Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Genistein inhibits Na+/Ca2+ exchange activity in primary rat cortical neuron culture.

We have examined the possible regulatory effect of tyrosine kinase activity on Ca2+ transport observed in the cultured rat cortical neurons. Na+/Ca2+ exchange was studied using cells cultured for various time periods. A nearly two fold increase in Ca2+ uptake was seen when comparing 3 day and 9 day cultures. Western blot analysis also showed a two fold increase in Na+/Ca2+ exchanger (NCX1) protein levels as cells matured in culture. To study the effect of genistein (a specific tyrosine kinase inhibitor) cells were incubated with 100 microM genistein (in 1% DMSO) for 1 hour before the assay of Na+/Ca2+ exchange activity. There was a significant decrease of Ca2+ uptake in genistein treated neurons (control: 4.596+/-0.205 nmol/mg protein/15 min, n=12; genistein: 1.420+/-0.131 nmol/mg protein/15 min, n=12, mean+/-S.E. P<0.001). Daidzein, an inactive analog of genistein and phorbol myristate acetate (PMA), a PKC activator were without effect. The results suggest that as cells mature in culture, Na+/Ca2+ exchange capacity increases, as a result of greater protein expression. Exposure to genistein inhibited Ca2+ uptake suggesting that the exchanger may be modulated by tyrosine phosphorylation.
Stakeholder Perceptions of Culture and Management Practices in Family and Family Firms - A Preliminary Report

The research reported here represents part of an on-going project. Family businesses participating in the Partnership with Family Business at the Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University, completed questionnaires that explored family and business culture and practices. The completed questionnaires show that CEOs generally perceived the practices, cultures, and succession processes more favorably than both other family members and non-family managers. The questionnaires indicate important relationships between family and family-firm cultures, suggesting the importance of intervention approaches that address the whole system of family and business. Non-family managers' perceptions of family firms differ, posing challenges to the full1 utilization of their capabilities. Age is significant in explaining some of the differences in perceptions within and between family and non-family respondents. Finally, responses indicate that planning practices, communication processes, and the use of boards are influenced by family ownership and are positively related to some features of firm andqor family.
Molecular and Functional Characterization of a Unique Rab Protein, RABRP1, Containing the WDIAGQE Sequence in a GTPase Motif

Abstract Rab proteins of the small G-protein superfamily are known to be involved in intracellular vesicle transport. Here, we describe the unique characteristics of a novel Rab protein, RABRP1 (Rab-Related Protein 1). The Drosophila RabRP1 gene is mainly transcribed in the eyes and testes, where the 3-kb and 1.5-kb mRNAs, respectively, are the predominant gene products. The amino-acid sequence deduced from the longer cDNA indicated that the C-terminal 1/3 of the sequence shares homology with Rab proteins, whereas the rest of the peptide shows no significant homology with any other proteins. Immunoblot analysis using antiserum against the Rab-domain indicated that the multiple translates (94 k, 53 k, 30 k, 29 k and 27 k) were expressed in the eyes. In contrast, only smaller peptides (30 k, 29 k and 27 k) were identified in the testes. Molecular phylogenetic analysis revealed that RABRP1 forms a subgroup with Dictiostelium RabE and mammalian Rab29, Rab32, Rab38 proteins, whose functions have not been identified yet. RABRP1 and its relatives were characterized by the amino acid substitution occurring in the conserved GTP-binding motifs. Immunohistochemical studies demonstrated that RABRP1 was localized on the subrhabdomeric cisternae of photoreceptor cells and on the pigment granules in photoreceptor and pigment cells in the retina. The expression of the dominant negative RABRP1 caused the abnormal accumulation of autophagosome-like vesicles. These data suggest that RABRP1 is involved in the lysosomal vesicle transport pathway, including the biogenesis or degradation of pigment granules.
Older, single female holidaymakers in the United Kingdom — Who needs them?

