Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Expression and Function of Tec, Itk, and Btk in Lymphocytes: Evidence for a Unique Role for Tec

ABSTRACT The Tec protein tyrosine kinase is the founding member of a family that includes Btk, Itk, Bmx, and Txk. Btk is essential for B-cell receptor signaling, because mutations in Btk are responsible for X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA) in humans and X-linked immunodeficiency (xid) in mice, whereas Itk is involved in T-cell receptor signaling. Tec is expressed in both T and B cells, but its role in antigen receptor signaling is not clear. In this study, we show that Tec protein is expressed at substantially lower levels in primary T and B cells relative to Itk and Btk, respectively. However, Tec is up-regulated upon T-cell activation and in Th1 and Th2 cells. In functional experiments that mimic Tec up-regulation, we find that Tec overexpression in lymphocyte cell lines is sufficient to induce phospholipase Cγ (PLC-γ) phosphorylation and NFAT (nuclear factor of activated T cells) activation. In contrast, overexpression of Btk, Itk, or Bmx does not induce NFAT activation. Tec-induced NFAT activation requires PLC-γ, but not the adapters LAT, SLP-76, and BLNK, which are required for Btk and Itk to couple to PLC-γ. Finally, we show that the unique effector function for Tec correlates with a unique subcellular localization. We hypothesize that Tec functions in activated and effector T lymphocytes to induce the expression of genes regulated by NFAT transcription factors.
Customer perceived value, satisfaction, and loyalty: the role of willingness to share information

Abstract This study proposes and tests an integrative model to examine the relationships among customers’ willingness to share information, satisfaction, perceived value, and loyalty in a retailing context. This study extends research on customers’ willingness to share information from trust and privacy concerns toward key outcome measures such as perceived value, customer satisfaction, and loyalty, and is thus among the first to model customers’ willingness to share information with companies in robust theoretical retailing frameworks. The proposed relationships were tested using data from two retailing contexts – groceries (N = 429) and do-it-yourself (DIY) (N = 895). Findings from the two samples suggest that both perceived value and satisfaction are significant determinants of customers’ willingness to share information with a company. Although some differences emerge in the two studies, structural modeling largely supports the hypothesized framework and positions customers’ willingness to share information as an important antecedent of their loyalty intentions and behavior. This study provides practitioners with preliminary insight into the relationship between willingness to share information and perceived value, customer satisfaction, and customer loyalty. This study advances retailing research, as it is one of the few empirical studies investigating the role of customers’ willingness to share information in driving loyalty and its relationship with perceived value and satisfaction in a retailing context.
The Effects of Central Bank Communication on Financial Stability: a systematization of the empirical evidence

The recognition of information asymmetries and uncertainties has led central banks to attach great importance to communication policy as a monetary policy instrument. In this paper, we argue that there is a role for central bank communication in maintaining and improving the resilience of the financial system. We conducted a systematic review of the empirical evidence on the financial stability effects of a range of different communication channels. The analysis identifies a pronounced effect of central bank communication on financial market variables, with statements and press conferences being seemingly the most effective channel of central bank communication. While less attention has been paid to written reports as a communication tool, our results also seem to support the view that written reports move asset prices
PRA Isoforms Are Targeted to Distinct Membrane Compartments*

The prenylated Rab acceptor (PRA) 1 is a protein that binds prenylated Rab GTPases and inhibits their removal from the membrane by GDI. We describe here the isolation of a second isoform that can also bind Rab GTPases in a guanine nucleotide-independent manner. The two PRA isoforms showed distinct intracellular localization with PRA1 localized primarily to the Golgi complex and PRA2 to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) compartment. The localization signal was mapped to the COOH-terminal domain of the two proteins. A DXEE motif served to target PRA1 to the Golgi. Mutation of any one of the acidic residues within this motif resulted in significant retention of PRA1 in the ER compartment. Moreover, the introduction of a di-acidic motif to the COOH-terminal domain of PRA2 resulted in partial localization to the Golgi complex. The domain responsible for ER localization of PRA2 was also confined to the carboxyl terminus. Our results showed that these sorting signals were primarily responsible for the differential localization of the two PRA isoforms.
Relationship of cytochrome P450 activity to Clara cell cytotoxicity. II. Comparison of stereoselectivity of naphthalene epoxidation in lung and nasal mucosa of mouse, hamster, rat and rhesus monkey.

