Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Transcriptional analysis of impacts of glycerol transporter 1 on methanol and glycerol metabolism in Pichia pastoris

The efficient promoter of alcohol oxidase 1 (PAOX1) in methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris is strictly induced by methanol but repressed by glycerol with an unclear molecular mechanism. In the present study, the gene of a previously characterized transmembrane protein glycerol transporter 1 (GT1) of P. pastoris GS115 was deleted by homologous recombination. Transcriptional profiles of the mutant (gt1Δ) and wild type (WT) were compared with different carbon sources (glycerol, methanol and glycerol-methanol mix) at various time points using high-throughput RNA-Seq techniques. We determined that the loss of glycerol transporter 1 (Gt1p) could relieve catabolite repression in the glycerol-methanol mixed medium and shared a similar transcriptional profile with the WT in methanol medium. By calculating the common differentially expressed genes in three distinct paired groups, genes involved in the stress response, nutrition deprivation and translational process were identified, explaining the potential roles of glycerol in the regulation of methanol metabolism. Based on weighted gene co-expression network analysis, the relationship between biological traits and the transcriptional profile was established. With the support of published research and our data, we propose two possible regulatory pathways that are involved in the regulation of catabolite repression (adenosine 5΄-monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase /SNF1 and Mitogen-activated protein kinase/HOG), thereby providing potential targets for both research and industrial strain improvement.
Life Cycle Perspective of R&D Investment Management: Case Study Approach

The management of R&D activities has become popular among researchers. The need for changes in R&D organization and financial support brings new decision-making issues for the R&D manager. Life cycle concepts help to manage R&D in the whole perspective. The aim of this paper was to examine the life cycle costing for R&D investment appraisal. A case study was realised in a private SME company for the R&D project of the bumblebee laboratory production. The analysis showed the possibility of using life cycle product perspective to control R&D investment. The expenditure was compared to the net income generated during the whole life cycle of the product. This complex evaluation allows to meet the requirements of the R&D management and to support the decision-making process. Using the life cycle perspective the company will gain a tool that will give an evaluation of the R&D’s effectiveness and provides an opportunity to manage R&D projects and compare them with others investments.
Elevated calprotectin in patients with atrial fibrillation with and without heart failure

Abstract Calprotectin is an inflammatory marker, which has been found elevated in patients suffering from cardiac conditions, e.g. myocardial infarction, unstable angina and chronic heart failure. Inflammation has further been linked to atrial fibrillation (AF). However, the association between calprotectin and AF is unknown. We aimed to compare calprotectin levels in patients suffering from AF with healthy adults. In addition, AF patients with and without heart failure were compared. Calprotectin was measured in patients undergoing elective direct current cardioversion for AF. Calprotectin was determined before, 4 hours and 3 months after cardioversion. Healthy blood donors were used to verify the reference interval for calprotectin. In total, 104 prospectively enrolled patients were included. The median serum calprotectin level for AF patients was 1.6 μg/mL before cardioversion. Calprotectin levels increased significantly 4 h (1.9 μg/mL) and 3 months (2.2 μg/mL) after cardioversion. Blood donors’ median serum calprotectin (1.3 μg/mL) was significantly lower than AF patients. AF patients with heart failure had significantly higher calprotectin at baseline compared with AF patients without a history of heart failure (2.0 μg/mL vs. 1.5 μg/mL). The difference was not significant at 4 h (2.0 μg/mL vs. 1.7 μg/mL) or 3 months (2.5 μg/mL vs. 2.2 μg/mL). In conclusion, the calprotectin levels in patients with AF were significantly higher than healthy blood donors and were further increased after cardioversion. AF patients with heart failure had significantly higher levels of calprotectin than AF patients without heart failure.
Effect of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA), glucose, and glucose plus BCAA on endurance performance in rats.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of pre-exercise administration of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA), glucose, and glucose plus BCAA on time to exhaustion during treadmill exercise in rats. METHODS Wistar rats were injected intraperitoneally with 1 mL of saline (0.9% NaCl), BCAA (30 mg), glucose (100 mg), or glucose plus BCAA 5 min before either 45 min of submaximal exercise (N = 32) or running to exhaustion (N = 24). After the submaximal exercise test, blood was collected for the measurement of ammonia, BCAA, free tryptophan (free TRP), glucose, free fatty acid, and lactic acid, and muscle samples were taken from the m. soleus for determination of glycogen content. RESULTS Mean run time to exhaustion was significantly longer after BCAA administration (158+/-26 min) compared with that after saline (118+/-35 min)(P<0.05) but not compared with that after glucose administration (179+/-21 min). When glucose is administered before exercise, the supplementary administration of BCAA had no additional effect on performance (171+/-12 min). The data on blood ammonia, ratio of free TRP/BCAA, and muscle glycogen did not provide a clue for explaining the higher endurance performance after BCAA supplementation. CONCLUSION The results support the hypothesis that the effect of BCAA administration on performance could be related to carbohydrate availability during exercise.
The Finance-Growth Nexus: Market Economies vs. Transition Countries

