Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Genotyping of 27 Human Papillomavirus Types by Using L1 Consensus PCR Products by a Single-Hybridization, Reverse Line Blot Detection Method

ABSTRACT Amplification of human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA by L1 consensus primer systems (e.g., MY09/11 or GP5+/6+) can detect as few as 10 to 100 molecules of HPV targets from a genital sample. However, genotype determination by dot blot hybridization is laborious and requires at least 27 separate hybridizations for substantive HPV-type discrimination. A reverse blot method was developed which employs a biotin-labeled PCR product hybridized to an array of immobilized oligonucleotide probes. By the reverse blot strip analysis, genotype discrimination of multiple HPV types can be accomplished in a single hybridization and wash cycle. Twenty-seven HPV probe mixes, two control probe concentrations, and a single reference line were immobilized to 75- by 6-mm nylon strips. Each individual probe line contained a mixture of two bovine serum albumin-conjugated oligonucleotide probes specific to a unique HPV genotype. The genotype spectrum discriminated on this strip includes the high-risk, or cancer-associated, HPV genotypes 16, 18, 26, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 55, 56, 58, 59, 68 (ME180), MM4 (W13B), MM7 (P291), and MM9 (P238A) and the low-risk, or non-cancer-associated, genotypes 6, 11, 40, 42, 53, 54, 57, 66, and MM8 (P155). In addition, two concentrations of β-globin probes allowed for assessment of individual specimen adequacy following amplification. We have evaluated the performance of the strip method relative to that of a previously reported dot blot format (H. M. Bauer et al., p. 132–152, in C. S. Herrington and J. O. D. McGee (ed.), Diagnostic Molecular Pathology: a Practical Approach, (1992), by testing 328 cervical swab samples collected in Digene specimen transport medium (Digene Diagnostics, Silver Spring, Md.). We show excellent agreement between the two detection formats, with 92% concordance for HPV positivity (kappa = 0.78, P < 0.001). Nearly all of the discrepant HPV-positive samples resulted from weak signals and can be attributed to sampling error from specimens with low concentrations (<1 copy/μl) of HPV DNA. The primary advantage of the strip-based detection system is the ability to rapidly genotype HPVs present in genital samples with high sensitivity and specificity, minimizing the likelihood of misclassification.
The ‘National System of Innovation’ in historical perspective

Contrary to some recent work on so-called 'globalization,' this paper argues that national and regional systems of innovation remain an essential domain of economic analysis. Their importance derives from the networks of relationships that are necessary for any firm to innovate. While external international connections are certainly of growing importance, the influence of the national education system, industrial relations, technical and scientific institutions, government policies, cultural traditions and many other national institutions is fundamental. The historical examples of Germany, Japan, and the former U.S.S.R. illustrate this point, as well as the more recent contrast between East Asian and Latin American countries. (c) 1995 Academic Press, Inc. Copyright 1995 by Oxford University Press.
Corruption and firm-level productivity: greasing or sanding effect?

Purpose Corruption was ranked among the top five biggest obstacles affecting the operation of enterprises in Africa and was rated as a severe obstacle by close to 40 percent of firms in the sample. Consequently, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between corruption and firm level productivity. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses the Enterprise Survey Data Set of the World Bank and employs an instrumental variable (IV) approach to deal with the potential endogeneity of corruption in a productivity equation. The authors use industry-country averages of the bribe tax and time tax as well as a dummy of female ownership as IVs. Findings Using three different measures of corruption, the authors find evidence that corruption “sands the wheels of commerce” and hence dampens firm-level productivity even when the endogeneity of corruption is controlled for. The authors find no evidence to support the trade-off between bribe payments and the red tape suggesting that government officials deliberately use bureaucracy as a mechanism of trapping the most productive firms that can afford to pay higher bribes. Hence this study lends no support to the “greasing” hypothesis. Practical implications The results thus suggest that in the second best choice environment firms are still not better off paying bribes rather mitigating corruption could be ideal. Therefore alongside existing regulatory corruption mitigants in the respective African countries, the paper suggests that government through public information dissemination ought to enlighten firms that corruption is not productivity enhancing. Thus firms are better-off evading corruption tendencies than propagating them. Originality/value The contribution to empirical literature is that much of the empirical studies have overly concentrated on Europe and Asia and with very limited evidence available for African countries. Therefore in terms of extending the work of McAuthar and Teal (2002) and Fisman and Svensson (2007), the authors argue that by using a new data set stretching from 2006 to as recent as 2017 the paper is rightly placed to make an empirical contribution about the relationship between corruption and firm-level productivity.
Implication of Working Capital Management on the Profitability: A Case Of ONGC LTD, India

