Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Modulation of vitronectin receptor‐mediated osteoclast adhesion by Arg‐Gly‐Asp peptide analogs: A structure‐function analysis

This study details the investigation of induction of retractile shape change in the osteoclast through inhibition of adhesion between osteoclasts and matrix with (1) peptide analogs bearing an Arg‐Gly‐Asp (RGD) sequence, (2) antibodies to the integrin αvβ3 vitronectin receptor, and (3) the RGD‐containing snake venom peptide echistatin. Osteoclast retraction on dentin has been demonstrated for GRGDSP peptide, in contrast to the inactivity of the analog containing the conservative RGE sequence modification. An osteoclast adhesion assay employing rat or chick bone cells and serum‐coated glass coverslips as substrate was developed for routine evaluation of inhibition of adhesion. Antibodies F4 and F11 to the β3 chain of rat vitronectin receptor were effective at submicromolar concentrations in rat osteoclasts (IC50 0.29 and 0.05 μM, respectively), whereas MAb 23C6 to human/chick vitronectin receptor was somewhat less effective against chick osteoclasts (ICso 1.6 μM). A rank order of RGD analog activity (mean IC50, μM) in the serum‐coated glass adhesion assay was derived for the linear peptides GRGDSP (201 μM), GRGDTP (180 μM), Ac‐RGDS‐NH2 (84 μM), Ac‐RGDV‐NH2 (68 μM), RGDV (43 μM), GRGDS (38 μM), and RGDS (26 μM). The two most potent short peptides were the cyclic analog SK&F 106760 Ac‐S,S‐cyclo‐(Cys‐(NαMe)Arg‐Gly‐Asp‐Pen)‐NH2 (IC50 7.0 μM), and the Telios peptide H‐Gly‐S,S‐cyclo‐(Pen‐Gly‐Arg‐Gly‐Asp‐Ser‐Pro‐Cys)‐Ala‐OH (IC50 6.6 μM). The snake venom peptide echistatin was the most potent substance evaluated in the serum‐coated glass assay (IC50 0.78 nM) employing either rat or chick osteoclasts. Specificity control peptides fibronectin CS1 (ligand for VLA‐4), fibrinogen H12 (alternate ligand for gpIIb/IIIa), and Iaminin cell binding fragment YIGSR were inactive up to 800 μM. Comparison of SK&F 106760 and the Telios peptide as inhibitors of platelet aggregation (IC50 0.36 and 10.1 μM, respectively) and inhibitors of L8 skeletal muscle cell adhesion to vitronectin (IC50 67.2 and 12.3 μM, respectively) suggests that the Telios peptide is nonselective whereas SK&F 106760 may be selective with regard to β3 integrins. This study demonstrates that structural modification in RGD peptides and the use of antireceptor antibodies or the venom peptide echistatin yields potent inhibitors of vitronectin receptor‐mediated adhesion in isolated rat and chick osteoclasts. It is hoped that further peptide modification will yield improved specificity and thus selective inhibitory effects upon bone resorption.
Barriers to entry and firm performance: a proposed model and curvilinear relationships

This research examines the relationships among the barriers to market entry: capital requirements; competitive advantage of incumbent firms; business environment; and firm competence, and their relationship to firm performance. Through a mail survey, data were collected on a sample of 190 companies. A hierarchical regression analysis enabled the assessment of the relationships among barriers to entry and firm performance. In addition, the paper examines the quadratic function of second degree among the variables to see the curvilinear relationships between independent and dependent variables. The results indicate the presence of curvilinear relationships between some barriers for market entrants and performance of market entrants. While the examination of linear relationships between barriers and firm performance is important, the analyses of curvilinear relationships shed more light into our understanding of barriers and performance. Therefore this study contributes to the literature by highlighting the importance of U-shaped and inverted curvilinear relationships between barriers to entry and firm performance.
Inhibition of system A amino acid transport and hepatocyte proliferation following partial hepatectomy in the rat

