Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Erythrocytic or serum hydrogen sulfide association with hypertension development in untreated essential hypertension.

BACKGROUND Endogenous hydrogen sulfide (H(2)S) plays an important role in hypertension. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of erythrocyte and serum H(2)S in patients with untreated essential hypertension. METHODS We recruited 62 patients (age 22 - 74 years) with untreated prehypertension or hypertension, and 64 normotensive subjects (age 18 - 64 years). We assessed the 3-mercaptopyruvate sulphurtransferase (MPST) protein expression in erythrocytes and measured the H(2)S production from erythrocytes and serum H(2)S levels, then analyzed the association of erythrocytic or serum H(2)S content and blood pressure or cardiovascular risk factors (e.g., age, body mass index (BMI) and dyslipidemia). A stepwise regression analysis was used to evaluate the possible relationship of erythrocytic H(2)S in hypertension. RESULTS In hypertensive patients, erythrocyte H(2)S production ((111.04 ± 29.20) nmol/min per 10(8) erythrocytes) was higher than that in controls ((78.85 ± 19.38) nmol/min per 10(8) erythrocytes), and serum H(2)S was also higher. The erythrocytic H(2)S production was associated with increased systolic blood pressure (sBP), diastolic blood pressure (dBP), age, BMI, level of C-reactive protein (CRP), as well as triglycerides (TG) and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). Serum H(2)S was not associated with age or CRP. Stepwise regression analysis showed that erythrocytic H(2)S production was correlated with sBP, TG, HDL-C, low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum H(2)S was correlated with dBP and TG. Results of receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis suggested that erythrocytic H(2)S production was a more sensitive predictor of hypertension development than serum H(2)S. CONCLUSION Erythrocytic or serum H(2)S production is sensitive predictor of hypertension.
Technetium-99m-sestamibi uptake by human benign and malignant breast tumor cells: correlation with mdr gene expression.

UNLABELLED Early diagnosis of multidrug-resistance (MDR) development is extremely important for the judicious choice of treatment protocols in breast cancer chemotherapy. In this study, the mechanism of 99mTc-sestamibi uptake by nine human breast tumor cell lines was analyzed as a function of P-glycoprotein (PgP) expression. METHODS Technetium-99m-sestamibi radioactivity incorporation into the cells was determined after different times of incubation at 37 degrees C. We analyzed the mechanism of 99mTc-sestamibi uptake as follows: (a) effect of temperature (4 degrees C); (b) influence of extracellular 99mTc-sestamibi concentration; and (c) competitive inhibition of cell uptake with cold 99mTc-sestamibi. Technetium-99m-sestamibi uptake was compared to the level of PgP determined by Western blotting. The PgP reversing effect of verapamil was evaluated at different drug concentrations (50, 200, 500 microM). RESULTS Technetium-99m-sestamibi uptake plateaued at 60 min, which was 14 times lower at 4 degrees C than at 37 degrees C and was directly proportional to the extracellular concentration between 0.3 and 10 nM. Technetium-99m-sestamibi percentage uptake by cells expressing nonimmunodetectable levels of PgP was significantly higher (7.3% +/- 0.6% (s.d.) to 14.9% +/- 1.9%) than that by cells expressing high PgP levels (0.7% +/- 0.4%, p < 0.001). In the presence of verapamil, a known reverser of PgP functions, 99mTc-sestamibi uptake was increased by a factor of 2 in cells expressing no detectable levels of PgP and by a factor of 12 in cells with high PgP levels. CONCLUSION Technetium-99m-sestamibi uptake by these breast tumor cells is energy-dependent but not specific. These data suggest that 99mTc-sestamibi imaging may be used as a noninvasive technique to diagnose the presence of MDR in breast tumors in vivo.
Do Firms Use Coupons and In-Store Discounts to Strategically Market Experience Goods Over the Consumption Life-Cycle? The Case of Cigarettes

Cigarettes are experience goods - most of their utility value only gets revealed when one consumes them. We hypothesize a three phase consumer life cycle for experience goods. Consumers initially do not know their utility from the good or their preferences for particular characteristics, and may initially choose the most familiar brand. In the second phase, they are informed about the good and may experiment with different brands. In the third phase, they may become loyal to one brand or exit the market. Firms could target price discounts for each phase, either to encourage experimentation (pay-to-switch), to retain customers (pay-to-stay), or to price-discriminate. We use market-level data on price, sales, in-store discounts, and coupon offers of 15 brands from 1995 to 2007 and individual-level data on brand choices from 1995 to 2004 to explore whether firms discount cigarettes in ways consistent with a life-cycle consumption model. We find that the three highest-selling brands primarily discount as price discrimination and pay-to-stay strategies, while smaller, specialty brands discount to encourage smokers to switch brands.
Performance and interoperability assessment of Disease Extract Annotation Server ( DEAS )

