Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Role of stress-activated MAP kinase P38 in cisplatin- and DTT-induced apoptosis of the esophageal carcinoma cell line Eca109.

AIM To study the role of P38 kinase in esophageal cancer cell apoptosis induced by genotoxin, cisplatin and the unfolded protein response (UPR) inducer, dithiothreitol (DTT). METHODS Esophageal carcinoma cell line Eca109 was cultured in RPMI 1640 medium to 70% confluency and treated with either cisplatin, DTT, or cisplatin plus DTT in the presence or absence of P38 inhibitor, SB203580. The untreated cells served as the control. The esophageal carcinoma cell apoptosis was detected by agarose gel DNA ladder analysis and quantified by flow cytometry. The P38 phosphorylation was detected by immunohistochemistry using antibodies specific to phosphorylated P38 protein. RESULTS (1) Both cisplatin and DTT induced apoptosis in the esophageal cancer cell line Eca109 as shown by DNA ladder formation; (2) As detected by antibodies specific for the phosphorylated P38 protein (p-P38), both cisplatin and DTT treatments activated the stress-activated enzyme, MAP kinase P38. The number of positive cells was about 50% for the treatment groups, comparing to that of 10% for untreated group. DTT treatment, but not cisplatin treatment, induces nuclear localization of p-P38; (3) As measured by flow cytometry, inhibition of P38 activity by SB203580 blocks DTT- and cisplatin-induced apoptosis. The rates for DTT, cisplatin, and DTT plus cisplatin-induced apoptosis were 16.8%, 17.1%, and 21.4%, respectively. Addition of the SB compound during the incubation reduced the apoptotic rate to about 7.6% for all the treatment groups, suggesting that P38 activation is essential for cisplatin- and DTT-induced apoptosis in Eca109 cells. CONCLUSION (1) Both DTT and cisplatin were able to induce apoptosis in esophageal cancer cell line Eca109; (2) P38 MAP kinase is essential for DTT- and cisplatin-induced apoptosis in Eca109 cells; (3) P38 activation may be the common signaling component relaying the multiple upstream signaling events to the downstream cell death program.
The Impact of User Characteristics in Online Purchase Intention in Tourism Industry

Most of the Internet shopper browse through the Internet and get the information related to the product and services rather than purchase it. This research tries to address the factors affecting online purchase intention through investigating the user characteristics in Tourist industry. The results show that the user characteristics factors namely; risk preferences, Internet shopping experiences, and personal value influence trust and perceived risk which ultimately impact purchase intention. Based on the provided literature this study proposed a model.
Reciprocal transfer effects for brand extensions of global or local origin: evidence from Norway

– Consumers' evaluations of brand extensions have gained considerable attention in the marketing literature. The purpose of this study is to investigate how a brand's perceived global or local origin impacts evaluations of brand extensions and creates transfer effects of brand meaning. The paper conceptually characterizes the transference process and empirically tests the nature and extent of spillover effects of origin associations across multiple parent brands and extensions. , – For the empirical testing of the conceptual model of transfer effects of origin associations we undertook a cross‐sectional consumer survey amongst a sample of 267 Norwegian respondents. Structural equation modelling was used to investigate the causal relationships between the latent exogenous and endogenous variables in the conceptual model. , – The present study indicates that the global and local origin framework, first introduced by Steenkamp et al. in 2003, can explain the occurrence of reciprocal transfer of brand meaning across parent brands and extensions. The paper shows that global and local origin associations operate in a manner very similar to brand associations in the transference of perceptions. It finds that distinct origin associations influence the pre‐brand image and drive the forward effect on the attitude towards the extension as well as the subsequent backward effect upon the post‐brand image of the parent brand. , – This paper reveals for the first time that distinct origin associations can initiate spillover effects across parent brands and extensions. This study is therefore an important step towards the generalizability of main brand extension studies to other contexts such as extensions of global brands.
Knowledge Sharing in the Classroom: A Social Network Approach for Diagnostic Assessment and Learning Together

