Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Large shareholder participation behaviors, managers’ risk-taking and firm innovation performance: A shareholder activism perspective

Purpose Focusing on internal corporate governance, the purpose of this paper is to apply the shareholder activism perspective to consider how large shareholder participation behaviors might influence firm innovation performance. Specifically, “confrontationally strategic intervention” and “cooperatively strategic consensus” participation behaviors are examined and hypothesized to have different effects on managers’ risk-taking and firm innovation performance. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on 182 Chinese firm samples, this paper applies hierarchical ordinary least-squares regression analysis to test the proposed hypotheses. Findings The results show that strategic intervention was negatively associated with managers’ risk-taking and firm innovation performance, while strategic consensus positively affected managers’ risk-taking and firm innovation performance. Moreover, managers’ risk-taking fully mediated the influence of strategic intervention on firm innovation performance, whereas it partially mediated the influence of strategic consensus on firm innovation performance. Originality/value The study extends research on shareholder participation by construing that large shareholders’ participation behaviors can significantly influence managers’ risk-taking and corporate innovation performance, further deepening the understanding of the influences of large shareholders on the firm-level outcomes. The theoretical and practical implications of this finding are also discussed.
Influenza B Virus BM2 Protein Is a Crucial Component for Incorporation of Viral Ribonucleoprotein Complex into Virions during Virus Assembly

ABSTRACT Influenza B virus contains four integral membrane proteins in its envelope. Of these, BM2 has recently been found to have ion channel activity and is considered to be a functional counterpart to influenza A virus M2, but the role of BM2 in the life cycle of influenza B virus remains unclear. In an effort to explore its function, a number of BM2 mutant viruses were generated by using a reverse genetics technique. The BM2ΔATG mutant virus synthesized BM2 at markedly lower levels but exhibited similar growth to wild-type (wt) virus. In contrast, the BM2 knockout virus, which did not produce BM2, did not grow substantially but was able to grow normally when BM2 was supplemented in trans by host cells expressing BM2. These results indicate that BM2 is a required component for the production of infectious viruses. In the one-step growth cycle, the BM2 knockout virus produced progeny viruses lacking viral ribonucleoprotein complex (vRNP). The inhibited incorporation of vRNP was regained by trans-supplementation of BM2. An immunofluorescence study of virus-infected cells revealed that distribution of hemagglutinin, nucleoprotein, and matrix (M1) protein of the BM2 knockout virus at the apical membrane did not differ from that of wt virus, whereas the sucrose gradient flotation assay revealed that the membrane association of M1 was greatly affected in the absence of BM2, resulting in a decrease of vRNP in membrane fractions. These results strongly suggest that BM2 functions to capture the M1-vRNP complex at the virion budding site during virus assembly.
Quasi-exact filtered backprojection algorithm for long-object problem in helical cone-beam tomography

Exact reconstruction from axially truncated cone-beam projections acquired with a helical vertex path is a challenging problem for which solutions are currently under investigation by some researchers. This paper deals with a difficult class of this problem called the long-object problem. Its purpose is to reconstruct a central region of interest (ROI) of a long object when the helical path extends only a little bit above and below the ROI. By extending the authors' recent approach based on the triangular decomposition of the Grangeat formula, the authors derive quasi-exact reconstruction algorithms whose overall structure is of filtered backprojection (FBP) style. Unlike the previous similar approaches to the long-object problem, the proposed FBP algorithms do not require additional two circular scans at the ends of the helical path. Furthermore, the algorithms require a significantly smaller detector area and achieve improved image quality even for a large pitch compared with the approximate Feldkamp algorithms. One drawback of the proposed algorithms is the computational time, which is much longer than for the Feldkamp algorithms. The authors show some simulation results to demonstrate the performances of the proposed algorithms.
[Germline LKB1 gene mutation screening in 4 Chinese Peutz-Jeghers syndrome pedigrees].

