Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Monoclonal Antibody 667 Recognizes the Variable Region A Motif of the Ecotropic Retrovirus CasBrE Envelope Glycoprotein and Inhibits Env Binding to the Viral Receptor

ABSTRACT Monoclonal antibody (MAb) 667 is a neutralizing mouse monoclonal antibody recognizing the envelope glycoprotein (Env) of the ecotropic neurotropic murine retrovirus CasBrE but not that of other murine retroviruses. Since 667 can be used for preclinical studies of antiviral gene therapy as well as for studying the early events of retroviral infection, we have cloned its cDNAs and molecularly characterized it in detail. Spot technique-based experiments showed that 667 recognizes a linear epitope of 12 amino acids located in the variable region A of the receptor binding domain. Alanine scanning experiments showed that six amino acids within the epitope are critical for MAb binding. One of them, D57, is not present in any other murine retroviral Env, which suggests a critical role for this residue in the selectivity of 667. MAb 667 heavy- and light-chain cDNAs were functionally characterized by transient transfection into Cos-7 cells. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and Biacore studies showed that the specificities as well as the antigen-binding thermodynamic and kinetic properties of the recombinant 667 MAb (r667) produced by Cos-7 cells and those of the parental hybridoma-produced MAb (h667) were similar. However, h667 was shown to contain contaminating retroviral and/or retrovirus-like particles which interfere with both viral binding and neutralization experiments. These contaminants could successfully be removed by a stringent purification protocol. Importantly, this purified 667 could completely prevent retrovirus binding to target cells and was as efficient as the r667 MAb produced by transfected Cos-7 cells in neutralization assays. In conclusion, this study shows that the primary mechanism of virus neutralization by MAb 667 is the blocking of the retroviral receptor binding domain of CasBrE Env. In addition, the findings of this study constitute a warning against the direct use of hybridoma cell culture supernatants for studying the initial events of retroviral cell infection as well as for carrying out in vivo neutralization experiments and suggest that either recombinant antibodies or highly purified antibodies are preferable for these purposes.
Factors Affecting Firms’ Financial Performance: The Case of Greece

The purpose of this paper is to empirically implement a comprehensive analytical framework of financial performance in the case of Greek industrial firms during the period 1997-2004. The paper examines the impact of key determinants of firms’ financial performance. We distinguish between financial and non financial drivers of firm performance. Our results show that leverage, export activity, location, size and the index for management competence significantly affect firm performance in Greece. Our results indicate that profitable firms in Greece are large, young, exporting firms with a competitive management team, which have an optimal debt-equity ratio and use their liquidity to finance their investments.
Aspect-Oriented Requirements Engineering - A Systematic Mapping

Background: Aspect-Oriented Requirements Engineering (AORE) is a research field that provides the most appropriate strategies for identification, modularization and composition of crosscutting concerns. Several AORE approaches have been developed recently, although with different features, strengths and limitations. Goals: the aim of this paper is threefold: i) cataloguing existing AORE approaches based on the activities encompassed by them; ii) describing what types of techniques have been used for concern identification and classification â a bottleneck activity; and iii) identifying which are the most used means of publication of AORE-based studies and how it has been the progress of these studies over the years. Results: we have selected and analyzed 60 papers and among them, we identified 38 AORE distinct approaches. Some interesting obtained results were: i) few approaches lead to Conflict Identification and Resolution, an activity responsible for discovering and treating the mutual influence between different concerns existing in a software; ii) the most of 60 studies consist of presenting new AORE approaches or extensions of previous approaches - therefore, there is a lack of evaluation studies about already existing approaches; iii) few studies have been published in journals, what can be a consequence of the item (ii).
An investigation into the effects that internet user experience, payment reliability and delivery reliability have on e-Commerce use in South Africa

