Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Regulation of Adenylyl Cyclase by Protein Kinase A (*)

The changing relationship between stimuli and responses after prolonged receptor stimulation is a general feature of hormonal signaling systems, termed desensitization. This phenomenon has been best exemplified in the covalent modification of the G protein-linked catecholamine receptors. However, other components within this signaling pathway can be involved in desensitization. Here we present evidence that desensitization occurs at the level of the effector enzyme itself through phosphorylation. Type V adenylyl cyclase (AC) is the major isoform expressed in the heart. Using purified enzymes, we demonstrate that protein kinase A (PKA) directly phosphorylates and thereby inhibits type V AC catalytic activity. This inhibition was negated in the presence of PKA inhibitor. Analysis of enzyme kinetics revealed that this inhibition was due to a decrease in the catalytic rate, not to a decrease in the affinity for the substrate ATP. Our results indicate that AC catalytic activity can be regulated through PKA-mediated phosphorylation, suggesting another mechanism of desensitization for receptor pathways which signal via increases in intracellular cAMP.
Contractual Structures and Payoff Patterns of Sukuk Securities

This paper is about the six different Sukuk securities, which originated in 1990s, and are now traded in some 11 markets as the new debt-like securities classed under Islamic finance. The outstanding value of these contracts is estimated to be US $850 billion. This paper proposes a classification for Sukuk contracts as pure debt, equity-based, and asset-backed based on the intrinsic nature and purpose of fund-raising. This classification has more practical use compared to existing classifications. Further, the contract peculiarities of the six instruments (mudarabah, musharakah, murabahah, ijarah, salam, and istisnah ) are carefully specified for the first time. To start a discussion on how the economic behavior may be modeled for theory building, the potential cash flow pattern of each type of Sukuk contracts is specified. The paper aims to contribute to advanced studies by specifying the basic behavioral characteristics.
Land Grabbing, Large- and Small-scale Farming: what can evidence and policy from 20th century Africa contribute to the debate?

Abstract This article examines the contemporary phenomenon of ‘land grabbing’ in relation to the history of plantation and large- and small-scale farming (pf, lsf and ssf) in sub-Saharan Africa. It looks at the extent of pf and lsf over the 20th century, as well as the policy narratives that have justified, supported or circumscribed their development. Many characteristics of the current land rush and its interpretation reveal elements of continuity with some of the general trends marking the history of pf and lsf up to recent years. In particular, the heterogeneity of pf and lsf, subsuming quite different relations to ssf, and the pivotal role played by the combination of private capital (whether foreign, domestic or combined) with the state represent organisational continuities. Meanwhile continuities in supporting narratives centre on the prevalence of generic prescriptions for either lsf/pf or ssf. Refuting these generic prescriptions is a precondition for more nuanced analysis and policy proposals.
Nutritional and Anti-Nutritional Quantification Assessment of Cymbopopgon citratus Leaf

The leaf-extract of Cymbopogon citratus was evaluated for nutritional and anti-nutritional compositions. The results revealed that the plant leaves contained appreciable amounts of phyto-chemicals (alkaloids, glucosides, phenols, saponins, flavonoids and tannins), proximate compositions (proteins, carbohydrates, fats, crude fibre, ash and moisture), vitamins (A, C, E, B1, B2 and B9) and trace elements (Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu, Na, K, Ca and Co) in varying degrees. These chemical compositions obtained may be responsible for the nutritional and therapeutic uses. The proximate, vitamin and mineral compositions obtained suggested that the leaves may serve as cheap sources of vitamin A, C, E, B1, B2 and B9 as well as other macro- and micro-nutrients, and could be incorporated into human diets to meet-up with their recommended daily dietary allowances. The content of flavonoids, vitamin A, C and E in the leaf extract also suggests possible anti-oxidant effects of the plant leaves.
RelE toxins from Bacteria and Archaea cleave mRNAs on translating ribosomes, which are rescued by tmRNA

RelE of Escherichia coli is a global inhibitor of translation that is activated by nutritional stress. Activation of RelE depends on Lon‐mediated degradation of RelB, the antagonist that neutralizes RelE. In vitro, RelE cleaves synthetic mRNAs positioned at the ribosomal A‐site. We show here that in vivo overexpression of RelE confers cleavage of mRNA and tmRNA in their coding regions. RelE‐mediated cleavage depended on translation of the RNAs and occurred at both sense and stop codons. RelE cleavage of mRNA and tmRNA was also induced by amino acid starvation. An ssrA deletion strain was hypersensitive to RelE, whereas overproduction of tmRNA counteracted RelE toxicity. After neutralization of RelE by RelB, rapid recovery of translation required tmRNA, indicating that tmRNA alleviated RelE toxicity by rescuing ribosomes stalled on damaged mRNAs. RelE proteins from Gram‐positive Bacteria and Archaea cleaved tmRNA with a pattern similar to that of E. coli RelE, suggesting that the function and target of RelE may be conserved across the prokaryotic domains.
Electronically scanned arrays for fast testing of large antennas

