Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Larvicidal activity of the leaf extracts of Spondias mombin Linn. (Anacardiaceae) from various solvents against malarial, dengue and filarial vector mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae).

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES Aedes aegypti, Anopheles gambiae and Culex quinquefasciatus are vector mosquitoes of dengue, malaria, and filariasis, respectively. Since no vaccine is available to treat these diseases, the control of the main mosquito vectors is essential. As conventional insecticides have limited success, plants may be alternative larvicidal agents, since they contain a rich source of bioactive chemicals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the larvicidal activity of methanol crude extract, hexane, dichloromethane, acetone, ethyl acetate and methanol fractions of Spondias mombin leaf against IV instar larvae of dengue, malaria, and lymphatic filariasis vector mosquitoes. METHODS A total of 25, IV instar larvae of each target mosquito species were exposed to various concentrations (125-1000 ppm) and were assayed in the laboratory by using the protocol of WHO 2005; the LC50 values were determined by Probit analysis. RESULTS Hexane, dichloromethane and acetone fractions were the most effective against Ae. aegypti with LC50 values of 22.54, 42.13, 45.18 ppm, respectively. Hexane fraction registered the highest activity with LC50 of 92.20 ppm against An. gambiae. It was still hexane fraction that showed better toxicity with LC50 of 326.53 ppm against Cx. quinquefasciatus. CONCLUSION The Spondias mombin leaf extracts proved to be a strong candidate for a natural, safe and stable mosquito larvicide to be used in population control of Ae. aegypti, An. gambiae and Cx. quinquefasciatus and so may replace the conventional Diclorvos to control malaria, dengue and filariasis in Nigeria.
Pengaruh Leverage, Likuiditas, Profitabilitas Dan Ukuran Perusahaan Terhadap Kebijakan Dividen (Studi Pada Perusahaan Perbankan Yang Terdaftar Di Bursa Efek Indonesia Tahun 2010-2013 )

This study aims to determine: Effect of leverage, liquidity , profitability and firm size on dividend policy. Type of research is explanatory research. The samples were a total of 18 banking companies listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange from 2010-2013. The sampling technique used purposive sampling. Methods of data collection using the documentation. Analysis of the data by using descriptive, classic assumption test and regression. The results showed that the debt-to-equity ratio and the size was not a significant effect and dividend payout ratio. Current ratio and no significant negative effect on the dividend payout ratio, while the return on equity has a significant effect on the dividend payout ratio. Have suggested that the prospective investors to potential investors pay attention to liquidity, leverage, profitability and size of the company before investing because it has a simultaneous effect on dividend policy.
Detection of Respiratory and Enteric Shedding of Bovine Coronaviruses in Cattle in an Ohio Feedlot

Recently, bovine coronavirus (BCV) has been isolated from new cattle arrivals to feedlots, but the association between respiratory and enteric infections with BCV in feedlot cattle remains uncertain. Fecal and nasal swab samples from 85 Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) feedlot cattle averaging 7 months of age were collected at arrival (0) and at 4, 7, 14, and 21 days postarrival (DPA). An antigen capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect concurrent shedding of BCV in fecal and nasal samples. All samples ELISA positive for BCV were matched with an equal number of BCV ELISA-negative samples and analyzed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) of the N gene. Paired sera were collected at arrival and 21 DPA and tested for antibodies to BCV using an indirect ELISA. Information on clinical signs, treatments provided, and cattle weights were collected. The overall rates of BCV nasal and fecal shedding were 48% (41/85) and 53% (45/85) by ELISA and 84% (71/85) and 96% (82/85) by RT-PCR, respectively. The peak of BCV nasal and fecal shedding occurred at 4 DPA. Thirty-two cattle (38%) showed concurrent enteric and nasal shedding detected by both tests. Eleven percent of cattle had antibody titers against BCV at 0 DPA and 91% of cattle seroconverted to BCV by 21 DPA. The BCV fecal and nasal shedding detected by ELISA and RT-PCR were statistically correlated with ELISA antibody seroconversion (P < 0.0001); however, BCV fecal and nasal shedding were not significantly related to clinical signs. Seroconversion to BCV was inversely related to average daily weight gains (P < 0.06). Twenty-eight respiratory and 7 enteric BCV strains were isolated from nasal and fecal samples of 32 cattle in HRT-18 cell cultures. These findings confirm the presence of enteric and respiratory BCV infections in feedlot calves. Further studies are needed to elucidate the differences between enteric and respiratory strains of BCV and their role in the bovine respiratory disease complex of feedlot cattle.
Determinants of corporate financing decisions: a survey evidence from Czech firms