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the frequency and nature of LKB1 gene germline mutations in 4 large Chinese Peutz-Jeghers syndrome pedigrees. METHODS Four Chinese Peutz-Jeghers syndrome pedigrees were investigated. Two patients and 1 normal adult from each pedigree were selected, and genomic DNA from peripheral blood was extracted. The 9 exons of LKB1 gene were amplified by PCR. The products were tested by SSCP and abnormally shifted bands were sequenced. If there was no positive finding in any pedigree, the entire exons were sequenced. RESULTS The same 842 C deletion of LKB1 gene frame-shift mutations was found in 2 pedigrees, which resulted in truncated protein. No exon variant was found in the left 2 pedigrees. CONCLUSIONS LKB1 gene germline mutation is an important molecular pathogen of Peutz-Jeghers syndrome. 842 C deletion is a possible mutation hotspot and might be a common-ancestor mutation characteristic of Chinese.
Cell-based Analysis of Structure-Function Activity of Threonine Aspartase 1*

Taspase1 is a threonine protease responsible for cleaving intracellular substrates. As such, (de)regulated Taspase1 function is expected not only to be vital for ordered development but may also be relevant for disease. However, the full repertoires of Taspase1 targets as well as the exact biochemical requirements for its efficient and substrate-specific cleavage are not yet resolved. Also, no cellular assays for this protease are currently available, hampering the exploitation of the (patho)biological relevance of Taspase1. Here, we developed highly efficient cell-based translocation biosensor assays to probe Taspase1 trans-cleavage in vivo. These modular sensors harbor variations of Taspase1 cleavage sites and localize to the cytoplasm. Expression of Taspase1 but not of inactive Taspase1 mutants or of unrelated proteases triggers proteolytic cleavage and nuclear accumulation of the biosensors. Employing our assay combined with scanning mutagenesis, we identified the sequence and spatial requirements for efficient Taspase1 processing in liquid and solid tumor cell lines. Collectively, our results defined an improved Taspase1 consensus recognition sequence, Q3(F/I/L/V)2D1↓G1′X2′D3′D4′, allowing the first genome-wide bioinformatic identification of the human Taspase1 degradome. Among the 27 most likely Taspase1 targets are cytoplasmic but also nuclear proteins, such as the upstream stimulatory factor 2 (USF2) or the nuclear RNA export factors 2/5 (NXF2/5). Cleavage site recognition and proteolytic processing of selected targets were verified in the context of the biosensor and for the full-length proteins. We provide novel mechanistic insights into the function and bona fide targets of Taspase1 allowing for a focused investigation of the (patho)biological relevance of this type 2 asparaginase.
The Hidden STEM Economy.

ment. ” Findings Workers in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields play a direct role in driving economic growth. Yet, because of how the STEM economy has been defined, policymakers have mainly focused on supporting workers with at least a bachelor’s (BA) degree, overlooking a strong potential workforce of those with less than a BA. An analysis of the occupational requirements for STEM knowledge finds that:
Self-identification with a heritage tourism site, visitors’ engagement and destination loyalty: the mediating effects of overall satisfaction

ABSTRACT This study assesses a conceptual model that postulates relationships between self-identification with a heritage site, engagement at the site, overall satisfaction and destination loyalty. The study contributes to the limited literature examining visitor engagement and its relationship with several other psychological variables. A survey of visitors in Petra, Jordan resulted in 249 useable questionnaires. The results confirm that self-identification with a heritage tourism site has a positive relationship with both overall satisfaction and visitor engagement. Overall satisfaction has a strong and positive relationship with destination loyalty. Visitor engagement has a positive relationship with destination loyalty. Implications for managing the heritage site and destination are offered.
A Neuromorphic Chip Optimized for Deep Learning and CMOS Technology With Time-Domain Analog and Digital Mixed-Signal Processing

