Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Lineage-Specific Distribution of Insertion Sequence Excision Enhancer in Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli Isolated from Swine

ABSTRACT Insertion sequences (ISs) are the simplest transposable elements and are widely distributed in bacteria; however, they also play important roles in genome evolution. We recently identified a protein called IS excision enhancer (IEE) in enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157. IEE promotes the excision of IS elements belonging to the IS3 family, such as IS629, as well as several other families. IEE-mediated IS excision generates various genomic deletions that lead to the diversification of the bacterial genome. IEE has been found in a broad range of bacterial species; however, among sequenced E. coli strains, IEE is primarily found in EHEC isolates. In this study, we investigated non-EHEC pathogenic E. coli strains isolated from domestic animals and found that IEE is distributed in specific lineages of enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) strains of serotypes O139 or O149 isolated from swine. The iee gene is located within integrative elements that are similar to SpLE1 of EHEC O157. All iee-positive ETEC lineages also contained multiple copies of IS629, a preferred substrate of IEE, and their genomic locations varied significantly between strains, as observed in O157. These data suggest that IEE may have been transferred among EHEC and ETEC in swine via SpLE1 or SpLE1-like integrative elements. In addition, IS629 is actively moving in the ETEC O139 and O149 genomes and, as in EHEC O157, is promoting the diversification of these genomes in combination with IEE.
Investigating the adoption of open innovation in the bio‐pharmaceutical industry: A framework and an empirical analysis

– The purpose of this paper is to focus on the adoption of the open innovation paradigm in the bio‐pharmaceutical industry and investigate through which organisational modes (e.g. collaborations, in‐ and out‐licensing) open innovation has been implemented and how these modes are interwoven with the different phases of the drug discovery and development process. Open innovation is currently one of the most debated issues in management literature. Few contributions, however, have paid attention so far to systematically and longitudinally addressing the adoption of open innovation in a specific industry. , – A two‐step research strategy has been adopted. First, a panel study of top industry representatives was organised to operationalise the concept of organisational modes of open innovation in the bio‐pharmaceutical industry. Second, the open innovation modes used by the first 20 pharmaceutical biotech firms worldwide have been documented over the period 2000‐2005 in the various phases of the drug discovery and development process. , – A framework of analysis, establishing the relations between open innovation modes and the phases of the drug discovery and development process, has been developed and assessed in the industry, allowing the determinants of adoption of different modes and their managerial implications to be discussed and to relate them to the peculiarities of the biotech industry. , – The paper contributes to the ongoing debate on open innovation by representing one of the first attempts to systematically and longitudinally assess the extent and particularly the determinants of the adoption of open innovation in a specific industry.
Reducing Control Loss in Organizations: The Implications of Dual Hierarchies, Mentoring and Strengthening Vertical Dyadic Linkages

Using Williamson's (1971) control loss model, the relative merits of dual hierarchies (P. B. Evans [Evans, P. B. 1975. Multiple hierarchies and organizational control. Admin. Sci. Quart. 20 250--259.), strong vertical dyadic linkages, and mentoring for reducing overall control loss are explored. The potential impact for each organizational structure or process is assessed. Simulations are performed to examine the impact of each of these organizational arrangements for organizations with hierarchical levels ranging from 3 to 11 levels. In addition, the effects of deteriorating control at each level are investigated. In the discussion of appropriate control strategies, a number of other organizational characteristics are discussed. I conclude that: (1) Under conditions of sequential or reciprocal interdependence, building uniformly high control efficiency throughout the organization is essential. (2) In small organizations (and those with high turnover) dual hierarchies and cadre relations are appropriate mechanisms for reducing control loss. (3) In large organizations (and those with low turnover) mentoring and cadres are appropriate.
Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of 5H-Indolo [3,2-b][1,5]Benzothiazepine Derivatives, Designed as Conformationally Constrained Analogues of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitor L-737,126

