Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The bromodomain of Gcn5p interacts in vitro with specific residues in the N terminus of histone H4.

Whereas the histone acetyltransferase activity of yeast Gcn5p has been widely studied, its structural interactions with the histones and the role of the carboxy-terminal bromodomain are still unclear. Using a glutathione S-transferase pull down assay we show that Gcn5p binds the amino-terminal tails of histones H3 and H4, but not H2A and H2B. The deletion of bromodomain abolishes this interaction and bromodomain alone is able to interact with the H3 and H4 N termini. The amino acid residues of the H4 N terminus involved in the binding with Gcn5p have been studied by site-directed mutagenesis. The substitution of amino acid residues R19 or R23 of the H4 N terminus with a glutamine (Q) abolishes the interaction with Gcn5p and the bromodomain. These residues differ from those known to be acetylated or to be involved in binding the SIR proteins. This evidence and the known dispensability of the bromodomain for Gcn5p acetyltransferase activity suggest a new structural role for the highly evolutionary conserved bromodomain.
When Does Competition Mitigate Agency Problems?

This paper examines how the performance correlation of firms in an industry affects the degree to which product market competition mitigates agency problems. Consistent with theory, I find that in industries with high firm performance correlation, product market competition reduces the adverse effect of business combination (BC) laws on firm operating performance, while in industries with low performance correlation competition does not have such an effect. My results are robust to (i) the use of different measures of performance correlation, competition, and operating performance; (ii) excluding firms that are not exogenously affected by BC laws, (iii) dropping the years that are affected by the first-generation state antitakeover laws. I find similar results for stock prices when examining the stock market reactions to the first newspaper reports of BC laws. Overall, the disciplining effect of competition depends positively on an industry's performance correlation.
The role of strategic leadership in strategy implementation

A review of the literature reveals that strategy implementation is an important component of the strategic management process. In addition, it has been noted that there is a high failure rate in the implementation of strategy as a result of the existence of many potential barriers to the effective implementation of strategy. A lack of leadership – specifically strategic leadership – in the management structures of organisations has been identified as one of the possible barriers to the effective implementation of strategy. However, strategic leadership is also widely regarded as one of the key drivers of strategy implementation. In view of the fact that the role of strategic leadership in strategy implementation has been overlooked, the following research question was addressed: What is the perceived role of strategic leadership in the implementation of strategy in South African organisations? In the light of the identified problem and research question, the primary objective of this study was to investigate the perceived role of strategic leadership in the implementation of strategy in South African organisations. The thesis was that strategic leadership positively contribute to the effective implementation of strategy in South African organisations. A structured, mail questionnaire was sent to five randomly-selected strategic leaders in the Financial Mail Top 200 Companies (2006) as a means of extracting the information required to achieve the research objectives and to reach a conclusion on the thesis statement. A response rate of 7.8% was achieved. Sections B1, B2, B3, and C1 of the questionnaire were subjected to factor analyses and coefficient alpha to determine the validity and reliability of the questionnaire. The statistical analysis revealed that the questionnaire has a high degree of internal validity and reliability. Aside from determining normal descriptive statistics, such as frequencies, percentages, averages and standard deviations, routine statistical tests, such as the independent-sample t-test, Mann-Whitney U-tests and Fischer’s Exact tests
Soluble tumour necrosis factor receptors sTNFR1 and sTNFR2 are produced at sites of inflammation and are markers of arthritis activity in Behçet's disease

Objective: We analysed the production of soluble tumour necrosis factor receptors sTNFR1 and sTNFR2 at sites of inflammation and measured their plasma concentrations to evaluate them as biological markers of disease activity. Methods: Plasma samples of 35 patients with Behçet's disease (BD) were collected prospectively at monthly intervals and grouped for inactive disease, active BD without arthritis, and active BD with arthritis. sTNFR1 and sTNFR2 concentrations were measured using immunoassays and compared with other biological disease activity parameters. Plasma sTNFR levels were compared to synovial fluid (SF) levels in seven patients. Sixteen tissue samples of mucocutaneous lesions were stained for TNFR2 expression by immunohistochemistry. Results: sTNFR1 and sTNFR2 were found at increased plasma concentrations in active BD, with the highest concentration in active BD with arthritis (p<0.001). Concentrations of both sTNFRs were at least three times higher in SF of arthritic joints than in the corresponding plasma samples (p = 0.025). A change of more than 1 ng/mL of sTNFR2 plasma concentrations correlated with a concordant change in arthritic activity (96% confidence interval). Sensitivity to change was superior to that of sTNFR1, and other biological disease activity parameters such as erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), immunoglobulin (Ig)G, IgA, and interleukin (IL)‐10 plasma concentrations. A strong staining for TNFR2 was found in mucocutaneous lesions, where mast cells were identified as the major source for this receptor. Conclusions: This longitudinal study demonstrates that sTNFR2 plasma concentrations are closely linked with active BD, and especially with arthritis. Taken together with the expression of TNFR molecules in mast cells of mucocutaneous lesions, our results indicate a fundamental role for the TNF/TNFR pathway in BD.
The concept of organization