The research analyses the growth in single households in the UK over the last 20 years. Within this market segment, the holiday needs and motivations of a particular group — single, middle-aged women, are evaluated. The methodology utilises the experiences of a mystery shopper, interviews with holiday providers and a focus group representing experienced middle-aged female holidaymakers. The conclusions suggest that this market segment is increasing and that the individuals within it perceived that the products and services currently offered by the tourist industry are insensitive to their specific requirements. Recommendations are offered as to how the tourist industry could better subserve these particular customers in the future.
Muscarinic Excitation in Grasshopper Song Control Circuits Is Limited by Acetylcholinesterase Activity

Abstract The species- and situation-specific sound production of grasshoppers can be stimulated by focal application of both nicotinic and muscarinic receptor agonists into the central body complex of the protocerebrum. Pressure injection of the intrinsic transmitter acetylcholine only elicits fast and short-lived responses related to nicotinic receptor-mediated excitation. Prolonged sound production that includes complex song patterns requires muscarinic receptor-mediated excitation. In addition, basal muscarinic excitation in the central body neuropil seems to determine the general motivation of a grasshopper to stridulate. To demonstrate that endogenous acetylcholinesterase limits the activation of muscarinic receptors by synaptically released acetylcholine in the central body of Chorthippus biguttulus, we investigated both its presence in the brain and effects on sound production resulting from inhibition of esterase activity. Acetylcholinesterase activity was detected in the upper and lower division of the central body. Both these neuropils known to be involved in the cephalic control of stridulation were also shown to contain muscarinic acetylcholine receptors expressed by columnar neurons suggested to serve as output neurons of the central complex. Pressure injection of the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor eserine into protocerebral control circuits of restrained male grasshoppers stimulated long-lasting stridulation that depended on scopolamine-sensitive muscarinic receptors. In restrained males, eserine released the typical response song by potentiating the stimulatory effect of the conspecific female song. Eserine-mediated inhibition of acetylcholinesterase in the central body prolongs the presence of synaptically released acetylcholine at its postsynaptic receptors and increases its potency to activate muscarinic receptor-initiated signaling pathways acting to promote grasshopper sound production.
The Joint Choice of Retirement Age and Postretirement Hours of Work

In this paper we develop and estimate the first complete and internally consistent model of the effect of Social Security on the labor supply of the aged. We develop a simple life-cycle model that captures the effect of Social Security on the joint choice of the date of retirement and hours of work immediately after retirement. We show that in the presence of Social Security the budget constraint relating these choices is highly complex and nonlinear, and we develop a maximum likelihood procedure for the model that yields consistent parameter estimates. Our procedure avoids the selectivity biases present in prior studies that have ignored the nonlinearity of the constraint or have examined only self-selected subsamples that exclude nonretirees. Our results show that Social Security has a significant, though relatively small, effect on the age of retirement and postretirement hours of work, and that the effect of Social Security grows with advancing age.
Structural Stability and Flexibility Direct the Selection of Activating Mutations in Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Kinase

Herein we investigate the potential of novel methods of molecular dynamics analysis to provide information on the key factors that underlie the preferential localization and the effects of mutations modulating protein activities. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) kinases are selected as a test case. The combined analysis of protein energetics and internal dynamics indicates a clear polarization in the native protein, whereby a highly stable and ordered scaffold in one domain, namely the C-lobe, is combined to a flexible and loosely stabilized domain, the N-lobe. The subdivision in two portions with different properties directs the presence of point mutations mainly to the N-lobe. This allows modulating protein flexibility so that the protein can more efficiently sample the conformations necessary for substrate recognition, while leaving the stability of the protein unperturbed. In this context, comparative simulations of EGFR in the wild type sequence and in the presence of the activating oncogenic mutation G719S reveal flexibility changes in several key regions, involving in particular the part of the kinase devoted to the regulation of substrate recognition (regulatory core) and an increase in the number of stabilizing interactions in the N-lobe for the activated mutant. Our approaches represent a promising and simple strategy toward rationalizing the effects of mutations in modulating enzymatic activities.
Voltage Compensation in Weak Grids Using Distributed Generation with Voltage Source Converter as a Front End

