Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Human adult stem cells derived from adipose tissue protect against experimental colitis and sepsis

Background and aims: Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) are associated with uncontrolled innate and adaptive immunity against normal constituents, including commensal bacteria and microbial products. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) suppress effector T cell responses and have beneficial effects in various immune disorders. This work investigates the therapeutic effects of human adipose-derived MSCs (hASCs) in various models of IBD and sepsis. Methods: Acute and chronic colitis was induced in mice with dextran sulfate sodium. Sepsis was induced by caecal ligation and puncture or by endotoxin injection. Colitic and septic mice were treated intraperitoneally with hASCs or murine ASCs, and diverse disease clinical signs and mortality were determined. The levels of various inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, T helper 1(Th1)-type response and generation of regulatory T cells (Treg) were determined in affected organs. Results: Systemic infusion of ASCs significantly ameliorated the clinical and histopathological severity of colitis, abrogating weight loss, diarrhoea and inflammation, and increasing survival. The therapeutic effect was associated with downregulation of the Th1-driven inflammatory responses. ASCs decreased a wide panel of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines and increased interleuklin 10 (IL10), acting on macrophages. hASCs also impaired Th1 cell activation in both colonic mucosa and draining lymph nodes. The induction of IL10-secreting Treg was partially involved in the therapeutic effect of hASCs. Moreover, ASCs protected from severe sepsis by reducing the infiltration of inflammatory cells in various target organs and by downregulating the production of various inflammatory mediators. Conclusions: hASCs emerge as key regulators of immune/inflammatory responses in vivo and as attractive candidates for cell-based treatments for IBD and sepsis.
Fast Traders Make a Quick Buck: The Role of Speed in Liquidity Provision

We study the consequences of information arrival for market outcomes when both high-frequency and slower traders provide liquidity. We present a model that predicts faster traders achieve a relative increase in profits obtained from liquidity provision following a news event through (i) avoiding adverse selection by canceling mispriced quotes, and (ii) winning the race to post updated quotes. We find strong support for these model predictions using data from the Toronto Stock Exchange. The identification strategy is based on an unanticipated news event in which the Twitter feed of the Associated Press falsely reported a terrorist attack.
Phosphorylation of acyclovir [9-(2-hydroxyethoxymethyl)guanine] in Epstein-Barr virus-infected lymphoblastoid cell lines

The extent of phosphorylation of 9-(2-hydroxyethoxymethyl)guanine (acyclovir [ACV]) in fresh peripheral leukocytes, in Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-infected lymphoblastoid cell lines, and in herpes simplex virus type 1-infected lymphoblastoid (P3HR-1) and monkey kidney (Vero) cells was determined by high-pressure liquid chromatography, Mono-, di-, and triphosphorylated derivatives of [8-14C]ACV were detected at low levels at various times after superinfection of Raji cells with EBV. The extent of phosphorylation appeared to be related to the concentration of ACV in the medium. Small amounts of ACV mono-, di-, and triphosphates were formed in fresh peripheral leukocyte preparations from EBV- seropositive and -seronegative donors. Comparable ACV monophosphate levels were detected in EBV-negative BJAB and the EBV-positive BJAB/GC cell lines; however, no di- or triphosphate derivatives were detected. Comparable ACV-monophosphate levels were detected in both P3HR-1 and HSV-infected P3HR-1 cell lines; however, larger amounts of ACV di- and triphosphorylated derivatives were detected in the HSV-infected P3HR-1 cells. ACV was converted to the triphosphate to a greater extent in HSV-infected Vero cells than in mock-infected Vero cells or in HSV-infected P3HR-1 cells. ACV or its phosphorylated derivatives were converted to guanine nucleotides to a greater extent in lymphoblastoid cells than in fibroblasts (Vero). In conclusion, neither the productive replication of EBV nor the presence of latent viral DNA is required for ACV monophosphate formation in B lymphoblastoid cells. ACV triphosphate, however, was detected only in cells infected productively with EBV.
Product Quality: An Investigation into the Concept and How It Is Perceived by Consumers

