Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Modeling and measuring the elastic properties of an archaeal surface, the sheath of Methanospirillum hungatei, and the implication of methane production

We describe a technique for probing the elastic properties of biological membranes by using an atomic force microscope (AFM) tip to press the biological material into a groove in a solid surface. A simple model is developed to relate the applied force and observed depression distance to the elastic modulus of the material. A measurement on the proteinaceous sheath of the archaebacterium Methanospirillum hungatei GP1 gave a Young's modulus of 2 x 10(10) to 4 x 10(10) N/m2. The measurements suggested that the maximum sustainable tension in the sheath was 3.5 to 5 N/m. This finding implied a maximum possible internal pressure for the bacterium of between 300 and 400 atm. Since the cell membrane and S-layer (wall) which surround each cell should be freely permeable to methane and since we demonstrate that the sheath undergoes creep (expansion) with pressure increase, it is possible that the sheath acts as a pressure regulator by stretching, allowing the gas to escape only after a certain pressure is reached. This creep would increase the permeability of the sheath to diffusible substances.
Social Isolation and Loneliness: Relationships With Cognitive Function During 4 Years of Follow-up in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing

Objective This study aims to evaluate the impact of social isolation and loneliness, individually and simultaneously, on cognitive function in older adults during a 4-year period, using data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, and to evaluate if these associations are moderated by educational level. Methods Data on social isolation, loneliness, and cognitive function (verbal fluency, immediate recall, and delayed recall) were obtained at baseline. Follow-up measures on cognitive function were obtained 4 years later for 6034 participants (mean age at baseline = 65.6 years). Regression analyses were used to evaluate the association between baseline isolation, loneliness, and cognitive function at follow-up. Interactions between social isolation, loneliness, and educational level were also evaluated. Results Baseline isolation was significantly associated with decreases in all cognitive function measures at follow-up (&bgr; = −.05 to −.03, p < .001), independently of baseline scores, whereas loneliness was associated with poorer immediate recall (&bgr; = −.05, p < .001) and delayed recall (&bgr; = −.03, p = .02). There was a significant interaction between educational level and both isolation (p = .02) and loneliness (p = .01) for delayed recall, such that isolation and loneliness were associated with poorer recall only among those with low levels of education. Conclusions Loneliness and isolation are associated with poorer cognitive function among older adults. Interventions to foster social connections may be particularly beneficial for individuals with low levels of education.
The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Patient Registry. Design and Methods of a National Observational Disease Registry.

RATIONALE The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Patient Registry (CFFPR) is an ongoing patient registry study that collects longitudinal demographic, clinical, and treatment information about persons with cystic fibrosis (CF) in the United States. CF is a life-shortening genetic disorder that occurs in approximately 1 in 3,500 births in the United States. High-quality observational data is important for clinical research, quality improvement, and clinical management. OBJECTIVES To describe the data collection, patient population, and key limitations of the CFFPR. METHODS Inclusion criteria for the CFFPR include diagnosis with CF or a CFTR-associated disorder, care at an accredited care center program, and provision of informed consent. Data from clinic visits and hospitalizations are collected through a secure website. Loss to follow-up and generalizability were examined using several methods. The accuracy of CFFPR data was evaluated with an audit of 2012 CFFPR data compared to the medical record. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Since 1986, the CFFPR contains the records of 48,463 individuals with CF. Participation among individuals seen at accredited care centers is high, and loss to follow-up is low. An audit of 2012 CFFPR data suggests that the CFFPR contains 95% of clinic visits and 90% of hospitalizations found in the medical record for these patients, and nearly all of the audited fields were highly accurate. CONCLUSIONS Registries such as the CFFPR are important tools for research, clinical care, and tracking incidence, mortality and population trends.
An assessment of risk and return: some empirical findings from the Hong Kong stock exchange

The study presents the results of the empirical tests on the relationships between stock returns and various measures of risk in the Hong Kong Equity Market over the period 1980–89. On the whole, the application of the capital asset pricing model in Hong Kong appears weak when monthly data are used. The market risk is only priced for the year 1984–85. The stability is examined further using a different-sized portfolio and the two findings are found to be consistent
Returns to Education through Access to Higher-Paying Firms: Evidence from US Matched Employer-Employee Data

We use administrative US matched employer-employee data merged with detailed information on individuals' academic records to assess the extent to which returns to education are mediated by the sorting of workers across firms. We present three results. First, we confirm findings in the earlier literature of large pay differences across higher education degrees. Second, we show that up to one quarter of pay premiums for higher degrees are explained by between-firm pay differences. Third, higher degrees are associated with greater representation at the best-paying firms. We conclude that employer heterogeneity is an important factor in mediating the returns to education.
The European Union in the 1990s

