Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Macrophage cytotoxicity produced by adenylate cyclase toxin from Bordetella pertussis: more than just making cyclic AMP!

The cytotoxic effect of adenylate cyclase (AC) toxin from Bordetella pertussis on host cells has been attributed to the production of supraphysiologic levels of cyclic AMP by the toxin. We have tested this hypothesis and show that at least two different mechanisms, cAMP accumulation/ATP depletion and oligomerization/pore formation, contribute, perhaps synergistically, to AC toxin‐induced cytotoxicity. Wild‐type (WT) AC toxin causes cell death associated with an increase in cAMP, a reduction in ATP, activation of caspases 3/7, and increased annexin V and TUNEL staining. In contrast, a non‐acylated, enzymatically active, non‐haemolytic form of AC toxin is able to increase cAMP, reduce ATP and elicit annexin V staining, but the decrease in ATP and the annexin staining are transient and there is minimal caspase activation, TUNEL staining and cell death. Mutant AC toxins defective in either enzymatic activity or the ability to deliver their enzymatic domain are able to kill J774 cells, without cAMP production, and with minimal caspase activation and TUNEL staining. Comparison of the potencies of WT toxin and those of mutants that only increase cAMP or only create transmembrane pores establishes that at least two mechanisms are contributory and that simply the production of cAMP is not enough to account for the cytotoxicity produced by AC toxin.
ISLAMIC BANKING PRODUCTS AND SERVICES IN LIBYA: LEGISLATION, REGULATIONS AND MANAGEMENT POLICY

The focal point of this paper is to look at the effect of regulation and management policy on building solid establishments of Islamic finance and banking framework in Libya, especially in the underlying stages. In addition, the example for this present study comprised of an aggregate 395, which were analysed using the structural equation modelling (SEM) in order to examine the causal relationship among the study latent variables. The consequences of this study demonstrate that the two primary hypotheses were huge; these hypotheses incorporate a positive connection amongst legislations and regulations, management policy and Islamic banking items and administrations in Libyan banks. This is on the grounds that the impact of laws and legislation on the reception of Islamic budgetary framework, which Libya is encountering, is huge in quickening this procedure. Moreover, the senior management of Islamic banks of Libya is in charge of planning an economical advancement policy for its associations. JEL: E50, G21, E52 Article visualizations:
Bank Profitability Analysis and Forecasting: Lithuania Case

Purpose of the article: The purpose of this paper is to analyse commercial banks operating in Lithuania in terms of profitability, as it is one of the critical factors of economic development. Moreover, the profitability of commercial banks is a crucial factor for banks’ financial stability which, in turn, has an impact on the stability of the whole financial system of a country. Variables representing banks profitability are as follows: return on equity (ROE), return on assets (ROA), and return on risk assets (RORA). What is more, the forecast of the abovementioned variables was made in order to predict their values. Methodology/methods: In order to analyse and assess the dynamics of the profitability indicators (ROA, ROE, RORA), the financial reports of six banks operating in Lithuania were analysed. After analysing the profitability indicators, the forecasts for three years were made using a moving average method. Scientific aim: To analyse commercial banks profitability indicators and make a forecast. The forecast of the indicators makes it possible to conclude that the banking system of Lithuania will continue to carry out profitable activities. Findings: The findings of the research showed that the estimated values of ROA, ROE and RORA are stable. The results of indicators forecasting makes showed that the banking system of Lithuania would continue to carry out profitable activities. Conclusions: Summarising the indicators of profitability group: return on equity, return on assets, and assets and equity ratio, it can be argued that the Lithuanian banking system is able to manage resources efficiently, in order to ensure the profitability of operations, despite market disturbances, such as the financial crisis of 2008.
Continuity of operations/continuity of government for state-level transportation organizations : brief.

