Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evidences of customer loyalty and its salient correlates from the Arab world

Abstract This study investigates customer loyalty and its salient correlates in the Arab world. Contrary to inconsistent findings in the existing literature, this current study examines a fully mediated customer loyalty model and compares it with three alternative configurations involving customer loyalty and its correlates using structural equations modeling. An examination of a sample of mobile internet subscribers in Qatar reveals that a fully mediated customer loyalty model, with all five salient antecedents, best represents the sample data in an Arab country. Specifically, customer loyalty fully mediates the influences of innovation, service quality, trust, satisfaction and switching cost on word-of-mouth communication and repeat purchase. Implications have been discussed.
Thermodynamic Description of the Effect of the Mutation Y49F on Human Glutathione Transferase P1-1 in Binding with Glutathione and the Inhibitor S-Hexylglutathione*

The thermodynamics of binding of both the substrate glutathione (GSH) and the competitive inhibitor S-hexylglutathione to the mutant Y49F of human glutathione S-transferase (hGST P1-1), a key residue at the dimer interface, has been investigated by isothermal titration calorimetry and fluorescence spectroscopy. Calorimetric measurements indicated that the binding of these ligands to both the Y49F mutant and wild-type enzyme is enthalpically favorable and entropically unfavorable over the temperature range studied. The affinity of these ligands for the Y49F mutant is lower than those for the wild-type enzyme due mainly to an entropy change. Therefore, the thermodynamic effect of this mutation is to decrease the entropy loss due to binding. Calorimetric titrations in several buffers with different ionization heat amounts indicate a release of protons when the mutant binds GSH, whereas protons are taken up in binding S-hexylglutathione at pH 6.5. This suggests that the thiol group of GSH releases protons to buffer media during binding and a group with low pKa (such as Asp98) is responsible for the uptake of protons. The temperature dependence of the free energy of binding, ΔG0, is weak because of the enthalpy-entropy compensation caused by a large heat capacity change. The heat capacity change is –199.5 ± 26.9 cal K–1 mol–1 for GSH binding and –333.6 ± 28.8 cal K–1 mol–1 for S-hexylglutathione binding. The thermodynamic parameters are consistent with the mutation Tyr49 → Phe, producing a slight conformational change in the active site.
Undulin RNA and protein expression in normal and fibrotic human liver

We have analyzed the distribution, gene expression and cellular origin of undulin, a large extracellular matrix glycoprotein associated with mature collagen fibrils, in human liver by immunohistochemistry, Northern‐blot analysis and in situ hybridization. In normal liver, undulin was distributed as densely packed fibers in portal tract stroma, and as fine fibers along sinusoids, and around central veins. Undulin ribonucleic acid expression was low in normal liver, and confined to mesenchymal cells of portal tract stroma, vessel walls and perisinusoidal space. In fibrotic liver, undulin deposition and gene expression were enhanced in fibrotic stroma and areas of fibrogenesis identified by the presence of active septa and inflammatory infiltrate. Undulin gene expression in fibrotic liver was exclusively localized in mesenchymal cells that could be identified by staining for vimentin, and partially for α‐smooth muscle actin as (myo)fibroblasts, and possibly fat‐storing cells. These data suggest that undulin is a constituent of the hepatic extracellular matrix of normal human liver, and that it participates in the rearrangement of connective tissue occurring in hepatic fibrosis. (Hepatology 1994;20:908–916).
Cross-validation of the alcohol and cannabis use measures in the Global Appraisal of Individual Needs (GAIN) and Timeline Followback (TLFB; Form 90) among adolescents in substance abuse treatment.

