Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Data Mining for Internationalization

The term “internationalization” refers to the process of international expansion of firms realized through different mechanisms such as export, strategic alliances and foreign direct investments. The process of internationalization has recently received increasing attention mainly because it is at the very heart of the globalization phenomenon. Through internationalization firms strive to improve their profitability, coming across new opportunities but also facing new risks. Research in this field mainly focuses on the determinants of a firms’ performance, in order to identify the best entry mode for a foreign market, the most promising locations and the international factors that explain an international firms’ performance. In this way, scholars try to identify the best combination of firms’ resources and location in order to maximize profit and control for risks (for a review of the studies on the impact of internationalization on performance see Contractor et al., 2003). The opportunity to use large databases on firms’ international expansion has raised the interesting question concerning the main data mining tools that can be applied in order to define the best possible internationalization strategies. The aim of this paper is to discuss the most important statistical techniques that have been implemented to show the relationship among firm performance and its determinants. These methods belong to the family of multivariate statistical methods and can be grouped into Regression Models and Causal Models. The former are more common and easy to interpret, but they can only describe direct relationships among variables; the latter have been used less frequently, but their complexity allows us to identify important causal structures, that otherwise would be hidden. BACKGROUND
The utilization and impact of core needle biopsy diagnosis on breast cancer outcomes in

Background: Numerous studies support the utilization of core nee­ dle biopsy rather than open surgi­ cal procedures for diagnosis before definitive breast cancer surgery. In British Columbia, a study was under­ taken recently to determine the pro­ portions of breast cancer patients diagnosed with core needle biopsy and with open surgical procedures by region, and to establish how each method affected the number of breast cancer surgeries, relapse rates, and sentinel lymph node bi­ opsy results. Methods: BC Cancer Agency data­ bases were used to identify all wom­ en with breast cancer in the province in 2006. After excluding patients with metastatic or advanced dis­ ease, prior invasive or in situ breast cancer, out­of­province surgery, autopsy­only diagnosis, and incom­ plete records, 2589 patients were selected for the study and data were analyzed.
Mycophenolate mofetil in organ transplantation: focus on metabolism, safety and tolerability

Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) received its first approval for the prevention of renal allograft rejection in 1995 and has now become the most frequently used antiproliferative agent in maintenance immunosuppressive therapy for kidney, pancreas, liver and heart transplantation. In addition, its use for the treatment of autoimmune diseases steadily increases. This review focuses on the miscellaneous pharmacodynamic properties of the drug, its pharmacokinetics in healthy subjects, recipients of different organ transplants and combination therapy with other pharmaceuticals, as well as its safety profile. The immunosuppressive activity of MMF is thought to derive mainly from the potent and selective inhibition of purine synthesis in both T and B lymphocytes. In contrast to other immunosuppressants on the market, it is metabolised primarily by glucuronidation and lacks nephrotoxicity, cardiovascular toxicity or diabetogenic potential, thus making it a suitable candidate for combination regimens. The most important side effects under MMF include gastrointestinal disorders, of which the underlying mechanisms are not yet fully understood, but seem to be complex and related to both effects of mycophenolic acid and its acyl glucuronide, as well as to decreased -immunity due to general immunosuppression after transplantation.
Do Financial Conflicts of Interest Bias Research?

In the mid-1980s, social scientists compared outcome measures of related drug studies, some funded by private companies and others by nonprofit organizations or government agencies. The concept of a “funding effect” was coined when it was discovered that study outcomes could be statistically correlated with funding sources, largely in drug safety and efficacy studies. Also identified in tobacco research and chemical toxicity studies, the “funding effect” is often attributed, implicitly or explicitly, to research bias. This article discusses the meaning of scientific bias in research, examines the strongest evidence for the “funding effect,” and explores the question of whether the “funding effect” is an indicator of biased research that is driven by the financial interests of the for-profit sponsor. This article argues that the “funding effect” is merely a symptom of the factors that could be responsible for outcome disparities in product assessment. Social scientists should not suspend their skepticism and choose as a default hypothesis that bias is always or typically the cause.
An Empirical Study of Alcoholic Consumption and Labor Productivity in Japan

