Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
In vivo evaluation of the cross‐genotype neutralizing activity of polyclonal antibodies against hepatitis C virus

Control of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection remains a huge challenge of global medical importance. Using a variety of in vitro approaches, neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) have been identified in patients with acute and chronic hepatitis C. The exact role these nAbs play in the resolution of acute HCV infection still remains elusive. We have previously shown that purified polyclonal antibodies isolated from plasma obtained in 2003 from a chronic HCV patient (Patient H) can protect human liver chimeric mice from a subsequent challenge with the autologous HCV strain isolated from Patient H in 1977 (H77). In this study we investigated whether polyclonal antibodies isolated from Patient H in 2006 (H06), which display high cross‐genotype neutralizing activity in both the HCV pseudoparticle (HCVpp) and HCV cell culture (HCVcc) systems, were also able to prevent HCV infection of different genotypes (gt) in vivo. Following passive immunization with H06‐antibodies, chimeric mice were challenged with the consensus strains H77C (gt1a), ED43 (gt4a), or HK6a (gt6a). In accordance with previous results, H06‐antibodies prevented infection of chimeric mice with the autologous virus. However, the outcome of a homologous challenge is highly influenced by the amount of challenge virus injected. Depending on the viral genotype used, H06‐antibodies were able to protect up to 50% of chimeric mice from a heterologous challenge. Animals in which the antibody pretreatment failed displayed a clear delay in the kinetics of viral infection. Sequence analysis of the recovered viruses did not suggest antibody‐induced viral escape. Conclusion: Polyclonal anti‐HCV antibodies isolated from a chronic HCV patient can protect against an in vivo challenge with different HCV genotypes. However, the in vivo protective efficacy of cross‐genotype neutralizing antibodies was less than predicted by cell culture experiments. (HEPATOLOGY 2011)
The Effect of the Organizational and Technical Factors on the Application of Management Information Systems in the Jordanian Banking Sector

This study aimed at investigating the effect of the organizational and technical factors on the application of management information systems (MISs) in the Jordanian banking sector. To achieve the aim of this study, a questionnaire was developed and distributed to (486) subjects. (292) were returned. The study found significant impact of technical and organizational factors on the application of MIS. The study recommended that employees must participate in the process of designing and developing MISs as they have a role in achieving their self-satisfaction, minimizing their resistance to change, raising their spirits and making them aware of the importance of MISs in their respective organization.
The Case for an Unregulated Private Sperm Donation Market

The Internet has changed the way people do many things: find love, buy clothing, plan a vacation, and, more recently, seek sperm donors. Almost exclusively through an internet vetting system, the sperm donor and donor seeker may meet at a Starbucks, in a camper trailer, or in the back of an SUV to conclude the transaction. The donor provides his sample and the donor seeker attempts conception. This practice has resulted in the happy creation of many families. While this spontaneous market has existed for only a short time, the FDA recently moved to assert its jurisdiction over it, creatively tagging one prolific free sperm donor as a “sperm manufacturer,” and threatening to apply to him the far more extensive and onerous regulations applicable to sperm banks. He was ordered to cease manufacturing sperm due to a failure to comply with the FDA’s disease testing requirements. In response, a woman wishing to use private sperm donation filed a lawsuit in the Northern District of California against the FDA. The law (and culture perhaps) once again must adjust to innovation. But should it? This paper will discuss what private sperm donation is, why it is becoming more prevalent, the risks associated with obtaining sperm from a sperm bank versus through a private donor, whether the FDA can and should regulate private donation, and ultimately, why a woman’s right to choose her sperm donor should not be regulated.
Serum concentrations of estrogens, sex hormone‐binding globulin, and androgens and risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women

We assessed the relationship between serum concentrations of estrogens, androgens, and sex hormone‐binding globulin and risk of breast cancer among postmenopausal women. Study participants provided serum prior to breast biopsy or mastectomy in 3 hospitals in Grand Rapids, Michigan between 1977 and 1987. A total of 179 subjects with localized breast cancer were compared to 152 subjects with nonproliferative breast changes that have not been associated with elevated breast cancer risk. Increasing serum concentrations of estrone and estrone sulfate were associated with increases in breast cancer risk; the odds ratios (ORs) in the fourth quartiles compared to the first were 2.3 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.1–4.6) for both (p‐trend = 0.02 and 0.03, respectively). Estradiol and bioavailable estradiol concentrations were associated with nonstatistically significant increases in risk. Androstenediol levels were associated with risk (p‐trend = 0.01); the OR in the fourth compared to the first quartile was 2.2 (95% CI 1.0–4.6). Testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone and androstenedione levels were not associated with increased risk. Sex hormone‐binding globulin was associated with a nonsignificant decrease in risk. Associations with estrone and estrone sulfate persisted after adjustment for androstenediol (ORs for fourth compared to first quartiles were 2.0 (95% CI 0.9–4.5) and 2.2 (95% CI 1.0–4.6), respectively (p‐trend = 0.16 for both). The association with androstenediol was attenuated after adjustment for estrone (OR for fourth compared to first quartile was 1.6 (95% CI 0.7–3.6); p‐trend = 0.13). Higher serum concentrations of estrogens were associated with increased breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women. Androgen levels were not independently associated with substantially increased risk. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
As the Market Churns: Estimates of Firm Exit and Job Loss Using the World Bank's Enterprise Surveys

