Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Stage migration and increasing proportion of favorable‐prognosis metastatic renal cell carcinoma patients

The Memorial Sloan‐Kettering Cancer Center risk model classifies patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) by 5 pretreatment features as favorable, intermediate, and poor risk. The number of Memorial Sloan‐Kettering Cancer Center patients in each risk group was examined by year of treatment to analyze stage migration.
Two Separate Regulatory Systems Participate in Control of Swarming Motility of Serratia liquefaciensMG1

ABSTRACT Swarming motility of Serratia liquefaciens MG1 requires the expression of two genetic loci, flhDC andswrI. Here we demonstrate that the products of theflhDC operon (the flagellar master regulator) and theswrI gene (the extracellular signal moleculeN-butanoyl-l-homoserine lactone) are global regulators which control two separate regulons.
Puriﬁcation and Characterization of the IM-2-Binding Protein from Streptomyces sp. Strain FRI-5

IM-2 [(2 R ,3 R ,1 (cid:42) R )-2-(1 (cid:42) -hydroxybutyl)-3-(hydroxymethyl)butanolide] of Streptomyces sp. strain FRI-5 is one of the butyrolactone autoregulators of Streptomyces species and triggers production of blue pigment as well as the nucleoside antibiotics showdomycin and minimycin. A tritium-labeled IM-2 analogue, 2,3- trans -2(1 (cid:42) - (cid:98) -hydroxy-[4 (cid:42) ,5 (cid:42) - 3 H]pentyl)-3-(hydroxymethyl)butanolide ([ 3 H]IM-2-C 5 ; 40 Ci/mmol), was synthesized for a competitive binding assay, and an IM-2-speciﬁc binding protein was found to be present in the crude cell extract of Streptomyces sp. strain FRI-5. During cultivation for 24 h, the speciﬁc IM-2-binding activity increased rapidly, reached a plateau at 10 to 14 h, and declined sharply thereafter, showing only 6% activity after 24 h of cultivation. A Scatchard plot of the binding data demonstrated that the dissociation constant ( K d ) for [ 3 H]IM-2-C 5 was 1.3 nM, while the K d for a 3 H-labeled virginiae butanolide (VB) analogue, 2-(1
Initial studies on mechanism of action and cell death of active N-oxide-containing heterocycles in Trypanosoma cruzi epimastigotes in vitro

SUMMARY Chagas disease, endemic in 21 countries across Latin America, kills more people in the region each year than any other parasite-borne disease. Therapeutic options have problems ranging from toxicity, poor efficacy, drug resistance and high cost. Thus, cheaper and less toxic treatments are necessary. From our in-house chemical library of agents against Trypanosoma cruzi the most relevant N-oxide-containing heterocycles were selected for mode of action and type of death studies. Also included in these studies were two active nitrofuranes. Epimastigotes of T. cruzi were used as the biological model in this study. The metabolic profile was studied by 1H NMR in association with the MTT assay. Excreted catabolites data, using 1H NMR spectroscopy, showed that most of the studied N-oxides were capable of decreasing both the release of succinate and acetate shedding, the compounds therefore possibly acting on mitochondria. Only quinoxalines and the nitrofurane Nf1 showed significant mitochondrial dehydrogenase inhibitions, but with different dose–time profiles. In the particular case of quinoxaline Qx2 the glucose uptake study revealed that the integrity of some pathways into the glycosome could be affected. Optic, fluorescence (TUNEL and propidium iodide) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were employed for type of death studies. These studies were complemented with 1H NMR to visualize mobile lipids. At low concentrations none of the selected compounds showed a positive TUNEL assay. However, both quinoxalines, one furoxan and one benzofuroxan showed a necrotic effect at high concentrations. Curiously, one furoxan, Fx1, one benzofuroxan, Bfx1, and one nitrofurane, Nf1, caused a particular phenotype, with a big cytoplasmatic vacuole being observed while the parasite was still alive. Studies of TEM and employing a protease inhibitor (3-methyladenine) suggested an autophagic phenotype for Bfx1 and Nf1 and a ‘BigEye’ phenotype for Fx1.
Social Effects in the In-Flight Marketplace: Characterization and Managerial Implications

