Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Adsorbed salivary proline-rich protein 1 and statherin: receptors for type 1 fimbriae of Actinomyces viscosus T14V-J1 on apatitic surfaces

Use of specific fimbria-defective mutants derived from Actinomyces viscosus T14 has shown that salivary acidic proline-rich protein 1 and statherin serve as receptors for type 1 fimbriae which mediate attachment of the organism to experimental pellicles on apatitic surfaces.
The Interplay of Genetics and Environmental Factors in the Development of Obesity

Obesity is a major health issue in the developed nations, and it has been increasingly clear that both genetics and environment play an important role in determining if an individual will be obese or not. We reviewed the latest researches which were carried out to identify the obesity susceptible genes and to identify the metabolic pathways having a central role in energy balance. Obesity is a heritable disorder, and some of the many obesity susceptible genes are fat mass and obesity (FTO), leptin, and Melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R). Glucose metabolism is the central pathway for fatty acid synthesis, de novo generating the major substrate acetyl-CoA. Further knowledge of these genes and their complex interaction with the environment will help devise individual, family and community-based preventive lifestyle interventions as well as nutritional and medical therapies.
A review of the environmental implications of B2C e-commerce: a logistics perspective

Purpose – Given the importance of logistics operations in business-to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce and growing interest in the related environmental effects, the purpose of this paper is to offer an up-to-date literature review on the topic of B2C e-commerce environmental sustainability, specifically from a logistics perspective. Design/methodology/approach – The analysis focussed on a set of 56 papers published from 2001 to 2014 in 38 peer-reviewed international journals. The papers were analyzed and categorized according to the main features of the paper, the research method(s) adopted and the themes tackled. Findings – There is a growing interest in sustainability issues. In the last 14 years, the focus has progressively shifted from the mere identification of the wide-ranging environmental effects of e-commerce to the need for a quantitative evaluation of their impact, although much remains to be done in this regard. Some industries, such as books and grocery, have largely been addressed, however, promising sectors in the e-commerce field, such as clothing and consumer electronics, have only been considered to a certain degree. Moreover, despite the emerging role of multichannel strategies, the environmental implications of the related logistics activities have not yet been studied in detail. Originality/value – B2C e-commerce has grown in popularity, and its environmental implications are currently of key interest. This paper contributes to the understanding of the existing body of knowledge on this topic, presenting an up-to-date classification of articles and highlighting themes for further research activities. From a managerial perspective, this paper helps supply chain managers develop a clear understanding of both the logistics areas with the most impact on environmental sustainability and the KPIs used to quantify the environmental implications of e-commerce logistics operations comprehensively and effectively.
Modeling Credit Card Share of Wallet: Solving the Incomplete Information Problem

Despite the powerful technologies that have enabled the assembly of transactional databases and the processing of information about individual customers and their buying patterns, database marketers have been limited by what is known as the “incomplete information problem”—that is, marketers have incomplete information about a customer's behavior in the product category of interest. A company's transactional database can only be built from customers' transactions with that company. Any transactions that have been made with other companies are missing. The authors present a modeling approach designed to solve the incomplete information problem. They use transactions conducted with a single supplier in that category to infer consumers' behavior with other suppliers in that category. In particular, armed with prior knowledge of the parametric form of consumer interpurchase time distributions, they uncover elements of the stochastic process that dictates which supplier a consumer chooses on a particular purchase occasion. The authors focus on interpurchase times because they form the core of the incomplete information problem. If a company uses its observed interpurchase times to estimate interpurchase times in the category for a specific consumer, its estimate will be biased upward. Combined with the model developed in this study, a familiar analysis of transaction profitability can be used to build a new type of lifetime value: lifetime category value of the customer.
Implementing an Adaptation Layer for Multimedia Servers using Aspect-Oriented Programming

This work proposes an architecture for an adaptation layer working in multimedia servers. The architecture is designed using aspect-oriented programming techniques. We have implemented and validated the architecture of the proposed adaptation layer through the instantiation of a RTSP server application based on Java Stream Assembly API. The AspectJ approach was used to implement the adaptability requirements from the RTSP server. Two mechanisms of monitoring and adaptation were developed. Preliminary experimental results show that the solution can improve the quality of service of Internet real-time media transmission. The use of aspect-oriented techniques in the implementation of the adaptation layer also brought benefits to the understanding and maintenance of the adaptation functionalities as well as the base server application requirements.Este trabalho propõe uma arquitetura para uma camada de adaptação de servidores de aplicações multimídia. A arquitetura é projetada usando técnicas de orientação a aspectos. Nós implementamos e validamos a arquitetura da camada de adaptação proposta, através de sua instanciação para uma aplicação servidora RTSP implementada em Java. A abordagem AspectJ é usada para implementar os requisitos de adaptação presentes na camada proposta. Dois mecanismos de monitoração e de adaptação são desenvolvidos e os resultados experimentais são também apresentados. A implementação da arquitetura da camada de adaptação usando aspectos traz facilidades para o entendimento e manutenção dos requisitos da aplicação servidora assim como dos requisitos de adaptação.
Common Anatomical and External Coding for Hands and Feet in Tactile Attention: Evidence from Event-related Potentials