In recent years a good deal of the very best sociological work has been devoted to the study of organization. Although the term, organization, belongs to the category of expressions about which there is maintained an air of informed vagueness, certain special conventions exist that focus its use, with qualifications, on a delimited set of phenomena. In accordance with these conventions, the term applies correctly to stable associations of persons engaged in concerted activities directed to the attainment of specific objectives. It is thought to be a decisive characteristic of such organizations that they are deliberately instituted relative to these objectives. Because organizations, in this sense, are implementing and implemented programs of action that involve a substantial dose of comprehensive and rational planning, they are identified as instances of formal or rational organization in order to differentiate them from other forms.1 It has been one of the most abiding points of interest of modern organizational research to study how well the programmatically intended formal structures of organizations describe what is going on within them, and what unintended, unprogrammed, and thus informal structures tend to accompany them. How do sociologists go about distinguishing the facts of formal organization from the facts of informal organization? There seem to be two things that matter in the ways this distinction is drawn. There is, in the first place, a certain scholarly tradition in which the distinction is rooted. It dates back to Pareto’s definition of rationality, Tonnies’ typology, Cooley’s concept of primary-group, and – tracing through the seminal achievement of the Hawthorn studies – the tradition is very much alive today. Being steeped in this line of scholarship allows a sociologist to claim his colleagues’ consent to the decisions he makes. In this way the distinction is a fact of life in sociological inquiry, and perceiving it correctly is a trademark of
Effects of simvastatin on high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and serum albumin in hemodialysis patients.

A 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitor is recommended in hemodialysis (HD) patients with hypercholesterolemia to improve their lipid profiles. We evaluated effects of simvastatin on markers for inflammation, oxidative stress, and coagulation in HD patients. Sixty-two maintenance HD patients with serum cholesterol levels of 200 mg/dL or greater were randomly assigned to the treatment group (n = 31; 8 men, 23 women; age, 63 +/- 11 years) and administered simvastatin, 20 mg/d, for 8 weeks or to the control group (n = 31; 10 men, 21 women; age, 60 +/- 12 years). We measured cholesterol, albumin, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), malondialdehyde (MDA; an index of lipid peroxidation), and D-dimer (a marker of intravascular coagulation) in blood at baseline and again at 8 weeks. Fifty-eight of 62 patients completed the study. In the control group, total cholesterol, serum albumin, hs-CRP, MDA, and D-dimer levels did not change. In the treatment group, simvastatin administration for 8 weeks significantly reduced total cholesterol levels from 232 +/- 25 to 165 +/- 39 mg/dL (P < 0.001) and hs-CRP levels from a median of 0.23 mg/dL (range, 0.05 to 1.63 mg/dL) to 0.12 mg/dL (range, <0.006 to 1.45 mg/dL; P < 0.01), whereas it increased serum albumin levels from 3.4 +/- 0.3 to 3.6 +/- 0.4 g/dL (P < 0.001). Administration of simvastatin did not affect MDA and D-dimer levels. These results suggest that in addition to the lipid-lowering effect, simvastatin had an antiinflammatory effect in HD patients. Considering that atherosclerosis is inflammation of the vascular wall, simvastatin may have a beneficial effect on cardiovascular disease, in part because it alleviates inflammation.
Knowledge Management and Global Diversity: A Framework to Support Organisations in Developing Countries

The existing frameworks to support organisations in their knowledge management operations do not adequately consider global diversity and the local context of the environment in which each organisation operates. The main goal of this study is to develop a context-aware framework to guide organisations in their efforts to manage knowledge, and thus contribute to the development of organisations in the global knowledge economy. To achieve the main goal, a multiple case study was conducted of six research organisations in two developing countries – Nigeria and The Gambia. The analysis of the data reveals some local contextual issues and assumptions that are of importance in a framework to support organisations in developing countries. The study shows that the availability and usage of information technology in an organisation depends on the broader context of national information infrastructure. Also, the organisational variables — which include people, leadership, structure, and culture — can all be influenced by the societal culture and orientation of the local people. The findings also confirm the difficulties associated with information technology in developing countries, and how these can affect organisations’ efforts to manage knowledge. Thereby, the study aims to contribute to the understanding of the state of knowledge management in developing countries. The framework constructed in the study embeds diversity in national culture, infrastructures, organisational variables and technology. It allows organisations to determine which knowledge processes need to be addressed to achieve their goals. Although the framework is intended primarily for organisations in developing countries, the level of its abstraction and the contextualisation of each of the components make it relevant globally.
Evolutionary Clock: Nonconstancy of Rate in Different Species

