Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Three novel mutations in the liver-type arginase gene in three unrelated Japanese patients with argininemia.

Argininemia is caused by a hereditary deficiency of liver-type arginase (E.C.3.5.3.1) and is characterized by psychomotor retardation and spastic tetraplegia. We examined findings in three Japanese patients with argininemia, by using the PCR, cloning, and sequencing procedures. We found three different mutations--G-to-A-365 in exon 4, G-to-C-703 in exon 7, and C-del-842 in exon 8--thereby leading to mutant arginase proteins of W122X, G235R, and L282FS, respectively. Patient 1 was a compound heterozygote, inheriting the allele with G-to-A-365 from his mother and the allele with G-to-C-703 from his father. Patients 2 and 3 were homozygotes of the allele with G-to-C-703 and of the allele with C-del-842, respectively. Expression tests of these mutant arginases in Escherichia coli indicated that the mutant arginase of W122X did not remain a stable product. The other two mutant arginases--G235R and L282FS--were detected by immunoblot analyses. There was no evidence of activity of the three mutant arginases expressed in E. coli. We tentatively conclude that argininemia is heterogeneous, at the molecular level.
On the secrecy outage probability of a physical layer with MRC over mixed fading channels

The diversity scheme has been used recently to improve the reliability of the massage signal by using two or more communication channels depending on many characteristics. Maximum Ratio Combining (MRC) is one of the diversity combining methods by which the signals from each channel are added together and the gain of each channel is made to proportionate to the root mean square signal level. In this paper a diversity technique is proposed to increase the secure capacity over wireless fading channels. The legitimate user (Bob) takes on MRC to maximize the probability of secure transmission, whereas eavesdropper takes on MRC to maximize the probability of successful eavesdropping. We assume that Bob and Eve follow different fading channels, Rayleigh and Nakagami-m, respectively. Depending on these assumptions, closed-form expression for secrecy outage probability is derived.
Segregation of the Escherichia coli chromosome terminus

We studied the segregation of the replication terminus of the Escherichia coli chromosome by time‐lapse and still photomicroscopy. The replicated termini lie together at the cell centre. They rapidly segregate away from each other immediately before cell division. At fast growth rate, the copies move progressively and quickly toward the centres of the new‐born cells. At slow growth rate, the termini usually remain near the inner cell pole and migrate to the cell centre in the middle of the cell cycle. A terminus domain of about 160kb, roughly centred on the dif recombination site, segregated as a unit at cell division. Sequences outside this domain segregated before division, giving two separate foci in predivision cells. Resolution of chromosome dimers via the terminus dif site requires the XerC recombinase and an activity of the FtsK protein that is thought to align the dif sequences at the cell centre. We found that anchoring of the termini at the cell centre and proper segregation at cell division occurred normally in the absence of recombination via the XerC recombinase. Anchoring and proper segregation were, however, frequently disrupted when the C‐terminal domain of FtsK was truncated.
Morphologic analysis of human lymphokine‐activated killer (LAK) cells

Lymphokine‐activated killer (LAK) cells obtained from normal donors at various days of in vitro cultivation have been studied by several methods including scanning (SEM) and transmission (TEM) electron microscopy, immuno‐electron microscopy, in situ hybridization and flow cytometric DNA measurements. In addition, the cytotoxic activity of LAK cells against several tumor cells was examined by 51Cr‐release assay and by SEM and TEM. The LAK cells displayed a uniform ultrastructural appearance concerning surface structure and morphology of organelles. They contained typical lysosomal granules which by immuno‐electron microscopy showed a specific localization of perforin 1 (P1). The presence of P1 and granzymeA mRNA in the cytoplasm was confirmed by in situ hybridization using specific antisense probes. Frequency and increase of specific mRNA‐containing cells was similar for both genes. Single LAK cells were further characterized by peculiar nuclear inclusion bodies (IB) which were presumably formed by trapped profiles of endoplasmic reticulum. Flow cytometric analysis revealed normal DNA content of LAK cells even after prolonged cultivation indicating that the IB were not associated with aneuploidy of the effector cells. The LAK cells were highly effective in lysing K562 and DAUDI cells as shown by 51Cr‐release assay. They caused characteristic morphologic alterations of target cells similar to those found in cytotoxic T‐lymphocyte (CTL) and NK‐cell‐mediated cytolysis. SEM and TEM studies on specimens prepared by routine procedures or by cryopreparation showed that the tumor cell membrane was the initial target for the LAK cell attack whereas other cell compartments were damaged only in advanced stages of cytolysis. Summarizing our study demonstrates that LAK cells have a characteristic ultrastructure which in some aspects differs from that of CTL and NK cells, and that LAK cells appear to destroy tumor cells by mechanisms similar to those of other cytotoxic effector cells.
Growth Strategies and Value Creation: What Works Best for Stock Exchanges?