Naphthalene, a murine Clara cell cytotoxicant, is metabolized by cytochrome P450 monooxygenases to unstable, chiral epoxide metabolites which can conjugate with glutathione in the presence of glutathione transferases. Analysis of the three diasteriomeric glutathione adducts produced from conjugation of naphthalene oxides was used in these studies to characterize the stereochemistry of naphthalene epoxidation in preparations of nasal mucosa, lung and liver of the mouse, rat, hamster and monkey. The highest rates of naphthalene metabolism were observed in mouse lung and liver microsomal incubations. Rat, hamster and monkey lung microsomal preparations metabolized naphthalene at 12, 37, and 1%, respectively, of the rate observed in mouse lung. The ratio of chiral epoxides produced in microsomal incubations was dependent upon the concentration of naphthalene. At high substrate concentrations (0.25-1.0 mM), the ratio of 1R,2S- to 1S,2R-naphthalene oxide, as assessed by the glutathione adducts generated (adduct 2/adducts 1 + 3), in murine lung microsomal incubations was 10:1 and at low concentrations (0.062 mM and below) varied from 13.8:1 to 30:1. In contrast, the ratio of 1R,2S- to 1S,2R-naphthalene oxide produced in murine liver microsomes varied from 1:1 at high substrate concentrations to 5:1 at low substrate concentrations. The ratio of naphthalene oxides was unaffected by the concentration of glutathione in the incubation. In contrast to the preferential formation of 1R,2S-naphthalene oxide observed in mouse lung microsomal preparations, lung microsomes derived from the rat, hamster and monkey yielded 1R,2S- to 1S,2R-epoxide ratios of 0.48, 0.61 and 0.12, respectively, at 0.5 mM naphthalene. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Dominant form of vanishing white matter–like leukoencephalopathy

Leukoencephalopathy with vanishing white matter syndrome (childhood ataxia with central nervous system hypomyelination/vanishing white matter disease) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by the occurrence of acute episodes of deterioration after minor head trauma or infection, and symmetrical demyelination on magnetic resonance with cavitation aspects. Mutations in each of the five subunits of eIF2B have been identified. We report in an affected man and his mother an adult‐onset form of childhood ataxia with central nervous system hypomyelination/vanishing white matter disease–like disorder with no mutations in the EIF2B genes and normal guanine nucleotide exchange factor eIF2B activity, suggesting a new dominant inheritance of this syndrome that may involve other genes. Ann Neurol 2005
Compositional Models and Organizational Research

An emergent stream of research in management employs configurational and holistic approaches to understanding macro and micro phenomena. In this study, we introduce mixture models—a related class of models—to organizational research and show how they can be applied to nonexperimental data. Specifically, we reexamine the long-standing research question concerning the CEO pay–firm performance relationship using a novel empirical approach, treating individual pay elements as components of a mixture, and demonstrate its utility for other research questions involving mixtures or proportions. Through this, we provide a step-by-step guide for other researchers interested in compositional modeling. Our results highlight that a more nuanced approach to understanding the influence of executive compensation on firm performance brings new insights to this research stream, showcasing the potential of compositional models for other literatures.
Real option as strategic technology uncertainty reduction mechanism: inter-firm investment strategy by pharmaceuticals

Whether pharmaceutical firms use the real option (RO) mechanism for strategic technology uncertainty reduction and whether the role of RO decreases when industrial technology progresses from research and development (R&D) to commercial activities in a product life cycle is discussed. The evidence confirms that pharmaceutical firms enter different in the external technology sourcing. Moreover, RO-based entry coefficients differ in sizes at different levels in the industrial value chain. The R&D entry stage is relatively greater than the clinical trials entry stage. However, contrary to the proposition that the commercial entry coefficient will be relatively lower; the results indicate that the commercial RO-entry stage appears to be relatively greater than both the R&D entry stage and the clinical trials entry stage. The overall RO-based entry in external technology sourcing appears to be a U-shaped curve along the product life cycle. The article highlights some theoretical and practical implications of these findings.
Form Over Substance? An Investigation of Recent Remuneration Disclosure Changes in the UK

In 2013 new regulations that required enhanced disclosure in remuneration reports were enacted in the UK. Using a sample of FTSE 100 companies from 2011-2013, this paper:1) describes voluntary and mandated disclosure behaviour in response to the enhanced disclosure requirements; and 2) examines the subsequent effect of mandated disclosure on executive remuneration and firm performance. We find that voluntary disclosure was more focused on presentation over substantiative content changes. In addition, mandatory disclosure on relative increase in Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and employee pay was subject to management discretion, as firms could self-select their employee comparator groups. Moreover, mandated disclosure in the first year of the post-reform period did not enhance the link between CEO pay and firm performance, nor curb the degree by which CEO pay was in excess of the average salary earned by employees. The difference between change in total shareholder returns and change in pay also did not improve in the mandated disclosure period. Therefore the new disclosure regime did not result in a fairer pay in society or promote a fairer distribution of profit. Finally, firms that had higher prior advisory dissent votes on pay continued to reward their CEOs with higher total and cash pay, and continued to have high CEO-to-employee pay ratios. Taken together, we question whether the new enhanced disclosure regime is effective in its aim to improve the pay and performance link and curb excessive CEO pay.
Application of the Generalized Differential Quadrature Method to the Study of Pull-In Phenomena of MEMS Switches