If having a customer orientation is central to marketing effectiveness, studying how consumers perceive the quality of products and services is undoubtedly important. This book, by a European author, investigates product quality as perceived by consumers and manufacturers, and in my opinion contributes significantly to marketing knowledge in the United States. In a broader context, this book may serve to sensitize us to search increasingly for European contributions to marketing knowledge. The book consists of 13 chapters, divided into four parts. In the first part, Steenkamp reviews the literature to consider the concept of product quality from four different perspectives: metaphysics, production management, economics, and consumer behavior. The first two approaches are discussed in Chapter 2. The metaphysical perspective considers quality in terms of innate excellence, as an unanalyzable property that can be recognized only through experience. It is interesting to see that the concept of quality already has been discussed by Aristotle as one of his "categories. " The production management approach is concerned with objective determination of quality and, hence, the setting of specifications. Cost considerations associated with quality improvements and the notion that "quality is free" (Crosby 1979) enter into this perspective. The economic approach (Chapter 3) takes quality to be a competitive weapon. In reviewing the economic approach, the author critically discusses a wide range of economic theories pertaining to the supply side and the demand side of the market. Some theories consider the consumer to be perfectly informed; Lancaster's (1971) characteristics model and the hedonic approach (Rosen 1974) are probably the best known. More recently, economic theory has devoted attention to the notion that the consumer usually is imperfectly informed, which has given rise to an extensive body of literature on the "economics of information" and the validity of market signals of quality such as price and advertising. This literature is discussed in considerable detail.
Histopathology and Spectral Domain OCT Findings of Pneumatic-Assisted Dissection in DALK

Purpose: To correlate big-bubble deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty findings in donor corneas with anterior segment optical coherence tomography (OCT) and histology. Methods: This research was conducted entirely at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. We performed deep intrastromal air injections in donor corneas on artificial chambers. Surgical patterns (big bubble, intrastromal emphysema, and perforation) were assessed by spectral domain OCT with a handheld probe and histology. Results: Surgical patterns were evaluated by histology using a novel embedding technique. A classic big bubble may be a Descemet membrane (DM) detachment with a few attached stromal fibrils. There were no large intra-DM separations as previously reported. The emphysematous surgical patterns result from intrastromal emphysema, which can be accompanied by microdetachments of DM. We saw indirect OCT signs of big bubble, but scatter from intrastromal emphysema limits deeper imaging. Conclusions: Surgical patterns of big bubble and intrastromal emphysema correlate with characteristic histology findings. Marked scatter on OCT by intrastromal emphysema limits visualization of deeper corneal structures, but the presence of a big bubble may be inferred.
The Effects of a Direct Mail Coupon on Brand Choice Behavior

The authors examine the effects of a manufacturer coupon on brand choice behavior. The level of coupon redemption and changes in brand choice behavior after redemption are examined as a function of the household's prior probability of purchasing the promoted brand, likelihood of buying a favorite competitive brand, and coupon face value. A model of the coupon redemption decision is developed to predict response to the coupon promotion by different consumer segments. Predictions from the model are tested by using scanner panel data from a field experiment on coupon face values. Coupon redemption rates are found to be much higher among households that have purchased the brand on a regular basis in the past. The results also suggest that most consumers revert to their precoupon choice behavior immediately after their redemption purchase. These and other findings have important implications for the profitability of coupon promotions.
Ultrasonography-Guided Peripheral Intravenous Access in Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial

A prospective, randomized controlled trial compared the success of peripheral venipuncture in pediatric patients using vascular ultrasound and standard landmark methods and the occurrence of infiltration and phlebitis. The sample was composed of 382 venipunctures; 188 (49.2%) were performed with vascular ultrasound, and 194 (50.8%) were performed using the standard landmark method. No significant difference (P = .059) was found between either method in the success of peripheral venipuncture. A higher frequency of infiltration was found (P = .025) in the vascular ultrasound group.
INDUCTION OF OXIDATIVE STRESS IN THE TISSUES OF RATS AFTER CHRONIC EXPOSURE TO TCDD, 2,3,4,7,8-PENTACHLORODIBENZOFURAN, AND 3,3',4,4',5-PENTACHLOROBIPHENYL

The abilities of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo- p -dioxin (TCDD), 2,3,4,7,8-pentachlorodibenzofuran (PeCDF), 3,3',4,4',5-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB126), and mixtures of these xenobiotics (toxic equivalents, TEQs) to induce oxidative stress in hepatic and brain tissues of rats have been investigated after chronic (30 wk) exposure to these congeners. TCDD, PeCDF, PCB126, and TEQs were administered daily to groups of rats at doses that corresponded to their toxic equivalency factors (TEFs), and the biomarkers of oxidative stress, including the production of superoxide anion, lipid peroxidation, and DNA single-strand breaks (SSBs), were determined in hepatic and brain tissues at the end of the exposure period. The three chemicals caused similar dose-dependent increases in the production of superoxide anion, lipid peroxidation, and DNA SSBs, which plateaued at certain dose ranges, followed by secondary increases at the higher dose levels. Similar effects were also produced by the TEQs; however, the dose-dependent increases in the biomarkers of oxidative stress were continuous and never achieved plateau levels. Except for PCB126, where statistical analyses revealed greater productions of superoxide anion and lipid peroxidation in brain tissues as compared with hepatic tissues, no significant differences were revealed between the two tissues in response to the other xenobiotics or the TEQs. Nonsignificant differences were also revealed when comparing the effects induced by the TEQs with those induced by the individual chemicals.
How many cases are necessary to develop competence for laparoscopic radical nephrectomy?

