Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reduction of Energy Required for Defibrillation by Delivering Shocks in Orthogonal Directions in the Dog

Reduction of energy required to defibrillate (ERD) seems to represent a necessary condition for intensive development of implantable defibrillator, so as for minimization of cardiac and pulmonary damages provoked by high energy transthoracic defibrillation electric shocks. The present work describes a defibrillation method using shocks delivered in orthogonal directions and separated by a 100 ms delay. Defibrillation threshold measured with classical unidirectional shocks on 30 dogs has been found to be 286.8 ± 22.2 joules. In the same animals, defibrillation threshold measured by use of orthogonal shocks has been found to be 101.4 ± 14.9 joules. We conclude that this crossed shocks method leads to a substantial reduction of ERD (64%).
Effect of Trigonella foenum-graecum (fenugreek) seeds on glycaemic control and insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes mellitus: a double blind placebo controlled study.

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the effects of Trigonella foenum-graecum (fenugreek) seeds on glycemic control and insulin resistance, determined by HOMA model, in mild to moderate type 2 diabetes mellitus we performed a double blind placebo controlled study. METHODS Twenty five newly diagnosed patients with type 2 diabetes (fasting glucose < 200 mg/dl) were randomly divided into two groups. Group I (n=12) received 1 gm/day hydroalcoholic extract of fenugreek seeds and Group II (n=13) received usual care (dietary control, exercise) and placebo capsules for two months. RESULTS At baseline both the groups were similar in anthropometric and clinical variables. Oral glucose tolerance test, lipid levels, fasting C-peptide, glycosylated haemoglobin, and HOMA-model insulin resistance were also similar at baseline. In group 1 as compared to group 2 at the end of two months, fasting blood glucose (148.3 +/- 44.1 to 119.9 +/- 25 vs. 137.5 +/- 41.1 to 113.0 +/- 36.0) and two hour postglucose blood glucose (210.6 +/- 79.0 to 181.1 +/- 69 vs. 219.9 +/- 41.0 to 241.6 +/- 43) were not different. But area under curve (AUC) of blood glucose (2375 +/- 574 vs 27597 +/- 274) as well as insulin (2492 +/- 2536 vs. 5631 +/- 2428) was significantly lower (p < 0.001). HOMA model derived insulin resistance showed a decrease in percent beta-cell secretion in group 1 as compared to group 2 (86.3 +/- 32 vs. 70.1 +/- 52) and increase in percent insulin sensitivity (112.9 +/- 67 vs 92.2 +/- 57) (p < 0.05). Serum triglycerides decreased and HDL cholesterol increased significantly in group 1 as compared to group 2 (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Adjunct use of fenugreek seeds improves glycemic control and decreases insulin resistance in mild type-2 diabetic patients. There is also a favourable effect on hypertriglyceridemia.
A Strategic Theory of the Firm as a Nexus of Incomplete Contracts: A Property Rights Approach

This article maintains that insights gained by joining property rights theory with Austrian economics can contribute to the dynamic capabilities literature by giving context to key constructs in the dynamic capabilities approach, particularly the nature of organizational processes and resource positions. By defining resources and capabilities as bundles of property rights, scholars can theoretically consider how firms develop, deploy, and renew those resources and capabilities by a process of bundling and rebundling resource combinations. Furthermore, central to bundling resource combinations is the contracting process, which generates information that leads to more efficient solutions that are achieved through intense bargaining and ingenuity, that in turn lead to discovery of new economic opportunities. However, in a world of positive transaction costs, the notion of the firm as a nexus of (complete) contracts is less useful for the authors’ purposes; rather, the firm is defined as a nexus of incomplete contracts, which enables the possibility of entrepreneurial alertness and ingenuity. Thus, the authors maintain that the contracting process is a form of the entrepreneurial discovery process enabling firms to sense and seize new economic opportunities. Furthermore, the authors suggest that property rights theory informs a contractual process-oriented approach for analyzing how dynamic capabilities are developed, sustained, and rejuvenated and in so doing intertwines firm boundary issues with the capabilities dimension of a strategic theory of the firm.
Knowledge Seeking and Outward FDI of Emerging Market Firms: The Moderating Effect of Inward FDI