In this paper, a three-phase voltage source converter (VSC) is implemented as a front end of a distributed generation (DG) unit. A voltage regulation feature has been added to the VSC controller in order to maintain the voltage at the load connection bus equal to the nominal voltage even in case of balanced or unbalanced voltage dips. In addition, the voltage regulation limits are calculated depending on the rating of the DG
Response to George C. Galster’s “Consequences From the Redistribution of Urban Poverty During the 1990s: A Cautionary Tale”

Galster proposes that the reductions in the concentration of poverty in the United States in the 1990s may have unexpected negative consequences because of nonlinearities in the effect of neighborhood poverty on individual outcomes. Although the hypothesized effect is a theoretical possibility, there is far too much uncertainty in the functional form of neighborhood effects to have any confidence in Galster’s simulations based on coefficients from existing studies. Moreover, the hypothesized effects would apply to children and materialize over time, assuming that all else was equal. Yet, declining neighborhood poverty benefits both adults and children in myriad ways, so that the small hypothesized negative effects on the rates of various social problems, if they in fact exist, are likely to be swamped by the positive direct effects on children and their parents.
Unlocking the rural tourism potential of the Limpopo province of South Africa: Some strategic guidelines

Inadequate economic restructuring and a decline in agricultural production in South Africa have reduced the economic opportunities of rural communities. They have limited the economic development options of rural areas, rendering older development strategies less viable and forcing many to look for alternative methods to help them survive and prosper. Rural tourism and its associated businesses have emerged among the most popular non-traditional options for rural development, because of their ability to generate income and jobs. This study examines national and international strategies for developing tourism, and investigates the opinions of participants in the tourism industry of the Limpopo province, with a view to identifying the key strategic issues that can ensure the success of rural tourism. The research consisted of a literature study, field surveys, and interviews with policy-makers and administrators, tourism operators, academics and tourists. The results identify rural tourism as a viable development tool for Limpopo province. Six strategic issues were identified as fundamental for its success. It is believed that these guidelines could also be applied to other rural provinces, thus creating a generic strategy for developing rural tourism.
Sustainable development in the Czech Republic: A doomed process?

Somewhat paradoxically, after the important role that the green issue played in bringing down the old regime, the environment has now slipped off the political agenda in the Czech Republic. Moderate improvement of some environmental indicators has occurred mainly due to the slow‐down in economic activity after 1989. The goals of the government's environmental policy are defined strictly in technical and market terminology. Preference is given to costly solutions addressing legacies of the past whilst little is being done to prevent new problems arising since the ‘velvet revolution’. The government's effort to harmonise environmental legislation and standards with the European Union is motivated predominantly by the need to demonstrate a readiness to join Western organisations. Meanwhile, citizens have severely limited opportunities to participate in environmental decision‐making and environmental groups are weak and almost totally dependent on Western assistance.
Protecting the rights of pediatric research subjects in the International Conference on Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use.

This Comment argues that the parties to the International Conference on Harmonization of Technical Requirements for Regulation of Pharmaceutical Drugs (ITCH) should adopt more specific guidelines for pediatric research than those included in its Good Clinical Practice Guidelines (ICH GCP), and analyzes their attempt to do so in the Draft Guideline on Pediatric Trials. Part I of this Comment outlines the genesis of the current international guidelines for human research and how they relate to pediatric subjects. Part I also explains the human research guidelines of the three principal members of the ICH. Part II describes the function of the ICH and the provisions of the ICH GCP. Part II also discusses how the ICH GCP addresses pediatric medical research issues, and the provisions of the new Draft Guideline on Pediatric Trials. Part III argues that the Draft Guideline on Pediatric Trials represents a significant improvement in pediatric research guidelines, and should be accepted by the parties to the ICH with some modifications regarding the subject’s consent and the role and composition of international review boards. PROTECTING THE RIGHTS OF PEDIATRIC RESEARCH SUBJECTS IN THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON HARMONISATION OF TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS FOR REGISTRATION OF PHARMACEUTICALS FOR HUMAN USE
Inflation and Uncertainty: Tests for Temporal Ordering

