Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
CARBOHYDRATE‐PEPTIDE LINKAGES IN GLYCOPROTEINS AND MUCOPOLYSACCHARIDES FROM BRAIN

Abstract— Treatment of glycopeptides, prepared from glycoproteins of rat and rabbit brain, with NaOH‐NaBH4 leads to the destruction of a portion of the serine, threonine and galactosamine present, and the appearance in acid hydrolysates of alanine, α‐aminobutyric acid and galactosaminitol. These results indicate that N‐acetylgalactosamine at the reducing end of oligosaccharide chains in brain glycoproteins is linked O‐glycosidically to the hydroxyl groups of serine and threonine residues. 2‐acetamido‐1‐(L‐β‐aspartamido)‐l,2‐dideoxy‐β‐D‐glucose was also detected after partial acid hydrolysis of the alkali‐stable glycopeptides, and most of the carbohydrate in brain glycoproteins appears to be linked by N‐acetylglucosaminylasparagine linkages. The results of the treatment of the sulphated mucopolysaccharides from bovine brain with alkaline‐borohydride indicate that the polysaccharide chains in chondroitin sulphate and heparan sulphate are linked exclusively to serine.
Determination of membrane fluidity: a comparison of biophysical methods.

Membrane fluidity properties can be measured by 2H-NMR, ESR, fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP), time resolved and steady-state fluorescence anisotropy [I]. However, these methods determine different aspects of membrane organisation. For example, FRAP measures the rate (diffusion coefficient, D) and extent (percentage recovery, %R) of lateral diffusion of a probe molecule in the membrane, whereas steady state fluorescence anisotropy (r) measures the freedom of a probe molecule to rotate in the membrane. In the present study, we used both FRAP and anisotropy using diphenylhexatriene (DPH) to examine the fluidity of hepatocyte plasma membranes from rats fed different fat diets. Weanling male Wistar rats were fed for five weeks on standard rat chow (23g fat/kg diet) or one of four synthetic diets with butter fat, coconut oil, corn oil or fish oil as the main lipid source (1OOg fat/kg diet). In all diets 10% of the fat was provided as corn oil to prevent essential fatty acid deficiency. At the end of the five week period hepatocytes were isolated and plasma membrane fluidity assessed. D 19.0f2. 2 15 . 8f2 . 5 15.1f2. 0 14.1f2. 7 22.6f5. 3 %R 63.7 f 3.6' 57.6 f 3.0' 61.5 f 4.0' 47.3 f 2.C 50.0 f 5.5*
Presenteeism, Power and Organizational Change: Long Hours as a Career Barrier and the Impact on the Working Lives of Women Managers

This paper discusses the results from a survey on the gendered impact of organizational change and the implications for workloads and working hours. These results suggest that restructuring leads to increased workloads and that the pressure of long working hours is associated with male-dominated organizations. Restructuring is also associated with ‘presenteeism’ (the tendency to stay at work beyond the time needed for effective performance of the job) as fear of redundancy and uncertainty over promotion opportunities lead to a need to demonstrate visible commitment. Such presenteeism was found to be gendered: it is associated with a competitive masculine culture, it is seen by women as a form of ‘male resistance’ to their presence as managers and it imposes heavy costs on women as they attempt to meet the conflicting demands of work and home. This paper suggests that organizational restructuring can produce dysfunctional outcomes such as ‘competitive presenteeism’ (whereby managers compete over who stays longest in the office) and that such outcomes have important gender implications. It concludes that gender mix is a defining feature in how well women fit into the organization and how easily they accommodate to changes in organizational structures and managerial work.
Real-time lung ultrasound for the diagnosis of alveolar consolidation and interstitial syndrome in the emergency department

During the last few years, a growing number of studies have shown the accuracy of lung ultrasound in the diagnosis of pulmonary diseases. The latest developments in lung ultrasound are not because of technological advance, but are based on new applications and discovering the meanings of sonographic artifacts. Real-time sonography of the lung in the emergency department saves time and cost, providing immediate information to the clinician, relying on very easy-to-acquire data. The bedside sonographic recognition of pulmonary diseases practically guides management and reduces the amount of negative radiologic image testings. This review describes some innovative practical applications of B-mode lung ultrasound in the diagnosis of alveolar consolidations and interstitial syndrome in the emergency department.
The supply of equity finance in the UK: a strategy for closing the equity gap

