Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An uniquely purified HCV NS3 protease and NS4A(21-34) peptide form a highly active serine protease complex in peptide hydrolysis.

The N-terminal domain of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) polyprotein containing the NS3 protease (residues 1027 to 1206) was expressed in Escherichia coli as a soluble protein under the control of the T7 promoter. The enzyme has been purified to homogeneity with cation exchange (SP-Sepharose HR) and heparin affinity chromatography in the absence of any detergent. The purified enzyme preparation was soluble and remained stable in solution for several weeks at 4 degrees C. The proteolytic activity of the purified enzyme was examined, also in the absence of detergents, using a peptide mimicking the NS4A/4B cleavage site of the HCV polyprotein. Hydrolysis of this substrate at the expected Cys-Ala scissile bond was catalyzed by the recombinant protease with a pseudo second-order rate constant (k(cat)/K(M)) of 205 and 196,000 M(-1) s(-1), respectively, in the absence and presence of a central hydrophobic region (sequence represented by residues 21 to 34) of the NS4A protein. The rate constant in the presence of NS4A peptide cofactor was two orders of magnitude greater than reported previously for the NS3 protease domain. A significantly higher activity of the NS3 protease-NS4A cofactor complex was also observed with a substrate mimicking the NS4B/5A site (k(cat)/K(M) of 5180 +/- 670 M(-1) s(-1)). Finally, the optimal formation of a complex between the NS3 protease domain and the cofactor NS4A was critical for the high proteolytic activity observed.
Lean Production, Six Sigma Quality, TQM and Company Culture

Purpose - The authors analyze the principles and results of lean production and compare the lean production philosophy with the six sigma quality process and the principles of total quality management (TQM). At the end of the paper, it is discussed how to build the necessary company culture for having success with these principles/management philosophies. Design/methodology/approach - Literature search and comparative analysis complemented with a Danish case on wastage in a core process. Findings - It is shown that the lean production philosophy and the six sigma steps are essentially the same and both have developed from the same root - the Japanese TQM practices. The improvement process from six sigma, the DMAIC process, can be regarded as a short version of the Quality Story, which was developed in Japan in the 1960s as a standard for QC-circle presentations. We conclude that the roadmaps of lean production and six sigma quality are examples of new alternative TQM roadmaps. We also conclude that especially with lean production and six sigma quality there seems to be too much focus on training people intools and techniques and at the same time too little focus on understanding the human factor, i.e. how to build the right company culture. Originality/value - The detailed and historical analysis of six sigma quality, lean production and TQM combined with a focus on the human factor and the needed corporate culture. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
The Bottom Line Impact of Organizational Responses to Customer Complaints

Complaint management has become increasingly important in the tourism and hospitality fields, yet little is really known about how complainers assess the organizational response, and how those assessments affect their future consumer behavior as far as word-of-mouth activity and repurchase intentions are concerned. This research suggests an answer by presenting and testing a model of complainants’ perceptions of the organizational response and the impact of the organizational response on postcomplaint customer behavior. The results provide partial support for the model. Attentiveness is the most important organizational response dimension, affecting both word-of-mouth activity and repurchase intentions. Managerial implications are discussed.
The evaluation of Business Improvement Districts: Questions and issues from the Scottish experience

Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) are an increasingly familiar component of the management of places and the delivery of some services. However, how do we know if they succeed? An extended framework for the evaluation of BIDs is developed and then used in primary research on the Pathfinder BIDs in Scotland. The proposed framework, incorporating less tangible aspects of BIDs operations, appears to capture broad dimensions of activities, outcomes, impacts and processes. The Scottish experience shows limitations in traditional evaluation of BIDs and the benefits of an extended evaluation framework.
Age-Related Variation in Male Youth Athletes' Countermovement Jump After Plyometric Training: A Meta-Analysis of Controlled Trials