As a result of a federal requirement, all non-federal entities that own or operate critical infrastructure are required to develop Continuity of Operations/Continuity of Government (COOP/COG) Plans. Transportation is a critical infrastructure component. The MTI researchers partnered with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to review their existing COOP/COG Plan, evaluate the gaps in the plan, develop a strategy to “harmonize” all Caltrans’ emergency management plans, and evaluate the adequacy of the employees’ training to implement the COOP/COG Plan system.
Concurrent IT Sourcing: Mechanisms and Contingent Advantages

Abstract A growing trend to simultaneously insource and outsource the same information technology (IT) activities (“concurrent IT sourcing”) has not yet received research attention. Although it is widespread and recent empirical studies have detected that in-house IT can complement IT outsourcing, when and how concurrent IT sourcing pays off is not yet understood. This study introduces the notion of concurrent IT sourcing. It then develops two interrelated ideas: concurrent IT sourcing simultaneously enhances in-house and outsourced IT performance: (a) via distinctive mechanisms, but (b) only when vendors’ IT capabilities complement the client’s. Econometric tests using survey data from 233 firms support these ideas. Our novel contribution is to explain when and how concurrent IT sourcing enhances a client firm’s inhouse and outsourced IT performance. The explanatory mechanisms for outsourced IT performance are socialization and modeling of clients’ in-house IT practices by vendors; for in-house IT performance they are knowledge spillovers and ratcheting. For practice, our study shows that when a firm’s in-house capabilities complement its IT vendors’ capabilities, firms can simultaneously outsource and insource the same IT activities to enhance both in-house and outsourced IT performance.
Bloom's taxonomy: a framework for assessing programmers' knowledge of software systems

Programmers must attain knowledge about a system before they can perform specific software maintenance tasks on it. Traditionally, computer scientists have described the activity of attaining this knowledge as 'software comprehension'. However, if we look at the educational literature, attainable knowledge has been described with much finer granularity. Bloom's (1956) taxonomy identifies six separate levels of knowledge within the cognitive domain, one of which refers to a (more constricted) definition of comprehension. Several other levels in Bloom's taxonomy seem to correlate more directly to specific software maintenance tasks. This article reviews Bloom's taxonomy as a richer descriptive framework for programmers' knowledge of code and illustrates how various software maintenance tasks map to knowledge levels in this hierarchy. A pilot study is presented showing how participants' knowledge of software may differ at various levels of this hierarchy.
Sharing Economy and Tourism: The Intention to Use e-Ride Hailing Transportation System for Tourism

The e-ride hailing system transportation is a part of sharing economy activities, where community could participate in giving services for customers through on-line application platforms. The system, such as GoJek, Grab, Uber, has shifted the people’ mobility behavior. However, there are only limited numbers of research that study the impact on this system to tourism development. Therefore, this study aims to understand the tendency of people in using the system for tourism. The study used two-stage research method. There were 310 respondents who participated in the survey. However, only 241 were valid for further analysis. At the first stage, factor analysis was applied to classify the people behavior in using this system. Hence, there were four dimensions that could describe the behavior. The dimensions are appsinteraction behavior, perceived quality, satisfaction, and behavior intention in using the apps for tourism. The second stage was calculating each dimension with regression analysis to understand the relationship. The result showed that the apps-interaction behavior and satisfaction had a significant influence to the behavior intention in using the apps for tourism. This study has an implication for developing theory for the technology acceptance model for tourism within the sharing economy context of the society.
Macro-micro bilateral teleoperation based on operational force feedforward-operational force feedforward bilateral teleoperation and its dexterity

A bilateral control system for scaled teleoperation provides the human operator with a feel of the task as well as the teleoperation between same-scale worlds. A maneuverability of the teleoperation system depends on the bilateral control scheme. This paper, first, reviews several bilateral control schemes for the scaled teleoperation, which have already been developed, and points out its dexterity issue of teleoperation. From these reviews with considering physical meaning of bilateral controllers, secondly, this paper proposes a novel bilateral control scheme that realizes macro-micro teleoperation with natural force feedback sensation. An idea of control scheme is come by taking notice that the system parameter values of master site and those of slave site are different. This control scheme is based on operational force feedforward type bilateral control with scaling gains. We also study the operational feeling of the proposed control scheme and compare with several bilateral control schemes in theory. Finally, we present experimental results that verify the validity of the proposed control scheme.
Insider Trading and Institutional Holdings in Mergers and Acquisitions

