Line-of-Sight (LoS) conditions. In addition, UAVs can easily move to better locations. This paper shows that positioning a UAV asymmetrically between two ground nodes could result in better communication services than a UAV placed at the center position between the ground nodes, given the use of stepwise adaptive modulation. The IEEE 802.11 WLAN standard, a popular Mobile Ad Hoc Network (MANET) protocol with multi-rate capabilities, is employed for quantification of the effect. Simulations results show that the network performance can be lower with a UAV at the center between two (clusters of) ground nodes for certain geometries. For networks actively supported by UAV relays, this effect must be taken into consideration when choosing the location and when estimating the available capacity, e.g., for routing or call admission.
COMPREHENSIVENESS OF DISCLOSURE OF NON‐FINANCIAL COMPANIES

After the ratification of the peace treaty and the establishment of diplomatic relations with Israel, Jordan was expected to play a major role in the Middle East financial market. As a result of the peace treaty Jordan may attract overseas investors to invest in the Amman Financial Market (AFM). Consequently, the level of information disclosed by companies listed on the AFM will become an important issue for prospective investors. This study empirically examined the effect of specific financial characteristics on the comprehensiveness of disclosure in the annual reports of a sample of 54 companies listed on the AFM. The variables tested in this study were market related: industry, audit firm size and market capitalisation; performance related: profit margin, return on equity and liquidity, and structure related: assets, sales, leverage and ownership. The empirical evidence revealed that company size (measured by assets and market capitalisation), leverage and return on equity were statistically related to the comprehensiveness of disclosure of the sample companies listed on the AFM. Reporting improved after international standards were adopted. Large companies were more involved in long term borrowing which requires detailed reporting. Size was the main predictor in comprehensive reporting.
Testing alternate predictions for the performance consequences of middle managers' discretion

Although discretion among employees at organizations' lower levels seems to be increasing, it is uncertain whether this is a desirable HRM policy. To understand this issue better, this study tests competing organization theory predictions about the performance consequences of middle managers' perceived discretion. Discretion is defined as the freedom of action or decision authority available in managing subordinates. Survey data from a multinational, European sample of research and development (R&D) units were used to assess the effect of managers' perceived discretion on unit performance. The results show that a combination of ecology theory and strategic choice theory best predicts the relationship between discretion and unit performance. Greater perceived managerial discretion was linked to increased unit performance in a relationship moderated by managerial experience and limited by unit size. These findings have implications for HRM theory and practice, particularly regarding policies related to empowerment and leadership development. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Effect of apolipoprotein E on biomarkers of amyloid load and neuronal pathology in Alzheimer disease

To study the effect of apolipoprotein E ϵ4 status on biomarkers of neurodegeneration (atrophy on magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]), neuronal injury (cerebrospinal fluid [CSF] t‐tau), and brain Aβ amyloid load (CSF Aβ1–42) in cognitively normal subjects (CN), amnestic subjects with mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), and patients with Alzheimer disease (AD).
Is climate change changing the EU? The second image reversed in climate politics

The participation of the European Union (EU) in the international negotiations on climate change has attracted a significant share of scholarly attention. Climate change has certainly become a new dimension of European foreign policy and has enabled the EU to play a leadership role in the international arena. However, the relationship between the EU and the international climate regime is not a one-way street—while the EU has been active and decisive in shaping international negotiations, the latter have also had an impact on the EU. The international negotiations have influenced the EU's decision-making processes and internal negotiations—which has in turn influenced European integration itself. This article builds on the arguments of second image reversed analyses and proposes that there is a reciprocal relation between certain conditions of the EU-domestic setting and the international climate regime. The internal arrangements of the EU regarding climate change have maximized the influence of the regime and the very existence of the international negotiations has moulded these arrangements, making them more prone to external influence.
Civil society, basic education, and sector-wide aid: insights from Sub-Saharan Africa

