Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Transcription Initiation of the Yeast IMD2 Gene Is Abolished in Response to Nutrient Limitation through a Sequence in Its Coding Region

ABSTRACT The yeast IMD2 to IMD4 and GUA1 genes, involved in GMP synthesis, are highly expressed in exponentially growing cells but are shut off when cells cease to grow upon nutrient limitation. We show for the IMD2 gene that this effect is not specific to certain carbon sources or to growth rate. Strikingly, the cis elements responsible for this nutritional response are contained within a 23-nucleotide sequence in the coding region of the IMD2 gene. Despite its very unusual location, this regulatory sequence mediates the repression of transcription initiation. From our data, we conclude that GMP synthesis is downregulated upon nutrient limitation through an active mechanism. We show that this transcriptional shutoff abolishes any possibility of the induction of IMD2, even under drastic conditions of guanylic nucleotide limitation. Taken together, these results indicate that low levels of guanylic nucleotides could be required for proper entry into stationary phase.
Bonding Ties, Bridging Ties, and Firm Performance: The Moderating Role of Dynamic Capabilities in Networks

ABSTRACT Purpose: Building on the dynamic capabilities view and the configuration of network ties, this study investigates how dynamic capabilities moderate the relationships between bonding and bridging ties and firm performance, thus an area with potential to explain the divergent empirical results contained in the existing literature on the relationship between intra/extraorganizational ties and performance. Methodology: This study employed a mail survey to senior executives. A total of 169 firms operating in an industrial district were collected. Regression analysis was employed to test the proposed model. Findings: This study found that the combination of dynamic capabilities and bonding/bridging ties helps improve firm performance. Furthermore, this study found a positive relationship between bonding ties and firm performance, but no equivalent relationship for bridging ties. Research Implications: Research results indicate that firm performance is significantly enhanced by bonding ties, which provide opportunities for sharing information and exchanging resources. Moreover, the empirical results reaffirm the proposition that dynamic capabilities are important transformational mechanisms for managing resources. Practical Implications: The findings reveal that managers can improve firm performance by simultaneously building social ties and developing and implementing dynamic capabilities. Originality/Value: This study demonstrates that the components of dynamic capabilities (i.e., sensemaking and reconfiguration) are transformational mechanisms and can moderate the positive relationship between bonding and bridging ties and firm performance, empirically supporting recent perspectives from the literature on dynamic capabilities and social networks.
Weighing the local dark matter with RAVE red clump stars

We determine the Galactic potential in the solar neigbourhood from RAVE observations. We select red clump stars for which accurate distances, radial velocities, and metallicities have been measured. Combined with data from the 2MASS and UCAC catalogues, we build a sample of 4600 red clump stars within a cylinder of 500 pc radius oriented in the direction of the South Galactic Pole, in the range of 200 pc to 2000 pc distances. We deduce the vertical force and the total mass density distribution up to 2 kpc away from the Galactic plane by fitting a distribution function depending explicitly on three isolating integrals of the motion in a separable potential locally representing the Galactic one with four free parameters. Because of the deep extension of our sample, we can determine nearly independently the dark matter mass density and the baryonic disc surface mass density. We find (i) at 1kpc Kz/(2piG) = 68.5 pm 1.0 Msun/pc2, and (ii) at 2 kpc Kz/(2piG) = 96.9 pm 2.2 Msun/pc2. Assuming the solar Galactic radius at R0 = 8.5 kpc, we deduce the local dark matter density rhoDM (z=0) = 0.0143 pm 0.0011Msun pc3 = 0.542 pm 0.042 Gev/cm3 and the baryonic surface mass density Sigma = 44.4 pm 4.1 Msun/pc2 . Our results are in agreement with previously published Kz determinations up to 1 kpc, while the extension to 2 kpc shows some evidence for an unexpectedly large amount of dark matter. A flattening of the dark halo of order 0.8 can produce such a high local density in combination with a circular velocity of 240 km/s . Another explanation, allowing for a lower circular velocity, could be the presence of a secondary dark component, a very thick disc resulting either from the deposit of dark matter from the accretion of multiple small dwarf galaxies, or from the presence of an effective phantom thick disc in the context of effective galactic-scale modifications of gravity.
Sodium dodecyl sulfate‐polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic method for assessing the quaternary state and comparative thermostability of avidin and streptavidin

