Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Entrepreneurial motivations, aspirations and formalisation decisions amongst informal women entrepreneurs in Nepal

It is assumed that entrepreneurs are motivated to engage in the informal economy out of necessity for survival rather than opportunity; therefore, lacking growth aspirations and avoiding formalisation. However, there is a lack empirical research exploring entrepreneurial motivations and aspirations in developing countries. This research aims to fill this gap by exploring informal women entrepreneurs’ motivations, life aspirations and formalisation decisions in the case study of Nepal. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 informal women entrepreneurs in Nepal’s second largest city, Biratnagar. Women entrepreneurs’ motivations to engage in the entrepreneurial activities were complex, dynamic and intertwined with wider social norms. These complex and dynamic motivations influenced their life aspirations in terms of business growth and personal development. Entrepreneurs, who aspired to grow perceived formalisation as next step towards business sustainability. The findings contribute to the debates on the formalisation of the informal economy and calls to recognise the variabilities among informal women entrepreneurs’ motivations and aspirations. Given the role of informal activities and women entrepreneurs aspirations formalisation could have significant implications on their business sustainability.
Fatigue Intensity in Cervical and Breast Cancer Survivors: Difference in Each Stage of Cancer Survivorship

Background: Cervical and breast cancers are the two top leading cases of female cancer in Indonesia. Nowadays, many survivors with various degree of cancer-related fatigue (CRF) were found in the community context. This study aimed to compare and analyse the differences of CRF intensity in cervical cancer survivors (CCS) and breast cancer survivors (BCS) generally, and in each stage of cancer survivorship, specifically.Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 47 CCS and 55 BCS in the district of Rangkah, Gading, and Pacar Keling, Surabaya, Indonesia (n=102). Instrument of Fatigue Symptom Inventory (FSI) was used for data collection. Descriptive statistic, independent sample t-test, and one way ANOVA test were used for data analysis (α<.05). Results: Most respondents were short term survivors (43.14%) with mild CRF (66.67%) in both cases. Higher intensity of CRF was found in CCS compared to BCS. Worst CRF was found more in acute and short term survivorship in BCS compared to more in long term survivorship in CCS. There was no significant difference of CRF found between CCS and BCS (p=.63), and CRF was not significantly different between each stage of cancer survivorship in both cases (p=.883 and p=.117 for CCS and BCS respectively), but CRF intensity in the worst and lightest time possible was significantly different between CCS and BCS (p=.000). Conclusions: There was no significant difference of CRF between cases and stages of survivorship in CCS and BCS, but CRF intensity in the worst and lightest time possible was significantly different between those groups.
FACTORS INFLUENCING THE CITIZEN TRUST TO ADOPT E-GOVERNMENT SERVICES IN SAUDI ARABIA

With the rise of secure websites and mobile applications, the phrase “take a number or wait in line” has become redundant in public services. The worldwide evolution of e-government services has simplified lives as more citizens avail of e-solutions. However, citizens’ adoption of e-government services rely on multiple factors, including user awareness and trust. Therefore, to understand the factors that influence trust in e-government services, an empirical study must be conducted. This paper examines the antecedents of trust in e-government services in Saudi citizens’ perceptions and investigates the means through which this trust influences the intention to use e-government services. The study analyzes a sample of 310 completed surveys that focus on trust-related metrics, such as trust in government, trust in technology, information quality, and privacy and security assurance. It also includes two constructs of the TAM model (perceived usefulness and perceived ease-of-use) to predict the intention to use e-government services. The study’s outcomes support the proposed research model, whereby all proposed variables significantly predicted intention to use e-government services. Furthermore, all proposed variables significantly predicted trust in e-government except the privacy and security assurance construct.
Antenatal Care in Cote d ' Ivoire : An Empirical Investigation

