bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Bancassurance: an insurance concept from a Irish perspective
Authors: Brophy Richard 
Published: October 2013

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to chart the development of bancassurance as a method of selling insurance and how it fits within the regulatory environment in Ireland.

Design/methodology/approach
– General review of the leading financial institutions retailing insurance in Ireland and their respective processes in retail distribution.

Findings
– Unlike in Europe where bancassurance involves the bank creating insurance products, in Ireland many banks engage insurers to create product to be sold via banking network, call centre or online. Whitelabeling insurance products allow the bank and insurer to enter or exit the market. In developing a bancassurance product, fundamentals need to be in place for success. The regulatory environment also does not favour banks creating insurance products; hence, this method is suited to the Irish market based on market size and existing distribution channels.

Research limitations/implications
– Based on a general review of the market, past and present, it does not take into account future developments of the banking sector which is subject to change post the EU banking crisis.

Practical implications
– The paper establishes the current trend of banks entering the insurance market in Ireland.

Originality/value
– Based on observation, general literature review and the current regulatory requirements to retail insurance in Ireland, the paper offers a perspective of market entry for a bank to sell insurance.
Flowers in a Greenhouse: profiling excellence in leadership in Singapore
Authors: Selvarajah Christopher , Meyer Denny , Jeyakumar Nathan Robert , Denis Donovan Jerome 
Published: October 2013

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to examine the changing cultural values that influence the perception of managers to leadership excellence in their organisations in Singapore.Design/methodology/approach– Summated scales for the importance of excellent leader, personal qualities, managerial behaviours, organisational demands and environmental influences were developed using most of the items categorised by Selvarajahet al.(1995) and several other items rated highly in this study. A structural model was constructed to explain the relationship in excellence in leadership.Findings– In all, 249 managers, from the three main ethnic groups: Chinese, Indians and Malays participated in this research. The findings suggest that ethnic differences are not strong determinants of managerial values in organisations in Singapore. However, gender is seen as a differentiating factor in the behavioural values of Singapore managers.Research limitations/implications– This study is purely an exploratory study and the size of the sample is not large enough to create purposeful causal relationships. Certainly the effect of ethnicity on the study should be explored further with a larger sample.Practical implications– Singapore is a highly globalised country that attracts international investments. Statistics in Singapore clearly suggests that there is a sharp increase in women managers in employment. Therefore, understanding the changing behavioural values of managers of both sexes are important for a foreigner engaging with Singapore nationals.Originality/value– This is the first study that looks at behavioural values of Singapore managers with regard to leadership excellence. The masculinity-femininity dimension is pronounced in the gender split.
Ethnographic performance and its flexibility in researching a traditional healing system in southern Thailand
Authors: Suwankhong Dusanee , Liamputtong Pranee 
Published: October 2013

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to discuss the experience of carrying out an ethnographic research in the real world with six different participant groups from different backgrounds and embodying different expertise in traditional medicine. The paper will discuss why some approaches do not go well with some key informant groups and will demonstrate a suitable method that function better with those groups. The paper also argues that there is unpredictability of doing research in the real world, and this is crucial knowledge for novice researchers, and researchers who wish to embark on their research in different communities.Design/methodology/approach– Ethnography comprising of in-depth interviews, participant observation, focus group and unobtrusive methods.Findings– Listening to traditional healers’ explanation of their roles, patients’ perspectives of their treatments and the views of other participant groups will help us to understand the role of traditional healers, how effective their treatment is, and the possibilities for, and barriers to co-operation with the modern health care system. Ethnographic approach addresses deep understanding about cultural phenomena and issues in the real world because it captures everyday life and practices among local people.Practical implications– The principle of ethnography requires a researcher being in the field and living with the local people for a long period of time. This provides the researcher with the opportunity to learn and experience a new world on his/her own.Originality/value– Although the process of carrying out an ethnographic study is unpredictable, the methodological approach the paper employs in this study has resulted in valuable outcomes to a novice ethnographer. The paper would suggest to other novice ethnographers that this methodology is a very worthwhile approach in terms of exploring, learning and understanding the new world.
Clinical Evaluation of BacT/Alert FA Plus and FN Plus Bottles Compared with Standard Bottles
Authors: Lee Dong-Hyun , Kim Seong Chun , Bae In-Gyu , Koh Eun-Ha , Kim Sunjoo 
Published: October 2013