Avidin, a positively charged egg‐white protein, aggregates extensively when mixed at ambient temperatures with anionic detergents, such as sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). The resultant aggregates fail to penetrate the stacking gel during polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). To prevent the formation of such aggregates, avidin was acetylated and the pI was thus reduced. Acetylated avidin was found to behave in a manner similar to that of streptavidin; under nondenaturing conditions (i.e., incubation of samples at room temperature), both proteins normally migrated mainly as tetramers with a tendency to form oligomers of the tetramer. When samples were boiled, both proteins migrated mainly as the monomer. The comparative stability properties of avidin and streptavidin were also examined using SDS‐PAGE by heating samples and determining the extent of dissociation of tetramers to monomers as a function of temperature. A distinctive transition temperature could be defined for individual samples. Using this assay, it was determined that, in the absence of biotin, the quaternary structure of streptavidin is more stable than that of avidin. Biotin appears to stabilize structures of both avidin and streptavidin to a similar degree. Acetylation of avidin thus provides a simple means to analyze the quaternary structure of the molecule using SDS‐PAGE.
Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure and the Value of Listed Conglomerates Firms in Nigeria

This study investigates the relationship between corporate social responsibility disclosure (CSRD) and financial performance of listed conglomerates firms in Nigeria, with the use of secondary data. The secondary data was sourced from sampled firms’ annual account and reports between 20072016.The data generated were analyzed using descriptive, multivariate regression, Correlation and disclosure index. The major finding from the analysis reveals that there was a positive relationship between CSRD and financial performance, in the light of the major findings it was concluded that, CSRD brings about improvement in the financial performance of the sampled conglomerates in Nigeria since they maintain a positive relationship.
Antenna selection and frequency response study for UHF detection of partial discharges

Partial Discharge (PD) detection is a widely extended technique for electrical insulation diagnosis. Classical PD detection by means of phase resolved patterns require electrical connections to the power equipment and is sensitive to many noise sources. Ultra High Frequency (UHF) detection techniques are being recently proposed to overcome these problems, and to detect partial discharges on-line. In this paper, four antennas will be tested in order to compare their response to this physical phenomenon.
Comparison of midazolam and diazepam in doses of comparable potency during gastroscopy.

The water soluble benzodiazepine midazolam was compared with diazepam, in doses of 0.07 mg kg-1 and 0.15 mg kg-1 respectively, administered i.v. to 100 patients undergoing gastroscopy. The degree of sedation, ease of endoscopy and recovery were comparable in the two groups. The effects of both drugs on arterial pressure were similar. Compared with diazepam, midazolam had a faster onset of effect, caused virtually no pain on injection, and provided a greater degree of amnesia.
Combinations of Polymorphisms in Genes Involved in the 5-Fluorouracil Metabolism Pathway Are Associated with Gastrointestinal Toxicity in Chemotherapy-Treated Colorectal Cancer Patients

