bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Strategic and Financial Bidders in Takeover Auctions
Authors: GORBENKO ALEXANDER  S. , MALENKO ANDREY 
Published: August 2014

ABSTRACTUsing data on auctions of companies, we estimate valuations (maximum willingness to pay) of strategic and financial bidders from their bids. We find that a typical target is valued higher by strategic bidders. However, 22.4% of targets in our sample are valued higher by financial bidders. These are mature, poorly performing companies. We also find that (i) valuations of different strategic bidders are more dispersed and (ii) valuations of financial bidders are correlated with aggregate economic conditions. Our results suggest that different targets appeal to different types of bidders, rather than that strategic bidders always value targets more because of synergies.
The Pre‐FOMC Announcement Drift
Authors: LUCCA DAVID O. , MOENCH EMANUEL 
Published: August 2014

ABSTRACTWe document large average excess returns on U.S. equities in anticipation of monetary policy decisions made at scheduled meetings of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) in the past few decades. These pre‐FOMC returns have increased over time and account for sizable fractions of total annual realized stock returns. While other major international equity indices experienced similar pre‐FOMC returns, we find no such effect in U.S. Treasury securities and money market futures. Other major U.S. macroeconomic news announcements also do not give rise to preannouncement excess equity returns. We discuss challenges in explaining these returns with standard asset pricing theory.
The Brain Gain of Corporate Boards: Evidence from China
Authors: GIANNETTI MARIASSUNTA , LIAO GUANMIN , YU XIAOYUN 
Published: August 2014

ABSTRACTWe study the impact of directors with foreign experience on firm performance in emerging markets. Using a unique data set from China, we exploit the introduction of policies to attract talented emigrants and increase the supply of individuals with foreign experience in different provinces at different times. We document that performance increases after firms hire directors with foreign experience and identify the channels through which the emigration of talent may lead to a brain gain. Our findings provide evidence on how directors transmit knowledge about management practices and corporate governance to firms in emerging markets.
Reaching for Yield in the Bond Market
Authors: BECKER BO , IVASHINA VICTORIA 
Published: August 2014

ABSTRACTThis paper studies reaching for yield—investors’ propensity to buy riskier assets to achieve higher yields—in the corporate bond market. We show that insurance companies reach for yield in choosing their investments. Consistent with lower rated bonds bearing higher capital requirements, insurance firms prefer to hold higher rated bonds. However, conditional on credit ratings, insurance portfolios are systematically biased toward higher yield, higher CDS bonds. This behavior is related to the business cycle being most pronounced during economic expansions. It is also characteristic of firms with poor corporate governance and for which the regulatory capital requirement is more binding.
Melatonin as a signal molecule triggering defense responses against pathogen attack in Arabidopsis and tobacco
Authors: Lee Hyoung Yool , Byeon Yeong , Back Kyoungwhan 
Published: August 2014

AbstractMelatonin plays pleiotropic roles in both animals and plants. The possible role of melatonin in plant innate immune responses was recently discovered. As an initial study, we employed Arabidopsis to determine whether melatonin is involved in defense against the virulent bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae DC3000. The application of a 10 μm concentration of melatonin on Arabidopsis and tobacco leaves induced various pathogenesis‐related (PR) genes, as well as a series of defense genes activated by salicylic acid (SA) and ethylene (ET), two key factors involved in plant defense response, compared to mock‐treated leaves. The induction of these defense‐related genes in melatonin‐treated Arabidopsis matched an increase in resistance against the bacterium by suppressing its multiplication about ten‐fold relative to the mock‐treated Arabidopsis. Like melatonin, N‐acetylserotonin also plays a role in inducing a series of defense genes, although serotonin does not. Furthermore, melatonin‐induced PR genes were almost completely or partially suppressed in the npr1, ein2, and mpk6 Arabidopsis mutants, indicative of SA and ET dependency in melatonin‐induced plant defense signaling. This suggests that melatonin may be a novel defense signaling molecule in plant–pathogen interactions.
Pbp2x localizes separately from Pbp2b and other peptidoglycan synthesis proteins during later stages of cell division of Streptococcus pneumoniae D39
Authors: Tsui Ho‐Ching T. , Boersma Michael J. , Vella Stephen A. , Kocaoglu Ozden , Kuru Erkin , Peceny Julia K. , Carlson Erin E. , VanNieuwenhze Michael S. , Brun Yves V. , Shaw Sidney L. , Winkler Malcolm E. 
Published: August 2014