ABSTRACT

The performance of the BacT/Alert FA Plus and FN Plus resin bottles was evaluated in comparison with that of standard aerobic (SA) and standard anaerobic (SN) bottles. Twenty milliliters of blood from adult patients was equally distributed into four types of bottles: FA Plus, FN Plus, SA, and SN. The detection of clinically significant organisms and the time to detection (TTD) were monitored for each bottle. Among the 3,103 blood culture sets that were requested, the blood volume of each bottle was over 4 ml in 1,481 sets (47.7%). Among these 1,481 sets, 158 cultures grew in the FA Plus and SA bottles, and 136 grew in the FN Plus and SN bottles. Growth in only one type of bottle was more commonly observed for the FA Plus (
n
= 38) than for the SA (
n
= 14) (
P
= 0.001) bottles and for the FN Plus (
n
= 27) than for the SN (
n
= 10) (
P
= 0.008) bottles. Gram-negative bacilli were more frequently isolated in the resin bottles (
P
< 0.05). The skin contamination rate was 1.2% in the resin bottles and the standard bottles. The mean TTD was 11.1 h in the FA Plus bottles versus 13.1 h in the SA bottles (
P
< 0.001) and 12.0 h in the FN Plus bottles versus 12.8 h in the SN bottles (
P
= 0.083). Clinically significant bacteria, including Gram-negative bacilli, were isolated more frequently from the resin bottles than from the standard bottles. Clinically significant bacteria were detected faster using the aerobic resin bottles than using the standard aerobic bottles. This finding might not be applicable to the standard-practice 10-ml protocol for each bottle because the results from using a smaller volume (5 ml) might be less pronounced.
Broad-Range PCR-Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry for Detection and Typing of Adenovirus and Other Opportunistic Viruses in Stem Cell Transplant Patients
Authors: LeGoff Jérôme , Feghoul Linda , Mercier-Delarue Séverine , Dalle Jean-Hugues , Scieux Catherine , Chérot Janine , de Fontbrune Flore Sicre , Baruchel André , Socié Gérard , Simon François 
Published: October 2013

ABSTRACT

Hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients are highly susceptible to viral infections. Follow-up after transplantation includes weekly screening using single, virus-specific real-time PCR tests, mainly for viruses in the families
Herpesviridae
and
Adenoviridae
that contribute to a high morbidity, especially in pediatric populations. The Abbott PLEX-ID platform combines broad-range PCR with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry to enable the simultaneous detection of multiple pathogens in a single assay. The Viral IC Spectrum assay detects human adenoviruses, viruses from the family
Herpesviridae
(herpes simplex virus 1 [HSV-1], HSV-2, cytomegalovirus [CMV], Epstein-Barr virus [EBV], varicella-zoster virus [VZV], and human herpesvirus 8 [HHV-8]), human enterovirus, polyomaviruses (BK and JC), and parvovirus B19. We evaluated the performance of the Viral IC Spectrum assay with samples from 16 adult and 36 pediatric stem cell transplant patients. The sensitivity of the Viral IC Spectrum assay compared to real-time PCR quantification using the adenovirus Rgene kit for the detection of adenovirus was 96.7% from plasma samples (
n
= 92) and 78% from stool samples (
n
= 100). No adenovirus was detected in samples from noninfected patients (
n
= 30). PLEX-ID species identification was perfectly concordant with species-specific real-time PCR assays. In plasma and stool samples, the level of amplified products measured by PLEX-ID and the quantity in copies/ml (
r
= 0.82 and 0.78, respectively) were correlated up to 6 log
10
copies/ml. In 67.4% of adenovirus-positive plasma samples, at least one other viral infection was detected; these included BK virus (
n
= 41), CMV (
n
= 30), EBV (
n
= 26), JC virus (
n
= 9), and HSV-1 (
n
= 6). The results of this study suggest that the Viral IC Spectrum assay performed on the PLEX-ID platform is reliable for adenovirus infection diagnosis in immunocompromised patients.
Comparison of
care
HPV and Hybrid Capture 2 Assays for Detection of High-Risk Human Papillomavirus DNA in Cervical Samples from HIV-1-Infected African Women
Authors: Ngou Jean , Magooa Mahlape P. , Gilham Clare , Djigma Florencia , Didelot Marie-Noelle , Kelly Helen , Yonli Albert , Sawadogo Bernard , Lewis David A. , Delany-Moretlwe Sinead , Mayaud Philippe , Segondy Michel 
Published: October 2013