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether specific combinations of polymorphisms in genes encoding proteins involved in 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics are associated with increased risk of treatment-induced toxicity. Experimental Design: We analyzed two cohorts of 161 and 340 patients, the exploration and validation cohort, respectively. All patients were treated similarly with 5-FU–based adjuvant chemotherapy. We analyzed 13 functional polymorphisms and applied a four-fold analysis strategy using individual polymorphisms, haplotypes, and phenotypic enzyme activity or expression classifications based on combinations of functional polymorphisms in specific genes. Furthermore, multifactor dimensionality reduction analysis was used to identify a genetic interaction profile indicating an increased risk of toxicity. Results: Alleles associated with low activity of methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) were associated with decreased risk of toxicity [ORExploration 0.39 (95% CI: 0.21–0.71, P = 0.003), ORValidation 0.63 (95% CI: 0.41–0.95, P = 0.03)]. A specific combination of the MTHFR 1298A>C and thymidylate synthase (TYMS) 3′-UTR (untranslated region) ins/del polymorphisms was significantly associated with increased toxicity in both cohorts [ORExploration 2.40 (95% CI: 1.33–4.29, P = 0.003), ORValidation 1.81 (95% CI: 1.18–2.79, P = 0.007)]. The specific combination was also associated with increased cumulative incidence and earlier occurrence of severe toxicity during treatment. Conclusions: Our results indicate that MTHFR activity and a specific combination of the MTHFR 1298A>C and TYMS 3′-UTR ins/del polymorphisms are possible predictors of 5-FU treatment–related toxicity. Clin Cancer Res; 17(11); 3822–9. ©2011 AACR.
Gender barriers and facilitators faced by women chefs in the gastronomy and the`Haute Cusine' fields.

Cooking is a gendered task. In the domestic sphere, it is women's main responsibility and professionally it is predominately male. In this thesis, we searched the reasons behind gender segregation in the kitchen workplace and why there are few women chefs in 'Haute Cuisine'. We also looked for success factors for current women chefs and how they were able to assess these obstacles. Our study combined both quantitative and qualitative research methods. We started with an extensive literature review. Then we did a case study of women chefs with three and two Michelin stars. We also organized interviews and focus groups with women chefs in Valencia. Finally, we run a survey (202 participants) that targeted chefs and kitchen professionals from different gender, age, countries and professional positions. The established masculine culture, workplace conditions, and work-life balance are among the main barriers women face. Domestic tasks are unequally distributed in the household and it disadvantages women especially those who work in the professional kitchen. Women, as a result, find it hard to remain and evolve in the kitchen workplace. In addition, it is easier for men chefs to acquire public recognition and to launch their own restaurant (entrepreneurship). In order to succeed women should be resilient and build their success in the industry. Women with Michelin stars for example worked on their technical skills to achieve gastronomic excellence, dedicated their time to build their career, and even looked for having their own restaurants. By doing so, they were able to enhance their evolution and acquire more flexibility managing their life and pursuing their vision. Family support and/or mentoring were key for many of them. Finally, the position of chef implies also entrepreneurial skills in order to achieve notoriety, manage and expand the restaurant success. For many chefs and especially for women, running their own restaurant implied higher professional satisfaction.
Genetic Susceptibility to Cardiac and Digestive Clinical Forms of Chronic Chagas Disease: Involvement of the CCR5 59029 A/G Polymorphism

The clinical manifestations of chronic Chagas disease include the cardiac form of the disease and the digestive form. Not all the factors that act in the variable clinical course of this disease are known. This study investigated whether the CCR5Δ32 (rs333) and CCR5 59029 A/G (promoter region—rs1799987) polymorphisms of the CCR5 gene are associated with different clinical forms of chronic Chagas disease and with the severity of left ventricular systolic dysfunction in patients with chronic Chagas heart disease (CCHD). The antibodies anti-T. cruzi were identified by ELISA. PCR and PCR-RFLP were used to identify the CCR5Δ32 and CCR5 59029 A/G polymorphisms. The chi-square test was used to compare variables between groups. There was a higher frequency of the AA genotype in patients with CCHD compared with patients with the digestive form of the disease and the control group. The results also showed a high frequency of the AG genotype in patients with the digestive form of the disease compared to the other groups. The results of this study show that the CCR5Δ32 polymorphism does not seem to influence the different clinical manifestations of Chagas disease but there is involvement of the CCR5 59029 A/G polymorphism in susceptibility to the different forms of chronic Chagas disease. Besides, these polymorphisms do not influence left ventricular systolic dysfunction in patients with CCHD.
“Going solid”: a model of system dynamics and consequences for patient safety