This paper uses a unique data set of panel firms from the World Bank's Enterprise Surveys in 47 economies, to provide estimates of the patterns of firm exit, and analyzes various firm characteristics and conditions under which firms leave the market. Firms' labor productivity and age are robustly associated with a lower likelihood of exit, consistent with conceptions of creative destruction and findings elsewhere in the literature. These findings are robust across several specifications. However, the effects are mitigated by other factors, such as use of bank financing and the presence of limited liability. Although firm size does appear to matter, its effect is lessened after accounting for labor productivity. The paper also provides basic estimates of job loss attributable to firm exit, estimating that on average 3 to 4 percent of private sector employment is lost per annum due to firm exit. Because of the challenges of data collection, the analysis relies on a necessarily conservative definition of exit and provides a framework for future work on utilizing such periodic survey panels to estimate the relative patterns of firm attrition and the associated job loss.
Brent method for Dynamic Economic Dispatch with transmission losses

This paper presents application of Brent method to solve dynamic economic dispatch (DED) problem with transmission losses. The algorithm involves the selection of incremental fuel costs (lambda values) and then the optimal lambda is evaluated from the power balance equation by Brent method at predicted power demand. In real time operation, thermal gradients inside the turbine should be kept within safe limits to avoid shortening the life of generating units. This mechanical constraint is translated into a limit on the rate of increase and decreases of the output power during the variation in the power demand and is known as ramp rate limits. The constraint of ramp rate limits distinguishes the DED problem from the traditional static economic dispatch (ED) problem. Due to ramp rate limits, DED problem cannot be solved for a single value of the power demand. The main objective is to determine the optimal schedule of output powers of online generating units with predicted power demands over a certain period of time to meet power demands at minimum operating cost. The proposed method has been tested on a power system having 6 and 15 generating units. The results of the proposed algorithm are compared with the conventional lambda iterative method in terms of solution quality and computational time. It is observed from the case studies that the Brent method provides qualitative solution with less computational time compare to lambda iterative method.
Paraneoplastic cerebellar ataxia due to autoantibodies against a glutamate receptor.

There are many types of cerebellar ataxia, including ataxia due to congenital or metabolic disorders and a paraneoplastic form in patients with gynecologic cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, or Hodgkin's disease.1 This paraneoplastic syndrome is the only type of cerebellar ataxia associated with autoantibodies against neuronal antigens. Often, the neuronal antigens are aberrantly expressed by the tumor cells.2–4 The antineuronal autoantibodies are believed to cause cerebellar ataxia, but this is unproved.5,6 In Hodgkin's disease, the lymphoma precedes the ataxia by months to years in 80 percent of patients, and ataxia often occurs during a prolonged complete remission.4 Among .
Computer/gaming station use in youth: Correlations among use, addiction and functional impairment.

OBJECTIVE Computer/gaming station use is ubiquitous in the lives of youth today. Overuse is a concern, but it remains unclear whether problems arise from addictive patterns of use or simply excessive time spent on use. The goal of the present study was to evaluate computer/gaming station use in youth and to examine the relationship between amounts of use, addictive features of use and functional impairment. METHOD A total of 110 subjects (11 to 17 years of age) from local schools participated. Time spent on television, video gaming and non-gaming recreational computer activities was measured. Addictive features of computer/gaming station use were ascertained, along with emotional/behavioural functioning. Multiple linear regressions were used to understand how youth functioning varied with time of use and addictive features of use. RESULTS Mean (± SD) total screen time was 4.5±2.4 h/day. Addictive features of use were consistently correlated with functional impairment across multiple measures and informants, whereas time of use, after controlling for addiction, was not. CONCLUSIONS Youth are spending many hours each day in front of screens. In the absence of addictive features of computer/gaming station use, time spent is not correlated with problems; however, youth with addictive features of use show evidence of poor emotional/ behavioural functioning.
Acamprosate supports abstinence, Naltrexone prevents excessive drinking: evidence from a meta-analysis with unreported outcomes