Abstract Moran, J, Sandercock, GRH, Ramírez-Campillo, R, Meylan, CMP, Collison, J, and Parry, DA. Age-related variation in male youth athletes' countermovement jump after plyometric training: A meta-analysis of controlled trials. J Strength Cond Res 31(2): 552–565, 2017—Recent debate on the trainability of youths has focused on the existence of periods of accelerated adaptation to training. Accordingly, the purpose of this meta-analysis was to identify the age- and maturation-related pattern of adaptive responses to plyometric training in youth athletes. Thirty effect sizes were calculated from the data of 21 sources with studies qualifying based on the following criteria: (a) healthy male athletes who were engaged in organized sport; (b) groups of participants with a mean age between 10 and 18 years; and (c) plyometric-training intervention duration between 4 and 16 weeks. Standardized mean differences showed plyometric training to be moderately effective in increasing countermovement jump (CMJ) height (Effect size = 0.73 95% confidence interval: 0.47–0.99) across PRE-, MID-, and POST-peak height velocity groups. Adaptive responses were of greater magnitude between the mean ages of 10 and 12.99 years (PRE) (ES = 0.91 95% confidence interval: 0.47–1.36) and 16 and 18 years (POST) (ES = 1.02 [0.52–1.53]). The magnitude of adaptation to plyometric training between the mean ages of 13 and 15.99 years (MID) was lower (ES = 0.47 [0.16–0.77]), despite greater training exposure. Power performance as measured by CMJ may be mediated by biological maturation. Coaches could manipulate training volume and modality during periods of lowered response to maximize performance.
Traditional vs. Modern Food Systems? Insights from Vegetable Supply Chains to Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam)

This article describes the development of vegetable marketing in Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam), where modern distribution outlets are competing fiercely with traditional traders for wholesale and retail customers. Data from interviews with supply chain stakeholders and a survey of vegetable wholesalers have been used to compare the performance of modern and traditional chains, and the findings reveal the chains as segmented in their product focus, the modern sector focusing exclusively on quality. Modern marketing channels are generally more efficient than traditional ones but still account for only around 2% of vegetable distribution. The article argues that policy-makers should not promote the 'modernisation' of food systems at the expense of traditional channels which meet important consumer needs.
The impact of the employee-organization relationship on temporary employees' performance and attitude: testing a Singaporean sample

Following the framework proposed by Tsui et al . (1997), this research paper examines the impact of the employee-organization relationship on temporary employees' job performance, turnover intention, overall job satisfaction, affective commitment, perception of fairness and perception of work options. Data were collected from 191 temporary employees from seven employment agencies in Singapore. Analyses conducted revealed that employee responses do vary under the four types of relationship (quasi-spot contract, under-investment, mutual investment and over-investment). In general, both mutual investment and over-investment relationships were associated with higher levels of performance and more favourable attitudes than either the under-investment or quasi-spot contract. Specifically, temporary employees under the mutual investment and over-investment relationships have better job performance, a higher level of affective commitment to the agency, improved overall job satisfaction, higher perception of fairness, higher perception of work options and lower turnover intentions. Furthermore, these finding were obtained even after controlling for the effects of company tenure and job level on employee performance and attitudes. The results highlight the importance of employee-organization relationships in eliciting the desired temporary employee outcomes. Practical implications were drawn for human resource practitioners and employment agencies on how best to manage temporary employees. Some limitations and suggestions for future research were discussed.
Customer satisfaction measurement: comparing four methods of attribute categorisations

The issue of how to weight and categorise service attributes has attracted great attention from academics as well as practitioners. The application of an inappropriate method could lead to misleading interpretations and useless or costly actions. We first review several streams of literature concerning the theoretical background of attribute categorisations in relation to customer satisfaction. We then identify four methods that have been developed to categorise attributes into four classes. In the next step we apply these methods in an empirical study. Criteria for distinguishing the considered approaches conceptually and methodologically are proposed, and implications for future research are discussed.
The effects of nationality of origin on satisfaction: An application for the public service of social housing