Recent studies have suggested that the location of tactile stimuli is automatically recoded from anatomical into external coordinates, independent of the task requirements. However, research has mainly involved the two hands, which may not be representative for the whole body because they are excessively used for the visually guided manipulation of objects and tools. We recorded event-related potentials (ERPs) while participants received tactile stimuli to the hands and feet, but attended only one limb. The hands were placed near the feet either in an uncrossed or a crossed posture, thus varying the spatial distance of each hand from each foot. Centro-parietal ERPs 100–140 msec poststimulus were more positive when stimulating the anatomically same-side hand while attending a foot. They were also more positive when the Euclidean distance between the stimulated hand and the attended foot was small rather than large. When a foot was stimulated and a hand attended, a similar modulation of foot ERPs was observed for the right foot. To assess the spatial distance between two limbs in space, the external location of both must be known. The present ERP results therefore suggest that not only the hands but also other body parts are remapped into external coordinates. The use of both anatomical and external coordinates may facilitate the control of actions toward tactile events and the choice of the most suitable effector.
Dynamic Clusters Graph for Detecting Moving Targets Using WSNs

Efficient target tracking applications require active sensor nodes to track a cluster of moving targets. Clustering could lead to significant cost improvement as compared to tracking individual targets. This paper presents accurate clustering of targets for both coherent and incoherent movement patterns. We propose a novel clustering algorithm that utilises an implicit dynamic time frame to assess the relational history of targets in creating a weighted graph of connected components. The proposed algorithm employs key features of localisation algorithms in target tracking, namely, estimated current and predicted locations to determine the relational directions and distances of moving targets. Our simulation results show a significant improvement on the clustering accuracy and computation time by dynamically adjusting the history-window size and predicting the relationships among targets.
Gender-Related Differential Item Functioning in DSM–IV/DSM–5-III (Alternative Model) Diagnostic Criteria for Borderline Personality Disorder

A number of studies have evaluated the possibility of bias in the diagnostic criteria in borderline personality disorder as an explanation of gender differences in prevalence. Previous studies have used both regression and latent trait approaches but the results have been inconsistent. The current study extended prior investigations in testing differential function of Borderline diagnostic criteria using both regression and latent-trait methods in the same sample, examining both Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.; DSM–IV) and DSM–5 alternative model criteria for borderline personality. Data were obtained from a national sample of 337 clinicians providing diagnostic information on 1 of their target patients. Chronic feelings of emptiness was the only criterion that demonstrated consistent evidence of potential differential functioning across methods and diagnostic models. Implications of these results for the conceptualization of borderline personality are discussed.
The influence of the dimensions of quality information on buyer-supplier relationships in value chain management

This study investigates and identifies the dimensions of Information Quality (IQ) that are important in influencing buyer-supplier relationships and can ultimately increase firms' effectiveness in a Value Chain (VC). The respondents are suppliers that have been selected from ten multinational companies in the northern regions of Malaysia. Independent variables concerning information, such as the appropriate amount, its believability, the lack of error, interpretability, reputation and security have been significantly tested in the analysis. This study has proven that IQ has a significant impact on buyer-supplier relationships and this finding actually concurs with the previous research, which also verified the importance of IQ in the total VC. The proper management of IQ will facilitate good relationships between the buyer and the supplier and will create better performance.
The Relations Among Environmental Disclosure, Environmental Performance and Financial Performance: An Empirical Study in China

Both of previous theoretical interpretations and empirical evidences provide mixed conclusions on the relations among corporate environmental disclosure, environmental performance and financial performance. In this article, I visit these relations under Chinese setting with environmental disclosure measured by a scoring system similar to Clarkson et al (2008) study, environmental performance measured by the types of penalty for firm’s over-emission, financial performance gauged by ROA. Using the average data of all of 68 Chinese listed firms in building material, paper and pulp industries from 2007-2009, I find negative association between environmental disclosure and environmental performance, positive relation between financial performance and environmental performance, and no significant relation between financial performance and environmental disclosure. In addition, I find ISO14001 have significant and positive impact on environmental disclosure, and firm size has significant and positive impacts on all of the three variables.
Stock Price Reaction to Dividend Changes An Empirical Analysis of the Johannesburg Securities Exchange