Despite building maternity and establishment of a national reproductive program, use of maternal health services by women decreases during the evolution of pregnancy in Cote d’Ivoire. The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of factors which may condition the use of maternal health services by pregnant women in Côte d'Ivoire. Using a sample of 356 women from the Living Standards Measurements Survey of 2008, who declared having used at first prenatal care, we use a multinomial probit model to estimate the coefficients of pregnant woman decision. Our results reveal two types of problems: poverty and education of the young girl. Also, improved access to modern health care may reside in the development of appropriate mechanisms for reducing the economic dependence of women and improving the conditions of schooling in order to provide a better arbitrate in decisions relating to antenatal care (ANC).
An illustration from Mozambique

This paper examines the effect of giant oil and gas discoveries on foreign direct investment in developing economies. Across countries, we document a 58% increase in non-resource extraction FDI in the 2 years following a giant discovery, an event which is unpredictable due to the uncertainty of exploration. This effect is driven by a 30% increase in the number of projects and a 16% increase in targeted sectors. Mozambique’s recent FDI boom provides a telling confirmation of this mechanism. Using project-level FDI data combined with multiple waves of household surveys and firm censuses we estimate that each FDI job results in 6.2 additional local jobs, linking the gas-driven FDI bonanza in Mozambique to widespread job creation. JEL CODES: F21, F23, Q32, Q33
Growth factor treatment promotes mobilization of young but not aged adult subventricular zone precursors in response to demyelination

Precursor cells of the adult mouse subventricular zone (SVZ) are mobilized and recruited by a lysolecithin (LPC)‐induced demyelination of the corpus callosum. Because age decreases the proliferation of the SVZ neural precursors as well as the potential for myelin repair of the adult central nervous system, we have compared the ability of young and aged adult neural precursors to respond to LPC‐induced demyelination. With age, the SVZ cells lost their capacity to proliferate and to be recruited by the lesion. Whereas a single injection of fibroblast growth factor‐2 or transforming growth factor‐α stimulated the proliferation of SVZ and rostral migratory stream precursors in both groups of animals after demyelination, they favored recruitment at the lesion in young mice but not in aged ones. In vitro experiments using neurospheres derived from young and aged animals indicated that both populations have the same migratory performances. Our in vivo data thus suggest that aged neural precursors may loose their intrinsic capacities to respond to demyelination‐induced signals. Alternatively, their function may be altered by modification of the aged extracellular environment. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Interactions of multiple gas-transducing systems: hallmarks and uncertainties of CO, NO, and H2S gas biology.

The diverse physiological actions of the "biologic gases," O2, CO, NO, and H2S, have attracted much interest. Initially viewed as toxic substances, CO, NO, and H2S play important roles as signaling molecules. The multiplicity of gas actions and gas targets and the difficulty in measuring local gas concentrations obscures detailed mechanisms whereby gases exert their actions, and many questions remain unanswered. It is now readily apparent, however, that heme-based proteins play central roles in gas-generation/reception mechanisms and provide a point where multiple gases can interact. In this review, we consider a number of key issues related to "gas biology," including the effective tissue concentrations of these gases and the importance and significance of the physical proximity of gas-producing and gas-receptor/sensors. We also take an integrated approach to the interaction of gases by considering the physiological significance of CO, NO, and H2S on mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase, a key target and central mediator of mitochondrial respiration. Additionally, we consider the effects of biologic gases on mitochondrial biogenesis and "suspended animation. " By evaluating gas-mediated control functions from both in vitro and in vivo perspectives, we hope to elaborate on the complex multiple interactions of O2, NO, CO, and H2S.
Identification of Clinical Prognostic Factors in Patients with Unknown Primary Tumors Treated with a Platinum-Based Combination