This article investigates the in-flight marketplace, using detailed data of in-flight purchases to understand social effects in purchase behavior and determine their potential for designing marketing promotions. On average, a passenger is approximately 30% more likely to buy an item after being exposed to a lateral purchase. Analyses on the underlying mechanisms reveal that the classical social influence theories do not suffice to explain all the patterns in the data. The author proposes omission neglect, product contagion, and goal balancing as complementary theories. Finally, consumers’ willingness to buy is shown to be positively correlated with responsiveness to social influence. This finding indicates that homophily and social feedback effects—classically viewed in the literature as nuisances—can provide targeting value for the firm. By taking these factors into account during behavior-based targeting, firms can double the social spillovers of marketing actions.
Shareholding, board of directors and quality of financial communication by listed Tunisian firms

This paper proposes to link financial communication quality of listed Tunisian firms to two determinants developed by the literature: shareholding and characteristics of board of directors. Financial communication quality is operationalised by a multi-item composite index applied to annual reports of 31 Tunisian firms listed on the Tunis Stock Exchange (TSE) during the year 2009. This quality index allows for attributing a score to each firm of the sample, from which two groups of firms with good/poor financial quality are extracted. Results of mean-difference tests indicate that firms with good financial communication possess a diffused capital structure, i.e. having an institutional shareholding, shareholders-directors, an independent board of directors and separating power and management. The conducted logistic regressions enabled us to conclude that probability of a good quality financial communication is higher than an important institutional shareholding, a weak manager shareholding and that the firm separates between management and ownership. Our results confirm most of our hypotheses, though they reject those related to directors’ shareholding, size and independence of the board. On the whole, these results corroborate only partially predictions proposed by agency theory.
In Vivo Facial Tissue Depth Study of Chinese‐American Adults in New York City *

Abstract: This study examines facial tissue depth in adult Chinese‐Americans. Using ultrasound, measurements were taken at 19 landmarks across the faces of 101 individuals aged from 18 to 87 years. Summary statistics are reported for a sample of 67 individuals of normal weight (as determined by a body mass index [BMI] of 19–25). Statistical analyses were used to assess relationships between tissue thickness, age, and BMI. Results indicate that no significant relationship exists between tissue thickness and age for males, and for only 3/19 points in females. Also, only four points showed significant relationships between tissue thickness and sex. However, significant relationships exist between BMI and tissue thickness at multiple points for both males and females. Compared to other American and Asian populations in the literature, Chinese‐Americans generally had thinner facial tissue; though, this difference was not assessed statistically. Finally, data generated in this study will add to the body of knowledge concerning facial tissue depth variation in modern humans.
Online Buying Behavior and Perceived Trustworthiness

Trustworthiness perceived by customers plays a very important role in pursuing online buying, particularly in the business-to-consumer (B2C) E-commerce (EC) purchase process. After a thorough investigation of the literature, this study reveals that privacy, security, behavioral attitudes, cognitive perception, and fulfillment/reliability are significant antecedents of perceived trustworthiness that affect the purchasing behavior of customers in B2C EC. This study reviews the literature dealing with trust in EC and develops a conceptual framework for formation of perceived trustworthiness by customers in B2C EC.
An inference of gift‐giving within Asian business culture

This paper attempts to provide an understanding of gift‐giving for a more systematic assessment of relationship building to succeed in an Asian realm. This study proposes to examine the underlying linkage between the intensity of gift‐giving and constructing relationships. The goal is to provide both researchers and businesses an insight into how to successfully manage profitable relationships in a culture‐rich environment that is growing ever more demanding and complicated. Gift‐giving is seen as an act of reciprocity, and often misconstrued as bribery by Westerners, yet it appears to be an important constituent of the Asian culture and can be seen as a form of relationship investment, that if cultivated well, can uplift interactions between businesses.
Patient preferences and willingness to pay for tinnitus treatments.

