Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mouse spermatogenic cell–specific type 1 hexokinase (mHk1‐s) transcripts are expressed by alternative splicing from the mHk1 gene and the HK1‐S protein is localized mainly in the sperm tail

Unique type 1 hexokinase (HK1) mRNAs are present in mouse spermatogenic cells (mHk1‐s). They encode a spermatogenic cell–specific sequence region (SSR) but not the porin‐binding domain (PBD) necessary for HK1 binding to porin on the outer mitochondrial membrane. This study determined the origin of the multiple Hk1‐s transcripts in mouse spermatogenic cells and verified that they are translated in mouse spermatogenic cells. It also showed that a single mHk1 gene encodes the mHk1 transcripts of somatic cells and the mHk1‐sa and mHk1‐sb transcripts of spermatogenic cells, that alternative exons are used during mHk1 gene expression in mouse spermatogenic cells, and that mHK1‐S is translated in mouse spermatogenic cells and is localized mainly with the fibrous sheath in the tail region, not with the mitochondria in the midpiece of mouse sperm. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 49:374–385, 1998. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Gulf Cooperation Council Countries and the Global Land Grab

A rapid increase in large-scale land acquisitions associated with the food-commodity price spike in 2008 resulted in a flurry of journalistic, non-governmental organization, and academic publications. One of the primary narratives that emerged was that oil-rich Gulf states were driving a “land grab” from resource-poor countries. However, little was known about who was making deals and where. This article assesses the extent to which the member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) are, in fact, primary players. We first compare the total number of deals and land areas involved, finding that individual GCC member states have been relatively minor players compared to the United States, the United Kingdom, China, Singapore, and Malaysia—each of whom, moreover, finalized more deals than all the GCC countries put together. We next compare the geographic distribution of acquisitions, comparing the trends for GCC member states with those of the major investing countries, and assess which countries have ac.
Development of a Questionnaire for Recruiting and Pre-Selecting Candidates for the Hotel, Restaurant and Catering Sector (HORECA-5)

This article describes the process by which the HORECA-5 questionnaire was drawn up to improve recruitment management and candidate selection in the hospitality sector. The questionnaire can be used to select personnel since it takes into account not only the technical abilities of the candidates but also five indicators of the key competencies for successful performance: Teamwork (TW), Customer Orientation (CuO), Work Organization (WO), Resistance to Stress/Problem Solving (PS) and Initiative/autonomy (IA). The empirical work was carried out with a sample of 12 recruitment managers and 177 employees currently working in the hospitality sector on the Mediterranean coast in Catalonia (Spain). The results show that the psychometric properties of the HORECA-5 questionnaire are acceptable and that it has a single-factor structure. The questionnaire objectively determines the skills, competencies and personality traits that candidates should have if they are to perform their duties successfully.
The Impact of Water Pollution Announcement on Stock Returns in Taiwan Textile Industry

The soccer teams of the World Cup wear the jerseys manufactured by Taiwanese textile companies which are the contractors of such brand corporations as Nike and Adidas. Because Taiwanese textile companies suffer water pollution events, this study verifies the market reactions to the two announcements of water pollution events from 2014 to 2015. The two events are as follows: first, Greenpeace International enabled 38 scientists to announce the ban on fluoride in Madrid; second, Greenpeace International has detected fluoride residues from the water in remote mountainous areas of Europe and concluded that Taiwanese jerseys composed of fluoride pollute the rivers or snows. The findings of the research indicate that the announcement of the ban on fluoride induces negative abnormal returns because fluoride is the main materials for Taiwanese jerseys. Most importantly, the announcement of the water pollution in Europe from Taiwanese manufactured jerseys induces negative abnormal returns. Both of the two events enable the stock investors scared about the decrease of future profit and market share for Taiwanese textile corporations. Consequently, investors sell the stocks of these corporations, inducing the negative abnormal returns during the announcement of water pollution of Taiwanese jerseys. Water polluted issues are critical of firm values.
Role of Intracellular Hydrogen Peroxide as Signalling Molecule for Plant Senescence

All aerobic organisms use molecular oxygen as terminal oxidant during respiration. Oxygen is neither very reactive nor harmful, but it has the potential to be only partially reduced, leading to the formation of very reactive and therefore toxic intermediates, like singlet oxygen (1O2), superoxide radical (O2·-), hydroperoxylradical (HO2·-), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and hydroxylradical (·OH). These forms are called “reactive oxygen species” (ROS). All ROS are extremely reactive and may oxidize biological molecules, such as DNA, proteins and lipids. However, these reactive molecules are unavoidable by-products of an aerobic metabolism. It is known that reactive oxygen species may have a dual role in plant stress response (Dat et al. 2000). Whereas high concentrations of hydrogen peroxide are toxic for the cell, low concentrations may act as signal which triggers the plant response upon a variety of biotic and abiotic stresses (Dat et al., 2000; Grant & Loake, 2000). It has been known for many years that common signal transduction molecules like MAPKs and calmodulin play an important role in some of these ROS signal transduction pathways.
A Time Delay for the Cluster-lensed Quasar SDSS J1004+4112

