Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Moderating Effect of Employee Competence on the Relationship between Employee Reward and Nurses’ Job Performance in Kenyan National Referral Hospitals

Employee job performance plays a critical role in firm’s competitiveness, sustainability and continuous improvement and thus continues to fuel a great deal of research. Competences lead to flawless and accurate execution of tasks, quality awareness, analytical abilities and openness to change. Competences help employees act in an organized, objective, purposeful and responsible way and enhance creativity, sensitivity and good interpersonal qualities in the work context. The purpose of this study was to establish the moderating effect of employee competence on the relationship between employee reward and nurse job performance in Kenyan National Referral Hospitals. The study employed cross sectional survey research design. Descriptive statistics, correlation and regression techniques were used to analyze the data. The study found out that the relationship between employee reward and job performance is moderated by employee competencies. The results provided sufficient statistically significant evidence to signify a moderating effect of job competence on the relationship between employee reward and employee job performance of nurses in Kenyan national referral hospitals. Employee competence, significantly improves the influence of employee reward on job performance from 74.2 percent to 82.0 percent. Employee reward and employee competence together explain 82.0 percent of the variance in job performance.The moderating effect of employee competence, significantly improves the influence of employee reward on job performance. It can be concluded that firms attach much value to employee competencies since these contribute directly to how well a firm will perform. The government through the Ministry of Health, high education and other non-governmental partners should initiate training programs for employees to sharpen their skills. Key Words: Employee Competence, Employee Reward, Job Performance, Kenyan National Referral Hospitals.
The fatigue descriptive scale (FDS): a useful tool to evaluate fatigue in multiple sclerosis

Although fatigue is common among multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, evaluation of this symptom is difficult due to the subjectivity and variability of the complaint. We proposed the Fatigue Descriptive Scale (FDS) as a tool to evaluate the severity and quality of fatigue in a group of patients suffering from MS. As a way to demonstrate the usefulness of this scale we applied the FDS in a group of 155 patients (105 women and 50 men) with clinically-definite multiple sclerosis, as outlined according to Poser’s criteria. Age was 36.2±11.1 years (range 12-62) and time of evolution was 8.3±9.4 years (range 1-44). The Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) was also used. Descriptive statistics techniques and techniques for nonparametric distribution (Spearman Rank, Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA) were used. One hundred and eighteen patients reported fatigue (73 spontaneously, 45 when questioned). All descriptions of fatigue were ranked according to FDS categories. Eighty-five patients defined the symptom as fatigue with exercise, 26 as asthenia and seven as the worsening of other symptoms. Fatigue by itself produced limited or disrupted activity in 78 patients; work-related functions were limited in 48 patients; social relations were limited in 29 patients; and self-care was difficult for one patient. Fifty-six patients suffered fatigue daily. FDS score was 4.9±3.9 (range 0-13). FSS was 3.1±1.7 (range 0.2-6.6). FDS and FSS of Krupp were highly correlated (R=0.87, p<0.001). Therefore, in comparison with other scales, the FDS shows remarkable usefulness in classifying, periodicity, and severity of fatigue in MS patients. The high correlation with the FSS implies that it is a valid method to measure the severity of fatigue, as was demonstrated in our paper proposing the FDS. The importance of this new scale is its ability to inform the clinicians in a very quick, easy, and at the same time complete way, how severe the fatigue really is and how it affects the patient.
Deubiquitinating Function of Adenovirus Proteinase

ABSTRACT The invasion strategy of many viruses involves the synthesis of viral gene products that mimic the functions of the cellular proteins and thus interfere with the key cellular processes. Here we show that adenovirus infection is accompanied by an increased ubiquitin-cleaving (deubiquitinating) activity in the host cells. Affinity chromatography on ubiquitin aldehyde (Ubal), which was designed to identify the deubiquitinating proteases, revealed the presence of adenovirus L3 23K proteinase (Avp) in the eluate from adenovirus-infected cells. This proteinase is known to be necessary for the processing of viral precursor proteins during virion maturation. We show here that in vivo Avp deubiquitinates a number of cellular proteins. Analysis of the substrate specificity of Avp in vitro demonstrated that the protein deubiquitination by this enzyme could be as efficient as proteolytic processing of viral proteins. The structural model of the Ubal-Avp interaction revealed some similarity between S1-S4 substrate binding sites of Avp and ubiquitin hydrolases. These results may reflect the acquisition of an advantageous property by adenovirus and may indicate the importance of ubiquitin pathways in viral infection.
An Analysis of Catastrophic Interference

