Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sleep Disorders: A Risk Factor for Normal-Tension Glaucoma?

PurposeTo determine the prevalence of sleep-related symptoms and sleep-related breathing disorders by polysomnography in patients with normal-tension glaucoma (NTG). Patients and MethodsThis comparative case series included 23 patients with NTG, 14 NTG suspects, and 30 comparison patients without NTG. A sleep history was obtained and determined to be positive or negative. Polysomnography was offered for patients with a positive sleep history. Prevalence of a positive sleep history and prevalence of sleep disorders were the main outcome measures. ResultsThe NTG, NTG suspect, and comparison groups did not differ with respect to age, body mass index, systemic disease, gender, or race. Thirteen (57%) of 23 patients with NTG, 6 (43%) of 14 NTG suspects, and 1 (3%) of 30 comparison patients had a positive sleep history (P = 0.001). Nine of 13 patients with NTG and four of six NTG suspects with a positive sleep history chose to undergo polysomnography. Seven (78%) of nine patients with NTG and all four NTG suspects undergoing polysomnography were diagnosed with a sleep disorder. Five patients with NTG had sleep apnea and two had sleep hypopnea. Two NTG suspects had sleep apnea; one had sleep hypopnea; and one had upper airway resistance syndrome. The one comparison patient with a positive sleep history had upper airway resistance syndrome by polysomnography. ConclusionsSleep-disturbed breathing may be a risk factor for NTG. Although we do not provide evidence for a cause-and-effect relationship, various physiologic factors produced by sleep-disturbed breathing may play a significant role in the pathogenesis of this optic neuropathy. We recommend obtaining a sleep history from patients with NTG and performing polysomnography in those patients with sleep disturbance symptoms.
Altitude ammonia-oxidizing bacteria and archaea in soils of Mount Everest.

To determine the abundance and distribution of bacterial and archaeal ammonia oxidizers in alpine and permafrost soils, 12 soils at altitudes of 4000-6550 m above sea level (m a.s.l.) were collected from the northern slope of the Mount Everest (Tibetan Plateau), where the permanent snow line is at 5800-6000 m a.s. l. Communities were characterized by real-time PCR and clone sequencing by targeting on amoA genes, which putatively encode ammonia monooxygenase subunit A. Archaeal amoA abundance was greater than bacterial amoA abundance in lower altitude soils (<or=5400 m a.s.l.), but this situation was reversed in higher altitude soils (>or=5700 m a.s.l.). Both archaeal and bacterial amoA abundance decreased abruptly in higher altitude soils. Communities shifted from a Nitrosospira amoA cluster 3a-dominated ammonia-oxidizing bacteria community in lower altitude soils to communities dominated by a newly designated Nitrosospira ME and cluster 2-related groups and Nitrosomonas cluster 6 in higher altitude soils. All archaeal amoA sequences fell within soil and sediment clusters, and the proportions of the major archaeal amoA clusters changed between the lower altitude and the higher altitude soils. These findings imply that the shift in the relative abundance and community structure of archaeal and bacterial ammonia oxidizers may result from selection of organisms adapted to altitude-dependent environmental factors in elevated soils.
Cultural Adaptation in Cross-border Web Presence: An Investigation of German Companies' Domestic, US, UK and Latin-American Websites

The standardization vs. adaptation debate in international marketing is still ongoing, yet, in the online realm the discussion is only just emerging. While practitioners are excited to jump on the online communication and commerce bandwagon, empirical research on the issue of online standardization vs. adaptation is still relatively limited and mostly concerns US firms. This paper explores 100 German companies’ domestic, U.S., U.K. and Latin American websites and employs a cultural value analysis. We build on Hofstede’s and Hall’s cultural framework. Findings suggest that cultural value depiction is not very strong in the relevant markets, thus a certain degree of ‘cultural alienation’ takes place. It is suggested that to engage better with their customer and reach better cultural congruency companies need to work harder on developing culturally adapted websites.
Forest Resource Utilization by Tribal Community of Jaunsar, Uttarakhand

The life of Jaunsaris, a tribal community of Jaunsar Bawar of Dehra Dun District, depends mainly on farming and forest resources. Farming in Jaunsar is of subsistence nature and heavily depending on rains. Therefore utilization of forest resources is the key for survival of the people of Jaunsar. This study provides details about the use of forest resources ranging from wild edible food to the non food items by these hilly tribal. Data was collected based on a pre tested questionnaire containing arrays of forest resources being utilized by them from 302 randomly selected households distributed in 34 villages of the region. This paper discusses about the use of forest resource and its contribution for the survival of the community. It classified forest resources based on characteristics of use by the Jaunsaries as consumption goods, durable goods, agricultural inputs, inputs for other production and asset formation. The proportion of households using forest resources has also been explored under different categories. Study clearly showed the dependency of this community on the forest, utilizing its resources for different requirements. Depletion of the forest is very critical for the survival of Jaunsaris. Therefore, policy makers must consider those policy instruments, which should conserve the forest besides providing the alternate solutions for these resources.
Subcellular localization of recently‐absorbed iron in mouse duodenal enterocytes: Identification of a basolateral membrane iron‐binding site