Over the past decade, many biomedical information extraction tools have been developed. Some of these tools are provid ed with access via web services. However, many of these tools are not interop rable with web services performance not evaluated. In this study, we imple ented and evaluated the performance of an interoperable web service that an notates disease entities called Disease Extract Annotation Server (DEAS). Th e DEAS evaluation was carried out over a period of two months. Interopera bility, stability, speed and batch processing capabilities of DEAS were evaluate d. DEAS was able to process documents from multi data sources and types wi th response times varying from one second to six seconds per document. The p erformance evaluation assisted in improving the underlying CRF-based disease e ntity recognition pipeline. In future, we would like to support more data format standards and also improve DEAS performance by employing distributed a n parallel processing techniques.
GRI and SRI: acronyms for investor success?

The global move towards sustainability and sustainability reporting, the rise and influence of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and triple bottom line reporting, together with the launch of the King III Report, and revision of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) listing requirements in South Africa, both requiring the preparation of an integrated report, have resulted in a uniquely altered information environment, in which investors are required to make investment decisions. The valuerelevance of this new sustainability information is however to date untested in a South African context. The introduction of the Social Responsible Investment (SRI) Index in South Africa provides a unique opportunity to evaluate the value-relevance of such new reporting. This research report tests the GRI, using the SRI Index as a proxy, to determine whether this accepted reporting standard is recognized as being value-relevant, from both a short term and long term perspective, on the JSE over the period
Corporate Governance and Firm Value: Evidence from South African (SA) Listed Firms

This paper investigates the relationship between a broad corporate governance (CG) index and firm value (Tobin’s Q) using a sample of 169 South African (SA) listed firms between 2002 and 2006. Consistent with the results of prior studies, we find a statistically significant and positive association between good CG practices and firm value. In a series of sensitivity analyses, we find that our results are robust to endogeneity and/or the existence of alternative CG mechanisms, different firm value proxies, alternative CG weighting scheme and firm-level fixed effects. Distinct from past studies, we further examine the link between complying with SA context specific stakeholder CG provisions and firm value. In line with political cost and resource dependence theories, our results reveal a statistically significant and positive nexus between compliance with stakeholder CG provisions and firm value.
Nutrition Preparation and the Geriatric Nurse

The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not geriatric nurses are prepared to implement nutrition interventionsfor high-risk elderly patients. Manyfactors can influence poor dietary intakes among the elderly, thus contributing to disease and impeding recovery from illness. The nurse, the main caregiver, must be prepared to care for this vulnerable population. Seventy-one geriatric nurses from randomly selected nursing homes and swing-bed facilities within a midwestern state were selectedfor participation in this descriptive-correlational study. The nurses were evaluatedfor nutrition knowledge as well as for demographic and educational correlates. This study supports a moderate correlation between the number and type of nutrition-related continuing education programs and nutrition knowledge levels of the geriatric nurses. Significant differences were found in geriatric nurses'nutrition knowledge scores in the following nutrition content areas: nutrient digestion, absorption, and metabolism; nutrition throughout the life cycle; diet and disease; cultural and regulatory considerations forfood and nutrition; and nutrient quality.
Practices of quality and trustworthiness in scholarly communication: A case from Pakistan

This paper aims to investigate the practices of Pakistani academic researchers with respect to using, citing, and publishing their scholarly work. The quantitative survey method adopted to collect data from local researchers was based on an instrument developed and used by CIBER. Their notions and practices involved in deciding trust and quality of scholarly journals were obtained. The findings revealed that national and institutional policies have significantly influenced their decisions regarding the publishing outlets. The credibility of indexing services was found to be an important factor in choosing the journal for publishing research. ISI Web of Science Impact Factor was not considered as the top source for determining quality and trustworthiness. This study is the first of its kind that targets the top two universities of the country. A comparison of the findings with another international study shows that some of the behavioural traits are compatible with scholars from less‐developed countries like India and China, while others are more similar to the ones from highly developed countries like USA and UK.
Chicken supreme: How the Indonesian poultry sector can survive avian influenza

Avian influenza is a deadly disease that can spread rapidly through poultry. There are many documented cases of transmission from birds to people, but as yet only rare instances of human to human transmission. Nonetheless, public health officials are concerned about the possibility of a human pandemic, and many countries have policies of banning imports of live birds and poultry meat from infected regions. The potential impacts on Indonesia of a production shock, a shift in consumption or a trade ban are assessed using a heterogeneous product model where imports are differentiated by source. Empirical results suggest the likely trade impacts in Indonesia are minimal because its trade is a small share of production.
Tyrosine phosphorylation in Myxococcus xanthus, a multicellular prokaryote