Applying a growth accounting framework and a wide range of static and dynamic panel data estimators on a panel covering 22 market economies and 11 transition countries over 1990-2001, we find a weak and fragile finance-growth link in market economies, but strong financial sector-induced short-run growth effects in transition countries. The main growth effect hereby runs via the productivity channel. Parametric heterogeneity and financial structure seem to play a more important role than hitherto assumed: The financial sector and its different segments trigger different growth effects in different countries.
Special issue on advances in data mining and its applications

Data mining is the process to identify valid, implicit, previously unknown, potentially useful and understandable information from large databases. It is an important step in the process of knowledge discovery in databases, (Olaru & Wehenkel, 1999). In a data mining process, input data can be structured, seme-structured, or unstructured. Data can be in text, categorical or numerical values. One of the important characteristics of data mining is its ability to deal data with large volume, distributed, time variant, noisy, and high dimensionality. A large number of data mining algorithms have been developed for different applications. For example, association rules mining can be useful for market basket problems, clustering algorithms can be used to discover trends in unsupervised learning problems, classification algorithms can be applied in decision-making problems, and sequential and time series mining algorithms can be used in predicting events, fault detection, and other supervised learning problems (Vapnik, 1999). Classification is among the most important tasks in the data mining, particularly for data mining applications into engineering fields. Together with regression, classification is mainly for predictive modelling. So far, there have been a number of classification algorithms in practice. According to (Sebastiani, 2002), the main classification algorithms can be categorized as: decision tree and rule based approach such as C4.5 (Quinlan, 1996); probability methods such as Bayesian classifier (Lewis, 1998); on-line methods such as Winnow (Littlestone, 1988) and CVFDT (Hulten 2001), neural networks methods (Rumelhart, Hinton & Wiliams, 1986); example-based methods such as k-nearest neighbors (Duda & Hart, 1973), and SVM (Cortes & Vapnik, 1995). Other important techniques for classification tasks include Associative Classification (Liu et al, 1998) and Ensemble Classification (Tumer, 1996).
Corporate Dividends and Earnings: Is there a long-run equilibrium relationship?

Introduction and Rationale Over the years, there has been much debate regarding the relationship between dividends and earnings. Questions such as do dividends matter?  and can dividends provide some signal for investors as to future corporate earnings?  continue to prevail. Obviously, growth in earnings and dividends is valuable to stockholders. In making investment decisions, dividends play an important role because they are tangible and concrete as compared to capital appreciation.
Obesity prevalence and trends in Latin‐American countries