II DECLARATION III ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS IV LIST OF TABLES VII LIST OF FIGURES VIII CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY 1 1.2 CONTEXT OF THE STUDY 1 1.3 PROBLEM STATEMENT 2 1.3. 1 MAIN PROBLEM 2 1.3. 2 SUB-PROBLEMS 3 1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS 3 1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY 4 1.6 DELIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY 4 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 5 2.
IT Impacts On Performance Of Service Firms Through Operation-Level Dynamic Capability

This study focuses on the strategic value of information technologies in the service industry and examines the relationship between information technology (IT) service competence and firm performance. The proposed relationship is further augmented by investigating the mediating role of operation-level dynamic capability particularly for the service setting. Survey data of medium to large-size enterprises in service industries in the United States were used to validate the proposed model. The results indicate that operational reconfigurability as an operation-level dynamic capability is a significant IT-enabled mediating driving force of firm performance in the service setting. This study is an early attempt to examine the strategic value of information technologies to lead to service firms’ business performance, particularly through the dynamic capability at the operation level.
Perceptions of Vietnamese Tour Companies Toward Adopting Sustainable Tourism Practices

ABSTRACT With the recent opening of the Vietnamese economy to the international market, tourism has become an important industry which significantly contributes to the national GDP. However, as the number of tourists has grown, negative social and environmental impacts associated with tourism activities have increased. In response, the Vietnamese National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) has shown increasing interest in the promotion of sustainable tourism businesses. This study explores factors that influence a tourism firm's intention to voluntarily participate in such programs. From an estimated population of 298 tour companies, 149 were randomly selected, of which 60 responded providing a 40% response rate. The results show that risk-taking measured in terms of attitude toward adopting new ideas and changes is the most influential factor in the firm's likelihood of adoption. In addition, characteristics of such as perceived complexity and perceived potential for strengthening the firm's image also play an important role in the firm's decision to adopt sustainable tourism practices.
Expression of Cnnm1 and Its Association with Stemness, Cell Cycle, and Differentiation in Spermatogenic Cells in Mouse Testis1

ABSTRACT Cyclin M1 (CNNM1) functions as a copper storage protein in neuronal cells. We report that Cnnm1 is expressed in mouse testis and brain and has a coding sequence of 1761 bp that encodes a 586 amino acid protein with a molecular weight of 66 kDa. Cnnm1 is expressed in the testes of mice from neonatal to adult stages with relatively higher levels in neonates. CNNM1 expression appeared to be restricted to c-KIT- and OCT3/4-positive cells in the testis, indicating that they are early spermatogonial cells. Spermatogonial stem cells in primary culture expressed Cnnm1, and their differentiation into embryoid body-like clusters in vitro resulted in the loss of Cnnm1 expression. Silencing of Cnnm1 in GC1-spg cells resulted in a significant reduction in the number of cells in G1 phase with concomitant increase in the numbers of cells in both S and G2/M phases. Further, retinoic acid downregulated the expression of Cnnm1 in GC1-spg cells. We conclude that CNNM1 is associated with stemness and self-renewal, and its downregulation triggers differentiation in spermatogonial cells in mouse.
Effects of denaturants and substitutions of hydrophobic residues on backbone dynamics of denatured staphylococcal nuclease

Analysis of residual dipolar couplings (RDCs) in the Δ131Δ fragment of staphylococcal nuclease has demonstrated that its ensemble‐averaged structure is resistant to perturbations such as high concentrations of urea, low pH, and substitution of hydrophobic residues, suggesting that its residual structure is encoded by local side‐chain/backbone interactions. In the present study, the effects of these same perturbations on the backbone dynamics of Δ131Δ were examined through 1H‐15N relaxation methods. Unlike the global structure reported by RDCs, the transverse relaxation rates R2 were quite sensitive to denaturing conditions. At pH 5.2, Δ131Δ exhibits an uneven R2 profile with several characteristic peaks involving hydrophobic chain segments. Protonation of carboxyl side chains by lowering the pH reduces the values of R2 along the entire chain, yet these characteristic peaks remain. In contrast, high concentrations of urea or the substitution of 10 hydrophobic residues eliminates these peaks and reduces the R2 values by a greater amount. The combination of low pH and high urea leads to further decreases in R2. These denaturant‐induced increases in backbone mobility are also reflected in decreases in 15N NOEs and in relaxation interference parameters, with the former reporting an increase in fast motions and the latter a decrease in slow motions. Comparison between the changes in chain dynamics and the corresponding changes in Stokes radius and the patterns of RDCs suggests that regional variations in backbone dynamics in denatured nuclease arise primarily from local contacts between hydrophobic side chains and local interactions involving charged carboxyl groups.
Housing, Credit Market Imperfections, and the Business Cycle ∗ (preliminary and incomplete)