We investigate three issues about the impact of insider trades and institutional holdings on mergers and acquisitions (M&As). First, we test how insider trades affect the trading behavior of institutional investors in M&As. Second, we test whose trading behavior, either insiders or institutional investors, has greater explanatory power for the performance of M&A firms after takeover announcements. Third, we analyze the industry-wide spillover effects of insider trades and institutional holdings. Empirically, we find that insiders and institutional investors of M&A firms may utilize similar information in their transactions because insider trades induce similar trading behavior for institutional investors. In addition, insider trades, relative to institutional holdings, have greater explanatory power for M&A firm's long-term performance. Finally, compared with insider trades, institutional holdings have a more significant spillover effect in the industry of M&A firms.
[Transfer of the clavicular portion of the pectoralis major muscle in the treatment of irreparable tears of the subscapularis muscle].

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY Old tears of the subscapular muscle situated in the glenoid area are not accessible to direct repair and require locoregional muscle plasty. The clavicular portion of the pectoralis major can be used for reconstruction. The purpose of this study was to describe the operative technique and examine short-term outcome. MATERIAL AND METHODS Five patients, mean age 54 years (45-71 years) with an irreparable tear of the subscapularis in the glenoid area with fatty degeneration greater than grade two in the Goutallier classification were treated. Four had had previous surgery for acromioplasty associated with rotator cuff repair in two or implantation of a humeral prosthesis in one. The preoperative Constant score was 27.5 (mean, range=8.5-54) due to invalidating pain, limited active mobility and reduced muscle force. Gerber's lift-off test was positive for those patients for whom it could be performed. Plain x-rays evidenced anterior subdislocation of the humeral head in one case. Subscapular reconstruction was achieved using the entire clavicular portion of the pectoralis major which was dissected and sectioned at its distal insertion on the humerus then reinserted by transosseous suture onto the lesser tuberosity. The rehabilitation program started with active and passive mobility against gravity within a few days of surgery using biofeedback contraction of the muscle flap then active contractions two months postoperatively. Patients were reviewed at a mean 19 months (6-42 months) for clinical and radiological assessment. RESULTS Four patients had a painless shoulder with a negative lift-off test. The gain in active mobility was predominantly achieved with anterior elevation and abduction. Muscle force was weak leading to a low overall Constant score at revision (mean=50, range=30-63). Radiographically, the humeral head was centered exactly as on the preoperative films. There were no cases with a new anterior subdislocation nor an aggravation of a former subdislocation. Functional outcome was better in cases with a unique tear of the subscapularis. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION Open surgery is used for primary repair of recent tears of the subscapularis. This technique gives 80 p. 100 good and very good results. In case of symptomatic acromioclavicular osteoarthtisis, better long-term results can be obtained by using a tendodesis of the long biceps and resecting the lateral centimeter of the clavicle. In case of irreparable tears in the glenoid area, reconstruction by transfer of the clavicular portion of the pectoralis major can produce a stable painless shoulder with improved active moblity and normal clinical tests. This method provides anterior stability of the glenohumeral articulation and prevents any anterior subdislocation of the humeral head, thus protecting the joint from secondary degeneration.
Board Committees, CEO Compensation, and Earnings Management

We analyze the board of directors' equilibrium strategies for setting CEO incentive pay and overseeing financial reporting and their effects on the level of earnings management. We show that an increase in CEO equity incentives does not necessarily increase earnings management because directors adjust their oversight effort in response to a change in CEO incentives. If the board's responsibilities for setting CEO pay and monitoring are separated through the formation of committees, the compensation committee will increase the use of stock-based CEO pay, as the increased cost of oversight is borne by the audit committee. Our model generates predictions relating the board committee structure to the pay-performance sensitivity of CEO compensation, the quality of board oversight, and the level of earnings management.
Nucleotide sequence of the epidermolytic toxin A gene of Staphylococcus aureus