The prevalence of obesity in some lower‐income and transitional countries is as high as, or even higher than, the prevalence reported in developed nations, and it seems to be increasing rapidly. In most countries, the prevalence of obesity is higher in women than in men, and higher in urban than in rural areas. Preobesity prevalence is very high in most Latin‐American countries. Sixty per cent of the population in Venado Tuerto (Argentina) has a body mass index (BMI) of ≥25 kg m−2, as do 35% of the population in Brazil, 60% in Mexico, 68% in Paraguay and 53% in Peru. Trends are available from Brazil, where marked increases in the prevalence of obesity have occurred, except in women from higher‐income groups. Women from the higher‐income quartiles in urban regions experienced a marked reduction in obesity prevalence from 1989 to 1997 (12.8 to 9.2%). Although data in children is scant, the prevalence of undernutrition is decreasing and the prevalence of obesity is high also in Latin‐American children. The prevalence of obesity is high even in minority Indian groups. Rapid changes in dietary structure (in particular associated with urbanization) and major changes in the levels of physical activity, both occupationally and during leisure time, may explain these changes.
THE INFLUENCE OF SPECIAL ITEMS TO CORE EARNINGS IN EARNINGS MANAGEMENT AT MANUFACTURING COMPANIES LISTED IN JAKARTA STOCK EXCHANGE

This paper examines the classification of items within the income statement as an earnings management tool. Evidence is consistent with managers opportunistically shifting expenses from core expenses (cost of goods sold and selling, general, and administrative expenses) to special items. This vertical movement of expenses does not change bottom-line earnings, but overstates ‘‘core’’ earnings. Keywords: earnings management; earnings components; special items.
Possible association between circulating vascular endothelial growth factor and oxidative stress markers in hemodialysis patients.

BACKGROUND Vascular endothelial growth factor is involved in the process of atherogenesis. Increased oxidative stress has been reported in hemodialyzed patients, but its influence on vascular endothelial growth factor levels remains unknown. MATERIAL/METHODS The levels of two oxidative stress markers, Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase and autoantibodies against oxidized LDL, and the level of vascular endothelial growth factor were measured in pre-dialysis samples of hemodialyzed patients with and without cardiovascular disease and in healthy controls. RESULTS Vascular endothelial growth factor levels were significantly increased in both hemodialysis groups compared with controls (all p < 0.001), more so in patients with than those without cardiovascular disease (p < 0.05). Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase levels were elevated in both patient groups (all p < 0.001), whereas the levels of autoantibodies against oxidized LDL were increased only in the patients with cardiovascular disease (p < 0.05) compared with the controls. Vascular endothelial growth factor level positively correlated with Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase level (p < 0.01) and with the levels of autoantibodies against oxidized LDL (p < 0.05) in the whole hemodialysis group. CONCLUSIONS Our data indicate for the first time a relationship between oxidative stress and VEGF levels in hemodialyzed patients, particularly in those with cardiovascular disease. This association may represent one of the mechanisms involved in the progression of atherosclerosis in this population.
When is Quantitative Easing effective

We present a simple macroeconomic model with open market operations that allows examining the effects of quantitative and credit easing. The central bank controls the policy rate, i.e. the price of money in open market operations, as well as the amount and the type of assets that are accepted as collateral for money. When the policy rate is sufficiently low, this set-up gives rise to an (il-)liquidity premium on non-eligible assets. Then, a quantitative easing policy, which increases the size of the central bank's balance sheet, can increase real activity and prices, while a credit easing policy, which changes the composition of the balance sheet, can lower interest rate spreads, stimulate real activity, and reduce prices. The effectiveness of quantitative and credit easing is however limited to the extent that eligible assets are scarce. Nevertheless, they can help escaping from the zero lower bound.
Endometrial stromal tumors - a report of 5 cases

