Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hepatitis C virus nonstructural protein NS4B transforms NIH3T3 cells in cooperation with the Ha-ras oncogene.

Although the mechanism of carcinogenesis by hepatitis C virus (HCV) is not clearly known, core and NS3P protein have been shown to form tumors in specific cell lines. In this study, on the basis of the fact that the core and NS4B proteins of Kunjin virus translocate into the nucleus, we were prompted to investigate whether the HCV nonstructural protein NS4B has any function in tumor formation. First, we examined the location of the NS4B protein of HCV in transfected cells and then its oncogenic activity by transfection of NIH3T3 cells with the NS4B gene in the presence or absence of the Ha-ras gene. The NS4B protein was present only in the cytoplasm, particularly in the perinuclear region, different from the case of the Kunjun virus. The cells expressing HCV NS4B cooperatively with the Ha-ras gene showed loss of contact inhibition, morphological alterations, and anchorage-independent growth. These biological activities were confirmed by the transcription activation of the reporter gene from the AP1 promoter, by the NS4B protein in association with Ha-ras. Our results demonstrated that HCV NS4B protein in association with the Ha-ras gene played an important role in the malignant transformation of cells by HCV.
Effects of Aging on Perceptual Organization: Efficacy of Stimulus Features

ABSTRACT Perceptual organization represents an intermediate level of visual processing, subordinate to higher-order processes such as object recognition. Previous studies of perceptual organization in aging are inconclusive, varying in the cognitive capacities measured and the nature of the stimulus. To determine characteristics of perceptual organization in aging, young and elderly participants discriminated patterns organized by basic visual components: line-orientation, color, flicker, or motion. Psychophysical measurements determined organization thresholds and processing times. Age-related impairment occurred with line-orientation and flicker, but not color and motion. These results indicate that perceptual organization capacities in aging depend on the stimulus feature upon which organization is based.
Loss Minimization in Parallel & Series Induction Heating Inverters Using Genetic Algorithm

In this paper induction heating system is modeled and effective factors on induction heater system losses are represented. Respective to the intensive importance of capacitor losses and its potential ability of being harmful, furnace parameters must be designed in a way to minimize capacitor losses and maximize the transmitted power into the load. The effective parameters are the number of turns of work coil and the value of capacitor used for power factor correction. In this paper the optimal capacitance is calculated by the use of genetic algorithm to minimize the capacitance losses and maximize the transmitted power into the load for induction heaters with series and parallel resonances. Furthermore, the effect of capacitance change on the load and impedance matching transformer impedances are considered theoretically and experimentally. Key-word: Induction Heating, Capacitor loss, Optimization, Genetic algorithm, Modeling, Frequency changes
Do Strict Capital Requirements Raise the Cost of Capital? Banking Regulation and the Low Risk Anomaly

Minimum capital requirements are a central tool of banking regulation. Setting them balances a number of factors, including any effects on the cost of capital and in turn the rates available to borrowers. Standard theory predicts that, in perfect and efficient capital markets, reducing banks' leverage reduces the risk and cost of equity but leaves the overall weighted average cost of capital unchanged. We test these two predictions using U.S. data. We confirm that the equity of better-capitalized banks has lower systematic risk (beta) and lower idiosyncratic risk. However, over the last 40 years, lower risk banks have higher stock returns on a risk-adjusted or even a raw basis, consistent with a stock market anomaly previously documented in other samples. The size of the low risk anomaly within banks suggests that the cost of capital effects of capital requirements may be considerable. Assuming competitive lending markets, banks' low asset betas implied an average risk premium of only 40 basis points above Treasury yields in our sample period; a calibration suggests that a ten percentage-point increase in Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets may have increased this to between 100 and 130 basis points per year. In summary, the low risk anomaly in the stock market produces a potentially significant cost of capital requirements.
Why Share Weather? Motivational Model for "Share Weather" Online Communities and Three Empirical Studies

The concept of "weatherwikis"-web 2.0 platforms for sharing weather information between individuals -- is faced with several challenges. While some studies confirm satisfactory reliability of user-generated weather information, sources of motivations to contribute are yet unexplored. This paper provides a theoretical framework for weather wikis, based on social capital theory, and three empirical studies that explore different contextual sources of motivation, of which compensation and ideology may be considered most interesting with the background of current motivational theories on networks of practice. The paper provides some results that, in contrast to established theories and findings on motivations driving networks of practice, suggest that extrinsic motivations may be essential, beside the recognized importance of social acceptance (e.g. enjoyment).
The Profitability of Banking Sector in Pakistan: An Empirical Analysis from 2006-2010