This paper investigates the empirical evidence on determinants of financing decisions on the pool of respondents among financial managers of Czech firms. The theoretical section provides an overview of prominent contemporary theories on capital structure. Employing Chi-square Sign Test and Logit regression the empirical analysis provides the evidence how the financial managers perceive particular instruments of internal and external financing. We find, that firms follow pecking order theory for working capital financing, however the arguments for pecking order theory in investment financing are not that strong. Firms prefer retained earnings among internal financing instruments and bank loans and leasing among external financing instruments. Finally, the paper discusses the links with practice and some limitations of the results.
Review of the prevalence and incidence of eating disorders.

OBJECTIVE To review the literature on the incidence and prevalence of eating disorders. METHODS We searched Medline using several key terms relating to epidemiology and eating disorders and we checked the reference lists of the articles that we found. Special attention has been paid to methodologic problems affecting the selection of populations under study and the identification of cases. RESULTS An average prevalence rate for anorexia nervosa of 0.3% was found for young females. The prevalence rates for bulimia nervosa were 1% and 0.1% for young women and young men, respectively. The estimated prevalence of binge eating disorder is at least 1%. The incidence of anorexia nervosa is 8 cases per 100,000 population per year and the incidence of bulimia nervosa is 12 cases per 100,000 population per year. The incidence of anorexia nervosa increased over the past century, until the 1970s. DISCUSSION Only a minority of people who meet stringent diagnostic criteria for eating disorders are seen in mental health care.
Effects of perceived merchandise quality and service quality on consumer shopping behavior in the internet apparel retailing environment

The purpose of this study was to investigate the structural relationships among perceived quality, sacrifices, and risks of product and service as antecedents of the value of Internet apparel shopping, as well as satisfaction and behavioral outcomes as consequences of the value of Internet apparel shopping. To examine the relationships among these variables, the quality-value-satisfaction model (Cronin, Brady, & Hult, 2000) was adopted and expanded. This study employed both qualitative and quantitative approaches to examine the phenomenon of Internet apparel shopping. For scale and treatment stimuli development, two focus interviews were conducted using female college-aged consumers. For the model testing, an experimental design with two treatment levels of service quality was employed. Two mock Internet apparel retail sites were created. Pretest and manipulation checks of the two treatments were conducted. At two large Midwestern universities, 361 female students provided usable responses. The results of a series of confirmatory factor analyses revealed that three scales—perceived apparel quality, perceived Internet retailer's service quality, and perceived value of Internet apparel shopping—had three correlated factor structures with moderate to very good model fit indices and good reliability measures. However, these scales contained some niches for improvements through scale refinements. The findings from causal model analyses showed that four proposed models had moderate to very good model fit indices. The results of causal model analyses showed that perceived apparel quality, Internet retailer's service quality, service sacrifice, and service risk were significant determinants of the perceived value of Internet apparel shopping. In addition, perceived value was an influential factor affecting consumer satisfaction and future behavioral outcomes. Internet apparel retailers, that offer high quality apparel merchandise as well as high quality customer service, create high level of consumer value of Internet apparel shopping and, in turn, increase satisfaction with Internet shopping and consumer intentions to revisit, search, purchase, say positive things, and recommend the site.
p53-Independent Expression of p21CIP1/WAF1 in Plasmacytic Cells during G2 Cell Cycle Arrest Induced by Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans Cytolethal Distending Toxin