In recent years, demutualized stock exchanges have been increasingly engaging in M&A and alliance activities. To examine the effect of these growth strategies on exchange shareholders’ value creation, we focus on 14 public stock exchanges and investigate their short-run share price responses to the formation of 110 M&As and alliances all over the world spanning the period 2000-2008. Our findings show that the average stock price responses for M&As and alliances are positive. M&As create more value than alliances. For alliances, joint ventures generate more value than non-equity alliances. More value accrues when the integration is horizontal (cross-border) than when it is vertical (domestic). Additionally, there is evidence of learning-by-doing effects in stock exchange integration activities. Finally, we find that the better the shareholder protection, accounting standards and capital market development in the partner exchange’s country, the higher the merger and alliance premium for our sample exchange. These patterns are consistent when we examine the exchanges’ long-run performance. JEL Classification: L22, G32, D23
Addiction and the Utilization of Medical Care

We investigate the effect of different scales of addictive factors on the utilization of medical services in this paper using a two-part model. Data are from the 2005 National Health Interview Survey and the claims data in the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan. The results show that personal addictive behavior is significantly associated with both outpatient and inpatient utilization. Moreover, our result implies that those who smoked at least 20 cigarettes per day might not visit a doctor until the illness was severe. It suggests that the government can accomplish these goals by promotion and education in order to increase public awareness of personal health.
Interest group pressures and US county-level toxic emissions

We address the relation between interest group characteristics and industry environmental performance. Using data on industrial activities from 2097 US counties, we show that there is an inverse relationship between variables proxying for pressures associated with varying levels of county income, population densities and environmental preferences and toxic emissions at the county level. Our results are broadly consistent with the notion that administrators are receptive to interest group pressures in shaping firm policies towards the natural environment.
A Joint Antenna and Path Selection Technique in Single-Relay-Based DF Cooperative MIMO Networks

In this paper, we consider a single-relay-based decode-and-forward (DF) cooperative multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system in which the source, the relay, and the destination are equipped with Ns, Nr, and Nd antennas, respectively. We propose a joint antenna and path selection scheme, which jointly selects the single-transmit and single-receive antenna pairs, along with the selection of either a direct path that consists of source-destination channels or a cooperative path that consists of source-relay and relay-destination channels. The proposed selection scheme is based on the maximization of minimum of maximums (max-min-max) criterion of instantaneous signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). The analysis in this paper is based on the assumptions that all the channels follow independent Rayleigh fading. A closed-form expression of the symbol error rate (SER) for the proposed scheme in a cooperative MIMO system with M-ary phase-shift keying is derived. We extract the analytical diversity order from the derived SER and show that the proposed selection scheme achieves the diversity order of NsNd + Nrmin(Ns, Nd) in the considered cooperative MIMO system. Closed-form expressions of bandwidth efficiency (BE) and ergodic capacity (Ct) are derived for the proposed scheme. An optimized selection parameter from the specific set of values is numerically evaluated by maximizing a heuristic utility function (Ct × BE/SER). By using the already- gathered information about the maximum instantaneous SNR of every hop, a power adaptation scheme that maximizes the instantaneous SNR in the cooperative path is proposed and analyzed. The proposed power adaptation scheme, which is applied only in the event of selection of a cooperative path, outperforms the uniform-power-distribution-based DF cooperative MIMO system.
Cost-Effective Energy Usage in a Microgrid Using a Learning Algorithm

The microgrid is a new concept of integrating the distributed energy resources (DER) within the grid. The management of the heterogeneous sources of energy presents a challenge, especially as most of the DER are unpredictable. Besides, implementing microgrids should be economically beneficial to the customer; this will raise the challenge of decreasing the costs while ensuring the energy balance. In this paper, we used a stochastic approach based on a model-free Markov decision process (MDP) to derive the optimal strategy for the home energy management system. The approach aims to decrease the energy bill while taking into account the intermittency of the renewable energy resources (DER) and other constraints. While other proposals charge the battery from the utility energy, making the state of charge (SOC) of the battery a deterministic variable, our work adopts a scenario where the battery is charged from the excess of the generated energy, which makes the SOC a nondeterministic variable affected by the uncertain character of the renewable energy. Therefore, our model considers the randomness at two levels: renewable energy level and battery SOC level. We take into account the complexity of the solution, and we propose a simple strategy that can be implemented easily in microgrids.
Kinesin and Dynein Move a Peroxisome in Vivo: A Tug-of-War or Coordinated Movement?

