Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of DNA-protein cross-links induced by 4'-(9-acridinylamino)-methanesulfon-m-anisidide and by gamma-radiation.

The antitumor agent 4'-(9-acridinylamino)methanesulfon-m-anisidide (m-AMSA) inhibits topoisomerase II activity through the formation of a complex of DNA and covalently bound enzyme which, upon protein denaturation, yields DNA breaks (single strand breaks). In the present study, this complex served as a standard for analysis of radiation-induced DNA-protein cross-links (DPC). Following the treatment of exponentially growing mouse L929 cells with 0-100 ng/ml of m-AMSA for 1 h, a linear dose-dependent increase was found in the amount of DNA retained on nitrocellulose filters during subsequent analysis. This result indicates that the assay can detect DPC that have a single protein bound to each DNA fragment. The results of fractionation of nuclear DNA show that m-AMSA induces 20- to 45-fold more DPC in nuclear matrix-associated DNA than in the majority distal loop DNA, supporting the notion that topoisomerase II is located at the nuclear matrix. The frequency of single strand breaks induced by m-AMSA, which should be equal to the frequency of DPC, was determined by alkaline elution. Results of the alkaline elution assay could be correlated with the percentage of DNA retained on nitrocellulose filters; i.e., 1% DNA retention corresponded to 2560 DPC per log-phase L929 cell, which has been determined to have a DNA content of 22.25 pg. Using this standard curve, DPC induced by gamma-irradiation in air were estimated to be formed at a frequency of 133 DPC/cell/Gy, a frequency approximately 3% that of gamma-ray-induced single strand breaks. The radiation dose response for DPC production was unaffected by the high levels of DPC present in cells previously treated with m-AMSA. In addition, DPC induced by m-AMSA were rapidly reversed after the removal of the drug, in contrast to a slower removal of DPC induced by gamma-radiation. These observations suggest that although m-AMSA and gamma-radiation both preferentially induce DPC with matrix-attached DNA, they produce independent types of DPC.
Film-Induced Heritage Site Conservation

It has been contended that a link exists between films and the creation of tourist locations. A film can have an unintended consequence that leads to community actions and subsequent policy initiatives that are supportive of conservation of potential tourism cultural assets. This article analyses the processes by which one such film created a heightened awareness of the heritage values of a location setting in Hong Kong that led to changes in public policy. This case study highlights media’s role in shaping and changing public opinion. It examines through framing analysis the way in which public debate changed, thereby highlighting the way in which conservation activists and other stakeholders played out competing roles and the manner in which they sought to influence media coverage of the site. The article also points out the need to establish a set of consistent standards of conserving heritage sites rather than relying on a film to be the “savior. ”
Biotic paleothermometry constrains on Arctic plates reconstructions: Carboniferous and Permian (Zhokhov Island, De‐Longa Group Islands, New Siberian Archipelago)

A warm‐water fauna and flora from a Carboniferous limestone xenolith that was captured during penetration of deep intraplate Cenozoic basalts through a Paleozoic carbonate platform have been found on Zhokhov Island, New Siberian Archipelago (NSA). This limestone xenolith contains a very high taxonomic diversity of Moscovian (Middle Pennsylvanian) tropical foraminifera and calcareous algae. As this warm‐water biota never occurs north of the forbiddance line, i.e., 30–35°N/S, this fauna and algal flora constrain the paleogeography and interpretation of the paleotectonics in the region. Thus, the location of the most of the New Siberian Archipelago islands at that time must have been within tropics or subtropics. Analyses of the existing data on fusulinid distribution within the Arctic region indicate that Zhokhov and Wrangel Islands were still a part of Alaska‐Chukotka composite terrane as late as in the Artinskian. Both fusulinid and detrital zircon provenance data suggest that the Chukotka microplate, NSA, and Wrangel Island probably were close to Arctic Alaska until Triassic time. The fusulinids from the Mankomen Formation and other formations in Wrangelia show a strong affinity with the Uralo‐Franklinian province regions including the Sverdrup Basin, Spitsbergen, Barents Sea, and Timan‐Pechora and the northern‐central Urals rather than with northern Panthalassa.
Using demographics to understand better the students? behavior, improving the performance prediction in online courses

Predicting the students’ final performance early in term, in online courses, can be an interesting resource to helping them changing their behaviors, aiming to improve their results. A feasible way to do this is applying data mining techniques in their activities’ logs. Another important information that should help this analysis, is the students’ demographics data, that give us important insights about the expected behavior of each student. However, previous works that tried to use the demographics to improve the performance prediction, did not get so good results. Our study proposes a different approach to use the demographics data, using only this information to generate clusters of students before applying the data mining techniques in the activities’ logs, trying to group the students with more similar needs, increasing the chance to get better results. To evaluate the benefits of our method, we compared the accuracy gain in the prediction of the students’ performance, using or not our approach. As results, using the demographics to generate cluster as the first step, and testing with four different methods commonly applied to this purpose, we had an average gain of 11.1% in the accuracy of the predictions.
Safety of intravenous heparin administration after endovascular treatment for ruptured intracranial aneurysms