Financial Management basically deals with raising of financial resources and its proper allocation in order to maximize shareholders wealth. For a successful running of an organization fixed and current assets play a crucial role as organization generally invests in these options. A firm’s working capital consists of its investments in short-term assets like cash and bank balance, inventories, receivable and short term investments. Therefore, the working capital management mainly refers to the management of all these individual current assets. In this research paper an attempt has been made to study the components of working capital and the possible implications of working capital management policies on profitability of ONGC Limited. The paper also attempts to analyze the correlation between liquidity, profitability and return on investments of ONGC. The study is based on secondary data collected from annual reports of ONGC for the period 2000 to 2012. In this paper there is an application of correlation and regression analysis to identify the significant impact of Working capital management on the profitability. Working capital Management is essential as it might have a direct impact on profitability and liquidity.
Divergences between clinical and research methods for assessing personality disorders: implications for research and the evolution of axis II.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which instruments for assessing axis II diverge from clinical diagnostic processes. METHOD Subjects in the first study were 52 clinicians with experience in assessment and treatment of patients with personality disorders, who were surveyed about the methods they use in clinical practice to make diagnoses and other aspects of the diagnostic process. A second study replicated the major findings with a random national sample of 1,901 experienced psychiatrists and psychologists. RESULTS Whereas current instruments rely primarily on direct questions derived from DSM-IV, clinicians of every theoretical persuasion found direct questions useful for assessing axis I disorders but only marginally so for axis II. They made axis II diagnoses, instead, by listening to patients describe interpersonal interactions and observing their behavior with the interviewer. In contrast to findings with current research instruments, most patients with personality disorders in clinical practice receive only one axis II diagnosis, and if they receive more than one, one is considered primary. Clinicians reported treating a substantial number of patients for enduring personality patterns that current axis II instruments do not assess, many of which meet neither axis I nor axis II criteria, notably problems with relatedness, work, self-esteem, and chronic subclinical depressive traits. CONCLUSIONS Measurements of axis II were constructed by using a model derived from axis I instruments that diverges from clinical diagnostic procedures in a way that may be problematic for the assessment of personality disorders and the development of a more clinically and empirically sound taxonomy.
PATRILINEAL FAMILY VALUES, FAMILY PLANNING AND VARIATION IN STATURE AMONG TAIWANESE SIX-YEAR-OLDS

It has been argued that patrilineal joint family systems tend to bias family planning decisions in favour of sons. A simple model suggests that in such societies, any given son will be more highly valued by his parents (1) the fewer his brothers and (2) the earlier his birth is in the brother series. A daughter's value will be greater (1) the fewer brothers she has and (2) the earlier her birth is relative to other sisters. This study first addresses the extent of son preference as inferred from family composition data for 772 Taiwanese first-graders born in the mid-1970s in two socioeconomically distinct communities in Taipei, Taiwan. It then uses linear regression to consider whether the model criteria help account for statural variation among children in each study area when controlling for differences in measurement age, parental education and housing. With respect to family composition and gender preference, available evidence was consistent with previous surveys. While better-educated parents in the more affluent study area had significantly fewer children (p<0·0005) and were more willing to stop without a son, girls there, as in the less affluent area, were still significantly more likely than boys to belong to large sibships (p≤0·005). Evidence from mean height of males and females partially accords with hypothetical predictions. In the less affluent area, the interaction effect of male birth order and the presence of younger siblings was significantly associated with mean stature (p=0·002). Males without brothers were 2·0 cm taller than males with either an older or a younger brother (116·3 ± 0·5 cm vs 114·3 ± 0·4 cm). Males who had both younger and older brothers, but often no sisters, were about as tall, however, as those without brothers. A similar, but less pronounced, pattern was found amoung males in the more affluent area, but only among those who had sisters. These boys were also consistently shorter than boys without sisters (115·6 ± 0·6 cm vs 117·7 ± 0·6 cm; p=0·001). Patterns of mean female stature did not clearly support the hypothesis. Girls in the more affluent area were relatively tall and did not show significant variation. Results among less affluent girls showed significant contrasts, but not necessarily in the predicted direction.
Mentorship in contemporary practice: the experiences of nursing students and practice mentors.