Two pharmacological agents have repeatedly been shown to be efficacious for relapse prevention in alcohol dependence: The putative glutamate-antagonist acamprosate and the opioid-antagonist naltrexone. Clinical evidence for both drugs is based on various outcome criteria. Whereas for acamprosate primarily abstinence maintenance has been demonstrated, studies with naltrexone have mostly emphasised the prevention of heavy drinking. The remaining effects of both drugs are not always reported; accordingly the corresponding database is fragmentary. Thus, the primary objective of the present meta-analysis was to complete the efficacy profiles for acamprosate and naltrexone and to compare them with each other. Unreported results, requested from the study investigators and the drug manufacturers, were integrated in the computation of effect sizes. For the meta-analysis, emphasis was placed on the conceptual distinction between having a first drink and returning to heavy drinking. Naltrexone was found to have a significant effect on the maintenance of abstinence as well as the prevention of heavy drinking. Acamprosate was shown only to support abstinence; it did not influence alcohol consumption after the first drink. When the efficacy profiles of the two drugs were compared, acamprosate was found to be more effective in preventing a lapse, whereas naltrexone was better in preventing a lapse from becoming a relapse. The superiority of either one drug or over the other one cannot be determined as a general rule, it rather depends on the therapeutic target. Benefits in the treatment of alcohol dependence might be optimized by matching the efficacy profiles of specific antidipsotropics with the motivational status of alcohol-dependent patients.
Factors Associated with Caregiver Burden in Dementia: 1-Year Follow-Up Study

Objective Dementia symptoms (cognitive function, daily-living function, and neuropsychiatric symptoms) become more serious over time, which is likely to increase caregiver burden. The aim of this study is to investigate which dementia-related symptoms, and how the progression of these symptoms, have influenced caregiver burden during a 1-year follow-up assessment. Methods A total of 110 patients with dementia were assessed for their cognitive function, daily-living function, and neuropsychiatric symptoms. Caregivers were assessed for their caregiver burden. Bivariate analyses were conducted between caregiver burden and dementia patients' symptoms, in order to examine which particular symptoms were significantly associated with caregiver burden at the baseline. A multiple regression analysis was then conducted with each significantly associated variable with a view to identifying determinants, influencing caregiver burden. Additionally, bivariate analyses were conducted between the changes in caregiver burden and the changes in patients' symptoms, to investigate which patient variable could best describe caregiver burden from baseline to the 1-year follow-up. A multiple regression analysis was conducted with each significantly-associated change in symptom, in order to identify determinants that influence a change in caregiver burden. Results Neuropsychiatric symptoms, such as irritability, aberrant motor-behavior, delusions and disinhibition were found to be significant predictors of caregiver burden at baseline, according to multiple regression analysis. In addition, changes in neuropsychiatric symptoms, such as delusions, agitation and memory-related functioning in daily-living significantly predict a change in caregiver burden. Conclusion Our results demonstrate that neuropsychiatric symptoms and memory impairment in daily-living functions are significant predictors of an increase in caregiver burden.
THREE ESSAYS ON INVESTMENTS

OF DISSERTATION THREE ESSAYS ON INVESTMENTS This dissertation consists of three essays on investments. The first essay examines the incidence, determinants, and consequences of hedge fund share restriction changes. This paper finds that nearly one in five hedge funds change their share restrictions (e.g., lockup) over the period of 2007-2012. Share restriction changes are not random. Fund’s asset illiquidity, liquidity risk, and performance are related to share restriction changes. A hazard model indicates that funds who actively manage liquidity concerns live longer by adjusting share restrictions. The paper examines whether changes in share restrictions create an endogeneity bias in the share illiquidity premium (Aragon, 2007) and find that 18% of the premium can be explained by the dynamic nature of contract changes. The second essay examines why mutual funds appear to underperform hedge funds. Utilizing a unique panel of mutual fund contracts changes, this paper explores several possible channels, including: alternative investment practices (e.g., short sales and leverage), performance-based compensation, and the ability to restrict the funding risk of fund flows. This paper documents that over our sample period, mutual funds were more likely to shift their contracting environment closer to that of hedge funds. However, this shift provided no benefit to mutual funds and the paper finds no causal link between these contract changes and improvements in performance. Rather, this paper casts doubt on the binding nature of investment restrictions in the mutual fund industry. The third essay examines whether the 52-week high effect (George and Hwang, 2004) can be explained by risk factors. The paper finds that it is more consistent with investor underreaction caused by anchoring bias: the presumably more sophisticated institutional investors suffer less from this bias and buy (sell) stocks close to (far from) their 52-week highs. Further, the effect is mainly driven by investor underreaction to industry instead of firm-specific information. The 52-week high strategy works best among stocks whose values are more affected by industry factors. The 52-week high strategy based on industry measurement is more profitable than the one based on idiosyncratic measurement.
The Blog-Mediated Crisis Communication Model: Recommendations for Responding to Influential External Blogs

