Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Activation of Central Lactate Metabolism Lowers Glucose Production in Uncontrolled Diabetes and Diet-Induced Insulin Resistance

OBJECTIVE—Hypothalamic lactate metabolism lowers hepatic glucose production and plasma glucose levels in normal rodents. However, it remains unknown whether activation of hypothalamic lactate metabolism lowers glucose production and plasma glucose levels in rodents with diabetes and obesity. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—We performed intracerebroventricular (ICV) administration of lactate to enhance central lactate metabolism in 1) early-onset streptozotocin-induced uncontrolled diabetic rodents, 2) experimentally induced hypoinsulinemic normal rodents, and 3) early-onset diet-induced insulin-resistant rodents. Tracer-dilution methodology was used to assess the impact of ICV lactate on the rate of glucose production in all three models. RESULTS—We first report that in the absence of insulin treatment, ICV lactate administration lowered glucose production and glucose levels in rodents with uncontrolled diabetes. Second, ICV lactate administration lowered glucose production and glucose levels in normal rodents with experimentally induced hypoinsulinemia. Third, and finally, ICV lactate administration lowered glucose production in normal rodents with diet-induced insulin resistance. CONCLUSIONS—Central lactate metabolism lowered glucose production in uncontrolled diabetic and normal rodents with hypoinsulinemia and in rodents with diet-induced insulin resistance. These data suggest that insulin signaling is not required for central lactate to lower glucose production and that the activation of hypothalamic lactate metabolism could consequently bypass insulin resistance and lower glucose levels in early-onset diabetes and obesity.
TnpI recombinase: identification of sites within Tn5401 required for TnpI binding and site-specific recombination

The Bacillus thuringiensis class II transposon Tn5401 encodes a recombinase protein, TnpI, that mediates the resolution of cointegrate molecules generated as intermediates during Tn5401 transposition by the TnpA transposase. This recombination event requires a specific target site, or internal resolution site, at which TnpI binds and catalyzes the exchange of DNA strands. Gel mobility shift assays and DNase I footprinting analyses were used to localize the TnpI binding region to the sequence extending from nucleotides 637 to 747 of Tn5401. Deletions within this region blocked TnpI-mediated recombination in vivo. The 12-bp sequence ATGTCC RCTAAY, present in four copies within the TnpI binding region, is proposed to be the recognition sequence for TnpI binding. TnpI also binds to a single copy of this sequence located within the 53-bp terminal inverted repeats of Tn5401. The unique juxtaposition of recombinase and transposase binding sites at the terminal inverted repeats of Tn5401 suggests that TnpI regulates the binding and/or catalytic activity of TnpA transposase.
Targeting Consumers at-Risk-of-Poverty: Investigation on Food Chain Actors

Population at-risk-of-poverty (ROP) is increasing at European level. Considering the attention posed by policymakers and academics on income inequalities as a key determinant for low or inadequate healthy food consumption, the objective of the paper is to explore food manufacturers' and retailers' interest in ROP consumers as target segment for commercialising healthy food. The research adopted an exploratory approach, with interviews carried out with representatives of food industries and retailers located in four European countries. The results suggest that food chain actors have a limited interest in ROP consumers and difficulties in the design and production of healthy food for ROP consumers. The interest in ROP consumers could rise only if supported by a higher awareness on this segment of consumers and by stronger food chain cooperation.
Executive information systems : an identification of factors likely to affect user acceptance, usage and adoption of the unilever EIS.

