Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Proteomic analysis of high‐density lipoprotein

Plasma lipoproteins, such as high‐density lipoprotein (HDL), can serve as carriers for a wide range of proteins that are involved in processes such as lipid metabolism, thrombosis, inflammation and atherosclerosis. The identification of HDL‐associated proteins is essential with regards to understanding these processes at the molecular level. In this study, a combination of proteomic approaches including 1‐DE and 2‐DE MALDI‐TOF, isotope‐coded affinity tag and Western blot analysis were employed to identify proteins associated with human HDL. To minimize potential losses of HDL‐associated proteins during isolation, a one‐step ultracentrifugation technique was applied and the quality of purified HDL was confirmed by nephelometry, high‐performance gel chromatography, and Western blot analysis. MS analysis revealed the presence of 56 HDL‐associated proteins including all known apolipoproteins and lipid transport proteins. Furthermore, proteins involved in hemostasis and thrombosis, the immune and complement system were found. In addition, growth factors, receptors, hormone‐associated proteins and many other proteins were found to be associated with HDL. Our approach thus resulted in the identification of a large number of proteins associated with HDL. The combination of proteomic technologies proved to be a powerful and comprehensive tool for the identification of proteins on HDL.
An examination of technology transfer and technological learning through intermediaries : the case of intermediaries in the Omani oil and gas sector

There is large body of research that has investigated inter-firm technology transfer and technological learning within direct producer-user relationships within the context of developing countries. However, due to the growth in the technology transfer market, there has also been an increasing tendency for users to become isolated from producers, as new actors have emerged, which have been named technology intermediaries. The motivation for this thesis is driven by the absence of both theoretical and empirical studies examining technology transfer and learning through intermediaries, particularly in emerging nation contexts, what factors influence the functions of intermediaries along the process, and how those factors influence the recipients’ learning. By learning from the technology transfer experiences of the two main users of technologies in the Omani oil and gas sector, namely Petroleum Development Oman (PDO), and Oman Liquefied Natural Gas (OLNG), this research tries to address this theoretical and empirical gap. Through semi-structured interviews, this study explored technological learning during the technology transfer through intermediaries from the perspective of 48 employees (Omani and expatriates) at different levels of hierarchy (managers, section heads/team leaders, site engineers) and from different departments across the two firms. The perspectives of those employees are supplemented by data such as annual reports, which also serves as important triangulation instruments to validate the data collected from respondents. Within-cases and cross-cases qualitative and interpretive content analysis was employed to analyse the empirical data gathered from the two firms. The empirical evidence identified five main factors that influence the functions of intermediaries along the transfer process. These are the proximity of intermediaries with users (geographical and cognitive), specialization of intermediaries (industrial or technological), characteristics of technologies (tacitness, complexity, newness), recipient firm’s absorptive capacity, and recipients firm’s technology strategy. A good understanding of these factors can increase the ability of firms to reap the maximum potential of inward technology transfer for local learning through intermediaries.
‘Click here to share with a friend’: a uses and gratifications approach to word-of-mouth marketing effectiveness

The burgeoning interest in viral marketing and social media optimisation can be seen as a response to the growing and prohibitive clutter inherent in today's fragmented media landscape that leads to messages being attended to less reliably and exclusively. Research on predictors of viral marketing effectiveness is in its infancy, especially as it relates to the use of advertising as the primary vehicle for a viral campaign. We explore factors that prompt advertising sharing, and introduce a shareability scale, a tool to gauge the sharing potential of interactive marketing communications. Across a B2B and a B2C sample, we found remarkable similarity. Participants who were willing to share advertising information tended to be more mindful of others when processing the advertisement, to have a greater general tendency to share internet information, to be more highly involved in the product category, and, in the B2C sample, to be less concerned about source trustworthiness when passing along information found online. Implications for new media researchers and advertisers are discussed.
WEIGHT AND MEASUREMENT ISSUES IN RETAIL MARKETING OF FRESH TOMATOES: EVIDENCE FROM OSUN STATE, NIGERIA

This study investigates the activities of the marketers of fresh tomatoes especially, the weights and measurements aspects of the market institutions in Ife Area, Osun State, Nigeria. The problem here is a standardization problem in marketing and it has significant effects on the consumers of the product. Using primary data collected from 60 randomly selected marketers of Tomatoes, the study examined the types of weights and measures used in the markets under study and assessed the various policies guiding the weights and measurements in terms of awareness and adherence. Also, the profit margins of the marketers were estimated and the determinants of these margins among the marketers were modeled using multiple linear regression analysis. The results show that in spite of high level of awareness about government policies guiding weights and measures, the policy was not well adhered to because majority of the marketers in the area prefer other types of illegal measures in the study area. Furthermore, profit margins are high and are affected by some socio-economic characteristics of the marketers. It was therefore recommended that volume measures should be done away with and weights measures adopted with a fixed price for each unit of weight measure to reduce difficulties in buying and selling of fresh Tomatoes.
Application of Alternative Valuation Formulas for a Company Sale