Developments in the supply of equity capital during the 1980s have reduced the size of the equity gap in the UK. However, such developments have not adequately met the need for smaller amounts of venture capital, especially for firms seeking to raise seed and start-up capital. Moreover, recent initiatives to develop seed capital funds and regionally based venture capital funds appear unlikely to significantly close the equity gap. In this paper we argue that informal venture capital — that is, venture capital provided by private individuals directly to new and growing businesses with which they have had no prior connection — provides a promising solution to closing the equity gap. However, its potential is limited by inefficiencies in the operation of the informal venture capital market. We therefore propose a number of policy initiatives to overcome these inefficiencies.
The Effect of Shadow Economy – Country'S Tax Losses

The article analyzes the content of shadow economy through the prism of the tax administration. The author provides the limitations of the study and methodologically based relationship between the shadow economy and the tax revenue not to be received to the national consolidate budget. Country’s tax losses (tax gap) is the amount of the tax revenue that is not received to the country's consolidated budget in the tax non-payment effects: tax avoidance and tax evasion. Tax losses (tax gap) is treated as the difference between the amount of potential taxes and contributions that could be collected if the taxpayers correctly calculated and paid on time in accordance with the provisions of the legislation and actually paid taxes and contributions. Article in Lithuanian
Having, Giving, Taking: Lessons on Ownership in China's Domestic Development and Contributions of its Engagement

During recent years, the impact of China's engagement with Africa has gained increased attention. Discussions have revolved around the negative impact China potentially has on governance, human rights and debt sustainability, as well as the positive impacts of increased aid, trade and investment in Africa, especially the construction of much needed infrastructure. A number of researchers have also looked at some of the lessons of China's development that can be applied in Africa. One of the most important lessons from China for Africa is that countries should be responsible for their own development, and not rely on foreign donors. However, recipients are often restricted in their development strategies by donor requirements. The article will then analyse how China's engagement with Africa contributes to increasing the negotiating capital of countries in Africa helping them to take ownership of their own development processes. It will conclude that China's foreign aid programme is not geared specifically towards increasing recipient ownership, although there are a number of direct and indirect contributions. In addition, its international relations principles prevent more direct involvement in improving recipient ownership. For China to make a greater contribution to recipient ownership, a number of principles need to be revised.
Will the Euro Eventually Surpass the Dollar as Leading International Reserve Currency?

Might the dollar eventually follow the precedent of the pound and cede its status as leading international reserve currency? Unlike the last time this question was prominently discussed, ten years ago, there now exists a credible competitor: the euro. This paper econometrically estimates determinants of the shares of major currencies in the reserve holdings of the world’s central banks. Significant factors include: size of the home country, inflation rate (or lagged depreciation trend), exchange rate variability, and size of the relevant home financial center (as measured by the turnover in its foreign exchange market). We have not found that net international debt position is an important determinant. Network externality theories would predict a tipping phenomenon. Indeed we find that the relationship between currency shares and their determinants is nonlinear (which we try to capture with a logistic function, or else with a dummy “leader” variable for the largest country). But changes are felt only with a long lag (we estimate a weight on the preceding year’s currency share around 0.9). The advent of the euro interrupts the continuity of the historical data set. So we estimate parameters on pre-1999 data, and then use them to forecast the EMU era. The equation correctly predicts a (small) narrowing in the gap between the dollar and euro over the period 1999-2004. Whether the euro might in the future rival or surpass the dollar as the world’s leading international reserve currency appears to depend on two things: (1) do enough other EU members join euroland so that it becomes larger than the US economy, and (2) does US macroeconomic policy eventually undermine confidence in the value of the dollar, in the form of inflation and depreciation. What we learn about functional form and parameter values helps us forecast, contingent on these two developments, how quickly the euro might rise to challenge the dollar. Under two important scenarios – the remaining EU members, including the UK, join EMU by 2020 or else the recent depreciation trend of the dollar persists into the future – the euro may surpass the dollar as leading international reserve currency by 2022.
The harmonisation of the suggestion scheme in an international industrial enterprise

The objective of this study was to create a harmonised operating model for the suggestion scheme of an international industrial enterprise. A constructive research approach was used in this research. The cornerstones of a successful suggestion scheme are the swift and equal evaluation of the suggestions, encouraging rewards, recognition, and feedback. A supportive organisational culture will make it easier for the suggestion scheme to succeed. The support of the management is crucial for the activities. The management must allocate resources to such activities as, for example, the training of personnel, the maintenance and promotion of the suggestion scheme's transparency, and the implementation of suggestions. It is even imperative that the management require results from the suggestion scheme, so that the activities can be continuously improved upon.
A web‐based software educational tool for electronic instrumentation teaching