PURPOSE We evaluated the number of cases necessary to develop competence for performing laparoscopic radical nephrectomy (LRN) by chronologically analyzing the results of 150 cases. PATIENTS AND METHODS 150 patients were included in this study, each of whom had had pure transperitoneal LRNs between March 2003 and February 2008 performed by three surgeons who were all novices in laparoscopic surgery. Each surgeon performed 50 LRNs. These were divided into 10 groups chronologically, with five cases in each group (individual-group). Subsequently, we combined the data of the three surgeons, with 15 cases assigned to each group (combined-group). We identified the groups that demonstrated a statistically significant difference in operative time, compared with the most recent group. Based on this finding, we divided the cases into two groups: The novice group and the competent group. The complication rate, transfusion rate, and estimated blood loss were then compared between the two groups. RESULTS The total average operative time was 187.6 +/- 46.56 minutes; from group 4 onward, there was no significant decrease in the operative time. Therefore, groups 1 to 3 were defined as the novice groups, and groups 4 to 10 as the competent groups. Incidence of intraoperative complications was six (13.3%) in the novice group and nine (8.6%) in the competent group. There were 14 cases with postoperative complications--4 (8.9%) in the novice group and 10 (9.5%) in the competent group. There were significant differences in the estimated blood loss and transfusion rate between the novice and competent groups (236.4 +/- 41.85 mL vs 191.5 +/- 21.9 mL, 17.8% vs 4.8%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that 15 cases are needed for a novice surgeon to achieve competence in LRN. Surgical outcomes and morbidity can be improved once this learning curve has been overcome.
Patterns and Determinants of International Activities: Are SMEs Different?

The literature on the internationalisation of firms has paid little attention to SMEs. SME-oriented studies are predominantly descriptive or illustrating theoretical arguments, and those dealing with services are mostly confined to specific industries. The paper aims at correcting some of these deficiencies. To this end, we start with characterising the international activities of Swiss-based firms with special emphasis on differences by size and sector. The pattern we find for SMEs is broadly in line with theory and (the somewhat fragmentary) empirical evidence. The main part of our contribution is devoted to identifying econometrically, based on firm-level data, the factors determining international activities of SMEs. The analysis confirms Dunning’s “OwnerhipLocation-Internalisation” paradigm, with ownership-specific advantages being the main drivers, irrespective of firm size, sector and internationalisation strategy (in terms of business functions transferred abroad). However, we also find important differences by firm size: Location-specific advantages foster international activities only in case of SMEs; internalising advantages are relevant primarily for large firms; application-oriented knowledge and foreign experience are particularly relevant ownership-specific advantages in case of SMEs, whereas R&D is an ownership advantage of prime importance for large firms. Both the descriptive and the explicative analysis imply that international and domestic activities are complements.
The Effect of Age of Cochlear Implantation on Speech Intelligibility to Others

Cochlear implantation is a common surgical procedure for children with profound hearing loss who receive minimal or no benefit from traditional hearing aids. Cochlear implants bypass the damaged portion of the inner ear by providing direct electrical stimulation to the auditory nerve. This electrical stimulation attempts to simulate hearing and is highly successful in many children. However, previous research suggests that most children will need to be implanted at an early age to allow for normal auditory processing of speech signals; normal auditory processing of signals is vital in producing intelligible speech. The goal of the present systematic review is to examine the effect of age at implantation on speech intelligibility, which is defined as the comprehensibility of speech to an outside listener. Providing cumulative evidence that age at implantation significantly impacts speech intelligibility will provide further support for early intervention and implantation in children with profound hearing loss. Introduction
Approaches for the control of banana Xanthomonas wilt in East and Central Africa

The livelihoods of millions of banana farmers in East and Central Africa have been threatened by the devastating epidemic of banana Xanthomonas wilt (BXW) caused by Xanthomonas campestris pv. musacearum. The disease is widespread and has been reported in East and Central Africa. The economic impact of the disease emanates from loss of yield and cost of control measures. All banana cultivars grown in the region are susceptible to BXW and no source of resistance has been identified. Cultural interventions are therefore the most practical and recommended practices for BXW control. A number of approaches: farmer field schools, community action, going public and top-down conventional approaches (traning of trainers, mass media and posters) have been used to mobilize stakeholders in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania and Democratic Republic of Congo. Different approaches have been used in different countries with varied success in controlling BXW. This review discusses approaches, which have been successfully used in the management of BXW in some areas of East and Central Africa with a view of evaluating them individually or in combination under local conditions. This hopefully will help scale-out the promising approaches and contribute to more effective BXW control in the region. Key words: Banana Xanthomonas wilt, disease management approaches, Eastern and Central Africa.
Measuring Motivations for Online Opinion Seeking

