Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The 2015 Nucleic Acids Research Database Issue and Molecular Biology Database Collection

The 2015 Nucleic Acids Research Database Issue contains 172 papers that include descriptions of 56 new molecular biology databases, and updates on 115 databases whose descriptions have been previously published in NAR or other journals. Following the classification that has been introduced last year in order to simplify navigation of the entire issue, these articles are divided into eight subject categories. This year's highlights include RNAcentral, an international community portal to various databases on noncoding RNA; ValidatorDB, a validation database for protein structures and their ligands; SASBDB, a primary repository for small-angle scattering data of various macromolecular complexes; MoonProt, a database of ‘moonlighting’ proteins, and two new databases of protein–protein and other macromolecular complexes, ComPPI and the Complex Portal. This issue also includes an unusually high number of cancer-related databases and other databases dedicated to genomic basics of disease and potential drugs and drug targets. The size of NAR online Molecular Biology Database Collection, http://www.oxfordjournals. org/nar/database/a/, remained approximately the same, following the addition of 74 new resources and removal of 77 obsolete web sites. The entire Database Issue is freely available online on the Nucleic Acids Research web site (http://nar.oxfordjournals.org/).
A Closer Look at the Effect of Market Growth on Industries' Profits

EVERYBODY talks about the relation of industries' profit rates to their markets' rates of growth, but nobody does anything about it. Specifically, researchers have confirmed the effect of the growth of nominal output on profits in many multivariate studies, without specifying closely the hypothesis under test or the measure of demand growth appropriate to test it. A profits-growth relationship could stem from several mechanisms-the lagged adaptation of capacity to unexpected changes in demand, reactions of oligopolists to disturbances in their consensus, etc. These mechanisms-how and where they work-hold their own normative interest. Therefore, knowing what behavior (and what structure, lying behind it) accounts for the profits-growth relationship should do more than improve the specifications of our studies of allocative efficiency. It should also expand our knowledge of adaptive processes that are important and hard to observe directly. In this paper we shall synthesize the available explanations of why changes in market demand should affect an industry's profits, then present a statistical test of the relative significance of the competing explanations.
Does Monetary Integration Reduce Exchange Rate Pass-Through?

There are several theoretical arguments for why the adoption of a common currency (either a currency union or a currency board) may reduce the exchange rate pass-through (ERPT) to domestic consumer prices. This paper examines a broad panel of 101 countries over the period 19762006, using two-stage instrumental-variable estimation techniques in order to resolve the potential endogeneity problem. The main result is that ERPT indeed tends to decline in countries participating in a common currency arrangement. In particular, there has been a strong reduction in pass-through in the member countries of the European Monetary Union (EMU) since the launch of the euro. Currency boards do not appear to be different from currency unions both reduce the pass-through from depreciation to inflation. Furthermore, the negative impact of common currencies on ERPT is at work in both high-income and low-income countries. Finally, most of the reduction in pass-through to consumer prices under common currency arrangements happens somewhere along the pricing chain between the border and the supermarket shelf.
Corporate Image Examined in a Chinese-Based Context: A Study of a Young Educated Public in Hong Kong

Given the increasing globalization of business, 1 of the new challenges public relations practitioners have to face is meeting the needs of the more and more diverse and international audiences. In view of the potentially prospering China market in the future, the study reported here is to examine the reputation component in corporate image among young educated consumers in Hong Kong. Two hundred and fifty-four (54 men and 200 women) undergraduate students in Hong Kong participated in the study. An empirical measure called Corporate Image Scale was developed and used. Varimax factor analyses revealed 7 meaningful factors. Moreover, the 7 factors were further entered into multiple regressions hierarchically. The predictability of each factor on Overall Corporate Image was examined. Implications of findings are discussed.
Family Firm and Social Capital: A Brief Literature Review

In recent years, increasing scholarly attention has been directed towards the field of family business and social capital research in which social capital refers to the resources derived from social relationships and family firm (firms in which a family possesses a significant ownership stake and in whose operations multiple family members are involved). However, while social capital has gained more acceptance in management research, it still often has the stigma of being an “exotic” area in mainstream firm research. The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, it aims to establish an understanding of past and present research concerning social capital in family firm research. Second, it identifies future directions for conceptualising and researching social capital within family firms. As such, the author makes two main contributions. While providing insights on existing research and theories dealing with the role of social capital within family firm, it also identifies current research gaps and future directions for research of social capital in family firm. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015. v6n5p67
The Willingness Of A Customer To Co-Create Innovative, Technology-Based Services: Conceptualisation And Measurement