ii Declaration . iii Acknowledgements . iv Chapter 1 Introduction. 1 1.1. Research Objectives and Scope . 1 1.2. Industry Context to Research . 2 1.3. Framework of the Research . 5 Chapter 2 Literature . 8 2.1. Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) . 9 2.2. E-Commerce Service Quality . 11 2.3. Drivers of e-Commerce Use . 15 2.4. e-Commerce in Developing Countries . 16 2.5. Factors that Attract Users to Internet Sites . 18 2.6. Trust Associated with Internet Purchases . 19 2.7. Distribution Channels for B2C e-Commerce . 21 2.8. Literature Summary . 23 Chapter 3 – Research Questions . 25 3.1. Research Question 1 – Experienced Internet Users Make Greater Use of e-Commerce. 25 3.2. Research Question 2 – Experienced Internet Users Spend More Through the Use of e-Commerce . 26 3.3. Research Question 3 Online Payments . 26 3.4. Research Question 4 – Reliability of Deliveries . 26 Chapter 4 Research Methodology . 28 4.1. Research Approach . 28 4.2. Population . 30 4.3. Sample of the Target Group . 31 4.4. Instrument . 31 4.5. Unit of Analysis . 33 4.6. Limitation of the Research . 33 4.7. Analysis of the Data . 34 4.8. Overview of Survey. 35 Chapter 5 – Results . 36 5.1. Demographic details . 36 5.2. Overall Review of Internet User Trends . 38 5.3. Research Question 1 – More Experienced Internet Users Make Greater Use of e-Commerce . 41 5.4. Research Question 2 – More Experienced Internet Users Spend More on e-Commerce . 50 5.5. Research Question 3 – Internet Users do not Perceive a Risk in Internet Payments . 55 5.6. Research Question 4 – Delivery and Purchase Fulfilment through e-Commerce Use. 59 5.7. Overview of Results . 63 Chapter 6 Discussion of Results . 64 6.1. Research Question 1 – Frequency of e-Commerce Use . 65 6.2. Research Question 2 – e-Commerce Payments . 69 6.3. Research Question 3Perceptions towards Online Payments . 73 6.4. Research Question 4 – Perceptions Towards Delivery Services . 76 6.5. Review of the Data Analysis and Limitations . 80 6.6. Representation of Findings from research . 81 Chapter 7 – Conclusion . 84 7.1. Recommendation to Stakeholders . 87 7.2. Future Research . 89 7.3. Conclusion for Research . 90 References . 91 Appendix A – Most time spent by South African Internet Population . 97 Appendix B – AMPS Demographic Analysis for 2006 – 2007 . 98 Appendix C Survey Questionnaire . 99 Appendix D – Tables of Demographic Distribution . 107 Appendix E – Chi Square Analysis Summary for Use of E-commerce . 108 Appendix F– Chi Square Analysis Summary for Amounts paid through e-commerce . 119 Appendix G – Chi Square Analysis for Perception towards online payments and the use of e-commerce . 128
Corporate governance and corporate performance: UK FTSE 350 companies

In the wake of the recent financial crisis, attention has once again turned to corporate governance, with policy reviews of UK corporate governance being undertaken by the FRC and the Walker Review. One key question may relate to the purpose of corporate governance – is it about the control of risks, the improvement of performance, or both? If this could be clarified, criteria could be developed to measure the success of corporate governance procedures or codes. This research investigates whether companies with particular corporate governance characteristics outperform other companies and have lower levels of risk. The governance characteristics investigated in the report are: board independence; board size; directors’ ownership of equity; and extent of ownership by large block holders. The effects of these characteristics were measured over two three year periods between 1999 and 2004. Three measures of performance were used: one stock market measure (market to book ratio); and two accounting based measures (return on assets and ratio of sales to total assets). Risk was measured in three ways: total risk; systematic risk; and a measure of sudden share price falls. The findings reveal no clear systematic relationship between governance factors and improved performance, and no strong evidence that governance reduces either total or systematic risk. This project was funded by the Scottish Accountancy Trust for Education and Research (SATER). The Research Committee of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS) as also been happy to support this project. The Committee recognises that the views expressed do not necessarily represent those of ICAS itself, but hopes that the project will add to the knowledge about the interaction between corporate governance factors, company performance and risk.
Fulminant thrombosis of mechanical mitral valve prosthesis

