Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ethnocentrism and Intercultural Communication Effectiveness in Multinational Companies in Indonesia: A Study in Petrochina International

This research aims at discovering and analyzing the influence of ethnocentrism to intercultural communication effectiveness in multinational companies operated in Indonesia. This research employs quantitative approach with a survey to 120 respondents as a sample of all population of active employees in the multinational company, PetroChina International Indonesia, as its’ primary data source. The result of correlation analysis shows that there is a strong relation between ethnocentrism and intercultural communication effectiveness with the influence of relation tends to be negative. This gives the impression that the higher the ethnocentrism, the lower the intercultural communication effectiveness. Therefore, multinational companies must set internal policies that can keep the climate of diversity by enhancing employees’ understanding of tolerance.
Forest users’ level of participation in a participatory forest management program in southwestern Ethiopia

ABSTRACT This study examines the level of forest users’ participation at different stages of a participatory forest management (PFM) program, and identifies factors that influence their level of participation in the Gebradima forest, southwest Ethiopia. Data were collected from five forest user groups (FUGs) through household surveys, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions. A participation index (PI) and binary logistic regression model were used to analyze the data. Results revealed that the level of the forest users’ PI was 65.7%, 59%, and 54.9% at the planning, implementation, and monitoring stages, respectively. The logistic regression model showed that gender, family size, education level, income from the forest, distance of the forest from home, restriction on charcoal and timber harvesting, elite domination in decision-making processes, and lack of incentives were found to be statistically significant (P < 0.05) predictors for the level of participation. Thus, this study suggests that policy-makers and project designers should consider these factors in making future PFM implementation strategies to improve the level of forest users’ participation in forest management activities.
Influence of Board Effectiveness on Financial Performance in the Banking Industry in Kenya

iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENT . vi TABLE OF CONTENTS . vii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS . ix LIST OF TABLES . x CHAPTER ONE . 1 1.0 INTRODUCTION. 1 1.1 Background of the Problem. 1 1.2 Statement of the Problem . 6 1.3 General Objective . 7 1.4 Specific Objectives . 7 1.5 Importance of the Study . 7 1.6 Scope of the Study. 8 1.7 Definition of Terms . 9 1.8 Chapter Summary . 10 CHAPTER TWO . 11 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW . 11 2.
Substrates of the prostate‐specific serine protease prostase/KLK4 defined by positional‐scanning peptide libraries

Prostase/KLK4 is a member of the human kallikrein (KLK) gene family that is expressed in prostate epithelial cells under the regulation of androgenic hormones. In this study, we sought to characterize the substrate specificity of KLK4 in order to gain insight into potential physiological roles of the enzyme.
Routine opt-out HIV screening: more evidence in support of alternative approaches?

In the United States, more than 1.2 million individuals are infected with HIV, approximately 200,000 remain undiagnosed, and 50,000 new infections occur annually.1 These estimates have not changed dramatically over the last 15 years, and new diagnoses seem to be on the rise in certain populations.1,2 Testing for HIV infection is the first in a series of important interventions aimed at impacting the epidemic. Identifying individuals with HIV infection provides a critical opportunity to link them into care where treatment with antiretroviral medications reduces viral concentrations, thus slowing disease progression and reducing infectivity.3,4 Also, knowing one’s serostatus is thought to attenuate individual behaviors that contribute to transmission of the virus.5
Neprilysin Degrades Both Amyloid β Peptides 1–40 and 1–42 Most Rapidly and Efficiently among Thiorphan- and Phosphoramidon-sensitive Endopeptidases*