This paper reports on the pull-in behavior of nonlinear microelectromechanical coupled systems. The generalized differential quadrature method has been used as a high-order approximation to discretize the governing nonlinear integro-differential equation, yielding more accurate results with a considerably smaller number of grid points. Various electrostatically actuated microstructures such as cantilever beam-type and fixed-fixed beam-type microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) switches are studied. The proposed models capture the following effects: (1) the intrinsic residual stress from fabrication processes; (2) the fringing effects of the electrical field; and (3) the nonlinear stiffening or axial stress due to beam stretching. The effects of important parameters on the mechanical performance have been studied in detail. These results are expected to be useful in the optimum design of MEMS switches or other actuators. Further, the results obtained are summarized and compared with other existing empirical and analytical models.
Differential diagnosis between thymoma and non-thymoma by dynamic MR imaging.

PURPOSE To evaluate the usefulness of dynamic MR imaging for differential diagnosis of anterior mediastinal tumors. MATERIAL AND METHODS Fifty-nine patients with anterior mediastinal tumors were examined. According to histological diagnosis confirmed by surgery or biopsy, 31 had thymomas and 28 had non-thymoma lesions. The patients underwent dynamic MR imaging with gadopentetate dimeglumine administered as a bolus injection. Sequential images were obtained at 30-s intervals for 5 min. Significant differences in the mean peak times of time intensity curves (TICs) were found by histological type, using the Mann-Whitney test. RESULTS The mean peak time of the TIC was 1.5 min in thymoma and 3.2 min in non-thymoma cases. The difference was statistically significant. Stages I and II of thymoma showed a mean value of 1.3 min, which was significantly shorter than that of 2.5 min in stage III. Differentiation of thymoma/non-thymoma based on the peak time of dynamic MR imaging showed optimal sensitivity (79%) and specificity (84%) when defining thymomas as lesions having peak time appearing earlier than 2 min and non-thymomas later than 2.5 min, with an accuracy of 81%. CONCLUSION Dynamic MR imaging may improve the differential diagnosis between thymoma and non-thymoma and the staging of thymoma.
Smoke Your Troubles Away: Exploring the Effects of Death Cognitions on Cannabis Craving and Consumption

Abstract Two studies informed by the terror management health model were conducted to examine the question of how death cognition affects cannabis craving and whether actual cannabis smoking alleviates death cognitions. The first study examined whether priming thoughts of death are associated with subjective cannabis craving among 42 frequent cannabis users randomly assigned to either a mortality salience or control task. When reminded of their death, participants craved cannabis, even though there was no change in their conscious negative mood. The second study examined the effect of cannabis smoking on death cognitions in an exploratory field setting. Fifty frequent cannabis users were randomly assigned to either mortality reminders or control task and completed death-related words accessibility measures before and after smoking cannabis. Results indicate that cannabis served as a buffer and prevented death-related thoughts from entering consciousness, thus acting as a defense mechanism against death anxiety. These findings indicate that death-related concerns may play a hitherto unsuspected role in cannabis craving and consumption. Also discussed are the implications of a terror management perspective in communication of negative health consequences of recreational cannabis smoking and in the use of cannabis for medical purposes among people with terminal illness.
Manual and rotary instrumentation techniques for root canal preparation in primary molars

Introduction: Although rotary instrumentation has been widely studied in permanent dentition, it is a rather new field of study concerning primary teeth. Purpose: We aimed to evaluate apical displacement and time needed for instrumentation of root canals of primary molars by manual and rotary techniques. Materials and Methods: Root canals of 144 extracted first and second primary maxillary molars were randomly divided into 2 groups: Imanual instrumentation (K -files); II- rotary instrumentation (K3 Rotary System®). The canals were radiographed with pathfinding files in place, prepared by both techniques, and instrumentation time was recorded. After preparation, root canals were radiographed again with pathfinding files in place. To analyze the degree of apical displacement, digital images were superimposed using the Adobe Photoshop® software. Results: Mean apical displacement (0.70 mm) in the manual instrumentation group was not statistically different from that in the rotary instrumentation group (0.79 mm). However, mean time for root canal preparation was significantly shorter using the rotary system (128.0 s) than using the manual system (174.0 s) (p<0.05). Conclusions: The use of rotary instrumentation in pediatric dentistry is feasible, offering time -saving advantages in root canal preparation.
A Status-Based Multilevel Model of Ethnic Diversity and Work Unit Performance