The nucleotide sequence of the eta gene, which codes for the epidermolytic toxin serotype A of Staphylococcus aureus TC16, is reported. The coding sequence of 840 nucleotides specifies a protein which, when secreted, has a predicted molecular weight of 26,950. The sequence of eta and the deduced amino acid sequence of the toxin have been compared with those of epidermolytic toxin serotype B. The coding sequences have 52% identical residues, and the polypeptides have 40% identical residues. Amino acid residues have been conserved in the areas of the proteins which correspond to major hydrophobic domains, whereas the regions likely to specify antigenic determinants occur in hydrophilic sequences that have diverged. The level of expression of epidermolytic toxin A in S. aureus 8325-4 was shown to be dependent on the integrity of a regulatory gene called agr.
The Importance of Reputation in the Auditing of Companies: A Game Theory Analysis

Numerous, mainly empirical, studies of auditing behaviour have recently looked at the “reputation” of the auditor and the size of fees it attracts. Our model of the auditing market advances the study of the fundamental principles involved in determining behaviour in relation to the rewards and penalties using an extensive-form game of the auditing process. We set up a two-player fraud detection game with bribes, bonuses and fines faced by an auditor. Our model yields that the auditor’s reputation, reflected in the size of bonuses, is critical to establishing a non-fraudulent behaviour by the client. Hence the model confirms expected behaviour. We further find the new insight, that while the existence of penalties deters fraud by the client, their size is not critical. This is a new understanding of what determines auditor behaviour. It is the perception of a possible penalty that moves the auditor in the direction of executing a thorough investigation using his acquired expertise.
Exploring industry priorities regarding customer satisfaction and implications for event evaluation

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the priorities of event organisers (EOs) and venue managers (VM) in terms of evaluation criteria and avenues for advancing the development and implementation of banks of questions regarding customer satisfaction evaluation. Design/methodology/approach The results presented are based on a questionnaire distributed to a sample of EOs and VM which sought to identify their priorities with regard to customer satisfaction feedback. Findings The findings show that a significant proportion of respondents had never undertaken formal evaluation, citing time and resources as the key barriers. In addition, a wide range of satisfaction-related criteria were rated as important, with the most valued criteria often related to generalised areas, but failing to consider the motivations of individuals for event attendance, which also appears as a gap within evaluation literature. The research findings indicate that developing banks of evaluation questions is a complex task, due to the number of potential variables in terms of events and audiences. Originality/value In linking the priority areas identified by the respondents with evaluation literature and event attendee motivations, this paper proposes alternative ways of structuring and utilising banks of evaluation questions linked to attendee profiles and motivations. Its central premise is that evaluation of consumer satisfaction should be led by consumer motivations and expectations if it is to be viable, meaningful and aid future event development and enhancement. This raises many questions and avenues for future research, to progress the area of logistically feasible evaluation, which generates rich and meaningful data.
Evidence‐based risk factors for postoperative deep vein thrombosis

Background: Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a common postoperative complication that is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Thromboprophylaxis has been shown to be underused. In the absence of prophylaxis, rates as high as 50% have been reported following orthopaedic surgery, and 25% following general surgery. Many risk factors have been suggested but there is often little evidence to support these claims.
Etude expérimentale du bruit de bord de fuite à large bande d'une grille d'aubes linéaire et de sa réduction par dispositifs passifs

