Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Coupled sodium-calcium transport in cultured chick heart cells.

In cultured embryonic chick heart cells, alterations of extracellular Na (Nao) and Ca (Cao), intracellular Na (Nai) and Ca, extracellular pH, and membrane potential resulted in changes in Na and Ca contents that were consistent with sarcolemmal Na-Ca exchange. 24Na efflux measurements revealed a large ouabain-insensitive component, one-third of which was inhibited by removal of Cao. Incubating the cells in Na-free solution resulted in a rapid, 1.5- to 2-fold increase in total cell Ca that remained elevated for at least 15 min. Cells exposed for 15 min to Nao less than or equal to 20 mM became maximally loaded with Ca, whereas Ca loading fell off sharply at values of Nao greater than 20 mM. The movement of Na against its electrochemical gradient was shown to be associated with Ca accumulation. During Na-K pump inhibition (in 10(-4) M ouabain), Na initially rose 2- to 3-fold to a level below its equilibrium value; then, lowering Cao for 30 min from 1.25 to 0.75 mM caused a 26% elevation in Nai, whereas raising Cao from 1.25 to 2.7 mM resulted in a 25% fall in Nai against its electrochemical gradient. These data are consistent with Nai being maintained by a Na-Ca exchange during Na-K pump inhibition. In the presence of ouabain (10(-4) M), Ca uptake into intracellular organelles, e.g., mitochondria, was suggested by an increase in total cell Ca as well as the occurrence of mitochondrial matrix granules, which were shown qualitatively by X-ray analysis to contain Ca. Although matrix granules also occurred in mitochondria during Na-free incubation, they did not contain detectable amounts of Ca when examined under identical conditions of fixation and analysis.
Different understandings of corporate social responsibility: A case study among investors and middle managers

There are almost as many interpretations of the concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) as there are people interpreting it. This ambiguity related to the concept of CSR makes its development in companies significantly more difficult. This study concentrates on different understandings of corporate social responsibility and the practical implications of these for the case company. The study answers the research question of what kinds of understandings of corporate social responsibility exist, especially how do selected investors and case company’s middle managers understand the concept and what kinds of consequences do these understandings have on the development of corporate social responsibility in the case company. Previous research is reviewed covering the development of CSR over time, different classifications of CSR, basics about socially responsible investment (SRI) and different investors’ motives for SRI. It is shown that the concept and meaning of CSR has significantly developed and very different kinds of ways of approaching CSR exist. Also different investors have fairly different kinds of motives for investing in a socially responsible way. From a philosophical point of view this study represents an interpretivist approach. The study is a qualitative case study in the context of a Finnish case company working in the fields of construction and building services. The selected investors are owners of the case company and all of them have significant operations in Finland. The results show that the investors had a very structured and uniform way of understanding CSR whereas the middle managers of the case company represented several different understandings. There were also great differences between the understandings of the investors and middle managers. However, when it comes to the actual CSR activities and contents the thoughts were very similar from the different viewpoints. The theoretical background and empirical results of this study provoked reflections related to business’ role in society, to the differences between personal and organizational approaches to CSR as well as related to the results’ practical consequences for the case company. The discussion around CSR leads easily to a question of what role business should serve in society. Also it seemed that the understandings on CSR and business’ role in society differ from personal and organizational viewpoints. Finally the results of this study mean that there exists a great communicational challenge for the case company and its personnel communicating with the case company’s owners.
Single particle electron cryomicroscopy: trends, issues and future perspective

Abstract There has been enormous progress during the last few years in the determination of three-dimensional biological structures by single particle electron cryomicroscopy (cryoEM), allowing maps to be obtained with higher resolution and from fewer images than required previously. This is due principally to the introduction of a new type of direct electron detector that has 2- to 3-fold higher detective quantum efficiency than available previously, and to the improvement of the computational algorithms for image processing. In spite of the great strides that have been made, quantitative analysis shows that there are still significant gains to be made provided that the problems associated with image degradation can be solved, possibly by minimising beam-induced specimen movement and charge build up during imaging. If this can be achieved, it should be possible to obtain near atomic resolution structures of smaller single particles, using fewer images and resolving more conformational states than at present, thus realising the full potential of the method. The recent popularity of cryoEM for molecular structure determination also highlights the need for lower cost microscopes, so we encourage development of an inexpensive, 100 keV electron cryomicroscope with a high-brightness field emission gun to make the method accessible to individual groups or institutions that cannot afford the investment and running costs of a state-of-the-art 300 keV installation. A key requisite for successful high-resolution structure determination by cryoEM includes interpretation of images and optimising the biochemistry and grid preparation to obtain nicely distributed macromolecules of interest. We thus include in this review a gallery of cryoEM micrographs that shows illustrative examples of single particle images of large and small macromolecular complexes.
Metatranscriptomic Evidence for Co-Occurring Top-Down and Bottom-Up Controls on Toxic Cyanobacterial Communities

