Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Novel DNA-binding proteins regulate intestine-specific transcription of the sucrase-isomaltase gene

Sucrase-isomaltase (SI) is an enterocyte-specific gene which exhibits a complex pattern of expression during intestinal development and in the adult intestinal mucosa. In the studies described in this report, we demonstrate that enterocyte-specific transcription of the SI gene is regulated by an evolutionarily conserved promoter that extends approximately 180 bp upstream of the transcription start site. DNase I footprint analysis allowed the identification of three nuclear protein-binding sites within the SI promoter (SIF1, SIF2, and SIF3 [SI footprint]), each of which acted as a positive regulatory element for transcription in intestinal cell lines. SIF1 was shown to bind nuclear protein complexes present in primary mouse small intestinal cell and in an intestinal cell line (Caco-2). However, SIF1-binding proteins were absent in a variety of other epithelial and nonepithelial cells. In vitro mutagenesis experiments demonstrated that the SIF1 site is required for high-level promoter activity in intestinal cells. The SIF3 element formed prominent binding complexes with intestinal and liver nuclear extracts, whereas nuclear proteins from other epithelial and nonepithelial cells formed weaker complexes of different mobilities. The SIF2 element bound nuclear proteins in a pattern similar to that of SIF3, and cross-competition studies suggested that SIF2 and SIF3 may bind the same nuclear proteins. Taken together, these data have allowed the identification of novel DNA-binding proteins that play an important role in regulating intestine-specific transcription of the SI gene.
Measurement and Health Care Management

Over recent decades many health care organisations have ‘modernised’ their management accounting systems by using the balanced scorecard (BSC). However, public health care involves multi-dimensional goals and resolving conflicts of interest. The question is whether a management control system based on measurements is suitable in a health care context. Light can be shed on this question using a study of the application of a BSC over a ten-year period at Hogland Hospital. The study shows that the BSC and measurements of output and behaviour became a way of approaching unanswered questions about processes and quality development. Medical professionals with management responsibility, in co-operation with medical professionals responsible for different specialities, determined measures and targets and the measurements were integrated into activity processes and affected activities.
The interplay of international trade, economic growth and income convergence: a brief intellectual history of recent developments

The literature on the interplay of international trade, economic growth, and income convergence across economies has proliferated in the past few decades. The present essay reviews the theoretical advancements and empirical findings in this literature. The focus will be on recent developments with a few glances at the past. The essay also describes new findings and insights into the role of international trade in global income distribution. Ideas for further research are offered throughout the essay.
Effect of positive end‐expiratory‐pressure on regional ventilation in patients with acute lung injury evaluated by electrical impedance tomography

Background and objective: For the treatment of patients with adult respiratory distress syndrome and acute lung injury bedside measurements of regional lung ventilation should be considered for optimizing ventilatory settings. The aim was to investigate the effect of positive end‐expiratory pressure (PEEP) on regional ventilation in mechanically ventilated patients at the bedside by electrical impedance tomography. Methods: Eight mechanically ventilated patients were included in the study. PEEP levels were increased from 0 to 5, 10, 15 mbar and back to 0 mbar. Regional ventilation in 912 regions of the thorax was investigated at each PEEP by electrical impedance tomography. The obtained regions were divided in four groups: none (none and poorly ventilated regions including chest wall and mediastinum), bad, moderate and well‐ventilated regions. Results: Increasing the PEEP stepwise from 0 to 15 mbar decreased the non‐ventilated regions (none: 540 regions at PEEP 0 and 406 regions at PEEP 15). In contrast, the other regions increased (bad: 316 regions at PEEP 0 and 380 regions at PEEP 15; moderate: 40 regions at PEEP 0 and 100 regions at PEEP 15; well: 0 region at PEEP 0 and 34 regions at PEEP 15 (median values)) indicating an improvement of regional ventilation. Conclusions: Increasing PEEP in mechanically ventilated patients reduces none ventilated regions (atelectasis). Furthermore, it leads to a shift from none and bad ventilated regions to moderately and well‐ventilated regions. Electrical impedance tomography is a bedside technique and might be an alternative to computed tomography scan to assess aerated lung regions.
Experimental study on carrier transport mechanisms in double- and single-gate ultrathin-body MOSFETs - Coulomb scattering, volume inversion, and /spl delta/T/sub SOI/-induced scattering

