Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mutagenesis of phospholipase D defines a superfamily including a trans‐Golgi viral protein required for poxvirus pathogenicity

Phospholipase D (PLD) genes are members of a superfamily that is defined by several highly conserved motifs. PLD in mammals has been proposed to play a role in membrane vesicular trafficking and signal transduction. Using site‐directed mutagenesis, 25 point mutants have been made in human PLD1 (hPLD1) and characterized. We find that a motif (HxKxxxxD) and a serine/threonine conserved in all members of the PLD superfamily are critical for PLD biochemical activity, suggesting a possible catalytic mechanism. Functional analysis of catalytically inactive point mutants for yeast PLD demonstrates that the meiotic phenotype ensuing from PLD deficiency in yeast derives from a loss of enzymatic activity. Finally, mutation of an HxKxxxxD motif found in a vaccinia viral protein expressed in the Golgi complex results in loss of efficient vaccinia virus cell‐to‐cell spreading, implicating the viral protein as a member of the superfamily and suggesting that it encodes a lipid modifying or binding activity. The results suggest that vaccinia virus and hPLD1 may act through analogous mechanisms to effect viral cellular egress and vesicular trafficking, respectively.
The experience of discharge for patients with an acquired brain injury from the inpatient to the community setting: A qualitative review

Abstract Background: Discharge planning for patients with an acquired brain injury (ABI) is considered best practice for assisting the patient and caregiver to successfully transition from hospital to home and is complex because of the long-term care and support needs of the patient. This review aimed to describe and synthesize the perspectives of patients with ABI and their family/caregivers on the transition from hospital to home to better understand opportunities to optimize the process. Methods: Electronic medical databases (n = 5) and grey literature published between January–May 2015 were searched to identify qualitative studies on the experience of transition from the hospital to home setting following ABI. Relevant studies were appraised and narratively synthesized. Results: Nine eligible studies that met the inclusion criteria were identified. Two major themes were identified—Engagement and Support. Three underlying sub-themes—poor communication, limited participation and disorganized arrangements for support services—were identified as key contributors to an unsatisfactory experience for patients and their family/caregivers. Conclusion: The transition for patients with an ABI and their family/caregivers was characterized as fragmented and unsatisfactory for supporting a successful return home. This review highlights the importance of tailored education and involvement of the patient and their family/caregiver to increase readiness for returning home and reduce unplanned re-admissions.
Nasopharyngeal biopsy imprint cytology: A retrospective analysis of 191 cases

Patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) are common in Taiwan. To provide efficient management to patients, the surgeons often perform cytological imprints immediately after biopsies of lesions suspicious for NPC. The results of cytological assessment of imprints usually are reported within 30 min after biopsies. The patients with positive cytological results can then be arranged for further examinations during the same visit. We reviewed 191 imprints and corresponding biopsies from 187 patients during 1997–2004 at Koo Foundation Sun Yat‐Sen Cancer Center, Taipei. The cytological diagnoses were categorized into four groups: negative (62 cases), suspicious (8 cases), positive (116 cases), and inadequate specimen (5 cases). There were 18 false‐negative and 1 false‐positive diagnoses. All suspicious cases were positive histologically. Our results showed a sensitivity of 87.2% and a specificity of 97.8%. The accuracy was 89.8%. Therefore, nasopharyngeal imprint cytology is a sensitive and specific method for rapid diagnosis of nasopharyngeal cancer at an outpatient setting. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2006;34:204–207. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Isolated Heart Function after Ischemia and Reperfusion in Sucrose-Fed Rats: Influence of Gender and Treatment

Sucrose-fed rats (HTG) develop hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia, and other features of the metabolic syndrome. This condition, nowadays a world epidemic, is more prevalent in males and increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Weanling male and female rats were given either tap water in control (C) or 30% sucrose solution in HTG groups and commercial rat chow for 3, 5, or 8 months. We studied possible variations in cardiac function, due to gender and length of treatment, in isolated heart after ischemia-reperfusion, since an impaired performance may be more easily detected under stress. Together, sucrose treatment and age affected all cardiac variables. Gender had significant effect on coronary vascular resistance and postischemic levels of the enzyme CK-MB; the percentages of retained cardiac enzymes after ischemia were higher in C and HTG females. C and HTG males had a higher incidence of arrhythmias than females, but only HTG males suffered lethal ventricular fibrillation.
Advances in butanol production by clostridia

Department of Life Study, Seinan Jo Gakuin University Junior College, 1-3-5 Ibori, Kita-ku, Kokura, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka 803-0835, Japan Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Division of Applied Molecular Microbiology and Biomass Chemistry, Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Graduate School, Kyushu University, 6-10-1 Hakozaki, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan Laboratory of Functional Food Design, Department of Functional Metabolic Design, Bio-Architecture Center, Kyushu University, 6-10-1 Hakozaki, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan
FACTORS INFLUENCING CONSUMERS’ CONVENIENCE SHOPPING OF INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS: A STUDY OF KINONDONI DISTRICT