AIM This paper explores the role of the mentor in contemporary nursing practice in the UK. It presents findings from a recent study which investigated the impact of a locality-based nursing education initiative on students, practice mentors and academic staff and draws on another study, conducted in the same setting and two Australian sites, to examine the perceptions of nursing students and mentors. BACKGROUND Within nursing, mentorship is integral to students' clinical placement experiences and has attracted increasing interest among researchers. Despite a plethora of studies focussing on mentoring and its nature and application within the practice setting, limited attention has been paid to the extent to which guidelines provided by regulatory bodies for nursing inform and influence the practice of mentoring in contemporary health-care settings. DESIGN The study used a two-phased design with data on mentorship being focussed on the second phase. METHOD Data were collected using an online survey questionnaire of pre-qualifying students and a postal questionnaire for practice mentors. FINDINGS The findings highlight the importance of mentorship for prequalifying students and emphasise the need to provide mentors with adequate preparation and support. They confirm previous research, but also highlight improvements in bridging the gap between rhetoric and reality for mentorship. Results are further strengthened when compared with those of the second study. CONCLUSIONS Findings provide new evidence of a narrowing of the gap between the theory and practice of mentoring and for the continuing implementation of national standards to clarify the roles and responsibilities of the mentor. They also suggest the benefits of developing such standards in countries with similar systems of support for nursing students. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE Mentorship is pivotal to students' clinical experiences and is instrumental in preparing them for their role as confident and competent practitioners.
Mechanism and regulation of intestinal phosphate absorption.

Proper absorption of inorganic phosphate (Pi) from the lumen of the small intestine is of great importance for the achievement of Pi homeostasis. Although due to intralumenal H+ and Pi concentrations, Pi probably can be absorbed as H2PO4- by passive means in the duodenum, transepithelial transport of HPO4(2)- requires uptake from the lumen by an active transport system. The latter has been identified in many species as a Na(+)-Pi cotransport system at the brush-border membrane of the enterocyte. Although it is still a matter of debate whether the intestinal Na+ gradient-driven Pi transport system is electrogenic or electroneutral, there is agreement that the transporter accepts H2PO4- and HPO4(2)- alike. Recently, two laboratories independently isolated a Na(+)-Pi-binding protein which has been tentatively identified as part of the Na(+)-Pi cotransport system. Movement of Pi from the cytosol across the basolateral membrane into the interstitial space has only been preliminarily characterized as transfer by facilitated diffusion. Na(+)-Pi cotransport across the brush-border membrane is under control by the active vitamin D metabolite, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25-(OH)2D3). The sterol increases the intrinsic activity, i.e. the number and/or mobility of Na(+)-Pi carriers through genomic and probably also nongenomic actions. In addition, the rate of Na(+)-gradient-driven Pi transport can be enhanced by the hormone also through reduction of transmembrane Na+ fluxes so that more energy for translocation becomes available from the transmembrane Na+ gradient. Evidence is accumulating that thyroid hormones as well as glucocorticoids, apart from stimulating vitamin D-independent Pi uptake, potentiate the effect of 1,25-(OH)2D3 on Na(+)-Pi cotransport across the brush-border membrane.
Faktor Yang Mempengaruhi Nilai Perusahaan Pada Perusahaan Manufaktur Yang Terdaftar Di BEI

The purpose of this study is to analyze the effects of profitability, leverage, and firm size on the value of companies in manufacturing companies listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange (BEI) for the period 2014-2016. Sample was selected using purposive sampling method amounted to 50 companies. Data processing techniques using multiple regression analysis what helped by SPSS 20 for Windows and Microsoft Excel 2010. The result of this study shows that partially profitability have significant effect on the value of companies, while leverage and firm size have no significant effect on the value of companies. Futhermore this study shows that simultaneously profitability, leverage, and firm size have significant effect on the value of companies.
Loyalty programs benefits and customer loyalty: The mediating role of customer satisfaction

The purpose of this study was to develop an original framework to explore the direct effect of customer loyalty programs benefits on customer loyalty and to discuss the mediating role of customer. This study applies two original concepts – loyalty programs benefits and customer satisfaction to develop an integral model that enhances customer loyalty. In addition, this research employs an empirical study by means of the questionnaire survey method to verify the hypotheses and to explore their managerial and theoretical implications. Hayes’ (2013) PROCESS macro and the four steps mediation process (Mackinnon, 2008) has been applied to verify the research framework. The empirical results showed that loyalty programs benefits and customer satisfaction significantly affect customer loyalty. Furthermore, this study demonstrates that the indirect relationship between loyalty programs benefits and customer loyalty is mediated by customer satisfaction. The indirect path presents partial mediation; hence, the need for hotels to establish other factors that indirectly influence the relationship between loyalty program benefits and customer loyalty as well as they enhance the antecedents of customer satisfaction during the service delivery process to increase customer loyalty. This study summarizes the literature on loyalty program benefits and customer satisfaction into a new managerial International Journal of Economics, Commerce and Management, United Kingdom Licensed under Creative Common Page 727 framework of customer loyalty. It utilizes new arrangement of two constructs; loyalty programs benefits and customer satisfaction, to develop an original framework that enhances customer loyalty. Although past research has highlighted the relevant issues about customer loyalty, none explores it within hospitality industry Sub-Saharan context to the best of our knowledge. Therefore, this paper develops the research framework of customer loyalty to fill the research gap specifically in Kenya hospitality industry context.
Anti-inflammatory Microglia/Macrophages As a Potential Therapeutic Target in Brain Metastasis