System A, the sodium‐dependent neutral amino acid transport activity, has a 3‐fold increase in its initial uptake velocity into hepatocytes following partial hepatectomy (PH) in the rat. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of inhibition of System A–mediated amino acid transport on hepatocyte proliferation and liver regeneration. We describe thein vivocompetitive inhibition of System A activity following PH by the nonmetabolizable, System A–specific substrate, α‐(methylamino)isobutyric acid (MeAIB). Administration of MeAIB 60 minutes before PH decreased the incorporation of [3H]thymidine into DNA by 45% ± 5% and 76% ± 17% at 24 and 36 hours, respectively. The readministration of MeAIB every 12 hours further decreased DNA synthesis by 92% ± 18% and 82% ± 11% at 24 and 36 hours. The recovery of liver mass of rats receiving MeAIB was decreased by 46.4% ± 5.1% at 24 hours after PH.In vitro, 5 mmol/L MeAIB inhibited proliferation of primary hepatocytes by 56% ± 4% and 61% ± 12% 48 hours after incubation with 10% fetal calf serum or epidermal growth factor (5 ng/mL), respectively. Thus, MeAIB inhibition of System A transport activity decreased bothin vivoand in vitroinducement of hepatocyte proliferation. Treatment with MeAIB did not significantly change the incorporation of [3H]leucine into total liver protein, but changes in serum amino acids and hepatocyte cell volume were observed, suggesting System A transport activity during hepatocyte proliferation functions primarily to provide amino acids to fuel liver‐specific biochemical pathways and to increase cell volume.
Microgranular and t(11;17)/PLZF‐RARα variants of acute promyelocytic leukemia also present the flow cytometric pattern of CD13, CD34, and CD15 expression characteristic of PML‐RARα gene rearrangement

Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is a subtype acute myeloid leukemia in which leukemic promyelocytes predominate in the bone marrow (BM). Rapid diagnosis is critical for treatment decision since all‐trans‐retinoic acid must be administrated promptly. The microgranular variant may be of difficult diagnosis, as it may be confused with other diseases on morphological grounds. The purpose of this study was to determine if the microgranular variant has the same antigenic profile as the classical hypergranular type. The immunophenotype of leukemic cells from the bone marrow of 50 patients, with the PML‐RARα gene rearrangement confirmed by RT‐PCR, was determined by flow cytometry using a large panel of 22 monoclonal antibodies and a polyclonal anti‐TdT antibody. Thirty‐four cases were classified as classical APL and 16 as microgranular APL. The immunophenotypic profile of the two subtypes was indistinguishable concerning the presence or absence of these antigens, including the absence of reactivity for the HLA‐DR antigen. The simultaneous immunophenotypic combination of a unique major cell population, heterogeneous intensity of expression of CD13, and the typical pattern of CD15/CD34 expression were similarly present in the hypergranular and microgranular subtypes. Homogeneous expression of CD33 was observed in 76% of the classical APL cases and in 100% of the microgranular cases. Additionally, we have studied two cases of PLZF‐RARα APL that also displayed the same immunophenotype described for classical APL. Thus, the immunophenotypic profile highly characteristic of the PML‐RARα gene rearrangement was also observed in microgranular and PLZF‐RARα variants of APL. Am. J. Hematol. 76:44–51, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Liquidity and Efficiency in Three Related Foreign Exchange Options Markets

AbstractThe foreign currency market in a small open economy, like Israel, plays a major role in fiscal and monetary policy decisions, through its effects on the financial markets and the real economy. This has become even more evident in the recent financial crisis. In this paper we explore the relationship among three related foreign exchange options markets. The unique data set on OTC trading, on central bank options' auctions, in addition to the exchange traded ones provide us with insights about: (a) the effect of different financial infra-structures on prices, on limits to arbitrage, on their information content (forecasting volatility) and on the interrelationship between illiquidity and volatility, (b) the micro- structure interrelatedness between the FX spot market and the FX options market.
Successful Re-engineering—Learning by Doing