ABSTRACT Little is known about the molecular and physiological function of co-occurring microbes within freshwater cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cHABs). To address this, community metatranscriptomes collected from the western basin of Lake Erie during August 2012 were examined. Using sequence data, we tested the hypothesis that the activity of the microbial community members is independent of community structure. Predicted metabolic and physiological functional profiles from spatially distinct metatranscriptomes were determined to be ≥90% similar between sites. Targeted analysis of Microcystis aeruginosa, the historical causative agent of cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms over the past ∼20 years, as well as analysis of Planktothrix agardhii and Anabaena cylindrica, revealed ongoing transcription of genes involved in microcystin toxin synthesis as well as the acquisition of both nitrogen and phosphorus, nutrients often implicated as independent bottom-up drivers of eutrophication in aquatic systems. Transcription of genes involved in carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration and metabolism also provided support for the alternate hypothesis that high-pH conditions and dense algal biomass result in CO2-limiting conditions that further favor cyanobacterial dominance. Additionally, the presence of Microcystis-specific cyanophage sequences provided preliminary evidence of possible top-down virus-mediated control of cHAB populations. Overall, these data provide insight into the complex series of constraints associated with Microcystis blooms that dominate the western basin of Lake Erie during summer months, demonstrating that multiple environmental factors work to shape the microbial community.
Tissue and cellular tropism of the coronavirus associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome: an in‐situ hybridization study of fatal cases

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a new human infectious disease with significant morbidity and mortality. The disease has been shown to be associated with a new coronavirus (SARS‐CoV). The clinical and epidemiological aspects of SARS have been described. Moreover, the viral genome of SARS‐CoV has been fully sequenced. However, much of the biological behaviour of the virus is not known and data on the tissue and cellular tropism of SARS‐CoV are limited. In this study, six fatal cases of SARS were investigated for the tissue and cellular tropism of SARS‐CoV using an in‐situ hybridization (ISH) technique. Among all the tissues studied, positive signals were seen in pneumocytes in the lungs and surface enterocytes in the small bowel. Infected pneumocytes were further confirmed by immunofluorescence–fluorescence in‐situ hybridization (FISH) analysis. These results provide important information concerning the tissue tropism of SARS‐CoV, which is distinct from previously identified human coronaviruses, and suggest the possible involvement of novel receptors in this infection. Whereas the lung pathology was dominated by diffuse alveolar damage, the gut was relatively intact. These findings indicated that tissue responses to SARS‐CoV infection are distinct in different organs. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Vascularization of the mouse embryo: A study of flk‐1, tek, tie, and vascular endothelial growth factor expression during development

We report the detailed developmental expression profiles of three endothelial specific receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) flk‐1, tek, tie, as well as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), the flk‐1 ligand. We also examined the expression of the other VEGF receptor, flt‐1, during placental development.flk‐1, tek, and tie transcripts were detected sequentially at one‐half day intervals starting at E7.0, suggesting that each of these RTKs play a unique role during vascularization of the mouse embryo. All three RTKs were expressed in the extraembryonic and embryonic mesoderm in regions that eventually give rise to the vasculature. Except for the expression of tek and flk‐1 in the mesoderm of the amnion, the expression of these RTKs from E8.5 onwards was virtually indistinguishable. An abundant amount of flt‐1 transcripts was found in the spongiotrophoblast cells of the developing placenta from E8.0 onwards. This cellular compartment is located between the maternal and labyrinthine layers of the placenta, which both express VEGF. VEGF transcripts were detected as early as E7.0 in the endoderm juxtaposed to the flk‐1 positive mesoderm, and later in development VEGF expression displayed an expression profile both contiguous with that of flk‐;1, and also in tissues found some distance from the flk‐1‐expressing endothelium. These results suggest a possible dual role for VEGF which includes a chemotactic and/or a cellular maintenance role for VEGF during vascularization of the mouse embryo. ©1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Immunohistochemical expression and clinical significance of P‐glycoprotein in previously untreated extranodal NK/T‐cell lymphoma, nasal type