Banking sector plays an important role in financial stability of an economy. This study investigates the determinants of profitability of banking sector in Pakistan. For this purpose the data of all Pakistani banks were collected for the period of 2006-2010. We examined the relationship between macroeconomics and bank specific characteristics. To investigate the impact of loans, assets, deposits, equity, economic growth, inflation and market capitalization on profitability measures ROE (return on equity) ROA (return on assets) ROCE (return on capital employed)i and NIM (net interest margin) by using POLS (Pooled ordinary least square). The study found both internal and external factors have strong impact on profitability of overall banking sector. We tested their study on our data and sample of 40 Pakistani banks which shows overall economic condition of banking sector in Pakistan.
Transcriptional signatures in response to wheat germ agglutinin and starvation in Drosophila melanogaster larval midgut

One function of plant lectins such as wheat germ agglutinin is to serve as defences against herbivorous insects. The midgut is one critical site affected by dietary lectins. We observed marked cellular, structural and gene expression changes in the midguts of Drosophila melanogaster third instar larvae that were fed wheat germ agglutinin. Some of these changes were similar to those observed in the midguts of starved D. melanogaster. Dietary wheat germ agglutinin caused shortening, branching, swelling, distortion and in some cases disintegration of the midgut microvilli. Starvation was accompanied primarily by shortening of the microvilli. Microarray analyses revealed that dietary wheat germ agglutinin evoked differential expression of 61 transcripts; seven of these were also differentially expressed in starved D. melanogaster. The differentially transcribed gene clusters in wheat germ agglutinin‐fed larvae were associated with (1) cytoskeleton organization; (2) digestive enzymes; (3) detoxification reactions; and (4) energy metabolism. Four possible transcription factor binding motifs were associated with the differentially expressed genes. One of these exhibited substantial similarity to MyoD, a transcription factor binding motif associated with cellular structures in mammals. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that wheat germ agglutinin caused a starvation‐like effect and structural changes of midgut cells of D. melanogaster third‐instar larvae.
The Development of Tacit Knowledge Sharing Behaviour among Employees in Organizations

Due to the economic growth in Thailand, many organizations have recognized the importance of maintaining their employees’ knowledge and tried to create the knowledge sharing environment. In general, knowledge sharing is initiated from an individual level and extended to organizational level. Since knowledge sharing among employees is a procedure which passes on abilities and capabilities from one person to another. This study attempts to investigate the factors and relationships that influence tacit knowledge sharing behavior in an organizational context. Based on the widely accepted theory of reasoned action (TRA), we tried to develop a comprehensive model covering factors influencing intention to share both explicit and tacit knowledge. For the empirical validation, 270 responses from employees in private-sector organization in Thailand were collected via an online questionnaire. This research evaluated the influence of a series of potential factors on knowledge sharing behavior. Attitude toward knowledge sharing and subjective norms had a positive significant impact on intention to share explicit knowledge and also on intention to share tacit knowledge. In addition, intention to share explicit knowledge had direct significant relationship with intention to share tacit knowledge. Finally, intention to share tacit knowledge reflected a positive effect on knowledge sharing behavior.
ENGtube: an Integrated Subtitle Environment for ESL

Movies and TV shows are probably the most attractive media of language learning, and the associated subtitle is an important resource in the learning process. Despite its significance, subtitle has never been exploited effectively as it could be. In this paper we present ENGtube, which is a video service for ESL (English as Second Language) learners. The key component of this service is an integrated environment for displaying the video clips, the source subtitle and the translated subtitle with rich information at users’ disposal. The rich information of subtitle is produced by various speech and language technologies.
Multiple Sporadic Colorectal Cancers Display a Unique Methylation Phenotype