This study examines whether a host country’s industry-specific technology advantage increases the propensity of emerging market multinational enterprises (EMNEs) to invest in the host country. The study further explores whether inward FDI in EMNEs’ home markets, by generating knowledge spillovers in the relevant industries, decreases EMNEs’ propensity to invest overseas for knowledge seeking. We test our arguments using a longitudinal dataset of the overseas investment activities of Chinese manufacturing firms. We find strong support for our hypotheses after controlling for other important outward FDI motives. We discuss the implications of our results for research and practice.
Two-Component Anti-Staphylococcus aureusLantibiotic Activity Produced by Staphylococcus aureusC55

ABSTRACT Staphylococcus aureus C55 was shown to produce bacteriocin activity comprising three distinct peptide components, termed staphylococcins C55α, C55β, and C55γ. The three peptides were purified to homogeneity by a simple four-step purification procedure that consisted of ammonium sulfate precipitation followed by XAD-2 and reversed-phase (C8 and C18) chromatography. The yield following C8 chromatography was about 86%, with a more-than-300-fold increase in specific activity. When combined in approximately equimolar amounts, staphylococcins C55α and C55β acted synergistically to kill S. aureus or Micrococcus luteus but not S. epidermidis strains. The N-terminal amino acid sequences of all three peptides were obtained and staphylococcins C55α and C55β were shown to be lanthionine-containing (lantibiotic) molecules with molecular weights of 3,339 and 2,993, respectively. The C55γ peptide did not appear to be a lantibiotic, nor did it augment the inhibitory activities of staphylococcin C55α and/or C55β. Plasmids of 2.5 and 32.0 kb are present in strain C55, and following growth of this strain at elevated temperature (42°C), a large proportion of the progeny failed to produce strong bacteriocin activity and also lost the 32.0-kb plasmid. Protoplast transformation of these bacteria with purified 32-kb plasmid DNA regenerates the ability to produce the strong bacteriocin activity.
Models of Lexical Access in Visual Word Recognition

This paper reviews the ability of Morton's Logogen model and Becker's Verification model to accommodate RT data from the lexical decision literature. While both of the models can account for the simple effects of word frequency, word context and word repetition, Morton's Logogen model can not account for some of the patterns of additivity and interaction when the effects of stimulus degradation are considered. An experiment on lexical decision is then reported in which stimulus degradation and repetition are factorially varied; degradation and repetition are shown to be interacting factors. These results are inconsistent with the Verification model but consistent with the Logogen model. Finally, further versions of both the Logogen and Verification models are considered and possible multiple sources are proposed to account for the effects of degradation, repetition and word frequency.
Sofosbuvir as treatment against dengue?

Dengvaxia® (CTD‐TDV), the only licensed tetravalent dengue vaccine by Sanofi Pasteur, was made available since 2015. However, administration of CTD‐TDV, in general, has not received the prequalification recommendation from the World Health Organization. Having a universal antidengue agent for treatment will therefore beneficial. Accordingly, the development of nucleoside inhibitors specific to dengue viral polymerase that perturb dengue infection has been studied by many. Alternatively, we have used a marketed anti‐HCV prodrug sofosbuvir to study its in silico and in vitro effects against dengue. As a result, the active metabolite of sofosbuvir (GS‐461203) was predicted to bind to the catalytic motif (Gly‐Asp‐Asp) of dengue viral polymerase with binding affinity of −6.9 kcal/mol. Furthermore, sofosbuvir demonstrated excellent in vitro viral inhibition with an EC90 of 0.4 μm. In addition, this study demonstrated the requirement of specific liver enzymes to activate the prodrug into GS‐461203 to exert its antidengue potential. All in all, sofosbuvir should be subjected to in‐depth studies to provide information of its efficacy toward dengue and its lead potential as DENV polymerase inhibitor in human subjects. In conclusion, we have expended the potential of the clinically available drug sofosbuvir as treatment for dengue.
Airline Pricing and Airport Charges in Hub-Spoke Networks with Congestion