Executive Information Systems (EIS) are information systems designed for the direct use of the Executive to access business relevant information, including information about customers, competitors, key performance indicators, internal operations, stock prices and news. Classified as high-risk projects, just like any other IS projects, organizations have been cautious and critical in ensuring EIS successful implementation and continuous usage by their intended users, the Executives. Unilever South Africa is no exception, and would thus like to ensure a successful implementation and acceptance of its EIS. An EIS system that once implemented will be used, accepted and adopted by executives to drive the achievement of its strategic objectives. This research is intended to investigate and identify potential factors that are likely to affect user acceptance, usage and adoption of an EIS implemented by Unilever South Africa. The research investigation was based on a proposed model derived from Davis (1989) Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) that explores the phenomena of 'perceived usefulness' and 'perceived ease of use', as drivers of user acceptance and illustrates the dynamics of the factors that affect the users' acceptance of the system. The research data was obtained via questionnaires and semi-structured interviews of users from the Unilever EIS user group. The feedback obtained was then analysed and tested against three hypotheses. All three hypotheses were accepted leading to the conclusions that: (a) Users' attitudes towards usage of the Unilever EIS are positively influenced by both their 'perceived usefulness' and 'perceived ease of use' of the system. (b) The Unilever EIS users' 'perceived usefulness' of the system positively influences their 'perceived ease of use' of the system. (c) The Unilever EIS users' 'perceived ease of use' of the system has a greater influence on their attitude towards the system usage than their 'perceived usefulness' of the system.
Are "Real" Responses to Taxes Simply Income Shifting between Corporate and Personal Tax Bases?

Two well-noted phenomena of recent decades are the increasing concentration of personal income and the declining rate of corporate profitability. This paper investigates to what extent these two trends have a common explanation extent these two trends have a common explanation-shifting of income to the personal tax base from the corporate tax base caused by the generally declining difference between personal tax rates and corporation income tax rates. This paper presents evidence that a substantial amount of income shifting has in fact occured since 1965, based on time-series regression analyses that reveal that an increase in corporate tax rates relative to personal rates resulted in an increase in reported personal income and a drop in reported corporate income, even after controlling for corproate use of debt finance and for the amount of corporate assets. We focus on one mechanism for shifting--changing the form of compensation for executives and other workers, such as between wage compensation and greater use of stock options. The potential importance of income shifting requires a reinterpretation of both the efficiency and distributional consequences of of changes in the tax structure.
A Novel Role for p21-Activated Protein Kinase 2 in T Cell Activation

To identify novel components of the TCR signaling pathway, a large-scale retroviral-based functional screen was performed using CD69 expression as a marker for T cell activation. In addition to known regulators, two truncated forms of p21-activated kinase 2 (PAK2), PAK2ΔL1–224 and PAK2ΔS1–113, both lacking the kinase domain, were isolated in the T cell screen. The PAK2 truncation, PAK2ΔL, blocked Ag receptor-induced NFAT activation and TCR-mediated calcium flux in Jurkat T cells. However, it had minimal effect on PMA/ionomycin-induced CD69 up-regulation in Jurkat cells, on anti-IgM-mediated CD69 up-regulation in B cells, or on the migratory responses of resting T cells to chemoattractants. We show that PAK2 kinase activity is increased in response to TCR stimulation. Furthermore, a full-length kinase-inactive form of PAK2 blocked both TCR-induced CD69 up-regulation and NFAT activity in Jurkat cells, demonstrating that kinase activity is required for PAK2 function downstream of the TCR. We also generated a GFP-fused PAK2 truncation lacking the Cdc42/Rac interactive binding region domain, GFP-PAK283–149. We show that this construct binds directly to the kinase domain of PAK2 and inhibits anti-TCR-stimulated T cell activation. Finally, we demonstrate that, in primary T cells, dominant-negative PAK2 prevented anti-CD3/CD28-induced IL-2 production, and TCR-induced CD40 ligand expression, both key functions of activated T cells. Taken together, these results suggest a novel role for PAK2 as a positive regulator of T cell activation.
Shall One Invest in Cancelled Targets after the Termination of Mergers and Acquisitions

