Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Direct Phosphorylation and Activation of a Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase by a Calcium-Dependent Protein Kinase in Rice[C][W]

This study reveals a novel mechanism that regulates the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade by a calcium-dependent protein kinase (CDPK) in land plants. The finding provides insight into the crosstalk mechanism between the CDPK and MAPK pathways and identifies a role for this mechanism in stress signal transduction and plant immunity. The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) is a pivotal point of convergence for many signaling pathways in eukaryotes. In the classical MAPK cascade, a signal is transmitted via sequential phosphorylation and activation of MAPK kinase kinase, MAPK kinase (MKK), and MAPK. The activation of MAPK is dependent on dual phosphorylation of a TXY motif by an MKK, which is considered the sole kinase to phosphorylate and activate MAPK. Here, we report a novel regulatory mechanism of MAPK phosphorylation and activation besides the canonical MAPK cascade. A rice (Oryza sativa) calcium-dependent protein kinase (CDPK), CPK18, was identified as an upstream kinase of MAPK (MPK5) in vitro and in vivo. Curiously, CPK18 was shown to phosphorylate and activate MPK5 without affecting the phosphorylation of its TXY motif. Instead, CPK18 was found to predominantly phosphorylate two Thr residues (Thr-14 and Thr-32) that are widely conserved in MAPKs from land plants. Further analyses reveal that the newly identified CPK18-MPK5 pathway represses defense gene expression and negatively regulates rice blast resistance. Our results suggest that land plants have evolved an MKK-independent phosphorylation pathway that directly connects calcium signaling to the MAPK machinery.
Corporate social responsibility, green banking, and going concern on banking company in Indonesia stock exchange

The issue was raised in the present research was related to the influence of Green Banking implementation on the relationship between Corporate Social Responsibility and Going Concern of Banking Companies in Indonesia Stock Exchange. The study aimed at testing and obtaining empirical evidence on the influence of Green Banking implementation on the relationship between Corporate Social Responsibility and Going Concern on Banking Companies in Indonesia Stock Exchange. The study applied the secondary data sources and data types used was quantitative data, collected through documentation studies. The data analysis technique used was the Statistical Package For Social Sciences (SPSS) with Moderated Regression Analysis (MRA) approach or interaction test. The result of the hypothesis testing showed that the implementation of Green Banking was able to strengthen the relationship between Corporate Social Responsibility and Going Concern on Banking Companies in Indonesia Stock Exchange. The expected contribution could be obtained from the results of the research was to assist the management in the banking sector in implementing Green Banking related to Corporate Social Responsibility and Going Concern on banking companies, as well as consideration for stakeholders in the banking sector in decision making.
A Novel Mechanism of FSH Regulation of DNA Synthesis in the Granulosa Cells of Hamster Preantral Follicles: Involvement of a Protein Kinase C-Mediated MAP Kinase 3/1 Self-Activation Loop1

Abstract The objective was to reveal whether a protein kinase C (PKC [all isozymes])-mediated self-sustaining MAPK3/1 (3/1 extracellular signal regulated kinase 2/1, also known as ERK2/1) activation loop was necessary for FSH- or epidermal growth factor (EGF)-induced DNA synthesis in the granulosa cells of intact preantral follicles. For this purpose, hamster preantral follicles were cultured with FSH or EGF in the presence of selective kinase inhibitors FSH or EGF phosphorylated RAF1, MAP2K1, and MAPK3/1. However, a relatively higher dose of EGF was necessary to sustain the MAPK3/1 activity, which was essential for cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (CDK4) activation and DNA synthesis. In intact preantral follicles, FSH or EGF stimulated DNA synthesis only in the granulosa cells. Sustained activation of MAPK3/1 beyond 3 h was independent of EGFR kinase activity but dependent on PKC activity, which appeared to form a self-sustaining MAPK3/1 activation loop by activating RAF1, MAP2K1, and PLA2G4 (phospholipase A2 [all cytosolic isozymes]). Inhibition of PKC activity as late as 4 h after the administration of FSH or EGF arrested DNA synthesis, which corresponded with attenuated phosphorylation of RAF1 and MAPK3/1, thus suggesting an essential role of PKC in MAPK3/1 activation. Collectively, these data present a novel self-sustaining mechanism comprised of MAPK3/1, PLA2G4, PKC, and RAF1 for CDK4 activation leading to DNA synthesis in granulosa cells. Either FSH or EGF can activate the loop to activate CDK4 and initiate DNA synthesis; however, consistent with our previous findings, FSH effect seems to be mediated by EGF, which initiates the event by stimulating EGFR kinase.
How Long Does It Take You to Pay? A Duration Study of Canadian Retail Transaction Payment Times