For the postwar United States, increases in the rate of inflation tend to precede increases in the level of inflation uncertainty. The finding suggests that higher inflation uncertainty is part of the welfare cost of inflation. Possible explanations are (1) a high rate of inflation increases uncertainty about future monetary policy and (2) there is uncertainty about the persistence of inflation. Copyright 1995 by Ohio State University Press.
Seclusion and restraint for people with serious mental illnesses.

BACKGROUND Seclusion and restraint are interventions used in the treatment and management of disruptive and violent behaviours in psychiatry. The use of seclusion varies widely across institutions. The literature does offer numerous suggestions for interventions to reduce or prevent aggression. OBJECTIVES 1. To estimate the effects of seclusion and restraint compared to the alternatives for those with serious mental illnesses. 2. To estimate the effects of strategies to prevent seclusion and restraint in those with serious mental illnesses. SEARCH STRATEGY Electronic searches of The Cochrane Controlled Trials Register (Issue 1, 1999) and The Cochrane Schizophrenia Group's Register (January 1999) were supplemented with additional searches of Biological Abstracts (1989-1999), CINAHL (1982-1999), EMbase (1980-1999), MEDLINE (1966-1999), MEDIC (1979-1999), PsycLIT (1974-1999), Sociofile (1974-1999), SPRI & SWEMED (1982-1999), Social Sciences Citation Index (1996-1999), and WILP (1983-1999). In addition, trials were sought by hand searching the reference lists of all identified studies and conference abstracts and contacting the first author of each relevant study. SELECTION CRITERIA Randomised controlled trials were included if they focused on the use (i) of restraint or seclusion; or (ii) of strategies designed to reduce the need for restraint or seclusion in the treatment of serious mental illness. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Studies were reliably selected, quality rated and data extracted. For dichotomous data relative risks (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated. Normal continuous data were summated using the weighted mean difference (WMD). MAIN RESULTS 1. Effect of seclusion and restraint The search strategy yielded 2155 citations. Of these, the full articles for 35 studies were obtained. No studies met minimum inclusion criteria and no data were synthesised. Most of the 24 excluded studies focused upon the restraint of elderly, confused people and preventing them from wandering or falling. 2. Prevention of seclusion and restraint Work ongoing. REVIEWER'S CONCLUSIONS No controlled studies exist that evaluate the value of seclusion or restraint in those with serious mental illness. There are reports of serious adverse effects for these techniques in qualitative reviews. Alternative ways of dealing with unwanted or harmful behaviours need to be developed. Continuing use of seclusion or restraint must therefore be questioned from within well-designed and reported randomised trials that are generalisable to routine practice.
Immunotherapeutic elimination of syngeneic tumors in vivo by cytotoxic T lymphocytes generated in vitro from lymphocytes from the draining lymph nodes of tumor‐bearing mice

The draining lymph nodes (LN) of mice injected with viable syngeneic tumor cells contain populations of lymphoid cells which are capable of generating functional cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) during an in vitro culture period without the need of secondary stimulation with irradiated tumor cells or addition of exogenous cytokines. Intravenous injection of as few as 2.5 × 106 tumor‐reactive effector cells generated using this protocol effectively eliminated challenges of tumor cells at distal skin sites, whereas injection of cultured control lymphoid cells was ineffective at rejecting tumor challenges. The anti‐tumor CTL generated from the draining LN of C57BL10 mice immunized with viable syngeneic tumor cells were found to be specific for the tumor used for immunization both in vitro and in vivo. Phenotypic analysis of the cells responsible for tumor elimination (both in vitro and in vivo) demonstrated the anti‐tumor effector cells to be CD4−CD8+ asialo GM 1+ NK1.1−. Finally, anti‐tumor CTL generated during the short in vitro culture period were able to effectively reject pre‐existing tumors in vivo in a systemic fashion. These data indicate that the generation of tumor‐reactive CTL from the lymphoid cells contained in the LN draining the site of a tumor may provide a valuable source of effector cells which can be used in the immunotherapeutic treatment of cancer.
Pythagorean Membership Grades, Complex Numbers, and Decision Making

