Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Preference for a new prefilled insulin pen compared with the original pen

Abstract Background: The prevalence of diabetes is increasing in the United States and worldwide. Insulin injection pens are preferred over vial/syringe methods, and are designed to facilitate use, improve adherence, and provide accurate insulin delivery. Objective: This study compares the efficacy, safety profile, and patient preference of the new prefilled insulin pen FT *FlexTouch is a registered trade name of Novo Nordisk A/S, Bagsvaerd, Denmark. versus the original insulin pen FP. †FlexPen is a registered trade name of Novo Nordisk A/S, Bagsvaerd, Denmark. Methods: This randomized, multicenter, open-label, crossover study was conducted in insulin-treated pen-naïve patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes mellitus (n = 242, mean age 58 years, mean body mass index (BMI) 31.4 kg/m2, baseline glycosylated hemoglobin [HbA1c] 7.3%). Patients were randomized 1:1 to either FT or FP for 12 weeks and then switched to the alternate insulin device for 12 weeks, while the insulin regimen was kept the same. All subjects were on either insulin detemir alone or in combination with insulin aspart treatment during the trial. HbA1c was assessed at screening, randomization, cross-over period, and end of trial. The safety profile was evaluated based on adverse events (AEs), adverse device effects (ADEs), and hypoglycemic episodes. Patient-reported outcome (PRO) questionnaires assessed at randomization, crossover period, and end of trial were used to investigate the subjects’ preference of the two prefilled devices. Results: A total of 400 subjects were screened, 242 subjects were randomized and exposed to the prefilled pen devices, and 222 subjects completed the trial. Twenty subjects discontinued the study. Four subjects discontinued due to adverse events. Subject default (withdrawal of consent and loss to follow up) was the most common reason for discontinuation (10 subjects), Glycemic control achieved with FT was comparable to that with FP (FT–FP: difference −0.047 [95% CI −0.127; 0.032%]). The majority of subjects (68%) indicated a preference for the FT device over FP. In addition, the majority of subjects found FT easier to use (64% [144/226]), easier to inject the insulin dose (65% [148/227]) and easier to push for injection (69% [155/226]). The Treatment Related Impact Measure–Diabetes (TRIM-D) ratings of FT were significantly higher for diabetes management facilitation (P < 0.001), and treatment burden (P < 0.001). The safety profiles were comparable for FT and FP. Conclusions: FT was found to be comparable to FP with respect to the efficacy and safety profile. Significantly more subjects favored the FT device in terms of ease of use, insulin injection, diabetes management, and overall preference. A limitation of the present study was its open-label design because the pen devices used to administer the insulin were distinctively different and the use of a double-dummy design was precluded by the absence of placebo pen devices. The questionnaires about treatment were related to the use of the device and therefore a blinded study was not possible.
Presence of dendritic cells, T lymphocytes, macrophages, B lymphocytes and glandular tissue in the human fetal larynx

Objective The laryngeal mucosa starts to be exposed to infectious agents immediately after birth. The course of laryngeal infections in young children differs significantly from that in adults. The first line of defense encountered by an inhaled infectious agent is the mucosa-associated immune system, which includes immunocompetent cells and secretory components. The cellular elements are partially organized in a typical morphological pattern known as mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT). Differences in the ability of young children and adults to react to a laryngeal infection raise the questions of whether and to what extent immunocompetent cells are already present in the larynx at birth. These questions were investigated in this study. Material and methods Dendritic cells, T lymphocytes, B lymphocytes, macrophages and glands were examined and detected in an (immuno-)histological study of 8 fetal larynges (14th–22nd week of gestation). Results Immunocompetent cells and glands were present mainly in the epi- and subglottic regions and ventricular folds, whereas the glottis was largely spared. The pattern of distribution was scattered and no organized MALT was seen. Conclusion Essential cell populations of a mucosa-associated immune system for the initiation of an immune response may exist in the human larynx at birth.
Professionalism, boundaries and the workplace