A number of recent simulation studies have shown that when feedforward neural nets are trained, using backpropagation, to memorize sets of items in sequential blocks and without negative exemplars, severe retroactive interference or catastrophic forgetting results. Both formal analysis and simulation studies are employed here to show why and under what circumstances such retroactive interference arises. The conclusion is that, on the one hand, approximations to 'ideal' network geometries can entirely alleviate interference if the training data sets have been generated from a learnable function (not arbitrary pattern associations). All that is required is either a representative training set or enough sequential memory sets. However, this elimination of interference comes with cost of a breakdown in discrimination between input patterns that have been learned and those that have not: catastrophic remembering. On the other hand, localized geometries for subfunctions eliminate the discrimination problem but .
The Effect of Ease of Doing Business on Capital Flight: Evidence from East Asian Countries

T he business environment is characterized by environmental and exogenous factors that affect company performance to the extent that it prevents managers from interacting effectively with a company. This study built on the literature on the ease of doing business and capital flight by empirically demonstrating the importance of business environments across different countries. To this end, an econometric model was estimated by using a dynamic panel data model on selected East Asian countries during the period of 2004 to 2015. We found that the ease of doing business exerts negative and significant effects on capital flight. Our estimates suggested that an increase in ease of doing business leads to an average decrease of 0.09% in capital flight in all the examined countries.
Fast and efficient rendering system for real-time terrain visualisation

This paper presents an efficient technique for real-time non-photorealistic three-dimensional terrain visualisation from the digital elevation model. The method is primarily based on an improved version of the Real-time Optimally Adapting Mesh (ROAM) that boosts performance by improving the rendering speed, enhancing the visual continuity and reducing large frame rate variances. We outline how to achieve better detail and continuity and yet maintain the high efficiency and speed of the visualisation. We also integrate a Geo-morphing technique to eliminate visual discontinuity due to the refinement of ROAM. Based on the proposed methodology, the Geo-morph terrain visualisation system was created. Experimental results confirm striking improvement in the rendering efficiency and visual continuity, while preserving important features of the terrain (such as sharp peaks and valleys).
Assessment of DSM–5 Personality Disorder

The purpose of this article is to present an approach to defining, identifying, and assessing personality disorders, including the links between these definitions and personality assessment, with a particular reference to the proposed revisions to the personality disorders section of the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed. [DSM–5]; American Psychiatric Association, 2013). The article discusses measures of maladaptive variants of the Five-factor model (FFM) that are coordinated with both the traditional personality disorder syndromes as well as the DSM–5 dimensional trait model. Discussed as well is the assessment of the more psychodynamically oriented deficits in sense of self and interpersonal relatedness that are also included within the hybrid model proposed for DSM–5.
Complete sequencing of the mitochondrial genome of thirteen cell lines derived from a variety of human cancers revealed nine novel mitochondrial DNA

Complete sequencing of the mitochondrial genome of thirteen cell lines derived from a variety of human cancers revealed nine novel mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variations. One of them, m.6267G>A, is a recurrent mutation that introduces the Ala122Thr substitution in the mitochondrially encoded cytochrome c oxidase I (MT-CO1): p.MT-CO1: Ala122Thr (GenBank: NP_536845.1). Biochemical analysis of the original cell lines and the transmitochondrial cybrids generated by transferring mitochondrial DNAs to a common nuclear background, indicate that cytochrome c oxidase (COX) activity, respiration and growth in galactose are impaired by the m.6267G>A mutation. This mutation, found twice in the cancer cell lines included in this study, has been also encountered in one out of 63 breast cancer samples, one out of 64 colon cancer samples, one out of 260 prostate cancer samples and in one out of 15 pancreatic cancer cell lines. In all instances the m.6267G>A mutation was associated to different mtDNA haplogroups. These findings, contrast with the extremely low frequency of the m.6267G>A mutation in the normal population (1:2264) and its apparent absence in other pathologies, strongly suggesting that the m.6267G>A missense mutation is a recurrent mutation specifically associated with cancer.
Analysis of calcium‐dependent protein kinase C isoforms in the early stages of diethylnitrosamine‐induced rat hepatocarcinogenesis