SummaryThe relative localization patterns of class B penicillin‐binding proteins Pbp2x and Pbp2b were used as positional indicators of septal and peripheral (side‐wall‐like) peptidoglycan (PG) synthesis, respectively, in the mid‐cell regions of Streptococcus pneumoniae cells at different stages of division. We confirm that Pbp2x and Pbp2b are essential in the strain D39 genetic background, which differs from that of laboratory strains. We show that Pbp2b, like Pbp2x and class A Pbp1a, follows a different localization pattern than FtsZ and remains at division septa after FtsZ reappears at the equators of daughter cells. Pulse‐experiments with fluorescent D‐amino acids (FDAAs) were performed in wild‐type cells and in cells in which Pbp2x activity was preferentially inhibited by methicillin or Pbp2x amount was depleted. These experiments show that Pbp2x activity separates from that of other PBPs to the centres of constricting septa in mid‐to‐late divisional cells resolved by high‐resolution 3D‐SIM microscopy. Dual‐protein and protein‐fluorescent vancomycin 2D and 3D‐SIM immunofluorescence microscopy (IFM) of cells at different division stages corroborate that Pbp2x separates to the centres of septa surrounded by an adjacent constricting ring containing Pbp2b, Pbp1a and regulators, StkP and MreC. The separate localization of Pbp2x suggests distinctive roles in completing septal PG synthesis and remodelling.
Agents of change – concepts in Mycobacterium tuberculosis Ser/Thr/Tyr phosphosignalling
Authors: Sherman David R. , Grundner Christoph 
Published: August 2014

SummaryThe flow of information from the outside to the inside of bacterial cells is largely directed by protein kinases. In addition to histidine/aspartate phosphorelays of two‐component response regulators, recent work in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) reinforces the idea that phosphorylation on serine (Ser), threonine (Thr) and tyrosine (Tyr) is central to bacterial physiology and pathogenesis, and that the corresponding phosphosystems are highly similar to those in eukaryotes. In this way, eukaryotes are a useful guide to understanding Ser/Thr/Tyr phosphorylation (O‐phosphorylation) in prokaryotes such as Mtb. However, as novel functions and components of bacterial O‐phosphorylation are identified, distinct differences between pro‐ and eukaryotic phosphosignalling systems become apparent. The emerging picture of O‐phosphorylation in Mtb is complicated, goes beyond the eukaryotic paradigms, and shows the limitations of viewing bacterial phosphosignalling within the confines of the ‘eukaryotic‐like’ model. Here, we summarize recent findings about Ser/Thr and the recently discovered Tyr phosphorylation pathways in Mtb, highlight the similarities and differences between eukaryotic and prokaryotic O‐phosphorylation, and pose additional questions about signalling components, pathway organization, and ultimately, the cellular roles of O‐phosphorylation in Mtb physiology and pathogenesis.
Does weight loss in overweight or obese women improve fertility treatment outcomes? A systematic review
Authors: Sim K. A. , Partridge S. R. , Sainsbury A. 
Published: August 2014

SummaryThis systematic review assessed the effect of weight loss in overweight and/or obese women undergoing assisted reproductive technology (ART) on their subsequent pregnancy outcome. Weight losses achieved by diet and lifestyle changes, very‐low‐energy diets, non‐surgical medical interventions and bariatric surgery translated into significantly increased pregnancy rates and/or live birth in overweight and/or obese women undergoingARTin 8 of the 11 studies reviewed. In addition, regularization of the menstrual pattern, a decrease in cancellation rates, an increase in the number of embryos available for transfer, a reduction in the number ofARTcycles required to achieve pregnancy and a decrease in miscarriage rates were reported. There were also a number of natural conceptions in five of the six studies that reported this outcome. Non‐surgical medical weight loss procedures and bariatric surgery induced the greatest weight losses, but their use, as well as that of very‐low‐energy diets, for weight loss prior toARTrequires careful consideration. While the overall quality of the studies included in this review was poor, these results support the clinical recommendation of advising overweight and/or obese women to lose weight prior toART. Prospective randomized controlled trials are required to establish efficacious evidence‐based guidelines for weight loss interventions in overweight and/or obese women prior toARTtreatment.
Regulation of fatty acid biosynthesis by the global regulator CcpA and the local regulator FabT in Streptococcus mutans
Authors: Faustoferri R.C. , Hubbard C.J. , Santiago B. , Buckley A.A. , Seifert T.B. , Quivey R.G. 
Published: August 2014