We present 426 epochs of optical monitoring data spanning 1000 days from 2003 December to 2006 June for the gravitationally lensed quasar SDSS J1004+4112. The time delay between the A and B images is ΔtBA = 38.4 ± 2.0 days (Δχ2 = 4) in the expected sense that B leads A and the overall time ordering is C-B-A-D-E. The measured delay invalidates all published models. The models probably failed because they neglected the perturbations from cluster member galaxies. Models including the galaxies can fit the data well, but conclusions about the cluster mass distribution should await the measurement of the longer, and less substructure sensitive, delays of the C and D images. For these images, a delay of ΔtCB ≃ 681 ± 15 days is plausible but requires confirmation, while delays of ΔtCB > 560 days and ΔtAD > 800 days are required. We clearly detect microlensing of the A/B images, with the delay-corrected flux ratios changing from mB - mA = 0.44 ± 0.01 mag in the first season to 0.29 ± 0.01 mag in the second season and 0.32 ± 0.01 mag in the third season.
Urban Density and Local Sustainability a Case study in Finland

According to the United Nations, cities are responsible for 75% of all energy consumption and for 80% of all greenhouse gas emissions globally. Urban planning and land use policies therefore play a major role in the mitigation of climate change. High urban density is often promoted as a sustainable land use policy. However, the environmental and social sustainability of dense urban structures can be challenged. Even though higher urban density may correlate with the increased carbon-efficiency of transportation and housing services, recent research has demonstrated that, in several cases, urban density is not a valid indicator for overall carbon-efficiency, let alone sustainability. The purpose of this study is to examine the extent to which local objectives for environmental and social sustainability can be achieved through the promotion of urban density in a predominantly rural case area. The analysis is conducted as a case study, where qualitative case-specific data is collected mainly from public proceedings. Quantitative data from multiple past case studies, some of which is case-specific, is used for carbon footprint calculations. The main finding of the study is that even though higher urban density is promoted in the case area as an environmentally-, sociallyand economically sustainable use of land, increases in construction and consumption are actually likely to water down the potential carbon-efficiency gains. It is also found that the area’s policies in pursuit of increased urban density have had negative social impacts.
S17834, a New Inhibitor of Cell Adhesion and Atherosclerosis That Targets NADPH Oxidase

Oxidant stress is involved in the events that accompany endothelial cell expression of adhesion molecules and leukocyte adherence in many disease states, including atherosclerosis. A recently discovered benzo(b)pyran-4-one derivative, S17834 (10 to 50 &mgr;mol/L), reduced tumor necrosis factor-stimulated vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM) mRNA accumulation and protein expression in human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 and E-selectin were also inhibited by S17834, but platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 was not. Adherence of U937 monocytic cells to the endothelial cells as well as to plastic plates coated with soluble VCAM, intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1, P-selectin, and E-selectin was also decreased. Consistent with an antioxidant mechanism of action, S17834 (10 to 50 &mgr;mol/L) inhibited tumor necrosis factor-stimulated release of superoxide from endothelial cells measured by cytochrome c reduction. S17834 had no effect on superoxide produced by xanthine oxidase, indicating that rather than by acting as a scavenger of superoxide anion, the drug acts by inhibiting the production of free radicals. Indeed, S17834 inhibited NADPH oxidase activity of endothelial cell membranes. The ability to inhibit superoxide anion production appears to be key in the effect of S17834 on superoxide anion production and VCAM expression, because these actions were mimicked by adenovirus-mediated overexpression of superoxide dismutase. Furthermore, these actions may be relevant in vivo, because S17834 reduced aortic superoxide anion levels by 40% and aortic atherosclerotic lesions by 60% in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice. These results indicate that S17834 inhibits adhesion molecule expression and adherence of leukocytes to endothelial cells as well as aortic atherogenesis and that perhaps these effects can be explained by its ability to inhibit endogenous superoxide anion production.
Effect of Pef Treatment on Extraction of Valuable Compounds from Microalgae C. Vulgaris

Effect of PEF Treatment on Extraction of Valuable Compounds from Microalgae C. vulgaris Gianpiero Pataro, Martina Goettel, Ralf Straessner, Christian Gusbeth, Giovanna Ferrari, Wolfgang Frey a Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Salerno, via Giovanni Paolo II 132, 84084 Fisciano (SA), Italy b Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute for Pulsed Power and Microwave Technology (IHM), 76344 EggensteinLeopoldshafen, Germany c ProdAlScarl – University of Salerno, via Ponte don Melillo, 84084 Fisciano (SA), Italy gpataro@unisa.it
Supporting Password-Security Decisions with Data