The present research builds theory regarding the consequences of work unit ethnic diversity by advancing a status-based, multilevel model of when ethnic diversity is likely to constrain work unit performance. In contrast to past work unit diversity research, which has largely ignored the varying degrees of status ascribed to members of different ethnic groups, I propose that ethnic diversity is most likely to constrain work unit cohesion, and in turn work unit performance, in work units composed of two ethnic subgroups that are separated by large differences in status (i.e., ethnic status subgroups; ESS). Furthermore, and consistent with evidence that the consequences of work unit diversity are contingent on the broader social contexts in which work units are embedded, I predict that the presence of ethnic status subgroups in the community exacerbates the detrimental consequences of ethnic status subgroups in work units. Findings from a multisource, field-based data set (N = 743 employees nested within 131 bank branches) support the study hypotheses. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.
Statewide HPV Vaccine Initiation Among Adolescent Females in North Carolina

Background: Cervical cancer incidence in the United States may be greatly reduced through widespread human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination. We estimated the statewide level of HPV vaccine initiation among adolescent girls in North Carolina and identified correlates of vaccine initiation. Methods: We used data from 617 parents of adolescent females from North Carolina who completed the population-based 2008 Child Health Assessment and Monitoring Program survey. Analyses used weighted multivariate logistic regression. Results: Overall, 31.3% of parents reported their daughters had received at least 1 dose of HPV vaccine. Vaccine initiation was higher among daughters aged 13 to 15 years (odds ratio [OR] = 2.03, 95% CI, 1.12–3.67) or 16 to 17 years (OR = 3.21, 95% CI, 1.76–5.86) compared with those 10 to 12 years old. Additional correlates of HPV vaccine initiation included the daughter having a preventive check-up in the last 12 months (OR = 5.09, 95% CI, 2.43–10.67), having received meningococcal vaccine (OR = 2.50, 95% CI, 1.55–4.01), or being from an urban area (OR = 1.81, 95% CI, 1.02–3.21). Among parents of unvaccinated daughters, intent to vaccinate in the next year was higher among those with daughters aged 13 to 17 years. Parents of unvaccinated non-Hispanic white daughters reported lower levels of intent to vaccinate within the next year compared with parents of unvaccinated daughters of other races. Conclusions: HPV vaccine initiation in North Carolina is comparable with other US areas. Potential strategies for increasing HPV vaccination levels include reducing missed opportunities for HPV vaccination at preventive check-ups and increasing concomitant administration of HPV vaccine with other adolescent vaccines.
Real Exchange Rates and Export Performance in Oil-Dependent Arab Economies

Diversifying oil economies, toward manufacturing and more sophisticated products and services, is one of the most pressing public policy challenges facing these countries. This paper provides new evidence about the impact of oil rents and real exchange rate undervaluation on various measures of exports, using a global sample spanning 1980-2011. Our results suggest that RER undervaluation can ameliorate the negative impact of oil rents on exports, and that it can be particularly effective in countries with underdeveloped financial markets or low institutional development. In light of these findings the paper argues that a strategy of depreciating the real currency can be a viable, albeit a second best industrial policy choice in order to promote export diversification, technical upgrading and export sophistication in institutionally-deficient oil and mineral-dependent economies. Moreover, this type of public policy can minimize the reliance on traditional vertical industrial policy, which usually requires high initial institutional capacity in order to succeed.
Myths About Older People’s Use of Information and Communication Technology

This paper discusses six myths common in the field of ‘human-computer interaction (HCI) and older people’. These myths are widespread among computer scientists, engineers and programmers, as well as among the general public and even older individuals themselves. We can define these myths as follows. (1) Just wait and see. Future generations of older people will use computers without problems. This myth differs from those following, as it may lead to a (dangerous) conclusion of avoidance and inactivity by integrating myths 2–6. If the other myths are accepted as being true and one assumes that the problems will eventually solve themselves, it might not seem worthwhile to expend any effort on ‘universal design’ for older people’s use of information and communication technology (ICT). However, we argue that if we do not actively and properly counteract these myths, we will perpetuate them and their grave consequences. (2) Older people are not interested in using computers. They are unaware of computer capabilities. (3) Older people consider computers as useless and unnecessary. (4) Older people lack the physical capabilities to use ICT. (5) Older people simply cannot understand interactive computing technology. (6) You can’t teach an old dog new tricks. The problem of HCI for older people is that they do not learn to use new technologies and interaction techniques. In discussing these myths, we demonstrate that each one contains a grain of truth. However, the myths are improperly overgeneralized and, therefore, often wrong. Such myths are problematic. Designers and engineers often accept them as truths and neglect older users and/or apply information and communication technologies in an age-discriminating manner. Furthermore, the myths are problematic as they lead older people to avoid computer usage (i.e. a self-fulfilling prophecy). We present evidence to support the notion that these myths may often be largely – although not completely – wrong. We then demonstrate how they can be counteracted through user-centered design, training and instruction.