The carrier transport mechanisms in single- and double-gate UTB MOSFETs are investigated. It is demonstrated that Coulomb scattering in UTB MOSFETs is greater than that in thicker body MOSFETs. It is found that, in higher Ns regions, the mobility of double-gate structures is smaller than that of single-gate structures in 4.3-nm body MOSFETs, which is due to the SOI-thickness-fluctuation-induced scattering. It is also demonstrated that Coulomb scattering is greatly suppressed in double-gate MOSFETs. The electrical characteristics of sub-1-nm body MOSFETs are also investigated.
Monitoring the volatility in a process which reflects trading in the financial market

Recently, the financial market has become an area of increased research interest for mathematician and statisticians. The Black and Scholes breakthrough in this area triggered a lot of new research activity. Commonly the research concerns the log returns of assets (shares, bond, foreign exchange, option). The variation in the log returns is called volatility and it is widely studied and because of its relevance for applications in the financial world. The volatility is mostly used for measuring the risk and also for forecasting future prices. In this research work a process of trading activities is considered. It is assumed that at a random time-point a parameter change in the laws of the trading occurs, indicating changed trading behaviour. For inferential matters about the process it is of vital importance to be able to state that such change has occurred quickly and accurately. The methods used to this end are called stopping rules which signal alarm as soon as some statistics based on-line observations goes beyond some boundary. The model considered for this process of log returns is the family of Autoregressive Conditional Heteroskedastic (ARCH) model. It is widely accepted that this well describes a lot of phenomena in the financial market. In this work statements about this process will be derived, the stopping rule will be defined, evaluated and their properties discussed.
Beam-forming networks for scannable multi-beam antenna arrays using CORPS and Differential Evolution

This paper deals with the design of beam-forming networks (BFN) for scannable multibeam antenna arrays using Coherently Radiating Periodic Structures (CORPS). This design of CORPS-BFN considers the optimization of the complex inputs of the feeding network by using the Differential Evolution (DE) algorithm. Simulation results for different configurations of CORPS-BFN for a scannable multibeam linear array are presented. The results shown in this paper present certain interesting characteristics in the array factor response for the scannable multibeam linear array and the feeding network simplification for the design of BFN based on CORPS.
The Development of a Discipline: A 20-Year Evaluation of Society & Natural Resources

This article presents an assessment of the first 20 years of Society & Natural Resources (SNR), based on a content analysis of places, topics, and methods published; an electronic survey of the membership of the International Association for Society and Natural Resources (IASNR); and an assessment of various measures of journal impact. Findings are used to determine how well the journal is meeting its original goals including the degree to which it is international, diverse, and authoritative. The journal, the International Symposium for Society and Resource Management (ISSRM) conferences, and the membership of IASNR are international, although the developing world is largely absent from membership and research. Articles published in the journal are highly diverse, in terms of the types of articles, topical focus, and the methods used. Conventional journal impact measures show the journal's status to be improving over time. Citation patterns within SNR and its peer journals suggest that cumulative learning is occurring, although the impact of SNR on primary peer journals is mixed.
Factors affecting the incidence and intensity of standards certification evidence from exporting firms in Pakistan

This article explores the incidence and intensity of certification of Pakistani exporting firms across a range of quality assurance programs. Using firm-level data, the firm's certification status is modelled using Heckman's two-step procedure. The first-stage results using a probit model show that the likelihood of certification is determined by the sector, the firm's awareness of trade standards, the level to which the firm's markets are diversified, external pressure for certification and the firm's primary export market. The intensity of certification is treated as the number of standards a firm has invested in, which can be seen as ordered into distinct categories, such that an ordered probit model can be applied, correcting for sample selection bias. The results show that the number of standards to which a firm is certified is influenced by firm size, a firm's primary export markets, level of awareness of trade standards and level of market diversification. Overall, the results suggest that certification can be enhanced through increased private and institutional incentives, such as reducing transactions costs in the fisheries and agro-processing sectors, as well as increased regulatory enforcements in supply chains and support for raising the technical capacity of the sector.
The long‐run performance of UK IPOs: can it be predicted?

Purpose - The aim of the paper is to study the long-run under-performance of UK initial public offerings (IPOs) by relating it to the pre-IPO financial performance of the firm as well as the managerial decisions taken before the IPO. Design/methodology/approach - The three-year share returns of UK IPOs is studied using various methodologies such as buy and hold returns, cumulative abnormal returns and Fama and French three-factor returns. Findings - It was found that the percentage of equity issued and the degree of multinationality of a firm are the key predictors of its performance after the IPO. It is also found that small firms behave differently from large firms and suffer from worse long-run performance than large firms. Research limitations/implications - There is a great need for future research to focus on ownership structure and long-run returns. Further, a focus on the level of debt and venture capital financing in the pre-IPO period may also uncover important relationships with the long-run performance of a firm. Practical implications - The results obtained from this study provide important information for the prospective long term investors in new issues. While pre-IPO performance of a firm cannot predict the post-IPO performance with certainty, nevertheless the results of this study suggest that long-term investors should show caution while deciding on long term investment in IPO firms. Originality/value - The paper explains the post-IPO underperformance of firms by relating it to the pre-IPO managerial decisions made in the firm. It also documents the role of multinationality in explaining long run underperformance.
Precoding design with emission levels control for mmWave hybrid two-stage architectures

