Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Immunization against Endogenous Retroviral Tumor-associated Antigens 1

Endogenous retroviral gene products have been found in some human tumors, and therefore, may serve as antigens for immunotherapy approaches. The murine colorectal carcinoma CT26 and melanoma B16 have recently been found to express the endogenous retroviral gene products gp70 and p15E, respectively, that can serve as antigens recognized by T cells. To date, though, there has been no demonstration of tumor treatment using an endogenous retroviral protein. In this study, we demonstrate that mice immunized with recombinant vaccinia encoding the gp70 H2-L d -restricted minimal determinant were protected from CT26 tumor challenge. Splenocytes from mice immunized with vaccinia gp70 specifically secreted IFN- γ in response to gp70 peptide-pulsed stimulators. Although this strategy could protect against subsequent tumor challenge, it was ineffective against established tumors. Therefore, to investigate the treatment of established CT26 or B16 lung metastases, mice were treated with cultured dendritic cells (DCs) pulsed with gp70 or p15E peptide. Significant inhibition of established lung metastases required immunization with peptide-pulsed DCs pretreated with CD40 ligand that has been demonstrated to increase the T-cell stimulatory activity of DCs. The ability to immunize against endogenous retroviral tumor antigens may have relevance in the induction of antitumor immunity for some human cancers.
Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes decrease the integrity of human blood-brain barrier endothelial cell monolayers.

BACKGROUND Central to the pathologic progression of human cerebral malaria (CM) is sequestration of Plasmodium falciparum-infected red blood cells (Pf-IRBCs) to the blood-brain barrier (BBB) endothelium. The molecular interactions between Pf-IRBCs and the BBB endothelium and their implications for barrier function are unclear. METHODS The effects of Pf-IRBCs on the integrity of the BBB were assessed by electrical cell substrate sensing and by transendothelial electrical resistance measurements in an in vitro human BBB model. In addition, Pf-IRBCs were subfractionated and treated with trypsin, artemisinin, or brefeldin A. RESULTS Pf-IRBCs, but not normal red blood cells, significantly decreased BBB resistance. Subfractionation showed that both membrane-associated and soluble Pf-IRBC factors mediate the decrease in BBB resistance. Trypsin treatment significantly reduced Pf-IRBC binding but not their ability to decrease electrical resistance. Likewise, P. falciparum isolates with increased binding to human brain microvascular endothelial cells did not alter the electrical resistance response. Soluble factors from Pf-IRBC culture supernatant decreased resistance by 50%-70% and precipitated with 40% ammonium sulfate saturation. Brefeldin-A partially blocked the ability of Pf-IRBCs to reduce resistance. CONCLUSION The results suggest that, in CM, trypsin-resistant membrane components and soluble factors of Pf-IRBCs contribute to the impedance of BBB integrity in a multistep and multifactorial process.
Quality-of-Life Assessment in the Old Using the WHOQOL 100: Differences Between Patients With Senile Dementia and Patients With Cancer

Introduction: The measurement of quality of life is an increasingly important issue, particularly in regard to treatment of severe and chronic diseases. The aim of this pilot study was to assess potentially divergent profiles of quality of life in persons with two different pathologies: moderate dementia and cancer. Method: This pilot study was carried out in the neurology and cancer services of the medical school in Montpellier, France (Hôpital Gui de Chaulliac and CRLC Val d'Aurelle). The cumulative self-reporting test WHOQOL 100 (World Health Organization Quality of Life with 100 questions) was administered in 57 patients with either moderate senile dementia (27 cases with a Mini-Mental State Examination score > 15; mean age of 73) or cancer (30 cases, mainly women with breast cancer; mean age of 53). The stability of responses was tested in a 2-week period. Results: Results of the study showed clear and significant differences between the two groups in the domains of mobility and psychology. Further, eight questions and six facets with a significant difference in responses were found. Responses seemed more stable in the domains of autonomy, social relationship, and religion for the cancer group, and in autonomy and psychology for the dementia group. The age difference may be an important factor in the different quality of life measured but did not significantly influence responses to the test questions. Conclusion: The WHOQOL 100 seems a powerful instrument to assess quality of life in diseases such as cancer and moderate dementia. In this study, interesting differences in responses to the test questions between the two pathologic conditions were identified. Items that were unreliable on retesting are singled out. These results will be applied and reevaluated in the development of future, illness-specific and shorter versions of the WHOQOL 100.
Effects of Misinformation on the Stock Return: A Case Study