Professionalism, Boundaries and the Workplace is a practical text that examines a range of sensitive issues concerned with managing and maintaining professional boundaries between worker and client. It uses experiences from probation, social work, the NHS, small business and church settings. A number of issues are addressed including: *the relationship between personal and professional values *changing professional-client relationships *definitions of 'being professional' *conflicts arising from different understandings of professionalism.
Influence of trimetazidine and ranolazine on endothelial function in patients with ischemic heart disease

ObjectiveEndothelial dysfunction is an independent predictor of atherosclerosis progression and cardiovascular events in patients with ischemic heart disease. Ranolazine and trimetazidine are novel drugs that reduce angina symptoms in the above-mentioned patients. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of ranolazine and trimetazidine on flow-mediated (FMD) and nitroglycerine-induced (GTN) dilation of the brachial artery. MethodsIn a prospective, double-blind study, 56 men between 32 and 65 years of age with chronic ischemic heart disease were randomized and subjected to 12 weeks of treatment with either trimetazidine (35 mg twice daily) or ranolazine. Ranolazine was administered at a dose of 375 mg twice daily for 4 weeks and was increased to 500 mg twice daily for the rest of the study. FMD and GTN were measured using high-resolution ultrasound before and after treatment. ResultsFMD increased from 3.5±7.4 to 13.8±9.4% (P<0.013; 294%) in the trimetazidine group and from 2.4±4.3 to 9.5±7.7% (P<0.037; 296%) in the ranolazine group, with no difference between the groups (P=0.444). GTN increased from 16.1±9.2 to 21.2±19.3% (P<0.022; 32%) in the trimetazidine group and from 13.8±9.6 to 21.7±13.7% (P<0.006; 57%) in the ranolazine group, with no difference between the groups (P=0.309). ConclusionBoth trimetazidine and ranolazine led to an improvement in FMD and GTN of the brachial artery in patients with ischemic heart disease, with no statistically significant difference between the groups.
Measuring scale and scope economies in multiproduct banking? A stochastic frontier cost function approach

Most studies on the economies of scale and scope in the banking industry assume no x-inefficiencies. That is, banks are assumed to be always on their efficient frontier, which can in empirical studies confound scale and scope efficiencies with x-efficiencies. The current paper employs a stochastic frontier cost function incorporating technical and allocative inefficiencies, as well as a system of share equations, to estimate scale and scope efficiencies. Using data from Taiwan's banking industry, evidence is found that both scale and scope economies exist, and that the assumption of no x-inefficiencies results in underestimating such economies.
Establishment of Population-Based Stroke Registry in Ludhiana City, Northwest India: Feasibility and Methodology

Background/Aims: The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) initiated the Task Force Project to evaluate the feasibility of conducting a population-based stroke registry in Ludhiana city, Punjab, Northwest India. Methods: All first-ever, stroke patients over 18 years from the city of Ludhiana were included in the study from March 26th 2010 to March 25th 2011. Stroke information was collected based on the WHO STEPS approach from the participating hospitals, scan centres and doctors. Modified Rankin Scale (mRS) was administered by telephonic interview at 28 days after stroke. The information on stroke deaths was obtained from the Municipal Corporation (MC) office. Results: A total of 905 first-ever stroke patients were documented. After excluding duplicate cases and patients from outside the city, 493 patients were included. The practical issues identified in data collection from these centres were reluctance to take informed consent, lack of willingness to share the data, difficulty to identify key persons from each centre, retrieving medical records from public hospitals and poor documentation of deaths in MC office. Conclusion: Population-based stroke registry was feasible in an urban population with the above methodology. The issues related to feasibility were identified and necessary changes were made for the main phase of the registry.
Multi-criteria optimisation of budgeting decisions by telecommunication service providers in a simulation game