The subcellular distribution of newly absorbed iron in isolated mouse duodenal enterocytes was investigated by analytical subcellular fractionation using sucrose density gradient centifugation. Two major peaks of mucosal 59Fe activity were observed: one soluble and one particulate (density 1·18–1·20 g ml−1). The latter was increased following prior exposure of animals to chronic hypoxia. The particulate 59Fe was localized to the basolateral membranes using the marker enzyme Na+, K+ activated, Mg2+ dependant, ATPase and by washing intact enterocytes with the selective plasma membrane perturbant digitonin.
A resilient and sustainable supply chain: Is it affordable?

Developing environmentally and socially sustainable supply chains has become an integral part of corporate strategy for virtually every industry. However, little is understood about the broader impacts of sustainability practices on the capacity of the supply chain to tolerate disruptions. This article aims to investigate the sustainability-resilience relationship at the strategic supply chain design level using a multi-objective optimization model and an empirical case study. The proposed model utilizes a sustainability performance scoring method and a novel programming approach to perform a dynamic sustainability tradeoff analysis and design a lresiliently greenr supply chain.
Cell Signaling by the Type IV Pili of Pathogenic Neisseria*

Neisseria gonorrhoeae andNeisseria meningitidis are Gram-negative bacterial pathogens that infect human mucosal epithelia. Type IV pilus-mediated adherence of these bacteria is a crucial early event for establishment of infection. In this work, we show that the type IV pili transduce a signal into the eucaryotic host cell. Purified adherent pili, but not pili from a low binding mutant, trigger an increase in the cytosolic free calcium ([Ca2+] i ) in target epithelial cells, a signal known to control many cellular responses. The [Ca2+] i increase was blocked by antibodies against CD46, a putative pilus receptor, suggesting a role for this protein in signal transduction. Pilus-mediated attachment was inhibited by depletion of host cell intracellular Ca2+ stores but not by removal of extracellular Ca2+. Further, kinase inhibition studies showed that pilus-mediated adherence is dependent on casein kinase II. In summary, these data reveal a novel function of the type IV pili, namely induction of signal transduction pathways in host cells.
Exploring Hopes And Fears From Supply Chain Innovations: An Analysis Of Antecedents And Consequences Of Supply Chain Knowledge Exchanges

This paper introduces the concept of Process Innovation Propagation (PIP) as a power-based appropriation mechanism that departs from conventional strategies of protective appropriation. PIP is defined as collecting returns from process innovations through passing them over to supply chain partners. The transfer process is based on the two mediated sources of power which pre-exist in a buyer-supplier linkage prior to joint innovation endeavors: market and expert, and is novel in: (1) suggesting external appropriation through using other firms as opposed to solely depending on internal capabilities, (2) directly challenging the preclusive component of generative appropriability, and, (3) collecting innovation rents through supply chain operational benefits and market image. Acknowledging its significant potential as a profit-enhancing mechanism, PIP is distinguished as a new construct and propositions regarding its elements and antecedents are developed based on a thorough analysis and synthesis of the literature. PROCESS INNOVATION PROPAGATION EMAN NASR
In‐hospital direct cost of acute ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke in Greece

Objectives – The geographic inequity and the wide variation in the patterns of care of stroke found across Europe together with the lack of health economics evaluation in Greece led to this prospective study, aiming to provide data on in‐hospital direct cost of patients with an acute stroke in Greece, and to identify independent prognostic factors.
Defending the Food Supply Chain: Retail Food, Foodservice and their Wholesale Suppliers