We study the role of residential housing in financing capital investment in a quantitative dynamic stochastic general equilibrium framework. Residential housing, though nonproductive, is shown to be important in determining the cost of external financing for investment on productive capital. Housing stock serves as collateral in financial contracts for capital investment. We find that when the model is reasonably calibrated, fluctuations in the return to capital investment is not enough to account for the cyclical behavior of the external finance premium. Fluctuations of house prices help generate countercyclical external finance premium by a great deal.
Controlling Inflammation in Peritoneal Dialysis: The Role of PD-Related Factors as Potential Intervention Targets

Cardiovascular (CV) disease is the main cause of death in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients, but the mechanisms mediating the increased CV risk observed in this group of patients are still largely unknown, which limits the perspective on effective therapeutic strategies. Patients on PD are already exposed to a number of traditional risk factors from the start of their chronic kidney disease (CKD), because many of those risk factors are common to CV disease and CKD alike. As renal dysfunction progresses, CKD-related risk factors are introduced, changing the profile of both the CV disease and the markers of risk. In this phase, which usually starts when glomerular filtration rate falls below 60 mL/min, the list of risk factors is expanded to include disturbances of mineral metabolism, anemia, fluid overload, uremic toxicity, and increased signs of oxidative stress and inflammation. Although many of the risk factors linked to CV burden are not related to the dialytic procedure, additional harm is introduced after the initiation of PD—with, for example, the presence of chronic infections and factors related to PD fluids, particularly reabsorption of glucose. In the present article, we review the impact of the novel risk factors introduced with the initiation of PD therapy, and we propose potential therapeutic strategies (which remain to be tested) for reducing CV mortality in this group of patients.
Cluster - A Model of Integrated Competitive Advantage Gain of Entrepreneurs

The significance of small enterprises is becoming more relevant in the total number of business systems, as well as in the ratio of total sales and number of employees. Obtaining the competitive advantage is possible by successfully implementing the strategy of diversification that is manifested in winning a unique competitive position which results in creating a unique position of the business system. If this premise is seen as rational, than it comes as no surprise that certain growing number of ‘small’ and 'medium-sized' business systems have accepted the concept of 'clustering' within local and regional business frameworks, as well as the basic economic and market philosophy of creating a competitive advantage. Clustering is also one of the global counter-answers to the issue of 'individual' competitiveness of each business system. This integrated action of business systems results in certain synergic effects to the mutual pleasure of all the participants involved, in terms of creating a unique product. On the other hand, the negative moments that could primarily minimize the competitive force and the positive business aspect of smaller and economically inadequately empowered business systems are eliminated. Almost all significant, highly and partially economically developed countries of Europe have accepted this model as an acceptable market concept of association and/or creation of the production process - in terms of interests and product, within a unique working process of business systems.
Scaling up REDD+ strategies in Bangladesh: a forest dependence study in the Chittagong Hill Tracts

Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and enhancing forest carbon stocks (REDD+) have already been recognized as helping to mitigate global climate change and to conserve forest biodiversity as well as to improve rural livelihoods. Determining the nature and degree of the local peoples’ dependence on the forest can be an important aid to implementation of REDD+ in Bangladesh. The research aims to find out the nature and degree of forest dependence of the local peoples living in the tropical semi-evergreen forests in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) of Bangladesh as well as to determine the tradeoffs between forest use and REDD+. The average revenue per household from selling forest products in the study area was 13,473 taka per year including revenues from timber, firewood, bamboo, medicinal plants, mammals and nuts, of which timber sales generated the largest revenue. Looking at the total extraction of forest products, the study found that 92% of the firewood is consumed directly by households, followed by timber 33%, bamboo 33%, medicinal plants 22%, mammals 3% and nuts 2%. At the strategy point of REDD+ implementation in the CHT of Bangladesh, the alternative livelihoods of forest-dependent peoples include culture of plantations, agricultural intensification, and small business development. Dependence on the forest for medicinal, religious and food purposes is fundamental, while extraction of timber, bamboo and vegetables from the forest could be sacrificed. The present study confirms that for REDD+ implementation, appropriate cash compensation should be provided to the forest-dependent people for traditional forest use foregone. This study will be useful to policy makers concerned with REDD+ strategies and natural forest conservation in Bangladesh.