Using an exclusive data set of payment times for retail transactions made in Canada, I show that cash is the most time-efficient method of payment (MOP) when compared with payments by debit and credit cards. I model payment efficiency using Cox proportional hazard models, accounting for consumer choice of MOP. I propose two instruments to identify and estimate the causal relationship between MOP and payment time: (1) the value of the transaction, and (2) the duration of the payment preceding the one under observation. Discounting consumer selection underestimates the efficiency of cash relative to cards. Overall, the efficiency of MOPs is an important component of the private and social costs of making and accepting payments. The efficiency of cash helps explain its continued use in Canada, which is motivated by its low cost in terms of payment time for consumers and merchants.
The Role of Familial Relations in the Infrastructure of a Prepaid Domestic Energy Service

In this article we present an analysis of a solar microgrid based prepaid energy service as part of the ongoing process of electrification in rural India. In the provisioning of electricity from such a service we encountered a network of human infrastructure at work. Being located within the domestic realm we identify the characteristic of this infrastructure to be based on close familial ties and relationships. Using descriptive accounts from the subscribed domestic households to this new energy service we present how familial relationships and roles play out within the service in becoming a part of the infrastructure for domestic energy delivery. By making a distinction of the role of familial relations in the service delivery of domestic energy our contribution is twofold. Firstly, we highlight the specific characteristic of human infrastructure within the domestic realm for the delivery of energy as a service. Secondly, we present a potential for designing new domestic energy services by considering social relations for improving familial relations through domestic electrification.
Preparation, assay, and partial purification of a thymic lymphocytopoietic factor (thymosin).

of the tube were transferred to a Millipore filter (0.45 s pore size) with generous washing out of the tube with cold 5% trichloroacetic acid. The filters holding the acid-insoluble fractions were placed in polyethylene vials containing 15 ml of Bray's solution.17 The vials were shaken thoroughly and then counted in a Packard liquid scintillation counter. Total protein was determined by the Lowry method'8 on precipitates obtained by treatment of aliquots of cell suspensions with 4 vol of cold 5% trichlororoacetic acid, centrifuging the precipitate, and washing it twice with 95% ethanol. A standard protein curve was prepared utilizing bovine serum albumin.
Osteogenic protein-1 enhances matrix replenishment by intervertebral disc cells previously exposed to interleukin-1.

STUDY DESIGN A study of the mechanisms involved in matrix repair by intervertebral disc cells cultured in alginate gel was performed. OBJECTIVES To determine the effects of osteogenic protein-1 on the extracellular matrix of intervertebral disc cells previously exposed to interleukin-1, which is an in vitro model for degraded extracellular matrix. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA Disc degeneration is accompanied by a decrease in the content of negatively charged proteoglycans in the matrix. No previous attempt has been made to repair the degraded matrix of the disc. METHODS Nucleus pulposus and anulus fibrosus cells were isolated from the lumbar discs of New Zealand white rabbits and were separately encapsulated in alginate beads. The alginate beads were cultured with or without osteogenic protein-1 after previous exposure to interleukin-1alpha in the presence of 10% fetal bovine serum. The total contents of proteoglycan, collagen, and DNA in the alginate beads were measured. The rate of proteoglycan synthesis by the encapsulated cells was also determined. RESULTS Treatment with interleukin-1alpha resulted in a significant decrease in proteoglycan and collagen contents in the matrix formed by both the nucleus pulposus and anulus fibrosus. However, subsequent treatment with osteogenic protein-1 led in both cases to rapid recovery of proteoglycans and collagens, whose contents returned to the levels seen in cells not previously exposed to interleukin-1alpha. By the end of the culture period (day 21), those values reached levels higher than those found in beads containing cells never exposed to interleukin-1alpha. Further, the rate of proteoglycan synthesis by both cell types in beads treated with osteogenic protein-1 after previous exposure to interleukin-1alpha was significantly higher than in beads whose cells were not treated with osteogenic protein-1 after previous exposure to interleukin-1alpha. CONCLUSION Disc cells that have been previously exposed to interleukin-1alpha have lost none of their potential to upregulate proteoglycan synthesis in response to stimulation with osteogenic protein-1. On stimulation with osteogenic protein-1, these disc cells not only replenished the matrix with proteoglycans that had been lost during interleukin-1alpha treatment but proceeded to reform a matrix that was richer in these resilient molecules than that formed by disc cells never exposed to interleukin-1alpha.
Ability to estimate feed intake from feeding time, chewing and rumination activity