This paper examines the relationship between labor productivity and alcohol consumption based on research conducted with a limited sample of workers who drink alcohol. Estimation results show that in the case of males, the amount of alcohol consumed significantly raises labor productivity, with an elasticity of approximately 0.13. In females, we cannot reach the firm conclusion. Conversely, the reverse relationship between labor productivity and alcohol consumption cannot be confirmed. Moreover, an awareness of appropriate alcohol consumption supports the sixth strategy of the Health Japan 21 policy, which is to reduce national alcohol consumption by about 20%.
Lack of cross-tolerance on multiple opiate receptors in the mouse vas deferens.

The development of opiate tolerance has been studied in the mouse vas deferens, which contains µ- and δ-opiate receptors. Long-term infusion of opioids acting selectively on either µ- or δ-receptors was accomplished by means of osmotic minipumps. In vitro tests of vasa deferentia from chronically [D-Ala2,D-Leu5]enkephalin (DADL)-treated mice revealed an 800-fold degree of tolerance for δ-receptors, while µ-receptors were left unaffected. Accordingly, cross-tolerance to δ-receptor agonists, e.g., leucine-enkephalin, was observed but not to µ-receptor agonists, e.g., normorphine. On the other hand, infusion of the potent opioid sufentanyl, which almost selectively acts at µ-receptors, brings about a high degree of tolerance for µ-receptor agonists, but causes no change in sensitivity to δ-receptor agonists. A number of opioids, including β-endorphin, exhibit some degree of cross-tolerance in δ-receptor-tolerant as well as in µ-receptor-tolerant preparations. Essentially identical results were obtained in vasa deferentia made acutely tolerant in vitro using the δ-receptor agonist DADL. Challenge of highly tolerant vasa deferentia with the narcotic antagonist naloxone failed to demonstrate any withdrawal sign. The failure to demonstrate dependence in highly tolerant vasa deferentia may be due to adaptational processes upon chronic opioid exposure at the opiate receptor binding site level. It is concluded that opiate receptor differentiation can be reliably achieved by means of their selective tolerance development.
Wnt5a induces Ryk-dependent and -independent effects on callosal axon and dendrite growth

Abstract The non-canonical Wnt receptor, Ryk, promotes chemorepulsive axon guidance in the developing mouse brain and spinal cord in response to Wnt5a. Ryk has also been identified as a major suppressor of axonal regrowth after spinal cord injury. Thus, a comprehensive understanding of how growing axons and dendrites respond to Wnt5a-mediated Ryk activation is required if we are to overcome this detrimental activity. Here we undertook a detailed analysis of the effect of Wnt5a/Ryk interactions on axonal and dendritic growth in dissociated embryonic mouse cortical neuron cultures, focusing on callosal neurons known to be responsive to Ryk-induced chemorepulsion. We show that Ryk inhibits axonal growth in response to Wnt5a. We also show that Wnt5a inhibits dendrite growth independently of Ryk. However, this inhibition is relieved when Ryk is present. Therefore, Wnt5a-mediated Ryk activation triggers divergent responses in callosal axons and dendrites in the in vitro context.
An Evolutionary Game-Based Mechanism for Routing P2P Network Flow among Selfish Peers

Aimed to improving the efficiency of self-interested P2P node’s routing traffic through a congested network and overcoming confusion condition caused by selfish routing in P2P networks, we introduce an evolution game-based routing model to study the selfish routing behaviors of nodes in P2P networks. In the paper, we model the routing behaviors of nodes as a noncooperative routing game, in which self-interested player’s route traffic through a congestion-sensitive network. We extend the model of selfish routing to study the dynamical behaviors of nodes, by adopting a generalized approach of imitative dynamics. We not only analyze the model’s stability and convergence, but reveal that the efficiency of P2P node’s routing can be improved when the model reach an equilibrium state. Finally we also give an algorithm and experiments on how to improve P2P traffic efficiency based on our evolutionary game model.
Transposition of the great vessels and other cardiovascular abnormalities in rat fetuses induced by trypan blue