Tyrosine phosphorylation is an extremely rare event in prokaryotes, occurring almost exclusively in multicellular eukaryotes. We have identified, for the first time, by the use of antiphosphotyrosine monoclonal antibody and Western blot (immunoblot) analysis, two tyrosine-phosphorylated membrane proteins in the multicellular prokaryote Myxococcus xanthus. The pattern of tyrosine phosphorylation was shown to change during development, indicating a possible role for this regulatory modification during two stages of development, i.e., aggregation and sporulation. Furthermore, the altered pattern of tyrosine phosphorylation observed in a variety of signaling mutants was shown to differ from that observed in the wild type, suggesting further the possible involvement of tyrosine phosphorylation during the development program.
Comparative Genomic Analysis Reveals Novel Facts about Leptospirillum spp. Cytochromes

Chemolithoautotrophic acidophilic bacteria, which belong to the genus Leptospirillum, can only grow with Fe(II) as electron donor and oxygen as an electron acceptor. Members of this genus play an important role in bioleaching sulfide ores. We used nearly complete genome sequences of Leptospirillum ferrooxidans (group I), Leptospirillum rubarum, Leptospirillum ‘5-way CG’ (group II) and Leptospirillum ferrodiazotrophum (group III) to identify cytochromes that are likely involved in electron transfer chain(s). The results show the presence of genes encoding a number of c-type cytochromes (18–20 genes were identified in each species), as well as bd and cbb3 oxidases. Genes encoding cbb3 oxidase are clustered, with predicted genes involved in cbb3 maturation proteins. Duplication of cbb3 encoding genes (ccoNO) was detected in all four genomes. Interestingly, these micro-organisms also contain genes that potentially encode bc1 and b6f-like complexes organized into two putative operon structures. To date, the Leptospirillum genus includes the only organisms reported to have genes coding for two different bc complexes. This study provides detailed insights into the components of electron transfer chains of Leptospirillum spp. , revealing their conservation among leptospirilla groups and suggesting that there may be a single common pathway for electron transport between Fe(II) and oxygen.
Chloroquine Resistance-Conferring Mutations in pfcrt Give Rise to a Chloroquine-Associated H+ Leak from the Malaria Parasite's Digestive Vacuole

ABSTRACT Chloroquine resistance in the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum is conferred by mutations in the P. falciparum chloroquine resistance transporter (PfCRT). PfCRT localizes to the membrane of the parasite's internal digestive vacuole, an acidic organelle in which chloroquine accumulates to high concentrations and exerts its toxic effect. Mutations in PfCRT are thought to reduce chloroquine accumulation in this organelle. How they do so is the subject of ongoing debate. Recently we have shown that in the presence of chloroquine there is an increased leak of H+ from the digestive vacuole in chloroquine-resistant but not chloroquine-sensitive parasites. Here, using transfectant parasite strains of a single genetic background and differing only in their pfcrt allele, we show that chloroquine resistance-conferring PfCRT mutations are responsible for this chloroquine-associated H+ leak. This is consistent with the hypothesis that the chloroquine resistance-conferring forms of PfCRT mediate the efflux of chloroquine, in association with H+, from the malaria parasite's digestive vacuole.
Local Bankruptcy and Geographic Contagion in the Bank Loan Market

This paper examines whether corporate bankruptcies influence the bank loan characteristics of geographically proximate firms. We find that, controlling for industry contagion and local economic conditions, firms headquartered near a bankruptcy event experience a 7 basis point increase in loan spreads over the subsequent year, even when the credit default risks of local firms do not increase. There is also an increase in the proportion of secured loans among non-filing local firms. Local bankruptcy has a stronger impact among lenders with geographically concentrated loan portfolios, but even lenders with low exposure to the local economy increase their spreads. The adverse effects of bankruptcy weaken as borrowers' distance to bankrupt firms increases. Collectively, these results suggest that lenders are sensitive to local bankruptcies and induce geographic contagion in the bank loan market.
Does Aggregate Riskiness Predict Future Economic Downturns

Aumann and Serrano (2008) and Foster and Hart (2009) introduce riskiness measures based on the physical return distribution of gambles. This paper proposes model-free options' implied measures of riskiness based on the risk-neutral distribution of financial securities. In addition to introducing the forward-looking measures of riskiness, the paper investigates the significance of aggregate riskiness in predicting future economic downturns. The results indicate strong predictive power of aggregate riskiness even after controlling for the realized volatility of the U.S. equity market, the implied volatility of S&P 500 index options (VIX) proxying for financial market uncertainty, as well as the TED spread proxying for interbank credit risk and the perceived health of the banking system.
Level of creativity and risk among successful entrepreneurs : research article