The feeding and rumination behaviour of dairy cows can be monitored by different techniques and can provide useful information for dairy herd management. Among feeding characteristics, individual feed intake of cows is of utmost interest, but as weighing troughs have high space and cost requirements their implementation is limited to the research area. The objective of the present study was to monitor feeding time (by feeding trough), chewing and rumination time (by pressure sensor) and to analyse their ability for estimation of feed intake in dairy cows. The feeding and chewing behaviour of seven cows was recorded on six to eight measuring days per cow. Feeding and chewing behaviour was evaluated in time slots (1 min) and additionally assigned to feeding bouts for further analysis. Overall cows, 92.2% of the recorded one-min time slots were classified concordantly as feeding and chewing activities by the two systems. On average, cows spent 270 +/- 39 min per day at the feeding troughs and chewed 262 +/- 48 min per day. The average feed intake was 49.6 +/- 5.1 kg per day. Feeding time per day was divided into 9.7 bouts during which cows fed 27.8 +/- 21.7 min per bout and chewed 27.0 +/- 23.1 min per bout. The correlation between fresh matter intake and feeding time was 0.891 and between fresh matter intake and chewing time 0.780 overall cows. Hence, both systems delivered useful indicators for estimation of feed intake.
Assessment of Renewable Energy as Investment Opportunity: Risk-Return Impact

The global aspiration towards a cleaner and more sustainable future has accelerated growth in the renewable energy sector. Nevertheless, the transition from nonrenewable or conventional energy sources to renewable or alternative energy sources require substantial capital investment and must be attractive and accessible to future investors. This study evaluates the long-term financial performance of renewable, or alternative energy stocks as an investment opportunity for potential US investors. The conventional energy stocks are used as a comparison to evaluate the alternative energy stock performances within the energy sector. The holding periods that are assessed are 5, 10 and 20 years. The Fama-French Five-Factor Model is used to compute the abnormal returns of these stocks. This model also evaluates the level of sensitivity towards exposure to risks included in the model, namely market, size, value, profitability and investment factors. The results illustrate that both alternative and conventional energy stocks were underperforming through 1997 to 2017 compared to broadly diversified global stocks established in the Fama-French factors. Nonetheless, the alternative energy stocks show better performance than conventional stocks during the 5 and 20-year horizons shown by the statistically significant positive differences in the mean and median values. This is likely to be the result of the Dot-Com bubble in 1998 to 2000, and the increased investment towards the renewable energy sector in 2015. When the results are further broken down into 5-year intervals, alternative energy stocks were underperforming in 2002 to 2012, which could be an indication that the alternative energy stocks were not able to recover as fast as conventional energy stocks after the financial crisis in 2008. Through the variable factors, the results suggest that the alternative energy stocks load more heavily on size and investment factors in comparison to the conventional energy stocks.
COLLECTIVISM AND GOVERNMENTALLY INITIATED RESTRICTIONS A Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Analysis Across Nations and Within a Nation

This article provides evidence for a link between cultural collectivism and indexes of governmentally initiated restriction both across nations and within one nation, both cross-sectionally and longitudinally. In Investigation 1, across U.S. states, an index of legislative restriction is positively related to an index of collective behaviors. In Investigation 2, across nations, an index of political restriction is positively related to measures of national cultural collectivism. In Investigation 3, longitudinal analyses suggest that cultural measures predict restriction better than vice versa, although this evidence is stronger and more consistent across nations than across states. The present findings are discussed in terms of their contribution to understanding the relationship between culture and politics.
Establishment survival in East and West Germany: A comparative analysis

Using a large administrative dataset, this paper compares the development of new establishments’ survival chances in East and West Germany for the period 1994 – 2008. A central question is whether convergence with respect to survival rates between East and West Germany can be observed. Using methods of survival analysis, I find that new establishments’ survival chances do not differ strongly between East and West Germany at the beginning of the observation period. In 1998 and 1999 the exit hazard increases strongly in East but not in West Germany, which is likely to be due to a change in the subsidy policy affecting East Germany. Since the turn of the millennium, the difference in establishments’ exit hazard between East and West Germany becomes smaller, indicating that there is convergence with respect to establishments’ survival chances. / Anhand umfangreicher administrativer Daten vergleicht diese Studie die Entwicklung der Uberlebenschancen neu gegrundeter Betriebe in West- und Ostdeutschland fur die Jahre 1994 bis 2008. Eine zentrale Frage lautet dabei, ob eine Angleichung der Uberlebensraten zwischen West- und Ostdeutschland zu beobachten ist. Anhand von Methoden der Verweildaueranalyse kommt die Studie zu dem Ergebnis, dass sich die Uberlebenschancen neu gegrundeter Betriebe zu Beginn des Beobachtungszeitraums nicht stark zwischen West- und Ostdeutschland unterscheiden. In den Jahren 1998 und 1999 steigt die Schliesungswahrscheinlichkeit in Ostdeutschland stark an, in Westdeutschland jedoch nicht, was vermutlich auf eine Anderung der Subventionspolitik fur Betriebe in Ostdeutschland zuruckzufuhren ist. Seit der Jahrtausendwende nimmt der Unterschied in den Schliesungswahrscheinlichkeiten zwischen West- und Ostdeutschland ab, was auf eine Angleichung der Uberlebenschancen hindeutet.
Point mutations induced by 1,2‐epoxy‐3‐butene N1 deoxyinosine adducts