ABSTRACT The cytolethal distending toxin (CDT) from Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans has been shown to induce cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase in HeLa cells. In the present study, the mechanism of CDT-induced cell cycle arrest was investigated by using HS-72 cells, a murine B-cell hybridoma cell line. Using flow cytometric analysis, we found that the recombinant CDT (rCDT) from A. actinomycetemcomitans induced G2 cell cycle arrest in HS-72 cells and that rCDT upregulated expression of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21CIP1/WAF1 and the tumor suppressor protein p53. HS-72 cells transfected with the E6/E7 gene of human papillomavirus type 16, which lacked rCDT-induced accumulation of p53, exhibited expression of p21CIP1/WAF1 or G2 cell cycle arrest upon exposure to rCDT. Furthermore, ectopic expression of a dominant negative p53 mutant did not inhibit rCDT-mediated p21CIP1/WAF1 expression or G2 cell cycle arrest in HS-72 cells. These results suggest that the CDT from A. actinomycetemcomitans induces p21CIP1/WAF1 expression and G2 cell cycle arrest in B-lineage cells by p53-independent pathways. Together with additional observations made with HeLa cells and COS-1 cells cultured with the rCDT from A. actinomycetemcomitans, the results of this study indicate that CDT-induced p53 accumulation may not be required for G2 cell cycle arrest and that an increased level of p21CIP1/WAF1 may be important for sustaining G2 cell cycle arrest in several mammalian cells.
Customer analytics and marketing research : antithesis and synthesis

Customer Analytics provide a new type of marketing knowledge in terms of modelling past and present customer behaviour. This paper considers how such knowledge might fit with more traditional Marketing Research. Considerable overlap in the knowledge-based capability of the two functions suggests a need for rationalisation, especially where organisational relationships lead to conflict over the resources assigned to each. Nine testable propositions are developed which suggest that a synthesis of these knowledge-based functions should, in fact, enhance the marketing capability and success of the firm.
MPTP-Induced Hemiparkinsonism in Nonhuman Primates 6–8 Years after a Single Unilateral Intracarotid Dose

Five female adult Macaca nemestrina monkeys, given a unilateral intracarotid (ic) infusion of 2.3-3.5 mg of MPTP-HCl, were studied for 6-8 years. Two to 3 days after MPTP, the animals developed hemiparkinsonism characterized by rigidity and flexed posture of the arm contralateral to the side of infusion with episodes of tremor, circling ipsilateral to the lesioned side, a slight balance disturbance, and stooped posture. Rating of parkinsonian features 4 months after ic infusion, and yearly thereafter, did not show any statistically significant changes. The animals maintained their usual appetite and body weight increased normally. Each animal responded to l-DOPA methyl ester with decreased parkinsonian signs and symptoms and increased contralateral turning. In contrast, after control vehicle administration, the animals continued to have the same parkinsonian signs and predominant ipsilateral turns. In three of the five monkeys, contralateral turns after vehicle significantly increased after 6-8 years. Unilateral intracarotid MPTP induced asymmetric motor behavior that remained stable after 6-8 years. Animals that showed an increased frequency of contralateral circling after control vehicle showed a decrease in contralateral turns after l-DOPA methyl ester, suggesting neuroplastic changes over the years.
Knowledge translation in sport injury prevention research: an example in youth ice hockey in Canada