This report details the activities and findings of a three year research project funded by The National Center for Food Protection and Defense at the University of Minnesota, a Homeland Security Center of Excellence. The project was conducted by three universities each taking responsibility for collecting data on a different part of the food supply chain. The overall goal was to ascertain the food defense practices and readiness of food firms along the food supply chain to defend their food and other assets from a potential terrorist attack. David Closs in the Supply Chain Management Center at Michigan State University was the named leader of the overall project. Dr. Closs and his colleagues investigated the practices of food manufacturers and some wholesalers. Chip White and Alan Erera from the Georgia Institute of Technology investigated the practices of trucking companies and Jean Kinsey and colleagues at The Food Industry Center at the University of Minnesota investigated the food defense practices of retailers (grocers and foodservice) and wholesalers who supply both these channels. This report focuses on the work of The Food Industry Center and the benchmarks of the retail and wholesale food companies. This project addresses the need to increase awareness of food system vulnerabilities among retail and wholesale food companies and enhance their preparedness for catastrophic incidents. Initial interviews and pilot surveys established the management and operations practices at retail, wholesale, and food service companies that lead to tightened security at a variety of food companies. The lessons learned from the initial stage of the project were incorporated into a comprehensive survey to ascertain the best practices in management, employment, communication, and information preparedness among firms in the wholesale/retail end of the food supply chain. The project will produce a benchmark report against which food companies can judge their relative level of preparedness for prevention, detection, response, and recovery. Results will be used to develop a set of best practices, a benchmarking (diagnostic) software tool for food companies to use and recommendations on improving food security practices, protecting employees and consumers, reducing vulnerabilities, and enhancing consumer confidence in the safety of the food supply.
Hotel Guests' Reactions to Guest Room Sustainability Initiatives

This study employs an empirical procedure to address a key issue regarding energy-saving manipulations to hotel guest rooms. That issue is how guests will react to changes that are intended to save energy—or whether the conservation efforts can be subtle enough that they will not interfere with the guest experience. The study involved the following experimental conditions: reduced television power levels and alterations in bathroom lighting in the guest rooms of the Statler Hotel, which is the 150-room, four-diamond property operated by the Cornell School of Hotel Administration as both a commercial hotel and as a student teaching laboratory. The study tested four power levels for the guestroom liquid crystal display (LCD) televisions, and also compared guests’ reactions to the existing compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) in the bathrooms and to light emitting diodes (LEDs) which replaced the CFLs in some rooms. Guests were asked for their assessments of several aspects of the room. They noticed no differences in the televisions, regardless of power level, and they were likewise equally pleased with LEDs and CFLs. This study points to the likelihood that hoteliers can confidently reduce power to LCD television sets (or replace old sets), and they can at minimum replace incandescent bulbs with CFLs for considerable savings, or take a further energy conserving step and use LED lighting. This study indicates that guests either do not notice or are supportive of such energy-conservation measures. One other hopeful finding is that many respondents said that they would be willing to pay more to support a hotel’s sustainability initiatives.
Trip chaining: understanding how New Zealanders link their travel

There has been increasing interest by governments in New Zealand in replacing short car trips (less than 5 kilometress) with trips using other more environmentally friendly modes, such as passenger transport, walking and cycling. However, discussion of the potential for changing short trips often misuses the available data, with the potential cited being based on trip "segments" (or legs), which often differ from what most people would consider as a "trip" or what we define as a "trip chain". The LTSA's 1997/98 New Zealand (Household) Travel Survey database during 2003-2004 has been reformulated to derive trip chains and tours (beginning and ending at home) to better understand New Zealanders' travel behaviour. Among other things, the research helps to: correct widespread misunderstandings about the nature and frequency of short trips; enable better quantification of potential for change from short car trips to other modes; provide inputs for developing policy and infrastructure programmes, and enable new and improved performance measures. (a)
Activity-Based Costing and Inter-District Flows in the New Zealand Public Health Sector

Changes in the New Zealand public health sector in recent years, such as heightened political, economic and social pressures to manage and reduce costs while improving the quality of care in conjunction with stringent health care guidelines, have forced district health boards (DHB) nationwide to reassess their approach to health care provision. This has chiefly involved evaluating current practices or institutions; revising health care systems, including locality of treatment; and assessing established accounting systems and mechanisms (or lack thereof) to understand the source of costs and resource consumption. Acknowledging that patient welfare has always held pre-eminence in the New Zealand public health sector, balancing the dual pressures to enhance the utilisation of limited resources and adhere to social pressures to provide sustained high quality health services has been a difficult exercise for DHBs. In recognition of the potential benefits of activity-based costing (ABC), and the fact that the New Zealand public health sector is severely underrepresented in current literature, this multi-site case study examines how sophisticated costing systems (such as ABC), are being used by DHBs. Using an institutional theory framework, this study posits that DHBs will use sophisticated costing systems to (1) improve cost understanding with the goal of managing and reducing their costs; and (2) contribute to more informed National Prices for Inter-District Flows (IDF), the aim of which is to plan and provide services to meet the directives and outcomes outlined by the Ministry of Health. Overall, the findings are compelling and reveal that costing systems are used on three levels to plan and provide health services, including unsophisticated costing systems that are not formally recognised; moderately sophisticated costing systems (such as CostPro) that are formally recognised; and sophisticated costing systems (such as PPM) that are formally recognised. Furthermore, the findings reveal that DHBs with sophisticated costing systems generate event-level information, which directly influences the calculation of National Prices for IDFs. The findings of this exploratory study also indicate a need to examine the nexus between ABC and IDFs in a New Zealand public health sector context further.
Links between organisational and customer variables in service delivery: Evidence, contradictions and challenges