Two-stage hybrid analog/digital systems have been proposed in mmWave scenarios with the aim of decoupling the system gain (boosted by the number of antennas) from the number of radio-frequency chains. In light licensed or unlicensed bandwidths of the electromagnetic spectrum, enforcing limits on the radiated power levels of the radio nodes can be instrumental in guaranteeing coexistence of uncoordinated communications. Inspired by this rationale, we propose an efficient two-stage precoding design strategy that aims at maximizing the overall system spectral efficiency while guaranteeing specific constraints on both the total transmit power and the output emission levels. Capitalizing on the sparse nature of the mmWave channel, the analog precoder is built by selecting steering vectors that are tailored to the radio propagation environment, while side-lobe level control and multi-user interference management is entrusted to the digital precoding scheme. The proposed algorithm is shown to deliver the same performance as the equivalent full-digital scheme in case of light-to-moderate constraints on the radiated antenna pattern and practical quantization levels at the phase shifters composing the analog module. Numerical analysis underlines the inherent trade-off between coexistence guarantees (in terms of constraints on emission levels) and system performance, and suggests that an ad-hoc precoding design should be paired with properly devised medium access control and resource management mechanisms for handling uncoordinated system deployments at the highest efficiency.
Metformin may produce antidepressant effects through improvement of cognitive function among depressed patients with diabetes mellitus

Diabetes mellitus and depressive disorders are both common chronic diseases that increase functional disability and social burden. Cognitive impairment is a potentially debilitating feature of depression. Previous evidence indicates that the antidiabetic drug metformin could be suitable for diabetic patients with cognitive impairment. However, there is no direct evidence from clinical studies that metformin treatment improves cognitive function in diabetic patients suffering from depression. In the present study, 58 participants diagnosed with depression and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) were recruited and divided into two groups, one treated with metformin and the other treated with placebo for 24 weeks. Cognitive function, depressive behaviour and diabetes improvement were evaluated. Chronic treatment with metformin for 24 weeks improved cognitive performance, as assessed by the Wechsler Memory Scale–Revised, in depressed patients with T2DM. In addition, metformin significantly improved depressive performance and changed the glucose metabolism in depressed patients with diabetes. Depressive symptoms were negatively correlated with cognitive performance in metformin‐treated participants. Furthermore, associations were observed between the parameters of blood glucose metabolism and the depression phenotype. These findings suggest that chronic treatment with metformin has antidepressant behavioural effects and that improved cognitive function is involved in the therapeutic outcome of metformin. The results of the present study also raise the possibility that supplementary administration of antidiabetic medications may enhance the recovery of depression, comorbid with T2DM, through improvements in cognitive performance.
Earnings announcements by UK companies: Evidence of extreme events?

This paper investigates the abnormal share return dispersion occurring when companies announce their interim or final earnings. Whereas, prior research has focused on abnormal returns, little attention has been given to investigating the dispersion of the abnormal returns. We find strong empirical evidence supporting an abnormal dispersion of share returns on event dates. Moreover, we find that these public announcements are sources of extreme share price movements. Our study provides a step forward in identifying factors underlying the leptokurtosis that is traditionally found in time series stock market returns. Our data sample is comprised of interim and full year results for mid-to-large capitalisation UK companies for the period 1984–2005. Consistent with the extant literature on this subject, we find no evidence of market inefficiency around the event date, or straightforward arbitrage opportunities on the event date. However, we find using Paretian statistics that the abnormal return dispersion on the event date is three times higher than on normal non-event days.
Developing an Index of Liquidity-Risk Exposure: An Application to Latin American and Caribbean Banking Systems

After the 2007-2009 global financial crisis and previous financial crises in Latin America, the liquidity-risk exposure of banking systems is considered one of the most important vulnerabilities. At the same time, that exposure may also be the most mysterious of those vulnerabilities, as the dimensions of this risk are not yet well understood and good metrics have not been available. This goal of this paper is to provide a thorough review of previous contributions and to develop a set of measures of systemic liquidity-risk exposure of banking systems, with a focus on Latin American and Caribbean economies.
Impulsive noise cancellation in multicarrier transmission