In the presence of sodium hydride, reaction of aryldisulphides with ethyl esters of indole-2-carboxylic acids furnished ethyl 3-arylthioindole-2-carboxy-lates, which were cyclized intramolecularly to afford 5H-indolo[3,2-b][1,5]benzothiazepin-6(7H)-ones or hydrolysed in alkaline medium to give 3-arylthioindole-2-carboxylic acids. These acids, also obtained by the action of aryldisulphides on indole-2-carboxylic acids, afforded tetracyclic 5H-indolo [3,2-b][1,5]benzothiazepin-6(7H)-ones upon treatment with EDCI–DMAP. Transformation of cyclic sulphides into the required sulphones was achieved by treatment with hydrogen peroxide or with m-chloroperbenzoic acid. The title derivatives are conformationally constrained analogues of the potent human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) reverse transcriptase inhibitor 3-benzene-sulphonyl-5-chloroindole-2-carboxamide (L-737, 126). Although the indolobenzothiazepine derivatives, as well as the indolyl aryl sulphones used for their synthesis, were endowed with anti-HIV-1 activities in the submicromolar and micromolar range, none of them proved more potent than L-737,126.
Entrepreneurial education and knowledge: empirical evidence on a sample of German undergraduate students

In this paper, we examine the current state of entrepreneurial education and knowledge of German undergraduate students. In our empirical analysis we examine a data set which comprises responses of 386 undergraduate students and which is not biased by program-specific effects. We analyze students’ understanding of aspects that play a crucial role in business start-ups in order to identify gaps in knowledge and relevant competences. We find evidence that the students evaluate schools’ imparting of relevant knowledge for entrepreneurs as rather moderate. Our findings indicate that students’ age, their general level of entrepreneurship-related knowledge, their ambition to become entrepreneurs, the share of relevant material taught in school as well as the assessment of the transfer of competence by the school attended before the bachelors program substantially influence the gaps in knowledge and competences. Based on our findings about the current state of entrepreneurial knowledge and education in Germany, we discuss implications for relevant stakeholders.
Protein Z Concentrations in Patients With Acute Leukemia

Protein Z (PZ) deficiency may induce bleeding as well as thrombosis. The aim of our study was to estimate the concentration of PZ in patients with acute leukemia. Plasma levels of PZ were determined in 76 patients with newly diagnosed acute leukemia ([AML], n = 50; acute lymphoblastic leukemia [ALL], n = 26) and 62 healthy participants. In the patients, mean plasma concentrations of PZ were statistically lower than in healthy individuals: AML (1.24 ± 0.11 μg/mL vs 1.58 ± 0.05 μg/mL P = .01) and ALL (1.19 ± 0.16 μg/mL vs 1.58 ± 0.05 μg/mL P = .01). Levels of PZ below the fifth percentile (0.873 μg/mL) of normal value distribution in control participants were found in 30% of patients with AML and ALL and in 3% of controls (P < .0001). In this AML subgroup, we found statistically significant correlation between episodes of bleeding and PZ level (P = .01). There was no such correlation in ALL group. The results suggest that PZ can be a cofactor associated with an increased bleeding tendency in patients with AML.
International codes and standards: challenges and priorities for financial stability

The smooth functioning of the increasingly interdependent world economy requires the adoption and observance of common rules. In the light of recent economic crises, it has become clear that the effective implementation of codes and standards could contribute to strengthening financial stability at the national level, and thereby, reduce the risks of spillover. To effectively implement standards, a strategy has been defined within the international community and tasks shared out: the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank conduct assessments of their member states’ observance of the main international standards. Numerous hurdles nevertheless remain to be cleared in order to increase the contribution made by codes and standards to prevent financial crises. Emerging economies’ ownership of codes and standards must be strengthened, which requires these countries to be more closely involved in the definition of standards, and also a more gradual approach in implementing standards to take account of diverse levels of development. The importance given to the assessment of the implementation of codes and standards is a noteworthy step forward in IMF surveillance. It requires increased co-ordination among international financial institutions (IFIs), other standard setting bodies such as the Basel Committee, the OECD and the FATF, and the countries themselves. In addition, countries to be assessed should be more carefully selected, clear priorities should be set in the areas covered by standards and countries should be provided with greater incentives to publish external assessment results. Lastly, the private sector in developed countries could further encourage the implementation of standards by factoring them more fully into its investment strategies, or by supplementing official initiatives in respect of the assessment of observance.
ON THE INTERPRETATION OF COVARIATE ESTIMATES IN INDEPENDENT COMPETING‐RISKS MODELS*