What is the European Union? This text seeks to answer this question by presenting an overview of the EU: what it now is; how it evolved into its present form; how the sense of identity with its citizens sustains it; and what is the relationship with the outside world which best suits it. Paul Taylor investigates the range of conflicting views on the role of the European Union, is sharply critical of the growth of Euroscepticism and calls for a Federalist approach. He shows that, as the conditions of sovereignty are continually changing in the modern world, further integration does not threaten the nation state. On the contrary, he asserts that integration brings advantages for the citizens in Europe. The author sees the European Union as a unique arrangement between states, beneficial to the majority of individuals without threatening national sovereignty.
The payoff to work without pay: volunteer work as an investment in human capital

Despite the widespread belief that volunteer work enhances an individual's employment prospects, the hypothesis that volunteer work increases one's earnings has never been empirically verified. Using a recent Canadian data set, the authors test this hypothesis by estimating human capital earnings equations that include dummy variables representing to distinguish volunteers from nonvolunteers. The results suggest that the return to volunteering amounts to 6-7 percent of annual earnings.
Unravelling the Capital Charging Riddle - Some Empirical Evidence from Victoria

Since 1995, the State of Victoria has been experimenting with capital charging regimes for budget sector agencies. The intent of these schemes is to allow the opportunity cost of capital to be reflected in the assessed total costs of outputs produced by agencies the subject of the charge. While literature produced by government central financial agencies has forcefully advocated this experiment, and asserted a range of resulting improvements to budget sector asset management and general financial management practices, academic examinations of the subject have been mixed in their conclusions. Empirical evidence relating to the effect and effectiveness of these schemes has been scarce. This paper seeks to contribute to the literature by providing some empirical evidence on the impact of capital charging in one jurisdiction, Victoria, Australia.
Misspecification testing and robust estimation of the market model: estimating betas for the FT-SE industry baskets

Using daily data on the London Stock Exchange's FT-SE industry baskets, this paper subjects the market model to a set of rigorous specification tests designed to assess its statistical adequacy in the face of possible model non-linearity and autocorrelation, heteroscedasticity and, in particular, non-normality of residuals. It then utilizes robust methods of estimation to provide valid estimates of the model's parameters in the face of such misspecification. It is found that robust estimation usually provides betas that are lower than those estimated by conventional ordinary least squares.
Multiple N-Glycans Cooperate in the Subcellular Targeting and Functioning of Arabidopsis KORRIGAN1[W]

Arabidopsis KORRIGAN1 is a membrane protein with a heavily N-glycosylated extracellular domain. Conserved N-glycosylation sites support the trans-Golgi network localization and in vivo function of KORRIGAN1 at the plasma membrane. The host cell’s capacity to produce complex N-glycans affects KORRIGAN1 function in trans. Arabidopsis thaliana KORRIGAN1 (KOR1) is an integral membrane endo-β1,4-glucanase in the trans-Golgi network and plasma membrane that is essential for cellulose biosynthesis. The extracellular domain of KOR1 contains eight N-glycosylation sites, N1 to N8, of which only N3 to N7 are highly conserved. Genetic evidence indicated that cellular defects in attachment and maturation of these N-glycans affect KOR1 function in vivo, whereas the manner by which N-glycans modulate KOR1 function remained obscure. Site-directed mutagenesis analysis of green fluorescent protein (GFP)-KOR1 expressed from its native regulatory sequences established that all eight N-glycosylation sites (N1 to N8) are used in the wild type, whereas stt3a-2 cells could only inefficiently add N-glycans to less conserved sites. GFP-KOR1 variants with a single N-glycan at nonconserved sites were less effective than those with one at a highly conserved site in rescuing the root growth phenotype of rsw2-1 (kor1 allele). When functionally compromised, GFP-KOR1 tended to accumulate at the tonoplast. GFP-KOR1Δall (without any N-glycan) exhibited partial complementation of rsw2-1; however, root growth of this line was still negatively affected by the absence of complex-type N-glycan modifications in the host plants. These results suggest that one or several additional factor(s) carrying complex N-glycans cooperate(s) with KOR1 in trans to grant proper targeting/functioning in plant cells.
Heart Rate Variability and the Exercise Pressor Reflex during Dynamic Handgrip Exercise and Postexercise Arterial Occlusion