Objective: We aimed to present five endometrial stromal tumor cases because of their rare existence and difficulties in establishing histological diagnosis. Study Design: Five endometrial stromal tumors (EST) retrieved from pathology department archieve from 1994 to 2004. Immunohistochemical analyses performed for CD10, CD117, CD34, desmin, smooth-muscle actine (SMA), and estrogen/progesterone (ER/PR) in formaline fixed paraffine-embedded archival material. Results: Three of the tumors were endometrial stromal nodules (ESN), and two were low-grade endometrial stromal sarcomas (LGESS). In ESN cases, desmin, CD34, CD117 and ER/PR immunoreactivity were not observed. All of them were positive strongly for CD10 and one was strongly positive for actin. In LGESS cases, all immunomarkers were negative except CD10. In addition, two LGESS and one ESN cases were positively stained with CD117 in sex-cord differentiation areas. Our cases have been followed-up from ten months to fourteen years. Except for a case, no recurrences was observed. Conclusion: Specific immunohistochemical markers has not been established yet for the diagnosis of endometrial stromal tumors. Especially in younger women, to make a correct diagnosis for mesenchymal tumors of uterus, endometrial stromal tumors must be kept in one’s mind.
International corporate governance, a definite guide

This entry explains the corporate govrenance framework in Turkey from the perspectives of corporate structure and ownership, legal farmework, instutions and regulatory bodies, codes, standards and practices, dislosure ad transperancy and sharehlder rights. Its purpose is to highlight the main charecteristics of the Turkish CG regime in comparision to other countries covered in the book.
Towards a policy model for strengthening the accounting and auditing profession in a fragmented regulatory context: Some preliminary evidence from the UAE

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the development of a policy model for the accounting and auditing profession that fits the current fragmented regulatory context of the UAE and GCC, and could help accountancy to become a cornerstone of an improved corporate governance regime. This paper aims to focus on the features of accountancy within the UAE and GCC, and develop some suggestions for a regional model. Design/methodology/approach - This is a qualitative paper. Data for this paper were collected via in-depth interviews with partners in Big Four audit firms in the UAE, accounting academics, and accounting students at the UAEU. Valuable primary sources of data were also web sites and publications from official organizations. A short survey was also administered to students. Findings - In summary, accountancy's regulatory context in the UAE has remained fragmented. The state has taken the lead role, regulating in some detail the affairs of audit firms. The fragmented regulatory context of accounting and auditing in the UAE has allowed the Big Four to import their global quality assurance systems into the UAE, hiring mainly auditors with foreign examined qualifications. This may present advantages for the policy objective “internationalisation of the UAE economy”. It may, however, be regarded as suboptimal for the policy objectives “localisation of the accountancy profession to support the growth and development of local (family) businesses” and “Emiratisation of the accountancy profession”. Research limitations/implications - It is suggested that the possible shape of a stronger UAE-based accountancy profession be investigated in more detail and its suggested positive effects for specific, relevant UAE policies be put to the test. More interviews with other relevant institutions and local accountants would have enriched understanding of the profession. Practical implications - Understanding the financial regulatory context of UAE is crucial for the understanding and further development of the profession. The Big Four firms have a key role to play in orchestrating efforts towards further professional development. Social implications - Small and medium-sized practitioners need to be supported by a clearer regulatory context, which allows them to exist alongside the Big Four. Originality/value - The paper presents empirical and qualitative evidence about the regulatory context of the UAE.
Comparative studies of substrates and inhibitors of choline transport and choline acetyltransferase.

Analogs of choline and three hemicholinium derivatives were studied as substrates for choline acetyltransferase (ChAc) and as substrates or inhibitors of the high-affinity choline transport system in rat brain synaptosomes. Hemicholiniums-3 and -15, but not terphenylhemicholinium-3, were substrates of ChAc. All three inhibit the high-affinity choline transport system, with I50 values of 0.08, 8.0 and 0.08 muM, respectively. Simple choline analogs with substituents on the beta-carbon atom were found to be very poor substrates for ChAc. N-alkyl analogs, mono-, di- and triethyl choline and N-hydroxyethyl pyrrolidinium methiodide (pyrrolcholine), and DL-alpha-methyl choline are substrates for ChAc and also inhibit choline transport, with I50 values between 2 to 6 muM. [3-H] choline, [3-H] monoethycholine and [3-H] pyrrolcholine were transported into synaptosomes by the choline high affinity system and metabolized to acetyl derivatives. The results indicated that choline transport is the rate-limiting step in the biosynthesis of acetylcholine and provide the basis for the development of a group of cholinergic false transmitters.
Electronic Commerce: The New Business Platform for the Internet

