Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mutation-Specific Antibodies for the Detection of EGFR Mutations in Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Purpose: Activating mutations within the tyrosine kinase domain of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) are found in approximately 10% to 20% of non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients and are associated with response to EGFR inhibitors. The most common NSCLC-associated EGFR mutations are deletions in exon 19 and L858R mutation in exon 21, together accounting for 90% of EGFR mutations. To develop a simple, sensitive, and reliable clinical assay for the identification of EGFR mutations in NSCLC patients, we generated mutation-specific rabbit monoclonal antibodies against each of these two most common EGFR mutations and aimed to evaluate the detection of EGFR mutations in NSCLC patients by immunohistochemistry. Experimental Design: We tested mutation-specific antibodies by Western blot, immunofluorescence, and immunohistochemistry. In addition, we stained 40 EGFR genotyped NSCLC tumor samples by immunohistochemistry with these antibodies. Finally, with a panel of four antibodies, we screened a large set of NSCLC patient samples with unknown genotype and confirmed the immunohistochemistry results by DNA sequencing. Results: These two antibodies specifically detect the corresponding mutant form of EGFR by Western blotting, immunofluorescence, and immunohistochemistry. Screening a panel of 340 paraffin-embedded NSCLC tumor samples with these antibodies showed that the sensitivity of the immunohistochemistry assay is 92%, with a specificity of 99% as compared with direct and mass spectrometry–based DNA sequencing. Conclusions: This simple assay for detection of EGFR mutations in diagnostic human tissues provides a rapid, sensitive, specific, and cost-effective method to identify lung cancer patients responsive to EGFR-based therapies.
Towards Situated Activity Management: Representation, Inference and Decision Making

We introduce and discuss the problem of situated activity management, and present an approach for guiding and coordinating an agent’s speech and activities amidst the dynamics of evolving settings. Specifically, we couple a hierarchical representation of activities with a novel state tracking approach based on conditional Markov Networks. We show how the approach can enable an agent to reason jointly about parallel coordinated actions and the changing situational context. The hierarchical structure and joint inference allows for a modular authoring of rules used for making in-stream decisions. We have implemented a proof-of-concept for this approach and illustrate its functionality with a simulated dialog trace.
Acupuncture versus valproic acid in the prophylaxis of migraine without aura: a prospective controlled study.

BACKGROUND The pharmacologic treatment of migraine still remains below the expectations. The aim of this study is to compare the effectiveness of traditional acupuncture and valproic acid in migraine prophylaxis. METHODS A prospective, controlled study was performed in 100 patients affected by migraine without aura lasting for over one year. The patients were stratified for sex and randomly divided into two groups of 50 patients each. Patients belonging to Group A (acupuncture) were submitted to 20 sessions of acupuncture, while patients belonging to Group V valproate) were administered Valproic acid (Depakin Chrono®) at a dose of 600 mg/day; 10 mg Rizatriptan wafers were allowed as needed to treat the attacks. The Midas Index (MI) and pain intensity (PI, by VAS) were recorded before treatment (T0), at three (T1) and six (T2) months; a six-point scale Pain Relief score (PRS), the Rizatriptan intake and adverse events were recorded at T1 and T2. RESULTS Eighty-two out of 100 patients completed the study (9 dropouts in each group). In both groups the MI improved at T1 and T2 (P<0.0001). Pain intensity was better at T1 in group V (P<0.0001), but PI and PRS (P=0.02) as well as rizatriptan intake (P=0.001) were better in group A at T2. The rate of adverse events was 47.8% in group V and 0% in group A. CONCLUSION Our data show a lower pain intensity and lower Rizatriptan intake at six-months follow-up with no adverse events in acupuncture patients compared to those treated with valproic acid.
Teaching Communication: Where Do Indian Business Schools Stand?