Competing-risks models are becoming increasingly pervasive in applied research to explain the factors determining both the time in a state (i.e. unemployment) and the exit route from the state (is. leaving unemployment for a job or non-participation). However, as in many limited dependent variable models, the interpretation of the covariate estimates requires care. Despite assertions to the contrary in many published papers, it is shown that the estimated qualitative effect of a covariate on the hazard for risk j typically conveys no information on its qualitative effect on either the likelihood of, or expected time until, exit via j. This is because such magnitudes depend on the qualitative and quantitative effects of the covariate on other risks which cannot be ignored. The point is demonstrated by using UK data on the unemployment to re-employment transitions of a sample of male job losers.
UWB beamforming architecture for RTLS applications using digital phase-shifters

In this paper a novel solution for coherent combination in ultra wide band (UWB) beamformings for real time locating systems (RTLS) is proposed. The architecture uses a double quadrature receiver and the time alignment is approached by digital phase-shifters. A comparison and evaluation with classical True Time delay (TTD) architectures is presented. Our proposed architecture achieves same performances than the TTD approach, showing that complex TTD modules could be replaced advantageously by a single base-band digital phase shifters. Moreover, our solution does not need higher sampling rates that make it suitable for low power consumption.
Contractual satisfaction: drivers and implication for theory

The aim of inter-firm relations is to achieve each firm's objectives. The achievement of these objectives is reflected in firms' satisfaction. Satisfaction as a concept can be studied at different levels and contractual relations is one such level. Most studies on inter-firm satisfaction have looked at the general level of satisfaction, whose drivers are complex to account for. This study aims to investigate contractual satisfaction from the perspective of some of its key drivers. The main finding suggests that, while ongoing term specificity, contingent adaptability, reputation and trust have a positive influence on contractual satisfaction, opportunism has a negative one.
Trade in tourism services: Explaining tourism trade and the impact of the general agreement on trade in services on the gains from trade

The article addresses two questions related with tourism as a service trade. Can tourism be explained as other export activities? Does service liberalisation have a positive or negative impact on tourism receipts in destination countries? Previous research has either focused on the demand side factors (i.e. factors of demand in the origin countries) or on tourism as a long-run factor of economic growth. The research shows that a complementary perspective such as that offered by trade in a supply side perspective can render additional insights towards understanding tourism. This approach can explain why countries have absolute and comparative advantage. Another finding is that tourism as an export can be explained by some of the same destination factors that explain other service exports. Using different panel estimators the importance of supply side factors that are to some extent exclusive to tourism are demonstrated: the general price competitiveness of the destination, tourism infrastructure and the provision of safety. The econometric models also confirm the relevance of other conventional explanatory factors of trade in services such as GDP per capita and internet usage. The last part of the article analyses the welfare gains from trade under the general agreement on trade in services (GATS). The revenue (tourism receipt) effect is decomposed into a volume (arrival) and price effect. Results suggest that liberalisers under the GATS gained especially from a volume effect with average higher growth rates in the number of arrivals. There is also found to be a positive effect on the average income earned per tourist from being a liberaliser.
Low power array multiplier using modified full adder