ABSTRACT

The
care
HPV and HC2 assays were compared for high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) DNA detection in cervical samples from 149 HIV-1-infected African women. The HR-HPV DNA detection rates were 37.6% and 34.9% for
care
HPV and HC2, respectively. Agreement between the two tests was 94.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 89.7% to 97.7%) with a kappa value of 0.88 (95% CI, 0.81 to 0.96), indicating an excellent agreement.
care
HPV may be considered as suitable as HC2 for cervical cancer screening among HIV-infected African women.
Duplex Real-Time PCR for Rapid Simultaneous Detection of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis and Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans in Amphibian Samples
Authors: Blooi M. , Pasmans F. , Longcore J. E. , Spitzen-van der Sluijs A. , Vercammen F. , Martel A. 
Published: October 2013

ABSTRACT

Chytridiomycosis is a lethal fungal disease contributing to declines and extinctions of amphibian species worldwide. The currently used molecular screening tests for chytridiomycosis fail to detect the recently described species
Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans
. In this study, we present a duplex real-time PCR that allows the simultaneous detection of
B. salamandrivorans
and
Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis
. With
B. dendrobatidis
- and
B. salamandrivorans
-specific primers and probes, detection of the two pathogens in amphibian samples is possible, with a detection limit of 0.1 genomic equivalent of zoospores of both pathogens per PCR. The developed real-time PCR shows high degrees of specificity and sensitivity, high linear correlations (
r

2

> 0.995), and high amplification efficiencies (>94%) for
B. dendrobatidis
and
B. salamandrivorans
. In conclusion, the described duplex real-time PCR can be used to detect DNA of
B. dendrobatidis
and
B. salamandrivorans
with highly reproducible and reliable results.
A Two-Pronged Structural Analysis of Retroviral Maturation Indicates that Core Formation Proceeds by a Disassembly-Reassembly Pathway Rather than a Displacive Transition
Authors: Keller Paul W. , Huang Rick K. , England Matthew R. , Waki Kayoko , Cheng Naiqian , Heymann J. Bernard , Craven Rebecca C. , Freed Eric O. , Steven Alasdair C. 
Published: October 2013

ABSTRACT

Retrovirus maturation involves sequential cleavages of the Gag polyprotein, initially arrayed in a spherical shell, leading to formation of capsids with polyhedral or conical morphology. Evidence suggests that capsids assemble
de novo
inside maturing virions from dissociated capsid (CA) protein, but the possibility persists of a displacive pathway in which the CA shell remains assembled but is remodeled. Inhibition of the final cleavage between CA and spacer peptide SP1/SP blocks the production of mature capsids. We investigated whether retention of SP might render CA assembly incompetent by testing the ability of Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) CA-SP to assemble
in vitro
into icosahedral capsids. Capsids were indeed assembled and were indistinguishable from those formed by CA alone, indicating that SP was disordered. We also used cryo-electron tomography to characterize HIV-1 particles produced in the presence of maturation inhibitor PF-46396 or with the cleavage-blocking CA5 mutation. Inhibitor-treated virions have a shell that resembles the CA layer of the immature Gag shell but is less complete. Some CA protein is generated but usually not enough for a mature core to assemble. We propose that inhibitors like PF-46396 bind to the Gag lattice where they deny the protease access to the CA-SP1 cleavage site and prevent the release of CA. CA5 particles, which exhibit no cleavage at the CA-SP1 site, have spheroidal shells with relatively thin walls. It appears that this lattice progresses displacively toward a mature-like state but produces neither conical cores nor infectious virions. These observations support the disassembly-reassembly pathway for core formation.
Targeting Cell Division Cycle 25 Homolog B To Regulate Influenza Virus Replication
Authors: Perwitasari Olivia , Torrecilhas Ana Claudia , Yan Xiuzhen , Johnson Scott , White Caleb , Tompkins S. Mark , Tripp Ralph A. 
Published: October 2013