In patients with prosthetic heart valves non-cardiac surgery may require temporary discontinuation of oral anticoagulation. Although the risk of valve related thromboembolic complications may generally be only slightly increased during the short perioperative period, in the presence of certain risk factors, replacement of oral anticoagulation with heparin is recommended. In the presented patient, unusually fulminant and finally fatal thrombosis of a mechanical mitral valve prosthesis developed within only 48 hours after non-cardiac surgery despite heparin treatment. The thrombosis was triggered by clinical conditions favouring a hypercoagulable state. This report dramatically shows that despite improvements in prosthetic heart valve design and in the management of anticoagulation, thrombosis remains one of the most dangerous complications after valve replacement with a mechanical prosthesis.
Cumulative Effects of In Utero Administration of Mixtures of “Antiandrogens” on Male Rat Reproductive Development

Although risk assessments are typically conducted on a chemical-by-chemical basis, the 1996 Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) required the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to consider cumulative risk of chemicals that act via a common mechanism of toxicity. To this end, we are conducting studies with mixtures to provide a framework for assessing the cumulative effects of “antiandrogenic” chemicals. Rats were dosed during pregnancy with antiandrogens singly or in pairs at dosage levels equivalent to about one half of the ED50 for hypospadias or epididymal agenesis. The pairs include: AR antagonists (vinclozolin plus procymidone), phthalate esters (DBP plus BBP and DEHP plus DBP), a phthalate ester plus an AR antagonist (DBP plus procymidone), and linuron plus BBP. We predicted that each chemical by itself would induce few malformations; however, by mixing any two chemicals together, about 50% of the males would be malformed. All binary combinations produced cumulative, dose-additive effects on the androgen-dependent tissues. We also conducted a mixture study combining seven “antiandrogens” together. These chemicals elicit antiandrogenic effects at two different sites in the androgen signaling pathway (i.e., AR antagonist or inhibition of androgen synthesis). In this study, the complex mixture behaved in a dose-additive manner. Our results indicate that compounds that act by disparate mechanisms of toxicity display cumulative, dose-additive effects when present in combination.
Copper, zinc, lead and cadmium content in liver and muscles of mallards [Anas platyrhynchos] and other hunting fowl species in Warmian and Mazury in 1999-2000

This paper presents the results of a study on the content of Cu, Zn, Pb and Cd in livers and breast muscles of mallards obtained in Warmia and Mazury in 1999-2000. Samples from 32 mallards hunted in Łezany, Zembrze, Szestno and Nidzica, as well as samples from 7 pheasants and 6 mallards from the area of Śląsk were analyzed. Concentration of all the four metals was higher in the liver than in breast muscles. Mean contents of copper in livers of juvenile and adult mallards from Warmia and Mazury were similar (6.567 and 8.632 mg/kg w.w.). Levels of zinc were approximately the same in both age groups (23.911 mg/kg w.w. in young birds and 25.418 mg/kg w.w. in adults). As regards lead, older mallards from Warmia and Mazury had twice as much of the metal in the liver (0.417 mg/kg w.w.). The content of Pb in the liver was similar in both age groups of the birds from Śląsk. The differences in the concentration of cadmium in the mallards from Warmia and Mazury were smaller. Cd in the amount of 0.128 mg/kg m.m. was found in the young mallards and 0.171 mg/kg m.m. in the adult mallards. The birds from the area of Śląsk contained much higher concentrations of Cd in their tissues, over 1 mg/kg m.m. in the liver and over 0.200 mg/kg m.m. in the breast muscles.
The performance of psoriatic arthritis classification criteria in Turkish patients with psoriatic arthritis

