Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
NRG1, a repressor of filamentous growth in C.albicans, is down‐regulated during filament induction

In response to a variety of external signals, the fungal pathogen Candida albicans undergoes a transition between ellipsoidal single cells (blastospores) and filaments composed of elongated cells attached end‐to‐end. Here we identify a DNA‐binding protein, Nrg1, that represses filamentous growth in Candida probably by acting through the co‐repressor Tup1. nrg1 mutant cells are predominantly filamentous under non‐filament‐inducing conditions and their colony morphology resembles that of tup1 mutants. We also identify two filament‐specific genes, ECE1 and HWP1, whose transcription is repressed by Nrg1 under non‐inducing conditions. These genes constitute a subset of those under Tup1 control, providing further evidence that Nrg1 acts by recruiting Tup1 to target genes. We show that growth in serum at 37°C, a potent inducer of filamentous growth, causes a reduction of NRG1 mRNA, suggesting that filamentous growth is induced by the down‐regulation of NRG1. Consistent with this idea, expression of NRG1 from a non‐regulated promoter partially blocks the induction of filamentous growth.
The customer chain operation reference model for the mainboard industry

In a highly competitive market, the customer chain tends to change with shifting distribution channels which poses certain difficulties for management. This paper focuses on the mainboard (M/B) industry to analyze and establish the modulating processes of enterprise–customer chain activities based on the customer chain operator reference (CCOR) model developed by the supply chain council. In this paper, three leading global M/B manufacturing companies were studied, and the results were used to establish a CCOR model for the M/B industry; the Modified Delphi method was used to establish a Level-3 CCOR model, and further discussions were held to examine methods to establish a Level-4 CCOR model. By conducting an empirical study on actual cases, we provide the M/B industry with valuable reference tools to help build customer chains.
The prevalence of alcohol misuse in patients undergoing cataract surgery

If a factor could be identified which delayed the onset of cataract by 10 years, the number of annual cataract operations worldwide has been estimated to decrease by 45%. A case‐control study compared alcohol consumption in 78 patients attending for routine cataract surgery in South East London with data from a large population‐based survey. Male cataract patients had a significantly greater risk of being harmful drinkers (odds ratio = 8, p = 0.007) than the controls. The harmful male drinkers were significantly younger than the non‐drinkers with cataract (mean difference 15 years, p < 0.007). Female cataract patients were not more likely to be excessive drinkers than controls. The female drinkers with cataract were of a similar age to the non‐drinking female patients with cataract. Haematological and biochemical indices of alcohol toxicity indicated five patients who were likely to be harmful drinkers, but who had denied this on direct questioning. Seven (26%) of the male patients had a low serum 25 hydroxycholecalciferol although the levels were normal in the female patients. These results support the view that excess alcohol consumption is related to cataract formation and suggest that alcohol causes premature cataract formation in male, but not female patients. Alcohol consumption is amenable to intervention and suggests that such intervention could have a significant impact on the need for cataract surgery.
Measuring the Impact of Product Placement on Children Using Digital Brand Integration

Recent marketing literature has called for more research that focuses on the influence of new media on children and, specifically, the use of product placement. The objective of this study was to analyze the impact of food and beverage product placements on children of different ages. Using an experimental approach, groups of children viewed the same television program, but with either healthy products or unhealthy brands digitally inserted. A detailed survey then measured aided and unaided recall and immediate choice behavior. In total, 225 children from two schools took part in the experiment. The results indicated strong recall for the products placed, especially for the unhealthy products, and particularly among older children. However, the placements had only a modest influence on immediate behavior, with regression analysis suggesting that the packaging was more significant in influencing choice. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
OPTIMIZATION‐BASED PROCUREMENT FOR TRANSPORTATION SERVICES

This paper presents the concept of optimization-based procurement for transportation services. The approach allows both the shipper and carriers to benefit through the use of a collaborative approach to securing and managing a strategic relationship. Because the shipper's assignment problem involves a combinatorial number of choices and cannot be easily executed manually, the procurement process benefits strongly from the use of optimization. The authors introduce the optimization-based procurement process, briefly analyze the theoretical issues, and discuss lessons learned from its application in practice over the last several years.
Effects of age on concurrent vowel perception in acoustic and simulated electroacoustic hearing.