This paper benchmarks management communication courses offered at top-ranked business schools in India with those offered by topranked American business schools. It also surveys perceptions of Indian managers regarding the importance of different aspects of communication to their effective performance. Compared to the large number and wider range of topics covered in communication courses offered by American business schools, Indian business schools concentrate mainly on oral communication and within that on presentation skills. Such a focus appears to be in tune with the needs of Indian industry. However, a survey of managerial perceptions revealed that there are some skills and topics that need more emphasis. Cross-cultural communication, corporate communication strategy, and media relations are areas that require strengthening along with more innovative methodologies to teach communication.
Semper fidelis: what man's best friend can teach us about human biology and disease.

Summary Many millions of years ago the country which is now called Spain seethed uneasily in the ferment of creation. Ages passed; vegetation appeared; where there is vegetation the law of Nature has decreed that there shall be rabbits; where there are rabbits, Providence has ordained there shall be dogs. There is nothing in this that calls for question or comment. But when we ask why the dog that caught rabbits was called a Spaniel, then doubts and difficulties begin (Woolf 1933, p. 1).
Recent issues concerning renal transplantation in systemic lupus erythematosus patients.

Renal transplantation among patients with end-stage cadaveric transplantation of patients with SLE was renal disease ( ESRD) caused by lupus nephritis has 67%, significantly worse than that of patients without become an accepted alternative for long-term treat- SLE [5]. After one year, most studies showed that ment. However, the outcome of renal transplantation graft survival in lupus patients was similar to that in in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) control population [2]. These conflicting data may be is still controversial. Infection, recurrent disease, both secondary to differences in donor source, type of acute and chronic rejection, and thrombosis may play immunosuppression, and composition of the control a role in early graft loss. New findings for graft and group. It is also important to analyse separately the patient outcome, immunological markers and immunoresults for patients who received cadaveric vs livingsuppressive treatment have recently emerged. We discuss these different aspects here, with the exception related transplants. A recent study conducted within of the clinical consequences of the presence of the United States Renal Data system, in which comparanti-endothelial cell antibodies. isons were adjusted for possible confounding factors, showed that graft survival and patient survival after a first renal transplantation were similar for patients Outcome analysis
Socio-Economic Analysis of Artisanal Fishing Operation in West and East Axes of Lagos State, Nigeria

The fishery sector occupies a significant position in the economy of Nigeria contributing 4% to agricultural GDP. The artisanal fisheries supplies 81.9% of the total domestic fish production in Nigeria. The result of this study which relied purely on field research examined the socio-economic activities of artisanal fisher folks in the east and west axes of Lagos state comprising Ibeju-Leki and Badagry areas. Five fishing communities were selected from each axis and 200 respondents (20 from each community) were sampled. Structured questionnaire, focus group discussion and interview sessions were used to collect data on socio-economic characteristics, livelihood parameters, cost of craft, gear and other fishing inputs, fish species and productivity. T-test and descriptive statistics were used for analyses. The analysis showed that there was no significant variation in the distribution pattern of the socio-economic characteristics and other parameters between the fishers' areas of operation.
Sustainable Incubator Management— A Case Study for Pakistan

1.1. Historical Background "There is broad recognition today that entrepreneurial, knowledge-based enterprises are prime creators of economic growth and that such ventures need special business development services" [Lalkaka (2000)]. Yet, about 80 percent of all start-up firms fail within the first five years of their genesis. This highlights a strong need of effective incubation facilities which compress the learning curves of the start-ups and provide them with necessary initial support in order to improve their survivability. Incubators are considered as a means of providing special business development services. "A business incubator may be defined as an organisation which offers a range of business development services and access to small space on flexible terms, to meet the needs of new firms. The package of services offered by a business incubator is designed to enhance the success and growth rates of new enterprises thus maximising their impact on economic development" [Duff (1998), p. 11]. Although the idea of incubators was conceived in the 1950s, it did not see widespread acceptance until the 1980s. The mushroom growth of incubators, initiated in 1980s has resulted in over 1,400 incubators today in North America, with 1,115 in United States, 191 in Mexico and 120 in Canada [Knopp (2007)]. In 2005 alone, North American incubation programmes assisted more than 27,000 companies that provided employment for more than 100,000 workers and generated annual revenues of $17 billion (Ibid.). Because of the number of incubators and studies carried out on their performances, this background overview is predominantly based upon the US experiences with incubators and their best practices.
Funding Liquidity Risk From a Regulatory Perspective