In this paper, a company owner (valuation subject) is interested in selling a company (valuation object). The potential seller must conduct a business valuation to determine what minimum price he must demand without the transaction proving disadvantageous. The purpose of our paper is to show how alternative valuation formulas solve this valuation problem under realistic imperfect market conditions. As a main conclusion, the business value can usually not be calculated using the future earnings method.
Induction of autophagy by valproic acid enhanced lymphoma cell chemosensitivity through HDAC-independent and IP3-mediated PRKAA activation

Autophagy is closely related to tumor cell sensitivity to anticancer drugs. The HDAC (histone deacetylase) inhibitor valproic acid (VPA) interacted synergistically with chemotherapeutic agents to trigger lymphoma cell autophagy, which resulted from activation of AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase) and inhibition of downstream MTOR (mechanistic target of rapamycin [serine/threonine kinase]) signaling. In an HDAC-independent manner, VPA potentiated the effect of doxorubicin on lymphoma cell autophagy via reduction of cellular inositol 1,4,5 trisphosphate (IP3), blockade of calcium into mitochondria and modulation of PRKAA1/2-MTOR cascade. In murine xenograft models established with subcutaneous injection of lymphoma cells, dual treatment of VPA and doxorubicin initiated IP3-mediated calcium depletion and PRKAA1/2 activation, induced in situ autophagy and efficiently retarded tumor growth. Aberrant genes involving mitochondrial calcium transfer were frequently observed in primary tumors of lymphoma patients. Collectively, these findings suggested an HDAC-independent chemosensitizing activity of VPA and provided an insight into the clinical application of targeting autophagy in the treatment of lymphoma.
The effects of relative delay in networked games

Games are one of the most popular multiuser applications currently in use on the Internet. They have become so in spite of the lack ofQuality of Service (QoS) guarantees offered by the current Internet, which are typically believed to be a requirement for delay-sensitive multimedia applications such as games. Understanding how networked games have become popular is therefore important for designing applications that can become successful with or without the presence of QoS guarantees. One reason for the popularity of games may be the interaction between players in a multiuser game. It is this interaction that compels users to play a networked game, since without other players there is little benefit to the networked component of the game. Players may be willing to tolerate lower QoS if they are able to enjoy a game with other users. This thesis examines users’ preferences for one QoS parameter, delay, in networked First Person Shooter (FPS) games. We consider a player’s absolute delay (the delay between a player and the game server), and their relative delay (the difference between a user’s delay and that of the other players). We employ controlled and uncontrolled objective and subjective experiments: monitoring of publicly-available game servers, group experiments, a survey of game players, and controlling the delay to servers for the FPS game, Half-Life. We find that users are drawn to game servers where they can interact with a greater number of players. Delay has a greater effect on a player’s decision to join a game than to leave, and a player’s tolerance for delay increases with the time that they remain in the game. Although they believe relative delay to be important, in practice users are more concerned about absolute than relative delay, and can find it difficult to accurately distinguish their relative delay.
An Occupational Therapist's Guide to Home Modification Practice

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Multiple insertions and tandem repeats of origin-minus simian virus 40 DNA in transformed rat and mouse cells

Stable simian virus 40 (SV40) transformation requires integration and expression of the early region of the SV40 genome. We have examined the amount and state of integrated viral DNA of SV40-transformed NIH 3T3 mouse and F2408 rat fibroblast lines generated by transfection with either wild-type or origin-defective SV40 DNA. A functional SV40 replication origin was not required for multiple inserts and partial-repeat structures to form in NIH 3T3 mouse transformants. In contrast, partial repeats in F2408 rat transformants were rare when the SV40 replication origin was intact and not detected at all when it was defective.
The Age-Associated Decline of Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3β Plays a Critical Role in the Inhibition of Liver Regeneration