Rather than being a static property of hospitals and other healthcare facilities, safety is dynamic and often on short time scales. In the past most healthcare delivery systems were loosely coupled—that is, activities and conditions in one part of the system had only limited effect on those elsewhere. Loose coupling allowed the system to buffer many conditions such as short term surges in demand. Modern management techniques and information systems have allowed facilities to reduce inefficiencies in operation. One side effect is the loss of buffers that previously accommodated demand surges. As a result, situations occur in which activities in one area of the hospital become critically dependent on seemingly insignificant events in seemingly distant areas. This tight coupling condition is called “going solid”. Rasmussen’s dynamic model of risk and safety can be used to formulate a model of patient safety dynamics that includes “going solid” and its consequences. Because the model addresses the dynamic aspects of safety, it is particularly suited to understanding current conditions in modern healthcare delivery and the way these conditions may lead to accidents.
Discovery of Natural Atypical Nonhemolytic Listeria seeligeri Isolates

ABSTRACT We found seven Listeria isolates, initially identified as isolates with the Xyl+ Rha− biotype of Listeria welshimeri by phenotypic tests, which exhibited discrepant genotypic properties in a well-validated Listeria species identification oligonucleotide microarray. The microarray gives results of these seven isolates being atypical hly-negative L. seeligeri isolates, not L. welshimeri isolates. The aberrant L. seeligeri isolates were d-xylose fermentation positive, l-rhamnose fermentation negative (Xyl+ Rha−), and nonhemolytic on blood agar and in the CAMP test with both Staphylococcus aureus (S− reaction) and Rhodococcus equi (R− reaction). All genes of the prfA cluster of L. seeligeri, located in the prs-ldh region, including the orfA2, orfD, prfA, orfE, plcA, hly, orfK, mpl, actA, dplcB, plcB, orfH, orfX, orfI, orfP, orfB, and orfA genes, were checked by PCR and direct sequencing for evidence of their presence in the atypical isolates. The prs-prfA cluster-ldh region of the L. seeligeri isolates was approximately threefold shorter due to the loss of orfD, prfA, orfE, plcA, hly, orfK, mpl, actA, dplcB, plcB, orfH, orfX, and orfI. The genetic map order of the cluster genes of all the atypical L. seeligeri isolates was prs-orfA2-orfP-orfB-orfA-ldh, which was comparable to the similar region in L. welshimeri, with the exception of the presence of orfA2. DNA sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of 17 housekeeping genes indicated an L. seeligeri genomic background in all seven of the atypical hly-negative L. seeligeri isolates. Thus, the novel biotype of Xyl+ Rha− Hly−L. seeligeri strains can only be distinguished from Xyl+ Rha−L. welshimeri strains genotypically, not phenotypically. In contrast, the Rha+ Xyl+ biotype of L. welshimeri would not present an identification issue.
Throwing effectiveness and rotational strength of the shoulder in team handball.

AIM The purpose of this study was to examine: a) the influence of simulated game activities (SGA) in throwing effectiveness and rotational strength of the shoulder; and b) the relationship between the rotational strength of the shoulder and ball velocity and accuracy in team handball. METHODS Sixteen female handball players participated following a SGA, which included distinctive handball activities for 60 min (2 halves of 30 min). For testing ball velocity and accuracy, every 10 min, subjects performed 3 shots on the spot towards a target from 7 m distance. Shoulder isokinetic strength during internal (IR) and external rotation (ER) was evaluated in 3 angular velocities (60, 180, and 300 degrees /s) before SGA, during half-time and at the end of SGA. RESULTS Throwing effectiveness was significantly affected by time, as aiming accuracy was gradually decreased. However, ball velocity remained stable. The correlation between ball velocity and deviation was not significant throughout the SGA. No statistically significant differences between measurements were found in maximum isokinetic torque, except from the case of ER at 180 degrees /s, where there was a significant difference between initial measurement (IM) and A and B halves. A significant relationship between isokinetic torque and ball velocity was found only for the IM for ER (180, 300 degrees /s) and IR (300 degrees /s). CONCLUSION The main findings of this study are that, during a game simulation, time affects only aiming accuracy and not ball velocity or rotational strength of the shoulder. Moreover, peak torque of IR and ER of the shoulder is not related with ball velocity and throwing effectiveness.
Strategic groups, industry structure and firms' strategies : theory and evidence from the UK grocery retailing industry