SummarySMU.1745c, encoding a putative transcriptional regulator of the MarR family, maps to a location proximal to the fab gene cluster in Streptococcus mutans. Deletion of the SMU.1745c (fabTSm) coding region resulted in a membrane fatty acid composition comprised of longer‐chained, unsaturated fatty acids (UFA), compared with the parent strain. Previous reports have indicated a role for FabT in regulation of genes in the fab gene cluster in other organisms, through binding to a palindromic DNA sequence. Consensus FabT motif sequences were identified in S. mutans in the intergenic regions preceding fabM, fabTSm and fabK in the fab gene cluster. Chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (cat) reporter fusions, using the fabM promoter, revealed elevated transcription in a ∆fabTSm background. Transcription of fabTSm was dramatically elevated in cells grown at pH values of 5 and 7 in the ∆ fabTSm background. Transcription of fabTSm was also elevated in a strain carrying a deletion for the carbon catabolite repressor CcpA. Purified FabTSm and CcpA bound to the promoter regions of fabTSm and fabM. Hence, the data indicate that FabTSm acts as a repressor of fabM and fabTSm itself and the global regulator CcpA acts as a repressor for fabTSm.
Fur homolog regulates Porphyromonas gingivalis virulence under low‐iron/heme conditions through a complex regulatory network
Authors: Ciuraszkiewicz J. , Śmiga M. , Mackiewicz P. , Gmiterek A. , Bielecki M. , Olczak M. , Olczak T. 
Published: August 2014

SummaryPorphyromonas gingivalis is a key pathogen responsible for initiation and progression of chronic periodontitis. Little is known about the regulatory mechanisms of iron and heme uptake that allow P. gingivalis to express virulence factors and survive in the hostile environment of the oral cavity, so we initiated characterization of a P. gingivalis Fur homolog (PgFur). Many Fur paralogs found in microbial genomes, including Bacteroidetes, confirm that Fur proteins have a tendency to be subjected to a sub‐ or even neofunctionalization process. PgFur revealed extremely high sequence divergence, which could be associated with its functional dissimilarity in comparison with other Fur homologs. A fur mutant strain constructed by insertional inactivation exhibited retarded growth during the early growth phase and a significantly lower tendency to form a homotypic biofilm on abiotic surfaces. The mutant also showed significantly weaker adherence and invasion to epithelial cells and macrophages. Transcripts of many differentially regulated genes identified in the fur mutant strain were annotated as hypothetical proteins, suggesting that PgFur can play a novel role in the regulation of gene expression. Inactivation of the fur gene resulted in decreased hmuY gene expression, increased expression of other hmu components and changes in the expression of genes encoding hemagglutinins and proteases (mainly gingipains), HtrA, some extracytoplasmic sigma factors and two‐component systems. Our data suggest that PgFur can influence in vivo growth and virulence, at least in part by affecting iron/heme acquisition, allowing efficient infection through a complex regulatory network.
The Truthmaking Argument Against Dispositionalism
Authors: Austin Christopher J. 
Published: August 2014