Overexpression of P‐glycoprotein (P‐gp) has been identified by a variety of methods in NK cells and NK malignancies. The aim of this study was to determine the clinical significance of P‐gp in previously untreated extranodal NK/T‐cell lymphoma, nasal type. Tumor specimens from 30 patients initially treated with CHOP or CHOP‐based chemotherapy were examined by immunohistochemistry using JSB‐1, a monoclonal antibody recognizing the intracellular epitope of P‐gp molecule. Twenty cases (67%) were positive for P‐gp expression. The complete response rate achieved in P‐gp positive patients was significantly lower than in P‐gp negative ones (20% vs. 60%, P = 0.045). With a median follow‐up of 25 months, the 2‐year progression‐free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) rates for all patients were 66 and 69%, respectively. Compared with both PFS and OS rates of P‐gp positive patients, those of P‐gp negative patients showed a trend of benefit that did not reach statistical significance for borderline P values (PFS: 90% vs. 54%, P = 0.1057; OS: 90% vs. 61%, P = 0.2028). Our results suggest that P‐gp expression is related with poor treatment outcomes of extranodal NK/T‐cell lymphoma, nasal type. Am. J. Hematol. , 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Romanian Tourism Marketing Researches

In sustainable development, tourism plays a vital role, with a high contribution in Romania’s economic recovery and relaunching. Raising the touristic product from the established values to those corresponding to the standards and preferences of the foreign tourists involves initiating and promoting actions that include, on one hand, the progress of the processes of education and training of a mentality appropriate to the current type of development, and on the other hand, emphasizing sustainable development in regions of touristic reception. Based on these considerations, this paper aims to determine how the touristic products must be designed, from the point of view of marketing, to comply with the sustainability principles. To this end, we analyzed a research on consumption of touristic services in Romania, realized by INSOMAR, but also an analysis of the Romanian tourism seen by foreigners.
Material Flow Accounts and Driving Factors of Economic Growth in the Philippines

This study looks into material flow trends in the Philippines from 1985 to 2010 by utilizing the methodology of economy‐wide material flow analysis. Using domestic data sources, this study presents disaggregated annual material flow trends in terms of four major material categories, namely: biomass; fossil energy carriers; ores and industrial minerals; and construction minerals. The results describe in detail the growth of material flows in a high‐density country at the onset of its development and reveal the shift of material consumption from dominance of renewable materials in 1985 to nonrenewable materials in 2010. IPAT analysis shows that the increase in material consumption was driven by population growth from 1985 to 1998 and by growth in affluence from 1999 to 2010. However, high inequalities amidst the growing economy suggest that a small group of wealthy people have influenced the acceleration of material consumption in the Philippines. The results of this research are intended to provide a thorough analysis of the processes occurring in Philippine economic growth in order to assist in tackling implications for the important issue of sustainable resource management.
An energy-efficient hybrid (CMOS-MTJ) TCAM using stochastic writes for approximate computing

We propose a novel writing scheme for hybrid CMOSMTJ TCAM cells to achieve low write energy for approximate computing applications, by exploiting the noise tolerant behavior of such computational paradigms. We show that by exploiting stochastic MTJ switching TCAM cell write energy and latency can be improved. In particular, for an n-bit TCAM, used for approximate computing application, the least significant bits (LSBs) can be operated with weak stochastic write conditions without a significant drop on match accuracy. Distance match accuracy for a 3-bit (LSB), 4T-2MTJ TCAM, designed using 90 nm CMOS technology node and 57 nm (diameter) perpendicular magnetic anisotropic (PMA) MTJ devices was investigated. Using a write probability of 0.97, the overall write energy per LSB was decreased by a factor of 2.3 x, while keeping the cell write latency 7 ns. Impact of MTJ device variability on TCAM cell parameters such as search noise margin (NM) was also analyzed.
Professional identity, learning cultures and educational quality: some lessons from Further Education

This article argues that professional identity is central to the quality of educational provision, especially in vocational Further Education (FE). It revisits a relational and sociological approach to the study of teaching and learning, developed over a decade ago in Transforming Learning Cultures in FE, which is still the only large independent research project of its kind. The article illustrates the capacity of the ‘learning cultures’ approach to foster a deep understanding of professional identity and practice in context. More specifically, the analysis underlines the importance of ‘dual professionalism’ in vocational provision. Brief attention is given to the current process of Area Based Reviews and the currently influential Sainsbury review of technical education. The article concludes that there continues to be insufficient attention paid to professional identity as a resource in high quality provision.
Active site model for γ‐aminobutyrate aminotransferase explains substrate specificity and inhibitor reactivities