Demand for highly energy-efficient coprocessor for the inference computation of deep neural networks is increasing. We propose the time-domain neural network (TDNN), which employs time-domain analog and digital mixed-signal processing (TDAMS) that uses delay time as the analog signal. TDNN not only exploits energy-efficient analog computing, but also enables fully spatially unrolled architecture by the hardware-efficient feature of TDAMS. The proposed fully spatially unrolled architecture reduces energy-hungry data moving for weight and activations, thus contributing to significant improvement of energy efficiency. We also propose useful training techniques that mitigate the non-ideal effect of analog circuits, which enables to simplify the circuits and leads to maximizing the energy efficiency. The proof-of-concept chip shows unprecedentedly high energy efficiency of 48.2 TSop/s/W.
Influence of the pH on (open) mixed culture fermentation of glucose: A chemostat study

Catabolic products from anaerobic fermentation processes are potentially of industrial interest. The volatile fatty acids and alcohols produced can be used as building blocks in chemical processes or applied directly as substrates in a mixed culture process to produce bioplastics. Development of such applications requires a predictable and controllable product spectrum of the fermentation process. The aim of the research described in this paper was (i) to investigate the product spectrum of an open mixed culture fermentation (MCF) process as a function of the pH, using glucose as substrate, and (ii) to relate the product spectrum obtained to generalized biochemical and thermodynamic considerations. A chemostat was operated under carbon and energy limitation in order to investigate the pH effect on the product spectrum in a MCF process. A transition from CO2/H2 production at lower pH values to formate production at higher pH values was observed. The ratio of CO2/H2 versus formate production was found to be related to the thermodynamics of formate dehydrogenation to CO2/H2. This transition was associated with a shift in the catabolic products, from butyrate and acetate to ethanol and acetate, likely due to a decrease in the oxidation state of the electron carriers in the cell. The product spectrum of the MCF process as a function of the pH could largely be explained using general biochemical considerations. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2007; 98: 69–79. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Intake of nutrients related to cardiovascular disease risk among three groups of American Indians: the Strong Heart Dietary Study.

BACKGROUND Although diet is implicated in the elevated rate of cardiovascular disease among some American Indian tribes, the dietary intakes of these individuals have not been described. The Strong Heart Dietary Study compared diets of 10 tribes in Arizona, Oklahoma, and the Dakotas to examine the possible contribution of diet to cardiovascular and other chronic diseases. METHODS During 1988-1991, 892 people responded to a 24 hr diet recall questionnaire. Nutrient intake by study area, sex, and age group were compared by analysis of variance, and intakes were compared with nutrient intakes reported by participants in Phase 1 of the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and with dietary recommendations of the National Research Council, the American Heart Association, and the Healthy People 2000 objectives. RESULTS The intake of energy and nutrients varied significantly by sex and age. Men consumed more energy, macronutrients, and sodium than did women (P < or = 0.001). Women's diets were denser in carbohydrate, beta-carotene, vitamin C, and vitamin E than were men's diets (P < or = 0.001). Younger participants consumed more energy, macronutrients, vitamin E, and sodium than did older participants (P < or = 0.001). Older participants had diets denser in protein and beta-carotene than did younger participants (P < or = 0.001). Energy intake did not differ significantly by study area, but men in Arizona consumed more energy from carbohydrate and less energy from total fat than did men elsewhere (P < or = 0.01). Men and women in Arizona consumed more cholesterol and fiber than did other participants (P < or = 0.01) and less of the antioxidant vitamins (P < or = 0.01). Participants in the Strong Heart Diet Study reported diets higher in fats and cholesterol than did participants in Phase 1 of the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Few Strong Heart participants achieved dietary recommendations for the reduction of risk of chronic disease. CONCLUSIONS Area differences in nutrient intake were observed, but most participants consumed diets associated with increased risk of heart disease and other chronic diseases. Women and older participants in general reported healthier nutrient intakes. Dietary intervention programs should educate American Indians about dietary modifications to reduce the risk of cardiovascular and other nutrition-related disorders.
Openness in Cross-Cultural Work Settings: A Multicountry Study of Expatriates