Emerging trends in reforms of education-sector plans indicate a shift not only in how foreign aid is disbursed, but also in how civil-society actors engage in new policy and advocacy roles. This contribution examines these changing civil-society roles in four countries: Burkina Faso, Kenya, Mali, and Tanzania. While sector-wide approaches have created new opportunities for civil-society participation at the national level, this research suggests that sector reforms have also presented significant challenges for engagement with government and donors. This research emphasises the need for a transparent, regularised, and democratic process for the inclusion of civil-society organisations at the policy table.
Evidence for Dissociation of Insulin Stimulation of Blood Flow and Glucose Uptake in Human Skeletal Muscle: Studies Using [15O]H2O, [18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose, and Positron Emission Tomography

We determined the effect of insulin on muscle blood flow and glucose uptake in humans using [15O]H2O, [18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose ([18F]FDG), and positron emission tomography (PET). Femoral muscle blood flow was measured in 14 healthy volunteers (age 34 ± 8 years, BMI 24.6 ± 3.4 kg/m2 [means ± SD]) before and at 75 min during a 140-min high-dose insulin infusion (serum insulin 2,820 ± 540 pmol/l) under normoglycemic conditions. A dynamic scan of the femoral region was performed using PET for 6 min after injection of [15O]H2O to determine the 15O concentration in tissue. Regional femoral muscle blood flow was calculated using an autoradiographic method from the dynamic data obtained with PET and [15O]H2O. Femoral muscle glucose uptake was measured during hyperinsulinemia immediately after the flow measurement using PET-derived [18F]FDG kinetics and a three-compartment model. Whole-body glucose uptake was quantitated using the euglycemic insulin clamp technique. In the basal state, 84 ± 8% of blood flow was confined to skeletal muscle. Insulin increased leg blood flow from 29 ± 14 to 54 ± 29 ml · kg−1 leg · min−1 (P < 0.001) and muscle flow from 31 ± 18 to 58 ± 35 ml · kg−1 muscle · min−1 (P < 0.005). Under insulin-stimulated conditions, 81 ± 8% of blood flow was in muscle tissue (NS versus basal). Skeletal muscle explained 70 ± 25% of the increase in leg blood flow. No correlation was observed between blood flow and glucose uptake when analyzed individually in identical regions of interest within femoral muscles. These data demonstrate that skeletal muscle accounts for most of the insulin-induced increase in blood flow. Insulin-stimulated rates of blood flow and glucose uptake do not colocalize in the same regions of muscle tissue, suggesting that insulin's hemodynamic and metabolic effects are differentially regulated.
Vital Signs: Variation Among States in Prescribing of Opioid Pain Relievers and Benzodiazepines — United States, 2012

Background Overprescribing of opioid pain relievers (OPR) can result in multiple adverse health outcomes, including fatal overdoses. Interstate variation in rates of prescribing OPR and other prescription drugs prone to abuse, such as benzodiazepines, might indicate areas where prescribing patterns need further evaluation. Methods CDC analyzed a commercial database (IMS Health) to assess the potential for improved prescribing of OPR and other drugs. CDC calculated state rates and measures of variation for OPR, long-acting/extended-release (LA/ER) OPR, high-dose OPR, and benzodiazepines. Results In 2012, prescribers wrote 82.5 OPR and 37.6 benzodiazepine prescriptions per 100 persons in the United States. State rates varied 2.7-fold for OPR and 3.7-fold for benzodiazepines. For both OPR and benzodiazepines, rates were higher in the South census region, and three Southern states were two or more standard deviations above the mean. Rates for LA/ER and high-dose OPR were highest in the Northeast. Rates varied 22-fold for one type of OPR, oxymorphone. Conclusions Factors accounting for the regional variation are unknown. Such wide variations are unlikely to be attributable to underlying differences in the health status of the population. High rates indicate the need to identify prescribing practices that might not appropriately balance pain relief and patient safety. Implications for Public Health State policy makers might reduce the harms associated with abuse of prescription drugs by implementing changes that will make the prescribing of these drugs more cautious and more consistent with clinical recommendations.
Lost in Transition: Life Satisfaction on the Road to Capitalism

In the transition from socialism to capitalism in Eastern Europe life satisfaction has followed the V-shaped pattern of GDP but failed to recover commensurately. In general, increased satisfaction with material living levels has occurred at the expense of decreased satisfaction with work, health, and family life. Disparities in life satisfaction have increased markedly with those hardest hit being the less educated and persons over age 30; women and men have suffered about equally. The asymmetric response of life satisfaction to decreases in GDP in transition countries and increases in GDP in non-transition countries is arguably due to loss aversion.
The influence of intellectual disability on life expectancy.