The public administrations are implementing quality systems that require analysing citizen satisfaction. The demand for services is increasing from a growing segment of the population: immigrants. This work seeks to fulfill two objectives: determine the elements that have an impact on citizen satisfaction with a public service and analyse if there are differences in these elements depending on the nationality of the citizen demanding the service. The results show that citizen satisfaction is determined by the personnel and by the tangible elements. Moreover, the personnel element has a greater effect on satisfaction when the citizen is a foreigner.
Interprovincial Disparities in China: Output and Consumption, 1952-1987

The flood of economic information from China in recent years has permitted reassessment of the "Chinese model of development" and the extent to which China's own development experience has conformed to it. The prevailing consensus of the 1970s concerning the substance of the model itself-typically characterized in terms of the Chinese leadership's objectives and priorities and its strategy for pursuing them-has stood up quite well. The same cannot be said about past appraisals of the extent to which China's economic reality has been reshaped to accord with the model's prescriptions. One of the most widely remarked elements of the Chinese model is the high priority assigned to regional objectives and, more specifically, to "balance" in the distribution of productive capacity and equity in the distribution of income and, hence, consumption. During the Maoist era (i.e., prior to 1979), the central government pursued regional objectives through such measures as interregional transfers of investment resources (effected via the planning system), subsidization of health and education expenditures in poor regions, and attempts to maintain a safety net of state relief (effected largely via control of grain surpluses). In short, there is little doubt that prior to 1979 the Chinese leadership placed an unusually high value on the spread of modern growth and the improvements in welfare associated with it and persistently acted to limit the emergence or widening of interregional disparities. ' Although China's post-Mao leaders have shown greater concern with efficiency and with the potential trade-offs between efficiency and such goals as balance and equity, their continuation of many redistributive policies indicates that they have not abandoned regional objectives. But how successful has China been in achieving these objectives?
Dimensions of social research on nanobiotechnology

91 Podemos concebir a la nanobiotecnología como el conjunto de las tecnologías que aplican herramientas, componentes y procesos provenientes de la nanotecnología a los sistemas biológicos. Si dicha aplicación centra en el ser humano constituye entonces el ámbito de la nanomedicina. Paralelamente, también supone el empleo de los sistemas biológicos como inspiración y, en sentido literal, como moldes o elementos para el desarrollo de nuevos productos de escala nanométrica -en especial nuevos materiales y nanobiosensores-. La convergencia de las biotecnologías con las nanotecnologías representa un proceso de gran significado científico, técnico y social, dada la capacidad transformadora de lo real de esa combinación nano-bio. Son de prever numerosas repercusiones sociales y ambientales, desde pequeñas mejoras incrementales en tecnologías ya asentadas (como filtros, sensores, materiales para prótesis, medicamentos, etc.) hasta innovaciones inimaginables a día de hoy. Todo ello justifica la relevancia de una investigación social de las nanobiotecnologías, tanto desde un punto de vista teórico como práctico. En este artículo se detallan las principales dimensiones de tal investigación, con una serie de cuestiones agrupadas bajo los siguientes rótulos: análisis y gestión de riesgos; diseminación y comprensión pública; transferencia tecnológica; bioética y biopolítica; y sostenibilidad.
Physiologic and Morphologic Characteristics of Granule Cell Circuitry in Human Epileptic Hippocampus