Introduction Thromboembolic events are the primary complications encountered during endovascular treatment (EVT) of intracranial aneurysms. Intraprocedural heparinization is common during EVT but is less common post-procedure. The safety of heparinization following EVT is unknown, especially for ruptured aneurysms. Materials and methods The records of 138 consecutive patients at our institution from 1 January 2000 to 30 June 2007 who were treated with EVT for 140 ruptured intracranial aneurysms were reviewed. All patients were treated with low dose intravenous heparin post-procedure for 24 h as per the departmental protocol. Cases of worsening hemorrhage requiring surgical evacuation were considered significant hemorrhages. Prior surgical exploration and external ventricular drain (EVD) placement were also noted. Results There were two cases (1.4%) of significant worsening hemorrhage during post-procedure heparin administration. Among 13 patients who underwent craniotomy (for hematoma evacuation or attempted surgical clipping) prior to EVT, there was one (7.7%) case of significant hemorrhage. Among the 60 patients who underwent EVD placement prior to EVT, there was one (1.7%) case of significant hemorrhage. Conclusion Administration of systemic heparinization may be safe during the first 24 h post-EVT of a ruptured intracranial aneurysm in patients without recent craniotomy. Further study in determining the benefit of this protocol in reducing post-embolization thromboembolic complications may be warranted.
Public Attitudes Toward Fiscal Consolidation: Evidence from a Representative German Population Survey

The poor state of public finances in many countries has led to calls for fiscal consolidation. In practice, implementing concrete consolidation measures appears to meet with public resistance, suggesting that the success of consolidation efforts strongly depends on the popularity of the chosen measures. To identify public attitudes toward fiscal consolidation and alternative consolidation measures, we conducted a survey among 2,000 German citizens. Applying ordered and multinominal logit models, we test theory-based hypotheses about the determinants of individual attitudes toward public debt. We find that, inter alia, personal economic situation, time preferences, fiscal illusion, and trust in politicians exert a significant impact on attitudes toward fiscal consolidation and preferences for alternative consolidation measures.
Trichoderma and sulphoethyl glucan reduce maize root rot infestation and fusaric acid content

Roots of maize seedlings (cv. Pavla) infested by Fusarium verticillioides (105/ml) were cultivated on Murashige-Skoog medium (MSM, Sigma, USA) containing CaCl2, IAA and kinetin. Simultaneously, a strain of the antagonistic fungus Trichoderma sp. and a sulphoethyl glucan (SEG) isolated from the cell walls of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, were added. Two evaluations (on 7 and 14 days) were done. Productivity parameters of leaves and roots (fwt, dwt, and length), disease severity index (DSI) and fusaric acid (FA) concentration were evaluated. Both Trichoderma sp. and SEG increased productivity parameters of plants in infested variants and maintained it on the level of control plants during 14 days of experiment. Trichoderma reduced the DSI, while SEG increased it. DSI correlated with FA concentration. A�er seven days of cultivation concentration of FA was lower in all infected variants cultivated concomitantly with agents, compared with the one without them. A�er 14 days of cultivation both agents reduced the concentration of FA up to 50% to the non-measurable concentration in variant with Trichoderma. In variant with positive control, where FA was added to SEG, its concentration decreased up to 30%.
Surface antigens of melanoma and melanocytes. Specificity of induction of Ia antigens by human gamma-interferon

IFN-gamma is known to induce expression of Ia antigens on a variety of cell types. In the present study, this activity of IFN-gamma has been analyzed with a panel of 36 melanoma cell lines, normal melanocytes, and 97 cell lines representing a range of other differentiation lineages. 55% of the melanoma cell lines express Ia antigens in a constitutive manner without IFN-gamma induction. Of the 16 Ia-melanoma lines, 13 could be induced to express Ia antigens by IFN-gamma, whereas three were noninducible. Melanocytes, which do not normally express Ia antigens, are converted to Ia expression by IFN-gamma. Ia antigens expressed constitutively or after IFN-gamma induction were identified with antibodies detecting monomorphic and allomorphic products of DR and DC loci. IFN-gamma appeared to be unique in its ability to induce Ia expression on melanoma and melanocytes; 14 other agents (including IFN-alpha and IFN-beta) known to influence growth or differentiation did not have Ia-inducing activity. Equally striking is the restriction of antigenic changes following IFN-gamma induction to HLA-associated products; of the 38 systems of cell surface antigens examined, only HLA- A,B,C, beta 2m, and Ia antigens were affected. A variety of other Ia- cell types were shown to be Ia-inducible by IFN-gamma; these included established lines of breast, colon, pancreas, bladder, kidney, ovary, and brain cancers, and cultures of normal fibroblasts, kidney epithelia, and epidermal keratinocytes. In contrast, three tumor types, teratocarcinoma, choriocarcinoma, and neuroblastoma, were not inducible for Ia expression, even though IFN-gamma could induce expression of HLA- A,B,C products. The broad representation of Ia antigens on most somatic cell types expressed either constitutively or after IFN-gamma can be viewed in an immunological context (antigen presentation/immune regulatory signals) or could indicate that Ia products have functions other than those related to immune reactions.
Multisource Ratings Of Managerial Competencies And Their Predictive Value For Managerial And Organizational Effectiveness