Many portfolio managers on Wall Street believe that investing in cancelled targets after the termination of mergers and acquisitions is a profitable strategy because arbitrageurs usually unwind their position after the cancellation announcement. While the anecdotal evidence shows that arbitrageurs do hold large positions in target companies when the deals are cancelled, we do not find that investing in cancelled targets is a profitable strategy. Our results also suggest that, in general, there is no relation between trading volume and abnormal returns. The overall evidence indicates that the target stocks are efficiently priced, and arbitrageurs unwinding their positions does not provide an opportunity for abnormal returns.
Italian and U.S. Consumers of Local Foods: An Exploratory Assessment of Invariance

ABSTRACT The exploratory study reviews locally produced foods and sustainable retailing via grocery outlets across two distinct consumer groups, Italian and U.S. consumers. Survey methodology and structural equation modeling were used to test for measurement and structural invariance across the groups. Results suggested that groups varied across measures of perceived consumer effectiveness and purchase intentions; and constructs of subjective norms, perceived consumer effectiveness, connectedness, and purchase intentions reflected factor mean differences across groups. Tests of structural paths were found to be partially invariant. Implications to retail grocers who source sustainable products are provided, as well as future research directions for academics.
Reduction in Cross-Polarized Radiation of Microstrip Patches Using Geometry-Independent Resonant-Type Defected Ground Structure (DGS)

A new method of suppressing cross-polarized (XP) radiation using resonant-type defected ground structure (R-DGS) on microstrip antenna has been proposed in this communication. A linearly shaped full wavelength R-DGS has been proposed and experimentally verified for different microstrip geometries. The design is supported by thorough investigations on the physical interaction between R-DGS and XP generating fields. Unlike previously explored nonresonant-type defects, this new approach is independent of patch geometry. A consistent suppression of the H-plane XP fields well below -30 dB for different patch geometries has been experimentally demonstrated.
Intramuscular adipose tissue and central activation in older adults

Introduction: Intramuscular adipose tissue (IMAT) is a potential contributor to declining force production and may be related to impaired central activation; therefore, the purpose of this report is to describe IMAT composition and its association with central activation in older adults. The central activation ratio (CAR) of the knee extensors was assessed using a superimposition technique in 15 older adults (29 legs) along with the cross‐sectional area of IMAT and lean tissue. Results: IMAT and CAR are inversely related in older adults (r = −0.51, P = 0.005), and many subjects with high IMAT have deficits in central activation, whereas those with low IMAT have normal central activation. Conclusions: These novel findings may assist in unraveling why muscle force production and lean tissue cross‐sectional area are not strongly linked, as the ability to centrally activate muscle appears to be unrelated to lean muscle area and may be dependent in part on IMAT levels. Muscle Nerve 46:813–816, 2012
Expression of rat renal gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase in LLC-PK1 cells as a model for apical targeting.

In the rat, gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase (gamma GT) is transcribed into four unique mRNAs from a single gene by use of at least three different promoters and alternative splicing. For the first time, two distinct full-length cDNAs encoding the protein for rat renal gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase have now been isolated. Characterization by restriction enzyme mapping and nucleotide sequencing indicates that the two cDNAs, corresponding to transcripts I and II, differ only in the 5' noncoding region. However, transcription from promoter I, most proximal to the coding sequence, apparently began 20 bases upstream from the major transcription start previously reported. Since in vitro transcription and translation of these two new gamma GT cDNAs were found to produce a full-length peptide (M(r) approximately 62,000), both cDNAs were used to transfect LLC-PK1 (porcine) cells, a polarized cell line most representative of the renal proximal tubule. Rat gamma GT was expressed in transfected cells as judged by immunofluorescence analysis, direct immunoprecipitation after metabolic labeling with [35S]methionine, and an increase in gamma GT specific enzymatic activity (up to 5-fold). When clonal cell lines (I or II) were grown on Falcon filter inserts, the increased gamma GT activity was found only at the apical surface, consistent with polarized expression of the rat gamma GT. In contrast, transfection of the same cells with cDNA of human growth hormone resulted in both apical (70%) and basal lateral (30%) secretion of the expressed hormone. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Understanding of altered N‐glycosylation‐related gene expression in recombinant Chinese hamster ovary cells subjected to elevated ammonium concentration by digital mRNA counting