A homology model for the pig isozyme of the pyridoxal phosphate‐dependent enzyme γ‐aminobutyrate (GABA) aminotransferase has been built based mainly on the structure of dialkylglycine decarboxylase and on a multiple sequence alignment of 28 evolutionarily related enzymes. The proposed active site structure is presented and analyzed. Hypothetical structures for external aldimine intermediates explain several characteristics of the enzyme. In the GABA external aldimine model, the pro‐S proton at C4 of GABA, which abstracted in the 1,3‐azaallylic rearrangement interconverting the aldimine and ketimine intermediates, is oriented perpendicular to the plane of the pyridoxal phosphate ring. Lys 329 is in close proximity and is probably the general base catalyst for the proton transfer reaction. The carboxylate group of GABA interacts with Arg 192 and Lys 203, which determine the specificity of the enzyme for monocarboxylic ω‐amino acids such as GABA. In the proposed structure for the L‐glutamate external aldimine, the α‐carboxylate interacts with Arg 445. Glu 265 is proposed to interact with this same arginine in the GABA external aldimine, enabling the enzyme to act on ω‐amino acids in one half‐reaction and on α‐amino acids in the other. The reactivities of inhibitors are well explained by the proposed active site structure. The R and S isomers of β‐substituted phenyl and p‐chlorophenyl GABA would bind in very different modes due to differential steric interactions, with the reactive S isomer leaving the orientation of the GABA moiety relatively unperturbed compared to that of the natural substrate. In our model, only the reactive S isomer of the mechanism‐based inhibitor vinyl‐GABA, an effective anti‐epileptic drug known clinically as Vigabatrin, would orient the scissile C4‐H bond perpendicular to the coenzyme ring plane and present the proton to Lys 329, the proposed general base catalyst of the reaction. The R isomer would direct the vinyl group toward Lys 329 and the C4‐H bond toward Arg 445. The active site model presented provides a basis for site‐directed mutagenesis and drug design experiments.
Location of leisure: the New Economic Geography of leisure services

Abstract Understanding more about the geographic location of leisure services is an important quest for research. For a long time now in developed economies, almost all employment growth is occurring within the service sector. In this sector, leisure services are fast growers. This means that the location of these services is important for economic growth and for employment opportunities of local market areas. Regional policy-makers time and again highlight these sectors as future engines of growth. This paper investigates the role of local demand in determining the availability and the scale of various types of leisure services. The analysis is motivated by observed regularities that indicate large and persistent interregional differences in the location and growth of leisure services. Based on a New Economic Geography framework, we investigate the role of local and regional demand for the size of leisure services in geographically separate markets in Sweden. We use data for 290 Swedish municipalities for the period 2002–2013 and run year-municipality fixed-effects regressions. Our main findings suggest a strong dependency on local demand, and less on the demand originating from other regions.
Value-Creating Uncertainty – A Real Options Approach in Venture Capital

This article investigates how venture capital is able and willing to enter the scene of innovative startup enterprises as a primary source of finance, despite the significant degree of uncertainty surrounding these firms. The paper explores venture capital’s unique risk attitude by proposing a real options approach. The tools and mechanisms applied by venture capitalists enable them to take advantage of the flexibility and uncertainty associated with startups, to exploit the value-enhancing ability stemming from continuous corporate learning, and to profit from the opportunities offered by such firms. As a result, young, innovative enterprises receive a higher rating from venture capital investors who are willing to participate and compete with other sources of finance in the financing of such enterprises. At the same time, the article points out that adapting the valuation applied in the case of financial options to venture capital investments is methodologically problematic; supplementing the real option valuation by decision trees may better capture the value-enhancing effect of the flexibility inherent in startups.
Pharmacological evidence for a KATP channel in renin‐secreting cells from rat kidney

1 Openers of the ATP‐sensitive potassium channel (KATP channel) increase and blockers decrease renin secretion. Here we report the effects of levcromakalim (LCRK, a channel opener) and glibenclamide (GBC, a blocker) on membrane potential, whole‐cell current and the cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration of renin‐secreting cells (RSC). Studies were performed on afferent arterioles from the kidney of Na+‐depleted rats. 2 As monitored with the fluorescent oxonol dye DiBAC4(3), LCRK (0.3 and 1 μm) induced a hyperpolarization of ≈15 mV which was abolished by GBC (1 μm). 3 Whole‐cell current‐clamp experiments showed that RSC had a membrane potential of −61 ± 1 mV (n= 16). LCRK (1 μm) induced a hyperpolarization of 9.9 ± 0.2 mV (n= 16) which, in the majority of cells, decreased slowly with time. 4 Capacitance measurements showed a strong electrical coupling of the cells in the preparation. 5 At −60 mV, LCRK induced a hyperpolarizing current in a concentration‐dependent manner with an EC50 of 152 ± 31 nm and a maximum current of about 200 pA. 6 Application of GBC (1 μm) produced no effect; however, when applied after LCRK (300 nm), GBC inhibited the opener‐induced hyperpolarizing current with an IC50 of 103 ± 36 nm. 7 LCRK (0.3 and 1 μm) did not significantly affect the cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration either at rest or after stimulation by angiotensin II. 8 The data show that LCRK induces a GBC‐sensitive hyperpolarizing current in rat RSC. This current presumably originates from the activation of KATP channels which pharmacologically resemble those in vascular smooth muscle cells. The stimulatory effect of KATP channel opening on renin secretion is not mediated by a decrease in intracellular Ca2+ concentration.