Search results for " data"

Unveiling the Antecedents of International Diversification: An Agency Theory Approach

2014

While various studies have developed hypotheses about the antecedents of international diversification drawing mainly on the resource-based view, the behavioral theory of the firm, and the transaction costs literature, we advance our understanding by investigating the explanatory power of agency costs of free cash flow arguments. Using a sample panel of 167 Italian firms longitudinally evaluated during the 1980-2010 period, this study tests whether the firm’s choice to spread operations in multiple foreign countries is conditioned by excess of free cash flow and debt, especially in firm-contexts where agency problems are exacerbated by managers or large shareholders’ opportunism. We find th…

Agglomeration and New Firm Formation. Evidence from Italy.

2013

Characterization of epitopes recognized by Candida factor 1 and 9 antisera by use of Saccharomyces cerevisiae mnn mutants

1993

The use of Saccharomyces cerevisiae mnn mutants has facilitated the study of the epitopes recognized by antisera against several antigenic factors of the genus Candida (Candida Check; Iatron Laboratories, Tokyo, Japan). We have taken advantage of the very well characterized structure of the mannans of the different mnn mutants to compare their reactivities with the factor antisera used in the identification of different species of the genus Candida. The results of this study provide evidence that one of the antigenic determinants recognized by factor 1 antisera is the O-linked mannose chains of the cell wall mannoproteins, while that recognized by factor 9 antiserum is the alpha 1-6-linked …

A rhamnose-binding lectin from sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) plasma agglutinates and opsonizes pathogenic bacteria

2014

Abstract The discovery of rhamnose-binding lectins (RBLs) in teleost fish eggs led to the identification of a novel lectin family characterized by a unique sequence motif and a structural fold, and initially proposed to modulate fertilization. Further studies of the RBL tissue localization and gene organization were also suggestive of role(s) in innate immunity. Here we describe the purification, and biochemical and functional characterization of a novel RBL (DlRBL) from sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) serum. The purified DlRBL had electrophoretic mobilities corresponding to 24 kDa and 100 kDa under reducing and non-reducing conditions, respectively, suggesting that in plasma the DlRBL is p…

Purification and characterisation of a plasmin-sensitive surface protein of Staphylococcus aureus.

1996

Certain methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains contain a 230-kDa cell-wall protein which is not present on the surface of other staphylococci. The presence of this 230-kDa protein is associated with a negative test result in commercial assays designed to detect fibrinogen-binding proteins and/or protein A on the staphylococcal surface. We have purified and partially characterised the 230-kDa protein from a lysostaphin digest of a non-agglutinating methicillin-resistant S. aureus strain. Partial amino acid sequence data obtained from the purified protein did not reveal any significant similarities to known proteins which indicates that the protein is novel. The 230-kDa protein w…

Impairment of intracellular antiviral defense with age: age-dependent changes in expression of interferon-induced and double-stranded RNA-activated 2…

1995

The 2',5'-oligoadenylate (2-5A) system is involved in the defense of mammalian cells against virus infection. In a previous study [25], we demonstrated that the activities of the enzymes which synthesize and degrade 2-5A [2-5A synthetase (2-5OAS) and 2',3'-exoribonuclease] and of the enzyme that is activated by 2-5A (ribonuclease L) change during aging and development in different tissues of rat. The age-dependent decrease in 2-5OAS activity and increase in 2-5A nuclease activity results in a decrease in the cellular 2-5A content, suggesting that the efficiency of the antiviral 2-5A system is impaired in aged rats. Here we determined the age-dependent changes in the level of mRNA coding for…

Hormonal regulation of S-adenosylmethionine synthase transcripts in pea ovaries

1996

Two cDNA clones coding for S-adenosyl-L-methionine synthase (SAMs, EC 2.5.1.6) have been isolated from a cDNA library of gibberellic acid-treated unpollinated pea ovaries. Both cDNAs were sequenced showing a high degree of identity but coding for different SAMs polypeptides. The presence of two SAMs genes in pea was further confirmed by Southern analysis. Expression of the SAMs genes in the pea plant was found at different levels in vegetative and reproductive tissues. We characterized the expression levels of SAMs genes during the development or senescence of pea ovaries. Northern analysis showed that transcription of SAMs genes in parthenocarpic fruits was upregulated by auxins in the sam…

Sponge homologue to human and yeast gene encoding the longevity assurance polypeptide: differential expression in telomerase-positive and telomerase-…

2000

Porifera show a characteristic Bauplan in spite of the fact that (almost) all cells are telomerase-positive and presumably provided with an unlimited potency for cell proliferation. Studies revealed that telomerase-positive cells can be triggered to telomerase-negative cells by dissociating them into single cells. Single cells from the demosponge Suberites domuncula, in contrast to cells present in primmorphs (a special form of cell aggregates), lack the property to proliferate and they undergo apoptosis. One gene, SDLAGL, was identified in primmorphs that showed high sequence similarity to the longevity assurance genes from other Metazoa. In single cells no transcripts of SDLAGL could be i…

Pharmacological intervention in age-associated brain disorders by Flupirtine: Alzheimer’s and Prion diseases

1998

Alzheimer's disease, a major form of dementia in the elderly has become an increasingly important health problem in developed countries. In vitro studies on primary neurons demonstrate that Flupirtine (Katadolon) at a concentration of 1 microg/ml, significantly reduces the neurotoxic (apoptotic) effect displayed by A beta25-35, a segment of the amyloid beta-protein precursor the etiologic agent of Alzheimer's disease. Flupirtine, which has been in clinical use since 10 years ago, prevents the toxic effect of PrP, the presumed etiologic agent of the Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease as well as the excitatory amino acid glutamate on cortical neurons. Flupirtine displays a bimodal activity. Its strong…

Negative Regulation of β Enolase Gene Transcription in Embryonic Muscle Is Dependent upon a Zinc Finger Factor That Binds to the G-rich Box within th…

1998

We have previously identified a muscle-specific enhancer within the first intron of the human beta enolase gene. Present in this enhancer are an A/T-rich box that binds MEF-2 protein(s) and a G-rich box (AGTGGGGGAGGGGGCTGCG) that interacts with ubiquitously expressed factors. Both elements are required for tissue-specific expression of the gene in skeletal muscle cells. Here, we report the identification and characterization of a Kruppel-like zinc finger protein, termed beta enolase repressor factor 1, that binds in a sequence-specific manner to the G-rich box and functions as a repressor of the beta enolase gene transcription in transient transfection assays. Using fusion polypeptides of b…