The National Toxicology Program has recently classified 1,3‐butadiene (BD) as a human carcinogen. BD is metabolized to the intermediates 1,2‐epoxy‐3‐butene (EB), 1,2:3,4‐diepoxybutane (DEB), and 1,2‐dihydroxy‐3,4‐epoxybutane. All three metabolites have been implicated in producing specific types of DNA damage and as genotoxic agents in mice, rat, and human cells. This study has focused on EB‐induced N1 deoxyinosine lesions that are formed by deamination of deoxyadenosine following reaction of the epoxide at the N1 position. The R and S stereoisomers of this lesion were incorporated site‐specifically within the context of an 11‐mer oligodeoxynucleotide, incorporated into M13mp7L2 single‐stranded DNA, and transfected into E. coli. Both stereoisomers modestly reduced plaque‐forming ability, indicating that neither lesion presents a base modification that cannot be bypassed. The resulting plaques were assessed for point mutations using differential hybridization and DNA sequence analyses. The overall mutagenic spectrum revealed that the N1 adducts were highly mutagenic (∼90% per replication cycle), causing a predominance of A → G transitions. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 38:292–296, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Sequence analysis of the gtfB gene from Streptococcus mutans

The nucleotide sequence of the gtfB gene from Streptococcus mutans GS-5, coding for glucosyltransferase I activity, was determined. The gene codes for a strongly hydrophilic protein with a molecular size of 165,800 daltons. The deduced amino acid sequence revealed a typical gram-positive bacterial signal sequence at the NH2 terminus of the protein and 3.5 direct repeating units (each containing 65 amino acids) at the COOH terminus. Nucleotide sequencing of the region immediately downstream from the gtfB gene revealed the presence of a putative gene coding for an extracellular protein. This open reading frame is partially homologous to the gtfB gene.
Customer engagement in an e-commerce brand community

Purpose The purpose of this study is to outline a conceptual framework for customer engagement in the context of social media for emerging markets. Three competing models of customer engagement were identified and tested to arrive at the best suited model for the given contexts. The alternative conceptual frameworks involve the constructs of active participation, community trust and community commitment in relation to customer engagement. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected using questionnaires sent via e-mail to respondents. Structural equation modelling was then used to arrive at the best suited model, while also empirically testing for the relationships among the constructs. Findings The study, by way of an empirical comparison of alternative conceptual frameworks, presents a customer engagement framework best suiting the social media context for emerging markets. The study also outlines active participation, community trust and community commitment to be acting as antecedents to customer engagement. Further active participation is identified as a necessary antecedent to customer engagement based on the comparative assessment of the frameworks. Research limitations/implications While there is not much consensus on the nature of customer engagement, the study offers insights to marketers in terms of managing customer engagement with their brand communities. The study identifies the role and importance of inducing active participation in a brand community context. Further, it also identifies community trust and community commitment to be occurring as antecedents to customer engagement, with commitment implying for a more pronounced role in the framework. Originality/value There is no consensus among researchers regarding the nomological network surrounding customer engagement. Further, very few of these studies have focussed on this construct in the context of emerging markets. This study thus attempts to close the above gap, by testing for alternative conceptual frameworks involving customer engagement, in the context of social media for emerging markets.
Food Fractionation Is a Powerful Tool to Increase Bone Mass in Growing Rats and to Decrease Bone Loss in Aged Rats: Modulation of the Effect by Dietary Phosphate

The incidence of osteoporotic fractures has been associated with low bone mass. To reduce this incidence, it is therefore important to try to prevent the development of low bone mass by either increasing bone mass built up during adolescence and/or preventing bone loss in later life. It has been shown that food fractionation, a procedure that prevents the diurnal rhythm of bone resorption, increases bone mass in growing rats fed a high calcium (Ca), high phosphate (Pi) diet. In this paper, data are presented that show that providing growing rats with the same daily amount of a high Ca, low Pi diet (a Pi content similar to that of a human diet) in portions every 6 h instead of one meal increases total bone mineral content, trabecular bone mineral density, and cortical thickness, and markedly reduces the decrease in these parameters in aged rats. The effect is smaller when a high Ca, high Pi diet is fractionated. This could be the consequence of the transient postprandial increase in parathyroid hormone (PTH) following one large meal of a high Ca, high Pi diet, since the effect is similar to that reported after PTH injections which are anabolic for bone. Thus, a high dietary Pi must be considered as a confounding factor when treatments affecting bone mass are investigated in rats. The present data show that feeding habits have a profound effect on bone mass in the rat, independent of age. Whether bone mass in humans is also under the control of dietary habits is not yet clear. If so, frequent small meals of appropriate composition may help to prevent osteoporosis.