Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Membrane‐Associated Protein, Supervillin, Accelerates F‐Actin‐Dependent Rapid Integrin Recycling and Cell Motility

In migrating cells, the cytoskeleton coordinates signal transduction and redistribution of transmembrane proteins, including integrins and growth factor receptors. Supervillin is an F‐actin‐ and myosin II‐binding protein that tightly associates with signaling proteins in cholesterol‐rich, ‘lipid raft’ membrane microdomains. We show here that supervillin also can localize with markers for early and sorting endosomes (EE/SE) and with overexpressed components of the Arf6 recycling pathway in the cell periphery. Supervillin tagged with the photoswitchable fluorescent protein, tdEos, moves both into and away from dynamic structures resembling podosomes at the basal cell surface. Rapid integrin recycling from EE/SE is inhibited in supervillin‐knockdown cells, but the rates of integrin endocytosis and recycling from the perinuclear recycling center (PNRC) are unchanged. A lack of synergy between supervillin knockdown and the actin filament barbed‐end inhibitor, cytochalasin D, suggests that both treatments affect actin‐dependent rapid recycling. Supervillin also enhances signaling from the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) to extracellular signal‐regulated kinases (ERKs) 1 and 2 and increases the velocity of cell translocation. These results suggest that supervillin, F‐actin and associated proteins coordinate a rapid, basolateral membrane recycling pathway that contributes to ERK signaling and actin‐based cell motility.
Somatostatin inhibits calcium influx into rat rod bipolar cell axonal terminals

In the retina, somatostatin (SST), an inhibitory peptide that influences neuronal activity, is predominantly expressed by sparsely occurring amacrine cells. The SST subtype 2A receptor is expressed by rod bipolar cells, including their axonal terminals. We used Ca2+-imaging techniques and the ratiometric Ca2+ indicator dye fura-2 AM to investigate Ca2+ dynamics in rod bipolar cell terminals. Depolarization of rod bipolar cells by the addition of high K+ (50 or 100 mM) elicited a sustained increase in [Ca2+]i in rod bipolar terminals that returned to basal levels following K+ removal. The Ca2+ response was dependent on extracellular Ca2+, and was inhibited by the Ca2+ channel blocker Cd2+ and by the selective L-type Ca2+ channel blocker, nimodipine. SST inhibited a K+ depolarization-induced [Ca2+]i response in rod bipolar terminals. This inhibition was observed with 1 nM SST and was maximal with 1 μM SST. These findings indicate that SST may regulate transmitter release from rod bipolar terminals by activating the SST subtype 2A receptor through modulation of intracellular Ca2+.
Trust and communication in European agri‐food chains

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to assess and explain the trust situation in EU agri‐food supply chains in the context of the assumption that the existence of well‐functioning trust‐based supplier‐buyer relationships enables a secure and safe food supply.Design/methodology/approach – Using structural equation modelling (SEM) and survey data (n=1,430) on supplier‐buyer relationships from six different countries, two commodity supply chains (meat and cereals) and two supply chain stages (farmer‐processor and processor‐retailer), main trust determinants are identified and discussed. By simultaneously covering two supply chain stages the analysis adopts a perspective beyond the dyad.Findings – The SEM results indicate that trust in supply chain partners can be significantly improved by effective communication and by positive past collaboration. The existence of personal bonds (ties) between partners does not seem to play a direct role in the retailer‐processor relationship but is important when dealing.
Determining Factors of Students’ Satisfaction with Malaysian Skills Training Institutes

The purpose of this study is to examine students’ perception of quality of service offered in Malaysian skills training institutes and how it influences overall satisfaction. This study employed a questionnaire survey involving seven skills training institutes in Klang Valley, Malaysia. From 600 questionnaires distributed, 419 were returned (69.8 percent response rate). Causation relationship was analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling technique. Results show that campus environment was the most significant predictor of student satisfaction, followed by management of institute and support services. Interestingly, the study found that physical facilities and training delivery were not significant predictors of students’ overall satisfaction. Enriching knowledge in service quality and customer satisfaction is important for skills training institutes to identify priorities for performance improvement. The implication of this finding is deemed valuable and useful for institution management, policymakers and researchers in the training and educational sector.
A cross-cultural comparison of perceptions and uses of mobile telephony

Drawing from the theoretical orientation of apparatgeist, this article explores the cultural similarities and differences in perceptions and uses of mobile telephony. A sample of college students from Hawaii, Japan, Sweden,Taiwan and the US mainland was surveyed to assess: (1) perceptions of the mobile phone as fashion; (2) attitudes about mobile phone use in public settings; (3) use of the mobile phone for safety/security; (4) use of the mobile phone for instrumental purposes; and (5) use of the mobile phone for expressive purposes.The results indicate some differences and several similarities among the cultural groupings and help to lay the groundwork for future research and theory-building.
Advertising Effectiveness: The Moderating Effect of Firm Strategy