This article presents a new software tool for electronic instrumentation teaching. The software is concerned with the main concepts underlying instrumentation systems. It is based on Java applets and organized as a tutorial. It acts as a visual tool for interactive simulations. The tool covers, in a practical manner, all the stages of a basic electronic instrumentation system, the sensor, the signal conditioning, and the analog to digital conversion. It must be meant as a complement to classical teaching methodologies based on lectures, not as a substitute of such pedagogical strategies. The software helps students in learning principles of measurement systems, to improve the teaching–learning process in the discipline. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 21:E62–E72, 2013
The Effect of High Thoracic Epidural Anesthesia on Systolic and Diastolic Left Ventricular Function in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease

In patients with coronary artery disease, vasoconstriction is induced through activation of the sympathetic nervous system. Both α1- and α2-adrenergic epicardial and microvascular constriction are potent initiators of myocardial ischemia. Attenuation of ischemia has been observed when sympathetic nervous system activity is inhibited by high thoracic epidural anesthesia (HTEA). However, it is still a matter of controversy whether establishing HTEA may correspondingly translate into an improvement of left ventricular (LV) function. To clarify this issue, LV function was quantified serially before and after HTEA using a new combined systolic/diastolic variable of global LV function (myocardial performance index [MPI]) and additional variables that more specifically address systolic (e.g., fractional area change) or diastolic function (e.g., intraventricular flow propagation velocity [Vp]). High thoracic epidural catheters were inserted in 37 patients scheduled for coronary artery surgery, and HTEA was administered in the awake patients. Echocardiographic and hemodynamic measures were recorded before and after institution of HTEA. HTEA induced a significant improvement in diastolic LV function (e.g., Vp changed from 45.1 ± 16.1 to 53.8 ± 18.8 cm/s; P < 0.001), whereas indices of systolic function did not change. The change in the diastolic characteristics caused the MPI to improve from 0.51 ± 0.13 to 0.35 ± 0.13 (P < 0.001). We conclude that an improvement in cardiac function was due to improved diastolic characteristics.
A Pierce oscillator for MEMS resonant accelerometer with a novel low-power amplitude limiting technique

A low-power very compact Pierce oscillator for resonant accelerometers is presented in this paper. The resonator of a surface micro-machined uniaxial resonant accelerometer is embedded in the oscillating loop as a frequency selective filter. External accelerations cause a shift of the resonator resonance frequency resulting in the frequency modulation of the oscillator output signal. The proposed circuit exploits two sub-threshold operated FETs as the amplitude limiting control (ALC) network, capable of driving the resonator in its linear region of operation. The low power dissipation and the very compact 5 transistor (5T) architecture are the clear advantages of this oscillator. Experimental results demonstrate that the oscillation amplitude can be effectively limited to a desired value and that consumer grade performance can be achieved: an acceleration noise density of 360μg/VHz for a power dissipation of 21. 6μW is demonstrated.
Bargaining, Bonding, and Partial Ownership

This article provides a theory of interfirm partial ownership. We consider a setting in which an upstream firm can make two alternative types of investment: either specific investment that only a particular downstream firm can use or general investment that any downstream firm is capable of using. When the benefits from specific and general investments are both stochastic, equity participation by the downstream firm in the upstream firm can lead to more efficient outcomes than take-or-pay contracts. The optimal ownership stake of the downstream firm is less than 50 percent under a natural assumption about relative bargaining power.
Towards a User-centered Ubiquitous Customer Feedback Elicitation Framework

This paper suggests a customer-driven approach for regular elicitation of customer feedback for vendors. Ubiquity and user-centeredness are assumed as central enablers of customer-driven feedback elicitation embedded in customer’s common consumption and/or purchase environment (e.g. point of sale). Following the design science methodology, a user-centered ubiquitous customer feedback elicitation framework is developed as an artifact that can support vendors in developing corresponding systems. The framework is evaluated by producing a concrete system instantiation realized with low-fidelty prototyping and wizard-of-oz techniques. Evaluation results indicate the suitability of the proposed approach: the framework was applicable for the development of a ubiquitous customer feedback elicitation system and the resulting low-fidelity prototype was rated as suitable for ubiquitous and user-centred feedback elicitation.
Trends and Issues in the Implementation of Local ‘Voluntary Sector Compacts’ in England

This article evaluates the current attempt to develop local ‘compacts’ between local government and the voluntary and community sector, as a way of structuring the evolving relationships between these sectors. It is based on documentary analysis and semi-structured interviews with key national and local informants. The first part of the article charts local government-voluntary sector relationships in England from 1979 to 2000. The second part introduces the concept of the ‘voluntary sector compact’, and argues that this is central to the Government’s approach to these relationships. The third part explores the implementation of the Voluntary Sector Compact in England at both the national and local level. Finally, the authors draw out key lessons for the future of relationships between local government and the voluntary sector in England.
Interest Groups in the Israeli High Court of Justice: Measuring Success in Litigation and in Out-of-Court Settlements*