PURPOSE There will likely be several different tinnitus treatments necessary, and it is important to understand patient preferences and factors that might contribute to treatment acceptability. This study explores the acceptability of a wide range of different tinnitus treatments, from noninvasive wearable devices to surgically implanted devices in the brain. Understanding how tinnitus sufferers consider and rank such options and how they might be influenced by their own perception of the severity of their tinnitus could help clinicians, researchers, and companies plan future efforts for approaching new treatments. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS 197 tinnitus self-help group attendees rated their acceptance of treatments on a scale from 0 (not acceptable) to 100 (fully acceptable). The treatments included external devices, medications, cochlear implants, an implant on the brain surface, and an implant in the brain. They were also asked how much they would pay for successful treatments. RESULTS There was a significant correlation between loudness and annoyance (r = .78). To reduce tinnitus by half, an "acceptable" response between 91 and 100 was reported by 30% of the respondents for devices, by 52% for pills, by 25% for cochlear implants, by 13% for implants on the brain surface, and by 13% for implants in the brain. To reduce tinnitus completely, a 91-100 acceptable response was reported by 42% for devices, by 62% for pills, by 38% for cochlear implants, by 21% for implants on the brain surface, and by 19% for implants in the brain. To reduce tinnitus completely, participants most commonly selected to pay at least $5000, and 20.3% were willing to pay as much as $25,000. The ratings of tinnitus loudness and annoyance were positively correlated with the likelihood of using any treatment. Surprisingly, there was a weak relationship between annoyance and the amount they were willing to pay. CONCLUSIONS Tinnitus patients are prepared to accept a wide variety of treatments. Medications are the most acceptable. Invasive procedures can also be acceptable to many, particularly if they provide complete relief.
Comparative analysis of the economics of conventional and non-conventional feed use by poultry enterprises in Owerri, Nigeria

Economic crisis impacts negatively on the profitability of poultry enterprises in Nigeria. As a result, poultry farms resort to using non-conventional bye-products. Eighty (80) poultry farms in Owerri in Southeast Nigeria were surveyed. Results show that the use of non-conventional feeds increased profitability while reducing production cost. This is recommended for wider dissemination by extension services, as well as further research on their nutritive and health consequences.
Salesperson Adaptive Selling Behavior and Customer Orientation: A Meta-Analysis

The authors combine findings from 155 samples of more than 31,000 salespeople to test alternative models of antecedents and consequences of adaptive selling behavior (ASB) and customer orientation (CO). A random-effects meta-analysis yields average values for 28 different correlations ranging from -. 16 to . 35, 19 of which are significant. Controlling for salesperson gender and selling experience, structural equation modeling indicates that ASB increases self-rated, manager-rated, and objective measures of performance, whereas CO increases only self-rated performance. Both ASB and CO increase job satisfaction. Tests of reciprocal relationships indicate that ASB increases CO and job satisfaction increases performance rather than vice versa. Selling experience increases performance but not job satisfaction, and saleswomen rate their performance and satisfaction slightly higher than salesmen do. The magnitudes of the relationships indicate that ASB and selling experience have greater effects than CO and gender on salesperson performance.
The Effect of Opioid Use on Workers' Compensation Claim Cost in the State of Michigan

Objective: To investigate the association between opioid utilization and catastrophic claim (≥$100,000) cost. Method: A total of 12,226 workers' compensation indemnity claims that were opened and closed from January 1, 2006 to February 28, 2010 in the State of Michigan were selected for multivariate logistic regression analyses. Result: Controlling for sex, age, claim duration, number of distinct International Classification of Diseases–Ninth Revision codes per claim, and legal involvement, the presence of short-acting opioids on a claim were 1.76 (95% confidence interval: 1.23 to 2.51) and long-acting opioids 3.94 (95% confidence interval: 2.35 to 6.89) more likely to have a final cost $100,000 or more than a claim without any prescription. Conclusion: The use of opioid medications, particularly long-acting opioid medications, is an independent risk factor for the development of catastrophic claims.
Decreased Density of Mesenteric Arteries but not of Myocardial Endothelin Receptors and Function in Rats with Chronic Ischemic Heart Failure