To identify the amyloid β peptide (Aβ) 1–42-degrading enzyme whose activity is inhibited by thiorphan and phosphoramidon in vivo, we searched for neprilysin (NEP) homologues and cloned neprilysin-likepeptidase (NEPLP) α, NEPLP β, and NEPLP γ cDNAs. We expressed NEP, phosphate-regulating gene with homologies to endopeptidases on the X chromosome (PEX), NEPLPs, and damage-induced neuronal endopeptidase (DINE) in 293 cells as 95- to 125-kDa proteins and found that the enzymatic activities of PEX, NEPLP α, and NEPLP β, as well as those of NEP and DINE, were sensitive to thiorphan and phosphoramidon. Among the peptidases tested, NEP degraded both synthetic and cell-secreted Aβ1–40 and Aβ1–42 most rapidly and efficiently. PEX degraded cold Aβ1–40 and NEPLP α degraded both cold Aβ1–40 and Aβ1–42, although the rates and the extents of the digestion were slower and less efficient than those exhibited by NEP. These data suggest that, among the endopeptidases whose activities are sensitive to thiorphan and phosphoramidon, NEP is the most potent Aβ-degrading enzyme in vivo. Therefore, manipulating the activity of NEP would be a useful approach in regulating Aβ levels in the brain.
Natural killer cells dominate a Th-1 polarized response in Behçet's disease patients with uveitis.

OBJECTIVES Behçet's disease (BD) is a systemic inflammatory disorder of unknown etiology, characterised by recurring relapses and remissions. BD manifestations have been thought to be associated with the immunological abnormalities triggered by environmental factors in genetically susceptible individuals. Natural killer (NK) cells are important members of innate immunity with their cytotoxic activity and also cytokine secretions. They have the capacity to induce or dampen immune responses. Different study groups have reported conflicting results about NK cell activity in the BD pathogenesis, however, contribution of NK cells to BD is still unclear. METHODS NK cells from BD patients with uveitis (n=11) as well as age- and gender-matched healthy controls (n=9) were purified and intracytoplasmic cytokine levels of TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, IL-12 and IL-13 were determined. RESULTS Increased TNF-α, IFN-γ and IL-2 in relapse period and increased IL-4 as well as a slight increase of IL-10 in remission period were observed. CONCLUSIONS Our results show that NK cells are the contributors of BD pathogenesis with their NK1 profile in relapse periods, and also with their NK2 profile in remission periods, in BD patients with uveitis. An increase in IL-10 observed in remission periods may be linked to the regulatory potential of NK cells in the recurrent nature of BD manifestations.
How foreign-born workers foster exports

We investigate the export-enhancing effect of foreign workers at the firm level. We first develop a theoretical framework of heterogeneous firms, assuming that foreign workers allow for productivity gains and convey valuable information on foreign markets. We illustrate that foreign workers foster exports at the extensive and the intensive margins. This effect can be decomposed in a general effect - to which any foreign worker contributes - and a destination-specific effect - to which only foreign workers who were born in the export destination contribute. We test these theoretical predictions using French firm-level data over the 1997-2008 period and a propensity score matching method to address endogeneity concerns. We find that foreign-born workers, and especially skilled individuals, foster exports at both margins. On average, a firm employing foreign-born workers exports 30% more in value than a control firm. We find evidence that this increase is spread over all destinations, suggesting that the effect of foreign-born workers goes beyond a destination-specific informational channel.
Expression and Protein Content of IGF-I and IGF-I Receptor in Placentas from Small, Adequate and Large for Gestational Age Newborns

In humans, a direct relationship between IGF-I cord blood levels and birth weight has been demonstrated. To determine the placental IGF-I, IGF-II and IGF-IR mRNA and protein contents in full-term pregnancies from appropriate for gestational age (AGA), small for gestational age (SGA) and large for gestational age (LGA) newborns, we studied the placentas from 35 AGA, 30 SGA and 28 LGA pregnancies. The IGF-I, IGF-II and IGF-I receptor (IGF-IR) placental mRNA and protein contents were determined in the basal and chorionic plates of the placenta. IGF1 and IGF1R mRNA was higher in SGA compared to AGA and LGA placentas and lower in LGA compared with AGA placentas. In addition, a higher protein content of IGF-I and IGF-IR was observed in SGA compared with AGA and LGA placentas and lower contents in LGA compared with AGA placentas. These results suggest that the higher IGF-I and IGF-IR contents observed in SGA placentas and the lower contents observed in LGA placentas compared with AGA placentas may be influencing human fetal growth.
Interference Management in Spectrum Sharing Systems