Advertising's influence on firm sales and firm value has drawn early attention from economists and accountants and more recent attention from marketers. Most studies that have investigated a link between advertising and sales have found such a link. However, studies that have investigated a link between advertising and firm value have only sometimes found that link. Meta-analysis has failed to determine moderators that govern the link between advertising and firm value. In this article, the authors hypothesize that advertising influences firm value for a differentiator because advertising can elaborate the firm's point of difference into brand equity, thereby building firm value. Advertising cannot build brand equity for a cost leader because such a firm has no point of difference on which to build. Identifying differentiators and cost leaders on the basis of firms’ reactions to a change in accounting regulations, the authors confirm hypotheses: advertising is related to sales for all firms, but it is more strongly related to firm value for differentiators than for cost leaders. Beyond explaining differences in advertising effectiveness, this study's indicator of differentiation versus cost leadership should enhance future analyses of marketing's effect on firm-level outcomes using archival financial data.
Comparative genomic hybridization (CGH)‐arrays pave the way for identification of novel cancer‐related genes

Comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) has already made a significant impact on cancer Cytogenetics. However, CGH to metaphase chromosomes can provide only limited resolution at the 5–10 Mb level. To circumvent this limitation, array‐based CGH has been devised. Since spotted DMAs in a CGH‐array contain sequence information directly connected with the genome database, we can easily note particular biological aspects of genes that lie within regions involved in copy‐number aberrations. High‐density, sub‐megabase arrays can reveal nonrandom chromosome copy‐number aberrations responsible for neoplastic transformation that have been masked under complex karyotypes in epithelial solid tumors. High‐density CGH‐array therefore paves the way for identification of disease‐related genetic aberrations that have not yet been detected by existing technologies, and array‐based CGH technology should soon be practical for diagnosis of cancer or genetic diseases in the clinical setting.
Effect of leucogenenol on antibody formation in the irradiated mouse.

Mice exposed to 400 rads of x-radiation and injected with leucogenenol at 5-day intervals from 2-34 days after irradiation and with sheep erythrocytes 2 days after irradiation exhibited shorter latent periods and an appreciable level of hemolysin over a longer time than similarly irradiated controls which did not receive leucogenenol. Peak titer however was not enhanced. A further decrease in the latent period was observed when the mice were injected with leucogenenol at 5-day intervals, beginning 48 hours after irradiation. These results indicate that injections of leucogenenol hasten the recovery of tissues responsible for hemolysin formation after they have been damaged by x-radiation. The lack of an enhanced peak titer could be due to a competitive synthesis of protein by tissues other than those involved in antibody production as a result of accelerated recovery. The maintenance of a peak titer for at least 13 days in animals injected with leucogenenol might result from the continued replication of h.
On Optimal Replacement Thresholds with Technological Expectations

Abstract Y. Balcer and S. A. Lippman (1984, J. Econ. Theory34, 292–318) develop a model to analyze the “buy or wait” problem under technological change. They show that this dynamic problem has a threshold solution: if the difference between the best available technology and that currently held exceeds a certain threshold, then buy. They also claim that the threshold is increasing in the “discovery potential. ” That is, the faster the technology is changing, the higher the threshold. In this note, we point out an error in the proof of that theorem and further, we provide a numerical counterexample to the claim. Journal of Economic Literature Classification Numbers: O32, O33.
Optimisation of Surface-Initiated Photoiniferter-Mediated Polymerisation under Confinement, and the Formation of Block Copolymers in Mesoporous Films

Nature as the ultimate inspiration can direct, gate, and selectively transport species across channels to fulfil a specific targeted function. Harnessing such precision over local structure and functionality at the nanoscale is expected to lead to indispensable developments in synthetic channels for application in catalysis, filtration and sensing, and in drug delivery. By combining mesoporous materials with localised charge-switchable poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA) brushes, precisely controlling pore filling and exploring the possibility of incorporating two different responsive polymers, we hope to approach the precision control of natural systems in the absence of an external force. Here, we report a simple one-step approach to prepare a mesoporous silica thin film with ~8 nm pores functionalised with a photoiniferter by combining sol–gel chemistry and evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA). We show that surface-initiated photoiniferter-mediated polymerisation (SI-PIMP) allows the incorporation of a high polymer content up to geometrical pore blocking by the simple application of UV light in the presence of a monomer and solvent, proceeding in a controlled manner in pore sizes below 10 nm, with the potential to tune the material properties through the formation of surface-grafted block copolymers.
XA 27 Depends on an Amino-Terminal Signal-Anchor-Like Sequence to Localize to the Apoplast for Resistance to Xanthomonas oryzae pv oryzae 1 [ W ]