The use of probe array is a well established technology for spherical near field systems offering all the possibilities and accuracies of traditional single probe testing at a much faster speed [1–4]. Frequency ranges for probe arrays are from 75MHz to 18GHz and probes up to 40 GHz are currently under development.
Estimating the demand for peace and quiet using property market data

For many industrialised nations environmental noise is emerging as a local pollutant of major concern. Incorporating such concerns into policy guidance tools such as social cost benefit analysis requires estimates of the monetised benefits of noise reduction. Using a two-stage hedonic pricing methodology we estimate a system of structural demand equations for different sources of transport-related noise. Our application applies state-of-the-art econometric techniques. In the first stage, we identify market segments using model-based clustering techniques and estimate separate hedonic price functions for each segment. We spatially smooth the data to account for omitted spatial covariates and employ a semiparametric estimator to allow flexibility in functional form. In the second stage, we control for nonlinearity of the budget constraint and identify demand relationships using techniques that account for problems of endogeneity and censoring of the dependent variable. We report welfare estimates for peace and quiet that we believe to be the first derived from property market data in a theoretically consistent manner.
How Hamsters Keep Time: The 6 PM to 6 AM Light‐Sensitive Period

A recent review of the pineal literature revealed that when hamsters are exposed to 24‐hour light:dark (LD) cycles with < 12 hours of darkness (summerlike, SLD), the nightly period of pineal melatonin synthesis (PPMS) begins close to the midpoint of the dark period (“midnight”) and ends at lights‐on irrespective of the length of the dark period or time of day presented. New evidence based on the onset of behavioral estrus every 4 days indicated that the 24‐hour hamster clock controlling timing of estrus (4:30 PM) and the PPMS has a 12‐hour light‐sensitive period (LSP) set to 6 PM‐6 AM in LD 16:8 (dark 8 PM‐4 AM, SLD) by a balance in opposing actions of evening and morning light [Alleva: Pineal Research Reviews, Volume 5, Alan R. Liss, Inc., New York, 1987]. Present experiments focus on how this balance is maintained. When lights‐off was advanced to 6 PM in SLDs ranging from LD 12.5:11.5 (dark 6:15 PM‐5:45 AM) to 18:6 (dark 9 PM‐3 AM), the onset of estrus later that day was advanced in every SLD. However, when lights‐on was delayed to or beyond 6 AM, the onset of estrus was unaffected. Thus, the balance is maintained by a resistive force (blocking without a delaying action) of evening light and an advancing action of morning light. In this balancing process all evening light from 6 PM to lights‐off but only the first 5 minutes or less of morning light were involved. The advancing action of morning light was characterized in LD 13:11 and 18:6 by imposing on the night before estrus a 5:30 PM‐6:30 AM dark period scanned with a 15‐minute light pulse. Shifts in onset of estrus later that day were plotted vs. time of the light pulse. The resulting phase response curves (PRCs) were similar and comprised only an advancing curve, which rose about 10 PM, peaked at 2 AM, and returned gradually to normal at 6 AM. In contrast, a PRC obtained from LD 12:12 (dark 6 PM‐6 AM) was sinelike, comprising a 6 PM‐9 PM delaying curve followed by an advancing curve similar to those from SLD. An hypothesis based on these findings is presented to explain how hamsters would keep constant AM—PM time throughout summer.
Single Amino Acid Substitutions in the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Spike Glycoprotein Determine Viral Entry and Immunogenicity of a Major Neutralizing Domain

ABSTRACT Neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) against severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus (SARS-CoV) spike (S) glycoprotein confer protection to animals experimentally infected with the pathogenic virus. We and others previously demonstrated that a major mechanism for neutralizing SARS-CoV was through blocking the interaction between the S glycoprotein and the cellular receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). In this study, we used in vivo electroporation DNA immunization and a pseudovirus-based assay to functionally evaluate immunogenicity and viral entry. We characterized the neutralization and viral entry determinants within the ACE2-binding domain of the S glycoprotein. The deletion of a positively charged region SΔ(422-463) abolished the capacity of the S glycoprotein to induce NAbs in mice vaccinated by in vivo DNA electroporation. Moreover, the SΔ(422-463) pseudovirus was unable to infect HEK293T-ACE2 cells. To determine the specific residues that contribute to related phenotypes, we replaced eight basic amino acids with alanine. We found that a single amino acid substitution (R441A) in the full-length S DNA vaccine failed to induce NAbs and abolished viral entry when pseudoviruses were generated. However, another substitution (R453A) abolished viral entry while retaining the capacity for inducing NAbs. The difference between R441A and R453A suggests that the determinants for immunogenicity and viral entry may not be identical. Our findings provide direct evidence that these basic residues are essential for immunogenicity of the major neutralizing domain and for viral entry. Our data have implications for the rational design of vaccine and antiviral agents as well as for understanding viral tropism.
Are the Expectations of Women Managers Being Met?