The basis for individual students' instructional support by teachers is an individual diagnosis of one's learning advances and difficulties. Even though sophisticated diagnostic tools exist, it remains an open question how diagnosis and learning can be merged into a consistent pedagogical method to support both teachers and students with feedback about the learning process. We propose a model for integration of peer assessment functionality for learning into a computer-based Adaptive Diagnostic Learning Environment to solve central problems of classroom diagnostic assessment, adaptive learning and knowledge transfer between peers in a classroom environment. The addressed issues, the approach and our evaluation setup are explained.
Human Cytomegalovirus DNA Replication Requires Transcriptional Activation via an IE2- and UL84-Responsive Bidirectional Promoter Element within oriLyt

ABSTRACT Amplification of the human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) lytic origin (oriLyt) in human fibroblasts is dependent upon six core replication proteins and UL84, IE2, and UL36-38. Using a telomerase-immortalized human fibroblast cell line (T-HFs), oriLyt-dependent DNA replication no longer required the gene products of UL36-38. To determine the role of IE2 in DNA replication in human fibroblasts, we examined potential IE2-binding sites within HCMV oriLyt. We now show that a strong bidirectional promoter (oriLytPM) (nucleotides 91754 to 92030) is located in the previously identified core region of the origin and is required for efficient amplification of oriLyt. It was determined that a 14-bp novel DNA motif (oriLyt promoter activation element), which was initially identified as a binding element for the immediate-early protein IE2, was essential for oriLytPM activity. In Vero cells the oriLytPM was constitutively active and strongly repressed by IE2, but it was reactivated by UL84. In contrast, transfection of the oriLytPM into human fibroblasts resulted in a very low basal level of promoter activity that was dramatically up-regulated upon infection with HCMV. Cotransfection assays demonstrated that the transfection of UL84 along with IE2 transactivated the oriLytPM in human fibroblasts. Further activation was observed upon cotransfection of the set of plasmids expressing the entire replication complex. Efficient oriLyt amplification in the absence of IE2 in human fibroblasts was observed by replacing the oriLytPM with the simian virus 40 early promoter. Under these conditions, however, UL84 was still required for amplification of oriLyt. These results suggest that the mechanism of initiation of HCMV lytic replication in part involves transcriptional activation.
Treatment of Cheyne-Stokes Respiration and Central Sleep Apnoea in Chronic Heart Failure

Sleep breathing disorders (SBD) are commonly divided in three syndromes: obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSA), central sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (CSA) and Cheyne-Stokes breathing syndrome (CSR), the latter two both characterized by cyclic non-obstructive breathing patterns. Because the prevalence of CSA-CSR in chronic heart failure (CHF) population has been reported from 40% to 60%, CSA-CSR is the more frequent respiratory consequence of such cardiovascular illness. CSACSR has been associated with increased mortality in heart failure patients, but a causal role for CSA-CSR in the morbidity and mortality of heart failure awaits more definitive evidence. In fact, it is not yet known whether CSA-CSR is an epiphenomenon in the setting of heart failure or whether it may itself lead to increased risk or progression of heart failure. CPAP is the most studied form of treatment for CSACSR. However, in randomized trials of long term duration, several forms of non-invasive positive airway pressure, including CPAP, bi-level, adaptive pressure support ventilation and nocturnal oxygen therapy, have been shown to alleviate CSA-CSR in heart failure patients. Nevertheless, at present, none therapeutic approach was ideal with respect to both efficacy and tolerance, nor has any available therapy been demonstrated to improve survival. In CHF patients with CSA-CSR, standard employment of CPAP cannot be recommended at present, though the post hoc analysis of the CANPAP study is intriguing and suggests that CPAP responders may benefit prognostically. Furthermore, the results of the CANPAP study should not be extrapolated to heart failure patients with OSA, which is much more effectively suppressed by CPAP. Finally, there is a need to examine novel treatment options for CSA-CSR in patients with CHF, as these patients appear to have the worst prognosis and therefore the most to gain if successful treatment of CSA-CSR improves survival.
Unobtrusive emotion sensing and interpretation in smart environment