To understand the effects of ammonium on N‐glycosylation, recombinant Chinese hamster ovary (rCHO) cells that produce the Fc‐fusion protein were cultivated in serum‐free suspension cultures with 10 mM ammonium addition. The addition of ammonium to the cultures reduced the relative proportion of acidic isoforms and sialic acid content of an Fc‐fusion protein. Fifty two N‐glycosylation‐related gene expressions were assessed by the NanoString nCounter system, which provides a digital readout using custom‐designed color‐coded probes. Among these queried genes, thirteen genes (gale, nans, gpi, man2a1, b4galt5, b4galt7, st3gal2, st3gal5, glb1, hexa, hexb, neu1, and neu3) were up‐regulated over 1.5 times in the culture with ammonium addition after 5 days of culture; however, none of the 54 genes were significantly different after 3 days of culture. In particular, the expression level of neu1 (sialidase‐1) and neu3 (sialidase‐3), which play a role in reduction of sialylation, increased over 2 times. Likewise, the protein expression levels of sialidase‐1 and sialidase‐3 determined by Western blot analysis were also increased significantly in the culture with ammonium addition. Transient transfection of neu‐1 or neu3‐targeted siRNAs significantly improved the sialic acid content of the Fc‐fusion protein in the culture with ammonium addition, indicating that the decreased sialic acid content was in part due to the increased expression level of sialidase. Taken together, the results obtained in this study provide a better understanding of the detrimental effect of ammonium on N‐glycosylation, especially sialylation, in rCHO cells. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2015;112: 1583–1593. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Subsecond Regulation of Synaptically Released Dopamine by COMT in the Olfactory Bulb

The efficacy of neurotransmission depends on multiple factors, including presynaptic vesicular release of transmitter, postsynaptic receptor populations and clearance/inactivation of the transmitter. In the olfactory bulb (OB), short axon cells (SACs) form an interglomerular circuit that uses GABA and dopamine (DA) as cotransmitters. Selective optical activation of SACs causes GABA and DA co-release, resulting in a fast, postsynaptic GABA inhibitory response and a slower G-protein-coupled DA rebound excitation. In most systems, vesicular release of DA is cleared by the dopamine transporter (DAT). However, in the OB, high levels of specific DA metabolites suggest that enzymatic catalysis by catechol-O-methyl-transferase (COMT) predominates over DAT re-uptake. To assess this possibility we measured the amount of the DA breakdown enzyme, COMT, present in the OB. Compared with the striatum, the brain structure richest in DA terminals, the OB contains 50% more COMT per unit of tissue. Furthermore, the OB has dramatically less DAT compared with striatum, supporting the idea that COMT enzymatic breakdown, rather than DAT recycling, is the predominant mechanism for DA clearance. To functionally assess COMT inactivation of vesicular release of DA we used fast-scan cyclic voltammetry and pharmacological blockade of COMT. In mice expressing ChR2 in tyrosine hydroxylase-containing neurons, optical activation of SACs evoked robust DA release in the glomerular layer. The COMT inhibitor, tolcapone, increased the DA signal ∼2-fold, whereas the DAT inhibitor GBR12909 had no effect. Together, these data indicate that the OB preferentially employs COMT enzymatic inactivation of vesicular release of DA. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT In the olfactory bulb (OB), odors are encoded by glomerular activation patterns. Dopaminergic short axon neurons (SACs) form an extensive network of lateral connections that mediate cross talk among glomeruli, releasing GABA and DA onto sensory nerve terminals and postsynaptic neurons. DA neurons are ∼10-fold more numerous in OB than in ventral tegmental areas that innervate the striatum. We show that OB has abundant expression of the DA catalytic enzyme catechol-O-methyl-transferase (COMT), but negligible expression of the dopamine transporter. Using optogenetics and fast-scan cyclic voltammetry, we show that inhibition of COMT increases DA signals ∼2-fold. Thus, in contrast to the striatum, which has the brain's highest proportion of DAergic synapses, the DA catalytic pathway involving COMT predominates over re-uptake in OB.
Initial public offerings in Saudi Arabia : motivations, barriers and effects