YOAV DOTAN and MENACHEM HOFNUNGThe question of whether and to what extent interest groups are more successfulthan other parties in litigation is the subject of many debates among socialscientists. Previous works in the field concentrated on checking outcomes of casesthat were disposed of by courts in officially published final decisions. We soughtto analyze not only final court decisions but also the outcomes of out-of-courtsettlements. Drawing from Marc Galanter’s hypothesis that groups, especiallythose who are ‘‘repeat players,’’ are likely to use out-of-court settlements moreoften and more efficiently than other litigants (Galanter 1974), we measuredactual case outcomes of petitions brought before the Israeli High Court of Justice.We found that groups in general, and ‘‘repeat player’’ groups in particular,achieved a success rate significantly higher than other litigants. We also foundthat the relative advantage of groups in litigation is the result of their ability toreach out-of-court settlements with government agencies.
Is There Really a Link Between Neo-Corporatism and Environmental Performance? Updated Evidence and New Data for the 1980s and 1990s

In a previous article in this Journal entitled ‘Institutions and Environmental Performance in Seventeen Western Democracies’ (29 (1999), 1–31), I argued that neo-corporatist institutions delivered superior environmental performance during the first two decades of the modern environmental era (1970–90). For other work on the same or similar themes, see Detlef Jahn, ‘Environmental Performance and Policy Regimes: Explaining Variation in 18 OECD Countries’, Policy Sciences, 31 (1998), 107–31; Martin Jänicke and Helmut Weidner, eds, National Environmental Policies: A Comparative Study of Capacity-Building (Berlin: Springer Verlag, 1997); Markus Crepaz, ‘Explaining National Variations of Air Pollution Levels: Political Institutions and Their Impact on Environmental Policy-Making’, Environmental Politics, 4 (1995), 391–414; Martin Janicke, H. Monch and M. Binder, ‘Ecological Aspects of Structural Change’, Intereconomics, July/August (1993), 159–69; Martin Jänicke, ‘Conditions for Environmental Policy Success’, in M. Jachtenfuchs and M. Strübel, eds, Environmental Policy in Europe (Baden-Baden: Nomos, 1992), 71–97; and Martin Jänicke et al., ‘Structural Change and Environmental Impact’, Intereconomics, January/February (1989), 24–35. This note re-examines the thesis using slightly different data from a more recent time period (19807ndash;95). It also controls for some alternative explanations for environmental performance not included in the original article. The results suggest that the beneficial effects of neo-corporatism for environmental performance are robust. In confirming the results from the earlier analysis, this Note demonstrates the effects of neo-corporatism in unexpected policy areas. The positive results for environmental protection suggest that there may be benefits of neo-corporatist institutions in areas beyond those with which they are traditionally associated.
Functional electrical exercise: a comprehensive approach for physical conditioning of the spinal cord injured patient.

The purpose of the present study was to define a comprehensive approach to the rehabilitation of the paralyzed individual. Consequently, we have examined the cardiopulmonary effects of active physical therapy (APT) (as measured by blood pressure [BP], heart rate [HR], equivalent ventilatory rate [ VE], oxygen consumption rate [VO2], blood lactate [LA], and selected blood gases [pO2, pCO2 and pH]), and the skeletal effects of APT (bone density changes). The equipment utilized in this study were an isokinetic leg trainer, an exercise bicycle ergometer, and a single axis vibration platform. The procedures involved standard exercise protocols followed by the eight SCI subjects (four paraplegics and four quadriplegics) utilizing the above equipment, an evaluation of the cardiopulmonary response to the leg trainer and bicycle ergometer, and a computed tomography study of bone density changes in response to lower leg vibration. The following conclusions were reached: 1) APT results in an increase in cardiovascular stability; over a four-week period mean resting BP increased by an average 29 mmHg in four quadriplegic subjects, while mean exercising BP was reduced by an average 10 mmHg. 2) BP and HR responses to exercise are variable as a function of the level of the injury and type of location of exercise. 3) VO2 correctly showed level of the exercise and LA showed the stress; however, ventilation was variable with hyperventilation in some subjects. 4) Arterial pO2, pCO2, pH are variable during exercise; with complete quadriplegics typical pO2 at rest was 82 mmHg, showing venous admixture as with Pickwickian syndrome with CO2 retention and low arterial pO2 during exercise. 5) APT results in an increase in bone mineral density through impact loading of the paralyzed extremity.
Did You Really Agree to That? The Evolution of Facebook’s Privacy Policy

While the profusion of social media platforms creates positive opportunities for individuals to connect with others, the requisite openness of such online public spaces requires users to share more information in a context that is more open, recorded, and tracked than ever before. Users rely on stated privacy policies to understand their risks and to make decisions A B