Currently, a particular focus of human centered technology is in expanding traditional contextual sensing and smart processing capabilities of ubiquitous systems exploiting user's affective and emotional states to develop more natural communication between computing artefacts and users. This paper presents a smart environment of Web services that has been developed to integrate and manage different existing and new emotion sensing applications, which working together provide tracking and recognition of human affective state in real time. In addition, two emotion interpreters based on the proposed 6-FACS and Distance models have been developed. Both models operate with encoded facial deformations described either in terms of Ekman's Action Units or Facial Animation Parameters of MPEG-4 standards. Fuzzy inference system based on reasoning model implemented in a knowledge base has been used for quantitative measurement and recognition of three-level intensity of basic and non-prototypical facial expressions. Designed frameworks integrated to smart environment have been tested in order to evaluate capability of the proposed models to extract and classify facial expressions providing precision of interpretation of basic emotions in range of 65--96% and non-prototypical emotions in range of 55--65%. The conducted tests confirm that such basic as non-prototypical expressions may be composed by other basic emotions establishing in this way the concordance between existing psychological models of emotions and Ekman's model traditionally used by affective computing applications.
EFFECTS OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ON BUSINESS PERFORMANCE OF SMALL AND MEDIUM SIZE MANUFACTURERS IN HANOI – VIETNAM

This research examines the relationships between HRM practices and performance of manufacturing SMEs in Ha Noi. Questionnaires were sent to CEOs, business owners, or human resource managers at 300 manufacturing SMEs in Ha Noi, 245 responses were collected and 200 qualified responses were left after screening. The findings indicate positive relationships between training, performance appraisal, incentive compensation and performance of manufacturing SMEs in Hanoi. This study partly clarifies the conflicting results of the previous studies on the relationships between training, performance appraisal, incentive compensation and firm performances.
Expected and experienced quality as predictors of intention to purchase four new processed beef products

Purpose – This paper aims to explore consumers' perception of quality of new processed beef products and the role of expected and experienced quality in the formation of consumer's purchase intentions. Based on the Total Food Quality Model, a conceptual framework is developed that relates cue evaluation, expected quality, experienced quality, purchase motive fulfilment and purchase intention. Design/methodology/approach – Structural equation modeling is used to test the framework with data from a sample of 201 respondents, involving three steps. First, principal component analyses were applied to explore underlying factor structures within each construct. Based on the exploratory factor analyses, measurement models were estimated, with the measured variables as indicators of latent constructs for all the four products. Finally, structural models were estimated for the relationships among the latent constructs. Findings – Results show that cue evaluations, expected/experienced quality and purchase motive f.
Multiple lipid-lowering treatment in pediatric patients with hyperlipidemia.