In recent years firms have established a number of programs designed to encourage and improve the participation and advancement of women in managerial positions. However, there has been little attempt to evaluate their effectiveness. Women presently employed in management positions were surveyed to assess what programs currently exist as well as their evaluation of these programs. The results of this study indicate that the programs and policies available to women are often not those they view as most important. As a result, resources are being spent on programs viewed as unimportant and diverted from activities that could better contribute to the participation and advancement of women. Additional findings show that women who have progressed furthest in the organization view these programs as less important, possibly because they have been successful without them.
Correlated evolution of body and fin morphology in the cichlid fishes

Body and fin shapes are chief determinants of swimming performance in fishes. Different configurations of body and fin shapes can suit different locomotor specializations. The success of any configuration is dependent upon the hydrodynamic interactions between body and fins. Despite the importance of body–fin interactions for swimming, there are few data indicating whether body and fin configurations evolve in concert, or whether these structures vary independently. The cichlid fishes are a diverse family whose well‐studied phylogenetic relationships make them ideal for the study of macroevolution of ecomorphology. This study measured body, and caudal and median fin morphology from radiographs of 131 cichlid genera, using morphometrics and phylogenetic comparative methods to determine whether these traits exhibit correlated evolution. Partial least squares canonical analysis revealed that body, caudal fin, dorsal fin, and anal fin shapes all exhibited strong correlated evolution consistent with locomotor ecomorphology. Major patterns included the evolution of deep body profiles with long fins, suggestive of maneuvering specialization; and the evolution of narrow, elongate caudal peduncles with concave tails, a combination that characterizes economical cruisers. These results demonstrate that body shape evolution does not occur independently of other traits, but among a suite of other morphological changes that augment locomotor specialization.
[Series 4: respiratory muscles in neuromuscular diseases and the chest cavity. Pathophysiological consequences of lung volume reduction surgery in patients with emphysema].

Emphysema is characterized by the destruction of alveolar walls and an abnormal, irreversible increase in the size of alveolar spaces that lead to hyperinflation, loss of lung elasticity, and reduced expiratory flow. As a consequence of such morphological changes in the lung, structural changes also occur in the chest wall, particularly in respiratory muscles. The diaphragm, the main respiratory muscle, is flattened, its dome descending so that fibers become shortened. The diaphragm is then less able to generate tension, such that the metabolic requirements are greater for a given workload. Alterations are found not only in respiratory muscles of patients with emphysema: peripheral muscles also undergo functional changes. This has been defined as the systemic myopathy of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. These muscle alterations are attributed to multifactorial causes (mechanical overload, nutritional changes, hypoxemia, pharmacological effects, etc). In patients with emphysema, respiratory and peripheral muscle changes play a large role in most symptoms, such as weakness, pain, and fatigue. This is partly shown by the low correlation between lung function and exercise capacity, quality of life, prediction of severe exacerbations, or patient survival. In addition, the functional improvement attained with medication is not accompanied by significant improvement in exercise capacity, and improved walking test performance observed after lung transplantation is very similar for singleor double-lung transplants, in spite of the superior function afforded by a double-lung transplant. In the presence of severe lung distension, thoracic cage deformation and morphological changes of the diaphragm occurring in very advanced stages of emphysema, lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) can be considered with the object of reducing lung distensibility, improving elastic lung forces, recovering the optimal position of the diaphragm, and improving the position of intercostal muscles to increase inspiratory pressures. The contribution of abdominal muscles is also increased.
Exact linearization by time scale transformation based on relative degree structure of single-input nonlinear systems

The problem of exact linearization of single-input nonlinear systems by time scale transformation (TST) is considered in this paper. The aim of this paper is to derive method of computing time scale function based on relative degree structure of nonlinear systems. The method using two independent functions which have the largest relative degree of the system is proposed. Because of no requirement of the solution of the nonlinear PDE, the time scale function can be computed easily. An example of the Acrobot is also given. The Acrobot can not be linearized by feedback transformation and state feedback, but this paper shows that the Acrobot is linearizable exactly by applying time scale transformation.
Plans to utilize electronic marketplaces: the case of B2B procurement markets in Norway