ABSTRACT Aging reduces the regenerative capacities of many tissues. In this paper, we show a critical role of the glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β)-cyclin D3 pathway in the loss of the regenerative capacity of the liver. In young animals, high levels of growth hormone (GH) increase expression of GSK3β, which associates with cyclin D3 and triggers degradation of cyclin D3. In livers of old mice, the GSK3β promoter is repressed by C/EBPβ-histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) complexes, leading to the reduction of GSK3β. The treatment of old mice with GH increases expression of GSK3β via removal of the C/EBPβ-HDAC1 complexes from the GSK3β promoter. We found that the GSK3β-cyclin D3 pathway is also altered in young GH-deficient Little mice and that treatment of Little mice with GH corrects the GSK3β-cyclin D3 pathway. We present evidence that GSK3β regulates liver proliferation by controlling growth-inhibitory activity of C/EBPα. The downregulation of GSK3β in young mice inhibits liver proliferation after partial hepatectomy via the cyclin D3-C/EBPα pathway, while the elevation of GSK3β in old mice accelerates liver proliferation. Thus, this paper shows that GSK3β is a critical regulator of liver proliferation and that the reduction of GSK3β with age causes the loss of regenerative capacities of the liver.
Incorporating social customer relationship management in negotiation

This paper is to examine the negotiating issues and aspects of emerging Web 2.0 technology in customer relationship management (CRM) namely social CRM or CRM 2.0 helps individual or organisational to exercise multi-channel interactions beyond its traditional mechanism. The social CRM provides entities the ability to broaden services beyond its usual practices, and thus provides a particular advantageous environment to achieve complex goals. It discusses recent trends of social networking sites like Facebook, Tweeter, LinkedIn, etc. as means of e-negotiation. It allows people to have greater control of information flow of interaction. Some cases were analysed to depict recent notion of social networks activities in Indonesia, Singapore, and the Philippines. The implication of this general review is to highlight the status of social networks for negotiation to influence others.
The DNA-binding domain of simian virus 40 tumor antigen has multiple functions

The DNA-binding domain of simian virus 40 tumor antigen has been previously shown to participate in a number of different activities. Besides being involved in binding to sequences at the viral replication origin, this domain appears to be required for nonspecific DNA binding, for structurally distorting origin DNA (melting and untwisting), and possibly for oligomerization of the protein into hexamers and double hexamers. We now provide evidence that it also takes part in unwinding origin DNA sequences, contributes a function specifically related to in vivo DNA replication, and perhaps supports the assembly of the virus or release of the virus from the cell. This 100-amino-acid domain appears to be an excellent model system for studying how a small region of a protein could have a number of distinct activities.
Multiple paternity in reptiles: patterns and processes

The evolution of female promiscuity poses an intriguing problem as benefits of mating with multiple males often have to arise via indirect, genetic, effects. Studies on birds have documented that multiple paternity is common in natural populations but strong evidence for selection via female benefits is lacking. In an attempt to evaluate the evidence more broadly, we review studies of multiple paternity in natural populations of all major groups of nonavian reptiles. Multiple paternity has been documented in all species investigated so far and commonly exists in over 50% of clutches, with particularly high levels in snakes and lizards. Marine turtles and lizards with prolonged pair‐bonding have relatively low levels of multiple paternity but levels are nevertheless higher than in many vertebrates with parental care. There is no evidence that high levels of polyandry are driven by direct benefits to females and the evidence that multiple paternity arises from indirect genetic benefits is weak. Instead, we argue that the most parsimonious explanation for patterns of multiple paternity is that it represents the combined effect of mate‐encounter frequency and conflict over mating rates between males and females driven by large male benefits and relatively small female costs, with only weak selection via indirect benefits. A crucial step for researchers is to move from correlative approaches to experimental tests of assumptions and predictions of theory under natural settings, using a combination of molecular techniques and behavioural observations.
Automated Exchange Transfusion and Exchange Rate

An automated blood exchange transfusion (BET) with a two‐site technique has been devised by Goldmann et al and by us, using an infusion pump. With this method, we successfully performed exchange transfusions 189 times in the past four years on 110 infants with birth weights ranging from 530 g to 4,000 g. The exchange rate by the automated method was compared with the rate by Diamond's method. Serum bilirubin (SB) levels before and after BET and the maximal SB rebound within 24 hours after BET were: 21.6 ± 2.4, 11.5 ± 2.2, and 15.0 ± 1.5 mg/dl in the automated method, and 22.0 ± 2.9, 11.2 ± 2.5, and 17.7 ± 3.2 mg/dl in Diamond's method, respectively. The result showed that the maximal rebound of the SB level within 24 hours after BET was significantly lower in the automated method than in Diamond's method (p<0.01), though SB levels before and after BET were not significantly different between the two methods. The exchange rate was also measured by means of staining the fetal red cells (F cells) both in the automated method and in Diamond's method, and comparing them. The exchange rate of F cells in Diamond's method went down along the theoretical exchange curve proposed by Diamond, while the rate in the automated method was significantly better than in Diamond's, especially in the early stage of BET (p<0.01). We believe that the use of this automated method may give better results than Diamond's method in the rate of exchange, because this method is performed with a two‐site technique using a peripheral artery and vein.
Content-based image retrieval with scale-space object trees