Despite decades of research into developing abstract security advice and improving interfaces, users still struggle to make passwords. Users frequently create passwords that are predictable for attackers or make other decisions (e.g., reusing the same password across accounts) that harm their security. In this thesis, I use data-driven methods to better understand how users choose passwords and how attackers guess passwords. I then combine these insights into a better password-strength meter that provides real-time, data-driven feedback about the user’s candidate password. I first quantify the impact on password security and usability of showing users different passwordstrength meters that score passwords using basic heuristics. I find in a 2,931-participant online study that meters that score passwords stringently and present their strength estimates visually lead users to create stronger passwords without significantly impacting password memorability. Second, to better understand how attackers guess passwords, I perform comprehensive experiments on password-cracking approaches. I find that simply running these approaches in their default configuration is insufficient, but considering multiple well-configured approaches in parallel can serve as a proxy for guessing by an expert in password forensics. The third and fourth sections of this thesis delve further into how users choose passwords. Through a series of analyses, I pinpoint ways in which users structure semantically significant content in their passwords. I also examine the relationship between users’ perceptions of password security and passwords’ actual security, finding that while users often correctly judge the security impact of individual password characteristics, wide variance in their understanding of attackers may lead users to judge predictable passwords as sufficiently strong. Finally, I integrate these insights into an open-source password-strength meter that gives users data-driven feedback about their specific password. I evaluate this meter through a ten-participant laboratory study and 4,509-participant online study. Thesis statement: The objective of this thesis is to demonstrate how integrating data-driven insights about how users create and how attackers guess passwords into a tool that presents real-time feedback can equip users to make better passwords.
Connections between optimisation-based regressor selection and analysis of variance

Earlier contributions have shown that analysis of variance (ANOVA) can be successfully used for finding good regressors for nonlinear models in a nonlinear black-box system identification context. In this paper, it is shown that the ANOVA problem can be recast as an optimisation problem. Two modified, convex versions of the ANOVA optimisation problem are then proposed, and it turns out that they are closely related to the nn-garrote and wavelet shrinkage methods, respectively. In the case of balanced data, it is also shown that the methods have a nice orthogonality property in the sense that different groups of parameters can be computed independently
Volume criteria for the treatment of head and neck cancer: Are they evidence based?

Department of Head and Neck Oncology and Surgery, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Department of Surgical Oncology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Academic Medical Hospital, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Department of Phonetic Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Selective area heteroepitaxy of GaSb on GaAs (001) for in-plane InAs nanowire achievement

The growth of in-plane GaSb nanotemplates on a GaAs (001) substrate is demonstrated combining nanoscale patterning of the substrate and selective area heteroepitaxy. The selective growth of GaSb inside nano-stripe openings in a SiO2 mask layer is achieved at low temperature thanks to the use of an atomic hydrogen flux during the molecular beam epitaxy. These growth conditions promote the spreading of GaSb inside the apertures and lattice mismatch accommodation via the formation of a regular array of misfit dislocations at the interface between GaSb and GaAs. We highlight the impact of the nano-stripe orientation as well as the role of the Sb/Ga flux ratio on the strain relaxation of GaSb along the [110] direction and on the nanowire length along the [1-10] one. Finally we demonstrate how these GaSb nanotemplates can be used as pedestals for subsequent growth of in-plane InAs nanowires.
Atomistic basis for the on–off signaling mechanism in SAM-II riboswitch

Many bacterial genes are controlled by metabolite sensing motifs known as riboswitches, normally located in the 5′ un-translated region of their mRNAs. Small molecular metabolites bind to the aptamer domain of riboswitches with amazing specificity, modulating gene regulation in a feedback loop as a result of induced conformational changes in the expression platform. Here, we report the results of molecular dynamics simulation studies of the S-adenosylmethionine (SAM)-II riboswitch that is involved in regulating translation in sulfur metabolic pathways in bacteria. We show that the ensemble of conformations of the unbound form of the SAM-II riboswitch is a loose pseudoknot structure that periodically visits conformations similar to the bound form, and the pseudoknot structure is only fully formed upon binding the metabolite, SAM. The rate of forming contacts in the unbound form that are similar to that in the bound form is fast. Ligand binding to SAM-II alters the curvature and base-pairing of the expression platform that could affect the interaction of the latter with the ribosome.
Towards business-IT alignment in IT outsourcing context

Disclaimer This document contains a student thesis (bachelor's or master's), as authored by a student at Eindhoven University of Technology. Student theses are made available in the TU/e repository upon obtaining the required degree. The grade received is not published on the document as presented in the repository. The required complexity or quality of research of student theses may vary by program, and the required minimum study period may vary in duration.
Periodic limb movements are associated with vasomotor symptoms.