Plenty of documented experience tells that re-engineering projects often fail at bringing about radical business benefits. In this paper we describe how re-engineering programmes can benefit from organisational learning. We start by presenting both the business process re-engineering paradigm and the organisational learning paradigm, followed by reported experiences of re-engineering programmes. Then we present observations of a large-scale re-engineering project. An in-depth case study in the telecommunications industry illustrates how radical and extensive changes can be successfully implemented if the organisation is capable of learning comprehensively during the re-engineering process. It is necessary but not sufficient to learn about the new tools and processes defined in the planning phase of the process. But we claim that the difference between success and failure in large-scale re-engineering efforts is defined by the capability to learn within and about the whole re-engineering process itself.
E-procurement and its impact on supply management – evidence from industrial case studies

Many buying firms have adopted e-procurement systems, yet the impact of these applications is still being assessed by both academics and practitioners alike. This paper examines the use of e-procurement within four multinational firms, to establish the impact of these mechanisms on their approach to the supply market, using thematic parameters derived from the literature. The results indicate that these firms established a clear supply market strategy based on a segmentation model: e-procurement tools were used as tactical means to implement and extend that strategy towards the supply base. In addition, it was observed that tactics within defined segments are developing, as buying firms use e-procurement tools both to reduce supplier numbers and to leverage their volumes in price-competitive markets. Various propositions are offered on the key themes, summarising the findings in the paper and providing further indications for research.
Effective Factors in the Constitution of Leadership Styles: A Study of Turkish Hotel Managers

ABSTRACT The aim of this study is to determine the factors affecting the leadership styles of managers in accommodation establishments. In this context, an empirical study was conducted in order to analyze the effects of organizational, individual, environmental and employee related factors on managers' leadership styles. Through a questionnaire survey, 15 five-star accommodation establishments in the Turkish town of Alanya constituted the sample of the current study. In total, 227 managers were surveyed throughout the field study. The effects of organizational, individual, environmental and employee related factors on managers' leadership styles are discussed within the framework of empirical data analysis. Among these factors, significant relationships were observed between the organizational factors, environmental factors, factors originating from characteristics of managers and the leadership styles of managers. On the other hand, no significant relationships were found between the factors originating from employee's characteristics and the leadership styles of managers.
A simple and efficient algorithm for authorship verification

This paper describes and evaluates an unsupervised and effective authorship verification model called Spatium‐L1. As features, we suggest using the 200 most frequent terms of the disputed text (isolated words and punctuation symbols). Applying a simple distance measure and a set of impostors, we can determine whether or not the disputed text was written by the proposed author. Moreover, based on a simple rule we can define when there is enough evidence to propose an answer or when the attribution scheme is unable to make a decision with a high degree of certainty. Evaluations based on 6 test collections (PAN CLEF 2014 evaluation campaign) indicate that Spatium‐L1 usually appears in the top 3 best verification systems, and on an aggregate measure, presents the best performance. The suggested strategy can be adapted without any problem to different Indo‐European languages (such as English, Dutch, Spanish, and Greek) or genres (essay, novel, review, and newspaper article).
A Way to Highlight Crucial Knowledge for Extended Company's Employees

Les influences conjointes de la mondialisation des marches, de la liberalisation de l’economie et de l’impact des technologies de l’information et de la communication (TIC) qui modifient radicalement notre relation a l'espace et au temps, engendrent des transformations structurelles rapides et l’acceleration des processus de decision. L’entreprise developpe de plus en plus ses activites dans un espace planetaire. L’entreprise hierarchique fermee sur ses frontieres locales se transforme en entreprise etendue, sans frontieres, ouverte et adaptative, placee sous l’emprise d’un environnement imprevisible qui engendre l’incertitude et le doute Dans ce contexte les acteurs sont confrontes a de nouvelles situations qui accroissent leur initiative te leur responsabilite : ils se transforment en acteurs-decideurs, quels que soient leurs roles et leurs positions hierarchiques. Pour repondre a leurs missions, au travers de leur poste de travail informatise, ils doivent acceder a des connaissances individuelles et collectives largement distribuees dans l'espace planetaire de leur organisation. Dans ce document, nous menons une reflexion sur les types d'information accessibles par les employes de l'entreprise etendue du point de vue du Knowledge Mangement. Cela nous amene a distinguer trois types d'information : les informations circulantes, les informations partagees et les informations source de connaissances. Partant de ce point de vue, dans la mesure ou reperer des connaissances cruciales est un facteur cle, nous proposons d'utiliser une approche specifique le cadre directeur GAMETH, dont le but est d'identifier et de localiser la connaissance cruciale de l'entreprise.
Strategies to overcome the HR barriers in successful lean implementation