In the Basel regulation the required capital of a financial institution is based on conditional measures of the risk of its future equity value such as Value-at-Risk, or Expected Shortfall. In Basel 2 the uncertainty on this equity value is captured by means of changes in asset prices (market risk) and default of borrowers (credit risk), and concerns mainly the asset component of the balance-sheet. Our paper extends this analysis by taking also into account the funding and market liquidity risks. These latter risks are consequences of changes in customers or investors’ behaviors and usually concern the liability component of the balance sheet. In this respect our analysis is in the spirit of the most recent Basel 3 and Solvency 2 regulations. Our analysis highlights the role of the different types of risks in the total required capital. Our analysis leads to clearly distinguish defaults due to liquidity shortage and defaults due to a lack of solvency and, in a regulatory perspective, to introduce two reserve accounts, one for liquidity risk, another one for solvency risk. We explain how to fix the associated required capitals
When Consumers and Firms Share Transportation Costs

We consider a standard linear city model with two firms, where firms and consumers both incur transport costs. This is done by assuming that the total transport cost is shared by the buyers and sellers according to an exogenously given rule. In the model, firms choose locations and prices, with the transportation cost being linear in distance. We first derive the profit function for the two-stage transport cost sharing game and find that it has a complex form. We then invoke simplifying assumptions and solve for two different games. We provide a complete characterization for the equilibrium of the location game between the two firms by assuming fixed prices. We then examine the price game when the two firms are constrained to locate at the same spot. The equilibria of these two games provide insights about the complex two-stage game.
Interstrain variation in murine susceptibility to inhaled acid-coated particles.

Epidemiologic studies have demonstrated a positive correlation between concentration of acid aerosol and increased morbidity and mortality in many urban environments. To determine whether genetic background is an important risk factor for susceptibility to the toxic effects of inhaled particles, we studied the interstrain (genetic) and intrastrain (environmental) variance of lung responses to acid-coated particle (ACP) aerosol in nine strains of inbred mice. A flow-past nose-only inhalation system was used to expose mice to ACPs produced by the cogeneration of a carbon black aerosol-sulfur dioxide (SO(2)) mixture at high humidity. Three days after a single 4-h exposure to ACPs or filtered air, mice underwent bronchoalveolar lavage, and cell differentials and total protein were determined as indexes of inflammation and epithelial permeability, respectively. To determine the effect of ACPs on alveolar macrophage (AM) function, lavaged AMs were isolated from exposed animals and Fc receptor-mediated phagocytosis was evaluated. Compared with air-exposed animals, there was a slight but significant exposure effect of ACPs on the mean number of lavageable polymorphonuclear leukocytes in C3H/HeJ and C3H/HeOuJ mice. ACP exposure also caused a significant decrease in AM phagocytosis. Relative to respective air-exposed animals, Fc receptor-mediated phagocytosis was suppressed in eight of nine strains. The order of strain-specific effect of ACPs on phagocytosis was C57BL/6J > 129/J > SJL/J > BALB/cJ > C3H/HeOuJ > A/J > SWR/J > AKR/J. There was no effect of ACP exposure on AM phagocytosis in C3H/HeJ mice. The significant interstrain variation in AM response to particle challenge indicates that genetic background has an important role in susceptibility. The effects of ACPs on AM function, inflammation, and epithelial hyperpermeability were not correlated (i.e., no cosegregation). This model may have important implications concerning interindividual variation in particle-induced compromise of host defense.
Audit Committee Characteristics and the Perceived Quality of Financial Reporting: An Empirical Analysis

