Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Carotenoid metabolic profiling and transcriptome‐genome mining reveal functional equivalence among blue‐pigmented copepods and appendicularia

The tropical oligotrophic oceanic areas are characterized by high water transparency and annual solar radiation. Under these conditions, a large number of phylogenetically diverse mesozooplankton species living in the surface waters (neuston) are found to be blue pigmented. In the present study, we focused on understanding the metabolic and genetic basis of the observed blue phenotype functional equivalence between the blue‐pigmented organisms from the phylum Arthropoda, subclass Copepoda (Acartia fossae) and the phylum Chordata, class Appendicularia (Oikopleura dioica) in the Red Sea. Previous studies have shown that carotenoid–protein complexes are responsible for blue coloration in crustaceans. Therefore, we performed carotenoid metabolic profiling using both targeted and nontargeted (high‐resolution mass spectrometry) approaches in four different blue‐pigmented genera of copepods and one blue‐pigmented species of appendicularia. Astaxanthin was found to be the principal carotenoid in all the species. The pathway analysis showed that all the species can synthesize astaxanthin from β‐carotene, ingested from dietary sources, via 3‐hydroxyechinenone, canthaxanthin, zeaxanthin, adonirubin or adonixanthin. Further, using de novo assembled transcriptome of blue A. fossae (subclass Copepoda), we identified highly expressed homologous β‐carotene hydroxylase enzymes and putative carotenoid‐binding proteins responsible for astaxanthin formation and the blue phenotype. In blue O. dioica (class Appendicularia), corresponding putative genes were identified from the reference genome. Collectively, our data provide molecular evidences for the bioconversion and accumulation of blue astaxanthin–protein complexes underpinning the observed ecological functional equivalence and adaptive convergence among neustonic mesozooplankton.
Assessing Information Quality Theories: The USS Joint Venture with William Holyman & Sons and Huddart Parker Ltd, 1904-35

Scholars concerned with an information-based view of an economy make an implicit assumption that firm efficiencies are based on information of good quality. In this firm-specific study an explanation of the importance of information quality is given by utilising and extending Casson's diagrammatic methodology for representing information flows. This has been done by measuring aspects of the information flows through Wm. Holyman & Sons Ltd and Holymans Ltd, for five years during the period 1904 to 1935. The shipping firms of Union Steamship Company of New Zealand (USSCo.), Wm. Holyman & Sons Ltd (Holyman's), and Huddart Parker Company Ltd (HP) were joint-venture partners. A content analysis methodology was applied to the Head Office records of USSCo. The results have provided a way of extending Casson's diagrammatic methodology and in so doing, added to Casson's own contribution to the theory of the firm. The evidence from the archives suggests that a high quality of information underpinned the joint venture and ensured success for a 75-year period. Furthermore, the research findings support the thesis that information of high quality contributes in a significant way to firm efficiencies.
Sub-1V, Robust and Compact 6T SRAM cell in Double Gate MOS technology

This paper proposes a sub-1V, robust and compact SRAM cell in double gate MOS (DGMOS) technology. The presented SRAM cell is a six transistors cell characterized by two word lines connected to the front and back gate of each access transistors, respectively. Simulations, using a 32nm low operating power DGMOS predictive model, show excellent read/write cell stability at minimal transistor dimension. Thanks to the excellent cell stability, the proposed 6T-2WL cell is also a good candidate for low voltage applications.
Leadership in Uganda, Barbados, Canada and the USA: exploratory perspectives

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to consider effective leadership in Africa and the African diaspora. This paper reports the results of emic research in Uganda, Barbados, Canada and the USA.Design/methodology/approach – A Delphi technique using open‐ended questions solicited ideas regarding leadership from knowledgeable participants, avoiding researcher bias.Findings – There were differences among the groups on several attributes that made leaders effective. Ugandans suggested a good leader was “honest and trustworthy”; Canadians and respondents from the USA said “being inspirational/charismatic” Barbadians cited “being a visionary”. Research limitations/implications – Having data for only one African country and the small sample sizes from all countries limit the generalizability of the findings. The results do, however, provide a base of knowledge on which to build future studies on Africa and the diaspora.Originality/value – The emic approach overcomes the western bias identified by scholars in mo.
Women entrepreneurship in small service firms: motivations, barriers and performance