Openness plays an important role in determining what kind of experiences individuals seek out not only in their personal lives, but also in work environments. The objectives of this study were (a) to examine the influence of openness and its facets on the decision to work abroad and (b) to study whether employees’ openness relates to cross-cultural adjustment as well as job and life satisfaction. We investigated these questions among a sample of 2,096 expatriates. In addition to self-reports of openness and cross-cultural adjustment, ratings of subjects’ adjustment were also obtained from 928 knowledgeable others. The openness facets of actions, ideas, and values appear to be good predictors of acceptance of international assignments. In addition, global Openness and its facets Openness to actions and feelings relate to self- and other ratings of cross-cultural adjustment.
Requirement for a non‐specific glycoprotein cytoplasmic domain sequence to drive efficient budding of vesicular stomatitis virus

The cytoplasmic domains of viral glycoproteins are often involved in specific interactions with internal viral components. These interactions can concentrate glycoproteins at virus budding sites and drive efficient virus budding, or can determine virion morphology. To investigate the role of the vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) glycoprotein (G) cytoplasmic and transmembrane domains in budding, we recovered recombinant VSVs expressing chimeric G proteins with the transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains derived from the human CD4 protein. These unrelated foreign sequences were capable of supporting efficient VSV budding. Further analysis of G protein cytoplasmic domain deletion mutants showed that a cytoplasmic domain of only 1 amino acid did not drive efficient budding, whereas 9 amino acids did. Additional studies in agreement with the CD4‐chimera experiments indicated the requirement for a short cytoplasmic domain on VSV G without the requirement for a specific sequence in that domain. We propose a model for VSV budding in which a relatively non‐specific interaction of a cytoplasmic domain with a pocket or groove in the viral nucleocapsid or matrix proteins generates a glycoprotein array that promotes viral budding.
Towards a NetFlow Implementation for OpenFlow Software-Defined Networks

Obtaining flow-level measurements, similar to those provided by Netflow/IPFIX, with OpenFlow is challenging as it requires the installation of an entry per flow in the flow tables. This approach does not scale well with the number of concurrent flows in the traffic as the number of entries in the flow tables is limited and small. Flow monitoring rules may also interfere with forwarding or other rules already present in the switches, which are often defined at different granularities than the flow level. In this paper, we present a transparent and scalable flow-based monitoring solution that is fully compatible with current off-the-shelf OpenFlow switches. As in NetFlow/IPFIX, we aggregate packets into flows directly in the switches and asynchronously send traffic reports to an external collector. In order to reduce the overhead, we implement two different traffic sampling methods depending on the OpenFlow features available in the switch. We developed our complete flow monitoring solution within OpenDaylight and evaluated its accuracy in a testbed with Open vSwitch. Our experimental results using real-world traffic traces show that the proposed sampling methods are accurate and can effectively reduce the resource requirements of flow measurements in OpenFlow.
Belief inflexibility in schizophrenia

Background. Previous studies using delusion-neutral material have demonstrated that patients with schizophrenia, particularly those with delusions, display a bias against disconfirmatory evidence (BADE). In the current study we investigated the moderating impact of belief strength on this effect. Methods. Thirty-three schizophrenia patients, 18 patients with obsessive compulsive disorder, and 25 healthy control participants, were consecutively presented with delusion-neutral statements that provided increasingly detailed information about a scenario. They were asked to re-rate the plausibility of four descriptions of the scenario. The correct (“true”) interpretation appeared poor on the first statement and then increasingly gained plausibility, whereas “lure” interpretations appeared plausible initially to varying degrees, but became implausible once all information was presented. Results. Schizophrenia patients displayed a BADE for strong beliefs, in that they were biased against revising their ratings of lure items in light of new disconfirming evidence compared to the mixed control group. However, like controls, patients with schizophrenia were willing to revise weak beliefs. Conclusion. This confirms that schizophrenia patients are generally impaired in their ability to integrate disconfirmatory evidence, even for material that does not touch on delusional themes. This response pattern was more pronounced for strong beliefs, and this may contribute to the fixation of false ideas (i.e., delusions).
HMGA2 Participates in Transformation in Human Lung Cancer