BackgroundThe exercise pressor reflex is thought to be an important cardiovascular control mechanism that may be compromised in disease states such as congestive heart failure and other metabolic syndromes. The purpose was to describe the exercise pressor reflex by observing heart rate variability and blood pressure responses to handgrip-exercise and postexercise arterial occlusion. MethodsContinuous electrocardiography, arterial blood pressure, and pneumotachogram data were collected on 38 participants (age, 20 ± 1 year) during spontaneous breathing, venous-occluded exercise (60% maximal voluntary contraction, 0.5 Hz) and immediate postexercise arterial occlusion. Data were analyzed for mean R-R interval, standard deviation of R-R intervals (SDNN), normalized low (0–0.15 Hz) frequency power (LFnu), mean arterial pressure (MAP), and respiratory rate. ResultsDuring exercise, increases in respiratory rate (+4.55 ± 6.48 breaths/min), LFnu (+9.39 ± 16.83%), and MAP (+25.40 ± 17.55 mm Hg) were observed. Mean R-R interval (−230.73 ± 125.79 msec) and SDNN (−38.54 ± 36.02 msec) decreased (P < 0.05). Respiratory rate (+0.12 ± 4.61 breaths/min), SDNN (−17.89 ± 64.41 msec), and LFnu (9.89 ± 21.01%) recovered during forearm arterial occlusion (P < 0.05). However, Mean R-R interval and MAP remained elevated above spontaneous breathing (P < 0.05). ConclusionsThe sustained elevation in MAP during postexercise arterial occlusion suggests metaboreceptor-mediated heightened sympathetic activity. The increase in LFnu during exercise and its subsequent recovery during postexercise occlusion is consistent with dynamic exercise-induced parasympathetic withdrawal but a strong vagal activation upon cessation of dynamic activity despite persistent sympathetic activity originating from afferent input from the occluded forearm.
Predictable patterns in ETFs' return and tracking error

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to assess whether exchange-traded funds (ETFs) can beat the market, as it is expressed by the Standard and Poor (S&P) 500 Index, examine the outperformance persistence, calculate tracking error, assess the tracking error persistence, investigate the factors that induce tracking error and assess whether there are predictable patterns in ETFs' performance. Design/methodology/approach - The author uses a sample of 50 iShares during the period 2002-2007 and calculates the simple raw return, the Sharpe ratio and the Sortino ratio, regresses the performance differences between ETFs and market index, calculates tracking error as the standard deviation in return differences between ETFs and benchmarks, assesses tracking error's persistence in the same fashion used to assess the ETFs' outperformance persistence, examines the impact of expenses, risk and age on tracking error and applies dummy regression analysis to study whether the performance of ETFs is predictable. Findings - The results reveal that the majority of the selected iShares beat the S&P 500 Index, both at the annual and the aggregate levels while the return superiority of ETFs strongly persists at the short-term level. The tracking error of ETFs also persists at the short-term level. The regression analysis on tracking error reveals that the expenses charged by ETFs along with the age and risk of ETFs are some of the factors that can explain the persistence in tracking error. Finally, the dummy regression analysis indicates that the performance of ETFs can be somehow predictable. Originality/value - The findings of this paper may be of help to investors seeking investment choices that will help them to gain above market returns. In addition, tracking error-concerned investors will be helped by the findings of the paper. Finally, the findings on return predictability can also be helpful to investors.
Levodopa: A new look at an old friend

Levodopa is the most effective antiparkinsonian agent, but chronic treatment is associated with the development of motor complications in the majority of patients with PD. Recent scientific and clinical advances are improving this situation. Long‐term, double‐blind studies demonstrate that dose is an important risk factor for the development of both motor fluctuations and dyskinesia, and suggest that it is best to use low doses of l‐dopa when possible. Inhaled l‐dopa and sublingual apomorphine are now being developed as rescue therapies that permit rapid and predictable reversal of off periods. Finally, substantial evidence suggests that motor complications are related to the nonphysiological restoration of brain dopamine with intermittent oral doses of standard l‐dopa. Double‐blind studies demonstrate significant clinical benefits with continuous intraintestinal infusion of l‐dopa. New approaches that provide continuous plasma l‐dopa levels without the need for a surgical procedure are currently being investigated. Finally, the development of an oral long‐acting form of l‐dopa that provides continuous plasma l‐dopa levels is actively being pursued. Collectively, these approaches offer the potential to considerably reduce and even prevent the disability associated with l‐dopa‐induced motor complications. © 2017 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
Organizational Ecology and Knowledge Networks

Largely missing in the study of knowledge management has been examination of the role the physical environment of the workplace plays in creating opportunities and barriers that influence the development and flow of a variety of types of information and knowledge. This article introduces the concept of organizational ecology as a frame of reference for thinking about the workplace as a complex web of interdependent social and organizational factors that, in combination, influence informal communication, interaction, and learning patterns. Specifically, it proposes the concepts of "dynamic constraint" and "dynamic harmony" to explain why organizational interventions involving manipulation of only social or physical factors often fail to achieve their desired objectives. It also examines how the spatial aspects of an organization's ecology can contribute to more effective communication and interaction patterns that support informal learning.
The political ecology of Jatropha plantations for biodiesel in Tamil Nadu, India