Epigenetics are thought to play a major role in the carcinogenesis of multiple sporadic colorectal cancers (CRC). Previous studies have suggested concordant DNA hypermethylation between tumor pairs. However, only a few methylation markers have been analyzed. This study was aimed at describing the epigenetic signature of multiple CRC using a genome-scale DNA methylation profiling. We analyzed 12 patients with synchronous CRC and 29 age-, sex-, and tumor location-paired patients with solitary tumors from the EPICOLON II cohort. DNA methylation profiling was performed using the Illumina Infinium HM27 DNA methylation assay. The most significant results were validated by Methylight. Tumors samples were also analyzed for the CpG Island Methylator Phenotype (CIMP); KRAS and BRAF mutations and mismatch repair deficiency status. Functional annotation clustering was performed. We identified 102 CpG sites that showed significant DNA hypermethylation in multiple tumors with respect to the solitary counterparts (difference in β value ≥0.1). Methylight assays validated the results for 4 selected genes (p = 0.0002). Eight out of 12(66.6%) multiple tumors were classified as CIMP-high, as compared to 5 out of 29(17.2%) solitary tumors (p = 0.004). Interestingly, 76 out of the 102 (74.5%) hypermethylated CpG sites found in multiple tumors were also seen in CIMP-high tumors. Functional analysis of hypermethylated genes found in multiple tumors showed enrichment of genes involved in different tumorigenic functions. In conclusion, multiple CRC are associated with a distinct methylation phenotype, with a close association between tumor multiplicity and CIMP-high. Our results may be important to unravel the underlying mechanism of tumor multiplicity.
Critical Analysis of Selected Provisions of the EU Legislative Package in Respect of the Capital Requirements For The Banking Sector

The main aim of this article is to provide a critical analysis of selected provisions of the Directive and Regulation in respect of the capital requirements for banking and finance sector in the European Union. It focuses on the analysis of the following aspects: (i) proposed regimes, mechanisms and legal structures creating the European framework on the capital requirements; (ii) implications of the new legislation for the banking sector and for the national regulatory authorities; (iii) certain similarities between the Third Basel Accord prepared by the Basel Committee on the Banking Supervision and the proposed EU capital requirements package; and (iv) implications of the legislation for the Polish banking and finance sector. As the global financial crisis reshaped the approach to the banking institutions throughout the world, the authorities started to be more concerned about the safety and creation of certain mechanisms preventing the sudden issues of the banks and financial institutions, which were in consequence resolved by the taxpayers. The cooperation between EU authorities and the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision resulted in the creation of the new framework on the capital requirements for the European Banking sector. To a certain extent, the EU proposal is a part of global, legal framework setting out harmonized rules ensuring the general stabilization in the banking and finance sector. It also constitutes a continuation of the EU policy on ensuring the safety of the European banking and finance sector.
Daily consumption of apple, pear and orange juice differently affects plasma lipids and antioxidant capacity of smoking and non-smoking adults

Abstract Epidemiological studies have shown an inverse correlation between a fruit and vegetable-rich diet and cardiovascular diseases; this beneficial effect of fruits and vegetables is probably due to the presence of antioxidant phytochemicals. In contrast, cigarette smoking is a high risk factor for lung and heart diseases, associated with chronic oxidative stress. In the present study, the effect of the consumption of a pear, an apple and 200 ml orange juice, during 26 days, on total plasma antioxidant capacity (TAC) and lipid profile of chronic smokers and non-smoking healthy adults was analyzed. Fruit consumption increased TAC in non-smokers, but not in smokers. In non-smokers, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol increased significantly; while in smokers, total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol decreased. We may conclude fruit/juice supplementation showed different effects, depending on the smoking habit: in non-smokers it increased TAC and cholesterol; in smokers it reduced cholesterol, whithout inducing a TAC increase.
Enterprise Risk Management in State Departments of Transportation

McGuire, Timothy Bret (M.S., Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering) Enterprise Risk Management in State Departments of Transportation Thesis directed by Professor Keith Molenaar and co-directed by Assistant Professors Matthew Hallowell and Amy Javernick-Will In an effort to increase performance, transparency, resource allocation, and decisionmaking, United States (U.S.) state departments of transportation (DOTs) are developing and implementing formal enterprise risk management (ERM) programs. To explore ERM performance and help agencies advance their ERM programs, this research investigates and documents the following aspects of DOTs with formal ERM programs: strategic goals and corresponding risks; risk measures; risk controls; and processes in place to identify risks, establish measures, and develop controls. This thesis presents the results of a multi-method research approach that included surveys, interviews, and case study investigations. Surveys were administered to all 52 DOTs, with responses received from 44/52 (85%). Organization-wide ERM implementation was identified at nine agencies and follow-up interviews were conducted with eight of the nine DOTs that indicated formal ERM programs. Additional case study investigations were conducted on six of these interviewed DOTs. This paper presents the synthesized results of four of the six case studies that had documented strategic risks managed through an ERM program. Principal findings include the strategic risk categories and specific strategic risks managed by formal ERM programs, the assessments of these risks, and controls in place to assist the DOTs’ efforts to achieve their mission and strategic goals. Accompanying these findings are the corresponding processes used in the
WHO EATS WHAT, WHEN, AND FROM WHERE?