Summary: Morphological and electrophysiological techiques were used to examine granule cells and their mossy fiber axons in nine surgically resected hippocampal specimens from temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) patients. Timm histochemistry showed mossy fiber sprouting into the inner molecular layer (IML) of the dentate in a subset of tissue samples. In slices from five tissue samples, stimulus‐induced bursting activity could be induced with a low concentration (2.5 μM) of bicuculline; bursts were sensitive to the N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate (NMDA) blocker, APV. There was a general correlation between such sprouting and experimentally induced yperexcit ability. Fourteen granule cells from five tissue samples were intracellularly stained [with lucifer yellow (LY) or neurobiotin]. Axons from a subset of these neurons showed axon collaterals reaching into the IML, but this axon projection pattern for single cells was not directly correlated with degree of mossy fiber sprouting shown grossly by Timm staining. Electron microscopic examination of intracellularly stained elements showed mossy fiber axon terminals making asymmetric synaptic contacts (including autapses on the granule cell dendrite) with dendritic shafts and spines in both apical and basal domains. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that mossy fiber sprouting provides a structural basis for recurrent excitation of granule cells, but does not provide direct support of the hypothesis that mossy fiber sprouting causes hyperexcitability. The data suggest that granule cell bursting activity is at least in part a function of compromised synaptic inhibition, since levels of γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) blockade that are generally subthreshold for burst induction were epileptogenic in some tissue samples from human epileptic hippocampus.
OSHA Sanctions and the Value of the Firm

Citations by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) against companies for violating health and safety regulations are shown in this study to induce declines in the values of the subject firms. The declines are immediate and significant responses to the announcement of the OSHA citation, following the pattern predicted for efficient markets. Because firm values fall by more than proposed fines, OSHA citations are apparently forerunners of additional and significant costs to be borne by subject firms, perhaps in the form of capital costs to remedy safety conditions or losses in related lawsuits. The authors' findings point toward OSHA citations as an important part of the business environment. Copyright 1989 by MIT Press.
Increasing the Selectivity of Pt-Gate SiC Field Effect Gas Sensors by Dynamic Temperature Modulation

Based on a diode coupled silicon carbide field effect transistor (FET) with platinum as catalytic gate material, the influence of dynamic temperature modulation on the selectivity of gas analysis sensors FETs has been investigated. This operating mode, studied intensively for semiconductor gas sensors, has only recently been applied to FETs. A suitable temperature cycle for detection of typical exhaust gases (CO, NO, C3H6 , H2, NH3) was developed and combined with appropriate signal processing. The sensor data were evaluated using multivariate statistics, e.g., linear discriminant analysis. Measurements have proven that typical exhaust gases can be discriminated in backgrounds with 0, 10, and 20% oxygen. Furthermore, we are able to quantify the mentioned gases and to determine unknown concentrations based on training data. Very low levels of relative humidity below a few percent influence the sensor response considerably but for higher levels the cross interference of humidity is negligible. In addition, experiments regarding stability and reproducibility were performed.
Melatonin at Pharmacologic Doses Increases Bone Mass by Suppressing Resorption Through Down‐Regulation of the RANKL‐Mediated Osteoclast Formation and Activation

This study evaluated if melatonin would increase bone mass in mice. Four groups of 4‐week‐old male ddy mice received daily injections of vehicle or 1, 5, or 50 mg/kg of melatonin, respectively, for 4 weeks. Treatment with 5 mg/kg per day or 50 mg/kg per day of melatonin significantly increased bone mineral density (BMD; by 36%, p < 0.005) and bone mass (bone volume per tissue volume [BV/TV] by 49%, p < 0.01, and trabecular thickness [Tb.Th] by 19%, p < 0.05). This treatment significantly reduced bone resorption parameters (i.e., osteoclast surface [Oc.S/bone surface {BS}] by 74%, p < 0.05, and osteoclast number [N.Oc/BS] by 76%, p < 0.005) but did not increase histomorphometric bone formation parameters (i.e., bone formation rate [BFR/BS], mineral apposition rate [MAR], and osteoid volume [OV/TV]), indicating that melatonin increases bone mass predominantly through suppression of bone resorption. Melatonin (1–500 μM) in vitro caused dose‐dependent reduction (p < 0.001 for each) in the number and area of resorption pits formed by osteoclasts derived from bone marrow cells but not those formed by isolated rabbit osteoclasts. Because RANKL increases, while osteoprotegerin (OPG) serves as a soluble decoy receptor for RANKL to inhibit osteoclast formation and activity, the effect of melatonin on the expression of RANKL and OPG in mouse MC3T3‐E1 osteoblastic cells was investigated. Melatonin (5–500 μM) increased in a dose‐dependent manner and reduced the mRNA level of RANKL and both mRNA and protein levels of OPG in MC3T3‐E1 cells (p < 0.001 for each). In summary, these findings indicated for the first time that melatonin at pharmacologic doses in mice causes an inhibition of bone resorption and an increase in bone mass. These skeletal effects probably were caused by the melatonin‐mediated down‐regulation of the RANKL‐mediated osteoclast formation and activation.
Fluorometric determination of the DNA concentration in municipal drinking water