Designing multipliers that are of high-speed, low power, and regular in layout are of substantial research interest. Speed of the multiplier can be increased by reducing the generated partial products. Many attempts have been made to reduce the number of partial products generated in a multiplication process one of them is array multiplier. array multiplier half adder have been used to sum the carry products in reduced time. Achieving high speed integrated circuits with low power consumption is a major concern for the VLSI circuit designers. Most arithmetic operations are done using multiplier, which is the major power consuming element in the digital circuits. Basically the process of multiplication is realized in hardware in terms of shift and add operation. The optimization of adder has led to the improvement in performance of multiplier. In this paper, a modified full adder using multiplexer is proposed to achieve low power consumption of multiplier. To analyze the efficiency of proposed design, the conventional array multiplier structure is used. The designs are developed using Verilog HDL and the functionalities are verified through simulation using Xilinx. The ASIC synthesis results of the proposed multiplier shows an average reduction of 35.45% in power consumption, 40.75% in area, and 15.65% in delay compared to the existing approaches.
Analysis of early region 3 mutants of mouse adenovirus type 1

Early region 3 (E3) of mouse adenovirus type 1 has the potential to produce three proteins which have identical amino termini but unique carboxy-terminal sequences. Three recombinant deletion viruses were constructed so that each could produce only one of the three E3 proteins. A fourth mutant that should produce no E3 proteins was also constructed. These recombinants were able to grow in mouse 3T6 cells and produced wild-type levels of viral mRNAs and proteins except for those specifically deleted by the mutations. Early mRNA production from the mutant viruses was analyzed by reverse transcriptase PCR and confirmed that each deletion mutant would be able to produce only one of the three E3 proteins. Late mRNA production was analyzed by Northern (RNA) blotting and found to be similar in wild-type and mutant viruses. Capsid morphology was unaltered in the mutant viruses as seen by electron microscopy. Immunoprecipitation of E3 proteins from infections of mouse 3T6 cells using an antiserum specific for all three E3 proteins was used to examine the effect of the introduced mutations on protein expression. Two mutants produced only one class of E3 protein as predicted from their specific mutations and mRNA expression profiles. One mutant virus failed to produce any detectable E3 proteins. The predicted E3-null mutant was found to be leaky and could produce low levels of E3 proteins. Outbred Swiss mice were infected with the E3 mutant viruses to determine if the E3 proteins have an effect on the pathogenicity of the virus in mice. All of the mutants showed decreased pathogenicity as determined by increased 50% lethal doses, indicating that the proteins of the E3 region are important determinants of the pathogenesis of mouse adenovirus in its natural host.
The Designation and Removal of Trustee Stock Status: Wealth Effects

This study investigates the impact of trustee stock status announcements on shareholders' wealth in Singapore. An event study methodology is used to ascertain the abnormal returns around the announcement day. The results show that there is a positive and permanent wealth effect on trustee stocks resulting from designation announcements. Conversely, when trustee stocks lose their status, the significant negative abnormal returns suggest that shareholders' wealth is adversely affected. This reaction, however, appears to be a temporary phenomenon and is not simply a mirror image of designation announcements. The differences in the underlying regulatory structures partially explain the findings. Copyright Blackwell Publishers Ltd, 2004.
Productivity Change in the Korean Government-Invested Enterprises: A Malmquist Approach

This paper analyzes productivity change in the ten Korean government-invested enterprises (GIEs) by applying Malmquist productivity indexes. The authors use financial indexes of the enterprises over the period 1993–2003 to measure productivity change. The Malmquist indexes of total factor productivity (TFP) growth are used for measuring and comparing productivity. The indexes are decomposed into two components, efficiency change and technical change (innovation). Results show that productivity of the Korean GIEs increased until 1998. The rest of the period did not enjoy significant increase. Productivity even decreased in the periods of 1998–1999, 2000–2001, and 2002–2003. This study finds that the productivity decrease is due to the weak performance of technical change. The decrease in the technical change suggests the lack of the ability to maximize output from the observed input mix.
Performance comparison of sensor fault-tolerant control strategies for PMSG-based marine current energy converters