The rice (Oryza sativa) gene Xa27 confers resistance to Xanthomonas oryzae pv oryzae, the causal agent of bacterial blight disease in rice. Sequence analysis of the deduced XA27 protein provides little or no clue to its mode of action, except that a signalanchor-like sequence is predicted at the amino (N)-terminal region of XA27. As part of an effort to characterize the biochemical function of XA27, we decided to determine its subcellular localization. Initial studies showed that a functional XA27-green fluorescent protein fusion protein accumulated in vascular elements, the host sites where the bacterial blight pathogens multiply. The localization of XA27-green fluorescent protein to the apoplast was verified by detection of the protein on cell walls of leaf sheath and root cells after plasmolysis. Similarly, XA27-FLAG localizes to xylem vessels and cell walls of xylem parenchyma cells, revealed by immunogold electron microscopy. XA27-FLAG could be secreted from electron-dense vesicles in cytoplasm to the apoplast via exocytosis. The signal-anchor-like sequence has an N-terminal positively charged region including a triple arginine motif followed by a hydrophobic region. Deletion of the hydrophobic region or substitution of the triple arginine motif with glycine or lysine residues abolished the localization of the mutated proteins to the cell wall and impaired the plant’s resistance to X. oryzae pv oryzae. These results indicate that XA27 depends on the N-terminal signalanchor-like sequence to localize to the apoplast and that this localization is important for resistance to X. oryzae pv oryzae.
Work spirituality in Banking Managers and its impact on Job Satisfaction.

Spirituality has become a significant aspect of organizational culture in today’s business environment. The values of spirituality greatly enhance the sense of accomplishment in employees, which resultantly enhances the over all productivity and growth of organizations. For the purpose of study, the responses of 121 Branch managers , area managers and regional managers are recorded through an independent spirituality assessment scale (iSAS) developed by Rojas(2002). The results have shown a significant impact of spirituality on job satisfaction. The limitations and future guide lines for research is also provided.
A Proposed Framework for the Strategic Management of Small

Abstract Strategic management has been the subject of a substantial literature since the 1950s but has principally focused on the large corporation. By contrast the literature relating to strategic management within the small firms sector has remained limited. Much of the existingliterature has dealt with business planning rather than strategic management, or the processof strategy within the smaller firm. This paper outlines a proposed framework for understanding the strategic management of small entrepreneurial firms and draws upon the literature to illustrate aspects of the proposed model. Future directions for research using the framework are discussed.
A Cut‐Cell Geometric Multigrid Poisson Solver for Fluid Simulation

We present a novel multigrid scheme based on a cut‐cell formulation on regular staggered grids which generates compatible systems of linear equations on all levels of the multigrid hierarchy. This geometrically motivated formulation is derived from a finite volume approach and exhibits an improved rate of convergence compared to previous methods. Existing fluid solvers with voxelized domains can directly benefit from this approach by only modifying the representation of the non‐fluid domain. The necessary building blocks are fully parallelizable and can therefore benefit from multi‐ and many‐core architectures.
A study of the intellectual capital's impact on listed banks' performance in China

This paper uses Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and the intellectual capital measurement to study the impact of intellectual capital on the performance of China’s banking industry and propose changes to improve the efficiency of the banking industry. The conclusions are as follows: capital employed efficiency (CEE) and structural capital efficiency (SCE) have a negative correlation with the technical efficiency from CRS DEA (TE), while human capital efficiency (HCE) has a positive correlation with TE. But the correlations between capital employed efficiency (CEE) and TE, human capital efficiency (HCE) and TE are not statistically significant. Key words: Listed banks, intellectual capital, value added intellectual coefficient.
The sensory retail environment of small fashion boutiques

Purpose – The literature holds few contributions regarding the sensory environment of small, privately‐owned retail stores. Hence, this paper seeks to explore the sensory experience of patrons of a small boutique.Design/methodology/approach – The study uses photo‐elicitation to examine the experience of the sensory retail environment of patrons of a small fashion boutique in the North West of England. Participants were asked to “show me how it feels to shop here” by taking photographs to depict their sensory in‐store experiences. Follow up interviews were carried out to explore the participants’ sensory experiences and then qualitative content analysis was used to identify the typical “likes” and “dislikes” regarding aspects of the sensory environment.Findings – The findings reveal that it is not just tangible things that can affect a shopper's experience, but store traits such as smell, lighting and presence of owner‐manager can also influence a consumer's experience.Research limitations/implications – B.
An Exploration of Internal Corporate Venturing Goals in Family Firms