The popular impression that over half of our food does not come from a retail food (grocery) store is based on food expenditure data and is misleading. This research set out to learn where people obtain the food they report eating and to determine whether there are significant differences between people who buy most of their food from retail food stores and those who do not. Research on food consumption often focuses on household expenditures at retail food stores and various types of restaurants, but tracking the volume of various types of foods purchased from various retail places is not well established. The Continuing Survey of Food Intake of Individuals survey for 1994 showed that 72 percent of the volume of food consumed was from retail food stores. Age had the largest impact on where people shopped, and when and how many meals they ate. Income and household composition had relatively little impact. Cluster analysis grouped consumers based on where they obtained their food. The largest cluster, nearly half of the individuals, were labeled the Home Cookers. They obtained 93 percent of their food from stores and account for 59 percent of food sold from retail food stores. The High Service cluster is only 10 percent of the sample, but they consumed 50 percent of the food sold in restaurants and only 6 percent of food sold by grocers. Looking at the diets of people in the various clusters reveal that those in the Fast Food clusters ate less fat than the average of the sample while High Service (restaurant) users ate more fat. Home Cookers ate less than the average amount of meat, eggs, and vegetables.
A Behavioral Study of Capacity Allocation in Revenue Management

In this paper we present a set of laboratory experiments that investigate how human subjects solve the two-class capacity allocation revenue management problem. The two-class problem is the simplest possible revenue management problem, that is a fundamental building block for a family of complex and sophisticated RM problems. We study the capacity allocation problem with ordered and unordered arrival, as well as a simplified version of the problem in which the decision-maker makes the single capacity allocation decision at the beginning of the selling season. We find that our laboratory participant generally accept too many low class customers, leave to few units of unused capacity, and as a result do not accept enough high class customers. We also find that making decisions up-front improves performance in the ordered arrivals case, and does not hurt performance in the unordered arrivals case. Lastly, we find that in the unordered arrivals setting, participants accept more low class customers than they should, when there is ample capacity, and reject more low class customers than they should when there is scarce capacity.
Chimpanzee Reservoirs of Pandemic and Nonpandemic HIV-1

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), the cause of human acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), is a zoonotic infection of staggering proportions and social impact. Yet uncertainty persists regarding its natural reservoir. The virus most closely related to HIV-1 is a simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) thus far identified only in captive members of the chimpanzee subspecies Pan troglodytes troglodytes. Here we report the detection of SIVcpz antibodies and nucleic acids in fecal samples from wild-living P. t. troglodytes apes in southern Cameroon, where prevalence rates in some communities reached 29 to 35%. By sequence analysis of endemic SIVcpz strains, we could trace the origins of pandemic (group M) and nonpandemic (group N) HIV-1 to distinct, geographically isolated chimpanzee communities. These findings establish P. t. troglodytes as a natural reservoir of HIV-1.
Strategy, Value Innovation, and the Knowledge Economy

Managers typically assess what competitors do and strive to do it better. Using this approach, companies expend tremendous effort and achieve only incremental improvement ? imitation, not innovation. By focusing on the competition, companies tend to be reactive, and their understanding of emerging mass markets and changing customer demands becomes hazy. During the past decade, Kim and Mauborgne have studied companies of sustained high growth and profits. All pursue a strategy, value innovation, that renders the competition irrelevant by offering new and superior buyer value in existing markets or by enabling the creation of new markets through quantum leaps in buyer value. Value innovation places equal emphasis on value and innovation, since innovation without value can be too strategic or wild, too technology-driven or futuristic. Hence, value innovation is not the same as value creation. Although value creation on an incremental scale creates some value, it is not sufficient for high performance. To value innovate, managers must ask two questions: "Is the firm offering customers radically superior value? " and "Is the firm's price level accessible to the mass of buyers in the target market? " A consequence of market insight gained from creative strategic thinking, value innovation focuses on redefining problems to shift the performance criteria that matter to customers. Kim and Mauborgne ask five key questions contrasting conventional competition-based logic with that of value innovation and describe the type of organization that best unlocks its employees' ideas and creativity. Rather than follow conventional practices for maximizing profits, successful value innovators use a different market approach that consists of (1) strategic pricing for demand creation and (2) target costing for profit creation. Value innovation as strategy creates a pattern of punctuated equilibrium, in which bursts of value innovation that reshape the industrial landscape are interspersed with periods of improvements, geographic and product-line extensions, and consolidation.