Information affects stock prices, even if it is not truthful. The news piped through the business press may contain deliberately planted misinformation. This study examines the effect of erroneous news and analysis by a leading daily newspaper on the performance of stock returns in the Dhaka Stock Exchange in Bangladesh. The reaction to the false news involves an unsustained jump in stock prices under misguided optimism. We also investigate the scope of legal remedies against false news and stock price manipulation. The responsibility and accountability of the media involved in spreading misinformation is also an issue.
New Public Management and a Modernization Agenda: Implications for School Leadership

Abstract We argue that New Public Management (NPM) under New Labor in the U.K. contains paradoxical demands due to an attempt to attend to both social and economic goals. One context in which this is evident is that of Secondary School leadership. New calls for citizen-type activities and inclusive stakeholder decision-making activity is at odds with Principals being made increasingly accountable due to government preoccupation with standards and targets for pupils' attainment. Resources for identities constructed from the New Public Management rhetoric of participative, discretionary, democratic and transformational leadership abound, however, these are drawn on and subverted as individual Principals and Deputy Principals describe their new roles and relationships with one another.
A framework for managing the sophistication of the components of technology for global competition

As our world becomes increasingly more technology driven and global competition continues to intensify, the technology resource components available to a firm will be required to become more sophisticated in order to achieve and maintain a competitive advantage. Higher levels of sophistication are achieved through technological innovation that is effectively managed. But, to effectively manage technological innovation, we must first come to a clearer understanding of the resource components of technology. This paper describes the way various people perceive the meaning of technology, discusses the confusion that exists, and suggests a construct for classifying the components of technology to mitigate the confusion. Finally, a framework for benchmarking and technology assessment is presented to suggest a way for a firm to better manage its technology component sophistication level for global competition.
Total Lipid of Mutant Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002

Microalgae lipid is a promising feedstock for biodiesel production. The objective of this work was to study growth factors affecting marine mutant Synechococcus sp. (PCC 7002) for high lipid production. Four growth factors were investigated; nitrogen- phosporus-potassium (NPK) concentration, light intensity, temperature and NaNO3 concentration on mutant strain growth and lipid production were studied. Design Expert v8.0 was used to design the experimental and analyze the data. The experimental design selected was Min-Run Res IV which consists of 12 runs and the response surfaces measured were specific growth rate and lipid concentration. The extraction of lipid was conducted by chloroform/methanol solvents system. Based on the study, mutant Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002 gave the highest specific growth rate of 0.0014 h -1 at 0% NPK, 2500 lux, 40 o C and 0% NaNO3. On the other hand, the highest lipid concentration was obtained at 0% NPK, 3500 lux, 30 o C and 1% NaNO3.
HD1, a thrombin-directed aptamer, binds exosite 1 on prothrombin with high affinity and inhibits its activation by prothrombinase.

Colin A. Kretz, Alan R. Stafford, James C. Fredenburgh, and Jeffrey I. Weitz The sequences reported for the HD22 and HD23 aptamers were not correct. 1) The aptamer that we called HD23, an inactive variant of HD22 that does not bind thrombin previously named ODN 4a (Dougan, H., Weitz, J. I., Stafford, A. R., Gillespie, K. D., Klement, P., Hobbs, J. B., and Lyster, D. M. (2003) Evaluation of DNA aptamers directed to thrombin as potential thrombus imaging agents. Nucl. Med. Biol. 30, 61–72), was reported with a sequence that was missing three nucleotides. We are now calling this aptamer SV23, as shown below. However, HD23 was used in this study.
The occurrence and spatial distribution of collaboration: biotech firms in Gothenburg, Sweden