Using recent advances in scale-space decomposition techniques, it is possible to transform images into trees in scale space, which represent the topology of regions within the image. We propose that complex objects can be found in the trees using a combination of subgraph isomorphism testing and conventional feature matching and hence provide a vehicle for achieving content-based retrieval and navigations for complex objects in images.
A numerical simulation using optimal control can estimate stiffness profiles of a monkey arm during reaching movements

An understanding of how the brain constrains dimensions of freedom to control the body would be beneficial for the robotic engineering of a humanoid robot. We estimated joint stiffness in a female Japanese monkey (Macaca fuscata) during arm reaching movements and carried out a numerical simulation. The estimated stiffness was high at movement onset and movement end, and decreased at the mid-point of the movement. These characteristic patterns were reproduced by the numerical simulation using a 2-link 6-muscle arm model and an approximately optimal feedback control. Although the arm model was a redundant system with multiple dimensions of freedom, the optimal control was able to solve the redundancy problem by optimizing a task-relevant cost function. We suggest that the brain may control the body according to a similar optimal control law.
A New Estimate of the IQ in Estonia

The Standard Progressive Matrices was standardized in Estonia in 2001 on a sample of 1,835 7- to 11-yr. -olds. The mean IQ of the Estonian sample was estimated at 98 in relation to a British IQ of 100 and 99 based on the combined results for two studies.
Economic and ﬁnancial snapshot of small Spanish family ﬁrms

The aim of this study is to determine whether there are statistically signiﬁcant differences between small Spanish companies according to their family or non-family nature, in terms of their main economic and ﬁnancial indicators. The study data analysed correspond to the years 2003, 2007 and 2013, which enabled us to examine whether the characteristics observed and any differences between these companies persisted during a period featuring three different economic scenarios. The study sample was composed of 21,192 small family ﬁrms and 4,449 small non-family ﬁrms. The results obtained show that, regardless of the national economic situation, there were statistically sig- niﬁcant differences between the two types of companies for certain economic and ﬁnancial indicators. We conclude that the family nature of a company has a negative impact on productivity, the number of employ- ees and levels of investment and turnover. Moreover, family ﬁrms face higher costs of external ﬁnancing than do non-family businesses.
Robust Smoothed Rank Estimation Methods for Accelerated Failure Time Model Allowing Clusters

Smoothed Gehan rank estimation methods are widely used in accelerated failure time (AFT) models with/without clusters. However, most methods are sensitive to outliers in the covariates. In order to solve this problem, we propose robust approaches based on the smoothed Gehan rank estimation methods for the AFT model, allowing for clusters by employing two different weight functions. Simulation studies show that the proposed methods outperform existing smoothed rank estimation methods regarding their biases and standard deviations when there are outliers in the covariates. The proposed methods are also applied to a real dataset from the “Major cardiovascular interventions” study.
Developing a comprehensive picture of service failure

Much attention has been paid recently to the concept of service failure. In light of this, the paper develops a model of the potential outcomes from service failure. Results are utilised from interviews with business banking customers who have recently encountered a service failure. The results show that service recovery is only one of the reasons a customer may stay or exit a service organisation after a service failure. Other factors, such as barriers to exit and loyalty, are just as prevalent in the decision‐making process. A model ofservice failure, which was generated through the results of the research, is presented in the discussion section of the paper.
Treatment of Acute Ischemic Stroke

ABSTRACT Purpose of Review: This article provides an update on the state of the art of the emergency treatment of acute ischemic stroke with particular emphasis on the alternatives for reperfusion therapy. Recent Findings: The results of several randomized controlled trials consistently and conclusively demonstrating that previously functional patients with disabling strokes from a proximal intracranial artery occlusion benefit from prompt recanalization with mechanical thrombectomy using a retrievable stent have changed the landscape of acute stroke therapy. Mechanical thrombectomy within 6 hours of symptom onset should now be considered the preferred treatment for these patients along with IV thrombolysis with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) within the first 4.5 hours for all patients who do not have contraindications for systemic thrombolysis. Patients who are ineligible for IV rtPA can also benefit from mechanical thrombectomy. Collateral status and time to reperfusion are the main determinants of outcome. Summary: Timely successful reperfusion is the most effective treatment for patients with acute ischemic stroke. Systems of care should be optimized to maximize the number of patients with acute ischemic stroke able to receive reperfusion therapy.