The organised retail shops of Tanzania are facing intense competition. With the opening of new shops and coming in of international brands due to free market economy, this competition is bound to increase. Hence, it is very difficult for retailers to maintain an advantageous position only by offering good products, reasonable prices and effective promotions; they have to offer convenience shopping to be able to reap profits. This could stimulate consumers’ shopping behaviour and enhance consumer perceived value and repeat visits in retail shops. This article analyses factors influencing consumers’ convenience shopping of industrial products, in Kinondoni District. Data was collected from 300 respondents in retail shops, and analysed descriptively. Multiple Linear Regression Analysis was used to test the hypotheses. It was found that location, salesperson, products layout and customer services are important factors that influence consumers’ convenience shopping of industrial products. The study suggests that for the retail shops to be competitive in the market, they should consider these factors. This study provides empirical evidence on factors influencing consumers’ convenience shopping of industrial products in developing economies.
Medial gastrocnemius muscle volume and fascicle length in children aged 2 to 5 years with cerebral palsy

Aim The aim of this article was to compare medial gastrocnemius muscle volume, physiological cross‐sectional area (PCSA), muscle length, fascicle length, and pennation angle in children aged 2 to 5 years with spastic cerebral palsy (CP) and in typically developing children.
The Impact of Group Support Systems on Group Conflict and Conflict Management

This article proposes a model for examining the impacts of group support systems (GSS) on conflict and conflict management, based on literature on GSS, group conflict, and structuration theory. It reports on a study of the impacts of GSS use on group conflict and conflict management. A total of 25 groups participated in the study. After an initial training session, groups met for four decision-making sessions requiring a consensus decision from each group. Subjects reported their perceptions on group conflict, conflict management strategies used, and the productivity of conflict, using scales developed for this study. Overall, GSS-supported groups perceived lower amounts of issue-based and interpersonal conflict than did control groups. There were no significant differences for reported use of conflict management strategies and perceived productivity of conflict. The authors explore possible reasons for these results and propose future research issues related to conflict and conflict management within a GSS environment.
Managing Social Comparison Costs in Organizations

This paper studies how organizations manage the social comparisons that arise when their employees' pay and tasks, and hence their status vis-a-vis peers, differ. We show that under a "pay transparency policy", the organization may compress pay and distort the employees' tasks to minimize social comparison costs. We subsequently show that if the organization can credibly commit to informal agreements, it may remove social comparisons by implementing a "pay secrecy" policy. Under such a policy, the organization makes employees "officially equal" by granting them similar formal terms, while optimally differentiating their pay through self-enforcing informal adjustments.
Globalization, Job Tasks and the Demand for Different Occupations

Globalization has increased in recent decades, resulting in structural changes of production and labor demand. This paper examines how the increased global engagement of firms affects the structure of the workforce. We find that the aggregate distribution of occupations in Sweden has become more skilled between 1997 and 2013. Moreover, firms with a high degree of international orientation have a relatively skilled distribution of occupations and firms with low international orientation have a relatively unskilled distribution of occupations. High- and low-skilled occupations have increased in importance whereas middle-skilled occupations have declined with a resulting job polarization. We also discuss and analyze the role played by new technology and automatization.
Response to the article on baseline neuropsychological testing: throwing away clinical gold with the statistical bathwater.

Principles of Modern Clinical Neuropsychology A ‘‘straw man’’ argument provides the core framework of Randolph’s article, in that it is ‘‘baseline testing’’ that is delineated repeatedly as the chief mechanism to come under attack. All challenges are phrased in the form of what it is that baseline testing can contribute to the process, as though this exists as an entity in its own right. However, at no point to my knowledge has any developer or user of neurocognitive screening in the sports concussion arena claimed that baseline testing in itself is of any value for any purpose whatsoever. Rather, the value of baseline testing lies in its availability for comparative purposes with subsequent followup testing, all of which need to be contextualized further in the overall clinical evaluation process (5). The ability to have access to baseline (i.e., premorbid) neurocognitive levels for postmorbid neuropsychological evaluation is an indisputable aid to psychometric evaluation in general, and to argue otherwise for sports concussion cannot be supported, especially given the potentially ‘‘silent’’ brain changes that typically occur within that context (7). Specifically in Randolph’s article, criticism is leveled on the ImPACT test on the grounds that it does not provide a unitary score to rule the presence of cerebral dysfunction in or out. This is a bizarre critique when viewed in terms of the tenets of modern clinical neuropsychology that for several decades has thoroughly discredited such a single-entity approach (2,8,11). Indeed, this multifaceted aspect of the ImPACT test, which covers a broad spectrum of areas with known sensitivity to diffuse brain damage, is one of its substantive strengths. Finally, the back-to-front logic contained in the concluding recommendation of Randolph’s review is particularly troublesome. Here, he cautions against the use of neurocognitive testing because it may be undertaken by those ‘‘who lack adequate training in psychometrics in order to understand the limitations of the instrument’’ and thereby may enhance risk of false diagnosis (6). However, the use of psychometric testing by nonpsychologists is a practice that is rejected vehemently in modern clinical neuropsychology, including in the sports concussion arena (1,3,5,8,9). Lack of compliance with this professional directive does not provide credible cause to discredit the intrinsic benefits of suitably applied neuropsychological test practice.
Performance driven outcomes—the case of frontline employees in the hospitality sector