We describe the idea of Pythagorean membership grades and the related idea of Pythagorean fuzzy subsets. We focus on the negation and its relationship to the Pythagorean theorem. We look at the basic set operations for the case of Pythagorean fuzzy subsets. A relationship is shown between Pythagorean membership grades and complex numbers. We specifically show that Pythagorean membership grades are a subclass of complex numbers called Π‐i numbers. We investigate operations that are closed under Π‐i numbers. We consider the problem of multicriteria decision making with satisfactions expressed as Pythagorean membership grades, Π‐i numbers. We look at the use of the geometric mean and ordered weighted geometric operator for aggregating criteria satisfaction.
Probe sharing: A simple technique to improve on sparrow

As big data analytics frameworks are developing towards larger degrees of parallelism and shorter task durations to provide lower latency, millions of scheduling decisions per second pose a great challenge to centralized schedulers. Therefore, increasing efforts are devoted to the study of distributed scheduling approaches to avoid the throughput limitation of centralized designs. Among these approaches, Sparrow is a leading design. However, due to Sparrow's sample-based techniques, some tasks in subsequent jobs may be scheduled earlier than those in the head-of-line job, which results in scheduling disorder and inevitably causes poor response times and unfairness. To address these problems, this paper proposes a simple algorithm called probe sharing: jobs that arrive at the same Sparrow scheduler can share their probes to ensure that all tasks in the head-of-line job can be scheduled earlier than subsequent jobs. We have performed theoretical analysis and proved that probe sharing makes a good improvement on Sparrow. We have implemented probe sharing in Sparrow and shown that probe sharing reduces scheduling delays by 2.2× and provides 100% fairness. Trace-driven simulations have been also used to evaluate probe sharing when scaling to large clusters. In addition, the simplicity of probe sharing makes it applicable to many schedulers that use Sparrow's techniques (e.g., Hopper, Tarcil and Eagle).
The Role of Middle Power-NGO Coalitions in Global Policy: The Case of the Cluster Munitions Ban

wealthy states - middle powers - and global civil society networks are increasingly joining forces to influence the global policy agenda on issues of international law, justice, humanitarianism and development. These middle power-NGO coalitions use the comparative advantages of both state and nonstate actors in synergistic partnerships. States represent the coalitions' interests in international negotiations and conferences, provide donor funding and offer diplomatic support. For their part, NGOs gather on-the-ground research, provide technical expertise, lobby governments, mobilise public opinion and generate media publicity. This article uses the case of the campaign to ban cluster munitions, culminating in the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions, to examine the organisation, efforts and impact of such middle power-NGO coalitions.
Contesting the zoo as a setting for ecotourism, and the design of a first principle

This article uses animal ethics theory to address the issue of whether zoos are a morally acceptable form of ecotourism. Arguments in favour of the zoo as ecotourism have justified this stance according to education and conservation factors. However, a survey of literature on zoos points to the fact that they are not as effective in the area of conservation as they contend, nor do they educate visitors at a level that would be deemed meaningful and long-lasting. In the absence of success in these areas, it is argued that zoos should not be viewed as a morally acceptable setting for ecotourism; a contention supported through the use of animal ethics theory – in particular utilitarianism, animal welfare and animal rights. The article concludes by offering a first principle for ecotourism that may be useful in determining what constitutes the acceptable use of animals for ecotourism, and what does not.