AIMS To examine the comparability, reliability and predictive validity of two instruments used to assess alcohol use and dependence: the Global Appraisal of Individual Needs (GAIN) and the Form 90 Timeline Followback (TLFB) method. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS Adolescents (n = 101) admitted to a residential treatment program in the United States were interviewed at intake with the GAIN, and again within a week with a variation of TLFB, called Form 90. Alcohol and cannabis measures were compared and used to predict the number of past-month substance abuse and dependence symptoms. MEASUREMENT Self-report measures of days of alcohol and cannabis use in the 90 days prior to intake, peak number of drinks/joints used, peak blood alcohol content (BAC) and alcohol and cannabis abuse and dependence symptom counts. FINDINGS Results revealed that the measures had: (a) excellent comparability (r = 0.7-0.8) across the two instruments; (b) deteriorating reliability after reported peak BAC levels exceeded 0.50 and peak joints exceeding 19; and (c) similar and strong relationships between use measures and the number of abuse/dependence symptoms across measures and instruments. CONCLUSIONS In a sample of 101 adolescents who were admitted to residential treatment for alcohol or drug dependence, the corresponding measures from the two instruments produced comparable results. If the cross-validation of these two measures generalizes to adolescents treated in out-patient settings and other adolescent treatment populations, the GAIN and Form 90 may provide useful core alcohol measures for meta-analyses.
Strategic shotgun proteomics approach for efficient construction of an expression map of targeted protein families in hepatoma cell lines

An expression map of the most abundant proteins in human hepatoma HepG2 cells was established by a combination of complementary shotgun proteomics approaches. Two‐dimensional liquid chromatography (LC)‐nano electrospray ionization (ESI) tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) as well as one‐dimensional LC‐matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization MS/MS were evaluated and shown that additional separation introduced at the peptide level was not as efficient as simple prefractionation of protein extracts in extending the range and total number of proteins identified. Direct LC‐nanoESI MS/MS analyses of peptides from total solubilized fraction and the excised gel bands from one‐dimensional sodium dodecyl sulfate‐polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis fractionated insolubilized fraction afforded the best combination in efficient construction of a nonredundant cell map. Compiling data from multiple variations of rapid shotgun proteomics analyses is nonetheless useful to increase sequence coverage and confidence of hits especially for those proteins identified primarily by a single or two peptide matches. While the returned hit score in general reflects the abundance of the respective proteins, it is not a reliable index for differential expression. Using another closely related hepatoma Hep3B as a comparative basis, 16 proteins with more than two‐fold difference in expression level as defined by spot intensity in two‐dimensional gel electrophoresis analysis were identified which notably include members of the heat shock protein (Hsp) and heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein (hnRPN) families. The observed higher expression level of hnRNP A2/B1 and Hsp90 in Hep3B led to a search for reported functional roles mediated in concert by both these multifunctional cellular chaperones. In agreement with the proposed model for telomerase and telomere bound proteins in promoting their interactions, data was obtained which demonstrated that the expression proteomics data could be correlated with longer telomeric length in tumorigenic Hep3B. This biological significance constitutes the basis for further delineation of the dynamic interactions and modifications of the two protein families and demonstrated how proteomic and biological investigation could be mutually substantiated in a productive cycle of hypothesis and pattern driven research.
The application of image analysis and neural network technology to the study of large‐cell liver‐cell dysplasia and hepatocellular carcinoma

Liver cell dysplasia (LCD) is considered a preneoplastic lesion, whose characterization and differentiation from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and from the reactive changes seen in cirrhosis has been controversial. We studied 12 cases of LCD (large cell type) with image analysis techniques (IA) and compared the findings with those of HCC (n = 40), and a spectrum of non‐neoplastic hepatic lesions including normal liver and cirrhosis (n = 49). A minimum of 200 Feulgen‐stained nuclei were measured from each lesion with the CAS 200 image analysis system. The data were collected with the aid of CellSheet software. Thirty‐four variables were measured, including geometric, textural, and photometric nuclear features and DNA ploidy. The data were analyzed with multivariate statistics and a backpropagation neural network (NN). Stepwise statistical analysis selected 22 variables that were statistically significant in the three groups with P values <. 05. Various NN architectures were developed using these variables. The best NN architecture included a sigmoidal transfer function, 14 input, 16 hidden, and 3 output neurons. It trained to completion after 8,887 runs using 90% of the lesions. This NN yielded a 100% cross‐validation rate for unknown cases. These data support the concept of LCD (large cell type) as a lesion that can be objectively distinguished from HCC and non‐neoplastic liver. Our study also demonstrates the potential usefulness of IA for the evaluation of difficult histopathological problems.
Fostering place-based innovation and internationalization – the new turn in German technology policy