We propose a multi-criteria model for budget allocation decisions made by telecommunications firms in a computer-based business strategy simulation game. Optimality criteria reflecting the anticipated rewards and risks are represented by modified Cobb-Douglas production functions. Some of these take into account anticipated actions of competitors which is a new approach in multi-criteria decision making as we know it. Because the decision space and the criteria functions are all convex, the optimisation problem becomes a convex one; it can be reduced to minimising a single utility function, i.e., the weighted sum of the criteria. In this instance, it is possible to set the weights of each criterion to reflect the firm's strategy (e.g., aggressive vs. defensive). Therefore, we provide a closed-form algorithm for solving an optimisation problem in an automated mode.
Financial Ratio Covenants in UK Bank Loan Contracts and Accounting Policy Choice

Abstract The attitudes of lending bankers to the use of restrictive ratio covenants in loan contracts are of importance to both corporate management and accounting policy makers. Such attitudes also underly research linking costly contracting with accounting policy choices. This paper reports a survey of 33 UK lending bankers. It analyses their views on (a) the extent of ratio covenants in UK bank loan contracts and factors with which their presence is most likely to be associated; (b) costs that may be imposed on borrowers violating such covenants or expecting to do so; and (c) the ability of borrowers to avoid such costs by appropriate choice of accounting methods. Respondents indicated that ratio covenants are widely used, particularly for loans in excess of £1 million and with companies that are relatively highly geared. ‘High cost’ penalties such as loan acceleration are most likely to be adopted where no prior warning has been given of a covenant breach. Where prior warning has been given, or where .
Business and the Eudaimonic State: A Neo-Aristotelian Approach to the Conduct of Business

This thesis is primarily concerned with the tension that exists between those who claim that the conduct of business should be exclusively in the interest of the owner and those who believe that business has responsibilities towards society generally. The outcome of the research is to establish a manner in which business might be conducted so as to satisfy at least some of the principal demands of the two opposing parties. The distinctive contribution the thesis makes to the existing literature is to describe and defend, from basic principles, an innovative form of business accreditation which respects both the primacy of owners and the interests of other stakeholders. The philosophical approach taken in the thesis is Neo-Aristotelian. It is Aristotelian in the sense that it concerns the idea of happiness as involving the acquisition and exercise of virtue. It is Neo-Aristotelian in the sense that, unusually, it treats virtue metanormatively, rather than in the normative manner of conventional Aristotelian thought. The research is also Aristotelian in that it employs the technique of dialectic in order to preserve as many as possible of the conflicting arguments. The research begins by establishing an understanding of happiness that is sufficiently objective to form the basis of a political system. It goes on to give an outline of the eudaimonic State, a State which embodies such a system. The role of business in a eudaimonic State is investigated and compared with the purpose an owner might have for a business. Based on this investigation, the principles of Ethical Naturalism are applied to establish what constitutes a good business. Finally a form of business accreditation is proposed that provides owners with control over the conduct of their businesses whilst aligning them with social needs through the formation of partnerships with local communities.
Excess volatility in the US stock market: evidence to the contrary

This study re-evaluates the empirical evidence on excess volatility as pioneered by Shiller (Market Volatility, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA). The results show that a simple, non-dynamic, model of the price of the market stock as a function of the dividend on the market is supported. Moreover the evidence on cointegration between the real market stock price and its real dividend is weaker than previously reported. The study shows strong evidence to conclude that excess volatility is absent from the US stock market, which implies that this market is more rational than has been previously thought.
A Review of Health‐related Support Provision within the UK Work Programme – What's on the Menu?