Abstract This paper deals with the occurrence and spatial distribution of collaborations within biotechnology. By starting from a total population of 45 firms involved in biotech R&D, we shed light on how many collaborate with (1) other firms, (2) venture capitalists, and (3) actors in science and technology and whether these partners can be found in the region, nation or in the rest of the world. Possible explanations for the different patterns are drawn out.
Views from the periphery: Futures of neoliberalism in Latin America

The political economy of Latin American countries seems increasingly characterised by neoliberal approaches. Economic factors at the global and continental scale seem to reinforce this trend. This article explores the social bases of neoliberalism not only in terms of the technocratic but also of the wider social and political base. The connections between neoliberal reform, people and places are explored through examining the nature of exportorientated growth, the transformations of labour markets, the social impacts of reform, poverty and the changing social provision of the state. The contradictions within the neoliberal model are examined before the future of neoliberalism and the prospects for alternative development strategies and sociopolitical scenarios are considered. In particular, the arguments from neostructuralist contributions are assessed and some of the contrasts between neoliberal and neostructural theories identified.
Attentional biases for threat after fear-related autobiographical recall

ABSTRACT Background : Previous studies suggested that affective state could enhance stimulus salience and modulate attention allocation for mood-congruent information, but contrasting data have been reported on the effects of mood induction on attentional biases for threat (ABTs) in non-clinical individuals. Objective : We aimed to assess whether laboratory-induced negative mood can increase individuals’ tendency to allocate attention on threatening stimuli, thus determining a difficulty in attentional disengagement from threat. We also aimed at assessing whether level of trait anxiety could modulate the effect of mood induction on attentional biases. Methods : We used an autobiographical episode recall procedure for mood induction (fear, happiness and neutral episode recall), and an exogenous cueing task with threatening and non-threatening images to assess attentional biases in 120 undergraduate students. Results: Participants showed a significant difficulty in disengaging attention from threat after recalling fear-related episodes, independently from their trait anxiety level. Conclusions: These findings clarify that the ABTs are not exclusive to anxiety disorders or high trait anxiety individuals, and could also arise in non-clinical individuals in a fearful context.
Nucleotide sequence analysis of a full‐length human T‐cell leukemia virus type I from adult T‐cell leukemia cells: A prematurely terminated PX open reading frame II

Human T‐cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV‐I) is etiologically associated with adult T‐cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL). The prototypic HTLV‐I, ATK, is the only full‐length provirus cloned from uncultured leukemic cells and completely sequenced prior to this study. We have determined the complete nucleotide sequence of another full‐length HTLV‐I provirus cloned directly from leukemic cells. A premature termination codon was found in the second open reading frame (orf II) of the pX region. Our finding indicates that open reading frame II of the HTLV‐I pX region is not required for outgrowth of ATL leukemic clones in vivo.
The effect of online shops' unexpected services on Costumer Citizenship Behaviors

The study of Costumer Citizenship Behaviors are widespread in the world. This study tries to explore the influence of Costumer Citizenship Behaviors on the unconventional factor of unexpected services. According to previous studies, we divided the process of customer behaviors into three stages: cognitive, affective, and behavioral stages. Data collected from 243 online customers shows that from the cognitive stage to the affective stage, satisfaction and delight are determined by unexpected services, and from the affective stage to the behavioral stage, satisfaction has a great effect on continuance intention, and delight is critical for customer citizenship behaviors. This study contributes to traditional expectancy theories by highlighting the importance of unexpected services in the forming of continuance intention and customer citizenship behaviors, this study have enriched the traditional expectations theory.
Youth self-efficacy domains as predictors of change in routine community mental health services

Abstract Objective: This study examined how youth self-efficacy in four domains—Social, Academic Diligence, Academic Proficiency, and Behavioral Regulation—was associated with youth symptoms and psychotherapy outcomes. Method: Participants were 104 youth (aged 12–17, mean age 14.6) and their parents/guardians. Youth completed a measure of perceived self-efficacy and the Youth Outcome Questionnaire–Self-Report (YOQ-SR) regularly over the course of treatment; parents/guardians also completed the Youth Outcome Questionnaire. Results: Although none of the self-efficacy domains significantly predicted changes in parent reports of symptoms, individual growth curve models indicated that increases in three of the four self-efficacy domains (Social, Academic Diligence, and Behavioral Regulation) over the course of treatment were associated with concurrent improvements in youth-reported symptoms. Conclusions: Results suggest that youth self-efficacy warrants further study in relation to change processes in youth mental health services.
Kinematic and Dynamic Analysis of a Lower Limb Exoskeleton