This research has taken the form of a field study to gather empirical evidence capable of providing an overview of current initial public offerings OPOs) in Saudi Arabia. The main thrusts of this thesis are: to identify empirically the motivations for going public in Saudi Arabia; to find the barriers to going public in the Kingdom; to investigate the effects of IPOs on the performance of companies; to investigate the relationship between an increase in the number of IPOs and economic performance; to find which kind of companies are more likely to go public in the country, and to identify some suggestions which could increase the number of IPOs in Saudi Arabia. To answer the research questions, the researcher undertook three studies. Firstly, data was collected through a case study of a single company that had made an IPO in the Kingdom. Financial ratio analysis was employed to capture the changes in the financial statements before and after the IFO, and two in-depth interviews were conducted with the company's CEO and financial manager to discuss the financial changes and other IDPO issues. Secondly, more data was gathered through a comprehensive questionnaire. The sample studied in the questionnaire was taken from the top management of the 500 largest companies in Saudi Arabia. A total of 145 companies from 7 different business sectors in Saudi Arabia participated in the study. This represented a response rate in excess of 29%. Thirdly, extra data was obtained from personal interviews with three well-experienced and educated businessmen who have taken their companies public.
AMERICAN ATTITUDES TOWARD AND WILLINGNESS TO USE PSYCHIATRIC MEDICATIONS

Despite recent advances in treatment, many Americans decline to take prescribed psychiatric medication. This study explores the role of attitudes regarding the effectiveness of and potential problems associated with psychiatric medications on Americans’ willingness to use them. Face-to-face interviews of a US household population sample were done with 1387 volunteers. The 1998 General Social Survey’s Pressing Issues in Health and Medical Care Module (response rate, 76.4%) included questions about efficacy, problems, and potential use. Most Americans agree that psychiatric medications are effective, and fewer than half had concerns regarding potential problems. However, the majority of respondents would not be willing to take them. Willingness to use is influenced by these attitudes and other factors, including health status and past use of mental health treatments. Although Americans perceive psychiatric medications to be effective, and this influences their willingness to take them, many still are not willing to take them.
Improving an NP-Chunker by Exploting the Inner NP Dependency Structure

In this article we extend our previous work [3] dedicated to developing an automatic method for generating and applying syntactic patterns intended to recognize noun phrases. The intended scope of our studies is to automatically detect dependency relations within noun phrases exploiting some syntactic information of the phrases’ words. The patterns are extracted from a corpus that has been automatically annotated for token and sentence limits, part of speech and noun phrases and manually annotated for dependency relations between words. The patterns have been generalized in order to cover more instances that were present in the corpus and to reduce the size of the grammar. In this paper we refine the syntactic patterns by considering not only the two terms of the dependency relation but also the terms surrounding these two that will be treated as contexts: left, middle, right depending on their position from the dependency terms. Author
The Turnaround Experience: Real-World Lessons in Revitalizing Corporations

"The Turnaround Experience" is for managers of troubled companies looking to turn themselves around and for managers of healthy firms seeking preventative policies for keeping themselves out of trouble. Throughout this book, the author offers strategies based on actual historical experience. He shows how to determine which methods work and which consistently fail, to identify what managerial skills, character traits, and value orientations contribute to successful turnarounds, to analyze the role of sales proficiency, financial acumen, and product development and develop action plans to retain and expand the customer base. These strategies are useful not only to business managers but also to members of government, finance institutions, insurance companies, educational institutions, and suppliers of needed services.