Most of the radio spectrum is allocated to licensed services for their exclusive use. This has led to a shortage of spectrum for deploying new wireless services. However, measurements show that a large amount of radio spectrum allocated to licensed services is temporally and spatially underutilised. Spectrum sharing between licensed (primary) and unlicensed systems has been proposed for enhancing the spectral utilisation. This thesis investigates spectrum sharing on the highly underutilised television broadcast frequency bands. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has analysed spectrum sharing between a broadcast primary system and a single unlicensed device (unlicensed transmitter). This thesis extends the FCC analysis by considering multiple unlicensed devices operating in an ad hoc network. It is important that the interference from the unlicensed system to the primary system is limited to an acceptable level. In this thesis, such interference is limited by imposing geographical constraints on the unlicensed system by defining protection regions (i.e. unlicensed device exclusive regions) around the primary transmitter coverage areas. Analytical tools for determining the required protection distances (that define the size of the protection regions) are presented. It is identified that accurate modelling of the radio channel is extremely important in order to efficiently define protection regions and hence ensure primary system protection. The protection distances are also significantly sensitive to the primary system protection criterion and the density of unlicensed devices, especially when multiple primary transmitters with comparatively (compared to their coverage radius) small separation distances are considered. In this thesis, the capacity of the unlicensed system operating under geographical constraints imposed by the primary system performance requirements is characterised. The maximum density of unlicensed devices allowed to simultaneously contend for the primary channel is determined. For such a density, the outage constraint of a receiving node in the unlicensed ad hoc network is met. It is shown that the maximum capacity is obtained at this density. If the unlicensed system is aware of the locations of the typically passive broadcast primary receivers, then the geographical opportunity for the unlicensed system increases. This is because the unlicensed system can operate inside the primary transmitter coverage area by defining protection regions around primary receivers. Tools for determining such protection regions are presented. It is however identified that, compared to the scenario in which only the primary transmitter locations are known, the improvements in capacity obtained from knowing the primary receiver locations are typically less than 6%. Hence, it may not be significantly advantageous to system planners to invest in detecting the primary receiver locations, which involves a high infrastructure cost due to the required cooperation from the primary system.
Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) polymorphisms associated with nephritis and arthritis in systemic lupus erythematosus.

OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to confirm whether polymorphisms of the poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase gene (PARP) are associated with genetic susceptibility to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and to investigate the possible association of nephritis and arthritis in SLE with PARP polymorphisms. METHODS Using direct DNA sequencing in 24 individuals, we identified 44 sequence variants within exons and their flanking regions, including the 1.5-kb promoter region of PARP. Six common polymorphic sites were selected for larger-scale genotyping (in 350 Korean SLE patients and 330 healthy controls), which identified six common haplotypes. RESULTS Although no statistically significant association with the risk of SLE was observed, we found that two single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs -1963A --> G and +28077G --> A) were significantly associated with an increased risk of nephritis, and one non-synonymous variant [+40329T --> C(V762A)] was also significantly associated with an increased risk of arthritis, while the -1963A --> G SNP showed a protective effect on arthritis in Korean SLE patients. CONCLUSION Our results demonstrate that PARP polymorphisms are not associated with SLE susceptibility, but that -1963A --> G, +28077G --> A and +40329T --> C(V762A) are significantly associated with nephritis and arthritis in Korean SLE patients.
Integrating social media within an integrated marketing communication decision-making framework

ABSTRACT The reported failure of organisations to successfully implement social media (SM) within marketing communications is likely to result in competitive disadvantage. An exploratory methodology was undertaken to understand implementation challenges of SM. The methodology drew on grounded theory with the in-depth interviews with senior marketers in the first phase of data collection guiding the second phase of data collection. The third phase involved 21 senior marketers completing an online questionnaire which obtained more generalised feedback on the model and identified differences in model application for different SM platforms. The contribution of the study is to propose a sequential decision-making framework for marketers that may help them overcome decision-making uncertainty regarding the choice and implementation of SM platforms.
Image of business schools: A Malaysian perspective