This paper will provide the kinematic and dynamic analysis of a lower limb exoskeleton. The forward and inverse kinematics of proposed exoskeleton is performed using Denevit and Hartenberg method. The torques required for the actuators will be calculated using Lagrangian formulation technique. This research can be used to design the control of the proposed exoskeleton. Keywords—Dynamic Analysis, Exoskeleton, Kinematic Analysis, Lower Limb, Rehabilitation Robotics
A generalized theoretical modelling approach for the assessment of economic-capital under asset market liquidity risk constraints

This paper proposes a concrete theoretical foundation and a new modelling framework that attempts to tackle the issue of market/liquidity risk and economic-capital estimation at a portfolio level by combining two mutual asset market/liquidity risk models. In essence, this study extends research literature related to the assessment of the asset market/liquidity risk by providing a generalized theoretical modelling underpinning that handle, from the same perspective, market and liquidity risks jointly and integrate both risks into a portfolio setting without a commensurate increase of statistical postulations. As such, we argue that market and liquidity risk components are correlated in most cases and can be integrated into one single market/liquidity framework that consists of two interrelated sub-components. The first component is attributed to the impact of adverse price movements and is modelled based on the concept of liquidity-adjusted value-at-risk framework, while the second component focuses on the risk of variation in transactions costs due to the bid-ask spreads and it attempts to measure the likelihood that it will cost more than expected to liquidate the asset position. As such, the model comprises a new approach to contemplating the impact of time-varying volatility of the bid-ask spread and its upshot on the overall asset market/liquidity risk. The modelling framework can be constructive for financial service industries in emerging-economies and particularly in reinforcing rational economic-capital allocation in light of the aftermaths of the sub-prime financial crisis.
A longitudinal comparison of pharmacy and medical students' attitudes toward the medically underserved.

OBJECTIVE To longitudinally assess pharmacy and medical students' attitudes toward the medically underserved. METHODS The Medical Students' Attitudes Toward the Underserved (MSATU) survey was administered to the entering classes at the schools of pharmacy and medicine at 2 universities in the South. This self-report measure was then completed by these students in each year of the professional curriculum. Data were compared longitudinally to assess students' attitudes toward the underserved. RESULTS Pharmacy students' attitude scores towards the underserved remained relatively stable over time (MSATU attitudes scores: Year 1 = 45.2, Year 2 = 48.3, Year 4 = 45.7), while medical students' attitude scores declined significantly (MSATU attitudes scores: Year 1 = 55.5, Year 2 = 52.4, Year 4 = 46.4). No differences in scores were associated with gender. CONCLUSION This initial study comparing pharmacy and medical students' attitudes toward the underserved can serve as a baseline as healthcare professionals seek for solutions to better care for the medically underserved.
Chronic Hepatitis C treatment for genotype 2 or 3 in Brazil: cost effectiveness analysis of peginterferon plus ribavirin as first choice treatment