ABSTRACT Since the mid-1990s German technology policy has experienced a paradigmatic shift from standard grant schemes towards a region-oriented and competition-based R&D policy. Currently, a new policy experiment, the InterClust contest, is under way, trying to simultaneously foster place-based innovation, R&D internationalization and the internationalization of innovative places. The current paper analyses the new policy, relating it to the recent literatures on heterogeneous firms and on cluster-life cycles, and presents results from a firm survey performed in 21 winner regions of InterClust. Findings show that the new funding scheme takes insights from recent theoretical developments into account and addresses important impediments to firm and cluster internationalization. Although it is too early for an overall assessment, it is argued that the long-term impact will critically depend on the inflow of heterogeneous knowledge and the strength of intra-regional mobilization effects.
Ultrastructural Effects of Acute Organophosphate Poisoning on Rat Kidney

We investigated the ultrastructural effects of the organophosphate compound methamidophos and treatment with atropine and pralidoxime (2-PAM) on rat kidneys. Male Wistar albino rats were assigned to four groups. Group 1 received 30 mg/kg methamidophos, the LD50 for this compound in rats, via oral gavage. Group 2 received only physiologic saline. Group 3 rats received 30 mg/kg methamidophos and were treated with 2-PAM and atropine via intraperitoneal injection when cholinergic symptoms were noted. Group 4 served as a control, and received physiologic saline in equivalent volumes and routes to Group 3. Kidney tissues were prepared for electron microscopic studies. No ultrastructural changes were detected in Group 1 after acute poisoning with methamidophos and in Group 3 treated with antidotes after poisoning. Acute organophosphate poisoning and antidotal treatment in this model are not associated with histopathological changes in the rat kidney but the models with different organophosphate compounds, by administrating the different dosages, may be more illuminative in explaining the effects of these chemicals in kidney.
STEREOTACTIC RADIOSURGICAL TREATMENT OF CRANIAL AND SPINAL HEMANGIOBLASTOMAS

OBJECTIVEStereotactic radiosurgery has been used for nearly 2 decades to treat hemangioblastomas, particularly those that are in surgically inaccessible locations or that are multiple, as is common in von Hippel-Lindau disease. There is a paucity of long-term published radiosurgical treatment outcomes, particularly for spinal lesions, in a large patient population. The purpose of this study was to provide a long-term retrospective evaluation of radiosurgical hemangioblastoma treatment effectiveness, with a special emphasis on the relatively recent use of frameless, image-guided radiosurgery in the treatment of spinal lesions. METHODSFrom 1991 to 2007, 92 hemangioblastomas in 31 patients, 26 with von Hippel-Lindau disease, were treated with radiosurgery (27 tumors treated with frame-based linear accelerator radiosurgery, and 67 tumors were treated with CyberKnife radiosurgery). The mean patient age was 41 years (range, 18–81 years). The radiation dose to the tumor periphery averaged 23.4 Gy (range, 12–40 Gy). The mean tumor volume was 1.8 cm3 (range, 0.058–65.4 cm3). Tumor response was evaluated in serial, contrast-enhanced, computed tomographic, and magnetic resonance imaging scans. RESULTSClinical and radiographic follow-up data were available for 82 hemangioblastoma tumors. Only 13 (16%) of the treated hemangioblastomas progressed, whereas 18 tumors (22%) showed radiographic regression, and 51 tumors (62%) remained unchanged in size. With median follow-up of 69 months (range, 5–164 months), the actuarial local control rates at 36 and 60 months were 85% and 82%, respectively. Radiosurgery improved lesion-associated symptoms in 36 of 41 tumors. During the follow-up period, 9 patients died of causes unrelated to the progression of their treated hemangioblastomas, and 5 patients developed radiation necrosis. CONCLUSIONStereotactic radiosurgery is safe and effective in the treatment of hemangioblastomas and is an attractive alternative to surgery for patients, including those with von Hippel-Lindau disease.
Effects of Bank Capital Requirement Tightenings on Inequality