The profiles of the calcium‐dependent protein kinase C (PKC) isozymes α, β, and γ were examined in subcellular fractions from Fischer 344 rat liver during the early stages (48 h, 96 h, 7 d, and 60 d) of diethylnitrosamine (DEN)‐induced carcinogenesis, using the Solt‐Farber “resistant hepatocyte” model (DEN‐2‐acetylaminofluorenepartial hepatectomy; DEN‐AAF‐PH), and then related to the presence of focal or nodular m̀‐glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT)—positive morphologic changes in the liver. After DEAE and hydroxyapatite column chromatograaphy, two peaks, immunologically identified as PKC‐α and ‐β isoforms, were detected in the liver of normal (α/β ratio=4.0) and treated rats. In DEN‐AAF‐PH hepatocarcinogenesis an increase in PKC‐α expression was found after PH ( + 43 ± 19% at 48 h, α/β ratio=5.1; + 125 ± 25% at 96 h, α/β ratio=4.8), whereas the PKC‐β isoform appeared less significantly modified (+ 11 ± 3% at 48 h and + 89 ± 17% at 96 h). Seven and 60 days after PH, a marked increase in the PKC‐α ( + 96 ± 20% and + 150 ± 48%, respectively) and PKC‐β isoforms (+ 158 ± 41%, α/β ratio=3.1 and + 130 ± 26%, α/β ratio=4.4, respectively), occurred along with the appearance of GGT‐positive altered hepatic foci and nodules in the liver sections. Sham hepatectomy caused PKC‐α and ‐β isoform activities similar to those of normal controls. In contrast, saline‐AAF‐PH‐treated rats had downregulation of PKC‐α after PH (α/β ratio=1.8 at 96 h), possibly due to the mitoinhibitory effect of the carcinogen AAF on normal uninitiated hepatocytes. Immunohistochemical analysis with monoclonal antibodies to PKC‐α and ‐β revealed diffuse positive cytoplasmic signals in GGT‐positive foci and nodules in rat liver. Taken together, these preliminary results, using the Solt‐Farber model of liver carcinogenesis, suggest a role for PKC in tumor promotion. They also suggest that the PKC‐α isoform may play a specific role in clonal expansion of DEN‐initiated hepatocytes after PH.
Expression of Fas and Fas Ligand on Mouse Renal Tubular Epithelial Cells in the Generalized Shwartzman Reaction and Its Relationship to Apoptosis

ABSTRACT Previously we reported that the consecutive injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) into LPS-sensitized mice for the generalized Shwartzman reaction (GSR) appeared to induce the injury of renal tubular epithelial cells via apoptosis. The aim of this study was to characterize the mechanism of renal tubular epithelial cell injury in GSR. The expression of Fas and Fas ligand was immunohistochemically detected on renal tubular epithelial cells from GSR-induced mice, although neither Fas nor Fas ligand was found in cells from untreated control mice or in cells from mice receiving a single injection of LPS. GSR-induced renal tubular epithelial cell injury was produced in neither Fas-negative MRL-lpr/lpr mice nor Fas ligand-negative MRL-gld/gld mice. The administration of anti-gamma interferon antibody together with a preparative injection of LPS prevented the expression of Fas and Fas ligand and the apoptosis of renal tubular epithelial cells. A provocative injection of tumor necrosis factor alpha into LPS-sensitized mice augmented Fas and Fas ligand expression and the apoptosis of renal tubular epithelial cells. The administration of tumor necrosis factor alpha to interleukin-12-sensitized mice resulted in Fas and Fas ligand expression and the apoptosis. Sensitization with interleukin-12 together with anti-gamma interferon antibody did not cause the apoptosis of renal tubular epithelial cells. It was suggested that the Fas/Fas ligand system probably plays a critical role in the development of renal tubular epithelial cell injury through apoptotic cell death.
Annotation and in silico localization of the Affymetrix GeneChip Porcine Genome Array.