This article presents an exploratory study on the characteristics of women entrepreneurs and the businesses they run in the Valencia region. Following a close look at the evolution of literature on women entrepreneurs, the study shows how different internal and external factors affect the motivation, obstacles and performance of firms created by women. These results contribute towards a better understanding of business creation by women as they provide an empirical contrast of these variables (motivation, barriers and performance). Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the characteristics of women entrepreneurs and the businesses they run in the Valencia Region of Spain, in order to contribute towards a better understanding of business creation by women, and the elements of motivation, barriers and success that influence and characterize the activities of women entrepreneurs. Design/methodology/approach: A random sample of businesses with women founders, in the service sector located in the Valencia Region, were surveyed with a personalized questionnaire focusing on the factors of expansion, financing, marital and family status. Findings: The results of the exploratory research show that different internal and external factors affect the motivation, obstacles to success and performance of firms created by women. It is clear that type of financial support, demographic factors, age at which the new business venture is undertaken, use of family loans and the initial size of firm are all instrumental in subsequent business success. Research limitations/implications: The research was undertaken using a relatively small sample of firms in one region of Spain. The study needs to replicated in a range of different countries in order to further test the generality and generalizability of the substantive results. The implications centre on women entrepreneurs' motivations, business success and failure. Originality/value: This paper contributes to a better understanding of business creation by women and the factors which are instrumental in their success, together with a better understanding of the potential obstacles and barriers.
Estimating Optimal Decision Rules in the Presence of Model Parameter Uncertainty

This article proposes a bootstrap procedure for estimating the risk minimizing decision-rule from within a parameterized family of rules. The procedure is conceptually simple and applicable to a broad class of decision problems involving parameter uncertainty. Moreover, when applied to Markowitz's (1952) model of portfolio selection--a leading example in which parameter uncertainty arises--it is shown to be capable of generating decision rules with lower risk than estimators derived from conventional methods. Theoretical results establishing the asymptotic optimality of the procedure are also presented. Copyright The Author, 2012. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. , Oxford University Press.
Educational Outcomes: Adversity and Resilience

In the context of risk and resilience, the paper attempts to integrate three strands of research: genetic and mental-health factors, the findings of cohort studies and those of other investigations of educational outcomes. A very wide range of factors, many of them related to disadvantage, bear on such outcomes, but none deterministically. Intelligence, conduct and emotional disorders are all found to influence academic achievement to varying degrees, as do a number of aspects of family, school and the wider social environment. Aspects that contribute to resilience are identified, and the paper concludes with a discussion of interventions to enhance resilience.
Quality management in Europe: a cultural perspective

The purpose of the study reported in this article has been to explore and describe the influence of some national cultures on the way quality management is practised. Case studies have been carried out in the UK, Germany, France and Italy. Some differences in focus have been found. These are related to cultural theory. Hofstede’s dimensions of power distance and uncertainty avoidance are relevant for understanding the variation. The managerial implications of the differences are also discussed, notably with reference to multinational companies. Some different aspects to consider when quality initiatives are taken in the countries in question are proposed.
Initiation of protein synthesis in a cell-free system prepared from rat hepatocytes.

A cell-free system, which maintained a linear rate of protein synthesis for up to 20 min of incubation, was prepared from isolated rat hepatocytes. The rate of protein synthesis in the cell-free system was approximately 20% of the rate obtained in isolated hepatocytes or perfused liver. More than 70% of total protein synthesis in the cell-free system was due to reinitiation, as indicated by addition of inhibitors of initiation, i.e., edeine or polyvinyl sulfate. The rate of protein synthesis and formation of 43S initiation complexes in the cell-free system were reduced to 60 and 30% of the control values, respectively, after incubation of hepatocytes in medium deprived of an essential amino acid. Therefore, the cell-free system maintained the defect in initiation induced in the intact cells by amino acid deprivation. The defect in initiation was corrected by addition of either rat liver eukaryotic initiation factor 2 or the guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) to the cell-free system. A role for GEF in the defect in initiation was further implicated by experiments that showed that the activity of the factor was decreased in extracts from livers perfused with medium deficient in amino acids. The cell-free system should provide a valuable tool for investigation of mechanisms involved in the regulation of initiation of protein synthesis.
Absorption of Quercetin and Rutin in Rat Small Intestine

Background/Aims: Dietary antioxidant flavonoids, especially flavonols, are ubiquitous constituents of plant foods with potential health-promoting effects. However, the actual bioavailability of these compounds in vivo, especially in the prevalent glycosidic form, remains a controversial point in making an assessment of their biological importance. Thus, absorption of quercetin and rutin in the small intestine has been determined. Methods: The bioavailability of quercetin and rutin (quercetin-3-rutinoside) was assessed in vivo, with single-meal experiments with rats and by an in vitro method with ligated loops of rat small intestine. The amount of quercetin or rutin in the plasma of rats or in the lumen of each intestinal segment was assayed by maximum absorption in the UV/VIS optical spectrum as was the amount of compound that had crossed the gut wall into the incubation buffer. In addition, uptake of [14C]quercetin was tested in vitro. Results: Absorption of both quercetin and rutin from the small intestine of rat was evident. However, rutin appeared to be absorbed more slowly than quercetin. Experiments with [14C]quercetin showed that only 1.5% quercetin crossed the gut wall in vitro and more than half of the total quercetin was bound to the small intestinal tissue. Conclusions: Both quercetin and rutin can attach to and traverse the small intestine of the rat. Binding of flavonoids to the intestinal wall components may however greatly limit their absorption from the small intestine.
Repression of Salmonella enterica phoP Expression by Small Molecules from Physiological Bile