Although previous studies have established a prominent role for HMGA1 (formerly HMG-I/Y) in aggressive human cancers, the role of HMGA2 (formerly HMGI-C) in malignant transformation has not been clearly defined. The HMGA gene family includes HMGA1, which encodes the HMGA1a and HMGA1b protein isoforms, and HMGA2, which encodes HMGA2. These chromatin-binding proteins function in transcriptional regulation and recent studies also suggest a role in cellular senescence. HMGA1 proteins also appear to participate in cell cycle regulation and malignant transformation, whereas HMGA2 has been implicated primarily in the pathogenesis of benign, mesenchymal tumors. Here, we show that overexpression of HMGA2 leads to a transformed phenotype in cultured lung cells derived from normal tissue. Conversely, inhibiting HMGA2 expression blocks the transformed phenotype in metastatic human non–small cell lung cancer cells. Moreover, we show that HMGA2 mRNA and protein are overexpressed in primary human lung cancers compared with normal tissue or indolent tumors. In addition, there is a statistically significant correlation between HMGA2 protein staining by immunohistochemical analysis and tumor grade (P < 0.001). Our results indicate that HMGA2 is an oncogene important in the pathogenesis of human lung cancer. Although additional studies with animal models are needed, these findings suggest that targeting HMGA2 could be therapeutically beneficial in lung cancer and other cancers characterized by increased HMGA2 expression. (Mol Cancer Res 2008;6(5):743–50)
Pathologic Correlates of Dementia in Individuals with Lewy Body Disease

Cognitive impairment and dementia are more common in patients with Parkinson disease (PD) than age‐matched controls and appear to become more frequent as PD progresses. However, estimates of dementia in patients with PD have varied widely, likely due in part to differences in case definition, case ascertainment and methodology. First, we review investigations of usual pathologic correlates of dementia in patients with brainstem (b) Lewy Body Disease (LBD) and report our findings from the initial 266 brain autopsies from a population‐based study of brain aging and incident dementia. Our results showed that 2.6% of subjects were diagnosed with PD during life but that 20% had bLBD at autopsy. Seventy percent of individuals with bLBD had high level of one or more cerebral pathologic changes significantly associated with dementia: Alzheimer's disease (AD), cerebral (c) LBD or microvascular brain injury (µVBI); these were commonly co‐morbid. Next we consider proposed contributors to cognitive impairment and dementia in the approximately 30% of patients with only bLBD, including regionally selective dendritic degeneration of neostriatal medium spiny neurons. Diseases contributing to cognitive impairment and dementia in patients with bLBD are heterogeneous, providing diagnostic challenges as well as multiple opportunities for successful intervention in patients with PD.
Two distinct alpha-interferon-dependent signal transduction pathways may contribute to activation of transcription of the guanylate-binding protein gene

The promoter of the gene encoding a cytoplasmic guanylate-binding protein (GBP) contains two overlapping elements: the interferon stimulation response element (ISRE), which mediates alpha interferon (IFN-alpha)-dependent transcription, and the IFN-gamma activation site (GAS), which is required for IFN-gamma-mediated stimulation. The ISRE binds a factor called ISGF-3 that is activated by IFN-alpha but not by IFN-gamma. The GAS binds a protein that is activated by IFN-gamma, which we have termed GAF (IFN-gamma activation factor; T. Decker, D. J. Lew, J. Mirkovitch, and J. E. Darnell, Jr., EMBO J., in press; D. J. Lew, T. Decker, I. Strehlow, and J. E. Darnell, Jr., Mol. Cell. Biol. 11:182-191, 1991). We now find that the GAS is also an IFN-alpha-responsive element in vivo and that IFN-alpha (in addition to activating ISGF-3) rapidly activates a GAS-binding factor, the IFN-alpha activation factor (AAF). The AAF has characteristics very similar to those of the previously described GAF. Through the use of inhibitors of protein synthesis and inhibitors of protein kinases, the activation conditions of AAF, GAF, and ISGF-3 could be distinguished. Therefore, not only do IFN-alpha and IFN-gamma stimulate transcription of GBP through different receptors linked to different signaling molecules, but occupation of the IFN-alpha receptor apparently leads to the rapid activation of two different DNA-binding proteins through the use of different intracellular pathways.