There is a critical need for scientists to incorporate a knowledge translation (KT) perspective into research plans to demonstrate the relevance of research findings and evaluate their implications for health practice and policy. Since 2011, the British Journal of Sport Medicine ( BJSM ) has had a focus on implementation and dissemination research.1 This field is consistent with KT, which is the term used by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). As the following research example was conducted in Canada, the terminology KT is used, acknowledging similarities to implementation and dissemination concepts referred to elsewhere in BJSM . Using an interdisciplinary approach, the knowledge exchange process should influence healthcare professionals, community members and other decision-making groups. On the basis of the original model developed by van Mechelen et al ,2 injury prevention research in sport includes identification of injury burden, examination of risk factors, and development, implementation and evaluation of prevention strategies to reduce injury risk. As sport injury prevention programmes cannot be impactful without acceptance and adoption by targeted individuals, an extension of this model must include real-world implementation contexts and evaluation of their effectiveness in a broader, ecological context (figure 1). 3 Figure 1 Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre adapted integrated knowledge translation model. The prevention of injuries and their long-term …
A novel SPSA kernel wavelet neural network for model-free PID controller

Model-free PID control tuning methods have been widely reported for the case with the time-varying uncertain systems. A model-free control system is introduced in this paper with PID controller. This control design could be considered as a contribution to kernel wavelet neural network PID controllers in model-free system with a straightforward tuning by the simultaneous perturbation stochastic approximation algorithm. It is particularly well suited to problems involving the measurement data without prior inner structure knowledge of the unknown system. On the other hand, neural network activation functions are bounded which cause the outputs of neural network to be limited. Therefore, the T-S Fuzzy control method on basis of kernel wavelet neural network (KWNN) is introduced to improve the control parameter tuning adaptivity in terms of boundedness of the KWNN excitation function. Finally, simulation results are presented to exhibit the effectiveness of the proposed IPWR control system.
Metabolic syndrome and daily ambulation in children, adolescents, and young adults.

PURPOSES To compare daily ambulatory measures in children, adolescents, and young adults with and without metabolic syndrome and to assess which metabolic syndrome components, demographic measures, and body composition measures are associated with daily ambulatory measures. METHODS Two-hundred fifty subjects between the ages of 10 and 30 yr were assessed on metabolic syndrome components, demographic and clinical measures, body fat percentage, and daily ambulatory strides, durations, and cadences during seven consecutive days. Of the 250 subjects, 45 had metabolic syndrome, as defined by the International Diabetes Federation. RESULTS Subjects with metabolic syndrome ambulated at a slower daily average cadence than those without metabolic syndrome (13.6 ± 2.2 vs 14.9 ± 3.2 strides per minute; P = 0.012), and they had slower cadences for continuous durations of 60 min (P = 0.006), 30 min (P = 0.005), 20 min (P = 0.003), 5 min (P = 0.002), and 1 min (P = 0.001). However, the total amount of time spent ambulating each day was not different (P = 0.077). After adjustment for metabolic syndrome status, average cadence is linearly associated with body fat percentage (P < 0.001) and fat mass (P < 0.01). Group difference in average cadence was no longer significant after adjusting for body fat percentage (P = 0.683) and fat mass (P = 0.973). CONCLUSIONS Children, adolescents, and young adults with metabolic syndrome ambulate more slowly and take fewer strides throughout the day than those without metabolic syndrome, although the total amount of time spent ambulating is not different. Furthermore, the detrimental influence of metabolic syndrome on ambulatory cadence is primarily a function of body fatness.
Risk Factors for Cytomegalovirus Viremia and Disease Developing after Prophylaxis in High-Risk Solid-Organ Transplant Recipients