Customer co-creation is a phenomenon, whose relevance for innovative technology-based services (TBS) has been acknowledged both by scientific and management practice. However, empirical research on this topic is scarce. Above all others, the lack of a good metric for this construct to establish a common ground for empirical research has hampered progress to date. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to develop and test a construct measuring the willingness of a customer to engage in co-creation (hereafer, WCC) of innovative, TBS.This article provides a thorough literature review on customer co-creation, proposes a scale to measure the willingness to co-create (WCC) innovative, TBS and reports the results of a validation process using expert judges, an exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. The results of our studies show that the scale has good psychometric properties and that its relationships with other constructs and consumer adoption behaviour conform to theoretical expectations.
Perceptions of Functionality and Usability on Travel Websites: The Case of Chinese Travelers

Despite the large increase in the amount of online purchases of travel-related products in recent years, previous studies on travel website analysis have concentrated mainly on assessing the quality of travel websites, customer purchase behavior, and website content analysis. In the context of Mainland China (hereafter known as China), with growing wealth of her citizens and the inclination to travel, more Chinese travelers have been, and will probably be, visiting worldwide destinations. In addition, many Chinese travelers will use the Internet to search, and subsequently to purchase, travel-related products and services. This study makes an attempt to analyze Chinese online buyers and online browsers on their perceived importance of travel website functionality (content) and usability (design) and their specific factors. Online buyers (e-buyers) are the Internet users who have previously purchased on travel websites, whereas online browsers (e-browsers) are the Internet users who have browsed travel websites but without making any purchases. The research findings showed that e-buyers did not differ significantly from e-browsers in most of the included factors. The findings of this research are expected to assist travel website developers to improve their websites and to attract more e-travelers.
Do green mutual funds perform well

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to compare the financial performance of green and traditional mutual funds in the USA.Design/methodology/approach – A total of 131 green mutual funds identified by US SIF, were compared with the averages of all traditional mutual funds in their respective Morningstar categories. Performance measures analyzed included annualized rates of return, expense ratios, and Sharpe ratios, among others. Most data pertained to at least the past three years, while other data pertained to the most recent 5 to 15 years.Findings – The results demonstrate that green mutual funds have generated lower returns and similar risks compared to traditional mutual funds in their respective Morningstar categories. Green mutual funds have underperformed on a risk‐adjusted basis.Research limitations/implications – Since there is no formal definition of a green mutual fund, the researcher and investor must make a subjective call in assessing which funds invest “green”. However, at least in this e.
Challenges for the boundaryless career odyssey

The boundaryless career, which challenges the assumptions of the traditional hierarchical career, has proved to be a remarkably popular and influential concept. However, we argue that it remains theoretically and empirically undeveloped, which limits its explanatory potential. We draw on some New Zealand empirical research highlighting the issue of who gets studied. Focusing on women's career experience, local ethnic groups and collective cultures we argue that these experiences represent a challenge to boundaryless career theory. Some of the theoretical assumptions on which boundaryless careers have been built are also interrogated: freedom from boundaries, individual volition and minimal influences from societal structures. We conclude that the boundaryless career story/odyssey is in danger of becoming a narrow career theory applicable only to the minority, if there is no engagement with theoretical and empirical critiques.
New 5′ Regions of the Murine and Human Genes for DNA (Cytosine-5)-methyltransferase*

DNA (cytosine-5)-methyltransferases (EC 2.1.1.37) maintain patterns of methylated cytosine residues in the mammalian genome; faithful maintenance of methylation patterns is required for normal development of mice, and aberrant methylation patterns are associated with certain human tumors and developmental abnormalities. The organization of coding sequences at the 5′-end of the murine and human DNA methyltransferase genes was investigated, and the DNA methyltransferase open reading frame was found to be longer than previously suspected. Expression of the complete open reading frame by in vitro transcription-translation and by transfection of expression constructs into COS7 cells resulted in the production of an active DNA methyltransferase of the same apparent mass as the endogenous protein, while translation from the second in-frame ATG codon produced a slightly smaller but fully active protein. Characterization of mRNA 5′ sequences and the intron-exon structure of the 5′ region of the murine and human genes indicated that a previously described promoter element (Rouleau, J., Tanigawa, G., and Szyf, M. (1992) J. Biol. Chem. 267, 7368-7377) actually lies in an intron that is more than 5 kilobases downstream of the transcription start sites.
Subclinical bacteriuria in cats: prevalence, findings on contemporaneous urinalyses and clinical risk factors