By using various methods for comparing polypeptide sequences we find that the evolutionary divergence of rattlesnake cytochrome c from cytochromes c of species in other classes has been more rapid than that of cytochrome c of another reptile, the snapping turtle. This suggests that the evolutionary rate of change of cytochromes c is species-dependent as well as time-dependent.
Ab-Initio Simulation of van der Waals MoTe2–SnS2 Heterotunneling FETs for Low-Power Electronics

Band-to-band tunneling field-effect transistors (TFETs) made of a vertical heterojunction of single-layer MoTe<sub>2</sub> and SnS<sub>2</sub> are investigated by means of 3-D, full-band, atomistic quantum-transport simulations relying on a first-principles basis. At a supply voltage V<sub>dd</sub> = 0.4 V and OFF-current IOFF = 10<sup>-6</sup> μA/μm, ON-state currents >75 μA/μm are reported for both n- and p-type logic switches. Our findings indicate that metal-dichalcogenide heterojunction TFETs represent a viable option in low-power electronics.
Developmental surface dyslexia is not associated with deficits in the transient visual system

DEFICITS of the transient visual system have been reported in unselected groups of dyslexics. The aim of this study was to examine whether this finding holds when subjects with a specific type of developmental reading disorder (surface dyslexia) are considered. Ten Italian children were examined. They all presented the characteristic markers of surface dyslexia: slow and laborious reading with errors in tasks which cannot be solved with a grapheme-phoneme conversion (i.e. homophones). Contrast sensitivity thresholds to phase-reversal gratings were within normal limits for most subjects both for stimuli presented centrally and in the right parafovea. This indicates that developmental surface dyslexia is not associated with a deficit in the transient system. In contrast, sensitivity to high spatial frequency stationary stimuli was reduced.
MANAGING AND MARKETING CULL COWS

Beef cows are culled from the herd for a variety of reasons including reproductive failure, age, and unsatisfactory performance, among others. Depending on the relationships between cull cow and calf prices, and the herd culling rate, cull cow receipts generally account for 15-30% of income from the cow-calf enterprise (Feuz, 1995). However, cows are often sold at the time of culling without regard for opportunities to add value and capture additional revenue.
Damp housing, mould growth, and symptomatic health state.

OBJECTIVE--To examine the relation between damp and mould growth and symptomatic ill health. DESIGN--Cross-sectional study of random sample of households containing children; separate and independent assessments of housing conditions (by surveyor) and health (structured interview by trained researcher). SETTING--Subjects' homes (in selected areas of public housing in Glasgow, Edinburgh, and London). SUBJECTS--Adult respondents (94% women) and 1169 children living in 597 households. END POINTS--Specific health symptoms and general evaluation of health among respondents and children over two weeks before interview; and score on general health questionnaire (only respondents). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS--Damp was found in 184 (30.8%) dwellings and actual mould growth in 274 (45.9%). Adult respondents living in damp and mouldy dwellings were likely to report more symptoms overall, including nausea and vomiting, blocked nose, breathlessness, backache, fainting, and bad nerves, than respondents in dry dwellings. Children living in damp and mouldy dwellings had a greater prevalence of respiratory symptoms (wheeze, sore throat, runny nose) and headaches and fever compared with those living in dry dwellings. The mean number of symptoms was higher in damp and mouldy houses and positively associated with increasing severity of dampness and mould (dose response relation). All these differences persisted after controlling for possible confounding factors such as household income, cigarette smoking, unemployment, and overcrowding. Other possible sources of bias that might invalidate the assumption of a causal link between housing conditions and ill health--namely, investigator bias, respondent bias, and selection bias--were also considered and ruled out. CONCLUSION--Damp and mouldy living conditions have an adverse effect on symptomatic health, particularly among children.
Normal differentiation of cultured lens cells after inhibition of gap junction-mediated intercellular communication.