ABSTRACT Infection with Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi in humans causes the life-threatening disease typhoid fever. In the laboratory, typhoid fever can be modeled through the inoculation of susceptible mice with Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. Using this murine model, we previously characterized the interactions between Salmonella Typhimurium and host cells in the gallbladder and showed that this pathogen can successfully invade gallbladder epithelial cells and proliferate. Additionally, we showed that Salmonella Typhimurium can use bile phospholipids to grow at high rates. These abilities are likely important for quick colonization of the gallbladder during typhoid fever and further pathogen dissemination through fecal shedding. To further characterize the interactions between Salmonella and the gallbladder environment, we compared the transcriptomes of Salmonella cultures grown in LB broth or physiological murine bile. Our data showed that many genes involved in bacterial central metabolism are affected by bile, with the citric acid cycle being repressed and alternative respiratory systems being activated. Additionally, our study revealed a new aspect of Salmonella interactions with bile through the identification of the global regulator phoP as a bile-responsive gene. Repression of phoP expression could also be achieved using physiological, but not commercial, bovine bile. The biological activity does not involve PhoPQ sensing of a bile component and is not caused by bile acids, the most abundant organic components of bile. Bioactivity-guided purification allowed the identification of a subset of small molecules from bile that can elicit full activity; however, a single compound with phoP inhibitory activity could not be isolated, suggesting that multiple molecules may act in synergy to achieve this effect. Due to the critical role of phoP in Salmonella virulence, further studies in this area will likely reveal aspects of the interaction between Salmonella and bile that are relevant to disease.
A Real Options Framework for Analyzing Program Participation as Human Capital Investments: The Case of the Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE) Program

We develop a real options framework to model producer participation in a subsidy program as a human capital investment to learn how the stochastic subsidy affects returns and how to adapt production activities to new program incentives, formally linking the framework to a multinomial logit specification for empirical applications. Analysis of farmer intentions for participation in the ACRE program created by the 2008 Farm Bill finds that reluctance to participate was driven largely by risk aversion and perceptions about income risk from yield and price variability, consistent with the theory that uncertainty creates an option value discouraging human capital investments.
A new deal for the community? Public participation in regeneration and local service delivery

English In the UK regeneration strategies and patterns of local service provision have usually been imposed from the top down. Most communities have had little influence over plans to revitalise their areas or the design and delivery of services. The ‘New Labour’ government has emphasised its commitment to involving local people in a wide range of policy decisions relating to employment, health, crime reduction, education, local government services and regeneration. According to ministers an enhanced role for local people will increase local accountability and improve service standards. Previous experience of community-focused initiatives suggests however that there are significant obstacles to increasing public participation. Moreover, the present government’s commitment to ‘bottom-up’ initiatives and local experimentation may be at odds with its strong centralising instinct and continuing insistence on ‘zero tolerance of failure’.
Surgery for hip fractures: Does surgical delay affect outcomes?

Hip fractures are associated with a high rate of mortality and profound temporary and sometimes permanent impairment of quality of life. Current guidelines indicate that surgeons should perform surgery for a hip fracture within 24 hours of injury because earlier surgery is associated with better functional outcome and lower rates of perioperative complications and mortality. Proponents of early treatment argue that this approach minimizes the length of time a patient is confined to bed rest, thereby reducing the risk for associated complications, such as pressure sores, deep vein thrombosis, and urinary tract infections. Those favoring delaying surgery beyond the guideline recommendations believe that this approach is required to medically optimize patients, and therefore decrease the risk for perioperative complications. Further challenges to resolving this debate is the lack of an accepted definition of what should constitute an “unacceptable delay” for hip fracture surgery and the fact that outcomes associated with surgical delay are based on observational data alone (i.e., not randomized controlled trials). The effect of preoperative timing on mortality and other patient-important outcomes across various age groups remains controversial and warrants a large randomized controlled trial to offer clear insights into the effects associated with early versus delayed surgery among hip fracture patients.
A Statistical Model of Homogeneous Text and its Possibilities in Text Study

Abstract The overwhelming majority of words as text elements occur very rarely. Their probabilities cannot, therefore, be estimated from samples. As a consequence, special statistical means are needed which make it possible to consider the frequencies of the text elements without hypotheses about their distributions. A statistically homogeneous text model is presented, which can be used for comparing the frequency of its elements to those in real texts, and its application is illustrated by examples.
Evidence that DHPG‐induced nociception depends on glutamate release from primary afferent C‐fibres