Objectives Subclinical bacteriuria (SB) is bacterial colonization of the urinary tract in the absence of clinical signs. The purposes of this study were to determine the prevalence of SB in cats and to describe results of the contemporaneous urinalysis. Secondarily, patient characteristics associated with SB were compared with those for cats without SB. Methods An electronic search identified all urine cultures performed on cats at a teaching hospital between 2009 and 2015. Results were subcategorized based on the presence or absence of lower urinary tract disease (LUTD) and SB-positive cases identified. The first control population was from samples without LUTD. The second control population was from all samples not identified as a SB-positive sample, including subclinical negative samples and those with LUTD. Five controls for each SB-positive sample were selected for both control groups. Medical records for all groups were reviewed. Results In all, 31/500 (6.2%) subclinical samples were positive. Most infections were a single organism (n = 27); four contained multiple organisms. Escherichia coli was the most common species (58%) followed by Enterococcus species (25%). Positive specimens were more likely to be from female cats (n = 24) vs male (n = 7; P = 0.0054). SB was strongly associated with bacteriuria (60% vs 6%; P <0.0001) and pyuria (67% vs 19%; P <0.0001). Positive specimens were significantly more likely to have an abnormal sediment examination (odds ratio 13.5, P <0.0001). When compared with all specimens including those with LUTD, SB was significantly associated with a lower urine specific gravity (1.022 vs 1.030; P = 0.0256) and presence of chronic kidney disease (68% vs 46%; P = 0.0168). Conclusions and relevance In this study, SB appears to be uncommon in cats and, in most cases, is associated with an abnormal urine sediment examination. Based on this study, there is little indication to perform a culture in a cat with no clinical signs of LUTD and an unremarkable sediment examination.
The Audit Committee: An International Perspective

Highlights the role played by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), the Treadway Commission, and other professional organizations in furthering the establishment of audit committees in the USA. In the international arena, the UK Cadbury Committee, the Australian Borsch Committee, and the Canadian Macdonald Commission have influenced the widespread use of corporate audit committees in their respective countries. The guidelines on audit committees set by the IIA, AICPA, SEC, and the Treadway Commission have had a tremendous impact worldwide. Cultural differences may, however, limit the formation and effectiveness of audit committees globally even though auditing is a relatively homogeneous profession. The Institute of Internal Auditors, as an international professional association, may wish to consider the cultural dimensions of corporate governance in formula.
Knowledge Intensity and Knowledge Bases in Internationalization Patterns of SMEs in the Food Sector

This article seeks to enhance understanding of the link between knowledge resources and internationalization patterns of small and medium-size enterprises in the food sector. Knowledge resources are described using the concepts of knowledge intensity and knowledge bases. The study is exploratory and is based on 6 Italian case studies. Four research questions (RQs) are formulated and several considerations are provided. The originality of this article consists of suggesting a framework by combining knowledge intensity and knowledge bases dimensions. Such concepts have not been previously combined and applied in the internationalization literature, neither in general nor about the food sector.
Improving assessment and treatment of pain in the critically ill.

OBJECTIVE Efforts to improve pain assessment and treatment in critically ill patients are poorly studied and represent an opportunity to improve quality of care. We sought to improve pain assessment and treatment in patients in a surgical intensive care unit at an academic medical center. DESIGN We performed a prospective study of pain assessment and treatment in two surgical intensive care units in 2001. We measured pain assessment as the percentage of 4-h intervals where the patient's pain was measured using a visual analog scale. We measured pain treatment as the percentage of 4-h intervals where the patient's pain score on the scale was < or =3. We then implemented four separate "plan-do-study-act" cycles to improve pain assessment and treatment. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES We evaluated the percentage of 4-h patient-nursing intervals that were scored numerically pre- and post-intervention. We evaluated the percentage of 4-h patient-nursing intervals where the patients had a pain score of < or =3 pre- and post-intervention. In addition, we monitored naloxone use as a measure of adverse events related to pain treatment. RESULTS Our baseline assessment of pain was 42% and the baseline treatment was 59%. After 5 weeks, pain assessment improved to 71% and pain management improved to 97%. CONCLUSION Our interventions were associated with significant improvements in pain assessment and treatment without an increase in adverse events related to pain therapy. Our interventions were relatively simple and may be implemented broadly. Our interventions provide insights into the application of complexity theory in improvement efforts.
Allelic deletion in 11p15 is a common occurrence in esophageal and gastric adenocarcinoma

Esophageal adenocarcinoma and gastric adenocarcinoma have distinct epidemiologic characteristics, but they are morphologically identical and sometimes clinically indistinguishable. Recent work in molecular oncology suggests that cancer types have distinct molecular genetic profiles that may explain their biologic differences. Gastric adenocarcinoma has previously been shown to have a relatively high rate of deletion in chromosome 11. To determine whether similar genetic loci are involved in esophageal adenocarcinoma, we assayed for genetic loss in chromosome 11 in samples of these cancers.
Standard Essential Patents to Boost Financial Returns