BACKGROUND To date, relatively few representative data have been available to health planners and advocacy groups on the life expectancy of people with intellectual disability. A study of trends in the survival profiles of people with intellectual disability was undertaken to assist in the planning of appropriate medical and support services. METHODS Since 1953, the Disability Services Commission of Western Australia has maintained a database of persons diagnosed with intellectual disability. The database was used to calculate survival probabilities on a total of 8724 individuals, 7562 of whom were still alive at the time of sampling in December 2000. RESULTS Kaplan-Meier survival plots showed a strong negative association between severity of intellectual disability and survival, with median life expectancies of 74.0, 67.6, and 58.6 years for people with mild, moderate, and severe levels of handicap. Significant negative associations also were observed with male gender, Indigenous Australian parentage, and individuals diagnosed with a specific genetic disorder. CONCLUSIONS The findings indicate a major and expanding increase in the service requirements of this aging, intellectually disabled population during the past two generations.
Life-Cycle Portfolio Choice with a Realistic Retirement Age Distribution

This paper numerically solves the optimal life-cycle portfolio choice when the model is calibrated to match the empirical retirement age distribution: people tend to retire only starting from their 50s. The model shows that financial incentives for keeping investors in labor force and low leisure preference for young investors endogenously restrict investors from retiring early. Thus, this paper suggests a novel effect of the early retirement option on portfolio choice. As opposed to results from earlier models, the optimal portfolio share of stock does not increase monotonically prior to retirement. Wealthy investors might find it optimal to reduce the stock share in their early stage of life in order to decrease the possibility of having insufficient wealth for retirement when they are older. Thus, the model predicts either an increasing or a hump-shaped pattern for life-cycle stock holding, consistent with empirical observations.
The influence of empowerment, commitment, job satisfaction and trust on perceived managers' performance

This paper reports on an empirical study examining the factors affecting Perceptions of Managers' Performance (PMPs) in a local government organisation operating in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The data was based on the responses from 217 employees from a cross-section of departments in that organisation. In particular, the study explored the relative impacts of goal clarity, culture, employee empowerment, organisational commitment and trust on PMPs. The results of stepwise regression analysis revealed that trust, goal clarity, culture and organisational commitment were the variables which most significantly affected PMPs. Further statistical analysis on the entire set of variables revealed that the overall impacts were somewhat sequential. That is, goal clarity and organisational culture tend to affect empowerment and the degree of trust as well as job satisfaction, which in turn affect organisational commitment. The paper culminates with a suggested model revealing the sequencing of the main variables and their relative impact. The impact of these findings for future and management practice is discussed.
Macroeconomic Policies, Instability and Growth in the World

High instability and low growth characterize the macroeconomic performance of most developing countries. Inadequate policies are often to blame. This paper documents the empirical regularities that characterize the relationship between macroeconomic-financial policies, instability, and growth across developing and industrial nations. While successful transitions to low instability and high growth are not frequent, they have been observed in a dozen of countries. Such win-win transitions require to put into place institutions and rules that change government incentives in choosing between policies that reflect narrow interests or social conflict -- contributing to more instability and less growth -- and social welfare-maximizing policies that help growth and make economies more resilient to residual instability.
Tall or Short? Twenty Years after Preeclampsia Exposure In Utero: Comparisons of Final Height, Body Mass Index, Waist-to-Hip Ratio, and Age at Menarche among Women, Exposed and Unexposed to Preeclampsia during Fetal Life