PURPOSE In this study, the authors investigated the effects of age on the use of fundamental frequency differences (ΔF(0)) in the perception of competing synthesized vowels in simulations of electroacoustic and cochlear-implant hearing. METHOD Twelve younger listeners with normal hearing and 13 older listeners with (near) normal hearing were evaluated in their use of ΔF(0) in the perception of competing synthesized vowels for 3 conditions: unprocessed synthesized vowels (UNP), envelope-vocoded synthesized vowels that simulated a cochlear implant (VOC), and synthesized vowels processed to simulate electroacoustic stimulation (EAS) hearing. Tasks included (a) multiplicity, which required listeners to identify whether a stimulus contained 1 or 2 sounds and (b) double-vowel identification, which required listeners to attach phonemic labels to the competing synthesized vowels. RESULTS Multiplicity perception was facilitated by ΔF(0) in UNP and EAS but not in VOC, with no age-related deficits evident. Double-vowel identification was facilitated by ΔF(0), with ΔF(0) benefit largest in UNP, reduced in EAS, and absent in VOC. Age adversely affected overall identification and ΔF(0) benefit on the double-vowel task. CONCLUSIONS Some but not all older listeners derived ΔF(0) benefit in EAS hearing. This variability may partly be due to how listeners are able to draw on higher-level processing resources in extracting and integrating cues in EAS hearing.
Interaction of Age with Time of Day and Mental Load in Different Cognitive Tasks

Extensive research has demonstrated that shiftwork produces deleterious effects on health because of the desynchrony it induces in the biological clock. The problem is even more crucial for older workers who present, in addition, various decrements in their cognitive functioning, particularly on attention and memory. The present study assessed whether age was related to task complexity as a function of time of day and time-on-task in a rapid rotating work-rest schedule. 24 subjects (12 juniors: 20–30 years and 12 seniors: 50–60 years) performed either a simple task (visual discrimination) or a complex task (descending subtraction) on three different moments of the day simulating the main shifts (morning, evening, and night). Analysis indicated that an age effect was only present on the more complex task, which was demanding in attentional resources and memory load. Seniors had no deficit in performance on the simple task compared to juniors. The effect of time of day was restricted to the simple task for both age groups. However, some differential strategies appear to distinguish juniors and seniors, specifically on accuracy during the night, suggesting that subjects of different ages cope with cognitive tasks in different ways and that perhaps some adverse effects apparently associated with aging could be counteracted by efficient strategies, but not others.
Determination of human platelet membrane permeability coefficients using the Kedem-Katchalsky formalism: estimates from two- vs three-parameter fits.

Attempts to cryopreserve human blood platelets have resulted in poor postthaw survival rates and have been inadequate for routine clinical application. As a result, most blood banks maintain platelets in nonfrozen solutions. Using this approach, platelets can be stored for only about 5 days and are then discarded. This situation greatly limits the use of platelet transfusion in clinical practice. Information regarding fundamental cryobiological characteristics can be applied to predict platelet response to cryoprotective agent (CPA) addition/removal and to cooling/warming. Methods can then be engineered to optimize cryopreservation procedures, thereby minimizing platelet damage and maximizing postthaw recovery. It was therefore the purpose of this study to determine some of the necessary biophysical parameters required for this process: (i) plasma membrane hydraulic conductivity (Lp), (ii) cryoprotectant solute permeability coefficient (Ps), (iii) the associated reflection coefficient (sigma), and (iv) their activation energies. The CPAs studied included dimethyl sulfoxide (Me2SO) and propylene glycol at 1.5 M concentration. Permeability was measured at 22, 10, and 4 degrees C using a modified Coulter counter in conjunction with a water-jacketed beaker system for temperature regulation. The Kedem-Katchalsky formalism was used to estimate the parameters using: (1) a three-parameter fit and (2) a two-parameter fit in which a noninteracting value of sigma was calculated. Two-parameter estimates were in closer agreement with previously published values, and these were used in a model to simulate addition and removal of 0.64 M (5%) and 1.0 M (7.8%) Me2SO, the most common CPA currently used in empirically determined platelet cryopreservation protocols.
Intravenous cholangiography in the differential diagnosis of acute cholecystitis.

Intravenous cholangiography with iodi-patnide (Cholografin) has found widespread application in the recognition of a variety of chronic biliary tract disorders (1). Preliminary observations in the writers' department (2), as well as limited experience of others (3, 4), have suggested the added possibility of using this procedure in the recognition of acute cholecystitis. No report has been published, however, to document the value of this method in a large series of patients. The present paper will describe our experience with emergency intravenous cholangiography in approximately 220 patients seen with acute abdominal signs and symptoms. This group includes 69 patients with proved acute cholecystitis. The accurate preoperative diagnosis of acute cholecystitis remains an urgent and often difficult clinical problem. Of particular importance is the need to distinguish this disease from acute disorders of the abdomen and thorax which are of a nonsurgical nature. Acute pancreatitis, for example, may present s.
Board Dynamics: A Structural Investigation