Sensor fault is one of the most frequent causes leading to the failure of renewable energy conversion system. Several fault-tolerant control strategies have been proposed to maintain the operation of these systems in the case of sensor unavailability. This paper compares their fault-tolerance efficiency and their ability to be applied in real-world applications. This comparison is based on their performances on a direct-drive permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG)-based variable speed marine current energy converter under the swell effect.
Using the ARD Establishment Level Data to Look at Foreign Ownership and Productivity in the United Kingdom

Recently the data underlying the Annual Census of Production has been made available to academic economists in the United Kingdom. The data provide information on production activity in the United Kingdom at the plant level. This paper provides some preliminary description of the data and discusses a few of its advantages and some of the problems associated with using it. A brief review of current empirical work using the ARD data is given. A particular application, looking at differences between foreign and domestic-owned establishments, is described in more detail.
Differential function and expression of Saccharomyces cerevisiae B-type cyclins in mitosis and meiosis

We have studied the patterns of expression of four B-type cyclins (Clbs), Clb1, Clb2, Clb3, and Clb4, and their ability to activate p34cdc28 during the mitotic and meiotic cell cycles of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. During the mitotic cell cycle, Clb3 and Clb4 were expressed and induced a kinase activity in association with p34cdc28 from early S phase up to mitosis. On the other hand, Clb1 and Clb2 were expressed and activated p34cdc28 later in the mitotic cell cycle, starting in late S phase and continuing up to mitosis. The pattern of expression of Clb3 and Clb4 suggests a possible role in the regulation of DNA replication as well as mitosis. Clb1 and Clb2, whose pattern of expression is similar to that of other known Clbs, are likely to have a role predominantly in the regulation of M phase. During the meiotic cell cycle, Clb1, Clb3, and Clb4 were expressed and induced a p34cdc28-associated kinase activity just before the first meiotic division. The fact that Clb3 and Clb4 were not synthesized earlier, in S phase, suggests that these cyclins, which probably have a role in S phase during the mitotic cell cycle, are not implicated in premeiotic S phase. Clb2, the primary mitotic cyclin in S. cerevisiae, was not detectable during meiosis. Sporulation experiments on strains deleted for one, two, or three Clbs indicate, in agreement with the biochemical data, that Clb1 is the primary cyclin for the regulation of meiosis, while Clb2 is not involved at all.
Towards Left Ventricle Segmentation From Magnetic Resonance Images

Quantitative evaluation of cardiac function from magnetic resonance images generally requires the clinician to first trace the left ventricle contours. However, detection of myocardial walls continues to remain a challenge on magnetic resonance images acquired from patients having serious pathologies because of three key issues: 1) low contrast; 2) high noise level; and 3) blood pool region in the left ventricle is highly non-homogeneous. In this paper, a semi-automatic graph-based method is proposed to segment such pathological left ventricles. This paper has mainly three contributions, and they are: 1) weighting function in graph-based approaches for image segmentation is thoroughly analyzed; 2) a new weighting function is introduced for graph-based methods to outline the endocardium; and 3) epicardium is extracted by a proposed active contour model. We have tested the algorithm on real data sets obtained from two sources, Hospital for Sick Children (SICK-KID), Toronto, and MICCAI Left Ventricle Segmentation Challenge. Average Dice coefficients (in %), false positive ratio, false negative ratio, sensitivity, and specificity for SICK-KID database are found to be 94.7 ± 1.1, 0.023, $8.13\times 10^{-3}, 0.93$ , and 0.76, respectively; for MICCAI database, they are ${96.1\pm 1.1,} 0.022, 8.10\times 10^{-3}, 0.94$ , and 0.74, respectively. Average Hausdorff distances between segmented contour and ground truth in these two databases are determined to be 2.86 and 2.84 mm, respectively. Promising experimental results by the method tested on publicly available database demonstrate the potential of the approach.