In common with other European welfare states, a large proportion of those who are out of work and claiming welfare benefits in the UK have long-term health conditions. The need to reduce the number of people who are claiming sickness related unemployment benefits by supporting them into paid work has been highlighted as a priority across the political spectrum since the late 1990s. However, recent years have seen a significant shift in UK welfare-to-work policy, with the introduction of the Work Programme in 2011. This unified programme diverges from earlier approaches in several important respects. The shift includes a move towards so-called ‘black box’ commissioning, through which contracted organizations are given far greater freedom to design and deliver their interventions. Therefore, important questions arise regarding whether and how support for claimants with health conditions will be provided across Work Programme areas and the implications for claimant outcomes. This article begins to address these questions by reviewing Work Programme Prime Contractors' (Primes) proposed approaches as set out in their bids. Using a structured, interpretive analytical framework, bid documents prepared by the 18 Primes were reviewed and synthesized. The findings showed that individuals facing similar health-related obstacles to employment can expect to receive very different levels and types of support depending on which Primes' programme they are assigned to join. This review suggests that policy needs to ensure that claimants' health-related barriers to employment are addressed. Research to explore how claimants' health-related needs are being met in practice is also recommended.
Informal Hierarchies Among Workers in Low‐Skill Food Manufacturing Jobs

This article examines the creation of informal workplace hierarchies in the context of recent changes in the UK labour market. Previous studies have identified that deskilling of jobs has removed formal hierarchies among many production workers, and that informal hierarchies based upon factors such as contractual status have formed in their place. The aim of this article is to examine how changes in the labour force mean that new informal hierarchies have developed among migrant and immigrant workers who take these jobs through an agency. Research consisted of 50 semi‐structured interviews, coupled with lengthy observation of both work and social settings, at three food manufacturers. The article finds that language and cultural issues create a complex informal hierarchy not only between directly employed and agency workers, but also among and within different groups of migrant and immigrant agency workers.
Does Money Explain Asset Returns? Theory and Empirical Analysis

A cash-in-advance model of a monetary economy is used to derive a money-based capital asset pricing model (M-CAPM), which allows the authors to implement tests of asset pricing restrictions without consumption data. A test as in Eugene F. Fama and James D. Macbeth (1973) of the model suggests that the money betas have some explanatory power for the cross-sectional variation of expected returns; however, the model is rejected using conditional information. Consistent with their predictions, estimates of the curvature parameter are lower than those of the consumption capital asset pricing model (C-CAPM) and pricing errors of the M-CAPM tend to be smaller than those of the C-CAPM. Copyright 1996 by American Finance Association.
Do Higher Per Capita Incomes Lead to More R&D Expenditure?

This paper analyzes empirically the relationship between R&D and growth. The estimated elasticity of per capita R&D expenditures with respect to domestic per capita incomes lies between 1.81 and 2.93 for the ten OECDcountries studied, whereas the elasticity of R&D with respect to foreign demand lies between 0.43 and 0.68. The paper introduces a “standard” GDP growth accounting equation where current productivity is a function ofprevious R&D. The results indicate that OLS estimates of spillovers from R&D have an upward bias of more than 40%.
The Measurement of Medicaid Coverage in the SIPP

This article studies the accuracy of reported Medicaid coverage in the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) using administrative records from the State of California. Overall, we estimate that the SIPP underestimates Medicaid coverage in the California population by about 10%. The probability of correctly reporting coverage for those actually covered by Medicaid is around 85%, and is even higher for low-income children. The probability that people who are not covered by Medicaid incorrectly report that they are covered is about 1.3% for the population as a whole, but is higher (up to 7%) for low-income children.
Fast‐growing firms in a transitional and extreme environment: are they different?

Purpose – The paper is aims at investigating the contribution of fast‐growing firms to employment and the determinants of fast growth in Kosova, which can be considered an environment characterized by a transitional period and extreme conditions for entrepreneurship.Design/methodology/approach – The paper was based on the data collected from face‐to‐face interviews with 585 firm founders. The contribution of firms to job creation was computed by using descriptive statistics and then an ordinal logit regression model was employed to explore the determinants of fast growth.Findings – Results indicate that the contribution of fast‐growing firms to employment in this environment is lower than that in Western and developed countries. Findings also suggest that fast growth is positively affected by specific human capital, intentions to grow and the ability to deal with external barriers, while having a university degree is found to be negatively related to fast growth.Research limitations/implications – This pa.
Overexpression of regucalcin suppresses cell death in cloned rat hepatoma H4‐II‐E cells induced by tumor necrosis factor‐α or thapsigargin