UNLABELLED 256 pediatric patients with primary hyperlipidemia aged 14.2 ± 8.5 years (females: 155; males:101) seen in our lipid clinic were evaluated retrospectively to assess the effect of multiple lipid-lowering treatment (diet only, diet+glucomannan 1.000 mg/day (G), diet+ezetimibe (E) 10 mg/day and diet+atorvastatin (A) 10 mg/day). The patients were assigned to four groups according to their type of treatment: A-Diet (#82; age 12.7 ± 8 years; females 52, males:30); B-Diet+G (#78; age 13.3 ± 9 years; females 61, males 17); C-Diet+E 10 mg/day (#50; age 14.5 ± 7 years; females 31, males 19); D-Diet+A 10 mg/day (#46; age 16.4 ± 10 years; males 35, females 11). The follow-up visits were at 3, 6 and 9 months, respectively. The time period considered was of 9 months. The results obtained in the four groups after 9 months of treatment are given below: GROUP A Total Cholesterol (TC) (-20%), LDL-Cholesterol (LDLC) (-26%), triglycerides (TG) (-25%), nonHDL-Cholesterol (nonHDLC) (-26%) levels, and TC/HDLC ratio (-21%) were statistically significant reduced (all: P < 0001). HDLC was not significantly increased (+2%). The body weight (BW) mean change in the group was statistically significant (-22%; P≤0.001). GROUP B TC (-24%), LDLC (-32%), TG (-29%), nonHDLC (-32%) levels and TC/HDLC (-26%) were significantly decreased (all: P≤0.001). HDLC showed a -2.3% not significant decrease. The BW mean change was not statistically significant (-18%). GROUP C: TC (-36%), LDLC (-51%), nonHDLC (-45%) levels and TC/HDLC (-38%) were significantly decreased (all: P≤0.001). HDLC (+4%) was only slightly increased, and TG (-16%) decreased, but the changes were not statistically significant. The BW mean change was not statistically significant (-15%). GROUP D: TC (-47%), LDLC (-63%), TG (-23%) and nonHDLC (-58%) levels and TC/HDLC (-50%) showed a statistically significant reduction (all: P≤0001). HDLC concentration in plasma showed only a slight not significant reduction (-4%). The BW mean change was statistically significant (-20%; P≤0.001). Hyperlipidemia in children can be successfully treated without side effects. The most severe hyperlipidemia is, the most appropriate treatment (diet only,or diet+G, or diet+drugs) is to be given. The reduction of TC/HDLC ratio in childhood prevents future increase of cardiovascular risk in adulthood.
Neural network for sonogram gap filling

In duplex imaging both an anatomical B-mode image and a sonogram are acquired, and the time for data acquisition is divided between the two images. This gives problems when rapid B-mode image display is needed, since there is not time for measuring the velocity data. Gaps then appear in the sonogram and in the audio signal, rendering the audio signal useless, thus making diagnosis difficult. The current goal for ultrasound scanners is to maintain a high refresh rate for the B-mode image and at the same time attain a high maximum velocity in the sonogram display. This precludes the intermixing of the B-mode and sonogram pulses, and time must be shared between the two. Gaps will appear frequently in the sonogram since, e.g., half the time is spent on B-mode acquisition. The information in the gaps can be filled from the available information through interpolation. One possibility is to use a neural network for predicting mean frequency of the velocity signal and its variance. The neural network then predicts the evolution of the mean and variance in the gaps, and the sonogram and audio signal are reconstructed from these. The technique is applied on in-vivo data from the carotid artery. The neural network is trained on part of the data and the network is pruned by the optimal brain damage procedure in order to reduce the number of parameters in the network, and thereby reduce the risk of overfitting. The neural predictor is compared to using a linear filter for the mean and variance time series, and is shown to yield better results, i.e., the variances of the predictions are lower. The ability of the neural predictor to reconstruct both the sonogram and the audio signal, when only 50% of the time is used for velocity data acquisition, is demonstrated for the in-vivo data.
The structure of coping.

Coping refers to behavior that protects peoplefrom being psychologically harmed by problematic social experience, a behavior that importantly mediates the impact that societies have on their members. The protective function of coping behavior can be exercised in three ways: by eliminating or modifying conditions giving rise to problems; by perceptually controlling the meaning of experience in a manner that neutralizes its problematic character; and by keeping the emotional consequences of problems within manageable bounds. The efficacy of a number of concrete coping behaviors representing these threefunctions was evaluated. Results indicate that individuals' coping interventions are most effective when dealing with problems within the close interpersonal role areas of marriage and child-rearing and least effective when dealing with the more impersonal problems found in occupation. The effective coping modes are unequally distributed in society, with men, the educated, and the affluent making greater use of the efficacious mechanisms.
NEW PUBLIC MANAGEMENT IN MALAYSIA: IN SEARCH OF AN EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE SERVICE DELIVERY