The cells of the vertebrate lens are linked to each other by gap junctions, clusters of intercellular channels that mediate the direct transfer of low-molecular-weight substances between the cytosols of adjoining cells. Although gap junctions are detectable in the unspecialized epithelial cells that comprise the anterior face of the organ, both their number and size are greatly increased in the secondary fiber cells that differentiate from them at the lens equator. In other organs, gap junctions have been shown to play an important role in tissue development and differentiation. It has been proposed, although not experimentally tested, that this may be true in the lens as well. To investigate the function of gap junctions in the development of the lens, we have examined the effect of the gap junction blocker 18beta-glycyrrhetinic acid (betaGA) on the differentiation of primary cultures (both dissociated cell-derived monolayers and central epithelium explants) of embryonic chick lens epithelial cells. We found that betaGA greatly reduced gap junction-mediated intercellular transfer of Lucifer yellow and biocytin throughout the 8-day culture period. betaGA did not, however, affect the differentiation of these cells into MP28-expressing secondary fibers. Furthermore, inhibition of gap junctions had no apparent effect on either of the two other types of intercellular (adherens and tight) junctions present in the lens. We conclude that the high level of gap junctional intercellular communication characteristic of the lens equator in vivo is not required for secondary fiber formation as assayed in culture. Up-regulation of gap junctions is therefore likely to be a consequence rather than a cause of lens fiber differentiation and may primarily play a role in lens physiology.
IL‐5‐induced integrin adhesion of human eosinophils caused by ERK1/2‐mediated activation of cPLA2

We examined the mechanism by which interleukin (IL)‐5 causes β2‐integrin adhesion of human eosinophils. IL‐5 caused time‐dependent activation of extracellular signal‐regulated kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) and p38α in eosinophils as detected by their phosphorylation. Preincubation of eosinophils with U0126, a mitogen‐activated protein kinase/ERK kinase inhibitor, suppressed IL‐5‐induced activation of cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) and eosinophil adhesion, and p38 inhibition by SB203580 had neither effect. ERK1/2 phosphorylation and eosinophil adhesion were blocked by inhibition of the src‐family tyrosine kinase, Janus tyrosine kinase (JAK)2, or phosphoinositide‐3 kinase (PI3K). Coimmunoprecipitation assay demonstrated that Lyn, a src‐family tyrosine kinase, was constitutively associated with PI3K. Inhibition of src‐tyrosine kinase but not JAK2 suppressed PI3K activation. Our data suggest that IL‐5 induces β2‐integrin adhesion of human eosinophils by regulation of cPLA2 activation caused by ERK1/2 phosphorylation. This phosphorylation results from activation of PI3K and protein tyrosine kinases. We also find that src‐family tyrosine kinase, possibly Lyn, is the upstream kinase causing PI3K activation.
The effects of cadmium exposure on the cytology and function of primary cultures from rainbow trout

Cultured epidermal cells from explants of skin of rainbow trout were used to study the cytological and functional changes following sublethal exposure to cadmium stress. The aim was to develop diagnostic markers for ecotoxicology. Cultures were exposed to the pollutant for 48 h. Cell structural and cytological changes were established by light and electron microscopy. Metabolic alterations were detected by immunohistochemistry. The relation between the initiation of cellular alterations and cadmium concentrations was compared in cultures exposed in commercially‐available serum‐free and serum‐containing medium. The expression of stress proteins (metallothionein and heat shock protein) was also studied. Rainbow trout epithelial cells exposed to cadmium showed typical morphological changes indicative of cell death by apoptosis. Sublethal exposure also resulted in cellular metabolic disturbances with increased deposits of glycogen. Increased melanization was also observed. These changes appeared at lower concentrations of cadmium when cells were exposed in serum‐free media than in serum‐containing media. Cadmium induced the expression of heat shock proteins but not of metallothioneins. The results broadly confirm in vivo findings for cadmium toxicity and suggest that this in vitro technique may have applications in aquatic toxicology. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Economics of Patents: Lessons from Recent U.S. Patent Reform

U.S. patent reform over the past two decades has strengthened the legal enforcement of patent rights and has extended protection to new subject matter, such as genetically engineered life forms and business methods. This paper highlights these and other policy changes and the debate that this apparent increase in protection has sparked. While the case for stronger patents as a spur to innovation is a weak one, as revealed by recent theoretical and empirical research, evidence that they encourage disclosure and technology transfer is persuasive. The paper discusses the social costs and benefits of these effects from the policy changes and proposals for alleviating the costs through further patent reform.
Differential Financial Reporting Requirements: Developing a Framework Using a Multi-Actor Multi-Criteria Analysis

The differential reporting debate, is mainly based on the idea that different types of entities should be subject to different financial reporting requirements. Various alternatives of differential reporting regulations already exist or have been suggested, but the continuous flow of debates and proposals by standard setters and regulators illustrates the lack of conclusive results. Most of the proposed alternatives have the intention to relieve the cost of compliance. However, the needs and benefits of financial statement users of different categories of entities are usually forgotten in the differential reporting debate. This paper aims at developing a first step towards a framework of best practices with regard to differential financial reporting regimes for different types of companies, based upon an in-depth identification and analysis of the various internal and external stakeholders and their actual needs. For this, we present an evaluation tool, called the Multi-Actor Multi-Criteria Analysis (MAMCA), that will take into account all stakeholder groups and their user needs and constraints into account. The outcome of the framework can be useful for regulators who look for economic guidance on how to implement differential financial reporting rules.