The role of regucalcin, which is a regulatory protein in intracellular signaling pathway, in the regulation of cell death was investigated by using the cloned rat hepatoma H4‐II‐E cells overexpressing regucalcin. The hepatoma cells (wild‐type) and stable regucalcin (RC)/pCXN2 transfectants were cultured for 72 h in medium containing 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) to obtain subconfluent monolayers. The proliferation of the cells was significantly suppressed in transfectants cultured for 72 h, as shown previously (Tsurusaki and Yamaguchi [ 2003 ]: J Cell Biochem 90:619–626). After culture for 72 h, cells were further cultured for 24–72 h in medium without FBS containing either vehicle, tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α; 0.1, 1, or 10 ng/ml) or thapsigargin (10−7–10−5 M). The number of wild‐type cells was significantly decreased by culture for 42 or 72 h in the presence of TNF‐α (0.1, 1, or 10 ng/ml) or thapsigargin (10−7–10−5 M). The effect of TNF‐α (0.1 or 1 ng/ml) or thapsigargin (10−7 or 10−6 M) in decreasing the number of hepatoma cells was significantly prevented in transfectants overexpressing regucalcin. The presence of TNF‐α (10 ng/ml) or thapsigargin (10−5 M) caused a significant decrease in cell number of transfectants. Ca2+/calmodulin‐dependent nitric oxide (NO) synthase activity in wild‐type cells was significantly increased by culture with TNF‐α (10 ng/ml) for 48 or 72 h. This increase was significantly prevented in transfectants. Culture with thapsigargin (10−5 M) caused a significant increase in Ca2+/calmodulin‐dependent NO synthase activity in wild‐type cells or transfectants. TNF‐α‐induced decrease in the number of wild‐type cells was significantly prevented by culture with Nω‐nitro‐l‐arginine (10−4 M), an inhibitor of caspase. Agarose gel electrophoresis showed the presence of low‐molecular‐weight deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) fragments of adherent wild‐type cells cultured with thapsigargin (10−6 M), and this DNA fragmentation was not suppressed by culture with caspase inhibitor. Thapsigargin‐induced DNA fragmentation was significantly suppressed in transfectants cultured with or without caspase inhibitor. This study demonstrates that overexpression of regucalcin has a suppressive effect on cell death induced by TNF‐α or thapsigargin. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Therapeutic effects of lornoxicam-loaded nanomicellar formula in experimental models of rheumatoid arthritis

Background Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease treated by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) including lornoxicam (LX). Nanocarriers have been used to increase the efficacy and reduce the side effects of various drugs. The objective of the present study was to compare the therapeutic efficacy of systemic administration of lornoxicam-loaded nanomicellar formula (LX-NM) with that of free LX. Materials and methods The LX-loaded mixed polymeric nanomicellar formula was prepared by direct equilibrium technique. Two rat models were used in the study: carrageenan-induced acute edema and Freund’s complete adjuvant (FCA)-induced chronic arthritis. Results The inhibitory effect of LX-NM on carrageenan-induced edema was higher than free LX for the same dose (1.3 mg/kg, i.p.). LX-NM (0.325 mg/kg, i.p.) produced effects comparable to that of diclofenac, which served as a standard. In the FCA model, daily treatment with LX-NM (0.325 mg/kg, i.p.) starting on day 14 significantly reduced the percentage of edema and increased weight growth. However, the same dose of LX failed to confer any significant change. Additionally, LX-NM significantly attenuated the rise of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β, prostaglandin E2, nuclear factor-κβ, malondialdehyde and nitric oxide serum levels. In contrast, LX failed to show any significant reduction in elevated serum biomarkers except for TNF-α. Conclusion LX-NM is an alternative delivery system that is simply prepared at low costs. It showed a superior therapeutic efficacy against RA compared to free LX. Thus, LX-NM can be considered as a promising candidate for treatment of RA and similar inflammatory disorders.