Abstract Internal Corporate Venturing (ICV) goals of family firms are analyzed based on a qualitative study of six family businesses. Semi structured interviews with the owners and managers of the six family firms provide in-depth details on the goals for 24 internal ventures. Data analysis of transcribed interviews identifies both within-case and across-case themes that allow for development of 10 testable propositions surrounding family firm venturing goals. The analysis suggests that family firm venturing goals are consistent with traditional financial business venturing goals, but that family firms also adopt many non-financial venturing goals.
INTRACRANIAL BRUITS IN CHILDREN

THE occurrence of intracranial bruits in children has been noted for many years. In 1834, FISHER reported hearing a ‘cephalic bellows sound’ on applying his ear to the open anterior fontanelle of young children with hydrocephalus, acute inflammation and other diseases, and he concluded that this sound was pathologic. His observations were confirmed by others, but controversy arose over the significance of such sounds. WIRTHGEN’~ in 1855 reported hearing intracranial bruits in 22 of 55 children under the age of four years and argued that these represented a physiologic rather than a pathologic process. This conclusion was supported by HENNIG~ in 1856 and ROGER’O in 1860. In 1880, OSLER~ reviewed the literature and examined 60 children under three years of age, 8 of whom had bruits. From his own observations and those of others, OSLER concluded that bruits could occur in healthy children, and were commonly heard in younger children. Since these early reports, it has become generally recognised that intracranial bruits are commoner in children than in adults but are less often a sign of disease in the younger agegroup. Extensive series have been reported by STILL^^, HUGHES and TODD~, and WADIA and MONCKTON’~, and these are summarised in the Table. STILL’S figures, and those of HUGHES
Diversification in context: a cross-national and cross-temporal extension

This research note examines the stability of diversification performance relationships in three countries (France, Germany and the United Kingdom), for two time periods (1982–84 and 1992–94). The aggregate findings, taking the three countries and two time periods together, support a general model favoring related-constrained diversification. However, disaggregated analyses show sharp variations in different countries and time periods. The note concludes that although broad performance relationships can be found, these can be expressed very differently in particular contexts. We consider implications for further research.
Earnings Management Choices When Stock-Option Incentives Conflict*

Prior research suggests that managers use income-increasing (decreasing) accruals to increase the value of their stock option exercises (grants). I extend this research by modeling firms' accrual choices when incentives from stock options conflict and are confounded by other stock option features. I find that when incentives to maximize the values of option exercises (unvested options) and option grants (vested options) conflict, firms select accounting accruals to maximize the value of option exercises (unvested options). Surprisingly, despite the presence of vested options, firms use income-decreasing accruals in order to increase the value of option grants.
The Effects of Dividend Announcements on Stock Prices of Financial Firms Listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange: Data Collection Procedures

Data collection procedures remain paramount to quantitative research. However, there is a difficulty in presenting same in the research design, since the researcher is tempted to give an outline that does not directly reflect the specific research in question. This write-up focuses on the complexity of data collection during the design stage of quantitative research projects. Specifically, it gives an outline of data collection procedures for a quantitative research project titled “the Effects of Dividend Announcements on Stock Prices of Financial Firms Listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange”. The areas covered include: population description, sampling size and access to participants, selection, validation and reliability of data collection. Procedures for collecting primary and secondary data for the study are also included. The objective is to show how these concepts could be directly applied to specific researches.
Transport of the anti-varicella-zoster virus agent 6-methoxypurine arabinoside and its 2'-O-valerate prodrug into human erythrocytes

The transport of the anti-varicella-zoster virus agent 6-methoxypurine arabinoside and its 2'-O-valerate prodrug, 170U88, was investigated by using the human erythrocyte model. The influx of 6-methoxypurine arabinoside was found to occur primarily by means of the nucleoside transporter. (i) Influx was nonconcentrative and saturable (Km = 106 +/- 2 microM). (ii) The inhibitors of nucleoside transport, nitrobenzylthionosine, dipyridamole, and dilazep, inhibited the influx of 10 microM 6-methoxypurine arabinoside by greater than 94%. (iii) Influx was inhibited by nucleosides but not by nucleobases. (iv) 6-Methoxypurine arabinoside was a competitive inhibitor (Ki = 129 +/- 10 microM) of adenosine influx, and adenosine (Km = 160 +/- 9 microM) was found to be a competitive inhibitor (Ki = 134 +/- 9 microM) of 6-methoxypurine arabinoside influx. By contrast, the influx of 170U88 occurred by means of nonfacilitated diffusion. (i) Influx was linearly dependent on the 170U88 concentration. (ii) Influx was not inhibited by nucleobases, nucleosides, or inhibitors of nucleoside transport.