Complete and partial transposition of the great vessels, dextrocardia, and absence or stenosis of the tricuspid or mitral valves were encountered singly or in combination in rat fetuses from mothers injected with trypan blue solution subcutaneously on the 8th or 9th day of gestation. Hearts with transposition of the great vessels were usually characterized by shortness of the aorta and pulmonary trunk, cranial location of the aortic valve, displacement of the coronary arteries, and a channel or “track” extending from the cranial portion (infundibulum) of the right ventricle to the commencement of the transposed pulmonary trunk. Inadequate expansion of the atrioventricular ring about the 12th or 13th day of gestation possibly leads to deformity of the atrioventricular cushions and to absence or stenosis of the tricuspid or mitral valves. Sinuosity of the truncus arteriosus seen in many 13th day and older embryos of the trypan blue series is considered a significant factor in the development of transposition of the great vessels.
Genome-scale coestimation of species and gene trees

Comparisons of gene trees and species trees are key to understanding major processes of genome evolution such as gene duplication and loss. Because current methods to reconstruct phylogenies fail to model the two-way dependency between gene trees and the species tree, they often misrepresent gene and species histories. We present a new probabilistic model to jointly infer rooted species and gene trees for dozens of genomes and thousands of gene families. We use simulations to show that this method accurately infers the species tree and gene trees, is robust to misspecification of the models of sequence and gene family evolution, and provides a precise historic record of gene duplications and losses throughout genome evolution. We simultaneously reconstruct the history of mammalian species and their genes based on 36 completely sequenced genomes, and use the reconstructed gene trees to infer the gene content and organization of ancestral mammalian genomes. We show that our method yields a more accurate picture of ancestral genomes than the trees available in the authoritative database Ensembl.
Pathology on Game Trees: A Summary of Results

Game trees are widely used as models of various decision-making situations. Empirical results with game-playing computer programs have led to the general belief that searching deeper on a game tree improves the quality of a decision. The surprising result of the research summarized in this paper is that there is an infinite class of game trees for which increasing the search depth does not improve the decision quality, but instead makes the decision more and more random.
How to define, find and classify side effects in psychotherapy: from unwanted events to adverse treatment reactions.

OBJECTIVE Empirical research on the negative effects of psychotherapy is insufficient, partly because there is a lack of theoretical concept on how to define, classify and assess psychotherapy side effects. This paper proposes a model for the definition, classification and assessment of psychotherapy side effects. METHOD Definitions are provided for 'unwanted events', 'treatment-emergent reactions', 'adverse treatment reactions', 'malpractice reactions', 'treatment non-response', 'deterioration of illness', 'therapeutic risks' and 'contraindications'. We describe processes analysing the causality of negative events and the correctness of treatment. RESULT A procedural model on how to find, classify and evaluate negative events is described, the unwanted event to adverse treatment reaction (UE-ATR) checklist. CONCLUSION Recognition of adverse treatment effects is a characteristic of good therapists and treatments. Psychotherapists should be sensitive for negative effects. This can help improve the quality of treatment. The UE-ATR checklist can be used in psychotherapy trials, quality assurance, clinical practice and training of psychotherapists.
Transbilayer redistribution of phosphatidylethanolamine during fusion of phospholipid vesicles. Dependence on fusion rate, lipid phase separation, and formation of nonbilayer structures.