Expression microarrays including the Affymetrix GeneChip Porcine Genome Arrays are valuable tools for studying genes and functional networks relevant for the expression of complex traits and the responsiveness of the organism to various treatments. An updated annotation and, for the first time, localization on the porcine physical genome map of »Affymetrix GeneChip Porcine Genome Array probe sets« was made through a workflow of 3 pipelines of comparisions addressing various NCBI (National Center for Biotechnology Information) and EnsEMBL (Ensembl project) databases. »BLAST« (Basic Local Alignment Search Tool) comparisons of Affymetrix probe set consensus sequences with the EnsEMBL Sscrofa 9 cDNA database provided 23 799 probe sets with hits. After annotation 19 730 gene symbols were obtained using the data management system BioMart. Comparison of the Affymetrix probe set consensus sequences with the porcine genome sequence (EnsEMBL Sscrofa 9 LatestGP database) revealed 23 298 probe sets with BLAST hits. In the third pipeline in addition to EnsEMBL Sscrofa 9 cDNA and genomic sequence databases also human, mouse and pig NCBI reference sequence RNA databases were interrogated in an integrated approach where also a threshold of bit score >50 or >90 % identity over >100 bp was applied in order to filter questionable annotations and localizations. Gene symbols and gene names were queried from HGNC (human genome organization (HUGO) gene nomenclature committee), EASE (EASE: the Expression Analysis Systematic Explorer) and Entrez Gene revealing 20 269 annotated probe sets. 20 467 probe sets were in silico mapped addressing various sources: EnsEMBL Sscrofa 9 LatestGP, pre-EnsEMBL Sscrofa 8.52 LatestGP, NCBI pig reference sequence RNA and genomic databases and PigQTLdb (Pig Quantitative Trait Locus [QTL] database). Using the new annotation and localization data in functional genomics studies will facilitate improving the understanding of the control of quantitative traits in pigs.
Comparison of carbohydrate and milk-based beverages on muscle damage and glycogen following exercise.

This study examined effects of carbohydrate (CHO), milk-based carbohydrate-protein (CHO-PRO), or placebo (P) beverages on glycogen resynthesis, muscle damage, inflammation, and muscle function following eccentric resistance exercise. Untrained males performed a cycling exercise to reduce muscle glycogen 12 hours prior to performance of 100 eccentric quadriceps contractions at 120% of 1-RM (day 1) and drank CHO (n = 8), CHO-PRO (n = 9; 5 kcal/kg), or P (n = 9) immediately and 2 hours post-exercise. At 3 hours post-eccentric exercise, serum insulin was four times higher for CHO-PRO and CHO than P (p < .05). Serum creatine kinase (CK) increased for all groups in the 6 hours post-eccentric exercise (p < .01), with the increase tending to be lowest for CHO-PRO (p < .08) during this period. Glycogen was low post-exercise (33+/-3.7 mmol/kg ww), increased 225% at 24 hours, and tripled by 72 hours, with no group differences. The eccentric exercise increased muscle protein breakdown as indicated by urinary 3-methylhistidine and increased IL-6 with no effect of beverage. Quadriceps isokinetic peak torque was depressed similarly for all groups by 24% 24 hours post-exercise and remained 21% lower at 72 hours (p < .01). In summary, there were no influences of any post-exercise beverage on muscle glycogen replacement, inflammation, or muscle function.
Pigment-Dispersing Factor and GABA Synchronize Cells of the Isolated Circadian Clock of the Cockroach Leucophaea maderae