AbstractAccording to dispositionalism,de remodality is grounded in the intrinsic natures of dispositional properties. Those properties are able to serve as the ground ofde remodal truths, it is said, because they bear a special relation to counterfactual conditionals, one oftruthmaking. However, because dispositionalism purports to groundde remodalityonlyon theintrinsicnatures of dispositional properties, it had better be the case that they do not play that truthmaking role merely in virtue of their being embedded in some particular, extrinsic causal context. This paper examines a recent argument against dispositionalism that purports to show that the intrinsicality of that relation cannot be maintained, due to theceteris paribusnature of the counterfactuals that dispositions make‐true. When two prominent responses are examined, both are found wanting: at best, they require unjustified special pleading, and at worst, they amount to little more thanad hocconceptual trickery.
A Study of Iranian Nurses’ and Midwives’ Knowledge, Attitudes, and Implementation of Evidence‐Based Practice: The Time for Change Has Arrived
Authors: Heydari Abbas , Mazlom Seyed Reza , Ranjbar Hossein , Scurlock‐Evans Laura 
Published: August 2014

ABSTRACTBackgroundEvidence‐based practice (EBP) leads to enhanced quality of care, and the individual and professional development of nurses and midwives. Therefore, it is important for nurses and midwives as well as all other healthcare providers and stakeholders to inform clinical decision‐making and implement EBP.AimThis study aimed to determine the EBP knowledge, attitudes, and practice of clinical nurses and midwives in Mashhad public hospitals in Iran.MethodsThe descriptive cross‐sectional study was conducted with a stratified cluster, random sample of 240 employed nurses and midwives (response rate of 96%) in Mashhad, who held a Bachelor of Science degree and had at least 1 year of clinical experience. Two valid and reliable questionnaires were used to collect demographic and EBP data. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 11.5 software and descriptive and inferential statistics calculated.ResultsParticipants’ mean age was 31.0 (SD = 5.5) years and 80% (n = 194) were female. Most participants reported low knowledge or skills and practice of EBP, but moderate attitudes toward EBP. Significant differences between the mean scores on knowledge or skills, attitudes, and practice were identified by field of study. Nurses reported higher knowledge or skills and practice of EBP than midwives (p < .001). Nurses and midwives with master‐s degrees displayed greater knowledge or skills and practice of EBP, and more positive attitudes than nurses with bachelor‐s degrees (p < .001).Linking Evidence to ActionAlthough clinical nurses and midwives apply EBP in clinical settings, it is necessary to develop their knowledge or skills and practice. The results of this study can be applied by educational planners, educational managers, and authorities to enhance the quality and consistency of EBP implementation. The results provide a base for future studies in this field.
A dynamic collimation system for penumbra reduction in spot‐scanning proton therapy: Proof of concept
Authors: Hyer Daniel E. , Hill Patrick M. , Wang Dongxu , Smith Blake R. , Flynn Ryan T. 
Published: August 2014

Purpose:In the absence of a collimation system the lateral penumbra of spot scanning (SS) dose distributions delivered by low energy proton beams is highly dependent on the spot size. For current commercial equipment, spot size increases with decreasing proton energy thereby reducing the benefit of the SS technique. This paper presents a dynamic collimation system (DCS) for sharpening the lateral penumbra of proton therapy dose distributions delivered by SS.Methods:The collimation system presented here exploits the property that a proton pencil beam used for SS requires collimation only when it is near the target edge, enabling the use of trimmers that are in motion at times when the pencil beam is away from the target edge. The device consists of two pairs of parallel nickel trimmer blades of 2 cm thickness and dimensions of 2 cm × 18 cm in the beamˈs eye view. The two pairs of trimmer blades are rotated 90° relative to each other to form a rectangular shape. Each trimmer blade is capable of rapid motion in the direction perpendicular to the central beam axis by means of a linear motor, with maximum velocity and acceleration of 2.5 m/s and 19.6 m/s2, respectively. The blades travel on curved tracks to match the divergence of the proton source. An algorithm for selecting blade positions is developed to minimize the dose delivered outside of the target, and treatment plans are created both with and without the DCS.Results:The snout of the DCS has outer dimensions of 22.6 × 22.6 cm2 and is capable of delivering a minimum treatment field size of 15 × 15 cm2. Using currently available components, the constructed system would weigh less than 20 kg. For irregularly shaped fields, the use of the DCS reduces the mean dose outside of a 2D target of 46.6 cm2 by approximately 40% as compared to an identical plan without collimation. The use of the DCS increased treatment time by 1–3 s per energy layer.Conclusions:The spread of the lateral penumbra of low‐energy SS proton treatments may be greatly reduced with the use of this system at the cost of only a small penalty in delivery time.
In Vivo
mRNA Profiling of Uropathogenic Escherichia coli from Diverse Phylogroups Reveals Common and Group-Specific Gene Expression Profiles
Authors: Bielecki Piotr , Muthukumarasamy Uthayakumar , Eckweiler Denitsa , Bielecka Agata , Pohl Sarah , Schanz Ansgar , Niemeyer Ute , Oumeraci Tonio , von Neuhoff Nils , Ghigo Jean-Marc , Häussler Susanne 
Published: August 2014