This paper presents an analysis of research on human resource (HR) barriers in lean implementation (LI) and also suggests a new model for successful LI. The objective of this paper is to discuss role of HR management, various threats and challenges in LI pertaining to HR. A literature survey of peer reviewed journal articles, notes, books are used in research methodology. It is also based on interaction with managers, engineers, supervisors and workers. The evaluation of literature survey has led to the identification of HR barriers in LI. This paper also considers impact of retirement programmes, career paths, health insurance which has received less attention. The unique contribution of this paper is development of relationship among barriers and performance measures. We also suggest a framework to overcome each barrier. It gives new opportunities for relevant research which will contribute to more knowledge in successful LI.
Reliable One-Dimensional Model of Two-Dimensional Insulated Oval Duct Considering Heat Radiation

The reliable results of an insulated oval duct considering heat radiation are obtained basing on accurate oval perimeter obtained by integral method as well as one-dimensional Plane Wedge Thermal Resistance (PWTR) model. This is an extension study of former paper of insulated oval duct neglecting heat radiation. It is found that in the practical situations with long-short-axes ratio a/b 5/1, heat transfer rate errors are within 1.2 % by comparing with accurate two-dimensional numerical solutions for most practical dimensionless insulated thickness (t/R2 0.5). On the contrary, neglecting the heat radiation effect is likely to produce very big heat transfer rate errors of non-insulated (E>43% at t/R2=0) and thin-insulated (E>4.5% while t/R2 0.1) oval ducts in situations of ambient air with lower external convection heat coefficients and larger surface emissivity. Keywords—Heat convection, heat radiation, oval duct, PWTR model.
Innate Lymphoid Cells: A Promising New Regulator in Fibrotic Diseases

Fibrosis is a consequence of chronic inflammation and the persistent accumulation of extracellular matrix, for which the cycle of tissue injury and repair becomes a predominant feature. Both the innate and adaptive immune systems play key roles in the progress of fibrosis. The recently identified subsets of innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), which are mainly localize to epithelial surfaces, have been characterized as regulators of chronic inflammation and tissue remodeling, representing a functional bridge between the innate and adaptive immunity. Moreover, recent research has implicated ILCs as potential contributing factors to several kinds of fibrosis diseases, such as hepatic fibrosis and pulmonary fibrosis. Here, we will summarize and discuss the key roles of ILCs and their related factors in fibrotic diseases and their potential for translation to the clinic.
Transliteration using phrase based SMT approach on substrings

Translation of named entities (NEs), such as person names, organization names and location names is crucial for cross lingual information retrieval, machine translation, and many other natural language processing applications. Newly named entities are introduced on daily basis in newswire and this greatly complicates the translation task. Named Entities translation between languages having different orthographic basis is more complex than translation between similar languages; this is due to the fact that languages with different orthographic basis may have different mapping between consonants and vowels. For example when translating English names to Arabic names many problems arise due to lexical difference. Firstly, Arabic deploys unwritten forms of short vowels in contrary with English names where short vowels are usually written. In such cases, Arabic short vowels (Fathah, Kasrah and Dammah) are being pronounced and should be used in the target language. Secondly, some Arabic consonants may be mapped to various English consonants, Examples: (س I s, c), (ب I b, p), (ك I k, c, ck), and others are mapped to more than one consonant, Ex. (ش I sh, ch), (th  ث ,ذ) which makes the problem a kind of many to many mapping task. Finally, a general problem of Named Entities transliteration is that it is always preferable to produce the most commonly used form of the name. In this paper we introduce a phrase based Arabic to English transliteration system to align Arabic substrings to English substrings based on parallel corpus of Aligned named Entities. A cascaded spelling suggested module is proposed to solve the problems that are beyond the phrase based transliteration limitations. The Spelling suggestion is applied over the phrase based transliteration system output to introduce best spelling correction for the transliterated name. This step makes our system more biased towards commonly used form of the name rather than the pure morphological representation.
Endovascular Management of Neurovascular Arterial Injuries in the Face and Neck