We used fluorescence imaging with one nanometer accuracy (FIONA) to analyze organelle movement by conventional kinesin and cytoplasmic dynein in a cell. We located a green fluorescence protein (GFP)–tagged peroxisome in cultured Drosophila S2 cells to within 1.5 nanometers in 1.1 milliseconds, a 400-fold improvement in temporal resolution, sufficient to determine the average step size to be ∼8 nanometers for both dynein and kinesin. Furthermore, we found that dynein and kinesin do not work against each other in vivo during peroxisome transport. Rather, multiple kinesins or multiple dyneins work together, producing up to 10 times the in vitro speed.
The shielding of CEO cash compensation from post‐acquisition earnings' charges

Purpose - This study aims to examine whether CEO compensation is shielded from the negative effects of restructuring charges and asset impairments following the acquisition of the controlling interest in the stock of another corporation. Design/methodology/approach - Regression tests using CEO cash compensation as the dependent variable, and restructuring charges, goodwill impairments, and other asset impairments associated with a target firm as independent test and control variables. Findings - The results indicate that CEO cash compensation is increased when an acquiring firm with respect to the target firm records restructuring charges. Goodwill impairments have no effect on CEO cash compensation. Research limitations/implications - This study is limited to the extent that it only considers CEO cash compensation. A future area of research is to examine the association of total CEO compensation and post-acquisition earnings” charges. Shareholders encourage CEOs to proceed with synergistic restructuring following a merger/acquisition by increasing their compensation. Originality/value - This study contributes to the literature by concluding that compensation committees consider the contextual nature of earnings” charges and the CEO's direct responsibility for the transaction in the determination of CEO compensation.
The Role of Employment Protection during an Exogenous Shock to an Economy

This paper explores the role of employment protection when powerful external crises reduce demand for products. We first present a theoretical framework that shows that employment protection has a U-shaped effect on abnormal unemployment during a negative exogenous shock to an economy. Using data from the 33 OECD countries, we analyze how the level of employment protection affected the stability of unemployment rates during the recent global economic crisis. The results suggest that countries with an intermediate level of employment protection will have more stable unemployment rates during a world crisis. The policy implication of our paper is that countries should seek a medium level of employment protection that may act as an automatic stabilizer of the economy on the macro level.
Modernization versus problematization: value-for-money audit in public services

This paper examines the practice of value-for-money (VFM) audit in Scotland. The concept of VFM has featured strongly in the policy guidance of successive governments as they have initiated changes in the structure, organization and delivery of public services. The expression VFM is now embedded in everyday language and discussion about the performance of the public sector. However, this study of the practices of an expert group of VFM auditors presents a picture of complexity: VFM, as a concept, may be taken for granted, but, in practice, it has been, and continues to be, problematic.
Strategic Network Formation with Localized Pay-offs

In this investigation, we analyze a network formation game in a strategic setting where pay-offs of individuals depend only on their immediate neighbourhood. These localized pay-offs incorporate the social capital emanating from bridging positions that nodes hold in the network. Using this simple and novel model of network formation, our study explores the structure of networks that form, satisfying pairwise stability or efficiency or both. We derive sufficient conditions for the pairwise stability of several interesting network structures. We characterize topologies of efficient networks by drawing upon classical results from extremal graph theory and discover that the Turan graph (or the complete equi-bipartite network) emerges as the unique efficient network under many configurations of parameters. We examine the trade-offs between topologies of pairwise stable networks and efficient networks using the notion of price of stability. Interestingly, we find that price of stability is equal to 1 for almost all configurations of parameters in the proposed model; and for the rest of the configurations, we obtain a lower bound of 0.5. This leads to another key insight of this article: under mild conditions, efficient networks will form when strategic individuals choose to add or delete links based on only localized pay-offs. We study the dynamics of the proposed model by designing a simple myopic best response updating rule and implementing it on a customized network formation testbed.
Managing the positive and negative characteristics of enterprise microblog to attract user to take action through the perspective of behavioural response

Most studies have suggested the benefits of microblogging; however, it also has negative effects, such as internet addiction and publishing of false information, which adversely impact a user’s behaviour and the advantage of using it as a marketing communication channel. The negative and positive influences of microblogging on a user’s behaviour response have not been systematically explored. This study uses Plurk as the research platform and selects five types of industries and two enterprise microblogs for each industry studied as research subjects to explore the positive benefits of and negative effects on the behavioural response of first-time visitors. Our empirical research validates three primary positive characteristics as well as two main negative characteristics. In different stages of the hierarchical model of consumer behavioural response, the characteristics of a commercial microblog have varied effects on attracting consumers. Finally, it suggests how the characteristics of an enterprise mic.
The east German family: Change and continuity