The increasing number of business schools in Malaysia has led to competitive pressures to attract the best students from both national and international arenas. These business schools have, and, are developing competitive marketing strategies to augment their image in terms of university rankings as well as be seen to be the top business school in the country. The current study, thus, focuses on the branding of Malaysian business schools. Specifically, the study investigates the impact of several attributes (functional, technical quality and innovativeness) on satisfaction and, subsequently, upon institution (or brand) reputation and loyalty. This study is informed by 417 responses from MBA students attending three Malaysian business schools. Results indicate full mediation among technical quality, innovativeness and brand reputation while functional attributes have only a partial effect. The practical contribution of the study and its managerial implications lie in the domain of strategic direction and positioning of brand reputation in a higher education context.
Non‐invasive fetal RHD and RHCE genotyping from maternal plasma in alloimmunized pregnancies

In this prospective study, we assessed the feasibility of fetal RH genotyping by analysis of DNA extracted from maternal plasma samples of alloimmunized pregnant women using real‐time PCR and primers and probes targeted toward RHD (exon 7 and exon 10) and RHCE (intron 2 and exon 5) genes.
A fuzzy synthetic evaluation analysis of operational management critical success factors for public-private partnership infrastructure projects

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the factor groupings of a set of 19 critical success factors (CSFs) associated with managing public-private partnership (PPP) projects at the operational stage and examine the most significant factor grouping using fuzzy synthetic evaluation (FSE) technique. Design/methodology/approach The paper adopted a comprehensive review of the pertinent literature and an empirical questionnaire survey geared towards targeted international PPP experts. Survey responses were analysed using factor analysis and FSE modelling. Findings The results from factor analysis show five CSF groupings (CSFGs) for managing operational PPPs. These are proficient service delivery and adequate legal structures, simplified payment mechanism and consistent project monitoring, effective contract variations management, suitable stakeholder management mechanism and environmental health and safety control. The FSE modelling shows that “simplified payment mechanism and consistent project monitoring”, is the most critical CSFG. The operational management CSFs under this grouping are acceptable level of user fee charges, efficient and well-structured payment mechanism, consistent project performance monitoring and long-term demand for public facility. Research limitations/implications The major limitation lies in the low sample size that was used for analysis; however the years of research and/or industrial experience of respondents and the wide coverage of different cultural backgrounds (18 countries from five regions globally) contribute to the authenticity of the survey responses. Future research should adopt interviews and case study analysis to unravel CSFs in managing operational PPPs. Originality/value The findings of this study are considerably beneficial to both public authorities and private operators. They inform practitioners of the strategic procedures and measures to employ in optimising the operational performance of PPP projects. Further, the methodology employed allows project management experts to reliably select the operational management CSFs for their projects.
Tumor and Stem Cell Biology CAMTA 1 , a 1 p 36 Tumor Suppressor Candidate , Inhibits Growth and Activates Differentiation Programs in Neuroblastoma Cells

A distal portion of human chromosome 1p is often deleted in neuroblastomas and other cancers and it is generally assumed that this region harbors one or more tumor suppressor genes. In neuroblastoma, a 261 kb region at 1p36.3 that encompasses the smallest region of consistent deletion pinpoints the locus for calmodulin binding transcription activator 1 (CAMTA1). Low CAMTA1 expression is an independent predictor of poor outcome inmultivariate survival analysis, but its potential functionality in neuroblastoma has not been explored. In this study, we used inducible cell models to analyze the impact of CAMTA1 on neuroblastoma biology. In neuroblastoma cells that expressed little endogenous CAMTA1, its ectopic expression slowed cell proliferation, increasing the relative proportion of cells in G1/G0 phases of the cell cycle, inhibited anchorage-independent colony formation, and suppressed the growth of tumor xenografts. CAMTA1 also induced neurite-like processes and markers of neuronal differentiation in neuroblastoma cells. Further, retinoic acid and other differentiationinducing stimuli upregulated CAMTA1 expression in neuroblastoma cells. Transciptome analysis revealed 683 genes regulated on CAMTA1 induction and gene ontology analysis identified genes consistent with CAMTA1induced phenotypes, with a significant enrichment for genes involved in neuronal function and differentiation. Our findings define properties of CAMTA1 in growth suppression and neuronal differentiation that support its assignment as a 1p36 tumor suppressor gene in neuroblastoma. Cancer Res; 71(8); 3142–51. 2011 AACR.
Nuclear Ago2/HSP60 contributes to broad spectrum of hATSCs function via Oct4 regulation.