ABSTRACT

mRNA profiling of pathogens during the course of human infections gives detailed information on the expression levels of relevant genes that drive pathogenicity and adaptation and at the same time allows for the delineation of phylogenetic relatedness of pathogens that cause specific diseases. In this study, we used mRNA sequencing to acquire information on the expression of
Escherichia coli
pathogenicity genes during urinary tract infections (UTI) in humans and to assign the UTI-associated
E. coli
isolates to different phylogenetic groups. Whereas the
in vivo
gene expression profiles of the majority of genes were conserved among 21
E. coli
strains in the urine of elderly patients suffering from an acute UTI, the specific gene expression profiles of the flexible genomes was diverse and reflected phylogenetic relationships. Furthermore, genes transcribed
in vivo
relative to laboratory media included well-described virulence factors, small regulatory RNAs, as well as genes not previously linked to bacterial virulence. Knowledge on relevant transcriptional responses that drive pathogenicity and adaptation of isolates to the human host might lead to the introduction of a virulence typing strategy into clinical microbiology, potentially facilitating management and prevention of the disease.

IMPORTANCE
Urinary tract infections (UTI) are very common; at least half of all women experience UTI, most of which are caused by pathogenic
Escherichia coli
strains. In this study, we applied massive parallel cDNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to provide unbiased, deep, and accurate insight into the nature and the dimension of the uropathogenic
E. coli
gene expression profile during an acute UTI within the human host. This work was undertaken to identify key players in physiological adaptation processes and, hence, potential targets for new infection prevention and therapy interventions specifically aimed at sabotaging bacterial adaptation to the human host.
Coronaviruses Induce Entry-Independent, Continuous Macropinocytosis
Authors: Freeman Megan Culler , Peek Christopher T. , Becker Michelle M. , Smith Everett Clinton , Denison Mark R. 
Published: August 2014

ABSTRACT
Macropinocytosis is exploited by many pathogens for entry into cells. Coronaviruses (CoVs) such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) CoV and Middle East respiratory syndrome CoV are important human pathogens; however, macropinocytosis during CoV infection has not been investigated. We demonstrate that the CoVs SARS CoV and murine hepatitis virus (MHV) induce macropinocytosis, which occurs late during infection, is continuous, and is not associated with virus entry. MHV-induced macropinocytosis results in vesicle internalization, as well as extended filopodia capable of fusing with distant cells. MHV-induced macropinocytosis requires fusogenic spike protein on the cell surface and is dependent on epidermal growth factor receptor activation. Inhibition of macropinocytosis reduces supernatant viral titers and syncytia but not intracellular virus titers. These results indicate that macropinocytosis likely facilitates CoV infection through enhanced cell-to-cell spreading. Our studies are the first to demonstrate virus use of macropinocytosis for a role other than entry and suggest a much broader potential exploitation of macropinocytosis in virus replication and host interactions.

IMPORTANCE
Coronaviruses (CoVs), including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) CoV and Middle East respiratory syndrome CoV, are critical emerging human pathogens. Macropinocytosis is induced by many pathogens to enter host cells, but other functions for macropinocytosis in virus replication are unknown. In this work, we show that CoVs induce a macropinocytosis late in infection that is continuous, independent from cell entry, and associated with increased virus titers and cell fusion. Murine hepatitis virus macropinocytosis requires a fusogenic virus spike protein and signals through the epidermal growth factor receptor and the classical macropinocytosis pathway. These studies demonstrate CoV induction of macropinocytosis for a purpose other than entry and indicate that viruses likely exploit macropinocytosis at multiple steps in replication and pathogenesis.