The effect of membrane fusion on the transbilayer distribution of dioleoyl- and dipalmitoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DOPE and DPPE, respectively) in phosphatidylserine (PS) vesicles was investigated. A 7-fold increase in the external pool of DOPE, as determined by labeling of the vesicle surface with 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid, was observed when multilamellar vesicles (MLV) consisting of PS and DOPE were incubated with small unilamellar vesicles (SUV) of PS in the presence of Ca2+. In contrast, no significant redistribution of DPPE was seen when similar experiments were performed by using PS bilayers that contained DPPE instead of DOPE. Redistribution of neither DOPE nor DPPE could be detected during SUV-SUV fusion. By using the resonance energy transfer fusion assay for mixing of membrane lipids [Struck, D.K. , Hoekstra, D. , & Pagano, R. E. (1981) Biochemistry 20, 4093-4099; Hoekstra, D. (1982) Biochemistry 21, 2833-2840], it was demonstrated that fusion between SUV and MLV had actually occurred. The results also suggested that (partial) fusion of internal bilayers within the multilamellar system must have occurred. Although Mg2+-induced fusion between SUV and MLV was also observed, no redistribution of DOPE was seen in this case. It is concluded that the observed translocation of DOPE during fusion was probably mediated via inverted micellar structures, which were formed when the lipid was converted to the hexagonal (HII) phase resulting from lipid phase separation between PS and DOPE. However, induction of the hexagonal phase per se, i.e., in the absence of fusion, did not cause substantial transbilayer redistribution of DOPE, suggesting that fusion was intimately involved in this phenomenon. It is suggested that fusion represents the "driving force" for transbilayer DOPE redistribution, requiring a (partial) overlap between the kinetics of phase separation and fusion.
Correlation between magnitude of CAG repeat length alterations and length of the paternal repeat in paternally inherited Huntington's disease

An increasing number of diseases are being found to be due to elongation of specific trinucleotide repeat sequences. Inverse correlation between the age at onset and the length of the repeat has been found in most of these. The elongated CAG repeat causing Huntington's disease is highly unstable when inherited from an affected father. In this study we found an average parent‐to‐offspring difference of +0.08 repeat units in maternally inherited repeats, significantly less than the average difference of +2.92 repeat units with paternal transmission. Large repeat expansions, of more than 5 repeat units, were seen only in paternally inherited cases. With paternal transmission the magnitude of repeat length alterations was directly correlated to increasing paternal repeat length. Increasing variation in repeat length among siblings was correlated to increasing average repeat length in the sibship in both maternally and paternally inherited HD. Comparison of the magnitude of repeat length alterations to parental age at the time of birth of the offspring showed no correlation.
Measurement of hip-joint motion during walking. Evaluation of an electrogoniometric method.

An accurate, simple, and relatively inexpensive method for measuring hip-joint motion during walking with an electrogoniometer has been described. Average motion at the hip joint during walking for thirty-three normal subjects was 52 degrees in the sagittal plane, 12 degrees in the coronal plane, and 13 degrees in the transverse plane. Test-retest measurements for this method resulted in high coefficients of correlation. A typical normal pattern of motion was presented. We believe this method of measurement is practical and valuable for use in the study of hip disease.
Depression of cell-mediated immunity during acute infectious mononucleosis.

Abstract To elucidate mechanisms responsible for depression of cell-mediated immunity associated with viral infections, we studied 41 patients with infectious mononucleosis. Intradermal tests, lymphocyte stimulation in vitro and enumeration of peripheral blood T and B cells were performed. There was significant anergy and diminished lymphocyte responsiveness in vitro to mitogens and antigens during the first weeks of illness. This depression of cell-mediated immunity was accompanied by increased numbers of peripheral blood T and B cells. The numbers of atypical lymphocytes in the peripheral blood of several patients were too great to be classified as entirely T or B cells in type, and probably represent both types of lymphocytes. On the basis of these data, we hypothesize that T-cell response to viral infections results in antigenic competition, which is the major mechanism responsible for depression of cell-mediated immunity during infectious mononucleosis. (N Engl J Med 291:1149–1153, 1974)
Kinematics of Progressive Circumferential Ligament Resection (Decompression) in Conjunction With Cervical Disc Arthroplasty in a Spondylotic Spine Model