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate patient and tumor characteristics in 102 patients with unknown primary tumors (UPT) prospectively treated with a combination of carboplatin, doxorubicin, and etoposide, to identify clinical variables predictive of response and survival. Patients and Methods: The association between clinical characteristics and outcome was evaluated by univariate and multivariate analysis: χ2 test and logistic regression analysis were used to study variables predictive of response, and survival analysis, comparison of survival curves and Cox multiple regression analysis to study variables predictive of survival. Results: We obtained 26.5% objective responses (95% confidence interval: 18.2–36.1%) and a median survival of 9 months (95% confidence interval: 7–11 months). Several variables were associated with response to treatment and survival at univariate analysis. At multivariate analysis the number of tumor sites, bone/visceral involvement and epithelial tumor markers were significantly predictive of response; presence of pain, serum alkaline phosphatase, carboplatin AUC and response to treatment were significantly associated with survival. Conclusions: The identification of variables that can predict prognosis and response to treatment in patients with UPT may be useful to offer aggressive treatment to sensitive subsets of patients and provide therapeutic alternatives to those with a low probability of benefiting from standard treatment. In our patients the use of carboplatin AUC higher than 6 and response to treatment were the most important factors associated with prognosis, together with presence of pain and serum alkaline phosphatase. However, larger series and identification of new disease markers are necessary to better define predictive and prognostic variables in UPT patients.
A plant-inducible gene of Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris encodes an exocellular component required for growth in the host and hypersensitivity on nonhosts

Using Tn4431, a transposon that allows transcriptional fusions to a promoterless luciferase (lux) operon, we have isolated a nonpathogenic mutant of Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris, i.e., JS111, that does not incite any of the black rot symptoms on all tested cruciferous host plants (J. J. Shaw, L. G. Settles, and C. I. Kado, Mol. Plant Microbe Interact. 1:39-45, 1988). In the study reported here, we determined that in contrast to the wild-type strain, JS111 is unable to induce a hypersensitive necrotic response on nonhost plants such as datura, tomato, and cucumber, suggesting that JS111 is a nonpathogenic, nonhypersensitive Hrp mutant. JS111 displayed culture growth rates, exopolysaccharide production, and protease, pectate lysase, cellulase, amylase, and phosphatase activities comparable to those of the wild-type strain. However, the growth of JS111 in host leaves was markedly attenuated. Coinoculation of JS111 with the wild-type strain in cauliflower or radish leaves rescued the growth deficiency of the mutant to normal levels. The locus mutated in JS111 was cloned and named hrpXc, and transcriptional and genetic complementation analyses of the hrpXc locus were conducted. The regulation of hrpXc expression was also investigated in vitro and in planta, using fusions to a lux or chloramphenicol acetyltransferase reporter gene. The hrpXc gene was found to be strongly induced in radish leaves. This is the first report and analysis of a hrp locus from a Xanthomonas species.
Estudio in vitro de la capacidad antiglicante y mecanismo de acción de subproductos agroalimentarios. Obtención de un extracto vegetal antiglicante y su evaluación en una matriz alimentaria y modelo celular

La Reaccion de Maillard, tambien conocida como glicacion cuando tiene lugar en sistemas biologicos, es un complejo entramado de reacciones quimicas iniciadas generalmente por la condensacion entre un azucar reductor o compuesto carbonilico reactivo y un resto amino de una proteina. Los productos de glicacion avanzada, conocidos por sus siglas en ingles “AGEs”, gozan de especial relevancia en la actualidad puesto que su acumulacion en el organismo se relaciona con el proceso biologico del envejecimiento y con el avance y las complicaciones de enfermedades multifactoriales de alta prevalencia en nuestra sociedad como la diabetes, Alzheimer y enfermedades cardiovasculares. En este sentido, la inhibicion total o parcial de la glicacion proteica ha sido un objetivo perseguido desde diferentes disciplinas cientificas. Las primeras aproximaciones surgieron desde el ambito farmacologico con el diseno de compuestos de sintesis, como la aminoguanidina. Sin embargo los efectos secundarios adversos manifestados en los ensayos clinicos posteriores dirigieron las investigaciones hacia la busqueda de compuestos bioactivos de origen natural. Los compuestos fenolicos se situaron en el centro de atencion de las investigaciones debido principalmente a la relacion entre la capacidad antioxidante de los mismos y los beneficios frente diversas patologias. Los subproductos vegetales generados en la industria agroalimentaria pueden suponer un problema de gestion medioambiental, ademas de limitar el rendimiento economico del proceso. Sin embargo, estos mismos subproductos son una fuente rica de compuestos bioactivos beneficiosos para la salud que podrian ser aprovechados como suplementos alimentarios, nutraceuticos, cosmeticos e incluso destinados a usos farmacologicos. En este sentido, los subproductos del cultivo del olivo y generados durante el procesado para la obtencion del aceite de oliva son considerados una fuente importante de compuestos fenolicos de gran interes.
Procedural Modeling of Buildings Composed of Arbitrarily-Shaped Floor-Plans: Background, Progress, Contributions and Challenges of a Methodology Oriented to Cultural Heritage