Jatropha curcas is promoted internationally for its presumed agronomic viability in marginal lands, economic returns for small farmers, and lack of competition with food crops. However, empirical results from a study in southern India revealed that Jatropha cultivation, even on agricultural lands, is neither profitable, nor pro-poor. We use a political ecology framework to analyse both the discourse promoting Jatropha cultivation and its empirical consequences. We deconstruct the shaky premises of the dominant discourse of Jatropha as a ‘pro-poor’ and ‘pro-wasteland’ development crop, a discourse that paints a win-win picture between poverty alleviation, natural resource regeneration, and energy security goals. We then draw from fieldwork on Jatropha plantations in the state of Tamil Nadu to show how Jatropha cultivation favours resource-rich farmers, while possibly reinforcing existing processes of marginalisation of small and marginal farmers.
Optical modelling of light distributions in skin tissue following laser irradiation

A Monte‐Carlo method is used to compute light distributions in a multilayer skin model for variable width finite beams. By means of a 4‐layer skin model in which blood may be represented as a discrete layer, vascular lesions such as portwine stains may be studied. Light distributions and thermal profiles are simulated, representing the irradiation of a portwine stain using 577 nm and 585 nm wavelengths. Damage thresholds at 585 nm are found to substantially exceed those predicted at 577 nm, although the nature of the damage differs at the two wavelengths. Variations due to beam width are found to be unimportant if the diameter exceeds 1 mm. The predictions are compared with clinical results, and a novel 5‐layer approach based on new optical parameters is adopted to account for discrepancies in epidermal temperature. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
DETERMINING WORKING CAPITAL SOLVENCY LEVEL AND ITS EFFECT ON PROFITABILITY IN SELECTED INDIAN MANUFACTURING FIRMS

A well designed and implemented working capital management has a significant contribution for firms’ profitability as well as to maintain liquidity powers. The purpose of this study is to assess working capital adequacy and its impact on profitability; to investigate the relationship between profitability and liquidity of firms. Natural logarithm of total current liabilities and Relative Solvency Ratio (RSR) are taken as dependent variables to measure the required size of current liabilities and firm’s solvency level respectively. Independent variables are sales, return on assets, current ratio, and cash conversion cycles. These are included in the panel data regression to assess for 250 firms for the period of 10 years. The regression result indicated that sales and cash conversion cycle have highly positive significant effect to determine required current liabilities (short term debt) whereas return on assets and current ratio have highly negative significant effect to determine required current liabilities. The result of negative association between profitability and liquidity is statistically insignificant. With the help of student t-test, the study also revealed that firms with adequate working capital achieved better performance than those firms which have less working capital in related to their operational sizes. Therefore, the null hypothesis that there is no difference between firms which have adequate working capital and less working capital in relation to their operational size on profitability is rejected as the p value is less than 0.05.
Addressing and Mitigating Vulnerability Across the Life Cycle: The Case for Investing in Early Childhood

Dr. Mary Eming Young MD, DrPH is senior adviser to the Harvard University Center on the Developing Child; co-leader of the Early Childhood Initiative of the Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Global Working Group, Institute for New Economic Thinking, University of Chicago; Senior Fellow of the China Development Research Foundation; and Adjunct Professor of Pediatrics, University of Hawaii Medical Center. She is a paediatrician and specialist in global health and child development, with broad experience in both developed and developing countries. For the past three decades, she worked at the World Bank, guiding efforts in international public health and child health and development. During her tenure at there, she led global efforts to inform world leaders and policy makers about early childhood development. Dr. Young advised clients through policy dialogues, sector analyses, and project design and management. Her experience spans the globe, from China, to Eastern Europe and Central Asia, to the Middle East and North Africa, and to Latin America and the Caribbean. Addressing and Mitigating Vulnerability Across the Life Cycle: The Case for Investing in Early Childhood
Poxvirus Proteomics and Virus-Host Protein Interactions

SUMMARY Studies of the functional proteins encoded by the poxvirus genome provide information about the composition of the virus as well as individual virus-virus protein and virus-host protein interactions, which provides insight into viral pathogenesis and drug discovery. Widely used proteomic techniques to identify and characterize specific protein-protein interactions include yeast two-hybrid studies and coimmunoprecipitations. Recently, various mass spectrometry techniques have been employed to identify viral protein components of larger complexes. These methods, combined with structural studies, can provide new information about the putative functions of viral proteins as well as insights into virus-host interaction dynamics. For viral proteins of unknown function, identification of either viral or host binding partners provides clues about their putative function. In this review, we discuss poxvirus proteomics, including the use of proteomic methodologies to identify viral components and virus-host protein interactions. High-throughput global protein expression studies using protein chip technology as well as new methods for validating putative protein-protein interactions are also discussed.