We use a newly constructed narrative measure of regulatory bank capital requirement tightening events (Eickmeier et al., 2018) to examine their effects on household income and expenditure inequality in the US. Income and expenditure inequality both decline (the latter decline being slightly less pronounced than the former). Financial income strongly drops after the regulatory events. Richer households tend to be more exposed to financial markets. Hence, their income and expenditures decline by more than those of poorer households. The monetary policy easing after the regulation is shown to contribute to the decline in inequality at longer horizons, as it cushions the negative effects of the capital requirement tightenings on wages and salaries in the medium run, which represent a considerable share of income for lower- to middle-income households.
Growth and Distribution of Maize Roots in Response to Nitrogen Accumulation in Soil Profiles after Long-Term Fertilization Management on a Calcareous Soil

The replacement of inorganic fertilizer nitrogen by manure is highlighted to have great potential to maintain crop yield while delivering multiple functions, including the improvement of soil quality. However, information on the dynamics of root distributions in response to chemical fertilizers and manure along the soil profile is still lacking. The aim of this study was to investigate the temporal-spatial root distributions of summer maize (Zea mays L.) from 2013 to 2015 under four treatments (unfertilized control (CK), inorganic fertilizer (NPK), manure + 70% NPK (NPKM), and NPKM + straw (NPKMS)). Root efficiency for shoot N accumulation was increased by 89% in the NPKM treatment compared with the NPK treatment at V12 (the emergence of the twelfth leaf) of 2014. Root growth at 40–60 cm was consistently stimulated after manure and/or straw additions, especially at V12 and R3 (the milk stage) across three years. Root length density (RLD) in the diameter <0.2 mm at 0–20 cm was significantly positively correlated with soil water content and negatively with soil mineral N contents in 2015. The RLD in the diameter >0.4 mm at 20–60 cm, and RLD <0.2 mm, was positively correlated with shoot N uptake in 2015. The root length density was insensitive in response to fertilization treatments, but the variations in RLD along the soil profile in response to fertilization implies that there is a great potential to manipulate N supply levels and rooting depths to increase nutrient use efficiency. The importance of incorporating a manure application together with straw to increase soil fertility in the North China Plain (NCP) needs further studies.
The effects of different concentrations of chlorhexidine gluconate on the antimicrobial properties of mineral trioxide aggregate and calcium enrich mixture

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of Mineral Trioxide Aggregate (MTA) and Calcium Enrich Mixture) CEM (mixed with different concentrations of chlorhexidine (CHX). Materials and Methods: Cements used in this in vitro study included Gray proRoot MTA and CEM with the microorganisms being entrococcus faecalis, streptococcus muntas, Candida albicans, Actinomyces, Escherichia coli, and a mixture of these microorganisms. CHX was used in the form of liquid at 0.2%, 2%, and 0.12% concentrations. Contact dilution and colony count method was used to evaluate the antibacterial activity of these cements. After 0, 24, 48, 72, and 96-hour intervals, we cultured the samples on blood agar medium. Colonies were counted after incubation at 37°. Data were statistically analyzed by a Kruskal-Wallis test to compare the antimicrobial activity of MTA and CEM. Results: All concentrations of CHX were mixed with MTA and the CEM had antibacterial activities on all microorganisms’ strains except for the Enterococcus faecalis and the mixture group. MTA had better antibacterial activity than the CEM, but this difference was not significant (P = 0.13). The mixing of MTA and the CEM with CHX significantly increased the antibacterial properties of both cements (P < 0.03). There was no statistically significant difference between the different concentrations of CHX. The antibacterial activity of the materials increased through time. Conclusion: The mixture of MTA and CEM with different concentration of CHX significantly increased the antibacterial activity.
Is bilateral lower extremity compression sonography useful and cost-effective in the evaluation of suspected pulmonary embolism?