STUDY OBJECTIVES Periodic limb movements (PLMs) are characterized by involuntary movements of the lower extremity during sleep. The etiology of PLM has been suggested to involve the dopaminergic system which, in turn, can be modulated by estrogen. It is currently unknown whether PLMs are associated with the menopausal transition and/or concomitant vasomotor symptoms. The aim of the present study was to examine if objectively diagnosed PLMs (with and without arousals) are more common in postmenopausal women or in women with vasomotor symptoms. A secondary aim was to analyze the influence of PLMs on self-reported HRQoL. METHODS A community-based sample of 348 women underwent full-night polysomnography. PLMs (index > 15) and associated arousals (PLM arousal index > 5) were evaluated according to AASM scoring rules. Health-related quality of life was measured using the SF-36 questionnaire. The occurrence of peri- and postmenopausal symptoms were evaluated by a questionnaire and plasma levels of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) were measured. RESULTS After adjusting for confounding factors, vasomotor symptoms remained a significant explanatory factor for the occurrence of PLMs (adj. OR 1.86, 95% CI 1.03-3.37). In women with PLM arousals, adjusted OR for vasomotor symptoms was 1.61, 95% CI 0.76-3.42. PLMs did not seem to affect HRQoL. CONCLUSION We found that clinically significant PLMs, but not PLM with arousals, were more common among women with vasomotor symptoms, even after controlling for confounding factors. Menopausal status per se, as evidenced by FSH in the postmenopausal range, was not associated with PLMs.
Beyond linear technology transfer: Examining learning environments in six sustainable agriculture participatory research projects

Participatory research can provide a rich collaborative learning environment in which scientists, industry and farmers can engage. Policy and funding agencies champion participatory approaches, however their implementation for advancing sustainability in agricultural production systems remains poorly understood. This paper assesses six extension projects in New Zealand which all sought to advance sustainability to identify the dynamics that influence the creation of collaborative learning environments. Evidence shows when engagement is limited, projects follow the transfer of technology model. In contrast, projects that create interactive dynamic learning environments integrate local and science knowledge in collaborative learning partnerships. The paper concludes that for sustainability to be advanced, projects must: facilitate an environment where stakeholders' expectations are clearly aired and understood; develop learning processes that are interactive and iterative and where needed challenge current practices and perceptions; and embed extension into the project from the outset.
Cocreating Value in Knowledge-intensive Business Services: An Empirically-grounded Design Framework and a Modelling Technique

While knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS) play an important role in industrialized economies, little research has focused on how best to support their design. The emerging understanding of service as a process of value cocreation – or collaborative value creation – can provide the foundations for this purpose; however, this body of literature lacks empirically grounded explanations of how value is actually cocreated and does not provide adequate design support for the specific context of KIBS. This research thus first identifies generative mechanisms of value cocreation in KIBS engagements; it then develops a design framework from this understanding; finally, it elaborates a modeling technique fulfilling the requirements derived from this design framework. A multiple-case study of two academic research and development service engagements, as a particular type of KIBS engagement, was first undertaken to identify generative mechanisms of value cocreation. Data was gathered through interviews, observation, and documentation, and was analyzed both inductively and deductively according to key concepts of value cocreation proposed in literature. Data from a third case study was then used to evaluate the ability of the modeling technique to support the analysis of value cocreation processes in KIBS engagements.
Association between specific plasmids and relapse in typhoid fever

We studied isolates from 73 patients hospitalized with typhoid fever in Lima, Peru. Of these 73 patients, 11 (15%) suffered a clinical relapse, with fever and positive blood cultures, within 3 months of their original illness. Using plasmids as epidemiologic markers, we found that three patients who subsequently relapsed were initially infected with more than one strain of Salmonella typhi. There was a highly significant association between relapse and isolation of a strain containing either a 24- or a 38-kilobase plasmid at the time of the original infection; however, we were unable to show any evidence of homology between these two plasmids. Our data indicate that infection with multiple strains is not uncommon in this endemic area and suggest that relapse may be partly strain dependent.
US Foreign Direct Investment (Fdi) And Manufacturing Sector In Malaysia

Utilising several manufacturing sub-sectors in Malaysia, this study attempts to investigate the spillover effect of US FDI on Malaysian economy. By identifying this issue, it could help in terms of selecting future FDI-related strategies in order to magnify the positive effect of FDI inflows. Applying seemingly unrelated regression (SUR) method, this study observes that there is no guarantee that FDI inflows into various sectors within manufacturing industry will generate positive externalities.