DNA concentrations in municipal drinking water samples were measured by fluorometry, using Hoechst 33258 fluorochrome. The concentration, extraction, and detection methods used were adapted from existing techniques. The method is reproducible, fast, accurate, and simple. The amounts of DNA per cell for five different bacterial isolates obtained from drinking water samples were determined by measuring DNA concentration and total cell concentration (acridine orange epifluorescence direct cell counting) in stationary pure cultures. The relationship between DNA concentration and epifluorescence total direct cell concentration in 11 different drinking water samples was linear and positive; the amounts of DNA per cell in these samples did not differ significantly from the amounts in pure culture isolates. We found significant linear correlations between DNA concentration and colony-forming unit concentration, as well as between epifluorescence direct cell counts and colony-forming unit concentration. DNA concentration measurements of municipal drinking water samples appear to monitor changes in bacteriological quality at least as well as total heterotrophic plate counting and epifluorescence direct cell counting.
Importance of Physical Dispersion in Surface Wave and Free Oscillation Problems: Review (Paper 6R0680)

Physical dispersion resulting from anelasticity is investigated from the point of view of linear viscoelastic models and causality relations. It is concluded that inasmuch as Q in the earth's mantle is nearly independent of frequency, at least in the seismic frequency band, a dispersion relation in the form of C(ω) = C(ω_r)[1 + (1/πQ_m) In (ω/ω_r)] must be used for correcting the effect of physical dispersion arising from anelasticity. (Here C(ω) is the phase velocity of either body waves, surface waves, or free oscillations, ω is the angular frequency, ωr is the reference angular frequency, and Q_m is the path average Q for body waves or Q of a surface wave or a mode of angular frequency ω; for surface waves and free oscillations, C(ω_r) should be understood as the phase velocity at ω computed by using the elastic moduli at ω = ω_r. ) The values of Q outside the seismic frequency band affect mainly the absolute value of the phase velocity but do not affect significantly the relative dispersion within the seismic frequency band. Even if the microscopic mechanism of attenuation is nonlinear, this dispersion relation can be used if departure from elasticity is relatively small, so that the signal can be approximated by a superposition of propagating harmonic waves. Since surface wave and free oscillation Q is 100–500 for fundamental modes, a correction of 0.5–1.5% must be made for joint interpretation of body wave and surface wave data. This correction is nearly 1 order of magnitude larger than the uncertainties associated with these data and are therefore very significant. When this correction is made, the discrepancy between the observed surface wave phase velocities and free oscillation periods and those predicted by the Jeffreys or Gutenberg model becomes much smaller than has previously been considered.
Restructuring Charges and CEO Cash Compensation: A Reexamination

Prior research generally concludes that compensation committees completely shield executive compensation from the effect of restructuring charges on earnings. In contrast, we find that after controlling for the growth in annual inflation‐adjusted CEO cash compensation, compensation committees only partially shield CEO compensation from the adverse effect of restructuring charges on earnings, on average. In further analyses, we identify factors associated with cross‐sectional differences in the extent of shielding. Specifically, we find that compensation committees appear to: (1) completely shield initial and subsequent restructuring charges for CEOs with long tenure, provided that the firm had not recorded a charge in the two immediately prior years; (2) provide no shielding of subsequent restructuring charges taken by short‐tenured CEOs if the firm reported a prior restructuring charge within two years of the current charge; (3) and partially shield the other categories of restructuring charges. Overall,.