Numerous innovative applications build upon standardized technologies. These technologies increasingly incorporate standard essential patents (SEPs). It is crucial to own SEPs in order to achieve and maintain significant market shares. We test the influence of owning SEPs on a firm's financial performance. In our analysis, we use a unique dataset of firms participating in international standard setting organizations (SSOs). Our results indicate a curvilinear (inverse U-shaped) relationship of owning SEPs on a firm's return on assets. The curvilinear relationship suggests that firms should balance their patent portfolio by holding a share of patents, which are essential for standards, and by holding a share of patents on technologies that are not standardized. Our results further show that the effects of owning SEPs depend on the specific SSO as well as on the size of the patent portfolio. Our findings are a first step toward identifying and assessing the financial impact of patents essential to standards. Our empirical tests suggest that companies should pursue a common strategy for patenting and standardization to exploit patented inventions in technology fields where standards matter.
Fibers from the basolateral nucleus of the amygdala selectively innervate striosomes in the caudate nucleus of the cat

The compartmental organization of the amygdalostriatal projection was studied in the cat by comparing staining patterns seen by cholinesterase enzyme histochemistry with the distribution of fibers labelled with a horseradish peroxidase–wheat germ agglutinin conjugate or by incorporation of 35S‐methionine or 3H‐leucine. Fibers from the basolateral nucleus of the amygdala were found to innervate selectively acetylcholinesterase‐poor striosomes demonstrated in the caudate nucleus and butyrylcholinesterase‐rich zones observed in the anterodorsal nucleus accumbens. In no case were the amygdalar fibers fully restricted to striosomes, but the nature and degree of labelling of the striatal matrix, as well as the range of the labelled fibers in dorsal striatum, varied with the positions of the injection sites.
Molecular characterization of hepatitis B virus in blood donors from Burkina Faso: Prevalence of quasi‐subgenotype A3, genotype E, and mixed infections

Burkina Faso is a highly endemic area for Hepatitis B virus (HBV) which remains a major challenge for blood safety with >13% of candidate blood donors being chronically infected. However, little is known about the molecular epidemiology of the viral strains currently circulating. In this study, 99 HBV strains from HBsAg positive candidate blood donors in Ougadougou were genetically characterized by sequencing the pre‐S/S region of the viral genome. Phylogenetic analyses revealed a 25% prevalence of HBV quasi‐subgenotype A3 (A3QS) co‐circulating with the confirmed dominant HBV genotype E (72%). HBV/A3QS sequences formed a sub‐cluster closely related to West‐African sequences previously characterized, and showed a low intra‐group genetic diversity (0.75%) suggesting a relatively recent spreading of HBV/A3QS strains in Burkina Faso. Low genetic diversity of genotype E strains compared to A3QS was confirmed. Mixed infections with the two genotypes were identified in 3% of the donors tested and contributed to artifacts during PCR amplification of the viral genome leading to erroneous apparent intergenotype recombinant sequences. While the co‐circulation of two HBV genotypes in a restricted area may favor the emergence of intergenotype recombinant variants, strictly controlled molecular experimental procedures should be used to accurately characterize HBV circulating recombinant forms. J. Med. Virol. 88:2145–2156, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Vesicovaginal Fistulas: Anatomical Clinical and Surgical Aspects in the Conakry University Hospital Center

Objective: To analyze the management of VVF in the Service of Urology-Andrology Obstetrics and Gynecology of the University Hospital in Conakry. Materials and Methods: From January 2012 to December 2013, 152 patients with a mean age of 30 years (14 - 80 years) were hospitalized in the Departments of Urology-Andrology and Gynecology-Obstetrics of the Conakry University Hospital Center. Clinically fistulas were divided according to the classification of Benchekroun as single, complex and complicated. The fistulas were diagnosed after a minimum period of three months and the results were assessed with a mean follow-up of 7 months (range 3 to 10 months) according to the following criteria: complete healing, intermediate healing and failure. Results: Fistulas occur mainly in young multiparous women. The obstetric etiology was dominant (98%). Clinically, there were 30% simple fistulas, 46% complex fistulas and 24% of complicated fistulas. From a therapeutic standpoint, the treatment consisted of a single fistulorraphie (Chassar Moir) in 82% of cases and a fistulorraphie with interposition of healthy tissue in 18% of cases. After a mean follow-up of 7 months we obtained a healing in 62% of cases, a failure in 31% of cases and the results were intermediate in 7% of cases. Conclusion: It appears that the VVF represents a public health concern in Guinea and surgical treatment is technical difficult due to the higher frequency of complex fistulas.