ABSTRACT Online interpersonal influence or electronic word-of-mouth (“eWOM”) is an important aspect of ecommerce. Consumers give and seek opinions online in much the same way as they do offline, thereby affecting the sales of many goods and services. To further the understanding of eWOM, the present study used data from a survey of 309 consumers to develop a 32-item self-report scale measuring consumer motivations for online opinion seeking. This study revealed eight distinct factors. Consumers seek the opinions of others online to reduce their risk, because others do it, to secure lower prices, to get information easily, by accident (unplanned), because it is cool, because they are stimulated by off-line inputs such as TV, and to get pre-purchase information. A second study using data from 109 consumers showed that: (1) the scales measuring these motivations are free from social desirability response bias and acquiescence, (2) other consumers’ information is more important than advertising, and (3) consumers are likely to continue to seek WOM online, thereby confirming its importance in ecommerce.
Access Regulation, Entry and the Investment Ladder in Telecommunications

This paper presents a model of competition between an incumbent and an entrant firm in telecommunications. The entrant has the option to enter the market with or without having preliminary invested in its own infrastructure; in case of facility based entry, the entrant has also the option to invest in the provision of enhanced services. In case of resale based entry the entrant needs access to the incumbent network. Unlike the rival, the incumbent has always the option to upgrade the existing network to provide advanced services. We study the impact of access regulation on the type of entry and on firms' investments. Without regulation, we find that the incumbent sets the access charge to prevent resale based entry and this overstimulates rival's investment that may turn out to be socially inefficient. Access regulation may discourage welfare enhancing investments, thus also inducing a socially inefficient outcome. We extend the model to account for negotiated interconnection in case of facilities based entry.
A note on ''impulse repression and emotional adjustment''.

I have discussed the point at issue between orthodox Freudian writers and Mowrer elsewhere (Eysenck, 1957, p. 82f.), and have suggested there that the distinction which must be made in order to accommodate the known facts is one between extraverted neurotic behavior patterns (hysteria, psychopathy, hypochondriasis, etc.) and introverted neurotic behavior patterns (anxiety, reactive depression, obsessional-compulsive, dysthymic reactions). This personality dimension of extraversion-introversion is conceived of as being orthogonal to neuroticism, and I have further suggested that "impulse repression" and socialization generally are in part caused by constitutional factors closely linked with introversion, Dysthymic neurotics, according to this view, are "oversocialized," hysteric and psychopathic ones "undersocialized. " This theory has been discussed in some detail in relation to the experimental evidence (Eysenck, 1957, 1960a, 1960c) and it may be concluded that it serves to reconcile a large amount of factual material. When we turn to Grater's study we find that he MS defined neuroticism in terms of three MMPI scales two of which are measures of extraverted neuroticism (Hy, Hs), while the most clear-cut introverted scale (Pt) was not used at all. According to the analysis given above, therefore, we would expect neurotics (as defined by Grater's MMPI scores) to be extraverted and less given to impulse repression than nonneurotics. His results, as far as they go, bear out this prediction, although in only one or two instances do his scores reach statistical significance. The purpose of this note is not so much to reinterpret Grater's data as to draw attention to the absolute necessity, in work of this kind, to take into account the twodimensional nature of the test-space in which the experimenter is working (Eysenck, 1960b). Much experimental work in this field is wasted because results are quite uninterpretable, it being impossible from the data given to sort out the dimensions involved; work with the Manifest Anxiety scale is a good example of this, the resulting score having loadings both on neuroticism and on introversion (Bendig, 1960; Eysenck, 1957). Much of the theoretical disputation regarding the nature of neuroticism is sidetracked by emphasizing either the extraverted or the introverted side (Miller & Bollard, 1950; Mowrer, 1953). The evidence for at least two factors in this field is now practically conclusive (Eysenck, 1960b) and it would seem desirable to recognize this fact in the design and interpretation of psychological experiments.
The importance of service quality in bank selection for mortgage loans

Purpose – This project aims to offer an in‐depth understanding of bank customers' buying behaviour in relation to the selection process, and provide bank managers with useful insight into the development of high quality relationships with customers.Design/methodology/approach – The research involved a review of available literature on bank choice criteria, the fieldwork, the identification of factors that affect customers' choice, and the development of related managerial implications. A research questionnaire was administered by personal interviews to 1,092 bank customers in the greater area of Athens.Findings – Four distinct factors were identified as the main choice criteria that influence consumers' bank choice. Bank service quality is the most important element that customers consider in order to select their mortgage providers and establish a long‐term relationship with them. The other three refer to product attributes, access, and communication.Research limitations/implications – Limitations relate.