105 research outputs found

    Constructing indicators from patent specifications: What they reveal and what they imply?

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    The study distinguishes some of the rich sources of information that can be extracted from a patent document and can act as an indicator to measure some of the technological features of patenting activity of a firm/country. The paper attempts to highlight this through empirical examination of patents granted to Indian institutions in the US. The applicability of the indicators that are distinguished and meaning they can convey are addressed in this study

    Pharmacogenomic and mechanistic studies on dietary factors in chemoprevention of cancer

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    Pharmacogenomic profiling of cancer has recently seen much activity with the accessibility of the newest generation of high-throughput platforms and technologies. A myriad of mechanistic studies have been devoted to identifying dietary factors that can help prevent cancer, with evidence gleaned from epidemiologic studies revealing an inverse correlation between the intake of cruciferous vegetables and the risk of certain types of cancer. To develop a comprehensive understanding of cancer pathogenesis, and potential for chemopreventive intervention with dietary factors, an integrated approach that encompasses both pharmacogenomic and mechanistic aspects is desirable. Our transcriptomic profiling of butylated hydroxyanisole-induced Nuclear Factor-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)-dependent genes in Nrf2-deficient mice identified several germane molecular targets for prevention. Toxicogenomic analyses of endoplasmic reticulum stress inducer tunicamycin in Nrf2-deficient mice elucidated Nrf2-regulated unfolded protein response effects. Mechanistic studies on a combination of sulforaphane and (-) epigallocatechin-3-gallate in HT-29 AP-1 (Activator Protein-1) cells revealed a synergy in colon cancer chemoprevention. Pharmacogenomic studies of this combination in PC-3 AP-1 cells provided a discursive framework for understanding putative crosstalk between Nrf2 and AP-1 in prostate cancer chemoprevention. Regulatory potential for concerted modulation of Nrf2 and Nuclear Factor-κB (Nfκb1) in inflammation and carcinogenesis was delineated by bioinformatic analyses. Metabolomic approaches identified potential prognostic biomarkers in human prostate cancer. Differential biological networks in prostate cancer were elicited in androgen-dependent 22Rv1 cells, androgen- and estrogen-dependent LNCaP cells and androgen-independent DU 145 and PC-3 cells. Taken together, our identification of Nrf2-regulated molecular targets by expression profiling using dietary factors, synergistic effects in combinatorial use of dietary factors in colon cancer, regulatory studies on crosstalk between Nrf2 and AP-1 in prostate cancer, bioinformatic analyses of concerted modulation of Nrf2 and Nfkb1 in inflammation and carcinogenesis, metabolomic identification of biomarkers, and delineation of target hubs in differential prostate cancer biological networks, greatly enhance our understanding of the transcriptional circuitry in cancer and important master regulatory nodes including Nrf2 that might potentially be exploited for chemopreventive intervention with dietary factors.Ph.D.Includes bibliographical references (p. 311-331)

    Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy Study on the Effects of the Shape and Size of a Protein on Its Diffusion Inside a Crowded Environment

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    Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) has been commonly used to study the diffusional and conformational fluctuations of labeled molecules at singlemolecule resolution. Here, we explored the applications of FCS inside a polyacrylamide gel to study the effects of molecular weight and molecular shape in a crowded environment. To understand the effect of molecular weight,we carried out FCS experiments with four model systems of different molecular weights in the presence of varying concentrations of acrylamide. The correlation curves were fit adequately using a model containing two diffusing components: one representing unhindered diffusion and one representing slow hindered diffusion in the gel phase. A large number of measurements carried out at different randomly chosen spots on a gel were used to determine the most probable diffusion time values using Gaussian distribution analysis. The variation of the diffusivity with the molecular weight of the model systems could be represented well using the effective medium model. This model assumes a combination of hydrodynamic and steric effects on solute diffusivity. To study the effects of solute shape, FCS experiments were carried inside a urea gradient gel to probe the urea-induced unfolding transition of Alexa488Maleimide-labeled bovine serum albumin. We showed that the scaling behavior, relating the hydrodynamic radius and the number of amino acids, changes inside an acrylamide gel for both folded and unfolded proteins. We showed further that crowding induced by a polyacrylamide gel increases the resolution of measuring the difference in hydrodynamic radii between the unfolded and folded states

    Comparison of University Academics Job Factors: Satisfaction and Dissatisfaction

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    The aim of this paper is to compare the university academics job satisfaction factors and job dissatisfaction factors. This aim is achieved by identifying the factors that affect academics job satisfaction and dissatisfaction. The main results of this study were concluded by comparing the satisfaction factors and dissatisfaction factors for university academics from the existing literature. The novelty of this study is the use of a significant body of the existing literature has focused on the factors affecting university academics in terms of job satisfaction and job dissatisfaction to get the aim. The findings would help to know for university academic factors affect for satisfaction and dissatisfaction

    Reference Management Software: Comparative Analysis of RefWorks and Zotero

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    This paper presents a comparison of reference management software between RefWorks and Zotero. The results were drawn by comparing two software and the novelty of this paper is the comparative analysis of software and it has shown that ReftWorks can import more information from the Google Scholar for the researchers. This finding could help to know researchers to use the reference management software

    A model using ICT adoption and training to improve the research productivity of academics

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    Submitted in fulfilment of the requirement of the Doctor of Technology degree in Information Technology, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2015.Research productivity is one of the core functions of a university and it plays a crucial role for a nation to develop and find its standing in our global world. This study examined the effect of ICT adoption and training on the research productivity of university academics. Much research has been done on using technology in research with a view to increase productivity. However, hardly any research could be found on the use of ICT combined with ICT training with a view to increase research productivity. This study addressed this gap in the literature. The study sought to design a model that can increase research productivity of academics while optimizing ICT adoption and training effects. The study was conducted at four public universities in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, whilst the part of the study on ICT training was conducted at one of the four universities. This study was conducted both in the form of a survey of 103 university academics and in the form of experimental sessions, where the use of ICT (EndNote, NVivo, AMOS, SPSS, and Turnitin) with training was used for research, the use of ICT without training was used for research and, finally, a session where a manual system (without using research software/tools and training) was used for research. The overall aim of the study was to investigate and design a model for the increase in research productivity of academics in universities after having adopted ICTs. The final results of the research revealed that the use of ICT tools (EndNote, NVivo, AMOS, SPSS, and Turnitin) with training increases research productivity as compared to using ICT tools without training, and/or using a manual system (without using research software/tools and training). A statistically proven model is recommended with a view to increase research productivity of academics.
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