Practitioners and academics are buzzing about the impact of the blogosphere on public relations practices. Emerging evidence indicates that strategically managing blog-mediated public relations may be especially critical for crisis managers. Yet, no known research provides a comprehensive, theoretically sound approach indicating how crisis managers should engage with the blogosphere. Therefore, this study proposes a new conceptual model to help public relations professionals navigate the evolving blogosphere: the blog-mediated crisis communication model. This model helps crisis managers monitor the blogosphere and respond, when appropriate, to influential bloggers. Future research will test the model in applied contexts, working with corporate, government, and nonprofit organizations.
CONSTRAINTS OF FARMERS IN CASHEW PRODUCTION : A CASE STUDY OF ORIRE L . G . A . OF OYO STATE , NIGERIA

This study examines constraints of farmers in cashew production in Orire Local Government Area of Oyo state Nigeria. There are problems of low yield and utilization of cashew pseudo apple. This study was carried out in 2008 and data were collected from one hundred and ten respondents with the aid of well structured questionnaire. Respondents were selected using purposive and systematic sampling techniques. Data were analyzed using descriptive and Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC). Results showed that cashew production in the study area is male dominated with 84.5% of the respondents being males. Majority (70%) of the respondents in the study area ranked inadequate capital (finance) as the most severe constraint while lack of storage facilities was ranked by few (5.50%) of the respondents. This could be attributed to difficulty in obtaining loan from the banks due to collateral while storage facilities constraint could be attributed to the fact that the cashew farmers in the study area do not store their produce for processing. Also the constraints experienced by cashew farmers negatively relate to the income generated from cashew fruits (r = -0.177, P<0.05). This implies that significant increase in constraints will lead to reduction in income of cashew farmers. These constraints should be considered in developmental plans for cashew farmers in the area. Incentives such as soft loan should be provided for cashew farmers to alleviate the constraints of inadequate financial capital, encourage establishment of processing industries to increase their level of income.
The More the Healthier ? Health and Family Size

We use a unique dataset on the entire Swedish male birth cohorts between 1965 and 1978 to investigate the effect of an exogenous increase in family size on children’s health. When using twin births as an instrument for family size we find a positive effect of family size on height of at least 1/2 cm per additional sibling. This is in line with a recent literature in medicine that suggests that greater exposure to infections early in life is beneficial for the development of the immune system. Our results thus suggest that this so called hygiene hypothesis dominates Becker's quantity-quality tradeoff when it comes to children's health. JEL classification:
Acute Effects of Ammonia Inhalants on Strength and Power Performance in Trained Men

Abstract Bartolomei, S, Nigro, F, Luca, G, Gabriele, S, Ciacci, S, Hoffman, JR, and Merni, F. Acute effects of ammonia inhalants on strength and power performance in trained men. J Strength Cond Res 32(1): 244–247, 2018—The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of ammonia inhalants on lower body power and maximal isometric strength in trained men. Twenty experienced resistance trained men (age = 26.7 ± 3.7 years; body weight = 80.59 ± 9.0 kg; body height = 179.5 ± 5.7 cm) were tested for counter movement jump power (CMJP), maximal force, and peak rate of force development (pRFD20) expressed during an isometric midthigh pull (IMTP). Assessments were performed using either an ammonia inhalant (AI), a placebo (PL), or no inhalants (N). One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with repeated measures was used to compare strength and power performance between the different trials. A significant (p < 0.01) increase in pRFD20 was detected following the use of AI. No significant effects of trial were noted for CMJP and IMTP maximal force (p = 0.251 and p = 0.075, respectively). Results of the present study showed a potential ergogenic effect of AI on rate of force development (i.e., explosive force output), with a trend toward an improvement in maximal force production. The mechanism of action may be related to the stimulatory action of AI often reported by athletes as a “psyching-up” effect. The positive effect of AI on the rate of force development may represent an advantage in sports requiring high rates of force production.
Teachers’ Understanding of E‐Safety: An Exploratory Case in KZN South Africa

The exposure of online risks to young adults has been of concern for some time. While e‐safety may be regarded as the responsibility of parents and the individual, teachers’ role in inculcating safe and effective use of online computing is important. The purpose of this study is to contribute towards igniting the interest of educators in the aspect of e‐safety by exploring the issues related to educators’ awareness and knowledge of e‐safety, particularly in a developing country. An exploratory case study using mixed method approach was adopted wherein two schools from either side of the digital divide was used to inform the study. Preliminary data was collected via interviews and questionnaires. Qualitative data from interviews were obtained, supported by some quantitative analysis was. Key findings from this study were that (1) most educators were not fully knowledgeable about online risks and the associated e‐safety measures; (2) all educators from both sides of the digital divide required training in e‐safety education and were not competent enough to handle e‐safety issues. Some recommendations are suggested.