Virtual models’ production is of high pertinence in research and business fields such as architecture, archeology, or video games, whose requirements might range between expeditious virtual building generation for extensively populating computer-based synthesized environments and hypothesis testing through digital reconstructions. There are some known approaches to achieve the production/reconstruction of virtual models, namely digital settlements and buildings. Manual modeling requires highly-skilled manpower and a considerable amount of time to achieve the desired digital contents, in a process composed by many stages that are typically repeated over time. Both image-based and range scanning approaches are more suitable for digital preservation of well-conserved structures. However, they usually require trained human resources to prepare field operations and manipulate expensive equipment (e.g., 3D scanners) and advanced software tools (e.g., photogrammetric applications). To tackle the issues presented by previous approaches, a class of cost-effective, efficient, and scarce-data-tolerant techniques/methods, known as procedural modeling, has been developed aiming at the semi- or fully-automatic production of virtual environments composed of hollow buildings exclusively represented by outer façades or traversable buildings with interiors, either for expeditious generation or reconstruction. Despite the many achievements of the existing procedural modeling approaches, the production of virtual buildings with both interiors and exteriors composed by non-rectangular shapes (convex or concave n-gons) at the floor-plan level is still seldomly addressed. Therefore, a methodology (and respective system) capable of semi-automatically producing ontology-based traversable buildings composed of arbitrarily-shaped floor-plans has been proposed and continuously developed, and is under analysis in this paper, along with its contributions towards the accomplishment of other virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) projects/works oriented to digital applications for cultural heritage. Recent roof production-related enhancements resorting to the well-established straight skeleton approach are also addressed, as well as forthcoming challenges. The aim is to consolidate this procedural modeling methodology as a valuable computer graphics work and discuss its future directions.
Evaluation of the Sorin Monolyth membrane oxygenator

Monolyth membrane oxygenator under a number of laboratory test situations. This membrane oxygenator, like many of the recent products in this area, is of the open reservoir integral type (Figure 1). The membrane consists of hollow fibres with blood flowing on the outside of the fibre lumen. The heat exchanger is on the venous side of the device and is constructed of pleated stainless steel with a surface area of 0.17m2. The
Multicenter Trial of EC145 in Advanced, Folate-Receptor Positive Adenocarcinoma of the Lung

Background: EC145 is a novel folate-receptor targeted agent consisting of a folate molecule linked to a vinca alkaloid. EC20 is a technetium-labeled folate that assesses the presence of folate receptors (FR) in vivo. The objective of this study was to determine the activity of EC145 in patients with chemotherapy refractory lung adenocarcinoma, whose tumors expressed the FR as determined by EC20 imaging. Methods: Patients with advanced adenocarcinoma of the lung, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 0 to 2, normal organ function, those who had progressed after at least two prior cytotoxic regimens, and with EC 20 uptake in at least one index lesion were eligible. The primary objective of the study was the ability to receive four or more cycles of therapy. Results: Sixty patients were screened and 43 patients were enrolled. Eleven patients (26%) received more than four cycles (95% confidence interval [CI] 14%, 41%), and one patient had partial response (response rate (RR) = 2.3%, 95% CI 0%, 12%). Patients in whom all target tumor lesions expressed FR by EC 20 scans had a trend toward superior results in terms of clinical benefit response (50% versus 14.3 %; p = 0.10) and survival (47.2 weeks versus 14.9 weeks [HR = 0.539, p = 0.101]) compared with those in whom at least one but not all target lesions were positive for FR (FR+). Conclusion: EC145 demonstrated clinical activity with a good toxicity profile in this population. Uniform uptake of EC20 may predict activity of EC145 and be useful for prospective selection of patients in future trials.
Multiple discontinuous ligand-mimetic antibody binding sites define a ligand binding pocket in integrin alpha(IIb)beta(3).