This research analyses the explanatory and descriptive limitations of strategic groups research, a theory that addresses a number of important issues for strategy research. That is, it considers rivalry among firms in a similar competitive environment, the relation between strategy and performance and similarities and differences among competing firms. An historical study of the origins and development of strategic groups research shows that the concept of strategic groups was independently developed in strategic management and industrial organisation in the mid-1970s. Much research has been conducted since its inception. However, this research has been mainly empirical in nature. Empirical research has not brought unambiguous findings with regard to some of the fundamental hypotheses of the theory of strategic groups. This has led researchers to raise fundamental questions about the usefulness of the concept of strategic groups. A number of approaches emerged in the 1980s that question some of the fundamental hypotheses of strategic groups theory. Our analysis shows that each approach has its limitations and that strategic groups theory is still the most comprehensive approach, addressing a number of issues of interest for strategy researchers. Given the problems identified at both theoretical and methodological levels, an exploratory approach is used in this research. An historical analysis of the dynamics of firms’ strategies and competitive structure in the UK grocery retailing industry between 1980 and 1995 is used to gather information. This forms the basis of the analysis of (a) the importance of similarities and difference in the strategies of comparable firms and (b) for understanding the mechanisms underlying industrial and business dynamics. The empirical research shows the severe limitations that characterise strategic groups at analytical, descriptive and theoretical levels. The information gathered in the empirical research is an important basis to start thinking about developing a better approach to analyse and explain the dynamics of firms’ strategies and competitive structures.
New York's statistical model accurately predicts mortality risk for veterans who obtain private sector CABG.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether patients' use of the Veterans Health Administration health care system (VHA) is an independent risk factor for mortality following coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in the private sector in New York. DATA SOURCES VHA administrative and New York Department of Health Cardiac Surgery Reporting System (CSRS) databases for surgeries performed in 1999 and 2000. STUDY DESIGN Prospective cohort study comparing observed, expected, and risk-adjusted mortality rates following private sector CABG for 2,326 male New York State residents aged 45 years and older who used the VHA (VHA users) and 21,607 who did not (non-VHA users). DATA COLLECTION METHODS We linked VHA administrative databases to New York's CSRS to identify VHA users who obtained CABG in the private sector in New York in 1999 and 2000. Using CSRS risk factors and previously validated risk-adjustment model, we compared patient characteristics and expected and risk-adjusted mortality rates of VHA users to non-VHA users. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Compared with non-VHA users, patients undergoing private sector CABG who had used the VHA were older, had more severe cardiac disease, and were more likely to have the following comorbidities associated with increased risk of mortality: diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cerebrovascular disease, peripheral vascular disease, and history of stroke (p<.001 for all); a calcified aorta (p=.009); and a high creatinine level (p=.003). Observed (2.28 versus 1.80 percent) and expected (2.48 versus 1.78 percent) mortality rates were higher for VHA users than for non-VHA users. The risk-adjusted mortality rate for VHA users (1.70 percent; 95 percent confidence interval [CI]: 1.27-2.22) was not statistically different than that for the non-VHA users (1.87 percent; 95 percent CI: 1.69-2.06). Use of the VHA was not an independent risk factor for mortality in the risk-adjustment model. CONCLUSIONS Although VHA users had a greater illness burden, use of the VHA was not found to be an independent risk factor for mortality following private sector CABG in New York. The New York Department of Health risk adjustment model adequately applies to veterans who obtain CABG in the private sector in New York.