OBJECTIVE Because deep venous thrombosis is clinically linked with pulmonary embolism and often treated similarly, we sought to assess the usefulness of obtaining bilateral lower extremity compression sonograms when findings on ventilation-perfusion lung scans indicate a low or indeterminate probability of pulmonary embolism. Demonstration of deep venous thrombosis would provide a rationale for treating both pulmonary embolism and deep venous thrombosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS Two hundred twenty-three consecutive patients with suspected pulmonary embolism had ventilation-perfusion lung scans and concurrent bilateral lower extremity compression sonograms; 34 also had pulmonary arteriography. RESULTS In 75 cases, the results of ventilation-perfusion lung scanning indicated an indeterminate probability of pulmonary embolism. Evidence of thrombosis was seen on sonograms in 11 of these 75. In the remaining 64, 17 underwent pulmonary arteriography and four (24%) had pulmonary embolism. Findings on lung scans indicated a low probability of pulmonary embolism in 70 of 223 patients. Evidence of thrombosis was seen on sonograms in 11 of these 70. Five of the remaining 59 underwent pulmonary arteriography and one (20%) had pulmonary embolism. According to the 1993 Medicare Fee Schedule, if all 145 patients whose lung scans were nondiagnostic had sonography and only those with normal sonograms had pulmonary arteriography, the professional and hospital charges would be $359,552. If all 145 had pulmonary arteriography without sonography, the charges would be $395,031. CONCLUSION If ventilation-perfusion lung scans indicate a low or an indeterminate probability of pulmonary embolism and bilateral lower extremity compression sonography is performed, only those patients with normal sonographic findings would need further study. Thus, 15% (22/145) of patients could be spared pulmonary arteriography, and the estimated savings in cost would be 9%.
Clustering of Inflammatory Bowel Disease With Immune Mediated Diseases Among Members of a Northern California-Managed Care Organization

BACKGROUND AND AIMS:Previous studies provide evidence that some immune-mediated diseases occur at greater frequency among inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients than in the general population. The present study examined the co-occurrence of IBD with common immune-mediated disorders including asthma, psoriasis, type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, vitiligo, autoimmune thyroiditis (Grave's and Hashimoto's), and chronic glomerulonephritis.METHODS:We conducted a cross-sectional study among members of the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program for the period 1996–2005. A total of 12,601 patients with at least two IBD diagnoses in computerized visit data were ascertained. Four persons without IBD were matched to each IBD patient on age, gender, and length of enrollment. Information on co-occurring diseases was obtained from computerized visit data for 1996–2005. Conditional logistic regression was used to estimate the odds ratio and 95% confidence interval for the association of IBD with immune-mediated disorders after adjusting for smoking.RESULTS:Seventeen percent of the IBD patients and 10% of the persons without IBD had a diagnosis for at least one immune-mediated disease. IBD patients were more likely to have asthma (1.5, 95% CI 1.4–1.6), psoriasis (1.7, 95% CI 1.5–2.0), rheumatoid arthritis (1.9, 95% CI 1.5–2.3), and multiple sclerosis (2.3, 95% CI 1.6–3.3). CONCLUSIONS:Among the immune-mediated diseases we studied, most were more common in IBD patients than in persons without IBD, suggesting that IBD shares common etiologic factors with other immune-mediated diseases.
Architecture of a polymorphic ASIC for interoperability across multi-mode H.264 decoders

Run-time interoperability between different applications based on H.264/AVC is an emerging need in networked infotainment, where media delivery must match the desired resolution and quality of the end terminals. In this paper, we describe the architecture and design of a polymorphic ASIC to support this. The H.264 decoding flow is partitioned into modules, such that the polymorphic ASIC meets the design goals of low-power, low-area, high flexibility, high throughput and fast interoperability between different profiles and levels of H.264. We demonstrate the idea with a multi-mode decoder that can decode baseline, main and high profile H.264 streams and can interoperate at run.time across these profiles. The decoder is capable of processing frame sizes of up to 1024 times 768 at 30 fps. The design synthesized with UMC 0.13 mum technology, occupies 250 k gates and runs at 100 MHz.