Summary: Mesenteric artery and cardiac ventricular endothelin receptors and endothelin-1-induced pressor responses were studied in normal rats and rats with chronic congestive heart failure induced by myocardial ischemia (4 weeks after coronary artery ligation). In mesenteric arteries of rats with chronic ischemic heart failure, endothelin receptor density was significantly decreased by 59%, whereas the dissociation constant was increased 2.8-fold, as compared with controls. There were, however, no changes in endothelin-receptor density or the dissociation constant in cardiac ventricular membrane preparations from rats with congestive heart failure as compared with controls. In pithed rats with congestive heart failure there was a reduced pressor response to a bolus injection of endothelin-1 (800 pmole/kg body weight), while the vasodilatory response was unaltered as compared with sham-operated controls. These results demonstrate that there is a decreased vascular endothelin-receptor function due to a down-regulated endothelin receptor. The in vivo data indicate that this is due to impaired endothelin A but not endothelin B receptor function. Thus, there is an impaired arterial but not cardiac ventricular endothelin receptor-mediated signalling system in the rat with chronic ischemic heart failure.
Diluting Brand Beliefs: When Do Brand Extensions Have a Negative Impact?

This paper examines situations in which brand extensions are more or less likely to dilute beliefs associated with the family brand name. The results of an experimental investigation indicate that dilution effects do occur when brand extension attributes are inconsistent with the family brand beliefs. However, they are less likely to emerge when consumers perceive the brand extension as atypical of the family brand, and typicality of the brand extension is salient at the time beliefs are assessed. These findings held regardless of brand extension category, with the extension category being either the same or different from those product categories already occupied by the family brand, but differing by the type of family brand belief involved. Results are discussed in terms of the conditions under which two alternative theoretical perspectives (“bookkeeping” versus “typicality-based” models) are supported.
Cryo-Electron Tomography Reveals the Cytoskeletal Structure of Spiroplasma melliferum

Evidence has accumulated recently that not only eukaryotes but also bacteria can have a cytoskeleton. We used cryo–electron tomography to study the three-dimensional structure of Spiroplasma melliferum cells in a close-to-native state at ∼4-nanometer resolution. We showed that these cells possess two types of filaments arranged in three parallel ribbons underneath the cell membrane. These two filamentous structures are built of the fibril protein and possibly the actin-like protein MreB. On the basis of our structural data, we could model the motility modes of these cells and explain how helical Mollicutes can propel themselves by means of coordinated length changes of their cytoskeletal ribbons.
Effect of topical ophthalmic application of cidofovir on experimentally induced primary ocular feline herpesvirus-1 infection in cats.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy of twice-daily ophthalmic application of 0.5% cidofovir solution in cats with experimentally induced primary ocular feline herpesvirus-1 (FHV-1) infection. ANIMALS Twelve 6-month-old sexually intact male cats. PROCEDURES Cats were randomly assigned to either a treatment or control group. Ocular infection with FHV-1 was induced (day 0) in all cats via inoculation of both eyes with 10(4) plaque-forming units of a plaque-purified FHV-1 field strain. Twice daily for 10 days beginning on day 4 after virus inoculation, the treatment group received 1 drop of 0.5% cidofovir in 1% carboxymethylcellulose in both eyes, and the control group received 1 drop of 1% carboxymethylcellulose in both eyes. A standardized scoring method was used to evaluate clinical signs of FHV-1 infection in each cat once daily for 24 days. The amount of ocular viral shedding was assessed by use of a quantitative real-time PCR procedure every 3 days during the study period. Clinical scores and viral quantification were averaged over the pretreatment (days 0 to 3), treatment (days 4 to 14), and posttreatment (days 15 to 24) periods for each cat. RESULTS During the treatment period, clinical scores and amount of viral ocular shedding were significantly lower in the treatment group, compared with findings in the control group. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Twice-daily application of 0.5% cidofovir solution in both eyes significantly decreased the amount of viral shedding and the severity of clinical disease in cats with experimentally induced ocular FHV-1 infection.
Towards Enhancing Business Survival and Growth Rates in LDCs: An Exploratory Study of the Drivers of Business Failure among SMES in Kampala-Uganda