Some of the most important entrepreneurial characteristics, namely creativity and risk propensity, have been identified by many researchers as critical for entrepreneurial success. The aim of this study was to identify methods or instruments that determine an individual's creativity and risk propensity. Possible existing methods and instruments that determine creativity and / or risk propensity were evaluated. After investigation, two appropriate instruments were identified, namely Schein's Career Anchor Instrument and the Neethling Brain Instrument (NBI). To determine whether the instruments are indeed appropriate, they were tested on successful, established entrepreneurs. This meant that the entrepreneur's business had been in existence for at least four years, was profitable and had shown growth over the preceding three years. The results proved that the majority of the identified successful, established entrepreneurs did have a strong tendency towards creativity and a propensity for calculated risk taking. The results also proved that the instruments identified and used are appropriate for evaluating an individual's creativity and risk orientation. The implications of the results of the study are that the NBI and Schein's Career Anchor Instrument can be used with success in assisting existing entrepreneurs in developing themselves and their businesses, as well as in guiding individuals who are considering entrepreneurial careers.
A multiscale model for dilute turbulent gas-particle flows based on the equilibration of energy concept

The objective of this study is to improve Eulerian-Eulerian models of particle-laden turbulent flow. We begin by understanding the behavior of two existing models—one proposed by Simonin [von Karman Institute of Fluid Dynamics Lecture Series, 1996], and the other by Ahmadi [Int. J. Multiphase Flow 16, 323 (1990)]—in the limiting case of statistically homogeneous particle-laden turbulent flow. The decay of particle-phase and fluid-phase turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) is compared with direct numerical simulation results. Even this simple flow poses a significant challenge to current models, which have difficulty reproducing important physical phenomena such as the variation of turbulent kinetic energy decay with increasing particle Stokes number. The model for the interphase TKE transfer time scale is identified as one source of this difficulty. A new model for the interphase transfer time scale is proposed that accounts for the interaction of particles with a range of fluid turbulence scales. A new multiph.
Volunteer Firefighting and Family Life: An Organisational Perspective on Conflict between Volunteer and Family Roles

Protection to Australian communities from ﬁre and other emergencies is provided mostly by volunteers. However, declining volunteer numbers have forced emergency service agencies to consider factors impacting adversely on volunteer retention. The current study provides an organisational perspective on the difficulties of balancing volunteering and family commitments through semi-structured interviews with managers of Australian volunteer ﬁreﬁghters. A thematic analysis of interviews identified several themes, including: volunteers' difficulty prioritising family needs ahead of brigade responsibilities; leaving household and business responsibilities with family members; a lack of time with family; and interruptions to family routines and activities. Findings are discussed in the context of existing research and a theoretical model of Work-Family Conﬂict, and inform recommendations for agencies to support families and minimise conﬂicts between volunteer ﬁreﬁghting and family life.
A Combined Model With Electrothermal Coupling and Electromagnetic Simulation for Microwave Multifinger InP-Based DHBTs

This paper presents a combined model with electrothermal coupling and electromagnetic (EM) simulation for multifinger InP-based double heterojunction bipolar transistors (DHBTs). The electrothermal coupling effect, which occurs in multifinger InP DHBTs, is characterized based on 3-D thermal simulation. In addition, EM simulation technique is presented to account for the distributed effect of interconnection of the fingers and their surroundings. A large-signal model for single-finger DHBTs is implemented as a seven-port symbolically defined device, which accounts for several physical phenomena, including the self-heating effect, Kirk effect, current blocking effect, mobile charge modulation of the base-collector capacitance, and velocity field modulation in the transit time. The combined model implemented in Agilent-ADS is verified by comparing the simulated and measured data in dc small-signal S-parameters and large-signal microwave power characteristic. This approach allows a simple method to analyze and predict microwave multifinger InP DHBTs for power amplifier circuit design using commonly available computer-aided design tools such as Agilent-ADS.
Frame Synchronization for Direct-Detection Optical Communication Systems

The problem of locating a periodically inserted frame synchronization pattern in random data is considered for a directdetection optical communication channel. Both pulse-position modulation and on-off keying with known symbol synchronization are considered. The high signal-to-noise ratio approximation of the maximum likelihood decision rule is derived for each of these cases. Analytical bounds and simulation results on synchronization probability show that the high SNR ML rule has a performance approaching that of the optimum ML rule over a wide range of signal-to-noise ratios. This decision rule also provides a substantial performance improvement over the correlator rule with virtually no additional implementation complexity.
Multi-Perspective Performance Reporting Systems, Continuous Improvement Systems and Organisational Performance

The use of multi-perspective performance reporting systems (MPRS) such as the balanced scorecard (BSC), is widespread. This study's motivation comes from the importance of these systems and the lack of knowledge about them. Continuous improvement systems (CIS) are another management innovation. CIS constantly look for ways to improve performance and are used in conjunction with performance reporting systems. The research objectives were to study MPRS users and discover whether the use of CIS improved organisational performance. It was found that the use of CIS by MPRS users was positively associated with performance. The implications of these findings for managers were considered.