In this paper, we empirically examine the relationship between two audit committee characteristics - the composition (expertise and independence) and size of the audit committee - and the quality of financial reporting. We show that after controlling for firm size, board composition, a measure of management's commitment to transparency (the existence of an ethics program) and institutional ownership, the percentage of audit committee members having expertise in accounting or financial management is positively related to financial reporting quality. We also find some evidence of a positive relationship between the size of the audit committee and financial reporting quality. However, audit committee independence is not related to financial reporting quality. We also verify that our results are robust across different measures of financial reporting quality. Our results suggest that mandating greater expertise on audit committees rather than simply requiring one expert on the audit committee may be beneficial to investors. In addition, our results also provide weak support for the recommendation of the Blue Ribbon Committee that firms devote significant directorial resources to the audit committee. Given the prior evidence of a negative relationship between financial reporting quality and cost of capital, firms could improve their reporting quality by appropriately structuring their audit committees, thus reducing their cost of capital.
EFFECTS OF INSULIN TREATMENT ON HEART RHYTHM, BODY TEMPERATURE AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN STREPTOZOTOCIN‐INDUCED DIABETIC RAT

1 Streptozotocin (STZ)‐induced diabetic cardiomyopathy is frequently associated with depressed diastolic/systolic function and altered heart rhythm. 2 The effects of insulin treatment on heart rhythm, body temperature and physical activity in STZ‐induced diabetic rats were investigated using biotelemetry techniques. 3 Transmitter devices were surgically implanted in the peritoneal cavity of young adult male Wistar rats. Electrodes from the transmitter were arranged in Einthoven bipolar – Lead II configuration. Electrocardiogram, physical activity and body temperature data were recorded with a telemetry system for 10 days before STZ treatment, for 20 days following administration of STZ (60 mg/kg) and thereafter, for 30 days while rats received daily insulin. 4 Heart rate, physical activity and body temperature declined rapidly 3–5 days after administration of STZ. Pre‐STZ heart rate was 362 ± 7 b.p.m. , falling to 266 ± 12 b.p.m. 5–15 days after STZ with significant recovery to 303 ± 14 b.p.m. 10–20 days after commencement of insulin. Pre‐STZ body temperature was 37.5 ± 0.1C, falling to 37.2 ± 0.2C 5–15 days after STZ with significant recovery to 37.5 ± 0.1C 10–20 days after commencement of insulin. Physical activity and heart rate variability were also reduced after STZ but there was no significant recovery during insulin replacement. 5. Defective autonomic regulation and/or mechanisms of control that are intrinsic to the heart may underlie disturbances in heart rhythm in the STZ‐induced diabetic rat.
Dp1 Is Largely Dispensable for Embryonic Development

ABSTRACT E2F/DP complexes activate or repress the transcription of E2F target genes, depending on the association of a pRB family member, thereby regulating cell cycle progression. Whereas the E2F family consists of seven members, the DP family contains only two (Dp1 and Dp2), Dp1 being the more highly expressed member. In contrast to the inactivation of individual E2F family members, we have recently demonstrated that loss of Dp1 results in embryonic lethality by embryonic day 12.5 (E12.5) due to the failure of extraembryonic lineages to develop and replicate DNA properly. To bypass this placental requirement and search for roles of Dp1 in the embryo proper, we generated Dp1-deficient embryonic stem (ES) cells that carry the ROSA26-LacZ marker and injected them into wild-type blastocysts to construct Dp1-deficient chimeras. Surprisingly, we recovered mid- to late gestational embryos (E12.5 to E17.5), in which the Dp1-deficient ES cells contributed strongly to most chimeric tissues as judged by X-Gal (5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl-β-d-galactopyranoside) staining and Western blotting. Importantly, the abundance of DP2 protein does not increase and the expression of an array of cell cycle genes is virtually unchanged in Dp1-deficient ES cells or chimeric E15.5 tissues with the absence of Dp1. Thus, Dp1 is largely dispensable for embryonic development, despite the absolute extraembryonic requirement for Dp1, which is highly reminiscent of the restricted roles for Rb and cyclins E1/E2 in vivo.
Clients’ Corporate Governance Characteristics and Auditor Choice in Emerging Audit Services Markets: The Case of Bangladesh

This paper explores the relationship between selected corporate governance attributes and auditor choice behaviour in a developing country setting. Results of four auditor choice models suggest that client size and growth opportunities significantly explain auditor choice. Sponsor shareholding, institutional shareholding, and the presence of audit committees also have significant influence on auditor choice in some but not all the models. The big-four affiliated audit firms do not enjoy significant market power. They are responsible for auditing only 17.1 percent of listed companies. Their market share ranges from 17.1 percent to 56.1 percent depending on the measure of market share used.
Effect of feeding broken rice grains and decorticated cottonseed meal on feed efficiency, ruminal activity, and blood constituents of early weaned buffalo calves.