This paper studies how board structure changes with CEO characteristics. I estimate a structural model that endogenizes board structure, CEO firing, and firm performance. Adopting such an approach mitigates endogeneity concerns and allows for the exploration of some within-firm results that are difficult to document using regressions. I find a negative relation between board independence and CEO ability. This relation is strong when CEO ability is low, but it is weak on average. Further, when I restrict CEO ability to be the only CEO characteristic that can cause variation in board independence, the standard deviation of board independence in the simulated sample is less than 50% of its empirical counterpart. These results explain why the relation between board independence and CEO ability becomes insignificant in regression framework. Additionally, I find that appointing more outsiders only moderately improves the board's monitoring performance. The directors are unwilling to fire some low-ability CEOs because their private firing cost can be as large as $116 million on average. An outsider-dominated board reduces such a cost by less than 20%. Some low-ability CEOs are therefore able to keep their jobs even when the board comprises mostly of outsiders and board members hold a significant proportion of equity.
Indacaterol: A Novel Long‐Acting β2‐Agonist

Bronchodilator drugs are the foundation for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The principal inhaled bronchodilator treatments used are β2‐agonists and anticholinergics, either alone or in combination. Currently available β2‐agonists are of either short duration and used multiple times/day, or of long duration, which requires twice‐daily administration. Indacaterol is considered an ultra–long‐acting β2‐agonist and was recently approved for use in the United States. Its duration of action is approximately 24 hours, allowing for once‐daily administration. Cough was the most commonly reported adverse effect with use of indacaterol. Cough usually occurred within 15 seconds of inhalation of the drug, lasted around 6 seconds, was not associated with bronchospasm, and did not cause discontinuation of the drug. Otherwise, the drug's safety profile was similar to that of other bronchodilators. Based on similar improvement in spirometric measurements compared with other bronchodilator drugs and the convenience of its once‐daily dosing, indacaterol may be beneficial in the management of mild‐to‐moderate chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, either alone or in combination with anticholinergic drugs administered once/day.
Succession Issues among Family Entrepreneurs in Countries of the Gulf

Small family business succession is gaining increased prominence in Western societies. In Arab societies, literature on family business succession is virtually nonexistent. As Arab societies are embracing Western values, the issues of family business succession that are considered in the West will become major issues in Arab societies. This empirical study explores the transferability of theoretical constructs developed in the West to the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council. The findings suggest that a family enterprise that has decided to keep management control within the family cannot possibly hope to achieve this without family members who are trusted by the incumbent.
Health Promotion Practices of the Old‐Old

&NA; The purpose of this study was to describe the health promotion activities of older adults in a life care community. A total of 195 older adults participated in a health promotion survey. The old and old‐old age groups demonstrated a decrease in cancer screening behaviors, aerobic exercise, and compliance with a low cholesterol diet. Moreover, these individuals indicated that they had lived a sufficient period of time, and were no longer interested in disease prevention and prolongation of life. Older adults may benefit from an individualized approach to health promotion that focuses on quality rather than quantity of life.
Determinants of market orientation in accounting firms

Purpose – Though market orientation has been studied extensively, in the context of goods and services, little is known of its practical application in professional services specifically. This study, therefore, aims to develop and validate a market orientation scale relevant to accountancy firms.Design/methodology/approach – A conceptual framework was built from first principles and the literature, and a research questionnaire adapted from the widely used standard pattern. Data collected from 1,042 usable questionnaires completed by managers of accounting firms in Turkey were subjected to confirmatory factor analysis was employed, to test the model and analyze approaches and applications in practice.Findings – Results suggest that Turkish accounting firms believe customer orientation to be the most significant construct within market orientation. The market environment is also considered important, but there is no strong support for competitor orientation, conventionally the third plank of market orientat.
Mind wandering in sentence reading: decoupling the link between mind and eye.

When people read, their thoughts sometimes drift away from the task at hand: They are "mind wandering. " Recent research suggests that this change in task focus is reflected in eye movements and this was tested in an experiment using controlled stimuli. Participants were presented with a series of sentences containing high- and low-frequency words, which they read while being eye-tracked, and they were sometimes probed to indicate whether they were on task or mind wandering. The results showed multiple differences between reading prior to a mind-wandering response and reading when on task: Mind wandering led to slower reading times, longer average fixation duration, and an absence of the word frequency effect on gaze duration. Collectively, these findings confirm that task focus could be inferred from eye movements, and they indicate that the link between word identification and eye scanning is decoupled when the mind wanders.
Effects of cultural assimilation on the performance of a construction project – evidence from UAE