AIMS Argonaute2 (Ago2) plays a fundamental role in microRNA-mediated gene regulation through its intrinsic endonuclease activity. In this study we demonstrate the novel functions and molecular mechanisms by which nuclear Ago2 directly regulates HSP (heat shock protein) 60 expression and stem cell self-renewal. HSP60 is a crucial regulator of ROS (reactive oxygen species), senescence, and apoptotic cell death in several tissues and cell types. RESULTS HSP60 is regulated via inactivation of p38/JNK and p53 and binds directly to the regulatory regions of the TERT, c-myc, GPx3, p53, and STAT3 genes. Using HSP60 CHIP-PCR experiments, we show that HSP60 binds directly to the Oct4 and Nanog genes and directly regulates Oct4 and other stemness genes involved in human adipose tissue-derived stem cell (hATSC) differentiation. HSP60 also positively regulates ROS-scavenging factors, including GPx3 and TXNL1, which directly modulate cytosolic ROS in hATSCs. Moreover, our study shows that Oct4 regulates HSP60 expression and controls hATSC survival and self-renewal after binding to the HSP60 gene. Furthermore, HSP60-mediated regulation of Oct4 contributes to neuronal and endodermal β-cell differentiation of hATSCs in vitro and in vivo and downregulates mesoderm-specific gene expression. INNOVATION AND CONCLUSION We show that increased levels of Ago2 or HSP60 effectively induce nuclear localization of HSP60, which directly controls Oct4, c-Myc, p53, TERT, and STAT3 for transdifferentiation programs. Collectively, we suggest a novel model in which nuclear Ago2 controls HSP60 in hATSCs.
The Effect of Hand‐Grip Stabilization on Isokinetic Torque at the Knee

Isokinetic dynamometers commonly measure muscle strength during conditioning and rehabilitation. Previous studies have shown that stabilization can affect isokinetic torque production. However, the effect of stabilization with hand-grip use has not been examined, and there are inconsistencies in the literature regarding its use. Fifteen men (× age ± SD = 24 ± 3 years, height = 187 ± 6 cm, mass = 84 ± 10 kg) and 15 women (age = 25 ± 4 years, height = 167 ± 8 cm, mass = 62 ± 6 kg) were tested on a Cybex 6000 dynamometer. Torque and joint angle signals, as well as quadriceps and hamstrings electromyographic (EMG) signals, were recorded during maximal knee flexion/extension at speeds of 60, 180, and 300°·s−1. Subjects performed the testing both with (stabilized) and without (nonstabilized with arms folded across the chest) hand-grip use. Repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed a significant-motion (flexion, extension), χ-condition (stabilized, non-stabilized) interaction in the data from the men in which hand-grip stabilization resulted in an 8.4% increase in knee extensor torque vs. a 0.2% increase in knee flexor torque. Stabilization did not significantly affect torque in women. The EMG analyses did not indicate a significant change in either agonist drive or antagonist cocontraction that accounted for the enhanced torque output with hand-grip use. This study found that hand-grip use enhanced knee extension maximal torque in men, but did not affect torque in women. The EMG data did not account for the changes in the torque data. Differences between men and women may have been due to mechanical factors and grip strength. These results indicate that hand-grip use needs to be considered when examining gender differences in knee strength and when studying knee flexion-extension ratios.