E-Commerce Defined The Origins of Web-Based E-Commerce Reducing Costs with E-Commerce Online Services Creating Effective Content for the Web Growth Markets - Advertising-Supported Content and Services Business Models and Markets Marketing for E-Commerce Demographics of the Electronic Marketplace Promotion Through Search Engines and Catalogues Optimizing Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML) for Search Engines Conducting Online Marketing Campaigns E-Commerce Security Guarding Against Web Server Vandalism Strategies for Protecting E-Commerce Systems Transaction Security and Payment Technology Transaction Security Systems Online Banking Digital Cash The Emerging Role of Micropayments SmartCards Credit Card-Based Transaction Technology Electronic Checks Secure Electronic Transactions (SET) B2B E-Commerce Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) Public Key Encryption Digital Signatures How Encryption is Used Firewalls Operating System (OS) Security Security Scanners Web Server Security Privacy Laws and Market Research The Outlook for E-Commerce. (Part Contents).
ENZYME CYTOCHEMISTRY OF NEUTROPHIL GRANULOCYTES

The range of different cytochemical reactions, considered together and jointly interpreted. is of considerable importance in diagnostic clinical and laboratory haematology (Hayhoe & Quaglino, 1980). In leukaemia the variety of enzyme cytochemically abnormal circulating neutrophils may represent different subpopulations and in chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) could reflect the multitude of karyotype abnormalities observed in blastic crises (Pedersen & Hayhoe. 1971). In this review the concept that these abnormal neutrophils may be the progeny of immature leukaemic cells will be stressed and the main focus will be placed on the myeloperoxidase (MPO) and the nonspecific alkaline phosphatase (AP) reactions in neutrophils from patients with leukaemia and allied disorders.
ORIGINAL RESEARCH–PHYSIOLOGY: Unconscious Classical Conditioning of Sexual Arousal: Evidence for the Conditioning of Female Genital Arousal to Subliminally Presented Sexual Stimuli

ABSTRACT Introduction Although the assumption that sexual behavior is at least partly learned is common across theories of sexual behavior, classical conditioning of sexual response in women has been seldom studied. Aim The study of unconscious classical conditioning of appetitive sexual responses in women. Main Outcome Measures Vaginal pulse amplitude assessed by vaginal photoplethysmography, and ratings of sexual affective value. Methods Pavlovian conditioning was examined in 18 sexually functional women by using two erotic pictures as conditional stimuli (CSs) and genital vibrotactile stimulation as unconditional stimulus (US). During the acquisition phase, the CSs were presented briefly (30 ms) and were masked by an immediately following masking stimulus. Only one CS (the CS+) was followed by the US during the acquisition phase. Conditioned responses were assessed during the extinction phase with supraliminal presentations of the CS+ and the CS−. Results Vaginal pulse amplitude was higher in response to the CS+ than during the CS− during the first extinction trial. There was no conditioning effect on ratings of affective value. Conclusion The experiment demonstrates evidence for unconscious conditioning of genital responses in women, but no evidence for evaluative conditioning. The results add to the limited evidence for classical conditioning of sexual arousal in women, and to increasing evidence for associative emotional learning without awareness. Both S, Spiering M, Laan E, Belcome S, van den Heuvel B, and Everaerd W. Unconscious classical conditioning of sexual arousal: Evidence for the conditioning of female genital arousal to subliminally presented sexual stimuli.