Studies in services management from the different perspectives of marketing, operations, human resources and psychology support the existence of a variety of links between organisations and their customers. The basic premise asserts that organisational characteristics and practices are linked to employee attitudes that are reflected in service quality outcomes, customer satisfaction and loyalty and, consequently, profit. Empirical studies support many of these associations and streams of research link them into linear sequences. However, the evidence is not unequivocal and this review challenges it by highlighting the complexity and non‐linearity of many of the proposed links, and the existence of reciprocity between certain variables. In synthesising the evidence in relation to the proposed links, the paper also identifies conceptual and methodological issues, unanswered questions and potential future research.
Interaction of Munc18c and syntaxin4 facilitates invadopodium formation and extracellular matrix invasion of tumor cells

Tumor cell invasion involves targeted localization of proteins required for interactions with the extracellular matrix and for proteolysis. The localization of many proteins during these cell–extracellular matrix interactions relies on membrane trafficking mediated in part by SNAREs. The SNARE protein syntaxin4 (Stx4) is involved in the formation of invasive structures called invadopodia; however, it is unclear how Stx4 function is regulated during tumor cell invasion. Munc18c is known to regulate Stx4 activity, and here we show that Munc18c is required for Stx4-mediated invadopodium formation and cell invasion. Biochemical and microscopic analyses revealed a physical association between Munc18c and Stx4, which was enhanced during invadopodium formation, and that a reduction in Munc18c expression decreases invadopodium formation. We also found that an N-terminal Stx4-derived peptide associates with Munc18c and inhibits endogenous interactions of Stx4 with synaptosome-associated protein 23 (SNAP23) and vesicle-associated membrane protein 2 (VAMP2). Furthermore, expression of the Stx4 N-terminal peptide decreased invadopodium formation and cell invasion in vitro. Of note, cells expressing the Stx4 N-terminal peptide exhibited impaired trafficking of membrane type 1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) and EGF receptor (EGFR) to the cell surface during invadopodium formation. Our findings implicate Munc18c as a regulator of Stx4-mediated trafficking of MT1-MMP and EGFR, advancing our understanding of the role of SNARE function in the localization of proteins that drive tumor cell invasion.
A local corrections algorithm for solving Poisson’s equation in three dimensions

We present a second-order accurate algorithm for solving the free-space Poisson's equation on a locally-refined nested grid hierarchy in three dimensions. Our approach is based on linear superposition of local convolutions of localized charge distributions, with the nonlocal coupling represented on coarser grids. There presentation of the nonlocal coupling on the local solutions is based on Anderson's Method of Local Corrections and does not require iteration between different resolutions. A distributed-memory parallel implementation of this method is observed to have a computational cost per grid point less than three times that of a standard FFT-based method on a uniform grid of the same resolution, and scales well up to 1024 processors.
Prioritization of Candidate Nonsynonymous Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms via Sequence Conservation Features

The Detection of rare variants responsible for human complex diseases has been receiving more and more attentions. However, most existing computational methods for this purpose require the selection of functional variants before statistical analysis. Based on the assumption that nonsynonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (nsSNPs) associated with specific diseases should be similar in their properties, we propose a method that utilize conservation scores of nsSNPs and the guilt-by-association principle to prioritize the candi-date nsSNPs for specific diseases. Systematic validation demonstrates that our approach is effective in recovering the relationship between nsSNPs and diseases, with the Manhattan distance measure achieving the most precise prediction results.
The mediating effects of the use of an environmental information system on top management's commitment and environmental performance

Little attention has been paid in the literature to internal reporting on environmental performance and whether it will impact on an organization's environmental performance. Using single-mediator models and a multiple-mediator model, this paper examines the antecedent factor, top management's commitment to environmental sustainability, for the adoption of a sophisticated internal environmental information system (measured by the broad-scope, timeliness, aggregation and integration of such information). The paper also examines whether use of such a system would lead to improved environmental performance. Based on a survey of top managers in the top 200 listed companies in Australia, it was found in this study that top management's commitment to environmental sustainability was associated with the adoption of a sophisticated internal environmental information system. Further, the use of aggregated environmental information system was found to mediate the relationship between top management's commitment to environmental sustainability and environmental performance.