ABSTRACT

Influenza virus is a worldwide global health concern causing seasonal morbidity mortality and economic burden. Chemotherapeutics is available; however, rapid emergence of drug-resistant influenza virus strains has reduced its efficacy. Thus, there is a need to discover novel antiviral agents. In this study, RNA interference (RNAi) was used to screen host genes required for influenza virus replication. One pro-influenza virus host gene identified was dual-specificity phosphatase cell division cycle 25 B (
CDC25B
). RNAi screening of
CDC25B
resulted in reduced influenza A virus replication, and a CDC25B small-molecule inhibitor (NSC95397) inhibited influenza A virus replication in a dose-dependent fashion. Viral RNA synthesis was reduced by NSC95397 in favor of increased beta interferon (IFN-β) expression, and NSC95397 was found to interfere with nuclear localization and chromatin association of NS1, an influenza virus protein. As NS1 has been shown to be chromatin associated and to suppress host transcription, it is likely that CDC25B supports NS1 nuclear function to hijack host transcription machinery in favor of viral RNA synthesis, a process that is blocked by NSC95397. Importantly, NSC95397 treatment protects mice against lethal influenza virus challenge. The findings establish CDC25B as a pro-influenza A virus host factor that may be targeted as a novel influenza A therapeutic strategy.
Sequence and Functional Analysis of the Envelope Glycoproteins of Hepatitis C Virus Variants Selectively Transmitted to a New Host
Authors: D'Arienzo Valentina , Moreau Alain , D'Alteroche Louis , Gissot Valérie , Blanchard Emmanuelle , Gaudy-Graffin Catherine , Roch Emmanuelle , Dubois Frédéric , Giraudeau Bruno , Plantier Jean-Christophe , Goudeau Alain , Roingeard Philippe , Brand Denys 
Published: October 2013

ABSTRACT

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) remains a challenging public health problem worldwide. The identification of viral variants establishing
de novo
infections and definition of the phenotypic requirements for transmission would facilitate the design of preventive strategies. We explored the transmission of HCV variants in three cases of acute hepatitis following needlestick accidents. We used single-genome amplification of glycoprotein E1E2 gene sequences to map the genetic bottleneck upon transmission accurately. We found that infection was likely established by a single variant in two cases and six variants in the third case. Studies of donor samples showed that the transmitted variant E1E2 amino acid sequences were identical or closely related to those of variants from the donor virus populations. The transmitted variants harbored a common signature site at position 394, within hypervariable region 1 of E2, together with additional signature amino acids specific to each transmission pair. Surprisingly, these E1E2 variants conferred no greater capacity for entry than the E1E2 derived from nontransmitted variants in lentiviral pseudoparticle assays. Mutants escaping the antibodies of donor sera did not predominate among the transmitted variants either. The fitness parameters affecting the selective outgrowth of HCV variants after transmission in an immunocompetent host may thus be more complex than those suggested by mouse models. Human antibodies directed against HCV envelope effectively cross-neutralized the lentiviral particles bearing E1E2 derived from transmitted variants. These findings provide insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying HCV transmission and suggest that viral entry is a potential target for the prevention of HCV infection.
Epstein-Barr Virus Latent Membrane Protein 2 Effects on Epithelial Acinus Development Reveal Distinct Requirements for the PY and YEEA motifs
Authors: Fotheringham Julie A. , Raab-Traub Nancy 
Published: October 2013