This article investigates airline pricing and airport congestion charges in hub-spoke networks. When a public hub airport and two public spoke (local) airports independently levy their charges, airlines will eventually set a ticket price that overcharges the passengers for congestion delay cost and overcompensates for airline markups. Privatizing only local airports will always lead to more overcharge, whereas privatizing only the hub airport or all airports could result in lesser overcharge if the network markets are competitive. The degree of overcharge under a private hub and public local airports is always lesser than that under a public hub and private local airports, implying that privatizing a hub airport could yield higher social welfare than privatizing a local airport. Furthermore, investigation on compensation for airline markups also finds that privatizing a hub airport is preferable to privatizing a local airport. These findings have policy implications for airport privatization.
TraG from RP4 and TraG and VirD4 from Ti Plasmids Confer Relaxosome Specificity to the Conjugal Transfer System of pTiC58

ABSTRACT Plasmid conjugation systems are composed of two components, the DNA transfer and replication system, or Dtr, and the mating pair formation system, or Mpf. During conjugal transfer an essential factor, called the coupling protein, is thought to interface the Dtr, in the form of the relaxosome, with the Mpf, in the form of the mating bridge. These proteins, such as TraG from the IncP1 plasmid RP4 (TraGRP4) and TraG and VirD4 from the conjugal transfer and T-DNA transfer systems of Ti plasmids, are believed to dictate specificity of the interactions that can occur between different Dtr and Mpf components. The Ti plasmids of Agrobacterium tumefaciens do not mobilize vectors containing the oriT of RP4, but these IncP1 plasmid derivatives lack the trans-acting Dtr functions and TraGRP4. A. tumefaciensdonors transferred a chimeric plasmid that contains theoriT and Dtr genes of RP4 and the Mpf genes of pTiC58, indicating that the Ti plasmid mating bridge can interact with the RP4 relaxosome. However, the Ti plasmid did not mobilize transfer from an IncQ relaxosome. The Ti plasmid did mobilize such plasmids if TraGRP4 was expressed in the donors. Mutations intraGRP4 with defined effects on the RP4 transfer system exhibited similar phenotypes for Ti plasmid-mediated mobilization of the IncQ vector. When provided with VirD4, thetra system of pTiC58 mobilized plasmids from the IncQ relaxosome. However, neither TraGRP4 nor VirD4 restored transfer to a traG mutant of the Ti plasmid. VirD4 also failed to complement a traGRP4 mutant for transfer from the RP4 relaxosome or for RP4-mediated mobilization from the IncQ relaxosome. TraGRP4-mediated mobilization of the IncQ plasmid by pTiC58 did not inhibit Ti plasmid transfer, suggesting that the relaxosomes of the two plasmids do not compete for the same mating bridge. We conclude that TraGRP4 and VirD4 couples the IncQ but not the Ti plasmid relaxosome to the Ti plasmid mating bridge. However, VirD4 cannot couple the IncP1 or the IncQ relaxosome to the RP4 mating bridge. These results support a model in which the coupling proteins specify the interactions between Dtr and Mpf components of mating systems.
Effects of Social Familiarity and Stance Similarity in Interaction Dynamics 845 2 Related Work

Homophily, the phenomenon of similar people getting connected to and being socially familiar with each other, is well-known on online social networks. Detection of user stance towards given topics, on online social networks, specifically Twitter, has emerged as a mainstream research topic. The current work provides insights into the impact of topic-specific stance similarity and social familiarity on social interaction dynamics. This is a novel and yet fundamental problem in social networks research, that has so far remained unexplored in the literature. Specifically, we address two key aspects. One, we investigate whether the smoothness (politeness) level of conversations between user pairs, relate with overall stance similarity (spanning across topics). Two, we examine the impact on interaction smoothness (politeness) with respect to social familiarity and topical stance-similarity. We propose a novel approach based on word embedding, to compare across users and across topics. We analyze the relationship between topical stance similarity, social familiarity and interaction politeness of users, with respect to specific familiarities between user pairs as well as social communities.
Absence of an External Germinal Layer in Zebrafish and Shark Reveals a Distinct, Anamniote Ground Plan of Cerebellum Development