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to assess the effect of the national culture on the performance of a construction project in the UAE. This study benchmarks reason for the success or failure of construction projects from the cultural perspective. Design/methodology/approach – This study takes a case study approach, using the qualitative research method. Data were collected through participant observation and project records as part of the lessons learned and the data were analysed using the coding procedure of grounded theory. Re-confirmation and cross-checking interviews were also conducted to confirm the correctness of the coding. The qualitative data were expressed in quantitative terms to signify statistically the effect of the national culture on the construction project. In this way, the research methodology employed triangulation in its data analysis. Findings – This study found differences in the national culture of the Chinese construction project management teams in overseas construction p.
Coming to a Restaurant Near You? Potential Consumer Responses to Nutrition Information Disclosure on Menus

Is the increase in away-from-home food consumption partially responsible for the rising prevalence of overweight consumers? Some believe that this may be the case since restaurants are not required to make easily accessible nutrition information available at the point of purchase. A field study, experiment, and consumer food diaries were used to explore how nutrition information disclosure on menus may influence consumers' product evaluations and consumption behaviors. In the context of away-from-home food consumption, we find that product claims and consumer motivation moderate the effects of nutrition information provision. Consumer health and welfare implications of our findings are discussed.
Analyzing bank ratings: key determinants and procyclicality

This paper presents a joint examination of how different factors influence the assignment of S&P and Moody's long term bank ratings using a unique data set covering different regions, bank sizes, and bank types. In doing so, we include new bank and country specifc variables. Furthermore, we include measures of the business cycle in our analysis to determine whether long term bank ratings tend to be related to the cycle after conditioning on a set of variables. We show that Moody's and S&P seem to have different rating determinants, different sensitivity towards the business cycle and behave differently when rating banks that are rated by both of them. This paper's findings are highly relevant for various bank stakeholders, who often tend to assume that Moody's and S&P have equivalent rating scales and rating processes.
Cross-Country Growth Empirics and Model Uncertainty: An Overview

Abstract The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of empirical cross-country growth literature. The paper begins with describing the basic framework used in recent empirical crosscountry growth research. Even though this literature was mainly inspired by endogenous growth theories, the neoclassical growth model is still the workhorse for cross-country growth empirics. The second part of the paper emphasises model uncertainty, which is indeed immense but generally neglected in the empirical cross-country growth literature. The most outstanding feature of the literature is that a large number of factors have been suggested as fundamental growth determinants. Together with the small sample property, this leads to an important problem: model uncertainty. The questions which factors are more fundamental in explaining growth dynamics and hence growth differences are still the subject of academic research. Recent attempts based on general-to-specific modeling or model averaging are promising but have their own limits. Finally, the paper highlights the implications of model uncertainty for policy evaluation.
Suppressor Analysis of the MotB(D33E) Mutation To Probe Bacterial Flagellar Motor Dynamics Coupled with Proton Translocation

ABSTRACT MotA and MotB form the stator of the proton-driven bacterial flagellar motor, which conducts protons and couples proton flow with motor rotation. Asp-33 of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium MotB, which is a putative proton-binding site, is critical for torque generation. However, the mechanism of energy coupling remains unknown. Here, we carried out genetic and motility analysis of a slowly motile motB(D33E) mutant and its pseudorevertants. We first confirmed that the poor motility of the motB(D33E) mutant is due to neither protein instability, mislocalization, nor impaired interaction with MotA. We isolated 17 pseudorevertants and identified the suppressor mutations in the transmembrane helices TM2 and TM3 of MotA and in TM and the periplasmic domain of MotB. The stall torque produced by the motB(D33E) mutant motor was about half of the wild-type level, while those for the pseudorevertants were recovered nearly to the wild-type levels. However, the high-speed rotations of the motors under low-load conditions were still significantly impaired, suggesting that the rate of proton translocation is still severely limited at high speed. These results suggest that the second-site mutations recover a torque generation step involving stator-rotor interactions coupled with protonation/deprotonation of Glu-33 but not maximum proton conductivity.
Profitability in professional sports and benchmarking: the case of NBA franchises

Purpose – The aim of this study is to demonstrate suitability of the continuous improvement framework and use of benchmarking method in the context of sports.Design/methodology/approach – This study uses non‐financial performance measures that are indicative of performance and are closely related to the desired outcomes. Use of such measures seems necessary in the sports and appropriate in relation to professional sports organizations' recruiting, attendance, and profit maximizing objectives. Analyses of this study are based on data of National Basketball Association (NBA) games over three basketball seasons.Findings – The results indicated significant correlation between attendance and winning percentages. Furthermore, the results suggest that a team can improve its winning percentages by changes in the roster that help it emulate superior teams. Comparing teams that advanced in a given season and reach the playoffs with those that did not, revealed the more important skill factors for success in the NBA.