An electronic business to business procurement marketplace is an inter‐organizational information system through which multiple buyers and sellers interact to accomplish market‐making activities for corporate purchases. In this study, the extent to which organizations had plans to utilize electronic marketplaces for purchases was investigated. A survey was conducted in Norway. Survey results indicate that most organizations had plans, only 3 percent had no plans while 34 percent had concrete plans to utilize electronic marketplaces for purchases. Responding organizations planned to purchase significantly more indirect goods than indirect services on electronic marketplaces. The main benefit expected from utilizing electronic marketplaces for purchases was reduced transaction costs. Strategic importance of business to business electronic markets can significantly predict the extent to which responding organizations had plans to utilize electronic marketplaces for purchases.
MANAGING INTERACTING POPULATIONS UNDER TIME SCALE SEPARATION

Renewable resource modeling is usually characterized by different time scales where some state variables such as biomass may evolve relatively faster than other state variables such as carrying capacity. A strong form of time scale separation (STSS) means that a slowly changing variable is treated as constant over time. Management rules that assume STSS do not account for a time scale externality and this may induce inefficiencies in resource management. In the current work, we study multispecies resource management under time scale separation by adopting the framework of singular perturbation reduction methods. By extending recent work by Vardas and Xepapadeas [2015] to interacting populations, we study regulation with full internalization of the time scale externality. We further study regulation and noncooperative outcomes under STSS and identify deviations in harvesting and biomass paths among these cases. Deviations indicate the inefficiencies associated with adopting STSS.
The relationship between interorganizational information systems and operations performance

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between interorganizational information system (IOIS) adoption in supplier coordination and operations performance improvements.Design/methodology/approach – The paper focuses on the association between dyadic and multilateral IOISs and improvements in performance priorities associated with stable and dynamic supply networks, using data on 201 manufacturers in 13 countries from the international manufacturing strategy survey (IMSS) database. Regression models were used to test relationships between IOIS adoption and operations performance improvements.Findings – Analysis indicates that dyadic IOISs appear to be more associated with the performance priorities of stable supply chains (cost, delivery, and quality), while multilateral IOISs appear to be more associated with the performance priorities of dynamic supply chains (flexibility and quality). Research limitations/implications – Survey data were collected in the years 2000 and 2001. Som.
Risk Premiums and Efficiency in the Market for Crude Oil Futures

The New York Mercantile Exchange's Crude Oil futures contract is investigated for the existence and nature of risk premiums and informational efficiency. During 1983-90, there is some evidence that short-term premiums were positive and covaried with recent volatility. As for efficiency, we find nothing inconsistent with weak-form efficiency, but some apparent violations cf semi-strong efficiency. We argue that, for a number of reasons, such rejections should be interpreted with caution.
Part-time work and full-time higher education

ABSTRACT This paper reports the results of a random sample survey of term-time employment amongst full-time undergraduates in four institutions. There is a belief that the incidence of employment is increasing, with detrimental effects for academic performance, but the supporting evidence is typically drawn from studies of specific institutions and/or specific groups of students. This paper offers a more widely-based estimate of the incidence of employment, analyses who works and why, and estimates the contribution of employment to student income. The paper suggests that the current focus on earnings and hours is limiting and that widely drawn ‘employment profiles˚s need to be identified and linked to academic constraints in order to identify the range of consequences of student employment.
Short-sea shipping potentials in Central America to bridge infrastructural gaps

This paper addresses the situation of transport infrastructure in Central America, which poses issues of insufficiency, high-costs and lack of an integrated vision in a geographic region that is exposed to vulnerabilities due to its geological, geomorphologic and climatic conditions. The major efforts for regional integration with joint infrastructure in place seem to meet the criteria of high prioritization on ground transport and non-diversification of risk. This paper features the characteristics of the area and the potentiality of short-sea shipping to cover infrastructure deficits and the need for a more integrated planning of transport infrastructure services with better conditions to improve the regional economy competitiveness and the economic growth.
Wisconsin's W-2 Program: Welfare as We Might Come to Know It

Much of this paper originated in a project conducted under the State Capacity Study of the Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government, State University of New York. The author gratefully acknowledges the financial support provided by the Rockefeller Institute and the contributions of two Institute for Research on Poverty colleagues, Elisabeth Boehnen and Thomas Corbett, whose assistance was especially valuable to this paper's description of the early planning of W-2 inside the state agency managing the program. The last section of this paper derives from work on a potential evaluation of W-2 conducted with Daniel R. Meyer, whose assistance on that project and helpful reactions to an earlier draft of this paper are gratefully acknowledged. The work on evaluating W-2 was funded under grants from the Joyce Foundation and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. IRP publications (discussion papers, special reports, and the newsletter Focus) are now available on the Internet. Abstract Wisconsin's welfare reform program, Wisconsin Works (W-2), is among the most ambitious and comprehensive state reforms supported by the U.S. government's Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant. This paper describes the W-2 program in Wisconsin, compares distinctive features of the program to TANF programs in selected other states, discusses how Wisconsin came to offer such a program, and describes early trends in W-2 program implementation. The paper also makes suggestions for evaluating distinctive features of W-2.