Le bruit de bord de fuite a large bande est l'un des contributeurs principaux du bruit des soufflantes de turboreacteurs modernes. La double necessite de mieux comprendre sa generation et de le reduire a suscite le present travail, essentiellement experimental. L'etude se focalise sur l'effet de grille provoque par la diffraction des ondes acoustiques sur les aubes adjacentes. Une grille d'aubes lineaire de solidite 1,43 est instrumentee et adaptee a la mesure acoustique dans le secteur aval pour plusieurs vitesses d'ecoulement et plusieurs angles d'attaque. Le bruit de bord de fuite de la grille d'aubes predomine ainsi sur une large gamme de frequence. L'effet de grille se manifeste a travers des resonances dans la grille, des interferences dans le champ lointain et a travers la dependance en vitesse des spectres acoustiques. Les donnees d'entree de modeles analytiques decrivant statistiquement la turbulence des couches limites sont directement mesurees sur les aubages. Le modele de bruit de profil isole d'Amiet fournit une estimation convenable des niveaux de bruit suggerant que la deformation des spectres par l'effet de grille est de faible amplitude. Nous avons ensuite adapte a la configuration experimentale le modele de Glegg qui tient compte des interactions entre pales. Il fournit des estimations de spectres acoustiques s'ecartant de 3 dB de la prediction de profil isole, confirmant la conclusion precedente. Cependant ce dernier modele decrit mieux les interferences observees en champ lointain. La reduction du bruit de bord de fuite est ensuite abordee, dans un premier temps sur profil isole au moyen de brosses inserees au bord de fuite. Une reduction de 4,5 dB est ainsi obtenue sur une large gamme de frequences. Une etude de correlation aerodynamique aux fils chauds dans le sillage des brosses montre qu'elles decorrelent les structures turbulentes dans la direction de l'envergure ce qui peut expliquer partiellement la reduction du bruit observee. Dans un deuxieme temps, des chevrons dessinant des dents de scie dans la direction de l'envergure sont appliques aux bords de fuite de la grille d'aubes. Nous retrouvons alors les observations faites avec ces dispositifs sur les profils isoles. Aucun effet de couplage entre la reduction du bruit et l'effet de grille n'est observe. Des mesures de velocimetrie par images de particules dans le sillage des chevrons montrent que la couche limite de l'extrados est eloignee de la surface du profil fournissant un mecanisme admissible de reduction du bruit. Un deuxieme mecanisme credible est la decorrelation dans la direction de l'envergure de la nappe de vorticite lâchee dans le sillage suite a la condition de Kutta. Enfin, nous etudions l'effet de l'inclinaison du bord de fuite par rapport 'a l'ecoulement et montrons par une prise en compte de cette geometrie dans le modele d'Amiet qu'il peut egalement aboutir a une reduction acoustique.
Digit ratio (2D:4D), dominance, reproductive success, asymmetry, and sociosexuality in the BBC Internet Study

Digit ratio (2D:4D) may be a correlate of prenatal sex steroids, and has been linked to traits, which are influenced by fetal testosterone and estrogen. Here we consider such links in a large Internet study of sex differences (the BBC Internet Study) in which finger lengths were self‐measured. Consistent with lab‐based findings the 2D:4D in this study shows sexual dimorphism, ethnic differences and higher dimorphism of right 2D:4D than left, thereby indicating that 2D:4D does measure real between‐participant variation. High error in self‐measurement of fingers reduces effect sizes. However, the large sample size gives assurance that significant effects are likely to be real. We controlled for ethnicity and sexual orientation by considering White heterosexuals only (153,429 participants). Sexual dimorphism was confirmed in 2D:4D and for the difference of right–left 2D:4D. After Bonferroni correction we found highly significant relationships with low effect sizes as follows. In males and females there were negative associations between 2D:4D and dominance. In males there were negative associations between 2D:4D and family size and factors associated with reproductive success. For females these associations were positive. For asymmetry we found U‐shaped relationships with 2D:4D in both males and females. We found no relationship between 2D:4D and promiscuity (sociosexuality). In total, we considered 48 relationships and found 29 to be significant. We compare our findings with a similar study reported by Putz et al. (2004), which found only 2 out of 57 correlations to be significant and discuss possible reasons for the discrepancies between the studies. Am. J. Hum. Biol., 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.