This study examined the predictive value of multisource ratings of managerial competencies for managerial and organizational effectiveness. Data from 155 subordinates, 59 peers, and 28 supervisors were gathered in order to provide insight into their perceptions on managerial competencies for their managers. With regard to the outcome variable (i.e., effectiveness), both individual-level (subordinates�, peers�, and supervisors� ratings of managers) and organizational-level (Balanced Scorecard) measures were used. As expected, subordinates, peers, and supervisors have distinct perspectives on the managerial competencies that are relevant for effectiveness. Moreover, the specific managerial competencies differ in terms of their predictive validity respectively for managerial and organizational effectiveness. The outcomes of our study suggest that a multisource and multimethod approach is valuable in assessing both managerial competencies and managerial and organizational effectiveness. Several implications for human resource management practices are discussed
Unwanted Pregnancy and Associated Factors among Female Students of Madawalabu University Bale Zone, Oromia Region South East, Ethiopia

Globally as well as in the developing world unintended pregnancies are among the major social and health problems. In Ethiopia, 54% of pregnancies to girls under age 15 are unwanted. In some countries where accesses to safe and legal abortion services are restricted, unsafe abortion is the cause for more than 30% of maternal deaths. The aim of this study was to assess factors associated with unwanted pregnancy among female students of Madawalabu University from 01- 21, March 2014. A cross sectional study was conducted among 814 female students of Madawalabu university drawn randomly from 6 selected schools in 01- 21, March 2014. Self administered questionnaire, adapted from previous relevant studies was used to assess Factors associated with unwanted pregnancy among female students of Madawalabu University. Data was entered, cleaned and then analyzed using Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression models. A total of 814 female students responded to the questionnaire adequately making the response rate of 96%. The mean age of study participants was 20.74 years with standard deviation of 1.47. The overall prevalence of unwanted pregnancy among those who ever had sexual intercourse was 8.1% and among all study participants it was 32.4%. Ever hearing about family planning, consistent use of family planning in the last twelve months, and drinking alcohol in the last one week were among significantly associated with unwanted pregnancy Thus, Madawalabu University HIV/AIDS prevention and control office and other stakeholders are recommended to promote extensively family planning utilization to avoid unwanted pregnancies.
Prices, Rents and Rational Speculative Bubbles in the Sydney Housing Market

We examine whether asset pricing theory can explain residential property prices. Using quarterly data for Local Government Areas in Sydney from 1991 to 2006, we find little evidence that variations in price : rent ratios anticipate future real rent growth. Instead changes in price : rent ratios apparently reflect changing expectations about future discount factors. Some important geographical differences in the behaviour of property prices across metropolitan Sydney are identified. A significant proportion of the variation in property prices in outer western regions of Sydney is not explained by either rents or discount factors; pointing to a possible role for a speculative bubble. Copyright © 2008 The Economic Society of Australia.
Exploring the multidimensional role of involvement and perceived risk in brand extension

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose and test a conceptual framework specifying the multidimensional role of involvement and perceived risk in brand extension domain.Design/methodology/approach – A survey research design was applied to test the proposed hypotheses. Three hypothetical extensions of a real brand were selected. A total of 101 respondents participated in the study. Regression analyses was conducted to examine the role of involvement and perceived risk dimensions in brand extension evaluation.Findings – Results indicate that consumers evaluate brand extension more favorably when it is highly relevant, more pleasurable, and associated with less risk probability. In addition, each facet of perceived risk, namely, financial, performance and psychological, are found to be equally important in making decisions about brand extension.Research limitations/implications – This paper contributes to the growing body of literature of brand extension. The study provides a new direction to brand.
Early-Life Outdoor Experiences and Involvement in Outdoor Recreational Activities in Adulthood: A Case Study of Visitors in Da-Keng, Taiwan