To investigate performance of some of the published psoriatic arthritis (PsA) classification criteria as well as Assessment of Spondyloarthritis International Society (ASAS) criteria for peripheral spondyloarthritis (SpA) in Turkish patients with PsA (in early and late disease subgroups).
Multilocus genotyping of Cryptosporidium and Giardia in non-outbreak related cases of diarrhoea in human patients in Belgium

SUMMARY Stool samples from Belgian patients suffering from abdominal pain and/or diarrhoea were examined for Cryptosporidium and Giardia. Cryptosporidium-positive samples were genotyped using the 70 kDa heat shock protein and the 60 kDa glycoprotein (GP60) genes: C. hominis was identified in 54·2% and C. parvum in 45·8% of the samples. Sequencing at the GP60 locus indicated that subgenotype IbA10G2 of C. hominis and subgenotype IIaA15G2R1 of C. parvum were the most prevalent, although several other subgenotypes were identified. For Giardia, sequencing at the β-giardin, triose phosphate isomerase (TPI) and glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) genes revealed assemblage B as the most prevalent (74·4%) in human patients. A high degree of heterogeneity was found, especially on the β-giardin gene, and to a lesser extent on the GDH gene. Furthermore, using a novel species-specific PCR based on the TPI gene, mixed infections with both assemblage A and B were detected in a large number (32·4%) of human patients, which might have important epidemiological implications.
Impact of an Entertainment-Education Television Drama on Health Knowledge and Behavior in Bangladesh: An Application of Propensity Score Matching

Shabuj Chaya is a weekly television drama broadcast during a 13-week period in Bangladesh in 2000. It used an entertainment-education format to increase health knowledge and to promote visits to health clinic and modern contraceptive use. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how a relatively new statistical technique, propensity score matching in conjunction with structural equation modeling, can be used to obtain an unbiased estimate of changes in health outcomes that can be attributed to exposure to the drama. The analysis is conducted with data from an after-only, cross-sectional survey of 4,492 men and women from the intended audience. The results from propensity score matching approximate what would be expected from a randomized control group design. Both the television drama and the evaluation research upon which this article is based were made possible by funding from the United States Agency for International Development. We also acknowledge the valuable contributions and support provided by Mohammad Shahjahan, the director of the Bangladesh Center for Communication Programs, which produced the television drama, Shabuj Chaya; Dr. Humayun Ahmed, who wrote the drama; Esta de Fossard, script and production advisor; Edson Whitney, head of the Asia Division; Shana Yansen, program officer of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Center for Communication Programs; and Org-Marg Quest, the market research agency in Bangladesh that collected the survey data that was used for the secondary analysis presented in this article.
Characterization of multidrug-resistant Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica Serovar Typhimurium var. Copenhagen and Typhimurium isolated from feedlot cattle.

The objective of this study was to characterize Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica Serovars Typhimurium and Typhimurium var. Copenhagen isolated from naturally infected feedlot cattle (n = 138) in North Dakota for antimicrobial resistance (AMR), presence of integrons and genotypic relatedness by use of PFgE assays. A panel of 15 selected antimicrobials and the Sensititre automated antimicrobial susceptibility test system (TREK Diagnostic Systems, westlake, Oh) were used. Class 1 and 2 integrons were targeted by PCR, using primers specific for the intI1 and intI2 genes. Pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFgE) assays were performed by the E. coli Reference Center, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA. All 58 Salmonella isolates tested were resistant to ≥ 1 of the antimicrobials, with 56/58 (96.6%) showing multidrug resistance (resistant to
Prevalence And Risk Factors of Pre-Diabetes And Diabetes Mellitus In A Remote Village of Eastern India