Existing studies indicate that the survival and growth of small and Medium Size Enterprises (SMEs) significantly accounts for the economic performance of LDCs like Uganda. However, the failure rate of SMEs in Uganda is still high as new start-ups collapse shortly after they assume operations. The purpose of this study was to establish and describe the drivers of business failure such that by countering them, more small scale businesses can survive, grow and thereby boost the economic performance of the host countries. The Data used was collected from 50 SMEs operating in Kampala. Data was cleaned and analyzed to extract the salient factors that cause SMEs to shutdown pre-maturely. Based on the findings, this study identifies and proposes solutions, key policy interventions and approaches to be adopted towards enhancing business survival and growth rates. Unlike related studies, this research uses data from the area with the highest business activity in Uganda which is a fair benchmark for other areas seeking economic growth.
Co-operation, coordination, and specific assets in inter-organisational relationships

A basic premise of inter-organisational research, from a number of different theoretical perspectives, is that selected organisations should work in harmony rather than competition with each other in order to enhance business success. From this perspective, a review of the literature reveals that three related topics are co-operation, coordination, and specific assets. Yet these constructs have not been examined together in empirical research. This study examines the relationship between these focal constructs and two antecedents (trust and commitment) and one consequent (satisfaction). As predicted, commitment leads to co-operation, coordination, and specific assets. Yet, only co-operation and coordination leads to satisfaction with the relationship. Although trust leads to co-operation, trust has a negative relationship with specific assets, which in turn, leads to lower levels of satisfaction with the relationship.
Marketizing municipal park management organisations in Denmark

Influenced by New Public Management (NPM) Danish municipal organisations have been subject to changes with decisive consequences for the coherence of management. A considerable effort from municipal park managers is expected in an attempt to influence the decision on change. Starting from this hypothesis the paper investigates the public policyand decision-making process at municipal governmental level in Denmark with emphasis on the relationship between decisions of change and the role of park managers. The study identifies four different roles that park managers can adopt in policy making yet argues that the level of impact differs with park managers’ timing in terms of entering the policy process, existing power relations between politicians and experts and park managers’ professional and management skills.
SEC Comment Letters and Financial Statement Restatements

We use United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) comment letters and accounting restatements to investigate the SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance (DCF) financial reporting oversight procedures. We investigate how DCF compares with “other monitors” in identifying disclosures requiring restatement and how these restatements differ. Our tests focus on DCF as a whole and on the individual industry offices that comprise the DCF. We conclude that, while there are significant variations across DCF offices in the prompting of restatements, company variables used by the SEC to select firms for review appear consistent with SOX section 408 criteria. We also find the oversight process focuses on companies with weaker “other monitors,” i.e. audit firms. Our results provide evidence for the debate on whether or not an SEC type review and comment letter monitoring process could serve as the model for achieving the oversight for IFRS enforcement that is critical to international capital markets.
The Internet revolution: some global marketing implications

Advances in information technology have constantly impacted upon the global marketing strategies of firms. This paper assesses the implications that an Internet presence can bring to organisations’ global marketing strategies and evaluates the difficulties the Internet can pose to the global marketing strategies of firms, a topic often overlooked in published material. Providing real life examples of online corporate activism this article illustrates how the Internet facilitates an individual’s ability to hold corporations accountable for their actions and proposes strategies which marketers should consider when facing this other side of the Internet.