ABSTRACT This study proposes a linear relationship between employee performance, job satisfaction and organizational commitment in the hospitality industry. Employees’ sense of achievement intervenes in the relationship between employee performance and satisfaction. In particular, this study models service climate as a cross-level moderator in this chain relationship. The data were collected at 27 casino hotels in Macau. The study finds that job performance has significant direct and indirect effects on job satisfaction. Employees’ sense of achievement significantly intervenes in the relationship between job performance and satisfaction. Service climate has significant cross-level direct and moderating effects on employee sense of achievement, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment. The study provides a fresh look into the relationship between employee performance, sense of achievement, job satisfaction and organizational commitment in the case of hospitality industry.
Flux and Freund-Rubin superpotentials in M theory

We discuss the effective action for weak G{sub 2} compactifications of M-theory. The presence of fluxes acts as a source for the axions and drives the Freund-Rubin parameter to zero. The result is a stable nonsupersymmetric vacuum with a negative cosmological constant. We also give the superpotential which generates the effective potential and discuss a simple model which aims to incorporate the effects of supersymmetry breaking by the gauge sector.
An Economic Analysis of Heterogeneity within Consumer Segments of the Local and Organic Food Markets in Ontario

AN ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF HETEROGENEITY WITHIN CONSUMER SEGMENTS OF THE LOCAL AND ORGANIC FOOD MARKETS IN ONTARIO Mark Wickson Advisor: University of Guelph, 2018 Dr. John A. L. Cranfield Local and organic food are of growing interest to food marketers due to their value-added attributes, for which many consumers are willing to pay premiums. This research examines how food marketers may be able to more effectively capture these premiums by segmenting consumers by household income and rurality status. Using a stated choice framework covering five different commodities, a personal food value analysis, a conditional logit model, and a comparison of willingness-to-pay distributions were applied in conjunction to examine the differences between these imposed consumer segments. The results suggest that consumer segmentation by household income may be effective for specific local and organic attributes for certain food commodities, but that segmentation by rurality status is likely not effective in any case examined.
Examining College Students’ Social Environment, Normative Beliefs, and Attitudes in Subsequent Initiation of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems

Background. Although use of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) is increasingly prevalent among young adults, little is known about predictors of ENDS initiation among this population. Aims. We examined the roles of the social environment (i.e., peer ENDS use and household ENDS use), normative beliefs (i.e., social acceptability of ENDS use), and attitudes (i.e., inclination to date someone who uses ENDS) in prospectively predicting initiation of ENDS over a 1-year period among 18- to 29-year-old college students. Method. Participants were 2,110 (18- to 29-year–old) students (M = 20.27, SD = 2.17) from 24 colleges in Texas who participated in a three-wave online survey, with 6 months between each wave. All participants reported never using ENDS at baseline. A multivariable, multilevel logistic regression model, accounting for clustering of students within colleges, was used to assess if students’ social environment, normative beliefs, and attitudes predicted subsequent initiation of ENDS up to 1 year later, adjusting for various sociodemographic factors and number of other tobacco products used. Results. In all, 329 college students (16%) initiated ENDS within 1 year. Results from the logistic regression indicated that college students who were younger (18-24 years old), ever used other tobacco products, indicated a more dense peer network of ENDS users, and had a higher inclination to date someone who uses ENDS had higher odds of initiating ENDS than their peers. Conclusion. Preventing ENDS initiation should be included in college health promotion programs, which should highlight the roles of students’ social environment and attitudes regarding ENDS use.
World of Bits: An Open-Domain Platform for Web-Based Agents