The granule cell layer of the cerebellum comprises the largest population of neurons in the vertebrate CNS. In amniotes, its precursors undergo a unique phase of transit amplification, regulated by Sonic hedgehog. They do so within a prominent but transient secondary proliferative epithelium, the external germinal layer, which is formed by tangential migration of precursor cells from the rhombic lip. This behavior is a hallmark of bird and mammal cerebellum development. Despite its significance for both development and disease, it is unclear whether an external germinal layer is a requirement for granule cell production or an expedient of transit amplification. Evidence for its existence in more basal vertebrates is contradictory. We therefore examined cerebellum development in the zebrafish, specifically in relation to the expression of the basic helix–loop–helix gene Atonal 1, which definitively characterizes granule cell precursors. The expression of Atoh1a–Atoh1c, in combination with patterns of proliferation and fate maps, define precursor pools at the rhombic lip and cerebellar midline but demonstrate that an external germinal layer is absent. Sonic hedgehog signaling is correspondingly absent in the zebrafish cerebellum. Sustained roof-plate-derived signals suggest that, in the absence of transit amplification, primary granule cell precursor pools are maintained throughout development. To determine whether this pattern is specific to zebrafish or reflects a more general anamniote organization, we examined the expression of similar genes in the dogfish, Scylliorhinus canicula. We show that these anamniotes share a common ground plan of granule cell production that does not include an external germinal layer.
Asymmetric Information and International Corporate Social Responsibility

We investigate the relation between asymmetric information of insider trades and international corporate social responsibility for U.S. firms listed in the MSCI world index during the period 2004 to 2010. In comparison to current studies, which focus on measuring the interrelation between the cost of capital or firm value and corporate sustainability, our analysis entails the direct relationship between international corporate sustainability and information asymmetry. We measure information asymmetry by the abnormal returns that occur when insiders trade in the stock of their firms. Hence, our investigation is based on a micro level and helps to explain the results at the more aggregated level of cost of capital, and at the fully aggregated level of firm value. In our cross-sectional analysis we found evidence that firms with a higher degree of corporate sustainability spend more efforts in reducing information asymmetry.
Association between vitamin D receptor polymorphisms and systemic lupus erythematosus in an Indian cohort

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disorder with various clinical manifestations. Susceptibility to development of SLE has been linked to several factors, such as genetic, environmental and hormonal. Vitamin D appears to have a regulatory role on disease manifestation and activity. Vitamin D exerts its effect through vitamin D receptors (VDR). Several studies have demonstrated an association between VDR polymorphisms and susceptibility to SLE in different populations, although the results are still inconclusive. In the present study, we investigated the association of VDR polymorphisms with SLE in a cohort of patients from Odisha, India.
Intellectual Property Rights and the Financing of Technological Innovation

Following the transition of industrial nations to knowledge economies, the financing of technological innovation has become a central issue in public policy, corporate finance and business management. This detailed book examines the role of intellectual property rights in facilitating the financing of technological innovation as well as the role of policy makers, investors and managers in this process. The book’s central finding is that public policy plays a key role in promoting the corporate disclosure of intellectual property-related information to enhance the efficiency of capital markets. This not only reduces the costs of capital for technology-driven firms but ultimately spurs innovation and economic growth.
Needs Assessment of Information and Communication Technology Literacy (ICT Literacy) of Students in Secondary Educational Service Area

The objectives of this research were (1) to study authentic situations of Information Communication Technology literacy of students in secondary educational service area (2) to compare situations of ICT literacy of students in secondary educational service area, divided in each levels (3) to examine need assessment of ICT literacy of students in secondary educational service area (4) to prioritise needs assessment of ICT literacy of students in secondary educational service area. The sample consisted of 340 ICT teachers, teaching in Grade 7 to 9 from schools in secondary educational service area in 2015. The sampling group was drawn from 2,343 ICT teachers by using multi-stage sampling technique. Data were collected by using questionnaire, in order to collect data of expected and authentic situations of students understanding about ICT. The questionnaires include 76 questions from 7 components in which the questionnaires were approved content validity from experts at level of 0.98 and 0.99, respectively. The statistics were used to analyse the data as follows: mean (M), standard deviation (SD), one-way ANOVA, Matrix analysis, priority needs index modified (PNI modified). The study revealed that (1) authentic situation of ICT literacy of students in secondary educational service area was found at “Moderate” level (2) authentic situation of ICT literacy of students in secondary educational service area, divided in levels was found “No different” (3) authentic situation of need assessment in 7 aspects (Define, Access, Manage, Evaluate, Integrate, Create and Communicate) fell in the third quadrant, in which means “Need to be improved” (4) prioritise need assessment from the most necessary to the least was found as follows: Manage, Evaluate, Create, Define, Access, Integrate and Communicate, respectively.
Regional variation in ICC distribution, pacemaking activity and neural responses in the longitudinal muscle of the murine stomach