O protocolo brasileiro de tratamento da Hepatite C (2007) recomendava como primeira escolha para pacientes com hepatite C cronica e portadores de genotipo 2 ou 3 o tratamento com interferona alfa (IFN) associada a ribavirina (RBV), por 24 semanas. O objetivo deste estudo e comparar o custo e a efetividade para pacientes com hepatite C cronica e portadores do genotipo 2 ou 3 o uso de peguinterferon (PEG) como primeiro escolha com o PEG como secunda escolha para aqueles que nao responderam ao tratamento com IFN. A populacao alvo compreende pacientes com hepatite C cronica portadores de genotipo 2 ou 3 no Brasil. As intervencoes sao: PEG-SEC (IFN + RBV por 24 semanas, para os nao respondedores e recidivantes tratamento subsequente com PEG + RBV por 48 semanas; PEG-FIRST24 (PEG + RBV por 24 semanas). O tipo de estudo envolvido e Analise de Custo Efetividade. Os dados de efetividade sao provenientes de um metanalise de estudos brasileiros e os dados de custo do tratamento de um estudo de custo do contexto brasileiro. A perspectiva e o Sistema Publico de Saude. Os desfechos avaliados foram Resposta Viral Sustentada (RVS) e Custos. PEG-FIRST24 (RVS: 87,8%, costs: USD 8.338,27) foi mais efetivo e apresentou maior custo que PEG-SEC (RVS: 79,2%, custo USD 5.852,99). A analise de sensibilidade demonstrou que PEG-SEC e dominado por PEG-FIRST24 quando RVS com IFN for menor que 30%. Por outro lado, quando RVS com IFN for maior que 75% PEG-SEC e dominante (RVS=88.2% e custo USD $ 3.753,00). PEG-SEC e tambem dominante quando RVS para PEG24 for menor que 54%. Conclusao: No contexto brasileiro, PEG-FIRST e mais efetivo e mais custoso que PEG-SEC. PEG-SEC poderia ser dominante quando as taxas de RVS do tratamento com IFN forem superiores a 75% ou as taxas de PEG24 forem inferiores a 54%.
Optimal hedging when preferences are state dependent

or a farmer growing corn, the news that farm prices are up certainly would seem F to be good news. The Farmer’s income for the year would probably be higher. Farmers are, however, consumers as well so that the above news would likely result in higher grocery bills. In fact, it might be that corn prices are up only slightly while other agricultural prices are dramatically higher. The point is that it is not known whether or not the farmer is better off due to the higher farm prices. Indeed, it may be that nonagricultural prices are up as well. This article focuses not on the farmer’s welfare per se, but rather on how the farmer might alter hedging strategies due to such price movements. The problem in the above scenario is that ceteris is not paribus. The farmer’s wealth changes with a change in the price of corn. However, the consumption-opportunity set (i.e., the set of affordable bundles of consumption goods) also changes when prices change. Thus, the farmer’s utility for a given level of wealth is dependent upon the prices of various goods and services in the marketplace. In a world of uncertainty, preferences over various probability distributions of final wealth alone would only seem to make sense if the prices for goods and services remain fixed. If prices vary, both wealth and prices must be considered in comparing probability distributions. In particular, suppose that each state of nature yields both a wealth level and a set of prices for goods and services. Then, if one views utility as a function of wealth alone, the utility function itself will be different in each state of the world, reflecting the different price levels. ’ The purpose of this article is to incorporate state-dependent preferences into a simple hedging model. The fact that preferences are state dependent is shown to systematically affect the optimal hedging strategy. As a simple example, consider the corn farmer in
Monitoring Fatigue During the In-Season Competitive Phase in Elite Soccer Players.

PURPOSE To quantify the relationship between daily training load and a range of potential measures of fatigue in elite soccer players during an in-season competitive phase (17 d). METHODS Total high-intensity-running (THIR) distance, perceived ratings of wellness (fatigue, muscle soreness, sleep quality), countermovement-jump height (CMJ), postexercise heart-rate recovery (HRR), and heart-rate variability (Ln rMSSD) were analyzed during an in-season competitive period (17 d). General linear models were used to evaluate the influence of daily fluctuation in THIR distance on potential fatigue variables. RESULTS Fluctuations in fatigue (r = -.51, large, P < .001), Ln rMSSD (r = -.24, small, P = .04), and CMJ (r = .23, small, P = .04) were significantly correlated with fluctuations in THIR distance. Correlations between variability in muscle soreness, sleep quality, and HRR and THIR distance were negligible and not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS Perceived ratings of fatigue and Ln rMSSD were sensitive to daily fluctuations in THIR distance in a sample of elite soccer players. Therefore, these particular markers show promise as simple, noninvasive assessments of fatigue status in elite soccer players during a short in-season competitive phase.