Integrin alpha(IIb)beta(3), a platelet fibrinogen receptor, is critically involved in thrombosis and hemostasis. However, how ligands interact with alpha(IIb)beta(3) has been controversial. Ligand-mimetic anti-alpha(IIb)beta(3) antibodies (PAC-1, LJ-CP3, and OP-G2) contain the RGD-like RYD sequence in their CDR3 in the heavy chain and have structural and functional similarities to native ligands. We have located binding sites for ligand-mimetic antibodies in alpha(IIb) and beta(3) using human-to-mouse chimeras, which we expect to maintain functional integrity of alpha(IIb)beta(3). Here we report that these antibodies recognize several discontinuous binding sites in both the alpha(IIb) and beta(3) subunits; these binding sites are located in residues 156-162 and 229-230 of alpha(IIb) and residues 179-183 of beta(3). In contrast, several nonligand-mimetic antibodies (e.g. 7E3) recognize single epitopes in either subunit. Thus, binding to several discontinuous sites in both subunits is unique to ligand-mimetic antibodies. Interestingly, these binding sites overlap with several (but not all) of the sequences that have been reported to be critical for fibrinogen binding (e.g. N-terminal repeats 2-3 but not repeats 4-7, of alpha(IIb)). These results suggest that ligand-mimetic antibodies and probably native ligands may make direct contact with these discontinuous binding sites in both subunits, which may constitute a ligand-binding pocket.
Intrauterine Coadministration of ERK1/2 Inhibitor U0126 Inhibits Interferon TAU Action in the Endometrium and Restores Luteolytic PGF2alpha Pulses in Sheep1

ABSTRACT In ruminants, prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2alpha) is synthesized and released in a pulsatile pattern from the endometrial luminal epithelial (LE) cells during the process of luteolysis. Interferon tau (IFNT) is a Type 1 IFN secreted by the trophoblast cells of the developing conceptus. IFNT acts locally on endometrial LE cells to inhibit pulsatile releases of PGF2alpha and thus establish an endocrine environment for recognition of pregnancy. Cell signaling pathways through which IFNT stimulates expression of multiple genes or proteins in endometrial LE are largely unknown. Results of the present investigation indicate that intrauterine administration of IFNT inhibits pulsatile release of PGF2alpha, while coadministration IFNT and ERK 1/2 inhibitor U0126 restores luteolytic PGF2alpha pulses in sheep. IFNT increases phosphorylation of ERK1/2 proteins and increases its interaction with PGT proteins in endometrial LE. Blockade of ERK1/2 pathways inhibits IFNT action, decreases pERK1/2 and PGT protein interactions, and re-establishes the spatial expression of the oxytocin receptor protein completely and the estrogen receptor protein partially without modulating the expression of interferon regulatory factor-2 (IRF-2) protein in endometrial LE. IFNT does not decrease expression of COX-2, PGDH, or PGT protein in endometrial LE. Our results provide important new insights into IFNT signaling and the molecular endocrine control of PGF2alpha release at the time of establishment of pregnancy in ruminants. This novel IFNT-ERK1/2 signaling module needs to be explored in future studies to understand molecular and cellular mechanisms of IFNT action in endometrial LE in ruminants.
The Determinants of Information Choice Strategies: Information Source and Information Channels

This study distinguishes between the influence of information source and information channels on the information choice strategies of the Arab tourists in Malaysia.It employed a survey research approach. Primary data was used for the study with questionnaire as the survey instrument.358 Arab tourists in Malaysia were used as the research subjects for the study.The various hypotheses for this study were tested using the smartPLS analysis technique.The finding of the study revealed that both information source and information channels factors significantly affect the information choice strategies of the Arab tourists. Thus, our study concludes that information choice strategies are individually determined by the information source and information channels. This finding raises important question and direction for future inquiry.