Intramuscular interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC‐IM) play a critical role in enteric neural regulation of the circular muscle layer in the stomach, but no studies have been performed on the longitudinal layer. Kit immunohistochemistry was used to examine ICC‐IM in the longitudinal muscle layer of the murine corpus and antrum, and it revealed marked heterogeneity in the distribution of ICC‐IM in longitudinal muscles. In the corpus, ICC‐IM were found along the greater curvature near the fundus. ICC‐IM decreased in density in the circumferential axis toward the lesser curvature and in the longitudinal axis toward the antrum. ICC‐IM were absent from the longitudinal layer of the antrum. Double labelling with markers for specific classes of enteric motor neurones revealed that cholinergic and nitrergic motor neurones formed close contacts with ICC‐IM in the corpus but not in the antrum. Enteric nerve stimulation evoked prominent cholinergic excitatory and nitrergic inhibitory responses in longitudinal muscles of the corpus, but not in the antrum of wild‐type animals. Cholinergic and nitrergic nerves were also present in W/WV mice, but functional innervation of the longitudinal muscle layer by these nerves in the corpus and antrum were absent. The data show that cholinergic and nitrergic neurotransmission only occurs in the gastric longitudinal layer in regions where ICC‐IM are present. In regions, such as the corpus, where ICC‐IM are common, robust neural responses are present, but the reduced density of ICC‐IM near the lesser curvature and in the distal stomach leads to reduced neural regulation in these gastric regions.
A PCR Analysis of Prevalence of Echinococcus granulosus Genotype G1 in Small and Large Ruminants in Three Districts of Punjab, Pakistan

Prevalence of Echinococcus granulosus genotype G1 was investigated in 55 cattle, 129 buffaloes, 10 sheep and 10 goat samples by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). These 204 samples were collected from 64 liver and 140 lungs of slaughtered animals from three districts Okara (n= 29), Jhang (n = 43) and Lahore (n= 132). E. granulosus G1 genomic DNA was used for specific amplification of a 254-bp fragment. Twenty five (45.45%) cattle, 78 (60.46%) buffaloes, 2 (20%) sheep and 2 (20%) goat samples were positive for E. granulosus genotype G1. Twenty four (37.5%) liver and 80 (57.14%) lung samples were found positive. The prevalence of E. granulosus genotype G1 was 37.93 % in district Okara, 65.11 % in district Jhang and 50 % in district Lahore. These results indicate that the PCR is valid and sensitive for surveying the disease in epidemiological studies.
Subprime Mortgage Crisis: Causes and Consequences

From the second half of 2007, almost everyone in the world has been looking with breath taking attention at the U.S. market. The biggest econo- my in the world18 showed its first signs of weakness in 2007 when housing market started to erode. The falling real estate prices created liquidity prob- lems that were first visible in financial sector (e.g., Bear Sterns, Lehman Brothers and many others) but were very quickly transmitted to real econo- my. An international nature of many financial institutions in conjunction with trade dependencies among biggest economies made the crisis interna- tional. The financial sector is using the phrase “subprime crisis”, “credit crunch”, or “housing bubble” to explain almost everything negative that happens in the world economy. As a consequence of these liquidity problems banking sector was frozen, capital markets collapsed and global economy started to shrink. Since the crisis started we can observe an ongoing discus- sion among economists about causes and solutions to this turmoil. In this paper, we look into causes of problems in the U.S., whether they are funda- mental or transitory and their implications for other parts of the world. 18 The U.S. economy accounts for 25,4% of the World’s GDP. The World Development Indicators database, World Bank, revised 10 September 2008.