Diabetes mellitus is a modern day epidemic, silently affecting both rural and urban population. This cross-sectional study done over a period of five months following modified version of STEPS questionnaire on adult population aimed at finding the prevalence and risk factors of diabetes and pre-diabetes in a rural area of Eastern India. A high prevalence of diabetes and pre-diabetes was observed. Obesity, sedentary lifestyle, hypertension and family history of diabetes were found to be significantly associated with diabetes. There was significant positive correlation between HbA1c values and Body mass index.
Predicting and Explaining IPO Underperformance

Based on a new methodological framework we investigate IPO (under-)performance in a sample of 7,378 firms going public in the 1975-2005 period. We explicitly vary the time horizon in our analysis and document a significant underperformance of IPO firms over the first year after going public, while there is virtually no underperformance thereafter. Moreover, by decomposing the Carhart-alpha we find that IPO underperformance, where present, is due to fundamental differences in firm characteristics (e.g., market-to-book ratio, leverage, and R&D expenditures scaled by sales) between IPO companies and more seasoned, non-issuing firms. In fact, our results indicate that IPO firms neither perform materially better nor worse than mature companies with similar firm characteristics. Finally, we show that IPO underperformance is partially predictable. IPOs associated with overly optimistic growth prospects (and correspondingly high valuation levels) and IPOs going public during hot issue periods perform substantially worse than other IPOs.
Incidence, Predictors, Treatment, and Long-Term Prognosis of Patients with Restenosis after Long Drug-Eluting Stent Implantation for Coronary Arteries

Background: Few data on the clinical course and management of patients experiencing restenosis after implantation of long drug-eluting stents treatment for coronary arteries was available. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence, predictors, and long-term outcomes of patients with in-stent restenosis (ISR) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with long (33 mm & 38 mm) drug-eluting stents (DES) for long lesions in coronary arteries including left anterior descending artery (LAD), Lt circumflex artery (Lt Cx), right coronary artery (RCA), obtuse marginal artery (OM) & posterior descending artery (PDA). Methods: Between July 2009 and October 2010, 421 long DES had being implanted in 421 consecutive patients with significant coronary artery stenosis, with 371 patients (88%) undergoing routine follow up, clinical follow up done by exercise stress test at 6 & 12 months after stenting for 126 patients (34%), in 124 patients (33.5%) follow up was done by Computed Tomography angiography & 121 patients (32.5%) with clinically driven angiographic follow-up. A major adverse cardiac event was defined as the composite of death, myocardial infarction (MI), or target-lesion revascularization (TLR) within 15 months. Results: All patients who underwent clinical follow up were asymptomatic. The overall incidence of angiographic (CT or conventional) ISR with long (33 mm & 38 mm) DES was 4% (15 out of 371 stents) with 8 (53.3%) focal-type and 7 (46.7%) with diffuse-type ISR. Six patients (40%) under-went repeated PCI, seven (46.7%) underwent bypass surgery, and 2 (13.3%) were treated medically. During long-term follow-up (ranging from 12 - 26 months), there were no deaths, 3 (0.8%) MI, and 13 (3.5%) repeated target-lesion revascularization (PCI or CABG) cases. The incidence of major adverse cardiac event was 5.3% in the medical group, 10.1% in the repeated PCI group, and 21.4% in the bypass surgery group. Multivariate analysis showed that the occurrence of DES-ISR did not affect the risk of death or MI. Conclusions: The incidence of ISR was 4% after long DES stenting for coronary arteries. The long-term clinical prognosis of patients with long DES-ISR associated with coronary artery stenting might be benign, if the patient has optimal treatment.
Managing the Risks of Changed Processes with Enterprise Systems

This paper examines the risks and the sources of risks of process changes associated with implementation of enterprise systems. Results of in-depth studies of four utility cases reveal that risks of process changes with enterprise systems are mainly associated with the packaged and integrated nature of enterprise system software, particularly its configurability, in-built processes, multiple options, data and process integration, streamlined processes, and standard processes. Organizations need to invest in on-going software exploration, business examination, and process and software changes to align new processes and management responsibilities to eliminate these risks and gain benefits.