The diagnosis and treatment of traumatic vascular injuries continues to improve as new tools and techniques are developed. In addition to locoregional hemorrhagic complications, injuries to blood vessels in the neck and face can result in ischemic injuries to the brain and cervical spinal cord. Surgical access to these lesions may be difficult, and endovascular techniques, including stenting and embolization, now serve as definitive treatments in many instances. This article reviews the endovascular management of patients with arterial injuries in the neck and face.
Factorial Validation of the Ruff-Light Trail Learning Test (RULIT)

The factorial validity of the Ruff-Light Trail Learning Test (RULIT) was evaluated for its specificity as a test of visuospatial learning and memory. In a sample of 307 normal adults, principal components analyses (PCAs) were calculated on scores from the RULIT and selected neuropsychological tests. The PCAs revealed visuospatial learning and memory components, which included RULIT scores that were empirically distinct from verbal learning and memory components. These results provide support for the RULIT as a measure of visuospatial learning and memory.
CD66 monoclonal antibodies recognize a phosphotyrosine-containing protein bearing a carcinoembryonic antigen cross-reacting antigen on the surface of human neutrophils.

The CD66 Ag is a neutrophil-specific "activation Ag" in that it is detected in low density on resting cells but its surface expression is up-regulated by stimulation (with the chemotactic peptide FMLP, the calcium ionophore A23187, and 12-O-tetradeconoyl-phorbol-13-acetate). Phosphorylation is an important mechanism of regulation of protein function. Although most studies of protein phosphorylation have focused on intracellular reactions, recent studies have provided evidence for the existence of ectoprotein kinase activity on the surface of several types of cells including human neutrophils. The role of ectoprotein kinase activity in cell function is unknown and little is known about the endogenous substrates of this enzyme system. The identification and characterization of physiologic substrates of ectoprotein kinase activity should aid the understanding of the role of this enzyme activity in cell function. Immunoprecipitation and subsequent gel electrophoresis of proteins from neutrophils labeled with [gamma-32P]ATP revealed that CD66 mAb specifically recognize a approximately 180-kDa phosphoprotein on the surface of human neutrophils. This protein was one of the major endogenous substrates for human neutrophil ectoprotein kinase activity. Phosphoamino acid analysis of the 180-kDa protein revealed that it contained predominantly phosphotyrosine. Preclearing studies demonstrated that this protein was also recognized by CD15 mAb, and by polyclonal anticarcinoembryonic Ag antiserum. In addition, the CD66 mAb reacted with purified carcinoembryonic Ag, biliary glycoprotein, and "nonspecific cross-reacting Ag. " Thus, the neutrophil protein recognized by CD66 mAb appears to be a approximately 180-kDa form of the classical "nonspecific cross-reacting Ag" on human neutrophils.
Immobilization Decreases Amino Acid Concentrations in Plasma but Maintains or Increases Them in Brain

Abstract: Immobilization for 2 h significantly decreased plasma concentrations of 13 of 16 amino acids assayed, including the transmitter amine precursors tyrosine and total tryptophan. The level of plasma free tryptophan, however, was increased. Despite the reduced plasma levels, corresponding brain concentrations of many large neutral amino acids (LNAAs) were increased (tryptophan, phenylalanine, valine, leucine, and isoleucine). Brain concentrations of tyrosine and the other amino acids measured were unaltered. The results for the LNAAs were not explained by calculated brain influx rates. Therefore, altered influx kinetics or perhaps altered brain protein metabolism or efflux may be responsible. Comparison of calculated brain influxes and brain concentrations of LNAAs suggests that the rise in level of plasma free tryptophan during immobilization is not responsible for the increase in level of brain tryptophan and that the mechanism responsible for the maintenance of or increase in brain concentrations of the other LNAAs is probably involved. Maintenance of brain concentrations of basic amino acids is explicable by reduced competition for brain uptake.