We examined whether enhanced glutamate release contributes to the expression of persistent spontaneous nociceptive behaviours (SNBs) in rats induced by intrathecal (i.t.) administration of the selective group I mGluR agonist, (RS)-3,5-dihydroxyphenylglycine ((RS)-DHPG). Pretreatment with drugs that have been shown to inhibit glutamate release, including a group II metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) agonist (2R,4R)-4-aminopyrrolidine-2,4-dicarboxylate ((2R,4R)-APDC), a group III mGluR agonist L-2-amino-4-phosphonobutyrate (LAP4), or the use-dependent sodium channel blockers 3,5-diamino-6-(2,3-diclorophenyl)-1,2,4-triazine (lamotrigine) and 2-amino-6-trifluoromethoxybenzothiazole (riluzole), produced dose-dependent reductions in (RS)-DHPG-induced SNBs. We have also shown that incubation of rat lumbar spinal cord slices with (RS)-DHPG potentiates 4-aminopyridine-evoked (4-AP) release of glutamate. Furthermore, we found that destruction of unmyelinated primary afferent C-fibres by neonatal capsaicin treatment significantly reduced (RS)-DHPG-induced SNBs in adult rats. Together, these results suggest that (RS)-DHPG-induced nociception is dependent on spinal glutamate release, probably from primary afferent C-fibres.
Prevalence of transient congenital hypothyroidism in central part of Iran

Background: Congenital hypothyroidism (CH) considered a common endocrine disorder in Iran. We report the epidemiologic findings of CH screening program in Isfahan, seven years after its development, regarding the prevalence of transient CH (TCH) and its screening properties comparing with permanent CH (PCH). Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, children with primary diagnosis of CH were studied. Considering screening and follow-up lab data and the decision of pediatric endocrinologists, the final diagnosis of TCH was determined. Results: A total of 464,648 neonates were screened. The coverage percent of the CH screening and recall rate was 98.9 and 2.1%, respectively. Out of which, 1,990 neonates were diagnosed with primary CH. TCH was diagnosed in 1,580 neonates. The prevalence of TCH was 1 in 294 live births. 79.4% of patients with primary CH had TCH. Mean of screening (54.7 ± 59.0 in PCH vs 21.8 ± 28.9 in TCH), recall (56.5 ± 58.8 in PCH vs 36.6 ± 45.0 in TCH), and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and mean of TSH before (2.0 ± 2.9 in PCH vs 1.6 ± 1.6 in TCH) and after (37.7 ± 29.5 in PCH vs 4.3 ± 1.9 in TCH) discontinuing treatment at 3 years of age was significantly higher in PCH than TCH (P < 0.0000). Conclusion: The higher rate of CH in Isfahan is mainly due to the transient form of the disease. Further studies for evaluating the role of other environmental, autoimmune and/or genetic factors in the pathophysiology of the disease is warranted.
Tackling Social Exclusion: The Role of Social Capital in Urban Regeneration on Merseyside — From Mistrust to Trust?

In recent years community involvement and increasingly social capital have become central themes in debates and policies surrounding urban regeneration. This paper attempts to contribute to these debates by reviewing the role of social capital in the context of a major regeneration initiative, namely the European Union-sponsored Objective One Programme, currently underway on Merseyside. The paper argues that it is important to show how social capital is formed through the 'scaling-up' of local associational relationships, networks and institutions, to wider power structures and relations. Trust amongst participants is central to this process. Two areas on Merseyside are used as case studies to illustrate the argument. The paper concludes that the active development of trust and the social relationships surrounding it needs to be central to the process of urban regeneration.
Body-Size Evolution on Islands: Are Adult Size Variations in Tiger Snakes a Nonadaptive Consequence of Selection on Birth Size?

Mean adult size has been used as the traditional measure of body size to explain trends of insular gigantism and dwarfism in a wide array of taxa. However, patterns of variation in body size at birth have received surprisingly little attention, leaving open the possibility that adult body-size differences are nonadaptive consequences of selection acting on neonate body size. Here I used an empirical and correlative approach to test this hypothesis in a mosaic of 12 island and mainland snake populations in Australia. Data collected on 597 adult and 1,084 neonate tiger snakes showed that (1) both adult and neonate mean body sizes varied strongly across populations; (2) prey diversity and size convincingly explained birth-size variations: birth size—notably, gape size—correlated with prey size; (3) neonate snout-vent length was significantly correlated with neonate gape size; and (4) neonate snout-vent length was significantly correlated with adult snout-vent length. Postnatal growth rates recorded under common-garden conditions differed across populations and were correlated with mean prey size. These data collectively suggest that (1) prey size is the main driver for the evolution of body size at birth in gape-limited predators, (2) adult size variations may reflect selective forces acting on earlier life stages, and (3) adult size variations may also reflect resource availability during ontogeny (notably, prey diversity).