Study Design. Benchtop biomechanics study examining kinematic effects of progressive resection in a human cadaveric spine model. Objective. To determine the effects of posterior longitudinal ligament (PLL) resection, unilateral and bilateral foraminotomy, and laminectomy on cervical intervertebral rotation and translation after cervical disc arthroplasty (CDA). Summary of Background Data. Although the clinical results after CDA have been studied, there remain unanswered questions regarding the surgical techniques used at the time of device insertion. For example, it is unclear whether a surgeon should retain or resect the PLL and uncinate processes at the time of primary surgical intervention. Further, the effect of a subsequent posterior decompression (foraminotomy or laminectomy) on the stability of a motion segment containing a disc arthroplasty is unknown. Methods. Three-dimensional intervertebral motion was measured by biplanar videography in human cadaveric spines at C4–C5 or at C5–C6 subjected to a 1.5-Nm moment applied to induce motion in the sagittal plane. Coupled motions were not constrained. After measuring intact spine motion, disc arthroplasty with bilateral ventral foraminotomy was performed without PLL resection. Sequentially, rotations and translations were measured after PLL resection, unilateral foraminotomy, bilateral foraminotomy, and laminectomy. Results. CDA with bilateral ventral foraminotomy increased sagittal rotation by 0.4° (16%) compared with the intact spine. The addition of PLL resection increased rotation by 0.5° (14% increase). Unilateral and bilateral foraminotomy had negligible effects on sagittal rotation or anteroposterior (AP) translation. Laminectomy resulted in an additional sagittal plane rotation of 2°. The sagittal-plane interverterbal rotation resultant after all interventions was 6°, with 1.5 mm of AP translation occurring only. Conclusion. Given that a greater degree of motion was seen with PLL resection combined with ventral foraminotomy, we recommend that PLL resection be performed when performing CDA. In our benchtop model, unilateral and bilateral posterior foraminotomies were not associated with the creation of significant sagittal rotational or AP translational instability.
Avoiding colectomy during surgical management of fulminant Clostridium difficile colitis.

BACKGROUND Clostridium difficile is the most common cause of nosocomial diarrhea in adults. Over the last decade, there has been a substantial increase in the disease-associated morbidity and mortality rate from this infection accompanied by identification of new hypervirulent strains. Fulminant colitis, a severe and complicated form of the disease that frequently necessitates surgical intervention, occurs in 3-8% of patients infected with C. difficile. The postoperative mortality rate for fulminant colitis continues to be dire, ranging from 34-57%. METHODS Review of the literature to offer insight into the dilemma associated with the surgical management of fulminant C. difficile colitis and provide alternatives to total abdominal colectomy for treatment. RESULTS Several recent studies have elucidated factors that contribute to the unacceptably high postoperative mortality rate: Surgical intervention too late in the course of the disease, lack of clearly defined guidelines for patient selection, and difficulty in predicting the clinical course of the disease. Perforation, need for vasopressor support, and end-organ damage all affect the postoperative mortality rate negatively. CONCLUSION A high clinical suspicion and careful patient selection for colectomy is imperative to improve postoperative survival. An alternative surgical strategy for fulminant C. difficile colitis is laparoscopic creation of an ileostomy with total colonic washout.
Poloxamer 407 as a general lipase inhibitor: its implications in lipid metabolism and atheroma formation in C57BL/6 mice

Objectives The aims of this investigation were to determine if the activity of endothelial lipase was inhibited in vitro by the polymeric surfactant, poloxamer 407 (P‐407), and to review the action of P‐407 on the biological activity of several other critical lipases involved in lipid metabolism. The overall goal was to suggest a possible explanation for the observed dyslipidaemia and formation of aortic atherosclerotic lesions when present and previous findings, along with key findings proposed by others, were combined and reviewed in the context of the P‐407‐induced mouse model of atherogenesis.