Women exposed to preeclampsia during fetal life have lower risk of breast cancer, compared with unexposed women, possibly through fetal programming. Hypothetically, preeclampsia exposure could affect well-known risk factors for breast cancer, such as pubertal development or adult anthropometry. Women born in a defined geographic area of Sweden from 1973 through 1978, with verified preeclampsia exposure (n = 230) and nonexposure (n = 359) during fetal life, answered questions about anthropometric measures, smoking, parity, and age at menarche in a telephone interview in early adulthood. Compared with unexposed offspring, female offspring of women who had preeclampsia were lighter and shorter for gestational age, but in young adulthood there were no differences in height, body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, or age at menarche. When analyzing the effects of other maternal and fetal characteristics, the results indicate that approximately 50% of the variance in final height was explained by parental heights and birth length for gestational age. Young-adult body mass index was weakly associated with maternal body mass index, maternal smoking, and birth weight for gestational age, which together explained 12% of the variance. Neither of the assessed maternal or fetal characteristics were significantly associated with age at menarche or waist-to-hip ratio. These data indicate that neither adult anthropometry nor age at menarche is in the causal pathway between intrauterine preeclampsia exposure and the reduced risk of breast cancer.
Market Microstructure and Real Estate Returns

This paper examines the Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) market microstruc-ture and its relationship to stock returns. When compared with the general stock market, REIT stocks tend to have a lower level of institutional investor participation and are followed by fewer security analysts. In addition, REIT stocks that have a higher percentage of institutional investors or are followed by more security analysts tend to perform better than other REIT stocks. Our results seem to confirm Jensen's (1993, p. 868) proposition that ownership structure (that is, who owns the firm's securities) affects the value of the firm. Our findings also have implications about the well documented phenomenon that the financial performance of Commingled Real Estate Funds (CREFs) is better than that of REITs. Copyright American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association.
Proteinase Inhibitor from Ginkgo Seeds Is a Member of the Plant Nonspecific Lipid Transfer Protein Gene Family1

A 9-kD proteinase inhibitor was isolated from the seeds of ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) and purified to homogeneity. This protein was revealed to partial-noncompetitively inhibit the aspartic acid proteinase pepsin and the cysteine proteinase papain (inhibition constant = 10−5–10−4 m). The cDNA of the inhibitor was revealed to contain a 357-bp open reading frame encoding a 119-amino acid protein with a potential signal peptide (27 residues), indicating that this protein is synthesized as a preprotein and secreted outside the cells. Semiquantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction revealed that this gene expresses only in seeds, not in stems, leaves, and roots, suggesting that the protein is involved in seed development and/or germination. The inhibitor showed about 40% sequence homology with type-I nonspecific lipid transfer protein (nsLTP1) from other plant species. Actually, this inhibitor exerted both lipid transfer activity and lipid-binding activity, while the protein did not show any antifungal and antibacterial activities. Furthermore, the site-directed mutagenesis study using a recombinant ginkgo nsLTP1 revealed that proline (Pro)-79 and phenylalanine-80 are important on phospholipid transfer activity and that Pro-79 and isoleucine-82 are essential for the binding activity toward cis-unsaturated fatty acids. On the other hand, the α-helical content of P79A and F80A mutants was significantly lower than that of the wild-type protein. It was noteworthy that the papain-inhibitory activity of P79A and F80A mutants was elevated twice as much as that of the wild-type protein. In summary, we concluded that Pro-79 plays a critical role in both the lipid transfer and binding activities of ginkgo nsLTP1.
Creating and Capturing Value from External Knowledge: The Moderating Role of Knowledge Intensity

integration with and adaptation to internal capabilities and the exploitation of these novel combinations to create and capture value in new ways. However, studies focusing on the relationships among capabilities, BMI and firm performance are rare. In this paper, we adopt broader measures of internal and external knowledge, which include codified intangibles such as patents and copyrights, and examine the effects the combinations and interactions have on sales growth based on a dataset of 310 firms from four European countries. Using the broader measure of knowledge, we find support for the curvilinear relationship reported in studies using research and development-intensity as a proxy. However, we also find that firms with low levels of internal knowledge benefit most from an ‘optimal’ investment in externally generated knowledge, but the influence on sales growth is very sensitive to the degree of external knowledge acquired. By contrast, knowledge-intensive firms are relatively freer in defining their knowledge sourcing strategy. We discuss the implications for exploiting knowledge and complementary assets in BMI.