A parallel between Reed-Solomon codes in the complex field and multicarrier transmission using orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) is first presented. This shows that when the signal is sent over some channel composed of Gaussian plus impulsive noise, the impulsive noise can be removed by a procedure similar to channel decoding, using information carried by the "syndrome. " This result is first derived in a simple situation (oversampled discrete multitone, additive channel), which is merely of theoretical interest. In any case, consecutive zeros, in the output of the OFDM modulator, do not correspond to real subcarriers. Pilot tones are transmitted for synchronization or channel-estimation purposes. These pilot tones are generally scattered among the information ones. Our approach is to use these pilot tones as syndromes, in order to correct impulsive noise. We show that the correction capacity is conditioned by the position of these pilot tones in the transmitted sequence. A protection subsystem based on hypotheses tests is introduced after the decoding operation in order to detect malfunctions of this decoder. The efficiency of this technique is corroborated with simulations in the slightly modified Hiperlan2 context. Other extensions are then provided in order to increase the practical usefulness of the method.
Auditor conservatism and reported earnings

Abstract Conservatism is an underlying concept of financial accounting. We argue that the auditor forces conservatism on client companies and that the amount of conservatism depends on the economic performance of the company and on the type of audit firm. In particular, we contend that Big Six audit clients use more conservative accounting than non-Big Six audit clients when the clients are performing poorly (as reflected in stock prices). We attribute the more conservative accounting used by Big Six audit clients to the influence of the audit firm. By regressing excess earnings to price ratios on excess stock returns and other variables, we find evidence consistent with our hypothesis that Big Six auditors influence their clients to adopt more conservative accounting than non-Big Six auditors only when the clients' financial performance is worse than expected.
The informal economy in Indonesia: size, composition and evolution

SOME recent empirical studies have inspired re-thinking of the role of the informal economy in the process of development. Is its persistence a cause for concern or is it another way in which the process of employment creation is mediated in developing economies? Is the state of informality driven by compulsion or choice or both? To what extent have the informal economy workers been affected by the Global Financial and Economic Crisis? Designing appropriate policies and institutional arrangements to deal with the informal economy depend heavily on responses to these core questions.
Hemorrhagic activity and mechanism of FIIa, a fibrinolytic enzyme from Agkistrodon acutus venom.

AIM To study the local hemorrhagic activity of a fibrinolytic enzyme (FII(a)) from Agkistrodon acutus venom and its mechanism. METHODS The local hemorrhagic activity was determined by subcutaneous injection on the back of mouse. The effects of FIIa on factor X, prothrombin, gelatin, and collagen were visualized by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Platelet aggregation assays were performed in rat platelet-rich plasma (PRP). Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were cultured and passaged in complete M199 medium. Cell viability and nuclear morphology change were determined by fluorescein diacetate (FDA) staining and Hoechst 33258 staining, respectively. RESULTS The minimum hemorrhagic dose (MHD) of FIIa was 89 microg. In vitro, FII(a) (0.25 g/L) degraded factor X, prothrombin, collagen, and gelatin, and dose-dependently (0.25, 0.50, 0.75, and 1.00 g/L) inhibited the platelet aggregation induced by ADP in rat PRP. When HUVEC in culture treated with FII(a), HUVEC showed detachment in a dose-dependent manner, but no apoptosis sign was observed. CONCLUSION FIIa had local hemorrhagic activity, and the mechanism was related to the degradation of factor X, prothrombin, gelatin, and collagen, the inhibition of ADP-induced platelet aggregation, and inducement of HUVEC detachment.
Scene detection and retrieval of video using motion vector and occurrence rate of shot boundaries

To reduce computational stress on the internet over the globe, cheap in cost and high speed processors are prior requirement to process on a gigantic number of videos. Searching and access of scene of video from large database, it is a user requirement to have proper indexing, browsing. Hence, it becomes a challenging problem of searching and accessing of relevant scene of end user, trivially. However, video segmentation into shot boundary detection and key frame extraction using low-and high-level features helpful to increase the realization of this task, conventionally. Beyond this, we introduce a proposed method to detect scene based on motion vector and occurrence rate of shot boundaries in video. In which, motion vectors weights and directions addresses exact scene of video with prior action on occurrence rate of shot boundaries of video, it is possible to differentiate two scenes in a movie or video. This method works empirically, and it also assigns label to the particular scene as per defined classes to represent the theme of the story, automatically. Initially, obtain the most reliable solution first and exploit each solution in the subsequent steps recursively to detect and retrieve scene in video. Expected shot boundary computation, which can be the highest probability to be the correct one and motion vector weights and directions information is also exploited in the subsequent steps. At the end comparison of performance evaluation with the existing video scene detection methods presented in literature and verified on large videos.