Background. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) D+/R− solid-organ transplant (SOT) recipients carry increased risk of developing CMV disease; however, other risk factors in these patients have not been delineated. Methods. We examined 20 demographic and clinical variables for their association with the development of CMV disease, as defined by an independent endpoint committee (IEC) and also by the investigator (investigator treated [IT]), or CMV viremia within 12 months of transplant in D+/R− transplant recipients who received prophylaxis with valganciclovir or oral ganciclovir for 100 days. Results. Recipients with low creatinine clearance (Ccr,<40 mL/min) at screening had a significantly increased hazard of developing IEC-defined CMV disease (hazards ratio [HR]=4.28, confidence interval [CI] 1.69, 10.83). Females were twice as likely (HR=2.19, CI .21, 3.99) to develop IEC-defined CMV disease than males. These variables were associated with an increased risk of IEC-defined CMV disease in time-dependent models. Recipients with blood group A were also more likely to develop IEC-defined CMV disease than those with group O (HR=2.36 CI 1.24, 4.51) in the logistic regression model only. Prophylactic drug, organ type, recipient age, rejection episodes, and maintenance immunosuppression regimen were not associated with IEC-defined CMV disease. Female sex was the only variable associated with the development of CMV viremia (odds ratio [OR]=1.65; CI 1.03, 2.65) and IT CMV disease (OR=1.78; CI 1.08, 2.93). Conclusions. Low Ccr at screening and blood type A are risk factors for IEC-defined CMV disease, and female sex was a risk factor for IEC- and IT-defined CMV disease and viremia in high-risk SOT recipients. These variables should perhaps be considered when optimizing treatment.
The Supply Chain for Asian Vegetable Retailers: A Case Study of Michigan

The demand for fresh vegetables including specialty vegetables such as Asian vegetables is increasing in the US. In addition to broad-line food retailers Asian grocery stores and restaurants cater to this demand. However, the supply chain for these Asian vegetable retailers has not yet been documented while supply chain research has focused on the broad-line vegetable retailers. This study traces the supply chain of the Asian vegetable retailers, both groceries and restaurants, based on a case study of Michigan. It also analyzes the potential to grow vegetables in Michigan that are common to the supply chain of Asian vegetable retailer's in Michigan and evaluates the potential of Michigan produced vegetables to access the supply chain. This study shows that the Asian grocery stores cater to a niche market that relies heavily on Asian customers. These Asian customers demand Asian specialty vegetables that are not common to broad-line grocery retailers and thus have a supply chain that is distinctive with ethnic ties. The variables such as ethnic presence, predominance of exotic Asian varieties and Asian customers, limited use of technology, fragmented businesses selling limited produce items and limited value addition make the supply chain distinctive. The study findings indicate that Michigan has potential to grow some general vegetables and limited Asian vegetables which gives Michigan producers a limited potential access to the supply chain of Asian vegetable retailers.
Reflecting on the Strategy Process

In this article, we review briefly the evolution of the field in terms of ten "schools. " We ask whether these perspectives represent fundamentally different processes of strategy making or different parts of the same process. In both cases, our answer is yes. We seek to show how some recent work tends to cut across these historical perspectives - in a sense, how cross-fertilization has occurred. To academics, this represents confusion and disorder, whereas to others - including ourselves - it expresses a certain welcome eclecticism, a broadening of perspectives. We discuss this in terms of another metaphor that is also popular in strategic management: the tree with its roots and branches.
Fall determinants in older long-term care residents with dementia: a systematic review

ABSTRACT Background: Persons with dementia are two to three times more likely to fall compared to persons without dementia. In long-term care settings, the dementia prevalence is highest. Therefore, older long-term care residents with dementia can be considered a high-risk group for falls. Nevertheless, no systematic evaluation of fall determinants in this population was found. The purpose of this study was to identify fall determinants among older long-term care residents with dementia or cognitively impaired persons in long-term care, by conducting a systematic literature review. Methods: We searched English, French, Dutch, and German articles listed in: CINAHL, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PubMed, and Web of Science. Additionally, references of included articles were screened. Studies were included if determinants or circumstances of falls in older persons with dementia living in long-term care were assessed. Results: Eight studies met the inclusion criteria. Three studies were excluded from detailed analysis because of insufficient quality. Use of psychotropic drugs, a “fair or poor” general health, gait impairments, and age were associated with an increased fall risk. Also trunk restraints were associated with an increased number of falls while full bedrails and wandering behavior were protective against falls. Conclusions: Fall risk factors known from other populations, e.g. use of psychotropic drugs, physical restraints, and health conditions, are found in long-term care residents with dementia as well. Due to the limited evidence available, future studies with adequate sample sizes and prospective designs are required to determine specific fall risk factors and verify existing results in this population.