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between outdoor experiences in adolescence and outdoor activity involvement in adulthood, with the aim of determining which kinds of outdoor experiences could significantly influence outdoor activity involvement. According to a literature review, five variables appeared to be common in early-life outdoor experiences, including participating in outdoor activities with family and friends, participating alone, participating in outdoor activities provided by organizations, and extracurricular outdoor activities provided by schools. Data were collected from 800 participants in outdoor activities in the Da-Keng recreational area in Taiwan, with questionnaires asking about their level of activity involvement and their early-life outdoor experiences. The results revealed that there were three significantly predictive factors: participating in outdoor activities with parents, participating in outdoor activities with friends, and participating in outdoor activities provided by organizations. Based on these results, suggestions were made and discussed.
The Effects of Dietary Protein Levels on the Population Growth, Performance, and Physiology of Honey Bee Workers During Early Spring

ABSTRACT. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary protein levels on honey bee colonies, specifically the population growth, physiology, and longevity of honey bee workers during early spring. Diets containing four different levels of crude protein (25.0, 29.5, 34.0, or 38.5%) and pure pollen (control) were evaluated. Twenty-five colonies of honey bees with sister queens were used in the study. We compared the effects of the different bee diets by measuring population growth, emergent worker weight, midgut proteolytic enzyme activity, hypopharyngeal gland development, and survival. After 48 d, the cumulative number of workers produced by the colonies ranged from 22,420 to 29,519, providing a significant fit to a quadratic equation that predicts the maximum population growth when the diet contains 31.7% crude protein. Significantly greater emergent worker weight, midgut proteolytic enzyme activity, hypopharyngeal gland acini, and survival were observed in the colonies that were fed diets containing 34.0% crude protein compared with the other crude protein levels. Although higher emergent worker weight and survival were observed in the colonies that were fed the control diet, there were no significant differences between the control colonies and the colonies that were fed 34.0% crude protein. Based on these results, we concluded that a dietary crude protein content of 29.5–34.0% is recommended to maximize the reproduction rate of honey bee colonies in early spring.
The effects of FDI on voice and accountability in the MENA region

Purpose - Several scholars, policymakers and international development agencies have been suggesting that trade and capital openness would bring better governance, in particular higher level of voice and accountability (VA), for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows on VA in the MENA region. Design/methodology/approach - Applying two different panel models (fixed-effects and dynamic), this paper uses related observations from 19 MENA countries between 2000 and 2008 to analyze the impacts of FDI inflows on VA. Findings - The results reveal that FDI inflows do not contribute to the higher level of VA in the MENA region. Originality/value - With no previous studies of the linkage between FDI inflows and VA in the MENA region, the paper makes a significant contribution in this regard.
Audit Quality and Overvalued Equity

Purpose - Audit quality studies document that accruals decrease when the audit firm is large, or the audit firm is an industry specialist, or the audit-client tenure is long. The purpose of this paper is to posit that incentives related to highly-valued equity mitigate these results, as managers use income increasing accruals to augment earnings. Design/methodology/approach - To test this assertion, the authors regress discretionary accruals on: controls, a highly valued equity indicator variable equal to 1 if the client's lagged price-to-earnings ratio is in the highest P/E quintile, indicator variables equal to 1 for alternative measures of audit quality, and interaction terms between the highly valued equity indicator variable and audit quality indicator variables. Findings - Results of tests show positive and statistically significant coefficients for each of the highly-valued equity-audit quality interaction terms, suggesting that when a firm is highly valued the accruals' decreasing effect of high quality auditors is reduced. Originality/value - Beginning with Jensen's article regarding the agency costs of overvalued equity, a stream of research examining factors associated with highly priced firms has developed. The paper extends these findings, as well as the considerable body of audit quality studies, by examining the ability of a high quality auditor to attenuate this result.
History and geography of suicide: Could genetic risk factors account for the variation in suicide rates?

The current state of knowledge of genetic predisposition towards the suicidal behavior allows for a question whether genetic risk factors account for the variation in suicide rates through time and space. Accordingly, the presented paper will attempt to tackle the genetics behind suicidal behavior from the perspective of the populational genetics. First, the variability of suicide rates across Europe is discussed. This is followed by a brief discussion of the J curve (on a map of Europe, the countries with a higher suicide rate form a so‐called J curve, which starts in Finland and extends down to Slovenia), which maps on to the second principal component identified for European gene distribution, representing the ancestral adaptation to cold climates and the Uralic language dispersion. Furthermore, we will discuss whether the group of people living within the J‐curve could share genes, which may not tolerate excessive amounts alcohol, the combination of which is more likely to end in suicidal behavior. Further along we list possible ways in which suicidal behaviour could have been selected for genetically in populations and identify those specific populations in which it may have appeared. Finally, we point at other locations in the world where a similar interplay of genes and environment has probably occurred, Greenland being the best example of the malignant interaction of alcohol consumption and the trait‐like characteristics, which might constitute the vulnerability to suicidal behaviour. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.