While simulated game environments have greatly accelerated research in reinforcement learning, existing environments lack the open-domain re-alism of tasks in computer vision or natural language processing, which operate on artifacts created by humans in natural, organic settings. To foster reinforcement learning research in such settings, we introduce the World of Bits (WoB), a platform in which agents complete tasks on the Internet by performing low-level keyboard and mouse actions. The two main challenges are: (i) to curate a diverse set of natural web-based tasks, and (ii) to ensure that these tasks have a well-deﬁned reward structure and are re-producible despite the transience of the web. To tackle this, we develop a methodology in which crowdworkers create tasks deﬁned by natural language questions and provide demonstrations of how to answer the question on real websites us-ing keyboard and mouse; HTTP trafﬁc is cached to create a reproducible ofﬂine approximation of the website. Finally, we show that agents trained via behavioral cloning and reinforcement learning can complete a range of web-based tasks.
The mesopontine rostromedial tegmental nucleus: A structure targeted by the lateral habenula that projects to the ventral tegmental area of Tsai and substantia nigra compacta

Prior studies revealed that aversive stimuli and psychostimulant drugs elicit Fos expression in neurons clustered above and behind the interpeduncular nucleus that project strongly to the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and substantia nigra (SN) compacta (C). Other reports suggest that these neurons modulate responses to aversive stimuli. We now designate the region containing them as the “mesopontine rostromedial tegmental nucleus” (RMTg) and report herein on its neuroanatomy. Dense μ‐opioid receptor and somatostatin immunoreactivity characterize the RMTg, as do neurons projecting to the VTA/SNC that are enriched in GAD67 mRNA. Strong inputs to the RMTg arise in the lateral habenula (LHb) and, to a lesser extent, the SN. Other inputs come from the frontal cortex, ventral striatopallidum, extended amygdala, septum, preoptic region, lateral, paraventricular and posterior hypothalamus, zona incerta, periaqueductal gray, intermediate layers of the contralateral superior colliculus, dorsal raphe, mesencephalic, pontine and medullary reticular formation, and the following nuclei: parafascicular, supramammillary, mammillary, ventral lateral geniculate, deep mesencephalic, red, pedunculopontine and laterodorsal tegmental, cuneiform, parabrachial, and deep cerebellar. The RMTg has meager outputs to the forebrain, mainly to the ventral pallidum, preoptic‐lateral hypothalamic continuum, and midline‐intralaminar thalamus, but much heavier outputs to the brainstem, including, most prominently, the VTA/SNC, as noted above, and to medial tegmentum, pedunculopontine and laterodorsal tegmental nuclei, dorsal raphe, and locus ceruleus and subceruleus. The RMTg may integrate multiple forebrain and brainstem inputs in relation to a dominant LHb input. Its outputs to neuromodulatory projection systems likely converge with direct LHb projections to those structures. J. Comp. Neurol. 513:566–596, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Quenching time of some nonlinear wave equations

In this paper, we consider the following initial-boundary value problem \[ {\left\rbrace \begin{array}{ll} u_{tt}(x,t)=\varepsilon Lu(x,t)+f\big (u(x,t)\big )\quad \mbox {in}\quad \Omega \times (0,T)\,,\\ u(x,t)=0 \quad \mbox {on}\quad \partial \Omega \times (0,T)\,, \\ u(x,0)=0 \quad \mbox {in}\quad \Omega \,, \\ u_t(x,0)=0 \quad \mbox {in}\quad \Omega \,, \end{array}\right. }\] where $\Omega $ is a bounded domain in $\mathbb{R}^N$ with smooth boundary $\partial \Omega $, $L$ is an elliptic operator, $\varepsilon $ is a positive parameter, $f(s)$ is a positive, increasing, convex function for $s\in (-\infty ,b)$, $\lim _{s\rightarrow b}f(s)=\infty $ and $\int _0^b\frac{ds}{f(s)} 0$. Under some assumptions, we show that the solution of the above problem quenches in a finite time and its quenching time goes to that of the solution of the following differential equation \[ {\left\rbrace \begin{array}{ll} \alpha ^{\prime \prime }(t)=f(\alpha (t))\,,&\quad t>0\,, \\ \alpha (0)=0\,,\quad \alpha ^{\prime }(0)=0\,, \end{array}\right. }\] as $\varepsilon $ goes to zero. We also show that the above result remains valid if the domain $\Omega $ is large enough and its size is taken as parameter. Finally, we give some numerical results to illustrate our analysis.
Producing the “Problem” of Addiction in Drug Treatment

In this article, we argue that the “problem” of addiction emerges as an effect of treatment policy and practice as well as a precursor to it. We draw on the work of Marrati to analyze interviews with policy makers and practitioners in Australia. The interviews suggest that the episode-of-care system governing service activity, outcomes, and funding relies on certain notions of addiction and treatment that compel service providers to designate service users as addicts to receive funding. This has a range of effects, not least that in acquiring the label of “addict,” service users enter into bureaucratic and epidemiological systems aimed at quantifying addiction. Rather than treating pre-existing addicts, the system produces “addicts” as an effect of policy imperatives. Because addiction comes to be produced by the very system designed to treat it, the scale of the problem appears to be growing rather than shrinking.