The incorporation of the GDR into the old Federal Republic has been accompanied by some far‐reaching changes to the pattern of family life in the five new Lander. These changes found their most vivid expression in a precipitous fall of the marriage, divorce and birth rates. The paper traces these developments and considers whether they signal an irreversible transformation of the east German family. It concludes that despite growing convergence with elements of the west German family model, many GDR‐typical patterns and attitudes towards marriage, gender roles, the value of children and combining work employment with family duties still persist in east Germany. Despite changes in its structure and function, a distinctively east German family model exists and has a future.
The extreme C terminus of herpes simplex virus DNA polymerase is crucial for functional interaction with processivity factor UL42 and for viral replication

The herpes simplex virus DNA polymerase is composed of two subunits, a large catalytic subunit (Pol) and a smaller subunit (UL42) that increases the processivity of the holoenzyme. The interaction between the two polypeptides is of interest both for the mechanism by which it enables the enzyme to synthesize long stretches of DNA processively and as a possible target for the rational design of novel antiviral drugs. Here, we demonstrate through a combination of insertion and deletion mutagenesis that the carboxy-terminal 35 amino acids of Pol are crucial for binding UL42. The functional importance of the interaction was confirmed by the finding that a pol mutant defective for UL42 binding retained polymerase activity, but did not synthesize longer DNA products in the presence of UL42. Moreover, several association-incompetent mutants failed to complement the replication of a pol null mutant in a transient transfection assay, confirming that the Pol-UL42 interaction is necessary for virus replication in vivo and therefore a valid target for directed drug design.
Singapore's Regionalization Blueprint: A Case of Strategic Management, State Enterprise Network and Selective Intervention

ABSTRACT Strategic management for economic development has been the hallmark of the Singapore ‘success story. ’ State-led, market-driven intervention underscored the city-state's development strategies. This paper revisits this development blueprint in the context of Singapore's efforts at regionalization. The paper takes a closer look at Singapore's state enterprise strategy, and the ‘portability’ of the strat-egy–in the framework of Regionalization 2000–beyond the city-state. It concludes that the calculated, schematised efforts, though remarkable, have been overly optimistic and have failed to engender equally compelling results, more often than not frustrated by the intricacies of socio-political realities in the host economies.
Solution Structure of the Phosphoryl Transfer Complex between the Cytoplasmic A Domain of the Mannitol Transporter IIMannitol and HPr of the Escherichia coliPhosphotransferase System*

The solution structure of the complex between the cytoplasmic A domain (IIAMtl) of the mannitol transporter IIMannitol and the histidine-containing phosphocarrier protein (HPr) of theEscherichia coli phosphotransferase system has been solved by NMR, including the use of conjoined rigid body/torsion angle dynamics, and residual dipolar couplings, coupled with cross-validation, to permit accurate orientation of the two proteins. A convex surface on HPr, formed by helices 1 and 2, interacts with a complementary concave depression on the surface of IIAMtlformed by helix 3, portions of helices 2 and 4, and β-strands 2 and 3. The majority of intermolecular contacts are hydrophobic, with a small number of electrostatic interactions at the periphery of the interface. The active site histidines, His-15 of HPr and His-65 of IIAMtl, are in close spatial proximity, and a pentacoordinate phosphoryl transition state can be readily accommodated with no change in protein-protein orientation and only minimal perturbations of the backbone immediately adjacent to the histidines. Comparison with two previously solved structures of complexes of HPr with partner proteins of the phosphotransferase system, the N-terminal domain of enzyme I (EIN) and enzyme IIAGlucose(IIAGlc), reveals a number of common features despite the fact that EIN, IIAGlc, and IIAMtl bear no structural resemblance to one another. Thus, entirely different underlying structural elements can form binding surfaces for HPr that are similar in terms of both shape and residue composition. These structural comparisons illustrate the roles of surface and residue complementarity, redundancy, incremental build-up of specificity and conformational side chain plasticity in the formation of transient specific protein-protein complexes in signal transduction pathways.
A statistical model for the analysis of customer satisfaction: Some theoretical and simulation results

This paper deals with a model in which the overall customer satisfaction Y concerning a good or service is linked to the weights and ratings Wi* and X i* , i= 1, 2, … , k , respectively assigned on conventional scales to some of its specific aspects. It is assumed that the observed values of Y come from discretization of a continuous model of the type Y= Sigmai iWiXi , plus a random error , where i are unknown parameters and Wi , Xi are the 'true' values of Wi* , X i* , obtained-according to the psychological scaling approach-by transforming the latter by means of the marginal distribution functions of a latent 2 k -dimensional random variable depending on some unknown parameters a i , bi , i= 1, 2, … , k . With regard to the latent distribution, two models (Logistic Weibull-multivariate normal and Weibull-multivariate normal) are considered and their robustness with respect to the retrieval of the values of the unknown model parameters from discretized data, when using non-linear least-squares estimates-.