Pigment-dispersing factor-immunoreactive circadian pacemaker cells, which arborize in the accessory medulla, control circadian locomotor activity rhythms in Drosophila as well as in the cockroach Leucophaea maderae via unknown mechanisms. Here, we show that circadian pacemaker candidates of the accessory medulla of the cockroach produce regular interspike intervals. Therefore, the membrane potential of the cells oscillates with ultradian periods. Most or all oscillating cells within the accessory medulla are coupled via synaptic and nonsynaptic mechanisms, forming different assemblies. The cells within an assembly share the same ultradian period (interspike interval) and the same phase (timing of spikes), whereas cells between assemblies differ in phase. Apparently, the majority of these assemblies are formed by inhibitory GABAergic synaptic interactions. Application of pigment-dispersing factor phase locked and thereby synchronized different assemblies. The data suggest that pigment-dispersing factor inhibits GABAergic interneurons, resulting in disinhibition and phase locking of their postsynaptic cells, which previously belonged to different assemblies. Our data suggest that phase control of action potential oscillations in the ultradian range is a main task of the circadian pacemaker network. We hypothesize that neuropeptide-dependent phase control is used to gate circadian outputs to locomotor control centers.
The lyophilization of pharmaceuticals: a literature review.

The freeze-drying of pharmaceutical products is discussed in successive stages involving the freezing of the product, the sublimation of ice (primary drying) and the desorption of water (secondary drying) from the product. The factors influencing the physical characteristics of the end product and the drying rate, e.g., freezing pattern and chamber pressure, are discussed in detail. Methods for studying the freezing characteristics of drug solutions, namely thermal analysis, resistance measurements, D2 analysis and microscopy, are described. The primary drying stage is influenced by external factors such as chamber pressure and shelf temperature, and by internal factors such as concentration and the degree of crystallization of the water in the sample. Methods for determining the end point of secondary drying and some problems often encountered (including those concerned with the equipment) in freeze-drying are discussed.
Banking on leverage

The leverage ratio has been receiving a lot of attention lately. So today I would like to review how the Basel Committee developed the revised ratio, and clarify its role in the Basel framework. The leverage ratio should be seen as complementing the risk-based capital adequacy regime in Basel III. It should serve as a safety net or backstop – but for it to be a meaningful backstop, we must remember that sometimes it will have to act as a constraint on banks’ behaviour.
The Roles of HSP27 and Annexin II in Resistance to UVC-Induced Cell Death: Comparative Studies of the Human UVC-Sensitive and -Resistant Cell Lines RSa and APr-1

We have reported that heat shock protein 27 (HSP27) and annexin II are involved in the protection of human cells against UVC-induced cell death. In this study we tried to confirm the combined roles of HSP27 and annexin II in cell death after UVC irradiation. In RSa cells with sensitivity to UVC, expression of annexin II decreased after UVC irradiation, but not in APr-1 cells with increased resistance to UVC. HSP27 siRNA-transfected APr-1 cells were sensitized to UVC lethality and showed decreased annexin II expression after UVC irradiation. In contrast, transfection of RSa cells with HSP27 cDNA increased their resistance to UVC lethality and caused increased annexin II expression. Furthermore, over-production of annexin II in RSa cells resulted in increased resistance to UVC lethality. This study indicates the involvement of cellular HSP27 expression in the UVC susceptibility of human cells, which occurs in association with regulation of annexin II expression.
Consider the Moon. Human-Computer Bricolage of Extended Objects

Our minds are extended through tools -- from pencils on paper to clocks and computers. 'Extended minds' have gained acclaim in digital times, but have also stirred fear: do objects become smarter at our expense? We propose a new approach to help cultivate auspicious cognitive relationships with things: the 'extended object'. If our thoughts are extended through things, things can be symmetrically and methodically extended through our thoughts -- in conversation, and in time. Let us consider the Moon: Can it colonize us?
Firms with benefits: A systematic review of responsible entrepreneurship and corporate social responsibility literature

The scholarly literature has so far paid limited attention to responsibility by commercial entrepreneurs. This paper compares responsible entrepreneurship (RE) and corporate social responsibility (CSR) scholarship in order to identify future fields of research. For this purpose, we assess the strengths and weaknesses of extant RE scholarship through the lens of CSR. We have reviewed 11,260 papers via latent Dirichlet allocation for our work. We find that existing RE literature places disproportionate emphasis on how firms can benefit society instead of on how contributions to sustainable development can benefit a firm. Furthermore, the RE literature pays limited attention to employee well-being, customer preference, and civil society as a stakeholder. Also, environmental issues and their balancing with financial and social issues remain relatively under-researched. Overall, we hope that scholarly works inspired by this study may ultimately help to ensure responsible behaviour of start-ups.