The Malaysian public sector has undergone various transformations since the Independence. From its custodial role in the newly independent country, the public sector had changed and taken an active role in the country’s economic development. However, since 1980s onwards, the philosophy and techniques of New Public Management (NPM) have been implemented in Malaysia.This again transformed the public sector from being an engine of economic growth to become a facilitator to the private sector and service provider to the public. In line with NPM’s underlying belief of the superiority of business like practices, various contemporary management practices and philosophy were implemented in the Malaysian public sector. The implantation of private sector practices in the public sector was enhanced with the introduction a performance measurement system which utilises the use of key performance indicators in 2005. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to examine and analyse the current improvement programme within the wider public sector reform programmes in Malaysia. The issues and consequences of using key performance indicators in the public sector are discussed. To understand further the reasons and the push for reform, contextual descriptions of the various phases of public sector reform in Malaysia are also discussed in this paper.
Extrinsic stains and management: A new insight

Tooth discoloration is a frequent dental finding associated with clinical and esthetic problems. It differs in etiology, appearance, composition, location and severity. Knowledge of the etiology of tooth staining is of importance to dental surgeons in order to enable a correct diagnosis. The practitioners should also have the basic understanding of the mechanism of stain formation before carrying out any treatment procedures which will facilitate better treatment outcomes. Recently there have been advancements in the various treatment options in this field. This article is a comprehensive review on extrinsic stains and the treatment modalities.
Paradoxical responses in a cohort of HIV-1-infected patients with mycobacterial disease.

SETTING Paradoxical worsening or relapse of opportunistic infections has been described after initiation of highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected patients. DESIGN Retrospective study of a group of 33 HIV-infected patients with mycobacterial disease analysing the incidence and characteristics of patients with and without paradoxical response after starting HAART and/or mycobacterial treatment. RESULTS Nine patients in the group had paradoxical response. No significant difference of baseline characteristics was observed in these patients. The decrease in viral load was significantly greater among patients with paradoxical response than in patients without. CONCLUSION No clinical difference was found in the evolution of HIV-infected patients with mycobacterial disease after the resolution of the episode of paradoxical response.
Prevalence and Predictors of Sexually Transmitted Infections in Hazardously-Drinking Incarcerated Women

Incarcerated women are at high risk for sexually transmitted infections. Left untreated, these infections can have severe adverse health effects. In this study the authors present prevalence rates of trichomonas, chlamydia, and gonorrhea, and factors related to having a sexually transmitted infection in a sample of 245 hazardously-drinking incarcerated women who reported heterosexual intercourse in the previous 3 months. Vaginal swabs were collected following the self-report baseline assessment. Participants averaged 34.0 (±8.8) years of age; 174 (71.3%) were non-Hispanic Caucasian, 47 (19.3%) were African-American, 17 (7.0%) were Hispanic, and 6 (2.5%) were of other racial or ethnic origins. Twenty-three percent of participants tested positive for chlamydia, trichomonas, or gonorrhea. Being African-American, more frequent sex with a casual partner, and reporting more than one male partner were significantly positively related to sexually transmitted infection, while more frequent sex with a main partner was inversely related. Due to the high rates of infection in this population, jail admission provides a public health opportunity to access a concentrated group of sexually transmitted infectious women. Sexually transmitted infection testing targeted at specific demographic factors, for instance younger age, will miss infected women. Risky sexual partnerships, as well as the benefit of maintaining stable main partnerships may be important topics during sexually transmitted infection prevention interventions.
Do Seemingly Smarter Consumers Get Better Advice

In this paper, we study the interaction between financial advisors and customers with a potential conflict of interest. We show in a simple analytical framework that advisors have an incentive to provide better advice to consumers who appear to be better informed. From this, we derive an identification strategy to infer the quality of advice received from variables observed in a representative survey of German consumers. Our identification strategy makes use of the fact that we observe both a generally observable signal of a customer's financial literacy as well as an objective measure, which is not observed by the advisor. We apply this strategy to three different empirical settings. In each of these settings, we find consistent evidence that consumers with worse signals of financial literacy on average receive worse financial advice. In particular, both women and individuals without tertiary education are negatively affected.