Brain metastasis is a common complication of cancer patients and is associated with poor survival. Histological data from patients with brain metastases suggest that microglia are the major immune population activated around the metastatic foci. Microglia and macrophages have the ability to polarize to different phenotypes and to exert both tumorigenic and cytotoxic effects. However, the role of microglia/macrophages during the early stages of metastatic growth in the brain has not yet been determined. The aim of this study was to profile microglial/macrophage activation in a mouse model of breast cancer brain metastasis during the early stages of tumor growth, and to assess the role of the anti-inflammatory microglial/macrophage population, specifically, during this phase. Following intracerebral injection of 5 × 103 4T1-GFP mammary carcinoma cells into female BALB/c mice, robust microglial/macrophage activation around the 4T1 metastatic foci was evident throughout the time-course studied (28 days) and correlated positively with tumor volume (R2 = 0.67). Populations of classically (proinflammatory) and alternatively (anti-inflammatory) activated microglia/macrophages were identified immunohistochemically by expression of either induced nitric oxide synthase/cyclooxygenase 2 or mannose receptor 1/arginase 1, respectively. Temporally, levels of both pro- and anti-inflammatory cells were broadly stable across the time-course. Subsequently, selective depletion of the anti-inflammatory microglia/macrophage population by intracerebral injection of mannosylated clodronate liposomes significantly reduced metastatic tumor burden (p < 0.01). Moreover, increased levels of apoptosis were associated with tumors in clodronate liposome treated animals compared to controls (p < 0.05). These findings suggest that microglia/macrophages are important effectors of the inflammatory response in the early stages of brain metastasis, and that targeting the anti-inflammatory microglial/macrophage population may offer an effective new therapeutic avenue for patients with brain metastases.
A Triple Hurdle Model of the Impacts of Improved Chickpea Adoption on Smallholder Production and Commercialization in Ethiopia

Enhancing agricultural productivity through the adoption of proven technologies presents a credible pathway to economic development and poverty reduction. The adoption of improved chickpea varieties in Ethiopia has the potential to contribute not only to food security but also to economic development as well as poverty reduction among the poor. We analyze the impacts of improved chickpea adoption on smallholder production and commercialization employing a triple hurdle (TH) model on a panel data of three rounds (2008, 2010, 2014), drawn from 614 households in potential chickpea areas in Ethiopia. The correlated random effect model coupled with the control function approach for non-linear panel models was employed to address heterogeneity and endogeneity. The adoption of improved chickpea varieties shows a significant positive effect on the commercialization of chickpea. This study therefore affirms the importance of improved chickpea varieties for commercialization and additionally provides support for policies targeting poverty alleviation in rural areas through targeting more novel farm technologies, improving extension services and increasing access to land especially by the young.
Federalism as a commit-ment to preserving market incentives

We advance a new perspective in the study of federalism. Our approach views federalism as a governance solution of the state to credibly preserving market incentives. Market incentives are preserved if the state is credibly prevented from compromising on future economic success and from bailing out future failures. The salient features of federalism — decentralization of information and authority and inter-jurisdiction competition — help provide credible commitment for these purposes. In addition, we discuss factors relevant for sustaining
Identifying structural similarities between stricto sensu post-graduation programs in management regarding the strategy tripod

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the structural similarities between stricto sensu post-graduation programs in management through the formation of clusters, with the strategy tripod as a backdrop (Peng, 2002; Peng et al., 2009). Design/methodology/approach The co-plot method was used as a tool. It was chosen because it simultaneously enables joint and individual observations of comments and variables. Findings The results showed the formation of clusters among the programs, identifying a series of similarities between their components. The age and number of lines of research of the programs were the determining variables to identify isomorphism among the clusters. Research limitations/implications The main limitation of the study lies in the updating of information at the source of the data collection. All the data were collected from the Sucupira Platform for CAPES Triennial Evaluation of 2013. However, when the authors accessed the portals of the programs, the authors found that some data were outdated. Nevertheless, the authors limited themselves to using official data. Therefore, even if the authors found divergences or inconsistencies regarding the published information, the authors decided to use the official data made available by CAPES on the Sucupira Platform for the period in question. Originality/value Understanding that the results through the approaches of the industry-based view, resource-based view and institution-based view were insufficient for a thorough analysis, it is demonstrated in isolation that none of these succeeds in explaining the organizational context that permeates Brazilian stricto sensu post-graduation institutions. In this organizational field, the three views are not at the same theoretical level. The institutional view overlaps with the strategic competitive views. Therefore, the study contributes to reorganizing the strategy tripod and the proposed articulation between the arrangement of theory, method and field research.