Abstract Thirty-nine female ten-day-old buffalo calves were distributed among five groups: 1) control calves were weaned at 120 days and received 340 kg whole buffalo milk; 2) calves in Groups 2 and 3 were weaned at 45 days and given 103.3 kg whole milk; the last two groups were weaned at 31 days after being fed the same quantity of milk. The calves in Groups 2 and 4 were given starter ration 1 (corn, barley, linseed meal, and beans). The two other groups (3 and 5) were given starter ration 5 (corn, barley, linseed meal, beans, broken rice grain, and decorticated cotton-seed meal). Ration 1 stimulated significantly better growth and gave a higher feed efficiency than Ration 5 when calves were weaned at 45 days. Calves weaned at 31 days in general were inferior in size to those weaned late, or at 45 days. The system of early weaning of buffalo calves at 45 days after receiving 103.3 kg of milk and starter ration 1, which was gradually replaced after 45 days by Ration 2 (rice bran and decorticated cottonseed meal), has proved to be most economical, and saved about $22 per calf in 120 days, compared with the cost of rearing late weaned calves for the same period. The results of rumen microbial activity and blood constituents showed: 1) ammonia N was higher at two weeks and decreased to eight weeks of age; 2) total volatile fatty acids (VFA) increased with age up to 6–12 weeks and was higher in groups fed ration 1; 3) microbial N was significantly higher in the rumen of early weaned calves than in late weaned calves and decreased with age; 4) blood urea and ammonia N concentration were highest at two weeks of age and decreased to 6-10 weeks. Some parallelism was evident between changes in ammonia N in the rumen and blood urea and ammonia N; and 5) blood reducing sugars and hemoglobin decreased to eight weeks of age. The blood reducing sugars of early weaned calves were lower than those of the late weaned calves.
An investigation of lateral geniculate nucleus volume in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma using 7 tesla magnetic resonance imaging.

PURPOSE To investigate lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) volume of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) patients compared with age- and sex-matched controls using ultra-high field 7.0-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). METHODS The study included 18 patients with POAG and 18 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers. All subjects underwent imaging on a high-resolution 7.0-T MRI system. Bilateral LGNs were identified and manually delineated, and LGN volumes were compared. Peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) thickness, optic nerve head parameters (including optic disc size, rim area, and cup-to-disc ratio), and combined thickness of the ganglion cell layer and inner plexus layer (GC-IPL) were measured by Cirrus high-definition optical coherence tomography (OCT). Correlations between OCT parameters and LGN volume were investigated. RESULTS Mean LGN volumes were significantly smaller in the POAG group than in the control group (right, glaucoma 83.97 mm(3) [SD ± 26.65] versus control 106.12 mm(3) [SD ± 24.32]; left, glaucoma 65.12 mm(3) [SD ± 29.41] versus control 92.70 mm(3) [SD ± 24.42], both P < 0.05). In the POAG group, average GC-IPL thickness was correlated with contralateral LGN volume (right LGN: r = 0.605, P = 0.008; left LGN: r = 0.471, P = 0.049). The correlation for right LGN volume remained significant after correction for multiple comparisons. However, there was no correlation between LGN volume and average pRNFL thickness or optic disc parameters in the POAG group. CONCLUSIONS On high-resolution 7.0-T MRI, LGN volumes in POAG patients are significantly smaller than those of healthy subjects. Furthermore, in patients, LGN volume was found to be significantly correlated with GC-IPL thickness of the contralateral eye.