ABSTRACT
Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a gammaherpesvirus associated with numerous cancers, including the epithelial cancers nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and gastric carcinoma. The latent membrane protein 2 (LMP2) encoded by EBV is consistently detected in NPC tumors and promotes a malignant phenotype when expressed in epithelial cells by inducing transformation and migration and inhibiting differentiation. Grown in three dimensions (3D) on Matrigel, the nontumorigenic mammary epithelial cell line MCF10A forms hollow, spherical acinar structures that maintain normal glandular features. Expression of oncogenes in these cells allows for the study of multiple aspects of tumor development in a 3D culture system. This study sought to examine the effects of LMP2 on the generation of MCF10A acini. LMP2 expression induced abnormal acini that were large, misshapen, and filled, indicating that LMP2 induced proliferation, impaired cellular polarization, and induced resistance to cell death, leading to luminal filling. Induction of cell death resistance required the PY, immunoreceptor tyrosine activation motif (ITAM), and YEEA signaling domains of LMP2 and activation of the Src and Akt signaling pathways. The PY domain was required for the inhibition of anoikis and also the delayed proliferative arrest of the LMP2-expressing cells. In addition to directly altering acinus formation, expression of LMP2 also induced morphological and protein expression changes consistent with epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in a manner that required only the YEEA signaling motif of LMP2. These findings indicate that LMP2 has considerable transforming properties that are not evident in standard tissue culture and requires the ability of LMP2A to bind ubiquitin ligases and Src family kinases.
The Fc Region of an Antibody Impacts the Neutralization of West Nile Viruses in Different Maturation States
Authors: Lee Phong D. , Mukherjee Swati , Edeling Melissa A. , Dowd Kimberly A. , Austin S. Kyle , Manhart Carolyn J. , Diamond Michael S. , Fremont Daved H. , Pierson Theodore C. 
Published: October 2013

ABSTRACT
Flavivirus-infected cells secrete a structurally heterogeneous population of viruses because of an inefficient virion maturation process. Flaviviruses assemble as noninfectious, immature virions composed of trimers of envelope (E) and precursor membrane (prM) protein heterodimers. Cleavage of prM is a required process during virion maturation, although this often remains incomplete for infectious virus particles. Previous work demonstrated that the efficiency of virion maturation could impact antibody neutralization through changes in the accessibility of otherwise cryptic epitopes on the virion. In this study, we show that the neutralization potency of monoclonal antibody (MAb) E33 is sensitive to the maturation state of West Nile virus (WNV), despite its recognition of an accessible epitope, the domain III lateral ridge (DIII-LR). Comprehensive epitope mapping studies with 166 E protein DIII-LR variants revealed that the functional footprint of MAb E33 on the E protein differs subtly from that of the well-characterized DIII-LR MAb E16. Remarkably, aromatic substitutions at E protein residue 306 ablated the maturation state sensitivity of E33 IgG, and the neutralization efficacy of E33 Fab fragments was not affected by changes in the virion maturation state. We propose that E33 IgG binding on mature virions orients the Fc region in a manner that impacts subsequent antibody binding to nearby sites. This Fc-mediated steric constraint is a novel mechanism by which the maturation state of a virion modulates the efficacy of the humoral immune response to flavivirus infection.
Contributions of Herpes Simplex Virus 1 Envelope Proteins to Entry by Endocytosis
Authors: Komala Sari Tri , Pritchard Suzanne M. , Cunha Cristina W. , Wudiri George A. , Laws Elizabeth I. , Aguilar Hector C. , Taus Naomi S. , Nicola Anthony V. 
Published: October 2013

ABSTRACT
Herpes simplex virus (HSV) proteins specifically required for endocytic entry but not direct penetration have not been identified. HSVs deleted of gE, gG, gI, gJ, gM, UL45, or Us9 entered cells via either pH-dependent or pH-independent endocytosis and were inactivated by mildly acidic pH. Thus, the required HSV glycoproteins, gB, gD, and gH-gL, may be sufficient for entry regardless of entry route taken. This may be distinct from entry mechanisms employed by other human herpesviruses.